#the favorites: circa 2005

[griffle-musings]

It's a nice evening to send random asks. Please tell me your top 5 songs from musicals I should try singing, before I got SIX The Musical soundtrack stuck in my head for good. Also do you like covers of musical songs in other languages? :>

Hello!

Getting SIX stuck in your head doesn't sound like a bad thing, in my opinion- lord knows I would prefer it over some of the songs that I get stuck in my head. 😅

For the latter part of the question: sure! I can't say I exactly go looking for the songs, to be completely truthful, but I really like what they did for a West Side Story revival and translated and sung half the songs into Spanish; "The Quartet" from that revival album is, to me, way more powerful having it sung in both Spanish and English, blending together beautifully.

For the former part of the question- here's my top 5 favorites- only English, alas:

1. Nonstop from Hamilton- a go to favorite for me; this is the song I play when I want to get shit done, when I need a boost, when you just want to reminder to go for your dreams and a fine example of Lin Manuela Miranda favorite style of blending chorus.

2. Masochist from Love Hate Nation- from "Be More Chill" Joe Iconis, this is from a later musical of his and a queer anthem bop; don't let the title fool you, in it the actress sings about how she "isn't no Masochist" and to be truthful of who you are. The song is also originally sung by wonderful trans actress Emerson Mae Smith, who brings power and soul into the voice of Kitty, who sings this queer pride ballad.

3. I'm Alive from Albert Cashier Musical- definitely a hidden favorite from a concept musical album, this is from a musical I hope to one day get a proper album and production; the musical is based on the story of Albert Cashier, a ex Union Civil War Soldier who went to trial as it was discovered, years later & after the war, that he was AFAB. It tells 2 stories; one where he's old and stuck in a hospital, and one when he's in the war. I saw a concert version performance at Greenwich Village and fell in love with the whole musical, which is a mix of folk-pop, and trans celebration. So far there's only 2 songs available on YouTube, and "I Gotta Try" is one you definitely need to listen to, but "I'm Alive" has such a good beat and a catchy chorus that I just love.

4. Paciencia y Fe from In the Heights (Original Broadway Version)- from the older hit musical of Manuel Miranda, Paciencia y Fe is a gorgeous song about past dreams and hopes, and Olga Merediz voice is *phenomenal* hands down. Honestly, I have a soft spot for the musical in general, as it was my first show I got to work on outside of academic (it was a regional production, nothing fancy, but still,) and truly, while I saw the movie and liked it well enough, the Original Broadway version is going to top that over the film in my heart. To be honest, I would love to have Merediz sing this is full Spanish- it would be 1000% *amazing*

And there's a lot of other favorites as well- Hadestown is a fantastic album, I enjoyed Dear Evan Hansen, I'm a sucker for La Vie Boheme from Rent- I'm old, lol.

"Prom" has some great songs, and I like Be More Chill- "Michael in the Bathroom" c'mon- also "Last on Land" which is from Joe Iconis (from another musical of his that hasn't had a full performance yet) is a favorite that speaks to my soul and okay, I listen to this one pretty often but hell, I got to be truthful and say:

5. For Good From Wicked- Listen. Listen. Wicked was my first official Broadway tour, it was the first showtune album I listened to that wasn't from my parents' collection (I grew up listening to Andrew Lloyd Webber) and for one Christmas I got a playbill poster that has since been professionally framed. Wicked is near and dear to my heart. And as much as "Defying Gravity" and "Popular" are, well, *popular*, "For Good" is a great song, as it really shows the balance between Menzel's & Chenoweth's voices; you get it in the power ballad "Defying Gravity" but to a more subdued way that I appreciate; it's a goodbye, it's a thank you, it's I'm sorry, it's two women who aren't sure if they changed for the better, but fuck, they changed, and they changed because of their relationship. And they're still grateful that they had each other in their lives.

Hopefully this answers your question! Thanks for the ask!

