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danaens · 2 months ago

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SEX AND GOTHAM CITY

EPISODE 2

SILK DRESSES, OLD SCARS… and casual sex

I stumble back from another disorienting Saturday night, the kind where you wake up genuinely grateful you did. The evening was a blur of too many Cosmos and one charming guy named Henry, whose skin smelled like Dior Sauvage and who gave off strong I want to sleep with you energy.

And that’s when I start to wonder: is casual sex still a right… or, in Gotham, has it become a calculated risk, with a survival rate?

In a city where turning the corner might get you killed, the bed of a stranger becomes either a grave… or a cradle of protection from the world outside.

And let’s be honest: here, danger doesn’t discriminate. You could fall into the arms of a sex-addicted maniac, or a nymphomaniac with a taste for bondage and taxidermy.

In doubt, I sacrifice myself, for research purposes, obviously, and end up tangled in the sheets with Mister Henry. Sheets that, fittingly, smell of odd fantasies.

He’s a political activist. Forty something. A fellow journalist who fills columns ranting about how Batman is a fascist and the enemy of democracy. God… maybe being tied up and sodomized would’ve been more fun.

Between one moan and the next… between his gasps of "Justice belongs to the people, not just one tyrant!"…I survive. Unfortunately.

⭒⋆🍸⭒⋆

Henry Fontana, 43, Journalist and Activist, Gotham Gazette: "I don’t do casual sex that often. I don’t just go with anyone. I like interesting women... the ones who can hold a conversation."

(Which doesn’t matter, because he does all the talking)

Cecilia Burleigh, 23, Architecture Student, AUG: "Casual sex scares me. I mean, it excites me too, the idea of sleeping with someone who only wants you for that, but also terrifies me. My friends have all ended up in… weird situations."

Lydia Child, 23, Architecture Student, AUG (Cecilia’s friend): "I had a friend-with-benefits thing. Then he fell in love with me, and that was the end of it. With strangers though? One guy once took me to his basement and said he had a kidnapping fetish. He was supposed to be the one kidnapped..."

Dr. Ralph Farnham, 36, Physician at Blackgate: "I have sex every day... sometimes I don’t even pay attention to the face."

Silver St. Cloud: "For me, casual sex is the only kind I have with men. That’s how they should be taken, on top, or when you’re bent over. If there are feelings involved, taking it from behind stops being pleasure and starts being pain."

⭒⋆🍸⭒⋆

As I write this all down, I feel a strange sense of contradiction bubbling up.

I’ve spent years working the streets, met more men than I care to count, and now that it's not work but pleasure, I’m… afraid?

Tonight, the Wayne Foundation is hosting one of those classic “charity” events, where the only charity is the open bar. For my friends and me, it’s Christmas in heels: silk gowns, bad botox, and unlimited Pinot Grigio. Silver is, of course, front and center, clipboard in hand, like the prom queen she never stopped being.

But this year’s invite includes a chilling clause: "Guests are requested to attend with a companion.”

Translated from Gothamesque: if you're single, stay home.

Apparently, Gotham’s elite isn’t ready for “single empowerment.”

Sunday morning. The only mass I attend religiously is brunch at Vesper’s. Her apartment is peak minimalist-chic: cream-colored walls, nude female art, and black fig candles that scream expensive.

Silver dives into the scrambled eggs. "They only write that for show" she says between sips of mimosa, in that voice that sounds like she knows everything and judges nothing. "You don’t have to bring a man."

"Well, I’m tired of the formality" I reply. "Why assume I need a plus-one just to walk through the door? This isn’t a gala, it’s a secret society initiation."

Barbara, naturally sarcastic, chimes in with a smirk: "It’s all a ploy. They’re scouting who’s got the genes for fashionable heirs."

I burst out laughing. So hard I spill coffee on my new blouse. Goodbye, vintage Armani-from-a-street-market.

"Bianca!" Vesper gasps, like I’ve just cursed in church. "I actually think it’s cute" she continues, dreamy-eyed. "Assuming everyone has a ‘someone’... it’s kind of romantic."

Silver looks at her like she just suggested reviving the corset. "Honey, half the women those men bring are escorts picked up between Crime Alley and Park Row." She glances at me."And no offense to the escorts. But there’s nothing romantic going on here."

"I met a lawyer the other day" Vesper says, all conspiratorial. "His name is Harvey."

Barbara raises an eyebrow. "Harvey Dent? He’s fifteen years older than you and has double the personalities."

"So what?" Vesper replies. "He invited me to the gala. He’s sweet."

"Again with the dynasty concept..." I mutter, dabbing coffee off my blouse, wondering if baking soda can fix regret.

The day I decide to write about casual sex, I realize that in Gotham, it’s not just a fear, it’s a taboo. At least for the upper crust, who still want you fake, married, and smiling.

⭒⋆🍸⭒⋆

For the gala, I choose a white satin dress and my trusty Afghan jacket. I feel like Penny Lane in a sea of fake James Bonds and bleached-blonde Vesper Lynds.

Cosmo number three. My girls are scattered across the social jungle, probably flirting with predators in tailored tuxedos. I look around. Silver’s right: the escorts are everywhere. And yes, I recognize a few. Gotham is a handkerchief, small, sparkly, and full of gunpowder.

"So drinking’s a vice now?" A voice behind me. Male, familiar..I turn around. It’s him, the guy I ran into the other day.

"I wasn’t drunk" I say, which isn’t a total lie. "I was... dazed. Nothing’s a vice if you do it with awareness."

He laughs. Dangerous smile. This time, in a black suit that looks guilty on purpose. "So you’re Bianca. The girl who writes about sex. Didn’t recognize you last time." He smirks. "Read your article. The one about vigilantes. It's funny."

"You think vigilantes are funny?"

"No. But you are."

"You should be complimenting my looks, not making me feel like a stand-up clown."

He laughs again. He has a cut on his lip, and that smile,it’s honest. Like it’s the first one in years. "Making someone laugh is a gift. Clowns don’t have it. They just piss me off."

