#today's high school musical parody is

[imsoglitter]

I hate when people use parody movies as examples of "movies that would never get made today." No duh they're not going to make a western parody a la Blazing Saddles, we don't have a steady stream of blockbuster westerns hitting the screen anymore. I wouldn't make any sense to make I'm Gonna Git You Sucka today since Blaxploitation as a genre is no longer the main or only way to see competent Black characters on the screen. Turns out when you get rid of the context, these films don't make a lot of sense! Who would have guessed that to make satire, you need the context of the thing you're satirizing? High School Musical is a parody of Grease (also a parody, though not many people seem to realize this) which took its name from hairspray (John waters film) which is a riff on Hair. And if you only know high school musical from that one time you watched it when you were eight, without any of this context you probably didn't appreciate it that much. Films exist in context, just like any other form of art. And also people are still making weird movies and good satirical movies, you're just boring. Rant over.

[moorheadthanyoucanhandle]

COMPLEX CHARACTERS

Opening today:

Freud's Last Session--The "session" in question is fictional, or at best nervily speculative--a meeting of the titular psychoanalytic pioneer with the Christian apologist C. S. Lewis. It's September of 1939; England has just declared war on Hitler's Germany, and Freud, who has fled Austria for England with his obsessively devoted daughter Anna, is in the agonizing homestretch of terminal mouth cancer. Irked by Lewis' parody of him in The Pilgrim's Regress (1933), Freud has invited the young Oxford don to his house in London for a civil but contentious chat.

Freud is played by Anthony Hopkins; Lewis is played by Matthew Goode. The direction is by Matthew Brown from a script he co-wrote with the American playwright Mark St. Germain, based on St. Germain's play (which I saw well-produced by Arizona Theatre Company in 2013). The play is a two-hander, but this handsomely-produced movie expands on it with scenes involving Anna (Liv Lisa Fries) and her partner Dorothy Burlingham (Jodi Balfour), flashbacks to Freud's childhood traumas and to Lewis' PTSD from the trenches in the earlier war, his eyebrow-raising cohabitation with Janie Moore (Orla Brady), etc.

But the juice in the film is still in the theatrical sparring between the two leads, especially Hopkins as the chuckling, cheerfully furious Freud. He's as lovably cantankerous here as he was as Pope Benedict in 2019's The Two Popes. For his part, Goode is smart enough not to make Lewis saintly or jolly; he gives him an edge of defensive aloofness alongside a deep decency.

It's hard to say which, if either, of the two men's viewpoints St. Germain and Brown are most in symapthy with. Many of us are likely to feel ourselves somewhere between Freud's staunch and bitter rationalism and Lewis' somehow rather half-hearted pose of orthodoxy. But the point of the film seems to be that what underlies both is, at least partly, existential terror, of a sort to which intelligent, intensely imaginative people like these two are particularly subject. Neither strict nonbelief nor strict belief seems to offer much deliverance.

Mean Girls--"It's a cautionary tale..." So the Greek chorus characters Janis and Damian sing to us at the beginning of this musical remake of the well-loved 2004 teen comedy, pared down from the 2018 Broadway version. This may be the secret of Mean Girls, in each iteration: it really is a moral tale with a cautionary point, and the heroine really does go to the dark side.

As you'll recall, Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) is a smart kid who grew up in campsites in Africa; her mother (Jenna Fischer) is a researcher. When she lands at a suburban American high school for junior year, the divisions in cafeteria clique and caste strike her as similar to those in the animal kingdom. She gets sucked into spending lunches with "The Plastics," a circle of glamorous sycophants led by uber-mean girl Regina George (Renée Rapp). Cady agrees, initially, at the urging of artsy girl Janis (Auli'i Cravalho) and big gay Damian (Jaquel Spivey) to serve as a double agent in a revenge plot against Regina. But gradually, of course, the plastic begins to take over for real. 

Or maybe the secret is just that the film, scripted, like the original, by Tina Fey (freely adapting a book by Rosalind Wiseman), is funny and sweet, but not so sweet that it forgets to be, you know, mean. Or maybe it's that most of the songs, by Nell Benjamin and Jeff Richmond, are delightful, and buoyantly staged by directors Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez, Jr.

Overall, these actors don't have the vibrancy or distinctive personalities of the original film's cast, but they make up for this with terrific musical performing. Rapp brings such a baleful moan to "Meet the Plastics" that she really is a little scary, and Rice shades herself from guileless to conniving very believably. A few vets are around; Fey and Tim Meadows reprise their roles from the first film, and Busy Phillips and Jon Hamm contribute funny bits. The standouts, however, are Cravalho as Janis and Spivey as Damian, both equipped with gorgeous voices and the ability to act while they're belting.

Fey's generous-hearted--and sensible--take on popularity and self-esteem has provided a solid and unsentimental piece of role modeling for teens (and the teens that endure within most adults) for twenty years now. Maybe this movie will extend it for another twenty.

[musicalrecs]

Today's shameless promotion is for a show you likely haven't heard of: The Musical of Musicals: The Musical!

This show is actually five shows in one, each using the same basic storyline but in the style of a different composer/lyricist. The introduction to the show spells this out:

For those of you disinclined to watch a minute-long clip or read the handy Wikipedia link above, allow me to summarize:

Young woman: I can't pay the rent! Villain dude: You must pay the rent! (Interlude in which older woman gives advice) Hero dude: I'll pay the rent!

This basic story is then played out five times, each in the style of a different composer/lyricist:

Corn! - Rodgers & Hammerstein A Little Complex - Sondheim Dear Abby - Jerry Herman Aspects of Junita - Andrew Lloyd Webber Speakeasy - Kander & Ebb

If you recognize at least a couple of those names and enjoy spotting references, you'll have a good time.

Can I watch it online? Much to my shock, yes! There was a benefit version made just a couple years ago, to raise funds for York Theater after a water-main break (plus the whole covid thing happening).

Through the "magic of green screen" it stars a truly ridiculous number of people you very likely have heard of, giving perfectly adequate performances (green screen...). The opening is one of those long, eye-rolling bits where people who aren't actors do their best to tell jokes/sing and you're like "is the real show starting soon?" but hey, it's Youtube and a benefit production, you can just quietly skip all that.

