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[jtjsuuh]

“you do know… it was me, right?”

[jtjsuuh]

[jtjsuuh]

Reasons why Hairspray (2007) is an intersectional masterpiece

Tracy and Link’s relationship

So let’s start with this: Tracy’s feelings for link aren’t the driving force of the protagonist’s journey.

Their relationship is mostly sexual (which I love). Rarely if ever do we see a female love interest who is non conventionally attractive (in universe) attract an S.O. solely based on looks as opposed to them falling for their personality. Link thinks she’s smoking hot the moment he sees her fully in her element. Yes, Tracy has totally objectified Link (realistic high school crush) but the movie doesn’t pretend like she likes him for more than his looks. And whenever he doesn’t adhere to her image of him, she is disappointed, but doesn’t scorn him for it. Her arc as a character is independent from her feelings for Link. With the exception of his self serving behaviour that leads to his rejection, nothing that Link does affects her mission to strive for integration. His fear is the push she needed to get past her own doubts and fully commit to fighting for equal rights, even if it costs her everything she wanted at the beginning of the movie. Link is inspired by Tracy, but none of his big moments are ploys to win her over (with only maybe the exception of the Run and Tell That scene, but I’ll leave that up to you to decide). His big move at the end is caused by Tracy inspiring him and showing courage and that helps him push past his own fears, because he knows it’s the right thing to do. At the end they just make out and it’s the best. Yes, who’s to say that the relationship will last, but what they have is rooted in mutual respect and friendship. And they wanna rip each other’s clothes off too!

Female beauty standards

Now the intersectionality comes into play because it deals with female beauty standards, socio economic status, racism/ethnicity, body image, gender roles and ageism. Tracy is judged for her body, but generally exudes confidence and her insecurity is always due to external circumstances. The arc of body positivity is given to her mother. Edna has to learn to love herself, she has clearly internalized all the judgement over the years. Not only does she (start to) learn to love her size, but there is even an entire song about how age and being older aren’t bad things and can be beautiful. All this is done without shaming thin young women! The contrast between Edna and Tracy dealing with their size, emphasises the fact that Tracy is actually comfortable in her skin, which is such a good message.

Dealing with racial inequality

So one criticism people could have with this movie, is the ‘white saviour’ aspect. But, even though there are plenty of reasons why one would think that, I think this movie is more than that, and the ‘white saviour’ makes sense in context. I will demonstrate this by going over Tracy’s character arc.

At the start of the movie, Tracy wants to dance on the Corny Collins show and her other wants are quite superficial (to look cool and for her crush to like her back). She becomes friends with the black students in detention, by treating them as equals (also she just thinks they’re cool peeps) and doesn’t really think about segregation. She is unaware of the rules and reasons for it, which allows her to break the rules. Her general enthusiasm, as well as her disregard for seeing black people as inferior, gets her a lot of attention (and a lot of looks). She achieves her first want when Link notices her dancing, then he invites her to audition. For the audition she wants to dance Seaweed’s dance, but he says she can do his dance by herself (and sort of take credit for it). This is cultural appropriation, even though Tracy likes the black people in the black culture, she wants to be part of it, she doesn’t know about the struggles that come with black culture and is therefore, unwittingly, and with permission from Seaweed, only taking the aspects of black culture that appeal to her. She achieves her other wants when she gets to dance on the Corny Collins show and gets a makeover that starts a trend of girls wanting to look like her (she’s cool now).

The second story arc comes to the frontline when Maybelle announces their day of the programme has been cancelled. Tracy is outraged and refuses that the black people this unfair treatment. In contrast to her dance ‘borrowing’ with Seaweed. She now starts to see the horrible reality of segregation (in movie context, related to dancing on tv). Tracy assures them that they deserve to ask for more and calls for a marched protest. She gives them the push to start fighting (which yes, makes her a ‘white saviour’) and her involvement with the protest makes all the difference (because she’s a white celebrity). As said before, Link’s selfish behaviour is in contrast with Tracy to show her character growth and part of the push she needed to give up her own ‘wants’. The other is her father’s declaration of pride, and how she inspires him. She joins the march as an equal, side by side to Maybelle. Yes, she is still a white celebrity, but her position and intent when joining is to aid, to be part of the movement. Unfortunately, when the police show up to stop the march, she refuses to adhere to the complicit, careful, inoffensive stance of Maybelle, but demands more, aggravating a police officer in the process. This is heartbreaking to me, because Tracy doesn’t know how the police treat black people differently, but Maybelle clearly sees the danger. All the protesters are arrested and Tracy runs.

