#yet america goes out of its way to make that the case

[snickersnackety]

this is just what america Is Like. no regard for the fact that pedestrians have just as much right to public spaces as drivers. it's built into the city design and traffic laws.

i love crossing the street in front of cars where i can see the driver is visibly annoyed because like. are you mad at me? am i making you mad? are you upset? are you gonna kill me about it? gonna vehicular manslaughter me? gonna split my head open like a watermelon with that big strong manly truck? are you mad at me?

[bookshelfdreams]

not a fucking day goes by without an american on this hellsite pondering whether they can justify voting for Biden, despite omg! he's supporting Israel!!!!11!

as if Trump didn't literally say just last week that he would not defend America's Nato partners and would in fact encourage Putin/Russia to "do whatever the hell they wanna do"

as if he hadn't been open about his disdain for Nato and his unwillingness to actually adhere to the treaty in case of aggression

as if Russia weren't currently waging a war of territorial expansion fueled by imperialistic delusions of grandeur the likes of which haven't been seen since fucking WWII

Putin has put out an arrest warrant against the Estonian head of state, as if she were a russian citizen. He recently said of course he wouldn't attack Poland unless they attack Russia first - hmm, I wonder if that could be an allusion to a historic precedent? Has anyone ever faked a polish attack on their territory to kick off a massive war???

Putin has all but explicitly stated that he does not want to stop after Ukraine. Now add to this a US president who would encourage - not just stand by, actively encourage - further russian aggression. The campaign for presidential election hasn't even fully kicked off yet, I shudder to imagine what Trump would do or say if he actually held office again.

Of course the situation in Gaza is horrible. Of course we need deescalation (and hey, if you weren't getting your news exclusively from ragebait you'd know that even its closest allies are criticizing Israel, that they will become isolated if they continue on like this. Support for Israel isn't nearly as unwavering and unanimous as you may think).

Please. I'm begging you. Another Trump term could be catastrophic in ways that can't be fully anticipated. Already his party has backed him on (or tried to downplay) his latest attempt to undermine Nato.

We are dealing with an very delicate and dangerous geopolitical situation right now. China observes Russia very carefully with one eye, and looks at Taiwan with the other. And they're far from the only global player with imperialist ambitions.

The US government unfortunately has a huge effect on the whole world, and making your vote hinge on a single issue (when that issue won't even be solved in a way you'd like by literally any imaginable US government! No US president will completely cease supporting Israel, like come on)

making your vote hinge on a single issue like that is incredibly irresponsible

[bengiyo]

Peaceful Property: How I Yearn For a Good Procedural

I was originally excited about Peaceful Property because I genuinely like following BL actors into their other work to show that we are a loyal viewer base. Following Nishijima to Drive My Car (2021) was one of the best decisions I made that year. I’ve been thinking about the experience of watching Peaceful Property and why I felt so frustrated by the show. I wanted to write out my thoughts on procedurals, BL bait, and fandom so that I can move on from this show. 

The Loss Case-of-the-Week in Favor of Unearned Home Sympathy

My biggest struggle with this show was losing its case-of-the-week format around the midpoint. I was really intrigued in the early stories by how Home’s family’s business practices led to the terminal situations affecting some of the ghost stories. Like @lurkingshan I had hoped to see the show develop a common theme with its focus on stories about poverty. I also saw some potential in the read from @/maybe-boys-do-love after the episode focusing on Ride. No one was alone in this early read (@valentinaonthemoon). 

Through the end of episode 6, I had a ton of excitement about the show handling its themes around justice and forgiveness. We knew that Home was the one responsible for Peach's current predicament, and that Home’s grandfather and uncle were in on the cover up. Home knew what he had done to Peach, and fretted over it throughout episode 6. After five weeks of them focusing on completing a final act and providing closure for ghosts, I had hoped they’d give Home the chance to sit with the horror of the consequences of his own action and cowardice. I wanted the show to reckon with how Home, completely sober, left a stranger for dead, and only now cares about it because Peach is helping him feel less lonely.

Unfortunately, much of this frayed after the reveal that Home ran over Peach and the push to make Peach forgive him in the episode with the ghosts at the site of that camp. I didn’t share @respectthepetty’s read on the situation, but I did respect it and see how she got there. However, like @my-rose-tinted-glasses, it felt like the show started to rely on the inherent goodwill of shippers to overcome a major relationship break rather than deal with the underlying issues. 

I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with having the show turn to focus on how Home deals with Peach and Pangpang after the reveal that he left Peach for dead on the street, but I really struggled with the show not letting Home process the horror of what he did. This carries forward as we deal with the way Home’s family stole land from locals, and did not accommodate them through construction: something that had direct impacts on Kan and her father. By the time the show is forced to reckon with this, it handwaves it through Home with “You guys win! No problem!” (@twig-tea) It then goes on to give Home ghost sensing powers so he can rely Kan’s father’s final words which are just ‘get some friends?’ Now, I do think you need strong connections to survive activist work, but it felt really shitty to have the rich kid whose family caused all of this be the one to deliver this message. As with everything after Home’s biggest mistake is revealed, the show values the feeling of sympathy and forgiveness over the real work required for genuine reconciliation. 

Finally, the show jumps to the internal struggles of Home’s family in the final third of the show to focus on the destructiveness of their greed and its internal effects as well, but this feels like yet another unearned copout. The show works hard on the back half to pretend like the grandpa was just a silly old man, but there’s no way he doesn’t know what his people did to those communities, and he also knew exactly why Home was sent to America. The entire bit about the “family curse” in the last few episodes completely soured the show for me. It feels like the show even knows that, because it calls itself cringe through Pangpang when Home says he’ll “listen to those we’ve ignored.” Way to undercut the premise after giving Home the ability to hear ghosts. 

In the end, I found myself frustrated by the show turning to Newwie’s inherent charm to get us to want sympathy for Home rather than writing a genuine crisis in Home, and forcing him to grow. It feels poignant to me that the show thought it was funny to have Peach be mistaken for the help in Home’s house, and then later have Home and Peach independently decide to stay in Bangkok without talking to each other about it. Not talking about anything important was the big theme of their relationship after the hit-and-run reveal. The show did not reward any of us paying attention to its early themes on class (@lurkingshan).I never got the closure I needed here, and it’s the big sticking point of the show with me. 

BL Bait Kinda Sucks

As many of you already know, I don’t currently like what GMMTV is doing with branded pairs, and I think their shows are giving a warped view on found family narratives. I enjoyed following Off and Gun into The Trainee because they were playing a gay romance inside of a show that allowed for stories about a wider ensemble. I am really struggling with the conversation around the ways we apply queer readings to Peaceful Property because almost all of it relies on familiarity with Tay and New exclusively, and not anything the show did on screen. 

With this show, I’m struggling with the found family aspect and the moving goal posts. I don’t think Home agreeing to reinstate an onerous contract on Peach and Pangpang is a kind move from him. I also don’t know that the team basking in the glow of Home’s goodwill as the final shot is a great look either, and feels kinda paternalistic. We had a whole movie about people stuck sucking from the teat of a rich guy and how shitty that goes two years ago.

GMMTV creates its branded pairs so they can literally be used as a brand. They have these people working almost every day to sell something on socials, or at a fashion event, or appearing at an event. I wasn’t bothered by Tay and New working together outside of BL after the fantastic work they did in Cherry Magic earlier this year. I don’t mind them using their most popular actors to attract a viewer base that will follow them almost anywhere to ship them. 

I also actually like stories about the bonds between men. Currently, GMMTV is adapting School 2013 (2012) with High School Frenemy (2024). The broken relationship between two of the male characters there is incredibly well done in School 2013, and I do not think that show would be improved by making that an actual romance. I think they’re both fertile ground for shipping, but the show’s primary focus on the state of life in a failing school for the students and faculty is better served by the intensity of feelings over the broken bonds between men. People are still shipping Goblin and Reaper from Goblin (2016), but again, that story is actually better without an actual sexual or romantic connection between Kim Shin and Reaper. With Peaceful Property, I don’t think they finished the work of building and resolving this friendship between Home and Peach, and it leaves me wanting.

I share a lot of @italianpersonwithashippersheart’s general concerns around the commerce around BL with GMMTV. That being said, I don’t begrudge @respectthepetty and others having fun calling the show gay. What I’m struggling with is the difference between the shipping being satisfying versus the show being satisfying. I lost my emotional connection to this show when it failed to resolve the break in the middle. The back half of the watch is hollow for me, and I just can't let my willingness to ship Tay and New make up for that failure. 

I Need a Good Procedural

What I realized the most from watching this is that I need another good procedural in my life. The first half of Peaceful Property gave me some of that, but the back half did not. I enjoyed the performances everyone gave on this show, despite my lingering qualms with what the show chose to prioritize. I’m happy that everyone seems like they had a lot of fun working on this show, and I’m glad that the viewers clearly responded to that. This was actually a genuinely pretty show to look at, and I’m glad that GMMTV continues to embrace color in their shows this year (with a few glaring exceptions). 

With that, I will put this show to rest. This show ended up not being what I thought it was giving, and I’ll be moving on. I’ll see you all much later on future GMMTV works. 

[its-my-barbeque]

Started thinking about the implications and now I have a theory: The reason why General John MacNamara is so different in TGWDLM and Black Friday is because of who is telling the story.

We know the narrator for TGWDLM is Pokey. Its a retelling of the events and he is in control of what we see and hear - its why the characters cant hear the instruments but we can. This is also backed by the title number and Emma specifically (but that's a post for another time).

