#Panel Discussion

[therealalexhera]

'Out of Game: The Slenderverse Aftershow' -- now available

I am happy to announce that all episodes of 'Out of Game: The Slenderverse Aftershow' are now available -- only a few months late! Enjoy 7 and a half hours of analysis of the Slenderman, discussion about art, and unregulated chaos.

Night 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdzZ-KIucXU (ft @nick-nocturne [Night Mind], @timsutton[Marble Hornets], Evan Jennings [EverymanHYBRID], and Doctor Cairo [compileTRUTH])

Night 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sK6kCQSEAh4 (ft. Chris Hammarberg [DarkHarvest00], @heatherm00ch-dh00 [DarkHarvest00], @no-more-blogs [DarkHarvest00], Lee Esposito [Whispered Faith], Marissa Botelho [Tulpa Effect], Dylan Sindelar [MLAndersen0], Austin Harris [MLAndersen0], Gio Kraska, and @vluisasantiago [Stan Frederick, redredhat])

Night 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrGSf-Ua0bY (ft. @timsutton [Marble Hornets], Marissa Botelho [Tulpa Effect], @vluisasantiago [Stan Frederick, redredhat], @jckielantern[Marble Hornets Comics], @michaelo2k [A Wreck In The Dark], Mabry [WORKDESK54LEAKS], PenThePoet [Recollect: Records of the Other Side], @whyhellomynameismary [hiimarymary], and Theo Wish [TheSunVanished]

Complete 'Slenderverse' playlist (in case you want to rewatch the docuseries + aftershows for the FULL 13 hour deep dive experience): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKXjYv6codp4o00S4Gn3aU85y60Q2Dssc

I'm so honored to have hosted these with Rain and had such sprawling, meaningful, absurdly fun conversations celebrating the Slenderverse. Those three weeks were among the most memorable of my career! Thank you all so much for participating & supporting the project. (And apologies for the VODs coming out so late -- I was a little busy shooting a feature film and working on two other projects. Won't happen next time there's an Out of Game stream, I promise!)

[swctt868]

We're chatting all things Skeleton Crew live in our Discord server's voice chat this Tuesday (with upload to YouTube afterwards).

Interested in watching or participating? Join the SWCTT Discord server by Tuesday!

[world-of-celebs]

Freya Allan speaking at "The Witcher": A Netflix Original Series Panel during the 2019 Comic-Con International at San Diego Convention Center on July 19, 2019 in San Diego, California.

[thatssosussex]

The Duke of Sussex & Dr. Tessy Ojo CBE with the Diana Award recipients, Christina Willams and Riyanti Hutapea Zhang, and others at the 2024 Concordia Annual Summit in NYC. (9/23/24)

[louk419]

[szmacblog]

Old-Time Tradition: Folk Musicals

Grease (1978)

This film follows Danny (John Travolta) and Sandy (Olivia Newton-John), two teenagers from different worlds. After a summer fling,  they thought they would never see each other ever again, but unexpectedly reunite in the same school. Sandy, initially a wholesome stereotypical "IT girl”, tries to fit in with Danny's greaser crew, the T-Birds, and their sassy counterparts, the Pink Ladies. 

Identity in Grease: A Song and Dance

The musical numbers in Grease are very energetic and catchy, but they also play a big role in exploring how the characters navigate their identities. Many songs like "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee"—(I don’t drink, or swear. I don’t wrap my hair. I get ill from one cigarette. Keep your filthy paws from my silky dress)—and "Beauty School Dropout" showcase characters trying on different identities. Sandy tries to be the ideal 50s girl, while Rizzo rejects society's expectations. They all use songs to experiment and find their place in the T-Birds/Pink Ladies dynamic. On the other hand, songs like "Greased Lightnin'" and "We Go Together" solidify that bond that we can perceive between the T-Birds and Pink Ladies. Moreover, love, frustration, and teenage angst all find voice through the music. "Hopelessly Devoted to You", probably the most emotional song on the movie’s tracklist, lays bare Sandy's feelings, portraying her as the basic, easily enamored girl.

The film reinforces stereotypical gendered behaviors. For example, in “Summer Nights”, the girls' lyrics ("Tell me more, was it love at first sight?") center around romance and emotions, suggesting a more emotional and sensitive view of love. Whereas the boys' lyrics ("Tell me more, did she put up a fight?")  imply a focus on sexual conquest, portraying a more aggressive and sexualized view of romantic relationships. The song reinforces the idea that men and women approach love differently based on these stereotypes and it could be argued that it promotes non-consensual intimacy.

The characters in Grease don't just burst into song for no reason, their world revolves around music. The energy and choreography allow characters to process their emotions in a big way. In fact, the film doesn't shy away from showing the characters enjoying music and dance for pure fun. 

Yet, the world of Grease isn't exactly diverse

It is noticeable that the film avoids touching on any serious social issues of the 1950s, like racial tensions or economic disparity. This creates a sanitized version of the past and ignores the complexities of real life. Moreover, it pushes away the idea of 'Black Joy' as being something achievable even more. The music itself doesn't delve into racial themes, and there is quite literally, only one visible Black character in the movie—Frederick "Dennis" Greene as part of the singing group Johnny Casino and the Gamblers, reinforcing the idea that "Black musicality—the all-blacks-got-rhythm syndrome—of White cinema." (Dyer 98.)

