#Point de vue du Gras

[unnamedboxvoid]

Did y’all know that the first photograph was made in 1826? Photography is very young, in comparison to some other mediums! I learned about this photo in my Photography class today, and I figured I might as well share this.

The image I provided here is an enhanced copy by a historian named Helmut Gernsheim. The original plate can be seem in the Wikipedia article about the photo. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/View_from_the_Window_at_Le_Gras

[lalignedujour]

Je me lève avec la ferme intention de faire l'ouverture du jardin botanique. J'y passe toute la matinée sans avoir pris de petit-déjeuner, et avec le visage gras. J'ai accueilli une brève pluie de grosses gouttes, on devait être au bord de l'orage.

Pour y aller depuis l'appartement, je longe le canal et je passe sous un pont métallique avec de gros rivets. Ça doit être très difficile d'enfoncer ces rivets. Je pense aux hommes du XVIIème siècle qui ont dû le faire - sans compter qu'ils ont creusé ce canal avant toute révolution industrielle.

Au point le plus haut du jardin, on peut voir l'Université de Médecine et une partie de la vieille ville. J'y vais rarement, car ce qui m'intéresse, ce sont plutôt les végétaux (je connais maintenant presque par cœur toute l'allée centrale et la principale perpendiculaire). Ce matin, je monte au point de vue. Il y a une centaine de marches pour atteindre le sommet. Mais ce qui m'intéresse, ce sont plutôt ces marches. Elles sont en pierre massive - typiques de la région. Je suis déjà essoufflée en les gravissant, je me demande comment j'aurais été en les soulevant. Encore une fois, je jouis de l'œuvre de personnes qui travaillent plus dur que moi.

Je passe une matinée à errer. C'est ma vie en ce moment. Avant ça, j'ai été secrétaire médicale, puis employée chez un opticien. Je n'ai jamais vidé les poubelles dans lesquelles je jette mes déchets. Je n'ai jamais fait chauffer les panini que je mange. Je n'ai jamais nettoyé les routes et trottoirs sur lesquels je circule. Je n'ai jamais évacué les corps de toutes les violences qui ont eu lieu ici. Je n'ai jamais vissé au sol le banc sur lequel je suis assise. J'ai une dette infinie envers les générations passées, et les travailleureuses actuel·les. Globalement, j'aurai traversé la vie en tant qu'utilisatrice.

Vers 14h, j'ai faim, je repasse sous le pont et rentre à l'appartement pour manger mon panino froid. Je fais un point sur l'argent. Il me reste 2 euros 26, en plus des 50€ de caution de la voiture de location. Sur mon compte, je ne sais pas. Je passe au Crédit Mutuel pour retirer mes derniers sous. Je demande au distributeur 100€, je n'ai pas assez. J'abaisse ma demande par tranche de 10€ et je parviens finalement à retirer 70€.

Je prends la carte d'identité que j'ai trouvée hier. J'apprends à épeler le prénom et le nom avec aisance : Clothilde avec un "H", Hernandez, sans acccent. Je m'entraîne à mentionner automatiquement la date et le lieu de naissance. Je range la carte et j'entre dans l'agence. Je demande à ouvrir un compte, ce qui se fait facilement. Dans un monde concurrentiel, on est arrangeant dans les procédures, du moment qu'on y voit un intérêt particulier.

Ce compte au Crédit Mutuel à mon nouveau nom. Je parviens ainsi à changer le nom de ma facture EDF, et ainsi avoir un puissant justificatif de domicile qui me permettra d'avoir une carte vitale et de trouver du travail si besoin. Une nouvelle vie, en somme.

Je passe le reste de l'après-midi au jardin botanique. Une vieille dame et trois enfants passent près de moi. Les enfants posent des questions auxquelles la dame ne sait pas répondre. Je propose de leur répondre. Les enfants apprécient les informations. La dame aussi. Je me fais offrir une crêpe et une discussion sur la botanique. Le jardin ferme rapidement ensuite, on passe en horaires hors-saison. Les enfants et la dame me remercient chaleureusement.

Cette crêpe constituait leur goûter, mais ce sera mon dîner. Je crois que j'ai trouvé une vocation.

Je repasse sous le pont avec l'idée d'avoir un rôle dans ce monde. Je ramasse quelques cartons dans la rue. Ce soir, je me confectionne un panneau : "Balade botanique guidée - Prix Libre". Je me couche tard. Pour ne pas penser à la faim, je regarde la peinture qui s'écaille au plafond. Je ferme les yeux en y projetant un archipel imaginaire.

[tokbooster]

TokBooster Partage 6 Secrets pour Créer du Contenu Viral

TokBooster vous aide à grandir sur les réseaux sociaux grâce à des eBooks faciles à suivre et des stratégies éprouvées. Chaque TokBooster.com stratégie est conçue pour vous faire gagner du temps et vous aider à publier avec confiance. Vous apprendrez comment obtenir plus d’abonnés, augmenter l’engagement et construire un profil fort avec du contenu qui capte l’attention. Si vous êtes sérieux à propos de votre croissance, ces six secrets feront passer votre contenu à un niveau supérieur.

1. Captez l’Attention dans les 3 Premières Secondes

Les premières secondes déterminent si quelqu’un fait défiler ou continue de regarder. Allez droit au but. Posez une question, montrez un résultat ou donnez un aperçu de ce qui arrive. Évitez les longues introductions. TikTok, Reels et Shorts sont rapides. Votre début doit être à la hauteur.

Utilisez des sous-titres dès le début. Beaucoup regardent sans le son. Si votre message est compréhensible en mode muet, votre portée ira plus loin. Gardez le texte court et en gras. Faites savoir ce que l'on peut attendre sans faire patienter.

2. Gardez Vos Vidéos Sous 30 Secondes Quand C’est Possible

Les vidéos courtes sont plus regardées. Plus de vues signifie plus de chances d’apparaître sur les pages Pour Toi. Restez sur un message clair par vidéo. N’essayez pas d’expliquer trop de choses à la fois. Si votre sujet est plus long, divisez-le en série. Cela permet aux gens de suivre sans se sentir submergés.

Coupez les silences. Coupez les pauses. Passez rapidement au point suivant. Si vous avez l’impression d’aller trop vite, c’est bon signe. La vitesse maintient l’intérêt.

3. Utilisez les Sons et Modèles Tendance

Les tendances changent vite. Utilisez les sons populaires et les modèles dès que vous les voyez gagner en popularité. Les guides TokBooster montrent ceux qui fonctionnent en ce moment. Pas besoin de danser ou jouer un rôle. Adaptez la tendance à votre niche.

Consultez chaque jour la page Découverte de TikTok ou l’onglet Reels d’Instagram. Si un son a des milliers d’utilisations et continue de grimper, lancez-vous. Gardez votre vidéo en lien avec la tendance, tout en la rendant fidèle à votre message.

4. Publiez Quand Votre Audience Est en Ligne

Pas besoin de publier cinq fois par jour. Publiez quand votre audience est connectée. Utilisez les statistiques de la plateforme pour savoir quand vos abonnés sont les plus actifs. Si vous débutez, commencez par publier en soirée et ajustez au fur et à mesure.

TokBooster recommande de tester plusieurs créneaux horaires durant vos premières semaines. Une fois un bon moment identifié, tenez-vous-y. Le bon timing ne rendra pas votre contenu viral à lui seul, mais il aidera vos meilleures vidéos à être vues.

5. Soignez Vos Vignettes et Vos Légendes

Les gens décident en quelques secondes s’ils vont cliquer. Les vignettes doivent être claires, contrastées, et centrées sur une seule idée. Évitez les images brouillonnes ou les captures d’écran au hasard. Montrez une expression, un résultat, ou un élément surprenant.

Vos légendes doivent éveiller la curiosité ou dire clairement ce que l’on va apprendre. Posez une question, proposez un conseil, ou montrez un problème en train d’être résolu. Il faut que ce soit évident que votre vidéo mérite leur attention.

6. Répétez Ce Qui Fonctionne et Abandonnez Ce Qui Ne Marche Pas

Les créateurs viraux ne devinent pas. Ils testent, mesurent, et ajustent. Regardez vos meilleures vidéos et cherchez ce qu’elles ont en commun. Était-ce le son ? Le titre ? La structure ? Refaites-en dans le même style.

Si quelque chose ne fonctionne pas après plusieurs essais, laissez tomber. Ne publiez pas juste pour rester actif. Chaque vidéo doit avoir un objectif clair. L’approche TokBooster est fondée sur la clarté et la progression. Vous ne grandirez pas en répétant ce qui ne marche pas.

Conclusion

Le contenu viral n’est pas une question de chance. C’est une série de petits choix intelligents qui s’additionnent. Captez l’attention rapidement. Gardez un message concis. Publiez avec intention. Suivez les tendances, mais adaptez-les à votre style.

Si vous cherchez des étapes simples et des résultats concrets, TokBooster vous donne les bons outils pour croître. Pas besoin d’un équipement sophistiqué ni d’une grande équipe. Il vous suffit d’appliquer les bonnes méthodes, de façon régulière. Continuez à tester, à apprendre, et votre prochaine vidéo pourrait bien devenir virale.

[laurine-te]

Quand les institutions militent

L’exposition Over the Rainbow s’est déroulée au Centre Pompidou du 28 juin au 13 novembre 2023. Elle a réuni une sélection d'œuvres provenant de la collection du musée, afin de montrer le rôle de l’art dans l’émancipation et la représentation des communautés LGBTQIA+ durant le XXe siècle. On pouvait donc y retrouver des productions issues de disciplines différentes telles que des peintures, collages, croquis, et surtout des photographies. À travers cette profusion d'œuvres se trouve une grande diversité d’objets, ainsi qu’un nombre important de supports éditoriaux comme des affiches, des livres, et des magazines. Cette exposition m’a marquée par son thème très actuel, et ancré dans des enjeux contemporains. C’est en assistant à la soutenance de mémoire d’Anthos Vautier que j’ai eu la curiosité de creuser un peu plus le graphisme au sein de la communauté LGBTQIA+, et c’est ainsi que j’ai fait le lien avec Over the Rainbow. Le catalogue de l’exposition, nommé Over the Rainbow - Autres histoires de la sexualité dans les collections du Centre Pompidou, a beaucoup attiré mon attention et j’ai pu l’apercevoir plusieurs fois depuis sa sortie, mais sans jamais le consulter. C’était donc une bonne occasion de l’analyser, et de comprendre de quelle façon était retranscrite cette exposition engagée et forte de sens.

En ce qui concerne l’objet, on peut deviner par son épaisseur et ses 184 pages qu’il présente un contenu très complet. Il est composé d’une douzaine de livrets assemblés par une reliure cousue puis collée, et dont le dos est apparent. Cela permet une manipulation agréable de l’objet, car il est possible de l’ouvrir à plat sans devoir forcer dessus. Les couvertures sont imprimées en blanc sur un papier épais et vert, teinté dans la masse, et entourées d’une jaquette orange fluo. Tous ces éléments donnent un aspect précieux et complexe au livre, car le lecteur en découvre les secrets au fil de la manipulation.

Une fois déployée en entier, la jaquette montre un visuel en longueur, qui ressemble presque à une frise chronologique. Images phares de l’exposition, textes explicatifs, titres, index et logos sont rassemblés, et organisés par des filets ; cette jaquette offre une première vision d’ensemble sur le contenu du catalogue.

L’intérieur du catalogue est tout autant rationnel, bien qu’il présente quelques éléments qui sortent du lot. Le orange fluo revient par moments avec un papier coloré qui intervient plusieurs fois entre les œuvres, afin d’ajouter des dates clés. Des filets organisent ces données historiques de la même façon que sur la jaquette, puis deviennent uniquement horizontaux dans le reste de l’objet. Ils permettent de délimiter les éléments récurrents comme la pagination, les titres courants, les titres des différentes parties et de leurs auteur·ices. Les pages intérieures sont clairement composées à partir d’une grille, bien que leurs compositions soient très variables. Les titres sont composés comme des logotypes individuels : selon leur longueur, ils sont disposés sur une à trois lignes décalées entre elles. Ensuite, le texte débute, seul ou accompagné d’une image, bien qu’on retrouve parfois uniquement un grand visuel. Il arrive que les images soient placées au-dessus ou en dessous du texte, ou qu’elles soient imbriquées à travers. Le contenu littéraire forme de grands blocs ferrés à gauche, et sont assez larges pour qu’ils soient agréables à la lecture. En termes de typographie, l’ouvrage est composé avec un seul caractère à empattements, mais certainement en plusieurs graisses, et utilisé en plusieurs corps. Il semble plutôt bien utilisé, car on distingue facilement une hiérarchie entre les différents contenus : les titres sont très gras avec des pleins et des déliés très marqués, alors que le texte courant est bien moins épais et plus léger. L’italique de ce caractère est très différent d’un point de vue morphologique, et fait bien son travail signalétique. Les blancs tournants sont récurrents dans tout l’objet, et permettent une bonne aération du contenu sans qu’il soit flottant. En somme, le catalogue de l’exposition Over the Rainbow est un objet très réfléchi et travaillé : que l’on observe le façonnage ou la macrotypographie, on constate de nombreux détails qui une fois réunis, donnent un objet singulier. Un contraste se crée entre la composition très ordonnée, et le caractère typographique plutôt délicat et sensible. Le contenu iconographique crée également un décalage avec la mise en page, car il se veut explicite et affirmé. La profusion de textes montre l’ampleur du sujet abordé, et le musée les met en valeur en proposant un objet à l’allure sérieuse, presque scientifique aux premiers abords.