Now we get the third part and the eventual ‘solution’ to the movie’s conflict. Wilbur tells edna that he paid bail for all the protesters, because he saw the injustice. He was inspired by Tracy and wanted to help, even though he couldn’t really afford it. He put the rights of the black people over his own needs, because it was the right thing to do. From this moment on, even with the ridiculously amazing dance-heist, our protagonist starts ‘sacrificing’ her own wants and needs to give the black people a chance, inspiring others in the process. Link dances with Tracy (foreshadowing that his reasons for rejecting her previously have now changed) and then pulls Inez from the crowd and dances with her. Link, being the most high profile dancer on the show, instigates the first integrated dance on tv. He was inspired by Tracy, and shows tv audiences (of the Corny Collins Show, so in universe) that joining the movement is more powerful than if Tracy had danced with Inez. Then, Link steps aside so Inez can take centre stage and dance. Then Seaweed and Penny dance (clumsily) on camera and Penny shouts “I am now a checker-boy-chick!” and kisses him, giving the audience (probably) their first interracial couple on TV.

Then the inspiration spreads to Corny, who isn’t just the TV show’s host and the face of the programme, but is affiliated with the network (which the audience knows). He pulls Maybelle to the spotlight and gives her a chance to shine, not putting them as equals, but raising Maybelle (and black people) above him. Equality needs to first restore balance to compensate for the inequality that came before. Corny joining the movement solidifies this as a real change (start of change) and not just the kids ‘acting out’. Once Maybelle starts to sing, all the dancers start coupling up with interracial dynamics. Turns out, even before all this, but also during, the audience loved Inez so much, they started voting for her. This is even more powerful than if she was a token winner to make a point. She was just the best and she deserved it. But that the audience gave her what she deserved, marks the shift in attitude, showing the movement has spread beyond the Corny Collins Show. Inez gets crowned the winner, by Corny and Maybelle, co-hosting as equals and the Corny Collins Show is officially integrated. Tracy got what she wanted, then gave it all up so she could do the right thing and she is super proud and happy.

It starts with cultural appropriation, then by standing side by side, then by restoring balance to achieve equality.

[jtjsuuh]

i'd be lying if i said that i wasn't afraid to fall in love with you. i tried horribly to stop myself from loving you, i was terrified. until i realized on night in the midst of our circle's crazy relationship problems, that it wasn't - and still isn't - hard to not fall im love with you.

i realized how close i was to falling in the deep deep whole of something, something i was terrified of.

and then i knew i was doomed.

[jtjsuuh]

Sudah berulang kali ku berhenti dan merenungkan betapa bahagianya aku dalam kelas ini. Dalam setiap waktu kami tertawa dan menggila bersama, dalam setiap lawakan dan jeritan yang memenuhi ruangan lantai 3. Aku bersyukur Tuhan menempatkanku di tengah mereka-mereka, manusia-manusia yang sangat ku sayang. Berulang kali saat aku menghidupi hari-hari terakhir kami, aku menyadari betul betapa parahnya aku akan merindukan kalian di masa-masa yang akan datang ini.

Guru-guru sudah menyakatan kami bau calon mahasiswa. Sedih ketika aku mengingat bahwa kita akan menjadi calon-calon mahasiswa di tempat yang berbeda-beda, berlari mengejar mimpi dan menjalani kehidupan yang berbeda-beda. Sedih ketika aku mengingat 3 tahun seluar biasa ini sebentar lagi akan berakhir, berubah menjadi hari dalam hati. Sedih ketika aku melihat semua kiriman foto, muka-muka kalian dan cerita dibalik foto-foto itu yang tidak akan pernah ku lupakan.

Terlalu banyak ketakutan yang memenuhi hari-hari terakhirku ini, tapi seperti biasa, kalian menjadi alasanku sanggup melewati semua ini. Makasih ya, I'll miss you so much.