I smile back. It’s somewhere between hard and soft. But only his eyes seem soft. The rest? It’s all armor. He doesn’t smell like Dior or Versace. He smells like tobacco and masculinity, heavy, gritty, real.

"I’m Jason, by the way. Jason Todd" he says, not warmly, but definitely with intent.

"And I’m Bianca Bradshaw. But you already knew that. You look out of place." (It’s the classic line we all say at these parties.)

"I’m family. But still out of place. You? You seem comfortable."

"Comfortable, but not family." I answer honestly. I’ve adapted here, but this world? It’s not like where i came from.

"What are you writing about now?" he asks, bold as ever.

"Casual sex. And how dangerous it is. You know, for a woman, the idea of wanting to sleep with someone but being terrified he’s a psycho..."

He sips his bourbon. "Gotham’s dangerous for everyone."

And there it is,the awkward pause. I’m probably being too shallow. I am charismatic, but I say stupid things. And for once, I don’t know why I’m second-guessing myself. Jason’s interesting. He could be another test subject for my article. But he’s not easy. Getting under his covers seems harder than getting in his head.

Another guy calls out to him, slightly shorter, friendlier, but with those same Gotham-tough eyes.

And just like that… Jason disappears.

⭒⋆🍸⭒⋆

Maybe unlike other women, I'm not afraid of casual sex, I'm afraid of feelings. Whether they are positive or not. I'm afraid of when I'm not the one putting the cards on the table, but there's someone else who mixes them.

So I ask myself

In Gotham is more dangerous casual sex or having feelings for someone?

I hope you like this episode, let me know <3 In the next ones I'll try to delve into the other girls too!! I really enjoy writing, I hope you also read.

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comicaurora · 1 year ago

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Are you planning on watching or have already watched Batman: Caped Crusader? If you have watched it, thoughts?

I was a little late to the party, but I just finished it!

Narrative-wise it's very digestible, ten episodes largely self-contained into episodic mysteries. In my opinion, the best of the bunch is episode 5, mostly because this is probably the best variation of Harley Quinn I've ever seen in anything. The new interpretations of classic Batman villains are a little bit hit or miss - I love this version of Penguin, I liked Clayface but found him one of the less entertaining parts of his episode, and I felt like the pacing on the final spoiler villain of the season was pretty off, to a degree that it felt like a bit of a fizzle on the payoff. Still, the benefit of an episodic show is that it's okay if individual episodes are weak, because they don't drag down the disconnected stories around them.

Overall it's got an absolutely fascinating aesthetic and tone. It's classic DCAU/BTAS Timmverse visual style but with absolutely all of the future tech stripped away, leaving a weirdly faithful recreation of the original 30s aesthetic of the very oldest batman comics. There's no advanced bat-tech or bat-computer, no bat-gadgets perfectly designed to counter the threat of the week, no toyetic bat-mechs or bat-bikes. It's strikingly low-tech, which serves to make Batman feel a lot more reliant on detective work - he has to get his information from a library instead of a datascraping bat-puter or a bat-surveillance-state.

Despite being low tech, it's surprisingly high-magic. Normally Batman's solo shows are kind of walled off from the magic side of the DC universe, but one of the villains of the week is Gentleman Ghost and he turns out to just legitimately be a full-blown ghost, which forces Bruce to reassess a few things. There's also an energy vampire in a later episode. I like that this makes Gotham feel even more out of Batman's control, and it doesn't scooby-doo-ify the more fantastical elements of the DC universe.

Speaking of Gotham, it's delightfully grim. Batman feels like a small part of a large and unforgiving world, and the expanded cast of the story gets a lot of focus. Sometimes it feels like Batman's main job is to show up whenever things look dire for one of the Gordons so he can punch whoever's holding them at gunpoint.

This is also an interestingly early version of Batman - as in, early in his career. He doesn't have that "trained for everything prepared for every eventuality" thing nailed down just yet. It's rare for him to be completely blindsided, but he doesn't feel infallible like the Conroy batman of the classic DCAU. Focus is put on him specifically having issues about not confronting traumas - his own or other peoples' - in a healthy manner. He's less "seen it all and is consequentially very stoic about absolutely bonkers things" and more "so so very repressed holy shit"

Overall, I had a good time with it! Excited to see what they do with a season 2.

#asks #not aurora #batman: the caped crusader

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esonetwork · 4 months ago

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BatChums Episode 50 – The Devil's Fingers

New Post has been published on https://esonetwork.com/batchums-episode-50-the-devils-fingers/

BatChums Episode 50 – The Devil's Fingers

Batman ’66 S2 Ep15 – The Devil’s Fingers

Chandell, the musical virtuoso, visits Gotham City for a piano concert. But unknown to the public, Chandell is being blackmailed into a life of crime by his twin brother Harry, who retains most of the profits. Chandell intends to buy off Harry forever, and he knows just where to get the funds – from the Wayne family fortune. With Batman and Robin out of town, he suspects the robbery will be a piece of cake. However, Batman has been listening to Chandell’s concert remotely, and after detecting an anomalous chord, summons Robin back to Wayne Manor to investigate.