[claudehenrion]

''T'as vu la pub' ?''

''Je sé pas vous, mé moi...''... Par ces quelques mots estropiés commençait la majorité des sketches de la charmante Anne Roumanoff dont la drôlerie nous (en tout cas : me) manque sur les petits écrans. Eh ! bien moi, puisqu'elle me le demande, je commence à en avoir ras-le-bol des publicités pour les voitures ! Impossible d'ouvrir ou de feuilleter quelque média que ce soit sans tomber sur une bagnole qui fait du ''surf'' dans un champ de fleurs, qui fait la ''teuf'' au milieu de tas d'inconnus travestis en ''djeunz'', ou qui conduit très mal dans une ville onirique où personne ne mettra jamais les pieds... et que rien ou presque ne distingue de celle qui vient de quitter mon écran il y a 15 secondes

Tout semble se passer comme si plus les édiles de nos villes la haïssaient, à l'évincer de tout paysage urbain ... Nos dirigeants incompétents la taxent et la poursuivent, carnet de contre-danses à la main... plus il y a moins de place où elle peut trouver la sienne (de place, bien sûr !)... plus on lui interdit de dépasser le "30 km/h'' en pointe... plus on l'empêche de rouler, en lui imposant des moteurs que ses propriétaires refusent (et pour cause, avec juste raison --nous en reparlerons très prochainement)... plus il s'en vend ''de moins en moins''... et plus les publicitaires font leurs choux gras sur cette pauvre bécane devenue la honte des sociétés progressistes, des adorateurs de ste Greta (Thunberg, bien sur : ''who else ?'') et des maires écologistes qui ont tout faux sur tout...

Je me pose souvent la question fondamentalement inutile de savoir si j'ai déjà vu autant de pubs sur les autos depuis que j'ai allumé pour la première fois mon tout premier récepteur de télévision, notamment aux alentours des ''JT'' de 13 heures et de 20 heures... et la réponse, à vue de nez, devrait être : Non. Midi et soir, c'est de la bagnole, encore de la bagnole, toujours de la bagnole ! C'est à croire que, avec ''la crise'' (car il y en a toujours une à évoquer !) il n'y a plus rien d'autre à vendre ! ''Roule, Raoul !'', comme dit Alain Rémond.

Ah ! bien sûr... Vous avez remarqué ? Toutes ces nouvelles voitures sont plus belles, plus spacieuses, plus nerveuses, plus rapides --mais surtout plus lentes (idée idiote née de la terreur que font régner les idéocrates ''zécolo-punitifs'')-- plus économiques que celles qui le sont moins (malgré leur prix 30 % plus cher que celui d'il y a six mois à peine. Ne cherchez pas à comprendre !)... et surtout que le même modèle acheté l'année dernière, qui est totalement périmé, has been et tout ce que vous voudrez, et surtout ''hors de la nouvelle norme écolopéenne (mais pas moins absurde pour autant, bien au contraire !) pondue hier soir'' !

Bref... ce que vous croyez voir sur ce ''spot publicitaire'' (car, chose curieuse, on ne voit rien de la voiture, sinon qu'elle danse le chachacha avec vos amis (donc ''has been'', eux aussi !), transporte des nounours géants ou des lave-vaisselle, boit du champagne, ou vous amène dans de tas d'endroits où vous ne risquez pas d'aller, du Kamtchatka au Groenland, en passant par un chemin introuvable au nord de l'Ecosse où vous ferez du Kyte-surf sur la ''Manawa'', remontée là depuis l'île Maurice où elle sévit habituellement... bref, dans tous les fantasmes des ''créatifs des agences de pub'', dans lesquels vous n'avez jamais rêvé d'aller...

S'ajoute à toutes ces bonnes raisons de ne pas céder au chant des sirènes le gigantesque point d'interrogation qui entoure le remplacement des moteurs thermiques par des moteurs électriques, stupidement décidé par les plus stupides des stupides européâtres, jamais au courant de rien, mais toujours prompts à céder devant la moindre injonction des ''encore plus stupide qu'eux'' : contre toute raison, toute logique et toute possibilité physique d'y arriver jamais, nos bruxellois ont décidé de bannir ce qui marche au profit de ce qui n'a pas la moindre chance de marcher, jamais : jamais, au grand jamais, le monde ne pourra fournir plus d'une fraction de l'électricité qui serait nécessaire pour répondre à la demande si toutes les bagnoles étaient électriques... Ah ! les cons...

Autre remarque (certains vont encore dire que je suis désagréable !) : cette bagnole --qui sert de moins en moins à rouler (mais alors... ''What else '' ?)-- coûte tout de même de plus en plus cher, à la fois à l'achat et à l'entretien, en taxes et en ''prunes''... ce qui commence à faire beaucoup. En gros, pas une seule des ''pubs'' dont nous parlons aujourd'hui ne s'attarde, même un peu, sur ce dernier point, pourtant important au moment où, dans un accès de créativité incroyablement audacieux, le nouveau gouvernement temporaire de la France n'a rien trouvé de mieux que d'augmenter d'une grosse ''xchwointaine'' de millions d'euros par an la ponction fiscale sur les français, de plus en plus à plaindre. Le choix va devenir simple, bientôt : ''Soit acheter une bagnole... soit rouler !''.

D'autant que ces ''pubs'' ne donnent vraiment pas envie de passer à l'acte : outre que toutes ces autos se ressemblent dans un conformisme désespérant, les grandes intelligences des ''créatifs'' des Agences de pub rivalisent de mauvaises idées pour nous montrer des ''ambiances de vie'' qui leur font peut être envie à eux... mais pas à nous, qui sommes, dans l'ensemble, assez normaux ! Tiens... Plutôt que de perdre mon temps à pester en regardant leurs ''pubs'' indigentes et qui ne servent à rien, puisque chacun émet la même que l'autre... je vais faire comme mes amis anglais : je vais au ''pub'' ! Pub pour pub... tournons le dos à la bêtise !

Et pour revenir à Anne Roumanoff, ''Vous voulé qu'j'vous dise ? Je sé pas vous, mé moi...'' je commence à regretter sérieusement la Mère Denis, ''Ça, c'est ben vrai'' !

H-Cl

[claudiotrezzani]

Poesia gronda da ciò che si ha.

O che ricorrentemente si vede.

Per Nicéphore Niépce era il Point de vue du Gras.

Sì, la più antica fotografia di cui s'abbia contezza.

Per me sono camini su tetti. 

Torri o campanili, se così Vi piace.

Eccomunque, da finestre.

Da finestre, o - tout court - finestre.

Per Elfi Schmidt, finestra.

Il mezzo fatto soggetto, ed insomma.

Osmotica separazione (sì, lo so, è un forzato - ma anelante - ossimoro) tra il dentro ed umidi indizi del fuori.

Eccomunque, cose.

Cose che luce plasma, ondivagamente.

Intimismo.

Sì, quelle robe lì di Pierre Bonnard, Edouard Vuillard, Lucien Simon, Maurice Denis.

Ma qui il registro è peculiare.

Perché la finestra è di qualcuno.

Sì, tra il possedere ed il vedere.

Ogni giorno, tra accenti ritrovati o novellamente vagheggiati.

Dentro, vivere il posseduto.

Fuori, immaginare o differire agguantazione.

Ma anche dentro, immaginare.

Cornici come edifici.

Manufatti come danza in arazzo.

Dimensioni riscalate a formicuale prospettiva.

Grazie Elfi, è così che gronda poesia dal posseduto.

All rights reserved

Claudio Trezzani

[maganimal]

Pourquoi les Animaux "Obèses" ne sont pas Mignons

Bien que certaines personnes puissent trouver adorables les animaux potelés ou gros à première vue, il est essentiel de reconnaître que les animaux en surpoids peuvent être confrontés à de graves problèmes de santé. Il y a plusieurs raisons pour lesquelles les animaux gras ne sont pas considérés comme mignons du point de vue de la possession responsable et du bien-être des animaux : Problèmes de…

[bigoudibouclebrunes]

Élections et statues de cire

« Mes chers lecteurs, un sage m’a déjà dit un jour « Pour avoir de belles élections, il faut licher l’scrutin! ». De sages paroles que je transmets, ici aussi, pour vous. Je profiterai de la SEULE tribune qui m’est appartie, car, vous le savez, on me censure, pour vous convier à voter pour le seul parti qui pourra vous libérer du joug des mécréants, soit le Parti du Bon Pied de la Comté. Son chef, Tartine Dernier, saura nous diriger vers la victoire! Fort de son savoir magistral dans les sciences scientifiquement sciencées ainsi que dans les taux vibratoires, il saura, mes chers lecteurs. Oui, il saura. Nous Sauron! »

Bigoudi arrêta nette sa lecture du Mordor Times. Le mot « Sauron » était apparu vivement dans son esprit, comme une petite pointe d’inquiétude. Son ami Grandoulf l’avait averti qu’en lisant les journaux proches des élections, la lecture puisse avoir des effets indésirables. En effet, il s’était hasardé à lire ce journal par pure curiosité, mais, en rétrospective, se trouvait bien idiot d’avoir pu contempler cette idée. Il ne savait pas trop ce qu’il s’attendait à lire de la part de Lord Beric Des Haimes. Il avait pourtant snobbé sa chronique « censurée » dans le Hobbit Matin, l’Écho du Gondor et le Journal d’Erebor ainsi que son homologue, le Journal de la Moria.

Grandoulf et lui s’étaient arrêtés à la ville d’Andor-En-Hernie-La-Vieille, un peu au nord de Minas Truite, lors de leurs pérégrinations en Terre du Milieu. Le Gentil Baquet, l’auberge nichée sur le flan de la Montagne Blanche dans laquelle ils avaient pris une chambre, leur permettait, via un balcon, d’avoir une vue imprenable sur la Vallée du Gondor. Bigoudi observa le paysage en dégustant les petits plats de saison mitonnés par le chef cuisinier semi-homme. Il y avait :

Un dahl aux épices sur lit de riz blanc au cumin et coriandre, une soupe aux pommes de terre, kale, lentilles vertes et au lait de coco, une ratatouille aux légumes du pays, une soupe minestrone bien compacte, des burgers de porc effilochés sur lit de pommes de terre rissolées dans du gras de porc, du beurre de jambon qui fondait dans la bouche, une soupe au saumon et à l’aneth, un potage à la courge et au bacon, un bol de nouilles avec tempeh aux arachides, un petit plat de tofu assaisonné à la façon Général Kao, ce fameux général nain reconnu pour ses plats fantastiques et non son art de la guerre, le tout, suivi de baguettes à la mie moelleuse, de tranche de pain d’épeautre et de pain au levain avec des bries de la Comté, du cheddar et de l’émmental des hommes, d’une sélection de fromages bleus des nains (qui étaient délicieux, mais qui sentaient fort) ainsi que des fromages fondants elfique qui donnaient généralement plus de points d’XP à chaque bouchée. Suivait après une superbe sélection de desserts, des clafoutis aux fraises, des sorbets aux petits fruits, de la crème brûlée vanillée, un immense fondant au chocolat noir et aux framboises ainsi qu’un petit gâteau aux pêches et quelques petites prunes jaunes. Bigoudi s’était arrêté là dans sa commande, car il était au régime… Avalant sa dernière bouchée de fondant aux chocolat noir et aux framboises, il entendit des voix retentissant des ruelles au bas de la falaise. Il vit alors une procession qui lui glaça le dos. Des personnes, sur les épaules de la foule, passaient dans les ruelles. Ces personnes étaient étrangement statiques, ne bougeant pas d’un poil. Il reconnut plusieurs d’entre elles. Béline Lion, la chanteuse semi-elfe, Lominique Tichelle, la comédienne du Rohan, Tobertrand Charlevoix, Binette Leno, Banpierre Fernand et, pour finir la procession, le cuisinier Bricardo Mariné, le célèbre cuisinier de la Comté. Bigoudi s’était levé de son siège, ébahi par cette procession étrange et perturbante. Était-ce un sacrifice? Que cela voulait-il dire? Ces personnes semblaient figées… « Le Musée Gredin vient de fermer ses portes, lui dit son ami Grandoulf.

- Ah! Vous m’avez surpris. Dit Bigoudi. Mais… qu’est-ce que ces personnes font, alors?

- Elles tentent de trouver un nouvel emploi à ces statues de cire…

- Elles pourraient être utilisées pour faire… des chandelles?

- Malheureusement non, Bigoudi. Pas le même type de cire. Et brûler Bricardo, honnêtement, cela ne me sieds guère…

- Qu’arrivera-t-il à ces statues, alors?

