#the fact that women can write and direct and perform in plays

[julescarstairs]

I think Emilia Bassano would have loved Wicked.

[musashi]

i want more nuance to be entered into the discussion of the green girl sorority and how differently cynthia plays elphaba in comparison to those who came before her because while a lot of people are rightfully like "why was elphaba not black from the beginning" and celebrating that she is now being played by a black woman, i think we need to be careful in just writing off all the elphabas of the past as Random White Girls when the role was championed (and often followed/succeeded) by a jewish woman

the pop culture archetype of the Wicked Witch has deep roots in antisemitism stretching faaaar far back. there is a level of reclamation happening in casting idina menzel, a jewish woman, to play the Misunderstood and Maligned young girl who is branded as exactly that. and stage!Elphaba is also written and acted with jewish stereotypes in mind--she is loud, aggressive, no-nonsense, blunt. she is quick to advocate for herself and shut down the discrimination she faces. all of this is very intentional! her personality is abrasive from years of abuse, and that makes propagandizing her easy. this is literally the thesis statement of the musical--it's not about aptitude, it's the way you're viewed.

cynthia's performance of elphaba is fucking INSPIRED despite going in a completely different direction. she's much more reserved, analytical, one of her key character traits is how well she can read people (see her calling out Galinda as insecure/putting on airs in their first scene together, clocking that Fiyero is using his party guy persona as a shield for his own depression) elphaba's attempts to blend in and make herself smaller all fail simply because of her existence, if not that then because she feels empathy so strongly she often struggles to hold back from acting, protecting.

personality wise, though, cynthia's elphaba is very quiet and closed-off, not at all the bullet-to-the-face that she is in the stage show, and... she still gets propagandized and maligned. though this seems to contradict the other interpretation, it tells of the other end of the spectrum of propaganda, one that black women watching (and many, MANY other marginalized folks) are sure to identify with--it does not matter how "nice," how reserved, how small a black woman makes herself. a racist society will still scrutinize her every action for a way to parse ill intent from it, brand her as an angry black woman who is dangerous and wicked, and write off any humanity she has in the process.

these two very different interpretations tell of the lie of assimilation. the fact of the matter is, when you are marginalized, there is no way to sand down your edges enough to make the people oppressing you "accept" you. that is why wicked is a tragedy at its core. whether loud and aggressive or quiet and unimposing, there is nothing elphaba could have done to make the people of Oz see her as anything other than a scapegoat to blame all their problems on.

so while i definitely appreciate that people are excited for black girl era elphaba, i would encourage us all to still show appreciation for what came before--that was not white girl era elphaba. that was jewish girl era elphaba. two houses, both alike in dignity, two stories both worth being told.

[feminist-furby-freak]

Well can you explain Gender Ideology with who uses it and where? Can you show where I can find it? Can you describe it without conspiracy theory or recycled homophobia? You are welcome to try.

So I think some of the confusion might come from the language. I know you’re being facetious with this comment but anyway. I am literally a gender studies major so this will probably be more in depth than what you’re asking but maybe someone can benefit.

Gender Ideology™️ isn’t some sort of official concept and doesn’t have an agreed upon definition or foundational text like other social theories. It’s a way of conceptualizing sex and gender. Other analogous frameworks would be biblical gender roles, the Christian fundamentalist ideas of men and women, or postmodernist queer theory, something like Butler’s Gender Performativity.

You’re right that gender ideology is vague and non-specific and I think this is because of the interaction between academia, politics, medicine, and popular culture. Sure, academics and theorists influence society, but rarely in such a direct way (please feel free to correct me). For example, the American civil rights movement and women’s liberation movement had academic elements, but were not governed by how academics theorized race and sex, they were based on people’s lived experiences. Transgenderism, I think, is the opposite and somewhat of an escaped lab experiment. Towards the end of the 20th century, academics began to write about gender in more provocative and philosophical ways. Obviously, this was not the first time anyone had done this, but there was a huge shift in the way academic spaces thought about gender in the US after women achieved full legal rights (which didn’t happen until the 1970s btw). I’m sure the fact that women and gays/lesbians could finally be scholars and professors was important as well. Anyway, I might disagree with Butler, but her theory work is at least intellectually robust. And if you read Butler, it’s very obvious that she is first and foremost a philosopher, not a sociologist or an anthropologist, and this is clear when you hear her speak (which I’ve done btw). Contemporary transgenderism, as a social category, is a direct result of these theorists. There is a lot of misrepresenting or even rewriting history but “transgender” as we understand it today did not exist 20 years ago. We like to call people like Marsha P Johnson transgender, but he didn’t identify that way. He called himself a gay man, a cross dresser, a drag queen, a transvestite etc etc. TRAs often say “trans people have always existed” and homosexual behavior and gender nonconformity (and maybe even sex dysphoria) have always existed but trans as a concept undeniably has not. I could talk a lot more about historical falsehoods and Transgenderism but for the sake of getting to the point I’ll move on for now.

Gender ideology, is how groups like radfems refer to the Frankenstein monstrosity that is the framework Western left/progressives use today to think about gender and sex in order to be inclusive to transgender identifying people. The main ideas are that biological sex is not real and neither is sex-based oppression. It maintains that social and medical transition is necessary for transgender people to live, and that medicine is able to change someone’s biological sex (it can’t). Being transgender is not just dysphoria but some innate sense that someone’s soul is differently gendered than their biological sex (except biological sex is also somehow not real, one of many paradoxes). A woman is “someone who identifies a woman,” even though this phrase is completely meaningless. Because gender is not tied to biology sex, it relies on social ideas. As a result, gender ideology reinforces regressive gender roles and stereotypes, without which it cannot exist. 20 years ago we said boys can play with dolls and it doesn’t mean they’re gay because gender stereotypes aren’t innate and are very harmful, today “we” say that boys who play with dolls are actually girls and need to be given a pink makeover and put on medication. While society was beginning to move away from gender, gender ideology has brought it back to the center and gender is once again considered to be central to one’s identity (and personality) and maybe even the most important fact about them. For this reason “misgendering” and similar actions are considered violent attacks on personhood. Crucially, gender ideology converges with conservative gender ideals through its obsession with gender and performing femininity and masculinity.

[nastasya--filippovna]

Hi! Your blog was recommended by a fellow mutual. Do you mind, please introduce me to "Around the world in 80 days"? Spoilers are fine, I don't usually watch something without seeing spoilers 😆

'Ello 'Ello 'Ello!!!

Indeed my good sir you have come to the right place. Since you have asked sit back and enjoy because I will now most certainly yap. Also I am really sorry for taking this long to answer but I have so many asks in my inbox it gets hard to answer all of them on time and my queue is literally clogged rn.

I don't know if you have watched the other adaptations of this book but this one is brilliant (unlike the others). In fact the magic of the series is that the show makes the book actually good! As a person who comes from a country colonised by the brits when I first read the book something about it felt off. Turns out it was the heavy dose od colonial gaze! And the movie (the Jackie Chan one) did nothing to fix it. Also both the movie and the book get a lot of cultural things wrong. The series however fixes it. I love the way it celebrates and respects the diversity of cultural experiences, where indigenous peoples in every country are shown as for lack of better word 'the good guys' and the colonisers as 'the bad guys'!

There's this scene in India where the village chief (who is a woman) just ends the feigned British superiority right in Phileas Fogg's face and the beauty of it is that he accepts it (instead of wanting to assert some toxic white guy masculinity). So the writing is immaculate.

Also I saw a lot of people for saying it made the story too woke. Heck yeah it did. If saying racism sucks, making the main romantic plot between a white woman and a black guy and showing women as the smart and strong ones at every turn (like when they are in Arabia), saving the men, and the men as compassionate and not toxic and macho, and ending classism is woke then yeah!

I really liked the fact that they erased the romantic arc with Phileas and Auoda as seen in the book that was so deeply disturbing on so many levels (white guy saves Indian woman from oppressive patriarchal structures in her oppressive backward society by marrying her. how wonderful! /s Mr. Fogg can we take a minute to talk about the oppressive treatment of women in your own Victorian society!) Love that instead they made him to the old man father figure to the two main leads. Passepartout is the lead! And how wonderful to have a black person play the romantic charismatic lead in a previously heavily white story. I like the romantic plot they did give Phileas tho. Beautiful, tender, heartwarming and a lot more in character with how the series version of him is!

The crucible is again wonderful. I love how the rewriting fixed A LOT of the problems with the book's plot. It gave the story a purpose. Phileas's actions have a deeper purpose not just a white man's gamble. Passepartout's actions have a deeper reason. Not just some dim-witted side character who's tagging along for the joy ride. The crucible is not just some policeman going after them for no reason whatsoever. It's far more complex than that. The villain has deeper motivations (wink wink @spiteful-summer-of-sixteen !) that are intertwined with their backstories.

Can we talk about the acting!!! AMAZING! All round brilliant performances. Also pretty people everywhere! Leonie Benesch has my heart! And how pretty is Ibrahim Koma!! David Tennant's hair in this thing deserves a whole sperate award. That moustache is supposed to look bAd. supposed to. But he's making it look GOOD! how?

Cinematography. wonderful. Filmmaking and direction. Immaculate.

