#'but also does excite...because we are hyped about any new thing nowadays...'

[inkovert]

SPILLED INK SATURDAY 》 Writeblr Discourse Series

Session 1: Book-to-Screen Adaptations

Welcome to our first session of Spilled Ink (get it? like spilled tea?), a new writeblr discourse series that I'm excited to introduce into the community. I wanted to start this series to generate some discussion and camaraderie within the writeblr community, but also because I think there are a lot of writer/reader/author-related topics and debates that crop up pretty frequently and I figured it would be interesting to hear thoughts and opinions on these matters from a writer's perspective.

So every Saturday (or potentially every other Saturday depending on how things go), I will post a topic of discussion. If you would like to participate in the discussion, you can do so one of two ways:

➸ Return to the OG post (which will always be linked in the title of the post) and reblog with your take on the topic, either in text or in the tags

➸ If you see someone's take on your feed and you want to chime in on something they said, feel free to reblog their response

I want to stress that the purpose of this series is to have healthy, open-minded dialogue about these topics and hear perspectives that you may not have considered otherwise. I think one of the beautiful things about writeblr is that it's rich with people from a diverse set of backgrounds and experiences who can lend a wider perspective on the subjects discussed. That said, I'm asking that everyone who chooses to participate please be respectful when providing your opinion or when responding to someone else's. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, no matter how strong it is, but there's a difference between being opinionated and being borderline rude and antagonizing. Racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia or hateful speech of any kind will not be condoned or tolerated. I want to set that bar straight now because future sessions will touch on topics such as race and sexuality, so I will always have this reminder at the top of the post for each session. I truly want this to be a safe space for people to share their thoughts freely and not be afraid to speak up, so just please be mindful of your words in your responses.

With that out of the way, the discourse question for our first session is:

How do you feel about the frequency with which books are adapted to movies/tv shows these days?

You know what I mean. When you open any social media platform these days and you're immediately bombarded with ads for the latest tv show or movie being released on Hulu or Paramount+. I've often wondered if writers or up-and-coming authors have any personal feelings about this. Do you find it exciting? Does it make you hopeful that your work could one day be on the big screen? Or is it a bit...irksome? Or are you completely indifferent?

Reblog and share your thoughts. Mine will be under the cut, below. 👇🏾

・❥・

I know it may seem like something absolutely trivial and harmless to some, so perfectly understandable if people are indifferent about it all. But I personally find it irksome.

I could be wrong about the increased frequency of book-to-screen adaptations compared to 10 years prior, but for me personally it feels like it's increased quite a lot. I feel like I'll see a book hyped by booktok and/or other online book communities all over my social media feed one minute, and the next minute it's announced that it's headed for the big screen. And for the author's in question, I'm sure it's thrilling, because it provides the exposure that authors need nowadays to sell their books and their brand. But it bothers me because...well, for a number of reasons.

Firstly, it makes it more and more evident that the movie/tv industry is running out of ideas. How often do we hear about some 90s/00s TV show being rebooted for god-knows-why when no one asked for it? It's not a secret that the entertainment industry is running on fumes when it comes to generating original ideas for the screen. And the same way that reboots are a lazy way of pumping out entertainment for a consumerist audience, outsourcing ideas from authors because you can't think of your own is also just that - lazy. And the consequence of that, I feel, is that authors will begin to write stories with the intention that it will be visually consumed, thereby feeding into that book-to-screen pipeline.

I recently read a book from a sci-fi author whose novels I really enjoyed in the past, but with each new release of his the quality of his books decreased just a bit. And with the latest book of his I read, it was easy to pinpoint why. It was clear as day that he had written the book with the idea/intention that it would be put on the screen. I don't know how to quite describe it, but it felt like I was reading a screenplay, with certain storytelling elements ignored and with action scenes written like cue cards for an actor. It was like a slapdash job with the note "fix it in post" slapped onto it. And it was just so...disappointing. Not only as a reader, but as a writer. Writers are free to write screenplays, but they are considered screenwriters, not authors, and the craft that is required for each medium is a bit different. Neither is superior to the other, but there's a depth that goes into writing a novel or short story that isn't necessarily needed for a screenplay because the screenwriter will work in collaboration with the director and others to carry out the vision (I'm happy to have screenwriters on writeblr chime in on whether this is true, because I'm speaking off my own understanding, not known experiences). The end product of a screenplay is a visual. Whereas the end product for a novel is the novel itself, and how it stimulates the readers imagination. If we get more novels written with the intention of being translated to a visual medium, then all the typically necessary components like description, exposition etc no longer become necessary. I'm not saying that this is happening just yet. There are many quality novels that have received screen adaptations recently (Pachinko, A Man Called Ove etc), but luckily those authors were dedicated to the craft of writing and storytelling first. The movie and tv deals were an added bonus that came after. But what happens when you have an emergence of authors who have those priorities in reverse? Movie deal first to increase my exposure and worry about good storytelling second? It inevitably causes a change in the writing landscape (that I argue is already happening (see: future discourse session), and not necessarily for the better.

[kgclasswork]

Week Two - Technology

The readings for this week focused on the technological revolution and that, while it may be hard to agree with the Unabomber and a scholar you don’t really remember (two separate people), technology is carving out much more of our futures than we’d like to claim it does. That many new technologies are made everyday, or that things like laptops and smartphones advance at such a promisingly high rate, and both of these are going to help us with our future day-to-day. But, while that may still be true, it’s been pointed out time and time again how dependent we’ve become to technology. How the high speeds of communication that you can receive is both a blessing and a curse, your reachability increasing while your anxiety to respond or keep up with any news or conversation you deem important rises tenfold. How so many apps are being invented to help with everyday life, while at the same time making you both hyper focused on it and not focused at all on the world around you as your life is now glued to a screen; nitpicking everything about ourselves and others when it comes to the socially-acceptable attachment to technology and anything technology deems as “needed”. With where technology advances next, there’s no telling more attached we’ll get to these devices. But what I’ve seen a lot from some accounts - especially directed at those now so attached to their technology that they believe themselves the king of their own universe, while also being so subservient and reactive towards text on a screen - is something that we should all try and do once in awhile: Please go outside. (But also stay safe while going outside)

[mcheang]

Exclusive

Edna Mode was a renowned designer, famed for her harsh but accurate critiques, her fierce and practical lines, and of course, being the designer of the majority of superheroes.

And now she was hosting a fashionista gala, inviting those worthy of a Mode gala. As for those asking for an invite, Edna just asks who they are and calls security.

Lila, as the self-proclaimed BFF of Ladybug, and Gabriel’s muse, had already boasted of receiving the glamorous invitation. It didn’t just come in an envelope, it came out of the sky in a rosewood chest, accompanied by a bottle of wine and canapés. (Or so she says. Adrien and Marinette rolled their eyes. Chloé wasn’t paying attention)

Alya: Girl, I’m so jealous. But hey, maybe this will be a good thing. After all, Adrien is going with Kagami. Chloe will just stick with her mom. That means it’s a chance for you and Marinette to know each other better.

Oh yeah, did I mention that everyone knows Marinette is MDC?

Lila forced a grin but didn’t want to make any promises.

Imagine Lila’s rage to know she wasn’t given an invite because she was just a model. Adrien was the heir to a fashion company. She was not.

With all the bragging Lila did, she can’t back out or Chloe and Marinette will call out her absence. (Chloé learned about Lila being a guest from Sabrina later from gossiping)

So, she stole Marinette’s invitation. She did some editing and made her own customised invite, brandishing it for her class to see.

Marinette saw her invitation missing, rolled her eyes and reported the theft to Edna. Plz, everyone knows Edna invited her. She didn’t really need a piece of expensive paper.

The day of the gala arrived, and Lila brought out her invite.

The guard looked at his clipboard. “You’re not on the list.”

Lila: No, but I do have an invite. Obviously someone must have made a mistake with your list.

The guard snorted. “If that’s the case, then your fingerprints and eye scans should have already been registered. That’s what opens the doors.“

Lila gulped and thought about sneaking in with the next guest. But no such luck. Security made sure one person entered at a time.

As the security guard moved to push Lila back into the crowd of fans, Lila cried out that she knows Ladybug and Gabriel.

Guard: what’s your point?

Lila: You’ll be fired for this!

Guard: Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard this all before.

Another guard just scoffed. “You’re only a model. One of many in the industry. Miss Mode doesn’t care for models.”

Lila: what are models if not the face of fashion?

“Spoiled, stupid little stick figures with poofy lips who think only of themselves” Edna herself was at the entrance, wondering what was causing the disruption in her guest entrance flow.

Lila: How can you say that? Then why would Ladybug be my Best Friend?

Edna: the day Ladybug says she is your Best Friend is the day I wear crocs. And I don’t mean crocodile leather.

Edna points at a random guard. “You, get this so-called model out of the way. She is blocking the queue.

Oh by the way, Edna calling out Lila was caught on camera by the reporters.

One of them questioned why she was kicking out Gabriel’s muse when his son, a supermodel himself, was invited.

Edna: I did not invite the boy because of his face. I invited him because I saw potential (basically she realized he was Chat Noir. She would never invite Adrien otherwise. As seen from her quote, she doesn’t have a high opinion of models) That is, if he ever gets out of his father’s shadow. Because, let’s face it darling, what can Adrien do besides look pretty and play with swords and piano? You would think the boy would be in part of business meetings, but no. At this rate, Gabriel needs this gala to get out of that stuffy house. Realize that maybe his parenting methods are flawed compared to some other talented figures here. Look at Miss Kagami, focused on upholding her family legacy of fencing. MDC already knows how to run her own business after learning a bit from her parents. Even Audrey’s daughter has been joining in on becoming a fashion critic and throwing parties for political parties. But I must go, my guests await.

Back inside the party, guests were avoiding a seething Gabriel’s eyes. He had come to scout out the superhero guests, only to be called out by Edna on live tv.

Marinette went up to Edna and asked one of her fashion idols why she burned the Agrestes in public.

Edna: do you think Gabriel would change his parenting ways if we did not expose them to the influential figures of this industry, as well as the public eye? I guarantee you Adrien will be allowed more freedom of choice, lest Gabriel wants his son to be known as a coddled boy who can’t even make his own decisions.

Edna didn’t bother softening her sharp voice as she says these words.

Adrien flushed.

Quickly changing the subject, Marinette asked why Edna hated models.

Edna: it’s not that I hate them personally. I just hate their jobs and what they represent. Models nowadays are beautiful only according to the world standards. People who see them want to be like them, never mind that the models they see on the screen are airbrushed to unrealistic and impossible perfection. Now models focus only on their own appearance, trying to maintain their beauty as time ages them. They go on diets and become superficial. Whereas outside the modelling industry or such like, you don’t need to be stereotypically beautiful to be worthy. Where your worth is measured in kindness and bravery and talent and intelligence and anything beyond superficiality.

Adrien overheard and he frowned, not liking the idea where his appearance on ads is not exactly right. He only joined the company to make his father happy. But maybe it’s time he stepped into the business side of things and exit the modelling world. Bonus: no more Lila!

Edna snorted, “Though I must admit Gabriel surprised me with his newest model. Her attitude is lousy but she doesn’t strike me as a model. She just doesn’t have that model walk. But enough about the old man, my dear MDC, let’s talk about you. I love your gender-neutral line. And was wondering if you would like to join me in creating my next line of clothes for the Incredibles. A rare opportunity but I like style. Now take this offer before I change my mind.”

Marinette: wait, do I have to fly over or-

Edna: you are too excited, darling, but don’t worry, my assistants will send you the details.

Why are the Incredibles getting a new look? The kids are growing up and Edna wanted to move on to new styles.

As Marinette was flabbergasted, Audrey congratulated her for landing the job. Kagami and Adrien also beamed at her good fortune.

Even the Incredibles admitted they looked forward to working with her. Violet was a big fan.

Gabriel was seething and thought about akumatizing himself but come on, one villain against a room of superheroes? No thanks.

Drinking a glass of wine, he eventually admits that Edna had a point, however loudly and rudely it had been announced.

He would not be around forever and he wanted to leave the company in Adrien’s hands. In order for that to happen, his son needs to know business (if he can’t design, he can hire designers)

And yes, Lila was a lousy model. She survived by shooting with professional models who managed to overpower her mediocre work. But a deal was a deal. Besides, her contract was only for a year.

After the gala, Adrien happily quit modelling (aka Lila) to spend more time with his father, learning about how to run a company.

Marinette and Edna proudly claimed credit for the fashionable Incredibles.

Violet also became the talk of the school for her MDC exclusives.

Lila had been humiliated on air. Alya hesitated but finally did her research. At the end, she collapsed over the ruined credibility of her blog. But she can still get revenge by informing the principal, Ms Bustier and Mrs Rossi what Lila lied about. The perks of being a class vice president for a busy class president is that she also has the contacts list for emergencies.

