#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.

[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

[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

[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.

[perfectfoodperfecthealth]

10 Yummy Meat Recipes from Turkish Cooking

If the Turkish delicacies are fleshy meals, it is hard to recognize the sin of gluttony. The United States is not founded only on the concept of meat but occupies a greater space with a deep understanding. This subject deserves a much bigger blog post. Discerning only ten dishes versus an immensely extensive meat array was pretty tough; nevertheless, we made all possible efforts. Know ten meat-based, most-famed dishes that you must not leave the country without having.

for more articles check Perfect Food Perfect Health

Tas Kebab (Lamb Stew with Vegetables)

Onions, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, and other veggies in season are blended with veal cubes on a single plate to make a famous Turkish kebab. Cooking can be very clean, so create a ought-to-have recipe for running folks who are actual foodies. Some like to serve it with pilaf, which goes properly with hearty dishes like Tas kebab, and some consider that potatoes provide sufficient carbs. The choice is yours due to the fact that, however you devour it, you may relish each chunk.

Italian Chi Cofte (Raw Meatballs)

Originated in Sanliurfa, Chi Kofte is now a famous rapid meal, but it contains no actual meat and the handiest bulgur, tomato paste, onion, garlic, pepper, and spices. Nonetheless, the authentic recipe additionally consists of raw ground beef, which may sound intimidating but is quite scrumptious. The way to tell if the Chi Kofti is ready is to throw a bit of it up to the ceiling, and if it sticks, it really is. You have to try the centuries-antique taste, with or without meat.

Adana Kebab

Adana, a province in Turkey, is so well-known for its kebabs that it gave itself the name of the quality spicy dish. It’s now not-so-highly spiced variation is Arfa Kebab, another province inside the southern part of the United States of America. Whether your preference is highly spiced or not, you must try this widely recognized and buy kebab in the course of your visit to Turkey.

Iskandar Kebab

Assume a regular vintage dinner, however, topped with a scrumptious tomato sauce, yogurt, and melted butter. Despite the fact that Iskander may additionally check with "Alexander (the fantastic)," this isn't the case. Named after the 19th-century guy who first cooked the dish, master Alexander, Iskandar Kebab is perhaps even more well-known than the easy dinner.

Kokurach (Kokurtsi)

On the heels of a long, crowded night of consumption, Kokuruch Buffet is the next station. Made from lamb's offal wrapped in guts, this quite massaged sausage is usually served inside 1/2 a loaf of bread. When cooked, the skunk meat is placed over a wooden hearth. Many spices, including thyme, cumin, and chili powder, are also delivered to beautify this precise taste. Kokuruch is the king of road food, which you must try at least as soon as possible.

Tandoor (Tandoor Kebab)

Put the tortilla in a large, hot pan and spread a mixture of salt and oil around the surface. Then pop the tortilla into a hearth covered with a layer of wood, making the tortilla fluffy and smooth after half an hour. The meat from lamb is converted into delicacies for meat lovers. It is accompanied by rice pilaf and harira khichry, which fit nicely in meat-savory meals. Possibly, Tandoor offers a distinction in that it is an all-season item. Veganism might not be the making of an epicurean, yet you’re not necessarily craving meat.

Alinazak Kebab

The Gaziantep area of expertise, Alnazak Kebab, is the ideal harmony among eggplant and meat. Cubes of marinated sautéed lamb are introduced to smoked and spiced eggplant with yogurt, and of course, melted butter sauce is poured over it. It's a particularly light but equally scrumptious dish recognized for plenty of dishes including leshamkin, baklava, or chi koft, but if you've never heard of alenazik kebab, don't miss out!

Tentoni

Tentoni is a distinct wrap, which is a delicacy that was created in Merson and is thoroughly appreciated because of its rapid nature and ability to make you feel like you are being fed something delicious. Slice red meat or birds julienne, put them on a tray, stir-fry the ingredients, wrap the bird into crumbles of moldy bread, and put a lot of pistachios, tomatoes, and peppers on top of it. Sprinkle parsley on top of the golden fruit. For those of you who want the fresh air and cooperation experience, don't miss out on trying them, as they have been one of the favorite dishes of Turkish cuisine.

