#for a king any expression is also necessarily a performance

[howaboutswords]

Such sorrow our splendid sovereign never knew,

Nor was his spirit ever sunk as by that single sight.

The good King gazed, gripped with horror,

Groaned gruesomely, wept gouts of tears,

Bent kneeling to the body, embraced it,

Cast up his visor, quickly kissed Gawain,

Looked at his eyelids, now locked fast shut,

His lips like lead and his complexion pallid,

And then, crowned king, cried aloud:

'Dear cousin and kinsman, in care I am left,

For now my glory is gone, and my great wars finished.

I hold here my hope of joy and armed success;

Wholly on him depended my heart and strength!

O my counsellor, my comfort, keeper of my heart,

Renowned king of all knights ever known under Christ!

Worthy to be king, though I wore the crown!

Throughout the wide world my wealth and my glory

Were won by Gawain, through his wisdom alone.

Alas!' cried the King, 'my grief grows now;

I am utterly undone in my own country.

Ah, dire and dreadful death, you delay too long!

Why spin out so slowly? You smother my heart!'

- Arthur mourns on finding Gawain and his troops dead in the alliterative Morte Arthure, lines 3947-3968, translated by Brian Stone.

[beingpeople]

Anyway, I finally made clear that the cover was directly inspired by my work, The Nain Logs, in which my inspirations inspired me to produce a work of “literary fiction”, which in turn inspired me to produce a capstone piece, which you can still read, listen to, and view here:

To quote (spaces added to aid in comprehension):

“In the space delineated by these coordinates, the specific lines of interrogation that this book pursues are as follows. First, it eschews an empiricist and/or positivist method, even as it tries to hold the empirical and theoretical registers together. It is interpretative, building on the literary-aesthetic, especially poetry and film, as intuitive ways to access experience without relying on presuppositions that privilege either intentionality or consequentialism.

Second, it beings together different strands of political and social theorization in their anti-colonial, phenomenological, Marxist, post-structuralist, and feminist currents to elucidate those intuitions. It is ecumenical in relation to different strands; or said differently, it avoids a zealous fidelity to any one particular strand in a way that might foreclose engagement with and borrowings from others.

Furthermore, it also lacks fidelity to any single discipline but is instead transdisciplinary, learning from scholarship in political science, sociology, anthropology, political economy, and performance studies, among others.

Next, it is necessarily selective, with no pretensions to be exhaustive in the great variation in form, socioeconomic conditions of possibility, culture, and geographical location of actions under consideration, nor of the variety of theoretical paths of investigation.

Last, but not least, it is asymptotic, aiming to push past existing categories, concepts, methods, and approaches toward new theoretical questions without being able to settle them definitively. Indeed, it follows that insight that Louis Althusser once very perceptively expressed; namely, that ‘nothing in philosophy is radically new,’ ‘nor is anything ever settle definitively’”

- Dr. Banu Bargu, in the introduction to her book Disembodiment: Corporeal Politics of Radical Refusal, discussing the nature of the her study on the subject of self-directed violence and its place within a historicity of political agency, and which is completely unrelated to The Nain Logs, but is what I am currently reading and, thus, found to be an interesting and important passage for those looking to read her book.

[purecommemasolitude]

There’ve been criticisms about Darry being too mean or too cruel in the musical, and I get where those people are coming from, but — and speaking as someone who hasn’t seen or listened to it but has listened to the soundtrack and follows the information account like the paper — I think this phenomenon stems from two things

First, on the side of the discussers, a lack of exposure to the musical as an actual piece of material instead of (occasionally very out of context) lines or screenshots. Obviously seeing the musical, even if one lived in New York, would be expensive as all get out, and even audios and boots are pretty hard to find for this show, but there are many details and contexts that change how lines on the page should be interpreted that simply cannot be gleaned through, well, lines on the page. As someone who has dabbled in acting & directing, and has spent time analyzing play texts in depth, delivery and direction can change everything. The entire sentiment of a line can be the opposite of what you’d expect if you took the line at face value, and unless that’s explicit in the stage directions, it can go unrealized if one is merely reading the script (which, as an aside, is exactly why I find analyzing play excerpts tricky — because without a performance or direction, scripts are often so ambiguous and versatile that they could go any way). And honestly, despite also being someone who unfortunately does not benefit from first hand knowledge of the musical, I feel like this is very evident in discussion of Darry in the show. For example, none of his lines in, say, Runs in the Family (Reprise) should be taken at face value, because if you’ve even listened to the song you can tell he’s completely spiralling and hitting a breaking point. This is a state that, historically, causes people to say things they’d never believe in real life. We’re not meant to believe Darry would ever walk out on his brothers, we’re meant to hear him talk about it and understand how deep of a breakdown he is having. As a less obvious example, from what people online have said, Darry spends the last twenty or so minutes of the musical in tears. Again, the things he says here aren’t necessarily the things he believes, or things that he’s expressing coolly or off-handedly because they line up 1:1 with his worldview, they’re things he says when he’s desperate and struggling and has no idea what the correct path is when his brother & responsibility has effectively been comatose since the deaths

Which brings me to my next point!

One of the most known things about the musical, even to people who aren’t very familiar with it, is that it goes more in-depth on Darry’s trials and tribulations, so to speak. He gets one solo at status quo, another (mostly) solo when he gets his breakdown, and a (mostly) duet in his own self-described darkest hour during Pony’s absence. All three of these songs go into detail about what his life is like and how much he’s been struggling, and even songs that aren’t about him emphasize this feature of his more than in the book: his description by Ponyboy in Tulsa ’67 & Great Expectations reminding the audience of his life’s path, his verse in GGAH making it clear that his life is a very different one with arguably more severe burdens compared to the other boys. Other than the three most important characters of the original narrative, he is now undoubtedly the most important and developed character — which makes sense in a musical format, because with the story of The Outsiders it would’ve been pretty much impossible to do a true ensemble cast other than the main three while doing any of them justice, especially if they’d kept Steve as a principle (rip king). But I digress. In my opinion, being clearer on Darry’s hardships actually gives the musical space to show him as saying crueller things, to have him make more mistakes and mess up worse. In the book, we’re clearly meant to sympathize with him by the end, but we only get Ponyboy’s infamously flawed and unreliable narration as the lense through which to view him. As such, if we went too hard into Darry messing up, while 3/4 of the book have Ponyboy going “yeah Darry’s a rock and doesn’t love me or anyone”, he ultimately would’ve come across a lot worse and a lot harder to “redeem” in the eyes of the reader (personally I never disliked him, but I’ve seen enough accounts of people who hated him on their first go at the story to know it is not an uncommon sentiment). He already slaps his brother and argues with him all the time; it would’ve been even more legwork to make him liked if he’d also been saying harsher things and making more mistakes. In the musical, however, we get that objective perspective that’s missing in the book. Ponyboy’s not narrating to us the lyrics of Throwing in the Towel, he’s not even present for the events of Throwing in the Towel! It’s a lot easier to understand and forgive mistakes if one is familiar with the psyche behind those mistakes, and the musical delivers that psyche to us at every turn. Because the audience understands Darry Curtis and how hard it is for him to hold on, the audience also has more understanding and forgiveness for when he’s spiralling. It’s also just a more specific proof of his plight — three songs with first-hand, emotionally explicit lyrics penetrate the uninvested understanding a lot easier than a second-party description of circumstances. Due to its nature and promotion of Darry’s importance, the musical simply gets more freedom to show an arguably more realistic version of him.

Also, I do believe that Darry in the musical is just that much closer to the edge than he is in the book, which is a valid character choice in an inherently emotional and transformative medium such as the musical adaptation 🤷🏻‍♀️

[ronnierites]

Okay lets all put our heads together and talk about this - the WILL Outro video

For any Atiny who are not a Loretiny, here’s what you need to know:

There are two universes inside the Ateez context - Universe A and Universe Z (otherwise referred to as Strictland).

Universe A is the one that we are familiar with. It’s bright and colorful and happy. It’s seen is mvs like Pirate King, Treasure, Wave, and Dreamers. If you’re more familiar with their performances, it’s any song that has costumes with color. They softer looks in sweaters and khakis and such. Those are all Universe A.

Universe Z is the alternate universe. Time is funky here and I won’t get into a whole thing about it but it’s reversed. So there is a 12 hour time difference between A and Z. Complete opposites existing at the same time. This universe is dark. There’s lots of broken down buildings and boarded up windows. There are no mirrors or other sources of reflection so the people cannot see themselves and wish to be free. It’s seen in mvs like Hala Hala, Say My Name, Deja Vu, Halazia, Bouncy, and Crazy Form. In this Universe, music and art and all forms of expression are banned. The people all have microchips implanted in them to disable their emotions. The Black Pirates, who we know are in kahoot with the Ateez we know and love, are a group of rebels that are trying to bring art and emotions back through song (very HSM) and disable the microchips. There’s a whole thing about how they got there but that’s not important for this context.

There is a device called The Cromer, which allows Ateez to switch between these universes when the moon is full (which is why we see a lot of moon imagery). When the moon is not full, it does other things that again are not important here.

We know that the Cromer was broken. This happened in Deja Vu when Yeosang broke it to save the rest of Ateez (long story that’s again not important here). Ateez eventually uses the Cromer from Universe A, that is not broken, to get back to Universe Z later.

We see the broken Cromer at the end of Bouncy as well, but this time a little blue bird flies seemingly out of it. There are lots of questions about this Cromer. Is it the original Cromer? Is it the Cromer from Universe A? Why is there a bird? Was it trapped inside? Is that how it works? Is there a significance to the Cromer breaking when the moon is full? Is that why the bird appeared? I don’t know. And the new video cleared up approximately nothing. It shows the bird as it flies around the set of Crazy Form, but without the members. It’s after the events of the MV take place, which we know for sure because it shows the area that Yeosang is seen spray painting.

The first pic is from the new video and the second pic is from the Crazy Form MV.

I’ve seen some people as questions about the people in white. But these are students at Prestige Academy. There’s a good bit of lore here but the gist of it is, the Black Pirates are using the school as a place to start their revolution. The school is introduced in the Guerrilla mv. A boy from the school appears. It’s also seen in the Bouncy MV and referenced in the narrative in the Diary version of Outlaw.

There is also a paper and a cube seen at the end.

The paper is clearly plans for a pirate ship. The questions here lie solely on when this all takes place. As we know Ateez has all of their lore all mapped out. It’s is all carefully planned, meaning when they release new content, it’s not necessarily in chronological order. We’ve seen them release things out of order before. There’s no real way to know until we get what comes next. So the question of what is the ship for, relies on when this takes place. If it’s earlier in the timeline, then we have seen the ship in action. If it’s later in the timeline, then it could be replacing the old ship.