[collapseintonever]

during warped tour 2005 photos by greg andrews on flickr, circa august 10 2005.

more concert pics here

bonus:

my favorite mispelling of gerard's name ever

[thenationaltreasuregazette]

National Treasure: Blu-ray of Secrets

Exploring the super secret(-ish) cast & director commentary

This year for Christmas I had asked for a new DVD of National Treasure, since the one I’ve had since circa 2005 is scratched and stops playing part way through.

My mom, lovely and indecisive person that she is, gifted me both the 2-disk ‘special edition’ DVD and the Blu-ray + DVD set.

That’s a lot of National Treasure. Excellent.

One thing that immediately stuck out to me, though, is that the back of the Blu-ray lists

Audio Commentary With Director Jon Turteltaub And Actor Justin Bartha

What?

How could I not have listened to this before?

Now, I am an absolute slut for a good cast commentary. My opinion on this was colored by the delightfully unhinged cast commentary on the 2002 Scooby-Doo movie. In it, all four of the principle cast members give behind-the-scenes anecdotes, tease each other, fawn over co-star Rowan Atkinson, and display exactly the personalities you think they will based on the characters they play in the movie.

To say this was pivotal to my understanding of movies and how movies work is an understatement.

But there is definitely no commentary on National Treasure.

Right?

Right???

Well, yes and no. ↓

My memory was absolutely correct that there is no full movie commentary on the National Treasure DVD. (This includes the 2-disk collectors edition).

There is, however, a full movie commentary on the Blu-ray.

(All versions have director’s commentary on the deleted scenes, but what we’re talking about is “let’s sit down and watch the whole movie/episode and talk over it.”)

It’s director Jon Turteltaub and everybody’s favorite guy, Justin Bartha talking over the entire movie.

Turteltaub gives behind-the-scenes tidbits while Bartha ribs him mercilessly for it.

It took me a few minutes to calibrate to this. Bartha’s sense of humor is mummifyingly dry. Take Riley and bake him in the oven on its lowest setting for a few hours dry.

Their banter is fun though, and it’s clear they’re pretty close by this point. You can tell by the way they discuss the sequel that this commentary was recorded after Book of Secrets was filmed, but before it was finished and released.

That answers the question as to why it’s on the Blu-ray but not the DVD. It was only recorded three-ish years after the first movie was released. Specifically during the WGA strike, which ran Nov 5, 2007-Feb 10, 2008.

I, a person interested in movie production, could actually have done with more “here’s-how-we-did-this,” but the commentary is a fun mix of behind the scenes and nonsense.

Fun tidbits include:

The stool young Ben uses in the attic was designed by Benjamin Franklin

Most of Riley's lines were initially cut, but he tested so well in focus groups that they put everything they had back in the final film

Ben has a "unique set of characteristics" for an action-adventure protagonist (today we call that autism)

Justin chose a half-goatee because he thinks Riley can't grow a full one

And lots of other notes I cannot read!

Here's my favorite exchange:

JB: You know of all the movies I've been in, and there's been at least six movies, people come up and say it's their favorite movie. They love it. They love this movie. JT: Do you think that's because it's just that kind of movie you love, or because your other six movies just weren't very good? JB: A little of both. A little of both. But I think it's just maybe attributed to your brilliant direction. JT: Well thank you. I would say I have a different experience. What I get is people come up-- JB: --people come up and hit you-- JT: --people come up to me and say "You directed National Treasure? That's one of my kid's favorite movies." Nobody tends to like my movies but their kids love 'em. JB: Well I'll tell you what happens is, children? They grow up. They become adults. And you know what it'll still love? National Treasure. JT: Correct.

Cheers to the children who grew up to be adults who still like National Treasure. Check it out if you get the chance!

Also who chose THESE as the two screenshots that should represent the movie?? And left them on the blu-ray!!