In Black Friday, we don't have confirmation on who the narrator is but tis safe to assume one of two options; either the ensemble (Tom, Becky, Lex, etc) or Webby. In this case, we're leaning towards Webby as there are interactions that would be difficult to see otherwise - ie the presidents office before the start of 'Monsters and Men'.

In regards to MacNamara, we know the Lords have history with him. During 'Made in America', while Wilbur is the one who calls out to him, in the captions its credited to Wiggly. This could be attributed to him being a General for PEIP, but there was a little too much malice in the ost for me to believe that's the case. While we don't see it happen, it's clear that MacNamara has not only impeded the Lords progress, but has actively stopped them - probably on multiple occasions. Additionally, he is a Warrior of Light: he can wield the Blade of Truth and has helped Hannah and Lex (Webby's chosen vessels) on multiple occasions (Orb Weaver isn't out yet but that is the synopsis so that would make the pervious point true on two sperate accounts). And even if he isn't a Warrior of Light, the enemy of my enemy is my friend - he is at the very least and ally of Webby.

Now for how that affects his characterization;

In TGWDLM MacNamara is a bit more aggressive and sporadic, even to a silly extent that can seem a bit much at times. He has wide eyes, he's constantly moving, and goes on tangents. Then, despite his title of General, he is easily defeated and absorbed by the Hive. Why is that? Well, because Pokey is the narrator. I wouldn't push it so far as to say its propaganda against PEIP ("look at how silly this so-called military is. even their general is weak! they couldn't be a threat if they tried"), but it absolutely carries a mocking tone. Pokey wants you to laugh at MacNamara, not take him seriously.

In Black Friday, however, MacNamara carries a very different tone. He's calm, collected, knows exactly how to handle almost every situation. In this one, you could actually believe that he is a General and not just some guy with a gun. This can be attributed to Webby being the narrator. She agrees with his values (note 'the value of the human heart' dialog vs 'The Witch in the Web' and how Webby treats Willabella) and, as stated previously, is allied with him in some way. Webby wants to paint MacNamara in a good light, and have you see him as a hero.

[ladyloveandjustice]

I just watched Pop Culture Detectives critique as superheroes as reactionary and defending the status quo and villains as disruptors (even when their goals are wrong and authoritarian), and I think it did a fine job summing up the MCU, but I think it would lose something when if you’re doing a conversation outside that specific focus if you don’t acknowledge that there’s very significant times that WASN’T the case in early superhero comics.

For example, several early Superman comics have him actively disrupting society. He wasn’t a friend of the law early on. He destroys an entire “slum” and forces the government to rebuild better housing, and the police come after him for this.

He infiltrates a prison to expose its systemic abuse of prisoners.

He forces war profiteers to experience the terror of war firsthand until they stop.

But as the tweet thread I linked notes, this stops. Modern Superman often states he can’t interfere in wars because humanity has to sort out their own conflicts, that he can’t use his power against systemic issues because what if he becomes the power hungry god imposing his will on humanity? It’s interesting some comics posit that if Superman was more active about social change, he’s become the ‘invader’ Lex Luthor says he is. Especially if you consider Superman’s roots as an immigrant allegory, which makes it come off like he has to avoid being too disruptive or he’ll be labeled a ‘bad immigrant’.

There’s sometimes callbacks to the roots of Superman still, like the issue where he fights that cop probably (I was out of comics by the time that happened) but of course it’s pretty absent from the movies.

It’s also worth noting that Clark Kent is an investigative reporter (often exposing the crimes of billionaire CEO) which is an inherently disruptive job. PCD mentions that heroes do tend to be creative in their civilian identities but says it doesn’t seem to connect much to their superhero selves, but  I don’t think you can separate Clark Kent the reporter from his superhero activity, because they’re often closely tied together, I mean he literally took the job so he could get leads as Superman.

Then there’s Wonder Woman, who was definitely a disruptor in her early incarnation. She was absolute here to spread Marston’s idea of feminism and have others follow her. She wanted to make more Amazons. She wanted a society where women had power. She would literally take her female villains and introduce them to the pleasures of femdom and BDSM  reform them, convert them to her ideology, get them to join her ranks. The comic was CERTAINLY reactionary in other ways, and Marston’s feminism was flawed, but he wrote the comic explicitly because he was hoping for social disruption, that Wonder Woman would be the building block in the utopia he envisioned.

And there was some of that in SOME modern WW comics when I was into them- I was drawn to Greg Rucka’s Wonder Woman because there was a huge emphasis on the fact she’s an ambassador for her culture, and diplomat actively working to change the world, someone who’s seeking social reform and has an ideology. However, it is true that even those comics were mostly about her reacting to threats in her superhero life. (And then in the movie’s that’s entirely absent- feminism isn’t bought up, she goes into hiding rather than mounting a social justice campaign.)

And then on the Marvel side of things. Cap fighting Hitler actually didn’t reflect the status quo of America when it came out. In-universe it did to a degree, because America had entered the war in the universe of the comic, therefore Cap was doing patriotism, but out of universe America HADN’T entered the war yet and it was controversial to take the stance we were definitely going to and sauy Hitler was bad. We all know the story of nazi-sympathizers coming to harass the creators and Jack Kirby declaring he would fight them. So there’s a very interesting dichotomy there!

Anyway, it’s interesting to see this discussion because it’s definitely a very minor theme in my own book about a girl who becomes a supervillain. Look forward to that, I guess!

[quaranmine]

letters from the lookout #2: last seen

(HC Firewatch AU snippets)

June 8, 1988

Mumbo has loaded his bags into the car, shut the door, and checked the ties on the bike rack for the third time when he heads back up the stairs to say goodbye to Grian. The morning is cool and dark, and the streetlights are still on outside. It’s still. The sun isn’t up yet. 

He steps inside and closes the door as quietly as possible. He already slammed it by accident again on his first trip outside, and he’s trying his hardest not to upset any of their neighbors at this hour. 

Grian is sitting at the table under its warm ceiling light and has, kindly, looked better. He’s wearing an oversized university t-shirt and sweatpants, and looks like he might fall asleep again at any second. Grian is not typically an early riser, only incidentally so—thrust into the unwanted world of early alarms by the usual dread and horror of being an adult with a job. But this morning is still earlier than he normally wakes up. 

There’s a cup of coffee, mostly full, sitting on the table in front of him, which Grian regards with bleary eyes. Grian also typically drinks tea, not coffee, except on mornings where he decides he needs some extra strong caffeine. Mumbo’s not sure the coffee has any extra caffeine than the tea does, given how strong he’s seen him brew it. He loves coffee, however, and his roommate knows this. 

“I made that for you to take with you,” Grian says. He squints at the cup again. “I did drink a little of it. Sorry.”

“Erm, that’s alright mate,” Mumbo says hastily. “I’ll just stop by someplace on the way and get something for myself.”

“Oh, okay,” Grian says, immediately taking another sip. “So you’re off now I guess?”

“Yeah,” Mumbo says. “Just came back to say goodbye and do a final sweep of anything I’ve forgotten.”

“Good.” Grian nods, and then appraises Mumbo, up and down. “Are you driving all the way today?”

“If I can.”

“Ugh,” Grian says. “That’s way too far. You should rest. It’s like, one state over, why is it eight hours?”

“Because America is big,” Mumbo says. 

Grian wrinkles his nose. “Don’t like that.”

“I’ll spend the night when I get there before I go do anything,” Mumbo says. “I have to get the backcountry permit at the office, anyway.”

“Fine,” Grian says. “Drive safe. Call me when you get there. And when you get back. When do you get back?”

“Uhhh, if all goes well, then June 15. But the last part of the trail might be tricky and I’m not sure I’ve broken up each day into a reasonable enough distance to cover. So I think I might end up staying another night, in which case I’d give you a call on June 16.”

The information is already written down on the calendar stuck to the fridge, but Mumbo knows Grian wants to hear it again, just in case. Mumbo’s going by himself, after all, so it’s best someone knows where he’ll be. 

Especially since he’s going to be really in the wilderness this time. There’s mountain trails, and then there’s empty mountain trails. Shoshone National Forest has plenty of the latter, and it’s precisely that solitude that is drawing Mumbo. Everything in his life is busy, busy, busy and stress, stress, stress. He’s sick of it. It feels like his brain is being squeezed out of his ears every single day and he needs a break if he wants to get out alive. 

Grian’s brain is also being squeezed out of his ears, but he seems to be at an earlier stage in this process where he’s still mostly okay with it all. It makes sense, though, and Mumbo can’t fault him for it. While he got a jumpstart on a career right out of university a few years ago, Grian has been sifting through apprenticeships and half-jobs for a long time to build experience. His architecture license is still shiny and new, and he isn’t jeopardizing that to follow Mumbo on his last-minute trip. 

Mumbo hugs Grian, and they say a brief goodbye. Grian reminds him to call him, and to buy him a postcard somewhere, and proclaims he’s going back to sleep for at least another hour. 

Mumbo steps out into the cool predawn air once more, and a shiver runs down his spine. Is it the cold, or the anticipation? He gets in the car, and just sits in the seat for a minute before turning on. He takes a deep breath. It’s okay right now. He has nobody to report to but himself (and sometimes Grian) for the next few days. He’s free, even if it’s just briefly. 

He turns the key in the ignition, and drives. Every mile bleeds away more stress.

