#song choice for ennie of course

[timespenttogethercomic]

these guys

[achubbydumpling]

Weeping Willows

Rating: Mature Words: 1761 Relationship: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski Additional Tags: Angst, Spark Stiles Stilinski, Alan Deaton Being an Asshole

(I wanted to write smut. It wasn't even about these two. Why the hell is this what I end up with at the end of the night?? Also this does NOT contain chubby kink.)

Stiles’ teeth clashed together when Derek’s body hit the floor. Once the dust had settled, so did a deafening silence. Stiles ran to the ground floor. He couldn’t see Ennis anywhere and the sounds of fighting did not resume upstairs.

Derek lay motionless. Stiles held his breath and walked towards the unmoving body. His eyes were closed. Only when he got within arm’s reach could he finally see Derek’s chest moving ever so slightly. He rushed forward, took a deep breath in, and started checking Derek for injuries.

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“Derek? Hey, man, are you ok? Come on, big guy, the fall wasn’t that bad now, was it?”, Stiles rucked up Derek’s shirt and discovered that a piece of rusty rebar had pierced though Derek’s chest, right beneath the ribs on his left side.

“Ok, I know you’re not supposed to remove the thing doing the stabbing until the paramedics arrive, but since I don’t think you’d go to the hospital anyways, this has to come out. Before you heal over it”, Stiles wiped away the grime on his face, “or something else disgusting.” Stiles finally looked up at Derek’s face. His teeth were clenched, but he nodded.

“Here goes nothing”, he whispered. He barely managed to move Derek’s upper body an inch before his grip slipped and Derek slammed back down onto the concrete.

“Shit. Sorry. How are we gonna get this out?” Stiles leaned closer to the wound and carefully pushed down on the edges.

“Damn, looks like it’s already healing.” Stiles looked back up at Derek’s face. His teeth were still clenched, but then he slowly breathed out and tried to relax.

“Call Deaton.”

“Yeah. Right. Sorry, normally you don’t get him involved like ever.” Stiles pulled his phone from his pocket and nearly dropped it when Derek tried to push himself up from the rebar. Derek fell back down before he could clear the spike. He couldn’t hold back the scream of pain, arching his head into the floor and trying to breathe through it.

“I can’t get up. I can’t let it heal. Deaton’s the only choice.” Stiles swallowed and looked to the upper levels to see if any of the pack were still there.

“Everyone alright?” Derek asked and glanced in the same direction as Stiles.

“They must be going after the alpha pack.” Derek tried to get up again after hearing that, but it was no use. Stiles moved closer to him and put his hand on Derek’s shoulder. Trying to keep him from moving.

“You’re only making it worse. Look it’s bleeding again.” Sure enough, thick dark blood stained Derek’s shirt.

“I’m keeping it from healing, or you’ll have to cut that thing out of me. Would you prefer that?” Stiles shook his head and swallowed again.

“No, ‘course not. I’ll ask Deaton about it, ok? He’ll know what to do, yeah?”

“Yeah, sure.” Derek wheezed a laugh before groaning in pain again. Stiles started pacing when the phone rang for an uncomfortably long time, but eventually Deaton did pick up.

“Stiles, my young protégé.” Stiles bit at his cuticles and shook his head in irritation.

“Listen, I don’t need your mysterious wizard shit right now. I need a veterinarian.” Deaton chuckled at that and took his time to answer.

“Alright,” he drawled. “Where is your alpha stuck right now?”

“The abandoned mall outside town. Ground floor.”

“Ok, I’ll be there. Try to keep him awake, the blood loss might make him a bit drowsy around the three-liter mark.” Stiles glanced down at Derek. His blood had already started pooling on the left side.

“I don’t think he’d be drowsy by then. I think he’d be dead.”

“Oh, don’t worry so much. I’ve had wolves survive worse. I’ll just swing by the clinic to get some supplies. I’ll need maybe an hour.”

Stiles stopped dead in his tracks.

“An hour? I know you’re all high and mighty about your balance-shit or something, but there has to be something like the Hippocratic oath for vets as well. He’ll be dead in an hour. Hear me? You’ll have his blood on your hands if you don’t move your ass.” Deaton chuckled. Again.

“Right, right. Quite feisty today. I’ll make it quick then.”

“Yes, you better—”, but Deaton had already hung up. Stiles gripped his phone tightly and sucked in a breath.

“Don’t let him get to you. He’s just been alive for too long to appreciate mortality.” Stiles kneeled beside Derek and tried to smile, but it made his muscles ache.

“Yeah, right. He’s just a holier-than-thou asshole.” Derek laughed quietly. A cough ripped through him, and he pressed his hands against his side.

“Ok, no more moving around. Deaton said you might get ‘drowsy’ after losing three liters. So, we’re not doing that, ok?” Derek lifted his right hand and gave a thumbs up before relaxing and closing his eyes.

His name is the last thing Derek hears before giving into the darkness of unconsciousness.

+++

Stiles fell back onto the bed. The old coils protested the sudden impact. Derek was still taking his shoes off, but Stiles didn’t call him out on it. They both needed a bit of time to come back to reality.

Apparently, a longer time for Derek because he quietly started laughing. He was staring at Stiles’ nose where a piece of toilet paper was stuffed haphazardly to stop the bleeding. Stiles started laughing at Derek’s ridiculous timing.

“You’re a crazy fucking son of a bitch.” Derek said. It looked like he was rubbing some dirt from the corner of his eye. “Don’t you ever do something that stupid again. You hear me?”

“Loud and clear, captain.” Derek’s expression hardened at Stiles jokey answer.

“Don’t.” He whispered and finally lay down next to Stiles.

“I won’t”, Stiles reassured him, “but I’m alive. So, don’t worry.”

“You’re alive. Still alive.” Derek muttered while brushing back the long strands of hair that were matted to Stiles’ forehead. For a moment the world seemed to stand still. It let Derek take in how lucky they had been tonight. No major wounds, no casualties. Just Stiles and him against the world. And wasn’t that a comforting thought.

This time Derek didn’t look away, not for a second while Stiles was studying his expression. A familiar sense of calm settled over him and slowed his heartbeat. An easy smile settled on his lips, and he was just about to flop down next to Stiles to get a few hours of sleep when Stiles leaned forward on his elbows to get closer to Derek’s face.

“I really want to kiss you right now.”

For a second Derek didn’t move at all. Then he breathed out heavily and started laughing again.

“Yes. God, yes.” He gripped Stiles’ head in his right hand and cupped his face, but before he could actually kiss him, he was once again overwhelmed by the ridiculousness of the toilet paper stuffed up Stiles’ nose. A fondness settled in his bones that left him more tired and satisfied than he had ever been before.

“You’re alive. You’re here. You bested the monster of the week.” Derek stroked his thumb down Stiles’ cheek. A yawn overtook Derek’s smile and Stiles said with a fond smile.

“We did. We really did. How about we get some sleep first?” Derek nodded and yawned again.

“There is no one that I’d rather sleep next to.” And Stiles could work with that. More than just work with it.

+++

Derek didn’t look up from his book when Stiles jumped up from the floor.

“Dance with me.”

“I don’t dance.” Was all Derek said.

“I know.” was all that Stiles answered when he took his phone out and opened Spotify.

“How about ‘Come on Eileen’?” Stiles looked at Derek, but before he could say anything he interrupted himself: “No. I know.” Seconds later an all too familiar melody played from the phone’s tinny speakers.

“The quality’s really shit, but I don’t have my speaker and it’s not that important that I—"

Derek hummed in agreement but didn’t look up from his book. An uneasy silence filled the room before Stiles finally broke it.

“Dance with me.”

Derek finally looked up and furrowed his brows.

“I don’t dance.”

“I know.” Stiles nodded his head and smiled wide. He took Derek’s hand, their fingers intertwined without them thinking about it and pulled the book from Derek’s other hand.

When he was pulled up by Stiles, he never stopped looking into his eyes.

“I don’t dance.”

Stiles just smiled and put his arms around Derek’s neck, he leaned in close and gave a quick peck on Derek’s lips. However, when he tried to move away Derek pulled him back into their embrace and kept Stiles about an inch from his face, they didn’t speak. The only sound coming from the small phone speakers.

The intro of the song was just coming to an end and the singer finally croaked out his first words when Derek kissed Stiles again and again and another time. As the chorus started Stiles began gently swaying from side to side while Derek stood still, almost lifeless apart from the storm in his eyes.

He hugged Stiles closer and pressed his face into Stiles’ shoulder, who just laughed quietly and whispered: “Are you doing the weird scent-thing again?” Derek huffed out a breath of air but didn’t answer. “It’s ok, I won’t tell anybody the sourwolf has got a soft side.” Ever so slightly Derek started swaying as well and pulled Stiles even closer.

“This is goodbye, isn’t it?” Stiles nodded into his shoulder

“I’ll see you again.” Derek insisted.

He propped his chin up on Stiles’ head. Stiles knew this tactic.

“It’s a small world.” Derek’s left hand move up to Stiles’ neck and pressed his face into Derek’s shoulder. Stiles sighed and closed his eyes.

“Don’t. Just listen.”

And Derek listened.

They both stayed quiet, just gently swaying like willows in the wind, they were so much like trees. Their roots had grown, not deep nor thick, but it hurt when they were ripped from their earth.

The Nemeton was a constant presence surrounding Stiles by now and Derek could hear its low hum in Stiles’ core. The emissary of this land had been sent on a mission by the Nemeton. An honor.

Derek was quiet for a long time and listened to that dreadful hum. If he could just speak with the tree, but his mom wasn’t here to negotiate with it. And now Stiles was gone too.

[aion-rsa]

Best Romantic Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now

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Some movies brave enough to tread where only pop songs and poems go, and try to capture all the drama, contradictions and happy, bubbly feelings that come along with romance and love. It’s high-time that we honor them and defend them against their unearned sappy reputations with the best romantic movies on Amazon Prime.

We’ve scoured Amazon Prime to find the best romantic movies available for your viewing pleasure. Here are the best romantic movies on Amazon Prime. Ok, some of them are perfectly sappy.

The Big Sick

Kumail Nanjiani and his wife Emily Gordon’s theatrical debut made big waves when it came out for the singularity of its vision and just how plain funny it is. Now Amazon gets to reap the benefits of producing a bonafide romantic indie hit by getting its exclusive streaming rights. The Big Sick is the real life story of comedian Kumail Nanjiani meeting and falling in love with his wife, Emily (who is played by Zoe Kazan in the film).

Kumail and Emily’s courtship process is difficult enough to begin with due to Kumail’s family pressuring him to find a nice Pakistani girl to settle down with. But soon things get even more difficult as Emily suffers a health scare and Kumail must suddenly contend with that situation and Emily’s eccentric parents who have just come to town. The Big Sick is a clear vision from talented people and tells a beautifully convincing love story while making plenty of room for laughter. Not only that but it’s a big win for our list of best romance movies on Amazon Prime.

