#suki's actress is doing a good job on the whole

[ranger-kellyn]

hey suki drop the makeup remover how the FUCK did all that kyoshi makup come off so quickly and without any streaks

[doyouevenshipbr0]

examples of atla live action’s attempts to be more feminist and how they actually had the opposite effect and/or hurt the integrity of the show

already talked about katara and pakku. does not make sense that she did not have a master. point blank. just because something sounds empowering (ie katara saying “yes. and ur looking at her.” after zuko asked if she found a master) doesn’t mean it automatically is. there still needs to be logic and katara “being her own master” defies logic imo im sorry!

katara in general. she has no ferocity here which to be very honest i dont think is fully the writers’ fault. some of the blame goes on them but the actress for katara just delivered alllllll of her lines w the same exact mild tone. katara is overly motherly. she is bossy. she is passionate. she is nurturing. she is emotional. THERE IS POWER IN THESE THINGS!!!!! why would we take away her spark?!?!?!

i loved live action suki. however, i LOVE the line in the original when her and sokka part ways and sokka says “i treated u like a girl when i should’ve treated u like a warrior.” and suki says “i am a warrior” *kisses sokka on the cheek* “but im a girl too.” THAT LINE WAS SO PERFECT like lemme say it again there is POWER IN FEMININITY! there is no shame in that!!!!! why does this show wanna take that away so badly. at one point live action suki says something like “im not just a warrior, im a kiyoshi warrior” and before she parts ways w sokka she thanks him for showing her some of the world or something like that. which was fine but i just love the simplicity of the original. a girl can be a warrior and have a crush. why do we have to change that?

this is a small one and it doesnt REALLY matter, but i cant help but think they changed this to be more “feminist” which is just dumb. yue isnt betrothed? well she was but she broke it off? and hahn (her ex) isnt a huge dick? i mean it wasn’t the worst thing and i didnt really mind it but i was just kinda like ?????. feel like yue being betrothed tied into her sense of responsibility and foreshadowed the sacrifices she will make for her people. so. feels rly weird that they changed it. i think it was to show more women agency which is always cool. but in the original, yue finally gets her agency by becoming the moon spirit. that should be the end of her character arc. idk. a weird change that seemed unnecessary.

sokka not being sexist. honestly i think the live action did a good job at omitting this while not REALLY making it feel like something was missing. with that being said, something was still missing lol. once again, its apart of sokka’s character. i feel like everyone has already expressed their hate for this so ill just leave it at that.

i am a TAD indifferent on the women of the northern tribe joining the forces during the fight. on one hand i cant lie i smiled bc obviously i love water bending and i love women so there was definitely apart of me that was happy to see that moment. however. it was kind of giving like in endgame when theres that random shot of all the women superheroes in one frame so the movie could have a “slay queen. we are girlbosses:)” moment. like it just felt a little empty and it wasnt the feminist battlecry they thought it was. these women have been healing their whole lives. why would they be any good on the frontlines of a fight? they never learned combat skills! HOWEVER, when we see them, its mainly just them reinforcing the walls so like. that makes enough sense. im cool w that.

i know im dwelling but as we know i hold atla in the highest regards. it does a lot of things perfectly imo. and one of the things i think it does PERFECTLY is its treatment of female characters. literally the only thing i can think of that i dont like is when team azula beats the kiyoshi warriors and ty lee says something like “u are NOT prettier than us” NDBSKSJDJ like ok that was weird. but anyways. it irritates me how the live action kind of seems to have this pov that says “the original was good, but there were some ideas and plots that were outdated so we changed them to keep with the times” like they’re fixing something that was broken if that makes sense. when in actuality, i think atla’s representation of women is perfect and timeless. it was relevant and powerful in 2005, and it is equally as relevant and powerful in 2024. there was nothing about its feminist themes that needed to be “fixed” or “updated”.

[juniperhillpatient]

Okay BEARING in mind please that I have a lot of thought out ATLA opinions (most of them can be found in the tag for my first rewatch) & also that i do not analyze smartly on first watches / read throughs of ANYTHING (examples include that on my first watch of Buffy I shipped Buffy/Xander & hated Dawn, on my first watch of ATLA I disliked Azula for a long time & didn’t care about Jet, on my first watch of Scream I wanted Dewey to be the killer because of Scary Movie. I could go on probably)

—- here are my initial reactions to ATLA LA as someone who’s been having fun watching (usually tipsy) & enjoying my faves in live action even if it’s badly written 😃

Pros:

Jet is hot

Uh… um. Uh… umm. That was my big one okay..

….

….

Oh! Oh! Suki is also hot.

….

…

I think Katara’s live action actress did a really nice job even if I don’t always love how she was written I could tell this girl put her heart into it

Same with Azula’s actress tbh. And Aang. Zuko & Iroh also. It took me a second to get used to this Iroh but acting wise ignoring the script Zuko & Iroh did good. (Sokka & Yue were only okay but they didn’t do bad by any means once I got used to them.)

Azula’s intro was super fun. I thought for a second they were even gonna do something fun with her & this whole ratting out the rebellion plot. Also the actress did good & there were a few parts that were well written like her early displays of insecurity & her beating the shit out of that trainer & shooting Zuko’s letter. There was promise until there wasn’t.

They didn’t do a bad job of combining some of the plots. “Masks” was the strongest for me. It did a nice job showcasing several plots & I really enjoyed the significance placed on Zuko valuing the lives of inexperienced soldiers. Everything just came together super well in that episode with the Koh plot & everything. Now that certain criticisms of the Omashu episodes (like Jet’s mischaracterization in hurting his own people) have been brought up to me I dislike those episodes more than on my first watch through but I still think the Freedom Fighters were fun to see. And if you don’t analyze it too hard the plot combinations are fun. Anyway why would you analyze this adaptation too hard?

Cons:

Why isn’t Azula scared of Ozai? I get it he’s forged her into the perfect weapon & she did what he technically wanted but she disrespected him publicly & he was fine? Okay.

Above mentioned explanation of why Jet wasn’t done right ^^ He shouldn’t be willing to hurt Earth Kingdom citizens. Even if it was fun to see his logic & the Jetara moments & I do think the actor did a good job (no I’m not just saying that ‘cause he’s hot. That helps though).

Katara didn’t have to struggle at all she’s just a #girlboss! Isn’t that great? #feminism!

Who’s this super serious kid who always puts the mission first & where’s my silly goofy guy who wants to go on endless side quests? The actor does decent but that’s just not Aang.

Discount Zhao 😭😂

I just -

Discount Zhao lmaoooo 😭

Overall: I had fun. I will repeat myself - this is like the Harry Potter movies or the Series of Unfortunate Events tv show or any other adaptation of something I loved in its original form that’s never going to get it quite right to me. I hated some things. I had fun with other parts. Mostly? It was just fun to see my faves in a new format. It’ll never ever live up to the original but I never in a million years wanted nor expected that. Quite frankly? I didn’t want this to be made at all. But since it is whether I wanted it or not? I’m glad it was at least entertaining & enjoyable to have fun with.

This was ALWAYS going to be an example of what I call the “Marvelification” of television. Nothing is nuanced everything is quippy everyone’s edges are dulled. I never expected anything else so I’m not even listing that as a con it’s just a given to me. Binge culture whole season releases & the endless remakes & reboots of streaming sites are the death of television. This is again just a given to me I don’t have much more to say about it right now (though I’m sure I do just not now).

The original ATLA will always mean everything to me & this was just a fun little adaptation. Like a fanfic. If it gets renewed? Sure I’ll have fun watching more. But if it doesn’t I truly don’t care. Anyway I’m sure I’ll have more thoughts eventually these are INITIAL reactions please don’t treat them like I signed this post in blood I’m just thinking out loud having just finished this show! That’s all for now lol

[laoih]

Some thoughts on Netflix's Avatar The Last Airbender

I love the original animated series, and have loved it for many years. I know that many fans are upset about the adaptation, and that's their prerogative. I know how that feels, that's basically me as a fan of Tolkien's work with Amazon's terrible The Rings of Power series.

However, when it comes to Avatar The Last Airbender, I can say that I genuinely like the live action adaptation. It is flawed for sure, and I have my criticisms, but I still think it's enjoyable and has a lot of heart. I do want to see more of it.

