#//and her counterarguments are all based on things we as the consumer know but not the character

[yourreddancer]

Today in Politics, Bulletin 160. 6/27/25

Today in Politics, Bulletin 160. 6/27/25 Ron Filipkowski Jun 27 ∙ … Rep. Kat Cammack went on Fox to blame Democrats because she wasn’t initially able to get treatment for her ectopic pregnancy because of FL’s abortion ban: "The left absolutely played a role in making sure that doctors and women were scared to seek out the help that they needed."

… Gov. Gavin Newsom filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox and host Jesse Watters after he showed a deceptively edited clip and made false claims about his communications with Trump. Newsom is asking for $787 million in damages, matching the massive settlement Fox paid Dominion Voting Systems in 2023 over election misinformation. However, his lawyers said they will drop the lawsuit if Fox issues a public retraction and Watters apologizes on his show.

… Newsom to Meidas: “The gloves are off. Let’s go. We’re gonna call out the bullshit, the propaganda, and the weaponization of lies and disinformation on networks like Fox, and we'll do it in every capacity on behalf of the people I represent and an individual capacity. Enough. It's time to assert ourselves much more forcefully with character and conviction and have the backs of people that don't have the voice that some of us have and the ability to do what some of us can do. And that's what this whole case is about.”

… Meanwhile, Steve Bannon was on Matt Gaetz’s show calling for Fox to be investigated by DOJ as a foreign agent: “Fox has been cheerleaders for the Iraq War and Afghanistan. It’s the Iraq War playbook. Then theys had Ukraine, and now they are very focused on Israel - an Israel-Iran war. It’s at the behest of the Israel First crowd. And Fox never put out a counterargument on any of them.”

… Trump is going after Canada again: “We have just been informed that Canada, a very difficult Country to TRADE with, has just announced that they are putting a Digital Services Tax on our American Technology Companies, which is a direct and blatant attack on our Country. Based on this egregious Tax, we are hereby terminating ALL discussions on Trade with Canada, effective immediately. We will let Canada know the Tariff that they will be paying to do business with the USA within the next seven day period. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

… CNBC: “Prices that consumers pay rose slightly in May, while the annual inflation rate edged further away from the Federal Reserve’s target. The personal consumption expenditures price index, the Fed’s primary inflation reading, rose a seasonally adjusted 0.1% for the month, putting the annual inflation rate at 2.3%.”

… Along with the inflation numbers, consumer spending and income showed further signs of weakening. Spending fell 0.1% for the month, compared with the estimate for an increase of 0.1%. Personal income declined 0.4%. It was the first monthly decline in personal income in 4 years.

… Treasury Sec Scott Bessent on Fox Business: “Q - What is the next country we should expect a trade deal to do with the US? Are you gonna be able to get some deal announcements beyond just the UK before this August deadline? BESSENT: With all things, they get done at the end. I think we could have trade wrapped up by Labor Day.”

… WH economic advisor Kevin Hassett was asked on Fox Business if there were at least the “framework” of any trade deals coming together: “They are in various stages of being done, but it's more than 20 underway.”

… That’s exactly what they have been saying for two months.

… So it’s Labor Day now. They promised 90 deals in 90 days. Today is Day 76.

… Economist Peter Schiff: “Tariffs are not working. The US trade deficit in goods surged to $96.6 billion in May, up 11% from April and 6.5% above expectations. Most problematic was the 5.2% decline in exports. Trump’s goal to reduce trade deficits while expanding markets for US exports has backfired.”

… The Guardian: “The wealth of the world’s 3,000 billionaires has surged by $6.5 trillion in real terms over the past decade, equivalent to 14.6% of global output. In total, the richest 1% of the global population has gained at least $33.9 trillion in real terms.”

… SCOTUS ruled today 6-3 that nationwide injunctions likely exceed the authority Congress has given the courts. In doing so, the Court is narrowing nationwide injunctions that blocked Trump's executive order ending birthright citizenship.

… Norm Eisen, who is involved in the lawsuits: “This is yet another compromise opinion from them that occupies a middle ground and denies the Trump admin the full extent of their lawless and authoritarian worldview. That is because for all the flaws in the decision, it leaves in place the underlying injunctions of the blatantly unconstitutional EO as to the particular plaintiffs. Moreover, it does nothing to preclude class action and other remedies that will allow full nationwide relief and that will undoubtedly be forthcoming rapidly in courts across the land.”

(A class-action was immediately filed today after the ruling)

… “So the court leaves a place for nationwide orders using other vehicles. We will continue vigorously working with our partners to make the case that birthright citizenship is of course protected by the Constitution and the Trump admin’s assaults upon it are grossly illegal. If the admin had its way, we would see a chaotic landscape of disparate decisions with regard to millions of people and babies across the country. Of course we can’t have that and the Sup Ct did not countenance it either. We will keep fighting to protect this and the other constitutional rights that make us the USA.”

… Paul McLeod with Capitol Forum says this decision cuts both ways: “Basically everything Biden tried to do - ban noncompete agreements, student debt forgiveness, cracking down on payday lenders, etc. - was immediately blocked by nationwide injunctions from the Fifth Circuit. The next Democratic president may have just been unshackled.”

… Constitutional lawyer George Conway summed the decision up this way: “It’s more like going to the DMV and being told you filled out the wrong form and them telling you here’s the right form and there are some pens over there you can use.”

… SCOTUS also ruled today that public schools must allow parents with religious objections to withdraw their children from classes where LGBTQ themes are discussed.

… Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD): "If you can opt out of mandatory classroom readings because it offends your religious objections, you can do it because it offends your philosophical beliefs, your political beliefs, your moral beliefs, and the Court basically says, 'We'll deal with all that down the road' - you're gonna have a lot more cases where people are saying 'Our family doesn't believe in evolution. So we don't want our kid to be in class when evolution is taught.'"

