#the cult of st michael | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

fuckyeahgoodomens · 2 years ago

Text

A great interview with Michael with Collider :), mostly no spoilers (or what already been said elsewhere :)❤)

COLLIDER: Obviously, when you were making the first season of this show, you had the book to work off of, you had a characterization to work off of, but because this season is an all-new thing that Neil Gaiman has written, did you get to work with him at all to develop what Aziraphale was doing this season, or was it all dependent on what he wrote?

MICHAEL SHEEN: Yes, I think when we were doing the first season, Neil always talked about the idea that he and Terry [Pratchett] had talked quite a bit about future storylines and that they had worked out quite a lot of it, actually. They just never got around to writing it down in a book. So there was quite a lot of material already in his head. One of the wonderful things about this, as well, working on this project, has been how much myself and David have been able to collaborate with Neil on the characters and inhabit them and bring them to life, and developing the relationship between them and the storylines. So it’s felt very collaborative, but then, of course, Neil is very good at making it feel collaborative even when he knows exactly what he wants.

QUESTION: Speaking of that relationship between Crowley and Aziraphale, you are obviously quite close with David Tennant. You work with him not only on this but also on Staged. What's it like getting to put that friendship dynamic to use on those shows, especially since Staged is something that's so completely different from Good Omens?

SHEEN: It's just wonderful, really. You know, often you work with actors that perhaps you have very good chemistry with on-screen or on stage, but maybe off-stage, off-screen there's not a particular spark. It's fine, but there's nothing particularly special about your relationship on stage or on-screen. Then other times, there are people you get along with really, really well, but maybe there isn't necessarily that amazing chemistry on-screen or on stage. So it's very rare that you have both. I think with us, we've just sort of discovered that that is the case, or it seems to be that people feel like we have good chemistry together when we're working. And we just have a lovely time together in between working as well, so it's such a pleasure to be able to do that, and to be able to work on projects like Good Omens and Staged with the characters that we play in those. It's just a real joy, so, you know, long may it continue.

QUESTION: Personally, I love the relationship between Aziraphale and Crowley, and the show has had such a massive fan response. How much are you aware of that, and what do you hope fans take away from this season as opposed to the first one?

SHEEN: Oh, I'm very much aware of it. Yeah, it's one of the most enjoyable aspects of working on this, to see how much the audience and in particular Good Omen fans just give to the project. It does feel like a fulfilled kind of creative collaboration with the fans as well. There's so much talent when people come to writing fanfiction or artwork, or just discussing ideas or things that have sort of been born out of it. I mean, there are all kinds of amazing groups who fundraise now for charities and do all kinds of incredible things. There are conventions and all sorts. I love that, and I love seeing how people have made friends, really close friends, through their connection to this and these characters in this story, and how communities have been created, and how much people are helping each other. I see all that online and I hear about it. It feels very in the spirit of the story, you know, it feels very in keeping with what it's all about. I think that's a big part of why Neil and I and the rest of us have all really opened ourselves to that fan community, because I think it feels like a very living part of the story.

QUESTION: How do you think Aziraphale has changed between where we leave him at the end of Season 1 and the beginning of Season 2? Is there anything unusual that we can expect from him this season?

SHEEN: Well, I think he's in a quite odd position for him because, on the one hand, he's got a lot of the things that he's always wanted. He's always wanted to just be left alone and live in his bookshop, and drink tea and listen to music, and read books and go to the theater, and eat nice meals and drink nice wine, and be with the being that he loves being with the most. But on the other hand, he's also someone who feels very anxious about not being part of the company, you know, being out on his own and sort of independent. It’s quite a challenge for him. It’s that thing about “be careful what you wish for.” He got what he wished for, but he still feels a bit off-kilter, I think, and then this unexpected guest arrives and turns the world upside down for him again.

But one of the things that we wanted to explore with Aziraphale in this series is perhaps finding something a little steelier underneath the apparent soft surface, that maybe there's something else going on under there. So we see that kind of come out as the story goes on, as well.

QUESTION: In addition to playing Aziraphale, you also did the voice for Lucifer in The Sandman audio series, which is obviously also a Neil Gaiman joint. So what's the difference between playing an angel and playing a demon?

SHEEN: Well, of course, Lucifer is an angel, was once a fallen angel. My first experience of Neil’s work was The Sandman. That was what I first read when I was still a teenager in the late ‘80s, and it just absolutely blew my mind and opened me up to all kinds of things and started a journey [with] Neil’s work, but also all the people that Neil kind of points you towards through his work as well. It opened so many doors for me. So to be able to then be a part of The Sandman world, as well, to play such an iconic character, it was and is, because we're still doing it, just a bit of a dream come true.

QUESTION: I have one last question for you, and it's a little bit of a silly one. One of the most iconic parts of Good Omens is Crowley's Bentley, which is cursed to play nothing but Queen songs forever and ever. I would love to know what you think Aziraphale’s favorite Queen song is.

SHEEN: Well, I think he likes the more operatic ones. So he probably…I think he likes “Bohemian Rhapsody.” All those nifty chorus bits. He’d love that. So yes, probably “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

#good omens #gos2 #season 2 #michael sheen #interview #michael interview #fun fact #aziraphale's favourite queen song #queen #bohemian rhapsody #collider #collider 2024 #s2 interview

394 notes · View notes

gayleviticus · 3 months ago

Text

reading a lot about st marys in exile - a catholic church in aus which was quite progressive and social justicey but got their priest removed for not observing liturgy right in a few ways and questioning key doctrines like the divinity of christ etc. so the congregation formed their own splinter chuch that seems to have basically become fancy liturgical Unitarian universalism

but anyway, it's interesting, because obviously the st marys guys want to frame the story as 'we were punished for being progressive' - but the actual problem was largely to do with things like using a different baptismal formula or questioning the divinity of jesus etc. not that the bishop hated them letting homeless people in

at the same time, you might argue that it was harsh of the church hierarchy to make such a big deal when they were doing that kind of good work. does liturgical uniformity matter that much?

but I think there is something to be said for like... adhering to a shared liturgy not because the alternative is sinful, but as a sign of respect for others? doing more or less the same thing as every other catholic church shows you want to be in community with them and values that shared tradition

(also specifically on doing baptism improperly - the uniformity of the baptism rite isn't just about the catholic church insisting you do things this way; it's about having one consistent baptism shared among all historic trinitarian Christians. getting baptised 'right' isn't just because the pope said so, but because it's something that's shared between most denominations. it's a sign of communion in a fragmented body of Christ

and so even if you think it doesn't matter whether you do baptism right, it still seems quite insensitive to me for a priest to do weird and quirky things with baptism because it's like your passport into all of Christianity. it would be really annoying years later to want to become orthodox or anglican or whatever and not having a clear, simple answer on whether you need to be rebaptised because the priest decided to put his own spin on it. it's like if the DMV clerk gave you their own little hand drawn drivers license)

and it's interesting reading the blog posts of Michael carden, a left gay fringe catholic, who is actually quite critical of the st marys in exile hagiography - they'd decided by their actions they didn't want to be catholic, and he suggests the whole thing had become a bit of cult of personality for the main two priests. he's no lover of church authoritarianism nor anti social justice at all; but he bemoans the fact that what could have been a strong progressive voice within the catholic church basically exiled themselves into irrelevance as a fringe community simply because they didn't want to wear vestments

#christianity #religion

8 notes · View notes

the-girl-who-didnt-smile · 8 months ago

Text

RE: Was Baron Samedi worshiped in New Orleans prior to the late 20th century?

This one is also about the actual lwa.

Baron Samedi can aptly be described as not just the most iconic lwa, but one of the most iconic things from New Orleans Voodoo. Ironically, I have only found inconclusive evidence that he was worshiped in New Orleans during the 19th or early 20th centuries.

In American popular media, Baron Samedi is frequently conflated with other Haitian deities, called the Gede. The real-life Baron Samedi has his origins in Haitian Vodou, as does Maman Brigitte (Gran Brijit). The Haitian lwa are derived from African deities, among the most important being the Dahomean trickster god Legba (himself, derived from the Yoruba deity Eshu). Over the course of Haitian history, Dahomean Legba was refracted into Papa Legba, Met Kalfou, and the Gede - by extension, the Bawons, including Baron Samedi. This explains why the Gede are trickster deities of sexuality and liminality, who embrace all that is taboo - just like Dahomean Legba!

19th Century New Orleans Voodoo was greatly influenced by Haitian Vodou, due to the massive influx of Haitian refugees that arrived in the Crescent City after the Haitian Revolution. Following the post-Revolution migration wave, several Haitian lwa became features of New Orleans Voodoo, including:

Papa Legba → “Papa Limba” or “La Bas”, syncretized with St. Peter

Damballah → “Daniel Blanc”, syncretized with St. Michael

Agassu → “Yon Sue”, syncretized with St. Anthony

Ogou Feray could have also been worshiped as “Joe Ferraille” (“Joe Feray”), and Ayizan Velekete as “Vériquité”. While the Erzulies were not directly worshiped per se, veneration of Mother Mary was a key feature of 19th century New Orleans Voodoo. (The Erzulies are syncretized with Mother Mary.)

(I should also note that, in New Orleans, the lwa were called “spirits”, while Bon Dieu/Bondye was simply called “God”)

During the 19th century, the two most important lwa were probably Papa Legba - the Doorkeeper - and Damballah - the most ancient of the lwa. This would explain why their names appear most frequently in 19th- and 20th-century sources, especially in large scale rituals. Damballah might have been refracted into multiple deities, including “Daniel Blanc” and “Zombi the Snake God” – a deity famously associated with Marie Laveau. Others argue that “Grand Zombi” is actually derived from the Kongo supreme deity Nzambi Mpungu, or an invention fabricated by journalists.

