#what role does ringo play in this

[ringosmistress]

[madelynhimegami]

Ecolo Guide

Little over a week ago, somebody in a Discord server I'm in asked about how to write Ecolo. And I gave an extremely detailed answer. I actually like it enough that I kinda wanted to post it online, too. Maybe I'll do more, I don't know.

Anyway. When it comes to understanding Ecolo, these are the main things you need to know about his character:

Ecolo is extremely lonely and attention starved, having been left alone for almost all of his undefinable existence.

While he'd like you to believe it doesn't bother him, it does.

He truly cherishes Ringo's friendship, but has absolutely no idea how to express it.

Likewise, he has no idea how to handle genuine acts of kindness towards him.

This is in part due to the fact that he's extremely cynical. Ringo (and the rest of the physics club)'s friendship continually boggles him because it's such a sharp contrast to his worldview.

It's also because he's resigned to the fact that he can't have any permanence in his life. Most people forget him entirely, after all.

And even then, with all of time and space open to him, there's a lot more existence lacking positive influence on him (eg, Ringo) than with.

He doesn't tend to seek out permanence, either. He's very much driven by whims and prefers doing what he wants at all times.

He does a lot of thinking on his own, and can easily drop a poignant philosophical thought on a subject with the same ease as saying something weird.

"I've learned that being able to go everywhere is the same as not being able to go anywhere at all."

He has a soft spot for Ally and Rafisol, though the reason isn't super-clear. Might be that he left a permanent impression on their world…?

He is easily made jealous. In a Drama CD track, he nearly attacks a puppy alien and their parent(s) because he didn't want to lose it.

He's whimsical and curious and has an extremely keen grasp of many aspects of math and physics (he just lacks the vocabulary). He and Ringo are often on the same wavelength. (Read: they have similar flavors of autism)

Ringo herself considers herself to be a babysitter or older sibling towards Ecolo, to make sure he stays in line.

He genuinely does enjoy puzzles and games and will make a game out of any situation. Especially if it's to deflect from a serious topic.

By default, Ecolo has a very detached attitude towards what's going on around him. It's like he's constantly watching a movie.

When he gets invested in something, he gets petty and childish and even violent if it doesn't go his way.

This can and does compound with his jealous tendencies (again, the puppy)

For better or worse, he's honest. He's not a very good liar and doesn't seem too keen on doing so in the first place.

He's pretty good about keeping big secrets, though. Particularly ones that could negatively impact a given universe's rate of entropy

He also seems to have gotten better at acting/pretending, lately? My personal guess is Maguro told him about role-playing. (Or maybe it was a writing mistake by whoever wrote that one sketch in Quest...)

Feel free to hit me up with any followup questions you may have!! Hope this was interesting to somebody!!!

[m1ssunderstanding]

Get Back Rewatch 55 Years On: Day 19

Linda looks so good in this sort of not-quite-right preppy style. I think it fits who she was as a person in this time so well, and that’s one of the things I love about Linda is that she just dresses up as herself. You know? Like she wears things that are true to her and she doesn’t care if that means a mini-skirt in January or hairy pits on stage. And that confidence and introspection and happiness is so, so attractive.

And that is why they love him. (you know, besides the fact that he’s a piano prodigy or whatever) So secure. BDE off the charts.

Linda talking photography with whoever that other photographer guy is.

George: what could it be, Paul? John: jumps to answer for Paul like it's 1964 and they're at a press conference.

What do we think? John cut himself shaving? Or is it a hickey?

It ends up that John’s meeting must’ve fallen through at 1:30, so Paul is the only one gone. And it seems to me that John purposely plans this time when Paul’s gone to talk to George and Ringo about Klein. George: er, what did you want to talk about? John: er, well, just that I saw Klein, you know. . . . but I want to tell you all at once, you know, so it’s not . . . Sure, John. Cut to 1971 John talking about “doing a job” and “maneuvering” to get those two on the Klein boat. smh. sad. 

But, really, for a guy who admits to having been a manipulator since primary school, he’s so easily manipulated. John. A man who you just met cannot know you as well as a man you’ve known since you were seventeen. No matter how he flattered you, it’s just not possible. The way he said it with such conviction, too! He sincerely believes this bullshit.  

“Old Brown Shoe” is not my favorite lol but I’m so happy for George. To me, it sounds like it’s about leaving old roles, old patterns, old relationships, the beatles, behind in favor of something more exciting and fun. Good for him. 

I know this is a “yeah, duh” comment, but Billy is such a gifted musician. Instantly catching on to the stylophone, jumping on guitar the minute George is on piano. So impressive.

Ugh, the tone of voice John takes with George. They’re all messing around, as they constantly do, including George, when John decides it’s time to focus. He says, “George, come on,” in literally the most condescending voice. As if George has been the only one derailing everything out of his own immaturity and John’s finally losing his patience. I can’t. He’s not fourteen, anymore, John. 

One more quick Linda appreciation because she's so cool and so pretty and I love her so much.

I wonder if they actually did have a “tune up” as George Martin put it, after teasing him that they wouldn’t. It just cuts off from John being like “remember Bob Wooler” to them doing a take of “Don’t Let Me Down.”  

John singing “I need you” at Paul (who is very passionately shaking that maraca). Not I want you. I need you. And making These Faces as he plays the guitar. Like, to be clear, those are not singing faces. He's not singing while he's doing that. He's just doing that. He looks so horny and in so much pain. Bro. How do you do that with God and everyone watching? 

At which point, Paul decides he needs to get completely out-of-it stoned, and the most unwatchable one minute and seven seconds in all of Get Back occurs. “Grease Paint” my beloathed.

Oh, okay, George just constantly cleans his guitars. I think I remember reading an old beatlemania era article that said while John and Paul treat their guitars as tools, George loves and cares for his. 

And then we pan out as John says, “Allen Klein’s here,” and sings, “I want you so bad” in the same breath. What are our thoughts? Does John sincerely think he’s helping everyone by getting Klein? Or is it more selfish?  

[wingsoverlagos]

Lewisohn vs. Shepherd

I'm still at work on the whole Kim Bennett thing, but here's a quick Lewisohn vs. post to spice things up. Actually, the book from which I was cross-referencing was due at the library, so I started work on this, quickly realized the source was also readily availble online, but decided to finish it anyway.

The source at hand is Jean Shepherd’s October 28th, 1964 interview with the Beatles, published in the February 1965 issue of Playboy. You can find a transcribed version here or a scanned copy here. It’s a great, quick read - seven pages sparkling with Beatles wit and a concerted effort by George to convince the interviewer he's in love with Ringo. Small tw for transphobia in the form of a tired pronoun joke at the expense of April Ashley.

Tune In pulls three quotes from Shepherd's interview. Two of them are below the cut - their are minor changes (one exceedingly minor) to those quotes, but the first quote I'll address is taken wildly out of context. It's not the most offensive distortion of history that Lewisohn has put forward, but its maddeningly blatant - and pointless.

Tune In 26-20 vs. Shepherd 1965, p.54

The quote of interest is highlighted in green, but I included the preceding paragraph because the context matters greatly here. The Beatles & Brian were down in the dumps, having struck out with every record company with any semblance of artistic merit. Lewisohn highlights that John and Paul in particular were down in the dumps, but that “their young friend George stayed optimistic. He rallied them, he showed them that while they might be thinking the worst, he was remaining hopeful.” His evidence for this is the quote highlighted in green, in which John says Brian and George knew they would make it big.

Well. Let’s check the source.

If you look at the quote, once again in green, it’s almost correct—Lewisohn drops “our manager”, but it’s close by Tune In’s standards. Take a look at what’s around the quote, and you’ll see it’s taken wildly out of context. John isn’t talking about George’s confidence in the Beatles ability to score a record contract in 1962; he is unambiguously referring to George’s confidence that the Beatles will succeed in America in 1964. And that confidence didn’t stem from “the Beatles’ mantra” that “Something’ll turn up”—George thought they’d be successful in the states because he was aware of their U.S. record sales.