… The Telegraph reports that Iran’s nuke capabilities were not “completely obliterated” as Trump claims: “Before the strike, 16 lorries were seen queuing up outside Fordow, and an expert on Iran’s nuclear program told The Telegraph the regime had moved much of its highly enriched uranium to a secret location before the US was able to bomb its facilities. Tehran had hidden sites housing ‘hundreds if not thousands’ of advanced centrifuges capable of producing weapons-grade uranium needed for a nuclear bomb.”

… The belief is that the uranium was transferred to Pickaxe mountain, which was not struck in the bombings. French President Macron said the risk of Iran building a bomb has doubled, and they will use the ceasefire to do just that: “The risk has indeed increased with what has happened recently. We must absolutely prevent Iran going down this path.”

… Telegraph: “The bombing of the nuclear sites sealed off two of the facilities, but failed to collapse their underground buildings, officials told the NYT. With Iran still in control of most of its nuclear material, it means Iran could still make a bomb within 6 months. The report’s findings suggest that Trump’s claim that Iran’s nuclear facilities were obliterated were oversold.”

… Fox Nat Security reporter Jennifer Griffin, who was just attacked by Trump and Hegseth for her honest reporting on the bombings, on Pickaxe mountain: “Experts believe this is the suspected third site that the Iranians told the IAEA about before the US strikes and where Iran may have moved some of its highly enriched uranium. It is near Natanz and was not targeted or bombed.”

… Trump was asked at a press conference today if he was concerned about the report about Pickaxe mountain: “Not really. I’m not worried about it at all.”

… Former Obama NSC member Tommy Vietor: “Every intelligence expert has the opposite view, but I hope he's right.”

… CNN reported on Joint Chief Gen Dan Caine’s briefing to Congress: “The US military did not use bunker-buster bombs on one of Iran’s largest nuclear facilities last weekend because the site is so deep that the munitions likely would not have been effective. The comment by Caine is the first known explanation given for why the US military did not use the MOP against the Isfahan site. US officials believe a significant quantity of Iran’s already-enriched uranium was stored at Isfahan deep underground.”

… CNN’s Natasha Bertrand, who was also attacked by Trump and Hegseth for her reporting: “The Trump admin has discussed possibly helping Iran access as much as $30 billion to build a civilian-energy-producing nuclear program, easing sanctions, and freeing up billions of dollars in restricted Iranian funds – all part of an intensifying attempt to bring Tehran back to the negotiating table.”

… NYT reporter Julian Barnes: "Hegseth and his staff have made clear they believe the role of the press is to cheer the military and President Trump, rather than to report objectively about the news."

… Trump posted: “Why would the so-called ‘Supreme Leader,’ Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, of the war torn Country of Iran, say so blatantly and foolishly that he won the War with Israel, when he knows his statement is a lie, it is not so. As a man of great faith, he is not supposed to lie. His Country was decimated, his 3 evil Nuclear Sites were OBLITERATED, and I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the US Armed Forces, by far the Greatest and Most Powerful in the World, terminate his life. I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he does not have to say, “THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!”

… “During the last few days, I was working on the possible removal of sanctions, and other things, which would have given a much better chance to Iran at a full, fast, and complete recovery - The sanctions are BITING! But no, instead I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more. I wish the leadership of Iran would realize that you often get more with HONEY than you do with VINEGAR.”

… Reporter Dominic Michael Tripi: “BREAKING - US used 20% of its total THAAD defense missile stockpile in 11 days, costing $800M to defend Israel from Iranian missiles.”

… Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) on DNI Tulsi Gabbard getting excluded from the briefing to the Senate on Iran: “I've never, ever been part of a major Cabinet-level classified briefing where the director of national intelligence was banned from the room.”

… Former Chair of Nat Intelligence Council Gregory Treverton to Michael Isikoff on the SpyTalk podcast on Gabbard: “I do wonder why she's there. By this time, it seems to me she should have resigned if she didn't get fired. She's plainly not part of the team and not trusted, even though she was obviously selected for her presumed loyalty to the president.”

… Iran Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi: “The Parliament of Iran has voted for a halt to collaboration with the IAEA until the safety and security of our nuclear activities can be guaranteed. Director Rafael Grossi directly facilitated the adoption of a politically-motivated resolution against Iran by the IAEA BoG as well as the unlawful Israeli and US bombings of Iranian nuclear sites.”

… Araghchi: “The IAEA and its Director-General are fully responsible for this sordid state of affairs. Grossi's insistence on visiting the bombed sites under the pretext of safeguards is meaningless and possibly even malign in intent. Iran reserves the right to take any steps in defense of its interests, its people, and its sovereignty.”

… Daily Beast columnist Julia Davis: “Johnny Noviello, 49, is the 9th person to die in ICE custody since the beginning of the year, and the 4th to die in a Florida facility.”

… Fox: “DHS has announced it is terminating Temporary Protected Status for more than half a million Haitians in the US, arguing that conditions in Haiti have improved enough for them to return home. The termination will take effect on 9/2/25, effectively giving the Haitians a little more than 2 months to leave the country or find another form of relief or legal status.”

… Immigration lawyer Aaron Reichlin-Melnick: “The Trump admin claims, despite all reality, that Haiti is a safe country to return to - even though large portions of the country are ruled by vicious gangs and civil governance has collapsed. The gangs still control large parts of Port-au-Prince, the international security force is failing, and displacement has hit record levels.”

… New Dem House Oversight ranking member Robert Garcia: “Stephen Miller is doing what he loves to do, which is be essentially the biggest piece of shit in this country. We’ve got to continue winning in the courts, and that’s going to continue. And the other piece of it is people’s reaction, the protesting, the anger, the rising up against these actions also is having an effect. And you’re seeing that - what’s happening in LA, which was mostly peaceful.”

… PBS: “Senate to vote tomorrow at earliest - But. They don't yet have a Medicaid framework that straddles the 3 incongruent corners: Byrd bath requirements, 51 Senate votes and 218 House votes. And so: - The House is GOING HOME. Not staying the weekend.”