- Love you always, 06 Maret 2020

[jtjsuuh]

“Let someone love you just the way you are – as flawed as you might be, as unattractive as you sometimes feel, and as unaccomplished as you think you are. To believe that you must hide all the parts of you that are broken, out of fear that someone else is incapable of loving what is less than perfect, is to believe that sunlight is incapable of entering a broken window and illuminating a dark room.”

— Marc Hack

[jtjsuuh]

Friends will be friends…

[jtjsuuh]

So, Star Wars

You make a character, a very tortured man. He’s been abused, manipulated, he’s torn between two sides. He’s miserable, he’s filled with so much anger...

So finally, he finds love. Happiness. He comes back, he finds his true self and comes to the light...

So you immediately kill him.

Then, you also have a character. Her entire backstory is loneliness. Her family is gone, she’s alone, she’s so alone it hurts her. All she wants in life is to have a family and people she can be with.

So, you give her a family. Two father figures, a mother figure, and her soulmate.

And you kill all of them off immediately. She finally finds the love of her life, and you kill him in 10 seconds.

You left her in “increasing isolation.”

Not to mention, you give her a family member back. A blood relative who’s still alive that she can call her own. And who is it?

It’s fucking Palpatine. And then she has to kill him.

I may be new to the Star Wars fandom, but I’m pretty sure that an extremely important central theme to Star Wars is Hope. It’s one of the biggest parts of Star Wars.

Yet this asshole literally ends the sequel with the most hopeless fucking ending ever

I hate you JJ abrams, Rey, Ben, everyone deserved so much better and you fucking destroyed them and any Hope anyone had

[jtjsuuh]

Sepucuk surat terima kasih.

teruntuk berkat-berkatku tahun ini yang membuat 2019 jauh lebih berarti.

untuk Euniece, Kat & Anita. Manusia-manusia hebat yang menjadi tempatku berlari dan berpulang. Yang menjadi kunci kewarasan sekaligus ketidakwarasanku, yang menjadi alasan mengapa aku bisa tertawa setiap hari. Mereka yang menjadi zona nyamanku, zona dimana hatiku bisa terbuka sebuka-bukanya, zona dimana hatiku selalu bersuka dan tidak sendiri saat berduka. Melalui mereka aku tahu dan merasakan betapa baiknya Tuhan itu dalam hidupku. Terima kasih, kalian, sudah membuat 2019ku menjadi jauh lebih berarti.

untuk Bryan & Keven. Dua pria yang mengenalku lebih dari yang ku sangka, yang juga menjadi zona nyamanku. Dua manusia yang mengenal suluk-buluk hati dan pengalamanku, dua manusia yang tidak pernah gagal membuatku tertawa. Tempat dimana petualangan-petualangan hidup menjadi nyata dan mempunyai banyak cerita. Terima kasih, kalian, sudah membuat 2019ku menjadi jauh lebih berarti.

Garpu Somay. Yang menjadi alasan aku mau pergi ke sekolah tiap hari. Yang menjadi berkat pertama yang selalu aku syukuri. Yang menjadi faktor kebahagiaanku dalam kehidupanku sehari-hari, dan yang menjadi alasan aku bisa melewati hal-hal yang harus aku lewati. Aku akan terus berdoa supaya sampai tua, kita akan terus berjalan bersama. Semoga 2020 menjadi tahun kalian menggapai mimpi yang kalian miliki.

untuk luchentaluna, the one and only. Perempuan hebat dan heboh yang selalu menjadi tempat orang tertawa dan bercerita. Terima kasih sudah menerima kealayanku dan diriku yang seperti ini. Yang tidak pernah lelah berbicara dengan ke-random-an kita, semoga sejauh apapun, kita tetap berjalan bersama ya.

Gina. Pejuang yang sangat amat hebat, yang ada dari hari pertamaku belajar untuk bangkit. Yang mengetahui luka-luka dan ketakutanku sebelum aku berani mengatakannya ke orang lain. Pejuang yang telah ditempa lebih dari cukup badai dalam hidup, namun tidak pernah berhenti berjalan. What on earth would I do without you, Gi? Terima kasih sudah menerimaku dengan segala kehancuranku. Semoga Gina bisa melihat dirimu yang hebat dan sangat kuat, sebagaimana banyak orang melihatmu.