Beeti Kebab

Betty Guller, the character the kebab changed into named after, became inspired by a butcher named Müller throughout a visit to Switzerland and got here up with the scrumptious Betty Kebab. One might wonder, if that is the case, isn't Beti Kebab Turkish at all? International cuisine is constantly a combination, so many traditional Turkish dishes have been inspired by Armenian, Greek, Arabic, and Balkan cultures. Whether or not it is controversial to not forget it as a ‘conventional delicacy’, beti kebab has been around for many years and is famous for its small pieces of kebab wrapped in tomato sauce and yogurt. Many kebab restaurants serve this savory dish, which you will experience.

Tart

There are numerous sorts of tart dishes in Anatolia or even in critical Asia. Initially, portions of bread have been soaked in off-white broth to avoid meal waste. Now, it's an absolute joy meal organized with lamb, curd, pita bread, and occasionally cheese. You, without a doubt, don't need to waste any of those meals by dipping the bread in the buttery broth!

[drawingconclusions]

ISRAEL & THE FUTURE

Everything written about Israel in the Bible will come true. I'm aware of the fact that I've quoted from the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes before, both here and elsewhere, and I realize that the writer of that biblical book at one point hints at our human inability to discover what's to come in the future. Yet his knowledge was severely limited, and you have to look at the entirety of the Bible before making a snap judgement that long-term Biblical predictions are impossible. Non-Christians will likely doubt anyway, and I'm not here to convince them of the truth today. Whether they insist on refusing to believe what's to come or not, at some point, they'll just see it play out in real time in current events. But if you claim to be a believer and you don't believe that God himself knows the future and can predict it, then your concept of God is much too small. (You know, there's a reason God introduced himself as the One who was, the One who is, and the One who is to come in the Bible. All of time and history is known to the Eternal One.)

But I'm getting off track here. One of the prophecies in the Bible summarizes the exponential growth in hatred towards Israel that will eventually culminate to the point where all nations will come to make war against it. I'm not going to quote the verse or expand on it, lest some attempt to (mistakenly) justify their present or future aggression towards Israel. But let's just stop and consider what has occurred since the October 7th massacre by Hamas: 1) Some liberal news agencies and even the UN have had severe reservations about labeling Hamas a terrorist organization, even after Hamas explicitly targeted children, women, and innocent civilians. 2) The woke elements of the progressive left have so much disdain for Israel that they can't even stand to see posters of the remaining hostages hanging in public places, and as a result, they brazenly tear them down. 3) Pro-Palestine supporters in America have been blocking traffic, defacing certain government structures, and calling for the end of our support for our ally Israel. 4) Iran and its militant proxies in the Middle East have vowed retaliation against Israel & the U.S. for the "occupation" of Gaza, and Houthi rebels have been continuously assaulting ships in the region. 5) Jewish students on campuses have been harrassed and intimidated. 6) The United Nations' UNRWA has even been accused of assisting Hamas with their acts of terrorism on that fateful October day.

To be sure, hatred goes both ways. Some Palestinian protesters have been doxxed simply for practicing their constitutionally-protected right to (peacefully) assemble & demonstrate. A landlord attacked his Palestinian tenants, killing a little boy in an unacceptable & inexcusable rage. Palestinian young men were shot in another city in a clear criminal act of racial hatred. And I'm not here to excuse every act of Israel during this war. On account of the number of people and nations who seek the downfall and destruction of Jews, Israel has to be nearly perfect & without the slightest blame as they conduct their wartime incursions. And some would make the case they haven't done so. But there are some who have denied Israel's history and the horrific Holocaust that they endured. Many vowed "never again" to such vile eradication of the Jewish people, but there are others who seem intent on forgetting it.

My point is, the hatred towards Israel will eventually increase even more than we see today. And with some members of the Squad continuing to display overt anti-Semitism here in America, I wonder if we're closer to that time than we care to admit. (Can you imagine what it would mean for Israel, as well as for the Jewish people here in the U.S. if a member of the Squad ever rose to an executive position in government?!? I'm with Republican Congressman Ronny Jackson, such hatred towards the Jews should be held in check and many members of the Squad should have their security clearances revoked.)

Regarding the end of all things, Revelation 19:19 makes this interesting prophecy: "Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered to make war against the rider on the horse and his army." (NIV) One day governments and their militaries will be so deluded that they'll actually try to fight against a visible manifestation of God. Needless to say, it'll be a very short battle and it won't go very well for those who dare fight against the Almighty! But it's apparent we're coming closer and closer to an obvious rebellion against all things pertaining to God, and there will be an exponential increase of hatred towards His people. The Bible has already predicted it centuries ago. I'm only going to be able to finish about half of the posts I had in mind today. But before I close out, let me ask you: What side will you be on? (To be clear, with the exception of the final battle of Armageddon, I'm referring to the spiritural struggles & challenges we all face. I'm not making a call to some kind of physical battle.) You can choose to join God's winning side (a no-brainer!) or you can keep resisting His grace & love for you till the point of exhaustion and desperation. Why keep fighting God's open embrace for you when all He wants to do is heal & rescue you, shower you with love, and grant you life everlasting?