Episode aired Wednesday October 26, 1966

Director: Larry Peerce

Writer: Lorenzo Semple Jr

Cast:

Adam West – Batman / Bruce Wayne

Burt Ward – Robin / Dick Grayson

Alan Napier – Alfred

Neil Hamilton – Commissioner Gordon

Stafford Repp – Chief O’Hara

Madge Blake – Mrs. Cooper

Liberace – Chandell / Harry

Marilyn Hanold – Doe

Edy Williams – Rae

Sivi Aberg – Mimi

Eddie Ness – Millionaire

Warren Miller – Cab Driver

Diane Farrell – Sally

Mike’s Shout Out:

The Batman Chronicles

Drew’s Shout Out:

Our Listeners Bill & Lee

BatChums logo by Peter Cutler. https://www.instagram.com/cutler7666 Theme music by Ricky Zero. RadioCult.com https://youtube.com/@wehadthat

If you would like to leave feedback, comment on the show, or would like us to give you a shout out, please call the Bat-Chums feedback line at (317) 455-8411 leave us a message, text us, or feel free to email us @ [email protected]

#Aunt Harriet #BatChums #Batman 1966 #Batman and Robin #Batman Liberace guest star #Batman piano crime plot #Batman Season 2 Episode 15 #Batman TV series villains #Chandell and Harry #Classic Batman episodes #Drew Leiter #ESO Network #Gotham City crime #Larry Peerce #Liberace Batman episode #Lorenzo Semple Jr.#Michael Gordon #The Devil's Fingers #Wayne Manor robbery

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thexfridax · 1 year ago

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D.E.B.S. at 20: a Queer Cult Classic

Bessie Yuill Photo: Sundance/WireImage

There is a secret film hidden within the shadowy sapphic corners of Letterboxd. Some call it escapist trash, some call it an underrated cult classic, fools call it a male fantasy. It calls itself D.E.B.S. As other early-2000s chick flicks like Charlie’s Angels and St. Trinian’s have been reevaluated and embraced for their candy-floss aesthetics and campy wit over the years, the lesbian community was quietly reclaiming its own equivalent with 2004’s D.E.B.S.

The precursor to contemporary high-concept lesbian films like Bottoms, the spy flick is filled with something that queer female moviegoers still often yearn for: fun. That includes Jordana Brewster and her era-defying eyebrows as the impeccably named supervillain Lucy Diamond, John Woo–style fight scenes that parody the action genre in the same way as Charlie’s Angels, and a cheerfully cheap aesthetic where spies run around in plaid schoolgirl skirts.

D.E.B.S. was written, directed, and edited by filmmaker Angela Robinson. While “unapologetically queer” might be an overused phrase, it does apply neatly to Robinson. The Chicago-born director’s first project was a short film called Chickula: Teenage Vampire, calling on the long history of vampiric queer women that began with 1872’s Carmilla.

Her love of playing with genre led her to later put a lesbian spin on the movie musical by writing the underappreciated Girltrash: All Night Long and exploring polyamory in a period biopic about the creators of Wonder Woman, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women. On the small screen, she also burnished her lesbian credentials by working on several episodes of The L Word.

When D.E.B.S. started life as a short film, Robinson described it as “a story about a trio of superspies who are all chicks. I love all the comic-book characters: Charlie’s Angels, Batman, Josie & the Pussycats … But I always wanted them to be gay and they never were, so I wrote my own.” Success at Sundance led to Sony snatching the short up and deciding that D.E.B.S. should be a full-length feature.

Two decades later, the joy of this movie lies in the details. The tone is immediately set by a gravelly voice-over telling us that there is a secret test hidden within the SAT to recruit young female superspies (and establishing that, like Bottoms, this is a film aware of genre archetypes and willing to push believability). Our main character Amy (Sara Foster) is an academic overachiever — like many lesbians overcompensating for their perceived failure to live up to social norms. Her perfect score on the secret SAT test makes it even more scandalous when she falls for the aforementioned supervillain Lucy Diamond.

Queer friend groups may delight over the nostalgic frosty eye shadow and lip gloss worn by the D.E.B.S. (which stands for “discipline, energy, beauty, strength,” naturally) at all times. Flip phones, CGI holographic screens, and Goldfrapp’s appearance on the soundtrack will also remind you that you’re watching a film made in the early 2000s. And many will squeal when they spot Holland Taylor, over a decade before she came out, as the academy’s head.

Admittedly, the special effects are goofy enough to cross over into comedy, especially when our girls are abseiling into a restaurant or climbing walls with plungers, and the lighting could be charitably described as resembling teen soap operas of that era. But the chemistry between Amy and Lucy is crackling enough that YouTube compilations of their scenes have racked up hundreds of thousands of views online. Their fun enemies-to-lovers plotline begins with the pair pointing guns at each other and quickly progresses to a whirlwind romance (the other D.E.B.S. think Amy’s been kidnapped and launch a national manhunt, just as many friend groups have had to organize rescue missions for lesbians on weeklong first dates).

You could argue that espionage serves as a metaphor for the closet and that Amy is such an effective spy because she’s used to lying to herself about her sexuality. But that almost seems like too much weight to put on this meringue confection of a genre spoof: Its campiness liberates the characters to inhabit a fun, exaggerated universe with no serious homophobia or consequences. Guns are used, but the so-called superspies have such consistently terrible aim that there are no real casualties. And Lucy Diamond’s supposedly nefarious crimes are all reversible — the murders pinned on her are revealed to be misunderstandings, and she returns all of her stolen goods in order to win Amy back.

When this live-action Totally Spies with a lesbian twist debuted, it only made $97,000 and was dismissed by critics. But there were enough moviegoing gays impressed by its snappy dialogue, fun romance, and stunning supporting cast (including Meagan Good, Jimmi Simpson, and Devon Aoki with a French accent) for its reputation to grow online over time. In forums and YouTube comment sections, young girls were asking, “Are there any lesbian films where they just fall in love and have fun and don’t die at the end?” Their answer was D.E.B.S.

#D.E.B.S.#2004 #Angela Robinson #LGBTQ+#Film #Queer joy #Criminally underrated #Cult classic #How is it #already 20 yrs later

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pinkiemachine · 1 year ago

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BATMAN: GOTHAM FILES - SEASON TWO

OKAY, so this season starts off with a spectacular BANG! Joker makes his debut, causes a ton of mayhem for the Dynamic Duo, but of course, in the end, the heroes save the day. Here’s some sketches of Joker I’ve been working on…

Still not sure if this is what I wanna go with. Like I said, work in progress.