Watch The Big Sick

What If

Canadian drama What If (originally known as The F Word before the MPAA got its greasy fingers all over it) is a fun romantic movie and a tremendous showcase for its two young stars Daniel Radcliffe (you know what he’s from) and Zoe Kazan (The Big Sick). Radcliffe stars as Wallace – a directionless young man living in Toronto who decides to become more social after his girlfriend cheats on him.

Enter Kylo Ren (Adam Driver playing a character who is unfortunately not named Kylo Ren) who takes Wallace to a party where he meets the alluring Chantry (Kazan). Wallace and Chantry immediately fall for each other. Unfortunately there’s the small matter of Chantry’s boyfriend. What If? is a sweet little Canadian flick that knows how to push its audiences romantic buttons.

Watch What If

Still Mine

Still Mine isn’t necessarily about romance. It’s about love – a deep prevailing love built up over decades. Craig Morrison (James Cromwell) is a farmer in rural New Brunswick, Canada. He intends to build a new house for his ailing wife Irene (Geneviève Bujold) but runs into trouble with the local municipality’s bureaucracy prevents him from doing so.

Still Mine is as romantic a movie about bureacratic development regulations as has ever existed. Cromwell and Bujold have wonderful chemistry and paint a portrait of profound, abiding love.

Watch Still Mine

Some Kind of Wonderful

Some Kind of Wonderful doesn’t have the same pop culture standing as other John Huges films like Sixteen Candles or Pretty in Pink. Still this remains a worthwhile entry into the Hughes canon on teenage love. 

Read more

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By Simon Brew

Keith Nelson (Eric Stoltz) is a high school outcast who has his eyes set on popular girl Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson). Thankfully he has his tomboyish Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson) to help court her. Based on that meager plot description, you may think you know where Some Kind of Wonderful is going to end up, and…you’re probably right. That doesn’t make the journey any less satisfying. 

Watch Some Kind of Wonderful

To Catch a Thief

You know who would make a great romance film? The guy who did Psycho. Yes To Catch a Thief is a classic romance film from none other than Alfred Hitchcock. Of course, there’s a lot more going on in this heist thriller.

Cary Grant stars as retired cat burglar John Robie. When another burglar starts copying his act, Robie has to undergo One Last Job (TM) to catch…a thief. In the process John comes across the wealthy Frances (Grace Kelly) and the two strike up an unlikely romance for the ages.

Watch To Catch a Thief

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Hello, My Name is Doris

Between TBS’ Search Party and Hello, My Name is Doris, director Michael Showalter had a stellar 2016. Hello, My Name is Doris is a wonderfully sweet, equally tragic and completely hilarious romantic comedy. Sally Field stars as the titular Doris, a lively woman in her 60s who after the death of her mother becomes infatuated with a younger man. 

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Best Romantic Movies on Netflix

By Alec Bojalad

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Best Romantic Movies on Hulu Right Now

By Alec Bojalad

With the help of cliched self-help materials she does whatever she can to get his attention. Hello, My Name is Doris is an empathetic romantic comedy that will change how you view age. 

Watch Hello, My Name is Doris

Sabrina (1995)

Let’s get one thing out of the way right now. Sabrina‘s theatrical poster is dope. When I was a kid and I would pass the VHS cover in Blockbuster, I couldn’t help but think “Wow, that is a real adult movie.” At a young age, the mere sight of a woman’s lascivious red lipstick (lascivious in my head at least) was enough to fry my brain. Poster aside, however, Sabrina is an excellent romance with some real star power. It’s a remake of the 1954 film of the same name starring Billy Wilder and Audrey Hepburn. 

This version was directed by the great Sydney Pollack and stars Harrison Ford, Greg Kinnear, and Julia Ormond. Weirdly enough Greg Kinnear plays the ultimate rich playboy while Harrison Ford plays his studious older brother. Weird casting choices but it works out alright thanks to each actor’s chemistry with Ormond.

Watch Sabrina

Ghost

Ghost is much more than just the reason you can no longer attend a pottery class without giggling. It’s a legitimately great sci-fi romance yarn. Patrick Swayze stars as Sam a banker who is killed by a mugger. Immediately post-death he discovers that he has become a ghost and can no longer directly interact with his girlfriend Molly (Demi Moore).

Sam sets out to solve his own murder and somehow reconnect with the woman he loves. Ghostcomes along with all the corniness of an early ’90s blockbuster but its central theme of love trying to achieve the impossible plays in any decade.

Watch Ghost

Brokeback Mountain

Longing is a crucial part of the formula in any romance movie and Brokeback Mountain has it in spades. Ang Lee’s 2005 film played a crucial role in bringing queer cinema to the mainstream and it did so by presenting mostly straight audiences with a universal depiction of love and passion – the kind of love that supersedes the norms and expectations of everything in your life to that point.

Heath Ledger and Jake Gylllenhaal star as 1960s Wyoming cowboys Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist. While herding sheep on the Brokeback mountains, Jack makes a sexual pass at Ennis and the two begin a summer-long physical affair. The movie then follows the pair through the subsequent decades as they try to return to their “normal” lives, all the while unable to forget their time on Brokeback.

Watch Brokeback Mountain

Letter to Juliet

Somewhere along the way, Hollywood decided to let Amanda Seyfried become the queen of romantic comedies set in exotic locales…and that’s perfectly fine with us.

In Letters to Juliet, Seyfried stars as a New York fact checker Sophie on “pre-honeymoon” with her fiancé in Verona. There she learns of the phenomenon of “letters to Juliet” where women women bring love letters to Juliet Montague’s Verona courtyard. When Sophie answers a letter from 1957, she embarks on a decades-spanning journey of love and self-discover.y

Watch Letters to Juliet

What Men Want

Back in 2000, only one film had the distinction…nay, the courage of trying to figure out What Women Want. The answer, apparently, was Mel Gibson. We don’t talk about this movie that much.

Read more

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Which YA Romance Should Netflix Adapt Next?

By Kayti Burt

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By Alana Joli Abbott

2019’s What Men Want is a loose remake of the earlier film. And it has something that the original never did: Taraji P. Henson! Henson stars as Ali Davis, a sports agent who gains the ability to read men’s minds after meeting a shaman. The movie puts Ali’s male-dominated profession to good use and in the process tells a nifty little romance story.

Watch What Men Want

There’s Something About Mary

More than two decades later, it’s still wild to see that above screenshot. Like, that ran in newspapers. It was on a poster! And if you don’t know why a photo of Cameron Diaz with a unique hairstyle is a big deal then you’ve likely not seen the Farrelly Brothers 1998 gross out classic There’s Something About Mary.

This is not so much a romance movie as it is an exploration of the pitfalls of attraction. Diaz stars as Mary Jensen…and there’s just something about her. Ben Stiller, Matt Dillon, Lee Evans, and Chris Elliott all play men who are helplessly in love with Mary and trying to win her affection. In the process, many injuries as sustained.

Watch There’s Something About Mary

Moulin Rouge!

If you like your romance with more than a dash of Baz Luhrmann saturated colors and big, sexy musical numbers then Moulin Rouge! is almost certainly the movie for you.

This 2001 film is set in 1900s Paris amid the Bohemian movement. When Christian (Ewan McGregor) falls in love with Moulin Rouge cabaret actress and courtesan Satine (Nicole Kidman), he must contend with her impending betrothal (or really sale) to the Duke of Montrose. As one might imagine, this is resolved with quite a bit of singing and dancing.

Watch Moulin Rouge!

Sylvie’s Love

Amazon Prime’s 2020 film Sylvie’s Love positively oozes jazz era atmosphere and tells a compelling, decades-spanning love story in the process.

Tessa Thompson stars as Sylvie Parker, a young woman who one day meets an aspiring saxophonist (played by Kerry Washington’s husband and former NFLer Nnamdi Asomugha) and in her father’s record shop in 1950s Harlem. This leads to sweeping romance that guides the pair through the era’s jazz music scene.

Watch Sylvie’s Love

The post Best Romantic Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[lady-griffin]

Jenny’s Song

Let’s talk about the history of Jenny, the symbolic importance of her character and the actual song itself and what it could mean.

Who is Jenny of Oldstones exactly?

Jenny of Oldstones, by Rae Lavergne 

Jenny was the wife of Prince Duncan Targaryen, the first born son of King Aegon V (also known as Egg) and heir to the Iron Throne.

Duncan Targaryen, by Karla Ortiz

Duncan was originally betrothed to an unknown Baratheon daughter, but while in the Riverlands he fell in love with a “strange, lovely and mysterious” woman, aka Jenny of Oldstones.

Despite already being engaged and the fact that there was a severe class difference and protest from his family, the small council and others, the two nonetheless got married. Or I guess more accurately stayed married.

King Aegon V tried to break up the marriage, but to no avail. Duncan, in the end, was given a choice -- be the heir to the throne or stay married to Jenny of Oldstones. He chose the latter and became known as the Prince of Dragonflies.

Now this story is important for several reasons.

For one thing, the choice these two made impacted the existence of current characters and their own family lines. So, let’s get into the literal and historical implications of Jenny and her Prince of Dragonflies.

The Effect on the Present

Jaehaerys II was named heir and later became king, when Duncan abdicated the throne. He is the founder of the specific line that is Daenerys’ immediate family, him and his sister-wife Shaera were the parents of Aerys and Rhaella, who are Daenerys parents and Jon’s grandparents, on his father’s side.

You may think those two pairs of siblings may have ended up together anyway, without Duncan and Jenny, since they are Targaryen siblings and all that, but not so much.

Jaehaerys and Shaera were betrothed to Celia Tully and Luthor Tyrell respectively, but were in-love with one another. Despite their parents marrying for love, they were forbidden to do the same, mostly because they were siblings and Aegon and his wife Betha Blackwood wanted to end that tradition.

But because Duncan married for love, Jaehaerys and Shaera followed suit and it goes further than that. 

Jenny brought the Woods Witch to court and she proclaimed that the Prince Who Was Promised would be born of the line of Aerys II (Mad King) and Rhaella. Hearing that, Jaehaerys arranged the marriage between his own son and daughter, who had three children Rhaegar, Viserys and Daenerys.

Because of Duncan and Jenny, Daenerys and Jon (and their right to the throne) exists even at all.

And there is more.

Baratheon Family

Because Duncan snubbed the Baratheon girl, the Stormlands rebelled against the Crown and lost.

Aegon sent his youngest daughter Rhaelle to be betrothed to Ormund Baratheon, which created the current or most recent Baratheon Family - Robert, Stannis and Renly’s grandmother was Rhaelle Targaryen.

In the books, not so much the show, Robert and others even kind of use this as a “justification” for him having the throne, which is basically bullshit. He took it and that’s that.

Tyrell Family

And while this might not be the case in the show, Luthor Tyrell was betrothed to Shaera Targaryen and because she married her brother, he instead married Olenna Redwyne, which created the current (now gone in show) Tyrell family.

And while not directly related to Duncan Targaryen, Ser Duncan the Tall the namesake of this Targaryen Prince is an ancestor of Brienne of Tarth.