The thing that gets me here is that it’s so unnecessary. As a historian writing for a general audience, the Beatles must be a dream: you have a core group of four complex, interesting, musically gifted people whose personal and artistic growth played out in the public eye, exhaustively documented. They were surrounded by a supporting cast of vibrant characters to root for or revile, who all played a role in a story brimming with friendship, romance, rivalry, wit, and tragedy. There's no reason to rewrite history for the Beatles - their story can be both factually correct and narratively compelling, yet Lewisohn joins a storied list of authors who have felt the need to gild the lily.

What does this add to the Beatles story? How does it benefit the narrative to portray George Harrison as a plucky kid from an afterschool special, cheering on his elders with unflagging optimism when things look bleak? It’s trite, and it’s fake. It's not the Beatles.

This isn’t the most earth-shattering act of historical revisionism Lewisohn has committed to print, but its brazenness is galling. In the introduction to Tune In, Lewisohn states, “I’ve wanted a history of deep-level inquiry where the information is tested accurate, and free of airbrushing, embellishment and guesswork, written with an open mind and even hands, one that unfolds lives and events in context and without hindsight, the way they occurred…” And yet we get this. He knowingly took this quote two years and a whole Atlantic Ocean out of context, and he had the audacity to tout his book as “tested accurate, and free of airbrushing, embellishment and guesswork.”

He's pissing on our feet and telling us it's raining, folks.

Tune In 29-4 vs. Shepherd 1965, p.56

An impressive number of little deletions and changes for such a small quote.

Tune In 33-1 vs. Shepherd 1965, p.54

This one almost isn’t worth mentioning. The only change is the emphasis removed from Ringo’s “them” in the original quote.

Sources:

Lewisohn M. 2013. The Beatles: All These Years Vol. 1: Tune In. New York (NY): Crown Archetype. [ebook]

Shepherd J. 1965 Feb. Playboy Interview: The Beatles. Playboy 12:51-60. Accessed online 2024 Mar. Available from: https://imgur.com/a/HY2Ji

[thecoleopterawithana]

Hello!

I'm looking for a section of the lunchroom tape (from the Get Back sessions) where John says something to Paul along the lines of "I mean, you've only recently realised what you were doing to me". Does that ring any bells?

You seem to know your way around amoralto's archives, and I'm not having any luck searching there :)

Thanks!

Hi, @i-am-the-oyster (love the name, by the way)!

I think you might be referring to this section of the Lunchroom Tape:

JOHN: And it’s just that, you know. It’s only this year that you’ve suddenly realised, like who I am, or who he is, or anything like that.

I find this bit of the conversation particularly impenetrable; and all the more fascinating because of it. It's here that we have this famed exchange (whose full meaning still eludes me):

JOHN: Because you – ’cause you’ve suddenly got it all, you see. PAUL: Mm. JOHN: I know that, because of the way I am, like when we were in Mendips, like I said, “Do you like me?” or whatever it is. I’ve always – uh, played that one. PAUL: [laughs nervously] Yes. JOHN: So. PAUL: Uh, I’d been watching, I’d been watching. I’d been watching the picture. YOKO: Go back to George. What are we going to do about George?

I encourage folks to go listen to the full audio and transcript and try their hand at decoding it!

I don't know if it's accessible on the mobile app, but @amoralto has a separate page with links to all the Get Back excerpts, listed in chronological order. It's a pretty neat resource if you want to just binge through interesting little snippets from these sessions (some that made it onto the documentary, and many that didn't).

To those curious about the Lunchroom Tape in particular, here's a (play)list of all the transcribed excerpts, with @amoralto's descriptions for context:

We Have Egos

Over lunch, the remaining Beatles touch on George’s resignation from the band on the 10th, as well as a group meeting held the previous day which ended in less than desirable circumstances (with George leaving the room, frustrated by John’s persistently Yoko-filtered standard of communication). While Yoko contends that it would be easy for John (and Paul) to regain George’s favour, John points out that this is a more deeply-rooted issue than it may seem, compounded over the years by John and Paul’s treatment of George and his defaulted status within the group. Upon this problem of overriding egos, however, Paul suggests (passive-aggressively) that it isn’t just the Lennon-and-McCartney tandem that is causing George upset and consternation. 

Jealousy For You

As the problem of George’s current resignation from the band is discussed, John makes it about him and Paul wonders what it’s all worth.

The Way We All Feel Guilty About Our Relationship To Each Other

John contends with how the force of his partnership with Paul and his relationship with Yoko has negatively affected George and perhaps directly contributed to George’s walkout on the group three days prior.

Cabbage

During a discussion on how the rest of the group should move forward after George’s departure on the 10th, John wonders if they should get George back at all, suggesting his role as a Beatle is replaceable (unlike his own or Paul’s), and likens this unkindly to how Ringo first replaced Pete Best. Paul notes that John has been the top buck in getting himself heard (and getting his way) since the inception of the group (which John protests) and quickly reassures Ringo when he wryly declares himself to be little more than rabbit food for the group. Paul admits that both he and John have done one over on George, albeit unconsciously as an effect of the competition and unaware of how it may have hurt George in the process, but John argues that he’s known since early childhood how manipulative he himself can be, and has tried to curb it to little avail.

What You Are

In the middle of a personal discussion with John and Ringo about the band, its tenuous future, and their relationships with one another, Paul (in response to John’s admission of insecurity in the face of external pressures from the public and media to perform) is emphatic about his faith in them and their abilities and contends that whatever interpersonal problems they have can be resolved, for what their music is worth.

Working At A Relationship

While Yoko and Paul conduct their own conversation with each other, Linda talks to John about the inevitable difficulties any relationship faces - even in the context of a musical partnership - and why it doesn’t prove the relationship itself is an expired one. John (inexplicably or not) laments that the White Album doesn’t sound like the genuine, inspired band collaboration they achieved in the past. 

You've Got To Blame Yourself

As Paul encourages an unconfident Ringo to go ahead with his plans to record a solo LP, John hedgingly brings up his own apprehensions about following his instincts (especially when he’s not even sure what he really wants to do). In their inimitable and emotionally non-committal fashion, John and Paul engage in metaphors about intentions, conveying these intentions in actions, and how these actions may be conveyed by those who see it. (Basically: what John and Paul talk about when they talk about love.)

How Much More Have I Done Towards Helping You Write?

John and Paul have an obfuscating conversation about their songwriting partnership and creative process, which has been incapacitated by a lack of direction, misplaced (misread) intentions, and the unmet (unrealised) expectations they’ve inflicted upon each other. (In other words: issues. And some projecting of issues onto George, for good measure.)

What We're All About

In the midst of a personal discussion about working together within the band, John tries to explain the disconnect in their process, and why he can’t envision their songs the way Paul can. As both John and Paul circle around the issues of honest communication and (living up to) each other’s expectations, they eventually project onto George bring George into the quandary of the Lennon-McCartney partnership. 

[wordsformizu]

Your Father's Daughter

Mizu x Reader story

Word count: 1.9k

Chapter 8

To be beaten at your own talent, and binded down was embarrassment on its own. To be dragged around like a leashed dog added a new level of shame you were not expected to face. You would have rather he beat you until you were unconscious in that small hideout. You would have rather he killed you. Anything was better than being dragged around by the man who bested you.

He had atleast given you the honor of veiling your face. Your cloak that you used to follow him around, he was oh so kind to keep that for you and now placed it on you as you traveled from street to street. That was the most kindness he could offer, as he tugged at your now hidden binds with force when you refused to move. In this moment, he had won but you wouldn't make it easy. You were no obedient dog. 

