reverie2020

[reverie2020]

The Last Newhart: final scene

Still one of the greatest finales of a comedy sitcom EVER!

Rest In Peace Bob 🙏🏽

07.18.2024

[reverie2020]

This is what I don't get about certain women celebrities these days.. you know the ones who want to look and feel sexy:

These days it's like they want it all. They want to be in the spotlight but then can't handle the heat of criticism. They call it body positivity and claim all body types and looks are supposed to be acceptable, yet still do plastic surgery (even if minor) to make themselves look acceptable in their own eyes yet want to complain when others call them out on it. Isn't getting plastic surgery the opposite of body positivity? It's saying I don't love my body the way it looks so I'm going to change it but then promote the false notion that you should be happy with your body and looks. You can't have it both ways.

The whole concept of "My body, my choice" when it comes to beauty may be subjective, but then you can't promote it as body positivity and say everyone is beautiful as is. You should be ready to admit that your own self-image is being influenced by what society dictates.

[reverie2020]

Thought of the Day:

Still wondering when people are going to realize why we even have separate Male and Female actor categories in any TV or Film award shows.

Notice how the Grammys removed binary gender category divisions. Now it's Best New Artists (regardless of gender). Because your gender doesn't affect your talent in artistry, does it? Also interesting that a category like Best Director doesn't also have separate gender categories either. So why just Actor/Actress?

Not to mention it's not very non-binary friendly either. Still wondering when they're going to realize that we are already heading in this direction, especially with current cultural uproar about gender equality. Time to make some changes, perhaps?

[reverie2020]

Thought of the Day:

Please someone tell me why every single Swiftie keeps telling the media to stop and leave Taylor Swift alone and give her privacy???

First off, she is well known for enjoying the media attention. When asked during interviews about her past love life or any part of her life, she has NOT hesitated to relay her side of the story. Someone who cares about their privacy wouldn't open their dirty laundry out like that. If you look at other celebrities who are known for being extremely private you'd see that they are super careful about not being in the public eye and not having personal questions asked during interviews.

Secondly, she was out of the public eye for years when dating Joe Alwyn and clearly that she didn't enjoy that and didn't want to hide any longer. Now you see her in very public outings, smiling (wouldn't be if she didn't want to be photographed) with her girlfriends and showing up to football games. And she continues to wear outfits that purposely relate to the albums she will next release, which helps her publicity I'm sure. It's all strategic. She also does this specifically for her fans so it's clear she wants to be photographed. Someone who wants to stay private wouldn't do this. And with the media, unfortunately you don't get the pick and choose which things stay private...you're either all in or out. That's just a reality that celebrities have to face, especially now with social media.

So please stop trying to make something out of nothing and try to defend her every move. She's a grown adult and has the power to do these things herself and she clearly knows what she's doing, you wouldn't love her so much if she didn't. She doesn't need internet warriors defending her when THEY themselves are taking things personally.

[reverie2020]

I've been depressed lately. Beyond. And it mostly has to do with humanity and just plain existing. I hate current society and I hate people. I hate that everything we want revolves around people. That dealing with others is a barrier to personal desires.

Then I watched Netflix's Leave the World Behind and it's as if the Universe is speaking to me.. yet again. Or maybe I'm becoming more in tune to it. I haven't figured it out yet.

The movie, although eye-rollingly slow, eloquently put into words everything I've been feeling lately. That our little world is doomed. Maybe not immediately, but definitely eventually. It's only a matter of time.

Because here's the problem with American or dare I say it, Western culture of life: life here in the states is about the short game. When a culture focuses on individuals trying to climb over each other to pursue their own goals, for personal wealth, to "have it all", invariably misery will follow. Because not everyone can have it all. And no one is willing to work collectively in each other's best interest.

As Kevin Bacon's character, with the iconic shot of the American flag at his home and his hilarious Cowboys hat symbolically portrays this very typical American - someone who is only looking out for their own selfish interests and to hell with everyone else.

But this isn't how the human race has survived downfall after downfall..not because a few individuals isolated themselves from everyone and were the only ones who survived. As Mahershala Ali's character said in the movie, even during the darkest times in human history, people were still able to work together to bring themselves up again, collectively.

This is how much of Eastern culture operates. Less about the individual desires and more about the collective. They play the "long game". Humanity cannot be represented by a handful of people, it's about the whole of us. And in the long game, it means individuals make sacrifices for the future generations, so they can move forward together, not just individually. Otherwise we end up like Rose at the very end, watching the last F.R.I.E.N.D.S episode only worried about our immediate comfort while the world crumbles around us. Ignoring disturbing truths because we can no longer handle them. Because all we care about is "Breads and Circuses", the short term pleasure (sounds like a drug doesn't it?).

