#Entertainment Writer using FORBES

[grits-galraisedinthesouth]

Polishing a Markled Turd 💩

"...the British Press Said that..." Puff Piece written by "Forbes" reporter who covers ENTERTAINMENT trends. Conor Murray was tasked to submit a puff piece using a "Forbes" byline: Markle’s ‘With Love, Meghan’ Renewed For Another Season—Despite Low Review Ranking

Meghan Markle and her Spare blame the United Kingdom their disastrous Netflix performance.

Mar 7, 2025 Meghan Markle’s new lifestyle Netflix series, “With Love, Meghan,” will return for a second season despite a dismal response from critics, as the series places in the top 10 of Netflix shows on the streaming platform Friday.

With Love, Meghan," a lifestyle series for Netflix, has been met with a negative critical reception. “With Love, Meghan” premiered Tuesday on Netflix, featuring eight episodes of the Duchess of Sussex inviting guests to her California home, where she cooks and engages with guests in homemaking projects. The series will return for a second season, both Netflix and Markle confirmed in Instagram posts on Friday. The renewal comes as Markle’s show has been roasted by critics, particularly in the United Kingdom, leaving it with just a 28% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and an even worse 18% audience score (though the latter system is notoriously easy to game). “With Love, Meghan” ranks as Netflix’s No. 7 show in the United States on Friday, according to the streaming service’s daily charts.

Chief Critics: Markle’s show has been torched by critics since its debut, especially in England—where Markle remains a divisive figure after she decamped the country with her husband, Prince Harry, stepping away from their royal duties—with British newspapers:

The Guardian (1 of her Meghan Markle's favorite sources)

The Independent both giving the series a one-star rating. The Independent called the series “queasy and exhausting” and like a “millennial blog come to life.”

Variety (since when is Variety British) said Markle appears “unwilling to step outside the role of perpetual A student” and “lacks similar competence” to lifestyle gurus Martha Stewart and Ina Garten.

Key Background: On “With Love, Meghan,” Markle invites guests to her home that include actress-writer Mindy Kaling, her former “Suits” co-star Abigail Spencer and celebrity chefs Roy Choi and Alice Waters. The series is one of many media ventures she and her husband have undertaken since leaving their royal duties in 2020. Harry’s blockbuster memoir, “Spare,” became the fastest-selling nonfiction book ever. The couple signed a deal with Netflix (Megafestingly) reportedly worth $100 million, for which they have produced five shows, including the 2022 “Harry & Meghan” docuseries, which was a ratings hit but prompted a mixed response from critics. Markle also hosted a short-lived podcast for Spotify, “Archetypes,” which lasted for 12 episodes before she parted ways with the streaming platform. Spotify’s head of podcasts Bill Simmons slammed Harry and Markle after her podcast ended, calling them “grifters.” actually he called them "fu-ing GRIFTERS"

Further Reading: Meghan Markle’s ‘With Love, Meghan’ Roasted By Critics—The Royal Couple’s Latest Media Venture Struggle (Forbes)

Conor Murray is a reporter covering trends in entertainment and culture. He is based in Jersey City and joined Forbes in 2022. Murray has covered the messy rollout for Kanye West's latest album, the Stanley water bottle craze and right-wing backlash against companies deemed "woke." He previously covered billionaires with the Forbes wealth team and covered pop culture and TikTok trends for NBC News. He graduated with a degree in political science from the University of Pennsylvania in 2022. Follow Murray for continued coverage of social media trends, celebrity controversies and the movie and music industries. 

[trydoschool]

10 Best Work-From-Home Digital Marketing Jobs in 2024

Want to work from the comfort of your home and build a career in marketing? Digital marketing is the answer! This article will help you to find out the "Top 10 work from home digital marketing jobs" in 2024.

Whether you're a specialized marketer with several years of experience or just starting out, there's a digital marketing role out there for you. Let's have a look and explore the exciting opportunities this field offers.

Why Digital Marketing Jobs are Ideal for Remote Work

Digital marketing jobs are perfectly suited for remote work due to its dependence on the internet and digital tools. These digital roles offer flexibility, allowing professionals to work from any location with an internet connection.

CRMs are used by companies to coordinate the work as a team and it looks clean and clear in managing tasks and projects. This makes this digital marketing field a perfect for work from home model.

Statistical Overview of Digital Marketing in 2024

Digital marketing is a revenue powerhouse. According to Forbes, Digital Marketing is projected to be one of the highest paying jobs in 2024. With more businesses emerging online and consumers spending countless hours on their devices, the opportunities are really huge.

From small home businesses to global corporations, everyone needs a strong digital presence. This means jobs in areas like SEO, content marketing, and performance marketing are in high demand. Moreover, new technologies like artificial intelligence are opening up exciting new opportunities.

Digital Marketing is a dynamic field with endless growth potential.

Also Read: 7 Ultimate Tips to Earn Money from Digital Marketing

10 Work From Home Digital Marketing Jobs in 2024

1. SEO Specialist

Job Description:

Optimize website SILO structure and content to get visibility in search engine.

Conduct keyword research and implement On Page, Off Page and Technical SEO.

Monitor and analyze metrics and performance using tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console.

Stay updated with the latest SEO trends and Core Google algorithms.

Required Skills:

Keyword Research: Ability to identify relevant keywords using several tools like keyword planner, SEMRUSH, Ahrefs for content optimization.

On-Page SEO: Knowledge of optimizing website and blog content with meta tags and description.

Off-Page SEO: Understanding of link-building strategies with higher authority websites and external SEO techniques.

Analytical Skills: Good Knowledge in using analytics tools to measure SEO performance.

Technical SEO: Familiarity with site structure, XML sitemaps, and mobile optimization.

2. Content Marketer

Job Description:

Plan, Develop and Execute content strategies to attract the target audiences.

Create high-quality different forms of content like blog posts, social media posts, reels etc.

Team up with Graphic Designers, copy writers, and SEO Analysts to produce compelling content.

Track and measure the performance of content published.

Required Skills:

Copywriting: Strong writing skills with an ability to create engaging, helpful and informative content.

SEO Knowledge: Understanding of how to optimize the social media content for user queries and search intent.

Content Strategy: Ability to plan and execute a 30-days content calendar with a mix of value and entertainment.

Creative Thinking: Ability to generate unique content ideas and formats.

Analytics: Use of tools to measure content performance and adjust the upcoming strategies accordingly.

3. Social Media Manager

Job Description:

Manage and boost the brand's social media presence across several digital platforms.

Develop social media strategies to improve the engagement and followers and be updated with latest trends.

Create and schedule posts, stories, and campaigns using content scheduling platforms and do re-purpose content if necessary.

Monitor competitor activities using tools.

Required Skills:

Platform Proficiency: Deep understanding of major social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn) and suggest growth in respective platforms.

Content Creation: Ability to create engaging multimedia content with engagement.

Analytics: Proficiency in social media analytics tools to track performance.

Community Management: Engage with followers through DMs and comments.

Trends Awareness: Staying updated with the latest social media trends and best practices.

4. Email Marketing Specialist

Job Description:

Design and implement email marketing campaigns.

Segment email lists and personalize email content.

Analyze how the campaigns are performing. Optimize for even better results.

Make sure everything follows email marketing rules.

Required Skills:

Email Platforms: Know tools like Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or similar ones.

Copywriting: You got to write catchy emails that grab attention.

Segmentation: Be skilled at targeting specific audience groups.

Analytics: Use data to figure out how emails are doing & what to improve.

Regulation Knowledge: Understand rules like the CAN-SPAM Act & GDPR compliance.

5. Digital Marketing Analyst

Job Description:

Look at data from different digital marketing channels. Measure how well campaigns work.

Create reports and share insights to boost marketing strategies.

Use analytics tools to keep an eye on website traffic, conversions, and how users behave.

Team up with marketing groups to fine-tune campaigns based on what the data says.

Required Skills:

Data Analysis: Strong analytical skills needed, plus familiarity with data analysis tools.

Google Analytics: Be good at using Google Analytics and similar tools.

Reporting: Know how to make detailed and insightful reports.

Critical Thinking: You should be able to make smart decisions from interpreting data.

Technical Skills: A basic grasp of HTML and web technologies is helpful.

6. Digital Marketing Trainer

Job Description:

Develop & deliver training programs on various digital marketing topics.

Create educational content like presentations, guides, and e-learning modules.

Assess trainees' progress and give feedback.

Stay up-to-date with the latest digital marketing trends and tools to weave into training.

Required Skills:

Teaching Skills: Can explain complex stuff in a way that's easy to understand to students.

Digital Marketing Expertise: Deep knowledge of different digital marketing channels & strategies.

Content Creation: Skilled at making training materials that are fun & informative.

Communication: Strong verbal and written skills that get the message across clearly.

Adaptability: Can customize training for all kinds of skill levels and learning styles.

7. E-commerce Specialist

Job Description:

Manage & optimize online stores to boost sales.

Handle product listings, descriptions, and pricing details.

Implement digital marketing strategies that drive traffic & conversions.

Analyze e-commerce performance and spot areas needing improvement.

Required Skills:

E-commerce Platforms: Knows platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento well.

Digital Advertising: Has experience with advertising techniques tailored for e-commerce.

SEO Knowledge: Can optimize product listings so they're easy to find on search engines.

User Experience (UX): Understands how to improve the online shopping journey for customers.

Analytics: Can analyze sales data & make smart decisions based on it.

8. Influencer Marketer

Job Description:

Find & work with influencers to promote products or services.

Create strategies & campaigns for influencer marketing.

Negotiate terms & keep good relationships with influencers.

Watch & analyze how well the influencer campaigns perform.

Required Skills:

Social Media Savvy: Really understanding social media platforms and the world of influencers.

Relationship Building: Skills to make strong connections with influencers.

Negotiation: Able to strike deals and manage contracts with influencers.

Creative Strategy: Coming up with cool and effective influencer campaigns.

Analytics: Using tools to see how campaigns are doing and measuring ROI.

9. Website Manager

Job Description:

Run the daily operations of the company's website(s).

Make sure the website works well, is up, and runs smoothly.

Keep website content fresh! Update text, images, & multimedia regularly.

Look at site analytics and work for better user experience & SEO.

Work together with developers, designers, & marketing teams to make website updates and improvements happen.

Required Skills:

Technical Proficiency: Know-how about web technologies, HTML, CSS, plus CMS platforms like WordPress.

SEO Knowledge: Understand on-page SEO tricks & how to optimize websites effectively.

Content Management: Handling and updating the website content easily.

Analytical Skills: Good at using web analytics tools like Google Analytics.

Problem-Solving: Quick to troubleshoot & fix website issues as they occur.

Project Management: Good at coordinating website projects and updates with different teams.

10. Performance Marketer

Job Description:

You'll develop & manage performance marketing campaigns across a bunch of digital channels.

It's important to optimize campaigns so you hit your KPIs—like conversions, clicks, & ROI.

Analyzing data is key, plus you'll need to create reports on how well the campaigns are doing.

Implement A/B testing to improve campaign effectiveness.

Working with other marketing teams will help align all those performance strategies.

Required Skills:

Analytical Skills: Strong ability to analyze data and draw actionable insights.

Performance Tools: Being good with performance marketing tools—think Google Ads, Facebook Ads, & other PPC.

A/B Testing: You should know how to set up A/B tests and check how they're working to make campaigns work better.