“And if you run,” he had said, tightening your bonds. It brought a wince out from you, and you quickly silenced yourself. He didnt need to finish his sentence. You understood the threat in his silence. You wouldn't give him any trouble for now. You had thought about creating a distraction. Playing the role of a victim to hopefully pull attention from a stranger with a kind heart. You could play a good character, but you weren't sure how well of an actor he was. Could he be a better liar than you? Is it worth finding out, and losing once again? Waiting was your best option. He had already proven that he can outfight, and out wait, and in these ropes he could probably outrun you. So now you were left to plotting. Lying low, and staying quiet. Hoping some event catches him off his guideless path, opening a window of opportunity for you. 

If you could find a way to throw something in his journey without lifting a hand, you would be given a chance to escape. When this chance was given to you, you swore not to let it slip. It just needed to cross the paths of your mind, and as he trailed you along silently, you looked for it in your compliant silence.

They had found a horse from a stable man. Paid off with a few coins, the man was very grateful and didn't bother to pay any attention to you. Ringo, the apprentice introduced himself to you unwillingly, had negotiated the deal while his master, who hadn't bothered, supplied the payment.

 Their dynamic was beginning to make sense to you, but you still found it odd. The demon samurai didnt have the most approachable face, and he hid it often under his hat and glasses. When he wasn't hiding behind his attire, you could find a deep scowl etched into his face like stone art. It created creases between his eyebrows, and made him unapproachable to others. “Someone not to be messed with” was what his face read. The aura around him pushed others in the opposite direction. On the other hand, his apprentice was quite the opposite. Like a young dog who has yet to learn the world is dangerous. A kind heart and even kinder face. Shiny, like the face of a baby. Welcoming, like the entrance of a restaurant. A heart like his does not survive very often past childhood ; the sweetness drained and used to feed the greedy and selfish of the world. Even after you attacked him that night a few days ago, he was still sure to be kind to you, offering you food and smiling warmly. He was too sweet. Too patient. You weren't used to someone like Ringo. You decided because of that you wouldn't like Ringo.

“Master said you could ride on the horse for our travel.” Ringo beamed his smile at you. You squinted. 

“I don’t need to.” Your response came out colder than the snow around you. Ride the horse so he could parade you around town to show that he captured you? Wasnt this enough?

“Oh no no, he’s a good horse! He is very sweet and wont buck-” The apprentice tried to convince you, the tone of pleading slipping into his words. He needed you on this horse, but you wouldn't comply. The samurai was his master. Not yours. You didn't have to listen to any of his senseless commands. 

“I said no.” You spoke firmly, pushing a forceful tone into the last word. The apprentice flinched like you struck him.

“I wasn't asking.” and hands wrapped around you faster than you could turn to fight him off. Struggling was useless as the samurai plopped you onto the back of the horse like purchased merchandise, and latched you tightly so you wouldn't fall off while he rode. Pride ignited a flame within your ribcage, threatening to spill from your mouth and melt the world around you. You bit your lips so the horse wouldn't go into flame. 

From there the three of you continued his travels. He never let you sit up on the saddle whenever he placed you back onto the horse from your breaks. Never close enough to him. Always bent over the horse's ass with your feet dangling uncomfortably. Ringo followed close behind, of course, speaking into the air. He asked you questions and you let the noise of the wind on the trees answer for you. He never seemed to mind. He must have been used to this as his master was also as quiet. 

“Master practically saved my life that day.” he was on a tangent about how the demon had walked into his life as they were coming to another stop for a break. 

“Watch her.” The samurai muttered loud enough to be heard before leaving his horse to the apprentice. He slipped away into the trees, leaving you to the noise of Ringo alone.

“If it wasnt for him fighting off that man with the gun, I’d still be working with my Father. I’d be quite miserable.” and he chuckled lightheartedly after that sentence before sliding off his horse to approach you. He unwrapped the woolen cloth and held it in front of you for you to peer inside. 

“I tried to find something different in our last stop. I hope you like these better.” Inside was sweet goods, small treats you could find being sold on the side for cheap prices. The memory of small children sneaking these snacks away from booths and running as fast as they could before they were caught and beaten for their thievery flashed behind your eyes. One of the many smells of childhood, a past you tried to avoid. You turned your head away from the bag, and closed your eyes. 

“Oh..maybe you don’t have a sweet tooth..” Sadness dripped from his tone as he tucked the bag away. 

“I know sweets used to make me feel better. They still do!” he went on, a perk in his voice now. 

“My father didn't let me have sweets at all. He always yelled ‘Why do you need sweets? As big as you are? Have you earned them? Get back to work, stupid boy!’ and then he’d hit me, right over the head with whatever was in his hand. I was lucky if it was a towel!” he chuckled. 

“But I remember the time I had my first sweet! I was returning from errands, and a woman was at a stand selling mouth watering sweets. Dango,Wagashi, you name it!  I had never seen her before, but I had seen those treats before. I guess my eyes were popping out of my head, because she called me over very quietly so I came over to her with everything in my hands, so my father’s ingredients wouldn't get stolen..again..and she hid behind her booth and offered me Dango! She said it could be a little secret between her and I!” He spoke of these memories like it was happening in this moment, he spoke in a way where you could see it as well. The way his voice lit up pulled you in and you could see a smaller Ringo, chubby with the roundest cheeks and reddest nose. You were forced to listen, but now you couldn't help but to. 

“It was so sweet, and soft and I remember chewing it over and over to really savor it. I walked home as slow as I could so I could enjoy it longer, and so my father wouldn't catch me. I got beaten that night, but I don't regret it! It was worth it, I believe.” You could hear the smile in his voice. 

“Sweetness comes into your life unexpectedly. Whether you're looking for it or not. No matter how bad it gets. I like that about living. I think about those moments often, and I can't wait for the next ones.” and with that he turned away to tend to his Masters horse, humming a soothing tune. 

You thought for a few moments about what he said. A little peek into his past, and what it meant to be Ringo. A sigh left your lips as you finally spoke to him.

“I would..like one.” 

“Really!” He perked up, overly pleased to hear your request. Or maybe he was pleased to hear another voice that wasn't his own. He scuttled over to your dangling head again, looping the string on his nubs. You thought to yourself how difficult it was to feed someone else with no hands, but he made it look easy with his excitement and willingness. It was a Wagashi in the shape of a flower. You hadn't had the chance to taste one of these since you could never afford sweets as a child, and your father didn't have a sweet tooth. You understood why it was so favored. Its sweetness made your mouth water, and the chewiness was fun. Childish, but fun. 

Opening your eyes slowly, you realized Ringo was watching you the whole time, taking in your experience and smiling brightly. “Oh hold on!” he broke away and quickly retrieved a cup for some water and offered you that as well which your parched throat and dry lips greatly appreciated. A ‘Thank you’ felt unnatural coming from your mouth, so you didn't bother. Instead  you just glanced around as he smiled at you. 

“This is close to where my father would take me as a child for sweet treats like this..” You spoke as calmly as you could, clearing your throat. 

“Really?” He asked, genuine excitement in his voice. 

“Yes, he would take me out to the town nearest to his home after my training and reward me with whatever I liked..” 

“What was your favorite treat?” Ringo asked, listening intently. He was a good listener. You needed that. 

You cleared your throat, notioning for more water and he obliged, hoping to hear more stories about the sweets you had. Hoping to bond and build a connection with you. 

“Yes..these tree’s do look familiar. There should be a path close by,” You spoke, lifting your head and looking side to side to further examine your surroundings. 

“To the left of a grande tree near a river…That should lead us into the town closest..I wonder if it’s still open. It would be a nice place to revisit.” 

“I’ll ask Master! I’m sure he’s looking for a spot for us to rest for the night. I’ll let him know! Thank you for the suggestion! ” Ringo said, standing up in a rush to fix up the horses. He paused, kneeling back down before you and smiled his radiant smile again. 

“See. Sweetness does come unexpectedly.” 

[shinygoku]

A Hard Day's Night [Film] (1964)

So here we are at last, talking about the first of a debatable amount of Beatles Movies! This one has the reputation of being the best, but is that based on an objective measurement or is it as it's the least Odd and the least Colourful? Either way, let's have a closer look~

Twaaaaaaaang--!