The best sequence in the above is probably the Kander & Ebb parody, which features Chita Rivera, Ethan Slater, Colleen Ballinger, Randy Rainbow, Jackie Hoffman, and personal favorite of mine Christine Pedi, but results will vary wildly by production and your personal musical tastes.

In addition, more than one local production has been filmed and put online, so you've absolutely got viewing options that were unimaginable to me a couple decades ago. (I'm old.) (On Tumblr, anyway.) In fact, I actually prefer the local productions, as this is the kind of show that really benefits from the unpretentiousness of a small auditorium, a bake sale at intermission, and names you recognize in the program because you went to high school together. (See also: You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown)

So, if you're the kind of person who thought "A Musical!" from Something Rotten was peak theater, give The Musical of Musicals: The Musical! a try. And then, consider joining your local tenants' union and work to prevent unreasonable rent increases.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

I’m at the HowTheLightGetsIn festival in HAY-ON-WYE with my novel Red Team Blues. Today (May 29) at 12PM, I’m on a panel called Danger and Desire at the Frontier.

Tonight (May 29) at 7:30PM I’m at OXFORD’s Blackwell’s on with Tim Harford.

Tomorrow night (May 30) at 6:30PM, I’m at the NOTTINGHAM Waterstones with Christian Reilly.

Then it’s Manchester, London, Edinburgh, and Berlin!

#10yrsago DIY turd-transplants https://web.archive.org/web/20130608030455/http://blogs.plos.org/publichealth/2013/05/29/why-diy-fecal-transplants-are-a-thing-and-the-fda-is-only-part-of-the-reason/

#10yrsago I Love New York people censor I Coffee Cup New York logo, want to send them a bill https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/30/nyregion/new-york-challenges-a-coffee-shop-logo.html

#10yrsago Schools and the cloud: will schools allow students to be profiled and advertised to in the course of their school-day? https://web.archive.org/web/20130603053407/http://www.safegov.org/media/48269/safegov_ponemon_uk_school_survey.pdf

#10yrsago Danish “Gangnam Style” mayors threatened with copyright lawsuit by Universal https://torrentfreak.com/universal-music-tells-gangnam-parody-mayors-pay-42000-by-tomorrow-or-else-130530/

#10yrsago RIP, Henry Morgentaler, Canadian abortion pioneer https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/dr-henry-morgentaler-s-death-highlights-abortion-divide-1.1344197

#10yrsago Science fiction story in the form of a Twitter bug-report https://web.archive.org/web/20130527235924/https://twitter.bug.quietbabylon.com/

#5yrsago Design fiction, speculative design, and “creepiness” https://www.wired.com/story/the-creepy-rise-of-real-companies-spawning-fictional-design/

#5yrsago The TSA has a secret enemies list of people who’ve complained about screeners https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/17/us/politics/new-watch-list-tsa-screeners-.html

#5yrsago Spectacular read: a profile of Anna Sorokin, a con-artist who convinced New York that she was a high-rolling socialite trust-funder https://www.thecut.com/article/how-anna-delvey-tricked-new-york.html

#5yrsago Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Maria death toll is 70 times higher than the official count https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1803972

#5yrsago An analysis of all those Internet of Things manifestos sparked by the slow-motion IoT catastrophe https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3173574.3173876

#5yrsago Quantifying the massive premium paid to people who work in “bullshit jobs” https://popularresistance.org/the-more-valuable-your-work-is-to-society-the-less-youll-be-paid-for-it/

#5yrsago White Americans abandoned democracy and embraced authoritarianism when they realized brown people would soon outvote them https://web.archive.org/web/20180528185731/http://svmiller.com/research/white-outgroup-intolerance-democratic-support/

#5yrsago Ad brokers are selling the fact that you visited an emergency room to ambulance-chasing lawyers https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/05/25/613127311/digital-ambulance-chasers-law-firms-send-ads-to-patients-phones-inside-ers

#5yrsago Efail: instructions for using PGP again as safely as is possible for now https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/05/how-turn-pgp-back-safely-possible

#5yrsago EFF on Cockygate: trademark trolls vs romance literature https://www.eff.org/takedowns/author-trademarks-cocky-earns-ire-romance-writers-everywhere

#1yrago Apple’s Cement Overshoes https://pluralistic.net/2022/05/30/80-lbs/#malicious-compliance

Catch me on tour with Red Team Blues in Hay-on-Wye, Oxford, Manchester, Nottingham, London, and Berlin!

[flirting-with-psychology]

New tats in your near future?

No

How about piercings or re-piercings?

No

Are there any rooms in your house that you don’t go into every day?

Some days I don't go into the loft

Who else do you know who has the same favorite color as you do?

Probably, idk off the top of my head. I also have multiple favorite colors

Have you ever had a tattoo covered up or added to?

No tattoos

Have you ever kissed someone who has previously kissed someone you hated?

Don't think so

Do you have any relatives with red hair?

Don't think so

What is tomorrow’s weather forecasted to be like?

Cold

Have you ever known anyone who committed suicide?

Yes

What’s some of the worst pain you’ve ever felt?

Orthodontic work

What’s your favorite kind of pasta?

It jumps around, currently it's elbows

Would you rather a friend come over to your house or you go over there?

Go over there, my house is too messy

Have you ever had rabies?

No

Do you know anyone who ever had to get a rabies shot?

No humans, just pets

Ever eaten deer? Duck? Squirrel? How about lamb?

No

What is your favorite parody movie?

Not Another Teen Movie

What is your least favorite ice cream flavor?

I don't have a least favorite

Does your car have heated seats?

Yes in the front

Have you ever been tempted to steal?

Yes, shit's expensive. Never done it though

Would you rather travel to Ireland or Japan?

Ireland

Does tickling turn you on?

No

If you could go over to someone’s house right now, whose and why?

None right this minute, but John's in general because it's fun

What is the age gap between you and your parents?

38 and 43 years

How many bathrooms does your house have? Is this enough?

