#Chris Simmonds

[mr-e-gallery]

Mr E Gallery ART SHOW 020124 1

[ipicturetheworldeveryday]

Diesel Spring/Summer 23 campaign 

Art director Chris Simmonds and photographer Johnny Dufort

[jt1674]

[nezoid]

NYC May 2023 🖤🖤🖤

- The Thanksgiving Play with D'Arcy Carden , Katie Finneran, Scott Foley, & Chris Sullivan

- Grey House with Laurie Metcalf, Tatiana Maslany, Paul Sparks, Sophia Anne Caruso, Millicent Simmonds

- Prima Facie with Jodie Comer

If you have the means, please go see these plays!

They were hilarious, creepy, moving, and made me think. They evoked emotions and feelings and left me wondering. Experience it yourself! 👏🎉💗

[ronnydeschepper]

55 jaar geleden: "Savoy Brown Boogie"

55 jaar geleden werd in de Cooks Ferry Inn in Edmonton, London het 22 minuten lange “Savoy Brown Boogie�� opgenomen door de gelijknamige Britse groep. Gitarist Kim Simmonds en zanger Chris Youlden voegden volgende nummers aan elkaar: “Feel So Good” (Chuck Willis), “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On” (Sunny David, Dave Williams), “Little Queenie” (Chuck Berry), “Purple Haze” (Jimi Hendrix) en “Hernando’s…

[trapezequeen]

Trick-or-Treat! I have come knocking on your Tumblr door asking for a treat. You can answer with a meme, a bit of art/fic, a fic recommendation, pictures of candy, or something else! Then go to your mutual’s Tumblr door and ask them for a treat! Happy Halloween! 🎃👻 (don’t answer until October 31)

Happy Halloween, friend!!!!

Credit to Chris Simmonds

[denimbex1986]

'OPPENHEIMER (2023) 94% #1 Critics Consensus: Oppenheimer marks another engrossing achievement from Christopher Nolan that benefits from Murphy's tour-de-force performance and stunning visuals. Synopsis: During World War II, Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves Jr. appoints physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer to work on the top-secret Manhattan... Starring: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr. Directed By: Christopher Nolan

A QUIET PLACE PART II (2021) 91% #2 Critics Consensus: A nerve-wracking continuation of its predecessor, A Quiet Place Part II expands the terrifying world of the franchise without losing track of its heart. Synopsis: Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family must now face the terrors of the outside world... Starring: Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe Directed By: John Krasinski

THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY (2006) 90% #3 Critics Consensus: Bleak and uncompromising, but director Ken Loach brightens his film with gorgeous cinematography and tight pacing, and features a fine performance from Cillian Murphy. Synopsis: In 1920s Ireland young doctor Damien O'Donovan (Cillian Murphy) prepares to depart for a new job in a London hospital.... Starring: Cillian Murphy, Padraic Delaney, Liam Cunningham, Orla Fitzgerald Directed By: Ken Loach

INCEPTION (2010) 87% #4 Critics Consensus: Smart, innovative, and thrilling, Inception is that rare summer blockbuster that succeeds viscerally as well as intellectually. Synopsis: Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a thief with the rare ability to enter people's dreams and steal their secrets from... Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page, Tom Hardy Directed By: Christopher Nolan

28 DAYS LATER (2002) 87% #5 Critics Consensus: Kinetically directed by Danny Boyle, 28 Days Later is both a terrifying zombie movie and a sharp political allegory. Synopsis: A group of misguided animal rights activists free a caged chimp infected with the "Rage" virus from a medical research... Starring: Cillian Murphy, Noah Huntley, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson Directed By: Danny Boyle

BATMAN BEGINS (2005) 84% #6 Critics Consensus: Brooding and dark, but also exciting and smart, Batman Begins is a film that understands the essence of one of the definitive superheroes. Synopsis: A young Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) travels to the Far East, where he's trained in the martial arts... Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes Directed By: Christopher Nolan