Considering how Lila framed Marinette, there would be no suspension or detention. Only expulsion. Good luck finding a new school when Edna’s gala was a global topic.

When Lila returned to school for her last week (it takes time to gather evidence and get the attention of busy adults), nobody wanted to talk to her or even exchange glances. She quietly kept to herself, hoping for this to blow over soon. She was still a model working for Gabriel. She could befriend other supermodels (as if. Like they would want to befriend her after Edna called her out)

Hell, even her jobs were down. Gabriel just told her to take test shoots to fill up her portfolio until the hype died down (aka her contract expired)

When Lila was expelled, she was ready to be akumatized into Chameleon again. Except one problem. Everyone avoided her like hell so how could she kiss her target. Even Adrien was told to stay away lest his reputation be tarnished.

Ok, I admit it. I was hit by “I’m no Angel” quotes as I wrote this. But seriously, does anyone feel weird at the idea of trying to become thinner when your weight is just right, all the while you know there are people out there even thinner than you are and are starving, not because they want to be stereotypically thin, but because they cannot afford food?

[silentfcknhill]

FAVORITE SHOWS IN POSTERS

Well, we’re back for another installment of this tagged meme, this time for TV shows! I also stole this from/was indirectly tagged by @jcmorrigan. My taste in shows also differs a bit from my taste in movies, as I tend to like a lot of comedy shows with not as many horror ones. I’m not into shows as much as movies overall, but there are some that I am very passionate about so I picked twenty again. So, here we go for part 2, in order:

1. Avatar: The Last Airbender/The Legend Of Korra (2005-2014)

I'm including these as one show since they take place in the same universe and tell a continuation of the same overall plot. Altogether this is probably the best piece of media to ever exist, including movies. It has so many great characters and villains especially and some of the most epic sequences, charming humor and heartwarming moments ever. I've never met a person who didn't like these shows, even people who normally don't like cartoons. My dad, who is biased against animation? He loved it. My mother? She loved it, watched it with her multiple times. My grandmother? Loved it. My ex-boyfriend? Loved it. My best friend? Loved it. I dare anyone not to, and I'm so glad it's making a resurgence since it's on Netflix for a new generation to enjoy.

2. Black Butler (2008-2014)

I never was big into anime growing up and only really started watching anime when I was like 16 and above, but this is one of the exceptions because holy shit is it ever dark and epic. I'm not sure I'd really recommend it for kids, it's more of a teens and young adults kind of anime and that's probably why it's so good, because it isn't afraid to explore dark and mature topics and do it with all of the intensity and gravitas required to do said topics justice. It has lots of great characters, and the story of demons who make deals with children who have a dark side is fun to watch play out.

3. Seinfeld (1989-1998)

My dad was a huge fan of this show so I watched it growing up since I was a toddler and it became a classic for me. I've watched thw hole show through at least 8 times, and I'll never stop because it never gets old or boring. It's also my only comfort show when I'm having a panic attack because of one time a few years ago when I was having a drug-induced psychosis episode and watching it calmed me down, so now it's like the opposite of a trigger and whenever I'm having an episode or something I watch it to bring me back to reality. For that reason it's more than a show to me, it's a medical treatment and I'm forever grateful to it.

4. The Good Place (2016-2020)

The big four shows made my Michael Schur all made it on this post (The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Office and Parks And Recreation), either in the main list of the honorable mentions, but this is my personal favorite of the four. It's so funny, quirky, relatable and basically tailor-made to suit my interests. Not only is it an entertaining and wholesome show, but I think watching it helped me come to terms with a lot of things like mortality, ethics, philosophy, religion and my relationships with other people. It gets  alot of different viewpoints across and if you're a very analytical and philosophical person like me you'll probably enjoy seeing it all play out. Not to mention, every single character is 'favorite character' material. It's rare you find a show with no filler characters in the main cast, but I genuinely can't choose who is best.

5. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-?)

Another of Michael Schur's shows, this one is just barely under The Good Place and to be honest it was tough to pick my favorite between the two because they're both equally funny. I know it's kind of controversial right now because of the whole law enforcement thing, but I actually think they do a good job of handling social issues in the show and remaining respectful of real-life systemic problems. As for the characters, this is another one of those shows where every single character is gold and I think that tends to be a trend among Schur's shows in general. He produces damn good comedy, and damn good characters. I can't wait to see what they bring next.

6. Rick And Morty (2013-?)

This is unfortunately one of those cases of 'great show, horrible fandom' and for that reason I don't get involved in the fandom even though I love the show. It's a shame because it really is a great show, so funny and, again, such good characters. I think it's a lot more accessible than the fandom likes to claim, so I'm hoping more people will give it a chance and not get put off by the intellectual elitism of the fandom because it does have some of the most entertaining and batshit crazy episodes ever, poking fun of some of the staples of science fiction in media while also poking fun of itself the whole time. Unlike the fandom, the show doesn't take itself seriously and that's enjoyable nowadays.

7. Orange Is The New Black (2013-2019)

While this show is a comedy, it is also a lot of other things and it's probably made me ugly-cry just as many times as it's made me laugh. Well, maybe not as often, but those few scenes (if you've watched the show then you know the ones I'm talking about) made me hysterically sob hard enough to be worth like fifty minor sads. But I didn't even mind because the show is just that good, and it makes you /feel/ something in a real way. Probably because of just how real it gets in terms of telling stories that happen all the time in the real world, sometimes with inevitably tragic endings. But these things do happen every day, and it's important to shine a light on that. It's not just representation for LGBTQ+ but also for POC, the neurodiverse, the poor, and many more. Give it a watch to broaden your perspective!

8. Big Mouth (2017-?)

This is probably the grossest show I've ever seen but by god is it ever funny. Maybe it's because I have an immature sense of humor or something, but I love this show. It definitely won't be everyone's cup of tea and I don't recommend you watch this show with anyone else around because it will get awkward. I think part of its appeal to me is that everyone I talk to who likes it considers it so relatable to their lives growing up but for someone like me who grew up on the autism and asexual spectrum and who was physically an early-bloomer by years, nothing about this show is relatable to me in any way so it makes it all the more crazy and bizarre watching how the people around me must have experienced things. Did y'all really have these experiences with puberty in middle school???

9. Dexter (2006-2013)

I recently heard that this show is coming back for a reboot soon and I'm so excited because this is my absolute favorite drama/thriller show, as evidenced by the fact that it's the highest one on the list so far that isn't a comedy. I love the idea of having a protagonist who is sort of a villain (or at least morally dubious), and the idea of a serial killer who only kills bad people is particularly satisfying for some reason. Maybe because he's the vigilante we all deserve and want in this unjust and evil world of modern times? Idk but the very premise of this show set it up for big things and aside from the ending I think it delivered consistently.

10. Once Upon A Time (2011-2018)

This show took us on some journeys, and you can't deny that. Sure, maybe it didn't always finish what it started and didn't always end in the most satisfying way, but part of its charm is that you didn't care because the experience was just so much fun. They took characters and stories that have been told to death and somehow managed to put a unique and unexpected twist on them, and that alone is admirable. Good twists, good villains, and pretty much every cliffhanger known to man will keep you hooked on binge-watching every episode.

11. RuPaul's Drag Race (2009-?)

A bit different than the other entries on my list in that it's not fiction but a reality competition show, but I couldn't leave Drag Race out because it's just so fucking iconic and perfect. Even when you disagree with the judges or can't stand a certain contestant you'll still be having a good time. It's got the personalities you love to love, the ones you love to hate, and the comedy that's completely meme-able. I mean just how much has this show contributed to pop culture and the internet? More than most of us, henny. I've watched every single season, even the international ones and all of the spinoffs. This show will probably be on for another thirty years when Ru is throwing shade from a hospital bed and I'll still be watching.

12. House (2004-2012)

Some people hate on this show, and I don't get it. I love House. Yes, he's an ass. That's the point. He's supposed to be unlikeable, and that's why I like him. Maybe because I always love the rude, sarcastic, misanthropic jerkass-genius characters for some reason. And I also love procedural shows, so it's a win-win. I also work in the healthcare field so it appeals to me for that reason too, because obviously the whole premise is outlandish which is what makes it funny. Of course it's not realistic for a hospital, so just enjoy the absurdity and don't get too hung up on the details of medical accuracy and professional ethics and you'll be fine.

13. The Office (2005-2013)

The third of Michael Schur's show and the last one that made the main list (sorry Parks And Rec, I love you too but there was just so many good shows to choose from and I saw you last so the nostalgia isn't as strong!) I don't think I need to hype this show up any, it's already a classic and you can't even turn around online without getting hit in the face by a dozen Office memes. You'll have to pry this show and it's relatable characters (especially Michael Scott) from my cold, dead hands.

14. All Hail King Julien/The Penguins Of Madagascar (2008-2017)

Like Avatar/Korra, I also consider this as one show for the sake of this list because it also takes place in the same universe (Madagascar, specifically) and I just couldn't choose one over the other because they're both so perfect. They're funny and I love all the characters (it cut out the weaker links of the Madagascar film series and just focuses on expanding the standout side-characters like King Julien and the penguins). It also delved into some lore, particularly the first show, and even though I didn't also agree with the directions it took (you may have seen me get salty about the ending because I cared too much), I can't deny how much I love it.

15. Bones (2005-2017)

One of the other scarce non-comedy shows on this list, it still has it's funny moments. It's also, like House, another procedural show that involves some medical stuff, but this time on a more scientific and forensic level which is even more interesting. It's nice to see a lead female with Asperger's, too. There's a lot of cop/law enforcement shows where they try to solve crimes, but this one is the best, and I'm saying that as a fan of CSI as well. Don't fight me on this, I'm right. Oh yes, it's corny, it's campy, it's cheesy, but I love every minute of it. Don't watch if you have a weak stomach though.

16. The Simpsons (1989-?)

We all grew up with this show, don't lie. It's been around longer than most people on tumblr have even been alive. Should it have ended seasons ago? Hell yes. But that doesn't take away what the first like 20 or so seasons gave us (there's a lot of argument about when the show jumped the shark, for me it wasn't until much later than the popular consensus). The characters are amazing, but the secret to the show's longevity is that they always return to status quo and there's comfort and nostalgia in that. Bart will still be in 4th grade when you're out there pushing 90. This show is persistent. This show is eternal. This show will outlive us all.

17. Ash Vs. Evil Dead (2015-2018)

Sorely underrated. This show is hilarious, gruesome and campy as hell and I love it. I don't think you necessarily have to watch the Evil Dead movies beforehand in order to get the plot of the show, although it would probably help. In my opinion this show ended way too soon and I'm hoping someday we'll get a comeback because Ash is the reluctant, self-absorbed hero we all need and it's 2020 so at this point there really might actually be a demon-zombie apocalypse and who's gonna save us then if not for the impulsive womanizer with a chainsaw for a hand?

18. Malcolm In The Middle (2000-2006)

Another show I grew up with, I don't think it gets as much credit as it deserves. It has some damn funny episodes and great characters, and it did a lot of the popular sitcom tropes before they were 'cool'. Some other great sitcoms, The Middle in particular, took a lot of influence from this show and it helped pave the way for the future of sitcoms at a time when they were about to make a comeback. If you want a good show about the real experiences of growing up, this is a much more accurate representation of the highs and lows of being an awkward tween from a dysfunctional home.

19. A Series Of Unfortunate Events (2017-2019)

Unlike most people I actually liked the movie version from the early 2000's, and I read the books growing up so I was excited when I saw there was a live action television adaptation of it on Netflix because I felt like they cancelled the movie franchise too soon. I was interested to see how new actors would handle the roles, and I was not disappointed. I wouldn't say I liked either portrayal of the characters better or worse, they both added their own twist to it and this show is a great and loyal adaptation to the books, probably because the author was so heavily involved. He knew just when to stick to the books and when to improve upon what he had done with the benefit of hindsight. This show is basically the books, but remastered.

20. Winx Club (2004-?)

Sort of an odd one out on this list, but I really love this show even as an adult and it may surprise you to learn it is still going on and the most recent season came out last year. They take big breaks sometimes in between seasons, but it's still going strong and in multiple countries. The only thing I don't like about watching this show is all the different and inconsistent dubs since the original show is Italian and each dub only goes for a couple seasons so by the time you get used to one set of voices/names for the characters oyu have to abruptly switch to another, but it's still worth it for the beautiful animation and cool characters (especially the villains!)

