#'peak' in quotes because i can't even guess

[monarchisms]

I saw a post on Twitter the other day about how someone was posting about how they just know this hermitcraft artist does NSFW art of them in a negative way and man these people would not be able to handle what went on in the rtahfh fandom

i mean, to an extent, can you blame them?

the rtah fandom at its "peak" and the hc fandom (if we're not including stuff like the life series) is some real "hydrogen bomb vs coughing baby" type shit. if it weren't for other people in the AH fandom trying to establish a positive relationship with the crew and find out boundaries in what could or couldn't be made about them, it'd be even more of a wild west than it was

my own personal opinion is that with some exceptions, i don't really like shippy content with the hermits, and i avoid nsfw stuff like the plague. it's a mix of me having little clue what each person is comfortable with since the group is huge, and also that many of them don't actively have a persona in the server that one can excuse as a character that's separate from the content creator

there's also the more obvious fact that rt content isn't generally for all ages. it makes sense for there to be a culture shock if you're someone who is unfamiliar with how rtah fans handle the more explicit content they create lol

[skitskatdacat63]

"To dream the impossible dream, that is my quest." - Prince Fernando of Asturias

+ Seb not getting what he ordered

+ the usual

Hello yes, look! It's baby Renault Fernando, isn't he so cute??? Who wouldn't want to force him into an arranged marriage, like cmon man be real. Here is the progress as usual, as well as his suit without the design, cause I'm pretty proud of it just blank even!

Okay so this is pure Fernando, innocent Fernando, before he had his apirations ripped way from him. Well not fully ripped away tbf, because that's the crux of his character: is it more humiliating to never succeed or to only succeed because someone handed it to you with concessions? I guess that's up for him to decide though ;;;

The thing I love about this drawing and young Fernando in general is how much easier it is to see his and Seb's similarities. Look how similar they look! Seb is just a bit more evil.

I think that's a big part as to why his feelings about Seb are so complicated. He both loves and hates how similar they are. From an egotistical point, he can appreciate and respect the familiar traits in Seb, the hunger, the exuberance, the pride, the ego. But also we hate seeing our own traits in other people, it's almost like turning a mirror on your worst traits and suddenly being able to see yourself from a new perspective. The biggest point here though is that Fernando turns that resentment onto Seb, as a way to clamp down on self hatred.

He becomes more bitter and resentful as he grows older, and loses a lot of his whimsy and joy. So it hurts him to see Seb, who in addition to getting everything he's ever wanted, also retain his whimsy. He, wrongly, just sees it as something that had to happen in order for him to grow up fully. It's more of a survival tactic, it started becoming unbefitting for him to have that level of unfounded confidence. That's the main reason he sees Seb as childish, immature and undeserving. He hasn't fully grown out of his capacity for whimsy and joy, and thus is below Fernando.

Well that was depressing oops! As the chibi art represents, this is probably a painting Seb got sent in the early days of planning their marriage. This is the Fernando who is still prideful, the Fernando who is still confident, the Fernando Seb vaguely remembers meeting his youth. Seeing this definitely pushes him even further towards the marriage(though tbf it's not like he even has a choice either.) Though when the time to actually start courting comes around, Fernando looks very uh different. This is both a joke about how different Fernando was in his first renault stint vs his second. But also I think he does show up very moody and disheveled, as a sort of last chance way to try and turn everyone on Seb's side, including Seb, off from the marriage. However, it's pretty much a done deal by that point.

Seb is uh, definitely confused, but I think he would be drawn to Fernando regardless. Actually, this might make Fernando even more appealing. Seb gets to push him all the time, try to break down his walls and get a glimpse at the real Fernando, if even just for a moment. Seb wishes he had more that just a blurry, vague recollection of Fernando at his peak confidence. Fernando definitely grows into something resembling his past self, after recovering from all the hurt, but there's just something about youthful exuberance that can't really be fully replicated.

Okay so about the quote. I went with Don Quixote this time instead of the typical Napoleon, because I thought it'd be funny. Fernando picks up the book at some point during his youth, and it inspires him a lot. He doesn't really see the satire in it, and comes to really admire Don Quixote's mentality, he's like "wow he never gives up! That's so admirable!" It definitely helps him through dark times to aspire to never give up no matter what. Though later Seb definitely rags on him for not knowing it was satire, and Fernando is like "wh-what do you mean satire?" But he's mentally strong enough atp for it to not cause his whole worldview collapse. About the quote specifically, there's definitely some part of him, even when young, that knows his aspirations are borderline impossible. I wonder if that part of him feels weirdly safe and comforted about the marriage. Yes, it's not ideal, but it's safe and secure. He gets what he wants, and there's no chance of anyone taking it away from him, no matter what.

I think his title would be Prince of Asturias? It was either that or duke, and I think prince fits him bettee(Machiavelli reference?) That title is currently the title for the heir to the Spanish throne. In this time period, it's also commonly used for the heir, but for Fernando it's a bit unsure. Like in real life, he's not directly the offspring, but he's still the most obvious choice for heir. But there's still enough room for Seb and his house to try to vie for the throne themselves, so it makes it all complicated.

[planetaryaether]

unfortunately i really don't have the time or the attention span to keep up with livestreaming or vods so have just been seing stuff about kirbycraft on dash. If you know/it's too much trouble could you give me the cliffnotes of Rythian kirbycraft stuff of importance?

Apologies for the late response! I was a few streams behind on KirbyCraft so I wanted to be fully caught up before answering. So KirbyCraft isn't really a rp but there is some lore and plenty of nods to Blackrock, so I have broken it down by stream in case there is a specific moment you are interested in/want to watch for yourself!

Stream 1: 20/01/2023 - Rythian died immediately - Rythian "finagled" his way into the group - "You can't trust endermen" - Ryhian is the only one with a brain cell "deep breaths rythian, deep breaths" - (Exasperated) "don't cause trouble with the endermen!" "don't cause war with the endermen, that's like 3 seasons from now" - "I can give you all the lore if you want" "Their entire world got ruined by a big ol' magical experiment so now it's a wasteland" - (after being called edgy) "listen. edge is my history. I can't pretend I wasn't an edgy boy. I'm holding onto that" - In response to "if we're cold, they're cold" about endermen "He's not cold - he comes from a dimension of void. He has no sense of temperature!"

Stream 2: 27/01/2023 - Rythian is assigned the leaky room below the farm (even out of rp rythian gets the shitty room)

Stream 3: 03/02/2023 - Rythian is a canonical boob man - (In response to Briony being excited about the idea of getting an enderman to pick up a pumpkin) "why are you so excited about an enderman, they re evil" "Briony, you are so naive, you'll be the death of me one day"

Stream 4: 10/02/2023 - (About endermen) "I may or may not speak that language"

Stream 5: 24/02/2023 - Au is different from blackrock lore (Rythian can be friends with endermen)

Stream 6: 03/03/2023 - The gang decides to live in a woodland mansion Rythian's wrestling intro is "the voodoo people" (pendulum remix) by Prodegy - "I may not have a finatical hatred for endermen, based on my character's backstory, anymore, but they're still dangerous enemies!" - Rythian goes into how he joined the Yogscast and that he has always had a passion for creative projects so the moment he had the chance to make one, he made Blackrock

Stream 7: 10/03/2023 - Rythian says endermen deserve nothing but then backtracks and says they can have a block. Is deemed a "big softie" for showing the smallest amount of not-hatred towards endermen - Rythian blames a portion of their house burning on an enderman - Rythian (about getting xp back after dying) "I guess I gotta go either go on a killing spree or find some nether quarts I suppose" Briony "Oh, no it's happening. Rythian has reached peak evil Rythian" "It's the evil alt-rythian"

Stream 8: 17/03/2023 - "Beginning of my villain arc? maybe" literally 5 seconds later quotes the lil jon remix of cooking by the Book - Kirsty calls the idea of the end cute Rythian: "It's not. It's terrifying and despair enducing"

