#tess scali

[notsosecretlyalesbian]

"Did you also tell him I have a tattoo on my ass?"

Cher as Tess Scali in Burlesque (2010) dir. Steve Antin

[sugarbear2001]

Need her

[weezey-1]

I beg you, if you can find a way (bc they took it off Netflix, bitch) watch Burlesque!! If you can’t watch the movie, listen to the soundtrack!! It’s Gods work!!

Cher and Christina Aguilera working at a jazz bar? Perfect!! I love this movie!

[yelenablshop]

well wtf now im inlove with cher too

[tabswrites]

End of the Week Spotlight!

I thought it might be a fun idea to make a post every week reflecting on what I’ve written and read, including your amazing work!

Tess’s Highlights

Wrote about 3k in Ch. 12 of ToL

Had an amazing idea that resulted in a complete redo of Ch. 12…deleted everything. It’s so worth it. It’s absolute torture to have to keep quiet about it.

Finished editing the first chapter of TPS. It will be online tomorrow!

An art reveal for Irk, my sweet scaly child

Favorite Lines

1. How easy it is to judge the blind once your eyes have been opened. (ToL, Ch. 12)

2. Their preternatural movements were punctuated by rhythmic exhales that raised the hairs on the back of his neck. (ToL, Ch. 12)

3. “You don’t need to kill your enemy to defeat them. That’s just lazy.” (TPS, Ch. 1)

Spotlight

A place for me to shamelessly gush about my moots! I’d love to share my favorite quotes as I read, but if anyone is uncomfortable with that please let me know!

I finished Between a Rock and a Hard Place by @outpost51 a few weeks ago but I need to include it on this list because it was a roller coaster. Such a beautifully written, vivid and emotional read with a cast of characters you love to hate and hate to love (and everything in between).

I’m still being swept away by the emotional tornado that is Good Slaves Never Break the Rules by @clairelsonao3. It seems like every chapter I start off feeling kind of chill and by the end of it I’m either incredibly anxious or really mad. I’m loving the passion and chemistry between the MCs a lot.

And of course, my mind is always occupied by @writernopal’s scaly purple himbo and his walking anxiety disorder (I love Mariel. Mariel needs so much love). I really love jumping back into the world of As A Stranger, Or A Friend? each time. There’s so much to think about.

[oldschoolfic-ds9]

The Mugging

by Tess, 1999

Dana Scully from the X-Files meets Gul Dukat. Who *didn't* know they'd be a good match?

Words: 14280, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Rating: NC-17

Warnings: none listed

Characters: Dukat, Dana Scully (X Files)

Relationships: Dukat/Scully

Reader suggested tags (what are these?): Scaly Tales issue 5, crossover - The X Files

links (link broken? report it and try the archive.org alternative):

archive.org - option 1

[bradydugan8]

The Umbrellas of Cherboug is similar in how it reflects the hard times of the era in military drafting and how it levels out the romance melodramatically.

I think the more important component is the spectacle because the backstage component revolves around it, not the other way around. There could be a whole film just about on stage performances, there couldn't be one about the backstage.

The themes of masculinity and femininity in this film are interesting. While the dancers are empowered on stage, they are also sexualized. That being said, they aren't seen through the male gaze, rather through their own stories. Additionally, Tess Scali's strong female presence uplifts women in the film.

The escapism piece of the narrative is important, but not essential. If anything the spectacle is more about the characters involved in it, not those watching and escaping.

Burlesque in Expression

Christina Aguilera - Express (Burlesque)

How is the film related to the social context of the country during production?

When the musical Burlesque was released in 2010 the United States was still recovering from the financial crisis of 2008. This global economic downturn significantly impacted various industries, even the entertainment business, which suffered from the rapid decline of consumer spending. Burlesque's central narrative is rooted in themes of chasing dreams and finding success despite difficult circumstances which naturally resonated with audiences when the film was released. Along with this, the emphasis of female empowerment and solidarity grew even more culturally significant in 2010 when the discussion surrounding gender equality and women’s rights was rapidly gaining momentum. The establishment of International Women's Day and the creation of the global UN Women's Agency occurred in 2010 during this heightened period of global activism. Burlesque’s main character Ali leaves her small-town life behind to chase her dreams of becoming a star in Los Angeles. Her relationships with the other female characters in the film are ones of sisterhood and community even after feuds and rivalries because the community is a grounding force in the performances. Another crucial part of the narrative is Tess' fight to keep her theatre from being turned into a condo, playing into economic disparity between the wealthy and the working, highlighting other culturally relevant notions permeating society in 2010. Urban gentrification and redevelopment projects massively underwent in several large cities including Los Angeles which lead to an upturn of displaced business and residents to make room for office buildings, parking structures, and housing developments, like condos.

