#so we are not allowed to even have nostalgia apparently that's problematic

[loveaetingkids]

Arthur and the Minimoys or the nostalgic movie I would not recommend 

Back when I was little I was a big fan of a cartoon that told a story of a 10 year old boy traveling to the land of microscopic creatures in order to rescue his grandpa.But upon rewatching the trilogy (yes,there are three movies out there) I realized that it has way more problematic aspects then I remember.You may ask:what is so icky about a French cartoon from 2000s with uncanny valley effects that made you want to warn people?Well worry not,for I will explain it to you!

1.Bogo Matassalai

Bogo Matassalai is a fictional African tribe that the main characters grandfather,Archibald Suchshot,helped build an irrigation system.As thanks,they gifted him a bag of rubies and introduced him to their friends-minimoys.What is interesting though,is that both tribes mentioned moved to Connecticut,specifically to the Archibalds yard or nearby,seemingly without any reason (as it wasn’t mentioned in any film).Bear in mind that Arthur’s grandfather is supposed to be an explorer during the 60s,so now the implications are weird.

Another thing is Bogo Matassalais lack of individuality:we don’t learn about their reasoning behind abandoning their homeland to move with Suchshot,their backstories aside from what others told of them,even their names are unknown.The tribe usually shows up when the plot requires them to,helping the main character and then disappearing.What’s worse is the reaction of others towards them:Arthur’s father,Francis,after first seeing members of Bogo Matassalai,ran away frightened towards home where he tried to call the police,and when he failed,Francis tried to explain that he saw “tall and black” figures.His wife,Rosie,isn’t better in this regard:every time she sees the tribe,she either faints or acts as if they could bite her head off.It seems that the crew behind those films wanted to show the bias of Arthur’s parents and ridicule them, but without devoting enough time to this aspect, the audience only sees the shuddering and gawking at people of another ethnicity for the comedic aspect.

It’s also important to add that in the second film,the tribe wanted Arthur to pass the tests of nature,where he hugs trees and sleeps near wild animals.Aside from cultural inaccuracy I’m not qualified to dissect,we also get-

-this.

It becomes pretty clear that Bogo Matassalai are used either as a narrative foil or some kind of exotic “other”,stripping them of any personality or agency.However,this wasn’t the only instance the trilogy did certain characters dirty.

2.Selenia 

Oh boy,where do I even begin?The princess of the First Land was hinted to be Arthur’s love interest from the very start,but upon getting to know her we notice that she’s voiced by a grown actress(Madonna in the eng dub and Myléne Farmer in the french) and is sexualized either through frames that showcase her butt/breasts(like that scene when Arthur took a lace from her top-corset thingy and she had to hold it from falling apart) or through the words of grown men who want to marry her.So aside from objectification of said character,we also get the memo that she’s an adult and Arthur is too young for her.But apparently that isn’t the issue?During their stay with Koolamassai,the princess explains that she’s 1000 years old,but the human equivalent is 10.So now it’s confirmed that Arthur,a 10 year old boy,is considered an adult in Minimoys society and therefore allowed to marry Selenia,a woman who turns out to be a child in human years.So here we have a female character, who,despite being  portrayed by the male gaze,is still implied to be a kid.

Thus here are my reasons as to why watching Arthur and the Minimoys may be uncomfortable for an audience who hopped on nostalgia train or wanted to see something new.

[carolsideblog]

Undiagnosed Autism in Adults | Being Shamed for Special Interests

What is a Special Interest?

I’m 27 and I have autism.

Therefore, I have special interests. Generally speaking, in the context of the autistic spectrum disorder, a special interest is... just genuinely hard for me to describe or explain? Here are some links with definitions of special interests.

Autism Fandom Wikia

Ambitious About Autism

Amythest Schaber - Ask an Autistic, What are Special Interests?

Purple Ella - Autism & Special Interests 

... long post ahead / cw for cussing and swearinig ...

The Comfort of my Special Interests

My special interests are things that I’m deeply passionate about and something that I latch onto, almost as a coping mechanism. I have a variety of special interests that shift in and out of focus through out the months in a year, but I could prattle on and ON AND ON for HOURS about any of them.

When I’m immersed in my current favorite special interest, I am over the moon. I feel productive, the world makes sense, I feel like my life makes sense, and I can calm down faster from a stressful, overwhelming day.

Adulthood and the Expectations of Neurotypicals

But in adulthood, it’s generally not seen as a mature thing for an old woman in her twenties to STILL be fucking talking about “dumb shit.” Shit that’s “bad,” shit that’s “problematic,” or shit that’s not for “my age group.”

I don’t fucking know what women in their late twenties are supposed to do. I’m not a sensible enough of an adult to know.

I also know very well that my shit is problematic, bad, and/or not for my age group. I probably researched 5 hours straight on my special interest for nearly a month when I discovered it. I know books, games and movies that I’ve taken a shine to forwards and backwards, I know deep-cut fandom jokes in different things I like, I know who created what and when.

But this isn’t impressive to anyone. To the rest of neurotypical society, one needs to have a bunch of light hearted little hobbies that you can switch too whenever you want because that’s “healthy.” It’s “not healthy” whatsoever (apparently) to STILL be talking about something that I love, because I’m an adult and I should have hobbies and I should have a job filing away things and writing data in spreadsheets like a good little working woman.

Or whatever, I don’t know.

Guilt, Shame and Stigma

I just... don’t understand why people shame people for the things that bring them joy, even if the things that bring them joy are objectively poor quality or badly made. The things I love make me happy, and they make me happy for lots of different reasons.

Some reasons include...

It was close to my childhood and I have a strong attachment to it

It was the lifeline I clung onto when I was going through a rough part of my life and the memories I have of it bring me comfort

I felt proud investing time in researching information, collecting memorabilia, and becoming an “expert” in that special interest

To me, my special interests were so important to my ability to cope, it got to the point where some parts of them became almost like an addition to my identity; my special interests are part of who I am and how I navigate the world. It might come from not really having a strong sense of self in the first place, I don’t know.

So when people scold me for still talking about my special interests, or make passive aggressive, off-hand comments about my special interests, or when they’re even out-right criticizing my special interests, (”It’s a bad book, it’s a bad game, the movie sucks,”)

Even if I know they’re right, it feels like an attack on me. It feels like they’re scolding me for liking the things I like. It feels like they’re criticizing me for liking something bad. It feels like they’re being passive aggressive and unfair because they don’t like me.

Rationally and logically I know this isn’t true. But it still feels like an emotional punch in the gut. It still feels like people are policing what I should and shouldn’t like. And it pisses me off and makes me ruminate.

An Open Letter to Neurotypicals 

Hello, ally.

Life is hard. You and I both know that. But thankfully, there are loads of things in this world that can bring us joy. We have lots of things to keep us entertained, to socialize over, and to be passionate about.

But I get it: someone in your life keeps talking about that one thing all the time. Maybe you’re tired, maybe you’ve heard so much about this thing before, you’ve had enough or got bored. I dunno? But you’re tank is empty and you need a break, and that’s fair.

If for whatever reason your friend won’t shut up about something they really seem to love and it makes them happy... Be nice about it I guess?

If I could say anything to any neurotypical that I’ve spoken too in my lifetime right now, it’s this: be frank, honest, and straightforward. Don’t beat around the bush and don’t “drop hints.” Don’t always rely on people figuring it out for themselves. Just because things might come naturally to you doesn’t mean those same things come naturally to others. And this is okay, I only ask that you communicate clearly and honestly when you can.

If a topic is getting tiresome to you and you need a break, just tell them. Most of the time, it will be fine. When you’re up for it and wondering about a hobby or interest that someone told you about, bring it up with them again. It might brighten their day.

You don’t have to participate in the special interest of a friend if you don’t want too. Just be there for your friends, lend an ear if you can, and be supportive.

An Open Letter to the Neurodiverse

Hello, friend.

Don’t let people get you down about your special interests. If there’s something in this world that makes you passionate, that keeps you up at night because you’re so excited, that makes you rush to wake up  because you want to do your Favorite Thing in the Entire World™, then please keep embracing that thing.

It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t fit the standards of neurotypicals. You don’t have to please people. If people are giving you a hard time because something makes you happy??? They’re probably not the right people to be around anyway. Someone in your life just kinda humoring you and you wish you had more? Same! But it’s okay. People who love you are listening as best they can, but please, I promise you if you keep looking, you will find your like-minded people and you will be able to find people to talk about your passions with.

If it makes you happy, if it brings you joy, if it brings you comfort, please don’t let that go if people keep nagging you for it. You have no reason to feel guilty or ashamed for something that helps you cope, that keeps you grounded, that makes you happy.

Also know that as much love and joy and comfort that your special interest gives you... remember you are still a whole entire person. You can wear your special interest as apart of you if you feel that brings you the most honest and genuine comfort and joy, but just remember that you don’t need to be limited to just this one thing. You have full permission to also be anything else you want to be in addition to this special interest. This is not to scold or shame you, but this is to remind you that you are a valid, whole person, and you are allowed to transform however you want too.

Closing Ramblings and Musings

I’ve been really bothered by this.

Like I’ve been thinking about this a lot, on again and off again, since November.

Through out my life, people have made lots of comments about my hobbies and the things I like. Most of them negative.

From the music I like to listen too, the bands and groups I follow, to the books I loved to read, to the movies I like to watch, to the games I love to play. I have my own genuine criticism and critiques that I have for a variety of things that fall under my special interests. I’m passionate and thorough with my feedback because I love all of my special interests so much, and I know they could be better.

I have a lot of complex feelings and a lot of things to reconcile with my special interests. It’s so hard to grow up and start to learn and realize how... bad they are all. How problematic some are, how poor quality or laughably simple they all are. I can give you all of my different reasons for why I like them and I could tell you all day about how I know they’re all bad... but I know some of the things I love are just laughing stocks and punching bags in pop culture to the neurotypical society. 

But I can’t just let them go. That’s what I couldn’t stop thinking about in November and December. I really just couldn’t let these things go. For personal reasons, for nostalgia reasons, for coping reasons. I love these things. And I carry a lot of guilt and frustration with myself because I can’t let these things go. I can’t just switch to new fandoms, new books, new movies, new groups. At least, maybe not yet. I don’t know.

I just don’t know. I want to reclaim the parts I love but I know that It’s not a real solution. There’s such a major divide between the special interests I love and what I actually believe in and stand for. They directly conflict with each other and it’s frustrating and complicated.

I really don’t know how to close this post, to be honest. This post won’t solve the problem I have. It won’t explain to the people who scolded me for my special interest, it won’t make them understand or forgive me about why I keep talking about a stupid book with a bad premise, it won’t make them understand why I have “bad taste” or why a 27 year old woman won’t shut up about something largely assumed “meant for kids.”

This was just to vent and maybe lend hope to people feel the same way or have the same struggles.

[wesavegotham]

Is modern Batman still a hero?

One topic that I see a lot when people are discussing which bat-character is better or who deserves the most to be Batman after Bruce is how brutal or empathetic the different characters are.

The argument is of course, that characters like Tim or Dick deserve to follow Bruce in his footsteps more than more violent candidates like Jason or Damian.

Personally, I don't really see why you would even want your favourite character to be Batman, but that isn't the topic of this post. Neither is discussing who should take over after Bruce. It's a bit pointless anyway since the Main Universe will always return to Bruce and the (former) Robins are all a bit stuck in their age range, so why fight over a status that wouldn’t stay around for more than a year? Anyway, back to the reason for this post.

A lot of those discussions about "worthiness" are rooted in a certain belief: That Bruce as Batman is empathetic and not brutal, he's a hero.

Maybe it's because I haven't read comics since the 60s, maybe it's because I'm not American and didn't watch Batman the animated series or any other Batman show when I was a child. My knowledge about Batman mostly stems from comics that came out since 2006. I don't have a lot of nostalgia when it comes to Batman and I sometimes struggle to see where this belief in Batman’s goodness comes from.

I look at Batman after New 52 and I don't see an empathetic hero who refrains from using unnecessary violence. I see an often very selfish man, who is incapable of taking responsibility for his actions in a lot of cases, is extremely violent and one of the worst things is probably that both writers and a lot of readers happily let him get away with it. Problematic behaviour isn't bad per se, some of my favourite characters are assholes or shady, but usually both writers and fans aknowledge that fact when writing or talking about them.

The problem here is that DC is writing Bruce as an anti-hero while marketing him as a hero. Even as one of the greatest heroes who has ever lived. I don't know about you, but the lack of empathy and heroism Bruce had in King's Batman run, after all the main Batman book for the last three years, was appaling, and he didn't do much good in other books either.

And again, all of this would be fine if the narrative treated his actions as wrong and made characters in the DC universe comment on that behaviour as wrong. But that doesn't really happen, at least not in a meaningful way. In most cases another character expresses some disappointment for one page, but nobody seriously questions Bruce's status as a friend, leader, mentor or hero. In a lot of other cases Bruce's actions are depicted as good simply because he's Batman and Batman is popular, not because his actions are without a doubt good.

One example for how differently writers and readers treat characters who aren't Bruce Wayne/Batman doing shady stuff is how Adam Glass portrays Damian's actions in Teen Titans and how readers reacted to it.

After the catastrophic events of Justice League: No Justice Damian decided that the Justice League's methods don't work and that Arkham wasn't a good place for dangerous criminals anymore, because the criminals always broke out pretty quickly and would murder innocent people again. With the help of Red Hood he built his own prison, which kinda resembled a torture chamber. I think we can all agree that this is wrong and the narrative treats it as such as well. Thankfully Damian eventually reached the same conclusion and tries to be better again.

Nevertheless, a lot of DC fans still think Damian deserves to get fired or even beaten up by Bruce for what he did. The solicitations for April 2020 make it sound like they might get what they desire.