Stream 9: 31/03/2023 - Rythian suggests giving the enderman that lives in their house a gift (something pretty that grows) because the End is devoid of anything twits a conversation about bears to (half-jokingly) say that it is okay that he kills endermen because it is 'in his nature'

Stream 10: 14/04/2023 - Only briony can tame endermen by looking them in the eye. Rythian jokes about how many mystery mods are in the mod pack and how he would prefer that all endermen are automatically hostile and "go full-on ender-war" - Rythian is against adding a big-titty-endermen mod - Because the end was transformed into a wasteland with no resources/food, its inhabitants changed into a form that could survive without sustenance. Endermen can survive most poisons, diseases, and curses. - Rythian compares the 'friendermen' to slave soldiers - Rythian describes as an "angy boy" - Originally Nilesy was supposed to be a part of KirbyCraft

Stream 11: 21/04/2023 - Rythian doesn't like that the endermen seem to think that their mansion is a safe place for them - Rythian tries to befriend an enderman and it says "I remember you" - Rythian acknowledges the usefulness of befriending endermen

[tj-dragonblade]

Shipper Tag Game

Tagged by the delightful @seiya-starsniper @zzoomacroom and @carnelianmeluha, thank you!

What ship were you completely obsessed with as a teenager, but now you don’t care about anymore? I...hm. Am I willing to publicly admit to the self-insert daydreaming I did as a teen, long before my days in internet fandom? Okay I guess I kind of just did but I refuse to elaborate. I have long since moved on and I ship him with an in-universe partner at this point.

Which ship would you consider your first one? You ask a lot of my poor aging memory. I'm gonna say...before internet-accessible fandom? I was very keen on Rogue and Gambit in high school, when the 90s XMen animated series was one of my primary interests. After acquiring internet access and discovering communal fandom? 2x5, Gundam Wing. Duo and Wufei.

Your first fanfic was about which couple? Duo and Wufei

Do you remember the first couple you saw fan art of? It was probably Heero x Duo since that was the big popular ship in GW

Have you ever gotten into ship discourse? I don't think so. I am not exempt from having spoken ill of ships over the years but it's been about my opinion, not some kind of value/morality judgement and I have never gotten into fights with anyone

Did you used to have a NOTP or have one currently? There is one ship that I will class as a NOTP and it only became that after it went unexpectedly canon. I'm still willing to incorporate their canon kid into things and I have no interest in demonizing her, but I absolutely Do Not Want to see/read/hear about them having a genuine romantic attachment because the canonization pissed me off so bad. It's SaiIno from Naruto, for the curious.

Who were the last couple in the last fanfic you read? Dreamling

Currently, do you have any OTPs? Depends on your definition of OTP I suppose. To me it means 'favorite couple' more than 'can't stomach seeing them with anyone else'. Currently that's Dreamling. Currently I'm not really interested in reading about either of them with anyone else but historically as I spend longer in a fandom my tastes grow more willing to branch out, so who knows what the future holds. And I still have OTPs from each fandom I've been in (some of which predate the common use of the term 'OTP') even if they're no longer my reading/writing focus.

Is there any couple that, to this day, you are extremely mad about not getting into? Not...really? Not mad about? This is such a weird question, if I was truly taken with a ship I would have explored it? Are we asking if I'm mad about getting into a ship after the fandom has passed its peak of popularity maybe? IDK? I mean, there are occasionally characters from properties that are in formats that I don't tend to invest my time in (Podcasts, video games, long-ass long-running animes that I did not get in on the ground floor with) that catch my interest, and then I have next to no canon framework for exploring my interest, but it's not a thing I'd ever get mad about. If I really want to know more about Gale and his potential matches I'll find somewhere to read BG3 lore, y'know?

Is there any ship you used to dislike but now you think they’re kind of interesting? Mmmmmno. But I do have more than one that's gone the other way.

Do you have any ship that, in the past, would have been considered normal but now you would be cancelled over? Mmmyep. I remain unapologetic about it; that is my ship, tirelessly built with my own two hands and almost nothing predating me to influence interpretation, lovingly crafted exactly as I see it and convincingly enough to interest a handful of other folks. Thankfully none of the people leaving occasional kudos on those fics these days are raising a stink about the 'problematic' elements.

What is your favourite crack ship? Lord of the Lost's Judas album gave me serious serious Jesus/Judas vibes, but that's not really crack so much as quote-unquote blasphemy. I am going to steal Seiya's answer of Tony the Tiger x The Grinch, because I am hard-pressed to think of anything else that would qualify.

What is the couple you read the most fanfics about? Currently? Dreamling. I tend to hyper-focus on one fandom at a time and when I'm lucky enough to ship the popular pairing, there is Far Too Much to spend my limited free time on and little reason to invest any of it elsewhere.

What do most of your ships have in common? I think the broadest way to sum up the widest swathe of similarities is that I generally enjoy a dynamic of Reserved x Exuberant, or to pull back a little further still, of Complementary Opposites.

What do you absolutely hate in a ship? Hate very rarely enters into it. Lack of chemistry, I guess? But that is a very subjective criterion. For every 'But why would you ship them?' I can ask, someone will have an answer.

Tagging, no obligation, tag me in your existing post if you've just done it: @danikatze, @zalia, @esperata, @staroftheendless, @rooftopwreck, @aquilathefighter, @chaosheadspace, @ginoeh, @macavitykitsune

[bison-appreciation-club]

wait how have you been hated on for liking Native American history??? That's so weird 😭😭

oh boyyyy do I have stories for this.

I've never received any online hate, for which I am extremely grateful, but people have been exceedingly weird about it in real life, ranging from bizarre to just plain racist. I can't remember all of it, so I'll just take you through the highlights.

My grandmother never quite knows how to introduce me to her friends (because she has a lot of friends and is quite the social butterfly) so she often introduces me as 'her grandchild, who knows a lot about Native American history'. Which isn't really true. I know a little (well, maybe more than a little) about a very specific area of Native American history. So most of the following things have come from my grandmother's friends.

Native Americans aren't actually American *smug face* they actually come from Nepal. *smug face again*. She seemed so pleased with herself to know something I didn't. And honestly I didn't know how to react. I think that one was more funny than anything. Why are you trying to out-knowledge someone sixty years younger than you. why.

*Accusingly* I suppose you hate Columbus, then. Yes. Yes I do

You're only interested just because you like the aesthetic the what now?

It's just because you're woke why do conservative people have to use the word woke so many times. hey, sorry folks, researching cultures different to your own is WOKE. Proper right-wing fellows are INSULAR. they don't CARE about the rest of the world.

You're disrespecting and abandoning your white heritage ok. Tbh if you consider yourself peak white heritage, I'm glad to be out of it. Seriously tho, how do you think race and nationality works? I can be white and interested in Native American history. The two don't cancel each other out.

Similar to that one, is my personal favourite:

You're committing cultural appropriation by being interested in Native American history. What. This was also said to me by some rando in a bookshop when I was buying a book on, well, guess what topic. I thought they were one of the staff at first, but looking back at it I think they were really Just Some Rando. Why would you say that to someone who is just trying to buy a book. You don't even know me. I don't want your opinion.

That one really worried me for a while, I'm gonna be honest. I had to send a particularly grovelling anon to some Native American I found on Tumblr. And they said it wasn't cultural appropriation. AND they gave me book recommendations. So yeah.

(PS I can't remember who you are, but if you see this, then you metaphorically saved my life and literally saved my dignity)

That's all the specific incidents I can remember, but there have been a lot of other things. Jokes, mostly. Quoting westerns. Speaking like the Native Americans from Peter Pan or some shit whenever I enter the room. I once had someone make those western style war cries at me for five hours.