The cube is a little more confusing. I’ve seen some people say that it’s probably the same cube that is seen in the Dreamers mv.

Except now it’s red. Red is not a good color in the Ateez world. So what does it mean and what does it do? Dreamers takes place in Universe A, but we are in Universe Z now. Is it a different color because it is a different universe? Is it a different color because it’s been activated? What sort of abilities does the cube have? Is it related to the Cromer or is it separate?

I don’t know.

Thoughts?? Please anyone what are you thinking??

Even if you’re not a designated Loretiny, I’d still love to hear what you’re thinking. Or you can Reblog so other Atiny can see this.

I need answers!!!!

[saintmeghanmarkle]

Tick Tock BetterUp prob wont last much longer by u/Ruth_Lily

Tick Tock BetterUp prob won’t last much longer 🍿 From Google AI”According to recent reports, BetterUp appears to be facing challenges, including slower growth, layoffs, and concerns about its financial performance, largely due to macroeconomic factors and companies cutting back spending in anticipation of a potential recession; indicating that the company is not performing as well as it once was. Key points about BetterUp's current situation:Slower Growth:While BetterUp experienced significant growth in the past, recent reports show a slowdown in revenue growth, attributed to the current economic climate. Layoffs:Several rounds of layoffs have been reported at BetterUp, suggesting a need to cut costs and adjust to the changing market. Leadership Concerns:Some Glassdoor reviews criticize the company's leadership, alleging a lack of direction and poor decision-making that may be impacting growth. Market Perception:While still recognized as a leader in the coaching space, the perception of BetterUp's financial health seems to be declining due to recent challenges. ”Also Marc Benioff may not be funding them anymore. Benioff seems to be more amenable to Trump & has always liked Elon Musk a lot. Then there was this today from Benioff, extolling how brilliant Javier Milei is, which is in the Trump/Musk/Bukkele/Milei orbit - imhoI mean he even puts a ❤️ on his tweet too! 👀https://ift.tt/rj7loGs think Marc will use that $300m he gave to BetterUp through Salesforce Ventures as a huge capital loss carryover for the Salesforce Venture VC firm?IDK how much they paid Harry but I’m sure they used that as pr for BU, maybe $1-$5m per year?And remember how I noticed they went from literally the swankiest hotel in SF to another hotel for thsir conference which is more mid this last year?🍿This is jmho but BU is really shaky since Benioff only gave them imho, SEED MONEY, that $300m was SEED MONEY, you guys in SV know what I’m talking about.They had to move operations out of SF, they BURNED through that money. It’s a shell now. It think Benioff won’t give them a dime more and I think they’re just limping at this point.Lastly, BetterUp had GOV’T CONTRACTS though Harry’s connection to Biden, which as we all know, that won’t be happening under the new administration. While Trump really likes William & the King, Trump dislikes Harry & everything associated with Harry imho post link: https://ift.tt/pKjiD6o author: Ruth_Lily submitted: December 08, 2024 at 08:39AM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

[questionsonislam]

We hear that some people call Hazrath Ali prophet. Where does this argument stem from and how should we answer these people?

This false belief was instigated by Ibn-i Saba. Ibn-i Saba, whose sole aim was to mar the belief of Muslims, knew well how to deceive people while handling his negative activities. Firstly, he tried to persuade some people saying Hazrath Ali was God; in places where he understood this would not be accepted he attributed prophethood to him; when this too would not receive approval, he claimed that the caliphate was the right of Hazrath Ali before anyone else, and that this right was cruelly taken from him.

If we pay attention, we see that these three claims contradict one another. And contradiction is invalid. In other words, God cannot be a prophet, and there is no caliphate in question for a prophet as well. Even this contradiction clearly shows that only treachery and mischief underlie this issue.

As is known, everything has a beginning and an end; likewise, the institution of prophethood that began with Prophet Adam ended with the last prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). God Almighty gave the Glorious Quran, the perfect one of the heavenly scriptures to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the perfect one of all and completed the institution of prophethood with the last Prophet (PBUH). From then on, no prophet will ever come again until the doomsday.

It is stated in the Quran that Prophet Muhammad is the last messenger:

O believers (know) that Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Messenger of God and the Seal of the Prophets. God has full knowledge of everything. (Al-Ahzap Surah, 33:40)

In this verse, God proclaims both the prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH) by calling his name, and states that he is definitely the last prophet with the expression the Seal of the Prophets.

As is known, the prophets to whom a scripture was sent are called Rasul-messenger. In the verse, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is introduced as both Rasul-messenger, and as the last Nabi-Prophet. Thus, it is definitely announced that no prophet will come after him and that the door of prophethood was closed with him. In other words, Prophet Muhammad is the last prophet, as well as the last messenger; because every messenger is at the same time a prophet; but not every prophet is necessarily a messenger.

As is known, it is a farz-duty, obligation- on people appointed as prophet to announce this duty openly. This is a divine rule. All the prophets that came conformed to this rule fully and proclaimed their prophethood without fearing anyone. Some of them were thrown into fire, some were cut in half, some were exiled from their motherlands; but all of them performed the duty of announcement even at the cost of their lives.

As the previous prophets did, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also started proclaiming his prophethood with the revelation of the first verse. He was not intimidated in the least by the enmity of his own tribe, did not value the promises that were made to discourage him from his cause and with these words he showed his perseverance in his cause, if they put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left on condition that I abandoned this course, until God has made it victorious or I perish therein, I would not abandon it." As a prophet sent for the entire humanity, he did not hesitate to proclaim any verse to even his most violent enemies. He also wrote letters to all the emperors and kings and announced without hesitation that if they did not comply with him they would not reach salvation, and their properties, lives, states and nations would not be secure.

Now let us briefly examine the instigations of Ibn-i Saba who attributes divinity to Hazrath Ali and his followers:

Firstly, If Hazrath Ali was appointed as a prophet, he himself should have believed in this first and it would have been a farz on him to announce his prophethood. He never made such an announcement neither on paper nor by word of mouth; on the contrary, he got some of the people who made such claims killed and some he exiled.

When he was just a kid of ten years of age, he accepted that our prophet was the last prophet and for this end he made spiritual and material jihad and during his caliphate he applied the judgments of the Quran attentively. In brief, he worked on the way of God and His Messenger from his childhood to his death.

It is a baseless superstition to attribute prophethood to such a person.

God Almighty states, We have not sent you but to all humankind as a bearer of glad tidings (of prosperity for faith and righteousness) and a warner (against the consequences of misguidance). But most of humankind do not know (this, nor do they appreciate what a great blessing it is for them). (Saba Surah, 34:28)

God clearly says that the prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH) encompasses the entire humankind.

Another verse proclaiming his prophethood clearly: Muhammad is the Messenger of God; and those who are in his company are firm and unyielding against the unbelievers, and compassionate among themselves. You see them (constant in the Prayer) bowing down and prostrating. (Al-Fath Surah, 48:29)

In the beginning of the verse, God Himself witnesses the prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH). In other words, God Almighty with His Greatness proclaims, Muhammad is the Messenger of God. Which doubt or fake view can overshadow this witnessing?

For all these explicit statements of the Quran, it is open fallacy and groundless mischief to attribute prophethood to Hazrath Ali.

[anna-dreamer]

Сон Амариэ: a breakdown. Part 1

Sooo. Ever since that summer concert performance of Finrod in Moscow i've been obsessed with Сон Амариэ. I've thought a lot about strengths and hiccups of this song, and i really wanna talk about them. Full lyrics han be found here. Unfortunately, stupid Tumblr character limitation won't let me make it a single post so i will have to break it into several. Let's start with a common issue that can be conveniently summed up.

False semantic pairs (and other grammatical oddities)

There is a common problem in this song that if very typical for Finrod's lyrics in general. I am talking about concepts and ideas that are put into an associative pair but actually cannot form one due to a logical error. The first one we encounter early on, in the phrase Лес молчит, словно полк, лишённый короля. Now, granted, a king like Finrod is expected to also be a military commander, and it is natural for regiments to be led by him into battle and to lose their resolve and fall into silence when their king is suddenly gone. (Though i must say, here i read a weird subtext of 'disloyalty to the cause', as if someone is trying to rally this troop, but in response gets only silence. A really weird undertone to describe a still forest which it the only thing that is there to answer you - and it doesn't - when you call out a lover's name. But that might be just me. It's far more likely that Amarië invokes the imagery of Finrod's deeds in Endorë as she imagines them and feels a foreboding dread that he is not there anymore. Of course a forest can look as abandoned as a troop without a commander. It is, after all, a dream.) But still - it is plain that a pairing "regiment - king" is occasional and conditional. The most natural associative pairing for полк would be полководец, командир, офицер.

Чтобы верить, не нужны ни разум, ни глаза. Now, it is a beautiful sentiment that describes faith and trust against all reason and evidence. But there is still a problem, a case of misplaced metonymy! Разум (reason) is a non-material entity that is usually associated with a body part - a head. Глаза (eyes) is very much a material thing, it is a body part which corresponds with an immaterial sense - sight (зрение). The point being made in the lyrics is, in order to have faith, one needs neither to reason nor to see with their own eyes - or, in other words, one believes with neither their head nor their eyes. But the lyrics try to have it both ways, and it doesn't work. The author chooses to use разум instead of голова (or (иметь) глаза instead of видеть), and as a result we get a mismatch.

Ветви, словно руки, сплетают сеть. The logic in this metaphor is again faulty. True, we often compare tree branches to arms or hands, it's very common. (In Russian both arm and hand are called by the same word, рука.) But then this net thing creates a confusion. Branches indeed can interweave, and arms/hands (or rather fingers) can be interlocked. In Russian both these meanings can be expressed with cognate verbs плести, сплетать, переплетать, the root -плет- meaning 'weave'. The problem is that branches do not actually weave any nets of any material - they themselves intertwine in such a way that a net is formed. On the contrary, hands do weave nets, they are not a material, but an instrument for that. Again, there are two conflicting ideas in this sentence, and they cannot be combined into a functional metaphor. Now, i'm gonna add another entry, a bit of a different kind, that does not necessarily describe errors but still is worth mentioning.