A third key deity – “Onzancaire” / “Monsieur Assonquer” – might have been associated with Ogou Feray – one of the most important Haitian lwa. However, the origins of “Onzancaire” are elusive. Because so many different theories have been proposed, I do not know where his true origins lie.

Other deities of non-Haitian origin were also features of New Orleans Voodoo. St. Marron (Jean St. Malo) was the New Orleanian folk saint of runaway slaves. Mother Leafy Anderson – founder of the Spiritual Church Movement in New Orleans – introduced worship of the Native American Saint Black Hawk (see: Kodi A. Roberts (2015) Voodoo and Power: The Politics of Religion in New Orleans, 1881–1940). My understanding is that “Dr. John” (Jean Montaigne) was also deified, in a similar manner to St. Black Hawk. Orisha, such as Shango and Oya, may too have been worshiped. Other deities are listed here and here.

Baron Samedi is conspicuously absent. I think this has to do with the history of Haitian Vodou. Prior to the Haitian Revolution, Haitian Vodou was less of an organized religion, described as a "widely-scattered series of local cults" (see: The Social History of Haitian Vodou, p. 134). It was between the years 1804 and 1860 that Haitian Vodou began to stabilize into a clear predecessor of its present form. (see: The Social History of Haitian Vodou, p. 139) This period of stabilization took place after the migration wave of the early 19th century, which could explain why key features of Haitian Vodou are missing from 19th century New Orleans. For example, I have yet to find evidence that division of the Petwo and Rada lwa made it over to American soil. The refraction of Dahomean Legba might have never been transmitted by Haitian refugees, which would explain the absence of Met Kalfou and the Gede/Bawons from worship.

This too explains why the Papa Legba of American history was both Doorkeeper AND Guardian of the Crossroads. It has been theorized that the legendary “Devil at the Crossroads” was actually Met Kalfou. However, this “Devil” does not match the appearance of Kalfou, described as "no ancient, feeble man...huge and straight and vigorous, a man in the prime of his life." Instead, the one at “the Crossroads” appears as a limping old man who loves music and dogs (“Hellhound on my Trail”). It’s Papa Legba!

Rather than Kalfou, I think American Papa Legba actually inherits his more menacing attributes from Eshu. This would explain why he walks with a limp (like Eshu), is notoriously vengeful (like Eshu), and is sometimes described as androgynous (like Eshu!).

In any case, the Papa Legba of American history can be clearly traced back to Haiti. His appearance as a limping old man is inherited from Haitian Papa Legba; his love of dogs and music from Dahomean Legba. 19th century sources clearly identify him with Saint Peter (“St. Peter, St. Peter, open the door;”) The same cannot be said for Baron Samedi. He was probably not syncretized with St. Expedite, because St. Expedite “did not achieve popularity until the late 1800s or early 1900s in New Orleans” – long after the Haitian migration wave.

I have found one compelling source that places worship of Baron Samedi in 19th century New Orleans. Creole author Denise Alvarado is something of an expert on this topic, her being born and raised in New Orleans. In Witch Queens, Voodoo Spirits, and Hoodoo Saints: A Guide to Magical New Orleans (2022), Denise Alvarado identifies a “Spirit of Death” with Baron Samedi / Papa Gede. The most convincing piece of evidence comes from the second interview, in which the interviewee describes a ceremony where attendees donned purple robes. The color purple has been historically associated with Papa Gede (by extension, Baron Samedi).

That being said, I do think the evidence Alvarado provides is tenuous. Without additional context, it’s difficult to say whether the purple robes are truly linked to the Haitian lwa. The other newspaper article sounds rather sensationalized. The 19th century saw horrendous news coverage of New Orleans Voodoo, where reporters would exaggerate or straight-up fabricate details to demonize Vodouisants. The reporter’s description of the spirits of death does not align with the Haitian Gede or Bawons. It is important to remember that New Orleans Voodoo is not entirely Haitian in origin. Several other traditional African spiritualities are woven into New Orleans Voodoo. Prior to the Haitian migration wave of the early 19th century, one of the main influences was Kongo spirituality, in which ancestor veneration is central. Additionally, the newspaper cited is from the year 1890 – years after Marie Laveau’s death. The reliability of this article is therefore questionable. I think this could be a Damballah / “Grand Zombi” situation, where this “Spirit of Death” bears superficial resemblance to the lwa but isn’t actually him. It is also possible that he is simply a fabrication by journalists.

The defamation of Vodou continued into the early 20th century, as Haiti was occupied by the U.S. between the years 1915 and 1934. I don’t see how worship of the Gede/Bawons could have been transmitted to New Orleans between the end of the Haitian migration wave and year 1934. There’s a good chance that Baron Samedi / Papa Gede only properly became features of New Orleans Vodou during the revitalization movement of the late 20th century.

As such, I propose two hypotheses:

Baron Samedi was not properly worshiped in New Orleans until the late 20th century. He quickly rose in popularity, as he was easily grafted onto the pre-existing worship of the spirits of the dead (ancestors).

Alvarado has correctly identified Baron Samedi / Papa Gede with the “Spirit of Death”; however, this “Spirit of Death” was a radical departure from his Haitian predecessor, taking on a markedly different form from the lwa.

But that’s all just a Theory… A GAME THEORY!!!

…Anyways, annotated bib:

Marshall, Emily Zobel. American Trickster: Trauma, Tradition and Brer Rabbit. Rowman & Littlefield, 2019.

Chapter 1 ("African Trickster in the Americas") describes Dahomean Legba’s origins in the Yoruba deity Eshu.

Cosentino, Donald. "Who is that fellow in the many-colored cap? Transformations of Eshu in old and new world mythologies." Journal of American Folklore (1987): 261-275. https://www.jstor.org/stable/540323.

From the abstract: “Myths of Eshu Elegba, the trickster deity of the Yoruba of Nigeria, have been borrowed by the Fon of Dahomey and later transported to Haiti, where they were personified by the Vodoun in the loa Papa Legba. In turn, this loa was refracted into the corollary figures of Carrefour and Ghede.” Accessed here: https://www.centroafrobogota.com/attachments/article/24/17106647-Ellegua-Eshu-New-World-Old-World.pdf

Haitian immigration : Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries. The African American Migration Experience. https://www.inmotionaame.org/print.cfm@migration=5.htm

Describes post-Haitian Revolution migration wave like so: “the number of immigrants [from Haiti to New Orleans] skyrocketed between May 1809 and June 1810… The 1809 migration brought 2,731 whites, 3,102 free persons of African descent, and 3,226 enslaved refugees to the city, doubling its population.”

Fandrich, Ina J. “Yorùbá Influences on Haitian Vodou and New Orleans Voodoo.” Journal of Black Studies, vol. 37, no. 5, 2007, pp. 775–91. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40034365. Accessed 23 June 2024.

Mentions worship of Ogou Feray as “Joe Ferraille”. Fandirch herself cites Long, C. M. (2001). Spiritual merchants. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, p. 56: https://archive.org/details/spiritualmerchan0000long/page/56/mode/2up?

Long, Carolyn Morrow. A New Orleans voudou priestess: The legend and reality of Marie Laveau. University Press of Florida, 2007, p. 247: https://books.google.com/books?id=_XzSEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT247#v=onepage&q&f=false

Mentions worship of Ayizan Velekete as (the male) “Vériquité”.

Anderson, Jeffrey E. Hoodoo, voodoo, and conjure: A handbook. Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2008, p. 15: https://books.google.com/books?id=TH7DEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15#v=onepage&q&f=false

Relevant quote: "Blanc Dani, Papa Lébat, and Assonquer make the most frequent appearances in both nineteenth- and twentieth-century sources. The first two, in particular, figure prominently in large-scale rituals."

Humpálová, Denisa. "Voodoo in Louisiana." (2012). https://dspace5.zcu.cz/bitstream/11025/5338/1/BP%20Denisa%20Humpalova%202012.pdf

One of several sources that identifies “Grand Zombi” with Nzambi Mpungu.

Posits that “Grand Zombi” could be derived from Nzambi Mpungu, or "may be the invention of journalists inspired by "zombie tales" of Haiti's infamous living dead, combined with Moreau de Saint-Méry’s endlessly repeated description of a snake-worshiping ceremony in colonial Saint Domingue."

Anderson, Jeffrey E. Voodoo: An African American Religion. LSU Press, 2024, p. 46: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Voodoo/O-v3EAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22assonquer%22+%22azewe%22+vodou&pg=PA46&printsec=frontcover

Describes several possible origins for the elusive “Onzancaire”, including a theory that he was a deity related to Ogou Feray.

Long, Carolyn Morrow. A New Orleans voudou priestess: The legend and reality of Marie Laveau. University Press of Florida, 2007, p. 236: https://books.google.com/books?id=_XzSEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT236#v=onepage&q&f=false

One of several sources to describe St. Marron (Jean St. Malo).

Roberts, Kodi A. Voodoo and Power: The Politics of Religion in New Orleans, 1881-1940. LSU Press, 2015, p. 82: https://books.google.com/books?id=EWOkCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT82&lpg=PT82

Describes how Mother Leafy Anderson (founder of the Spiritual Church Movement) “found” St. Black Hawk, introducing him to New Orleans Voodoo.