Making fun of their names is a big one. (Guys, there are only so many times you can make fun of anyone's name, and that amount is zero. even if they're called some shit like techno mechanicus -looking at you, Elon Musk. I literally don't see what's so funny about the name Black Kettle anyway. Either I've been reading about him too much, but it's not a weird name?? Also. He got fucking murdered. I'm researching how he got murdered and you're taking the piss out of him. Get some respect and dignity).

Also. If I have to hear one more joke along the lines of 'did you ever have any reservations about studying this topic' I am going to wring your neck.

So uh I'm sorry I turned your question into a bit of a rant but if I've learned one thing it's this: researching non-white history really shows you people's hidden racism. The amount of shit people have said to me about the Native Americans. My guys your opinions belong in a Victorian dime novel about the frontier. And that's not a compliment.

[ohtobemare]

my top five list of favorite movies that nobody asked for (a working list)

edit to add i can't believe i found gifs for all these WOW i am basic i guess

Jurassic Park. for many and all reasons but mostly that one VHS tape i still have that has been used and abused. i can quote this movie forward and back and this is where my love of cinema really truly began. thank you Spielberg for your service.

2. Bird on a Wire. my sexual awakening started with Mel Gibson in this movie and to this day it is still my favorite rom-com of all time, and has 100% set the bar for rom-coms and my relationship with them.

3. Lonesome Dove & Tombstone. yes this is a two-fer, because they are both westerns. no i will not be taking recommendations and there will be no other greater westerns added to this list thank you (except maybe for the outlaw josey wales but right now i am confident in my picks thank you).

4. Real Genius. this is a new one for me but i absolutely cannot deny how classically funny and necessary a gag-script is in a favorite-movies list. Val Kilmer steals this movie and gives a performance that's 10/10. comedy at its finest.

5. Transformers: The Movie (1986) & Transformers (2007). this set me on my path to transformers obsession and, thus, fundamentally changed the fandom game and my life. yes bayverse is trash but it's MY trash and it holds a special place in my heart, even if i do simmer with rage a little. also launched me into fanfiction.

honorable mentions

A. Batman Forever. arguably my start in fanfiction, next to transformers, and eventually evolved me into the batman obsessee i currently am. still my favorite interpretation of bruce wayne, next to Christian Bale--Nolanverse was also considered for this list, but Forever came first.

B. Top Gun. for a brilliant script and some absolutely insane improv when it comes to filmmaking and rallying an all-star cast. really put my boys Tommy and Val on the map with this one. a good, old-fashioned American action movie about a bunch of guys serving their country. you can't get better than that.

C. James Bond. very specifically Goldeneye--I have seen this film no less than a dozen or two times simply because my dad is a huge Bond man. Pierce was always my favorite and still is. my best memories of my dad are watching these movies.

D. Toy Story. the original. because I'm not crazy (and also #3 because that incinerator scene KILLS me). baby miriam got her all-out fandom-obsessed personality from here. this was the start of my fandom journey. i still have the Woody doll my mom got me from mcdonald's that really set the bar high with happy meal toys.

E. Free Willy. when I say i was obsessed with this series i am not lying. at all. my tiny baby heart just swooned over the entire concept of marine biology and specifically Jesse.

F. Lethal Weapon. another series i associate with good memories with my father. note the Mel obsession. the first sex scene i ever peeped was #3.

G. Waterworld. Kevin was HARD CRUSH. and during the peak time of my life being obsessed with water and wanting to do marine biology? yes.

[alexjcrowley]

I see people on here talking about Riget: Exodus and I feel like I have to tell my story. Last year I went to Venice Film Festival and I bought tickets to see Riget: Exodus, of which I knew NOTHING about, except that it was a tv show and it was by Lars Von Trier.

You see, Lars Von Trier is the reason I bought the tickets. I know he is awful human being, but I also know his works are supposed to be good. And I say are supposed because, you guessed it, I have never seen anything by Lars Von Trier. I wanted to start with Nymphomaniac, but I could only find the censored version of the movies and I refused to watch it because it's either the whole thing or nothing for me. Riget: Exodus was going to be first thing I ever saw by Lars Von Trier ever.

So I go buy tickets for a swedish/danish show I didn't even know was a third season, I don't know what it is about, I don't know the genre, I don't know shit, but they're going to show the entire season in one afternoon and it's going to be 5 hours long. I drag my mother with me.

At first we think it's a horror, then the Brooklyn 99esque opening catches us off-guard.

I proceed to be very confused for the first 30-40 minutes, trying to understand if this is a subtle subversive masterpiece I am too dumb to understand, but at some point I get this is a comedy and then just embrace the madness I am witnessing.

You get the first intermission two hour and a half in, I am laughing my ass off, I am loving Alexander Skarsgård's character (fun fact, only now, by seeing other people post, I realised that's Alexander Skarsgård, but his lawyer killed me multiple times), I almost got an heart attack seeing Willem Dafoe, I am shipping the hell out of Helmer and Pontopidan (sue me), I am having the time of my life.

My mother begs me to release her from this torture, she hardly understands the jokes, she tries to say "Well, we've seen half of it, ain't it enough" I say "No, mother, leave if you must, I will stay here, witnessing the peak of comedic craft. And what's not to love about this? Don't you think this is a new height for comedy in the year of our Lord 2022?". She stays with me.

We watch 5 hours of it. Five. Hours. I am exhilarated seeing the milk cartoon scene, I can't stop laughing, I can't stop clapping, I see some other people in the audience are in my same situation.

I realise at the end of the show we have some of the actors with us in the theatre. I am officially going crazy, it's a fever dream.

(And, for pics or it didn't happen, we got Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Nicolas Bro. They're the only ones I got decent pictures of, but I also took some pictures WITH- yeah you could do that- other actors in the show, Bodil Jørgensen aka Karen was super nice, she hugged me and I sort of melted on the spot. They were also super kind with autographs.)

My mom doesn't understand still why I would want to spend five hours of my life like this, but it's fine.

I go home, I want to try and tell my friends about this show, but it feels like a fever dream and they're into internet rabbit holes and obscure stuff, but they've never heard of this. I try to explain how I was killed the scene with the lawyer and Helmer (Halfmer, how it showed on English subtitles) talking about the accusations of molesting the nurse whose name I do not remember (sorry), and at first the lawyer is like "Yeah fuck that bitch" and then it turns out it's also her lawyer so it bills Helmer but it's so complicated to explain how hilarious it was for me to witness that, how I lost my shit at the reveal. I feel I can't put it into words. It feels like I am talking mad.

My mother and I still quote to this day "Little brother" and "Big brother" (I think they were called like that in English, we're italians e we just randomly reference Fratellino e Fratellone and we laugh and the rest of our family looks at us like "everything alright?").

I was starting to believe me and my mum experienced a folie à deux and this show never actually existed and I would be forced to keep all my impressions about it to myself. But it does exist. And you people are talking about it.

So thanks, thank you people talking about this show so I don't feel I went crazy and blacked out for 5 hours during my time in Venice. Thank you.

Also, I gotta ask, people who are fans of this show, how do you came to know it? Is it very popular is Sweden or Denmark? Is it in America? Because I am in Italian gal who spends way more time than she should reading and learning about cinema and I had never heard anyone mention this show in my entire life. I mainly frequent american/anglophone internet spaces and I had never heard of this show (because it's not like I was expecting Italians to talk about it I'll be honest). After Venice all they talked about was Blonde, The Banshees of Inisherin (which I loved!) and The Whale (still have to see that).

I literally saw a post about this show today, for the first time, without looking for it. Fans of the show, this is my weird little story on how I watched Riget Exodus backwards (I actually still have to see the first two seasons, please forgive me). What's yours?