When it comes to Burlesque as a genre itself, however, it is a reflection of the social context of the time in which it is produced. In the 20th century burlesque was often a form of escapism during extreme periods of social and economic hardship like the Great Depression.

These shows portrayed performers through humorous themes and utilized social commentary that was specifically relevant to that era. Dances and shows would reflect on changing attitudes towards gender, sexuality, and societal norms which offered a space for expression that was not accessible to mainstream society. 

Shows in the Progressive Era (early 19th to 20th centuries) were often satirical of political figures, social norms, and cultural trends. They often involved comedic sketches and musical numbers that parodied current events, public figures, and politicians. Focusing on Los Angeles specifically in 1990s, the Velvet Hammer Burlesque was known for an avant-garde style that blended traditional elements with prevalent social commentary. These shows revolved around themes such as gender roles, sexuality, and body image, all challenging societal expectations and norms.

Burlesque is a time where the audience can sit back and watch while the performers can exist in an entirely different world that actively operates to critique the state of the current world through song and dance.

In what ways are the performance spaces separated from the narrative spaces in the film?

Unlike other musicals, the numbers within Burlesque do not drive the plot forward in a contemporary sense but rather embody a more internal and emotional significance for the character’s development throughout the films: they are just performances which physically mirror the emotional perseverance of each character. Ali's performances relate to the central message of the film rather than the moments that make it up. She performs because she needs to be on stage. And Tess, the owner of the club, performs because she needs to save the stage so the show can go on. Her song "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" is more profound and deeply reflective of her journey with the business and what it means if it goes away. For her the performing was never her reason for keeping the place running, it was about ensuring there was a space for stars to perform.

How is spectacle integrated into the film’s narrative?    

Spectacle is the essential feature of the narrative, however as described in the text the relationship between narrative and spectacle in this case is considered aggregate, meaning this relationship maintains a definite distinction between narrative and spectacle as two separate aspects of the film. The spectacle of putting on the performances is just one of the many layers of this relationship for this specific film. The performances serve as entertainment for the audience and a position of power for the characters, but these routines also work to explore thematic elements through the development of the characters.

Despite ongoing tensions among some of the girls within the club, the unifying force between them is the threat of losing the one place that makes them feel alive, that enables them to perform in the way they feel as though they were born to. In Ali's first performance "Something's Got a Hold On Me" she sings without a stage, revealing that a star can exist without a stage,but a performer relies on a stage to be a star. Once it becomes know that Ali's character can sing she gains even more recognition as someone to watch. This "star" quality separates her from the rest of the girls, playing into the Hollywood view of the more you can give, the more you'll make (and the more they'll take). A large component of the "spectacle" as mentioned in the text is the integration of the viewer as the "'internal audience" which "retreats into offscreen space', allowing the performance to be 'truly all for us'" (1982, p28). The contrast between narrative and spectacle consequently heightens the perception of both.

3:20

What is the role of dance and movement in relation to the film’s narrative and spectacle?    

Choreographed dance numbers serve as expressions of thematic elements, emotional sequences, and interpersonal relationships. Because of the wide range of dance whether it be graceful, energetic and comedic, or sensual, a variety of emotions are conveyed through several different routines. The routines serve several purposes: transfixation of the audience through elaborate dances and costume design, a platform for the performers to therefore captivate the audience and subsequently convey thematic elements and messages through these routines, which is a compilation of the elements that make up the Burlesque performances. And to exist in opposition, though unbeknownst to audiences, Burlesque is a reflection of those who come to watch. The songs act as a mirror for society to examine themselves in a medium that is laughable but digestible. It is unironic in it's irony, leaving the audience laughing, unable to distinguish who the joke was really and truly about. The effects of the two worlds of the backstage musical Feuer discusses is this sense of "double identification" both the inclusion of the creation of the spectacle itself backstage ,and the viewing of the spectacle as the audience.

In what ways does impossibility within the film ensure the audience escapes from reality?    

Within the film impossibility exists on stage so both the audience and characters live beyond the basis of reality. The dramatic costumes accompanied with music, lights, and props distort forms of reality for the characters and the audience as it creates a world of unlikely desires and imaginative ideas. This heightened reality where anything appears possible allows viewers to suspend belief and immerse themselves in this world of spectacle and fantasy. Because the characters’ main goals are to be apart of this show their desire to escape is almost more intense than those who pay to witness it. On a larger scale, the theme of impossibility and escapism is largely the central force of the film as it is designed around the main character leaving her small life behind to chase her dreams in Los Angeles.