Anyway, what really matters is what happens after Joker gets defeated. He’s thrown into Arkham Asylum, for the Criminally Insane, and the doctors there attempt to treat him. Namely, one Harleen Quinzel. This does not go well. Instead of her being able to bring Joker back to sanity, he manipulates her and gets her to cross over to the insane side, becoming his twisted on-again off-again lover, and they break out of Arkham together.

But this is all happening in the background while the rest of the season goes on. The real highlight of Season 2, aside from revisiting classic villains and meeting new ones, is the arrival of BATGIRL! Now, Barbara Gordon (17) was going to get a law degree after high school, but after seeing what sort of corruption there was in Gotham from her father’s police job, she’d lost faith in the system. Instead, she became inspired by Batman to take matters into her own hands. Batman initially tries to tell her to stop—she’s just going to get herself hurt—but then she manages to make a strong case for herself. She’s smart, she’s been taking self-defence classes since she was three, she knows the criminal justice system, she’s passionate about making a difference, Robin’s allowed to fight crime despite being four years younger than her, and… she’s not going to take no for an answer. Batman begrudgingly agrees to let her help, especially after she saves his life on a mission, but he has one condition: no crime fighting alone. She must always have backup. He’s not about to let the police captain’s—now Commissioner’s—daughter get hurt on his watch. Because he knows who she really is. Because he’s a detective.

So now they’re the fanatic threesome. I should also mention that there is NO Dick X Barbara. He’s 13 now, she’s 17, both going on 14 and 18. He’s like a little brother to her. Moving on.

Some time goes by, more baddies get thrown into Arkham, and then… Bruce meets Catwoman. It happened on a cold night when Bruce was soloing it as Batman. Dick was behind on his homework, Barbara was taking time off to rest, so he was all by himself when he got called in to investigate a series of expert burglaries/murders. He had to admit, she was good at what she did. Barely a trace of her was left behind… but barely was enough. He figured out her next target and then had her captured in one fell swoop. Catwoman. It’s not like she was a brawler or anything, just a cat burglar. It was during their ride in the Batmobile later that they got to talk some and learn about each other. Bruce questioned her about the two other robberies—ones where people died—and Selina pleaded innocent. She never killed people. Then, surprising Batman, she managed to escape from right under his nose. They would meet again, though, when he and Selina teamed up to catch the other burglar who had attempted to frame Selina with murder. The two had formed something of an attachment. Selina found Bruce attractive, and Bruce thought she had some good in her (and was also attractive), and they both found themselves wanting to see each other again some time. Purely for work purposes. Bruce only wanted her to face justice. There was totally NO OTHER reason. *cough cough* I have a post where I talk more about her and her relationship with Bruce.

Moving on, there’s an episode where we briefly head to Star City and meet The Flash, but THEN we get introduced to Ghostmaker. A fellow vigilante from Bruce’s past. His rival… and friend. He had also been one of Ra’s’s top students and they had fought often, but the main difference between them was that Ghostmaker was willing to kill. Bruce wasn’t. They have some funny, witty, exciting times when he comes to visit Gotham, but in the end, Bruce establishes that Gotham is his city. And there will be no killing in his city.

Grande finale sees the return of the Joker, alongside Harley Quinn’s debut!

And guess who they’re working alongside? TONY ZUCCO!! Dick has his revenge arc, trying to chase Zucco down, but in the end… all those years of Bruce’s training keep his hands from committing the most horrible act. I mean, Dick does rough him up, but in the end, Zucco gets sentenced to life in prison. Now Dick can finally let go. He can finally visit his parents’ grave with a clear conscience. They would be proud of him for what he did. They would be proud knowing their son was not a killer.

So that’s season 2 :)

Part 3 👇

Part 1 👇

More of Bruce and Selina 👇

#dc #dc comics #batman #bat family #Bruce wayne #batgirl #Barbara gordon #dick grayson #robin #batman and robin #fandom #head canon #fan fiction #Gotham Files

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7weaslesinacoat · 7 months ago

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bruce wayne definitely is an amazing singer, he was raised in the high class of gotham.. and like damian he’s always been encouraged to learn any sort of art. i love the idea that that one episode of justice league unlimited is completely canon, he has the singing voice of an angel.

whereas damian is more visually artistic- dick, jason, anyone who knows bruce closely knows that he loves singing. even if it’s just under his breath. while cleaning the batmobile he sings, while working on a light case he sings, and when going out for karaoke with the other justice league members.. he’s not very resistant to showing off his skills.

as brucie he’s wayyyyy more sloppy with his singing, purposefully singing off key or making a seemingly drunken scene.. so it’s a surprise to anyone who begins to really know him when they learn that he’s classically trained in music. a part of his childhood and growing up that hasn’t really left him yet.

i love when writers incorporate bits of his growing up into bruce’s character. because he’s not all rugged and batman-y, and i think that one episode where Kevin Conroy sung his heart out should be canon, it’s such a touching part of the character.

#imagine if he’s in a good mood while going on patrol- and he’s HUMMING when beating up criminals #dc comics #batman #dc universe #batfamily #dick grayson #jason todd #art #dc fanart #tim drake #bruce wayne #batman headcanon #bruce wayne headcanon #batfamily headcanons

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timeagainreviews · 3 months ago

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The Perplexing Politics of Pete McTighe

Hey friends, just a heads up, I talk about real-life abuse and violence in this article. Please take care accordingly.

If I had a pound for every time there was a Doctor-lite episode where Ruby Sunday is staring down the barrel of some folk horror only for it to be subverted into a story about a toxic white male, I would have two pounds. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice. “Happened twice” seems to be the theme of season two, so far. Susan Twist’s many cameos have been replaced by Mrs Flood’s many cameos. “Lux” bore a strong resemblance to “The Devil’s Chord.” And now we’ve remade “73 Yards.” It’s like Russell T Davies is pulling an “Evil Dead 2,” with season two. He’s got a bigger budget and better concept. Let’s remake the first one but call it a sequel! Was season one a test run? Had to get limber, did we? Well, I hope you’re warmed up because it’s starting to feel warmed over.