Our tale begins ...black and white-ly. This was the style at the time, to do a throwback to the slightly older moving pictures and to contrast that association with the antics of four young men. It also made the film a bit less expensive to make, but while some people dig the aesthetic I'd prefer it to be in full colour, myself. I can watch and enjoy monochrome films and TV, but here I feel like I should be able to behold the scenery and the lads as the world at the time saw them. I don't know what colour the seats on the train were! I didn't get to see them in the 60s! It's a minor and mostly subjective complaint but it is one of those things on my mind as I watch.

While it's a somewhat fictionalised Day in the Life, there's also a surreal bend to the whole movie. The Boys appearing outside the moving Train and fooling around in the narrow corridors, John in the bathtub, the carjacker, and some of the background details offer a curious glimpse into the future overt zaniness. But it's also extremely grounded and arguably uncreative in scenes where they recite lines previously said off the cuff in their interviews (e.g. the "How did you find America?" question and response). There's a happy medium in there with slight exaggerations of real situations they faced [Ringo getting the most fanmail in one scene comes to mind] and also an unfortunate setting of future Typecastings on the boys that they'd soon tire of.

BUG ACTING

In this flick, the Beatles are playing versions of themselves. John and George adapt quite naturally, easily incorporating their lines and relaxing into their roles, possibly throwing improv in while they're at it (I feel like I've heard John in the bath was an unscripted John Moment).

Paul doesn't do as well, and I think the case is that he's the most into plays, while also being bad at Acting As Himself. He thrives when he's doing a little Bit but he can't sustain a scene as "Paul", which is most likely why his solo part with a pretty girl was cut (that, and the film getting a bit too long with it.) when all the others get a bit of individual focus.

Ringo, after a fumbled first line improves in leaps and bounds, and is effectively the Main Character, another trend that would persist in later films, and he does a lot of his acting just with body language. He feels like a silent movie star(r) for quite a long portion of the film and his performance wrings some genuine emotion forth.

The 5th main character is Paul's Grandfather (whose name is, I kid you not, John McCartney. I will instead call him Grandfather to prevent confusion...), who is a living apple of discord. He's very clean, though. Played by Wilfrid Brambell of Steptoe & Son fame, he's the Mixer who pushes people's buttons for his amusement and to make some quick cash. He's right about ACAB though, he phrases the last part as Villains but it's the same sentiment lol.

This film also shuffles the Beatles Supporting Characters to have substitutions of the real life equivalents, and naturally there's many bit parts like the people in the TV Studio, the field owner and the police. As for the hoards upon hoards of fangirls, I think only a handful were hired extras (including Pattie Boyd, where she and George made their Connection), with most of them just being in the right place at the right time and behaving like foxes in a henhouse.

PLOT

So the key story being told is that The Beatles travel down to London to film a TV Special, with the addition of Paul's Grandfather. Even without him it seems tensions are already a bit elevated, as their Manager is constantly reminding the Boys to be well behaved (something that John seems to delight in subverting), other members of the public like the Man On The Train and in the TV Studio are rude, and the inescapable sea of excited young fans meaning the life that the Beatles are currently living in is one of a series of shuffled boxes.

To get his jollies, Grandfather subtly sows seeds of discord between people, like the Manager and the Roadie, and then pivots to singling out Ringo from the other Bugs. Eventually this works, but the reconciliation in the third act ensures the Beatles make it for their final performance before they're whisked away to their next booking with nary a moment to breathe.

SCRIPT & SUCH

My favourite little exchange may be an ADR'd sequence where the Bugs are roasting the Victor Spenetti character and his hideous wooly jumper. You'll hafta trust me on this and see it happen in the film, transcribing it doesn't do justice!

Another cracking line is "Being middle-aged and old takes up most of your time, doesn't it?" And in general this movie is stuffed to the gills with witty lines ...possibly too many? It doesn't fall into the MCU insincerity trap with its one liners, it's taken me multiple watches to really Hear most of them. I guess it's not a good movie for the duller minds as by the time I'd processed a witty quip, I'd missed another handful XD;; By now I can keep up but still, it requires watching with subs and/or a bit of effort!

That being said, it's still amazing how influential even this single branch of the Beatle Tree is. The opening to the first Austin Powers movie duplicates the sequence here, the pioneering camerawork for the whole song sequences, and indeed the basic concept of having a Musical Movie also show much of the hum-drum and mundane moments instead of being "Singer Goes To Place, Picks Up Girls And Sings" lol - It's quietly cynical without losing its Fun factor.

MUSIC

There's an odd use of the songs -- they're almost all from A Hard Day's Night, naturally, other than a snippet of I Want To Be Your Man and She Loves You as the finale. They get uneven airplay. The album itself is a swinging of the quality pendulum, but the title track and Can't Buy Me Love [both very good] get played in full twice, we get If I Fell and then almost all of that again, we have to endure I Should Have Known Better twice too, but some of the others feel like mere cameos. I do appreciate the use of instrumental versions for some incidental music though~

While not my favourite of the songs, my favourite Sequence set to music is Can't Buy Me Love, the one where they're gaily running about on a field and guys being dudes dancing with each other. It's utterly charming and conveys freedom and fresh air, something in short supply of in the narrative.

FINAL THOUGHTS

While I see the appeal in the film, and can understand why it's generally considered the best of their moving pictures. However, as much as I respect it and enjoy the serotonin it offers, it's not my favourite nor do I think it's their best. But it's endearing and has surprising edge relatively speaking, given that it does show a few of the downsides to the kind of wild fame the Bugs were living in.

It may sound harsh but I'd rate it at 2/3, but a very high 2! If they'd given us a proper look at the Steam Locomotive that pulls the Act 1 Train, it coulda hit the high score... but more Trains and indeed Beatles Movies are to come! 🚂

🪲🪲🪲🪲

Somehow echoing my May review of last year, our next stop will be to get HELP! ...watched and written up like this ;3

[cafeleningrad]

With the caveat how homosexuality is partly also metaphorically used as "purely love for love's sake" in his filmography, I think Ikuhara's work is beautifully mature in understanding romance. Even more so queer romance.

Through out his work, Ikuhara demonstrates how oppressive system shape and dimish even the most intimate sphere of self. ("Sarazanmai" is perhaps the most demonstrative of that theme.)

So even if characters are queer, are not in relationship with another person to satify a social norm, they still have to unlearn so many harmful ideas before they can actually, truly love: Learning to grant another person their autonomy, not seeing another person as an object to fullfill one's own's desire, taking responsibility for oneself, daring to be brave enough for vulnerability, and seeing beauty in the reality not in artificial splendour.

That's why Juri's and Shiori's relationship fail. Juri is in love wirh being tragically in love, and deathly afraid that she might get hurt, so she misses out on all of Shiori's attempts tomget closer to Juri. The only way left for Shiori is to constantly taunt Juri. Because they also aren't goven a framework what actual love looks like except of satisfyng one's personal need first, they're entrapped in a "pursuer" and "pursued" cycle of mutual hurt.

Mikage might see a possible future with his beloved Mamiya. But even though he's in love wirh another boy, he can only understand it in the usual social mold of "prince" and "princess. In that position, even the fake Mamiya is an excuse for Mikage's heinous manipulation of the duelists as well as Mikage's chance to not take larger responsibility. Mikage can not graduate because he never matured in his understanding of relationships and connections.

Saionji and Touga are arguably emtangled. Touga might see through the system off Princehood as dynamic of exploited and exploitation, one taking the power of another. Until Touga realizes how he lost in the role of the Prince, Touga only knows to keep people close by subjecting them beneath him. Or himself being subjected. So Saionji and Touga are in a constant struggle for power over the other as their only mean to maintain proximity. Meaning their role distribution of "subjected" (Princess) and "commander" (Prince) is constantly in fluc, if not applying to them equally at the same time.