THE PARTY (2017) 82% #7 Critics Consensus: Old-fashioned charm meets sharp wit and modern social satire in The Party, a biting comedy carried by a shining performance from Patricia Clarkson. Synopsis: A comedy of tragic proportions.... Starring: Patricia Clarkson, Bruno Ganz, Cherry Jones, Emily Mortimer Directed By: Sally Potter

RED EYE (2005) 79% #8 Critics Consensus: With solid performances and tight direction from Wes Craven, Red Eye is a brisk, economic thriller. Synopsis: In the wake of her grandmother's funeral, hotel manager Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams) is waiting to fly back home when... Starring: Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy, Brian Cox, Jayma Mays Directed By: Wes Craven

SUNSHINE (2007) 76% #9 Critics Consensus: Danny Boyle continues his descent into mind-twisting sci-fi madness, taking us along for the ride. Sunshine fulfills the dual requisite necessary to become classic sci-fi: dazzling visuals with intelligent action. Synopsis: In the not-too-distant future, Earth's dying sun spells the end for humanity. In a last-ditch effort to save the planet... Starring: Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, Rose Byrne, Michelle Yeoh Directed By: Danny Boyle

PEAKY BLINDERS (2013) 93% #10 Synopsis: Britain is a mixture of despair and hedonism in 1919 in the aftermath of the Great War. Returning soldiers... Starring: Cillian Murphy, Natasha O'Keeffe, Paul Anderson, Sophie Rundle Directed By: Otto Bathurst, Anthony Byrne

INTERMISSION (2003) 74% #11 Critics Consensus: An edgy and energetic ensemble story. Synopsis: After Dublin resident John (Cillian Murphy) attempts a "trial" breakup with his girlfriend (Kelly Macdonald), she starts dating a middle-aged... Starring: Colin Farrell, Shirley Henderson, Kelly Macdonald, Colm Meaney Directed By: John Crowley

GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING (2003) 73% #12 Critics Consensus: Visually arresting, but the story could be told with a bit more energy. Synopsis: When her father goes blind, Griet (Scarlett Johansson) must go to work as a maid for painter Johannes Vermeer... Starring: Colin Firth, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Wilkinson, Judy Parfitt Directed By: Peter Webber

FREE FIRE (2016) 70% #13 Critics Consensus: Free Fire aims squarely for genre thrills, and hits its target repeatedly and with great gusto -- albeit with something less than pure cinematic grace. Synopsis: When a black-market arms deal goes outrageously wrong, Justine finds herself caught in the crossfire, forced to navigate through... Starring: Sharlto Copley, Armie Hammer, Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy Directed By: Ben Wheatley

THE DELINQUENT SEASON (2017) 67% #14 Critics Consensus: No consensus yet. Synopsis: Two couples in suburban Dublin appear to live in marital bliss until an altercation between one of the couples occurs,... Starring: Cillian Murphy, Andrew Scott, Eva Birthistle, Catherine Walker Directed By: Mark O'Rowe

ON THE EDGE (2001) 67% #15 Critics Consensus: No consensus yet. Synopsis: When a young man suffering from depression after the death of his father is committed to a mental institution... Starring: Cillian Murphy, Tricia Vessey, Jonathan Jackson, Stephen Rea Directed By: John Carney

ANTHROPOID (2016) 67% #16 Critics Consensus: Anthropoid completes its mission rather unevenly but delivers a historically illuminating story with great performances to back it up. Synopsis: In December 1941, two Czech soldiers (Cillian Murphy, Jamie Dornan) parachute into their occupied homeland to assassinate Nazi officer Reinhard... Starring: Cillian Murphy, Jamie Dornan, Charlotte Le Bon, Anna Geislerová Directed By: Sean Ellis

BROKEN (2012) 63% #17 Critics Consensus: No consensus yet. Synopsis: A girl witnesses a violent attack committed by a neighbor in one of three interconnected stories in a British housing... Starring: Tim Roth, Eloise Laurence, Cillian Murphy, Rory Kinnear Directed By: Rufus Norris