Andrea, juga manusia hebat yang tidak pernah gagal membuatku tersenyum. Menjadi tempat aku bisa belajar tentang keberanian, karena aku melihat seorang Dea yang selalu berani. Tempat dimana aku tahu aku akan selalu bisa pulang because you're the sister i never had. Terima kasih, dek.

Micin. Nama yang agak janggal diucap namun merepresentasikan orang-orang yang penting dalam tahun ini. Terima kasih sudah mau jalan-jalan bersama, semoga kita bisa terus pergi ya. Ketahuilah bahwa tiap jalan-jalan yang kita lakukan selalu menjadi ungakapan syukurku atas kebaikan Tuhan. Terima kasih, kalian, sudah membuat 2019ku menjadi jauh lebih berarti.

Kelas 12 IPS. Kelas terbaik, terngakak, ternyaman dan tersegala-galanya. Wadah dimana aku bisa menjadi diriku apa adanya, dimana seorang jenis bisa berteriak dan menjadi dirinya yang terbaik. Ruang kelas kita yang pada akhirnya menjadi saksi cerita putih abu-abu kita, akan yang selalu aku rindukan setelah lulus nanti. 6- bulan lagi, kawan. Terima kasih sudah menjadi tempatku belajar, bermimpi dan bercerita. Terima kasih, kalian, sudah membuat 2019ku menjadi jauh lebih berarti.

untuk Ega, Merry, Kim, Eja, Kenneth, Angie, SOSIS. Manusia-manusia yang sama-sama berjuang dalam melakukan yang terbaik untuk E-Fest & OSIS. Manusia-manusia yang menjadi penyelamatku dalam menghadapi segala macem rintangan dan ombak yang ada.

Anak-anak OSISku. Anak-anak yang mungkin masih bingung dengan nilai dari keberadaan mereka di OSIS. Mereka yang menjadi alasanku tidak berhenti bekerja, mereka yang membuatku terus bekerja dengan senyum. Terima kasih, teman-teman, sudah membuat 2019ku menjadi jauh lebih berarti.

untuk Ms. Em & Sir Suhe. Pembinaku yang menjadi tempatku belajar, tempatku ngoceh, tempatku pusing-pusingan bareng teman-teman yang lain. Pembinaku yang juga mengajarku menjadi seseorang yang berani. Pembinaku yang selalu mengingatkanku berdoa, dan pembinaku yang tidak pernah berhenti mendukung anak-anak binaannya.

Untuk Kim, Jeavel, Elsha. Anak-anakku yang sangat aku banggakan. Pemimpin-pemimpin hebat yang aku tahu akan semakin bertumbuh. Teruslah menjadi terang dimana kalian berada, aku akan terus mendoakan kalian.

untuk BPH Komisi Remaja GKIPI. Timmy, Jemima, Zefa, Kak Clara, Kak DT, dan sekarang Milli & Cis. Terima kasih sudah menjadi orang-orang yang membukakanku ke perasaan nyaman dalam sebuah pelayanan.

Kakak-kakak barneys, the people I look up to. Kakak-kakak hebat dan menginspirasi, yang mengajarku tentang indahnya ketidaksempurnaan. Kakak-kakak yang selalu mengingatkanku tentang Tuhan yang selalu sayang padaku. Kakak-kakak yang menjadi komunitas yang selalu aku kagumi, bagaimana kasih yang begitu kuat menjadi landasan segala-galanya terbangun sebuah rumah untuk banyak anak diluar sana.

untuk 4DO 2019 dan Komisi Remaja GKI Pondok Indah. Sebuah rumah yang aku bisa belajar mengenal peniciptaku. Sebuah tempat dimana aku selalu belajar menerima ketidaksempurnaanku, dan dimana aku bisa menangis tanpa malu. Tempat dimana aku belajar cara Tuhan melihat dunia, dimana aku belajar bertumbuh dalam iman.

E-Fest 2019. Berkat terkeren dan terluar biasa yang akan selalu kukagumi dari tahun ini. Terlalu banyak cerita tentang kebaikan Tuhan yang bisa diceritakan lewat kejadian ini, namun yang pasti, melalui E-Fest 2019, aku belajar tentang kekuatan sebuah doa.