Alvarado, Denise. Witch Queens, Voodoo Spirits, and Hoodoo Saints: A Guide to Magical New Orleans. Weiser Books, 2022, p. 39: https://books.google.com/books?id=ktlWEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA39&lpg=PA39#v=onepage&q&f=false

Posits that high priestess Betsy Toledano worshiped the Orisha Shango and Oya during the 19th century.

Anderson, Jeffrey E. Hoodoo, voodoo, and conjure: A handbook. Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2008, p. 15: https://books.google.com/books?id=TH7DEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15#v=onepage&q&f=false

List of deities worshiped in 19th century New Orleans Voodoo.

Alvarado, Denise. Witch Queens, Voodoo Spirits, and Hoodoo Saints: A Guide to Magical New Orleans. Weiser Books, 2022, p. 126: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Witch_Queens_Voodoo_Spirits_and_Hoodoo_S/ktlWEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA126

Another list of deities worshiped in 19th century New Orleans Voodoo.

Mintz, Sidney & Trouillot, Michel-Rolph (1995) “The social history of Haitian Vodou” in Cosentino, Donald J., ed., Sacred Arts of Vodou, Chapter 4. LA: UCLA Fowler Museum, 123-47. P. 134: https://ghettobiennale.org/files/Trouillot_Mintz_LOW.pdf

Describes Haitian Vodou as a "widely-scattered series of local cults" prior to the Haitian Revolution.

Mintz, Sidney & Trouillot, Michel-Rolph (1995) “The social history of Haitian Vodou” in Cosentino, Donald J., ed., Sacred Arts of Vodou, Chapter 4. LA: UCLA Fowler Museum, 123-47. P. 139: https://ghettobiennale.org/files/Trouillot_Mintz_LOW.pdf

Describes the stabilization of Haitian Vodou into a predecessor of its current form. This occurred between the years following the Haitian Revolution and year 1860.

Deren, Maya. Divine Horsemen : The Living Gods of Haiti. New Paltz, NY: McPherson, 1983 (originally published in 1953), p. 101: https://archive.org/details/divinehorsemenli00dere/page/100/mode/2up

Description of Kalfou (Carrefour) as "no ancient, feeble man...huge and straight and vigorous, a man in the prime of his life." Deren conducted her ethnographic work during the 1940s and 1950s.

Marvin, Thomas F. “Children of Legba: Musicians at the Crossroads in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man.” American Literature, vol. 68, no. 3, 1996, pp. 587–608. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2928245. Accessed 23 June 2024.

Description of “The Devil at the Crossroads” as a musical genius and “limping old black man”: “Most versions of this story instruct the aspiring musician to bring his instrument to a lonely crossroads at midnight and await the arrival of a limping old black man who will tune the instrument, play it briefly, and then return it endowed with supernatural power."

Robert Johnson’s song “Hellhound on My Trail” identifies “The Devil at the Crossroads” with Papa Legba, who is associated with dogs.

Long, Carolyn Morrow. A New Orleans voudou priestess: The legend and reality of Marie Laveau. University Press of Florida, 2007, p. 244: https://books.google.com/books?id=_XzSEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT244&lpg=PT244#v=onepage&q&f=false

Relevant quote: "Mary Washington, born in 1863, said she was trained in the arts of Voudou by Marie Laveau. She remembered a song that was sung at the weekly ceremonies: "St. Peter, St. Peter open the door; I am callin' you, come to me; St. Peter, St. Peter open the door." Mrs. Washington explained that "St. Peter was called La Bas, St. Michael was Daniel Blanc, and Yon Sue was St. Anthony." She also mentioned a spirit called Onzancaire."

Alvarado, Denise. The Magic of Marie Laveau: Embracing the Spiritual Legacy of the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans. Weiser Books, 2020, p. 57: https://books.google.com/books?id=SZOMDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA57&lpg=PA57#v=onepage&q&f=false

Relevant quote: “Baron Samedi remains a popular and powerful force in New Orleans Voudou today, along with his wife Manman Brigit. He is syncretized with St. Expedite, among the most popular of saints in New Orleans. We do not hear of St. Expedite in association with Marie Laveau, however, because he did not achieve popularity until the late 1800s or early 1900s in New Orleans (Alvarado 2014).”

Alvarado, Denise. Witch Queens, Voodoo Spirits, and Hoodoo Saints: A Guide to Magical New Orleans. Weiser Books, 2022, pp. 127-128: https://books.google.com/books?id=GsofEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA127&lpg=PA127#v=onepage&q&f=false

This is the strongest evidence I could find that Baron Samedi / Papa Gede was worshiped in 19th - early 20th Century New Orleans.

Deren, Maya. Divine Horsemen : The Living Gods of Haiti. New Paltz, NY: McPherson, 1983 (originally published in 1953), p. 107: https://archive.org/details/dli.ernet.505921/page/107/mode/2up?q=purple

Historical evidence that, since at least the 1940s, Papa Gede’s colors are “black or purple”. To this day, purple is associated with Baron Samedi and the Gede as a whole.

Long, Carolyn Morrow. A New Orleans voudou priestess: The legend and reality of Marie Laveau. University Press of Florida, 2007, p. 250: https://books.google.com/books?id=_XzSEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT250&lpg=PT250

Relevant quote: “The religion that evolved in nineteenth-century New Orleans and was embraced by Marie Laveau and her Voudou society combined traditions introduced by the first Senegambian, Fon, Yoruba, and Kongo slaves with Haitian Vodou, European magic, and folk Catholicism. It also absorbed the beliefs of blacks imported from Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas during the slave trade of the 1830s–1850s. These “American Negroes” were English-speaking, at least nominally Protestant, and practiced a heavily Kongo-influenced kind of hoodoo, conjure, or rootwork. New Orleans Voudou is therefore not identical to Haitian Vodou, but represents a unique North American blend of African and European religious and magical Traditions.”

Describes major Senegambian and Kongo influences on New Orleans Voodoo, prior to the Haitian Revolution. Relevant quote: “New Orleans's African population was Kongo dominated with a strong affinity with the spirits of the dead…Dahomeyan influence occurred only indirectly through the Haitian refugees who "flooded" the city after 1808. In 1809 alone, more than 10,000 Haitians arrived, and doubled the city's population. They brought their Vodou religion with them, which ultimately merged with the already existing New Orleans or Louisiana Voodoo traditions. During the French colonial regime, 80% of the enslaved Africans came from one single ethnic group: the Bamana (also called Bambara) people from the Senegal River basin (today's Senegal, Gambia, and Mali), most of them stemming from one single ethnic group, the Bambara people. The majority of the remaining 20% were Kongolese and some Dahomeyans (Hall, 1992). Despite their rather different geographical origins, these two cultures blend easily into one another. Eighteenth-century Louisiana Voodoo maintained a marked Senegambian flavor, with some Kongolese elements blended in, until the end of the 18th century.”

Dubois, Laurent. “Vodou and History.” Comparative Studies in Society and History, vol. 43, no. 1, 2001, pp. 92–100. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/2696623. Accessed 23 June 2024.

An overview of the history of Haitian Vodou, as it pertains to U.S. history. Demonization of Vodou continued past the U.S. occupation of Haiti, until the late 20th century.

#between the two it is 100% papa legba who had a bigger impact on horror stories from the american south of the early 20th century #i think a lot of people would think it's baron samedi but no! it's the mischevious limping old man!#commentary #the loa (hazbin hotel)#baron samedi (hazbin hotel)#big papa legba

12 notes · View notes

evilbubu · 1 year ago

Text

has anybody watched a movie called The Devil Conspiracy about this cult stealing DNA from corpses of important historical figures and injecting them into fertilised eggs to impregnate women and make them give birth to essentially babies with the same genius/talent as those historical figures?

like and there's this cute priest who gets stabbed to death trying to stop this evil lady from stealing the shroud of Turin to ressurect baby jesus and free the devil. and then st Michael shows up to earth and posses the priests body and tries to stop them and and and

HUH??????

33 notes · View notes

slowthunders · 5 months ago

Text

hello hello hello!

౨ৎ ˚⋆ i'm cheri thunders

౨ৎ BASIC INFO - she/her. intp. thirties. mexican. bisexual. slow as fuck. sagittarius ☼. cancer ☾. pisces ↑. grumpy. always tired. on the autism spectrum. add and dcd. grunge cowgirl groupie. with a taste for complex and messy characters. a box of useless information. i have a fucked up moral compass.

౨ৎ IDOLS - daria morgendorffer. robbie williams. billie joe armstrong. buttercup. marianne faithfull. makoto kino. mark lanegan. marilyn monroe. claudia cardinale. jane birkin. nellie laroy. jane fonda. saphire and polexia from almost famous. nicki minaj. kat stratford. karen sirko. elaine parks. nancy downs. fiona gallagher. og disney princess belle. kim kelly. william miller. anita pallenberg. clair standish. john bender. nancy thompson. blair waldorf. samantha jones. disney's rapunzel. bebe buell. heather holloway. billy hargrove. brian slade. kurt wilde. maxine minx. elton john. mick jagger. andrew wood. scott weiland.

౨ৎ FAVORITES - music. writing. books. photography. cinema. witchcraft. horror. fantasy. goth stuff. americana. bohemian/boho chic core. world pop culture of the 60s 70s 80s 90s and 00s.

౨ৎ BOOKS - the master and the margarita. the haunting of hill house. rebel heart: an american rock and roll journey. i'm with the band. the naked lunch. house of spirits. faithfull: an autobiography. salem's lot. fall to pieces. daisy jones & the six. everybody loves our town. please kill me. meet me in the bathroom. up and down with the rolling stones.