Questions:

Are there any other musicals that offer reflection, whether satirical or not, of current social and economic circumstances?

Considering that these musicals are backstage, would you argue that the narrative separation from spectacle is what makes the musical backstage, or is it the spectacle removed from the narrative? Essentially: what is the more significant component of this type of musical, would the narratives function if the music was incorporated differently?

Burlesque is an interesting case considering masculinity, but for the other musicals, what was the gender dynamic within the film? In the text it's made clear Berkeley's dancers were mainly female as they were "spectacles all on their own," how does this impact the musicals discussed today?

How central is escapism to the narrative of your musical? Would there be a narrative without this element, or what would the story morph into in lieu of it?

@theuncannyprofessoro

[house-of-slayterr]

The Feminine Urge: 😍

[singinprincess]

SPL Gifmas ↪ Cher + One By One for @tess-scali​ ♥

[chers-cheekbones]

tess-scali → chers-cheekbones lol

[sarcasmisalifechoice]

🎬 10 characters 10 fandoms 10 tags

Tagged by my beautiful (inside and out) wife @longlive-allthememories

Adam Parrish - The Raven Cycle/The Dreamer Trilogy

Alina Starkov - Grishaverse/Shadow and Bone

Fiona Gallagher - US Shameless

Even Bech Næsheim - SKAM

Concha Pérez - The Devil Is A Woman

Mortimer Brewster - Arsenic and Old Lace

Magüi Moreno - Paquita Salas

Tess Scali - Burlesque

Grace Ryder - 911: Lone Star

Allison Reynolds - All For The Game

Tagging la ganga obvi plus some pretty cool people @alicechesire @eskamtrash @jackredfieldwasmyjacob @jackredfieldwasmyjacob @bisexual-katharine-hepburn @kindaemotionalkindaemotionless @inthedarkofficial @sinnamonroll417 @lozzlecopter10 @fullsunsunoo

[thediaryofatheatrekid]

Dreamcast the upcoming Burlesque Musical please. I’m kind of seeing Donna Murphy playing Tess.

Eh... I like Donna, but I don’t think she has the right stuff for Tess.

Micaela Diamond as Ali

Queen Latifah as Tess Scali

Corey Cott as Jack

Taylor Louderman as Nikki

Billy Porter as Sean

Ben Lewis as Marcus Gerber

Peppermint as Alexis

Catherine Ricafort as Georgia

Norbert Leo Butz as Vince Scali

I feel that the best thing Burlesque can do is make sure to cast a wide variety of people. Don’t set out purposefully and say “I want (insert requirement) for (insert character)” because then you’re just limiting yourself, but let it happen naturally. Burlesque would be a great show to feature people of any shape, size, gender, race, ethnicity (Something that Moulin Rouge! failed to do...) This story takes place in an LA Night club so there would be people from all different backgrounds.

[yelenablshop]

bring cher as well, i swear ill be good i mean i wont swear ill pinky promise ☺️

I want Miranda Priestly for my birthday

[oosteven-universe]

Dungeons & Dragons: A Darkened Wish #2

Dungeons & Dragons: A Darkened Wish #2 IDW Publishing 2019 Written by B. Dave Walters Illustrated by Tess Fowler Coloured by Jay Fotos Lettered by Neil Uyetake     When war threatens the Moonshae Isles, legendary heroes return to defeat the forces of an unthinkable foe. Enter Hoondarrh: the Red Rage of Mintarn; the Sleeping Wyrm of Skadaurak; a Red dragon of legendary size, cunning, and strength. None shall prevail against his might.     This is a wondrous story as it's being told by Dave and Tess, with Jay and Neil. One of the things that impresses me a lot is that the writing and the artwork go so well together. The story is strong and has this fantastic ebb& flow to how we see the events unfold thanks to this amazing pacing, story & plot development and character development. Yet the interiors and the way Tess renders them really gives this that something extra when it comes to characterisation.     Then and now storytelling can be somewhat complicated but it's nice to see how Dave manages it here. As the first part of the book is the past and the latter is the present doesn't hurt matters and it gives us a chance to see the events that lead us to the present. It is also interesting to see how time has changed the characters that we see. There is a great feel to the introduction to a slew of new characters this issue and to actually see how an artificer can be utilised in this setting. After all Janolus and his ship that he now has well it certainly is rather unique to be seen here.     The characterisation that we see here is phenomenal. To see the twins so happy and carefree and seemingly knowing whomever they come across and it could've come across so annoying but Dave manages to make cool and interesting. I love the Captain and one other passenger on this ship, Shandeir. That old broad is awesome and while the other around dote she's not having any of that and she's a feisty one to boot, sigh I would love to see a story centred around her someday.     Tess' work on the interiors is so utterly gorgeous she makes this crew and this part of the world look as fabulous as can be. The linework and how the varying weights have been manipulated to create the attention to detail that we see is exciting, vibrant and alive. Bonus for showing a hairy chest as well. Then there's the ageing process that's been done here from a teen to adult they've been rendered extremely well. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a strong, talented eye for storytelling. Also that we see backgrounds being utilised as they are is marvellous, they enhance the moments and bring a nice sense of size and scope to the story. The colour work here for me is interesting as I know Jay can do some masterful work but I'm not really seeing that so much here. There is a lot of flat colour and the shading and tones just don't show the normal depth I am used to seeing.     Between the storytelling and the action sequences things feel like once they get started it is like the proverbial snowball down a steep hill. It keeps getting bigger and bigger with turn of the page. There is this wonderful playfulness of the past that shows a moment in time that changes them forever okay not necessary show that moment but the series of events that lead to it. Either way this is that catalyst moment and I cannot wait to see what is in store for the group. I mean I am dying to know what's become of the blue boy who's blue scaly face and androgynous look and bisexual nature as well as Helene's best friend. ​     This is captivating storytelling in ever sense of the word and that we get to see it come to life before our eyes is a treat. ​