If you read my thoughts preceding season two, you’ll know I was not looking forward to this episode. Ruby Sunday’s entire story arc left me feeling quite let down. I felt like we had a vague idea of Ruby’s character, which is a shame because after “Lucky Day,” I was very pleasantly reminded how good Millie Gibson is in the role. In many ways, Lucky Day acts as a proof of concept for a Sarah Jane Adventures-style show with characters like Ruby. Away from the Doctor, Ruby’s character shines. Seeing her in a more commanding role suits her. Lucky Day also gives Ruby a chance at introspection and self-reliance that I admire. Sadly, however, it also plays into some of the trappings of characters like Clara Oswald, who are given focus through grief and trauma.

The RTD2 era has a bit of a Batman problem. Billionaire Bruce Wayne uses all of his money to dress like a bat and beat up the poor and insane. If you think of it from a campy comic book perspective, you can root for Batman because Batman is the good guy and the Joker is the bad guy. If you wrote Batman this way forever, you would never really need to question Batman’s motives. But then you get writers like Frank Miller who suddenly want to give the Bat some depth. If you introduce pathos, you must also be prepared to answer awkward questions. You have to question the nature of the hero. If the companions experience PTSD to the degree that they require a support group, then we are no longer in an adventure in time and space; we’re in the thick of it. But is Doctor Who capable of staring into that Charlie Brookeresque black mirror?

My poor boyfriend struggled with this episode. For a bit of context, he’s a very sensitive man. I’ve learned not to show him certain films and shows because his capacity for second-hand embarrassment is so strong that he becomes panicked. It’s not just characters in embarrassing situations, however; it can also be characters that personify his fears and anxieties. A mundane story about an awkward couple fighting killer monsters in a small English village was something he had signed up for. But when the tone shifted to the all-too-real storyline of a toxic male podcaster spewing hate into the world, he felt betrayed. He said, “I watch Doctor Who to escape this kind of thing.” He couldn’t even relax during the massage I bought him for his birthday because the episode had him so wound up. This wouldn’t be the first time Doctor Who has used its platform to discuss real-world politics. “The Happiness Patrol” parodied Margaret Thatcher’s regime with the depiction of Helen A. But when I watched “Lucky Day” with my sister, she similarly remarked, “That made me angry more than anything else.” So, what is Pete McTighe getting wrong that Graeme Curry got right?

Perhaps one of the clearest differences between the classic and current eras of Doctor Who is that in classic Doctor Who, the ones shouting “Exterminate!” are pepper pots with sink plungers and in modern Who, they’re throwing up “Roman salutes.” Gone are the days of allegory. The Doctor is now fighting literal Nazis. But if Doctor Who is now asking us to have these serious conversations, well, then we will start having these serious conversations. The best place to start is the place I always start, by asking whether Doctor Who is capable of handling such conversations. For example, is it great optics for “I stand with UNIT,” to be trending in an era of ICE raids? ACAB, except UNIT, amiright? This is why they needed to give Conrad those ableist and sexist lines. Because beyond being a total dick, Conrad’s greatest crime otherwise is to ask for transparency from a secretive paramilitary government organisation. It’s the MCU problem where the villains have a great point, but they must be stopped because they’re also mean.

This makes sense when you consider this story comes from the writer of “Kerblam!” wherein the Doctor gives a rousing speech about how the system isn’t the problem, it’s the people who exploit the system. If you asked Philip Zimbardo, he would tell you how systems can take good people and make them do terrible things. And he would know. You get the impression that Pete McTighe is a well-meaning progressive who also canvasses for Labour without a shred of irony. That’s a bit unfair, I don’t know him, but I do know his writing, and it’s a bit weird. There’s a healthy dose of mixed messaging that I originally chalked up to the Chibnall era’s first draft approach, but it’s starting to look like a pattern.

When the Doctor and Bel find themselves in 2007, it’s only for a brief moment. The vindicator needs to be calibrated, and unlike the last stop, the only things happening of note are fireworks celebrating the New Year. There are no haunted theatres or dead miners, just a little boy and a lucky 50p coin. It was a relatively small leg of the Doctor’s journey to bring Belinda back home, but a huge moment for the young Conrad Clark, who goes running back to his mum to excitedly describe the magic blue box he just watched disappear. Much like the Christmas special, “A Christmas Carol,” I hate how brazenly they depict child abuse. Having experienced domestic abuse as a child, I really didn’t appreciate having to see little Conrad get smacked in the mouth by his piece of shit mother. I really wish Doctor Who would stop depicting that shit so vividly. This episode seems hellbent on collecting various triggers. Yay escapism?

Conrad grows up to be obsessed with the Doctor and the unknown to such a degree that it starts to become unhealthy. He seems to run a very popular podcast about the strange and unknown. It has enough listeners that people from various parts of the world gladly tune in to listen to him interview Ruby Sunday. But his podcast is also Think Tank, which is poised to expose such things as fakery. So were the people tuning in because they’re into some X-Files nonsense or because they want to see X-Files nonsense exposed? Would his audience appreciate this bold new change in direction or would it be like Watcher’s “Goodbye Youtube?” Furthermore, if someone invited you onto a podcast, wouldn’t you at least listen to it before going on? Wouldn’t the Vlinx spend its days combing the internet for disinformation about UNIT? Is UNIT really bad at its job, or does Pete McTighe not understand how podcasts work?

Conrad meets Ruby after following her and the Doctor through an abandoned department store as they went monster hunting for a Shreek. The creepy mannequins strewn about the scene had me hoping for an Auton story. We’ve not had a good Auton story in ages. Instead, the reference to Autons is a painful reminder of the episode we could have had. In the words of Mystery Science Theatre 3000’s Tom Servo- “Never show a good movie in your crappy movie.” This wouldn’t be the first time we got the Auton bait and switch. Remember when “Praxeus” fooled us all with its swarms of killer plastic? “Lucky Day” joins Praxeus in the newly minted category of "Pete McTighe episodes that I wish were Auton stories instead." Creating a new genre of Doctor Who story? That’s quite the legacy. Conrad overhears the Doctor give Ruby an antidote to the Shreek’s vomit, which marks its prey for future nomming. I don’t understand why they need to mark prey. I get that they want to scare people because it makes them more tasty, but getting eaten is already pretty scary. Shouldn’t anyone suffice? If the person they mark could be “anyone,” why mark them at all? The Shreek isn’t Tzim-Sha, for godsake. They’re not big game hunters. Christ, I’m referencing Tzim-Sha now.