Full of wholesome scenes that will make you cry from the warmth of it all, and sad scenes that will make you cry from the tragedy of it, and silly scenes that will make you laugh so hard that you'll be having tears in your eyes.

10000000000/10 would definitely recommend. In fact I will sneak into your house and make you watch it! lol jk.

Did I miss something???!! I don't think.

[nerdy-sunflower]

Y'all can we take a minute to talk about how awful they wrote Cody to be in Suite Life on Deck.

I'm saying this as a former Cody Girl:

CODY AIN'T SHIT

Exhibit A: Personality

In the OG show, they show Cody having various interests, one being sports, like Zack. He wasn't as good at them or as knowledgeable about them as Zack, but he still took an interest in watching and even playing sports.

They BOTH liked playing video games. They BOTH liked riding bikes. They BOTH liked girls and trying to get their attention. Sure, Cody was also great at school and very book smart, but it didn't consume him.

On Deck, Cody seems to know little to nothing about sports and has no interest in them at all. In fact, he seems to have no interest in anything that isn't strictly educational. Which brings me to my next point...

Exhibit B: Cody's lack of shenanigans.

In the OG show, Zack and Cody typically engaged in various shenanigans TOGETHER.

Wanted free bikes? Zack trains Cody to win a teen pageant. Suspect one of the rooms is haunted? Gather their friends to perform a seance. Suspect a guest of conning their mom and their friends? Spy on him and plant traps to catch him. Needed some extra money AND wanted to impress a crush? Rented out London's Suite while she was out of town.

Even Cody gets into his own shenanigans BY HIMSELF. Remember the episode where he moved into a linen closet because he got annoyed sharing a room with Zack?

Do y'all see that kind of energy from him On Deck? NO.

Well maybe in the first season, but for the most part, not really.

Most hijinks Cody finds himself in on deck, he does not take part in as willingly as he did at the hotel. Mr. Mosbey doesn't even blame Cody for anything that goes wrong on the boat! At the hotel, mosbey always came for "the boys", "you two", "the twins", etc. On Deck, he mainly goes after Zack. The only time I remember him being upset with Cody is when they both wear some "traditional" outfits to a party where everyone else is in black tie.

The adults on the show only seem to be upset with Cody when he's being a know-it-all and correcting the adults around him, or being a very pushy perfect student. Like when he and Bailey refused to take part in the senior ditch day so they made Ms Tutwiler stay with them in the classroom and only teach to them.

And when Cody DOES actually take part in any pranks or hijinks in On Deck, half the time it feels out of character for him. Like when he joined in on the prank on Mosbey that resulted in prom getting cancelled. It just doesn't make sense with the direction they took Cody's character in that he would join in on a prank that endangered Mosbey. He spends so much of On Deck sucking up to authority and teachers and never doing anything remotely wrong, to that. Sure, it's Mosbey, and Cody and Mosbey have history, but still it felt off in On Deck.

Exhibit C: Cody's treatment of women

Y'all remember this iconic line from the OG?

Yeah. A few years later, that kid's gonna become a massive incel and write a "play" demonizing his exgf and killing her off at the end.

In both versions of the show, they made Zack to be the "lady's man" and Cody was the one who had a harder time with girls. Even though Cody had his fair share of girlfriends during both shows. Two main ones we're gonna look at: Barbara and Bailey.

If y'all don't remember, Barbara was Cody's crush/friend/gf for a decent amount of the original run for Suite Life. Here's a quick little blip of a scene with them:

(taken from Google btw)

This is probably the beginning of the end for Cody. Sure by the end of the episode, he snaps out of it and accepts Barbara being stronger, and it's never really mentioned again. If you ignore this episode, Cody appears to view Barbara as an equal for a majority of their time together. And they appeared to mention a fairly amicable breakup between them once On Deck aired.

Now let's look at Cody and Bailey. On paper they seem perfect together. Both top of their class, type A personalities, straight A students. Cody was head over heels for her from the start, and when Bailey finally reciprocated those feelings all seemed well. Then the Paris incident.

But let's ignore the Paris incident for a minute. Cody was ALWAYS threatened by Bailey. It shows consistently in the show. They're always fighting to be top of the class. Well, Cody's fighting. Bailey just does it.

Let's look at when the gang gets lost at sea. London, Woody, and Zack all agree that Bailey should be captain and in charge of getting them back home, much to Cody's disapproval. When everyone goes to sleep, Cody changes course behind everyone's back because he can't handle being ignored and not being the leader. When they're on the island, Cody starts sulking because Bailey was angry that he undermined her, yet saw no reason to apologize to her.

And then with the finale, when Cody gets rejected from Yale. While Cody is wallowing in misery, he then remembers Bailey also applied. His immediate thought? If HE didn't get in, there was no way Bailey got in, right? Wrong. Bailey got accepted. Further pushing Cody into misery. Not only was he rejected from his dream school, but his girlfriend WAS accepted and HE thought he deserved admission more than she did.

Cody had a desperate need to be the smartest person in the room, and Bailey challenged him on that. Unlike Barbara, who was also a very intelligent character, Cody didn't seem to view her as equally as he viewed Barbara. Cody thought he was better than her. And when they broke up it struck a chord with him. He couldn't let the breakup, or Bailey go. The nail in the coffin for him should've been the play. After humiliating her like that, Bailey, definitely should've seen the writing on the wall that Cody did not respect her.

Conclusion

There's a lot that I don't like very much about Suite Life on Deck. The worst thing is the general flanderization of all the characters, but with Cody, it just feels like it's on another level, like they're not even the same person. Z&C Zack and On Deck Zack, okay makes sense how we got here, even London somehow losing more braincells in On Deck feels more in character than whatever tf they did with Cody.

[beautifulpersonpeach]

What are your thoughts on hyuna seemingly announcing a relationship with someone connected with the burning sun scandal? My understanding is that, though he wasn't convicted of the worst crimes involved in burning sun, he admitted to watching some of the videos sent to him and would comment on them, but I also heard that he still performs around Korea sometimes. This is just bizarre to see from hyuna imo. (Apparently he also used to date goo hara, who was one of hyuna's friends. This isn't as yucky to me as it seems to be to some people, because I think mutual grief can be a uniting thing, and it's not unheard of for relationships to come from it even if it seems disrespectful from an outsider's perspective.)

***

When I first saw her post I had no real thoughts about it - while dating someone even tangentially involved in that nonsense is distasteful, her dating life is her business and I know neither Junhyung nor Hyuna personally - but I knew this news would inevitably lead to the next juicy bit for kpop stans to sensationalize and blow up into a scandal. There’s nothing k-pop stans love more than cancelling an idol or group. It’s a like a group project where everyone can get easy bonus participation marks on.

And sure enough, the minute someone posted her Instagram update on Twitter, it led to hundreds of thousands of tweets, blog posts, discussion topics on all platforms about how Hyuna manipulated her ‘fanbase of feminists’ and lovebombed Dawn into sabotaging his career; cynical declarations about how k-pop idols are most likely bad people (all that fame and fortune corrupts their morality) and it’s only a matter of time before they show their true colours; and Junghyun, for all his faults, has gone from someone who watched a molka video sent to him, to a rape apologist, a rapist, a convicted sex offender, a predator and so on.

It’s fine if people are disappointed she’s dating a creep, the problem is k-pop stans never really leave it at that. In HyunA’s case I’d noticed many of her stans have been upset with her for the last couple of years now, wondering the direction she’s taking post-P Nation and being mostly disappointed in her artistic output recently. And you can see it in the lacklustre response her music has gotten increasingly since then. Any sympathy she had from most of her fans evaporated when she and Dawn broke up. This business with Junhyung seems to me to be the final nail in the coffin, and a pretty good reason for people who were already falling out of love with her to finally write her off.

In reality, people do grow and it’s possible Junhyung learned something from that scandal and now is a better man. It’s possible their shared grief and history with GH bonded them over the years. It’s possible HyunA’s in a terrible place mentally right now and he’s providing healthy or unhealthy support. And it’s possible HyunA is simply a bad person who isn’t a ‘girl’s girl’, and has no qualms dating someone who still has predatory views about women. The beauty of k-pop stan logic is that it’s only the last possibility that’s assumed to be true. Coincidentally that’s also the only possibility that justifies the kind of reactions k-pop stans are prone to dishing out anyway.

A thought experiment I played with a few friends, was what the fallout would be if she announced she was dating Zico instead. Zico apparently didn’t watch any molka videos because there was no evidence he was sent any, but he knew Joonyoung and admitted to knowing about the ‘golden phone’ at the heart of the Burning Sun scandal. I wonder what the takes would be then if she made a dating announcement with Zico… but a part of me kinda already knows.

Anyway, a few of HyunA’s fansites have closed and some people on the k-side are just as upset as those on the I-side. Most other people on the k-side don’t care though. In fact, the understanding is that after Dawn and now Junhyung, it’s likely she dumps him within the year and moves on to someone else before long. Because rather than HyunA’s brand being ‘feminism’ as is wrongly assumed on the I-side, all she’s ever been consistent about is doing what she wants.

And I don’t think that’s going to change. All this backlash and outrage notwithstanding.