… Budget analyst Marc Goldwein citing new data from the Joint Committee on Taxation: “The Senate bill is shaping up to add $3.5 to $4.5 trillion to the national debt. That's WAY MORE than the House.”

… Politico reported that Senate Republicans are now considering an increase in federal employee contributions to the fed retirement system at an astonishing 15.6% of their salary. They are also exempting themselves and their staff from the increase.

… NBC reported that Trump has canceled his golf outings this weekend at Bedminster to stay in DC to work over Republican holdouts on his budget reconciliation bill.

… Steve Bannon to NBC on Dem nominee for NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani: “He did something that AOC and Bernie haven’t been able to do – he connected populism to affordability. Republicans better start taking this guy seriously and they better stop wishing that he wins and they will automatically run against his policies in 2026. This guy is a very skilled politician. He’s clearly had a lot of training. He’s got radical ideas, but he presents them in a sunny upbeat way and people feel like he’s fighting for them, particularly on an issue that Republicans haven’t connected on yet: affordability.”

… Rep. Marge Greene said Mamdani’s campaign was “unique and smart” because he “talked directly to the people” and “was focused on their issues, focused on their problems, and talking to the people about his solutions.”

… Bannon: “Mamdani focused on affordability and he addressed their issues. He took the anger, the moment of populism, and got engaged with people. Cuomo ran a traditional thing. This kid ran a very sophisticated campaign at the grassroots level.”

… Former NY Rep. George Santos came at it from a different angle: “The reason Zohran Mamdani won is simple. He’s young, HOT and personable. No one paid attention to his politics that’s a fact!”

… Barrons: “An Israeli court on Friday rejected PM Netanyahu's request to postpone giving testimony in his corruption trial, after President Trump said the case should be cancelled. Netanyahu's lawyer on Thursday asked the court to excuse the leader from hearings over the next two weeks, saying he needed to concentrate on ‘security issues’ after Israel's 12-day war with Iran.”

… “In a first case, he and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting more than $260,000 worth of luxury goods such as cigars, jewelery and champagne from billionaires in exchange for political favors. In two other cases, Netanyahu is accused of attempting to negotiate more favorable coverage from two Israeli media outlets.”

… “Netanyahu has requested multiple postponements in the trial since it began in May 2020, citing the war in Gaza which started in 2023, later fighting in Lebanon and this month the conflict with Iran.”

… Elon Musk protege, 19 year old Edward ‘Big Balls’ Coristine, has returned to govt shortly after resigning. SSA spokesperson Stephen McGraw to WIRED: “Coristine joined the Social Security Admin this week as a special govt employee. His work will be focused on improving the functionality of the Social Security website and advancing our mission of delivering more efficient service to the American people.”

… USA Today: “Members of Congress and advocates say the SSA is providing the public with misleading info about how long it will take to resolve their problems. Over the last several weeks, the agency has stopped making public 34 real-time performance metrics about things like how long they will have to wait to reach a live person on the phone, and how long applications for new senior benefits or social security benefits take to be approved.

… “The metrics have been used for years to show how time-consuming it can be to reach a live person at certain locations or through the national 1-800 number, and as an accountability measure for the agency. USA reporters called Social Security's 1-800 line multiple times over several days and found the wait times to be consistently over an hour. Multiple times they did not reach a live person before the line disconnected with no warning.”

… AP: “Sen. John Fetterman isn’t even up for reelection until 2028, but already a one-time primary foe, former Rep. Conor Lamb, is crisscrossing PA and social media, looking and sounding like he’s preparing to challenge Fetterman again. At town hall after town hall across PA, Dems and allied progressive groups aren’t hearing from Fetterman in person. But they are hearing from Lamb, a living reminder of the Democrat they could have elected instead of Fetterman.”

… “The former congressman has emerged as an in-demand town hall headliner, sometimes as a stand-in for Fetterman. By his count, he’s now attended at least a dozen town halls and party events, easily clocking more than 2,000 miles to appear in small towns, small cities and suburbs, often in conservative areas.”

… Dana Kellerman, a Pittsburgh-based progressive organizer: “Showing up matters and it really does make a difference. Is that going to matter to Fetterman? I really don’t know. I don’t know what he’s thinking. I don’t know if he’s always been this person or if he’s changed in the last two years.”

(NOTE: I'M SURE THAT STROKE FUCKED UP HIS BRAIN)

… AP: “Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that her admin is investigating contamination from a SpaceX facility near the Mexican border in South Texas, and planning its next course of action. The announcement follows the June 18 explosion of a Starship rocket while on a stand during a test, which sent a massive fireball into the night sky. Pieces of metal, plastic and rocket pieces were reportedly found in the northern state of Tamaulipas, which borders the SpaceX’s Starbase following the explosion.”

… Sheinbaum on Musk’s company, which has largely been deregulated by Trump: “There’s a general review underway to find out what international laws they are violating. There is contamination.”

… InsideEVs: “Enthusiasm has slowed down after some unsettling videos of Tesla Robotaxis went viral. NHTSA is currently conducting an inquiry into the Robotaxi. The agency is concerned about Tesla using FSD in Robotaxis while it's being investigated for several serious crashes. Tesla claims that all answers it provided to the agency after a round of safety-related questioning last month are 'confidential business information' that could cause material harm to the automaker if made public."

… “Unlike various competitors, Tesla relies on cameras and AI alone to guide its Robotaxis. This means Robotaxis don’t have LIDAR (light detection and ranging) sensors. Lidar systems emit laser pulses in all directions, which is useful for mapping the surroundings of a car and the road. It gives the vehicle a digital 3-D view of the driving field. This tech is heavily utilized by Waymo. The lack of LIDAR sensors gives some people serious reservations about Robotaxis.”