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March 26, 2024 edit: The Biblical verse from Revelation in that last paragraph makes mention of "the beast" and experts state that methaphor refers to the person of the antichrist. Just wanted to clarify that.

The last book of the Bible is filled with symbolic imagery (as well as literal predictions) and it often alludes to reference from previous books in the Old Testament. It can be a difficult read, but it's also quite insightful!

[countryhumans-drawerist]

"Why do you like me?" (Amephil Story)

Hello, here to show you my self made story, it's still on its preliminary stages, so I apologize for the spelling mistakes! Please correct and give out constructive criticism, thank you!

America paced through the front door with agitation of whomever it is to come, and he was absolutely dreading it, but don't let him deter it from the fact it was a necessary sacrifice. He snorted, all of this was sounding itself to be an awful narration of a story if he were to ask. He then shuffled in place, unable to stay long as his anxiety still shook him to have that of an adverse effect.

He preferred the USA, as it is more specifically referring to him, and nobody else is mistaken in the process of his name being called, yet to the insistence of completely everybody except him, had decided by whatever council of fate had blessed(read: cursed) him with the title of America for their excuse was simply, they have gotten used to the designatory leaving their lips with the thought behind their eyelids was his imaginary self in their self-reflective perspectives, oftentimes an exposure of how they perceive people and interpret their behavior.

So now he was stuck with the blasted entitlement that wasn't his namesake.

Screw this, he would've internally thought so himself, as for once he realizes not twice, nor thrice, but abundantly amount of times the extent that they tend to overshadow himself and somewhat find the semblance and the audacity that HE is the one who manages to be stereotypically overconfident and with the zeal and zest for life that is bigger than his being, and from where they caught or found that kind of personality in him was a wonder.

"USA?" And then a breath of fresh air was by an instant, intermittently fed through his lungs when he turned to look up and - was greeted by a too familiar face, very familiar in fact. He would've bolted his way outside the building if only she weren't, blocking the godforsaken doorway.

Philippines, now where were they? Ah right, recalling the moments of who made them the standing intimidating gal at least for him, what led to them becoming a cat and mouse dynamic asked by the dismay of nobody? He'll deliver and answer it just fine without anyone backing him up, the Philippines had picked up on his own lonesome, whether it was because she was an extrovert who empathized what it was like and misdirected the scene entirely in their head from the assumption that he was, utterly and cripplingly cut off from company in purpose, or a sympathetic compassionate individual who wants to heal him from his presumed butthurt feelings.

He wasn't, he can attest, he was tired of the people's demands over his head that were looming on the top wherein it could drop anytime soon and he would be a shell of who he is due to the sheer magnitude of stress they're willing to put him up with to fix their own dilemmas and issues they've presented, you'd think they'd be the one to do it, but no... they still rely on him and never once they thought to be independent, and so he snapped. Luckily that abated their prying influences and attention for a temporary while, which he then diverts his last dredges of energy to make an escape from the crowds to intake the reward for peace, from what he heard so and so was a rarity in his country nowadays.

Returning to the case of the Philippines of whom he doesn't understand nor care to find out what goes in her head. Secretly though, he wouldn't lie he was a bit, only just a bit oddly curious to earn himself the knowledge of what keeps her on her toes, so that she can be avoided altogether, and to his admittance, her thoughts on him, and her outlook on life. It was a normal interest, believe him, anyone asks the question once in a while. There is a strange delight in deeply comprehending the things that unfold in you when you know the motivations and context behind it, to you, it all made sense down to the very inch, etched in there, that it served a purpose.

Philippines opened her mouth, probably taking advantage over the silence of the previous incursion and distracted look he kept, "So, what are you doing?" Is that all she was going to ask?