Conrad snaps a picture of Ruby and posts it to social media in hopes that someone will get him in contact with her. But what person would violate Ruby’s confidence like that? As it would turn out, that person is Ruby Sunday. Between Conrad’s podcast and Davina McCall, Ruby is proving to be one of the Doctor’s most interviewable companions. It’s really odd to me that not only would Ruby respond to Conrad’s creepy post, but then gleefully recount her exploits with the Doctor in a public forum. It would appear that, along with goodbye hugs, departing companions must also be debriefed. You just gonna spill the tea, huh, sis? Why not just write out the Doctor’s schedule and a list of his fears while you’re at it?

Ruby warms up to Conrad after he tells her that he’s an orphan. Finally, someone with whom she can share the terrible pain of growing up with a loving family. Speaking of loving family, Ruby’s two mums and Cherry are all happy to see Ruby and Conrad start dating. It’s a sign to them that Ruby is getting over the Doctor. Cherry would also enjoy washing her clothes on Conrad’s abs, but that’s pretty par for the course with Cherry. She’s a dirty old bird and we love her for it. Ruby’s other mum, whose name I don’t feel inclined to look up, is also there. Our biggest takeaway with her is that she’s still there. Sitting. I get the impression that we won’t see these ladies much more in the future. But it’s Davies, he’ll probably have them all come back for some grand finale at some point. Probably when he leaves again.

Ruby and Conrad take a little trip. I forget where, as it wasn’t incredibly important to me. His friends are supposedly there to meet her, but we all know how that turns out. At this point in the episode, I was mostly content to watch a relatively mundane monster of the week story. I had resigned myself to that Pete McTighe mundanity that we’ve come to rely on. This isn’t the guy you give big episodes to, this is the guy who writes benign short films starring side-characters to advertise Doctor Who Blu-rays. Doctor-lite stories are his wheelhouse. I did like that Ruby called UNIT to alert them of signs of the Shreek. It gives us a good glimpse into her current state and demonstrates that even when she’s panicked, she can take control.

The control is just the issue, however. Ruby is constantly on alert from her travels with the Doctor, which is very realistic. That need to control the situation stems from her fear of losing said control. I’ve had people say to me, “Wouldn’t it be great to be the Doctor’s companion?” To which I’ve always answered with a hardy “No.” I had a guy pull a gun on me in the Sunfresh parking lot in Kansas City. It wasn’t an adventure, and I doubt that gun being held by a Dalek would have made it feel any more so. It stuck with me for years, remembering how frail I felt in that moment. The Doctor’s adventures would give you PTSD, there’s no denying it. So if your question is “Would you like the Doctor to take you on a trip in the TARDIS to go meet Terry Pratchett?” Then yes. Yes, I would. I love any number of fictional universes, but there are very few of them in which I would want to live.

After triggering Ruby and UNIT into a full-on panic, Conrad and his army of internet trolls reveal the big ruse that any other secret agency would have known about months in advance. They once stopped a Krynoid invasion, and now they’re getting clowned on by podcasters. Ruby falls into a dimension of montage where the world is shown to turn its back on UNIT. Even Trinity Wells is back to stir up some shit. No Trinity, not you too! I thought Trinity’s new approach from “The Giggle” had more to do with the Toymaker’s influence, but it would appear she’s a muckracker like the rest of them. Et tu, Trinity? Ruby, having done the podcast and the big exposé live stream, has become the face of ridicule. Her only choice is to weather the storm along with UNIT.

The usual UNIT team is present, give or take a character here and there. We don’t see Morris, Mel, or Rose, but we do see Kate, Colonel Ibrahim, and Shirley Bingham. I remarked to my partner that I liked that UNIT finally has a more permanent roster of rotating characters, like it did in Classic Who. For years, they were haemorrhaging Brigadiers, but Kate put an end to that. Introducing the Avengers tower-esque UNIT HQ gave them even more opportunity to establish a core team. So when they introduced Jordan Lang, naturally, I took notice. Sadly for UNIT’s and Jordan’s sake, he was secretly a mole on the inside. I hope after this episode, UNIT took a long and in-depth look at its security protocols, because evidently, it’s super easy to infiltrate.

After doing a background check on Conrad, they learn he once tried to join UNIT but was rejected because his vibes were off. They also discover that his mother is still alive, living comfortably in France. His podcast, Think Tank, has over 80,000 subscribers, which, as I said earlier, is confusing. Even more confusing is how that required a background check when a Google search would have sufficed. Even more confusing is how Conrad's live stream kept going when the Shreek's background radiation causes power to fluctuate. I did enjoy that Shirley got to be the one to call out Conrad about being a tax evader, considering he referred to her as a drain on taxes. In fact, I really like everyone’s reactions to Conrad’s sudden intrusion into UNIT HQ. Kate letting the Shreek out is some shit her dad would have done. And Ruby’s “Go to hell,” line to Conrad was a genuine high for her character. I even said “Fuck yeah, girl,” in the moment. Hot taser lady indeed.

Because it’s Doctor Who, Conrad is wrong and UNIT is right. And because I’m subscribed to the narrative, UNIT are the good guys and Conrad is the bad guy. But the real-world parallels are so distressing and worrisome that neither Conrad’s comeuppance nor the Doctor’s reprimand feels any sort of cathartic. Having been proven the fool by the existence of the very real Shreek, Conrad has been locked away with his arm reattached, but the Doctor isn’t yet done with him. In a very “Oh shit, dad’s home,” moment, the Doctor invites Conrad into his TARDIS to give him a stern warning. The Doctor’s white outfit gives him an air of mercy, but is betrayed by the ambient red lighting, giving him an enraged glow. As Doctor speeches go, it’s one of Ncuti’s best. He brings a lofty weight to the words that sound like they come from somewhere real within his own experience. While heavy-handed and on the nose, the Doctor says some things a lot of us are feeling these days.