[calicohyde]

Jack Hyde All-Character Tournament: Round 2, Seed 8

Pat Hinata (Any Publicity Is Good Publicity)

Pat is a bar owner and madame. She runs St. Pat's, which is an upscale escort bar and inn. On the down-low she's also a blackmail artist, or at least she could be if she wanted to or if... pressed. The women who work for her consider themselves sisters and call her their auntie, as she truly cares for them and provides for them like family, and would continue to do so even if they left her employ. She is Gwaine's adoptive mother, and often jokes that if his political career doesn't work out he can always join the family business instead.

Genre: Romantic Comedy Designation: Side Character Quick Facts: what if Mama Morton was butch and a good guy

VERSUS

Asher Adam (Any Publicity Is Good Publicity)

Asher is the frontman of the punk duo ION. He is forthright and blunt to a fault, in part because he's autistic and in part because he's just kind of a cunt - and proud of it. He is the lead vocalist and guitar player for ION, but he also plays flute and violin, which he and his other band member and brother Jordan sometimes creatively incorporate into their music. Ash is also the primary lyricist for the band. He writes a scathing and very direct track lambasting politician Gwaine Hinata, which quickly makes news and brings Gwaine himself to a show. When he spots Gwaine in the audience, Asher gets off stage to perform the song right in Gwaine's face. Ash has a typical Tragic Backstory. He is a double amputee from surviving a terrible car crash. His right arm and leg were irreparably crushed by debris when he crawled back into the wreckage to rescue Jordan. Now, he uses avant garde fashion prostheses to announce ION's new albums and match his body to the cover art.

Genre: Romantic Comedy Designation: Main Character Quick Facts: trans, gay, Jewish, Alabaman with the accent to prove it

@jezifster @kmkvtw

[sendmyresignation]

I didn't finish Girls to the Front partly bc I got distracted but partly bc I heard a few other people saying it felt biased or lacking a further critical analysis, I'm curious it it references any of the women who were involved in DC hardcore or hardcore in general, re the books assertion that hardcore is overly technical and masculine point thay you alluded to in your tags. I know that it was still a very male dominated scene but the continued way that some people act like the women who were there didn't matter or aren't worth discussing has always irked me, and I'm curious if you had thoughts

sorry, i just got the time to answer this! i wanted to be able to give some quotes so it didn't look like i was pulling anything out of my ass. but yeah, so while the book does occasionally mention women in hardcore, Marcus has this rhetorical strategy where she brings them up, but not without first diminishing their existences and then dismissing their contributions.

There's reasons for this, I think, actually. One is that she really wants to sell this idea that punk was more influenced by women in the 70s and then, suddenly hardcore happened and the "macho-ism" of hardcore meant that the 80s lacked the previous generations female presence: "its penchant for louder-faster-harder performances and frenetic slam dancing were catnip for boys anxious to blow off adolescent steam... [the mosh pits] drove most girls to the sidelines". This is true... but only to a certain extent and is also a generalization, the other thing is I think she just reallllly wants to make riot grrls this supreme influence on women in the 90s, like there were sooo few women in DC (not out front, not as personalities, as she quotes from Jen Smith). But, by writing off the entirety of the 80s, she loops hardcore and posthardcore together?? like rev summer bands were explicitly challenging the violence and the "hard" rhetoric with vulnerability- spiritually v connected to riot grrl. and, ofc, rev summer was conceptualized by amy pickering! like she is directly responsible for not just the term but is herself the catalyst (Marcus says: "The scene's previous golden age... was what Fire Party's Amy Pickering had then dubbed Revolution Summer" which I feel removes a lot of her involvement, esp when Marcus criticized the fact Fire Party rehearsed religiously for months before performing live, therefore they weren't a part of the summer itself and also stood in contrast to the Olympia-riot grrl values of anyone-can-play diy). She also, in an attempt to re-enforce this riot grrl linage into The Canon excludes women in DC who weren't direct inspirations on riot grrl (so for example, Chalk Circle is mentioned a hell of a lot in these histories bc she was a mentor for Olympia grrls after moving to Cali, wrote a precursor zine that a lot of riot grrls read, and was in a band with Kathleen Hanna, Holly Rollers always gets mentioned bc of Juliana Luecking, etc) but Pickering and others gets left out bc she's an imperfect role model (wanted her band to be seen outside the paragram of gender, she worked at Dischord, booked shows, was friends with most of the hardcore scene). Unsurprisingly, then, Marcus v. conveniently leaves out the black women in DC; Pickering's band included drummer Nicky Thomas (who is literally never named in the book, only Pickering is mentioned when talking about Fire Party which i find particularly egregious) and their first show was dedicated to Toni Young of Red-C and Dove who were legit hardcore bands.

She also is weirdly inconsistent about the contributions of female instrumentalists (that idea of personalities...); again, the members of Fire Party outside their vocalist are never mentioned, Unwound is briefly offhandedly namedropped but Sarah Lund's name never appears, Christina Billotte is mentioned and quoted when she's involved in riot grrl (Autoclave-era; later she would grow distant from the DC meetings) but is only passingly mentioned when Slant 6 is formed and none of her bandmates are named, Maria Jones is name dropped as a significant presence in DC because of the Holly Rollers connection but none of the other bands she was in are shared, including the all-girl, all openly queer Broken Siren, I could go on and on and on. Unless you were a frontwoman or directly involved in riot grrl, you were not relevant enough for Marcus to care about, which I find frustrating. who gives a fuck about female vocalists when the "technical" nature of guitar or drums makes them much more gender-locked positions in rock music? again, there's also a divergence about proficiency, as if attempting to perform complex, serious music was like.... giving into the masculine musical culture? which i find incredibly essentialist and insulting to women invested in their craft. Ultimately I find Marcus incapable of adequately accounting for the variety of women and their reasoning for being in a band during this period and it does a disservice to the history to simply pretend any woman not Doing It Correctly is worth forgetting or dismissing. so, hopefully that answers your question lmao. id still recommend girls to the front, if just because it presents riot grrl pretty unedited and the timeline is super helpful when dealing with a very fragmented small subculture and seeing that it gets preserved. but MAN did a lot of the analysis get on my nerves lmao

[sinceraindia]

The Importance of Gender Diversity in the World of Work

We write this post assuming that we have come past the phase where we even refuse to acknowledge that gender inequality at the workplace is a very real problem, which requires an immediate solution. Unfair recruitment, unequal pay, the phenomenon of glass ceiling [The Federal Glass Ceiling Commission describes the term ‘glass ceiling’ as “the unseen, yet unbreakable barrier that keeps minorities and women from rising to the upper rungs of the corporate ladder, regardless of their qualifications or achievements.”], are all very pertinent issues which hinder gender diversity in the world of work.

Gender diversity at the workplace, is a crucial pre-requisite in the globalized world of work we all inhabit today. And here are only some of the reasons about why it is so important.

Increased organizational performanceAny organization’s performance is a reflection of the core values and principles of the organization. In other words, the performance of the team is directly related to the organization’s attitude and investments towards the team. One of the most important aspects which have a direct influence on organizational performance is equality and inclusivity. The employees, irrespective of their gender, need to feel like they are equals. It is only then that the motivation and interest to give back to the organization can be sustained within them.

Ability to retain a diverse customer baseIn order to help your business grow, it is important for you to be able to attract and sustain a diverse customer base. It is difficult to be able to meet that requirement unless your employee base in itself reflects gender diversity. It is a fact that men and women perceive things differently, with relation to certain key issues. Diversity in thought at the end of the organization is directly related to how successfully the organization is able to retain a diverse customer / client base. A gender diverse work environment is by default a more engaging and supportive work environment.

Decrease in attrition ratesOne of the most important causes leading to high attrition rates for any organization is inequality, or just the overall work environment which may not be very inclusive. Lack of equality or unfairness breeds dissatisfaction within the workplace, thus contributing to reasons for higher employee turnover or attrition rates. This not only reflects badly on the goodwill of the organization, but is also a rather expensive error to rectify. Workspaces which are more inclusive and fair tend to have lower attrition rates.

A better talent poolA more inclusive and diverse work space by default guarantees a richer talent pool. By being gender biased as an organization, you automatically forego a huge chunk of talent. You never know what attributes, and skills you’re missing out on by eliminating or limiting female representation or engagement at various levels in your organization.

Reflection of the organizational culture and valuesAs we move towards a more globalized world of work, the values and the principles that organizations play by have started gaining more and more importance. It is exactly these values and principles that set an organization apart from others. It is the culture and the values harbored by an organization which lend to it, its reputation. One of the primary reflections of the same is the factor of gender diversity within an organization. The values of fairness, inclusivity and equality while being the most basic expectations, also paradoxically end up being very rare to find. And surely enough, any organization which boasts of these values, is one worth aspiring to be a part of!

It is an understated fact that we need more women at work, in the world of work. We at OBOlinx are an all women’s team, and have a ton of inspiring ‘women at work’ stories which we would love to share with you. But before that, we would love to bring your stories to the world. Tell us what has worked for you, and what hasn’t worked for you, as a woman at work. You never know who you might end up inspiring and providing hope to, out there!

[dominickeating-source]

60 Second Interview (2002) by James Ellis

DOMINIC KEATING FIRST came to fame in this country as Tony on Channel 4's first black sitcom, Desmond's, before flying to LA to seek stardom in Hollywood. Eight years and several dodgy series later, he landed the role of the token Brit, Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, on the new Star Trek spin-off, Enterprise.