… One comment on one of the viral videos showing Robotaxis driving erratically: “I’ll never trust it without LIDAR. Useless in fog and heavy rain.”

… Tesla CEO Elon Musk is not a fan of LIDAR sensors. He has personally bashed LIDAR, saying it makes cars “expensive, ugly, and unnecessary.”

… A pro-Trump PAC has taken out a $1 million ad buy against Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) to air in his district highlighting his votes against Trump initiatives over the years.

… Massie to Daily Caller on Israel lobby AIPAC recruiting a candidate to run against him: “The political calculus that both the president and AIPAC have to consider is, if they go after me and lose, they’ve lost a lot of credibility. I think what Israel is doing in Gaza has diminished their standing in the US, especially among younger people in the district. But I will say this - they still have a tight grip on Congress. So the disparity is growing between what Congress is doing and what the people are thinking.”

… Local 10 (FL): “DOD announced it would immediately stop ingesting, processing, and transmitting data essential to most hurricane forecasts. NOAA distributed a service change notice to all users, including the National Hurricane Center, that by next Monday they would no longer receive real-time microwave data collected aboard three weather satellites jointly run by NOAA and DOD. The permanent discontinuation of data from the SSMIS will severely impede and degrade hurricane forecasts for this season and beyond, affecting tens of millions of Americans who live along its hurricane-prone shorelines.”

… “The news sent users across the weather and climate community – including those monitoring changes to sea ice extent in the polar regions – scrambling to understand the rationale behind the abrupt termination. Though not immediately clear why the real-time data was suddenly discontinued, the decision appears to have stemmed from DOD security concerns.”

… “Officials at the NHC were also caught off guard by the announcement and are preparing their team for the loss of critical forecast data for the rest of the hurricane season.” Former NHC forecasting chief James Franklin: “Their loss is a big deal. Without this imagery, there will be increased risk of a ‘sunrise surprise’ - the realization from first-light images that a system had become much better organized overnight, but it wasn’t recognized because structural details are so hard to discern from satellite.”

… Lawfare: “Kenneth Chesebro, ‘architect’ of the 2020 fake electors plot who pleaded guilty to criminal charges in Georgia, has been disbarred from the practice of law in NY, per order issued today by NY appellate court.”

… From Trump’s presser today: “Q - Many Americans still have questions about the 2020 election. And speaking of rogue judges, would you consider appointing somebody at DOJ to investigate the judges? Trump: I love you, who are you? Reporter: I'm Kara from Mike Lindell TV.”

… Trump: "If you look at the end of the Civil War - the 1800s, it was a very turbulent time. If you take the end day - was it 1869? Or whatever."

… I’ve said for years that Trump could not pass a 7th grade US History exam. He proves me right every day.

… Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) said she was going to try and post on social media mimicking Trump’s style to see if that will get them to start listening to her:

… I like the concept, but I think it needs a few typos, grammatical errors, insults, random quote marks, and misspellings to be a proper representation.

… UVA president Jim Ryan resigned his position as Trump was threatening to cut off fed funding from the university for allegedly refusing to comply with his executive order banning DEI. Ryan’s statement: “I am inclined to fight for what I believe in, and I believe deeply in this University. But I cannot make a unilateral decision to fight the fed govt in order to save my own job. To do so would not only be quixotic but appear selfish and self-centered to the hundreds of employees who would lose their jobs, the researchers who would lose their funding, and the hundreds of students who could lose financial aid or have their visas withheld.“

… Emerson did a poll on potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidates. Very early, and I doubt a few of these will run. I think Harris runs for Gov of CA, AOC is focused on taking on Schumer, Sanders already said he isn’t running because he’s too old, I don’t think Walz is running, Moore and Beshear are positioning themselves as the top VP contenders for whoever wins. The number that jumps out to me here is that Buttigieg still cannot get any traction with Black voters - same as 2020.

(NOTE: I THINK CHRIS MURPHY AND ERIC SWALWELL NEED TO BE CONSIDERED BEFORE ANY OF THESE PEOPLE!)

[multiipl]

*; OOC » I think, as roleplayers, it is very important to disconnect what we, as a writer know, VS what the characters know. Like, this might seem out of nowhere but I was just talking about a character with somebody and we were having quite different opinions on said characters behaviour because they based it off as “what we know” as the consumer of the media, VS what the character knows. Obviously, we know a lot more. We get to view the piece of media from different angles, POVs, we see scenes the characters don’t, ETC. 

So to write off a character’s behaviour as the “ultimatum” based on our consumption of the media and not the circumstances of which they are treated and experience the media they are from is kinda... flat? Idek how to put it nicely, it just feels like they aren’t “reading” the character properly.

[lover-of-queens]

Farah Dowling is Alive Part 3

Or, as I like to call it, I think I’m running out of funny subtitles. 

If you haven’t yet, I recommend checking out Part 1 & Part 2

Under the cut, as usual!

Parts 1 and 2 of this analysis were focused on a deep dive into the first season to to look for clues and any evidence that suggests getting our lovely Eve Best back for season 2 of Fate. This part will be slightly different. While I’m honestly surprised at the seeming fandom consensus that Farah is alive, there are some counterarguments I’ve seen/heard that I’d like to address. These counterarguments may either be the ones most convincing to me that Farah isn’t coming back (and then I’ll give reasons why I think they’re wrong) or fears about Eve’s filming schedule (I’ll also try and offer some hope there). 

The first counterargument is that the writers may choose to not bring Farah back in order to play into the dead mentor trope. Also known as the Mentor Occupational Hazard trope. Pretty self explanatory, but the essential idea is that at some point the protagonists of the story have to learn how to make it on their own without that guiding figure; they have to grow up. Frodo has to make it without Gandalf, etc. You only have to google examples of this trope to see how much it shows up in the media we consume. And it could easily apply to Fate. Farah provided that mentoring role in the first season but now, without her, the girls have to figure out how to hold their own against the villains infiltrating their school. The end of season 1 is, essentially, setting this trope up. 