Because let's be honest - America is like a drug. It's a short term release of pleasure that doesn't fix whats really wrong, just masks it so we don't have to deal with the unpleasant things of life like war (which as mentioned in the movie, we've had hands in other countries), poverty (which we try to cover up and ignore because hey we want that fancy techy thing).

The funny thing is, I was thinking the same thing Julia Roberts's character was, that I hate people. And that right there I was being hypocritical to everything I am relating above. We need each other. But now I wonder.. do I hate people BECAUSE of what I wrote. Because I'm surrounded by people who could care less what happens to our collective race, as long as they get what they want in THIS life. Maybe. Could be.

[reverie2020]

Change my mind:

You should only leave a review if you've actually tried the thing, not if you "can't wait to try it!".

[reverie2020]

The Celebrity Worshipper/Hater Paradox:

Celebrity Worshippers: Gushing about the celebrity in the comments.

Also Celebrity Worshippers: Complaining that the media should leave the celebs alone and let them have some privacy.

Celebrity Haters: Bashing the celebrity in the comments.

Also Celebrity Haters: Complaining that they don't care about the celebrity and why is the article showing up on their feed anyway?

The Paradox:

Online algorithm tallies up all the clicks and number of commenters. Comment contents are ignored. News outlet looks at the results and produces more articles, sends out more reporters to hunt down more celebrity gossip thereby nullifying any complaints expressed by the Worshippers/Haters. Cycle continues.

[reverie2020]

The entertainment industry has successfully brainwashed women into sexually exploiting themselves for men's insatiable sexual subconscious fantasies. They have done this under the guise of sexual empowerment. They've convinced women that nudity and explicit sex scenes are art and necessary in "conveying themes and points of view". The reality is we all know what happens during sex. No one needs to actually see the act in detail in order understand anything. It's not art. It's for shock value and to satisfy one's subconcience obsession with sex. If you need any more proof of this ask yourselves why more women show full frontal nudity and are sexually assaulted in films than men. It's no accident.

What's disturbing is that women think that they've taken back the narrative and turned it into empowerment when all it does is reinforce that a woman's sex appeal matters at all when it shouldn't. You want to be an artist. Look past the mundane and look at the potential. Entertainment and music have done relationships and sex to death, over and over again about the same thing. Continuing the false notion that all humans have to offer is our biological impulses and not the intricate and complex workings of our minds. Women are still a step behind on this as actresses and musicians still continue to work on chiseling their faces and bodies, displaying them at their best, and then complain that the general public is obsessed and critical of their looks, weight, etc. Women are perpetuating this vicious cycle unknowingly.

Women are MORE than their looks and they need to get past the idea that they HAVE to FEEL sexy or empowered by something so superficial as their looks. If we say, "well that's just being human, we can't help it" then that just shows that you have the capability of thinking outside the box and make an effort to right the wrong. Otherwise you're using your lack of impulse control as a crutch in being better.

[reverie2020]

REST IN PEACE Ron Cephas Jones

Jack was always a default favorite but William was always up there with him. He had the gravitas and the redemption arc that was everything.

[reverie2020]

Let's clear one thing up: There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to parenting and raising children. There will always be those self-righteous, sancti-parents who'll "tsk tsk" at other kids' behavior while claiming their method worked on their children and should be employed for every child but they all fail to see that genetics is a big factor in play. Sometimes parents with a certain temperament and personality will pass those same dominant traits to their children making it easier to employ what has already become natural to them. But not all children have the same personality and not all methods will work and thus should be tailored to each individual based on their unique motivations and natural behaviors. In other words, what works for one child won't necessarily work for another. And if there is doubt in that I refer you to the widely known cartoon depicting different animals being asked to climb a tree as allegory of our flawed education system.

[reverie2020]

Thought of the Day:

When you're born, you are who you are. Through childhood you start to learn who you are. Your likes and dislikes, what makes you tick, what motivates you. What repels you and what your weaknesses are. You are so sure about who you are.

But somewhere along the way, you start to lose yourself. And it isn't just by accident. Others around you start to guide you away from who you are. Family, friends, peers, businesses, the media. Everyone is fighting for a chance to influence you on what to like and dislike, what and who to accept or reject. Suddenly, everyone is an expert on how you need to live your life. Media and businesses try to convince you that you'll never be happy without their product, certain emotional connections and exchanges, without a ton of money or beautiful looks. The whole system makes you doubt yourself, leaving you to wonder if you'll ever be good enough as a person, as a son or daughter, sibling or parent, friend, significant other. As a man or a woman. As a human being.