౨ৎ CRUSHES - layne staley. chris cornell. jerry cantrell. johnny knoxville. ryan dunn. nick drake. bryan ferry. meg white. michael hutchence. angelina jolie. izzy straddlin. david gilmour. john frusciante. david from the lost boys. trent lane. marilyn monroe. st. jimmy and whatsername from the mv of green day's jesus of suburbia. bill skarsgård. dane dehaan. liam gallagher. noel gallagher. robbie williams.

౨ৎ SOCIAL MEDIA - instagram, X, bluesky and discord, i'm as slowthunders too!

౨ৎ ARTISTS/BANDS - alice in chains. britney spears. green day. roxy music. alanis morissette. the rolling stones. nicki minaj. lana del rey. soundgarden. pink floyd. marianne faithfull. take that. backstreet boys. *NSYNC. sabrina carpenter. prince. hole. stone temple pillots. inxs. black sabbath. divinyls. the velvet underground. avril lavigne. spice girls. lou reed. nine inch nails. the stooges. mc5. elvis presley. the clash. lady gaga. all saints. the smiths. television. mother love bone. the dandy warhols. take that. dolly parton. bobbie gentry. mark lanegan. cky. whitney houston. blink-182. korn. the risin' sun. cheap trick. the who. combo musical los caquis. the moody blues. led zeppelin. sly and the family stone. mandy moore. nelly furtado. deftones. amy winehouse. blur. sublime. the cult. jimi hendrix. oasis. marc bolan. pearl jam. mariah carey. kylie minogue. robbie williams. audioslave. roxette. faith no more. janis joplin. nancy sinatra. the allman brothers band. gram parsons. johnny cash. waylon jennings. lil 'kim. bob dylan. beyoncé. mad season. pearl jam. fleetwood mac. the doors. ratt. charli xcx. mitski. pantera. joni mitchell.

౨ৎ FILMS - moulin rouge!. the love witch. x. singles. say anything. the bling ring. beauty and the beast. beauty and the beast: an enchanted christmas. scream. home alone. babylon. performance. daisies. the secret garden. tangled. ten things i hate about you. my scene jammin' in jamaica. the lost boys. the craft. mean girls. casino. don't look now. paris, texas. walk the line. a nightmare on elm street. maxxxine. the breakfast club. trainspotting. almost famous. rocketman. the rocky horror picture show. practical magic. barbie. bram stoker's dracula. the exorcist. the panic in needle park. goodfellas. the shinning. once upon a time in hollywood. texas chainsaw massacre

౨ৎ COMFORT PALS - hello kitty, spottie dottie. keroppi. pochaco. minnie mouse. psyduck. eevee. bulbasaur. winnie the pooh. eeyore

none of the icons, headers, pictures and edits are mine unless stated.

#about me #pinned post #about cheri 🎀#grungequette #coquette #lana del rey #pink blog #grunge #girlblogging #girlblogger #groupie #im just a girl #this is a girlblog

6 notes · View notes

starstruckbyacomet · 18 days ago

Text

There Is No Safe Word (Part 10 of 10)

(Source) (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7) (Part 8) (Part 9) (Prewarning)

May 16, 2022: From a video message to Pavlovich. Photo: Courtesy of Scarlett Pavlovich.

January 20, 2023: A text to Pavlovich after she filed a police report. Photo: Courtesy of Scarlett Pavlovich.

Editor’s note: This story contains content that readers may find disturbing, including graphic allegations of sexual assault & child abuse.

This past fall, Pavlovich began studying for a degree in English literature at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. As it happens, the university had awarded Gaiman an honorary degree in 2016. In December, Pavlovich approached the head of the university, Dame Sally Mapstone, to share her experience and ask the university to review the decision to honor Gaiman. Mapstone was sympathetic but indecisive; some on the board, she told Pavlovich, would likely want evidence of prosecution to rescind his degree. As far as the police report goes, the “matter has been closed,” a spokesperson says. Gaiman’s career, meanwhile, has been marginally affected. A few pending adaptations of his novels and comics have been put on hold or canceled. But the second season of The Sandman is set to premiere on Netflix this year, as is Anansi Boys on Amazon Prime. (Amazon did not return a request for comment.) He and Palmer are entering the fifth year of an ugly divorce and custody battle. Gaiman has “bled her dry” in the divorce proceedings, according to someone close to her. She’s moved back in with her parents in Massachusetts. (Gaiman’s representatives alleged that Palmer was a “major force” driving this story in light of their contentious divorce.)

Michael Stipe, former R.E.M. singer who is also a friend of Caroline Wallner, hosted Pavlovich, Stout, & Wallner at his house on Dec 31, 2024.

In December, Pavlovich flew to Atlanta to meet some of the other women who had made accusations against Gaiman. They had been unaware of one another’s existence until they’d heard the podcast. Since then, they had formed a WhatsApp group and grown close. “It’s been like meeting survivors of the same cult,” Stout tells me. “It’s impossible to understand unless you were there.” On New Year’s Eve, Pavlovich, Stout, and Wallner gathered around a bonfire at the Athens home of the musician Michael Stipe, an old friend of Wallner’s. Kendall joined them on FaceTime. With their dark hair and delicate features, they looked like they could be sisters. Around 11 p.m., they wrote down their intentions for the year and cast the scraps of paper into the fire. Pavlovich had written that she wanted to “release the yoke of victimhood” and “invite in self-acceptance.” The next morning, she woke before the others, made coffee, cleaned the kitchen, and sat on the porch in the winter sun. “Am I happy?” she wrote in her journal. “No.” But she also noted that she wasn’t alone. “There is no need to feel abandoned anymore.”

#tw: sa #tw sa mention #neil gaiman #neil gaiman allegations #good omens #good omens fandom #neil gaiman accusations #neil gaiman abuse #tw child abuse #tw childhood trauma #the sandman #lila saphiro

3 notes · View notes

girljeremystrong · 2 years ago

Text

✨️ read them before the adaptation! ✨️

homeland elegies by ayad akhtar

truly incredible book, one of the best i’ve ever read. part family drama, part social essay, part picaresque adventure — at its heart, it is the story of a father, a son, and the country they both call home.

black buck by mateo askaripour

very fun book where a lot happens all the time. a satirical debut novel about a young man given a shot at stardom as the lone black salesman at a mysterious, cult-like, and wildly successful startup where nothing is as it seems.

the art of fielding by chad harbach

such a wonderful book about two co-dependent friends. at a small school in michigan, baseball star henry seems destined for big league stardom, but when a routine throw goes disastrously off course, the fates of five people are upended.

the nickel boys by colson whitehead

absolutely incredible book. one innocent mistake sends elwood to the nickel academy, a chamber of horrors, where abuse is rife. stunned to find himself in this vicious environment, elwood tries to hold on to hope, but his fellow inmate and new friend turner thinks he’s naive.

tin man by sarah winman

a perfect beautiful & sad love story. ellis and michael are twelve when they first become friends, and then one day this closest of friendships grows into something more. fast forward a decade, ellis is married to annie, and michael is nowhere in sight. what happened in the years between?

interior chinatown by charles yu

a truly beautiful and unique book. willis wu doesn’t perceive himself as the protagonist in his own life: he’s merely ‘generic asian man’, always he is relegated to a prop. he dreams of being 'kung fu guy’ — the most respected role that anyone who looks like him can attain. or is it?

shuggie bain by douglas stuart

very sad but very good. the unforgettable story of young hugh "shuggie" bain, a sweet and lonely boy who spends his 1980s childhood in run-down public housing in glasgow.

nothing to see here by kevin wilson

a great book that’s also very sweet. a moving and uproarious novel about a woman who finds meaning in her life when she begins caring for two children with remarkable and disturbing abilities (they spontaneously combust when they get agitated).

a gentleman in moscow by amor towles

a novel about a man who is ordered to spend the rest of his life inside a luxury hotel, in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors.

we begin at the end by chris whitaker

this book is so good. read it. a fortysomething-year-old sheriff and a thirteen-year-old girl may not seem to have a lot in common. but when trouble arrives they will be unable to do anything but usher it in, arms wide closed.

the great believers by rebecca makkai

beautiful and sad and dazzling. a novel of friendship and redemption in the face of tragedy and loss set in 1980s chicago and contemporary paris.

age of vice by deepti kapoor

big succession vibes. equal parts crime thriller and family saga,it is an intoxicating novel of gangsters and lovers, false friendships, forbidden romance, and the consequences of corruption. binge-worthy entertainment at its literary best.

tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow by gabrielle zevin

two friends-often in love, but never lovers-come together as creative partners in the world of video game design, where success brings them fame, joy, tragedy, duplicity, and, ultimately, a kind of immortality.

the nightingale by kristin hannah

the story of two sisters caught up in occupied france during the second world war and their struggle to survive and resist.

sea of tranquility by emily st. john mandel

a novel of art, time travel, love and plague that takes the reader from vancouver island in 1912 to a dark colony on the moon five hundred years later, unfurling a story of humanity across centuries and space.

the guncle by steven rowley

a warm and deeply funny novel about a once-famous sitcom star whose unexpected family tragedy leaves him with his niece and nephew. very sweet.

razorblade tears by s.a. crosby

two ex-cons with little else in common other than a love for their dead sons, band together in their desperate desire for revenge.

washington black by esi edugyan

washington balck is an eleven-year-old field slave who knows no other life than the barbados sugar plantation where he was born. then his master's eccentric brother chooses him to be his manservant. it tells a story of friendship and betrayal, love and redemption, of a world destroyed and made whole again.

exit west by mohsin hamid

in a country teetering on the brink of civil war, two young people meet. they embark on a furtive love affair and are soon cloistered in a premature intimacy by the unrest roiling their city. when it explodes, as the violence escalates, nadia and saeed decide that they no longer have a choice, they find a door and step through.

sorrow and bliss by meg mason

martha knows there is something wrong with her but she doesn't know what it is. the story is narrated in the aftermath of martha and patrick’s separation, when she is thinking back over her life and trying to understand it, and herself.

maybe you should talk to someone by lori gottlieb

gottlieb invites us into her world as both clinician and patient, examining the truths and fictions we tell ourselves and others as we teeter on the tightrope between love and desire, meaning and mortality, guilt and redemption, terror and courage, hope and change.

the family chao by lan samantha chang

the residents of haven, wisconsin, have dined on the fine chao restaurant’s delicious food for thirty-five years, happy to ignore any unsavory whispers about the family owners. but when brash, charismatic, and tyrannical patriarch leo chao is found dead―presumed murdered―his sons discover that they’ve drawn the exacting gaze of the entire town.

crying in h mart by michelle zauner

a memoir about growing up korean american, losing her mother, and forging her own identity.

young mungo by douglas stuart

growing up in a housing estate in glasgow, mungo and james are born under different stars--mungo a protestant and james a catholic--and they should be sworn enemies if they're to be seen as men at all, yet against all odds, they become best friends.