Even when I ignore how contraproductive punishing a child for trying to solve a problem with violence by using more violence is and that Bruce's neglect allowed all of this to happen in the first place, no matter how this Teen Titans annual will play out, I simply don't think that Bruce is one to judge in this particular situation.

I like to use the summer/fall of 2018 as a reference point because that is when DC Rebirth ended and the entire DC universe started to fall back into it's bad New 52 habits.

Since then Bruce was partly responsible for creating Sanctuary, a poorly designed mental health facility, where Wally West accidentally killed a lot of fellow heroes, because of the way he was treated. The Trinity felt a bit bad about it, but reopened their facility without any known changes anyway:

Bruce imprisoned the very dangerous Batman Who Laughs in a secret prison under the Hall of Justice without telling the Justice League:

The hero community didn't know about any of it, which allowed BWL to infect a lot of allies who Batman had left in the dark.

He beat up Jason Todd, his former protégé, so badly he couldn't walk for weeks based on information that later turned out to be false:

He's overall extremely brutal. Just a few examples:

Breaking KGBeast's neck and leaving him in the cold afterwards:

The entirety of Batman #59 and #60 where he beat up the guards in Arkham, beat Bane into a pulp, punched Gordon in the face, tortured ex-inmates for information on Bane and had Penguin imprisoned in a small cage in the Batcave.

And he punches people in Arkham into submission basically whenever he feels like it:

A lot of Bruce's awful behaviour is from King's run on Batman, but other examples are from Red Hood and the Outlaws, Batman and Superman or even from Detective Comics written by Tomasi, who probably writes the most heroic version of Bruce nowadays.

Tynion's run on Batman just started, but there are already some examples for questionable behaviour there too:

Like building a not very humane looking prison after coming to the same conclusion as Damian, which was that Arkham isn't enough anymore:

Or letting Cheshire get hit by a moving truck on purpose:

Yeah, seriously, the only reason this doesn't count as lethal method is because Batman doesn't kill, thus his enemies simply aren't allowed to die from fatal attacks.

But apparently Bruce is still a hero, a man of empathy and commited to only using as much violence as the situation requires😑

If DC wants Bruce to do shady stuff as much as they do, then maybe it's time to admit that modern Bruce is more of an anti-hero than a hero. Or if DC wants to redefine what it means to be heroic, then Bruce needs to drop his moral supiority complex when dealing with characters that actually don't act that different from him.

[seyaryminamoto]

Do you think they could make Azula gay in the netflix live-action? Many people in the fandom seem to think she had a thing for Ty Lee. I don't see it, but do you think they could retcon the show just to pander to shippers?

Somehow I knew this sort of question would pop up in my inbox one day. I just did. Such foresight powers I have (?)

Anyways, the answer got pretty long, but I hope it’s comprehensive enough in regards of why I don’t think it’s likely, why, even if it happens, we shouldn’t freak out about it regardless of if it negates our headcanons, and why, on top of it all any characterization the ATLA cast gets in the liveaction should be judged as part of a second timeline, removed from the first, and analyzed as such.

Alright, first of all... despite what popular opinion these days would have everyone believe, a character’s sexuality and sexual identity are not the only relevant and important factors in them; in fact, I wouldn’t even call them the most important factors unless you’re outright telling a story with very specific socially critical purposes in mind. Yes, you can deal with these subjects in stories that aren’t exclusively about sexuality, and yes, it offers important representation to communities that were largely unseen for the bulk of human history. But making a character’s entire story arc revolve around nothing but sexuality and their struggles because of it is actually a failure at offering good representation? The point in having media featuring representation in the form of diverse fictional characters is based on allowing minorities to see themselves in this kind of content and for majorities to understand these minorities and their stories are just as valid as theirs are. If minorities are reduced to a single aspect of their multifacetic lives, the only thing the story in question would achieve is turning a character with the potential to be dynamic and complex into some flat minority stereotype, throwing away the countless human complexities through which media can tell rich and important stories that do provide genuine, quality representation to these communities.

Ergo, if Azula were written as a gay character in this Netflix adaptation, this aspect of the reworked character should not, and frankly, CANNOT, be the only thing that matters about her. Azula has a large role to play in this story, a role related to the war, her family, her friends and her nation, and a lot of her complexities stem from how she deals with all these subjects, none of which have anything to do with romance or sexuality. Therefore, I’m pretty sure a lot of us loved her character for reasons that had nothing to do with her interactions with potential love interests, whether they’re of her same or opposite sex: Azula has always been SO MUCH MORE than whatever we’ve headcanoned her sexuality to be, and this is something I hope everyone keeps in mind for this liveaction show.

We need to stick to our priorities, to a fault, as Azula’s fans: whatever sexuality or love interests she’s given, if she’s given either thing to begin with, her story isn’t exclusively about that. So, if Bryke decide to alter this aspect of her original characterization by dialing up Azula’s love life, it’s not the driving aspect of the character and it’s not the only thing we should be concerned with when it comes to her new portrayal in the future liveaction show, regardless of whether said sexuality agrees with our headcanons or disagrees with them.

Alright, then. After that particular clarification had been made... I’m of the opinion that Bryke have indeed pandered to shippers and fans in the past, namely in their sequel show and certain later announcements related to it, announcements that were basically the LOK version of “Dumbledore was gay all along but I thought it’d hurt the book sales and that’s why I only said so in a press conference after the final book was a bestseller and my bank accounts were overflowing” (by which I mean, the last-minute sudden “Aiwei (the dead guy) and Kya (Aang’s daughter) are also gay” comments Bryke made post-Book 4 to convince people they were aboslutely pro-LGBT and their world was very diverse despite said diversity only became known in the final scene of the show and was never portrayed positively or properly through these side-and-background characters...?).

So, would I say, categorically, that Bryke would NEVER write Azula as a gay character if they thought it’d make their show more popular? Nope, I can’t. I really don’t trust them enough to think they’ll prioritize top-of-the-line storytelling over pandering to the crowd that will cheer them on most loudly.

THAT BEING SAID...!

The story they told with Azula in ATLA, despite what certain people are convinced of, had a very straight-forward message, one that I didn’t like very much, especially since that message seemed to render irrelevant the character’s incredible storytelling potential and remarkable complexities. Where Azula could have been so many things, in the show’s finale she became some sort of flat, sad warning stating: “don’t try to control people through fear or they’ll turn against you and you’ll end up all alone.”

As much as I have no doubts Bryke will want to incorporate new themes and somewhat “update” ATLA into more progressive times, I really doubt they’ll sacrifice the story they’re apparently so proud of having told through Azula only to pander to a specific part of ATLA’s audience. For that matter, there’s been a growing movement promoting many same-sex ships and trans interpretations of virtually ALL ATLA characters, so if they were to pander to the fanbase through Azula, why her? And if they do pick her, why stop there? If they do stop there, then they’re not being inclusive enough with their fandom. Why satisfy one portion of the fandom and not satisfy the other ones too? :’D

Worse yet, accusations of foul play will absolutely be guaranteed to rise when a potentially gay Azula isn’t given a redemption (because, considering the latest Azula-related comments by the creators and comic writers, they’re not likely to do it this time either), because “irredemably evil lesbian trope, that’s so sexist and homophobic!” And with that, the long, glorious time ATLA has spent as the golden, poster child of western animation will suddenly be overrun with the very same hysterical purity police that has overtaken all newer fandoms and filled them with antis who attack creators, writers, actors and other fans for creating or supporting “toxic” content.

Point and case being... if they don’t stray from the story they already told, they have a slam dunk since a lot of people will love the show if it’s virtually the same as the one they watched when growing up. All they have to do is alter a few events, maybe expand on a few things, stall the story for a few more years so the actors can age realistically and not be overworked... and tadaaaah! You have a blockbuster! Change fundamental aspects of characters by adding new factors to pander to certain fan demographics? You’d basically be poking a wasp’s nest and hoping they will turn out to be honeybees instead, ESPECIALLY if the character being coded as LGBT is either evil or fated to die, as both those tropes are what seem to incense that side of fandoms more than anything else.

If they want to write Azula as openly gay, they’d have to alter her general character message and whole arc to avoid the guaranteed problems I’ve pointed out up here. Paired with this? They’d have to retcon their recently established “the Fire Nation became homophobic in Sozin’s time!” canon imposed by LOK’s comics, so, if they stick with this tidbit of recent LGBT info, a gay Azula would most likely have to be a highly repressed lesbian who can’t even accept herself? It’s not impossible to tell that story... but it kind of feels counterproductive, and absolutely discouraging too for people who are struggling to come to terms with their own sexuality to see themselves reflected in a repressed character who most likely will meet the same depressing end she does in ATLA.

Now, my final point: again, I can’t say it’s impossible that this might happen. But EVEN IF Bryke decide that this is how their new story will work, and the new Azula will be gay, and they change everything so it’s non-problematic and they successfully avoid being chased with pitchforks by the purity police...

A new characterization doesn’t negate the one from the original show in the least. The first ATLA is what it is, a finished product that can be judged and interpreted in a thousand ways, and has been, for the past 10+ years. A new canon does NOT overrule an old one, a thought that I’m sure the very same purity and nostalgia police I’ve mentioned will absolutely adhere to once the new story changes ANYTHING and they don’t like it. Whatever new possibilities they test out with a new story don’t have to be taken as facts that apply to every iteration of the characters. For reference, imagine judging every Marvel comics character for the actions and behavior of their MCU counterparts. Imagine people raging at Peter Quill in the comic books because he’s in love with Kitty Pryde and how DARES he cheat on Gamora with her?!

... Just how would that make any sense? :’) Likewise, it would make no sense to behave this way with ATLA and its future liveaction adaptation. What happens in the liveaction concerns the liveaction. What happened in the original show can serve as a guideline for the liveaction, if anything, a frame of reference, but they can (and will) change elements in the story as they please in the new adaptation. However similar as they might be, they’re TWO stories, and they should work perfectly well as standalone shows.

Let’s look at it from the opposite POV, to further illustrate my point: if the new show SOMEHOW made Sokkla canon, unlikely and damn near impossible as it is: that doesn’t make it canon in the original ATLA. Hence, if I were to run out in the streets screaming Sokkla is real and endgame in EVERY POSSIBLE VERSION OF ATLA, the entire world would have every right to throw rotten eggs at me and tell me to shut the fuck up because it’s not true, it’s only real in the liveaction, and that doesn’t have any bearing on the original show.

Same principle applies with a potential gay Azula :’) Even if it happens, it’s liveaction only. The original show remains what it is, and her characterization there can be interpreted and derived from as we see fit.

To close this answer, I confess that I, personally, have next to no interest in this liveaction remake. I can’t even say I’ll watch any of it. For one thing, I’m really annoyed by the trend there is these days to turn animation into liveaction, because it seriously feels like an underlying way to say that liveaction is somehow the superior choice for audiovisual storytelling and that really grinds my gears. Animation has been fascinating media for me for years, I’ve always felt it’s more versatile than liveaction, and if I ever happened to write something that gets an onscreen adaptation, I’d probably choose animation over liveaction even if I’m not given a choice on the matter :’) So, for starters, I’m not happy with the notion of a liveaction remake for this show. If they wanted to remake ATLA and had chosen to do so with animation, I’d definitely be much more interested. But this way? Uh... not my cup of tea.

So, whatever Bryke want to do with this new product is absolutely their business (same as it was their business with ATLA, frankly). People will criticize it, that’s a guaranteed thing, and people will love it, and people will be angry, and people will be happy. But I’m probably not going to be one of any of these people this time around. The only way I would likely enjoy that show would be if it’s a genuine, critical overhaul of everything they did in the original show, reworking many key aspects of MANY characters, no matter if the main anecdote remains intact. And considering how highly self-critical the recent ATLA-related content has been, I doubt I’ll get my wish. So... good luck to everyone who wants to watch this liveaction, have fun, I won’t spoil it for you by dumping on it this time as I did with the comics, but I certainly won’t be joining any of your parades much either :’D

[tea-at-221]

Ask: New in Fandom, S4 Confusion, Fan Creativity

@artist-in-space​

If there was a part 3 to this, I didn't get it hun! I'm sorry--I wish the ask system was easier/clearer/more reliable to navigate on both sides.

So, first! Please don't apologize. Share away. I appreciate it. :) I like getting messages--in fact, I wish I'd get them more.

Oh boy. Yeah...it's...oh, it's such a trip. It's so nice/validating, even now, to see newer fans come into the fandom and go...WHAT??? Wtf was that??? We were all knocked so horribly for a loop when S4 came out, most of us, whether Johnlockers or not. And especially for the TJLC group, who are quite used to being told that we're crazy for our perceptions of the show to begin with. So I don't know about other TJLCers (more on that in an extended post, linked below), but for me personally like...I feel like *anyone* should have watched S4 and known it was obvious insanity. But not everyone *did* have that reaction. So there's part of me now, all these years later, still going, "Like, should I have seen that any differently? If I say at this point that I still think it was NUTS and totally unrealistic, and continue to spout off mini-metas about EMP (extended mind palace), will anyone be interested in that or will I just come across as still being a problematic TJLCer? Because I used to always think Mofftiss had a "plan", and I want to think S4 was some screwball misdirection/not real, but I no longer have faith that Mofftiss do *anything* intentionally, sooo...the "c" is kinda missing for me at this point from "The JohnLock Conspiracy." It's more like, "The Twisted and Half-Intentional (Moffat) / Half-Subconscious-Learned-Internal-Homophobia-Nostalgia-I-Should-Really-Be-Self-Aware-Enough-Not-To-Perpetuate (Gatiss) Johnlock Queerbaiting Illusion." :\ Lmao. Sooo...THIHSLIHNRBSAENPJQI? Makes sense, yeah.