В тьме и в свете я тебя по имени зову. A couple of things here. For euphony sake it is customary to use во not в when the preposition is followed by several consonants (во тьме). Here it is not so for the sake of rhythm. (Also it is worth mentioning just for completion sake that there are two words in Russian that both mean 'darkness': темнота and тьма. The latter, the one used in the song, carries more of an elevated, metaphorical meaning along with the literal one.) В свете is a curious thing, and it is a bit of a nitpick. I don't begrudge the author this form, in my opinion it is acceptable in a poetical work, but i feel it is still worth mentioning. The form в свете that appears in the song is actually a locative that is used not for material but immaterial entities. For carrying across a meaning 'in the light', 'being lit by light' one would say на свету or при свете. В свете is a form that belongs to a word that usually has a separate dictionary entry. It is свет as in 'world', '(high) society'. Here is an example from Eugen Onegin: when Tatiana's husband sees that Onegin does not recognise his wife, he tells Onegin, Давно ж ты не был в свете! Charles H. Johnston has it translated as "...you banish yourself too long from social life". Again, in our case this form comes to use for convenience sake and is used for poetical uniformity. Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

[peanutbutterandbananasandwichs]

Here have some UK based kings :)

Dionysos Slain - "Dead God Dyke Dandy"

-

Loose Willis - truly one of the most incredible performers I know - makes all his own costumes - and also does costume commissions (one day I'll get something commissioned from him 💜)

-

Major Dom - one of THEEEEEE fiercest drag king paints!

Dandy Darling - soooo creative and such an exciting performer!

Crip Ladywood - current reigning winner of Man Up, disability activist, fucking fantastic live singer.

I could add SO many more! But I also just want to say a few things about "visually interesting".

First of all there is absolutely a double standard here, TRUST me there are plenty of queens who would not meet the standard of "visually interesting" but you are kind of assumed to be by sheer virtue of presenting fem (said as somebody who does both queen and king drag).

Second: drag Costs Money, even if you are making everything yourself, even if you are crafty and use unconventional materials and buying things second hand. If you want more kings to look more "visually interesting" PAY THEM! Ask your local venues to book kings instead of the same queens with the Lady Gaga routine over and over again. Show up and support their shows (if you are in the US TIP THEM!). And if you book performers BOOK KINGS!

Third, some of the most electric performers I know kings and queens and things and monsters and any other drag expression, are out there in looks that wouldn't necessarily blow you away, or are very obviously a piece of cardboard but are fucking EFFECTIVE at getting the point of the number across. "Visually interesting" ≠ good drag.

With that in mind here are some other kings you should check out regardless:

Fuckboi Jeff - does what he says on the tin - an America college frat fuck boy, loud, obnoxious, political. Jeff also has an "American Sweetheart" alter-ego Jillette Blade.

Ash Bestos - proper British "bastard drag", in fact they recently won "Yshee Black's Big Bastard" competition. One of the funniest people I know.

Landfill - a "drag menace", their garlic bread actually is famous in the London Ace community, producer of The A Show - an acespec cabaret.

Pecs Drag King Collective - a London based drag king collective including some of my absolute fave performers on the scene.

Crusty - drag clown, if you are looking for some truly WEIRD drag you've come to the right place

CYRO - "Blasian king and trans powerhouse".

Chiyo - one of THE best dancers on the scene, insanely hot!

Only stopping there cause this has already taken me like an hour lmao

I think one of the reasons drag kings aren’t as popular as drag queens, aside from the fact that straight women don’t like us, is that people are uncomfortable acknowledging masculinity as a performance. Like we as a society know that femininity is a performance, with its own costumes and rules. Masculinity is also a performance, and nothing makes that more clear than someone making an exaggeration of it

[castlebyersafterdark]

Like anon said, the ideal is to love the *thing* you do that could hypothetically make you famous enough to not need fame to fill that desire. But most artists create out of lack, out of a gnawing emptiness, out of a sense that *not* being known is no life at all. Would Bowie really have created Space Oddity without the context of people listening? Would Freddie Mercury have written Bohemian Rhapsody? Would Lana have written Video Games? If a tree falls in a forrest, etc.

I've got to say that as an artist, there needs to be more nuance than this. i understand the burning need to carve a path and create in order to actually feel alive, yes. but there's a famous quote about a female tennis player (navratilova? or maybe b. jean king): 'she would play even if no one was watching.' that is a true artist - one who creates not because they want to fill a hollow that relates to attention or validation or an audience, but because they wouldnt be able to live if they didnt make work - and yes, even if that work reaches no one. van gogh as the most famous example.

its often tied up with a need to be seen and loved - performers especially - especially if they have already gained an audience and are now addicted to the attention. but i would argue that a true artist would continue making because they simply couldn't not create. this is why you see people find success (meaning fame) much later in life when it wasnt guaranteed (a great example is david harbour!). it also depends what you mean by success. for many artists, fame is absolutely not a marker of that.

so my original point was that there are plenty of people doing it for only the wrong reasons, not even for a blend of good and bad (artistic satiation + need for attention). artists feel hollow when they cannot make work, not when they are without attention. someone who needs attention at any cost and chooses art as a way of getting that is a person with a particular kind of psychological issue to deal with, not necessarily an artist.

and lastly the tree falls in a forest is a logical fallacy because yes, the tree always makes a sound, and yes, it still matters even if there is no one there to hear it. because you never know if anyone (or anything!) did it fact hear it, or even feel it, a ripple, a rumble through the earth. and the tree did not need anyone to hear it. do you see where im going with this rambly metaphor haha

I don't remember exactly what I said to the original post or what was swirling around this one, but nuance nuance nuance - always.

Think I agree about your point about being a true artist. Creation as a way of feeling alive - in that creation is the thing itself. Self expression for the self foremost - this isn't far fetched. Understandable. And I agree. For myself - would I create without attention or without anyone else seeing what I create? Surely. Already have lived this way. I would continue my photography if I'm the only who sees. So few already do. I capture things with my camera because I saw something in my subject and wanted to keep it. I paint because the act of painting calms my mind and I find it rewarding to use color and imagination to turn a canvas or wall with nothing into some vision. I write because my mind is full and my imagination deep and I need to put it into words, rather than some nebulous intangible cloud. I'd write even if I never posted or no one clicked on my stuff that is, I'd keep a journal even if I was a hermit on a mountain.

So - I agree with what you're saying here!! Perspective. Pleasure reading and pondering, thank you 🫡

[the-extra-surrestreal]

Hi ♥️ I nearly read all of your posts and I love your opinions about signs. I also saw people ask questions to you so could I ask one too ? What do you think about Aries Sun/Scorpio Moon man and Cancer Sun/ Virgo Moon woman <33

Helllllooo, you absolutely can! It’s been a minute since I’ve done any on here, but I do chart interpretations all the time IRL. As it’s been a little while I want to reiterate my usual disclaimer:

Any zodiac signs can be in a relationship together as long as they feed the good part of the relationship and look out for the more negative things that can come up.

When it comes to chart interpretation Im reading energies and patterns not necessarily people. How you express your chart may be different from how other people express their charts,  this is just a guideline for things to look out for based on the energies as I know them. 

And finally good chart synergy does not guarantee a good relationship. Some people are more interested in easygoing relationships and some people are more interested in challenge and  complexity. As stated before the responsibility for the relationship between these two people will be down to these two people and the decisions that they make. That said I hope that this chart interpretation can help bring up some of the benefits of the relationship and help you avoid some of the pitfalls.

Anyway without further ado 

The Sun Signs 

Sun signs represent base life force frequencies. It’s position very loosely defines you as a person, as experienced by other people. Sort of like your archetypal social role in the tribe.

The Aries 

Aries men as the most archetypal “man’  tend to go through the Triple gods 3 faces linearly. This tends to show up in 3 distinct life phases from the warrior to the King to the Wiseman. But in the background is their earth sign libra urging them to be the lover as well. The Aries Man  will have to look out for their sort of Cupid mentality. Where they tend to shoot other people with the romance arrows but they don’t necessarily wait to see if they hit their mark for fear of missing. 

My advice to all Aries men is to make sure that you’re checking in with your partner and meeting their individual needs. And not just playing out a performance of romance in your head and hoping the other person will play along. Now if the Aries man  has already worked through the more immature Aries impulse to throw things out into the world and then not wait to listen for the feedback  they’re  already in a fairly good position for this relationship. 

That said a big benefit and plus in dating an Aries man is the love and respect that they have of femininity in general ,  and Cancer Women are deeply steeped in Archetypal Womanhood. This is a mother,  a lover and a Nanny all wrapped up in one.  And no one can be more appreciative of this fact than the Aries.  And unlike the Pisces women who can be a bit more ethereal in their triple goddess status the cancer woman is far more flesh and blood and is almost archetypically predisposed to be appreciative of the more flesh and blood Aries man. 

The Cancer

The Cancer Woman in her more immature state is also a bit of a triple goddess in her own right. Oscillating wildly and emotionally between flirtatious maiden, nurturing mother, and meddling Nona. All with the sort of solid practical energy of her Capricorn earth sign humming along in the background doing cleanup. In her younger and or immature state she is often somewhat addicted to the tidal shifts of her own emotions and in her desire to indulge this pattern she often seeks partners that provide ballast for her emotional states. She too is a cardinal sign , much like the Aries man was called out for being before , as such she can be a little one-sided, though her performances tend to be a little bit more woe is me and emotional.

However the benefits of cancer Women as mentioned before is that they are very emotionally available and loving, if a little messy. My advice to all Cancer Women is to search for the security and stability within and  not outside of oneself; that said mentorship from strong women in their lives can do a great deal to help the cancer woman on her journey. 

Together 

The benefit of signs that are square each other are the similarities. There can be a sort of instantaneous camaraderie ; you understand the kind of decisions they make and the sorts of actions they take because they lineup very well with the kind of actions you yourself would take. This brings a certain familiarity and comfortability to the partnership which can be very soothing for both parties. In a sort of I see you and respect your work sort of way,. 

Conversely the Problem with signs that square are the similarities. In the case of two cardinal signs it’s gonna be a bit of a ships passing in the night energy where both of you are talking to yourselves in your own little world and not necessarily talking to each other,  so look out for that. And remember , which ever side you are in this partnership , that both of you can have a dreadful case of the me me me’s so hold the same space for your partner that you know you will probably need held for you. 

The Solar Harmonics (1+4=5 Leo)

The solar harmonics for this relationship is at the Leo frequency. Meaning together you two can be quite a glamorous and charismatic pair. More charismatic together than you may be apart, and while this may be immediately comfortable for the Aries Sun at the beginning it might be a little discomforting for the cancer woman who tends to prefer more behind the scenes vibes. 