The problem arises in the fact that the speech is totally wasted on Conrad. The Doctor’s words fall upon deaf ears. And while it’s some stone cold shit for the Doctor to clue Conrad into the future of his sad death, Conrad laughs that annoying laugh. The Doctor doesn’t leave him chained up in chains forged in the heart of a dwarf star, he just stares at him with the same irritated disbelief as the rest of us. The look on the Doctor’s face is like Veronica from “Heathers,” when she said, “You don’t deserve my speech.” Because he doesn’t. Conrad is the pigeon knocking over the chess pieces and shitting on the board calling himself the victor. The Doctor may as well have been staring at a blank wall. Whether his revelation of Conrad dying angry in a cell at the age of 49 comes true or not, rather depends on what happens when the Doctor leaves. Mrs Flood, in her obligatory appearance, lets Conrad out of jail, informing him that this is his lucky day.

It makes sense that Mrs Flood would want Conrad if she is some sort of God of Storytelling. Conrad understands the importance of controlling the narrative. She seems to be amassing a team now. Perhaps Conrad is to be her new companion. Maybe there will be others. Is Mrs Flood forming her own UNIT-style team of disinformation? Possibly. Speaking of forming teams, do you get the impression that Davies is grooming Pete McTighe for something more? He’s given him the executive producer role for “The War Between the Land and the Sea.” The last person who got this kind of treatment was Chris Chibnall with Torchwood. Pete McTighe ain’t it. And by it, I mean the next showrunner. He might be, but he shouldn’t be. He’s had three opportunities to show what he can do within the Whoniverse, which, as it turns out, is not a lot. This confused and triggering slog was only occasionally elevated by the strong performances of Millie Gibson and the rest of the cast. Everything else was entirely forgettable.

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forthegothicheroine · 8 months ago

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My 12 best fanfics

Multiple people have tagged me to post my 10 best fanfics! I did 12 so that I could easily format a bunch of Penguin Classics covers for them. If you write fic and haven't done this yet, consider yourself tagged!

Darkest Timeline: My infamous Evil Lancelot series which I wrote in a quarantine-induced brain spiral, for which I am still expecting the Arthuriana fandom to excommunicate me. Please read the warnings, this is an emotional Dead Dove Do Not Eat.

Bride of Thorns: Morticia the gothic heroine marries Gomez the brooding hero.

The Most Poetical Topic: Jonathan "Scarecrow" Crane makes a date with a cute bookseller. Original Character Do Not Steal!

The Mel Brooks Cameo in Twin Peaks: Audrey Horne visits an old Jewish gangster. Mel Brooks worked with David Lynch on The Elephant Man, so what if they had continued their partnership?

Sir Wishbone and the Bad Day: A Wishbone episode about Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Joe getting his first detention is just like having to meet a guy to get your head cut off!

Opera Fantastique: Christine's bad reincarnation memories from the 1989 Phantom of the Opera film are just beginning.

Et in Arcadia Ego: A folk horror episode of The Prisoner. Is Six in the sway of black magic or just hallucinogens and manipulation?

Beware the Beetle: Batman has to read The Beetle by Richard Marsh when someone starts doing Beetle-themed crimes. Written for @bluestockingbaby's wonderful idea!

Gentle Wolves: A fairy tale-style confrontation between Vulpes Inculta, Craig Boone and the Courier. A fan favorite on the Fallout Kink Meme.

The Dream Journal of Lucy Westenra: Lucy has pleasant dreams of a romantic visitor which soon turn much less pleasant. My response to the idea that Lucy was 'asking for it'.

Alice in Camelot: Reading Arthurian legends can feel like reading Alice in Wonderland. Alice herself questions the logic.

Nyarlathotep: A Midrash: Moses's Pharaoh was Nyarlathotep, and Moses's miracles were dark and strange. One way or another, his people will be freed.

#fanfiction

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cantactdontcare · 7 months ago

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Watching Your Favorite Niche Celebrity Become the Most Iconic Superhero Ever is Really Crazy

The first teaser trailer for James Gunn’s new Superman movie dropped last week and has since surpassed “The Batman” and “Deadpool and Wolverine” trailers in views. Public opinion, which is typically very divisive on superhero films, appears to be primarily positive! I don’t know much about Superman other than in name (I mean how could you not know his name) but I know a whole lot about David Corenswet. If you haven’t heard, he’s the new one. Within a week I have witnessed him go from someone famous, but still a bitttttt under the radar, to like, a household name. The moment I saw a gay person quote tweet a picture of him in the Clark Kent outfit with the caption, “Raw, next question” I knew a new era was upon us.

I discovered David Corenswet through his role in Hollywood, a Ryan Murphy show that came out in the spring of 2020. The show was a “what if” piece on the widespread diversification of Hollywood post World War II. It most notably stars Patti LuPone, Jim Parsons, Jeremy Pope, Laura Harrier, Jake Picking, Holland Taylor, Dylan McDermitt, and Darren Chris. David Corenswet plays the role of Jack, a veteran trying to get his start in the business. I was immediately enamored with him and his his raw talent, charm, and classic good looks.

During Covid times my only hobbies were media consumption and brief neighborhood walks, so I had plenty of time to obsess over David Corenswet. Back then his filmography was much shorter than it is today, and I burned through it quickly. His other major roles consisted of River Barkley in The Politician, another Ryan Murphy project, and Michael Lawson in a film called Affairs of State. After finishing those, I watched all of his press interviews, every short he starred in, a YouTube comedy web series he made in college called “Moe and Jerrywether” and an episode of an MTV reality show about the dangers of premarital sex. As you can tell, I LOVED him.