So, a lot of the families currently in the show exist because Duncan married Jenny and chose her over the throne.There was a ripple affect with Duncan’s choice that we can still see.

Symbolic Implications

There are a lot of couples we’ve been shown that are a reflection of this couple, but nonetheless fall short of the actual couple.

They main factor being that Duncan abdicated his throne for Jenny, he chose love over power and his duty. And many couples fall short on that idea. 

Sidenote: To be clear, whether or not choosing love is a good thing or not in this world is highly debatable. But going with the moral of how Duncan and Jenny are told, love is the positive thing. But the flaws are pointed out to us.

Daenerys and Jon

First off, they have the same first letters. Daenerys and Duncan// Jon and Jenny, so that’s an interesting parallel for the two couples.

In the show, Podrick’s singing ends just as Daenerys and Jon’s scene in the crypt begins. The Florence + The Machine Lyric Video ends on Jon and Daenerys’ crypt scene, with the line “the ones who loved her the most.”

This seems to be strongly indicating to us, the audience, that we should see a connection between these two couples (if you know the backstory.) But I would argue, the overall surface of Jon and Dany is a closer match than the actual relationship itself.

To be fair though, Jon did give up his throne to Daenerys and Daenerys herself stated that she was in the North, because she loves Jon. Her being in the North is presented as her giving up her desire for the throne for Jon.

So both are meant to be a Duncan-figure to the others’ Jenny.

And yet, it’s still not the same.

Jon didn’t give up his throne for Daenerys. He’s gave it to her. It’s not the same kind of choice, in my opinion (and depending if you believe in Pol!Jon, he’s not giving it up for love).

But, let’s count it for now, because do we think he’s going to do the same thing, again. What would be the point of bringing up Jon’s claim to the throne and then just have him give it up to Daenerys, a repeat from last season.

I don’t think Jon is going to be giving up his claim to Daenerys or for her, anytime soon. Mostly becauseof Daenerys and her own relationship to the throne. 

Daenerys is also framed as a Duncan like figure, but is she? Daenerys might talk about her love for Jon and even believe that she is willing to give up her throne for him, but again is she willing to do it?

Sam brings that question right up to the surface, for both Jon and the audience. So the answer isn’t a straightforward yes, if it was the show wouldn’t be bringing our attention to it.

Daenerys’ primary focus when Jon was telling her the truth, was that he now had a higher claim to the Iron Throne than her own. That scene alone, I think disqualifies her as a Jenny figure and goes against her, as a Duncan figure as well. 

And even her leaving her campaign for the Iron Throne is temporary, in the sense that she herself seems to see this as a slight change to her path, but not changing the overall course. Once the dead are gone, she was always planning on getting that throne and 7K. The Sansa and Daenerys scene confirms that.

Jon and Daenerys are no Duncan and Jenny, at least not in their relationship together.

There are two other couples who seem to fit the mold of Duncan and Jenny, more so.

Rhaegar and Lyanna 

Rhaegar annuls his marriage to Ellia Martell (in the show) to marry Lyanna. And like his ancestor breaks another Baratheon betrothal. And the Lyric Video certainly does imply a Duncan and Jenny filter to Rhaegar and Lyanna.

And again, Rhaegar exists (like his sister and son) because of Jenny and Duncan getting married and Rhaegar was born during the Tragedy of Summehall…which we’ll note a bit later on.

Robb and Talisa/Jeyne

Robb and Talisa/Jeyne are more similar, in my opinion, to the story of Duncan and Jenny, particularly Robb and Talisa. Robb meets this strange and mysterious woman in the Riverlands (Talisa), while she is of noble birth in Essos, she is not of any noble birth within Westeros.

They get marry in secret and Robb breaks the arranged marriage that his mother arranged (like Duncan) that was meant to be advantageous to him and his family. And he refuses to give his “Jenny” up, despite the persistence of his own “Small Council.”

Furthermore, in the books, Catelyn herself hopes that Robb’s song in the end will be a happy one. That despite the current difficulties and struggles, it will all work out for the best.

However, neither Rhaegar nor Robb are Duncan. As both chose to keep their “Jenny” and their Throne. They didn’t make a choice and they both paid dearly and nearly brought the end to their houses.

You can’t have both your Jenny and your throne. You either choose her or the throne. And I would argue choosing the throne, is better than not choosing at all.

Daenerys and Daario.

This connection isn’t really all that applicable in all honestly, but I thought it deserved mentioning.

Daenerys gave up Daario for her pursuit of the throne. While Daenerys said she didn’t love him or wasn’t in-love with him, so it was an easier choice for her overall. It still was a choice. 

She chose power and  what she assumed might be a future duty for her as Queen. I would say her making the choice, puts her in a better spot than either Rhaegar or Robb.

Now there is another pairing to consider.

Jon and Sansa

Jon and Duncan do have some similarities (which also apply to him and Daenerys, if he is the Duncan in that dynamic)

They are both dark-haired Targaryens and their fathers were Targaryen men, while their mothers were not of the Targaryen line.

Duncan’s mother was Betha Blackwood, Blackwoods are a noble family in the Riverlands who still worship the Old Gods. Jon’s mother is Lyanna Stark, while not from the Riverlands, the Starks as we all know worship the Old Gods.

And while this is more of connection between Aegon V, Duncan’s father rather than Duncan himself, Jon too can be seen an unlikely ruler.

Aegon V was also known as “Aegon the Unlikely” due to the fact that he was the fourth son of the fourth son. No one ever expected him to become king, because he was one of the spares not the heir.

Jon is also viewed as the fourth son of Ned Stark. While Bran and Rickon are younger than Jon, the fact they are trueborn bump them up, making Jon the fourth son.

And because Ned Stark had five trueborn children, Jon was never to going to inherit Winterfell in any normal circumstance. And no one knows, or didn’t know until now, that he was actually Rhaegar’s child, so again, he’s a dark horse in the race to the Iron Throne, at least for the other characters. 

And finally, Duncan was known as “Duncan the Small” because his namesake was “Ser Duncan the Tall”. And Jon’s height has been brought up quite a lot, even in this most recent episode, specifically in the scene of Sansa and Daenerys.

Sansa and Jenny, also have some interesting parallels and connections.

The prominent one, being that Jenny of Oldstones was one of Catelyn’s favorite stories and Catelyn is from the Riverlands, like Jenny.

While some fans are currently speculating that Jenny was a red-head, to my knowledge there is no actual evidence of that at all. But we don’t actually know, so maybe?

There is another connection to Sansa, it is a stretch, but I see a connection.

Jenny has a very fae-like quality to her and her story in general. Her story and I think (for me at least) the association with Dragonflies bring to mind fairies and how they appeared in Medieval Stories, particularly those involving knights. Now Westeros doesn’t have fae/fairies, but…

Jenny, apparently, claimed to be descendent of the Old Kings/First Men and also the Children of the Forest. She is described as being “strange, lovely and mysterious” and so maybe she was a “fae” of some kind or a descendent of the Children of the Forest.

Fans have speculated that her claims have some truth to them. But I’m not entirely convinced if Jenny herself was magical.

Similar to Sansa.

Sansa is currently the only Stark who doesn’t have magic in her storyline, but despite that, in the mythos of Westeros she is the one who people are starting to associate with magic. There are rumors, that Sansa magically killed Joffrey and escaped by turning into a wolf with wings.

Obviously, that’s not true.

But it’s still interesting that the non-magical Stark sibling is the one who is already being turned into a magical-tale for the people of Westeros. And that mythos might build overtime, especially as Sansa reunites with her siblings who do have prominent magical abilities.

And won’t that just confirm in people’s minds that Sansa is magical. And then later in the years, won’t future maesters be able to deny the existence of magic of the Three-Eyed Raven and such, because they know that historically King Joffrey was killed by the Tyrell family.

Similar to how the Maesters of Oldtown dismissed Jenny of Oldstones in season 7, while they were also dismissing the Three-Eyed Raven and the White Walkers (2 very real things) 

Basically, and we’ll see if this turns out to be true in the end, I think both Jenny of Oldstones and Sansa Stark and the stories they became/will become is part of the blurred line between the real magic that exists and the fake, story-magic that is part of the smallfolk tall tales.

I’ve said this before, but I’m so interested in what the story of Sansa and her siblings will be in Westeros years later, because I’m betting there will be more than a few inaccuracies.

Sansa’s Wardrobe

The show, has made a very interesting connection between Sansa and Jenny and her Prince of Dragonflies, all the way back in the beginning. 

In seasons 1-3, Sansa wore dragonfly, moth, and butterfly imagery.

Now the Dragonflies/Moths/Butterflies might have only been used because they represent delicacy and femininity, but also the ability to adapt, change, and evolve. They are metamorphosis and so is Sansa Stark. And that might be it, nothing more.

But the inclusion of the acorn collar for Arya, really does make me think the dragonflies to some extent, links Sansa to Jenny of Oldstones and her Dragonfly Prince. At least, in my opinion.

What acorn collar?

In season 1, Arya wore an acorn embroideredcollar to the Hand’s Tourney. While Sansa was already wearing dragonflies before this scene, it’s an interesting connection.

Not only is Sansa wearing her Dragonfly necklace and Moth ring as well in this scene, but this is where Sansa (and Arya) first meet Littlefinger. In the books, it is mentioned how he and Catelyn would play Duncan and Jenny when they were kids. 

Now the acorn collar is a clear reference to the acorn dress Arya wore in the books when she was at Acorn Hall with the Brother-Hood of Banners. And during her time with the Brotherhood, Arya also met the Ghost of High Heart who is the Woods Witch (or believed to be), the same one from Jenny’s story. 

She demands a song, known as Jenny’s song (the one we hear in the show). Now Arya notes that the song sounds familiar, but she doesn’t actually know it, however she knows Sansa would’ve known it. 

In addition, some of the Ghost of High Heart prophetic dreams relate to Sansa. Joffrey being poisoned at his wedding and Sansa being the one carrying the poison, for instance. 

Now in the show, Arya never meets the Ghost of High Heart and a lot of the culture and mythos of the world itself isn’t part of the show.

But still, that link between Sansa and Jenny of Oldstones exists, with Sansa’s dragonfly accessories and Arya’s acorn collar. 

Confirming that Michelle Clapton is pulling, some of her costume details from the books and it’s interesting she chose dragonflies and not Jonquil flowers, which I would argue are more closely associated with book Sansa. 

So are Jon and Sansa, a reflection of Duncan and jenny?

Well it depends. I think Jon could definitely  give up his claim to the throne and abdicate it to someone else, depending on the circumstances.

In order to protect Sansa? A definite possibility.

Shoving the marriage proposal (idea) to Daenerys out the door, now that he knows he’s a Targaryen and Sansa’s cousin. Maybe?

We’ll have to see, though, I don’t think will get that in any real or clear-cut way.

But, is that the same as Duncan and Jenny?

Well not really, but I would say it’s pretty darn close.

I would argue whether or not the throne exists in the end, Jon wholeheartedly and genuinely choosing to give it up in some way for Sansa, would be the important thing. Not to Sansa, but for her. 