More on my personal take on being TJLC here. (As I was writing this, it sparked a lot of other things I wanted to post about, so that extended rant continues to this post lol. I’m wordy when I sit down to word, which isn’t too often because I just don’t have time, but I made some today.)

This post is LONG, so more is under the cut.

Anyway, you nailed it basically on the character assassinations. Like, where to even begin with that? Mofftiss started off the series apparently wanting to do something different and groundbreaking with the characters--to, as the put it, "get something right" (some unnamed thing) that apparently "everyone else had gotten wrong."

I guess they succeeded, if they think that what everyone else had gotten wrong was having John and Sherlock form a cohesive, supportive unit for each other. Some of the wrongs they did each other--particularly John to Sherlock--I mean. That scene in the morgue...like many other fans, I will never get over that. I tend to treat it as canon in my fics (AO3), I guess so that I can parse it and deal with it in my own way and make John apologize the way we never got in the series. But S4 feels to me like it left cracks 10,000 miles wide in that relationship. I think we were *meant* to feel just the opposite--that Sherlock and John came out the other side of S4 stronger together, but Mofftiss never seem to understand that people actually need to talk to each other and that needs to be shown on-screen for viewers to be able to feel the growth, and a sense of a satisfying arc/resolution. It can't be glossed over or implied just because they have run out of screen time or something. SO FRUSTRATING. Like do these writers understand anything about human psychology at all? How do you write something that is so simultaneously clever/loaded with subtext and parallels, and yet so clueless? They could teach a master class in that, they really could.

One thing a lot of people had issues with in S4 that I don't, however, was John's "affair." That man had been so massively underappreciated/swept aside/made to feel powerless in his relationships, and his wife SHOT HIS BEST FRIEND. Like??? Somehow his infidelity is the worst thing that's happened? I think not. I think it was an honest depiction of someone who has many reasons to feel dissatisfied/unfulfilled in their relationship. But there were depths to be plumbed with that that a season of 3 episodes just doesn't allow time for, and that I doubt Mofftiss are perceptive enough to do justice to.

SO long-winded. Man. My apologies!

But you're right. A lot of fans *didn't* survive that, metaphorically speaking. A lot of people rightfully felt hurt and betrayed and left the fandom. Because if Mofftiss ever did have some master plan, the time to implement it would have been a lot sooner. People aren't just going to sit around for years and years and years and years without answers. They'll lose faith that there ARE answers, and walk away. Some of them might come back later if they ever get it right, but a lot of people will have moved on to more fulfilling things, just like John was tempted to do (and that Mofftiss wrote John in that way shows that they're aware of how people lose interest, at least. They feel undervalued, unseen. But Mofftiss are immune to irony).

That so many of us had maintained hope for so long is a miracle, especially given the notoriously short attention-span of most audiences. This fandom was the perfect magnet for people, especially vulnerable LGBTQIA+ people, who were hoping for more from their shows and ships. We all thought there was some complex "wink-nudge" thing going on and that in the end the writers would stand by our side, especially since one of them is a gay man. And they encouraged that idea more than tried to dissuade us from it (and no, them saying “Sherlock and John aren’t getting together” wasn’t actually enough, because we thought they were being sly/not wanting to give the plot away). They thought we were engaging as fans and that was good and would make them money...but no one was looking out for the mental health of the younger viewers enough to advise Mofftiss on how to approach the obsessiveness that was going on in a diplomatic way. So fans kept hanging in waiting for the payoff...and instead of "wink-nudge", what really came out of it all was "wink-stab" and a distinct air of disgust aimed at Johnlockers/TJLCers by all and sundry.

Anyway, it IS sad how much writers and readers and fanart makers have become disheartened/disenchanted and walked away. I almost walked away myself after S4 because I was so heartbroken and angry that I didn't know if I could ever look at John and Sherlock again without being reminded of the pain and how foolish I felt for having faith in my perceptions. I couldn't even read fic for a while. But I *needed* this fandom. It filled a hole in me and nothing else was going to fill that. So I had to find a way to reclaim it, and I did that by deciding that all the positive things I felt about the show and the characters belong to me. It's my right to keep my feelings. I had to find a way to embrace my own telling of the stories (something we're so lucky to have AO3 for, because AO3 allows us to legally be able to do just that), and overcome the idea that canon is law. Their canon isn't even canon, anyway! Mofftiss are just writing fanfic like the rest of us. And doing a worse job of it.

So. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, I beg you--I beg all of us--if you're moved to create content for this fandom, do it!!! It all means everything to me and I will be SO disheartened if the day ever comes where this fandom is barren of new content. That would be so insanely lonely. We need *everyone’s* versions/depictions of these stories. The fun and light and life are in the creativity we're filled with when we're emotionally moved by something. Do it, and soak up the praise that comes along with it and let any negativity bounce off you. Do your thing, do you, and rest assured that if you are creating things you will doubtless touch people in ways you may never even see, but they appreciate it. I will appreciate it. More than I can say.

Thank you for messaging me, and enjoying my blog and the things I have to say. You are so sweet. I'm glad you're here and I hope you will stick around and create. Don't hold back on that blossoming, not in any area of your life. I promise that doubting yourself will never help you get where you deserve to be. <3 <3 <3

[kagaintheskywithdiamonds]

every episode of the Twilight Zone season 1 summarized

Where is Everybody?: nightmarish “last human being on earth” scenario turns out to just be a military experiment (wait shit that’s worse)

One for the Angels: man cheats uses capitalism to outsmart Death. I don’t know why Death would have any interest in purchasing consumer goods but apparently he does.

Mr. Denton on Doomsday: how to end alcoholism? guns. how to solve the gun crisis in america? break everyone’s hands. your move, democrats.

The Sixteen Millimeter Shrine: “fuck reality I’m just gonna literally disappear into the world of fiction and there’s nothing wrong with that”

Walking Distance: time travel and nostalgia and inflation (the money kind not the fetish kind)

Escape Clause: a man sells his soul in exchange for immortality and I want to say “it goes about as well as you would expect” but honestly it’s even worse than that.

The Lonely: is it valid to develop romantic feelings for an android? absolutely not. fuck you.

Time Enough at Last: :( he deserved better

Perchance to Dream: inception mixed with a healthy dose of “iF yOu DiE in YoUr DReaM YoU dIE in ReAl LifE”

Judgement Night: Nazi fucking dies (10 hour loop)

And When the Sky was Opened: what if we were all erased from reality one-by-one? haha just kidding… unle

What You Need: unstoppable asshole meets immovable cinnamon roll

The Four of Us are Dying: shapeshifter fucks with a bunch of people

Third from the Sun: a small group of humans takes off in a stolen government space ship to escape nuclear holocaust. What Happens Next Will Shock You (or at least it shocked me)

I Shot an Arrow into the Air: imagine Lord of the Flies but instead of being stuck on some island in the middle of nowhere they’re all just… in a tiny patch of wilderness just beyond some highway somewhere. and they’re grown-ass adults. but they still kill each other.

The Hitch-Hiker: woman loses her goddamn mind over an omnipresent hitchhiker that’s done literally nothing bad or threatening except exist on the side of the road everywhere she goes

The Fever: man in denial about his gambling addiction claims that the slot machine is a living entity that is targeting him personally

The Last Flight: man displaced in time manages to get back home just in time to die

The Purple Testament: man has a sort of superpower where he can tell which people are going to die soon by looking into their faces. then he sees it in his own reflection. …and there’s nothing he can do about it so he fucking dies.

Elegy: mannequin challenge (genocide route)

Mirror Image: your doppelgänger is the horrible customer that retail employees tell stories about on social media

The Monsters are Due on Maple Street: a typical witch hunt story but instead of witches it’s aliens. and in this case the aliens are real but they’re just watching earth from a distance and laughing at all the humans killing each other over accusations of being aliens

A World of Difference: hardcore method acting

Long Live Walter Jameson: problematic age gap

People are Alike all Over: humans are dicks and that’s a universal constant

Execution: I said CONSENSUAL time travel, rebecca!!!

The Big Tall Wish: when magic happens you don’t question it

A Nice Place to Visit: this is the bad place

Nightmare as a Child: creepy little girl is creepy (and salty)

A Stop at Willoughby: suicide via maladaptive daydreaming

The Chaser: love potions are a date rape drug but at least they come with a healthy dose of karma

A Passage for Trumpet: *sigh* you’re suicidal again? really?

Mr. Bevis: at the end of a particularly shitty day a Matt Smith-looking dude learns he has a guardian angel and then that guardian angel roasts his entire life and his personality and his interests and says he’s not even allowed to wear bow ties anymore

The After Hours: mannequin challenge (neutral route)

The Mighty Casey: the Tin Man is a baseball player but then he gets a heart and suddenly he sucks at baseball so he decides to be a social worker instead

A World of his Own: first I WRITE my characters and then i FUCK my characters and then i D E S T R O Y my characters!!!! (and THEN i destroy Rod Serling)

[junker-town]

What Kobe Bryant could have accomplished in retirement

We’ll never know Kobe Bryant’s power in retirement.

Kobe Bryant’s death leaves his story unfinished.

We’re never going to get to hear the Hall of Fame speech. That’s a shame because Kobe Bryant would have delivered an all-timer. So many of those speeches are meant to be disposable. An athlete thanks their family, their friends, their god and their agent, and then moves on from the spotlight, sometimes for good.

Occasionally, the speeches are truly memorable. Michael Jordan went scorched earth on the legion of critics and haters that had apparently occupied his mind even when that number of doubters was both small and inconsequential. In doing so, Jordan chose to be remembered as a far pettier man than the universally beloved figure he was during his prime.

Like Jordan, Kobe played the game with a singular domination that didn’t lend itself to making friends with his enemies. That was a great part of his appeal for a great many people, but it was the attention to detail in his craft, the endless quest for perfection in an imperfect sport that resonated even more. That wasn’t so much Jordan-esque as it was Kobe personified.

We’ll never know for sure what Kobe would have said in Springfield. But here’s a guess: he would have looked forward, not backward, because for Kobe the future was way more interesting than the past. That’s only one of the ways in which he was endlessly complex and compelling.

When he embarked on his final-season farewell tour and made himself accessible in city after city he rarely trafficked in cheap nostalgia. He had made his peace with the end of his basketball career and had somehow moved beyond the competitive rage that fueled his career. As he noted during his last NBA All-Star Game appearance in Toronto in 2016:

“I’m really just enjoying this whole thing, being around these players and talking to them one more time, going out and practicing and enjoying that moment in the game and enjoying that moment. So, competitiveness in terms of me trying to establish something or prove something, that’s gone.”

That’s a remarkable bit of self-awareness for any athlete, let alone a self-styled killer whose edge rested on an ability to bury his opponents under their own weaknesses. As the former pitcher Jim Bouton once wrote, “You spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time.”

No, Kobe was not rooted in the past, nor would he allow it to define him. Even before he physically moved on from the game, he appeared ready to make that leap in his mind. That’s the irony of the endless debates about his legacy. Kobe may have cared deeply, but he put others on his Mt. Rushmore and declared that Jerry West was the greatest Laker.

While he had a great appreciation for the history of the game and his place in it, there was no need waste any time making his case. Kobe was above all that. He had said all he needed to say on the court. Besides, as Tony Soprano once put it, “Remember when is the lowest form of communication.”

Kobe fancied himself a storyteller and characters like Soprano appealed to him. After modeling his younger self on Jordan — carrying out some of the worst of Jordan’s excesses to the nth degree — Bryant remade himself into an anti-hero, a problematic construction if ever there was one.

He did so in the wake of his rape trial in Colorado, but the rape trial was not “problematic” in the way that word gets used as a placeholder to ignore the realities of the accusation. It was abhorrent. There is a paper trail and following it is brutal. The crime Kobe stood accused of committing was a gross violation of another person’s body and humanity. There is no glossing over that, nor should there be.

The problematic part of the equation was crafting a persona that was meant to be a stand-in for his authentic self while a generation of kids wanted him to remain their unimpeachable superhero. For the anti-hero, the ends always justify the means and for Kobe’s most ardent admirers, his five rings gave them license to treat his words and actions as gospel.

There is a tremendous amount of power inherent in that construction, and Kobe based much of his post-basketball empire on its appeal. The Mamba Mentality was all you needed, and you, yes you, could prosper, provided you adhere to the tenants of its faith and were willing to become just as ruthlessly competitive as its founder. Viewed through a particular lens, that wasn’t all bad.

“I think you have to believe that they’re possible,” Bryant said during that All-Star weekend in Toronto. “It’s easier said than done, because I think we all have dreams. But once you go through the process of trying to make those dreams a reality, you hit obstacles. And I think unfortunately because of pressure or anxiety or responsibilities, things, whatever, you kind of give up on those dreams and somewhere along the line you lose that imagination. I think it’s important that you never lose that. You have to keep that. That’s the most important thing. I never gave up my dream.”

That sentiment is admirable, really. Too many people settle for mediocrity. Too many see the struggle and leave their dreams behind, choosing instead to live a life devoid of purpose or meaning. To give people hope and inspiration is a wondrous thing and Kobe did that with a great many people, as well.

But it’s something else within that quote that gives one pause. Unfortunately because of pressure or anxiety or responsibilities, things, whatever.

There was never any room in Kobe’s worldview for pressure or anxiety or things, whatever they may be, because to Kobe, those were merely obstacles to be defeated. There was instead a singular focus on winning, whatever the cost. That doesn’t leave a lot of room for acceptance when others fail to meet those standards.

Just a few months ago, after a team of seventh-grade girls he coached took fourth place in a tournament, he laid bare his disappointment with the result in an Instagram post that reeked of sour grapes and shaming. Following an uproar, Kobe tried to soften those comments.

Websites such as ours accused him of trying to “cynically triage his brand.” Perhaps, that’s the best way to view any charismatic figure like Bryant: cynically. Or perhaps the reframing of his motivational message was evidence of someone trying to evolve.