[1solone]

🇺🇸MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND🇺🇸

Unfortunately, today, way too many people look at Memorial Day as a recreational day, simply a later date from school or a settled day from work. Military families and families of countless veterans, on another hand, have been afflicted by the pain and suffering of seeing their brothers, husbands or children set off to war, you start with the American Revolution until today's actions in the Middle East, through the devastating Civil war, into World War I and II, and throughout the Vietnam and Korean Wars. In their mind, Memorial Day is just a day to think on their loss and suffering, and to honor those who have served to guard America's interests.

Saying goodbye to a family member you could at almost no time see again is probably the most devastating feeling a relative may perpetually have, because they only never truly know if that individual is coming back. Their heart skips a defeat everytime that the doorbell rings while their family member is abroad, performing the best duty they'll perpetually perform while they defend justice and the quest for liberty. In the home, though, their family members dread as soon as they open that door, since the pulse quickens and horrible thoughts of a note of imminent loss haunts them. They fear answering the phone. They dread reading their mail. Life itself becomes an apparently endless, helpless watch for news, hopefully good news, but potentially news of the worst possible kind.

For a few people, the lucky ones, they just endure worries of losing a family member in battle for a couple years, but that in and of itself might have long-lasting, life altering ramifications. Worries causes great stress, making families walk on eggshells for entire tours of duty, as children go without their mother or father for long periods of time. For too many, the headlines and the ramifications are worse. They lose a family member to war, or their family member is seriously injured, maimed, or psychologically damaged while they defend our nation and its interests.

Let's not your investment veterans themselves and the sacrifices they've made. We only have to start the headlines to start to see the hardships they face, the daily dangers they deal with, and the horrors they endure. Veterans are and have now been our protectors, our defenders, and often at great cost, even for the survivors of war. War itself is hell, since the famous saying goes, and these many, wonderful men and women have entered hell willingly for centuries to guard the America they love, and to create another for many Americans.

In just about any case you are able to consider, on Memorial Day, these veterans who protect us from dangers abroad, and who've protected us from dangers for centuries, deserve our respect and our remembrance, and yet Memorial Day 2024 Weekend has converted into a cook out once you start the pool for the summer.

"Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished on the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten this is and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Many people no further remember the appropriate flag etiquette for the day."

In days past, great parades were thrown in honor of the wonderful veterans. Cities and townships gave speeches and held Memorial galas. In Israel, even today, to celebrate their Memorial Day, their television lists the names of all of the dead they've lost to war, and that simple process takes all the day. Perhaps we don't need to attend quite that extreme to honor the veterans who've served to guard us, but nonetheless, our ambivalence towards the real meaning behind Memorial Day is just a bit much.

It's high time that people do remember the American veterans which have made Memorial day and those many cook outs and days off that the Holiday now symbolizes possible. This season, we must try to go to a battle memorial, the grave of an expert, or at the least stop in a minute of silence reserved for the numerous who've sacrificed their lives to guard and supply the wonderful lives and opportunities that people have open to us today. This season, we must also honor and remember the numerous sacrifices of the families of veterans and war heroes, because if you believe about any of it, they sacrificed a lot for many of us Americans themselves.… ‿ℒℴνℯ⁀❤️always with ℒℴѵℯ ❤️���🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

#memorialdayweekend #MemorialDay2024

[twentiethcenturymoviesandtv]

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington: Genre and Themes

At first glance, indeed, even at second glance, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington doesn’t seem to really lend itself to a specific genre the way The Goonies or The Princess Bride did.  Whereas those films positively dripped with the atmosphere of an adventure or fantasy film, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is considerably more ‘real world’ than that, without necessarily heading into ‘slice of life’ territory.

If story is the backbone of a film, the underlying solid base, then genre is the trappings, the flavor, the seasonings the writers get to play with to create their final dish.  Some stories automatically come with pre-packaged genre, as it would seem, stories like Frankenstein seem little suited to be anything other than a sci-fi horror film, after all, but most, and indeed some would say all stories have the capabilities of remaining solid in their identities, even with a completely different genre than we’re used to.

In the case of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, however, there doesn’t seem like there’s a lot of ingredients to mix.

Officially, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is labeled as a ‘political comedy-drama’, an eclectic mishmash of styles that doesn’t necessarily rear its head too often in the realm of film.  Political films tend to be more true stories like All the President’s Men, or thrillers like The Manchurian Candidate.  Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is neither.  However, that isn’t to say it’s not political.

The entire world of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is politics.  It lives and breathes the inner workings of American bureaucracy, without either exploiting or sugarcoating it.

It is, at its core, an anti-politics political film.  There is no pleasure that the film derives from exposing any corruption, nor does it take pains to pretend that corruption does not exist.  It freely paints the politicians and the non-politicians as people, dealing with consequences to their actions: from Senator Paine, the tarnished hero, to Clarissa Saunders, the cynical, worn-out tool of Washington.  The focus of the story is not so much on the inner workings of the state and country as it is the people that perform them, that manipulate the cogs of the machine to their own benefit, and those who stand to prevent it.

It’s not a very technical film.  You don’t have to have a degree in law in order to understand the film, or allow it to resonate, and that, perhaps, is what makes it so special.

The ‘political’ slant of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington isn’t in the process that Saunders outlines to Jefferson in order to get his bill passed.  On the contrary, the bill itself is a minor incident, the catalyst that forces the corruption out into the open.  The story isn’t about the bill at all, nor is it even about the plot of the other politicians: it is about the politicians themselves.  There are no parties mentioned, no real figures portrayed, no accurate historical events referenced: and yet something about this film did strike a chord in the very real Washington D.C.

Upon Mr. Smith’s release in Constitution Hall, DC dissolved into uproar about the film’s portrayal of American politics, to the point that Alben W. Barkley, the Senate Majority Leader at the time, remarked that it: “makes the Senate look like a bunch of crooks”.

In other words, something about this film struck some people, mostly the people in Washington, the wrong way.  And yet, even at the time of its initial release, audiences, the Mr. Smiths of the USA, adored it for a reason.

At its core, chiefly, yes, Mr. Smith is a film about politics, and even history.  Every fiber of the movie vibrates with patriotism, with love for America, and with pride in democracy.  The film is not a condemnation as such as it is a warning: ‘we will lose what we have built if we think only of ourselves.’  It is a perfect combination of both a celebration of America’s past, and a concern for the future, a notation of the path the nation’s leaders seemed to be going down.  Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a story about big P Politics, all right, but it is not a scowling, scolding film, pointing an accusatory finger at the little p politicians, the fallen white knights.  It is instead a film that holds up a figure of a person who knows on what the country was founded, and believes in it so strongly enough that he forces a change, even if it’s a small one.

And the film is also pretty funny, too.

The genre of ‘comedy’ tends to bring to mind slapstick or wordplay classics, and in the 1930s, the ‘comedians’ definitely had their specific brands: the Marx Brothers, the Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy, and others were taking cinema by storm.  Audiences, especially in the middle of the Great Depression, desperately wanted a laugh, and even though there were no pratfalls in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, there is a wry sense of humor about it, particularly near the beginning.

Early scenes in this film play almost like scenes from a ‘fish out of water’ comedy, with Jefferson Smith having no idea how to function in the new, fast-moving, cynical climate of Washington D.C.  Other characters, such as Saunders and Diz, exist as quip-generating machines, full of the fast-paced, witty dialogue characteristic of films of the time.  Many of the more comedic sequences in the story come about through direct conversation between Saunders and Smith and the subsequent clash of ideas and personalities.

So yeah, Mr. Smith is a pretty funny movie at times.  I must admit though, it’s hard to make the argument that it’s a comedy.

Smith’s plight is not comedic, at least, not more than halfway through the story.  He is not a comedic figure, nor are most of the characters around him.  While one could make the argument that the initial conceit of the story is comedic, I am hard pressed to agree that the story remains a comedy throughout.  If anything, the throughline of tragedy seems clearer, notably in the character of Senator Paine.

Paine is what Smith could have been: a noble figure broken by greed, by corruption, by fear, turned into another cog in someone else’s profit machine, willing to throw countless people under the bus for gain.  By the end of the story, he is not only guilty, he is convicted, ashamed after being forced to confront what he has become.  His story nearly ends in suicide, and it certainly ends in the ruination of his career, after having thrown away belief in all of the words he is so used to spouting.  He is the warning thrust up before contemporary Washington’s eyes: the white knight tarnished by greed.

Smith’s story, though uncorrupted, is similarly bleak: unbelieved, unheard, and unable to get the word out, he ends the film exhausted and crushed after hours of seeming futility.  The film’s happy ending does not come as a result of all of his hard work, but through the guilt of Senator Paine driving him to confess.  Smith does not reach the climax of the film like a comedy protagonist does at all, but like a tragic hero.

And yet, this film isn’t a tragedy either.

So what is it?

I have a theory: that a film’s genre can be best solidified through a few major checkpoints: its themes, and its characters, specifically its protagonist.

The themes of Mr. Smith are obvious ones: duty to one’s country, certainly, but honesty above all.  The liars are the villains, and the heroes tell the truth.  The story is built around good morals and simplicity, with the center of virtue being Mr. Smith himself.

In another era, Smith himself may have been a knight in shining armor, risen to his position from peasantry to achieve noble deeds.  As it is, in 1930s America, Smith is an ordinary man in an extraordinary position: an everyday guy elevated to the position of senator.  

Of course, the intention was never to give him any real power, but nonetheless, power he wields.  And it’s his decisions on handling that power that set him apart from the other characters.  He behaves very much like a normal person, an average citizen in a political jungle with very little navigation.  There is no hero’s journey here: if anything, Mr. Smith finishes the story as a broken, more cynical character rather than a triumphant hero.  The victory is in refusing to compromise your principles, no matter the cost or circumstance, and there is no dragon to slay here: just men, corrupted by power.