#book recs #books #bookblr #filmedit #idk what to tag honestly #booksblr #book recommendations #dark academia #these are not dark academia i just want the notes

66 notes · View notes

thesinglesjukebox · 11 months ago

Text

SELENA GOMEZ - "LOVE ON"

youtube

At Selena's bistro, we prefer the steak tartare to the ice cream...

[4.47]

Kayla Beardslee: I’m a defender of Julia Michaels’ right to do deranged shit on pop girl singles. Who else is going to push the lyrical envelope? You know Dua Lipa is far too polished to be caught dead singing about burning toast in the toaster. Selena being a perfectly middle-of-the-road pop artist presents opportunities to try out-of-the-box ideas that wouldn’t fly with performers who have a stronger sense of veto. And that’s how we end up with “Why are we conversing over this steak tartare / When we could be making out in the back of a car?” This isn’t the best incarnation of Julia Michaels writing for other pop girls; Sabrina Carpenter’s “Fast Times” is a better execution of the form, with music so subtle and slinky that it carries along the tongue-twister lyrics with ease. In comparison, “Love On” is generic disco-pop that doesn’t complement the lyrics or draw out a particular kind of attitude from Selena’s vocals. But despite it all, how can I not like a track that rhymes "fallin’" with "garments," and "memoir" with "last stall" with "bazaar"? If Selena’s going to sing about being a rollercoaster ride, then the song needs to deliver on that promise. [7]

Joshua Lu: We've reached the point where we have Selena Gomez songs that rip off Sabrina Carpenter songs that rip off Selena Gomez songs. Is it a snake-eats-tail cycle of pop music or just a consequence of Julia Michaels, with her brand of talking/mumbling over generic plucky beats, still getting booked? Neither interpretation makes this song interesting. [4]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: Something about this (the extreme Julia Michaelism? her chopped-up phrasing?) gives off the faint impression that Selena Gomez was not actually involved in any part of the creation of this song, her vocals assembled together from fragmentary archival recordings like she's a reclusive mid-20th century cult musician. A pretty good Sabrina Carpenter song otherwise, though! [4]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: Every sonic and lyrical decision here is so baffling and random that I literally startled chuckling on the train to the point where people started staring at me. French intro? The way her voice chipmunks in the pre-chorus? Rhyming “bar,” “car,” “bizarre,” “memoirs,” and “steak tartare”? In other words, it's a Selena Gomez song. [5]

Katherine St. Asaph: "Wait till I turn my love on" — just want to clarify, is this before or after you turn your enunciation on? The disco is decent, and the punchlines are sometimes charming — and more importantly I can actually hear them. [6]

TA Inskeep: I wish her voice — and this song, all whipped cream with nothing underneath it — had as much weight as her acting. [5]

Lauren Gilbert: Is Selena even trying anymore? [1]

Taylor Alatorre: We love our outlandishly off-kilter Selena Gomez lyrics, don't we, folks? I mean... don't we? Were turns of phrase like "call me an amenity" and "fraction of my mind" really what made "Bad Liar" such a critics' darling, or was it the delivery and structure in which they were packaged, the way it all came together to sketch an infatuation so irregular that it amounted to a category error? "Love On" puts the cart before the horse in foregrounding the lyrical quirks, leaving most other elements of the song to fend for themselves without a stable concept to latch onto — or, in the case of the "steak tartare" interlude, a competent flow to latch onto. The title phrase is forced to take on two meanings, neither especially compelling, with the mumbled pile-up of syllables on the chorus' last line making it seem like a last-minute afterthought. The best moment comes when the looseness in delivery is properly calibrated to match the exuberance of the subject matter: the barely intelligible rising-pitch whiplash of "'til you can't see straight, just wait, woo!" It carries the pioneering spirit of "Bad Liar" more than any head-scratching line about erotic timestamps. [4]

Will Adams: The freewheeling lyric delivery (which made "Bad Liar" work so well) is appealing, but it's unfortunately squandered for what is now the six millionth "Say So" retread we've seen. I've yet to be convinced that Gomez actually enjoys doing pop music. [5]

Nortey Dowuona: From the precious little I have read and watched about the '80s, it seemed like a miserable time. And I'm so tired of recreations of this style. Isaiah Tejada, try harder next time please, and make another "Must've Been" if this has to be your lane. [0]

Aaron Bergstrom: Basic, low-stakes fun is still fun. This song can't wait to take you to its favorite little "hidden gem" lunch spot in Paris. You show up and immediately realize it's a tourist trap, but you decide to keep that to yourself. It turns out the food is still pretty good, you have one glass of wine too many, and you leave with a smile on your face. [7]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: The sweet and corny things that your partner tells you can be endearing, but it's different when you're trying really hard to make sure every line rhymes. It loses all spontaneity and charm, even some of the honesty. The chorus is the most comforting thing here, repetitive as it is. And that's fine: when you're in love, you can hear the same line day after day and it'll still lift you up. [5]

Ian Mathers: It feels like there are a lot of clunky lines here; the whole "steak tartare" verse makes me think fondly of Bernard Sumner, and how people don't appreciate enough how he makes crap like that sing more often than not (harder than it sounds, clearly!). The verse vocals also sound almost mushmouthed with (I presume) the production and it's not great. Every time the chorus kicks in the song lightens and feels pretty good but... it's not enough. [5]

Alfred Soto: The synth stabs need more support than Selena Gomez's adequate performance can provide. The title sounds like a promise she knows we know she won't keep. [6]

Leah Isobel: This has to be a contractual obligation. [3]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

#selena gomez #music #music writing #music reviews #music criticism #the singles jukebox #Youtube

4 notes · View notes

louielle · 2 years ago

Text

𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝑨𝒛𝒌𝒂𝒃𝒂𝒏 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕

1980s Horror Film - Wallows

Alone in the Woods - Michal Novinski

Always Forever - Cults

Apocalypse - Cigarettes After Sex

Apparition on the Train - John Williams

As The World Falls Down - David Bowie

Aunt Marge's Waltz - John Williams

Autumn Town Leaves - Iron & Wine

Aventine - Agnes Obel

Ballad Of Mr Jones - Jake Bugg

Big Black Car - Gregory Alan Isakov

Black Dog - Led Zeppelin

The Boat of the Fragile Mind - Belle Mare

A Brief History of Time - Jóhann Jóhannsson

Buckbeak's Flight - John Williams

Captain Goddamn - Michal Novinski

Captain Goddamn's Story - Michal Novinski

Cemetry Gates - The Smiths

The Chain - Fleetwood Mac

Chord Left - Agnes Obel

The Curse - Agnes Obel

Cursed - Lord Huron

Damn Right - Mickey Driskill

Dance With The Fish - Bruni Coulais

Dandelion Wine - Gregory Alan Isakov

Dead Man's Hand - Lord Huron

Dirty Paws - Of Monsters and Men

Eleanor Rigby - Cody Fry

Endless Story About Sun and Moon - Kai Engel

Entering - Michal Novinski

Fallingforyou - The 1975

Fellowship - Thomas Newman

Finale - John Williams

Flaws - Bastille

Flood - Michal Novinski

Fortune Teller - Mickey Driskill

Forward to Time Past - John Williams

The French Library - Franz Gordon

Full Moon - The Kinks

Gold Dust Woman - Fleetwood Mac

Good Looking - Suki Waterhouse

Goo Goo Muck - The Cramps

Hagrid the Professor - John Williams

Harvest Moon - Lord Huron

Head Credits - Bruno Coulais

Holocene - Bon Iver

Home - Dotan

Hot Liquorice - Dick Walter

I'm a WolfWalker - Bruno Coulais

Infinite Love - Emile Mosseri

In The Woods Somewhere - Hozier

It Will Come Back - Hozier

I Wanna Be Yours - Arctic Monkeys

journey in the rain to cry in peace - joiboi

K. - Cigarettes After Sex

The Key In The Sea - Bruno Coulais

Kids - OneRepublic

Kuky Phones Home - Michael Novinski

Kuky's Adventures - Michael Novinski

Landscape With a Fairy - aspidistrafly

Lanterns Lit - Son Lux

Le temps de l’amour - Françoise Hardy

Lily Of The Valley - Queen

Little Lion Man - Mumford & Sons

Living Room - Grouper

Lonesome Hunter - Timber Timbre

Love Like Ghosts - Lord Huron

Love Waltz - Marcuzio Pianist

Lumos! (Hedwig's Theme) - John Williams

Me And The Devil - Soap&Skin

The Meetings of the Waters - Fionn Regan

Meet Me In The City - Lord Huron

Meet Me in the Morning - Bob Dylan

Meet Me in the Woods - Lord Huron

Mélancolie - Patric Watson, Safia Nolin

Melody Noir - Patric Watson

Mischief Managaged! - John Williams

Moment's Silence - Hozier

Monster Books and Boggarts - John Williams

My Tunnels Are Long And Dark These Days - Asaf Avidan

Nevermore - Queen

Not Dead Yet - Lord Huron

Nothing's Here - Michael Novinski

Once Upon a Dream - Lana Del Rey

The Patronus Light - John Wiliams

Phantoms and Friends - Old Man Canyon

The Pink Room - Timber Timbre

Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want - The Dream Academy

Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want - The Smiths

Poison Tree - Grouper

Poppy Field - Michael Novinski

The Portrait Gallery - John Williams

Possibility - Lykke Li

Proof - Michael Novinski

Punisher - Phoebe Bridgers

Renegades - X Ambassadors

Rhiannon - Fleetwood Mac

Ribs - Lorde

Riding Into Town - Gun Thunder

rises the moon - Liana Flores

Rosyln - Bon Iver, St. Vincent

Run - Bruno Coulais

Run - Hozier

Run Cried the Crawling - Agnes Obel

Sadness - Bruno Coulais

Saving Buckbeak - John Williams

The Seals - Bruno Coulais

Secrets of the Castle - John Williams

Sedated - Hozier

September Song - Agnes Obel

Setting Sun - Lord Huron

Shortline - RY X

The Silence of the Moon - Frankie Lou

Sit Down Beside Me - Patric Watson

Something French - Devendra Banhart

Something Is Wrong - Bruno Coulais

Some Things Cosmic - Angel Olsen

Somewhere Tonight - Beach House

Squirrel Rescue - Mike Higham

The Storm - Bruno Coulais

Swinging Party - The Replacements

Tea for Two - Art Tatum

Team - Lorde

Thief - Imagine Dragons

Time Passing II - Mark Isham

Time's Blur - Lord Huron

To Be Alone - Hozier

Trees and Flowers - Strawberry Switchblade

The Trial - Michael Novinski

Under Giant Trees - Agnes Obel

Vois sur ton chemin - Bruno Coulais, Les Choristes

Wait - M83

Way Down We Go - KALEO

We Don't Talk About It - Michael Novinski

The Werewolf Scene - John Williams

West Coast - Imagine Dragons

When the Night is Over - Lord Huron

Whisper of a Thrill - The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra

White Teeth Teens - Lorde

Who Are You - Bruno Coulais

The Whomping Willow - John Williams

Who We Are - Imagine Dragons

Wicked Game - Chris Isaak

A Window to the Past - John Williams

Wiser - Old Man Canyon

Words Are Dead - Agnes Obel

A World Alone - Lorde

The World Ender - Lord Huron

The Yawning Grave - Lord Huron

you are welcome to let go - joiboi

#prisoner of azkaban #poa #harry potter #harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban #playlist #harry potter playlist #comfort playlist #aesthetic #dark aesthetic #gloomy

15 notes · View notes

the-darkness-does-not-bargain · 2 years ago

Note

“don’t ask me about my baccano crossover”

please spill them beans 🫘 asap

Oh no, I guess I did bring this on myself. To be clear, the chances of this story ever seeing the light of day are next to none, but here we go. Placing under the cut because things do get pretty dark.

If you've never seen/read Baccano! (and you should see it, everyone should see it. Watch the English dub.) then what you need to know here is that the world of Baccano is simultaneously very grounded and completely insane, and there is one particular aspect that showcases this duality in fine form.

It's only vaguely hinted at in the show, but in the light novels there is a fanatical, Christian-adjacent cult that serves as an occasional antagonist. This cult's beliefs focus on the torture and murder of children (these books were written in the early 2000s, long before Q*A*on and their nonsense, just fyi). They believe that they can, in a primarily symbolic sense, turn a chosen child into a sacrificial God that they can put all of their pain and misery onto in order to lead completely happy lives. So these kids are subjected to constant torture almost from birth until they are ritually sacrificed on their 10th birthday. And this cult has operated in different locations and forms since at least the 17th century, leading the deaths of probably countless kids over time.

So that’s pretty fucked up, eh? I happened to reread the light novels while also re-watching s1, and this idea just sort of festered in my mind until it took shape.

I'm serious when I say the stuff this cult is said to have done makes the original Martyrs film look easy. Their abuse turned a boy into what is effectively a sociopath with a pathological need to make other people smile (so he can understand what happiness looks like; he's also one of the best and most interesting characters).

So imagine, if you wish to, a scenario where little Ava gets abducted by these people and subjected to this kind of torture for anywhere from a few weeks to years. She suffers through the most awful abuse imaginable while being told that she is their new God (the novels make clear that the cult prays to and thanks the sacrificed children while they're being tortured as part of the ritual). Eventually, she gets rescued by her mom, but while they are escaping from the cultists, the car accident happens, leaving her safe from the cult but orphaned, disabled, and stuck in St. Michael's.

So think about how reluctant and unhappy Ava is to be involved with the OCS in the show, and then multiply that by 1000. She's properly terrified of these people who have kidnapped her and is constantly searching for hints and signs that they are related to the cult from her childhood. She really, really doesn't want to be their Warrior Nun, which feels a little too much like being their "God", so she runs fast and far the first chance she gets.

And it's not so easy to bring her back this time. No tough love from Mary or demon fights in cozy towns are going to be enough. It will take active effort on the part of the entire OCS to better themselves as an Order before Ava will feel safe enough to come back. And they'll have to make an actual effort to understand her motivations and her trauma instead of belittling and berating her and just expecting her to fall in line.

#warrior nun #this is another in my 'force the OCS to be less shady' series of fic ideas #bc boy do they suck when you get down to brass tax #this is also one of my 'ava refuses to talk about her trauma' ideas #i just #i see that in her character and the show didn't address it so i want to pick it up and take it apart myself #that's what i'm doing in #dragon age au #the cocoon is hatching

5 notes · View notes

enbyonmandalore · 2 years ago

Text

Heaven "Satan" St. John

An introduction to my CoD MW2 OC. TW for Violence typical to the CoD franchise.

Irish

Child of a cult leader

One older brother, Michael, and two younger sisters, Faith and Eva

Michael escaped the cult first, leaving all his siblings behind

Their father believes his son being a heretic "infected" Heaven with demonic ideals

Heaven escaped the cult at 16 after being nearly tortured to death

Queer

Religious trauma (obviously)

Can growl & hiss like an animal, defense mechanism from their childhood

Joined the military young by lying about their age

Violently beat a fascist to the brink of death because he reminded them too much of their father

Had the best time of their life as a cadet in the Royal Air Force

Had the chance to finally feel normal and make friends

Callsign "Angel"

Met a black girl named Gloria "Wrecker" McIntosh, fell in love with her

Became a RAF officer

Eventually achieved rank of squadron leader due to being an excellent helicopter pilot and drone operator

Loves flying bc all their big problems seem so small from up high

Arrogant enough to call the helicopter on their first big mission "The Baron"

Caught special forces recruiters' eye for being able to potentially resist enemy torture very well

Received "special interrogation" training

Shot down while on patrol in a war zone and pulled themselves out of the burning wreck, only survivor of the incident

Barely made it and had to undergo 2 years of physical and psychological therapy

Covers the massive burn scar on their face with a mask

The right side of their body in general is extremely scarred from the crash

Captain Price was present when they first woke up from surgery, but they didn't recognize him

Captain Price continues to make sure Heaven stays in the military

Once they're allowed to be active again, they get recruited to SAS and change their callsign to "Satan"

The co-pilot that died in the crash was Gloria

Kept a pair of Gloria's dog tags as well as a few (stolen) sweaters

Price's immediate reaction to seeing Heaven again is "Oh no, not another one with a mask..."

Is present during the events of MW, helps get Gaz and Price around and is assisted by Nikolai

Eventually gets put on Task Force 141 after the events of CoD MW

Immediately befriends Soap

Soap and Satan talk in extra thick Scottish and Irish accents when around each other

"Speak fuckin' English!"

Satan's cocky attitude slowly but surely is wearing Ghost's patience thin...

Audio books + stress cleaning = post-mission coping mechanism

Secretly loves eastern European music, but will never admit it

Learned to speak Polish for a mission

Fluent in Gaelic

Despite listening to a lot of heavy metal, their favorite song is "Somewhere Over The Rainbow"

Gets anxious letting anyone besides themselves pilot an aircraft

Insists that they hate chocolate (lie)

Actually hates any other candy

Doesn't celebrate any holidays and volunteers for shifts on said days, but Price, Gaz and Soap still gift them stuff for Christmas

The only way they're able to seem to be as unfazed as they do, is bc they're completely disconnected from reality on missions (helps keep the PTSD in check)

When TF 141 meets KorTac, Satan befriends Gromsko almost as quickly as they befriended Soap

Polish swearing can be heard throughout the base at all hours

König has a staring problem and thinks nobody notices

Ghost notices and chaos ensues (aka Test The Limits)

TW for more shit Heaven went through:

beaten as a child up until they were 16

nearly drowned during baptism in order to be "reborn"

forcefully exorcised at 14, burned with battery acid in the process

had a large cross carved into their back to "drive out the devil"

caged in with a hungry dog

starved

sleep deprivation, forced to stay up for days reciting prayer

held hostage at gunpoint during a mission

survived a nearly fatal helicopter crash, cracked multiple ribs, a triple fractured right leg, broken collar bone, two broken fingers on the right and three broken on the left hand, broken left wrist, severe concussion, 2nd degree burns on the right side and back of their body and face

#heaven st. john #enbyonmandalore's OCs #CoD OC #call of duty oc

2 notes · View notes

critical-chris · 2 years ago

Text

Scream VI (2023)

Guess who's back, back again.