In retirement, Kobe took his role as a mentor seriously. He had endless credibility with players and by keeping himself at a remove from the league in any official capacity, he offered something even more unique: a truth that was not bound to any allegiance.

Kobe was particularly engaging with female athletes who possessed qualities he admired. His blessing of their achievements had the potential to carry a profound message of empowerment. More than anyone, he recognized the craft and skill of women’s basketball and celebrated that as a monument to itself.

Then there are accounts of his actions during normal human interactions, such as a car accident in his neighborhood. Imagine that, Kobe the good samaritan. He was the kind of guy you wanted for a neighbor, a fellow dad with whom you could talk about life.

He took obvious delight in being a father, and that is yet another reason why this hurts so much. It was his daughter Gianna, who had promised to carry on his legacy on the court who was among those who died in a helicopter crash Sunday. Their death, and the deaths of the other people aboard that helicopter, are senseless and shocking. As parents and as people, we grieve for those who are lost and especially for those left behind.

It’s hard not to look at that Kobe and see a person of empathy who possessed the capacity to change lives for the better. He certainly had that power, and he seemed to understand there were positive currents that burned just as bright as the darkness he worked so hard to cultivate as a player.

For a lot of people, Kobe was their Jordan, but he was savvy enough to realize that he had something more to offer the world than mere idolatry. Beyond his basketball legend, the repellent nature of the accusations against him, and the inherent contradictions of an inspiring yet unforgiving mantra, there was so much potential for good in his post-playing career.

Kobe Bryant was going somewhere in his life. That’s what makes his loss such an immense tragedy. Man, it would have been a helluva speech.

[phynxrizng]