Campaign Management: Experience managing big digital marketing campaigns will be taken into account.

ROI Optimization: It's crucial to understand how to tweak campaigns for the best return on investment possible.

Communication: Ability to clearly communicate performance results and strategy recommendations.

[adinathgirhe-blog]

Josh Scherer Net Worth, Age, Wife, Wiki, Height, and More 2024

In the dynamic world of culinary arts, few personalities shine as brightly as Josh Scherer. Born into the sun-kissed landscapes of Los Angeles, Scherer has carved a unique niche for himself as a chef, author, and media producer. With a flair for blending humor with culinary expertise, he has captivated food enthusiasts around the globe. From his early days as a political science student to becoming a culinary sensation, Scherer’s journey is a testament to the power of passion and innovation. As we delve into his life and achievements, we uncover the story of a man whose net worth is only matched by his rich contributions to the food culture and media. Join us as we explore the life of Josh Scherer, a modern maestro of the culinary world.

Josh Scherer Early Life and Education

Josh Scherer’s journey into the culinary world began in the vibrant city of Los Angeles, where he was born on April 15, 1992. Growing up in a city known for its diverse food culture, Scherer’s early life was undoubtedly influenced by the myriad of flavors and cuisines that surrounded him. His academic path took him to the University of California, Santa Barbara, and later to UCLA, where he pursued a degree in Political Science and Government. It was during his time at university that Scherer’s passion for food and writing began to crystallize, setting the stage for his future endeavors in the culinary arts. Josh Scherer Bio in short: - Full NameJosh Scherer - Date of BirthApril 15, 1992 - Age (as of 2024)32 years old - Height6 feet 2 inches - BirthplaceLos Angeles, California - EducationUniversity of California, Santa Barbara and UCLA, degree in Political Science and Government - WifeEngaged with Julia Levy - Net Worth (as of 2024)$5 million - Mythical Kitchen Net WorthApproximately $4,446,742 through, 2024 - CareerFood writer, Director of Culinary Content at Mythical Entertainment, YouTube content creator - AchievementsForbes 30 Under 30, author, successful YouTube channel and podcast - Cooking Skills OriginSelf-taught, inspired by Food Network and experimentation

Josh Scherer Career

Josh Scherer’s career is a vibrant tapestry of culinary exploration and media innovation. His journey began as a food writer and journalist for notable publications such as TakePart, Maxim, and LA Mag. His passion for food and storytelling led him to Mythical Entertainment, where he became the Director of Culinary Content.

At Mythical Entertainment, Scherer’s creativity flourished. He launched the Mythical Kitchen YouTube channel, which quickly amassed a dedicated following, of 3.1 million subscribers. His role expanded as he developed and produced flagship series like “Will It?” and “International Taste Test,” which became staples of the internet’s daily viewing. Scherer’s talents also shone through in his podcast, “A Hot Dog Is A Sandwich,” which reaches 4 million yearly listeners and has become a favorite for food enthusiasts. His ability to blend humor with culinary expertise has not only entertained but also educated his audience on the joys of cooking and food experimentation. Also Read: Dean Schneider Net Worth 2024-Age, Wife, Family, and More Ivana Alawi Net Worth Cong TV Net Worth

Josh Scherer Achievements

Josh Scherer has made a significant mark in the food and media industry with a series of notable accomplishments: - Forbes 30 Under 30 - Food & Drink (2022): Recognized for his innovative contributions to the culinary world, Scherer was listed in Forbes’ prestigious roundup. - Mythical Kitchen YouTube Channel: Since its launch, the channel has grown to nearly 3.1 million subscribers, becoming a favorite for food lovers and cooking enthusiasts. - Good Mythical Morning Contributions: As the culinary producer, Scherer developed popular series like “Will It?” and “International Taste Test,” which have become internet sensations. - Podcast Success: His podcast, “A Hot Dog Is A Sandwich,” reaches 4 million yearly listeners, consistently topping the charts and engaging a wide audience. - Streamy Awards Finalist: His show “Food Fears” was a finalist for the Streamy Awards’ Best Food Show in 2019. - Culinary Bro-Down Blog: His blog was named a finalist for Best Writing in Saveur’s Best Food Blog Awards 2014. - The Culinary Bro-Down Cookbook: Authored in 2017, the cookbook showcases Scherer’s unique culinary perspective and has been well-received by the food community. These achievements not only highlight Scherer’s talent and creativity but also his ability to connect with and inspire a global audience through his passion for food and media.

Josh Scherer Personal Life & Family

Josh Scherer’s personal life reflects his vibrant personality and passion for food. While he keeps his private life relatively low-profile, it is known that he is not married but is in a committed relationship with his girlfriend, Jules, who is a professional business manager.

She celebrates her birthday on December 22nd, and Josh affectionately refers to her as the love of his life. This glimpse into his personal life adds a touch of relatability to his public persona, endearing him further to his fans and followers. Josh Scherer has kept the details about his parents private, and there is no publicly available information about them. It’s known that he has a brother named Jon who graduated from UCLA. Respecting his choice to keep his family life away from the public eye, there isn’t much more that can be shared about his parents.

Josh Scherer Net Worth

Josh Scherer’s net worth is a reflection of his multifaceted career as a chef, food blogger, author, and digital content creator. As of 2024, his estimated net worth is $5 million. This wealth accumulation is primarily attributed to his career in the culinary arts and his successful ventures into digital media. Scherer’s earnings are bolstered by his role as the Director of Culinary Content at Mythical Entertainment, where he produces the popular YouTube channel Mythical Kitchen. The channel has garnered close to 3.1 million subscribers since its launch. Additionally, his podcast, “A Hot Dog Is A Sandwich,” reaches 4 million yearly listeners, further contributing to his income. While specific figures regarding his annual salary are not publicly disclosed, it is estimated that he pockets an annual salary of around $86,6633. This figure likely represents only a portion of his total earnings, considering his diverse income streams, including his cookbook sales and digital content. FAQs: What is the net worth of Josh Scherer?Josh Scherer’s net worth as of 2024 is estimated to be 5 million.Who is Josh Scherer's wife?Josh Scherer is engaged to his partner, Julia Levy.What's Josh Scherer's age?Born on April 15, 1992, Josh Scherer is 32 years old as of 2024.What is the height of Josh Scherer?He stands at a height of 6 feet 2 inches.What is the net worth of Mythical Kitchen?The net worth of Mythical Kitchen’s YouTube channel through 2024, is approximately $4,446,742.What happened to mythical chef Josh?Josh Scherer has been active with his Mythical Kitchen channel and has recently talked about The Mythical Cookbook, a collection of experimental recipes.Where did Josh Scherer learn to cook?Josh Scherer honed his culinary skills by watching Food Network and experimenting with cooking from a young age. He grew up on frozen food and microwavable meals but developed his cooking skills over time. Conclusion: Josh Scherer’s journey from a curious food blogger to a culinary media powerhouse is a story of passion, creativity, and resilience. His remarkable ascent in the food industry is marked by his innovative approach to culinary content and his ability to connect with a global audience. As he stands on the cusp of marriage and continues to expand his professional horizons, Scherer’s influence on the culinary world is undeniable. His story inspires aspiring chefs and content creators alike to pursue their dreams with gusto and to never underestimate the power of a well-cooked meal shared with millions online. Josh Scherer’s legacy is not just in the dishes he creates but in the hearts he touches and the smiles he brings to the faces of food lovers everywhere. Read the full article

[jenifer-so]

September

BUSY FOR THE LAST DAYS IN THIS 2023′S FROM OUR AMERICANS FAMILY PROFESSIONALS CAREERS AS CHEFS ARTISTS C.E.OS PROFESSIONALS NAMED HOWE’S, WITH DESIGNERS C.E.OS LEADERS NAMED HOWE’S AND WITH MUSIC STUDIO’S PRODUCTION LABEL LEADERS NAMED HOWE’S WE ARE SPECIAL THANK TO YOU IN ORDER TO SHARE THIS JOYFUL HAPPINESS BY NEW MUSIC MAKING FROM OLD DISCO WITH RANDB MUSIC GENRE AND WITH SOUL MUSIC IN THIS SONG ‘’ SEPTEMBER ‘’ INTO THE NEW YOUTH MELODY OF YOUNG HIPHOP POP BY LOVELY VOCAL SINGING OF AMERICAN SONG WRITER AND MUSICIAN, A SUPERSTAR AND SUPERIDOL OF ALL MUSIC GENRE STAR IDOL C.E.O LEADER TANNER PATRICK HOWE WHO IS JENIFER SO HOWE’S SPOUSE HER HUSBAND C.E.O TANNER PATRICK,

HE PRODUCED THIS SONG AGAIN IN NEW MODERN REMIXED HIPHOP YOUNG POP GENRE LOVELY ONE IN HIS LOVELY SONGS ESPECIALLY IN HIS NEW ALBUM RELEASING ‘’ THE VINTAGE VAULT ‘’ WITH HIS SIBLINGS ELDER BROTHER IDOL STAR MUSIC GENIUS CREATOR AND MUSIC PRODUCER C.E.O LEADER GRAYSON HOWE INCLUDING HIS PROFESSIONALS INSTRUMENTALS FROM SAXOPHONES TO TROMBONES ...TROMPETS ,ECT

ALWAYS BEHIND THE TALENTED PRODIGY OF THEIR SIBLINGS , THERE IS THEIR PARENT , WHO ARE THE MOST GREAT HONORED RESPECTED TALENTED PARENT C.E.OS LEADERS NAMED HOWE ‘S WHO ARE THE OWNERS OF AMERICANS FAMILY PROFESSIONALS CAREERS CHEFS ARTISTS C.E.OS LEADERS HOWE’S, DESIGNERS C.E.OS LEADERS HOWE’S, AND MUSIC STUDIO’S PRODUCTION LABEL C.E.OS LEADERS NAMED HOWE’S BEEN A LONG TIME WITH YOU!!

THANK YOU FOR BEING FAITHFUL , TRUSTFUL AND GREATFUL IN ORDER TO SHARE THE TRUE LOVE FROM US WITH YOU AROUND THE WORLD FORWARD,

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[warningsine]

Hollywood writers and actors recently proved that they could go toe-to-toe with powerful media conglomerates. After going on strike in the summer of 2023, they secured better pay, more transparency from streaming services and safeguards from having their work exploited or replaced by artificial intelligence.

But the future of entertainment extends well beyond Hollywood. Social media creators – otherwise known as influencers, YouTubers, TikTokers, vloggers and live streamers – entertain and inform a vast portion of the planet.

For the past decade, we’ve mapped the contours and dimensions of the global social media entertainment industry. Unlike their Hollywood counterparts, these creators struggle to be seen as entertainers worthy of basic labor protections.

Platform policies and government regulations have proved capricious or neglectful. Meanwhile, creators’ bottom-up initiatives to collectively organize have sputtered.

Living on the edge

Industry estimates regarding the size and scale of the creator economy vary. But Citibank estimates there are over 120 million creators, and an April 2023 Goldman Sachs report predicted that the creator economy would double in size, from US$250 billion to $500 billion, by 2027.

According to Forbes, the “Top 50 Creators” altogether have 2.6 billion followers and have hauled in an estimated $700 million in earnings. The list includes MrBeast, who performs stunts and records giveaways, and makeup artist-cum-true crime podcaster Bailey Sarian.