Am I still considered successful even if I don't have XYZ or have accomplished XYZ? Will I ever be loved for who I am instead for what I can offer others? Eventually, you start to wonder who you really are as you've lost yourself along the way. And you might even fall into the trap of trying to prove to others who you really are. You are convinced that you are happy with who you are but still need someone else to validate you, to make you feel confident about yourself, to show that you are authentic and of worth.

The truth is, when you truly find out who you are, you are content with yourself. You don't need to prove anything to anyone else. You don't have to. You've already proven you to yourself and that's enough. It's up to everyone else to accept you. And it's ok if they can't. Everyone is still on the same journey of doing and undoing the tangled web of what's been done and sometimes they cannot accept you because they haven't learned to accept themselves. And quite often it won't happen until they do. But you'll be fine with you until they do too.

[reverie2020]

Thought of the Day:

Cut everyone some slack:

Ok so someone made a mistake. Or they did something you don't agree with or like. Or maybe they got emotional and blurted something offensive.

Before you impulsively reach for anger, ridicule, and criticism, just take a step back and think. Relax. Look around you or better yet look in the mirror. Are you prone to making mistakes? Ever had things build up so much that you had an emotional outburst? Ever say anything you wish you could take back? Yes? Welcome back to humanity. Yes sorry to break it to you but we all are suffering from it.

And while you may think you would NEVER do what that other person did chances are you might have done something similar, or have forgotten, or maybe didn't even realize you did because others were afraid to call you out on it. Or just wait. Time might tell a different story. You're not immune from being human. And one day a mistake you made will make others ready to pounce on YOU.

Maybe this person was having a bad day (as we all do from time to time) or maybe they cannot process stress the same way you do (who says we're all the same?). Point is that we sometimes don't know the full picture of the situation and we are only reacting to what only our eyes see and ears hear. Sometimes there's more and before we reach for the negative, we just need to remember we've all been there and that we all make mistakes and that's COMPLETELY OKAY. Forgive and Move on.

[reverie2020]

Thought of the Day:

Encouraging body positivity and not being afraid to show off your body is nice and all but I honestly cannot wait for the time when women NO LONGER keep thinking about our looks in any shape or form. Take it out of the conversation completely. How about we just stop considering a person's physical appearance as something valuable to oneself? Because it shouldn't be. All this body positivity talk is just perpetuating the myth that a woman's looks has to have value and that it matters when in the grand scheme of things it doesn't. I can't wait for people to start focusing on less shallow subjects like their hearts, their minds, the inner workings of how we tick. About how to save our dying world instead of worrying about how we feel about our temporary bodies and how we have to show confidence in our bodies.

[reverie2020]

Thought of the Day:

I don't need to expose my body to prove I love my body. I don't need to make myself and others around me uncomfortable to make a statement about body positivity. Body positivity is much more than just laying it all bare. It's about being comfortable with the body you have and not needing to prove ANYTHING to anyone else.

[reverie2020]

Thought of the Day:

So let me get this straight: the people complaining about the Royal family members Harry and Meghan because they don't want to fake their happiness and cover up their dissatisfaction with their own family... so they're just fine knowing that the Royal family is basically faking being nice to everyone, being smiley and happy when they're super stressed and possibly depressed like any other human being ... so they're mad at them for not wanting to fake it for appearances sake? Like did we not learn anything from the Princess Diana memoirs? It's almost like people just want others to be fake for appearances in order to feel better for themselves. Very unhealthy and wrong.

If you want others to be disingenuous in order to keep your world all neat and tidy... my friend, you're in for a rude awakening when you realize the world doesn't operate in a neat and tidy way. One glance at the tumultuous history of the British Monarchy could tell any idiot that. Get off your high horse and join the rest of the messy world.

[reverie2020]

Thought of the Day:

Today's News Headlines:

Actual Article:

[reverie2020]

Thought of the Day:

Stop cuisine gate-keeping. Stop saying, "that's not true Italian just because its not the way my great-grandmother made it" or "you can't call it authentic by using shortcuts during cooking. I'm sorry but there is no such thing as authentic cuisine. Throughout human history, food and regional cuisine has always been influenced by outside cultures and foreign methods and even industrial ones. When the potato chip was first made, it wasn't exactly like the current potato chips we currently consume worldwide, so why isn't anyone arguing on its authenticity?

Cuisine is in a constant state of modification and evolution as are the people who prepare it. Chances are your great-grandmother probably tweaked the family recipes same as her mother and her mother before her. And also remember much of our cuisine wouldn't even exist without the Native American crops like potatoes and tomatoes. So much of our current cuisine didn't start until those crops were introduced through worldwide trade.

So please just stop with the whole "it's not authentic" bit. It's just not true. Never was.