Ghostface's back, call a friend.

The iconic, and my personal favorite, slasher franchise returns to the big screen in the shortest turnaround between films since the original Scream and Scream 2. Breaking the recent trend of taking a decade break between installments, Scream IV arrives just thirteen months after Scream (2022) AKA Scream 5. Sight unseen I would have petitioned to title this time out Ghostface Takes Manhattan, but for some reason Hollywood hasn't started taking my calls.

The original Scream released in 1996 was the first true horror film I saw, with all of the lights out next to my father on our attached recliners in rural South Carolina. I was in high school, and never had the desire beforehand to dive into scary movies. When I was younger, even trailers for horror movies in the theaters would give me nightmares, and I had maxed out with thrillers for years. However, I had heard so much about Scream and it being a meta-horror with dark comedy and one that was lighter on the brutality than similar franchises like Friday the 13th and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. So I figured I would give it a shot to see if I really could handle horror, and it has been off to the races ever since.

In fact, just in the past two years I have caught up on nearly a hundred horror movies I missed when I was younger, vowing to see every classic and even the unheralded cult icons. One of my future blogs may be dedicated to the scores of horror I indulged in as part of a pretty cool scratch-off poster I bought from Pop Charts (linked here) to keep myself honest. Even after all of those being checked off my watchlist, Scream remains as my all-time favorite.

Our long-running heroine of the series is Sydney Prescott, portrayed by Neve Campbell, and boy has she been through a lot of shit.

First, we hear Sydney's mother was killed a year before we meet her, and her friends and community of Woodsboro begin to get the sharp end of the blade of a masked serial killer Ghostface. In the climax, we learn that her boyfriend Billy Loomis and his friend Stu have been responsible for the killings. Billy wants to get back at the Prescott family since Sydney's mother had an affair with Billy's father, which led to his parents' divorce. Stu is just a psycho. With the help of her friend Randy, Sheriff Dewey Riley, and local investigative journalist Gale Weathers, Sydney turns the tables on the killers and whack Billy and Stu.

Sure, on paper Scream is just a slasher movie, but the real notoriety the series carries is its perfect commentary and skewering of horror movies, especially slashers, that came before. Jamie Kennedy's whole role as Randy is to advise the group of the tropes and pitfalls of horror movie characters so the teens can avoid getting butchered. The film is full of classic scenes, including Drew Barrymore in the cold open, Randy screaming at Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween to turn around to see Michael Myers while he himself is being stalked by Ghostface, and plenty of quotable lines (LIVER alone!).

Scream 2 picks up with Sydney attending college alongside other survivor Randy, and in my opinion is just a hair below the original in kills, humor, and twists. Scream 3 is a snooze-fest and the worst of the series by far, where the filming of a movie called 'Stab' is taking place based on Sydney's experience in Woodsboro. This is the one where the killer is revealed to be Sydney's long lost brother in the most who gives a shit reveal. Scream 4 takes place 10 years later, and recaptures what I found to be the best parts of the first two films.

At this point, I thought the franchise was dead and over, and I was happy for it to have ended on such a strong note as Scream 4. I especially thought it was a fitting end when the creator of the franchise and director over each installment Wes Craven passed away sadly in 2015. He had created and directed other iconic horror movie films like A Nightmare on Elm Street.

However, Scream 5 was announced to be released 25 years later to the month from it's inspiring original. When I heard the announcement, I was extremely upset and skeptical about the movie. Why should I trust an installment in a beloved franchise directed by anyone besides the creator? And with the cash grabs coming from Hollywood by way of unnecessary sequels, why can't they just let this one alone?

I can admit when I am wrong, and I was wrong about being skeptical of Scream 5. I thought it was a worthy sequel, paid respect to the characters and movies that came before, and kept the commentary of modern horror sharp and relevant. I even liked the newly casted heroines in the film, played by Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera. Although I'm getting a little sick of seeing Jenna Ortega everywhere already. **SPOILER** It was sad to see Dewey die, but I understood the reasoning and why they did it per the Requel rules covered by newcomer character Mindy Meeks-Martin (a descendant of Randy's family).

The connection of Sam Carpenter being Billy Loomis' illegitimate child and channeling his psycho-powers for her to turn the tables on her own Ghostface was batshit crazy, but I loved it.

Despite really enjoying the 5th installment in the Scream series, I was hesitant once again when they announced a sequel would be released a year later, and this time taking place in the Big Apple. I immediately was reminded of the TERRIBLE horror movie sequel to take place in New York City- Jason Takes Manhattan. But you know I still had to buy a ticket and sit down to indulge in another offering that asks, what's your favorite scary movie?

And finally, we arrive at the sixth installment in the self-described slasher franchise Scream VI.

The movie opens up on Samara Weaving sitting in a hip New York City bar, who is waiting for and texting with a dating app match. Her match mentions he is lost trying to find the bar and asks if he can call her. The voice on the other end of the phone is NOT the Ghostface voice we've come to love, but instead is just a regular guy's voice who eventually asks her to come outside so he can determine if he is on the correct street.

Weaving ventures further and further outside the bar looking for her match when she is led to walk into a nearby alley (dumb dumb), and her match's voice changes from the slight British accent to the menacing Ghostface effect. Ghostface pops out, stab stab stab, and then pulls off his mask to reveal new character Jason (Tony Revolori)????? That's a first, and at this moment I didn't know what to think about this movie breaking tradition of never seeing the killer until the climax. He trashes the costume in a nearby dumpster, keeps the mask, and heads back to his apartment, momentarily bumping into the movie's heroine Tara Carpenter before she heads off to a party.

Once Revolori gets back to his apartment, he gets a call from his friend Greg who he is planning Ghostface murders with, who asks him to describe how alive he felt murdering Samara Weaving. "Greg" speaks in the Ghostface voice and lures Revolori to eventually open the fridge where he finds the dismembered body of actual Greg. The Ghostface we'll be seeing the rest of the movie jumps out and kills Revolori.

TITLE SCREEN

Not a bad kind of double opening to the film, and it was tense in the moments that Jason is taken around his apartment by the killer playing the Warmer/Colder game. Nothing will ever top the opening sequence in the original film, but I give credit for these movies never phoning it in (pun very much intended) on the introductions.

We are then reintroduced to our surviving cast from the previous film, which initiated my frustrations with this movie. Of course you have Tara and Sam Carpenter as the returning heroines, but then we have Mindy and Chad Meeks-Martin coming back after being severely stabbed and left for dead at the house party in the finale of Scream 5. This trend comes up again multiple times in this movie, and I really hate it when horror films cheapen the 'kills' by just having everyone's favorite characters end up surviving. It removes the stakes, takes away any tension or fear we have that our beloved leads may be murdered, and makes the whole thing rather pointless.

We'll get to all that again. However, in this re-introduction to what they dub the 'Core 4' - Tara, Sam, Chad, and Mindy - we see that Sam is dealing with her issues with a counselor, who immediately drops her and threatens to call the cops when she says she kinda enjoyed pin-cushioning the killer Richie in Scream 5, and Tara is dealing with it by drinking. They then force an out of nowhere romantic tension between Tara and Chad which feels so creepy and dumb that I rolled my eyes both times they try and pass it off in the runtime.

Anyways, Tara lives with Sam while she goes to college with their new roommate character Quinn Bailey, and the whole group has a new friend Ethan Landry who seems like a geeky innocent addition. Mindy will then hammer you over the head for the next two hours on how he seems too nice to actually be innocent of any of the Ghostface killings. There is also a neighbor across the hall that Sam seemingly has a crush on, and then reveals is having a secret affair with that she hides from the rest of the cast. Sam is overbearing for Tara who just wants to have a good time.

And there's the setup- phone calls begin, stabby stabby, strap in for another edition of Scream where we try to figure out who the killer(s) is.

Let us start with the positive for Scream 6. First, this is by far the goriest and most brutal movie in the series as far as the kills go. The twisting of the knife in the gut, Anika falling to her death and banging her face on the dumpster, Greg's dismembered body in the fridge, etc. are all the most gruesome murders we've seen in the franchise. And I ain't mad at it, as it makes each sequential death that much more powerful and painful to watch and makes you fear for whoever is next.

I also enjoyed seeing Hayden Panetierre reprise her role as Kirby from Scream 4. Although I found the idea that she is/was an FBI agent to be ridiculous and just a convenient plot point, it was still nice to see a legacy character besides Sydney or Gale make an appearance. Otherwise, she doesn't make that much of an impact in this movie.

Now, let's get to my gripes, of which I have MANY but will cover the two main ones.

The Killers

I don't know about you (who I'm assuming is a Scream fan if you've stuck with this franchise for 6 films), but part of what I love in these movies is trying to guess who the killer will be and still be somewhat surprised at the ending. I won't lie, there is one aspect of the ending of Scream 6 that I didn't see coming, but it's also a cheat and nothing you could have suspected anyways.