[septembersghost]

Hmm, interesting post (although someone noticed the lack of women representated in this chart). In regards to music, I wonder where some would land at their peak? Everything is subjective, but I guess the charts could be a tool to determine popularity. (twitter.)com/Rainmaker1973/status/1630923886043750400?s=20

i'd guess the music one is skewed somewhat disproportionately because of the notion of the 27 club (i see they averaged it but still. or it's just weirdly arbitrary, and this is definitely a subjective graphic), and i don't personally believe in boxes like that for anyone, although it is much harder to break into the entertainment industry later (and it's ageist, we know this), it feels so incredibly wrong to end people's potential for growth and greatness at 20 or 30 something when (hopefully) they have many more years of exploring and creating in front of them, whatever their instrument or medium is. it is curious how women are not represented here, but it's a limited view regardless. charts could be used to determine a somewhat sterile outlook on music, but that would also show a lot of long-lasting artists! i wish i could find that quote/post on here about people achieving things at any age and it never being too late to follow a passion or find something new. we should start celebrating longevity more!

edit: adding your addition!

On the other hand - delayed reaction may play a factor in determining peak and/or popularity. Or even the genre, environment, presentation or promotion/publicity may influence it’s introduction. For example, some cult classics or “sleeper hits” that emerge from films, TV programs or music may become standards or an influence, where at the initial drop, it may have be panned or ignored by the public or critics until a following “discovered” and a fanbase emerged.

for sure. we're seeing that even now. i mean, i almost hesitate to mention it due to our clock app feelings, but the #2 song on there this past week was my way by frank sinatra. music and stories continuously find new audiences and new forms of expression. so many things are appreciated anew or with further recognition LONG after their initial creation. that's alchemical in some way, it can't be predicted but it is LASTING when it happens.

[gillianthecat]

For Love In the Air I didn't write a lot about the main characters because I didn't care much about then. For My Only 12% I'm not writing a lot because I care about them too much. [Insert Jane Austen quote here.] ~ ok this noona romance storyline may be more appealing than I initially thought. The focus on the Hom and her experience of it makes it more interesting to me.

~ also, is she talking about menstrual pads here? (what's translated as "cotton pads") If so, I'm excited to see periods so casually mentioned! I don't know what it's like in Thailand/Thai media, but I'm not used to seeing this very often.

~ I thought See-eiw was oblivious to Peak's crush, but I guess he's more socially aware than I realized. Not that Peak is being very subtle about it.

~ Don't know how I feel about this trope(?) (idk if it happens enough to count as a trope) of characters acting out very on-the-nose scenes from plays to express their real emotions. I've seen it in Bad Buddy, I Promised You the Moon, and now here.

~ I still find Peak annoying and a bit creepy in his pursuit, but I'm intrigued by her reaction and willing to see where they take this storyline.

~ YAY!!! They're not just dropping the Sand storyline. I love the way the show is handling this. I think part of what made me uncomfortable is it seemed like they were casting a poor teenager as a villain, but now it's clear they're not doing that. I should have had more faith. See-eiw, you are just the sweetest person. ❤

~ These boys are going to make me cry again, aren't they. The way cake is looking at See-eiw. The way he can't bring himself to break the news. 🙁 His face during this piggyback ride, where See-eiw can't see it. 😢 (Is that one of the reasons he suggested it in the first place?)

~ Oh boy. Yep, I'm crying. I love then both so much. The way they love each other so much.

~ I'm so impressed with Santa's acting here (and in general). And the soundtrack is extremely effective.

~ I do wonder how I would respond to all this if I hadn't known ahead of time about the separation. Would it have hit me harder, or would it have been too overwhelmingly sad to even take in.

~ Ok. Girding my loins for even more heartbreak in episode 8.

[whatsabriard]

Watch With Me: Hart to Hart 1x13

Episode Title: A Question of Innocence

Original Airdate: January 15, 1980

Why this one?: Jennifer and Jonathan gotta go on a college campus. I dunno - it made me laugh.

Favorite Quote?: Mr Hart, your wife is here. "Well that's the best news I've had all day. Will you hold all the calls?" because this guy loves his wife.

In this episode, the lady who runs the newspaper stand where Jonathan buys his paper is being over murder. She's a nice little old lady that the Harts have known for a long time so of course J&J gotta help her out.

She also voiced a bunch of Disney cartoons.

Jonathan wanted to talk to Stanley but told him not to rush

So that means stanley rushed and guess what, cockblock.

"Come on, Deanne, can't you see they want to be left alone?"

The nice newspaper lady comes in and demands an audience with Mr Hart so she ALSO interrupts the office picnic that was definitely going to involve wrong-sided business.

Rose wants $5k and she wants it now. Jonathan, the absolute darling, doesn't even think twice. He hands her a check for $5k. Jennifer is so in love with him right now. (or me. maybe it's me)

Rose brought Hart stock in as collateral. Issued the day they were available. March 30. 1969.

Rose paid $5k for a gun and guess what. The guy in the onesie didn't give it to her. She attacked him and he pushed her down a hill. Onesie guy is a dick.

In the kitchen the boys wear aprons and cook while Jennifer makes the salad. I like it that way.

She's not a good cook, that's why.

Oh no, Rose is in the hospital so Max's beautiful soufflé is gonna go to waste.

The campus police think she was mugged.

Rose begs them not to get involved because she's too scared.

So they take her home to take care of her.

Rose calls Max "Madame Butterfly" and he calls her a Bimbo. I think they're flirting.

At Rose's apartment, they're packing up Rose's stuff and talking about her grandson who died several weeks previous.

On top of her chest of drawers is a picture of a bunch of boys wearing onesies - all from the school where Rose was found after her "mugging".

Look at the whole ass rose on her lapel. The Hart estate is black tie.

Anyway, she's arguing with Max about a race.

The Harts go to the university to talk to the fencing instructor.

This coach looks familiar (checks IMdB) oh he was in Dante's Peak.

The dick in the onesie is a fencer.

He's missing a button - kind of like the one they found with Rose.

Onesie Dick is still a whole ass asshole. He tries to fight Jonathan which is just stupid on top of everything else.

He has the cocaine on him.

So this little shit sings like a bird and tells them he has the gun rose used to kill someone.

"I know you asked us not to get involved, Rose." they don't follow instructions so good, Rose.

Rose admits to murder. her grandson died of an overdose of heroin. (oh, I guess it wasn't the cocaine in onesie dick's pocket)

so rose went and killt the bastard who gave her grandson the drugs.

god this is a fine ass car. have you seen the Bentley SUV these days? it looks like a car brand car. for $300k it should look like this FOINE ASS CAR.

the Harts go undercover pretending to buy the house that the guy Rose "killed" lived in.

Jennifer spies something on the floor and takes the agent upstairs so Jonathan can do some investigating. they're so smooth.

the real estate agent notices the fine ass car and wants to know why they're renting a house that costs less than the whole house.

So jennifer spins a great yarn about being Jonathan's mistress. that's why they have to rent the house. a little love nest.

In jonathan's digging around, he finds some stuff like bullet holes and whatever.

There is an entire hilarious exchange where the real estate agent tries to sell Jonathan on the privacy of the house and Jonathan, not understanding that Jennifer has told an entirely different story upstairs, is like "no I like neighbors who are home all day - they can look in on mother" and this real estate lady is mentally noting all of this down to spill with her girlfriends at their next dinner.

"What did you tell her?" lol

their next stop is the sorority house - hilarity ensues.

jennifer is sending Jonathan into the sorority house because she was once a girl.

the girls - one of whom is dressed like Robin Williams - are playing Simon.

just normal sorority girls doing normal sorority things.

do kids today know what simon is?

this girl, Ella, really really really liked the dead professor. she was in love with him. anyway, she starts to tell him stuff but the dick in the onesie shows up and scares her off.

back at the ranch, max and rose are still flirting fighting about how to fold laundry.

rose offers to put away Mr H's socks which is how she finds the gun. oh rose.

at the school the Harts see the dick in the onesie talking to Ella and she's like "hey please leave me alone"

but the ole charmer gets her to tell him about the drug thing. The dick in the onesie sold heroin for the professor.

at home, max is listening to the race he and Rose were fighting about Rose's horse one and Max's horse came in next to last. Max goes looking for Rose to tell her but she's not around and the gun is missing from the holster.