[oldschoolfic-ds9]

Destiny

by Tess, 1999

Dukat falls head over heels with Deanna Troi when she appears on DS9 for a diplomatic convention. Deanna finds the Cardassian former Prefect to be a very intriguing man.

Words: 10973, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Rating: NC-17

Warnings: none listed

Characters: Dukat, Deanna Troi

Relationships: Dukat/Deanna Troi

Reader suggested tags (what are these?): Scaly Tales issue 2, crossover - Star Trek: The Next Generation, AU

links (link broken? report it and try the archive.org alternative):

archive.org - option 1 / option 2

[bookwyrmnick]

Human+

I recently read one of these "humans are weird" posts that mentioned that humans are not apex predators.  We're a 2.2 on a scale of 5.  We're not even the middle of the food chain.  Level 3 is carnivores that eat herbivores.  Level 4 is carnivores that eat other carnivores.  Level 5 is the "apex predator", which is any carnivore that has nothing that preys on it. We manage to be space orcs despite our low rank, which is impressive enough.

But given how heavily people modify their bodies with the technology we have now, with piercings and tattoos and even filing their teeth and getting horns grafted on, and given that we already can sometimes use the hearts of other animals when our hearts stop working, and given that science is already working on human/animal hybrids… what if we made ourselves a 5?

----

It wasn't common, before we made first contact.  There were humans who grafted on animal ears or tails for cosmetic reasons, and animal eyes were a popular 'upgrade'.  It wasn't until we were exposed to the vastness of space and the staggering variety of deadly predators on other planets that invasive cross-species body-modification became a 'thing'.

The most common recipients of such procedures were explorers funded by a group seeking new planets to colonize; a full overhaul of your body didn't come cheap, after all.  But when you're trying to prepare for a totally new environment, the best tool you can have is your own body.  

At first glance, he didn't look that different from most humans.  His head was hairless, and appeared scaly, but it was assumed that it was one of those "tattoos" humans were fond of.  He always wore clothing that covered him from neck to toe, even gloves, but that was also not unheard-of among humans.  Germophobes and people who simply find themselves cold often tended to cover up like that.

So it wasn't until several days into the expedition that the extent of his mods became apparent.  He was leading the party through a trail in the strange, red-vine-choked jungle, when, without warning, a scaled, six-legged thing leapt from the underbrush, latching onto his shoulders with its forepaws and raking his torso with the other four paws.

For one horrible moment, the aliens were certain that they were all going to die.  Then he balled his hands together and swung them up into the creature's gut, flinging it off him.  Tattered fabric fell from his shoulders, revealing that the scales on his head covered his entire torso, and it was immediately apparent that they were no mere tattoos.  

Claws ripped through the fabric of his gloves as he rushed the winded beast, smashing his forehead against its muzzle.  The blood that sprayed from the impact was not his.

When the forest was quiet, and the thing lay dead, one of the aliens plucked hesitantly at the sleeve of another of the humans in the expedition.  "Human-Tess…"  It paused a moment, trying to phrase the question politely despite the alarm ringing in its mind.  "We were under the impression that humans were the only sapient species on your planet."

Tess laughed.  "Oh, he's human.  The company just sprung to give him a little extra, y'know?"

A little extra?  Human+?  Horror beyond description.