DAILY ASTROLOGY REPORTS AND HOROSCOPES FOR, 12-14-17

Astrology Cafe Daily Astrology ABOUT TODAY DAILY MONTHLY CHART You are here: Home / Daily Astrology / Astrology of Today – Thursday, December 14, 2017 Astrology of Today – Thursday, December 14, 2017 Dec 13, 2017 by Annie Leave a Comment  The Moon is in Scorpio. The Moon is waning and in its Waning Crescent phase. The Last Quarter Moon occurred on the 10th, and the New Moon will occur on December 18th. Mercury is retrograde in the sign of Sagittarius (Mercury is retrograde from December 3-22). **Times are Eastern Standard Time (EST). Horoscopes Aries  Aries The pace of the day can be a little chaotic, dear Aries. You have a stronger need for strategy in your life, but there is a tendency to rush things anyhow. If rushing makes you skip steps, try to slow down. Even so, tonight and tomorrow, you’re in a good position for smoothing over differences through small yet significant gestures. You can be quite eager to share an idea, ideal, or personal belief. There can be discussions about cooperation in relationships, and also about long-term plans, travel, education, beliefs, expansion, and love of knowledge. Looking at past subjects, relationships, or viewpoints in new ways can be stimulating. Taurus  Taurus As much as you might want to bring up a specific topic today, dear Taurus, it may be premature to do so. Your powers of negotiation are good with the Moon in your partnership sector all day and your ruler, Venus, aligning with Mercury. There can be some disagreements to navigate today, however, but you’re in an excellent position to smooth over differences. In fact, you’re inclined to do a lot of analyzing, thinking, and talking about a personal or intimate matter later today, with this theme carrying over into tomorrow. If jealousies emerge today, use the experience as a lesson in self-awareness. Think things through if you are not getting your way and if your thoughts go into tricky territory. Gemini  Gemini At times today, you can be too impatient for your own good, dear Gemini, and this can be particularly apparent in a partnership or with people on the job. You might rub people the wrong way with the appearance that you know better than everyone else, even if you don’t intend it (and even if you DO know better right now!). Later today and into tomorrow, however, you have all the tools you need to make sense of feelings and ideas and to reach agreements or at least get to a place of understanding. Resolutions are likely to be found for long-standing problems in relationships, and negotiations figure strongly. It’s a time for showing how fair you can be! Cancer  Cancer There can be some tensions or conflicts today, dear Cancer, particularly if you’re juggling work and relationships or your work and social life are spilling over into each other. As well, you could have a hard time making a decision, possibly about a romance or creative pursuit. This is likely very temporary, and you can be entirely moved to sort out any conflicts or impatience experienced today as soon as tonight. Tonight and tomorrow, excellent energy is with you for making sense of your feelings, and perhaps also of a past problem as you see things in a new light. You can resolve many issues through brainstorming and analysis. People from your past can be on your brain, and in some cases, re-appearing in your life now. Leo  Leo There can be some disagreements, likely due to rushing and impatience, dear Leo, and you may be in the position of mediator. Others will be knocking at your door if you are demonstrating independence, but don’t expect to completely please them at the moment. By tonight and into tomorrow you have all the right tools for figuring things out and coming to a mutually beneficial agreement. You might also get to solve a mystery about a relationship that previously bothered you. Talks and thoughts tend to revolve around past romance, projects, and events, or an overdue conversation happens now. There can be nostalgia about past good times, exciting feelings, and other happy milestones. The monthly Moon-Jupiter conjunction occurs today and helps boost positivity, particularly in your home and personal life. Virgo  Virgo Watch your temper today, dear Virgo. Frustrations may only be about small problems, and you’ve had more than your share of these recently, so things have been building up. Avoid pushing something that you can’t change, and allow for unexpected changes that are out of your control. Pressure releases as the day progresses, and you get into a favorable position to satisfy your needs for conversation, learning experiences, and personal contact, but you may want to keep things informal and avoid jumping to conclusions, as some facts can be missing or difficult to see. Do enjoy a new and fresh take on an old matter that’s likely to boost your spirits. Libra  Libra There can be some tense moments today, dear Libra, especially if you’re in a rush. In fact, you may feel that you’re in a hurry even if there isn’t an actual rush, so check in with yourself. Sometimes, you put pressure on yourself when it isn’t warranted. The desire to fill your needs for comfort can be strong but watch for excesses. Later today, sound energy is with you for making sense of a matter. This can be about discovering some missing puzzle pieces. While the complete picture is yet to come, it can still be satisfying. Be on the lookout for opportunities to expand your knowledge and skills set, as an opportunity that was missed or passed over in the past can re-emerge and it may be worth a closer look. Scorpio  Scorpio Anger or resentment that you have buried or brushed to the side can emerge now in unexpected ways, dear Scorpio, especially if you’re rushing or encountering one small problem after another. While the feelings can be confusing at first and you should deal with them, do not let them control you either. Avoid rushing things, particularly business and finance-related endeavors. As the day progresses, you get into an excellent frame of mind for hashing things out. Backtracking in thought and conversation can figure strongly now, and is likely to involve going over matters from the past that you’ve recently dug up, particularly surrounding love relationships and money. The Moon and Jupiter join in your sign today, helping boost you up and encouraging you to look at the bright side. Sagittarius  Sagittarius The tendency for something to burn out nearly as quickly as it’s started runs very high right now, dear Sagittarius. Avoid over-exerting yourself today, and keep in mind that this applies to both physical and mental planes! Overdoing something now can prevent you from continuing it tomorrow, so take it easy. As well, be careful that you don’t attempt to force an issue or talk ahead of yourself — both strong possibilities with Mercury in your sign and Mars in the sign behind yours, forming a problematic aspect with one another. Speaking prematurely about your plans may not be wise right now! However, as the day progresses, we get closer to a Mercury-Venus alignment in Sagittarius, putting you in an excellent position to strike up an agreement or get into a fabulous frame of mind. Capricorn  Capricorn Today can be tricky if you fall prey to the idea that you need to rush a decision, dear Capricorn. Even if your feelings of being under pressure are happening because for legitimate reasons, you won’t do yourself or anyone favors if you push so hard that you can’t hear yourself think. Watch for speaking too quickly or too soon about a matter. Later today, further information surfaces about a private or past topic that gives you a refreshing new perspective. It’s true that you may not know the whole story just yet, but it feels good to fill in a few blanks. Aquarius  Aquarius Somebody, or people in general, can grate on your nerves today, dear Aquarius, perhaps due to impatience, brusqueness, or aggressiveness, or simply because you’re seeing the more unflattering side of people right now. Even so, differences of viewpoint aside, you are in a great position to smooth things out as the day advances. In fact, you can thoroughly enjoy the process with Mercury and Venus coming together. This energy continues into tomorrow and encourages you to see a frustrating problem in a brand new light. Conversations become quite lighthearted. Pisces  Pisces Desires can come on suddenly today but are either not likely to last or don’t need to be filled as quickly as you imagine, dear Pisces. There is a sense that you have to rush, be first, or get something done right away, when this may not actually be necessary. Keep this in mind if something takes hold of you and you demand immediate results! Some uncertainty or unpredictability in others is likely to be experienced now, but don’t let their behavior faze you or prevent you from having a good day. While you may be taking things quite personally at times now, the day advances in a much smoother way, and you’re likely to thoroughly enjoy pleasant thoughts or conversations. * Remember to read horoscopes for your Ascendant sign and Sun sign. If you don’t know your Ascendant sign (and you know your birth time), you can look it up here. If Your Birthday is December 14th, If Today is Your Birthday full horoscope here. Astrology of Today – The Details: If you’re astrologically inclined and interested in the details of the Astrology of today, here are some of the factors considered in the forecasts (for the astrology of the week, see This Week in Astrology):    Date & Time: Dec 14 2017 0:00 am Event: Moon in Scorpio Description: The Moon in Scorpio Contemplate the deeper things in life. Avoid unnecessary conflict, but if it’s going to improve your life, go ahead and make waves. Tune in to your intuition. This is a good time for investigations, looking into a matter further, doing research, connecting to others with a shared passion, solving a mystery, and devising a strategy. When the Moon in Scorpio is strained, we may take our passions too far. Date & Time: Dec 14 2017 8:42 pm Event: Moon goes void of course Date & Time: Dec 14 2017 3:13 am Event: Tr-Tr Mon Sqq Chi Description: Transiting Moon SesquiSquare Transiting Chiron Hurt feelings may be opportunities for healing. Now is the time for building bridges, not burning them. Date & Time: Dec 14 2017 7:38 am Event: Tr-Tr Mon Tri Nep Description: Transiting Moon Trine Transiting Neptune This is a feel-good time if we allow ourselves to relax and tune into the subtle aspects of life – art, nature, beauty, dreams, and spiritual realms. We absorb things easily, our senses are in good form, and we more naturally accept things and people as they are. There is no need to look for definite answers right now. Date & Time: Dec 14 2017 11:58 am Event: Tr-Tr Mon Cnj Jup Description: Transiting Moon Conjunction Transiting Jupiter We want to do good and to honor our inner code. We are generous with our energy, time, and money. Our feelings expand or are magnified, for better or for worse. It’s generally a good time to teach, learn, write, express ourselves, reach out, travel, publish, and promote. We may go over the top. Date & Time: Dec 14 2017 12:07 pm Event: Tr-Tr Mon Pll Ves Description: Transiting Moon Parallel Transiting Vesta Date & Time: Dec 14 2017 1:04 pm Event: Tr-Tr Mon SSq Sat Description: Transiting Moon SemiSquare Transiting Saturn We could feel burdened, restricted, or limited during this brief influence. We could be feeling a little down on ourselves, excluded, or lonely. There can be some awkwardness or stiffness and difficulty showing affection and feelings. Patience is a virtue right now; otherwise we might succumb to feelings of frustration and sadness. All good things come to those who wait. Date & Time: Dec 14 2017 1:27 pm Event: Tr-Tr Mon Cnj Ves Description: Transiting Moon Conjunction Transiting Vesta We are a little serious or stiff in self-expression at this time. We are more able to make sacrifices or put our emotions aside in order to get something important done. This can be a good time to commit fully to something – especially health and healing matters. Date & Time: Dec 14 2017 4:13 pm Event: Tr-Tr Mon Pll Mar Description: Transiting Moon Parallel Transiting Mars Date & Time: Dec 14 2017 5:20 pm Event: Tr-Tr Mon Sqr Nod Description: Transiting Moon Square Transiting North Node This is the trigger for out with the old and in with the new. We could feel at odds with others on an emotional level. Public relations are not as favorable now. Plans could need reworking. We could feel temporarily out of the loop. Date & Time: Dec 14 2017 8:37 pm Event: Tr-Tr Mon Sqr Cer Description: Transiting Moon Square Transiting Ceres There can be conflicts with loved ones, or we could be feeling unsupported. People could seem insensitive or uncaring, or our own needs seem to be at odds with the needs of family and friends. Date & Time: Dec 14 2017 8:42 pm Event: Tr-Tr Mon Sxt Plu Description: Transiting Moon Sextile Transiting Pluto This can be a good time for getting loans, for taking care of business, and for dealing with money matters. It’s also good for getting in touch with feelings and managing them effectively. There can be a boost to our intimate life, creative impulses, and self-understanding. Events occurring now might involve some kind of karmic repayment or benefit. We could discover new information, hidden information, or a lost item. This is a time for recycling – seeing new uses for old items. True feelings come to the surface. Date & Time: Dec 14 2017 8:06 pm Event: Tr-Tr Mer SSq Mar Description: Transiting Mercury SemiSquare Transiting Mars Questions are raised, discussions can become heated, and there can be nervous excitement now. Enthusiasm is likely, but may go a little too far. Impulsive speech or other communications. Mechanical breakdowns are possible. Date & Time: Dec 14 2017 5:12 am Event: Tr-Tr Ven Pll Sat Description: Transiting Venus Parallel Transiting Saturn Date & Time: Dec 14 2017 8:31 am Event: Tr-Tr Ven Tri Nod Description: Transiting Venus Trine Transiting North Node This can be a time when we are more agreeable, or come into the company of people who we harmonize with, connect well with, and who tend to be good for us. We might feel we are lucky with money or in affairs of the heart. Fortunate connections might be made now. Date & Time: Dec 14 2017 1:15 am Event: Tr-Tr Sat SSq Ves Description: Transiting Saturn SemiSquare Transiting Vesta Insecurities about our work, obligations, and commitments can arise now. We may feel overburdened and unappreciated. Strong Signs, Elements, Modes BALANCE OF SIGNS SCORPIO STRONG Intense, magnetic, penetrating perception, power to confront. Can be destructive, vengeful, jealous, overly dramatic. SAGITTARIUS STRONG Inspiring, broad vision, enthusiastic, goal seeking, truthful, adventurous. Can be reckless, unrestrained, tactless. BALANCE OF ELEMENTS FIRE STRONG Fire is enthusiastic, dynamic, and spontaneous, but lacks reflection. We are more courageous and adventurous now, with a tendency to act before thinking. There is little concern about what happened in the past. We are competitive and possibly impatient or bored easily. EARTH WEAK There can be a lack of desire, interest, or skills regarding practical affairs. We may not be very much in touch with reality. Difficulties concentrating, grounding ourselves. AIR WEAK We may have a difficult time being objective or detached. We may not be especially communicative. WATER STRONG We are more compassionate, emotional, and intuitive than usual, and we may react emotionally to situations, possibly at the expense of logic or practicality. BALANCE OF MODES CARDINAL WEAK This is not a time that we tend to naturally initiate actions. We may be stronger at following up than starting anew. Survival mechanisms may be weaker now. MUTABLE STRONG We are flexible, adaptable, willing, open to change, and possibly flighty or nervous. LUNAR PHASE: BALSAMIC Moon less than 45 degrees behind the Sun. Time to tie up loose ends, review, reflect, let go, and edit. The following aspects (major only) and positions are at noon (EST) on December 14th: Note that when an aspect is applying, it has not yet happened but is within orb – it’s pending. When an aspect is separating, it has already happened/perfected and is moving away from the aspect. Depending on the speed of the planet/body involved, the aspect will have perfected–or will perfect–in a matter of hours (often the case with the Moon), days, months, and possibly years in the case of the very slow-moving outer planets and bodies. Note that the Moon moves at a rate of approximately one degree every 2 hours so that if an aspect involving the Moon is applying and has an orb of 5 degrees, the aspect will perfect (be exact) in about 10 hours. If the Moon is separating from an aspect with an orb of 2 degrees, it has already formed said aspect approximately 4 hours ago (since the following are positions at noon today, then it would have occurred at about 8 AM today). **I suggest paying close attention to applying aspects. The energy of the aspect builds as it gets closer to exact. Once an aspect involving inner planets has happened, it’s over. Separating aspects are good to know for context, but in terms of energy that is with us today, applying aspects are most important. (This is the case for daily astrology influences involving inner planets, which pass quickly, and not natal astrology aspects, which are with us for a lifetime). THE MOON THE MOON IN SCORPIO You have an emotional intensity, and a strong need for drama. Under stress you will create drama and intensity in your life. You may have been born at a time when your mother experienced a crisis, or your birth may have been traumatic. Your mother may have been possessive and intense. 14TH DEGREE OF SCORPIO Part of Body: Foreskin Sabian Symbol: Telephone linemen at work. ASPECTS OF THE MOON CONJUNCTION JUPITER Orb 0°00′ Separating We want to honor our inner code. We are generous with our energy, time, and money. Our feelings expand or are magnified, for better or for worse. It’s generally a good time to teach, learn, write, express ourselves, reach out, travel, publish, and promote. We may go over the top, however. TRINE NEPTUNE Orb 2°12′ Separating We are turning into the subtle aspects of life – art, nature, beauty, dreams, and spiritual realms. We more naturally accept situations and people as they are. Sensitivity, compassion. THE SUN THE SUN IN SAGITTARIUS You are a sunny and adventurous individual. You are optimistic and philosophical, and may tend to bluntness. 23RD DEGREE OF SAGITTARIUS Part of Body: Left trochanter Sabian Symbol: Immigrants entering a new country. ASPECTS OF THE SUN CONJUNCTION MERCURY Orb 3°53′ Separating Thoughts and communications about ourselves and our goals. We are expressing ourselves confidently, directly, and clearly. CONJUNCTION VENUS Orb 6°08′ Applying We take pride in our ability to relate well with others or to smooth over differences now. Graciousness, diplomacy, charm, and some superficiality are themes. This is a good period for social affairs, pleasure, amusement, and romance, all things considered. CONJUNCTION SATURN Orb 6°27′ Applying You are responsible, serious and reliable. You may have had a stricter father than the other children. Work and a career will be important to you. You have the self discipline to succeed. TRINE URANUS Orb 1°49′ Applying We are looking forward, happy and confident about making changes and improvements. We are willing to experiment and explore. SQUARE CHIRON Orb 1°27′ Applying We can feel especially vulnerable to criticism or fear rejection now, or could struggle with a situation where we may need to humble ourselves. People or circumstances may seem to be exposing or playing on our vulnerabilities. MERCURY MERCURY IN SAGITTARIUS You seek knowledge to expand your world view. You are a born philosopher, enjoying any information which helps you see the big picture. For instance you may enjoy a religious debate. You place importance on freedom of speech and thought. 20TH DEGREE OF SAGITTARIUS Part of Body: Head of right femur Sabian Symbol: People cutting through ice, for summer use. ASPECTS OF MERCURY CONJUNCTION VENUS Orb 2°14′ Applying We are more agreeable, sociable, and focused on balance and harmony. Conversations flow nicely. TRINE URANUS Orb 5°43′ Separating We are mentally alert and aware, and might be experimenting or opening our minds to new ideas. We could be feeling inspired, and our thinking is inventive. Varying our usual routine may be rewarding. VENUS VENUS IN SAGITTARIUS You want to share adventure with your partner, ranging from sharing adventurous ideas to hiking in the mountains. You may also enjoy relating with foreigners, and dining out with your partner at foreign restaurants. 17TH DEGREE OF SAGITTARIUS Part of Body: Sciatic nerve Sabian Symbol: An easter sunrise service. MARS MARS IN SCORPIO You are a passionate warrior. You are dramatic, and may have strong sexual urges. You may make a vengeful opponent. 4TH DEGREE OF SCORPIO Part of Body: Testicles, right side of uterus Sabian Symbol: A youth holding a lighted candle. JUPITER JUPITER IN SCORPIO You are on an intense search for the truth. You have strong desires for sexual union and joint enterprises. You could be a transformative teacher. 14TH DEGREE OF SCORPIO Part of Body: Foreskin Sabian Symbol: Telephone linemen at work. ASPECTS OF JUPITER TRINE NEPTUNE Orb 2°11′ Separating You are artistic and may also be religious. You have a need to help others and may feel you have a calling. You have the ability to inspire other people’s talents as well. SATURN SATURN IN SAGITTARIUS Saturn in Sagittarius asks us to take on the responsibility of living according to our personal truths and principles — and to be loyal to these. This is a time for turning a critical eye to those beliefs and principles that don’t accurately reflect our authentic selves. (December 23, 2014, to June 14, 2015, then September 17, 2015, to December 20, 2017) 30TH DEGREE OF SAGITTARIUS Part of Body: Pear-shaped muscle Sabian Symbol: The pope blessing the faithful. ASPECTS OF SATURN TRINE URANUS Orb 4°37′ Separating You have a talent for investigation. You look at new ideas and are able then to put them into action. In business you achieve much in your own independent way. SQUARE CHIRON Orb 4°59′ Separating There can be fears now of not being competent or effective enough to meet our responsibilities, or we could find it hard to strike out on a unique path, again due to fears or insecurities. The desire to break from the status quo is strong, but we may not have the necessary confidence to do so. We may have difficulties empathizing with others and understanding ourselves. URANUS URANUS IN ARIES The urge to start fresh, to break free from restrictive attitudes or circumstances, to totally redesign an area of our lives (or even our personalities), and to gain freedom through independence is strong during this cycle. (May 27, 2010, to August 13, 2010, then March 11th, 2011, to May 15, 2018, then November 6, 2018, to March 6, 2019). 25TH DEGREE OF ARIES Part of Body: Sternocleidomastoid muscle Sabian Symbol: A double promise reveals its inner and outer meanings. NEPTUNE NEPTUNE IN PISCES A long-term influence in which fantasy, imagination, compassion, and spirituality are in stronger focus. (April 4, 2011, to August 4, 2011, then February 3, 2012, to March 30, 2025, then October 22, 2025, to January 26, 2026) 12TH DEGREE OF PISCES Part of Body: Plantar artery of right foot Sabian Symbol: An examination of initiates. PLUTO PLUTO IN CAPRICORN Tests of our boundaries; breaking down and rebuilding structures and rules. (From January 25, 2008, to June 14, 2008, then November 26, 2008, to March 23, 2023, then June 11, 2023, to January 20, 2024, then September 1, 2024, to November 19, 2024). 19TH DEGREE OF CAPRICORN Part of Body: Ligaments of left knee Sabian Symbol: A child of about five with a huge shopping bag. Chiron, Major Asteroids, and Moon’s Nodes: in Sign and in Aspect CHIRON CHIRON IN PISCES Strong awareness of our own vulnerabilities and humanity stimulates compassion for others. (April 20 to July 20, 2010, then February 8, 2011, to April 17, 2018, then September 25, 2018, to February 18, 2019). 25TH DEGREE OF PISCES Part of Body: Left distal tibio-fibular joint Sabian Symbol: The purging of the priesthood. VESTA IN SCORPIO You are intensely committed to your work. Dedication and the ability to focus are keys to your work. Sexual morals may feature strongly as you seek to either break existing sexual mores or repress sexual urges behind a strict code of ethics. 15TH DEGREE OF SCORPIO Part of Body: Cowper’s glands Sabian Symbol: Children playing around five mounds of sand. PALLAS PALLAS IN ARIES You have a keen intellect with the ability to come up with exciting, new ideas. You are also happy to risk putting your new ideas into action. 26TH DEGREE OF ARIES Part of Body: Skull Sabian Symbol: A man possessed of more gifts than he can hold. JUNO JUNO IN CAPRICORN You want a partner who you can respect, and who respects you. You seek long-term commitment and may marry later in life. 30TH DEGREE OF CAPRICORN Part of Body: Adductor muscle Sabian Symbol: Directors of a large firm meet in secret conference. CERES CERES IN LEO You feel cared for when other people play with you and praise you. You like to show others you care for them by encouraging their creative talents and sense of fun. 19TH DEGREE OF LEO Part of Body: Ventricular septum Sabian Symbol: A houseboat party. THE NORTH NODE THE NORTH NODE IN LEO This a quest to develop your inner strength. You may find that you experience times of loneliness. These times are part of your lesson to forge your own creative life in order to give generously to the world. 17TH DEGREE OF LEO Part of Body: Right auricle Sabian Symbol: Volunteer church choir makes social event of rehearsal. THE SOUTH NODE THE SOUTH NODE IN AQUARIUS This a quest to develop your inner strength. You may find that you experience times of loneliness. These times are part of your lesson to forge your own creative life in order to give generously to the world. 17TH DEGREE OF AQUARIUS Part of Body: Spinal nervous system Sabian Symbol: A watchdog standing guard. *** CONJUNCTIONS TO SELECT FIXED STARS *** Transits 14 December 2017 Aspects to Sun 22°Sg53 -23°14′ Cnj 22°Sg41 RAS ALHAGUE The desire to heal a wound. Aspects to Sat 29°Sg21 -22°31′ Cnj 28°Sg59 ACUMEN Enduring attacks which weaken. Aspects to Ves 14°Sc31 -11°08′ Cnj 15°Sc19 ZUBEN ELGENUBI Positive social reform.  SHARE THIS: EmailFacebookTwitterTumblrGoogleReddit Filed Under: Daily Astrology, Today Tagged With: December 14, Mercury Mars transit, Mercury semi-square Mars  « Astrology of Today – Wednesday, December 13, 2017Astrology of Today – Friday, December 15, 2017 » Leave a Reply   Search this website … Search Cafe Astrology Cafe Astrology Home Cafe Astrology Free Reports Recent Astrology of Today – Friday, December 15, 2017 Astrology of Today – Thursday, December 14, 2017 Astrology of Today – Wednesday, December 13, 2017 Astrology of Today – Tuesday, December 12, 2017 Astrology of Today – Monday, December 11, 2017 In this post Last Quarter Moon‌ Mercury is retrograde‌ The Moon is waning‌ The Moon is void‌ Tags Jupiter Neptune transit Mars-Pluto transit Mars Chiron transit Mars Jupiter transit Mars Neptune transit Mars Pluto transit Mars Saturn transit Mars Saturn transit Mars Uranus transit Mercury Chiron transit Mercury Jupiter transit Mercury Mars transit Mercury Neptune transit Mercury Pluto transit Mercury Saturn transit Mercury semi-square Venus Mercury square Mars Mercury square Neptune Mercury square Pluto Mercury trine Neptune Mercury trine Pluto Mercury Uranus transit Mercury Venus transit Sun Chiron transit Sun conjunct Mercury Sun Jupiter transit Sun Mars transit Sun Mercury transit Sun Neptune transit Sun Pluto transit Sun Saturn transit Sun sextile Saturn Sun square Neptune Sun trine Neptune Sun trine Saturn Sun Uranus transit Venus-Mars transit Venus Chiron transit Venus Jupiter transit Venus Mars transit Venus Neptune transit Venus Pluto transit Venus Saturn transit Venus square Saturn Venus Uranus transit  Previous  Subscribe via Email Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email. Email Address Email Address Subscribe Current Planetary Positions 12/14/2017 3:20:00 PM Sun 23° Sagittarius 09' 50" Moon 17° Scorpio 01' 29" Mercury 18° Sagittarius 39' 23" R Venus 17° Sagittarius 05' 33" Mars 03° Scorpio 30' 51" Jupiter 13° Scorpio 51' 05" Saturn 29° Sagittarius 22' 00" Uranus 24° Aries 43' 08" R Neptune 11° Pisces 36' 32" Pluto 18° Capricorn 13' 11" Chiron 24° Pisces 21' 32" TrueNode 16° Leo 30' 48" R Subscribe to Blog via Email Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Email Address Email Address Subscribe Categories  Archives  December 2017 M T W T F S S « Nov 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Copyright © 2017 · Astrology Cafe by Cafe Astrology

[tusoktusok-blog1]

Foie gras taho and the appropriation of poor food

There was this fine restaurant in Bonifacio Global City (now closed) that served a thing called foie gras taho as part of their multi-course set menu. Its description of ingredients, which I quote from a screenshot I took of their now-defunct website, reads: “Steamed foie gras custard, sherry syrup, tapioca, green apple, miso, mushroom, chives”. 