Max tries to call the car phone - an actually phone in an actually foine ass car - but there's no answer.

so the harts are back at the house trying to find a second bullet to prove that rose wasn't the killer.

"When there's a heat wave, all the windows and the doors are open, right?" Why yes, darling. Before there was such a thing as climate change and southern california became roughly the temperature of satan's asscrack.

the phone in the house is ringing and Jennifer answers it...it's max! Rose is gone! Took Max's car and took Mr H's revolver. R'uh r'oh.

She's after the dick in the onesie. They tell Max to call the police and meet them at the university gym.

rose is gonna kill this little shit and good riddance

as soon as he realizes she's serious the little bitch again starts to sing. confesses to killing the professor. confesses that she didn't kill anyone.

the Dick in the Onesie then wants to fence with Mr Hart.

en garde. what an idiot.

Jennifer and Rose watch, making all kinds of faces.

Jonathan wins by body slamming the bitch in the onesie

jennifer is very turned on.

max is very happy to see Rose. he's made her an herb tea.

OREGANO.

"Oregano is not a herb, it's a spice." the bicker and jennifer ends the fight with a *clang* on the pot.

End, round 1.

[allthemusic]

Week ending: 15th March

Back to multiple songs, one of which is a cover, and one of which I definitely know - in fact, one of the lines has become practically proverbial, which is how you know a song's made it into the collective consciousness. Or how many other songs do you know that have become a sort of call-and-response greeting?

Memories Are Made of This - Dave King (peaked at Number 5)

I didn't massively love this song in its original Dean Martin form, but I didn't hate it, and a speedy google tells me that Dave King was a British actor and comedian, who got his first ever break in a comedy group called Morton Fraser's Harmonica Gang, which means I'm already in his corner from the get-go. So we shall see!

I can tell already from the intro that the speed has been upped a bit, and a jolly trombone added, both of which are very welcome additions. It turns it from a bit of a lecture into a swinging song you could genuinely dance to. And the little changes continue as the song wears on, with the addition of some church bells after the wedding bells lyric, and a separate female set of backing singers who take over the more religious with His blessings from above section while Dave steps back and briefly takes over the backing singers' lines. It's an effective little swap, and all the more so for the way it avoids slowing the song, which I remember not appreciating when Dean did it.

These are all little things, but they're enough to massively improve the song, at least for me. I was ready for Dave to add some comedy beats or a sort of comic sensibility to this à la Max Bygraves, but it turns out he didn't even need to, which I respect. This is just a solid cover, no comedy needed.

I would also be remiss not to mention that Dave gives us what I think is our first (but surely not our last) overlap between the words of British popular music and British soaps, having played a character called Clifford Duckworth in Coronation Street. He also appeared on an episode of Heartbeat in the 1990s, which is notable only because it's a police procedural set in the 1950s and 1960s, and what song did they play over the top of his exit? If you guessed Memories Are Made of This, well done! It's the kind of twistiness I really like, so kudos to their casting department, I guess?

See You Later, Alligator - Bill Haley & His Comets (7)

Come on, you know this song. Just about everybody I know, even in 2024, even in the UK, could quote you the response when somebody says "see you later alligator", and I'm sure a good proportion of them could also hum you the tune of this song. It was a phrase that was apparently already in currency when the song came out, but the song popularised it internationally. And honestly, I can see why.

There's just such a sense of fun to the track, from the pitched-up See you later, alligator line at the start, to the silly playground rhyminess of it, to the relish with which Bill launches in with each wellllllll and the way that the saxophone echoes his lines. It's not a song that takes itself too seriously, and I love that playfulness.

With all this, it's easy enough to ignore the fact that that yes, that iconic line is a break-up line from a cheating lady! From the moment that Bill saw my baby walkin' with another man today, to her iconic brush-off, to the even more devastating line where she tells Bill Can't you see you're in my way now / Don't you know you cramp my style, this song pulls no punches whatsoever. This woman, whoever she is, is going straight for the jugular!

Which makes it all the more satisfying when she comes crawling back and apologising, and Bill, now recovered from his heartbreak, can turn her words back on her, calling her out for how she doesn't really mean it, and bidding her farewell in the same callous way. His glee at this reveral makes the whole enterprise worth it, honestly. I particularly love the wild energy of Bill's final so long, that's all, goodbye line! He's just so glad to be shot of this woman, and you know what, good for him. It's a good, satisfying story, one you could absolutely find in a pop song today - think Forget You by CeeLo Green, or something of that ilk.

It's also catchy as heck, which, as I've probably said before, is really the main thing that matters in these early rock and roll songs. They're music for dancing along to, not for listening too hard to, and this song is repetitive, silly and has a heck of a riff to build on, with the way that the melody bounces between Bill and the saxophone. Plus, we get that sax / drum / guitar break in the middle, where the sax in particular cuts loose. It rocks, and I can absolutely imagine the youth going wild when it comes it!

It's also a very intense, full sound. I've noticed that about these rock and roll numbers - there's no space around the vocals or quiet bits, like it's been engineered for maximum volume, even on tinny radio or a jukebox. We're a way away from Phil Spector and the Wall of Sound, but we're already gunning for maximum loudness, and I kind of love it?

Well, those were two quite different songs, and while I did enjoy both, I think the sheer volume and dancability has to take it this time. While the adults are getting maudlin about marriage and kids, the youths are having all the fun, it seems.

Favourite song of the bunch: See You Later Alligator

[chena-h]

Ugh, I feel like rambling a bit about Twin Peaks The Return tonight.

Spoilers under the cut, I guess?

Eh, mostly wanted to get my thoughts and memories about my initial response while watching.

So, for context - I had decided to watch Twin Peaks several years ago after listening to discussions about the show from my favorite lets players. From everything that they had mentioned - the murder mystery, the meta commentary on tv shows, the series' influence across media (in particular, video games like Persona 4 and Life is Strange), the show's legacy as a spiritual successor to The X Files, and the reputation of David Lynch, I was more than intrigued to see what was going on.

Even though I went into the series knowing it got cancelled after S2, I was very excited! I don't think I'll ever forget the sense of awe and wonder I felt while watching this series for the first time. I hadn't seen anything from Lynch before. I'd heard plenty about how challenging his films can be to engage with, but as Twin Peaks was made for TV, his style was somewhat watered down. It was there, beyond a doubt, but watching Twin Peaks wasn't on the level of, like, watching Eraserhead. That's not to discredit Twin Peaks or say it lacks depth. I think I mean to say that it's one of the more accessible entries in his filmography. Accessible in the sense that no matter how little a person actually "gets" the meaning behind everything that's going on in the show, there will be at least one aspect of it that the viewer can connect with in a meaningful way.

I'll be honest, part of my intimidation with talking about my thoughts on Twin Peaks stems from my scant knowledge of film theory. I don't know much about the language of film and television to recognize techniques or to understand all the references the show makes, but even so I felt like I was able to get, at least on an emotional level, some of the big ideas Lynch was getting at.

I enjoyed the show thoroughly (even when it got bad lol), and when I got to the final scene in S2 I was like biting my nails. Like, damn! So many cliffhangers and we're just never going to know what comes next.

It took me a while to watch Fire Walk With Me. I love that film, to pieces, even the parts that made me extremely uncomfortable. There's just this care and empathy that comes off strong during the scenes those scenes that I really appreciated. On its own, it's an incredible movie. As a part of the series, it's a stellar complement. It honestly surprised me to hear that the movie got backlash from fans upon its initial release, but considering some of the things I'd heard about the initial audience reception for the show, that put things into perspective.