RETREAT (2011) 62% #18 Critics Consensus: No consensus yet. Synopsis: On an isolated island, a couple's attempt to recover from a personal tragedy is shattered when a stranger washes ashore... Starring: Cillian Murphy, Jamie Bell, Thandiwe Newton, Jimmy Yuill Directed By: Carl Tibbetts

BREAKFAST ON PLUTO (2005) 57% #19 Critics Consensus: Well-acted if monotonous drama about a transvestite prostitute in London during the 1970s. Synopsis: As a baby, Patrick (Cillian Murphy) is left by his mother on the steps of the rectory in their small... Starring: Cillian Murphy, Liam Neeson, Stephen Rea, Brendan Gleeson Directed By: Neil Jordan

WAVERIDERS (2008) 56% #20 Critics Consensus: No consensus yet. Synopsis: The untold story of Irish big wave surfing.... Starring: Cillian Murphy Directed By: Joel Conroy

PERRIER'S BOUNTY (2009) 55% #21 Critics Consensus: It has interesting characters and a strong cast, but Perrier's Bounty ultimately fails to do anything original with them. Synopsis: A petty crook (Cillian Murphy), his ailing father (Jim Broadbent) and a pretty neighbor go on the run from an... Starring: Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, Jodie Whittaker Directed By: Ian Fitzgibbon

TRON: LEGACY (2010) 51% #22 Critics Consensus: Tron Legacy boasts dazzling visuals, but its human characters and story get lost amidst its state-of-the-art production design. Synopsis: Sam (Garrett Hedlund), the son of famous video-game developer Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), has been haunted for a long time... Starring: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner Directed By: Joseph Kosinski

IN THE HEART OF THE SEA (2015) 42% #23 Critics Consensus: The admirably old-fashioned In the Heart of the Sea boasts thoughtful storytelling to match its visual panache, even if it can't claim the depth or epic sweep to which it so clearly aspires. Synopsis: In 1820, crewmen (Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy) aboard the New England vessel Essex face a harrowing battle for... Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson Directed By: Ron Howard

IN TIME (2011) 37% #24 Critics Consensus: In Time's intriguing premise and appealing cast are easily overpowered by the blunt, heavy-handed storytelling. Synopsis: In a future where time is money and the wealthy can live forever, Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) is a poor... Starring: Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy, Vincent Kartheiser Directed By: Andrew Niccol

THE EDGE OF LOVE (2008) 37% #25 Critics Consensus: Despite effective performances from Knightley and Miller, The Edge of Love lacks a coherent narrative. Synopsis: Two women (Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller) are best friends and rivals for the love of poet Dylan Thomas.... Starring: Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, Cillian Murphy, Matthew Rhys Directed By: John Maybury

ANNA (2019) 33% #26 Critics Consensus: Anna finds writer-director Luc Besson squarely in his wheelhouse, but fans of this variety of stylized action have seen it all done before -- and better. Synopsis: Beneath a woman's striking beauty lies a secret that will unleash her indelible strength and skill to become one of... Starring: Sasha Luss, Luke Evans, Cillian Murphy, Helen Mirren Directed By: Luc Besson

RED LIGHTS (2012) 30% #27 Critics Consensus: Wasting the talents of an impressive cast on a predictable mystery, Red Lights lacks the clairvoyance to know what audiences want. Synopsis: Professional skeptics (Cillian Murphy, Sigourney Weaver) try to prove that a famous psychic (Robert De Niro) is lying about his... Starring: Cillian Murphy, Sigourney Weaver, Robert De Niro, Toby Jones Directed By: Rodrigo Cortés

DISCO PIGS (2001) 20% #28 Critics Consensus: No consensus yet. Synopsis: Pig (Cillian Murphy) and Runt (Elaine Cassidy) born on the same day, in the same hospital, moments apart. Twins... Starring: Elaine Cassidy, Cillian Murphy, Geraldine O'Rawe, Eleanor Methven Directed By: Kirsten Sheridan

TRANSCENDENCE (2014) 19% #29 Critics Consensus: In his directorial debut, ace cinematographer Wally Pfister remains a distinctive visual stylist, but Transcendence's thought-provoking themes exceed the movie's narrative grasp. Synopsis: Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp), the world's foremost authority on artificial intelligence, is conducting highly controversial experiments to create... Starring: Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany, Cillian Murphy Directed By: Wally Pfister