What was it like arriving in LA? I rented out my flat and I had this old beach buggy that I bought at the height of my 15 minutes of fame in Desmond's. It never rains in California, so I sent it by boat along the Panama Canal and of course it rained incessantly for six weeks when I got there. I set off two days after the earthquake of September 1994 and I was at my mum's house here looking at the devastation on her little telly in the kitchen going, 'Oh, my God!' But I still went over.

What's the most embarrassing show you've had to do? I gate crashed my first LA audition - it was a Showtime equivalent of the Red Shoe Diaries [erotic drama] called Love Street and, what do you know, I got the lead. I played an ex-pop star who's had one massive hit before drying up. His girlfriend died of a drug overdose in the middle of his fame and then, through the love of a very cute girl with fake bosoms, he manages to write another huge hit.

Pure Shakespeare... It read really well. Great pop star, fabulous house, he's really cool, makes love by a fireplace, his manager doesn't like what he's doing, he makes love by a swimming pool. You think it's very Al Pacino but, unfortunately, with a soft lens and commercials every ten minutes, it doesn't quite come together like that.

As a Brit, do you get typecast? There are certain roles they think of you for as an Englishman and there are certain roles you can only aspire to. You know: devilishness - love the voice; pop star - love the voice; hairdresser - love the voice.

Bond villain? Bond villain - love the voice. But doctor on a medical show? Never gonna happen. Well, whats-her-name [Alex Kingston] did get ER . There's no real rhyme or reason to it. Maybe it's opening up. Look at anything by Aaron Spelling - no accents whatsoever. They just didn't trust the demographic. They didn't want anyone in Wiscokey-nowhere going, 'What the hell did he say?'

What do you miss about the UK? It's the old things - Marmite, the sense of humour. Actually, in my local store in Beachwood Canyon, there's an English corner now, and you can get everything, even PG Tips.

How is dealing with Klingons? I got beat up by one the other day. This Klingon supermodel smacked the s**t out of me!

Sounds like one of those Red Shoe Diaries... Yeah, it does, doesn't it? Apparently Klingon women do have the strength of five men, so I shouldn't be too embarrassed. And she jumped me, so I was taken by surprise.

What's the strangest question you've been asked? I liked the one you just asked, about the most embarrassing thing, and I didn't even tell you about the drag act. We were called Feeling Mutual! Am I a fool for telling you about that one? Oh, who cares. I made my professional debut doing a drag act. I got my Equity card doing it. We first performed at the Vauxhall Tower, in 1985 or 1986. We were a double act, me and a boy called JonJon who I met in my dance class at the time.

What will you do after the series has finished? I'm ready for the fact that this may be the last gig I ever do, but it might be the beginning of something huge. I'm a good character actor, and I hope this is going to be the launch pad. And, in the meantime, I'm taking myself off to directorial school. I'm learning how to direct because there is this other pathway you can take during Star Trek, Star Trek University they call it.

That happens a lot in the States, no? Well, Jason Priestley was allowed to do Beverly Hills 90210 to keep him happy and Shannen Doherty was doing Charmed for a while.

But you've got nothing to do with Aaron Spelling... Erm, well, sort of covertly, the guy who directed our pilot is Aaron Spelling's right-hand man, Jim Conway. I played golf with him the other day.

Is it good to be back in the UK? Tell me about it, mate. Actually I'm really excited, coming home. This is what I always dreamed of. You know, going to America, in some way making it and coming back here going, 'Look ma, I'm top of the world!

Source: www.dominickeating.com

[stellardeer]

Tbh I haven't personally seen any of the people who are saying that they don't like rap because it's violent or because it's about sex and drugs or whatever, but I have seen all the response posts and I absolutely believe those people are out there.

And while I've already reblogged posts that have much better thoughts on it than I do, I feel like some people just need to admit to themselves that they aren't willing to engage with content that isn't relatable to them. Also that they are being super racist and biased about it, but it's ridiculous to write off an entire genre of music for subject matter that is found across literally all genres. Just say "I don't personally connect with this because it is not directed at me" and move on. You don't have to deride the entire genre just because it doesn't resonate with you, personally.

I'll be honest, I like rap, but I don't listen to a lot of it on a regular basis, and the majority of rap in my library is female rappers because they just tend to have things to say that resonate more with me as an AFAB person. I don't listen to a lot of the songs that get played on the radio, but I don't really listen to much of anything that gets played on the radio because the subject matter is usually shallow and generic, especially in pop music. I don't really like music with a lot of bass unless I am specifically wanting to dance or party, if Im just chillin in my home I dont like EDM or pop or anything too flashy. I don't listen to a lot of music (of any genre) that talks about wanting to make a lot of money or stunt on people or whatever because I do not share those goals/feelings. It doesn't mean I think that music is bad or that the people performing it or listening to it are lesser in any way. It doesn't mean I'm gonna say "rap is bad because they just talk about getting money", as if that's the only thing anyone has ever rapped about. Like idk I think it's fine to admit that you prefer certain subject matter in songs because you relate to it more but to say that all rap is violent or sexist so you don't like any of it is literally just racist.

I don't really like Drake because the lyrics that he himself writes and speaks in his songs give me the impression that he views women as something to own and he wants to be the next R Kelly or some shit. The groomer rumors weren't surprising to me in the least, I saw it coming from a mile away. So even though I used to think his songs were good I stopped fuckin with him. I've never heard a Kendrick song that I didn't like though (but I did think it was a little corny that he did a song with Taylor Swift cause I just don't like her 🤷) But like.. the fact that some of yall won't even go listen to their music and form an opinion of your own? The fact yall just hear "rapper" and immediately turn away? "Oh I don't care about this because rap is violent", like for real? You don't even fucking know who they are or what they rap about you, you've just already decided you don't care?

And at the end of the day, yeah, you can say "well not ALL rap is violent, here's such and such song that isnt!" but, again, as others have put it, that's just throwing gangster rap under the bus fr, like there's a reason people listen to it, there's a reason it resonates with its audience, there's a reality to it, it isn't glorification (well, maybe for some rappers it is) but they are literally just talking about their lives. To say "I don't want to listen because it's too violent" is like saying "Sorry I don't want to hear your story because it makes me uncomfortable, you should just keep it to yourself." Yall get how racist that is, right?

[keeganhogan]

Double Suicide

Shinoda Masahiro’s Double Suicide is an incredibly well stylized film, the likes of which I have never seen before. I thought it odd at first that after seeing a color film from 1960, that we would then watch a film from 1969 in black and white. However, the stark contrast of super dark blacks and the whites of light in this film played an incredible role in the visual style and storytelling of the film. Use of black and white akin to that that we saw in Godzilla is present here, especially with the puppeteers dressed in all black.

           

Towards the beginning of the film I found the premise a very interesting one, a puppet play brought to life, and that the inclusion of the puppeteers in the movie was an excellent artistic choice. However, it is taken a level beyond that, as the puppeteers play the role of fate in this film, as everything happens because of them. They are the driving force behind all of the actions of the film, most notably being the ones that encourage Jihei to kill Koharu and are the ones that aid in his suicide, kicking the rock out from under his feet instead of Jihei himself. The set design is also super important in this film, especially taking from puppet plays. While the space constructed by the sets resembles the streets and homes that the setting is intended to be, the walls and floors have pictures and writing and splashes of ink (or maybe blood) on them, as if the world of the characters is constructed by the puppeteers for them to act in. They have no free will and are trapped in the world of the fates. That is, until Jihei and Koharu escape that world. I loved the scene of Jihei knocking down the walls and other pieces of the set, in an attempt to fight back against fate and break out of his cage. However, even outside of the world constructed for him, fate pursues and there is nothing he and Koharu can do about it. The moments where all of the in-play characters freeze while the puppeteers move around and construct things for the next part of the play were very cool to see as well. Everything about this movie was artistically intended and executed beautifully. If the visuals weren’t enough, the performances in this movie were also stellar, especially Iwashita Shima, playing both Osan and Koharu masterfully. The raw emotion of every characters is extremely palpable, and the artistic visuals amplify the dramatic performances wonderfully.            

The relationship with the viewer that is established in this film is unlike anything I have ever experienced. The opening scene panning around the set of a traditional puppet play while it seems that a director has a conversation over artistic decisions with a corporate member of a studio was a very interesting tone-setter. We are constantly reminded that we are viewing a play or a staging of the events unfolding in front of us. We are not a direct spectator of the plot itself, but a spectator of the puppeteers staging the plot and carrying it out to completion as intended. This is such a unique way to tell a story and it plays into the themes of fate and the impossibility of breaking out of the strict, established social rules very well. Despite Koharu and Jihei’s love for each other, there is no way to be together for them due to societal pressures and clearly defined roles within that society, so their only option is to die together to join each other in the next life. Again, like I said before with Jihei’s scene wrecking the set, he tries and tries to break out of the cage he’s been put in, but can’t escape fate. The other thing in this film that I found interesting was the solidarity between the women. Despite Koharu being the object of Jihei’s affection and not herself, Osan has this intense obligation to her, wanting to protect her as a fellow woman. Koharu feels the same to her, needing to at least feign the fact that she kept her oath to Osan to protect Jihei, despite the fact that she will be dead and not be able to be reprimanded for not doing so. The feminist themes in this movie were surprising for such a film so “based in tradition”, for lack of a better phrase. This is especially the case towards the end of the film when Koharu says it was never her choice to be a courtesan and that she is simply a woman, and wants to be able to love like one.