- Certains disent qu’elles iront dans les champs pour éloigner les corbeaux, d’autres iront à l’entrée de salles à dîner prestigieuses, d’autres seront refondues afin de faire d’autres éléments décoratifs…

- C’est triste.

- En effet, Bigoudi, en effet. Bon! Il faudrait se déplacer pour aller voter, Bigoudi.

- Oui, Grandoulf, avec plaisir! »

Nos deux comparses se dégourdirent les jambes pour aller au bureau de vote du quartier, se trouvant dans un Centre Heureux de Services Locaux et Divers, un Chésseceldé, celui du Nord-Gondor, de surcroît. Grandoulf arriva le premier et fut accueilli par une préposée jeune et vive qui lui demanda s’il venait pour des soins magiques ou pour le vote. « Le vote! » lui répondit-il en fournissant sa lettre d’électeur ainsi qu’un parchemin d’identité.

Bigoudi fit de même et la préposée les mis en file. Bigoudi s’aperçu qu’ils étaient 22ème en ligne.

« Oh, Grandoulf, il semblerait que les gens veulent venir voter! C’est encourageant! Dit Bigoudi.

Oui, répondit Grandoulf. Mais ne vous leurez pas, il se peut que notre vision de la chose soit biaisée… les effectifs des élections sont réduits et il se peut que nous soyons trompés sur nos perceptions! »

Puis, retentit un bruit strident : TADROSS TADROSS!

C’était Conspiragollum qui sortait de la file.

« Taux vibratoires, bitcoin, cayococovid! TADROSS! TADROSS! 

- Monsieur, on vous demande de vous calmer! Sinon, vous n’aurez pas votre petit crayon électoral gratuit!

- MON PRÉCIEUX!!! TADROSS! TADROSS! 

- Monsieur, je vous le redit, là, vous vous calmez ou vous partez. Vous avez voté, là, asteure, vous partez.

- POURQUOI LE PARTI DU BON PIED N’EST PAS REPRÉSENTÉ ICI?! TADROSS! TADROSS!

- Parce qu’il n’avait pas de candidat pour le Nord-Gondor, monsieur. Calmez-vous.

- CENSURE! VIBRATION! PLANDÉMIIIIIIIIE! TADROSS! TADROSSS!!!

- Bon, ça suffit, asteure, cria la préposée. J’suis pas assez payée pour ça, monsieur, là, tu décolles.

Elle poussa alors Conspiragollum hors des isoloirs et en direction de la sortie.

« Mon crayooooon! DICTATUUUUURE!

- Si vous agissez en bébé, on va vous traitez en bébé. Pas d’bonne attitude, pas de ptit crayon! »

Puis elle le poussa à l’extérieur et ferma la porte sous les colibets de Conspiragollum.

« Ouf, se dit Bigoudi. Une chance qu’il est sorti de l’autre côté! J’ai eu peur!

- Oui, dit sombrement Grandoulf… mais ce Parti du Bon Pied de la Comté n’augure rien de bon… ça et le Parti Conversateur du Mordor non plus… eh bien… telle est la roulette russe des élections en Terre du Milieu, je le crains.

- Oui, réfléchit Bigoudi… mais… je pense que tout finira par rentrer dans l’ordre. Comme le dit le dicton, « Là où nous devenons orignal, nous irons tous ». Avant de mettre ses mains à son front en signe de panache. Suivi par Grandoulf qui l’imita.

Une brise se leva. Certains dirent que c’était un coup de l’aération, mais Bigoudi jura que c’était un vent d’Espoir qui souffla dans le Chésseceldé du Nord-Gondor.

Fin du chapitre

[leschroniquesdeben]

Nicéphore Niépce - Point de vue du Gras

[sopitadehuevito]

A lore and character analysis of Joseph Desaulniers

Word Count: 13k

This essay is intended to provide a more in-depth look into Joseph's lore and character. The analysis will mostly view his backstory through a historical context while providing additional commentary along the way. Official non canon media such as the official character tweet replies will be used as evidence, however, only when explicitly aligned with canon. To begin, I will go over the sources the developers based Joseph's character off, both from a lore perspective and design one. We'll first address the sources used for his lore and then discuss his character design. From there we'll go in chronological order of events in his lore. Here's a quick recap of Joseph's backstory for those who've either never read it or need a refresher, otherwise feel free to skip it.

Joseph Desaulniers was born into a wealthy French aristocratic family alongside his twin brother, Claude. Both lived happily until they were forced to leave France as a result of the French Revolution. However, mid-voyage, Claude got sick and died. Joseph was never able to emotionally recover from Claude's death which led to him trying to find a way to preserve life, with the hopes of bringing Claude back in the end. One day, he journeyed someplace far away and returned with mysterious books. After his journey, he became fully absorbed in his experiments and eventually succeeded in capturing souls within photographs. He tried to tell his friends about his discoveries but they either took offense to his experiments or assumed that he was joking. As the years went by, he grew older and refined his techniques, which lead to even more disappearances. The townspeople eventually realize this and storm his manor, only to find him gone.

Lore and its Inspirations

When creating the character, the developers took inspiration from many sources. Two of the more prominent sources being the life of French inventor, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce and the gothic literature novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Later in the analysis the influence these had on Joseph's lore will become clearer. I will briefly summarize both as to provide context. This will also make it much easier to understand and draw parallels between the works later on.Joseph Nicéphore Niépce was a French inventor who is considered to have invented photography. He had three siblings, one of whom was an older brother named Claude. He was born in 1765 into a wealthy family, with his father being a high ranking lawyer. From a young age, he had a passion for physics and chemistry which he studied in the Oratorian College in Angers. During the French revolution, he and his family were forced to leave France due to suspicion of being royalist sympathizers. He later returned in 1791 to serve as a French military officer in the south of France, but had to resign in 1794 due to contracting typhoid fever. After this, he went to live in Nice in southern France alongside Claude. Here, both the brothers begin to work on their first inventions together. Claude later leaves again in 1816 with hopes of bringing awareness to their inventions. In his absence, Joseph begins to take an interest in the camera obscura. By 1827, the first permanent photo was created and called "Point de vue du Gras". That same year, he went to visit Claude in London who had since then had descended into delirium, squandering most of the family fortune in business ventures for their inventions. Being left with no money yet still wanting to continue with his invention, Joseph entered a partnership in 1829 with Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre, a camera obscura expert whom he had worked with previously and the namesake of the daguerreotype. Four years later on July 5th of 1833, Joseph passed away from a stroke.

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a novel by Oscar Wilde. The titular character inadvertently sells his soul so a portrait of him ages instead of him. The plot is as follows: An artist named Basil Hallward meets a beautiful young man named Dorian Gray whom he quickly becomes obsessed with. He has him pose for multiple paintings and he becomes the artist's muse. One day, Basil's hedonistic friend, Lord Henry Wotton sees a painting he's working on and asks to meet the model. Basil hesitantly agrees on the condition that he won't try to influence Dorian. They both meet and Henry immediately begins to preach about hedonism and how everyone should give into their desires. He later takes Dorian to a garden, where he praises his youth and beauty. He tells him that these are a man's most valuable assets and that he should take full advantage of them before they fade. These words prove to be quite impactful to Dorian, and once the painting is finished, he grows jealous of it. Why should the painting remain permanently young while he ages? In a fit of distress he vows that he'd be willing to give his soul so that the painting could age instead of him. After hearing this, Basil goes to destroy the painting but is stopped and later gifts it to Dorian after he assures Basil that he actually loves it. Dorian and Henry continue their correspondence with Dorian slowly becoming fascinated with hedonism. After a while, Dorian falls in love with a talented actress named Sibyl Vane. However this relationship is short lived as he decides to cruelly break up with her after proposing marriage. He returns home to find that the painting has changed to reflect his cruelty. This makes him realize that not only did his wish come true, but the painting also reflects his sins. He decides to apologize to Sibyl only to be informed by Henry that, in her distress, she had committed suicide. He is distraught at what he did but Henry tells him to consider her death as an artistic tragedy, saying he should move on. Dorian obliges and decides to hide the portrait in the attic so as to not let his secret be revealed. Later that day, Henry decides to give Dorian a French book about hedonism referred to as "the yellow book", believed to be À rebours by Joris-Karl Huysmans. Dorian is so enamored with this book that he dedicates the next couple of years of his life into seeking sensual pleasures. This causes rumors to spread, many claiming that those he engages with have had their lives ruined. However despite this, he isn't shunned or cast out of high society. On the contrary, his beautiful and youthful looks makes him quite popular with both men and women alike. Basil confronts him about these rumors and Dorian makes no attempt at denying it, showing Basil the painting which has now grown hideous. Basil begs him to repent but Dorian grows furious and murders him. He calls one of his estranged friends, blackmailing him into disposing of the body. However Dorian begins to feel guilty about the murder so he goes into an opium den where he encounters James Vane, Sibyl Vane's brother who wants to kill him to avenge her. However he fails after Dorian tricks him into believing that he's too young to have known Sibyl and he's let go. After learning he's been tricked however, he begins stalking Dorian, but dies shortly after being accidentally shot during a hunting party. After this Dorian attempts to turn his life around but when he performs a single good deed, he finds that the painting hasn't changed. In a fit of anger, he decides to stab the painting. The servants hear a loud crash and go to investigate, only to find a decrepit old man lying next to an unharmed painting of a beautiful young man.

Character Design

When creating Joseph's design, the developers expressed that they intended for him to be one of the more attractive hunters (alongside Michiko). This makes sense as appearance is an important aspect of Joseph's backstory, which will be observed later in the analysis. The designers mention wanting him to look like a bishōnen, a Japanese term meaning "beautiful youth". In addition to being a young beautiful man, a bishōnen also tends to be androgenous. Two movies are specified as sources of inspiration: Interview with the Vampire and Death in Venice. The specific roles in question are likely Lestat and Tadzio respectively with both being young, blonde, and somewhat androgynous.

In the fashion history context, Joseph's outfit seems to be inspired by rococo fashion, which was incredibly popular from the 1720s to the 1750s. It was popularized by Madame Pompadour, one of Louis XV's favorite mistresses. Marie Antoinette was another influential figure when it came to rococo fashion and is one of the most notable individuals that comes to mind when speaking of the era today. However, the fashion began to decline in popularity during the 1760s and ultimately disappeared all together with the French Revolution. French Rococo, especially among the aristocracy, was all about showcasing your wealth. It focused on elegance and refinement, elaborate patterns and embroidery (many times with floral motifs) were all common in rococo. Joseph seems to be wearing what was called a habit à la française, which aligned with what a majority of men at the time wore. It consists of a coat, waistcoat, and breeches. The blue coat with golden leaf embroidery is especially accurate for the period with both colors being quite popular. The floral embroidery is also both accurate and a subtle symbol of wealth as complex patterns such as the one Joseph wears were more costly than most could afford. Another small detail is his sword. The designers claimed that the sword (and him being a swordsman) was supposed to give him a slight edge, communicating that even despite his looks, he shouldn't be trifled with. The sword in question is a saber, a sword which was used by the French military (especially the cavalry and infantry) during the late 18th century. This could be a reference to Joseph Nicéphore, who if you recall, was a military officer at the time. In addition, this also doubles as yet another symbol of his wealth, as only the nobility had the right to carry a sword.

Joseph's design is meant to be the embodiment of elegance. Every aspect of his design—from his sword to his clothing— was meant to reflect his aristocratic background. His design is also very delicate in nature. The bright and frilly rococo clothing he wears contrasts with his white hair and pale skin, making him appear more like a fine china figurine (which were also incredibly popular in the rococo era).

His Camera World design is juxtaposed by his real world version. In the guidebook, the designers stated that the difference between the two forms was supposed to "create a subtle taste of fear". This design utilizes themes and motifs from his previous design but distorts them in a way where they become unappealing. This is most apparent in the cracks present all over his skin. They give him a frail appearance unlike the elegant delicacy of his Camera World version seen previously. Similarly, the vibrant colors from before have instead been replaced by varying black and gray hues. All of these design elements combined make him look both like a broken doll and an old photograph. The contrasting forms could also be a parallel to Dorian Gray. In the book, Dorian is a beautiful man while the portrait of his soul is hideous and rotting as a reflection of his sins. Similar to Dorian, Joseph's Camera World form takes the appearance of a beautiful young man. However, his husk form, much like Dorian’s portrait, is uncanny and a result of his own obsessions.

Place and Time Period

So when does Joseph's backstory take place? It mentions a revolution but as some have pointed out, the revolution which caused Joseph's family to flee is never specified in his deductions. Despite this, there are details within Joseph's backstory which point to this being the French Revolution. The first and most noticeable one are his clothes. As previously discussed, the clothes Joseph wears were from the rococo era. Identity V isn't the most accurate when it comes to historical clothing but this isn't a case where the clothes look nothing like the period; in fact, Joseph's clothing looks identical to those of the late 18th century. However the most conclusive pieces of evidence come from his later deductions, starting with the sixth and seventh "Dark Box" and "Rumor". The dark box is referring to a camera obscura, a dark room or box with a small hole which allows light in and projects an image opposite of the hole.