In other words, it’s a drama.

While there are many forms of ‘drama’ in the broad spectrum, typically, the term ‘drama’ means that a subject is more dramatic than humorous, with a primary element of the story being conflict, but not necessarily of the physical kind.  It’s a story with more of an emphasis on who the story is happening to, and why, with less concern for what exactly is happening.

Such is the case for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

Mr. Smith is a story about real people, people you or I might know, from the virtuous Jefferson Smith to the cynical Ms. Saunders, to the corrupt, but still human, politicians, some malicious, some merely led astray from their previous values.  This is not a story of ‘heroes vs. villains’, this is a story about the ‘Right Thing to Do’, and the people with the courage to do it.

And that’s most of its appeal.

Capra’s passion is for people in this film, the everyday, the ordinary, the ‘Little Guy’ who becomes, not a dragonslayer, but a man with the opportunity to truly do some good, faced with tough decisions.  It’s a story full of heart, sprinkled with humor, and loaded with humanity as it views, through very human lenses, the world of politics through a protagonist who’s meant to be a fish out of water.

That is Mr. Smith’s legacy.

The story isn’t groundbreaking.  The cinematography isn’t breathtaking.  The writing isn’t jaw-dropping.  But the people, the characters, live and breathe on the screen as people, characters that the audiences love, and cheer for.  We root for these people because of the drama of the situation, and the time and care that the film takes to delve into them.

That, more than the politics of the situation, is the reason people return to this film again and again.

And that, the people, the characters, is what we’ll be turning our attention to next time.

[izmrw]

A comment that I saw on YouTube and my response to it

“What makes me mad and sad is people calling Israel oppressors when this whole conflict started and has gone on for decades because

Palestine hates Jews and refuses to live in peace beside them. They claim ownership of Jews ancestral homeland (that they colonised even though they claim otherwise), start an almost century long conflict, and then cry that they are the victims when the first leader of Palestine essentially said Hitler was right!

I don't agree with what Israel's government is doing, but let's not act like this conflict isn't anti-Semitic at its core.

If you replace the word Palestinians with Nazis do you feel sad? If Israel was bombing neo-Nazis proclaiming to be innocent would you stand up for those neo-Nazis?

This conflict could end right this second if Palestine would stop being anti-Semitic. I see so many people claiming this isn't just about religious persecution, and yet I saw with my own eyes on social media an Israeli say they just want the conflict to end and to live in peace, and the response they received was 'We pray for you for death, destruction, torment, disasters, misfortunes, and eternal suffering. We will pray for your bodies to burn with diseases that have no cure. Sickness take you to the depths of hell and make you firewood for hell. God is with Palestine and we won't stop until all of you are dead'.

(Not only does this make me sick to know that someone could even think to type this and be so malicious, but as someone with Jewish heritage it's also a little frightening.)

And this was on a post about unicef calling for action to protect children in both countries...

Why is that the Holocaust is considered one of the worst events in history, but when Jews fight back against the people that want them dead, they become evil and vile?

Idk man supporting Palestine doesn't sit right with me.

Everyone is free to do what they want, and I'll still support this channel cause I come here for kpop content, but I don't agree with anyone supporting either side quite frankly.”

this has nothing to do with religion, i has nothing to do with anti-semitism and honestly its sad that you’d compare the likes of innocent palestinas to neo-nazis. it has never been about religion this is a political war, let me explain.

75 years ago america decided to take palestine’s land and make it for jewish people after the world war. since 1948 palestinas are being murdered, this is a genocide. if you compare the death toll from israelis to palestinas its way more on their side. israel is being backed by the usa, they have military weapons and everything else whereas palestina has what? israel are commiting WAR crimes, they refuse to stop cease-fire when it has been agreed on by both sides, even russia doesn’t do that, bombing children’s hospitals and civilian towns, cutting off their access to food, water, electricity, all basic necessities to live.

israelis want to live “peacefully” with palestinas? isreal has never wanted to live peacefully with palestinas, they wouldnt have been bombing them for the last 75 years if that were the case, but also does that even sound right? palestinas should live peacefully with their oppressors, the ones who killed their family, friends everyone?

Israelis have been murdering innocent palestinas since 1948 and the retaliate for what the first? maybe second time? and all of a sudden it’s “my heart goes out to israel” where was this support for palestine when they were being slaughtered, when children were dying.

let me make a comparison for you, in the last 10 days more palestina children have been killed than in the ukraine conflict which started in 2022. israel claim to want to eradicate hamas, but it’s truly them trying to kill all palestinas.

you claim its religion but let me explain to you why it’s not. palestine used to be a peaceful country where muslims, jews and christians lived together as jerusalem is important for all of them. however after america forced their israel agenda on the land, it became moreso an apartheid for jewish people, now palestine is mainly muslim and christian, you compared palestinas to NAZIS? which is a grave misinformation on its own but you could not be further from the truth. the israeli government has called palestinas children of between the law of humanity and the law of the jungle, isreali politicians have said that thwir is a gal between the lives of israeli children and palestinian children, saying their lives aren’t worth as much, israel has also compared them to the likes of rats, which is very similar in what hitler did when he started the holocaust.

you also mentioned jews are fighting back against the ones that want them dead

strike 1, misinformation. first of all a lot of jewish people aren’t zionist, israelis are not even not the oppressed, they are the oppressor. isreal brought a gun to a, no not even a knife fight, but a a paper sword fight. the power is very mismatched.

the comment with palestinas wanting them dead, cannot be further from the truth, let me remind you again that palestina used to be 1/3 jewish, and also how are you so sure its not from an israeli, but fine let’s assume it’s not, the i guess it’d be from a radical-hama which is a terrorist organisation, think about it, because of a terrorist organisation that they claim they want to kill, innocent lives are being lost, when like ive said before, its not about eradicating hamas, israel bombed the children’s hospital in gaza, made up a fake story claiming that hamas bombed it and for what?

the entire thing is also politics usa is backing israel because they made israel, they pulled back all their ressources from ukraine to send to israel and Biden requested 69bil for help for israel (it would cost less to fix homelessness is the usa) china wants to support Palestine because they want to strip the usas power and become the 1. themselves.

you say palestine stole jews homeland which is strike 2, misinformation (again) I citied this from the internet and went to fact-check this with multiple different websites.

Can Jews have their own country? They are forbidden according to Torah, Talmud, their own highly rated scholars and the bible. The problem is that Israel has degenerated to a secular liberal state who do not follow their own religion anymore and the arguments for it are from the perspective of secular liberalism not religion.

like i said jerusalem is important for all 3 major religions claim that Palestine stole that is ridiculous, why should jerusalem be for jews only, by your way of thinking, isn’t that Islamophobic and anti-christianity?

twisting the genocide of palestinas to anti-semitism is misinformation.

being neutral is ignorance.

i hope before you decide to go compare palestinas to nazis again, you think about what i said, and educate yourself more.

[deaddee-anime-brownfanlady]

Fav Series to get to know me a little better.

Been seeing a few posts do this and thought it could be fun to try too. No pressure but feel free to join along if you want!

The Sandman- While I've read a few chapters of the comic (which I still need to read more of) par say, the Netflix show adaptation is so freaking good & seriously exceeded my expectations in terms of the visually effects also the storytelling is done so well & seeing Morpheus in live-action is also great too. So hyped for S2.

POSE- I swear this series doesn't get enough attention on it as far as I can tell. Because it's honestly I think one of the best shows I've seen so far, Set during 1980s America during the AIDs crisis with a mostly Black and POC casting that's focuses on Ballroom culture which offers a place of belonging to NY gay/queer communities. This show is a emotional roller-coaster that had me feeling so much for its great characters & it should be watched more by everyone because it's so good.

Arcane- Just seriously one of the best mature adult animated series thus far. Before I got into Arcane the only one or two thing I knew about it was hearing how awesome it was and that its based off of the long time popular online game League of Legends & that was pretty much it. But actually seeing this show upon first episode had me hooked from the start, everything dealing with this show is top-notch. From the fantastic, incredible 3d animation to the mature well-written compelling storytelling, along with well-rounded, morally complex flawed characters that feel so human in terms of the choices they make be it in the wrong or right, also the real banging soundtrack along with it. Just one of the bests series I so far seen.

Primal- Yet another example of really great adult animated series that have come out recently way ago. By the creator of Samurai Jack and Dexter Laboratory, Gennady Tartakovsky Primal is to me a good, well done showcasing of visual storytelling. Just a epic & awesome story about a caveman dub as Spear and his Dinosaur pal "Fang" that bonded over the loss of their families & now goes on a journey together through the violent prehistoric times. I consider this animated show to be akin to art, like a show with zero dialogue & all atmosphere & raw emotions. Just a piece of like animated art.

American Gods-Ah this show, Yet another one of Nail Gaiman works. I have a bit of some conflicted feelings on this show because while its so damned good and I seriously love everything about it on the premise of Gods and Deities from other cultures and mythology living within the modern world & trying to rebuild the influence they've once had on humanity & everything else how this show is put together in terms of visuals also storytelling is great...except for that damn cliffhanger and the fact that the show was cancelled...so yea. Still love it a bunch but eh...yeah.