[pazodetrasalba]

Edgelady

Dear Caroline:

What you seem to be describing as feelings talk in this answer to somebody else's post, who mentions 'emotional regulation wisdom', feels more like the typical pseudo-mystic self-help talk one encounters everywhere in general, and in Paulo Coelho's novels in particular. From the remainder of what you write, I guess this gets intertwined with the more conventional, usually 'women-coded', public manifestation of emotions, and with the perception (implicitly assumed in your lines) of its association to weakness and vulnerability.

Having been steeped into rationalism, it would make sense for you to downplay the purely affective. Same goes for the contrarianism, but not so much, I think, for 'being an edgelord', which I had to look up. There's probably a performative and theatrical element in this -after all, you seemed to have enjoyed LARPing a lot, and you have an entry where you mention the pleasures of role-playing self-centered and egoistic people, the worse angels of our nature. And if a certain Internet essay is to be believed, this is precisely what you did in the notorious 4chan website, 'shilling and fudding coins' there, role-playing and discussing controversial stuff and suffering the brunt of the most odious misogyny: 'I'm beginning to realize most here are not joking or being ironic... and its very disturbing how many are actual nazis'.

I also had to look up Mark Manson, even though I feel you have also commented about him sometime, in the context of 'good dating advice for men'. His direct and unsentimental bluntness comes through easily in the titles of his last two books (The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and Everything Is F*cked) and in their apparent thesis (life's struggles give it meaning and typical self-help books offer meaningless positivity which is neither practical nor helpful, thus improperly approaching the problems many individuals face), which sounds like quite reasonable and good advice. Finding meaning through what you find to be important and only engaging in values that you can control is a very ancient lesson that was already been preached by the Stoics, with some magnificent maxims by Marcus Aurelius. Also, the fact that Bukowski served as an inspiration for the writer endears him to me, as I used to enjoy the former enormously as teen.

Talking about writers, I started with Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality last week - I am on chapter 6 right now, and not particularly impressed, but will still give it a fighting chance, as it is implicitly another of your book recommendations, so much so that you borrowed the title of your blog from it! "World optimization as world domination" sounds like you trying to be an edgelord again, and opening yourself up to all those uncharitable readings of ambition and nerdish revenge...

Quote:

I don't get the impression that very many here are actually racist.... the world is a Dark place and especially nowadays we face many struggles that can make us feel isolated and alone. Wayward Souls can find themselves looking for an "other" to blame.... race, religion, politics, these groups come in many forms. It's a form of venting. When we have deeper conversations with each other we often find we have more common ground than we realize.... we are all beings of Light living in a Dark world. It's so easy to forget that anon.

YHWH loves you

[hidingoutbackstage]

i need to hunt him for sport

right off the bat he refers to the costume designer as art's "play thing for the night" so. already not exactly a great attitude towards women

"it was awkward casting body parts of these strangers" oh was it, mr. leone? was it awkward casting the body of a stranger where part of the fake body you were making included a whole ass vagina? was that awkward for you?

"i'm a major horror fan, seen em all" yeah we can tell

i know jen is his girlfriend so she was probably willing to put up with whatever but the fact that he describes what she dealt with for that one scene including cold, being uncomfortable, and going through all that makeup feels very. idk. ick.

and the fact that he based the makeup effect on a real life mauling of a woman. funnnnnn

"when you're writing for art the clown you gotta think of the worst thing imaginable that you're gonna do to somebody, and you don't shy away from it, you go there" i think you mean women. the worst thing imaginable that you can do to women. the men die quickly and easily, the women suffer

"that's what art does, he goes there, he goes where you don't think he's gonna go" are we sure art isn't just an excuse for leone to do these things to women?

OH SO WHEN YOUR ACTRESS HAS A FREAK OUT BECAUSE WHILE SHOOTING A SCENE WHERE HER CHARACTER IS SUFFOCATED WITH A PLASTIC BAG SHE LOSES HER BREATH AND ACTUALLY THINKS SHE'S BEING SUFFOCATED, AND YOUR ACTOR PLAYING THE KILLER SAYS HE FELT BAD ABOUT THAT SCENE, YOU, MR. EMPATHETIC DIRECTOR, SAY "that wasn't a big thing though" IT KINDA WAS, DAMIEN LEONE.

art's weapon is sharp objects tied to braids of the women he's killed. normal thing, i think. very normal killer weapon for a killer in a movie written and directed by a guy who's normal about women

oh you had to keep telling your actresses to give you more emotion and intensity? they weren't being intense enough for you? in the final product they're crying and screaming and in hysterics. that's what you needed? and you never had to tell your male actors to do more? why is that, damien leone? why is that?

his favorite performance marie gave was her crying and screaming in hysterics in the car. normal.

r slur

"oh yeah art the clown is soooo much cooler than those other mainstream killers, he uses a gun" okay damien don't cream yourself on camera

"a body for an eye" oh so you agree? a female deserves harsher more brutal physical punishment than a guy?

oh of fucking course he takes inspo from charles manson

HE LITERALLY SAYS "my mindset was 'what is the worst thing imaginable you can do to a woman without killing her?'" AND "she's just there to suffer for as long as she's..." (i assume he was going to say "alive")

so. we're hunting him for sport, right?

there's a version of terrifier (the short film) with director's commentary so let's get a peek into mr. leone's mind

[searchingforgravity]

Love Me Tender PART 1(Elvis/Austin!Elvis x Reader)

Character/Fandom: Elvis - Elvis (2022)

Prompt: You are in the front row in an Elvis concert when he starts singing Love Me Tender, starting towards the sea of women. At the blink of an eye, he is suddenly over you, looking in your eyes as he leans down for a kiss. You decide to give it your all as you kiss him with as much need as you feel in that moment. You aren't expecting him to pull you in for another kiss, sparking something within the two of you.

TW: Smut, sex, handjob, fingering, dry humping, praise kink, dirty talk

Rating: Mature/Explicit

Word Count: 6361

A/N: This is a long one, but I got inspired to write this by Elvis' Love Me Tender performance. Also, Vegas era Elvis has me in a death grip.

You feel his lips soft against yours. You can't help the flutter in your heart as you stand on your tip toes. This is a once in a lifetime chance, and you're not planning on waisting a single second of it. Ignoring the fact that there are hundreds of eyes on the two of you, you deepen the kiss, pressing your lips hard onto his warm, plush ones as your tongue comes in contact with his bottom lip. You feel him pull away before snapping your eyes open, the roar of the crowd still in the background as you lock eyes with him. Slight surprise plays on his features before a smirk forms on his mouth, those damn hypnotizing blue eyes penetrate yours before he drops his gaze to your lips. Before you can register what's happening, he is dipping his head down to you again, his lips connecting to yours with more urgency than before. A shock of pleasure shoots through you as he gently places his large hand on the side of your face, causing you to sigh into his mouth. Much too soon for your liking, he removes himself from you before continuing down the stage, kissing women as he went.

You are so shocked, you just stand there with your mouth slightly agape, trying to process what just happened. You had just kissed Elvis Presley, and he kissed you a second time. The sounds of the people around snap you back to your senses as your best friend, Amy, shakes your shoulder. The noise is suddenly too much as you have to strain to hear what she is yelling at you. "Oh my God! Elvis Presley just kissed you!" She screams in your ear, but it sounds far away as you're still paralyzed from what just happened. "(Y/N)!" Amy shouts, shaking your arm more aggressively. This snaps you out of your trance as a wave of exhilaration runs through you, plastering a stupid smile across your face as you turn to her. "Oh my God!" you shout, yelling like a school girl as your cheeks flush a bright crimson.

The rest of the show goes by in a blur, with you and Amy clinging to each other and screaming as your childhood crush traipses around the room, teasing every woman at the concert. You are about to yell over to Amy when you hear an "Excuse me, miss." You look in the direction from where you heard this male voice and see a tall man towering over you with fire engine red hair. You would later discover that this man's name is 'Red' West, and that he's Elvis' friend and bodyguard. He looks at you inquisitively before leaning in slightly, trying to keep what he is saying private. "Mr. Presley would like to see you after the show."

You can almost feel your heart stop at this. You couldn't have possibly heard him right. You look up on stage to find Elvis on the far end, preoccupied with the crowd. You look back at Red and he is watching you, waiting for an answer. "W-What?" You say back, loud enough for him to hear, but quiet enough to be somewhat discreet. You assume he doesn't want to arouse suspicion as he simply asks "What is your answer?"

After finally wrapping your head around the idea that Elvis wants to see you after the show, all you can do is vigorously nod your head. This makes him smirk a little to himself before he gently takes your arm as he starts to lead you away. You convince him to let you take your friend with you and after he looks your friend up and down, it doesn't take him long to agree before you are both being led backstage. After what seems like hours of weaving through the crowd, you arrive to a lounge area with about two dozen people. Some of which you recognize as the as the Memphis Mafia with their arms slung around various women, some giddy and hanging on their every word, and some talking amongst themselves. There are various men there as well as their eyes land on you and Amy as you walk in, giving the two of you the once-over. You suddenly become self conscious as you turn to Red. "Please, help yourselves to any food or drinks you wish. Elvis should be done within the next 20 minutes," Red says as he motions to a corner in the room with various alcohol and snacks.