[albertonykus]

If I had to pick, this might be my favorite art style for Shizuka in the Doraemon TV series (from the tail end of the 1979 anime, circa 2003–2005). Good blend of her earlier anime designs with that of the manga, and very expressive too. (Notably, all of these screenshots are from the same episode.)

[maladaptivewriting]

marauders era characters and their favorite movies

if they lived in the muggle world circa 2024

remus: little miss sunshine brutal and disturbingly human, but intertwined with themes of love, family, support, and healing

james: talladega nights the theme of this movie is that friendship is magic. you know james was saying "if you're not first, you're last" for years after seeing this movie. also he tried to create a shake-and-bake thing with sirius

sirius: howl's moving castle "that howl is so fucking hot" "he literally just looks like you" "exactly" sirius sees himself as this main love interest (howl) and he sees remus as sophie, especially when she's an old woman that howl has to take care of. all he wants to do is take care of remus

peter: bridge to terabithia peter seems like the kind of person to find stories of tragical childhood friendships really compelling. he also loves josh hutcherson (who doesn't)

regulus: the secret life of walter mitty he relates to the main character - a man who is controlled and meticulous but longs to go on an adventure. he also wishes that sirius would pull him out of his monotonous life and into the unknowable but with complete acceptance of who he is.

lily: little women in the way that i feel like i've been shot every time i watch a movie involving complicated mother/daughter relationships, lily would be deeply compelled by stories about sisterhood. especially jo and amy who always feel second to each other

mary: princess mononoke she would relate to the main character and be very enthralled by ashitaka. definitely a comfort watch for her.

marlene: raising arizona or zoolander she loves absurdist comedies with lovable and endearing characters. she is also low-key attracted to nick cage when he was young, but don't tell anyone, it's a secret.

dorcas: arrival or parasite dorcas has unequivocally good movie tastes. she likes high concept stories with heavy thematic writing and devastating plots. she talks about them in detail for weeks afterward

pandora: midsommar and pan's labyrinth she loves movies with comically intense violence. she finds high control groups fascinating. she definitely loves pan's labyrinth because of the freaky monsters and the fact that it sounds like it could belong to her

xenophilius: the twilight saga he knows every detail and loves to examine the story from all sides. he and pandora bond over the fact that carlisle is a joseph smith archetype.

evan: deadpool evan sees deadpool as barty and loves the character because of it. he is also envious of the characters freedom to be himself

barty: the mummy he just thinks that everyone in this movie is really fucking hot

snape: pride and prejudice (2005) finds it super romantic and loves the way characters talk and deliver lines. he listens to the soundtrack as background music while he works.

frank longbottom: spiderman (no way home) no one was more excited than he was when the three spiderman characters interacted. he cried a lot when watching this movie

alice: narnia it was her sexual awakening ;)

narcissa: glass onion she loves a who-done-it story, she reads mystery novels all the time and she thought this one was the most exciting

bellatrix: barbarian or bones and all she watches bones and all like "when is it my turn to be happy?" and she watches barbarian like "what is it like to have a mother who loves you?" everyone thinks she's crazy

lucius: dune or the king he sees himself as the king. that scene where robert pattinson's character is slipping around in the mud and timmy's character is standing there unbothered - that's how lucius pictures himself and arthur weasley. he also thinks of his own family when he watches dune

also this came from a question that @wolfpadx asked in the discord and i just had to elaborate on my thoughts.

[parola-di-winx]

i honestly really love the designs for the (mattel) winx club singsational magic dolls (circa 2005, also probably my favorite winx club doll line EVERRR) as they already are but id love to see your interpretations of these fits if you have any in mind!

also here's a video of all 6 of them in action if you're curious as to what they do, they have the 4kids dub voices lol

and here's the image source

sorry for taking a month xx i hope you don't mind too many changes since they're your favorite 😭 but i thought they were giving popstar at coachella swag so that was sort of the inspo....

this was such a cool idea to redesign dolls argh if you have more of these i'd love to see them 👉👈

[olderthannetfic]

Okay first as a disclaimer... Yeah I guess my first disclaimer was unnecessary I'm just paranoid and stuff

But on to the follow up I might not have explained myself properly or given enough context or my question was incoherent? But for context while I do like plenty of canon ships, my favorite ships tend to be MxM ships of characters who don't have canon female love interests. My fandoms tend to be fujobait/card game anime plus video games. (Honestly I kind of feel like the guy you called 'some fuck' in your answer tbh lol (Hopefully I'm not as obnoxious and arrogant as them though)).