A quick (lie) list of the highs and lows in my opinion (spoiler warning):

Let's start with the shortcomings:

The dialogues: Throughout the whole show they are probably the biggest issue. Too often they are used for exposition, or to tell the viewers what they could deduce by themselves. It's often on-the-nose and missing subtlety. Although I have to admit that it seems for some people who don't know the animated series, it seems to help for understanding the show better, and therefore may be justified at least in parts.

Aang's woe-is-me attitude: It makes sense that Aang is suffering due to his trauma of being the last of his kind, of losing his family, and because being the Avatar is a huge burden. However, towards the end his attitude of "everything is my fault" started to get annoying. He doesn't have to feel responsible for everything. I hope he can quickly move past this in s2. I'd like to see other sides of Aang as well.

Aang's water bending: I think it's weird that Aang never really gave water bending a try. They never even give a reason why he didn't try, and that just makes that change confusing.

Aang's & Katara's relationship: I understand why they didn't include Aang's crush on Katara, but with them bonding over water bending being removed as well means that two major parts of their relationship don't exist, and the show has failed to really build up their relationship in a meaningful way otherwise.

Katara's character: In general she stays a bit underdeveloped, and the actress is lacking a bit of Katara's edge and energy in my opinion.

Azula: I don't like how they have written her, and I don't think the actress fits the character either. It's very difficult, because Azula in the animation does not act her age at all. Her entire demeanor is difficult to portray for a teenager, but it's also very memorable. Itd be hard for any actress to do her justice.

Mai & Ty Lee: They have nothing to do in that season & now they can't get the great character-defining introductions that they had in the original series. They were included to give Azula someone to talk to, but it's to the detriment of these two characters – they're just bland background now.

The Spirit World: Episode 5 just didn't work for me because there was too much crammed into it. There was no reason to include Wan Shi Tong nor did it make sense to include Hei Bai and then basically completely skip his story. With Koh being the actual culprit, the abduction of the villagers stands in no relation to the burnt forest in that episode. It would have been better to tell

Avatar Roku: I feel there was wasted potential there. Based on interviews I suppose there was simply no time & money left, so I hope they'll do him more justice in later seasons.

Now for the highlights:

The Bending: I think for most of the series it looks very powerful and impressive. It's not perfect throughout, but in general they did a really good job with it.

Zuko: Dallas Liu's portrayal is wonderful and I have zero complaints and only praise.

Aang's & Zuko's relationship: I think they build a solid foundation for these two characters, and I think some of Gordon's best acting is opposite to Dallas Liu.

Suki: Loved the actress' performance and how they have written her.

Ozai: I think Ozai is a case where the live action character is more interesting and impressive than the animated character. I really like what they are doing with him and Daniel Dae Kim is perfect in that role.

Jet & the Mechanist: I think putting these two plots together is a very interesting and fitting idea, and contrasting them in the same episode made me think about them in relation as I hadn't done before. It's fascinating how these two characters, who should actually fight for the same goal, have gone down two very different paths.

Kioshi's avatar state: It basically replaces Rokku's version in the animated version, and it's just cool.

Bumi: Maybe it's an unpopular opinion, but I think within the context of this more serious show this version of Bumi makes much more sense. Animated-Bumi with his challenges for Aang to realise how to take different approaches to find a solution wouldn't have worked with the changed tone of the story.

Sokka: Within the context of the show, Sokka also works well. He still is funny at times, but he is a bit more mature and responsible than animated-Sokka, which is more realistic in this show. Otherwise, one would have wondered why Hakoda didn't live an actual adult man in the village for protection.

The 41st division: I know, one of the points in the original was also that Zuko's defense of the new recruits seem to have been useless, but I love that his crew was given such an impactful background. It does not lessen the tragedy of Zuko's situation.

Hahn: I kind of like that he's not just a complete idiot, but actually a likable guy that I felt sorry for when he died.

The impact of war: I liked the exploration of what war does to people and especially children. It includes a variety of examples and stories, and I like that we get different kind of sides to this.

The locations: the sets are good, and the CGI backgrounds as well.

Appa, Mom and other fantastical animals: I understand that it's difficult to include them for large amounts of time, but I think whenever they are used they are convincingly animated.

The music is as good as expected.

... I'm sure I have forgotten many things I wanted to mention, but this has to do for now.

[javaelemental]

(Netflix) Avatar: The Last Airbender, Ep. 2

Oof. Spoilers.

Man this is rough. I am trying to meet this thing halfway, but some of these scenes are like high school theater bad. A lot of the adult actors are just phoning it in. Not the guy playing Zhao, though. That dude's having a good time.

Wasn't super in love with Avatar Kyoshi showing up, story-wise. Looked badass, for real, but this story is about Aang and everybody. We're supposed to be seeing what Aang can do. I dunno, man. Just kinda sat bad with me.

I think maybe because it felt like pandering to me? I know Kyoshi's a fan favorite for some reason, not sure why. I think she pops in for all of about ten minutes in the whole cartoon. (I guess she got a comic run or something?) She's always struck me as like the Boba Fett of ATLA, I guess. In the show for a hot minute but everybody's convinced she's the coolest, kind of thing. So it felt a little like the show was pandering to that attitude instead of telling the story, maybe?

Suki was awesome, love her, she should be in more of the show. Her actress was pretty great, too. Love the "hidden from the world and mad about it" thing for her. Makes sense. Absolutely no way in hell she wiped all that make up off in two seconds with a couple swipes of a towel, though. "Tell me you've never tried taking a faceful of Halloween makeup off without telling me..." and so on.

Not too sure about Aang being scared of/worried about his power? Like, it makes sense. It could work. And later on in the cartoon, after he'd had a chance to flex and accidentally hurt some folks, we did get some of that. But in episode two? Mmm. I dunno. A lot of his journey in the first season of the cartoon was about him being a lighthearted little clown who also happened to be kind of a badass Airbender on the side, and him learning to take things seriously, and I feel like it's doing his character a bit of a disservice to cut that short.

Jeez. Iroh is just fucking painful to watch. It's like the writers have no idea what his character is about, and the actor has no idea how to play him. I remember seeing about thirty seconds of an interview with the actor and he seemed really into the role and geeked about playing Iroh. I had high hopes for him. But damn this is bad.

The kid playing Zuko is doing all right with what they're giving him, though. Sokka's actor is doing a pretty solid job, too. I look forward to seeing more of those two, and Suki, too.

The scene pacing is really off in this, though. It's just slaughtering the laugh lines. What the hell.

[amixiifish]

Heat- Chapter 52: Flying- kick- a- pow

Actor Zuko is standing between Actor Azula, who has a Fire Nation flag behind her, and Actor Iroh, who has an Earth Kingdom flag behind him.

A light shines on Actor Zuko.

Actress Azula looks expectantly at Actor Zuko. “Well, my brother, what's it going to be? Your nation, or a life of treachery?”

Actor Iroh stops drinking from his cup and gives Actor Zuko a thumbs up. “Choose treachery, it's more fun!”

Actor Zuko walks toward Actor Iroh.

Actress Azula gasps. “No way!”

Actor Zuko stands next to Actor Iroh.

“I will take you with me by force then!” Actress Azula says, attempting to grab Actor Zuko.

Actor Zuko immediately throws Actor Iroh in front of him for Actress Azula to take.

“We captured him! Good job, brother!” Actress Azula praises.

“Thank you, sister. You disgust me, Uncle. I hope you rot!” Actor Zuko says.

The Earth Kingdom flag falls as Actress Azula and Actor Zuko exit with Actor Iroh tied up behind them.

The Gaang was furious.

Zuko had joined them, not left them!

And he loved his uncle more than anything in the whole damn world.

Zuko feels tears blur his vision.

Sokka immediately grabs the omega and whispers in hushed tones, “Sweetheart, you never did that, he did it to save you, it’s fine.”

Zuko trembles slightly. “I might as well have.”

***

The Earth Kingdoms Throne room stands tall on the stage.

Actress Mai, who pulls a sword out of her hair and throws it at a guard.

Actress Ty Lee jumps to the other guard, kisses her finger and touches the guard's shoulder, causing him to fall over.