After you and Amy grab a drink, you huddle together and observe the room of people, talking amongst yourselves. "Oh my God, I can't believe this is happening," she whispers in your ear, her eyes wide as she stands there, starstruck. You aren't much better as your nerves start bubbling up to the surface. Your mind keeps coming back to the fact that Elvis wants to see you after the show. Just the thought of it makes your stomach flip. Your eyes trail over the room with half a dozen women and you wonder if you're one of many women he inquired about.

The rest of his set goes by quickly and you are suddenly standing alone. Amy demanded that she was to stay by your side but one of Elvis' friends, Jerry, couldn't take his eyes off her. He asked if she wanted to talk over by the sofas and he seemed like a genuinely good man, so you told her to go enjoy herself. After some hesitation, she smiled softly at him before joining him on one of the sofas. You now cradle your drink in your hands, much too nervous to consume it. The music had stopped and everyone is now waiting with bated breath for the superstar to walk into the room. After some commotion, Elvis finally appears through the opening and you can't help the gasp that leaves your lips.

His eyes are slightly drooped with exertion, his face flushed and his exposed chest glistening with sweat. His swollen, pouty lips are parted as he pants softly, taking a white handkerchief from one of his entourage as he brings it to his face. People start crowding around him, congratulating him as he makes his way to the far side of the room for some water. "Thank you, honey," he breathes to a woman about your age, who is practically hanging on his arm, telling him how amazing he did. You quickly look away from the scene, the stinging bite of jealousy coursing through you. He probably invited her backstage, too. You suddenly feel stupid that you'd expected anything from being invited back here tonight. A good 15 minutes go by of him mingling with people as you look over at Amy, who is completely engrossed in what Jerry is saying to her, his hand resting on the dip in her back. You turn your attention back to your drink as you swirl the liquid around in the glass, bringing it to your lips.

"Hey, beautiful," you hear, suddenly pulled out of your thoughts. You look up in the direction of the voice and see none other than Elvis' eyes looking back at you. It takes you by such surprise that you choke on your drink, throwing yourself into a fit of coughing. He quirks an eyebrow at you as a soft chuckle leaves his lips. "Didn't mean to scare ya', honey," he chuckles as he leans closer to you. Your eyes scan the room for the woman he was just with, and you find her engaged with another man, though she doesn't look enthused. Your eyes widen slightly as he inches forward, making a private area for you both as his body creates a barrier from you to the rest of the room. Your cheeks flush at his boldness as you take a step back out of reflex. "I-I'm sorry. I just- you caught me off guard..." you trail, humiliation playing on your face from stumbling your words in front of him. This is your first conversation and you're already messing it up.

"That's alright, darlin', you don't gotta be nervous," he says lowly, as his eyes sweep over your face, landing on your lips. "You certainly weren't at the show tonight," he mumbles as he pulls his gaze away from your lips to look in your eyes again. He is so close to you, that you can feel the warmth radiating off of him. Your cheeks flush again as you back up once more, your head suddenly dizzy. "I didn't know you'd like it so much," you say before you think. He smirks at your response, his eyes darkening the slightest bit. "A kiss like that? You really know how to make a man want you," he breathes as he inches closer again, your back hitting the wall as you back up more, your breath catching in your throat. "Hey E.P., get over here! I want you to meet someone!" a man shouts from behind you two. An exasperated groan leaves his lips as he looks at you for a second longer. "Wait for me," he says, his eyes suddenly pleading with you. You can only nod as you gaze up at him. Your head is spinning from his closeness, and you think that in that moment you would do anything he asked you to. Then, in an instant, he turns and joins one of his friends as they introduce him to a bombshell of a woman.

You exhale the breath you'd been holding, your face flushing at the intimacy of what just happened. Your eyes search desperately for Amy who is now tucked away in a corner of the room with Jerry. You rush over to her, and when you approach the two, they are so engrossed in each other that she doesn't notice you standing beside her. "Amy," you call sternly at her side. She is smiling stupidly at something Jerry has just told her. "Yes?" she says in a sing song voice, her eyes never leaving his. "Uh, I need to talk to you...alone."

At this, she pulls her eyes away from him to look at you. "I'll be right back. Will you wait for me?" she breathes to Jerry and he takes her hand in his, giving it a tender kiss. "Of course." You are then pulling her to an abandoned hallway. Your blood is suddenly heating up as you think of a plan. "What?" Amy hisses, clearly annoyed you had pulled her away from Jerry. "What are you, in love with him or something?" you retort in a hushed voice. She rolls her eyes as she cocks her eyebrow at you, waiting for you to get the the point. You huff as you try to sort through your thoughts.

"We need to leave," you start as you look for the exit. "What?!" she says loudly, prompting you to shush her. "Are you crazy?!" she hisses in a whisper. "No! Amy...I think Elvis wants to spend the night with me," you whisper harshly causing her jaw to drop. "Why the hell would you want to leave?! You really are cra-" she starts before stopping in her tracks, her eyes widening. You are about to ask her what's wrong when you hear a familiar voice from behind you. "Hello ladies. I hope I'm not interrupting."

Your body goes stiff as a smirk forms on Amy's face. "Absolutely not, Mr. Presley!" she chimes, giving him her award winning smile. It sometimes annoys you how much of a people person she is. You turn to look at Elvis and his eyes instantly land on yours, lingering there for a moment. "Jerry was just asking for you, sweet heart," He says to Amy as he pulls his gaze away from you, her face instantly lighting up. "Why, thank you," she says as she starts sauntering down the hall. In a last attempt to stop her, you grab to the fabric of her arm before she pulls away swiftly, leaving you alone in the hall with Elvis.

You swallow at the short silence that follows, looking towards the room of people, unaware of you and Elvis in the hall together. Your breathing becomes shallow as Elvis returns his gaze to you, taking a step closer. Your eyes snap to his as you stand stiff. Even in your current state of anxiety, you can't help the thrill that runs through you at this gorgeous man desiring you. "I thought I said to wait for me, little girl," he breathes, taking another step towards you, causing you to feel the warmth of his body. You take a small step backwards at his advance. He notices this, but makes no attempt to stop his advances, inching closer until he has you trapped between the wall behind you and his arms, which now rest on the wall on either side of your body.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd've thought you're scared of me," he whispers, now so close you can feel the warmth of his breath on your face. You can't take his gaze anymore as you look down, your mind completely muddled as you try to think of a way out of this. You don't hook up with people, it's just not who you are. Even if in this moment, you wanted nothing more than to feel his hands on you. "N-No, I just- I have to leave soon. My boyfriend will be-" you lie in an attempt to stop his advances. A soft laugh leaves his plush lips, interrupting your sentence. "Aw, now c'mon, honey. You're gonna hafta do a little better than that," he pokes as he inches ever so closer, your bodies almost touching.

"If you really don't want me, just say so," he mumbles as he dips his head down to your ear, his lips ghosting just over the shell, causing a slight tickle. "But I'd very much enjoy your company tonight." Your cheeks flush at this as your mind spins. You bring your hands to his chest in an attempt to push him away, but he is quick to grasp at your wrist, keeping it on him as it slips through the fabric to his bare chest, causing you to feel his heartbeat, it's pace quicker than you anticipated. You gasp softly at this as you are stunned in place, your hand soft on his chest.

"I-I'm not that kinda girl," you whisper, your voice suddenly failing you as your mouth runs dry. "I'm sure there are many girls in there that can give you what you want," you breathe out, bringing your gaze up to his. He looks back at you and you can see pure desire in his gaze as he looks at you longingly. "I want you," he whispers as his hand leaves your wrist, trailing to your cheek as he cradles your face gently in his hand.

You are just about to protest when he leans down, connecting his lips to yours. Another small gasp leaves your mouth as you grab at the fabric of his jumpsuit, preparing to push him away. He can sense your plans as his hand leaves your face, his arms wrapping around your waist as he pulls you flush against him, deepening the kiss. Suddenly, your self restraint snaps as you feel him hard against your thigh. You sigh at this, wrapping your hands around his neck, pulling him down to your height as you open your mouth to give him access to you. A soft groan leaves his mouth as he stumbles slightly at the surprise of your action, before quickly regaining his composure, his tongue slipping into your mouth and quickly connecting with yours.

The kiss is heated and needy as his hands come to your hips, squeezing slightly. His tongue swirls around yours as he claims dominance over it, causing a soft moan to escape your throat. Your face flushes at the sound and this snaps you back to reality as you push him away, suddenly gasping for air as it's become hard to breathe. He tries pulling you back to him, his breathing now quick and heated as he leans down to connect his lips to yours. "No! It's- there are people here," you hiss, using all of your strength to resist him. "Come to my room with me," he begs as he pulls you impossibly close, making you feel the strain of his cock in his white jumpsuit. Your face flushes as you consider this, pulling your bottom lip between your teeth in hesitation.