Over time the Cancer sun woman will instinctively seek to integrate its Earth sign of Capricorn (more on that below) and move towards the theme of the next sign in its progression Leo. Standing out in the Sun,  in the light of day. Confidently pursuing desires etc. Luckily this relationship harmonizes at that Leo Frequency both in the combination of your sun signs (1+4=5) but also in your moon signs (8+6=14=5). The plus side of this being this relationship leaves ample space , room and support for the cancer to open up and explore this facet of herself. And if that wasn’t enough the respite or rest area of your relationship (combined sun+combined earth) is 4. Meaning her natural state and frequency tends to be an inherent safe zone for this relationship. 

The Possible downside besides that which was mentioned in the previous section is that this space , depending on the maturity of this Cancer girl,  can possibly feel like pressure to grow. If she’s in a space where she wants to explore more emotionally tumultuous or unhealthy patterns this space can feel almost too safe, Too high vibing. This partnership can feel sort of end game for the cancer all other things being equal and that could possibly be scary. 

On the other side there is a bit less inherent support in the harmonics for the growth of the Aries. While this is a great opportunity for the Aries man to learn how to take a backseat in the relationship, a lesson that all Aries men integrating their libra earth sign need learn. It can be a bit of a bumpy what-about-me vibe at the start. However if there’s enough lovey romance which we will get into later in the Libra earth section this shouldn’t be too much of an issue. Another possible issue on the horizon is as the cancer woman starts to integrate her Capricorn earth sign this can irritate the Aries sign depending on their own internalized notions of masculinity. As Capricorn is the higher octave of Aries there can be a bit of a shift in who the breadwinner is and this can shift the dynamic of power in the household as she integrates more and more of her Capricorn qualities. That said if the Aries man can stay in heart eyes mode and  accept that they will both shine more together this will be no problem at all.

The Earth Signs 

Earth signs are always opposite your Sun Sign and tend to represent a sort of archetypal journey towards maturity. Earth Signs always require life lessons and they always bring meaningful rewards.

The Libra 

The Aries man’s earth sign is in Libra. This is where that deep urge towards the romantic comes from. There is an instinctive draw towards the archetype of the lover, and within that an inherent fear of romantic rejection. Romance is something that Aries signs whether they admit it to themselves or not take seriously. And relationships are often points of growth for them. 

The lesson for them is in submitting to a real flesh and blood relationship, and not a projected or imagined one where each of you "plays your Hallmark role and lives happily ever after". People are people and they often don’t do things according to script. It is often a journey for the Aries sign to learn that other peoples emotions, feelings and expressions deserve just as much space as their own. That said they tend to be very good lovers instinctively, if they get out of their own way, and very very good at romance.  Integrating the ability to hold space for their partners just levels them up tenfold. And brings them the sort of partnership that deep down they really desire.

The Capricorn 

Most Cancer Suns are secretly extremely business savvy and capable. If any of them tell you that they are not just look at their lives. Very often their emotionality causes quite a few issues but somehow there’s a very practical side of them that seems to clean up any of the problems that they’re emotionality caused. They also tend to instinctively always be networking and making connections. They also have a talent for getting into positions due to their vast network of relationships and the more entrepreneurial of them tend to garner a large base of supporters very very quickly. The big hurdle for them tends to be responsibility. Taking responsibility for themselves and their actions even when they are feeling emotional. It is often a journey of maturity for the cancer sign to hold them selves accountable instead of making excuses for The damage they do in their heightened emotional states. They must learn that though they are a whirlwind they are here to build as the eye of the storm , and not tear everything down in a fit. 

Together 

Earth: 17 Sco

Together this relationship harmonizes at the Scorpio frequency. As stated before this pairing might see a bit of a role reversal as both parties and mature with the Aries man going from clear front man to more supporting role and the Cancer woman going from support woman to a more front-facing role. As long as both of them are mature enough to behave outside of the cultural dictates of masculinity and femininity and allow themselves to grow into their best selves this shouldn’t be a problem. As this is a Scorpio frequency both of them should look out for dominance and sadomasochism in relationship as there can be a dominance and  submission aspect to Scorpio frequencies in relationships. As this is the Earth sign frequency it will probably be seen a little bit deeper into the relationship or rather later in the relationship but nonetheless it is a dynamic that will most likely need to be discussed and given space if this relationship is to continue well into maturity. Furthermore Cancer women tend to lean more archetypically submissive where Aries men tend to lean more dominant but perhaps role reversal would be interesting I won’t presume to know this couples personal preference. But food for thought. 

Luckily the Aries man has a Scorpio moon which means that this relationship in its maturity allows the Aries man will feel more at home in the emotional bedrock of the relationship. Possibly finding himself as a driving force or shaman for the maturation process itself. 

The Moon Signs

The Moon sign in the chart is the emotional bedrock of the individual. The unconscious observer that emotionally contextualizes the individuals progression towards their emotional desires as well as their emotional stability. 

The Scorpio Moon 

This vibe tends to be deep and Subterranean like a glowing cave with cool waters. Like a starry sky and the cool night air. There is a desire to deepen and draw inward emotionally. There is a tendency to hold the cards close to the chest with all things being equal in the chart. But with this comes an air of mystery a sort of magnetic pull into their subterranean emotional environment. 

The Virgo Moon 

This emotional bedrock is far more terra firma, almost too much so. Oddly enough Virgo doesn’t tend to come up in conversations of astrological duality quite so much as Gemini and Pisces do , however like all mutable signs they do represent a duality. Virgo the virgin is represented by the Virgin and the Nature goddess as represented by the sheaths of wheat. As such attention is drawn to both  process and precision. Those who lean more process with this placement tend to enjoy the role of the dilettante,  the amateur , the ones figuring it out who is imperfect if a bit immature at times. Those who lean more precision tend toward the more classical vocal depiction , precise persnickety perfectionistic etc. The key to this sign tends to be in maintaining a balance or synergy  of these two energies instead of vacillating wildly between the extremes.

Together 

Moon: 14 Leo

In this lunar position the Leo energy tends to require that everyone in the relationship be true to their nature and faithful to their dreams. Especially the big ones, especially the important ones. This could be a bit daunting for both of the signs individually. Luckily any discomfort is shared rather equally. A draw to new agey shamanistic practices could also be helpful with integrating this energy in a way that doesn’t shock your moon signs. Think active visualization and future self Embodiement practices. 

[genderqueerdykes]

Do you have any tips or resources for someone who wants to get into drag?

hello there!

this is a good question! i don't have any websites or anything like that handy, but i'll make sure to include things as i find them!

my biggest piece of advice is to observe what other drag artists are doing. there's not a rulebook or anything like that, a lot of artists go in a lot of different directions with their looks! i think it's best to try to get some exposure to the community on a large scale when and where possible and to just see what others are doing

you can think about any potential themes you'd like to incorporate, like bimbo, doll, lolita, ballroom, camp, alternative, gothic, nonhuman, or time period specific looks! there are lots of styles for all types of drag artists, there are lots of drag kings out there as well and the inspirations and themes for outfits can vary wildly!

it's good to think about what you think drag is for you, too. what is your statement? what are you telling the world when you dress in drag? what are you parodying? what is it a satire of? what are you making fun of? what are you expressing? is it self love? is it showing the world this is who you are inside? is it commentary on how society views you? is it how you can have fun and look pretty at the same time? is it about breaking down binaries? having to over-perform womanhood, manhood, or nonbinaryhood? feeling like a caricature? and so on and so forth

once you have an idea of what you are expressing when you do drag, it can give you some more inspiration on looks. you are never locked into one look, having one name, being one type of performer. you can switch between being a drag queen, king, artist, and thing! there's nothing stopping you from having multiple drag personas, or not having one at all. you don't have to have a name or a specific persona if that doesn't suit you

if you want to have a specific persona, a lot of folks like to make their name or title some type of pun. i'm autistic and suck at cultural references, so i'm not great at lending a hand on this one! but some folks are able to come up with some hilarious names. humor is a huge part of drag so please don't feel like you can't be funny. drag can leave you crying laughing- some performers love to do comedy in drag and it rips!

you can also be serious, sexy, mysterious, playful, animalistic, nonhuman, alien, or childlike. it's totally up to you, there's no hard set rules, it's a very play it by ear kind of thing. above all else it is an artform, meaning it is highly up to interpretation. you don't have to necessarily layer your face up in makeup if that doesn't suit you. if you can find other ways to express yourself and have fun with gender and presentation that don't involve that, show people!

many performers also include cultural aspects of their ethnicity into their drag as well! i live in a highly diverse area with a lot of latine and indigenous performers and i have met a lot of local navajo queens who have incorporated fashion from their culture into their looks as well! drag's foundation is in black & latine ballroom culture, people of color have always had a massive hand in being the pioneers of drag, so don't be afraid to incorporate those themes into your performances and outfits if it feels comfortable to you

clothes and wigs can be thrifted depending on the area you live in, and your sizes. i have found great success (i.e. all of my outfits except my vests!) from thrift stores. it can take some looking but it is worth it. however, i do understand some folks struggle to find cute clothes for drag because their local area does not have great thrift stores. it is okay to do what you have to to find cheap clothes, if you do not have access to thrift stores that have a lot of variety, you can always look for consignment shops and other types of boutiques of that variety, and i do believe there are lots of drag closets online, as well as any other sites that you personally find clothes from that suits the aesthetic you're going for! you can find clothes for drag anywhere if you develop an eye for it

i would highly suggest browsing youtube for wig styling and makeup tutorials! i just kind of view my face as a canvas and paint on whatever i think would look cool, but for some of my looks i am learning how to play with light and shadow, so i highly recommend just browsing for tutorials for people who match your skin and hair type! i would highly recommend making sure you are specifying what type of hair you are working with when searching for tutorials

you can start playlists of songs to perform to if music is your thing, and you can also look up choreography for songs on youtube as well for ideas, if music will be involved in your performing. it's definitely not necessary though, and many folks dress up and spend time in drag to socialize, not to sing and dance, which is totally fine as well! comedy, book readings and cooking tutorials are just a few other things that folks like to do while in drag! you can do a lot or nothing at all it's really up to you

i hope this helps! if we come up with anything else, we'll add it! you can also ask any more specific questions you'd like! we hope this was a good place to start off from!