Tuca & Bertie- Yet another fav adult cartoon show of mine that also got done so dirty yet again but also I feel don't get a lot of attention on it. Made by Lisa Hanawalt who in case you didn't know was the character designer of BoJack Horseman, and I would say Tuca & Bertie is like the less depressed and lesser cynical sister series of Bojack while still tackling some real heavy mature issues and problems. The world of Tuca & Bertie is one filled with mainly anthro bird people and dogs also talking plants people too. The show just has this more off-beat , zany , fun optimistic feel-good vibes going for it that's feels so inventing. But similar to Bojack in a way were its not afraid to get emotional serious about adult problems like sexual abuse or dealing with harassment & treating said issues with tact & maturity while still keeping the show overall light-hearted tone. Should be watched more.

The Midnight Gospel- The short way to giveaway on what this show is or deal with? Can be phase in one way. And that there's should be more animated Podcast. Made by Pendleton Ward the same man behind Adventure Time, I swear this show was quite the experience but in a good way. The animation is so trippy and yet so uniquely creative with using different styles. It follows a dude who goes inside a simulator to different worlds to try to interview people. The talks within this show can hit on many different levels with discussions of coping with loss and death or dealing with the struggles of hoping, a show you should take your time with, but so worth it.

Castlevania- I'll try to keep this one short & sweet. But another real awesome and oh so good adult animated series based off the classic game of the same title. great and amazingly done action /fight scenes as well as also just as wonderfully engaging and entertaining characters that you'll truly end up feeling so much for and the crap they have to deal with. Fantastic beautiful animation also the storyline and plot is just as good as the look of the show. Truly another banger.

AMC Interview with a Vampire- Now, this might sound like a controversial statement. But I deeply think and feel that this series version of interview with a Vampire is ten times more better then the movie. Not! That the movie is bad or anything, I very liked and enjoy the movie...but it never been one of my top fav movies to be honest. But the show on the other hand is so Top-notch on many levels, especially with the great performance of each actor. So Love Jacob Anderson playing as Louis de Pointe du lac and with him as an black man during 1900s America and how that's play into dealing with his vampirism, also his sexuality in terms of black queerness and showing the intricacies of the many challenges also jump ropes a black man having to keep the front of hypermasculinity especially black masculinity in a time era were being black your already seen as less than human is written so damned well. Also Sam Reid playing Lestat De Lioncourt is so fucking both great and entertaining to watch like for real, and Claudia in this show I feel is so much better then the one in the movie. Like I felt so much for her in this series. Like its so good.

Documentary Now- One of my most favorite comedy series that's never fails to creak me up. Like for real if you're interested in or into mockumentaries style of comedy then this show right here is right up there. Each episode focuses on a different "documentary " topic from dealing with a band rise & fall from success to the son of a famous chef overcoming his fears of chickens and taking over for his dad to a broken man that's ends up having a deep connection with a monkey. This show is just something else ^0^ .

Final Space- Final Space is probably one of if not the best adult animated series that I truly feel belongs right alongside with Bojack-Horseman to be honest. It's severely underrated in terms of adult animation which I think it's a shame because it really surprises me with how good it ended up becoming. At first glance looking at this sci-fi themed average typical comedy adult cartoon ended up being and becoming a much more well-rounded, emotional thought out very developed top-notch mature series. What I love about final space is that unlike other so-called “adult” animated shows is that it doesn’t try so hard with its adult humor or go overbroad with how much it tries to make it so “adultlike” such as having non-stop cussing or unnecessary super crude gore or out of place sex & nudity ( which I feel isn't always a bad thing when done right...but some adult cartoons tend to go overboard with it) This show has such a great balance of its comedy while also not afraid to get emotional serious about loss & grief or deal with some real heavy dramatic moments that are treated as serious as can be & isn't treated as a joke or a one off thing like how it would in certain other adult cartoons. One of the most mature animated series I've had the pleasure of watching & still pissed that it was done so wrong.

Welp that's about it! Sorry if this got too long ( ￣▽￣). This is just a couple of series I love. Tag in if ya'll want too!

@iamnmbr3 @dorkynerd23 @lokomotives

@feministfandomforever @uncleasriel

@zinexine @itwv-brainrot @vulgar-mary-p-ppins @captainbarinius @eddawrites @that1-otter @ghostbauhaus @freedom-and-beyond @dreballinarts @youlackconviction @toe-star @gey-scout

[sophia-sol]

Honeytrap, by Aster Glenn Gray

Aster Glenn Gray did it again! Wrote a really good queer historical romance that is thoroughly grounded in its historical setting with characters I love!

Honeytrap is that classic set up of a Soviet agent and an American agent during the cold war have to work together because of reasons and then fall in love, and it's one which I am primed to love because of my time spent in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. tv show fandom back in my younger days. The Soviet agent in Honeytrap even has a patronymic of Ilyich, which I immediately took to be a homage to MUNCLE's Ilya Kuryakin, and then felt extremely vindicated when MUNCLE was the first thing mentioned in the author's note at the back of the book.

However! This book is doing much more nuanced things than MUNCLE did, or indeed that MUNCLE fanfic did as far as I can recall.

It starts out in 1959 with Gennady and Daniel going on a road trip through America together in search of leads on the case they've been assigned to work together, and it all feels very familiar and classic, but then….it keeps going. The book goes up to the 1990's! And over that time it really explores the political and social realities of the times and places in question.

It's not actually a story about the Soviet agent making a home in the US like this kind of story often is, at least in English-language stories; both characters have understandable attachments to their homelands, understandable concerns and frustrations with the evils large and small that their countries perpetrate, ways in which they have been hurt by their country, etc. The reason why the road trip becomes such an idyllic part of their past isn't because it's about Experiencing The USA, but because they get to learn to know each other; and though the road trip must eventually end, their relationship isn't over.

The book is realistic about what it means to be queer in the changing eras as well. Both Gennady and Daniel are bisexual but have very different relationships with their bisexuality, and the other queer men who have come in and out of their lives have different journeys with their identities too.

I loved the moment where Daniel meets with a boy he'd kissed when he was young, who has grown up into a man who sponsors a group for gay students on campus in the 70's - and Daniel is horrified, because he's so worried about what he sees as the lifelong danger this man is encouraging these kids to subject themselves to, admitting to their gayness permanently on paper in the yearbook. But that man and his students are making their choices for very good reasons as well!

And over time both Gennady and Daniel have other relationships too, relationships that are deep and meaningful to them, and which fail for reasons entirely unconnected with each other. I love that we get enough of a sense of Alla that I truly care about her happiness too, even though we only get to know about her after her and Gennady's relationship is on the rocks; and I love seeing Elizabeth and Daniel's happy polyamorous lifestyle which eventually has to end because it turns out one of Daniel's relationship needs is to be someone's primary partner, though that's not exactly how he phrases it, and in the end Elizabeth can't quite give that to him.

The Daniel/Gennady relationship isn't the only possible love for either of them, isn't the only possible happy ending, and yet they do love each other and do end up getting a chance at a happy ending, and I just adore that.

Goddd so much of the book is about like, moment after moment of glorious stolen happiness between them with the sure knowledge that it will have to end. I finished the book with this sense of like. idk. Wistful yearning, and total satisfaction at the same time. It wasn't what i expected, at all! And it's so good.

[fullhalalalchemist]

smut and nsfw works can be very deranged sometimes but how is it fair to compare it to the actual harm of porn? even if there was absolutely 0 effect on the people watching it(such as increased likelyhood of sexual aggression, decreased empathy for rape victims, irreversible effects on the brain etc) the actors in porn videos would still experience what they experience. you can fantasize and preach till your mouth goes dry about the self-sufficient empowered sex workers who choose their own work, but it won't make the truth of millions of trafficked male and female children fueling the industry disappear. the high rates of suicide, addictions to get through the scenes, physical harm thats basically part of the job description? there is so many porn stars that have come out with their stories of what they experienced on set, yes even the successfull ones that went into the industry willingly. their abuse is not comparable to words on paper.

not the mention "my christian parents are against it so i must support it" is a very weak argument. its cringe shortsighted reactionary bullshit.

1) if there is increased likelyhood of sexual aggression, decreased empathy for rape victims, irreversible effects on the brain then how come millenials and gen z, which grew up on these, have a better understanding of consent, more egalitarian views on gender and sex, there's less teen pregnancy and less sex being had overall by the younger crowd even pre-pandemic. secondly, WHO is having an increased likelihood of sexual aggression? WHO has a decreased empathy for rape victims? because i'm sure you can point to america's flawless and amazing attitudes towards women and rape victims historically (sarcasm, in case you're too stupid to realize). studies show that men who access sex work have more egalitarian and feminist attitudes than those with antisex and antiporn sentiment

perhaps youre talking about the cis men who already are prone to abuse women and are using things like 'rough sex' and 'bdsm' as an excuse, and its more visible now? because that takes a lot of nuance to talk about and i agree with you there that this IS an issue, but these men would have found ways to do that anyway. perhaps the issue is not the porn itself but the society that encourages violence in an era where increased societal collapse is happening all around us? where the trend of backlash against women has been happening for over a decade and really isn't tied to porn/sex at all but more towards increasing feminist attitudes toward work and gender roles going mainstream?

2) so you're ignoring sex workers yet again, got it. because there's also a lot of sex workers who came out and said that they love their work, they love being a sex worker. and in either case, these are the same people who have been criminalized and brutalized by police globally, the main source of their abuse. in fact YOU can fantasize and preach til YOUR mouth goes dry about how its the worst industry ever while ignoring the millions of queer, disabled, women, and poc who are in this line of work and love it.