I just don’t think that Farah has to be dead for them to do it. While I don’t know where the writers are planning to take season 2, I would imagine even if we do get Farah back, she won’t play as big a role as she did in the first season. What this means is that likely the winx girls will still have to figure out a way to hold their own despite losing that mentor figure (hopefully, she’ll just be in hiding and not dead *cough cough* fate writers). 

Also, the thing with setting a show at a school is that the mentor role is somewhat inherent to the structure. And as I’ve mentioned in the previous two parts (extremely unlikely redemption arc pending) I just cannot see Rosalind holding onto that “mentor role” for more than a season (or two, depending on where season 2 ends & if there’s a renewal for a third). Seems to me like they’ll have to bring that “dead mentor” back to resume her rightful place. So, I think it’ll be more likely we’ll get a subversion of the dead mentor trope. 

The second argument & the argument that concerns me the most can be summed up in one character: Andreas. Now, I know what you’re thinking, what the hell does he have to do with this? It’s less to do with him and more to do with the fact that he came back from the dead (or allegedly dead, it’s complicated!). This concerns me because writers generally want the idea of death to be taken seriously on the show or whatever form of media they’re writing. Especially since Fate has taken a darker route, I’m not certain it wants viewers under the impression that anybody they kill off can just come back; it somewhat defeats the purpose. 

So will Fate writers want to bring Farah back despite knowing this? Maybe. 

The whole ‘Farah’s eyes glowed before she died’ plot is interesting because of precisely how vague it is, how many directions it can be taken in that could either lead to her coming back or not. It may be intentionally vague because they want us theorizing and talking about the season/show after it’s ended, it may be vague because they themselves are trying to figure out what direction to take. But let’s be clear, they are heavily pushing the theorizing angle. These are all taken from three separate posts on Fate’s IG page: 

In the last one, Hannah, Precious and Sadie all agree that Farah needs to be in season 2. As Sadie says “We can’t have a season 2 without her.” Precious points out how the death scene was “too easy”. Similar sentiments are echoed on Netflix’s Afterparty for Fate when the host asks: 

David Spade: “Do you think Professor Dowling . . . faked her own death and then she can come back on season two? . . . sometimes it’s such a big hit like this, then they say ‘People like that character, let’s try to find a way to come back’”. 

To which Abbey says: “It’s a magical show, anything can happen!” 

I mean one only needs to take a look at AO3 to see that over half of the stories on there feature Farah - but admittedly that is a more niche section of a fandom. Something broader would be looking at the IG comments where Farah’s name generally pops up in the top comments with a message hoping she’s going to be brought back. Also the Farah/Eve fandom on IG is LARGE and growing.

Additionally, I think the amount of Farah/Golden Trio bloopers we got is also a good sign (especially because Eve got single shots) that Netflix/Whoever is in charge sees her as a popular character. And I don’t think there would be a push for discussion of Farah theories just for it to end with her remaining dead. So even though Andreas has come back, I think Farah can too. The next person that dies on the show though . . . well . . . that’ll likely be more permanent. 

Now that we’ve established from a story and fandom perspective why Farah is likely coming back. Let’s talk about what most people are actually worried about. Eve’s filming schedule. I’m going to preface this argument with a mention that I’m not an industry professional or anything, so these are just my best guesses based on the facts available to us. 

House of the Dragon is due to start shooting in April (source). Since it’s the first season we don’t really have an idea of how long it’ll take to film, but since it is the GOT prequel, I would say its a fair assumption to base a rough production schedule around the earlier seasons of that show. The reason why I say earlier is that the later seasons did come with longer filming schedules, but GOT was the epitome of pop culture at that point. I don’t think House of the Dragon will be getting that treatment until it proves itself. 

Game of Thrones took roughly six months to film a season (source). If we’re assuming that HOTD will take a similar timeline then we’re probably looking at an April to September filming schedule, possibly longer because Covid is causing production delays everywhere. 

We don’t have news about when Fate is planning to start filming their second season. From Abbey’s IG, we know that the first season filmed from September to December 2019, so I think it’s also fair to assume that we’re probably looking at a similar schedule for season 2. Also, considering they got an additional two episodes then I’m guessing their filming time will increase. 

Put these two schedules together and there’s not that much overlap and even should HOTD take longer, or Fate start shooting earlier, there’s still should be enough time for Eve to film both - if she’s willing! Also, realistically, I don’t see any way that Farah’s screen time doesn’t drop in season 2 (for a variety of reasons) but that drop should hopefully mean that they can get Eve. 

Alright y’all, I think that’s the last part of this series, at least for now. It has been so so fun to theorize with all of you and to write almost four thousand words on this topic (that’s crazy!). I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t fun for me, but at the same time, seeing everyone’s reactions to these posts really just makes my heart warm and it all worth it. So, thank you all for coming on this journey with me <3 

[gardenofw0rds]

Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken

Finally! A show that felt genuinely happy without many depressing undertones! In all seriousness, “Keep Your Hands off Eikouzen” was a fun watch. The trio of main characters each had unique quirks, and were genuinely likable. Asakusa in particular was a very fun character... to quote a friend’s take on this animé, “She is feral, and I love her.” Outside of my enjoyment of the characters and their exploits, some messages this show seems to convey is the difficulty that animation entails. Even with modern technology, things like time limits, attention to detail, and the desires of the artist make animation particularly difficult. Furthermore, the show connects to Joon Yang Kim’s “South Korea and the Sub-empire of Animé” in two important ways: by showing that animation can be powerful independent of story, and that animators desire power over their own creations.