The windfalls earned by these social media stars are the exception, not the norm.

The venture capitalist firm SignalFire estimates that less than 4% of creators make over $100,000 a year, although YouTube-funded research points to a rising middle class of creators who are able to sustain careers with relatively modest followings.

These are the users who find themselves most vulnerable to opaque changes to platform policies and algorithms.

Platforms like to “move fast and break things,” to use Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s infamous expression. And since the creator economy relies on social media platforms to reach audiences, creators’ livelihoods are subject to rapid, iterative changes in platforms’ features, services and agreements.

Yes, various platforms have introduced business opportunities for creators, such as YouTube’s advertising partnership feature or Twitch’s virtual goods store. However, the platforms’ terms of use can flip on a switch. For example, in September 2022, Twitch changed its fee structure. Some streamers who were retaining 70% of all subscription revenue generated from their accounts saw this proportion drop to 50%.

In 2020, TikTok, facing rising competition from YouTube Shorts and Instagram reels, launched its billion-dollar Creator Fund. The fund was supposed to allow creators to get directly paid for their content. Instead, creators complained that every 1,000 views only translated to a few cents. TikTok suspended the fund in November 2023.

Bias as a feature, not a bug

The livelihoods of many fashion, beauty, fitness and food creators depend on deals brokered with brands that want these influencers to promote goods or services to their followers.

Yet throughout the creator economy, people of color and those identifying as LGBTQ+ have encountered bias. Unequal and unfair compensation from brands is a recurring issue, with one 2021 report revealing a pay gap of roughly 30% between white creators and creators of color.

Along with brand biases, platforms can exacerbate systemic bias. Creator scholar Sophie Bishop has demonstrated how nontransparent algorithms can categorize “desirability” among influencers along lines of race, gender, class and sexual orientation.

Then there’s what creator scholar Zoë Glatt calls the “intimacy triple bind”: Marginalized creators are at higher risk of trolling and harassment, they secure lower fees for advertising, and they are expected to divulge more personal details to generate more engagement and revenue.

Couple these precarious conditions with the whims and caprices of volatile online communities that can turn beloved creators into villains in the blink of a text or post, and even the world’s most successful creators live on a precipice of losing their livelihoods.

Rumblings of solidarity

Unlike their counterparts in the legacy media industries, creators have neither taken easily nor well to collective action as they operate from their bedrooms and fight for more eyeballs.

Yet some members of this creator class recognize that the bedroom-boardroom power imbalance is a bottom line matter that requires bottom-up initiative.

The Creators Guild of America, or CGA, which launched in August 2023, is but one of many successors to the original Internet Creators’ Guild, which folded in 2019. Paradoxically, CGA describes itself as a “professional service organization,” not a labor union, yet claims to offer benefits “similar to those offered by unions.”

There are other movements afoot: A group of TikTok creators formed a Discord group in September 2022 to discuss unionizing. There’s also the Twitch Unity Guild, a program launched in December 2022 for networking, development and celebration and includes a dedicated Discord space. In response to the rampant bias in influencer marketing, creator-led firms like “F–k You Pay Me ” are demanding greater fairness, transparency and accountability from brands and advertisers.

Twitch streamers are already seeing some of their organizing efforts pay off. In June 2023, after a year of repeated changes in streamer fees and brand deals, the company capitulated in response to the backlash of their top streamers threatening to leave.

None of these initiatives has yet attained the legal status of unions such as the Writers Guild of America. Meanwhile, efforts by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists to recruit creators have proved limited. Legal scholar Sara Shiffman has written about how SAG-AFTRA provides creators with health and retirement benefits, but offers no resources to ensure fair and equitable compensation from platforms or advertisers. Nonetheless, while on strike, SAG-AFTRA threatened creators that partnered with studios with a lifetime ban from joining the union.

And despite these bottom-up efforts, the tech behemoths refuse to recognize creators’ fledgling organizations. When a union for YouTubers formed in Germany in 2018, YouTube refused to negotiate with it. Nonetheless, you’ll see companies trot out their biggest stars when they find themselves under regulatory scrutiny. That’s what happened when TikTok sponsored creators to lobby politicians who were debating banning the platform.

An invisible class of labor

Meanwhile, most governments have failed to provide support for – or even recognition of – creator rights.

Within the U.S., creators “barely exist” in official records, as technology reporters Drew Harwell and Taylor Lorenz recently pointed out in The Washington Post. The U.S. Census Bureau makes no mention of social media as a profession; it is invisible as a distinctive class of labor.

To date, the Federal Trade Commission is the only U.S. agency to introduce regulation tied to the work of creators, and it’s limited to disclosure guidelines for advertising and sponsored content.

Even as the European Union has operated at the forefront of tech and platform policy, creators rate scant mention in the body’s laws. Writing about the EU’s 2022 Digital Services Act, legal scholars Bram Duivendvoorde and Catalina Goanta criticize the EU for leaving “influencer marketing out of the material scope of its specific rules,” a blind spot that they describe as “one of its main pitfalls.”

The success of the 2023 Hollywood strikes could be just the beginning of a larger global movement for creator rights. But in order for this new class of creators to access the full breadth of their economic and human rights – to borrow from the movie “Jaws” – we’re gonna need a bigger boat.

[starfriday]

The Grand Tapestry of Ideas Unfurls: Jaipur Literature Festival Unveils Third List of Visionary Speakers

HIGHLIGHTS

● Third List of Speakers Announced: Third tranche of 25 speakers announced - The Festival announced its third list of 25 speakers out of over 300 speakers expected to attend the 2024 edition. The third list features Amod K. Kanth , Arun Maira, Badri Narayan, Daisy Rockwell, Daniel Hahn, Guillermo Rodríguez, Gurucharan Das, Ivy Ngeow, Kal Penn, Katherine Rundell, Koël Purie Rinchet, Louise Kennedy, Manju Kapur, Matthew Parker, Miranda Seymour, Monica Ali, Naushad Forbes, Peter Frankopan, Peter Moore, Philip J. Stern , Reshma Ruia, Richard Osman, Sanjay Jha , Sudha Murty, Yatindra Mishra

The annual and iconic Jaipur Literature Festival announced its third list of speakers for the much-awaited 17th edition, set to take place from February 1 - 5, 2024 at Hotel Clarks Amer, Jaipur. As the just-released list shows, the Festival will once again be a grand marathon of ideas between writers, thinkers, idealists, realists, visionaries, intellectuals, avant-garde practitioners and the iconoclasts, all of whom will engage in informed discussion, united by an abiding love for literature.

The third list of 25 speakers includes Amod K. Kanth, a prominent Indian social entrepreneur and activist with a parallel illustrious career as an IPS officer. His books include Khaki in Dust Storm: Police Diaries Volume-1’ and ‘Khaki on Broken Wings: Police Diaries Volume - 2; Arun Maira, former Member of India’s Planning Commission, Chairman of BCG India, Chairman of Save the Children India, and Chairman of Help Age International and author of the latest Shaping the Future: How to Be, Think, and Act in the New World; Badri Narayan, Sahitya Academy Award winning poet who’s poems have been translated into English, Bengali, Oriya, Malayalam, Urdu and many other Indian languages; Daisy Rockwell, artist and International Booker Prize winning translator, along with author Geetanjali Shree, for her translation of Shree’s Hindi novel, Tomb of Sand; Daniel Hahn, Booker International Prize shortlisted writer, editor, and translator, winner of the 2023 Ottaway Award for the Promotion of International Literature; Guillermo Rodríguez, author of When Mirrors Are Windows: A View of A.K. Ramanujan’s Poetics and co-editor of Journeys: A Poet’s Diary by A.K. Ramanujan and founding director of Casa de la India, a pioneering cultural centre in Spain; Gurucharan Das, former CEO of Procter & Gamble and author of his memoir Another Sort of Freedom; Ivy Ngeow, Malaysian-born, London-based author of The American Boyfriend, longlisted for the Avon x Mushens Entertainment Prize for Commercial Fiction Writers of Colour 2022.

The list continues with Kal Penn, actor, writer, former White House staff member and author of recently released memoir, 'You Can't Be Serious; Katherine Rundell, author of Super-Infinite, which won the Baillie Gifford Prize, and The Golden Mole and Other Vanishing Treasure; Koel Purie Rinchet, award-winning Indian actress, producer and writer of Clearly Invisible in Paris; Louise Kennedy, author of the Women's Prize shortlisted novel, Trespasses, which also won the McKitterick Prize, the An Post Irish Novel of the Year Award and the British Book Awards Debut Novel of the Year; Manju Kapur, Commonwealth Prize winning author of the novel Custody which was made into one of Balaji’s longest running serials; Matthew Parker author of The Sugar Barons and Goldeneye: Ian Fleming’s Jamaica and his recent, One Fine Day: Britain's Empire on the Brink; Biographer, novelist, memoir writer and critic Miranda Seymour, author of the award-winning memoir In My Father's House: Elegy for an Obsessive Love and recent biography I Used to Live Here Once: The Haunted Life of Jean Rhys; Monica Ali, bestselling author of five books: Brick Lane (Shortlisted for the 2003 Booker Prize), Alentejo Blue, In the Kitchen, Untold Story and Love Marriage.

The Festival will also feature Naushad Forbes, Co-Chairman of Forbes Marshall, India's leading Process and Energy Efficiency Company. His recent book is The Struggle and the Promise: Restoring India’s Potential; Peter Frankopan, Professor of Global History at Oxford University and author of The Silk Roads: A New History of the World; The New Silk Roads: The Present and Future of the World; and The Earth Transformed: an Untold History; Peter Moore, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Weather Experiment and Endeavour; Philip J. Stern, historian of the British Empire and the author of the award-winning book The Company-State and the latest Empire, Incorporated; Reshma Ruia, British Indian writer of the award-winning novel Still Lives; Richard Osman, author, producer and television presenter and bestselling writer of The Thursday Murder Club series; Sanjay Jha, Executive Director of Dale Carnegie and a former National Spokesperson for the Congress Party; Sudha Murty, Founder of Infosys Foundation, one of the first women engineers to start her career at TELCO (now Tata Motors), a prolific writer in English and Kannada; Yatindra Mishra, writer, columnist and cultural icon has worked extensively on the heritage of Indian music.

[amirmalin]

Amir Malin Shares 4 Insights Into Achieving Success in Film and Media

There may be no business like show business, but even the most starry-eyed wannabes know it’s a tough business to break into. Any inside information could mean the difference between a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a double shift at Chipotle. That’s why a close look at the strategies of pros like Amir Malin can be a make-or-break endeavor. 

Why listen to Amir Malin? Perhaps you’ve heard of the movies Reservoir Dogs, Terminator 2, or Dirty Dancing. He was the CEO at Artisan Entertainment when those hits were part of their extensive library, so his bona fides are legit. Here are four insights he’s learned after years in the biz.

1. Be a Fan. 

It’s no accident that Amir Malin ended up in the film sector. 

Born in Tel Aviv, he moved to the States when he was young and grew up in Great Neck, NY among the children of movie executives. Typical weekend nights involved gathering for home prescreenings of upcoming films and listening to the adults discussing their merits. 

In that crucible, Malin’s love for film developed. Within a few years, his childhood fascination became a teenage crush. Once he got a license, he would spend his high school weekends driving to nearby Manhasset to catch premieres at the art house theater. There, he was exposed to masters of genre and expression, like Alfred Hitchcock and François Truffaut. 