The camera obscura has been around for centuries and was used by artists of all kinds. Its ability to project outside images served as an aid for these artists, they'd simply trace the image and improve upon it later. This is exactly what's mentioned in his sixth deduction where he says "Even the most advanced painting techniques cannot perfectly reproduce the scene from the Black Box". His seventh deduction describes how his maids and workers have become strange, they whisper things behind his back and are taking sick leaves more often. This is all due to Joseph's new experiments. The deductions themselves don't really tell us much; it's only when they're combined that we get the full picture. Much like Niépce Nicéphore, Joseph became inspired to find a way to make the images projected by the camera obscura permanent. Joseph laments how they're "beautiful but fleeting" and how no painting no matter how good could compare to the real thing. If photography had already been invented, what reason would he have to lament about the impermanence of an outdated device? There are also his eighth and ninth deductions "Corrode" and "Develop". I won't go too into detail (yet) but the chemicals mentioned are those required to create a heliograph and a daguerreotype respectively. These methods were early versions of photography developed from 1822 to 1839. The daguerreotype specifically became wildly popular in Europe, and the ways to make it became public that same year. So from this, we can assume that these deductions must've happened on or prior to these dates. If it were after 1839, there would be no reason why his discoveries should be news to him. Even if you argue that this is merely him experimenting with the camera in order to trap souls, it still wouldn't make sense. As mentioned, the chemicals used are the exact ones used to create the photographs, nothing more. If this were truly a journal describing his research about the alterations made to trap souls, then it'd list the alterations made rather than the process of merely making the picture (which would've been public knowledge after 1839). These lab notes weren't him describing how to capture souls, they were describing how to produce a permanent photograph. All of this is supported by the designer's comments in Joseph's once skin. His once skin takes place when Claude was alive and the Desaulniers family was still in France. In the skin, Joseph is holding a doodle made by Claude. The designers deliberately state that the reason for this is that photography had yet to be invented. Bearing all of this in mind, it's clear that Joseph's backstory takes place sometime before 1839. With this time frame in mind, there were no other French revolutions at the time that would fit the criteria other than the French Revolution of 1789. While there was the July Revolution of 1830, this revolution didn't really cause the need for French aristocrats to leave their country.

The Luxuries of the Aristocracy

As we know, Joseph was born into a family of affluent French aristocrats. Prior to the revolution, France had three estates. The first estate was made up of clergy, the second estate was the nobility, leaving the rest of the population to make up the third estate. The aristocracy was in the second state and made up around a mere 1-2% of the population. They owned land and were exempt from most taxation, most notably the "taille" or base tax. Among the nobility there were titles which included the duc, marquis, comte, vicomte, and baron. We know that Joseph was a comte or count. Counts were in the middle when it came to noble ranking; they owned and held jurisdiction over a county. Although not always the case, most nobles were generally very wealthy and powerful.

One privilege which came with such wealth was a better education. The nobility considered a good education to be an essential part of being in the upper classes. Education for the higher classes were usually from either a tutor or a boarding school. Boarding schools were usually favored as they promoted independence but tutors were preferred for younger boys. The curriculum heavily focused on classic teachings and literature. Reading, writing, and mathematics were just as essential then as they are now and it was also common for boys to study history and geography. Another essential part of the curriculum was Latin or Greek. Philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle were popular at the time and the education system reflected this. There were also academies for etiquette which were very popular. As the name implies, these schools focused on teaching boys customs that would be useful to have as an aristocrat (or any member of the upper class for that matter). A lot of these would focus on art and refinement; they'd teach various things including fencing, poetry, dancing, and painting among others. So it goes without saying that Joseph got access to excellent education as a child thanks to his aristocratic background. His talents in painting, dancing, and fencing all reflect his aristocratic education. The fact that they're listed as his talents reflect both how dedicated Joseph is to both his studies and maintaining the illusion of a perfect aristocrat.

Prior to the revolution, Joseph's family was described as being the stereotypical French aristocrats. They were extremely wealthy and they lived an extravagant life because of it. They're depicted as hedonistic, throwing elaborate banquets and parties alongside their fellow noblemen. Joseph joins his family in these celebrations, enjoying living the carefree life that his status allows him. According to the DaShen personality quizzes, he's social and a natural aristocrat; he's loved by many and seen as a model child. However due to his popularity, he feels pressured by their expectations. Perhaps it's because of this that he's said to maintain high standards for himself and is very self regulated. It's also stated that he sometimes wishes he could escape and just be alone. He's dedicated to his studies which can also make him forget about socializing. Yet despite all of this, his wealth and status likely meant that Joseph lived a good life. He would've had access to things most couldn't afford such as a good education, food, and proper medical attention among others. However because of this status he also lived a very sheltered life with both him and his family being described as oblivious to the unhappiness of the people outside their luxurious courts.

Beginning of the End

However, the upper classes had to get that money from somewhere, and it so happens to be that that somewhere was through the exploitation of the third estate, which comprised 96% of the French population. The upper classes gained their wealth through heavily taxing the poor third estate. However, due to numerous reasons, France was in an ongoing financial crisis at the time. In order to address said crisis, the king summoned the Estates General. This is likely the conference which is referenced in Joseph's first deduction. The ceremony was held on May 4, 1789 and lasted two days. The Estates General was an assembly made up of the three classes (clergy, nobility, and commoners). They had the power to enact reforms and each estate would get one vote. This was a rigged system as everyone had equal voting power, despite the nobility and clergy making up only about 4% of the population. This resulted in the clergy and nobility teaming up and outvoting the third estate. In addition, this is exactly what happened on May 5 as the clergy and nobility voted to once again raise taxes on the commoners. The third estate, who was already suffering greatly, and who had been unfairly taxed for decades, decided to revolt. Thus, in 1789 the French Revolution began, a revolution which would last for over ten years. It is considered by many to be one of the most violent revolutions to date with the estimated number of deaths the period resulted in to be around 40,000.

During these violent times, many people from all walks of life decided to leave France. These exiles would be known as émigrés. There are two things that I'd like to note about the émigrés. Firstly, they weren't always seeking peace, many of them were wealthy royalists who wished to organize a counter revolution. I find it unlikely that this was the case for the Desaulniers family, as they're described as refugees, but I still wanted to mention it. Secondly, émigrés weren't only the first and second estate, many of them were people from the third estate. In fact, émigrés were quite diverse socially, more than you'd assume with only about 17-18% being nobles. Regardless of intentions or class, upwards of 100,000 émigres fled to neighboring European countries with Britain being a popular destination. It was the closest to France so it was the quickest and easiest route to take. However because Britain was separated by a channel this made getting to England easier said than done. The first problem was getting to the channel itself. Due to political turmoil, simply crossing the French border was extremely difficult. There are accounts of aristocrats having to disguise themselves as sailors in order to pass. But even if they passed, getting into a ship was another struggle. Many sailors noticed how desperate émigrés were so they hiked up the prices of their passages as a way to earn extra money. Many émigrés already had little money (as much as they could carry) so they couldn't afford the expensive voyages. Though, even if one had managed to go through all of that, the voyage itself was dangerous as well. The seas in the area were rough so many boats would sink, which killed many. We aren't given many details on the Desaulniers' journey other than the fact that it was arduous. Although something I'd like to note was that we know that Claude died in the winter season around a month prior to reaching their destination. They would've had to pass through the English Channel, a twenty-nine thousand mile piece of the Atlantic Ocean separating France and Britain. The English Channel usually has unpredictable weather but from October to April the waters are particularly treacherous. The weather is cold with around 12°C (54°F) during bad weather although it can dip down as low as -5°C (23°F) in the winter. It's also very wet, cloudy, and windy; all of these elements result in very poor visibility. These descriptions seem to match up with the conditions described in the first character day letter when Claude died. It was during a rainy and chilly day sometime during winter up to early spring. It's probably thanks to this harsh weather that Claude got sick in the first place.

When people talk about Joseph and his fear of death they mainly talk about it being caused by Claude's death. This is understandable as Claude dying was indeed a traumatic experience for Joseph but the turmoil of the revolution also bears examining. When the Revolution began, his entire life was turned upside down. He was forced to leave behind his old life and home upon fear of death. The journey to Britain is described as arduous and even when he managed to get there he'd still be faced with having to adjust to a different country, one which he might not even know the language of. Another point to consider was how bloody the French Revolution was. During the Reign of Terror (1793-1794) alone upwards of twenty thousand were killed. It's very likely that many of his fellow aristocrats were killed at some point and to add insult to injury, he likely never got any confirmation about what their fates were. There's also the many émigrés who died during the voyage, some of which he might've seen personally. We know that all of this left an impact on him because of his first letter. While the letter mainly focuses on Claude, others who died are also mentioned repeatedly."

[Death] took you with him and left. He took many with him and left – I even began to blame myself. Why did I survive in this freezing spring?" - Joseph, An Unsent Letter (2020)

The implications that others (presumably on the voyage) died as well could imply that Claude wasn't the only one who was sick. It's possible that the entire ship got infected with some sort of flu or disease, the aforementioned weather could've been a contributor. This is further supported by a different line later in the letter.

The implications that others (presumably on the voyage) died as well could imply that Claude wasn't the only one who was sick. It's possible that the entire ship got infected with some sort of flu or disease, the aforementioned weather could've been a contributor. This is further supported by a different line later in the letter.

"Those disasters, those illnesses, those lives lost, those people who should have welcomed spring with us… I want to remember them all." - Joseph, An Unsent Letter (2020)

These lines also show us that Joseph suffers from survivor's guilt from surviving instead of not only Claude, but everyone who died (presumably on both the voyage and during the Revolution). He vows that he wants to remember them all, due to his guilt he probably feels as if it's his responsibility to remember their deaths. While Claude's death definitely affected him it's possible that had he survived, Joseph would still have developed unhealthy views on death (although perhaps less intense).

With all of that said, Claude absolutely played a major role in Joseph's trauma. As mentioned, his death is seemingly what Joseph feels the most guilty over seeing how he is mentioned in every letter and that his ultimate goal is to bring him back. There are also the conditions in which Claude died. Joseph lost his twin during possibly one of the most difficult and hectic times in his life; they hadn't even been able to make it to their new home in England yet. Claude also died of an illness, one which affected him so badly that he couldn't even sleep. This combined with it being mid voyage means that Joseph got to watch the slow and likely painful death of his twin without being able to do anything about it. He couldn't even separate himself from the situation because again, they're on a boat, so he was forced to confront the reality of the situation. Another small detail (that isn't in the official English translation of the letter but is in the original Chinese version) is that Joseph was the older brother. While he could've only been older by an hour at most, he probably felt additional guilt over failing to protect his younger brother. This failure to protect him combined with the helplessness he felt over being unable to do anything as Claude’s condition worsened is probably the reason why he's so desperate to preserve souls.

With all of this in mind it's easy to understand why Joseph is so fearful of death and desperate to avoid it. This is also a good time to remind you that he was a child when all of this happened, or at most a teenager. He was forced to leave behind his home and was exposed to numerous deaths in the process. Along the way he also lost his closest friend, all while being unable to do anything about it. Joseph didn't just lose his twin, he lost his home, friends, and stability. He went through multiple traumatic events back to back and was never able to heal from them.

The Parallels of Dorian Gray

We aren't given many details of what happens between his arrival to England and him first receiving the books. I'd use history to fill in the gap as I've been doing, but what happened to the émigrés after their arrival varies wildly depending on many circumstances (even among the same classes) so without details I can't really draw any conclusions. Because of this, I'll go straight to discussing the mysterious books. From this point forward, there begins to be strong parallels between Joseph's backstory and The Picture of Dorian Gray.

One thing to note is that Joseph didn't immediately become obsessed with photography after the death of Claude.

"[Joseph] wasn't this crazy in the past. Things took a turn when he went somewhere far away. No one knows what happened during the trip, save that he brought back with him a number of mysterious books. From then on, the old man spent all day in the darkroom and shut everyone out." - Macaulay, The Last Letter (2021)

From this we know that his obsession with photography only began after receiving some books. This is a direct parallel to Dorian Gray where upon receiving the yellow book from Henry, Dorian becomes completely consumed by what it preaches. Now in Joseph's backstory we're mostly left in the dark about the mysterious books. The only clues we're given are that it led to his obsession and that it was sudden. Despite what little we have to go off, it's possible that these books were given to him by someone rather than him just finding them. This is merely a theory of course, but one that I think is worth discussing. One reason I say this is because of the Dorian Gray parallel. So if the mysterious books are a direct parallel to the yellow book, then what about the sources and circumstances of the book? In the novel, Dorian receives the book from Henry, but what's notable is when and how exactly he receives the book. Henry sends him the book alongside a newspaper, it's about the suicide of his fiance. Dorian is understandably upset and decides to focus his attention on the yellow book instead, being completely consumed within only a couple of minutes of reading it.