In "Penguindrum", Yuri earnestly loved Momoka, partly because Momoka saved Yuri from her, pontentially, homophobic abusive home life. However, as an adult Yuri's trauma and loss of Momoka stunts her so much, she's unable to maintain a relationship. These unresolved issues lead to her assaulting Ringo as Yuri tries to get hold of anything, the thinnest straw, connecting her to Momoka. Queerness for Yuri, even when she's with another woman, isn't liberating. To her it is a source of her pain to be blackmailed and abused as "the other". Until Yuri realizes her hurt Ringo and Tabuki, everything she is, is traumatic to her, so she reacts to that trauma. (And then there other things playing into it but I wanted to talk specifically about Yuri's queerness.)

Then in "Sarazanmai" Enta's attraction to Kazuki drives him to sabotage the time with Toi and Kazuki. It's part of the overarching theme in the show how people are reduced to mere functionalities as object of desire. Hence people attempt to replace the lacking connection to beloved people with consumable goods. Enta's shame is about admitting that he's in love with Kazuki. But the bigger problem isn't the queerness but how Enta also fell into the trap to let Kazuki become object for his personal desire first. (It's not clearcut because Enta genuinely loves Kazuki yet by times his selfish desires take over. And honestly, that definitely can happen in any relationship. Enta is also 14 years old, he does mature over the course of the story. Speaking to these less savoury aspects of human feelings is what fleshes out Ikuara titles: It's not shy to be frank about human mistakes being necessary for growth.)

At last, Shoma and Ringo are so far the only hererosexual couple I know from Ikuhara's works. (Other honourable mention: In spite of Kazuki's feeling of disconnection in "Sarazanmai", the Yasaka family appears sincerly loving and otherwise intact - which is extremely rare in the Ikuhara canon.)

They meet on strained terms on Shoma needing Ringo to hand him Momoka's diary. Ringo exploits his needs selfishly and recklessly. In that dynamic of high friction, they peel off each other's worst sides but as well deepest vulnerabilities. Ringo tries desperately to step out of Momoka's shadow, trying to demand to be loved in any way possible. Shoma passively accepts suffering to the point of high self endagerment. He also sees it as retribution/fair punishment for his parent's terrorist attack. They know the other probably better than anyone else might know them. What binds them after Shoma's confession isn't Shoma's guilt or need of something from hers, or him coming in handy for Ringo's needs anymore but genuine concern. Shoma knows how lonely (and in consequence selfdestructive) Ringo is that she would endure Yuri's potential assault.

With Shoma Ringo is forced to confront her feelings as he ever so often protested, and tried to reason. Shoma was Ringo's way out of her small, lonely, suffocating world. In a way, like Shoma brought connection to Himari, he brought connection to Ringo. Ringo now has Himari and Shoma in her life who become so important to her. But even more so: They become real to her. They aren't props in her journey to be loved. Just by being she is loved by them. So Ringo speaks Momoka's magic words because she means them. She didn't understand the diary first but the moment Ringo really was able to love others and be loved back (as friend by Himari, romantically by Shoma), Momoka's word could become powerful magic.

Although I'm not decidedly certain on the Shoma and Ringo part, in them I see all the other principles of Ikuhara's work apply. Work through false beliefs, not treating other people like objects for one's own pursuit are the key to genuine love. In that sense the exact sexuality doesn't matter as much as the effort to dismantle all the beliefs and hinderances that hinder one to love genuinely another whole person.

[menlove]

idk if you said this already but who were your fancasts for the beatles biopics (besides geo lol)?

honestly it was just geo bc all their faces are.... soooo difficult. I WILL say that jim sturgess in across the universe is like. peak paul to me but also he's almost 50 now so it definitely wouldn't work but like....

what we could've had if he'd played paul when he was younger </3

but now you've interested me in this lmaoooo so here's some other suggestions I think could have worked!

igby rigney could've made an interesting paul w the right hair/makeup/styling I think. he's 21 so definitely a little young but hey the actors are gonna be playing them both older and younger so yknow. always bound to be some discrepancy

and another actor on the younger side I could see if they'd done different casting for different ages would be harry collett for a teenage john... although honestly w how fast people age he's already looking older and by the time the movies are made these could both probably work Fine

ringo is a mystery his face is so unique that I truly think any casting is going to be So Painfully Wrong that you just have to accept it. like sure barry keoghan why not I guess.

this kid could also make an interesting paul I think- pete machale but I have 0 idea how old he is and he's also trans. which would be great I think more trans actors should be casted in cis roles but you know there would be a FIT about it

but sbhsshssb truthfully their faces are just so so hard to cast... especially bc media today does Not favor anyone who looks anything other than conventionally attractive so it's. interesting trying to find actors that aren't hollywood pretty when that's not the goal

[destinyc1020]

i love tom just as much as the next stan but throwing out his name for paul mccartney is soo wild to me given paul is 5'11 💀 no shade to tom whatsoever but it would be a truly outrageous casting choice for that reason alone, disregarding the fact that they don't look anything alike either! tom doing the fa film makes sense given his dancing background, and there is some similarity looks-wise but doing paul mccartney who is a singer??? he could totally do it but i don't think it would be the right fit....i would love if they cast people who could actually sing to play the beatles otherwise what's the point? like why do a fa biopic and cast someone who couldn't dance? that's why tom is perfect for it. i will say though that i do love that tom is that guy that people throw out though.....box office acting chops king!!!

I agree Anon....

While I love Tom, and I LOVE that people are throwing his name out there (that's a good sign imo 😊), I don't think him doing a Beatles biopic playing THEE Paul McCartney would be the best thing tbh. Honestly? I think they should go w/someone relatively unknown who can sing. Like you said, Tom's height would be all off (look how RIDICULOUS JE looked playing Elvis at 6'5 ROTFL 🤣), and while I think Tom can probably carry a tune, he's NOT a singer. Totally agree w/you on them choosing a singer (or, at least someone who has a SINGING/musical background) for this role.

With regards to looks, I mean...I don't worry about that too much anymore. They used prosthetics on Christian Bale to play Dick Cheney, and Austin doesn't really look like Elvis, but they used prosthetics on his face to make it work as well. I'm not so much worried about the LOOK as I am more so the skillset needed for a Beatles role.

I'm not understanding the Barry Keoghan name being thrown out there either for Ringo tbh lol. 🤣 At least Ringo was SHORT, so Barry fits that description I guess lol. But can Barry sing?? Like, does he carry a tune lol? Barry isn't even English! He's Irish! 🤣 Idk how Brits would feel about that lol, but I guess anyone can fake an accent lol.

Like you said, I agree, Tom would be way better-suited for the FA biopic. At least Tom knows how to dance, and has been tap dancing for YEARS. You want an actor who already has somewhat of a background in dance if you're having them play one of the greatest dancing actors on the big screen. JMHO. I wouldn't think it would be right to settle for anything LESS.

So yea, I know we'll probably be pelted for saying this out loud, but I agree. While I respect a Director's decision, it would just be somewhat odd casting to me ,that's all lol. But hey...

It wasn't a casting announcement lol... So we're good. I'm just glad his name is being thrown around out there. He's in high demand! 😊

[spammreviews]

Quick Thoughts On Blue Eyed Samurai

Blue Eyed Samurai feels both extremely familiar and extremely distinct.

All of the characters are archetypes we’ve seen before:

Stoic loner on a quest for revenge

Princess who doesn’t want to be married off

Chivalrous knight

Large guy who is nice but also dumb

However, it is the way these characters are used which makes it special. Our main character, Mizu, is more than just your usual Bryonic character. Obviously, there’s the racial identity and the ambiguous gender and sexuality, but what we learn about their backstory makes them unique. We get an entire episode focusing on how Mizu played the role of a traditional woman for a time, and she didn’t hate it. Mizu is not only mistrustful because of the abuse she suffered as a child, it was because her husband betrayed her, and that was after she embarked on her quest for revenge! I can’t think of another story which does that.

