#the green sick

[weirdlookindog]

Ryan Heshka (b. 1970) - The Green Sick

[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.

[kcrra]

it makes me literally sick to think about alicent's relationship to her children. like. they are all she has. she loves them more than anything and hates them just as much. each of them is a shackle around her neck. they are her babies even though she was a baby herself, forced to be their mother. she'll pick up a knife for them. they are her living prison. everything she ever does is for them. their very existence makes her sick. she understands them and yet doesn't know them at all. they are her future. they stole her past.

she was 15 years old tethered to a rotting body of a man entirely against her will, watching each of her children invade her body as a result of martial rape. how were they ever supposed to have a normal relationship!!!!!!!

[thelesbianthespianposts]

going down a non bat superhero tag be like: Batman post, Batman post, Batman post that explicitly belittles the tagged superhero, more disrespect, post that doesn’t even mention the tag but says justice league in it, GOOD POST, good analysis but somehow still about Batman, ship art with Batman, post that has nothing to do with the tag or the fandom, the most incorrect take you’ve ever heard, more disrespect, take based on a spin-off animated show that hated he character, GOOD ART, just a genuinely confusing take, Batman post, Batman post, Batman post.

[fauvester]

something something seeing things through different eyes

[shroomerr]

Finally, my design for Mysterion!! this boy gave me so much heartache in the process of making this but its ok its all worth it for him <3

I also couldn't choose between the version with hair or without hair, so here's the one without under the cut (+ my initial drafts for his design):

[inkclover]

"...may I?"

"you may...!" replied the storytelling god

[urdeftonesgrrrl]

me when people call Aemond a coward for fleeing a 3v1 when Rhaenyra was too scared to go against Aemond in a 1v1:

[js-dragonart]

Sick Day Since it's the time of the year again where my instagram feed is flooded with memes about how everyone is getting sick and I start avoiding people even more than usual cause I almost died from pneumonia once, I got inspired to do some doodling.

I already explored the hilarity of man-flu Severus Snape in the past, so now I ventured on to man-flu Aegon (because Aemond would probably just suffer in silence).

And for the people who can't decipher my atrocious handwriting:

Top left Aemond: Still not better? Aegon: F*ck off.

Top right Servant: Is it enough blankets, your grace? Aegon: *miserable sniff

Middle Aegon: *violent sneeze Aegon: Kill me, Aemond. Aemond: Don't be so dramatic, your grace. Aegon: Your king demands it. Aemond: Let's get you back to bed. Bottom Aemond: I should be at a council meeting...I can't move. Artist's notes: 1. After drawing the picture of blanket-pile Aegon, I noticed he looks like an Onigiri. A friend of mine called him an "Aegonigiri" and I hate myself for not thinking of this joke first. 2. For the picture where he's napping on Aemond's shoulder I'd like you to imagine the most obnoxious stuffy-nose snoring. 3. I'm in love with the green and gold color scheme.

[killjo-q]

shaded in some of the other marika sketches I had

[hingabee]

femswap au.... save me stupid femswap au.... save me

[gomzdrawfr]

content warning: angst, major character death (MCD), blood(in grey)

say my name

[martyryo]

Exotic birds discovered to be real founders of illegal aviary fight clubs scattered around zoos

[bittersweetbeet]

I love how Green tends to be portrayed as a sly confident flirt towards Purple when in reality, he’s just;

[ayrennaranaaldmeri]

HELAENA WAS A BELOVED QUEEN IN F&B SO OF COURSE RYAN CONDOM HAS TO MAKE THE SMALLFOLK PRAISE THE PERSON WHO WAS BLOCKADING THEIR FOOD TO BEGIN WITH BC PROPAGANDA ONLY WORKS WHEN RHA EN YRA DOES IT AND THROW THE FOOD THEY WERE RIOTING OVER AT HELAENA. I CURSE HIM AND HIS UGLY WRITING.

[delzeetoons]

happy pride month to the gayest old men alive. love wins 💥💥