"Elvis," you whisper, your hand coming back to his chest, not to push him away, but to feel the fast pace of his heart. He rests his left hand over top of yours as his other comes to the wall by your face. "Say you will," he mumbles, leaning over you. You will yourself to look in his eyes and they are looking back at you with a wanting you've never experienced from another man. In that moment, you know you'll stay the night with him. "Hey E.P.- oh, sorry," you hear from your right side as you both turn in the direction of the voice, still entangled in each other. You see Jerry standing there in the opening as you pull away from Elvis, him clearing his throat softly as he runs his hand through his hair. "What, Jer?" Elvis questions, slight irritation in his voice.

"Well, I was just gonna say- a few of us are going to go out if you and (y/n) wanna come." Anxiety courses through you at his words, knowing that now Elvis would have you all to himself with no more interruptions. "I actually think we're gonna retire for the night, but have a good time." Mortification floods your senses as Jerry nods knowingly. "Right well, see ya' later. Nice to meet you (y/n)." With that it's just you and Elvis again. This time, the connected room is empty, you hadn't even noticed people starting to leave. Elvis gently takes your hand as he leads you down the hall, through the lounge room. When you arrive at an elevator, your heart is pounding in your chest as he presses the button leading upstairs.

You avoid his gaze as you look down, your hand in his. The silence that falls between you two is a little awkward. You are wracking your brain for something to say when he beats you to it. "Have you never done this before?" Your face flushes as you look up at him. You are surprised to see a soft smirk on his face. It makes you scoff as you reply "Sorry, I don't usually sleep around with men I've just met." He holds up his hand in defense as a soft chuckle escapes his lip. "Didn't mean no harm by it, darlin'."

Suddenly, the elevator dings as the doors open. "Ladies first," he mumbles as he kisses your cheek, the suddenness of it making you blush as you step in the elevator. As he steps in, he presses the penthouse floor, snaking his arm around your waist, feeling your body tense. "Baby, relax. I ain't gonna hurt ya'...unless you like that kinda thing," he mumbles as he dips down to kiss your cheek again. You roll your eyes at this, but relax into his touch, a soft sigh leaving your lips. "There she is," he mumbles as he turns you towards him, his lips trailing slowly down to your neck, gently suckling on it. You gasp at the sensation as your hands reflexively fly to his neck. He quickly pulls you closer and your thigh comes in contact with his clothed cock again, impossibly hard.

You decide to gently rub against him, now desperate for some friction as his kisses are getting you hot and bothered. He gasps when he feels this, pulling you closer than before, his hands cautiously coming to rest on your ass. You surprise yourself when you pull his face up to yours, kissing him with a new urgency. A groan leaves his throat as he kisses you back hard. The kiss is sloppy as he tangles his hands in your hair, grinding himself onto you as he plunges his tongue in your mouth, forcing it past your lips. A small whine escapes from you as you pull him down to you further, your hands still wrapped around his neck. He groans into your mouth again when he feels you bite down on his bottom lip, the sound causing lust to course through you.

The ding of the elevator forces you two to pull away from each other reluctantly. "C'mon, honey," he groans as he grabs your hand, practically dragging you down the hall. He unlocks the door swiftly as he pulls you inside. You stop for a moment as you see how beautiful the room is. It has a window wall overlooking the city, and is beautifully decorated, with gold and royal blues. He sighs as he nearly collapses on the couch, and you can see the exhaustion return to his face from the show. You walk over to him as you sit down, straddling his lap. "For someone who's never down this before, you sure do learn quick," he jokes as he smirks up at you. You roll your eyes at this. "You know what, maybe I have changed my mind..." you joke as you start to get off him. His hands come to grasp your thighs, keeping you in place.

A comfortable silence fills the room as you gaze down at him. He gently squeezes your thighs as his thumbs massage them. "You're so pretty," he mumbles as he looks up at you. You smile softly as you hesitantly bring your hand up to his hair. He sighs as he leans into your touch, now desperate for it as you fully thread your fingers through his damp locks. His hands trail to your waist as he leans his torso up to you, his lips reaching for yours, quivering the slightest bit from desire. You gladly connect your lips to his as you lean into him. The kiss starts out gently, but quickly turn into something more heated as his tongue invades your mouth for the third time that night.

He groans softly as you grind your hips into his, the kiss quickly turning into a make out session as you basically shoves your tongues down each others throat, moving in rhythm. He brings his hands to cup your cheeks as he smashes your mouth to his even harder than before, bucking his hips up to meet yours. A whine escapes your mouth at this as your hands come to rest on the back of the couch.

You gasp softly, when his hand slips under your dress to your panties. "Is this okay?" he mumbles against your lips as he pauses momentarily. You nod your head vigorously, causing him to laugh softly. He dips his hand under your panties to feel the slick between your legs, gasping at how completely soaked you are. "Jesus," he groans as he finds your clit, coating it with his now wet fingers as he circles it softly, his lips coming to kiss your neck.

You suck in a stuttering breath at this, grinding into his hand. A moan falls from your mouth as he picks up the pace. "That feel good, mama?" he groans as he nibbles on your neck, making your face flush. "Y-Yeah," you stutter quietly, your face beet red. "You embarrassed?" he mutters, slowing down his movements at your tone. He pulls his face away from your neck to look in your eyes, seeing how red you are. After a moment of debating with himself, he pulls his hand away from you. "No! Don't stop-" you start before he interrupts you. "Calm down, little honey. Let's go to the bedroom, I want ya' to be comfortable."

After collecting yourself off of him and leading you to his room, he looks at you for a moment. "Lay down for me," he mumbles, but as you go to, he catches your wrist in his hand. "Wait," he whispers softly as he glides his hands down your body. Your breath catches in your throat as he plays with the hem of your dress, inching it up until it's around your waist, his eyes on yours the whole time. Slowly, you lift your hands above your head so he can take it off the rest of the way.

Insecurity runs though you as he gazes at your body, now only covered in your bra and panties. You see his adams apple bob slightly in his throat as he swallows harshly. Your breath hitches as he drops to his knees in front of you, still fully clothed in his exposing suit. The sight is enough for you to come undone then and there. He brings his eyes up to yours in his new position, his eyes blown with lust as he leans forward, softly kissing your navel. His hands are warm on you as he softly dips them under the lace of your underwear, his eyes still on you for approval. You nod quickly, causing him to gently pull them down your legs. When they are completely off, he dips his head down and you feel his tongue on you.

You gasp as you reflexively pull back, making him bring his hands to your hips, keeping them in place as he licks a thick stripe up your opening to your clit, circling his tongue around it. Your hands come to his head as you try to hold your balance, pleasure coursing through you at the feeling of his tongue. He moans softly as he feels you pull his hair, pulling his face away from you as he kissing up your stomach. You groan in frustration, this now being the second time he's stopped in the middle of pleasing you.

He quirks an eyebrow as you now stands again, his lips kissing the valley between your breasts. "What, baby?" he asks innocently as if he doesn't know exactly what he's doing. You huff as you avoid his eyes, refusing to answer. He tsks teasingly as his hands come around to unhook your bra. "Now, honey. If we're gonna be together this way, you gotta tell me what's on your mind," he mutters in your ear as he slips yours bra off, letting it fall to the floor. "Don't tease me, Elvis," you groan, breathless. You feel the smirk on his lips as he kisses your shoulder. "That's my favorite part, watchin' you quiverin' for me," he mumbles, his hands softly cupping your breasts as he pulls away to look at them, swiping his thumbs over your sensitive nipples.

You just watch him, paralyzed where you stand, arousal now pooling in your core. He leans down, kissing them softly before releasing them, sucking his bottom lip into his mouth. "Lay down, honey," he croaks, his voice suddenly strained. You lay down as you're told and watch him struggle to get his suit off. "Come here," you say, finding your voice, causing him to look over to you. He obliges as he comes to the side of the bed. Leaning over, you trail your hands up his suit, resting them momentarily on his bare chest. You impulsively lean forward, placing soft, open mouthed kissing along his pecs, causing him to run his fingers through your hair.

After another moment of admiring his body, you push the fabric off his shoulders as he helps with the belt. A surprised gasp falls from your lips at seeing him not wearing any underwear as he stands before you now completely naked. "C'mere mama," he mumbles, hunger in his voice as he bends down, capturing your lips in his. Your eyes flutter closed at the sensation, pulling him on top of you. He follows your lead as he climbs over you on the bed, spreading your thighs with his strong, slightly calloused hands as he kneels in between them.

Your heart begins to race again as you softly drag your nails along his back, bringing your lips to his desperately. A small groan leaves his lips as he settles on top of you, his hands roaming around your naked form. He kisses you tenderly as he travels his long fingers in between your heat, finding your clit swiftly. You can't help but whine into his mouth as you reach around his neck, pulling him further down onto you, needing him as close as possible.

This elicits a laugh from his gorgeous, now swollen lips. "Calm down, baby...let's go slow." For some reason, he isn't sure why, he wants to take his time. He wants to drag the night out as long as he can. He wants to make love to you.

"S-Sorry," you whisper, embarrassed as you go to move your hands from his neck. He momentarily removes his hand from your heat to keep your hands in place. "You don't hafta stop. Don't be sorry, honey. Just...let's take our time," he whispers back, showing you how to hold him as he guides your hands to his hair, threading it through gently. "Okay."