And again, if Rhaegar and Lyanna and Robb and Talisa can be reflections of Duncan and Jenny, despite those two men never making a choice, than Jon making a choice would be closer match.

But we’ll have to see. 

Jenny’s Song

The actual song, despite all of the above, is not about Duncan and Jenny. Or least not entirely. The song is about The Tragedy of Summerhall.

Basically, Aegon V was trying to bring back dragons into the world and his failure led to a fire that killed him, Duncan Targaryen and Ser Duncan the Tall and likely others.

Sidenote: Rhaegar believed, for a time, he was The Prince That Was Promised due to the events of Summerhall, him being born amidst smoke and salt and all that. Later, he started to believe it was his son Aegon Targaryen (not the Jon Snow son, the one with Ellia). So again that prince that was promised and Jenny of Oldstones connection, comes up again. 

It’s unknown if Jenny actually died at Summerhall or if she chose to stay there until the day she died, dancing with the ghosts of those she’s known and loved. Now all alone in the world. I’m incline to believe the latter, but it’s vey possible she died as well and the smallfolk would claim to see her ghost.

We don’t know.

What we do know, is that Winterfell is basically being marked to be a place of similar tragedy. 

Soon the characters who survive are going to be surrounded by the ghosts of Winterfell. And the song overplays some of the main cast and groupings/pairings.

The Hearth Gang – Podrick, Tyrion, Jaime, Davos, Brienne and Tormund

Gilly, Sam and Baby Sam

Sansa and Theon

Arya and Gendry

Messandei and Greyworm

Jorah

While we could go into the specific lyrics, overplaying the shots, I don’t know how important that actually is (maybe I’m wrong). 

It seems clear to me though, that the people shown are going to lose the others who were also shown. Soon, some of the pairings will no longer be pairings. And the living will have their own ghosts haunting them, ghosts they’ll never want to leave.

Basically the song, as of right now (perhaps future episodes will change this) is not about Duncan and Jenny falling and love and being together. It’s about losing your loved ones and being left alone in this world.

Death is coming. 

And very soon, some of these characters will have the burden of remembering those who have fallen and keeping them alive in their memory. 

[edward-trumpet-blog]

Rick Braun:Life in the Fast Lane

BY TOM ERDMANN

Trumpeter, producer, composer, and arranger Rick Braun is an excellent example of a musician who has quietly worked hard for many years and suddenly is recognized as an “overnight success.” His album with saxophonist Boney James, Shake It Up, was number one on the Billboard magazine Contemporary Jazz Album chart for 11 weeks and has moved around in the top five positions for over a year. The first single from that album, Grazin’ In The Grass, hit number one and stayed there for nine weeks, crossed over to the R&B charts, and was named Best Song of the Year at the 2001 Oasis Smooth Jazz Awards. Braun’s awards also include the 2001 Oasis Smooth Jazz Award of or Best Brass Player and Best Collaboration with Boney James.

Born in Allentown, Pennsylvania on July 6, 1955, Braun took up the trumpet in third grade, studied with Philadelphia Orchestra trumpeter Seymour Rosenfeld, graduated from Dieruff High School in Allentown, and enrolled  at  he Eastman School of Music. While at     Eastman, he was a founding member of the fusion group called Auracle.      Their distinctive style was quickly imitated by a number of jazz groups and their recordings became  mainstays on jazz radiostations through out the northeast. Braun’s first song to hit the Billboard Top 20 was Here With Me, written for the rock band REO Speedwagon. As a trumpet sideman, Braun has worked and toured with an incredible list of musicians including Tina Turner , Rod Stewart, Glenn Frey, Natalie Cole, Rickie Lee Jones, and War.

Braun released his first solo album in 1992. It was, however, his time with Sade on her Love Deluxe tour that helped him focus on a unique style. Braun’s second recording, Night Walk, has been likened to “listening to Sade instrumentally.” Braun’s big break came on the heel s of his third recording, Beat Street, which spent 13 weeks as the number one contemporary jazz album in Billboard magazine, breaking a record previously held by K enny G . Beat S treet was eventually named the Smooth Jazz Record of the Year. It also won the G avin Artist of the Year and Album of the Year awards in 1996. Braun’s next release, Body and Soul, earned him another Gavin Artist of the Year  award. His latest release, Kisses in the Rain, has also hit number one on the Billboard chart.                                    

Braun has never been busier or happier than he is right now. Offered more playing and producing opportunities than he can possibly accept, he is also in demand as  a jazz musician performing in clubs throughout the Los Angeles area. Braun is truly enjoying his time in the fast lane and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.                                                          

TE: Why did you choose to play the trumpet?          

RB: One of my older brothers played the trumpet and because of that there was a trumpet in a closet at home when I was eight years old. As a kid I was into everything, including the closet. I found the trumpet, put the mouthpiece in, and found that I could get a sound out of it. I think everybody who has ever played the trumpet knows that some people can get a sound out of the instrument, and some people can’t. It’ s not an instrument like the guitar where you just put your hand over the strings and a sound comes out. My first choice had  been drums, but I grew up in a small  row    home in Allentown and I’m one of six kids, so as you can imagine, I was gently steered away from the drums. What my parents didn’t know was that the trumpet was the next most annoying instrument for a beginner to play. I didn’t give up much in the way of offense (laughing); I was still able to annoy my siblings!                  

TE: Did you come from a musical family?              

RB: My mother, who is 84 now, is still very musical and has a good ear. She’s a self taught banjo player.

She played a four-string banjo, the really old kind, and learned piano by herself. On her side of the family my grandfather was a country fiddle player, my grandmother played the piano, and one of my uncles played the cornet. All of the musical talent was on my mother’s side. When my dad tried to sing to us kids at night we would pretend we were asleep so we wouldn’t have to listen to him. The only song he knew was the Notre Dame Fight Song, and he didn’t even like Notre Dame!

TE: I have read that you studied with Seymour Rosenfeld. I had the pleasure of interviewing him and was impressed by what a nice man he is.

RB: You know, he really is.        

TE: When did you study with him and how was he able to help you?      

RB: I started studying with him my junior or senior year in high school, during the early 1970s. We got into some of the mor e advanced trumpet studies, like thematerial from the Saint-Jacome Trumpet Method and other materials of that nature. He was also the first teacher to introduce me to orchestral excerpts. He wanted me to audition for the Curtis Institute and was really preparing me for that, but I didn’t get in. That year they took only one trumpeter from about 100 who auditioned. As it was I ended up at Eastman, where I really wanted to study jazz.          

TE: Were there any other early teachers who inspired you?        

RB: My first trumpet teacher, Richard Hinkoe, was great. He is still active as a director of one of the Allentown concert bands. My brother told Hinkoe about me and he agreed to teach me. Hinkoe brought me along especially in music theory. His high school theory courses covered collegiate-level material. When I arrived at Eastman I was put in with the advanced placement theory students and didn’t learn anything  new . Hinkoe’s theory course          included solfege, sight-singing, counterpoint, four -part harmonic writing, the rules   of contrary motion and correct resolution, dominants, altered sixth-chords, and more! He was an amazing teacher!

TE: Allen Vizzutti has told me what an incredible experience Eastman was for him. What was Eastman like for you?    

RB: Allen and I  played together i n some of the bands at Eastman. He can play anything! I was at a concert where he played one of the Verne Reynolds etudes as a solo. He is just an amazing player. Eastman, on the other hand, was very tense. It was a nerve-wracking experience.

There was one student who developed a nervous habit of pulling out his own hair. I remember during winter midterms one year someone starting lighting couches on fire. That was one side of it. On the other side, it was an outstanding educational experience that was just not for the faint-hearted. It was a highly competitive atmosphere. I had a friend who would get up at 5 a.m. and practice out on the lawn to try to get an edge on everybody else. In many ways Eastman was a humbling experience for me.  While in high school, I thought I was the hottest thing around, so I needed to be humbled! The major thing Eastman gave me was exposure to music I’d never heard before, like the music of Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, and Freddie Hubbard. I really started to listen to their playing. I worked to understand the way they played blues changes and how their styles were put together. The education I received at Eastman was exceptional.

TE: Did you graduate?

RB: No I didn’t. I finished my junior year and later took some extra classes at UCLA, but some of the guys in Auracle (Steve Raybine, percussion; Ron Wagner, drums; Bill Staebell, bass; John Serry Jr., piano) were one year older than me, had graduated, and were itching to do something. We planned our next step and realized California was the place we ought to be, so we headed west. Steve Kujala (Auracle’s woodwind player) and I left Eastman one year early, much to the chagrin of our families. It all worked out in the end.

 TE: What happened once you arrived in California?

 RB: We landed in a band house in the San Fernando Valley. Steve Kujala, Bill Staebell, Ron Wagner, and I all lived together. John Serry and Steve Raybine lived in another house. We struggled, made two records, and played the Montreux Jazz Festival, which w as a big deal. It was fun, we were all good friends, and got a little taste of what it was like to be recording artists at a very early age. Then the whole situation blew up. Our label, Chrysalis, broke up the band after our first recording by signing John Serry to a solo deal. He made a couple of records that didn’t sell well while the rest of us went ahead and made our second record. None of us was really up to the task of filling Serry’s shoes at that point, and it did not go well. It’s the classic story of a record label taking one guy out of a band and destroying the chemistry.              

TE: After the band broke up and you found yourself living in California, what happened?

RB: That was probably the darkest time  of career. I was not yet established as a trumpet player.

I had some early experiences at session work, but for whatever reason, at that early age, I wasn't able to break into the TV, movie, or commercial scene. I ended up doing odd jobs outside of the music business in order to make enough money to live. I remember being so broke that I wrote a bad check in order to buy food, but ended up taking the food back because I just could not go through with it. I would look at the phone wondering if it was off the hook because nobody was calling. Then, slowly, things picked up. I started to get some gigs playing with Latin bands in East Los Angeles and that developed into steady work. Then I got into playing with rhythm and blues bands and out of that work started touring with War. I also played a lot of bars and weddings, whatever I could find, and joined Jack Mack and the Heart Attacks. They were an R&B band that was very popular on the west coast. As a result of being in that horn section I began working with Glenn Frye and some other well-connected musicians including the guys in Tower of Power. I actually played in their horn section on a Tom Petty record (I played piccolo trumpet on that recording). At some point during that time I hooked up with some of the ended up receiving a call to join that band. I had been struggling, and all of a sudden I’m touring the country with Rod Stew art in a private plane, staying at Four Seasons hotels, and making more money than I ever had in my life. It was both a blessing and a curse. The blessing was that I was better off financially than I had ever been; the curse was that I started to get into drugs and began to drink a lot. On the road there are plenty of ways to get into trouble as far as substance abuse is concerned. The good new s is that I bottomed out and sobered up, and that became a major turning point in my life.  