Honorable Mentions: 

13 Reasons Why, America's Next Top Model, American Horror Story, Arrested Development, Bates Motel, Battlestar Galactica, Black Mirror, Care Bears, Chernobyl, Courage The Cowardly Dog, Criminal, CSI, Duck Dodgers, Goosebumps, Kenny Vs. Spenny, Kim Possible, Kingdom Hospital, Lazytown, Lost, Making A Murderer, Mayday, Mindhunter, Modern Family, Monster High, Obsession: Dark Desires, Parks And Recreation, Prison Break, Project Runway, Queer As Folk, Queer Eye, Salem, Schitt's Creek, SCTV, Spongebob Squarepants, The Emperor's New School, The Good Doctor, The Haunting Of Hill House/Bly Manor, The Middle, The Pretender, The Walking Dead, The X-Files, Through The Wormhole, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Unsolved Mysteries, Yugioh

Tagging: @bullet-farmer​ and anyone else who wants to!

[nazario-sayeed]

Nightbound and its changes (theory)

Okay guys, I think the most recent polemic involving this fandom and the choices universe is the sudden changes concerning NB (cover, chapter description, and even book category). I have been talking with some friends about why PB decided to do it, and I have a theory. This post will probably be long. English is not my first language so please forgive any mistakes. 

We first heard about Nightbound about a year ago, I think, during one of PB's livestream on instagram (June 29, 2018); one of the writers said they had been working on a BB spin-off. The book was officially released on April 24, so we know how long they worked on it. When it came out, it was obvious that they had not only worked on it for a long time but that they had also spent a lot of resources on it.

We got new and original characters designs, new backgrounds, even new music; and, of course, a whole new story. When it aired, it became clear that PB was directing most of their resources to that book. And the hype about it was gigantic too; I remember how crazy and excited for it we all were. And at least on tumblr, I know it did not disappoint. I can tell it is one of their most popular books nowadays around here. 

But we know that the tumblr fandom is only a part of it. Many people play choices and don't necessarily interact here (or anywhere else, for that matter). The target public for the choices app are straight women, we know that (that's another issue, for another day). We also know that many people download the app looking for romance books; it's probably their most profitable category. Romance sells, and a straight romance sells even more. And even though PB has the image of a friendly company, they're still a company and profit is what matters to them. It's not really their fault, we live in a capitalist world. 

Nightbound is not really a romance centered book. It's part of the story, yes, but not a big one if you don't want to. But on tumblr, for example, the diamond scenes I've noticed to be the most popular are the ones with the LI (rather than fight scenes, the tears etc); Nik and Cal (the two men) also seem to be the most popular LI. 

I think NB is not as profitable as PB originally thought it would be. Most people don't really spend on non-romance diamond scenes. Maybe people simply are not buying enough diamonds scenes to cover what PB spent on this book. We know that PB can track our choices and how we interact with the app (how many times we replay a certain book, which diamond scenes we buy etc) so they're the ones who can really tell what is profitable and what isn't. 

I think that this also may be the reason why that scene with our chosen LI at the Fate's house costed 30 diamonds and didn't deliver what most of us were expecting (aka we were cockblocked). They needed to gain more money with NB, so the scenes are more expensive than they normally charge.

Like I said at the beginning, PB has invested a lot on this book. I think it isn't supposed to be a standalone, but if it isn't profitable, they won't be able to make a sequel. They probably added the cheesy tag line, changed the cover and first chapter's description, and moved it to the "steamy stories" section so it could reach a larger audience. Sure, we already know how good the book is, we already love it, but there are some people who probably thought it was too dark for them, or simply not their style because it wasn't being sold as a romance book. 

Most books have around 15 chapters and this week we're getting the 12th one, so it's already walking towards the end. It's a crucial point to PB, they have to decide pretty soon if they're releasing a sequel or if it's a standalone (this is me assuming they originally wrote it as a series). I think they want to give us the sequel, but they need a bigger audience in order to do so, and that's why they are making those changes. 

I'm not discussing the changes themselves. I do think the tag line is cheesy and PB tends to push male LI towards us, but that's a conversation for another post. I'm not trying to excuse their actions, but I am trying to find a logic behind them. I love nightbound, it's probably one of my favorite books on choices and I hope we get a sequel. I was annoyed at the changes too, but once my nerves calmed down (it took me a while) I tried to understand why they did this. And well, that's what I think is the most logical explanation. I don't think they're trying to ruin the story or whatever. I understand why some of you are mad at the changes and I agree with you, but it's not time to give up on NB. We don't need to agree with every single thing PB does to still support them, we can still enjoy the books while we criticize whatever we think it's wrong. 

Anyway, that's my theory. I won't let my feelings for that cover and the other change affect how I feel about the book, because it is amazing. This post turned out to be longer than I initially thought, I'm sorry for that. If anyone read everything, let me know what you think. 

[confusedinfj]

hi what do you think about a couple infj f and intp m?

I have a good intp male friend and my dad is an intp. I love them both with all my heart, very deeply. I also know one intp female now, and she's super cool and I'm mildly scared of her cos I like her so much 😊 I personally prefer the e**ps, but at the same time, my intps are my kindred spirits.

Intps and infjs have a lot in common, but I've run into problems with the intp attributing motive and meaning to things that I definitely didn't mean. So as long as the intp is mature about their Ti and realises the infj actually does work differently, that probably wouldn't cause too many problems.

I'm also kinda scared about approaching intp males with a problem, because they are so SENSITIVE because they refuse to acknowledge they are. So when they mature and realise that, that's less of an issue too.

The infj defs has to learn to be SUPER clear when they communicate. I mean, they not only have to say

I am upset

This is why

They have to add

This is why I am telling you

This is NOT why I am telling you

This is why I consider it important to point this out to you

This is how I'm hoping you'll respond

I love you very much. Are we okay?

And then you have to check they're okay a couple more times before they admit they're a bit upset but they'll be fine and then they eventually cheer up 😂 I try to talk to everyone like this nowadays, and it's very effective, so not a waste of time to learn at all!

Like I said, I prefer e**ps, because intps can be a bit too intraverted for me, and tend to swing between close periods of friendliness and warmth and cold, aloof periods where I'm not sure if I made them mad... And while I've learned not to take those swings personally, and they don't make me mad, I prefer someone a little more consistent, like myself. Also, intps are really good flirts, but like... In a really convincing way where everyone thinks they're the only one? At least e**ps are such obvious flirts you KNOW they're just playing 😂

Also, even though I'm an intravert, I have high Fe, so I appreciate the more intraverted Extraverts (e**ps cos they lead with Se or Ne which aren't people focused).

Intps can also be super excitable about new ideas in theory but not in practice. So they'll be all hyped up to go out and then crash quickly, right when I'm warmed up. And they're not always good at coming up with ideas, which is something the e**ps are better at.

However, intps are much more stable than e**ps in their younger years, so I gotta give em that 😂 (idk, I'm stable, so I don't really care about that aha. Give me some crazed manic pixies any day 😂) They take really good care of you and can make you feel all warm and fuzzy with very little effort. They're also good at emotional support, even though they don't think they are. They're good listeners and don't tell you to get over things (unless they're in one of their bad moods...) I know that's them being awkward, but it's perfect for Infjs 👌

BUT THE ABSOLUTE REASON

I decided intps were by bros and not my baes is because of the silent treatment and passive aggressive things they're prone to doing. Like... No. I might be good at reading your mind, but don't make me do it. This is one of my TOP reasons I prefer e**ps, cos they will usually just FIGHT and get it over with, PROBLEM SOLVED!

Tl;dr

I think it's a soulful pairing, but I also think it's my bro-friend and my dad, and I personally prefer e**ps and their mania 😂

[musepirations]

i honestly feel like nobody wants to plot or write with me? when i join any rp, ones that haven't even opened yet, i see that people have started plotting & doing all these things & nobody does that with me? i even started approaching people first, but i'm either left with no reply in chat or after a starter. feels like the rpc is pushing me away & it might be time for me to stop i guess.

❞ HI HUN !! First of all, I’m super sorry you feel that way. I’m actually almost convinced it’s not a personal thing ?? I feel like the roleplay community and quite a lot of groups nowadays have become kinda superficial and shallow ?? And this is no dig at certain groups or types of groups or people – just a personal feeling I have. It feels as if everyone gets hyped up about a new group, the admins put in lots of effort in creating a beautiful and aesthetically pleasing main and in return, applicants spend days working on mock blogs and edits and tags and try to have the fanciest and prettiest aesthetic. And that’s not a bad thing, don’t get me wrong. I know a lot of people ( me included ) just get satisfaction from creating blogs and themes and edits and whatnot. Other muns or applicants appreciate it, as well. But I feel like the hype creates nothing but a temporary spark of muse and excitement. No one can wait to start roleplaying and plotting and developing their roles – but it seems that in quite some of the cases, the roleplay opens for interactions and within a week ( or a couple weeks, if it’s lucky ) everyone has lost muse, left or ghosted. Partially because everyone else gets busier and maybe overestimates the time they still have left to roleplay – because we all come from a time where we had plenty of roleplay time and with growing up, we try to hold on to what we once used to love but life just doesn’t always allow it anymore. And we don’t always want to accept that, do we ?? So we join a roleplay, thinking it’ll work out, but then we get busier and get stressed about meeting activity rules and end up leaving anyways because our muse is gone or we simply don’t have time. We put so much time and effort in hyping ourselves up and creating blogs and storylines and plots but when it comes down to roleplaying, we’re left with nothing. At least, that’s what it feels like for me. Also – and this is not a dig to anyone because if it were, it’d be calling myself out as well, you know – whether we like to admit it or not, lots of people in the rpc steer clear from mains that don’t use gif icons for their mascots, or use mascots that are a bit outdated, or don’t have fancy themes or a plot-drop-driven plot. We all want to go back to the good old days but don’t give roleplays that go back to those days a chance. And like I said, I don’t believe that caring about aesthetics or having a fancy theme is a bad thing – not at all. Everyone should do what they love to do, and for some that’s being creative with graphics and edits, and for others it’s simply in writing. But, I do feel like the roleplays that last longest nowadays, aren’t the flashy and super-fancy ones – but the ones that care most about the writing and the developing of roles, above anything else. And those roleplays are still out there – we just look over them. 

Now I know I kind of went off of the subject there, I’m sorry – that’s just an evolution I personally seem to find nowadays and I’ve been thinking that a lot lately. But anyways – what I want to say is, it’s probably not you. In general, a lot of people plot but don’t follow up on it with replies and threads. A lot of people ghost before even opening. Maybe you’ve simply been on the losing end every time – in roleplays that didn’t survive or with people that ghosted or aren’t active. Finding a lasting partner is very hard nowadays, I feel. But they’re out there. And like I’ve said to a ‘nonnie the other day, don’t give up looking. Maybe try looking for them in another place – the indie community ?? Or another roleplay ?? Maybe one that has been going for a little while already ( then you know it has some active members and a solid basis and often times, those people will be more than happy to welcome new members and new roles ). I’m sorry for the massive rant, dear, I still hope it brought some clarity – I’m sure it’s not you. I think we all feel a bit left out and lonely nowadays, in the roleplay community. But, if you ever want to 1x1 or something, feel free to hit me up. I’m not the most active person, but I promise I’m dedicated if you are !! Xoxo

[echodrops]

The issue for both writers and creators is they actually have to be vague or misleading when talking about their content to not spoil it. If we take A:TLA as an example. If they were to come out with "Aang and Katara are end game" they would be severely backhanded by Nickelodeon and risk punishments from the big name company. I hate shipping wars even while working in the industry but it's hard for us to shut them down without risking our lively hood. So we have to mislead to keep our jobs.

(Anon, I’m really sorry that this is getting dumped on you, but this is an issue I’ve been thinking about for a while, so I kinda went off, oopsss…)

I’m actually fully aware of non-disclosure agreements and the policy behind limiting information that is released to fans, so while I definitely appreciate the sentiment and understand that things are really difficult for the studios and “little guys” on any production team, I absolutely draw the line at buying the idea that fans need to be deliberately misled in order to protect show writers and staff.

There’s a right way and a wrong way to interact with fans and field shipping questions, and the fact that so many shows, book series, and other forms of media exist out there without experiencing the major problems that have affected shows like A:TLA and Voltron is proof that some productions manage fan and media relations very well and others definitely don’t. Aggressive shipping wars and fan behavior bad enough to attract mainstream media attention aren’t the standard experience of most production teams, so when they occur, it is almost always at least in part because of poor management of public relations on the creators’ end.

You won’t see me defending “fans” who cross the line and actually harass or send death threats to each other or any member of a production team, obviously not, but in today’s media environment, it’s a huge trend to make producers and writers out to be victims of their fandoms, whose questions and requests are treated like invasions of privacy and/or infringements on the writers’ creative freedom that must be actively and constantly defended against, a careful balancing act where the staff must constantly avoid ever giving away too much while the rabid fandom accosts them with an unstoppable hoard of demands…

But this is an illusion deliberately fabricated by some production teams to manipulate fan interest.