One, and not always, when we both have to go at the same time

Have you ever video-chatted with someone you met online?

Yes I think

Do you collect anything, or have you ever?

Yeah but i don't hold interest forever

When was the last time you used Facebook?

Today

How many siblings does your best friend have?

None

Have you ever dated someone who was emotionally or mentally unstable?

Kinda dated a guy for like a week in high school who had some suicidal tendencies

Be honest: are you clingy?

Yes

Have you ever had bronchitis?

Not sure

Have you ever had a reptile for a pet?

I have had a toad

Are you afraid of the dentist?

No

Did you attend Sunday School as a child?

No

Who was the last person you cuddled with?

My boyfriend

How would you feel if your significant other (or possible partner) told you they dislike having sex, but do so with you to make you happy, even though they personally think it’s a chore?

I'd be dissapointed

Your boyfriend/girlfriend isn’t around but their phone is. Do you look through it?

No

Do you think you will be in a relationship 3 months from now?

Yes

Have you ever liked anyone that was in a relationship with someone else?

Yes

Do people ever compliment your eyes?

Sometimes

Have any of your exes ever given you roses?

No, but my current boyfriend has

Do you think your last ex ever thinks about you?

Maybe

Would you rather have salad or french fries for a side dish?

Fries lol

Which one of your relationships was the shortest?

I have only had one official relationship, but I've had some things that were never defined that lasted like a week

Which was the longest?

The current one, almost 6 years

Have any of your exes told you they regret breaking up with you?

No

Would you feel hurt if your last ex is in a relationship?

I might be a little salty

Are you going to be getting any new pets soon?

Not planning on it

Do you like BBQ sauce?

No

What do you like to do when you’re home alone?

Watch TV, shop

Should the guy always pay for the date?

No

What kind of music calms you down?

There's a soothing "gamma ray" one I listen to

Do you know anyone who has autism?

Some who are self-diagnosed

What is your favorite way to eat eggs?

In toast

Do you like Frozen?

Yes

Who is one of your heroes?

A guy I knew in college

Do you enjoy hot chocolate?

Yes

Do you use Instagram often?

Not really

If you got a kitten, what would you name it?

It would depend on the kitten

Do you have a Pinterest account?

No, I hate pinterest

Do you prefer a quiet or noisy environment?

Somewhere in the middle. Quiet enough to have a conversation but not so quiet you feel awkward about having a conversation

What is one question you don’t like being asked?

About my job situation

Who is someone you know who is talkative?

Yes, my mom

When was the last time you saw one of your uncles?

Recently on facetime but a couple years ago in person

Do you know anyone who plays the violin?

My mom does

Do your parents enjoy any of the things that you enjoy? Do you bond over these things?

Yes, my mom likes shopping and musicals and Downton Abbey, my dad likes science and games

Out of all your usernames for websites, which one is your favorite? Do you use it for more than one site?

The one for this blog

Have you ever spent the whole day (or multiple days) just looking up one thing on the internet (e.g., videos of your favorite band, how-to videos, quizzes, etc.)?

Yes, I go down shopping rabbit holes

If someone told you that we live in a society that hates women, how would you respond?

That is probably true

Can you remember the last thing you thought and subsequently thought, “wow, I really shouldn’t be thinking that”?

Probably an intrusive thought

[breathenbounce]

FIVE RANDOM THINGS FOR NOVEMBER

So this week, I want to screw around a little bit. We all have other interests besides yoga and mindfulness. Yoga and mindfulness are fun for me, but also essential. Without them, I may be a little off. However, I also have some other interests. I like movies, football, WWE, and just working out all the time. So once a month, to be fun and funny, I will give five random thoughts about these things and other stuff that has affected me. I used to do this on another blog so once a month to be silly, let's go.

So I am a huge Miami Dolphins fan and their quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is a mad man. The dude has had four concussions in the last 2 years and yet there he is, still out there playing football. However, there is a whole new energy when he takes the field. The stoner actually tried to tackle a player head first after he threw an interception (which is when you pass the ball and the other team catches it.) He is a madman. However it is that spirit that motivates his team. It's beautiful when it works but he needs to be careful.

2. My daughters just participated in a version of the musical Chicago at their high school. One was part of the ensemble onstage, the other did sound design. I am so proud of them, however if you have never seen Chicago, I would totally check it out. It kind of is an parody of what our world is today is some ways.

3. It seems every time I work out my recovery time takes longer. So I strained my hip flexor a while ago and being the dumbass I am, I kept working out on it. This is most likely has something to do with my love for working out. So when i finally decided to take care of it, I was on the shelf for almost two months and I feel like my workouts are kicking my ass and I need an extra day to recover. Not a fan of this at all. In fact my ankles are burning today. I tried an aqua class Monday. I blame that. LOL. Well not really.

4. I saw this crazy ass movie called the Substance a week or so ago. It stars Demi Moore as an aging fitness celebrity who gets booted on her 50th birthday. She then discovers a "substance" that creates your best self. Little does anyone know, it literally creates another person, played by Margaret Qualley, who I enjoyed since her days as Jill on the Leftovers. (That was a phenomenal HBO series) You would think the movie would be dumb, which it had dumb parts, but Demi Moore should win an oscar her performance. It was crazy. I think it is worth checking out if you have time.

5.I started watching wrestling again a few years ago. I was a fan since I was eight years old. I think since I am on this inner child journey it most likely came up for that reason. Triple H, who always was one of my favorites has taken the reigns (no pun intended if you watch) of the creative side, and this has been some of the best work I have ever seen from the WWE. If you are a fan that has strayed now is a good time to get back in.

So yes, five random things for the month of November. Nice light hearted, I hate to tell you, next weeks will not be as its my least favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. I will explain next week, until then...

Namaste

M

[joanna-lannister]

favorite teen flick (if any)🎬🎀? (Stuff like Mean girls, Clueless, Highschool Musical, To all the boys I've loved before etc)

I GREW UP WITH HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL! I have good memories of it with old friends, so obviously I love it. Probably my fave out of this list.