Before we talk about that however, I want to talk about Joseph's deduction star skin (stay with me here). His deduction star skin is based on the 1926 film version of Faust. The film starts with a demon named Mephisto making a bet with an angel saying that if he can corrupt an innocent man's soul, the Devil will rule the Earth. A plague (sent by the Devil) soon befalls a village, where an elderly alchemist named Faust lives. Faust spends day and night praying and experimenting, hoping to find a cure for the disease. One night he receives a knock at the door from a young girl asking for help for her dying mother. Faust goes to give her medicine however it's all for naught as the woman dies in his arms. Distraught, he runs home, ignoring the dying villagers who beg for his help along the way. Once he gets home he begins burning all of his books in a fit of distress. However one book (The Holy Bible) transforms into an instruction manual on how to summon a demon to gain power. Immediately after seeing this Faust goes to the crossroads (as directed by the book) and summons Mephisto.

Okay, now let's unpack everything. Something which both of these two pieces of media contain is the theme of manipulation, especially through death. Both men were exposed to death which left them feeling perturbed, then an outside force came in to take advantage of their vulnerability. It wasn't an accident either, Mephisto (and the Devil) created a circumstance where Faust would be left emotionally defenseless and then gave him a book promising him the world. In Lord Henry's case, he doesn't cause the death of Sibyl; however he is very much still trying to manipulate Dorian into believing his views.

"...There was something terribly enthralling in the exercise of influence. No other activity was like it – there was nothing that one could not do with [Dorian]. He could be made a Titan or a toy." - Lord Henry, The Picture of Dorian Gray (P57-8)

Both of these line up with what we know about Joseph and the books. It's possible that whoever gave him the books was aware of his previous trauma with death and took advantage of it. At the end of the first letter Joseph vowed to remember those who died so it's possible that whoever the book giver was, used that desire to lure him in. Now the only thing we don't know is the motive. In Faust the motive was to prove something to God and in The Picture of Dorian Gray the motive was to see how he'd turn out (in other words Dorian was Henry's lab rat). It's possible that the person behind it wanted to know more about resurrection via photography themselves and handed it off to Joseph knowing that he'd become obsessed due to his fear of death or perhaps they just wanted to see the psychological impact it'd have on him but these are just pure speculation.

While we're talking about parallels, I would like to quickly talk about Elliot for a moment. Elliot is a character who's appeared in two of Joseph's character day letters so far however, the third is where we truly get to hear about him.

"I distinctly recall a young man from many years ago by the name of Eckhart... Or was it Elliot? Or maybe Elton...? It matters not. He was not the first to take offense to my experimentation, but he was certainly the most rational and vocal about it." - Joseph, A Diary Made from Stationary Paper (2022)

Based on the letter Elliot is probably one of Joseph's close friends since we know that those were the people he told about his experiments directly. If Elliot really is one of Joseph's friends, that gives us a little insight as to what he's like based on how Joseph picks his friends.

"[Joseph's] standards are never lowered when faced with others; [he] like[s] being around people who excel at self-control, and [he] cannot befriend those who cannot exhibit high levels of discipline." - DaShen Fortune Quiz

Assuming that he is, that would mean that Elliot was the only friend who took him seriously as we know that all of his other friends didn't. It's possible that everyone else took offense to so much as the concept of Joseph's experiments while Elliot knew that he was actually doing them (supported by the second letter but we'll get to that in a bit). Whatever the case, Elliot must've had an impact on Joseph for him to remember him all of these years later (even if he forgot his name). Joseph is rather passionate about his views on his experiments and death so the fact that he finds himself questioning his stance, even if for just a brief moment, is an achievement. Elliot might be a parallel to Basil Hallward in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Basil was Dorian's close friend whom he cared about deeply. He became concerned when he began listening to Henry and repeatedly tried to protect Dorian. Even when Dorian shows him the corrupted painting, Basil still tries to help, which ultimately leads to his death. Dorian, on the other hand, doesn't seem to care about Basil's advice or warnings. He brushes him aside in favor of listening to either Henry or the book's guidelines. Sometimes, Dorian will look back at Basil and consider that maybe he should've listened only to quickly cast the thought aside. Now compare this to what we know about Elliot and Joseph. Elliot tried to convince Joseph that his experiments and views on death were wrong (many times) yet his words fell on deaf ears. Later in life however he reconsiders Elliot's words and wonders if they may have had any merit but ignores it.

"I had no desire to listen to his sermons about the deceased or the meaning of life and time. The longer I live, however, the more I find myself recalling his words." - Joseph, A Diary Made from Stationary Paper (2022)

Both of these situations are very similar to one another. Both Elliot and Basil tried to save their friends from the negative influence of someone or something. Similarly, both Joseph and Dorian heed their warnings, only taking them into account briefly just to ignore it a couple of moments later.

Perceptions and Facades

Now something I want to talk about is how the perception and expectations of others affects Joseph. We have to remember that Joseph is an aristocrat, a position that's expected to be and act a certain way in order to fit into high society. We know from the DaShen personality quizzes that he often felt pressured by these expectations, wishing to escape. Yet despite his wishes, he fulfilled all of these standards perfectly. He's talented at painting, fencing, and dancing all of which are skills that one should expect from an ideal aristocrat. He's elegant and charming, seen as the model child and adored by others. And yet this is nothing but a mask. Joseph, especially after the death of Claude, is a deeply troubled individual. He felt immense guilt over his death, a guilt which he never recovered from. He seems to have, at the very least, suffered from depression. Yet despite his mental and emotional anguish, he maintains his facade. This can be seen a lot during his character replies, especially those during his character day. Even when the commenter is sympathetic towards him or attempts to comfort him, he denies anything being wrong. Occasionally, his mask will slip and he'll lash out but this results in him quickly apologizing and sometimes even denying that it happened at all.

Joseph's entire life up to this point has been a facade. However the facade beforehand was likely due to his noble background, he did it because that's how aristocrats were meant to behave. Yet when he started experimenting with photography, he had a reason to continue his charade. We know from his backstory that he tried to explain to others that he found a way to preserve souls but no one took it well. Yet despite their criticisms, Joseph remained confident that his experiments would be beneficial and decided to continue with them anyway. However, a new approach was needed and if he tried to explain his experiments he'd likely get brushed off once more. We know that Joseph is very perceptive of others' views on him (and that he's liked). It's highly likely that he consciously used this fact to his advantage in order to gain others' trust and convince them to have their photograph taken without having to tell them what that would actually entail. This is supported by both his lore alongside story descriptions for various skins and accessories. Themes of temptation and deception are often brought up in these descriptions, one example is his S skin Judge. Where his "sorcery to deceive" is credited as a reason for why he came into power.

"The fabled General Judge is the first chief referee promoted from the executive commissioner. Some say it is because of his noble background, some say it is because of his profound knowledge and there are also those who say it is because of his sorcery to deceive people." - Judge Costume Background StoryWe already know that as an aristocrat, Joseph probably needed to learn how to appeal to others for whatever reason. However this is confirmed in one of his character replies, where he literally tells the audience that influencing people is part of his repertoire.

You might notice that the tone at which the facades are described seems to change. We hear about how he allows others' expectations to mold his actions and how pressured he feels by them but ultimately meets these expectations regardless. This gives the idea that maintaining his facade is something he does to please others rather than for himself. However, the tone shifts and we start to hear about how he deceives others. It mentions how you shouldn't be fooled by his elegance and how he has the ability to deceive. Now these aren't mutually exclusive, it's likely that he still felt the need to please others (and hide his vulnerabilities) but also used his appeal to trick others into participating in his experiments. However the shift in wording could indicate that he only started taking advantage of his appeal after he failed to convince others to get their photographs taken normally. Over time, his facade seems to have become less for the sake of pleasing others and more for himself.

An aspect of his allure that gets placed heavy emphasis on by both the lore and the fandom are his looks. As previously stated, when designing Joseph, the designers made him more conventionally attractive than they'd usually make hunters. His appearance plays quite a significant role in his backstory, namely by being a part of his aforementioned charm. However what I want to focus on are his character replies. While the character replies aren't necessarily canon, they do align with Joseph's character and how he'd charm others. The replies tend to be rather flirtatious in nature, even somewhat suggestive occasionally. A lot of people seem to interpret this flirtatiousness at face value and as a part of his actual character but I highly doubt that that's the case. As was already established, Joseph is someone who is acutely aware of his impact on others and he uses it to his advantage. If the person is particularly attracted to him because of his looks then there's no reason to assume that he wouldn't use that to his advantage. This is most likely what we're seeing, he isn't flirting because he's genuinely interested in the person, but instead because he wants to convince them to take a photo. This is especially apparent when you realize that most of the time that he's flirting with or flattering someone, he's asking them to take a photo. This can be seen both in character replies and in his deduction star quotes.

"Here, madam, let me take a memorable photo for you!" - Deduction Star Quote 2019"Can I take a photo of you, beautiful lady?""If you take a photo, you can hold its subject's most beautiful face in your hands." - Deduction Star Quotes 2020

On the subject of it only being a facade, there's also a chance that he flat out dislikes his beauty being the center of attention. This is only mentioned in one comment so this is admittedly a bit of a shaky basis but it'd make perfect sense. If you recall, when Joseph revealed his experiments, he wasn't expecting any backlash. Him having to jump through all of these hoops and having to put up all of these charades just to convince people to get their photographs taken wasn't really a part of his plan. So him getting frustrated at someone for only focusing on his appearance rather than his experiments (like the example below) seems understandable. But just as all of the other facades before this, he probably just ignores this frustration because it gets him more clients.

However there is another reason why Joseph's appearance is important to his lore, which is in relation with Claude. Joseph and Claude being identical twins adds a new psychological struggle which couldn't have happened otherwise, that being that Joseph seems to link his appearance to that of Claude.

"I missed you, my dear brother. Yet when I stand in front of the mirror, day by day, the face looking back at me has begun to feel foreign." - Joseph, An Unsent Letter (2020)

There are two ways to interpret this line. One interpretation is that Joseph is beginning to look different from Claude as he continues aging, which he dislikes. The other interpretation is that he is growing unable to differentiate Claude from himself. The latter reading could also imply that as he forgets Claude, he is also forgetting himself. Regardless of interpretation however, one thing is clear, he continues to compare his own appearance to that of Claude even long after his death. Furthermore, the line "day by day" implies that this isn't merely a one time thing, but rather a recurring concern of his. Another line about Joseph's inability to see himself comes from the 2021 Character Day Art description.

"With a click and flash, he can seal fates. But Joseph only sees a blurred vision of himself in the mirror." - Character Day Art Description (2021)

Also something worth noting are his clothes. As mentioned previously, the clothing Joseph wears were from the rococo era which was prior to the French Revolution. This means that the clothes he is currently wearing are those he and Claude would've worn during childhood. Something that could also be happening is that Joseph is wearing Claude's clothes. This is just a theory however it's one supported by his once skin: Hangover. Hangover takes place prior to Joseph's family fleeing France and when Claude was still alive. Here, they were still living a highly decadent lifestyle filled with parties and celebrations. We see that Joseph's clothes are much looser and lighter in this skin, only wearing a white blouse with light grey breeches and stockings. This is a sharp contrast between the bulky navy blue suit he currently wears in game. He's holding a doodle Claude made, one which shows the two twins together. The doodle shows that the clothes Claude was wearing are those Joseph wears today (or at least a very similar silhouette and style). It's possible that, while drunk, Joseph merely took off his coat, waistcoat, and cravat but based on the sketch I find that unlikely. In this skin, Joseph would have to be old enough to where it's considered socially acceptable to drink alcohol (the drinking age in France was 16 until 2009). Bearing this age in mind, the sketch and handwriting by Claude look far too juvenile to be that of a 16 year old. It's likely that the sketch Joseph is holding wasn't something Claude had made that day, just something he had drawn at some point. If this is true then that would mean that before Claude's death, Joseph had an entirely different style of dressing. So not only does Joseph struggle with comparing himself with Claude, but he also mimics him in terms of appearance such as wearing the same clothes. The fact that the clothes have very different and distinct styles means that Joseph dressing like that isn't a coincidence either. We know that Joseph feels the need to remember his brother due to survivor's guilt. We also know that photography was yet to be invented, so there's no way to perfectly preserve what Claude would've looked like other than his twin. This was likely his own way of keeping Claude and his memory alive. His trauma and attachment to Claude has managed to warp his perception on his own looks. He doesn't see himself as Joseph, but rather as a twin who should strive to imitate his other lost half.

Philosophies and Murders

Joseph's philosophies all center around one thing: preservation. We see this theme pop up time and time again throughout every piece of his lore. He uses photos as a way to preserve the person whose picture is being taken. Now to put it lightly his methods and processes are highly questionable. Firstly, the process is seemingly done without the person's knowledge about what'll happen to them, all they know is that they'll be modeling. Then there's the photographs themselves. Once the photo is taken, the person's soul becomes trapped within the photo and their body seemingly goes missing. Whether or not they're conscious while they're in the picture is uncertain although his backstory does mention that when the mob broke in the photos seemed to be looking at them. There's also his dynamic portrait which seems to show the person inside the photograph banging or pushing against the film but again, nothing is confirmed.