Watching the trio work on animating was fairly eye-opening for me. I think it’s partly because consuming anime is so easy... it’s a simple process to move from one episode to another, admiring the pretty colors but not putting much thought into it. This show puts the animating itself at the forefront. Many shots are simplified in order to show the process that goes into making something move. In Asakusa’s thoughts, we see borderline sketches of the world around them, breaking it down in a way that is often done in the animation process. The show also takes us on a tour of the process itself, showing the handdrawing that goes into certain parts, and depicting the traditional animation camera, and other software. We get to see how animé used to be done, and how it has evolved, within the animé itself. Rather meta if you ask me.

We also see them struggle through the animation process. They put long hours in, just to piece together a 10 second clip. They ultimately have to make compromises on the piece they are working on, in order to meet the deadline. This is the case for many different animation studios, which have deadlines forced onto them both by the desire of fans, and by money-hungry executives. These deadlines have caused many different studios to go on strike, lashing out at the lack of pay, and the amount of work they are forced to endure.

There is also a very powerful, positive message in the show that coincides with Kim’s paper. Kim describes how many animé producers/studios would outsource the actual “animation labor,” coming up with the ideas themselves and allowing others to do the manual work. This idea is based on the presumption that the “mind” of animé is entirely separable from “the work itself.” Essentially, there is this idea that the idea for an animé, and the making of the animation, are separable acts. However, I think that this show provides a counterargument to this idea. The trio’s final animation, “The Girl with the Machete,” does not follow much of a comprehensive storyline. It doesn’t have dialogue, and we don’t know why anything is happening. Nonetheless, the short film is powerful, and is met with praise from the audience. Through this short sequence, we see the idea that there is value to the animation in and of itself realized. Whether there is a coherent storyline or not, the medium of animé has an impact as an art form, independent of the “mind” of a show. Through the work of animators, who pour their hearts and souls into the works they produce, the shows take on unique, impactful subtleties. 

In the end, animé is not all about the “big idea.” A large part of its appeal lies in the unique styles that are brought to life through animators. The animators themselves are essential parts of the process... and (in my opinion) the most essential parts.

[weaselandfriends]

Hymnstoke Intermission

Andrew Hussie had the courtesy to drop some thoughts on the Epilogues, the full text of which can be found here. As you can probably tell, it’s dense, so I’ll summarize what I consider the key points.

1. Hussie intended the Epilogues to be “conceptually distinct” from the main narrative of Homestuck (i.e., Acts 1 through 7).

2. Hussie intended the Epilogues to set new narrative stakes and establish a way for the narrative to continue (as opposed to the traditional idea of an “Epilogue” as something that resolves what came before).

3. By labeling the Epilogues as “Epilogues” while not adhering to traditional expectations of what an epilogue entails, Hussie intended to prompt readers to question storytelling concepts and the agenda of the storyteller.

4. Hussie intended to cede his authorial control over the Homestuck story and “pass the torch” to the fandom.

5. Hussie intended to prompt the fandom to develop skills like “critical discussion, dealing constructively with negative feelings resulting from the media they consume, interacting with each other in more meaningful ways, and trying to understand different points of view outside of the factions within fandom that can become very hardened over time.”

I actually disagree with several of Hussie’s conclusions, which probably sounds hilariously presumptuous. But if Hussie truly wants the fandom to develop skills in critical discussion, and to foster and understand different viewpoints, while also ceding his authorial control over the work, then his word being “Word of God” has to be called into question. Act 6 of Homestuck already does this; Hussie’s author avatar is literally killed followed by a flash titled DOTA. DOTA, of course, being short for “Death of the Author,” a frequently-cited essay by Roland Barthes that argues that author's intentions can neither be wholly known nor taken as the sole interpretation of a work.

It’s arguable whether Hussie’s shout out to this essay is meant to be an endorsement of its thesis, and I think a claim could be made that the DOTA in Homestuck is inherently parodic; Hussie’s author avatar continues to exist and influence the story even after his “death,” and at times (such as the Meenah walkarounds) the author avatar appears to give direct statements of the author’s intentions behind certain creative decisions. In fact, the DOTA flash itself marks one of the Hussie avatar’s most direct interactions with the story, as it is during this flash that he gives Vriska the Ring of Life.

Even now, Hussie’s actions contradict his claims, at least to some extent; he cedes narrative control and promotes differing critical interpretations at the same time he dumps a tremendous block of text explaining the intentions and goals of his work. An author’s statement on “what the story means” usually affirms his or her control and quashes differing viewpoints, after all. But it’s not something new. Homestuck has always blurred the line behind author and fan. Some of Hussie’s statements I don’t take as major revelations but rather reiterations of themes that have been clear since Act 1.

If you have read my more recent Hymnstoke posts, you can probably guess which of Hussie’s points I disagree with. In particular, I think the Epilogues are too thematically important to Homestuck to be treated with the kind of “take it or leave it”/“canon or non-canon” ambivalence Hussie claims in his post. Or maybe it’s more that I wish it didn’t have that kind of ambivalence? Because his logic is sound; the Epilogues are presented in a way that sets them apart from “Homestuck Proper.” The AO3 fan fiction cover page, the prose, the way they’re organized as a distinct entity on the website, all of these elements contribute to and support Hussie’s claim of separation. Perhaps, then, my counterargument is that the Epilogues shouldn’t have been displayed this way; that they should have been a fundamental part of the story, one that is unquestionably considered “canon.”

Without the Epilogues, the ending of Homestuck is bad. Really bad. Game of Thrones bad. The original ending of Homestuck fails Homestuck on every conceivable level. It’s a poor resolution of the plot, as it relies on a deus ex machina (Alt!Calliope) while leaving tons of smaller narrative elements completely unresolved. It’s a poor resolution of the characters, as most of them wind up being irrelevant (even those given absurd amounts of screen time, like Jake) and their personal issues are resolved off-screen during a timeskip. It’s a poor resolution of the themes, as despite constant statements that one can’t cheat their way to “development,” that is exactly what happens when Vriska is revived and fixes everyone’s problems instantly. It’s a poor resolution of the structure or form, as what was a tightly-wound machine narrative that relied on innumerable tiny parts sliding into perfect order ended with a big dumb fight scene where people just whap each other over and over until the good guys whap hard enough to win. Beyond the fact that the ending is “happy,” I still can’t find much good to say about it even after years of turning it over in my head.