I aboslutely love Mean Girls too. Rachel McAdams as Regina George is iconic and I love Amanda Seyfried so much (I'm a mouse. DUH!). 

I think Clueless is bit overrated tho, I've rewatched it some years ago and I didn't enjoy it quite as much as when I was younger. 

Never seen To All The Boys I've Loved Before so I can't tell my opinion. 

Otherwise, I don't know if it's considered a teen flicks, but Mamma Mia! I loved it so much, it was so entertaining. Also Not Another Teen Movie, it's a parody but it's so funny. Haven't watched it in years tho, so I don't know if I would still like it today. Same I don't know if it's a teen flicks, but Twilight, it was the last years of my teenage years, so I have fond memories.

[noneofthisisreal]

The "crazy little thing called Kiiiiiii" has released their first DVD - an action-packed half-hour of original songs, skits, live performances, promotional videos, movie parodies, special effects, set pieces, stuffed animals,and hand puppets. Follow Gold & Silver, the coolest two-girl band in their high school, battle with their rivals, u.t. and Lakin' from Kiiiiiii. The DVD also comes with a huge load of extras - outtakes, videos, secret scenes, and a musical exhibition of Kiiiiii's original illustrations. Bring the legendary Kiiiiiii experience into your home - today!

(via Kiiiiiii - Gold and Silver (2006) - YouTube)

how did i never find this before!!!  OMG and SQUEEEEE! 

new (to me and less than seven hundredd views most of the world) kiiiiiii just dropped!!

four little joeys is my first choice walk out song of all time

[driftwooddestiel]

party was sososo fun … me and my jesse pinkman friend sung a brba high school musical song parody that i wrote earlier today

currently in my walter white fit on my way to the halloween party where me and my friend will be jesse and walt cosplaying 🔥

[anxiouspandatheatrekid]

Favorite songs from musicals I know:

(Feel welcome to debate w me I want to talk about musical theatre badly also if there is one of your faves missing, give the rec to me!)

&Juliet- Confident

13 The Musical- It Can't Be True

21 Chump Street- One School

36 Questions- Our Word

The Addams Family- Crazier Than You

Alice By Heart- Isn’t It A Trial

Ani: A Parody- Ani

Amelie- Times Are Hard For Dreamers

A Very Potter Musical- Gettin Back To Hogwarts

A Very Potter Sequel- The Coolest Girl

A Very Potter Senior Year- Wizard of the Year

Bare- All Grown Up

Be More Chill- The Squip Song

Beetlejuice- No Reason

Black Friday- What Tim Wants

Bonnie& Clyde- This World Will Remember Us

Bridgerton- Oceans Away

Bring It On- It's All Happening Now

Cabaret- Mein Herr

Carrie- In

Chicago- Cell Block Tango

Cinderella- Bad Cinderella

Clueless- She's So High

The Color Purple- African Homeland

Come From Away- Prayer

Company- Getting Married Today

Dear Evan Hansen- For Forever

Dreamgirls- It's All Over

Evita- Buenos Aires

Falsettos- A Day In Falsettoland

Fangirls- Silly Little Girl

Firebringer- The Night Belongs to Snarl

First Date- Safer

Frozen- What Do You Knoe About Love

Funny Girl- Don't Rain On My Parade

Gossip Girl- G

Grease- Born To Hand Jive

The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals- Inevitable

Hadestown- Wait For Me (Reprise)

Hamilton- Yorktown

Heathers- Fight For Me

Hedwig and the Angry Inch- Tear Me Down

Holy Musical B@man- Super Friends

If/Then- Always Starting Over

In The Heights- Carnaval Del Barrio

Jagged Little Pill- All I Really Want

Kinky Boots- The History Of Wrong Guys

The Last Five Years- Moving Too Fast

Legally Blonde- So Much Better

Les Misérables- Master Of The House

The Lightning Thief- Drive

Little Miss Perfect- Fallin' Fast

Little Shop Of Horrors- Grow For Me

The Mad Ones- Freedom

Matilda- My House

Me And My Dick- Ready To Go

Mean Girls- Apex Predator

Moulin Rouge!- Crazy Rolling

Mrs. Doubtfire- What The Hell

Natasha, Pierre...- Letters

Next To Normal- Superboy And The Invisible Girl

Once On This Island- Mama Will Provide

Ordinary Days- Gotta Get Out

The Prom- You Happened

This Could Be On Broadway- Just My Luck (Reprise)

Rent- I'll Cover You

Ride The Cyclone- What The World Needs

Six- Ex-Wives

Spies Are Forever- Spy Again

Spring Awakening- The Dark I Know Well

Starlight Express- A Lotta Locomotion

Starship- Kick It Up A Notch

Trail To Oregon!- Wagon On Fire

Twisted- Twisted

VHS Christmas Carol Live- Christmas Day

Waitress- Bad Idea

We Are The Tigers- Before The Breakdown

West Side Story- America

Wicked- No Good Deed

I think those were all! I didn't really include movies that also exist in musical form but that I barely know in theater form. Also I'll probably keep this updated so it might change. If you want to chat about any of those, pls comment or dm me!

[twinge-of-cosmicangst]

On my laptop and I decided to look at my tumblr archive for the first time in years. Out of curiosity I looked at the month my dad died in 2016, the day he died I reblogged 3 posts, one of a dumb cartoon, one of a high school musical parody gif and one of a clothes shop mannequin in a sexy pose. The day after he died I reblogged 19 posts so I must of been trying to distract myself with tumblr. I reblogged a post two days before his death that read “@July please be good to me. I am tired.” My dad was extremely ill at that time, I was expecting him to die within the week, and because of my incredibly fucked family dynamics I also knew that the last time I saw him (about a week before) would likely be the last time I ever saw him (although I did end up getting to speak to him on the phone a few hours before he died, although I didn’t say much, couldn’t think what to say) So I knew that July probably wasn’t going to be good to me but perhaps I was just hopeing that July would be good and that he wouldn’t die that month, and that he’d hold out until the next month or the month after, that’s pretty sad for a kid who just turned 18. At end of the month I reblogged a post that read “We are gathered here today because SOMEBODY *glares at coffin* couldn’t stay alive” obviously a shitpost, I honestly find it kind of funny that I reblogged that, the month my father died, but at the time I probably resonated with that post in a literal way even though it was a joke, because I was angry at my dad back then for many reasons, but I was mainly angry at him for dying.