My adoration was shared by my best friend, and the two of us spent about two months gushing over him. Pictured below are some screenshots from my private Instagram.

Just like most of my hyper-fixations, my obsessive interest in David Corenswet eventually subsided. Despite not wanting to watch his work all day every day anymore, I looked back on the phase very fondly. Here was this charming, talented guy just barely discovered and I knew about him! It was nice to have someone to follow and be invested in who felt like just mine.

As years went on I followed his career excitedly. I tuned in for films like Look Both Ways, a Netflix original starring him and Lili Reinhart, and Ti West’s Pearl, the second installment in the horror trilogy starring Mia Goth. I also, of course, watched Twisters, where he plays a (very hot) dickhead.

(I was tweaking about the cut kiss as you can see.)

The Superman casting announcement came out this past February, and I was pleasantly unsurprised to see David snagged the role. He was fancasted as Superman/Clark Kent back in 2020 solely based on his appearance and was the subject of quite a few (cursed) photoshops.

I didn’t see much about the upcoming Superman since the casting announcement and then… bam! The teaser graced my screen and my entire Twitter feed was talking about Superman and David Corenswet. Never in my life have I come across a post about him without searching his name or following a tag. Now he’s got edits up the wazzou. All the hype has reignited my obsession and I spent my Christmas consuming David-related content.

All that being said, I am so happy for David and his huge success and I will be PARKED in that theater in July. I would never ever want to gatekeep him and I will gladly talk about him with anyone one who will listen. For the first time in my life I get to say I WAS HERE FIRST!

#david corenswet #superman #jack castello #scott twisters #river barkley #the politician netflix #hollywood netflix #clark kent

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jazeswhbhaven · 1 month ago

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Hi!! Don't know if feel you confortable with this sort of ask, but if so, could you write about how the whb king's would react to a mc that enjoys cartoons like gravity falls and the amazing world of gumball but at the same time loves more adult shows like mr.pickles and moral orel? ( which is definitely not me describing myself, lol )

Hi anon, thank you for waiting!

So this hits home for me because I am definitely an enjoyer of the shows you mentioned here and even more so, let's see if I can tap into my nostalgic memories and throw out some shows the Kings and this MC would be into.

Satan would definitely watch shows with MC that have action in it along with mindless brain rot gore. So for the day time, we're talkin' the animated batman series, superman, anything with superhero marvel or dc characters and then at night? Super Jail, Mr.Pickles, Robot Chicken 💀 HELL Celebrity Deathmatch? He's literally out here asking MC or his nobles to tape certain episodes in case he misses anything.

Mammon is fine with whatever MC wants to watch. He literally has no preference but funny enough, he likes those old school shows most like The Jetsons, The Flintstones, anything that would show up on Boomerang that has that classic 70's animation style for cartoons. Yes, Scooby Doo would be one of them. As for adult shows...anything that involves a parody on reality, Oblongs, Mission Hill, (that genre of cartoons that aired late at night on MTV)

If MC can even get Beelzebub to sit in front of a TV long enough, he MIGHT be interested in something that has short run times. So The Amazing World of Gumball that has short mini episodes, same with Brandy and Mr.Whiskers, Uncle Grandpa, Fish Hooks. And at night time, the only thing MC can get him to pay attention to are shows with bright colors and brain rot, so again Super Jail, Squidbillies for nonsense shit, Robot Chicken, 12 OZ. Mouse, The Drinky Crow Show, China, IL. But, a show that has a place in his heart? The Buzz on Maggie 🥺

Leviathan is trickyyyyy, as he finds most things regarding watching TV instead of reading unproductive and a waste of time. But if you were to ask him, he's watching more "sophisticated" media. The Addams Family (black and white), The Munsters, and surprise surprise MC got him into Daria. Adult shows? Surprisingly, he may not act like it, but he does have two shows he likes to watch with MC, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, and Harvey Birdman 💀 He won't tell MC why he likes those shows, but he just does and gets upset if anyone interrupts the two of them watching either one.

Lucifer? TV? Why? He very much prefers quiet time because he already has Gamigin begging him to watch old shows. But for MC, he doesn't mind anything that isn't too loud, so no sudden blasts or explosions or yelling. Out of all the shows MC has shown him, he really likes Rocko's Modern Life and Courage the Cowardly Dog where he doesn't mind him yelling because "he has a reason to so this is fine". For any adult shows, he simply can't be bothered to watch them, saying he could "just ask someone to tape what happens in Abyssos" and he'd watch that. lmaooo

Belphegor? Oh buddy let's get cookin'. Not only is he watching Sonic X, Kirby Right Back At Ya!, Sailor Moon, and Yugi-Oh/Digimon....but he's got MC taping Danny Phantom, Fairly Oddparents, Gravity Falls, any show with lore. Adult shows? Remember Toonami? Adult Swim? All kids out of the pool? He coined that phrase. He made sure most of that shit would come on late a night even if he didn't get to see it. Aqua Teen Hunger Force is brain rot he enjoyed the most. He was also into lost media like "Perfect Hair Forever" and "Super Milk Chan". The Venture Bros? MC is now dressed up as Dr.Girlfriend or The Monarch. 💀

Asmodeus had small kiddos before, so he's seen every kind of wholesome show imaginable. He watches them all with MC for those feel good memories. But instead of animated shows he prefers the live action ones, so "Wizards of Waverly Place" would be an example. But...when we get to...uh...the afterdark shows anything with raunchy innuendos and any step below "porn" without it being porn is what he's watching. (Like honestly just think of a show and insert it here lmao) In fact, he purposes to MC that they make their own show and broadcast it all over Abaddon...the TV is turned off...brace yourself MC...TV night has turned into "Home Movies with my Horny Demon King boyfriend".

#jwhbasks❓#whb #whb headcanons #whb kings #omg this was nostaglic asf lmao #what in hell is bad

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