Media teams act like purposefully misleading audiences is a necessity because fans ask such invasive questions, oh what can we do, they won’t leave us alone about endgame ships! But this is smokescreen that ignores one basic truth: at the end of the day, creators and production teams (should, if well-managed at least) get to choose which questions get answered and which don’t.

Answering questions on social media or in a professional interview? Screen them in advance. Don’t answer questions that require dishonest answers.

Voice actors or writers going out to a convention? Give them strict rules for what they can and can’t hint at. Hell, even answering completely unscreened questions at cons? “I’m sorry, I can’t answer that without spoiling the story” is always a viable response.

A basic “We don’t answer questions about shipping” policy is, in fact, something that production teams also absolutely have the power to choose!

Even as you yourself note, crew members typically have professional social media accounts and can control when and how those accounts get used–they can choose not to respond to fan questions at any time.

Ergo, the choice to offer misleading answers to fans, particularly about relationships, is just that: a deliberate choice.

What’s really going on here is this: Most production teams can’t completely ignore fan questions and still keep fans hyped about their shows. Most creators and teams want and need to interact with and drops hints for their fans to stir up interest, keep people excited during show downtime, or just in general get people talking and speculating about their works. The more strung-along the fans are, the more tension, anticipation, and speculation teams’ provoke, the more active a show’s fandom becomes–and therefore the more a show profits. A quiet, inactive fandom does not attract additional viewership by word-of-mouth, does not move merchandise, and does not prevent loss of viewership over extended waits between seasons.

In short, creators and production teams actively profit from “stirring the pot,” from causing some tension and provoking anticipation/excitement in their fans. By dropping hints and teasers of what’s to come, by answering fan questions that expand on the series’ world or characters, the creators give fans more to talk about–and therefore can anticipate more talking about their show in general.

“Buzz” is money in the bank.

And production teams have discovered that nothing provokes buzz among online fans as quickly and productively as shipping. Targeting relationship-hungry fans (typically female fans, by the way) and stringing them along with hints, teasers, and red herrings about endgame ships is absolutely a profit-producing venture for show writers and teams nowadays. Getting ship-happy fans all excited about potential romances in your show, so much that they’re out there writing online manifestos, creating fanworks for your shows’ characters, talking to all their friends about it? #DOLLARSIGNSSSSS. Creators, both manipulatively and non-maliciously, actively capitalize on networks of online fans, especially fanwork creators like fanfic authors and artists (both of whom often focus on relationship-related material) to generate additional interest in their shows and therefore produce greater revenue in the long-term.

It’s basic logic: tease your fans -> generate more buzz about your show -> attract more attention -> profit.

(I don’t mean to say that creators are only ever thinking about making money, obviously–of course they naturally want to interact with fans because doing so is intrinsically rewarding and fun. Naturally creators are excited and want to interact with their fans! But that doesn’t mean that it isn’t ALSO a very specific, very obvious way to increase the popularity of one’s work.)

So sure, it’s all well and good to say “We can’t tell you the truth because we can’t spoil the show!” but let’s not act like that’s the only reason writers and show staff drop vague and misleading answers on their fans.

Teased fans, anticipatory fans, hopeful fans, hyped-up fans, obsessed fans… These are the “whales” of viewership, the ones who flood your show’s convention panels, buy your show’s merchandise, haunt the media for even the tiniest tidbits of new info on your work… These are the kinds of people who sit down and force everyone they know to watch your show too. They’re exactly the kind of fans you want to court and keep the attention of. And production teams know that they can keep and inflame the attention of these fans, in large part, by hinting at exactly the things those particular fans want to hear–whether or not they ever intend to fulfill on the things they’re hinting at.

By carefully sprinkling out hints–even and often intentionally misleading hints!–creators increase the tension and interest among fans to deliberately capitalize on their energy, investment, and willingness to continually, obsessively talk about the show.

Say it with me guys:

Shipping wars are money-makers.

It’s not just a matter of keeping secrets to protect the little guys. It’s a matter of keeping secrets and misleading fans intentionally to produce more revenue.

Creators don’t have a vested interest in being honest and open with their fans because they actively benefit from secret-keeping and misinformation.

And you know what?

I actually think that’s fine. I can’t even imagine a world in which every writing team came forward and said “Here are spoilers for everything and every relationship in our story, so you guys don’t have to fight over them!” Obviously the entire concept of spoilers exists for a reason–most people don’t WANT to know every twist, turn, and relationship in a story in advance. We LIKE being teased, we like hunting for hints, and we even like being strung-along as we get to experience the anticipation of satisfying plot twists still to come.

No one is asking for a full plot synopsis in advance.

But there IS a right and wrong way to drop hints for fans, and some obviously right and wrong choices to make, especially when creators become aware that their fandoms are becoming aggressive and hostile. Creators absolutely have the power to make bad situations in their fandoms much, much worse, and a blanket “It’s not our fault; we had to be misleading!” is nothing more than a way of passing the buck and pretending like production teams don’t have a major hand in setting the tone for their fandoms overall.

Of course fans are accountable for any of their own bad behavior, but poor public and media relations absolutely have the power to poison fandoms and incite aggression. When you deliberately yell “Fire!” in a theatre, you can’t claim you’re not responsible for the chaos that follows. When you bring up politics at a family dinner, you can’t act like the argument that follows wasn’t your fault.

The intentionally “vague and misleading” things creators say have profound impacts on their fandoms, and therefore creators and production teams have a responsibility to interact with their fans in a professional and mindful manner.

Of course you want to tease and trick a little! But it’s remarkably easy to do so in a non-damaging manner:

Instead of:

“Character A might end up with Character B OR Character C!” (obviously inflammatory)

It would be perfectly reasonable to answer with:

“Character A is going to have a romantic arc by the end, but let’s just enjoy that story line as it comes!” (teases and excites fans without fueling conflict between fan groups)

Instead of:

Character A and Character B are totally compatible! (obvious ship tease)

Say:

We planned for all our characters to be compatible with each other to build interesting dynamics between everyone. (redirects attention toward your story’s overall goal without lowering any shippers’ hopes)

Instead of:

Oh I can’t tell you too much, but I can tell you Character A and Character B are going to have a lot of ~mEaNiNgFuL~ interactions in the future! (obvious bait)

Say:

We’re really excited about where our characters are going in the future, especially [insert company approved spoiler-ish tidbit here]! (gives fans something new and exciting to talk about without leaving them feeling like they’ve been tricked)

Get explicitly asked about a ship by a fan and for some reason absolutely have to give an answer? Saying “We can’t spoil any romances that might or might not happen, but we wrote the story the way we thought was best, so hopefully you’ll enjoy where it goes!” gives shippers hope without making anyone feel like they were promised something that was never going to happen.

And good lord, have you discovered there’s a serious dispute brewing between groups of your fans? Uh…  Have you tried not giving answers that deliberately favor one ship in one interview and then conflicting answers that favor the other ship in another interview, leaving your fans confused about your stance? Have you tried uhhh… redirecting fans to your plot or world-building and getting them hyped about things you’re actually planning to include in the show instead of relationships you never intended to make good on? Have you tried uhhh… maybe just NOT dumping fans from the frying pan into the fire by commenting further on ships you already know are causing tension?

There are plenty of ways for production teams to be vague and avoid spoilers without disproportionately raising fan expectations and contributing to conflicts between fan groups. The copious companies who manage popular shows without their fandoms dissolving into public death threats and toxicity so notorious that people who don’t even watch the show know about it are perfect proof. Some creators and production teams are just really, really fucking bad at PR, and that’s a problem! That’s a problem that contributes to serious and sometimes even literally dangerous issues among fans. If you’re in the industry, as you claim, that’s something you should and need to be aware of and take responsibility for.

Like, I’m not in even in PR, but it doesn’t take a degree in communications to figure out that there’s a very obvious line between the type of teasing that’s going to contribute to a productive, positive fan environment and the type of baiting and misleading that’s going to foster divisions and frustrations among your fans.

Of course it’s not always the creators’ or team’s fault when a ship war starts! These things can’t always be predicted and we’re all just human. People slip up and blunder when interacting with others all the time. Mistakes happen. But when the creators actively contribute to a ship war, fan the flames, encourage both sides, and either deliberately or carelessly hype up fan expectations they know they have no intention of fulfilling (as was the case with both A:TLA and Voltron), they’re increasing and encouraging the hostile environment in their fandoms–sometimes very intentionally to reap profits off obsessed fans.

So like, I get it? No one is asking for creators to be less vague or drop all red herrings. No one wants the entire story spoiled in advance.

But as a viewer, I do expect creators and production teams to demonstrate professionalism in their responses to both other media and directly to fans. I expect them to respect their viewers and to tease their fans in a genuine, responsible way that doesn’t promote conflict or make implied promises that will never be kept simply to turn a profit off of hopeful fans.

Most importantly, I expect creators and production teams to be aware of the impacts their words and answers have on fans, and to be accountable for those words and answers. If creators choose to interact with fans, they need to do so in a way that isn’t actively harmful. That should be pretty freaking obvious to everyone involved.

Will PR blunders and social media mistakes happen? Of course, always.

But is kicking a hornets’ nest–say, teasing that ship you know is never going to happen, when you’ve heard through the grapevine your fans are already divided about it–ever really a mistake?

No sell, buddy. 

tl;dr: Expecting professionals to handle PR… you know… professionally isn’t outrageous.

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Michael in the Mainstream: Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel is one of the MCU’s most powerful characters right now, one of the few heroes who can even have a hope of defeating Thanos, so of course she needs to have a movie. Throwing in a bunch of heroes into an ensemble film without properly setting them up is what amateurs do, and at this point Marvel is no amateur; they know how to properly set up heroes… kind of. You see, Marvel Studios has a bit of a problem when it comes to origin films: they’re all very, very similar, very formulaic, and sometimes even predictable. That’s not to say they’re bad, far from it! Films like Black Panther, Ant-Man, and Doctor Strange are all rather formulaic but they all have interesting twists to the formula that makes them feel fun and exciting. Marvel is a lot better with quirkier fare, ensemble movies, and sequels than they are with solo origin films, Iron Man notwithstanding, but they usually find a way to make things feel fresh.

Captain Marvel… does and doesn’t achieve this. Captain Marvel is probably the most “Marvel” Marvel movie yet made; it feels like a film they would have released a decade ago, during Phase 1 or Phase 2. And there is actually a good reason for that; this movie has been in the plannig stages for a long, long time, but racist, sexist, cheapskate CEO Ike Perlmutter wouldn’t let this film be made because he didn’t think non-white, non-male leads could sell (a laughable sentiment when looking at superhero films nowadays), only relenting to let the film be made if Kevin Feige made an Inhumans movie, which fell through when Feige managed to get rid of the meddler and get him exiled to the Marvel TV department. This film has been a long time coming, and it feels like it.

But I can’t say the film is bad; it’s most definitely not, and there’s a lot to love in the film. At the same time though, it’s easy to see why someone might not find themselves sucked into this; it’s a film coming out in Phase 3 that feels like it belongs in Phase 1. Where it would have been one of the best Marvel films of the early phases, it struggles a bit to stand out in the current MCU where the past few films have been nothing but home runs, and competing superhero cinematic universes have also been producing quality films, with Spider-Verse and Aquaman in particular bringing a lot of new stuff to the table. It just feels like Captain Marvel is almost irrelevat in the current landscape aside from introducing Carol Danvers to the MCU.

And yet… this is still a good, fun movie, because it delivers exactly what it promises, and it does the one thing I consider the saving grace of any film that would otherwise be average: it is wholly, unabashedly cheesy.

So let’s talk about what I loved first. The Skrulls are easily the very best part of the film, particularly Talos. Talos is one of the most interesting and complex antagonists in the MCU so far, and there’s a lot more to him than it initially seems. Just the fact that in general the Skrulls are now part of the MCU is absolutely delightful, as it seemed for so long they’d be exiled from continnuity due to Fox owning the rights to the most famous Skrull, Super-Skrull, due to his close ties to the Fantastic Four (though this is no longer a problem). To say much more about what makes the Skrulls so great would be to spoil one of the few genuinely good twists the movie has to offer, but it is a pretty neat twist on what you’d expect from Skrulls.

Carol herself, as played by Brie Larson, is a mostly enjoyable character. I think Carol is a bit shaky right now, having to deal with the tired amnesia plot and not getting to use her powers all that much, but for the most part she’s an enjoyable hero. I think she’ll fare a lot better in ensemble films and sequels, because Larson does a really good job, it’s just that so much of the movie is spent with her being limited. However, this is mitigated by the fact that she has great chemistry with Samuel L. Jackson, and pretty much every scene with Fury and Carol interacting is amazing. Speaking of Jackson, the effects used to de-age him are nothing short of stunning; you can’t even tell its CGI, it’s that good. Far better than the de-aging effects used in films like Rogue One, that’s for sure

The soundtrack is pretty good, though sometimes it’s a bit too on-the-nose. The usage of “Come As Your Are” is so literal it hurts, and the usage of “Just a Girl” is so utterly cheesy. But I think stuff like this helps add to the film’s charm, as does the fact that this movie is honestly, genuinely funny, especially due to the aforementioned banter between Carol and Fury, as well as the presence of Goose the cat, who Fury dotes over and who plays quite an amusing and cool role in the film, shockingly enough. Goose might be one of the best characters in the film honestly, which is not often something you hear about a pet cat.