[tandonshows]

Today's episode is all about fanworks! Sequoia Simone, podcast host and fan extraordinaire, joins host Marissa Tandon on You Are What You Love to talk about the YouTube sensation, A Very Potter Musical, and how it started the domino effect of her life.

We discuss how the poorly recorded YouTube parody helped Sequoia redefine her understanding of what comedy could be, brought her back into the fandom at a critical time, and started the domino effect of who she is today. Tangents include how YouTube made creative careers more accessible to people everywhere, Nerdfighteria, and the beauty of fandom as a whole. 

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or find You Are What You Love wherever you get your podcasts.

After the episode, be sure to join our discord server to hang out with other listeners. We also think you might like the two episodes Sequoia references in hers: Bo Burnham with Mike Schubert, and High School Musical with Molly Burdick!

[christmasintheloonybin]

also yeah that's a death grips shirt I still have it but don't wear it because I don't fuck with death grips at all these days. they sort of fell off they haven't put out any new music for a few years huh? I think if they broke up after... bottomless pit that would have been good. they were the first band I really liked, before that all I listened to was nirvana and lana del rey and later burzum but that the only music where I like felt it you know? like I related to it or something. and then death grips sort of changed my life lol. I thought they were the coolest. but really I think they had the wrong audience or something like if they had stayed as a you know like a cult band, kvlt band, I think it would have been better because, I haven't listened to any of their new stuff since like fr 2017, but they seem to have become sort of a parody of themselves, like weird for the sake of weird. when really what was the bjork album, niggas on the moon? that was fucking strange and out there but it was pure or something like it was real. idk the fame got to their head. because it's like a fucking niche interest, and then the whole "industrial hip hop" as a genre I mean fucking awful. but I mean really as a 17 year old who hadn't really ever listened to anything out there at all that first song on exmilitary with the Charles Manson sample it was like oh my God this is the greatest thing ever. and just the goth word vomit but it's rap I mean still I think that's fucking cool, maybe I'll listen to death grips later today. again though too many memories, just high school shit I don't want to think about high school. just being so fucking lonely. I mean I feel less lonely now just because I'm more sure of myself or something. it's a confusing time in everyone's life I guess. and it was a fucking rotten time for me, horrible horrible time in my life.

[septembersghost]

(twitter.)com/chrislhayes/status/1617985302118948865?s=20&t=LY5pMS4s4ozRSQrxEYhgCg While in high school, he continued to work on music for some of his father’s major motion films. He continued to compose music for major motion pictures. He wrote parts of the original score for the ‘07 film Music & Lyrics as well as "Dance With Me Tonight" performed by Hugh Grant. Along with Cody Fitzgerald- composed the entire score for the ‘19 Disney+ film, Noelle, starring Bill Hader & Anna Kendrick. Wikipedia

ahhhh - okay, so, i was JUST thinking about music & lyrics yesterday, oddly enough because of the song that was released from the soundtrack of daisy jones & the six. the reason for this being thus: i think one of the most difficult tasks that could be given to a songwriter for a film (or series) is to craft music that sounds like a bona fide hit from a specific time. come across too heavy-handed and it's going to sound contrived, don't lean into the time period enough and it's going to sound anachronistic, crib too much from other real hits it's going to sound uninspired...you have to find such a sweet spot to make it work. perhaps one of the most successful famous examples of this is the title track written for that thing you do!, because adam was a genius. but i've always thought music & lyrics manages this quite well with its pop songs, making them catchy and fun (and funny without being parody), and it gives the movie charm. so while i was listening to regret me yesterday, and pondering its spiritual influence from fleetwood mac, for some reason my memory instantly drifted to that, which makes it wild that you'd mention this today!

[colorseeingchick]

Oh Baby! A Series (Tsukishima x Fem!Reader)

Summary: You and Tsukishima have been together for years- and pranking each other the whole way through. But what happens when one prank on Tsukki turns out to be a prank on you? 

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of pregnancy, fluff 

Word Count: 2.9k

A/N: This is my first fic! I hope you guys like it :) 

“This was the best you could do? Really?” You watch in horror as Tsukishima Kei, your husband of 5 years, holds the positive pregnancy test in his hand, a smug expression plastered across his face. 

Fuck. 

“Babe, this is like the oldest trick in the book. I’m pretty offended that you thought that this would fool me, of all things.” He shakes his head slowly and puts the test back in the bathroom drawer where you (thought you) had hidden it away from his sight. 

You stand there, processing the scenario as it had just played out before you. But that clearly wasn’t enough to sort out how genuinely screwed (ha pun intended) you were.  

How exactly did you end up here again? 

Tsukki had been pranking and roasting you for 12 years now- 1 year as your classmate, 1 year as your friend, 5 years as your boyfriend, and 5 as your husband. Yeah, your high school sweetheart was this sarcastic four-eyes. You were simple to read and gave theatrical reactions which perpetually egged him on to keep messing with you, and eventually led to him developing feelings for you. Despite how annoyed you were by him at first as well, you soon found yourself loving his quick wit and taunting personality. Though the roasts were intense, the pranks were always light. Tsukki made an effort to never push serious or sensitive topics, and he would NEVER try to pull anything when you were in a bad mood. The pranks went both ways as well- and you never felt more accomplished than when you managed to catch your clever boyfriend off guard. Teasing was a staple of your relationship and both of you loved it. But the jokes sometimes had you both a bit too on guard. When Tsukki proposed to you, you thought he was just pulling a more elaborate prank than usual (which led to you initially rejecting him AND causing a hell of a lot of confusion/fear/panic for Tsukishima...until the jokes were clearly set aside. At that point you JOYOUSLY accepted the ring from him, but that’s a story for another day). Looking back on it, you always loved lecturing him on how it was his fault for always playing tricks on you, and that he can’t blame you for not believing him right away. 