I was also surprised that the blacksmith who raised Mizu is still alive in the present. It shows that there are other choices for Mizu to take in life, and she’s aware of this, but she’s still willing to throw it all away. Her quest for revenge is one of the most illogical quests for revenge ever, and that’s what makes it so interesting.

Taigen is also a really fascinating character because of his dynamic with Mizu. Him wanting to protect her so he can later kill her is pretty hilarious. We really understand that Taigen is constantly trying to prove himself as this honorable samurai, even in situations where it doesn’t matter at all. Both him and Mizu are on really stupid quests. The two are actually quiet similar in a lot of ways, and that makes their dynamic all the more fun.

Ringo is a weird character. At first, I found his childish attitude rather annoying, and he seemed rather one note. However, I quickly changed my mind. Ringo actively making the decision to leave Mizu was not something completely unexpected, but it was done in a perfect way. Not only that, but he never really makes things better between him and Mizu, they just realize they need to work together. This makes Ringo really interesting.

Akemi is also an interesting character just because of how complex her arc in this season is. She doesn’t to be this princess, but then she finally escapes and goes on an adventure, and she hates it. Then, she learns to actively get power by following the rules of her society. This is really interesting in comparison to Mizu, who does the exact opposite. Akemi learns that what she really wants is independence, not to become someone else. Her story has a lot of interesting things to say about growing up and having to care of yourself and how stressful it is, and it wraps that together with these musings on how women can have strength in a patriarchy.

This story also has a variety of fantastic side characters. I love the main villain, Fowler, as he’s not just evil, he just annoys everyone around him. He’s also a good example of a character who has a tragic backstory, but that doesn’t make us feel bad for him, it just makes us understand him. This guy is beyond sympathy, but seeing him as a human being makes him all the more terrifying.

I also like Fowler’s reluctant henchman because of how frustrated he is with the story he’s in. It’s very funny.

The head prostitute lady was interesting in the way she represented another way for women to get power Mizu and Akemi’s methods, where she weaponizes her womanhood, but in a way that society frowns on.

While the characters are fun, the story does a fantastic job of having them all cross paths at different points, which is extraordinarily satisfying to see.

The story also has some delightful world building. We get a very clear sense of this world, which feels both real and exciting, and we also see how the culture affects every specific character.

Moving on from the writing, the animation can look a little odd at points just in the way the characters look. It’s stuck in an awkward place between realism and stylization, and it’s mixing 3-d and 2-d and it looks a bit awkward. However, I wouldn’t say the animation is bad. It is very fluid, which helps for the fight scenes, which are all absolutely perfect. 

I suppose another complaint I have is that Mizu is a bit to good at being a fighter, to the point where it removes some tension from the story. However, I don’t care to much.

Overall, the show was a very fun time.

[ms-m-astrologer]

Transiting Mars enters Leo

Saturday, May 20 - Monday, July 10, 2023

Sometimes I feel like astrologers may owe Dolt 45 some gratitude for being such a perfect example of the worst of his various natal placements. His natal Mars is in Leo, and conjunct his Ascendant from the 12th House. There’s all the screaming narcissistic in-your-face faux machismo! “Notice me or else!”

Remember, that’s a misused Mars/Leo - the cautionary tale, if you will. In The Book of Fire, Steven Forrest refers to awry transits through Leo with, “When Ego and Insecurity Steal the Show.” That’s what we have to be careful about over the next several months - Mars is in Leo now; Venus joins him on June 5 and remains in the sign until October 8.

Looking at Mars’ various areas:

Physical strength - actor Arnold Schwarzenegger has a Leo Sun. We can get excessively competitive, vain, or performative about our physiques - it’s more for show, rather than any boring practical necessity. If we’re strong, we like to show off.

Energy levels - this position often doesn’t know when to quit, or at least rest for a bit. We tend to just go whole hog, whole-heartedly, all the time. It’s really important to (learn how to) pace ourselves - before we hurt ourselves.

Sexuality - romantic! Really into the drama and romance of it all. Can go overboard with wooing the object of our affections. We’re passionate, loving, and fun in bed. This is another area where “not knowing when to quit” can get us into trouble. Other people are not required to requite our affections.

How we go after what we want - Mars wants to go in a straight line towards its goals. The shortest distance between two points is a line, and Mars wants to do like that! In Leo, though, we may complicate our plans just for the fun/drama of it. We’re quite gallant and chivalrous - real Knight of Wands energy, emphasis on the knight part of it.

There are some real trouble spots ahead, as well some assistance:

Saturday, May 20 - Mars/Leo opposite Pluto Rx/Aquarius, 0°16’

Monday, May 22 - Mars/Leo sextile Sun/Gemini, 0°54’

Tuesday, May 23 - Mars/Leo square Jupiter/Taurus, 1°28’

Wednesday, May 24 - Mars/Leo square North Node/Taurus and South Node/Scorpio, 2°34’

Thursday, June 1 - Mars/Leo inconjunct Saturn/Pisces, 7°00’

Sunday, June 11 - Mars/Leo 12° sesquiquad Neptune/Pisces 27°, semi-square Ceres/Virgo 27°

Wednesday, June 21 - Mars/Leo sextile Mercury/Gemini, 18°39’

Thursday, June 22 - Mars/Leo trine Chiron/Aries, 19°34’

Monday, June 26 - Mars/Leo square Uranus/Taurus, 21°29’

Sunday, July 2 - Mars/Leo trine Eris/Aries, 25°13’

Thursday, July 6 - Mars/Leo inconjunct Neptune Rx/Pisces, 27°40’

Sunday, July 9 - Mars/Leo inconjunct Pluto Rx/Capricorn, 29°25’

Mars/Leo begins with one difficult alignment (a fixed t-square with Jupiter/Taurus and Pluto Rx/Aquarius) - and finishes with another (a yod involving inconjuncts to Neptune Rx/Pisces and Pluto Rx/Capricorn). Larger things happening in the wider world play a role in how this Mars transit goes - Steven wrote, “You have a right to take up some space. You have a right to have your needs met.” So does everyone else, though - don’t be a Dolt 45 type! Better examples to follow include Eckhart Tolle, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Jon Stewart, Mark Hamill, and about 8,000 musicians (Beyonce, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr…).

[jaysgg]

Yesterday (2019) Movie Review NO SPOILERS: Himesh Patel, The Beatles Music, Lily James, Ed Sheeran, Kate McKinnon, Joel Fry

I am not a big music fan. But I understand the artistry of Beatles Songs. I also grew up with it. My Dad was a big fan. In Yesterday, a global blackout happened. When the lights came back, it seemed only one person could remember The Beatles ever existed. It was an unsuccessful singer and songwriter named Jack Malik (Himesh Patel). He then started performing Beatles songs. People were impressed. Because of the beauty and virality of “his songs”, Jack got a music manager and eventually caught the attention of Ed Sheeran who plays himself. Jack got bigger every day as opportunities came in from song recordings, albums, and gigs in front of thousands. But can he live with the lie that he alone created these amazing songs? Also, how will this newfound fame affect his longtime platonic relationship with Ellie (Lily James), a school teacher who is also his amateur manager?

Did I like this movie? Yes, but not too much. My dad loved it and he is a Beatles fan. I also liked the message of the film. But let’s go deeper. They created a world where The Beatles did not exist. There SHOULD BE a lot of ramifications for that. It would be a wild butterfly effect. Many things in the world would be affected. Ed Sheeran who plays himself is a very successful musician. He was influenced by a lot of artists from The Beatles, to Bob Dylan, to Jay Z. Would his music be as good as it is if The Beatles did not exist? BTW, and this is not a major spoiler, there are things in this world that do not exist just like The Beatles. However, the movie is not interested in exploring that world, the ramifications of a world where John, Paul, George, and Ringo did not form a band. I would love a sequel with that. The movie is more interested in the love story of Jack and Ellie. Critics find the 2 main characters flat and boring. But for me, it feels real. Real people and real couples don’t act like Glenn Powell and Sydney Sweeney, Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, or Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickenson from Babygirl (2024).