So, yeah, years went by. Then the news about Lynch trying to get funding for S3 came around, and fans started getting excited. When id heard that he got picked up by either Starz or Showtime or whatever, I got really excited! I was like "finally! The third season, AND it's Lynch without the restrictions on his expression from having to work with a TV network. It's gonna be Lynch at his most Lynchian..ahhhhhh, I can't wait!"

Then, it came out, and, man, I could tell from the jump that it was going to blow me away. Because my takeaway after watching the first two seasons, the movie, and then hearing the discussions about what went on behind the scenes, was that if Lynch were to have free creative reign, so to speak, he wouldn't necessarily give the fans what they wanted. No, he was going to do so much more because he has a lot to say, and hes a competent enough filmmaker to get all these ideas across. And now there were no TV execs to filter out his weirder ideas.

So, the show starts, and it's very...meandering. very slow (though it does pick up sometimes). And I. Loved it! Like, at that moment it clicked for me that The Return was going to be more than just a continuation of the series. To paraphrase that one quote from the One Armed Man, Lynch means It like he says, like it sounds! The show, in large part, is about Returning to Twin Peaks, and breaking down what that can mean on multiple levels. It's Dale finding his way out of the Black Lodge to confront Mr. C. It's the Where Are They Now of the cast from the original series along with the Next Generation. It's going back, way back, to the birth of BOB, the miners, and that giant bug! It's about light, dark, and the balance between the two. And last, but perhaps most importantly, it's about Laura. It's about finding her in a world where she no longer exists (because what does it mean for Laura to exist when her case got solved, audiences moved on years ago and now everybody streams their shows and movies on demand) , and in doing so, trying to recover the original series core meaning - Laura, her murder, and the ripple effects it had on the world around her.

Ooh, I remember the chills I got when, towards one of the final episodes, we get that scene with Dale going back in time to the moment right before Laura goes into the shed(?) and he takes her hand to guide her to safety. Like, on the one hand, I was like oh!!!! He's doing it. He's (finally) saving her this time. But then the rest of the show plays out, and-

It's like Lynch is beating you over the head with what he's saying at certain points.

And I think one of the things I love the most about The Return is how painstaking it is to actually get to the scenes that continue or feel like the original story. Cuz, at times, it's like the show, similar to characters like Diane/Naido, is suffering an identity crisis of sorts. Because the show is being made in the context of Lynch returning to this series after 25 years from its abrupt cancellation. It's Lynch coming back to this world decades after whatever happened during S2's production that made him walk out for the bulk of it (including the pressure to reveal Laura's killer). It's figuring out where and how the characters - both old and new - fit after all this time. And, to me, one of the most brutal examples of this struggle is Audrey.

Now, admittedly, Audrey is one of the characters I struggled to connect with in the original show. I think it has largely to do with her not having as strong a personal connection with Laura as some of the other characters, like Donna or Bobby, do. While I did enjoy her scenes, I was often left wondering why the show was focusing on her. Then she meets Agent Cooper, and she begins to get involved with the investigation, leading to her finding the connection between the perfume department at the mall and One Eyed Jack's. I think she really started to catch my eye during the scene where she interrogates the interviewer for the perfume department and more or less barrels her way into getting a "key" to access One Eyed Jack's.

In retrospect, I think it's interesting that it took Audrey actively walking into a hostile environment for her to really grab my attention.

I'd known about the original plan for the A/C romance before I got into the show. Tbh, I'm kind of glad they didn't become canon. Apart from it being a squick for me, I just prefer to read Coop as aromantic. While it's definitely a shame that the writers botched Audrey's storyline after the romance got scrapped, I have a major soft spot for that scene where Coop kindly says he'd prefer to be her friend. I just feel that after all Audrey went through while she was held captive at the casino, that was a nice moment that still touched on what they originally intended for those two.

But back to Audrey in The Return! So, yeah, there's this struggle playing out on screen on a meta level of "What Is Twin Peaks?" I think that's a major factor that contributes to the slow, plodding, wandering feel of S3's pacing. Then we get to Audrey, who's stuck inside with her husband, Charlie, as she yells and rants at him about wanting to go out. I remember sitting at the edge of my seat during these scenes. Looking back on it now, it almost makes sense. Because with Coop stuck in The Black Lodge - and at one point written into nonexistence - along with Laura's murder having been solved, what is Audrey's story about? Without the core of the original series to tether her storyline to (or the romance that might've sprang from that core), where does she go from here? And Lynch gives us an honest, albeit difficult answer - nowhere. Her story has nowhere to go. Because Laura's murder was never meant to be solved. This wasn't supposed to be a crime procedural. This wasn't meant to be a "who done it" of the week type of show. But it's too late. The killer was revealed a long time ago. The case was closed. Coop, at this point, is gone. She can't go anywhere. And for an adventurous, action-driven character like Audrey, that's the worst possible answer to get. So she raves and yells at Charlie to take her out. And, after what seems like forever and a half, she does! She eventually goes out to the Roadhouse. And the band? They're playing her song! And for a brief moment, Audrey gets to revel in that environment. She's back in that dreamy atmosphere of Twin Peaks that she (and the audience) know and love. But then soon, much, much too soon, the moment passes. Audrey looks around, and she realizes something's wrong. There's something in the air and it's not right. The world outside doesn't feel right. It doesn't feel recognizable anymore, so she rushes to Charlie, pleading with him to take her back, only there's no going back. Time has passed. But she can't be written into nonexistence like Coop. She's forced to live in that reality and then BAM! We're hit with that shot of her in the all white room, staring at her own reflection and her arc ends. And that's the last we see of her.

It sucks. It's shocking. It's dissatisfying. It's a miserable, inconclusive ending for a character who, honestly, went through a lot of difficult shit in the original series already. Like, my jaw dropped after that final scene. And yet, I liked it! It's a bad ending that left me bummed out for this character that had so much going on, but I can't say I hated it. Because, even with this ending, I got the sense that Lynch put some serious thought into the various meanings behind Audrey's arc in The Return. It's more than just a Fuck You to the fans who wanted the loose ends of her story after S2 to be wrapped up neatly. It's him grappling with this character that was once so important to the show and trying to give her meaning once more.

I talk a lot about Lynch in this post, but everything from the acting, the cinematography, the costumes, the music (Julee Cruise, Angelo, I will love your work forever) is all so magnificent. It all comes together so cohesively. Ah. I just love The Return!

[emptymanuscript]

Does this count as a dog whistle?

This is a video of one (yes, there were multiple political groups advocating for Nazism here in the US) of the American "Nazi" Parties rally in New York, in 1939.

Records suggest that 20,000 people attended this rally in Madison Square Garden.

While not in the video itself, the text that accompanies it on YouTube is:

Antisemitism is not foreign to America. We must remain vigilant in our fight to resist it. If you don’t believe it, just see it for yourself. The Lincoln Project is a leading pro-democracy organization in the United States — dedicated to the preservation, protection, and defense of democracy. Our fight against Trumpism is only beginning. We must combat these forces everywhere and at all times — our democracy depends on it. Don’t forget to like, share, and follow The Lincoln Project on social media below!

And I don't feel the need to actually quote all the donation links.

While the text makes explicit that the Lincoln Project is anti-Trumpism, I'm not sure the video itself expresses any linkage between Trumpism and Antisemitism.

Yes, I think we are all supposed to compare all these Silver Shirts... quick aside: Brown Shirts were Nazis in Germany, Silver Shirts were Nazis in the US, I don't actually know the meaning behind the colors. The brown shirts, were brown originally because the leadership of the Sturmabteilung got a hold of a large supply of military surplus brown shirts but they did want to be all one color to reproduce the Black Shirts, who were their precursor in Italy. The Black Shirts were very consciously choosing Black to match the Italian Army uniforms of the time because a large proportion of their early membership were disgruntled former soldiers and Mussolini was trying to communicate that they were still a military force. So I guess probably the same thing but, again, I don't actually know since my inferior google-fu can't find any record of Gerhard Rossbach (the guy who made the Brown Shirts) having obtained the shirts for any other reason that they all matched and were cheap and then that kind of military relationship got played up. Silver Shirts doesn't seem like it is militarily connected at all. They were Silver because they started with William Pelley's Silver Legion. Why silver? I have zero idea. I'm not even sure why we got Silver shirts when Pelley wasn't actually that popular outside of his own group and the Silver Legion wasn't even the biggest American Nazi group. That was the German American Bund Party, the people in the above video, who peaked at 30,000 members and, as you can see in the video, pretty much just wore the Sturmabteilung uniforms. So I just don't know. They're silver shirts because. :/ So it goes.