Anyway the stuff I was mostly thinking about was stuff like the Ike/Soren defenses and the Ash Ketchum shipping wars. (Although I only read that instead of participating) But from your answer and thinking over it I realized that I had actually seen a good amount of Hassel/Brassius hint finding etc but I didn't realize it was the kind of stuff I was thinking of (probably because they weren't being defensive or worried about homophobic attacks). So yeah the kind of stuff I was asking about does exist but I just didn't realize it.

Anyway on the anti stuff... I feared that people interested in this stuff disappeared because they became antis but fortunately it seems that's not true.

Anyway thank you for the answer and apologies for any inconveniences and vagueness in my asks.

--

Ahaha. Really, anon? Your whole preamble was pure canon het shipper from big US TV circa 2005 in its tone.

Now I'm even more confused about why on earth you think you and I have beef.

--

I think the basic answer to some of your questions may be that:

Yes, people who like all kinds of things exist.

But if you're looking for shippers of something very specific, 99% of media and ships never generate A Fandom™ in the Destiel/Sterek/Drarry/etc. sense. Canon, not canon, slash, het: doesn't matter, most are small.

Have a look at that other recent post about what percentage of AO3 fandoms are what size.

--

Guys from "fujobait" who don't have canon female love interests seem like... not actually canon ships?

This just seems like the same speculation and looking for confirmation that all the other m/m shippers are doing unless they're into MDZS or Jordan L. Hawk novels something.

I'm not clear on what sets what you're talking about apart from... just the average shipper on tumblr.

I don't know much about the social dynamics of Pokemon or Fire Emblem fandoms except for a vague sense that FE has the usual modern fandom full of young idiots harassing each other problems.

People do move on from particularly unpleasant fandoms... but... mostly, people just move on from everything and usually quite quickly.

The only fandoms people stay and stay and stay for are those that are generating a huge volume of new material, usually fan-made, often in the form of novel-length fic. And even then, it takes a specific fannish personality type to stick to one particular ship or fandom for ages. There are people still shipping those two dudes from The Professionals and nobody else, but they're a rare breed.

--

I still don't understand what you were asking in the first place.

Someone who knows these fandoms, explain????

[peoplewearing-undercover]

Jun Takahashi's favorites circa 2005

[therealcocoshady]

EMINEM STAN DOCUMENTARY UPDATE

Eminem just posted on social media (Twitter and Instagram) about his upcoming documentary "Stan" ! He and his team are apparently searching for fans to share their stories about being Eminem superfans 👀. Fans can share their testimonies by answering a questionnaire & submitting a 1 minute video 😉.

Questions include the following :

When/How did you first hear Eminem ?

Would you consider yourself a "Stan" ? Why/Why not ?

Do you collect Eminem merch, make Eminem artwork, write fan fiction, etc.? If so, please explain in detail.

Have you ever been to Detroit? If so, when, why, and where did you go?

What’s your favorite Eminem song? Which song first hit you on a deep personal level? Why?

Are there any parts of Eminem’s personal story that you relate to? Please explain. 

Has Eminem or his music helped you through any difficult times? Please share.

What are some things in your life that you’ve accomplished thanks to Eminem/his music? 

Have you ever met Eminem? If so, where/when? What was the interaction like? Do you have photos/video? 

Do you remember when Eminem took a break from touring/releasing albums circa 2005? If so, how did that impact you? 

How often do you listen to Eminem’s music? Look at his social accounts? Google for news about him?