Actress Azula jumps behind Actress Ty Lee and the three actresses pose.

The audience applauds.

Actress Aang jumps in from behind the set.

“Avatar State, yip yip!” Actress Aang cries out.

The stage light shines on Actress Aang, causing her tattoos to glow.

A stagehand runs across the stage and ties a rope to Actress Aang.

Actress Aang closes her eyes, and her eyelids glow, too, while the rope lifts her into the air.

Actress Azula jumps on stage from behind the smoke.

Actress Azula throws blue streamers at Actress Aang. “Not if my lightning can help it!”

Actress Aang peeks from behind her closed eye and grabs the blue streamer, shaking and screaming in feigned pain.

The audience looks at the scene in shock.

Zuko was appalled.

“Where the hell am I? I was literally the one that stopped Azula,” Zuko said, extremely irritated.

Actress Aang's limp body is slowly lowered to the stage.

Actresses Ty Lee and Mai pose on both sides of Actress Azula, who stands in front of Actress Aang.

Actress Azula grins triumphantly. “The Avatar is no more!”

Audience applauds loudly, while Team Avatar again gives disgusted looks.

The second intermission starts, and the Gaang, minus Aang, goes back to the staircase from before.

Suki frowns in concern at the group. “It seems like every time there's a big battle, you guys barely make it out alive. I mean, you guys lose a lot!”

Sokka glares at Suki. “You're one to talk, Suki. Didn't Azula take you captive? That's right, she did!”

Suki narrows her eyes at the other alpha. “Are you trying to get on my bad side?”

Sokka raises his hands in mock surrender. “I'm just saying…”

Katara looks around in concern. “Does anyone know where Aang is?”

Sokka shrugs. “He left to get me fire gummies, like, ten minutes ago. And I'm still waiting!”

Katara stands, brushing off her shirt. “I'm gonna check outside.”

***

Aang is standing alone on a balcony when Katara comes in and walks up to him.

Katara stands next to him. “Are you all right?”

Aang angrily takes his hat and throws it to the ground. “No, I'm not! I hate this play!”

Katara blinks in surprise. “I know it's upsetting, but it sounds like you're overreacting.”

Aang stares at her incredulously. “Overreacting? If I hadn't blocked my chakra, I'd probably be in the Avatar State right now!”

***

Team Avatar was still on the stairwell when a kid wearing an Aang costume ran by.

Sokka snaps his finger. “Jet, what are the chances you can get me backstage? I got some jokes I want to give to the actor me.

Jet looks at him seriously. “I'm an Freedom Fighter who's trained for many years in the art of stealth.”

He grins. “I could probably get you backstage.”

The two take off.

Toph looks at the running off pair before looking down at where Zuko was sitting on the floor. “Geez, everyone's getting so upset about their characters. Even you seem more down than usual, and that's saying something!”

Suki elbows Toph sharply in her back.

Zuko shakes his head, slightly angry. “You don't get it, it's different for you. You get a muscly version of yourself, taking down ten bad guys at once, and making sassy remarks.”

Toph nods. “Yeah, that's pretty great!”

Zuko sighs, burying his head in his arms. “But for me, it takes all the times I’ve fucked up and shoves them back in my face like, ‘bitch, remember me?’. My uncle, he's always been on my side, even when things were going to shit. He was there for me, he taught me so goddamn much, and how do I repay him? By abandoning him to Azula, of all people. It's my greatest regret, and I may never get to redeem myself.”

Toph sits down next to him.

Suki places a hand on his arm. “You have redeemed yourself to your uncle. You don't realize it, but you already have.”

Zuko looks up warily. “How do you know?”

“Because I once had a long conversation with the guy, and all he would talk about was you,” Toph answers.

Zuko looks at her, a flicker of hope in his eyes. “Really?”

Toph nods. “Yeah, and it was kind of annoying.”

Zuko looks away sadly. “Oh, sorry.”

Toph smiles lightly. “But it was also very sweet. All your uncle wanted was for you to find your own path, and see the light. Now you're here with us. He'd be proud.”

Toph punches Zuko’s shoulder.

Zuko winces, rubbing her shoulder. “Ow! What was that for?”

“That's how I show affection,” Toph exclaims.

The same boy with the Aang costume comes by and sees Zuko.

He looks at Zuko carefully. “Your Zuko costume is pretty good, but your scar's on the wrong side.”

The kid runs off.

Suki laughs as Toph grins as Zuko.

“The scar's not on the wrong side!” Zuko says, pouting.

***

Backstage, the actors were talking with each other and preparing their costumes.

Sokka and Jet peek backstage and spot Actor Sokka.

Jet points at him. “He's coming this way!”

Sokka jumps out in front of Actor Sokka.

Actor Sokka looks at him unimpressed. “Can I help you?”

Sokka grins. “Actually, I think I can help you. I'm a big Sokka fan, but I don't think you're representing him quite as well as you could be.”

Actor Sokka starts walking away. “Aww no, another fan with ideas.”

Sokka runs in front of him and holds some index cards. “Just hear me out. Here's something I think the real Sokka would say. What does the cabbage merchant use to fix his cabbages? A cabbage patch!”

Jet face palms in the background.

Actor Sokka chuckles. “That's actually pretty good! Let me see those!”

He grabs the cards. “‘A rocky relationship’….not bad!”

Sokka puts an arm around the Actor. “Also, don't be afraid to make up some phrases, especially before an attack. Something like….’Flying kick-a-pow!’.

Jet looks thoroughly confused on the side.

‘Flying kick-a-pow?’ Jet mouths incredulously.

What the actual fuck?

Actor Sokka and Sokka start walking away but not before Actor Sokka asks a question.

“Who are you, anyway?”

Sokka shrugs. “I'm just a guy who likes comedy.”

[butididnottried]

The Firebending Masters

I just couldn't bring myself to start watching this episode. Before i was like "yesss, bring me all the awkwardness" but then i was like "oh fuck oh shit no i'm a dumb dumbass that can't handle awkwardness and embarrassment well". Luckily Zuko trying to interacting with the rest wasn't that bad. But, he really don't know how to interact, huh? Zuko, baby, just... chill a little. Ya know, work on your upbeat attitude. xD

Let's be honest, those eastern dragons look just weird with wings. How their long bodies even keep up? Ok, i guess that since only sky bisons are the only animal airbenders the dragons can't also fly just like that because of reasons. But still.

So, they looked a bit on a pretty, rainbow fire and we're like "ah yes we understand". Good for you boys. I do not get it at all. How do people uderstand things just by looking at them?

They have a one big fire that's burning for thousands of years. So, even at the beginning firebenders we're extra.

I didn't metion it earlier but why badger moles are so frikin big? Moles are really tiny, seriously, they're tinier that you would expect. And badgers are... average, i guess? There's nothing about these animnals that says "put togehter = elephant size".

Zuko is there for a day and a half, trying no more to murder everyone, and Sokka is immediately ready to mess up with him. Bless this boy.

The Boiling Rock, Part 1

Ok, honestly, Boiling Rock is kind of a stupid name. But now i learned that it's a literal boiling rock. A big rock in the middle of a boiling lake. In a volcano of course, because that's just how the fire nation is rolling. That's just funny.

They stole a whole fridge for people and no one noticed. Yeah, let's say it, these guard are not, hmmm... to not to be too rude... not very good at their job.  But i also don't get how this whole chunk of a metal don't get incredibly hot in this lake. Did i miss something? ??? And later no one was able to tell that this very suspiciously behaving teenager that just showed up a few days ago is a mole. Maybe that's just how fire guards works? With tennage interns, or something. Because why not. Or maybe Sokka is just that genius master of disguise.

They separated Hakoda and Bato. ):

I don't know why but Mais uncle design is... Idk what it is, but there's something about him that dosen't seem right. I look at him and... I Just Don't Know. Something Wrong. So... meaty?

Sokka is fully aware that even when he is planning everything out, the results are not necessarily good. Zuko at leat accepted that he's a dumbass that is doing things without thinking, but it looks like he's still not aware that everything end for him more or less good. And they're such dumb champs together. Amazing.

Appa is such a baby they need to throw food into his mouth. Aaaaw.

Hotsquats. HOTSQUATS.