TE: Wasn’t it a kick to play for so many people nigh after night?                                            

RB: It was amazing. I think the most people I ever played for was during a show   I did with War in Chicago when the first African-American mayor of that city was elected. The city held a huge concert in Lincoln Park with  several hundred thousand people. People were as far back as you could see. The columns of speakers went on forever. I’ve been fortunate; I’ve played for quite a few people in my life.                              

TE: How did your association with REO Speedwagon come about?                                            

RB: When I wasn’t on the road with Rod, I come back to L.A. and look for gigs. As part of the Jack   Mack horn section I played on a n album with REO Speedwagon. The lead      singer and writer of REO, Kevin Cronin, and I became friends. Kevin and I had been playing clubs together in a band we had put together with some of the REO Speedwagon guys and some other people. We were both going through hard   times over women so I wrote a song about my experience. I had  composed it like          the  Beatles song Yesterday, just a series of verses. Kevin heard it and liked it, and was able to come up with a chorus that really fit the tune. He played it for the guys in the band and they loved it. REO Speedwagon recorded it and it went into the top 20.                                              

TE: Can you tell me how your first solo record came about?

 RB:I happened to be in Canada on the road with Rod Stewart and through Steve Kujala I had been introduced to Frank Davies, who is a publisher in Toronto, Canada. I met with Frank one afternoon and played him some of my songs. I invited him to come to the show that night, and it turned out he had worked for Rod way back on his first single. It’s a small world! When Frank heard my instrumental material he said he thought he  could get me a deal. He took it from Toronto to Burbank, just 30 miles from where I was living, and got me an independent deal with Mesa/Bluemoon. On Intimate Secrets, my first record,        I included a song called Theme from t he Midnight Caller. That song got some significant airplay. My next compact disc was Night walk, followed by Beat Street. During this time I went back on the road with Rod. We         were in Europe when my manager called and said that, in America, Beat Street was getting a lot of attention and doing so well that I was going to have to make    a decision. I was either going to have to continue to be a highly-paid sideman or give my notice and take the solo gigs that didn’t pay a lot of money but would help me build a career as a leader. I took all of two seconds to think that over. I gave Rod my notice and jumped on a plane back to the States. I was willing to take the risk.

TE: That had to be an exciting time.                                          

RB: It was really exciting. When I first came out with Intimate Secrets, the promotion guy at Mesa/Bluemoon was trying to get some airplay for the recording. He told me that many stations would not play it because it featured a trumpet lead. At that time the only horn players getting airtime were saxophone players. I finally broke through when Beat Street was released and won Artist and CD of the Year Awards at   the Gavin Convention (Gavin covers the American radio industry, collecting and compiling the playlists of more than 1, 300 radio stations). Beat Street broke Kenny G’s record for most consecutive weeks as the number one contemporary jazz record and helped set me up as a solo artist.                                                    

TE: You have stated that work you did with Sade was important to your musical development. Can you elaborate?                                                          

RB: The Sade tour was important because she helped me establish a style. Sade's whole show is about sensuality. I've never been a b listening  lead trumpet player, and that tour gave me direction and helped me solidify the idea that I don't have to be an Arturo Sandoval type of player in order to get my message across. Sade is a minimalist on stage. From that, I realized that what I have to offer as a musician is valid, and as long as I believe in it and I'm committed          to it, I can create a musical fingerprint.                              

TE: (Jazz saxophonist) Joe Lovano once told me that the great ar tists have a sound  that is recognizable in the first three notes. I remember he and I were laughing about the truth to tha t statement and he said,“Three notes, boom, John Coltrane; three notes, boom, Eric Dolphy.”

RB: That is it exactly. Look at Miles.                        

TE: I read a critic who said that you are the man who reintroduced the trumpet to the contemporary jazz scene. For the longest time, the only music that was getting played by horn players was by saxophonists. How does it feel to have had that kind of an effect on the music scene?

RB: It feels good that I've got a house I can pay for by doing the thing I love to do. That is the ultimate gift—doing what I want to do for a living. I am amazingly fortunate. I think part of the reason I've been so blessed has to do with timing. When I came out with Beat Street, there was a need for another voice. At that time there were only saxophonists like Grover (Washington Jr.), David Sanborn, and Kirk Whalum; George Benson on guitar; and David Benoit and Joe Sample on keyboards. After Chuck Mangione stopped getting airplay, the only other candidate was Herb Alpert, and he had stopped making records with any degree of frequency. There was a window of opportunity and I was fortunate to be in a position to make records. Another thing that happened with Beat Street is that people started coming up to me and saying, "Man, I knew that hip-hop beat was going to catch on." Interestingly enough, the production on that album was minimal at a time w hen bands like The Rippingtons and SpyroGyra were doing complicated material. Beat Street by comparison is really very sparse.      

TE: I have to admit I hate the term “smooth jazz,” but there are a number of traditional jazz musicians who have been putting out albums under that title; saxophonist Kenny Garrett and keyboardist Rachel Z come to mind. It  seems that many jazz artists are going in this direction. I have found that with the best players there is no snobbery in music anymore.

RB: Well, I wish that were true for everyone. We cannot get a decent hearing from any of the reviewers in Los Angeles. The L.A. Times has the door totally shut. The reviewers won't even stay for the shows. I had a conversation with one of them who just started slamming the music. I was convinced he hadn't even listened to my record, which turned out to be true. I told him that maybe he should listen to it before being critical. He did go home and listen to my compact disc, and called me back to say that he enjoyed it.

 TE: I've let a number of my collegiate jazz students borrow some of your recordings. The other day one of them came by and mentioned how he was surprised and delighted that you find ways to go past stereotypical smooth jazz, both harmonically and melodically.

 RB: Last week I played a straight-ahead gig with Gerald Albright on saxophone, Harvey Mason on drums, Dave Garfield on keyboards, and Kenny Wild on bass. We played at the Baked Potato, which is just a little club here in California. We didn't tell anyone we were going to do it, but as often happens, word spread. For me, it is just so much fun to play straight-ahead. And when I practice, I   practice that way. I practice scales, flexibility, etc. For me, the way I'm going to improve as a player is by learning how to play changes better. No matter what you have laid out as a solo, you still have to navigate the changes. It probably sounds          simplistic to even mention it in that way, but that's the way it is. It's a lifelong challenge!

TE: Many musicians say it’s the struggle that seems to keep them going. They’re always looking for the next mountain to scale, pardon the pun, or the next musical peak to climb.                              

RB: Yes, exactly. Along with that thought, I          always found myself thinking that the moment I ’m really pleased with something I ’ve played, I immediately find something else I didn’t like. It’s really about taking a Zen approach to the music. For me, when I practice, it’s about refining the craft, improving my technique, and increasing the number of too ls available to me. I’m always working to increase the number of scales, patterns, and other musical materials which I have available. When I perform I want to approach the music with the Zen concept of not thinking ahead or behind, just being in the moment. That’s when I think I’m doing my best work.                      

TE: Do you still find the time to practice?                          

RB: Yes, I really do. I don’t practice as much as I would like to. When I ’m producing, I need to spend  a great deal of time with the artist. When working with other artists, there are a number of other things that go into the pr oduction, and those things take        away from the time I want to spend practicing. When I’m traveling, I’ll have to spend the whole day on the road, and when I finally arrive in the hotel it’ll be time to sleep. I’ll have to go into a big show without practicing the previous day.

TE: Are there things you like to practice on a daily basis?

RB: What I’ll try to do now is find patterns of five or six notes that I really like and then explore them, fully develop them, interpolate them, and run them in all        key areas. I’m trying to build my musical vocabulary. I also like to play the piano. Having an instrument that allows me to  think of harmonies in a non-horizontal way helps to visualize what’s going on underneath the melody. Another thing, and I’m not ashamed to say this, is that part of my practice is done to the Jamey Aebersold recordings. For the most part, when the music is recorded with a live band, as opposed to when it sounds like it was sequenced, it is absolutely great.          I have a studio here at home, and I’ll transfer a track like Joy Spring onto my hard disk, set up  a microphone, and lay down several tracks. Then I’ll go back and listen critically. I try to under  stand where my problems are and then work to improve my weaknesses.

TE: What advice do you have for young musicians?            

RB: Here’s what I did that was a mistake. When I was at Eastman, I used to go to the practice rooms in the basement where everybody would walk by and hear you. I’m a natural ham. I always wanted to sound good and to impress people, so I would play the first couple of bars of Brandenburg No. 2. I couldn’t get through the whole thing to save my life, but I had the first entrance nailed! I think kids need to know that you have to practice what sounds bad. Play the material that sounds the worst, and practice it the most. Of course you want to play stuff you can play well, and I do too, but instead of always playing in F minor, play in B minor or F-sharp minor. Instead of playing a blues scale, work on the Lydian chromatic concept and Mixolydian scales. One of the things I did when I was learning the trumpet was to take the Clarke Technical Studies and incorporate them into as many different scale forms as possible. Early jazz education is usually restricted to major, minor, and diminished. Rarely do you learn about altered or Dorian scales until you get to a more advanced level. By adapting the Clarke studies i n a variety of ways, you create a big toolbox. If major and minor are the only scales that are second nature, you will be limited. It would be like fixing a car with only a wrench and a screwdriver. You’ll soon find that you need more tools!

 Equipment

 Mr. Braun plays a Getzen trumpet and flugelhorn from the custom series. His trumpet has a cryogenically treated bell. His mouthpieces are from his own signature series by Marcinciewicz Music Products.

[copiegrandeurnature]

Imagining our alternate selves can be fuel for fantasy or fodder for regret. Most of us aren’t haunted so acutely by the people we might have been. But, perhaps for a morning or a month, our lives can still thrum with the knowledge that it could have been otherwise. 

“The thought that I might have become someone else is so bland that dwelling on it sometimes seems fatuous,” the literary scholar Andrew H. Miller writes, in “On Not Being Someone Else: Tales of Our Unled Lives” (Harvard). Still, phrased the right way, the thought has an insistent, uncanny magnetism. Miller’s book is, among other things, a compendium of expressions of wonder over what might have been. Miller quotes Clifford Geertz, who, in “The Interpretation of Cultures,” wrote that “one of the most significant facts about us may finally be that we all begin with the natural equipment to live a thousand kinds of life but end in the end having lived only one.” He cites the critic William Empson: “There is more in the child than any man has been able to keep.” We have unlived lives for all sorts of reasons: because we make choices; because society constrains us; because events force our hand; most of all, because we are singular individuals, becoming more so with time. “While growth realizes, it narrows,” Miller writes. “Plural possibilities simmer down.” This is painful, but it’s an odd kind of pain—hypothetical, paradoxical. Even as we regret who we haven’t become, we value who we are. We seem to find meaning in what’s never happened. Our self-portraits use a lot of negative space.