Of course, not everything is perfect. A lot of the action is nauseatingly shaky and weirdly poorly choreographed, with the exception of the final battle and perhaps Carol’s escape from the Skrulls near the start. For a superhero movie, having such wonky action is inexcusable, though thankfully there’s not too much fighting… or not thankfully, since again, this is a superhero film, the sort of film where you expect superhero action. It’s not all bad, but when it gets bad it gets really bad.

There’s also the underutilization of characters. You know how the return of Ronan and Coulson was hyped up? Well, unfortunately for everyone, both of their screentimes are incredibly limited to the point they are essentially cameos, though Ronan feels like a cameo moreso than Coulson. Korath, too, is a bit wasted, though he at least gets a little more prominence with him being part of Carol’s initial squad, though he’s still not exactly focused on to any great extent. It just feels so pointless to have these actors come back to these roles if they’re essentially playing meaningless bit parts, especially in the case of Korath and Ronan, seeing as we know they end up dying anyway. It just seems like a huge missed opportunity to do something with these characters.

And of course, the whole amnesia plot kind of holds things back. Not that it’s done poorly, but it is a tired trope that is tricky to pull off, and considering Carol’s amnesia holds back the plot and holds her back from using her powers to any great extent, it does feel like more of a burden than anything that leads to interesting developments. It doesn’t help that most of the stuff revealed over the course of her rediscovering who she is is stuff that you could easily figure out on your own from nothing more than promotional material and the obvious hints throughout the film; it just feels like a contrivance to keep Carol in a weakened, vulnerable state instead of letting her let loose. Say what you will about Superman movies, but he at least gets to be Superman for vast swaths of the film in his origin story movies. Here, Carol’s big Captain Marvel moments really only come at the end, though I can’t stress enough that the  final battle is a pretty cool sequence.

Still, nothing in this movie is done excessively poorly; there’s nothing here as bad as the Iron Man sequels or Thor: The Dark World. On the other hand though, there’s nothing here as innovative or impressive as in Thor: Ragnarok, Infinity War, Black Panther, or Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, with the exception of the Skrulls. There’s a lot of good elements here, obviously, but most of the stuff really just doesn’t elevate this movie to greatness; it’s merely a good, even very good film, but not as great as it should be nor as bad as some make it out to be. And this isn’t entirely the film’s fault; as I said, Perlmutter’s meddling did keep this on the backburner for a long, long time, so it’s frankly amazing the film is any good at all.

Really, whether you love or hate this is going to boil down to how much you can tolerate cheesiness. I live and breathe cheesiness, I have been exposed to cheese since I was young, so of course I’m pretty fond of this film. I’m also a huge fan of Skrulls so it’s a given I’d like a film with them in it. But if you don’t like this film, if you just don’t connect, well, it’s hard to blame you. It’s not an amazing or groundbreaking film, and really that’s a shame, because it could have and should have been. But on the other hand, not every film needs to exist to break new ground, not every film needs to change the world… sometimes films can just exist and be good.

Captain Marvel is a film that has attracted a lot of controversy, vitriol, and debating over it, making it one of the most controversial superhero movies in recent memory. Beyond that sentence I’m not going to even bother addressing any of that, because it is all the most idiotic drivel I have seen in regards to film in years. This is an utterly harmless superhero movie through and through, and any argument otherwise is just pointless drivel.

I really wish this could have come out years ago, because this would have been a game-changer back when superhero films were first breaking through. In this day and age? It’s just a good, fun movie, nothing less. I have faith Carol’s next outings, in Endgame and her inevitable sequels, will be a lot stronger and more polished and full of interesting developments, but her first outing is simply a fun time before the inevitable heartbreak and mindblowing that Endgame promises. I’m kind of okay with that; it’s nice to have a little calm before the storm.

[erictmason]

THEY’RE GONNA WRECK IT: A “Ralph Breaks The Internet” Review

I don’t know that I ever would have told you that the original “Wreck-it Ralph”, one of the more pleasant surprises of post-Pixar-merger Disney, “needed” a sequel; the original’s story was compelling and complete enough on its own.  But the characters were so much fun to spend time with and the world felt so intrinsically interesting that it also seemed like a prime candidate to give a sequel to anyway.  And to its credit “Ralph Breaks The Internet” starts from a premise clearly designed to keep it from simply being a needless retread of the original, trading the halls of an old Arcade for the world wide web.  Unfortunately, the resulting film, while not exactly a TOTAL wash, also feels like it’s learned all the wrong lessons from its predecessor, taking an anted-up version of the first movie’s playful Video Game in-jokes that were there a mere garnish and here turning them into an inescapable aspect of the entire story that severely compromises its narrative integrity.

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Said narrative picks up six years after the events of the original, with Ralph happy as can be with his lot in life nowadays: thanks to his friendship with “Sugar Rush” superstar Vanellope Von Schweetz, he’s more than content to just do his job and hang out with her goofing off all night.  Vanellope, however, feels increasingly constrained by the repetitive limits of her closed-off racing world, leading Ralph to try and give her a new surprise or two to cheer her up; unfortunately that just leads to "Sugar Rush” getting broken.  Ralph and Vanellope thus decide to venture into the arcade’s newly connected Wi-Fi system to reach The Internet in hopes of finding the part necessary to fix the game before it’s permanently unplugged.  

Which kind of sounds like a bit of an overcooked premise, and indeed the number of contrivances the movie throws at you more or less right out the gate to get to where it wants to go speaks to the problem at the heart of the whole thing, but to start things out on a relatively positive note: Ralph and Vanellope remain a great pair of characters, and if nothing else the opening few minutes of the movie honestly do make for a pleasant little coda to the first movie.  More to the point, there actually IS something admirable about how this movie chooses to dig into how their characters have changed and where they stand:  now that he has an anchor of affirmation in Vanellope, Ralph is able to find acceptance and fulfillment in the same places he once felt rejected by...but once that anchor is threatened (as it is when Vanellope finds herself increasingly attracted to the idea of staying online in the wild and unpredictable world of an online racer called “Slaughter Race”), all of his old insecurities begin to surface.  Meanwhile the same drive to strive for something greater that drove Vanellope in the first movie has now begun to slowly but surely push her out of “Sugar Rush”; this one’s a bit shakier (and the movie fumbles it pretty much completely in the execution but we’ll get to that) but you really can see the emotional logic it works on in a way that adds up, especially because the movie genuinely has the courage of its convictions and chooses to pursue it to its most logical conclusion rather than try to hedge its bets or chicken out at the last minute.  

As well, basically all of the new characters work.  The obvious highlight is Gal Gadot as Shank, the Boss Character of “Slaughter Race”; even as her presence in the movie overall is surprisingly limited given her importance to the main emotional arc that (eventually) reveals itself as the heart of the story, she is nonetheless an immediately enjoyable presence, at once tough as nails and On The Edge (one of the movie’s better sight gags is how the world of “Slaughter Race” is bathed in the reds and browns that dominated Video Games for most of the mid-00′s and Shank feels right at home in that tone) but also a caring figure who looks at her job with a genuine sense of Duty and Honor.  Likewise Taraji P. Henson’s Yesss is delightful, a beaming bouncing presence whose constantly-changing look is a consistent delight (and who may have the most enjoyably subtle details of animation of any character in the movie with the way her coat lights up whenever she gets excited being a personal favorite).  But even minor characters like the Search Engine curator Knowsmore (our now-traditional Alan Tudyk role) and Bill Hader’s J.P. Spamley are genuinely fun new additions to the overall cast.  You do find yourself wishing they could maybe get a bit more screen time or else be better integrated into the overall story, but even so I really liked just about all of them and they do a lot to buoy the whole thing.

Unfortunately none of them, nor the movie’s clever-if-not-especially-original conception of what “The Internet” would mean to this kind of world (my personal favorite touch might be portraying pop-up ads as old-school Newsies), can really add up to much in the face of the larger problem here.  See, even though they’re a relatively minor presence in the overall movie, the original “Wreck-it Ralph” hyped up the presence of its various Video Game character cameos (many of whom return here), and the attendant in-jokes that came with them.  “Ralph Breaks The Internet” apparently seems to have the mistaken belief that it was this wink-wink nudge-nudge meta-humor at the original’s margins that was in fact the key to its success and thus, using The Internet as a launching pad to broaden its range of targets, has made that element much, much more prominent this time around.  Sometimes that does make for amusing gags; the extended (and heavily-touted) scene where Vanellope meets the other Disney Princesses is indeed a particular highlight, and the one sequence where the movie comes even remotely close with reconciling its desire to indulge in fairly tired meta-textual snark with actually trying to tell any sort of real story.  Far more often we have to deal with things like how a joke about Ralph making the age-old mistake of reading the comments stands in for any kind of actual attempt to show how his old anxieties are resurfacing (in a moment that fails to land almost completely; it is honestly impossible to tell while watching it how seriously the movie expects us to take it), or even more frustrating how Vanellope’s realization that she wants to stay in “Slaughter Race” is told to us through an incredibly ineffectual and far too self-aware parody of the old Disney-style “I Want” song.  That Vanellope would in fact choose to leave Sugar Rush behind is already the biggest buy-in the movie asks us to make of its characters, so that failed short-cut proves especially harmful to the overall arc here.  It all leads to a finale that feels like it could, indeed even should, work for how frankly it chooses to tackle the underlying emotional problems at the heart of the story, but it ultimately can’t because the movie just flat-out has not done the work to really earn it.

There are other smaller problems as well; Fix-it Felix and Calhoun, the primary side-characters from the first film, are here given what feels like it should be the lead-in to an enjoyable and inspired B-story of their own but instead wind up being nothing more than glorified cameos.  I’m also not super fond of how the movie actively begs the audience to question the logical nature of its world and characters as often (and seemingly without much thought) as it does.  But the real fundamental issue here is that “Ralph Breaks The Internet” just plain cannot square its two competing impulses; the desire to actually try and tell a story that meaningfully expands on the original’s characters in some genuinely-daring ways is ultimately undone by the far-stronger drive to weigh it all down beneath a lot of knowing referential humor that feels far less relevant and insightful than the writers think it is.  There really is something good deep in the heart of all of this, but, sad as it is to say, it basically gets wrecked this time around.

[parkminijiminie]

You do realise at how Jm was looking at some of the better physique interviewers and talking abt Mendes happily when Jk was right there!?!?! I really think Jk deserves someone better. not someone who sees him as a "loyal subordinate" or likes him for his "mind". Jm has been so upsetting drg these interviews. Stay strong, JK! This trip will be a hard one for you.

I debated with myself whether or not I should answer this ask and to what extent as I’ve seen it going around and a lot of good bloggers have already shared their thoughts on it. But I decided that one more doesn’t hurt and repeated questions like this actually give an opportunity for the matter to be discussed from all sides. So even though I doubt you will read this, Anon, I still wanted to address it more for myself and my followers than for you. So here we go

I’ll start with a question that is bugging me quite a lot and  that I find problematic: 

Why is Jimin never enough for some people, in general and regarding Jungkook?      

When Jimin smiles a lot, you say he’s “flirting all the time” or in extreme cases that he is “a slut”. When he doesn’t smile, then “he hates America” or “hates white people”. When he shows his affection to Jungkook, posting pictures of him with special hashtags, talking about him or hugging him, you say “he is the only one who initiates things”, that JK “only tolerates him”, how “Jimin should move on”. When he is more passive and lets Jungkook be the instigator or give attention to someone else, people go “Jungkook is not special to him”, “Jimin does this to everyone”, “He is only playing with him”. Part of this fandom is never satisfied with Jimin. Either he’s giving too much or too less. Even if he just sits still and breathes people still find things to be upset about and blame him for. He just can never win. 

How can anyone even have doubts about how special Kookie is to Jimin, how adored, loved and spoiled with attention, care and affection he is by him, I will never understand. There is never an interview or a vlive nowadays where JM is not praising him; he is always the first to compliment and hype him, to push him when Kook needs it, to support him. Jungkook himself said Jimin is his biggest stimulant on and off stage. He himself specifically chose “There for you” to describe their relationship: a song about always supporting someone and them always having your back.  Are we talking about the same Jimin who didn’t leave Jungkook’s side when he almost fainted? The same person who goes most frequently to JK’s room and spends the most money on him (Jungkook’s words)? The exact same man who was ready to sleep on the floor for Kookie, who gambled his own money so that Kook doesn’t stay hungry? Do we have the same Park Jimin in mind or did some of you get confused? 