Today, Malin credits his unabashed fandom as the foundation of his success. Keeping the mindset of a fan pushed him to buy and produce high-quality movies, keeping his businesses, including Artisan Entertainment and Cinecom Films, turning a profit in a crowded market. 

2. Get an Education.

Those who want to enter the film space should be prepared to bring something to the table. Silver screen glamour seduces a lot of dreamers, but it’s the people who are willing to work who can find a place in Hollywood. 

For Amir Malin, that meant getting a law degree. Looking back, he admits that it wasn’t the straightest path toward the film industry, but his education provided him with a skill set he could use to help the movie companies. 

More than anything else, law school taught Malin how to think logically — a requirement for striking deals and understanding business. His ability to decipher legalese helped him steer companies like October Films toward bright financial futures. 

Employment website Indeed agrees, advising, “Pursuing film school or learning through industry-specific trade schools can help you gain the knowledge and expertise needed for a career in entertainment. Both in-person and online programs give students a chance to learn skills from a range of specializations within the industry. These programs may also give you the opportunity to network with industry professionals and make lasting connections with fellow students who are trying to start their careers in entertainment too.”

3. Embrace Innovation. 

Amir Malin’s journey through the world of entertainment and business underscores the importance of embracing innovation. In an industry as dynamic as film and media, staying relevant requires a commitment to staying at the cutting edge of technology and creative trends. Malin recognized early on that the digital revolution was transforming the way movies were produced, distributed, and consumed.

Forbes reports that artificial intelligence, the metaverse, and social media will continue to substantially impact the entertainment space. Certainly, the recent writers’ and actors’ strikes have shown that these developments must be met head-on. Whether you like these innovations or not, they’re here and that horse isn’t going back into the barn. Amir Malin suggests embracing and understanding the impacts of these changes.

4. Build Strong Relationships.

Perhaps the most important lesson Malin shares is to recognize how to talk to both suits and artists and make connections with each. 

Malin's genuine love for film and his personable nature allowed him to form meaningful connections with filmmakers, actors, and industry professionals. Whether it was giving a chance to young creatives like Darren Aronofsky or showcasing established visionaries like Jim Jarmusch, Malin used his genuine love of cinema to speak with artists in their own language. 

“Having a variety of contacts can help you in any career, but the entertainment industry is often considered more challenging to get into without connections,” Indeed acknowledges. “First, try finding any industry connections within your group of family and friends. Next, try joining networking groups either online or with local chapters. If you can, attend entertainment industry events that will give you a chance to talk with professionals already working in the field.”

Looking back on a life spent in the entertainment industry, it’s clear Malin’s biggest successes often came at the intersection of passion and pragmatism, artistry and analytics. Balancing business and creativity not only brought him financial success, but creative fulfillment — and that’s the true mark of a well-spent career. 

[yurimother]

Yuri Expert Erica Friedman Dives Into LGBTQ Anime & Manga History in New Book 'By Your Side' – June 2022

In February, Yuri researcher and trend-setter Erica Friedman announced that they are writing a new book, By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Manga & Anime. The book will be published by Journey Press in June 2022, in time for pride month and the 20th anniversary of Okazu, the world's oldest and most comprehensive site on lesbian anime and manga.

The term "Yuri" began life as a coded reference to lesbianism within manga and anime genre, but in the past few decades, fans, creators, and publishers shaped the term into a beautiful genre of its own. Friedman traces the past, present, and future of the genre, all the way from the modern Yuri phenomenon manga, webcomics, novels, and games to its routes over a century ago in Yoshiya Nobuko's pioneering works. Walk together through the past, present, and future of Yuri in this insightful and entertaining new work.

By Your Side is a collection of interlocking essays, articles, and essays from Friedman's gloriously hilarious, witty, and unwieldable mind. Through these essays, readers will become familiar with many of the Yuri genre's greatest creators, tropes, concepts, symbols, and titles. As the title suggests, the series focuses on the first 100 years of lesbian anime and manga, 1919-2019.

Friedman describes her hopes for the book to YuriMother:

I want people to approach it like joining me at a Yuri panel - as an ongoing, casual discussion of a topic we love to talk about! I want to walk by your side as we wander through a garden full of lilies and chat about the changes we've seen in Yuri... I hope folks will pick it up and read a section, then put it down and think about that series, or person, or concept, then come back later and read another section!

Because the chapters in BYS are sourced from my writings and presentations, BYS can be used by fans of Yuri who want to know more about the history of the genre and by students of pop culture who are looking for research they can use for their own work.

We also spoke about the future of Yuri.

So much has changed in the past even 20 years, I can hardly project what we haven't even imagined yet. ^_^

But...the thing that is the most exciting change I've seen recently and the thing I hope for the most is creators modeling worlds where queer lives and happiness are normalized...creators imagining joy in queer lives in Yuri.

Indeed, the past few years have seen wonderous titles from a variety of creators embracing Yuri's queer identity to tell both joyful and brutally real Yuri stories. Works like My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness, Yuri Life, and most recently, I'm in Love with the Villainess come to mind.

Friedman continues:

We spent a lot of time in the last century performing lesbian trauma for Yuri subplots. I'm looking forward to Yuri manga where lesbian couples just are and then the story happens.

They went on to express their excitement over finally getting ready to put out their "Big Book o'Yuri."

I'm very excited that the Big Book o'Yuri will be a reality, obviously. ^_^ And I'm delighted to be able to work with Journey Press on this. I know they'll give us all the best book they can make. We're probably going to run a Kickstarter, which will give us a chance to develop fun physical and digital goods, as well! And, when the pandemic is over, I absolutely want to do events at bookstores where I can talk to folks about their experiences with Yuri!

I'm also just exceptionally happy that there will be a book about Yuri out there. Right now we collect every essay we can on the Yuricon Essays page to help folks trying to do research (YuriMother is proud to have contributed works to this Essays page). Once this book is out, my wish is that we'll see more Yuri research being published as well. I look forward to reviewing other books about Yuri.

Just you wait, Erica Friedman! You blaze the trail, and YuriMother (which is to say I, the writer of this report) will happily follow in your footsteps! Readers, join me in supporting By Your Side when it is released next year and continue to consume and learn about Yuri!

Erica holds a Masters Degree in Library Science and a B.A. in Comparative Literature and is a full-time researcher for a Fortune 100 company. She has lectured at dozens of conventions and presented at film festivals, notably the San Francisco Lesbian and Gay Film Festival and the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. She has participated in an academic lecture series at MIT, University of Illinois, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Harvard University, Kanagawa University, and others.

She has edited manga for JManga, Seven Seas, and Udon Entertainment, most recently Riyoko Ikeda’s epic historical classic, The Rose of Versailles.

Erica has written about Yuri for Japanese literary journal Eureka,  Animerica magazine, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund,  Dark Horse, and contributed to Forbes, Slate, Huffington Post, Hooded Utilitarian, and The Mary Sue online. She has written news and event reports, interviews Yuri creators, and reviews Yuri anime, manga, and related media on her blog Okazu since 2002.

They were the founder of ALC Publishing, the first English publisher to release English Yuri manga. ALC Publishing passed the torch to new publishers in 2013 and no long publishes material.

Journey Press was born in 2019 with the goal of bringing unusual and diverse science fiction to the forefront of the publishing landscape. We are dedicated to supporting the women and queer people who have been erased from the history books, and to the reprinting of worthy novels that fell by the wayside, in addition to publishing new novels by creators of all types.

[thechanelmuse]

TW: rape

‘I May Destroy You,’ Michaela Coel’s gimlet-eyed exploration of trauma and its myriad ripple effects follows Arabella (Coel) — a funny, messy, sharp-as-hell London writer — after a dizzying night in which she’s drugged and raped by a stranger. At first, she dismisses the hazy memory as just an upsetting image in her head. Soon enough, though, Arabella reluctantly comes to understand it as the truth, and tries to work through that horrifying reality without coming apart. [...]

Not every part of Arabella has a direct line to Coel, but the series’ catalyzing experience, unfortunately, does. In 2016, Coel took a break from a marathon writing session for the second season of “Chewing Gum” to grab a drink with a friend, and was drugged and assaulted by a stranger. She’s been sifting through the emotional wreckage ever since to find some kind of clarity, if not peace. Now, with “I May Destroy You,” she’s doing it for all the world to see. “As a fellow android exploring what it means to be human,” says Coel’s friend Janelle Monáe, “watching Michaela be vulnerable on-screen as she walks in her truth gives me and so many the bravery to walk in ours.” [...]

Coel began writing “I May Destroy You” in February 2017, in between acting in TV projects like the “USS Callister” episode of “Black Mirror” and Netflix’s limited series “Black Earth Rising.” She took solo mountain trips and wrote draft after draft of what would eventually become “I May Destroy You,” spilling her stories and tangled guts onto the page, rearranging them into shapes she could better recognize. In August 2018, she spoke about her trauma publicly while delivering the Edinburgh International Television Festival’s James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture, a prestigious assignment the festival has otherwise bestowed on a cadre of white British television mainstays (as well as no fewer than three Murdochs). 

The majority of Coel’s speech, delivered to a room of the U.K.’s most powerful entertainment brokers, traced the constant racism and classism she endured on the way to that Edinburgh stage — a theme subtextually underlined by the fact that Coel was, and remains, the only Black woman to have that platform. She spoke about turning her solo play “Chewing Gum Dreams” into a “Chewing Gum” TV series (which aired 2015-17 on the U.K.’s Channel 4), a transformative time that taught her the technicalities of making television and confirmed just how disinclined certain white gatekeepers are to trust a poorer Black woman’s vision. Toward the end of the 50-minute lecture, Coel revealed her assault and elucidated the industry’s inability — or unwillingness — to handle such a human emergency when pages are due. As for her recovery, she said, “It’s been therapeutic to write about it, and actively twist a narrative of pain into something with more hope, and even humor.”

When it finally came time to translate it all to the screen, “I May Destroy You” was so close to her bruised heart that Coel took on the challenge of playing several roles throughout the series’ development: creator, writer, actor, producer, director. Netflix offered her a total fee of a cool $1 million to make and star in the show, but the proposed contract wouldn’t grant Coel even a tiny percentage of the rights. She hadn’t fully realized how much claiming legal proprietorship over her work mattered to her until the prospect of not being able to emerged, at which point it became crucial. 

Then, after some Googling, she realized that her CAA agents would also be profiting from the deal via the endangered practice of packaging. Stung and surprised, Coel walked away from both her agents and the offer. “I’m not anti-Netflix,” she’s quick to say now, “but I am pro-‘the creator, writer, director, actor should probably have a right.’” She’s hyper-aware of how much this project required of her, and how comparatively little granting her “a right” might cost a powerful network like Netflix. “That’s not quite fair, is it?” Coel muses. Creating the show, after all, took almost everything she had.

With the BBC, a million-dollar paycheck might not have been in the cards, but more important to Coel, she didn’t have to fight half as hard to claim ownership. (As a matter of industry course, it’s far more common for British studios to afford creators rights to their work than it is for American equivalents.) They struck a deal, and Coel got to work.[...]