But OH! How the tables have turned. 

5 years into your marriage, and the pranks haven’t gone anywhere. However, Tsukki made a “New Years Resolution” to make fun of you more than he had in previous years [Read: Tsukki thinks New Years Resolutions are FAKE NEWS and has made a dumb one to mock the concept]. But considering it was meant to be a parody, he was pretty doing a damn good job of teasing you more than you had ever experienced. Your favorite mug *magically* ended up in the highest cabinet possible on a frequent basis, pieces of your strawberry shortcake would disappear soon after being frosted, and there were plenty of jump scares (which Tsukki went through the effort of recording every time). By the time March rolled around, you were VERY riled up (mind you, at no point had you ever actually attempted to tell Tsukki to stop) and promised Tsukki that you were going to pull the GREATEST prank in the history of your relationship as your grand move of revenge. You made an effort to remind him on a daily basis after that point, and both of your competitive natures came out. 

It was about three weeks after your initial declaration of revenge that you realized your period was quite overdue and morning sickness was setting in. You logically decided to take a pregnancy test. Low and behold, the test came back positive! 

You had known that Tsukishima was ready for children for quite some time now, honestly. He had mentioned it a few times, but you hadn’t felt ready or prepared to be a mom just yet. The man could read you like a book, so seeing distress or discomfort come up when he mentioned it- he would never want to make you feel pressured to have a baby. But after seeing the test, thinking about it (for a good while), and reflecting on your relationship and where you were in life, you felt like you were properly ready to be a mom. All that was left was for you to tell the dad-to-be. But seeing as you two were in a pranking WAR, you figured the timing wasn’t quite ideal just yet. Which is why you decided to hide the test and tell him after April 1st, as to prevent him from assuming you were pulling your grand prank with the pregnancy test. 

Never did you expect him to FIND the test on April Fools itself. If he had found it the days before, it would have been better than him finding it today. The one event you were trying to avoid was the only event to occur. As of right now, the world is playing a big prank on you. Though you definitely weren’t laughing. 

And I was ACTUALLY going to do the prank today, too! Ughh. You slide down your bathroom wall, contemplating where to even go with this. You could go through with your real prank, but at this point it felt excessively stupid in comparison to everything else going on. Right now, the priority was telling Tsukki the truth. You get up and rush downstairs, to where Tsukki was sitting on the couch, book in hand. 

“Kei, we need to talk.” You plop down next to him, casually placing one of your legs on top of his lap. 

He closes the book and tosses you one of his classic smirks, side eye and all. “Yes, Y/N?”

“Kei... I’m…” You grab his hand, “I’m actually pregnant.” 

He stares into your eyes, expression neutral. Meanwhile, your eyes dig daggers into him, as to say “I’m being DEAD serious you have to believe me or else.” 

He blinks a couple of times, smiles, and then raises the hand you put on top of his, sweetly kissing right below your knuckles. 

“I commend you for trying to rescue your prank, but you’re not gonna fool me like that.” He squeezes your hand before getting up and walking away to the kitchen, leaving you in absolute shock on the couch. He doesn’t believe me. Not even a little bit. 

Fuck. 

As the day goes on, you get more and more desperate to try and convince him of how you actually were now carrying his baby. And the more you try, the more he rejects the idea. Your last ditch effort is during dinner, when you make pancakes (breakfast for dinner was a Saturday specialty for you two) and you spell out “I have your CHILD�� with chocolate chips on top of his stack. 

“You realize how out of context, this could be read a VERY different way, right?” He would have been fed up with how persistent you were being, if it wasn’t for how creative you were being about it. So instead, he was just thoroughly amused. 

You, on the other hand, are far from amused. Desperate, hopeless, and VERY irritated at the blond beanpole you called your husband, you aggressively stab your pancakes and eat in silence. 

I definitely set myself up for this, I’m not gonna lie. 

But there is only one way out, and that’s with fresh evidence. Right after finishing dinner, you leave the house and head to your local shop without saying a word to Tsukki. 

...She’s really sticking to it huh. Does she know that this isn’t as funny as she thinks it is? He thinks to himself as he sips on some warm milk while listening to some music and reading on the couch.

[Trust me Tsukki. She doesn’t think this is funny at all.]

Though you weren’t at the store for all that long, your husband managed to pass out on the couch (the milk made him sleepy). You sigh, shaking him into slight consciousness and dragging him up the stairs to your bedroom. As you push him onto the bed, he grabs your waist and tries to pull you onto him. He manages to get you close to his chest, and he nuzzles his nose into your neck, mostly asleep and searching for cuddles. For how irritating, snarky, and teasing your husband was, he was awfully affectionate and overwhelmingly sweet in moments like these. 

“Not yet, baby,” you whisper to his unconscious head, pulling his glasses off his face. “I have to prove how much of an idiot you are for not believing me. Then you get cuddles.” You wriggle yourself out of his grasp and head to the bathroom, taking another test to confirm what you already knew to be true. 

Sighing upon the sight of the two lines, you place this test in the drawer with the other one. “I’ll show him tomorrow when he’s awake and ready to face my wrath.” You smile mischievously while shutting the drawer.

You take care of some unfinished business in your house as it slowly hits 1 am. Exhausted, you eventually find yourself crawling into bed and under Tsukki’s arms, nuzzling into his chest as his arms instinctively encase you, your face tucking into the crook of his neck. 

How badly you wanted to stay upset at him. But it felt virtually impossible when he showered you with so much love. Being wrapped up in the warmth of his arms  quickly helped you drift off to sleep. 

---

You stirred back into consciousness at around 7 am,when the warmth that had wrapped around your body had disappeared, your husband not in sight. He usually woke up early on weekends to go run, so his absence wasn't surprising. Too groggy to worry or think straight, you instinctively get out of bed to go use the restroom as nausea shifts your stomach. However, when you approach the door frame of your master bathroom, you see Tsukki staring into the drawer, looking stiff as a statue. His face hidden, you could tell he’s deeply lost in thought. 