Don’t even get me started on how much compliments Jimin has said about Kookie, how much he has hugged him or touched him (on his neck, his waist, his ass, his thighs, his face etc). So much so that there are whole compilations just of him playing with Jungkook’s butt on stage at the end of DNA. JUST on stage. He is so touchy and loving with him that more often than not it looks like he can’t keep his hands to himself. I don’t know about you but it looks to me Jimin quite likes what he sees in Jungkook.

The two particular examples you give all have an explanation behind them: 

“The loyal subordinate”: a teasing comment made in the same day when coincidentally Jimin couldn’t keep his eyes off JK’s face (he scanned his features with his eyes, stopping at his lips). 

If you look for a deeper explanation other than that JM was simply joking, then here’s one for you: For YEARS Jimin was said to be chasing Jungkook around while Kook supposedly “hated him”. Of course, we know that was never the case, they were close even before debut but people even to this day like to repeat the same old story. Jimin, being the social media king he is, is of course aware of this. Do you imagine how hard it must be to give affection to someone (who you know loves you as well) and see a thousand comments about how he hates you? Do you realize how painful it could’ve been for him to see this all over the Internet even when he knows that it’s not true? 

So from time to time he likes to remind us how special he is to the Bunny, how appreciated he is and how none of the bullsh*t is true by saying things like “Jungkookie always comes to my room”, “Jungkookie only gave a present to me”, “Jungkookie bought the tickets (for the Tokyo trip)”, “He is my loyal subordinate”. He does it to show people that JK does in fact care a lot for him and that no, their affection is not one-sided. Maybe he does it because he is aware how Jungkook struggles (or struggled) with expressing feelings with words or simply because he is happy with their close relationship and wants to boast about it. But I assure you, in no way is he treating Kook like a servant. Yeah, maybe he likes being spoiled by him but I think as much as he likes receiving, Jungkook likes giving. Example: 

JM: Jungkook will pay (for his parents’ celebration) 

JK /confidently/: I CAN do it !!! 

So, I don’t think there’s any taking advantage of anyone in this relationship. Jimin babies Jungkookie a lot and in the same time he gives him a lot of privileges. So much so that JK feels they’re the same mental age and often speaks to him informally and casually. (a big thing in SK as you all know)

“The mind” comment: First to clear things up - Jimin didn’t say “he likes Jungkook for his mind” only. He was asked to name a physical feature of Kook but he chose his mind instead. 

To me this is such a precious moment actually. Jimin’s said numerous times how attractive and sexy Jungkook is and has admired his physique. A comment about his lips or smile would be nothing new to me and wouldn’t get me so excited.  Instead of just giving a generic answer about a part of his body (which we know he appreciates, given the above examples of how much and often he touches said body), Jimin complimented Jungkook’s brain, his way of thinking, (something JK himself said he loves about his own self).  Kookie, just like Jimin, is someone who is sexualised and objectified A LOT in the fandom, even in his most vulnerable times, for example when he almost fainted. He is not really known or usually praised for his mind, rather for his body and athleticism. He is often degraded to just his looks or a shipping tool. Which makes Jimin’s comment a lot more meaningful and impactful. There’s a saying that goes well with his answer: “If you want to give a good compliment, call a person who is often regarded as beautiful smart and a person who is always praised as smart beautiful”.  Or another one, that I really like and find especially fitting: “I’m in love with your universe”. 

There’s no doubt in me whatsoever that Jimin loves Jungkook’s universe. Not just his body, or his handsome face but also his talent, his goofiness, his whole self.

Finally about JM and men in America. He complimented an admittedly gorgeous singer, he found an interviewer attractive, he smiled and giggled and was amazingly charming. All behavior that is not foreign to him. Sure, you may say he is more open and expressive but assume he truly is attracted to men. He’s a celebrity and his every action is scrutinized. Idols dating always brings scandal but being a gay/bi one is a sure way to risk your career if you get exposed. If he truly is not straight, that is a big part of himself that he must protect. He might “hide” behind fan service and skin ship but he can’t really be open about his attractions considering his status and that Korea is still homophobic. Which is why his ideal type is always a girl and why Jungkook is often referred as “his brother”. The U.S.A might not be paradise but it’s a lot more accepting and open which gives him the chance to act more like he maybe wishes he could in other countries but can’t. Hence why he may seem “wilder”, “more flirty” and etc. But why are people acting like this is the first time he found someone good looking or as if he’s offering himself to sleep with these men, is beyond me. He is just being his charming and attractive self, it’s who he is but maybe in America we see him a little bit less guarded. 

What he’s done so far is not a crime or something to be concerned about even if he is romantically involved with Jungkook. In fact anyone who has ever been in a serious relationship will tell you that you don’t just stop finding people beautiful. You still have eyes, you can still admire someone and think they are hot, you can even have innocent crushes. You’d just never do anything about those things because you’re happy with what you have. You’re only admiring. I’ve had a serious boyfriend for years and I gush about Jimin to him, sometimes I even say to him “wow, what a sexy man” or “what a pretty girl” and he to me. It doesn’t faze us that the other can appreciate beauty in another person from a distance. Beauty is beauty and that’s that. Of course these are personal examples and I can’t speak for Jimin and Jungkook but I think many people who are seriously committed will agree with me on this. 

As a conclusion what I’m trying to say is that Jimin has shown plenty of times his admiration, affection and attraction to Jungkook. In fact I’ve written a whole post about this HERE.  So there is no need to exaggerate and over dramatize. And also, please stop treating PJM like he is only looking for someone to sleep with. He might be but we don’t have a way to know. From what I see he’s just being his gorgeous self and people are bound to find him attractive and fall for him. I mean, he exudes sex appeal (and many more things) naturally so that’s a given. 

To all the Jikook shippers out there reading this (very long, sorry) answer I’ll say to consider this: Jimin may smile and giggle and raise his perfect eyebrows at anyone but there’s only one Jeon Jungkook who can turn him into a shy, flustered, blushing mess with just a simple sentence and the change of his voice’s tone.

Exhibit A: “Jimin-ssi”, “Jimin-ssi”, “Jimin-ssi” 

Exhibit B: “Where do you think you’re going?” 

Exhibit C: “Jiminie-hyung was acting”

Exhibit D: “Who’s the cake for.. I want to eat it, it looks delicious” 

Exhibit E: “I can tease Jiminie hyung to no end” 

Exhibit F: “Do you hear my heart beating?” 

I can give you an example for every letter in the alphabet, both in English and in my native language. Peace 

[got7-markjinson]

11 questions tag

Tagged by one of my loves @hoodiejaebum​ (i love backstreet boys’ The One, too ^^;)

Alright, here goes.... (Sorry I may have said a lot of things here ^^”)

1. How are you feeling right now? Tell the truth. - I am feeling alright. Thank you for asking! ^^; I am currently at a point in my life where I need to make a choice... and I am now letting Fate decide that. Kind of excited, and kind of hoping everything would work out fine. 2. What does your perfect date with a member from your favorite group consist of? - I have two. LOL! A cultural date with Jinyoung where we visit a museum in the morning, walk around and drink coffee before the musical theatre starts, and then we watch and then have a late night dinner after on a 24 our diner to talk about it. The second one, can be with anyone of my bias, a road trip. Where we drive to a province, or somewhere far away where we know noone. Just stroll around, look at old buildings or the sea (whatever the view is on that place), and then watch the sunset, rent a room to sleep for the night and then drive back home in the morning. :) 3. How would you describe me to a stranger? - One of the sweetest girl I met in tumblr, one of the best fanfic writers I know, someone who’s trash like me, and someone whose heart is good. <3 4. Do you like your job? Explain. - I do! Uhmmm, I like that I get to do what I want. My boss is really cool and lets me off the hook for a lot of things, and I am forever grateful. I also like that I get to help a lot of people, teach them and also make their job easier. (No, I am not a social worker. I do boring adult stuff, if you want details, just send me an ask. Haha!) 5. Gimme ur favorite meme fam. - LOL! I don’t necessarily have a “favorite”, its easy to make me laugh. Recently, I saw this posted on twitter with a caption that says, “WHEN JAEBUM WAS ASKED TO SMILE ON CAMERA” XD

6. What was something that didn’t live up to the hype around itself, in your eyes? - I don’t really get this. Personally, I think being “hype” differs from person to person(?) not just the feeling, I meant the level of exposure they are to that particular event or thing. And I really don’t allow myself to be hyped as much because I’d rather expect the worst because I don’t like getting disappointed. 7. What would you say to your bias in any group of your choice? - I would say to Jinyoung that he’s doing great already and that I am happy he gets to do the things he love and I hope he’s always happy and safe and doesn’t doubt himself. 8. How do you go about getting to know new people? - You are asking the wrong person! LOL! I don’t. uhmmm.... I only get to know people if they are willing to talk to me, too I guess. Here in tumblr for example, if you like a blog or a post from a blog, it’s great to send an appreciation message to that person whether its an ask or a dm. Maybe its the same in real life, you can compliment someone from work or school and then have small talks first. Reach out and it starts from there. ^_^ 9. Are there any vegetables you like? What are they? - I am not picky with food so I eat vegetables. Nowadays, I particularly like carrots. I also love cabbages and lettuce. 10. In the state of Kansas, it’s illegal for semi trucks to drive in the left lane. What are your thoughts on that? - I don’t drive so I don’t have thoughts on that. LOL! But maybe because on the time when they need to turn, it would be difficult to since its a huge vehicle(?). I really have no idea. 11. Do you think there are any stupid laws where you live? - I am sure there are a few out there, but I don’t really know a lot. But because traffic is bad here, we do have number coding and color coding schemes for vehicles. (Like theres days you can’t use your car if your plate ends with 1 and 2, etc.)

I’ll have to skip tagging people since I don’t know what to ask.... 

[oochaycheesstuff]

An Interview with Samantha Baker

Samantha Baker was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago in 1968. She was the second oldest of four children - two sisters and a brother. In her family home, she lived with her mom, dad, and siblings. She experienced the classic stuff a teen went through in the 80s: embarrassment, disgust, first love, as well as boys being very forward and not being able to take a hint. Today, Baker lives her life as a loving mother, wife, and health teacher at her local high school. We sat down with her recently to catch up with her and see where she is now in 2021, as well as have her speak on some of her experiences growing up as a teenage girl in the 80s when it came to boys and how she feels about those experiences now.

Hello, Ms. Baker. Thank you for taking time out of your schedule and doing this interview with me.

SB: It’s no problem at all. Thank you for having me.

So, it has been almost 40 years since you graduated high school. That’s a pretty significant anniversary. Is there any time during your high school years that sticks out to you the most or that you remember the most fondly?

SB: A time during high school that I remember the most? Hmm… the number one thing that comes to mind is my sixteenth birthday. My sixteenth birthday was something I had been looking forward to since I was twelve years old. I had it all planned out: a big party with tons of people, a boyfriend, a brand new black Trans Am waiting for me in the driveway. That birthday is one I will never be able to forget, which is funny because all of my family actually forgot it was my birthday on the day of my birthday. I couldn’t believe it. I spent that entire day waiting for any of them to acknowledge me and wish me well, sing to me, anything! But I didn’t get a single thing! It was right around the time my older sister was getting married and everyone was so focused on her that they completely forgot about me. In fact, the only surprises I got that day were my grandparents asking me invasive questions and their Chinese exchange student that I didn’t know about popping up in my room. It completely freaked me out! There was a school dance that night at the school gym and they actually made me bring him along with me. During that time I had a huge crush on this senior named Jake Ryan. He was the main thing that I wanted, but he was already dating this other popular girl, Caroline, who was gorgeous, and blonde, and perfect. I thought I didn’t stand a chance. Well anyway, fast forward to the school dance, I’m watching Jake and Caroline slow dancing. I felt horrible. But then all of a sudden he looks at me, looks away, and then looks back again. It completely took me by surprise and I had to turn away. When I turned around this nerdy kid was right in my face and started making moves on me. It terrified me. He grabbed me and started dancing with me… well… more like dancing around me. He kept touching me and speaking really creepily in my ear. I was not having a good time.

Oh God, that does not sound pleasant at all.

SB: It was embarrassing! When he was too preoccupied with his dancing and wasn’t paying attention to me, I ran out of the gym as fast as I could. Once I got into the hallway, I remember sliding down the wall and crying. I was pretty dramatic back then, but I mean, what teenager isn’t? I saw the guy I had a huge crush on dancing with his girlfriend that I felt completely inferior to and this nerdy kid wouldn’t leave me alone. Anyway, I cleaned myself up and made my way back into the gym to where my friends were and this kid came up to me again! My friends kinda messed with him to the point where he started looking away and rambling, which I took as a time to escape from him… again. I made my way to the auto shop so I could be by myself and he somehow found me AGAIN! He was really relentless.