ALOFT (2014) 17% #30 Critics Consensus: Glacially paced and ineptly plotted, Aloft crushes the game efforts of a talented cast under a dreary viewing experience whose title proves sadly ironic. Synopsis: Accompanied by a documentary filmmaker, a falconer (Cillian Murphy) sets out across a frozen landscape to find his mother... Starring: Jennifer Connelly, Cillian Murphy, Mélanie Laurent, Oona Chaplin Directed By: Claudia Llosa'

[awardseason]

21st Annual Visual Effects Society Awards — Film Winners

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature Avatar: The Way of Water – Richard Baneham, Walter Garcia, Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, JD Schwalm — WINNER Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore – Christian Mänz, Olly Young, Benjamin Loch, Stephane Naze, Alistair Williams Jurassic World: Dominion – David Vickery, Ann Podlozny, Jance Rubinchik, Dan Snape, Paul Corbould The Batman – Dan Lemmon, Bryan Searing, Russell Earl, Anders Langlands, Dominic Tuohy Top Gun: Maverick – Ryan Tudhope, Paul Molles, Seth Hill, Bryan Litson, Scott Fisher

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature Death on the Nile – George Murphy, Claudia Dehmel, Mathieu Raynault, Jonathan Bowen, David Watkins I Wanna Dance With Somebody – Paul Norris, Tim Field, Don Libby, Andrew Simmonds The Fabelmans – Pablo Helman, Jennifer Mizener, Cernogorods Aleksei, Jeff Kalmus, Mark Hawker The Gray Man – Swen Gilberg, Viet Luu, Bryan Grill, Cliff Welsh, Michael Meinardus The Pale Blue Eye – Jake Braver, Catherine Farrell, Tim Van Horn, Scott Pritchard, Jeremy Hays Thirteen Lives – Jason Billington, Thomas Horton, Denis Baudin, Michael Harrison, Brian Cox — WINNER

Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio – Aaron Weintraub, Jeffrey Schaper, Cameron Carson, Emma Gorbey, Mad God, Chris Morley, Phil Tippett, Ken Rogerson, Tom Gibbons — WINNER Strange World – Steve Goldberg, Laurie Au, Mark Hammel, Mehrdad Isvandi The Bad Guys– Pierre Perifel, Damon Ross, Matt Baer, JP Sans The Sea Beast – Joshua Beveridge, Christian Hejnal, Stirling Duguid, Spencer Lueders Turning Red – Domee Shi, Lindsey Collins, Danielle Feinberg, Dave Hale

Outstanding Animated Character in a Photoreal Feature  Avatar: The Way of Water: Kiri – Anneka Fris, Rebecca Louise Leybourne, Guillaume Francois, Jung-Rock Hwang — WINNER Beast: Lion – Alvise Avati, Bora Şahin, Chris McGaw, Krzysztof Boyoko Disney’s Pinocchio: Honest John – Christophe Paradis, Valentina Rosselli, Armita Khanlarpour, Kyoungmin Kim Slumberland: Pig – Fernando Lopes Herrera, Victor Dinis, Martine Chartrand, Lucie Martinetto

Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio: Geppetto – Charles Greenfield, Peter Saunders, Shami Lang-Rinderspacher, Noel Estevez-Baker Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio: Pinocchio – Oliver Beale, Richard Pickersgill, Brian Leif Hansen, Kim Slate — WINNER Strange World: Splat – Leticia Gillett, Cameron Black, Dan Lipson, Louis Jones Turning Red: Panda Mei – Christopher Bolwyn, Ethan Dean, Bill Sheffler, Kureha Yokoo