The Boiling Rock, Part 2

AzUla iS PeOplE PerSon And she just shoot up herself like a rocket. Dynamite gal.

Meat of friendship and fatherhood. Yeak, ok, sounds about right. In order to be a dilf you need to be also beefy. I guess.

Maybe show me this heart to be broken and love stronger than fear before you try to made me care about it? Because cuddly teenagers are not particularly emotional and moving. No? Oh, ok. I read analysis about power dynamics between Mai, Ty Lee and Azula, how their friendship works and how it not works, but this betrayal still looks much like it get out of nowhere.

Riot. RIOT. RiOT riOt RioT rioT rrriooot rRriOoOt riooot rIOt lol

Damn, Suki know how to get shit done. And i love how is she an equal match to Ty Lee, so far the most dangerous  hand to hand fighter.

They stole a whole Big Adult War Baloon and just like that they flew back to the temple, huh.

The Southern Raiders

OOOoooh! So, yeah, Aang, if violence is never the answer what you're going to do when you finally meet firelord Ozai, eh? Ok, i know what's he gonna do, but it's weird that untill now he didn't thought about it at all. I guess that before the sun eclipse he didn't worried about how to defeat Ozai because he was supposed to be powerless, but now? Yeah Aang, yeah, whatcha gonna do when you come for him?

Why Sokka and Suki are so secretive about their relationship? Like, probably everyone knows about them. I bet it was Sokka idea and Suki just rolled with it just to humour him. And because it's cute and funny.

So Appa is so traumatized by tunnels that he would faced an air ships shooting bombs and fire at him in such intensity it looks like they shoot lasers.

Ok, Katara putting together her anger at Zuko and hatred towards all fire nation because of her mother being murdered makes sense. She was suppressing all her negative emotions for so long, no wonder that she even burst out at Sokka like that. As awful as it was, it’s understandable. Althought it would be nice to see her apologizing to him instead of talking with Aang about how she still do not forgave that man for what he done. I guess that people are having issues with Katara being angry at Zuko and overall angry is because we do not saw too much interactions between them. He just joins in, goes on two adventures and boom, i want my mother back! Not enough episodes with Zuko just dickin around with gaang and having bigger and lesser arguments.

But i also like how they showed that despite being full of hatred and anger Katara still wasn't able to kill. To commit murder herself. It's not that easy to kill someone, just like forgiveness is not easy. You can’t just say that you forgive or try to convince yourself into feeling like that. But you can somehow start to move on without it. But tbh Katara all this time was thinking about this man as a monster and that what she was exptecting to meet. And she found... well, we all know how he turned out to be. How do you gonna kill someone so pathetic?

I took your mothers life so you can take my mother, that's the only fair way, and i'm just like lololol xD

So, Sokka want to borrow Momo for a few days, who know for what, he most obviously do not. He just plans to get Momo and then maybe some adventure finds them on it's own.

Sooo, they we're just sleeping there like nothing happened and apparently we're surprised when attack happened. lmao seriously? No one got even half of a thaught that this big ass ship was followed? Hm it would be nice if someone else heard Azula celebrating becoming the only child. Sokka would made a good joke about how fucked up of a siblings they are.

The Ember Island Players

Actress playing Aang was so adorable and cute and precious.

Toph get a big, muscle guy that is defeating 10 people at once while making sarcastic ripostes. That's accurate in, like, 99,9%.

Sokka, a fan of comedy, was so happy and proud when actor playing him used Sokkas jokes and audience loved it. I think that our boy can start writing plays. He could be this world Shakespeare with his sense of humor.

Yes, Jet just died and they couldn't care less. Also he got a flower instead of that wheat. Nice.

Using ribbons to show firebending is a pretty good idea.

The fire nation is not immune to fire nation propaganda plays.

But how they find out about all these events? Like, what happened under Ba Sing Se in crystal caves? Who was their informant? ...Azula herself?

What's going on about Katara and having hope?

The cringe, oh the cringe that gaang was experiencing, it's just beautiful. xD

But seriously, how long is that play?

They should turn it into musical lol.

Aang, you're just 12. Stop thinking about being romantically with someone. Seriously. And do not kiss anyone on a lips without consent. Boy, you need a proper education about boundaries. And take example from Katara - it's a war, there's no time for things like that. Tbh i have nothing against kataang, but it's not handled very well through whole show. There was more scenes with some romantic tension that we're amiss than good. :/

Also, it feels like there's at least one episode missing when at the beginning they're suddenly in Zukos family old house on the ember island. I do noy necessarily need to see every step of their journey, like talking about where to go, and then to go there and getting cozy and all that. But the difference between ending of previosu episode and beginning of this is kind of too much. Especially when it ended on such strong emotional moment for Aang.

[doof-doofblog]

"Their Mum Isn't Even Here, Jean!"

Monday 18th May 2020

Good Afternoon folks! I hope you've all had a good week, I'm sure you've all been made aware of the recent EastEnders news! For those of you who haven't heard, the soap writers and the rest of the team have been given the green light to start re-filming again, this is due to take place some time next month. However, it does mean that EastEnders will be taken off air for a few weeks until the time will come for them to start re-filming again. This is fantastic news that we've all been waiting for, we won't have to wait much longer than expected for us to get our usual 4 episodes a week back. How long the soap will be off air still remains unknown. It also has been revealed that script-writers will include characters talking about the current pandemic. I for one, feel it's amazing news to hear that plans are in place for our favourite actors and actresses to walk through the Square again! Crew will still make sure that everyone follows the rules and for them to keep 2 meters apart and the recording/editing team will use techniques to make it look as natural as possible for the viewers.  I also realise this post is a bit late, due to me being in work again, but today I will post 2 blogs covering both last night's episode and tonight's episode.

I also have some other news for you, it has been revealed that EastEnders are planning to film an episode which will focus entirely on Ben and his hearing loss. The soap will feature subtitles and muffled audio for the audience to get the idea and/or experience what Ben is currently going through. I for one, am REALLY looking forward to seeing this episode. It will be something completely different and something that we've never seen before. I love when soaps jump in the deep end and decide to show something completely different, it was the same when Bobby kept seeing Lucy and also when Stacey went through her breakdown a couple of years ago. I just find it fascinating! I'm sure it'll be a momentous moment for EastEnders and it'll get rave feedback! Are you looking forward to seeing this episode air? The episode will be shown on Monday 1st June! I can hardly contain my excitement!

Now, let's make a start on last night's episode, a lot to cover from last night I think. Let's start with Isaac, still moping about finding out about Patrick being his biological father. Denise has done everything she can to keep him from making a mess of himself. She knows he's struggling but skipping work and making up excuses and drinking until he's nearly having a pee in front of children, is definitely not the way to be coping. All I can really say is, thank you to Bailey! What an amazing child she is! Amazing that it's taken a child to actual make a grown-up realise he hasn't really got it all that bad! Yeah, it would be a shock to him, but what Bailey said was absolutely inspirational and it really spoke truth to him. She's absolutely right in the fact that the guy who Isaac thought was his Dad, never left his side till his death. He was with him every single day and treated him like his own, now he's got another Dad to help him with his future, he could really make a go of building a relationship with Patrick if he gave him the chance. When Bailey spoke how lucky she was to have had two Mum's, I just thought it was absolutely moving, really sweet. I'm hoping now Isaac will realise he hasn't got it all that bad and he'll be able to move on, perhaps when Patrick and Sheree come back, he'll be able to ask them any questions he wants answering and maybe then, he'll feel ready to move on and accept Patrick is his Dad.