That sounds like a nightmare. Did you ever figure out a way that made him leave you alone?

SB: Kind of. I was sitting in this car that was missing it’s entire back half when he found me. For whatever reason, which I’m still not sure the reason behind, I unlocked the door for him and let him sit next to me. He makes a comment on how great the night is and I explain to him that it’s my birthday, and eventually find myself going on a rant about how the day did not live up to my expectations whatsoever. I think he started to feel bad and decided to cheer me up by telling me a secret of his. He told me that he had never actually been able to get a girl. Shocking isn’t it? Anyway, he made a comment I can’t quite remember but whatever it was it made me burst out laughing. I guess I made him feel bad and apologized. I guess he took that as a sign to make another move on me. He started to climb on top of me, bumping the car horn, and I had to yell at him and push him off of me. He sat back down and looked upset. I told him not to worry about it, and he took that as a sign AGAIN to get on top of me, which resulted in me reacting the same way as before. I pushed him off and scolded him again. Somehow we were able to get to having a normal conversation about my own nonexistent love life and I told him how I was saving myself for someone in particular, Jake. To my surprise he told me that Jake had asked him about me! I’m sure you can imagine how excited I was about that. He kind of hypes me up and convinces me to find Jake and talk to him. I don’t know how I was able to turn my night around with this kid but somehow it ended up working in my favor. I’ve been going on and on about this night, so to make a long story a bit shorter, I’ll just say that on my sixteenth birthday my family forgot my birthday, but I ended up knowing my crush might like me back and ended up giving my underwear to the creepy kid so that he could prove a point to his friends. And that’s all I’ll say about that.

Woah. That’s a big turn around from where the night started with you two. When telling that story, you mentioned multiple times how the kid kept making advances towards you when you repeatedly would reject him. That is something that a lot of people, especially young girls and women, experience many times throughout life. What do you think is the reason behind why he wouldn’t stop making those advances on you when you repeatedly showed no interest?

SB: Obviously I cannot speak for him specifically, but I think there were a few factors that played into why he and other boys and men that act this way do what they do. I believe that the movies and shows kids are exposed to play a major part in what they deem right or wrong. You know, this was the ‘80s. There were so many movies being made at that time that had so many questionable and distasteful messages that downplayed or completely disregarded how unacceptable behavior like that is. I turned sixteen in 1984, which is the same year movies like Revenge Of The Nerds came out. At the time, movies were being created that didn’t reprimand the behavior of men and boys that behaved in the manner of the characters in those movies. The characters were always seen as the hero of the movie, despite them doing horrible things. I think because of that, a lot of boys and men believed that it was acceptable to act like that, when it’s most certainly not okay.

Being in a high school setting in today’s world must be very different to how it used to be when you were in high school. More people are being vocal about social issues and movements like #MeToo are making themselves more prevalent. Do you actively talk about those topics in your classes and if so, how are the topics handled?

SB: We absolutely talk about current events in my classes. Being a health teacher, it would be irresponsible to not cover issues like sexual assault and harassment along with the rest of my curriculum. Typically in my classes I will bring up a topic one day, ask my students what they know about the topic, sometimes watch a clip from a show or movie that touches on the subject and always have a discussion afterwards. I might show clips from movies like Animal House (1978), for example, that show acts that are inexcusable and should never be done. It allows for there to be a visual example of the issue at hand and makes it easier to ease into the topic for my students. I will sometimes also show clips from shows like I May Destroy You (2020), to show how different victims might handle or cope with these situations. I try to allow my kids to have access to all the information they need when it comes to serious and sensitive topics such as this.

You mentioned Revenge Of The Nerds and Animal House, two movies that are now looked down upon for some of their questionable plot lines and scenes. Nowadays these movies would be what some might consider “canceled”. What are your thoughts on Cancel Culture and do you also discuss it with your students?

SB: Cancel Culture is a big topic these days. As someone who grew up when the movies mentioned were coming out, there were a lot of things that society was okay with then that are now seen as offensive or insensitive. I think Cancel Culture is a difficult subject, especially when it comes to things that were created or stated during a time when certain topics and actions were deemed acceptable. I believe we should acknowledge the bad and harmful elements of the past and use them as examples of what not to do in the future. There are certain things I have said or acted on that I now know are not correct, and I feel that we should treat the media the same. No one’s perfect, that’s a fact, but it’s important to speak on issues that can cause other people emotional and/or physical pain. These issues should not be taken lightly.

[whereisfootball]

2018 MLS Kit Branding Reimagined

The 2018 Major League Soccer season is nearly underway. It’s been a long offseason and we’re hyped to have it back.

Our friends Tap In have a lot of new, exciting MLS content coming this year on their guide, and in celebration of that, we decided to partner on a fun little project.

In a bid to add a little more personality to what is largely bland, impersonal sponsorship real estate on each kit, we reimagined every team’s jersey with something new in the middle of it. Some of these are local companies, others are prospective partners who have some fun link to the team, and others will probably just be arcane jokes that won’t land.

Nevertheless, we thought this was a fun way to bring a few of our favorite things together: Friendship, Photoshop & American soccer.

Please enjoy.

Atlanta United — Waffle House

An iconic southern restaurant with its roots in Atlanta, Waffle House is open 24/7, 365—and it’s the best. As Waffle House FC will tell you, this is a perfect sponsor for a team that’s tasty on and off the pitch. Their supporters never waver, refusing to shut off for even a single second when they pack the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. They aren’t afraid to do things their own way—which, yes, can sometimes get a bit messy ... but most of the time it’s spot on.

Chicago Fire — Portillo’s

Sorry, it’s important we let you know now that this is probably going to be a food-heavy list as we’re rather fond of eating.

Portillo’s is a Chicago institution known for its hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, and an extremely healthy, 100% good for any diet cheese sauce.

While the Fire aren’t yet a Chicago institution themselves, we hope one day pictures of Bob Bradley, Hristo Stoichkov & Ante Razov will line the walls of a Portillo’s near you.

Colorado Rapids — Coors

The beer with mountains on the can that turn from white to blue when it’s cold enough to drink...

The beer that you knew and loved so well from ages 21-24...

The beer brewed with spring water from the very same Rocky range you can spot from the Colorado Rapids’ 18,000-seat soccer specific stadium...

Headquartered in Golden, Colorado and responsible for some of the best nights of your life, we give you Coors on a Rapids jersey...

“Like if Chelsea’s 1994 kit did a gap year in America.”

Columbus Crew — Wendy’s

As the red-headed stepchild of MLS, this one kind of feels right. And the disappearance of the club would be just as sad as when Wendy’s (founded in Columbus) got rid of their spicy chicken nuggets.

#SAVETHECREW

(Note: The actual kit is pretty great and it’s honestly insulting that we did anything to it. We’re sorry.)

DC United — Geico

The Chevy Chase, Maryland-based Geico gecko had some good years there. We all liked him for a while. It was a good bit. But it got stale right around the time Freddy Adu left town. Since then, DC United and the gecko have struggled mightily to find consistent form. Here’s hoping they both find success this year from a new approach.

(And, hey, while we’re here: All the best to you, Freddy.)

FC Dallas — Dr. Pepper

Everyone’s second team, Dr. Pepper, is a lifestyle in Texas. A Lone Star State-staple that pulls a talented 23-flavor squad from all-over—here’s to you Waco and Dublin— Dr. Pepper is an underrated, over-performing outfit with immense local significance … just like their imagined partner in Dallas.

A lot more to be proud of than their trophy cabinet will tell you.

Houston Dynamo — Swishahouse

As Mike Jones, noted soccer superfan, Swishahouse OG, and Everyone’s Favorite Rapper from 2005, once said:

Let ‘em know: Houston Dynamo.

Good enough for us.

LA Galaxy — SpaceX

Space. Galaxy. You get it.

Headquartered a stone’s throw from the LA Galaxy’s stadium in Carson is SpaceX, Elon Musk’s influential private “outer space things” company as it’s scientifically known.

Much like MLS’s most famous and successful franchise, SpaceX is a trailblazer famous for its glamour and willingness to break the mold. This isn’t to say it’s always smooth sailing—for either—but at the end of the day they’re both respected for their vision and performance.

This crossover is too perfect and it’s something that we’ve seen terrific mockups of in the past (though we wish we knew who to credit!). Also worth a shout is this awesome piece from LA Galaxy Confidential, which mentions Tesla as a fun potential partner. 

LAFC — The Boring Company

If the Galaxy is SpaceX, LAFC is The Boring Company.

Elon Musk’s newest endeavor is going to revolutionize Los Angeles by … making tunnels for cars? Oh, and by creating giant vehicles that can travel those tunnels and move lots of people at once … like a train. Hmm. The Boring Company seems like a well-backed but ordinary idea that lacks direction and distinction, with a lot of hype for reasons no one can really explain.

To be blunt, we haven’t really seen much to this point.

The Galaxy have sent a Tesla up into space and revolutionized how we build rockets... but LAFC have so far just made a bunch of flamethrowers and sold out their entire stock. So, we’ll see.

For now, all we’re really sure about is how much better their kit would have looked if they hadn’t put their sponsor in red.

Minnesota United — Prince. Duh.

You can have a Dirty Mind or even be a little Delirious, but you’ll still end up right back here with no Controversy. You can wear it in a Little Red Corvette, in a Purple Rain, When Doves Cry or even put it on Bambi. With this kit, you’ll be a Sexy MF.

Montreal Impact — Cirque du Soleil

What’s wilder than benching Didier Drogba because you’re better without him? One person doing acrobatics on the head of another person while a third person flies through the air holding fire. In French.

Born and headquartered in Quebec, Cirque du Soleil is now the largest theatrical producer in the world. The Impact aren’t even the kings of Canada yet, let alone MLS, but this could be the year they flip their way to the top. Holding fire. In French.

New England Revolution — Sperry’s

Put those Sperry’s on to look the part and take your dad’s boat out on the water. You’ll be as close to Boston as Gillette Stadium and the deck of your boat will probably be as soft as the turf too.

NYCFC — Sbarro.

The Michael-Scott-approved best pizza in New York. The only logical choice.

Sorry, sorry. We’re kidding. Don’t go to Sbarro.

...Let’s try that again...

NYCFC — WeWork.

Much like City Football Group, WeWork is trying to change a model.

For CFG, it’s football clubs. For WeWork, it’s the office space game. WeWork started in New York, born out of an inability to find affordable and available office space in the city—a problem NYCFC knows rather well—and now has an operation that spans across the globe.

Like CFG, it might not be your cup of tea, but it certainly works for a lot of people in NYC and has offered plenty of enterprising young professionals a place to grind. #JackHarrison

New York Red Bulls — Become the MetroStars again.

#Metros4Ever. That is all.

Orlando City — Publix

This one is a no-brainer.

Publix is an employee-owned supermarket chain that serves up some truly delicious food and has fans almost as fanatical as those found on The Wall in Orlando.

Floridians are vocally, passionately, sometimes a bit frighteningly #TeamPublix—and the same can be true for the way purple-clad City supporters get behind their squad.

Philadelphia Union — Wawa

If you know, you know. In their words:

“Wawa is your all day, every day stop for fresh, built-to-order foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services, and surcharge-free ATMs. The stores offer a large fresh food service selection, including Wawa brands such as built-to-order hoagies, freshly brewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, built-to-order specialty beverages, and an assortment of soups, sides and snacks.”

Wawa 4 ever. #SheetzOUT

Portland Timbers — Powell’s

Powell’s City of Books is (supposedly) the largest independent new and used bookstore in the world. It is ginormous and fantastic and you should go if you’re ever in Portland.

We don’t know of any football clubs sponsored by book stores, but if there was ever going to be one, it would play in the Rose City.

Real Salt Lake — High West

Tucked away in a state known primarily for its gorgeous vistas and as the home of the Mormon religion is a really wonderful distillery that will knock your socks off. It also comes with that beautiful mountain view, not unlike Rio Tinto Stadium.

San Jose Earthquakes — Yahoo!

Nothing says cool like needing an exclamation point at the end of your name. Kind of like building a brand new stadium and needing to tell people that you have a really long bar.

As the kit sponsor of the Quakes during their two title runs, we think it’s time for Yahoo! to make a return. (Not sure anyone will use it, though.)

Seattle Sounders — Starbucks

Sorry, we’re those guys. Seattle gave the world Starbucks and we needed to see what that logo would look like on these new kits. 

Plus, much like Starbucks invented coffee, the Sounders invented American soccer.

Sporting Kansas City — Hallmark

A proudly Kansas City company that is all about good vibes, with extensive Wizard of Oz involvement over the years.