[generation1point5]

True love is possible

Only in the next world - for new people

It is too late for us

If there was any summary of the sentiments that encapsulate my thoughts and response to Echo, it is this line from Disco Elysium. Though decidedly on the psycho-paranormal spectrum of narrative than political, the same sentiment is expressed. A complex combination of psychological and paranormal factors, external and internal forces, contribute to an intense and gut-wrenching backdrop for a horror-themed visual novel. Because of this, Echo’s focus and sentiments trend extremely closely to Night in the Woods. Like Disco Elysium’s more American counterpart, the culture and sentiments expressed in Echo are decidedly exclusive to the geographical area of its setting. Its approach is undeniably rooted in American individualism and the American psyche, tailored further to portray the particular quirks of the post-frontier United States. 

Normally I’m not really one for horror, having not enough of a visceral imagination for Steven King but also lacking the stomach for the same genre in motion picture. Echo, for its part, trends more towards the former than the latter, and the genre serves as an excellent backdrop to explore themes of generational trauma, the border between perception and reality, and the external and internal circumstances that become the driving force behind the formation of identity and interpersonal relationships. 

Like Adastra, Echo acknowledges a baseline awareness of socioeconomic conditions, but it’s primary focus lies elsewhere. Adastra has often been described by others as an inversed dating sim, while Echo is often described as an anti-dating sim. The analysis carries merit on a number of points for consideration.

If horror and fear is the recognition of one's helplessness in the face of a dire threat, it is only natural that the game presents a perpetual and necessary sense of powerlessness to the cast of characters; whether driven by their own will or by circumstances they are helpless to alter, they are all subject to forces that can neither be fully articulated nor influenced. None of them fully understand themselves or their peers; the bonds that unite the cast of friends and define them all are contextualized by trauma, even victimhood. Their efforts and desire to escape their victimhood defines them as much as the victimization itself. There are “better” endings and some “worse” endings, but I don’t think any of them could truly be said to be “happy.” No matter whom you choose, no matter what route is pursued, there is no “ideal” or “perfect” ending for Echo. The sense of futility instilled within the player is given as a disclaimer from the very beginning. 

You’re only going in circles.

Historical trends within Echo are cyclical; likewise, the paths available to the player do not necessarily distinguish between “good” and “bad” endings, but merely serve to paint a clearer picture of what happens. The other routes do little other than to add splashes of color to what is largely an already foregone conclusion. Pursuing all of the routes is better performed as an act of morbid curiosity than any sort of hope that things will turn out fine.

Of course, the pull and the quality of Echo as a visual novel is getting the player to, in fact, care for the characters trapped in a largely bleak situation. Unlike Adastra, I had incentive to approach the game at arm’s length, but even with my reservations in mind, I ended up hooked onto just about every character and route presented in the game. Perhaps it is just my parasocial and sentimentally-prone heart being at odds with my better judgement, but that is part of the draw, the appeal of this visual novel; it pits the heart against the mind, hope against hope. 

From here on, since I will be getting into specifics and potential spoilers, I’m putting the rest of my review under a readmore.

The limited impact of player choice recurs frequently in Echo in a myriad of ways; Chase as a protagonist lacks agency not only as a result of his own socioeconomic conditions and past trauma, but also by the very nature that his actions are partly determined by the player’s choices as well as the remnant influence of Samuel Ayers. Sometimes this manifests as internal monologue inconsistent within Chase’s own mind, and in more extreme examples, locking players into a single choice and even a perspective shift to the second-person. In such instances, the narrative is railroaded into advancing the plot. In other circumstances, the player is hampered by the dispositions and actions of the characters themselves. Few (if any) opportunities exist for the characters to change who they are; many have already grown into themselves with varying degrees of personal baggage and history that largely determine their behavior and reaction to certain events. Chase as protagonist and player character, by contrast, has extremely little personal autonomy and personality, despite having a name and a backstory that cannot be changed, only discovered.

The only notable exception to this rule is in Flynn’s route, where the player experiences a perspective shift from Chase to Flynn, accompanied by a restoration of Chase’s personality and individual identity at the direct erosion of Flynn’s. It’s a subtle implication that the nature of the player’s choices and interactions alter the identities of the characters by whose perspective they take. There is a give-and-take dynamic at work; we get to see the inner workings of the friend group from the protagonist’s perspective even as their perspective is altered by the player’s presence. This is most pronounced when Sam’s thoughts intrude on that of his host character. In general, the player’s experience in Echo serves to highlight the disconnect between influencing an individual directly and the ability to influence the people around them, not in the least because there are other external forces competing for control as well.

Further complicating this dynamic are the presence of the paranormal entities that amplify and otherwise alter the already unstable disposition of the people of the town, some borne of intense desire, others out of an almost consequential animus from past misdeeds committed in Echo. A scientific explanation for these occurrences is sometimes posited but never directly linked; what is clear is that the cyclical appearance of these entities is triggered by a slow accumulation of injustice and suffering that spill over in key moments that trigger the mass hysteria in the town. The experiences are simultaneous and shared to some degree, but are often perceived differently, colored by the accumulation of (often traumatic) experiences of those witnessing the events unfold. Some of these entities are manifestations made to witness tragedy, others entities seem intent to directly incite them. There is no clear dynamic between the forces that seem to overlap and intersect with each other at various points in the story; only that their appearance is the mark of a general decline of sanity for the town. Prevention other than complete avoidance is impossible; efforts to mitigate its effects are limited. 

Though the exact causes of Echo’s decline are not made entirely clear, the pattern of mass hysteria throughout its troubled history, coupled with a broader socioeconomic decline over the decades, reinforces a general impression of inevitable failure. By the time of the events depicted in the visual novel, it is all-but guaranteed to become nothing more than a troubled memory. Its persistence is largely the result of habit, the last gasps of people living in spite of their circumstances, and a seemingly overall desire to salvage what good is left. The existential crisis is palpable; a sentiment that is also shared with Night in the Woods.

But here Echo takes the paranormal and the psychological breaks a little bit further. What happens, exactly, when we hold on to anything at the end of everything? Each of the routes are an answer to this question, none of which are designed to be all-encompassing or comprehensive; the act of choosing a route is simply a different examination of how the cookie crumbles.

Of all the routes in the game, Carl’s shows a good deal of character growth, detailing the ram’s journey of paralysis and coping in the face of his fears and expectations placed upon him to a broader acceptance for responsibility in the choices available to him in life. This is, in part, dependent on the player’s choice for him to face his fears directly or to rely on external forces to bolster his shortcomings. The horror setting serves as a backdrop to force a resolution to Carl’s issues, when so much is at stake. Should Chase encourage him to be his own person and not rely on the ghost of his dead ancestor, he will be set on the path of self-actualization. It is not a momentous or glamorous occasion; it is grounded and modest, an honest reckoning of himself and his circumstances that dispels the hold that the socioeconomic legacy of his family has upon him. He frees himself and Chase is there to witness it; but as a result of all this effort spent with a single individual, the rest of the cast of friends all turn out worse by the end of the hysteria, to varying degrees. In terms of material conditions, Carl is given more than any of the others the means to break from the legacy of his past despite the ways he is also hampered by it. The rest are not so lucky.

A prominent but mostly background force in Echo is that of family; many that try their best to accept and love one another and many more that are broken, dysfunctional, and outright abusive, and all of them a product of their cultures and socioeconomic conditions. Though distant and fairly permissive, Carl’s well-off family offers him a secure foundation towards financial independence and success, and to this end has also railroaded him with expectations that he one day assumes the mantle of the family business. Leo’s own family sticks closely together as a tight-knit group of immigrants from a distant country, one that shares much of their lives with each other and expects, at least to some degree, reciprocal goodwill. Leo himself buys fully into this mentality, even as he easily grasps the idea of family beyond blood relations. It also comes with traditional expressions of heteronormativity and patriarchal attitudes. The same heteronormative expectations are reflected in Chase’s otherwise loving and accepting family, and expressed in much more toxic ways in Flynn and Sydney’s parents. At first glance this toxic heteronormativity can be attributed to the religiosity of the two characters’ families, but this dynamic is not evident in TJ’s own deeply religious background. TJ himself could be considered a more ideal product of someone who had more or less fulfilled the expectations of his parents, to both the benefit and detriment of his person. Socioeconomic considerations for the characters’ families play a greater role in affecting the growth and the outlook of the friend group, as evidenced by Jenna’s impoverished household. Their coping mechanisms in the face of poverty often turned self-destructive and abusive without the presence of religion in their lives. Jenna in turn sought to escape her conditions but also to understand them; she hints at her political views more often than most others, and her interest in psychology is rooted in not only understanding her own situation but also how similar life events have affected all of the people around her. Broadly, those within loving families adopted their parents' values to some extent, while the others found it easier to make (and value) their own choices in life. In some respects, the latter grew up faster, though it is also notable to point out that TJ, not only being the youngest, is also treated as the baby of the group.

TJ’s route is less about his own personal growth and more about how Chase’s desire to nurture and protect him leads to an extreme psychotic breakdown, culminating in a (repeat) murder and the reinforcement of the cyclical violence that plagues Echo. TJ’s fragility and non-aggression makes him something of a victim that Chase feels compelled to protect; it is not the first time that he has acted in response to this compulsion. Here we see the road to hell, paved with good intentions; Chase in his efforts to protect the remnants of good from otherwise awful parts of Echo perpetuates the same cycles of violence that ultimately lead to the town’s final demise. This compulsion is not unique to Chase; the entire group dynamic involving TJ reflects this at-times unhealthy protectiveness of his apparent naivety, albeit to lesser extents.  TJ remains a victim partly because of the tendency of his friend-group to treat him as such in an effort to protect him from harm.

One of the most dominant (and relatable) themes within Echo is pain aversion, not only oneself but for the community that one identifies with. These manifest in all sorts of coping mechanisms and scars that manifest in both beneficial and harmful consequences down the road. Drug use features prominently, as does therapy and prescribed medication, but none of this addresses the root cause of the chronic illness plaguing Echo. The wounds that fester run much deeper, beneath an already thin veneer of civilization until the caustic buildup spills out into a mass-hysteria event. All at once, everyone’s personal problems and historical baggage become everyone’s problem, and the cycle begins again. While there may be healing of the initial wound, there is no restoration in the aftermath, only scar tissue and new points of sensitivity, fertile ground for the cycle to begin afresh.

Of all the routes, Flynn’s is the clearest glimpse players get into the paranormal workings of this cycle. Indeed, his inability to process his grief with the others as a result of unresolved questions over Sydney’s death is what drives him away from the group, and join into a gruesome and timeless entity positioned to glimpse at all the moments of great suffering and tragedy that kicks off the cresting wave of hysteria. His desire for answers ultimately outpaces his capacity for relationships with his friends, and even his own desire for closure. The price for the knowledge he desperately seeks is his own identity, his very personhood. He merges with the cycle and becomes witness to it. Of all the characters in Echo’s cast of friends, Flynn was understood least, in no small part for his frustration and relative inability to express himself with any degree of sincerity outside of biting, dry humor and his stilted desire for intimacy following the death of his closest friend Sydney. His transformation marks the end of the road where his trauma drives him, where he becomes a stranger even to himself, losing all sense of self.