Oh Keegan! I feel like he's just not dealing with things well at the moment. I mean, did he really need to post up the video to his social media, inevitably putting Jack's job at risk! Jack told him to keep it to himself as their could be consequences, and its as if he didn't care. He was selfish and wanted to uphold his reputation. I mean, I get he wanted to prove he was innocent, but that would have happened in time and the police would've admitted their mistakes, but it's as if he can't let go after the way they treated him. I personally, feel sorry for Tiffany in all of this, she's being stuck right in the middle of it all. She's trying her best to support and understand her husband, but also her uncle put his neck on the line for her husband. What's going to happen now? Could Jack be in deep trouble with this colleagues? Will Keegan get the justice he's so desperate for? Or will he come to regret posting the video in the first place? I know it's awful to say, but I'm kinda getting a bit bored of this story-line now, I have a feeling this will change Keegan's personality completely and it may lead to further story-lines involving him fighting against the police, fighting for equality and stuff like that? I could be completely wrong, but I just have a feeling that might be the direction it'll take, who knows? I am concerned for Jack now though, is he going to lose his job now though due to Keegan's actions? Will he be able to explain himself or will he do as Keegan suggested and keep quiet? What do you think is going to happen? Do you see this story-line dying down eventually or could it take a whole new direction? Let me know what you think guys, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Ha! She may be a bit gullible, but I do love Habiba! She brings a lot of comedy to the soap, which is what we really need right now. At first I thought she was going to get away with it and be able to get the information for Rainie! I loved the look on Ian's face when he thought she was serious about getting to know more about the business. It was only when she dropped all her papers and Ian saw her paperwork it was all going to go downhill! I just loved the fact she didn't seem to click, not even knowing what "Sweet FA" meant! God bless her! Haha! But now Ian has made Max aware of what is going on, what does it mean for Max? Will he still give Rainie the divorce she wants? Or will he be able to give her the divorce and still be able to keep the majority of his money! Even Ruby mentioned he should be careful with money, considering he wanted to take her out for a meal even though he still has a divorce to pay for. Did anyone else see the flirtation between Ruby and Martin?! Okay, let me just say ... where the heck has Martin been?! With everything happening with Jean, surely he would've been there to help Kush out ... hmm maybe now he'll start helping? Anyway, there was obvious flirtation and sexual attraction there between Martin and Ruby ... Didn't they sleep together once a while back?! And they've not mentioned it to anyone or to each other since? Now Ruby has offered him a job, could there be something on the horizon for them? And will Max start to feel jealous around them and begin to notice what's going on?!

So, due to Ben having a temperature, his operation has had to be postponed. It's a bit of shame as I feel everyone wanted him to get it done there and then, obviously Ben more than anyone! Callum was there to support his partner, after having their argument the episode beforehand, he knew he had to be there for him. It was massive blow for Ben to be told he couldn't have the operation, he just wants everything to be back to normal. But now the question is, when will he have the operation? Will it still be a success? But most importantly, will he have the operation in time before he has to do the dodgy deal with his Dad? Something is telling me, No! Even Phil was eager to know when they'd reschedule his op for, and Kathy noticed it was the exact same way that Ben reacted! Is she going to click on that something is happening between the two of them and will she find out what they're involved in?! I'm really looking forward to seeing what the future holds for Ben, the episode that's going to be completely focused on him is going to be epic! We know that Ben is still meant to come across someone who is completely deaf, a young girl named Frankie will come into the soap, will she be able to help Ben come to terms with his hearing loss? I do hope his op will be successful, but of course, we will all have to wait and see!

Ooooh poor Jean! I just want to give her a big hug and tell her everything is okay. She's found out that both Kush and Shirley were slipping her medication into her food and drink, which actually caused her to have her fit. They'd accidentally given her too much and she'd been poisoned by the vast amount they'd given her. Of course their intentions were caring and loving as they both care very deeply for Jean and can see that she's not being herself recently, they were literally trying to do their best at caring for her. It just turned out so drastically wrong. I hated the fact that Suki had to get involved, she was more bothered about her cardigan!! She is going to be so smug now knowing that Jean also has bipolar and that she was there to help and even stop the hospital from getting both Kush and Shirley in trouble. Jean owes her nothing and I hope Jean knows that! What is Suki getting out of this? I don't understand, why can't she just keep her distance from Jean and leave her alone! I feel sorry for all of them, I feel sorry for Jean, I feel sorry for Kush and Shirley. Everyone is just trying to help and poor Jean can't see that, and now she feels as if she can't trust them and has decided to throw Kush out, as well as the kids. I'm worried that her living on her own is going to cause her more problems, how will she be able to cope? I think now is the time for Stacey and Kat to come back, Jean's mental state is only going to get from bad to worse and without Kush or Shirley being there to look after her, who's going to let them know?! Maybe Kush and Shirley can keep an eye on her from a distance? Will Kush finally inform Martin about is happening? Either way, I just hope Jean will be okay, although I do fear it's only going to get worse for her before it gets better.

I hope you've all enjoyed reading, if you have anything you'd like to talk to me about regarding EastEnders, feel free to send me a message. I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions on the current story-lines. I'll be back again this evening with a second post following up tonight's episode! Thanks folks! xXx

[lykegenia]

Zutara Week Day 6: Soulmates

Only one day left of Zutara Week! Thanks for the amazing response so far on my ZKWeek story A Life, Together, which you can find in its entirety here.

@zutaraweek

ZKWeek Day 6: Soulmates Words: 2779 Summary: Katara and Zuko find themselves needing to get away from a party. After a year apart, they learn to reconnect. Read it on AO3

Yu Dao’s main plaza glittered under moonlight and the paper lanterns that imitated it. Every few heartbeats, the people gathered in the large, open space were gilded by vibrant flashes of colour as fireworks – developed especially from Fire Nation knowledge of gunpowder and Earth Kingdom familiarity with mineral dyes – exploded in bright, dazzling flowers that bloomed and wilted in the same instant. Toph’s metalbending students had constructed hanging sculptures for the occasion, and their abstract forms reflected the shine on the nobles’ jewellery and fine silks, while all around the low buzz of conversation reflected the easy-going nature of the gathering. One year on from the war’s end, and everyone who was anyone wanted to be seen celebrating the peace.

After almost a whole year with little company besides the avatar, however, Katara was finding the press of people a little overwhelming. The food was good, a mixture of cuisines from all over the world, but there were only so many canapes she could stuff into her mouth before it could be considered rude. King Kuei’s rice wine did a better job of relaxing her enough to mingle, but even the warm tingle it sent through her veins grew cold when she turned from a conversation with a handsome young Earth Kingdom noble to find Aang pouting at her over a plate of melon slices carved to resemble flowers.

“Why weren’t you watching me juggle with Bumi?” he asked.

“I thought I saw someone I knew,” she lied. “I wanted to talk to them.”

“You should have waited for me, we could have gone together.” He tried to reach for her hand but she found she needed to adjust one of her hair loopies instead. Truthfully, she had long since grown fed up of standing on the sidelines, watching him pander to his fans.

“I don’t need you to be with me every second, you know,” she told him uneasily. It had felt good to just get lost in the crowd. “And you’re not the only thing I think about.”

A year travelling with him, following while the rest of her friends got on with their lives – it was beginning to wear thin. She had indulged his crush when the world needed him to defeat the Fire Lord, but they had succeeded. That’s what this party was all about, a celebration of the world’s desire and newfound ability to move on, to achieve progress held back by a century of war. True, she had seen some wonderful things since the day Zuko was crowned and they set off pursuing rumours of other airbenders, but she regretted that Aang had mistaken her wanderlust for a desire to be closer to him, as more than friends. Spirits, he was still a child compared to her. Aunt Wu’s prophecy had never said anything about that.

“Katara,” Aang said, “You know you’re my forever girl. Let’s just –”

But the wine had gotten to her temper. “I need to get some air.”

And now she was stood at the edge of the plaza, lurking in the shadows like some would-be assassin, trying to unscramble her thoughts into some semblance of order. Everyone else seemed to have what they wanted – Sokka and Suki were rebuilding; Toph had recognition for her talents as an earthbender, and had even made amends with her parents; Iroh had his teashop. Why couldn’t she have what she wanted?

She huffed. What even did she want?

“Is it bad that I’m happy to find someone else not enjoying themselves?”

“Zuko!”

“Mind if I join you?” he asked. “This particular patch of shadows seems good for getting away from unwanted attention.”

She made room for him against the wall, trying not to stare. Even a year had made a difference to his appearance, filling out his shoulders, adding an inch or two to his height. His face had lost some of its roundness, too, as if the golden crown pinned to his topknot had chiselled it away, and with sudden force she remembered watching him train with Aang on Ember Island, when the sun baked everything so hot they had had to strip off their shirts to stay cool. She wondered if his muscles were still so defined under his layers of silk, or whether a year of politics had softened them away.