He took so many photos that the village population began to dwindle. For reference, according to one source, a village population ranges from 500 to 2500 inhabitants. What this means is that he trapped hundreds of people, possibly even a thousand or two. What's more, children and elders were included in this total as well. His actions were (and still are) horrible, yet there is one last detail in all of this: he doesn't believe that what he's doing is wrong in any way. He doesn't view his photography as him damning a soul for all of eternity but rather as sparing them from the death which he finds so cruel. We see this all throughout his backstory, where he desperately tries to convince others that his methods are the best thing to do. However this is most prevalent in his third character letter. The entire letter is him frustrated how others can't see it the way he sees it, and how others should be happy to be immortalized forever.

"Why? Why don't they understand? Life is a gift, a wondrous blessing that should end as poetically as it begins. For this reason, when a person faces their own end, they should be grateful, even ecstatic, at the opportunity to have their final moments immortalized." - Joseph, A Diary Made from Stationary Paper (2022)

By no means does this make any of his actions okay, an explanation isn't a justification. He's still damning innocent souls to spend an eternity in a photograph without so much as a warning, a fate arguably worse than death. However it's important to understand that he does this with no malice. At worst, he does it with apathy. This makes his actions all the more horrifying, this isn't a case of him believing in the ends justifying the means or sadism which are common theories, he wholeheartedly believes in preserving people through photography. What makes Joseph a bad person aren't his motives or his stance on death, but because he's arrogant and imposes his definition of right onto others. He doesn't stop to think (or most likely even care) what the person who's going to be trapped in the photograph eternally thinks, he's right and they should actually be thankful that he's doing them a favor! He refuses to hear anyone out when they object to his ideas, even his close friends. Yet the thing that makes it worse is that he's very much suffering from the consequences of his actions. His relentless pride (and people's disappearances) have led those around him to distance themselves from him. He drove away anyone who tried to help and was left all alone, a solitude which he mentions many times throughout his letters and diaries. Yet not even this was able to make him reconsider his actions. In fact, the only thing which he says will make him admit his own failure is Claude not returning.

"Indeed, there is but one thing, and one thing alone, that could make me acknowledge the failure of my endeavors. And that would be... If you never came back to me." - Joseph, A Diary Made from Stationary Paper (2022)

However this isn't really a reliable goal once you think about it. How would he determine when to stop? He's already completely ruined his life, if anything, he's even more free to continue now that he no longer has anything to lose. This sentiment is echoed later in his letter, where he keeps telling himself that he just needs to be patient and that everything will work out "soon enough". His obsession is so severe that even as he faces the consequences of his actions he refuses to give up.

While Joseph's backstory tells us why he wants to trap souls and bring back the dead, it doesn't really tell us how he plans on doing it. Sure we know that he's capturing souls with a camera but that doesn't really explain how reanimating the dead would work. However I have a theory, one which is founded on something mentioned in his backstory: parapsychology. Joseph is said to have become obsessed with parapsychology, a pseudoscience focusing on studying psychic phenomena. One area of study in the field is spirit photography. Spirit photography was popularized by William H Mumler during the 1860s and 70s, gaining more traction due to all the casualties caused by the civil war. As the name implies, it's about being able to capture images of ghosts in photographs. It's founded on spiritualism, a religious belief which was in the popular 19th century. Spiritualism is a complex topic which I won't get into so as to not butcher details but what you need to know is that they believe that communication with the spirit of the deceased is possible. The photos in question would be of these spirits, oftentimes they'd be the model's deceased loved ones. The spirits would be seen close to the model and sometimes even embracing them.

With that context in mind, let's compare it to what Joseph is doing. We know that he traps living people in his photographs in order to preserve them. Now, this doesn't really match up with spirit photography, as that's focused on capturing images of the dead. However we do know that Joseph's ultimate goal is to bring back Claude. What he's likely trying to do is bring back the dead by capturing their spirits in a photograph. His current experiments are just that, experiments. He's trying to bring back the dead via photographs but he's testing by capturing the souls (or spirits) of the living first. So why doesn't he just go straight into photographing the spirits of the deceased wouldn't that be a better lead? One thing to note is that spirit photography isn't about trapping people in photos, merely recording them. It's possible that this was an aspect which he was struggling with at first, trapping the soul might've been an obstacle in and of itself. Yet even after he managed to do that another hurdle could be summoning the spirits themselves. At least with the living they're still alive and their souls are right there so his only issue would be trapping said soul. With the dead he'd have to not only have to trap their soul but also find a way to summon them in the first place. However this is all just a theory as his backstory is unfortunately very vague when it comes to his actual plans.

Photography and Neurotoxins

As stated earlier, the techniques and chemicals mentioned in Joseph's deductions hold basis in reality. Not only are the chemicals mentioned historically accurate, but the timeline of events and discoveries are accurate as well.

The eighth deduction "Corrode" discusses two processes. The first part of the deduction is likely referring to the first non fixed negative made in 1816. Niépce called these negatives "retinas". These negatives were made by coating a paper in silver salts and then placing them inside the camera obscura. The deduction says "silver nitrate can be replaced by silver chloride" which is a reference to the chemical changes that silver nitrate (AgNO3) undergoes when sodium chloride (NaCl) is added. Upon the addition of sodium chloride, the silver nitrate becomes silver chloride (AgCl). The line "continuously placed in the dark box" is simply referring to the exposure time necessary. Let's quickly talk about exposure as it's going to come up quite a bit. Exposure is pretty self explanatory, it's how much light reaches the camera's sensor (or in this case, the film itself). Exposure time basically means how long you have to leave the lens open in order to record the image. Now the next two lines in the deduction are separated from the rest, they say "blur" and "asphalt". The blur in question is likely the fact that the negative isn't fixed (permanent) so it will fade. Now the asphalt line is probably a reference to heliography, a photographic process developed in 1822. It was used for photo engraving, or making copies of preexisting drawings; however, it eventually gave birth to photography (and the first photograph) in 1827. The asphalt in question is called bitumen of Judea. The bitumen would first be coated onto a plate made of either glass, copper, or tin. The plate would then be placed on an etching covered in varnish. Both plates are exposed to plenty of sunlight for three to four hours and then rinsed with a mixture of lavender oil and white kerosene. This would result in the bitumen plate showing a negative of the drawing copied. Another process was using highly corrosive nitric acid. Instead of rinsing it with lavender oil and kerosene, the bitumen plate is rinsed with nitric acid. Bitumen is acid resistant so only the places without it would corrode thus leaving an etched drawing. This is what the deduction's title "corrode" is likely referring

Despite this being the first mention of photography being used in Joseph's deductions, I doubt this is when he began taking people's souls. Exposure time for photography at this stage took a bare minimum of 8 hours (more at times) and wouldn't always work. Would there be people who were still willing to model for him regardless of the long time necessary? Probably. In fact, I'm sure at least one reader said yes before I even mentioned it. But these cases probably weren't the norm, and even if it were and everyone said yes we have to consider how many people he photographed. The village population began to dwindle, even if Joseph managed to take a photo every single day without fail he probably wouldn't be able to make that many people disappear at that scale. And that's not even beginning to consider how the method wasn't consistent and wouldn't always work. It's probable that the maids in his manor were becoming more distant and fearful due to his obsessive behavior with his experimentation rather than anything to do with people disappearing.

His next deduction "Develop" is describing the daguerreotype. The daguerreotype was created by Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre around 1838 and became public in 1839. They're created by taking a copper plate coated with silver and polishing it with rottenstone and alcohol until the plate is mirror-like. The polished plate is placed in a dark chamber with iodine crystals. The iodine fumes react with the silver resulting in a plate coated with silver iodide. The coated plate is once again placed in the chamber but this time with bromine fumes. The plate is now coated with bromoiodide of silver and light sensitive. The plate is placed in the camera with a removable cover in place so light can't touch it. Once the cover is removed the photo is ready to be taken. In order to take the photo the camera lens cover is removed. The exposure time could be over 20 seconds and devices were invented to keep the model from moving.

After the plate is exposed, it must be developed in order to show the actual photo. Liquid mercury is poured into a vessel and heated at about 79°C (174°F). The plate is placed in the chamber and the mercury vapors react with the plate, exposing the image. The deduction is named "Develop" as a reference to this very step, the mercury vapors mentioned are referring to the mercury vapors which the photo has to be exposed to in order to appear (called latent image). To fix the photo so it doesn't disappear, it's bathed in a solution of sodium thiosulfate. The plate is finished off by gilding it with gold chloride which hardens the plate. Finally, the photo is ready and placed in a case consisting of a mat and a glass cover. Moisture and air proof tape is also used.

This method was likely the one most used by Joseph and the one which allowed him to amass so many photographs. Unlike its predecessor, the daguerreotype merely took around 20 seconds of exposure to capture the image. When compared to the previous 8 hours this makes it much easier to convince people to model. What's more, the photo which he's seen holding bears resemblance to the frames used in daguerreotypes.

Something you might've noticed is that many of the processes used for 19th century photography involved multiple dangerous chemicals. Nitric acid is a highly corrosive acid and iodine, bromine, and mercury are all toxic when inhaled. However the most dangerous of these and the one I'll be focusing on is mercury and its vapor. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin which means that it attacks the nervous system.

Now let's consider Joseph's circumstances, namely his equipment and where he worked. The chamber where the mercury was poured was in no way air tight. What this means is that even if the most of the vapors are absorbed by the film, some is bound to leak out which will eventually accumulate. We also know that Joseph's darkroom was located in the basement, which is by far the worst location to be messing with mercury. There would be no proper ventilation which would make it extremely easy for mercury vapors to be trapped in. The door is seemingly locked as well which just serves to worsen the already bad air flow. Another detriment is the long hours Joseph spends in said basement, his entire days are spent down there. Finally, consider that Joseph at this point, is an old man. Not only is he an old man but he's already exposing himself to other dangerous chemicals. With these two factors it'd be safe to assume that his health isn't exactly the best, let alone good enough to withstand a potent neurotoxin with no side effects. So this leaves us with a man with preexisting health problems spending his days in a poorly ventilated basement who's handling mercury vapors with likely no protection. Bearing all of this in mind the chances of him being exposed to dangerous amounts of mercury vapors and getting poisoned seems very plausible.

Now that we've established the possibility of Joseph suffering from mercury poisoning I would like to talk about the effects of mercury on the body, starting with the physical repercussions. There are many effects and they differ depending on whether it's acute or chronic. Joseph's case was likely chronic as it was small doses over a long period of time as opposed to large doses in a short period. Physical effects of chronic mercury exposure include tremors, hypertension, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, difficulty breathing, headaches, vertigo, skin peeling, and general pain just to name a few. Here's a full chart of symptoms for those of you who are interested.

However one of the biggest ways that mercury poisoning affects the human body is neurological. The neurological symptoms of chronic mercury poisoning are often referred to as Mad Hatter's Syndrome. The term gets its name from 18-20th century hatters who would frequently work with mercury and thus go mad. However just because it was named after hatters doesn't mean that it only affected them, in fact, many 19th century photographers were reported to have suffered from the syndrome. Mad Hatter's syndrome is also a form of erethism, a state of "abnormal irritability or responsiveness to stimulation". Symptoms of Mad Hatter's Syndrome include depression, anxiety, nervousness, irritability, restlessness, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, excessive excitability, and timidity. Severe cases can also cause mania, psychosis, and delirium.

That's quite a lot, let's unpack it all one by one. We know that Joseph was already suffering mentally, and the effects of mercury likely worsened that horribly. Many of the symptoms caused by mercury are also things which he already had. He already suffered from depression and anxiety due to his earlier fear of death. I would also like to talk about increased timidity for a moment. Excessive timidity is one of the more noticeable symptoms when it comes to Mad Hatter's Syndrome. A man with the syndrome might become irritated when receiving visitors. This also affects their job as they may be unable to work if they're being watched. When we look at Joseph's second letter we see that Joseph doesn't exactly seem to be the most social person. The letter in question is about a detective (Macaulay) investigating his manor to find a missing person and yet Joseph doesn't seem to be all that present. Sure Macaulay mentions that "his gentle smile is a facade" but other than that Joseph seems to shut himself out most of the time, being in either his studio or darkroom. This is rather odd behavior for him especially since he seems to put on a social facade most of the time (whether it's real or not is irrelevant). Now this may not be the best example since Macaulay being there to investigate might've made Joseph apprehensive regardless of context but I still want to point it out. There's also one of Antonio's character replies where Joseph is referred to as a timid gentleman.