Outstanding Created Environment in a Photoreal Feature Avatar: The Way of Water: Metkayina Village – Ryan Arcus, Lisa Hardisty, Paul Harris TaeHyoung David Kim Avatar: The Way of Water: The Reef – Jessica Cowley, Joe W. Churchill, Justin Stockton, Alex Nowotny — WINNER Jurassic World Dominion: Biosyn Valley – Steve Ellis, Steve Hardy, Thomas Dohlen, John Seru Slumberland: The Wondrous Cuban Hotel Dream – Daniël Dimitri Veder, Marc Austin, Pavan Rajesh Uppu, Casey Gorton

Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio: In the Stomach of a Sea Monster – Warren Lawtey, Anjum Sakharkar, Javier Gonzalez Alonso, Quinn Carvalho — WINNER Lightyear: T’Kani Prime Forest – Lenora Acidera, Amy Allen, Alyssa Minko, Jose L. Ramos Serrano Strange World: The Windy Jungle – Ki Jong Hong, Ryan Smith, Jesse Erickson, Benjamin Fiske The Sea Beast: The Hunting Ship – Yohan Bang, Enoch Ihde, Denil George Chundangal, John Wallace Wendell & Wild: The Scream Fair – Tom Proost, Nicholas Blake, Colin Babcock, Matthew Paul Albertus Cross

Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a CG Project ABBA: Voyage – Pär M. Ekberg, John Galloway, Paolo Acri, Jose Burgos Avatar: The Way of Water – Richard Baneham, Dan Cox, Eric Reynolds, A.J Briones — WINNER Prehistoric Planet – Daniel Fotheringham, Krzysztof Szczepanski, Wei-Chuan Hsu, Claire Hill The Batman: Rain Soaked Car Chase – Dennis Yoo, Michael J. Hall, Jason Desjarlais, Ben Bigiel

Outstanding Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project Avatar: The Way of Water: The Sea Dragon – Sam Sharplin, Stephan Skorepa, Ian Baker, Guillaume Francois — WINNER The Sea Beast – Maxx Okazaki, Susan Kornfeld, Edward Lee, Doug Smith Top Gun: Maverick: F-14 Tomcat – Christian Peck, Klaudio Ladavac, Aram Jung, Peter Dominik Wendell & Wild: Dream Faire – Peter Dahmen, Paul Harrod, Nicholas Blake

Outstanding Effects Simulation in a Photoreal Feature Avatar: The Way of Water: Fire and Destruction – Miguel Perez Senent, Xavier Martin Ramirez, David Kirchner, Ole Geir Eidsheim Avatar: The Way of Water: Water Simulations – Johnathan M. Nixon, David Moraton, Nicolas Illingworth, David Caeiro Cebrian — WINNER Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: City Street Flooding – Matthew Hanger, Alexis Hall, Hang Yang, Mikel Zuloaga Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore – Jesse Parker Holmes, Grayden Solman, Toyokazu Hirai, Rob Richardson

Outstanding Effects Simulation in an Animated Feature Lightyear – Alexis Angelidis, Chris Chapman, Jung-Hyun Kim, Keith Klohn Puss in Boots: The Last Wish – Derek Cheung, Michael Losure, Kiem Ching Ong, Jinguang Huang — WINNER Strange World – Deborah Carlson, Scott Townsend, Stuart Griese, Yasser Hamed The Sea Beast – Spencer Lueders, Dmitriy Kolesnik, Brian D. Casper, Joe Eckroat

Outstanding Compositing & Lighting in Feature Avatar: The Way of Water: Landing Rockets Forest Destruction – Miguel Santana Da Silva, Hongfei Geng, Jonathan Moulin, Maria Corcho Avatar: The Way of Water: Water Integration – Sam Cole, Francois Sugny, Florian Schroeder, Jean Matthews — WINNER The Batman: Rainy Freeway Chase – Beck Veitch, Stephen Tong, Eva Snyder, Rachel E. Herbert Top Gun: Maverick – Saul Davide Galbiati, Jean-Frederic Veilleux, Felix B. Lafontaine, Cynthia Rodriguez del Castillo