And during the hiatus-strewn period that marked Homestuck’s end, Hussie was noticeably scant on dropping essays about his intentions.

The Epilogues redeem so much of what went wrong with the ending of Homestuck. I won’t delve into the specifics in this post, as I should probably save it for a more comprehensive series of posts about the Epilogues. But from that perspective, it feels to me as though the Epilogues should not be divorced from Homestuck so thoroughly.

But see, my disagreement with Hussie on this point is a bit disingenuous for another reason. Because, like his claims of ceding authorial control, he’s contradictory here too. Consider these points:

1. Hussie intended the Epilogues to be the launching point of future story developments.

2. Hussie, ceding his own control, intended these future developments to be created by the fans.

3. Hussie designed the Epilogues so that the fans could accept or deny them outright, consider them “canon” or “non-canon.”

If the Epilogues are the breeding ground for Homestuck’s future, then that part of the fandom that denies them renders themselves inert. Without the Epilogues, Homestuck is over. It’s done. The window of our Pynchonian party is closed. All life has petered out; no energy enters to sustain it. The Epilogues open the window. Denying the Epilogues kills the story, and thus the fandom; accepting them leaves room open for the future. And if the part of the fandom that rejects the Epilogues withers and dies, that means only the fandom that accepts them will remain. Ultimately, the Epilogues will be considered canon by the Homestuck fandom, because those who disagree will no longer be part of the fandom, at least the active one.

That probably sounds imperious. But it’s not something I want; the people who deny the Epilogues ought to have a voice as well, and nobody is stopping them from providing their opinions. But I have a hard time imagining that people who deny the Epilogues will stick around in a fandom for a work now defined by the Epilogues. As such, many of Hussie’s conciliatory claims fall flat or seem overly idealistic. Can the fandom continue as a divided house on such a fundamental line when future developments to the Homestuck story will be based on the Epilogues? The canonical arguments for which books belonged in the Bible did not end in blithe harmony; one viewpoint prevailed and all schismatics extinguished. Obviously there will be no burnings at the stake over Homestuck canon, but in a world where there are so many options for entertainment, those who do not accept Homestuck’s active element will probably leave of their own volition.

There's also a third option, expressed by one of the commentators on the Reddit thread I link at the beginning of this post.

Here's my suggestion for you, Hussman. Big subversion, you'll like it: Make "Homestuck 2" and then not have anything form [sic] Homestuck in it at all and just make the story you actually want to make.

The Homestuck fandom might die, but the “Hussie” fandom will survive, as long as Hussie himself continues to create art. Before the Epilogues, I often expressed a similar sentiment. I wanted Hussie to get away from Homestuck, make something new, even if it was just something short and far less ambitious than Homestuck. I think Hussie is a strong storyteller and writer in his own right, and he did not merely “get lucky” with Homestuck the way a hack gets lucky when their trashily-written novel strikes a perfect chord with the culture and sells millions. If Hussie does actually intend to cede authorial control and leave Homestuck to the fandom, then what is his next move? Retirement at 40? I hope not.

Those were my hastily-written thoughts on Hussie’s commentary. While at times contradictory, I consider Hussie’s claims and actions in line with themes established throughout Homestuck. But I also question whether his storytelling decisions will be able to achieve the result he desires for the fandom.

Whether he or we can achieve it, I do agree with Hussie’s hope to create a fandom that is smarter, more willing to view the work with a critical lens, to discuss with one another, to understand each other’s viewpoints, to deal with difficult subject matter. I think a lot of people can be scared to delve deeply into a work, either because they only want their entertainment to be light escapism or because they feel gatekept by not knowing a lot about literary criticism as a field of study. Maybe escapism is fine, but it’s not the only use of art. Treat the stories you like as art and really ask yourself what you like about them, what makes them good, and especially what it means that those things make it good. Those questions will serve a fitting substitute for an understanding of postmodern literary trends of the 20th century.

[darrenfranich]

RIP, Star Wars

Of course Star Wars isn’t dead, you say, it’s going to live forever, didn’t you read that Wired story? But, counterargument: Something can be dead and still be here. Peter Cushing died in 1994, and he was in as many films last year as Rachel McAdams. Alec Guinness died in 2000, but if you ask people "who is Obi-Wan Kenobi in real life,” I bet the majority of people over 22 won’t say “Ewan McGregor.” Jesus, look how long ago Jesus died, how many times you think he came up in conversation today? The past isn’t dead, it isn’t even past. But that doesn’t mean it’s the future.

A lot of people think Star Wars is still alive, that this franchise still has a pulse. Look at The Force Awakens, all those young people swinging lightsabers, wow a desert planet AND an ice planet AND a forest planet, two billion dollars! Look at Rogue One, haha that droid was funny, one billion dollars! A new trilogy! A Han Solo trilogy! Bounty hunter spinoff! Trevorrow! Trevorrow!

Message to everyone who said they loved Rogue One: You can never complain again about...

....Hollywood endlessly developing franchises, remakes and reboots and sequels and spinoffs, take that complaint out of your arsenal, you saw Rogue One so you gave them the ammunition...

...the Hollywood studios’ utter disrespect for filmmakers as anything but traffic-cop content creators...

...young filmmakers’ utter lack of interest in any human behavior not previously observed in the fantasy films they enjoyed when they were children, why develop your dream project for seven years, your pal Colin got all the money for Jurassic Park 4 and Star Wars 9...