And to add to that, the name of the dish itself is “Inadequacy & Retaliation”, comparing the transformation of taho into something gourmet with Rizal’s assimilation into European society. This is how it was further described on the website by the chef (italics were added for emphasis): “This journey from [Rizal’s] inadequacy to empowerment inspired me to transform something so simple, almost poor into something decadent and worthy of international merit drawing a juxtaposed inspiration from both our hero’s journey in Spain and the reinvention of our local street dish into something more inspiring”.

The thing is, this doesn’t even sound like taho anymore. Taho is probably one of the simplest of Filipino street foods – the traditional type consists of three main ingredients: sago pearls (or tapioca balls), arnibal, and silken tofu. There are flavored types of taho, for example, strawberry taho is especially popular in Baguio because the fruits grow abundantly in the cooler climate of the mountains. But gourmet taho or not, this hardly sounds like the thing it’s trying to “improve” on in the first place. From the description alone, it seems to be inclined to more savory flavors, which would make it virtually indistinguishable from “normal” taho, which we all recognize as being sweet, even sometimes sickeningly sweet.

But its unrecognizability as the taho this dish is trying to be isn’t even the main aspect that makes it problematic and conceptually iffy. We have to pay attention to the wording, the adjectives used to describe the two tahos that were made to be two contrasting entities: the taho that was in need of elevation and improvement, and the gourmet, foie gras taho. The former was described as being “poor”, “inadequate”, and lacking in inspiration. On the other hand, the reinvented taho was, well, everything but that – it’s the antithesis of everything poor taho stands for.

Does poor taho need retaliation, though? Have there been groups of diners and chefs calling for the rejection of street foods, in favor of more elevated versions worthy of “international acclaim��? Or is taho some sort of dying, endangered dish that needs revitalizing to bring it back into the attention of Filipino diners via presentation through a fine dining lens? Of course, none of these are even remotely true. If so, the most important question that needs to be asked is: is making taho “more inspiring” just an easy euphemism for making it more in line with the tastes of the rich and the more cultured, AKA, the ones who don’t consider street food to be in their vernacular diet? Arguably, taho and other types of street food are already inspiring enough – they have survived decades, if not centuries, feeding masses of everyday, working Filipinos.

Of course, chefs are much like artists; their main goal at the end of the day is, or at least should be, innovation. After all, on the other hand, it would be downright lazy and a fraud for a formally trained chef to serve the exact kind of thing you’d see being sold on the street, with little to no reimagining or transformation, for a much, much higher price. But, unfortunately (or fortunately), whether in food or in art, our actions have implications, and they are rooted in ideology. To put it simply, it seems that these dishes can only be considered worthy of culinary attention and acclaim when they are cooked with expensive ingredients and served in very controlled, civilized spaces. In the appropriation of the concept of taho, and fine, maybe even the image of it, it fails completely in not only representing it accurately and respectfully. But most importantly it fails in making no comment on why exactly they think that Filipino street food is uninspired, boring, and “poor”.  But I think we can hopefully figure out why. (Hint: it’s classism.)

This appropriation of poor food into spaces like fine dining restaurants, expensive buffets, or fancy hotel lobby cafes isn’t a niche phenomenon. In fact, it’s indicative of a larger phenomenon sociologists and anthropologists have penned the “Omnivorous Theory”. Cultural omnivorousness describes the marker of “high status as signaled by selectively drawing from multiple cultural forms from across the cultural hierarchy”; it is defined by a breadth of taste and cultural consumption (Johnston & Baumann 2007). In other words, relying on what has been traditionally considered as highbrow (French food, fine dining, the like) is now ineffective or passe as a way of exercising elite-ness – the elite now turn to exploring their freedom to dabble and appropriate cultures that have been not traditionally seen as “high” from different ethnic and class cultures. With the Omnivorous Theory in place, we can recognize that the co-option and appropriation of food across social classes, particularly from the bottom up, is one of its main manifestations.

Parallel phenomena like our foie gras taho is observable everywhere. For example, fishermen have their own sub-cuisine, which is part of the larger culture which they are a part of. Often, a “gourmetship” is developed based on the smaller and less profitable products of their catch, and the result may taste superior than the “good” products, in turn commanding a higher price once it has been popularized and co-opted by those who want “in”. The San Francisco cioppino is an actual example of this. Another prime example is soul food. Food like collard greens, chitterlings (pig intestines), barbecued pork, and sweet potato pie were once the old-time food of the rural and impoverished American south, ergo, the food and symbol of the Black Power movement in the 1960s and 1970s. However, soul food eventually became the food of the African American elite, and when white elites tried it, they loved it. Black Power activists then sought to reevaluate the symbols of African American culture, as soul food took on great prestige and began to be served in the best restaurants, and not just African American ones (despite racism being a continuously lasting and powerful force). The leafy couve tronchuda in Portugal was once considered the food of the poor, but it has been revalued as a “nostalgic ethnic marker”; it is now a key ingredient in many Portuguese soups, and is found virtually in every gourmet restaurant in the country. Polenta has origins as “poor food” too, but it is not on gourmet menus in Italy, and is recognized globally as a hallmark of Italian food (Anderson 2005).

In the Philippines, having an extremely rich food culture that varies from region to region, and a very powerful middle class, this is very apparent currently in the local food scene, especially in urban areas. The Filipino working class also has valuable food systems that are critical in their lives (such as street food, the carinderia, et cetera). As mentioned earlier, street food is beginning to find a new and odd place in upscale Filipino restaurants, with it being framed as a “nostalgia food” or a taste of authentic Filipino-ness. They are served in a way that values aesthetic presentation, perfectly and deliberately arranged. It’s even consistently featured in international food festivals in business districts, in Makati or Bonifacio Global City.

Now, nobody is saying that eating is a no-fun-allowed zone, where reinvention and experimentation with food is forbidden. The point isn’t to say that food is static, and that it must belong to a certain group of people eternally, safeguarded so no “outsiders” can access it. Like language, cuisine grows and develops through the exchange or borrowing of ideas; there is no such thing as “purity”. It is defined by change. However, and this is a big however, this inevitability of change does not include an inevitability of misappropriation, of subscribing to a I-follow-no-rules approach. It’s… a lot to unpack, but it’s important that we try to, anyways. Just because food and cooking are things that makes us feel good, doesn’t mean that they are exempted from being distasteful or problematic in terms of concept or how its served. It’s just like art in a sense; a beautiful and expertly-made painting doesn’t mean it’s immune from criticism just from how amazing its outward appearance seems to be. We must be critical and discerning towards the intent behind what we eat, its social implications, its tone, and what kind of narrative it wishes to push about the people and culture that it “borrows” from. Again, nobody is outright banning you to eat any other incarnations of the foie gras taho if you really want to experience it. But we cannot be amnesiacs and selectively blind when it comes to being mindful that in appropriating “poor” food into “rich” contexts, no useful or insightful commentary is being made. There is no innovation in commandeering the aesthetics of the working class, while simultaneously treating them with disdain and patronization.

References:

Anderson, E.N. Everyone Eats: Understanding Food And Culture. New York University Press, 2005, pp. 110; 124-129; 136-139.

Johnston, Josée, and Shyon Baumann. “Democracy versus Distinction: A Study of Omnivorousness in Gourmet Food Writing.” American Journal of Sociology, vol. 113, no. 1, 2007, pp. 165–204.

[filmtheoryandshit]

Problematizing Memory: Grafting the Subject into American Crime Story

According to urban legend, the first screening of the 1886 French silent film L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat was met with terror as the audience confronted a life-sized shot of a steam train driving toward them. Regardless of veracity of this account, it is apparent that, from its outset, film carried a visceral relationship with its audience. Daniel Dayan’s introduction of the system of the suture in his article “The Tutor-Code of Classical Cinema” attempts to describe this relationship between film spectators and film itself. Dayan posits that an uneasy conflict wages between the film and the viewer seeking to locate her position within it, reconciled only by a suture that brings a psychologically satisfying wholeness to the film. Contrary to William Rothman’s reading of Dayan, this suture does not patch the viewing subject into the narrative, but instead makes whole the film and makes the film consistent with dominant ideology, enabling the viewer’s pleasurable voyeurism. By problematizing memory, American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson accomplishes more than a suture; it grafts the uncomfortable viewing subject into the narrative presented, enabling a feminist project that subverts dominant ideology.

Dayan’s thesis relies on Jacques Lacan’s constitution of the subject. For Lacan, the subject is located within the symbolic order, the network of relationships constituted by language and other modes of signification. Formulation of identity within the symbolic order is the fraught project of attaining a wholeness similar to that experienced by children in “the mirror stage.” Children aged six to eighteen months lack the coordination to master their whole bodies, however they are only beginning their experience of visual maturity. In this period, the child perceives itself as whole only by analogy to its mother. From that moment on, identity and drive are construed by relation to the symbolic order. Because language and all other systems of signification rely on an organizing topos, the very act of being for the subject is heavily influenced by dominant ideologies, and the subject so constituted is susceptible to manipulation by those ideologies.

Because, as we have learned from the many deconstructions of Derrida and others, language and ideology are precarious systems, the subject constituted in them is anxious and precarious. It is no surprise that the subject’s confrontation with film could be disconcerting. Because cinema is a series of ordered images, Dayan proposes that it begs the viewer’s questions: “Who is watching this?” and “Who is ordering these images?” Such questions, carried further, would problematize the subject’s own identity and the source of the symbols on which that identity is constructed. One such rupture occurs in dialogue where one character speaks within a frame. Because the viewer knows the speaker is speaking toward someone else, they know that the camera is hiding something. This distrust is only relieved when the second shot, the reverse shot, reveals to whom the speech was directed. Dayan refers to this second shot as a suture, a moment that retroactively ascribes a meaning wholeness to the first shot. In his essay “Against the ‘System of the Suture,’” William Rothman criticizes Dayan’s conclusion that the suture satisfies a psychological anxiety by arguing that the shot/reverse shot is not filmed from a subjective point of view. But Rothman wholly misses the point. The viewer does not desire a subjective position for herself within the narrative, instead she fears such a location. Dayan explains that showing the second character in dialogue relieves anxiety because “being on screen he can no longer compete with the spectator for the screen’s possession.” The anxiety associated with cinema refers to the subject’s concern that the film lacks, not a position for her, but an ideology in which she can locate her identity. The suture is the patching of such an incomplete ideology into a digestible whole.

American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson proposes an entirely different position for the viewer. The viewer, content to be a voyeur, is challenged for her past voyeurism. The OJ Simpson trial was a saturating spectacle during the nearly 9 months in which it played out. The 2016 dramatization of the trial in American Crime Story does not dwell on nostalgia for the spectacle itself; instead, it problematizes the viewer’s memory of the event. Marcia Clark, maligned as a “bitch” during the trial, humiliated in the press for losing the case, is portrayed in the miniseries much more sympathetically. The series even makes use of point-of-view camera angles, watching Marcia in court from the perspective of jurors or the stenographer without the satisfaction of a reverse shot toward those characters. This humanized Marcia Clark forces any viewer who lived through the events of the trial to question their memory of Clark, to even feel an uncomfortable guilt for taking part in her public crucifixion. The viewer, denied the satisfaction of the suture, is only able to patch together the trauma of watching by grafting their embodied self onto the narrative. This method empowers the film’s feminism. The system which disciplined Clark in the 1990s is exposed and subverted, and the viewer cannot help but be part of that subversion.

Dayan’s description of the system of the suture describes the way in which cinematic tricks, such as the shot/reverse shot allow viewers to give themselves over to the ideology of a film. The suture enables a casual voyeurism wherein the subject trades psychological security in the wholeness of a narrative for their susceptibility to the film’s ideology. However, many of the most powerful films rely, to some extent, on robbing the viewer of the comfort of the suture. American Crime Story accomplishes this by forcing the viewer to confront and challenge their own memory. The subjective narrative that grafts the viewer into the film enables American Crime Story’s themes to challenge, rather than bolster, dominant ideology.

[seven-oomen]

I’m sorry you were feeling so shitty today, but I’m glad it eventually started to get better, and happy for you that you managed to surpass your writing goal for the day.

Omg, Chris as a cheerleader.  He would be so awkward, yet so determined.  Luckily for him I don’t remember the guys doing quite as much “dance-like” moves, at least at my school, they were more back-up and support.  We usually only had a couple of guys on the team, though.  Did Melissa ever do it, or consider it?  She likely had a similar gymnastics background.  (Did she ever lend Chris her uniform if she did?  Or if not did Peter or Noah just “borrow” an extra one?  Because I could equally believe it of either.  Do they ever gift him with one post-OUAT, just for the *cough*nostalgia*cough*?)  Did BH have a person in a mascot outfit?  Because if they did/do, I totally nominate Finstock to be the one running around like a maniac dressed as a cyclone.  And Jesus, they’d be bad enough with Chris as a cheerleader, but on the swim team?  Good grief.  How did none of them end up kicked out for inappropriate behavior?