(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Also, whatever charisma Himesh Patel and Lily James have, it did not come out here. Here’s what I’ll say. I found out that Himesh Patel actually sang the Beatles songs for the movie. He has the perfect “Beatles Voice.” That’s why he got the role. The Beatles’ music is the most crucial factor in this film. The filmmakers invested $10 million in music rights, which paid off. The movie made $154.6 million from a budget of 26 million.

Another “cultural” or “artistic” question you might have is this. Would these songs work with any other singer? Is that how good the Beatles songs were? Or do you need the charisma of John, Paul, George, and Ringo? The movie posits that the songs are so powerful that even a failed singer who doesn’t care about his fashion sense can become a global star.

Do you know who I loved in this film? Joel Fry and Kate McKinnon. They made the movie funny. I’m not that familiar with Joel Fry’s work. He played Rocky, the stoner-ish best friend and roadie of Jack. Rocky is the comic-relief best friend of the main character. I find him charismatic and funny without delivering lines like a comedian. If you delivered lines like a comedian, you must be as good as Kate McKinnon here who plays Debra, the manager of Jack and Ed Sheeran. I love Debra, she’s very literal. She doesn’t sugarcoat or gaslight. She would literally tell Jack that she only does this for money and doesn’t care about your personal life. Debra is deadpan, funny, and evil. It’s funny and refreshing these days since we live in a world where many people gaslight and BS you.

Yesterday was not a very engaging or entertaining movie. It’s not sharp or smart. There are many boring parts. Any tension would be resolved later, but not in a fun way. It’s a cute shallow concept but Beatles fans and music fans would love it. The movie became a financial success because the Boomer grandparents and parents wanted to watch it. That means all their Gen X, Millennial, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha kids and grandkids came along, whether they are Beatles fans or not.

Unsurprisingly, the best part of the movie are The Beatles Songs.

Jays Ratings — 60%

Rotten Tomatoes — 63%

IMDB — 6.8

Metacritic — 55

Roger Ebert — 2.5 Stars of 4

Check out The Beatles T-Shirts, watch Yesterday, or get The Beatles Albums TODAY!

(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

[beatlblog]

#George can fix his own dinner sorry it’s for couples only (via @didwemeetsomewherebefore)

#steak and spuds#but none for George huh?#I would love to have heard John's 'indignant' voice#real indignant or mock indignant? (via @crepesuzette2023)

#a regular LITTLE HOUSEWIFE!!!#also his and johns dinner#LMAO literally only cooking for John like#George is right fucking there#but I’ve always loved to think of them in Paul’s house and Paul’s out here with his little apron making John his tea#so honestly this only confirms that image#I’m dying it’s so funny#Johns like don’t point it out to him then he’s gonna stop being my little wifey#I wish he’d answer tho#WAS IT COMMON JOHN 🎤 (via @sleeper9)

#has probably cooked for john since they were teenagers and now people are calling them weird for it#anyway I love the domesticity of it#everyone needs a work wife (via @javelinbk)

#cooking a steak for his husband after a long day of being rock stars#a single mom who works two jobs etc (via @backbenttulips)

#let him cook (literally) (via @elena-ferrante)

#paul being a little campy fork found in kitchen (via @hamyilton)

#ay el amor#perhaps affectionately (via @alwaysreturntome)

#they're in a penthouse where obviously the thing to do would be room service#especially in 1964 where that sort of thing was still new and exciting#Also the fact that George is sitting right there and Paul's not making him dinner I'm dead#Where was Ringo I wonder#But really it makes me think of how Paul talks about being good at scrambled eggs and mashed potatoes and not much else#He likes to be Linda's sue chef and chop things up and hang out with her while she's cooking but she's the one who loves it#And yet here he is cooking for John in a penthouse#Why is it so important for him to maintain gender roles in at least the media perception of his marriage?#Because of comments like this?#Or maybe Linda really was just so many worlds better at cooking and loved it so much like they always assert (via @m1ssunderstanding)

not especially new in 64 but maybe for them newly famous with money

#does george just not eat (via @supersonic1994)

no he alwys does and that's why it's funny

#they let george STARVE 💔 (via @gardenwalrus)

#also John “I love to play it faggy” lennon finding THAT funny is honestly hilarious lol (via @cocaineskinny909)

#its ok if he does john don’t be embarrassed (via @beatlesmenrock)

#I’m going to imagine that Paul turned round and gave George $5#and said ‘go ask the hotel kitchen to make you a sandwich’#‘and don’t come back for a while’#‘mommy’s going to give daddy a special adult kiss on his trousers’ (via @didwemeetsomewherebefore)

#''it sounds funny'' yes it does john. yes it does (via @moptopper)

#also obligatory#what's libel about calling paul camp? (via @saturn-iidae)

#secure men could chuckle at their boy best friend bring called their little housewife (via @paulscunt)

#and yet the regular little housewife apparently forgot to cook something for their kids aka george and ringo lmao (via @innitmarvellous)

#pauls a mummy#johns mummy (via @beatlesyurii)

#this book is out next week and I’m really interested to know what the source for this is considering Malcolm Searle died in 2008#by which I mean…I wonder if audio exists (via @delightfullyatomicfest)

#*heavy italian accent* what? no steak for george? (via @maccaritamondays)

#1) paul only cooking for john and leaving george and ringo to starve in a cardboard box on the side of the road#2) where did he get a little apron when they were on tour#3) he really just wanted to be someone's wife so fucking bad (via @ozymandiasdirge)

#how much do you wanna bet this was a money saving thing#like george is there eating some nice takeout and paul's stirring potatoes saying ''you're wasting all your money. right john???'' (via @moptopper)

When We Was Fab: Inside the Beatles Australasian Tour 1964 by Andy Neill and Greg Armstrong

I’ve stolen this off a Facebook group but feel it needs to be seen on tumblr.

[vitaminwaterreviews]

f(x) - Pink Tape

Speechless. Fuck the average of the songs, this now my favorite kpop album ever. 10.0. This has changed my view of music as a whole, and my life will never be the same.

(The song average is 8.3 if you’re curious).

Alright, so I feel like I do need to preemptively explain myself here. I don’t know very much f(x) at all. I’ve heard a couple of titles, I’ve checked out a few songs from Red Light, and … that’s literally it. So even though I do know a bit about this group and its history, I’m still quite fresh regarding their sound and what to expect. With that in mind:

Rum Pum Pum

Love the instrumentation in the opening

Set design feels very SNSD

Fun choreo

This bass/guitar line is so groovy

Pretty harmonies in what I assume is the pre chorus

Not impressed at all by the MV, but the choreo is fun, and it seems to be primarily focusing that

Love the verses, not convinced by the chorus yet

Fun rap section

Good use of silence

Okay, yeah, I think I buy that

8/10, my favorite of the f(x) titles I’ve heard so far. Groovy and fun

Shadow

Haha this feels so Red Velvet

Creepy chimes and synths

Groovy verse, low breathy voices, those chimes are still sticking around

Electric piano and bass beat

Okay this vibes. If I’m supposed to be picturing a shadow, it’s a playful shadow, like Peter Pan

Y’know what this reminds me of? Milk! It’s weird and quirky but super groovy

8/10

Pretty Girl

Hip hop?

The intro certainly is. That bass

But the guitar and verse feels way more … poppy?

Not sure what to make of the pre-chorus, everything got Loud all of a sudden

Same with the chorus. Wasn’t particularly catchy

Lol that rap

The ahhhs in the bridge are fun

Yeahhh I’m still not convinced by the chorus, but still a very fun song

7/10

Kick

And now we’re synthy

I like that all of these songs so far have had proper intros

An instrumental intro nonetheless!