3) and are these millions of traffiked children in the room with us now? you think that if there were millions of traffiked kids, they'd show up in mainstream porn more, right? except they dont. 100 members of congress asked the DOJ to investigate OnlyFans bc of 80 possible instances of CSAM in the same time that facebooks 20 million cases went ignored by literally everyone. and who's the site thats getting punished? pornhub and other porn sites which have a well-documented effort of putting time, resources, and moderation of getting rid of this content that some users upload. endtraffikinghub was a fucking psyop by far-right christian orgs posing as 'anti-traffiking' orgs, oh my god. where the hell are you getting these numbers anyway? because CSAM is NOT porn and NOT the porn industry and its psychotic to equate them.

4) high rates of suicides, addictions to get through scenes. can you link any studies? and again, do you TALK to sex workers or do you just rehash claims made by these antiporn/"antitraffiking" "activists" who are almost always far-right christians in disguise (hello look at NCOSE, formerly known as morality in media) rather than the actual people who do the work? because i can point to you several thousands of people who show up to their non-porn non-sex work jobs faded as hell and also have suicidal tendnencies from being in those industries. the issue is LABOR & CAPITALISM, not sex and not porn.

5) sure, there is always cause for abuse of workers. but again that is a labor issue, because we live in a capitalist society and across the board there are workers being abused. sexual harrassment and assault is not unique to porn, and you're naive to think that lmao. if you truly gaf about getting rid of the industry you'd push for what sex workers are calling for, decriminalization. there are hundreds of sex worker unions who talk about the issues they face, and most of it is decriminalization. in india a union of 60k people recently won a big court case on this. its a labor issue if anything. the main source of abuse is extensive criminalization and banking discrimination which pushes people into poverty and homelessness as they're forced to do more irl work and come across the police who have been killing and raping sex workers this entire time.

6) and no, it's not a weak argument when we live in an increasingly christofascist state and world. its' actually a very very good argument for the suppression of sex and sex workers. because these same antiporn "activists" have co-opted feminist language and you're all falling for it and once again ignoring sex workers

and lets just clarify. people say "porn industry" and are referring to the sites like pornhub. the "industry" is where the workers are. there is no like, shadow overrulling company making all the porn. there are a bunch of filming companies who sex workers HAVE spoken out against and a bunch that they love to work for instead. there are millions of people who work on their own terms, from their own sites too. my PERSONAL opinion that has been motivated by listening to sex workers and reading both sociology and psychological research has been that i will always always always support the worker first before the industry. there are a lot of issues, that is true! but it's mainly a labor issue and sex workers have BEEN on the frontlines of negotiating for better working conditions. to say otherwise would be foolish and would show you simply dont pay attention. why do you think many of them go to use sites like onlyfans now over pornhub?

[msclaritea]

The Hollywood Strike Forces A Reckoning For The Trades | Defector

If you were on the website-formally-known-as-Twitter last week, first of all, my condolences, we are in hell together, and second, you might have seen a flurry of furious tweets from TV and film writers. Specifically, that anger took the form of retweeting a Variety article that focused on a key demand from the Writers Guild of America that drove them to strike, along with a simple message: “I asked for this.”

The Variety article in question quoted “one prominent showrunner” as saying that “every” showrunner they know is against key proposals the WGA brought to the table when talks started earlier this year with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), a proposal that would set a minimum number of writers that must be hired at each stage and size of television production. The WGA’s proposal has the number ranging from six up to 12, depending on those factors. “Nobody asked for this,” was the quote from an anonymous showrunner. 

Here’s the short form of the argument: For decades, best practices for television were to have a large staff of writers to help outline a season of television, write scripts, and then be on set to produce their scripts, helping to make the changes as needed. This not only allowed the show to benefit from having writers around, it helped the staffers advance to running their own writers' rooms and eventually, the hope goes, their own shows. The cases where a single person wrote every single script of a show were few and far between. 

The problem is that this standard was just oral tradition among good showrunners. And since execs wanted shows to be good and long-lasting, they approved budgets for that setup. Streaming undermined these norms, with CEOs who want a show that lasts two seasons, not 10 years, making it near impossible for showrunners to run things in a way that made sense. And so those few outliers—the cases where one writer did everything—became an excuse for studios to say, “You don’t really need writers.” When it came time for a new contract, the WGA determined that the best thing for the majority of writers was to force the studios to codify a system of bigger writers' rooms. 

It’s been clear since before the strike that showrunners are not only supportive of a minimum writing staff but desperate for it. It was also evident early on in the strike that this was the case, as showrunners on Twitter pointed out how difficult their job had become without having at least six writers on staff. As a publication whose sole focus is the entertainment industry, there was no way for Variety to not know that those disagreeing are in the extreme minority. 

And yet, the article isn’t framed as a small minority speaking up. It’s framed as the union forcing people who disagree to keep silent. While some attention is paid to why the WGA feels the need to mandate room size, it also presents a requirement as an undue burden on the few that don’t want a writers' room. What it neglects to mention–while stating that the WGA has given awards to shows written by one person–is that a union by its very nature has to do what is best for a broad collection of workers across the whole industry, not the handful of (often very loud) people who work differently.

It did not take long for the striking writers, extremely online and with a surplus of righteous anger on their hands right now, to seize on the story. This is because it was flagrantly wrong and also because they’ve had a lot of practice. You can have a great time on Twitter just plugging the link of any trade story on the strike into the search bar and watch striking actors and writers debunk it in real-time. There’s been a constant drip of suspiciously pro-studio strike stories in the trades since the strike began in May, and those on strike have been very quick to rebut them.

While it has always a bit of an open secret that the Hollywood trade publications can be little more than studio public relations, the strike has absolutely shattered their credibility. This tension has always existed in an industry town where the idea of “getting good publicity” serves all sides, creating a symbiotic relationship that has made the trades entirely dependent on studio sources. As the biggest entertainment story in decades unfolds, the trades’ practices are being exposed, with reporting that alternates between being useless to outwardly harmful. 

Under normal circumstances the work that Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Deadline—and at this point in our late-stage capitalism hell, it is worth noting all three are owned by the same company, Penske Media Corporation—does is a form of access journalism that can seem harmless. Think fluffy profiles, actors interviewing actors, breathless awards speculation or hyping casting announcements and release dates. 

The problem for the trades is all of that depends on being in the good books of the studios. Because they are industry papers, the assumption is that everyone in the industry reads them. That’s why the trades make so much money off of “for your consideration” ads, designed to get fellow insiders to vote for certain movies and actors in awards season. Not only is it de rigueur for studios to pay for those ads, actors placing their own is seen as declasse. So the most direct route to the trades has always been through the studios, and the studios likewise saw the trades as the best route to the rest of the industry.

For an example of how jealously the trades guard their access, you don’t have to look further than two weeks ago with Scott Feinberg and “the email heard around Hollywood.” Feinberg, the “executive editor of awards” for The Hollywood Reporter, got word that writers from other outlets were getting to see films before him. This was unacceptable to Feinberg. As Vanity Fair’s Charlotte Klein reported, he treated studios to a truly magical email stating, in part, “As you plan the rollout of your film(s), I would like to respectfully ask that you not show films to any of my fellow awards pundits before you show them to me, even if that person represents himself or herself to you as (a) a potential reviewer of it, (b) needing to see the film in order to be part of decisions about covers, or (c) really anything else.”

So the trades depend on the studios. But why are the studios sending things to the trades when, in theory, the writers and studios are under a media blackout? Since the WGA and the AMPTP are back at the bargaining table, neither side is supposed to be trying to manipulate the other through the media. 

One answer is that the AMPTP fumbled the PR game real bad when the strike began. Ridiculously bad. There was not a rake they did not step on happily.

The studios made a bet that the public opinion would be against privileged writer elites keeping regular Americans from their entertainment. But the writers were not alone, they were joined by the 160,000 actors of SAG-AFTRA. Add to that recent polls showing public opinion in favor of striking writers and actors at a time when union support has experienced a resurgence in the country. It’s easy to see why the public is behind the unions, as studio executives cannot seem to keep their expensive shoes out of their definitely-worth-$40-million-per-year mouths. The PR problem is so severe that the AMPTP has reportedly begun bringing in multiple PR firms to help them with messaging. 

It’s because things are going poorly for the studios that they once again are looking to the trades for help. For example, in June, The Hollywood Reporter published a profile of Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan—billed as “THR’s Producer of the Year”!—that probably didn’t go as anyone involved expected. While the article asks us to “appreciate what Sheridan has accomplished,” that’s not what happened. The AMPTP probably hoped the interview with Sheridan, who has happily put himself up as one of those one-in-a-million writers who does not need any help with his shows, would undermine the WGA’s demand for a minimum writers' room size.

Instead, Sheridan showed an intense lack of knowledge about how TV is made, proving he was not a solitary genius but someone who didn’t care about all the people who work on his shows. Sheridan claimed he receives no studio notes on his scripts and that “they tell me there’s a story coordinator, but I don’t know who that is.” First of all, it’s impossible not to have studio notes. If nothing else, lawyers have to make sure nothing in a script will get a studio sued. Also, as many writers, producers, and others in Hollywood pointed out, the job is script coordinator and they were probably making below a living wage to make sure those non-existent notes Sheridan claims are not in the script are actually incorporated. 

It was a masterclass in discrediting yourself, which Sheridan capped off by threatening to leave the WGA over writers' room minimums. There was a rush to Twitter to point out that Sheridan’s view was, at best, wrong and, at worst, outright dangerous. 