This end strongly contrasts with Jenna’s route, which arguably contains the strongest example of player agency affecting the outcome. It has one the most positive of the endings available and arguably one of the worst; a decision that is largely contingent in the face of an existential, yet everyday question. How much control can we exert over our own will? Over others who seem to have no power to control themselves or the circumstances they were subject to? When agreeing with her initially negative mindset, she is intent on wiping the wounds of the past (the whole slate really) clean through violence, first by the murder of Heather and then by the flooding of the town of Echo. But when Chase encourages her to see the good in the company of friends that gave her the solidarity to endure, Jenna can forgive and let go of her past rather than destroying it. Most of the others are given the opportunity to do the same, and in the end they all survive. The group retains its cohesion despite their flaws and is given a clear road to move on; Echo is left behind forever. The cycle continues, but they are no longer party to it.

And then, of course, there’s Leo.

I saved his route for last because I found it odd that the anchor bracelet on his arm is the same as the icon used for cursor mouse in-game. Being Chase’s ex-boyfriend and the catalyst behind the whole group get-together in the story, it was clear his role in the story was meant to be a central one; even so, knowing how messy things would be, I avoided going for his route until I had exhausted all the others. In a stroke of irony, I believe this is what ended up making me fixate on him the most, and (despite my best efforts) wanting to see him happy; not just happy in the sense that he would no longer captivated by Echo, but happy because his old happiness could be restored to him. But this is a horror VN, and Leo of all the characters can never truly get a happy ending. For both narrative and character reasons, I knew he would not find what he was looking for. What he seeks had died and was buried three years ago; to try and bring it back would be a necromancy of the worst order. And so, in the act of giving the wolf kept taking, until what he had become was a stranger and a monster, unable to understand that he had sacrificed everything: himself, his friends, his former lover and best friend, for a temporary and psychotic happiness. I had understood this from the beginning, and yet I could not help but desire for a path forward for Chase and Leo to be together once again.

Part of Echo’s peerless quality is its ability to showcase the past in the rose-tinted lens and the lens of trauma in equal measure. It is not simplified of its complexity, nor reduced to a lesson in building character. The people in Echo do their best to deal with the past, clinging to the good and rejecting the bad each in their own way, and often to their own detriment. All the same, the past exists independent of the desires and aims set upon it, and its echos reverberate to the present day from the days of old, far beyond any single lifetime. The weight of thousands of years of history exercises itself upon the world, heedless of the will of the living to alter it. 

Both in spite of this animus and because of it, there is a persistence to Echo; it is not a town that passes into memory from apathy and despair, but from illness, neglect, and the chronic failure that has been present from the beginning. Echo’s paranormal conditions merely accelerate the pattern of history that had followed the people who had founded the town, and all who had come and gone since. It magnifies the essence of, for a lack of a better term, the human condition. Even as Echo itself expires in the face of its own entropy, the lives that once called it home live on, forever marked by the scars it leaves behind. It does not kill them, and yet it will not fully disappear. Humanity in its near entirety permeates every single aspect of Echo as a visual novel. It is existential persistence in its rawest form.

This existential persistence is the same found in Night in the Woods, the same as in Disco Elysium. It is far removed from any sort of idealism, or any sort of ending that resolves all the underlying issues plaguing the characters from the beginning until the moment the player enters their lives. In this respect, Echo and its sentiments deconstruct the traditional purposes and structures of its genre. None of the characters who seek romance here will find it. For those within the cast that do, it remains a possibility for the future, but that future is beyond the world of Echo, and beyond its people as they currently find themselves. As far as love relates to Echo itself, there is only a shadow and a passing remnant that ought never make its return.

[a-father-of-light]

BL is such a welcome and often times necessary distraction from reality. I decided to remind myself of why I fell in love with the genre. So naturally, like any mature adult, I'm making a list, of course.

*My unsolicited list of " my favorite BL actors":

1. Mark Siwat Jumlongkul

This is not a ranking. Nonetheless, I'm giving the first mention to Mark Siwat. I have a soft spot for Mark. Of the actors I'll mention on this list, I think he's gotten the least recognition for how well he performs his craft.

Often times, BL actors very obviously get their opportunity because they fit the Thai beauty standards; i.e. light or fair skinned. While Mark does benefit from light skin privilege, no one can deny that he CAN ACT. My son is an actor! He has genuine talent.

From the first time I saw him in "I Am Your King", he caught my eye. The scene where New breaks up with August is my favorite from the series. Mark conveys August's disbelief and hurt with such sincerity. It's by no means a truly exceptional scene. It just stands out because it would have been so easy for Mark to over-act, but he held back

All of his performances are natural and effortless. That and, you can clearly see how he has zero trepidation about being intimate with his co-stars (emphasis on intimate not necessarily sexual). See gif below:

*can we just appreciate how beautifully these two fit into each other. I would love to see them together again. I mean, sweet wholesomeness aside; there's also the crazy chemistry.

I was so happy to see that he FINALLY got a leading role in "Bite Me". I'm waiting for the full season to air before I watch it.

Everything from his subtle, yet meaningful facial expressions, to the measured/controlled way he delivers his lines... Magic. He knows how to use his face, voice and body to convey every feeling that his character experiences.

Okay! I'm done.

2. Perth Tanapon Sukhumpantanasan

Next up is Perth. I mean, I don't think anyone needs convincing of Perth's acting abilities. That his acting debut was at 17 and he absolutely killed that role, is still amazing to me. Much like Mark, Perth is a naturally gifted actor. He just knows what he's doing. Talent galore.

Last I heard, he had decided to step back from BL. Which I completely respect. Regardless, his portrayal of Ae in "Love By Chance" and Krit in "the Stranded" earned him my respect for his acting abilities.

3. Gulf Kanawut Traipipattanapong

Need I say more? Gulf is one of those actors I will follow for the rest of his career (BL or not) because I genuinely love to watch him on screen.

No one else could have made Type redeemable. I can't bring myself to watch shows written by Mame anymore. But when I was watching "TharnType", I found myself thoroughly impressed by Gulf's ability to recite those cringy lines that Mame wrote. Only he could deliver those ridiculous lines with such earnestness; making them ALMOST believable, ALMOST romantic. ALMOST

4. Kao Noppakao Dechaphatthanakun

Okay, so Kao.

This is where I pause for a quick sidenote. I have to call myself out here. 😬 Given my history with BL shows that very obviously hire actors for their looks and not talent (or dedication to telling a good story) *throws shade* I prejudged Kao. He's just, too traditionally good-looking. Too handsome. Too "leading man".  Am I making sense? I kinda thought he'd be one of those; make one BL show, put in miminal effort, skate by on his looks, make a name for himself, garner a captured audience, then bounce.

I stand humbly and unbegrudgingly corrected.

5. First Kanaphan Puitrakul

Okay, so First isn't really a BL actor. I mean, he did one show that could kinda, maybe, possibly, if you don't think too hard about it, be considered a BL series. But ultimately, he isn't a prominent BL actor. That said, First can act! My boy is an actor. He's so good at comedy that I don't think the audience truly recognizes how talented he is. And effortlessly so.

Also, his smile! I hear angels sing and lose the feeling in my right toe when he smiles.

6. James Teeradon Supapunpinyo

His inclusion on this list does not warrant further elaboration. James is an around performer. He's so talented and it's undeniable.

Enough said.

7. Ohm Pawat Chittsawangdee

The first role I saw Ohm in was Frame in "Make It Right".  He was a baby. I still question how appropriate it was for him to play Frame at that age (or at all), but thats not why we're here.

Ohm has definitely grown as an actor. You need only watch "He's Coming to Me" to see his range. However, his inclusion on this list is primarily for his almost supernatural ability to have intense chemistry with anyone and everyone he shares the screen with. It's to the point where I question whether he does it on purpose ,or if his aura is just that magnetic. All Ohm has to do is make eye contact with his co-star and a ship is born.

8. War Wanarat Ratsameerat

Last but by no means least is War. War's performance in "En of Love" was the shows saving grace. Mark, Perth and War have a similar vibe in that they don't have to over-act in order to convey emotions.

I hope to see War in more shows going forward because he is entirely deserving of success in the acting world.

These are my faves. So talented. So appreciated

[saintmeghanmarkle]

Emma Weymouth's life by u/Feisty_Energy_107

Emma Weymouth's life Thanks to the Sinner who posted about Emma (the Marchioness of Bath) and her line products earlier. It got me thinking of Meghan's vision of her life, even post working Royal being similar to the Marchioness of Bath. Emma has a title (aristocratic), and a stately and famous home, valued at £160m. Her name opens doors for her. She's into fashion and is super-connected. She is also an Ambassador for Tusk and various other charity campaigns.​Recently Emma, is now Hello Magazine's new Social Editor at Large. https://ift.tt/Qzm4JtD SafariWe all know Meghan craves a proper ballgown wearing moment. Perhaps for a cover of magazine, instead of a cinema. https://ift.tt/29JBdQ1, was a contributing editor for British Vogue, is good friends with Edward Ennifield and wrote about her time at Cannes Film Festival in 2022. An Tig on speed. QUOTE: “I dash to my room and immediately strip to try on the eight gowns that have been sent ahead. Up to the Chopard Lounge next, for sumptuous poached salmon, king prawns, octopus and crispy rice. Elaine Foran, my dear friend and manager, takes some cheese and a chocolate mousse (of which she has one bite before I finish it off), then it’s over to the Fort Knox-like chamber to select jewellery, CCTV on all sides. I choose the most classic pieces, as I know we’ll be changing at least twice. I dash to La Perla, where two very austere French ladies fit me with invisible pieces to wear beneath my diaphanous Dolce & Gabbana lilac chiffon gown at the premiere of Elvis.” https://ift.tt/0SY8LDf Multi-tasking is the name of the game in Cannes, as we squeeze in a campaign shoot – in a Celia Kritharioti two-piece ball dress – before snaking down to Hotel du Cap for one of the biggest fundraising events of the year (tonight’s AmFAR Gala.) I chose red Dolce & Gabbana for this evening to pair with my beyond brilliant gems.” ​ “Christina Aguilera is fashionably late to the stage for her performance, but her powerful vocals raise the roof, and bring joy to the millennial hearts of those of us who grew up singing “Genie in a Bottle”. Sabrina Elba, Neelam Gill and I form our own dance troupe, then head off into the night before everyone jets out of this bubble back to reality in the morning. Merci, Cannes. À la prochaine fois!” ​ post link: https://ift.tt/kEsb6At author: Feisty_Energy_107 submitted: April 17, 2024 at 03:56PM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

[janecrockeyre]

scum villain is a greek tragedy disguised as a regular tragedy disguised as a comedy disguised as a danmei

this is going to be long, and this is only PART ONE.

a.k.a, Analysing the plot of Scum Villain’s Self Saving System through Aristotle’s Poetics, because I Have Mental Issues

Part One: Introduction and the Tragic Hero

Scum Villain’s Self Saving System is a tragedy disguised as a comedy, unless you’re Shen Yuan, in which case it’s a mixture of a romance and a survival horror. It's a fever dream. It's a horrible, terrible book that made me feel new undiscovered emotions when I finished reading it. 