“Kei?” You ask softly, “ Love, is everything alri-”

He twists his body to face you, an unreadable expression adorning his strong and normally smug features. It scared you a little. 

“...Kei?” 

He reveals the two tests in his hands as he strides towards you, holding them directly in front of your line of sight. 

“Y/N, all jokes aside. Okay?”

You had a strong indication as to where this was going. “Okay.” 

“Are you really pregnant?” 

You paused for a second. Although the answer to the question was easy, there was a sudden fear that rose in your stomach upon hearing his tone. What if he was in denial because he didn’t want the baby? Would he be angry if he found out you were serious? But you were almost certain he would be as excited as you for the baby. 

Your pause of insecurity was accompanied by a blank expression that had Tsukki’s anticipation skyrocketing. He really wasn’t one to overthink. Thinking just the right amount was his specialty. He’s a rational guy. But you always managed to push that a little, and became the exception. 

“Y/N??” His hands grab your shoulders with a slight squeeze.

You jump back into reality as he calls your name. No matter what his reaction was, he would need to know the truth. You could do damage control after. 

“Yes. I really am pregnant, Kei. But if you don’t think we’re rea-”

“Is it mine?”

At this, you got pissed real fast. 

“The hell? Of course it’s yours, who else’s kid would it be what the hell do you thi-”

He engulfs you in a tight, crushing hug, pulling you against him entirely with his face nuzzled into the crook of your neck. He lets out a shaky breath as he sways you side to side in his embrace. 

“Oh my gosh, I’m gonna be a dad.” Relief radiates off of him, and you could feel a genuine and innocent smile pressed against your skin. 

Now you felt like an idiot for even worrying about telling him the truth. 

You gently pull away from his body to look him in the eyes, his arms still draped around you. “Kei, why didn’t you believe me when I told you yesterday?” 

He looked away from you, eyes on the ground. “Whenever I tried to bring it up in the past, you seemed uncomfortable, and you’ve told me before that you aren’t sure if you were ready to be a mom… I thought that I was the only one who wanted a baby... So when you promised a grand prank for days on end, and I found a positive pregnancy test... I just assumed it was an intense prank and didn’t wanna get my hopes up.” Despite everything, Tsukki had never been the best at direct confrontation. You both were advocates of clear communication and drawing lines, yes, but sometimes, for your sake, he tried to accommodate. It warmed your heart and broke it at the same time to see him all soft and vulnerable, compared to his usual tough guy act. 

“Baka.” You pulled his face down to yours so your foreheads touched, his eyes having no option but to lock with yours. “I would never lie about something like this. We’ve always been good about keeping serious stuff serious, yeah?” 

He murmured in agreement as he slowly closed his eyes. 

You giggle. “You know me too well, though. For a long time I didn’t think I was ready. Even when I took the first test I had doubt in myself. But I thought about everything and… I think I’m ready to have this baby. If it's with you then, yeah. I’m ready.” 

He opens his eyes again just to stare at you for a long moment before saying, “You’re gonna be as weird a mom as you are a wife.” 

You smack his arm and scowl at him. He breaks out and laughs, “Don’t worry, our baby will probably be as weird as you, so it will be great.” Your scowl deepened. It’s his turn to grab your face and kiss your nose, staring at you with all the love in the world. “It's because you’re so weird that I love you so much. Who else would be able to throw back what I dish out AND amuse me at the same time?” He quirks an eyebrow at you. 

You sigh, effectively flustered by his wacky compliment. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever.” His infamous smirk makes a reappearance and damn, are you a sucker for that smirk. 

“But-” you continue, “we really have set some ground rules from here on out. I thought your proposal would be the greatest mix-up in our relationship, but this is too close of a second.”

“Agreed.”

“And throughout this pregnancy you sure as hell better lay off on the teasing and pranks because I swear I will-” 

“I promise. I’ll be nice to you while you’re carrying our baby. I know- how absolutely uncharacteristic of me.” 

You roll your eyes, a smile sneaking onto your face. “Be careful, I might get used to it.” 

He rolls his eyes back, smiling as well. “So, truce?” 

“Truce.” 

He finally pulls away from you and walks as to exit your bedroom. “We’ll talk more about this later, I’m gonna go on my run for now. Do you know where my water bottle is by the way?” 

You lean against the door frame once again. “It should be in the office.” 

“Alright, I’ll let you know when I get back.”

You smiled to yourself, your stomach bubbling from nausea, yes, but also from happiness. How did you get so lucky with such a snarky beanpole? You had yet to figure it out. 

“OI Y/N!” You broke out of your thoughts again as Tsukki sprints up the stairs and essentially throws himself into your bedroom. 

“Yes?”

His face is completely awestruck, stuck in a state of shock and disbelief. 

“You wanna tell me why there are dinosaur stickers covering literally everything in my office?”

A mischievous grin slowly crawls across your face. 

His desk, chair, lamp, laptop, printer, and walls were plastered with dinosaur stickers. A flag with a dinosaur was hung behind his desk as well. (The visit to the shop the night before was the last of 5 trips you had made- you had gone to all sorts of stores to find jumbo stickers over the course of the past few weeks, because Tsukki would have seen packages if you ordered stickers online). 

“You couldn’t even spare my water bottle?” He lifts it, as to express his exasperation. 

The water bottle looked excessively stupid, as its usual blue service was covered with green baby dinos. 

“What happened to the truce?” He asks, still shocked. 

“I told you I would get my revenge.” The sass and pride was tangible in your voice. 

“Happy belated April Fool’s, Kei.”

[howaminotinthestrokesyet]

When It Started: Julian Casablancas

The Strokes lead singer was born on August 23, 1978 in New York City. His father John was the founder and owner of Elite Model Management, while his mother Jeanette worked as a Danish model and former Miss Denmark. At the age of eight, his parents would divorce. His mother would later marry painter Sam Adoquei, who heavily influenced the young Casablancas by introducing him to classic rock artists such as the Doors. Julian has several half brothers and half sisters through his father’s multiple marriages. The future frontman of the Strokes would attend a variety of schools throughout his early life, which led him to meet many of the future members of the band through schools such as Lycée Français de New York, the Institut Le Rosey boarding school in Switzerland, and the Dwight School in New York. At the latter, Julian would start to informally play music with Nick Valensi and Fab Moretti, which ultimately was the beginning of the Strokes. The singer would never finish high school, but did receive his GED in place of it. He would later attend music classes at Five Towns College, which became the very first time that Casablancas actually enjoyed going to school.