“When you’re restricted,” she explains, “sometimes that’s where you find great things: in the lack of possibility.” She attributes this rather Zen approach to Hugo Blick, the “Black Earth Rising” showrunner who showed her the value of keeping a cool, empathetic head on set. Blick’s ability to step away from a gnarly situation for even 30 calming seconds is one that Coel has worked to hone for herself, especially while steering a series with such fraught ties to her history. No matter how sideways things might go, she never wants to forget just how much she loves the collaborative act of building a television show, wild complications and all. 

Read more

From Forbes:

I May Destroy You’s Michaela Coel Rejected Netflix’s $1 Million Offer In Favor Of The BBC Because Of Ownership

The creative, who stars as Arabella and wrote all 12 episodes, started pitching the programme in the spring of 2017 with one of her first ports of call being Netflix who picked up her prior series Chewing Gum.

Though Netflix offered a generous upfront fee of $1 million (£800,000), the sum had strings attached, including full rights ownership away from the creator, something Coel pushed back against. Coel recalls a moment during the interview where she is speaking with a Netflix development executive on the phone, asking if she could retain even a very small 0.5% of the copyright to her show.

“There was just silence on the phone. And she said, ‘It’s not how we do things here. Nobody does that, it’s not a big deal,’” Coel recollected. “I said, ‘If it’s not a big deal, then I’d really like to have 5 % of my rights,’” Coel added, stating that she even went down to 2%, and then 1% and even as a final compromise to 0.5%.

Coel remembers that the executive said she would have to run it passed her superiors, before adding, “‘Michaela? I just want you to know I’m really proud of you. You’re doing the right thing.'”

“I remember thinking, I’ve been going down rabbit holes in my head, like people thinking I’m paranoid, I’m acting sketchy, I’m killing off all my agents,” Coel says. “And then she said those words to me, and I finally realized — I’m not crazy. This is crazy.”

Coel discovered her agents, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) were set to make an undisclosed amount from the series if she took the deal with Netflix. She reveals that the agency pushed her to take the deal prior to her finding out and their subsequent dismissal as her U.S. representation.

Taking the project to British broadcaster the BBC later in 2017, Coel found the corporation to be supportive with her maintaining creative control even with the explicit depictions of sex, sexual assault and drug use. Plus, as the broadcaster had to adhere to terms of trade, Coel had no problem with retaining the rights also. The broadcaster also brought HBO to the table as another co-producer to help subsidise a portion of the budget.

Read more

This isn’t about just “knowing your worth;” it’s about knowing the business (your business) and never settling just to secure “something.” A million dollar offer, no copyright ownership and no creative control is beyond disrespectful. Learn the business in whatever field you’re in and stay acclimated with jargon and new, current and old practices. Know your shit. 

It’s like when people say “Get a lawyer” to handle negotiations and look over your paperwork. You pay a lawyer to do a job, but it does not mean you should be oblivious to aspects of law and contract jargon among other things because “that’s what they’re there to do.” You can’t say someone (sometimes lawyers included) screwed you over after you’ve signed the dotted line. They’re protecting and looking out for themselves. Commit to do the same for yourself.

[speechlessxx]

I Can Keep A Secret. - 4 (Steve Rogers x Reader)

Chapter Summary: In a jealous rage, Steve accidentally says something he doesn’t mean as he discovers something personal about the reader. 

Warnings: no Clark in this chapter, slight fingering (18+ Minors DNI), nudity but not really, lots of cussing, angsty, make-out scene, shitty writing (it’s been a while i’m sorry!), AGE GAP (reader is stated to be 21 but age is just a number. call her wtv age you want). 

Word Count: ~2.7k 

again... i apologize this sucks. i haven’t written anything since like august. 

Buy me a Ko-Fi (not necessary but i’m broke, yo) 

<- Last Part -=+=- Next Part ->

Steve never considered himself a jealous man. When he was involved with Sharon Carter, he never paid any mind to the revolving door of “friends” she entertained. Truthfully, throughout the numerous relationships he’s had in his life, Steve Rogers had never been the one to be jealous.

How could he?

Steve didn’t think he was an egomaniac nor narcissistic – not in the way that Tony Stark was, at least. But he knew he was charming. He knew he was wealthy – the black cards in his Burberry wallet reminded him of that. He knew he was handsome. He knew his worth – hell, even Forbes did.

His thoughts had never been infiltrated by the ugly, green rage monster that filled his head with insecurities. That is… Until the headlines and photographs of (Y/N) Barnes’s dinner date with “America’s richest and handsomest” bachelor, Clark Kent, had made its rounds.

It was a form of self-torture as he scrolled furiously through the many posts about the two.

Dynasties Colliding!

Clark Kent off the Market?

Everything you need to know about (Y/N) Barnes, Clark Kent’s new girlfriend.

He clicked his tongue in disgust at that last article as he skimmed through it. It was obvious that the writer had a biased opinion – one so clearly against (Y/N) – as it pointed out her “college dropout” status and her “naivete” to be involved with a man ten years her senior.

He scoffed… If only they knew.

Though, Steve couldn’t help but compare himself to the younger man. Sure, Clark was richer than he was with a booming business and a company created generations before Steve was even born. His net worth pushed him much higher than Steve and Bucky on the Forbes’s listings. But surely, he didn’t have the same chemistry as he and (Y/N) did… Surely.

As if to mock him, a photo of Clark kissing her knuckles appeared on his monitor. He glared at it, fuming with hot jealousy. He hated that feeling bubbling inside as he stared at her flustered face digitally immortalized by paparazzi and fan photos.

His phone buzzed to life as the screen displayed her name… And he did what he had been doing for the past few days following the polo match, he sent it straight to voicemail, spiteful that she even entertained Clark’s request to go on a date.

Had he misread the signs? Had there been any signs to begin with? Had she played him? Was he just her happy distraction until she could find her bearings in New York?

A sharp knock interrupted him from his thoughts as Bucky’s broad shoulders filled his open office door. He had a wide smile on his face as he entered the room, closing the door.

“You read the gossip?” Bucky chuckled. A sly smirk on his face as he sat himself in the seat across Steve’s desk. Steve quickly clicked out of his tabs and raised his brows at Bucky. “With (Y/N) getting Clark interested, other investors are looking at us, too. It’s great.”

“So, you’re really using your daughter to lure business opportunities?” Steve snorted. Considering how enchanting she was, it wasn’t a terrible strategy. If Steve hadn’t gotten so attached so quickly, he’d even advise Bucky to have her stalk the airport terminals, too.

“It’s working, man. He’s interested in the company. He wants a tour. He’s talking big money. We can scrap any deals with Stark. He’s our top priority now.”

“Buck,” Steve laughed so dryly it became a scoff. “He’s not interested in the company. He’s clearly interested in her – and only her. As soon as you give the green light and she rips the cord with him, he’s gonna back out. He’s got the lawyers to make sure that any contract he signs will get voided, too.”

His tone had been hopeful although Bucky didn’t pick up on it. Bucky had just waved it off as Steve being cautious – not Steve hoping that his daughter would dump Clark and focus all her attention back on him.

“No, no.” Bucky shook his head, waving his hand, too. “She’s equally into him. Piqued her interest more than Peter did, for sure.” Steve stopped himself from rolling his eyes, knowing damn well that she was never interested in the Stark boy. “He dropped her off and she was blushing like crazy. Ran to her room and practically screamed her head off with that Wanda girl on the phone.”

Steve pressed his lips into a straight line. He didn’t trust himself enough to respond, knowing any sarcastic remark would land him in the hot seat, with Bucky asking questions he wasn’t ready to answer… or rather, didn’t have the answers to.

“Besides… y’know one contract that’s incredibly difficult to get out of?” Steve hummed. “A marriage.”

Steve choked. “Marriage? Buck, c’mon, she’s twenty-one.” Bucky nodded, taking his daughter’s age into consideration. “Marriages are definitely the easiest to get out of. Must I remind you the reason why you haven’t seen her since she was a baby?”

“Hey!”

“Besides, isn’t he too old for her?” Steve internally cringed. Suddenly, wishing he could take it back, afraid of what Bucky would say. Like you aren’t thirty-nine, dumbass?

“He’s thirty-three. She’s twenty-one. She can date whoever she wants. She’s an adult.”

“That’s dangerously permissive.” Stop talking.

“Why’re you acting like her father, Steve?” Bucky asked, raising his brows inquisitively.

“I’m just saying, Clark’s closer in age with us than with (Y/N).” Steve shrugged. “I’m just looking out for her.”

I just want her to myself.

“Well, since you’re oh-so invested in looking out for her, I’m gonna need a favor.”

»————-　♡　————-««

Out of the many things to do on a Friday night in the big city, Steve found himself walking through the threshold of the Barnes’s penthouse. He silent cursed at Bucky, who asked him to look after his daughter for the weekend. The same daughter he had been avoiding for the past week, blowing off her calls and leaving her texts unread.

Steve found Bucky’s favor to be a direct contradiction to the statement he made prior. She’s twenty-one. She’s an adult. An adult who needed another adult’s supervision as it seemed.

However, Steve understood. She was relatively new to the city, only being here for a little over a month and a half, and known for her reckless behavior back in Los Angeles – the reason why she was in New York to begin with. Although Bucky didn’t quite keep her on a tight leash, he kept on a leash, nevertheless.

Bucky had already left that afternoon, leaving the penthouse somewhat quiet save for the music coming from the hallway that led into (Y/N)’s bedroom. He cracked a smile as he approached the hall. He could hear her obnoxiously singing along to the provocative lyrics of that one song – WAP, was it?

His hand absentmindedly found its way to her doorknob, twisting the metal and pushing the door open. She shrieked as her phone fell from her hands with a thud against the floor. She scrambled for her towel that lay haphazardly on her bed, messily wrapping it around her naked body.

“WHAT THE FUCK?” She screamed over the music. 

Steve stared at her with wide eyes like a deer in headlights. Her hair was still damp, knotting and begging to be combed out. Her chest heaved as she breathed heavily. The towel did little to hide her from his hungry eyes as he fought to keep his stare at her face and only her face. She called for the Alexa to stop playing the music before running a hand through her knotted hair. 

“Steve, what the hell are you doing here?”

“Your – your dad asked me to – uh – “he was losing the battle as his eyes gave her a look over, feeling the heat rise to his face. It was not the only thing that has risen. He tore his stare away from her, scanning the room instead. “He asked me to watch over you.” Steve explained, finally finding the words.

“Like a babysitter?” She scoffed. She had been itching to see Steve, hating him just a bit for ghosting her, but looking like that? She was willing to forgive.

“Yeah…” Steve nodded.

“Well,” she smirked playfully, “since you’re baby-sitting… Why don’t you let your baby sit on your lap, huh, daddy?” She batted her lashes at him, and he instantly melted, forgetting his jealousy and spite for just a second. She reached out for him and had him sit at the edge of her bed, straddling his thick thighs. “Excited to see me?”

His resolve and pent-up angst disappeared. “You’re damn right.” Steve muttered, hand fisting her knotted hair and smashing his lips onto hers. The kiss was every bit hungry and desperate as it was passionate – like two star crossed lovers finally catching a moment alone.

She moaned into his mouth as his free hand slipped beneath her towel, which was loosening as she grinded against his strained pants. His fingers explored her slit, fumbling as he tried to find her bundle of nerves.

“I missed you,” she gasped as he found it within seconds, rubbing tight circles around her clit.