Outstanding Special (Practical) Effects in a Photoreal Project Avatar: The Way of Water: Current Machine and Wave Pool – JD Schwalm, Richie Schwalm, Nick Rand, Robert Spurlock — WINNER Black Adam: Robotic Flight – JD Schwalm, Nick Rand, Andrew Hyde, Andy Robot, Mad God, Phil Tippett, Chris Morley, Webster Colcord, Johnny McLeod The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power “Adrift” Middle Earth Storm – Dean Clarke, Oliver Gee, Eliot Naimie, Mark Robson

Emerging Technology Award Avatar: The Way of Water: Depth Comp – Dejan Momcilovic, Tobias B. Schmidt, Benny Edlund, Joshua Hardgrave Avatar: The Way of Water: Facial System – Byungkuk Choi, Stephen Cullingford, Stuart Adcock, Marco Revelant Avatar: The Way of Water: Water Toolset – Alexey Dmitrievich Stomakhin, Steve Lesser, Sven Joel Wretborn, Douglas McHale — WINNER Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio: 3D Printed Metal Armature – Richard Pickersgill, Glen Southern, Peter Saunders, Brian Leif Hansen Turning Red: Profile Mover and CurveNets – Kurt Fleischer, Fernando de Goes, Bill Sheffler

[skippyv20]

Dear Skippy I have to say netflix are doing a great job getting the show coverage. My question is this - will they ask the former Captain General of the Marines what his thoughts are Michael Ball, Andy Cleatheroe, Trevor Davis, Richard Fice, Richard Jones, David McMillan, Chris Nolan, Dean Pavey, Mark Petch, Tim Reeves and Bob Simmonds. Not familiar names? The royal marine musicians murdered in 1989. Unarmed, in a public place. How was that Disney movie prince traitor? e from toronto.

2/2 sorry skippy I'm so steamed. I was in London during the 1980's bombing campaign, including being evacuated whilst Christmas shopping. prince traitor wants all the benefits with none of the work of being royal - and YES I do believe they work very hard. Can you imagine every time you go out your apprearance being picked apart by the press? My version of hell! e from toronto

Thank you e from Toronto❤️

[okcomics]

Coming soon to OK Comics! Juliette by Camille Jourdy from @drawnandquarterly is charming, and going straight to the top of my TBR pile...

Perfect for fans of Posy Simmonds and Chris Ware. A deeply human tale, told with both wit and tenderness. https://okcomics.co.uk/products/pre-order-juliette-by-camille-jourdy?_pos=1&_sid=27ab0e9bd&_ss=r

[dash000spn]

Destruction of the Grotto

by thibautgriveg for the Face Magazine with Chris Simmonds and georgia.pendlebury

[ipicturetheworldeveryday]

Diesel Spring/Summer 23 campaign

Art director Chris Simmonds and photographer Johnny Dufort

[libraryleopard]

July reads

Read a lot on July wahoo (* = reread)

X-Men vol. 1 by Gerry Duggan

Never Been Kissed by Timothy Janovsky

Lost and Found Kathryn Schulz

X-Men: Season One by Dennis Hopeless and Jamie McKelvie

Shadow Life by Hiromo Goto and Annie Xu

Harleen by Stjepan Šejić

The Midnight Girls by Alicia Jasinska

Marvel’s Voices: Pride (2022) by various

A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera

Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon

The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud*

Galaxy: The Prettiest Star by Jadzia Axelrod and Jess Taylor

 ¡Hola Papi!: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons by John Paul Brammer

Some of My Best Friends: Essays on Lip Service by Tajja Isen

The Whispering Skull by Jonathan Lockwood*

The Department of Truth vol. 1: The End of the World by James Tynion and Martin Simmonds

Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

Excalibur vol. 1: The Sword is Drawn by Chris Claremont and Alan Davis

The Memory Librarian and Other Stories by Janelle Monáe and others

Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper

X-Men Hellfire Gala bind-up by various authors

X-Men: Magneto Testament by Greg Pak and Carmine di Giandomenico

Seeing Ghosts by Kat Chow

Ellen Outside the Lines by A.J. Sass

Black Bolt vol. 1: Hard Time by Saladin Ahmed and Christian Ward

Black Bolt vol. 2 by Saladin Ahmed and Christian Ward

The Hollow Boy by Jonathan Stroud*

Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales

[dailyindignation]

When being weak is actually strong

In late November 2023, freshly-elected New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon set up his cabinet, giving Melissa Lee the Media and Communications portfolio and appointing Penny Simmonds as Minister for Disability Issues.