If you could tell Eminem anything, what would it be?

For now, it is unclear how the collected data will be used. Will they use the collected footage in the documentary or is it a casting-type thing ?

I have to say I am kind of tempted to submit. I think it could be super fun to share my story and maybe be a part of the documentary ? 👀

On another note, I would just LOVE to see everyone in the Tumblr Stan community answering the questions here ! I want to read the stories of how y'all became Stans and what difference Eminem made in your lives ❤️. Should I share my own answers on this blog ? 👀

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Uloop Editor

Published: Nov 26, 2012

The traditionally Christian holiday of Christmas is celebrated by right and left-wingers alike, but for Pastafarians like myself, it can be difficult to know how to bring a festive spirit to the holiday season without undermining our beliefs in our great noodley overlord. In our tradition (circa 2005), every Friday is a religious holiday, but if we want to fit in with our many Christian colleagues, we’ve got to adopt some of their traditions as well. Here is a quick guide for fitting in this holiday season without betraying your pasta-related beliefs in the Flying Spaghetti Monster:

1. The “Christmas” Tree

In order to blend in with our Christian neighbors, we Pastafarians often adopt the same evergreen tree around the holiday season. While Christians top the tree with an angel or star, we Pastafarians adorn our trees with noodly representations of our Lord and Savior, the Flying Spaghetti Monster. I know that this seems strange, but it’s just a part of our beliefs, and honestly, it fits in better than the non-perennial Jewish Menorah or Kwanzaa Kinara.

2. The Exchange of Gifts

In Pastafarian religion, the offer of gifts is usually seen as a sign of goodwill and transcendent of the time of year.  Generally speaking, Pastafarians give gifts when they feel the other party needs said gift, but because the traditions of the Christian season demand an exchange, it is perfectly reasonable for Pastafarians to join in and contribute. Make sure your gifts are logical and interesting for the other party. While it’s great to give gifts for the sake of the season, it’s even better if your gifts are relevant and necessary for the receiver. Spaghetti strainers and home-made marinara sauces are excellent gifts for traditional Pastafarians.

3. Lighting and Decorations

Most Pastafarians believe that decorating your home is not a function of the time of year, but rather a result of the connection you feel to the noodley great one. Even so, if all your neighbors are putting up lights, why not join in the fun? Pastafarian decorating – like Christmas decorating – usually involves an homage to our Lord and Savior, so putting up a creative design to honor the Great Noodley One is never a bad idea. It might even win you a decorative competition!

4. The Nativity Scene

It’s pretty easy to adjust a traditionally Christian nativity scene to fit your Pastafarian beliefs. Just remove the infant Jesus figure and replace him with an al dente version of your favorite Italian delight. Most of your Christian friends won’t even notice the change, and for those who ask, you get the opportunity to bear witness to your noodley savior!

5. The Christmas Meal

Ham or Turkey are normally the center of Christian Christmases , but as a Pastafarian, you know you’ve got to bring a few carbohydrates to this meal. If you feel that you must compromise, Turkey Spaghetti or Ham and Pasta Soup would both be great middle grounds. That way, you’re including your noodley lord as well as the traditional meats of the season.

If you’ve got your own Pastafarian traditions for the Holidays, let me know about them in the comments below, and in the mean time, may the Great Noodley One be with you!

[ Archive: https://archive.md/zFV0R ]

[lgcxminji]

a wild pachirisu appeared!

minji is attending the legacy entertainment halloween party as pachirisu, the elesquirrel pokemon.

minji grew up watching the pokemon anime circa 2005-2010, mainly watching the diamond and pearl series.

dawn was her favorite character, so she naturally gravitated towards pachirisu as well.

minji considered going to the event as dawn; however, she felt it was very convenient that her representative emoji is a squirrel, so she went with pachirisu instead.

in terms of the outfit, she is wearing a white cropped tank top with a white and blue pleated skirt. a portion of the top of the skirt was cut off so that it would be at about a mid-rise level, as minji's height makes it difficult for her to wear high-rise bottoms.