The Ordinary → Utopia

Several elements align with the classic trope of white musicals seeking to transform the ordinary into a utopia; everyone is happy and music comes out of nowhere. Sandy's journey from a demure, "good girl" to a leather-clad greaser epitomizes this trope. Her initial wholesomeness represents the ordinary, while her adoption of the greaser look signifies a transformation into something cooler and more exciting. This aligns with the utopian ideal of escapism. On the other hand, Rydell High itself is portrayed as a somewhat utopian space. Sure, there are cliques and social pressures, but overall, it's a place where teenagers can have carefree fun. Finally, the film's resolution reinforces the utopian ideal. Danny and Sandy reconcile, the T-Birds and Pink Ladies maintain their cool-kid status, and everyone seems to get their happily-ever-after. This all-pink ending avoids the complexities of real life, where there are serious conflicts and consequences for teenage rebellion, and presents a more utopian world.

Circular time?

Black musicals often depict a cyclical view of time, where characters return to their "real life." As Dyer states, "white joy is in a space freed from labor; Black fun dips into the thing to have a good time while working." We can clearly notice this in the film. The ending suggests the T-Birds and Pink Ladies will stay on this high school path, but there's no real sense of daily life hardship.

[igotopinions]

This crowdfund is to produce: Two novellas, bound in one book. Mongol-inspired Sword & Sorcery. A claustrophobic, pressure-cooker siege, and a caravan striking out under an open desert sky.  WALLS OF SHIRA YULUN  and WASTE FLOWERS.

Want to get to know the authors and their writing? Check out these livestream recordings!

Interview with Dariel R.A. Quiogue

Interview with Bryn Hammond

Panel Discussion of one short story by each author, starring their protagonists from the book.

CROWDFUND EXCLUSIVES INCLUDE:

Two-Sided Bookmark feat. art from both covers.

Battle-Axe Stickers

Signed Bookplate

A bonus short story, which will be joined by poetry if we hit 300 backers - and we're already north of 260!

With only a smidge over 10% to go before we're fully funded, by backing this project you can easily make book happen by pre-ordering a copy for yourself. So, as we enter our final week of the crowdfund... Please consider pledging and sharing!

[cejav13]

Attend screening of NBC’s Found with cast in Atlanta on Thursday Feb 6th at SCAD TVFest.

Click link above for info and tickets.

[lavalamp-juice]

Went to a panel that had the voice actor for Anya in the SpyxFamily English Dub! :D she was super chill and fun.

She mentioned that she was pregnant! Am so happy for her.

She also said that she will have a replacement for about 2 episodes since she will be on maternity leave. She told fans to not be mean to her, okay guys? :D

[the-awesomecosmos-studies]

Day 30/100 days of productivity | Tue 19 Mar, 2024 (spring equinox)

Beta-read my friend’s blog article reflecting on her Master’s degree, it’s a great article and I’m super excited to read it again when it’s published!

My work hosted a panel for Women’s History Month, it was a very interesting panel discussion and I learned a lot about how women, especially early-career professionals like myself can cultivate leadership traits

My work is also hosting a trivia night tomorrow, spent some time preparing for that

Did some more research on the grad programs I applied to (but I still need to hear back from some schools, and the wait is killing me)

Caught an interesting cloud pattern in the morning when walking to work (1st pic), and my mum’s new blueberry plant has flowered (2nd pic), just in time for Spring Equinox!

[inariedwards]

There’s a growing worldwide trend of distrust in science and medicine—a trend thrown into sharp relief by the Covid-19 pandemic and vaccination campaigns. How did we get here and what can we do about it? Watch our discussion of the pivotal issue of trust in science. How has the past influenced the distrust we’re seeing today? What is in store for the future? How can scientists and science journalists work together to build trust with more effective communication—to engage and inform public discourse? 

[getoutofthisplace]

Dear Gus & Magnus,

This is the only photo I took today. I went to the WTS lunch at the Clinton Center to learn about how transportation organizations in our state are working to be more sustainable -- something that interests me a lot. That's my friend and former coworker Suzanne moderating the panel.

Dad.

Little Rock, Arkansas. 11.8.2023 - 12.52pm

[oliverbrackenbury]

In Sword & Sorcery the classics tend to get much more discussion than contemporary stories, and I love discussing stores, so welcome to the monthly contemporary Short Story Chat! In our latest episode we cover Mark Rigney's story from Tales from the Magician's Skull #7, "Dara's Tale". It struck me as a possible "YA S&S" tale, and was a great springboard for our panel to discuss the idea of MG/YA Sword & Sorcery, "timeless moral or ham-fisted topicality?", rubbing slugs on your face, and more! Check out past episodes on the New Edge Sword & Sorcery Youtube Channel.

[thatssosussex]

The Duke of Sussex & Dr. Tessy Ojo CBE talk to Diana Award recipients, Christina Willams and Riyanti Hutapea Zhang at the 2024 Concordia Annual Summit in NYC. (9/23/24)

[swctt868]

Join our Discord server! (18+) [est. Jan 2021]

weekly SW watch parties

bimonthly HoloNet News

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[frank-olivier]

9th Annual Contact in the Desert Conference (Indian Wells, CA)

Panel Discussion (June 5, 2023)

Thursday, June 8, 2023