I’m so confused what emotion this song is supposed to be conveying

Mix of vocal timbres and instrumental timbres feel disjointed

Oh okay, it’s like a hype song

I genuinely don’t know what to make of this song, same for the last one. But I sure enjoy listening to it more than the 1st gens

Lol wait why does this remind me of Itzy’s Ringo

This is Not something Red Velvet would do, but it’s kind of SNSD on LSD

Speaking of which what the hell is this bridge

7/10 but I would not be surprised if this song has a cult following, perhaps one day I’ll join them lmao

Signal

Disco, pretty strings and that Bass

Again, what’s the vibe of this supposed to be?

Dance Pop I guess

The ooohs are fun

This song is definitely more cohesive than the previous ones, like it clearly knows what it is. Not sure if it’s my style though

7/10

Step

Not too instrumental, very drum and vocal heavy, bit of saxophone, and I have no idea what that background instrument is, very muted

Okay, here’s the chorus, this is a jam

Kind of wish the saxophone was stronger

Pretty harmonies in the second verse, I like that a lot

8/10, probably the least “interesting” song so far but it was a vibe

Goodbye Summer

Wait, so they just didn’t put Victoria or Sulli on this song? That’s interesting, wonder why

And why feature D.O.? Maybe he fills their vocal roles?

Nice acoustic intro, electric piano

Verrrry pretty male vocals

Eyy eyy yeah

Maybe I do like slow jams when they’re acoustic guitar slow jams haha

This is the most “normal” song on the album so far. Like they’re playing this SUPER safe

Probably not to make D.O. look bad haha

I just listened to The Grace yesterday, and I must say, I prefer the vocal tone of whoever they had belting vs whoever’s doing the high notes here

Lalalala

8/10, I genuinely am a sucker for this type of music

Airplane

Alright, we gonna get weird again, or we gonna stay poppy?

This intro could go either way

So far we are quite poppy, but still different from what we’ve had so far. This is more like house/EDM timbres

Yeah holy shit you could have this song on Geometry Dash haha

Here it comessssss

Yeah, this is Good

“Come with me / Airplane / Love” lol I wonder who they paid to write those lyrics

Maybe I should check out the lyrics

Oh my god and pretty vocals over the beat

9/10, this is my type of music and they honestly did it really well

Toy

Here go, back to weird

Honestly I just love how aggressive this song is. I feel like modern kpop doesn’t do aggression as well, peak 2.5th gen

I haven’t commented on the timbres: we’ve got cute little bells in the background and everything else is just LOUD

“I’m transforming now” wtf

I’m reminded of Dance Dance Revolution which tbf informed a lot of my early music taste

THE BREAKDOWN HOLY SHIT

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THIS SONG NEEDED

I’m laughing so hard

Holy shit there are actually tears in my eyes

10/10. This song is the perfect version of itself holy shit. I’m going to relisten to this right now oh my god

I’m literally still laughing

Yeah, this is such a good song

This is literally perfect. This ENTIRE project was worth it just so I could come across this song

I don’t want to finish this album, I want to keep listening to this song

Do I have tooooooo

Okay fine

No More

I just want it known that I’m here begrudgingly and so that will probably affect this song’s score

Ooooh wop

Doo-wop? We haven’t had that yet

The bass here is groovy as hell, the vocals are super fun

I guess the only logical way to follow THAT song is a fun doo-wop song, that makes sense

I wonder what Wikipedia thinks this album’s genre is?

“Synth-pop, electro-pop, electronica” yeah fair enough but that’s more a failure of our definitions of genres

This bridge is pretty

Are those strings there in the bridge? Neat

Giggles and talking in the outro is fun

9/10, maybe I’m still high from Toy but oh my god

Snapshot

And we follow with Drama

In the style of musical theatre, it’s got the bass and the piano and the-

Oh never mind

We’re back to electro-pop

This mix of instrumentation is so good

Talk about an album ending strong. Those 7’s in the beginning worried me. But nope, this album is everything they said it would be

This chorus is fun, I’m dancing in my chair

All it’s missing is a true instrumental break

The outro is kind of that but I could’ve used more

9/10

Ending Page

Back to rock

This definitely feels like an ending song, acoustic guitar has that feel

The piano samples too

The “ayo ayo” part is really really fun

The verses feel So good to listen to, pure ear candy

Yeah, this chorus at 2:10, I’m really feeling this

I want a good strong ending, give me something here

Yes.

The vocalizations are exactly it.

9/10

[harrisonarchive]

George Harrison during the filming of Magical Mystery Tour in Plymouth on September 12, 1967; photographer unnamed (probably David Redfern).

“Reaching a blissful state is the most important thing, but I’ve still got to do a job, being a Beatle.“ - George Harrison, The Beatles: The Authorized Biography (1968)

“The way George is going he will be flying on a magic carpet by the time he is 40. I am here [in Rishikesh in 1968] to find out what kind of role I am now to play. I would like to know how far I can progress with it. George is a few inches ahead of us.” - John Lennon, Daily Mirror, February 19, 1968

“Two years ago, when George first started experimenting with Indian music, he reached a point where he nearly quit the Beatles. He yearned for the new life that was awaiting him in India. He told me: ‘I felt I wanted to walk out of my home that day and take a one-way ticket to Calcutta. I would have even left Patti [sic - Pattie] behind in that moment and all I would have taken would have been my sitar.'” - Don Short, Daily Mirror, February 19, 1968

“We were all interested in it [Indian culture] — but for George it was a direction.” - Paul McCartney, The Beatles Anthology (2000)

“I was looking for something but wasn’t really sure what it was. Then I saw an ad for meditation classes […]. I told George what I had been doing and he was quite interested. […] George was always a reluctant famous person, and I think when he went to India and understood a little bit about Indian philosophy and spirituality, I think he thought he might be able to find out why he was chosen to be famous. It was always confusing to him, a boy from Liverpool being able to play the guitar, suddenly, well not suddenly, but quite quickly becoming world famous. It was difficult to come to terms with that for him, and he thought there could possibly be an answer, and if it was going to be anywhere it was going to be in the East.” - Pattie Boyd, British Beatles Fan Club special edition magazine, 2011 (x)

"In February 1967 [Pattie] became a member of the Spiritual Regeneration Movement — on her own, not with George. 'I’d been trying to teach myself meditation from books, but only really half doing it. One day a girl friend told me about transcendental meditation. I went along with her to a lecture given at the Caxton Hall. Maharishi himself wasn’t there. It was just someone else talking about his work. I joined the movement, but I found the lecture very dull and all rather obvious. 'But I got all the movement’s literature from them so I knew all about their summer conference at Bangor and what it was all about. I said yes, long before George and the others heard about it. I’d booked up weeks before.' George, in the meantime, was reading book after book. When he’d inwardly digested bits of them, he’d pass them on in little globules to Paul, John, and Ringo when they met during work on Sergeant Pepper. They were all very excited. It was impossible to speak to any of them at this time without their launching into a long spiritual diatribe. Most of it had been picked up from George, although they soon began to read for themselves. [...] Pattie is involved in all things Indian, but George, as with everything he has always taken up, does it almost with a fanaticism. He used to practice the guitar till fingers bled. Now he sometimes plays the sitar all day long. When he’s not doing that, he is reading book after book on religion. He’s not cranky about it. As he goes on and learns more, he becomes more humble and more light-hearted about it. He doesn’t preach as much, although there is always the danger when is being quoted of appearing more fanatical than he is. Paul and John especially would be the first to cut down his pretensions or to mock his illusions if there had been any. Even from the first, before Maharishi came along, as George was discovering Buddhism and Yogi for himself, they were as fascinated to hear what he’d found as he was." - The Beatles: The Authorized Biography (1968)

"Presumably John and Paul did see hidden things in George, right from the beginning, apart from his excellent guitar playing. They were proud of him, in a big brotherly way, for being so good on the guitar, and by 1967 their pride had turned to admiration, not just for the excellent songs he now composed, but for being so knowledgeable about Indian music and culture, going to such trouble to teach himself the sitar. For the first time in his life, he had become a leader, doing it by example, not in any bossy, domineering way." - Hunter Davies, from the introduction to the 2002 edition of The Beatles: The Authorized Biography