minji felt the outfit was a bit basic alone, so she also requested that a hat and a tail be added.

fabula's stylist made the hat by hand in order to fit minji's head exactly. minji was grateful because everything online that looked like what she wanted seemed far too big.

the tail was created by finding a rather large pachirisu plush, cutting the tail off, and sewing it to the skirt. when the stylist told her how the tail was added, minji fell to her knees; she could no longer say no (plush) pachirisus were harmed in the making of her costume.

for makeup, minji went for a very glowy look in order to capture the essence of pachirisu's electric typing. in particular, she asked for a prominent highlight to represent the yellow cheeks of the pokemon.

all-in-all, minji is extremely satisfied with her outfit and plans to bring out her inner squirrel throughout the party.

[mychemicalore]

mcr's favorite websites circa 2005

homestarrunner.com // absolutepunk.net // americandreamcomics.com

[cruisechaser-blassty]

no one asked but here's my favorite buck-tick songs (and my gay little thoughts)

in no particular order,

Coyote - a song that i always imagine being performed around a campfire

Kyokutou yori ai wo komete (or, loosely, From the Far East With Love) - idk what it is about this song that gets me, but I adore it anyway

My Funny Valentine - this song has such a fun rhythmic hook to it (and T means I can properly sing along with it now)

Cosmos aka a love letter in a song

Mona Lisa - just bask in the unsettling vibes on this one

Django!!! - just a fucking bop

Romance - I would be remiss to not talk about this one. Way back in high school, circa 2005, I watched anime on Adult Swim, like all the nerds did back then, which is where I saw Trinity Blood and heard "Dress" for the first time. So little baby me decided to look up this Buck-Tick on YouTube to see if they had other music I'd like, and this was the first song I clicked on. Needless to say, I fell in love.

Of course, this isn't all my favorites. There's simply too many to name!

I've been a fan of Buck-Tick for -checks a calendar- geez, nearly two decades now. They're a group I've come back to over and over, because their music is both exciting and comforting. And Atsushi Sakurai is one of, like, two singers I always aspired to emulate. So thank you, Sakurai-san, for the wondrous music you gave me and so many others. I'll miss you.

[denimbex1986]

'I have to confess that, despite being a fan, I groaned a little when I heard that David Tennant would be returning to the role of Doctor Who for the show’s 60th anniversary celebrations, which have been more or less everywhere you look for the past month or so. But now, I have to admit: I was completely wrong.

It’s not that I don’t like Tennant, or his turn as the Doctor. In fact, he was already one of my absolute favorites. But it’s fair to say that we’ve also seen a lot of him. He already came back for the 50th anniversary 10 years ago, under five years after vacating the role. And, for those of us nerdy enough to engage in Doctor Who’s many extracurricular, non-televised works, he’s been quite the collaborator with audio drama company Big Finish, starring in a range of radio play style stories.

I just felt, y’know - he’s already been back once. And we’ve had Doctors since who haven’t reappeared, and not to mention there’s good old Paul McGann, who made a brief mini episode reappearance in 2013 but is still really waiting for a proper TV outing, over 25 years after taking up (and then immediately vacating, sort of) the role.

But, I get it. Circumstances practically dictated this setup. Returning showrunner Russell T Davies cast Tennant in the first place; he also knows the rhythm and tone of his Doctor performance inside-out. Tennant is a poster-boy for the series; young and attractive for the fangirls (and boys), but also a bonafide Doctor Who nerd that grew up obsessed with the show. It defines his whole life; the man met his wife on the show - and she just happens to be the daughter of Peter Davison, the fifth Doctor Who.

Let’s not mince words, either. Jodie Whittaker was fabulous, but her performance was one lost in an era that was confused at best and completely lacking in identity at worst. Viewership had continued a slump that had begun before she took over - rejuvenation was needed. How better to do that than with the return of the most popular actor to play the role? It’s televisual clickbait. Eyebait? Remote bait? Whatever.