I can totally see Peter on Student Council, too.  And I think Secretary (did someone mention roleplay again?) or Treasurer would be an excellent fit.  I can see him considering President, but deciding that it would take up too much time he could be spending with his mates, and working a power behind the throne angle instead.  Also, I think Student Council and/or cheerleading would offer an excellent lead-in for Natalie if you decide to add her, because I can easily see her participating in either or both.

I am never not here for more subtle MK nods, just saying.  And I love the idea of ROTC, especially because I’m pretty sure Boyd might have been in the ROTC, as well, and I’m always here for bonding potential between the parentals and teens.  (Also, I want to hug you just for remembering that he was in the military, because I swear 90% of fic authors seem to forget [even though it’s mentioned more than once].  It drove me nuts even years ago when I was just around for the Sterek, and only got worse when I came back and my preferences expanded.)  I also kinda like the idea of him doing track as a nod to Stiles doing that in the show (at least I’m pretty sure Finstock had them doing that in lacrosse’s off-season to stay in shape).  Poor Peter.  Between dealing with Chris mostly naked and soaking wet, and watching Noah in little shorts (it was the 90s after all) perpetually running away from him (and probably smirking at him every time he passed, lbr), he probably had to constantly carry a notebook or messenger bag to be sure he could cover up any “situations” that might “arise”.

I’m cool with whatever number you pick, if it even gets referenced.  I was mostly curious if I was just forgetting.  With the letterman jackets, I like to think that Malia has totally stolen Noah’s and wears it in the winter, because it’s warm and comfortable, and smells like him  (later on, she also enjoys wrapping Kira up in it if they’re out somewhere and it’s chilly).  If Peter’s has survived anywhere (the vault, perhaps?) I could see it going to either Jackson (as his mini me), or Allison (so she and her sister can match.)

Yeah, the yearbook thing happened because I was thinking about how some of my friends didn’t have a picture in the class listings, but did turn up in some of the filler pics.  I can see Chris skipping a regular photo (instinct to not be tracked), but ending up in team shots, etc.  And further bonus thought to that image - what if one of them knows someone on the yearbook committee (Lydia or Danny maybe?), and the kids all decide to do a similar pose to sneak into their own yearbook?  And surprise their parents when they’re going through the book with them later?  They could do Allison, Jackson, Malia, Stiles, Scott instead of Chris, Peter, Noah, Claudia, Melissa.

Looking forward to dance shenanigans for both generations.  And more fashion guru Peter.  I can see it now, Peter being like “I didn’t let your dads make these kinds of terrible choices for our dances, I’ll be damned if I let my kids do it"  "Scott if you even attempt to step out of your house looking like that I will show up as a chaperone and spend the entire night getting all up into not only your business, but that of all of my offspring, do not test me."  Him and Jackson basically acting out that "I have done nothing wrong ever.” “I know this and I love you.” meme.

And yeah, I mean, like most popular 80s teen flicks, Breakfast Club does have some great moments (there’s a reason it’s a classic), but it also DEFINITELY has some parts that have NOT AGED WELL.  I didn’t see it until probably at least late high school, and I don’t think I noticed as much then, but then saw it a few years later and was like “ooh, yeah, that’s super problematic in places."  For some visual assistance, here are a couple of group shots.  The line-up in the first one goes Bender (Noah [ironically the character’s first name is actually John, but I don’t remember if anyone calls him that, it’s been too long since I watched]), Andrew (Chris), Allison (Claudia, or Mel), Claire (Peter [I forgot how dark her skirt was.  Also putting him in pants would help with one of the more problematic parts of the movie]), Brian (Finstock).  Also, I’m including this image because I’ve seen it a few times, and it is both hilarious and startlingly accurate.

One thing I keep forgetting to ask about is a rough timeline.  If I remember correctly (I’ve also been re-reading some, and have realized some of my questions were answered, just several chapters previously), Chris moved to BH in 1992?  At the beginning of the actual year, or the school year (which would be August-ish)?  The kids were all born in early 1994, so they would have graduated in 1993?  Am I mathing right?  (If so that makes me sad because they would have been a little too early for "All For Love” from the 90s Disney Three Muskateers movie to have come out.  Such a great song for them, such a fun but inaccurate film.  [God, I loved it so much as a pre-teen.  Chris O'Donnell, Kiefer Sutherland, pre-crazy Charlie Sheen, Tim Curry, just so many things to enjoy.])  This is mostly just me trying to keep it straight in my head.

Also, unconnected to TW, but that post of Avengers memes that was 90% Carol and Bucky shenanigans gave me life.

As always, loving the preview, and the fact that I think any conversation between any two or more of the group could start out “Listen here you little shit” and still be completely accurate and in character.  I love how she apparently just shoves Noah down next to him (I’m surprised she didn’t just shove him in his lap.)  Speaking of, to flashback to the Christmas rant I’m pretty sure I went on at some point, may I also suggest inappropriate (would it really be, tho?) usage of the song “Santa Baby”, and perhaps a slight switch up to “I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus”?  Because why not?

And, uh, thanks *blushes in social awkwardness*.  You are also awesome for coming up with all this in the first place, and being brave/generous enough to write it down and share it.  I’m pretty much always happy to talk fandom stuff and love finding other people as into my fandoms as I am, and this story is just so much fun and I love hearing all your expansions of my wild ideas and conversational segues.  I’m not really used to my weird interests being helpful, so I’m really glad to know this time they are.

I hope that you’re feeling better today (mentally and physically), and that work is overall easy (it’s almost the weekend, right? as a retail worker that doesn’t mean much to me, but seems to cheer others?) and allows you to make your writing goal.  Hugs and positive vibes!

I think I’ve been smiling at this for the better part of several days <3

And yeah honestly, I never really understood either how no one seems to mention Noah’s military background. Like the dude canonically served on the force before becoming a deputy. But you don’t really see it in the fics.

I for one would think Peter and Chris would absolutely try and find Noah’s military uniform (even just the ROTC one) and try and get him to wear it again.

Peter is def the secretary, I think Natalie (who’s one year ahead of them) would make a good Student body president though.

I think I answered the timeline one somewhere? Don’t have the energy to find it right now, but I know I probably tagged it with the usual.

[swipestream]

My Little Pony: Beyond Good and Evil

This is a guest post written by Alex Stump:

My two little brothers have been watching My Little Pony for a long time now. I watched a couple episodes (and also the unholy spin-off series Equestria Girls) and I’ll be 100% honest…My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is a really good show. But don’t get the wrong idea, I’m not coming out as a Brony. I, as an 18-year-old man have better things to do then obsessing over a show made for seven year olds. Which really fascinates me, what is it about this kid’s series that attracts so many young adults? It’s a question that has been going around since the show premiered and the most widely accepted questions/theories I’ve seen are:

A) People like MLP for the same reason people like Star Trek or Firefly.

B) These people had terrible childhoods and they watch MLP to experience the childhood they never had.

C) These people had awesome childhoods and watch MLP because it gives them a sense of nostalgia.

And D) People watch MLP because they’re mentally handicapped.

These answers have some truth to them but I find them to be mostly flawed…So how about I give you my own answer to the question. Sure, everyone has his or her own reason for watching, but I think there’s a unifying reason why. You see I believe the reason why MLP is so popular and why it stands out in the entertainment industry is because the show has a “thing”.

What is this “thing” you ask? Well, this “thing” is very important to fiction. It goes all the way back to ancient times. It was prevalent in the 20th century but sadly is being abused and forgotten in the 21st century. Let me give you some examples:

(Example 1) The Adventures of Robin Hood is a 1938 film staring Errol Flynn and tells the tale of Robin Hood and his merry men. This movie has great action scenes,

good acting, amazing sets, and is quite possibly the happiest go lucky movie I’ve ever seen. Seriously, this film is so happy I dare you to watch it without smiling. Robin and his merry men are tons of fun to watch. They’re funny, smart and most of all virtuous. The women are great too, they’re modest, beautiful and don’t complain about the traditional family structure. Just about every character in the film has an enjoyable personality. We see medieval society portrayed in a mostly positive light, which is nice to see. Even religion gets a good light and in the end everyone lives happily ever after.

The movie’s really good; it’s a beloved classic for a reason. (Seriously, this movie’s good. If you haven’t watched it already, WATCH IT!!!)

Now let’s talk about the 2010 Robin Hood movie directed by Ridley Scott.  This film isn’t what you’ll call happy.  Robin Hood is not a righteous nobleman but a lying criminal who desserts the holy crusade and fights the evil stereotypical French. The women are awful, the church and medieval society are both portrayed in a negative light and the rest of the movie is just dark, gritty and forgettable. Guess what? The movie wasn’t well received, with critics like Roger Ebert calling the movie “innocence and joy draining away from movies.” Now there’s a new Robin Hood movie coming out this year and apparently it’s yet another dark and gritty take on the Robin Hood story. Just what the masses wanted, am I right? (Example 2) Superman! Who doesn’t know the man of steel? He is the most well known superhero in the DCU. His origin story’s an all-time classic; he is a common role model for kids and adults, his sidekicks and super villains are good. Most importantly, he saves kittens stuck on trees. Even if you don’t like Superman, nobody can deny the cultural significance he has all over the world. He is more then just a superhero, he is the superhero…In the new Superman movies however, and he is anything but a superhero. In the DC cinematic multiverse, Superman’s a nihilist, he fails to save people, kills his enemies, and lets his emotions get the better of him. He treats his life as a superhero not as a duty, but a curse. When Superman (spoiler alert!) dies in Batman v Superman nobody gives an anti-life equation, because that guy on screen is not the man who has everything. What happened to the Superman?

(Final Example): Star Wars is one of the greatest space operas ever made. A movie with amazing characters, a classic story and groundbreaking special effects. They’re movies that pay homage to Akira Kurosawa and the serials from the 30s and 40s. A story that borrows from East Asian philosophy and the archetypes of Joseph Campbell. A story with a great amount of historical symbolism, ranging from WW2, the French Revolution and the Roman Empire. Yet with all of the complexity and metaphor, the original Star Wars trilogy (and to some extent the prequels) is nothing more than simple kids movies…the new films by Disney I wouldn’t call simple. The new movies lazily rehash the plots from the original films but without the symbolism and archetypes. The new heroes are either too perfect or too flawed, there’s pretty obvious political messages floating around and all the original characters we know and love have forgotten everything they learned from Jedi and they all die. Don’t complain though, because filmmaker JJ Abrams will call you sexist for not liking the movies. (It makes you wonder what goes on behind the scenes.)

So, what exactly is this “thing” that My Little Pony, Star Wars, Robin Hood, and Superman have in common that their modern day remakes and sequels lack?

Heroism. No, really. Heroism or just simply, the heroic character is the most common archetype in storytelling and the most important. People naturally draw themselves towards heroes because they represent some kind of greater good, whether it be, faith, bravery, hope, charity and yes…friendship. When done correctly, the heroic character becomes a timeless icon. I mean look at my examples again. Superman is good not because of his superpowers but because of his character. Superman’s an immigrant, a stranger who uses his alien powers to help others. He stands for truth, justice, and the American way. No matter how bad the situation is, he never kills people. (For more on this subject, watch the animated movie Superman vs. the Elite or read the comic book it’s based on.)

Robin Hood (from The Adventures of Robin Hood) is a great character not just for his romantic, charismatic personality but also for what he’s fighting for. He fights an illegitimate authority and wants to return King Richard back to the throne of England. He believes him to be the rightful king, and he will sacrifice everything in order to get him back. Robin Hood knows he’ll bring a good, just government to England.

And Star Wars is a classic tale of good defeating evil, growing up into adulthood, redemption, and a tale of low-lifes becoming great heroes. Let’s look at Han Solo for a minute. Sure people talk about how cool Han Solo is like how he shot-first but in my opinion that’s not what makes him an amazing character. In the beginning of A New Hope, he’s a jerk to Luke. He doesn’t believe in the Force. He’s not a man of honor and only cares about money. However he slowly starts to care about Luke and Leia and discovers faith in the Force and after going through so much trouble and getting everything he wanted. He comes backs to save Luke, allowing him to destroy the Death Star. Despite not being a man of the book he is still a hero inside. Which if you really think about the real hero in the original trilogy it is Han, not Luke.

People look up to these heroes because they inspire us. Not to put on capes, overwears and conduct vigilantism, no, but to never give up hope, to always take up virtue and to know that good always triumphs…which really lacks in modern day entertainment. A lot of modern storytellers don’t understand heroism and don’t know why it’s so important to many classics. The new Superman movies suck because they don’t have any of Superman’s trademark heroism. Like I said, he kills the bad guys, he fails to save people and loses control of his emotions. That’s not a hero. The new Star Wars movies suck because all of the new characters are these god-like Neanderthals who have no reliability that made the original characters great. No all of them are sad old people who don’t learn anything. In fact, many remakes and sequels of classic stories are sad in tone when their originals were not-why is this? Well we all know why, it’s all because of the postmodern viewpoint that heroism is a fantasy and in real life everything that makes a hero doesn’t exist. Such a worldview is really bad and it shows in many original stories today. I mean look around you, fiction’s so dark it’s become commonplace for a piece of entertainment to take place in a post-apocalyptic world or dystopia where all authority is bad, all hope is lost, God doesn’t exist and the only thing that’s metaphysical is politics. There aren’t any heroes, only cynical, morally ambiguous, deeply flawed characters with little to no sympathy.  When the day is saved and the bad guy is defeated it usually ends on a very bitter note like nothing was every achieved. Does that sound entertaining to you?