The thought made her cheeks burn and she turned away so he couldn’t see, suddenly self-conscious. Aang had said she looked pretty before stepping out tonight, but then, she often got the impression he complimented her because he thought it was what she wanted to hear, rather than because it was his genuine opinion.

She realised neither of them were speaking.

“It’s been a while,” she ventured.

“It has,” he replied.

“How’s Mai?”

“We broke up.”

“Oh.”

“I saw that argument you just had with Aang. How are things between you two?”

“Strained.”

“I see.”

He leaned back against the wall, running so hot she could feel the warmth of his body even across the careful distance that separated them.

“So,” she tried again, “what has you running away from the party?”

Zuko groaned and shot her a wry smirk. “Uncle has decided to play matchmaker on my behalf, and half the Earth Kingdom is indulging him. All that perfume was beginning to give me a headache.”

“You’re definitely safer here, then,” she teased, trying to squash the sudden squirm in her stomach that felt a lot like jealousy.

“Only as long as nobody finds us.” His eyes went wide, his cheeks darkening as a hand anxiously rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t think – I hadn’t realised what this might look like.”

It took her a second to catch on. “Oh!”

“Um… if you’d rather I go, I wouldn’t want to give anyone the wrong idea…”

Aang, she realised – he was talking about what Aang would think catching them alone together, as if they weren’t just two old friends getting reacquainted, as if she wasn’t a free person who could do what she liked.

“I don’t care what people might think,” she growled, giving into the impulse to grasp Zuko’s wrist. She was her own self. She could do what she liked. Anything she liked. The certainty of it bubbled into recklessness beneath her skin. “Let’s go somewhere.”

“What?”

“If we throw on a couple of cloaks nobody will know who we are,” she said. “We could go anywhere.”

“Maybe you can,” he replied, though he had yet to pry himself loose of her grip. “I’m the fire lord. I have dignitaries to meet, and foreign policy to talk about, and –”

“A raging horde of earth Kingdom noblewomen eager to get their claws into you,” she teased. “C’mon. We haven’t had a chance to talk for ages. I’ve… missed you.” She was almost too shy to say, to admit it out loud, but she had, sometimes more than she ever thought possible for the man who at one point had been the face of her enemy.

Zuko seemed just as stunned by her confession. His mouth hung open as if to say something, but when the words wouldn’t come he shook his head and sighed.

In what seemed like no time at all, they were ambling down a cobbled street far away from the glamour of the party, wandering without any particular destination in mind. There were few other people out so late at night, so they were free to talk and laugh about anything that took their fancy, without fear of recognition. Katara was amazed by how easily they slipped back into their old rapport, talking about everything from flying lemurs to the consequences of the Fire Nation’s late rainy season as if the past year hadn’t happened. She found it refreshing to air her opinions on politics and the state of the world’s recovery, and she appreciated the thoughtful way Zuko listened to her stories, the quiet giggle they shared when she told him about the adventure with the sandbender chief’s white poodle-pony.

Rounding a corner, they came upon a teahouse lit with green lanterns to show it was still open for business. Zuko pulled his hood lower over his face when the man standing by the door spotted them and waved them over.

“Perhaps you are looking for some entertainment this evening?” he asked jovially, thrusting a leaflet into Katara’s hands. “It’s going to rain later – better to be inside enjoying hot tea and a good show than to be caught out in the wet!”

Katara chuckled despite herself, knowing a little rain was no problem for a master waterbender, and looked down at the square of paper in her hand.

“Love in the Time of Badgermoles,” she mused. “What’s it about?”

“It is a timeless tale of love, loss, and revenge,” the seller informed her eagerly. “It’s a well-known Earth Kingdom story. Certain to not disappoint. And the tea’s good,” he added, beaming.

Katara turned to Zuko. “Well?”

He gave an exaggerated roll of his eyes. “We’ve come this far.”

After paying the seller for their entry, they slipped into the teahouse and found a couple of quiet seats at the back. The place had drawn a good crowd, many of them obviously locals, going by how they laughed and joked with the actors, who were putting the final touches to their elaborate makeup. A young woman bustled over to them to take their order (a pot of jasmine tea for Katara, oolong for Zuko, with a plate of sweet rice balls as a side. In the dim warmth of their corner, they were content to remain silent, enjoying the anonymity and the cosy ambience that let them take advantage of it.

The lights in the teahouse dimmed. The actors packed up their makeup cases and mirrors and took their place on the stage. One, dressed in a robe of white and red trimmed with gold to match her beaded headdress, perched on a stool behind a guzheng and plucked a chord with metal-tipped fingers. Whatever conversation was left in the audience stilled immediately.

“The misty bamboo divides two nations at war,” trilled the actress plucking at the strings. “Oh will this war ever end?”

The play was nothing like Fire Nation theatre, with its acrobatics and flashy special effects, but it had an understated elegance that kept the audience enraptured. The narrator playing the guzheng unfolded the story with a masterful combination of words and music, mesmerising to the point where it was easy to forget the stage was so small there was only room for two actors at a time.

“The girl sits and picks flowers on the mountainside,” the narrator sang. Another actress painted white with a pure pink blush across her cheeks danced an imitation of strolling through a meadow. “And then suddenly…”

Somewhere off-stage, someone banged on a wooden block, and a spotlight rose on an actor in youthful garb who appeared from behind a curtain. The two circled each other, talking, accompanied by wary notes on the guzheng, and Katara found a smile growing on her face.

“What is it?” Zuko asked in her ear.

“The Cave of Two Lovers.”

At his blank look, she explained about the cave they had found while running form Azula, and about the tomb she and Aang had found inside. On the stage, the two lovers parted to opposite sides of the room, looking back wistfully. She remembered the glowing crystals lighting the ceiling and couldn’t help but think of another glowing cave, a lifetime ago now, that might have had such a different outcome. Her head tipped against Zuko’s shoulder, succumbing to the soporific effect of the warm, cosy dark of the teahouse. Her heart fluttered when, instead of pulling away, he leaned in as well and settled his cheek against the top of her head with a sigh.

The play went on. Shu’s father forbade him to go to the mountain to see his lover, and Oma’s sister followed her to try and discover her secret.

“It’s becoming too dangerous for us to see one another,” Oma lamented. “I would run away with you but for the duties to our families.”

When the actors found the badgermoles and ‘built’ the cave, something familiar tugged at Katara’s heart. “And now no one will ever part us,” promised Shu.

Zuko’s hand found hers under the table, and gave a comforting squeeze. The rest of the audience was enraptured and didn’t notice, but Katara felt tears prick her eyes because she knew what came next. She squeezed Zuko’s fingers back.

The final act of the play came to an end with a heart-wrenching monologue from the actress playing Oma as she held the ‘dead’ Shu in her arms. In the play, he had refused to attack her village for fear of hurting anyone she loved, and had instead gone to find her. In a fit of rage, his father killed him just as he caught sight of his love.

“I will find you in the next life, my dearest,” Oma promised, rising to her feet, “and we will be free of this awful shadow of war. And until we meet again, I will end the conflict that has taken you from me.” She raised her arms, letting her long white sleeves trail their full length to the floor, and flicked them out in a show of pretend earthbending, while rattles played off-stage and drums banged to an impressive beat. All the other actors shuffled to the floor in front of the stage and pleaded with her to stop the mountains moving.

“Behold, on that mountain I will build a city,” Oma proclaimed, with a sweeping gesture behind her. “Never again will our two people fight each other.”

The stage lighting snuffed out, but none of the audience started to move, so Katara held in her need to stretch and kept watching. A spotlight rose on the narrator, still plucking her guzheng, and what followed was a lengthy epilogue about the bureaucracy of the new city, and Oma’s long years of good leadership being a model for what kingdoms should be.

When it was over, Katara clapped along with the rest of the audience, turning only to find that Zuko had been dozing, and that her movement jolted him awake. She felt her breath catch on the little grunt he made as he shifted into a better seating position, even though he untangled their fingers so he could rub the sleep out of his golden eyes.

“All those Earth Kingdom girls really got to you, huh?” she teased.