His lips trail to your neck as he kisses and sucks gently. You softly arch up into him as you revel in the pleasure, moaning quietly. You cautiously grind up into him, causing him to groan into your neck as he lowers his hips down, meeting your action. Gently, his takes your hand in his as he guides it down to his now throbbing cock, wrapping your fingers around him.

You hesitate slightly, this concept of hooking up still strange for you. "You don't have to," he breathes, releasing your hand, but you keep your grip on him. "No, I want to." With that, you stroke him softly, your thumb swiping over his leaking tip. "Fuck," he grunts as he buries his face in your neck. Hearing him feel good makes you clench around nothing as you continue this action, speeding up only slightly.

Soon, he is groaning repeatedly into your neck, softly thrusting into your hand. You bite your lip at this as you look down to watch. Without warning, he trails his hand back down to your clit, rubbing in soft circles. You gasp at this as your pace on his cock falters slightly. "Jesus, your hand looks so pretty 'round me," he whines and you look at him to find he's watching with you, watching you jerk him off as he touches you at the same time.

You blush as you bring your lips to his, groaning as he continues to circle your sensitive. He accepts as he sighs into the kiss, suddenly removing your hand from his erection. He lines himself up at your entrance as he runs his cock along your opening, wetting himself with your slick. You both moan at the feeling as he rubs from your opening up to your clit.

"Shit," you gasp as you grip his shoulders, your head relaxing into the pillow. "Such a dirty mouth for such a pretty girl," he teases as he gives you an open mouthed kiss. Finally, he slowly starts pushing himself inside. You gasp as a mild pain fills you from not having sex in a while, causing him to snap his eyes to yours. "Are you okay, honey?" he asks through gritted teeth, as he's practically mewling from how good you feel. You nod. "Yes, I'm fine. Keep going," you grit out, knowing the pain will subside.

He bottoms out as he stills himself inside you. You can feel him practically shaking from the pleasure as he groans deeply at your pussy around him. "M'sorry," he mumbles, his face buried in your neck again. "Just feels so good," he moans, unable to contain his noises as he forces himself to wait for you. You smile at this, taking enormous pleasure from the noises escaping him. You run your fingers up and down his back as you feel yourself adjusting to his size. "Fuck, you're so big."

He groans at this, he loves praise during sex. "You're so tight," he mumbles, his hands running up and down your shoulders. He doesn't think he can't take the waiting much longer, and you can feel him getting antsy. "You can move," you say and he waists no time pulling almost all the way out before thrusting back in slowly. You both moan loudly at this, the pleasure unlike anything you've felt before. "Jesus Christ," he groans as he quickly sets a pace. You gasp at each slow thrust as you dig your nails into his back, the pleasure almost too much to handle.

"You feel so good," you gasp quietly, your face flushing at the confession. He brings his lips to kiss your face, humming at your words. "I'm doing a good job, mama?" he asks, and this time it's his turn to blush. He's trying to get you to praise him, he needs it.

You somehow catch on that this is what he wants as you gently massage his back. It's hard for you to form words as you're both moaning messes, his thrusts slow and steady as he plunges himself into you, his hands scooping your legs up and around his waist. "Y-Yes, doing- oh god- such a good job. No one could fuck me better," you moan. This is exactly what he needs as he brings his lips to yours, biting gently at your bottom lip. "That's right, sweet heart. This pussy is all mine," he moans as he brings his thumb to your clit.

You cry out at the new sensation as you grind up into him. "Louder," he mumbles, making you clench around him. You moan again, giving him a bit of a show. He groans as he slightly speeds up his pace. "Louder," he moans again. "I-I want everyone in this damn building t-to know who's makin' you feel so good," He stutters out from the pleasure you're giving him. You whine at his words, your mind turning to goo as he softly pounds into you. "Elvis," you practically scream as he speeds up his pace on your clit. "Shit, that's it, honey," he groans. His thrusts speeding up slightly as he gently kisses your neck, loud moans escaping his mouth as the sounds of slapping skin reverberate through the room.

"Elvis, shit! You fuck me so good," you moan out, bucking into him, your eyes rolling back as you dig your nails into his shoulders. You don't think you've ever felt like this before, in complete bliss. "Oh my lord" he groans as he picks up the pace, hitting somewhere inside you you've never felt before. You gasp so loud, he thinks he's hurt you as he looks in your eyes, concern washing over him. "A-Are you hurting?" he gasps, slowing his movements. You can only shake your head and, looking in your eyes, he knows exactly what's happened.

He picks up the pace again as you mewl under him, the pleasure almost too much as he hits that spot over and over again. Tears start coming to your eyes as your nails dig into his back. "I know baby. It feels so good, doesn't it mama?" he groans, kissing your face as he continuous his steady pace. "You're gonna make me cum, shit," you whine as you latch your legs around him. He groans loudly at this, speeding up his pace. "Fuck, say it again," he pleads as his thumb applies more pressure to your clit. "You're gonna make me cum, Elvis," you groan and he whines into your neck, your words absolutely destroying him.

"Fuck, baby," he moans, his thrusts becoming sloppy. You feel your orgasm approaching quickly, and you can only cling to him as it arrives. You latch onto him as you scream out, his cock trapped in a vice grip as you clench around him over and over again, your orgasm wracking through your body. He shouts out as he plunges into you, his orgasm just as intense as he releases into you. A silence fills the air as you both come down from your highs, your minds muddled from pleasure. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," he gasps when he realizes he came inside you, his face flushing harshly.

You rub his back as you try to come back down to Earth. "It's okay," you whisper trying to comfort him. "I-I didn't mean to," he stutters into your shoulder, kissing it over and over again, still buried in your warm cunt. "It's alright," you whisper as you thread your fingers through his hair, his body shaking above you. Truthfully, you aren't even sure if you can get pregnant. You and your ex have had unprotected sex a lot, but nothing ever came of it. It doesn't help, however, the small tinge of nervousness in the back of your mind. You push the thought away as you rub his back.

"I can't get pregnant, it's alright," you whisper, trying to comfort him. He pulls his face back to look at you, and you think you see a tinge of disappointment in his eyes, but decide you're just imagining it. "Really? I'm sorry," he whispers as he wipes damp hair out of your face. You shake your head, laughing softly at what the conversation has turned into as he's still balls deep inside you. "It's alright," you whisper, leaning up to kiss his lips. He pulls you close, wanting to stay connected to you a little longer. "That was the best sex I've ever had," he mumbles, his breathing ragged as his warm breath washes over your cheek. You blush at this. "Oh, I bet you say that all the time," you whisper back, but grin to yourself as you play with his hair. He shakes his head as he kisses your neck. It's indeed, the first time he's ever told anyone. And the thought scares him.

Masterlist

Tag List:

@flowersofcement @horrorgirl4life @looloolily @peaceloveelvis @father-of-2cats @goldobsessionsworld @tantamount-treason

[madlori]

Non-performative inclusion and “The Mandalorian”

This post contains minor spoilers. Proceed with caution.

In the season two finale of “The Mandalorian” there is a scene near the beginning of the episode in which a strike team (minus Mando himself) storms onto an Imperial ship, blasts stormtroopers, etc. It’s an extended action sequence. Two of the characters are helmeted.

I was well into the scene before it hit me that all four of the characters on this strike team were women.

The fact that there was this all-female action team wasn’t new. I’ve seen that before. What was new about it was that this was the first time I’d seen a team of women that didn’t feel performative.

Remember that scene in “Avengers: Endgame”, the “she’s not alone” scene where All The Lady Characters Assembled, and you could tell the filmmakers were getting some kind of weird boner of “looooook at how many Strong Female Characters we have, let’s put them all together and have them be Strong Female Characters at the same time” and it felt super gross? That was performative.

I’ve heard and used that term before but I’m not sure I really grokked what it meant until I saw what its absence looked like, in “The Mandalorian.” 

It didn’t feel performative because each of those characters had been part of the narrative in their own time over the previous two seasons, with their own agencies and backstories. They were characters in the story as it needed to be told, they weren’t Strong Female Characters introduced for the purpose of being that (in a sexy way, of course). There was never a sense of ticking off the “kickass lady character” boxes. When Cara Dune is introduced, or Fennec Shand, or Bo-Katan, there was never that subtext of “Okay here is our Lady Character, isn’t she such a great Lady Character, look look we’re Doing the Thing you want us to do with having Womens in our Boy Stuff.”

No. It was, here’s a Rebel soldier. Here’s an assassin. Here’s a Mandalorian exile.  Here’s a Jedi. Here’s a magistrate. They have functions to perform and stories to tell in this narrative. Those functions and stories happen while these characters are women, not because they are women.

And it’s so, so subtle, the difference. It’s hard to put your finger on how it’s usually done wrong until you see it done right. It’s not just the writing although that’s a big part of it. It’s in how they were filmed, framed, shot, costumed, and lit. It’s in how they were directed, how the camera treated them - i.e. no differently than the male characters. None of these women were sexified, either. Not that they weren’t being portrayed by attractive women, but that wasn’t remotely played up or displayed in how they were styled, costumed, and made up.

Unfortunately now that we’ve all seen how non-performative inclusion of women into a narrative can be done right, everything else is going to seem that much more insufferable.