Plus, when you get right down to it, a lot of these stories are shockingly bad. Many fields of entertainment aren’t being made by talented people but by executives who only care about money. Their writing is lazy, quality over substance, completely mindless with characters that are either one dimensional to two-dimensional, which writers try to hide it by making them inherently flawed. Now an inherently flawed characters is perfectly normal as long is there’s some sort of payoff or balance, However tons of writers today fail on both, causing audiences to feel alienated from the protagonist because the story literally gave them reasons not care about his or her struggles. Mix that all up with a problematic imagination and an unsubtle political agenda and you get a match made in limbo. Again, a lot of these problems come from this false interpretation of heroes not being real. Of course heroes are real. Anyone can be a hero. We enjoy fictional heroes because they remind us that good exist; If there is no hero, then there’s no value, if there’s no value then people don’t care and if people don’t care then the story is forgotten and then lost in time. I know every story can be different In form but the most popular formula is about heroes saving the day which is being desecrated in the modern era…

However-and I can’t believe I’m about to say this (or write this) My Little Pony is the exception. In the show, heroism isn’t ignored or perverse but accepted. The characters do heroic acts and they’re celebrated for it. Almost every character is nice, trustworthy and never cynical or morally ambiguous. The world they inhabit isn’t nasty, but a beautiful place, one that’ll make you wish you lived there. The show promotes many positive messages with a huge focus on friendship being the best ever, and no matter how dark the show gets (and believe me the show can get surprisingly dark at times) none of the heroes give up hope and they all lives happily ever after.

Plus, the show is well made. It’s not created by greedy executives but by talented people who’ve been working on cartoons for decades. The dialogue is funny, most of the episodes are smart, the characters are well-developed, the music and animation is surprisingly great and the show’s smart enough to not go P.C. Compare this to other television shows like The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Big Bang Theory, The Handmaids Tale and every show on the CW, MLP is one of the few TV shows that’s actually good. Wouldn’t you agree?

I think the reason why so many young adults watch MLP is because many of them are so tired and fed up with how much fiction has merged with postmodernism and choose to watch this simple kids show, Not only for being smart and entertaining, but also celebrating something many of them haven’t seen in a long time…and that’s a story of good people doing good things…But hey, that’s just a theory! A game-wait a minute? What’d you guys think? Was my theory on the brony phenomenon absolutely right, absolutely wrong or was it missing a couple of points?

  My Little Pony: Beyond Good and Evil published first on https://medium.com/@ReloadedPCGames

[lonelylionisland-blog]

THICK BEATS FOR GOOD GIRLS (presented by CHECKPOINT THEATRE)

This show is playing in Singapore from 5th - 22nd April 2018 at The Drama Centre Black Box.

This review has spoilers ahead. Read at your discretion.

THICK BEATS FOR GOOD GIRLS is a two-woman show written and performed by Jessica Bellamy and Pooja Nansi, interweaving autobiographical stories about the artists’ childhoods and formative years, and the role Hip Hop has played in their lives.

The show is anchored with dictionary definitions of key Hip Hop terms that reach a five-act structure (this lion thinks? forgets?) but the show itself is two hours without intermission and punctuated by three Q&A sections where the house lights are turned on the audience. The effect of the Q&A segments recalls the classic album The Miseducation of Miss Lauryn Hill with its tracks that featured classroom discussions about autonomy, independence, relationships, respect (a note here that shall be returned to later).

First, Bellamy and Nansi must be applauded on their stamina. There is literally a scene scored to DMX’s X Gon Give It To Ya, where Nansi tells of her work-out regime and determination (while running the entire time) to be strong, successful, winning at life, a salient point in a genre that has sometimes objectified woman with so much unmasked vitriol. The show’s scope is also extremely wide and quite successful in selling the idea of alternative histories of Hip Hop through personal narrative.

However, the show is so ambitious that it sometimes lacks clarity and in some parts seems to deliberately obfuscate the intentions of the performers, hiding them behinds walls of rhetorical question after rhetorical question until this lion doesn’t know where the bass is at.

The 3 Q&A sections are one such example of a structure that ironically weakens the show. They are not ‘real’. They serve to imply audience participation, but the questions are leading and at the expense of the audience, and the magic sense of dwelling and pause for reflection that is in the Lauryn Hill album it references is not present. 

(For explanation: The first Q&A asks the audience to identify a ‘thicc’ beat from a not ‘thicc’ beat. The second feels like a school presentation of P. Diddy (or Love apparently). The third actually asks for any alternative opinions on what has been presented. One wonders what the two would do if actually given one.)

It is impossible not to analyse the approaches of each writer-performer alongside the other in a show like this. The synergy of performance is inpeccable. But it is clear from the start that Nansi’s viewpoint is more anxious; she spends an entire segment justifying her love for Hip Hop amidst its misogyny (and not particularly convincingly). Bellamy, on the other hand, approaches the sexual nature of Hip Hop unapologetically as liberating for the young Jewish girls of her youth.

The reason Bellamy is more effective than Nansi is very much to do with the difference in their attitude towards territory and women in particular. In one segment where she tells of her sojourn to Ireland, Bellamy characterises herself as SBB (standing for Slut Bag Bellamy) and in another, Australia’s Champion Masturbator. Bellamy’s humour and acceptance of different types of women comes from a healthy love and regard for herself. In another segment about youth, she describes how My Neck My Back by Khia allows her friend (mimed by Nansi) to let loose and stare down a ‘good’ Jewish boy she likes over the  lyrics no good girl should dance to (“My neck, my back. Lick my pussy and my crack”). Bellamy speaks of the female gaze on the female body and tells us that in a world so afraid of a woman’s sexual autonomy, she chooses (and encourages the audience) to take a position of support and true love.

Nansi on the other hand is not so generous. There will be nostalgia for some in the details. Getting drunk on home-brought booze or cheap beer in an Ang Mo Kio kopitiam, meeting at the River Valley 7-11 just before cover charge goes up to full price, the annoying exclusivity of a typical Zouk guestlist hence the change of plans to Dbl O. So far so good. Except she insists these spaces are ‘brown’ spaces. While she describes the magic of entering the club for the first time and being let in on a secret, she makes clear jabs at the archetype Chinese girl who find herself in the very same position for the first-time, mouthing along to Kanye and Nelly with ‘Nigga’ and ‘bitch’. 

Nansi claims the right to the usage of Hip Hop’s more aggressive swagger over others is because of her immigrant roots and minority status. But these statements are laid flat and unsubstantiated. It’s also worth noting that Nansi spent most of her life in Singapore and is in many ways, a product of the Singapore school system she alludes to. Most Singaporeans trace their roots to only the past hundred years or less. Immigrant or otherwise, Singapore, and Marine Parade in particular (this being her ‘hood in the show) are hardly ghetto. In a country so inter-ethnic and inter-religious, what does minority mean? It appears to be more of a grappling. Territorialising is natural in a country this concerntrated. But the pressure alone is not enough substance to bolster her frustration. For this reason, unfortunately, Nansi appears petulant through a fair amount of the show, and it is with relief that we are given Bellamy’s humour in the inbetween spaces. 

This may however be entirely intentional. Good cop, bad cop. Salt N Pepa. But the salty writing from Bellamy is without a doubt, tastier. What Nansi really means perhaps, what she mistakes for ‘Chineseness’ (which is the majority racial group in Singapore) in her monologues is class and body image. She claims that no one in her secondary school (Paya Lebar Methodist Girl’s) would be caught dead in clubs like Gotham Penthouse but we have to take her word for it. Plenty of Singapore Chinese people have also been in the spaces she describes (not everyone is crazy or to-do enough to spot the cover to go to Zouk) but acknowledging this would be problematic to the harsh narrative she presents. The show ends with her agony over the sort of women who appear in face whitening commercials and condo advertisements and doesn’t beg as much as insist they leave her spaces alone; a fair request but a rather suspicious (vicious even?) last word to conclude with. One is reminded of an alternate Regina George in Mean Girls, as Nansi literally builds a world in this show for herself in which select people are invited, and one wonders will there ever be peace in girl world? 

It’s particularly frustrating as Nansi also comes forward with the line (this lion is paraphrasing): “The world is a cesspit... Let us lift up the prayers, and what is [wrong] re-write.” One can intellectually understand caginess as a coping mechanism or an approach to dealing with minority status, but it’s not the only one available as Bellamy exhibits. Emotively, one is turned off by this clique-making mentality. The Us vs. Them. It is disturbing (and brave) to see both parts present but one wishes this was articulated better.  It is with great irony then that words like: 

‘feminism’, 

‘thickness’, 

‘swagger’, 

‘good’, 

are Oxford-dictionarily-defined in key points of the show, but not ‘girl’ (gender is briefly explored in a scene in a religious school, but not girlhood as opposed to boyhood).

This lion left wondering: What’s the difference between a girl and a woman? If this show is “a coming-of-age story” do the characters, endearing as they may be running joyously around screaming ‘Lick it, lick it, lick it good’, ever mature? This is not to say one can’t be free and/or slutty. But even Madonna and Tina Turner (who Nansi references) made their freedom and sexuality clear as adults in full control of their destinies. 

Also, while press material will provoke the public with its promise that this show is “the coming-of-age anthem that would never make it to radio”, many of the songs selected have had airplay on national radio (albeit in edited form with DJs suggesting how naughty the original lyrics are which often stirs the curious and the city is very curious!). Perhaps the only content that genuinely wouldn’t make it to radio are the stories of how each discovered – as girls – that their bodies are capable of sexual pleasure and the importance (as ladies) of insisting on gratification. 

These stories (and the show is chockfull of them) are deeply moving and empowering.

Bellamy remarks darkly that the daily prayer for Jewish boys includes the invocation: Thank you G-d for not making me a woman, and for Jewish girls: Thank you G-d for making me as you will. 

Nansi delights us with her first-time masturbating during a bout of chicken pox. 

Bellamy paints a picture of quaint suburban-life beset by secret and well-used erotica featuring Paul Newman, a mustang and oranges. One hopes Newman’s Own Balsamic Vinigerette was not her choice of lubricant, not that one has had the experience thereof. 

The show is extremely likeable.

This lion does not yet have a rating system. 

[eggchjf]

every episode of the Twilight Zone season 1 summarized

Where is Everybody?: nightmarish “last human being on earth” scenario turns out to just be a military experiment (wait shit that’s worse)

One for the Angels: man cheats uses capitalism to outsmart Death. I don’t know why Death would have any interest in purchasing consumer goods but apparently he does.

Mr. Denton on Doomsday: how to end alcoholism? guns. how to solve the gun crisis in america? break everyone’s hands. your move, democrats.

The Sixteen Millimeter Shrine: “fuck reality I’m just gonna literally disappear into the world of fiction and there’s nothing wrong with that”

Walking Distance: time travel and nostalgia and inflation (the money kind not the fetish kind)

Escape Clause: a man sells his soul in exchange for immortality and I want to say “it goes about as well as you would expect” but honestly it’s even worse than that.

The Lonely: is it valid to develop romantic feelings for an android? absolutely not. fuck you.

Time Enough at Last: :( he deserved better

Perchance to Dream: inception mixed with a healthy dose of “iF yOu DiE in YoUr DReaM YoU dIE in ReAl LifE”

Judgement Night: Nazi fucking dies (10 hour loop)

And When the Sky was Opened: what if we were all erased from reality one-by-one? haha just kidding… unle

What You Need: unstoppable asshole meets immovable cinnamon roll

The Four of Us are Dying: shapeshifter fucks with a bunch of people

Third from the Sun: a small group of humans takes off in a stolen government space ship to escape nuclear holocaust. What Happens Next Will Shock You (or at least it shocked me)

I Shot an Arrow into the Air: imagine Lord of the Flies but instead of being stuck on some island in the middle of nowhere they’re all just… in a tiny patch of wilderness just beyond some highway somewhere. and they’re grown-ass adults. but they still kill each other.

The Hitch-Hiker: woman loses her goddamn mind over an omnipresent hitchhiker that’s done literally nothing bad or threatening except exist on the side of the road everywhere she goes

The Fever: man in denial about his gambling addiction claims that the slot machine is a living entity that is targeting him personally

The Last Flight: man displaced in time manages to get back home just in time to die

The Purple Testament: man has a sort of superpower where he can tell which people are going to die soon by looking into their faces. then he sees it in his own reflection. …and there’s nothing he can do about it so he fucking dies.

Elegy: mannequin challenge (genocide route)

Mirror Image: your doppelgänger is the horrible customer that retail employees tell stories about on social media

The Monsters are Due on Maple Street: a typical witch hunt story but instead of witches it’s aliens. and in this case the aliens are real but they’re just watching earth from a distance and laughing at all the humans killing each other over accusations of being aliens

A World of Difference: hardcore method acting

Long Live Walter Jameson: problematic age gap

People are Alike all Over: humans are dicks and that’s a universal constant

Execution: I said CONSENSUAL time travel, rebecca!!!

The Big Tall Wish: when magic happens you don’t question it

A Nice Place to Visit: this is the bad place

Nightmare as a Child: creepy little girl is creepy (and salty)

A Stop at Willoughby: suicide via maladaptive daydreaming

The Chaser: love potions are a date rape drug but at least they come with a healthy dose of karma

A Passage for Trumpet: *sigh* you’re suicidal again? really?

Mr. Bevis: at the end of a particularly shitty day a Matt Smith-looking dude learns he has a guardian angel and then that guardian angel roasts his entire life and his personality and his interests and says he’s not even allowed to wear bow ties anymore

The After Hours: mannequin challenge (neutral route)

The Mighty Casey: the Tin Man is a baseball player but then he gets a heart and suddenly he sucks at baseball so he decides to be a social worker instead

A World of his Own: first I WRITE my characters and then i FUCK my characters and then i D E S T R O Y my characters!!!! (and THEN i destroy Rod Serling)