“Ugh, don’t,” he groaned, stifling a yawn. “Just thinking of all the apologies I’m going to have to make tomorrow…”

“Was this a mistake?” she asked, her heart clenching. “I should have thought – it was wrong of me to ask you to come.”

“Hey, no.” He laid his hand on her shoulder. It burned through the fabric of her clothes. “I enjoyed this, and I enjoyed the company more, so don’t be sorry. I’m glad you persuaded me to come.”

“I enjoyed it, too,” she replied.

The sound of a cleared throat startled them. The same waitress who had brought them their tea was standing by the door, politely impatient, a sweeping brush in one hand. All the other patrons had already filed out, and the other servers were starting to clean the room. With bashful smiles, Katara and Zuko stood up and gathered their things, though she noticed a dull clink of gold and the outrageous tip he left in the teapot before he followed her out.

It had started to rain.

“It’s a good thing I have you with me,” he joked, taking her arm in a courtly sort of way while she bent the water away from their heads. “Shall we get back to the party?”

“I suppose we should.”

Sokka would be wondering where she was. Aang would be, too. It was ironic, really, that the peace celebration had kept her so on edge, and that leaving it had the opposite effect. As they began to walk away, she chanced one last look at the teahouse, its lanterns now extinguished, its windows dark, and frowned. For a few hours, she had been free of all doubt, free to be herself, and in that time she had felt the most at peace she had since being a very small child. Now though, all the insidious voices in her head came crowding back. Why couldn’t she have what she wanted? Perhaps the better question, she thought as she glanced at Zuko, was why it was so difficult to ask for it.

[kidsviral-blog]

The Trouble With "It Girls"

New Post has been published on https://kidsviral.info/the-trouble-with-it-girls/

The Trouble With "It Girls"

We’ve used the term for nearly a century. But what does it tell us about the way we label women and their work?

View this image ›

Matt Baron / BEImages / Getty Images / BuzzFeed News

On the cover of the February issue of Vanity Fair, Rosamund Pike gives her best icy blue-eyed Grace Kelly. The cover’s intro — “From Bond Girl to Gone Girl to 2015’s It Girl” — is banal: Pike’s beauty here is the real draw.

But still, there’s that phrase, “It girl”: one that Vanity Fair wielded back in 1998 for the then-up-and-coming Gretchen Mol, who struggled so mightily to make good on the promise that the New York Times dubbed it the “Vanity Fair Cover Curse,” and that Vogue uses in its own February cover story on Fifty Shades of Grey star Dakota Johnson, “who exudes the effortless cool of an It Girl.”

Vanity Fair

Vogue

Vanity Fair

  In naming someone an It girl, a publication is either hedging a bet (Gretchen Mol will be all that anyone’s talking about in 1998) or trendspotting (Cara Delevingne is everywhere in New York; you’ll be seeing her everywhere else soon). In this contemporary iteration, “It girl” has come to mean some cross of a new, young, generally hot thing known for attending parties and movie premieres and a new, young, generally hot thing who makes her name in a sphere (politics, journalism, golf, rap) broadly delimited to men. It’s a seemingly safe way to declare someone as worthy of your attention without actually articulating what, exactly, merits that attention. These girls are it: no matter that the antecedent to “it” remains unknown.

So what’s the fascination with naming — and reading about — prospective It girls? The term may seem like a cliche, ambiguous, employed out of editorial imprecision, and it certainly is many, if not all, of those things. But the century-long history of the It girl, coupled with a remarkable usage spike over the last decade, points to a broader and enduring trend in which writers flag a certain type of behavior, demeanor, or ambition, name it, and, in so doing, map a certain type of (limited, limiting) career and behavior trajectory in which the woman is forever marked by both her gender and her ineffable thing-ness. There’s no such moniker, after all, as an “It woman.”

The modern It girl age can probably be traced to a seminal 1994 New Yorker profile of Chloë Sevigny in which Jay McInerney dubbed the 19-year-old “the It Girl with a street-smart style and down-low attitude.” The article’s lede set the scene for this ‘90s version of the It girl, which is to say, part socialite, part fashion plate, part indie oddity:

It’s weird, this happens all the time. Chloë Sevigny is sitting at one of the outdoor tables at Stingy Lulu’s on St. Mark’s Place just off Avenue A, absorbing a mixed green salad and devouring the just-out September Vogue. A black girl and an Asian girl huddle anxiously on the corner a few yards away, checking her out. The two are about Chloë’s age, which is nineteen, and they seem to be debating whether or not to approach. Do they recognize her from the Sonic Youth video—the one filmed in Marc Jacobs’ showroom, which was kind of a spoof of the whole grunge thing—or did they catch her modeling the X-Girl line last spring? Maybe they saw her photo in Details, the ones taken by Larry Clark, who has just cast Chloë in his new movie, “Kids.”

View this image ›

Sevigny in 1994 Time Life Pictures / Getty Images

Sevigny wasn’t beautiful, exactly, or sexy, per se; she was different, and indifferent, and that’s what made her It. Sevigny’s It-ness manifested a particular sort of abrasive, even erudite hipness. So much about her seemed to scream “fuck you, I contain multitudes,” yet the profile attempts, as profiles must, to unite that multiplicity under a single theme: It-ness. In so doing, the New Yorker transformed an unruly woman like Sevigny, with her nontraditional looks and unfamiliar club-kid ways, into a digestible rhetorical pile of It.

And thus began the beginning of the It girl deluge. Entertainment Weekly started a yearly “It List” cover in 1997, and the Times used it for another potentially threateningly different young woman (Fiona Apple) and, in “The Making of an It Girl” (1998), Keri Russell. The Guardian put it to work for “professional posh person” Tara Palmer-Tomkinson in 2000; in 2001, the character of Amelie was an It girl (Globe and Mail); in 2002, it was Parker Posey, snowboarder Tara Dakides, Chelsea Clinton, and Italian Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi; in 2003, the WNBA’s Sue Bird and “Almost It Girl” Jaime Presley; in 2004, Belinda Stronach, CEO of Magna International, Lindsay Lohan, and Joanna Newsom.

Then it gets so ridiculous I can only offer you a semi-chronological It bomb:

Feist, Michelle Monaghan, war zone It girl Lara Logan, Michelle Wie, Margherita Missoni, “dewy It girl of spirituality” Marianne Williamson, lit’s It girl Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, tennis It girl Nicole Vaidisova, Carey Mulligan, Katherine Heigl, “It girl of the social network scene” Facebook, opera’s It girl Anna Netrebko, Pakistani politician Benazir Bhutto, George Clooney’s ex-girlfriend Sarah Larson, gymnast Shawn Johnson, The New Yorker cover of the Obamas fist-bumping, “It girl for the poorer, darker Russia” Agniya Kuznetsova, Alexa Chung (who published a book simply entitled It), Betty White, Blake Lively, CBC radio personality Frances Bay, Freida Pinto, “lesbian It girl” Ruby Rose, Frances Bean, San Francisco It girl Rose Pak, Elizabeth Olsen, Zooey Deschanel, “Russia’s Scandalous It Girl Kseniya Sobchak,” Carly Rae Jepsen, Lena Dunham, Gabby Douglas, “fashion’s new It girl…and boy Andrej Pejic,” Sofia Vergara, Suki Waterhouse, Annie Lennox’s daughter Tali, Kerry Washington, reality star Gigi Hadid, Lupita Nyong’o, Jennifer Lawrence, Pantone’s Color of the Year “Marsala,” model Cara Delevingne, Rita Ora, Kendall Jenner, hip-hop’s Jhené Aiko, “indie It girl” Aubrey Plaza, Ariana Grande, “director-DJ-designer” Vashtie Kola, softball player Mo’ne Davis, Emma Watson, Felicity Jones, Dakota Johnson, the Nine West It girl tote, French actress Clémence Poésy, Gossip Girl character Jenny Humphrey, “Piperlime’s new holiday It girl” Shay Mitchell and, from Vogue in 2014 alone, slideshows of British It girls, Japanese It girls, Korean It girls, country It girls, and Parisienne It girls.

According this list, an It girl can be a serious war reporter, a fearless politician, an impressive athlete, a person of color, over 40, over 80, a color, a magazine cover, a persona who buys an $80 tote, a social networking site, an androgynous man, a celebrity scion, a model, an Oscar-winning actress, a writer, a lesbian, a person who drinks wine from a terrifically ugly glass. The It girl’s gone democratic. But to what end?