There is no doubt that Tennant was born to play this role. We knew that the first time around. But what his second turn has showcased is how absolutely true that is, and he’s done something that I’m not convinced that many of his peers, excellent actors though they all are, could’ve done to the same degree.

Some of the genius has to be attributed to Russell T Davies, too. Davies decided Tennant’s return wouldn’t be some trick or gotcha, or some time travel shenanigans; Tennant would actually be the fourteenth Doctor. Look at those posters featuring every person to play the character now, and there he is twice – once as the tenth, and again, as an older, slightly more stubbled man, as the fourteenth.

While he’s only around for three full episodes, the scripts and performances have wasted no time in demonstrating that the fourteenth Doctor isn’t quite the same as the tenth. He’s recognizable, with the same manic grin and gleeful exuberance - but he’s a different man. Words keep tumbling out of his mouth that surprise him; he catches himself saying he loves one of his friends, the sort of affirmation the more damaged tenth could never quite bring himself to vocalize, but that Jodie Whittaker’s thirteenth did far more often.

Tennant’s performance tells you that he continued to watch the show religiously after he left; there are ticks and notes of each of the actors who played the Doctor after him in his performance as the fourteenth.

This has been the grandest surprise of these 60th anniversary specials. Sure enough, they haven’t shocked us by having Matt Smith or Tom Baker crop up - but this surprise is, in many ways, better. Tennant’s new Doctor isn’t just a tour of his greatest hits circa 2005-10, but is rather a different take on the character with nuance. Incredibly, after just two hours of television, I find myself thinking: I actually like this fourteenth Doctor more than the tenth in a tangible, quantifiable way.

In his second turn at the role, Tennant thereby cements his legacy. He was already one of the most famous and beloved actors to play the role, and as he’s keen on saying in interviews, he knew from the moment that he took the part that the first line of his obituary was forever set in stone. But here, he shows an understanding of the character that I think is relatively singular.

The joy of the Doctor is their chameleonic nature. Previous showrunner Steven Moffat has in the past said that he never wrote for a specific actor or incarnation of the character - he’d just write the Doctor, and the actor would do the rest, their unique take differentiating them. Despite this, there is a fabulously nebulous element of ‘Doctorness’ that an actor must have to be suitable for the role; not everybody could do it.

And because this is one continuous character – each incarnation is technically the same person, sharing memories and experiences – each actor does, to some degree, build on the last. As British characters, the Doctor and James Bond stand as the most sacred institutions passed from one actor to another, but Doctor Who is set apart by the nature of the recasting transformation.

Tennant is the same person who took the role in 2005. But at the same time, he isn’t, of course. None of us are as we were back then. We’re older, wiser. We’ve seen and done things we imagined we wouldn’t. For Tennant in particular, he got married and started a family. As a different man, it follows that so, too, is his Doctor. It would’ve been so easy to simply perform exactly as he did then, which has always been the task of past Doctors for past anniversaries. But Tennant got to do something different with it - and in doing so, gave us a delightful fresh take that is also deeply reverential to the peers that followed and then preceded him.

Every Doctor and every actor behind them has their claim to fame. Each is somebody’s favorite. And each is undoubtedly unforgettable. But with just three episodes, Tennant and Davies have accomplished something quite astonishing.

For Tennant, this weekend his journey will be over – at least so far as any actor’s journey with Doctor Who ends. Which is to say, not entirely. But Davies will continue on. And after seeing what he’s accomplished with old favorites, I’m more invigorated with excitement for the series than I’ve been in well over a decade. Bring on Nucti Gatwa; bring on fifteen.'

[televinita]

[side note: though written months apart originally, this is kind of funny given my last text post, almost like I'm answering my own question]

After seeing one at a library sale, looking up the rest of the Flirt series, and thinking "aww that would have been so cute to have had growing up if I'd been born circa 1997-2005," I had a sudden realization moment of "wait a minute..."