Anyway.

I think the comparison of Silver Shirts to Trumpism is what we're meant to take from this video. But it never explicitly says so in the video. Just that it could happen here. And I think practically all of the connections to the modern political meaning of the video is meant to be drawn from the identity of the Lincoln Group.

The Lincoln Group, for anyone unaware, is a "moderate" Republican political group that was founded in 2019 to try and counteract Trump and his influence on the Republican party. Their official stance, as written in an Op-Ed for the Washington Post:

When we founded the Lincoln Project, we did so with a clear mission: to defeat President Trump in November. Publicly supporting a Democratic nominee for president is a first for all of us. We are in extraordinary times, and we have chosen to put country over party — and former vice president Joe Biden is the candidate who we believe will do the same. Biden is now the presumptive Democratic nominee and he has our support. Biden has the experience, the attributes and the character to defeat Trump this fall. Unlike Trump, for whom the presidency is just one more opportunity to perfect his narcissism and self-aggrandizement, Biden sees public service as an opportunity to do right by the American people and a privilege to do so.

But, again, that's not in the video. You have to put those two things together. You have to already know who the Lincoln Project is and what they stand for. The argument that the party of Trump is the new American Nazi party has to be interpreted from the collision of the video and the knowledge of the Lincoln Project's purpose.

And I wonder if that is deeply intentional.

I wonder if this video is meant to be taken as multiple different messages to multiple different audiences at the same time by arranging a reflection of outside knowledge and assumption.

While Trump's most fervent supporters are often virulently anti-Semitic, Trump himself doesn't actually care that much. He rarely uses anything but fairly high pitched dog whistles that could just as easily be referencing other groups even if they were originally developed to talk about Jews in specific. So it is not necessarily a foregone conclusion that someone watching this video will connect anti-Semitism to Trump.

Especially since there is another set of circumstances now on everyone's mind. The video was posted on November 17th 2023, which, assuming I am counting correctly, I believe would be 44 days since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. This is a much fresher, rawer, and stronger than any association with Trump's anti-Semitic indifference. More than that, here in the US, there has been a cultural conflict over support between civilians and organizations. People have conflated Israel, Jews, Jewishness, and opinions/support of all those as one thing. The same with Palestinians and Hamas.

There has been a fairly loud argument that anyone who criticizes the way that the STATE of Israel mistreats Palestinians as a matter of POLICY and has adopted as its current military STRATEGY the bombing of civilians as someone who is expressing anti-Semitic sentiment and hates Jews.

This argument has been falling into pretty solid partisan lines (I say as if that is an accident). It has essentially become a Republican talking point to say that any criticism of Israel or any support of Palestinian Civilians is the same anti-Semitism as celebrating the horrors of the Hamas Terrorist Attack last month, wanting Israel destroyed, and all Jews put in a death camp.

Now remember that the Lincoln Project is a "moderate" Republican group. Yes, they're never-Trump, all the way up to working for Biden's election and re-election against Trump. But an experienced moderate Democrat is simply the best of those two options, not the ideal option. What they really want is to get back control of the Republican Party themselves. That's the ideal: better Republican candidates.

Which means that at some point, the Lincoln Project is going to need Republicans and Republican voters back. They can't go so far as to directly call their own kind Nazis. Which this video comes perilously close to. If you interpret it as this is what Trump and his loyalists are like.

But it doesn't actually say it. It just says it nearly happened in 1939 and can again, so come support us.

I, a liberal Jew, still terrified by the chants of "The Jews Will Not Replace Us!" from Trump's supporters years ago, am perfectly primed to see this as a metaphor for Trump and the Maga Crowd. There's even been some talk recently about literally treating the Maga crowd like cultists and trying to de-indoctrinate them. So, easy read.

What would I see if I were a right wing conservative? Would I draw the same connections? Would I think this video was talking about me? Or would I think just as firmly that this video was talking about the "other" side. Would I see that man up on the podium, proud of his devil portrayal in the mainstream media, as President Biden, and all his little commie bastard anti-Semitic bastards cheering him on as he talks about coddling the terrorists and how bad Jews are for being mean and hurting Hamas' fee-fees. Never mind that Biden has had nearly the opposite approach, stating unconditional support for Israel - facts aren't the point, this is about narrative and perception.

I think this is supposed to say "The Other Side is Bad" to you, in reference to whichever side you happen to be on. I think this is how they have their cake and eat it, too. They say something in a way that makes you sure your own opinion is the correct one and attribute it to them.

OR

I am overthinking it. Which is always a strong possibility. I am a deeply suspicious, mistrustful, misanthropic, low-down, dirty, mean, son-of-a-bitch who is prone to spending far too much time in my own head. And I am particularly mistrustful of Republicans. This could just be calling Trump the Nazi he is. Maybe. :| :/ :( maybe.

[lucy-ghoul]

i find totally ridicolous how people are starting to boycott the prequel hunger games movie with the reasoning that rachel zegler is (and i quote) "the most toxic actress in hollywood" because she said that she only watched snow white once as a child (it was scary to her) and she had a modern approach to a movie released in 1937 (snow white being more of a "leader" and not only relying on finding True Love etc.). guess what? i think she's right for the most part. snow white is not cinderella; she's not a pennyless country girl. she's a princess. as such, she does have power. she can be both a fearless leader and a soft, kind soul. a main female protagonist in a movie that's going to be out in 2025 can't possibly be portrayed as only longing for a prince she doesn't even know. i even had to read with my own eyes that "it's okay for women to be submissive and feminine' (thus equating feminity with passivity and submission. in 2023). like... no, i'm sorry but that's not true. it's okay to not always be strong, to be weak and broken and helpless too. it's okay to wish for love, to fall in love. but it's not okay to portray a young girl (and a princess at that! with a kingdom and subjects who love her and her late father the king!) as totally dependent on a man to rescue her. sorry but this is not revolutionary, it's not ~feminism actually, it's just tradwife/good old sexist rethoric. a woman having wishes, ambitions, passions, personality, soul outside of the man she loves is Feminism 101. it's so basic, like-- i mean. really. do i need to go further?

it's fair to criticize zegler's remarks/her casting without boycotting, cyberbullying, calling names etc. a very young woman of color (she's half latina) who's also extremely talented (she has such a beautiful voice and singing-wise she will definitely be the most capable live-action disney princess alongside halle bailey). stop being ghouls y'all!! this is getting ridiculous. keira knightley said that she won't let her young daughter watch the little mermaid because she doesn't want her to think 'it's okay to give up your voice for a man" (i personally disagree with this statement and i really, really like tlm, tho i understand it's not the peak of feminism rep lol). she was never cast as ariel of course, but she wasn't 'boycotted'. and zegler's comments about snow white didn't even go that far (otherwise i would understand the criticism about the casting). but these people are really bent on ruining a talented girl's career because she said a 1937 movie is - gasp! - old-fashioned in its portrayal of ideal feminity (angel of the hearth/house, 'mothering' the dwarfs, constantly helpless and with a surprising smile/dreamy countenance even when she - a princess and presumably heir to the throne! - is basically treated as a slave etc.). it's not even a new, never-been-seen interpretation of snow white - see once upon a time or snow white and the huntsman (where she not only wears an armor while still remaining good and compassionate, but the man who wakes her from the magical slumber with the True Love Kiss is not the prince. it's - you guessed it - the huntsman!). i agree that this is not disney's snow white specifically; in fact, in my opinion the movie shouldn't have been made in the first place, like most disney live-actions, because they're just a soulless money grab move from the Mouse and clearly inferior to the originals. but this has nothing to do with 'boycotting' rachel zegler's career, especially when y'all are willing to forgive a lot of shit done/said by (male) hollywood actors without them paying the consequences of their actions/words.