Helen, Emi, Wawa dan Ci Mel. Teman-teman LDRku, yang tidak pernah lelah ada untuk mendengar ketidakjelasan isi hatiku. Maafkan aku kalau aku kaadang jauh dari cerita kalian, terima kasih sudah tidak pernah membiarkanku pergi sendirian.

Mauleum. Anak-anak dan orang-orang luar biasa yang belum menyadari ke-luar-biasaan yang mereka miliki. Terima kasih sudah menyalakan api dalam diriku, terima kasih mau menjadi bagian dari hatiku.

untuk kamu, yang baru menjadi bagian dalam ceritaku belakangan ini. Thank you.

untuk Jasmine, Jona and Lukas. Penulis-penulisku yang terhandal. Terima kasih sudah menjadi bagian dalam proses belajarku menulis. Terima kasih sudah menjadi temanku berbahasa inggris, terima kasih sudah menjadi obatku menggalau saatku kangen sekolah diluar sana. Semoga buku kita gak wacana ya, semoga suatu hari nanti kita bisa balik ke negeri sana.

untuk Angakatan 3 dan semua orang-orang yang kusayang dalamnya. Terima kasih, dan semangat ya. Semoga 2020 membawakan kalian ke kuliah yang terbaik. Semoga 2020 menjadi tahun dimana kalian bisa mewujudkan mimpi-mimpi yang kalian punya, semoga 2020 bisa jadi awal mula kalian membanggakan diri kalian sendiri. Semoga kita punya niat dan kekuatan menghadapi uprak usbn unbk dan rentetan persiapan kuliah ya. Semoga sampai graduation, pertemanan yang kita miliki akan semakin kuat hari demi hari.

untuk keluargaku yang menjadi rumah pertamaku semasa aku ada dalam dunia ini. Kata terima kasih tidak cukup untuk merangkum segala kebaikan yang telah aku dapatkan dari kalian.

Terima kasih, kalian. Sudah menjadi bagian dalam 2019ku. Terima kasih, kalian, karena kalian adalah wujud pelukan Tuhan kepadaku dalam kehidupanku sehari-hari. Terima kasih, Tuhan, sudah memberikan mereka kepadaku.

[jtjsuuh]

WHY ISNT THIS THE ONE THAT MADE THE CUT?? THE GRAY HAIR,,,,THE NECK KISS,,,,THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO SEE THANK YOU MR TOM AND MR ROBERT FOR KILLING ME SLOWLY

[jtjsuuh]

“There is no one better to have on your side in a world of gods and super-soldiers and … the hulk - if you will. I can’t wait to see, where Black Widow goes next and what she has coming up for herself. She’s the best. I love you, Scarlett Johansson… or Black Widow.”

Jeremy Renner on Scarlett Johansson during Avengers Endgame press tour

[jtjsuuh]

I love how most people have just agreed that all the heroes will be some form of an aunt or uncle to Morgan as she grows up.

Rhodey - the uncle who takes her for flights over the city.

Steve - the uncle who tells her old stories.

Bruce - the smart uncle who also tosses her into the air when they play.

Nebula - the aunt who threatens scares off the boys at school that pick on her

Sam - the uncle who lets her ride his Shield as a sled.

Bucky - the uncle who trains her to fight like Natasha

Thor - the uncle who (attempts) to let her try beer

Valkyrie - the aunt who catches Thor and smacks him upside the head before giving Morgan some juice instead.

Strange - the uncle who does magic tricks to amuse her

Carol - the aunt who brings her back souvenirs from space.

[jtjsuuh]

i don’t know how you’re gonna get it through all that.

[jtjsuuh]

peggy: you ready to walk home, love?

steve: we could just get an uber babe don’t stress

peggy: a what?

steve: uh,,,

[jtjsuuh]

“What she had realized was that love was that moment when your heart was about to burst.”

— Stieg Larsson

[jtjsuuh]

“I don’t think Tony would’ve done what he did if he didn’t think that you were gonna be here after he was gone” wow marvel really canonized the idea that tony literally saved the entire universe and died so that Peter Parker would be safe huh. Antis how my ass taste

[jtjsuuh]

aw babyy

I wanna go back on my trip with the girl who I really like and tell her how I feel.