“You may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife,” David Byrne sings, in the Talking Heads song “Once in a Lifetime.” “And you may ask yourself, ‘Well, how did I get here?’ ” Maybe you feel suddenly pushed around by your life, and wonder if you could have willed it into a different shape. Perhaps you suddenly remember, as Hilary Mantel did, that you have another self “filed in a drawer of your consciousness, like a short story that wouldn’t work after the opening lines.” Today, your life is irritating, like an ill-fitting garment; you can’t forget it’s there. “You may tell yourself, ‘This is not my beautiful house. . . . This is not my beautiful wife,’ ” Byrne sings. Swept up in our real lives, we quickly forget about the unreal ones. Still, there will be moments when, for good or for ill, we feel confronted by our unrealized possibilities; they may even, through their persistence, shape us. Practitioners of mindfulness tell us that we should look away, returning our gaze to the actual, the here and now. But we might have the opposite impulse, as Miller does. He wants us to wander in the hall of mirrors—to let our imagined selves “linger longer and say more.” What can our unreal selves say about our real ones?

It’s likely, Miller thinks, that capitalism, “with its isolation of individuals and its accelerating generation of choices and chances,” has increased the number of our unlived lives. “The elevation of choice as an absolute good, the experience of chance as a strange affront, the increasing number of exciting, stultifying decisions we must make, the review of the past to improve future outcomes”—all these “feed the people we’re not.” Advertisers sell us things by getting us to imagine better versions of ourselves, even though there’s only one life to live: it’s “yolo + fomo,” a friend tells Miller, summing up the situation nicely. The nature of work deepens the problem. “Unlike the agricultural and industrial societies that preceded it,” Miller writes, our “professional society” is “made up of specialized careers, ladders of achievement.” You make your choice, forgoing others: year by year, you “clamber up into your future,” thinking back on the ladders unclimbed.

Historic events generate unlived lives. Years from now, we may wonder where we would be if the coronavirus pandemic hadn’t shifted us onto new courses. Sometimes we can see another life opening out to one side, like a freeway exit. Miller recounts the sad history of Jack and Ennis, the cowboys in Annie Proulx’s story “Brokeback Mountain,” who are in love but live in Wyoming in the nineteen-sixties and seventies, and so must hide it. They disagree about how to understand their predicament. Ennis has no “serious hard feelings,” Proulx tells us. “Just a vague sense of getting short-changed.” But Jack, Miller writes, “is haunted by the lives they might have led together, running a little ranch or living in Mexico, somewhere away from civilization and its systematic and personal violence.” Jack tells Ennis, “We could a had a good life together, a fuckin real good life.” The existence he has is spoiled by the one he doesn’t.

It makes sense for Jack to dwell on how things might have turned out in a better world. And yet we can have the same kinds of thoughts even when we’re basically happy with our lives. The philosopher Charles Taylor, who has written much about the history of selfhood, has a theory about why we can’t just accept the way things are: he thinks that sometime toward the end of the eighteenth century two big trends in our self-understanding converged. We learned to think of ourselves as “deep” individuals, with hidden wellsprings of feeling and talent that we owed it to ourselves to find. At the same time, we came to see ourselves objectively—as somewhat interchangeable members of the same species and of a competitive mass society. Subjectivity and objectivity both grew more intense. We came to feel that our lives, pictured from the outside, failed to reflect the vibrancy within.

A whole art form—the novel—has been dedicated to exploring this dynamic. Novelists often show us people who, trapped by circumstances, struggle to live their “real” lives. Such a struggle can be Escher-like; a “real” life is one in which a person no longer yearns to find herself, and yet the work of finding oneself is itself a source of meaning. In Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina,” Anna, caught in a boring marriage, destroys her life in an attempt to build a more passionate, authentic one with Count Vronsky. All the while, Levin, the novel’s other hero, is so confused about how to live that he longs for the kind of boring, automatic life that Anna left behind. Part of the work of being a modern person seems to be dreaming of alternate lives in which you don’t have to dream of alternate lives. We long to stop longing, but we also wring purpose from that desire.

An “unled” life sounds like one we might wish to lead—shoulda, coulda, woulda. But, while I’m conscious of my unlived lives, I don’t wish to have led one. In fact, as the father of a two-year-old, I find the prospect frightening. In “Midlife: A Philosophical Guide,” the philosopher Kieran Setiya points out that, thanks to the “butterfly effect,” even minor alterations to our pasts would likely have major effects on our presents. 

Sartre thought we should focus on what we have done and will do, rather than on what we might have done or could do. He pointed out that we often take too narrow a census of our actions. An artist, he maintains, is not to be “judged solely by his works of art, for a thousand other things also help to define him.” We do more than we give ourselves credit for; our real lives are richer than we think. This is why, if you keep a diary, you may feel more satisfied with the life you live. And yet you may still wonder at the particular shape of that life; all stories have turning points, and it’s hard not to fixate on them.

Miller quotes the poem “Veracruz,” by George Stanley, in full. It opens by the sea in Mexico, where Stanley is walking on an esplanade. He thinks of how his father once walked on a similar esplanade in Cuba. Step by step, he imagines alternative lives for his father and for himself. What if his dad had moved to San Francisco and “married / not my mother, but her brother, whom he truly loved”? What if his father had transformed himself into a woman, and Stanley had been the child of his father and his uncle? Maybe he would have been born female, and “grown up in San Francisco as a girl, / a tall, serious girl.” If all that had happened, then today, walking by the sea in Mexico, he might be able to meet a sailor, have an affair, and “give birth at last to my son—the boy / I love.”

“Veracruz” reminds me of the people I know who believe in past lives, and of stories like the one David Lynch tells in “Twin Peaks,” in which people seem to step between alternate lives without knowing it. Such stories satisfy us deeply because they reconcile contrary ideas we have about ourselves and our souls. On the one hand, we understand that we could have turned out any number of ways; we know that we aren’t the only possible versions of ourselves. But, on the other, we feel that there is some fundamental light within us—a filament that burns, with its own special character, from birth to death. We want to think that, whoever we might have been, we would have burned with the same light. At the end of “Veracruz,” the poet comes home to the same son.

As Sartre says, we are who we are. But isn’t the negative space in a portrait part of that portrait? In the sense that our unled lives have been imagined by us, and are part of us, they are real; to know what someone isn’t—what she might have been, what she’s dreamed of being—this is to know someone intimately. When we first meet people, we know them as they are, but, with time, we perceive the auras of possibility that surround them. Miller describes the emotion this experience evokes as “beauty and heartbreak together.”

The novel I think of whenever I have this feeling is Virginia Woolf’s “To the Lighthouse.” Mrs. Ramsay, its central character, is the mother of eight children; the linchpin of her family, she is immersed in the practicalities of her crowded, communal life. Still, even as she attends to the particulars—the morning’s excursion, the evening’s dinner—she senses that they are only placeholders, or handles with which she can grasp something bigger. The details of life seem to her both worthy of attention and somehow arbitrary; the meaning of the whole feels tied up in its elusiveness. One night, she is sitting at dinner, surrounded by her children and her guests. She listens to her husband talking about poetry and philosophy; she watches her children whisper some private joke. (She can’t know that two of them will die: a daughter in childbirth, a son in the First World War.) Then she softens her focus. “She looked at the window in which the candle flames burnt brighter now that the panes were black,” Woolf writes, “and looking at that outside the voices came to her very strangely, as if they were voices at a service in a cathedral.” In this inner quiet, lines of poetry sound:

And all the lives we ever lived and all the lives to be Are full of trees and changing leaves.

Mrs. Ramsay isn’t quite sure what these lines mean, and doesn’t know if she invented them, has just heard them, or is remembering them. Still, Woolf writes, “like music, the words seemed to be spoken by her own voice, outside her self, saying quite easily and naturally what had been in her mind the whole evening while she said different things.” We all dwell in the here and now; we all have actual selves, actual lives. But what are they? Selves and lives have penumbras and possibilities—that’s what’s unique about them. They are always changing, and so are always new; they refuse to stand still. We live in anticipation of their meaning, which will inevitably exceed what can be known or said. Much must be left unsaid, unseen, unlived.

Excerpt from: Joshua Rothman, ‘What If You Could Do It All Over? The uncanny allure of our unlived lives’, in: The New Yorker (December 14, 2020).

[oceanivoxjoquainx]

Still not over Andi Mack. Not anywhere close.

I really need to rant and I have no one else to rant to (cuz my friends have never been into the same stuff as me) so I'll just rant to myself about this. I really love Andi Mack. Not just cuz of Cyrus and repressntation, but because the show on the whole is amazing from the theme song to the shows themes and honestly every character is perfect.

Andi herself is amazing. Shes a chinese american girl with a passion for crafts, nice, smol, and just great all around. She was upset when the whole family stuff went down of course but that girl bounced back soooo quick it was amazing. She handled it so well (Well as well as a 13 year old can handle something like that). Shes grown so much over that first season too and ot made me soooo happy to see it happen. She stood up for herself more and gained a whole lot of self confidence in the process. How she treats Jonah in the beginning of season 1 and where they are now is just.... Mind blowing and inspiring. People falling for someone and doing whatever they say is a serious thing. I felt it and did whatever the guy I liked wanted. I'm glad the creator felt the need to show it.

Next is Buffy. My mixed curly haired queen. I love her man she's a bamf and reminds me so much of my best friend its scary. She's athletic, super competitive, fierce, supportive of everything and no matter what you know she has your back. She has her own baggage too cuz I assume her moms overseas in the army maybe? They haven't gotten into her family life and that's an arc id love to see happen. Her relationship with my boy Marty from the party is super cute and I'm glad she has someone who can match her blow for blow because thats exactly what she needs. How she handles Cyrus is honestly the cutest thing and if they are literally me and my best friend. Shes like his mama bear always there to comfort and show him the way. She's like that with Andi too. Its beautiful to see.

After her is Bex. I applaud Bex because she's really trying to change and be there for the daughter. I admire her ability to just play along with her parents for so long just to ensure that Andi had the best life possible. Even now she's back she's helped change Andi so much. She's even grown up a lot since her return. She works hard like a mother should and reminds me of my mom. Doing everything to ensure her kids happy even if that means giving her up (tht scene almost made me cry tbh). She tries so hard and when Andi called her mom I was crying with her too. Bex is a good noddle, makes me proud and hopefully she can continue to do so.

Ham is my boy. My ultimate goal of being a dad. Not too 'cool' not too 'cringey'. He knows what's right for his family and even tho he's a sub to CiCi he loves them all unconditionally. He's soft but still firm enough to know what to say and when to say it and to whom. Alwyas giving advice and supporting his family.

CiCi rubbed me the wrong way in the beginning but then i began looking at life in her eyes and began to understand her. Her only kid got pregnant as a teen (16? 17 maybe?) And she's terrified that Andi would do the same. I still don't condone lying to your grandkid (Oh yeah Celia. I said it) and keeping them from their real mom but I still get it. I'm glad shes come to term with it now and decided to accept her daughter back into her heart and give up Andi. Like mother like daughter I suppose?

Jonah... Jonah, Jonah, Jonah. My fav little hearttrob. He has this gravitation to him that give no choice but to like him. He reminds me of my first love which makes Cyrus all the more relatable to me. He's charismatic, spontaneous, and a generally happy guy. I'm sure there's some back story behind those eyes but I guess I'm going to have to wait to find out what.