Due to the amount of times Ghostface mentions his plan to punish Sam for her past deeds and expose her as a killer, I knew whoever was the murderer in these movies was related to the killer in Scream 5 - Richie Kirsch. Then it hit me. When Quinn seemingly gets butchered, her father who is a police officer comes out and offhand mentions how he can't believe both of his kids are gone now. It clicked for me immediately, his son was Richie and he is at least one of what I assumed would be multiple killers. Then I knew if there was a second killer it would be someone else in their family unit.

Then, when it is revealed that is exactly what is going on, I was pretty disappointed and underwhelmed. The only thing I didn't see coming was that Quinn didn't actually get killed and the cop swapped out her body for another when they faked her death. Pretty stupid in my opinion, and cheated the mystery out as much as Glass Onion (which I severely disliked). Cool that this is the first movie to have 3 killers instead of the classic 2, but something I found wasted on the laziness of the plot.

I have to mention at this point that I really do like Dermot Mulroney, and found him to be a good addition when he played the dutiful cop assisting the Carpenters in finding their stalker. HOWEVER, when he makes the turn to psychopathic killer, it is an embarrassing and frankly ridiculous performance. I have to assume the production kept a stockpile of eye drops on set since his peepers bug out of his head while he dances around revealing his master plan for minutes on end.

Mindy also calls out Ethan as the probable killer to an exhaustive extreme throughout that when it turns out he is one of the vengeful family members, I have a hard time believing you're actually shocked or care.

2. The Lack of Stakes

My gripe in the beginning of the film in seeing, specifically, Chad return after being what we all assumed was fatally stabbed in Scream 5 happens so many times in this movie that I can't understand why the filmmakers expect us to get any tension out of these new sequels.

Starting with Gale Weathers. Gale is stabbed multiple times in her apartment before eventually being found by Sam and Tara, but your sorrow in seeing a beloved character die is immediately dispelled when an EMT announces that she still has a pulse and she's saved. Alright, then why even have her get brutally stabbed?

Then, we move to Chad AGAIN! When the remaining survivors try to draw in the killer to the shrine/movie theater Gale discovered earlier in the movie, Chad gets stabbed several times in the chest and stomach by two killers at the same time. Go fuck yourself if you think that I buy him living through that, and why can we not have one person who returns get killed? They mention earlier in the film that one of the rules of a franchise is everyone is fair game to be murdered, and then nobody actually gets killed? BOOOOO, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR.

Look, I can't say this film isn't entertaining as it keeps the pace up, the kills coming, and the New York set pieces bloody. However, if I'm ranking it in the catalogue I only enjoy this time out more than the abomination that is Scream 3, because it introduces nothing new besides more gore, has the most predictable outcome of all the predecessors, and cheapens the kills to a ridiculous degree. Sure, I'm going to buy it when it gets released since I own the rest, but I imagine it's going to collect some dust over the years.

Scream VI - 6.0/10

#scream #scream 6 #scream vi #scream 2 #scream 3 #scream 4 #scream 5 #horror #horror films #horror blog #horror fans #scary movies #scary #slasher

2 notes · View notes

bradyoil · 11 days ago

Text

Make Your Passion Project Now With Filmmaker Michael Patrick Jann.

Writer/Director/Producer Micheal Patrick Jann ("Drop Dead Gorgeous", "The State", "The Good Doctor") and I are holding a live webinar called "Make Your Passion Project Now" on Feb. 18th. 6pm Pacific. Live with a spirited Q&A and VIP pop ins. Sign up here.

100% of the ticket sales go to Red Cross LA to help the victims of the LA fires. Graciously hosted by our dear friends at the Filmmakers Academy.

Born of a chat Michael and I were having, he said, "while it's good to know the difference between 24mm and 70mm lenses and have a rich friend who is also a movie star, it doesn't matter if you can't define and explore your vision." Your vision is the center of everything, and without it, you have no project. What is your vision, and how does that vision make the journey from your heart to the screen? What are you trying to say? How do you communicate that?

This class is about figuring out how master filmmakers have answered these questions and put their vision on the screen... and, most importantly, how you can do this as well. We will discuss and study several great films and filmmakers - with a particular emphasis on distilling the filmmaker's vision and intent and how they brought that to life. See you all there.

COMMERCIAL DIRECTING BOOTCAMP 04.05.2025 We're donating 50% of your Bootcamp tuition to charities and GoFundMe's to help the fire victims. Filmmakers learn how to win jobs and craft better work that leads to more opportunities. Agency creatives will learn how the flow goes on-set before the shoot. Limit 10 filmmakers. Includes one-on-one onboarding call. Enroll now to direct with confidence.

FILMMAKER RETREAT JOSHUA TREE '25 Thursday, September 25th – Sunday, September 28th, 2025. Limit 15 Filmmakers. This will be our 4th year and it's so special, I'd prefer to jump on the phone with you and tell you more. Every year since our first, filmmakers have come back. Pretty much says it all. SIGN UP!

ONLINE FILMMAKING COURSES - DIRECT WITH CONFIDENCE Each of my online courses come with a free 1:1 mentorship call with yours truly. Taking the Shadow course is the only way to win a chance to shadow me on a real shoot! DM for details. Want to level up your commercial directing game?

MAGIC MIND - MY MENTAL PERFORMANCE EXILIR - JAN SPECIAL 45% Save hugely on Magic Mind by using this special 45% off the Magic Mind Bundle in January with coupon link for MAGIC MIND — This link is the way.

Thanks,

Jordan

My cult classic mockumentary, “Dill Scallion” is online so I’m giving 100% of the money to St. Jude Children’s Hospital. I’ve decided to donate the LIFETIME earnings every December, so the donation will grow and grow annually. Thank you.

“Respect The Process” podcast is brought to you by Commercial Directing FIlm School and True Gent, aka True Gentleman Industries, Inc. in partnership with Brady Oil Entertainment, Inc.

Check out this episode!

#filmmaking #Jordan Brady #director #advertising #respect the process #indie

0 notes

camdenleisurepirates · 8 days ago

Text

I'm very much in agreement with her suggestions here. Yes, this is a shrine for the cult of Sts Crowley and Aziraphale, so let's treat it with the reverence it deserves. Don't deface it to the point where park maintenance is forced to remove it. Be mindful that there are also non-fandom visitors to the park. In short, be good citizens - those are in short supply in some quarters these days, we need all the good examples we can get.

(PS - I like to think the *original* bench has been smuggled off to Scotland or somewhere, to participate in the filming. Or maybe it lives in Michael or David's back garden).

The GO bench in St James Park has been replaced with a different one

Very sorry to report that the sanded down bench they returned at the original spot in St James Park is actually NOT the OG fandom one.

There are some very prominent features the OG bench had. Most importantly, the shape of the back of the bench, the armrest shape, and the height of the bench itself:

OG bench (pic taken last year):

The new bench, unfortunately, has a different back shape (the tops of the left and right wooden planks at the back):

I did some ineffable detective work in St James Park this weekend of 25th January (with the help of @0xlilith and @fuckyeahgoodomens and @fuzzywhispersbear) and examined all the benches in the near vicinity and subsequently all the benches in the park, in case they just moved it to a different spot. They did not.

I now have a special photo folder in my phone featuring some of the possible candidate benches in St James Park, because that's what you do if you are a GO fan on a trip to London.

All the potential candidate benches that fit the shape criteria didn't meet the "recently cleaned" criterion or the "at least a bit visible carving scars in the right places" criterion.

(A very useful graphics made by @fuckyeahgoodomens)

It is, of course, possible that I am wrong and the bench is there somewhere and has been cleaned so well that not even the carving scars are visible. I just recorded all the Clues as I collected them and this is the logical conclusion:

I think it is realistic to consider that the OG bench was damaged beyond salvation and as such, was removed permanently. I feel like maybe some of the carvings were too deep and beyond repair. I might be wrong, they just might be rotating the benches and our bench is just sitting somewhere in storage, waiting for being cleaned and returned. (It is probably not in different park because all benches have a SJP at the back and I think they make sure to not mix them up).

I, personally, am actually fine with fans writing on the bench. It is within my personal limits of what is OK. But some of the fandom love was maybe too vigorous. And as a whole, I think that this shows us that we might try to treat the new bench with a bit more respect. By refraining from carving in it with a knife. By using plain pencils to write our little notes so that they don't destroy the bench, are easily cleaned and are not visible to regular visitors of the park, only for people who know what they are looking for. Use it as a scavenger hunt place (my personal favourite) to leave little trinkets and gifts for other fans (but hide them well so that they don't visually disturb regular visitors).

I am not openly promoting vandalism here. I am just being realistic and I seriously have nothing but love for the people who left their permanent mark on the bench. (And I would HATE for this post to be used for hating on these fans. Pls don't.) I believe we can find a sweet spot of showing our love for the bois and not damaging the bench beyond salvation.

And I think the management of St James Park is showing us that they are just doing their job and they don't hate us (hopefully).

Why? Because the heart padlock of Aziraphale and Crowley is still there. Someone even added another padlock and a little fly! And these things didn't disappear. I think this hopefully demonstrates that fandom activities in moderation are allowed.

The bench is a symbol of fandom love and as such, I don't think it can be lost. It is what we make it. There is a new lovely bench at the spot and it attracts GO fans just like the previous one did. And while I know many people (including me) will grieve the piece of fandom history that might have been lost, I think that this is an opportunity for a fresh start.

We'll be OK. This place still feels loved.

#Sts Crowley and Aziraphale #i count myself an adherent #st james's park bench #benchgate #be kind

379 notes · View notes