His lips left a trail of kisses along her jaw and sucked the sensitive skin under her ear, eliciting long moan from her as he played with her, relishing in her responsiveness. He felt her juices coat his fingers as he teased her hole, but the moment suddenly cut short when her phone dinged.

Once. And then a second, then a third.

She looked over her shoulder and glanced down at the screen. Steve pinched her, causing her to gasp again. “Don’t.” He warned her, his voice a deep growl.

It dinged again. “I’m gonna silent it,” she promised, pecking his lips as she hopped off his lap. “Oh,” she frowned. She ran a hand through her knotted hair before glancing at him, then typing.

“What’s wrong?” Steve asked her as he stood from her bed and walked over to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist as he pulled her into him.

“I… Uh… Clark wants to hang out again.” She told him.

Steve rolled his eyes though she didn’t see. “Blow him off.” He told her, leaving a trail of kisses on her shoulders, leading back up to that sweet spot beneath her ear. Her eyes rolled back before she pushed away from him. “We haven’t seen each other in days – “

“Because someone kept sending me to voicemail,” she rebutted. “I-I have to go see him, Steve. If my dad found out – “

“Then tell him you’re not into him.” Steve insisted. She remained silent as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear. Steve frowned. “Wait, are you – are you into him?”

“I dunno…”

“You don’t know?” He asked her. “If you’re into him, the hell are you sitting on top of me naked for?”

“Steve – “

“God, it’s like you like making yourself easy to guys.” The envy – the green, little monster that tore at his ego and his heart – suddenly rose. No thoughts were running through his head – just angry words from his mouth.

“Excuse me?” An enraged look splayed across her face. Brows furrowed and arms crossed defensively.

“Well, considering you sold pictures of yourself to total strangers – “he stopped himself before the rest of the sentence. The self-control had finally resurfaced, but the damage had been done as fury in her features mellowed and turned into hurt.

“Is that… Is that what you think of me?” She asked him, willing her voice not to crack but the tears had already begun to form. She furiously blinked them away before huffing. “Well, it doesn’t matter what you think anyway ‘cause I’m not with you.”

“And what you’re with Clark Kent?” He seethed his name.

“At least he doesn’t call me easy.”

Steve chuckled, dryly. “Bar’s set low then, huh? Says the girl who sucked me off on the airplane when we knew each other less than two hours. Wonder the things you’d do for him.” It was spite. His words were pure spite and jealousy. They held no meaning but they sure had weight. 

“What’s your problem?” She snapped. “Damn it, Steve! I like you. I really do, genuinely, but y’know it fucking sucks when the guy you like suddenly ghosts you.”

“And it fucking sucks when the girl you’re actually interested in goes on a date with some hot shot, pretty, rich boy. Probably fucks him in the back of his limo, too.”

She stomped over to Steve, shoving him with one hand while the other kept her towel from slipping off. “Get. Out!”

“No, no,” Steve argued, grabbing her arm easily overpowering her to stop pushing him. “You’re gonna answer.” She raised her brows at him. “Are you fucking him in the back of his limo? Are you that easy?”

Her jaw dropped as she stared at him in disbelief. “You’re not my dad, so that’s none of your concern.” She began to push him towards her door, and he let her this time. “And…” Her fingers tapped against the wooden door as she stared back at him. 

“It’s none of your business, but for your information, I’m a virgin.” She clicked her tongue as a smirk splayed across her face. “Won’t be for long, though. ‘Cause Mr. Kent is inviting back to one of his many lavish, expensive homes in New York.”

And with that she slammed the door shut, locking it with the new lock her father had installed.

»————-　♡　————-««

“(Y/N)…” He called out to her, knocking on her door. “C’mon, sweetheart.” It had been half an hour since their fight, and she had yet to come out of her room.

“Go away!” She called out from the other side of the wooden pane as if she were a child.

“I’m sorry, alright? I didn’t mean it. I was just jealous – “

“I don’t care, Steve!”

He sighed. “C’mon, sweetheart. Let’s go out for dinner, yeah? Just me and you. Whatever you want. You wanna embarrass me by making me use chopsticks? Let’s go. You wanna hit me with a bottle of champagne? Take your pick. I’m down.”

“Fuck off, asshole!”

You deserve that. He agreed.

Steve suddenly heard a click of the lock before she pulled the door open, pushing past him and he let her. She had a duffle in one hand and her phone in the other, typing away. “Where are you going?”

“Away from you,” she spat. She didn’t even spare him a second look.

“You going with Clark?”

“None of your business, dick.”

He called her full name and she stopped in her tracks, spinning on her heel to look at him with her brows raised. Steve had his hands on his hips as he stared at the floor before looking down at her. “You are not leaving and that’s final.”

“Oh, yeah?” She challenged, taking a step towards him. Her heel clicking against the ground. She crossed her arms across her chest as she tilted her head. “And what? You’re gonna stop me?”

“Don’t make me, sweetheart.”

“Well,” she smirked. “Take it up with my dad… because unlike you, he actually approves of my blossoming relationship with Clark Kent. I swear he’s already planning the wedding … while I, on the other hand, all I care about is the honeymoon… And I think we’re gonna get a head start to it, actually.”

Steve took a step towards her as she took a step back. “Stop being a little brat and just – “

“No, Steve,” she corrected. “I’m being easy. And you’re completely right… Sometimes being easy is just fun.”

He grabbed her arm before she could turn around and pulled her towards him. She bit her lip as she stared up at him with faux innocence. Her lips glistened with whatever gloss it was she used to make her lips plump as she challenged every bit of authority Steve had.

He wanted nothing more than to kiss that bratty attitude right out of her. He leaned in as her eyes fluttered close and he knew he had her. Then, suddenly, the elevator doors dinged and opened, ruining the moment. Both their heads snapped towards the guest.

“What the hell?” 

[pinkandgreenarepurpleandyellow]

Various aus I continue to write for and yet refuse to actually finish/save as a draft:

The street magician meets English teacher donovalex au

Lots there but the main concept is that very nice but super tired Mr. Donovan gets tasked finding some kind of entertainment for his delinquent class (idk if that's a thing everywhere, but my old school had a class specifically for trouble-making kids)

While still on the phone with his childhood best friend Adam the big-shot lawyer, he gets pick-pocketed and then immediately has his wallet returned by Alex, who does this kind of thing for shits and giggles.

Donovan is strongly tempted to beat this guy up but Alex mostly does the pickpocketing trick to get people's attention, at which point he now switches to his actual magic tricks and street performing.

Donovan, now more impressed and amused than annoyed, offers Alex the school gig.

It works surprisingly well. The delinquent kids like this guy, especially when they find out that he used to be a thief and overall jerk but got his shit together and now makes a living with street magic and sci-fi writing.

Alex slowly gets hired on as a club supervisor/after school monitor/general substitute teacher type human after the kids clamor enough and if Counselor Sawyer and Mr. Donovan just so happen to regularly work the same after-school shifts, well, that's certainly a coincidence.

The 'I have nostalgia for a childhood cartoon movie from the 60s' au

Look, I have a whole post in progress but in short it's donovadam and involves magic, stealing things, a bunch of song and dance numbers, and also a children's lullaby being performed as a rock song, so idk what else anyone would ever want

The speakeasy au

It's the 1920s and the Skulls are desperately contemplating whether it's just worth it to quit being a gang and run their goddamn restaurant seeing as it's too popular to keep being a front.

Kevin and Gary brawl over lead positions. Bodie long ago called dibs on bartender and as long as he's left alone, those two can fight to the death.

Alex sometimes runs in, climbs over the bar to grab a bottle of whisky that he (shockingly) pays for, and then immediately sprints out. Any attempts to ask him why just lead to him muttering something incoherent about the future and nazis and silver eyes.

Anytime the blacksuit police come in all weapons, bloodstains, and questionable items disappear. Absolutely nothing illegal happening at this here speakeasy, no sir.

Susan and Monty have a tenuous relationship with the gangs. They'd get along just find except the Earl Cafe keeps getting its windows smashed in and Susan is saving up for a proper baseball complete with spikes and barbed wire.

About half a dozen various ghost aus

Cross hallucinates Forbes and Brixton au

Zee gets to talk to a dozen ghosts non-stop starting mid-book 3 au

Susan and Ambrose bond over not liking Kevin au

Hey isn't it fucked up how I died before I could tell you I love you so imma just be your guardian angel now au feat donovalex

that one mind-fuck au where Adam possess Alex by accident a few times and does not help Donovan's issues

Donnie and Joan just sit around and welcome up the dead parents

Writer wannabe and guy who doesn't have the budget for a documentary make a horrifying youtube channel au

Alex is an aspiring writer struggling to get published. Zee doesn't have a budget big enough to do even a basic documentary with a camera that doesn't break every 10 seconds.

After a joking video of Alex unraveling various magic tricks and explaining how he's working them into his latest short story, Zee's youtube channel blows up.

They've started a series where every episode is Alex working on world-building or acquiring a character skill and regularly guest-stars someone with relevant expertise (Adam for law, Oli for hair, Pete for being part of a gang, etc)

At one point they have an episode dedicated to figuring out a desert recipe and Zee stops and goes "Before this next step, we'd like to apologize to Monty Earl, our friend who's an actual professional chef and tried to teach us the basics. We know we're doing it wrong. We're not sorry."

Because of the number of times that some of the guys end up on the channel, there's also a separate series LockPickingLawyer style with Alex and Adam where they pick locks together but also talk about various techniques, personal experiences, and still help Alex flesh out his heist scenes.

[thebuckblogimo]

Can a person make too much money? If so, then what?

June 17, 2021

I believe in the free enterprise system, entrepreneurship and markets. However, for many years I've also believed that some superstar professional athletes, Hollywood entertainers, high-profile CEOs and world-famous entrepreneurs make too much money.

I just can't figure out at what point "much" becomes "too much." Some would say there is no such thing, that mega-rich people have every right to every dollar they honestly earn in reward for their special skills, talent, ideas, knowledge, ingenuity and hard work.

Perhaps, and yet...

How many Maseratis, Lamboghinis and Land Rovers can one person drive? How many Manhattan penthouse apartments, beachfront condos in the Bahamas and luxury villas in the south of France can one person really enjoy?

I'd argue that extreme wealth borders on immorality if considerable amounts of it are not contributed to philanthropical causes or not used to pay one's fair share in taxes.

I've been thinking about these sorts of things for decades. Then I recently read at The Guardian website that the 25 richest Americans--including such billionaires as Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffett and Elon Musk--collectively paid a "true tax rate" of just 3.4% between 2014 and 2018, as researched by ProPublica, a non-profit investigative journalism source. In some years, some of them paid no federal taxes at all.

Really?

According to ProPublica, "By the end of 2018, the 25 were worth $1.1 trillion." And that "...it would take 14.3 million ordinary American wage earners put together to equal that same amount of wealth."

Now, I've got to cut Warren Buffett some slack here. Many times he has admitted that he should be taxed more. Also, he has said that 99% of his wealth ($96 billion) will go to charities during his lifetime or at death. In response to ProPublica he said, "I continue to believe that the tax code should be changed substantially...huge dynastic wealth is not desirable for our society."

I would agree.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, CEOs now earn 320% as much as a typical worker. In a 2019 Forbes article I came across, MarketWatch reported that the U.S. CEO-to-worker pay ratio went from 20-to-1 in 1965, 58-to-one in 1989, and 278-to-one in 2018.