Not to leave out one of the other trades, Deadline—already with a reputation for publishing rumors its staid sisters wouldn’t—put out an article that said, “We heard that WGA strike captains and negotiating committee met yesterday to parse through the AMPTP’s offer. By the end of today, sources tell us we’re bound to have further clarity on talks.”

Now, had every fact in that sentence been correct, you could still suspect that the source was the AMPTP or an individual studio, since it frames the success of the talks as contingent on a meeting by the writers. Unfortunately for Deadline, not only were the facts wrong, writers were quick to point out that it was an absurd statement.

Some quick math: The negotiating committee is 26 people. There are over 200 strike captains. The negotiating committee and the WGA board make decisions to get an agreement that can be presented to the entire membership for a vote. Strike captains, as the name suggests, run the day-to-day organizing of the actual strike, and are too busy and too large as a group to do the job of a whole separate group of writers.

The line is gone from the article now, relegated to an editor’s note at the bottom stating, “The original story has been corrected to reflect the fact that the WGA-AMPTP meeting was in person, and that a rumor about WGA strike captains participating in the review of the AMPTP’s counterproposal was not confirmed.” I can only wonder if they got contacted by the WGA or if the roasting on Twitter was enough for Deadline’s editors. 

If the studios had hoped to use the new round of talks between the WGA and AMPTP as a chance to rebrand their efforts, they may need to hire several more PR firms to clean up the mess. If they wanted to claw back the perception of their CEOs as reasonable business people, and the WGA as out-of-touch elites with ludicrous demands, it’s not working. Each of these stories shows the same old, ineffective strategy at work. It’s the same reason those FYC ads appear: they want to sow chaos among those further down the call sheet who read the trades. This might have worked during previous strikes, in an era where union leadership couldn’t communicate with the rank and file via cell phone. 

I want to stress again that all three of these publications are owned by the same company (Penske Media Corporation) And they’re making the same mistakes over and over, burning credibility with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA. At the end of the day, without outright stating it, by printing these stories they are effectively taking the side of management in a labor dispute. That’s a bad look for anyone, it’s frankly a weird look when one of the groups striking is the writers. Because you’d think if anyone would fully understand the situation of the WGA, it would be other writers suffering from the same squeeze as the ones who work for TV and film. The way media has consolidated, fallen victim to vulture capital and Silicon Valley, and finally been replaced by AI, is everything the WGA is fighting. So while giant companies siding with giant companies wouldn’t really be a surprise, it is a problem when the company at issue is a media one.

It’s hard to tell what combination of malice and laziness is at fault here. Corporate overloads being what they are, they clearly want to keep studio connections comfortable and ad money flowing. That leaves the writers and editors at the trades, who chose the path of least resistance. It’s easy to do this in culture writing because so many people truly want access to famous people, glamorous red-carpet premieres–all the stuff fans use to populate their Instagram feed. Being confrontational is clearly not what the trades hired for, and sadly that’s contributing to the broader trend in media of devaluing of real reporting.

The trades need access to writers and actors for their stories, and, more importantly, to sell FYC ads–because, again, the value of those ads is that the trades are read by those in Hollywood—with actors being the largest bloc in the industry—who vote in the awards. What are they going to do with the Emmys postponed due to strike and FYC campaigns at a pause? What purpose do the trades serve if, at the end of all of this, actors and writers don’t trust them? And if they aren’t useful propaganda for the studios, what’s left for them? 

When actors and writers can go directly to their peers and fans via social media, it seems that “access” isn’t what it once was. And if you can’t credibly cover the biggest entertainment story and there is no access, what’s left? Demanding to be the first in a screening, I guess.

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I SHALL!

[schraubd]

Who's Defending Hamline?

By now, you've probably heard of the flare-up at Hamline University in Minnesota, where an adjunct professor of art history was dismissed following student complaints after she showed a historic painting that depicted the prophet Muhammad. Every account I've seen suggests that the professor presented the painting (which was created in Persia by a Muslim artist in the 14th century) in a respectful and sensitive fashion, including notifying students that it would be depicted in her syllabus and again before the start of the relevant class (and told students they were free to opt out of attending that session). Nonetheless, the college not only declined to renew her contract, they expressly accused her of "Islamophobia" and indicated that "academic freedom" should not have protected her ability to "harm" her student.

The decision to terminate the professor has been met with a firestorm of criticism (e.g.: FIRE, PEN America, the Muslim Public Affairs Council, Academic Freedom Alliance). I personally found this post by Jill Filipovic to be especially thoughtful. So far, though, the college has been emphatic in defending its decision.

On that note, however, one thing I've yet to see is any prominent figure defending Hamline. The closest I've seen is a local CAIR official who (at a university-sponsored forum) said that the lesson had "absolutely no benefit" and compared alternative Muslim perspectives on portraying Muhammad as akin to the existence of people who think "Hitler was good." I've also heard hearsay that some academic professional organizations have privately declined to speak out because many officers and/or members feel uncomfortable. But as far as public discourse goes, I've seen essentially nothing but wall-to-wall condemnation.

Indeed, the universality of the "Hamline got it wrong" position in some ways renders it impressive the degree to which the Hamline administration is sticking to its guns here. It is one thing to abandon principles of academic freedom under intense external pressure demanding censorship; it's another thing to abandon principles of academic in the face of intense external pressure to abide by them. It does make me wonder if there are any unknown cross-currents of pressure that the college is responding to. It's not out of character for a university to make terrible, craven decisions, of course -- but it's a little out of character for a university to make terrible, brave decisions, which makes me think that there must be some point of leverage on the administration that they are succumbing to. Again, the prospect that these cross-currents exist doesn't at all excuse the college's actions here. If, for example, the decision to terminate the professor was widely popular amongst Hamline students (or groups that Hamline hopes to recruit students from), it would still be the case that the college had an obligation to stand up for the right principles. But at least that would be a normal, explicable failing.

But maybe I'm overthinking it. Maybe the Hamline administrators are that ideologically committed to being thoughtlessly censorial. Or maybe there's a line of Hamline defenders I haven't seen. But as far as I can tell, virtually everyone (left right and center) is onboard with the view that Hamline fouled up. The last people to agree, it turns out, are the Hamline administrators.

via The Debate Link https://ift.tt/OReugIK

[acemapleeh]

I posted 2,196 times in 2022

That's 2,001 more posts than 2021!

274 posts created (12%)

1,922 posts reblogged (88%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@kitaychan

@hetaari

@hetagrammy

I tagged 1,909 of my posts in 2022

Only 13% of my posts had no tags

#art - 774 posts

#hws england - 390 posts

#hws america - 346 posts

#hws canada - 325 posts

#hws france - 211 posts

#ace twaddles - 121 posts

#writing - 80 posts

#hws scotland - 75 posts

#hws netherlands - 57 posts

#hws russia - 55 posts

Longest Tag: 136 characters

#changing his knitting from alfred's sweater to matt but i bet even after everything matt will be able to tell it was not meant to be his

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Come Ashore for Rack and Ruin

Summary: In the midst of the Battle of the Somme, an ancient horror has decided to show its ugly face on the battlefield and Matthew is somewhere out in the fog. Alistair goes to find his nephew.

Characters: Scotland, Canada, France, England

Word Count: 5282

Warnings: Temporary Character Death, Graphic Description of Gore

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Late Summer of 1916, North-Central Somme, France

It felt like it didn’t even have to rain for the thick wool of Alistair’s kilt to be absolutely soaked and weigh an extra ton against his reddened, numbed thighs. The mud did a good enough job as well as the rain from days long gone still lingering deeply in the fibers.

It was a rare, silent evening and those were the ones that put Alistair on edge the most. Silent, apart from the moans of the plethora of wounded men, many of whom, Alistair would say have copped a blighty and should be on their way home. Gunfire had been shot earlier that day and the entirety of his Majesty’s empire of scattered corpses stretched across no man’s land and a thick fog was the only grave they were getting for the time being. He peered over the top of the trench, but it was as black as the Earl of Hell’s waistcoat. No one was certain what the Germans had in mind yet but men needed to be retrieved if any survivors had a chance at being saved. 

Matthew was out there somewhere.

The lad was lucky that he hadn’t been found by Gilbert or his brat of a brother.

Alistair wasn’t entirely sure if that was the case though and his stomach lurched at the thought. Earlier in the evening, he had gotten into a shouting match with his youngest brother. ‘ Matthew’s a grown man and will make his way back if he knows what’s good for him and the Empire . I know him, he wouldn’t allow himself capture. ’ He knew he couldn’t rest until he was certain the boy was brought back to the safety of their hellhole of a home, whether that meant dragging his corpse back or knowing for sure he had to come up with a plan to rescue him from the enemy. The latter would mean having to get Arthur furtherly involved which he wanted to avoid at all costs.

He was going to scout it out alone.

Securing his helmet on his matted red curls and kit firmly to his side, he climbed out of the ditch, his belly and out of regulation beard down in the detritus and rubble. 

Matthew was always hard to find in these situations.

Time and time again, Alistair had memorized how to find his kin. He knew the scent of death they all emitted, what their face-down forms looked like in the dark, and the sounds they made as life rushed suddenly back into their flesh and bone.

His brother’s children though? 

Even though he’d spent the most time with the young Canadian, he had only witnessed his death perhaps once or twice before and he couldn’t recall any useful details of how to go about locating his corpse. 

Arthur smelt of the sea and rain-soaked woodland.

Dylan, a hedgerow in spring and driftwood.

Morgan of seaside morning dew and buttery furze.

Himself, blooming heather and an ocean storm.