Throughout the history of the Strokes, Julian has served as the principal songwriter for the group. Some have said that he would insert a large measure of control over the music, but he and other members have said that does not seem to be the case anymore. Each member of the group brings their own ideas about future songs, then the band decides what to use and what to discard. Nick Valensi would say this about the singer. “His ear is so sharp. He's the one with the ear for detail in this band. Creatively, he is a force to be reckoned with." In 2009, Casablancas released his first solo album entitled Phrazes for the Young through RCA. He would talk about releasing music as a solo artist versus material from the Strokes. “It’s like touring with me or with five of me." The singer would also go on to say that as a solo artist he is able to experiment with his music and lyrics in ways that he would probably avoid in the Strokes. He has always been quite adamant the brand name that is the band should be protected. The title of the album had been inspired by the Oscar Wilde book, Phrases and Philosophies for the Use of the Young, while the album itself embraced a very 1980’s new wave sound that had a heavy emphasis on the use of synthesizers. He talked about this new direction in his music. “I would've gone weirder with the music, but I wanted to be smart. I didn't want people to say, 'Okay, this is his weird abstract thing,' and dismiss the album. I worked too hard on it for that to happen... I wanted to be crazy original and bridge the gap between traditional music and modern music." The LP would be recorded in New York and Omaha, Nebraska with producer Jason Lader and some additional assistance from Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes. A tour would follow the release with a backing band called the Sick Six including Jeff Kite (keyboard), Nelson London (synthesizer), JP Bowersock (guitar), Danielle Haim (percussion) and Alex Carapetis (drums). The first major shows in North America took place over the course of a month at the Downtown Palace Theater in Los Angeles. This venue had been previously used in the Michael Jackson “Thriller” music video.

In 2013, Julian began another side project called Julian Casablancas + the Voidz. Other members of this new band included Jeramy "Beardo" Gritter and Amir Yaghmai on guitar, Jacob "Jake" Bercovici on bass (as well as synthesizer), Alex Carapetis on drums and percussion, and Jeff Kite on keyboard. In 2017, the group wanting more recognition as a band rather than a side project changed its name to simply the Voidz. The goal of the group was to create music that represented a quality of being both very aggressive and quite complex. As lead vocalist and songwriter, Casablancas began to explore musical scales within Middle Eastern music, not any traditional Western scales. Jake Bercovici has said, they are interested in “exploring [music] from the margins.” The singer looked upon the group as a vehicle in which he could create music that embodied characteristics much more experimental than anything that the Strokes ever offered. Their debut album Tyranny was released in September 2014 through Casablancas’s own record label, Cult Records. The album would also feature an 11 minute single entitled “Human Sadness,” which Julian actually wrote originally for a short documentary film about his stepfather, painter Sam Adoquei. Their second album would be released in March 2018 entitled Virtue, which took on a much stronger political point of view emphasizing the paradox between truth and lies.

Over the years, Julian has collaborated on a number of tracks with other artists. In 2006, the Strokes teamed up with Eddie Vedder and Josh Homme for a cover of “Mercy Mercy (The Ecology)” by Marvin Gaye. On the track, Vedder sang backup vocals, while Homme would play drums. In 2008, he recorded a collaboration with Pharrell and Santigold for Converse on a track called “My Drive-thru.” In 2009, the singer lent his vocals to the comedy trio the Lonely Island for a parody song on their debut album Incredibad called “Boom Box.” The Strokes frontman would later record a cover of another Saturday Night Live parody, “I Wish It Was Christmas Today.” He would eventually perform the song live with Jimmy Fallon, Horacio Sanz, and the Roots on Fallon’s talk show. In 2010, Casablancas sang vocals for the track “Little Girl” on the 2010 Sparklehorse and Danger Mouse album Dark Night of the Soul. In 2011, Julian performed the song “Rave On” for the release of a Buddy Holly tribute record. In 2013, he would also provide vocals, lyrics, and guitar to the Daft Punk song instant crush on their 2013 record Random Access Memories. The album would go on the win the Grammy for Album of the Year, which he would receive recognition for his work on it. In 2015, Julian created a cover with Jehnny Beth of the 1983 song Boy/Girl, which would be released through Cult Records. In 2016, he would also provide covers for the soundtrack to the HBO series Vinyl performing three tracks by the Velvet Underground, “Venus in Furs,” “Run Run Run,” and “White Light/White Heat.” That same year, the singer would pen a song for Har Mar Superstar on his album Best Summer Ever entitled “Youth Without Love.”

In 2009, Casablancas started his own music label, Cult Records. The company currently includes a roster of The Growlers, Har Mar Superstar, Songhoy Blues, Rey Pila, Karen O, Promiseland, The Strokes, The Voidz, Exhibition and Cerebral Ballzy. Past artists were Albert Hammond Jr., The Virgins, Reputante, INHEAVEN, Exclamation Pony and Nelson London (C O L O R). The company first began as an imprint in order to release his first solo album Phrazes for the Young. As for his influences, the earliest ones were the Doors and Velvet Underground. He would say this about the latter group. “The way Lou Reed wrote and sang about drugs and sex, about the people around him — it was so matter-of-fact. He could be romantic in the way he portrayed these crazy situations, but he was also intensely real. It was poetry and journalism." Other influences include Bob Marley, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam. He would later say that the song “Yellow Ledbetter” inspired him to start making music. In his personal life, the singer would marry the Strokes assistant manager, Juliet Joslin in 2005. They have two sons together, but divorced in 2019. In the early days of the Strokes, Casablancas struggled with drinking, but he has been completely sober since 2009. Julian would say in an interview about trying to quit drinking, he was “hungover for five years.”