I don't have an astute financial mind, but to me, that kind of trend illustrates today's problem with income inequality.

I started out by saying that I believe in the free enterprise system, entrepreneurship and markets. And I do. But it seems to me that there ought to be a way to bring about a "common-good capitalism" that, hopefully, would provide more help for the middle class, enable social mobility for the impoverished and fix some serious societal problems.

When I was a kid, growing up in Dearborn, I dreamed of going to college, becoming a writer some day, getting married, having kids, and living a happy life. I've been able to do just that. I never dreamed that I'd be able to spend my winters in Florida as I do, and I am beyond appreciative for it, while paying my fair share in taxes.

I have everything I need. I don' want for more. Yet I wonder how a beggar in Namibia would size me up if he saw me on the street while visiting there. He'd probably consider me a super-rich person. That sort of thing boggles my mind. It gets me to thinking that man hasn't figured out how to balance competition and mutual aid in the interest of all.

I often hear it said that there will always be poor people. But do there have to be so many? Same for hungry people. Do there have to be so many? Same for crumbling roads and deteriorating bridges. Do there have to be so many?

Yes, I've long thought that some people make too much money. Now I'm starting to think that if our ultra billionaires threw a few more bucks into the pot that they could do a helluva lot more to help fix the problems we're all aware of.

[accio-lo-ki]

i’m not gonna write you a love song (cause you asked for it)

KC Bingo – Prompt: Hollywood

@klaroline-events​

read on ao3

-

There is a high pitch squeak from down the hall, followed by words that would put sailors to shame. Upon hearing the stream of curses, Klaus doesn’t bother to hide his smirk, even going as far as allowing his chest to rumble in a few, solid, personal laughs of his own. Elijah, his brother and manager, lifts an inquisitive eyebrow at his reaction, but he only shrugs and goes back to grinning down his phone.

“What did you do this time, Niklaus?” There is resignation in the brunette man’s tone, as well as a hint of lethargy.

Klaus would have been offended by the accusation any other time, but this he claims wholeheartedly. Some might say he’s even proud of himself. Instead of answering verbally, he lifts his phone up for Elijah to see what the blonde woman daring to call herself a songwriter is on about.

At first he doesn’t know where to look. The screen is showing Klaus’ twitter profile, one he rarely uses but has over thirty million followers over the years. And then he sees the latest and pinned tweet.

It’s an album cover displaying a very familiar face, only this time with red hair instead of gold. The caption says: ‘You know what they say: if you can’t make it as a popstar, become a songwriter. Or join a television contest. Whichever comes first.’

Just as Elijah’s lips quirk up in an inevitable smile, the door to the lounge room bursts open and in comes an enraged Caroline.

“You are dead, Mikaelson!”

Klaus’ smile turns even wider at the statement. “I’m afraid I’m very much alive, love.”

It’s become a cycle ever since Klaus’ label hired Caroline to help him write his new album. Eight years in the business and his seven Grammy’s have finally taken toll on the rock star, making him unable to produce a song that’s not of mediocre quality for the past year. But everybody knows how the entertainment business works, and a decrease in his velocity to the top just might be the reason a new ‘Klaus Mikaelson’ finally takes over the limelight.

Nevertheless, he asked for a vacation, not a bloody co-writer in the form of Caroline Forbes.

She is gorgeous and intelligent, sure, but people like Caroline (you know, the ones who failed to make it big so they’re forced to work behind the scenes) simply do not get the artistry and skill it takes to produce good music. In the early years of his career, Klaus has been subjected to tens of songwriters to help him write that radio hit that all labels love, and he worked his arse off to get to the point where his label and team trust him completely to make all the creative decisions. Those Grammy’s are not procured because of his collaborators. They’re because of him. A gap year is hardly enough to lose all that credibility.

Elijah disagrees, though. And so ever since Caroline Forbes crossed the doorway into his Calabasas home for their first writing session, Klaus made it his mission to ruin her life. Elijah won’t allow him to back out, but that doesn’t mean Caroline can’t.

“Seriously?” Caroline snaps, holding up her phone in one hand to show the tweet he made that has garnered over twenty thousand retweets and fifty thousand likes already. “I honestly cannot believe you.”

“Forgive me if I don’t particularly care much for what you can or cannot believe, Caroline.”

She glares at him heatedly before turning to look at Elijah. “This cannot keep happening. I am wasting my hours trying to come up with a song all day while your talent wastes away on this couch bullying me on social media!”

“Miss Forbes–“

“That works out well for you, then, right love?” Klaus cuts his brother and manager off. The two face him, one in reluctance and one in unmasked anger. “You’re not doing anything yet we still pay for your so-called hours. Wasting away on this couch quite benefits me as well, if I do say so myself. After all, I did just e-mail my producers six new songs I’ve written this week.”

Caroline physically shakes, putting a hand on her forehead and groaning at the ceiling. “Why am I even here? It’s obvious you’re not into working with me. Why not just fire me or something?”

“If I could fire you, I would have done it before you had even stepped foot in my home, Caroline,” Klaus deadpans. “You, however, can quit anytime you want. Just ask Elijah and he’ll guide you through the proper process.”

Her eyes narrows, staring directly into his as she takes his suggestion into consideration. Klaus can already feel the sparks of victory at his fingertips, the weeks-long efforts of trying to get rid of his co-writer finally becoming well worth it. However, he did not anticipate the next words that came out of Caroline’s lips.

“What? And let you win?” His eyes widen at her tone, get bigger still at the challenging glint he sees in her face. “Game on, Mikaelson.”

[austennerdita2533]

ooh can you do those same top three questions but for suits and tvd :)

Sure can, nonnie! xx

*Just as a general disclaimer for anyone else who happens to read this: my ship preferences are what they are. I’m simply stating my opinion/preference and am in no way encouraging hate or fights. Discussion is always welcome, of course, but happy vibes here only!

*2020 sucks enough as it is without bringing ship drama into it, you know?

TVD

Top 3 seasons:

-1, 2, and 3 without an ounce of hesitation. This was when the show was at its peak in storytelling, characterization, ship development, magic/mythology etc.

Top 3 romantic ships:

-Klaroline. One of my highest echelon ships for reasons I do not need to enumerate; however, I will say what I love about them most is they challenge as well as complement each other in beautifully rich, convoluted ways. Their back and forth is ridiculously entertaining, too!

-Kalijah. They have spice, and angst, and forbidden love, and 500+ years of cat-and-mouse chasing and I will be over here bitter about them for eternity! 

-Forwood. *excuse me while I cry over “until we find a way” for a few hours* These two went through so much to be together! Their progressive arc in s2-s3 is still one of my favorites.

*I’m Swiss neutral when it comes to Stelena and Delena, I vacillate between both ships at different times so they’re not included in my top 3. I’m an anomalous TVD shipper, a true outlier, what can I say?

Top 3 platonic ships:

-Klelijah. Klaus and Elijah have an incredibly dense, fraught brotherly dynamic. Something about their ancient ties and 1,000-year bond is gripping. There’s so much spoken and unspoken subtext between them. So many unresolved “somethings.” Plus, it’s no secret that I adore the Originals and all they add to the TVD-verse.

-Klebekah. Klaus and Rebekah sparkle, they sizzle, any time they’re on-screen together. Just the sheer depth of feeling and betrayal and angst they emanate is so entertaining to watch. Don’t get me started on the whole “I loved you more than anyone and you didn’t even care” scene because I get emotional.

-Defan. Stefan and Damon are another complex sibling relationship on the show. Throw into the mix that they find themselves in love with same woman, not once, but twice, and whew! I love the flashbacks we get of them throughout history as well.

*Gotta give shoutouts to my other favorite, though moderately less well-developed, brotps here: Carenzo, Katholine, Rebekoline, and Baroline. *chef’s kiss*

Top 3 characters:

-Caroline Forbes

-Klaus Mikaelson

-Katherine Pierce

Top 3 plotlines you’d change/erase if you could:

-THE BABY PLOTS ! ! ! BOTH OF THEM!!!!!!!!! (I’m talking Klaus/Haley and their tribrid baby and Caroline’s surrogacy/pregnancy with the Gemini twins.) I apologize for my overemphasized caps + exclamation points here, but I loathe these storylines with every fiber of my being. I can’t help it. More often than not, I like to pretend they don’t exist lololol.

-How they handled the beginning of Stefan and Caroline’s romantic relationship was...icky. Like, while Liz was dying? Really? Then she turns off her humanity because he “rejects” her. Again, REALLY? I have major issues with the overall portrayal of them as a couple - particularly with the relationship imbalances as well as the insecurities they heightened instead of tamped out in each other - but the inception of it all is what kills me. Especially because I am a huge proponent of friends-to-lovers ships...and the writers really dropped the ball with them, imo. I’m a multishipper at heart so the disappointment I harbor is PALATABLE. 

-The Cure storyline and the Travelers storyline. Didn’t like either of them. They have equal “could’ve been loads better” billing.

Top 3 episodes you’d take to a deserted island:

-3x14, Dangerous Liaisons. LISTEN. This is my favorite episode of the entire series. There’s a ball, there’s blood-tinged champagne, there’s duplicity and romance and drama. All the Mikaelsons are under the same roof, for crying out loud! It’s gold!

-2x07, Masquerade. This one because of my girl, Katherine Pierce, the biggest, baddest bitch of all. She’s a saucy little minx the entire masquerade only to end up locked in the tomb. I just...love it.

-The Klaroliner in me is screaming 4x23, Graduation because being on a deserted island without having access to Klaus’s iconic “however long it takes” declaration would be insupportable. However, a case could be made for either 3x20, Do Not Go Gentle because I am trash for the decade dances, and that one’s my favorite, OR 3x22, The Departed because that is one hell of a season finale!

Suits

Top 3 seasons:

-Season 2. Mike’s secret out of the bag? Them all working together to fight against the merger? Donna shredding evidence to protect Harvey? Daniel fucking Hardman? *thumbs up*

-Season 5. FIREWORKS. Donna’s working for Louis, Harvey’s in therapy, Mike gets arrested/goes on trial, Zane family drama. Exquisite stuff

-Season 3 or Season 1. Don’t make me choose between them, please. 🙏🏻

Top 3 romantic ships:

-Darvey. I mean, OBVIOUSLY. These two idiots had me from the pilot. I knew the moment Donna said “I also took care of that. we’ve been married for the last 7 years” that I was on the precipice of falling into another long, beautiful, up-to-their-chins-in-pining, slow sloooooow burn ships. Granted, I didn’t think it’d take 8 seasons for them to get together lololol but I don’t regret a damn thing!

-Mike and Rachel. They’re adorable together, they truly love each other. Also, can we talk about how they’re a steady couple for most-ish of the show?  They have drama, sure, but they work through most of it together. As a unit. THAT’S A BIG DEAL. It’s like going through the canon drive thru and actually getting (most) of what you ordered.

-Louis and Sheila. This is a couple who makes me laugh uproariously AND feel all the emotions. I mean, will I ever forget Louis dropping to one knee in the hospital with his ass cheeks hanging out? NO. Will I ever get over Shelia’s pregnant feet being too fat to fit into her Cinderella glass slippers? NOT ON YOUR LIFE. Will I blubber like an emo sap whenever they finally reconcile/get their happy ending? YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT.