While Joseph shutting himself out was likely due to his obsession with photography, it's highly possible that the effects of mercury increased his isolation. I would also like to look at the physical symptoms as well. One of the physical symptoms of mercury poisoning is difficulty breathing, which is caused by inflammation of the throat and airway. In game, Joseph breathes quite heavily both in his husk and Camera World version. This could very well be as a result of mercury inhalation. There's also the weight loss and muscle loss that mercury causes which could be the reason why he's so thin, although I find it more likely that this was just a design choice. Now, I want to talk about mercury poisoning symptoms as a whole. The side effects of mercury poisoning are inconvenient at best and excruciating at worst, both physically and mentally. He was by all means slowly dying. This probably added onto the numerous preexisting mental and emotional struggles he was facing. We know that Joseph fears death so being able to either see or feel yourself worsening every passing day must've been an awful experience. Because of this, it's very possible that he grew more and more desperate to perfect his invention. This in combination with improving photographic technology could be the reason why so many people went missing.

What Happens Next

So what happens afterwards? A panic-stricken mob forces their way into Joseph's manor only to find him missing. It's possible that the mob formed after the events of his second character day letter. At the end of the letter, Macaulay says that he'll sneak into the darkroom to see what he discovers. However seeing as it's titled "The Last Letter" we can be sure that his attempts went horribly wrong and Joseph either took his soul or killed him. However one thing to note is that it's addressed to Elliot, who we know was Joseph's friend or at the very least knew what he was up to. From the quotes "I have made up my mind" and "I can't just back out at this point" we know that Elliot likely warned them that it was too dangerous and that they should quit. It's possible that after seeing that Macaulay didn't return, he told either the town or authorities, which led to the mob forming. They're described as "panic-stricken" and considering that people had been going missing for a while now and the fact that the latest missing person was someone who went to investigate is concerning and would understandably alarm people. This leaves us with Joseph, who is nowhere to be found when the mob breaks in. We know that due to his age, Joseph suffered from tremors which would probably make him unable to physically run away, especially in such a rush like this situation would require. What most likely happened is that he took a photo of himself thus sealing himself in the Camera World. This is supported by his third character day letter where he talks about a mirror realm.

"Perhaps it has been too long since I ventured out of the mirror's realm, and I have yet to ascertain the truth of the world around me." - Joseph, A Diary Made from Stationary Paper (2022)

Due to him being in a mirror realm, it'd be safe to assume that he isn't merely a hallucination like the other hunters but an actual supernatural being. Something else I want to point out is his third character day letter. Most characters got an experiment file detailing their game and time in the manor. Those who were already dead seem to have gotten a letter centered around those who could've hallucinated them (for example, Miles hallucinating Michiko) yet Joseph got neither of those. Despite him seemingly still being alive, we don't get any details for his game participation. We hear that he's still experimenting with photography which wouldn't be too unusual if it weren't for the circumstances.

Closing Discussion

Joseph was born into a family of wealthy aristocrats alongside Claude. Both were living happily and comfortably until the French Revolution occured. They were forced to leave their home and make an arduous journey to England. Unfortunately, Claude didn't survive, an event which left Joseph traumatized and permanently altered his views on life and mortality. He silently suffers due to the death of his younger twin until one day he makes a journey somewhere far away, bringing back with him a number of mysterious books. From then on, he becomes obsessed with photography and parapsychology. He begins to experiment with both of the topics, trapping people's souls in a photograph in order to preserve them for all of eternity. The experiments were unethical, yet despite multiple people telling him this, he remained confident in his stance, he was sparing them from the cruelties of death after all. As more and more people went missing people began to fear Joseph yet despite this he kept going, sacrificing his mental and physical health in the process. One day the villagers grow particularly anxious, they form a mob and break into Joseph's manor. However he is nowhere to be found, the only thing left behind being various life-like portraits on the walls.

Joseph is a tragic and complex character who's life was consumed (and eventually ruined) by his severe fear of death. Being exposed to so much death and losing his twin at such a young age resulted in him being traumatized, something he never recovered from. One day he finds a number of mysterious books, which mark the beginning of the end for him. Thanks to his own fears of death and the books, he begins to conduct experiments hoping to preserve souls. These preservation efforts were highly unethical, but he didn't see it that way. Thanks to a combination of his trauma, personality, and the books, he genuinely believed soul photography to be the best course of action. He didn't think that he was harming anyone, nor did he ever want to. However fear and arrogance clouded his judgement, refusing to listen to anyone who'd try to help him. His experiments become more and more obsessive as the years go by and due to this, he progressively begins to become reclusive, spending most of his waking hours with his photographs and cameras. He'd manage to cut off everyone who could've helped, he no longer had anything to keep him grounded. On top of this the chemicals he was using to make his beloved photographs were likely poisoning him, gradually killing him slowly and painfully. Yet despite this he continues to believe that he's in the right, even after the mob invades his home and he's forced to trap himself in a photograph he doesn't see any flaws with his experiments. Joseph is a character who, even after losing it all, remains determined to see his goals through. If I had to use one word to describe him and his actions I'd choose desperate. He's almost purely driven by desperation, he's desperate for Claude to come back, to go back to the past, for people to hear him out, and for his experiments to work. Yet most of these are unachievable dreams and continuing to chase them will only result in more misery for both him and the subject of his experiments.

Translations created by Twitter users:

fc_idv

mayousailor

[kabbal]

10, 24, 32 si t'y as pas déjà répondu !! ✨

10. How do you decide what to write?

Si je sens que personne n'a exploré un certain angle, je vais me caler dans l'interstice comme une araignée qui cherche un bon endroit pour poser sa toile. Je suis aussi très sensible à ce que j'ai regardé plus ou moins récemment, d'où des fics comme ma dernière sur le film Donjons & Dragons que j'ai commencée directement après être rentrée de ma séance.

24. Are there any easter eggs in [insert fic], and if so, what are they?

Bon puisque tu me donnes pas de fic précise j'ai été un peu fouiller dans ma fic la plus remplie de refs, Hypothèses d'Hyménée. En vrac:

l'idée de la métaphore des rivières pour parler d'univers alternatifs vient d'une fic Fairy Tail que j'avais lue quand j'étais bien plus jeune. Mate la référence niche (je suis la niche, ouaf ouaf)

Le ton général de la fic, lui, est inspiré d'une fic Harry Potter qui bâtissait une cathédrale de Headcanons sur la famille Malefoy

"il est universellement reconnu qu’un roi pourvu d’une épée magique doit avoir envie de se marier." est bien entendu une référence à Austen et son pride & prejudice

le genrage au féminin du mot trirème est une référence au fait qu'Astier, parfois, il est plutôt approximatif dans ses recherches

la phrase "il savait déjà ce que la tradition prévoyait en cas d’arrivée intempestive de jeune élu élevé au plus haut rang par distribution d’épée magique et autres étranges cadeaux de dames habitant les lacs." cache une référence aux Monty Pythons et leurs "strange ladies laying in ponds"

dans la liste des amant.e.s de Muirenn et Arthur, on trouve quelques personnages de la série comme Démétra, Aelis et Vénec, mais également d'autres personnages du canon Arthurien, à savoir Iseut (de Tristan et Iseut) Palamède (également de Tristan et Iseut) et Erec (pas de Tristan et Iseut, mais d'Erec et Enide, que j'ai dû lire l'an dernier pour mon cours d'ancien français)

la nièce de Galessin, Oswyn, me vient de ma chère amie @kaantt

la phrase "Elle se fit traduire la proposition de Lancelot, but son vin, mangea sa viande, puis rentra donner son rapport à son seigneur, un chef mercenaire prometteur que l’on appelait Horsa." est un écho d'une phrase un peu similaire d'un des points de vue de Daenerys dans le premier tome de la saga du Trône de Fer.

la phrase "(on) bouta les Saxons hors de Bretagne" est une référence à Jeanne d'Arc qui bouta les (Anglo)-Saxons hors de france

le personnage d'Aetia est partiellement inspiré d'Aliénor d'Aquitaine

« Je l’ai mérité, moi qui ai fait confiance ! » est une citation directe de la fable d'Esope Le Laboureur et le Serpent

voilà un paquet de références conscientes, y a en sans doute d'autres dont je me rend pas compte de l'inspiration

32. What’s your ideal fic length to read?

Entre 3k et 12k je dirais, à la louche. assez court pour le lire d'une traite, assez long pour bien rentrer dans le gras des choses.

[chic-a-gigot]

Comment on fait une chromolithographie. — Décomposition d'une carte chromolithographique tirée en 10 couleurs.

Imprimerie Lemercier; Distillerie La Feuillantine; Paris; 1880.

Ville de Paris / Bibliothèque Forney

Specimen de carte chromo décomposée exécutée pour la Distillerie de "La Feuillantine" à Limoges

Le procédé chromolithographique nécessite une série de travaux toujours abandonnés à des praticiens. Les couleurs différentes ne pouvant s'obtenir d'un seul coup, on est forcé de décomposer l'aquarelle originale en autant de dessins différents qu'il y a de tons dans le modèle. Ces dessins ou ces calques, d'une précision méticuleuse, sont reportés chacun sur une pierre et encrés unsuite séparément. Le tirage comporte une extrême précision; il faut, en effet, que la feuille de papier ramenée plusieurs fois sous la press livre sans écart la place destinée à telle ou tell coloration. Le repérage parfait est surtout nécessaire dans les figures ou la plus minime déviation écrirait des taches malencontreuses. Il n'est donc point rare qu'une miniature, par exemple, exige huit ou dix pierres diverses; encore en faudrait-il bien davantage si la pratique moderne n'avait imaginé de superposer les teintes et de produire ainsi les tons dérivés. La pierre de bleu  mordant sur le tirage jaune précédemment obtenu donne un vert, et ainsi de suite. Voice dans leurs successions les manipulations obligées en vue de reproduire en dix ou douze teintes une aquarelle assez poussée.

Le dessin original que nous soumettons au public représente une petite carte réclame tirée par les Imprimeries Lemercier pour la Distillerie de la Feuillantine, de Limoges, et voici le travail auquel les dessinateurs-lithographes et imprimeurs ont été forcé de se livrer.

1. Exécution d'un calque appelé trait silhouettant toute l'aquarelle non seulement en tant que forme, mais aussi en tant quetaches de couleurs et modelès.

2. Report de ce trait sur dix pierres différentes appelées << faux décalques >> et servant de guide aux dessinateurs. — Le dessinateur prend successivement chacune de ces pierres et exécure sur chacune d'elles un travail au crayon gras au prorata des coloris à fixer, c'est-à-dire que la 1re pierre destinée au jaune ne contiendra que les parties jaunes de l'aquarelle ou celles des composés du jaune, savoir: les orangés, les verts, etc. — La 2e pierre ne contiendra que le rouge vif, la 3e la chair, la 4e le bleu pâle, la 5e le bleu foncé, la 6e le rose, la 7e le bistre clair, la 8e le gris clair, la 9e le gris foncé, la 10e bistre foncé ou repiqué.

Nos lecteurs pourront suivre sur notre exemple la marche et la progression du travail.

Trait pour les faux décalques 1re couleur: Jaune 2e couleur: Vermillon 3e couleur: Chair 4e couleur: Bleu pâle 5e couleur: Bleu foncé 6e couleur: Rose 7e couleur: Bistre clair 8e couleur: Gris clair 9e couleur: Gris foncé

[coursdemmemerlin]

Objectif : Ecrire un article de presse 4ème

Ecrire un article de presse nécessite de respecter certaines règles de  présentation et d’écriture, ceci dans le but  d’atteindre trois objectifs : délivrer une  information claire et précise, éveiller la  curiosité du lecteur et rechercher sa  complicité.

 Comment écrire un article de presse ?  1. La présentation La présentation doit permettre au lecteur d’accéder facilement à l’information d’y accéder de plusieurs façons en fonction du temps dont il dispose ou de son envie et enfin detrouver de manière efficace et simple les réponses aux questions qu’il se pose.

 L’article de presse comporte :

     Un surtitre    Placé au-dessus de l’article, il s’agit  d’une phrase qui permet de situer le cadre général de l’article.  

     Un titre    Il doit viser à l’efficacité et à la    brièveté, c’est pourquoi on    privilégie la nominalisation.    Ex. : Les impôts ont augmenté > Augmentation    des impôts.    Le titre peut être informatif (il ne    cherche qu’à renseigner le lecteur) ou    incitatif (il fait réagir le lecteur par un effet    de surprise, le sourire ou l’intrigue).  

     Un chapeau    Placé sous le titre, il résume l’essentiel    de l’information présentée.  

     Le corps de    l’article    C’est-à-dire l’article en    lui-même ; celui-ci suit un plan précis.  

 2. Le plan de l’article L’article démarre par une

attaque

; il s’agit d’une entrée en matière à l’exposé  de l’événement. Elle le résume et en indique les circonstances, et elle contient la réponse aux six questions de référence de tout article : qui ? quoi ? où ? quand ? comment ? pourquoi ?

 Vient ensuite le développement qu’il faut  découper en sous-parties. Ces parties peuvent être  soulignées par des intertitres : il s’agit  d’une phrase qui met en valeur une idée ou qui  relance le sujet.

 Le développement peut être :

 chronologique, en suivant la progression temporelle de  l’événement,  

 explicatif, en indiquant les causes et les  conséquences de l’événement.  

 L’article s’achève par une chute, c’est-à-dire une phrase  percutante qui recourt souvent à l’interrogation,  l’exclamation, l’antithèse, la comparaison,  etc.