[tethered-heartstrings]

Fanfic ask game:

D: Is there a song or a playlist to associate with A Little Gold Goes A Long Way?

F: Share a snippet from one of your favourite dialogue scenes you've written and explain why you're proud of it.

S: Any fandom tropes you can't resist?

D: The only song mentioned in the story is “Palangos jūroj", which is an old Lithuanian song. I spent a fair amount of time researching a song that was in Lithuanian with a theme that fit my story and Hannibal and Will's relationship. (I may have taken some slight creative liberties in its interpretation. Sue me.) But otherwise not really. Even though I can't listen to any goddamn album without thinking of those two idiots, somehow that doesn't translate to my fics at all.

F: Holy shit, I have too much material to read through. I also feel dialogue is not my strong suit. (P.S. sorry there are more than one I am extremely indecisive.) I'll leave which fic it comes from a mystery. I also took out some of their emotional/facial descriptions and stripped it to just the dialogue. (Edit: I forgot the second part of this prompt oops. I don’t know if I want to explain it, I think me dissecting my own work is a bad time.)

H: “Let me help you. I don’t want to hurt you, Will.” W: “You will. You will because… I need you to.” H: “I don’t understand.” W: “I remembered. I need you to remember, too. You chose to hurt me once. Do it again. Hurt me now and… remember how it feels. Remember my face. My pulse. My breath in your hands. Remember now… so you never hurt me again. I want it to haunt you. Because I need it to end.”

H: “Is something the matter?” W: “How do you treat a burn?” H: “Not much can be done for minor burns. Clean it and dress it like any other wound.” W: “This… isn’t like any other wound, Hannibal.” H: “Damaged flesh is all the same, Will. Don’t make meaning where there is none.” W: “Does it hurt?” H: “Do you need it to?” W: “Pain is lonely. Whether its internalized or left to be expressed unaccompanied makes no difference. I know it hurts.” H: “Then why did you bother to ask?” W: “I guess I hoped maybe you were done lying to me.” W: “You chose an easy target. A bird with broken wings.” H: “Broken bones can be mended.” W: “Even the best medicine can’t cure it all. What’s the quality of life for a bird that cannot fly?” H: “Domesticated birds can live their full lives with mended wings.” W: “Wild birds don’t stand a chance at surviving.” H: “Some birds are not nearly as feral as they assume.” H: “Are you jealous of Mason Verger?” W: “There is nothing about Mason even remotely desirable. I just think you deserve better than his fucking brand on your back.” H: “I cannot see my scar. My branding does not bother me. Blips in a bigger story. It bothers you, though. Did Mason ruin me for you?” W: “What?” H: “He’s marked me. Tainted me, perhaps. A part of me forever.” W: “Nobody can ruin you. Least of all Mason fucking Verger. Besides, not all my marks are from you, either. Does that make you jealous?” H: “Yes.” W: “Why?” H: “Others have marked you but have caused less lasting agony. I wish I could be among the few to… leave their mark but not a scar.” W: “If our violence had no meaning, we wouldn’t be here. Was I ruined for you?” H: “There isn’t a thing on this earth that could spoil you for me.”

S: The only fic I seem to be able to write is hurt/comfort and angst/(some)fluff. Basically, enough fluff to keep the angst from being too painful. I unapologetically love showering/bathing together non-sexually. I can't explain in words how it makes me feel. But it is so vulnerable and requires so much care and love and attention. To wash someone's hair for them, fingertips tracing across the skin? Perfection. I will never tire writing about it. I also love wound healing. Similar feelings of intimacy as bathing but with darker origins. Cleaning blood, stitching wounds, the argument over of "I don't need local anesthetic/yes you do." I guess I'm a sucker for complicated intimacy and touch.

[yoyokslut]

A tragic goodbye.

Pairing: Chris Evans x female reader.

Summary: I guess everything comes to an end, isn't it?

Word count: 895 words.

"I think we were meant to be but we did it wrong."

It was a quote repeating in your head lately, you read it somewhere and couldn't help but think about it over and over again. It perfectly described a relationship full of love, with so much passion, endless affection and admiration and never-ending laughter that at some point everything faded.

Sort of how your relationship with Chris was, at first everything was peachy, the butterflies in your stomach with every kiss, smile, laugh, gaze. There was magic every time you were together.

But since certain point everything started crumbling, you barely had topics to speak about, you weren't excited anymore while being with each other, your time together was coming to an end and you didn't want to believe it nor accept it.

The reason? Job. As simple as that, Chris was having a tight schedule, project after project and more were joining the list, his career was reaching one of its peak and you were happy for him, honestly, you were so proud of him, proud of everything he had to go through to get to this point, he completely deserved it.

And with you was the same scenario, work was driving you crazy in every sense of the word, never before in your career you have had so much work, clients, appointments, projects, everything was going great in your work life.

It felt like as one part of your lives grew, another fell apart.

You were in the bedroom watching a movie which you weren't even paying attention because of all the thinking. You turned to look at him and it seemed like he was.

His profile was beautiful, long lashes, cute nose with that little bump and soft lips. He was everything you wanted, everything you've waited for.

It was time to talk about the state of your relationship, you couldn't delay it anymore.

You took a deep breath.

"Chris" you said with a little shaky voice.

"Yes?" he said looking at you.

You looked him in the eye and swallowed it's okay, you got this, you can do it you thought.

"Ummm I don't know how to exactly say this but... Don't you feel like our relationship it's not the same anymore? Like we're not us anymore," you said nervous.

You felt him tensing and then he said "I don't know, I guess you're right it's not the same since a long time, I don't know what is happening to us. It's like we're losing each other,"

"I know that it's because of our busy schedules maybe everything will be back to normal when they're less loaded don't you think? Or perhaps we should take a break of work so-"

"I can't take breaks now, I have really important things that are almost done I have to finish them," he said sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Okay so what do you think we should do from now on so we could have our relationship back? So we could have us back," you felt how your hands were becoming sweaty.

"I-I'm not sure, I'm leaving in two weeks for a business, you maybe wanna come with me?" he said rubbing his neck nervously.

"I can't do that I have so many things to do, I can't leave just like that," you said almost whispering.

"Then I don't know how we can fix this... Maybe our time together... Got to the end," he said looking away from you.

You swallowed hard and felt your heartbeat racing.

"S-so you a-are saying that, we should b-break up?" you felt tears coming down your cheeks.

"What else do you expect us to do? We barely see each other and when we do it's like we're not here physically, we don't even talk anymore," a tear threatened to come out from him while speaking.

"But t-there has to be something we can do, I don't wanna let you go this easy, I don't wanna let us go," you said wiping the tears.

"Such as?" when his eyes met yours your heart finished breaking, the sparkle in his eyes every time he looked at you had disappeared without a trace as if it had never been there.

You remained in silence. Not only was it because of the busy schedules... He didn't love you anymore and he didn't want to say it out loud, he didn't want to hurt you more. As masochistic as it sounded, you needed to hear it from his lips.

"You don't l-love me anymore, do you?" your voice was beginning to break.

He didn't say anything, he just remained silent avoiding your gaze.

"C-Chris?"

He glanced at you as if saying sorry with his eyes and you couldn't hold back your tears anymore crying your eyes out, heartbrokenly unable to stop.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't want it to end this way, I hope you can forgive me one day," he took a step towards you but immediately you took another step back and turned around trying to process everything that had happened.

"I'm sorry," he whispered before walking out of the bedroom.