I even like Amber. Sure she was a snotty bitch in the beginning but she did a 180 when Jonah broke up with her. Who knew a she needed was a little humility to make her seem a little bit likeable? Everyone. But anywho. I can't wait to dive into her arcs as well.

I can't remember his name (I sowwie) but its Andi's dad and he has such a kid attitude to him its also hard not to immedeatly like him. Its refreshing to see dads who try as hard as him because so many kids these days have dads who really just aren't good for them. He loves his kid even though he barely knew her and they act so alike its hard NOT to see Andi's his child. He's just so cute about everything and he has his quirks which make him a very likeable character.

Now on to my untimate favorite character in the show, Cyrus. I loved Cyrus as soon as I first saw him. Hes such an innocent cinnamon roll and hes too adorable for this world and we dont deserve his him here and I just want to protect him and keep him safe from all the bad in life including heartbreak. Luckily he has Buffy for that. He's such an oddball with so much personality. If I was a character I would be Cyrus because he's just so pure and perfect. His whole Cirus thing was cute as hell and because he's such a princess it was nice seeing Iris take over when he couldn't. His obsession and attraction to Jonah was obvious from the beginning and I love how the situation was handled. It was all so real and just perfect. Cyrus was confused and alone and sad because he has these feelings for a guy which he's never felt before and not only that there's a high chance these feelings would be unrequited because Jonahs falling for Andi. Cyrus is such a trooper because there's a small part in him that even accepts that. I also love how he isn't given a label yet in the show because its honestly realistic. If you're 12 or 13 and having a sexual awaking you wouldnt know what to identify as and the fact that he doesn't call himself gay when he's talking to Buffy makes it even better because he just doesn't know what he is. And its beautiful how Buffy accepts him instantly without hesitation. That whole scene where he tells Buffy how he feels was so beautiful and perfectly executed. I love how normalized it was liek it wasn't a big deal at all but it was still important. I love how Cyrus' orientation wasn't the focus of the whole episode but was still felt throughout the entire episode. You could feel and see the emotion, confusion and fear in his voice and eyes and Buffy just takes those all away. Hes so amazing and perfect and I want a real life one. I know there's a high chance he and Jonah aren't getting together because of Andi and Jonah so I'm 100% sure Cyrus is going to get a whole other interest. Id love to see how the show implements him and I can't wait to have a ship that transcends my love for Jack and Ennis (and trust me Brokeback Mountain owns the keys to my soul). Even if Cyrus pines for Jonah until the very end I'll be perfectly happy and fine with that because its realistic. Also in my eyes Cyrus can do no wrong.

Andi Mack is a masterpiece of a show and I can't wait to watch it grow and inspire the millions of kids it already does. I wish I had a show like this when in was going through all this but I think I can settle for enjoying it for now. I'm happy the next generations are going to grow up being able to see the LGBT+ people in the world being validated and accepted. Ik this is a lot and if you've read all of this then you're a goat and the mvp. Thanks.

[rpgsandbox]

A new STANDALONE RPG in the world of 7th Sea that expands the setting to new shores! Same game, but all-new Nations, Backgrounds, Advantages and Heroes!

Two years ago, 7th Sea: Second Edition broke every RPG record on Kickstarter. Now, 7th Sea: Khitai expands the world of Théah to the East, including new Nations like Fuso, Han and Shenzhou.

Khitai is full of fantastic surprises: monster-filled mountains and seas, where gods walk the earth and spirits communicate with healers and mystics through ancient relics and visions.

Twenty years ago, I helped tell the story of Rokugan’s Clan War in Legend of the Five Rings. It’s been a long time since I’ve explored that territory, and this time, we’re not just limited to Japan. We’ve been talking about how to approach the the Pacific Rim for a long time. Now, we’re ready to show you what we’ve been planning.

And if you want to look at 7th Sea: Khitai, you can download the Quickstart TODAY! It’s got all you need to try out the game, including characters, mechanics, and a starter adventure!

Why Does It Matter?

The Big Question in 7th Sea is “What does it mean to be a hero?” I wasn’t content with just the European answer. I wanted to include Heroes from all over the world to come play in our sandbox. 7th Sea: Khitai is a chance to allow the Eastern Hero into the world and bring more voices into the discussion.

In the East, the Hero’s role is different than in Théah. The Call to Adventure is very real, a spiritual urge to travel toward one’s destiny. It is not metaphor, but an inevitable pull all Heroes feel, a pull toward a duty that is greater than a Hero’s own desires. The Song of the World brings these Heroes together to fulfill important roles.

In Théah, the Hero walks her own path. In Khitai, the Hero serves the World.

In Théah, honor is personal. In Khitai, it is supernatural.

What’s New?

7th Sea: Khitai is a standalone game; you don’t need any other books to play it. Khitai uses the same ENnie Award winning system from 7th Sea: Théah, but with new twists to make the game fit the concepts of the East.

Khitai Heroes receive Hero Points based on duty rather than the Western Hero’s passionate ideals. Eastern Heroes also have a new set of Traits: seven virtues players choose to personalize their own Hero’s sense of duty to the World.

And instead of Sorcery, Khitai Heroes invoke Mysticism: powers drawn from spiritual guides or your own unique past.

Of course, there’s more. Each new Nation has its own unique Backgrounds with new Quirks and Advantages.

But most importantly, all the new mechanics from the East can be easily imported to your Théan Heroes. All the rules in Khitai are 100% compatible with the rules from 7th Sea: Second Edition.

What do you do in 7th Sea: Khitai?

In 7th Sea: Khitai, players take on the roles of heroes thrown into global conspiracies and sinister plots, exploring ancient ruins of a race long vanished and answering the Call to Adventure.

As a Khitai Hero, you might...

Save the Daimyo of the White Fox Clan from assassination!

Lead the navies of Han against Fusoese pirates!

Take on ten assassins with swords, knives, and guns all on your own!

Make decisions that alter the very course of Khitai history!

In 7th Sea: Khitai, you are a Hero ready to live and die for causes that matter. You don’t start off digging through old dungeons hoping to find a copper piece or two. No! You are noble samurai, a loyal yojimbo, or a mystical monk channeling the spirit of the World.

In other words… you’re Sanjuro from Yojimbo, Yu Shu Lien from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Yeo Wol from The Pirates, and Zatoichi all rolled up into one!

This is a game of high adventure, mystery, and martial arts.

This is a game of intrigue and romance.

This is 7th Sea: Khitai!

The kingdoms of Khitai add a rich and diverse region to the face of the 7th Sea world. A more detailed description of each nation can be found in the Khitai Quickstart, available to download for free on DriveThruRPG.

Agnivarsan Empire: A fertile, dense land made of tiny kingdoms, struggling to hold together among a dozen different courts and mysterious dense jungles.

Fuso: A powerful island nation devoted to military might and domination, standing on the brink of ascension to power—if anyone can agree who ought to be in charge.

Han: Once the cultural and cosmopolitan center of the East, but now little more than a province of Shenzhou, locked in a secret battle to reclaim its liberty..

Kammerra: A wild and deadly land, home to gigantic monsters, colossal animals, and ferocious supernatural threats, hiding a world of spirit as real to the locals as the material one.

The Kiwa Islands: A shifting collection of island nations across the southern Eastern Sea, where voyagers race to explore and claim territory, despite the danger of monsters rising from the turbulent depths..

Nagaja: A mandala of hidden kingdoms oft overlooked, where the ruler—a god-king descended from serpents—battles supernatural threats intent on overthrowing the government and taking it for themselves.

Shenzhou: The largest nation, diverse in geography and people, intent on bringing together all Khitai and then the rest of Terra in a single world nation.

Khazaria: The gateway to Khitai, home of the great Khazar civilization that once controlled more territory than any other power in Terra’s history.

The core mechanics of 7th Sea emphasize action and excitement. With a handful of d10s, a single Hero can leap from rooftop to rooftop, run along a tree branch, take out a group of brutes, intimidate the Villain, and flirt with the noble lord in the Villain’s custody…all with one roll!

Players use Raises, which are sets of dice. Every Raise gives you one action. In 7th Sea, rolling dice doesn’t tell you if you succeed or fail, but how much you succeed!

The GM creates Opportunities and Consequences for the players to deal with in each Scene. Players may have a lot of Raises, but they never have enough to deal with every problem in a Scene. So, they have to make difficult choices. Face down the Villain or rescue the farmer’s family from a death trap? The players decide!

Khitai is not just a land of swords and spears. It is also a land full of mystery and mysticism. Players can take the roles of Heroic diplomats and mystics, hoping to find nonviolent solutions for Khitai’s many problems.

The stoic monk who uses her ancient wisdom to calm the angry spirits.

The retired swordsman who only draws his weapon as a last resort.

The honorable diplomat who is the only honest heart in a den of vipers.

You can play all of these Heroes, plus many more, in the world of Khitai!

Players can also explore the many mysteries of Khitai, including its mystical elements. Instead of sorcery, Heroes of Khitai invoke ancient spirits and ask for their power. Easy to use, but deeply evocative, the Khitai magic system rewards player creativity and roleplaying over everything else. One cannot simply command ancient spirits to do your bidding after all!

Kickstarter campaign ends: Mon, November 13 2017 3:00 AM UTC +00:00

Website: [John Wick Presents] [7th Sea]

[gyrlversion]

Chace Crawford Dives Deep Into The Boys and His Most Uncomfortable Scene Ever

NOTE: This story discusses spoilers for Season 1 of The Boys

Chace Crawford didn’t really know what he was getting into when he first auditioned for The Boys. “It’s a pretty wild show, huh?” he says as we unpack Amazon’s eight-episode entry into the superhero genre over the phone.

Developed by Supernatural’s Eric Kripke, executive produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, and based on the comics by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, the show centers around The Seven, the premier team from superhero corporation Vought International, and the vigilantes (the titular Boys) aiming to expose their classified evils. “It was sort of interesting for me to see it in retrospect, to see what we got, how it landed tonally,” he says. “Because there are so many different tones all over the place, from the action and the intensity of The Boys to The Deep in therapy, to the Homelander, to what Starlight is going through and all that.”

Amazon Studios/Jan Thijs

The Boys

We’ll get to ‘all that.’ First, let’s talk about Crawford’s so-called “supe,” as they call them on the show, an endearing moniker that takes on more meaning when you realize, in this world, caped crusaders can be described as neither super nor heroes.

The Gossip Girl alum sheds his Upper East Side prep school sheen to play The Deep, the amphibious member of The Seven. “I kind of describe him as a Zoolander-Aquaman for the first part,” Crawford says, perfectly capturing his character’s reliance on his looks, modest lack of intelligence, and water-based powers, before noting the less flattering: “He’s obviously not very self-aware and he’s a little bit pathetic and I think he’s sort of got an identity problem.”