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  You could argue that today’s hazy, often imprecise use of “It girl” isn’t indicative of lazy writing so much as an expanded understanding of what sex appeal, charisma, and the type of personality that can “change the chemistry of a room” might look like: women of different nationalities, sexualities, backgrounds, and careers.

That’s something worth celebrating, of course. But the persistence — or at least the resurgence — of the term in the mid-’90s also aligns with the rise of postfeminism, an ideological attitude in which the advances of second-wave feminism are traded in for the rhetoric of “choice”: freedom through self-objectification and consumption of goods, empowerment via the capacity to attract the attention of men, “girl power” in the place of systemic progress against patriarchy.

Those goals are a throwback to the 1920s understanding of female empowerment, a decade in which women reconciled freedoms enabled by suffrage, conspicuous consumption, and the entrance of women into the public sphere with the endurance of patriarchy. These “New Women,” as they were called, were “free” — to have jobs as shopgirls, to use their wages to buy things — but in a profoundly limited sense of the term.

And no one crystallized those contradictory freedoms better than Clara Bow, the original It girl. Bow was the cat’s pajamas, the bee’s knees, the real fucking deal. She was pretty, sure, but so were a lot of girls on the silent screen.

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  She had something more: a curious and beguiling mix of sex appeal and modernity and charisma that no one really knew how to describe — save cultural commentator and author Elinor Glyn, who, over the course of the ‘20s, coined the designation of “It” and held forth as its arbiter. While some equated “It” with sex appeal, Glyn made it something more complex: “The It factor lives in the girl who doesn’t know she’s beautiful, who’s utterly without self-consciousness or pretense.”

For years, Glyn resisted attributing “It” to any single star or public figure. But then Paramount optioned her It novella, crafted a very loose adaptation thereof, and cast Clara Bow in the lead, effectively marrying her name to the concept.

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Watch a clip from It, and you can come close to understanding the power over audiences Bow had in 1927. I think it probably felt like watching joy, or the future, or the first time you saw a firecracker. Part of the attraction stemmed from her cool-girl antics offscreen; part was her embodiment, vis-à-vis her character in It, of a specific ethos of female liberation and consumerism, shot through with the overarching goal of marriage. It was sex appeal, but it was also just short of truly transgressive.

Because when Bow did cross the line of acceptable female behavior — stringing too many men along, gambling, drinking — is when she fell from It girl favor. In 1927, she was arguably the biggest star in the world; by 1932, having weathered a string of scandals and high-profile breakups and a truly awful tabloid smear campaign, she retreated from Hollywood completely.

Yet the mantle of It girl remained hers: At her peak, during her decline, in retrospectives and film revivals, and in the obituary of her husband, actor and Nevada lieutenant governor Rex Bell, she is invariably referred to as “It girl Clara Bow.” Even as new stars (Jean Harlow, Mae West, Ava Gardner, Lana Turner) took up the mantle of Hollywood sexpot, the press and studios resisted dubbing them the latest It girl.

Outside of Hollywood, “It girl” was used to describe criminals and what would later be referred to as femme fatales: The “It Girl of Chicago Gangs,” mentioned in the Chicago Daily Tribune (1931), was “known to the police as ‘death angel’” and “all of her suitors met death by bullets or other violence.” Or, in the newspaper Afro-American, It girl Helene Morgan’s love meant “astonishing and tragic things” for the four men who fell for her.

“It girl” could also be highly localized: The Philadelphia Tribune followed the social life of “It Girl Miss Peggy Dee” in 1937, while the industrious men of MIT made elaborate plans for “a special meter, replete with electronic tubes” for a “unique method of testing college girls, office girls, and those who are ‘at home’” to devise “the amount of ‘It’ in their make-up.”

“It” was clearly still a concept with currency — and one plebes could possess in limited, apparently quantifiable amounts — but that concept remained powerfully linked to Bow. In the 1940s, however, “It girl” took on a new valence: a smart woman, usually one of few in her field, who played by men’s rules with wit, cunning, and style. The New Yorker used it for a 1940 profile of Dorothy Thompson, the so-called first lady of American journalism, who was a foreign correspondent, wife to author Sinclair Lewis, and a widely read columnist in the years preceding World War II.

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Dorothy Thompson with husband Sinclair Lewis. AP Photo

Thompson was a former suffragette and what my granddad would call a total pistol: stubborn and aggressive; sexy not for her body, but her mind. Lewis referred to the “international situation” (the burgeoning conflict in Europe) in relation to Thompson as “It,” thereby rendering her the It girl. It’s a play on the term, but it fostered a connotation of uniqueness, even brashness, that clings to contemporary uses of the phrase.

In 1946, for example, the Boston Globe called Clare Boothe Luce the “It girl of Congress,” a reference that referred not only to her status as a “glamorous representative” married to one of the most powerful publishers in the world, but also the presence of a fiercely intelligent, occasionally combative, and unequivocally beautiful woman in elected office.

During this period, the press also applied the term to various non-Hollywood spheres: Broadway’s It girl (Mabel Scott), It girl of European capitals (Una Mae), It girl of opera (Geraldine Farrar). But it wasn’t until Bow’s death in 1965 that the term was transmuted on to another type of girl.

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  It’s coincidence, really, that Edie Sedgwick began hanging out with Warhol the same year that Bow died. Yet the rise of Sedgwick — and the particular sort of waifish ingenue she represented — would guide another iteration of the It girl, this one marked by privilege, excess, and decline.

Sedgwick was an It girl without the specific designation: In June 1966, the New York Times grouped her with Warhol’s other “superstars”; a month later, Vogue featured her in a full-page spread, declaring her a “Youthquaker.”

The Times followed her around town, describing her antics with Warhol and Chuck Wein (“They made a scene in Paris by turning up at Castel’s with 15 rabbits and Edie clad in a white mink coat and black tights that have become her signature”) and habits (losing jewels, stripping to her bra and dancing in a pool, biting her nails). “It’s not that I’m rebelling,” she told the Times. “It’s that I’m just trying to find another way.”

Underground superstar, Youthquaker, but never an explicit It girl. She would be retrospectively dubbed as such — in the 2000s, reviews and publicity for Factory Girl, the Sienna Miller-starring film about Sedgwick, repeatedly made use of the term — but for most of the next three decades, the term was wielded only intermittently, affixed to a horse named “Bowl of Flowers,” the apparent “IT Girl of the Turf Scene,” Diana Ross (1988), young Jessica Lange (1983), and literary bête noire Tama Janowitz (1987) before the 1994 Sevigny profile sparked the It girl deluge.

In the early ‘30s, Clara Bow was forced to recognize the limitations of her freedoms when fans turned on her particular brand of sex appeal and behavior. Dance on tables, the instructions for It-ness went, but not too many tables. The label of “It girl” thus becomes a sort of rhetorical disciplinary device: a means of channeling a woman’s potential in a sexualized yet ultimately contained direction in which she attracts the gaze, but never controls it. Even the term’s application to Dorothy Thompson in 1940 or Benazir Bhutto in 2007 is a means of containing an otherwise unruly, powerful woman, transforming her accomplishments into a fad, a spectacle, the playful and ultimately unimportant work of a girl.

When I first saw the Rosamund Pike cover, I thought I was annoyed because of the misapplication of the term. Pike, I thought to myself, is no Clara Bow. But as I’ve thought more about the term, it’s become clear that maybe I’m just subconsciously irritated by the way in which popular magazines wield the term as the ultimate backhanded compliment.

Because it’s one thing to look back at Bow, and analyze, understand, and bemoan her It-ness, a label that simultaneously elevated her to the height of stardom and anchored her asunder. It’s another to see the term — and all its insidious, objectifying power — resurface, proliferate, and thrive nearly a century later. Only this time, it’s saddled not on one woman, but any woman who seems primed to be more than an object — an It, passive and pliable — in the narrative of their own lives. And that’s nothing to be celebrated on the cover of a magazine.

Read more: http://www.buzzfeed.com/annehelenpetersen/the-trouble-with-it-girls