Five months later, Luxon demoted the two women for being bad at those jobs. Shortly after, I tweeted this:

What a strange prediction, you might say. Surely the leader of the country appointing and then demoting two ministers with only himself to blame in such record time is a sign of that classic media canard – a "weak" and "chaotic" administration? Like, why did he appoint them in the first place? Does this very-inexperienced Prime Minister know what he's doing?

Ah, but you see, I'm not two months old, so I've seen our media do their thing. And if there's one thing that really turns the press gallery on, really gets them rock hard, it's a Strong Leader. Preferably one who's From The Business World. Because, despite being political reporters who report on politics, every single one of them down to their bones Fucking Hate Politicians. So when Business Man comes into power, you bet they'll take his every move as the next coming of Elon Musk (y'know, before they realised he was fascist).

But just in case you, a mere member of the public, might be inclined to look at the demotions and think "Hell, that looks a bit weak", the cavalry rode to the rescue:

Those are all just from the NZME stable of sycophants, too. They didn't even need to break out Mike Hosking or Heather du Plessis-Allan! No, no, the savvy pundits were there to tell you how you should feel. I think they think that's their job? Weird job. But anyway, RNZ, Newshub and The Post soon followed up with the exact same take:

These are all separate people with separate paychecks.

Okay, but that's ONE perspective. Surely the media also looked at it from the other side. What about that woke outfit The Spinoff, did they at least air the idea that the PM firing two ministers within 6 months wasn't a sign of strength and virility but actually a bit weak and messy?

Oh. Bad timing, Hayden!

But look, maybe all these political pundits and experienced journos are all singing from the same hymn book because that's the only tune? Like, if a Labour leader like Jacinda Ardern or Chris Hipkins demoted ministers during their tenure, then the media would portray those actions in the exact same way, right? That's what we want, right? Consistency? No bias? Demoting ministers = strength! If only we had some evidence that that's what they'd do--

Oh.

So how does this happen? Is it because the media is at its core a business, and business quite like strong, right-wing leaders because they'll "dismantle red tape" (i.e. remove regulations so they can get away with shit) and "cut costs" (i.e. ruin public services so private companies can step in), and those businesses, y'know, advertise in the financially-precarious media? Maybe. Sounds a bit conspiratorial, though. No one's outright telling Thomas Coughlan to frame his perspective to be business-friendly. He just naturally does. It's that age-old philosophical conundrum: are political reporters all conservative because that's how you rise to the top in that role? Or are conservatives drawn to be political reporters because they realise that's how you shape public opinion? We may never know.

Or maybe it's because the press gallery holds annual Zoom meetings to discuss what the narrative of the week is gonna be (accidentally, of course)? I mean, it would explain the hivemind that seems to occur all the time. I'm not sure why else direct competitors feel the need to get together and accidentally share their screens but I'm sure it happens in other industries-- ohwait I'm being told it doesn't.

With the media in such financial straits, there's been a lot of suggestions for how they can survive. May I propose a money-saving idea? Fire every political pundit. Let go of the entire press gallery. Replace them all with AI. They all have the same opinion anyway. Why are media orgs paying multiple people – more than anyone else on their payroll! – to say the exact same thing? It makes no financial or logical sense. Unless... is the overwhelming narrative forming the point? Could it be... that the media doesn't actually want to "analyse" the politics and explain what it all means to you? They just want to be smarter than you and tell you what it means? God, I hope not. That would be way harder to fix, and I hear the media has trust issues at the moment.

[trukqsofficial]

Face In The Crowd - Chris Simmonds Remix | DJ Assassin

[screenwritinggym]

Nailah Thorbourne is the New Girlfriend of Chris Brown - Only 4 Me (Audio) ft. Ty Dolla $ign, Verse Simmonds