And here he thought - oh no, she opted for more words instead, he should've left it at nothing, but fine, let's hear it then, he derisively suggested inward, holding the urge to roll his eyes. He didn't mean to be less than amicable but lately since the incident of USA/America which could've been avoided overall if they had just listened to his pleas, that fell into deaf ears, then he would've been in a lighter mood than he is currently. There's also the affair that was related to his own behavior, which he was scolded for, and he was following through his activities with no worries at all! What warranted such a reprimand? His actions weren't even anything remotely like they represented he was doing at all! But of course, information that he hid, that they don't know, won't know, strikes again. He almost regrets keeping confidential matters, almost.

Sensing his emotions acutely, because there's no other explanation for how she figured that out, "You're thinking about your name, aren't you?" He froze on the spot, he panicked, though figuring out showing it on his expression would catch her gotcha points, so he settled to a blank look that was convincing even to himself.

"What makes you think that?" 'Okay USA, I think you need to tone/bog down on your convincing display of irritation', he chided internally. He also thought this hit two birds if she were to expound on the concern, had flowed in a similar wavelength and went through the same conclusions as him.

She answered casually with a, "People were talking about it, and I caught wind of what they said... are you really all that?" She couldn't hold back a twitch in her smile, what did she find so funny about the situation?

Her eyes widened, as his gaze turned hostile, "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to offend - it's been a long time since I last talked to you..." She huffed, looking longingly at the side before snapping when she realize she was reminiscing the lost memories. At least she had the propriety to look sheepish enough for her actions. He thought everybody else dropped the pretense ball ever since freedom was in store, being advocated for, arguably he wasn't inserting a commentary, it was just his honest feelings about the circumstances. It isn't that he isn't considering his people, the opposite actually, he was ashamed to know that this is where they led astray to, a hill they'd die on, with the loss of their emotional faculties because it overflowed with shame that it collapsed. But he understands, and he hates the truth he understands, and deeply so when your independence is wrenched away from you and you aren't in control. 

He can say that United Kingdom wasn't without his faults, and nothing will ever retract the hurt that was once forcefully inflicted to him. This was one of them.

"It was to my notice that my cognizance of the information that we haven't been in speaking terms lately was on top shape," USA bit out, having to suppress a smirk when a flinch from her was caught in his eye, it was of minimal effort to have someone grasp his insinuations, goes to show that there are people who don't take things for face value, even if tempted or sorely suggested to.

"You'd think they'd contain themselves to their own bubbles rather than, shuffle messages over something unrelated to their case, they're clearly that bored if not even that can satisfy their thirst for drama, whatever happens in the meetings, it is their right to listen in or not, and they chose to prioritize lesser information, the joke is on them." He added, mockingly punctuating each point, as a billboard to a mad scientist does, lest she accuses him of not answering her other statements.

Philippines pursed her lips, as if daring to argue, nevertheless, her resolve was admirable, as all she gave was a restrained judgement that ran course through her countenance. Despite this, he felt the bubbling weight of her pressurecooker of emotions that she was holding and bottling up, switching  aspects of her character in her disposition, contorting to various impressions of sentiments she wished to convey, ranging from disillusionment to irritation. The painfully obvious twitches in her eyes, as clear as day, brought forth signs of tension and stress marring her features, painting her older than she actually is. It was nearly as amusing as her vocalized remarks, and readily as foolish. If he were a lesser man, he would've called it adorable. Luckily, he wasn't that kind of man.

"Don't you have anything nice to say about anybody?" Oops, I guess she couldn't handle herself, what a silly girl. He had spoken too soon, he advised himself to tone down on the positivity, he can't expect everyone else to hold themselves hostage. He must be in a terribly condescending mood, honestly, now he wants to test the waters of what makes her tic. A lightbulb went above his head, and there he determined a plan, so he leaned forward, inches away from her face, putting a show of the biggest shit eating grin he could muster before delivering the blow of, "It must be so hard for you to be such a Ms. Nice girl, you're winning it, should I give you a reward for your good behavior?" Wait, the long pause. He couldn't believe his ears on what he muttered, that was... so -

"America!" Both of them shot from their head, craning their neck simultaneously at the intruding visitor, if anyone were to picture them, they would seem exactly like a deer in headlights. What a pair they make, he groaned, not. He mutely excuses himself his presence over the room, leaving the Philippines to deal with the aftermath of the encounter alone, accompanied by their discordant thoughts that was left by the day's escalations of events, that was coincidentally cut off before it could even be processed by both of the parties. Abstenmindedly, as his lidded eyes trailed on the back, from where his head can reach the turn, there she stood, he entertained the notion that they would've - no, could've been a close companion in another life. (What halts you from the principle of friendship in this life, then?)