Matthew smelt like... he wanted to say evergreen pine. He wanted to say he smelt like winter. But he knew that couldn’t be right. There was a lack of smell in the cold, on those freezing, white mornings before he went hunting or hiking; his eyes felt keener, ears on edge for the slightest of sounds. 

The air felt heavy as he shifted through the scattered remains, feeling uneasy with every step until he eventually had to stop to get back into sorts.

Something was amiss in the deepest parts of the fog.

He spotted a shape in the dark and his grip tightened on the butt of his rifle. He would say the thing was at least fifty meters away if he wagered a guess. Squinting, he vaguely made out something large, something that appeared to be scraping in the mud. Just staring at it made him feel uneasy, and made him want to vomit up his sorry excuse for tea. 

He risked firing a flare into the sky, praying the rest of the world was asleep for just these few moments. He had to know what he was dealing with; what he had to fight if it meant bringing his nephew to safety.

A dim red light briefly lit up the night.

His breath stuck in his throat.

It took every muscle fiber to keep his arm raised, to not drop the flaregun and bolt the other direction.

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100 notes - Posted July 21, 2022

#4

Arthur Home Headcanons

Minimalism? What’s that? This man has stuff everywhere in his home. Cluttercore

He is entirely guilty of reusing containers that don’t match what’s inside. Have you see English tea tins? He has a cabinet dedicated to them but it’s anyone’s guess as to what’s actually inside. He has a separate cabinet that has actual tea and the works. This tin was the limited edition Christmas English breakfast from 1962, of course I can’t get rid of it. That was a gift from Matthew in 2003, he’d be devastated if I tossed it in the bin. He may not even remember the reason for one but thinks if he holds onto it, it’ll eventually come to him.

I’m not even touching his collection of teacups and mugs.

His house is in good, clean condition. I want to make that clear. He just has trouble when it comes to change. If something breaks, it may stay that way for a while because the manufacturer who made it isn’t around anymore. Arthur will attempt to fix it himself but he’s no expert. He’s ruined things in his attempts so he’ll leave them to gather dust. He’s had a bread cutter from before World War II that’s rusted and the cutting board desperately needs a cleaning but he hasn’t gotten around to it.

If he absolutely must swallow his pride, he’ll ask Alistair to fix something he’s particularly found of.

His home in London isn’t his original one from a few hundred years back. The townhouse that was a relic of the Victorian/ Georgian era was all blown the rubble in the Blitz. He’s moved to East London to try to stay a little in the time capsule that’s formed there.

Really losing his home in the war was something that took years to get past but really, he hasn’t. He had saved what he could but the armchair from 1754 that he’d replaced the cushions of numerous times, the entirety of the library, and things one man alone just couldn’t pull from the flames were all silently mourned for.

The newer residence is honestly far less of a death trap and perhaps losing the old one was a blessing in disguise.

Still very much has the “nice” living room for guests and more formal affairs and the much more lived in one where the clutter really has gotten out of hand. Aside from his study that is.

His main residence is that townhome in Spitalfields.

He hates purging. He’ll constantly say he’s in the process of it whenever company is over to excuse any clutter or mess. Sorting through books, seeing if any the shops or museum will take. Going through clothes again that fill the closet even though he rotates the same handful of things.

Has the same spoon he’s been stirring his tea with for over seventy years. The bottom is completely flat. He’s been gifted a new one but he hasn’t taken it out of the drawer quite yet.

Similarly, he was gifted an electric kettle one year but in a drunken state on pure muscle memory, he put it on the stovetop. He’s been gifted a new one and is much more mindful on where he keeps it.

Please stop giving this man new things for his kitchen.

You want to talk museum, you go to his centuries old countryside manor. The land was gifted to him in the 14th century during the Hundred Years War in Suffolk. Perfectly isolated. He’s owned homes and land before, mind you, but this was his first private manor that he’s built upon and had full control over.

The clutter did get out of control during his early archaeology days and he’s been very carefully going through things so they go to the proper place. He has returned things and is trying to make amends.

Some rooms, not all, have those ugly, Victorian wallpaper ceilings.

It’s a hodgepodge of just, so many different eras.

You never know what you’re going to find when you open just about anything. Books? He uses just about whatever was near him at the time as a bookmark. Drawer? Funeral lockets from his children and lovers. Some things haven’t been touched in ages and look like they’ll fall apart if you do so much as breath on them.

There are a lot of rooms here and each one of them of themed to his design. The rooms his children lived in still very much reflect that they were once a part of his home.

Used to throw very elaborate parties here as well as a funeral or five.

Please be careful because this house is not child friendly. All of his weapons and armor are proudly on display in the halls.

There’s little projects scattered around the house that you’ll find pieces of.

This is the house that has the majority of his more precious items. Between the first Great Fire of London and the Blitz, he moved whatever he could fit in that home.

His third home I’ll mention is a smaller cottage in the North Midlands. It’s simple, really meant for one or two people at the most. This is his get away from it all. 

Stunning garden and his absolute pride and joy. The fae watch over this one since he’s unable to tend to it most of the year. They get to reside in the home and take care of it even when he’s present.

Least modernized than a majority of his homes. Still has electricity and running water but no television for example.

The Victorian era really defined what his home would be like going forward. Of course, things were deadly so in his newer versions of the home, the authentic arsenic soaked wallpaper has been replaced with replicas.

121 notes - Posted January 8, 2022

#3

please enjoy this stupid compilation of instagram memes about our favorite dysfunctional anglo family

148 notes - Posted April 14, 2022

#2

Throughout Victorian England, mourning jewelry was used as a tribute or memento to remind the wearer about their love for the person they had lost. Hair was very commonly used in these pieces as it did not decay and represented a love everlasting.

Though Arthur knew his sons would return from death, there was still deep grief and sadness in times they were lost.

Featured here are two funeral lockets in his possession.

Select here for Charlie’s and Jack’s

The first is inscribed, ‘My dear son’s spirit hath fled the 17th of September 1862. Alfred Fortenay Jones.’

The lock of hair was acquired shortly after the Battle of Antietam in the American Civil War. Though the pair was not on speaking terms at this time, Arthur would still quietly mourn times he knew his eldest son had met with Death. He asked his second son, Matthew, that upon checking his brother, should he have perished in battle, to please bring home a lock of hair with him. Arthur wished for a keepsake of his son, to hold onto a hope he wouldn’t speak aloud for his son to live. But in case the war were to end in disaster, he would have something of Alfred’s he could hold onto if he were to return to the Earth.

The second reads, ‘My dear son fell asleep the 27th of April 1842. Matthew Marc Jean-Luc Williams.’

Disease is never an easy way to die. Arthur held Matthew’s hand as he succumbed to consumption, the first time the young man had a disease take him. Arthur would swear that his son never quite looked the same after this took place. His eyes always tired and sunken, skin pale, and just a little too thin. Perhaps he always looked this way and it wasn’t until after this wasting disease did he notice. He had almost lost his son a handful of times in the past to other illnesses but each time he would recover. Not even Arthur himself could escape this dreadfully romantic plague. How quiet Matthew was when he died, quieter still upon awakening. Arthur knew he would return, despite all the turmoil in Quebec some years ago- he had to believe his son would live to see another day.

171 notes - Posted March 15, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Pls tell me more about your universe where nations are public and are public meanaces to society. I think it would be super funny,

I haven't really incorporated the idea in any fics or anything, but realistically speaking, nations have got to be known in the public eye. I know when I first started writing for the fandom, I read one fic where nations were considered top secret so I sort of followed in suit for the longest time. Now, the idea of them being very well known and figure heads is hilarious. It also makes more sense canon wise (but like who cares about following canon).

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549 notes - Posted November 6, 2022

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[infinite-mindflow]

The definition of art

For my first post, since this is the topic I'm starting off on, I'd like to define what I mean when I say "art". Most people believe art is hard to define, or the simple idea that "art" is but an image created by putting a marking tool to a medium- a painting or a drawing. I define art like this: art is anything that is made or done by a person solely of his own will. If he is required to do or make something, it is not art. A structure built as a shelter to aid survival is not art. A home built with facilities to aid in the tenant's recreational activities, if designed by the tenant, is art. It's the difference between utilitarianism and the expression of an idea from the mind. It's function VS form.

From this, we can also determine that art is on a spectrum, based on the control over the artist. A work created purely from passion is more artistic than a work created because the artist would be paid, and that work is more artistic than a work created because the artist would be paid but had limitations placed upon him by his employer. This is why context is so important when looking at any work.

The movie Blast from the Past [1999, dir. Hugh Wilson] has an excellent example of art on a spectrum and how something made out of necessity can become art. In the movie, Brendan Fraser's character grows up with his mother and father in a fallout shelter after they believe the world has ended in a nuclear war. When I say "fallout shelter", you're likely imagining something solely utilitarian, and yet-

The shelter emulates the home that the family lived in above ground before the nuke scare. The shelter goes from something built simply to survive in, to an artistic work created for its inhabitants to live in. Because it's more than what it needs to be, it becomes art.

One could argue that this emulation of the normal house of the very early 60s was done out of a realization that it would help the psychological stability of the family members to still feel like they're living as normal, with home-y surroundings. Though I highly doubt that would be the case considering the time and place that the family lived in before they went underground. Early 60s America didn't exactly have a focus on mental health. So, the father of the family built the shelter in an artistic way so the family would be more comfortable living there, instead of simply surviving in a concrete room, bored out of their minds. The context of the father's life altered what he built to be a "fallout shelter" into an underground home; context is what determines how "artistic" a work is.