Because I realized, that for all I have made shippin' people on movies and TV a core part of my personality (original X-Files shipper here; also loved many an animated Disney prince as any 90s child would)...I cared almost zero percent about romance in my books until I was an adult?

Like, I look back on my reading lists, and partly it's that my jam was old books, old books aimed at children mostly, where if boyfriends/dating existed they were more like social accessories than anything that would make a reader swoon. Or I was reading nonfiction. I didn't read adult books unless required for school, or the occasional bonus classic Mom insisted was fun. Even when I did read more modern YA, when I've reread the titles I remember as being standouts, half the time it turns out I've forgotten there was even a boy in them.

(This is getting long so I'm adding a cut)

Plus I very distinctly recall looking at the rows of Jeannette Oke, and whatever Harlequin or Avon was attempting to do for teen readers (also mostly in historical fiction) at the time, and being bored to tears by the sight of them, since they looked exactly like all the rows of bland romance novels in the adult section.

(although I did give 4 stars to the exception I made for Miranda and the Warrior, which...??)

In fact, I just skimmed through my high school reading lists, and at a glance? I can't think of a single relationship / love story I remember fondly. Most of them I, once again, don't even remember having relationships in them. There were a few couples I got attached to in long-running series books, specifically in Thoroughbred and Animorphs, but romance obviously wasn't the focus in those.

Maybe I was into Laura/Almanzo in the Little House series, once he came along? but I don't think I checked for Anne/Gilbert in Avonlea, tbh, which I would have read around the same time.

...and now I'm kind of curious to see if I can figure out the earliest standalone book couple I remember swooning about.

[EDIT: oh wait. I have the sudden horrible feeling, actually, that I swooned about a Lurlene McDaniel novel. Maybe more than one, since I read a lot. At minimum I'm pretty sure I got Intense as an 8th grader about the Angels Watching Over Me trilogy...]

[and speaking of 8th grade, even though I forgot the specifics I dimly remember being into Daine/Numair in Tamora Pierce's Immortals quartet back then too]

[SECOND EDIT: WAIT, just realized we have a shipping winner, despite minimal actual overt romance, and it's Jo/Laurie of Little Women obviously!!!!! whew, now I feel redeemed]

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You guys should tell me your earliest favorite book couples, if you feel so inclined! I hardly talked about books with anyone after age 12 or so, online or off, until well into adulthood so I have no idea what my peers or really anyone born before the year 2000 were into.

[discowingneckline]

1 5 6 7 10 20 and 19

Yippee! Thanks for the ask!

okay i'll do my top three from 19!

firefly: THE CHARACTERS, THE PLOT, THE SILLY WORLDBUILDING. ALL OF ITTTT dc: bruce and damian interactions, supersons back in action, the amount of not racist fans i've been talking to or following pjo: i correctly predicted back in circa 2016 that will solace would have plague powers, i love the actors for the pjo show, and i love how alive the community is

5. I love when people write the characters as they are and not some sort of flanderization (bc dear god, why?) or when they add references to in-universe places and background characters. lore!

6. I love when people draw characters with bodies that are either canon-accurate or make sense for the situation they are in. I love when bodies function as bodies!

7. my favorite tropes to write...I'll give you three: fix-it fics, hurt/comfort, established relationships. my favorite tropes to read are: fix-it fics, hurt/comfort, and established relationships. i write what i like to read.

10. a blog that makes my fandom experience brighter? well there's a lot, but if i had to choose one... @confusedhummingbird for sure! they're always a delight to talk to and their comic opinions line up with mine.

19. current fandoms: firefly/serenity (2005), dc comics, percy jackson and the olympians

20. my very first fandom...well, the very first fandom i ever read for was unfortunately harry potter but i hated it and only read it for AR points. then, i'd say how to train your dragon was probably my first real fandom i read stuff for and really enjoyed (and still enjoy)