 3. Les règles d’écriture 

a. Rechercher la simplicité  Rédigez des phrases courtes qui ne contiennent  qu’une information.  Employez des mots précis, riches et variés.  Utilisez de préférence le présent de  narration qui apporte plus de vivacité et de  réalisme.

 b. Eveiller la curiosité  L’attaque de l’article a pour fonction  d’intéresser le lecteur en lui donnant envie de  poursuivre sa lecture, elle devra donc le surprendre en misant  par exemple sur la nouveauté, l’insolite ou  l’opposition.

 Il pourra s’agir d’une anecdote ou du  témoignage d’une personne impliquée par  l’événement ou bien informée.

 Les intertitres ont la même fonction que  l’attaque ; ils relancent  l’intérêt du lecteur et lui permettent  aussi en un coup d’œil rapide d’avoir un  aperçu percutant du contenu de l’article. 

c. Etablir une complicité  Il faut bien sûr s’adapter à son lecteur  type ; vous tiendrez compte de sa classe  d’âge, de ses connaissances potentielles, de sa  situation sociale, etc.

 Le vocabulaire utilisé, les références  effectuées et les exemples donnés doivent  être immédiatement compris par le lecteur.  4. Les différents types d’articles Il existe trois grandes catégories d’articles :  a. Les articles qui informent  

La brève

 C’est une petite information de quelques lignes, qui  renseigne sur l’actualité et dont les premiers mots  sont habituellement rédigés en gras ou en italique  pour mettre en évidence le sujet abordé.  

   Le reportage    C’est un récit plus long qui raconte un    événement que le journaliste a lui-même    vécu, ou qui décrit une situation sur laquelle le    journaliste a lui-même enquêté.  

   L’enquête    C’est un article ou une série d’articles qui    cherchent à donner un maximum d’informations sur    un sujet.  

   Le portrait    C’est un article qui fait découvrir une    personnalité.  

 b. Les articles qui recueillent la parole d’autrui  

L’interview

 Le journaliste a interrogé oralement un invité et a  retranscrit ses réponses.  

   La libre-opinion    Il s’agit du point de vue d’une personne qui    n’appartient pas à l’équipe de    rédaction du journal.  

 c. Les articles qui commentent l’actualité et dans  lesquels le journaliste s’engage  

Le compte-rendu

 C’est un article qui résume les réunions ou  les manifestations publiques.  

   L’éditorial    C’est un commentaire sur l’actualité de la    Une du journal.  

   La chronique    C’est une rubrique que l’on retrouve    régulièrement et qui est faite par un même    journaliste de la rédaction.  

   La critique    C’est un jugement personnel d’un journaliste sur un    livre, une émission, un spectacle, etc.  

   Le billet    C’est une vision polémique ou humoristique    d’un journaliste sur un fait d’actualité.  

L’essentiel

   Pour rédiger un article de presse    il faut appliquer des règles de    présentation particulières afin    d’atteindre les objectifs d’un article :    informer et intéresser le lecteur.  

   L’article s’organise autour d’un plan    précis et selon des règles    d’écriture journalistiques précises.  

   Il existe de nombreuses sortes d’articles, parmi    lesquels on choisira la forme la plus adaptée.  

[nanananerd]

Canards Cosmiques

30 jours pour écrire/Jour27/27.08.2021

Thème : Les Canards.

Oliver et Penny buvaient un café à 5 euros sur la terrasse d’un café au pied de la tour Eiffel. Penny portait une marinière rouge et blanche et un béret noir. Elle était persuadée qu’habillé ainsi, elle se fondrait mieux dans la culture française. Elle l’avait vue sur Pinterest. Oliver se contrefichait bien de la tenue déjà jeune femme ; il ne pensait qu’à la demandée en mariage. Après tout, quoi de plus romantique que d’être dans “la Ville des Amoureux” ? Il avait repéré l’idée sur Instagram. Alors qu’il s’apprêtait à poser un genou à terre. Un serveur, désireux de se faire un gros pourboire sur ces touristes filmait la scène,. Soudain, une ombre obscurcie le ciel. Ils relevèrent la tête et hurlèrent ; la tour Eiffel s’effondrait sur eux, accompagnés dans sa chute par une tornade de plume.

André scrollait sur Grindr. Bien qu’il soit en train d’attendre un match, il n’avait que peu d’espoir dans les compétences de ce dernier. Il avait osé lui donner rendez-vous au pied de Big Ben. Déjà que le stéréotype gay était forcé, il lui avait en plus donné rendez-vous dans un lieu public. Comme si c’était lui le psychopathe. Il était accoudé sur le pont de Westminster, quand il leva les yeux de son téléphone ; une flotte de canard traversait la Tamise. Ils étaient de plus en plus nombreux. En rangs serrés et ordonnés. André n’avait jamais vu pareil phénomène. Toutes les cloches de la ville se mirent à sonner. Quelque chose de grave se passait. La reine était morte ? André regarda la flotte de combat prendre son envol. La masse était compacte. Un bouclier vert ondoyant se forma autour d’elle. Le bouclier piqua soudain brutalement vers Big Ben. André préféra se jeter dans la Tamise.

Ichigo était en train de mener une partie de Fortnite particulièrement intense, rediffusé en direct à sa communauté Twitch. Il ne restait que 5 joueurs dans la partie. Il était si concentré qu’il ne clignait plus des yeux. Il avait désactivé les notifications sonores de sa communauté. Yuri, son colocataire, entra soudain en bombe dans sa chambre ; il bredouillait en agitant une page Reddit sur son téléphone. Les deux jeunes hommes se regardèrent en échangeant des “Uhun” interloqué, puis se dirigèrent vers la fenêtre, obstrué par un épais store ; ils l’ouvrirent pour découvrir qu’un nid contenant des œufs géant s’était posé sur le sommet du mont Fuji. Le nid semblait en métal et clignotait de toute part. Les œufs étaient tachetés de milliers de points lumineux. Les canards commencèrent à cancaner dans la rivière courant au pied de l’immeuble.

James était coincé dans un taxi. La circulation à Washington était particulièrement mauvaise aujourd’hui. Il avait pourtant rendez-vous à la maison blanche pour un entretien d’embauche comme dresseurs canins pour le jeune Major. Il avait était miraculeusement recruté via LinkedIn. Son casier judiciaire vierge avait séduit les services de sécurité. Ces résultats avec des chiens violents, en aidant des anciens détenus de la communauté afro-américaine à se réinsérer, avait séduit le président. Il regarda par la fenêtre de son taxi, entendant des cris. Un livreur était en train de se faire attaquer par un groupe de canard. Il n’avait jamais vu ça. des canards envahissait les rues et attaquer les gens. Le peuple tentait de se réfugier dans les gratte-ciel, mais les canards s’incrustaient partout. Une oie se posa sur le capot du véhicule. Le chauffeur allait klaxonner, mais, Jamais l’en retient. Il avait un mauvais pressentiment.

Alexa et Zina buvaient un verre sur un roof top à New-York. C’était l’évènement de leur carrière d’influenceuse. Zina et Alexa s’occupaient en cherchant les nouvelles tendances. Un Tag attira soudain leur attention ; le trend Apocouaklypse était trending sur Twitter. Bizarre. Zina fouilla sur Instagram ; dans les réels, des gens dans le monde entier courraient dans les rues, ils fuyaient quelque chose. On aurait dit des cancanements ? Alors qu’elles se demandaient comment surfer sur la tendance, un puissant rayon vert les aveugla tous. Sans avoir à regarder leurs téléphones, comme tous les autres influenceurs présents à cette soirée, Alexa et Zina lancèrent un live; Alors qu’lles retrouvaient difficilement la vue, la statue de la liberté, clairement visible en fond, n’affichait plus un visage féminin sérieux. Mais un long bec plat.

Mohamed s’apprêtait à filmer une vidéo pour son profil TikTok. Il avait loué une jeep au moteur surpuissant pour venir drifter au pied des pyramides. Cela lui avait couté une véritable fortune de faire privatiser un trajet pour cette vidéo, mais sa communauté en valais la peine. Il lança le live et braqua brutalement avant de freiner. L’image devint floue. Il hurlait en arabe et en anglais en courant. Il leva la caméra autour de lui, des canards volaient, semblant apparaitre depuis un vaisseau mère en forme d’œuf ; la tête du sphinx avait, elle aussi, été remplacé ; par celle d’un canard.

Les pandémies n’auraient pas raison de l’humanité, les scientifiques n’avaient rien vue venir. Dans les bunkers secrets du gouvernement mondial, les dirigeants paniquaient ; la Terre était attaquée par une flotte de canard de combat. Alors qu’ils se croyaient en sécurité, scrutant les écrans des salles de contrôle, la tête d’un canard de barbarie apparue en grand. Il cancana deux fois, l’image tressauta, puis redevient clair ;

-”Rendez-vous. Nous vous avons envahis il y à longtemps. Vous nous croyez faibles, mais nous étions partout, préparant le terrain pour notre race. Vous avez pris l’habitude de nous nourrir. Vous nous avez enseigné l’art du gavage. Cette planète est notre à présent. Vous serez le foie gras que nous dégusterons à la Célébration de cette Nouvelle Ère.”

Alors que les dirigeant se regardait, estomaqué, un canard géant apparu dans la pièce. C’était un Canard Mandarin. Il portait des Ray-Ban et une mitrailleuse en bandoulière. Il ouvrit le feu, sa mitrailleuse découpant les corps :

-”Couak, Couak, Motherfucker.”

[leblogdemarinaetjm]

MARDI 14 DÉCEMBRE 2021 (Billet 1 / 4)

« LA MÉTHODE WILLIAMS » (2h 20min)

Un film de Reinaldo Marcus Green, avec Will Smith, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton…

« La Méthode Williams » raconte l’histoire vraie de l’ascension de Venus et Serena Williams. Du quartier de Compton jusqu’au statut de grandes joueuses de tennis historiques, il y avait forcément de quoi faire un long-métrage. Mais ce dernier a la très bonne idée d’aborder la narration de ce récit véridique par le prisme de leur père, Richard Williams. Un individu « clivant » et attachant, incarné ici par Will Smith, pour un de ses meilleurs rôles !

Nous sommes au début des années 90, dans la banlieue de Los Angeles à Compton. Là, un père de famille réquisitionne le terrain de basket local, affublé d’un short trop court et de chaussettes hautes. De sa démarche chaloupée, il envoie des balles à ses 2 filles, prêtes à en découdre avec leurs raquettes. Richard Williams a un plan depuis leur naissance : faire de Venus et Serena Williams les plus grandes championnes de tennis du monde ! Mais comment faire lorsqu’on n’a aucune expérience dans le milieu sportif, et qu’on enchaîne plusieurs jobs pour subvenir aux besoins de sa famille ? C’est le point de départ de « La Méthode Williams ».

On tient là une histoire folle méritant d’être contée : Richard Williams, n’ayant jamais pratiqué de tennis de sa vie, aura conçu un plan méticuleux de 78 pages avant la naissance de Venus et Serena. Considéré comme un type un peu fou, ce dernier arrivera tant bien que mal à accomplir son dessein : un véritable modèle d’abnégation et de persévérance.

Placer le focus sur la figure patriarcale des sœurs Williams n’enlève rien à leur immense talent, mais offre pour ainsi dire un point de vue singulier, pertinent et malin ! Et surtout, c’est l’occasion parfaite pour Will Smith d’obtenir un rôle de choix.

« La Méthode Williams » a donc tout du « feel good movie » de fin d’année : une durée de 2h20 diablement bien rythmée, pour un scénario sans bout de gras. Le film se veut « carré » tant via la photographie que par son montage ou sa musique, et porté par un Will Smith qui ne volerait pas un Oscar !

(Source : « linfotoutcourt.com »)

__________________________________________

Aucun de nous deux n’avait vraiment l’intention d’aller voir ce film… et encore moins JM qui n’est pas particulièrement fan de tennis même si c’est le seul sport qu’il peut prendre plaisir à regarder 5 minutes à la télé avec Marina (qui, elle, est fan) au moment de Roland Garros.

Et pourtant c’est lui qui a réservé leurs 2 places dimanche après-midi dans leur cinéma préféré, à deux pas de la maison.

Il paraîtrait que les salles de cinéma en banlieue sont parfois vides, certes nous étions un dimanche mais chez nous, dans le XVème, c’était salle comble de chez comble !!! Et pour la seconde fois, après « Aline », les spectateurs ont applaudi à la fin de la projection.

Nous ne vous dirons rien de plus sur ce film, l’article ci-dessus en résume parfaitement l’intérêt principal : c’est une histoire vraie… et cette histoire est INCROYABLE !!!

Nous lui avons donné tous les deux ❤❤❤,5 sur 5 et vous le conseillons. C’est loin d’être un chef d’œuvre, la forme est archi-classique mais tout le monde joue bien, on ne s’ennuie pas une seule seconde - l’histoire en plus d’être incroyable devient passionnante - même si, comme JM, vous êtes loin d’être un spécialiste ou un amateur de tennis.