The thing is... SVSSS shares characteristics with some of the most famous tragedies in the West, such as Oedipus Rex, Medea, Antigone, the Oresteia... if you haven’t read these, I’ll explain everything. But the gist of my argument is this: SVSSS is the perfect tragedy. In triplicate. 

Tragedy as a genre is old as balls and so it has meant slightly different things to different people over the last few thousand years. I'll be focusing on ancient Greek tragedy, which was performed at the yearly Festival of Dionysus in Athens during the 500-350s BC (give or take a hundred years). Aristotle, when writing about this very specific subset of tragedy, had no idea that one day Scum Villain would be written, and then that I would be using his work as a way to look at Shen Qingqiu’s Funky Transmigration Mistake. Anyway!

Greek tragedy greatly influenced European dramatic tradition. I have a lot of opinions about white academics idolising and upholding the classics as the "paragon of culture" but I'll withhold them for now. I have no idea if MXTX has read Greek tragedy or not, so don't take this as me saying they are writing it. 

In my opinion, tragedy is a universal human constant. We are surrounded by pain and hurt and none of it makes any sense, so we seek to process that pain through drama, art, literature, etc. We want to understand why pain happens, and how it happens, and try to make sense of the senseless. The universe is cold and cruel and random. Tragedy eases some of that pain. 

On that note: Just because I am analysing Scum Villain through a Greek lens doesn't mean that it was written that way. I'm pasting an interpretation onto the book when there's probably a very rich and deep history of Chinese tragedy that I just don't know about. If you ever want to talk about that, please, god, hit me up, I would love to learn about it!! 

Anyway, tragedy. MXTX is excellent at it! Mo Dao Zu Shi? Painful dynastic family tragedy. Heaven Official's Blessing? Mostly romance, but she managed to get that pure pain in there, huh? 

But in my opinion, Scum Villain holds the crown for the most tragic of her stories. MDZS was more of a mystery. TGCF was more of a romance. Neither of them shy away from their tragic elements. 

Scum Villain would fit right in between the work of Sophocles, Euripides and Aeschylus. How? Let me show you. Join me on my mystery tour into the world of "Aristotle Analyses Danmei..."

Part One: The Tragic Hero

What is a tragic hero? Generally, Greek tragic heroes are united by the same key characteristics. He must be imperfect, having a "fatal flaw" of some kind. He must have something to lose. And he must go from fortune to misfortune thanks to that fatal flaw. 

There are two (technically three) tragic protagonists in SVSSS and all of them are tragic in different but formulaic ways. Each protagonist has their own version of “hamartia” or a “fatal flaw”. 

Actually, hamartia isn’t necessarily a flaw - rather, it is a thing which makes the audience pity and fear for them, a careful imperfection, a point of weakness in the character’s morality or reasoning that allows for bad things to happen to them. For example, in Oedipus Rex, the king Oedipus has a “fatal flaw” of always wanting to find the truth, but this isn’t exactly a flaw, right? Note: this flaw can be completely unwitting, as we see with Shen Yuan. It can also be something that the protagonist is born with, some kind of trait from birth or very young. 

Shen Yuan

Shen Yuan’s “hamartia” is his rigid adherence to fate and his inability to read a situation as anything but how he thinks it ought to be. He believes that Bingmei will grow into Bingge, and it takes several years, two deaths, and some truly traumatising sex to convince him otherwise. 

Shen Jiu

Shen Jiu’s fatal flaw is his cruelty. It is his own sadistic treatment and abuse of Binghe which directly leads to his eventual dismemberment. This is kind of a no-brainer. Of course, it isn't all that simple, and as an audience we pity him for his cruelty as much as we fear it because we know it comes from his own abuse as a child. This just makes him even more tragic. Delicious. 

Luo Binghe

Luo Binghe’s fatal flaw is a complicated mix of things. It is his position as the “protagonist” which compels him to act in certain ways and be forced to suffer. It is his half-demonic heritage, something entirely out of his control, which sets in motion his tragic reversal of fortune when he gets yeeted into the Abyss. He also, much like Shen Yuan, has the propensity to jump to conclusions and somehow make 2 + 2 = 5. 

As well as having their respective “flaws”, all three protagonists match the rough outline of a good tragic hero in another way: they are in a position of great wealth and power. Even when you split the different characters into different “versions”, this still holds true. Yes, Luo Binghe is raised a commoner by a washerwoman foster mother, but his dad is an emperor and he also ends up becoming an emperor himself. 

Yes, Shen Jiu is an ex-slave and a victim of abuse himself, but Shen Qingqiu is a powerful peak lord with an entire mountain’s worth of resources at his back. 

Shen Yuan is a second generation new money rich kid. 

Bingge is a stereotypical protagonist with a golden finger. Bingmei is a treasured and loved disciple with a good reputation and a privileged seat by his shizun’s side. 

In a tragedy, having this kind of good fortune at the beginning of your story is dangerous. Chaucer says that tragedy is (badly translated into modern english) “a certain story / of him that stood in great prosperity / and falls out of high degree / into misery, and ends up wretchedly”. If we follow this line of thinking, a good tragedy is about someone who has a lot to lose, losing everything because of one fatal point of weakness that they fail to address or understand. 

If we look at Shakespeare, this is what makes King Lear such a fantastic tragic protagonist. He is a king in control of most of England, who from his own lack of wisdom and excess of pride, decides to split his kingdom apart to give to his daughters, favouring his murderous, double crossing progeny, and condemning his only actually filial daughter to death. He loses his kingdom, his mind, and his beloved daughter, all because of his own stupidity.

This brings us to:

Part Two: Peripeteia

This reversal of fortunes is called peripeteia. It is the moment where the entire plot shifts, and the hero’s fortunes go from good to bad. Think of it like one of those magic eye puzzles, where you stare at the image until a 3D shark appears, except you realise the shark was always there, you just couldn't ever see it, waiting for you, hungry, deadly, always lurking just behind that delightful pattern of random blue squiggles. 

Each tragic hero has their own moment of peripeteia in SVSSS, sometimes several:

Shen Qingqiu

In the original PIDW, SQQ’s peripeteia presumably occurs when he finds out that Bingge didn’t perish in the Abyss but has actually been training hard to come and pay him back. There’s really not much I’m interested in saying here - as a villain, OG!SQQ is cut and dry, and the audience doesn’t really feel any pity or fear for him. As Shen Yuan often mentions, what the audience feels when they see OG!SQQ is bloodlust and sick satisfaction. There is also the trial at Huan Hua Palace, which I will talk about in Shen Yuan’s section. 

Shen Yuan (SQQ 2.0)

One of SY’s most poggers moment of peripeteia is the glorious, terrifying section between hearing Binghe for the first time after the Abyss moment, and getting shoved into the Water Prison. 

“Behind him, a low and soft voice came: “Shizun?”

Shen Qingqiu’s neck felt stiff as he slowly turned his head. Luo Binghe’s face was the most frightening thing he had ever seen.

The scariest thing about it was that the expression on his face was not cold at all. His smile wasn’t sharp like a knife. Rather, it showed a kind of bone-deep gentleness and amiability.”

This is the moment of true horror for Shen Yuan, because he knows what happens next: the plot unfurls before him, inevitable and painful, and he knows that death awaits him at Luo Binghe's hands (lol). Compare it with the bone deep certainty with which he faces his own downfall during the sham of a trial later in the chapter (I’ve bolded the important part):

“In the original work, Qiu Haitang’s appearance signified only one thing: Shen Qingqiu’s complete fall from grace. [...] Shen Qingqiu’s heart streamed with tears. Great Master… I know you’re doing this for my own good, but I’ll actually suffer if she speaks her words clearly. This truly is the saying “not frightened of doing a shameful deed, just afraid the ghost (consequences) will come knocking”!”

After the peripeteia is usually the denouement where the plot wraps up and the threads are all tied together leaving no loose ends, but because this tragedy isn’t Shen Yuan’s but the former Shen Jiu’s, it’s impossible to finish. 

Shen Yuan cannot provide the meaningful answers that the narrative demands because 1) he doesn’t have any memory of doing anything, and 2) he wasn’t the person who did them. Narratively, he cannot follow the same path as the former SQQ because he lacks the same fatal flaw: cruelty. 

This is why Binghe doesn’t kill him - because he loves him, rather than despises him. And this is why Shen Yuan has to sacrifice himself and die for Luo Binghe in order to save him from Xin Mo: because the narrative demands that denouement follows peripeteia, and SQQ’s fate is in the hands of the narrative. 

(Side note: I believe that this literal death also represents the death of OG!SQQ's tragic arc. The body that committed all those crimes must die to satisfy the narrative. SQQ must die, like burning down a forest, so that new growth can sprout from the ashes. After this, Shen Yuan's story has more room to develop instead.)

It must happen to show Bingmei that SQQ loves him too. And this brings us to Bingmei.

Bingmei

Bingmei has two succinct moments of utter downfall. The first is a literal fall - his flaw, his demonic heritage, leads his beloved shizun to throw him down into the Abyss. From his point of view, SQQ is punishing him simply for the status of his birth. He rapidly goes from being loved and cherished unconditionally, to being the victim of an assassination attempt. 

He realises that he is totally unlovable: that for the crimes of his species that he never had a hand in, he must pay the price as well: that his shizun is so righteous that no matter what love there was between them, if SQQ sees a demon, he will kill it. Even if that demon is Bingmei. 