That sounds a lot like Sporting KC to us—a team that needed a rough start in order to find its way. Much the same, Hallmark probably would have never become what it is today without extensive setbacks in its early years.

Toronto FC — Tim Hortons

Timbits and trophies: That’s what Toronto does. Nowadays, anyway.

We only had three Canadian teams to give the Tim Hortons love to, so we figured the toast of MLS deserves the world’s most lovely quick-service cafe and bake shop.

Vancouver Whitecaps — Lululemon

Set on the water, with an amazing mountain view, you couldn’t say a bad word about how great Vancouver looks. It’s straight-up cool. And local company Lululemon makes activewear that looks similarly awesome. We are officially here for MLS yoga wear.

————

This post was a collaboration between Where Is Football and Tap In Guide. Check out their stuff—it’s awesome.

A special thanks to Tap In’s graphic designer Mike Arney for helping bring our ideas to life, and to our buddy Ryan Rosenblatt for developing those ideas with us.

As always, you can follow us on Instagram @whereisfootball.

[kira-the-cat]

So now that I’m feeling better after last night, lets talk about why I and a lot of other people are not happy with Pokemon Lets Go. Full disclosure, if you’re happy and excited that’s fine. Please respect that people aren’t. Don’t go yelling at people who aren’t. Same applies to people that aren’t happy about it. Don’t blast people that are. This got long while I was typing so its going under a cut.

With that out of the way the main reason I’m not personally happy about it is that its once again Kanto. I understand that this is a test game, however there were numerous other ways to test the Switch’s power with Pokemon. Even if they wouldn’t have been Sinnoh remakes we still haven’t gotten a new Mystery Dungeon game since Super (which I find a missed opporotunity since we could have had Ultra Mystery Dungeon to keep with the themes from USuMo and getting to pick some Gen 7 mons would have been neat), there’s the neglected Ranger series, since the game is less battle oriented than usual we could have gotten our first actual Contest themed game, there’s the highly neglected Orre region, etc. What I’m saying is there were a lot of ways to do this that weren’t just Gen 1 again.

That brings me to my next point; the fact that we are once again restricted to just the first 151 Pokemon (I’m not counting whatever the new one is because I’m of the opinion that its probably just Zeraora since it was never legitimately released for Gen 7 despite having code in USuMo) plus a handful of their Alolan forms to even the type chart out. I have absolutely no idea why they were doing this when it was completely hated in FRLG. And while I’m aware that Gen 5 essentially did the same thing the difference is that Gen 5 was all Unova Pokemon. You had to adjust to new Pokemon and moves and abilities instead of relying on the ones you knew how to work with. And then once you finished the main story you had the option to mix your party up besides the Unova mons. Everyone knows how good/bad the Gen 1 mons are. All this does is lead to people with the exact same teams because there’s barely any variety. There’s also the fact that PoGo has up to Gen 3 so there’s zero reason for such an arbitrary restriction except to pander to nostalgia.

This feels suspiciously like what happened with Sonic Forces and Sonic Mania and I already see the issues that those two games caused popping up in the main tag. Let’s Go is basically Mania in that its designed to mostly pander to the nostalgic crowd and “casual” PoGo players who either have no interest or find the newer games overwhelming. The 2019 game is Forces. A game with a lot of hyped up potential and very little information right now. Pretty much rumored to be designed with the more solid fanbase in mind. Now at first glance this doesn’t seem to be an issue, GF/Sega is playing to both sides, trying to keep everyone happy. On the surface that’s a great idea. In reality all it does is create a shit ton of tension between the people who are, justifiably, sick of all the spotlight treatment Gen 1/Classic Sonic gets especially in recent years and the people who think that that much spotlight focus is no big deal.

The removal of wild battles in favor of overworld encounters. While this has been confirmed to not carry over to the 2019 game this still leaves a sour taste in a lot of people mouths especially when trainer battles are kept and Exp gain seems to be linked to catching Pokemon which is another thing bothering people because of catching being exclusively motion control related. Now whether they will or will not be optional is another story entirely but given how skewed the RNG is in PoGo I don’t have high hopes for it in this game. Also I understand that this doesn’t exist in the GameCube games, however there’s a plausible reason for that. This is just copying PoGo.

The weird state its in. Apparently its a main title according to Game Freak, albeit one for casual fans, yet it feels like a side game with the gimmicky feel of it. And that’s not to say gimmicks are bad, just that this feels a lot more like a side game than a main one.

Speaking of casual, the assumption that Pokemon is a hard series to grasp that it needs a game like this baffles me. Pokemon is far from a hard series, and this is from someone that plays games that tend to be unforgiving and has been playing games with limited lives for years. Especially recently Pokemon has gotten much easier, going as far as to railroad the player via cutscenes in Gen 7 and the implimentation of the Exp All which is on by default. Sure there’s been some difficult puzzles, most of which are optional, but the answer can be nowadays found on the internet so most of the challenge is removed there. Even still, the series has remained one of the easiest to play as well access. Every game in the series, from Gen 1 to 7 can be accessed and played. You can work your way up through the games to learn how they work. The claim that Lets Go is designed to make the series even easier makes me feel like people underestimate just how easy the games truly are.

And my ultimate gripe with the game is that they brought back the one mechanic I, and a lot of other people, have been asking for since Gen 4 and its so far restricted to Gen 1. Every single Pokemon thus far has a walk/run animation as revealed by Dataminers last year when USuMo came out. Hell that game was the one that so heavily teased it by having interactable Pokemon in the overworld, showing the Pokemon outside their Pokeballs in cutscenes to the point that Hau’s starter will always follow him outside of it. 

I don’t like the insinuation that they brought back a highly requested feature only to dangle it behind the ever obnoxious presence that is Kanto and Gen 1. Now if its in the 2019 game that’s something different, but considering they’re marketing this at “casual” players I feel like it won’t be in the other game because its apparently not what the so called “hardcore” crowd would want. It really sucks that the one feature about this game I desperately want is tied to a region I have grown to really loathe since Gen 6. It hurts, because I missed following Pokemon so much and when I saw that there were Pokemon I could play with in the overworld for USuMo I had high hopes that it was in the full game only it wasn’t. I’m really bitter over that fact because it hurts that it was teased so damn much only to result in this. 

Honestly when this is all said and done I don’t want to hear another peep about Kanto for at least the next three Gens. You got what you wanted, let the rest of the series be free of this.

[supercantaloupe]

Mean Girls: a comprehensive musical review

Today I had the chance to see Mean Girls at the National Theatre in its pre-Broadway premiere in Washington, DC. It’s definitely a show that I see doing well on Broadway for a season or two and I predict it will have a good, strong life on tours, regional, and high school productions. It’s definitely a show I recommend to anyone interested, be they fans of the original movie or not.

A more in-depth review is under the cut.

Mean Girls surpassed my expectations. As a musical adaptation of a movie based about a social outcast being thrust into popularity in high school which is primarily aimed at a demographic of younger theatregoers and fans of the source material, I was skeptical about the product. I expected it to be more generic in sound and style than it ended up being, and really, I’m quite pleased that this show proved me wrong. 

I had expected a primarily poprock, contemporary musical that sounds like what you’d hear on the radio. I feel a lot of shows in the same genre are like this. The score, however, ended up being much more theatrical - it felt contemporary Broadway style rather than mainstream popular music, and I really liked that, sounding more Wicked and Bring it On than Heathers and American Idiot. Very easily could it have fallen into the trap of sounding like generic and uninspired, but the music was relatively catchy and felt creatively planned. It’s a score I look forward to downloading the album to when it is recorded and released. I do have my criticisms; as nice as the music sounded, I still could’ve used more variation. The songs varied in style but the great majority of them were moderate-to-upbeat in tempo and in a standard 4/4 time. I would’ve liked to hear more slow songs in more varied meters. I’m wondering if this is something that will be changed when it moves to Broadway previews.

The lyrics were quite good; Nell Benjamin’s writing is clever and funny in all the same was as it has been in her previous works like in Legally Blonde. They fit the music and story well and wove in both plot and comedy in an entertaining way. If I had any complaints about the lyrics it’s that they were at times difficult to hear, but that I feel is more of an error with the overall sound balance, when certain actors’ mics were too loud or too quiet to be heard over the band or their fellow cast members.

The book was great. Tina Fey is in her element behind the pen. It was funny, bright, energetic, and overall well-paced. I worried that the script would rely too heavily on the movie - that is to say, that the musical would simply be the movie presented on stage with some songs thrown in. I’m very pleased to have been wrong on this account. It was all-new and took the familiar story into a place that was comfortable at home on the stage (no doubt due in large parts to the staging and acting, but more on that later). Of course, some of the famous quotes and hook lines from the movie that we all know and love were thrown in, but it was a breath of fresh air to hear some of them go and new ones added it. It really helped to make the show new and exciting, its own entity rather than a bland copy of its source material in a new setting. The ones that remained were certainly kept to pander to the audience to keep them hooked and satisfied I’m sure, but their exclusion of the others made everything feel new and exciting - you never knew when the next iconic line or memorable joke would be. It’s a well-made writing decision.

The set and staging was a joy to watch. As you entered the theatre the show starts curtain up and the stage empty, exposing the backbone of the entire show, a curved wall of video screens. At the top of show, the screens project pages of the infamous burn book, with pictures from a yearbook and mean comments scribbled over them. (Then, during intermission, the same pictures are shown in a pink color wash with white scribbling. And finally, at the end of the show, the opening pictures are again shown, this time with positive comments scribbled over them. A nice touch.) Seeing only the screens, I immediately began to worry that the screens were going to be the only source of setting for the show, which I think is something of a cop-out, in all honesty - you can be more creative than that. Once again I found myself happily proven wrong. The projects on the screens were beautiful and well-animated, and they were used to create a wide range of settings and emotions (working in conjunction with the lighting design, which was also on-point). The projected images set scenes, emotional tone, and were used as comedy in their own right, too. But I’m extremely happy to see that they were not the only scenery in the show. The rest came in as wagons and periaktoi which bore lockers, whiteboards, desks, benches, tables, bathroom stalls, and more. They were all wheeled in manually by actors onstage - nothing automated. The video screens moved to the side to create passageways through which the actors and the sets could slide in and out of scene, on and off stage. It felt to me a seamless blending of traditional and more modern set design. It felt clever, tight, and a great use of space and resources. This is one thing I hope does not change with the show’s transition to Broadway; I think some of the energy and fun will be lost if the set moved to a more automated design, with pieces rolling or sliding in automatically rather than manually. I hope the sets stay as they are, because, as they are, they’re wonderful.

The cast was just excellent. Many of its actors came with experience from similar-energy shows - Newsies, The Prom, Heathers, Bring it On, and others - and were well-equipped to carry the hype and intensity of Mean Girls on their shoulders. The acting was natural and well-rounded, the singing was exactly what it needed to be and nothing less, and the dancing was thrilling. Choreography shined here, both in dance numbers (of which I’m pleased to say there were quite a few) and in terms of blocking during scenes or in the background. It was natural, energetic, it felt very at home in a story about high schoolers misbehaving. This is a show that I predict - with perhaps a few jokes scrubbed to a more PG rating - will see a great life in high school theatre repertoires. It boasts a large leading and supporting class (female-heavy) as well as a large ensemble, which I found quite refreshing to see. So many new shows nowadays, especially on or heading to Broadway, are choosing to keep casts small, so it’s nice to see the opposite for a change. Costumes as well were great; again, they helped to set the scene and the energy for the show and create a believable world, but I was impressed by not only the quality of the costumes but also by the sheer volume of costumes. Every member of the large cast almost never wears the same thing twice, and there are a ton of scenes to organize entirely new outfits for so many people. It’s a subtle but very strong detail, in my opinion, to have included. The acting felt very well-prepared and smooth, and I was impressed by the coordination of the company in big group scenes, particularly in the classroom scenes (in which rows of students in desk chairs on wheels would all swivel simultaneously 90 degrees to face a new direction, at the same time as one would stand up and assume the role of a teacher and the projector screens instantly snap to new colors, creating a completely new classroom setting in microseconds). I was also pleasantly surprised by the number of songs sung by minor characters. The music felt very well distributed among lead solos, minor solos, and group numbers. 

Everything about this show felt planned and practiced and balanced, which admire. As far as musical adaptations of movies go, it’s much more Legally Blonde than it is Heathers - that is to say, things were changed along the way, and it’s not a direct rip of the source material with songs added, and I think the changes made were excellent. If you’re expecting to see the movie on stage with some songs thrown in, you’ll be caught off-guard, but I suspect your surprise will be welcome and enjoyable. This show I believe still has a small ways to go before it hits its highest form on Broadway and beyond, but I predict it will shine brightly when it gets there. Funny and energetic, it was an extremely entertaining experience that I would recommend to anyone even remotely interested in attending. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing it and I expect anyone else who sees it will too.