His identity problem lies, more or less, in his privilege, bestowed upon him by society for his ease on the eyes and super-human abilities. He’s the kind of guy who has never been challenged about his perception of right and wrong, never had to give in exchange for his taking, never had to figure out who he is. Moving through life in this way has turned The Deep into the living embodiment of the Privileged White Male trope we’re only now beginning to recognize as problematic. And so, in the very first episode, when he sexually assaults his new female coworker, Starlight, by demanding she service him or lose her dream job, it’s a narrative that, terrible as it is, makes sense to us.

Amazon Studios/Jan Thijs

The Deep and Starlight

He’s not a villain, per se. At least not more so than any of the other supes. He’s just, as we’re so often led to believe in cases of assault, a boy being a boy. “He sort of comes into it like, ‘This is the way it always worked for me,’ you know?” Crawford says. “I feel like even in real life, in situations that are really happening, sometimes these people feel like they’re the victim even after all that happened. So it’s kind of a bizarre mental process there.”

The bizarre mental process follows The Deep throughout the season, but his isn’t a dark story. Like Crawford said, his character is reminiscent of Zoolander, not Weinstein. He’s, essentially, too stupid to understand that his actions have consequences. “We’re making fun, obviously, of that privileged male, white guy,” he says, and as such, The Deep’s privileged dopiness is played up for laughs as he laments to his therapist about being the underappreciated “diversity hire” and as his rogue dolphin rescue attempt results in said aquatic mammal soaring through his windshield and becoming roadkill. Even after Starlight publicly shares her #MeToo moment and gets The Deep relocated to a small, crime-free town, his happy-go-lucky attitude persists.

Amazon Studios

The Deep inside Vought headquarters

Eventually, karma intervenes to balance The Deep’s impermeable idiocy, sending him a sexually aggressive hook-up with a fish fetish. Despite his cries to stop, the one-night-stand sees The Deep’s gills on his washboard abs and pounces, fingering him with such enthusiasm that watching is viscerally upsetting. “It was the most uncomfortable scene ever,” Crawford says, describing the life-like cast he wore so that his assailant could fit her hand into his torso. “It literally made me feel kind of nauseous, I’m not going to lie.” Off camera, a man sat behind Crawford pumping air into his fake chest to imitate shortness of breath and the director instructed all to orchestrate the perfect shot. “It was just so weird and uncomfortable. I could not have gotten out of there faster that day. So, yeah. It was pretty wild.”

While Crawford’s reaction was to flee, The Deep’s reaction to the event was to get drunk off Mai Tais and cathartically shave his head in front of his bathroom mirror as R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts” soundtracked the scene. “I was sort of cracking up that that was the song choice,” Crawford says. Even in what should be his darkest moment, we’re reminded that The Deep is nothing more than a ridiculous caricature of a person.

But as Crawford points out, and perhaps what makes The Boys so thrilling, is that his character is but one small part of the show’s extensive landscape. “It’s such a big cast and The Deep’s almost on his own other movie, a whole other thing compared to The Boys. I mean, I never even worked with them on set,” he says. “With everything combined, it’s not even a hundred percent a superhero show, it’s just a world in which superheroes exist.”

Amazon Studios/Jan Thijs

Queen Maeve and Homelander greeting fans

It’s true — if you compare the number of people the supes save to the number they harm over the course of the season, you’d never consider this to be a superhero show. (It doesn’t help that Homelander, The Seven’s most profitable leader, at one point flies away while an entire plane of civilians crashes into the ocean, nor that he manufactures super-terrorists in the same way Vought manufactures heroes.) The Deep’s predatory behavior looks like peanuts in comparison to Vought’s greater evils, where drugging newborns to give them powers and manipulating the government into giving them military contracts is the norm.

The corporation’s corrosion turns inward at the end of Season 1, when Homelander learns that Vought spent years hiding from him the fact that he has a son. He kills his boss — who was set to lead the entire company — in retaliation, leaving the state of Vought, The Seven, and Homelander’s general sanity in question.

Elsewhere, The Deep is plotting his way into Season 2 — “If you had a hundred guesses, you probably couldn’t guess,” Crawford teases — trying to find his way back into a structure that seemingly no longer exists, a superhero on a mission to regain the only purpose his privileged life has ever shown him: power.

The post Chace Crawford Dives Deep Into The Boys and His Most Uncomfortable Scene Ever appeared first on Gyrlversion.

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[phantasmagloria]

All right now,

For all you boppers in the big city, this is the Soundtrack Special. Seems appropriate, as some really incredible music has been written for the big (and small) screen.

We kick it off with a retribution concept that’s dear to me, followed by the bombastic opening music to Preacher. I was thrilled when they announced that the amazing comic book series by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon would be taken to the screen, though I was initially a bit disappointed with the result. I was expecting something closer to the graphic novels, though I did eventually warm up to the series and I look forward to the next season. Cassidy for eva!

We also listen to something from the empowering cult movie Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! that made quite an impression on me when I saw it in high school. Another movie that really stuck with me was Sweet Bunch, by Nikos Nikolaidis, one of Greece’s greatest underground and experimental filmmakers. His whole filmography is deeply interesting and I highly recommend it. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas could of course not be missing from this show – I’ve been a Gonzo fan for half my life, and the soundtrack to that movie is part of the fabric of the stories he tells, whether real or parts of an unwinding drug trip.

The Craft was also one of my favourite movies growing up (Fairuza Balk was my style icon!) and I always remember that scene where the mother says, “Since I was a little girl, I’ve always wanted in life a jukebox that played nothing but Connie Francis records.” How delightful. The proverbial adult apple didnt’t fall too far from the teenage entertainment tree, and now I indulge in Good Behavior, a show about a woman called Letty Raines and her poor choices. While I can relate to some of the storyline, I mostly watch it for the (mildly fucked up) relationship Letty shares with Javier. As with Weeds, the opening music of which we hear at the end of this show, I’m drawn to good-looking South American male characters.

If you’ve ever been to New York and not seen The Warriors, then what the hell are you doing with your life? The radio scene, with Lynee Thigpen’s face only visible from the nose down, is both weirdly sensual and also a highly appropriate way of showing the power of the radio. Familiar voices without a face, trusted company in dark or lonely times, and often a guide towards the light. Though we didn’t include the blind radio producer from the epic movie Vanishing Point, he alone is reason enough to prep a second soundtrack special in the future.

Of course we also check in with classic composers like John Carpenter, John Williams and Mark Snow (obviously I’m a massive horror, Star Wars, and X-Files fan), and though admittedly we don’t delve too deep into the soundtracks of cult Italian cinema from the ’60s and ’70s, we will be dedicating a whole show to the many great composers of that time (Morricone, Alessandroni, Umiliani, Piccioni, Ortolani, etc) as their scores deserves more attention.

We also pull some tracks from television, namely, the killer new show Stranger Things (a nod to the analog age, as evidently heard in the warm sound of the synths used in the theme music) and the equally addictive The Expanse, taking place in a future time of a colonized solar system and one of the few sci-fi shows that actually takes space physics into consideration (like different gravitational forces, time warping, vacuum pressure, etc). The song we hear is “de new banga, fresh outta Eros! … Hottest beats-maker on Tycho.” On that note, if you’re into string theory and/or the interaction of multiple dimensions, I recommend the movie Interstellar (with music by Hans Zimmer of course). Lastly, we couldn’t exclude Akira and The Ghost in the Shell, two Japanese anime movies that became famous for their stunning, detail-heavy animation and their gripping music scores.

We draw to a close with a couple tracks from The Nile Hilton Incident (an excellent 2017 Egyptian movie, a must-watch for noir fans), Only Lovers Left Alive (now a classic among Jarmusch and vampire lovers alike) and Baby Driver (an unexpectedly great movie with a sort of timeless aesthetic and well-picked soundtrack).

Of course there’s lots more to listen to, from Mulatu Astatke and Philip Glass to Goblin and T. Rex, so click that Play button for two hours of cinematic brilliance. This week and moving forward we return to one-hour shows (quality trumps quantity) and we’ve got a couple guest shows in the works in preparation of a special live show, hopefully coming to Athens in April – so boppers, stay tuned!

With love from outer space,

—Obsessionist

SS_34 TRACKLIST

ALAN FORD – Nemesis (Snatch) DAVE PORTER – Preacher main title theme TEO USUELLI – Alla Ricerca Del Piacere Seq. 3 IGOR KANTOR, BERT SHEFTER & PAUL SAWTELL – Mysterioso Minor (Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!) RIZ ORTOLANI – Theme from Fantasma D’amore ANGELO BADALAMENTI – Dinner Party Pool Music (Mulholland Drive) GIORGOS HATZINASIOS – Theme from Sweet Bunch JOHNNY DEPP & RAY COPPER – A Drug Score Part 1 (Acid Spill) (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) CONNIE FRANCIS – Fallin (The Craft) SEINABO SEY – Hard Time (Good Behavior) TEO USUELLI – Alla Ricerca Del Piacere Seq. 15 LYNNE THIGPEN – All You Boppers (The Warriors) BARRY DE VORZON – Theme from The Warriors ZOMBIE ZOMBIE – Halloween main theme) MICHAEL STEIN & KYLE DIXON – Stranger Things Theme (live at the ASCAP Screen Music Awards) MARK SNOW – I Want to Believe (UNKLE remix) JOHN CARPENTER – Theme from The Fog CLINTON SHORTER – Eros Song (The Expanse) TSUTOMU ŌHASHI – Kaneda’s Theme (Akira) KENJI KAWAI – Chant 1 – Making of Cyborg (The Ghost in the Shell) PHILIP GLASS – Mishima Closing (Mishima) GOBLIN – Suspiria (Celesta and Bells) KENJI KAWAI – Nightstalker (Ghost in the Shell) RY COODER – Theme from Paris, Texas T. REX – Cosmic Dancer (Billy Elliot) ARIEL PINK – Baby (I Do…Until I Don’t) LOVE – Always See Your Face (High Fidelity) NICO – These Days (The Royal Tenenbaums) THE VENUS IN FURS – 2HB (Velvet Goldmine) LOUD REED – This Magic Moment (Lost Highway) ANGELS & PETER SKELLERN – One More Kiss Dear (Blade Runner) ANGELO BADALAMENTI – Rita Walks – Sunset Boulevard – Auth Ruth (Mulholland Drive) BONNIE BEECHER – Come Wander With Me (The Twilight Zone) MELINA MERKOURI – Agapi Pou Gines Dikopo Macheri (Stella) IBTIHAL EL SERETY – Gina’s Song (The Nile Hilton Incident) YASMINE HAMDAN – Hal (Only Lovers Left Alive) MULATU ASTATKE – Gubèlyé (Broken Flowers) DAVID MCCALLUM – The Edge (Baby Driver) JOHN WILLIAMS – Binary Sunset (Star Wars IV: A New Hope) MALVINA REYNOLDS – Little Boxes (Weeds)

Listen back to Storm Stereo 34: Soundtrack Special, featuring music from sci-fi, cult and indie films, plus TV show themes, Japanese anime, and much more. All right now, For all you boppers in the big city, this is the Soundtrack Special. Seems appropriate, as some really incredible music has been written for the big (and small) screen.