The second moment is when SQQ dies for him. Again, from his point of view, he was chasing after a man who was struggling to see him as a human being. Shen Qingqiu’s death makes Bingmei realise that he has been completely misunderstanding his shizun: that SQQ would literally die for him, the ultimate act of self sacrifice from love: that SQQ loved him despite his demon heritage. 

Much like King Lear holding the corpse of his daughter and wailing in sheer grief and pain because he did this, he caused this, Bingmei gets to hold his shizun's cold body and cry his eyes out and know that it was his fault. (Kind of.)

(Yes, I’m bringing Shakespeare into this, no I am not justifying myself)

Maybe I'm a bit sadistic, but that scene slaps. Let me show you a comparison of scenes so you get the picture. 

Re-enter KING LEAR, with CORDELIA dead in his arms; EDGAR, Captain, and others following

KING LEAR

Howl, howl, howl, howl! O, you are men of stones:

Had I your tongues and eyes, I'ld use them so

That heaven's vault should crack. She's gone for ever!

I know when one is dead, and when one lives;

She's dead as earth. Lend me a looking-glass;

If that her breath will mist or stain the stone,

Why, then she lives.

[...]

 KING LEAR

And my poor fool is hang'd! No, no, no life!

Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life,

And thou no breath at all? Thou'lt come no more,

Never, never, never, never, never!

Pray you, undo this button: thank you, sir.

Do you see this? Look on her, look, her lips,

Look there, look there!

Dies

Versus this scene in SVSSS: 

Luo Binghe turned a deaf ear to everything else, greatly agitated and at a loss of what to do. He was still holding Shen Qingqiu’s body, which was rapidly cooling down. It seemed like he wanted to call for him loudly and forcefully shake him awake, yet he didn’t dare to, as if he was afraid of being scolded. He said slowly, “Shizun?”

[...]

Luo Binghe involuntarily held Shen Qingqiu closer.

He said in a small voice, “I was wrong, Shizun, I really… know that I was wrong.

“I… I didn’t want to kill you…”

PAIN. SO MUCH BEAUTIFUL PAIN. Yes, I know Shakespeare isn’t Athenian, but he was inspired by the good old stuff and he also knew how to write a perfect tragedy on his own terms. Anyway. I’ll find more Greek examples later.

This post was a bit all over the place, but I hope it has been fun to read. Part Two will be coming At Some Point, Who Knows When. This is a bit messy and unedited, but hey, I’m not getting paid or graded, so you can eat any typos or errors. Unless you’re here to talk to me about Chinese tragedy, in which case, please pull up a seat, let me get you a drink, make yourself at home.

ps: if you want to retweet this, here is the promo tweet!

[somnianus]

On Chinese and Eastern Dramatic Acting vs Western

Part 1    Part 2

Mostly in ref to the Untamed/Word of Honor, but applies to a lot of East Asian works-

I’ve been getting the sense that people I know from the west (also being Asian-American myself) often interpret Chinese/Japanese/Korean drama and theatre to be too corny/cheesy/over-acted. A quick search on some internet forums confirms this. Maybe it’s because I used to watch a lot of C-dramas when I was a kid (Legend of the Condor Heroes/Return of C Heroes/Journey to the West/The Reincarnated Princess/etc), I personally did not notice that the acting was over the top. 

I don’t really speak for the quality of acting of these actors because I barely follow them in their careers, but I do know that some of them are immature actors or don’t have much formal training (which may cause the cheesiness above). However, Eastern dramatic acting in general does seem like a common complaint, so I decided to look into it - this is all coming from someone who JUST recently got back into watching C-dramas btw, doing my own research so don’t mind me if there’s some incorrect things down here, I am by NO means at all an expert in drama and theater (lol):

^Villains are often depicted with very exaggerated facial expressions (Above, Xue Yang, The Untamed)

Part 1

1. Chinese concept of mo vs western equivalent of “mimesis” or “imitation”

From this, an excellent chapter on Chinese theatrical concepts vs Western concepts.

Mo plays a significant part in traditional Chinese theatre, usually held to be antithetical to the realism of Western theatre because of its emphasis on theatricality. 

Mo means mimesis or imitation, but in a very different sense from the Western concept. One of the first Chinese scholars to use this term, Fu Sinian, used it to compare Western theatre to Chinese theatre:

Presenting a real event and performing an entertaining show are not compatible. The former emphasizes imitation (yige zhong mofang^b); the latter stresses spontaneity and entertainment. The former performance produces a lifelike image; the latter has nothing to produce. The former puts emphasis on the plot; the latter puts emphasis on theatricality. Therefore they are completely contradictory to one another.

This guy actually goes onto critique Chinese theater, saying it should be more like Western realism, so that there will “be no singing, and the acting will imitate people’s real gestures.” However! Other Chinese critics tried to approach Western vs traditional Chinese drama as two DIFFERENT but still valid forms of art. For example, Yu Shangyuan (1927) said western performance is “writing realistically” (xie shi) and chinese performance as “writing suggestively” (xie yi). Western dramas really rely on an accurate/semi-accurate representation of life and realism. Traditional Chinese drama and acting relied on the “symbolic and imaginative.”

Then what is mo? It is the emotional display, the emotional revelation, that is shown on stage. Starting from the Yuan dynasty, the Chinese drama was thought to be a continuation of poetry rather than its own independent stage art.

Poetry is where the intent of the heart goes. Lying in the heart, it is “intent”; when uttered in words, it is “poetry.” When an emotion stirs inside, one expresses it in words; finding this inadequate, one sighs over it; not content with this, one sings it in poetry; still not satisfied, one unconsciously dances with one’s hands and feet. [anonymous, 1975, from Shi Daxu 200 BCE]

Chinese drama with dancing and singing, was the most expressive product of poetry. The importance of mo cannot be stressed enough - it is the measure by which traditional Chinese drama was judged, how well this drama make you feel? Love, pain, loss, guilt, happiness? Plot becomes something that doesn’t matter as much (more on that later).

^Beijing/Peking Opera - highly stylized, emotive, “unrealistic” performances

To emphasize how central and important this concept is, it’s thought that a good Chinese playwright never fails to “seize a highly dramatic scene to stage an elaborate presentation of an emotional state.”

Love is of source unknown, yet it grows ever deeper. The living may die of it, by its power the dead live again. [Peony Pavilion, Mu dan ting]

This quote really shows how important it was to show these emotions on stage, to inspire the audience to feel deeply. Chinese critics believed that the best part about drama was how efficient it is to display emotion. Playwrights should “depict extreme bitterness, extreme happiness, extreme silliness, and extreme sobriety; imitate these feelings to the utmost (miao mo jin xing^p).”

Such performances are not necessarily accurately mimicking reality, but they are obtained through the “revelation” of a character’s internal emotional world.

2. Mo vs the depiction of reality or theatrical truth

The Chinese concept of aesthetic truth relates a lot to theatrical truth. In a lot of traditional Chinese art, painting, poetry, etc, aesthetic truth is not empirical, and doesn’t have to be accurate to life, or realistic. It’s a “truth that lies beyond mere superficial likeness.”

To the Chinese artist, an accurate resemblance between art and reality is not only superficial but often distorting. Chinese artists hold a dialectical view on the “form” (xing) and the “spirit” or “content” (shen) of an artistic object. According to them, xing  and shen are not always complementary. On the contrary, they often stand in opposition to one another. (referenced in the chapter above)

Traditional Chinese artists would rather represent the object with the wish that their representation matches its spirit, or abstract identity, than its actual form because a “photographic image is a shallow image.” It’s easy to draw a picture of something realistically, but it’s much harder and more satisfying to depict its nature, its feeling, its spirit.

This also naturally affects theater and dramatic performances.

Dramatic writing can be divided into two types: “a painting-like work” or a “transformed work,” in which the latter has higher artistic value because it reaches more towards the essence of dramatic object. Realistic imitations are fine, but they’re not really enough to reveal the mo or true feelings of something.

In addition, traditional Chinese dramatists believe that “all dramas are nothing but allegories. One need not ask about their origins in actual life.” You might be able to see, then, that these older playwrights and critics really fancied the overdramatic depictions of emotions.

a. The Chinese notion of theatrical truth/aesthetic truth vs European

Onto what we, as part of the Western audience, are more used to:

For Italian neoclassical critics, the pleasure of a drama hinges  on how accurate, how realistic, the depiction is. Castelvetro, the leading Italian Neo-Classical critic and creator of the concept of “the three unities,” claims thus:

We cannot imagine a king who did not exist, nor attribute any action to him.

Another Italian critic, Robortellus, said that a creative/imaginative story with no “verisimilitude” (truthfulness, in this context, realism) is less appealing than one that imitates a real-life event:

Thus if a tragic plot contained an action which did not really take place and was not true, but was represented by the poet himself in accordance with verisimiltude, it would perhaps move the souls of the auditors, but certainly less.

So basically, it’s fundamentally the opposite of Chinese theater. Italian dramatic works prized being realistic, being properly adapted from reality and real events. Chinese dramatic works, however, enjoyed the emphasis on heartfelt emotional demonstrations, or mo. Even in critical writings, the word “truth” is used, but it is usually used to modify the word “heart” or “emotion.” It is very concerned with the internal, the truthfulness of heartfelt emotional expression.

Taken these contexts, you can see why the Chinese stage/dramas are wholly “unreal” as Tao-Ching Hsu puts it. Everything, the makeup, the costumes, the props, is expressive and suggestive rather than imitative.

b. Bejing/Peking Opera, jingju

A famous example is the Beijing/Peking Opera, jingju. The makeup and costumes themselves are fantastical representations. The colors and patterns suggest different moods, temperaments, characters, and even changes in emotions. Actors would make distinct movements to depict distinct emotions with varying levels of energy. The stage itself may be sparse, because it is not as important as the expression of emotion and drama. 

The stage is sparse not because of the lack of technology or funding, but because it leaves room for the actor themselves to fully express their internal thinking/feeling/emotions. Characters can cross hundreds of miles in a few steps or may take the whole stage to cross a supposed road. This representation looks “unreal” to a realistic-minded audience, but it is very genuine to a Chinese audience.

Summary (so far)

This crucial understanding of the concept of mo (the emotional revelation), and the way traditional Chinese drama depicts life and stories, informs how their modern works are also portrayed. Coming from a Western dramatic background, where realism and plot are the most important aspects of a work, it can be very confusing, right? Even Chinese scholars began to judge their own dramatic works through a Western lens.

How does this traditional background affect modern Chinese dramas and works? I think it still has a very large effect, even though much of Western ideals about dramatic works have been heavily integrated into modern Chinese dramas.

Part 2: On Theatricality and how it transfers into Chinese Cinema