...modern fantasy’s dedication to the Chosen One narrative, yes Jyn was a Chosen One even if she wasn’t a Jedi, her dad was SO IMPORTANT and her foster dad was SO IMPORTANT and she inspired the Rebellion to become a Rebellion, if you think Rogue One is about “normal people” go watch an actual movie about normal people sometime, go watch I, Daniel Blake, and if you don’t want to see I, Daniel Blake that’s fine, but consider the possibility that you know very little about real people and movies...

...actors’ inability to find a good movie to demonstrate their talents because they’re too busy chasing relevancy convincing themselves there is some honor in spitshining greenscreen melodrama, did you see fucking see Boyega in Attack the Block, god damn that is a fucking star, how much of this next decade will be Star Wars and Pacific Rim and surely someone on his team would love to fit in one more, look at Jennifer Lawrence, she just signed up for another X-Men even though she stopped caring halfway through First Class, “But Jennifer” her people said, “Passengers, Jennifer, Passengers,” hey for real no judgements and I like Pacific Rim, and I believe in anything sight unseen, I believe in Pacific Rim 2, I mean look at Christian he’s great and he did Batman and maybe this is my Batman is the rallying cry of every actor who does these movies, nobody ever dares to consider this is their Terminator Salvation, now go back and watch Terminator Salvation and marvel at how similar it is to Rogue One, it might as well be Rogue One, fucking Terminator fucking Salvation even did the whole digital-actor thing six years early and it actually looked better because the Terminator isn’t supposed to be a person, but people used to care when humans didn’t look like humans..

....and you can’t complain about the fact that Disney just fired the first good Star Wars directors since Irvin Kershner.

You can’t complain about any of this, because it’s your fault. It’s my fault. It’s us, the people who see these movies. I didn’t like Rogue One, but I saw it, god damn me. This thing I’m writing is whose fault it is.

No, this wasn’t LucasFilm’s fault, although of course LucasFilm is just another lame Silicon Valley company pretending to explore bold new ground while actually just maintaining their consumer base with a religious dedication to the sacred trademarked IP. And of course LucasFilm is no better than any Hollywood studio, sorry George, we all know Hollywood can be awful place but the studios you despised didn’t just make Star Wars and Indiana Jones, and now all the studios have become just like you, all they want is their own Star Wars, look in the mirror, see the face behind Darth Vader’s decapitated helmet, recognize yourself, time to build your museum in Los Angeles, see if you can defeat history by writing your own, 50 miles northwest and 40 miles southeast of your museum the Kathy Kennedys of Reagan and Nixon are trying to do the same thing.

And this isn’t Disney’s fault, because of course Disney doesn’t care about filmmakers. When has Disney ever cared about filmmakers? Why would you ever think that? Have you seen Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s movies, all that playful deconstruction? What makes you think Disney fucking wants to be deconstructed? Remember when Shrek came out and the nice twist at the end was that the beauty became a beast because actually LOOKS DON’T MATTER? Remember 17 years after Shrek when Disney released yet another movie about a beast who becomes a cute doofus because sure looks don’t matter but also HUBBA HUBBA? Quick, guess which made more, Shrek or Beauty and the Beast Except Now Nobody Can Sing? Disney is an engorged capitalist carcharodonic fun-monster, it moves ever onward devouring childhood and recycling its glittering defecation into some untold generation’s primal dreams, Disneyland’s great, I love it, but it’s not what you’d call a place that is open to bold new ideas, they just replaced the Twilight Zone ride with a Guardians of the Galaxy ride, I hear there was a controversy about that, either the term “controversy” has lost all meaning or nothing matters the way it’s supposed to.

What an age we live in. Directors are fired midway through production of their movie, and the charge is serious creative differences between the filmmakers and the producers and the studio. Wow, this is some serious Easy Riders Raging Bulls shit! Man, what were they working on? A bold political statement about our tattered society? A scathing dark comedy guaranteed to outrage everyone and thrill future generations? A boundary-bursting romance that promises to break down our preconceived notions of sexuality? A wild provocation from a fiercely independent creative spirit? What was this film that was too dangerous to be made, your grandchildren will ask you. Was that your generation’s Brazil? Your generation’s Dr. Strangelove? Another Brokeback Mountain? Something that can measure up to the sheer explosive power to Wertmuller’s Swept Away? WHAT WAS THIS WORK OF RADICAL CINEMA your granchildren will ask WHAT WAS IT THAT OFFENDED THE GATEKEEPERS SO?  

...it was tenth film in a franchise, or eleventh or thirteenth depending on if you count the animated film and the Ewok movies.

And it was a prequel about the most popular character in the franchise.

This is what we have creative differences about now. “Is the Han Solo movie going to be too funny????” I guess, or maybe “Is the Han Solo movie going to match up to Rogue One?”

Rogue One, LOL. They pushed out that director after production and nobody cared. They spent half the movie flying random places with random people for no motivation besides SAVE THE UNIVERSE and MY DAD!!!! and nobody cared. They spent the whole movie talking about how cool the Death Star was literally 39 years after the movie that already showed you how cool the Death Star was, and nobody cared. Felicity Jones nudged a satellite dish a few degrees left as the big climax and nobody cared, hahaha wow look they took stock footage of all those X-Wing pilots and made the stock footage look more modern-er than before, “Let’s see it again but now more modern-er!” seems to be the rallying cry of us all now, of audiences and of critics and of people everywhere who should want something new.

It’s all so funny. What a laugh. This will make such fine subtext for 23 Jump Street. I blame myself, you should blame yourself, feel bad about this, we caused this. Take nothing seriously but our own complicity. And next year, whenever Han Solo Origins: A Star Wars Story directed by Phil Lord & Chris Miller & [insert scab here] opens in theaters, ask yourself: Do you have to see this movie? Consider advice from Jyn Erso. Isn’t this a rebellion? Are you ever going to rebel?

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Sorry, seriously, not joking, I just remembered: That line didn’t make it into the movie. It was just in the marketing. Star Wars sells rebellion, but nobody involved with Star Wars – not the characters, not the filmmakers, not the audience – rebels against anything anymore.