Top 3 platonic ships:

-Mike and Harvey. They have a connection from the beginning but I love seeing how much they rub off on one another, how much deeper their bond grows over the course of the show. Their movie references are always a delight, too. *cries: it’s so beautiful*

-Donna and Louis. Their relationship is so important to me. Like?!?!?!? They have so many fantastic one-on-one moments together - some that make your sides ache with laughter, others that prick your eyes with emotion and tears. Even though it kills me when Donna leaves Harvey to work for Louis, I can’t help but love it too because he fanboys all over her. GIVE DONNA ALL THE LOVE AND APPRECIATION SHE DESERVES. 

-Harvey and Louis because they have a formative and/or impactful dynamic. They mostly respect each other but there’s a lot of animosity between them. Makes for such good TV!

Top 3 characters:

-Donna Paulsen aka Fashion Goddess of NYC (can I have all of her outfits? for real) and the Reigning Queen of Sass (who also happens to be the reigning queen of my heart as well). The entire firm would have fallen into collapse without her, FULL STOP.

-Harvey Specter. I have a penchant for stoic, inscrutable, emotionally constipated, on-the-borderline-of-asshole characters and boy did I hit the jackpot with this one! 

-This one was hard, but I’m going to go with Louis Litt because his character evolution is amazing! He’s so unlikable at times, what with his competitive streak and anger/jealousy issues, but then there’s this whole other side to him that’s sensitive and vulnerable and sweet. You can’t help but root for him, you know? (Even when you want to punch him right in the nose lol.)

Top 3 plotlines you’d change/erase if you could:

-Harvey giving Paula the credit for why he reconciled with his mother, when it was actually because of Donna. They retcon/fix this in the narrative in s9 but it still bugs me in the moment. I can’t let it go. So sue me.

-Pearson Hardman’s “Harvard Only” hiring law. Not only is it ridiculous and discriminatory but no way in hell would you even be able to implement such a thing in today’s world. Nor should you be able to do so. Diversity is important!

-I wasn’t crazy about the Mike prison storyline but, at the same time, he had to serve out penance for the whole fraud business??? So yeah.

Top 3 episodes you’d take to a deserted island:

-2x07, Sucker Punch. THE MOCK TRIAL, AHHHHHHH. Louis grills Donna about Harvey within an inch of her life. I can hear his inflection during his stream of “do you love Harvey Specter, do you love Harvey Specter” in my head. It is so effing tense in that conference room, I DIE. 

3x06, The Other Time. I am all about this flashback episode, okay? It opens Pandora’s box on all things past!Darvey and also shows us how Mike gets thrown out of school.

-8x16, Harvey. If you think I’d willingly retreat to a deserted island without having access to that Darvey love epiphany/love actualization scene then you are kidding yourself! I still blast “Love is Mystical” on full volume just to daydream about that swooping-through-the-apartment-door smooch sometimes. *fans self*

[ithedondon20]

Day 29 of BHM and I'm honoring Mr. Tyler Perry. He's an American actor, writer, producer, comedian and director. In 2011, Forbes listed him as the highest paid man in entertainment, earning US$130 million between May 2010 and May 2011. Perry created and performs the Madea character, a tough elderly black woman. Perry's films vary in style from orthodox filmmaking techniques to filmed productions of live stage plays. Many of Perry's stage-play films have been subsequently adapted as films.

Perry wrote and produced many stage plays during the 1990s and early 2000s. Perry has developed several television series, most notably Tyler Perry's House of Payne, which ran for eight seasons on TBS from June 21, 2006, to August 10, 2012. On October 2, 2012, Perry struck an exclusive multi-year partnership with Oprah Winfrey and her Oprah Winfrey Network. The partnership was largely for the sake of bringing scripted television to OWN, based on Perry's previous success in this area. Perry has created multiple scripted series for the network, The Haves and the Have Nots being its most successful. The Haves and the Have Nots has given OWN its highest ratings to date as of 2014, with the series also referred to as "one of OWN's biggest success stories with its weekly dose of soapy fun, filled with the typical betrayals, affairs, and manipulations."

Perry has additionally acted in films not directed or produced by himself, including as Admiral Barnett in Star Trek (2009), the titular character in Alex Cross (2012), Tanner Bolt in Gone Girl (2014), Baxter Stockman in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016) and Colin Powell in Vice (2018).

[discourseanddicscovery]

Beauty Youtube: How Influencers and Gurus Have Become Leaders in a Billion Dollar Discourse Community All About Makeup

The Beauty Industry amassed an estimated $89 Billion in gross revenue in the 2019, in the United States alone. A large reason for this is the world of Beauty on YouTube, from influencers, to beauty gurus, to cosmetic brand sponsored web shows and tutorial series, YouTube has created a space for all lovers of makeup to come together and be able to communicate. Like any other social media platform, YouTube has allowed and created a space where one does not need to be a professional in any field to take part in the conversation. Beauty YouTube is one of many subcultures on this platform, and it is heavily followed by professionals, makeup users, beauty brands, and people that like watching YouTubers apply their makeup for the exclusive purposes of entertainment or relaxation even if they themselves do not wear makeup, all have the ability to communicate with one another and speak a language exclusive to this discourse community. 

This research collected when learning about this peculiar discourse community will take a look at the sensationalism associated with being an influencer on YouTube, the rhetorical language this discourse community uses to explain identity and feminism in both the beauty and Beauty YouTube community, the subculture within a subculture (Black beauty influencers and YouTubers), how Beauty YouTube influences consumer purchases by advertising to viewing members of this discourse community, and the factors that make the beauty industry and Beauty YouTube a discourse community. 

Kristen Forbes, the author of “Examining the Beauty Industry’s Use of Social Influencers” states that a rather important factor for the widespread reach of social media influencers is how relatable they are to the audience they are attempting to reach, considering as well that whether a discourse community about the followers shared love for makeup and beauty, the influencers are ultimately career makeup merchandisers at a global scale, “These influencers, dubbed online as “Beauty Gurus” online, use their skills in makeup to partner with cosmetic brands, earning big bucks while building brand awareness around products. Influencers have gained popularity due to the rise of social media and their ability to connect with their consumer peers,” (Forbes 2016).

https://www.elon.edu/u/academics/communications/journal/wp-content/uploads/sites/153/2017/06/08_Kristen_Forbes.pdf

Florencia Garcia Rapp, the writer of the academic journal titled “The Digital Media Phenomenon of YouTube Beauty Gurus: The Case of Bubzbeauty” discusses the social requirements of being a Beauty YouTuber that amasses millions of dollars yearly in beauty brand recommendations and reviews, sponsorships, ambassadorships, and affiliate codes that get used and purchased by their subscribers. She also states that there is a correlation, however direct, between making money on YouTube as a beauty guru, and treating your subscribers like actual members of the community by keeping the fans and viewers a part of the conversation, “They usually treat their audience as friends, gaining feedback from them and offering tips by sharing personal thoughts on a variety of topics such as love, life, or career. Through this ongoing sharing of their personal lives and creativity to create looks and explanatory video tutorials, many have successfully positioned themselves as YouTube celebrities, enjoying the economic and social benefits this status entails,” (Rapp 2016).

Within the Beauty YouTube community, a subculture of YouTube already, there is what is known as Black Beauty YouTube. Much like Black Twitter. Black Beauty YouTube is a subculture of content creators that are predominantly or exclusively Black, and they engage in discourse that is political, based on their personal activism for the inclusion of rich and dark skin tones when in defense of Black consumers that cannot find their shade in the complexion category because brands do not make foundations, concealers, or powders in the darkest of shades because “they are not commercial enough.” Faithe J Day, the writer of the academic journal “Quaring YouTube Comments and Creations: An Analysis of Black Web Series through the Politics of Production, Performance, and Pleasure” writes that “while cultural productions acts as a way for Black artists and producers to speak back legacy networks, the role of cultural content producer can be seen as an inherent aspect of Black identity and the history of performance that Black people used to succeed and gain acceptance within society,” (Day 2018). She implies as well that when it comes to engaging in discourse about the Black identity on YouTube or other social media outlets, it is imperative that Black voices be the ones leading the discourse.

 https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/145831/fjday_1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

As an example of this phenomenon, one can observe the Black YouTuber Jackie Aina who since starting her career has collaborated with major beauty brands like Anastasia Beverly Hills and Too Faced. Most Specifically, because of her following that has upwards or three million followers, she, along with her fans throughout all social media platforms were responsible for the launch of eighteen new complexion shades that included the darkest, as well as the fairest of skin tones in their line of foundation titled “Born This Way,” This is just one of many examples where black content creators have challenged brands to be more exclusive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cprGVN3_nFA

When answering the question of who in reality is allowed to partake in the discourse community that is Beauty YouTube, it is of relevance to state that the rhetoric of identity and feminism is both of importance to this discourse community, and at the same it is not exclusively necessary to engage in this particular rhetoric to be a successful member of this online group. Lehua Ledbetter, the author or “THE BUSINESS OF FEMINISM: RHETORICS OF IDENTITY IN YOUTUBE’S BEAUTY COMMUNITY” talks about her experience as a Beauty YouTuber in which she felt as if she was lying to her audience, as well as other members of the community for actually being an academic but not portraying that in her videos. She then realized that what is being discussed is the makeup, the techniques, and the brands, something she also came to learn because of her ability to monetize her videos because of the number of views she was receiving.  

What was of highest importance to Ledbetter was to acknowledge that her internal struggle of trying to be a feminist while also exploring the income earning features of YouTube is that there is nothing more feminist than a female entrepreneur, “I was thinking entrepreneurially while also thinking critically about my entrepreneurial actions,” Ledbetter 2014. In other words, what could be more feminist than a woman making money while looking as powerful as her bank account. Fundamentally, that is one of the most appealing things about this particular discourse community, the ability to connect with women, men, and queer people that have a love for makeup, but that also post, share, and show off their recreations of YouTuber tutorials or original looks they create themselves. Anyone has a potential to influence in this community because everyone is needed for this community and the consumer aspects of beauty YouTube to be as popular and high grossing as they are. 

One of the most important, if not the most important aspect of this discourse community is that consumer aspect this community engages in for the purpose of promoting, and further advancing the reach of this discourse community. Kyungji Lee, the writer of the academic journal “The Influence of Beauty-Related YouTube content on Consumers' Purchase Intention” states that “the emergence of the Internet, consumers are able to share their opinions with others without a face-to-face interaction. In addition, due to the characteristics of the Internet, consumers are able to provide and share their opinions related to products with people who are known as well as total strangers,” (Lee 2018). 

https://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6558&context=utk_gradthes

To further explain the influencer phenomenon, the reason consumerism is such a large aspect of this community is because of two specific reasons. The first is the simple fact that YouTube, whether a video or the comments section of a video allows anyone to share their opinion, the second is that a consumer purchase intention is implied for any member of this discourse community, particularly because one must purchase makeup to be able to use it. Tanjeet Nijjar also states that the reason this discourse community is as popular as it has become is because of the how involved all members of this discourse community are, “In order to thrive in a certain discourse community, one must be very involved and knowledgeable on the goals and communication methods that belong to that group of people. Every community may have members of different levels of involvement included in their group,” (2017). As stated before, any member of this community can buy, share, rate, review, or recommend products to any other member of Beauty YouTube.

http://fycjournal.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Makeup-as-a-Discourse-Community.pdf