#another theory/analysis noone asked for

[tonydaddingham]

Enoch in particular is interesting bc of Saraqael. It's the ONLY text that lists Saraqael as an Archangel. Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel are identified as the Supreme Princes of Heaven, and Saraquel is one of the "seven holy Archangels", which also includes those four. Sandalphon isn't listed, but I DO think a fun little fact there is that he and Metatron are the only angels whose names end in -on, likely a reference to how they're the only angels who originated as humans. I don't think he and Metatron are 'twins' in the literal sense though? Enoch (pre-Noah) and Elijah (post-Noah) weren't contemporaries. They just happen to be the only humans who become angels.

hi!!!✨ god im so sorry ive taken so long to get to this, anon!!! - tbh, im finding saraqael a bit of an enigma, both from the GO narrative perspective and indeed trying to work out who they were in terms of biblical/apocryphal significance... i hope you don't mind, but im gonna talk about saraqael in general in my response; as seems to be the way, i typically get carried away in answering what seems to be a fairly straightforward ask!!!

edit: further speculation on BOL and saraqael's potential role in it

saraqael theory(?)/analysis:

i think are a couple of crucial bits to saraqael in s2, and not just the ones where they recognise crowley etc. i talked a little bit about what i think their rank is in GO, which i don't think is the same rank as the other archangels, but perhaps a lower archangel like sandalphon. in terms of what saraqael actually does... it feels like they are essentially in charge of earth operations, or something to that effect.

muriel is, by all accounts so far, a (very?) low ranking angel. and yet, when muriel finds the matchbox, it's saraqael that accompanies them to the archangels to report it. now, that doesn't necessarily mean anything - muriel could have gone to a supervisor and then it got escalated, but what saraqael says here:

makes me think that, actually, saraqael knows muriel at least to a greater degree than the separation of an archangel (or whatever tier), and a 'lowly' 37th-class scrivener would have. in fact, this is the only scene other than presenting the matchbox, i believe, where we see saraqael and muriel interact? there is some kind of history there, and potentially even a degree of fondness.

now, let's take into consideration the theory that muriel themself may have been higher-ranking, and got Got by the metatron. they originally were going to demote gabriel to 38th Class; was saraqael similarly the one who wiped muriel's memory, as they attempted to wipe gabriel's? what was the purpose of saraqael being at the trial, other than to fulfil that purpose? and they took muriel directly into their chain of command as a means of keeping an eye on them, protecting them?

this kind of supports my thought that saraqael is somewhat an operations manager (but also...not just that at all*), doing essentially the archangel grunt-work, including keeping an eye on unauthorised miracles:

then we take a look at their interaction with crowley; because i do think there's a lot more to unpack in this bit than that they may have worked on a nebula together, and that crowley doesn't remember them.

summarising a couple of observations:

the seemingly innocent but assertive point made that the trial was in fact real, and didn't take a long time to happen start to finish

the fact that saraqael even notices the interaction between crowley and muriel: he's dressed as an angel (and demonstrated as being a 'bee' when michael/uriel don't fully catch it was him), muriel seems - despite the aesthetic of heaven generally - to be tucked away in the equivalent of a cupboard cubicle, and he accessed a file without, presumably, any alarms - the file recognised his former rank/that he 'knew' the password... so what exactly prompts saraqael to come over in the first place?

saraqael looks happy to see crowley, possibly even a little relieved, but once again like they're... fond?

they use his chosen name (specifically not 'crawley'), and use it with ease despite knowing him pre-fall and therefore, theoretically, not having any cause to use 'crowley' up until this moment

saraqael seems disappointed that crowley doesn't remember them.

where am i going with this bit? well, put simply. i think saraqael had some hand in the mechanics of the fall. i think they were meant to wipe the fallens' memories, but jigged about with the settings. perhaps, now, they regret their part in it, and is working to undo it somewhat, from the inside. i think, where they can, they protect those that get fully wiped (ie. muriel, and gabriel had the wipe gone to plan). and i think, maybe just their favourites, they keep an eye on those that actually fell. and i think that they are trying to break out this information without outright saying it ("well, don't let me interrupt you! show him the trial..."), because they know first-hand the consequences. and they know the consequences, because they are literally metatron's operational right-hand* angel:

this would explain why they seem to remember metatron in the bookshop: exposure to him? seems to fully understand how dangerous he is? not only does saraqael look genuinely apprehensive on behalf of michael, but watch their eyeline movement:

(ok but a moment of appreciation for how adorably derek jacobi says 'piffle' i mean💕)

it almost looks like it goes from michael, and then flips to up beyond michael? as they clasp their hands together? and then after the cut, they're actually breathing so heavily, out of... stress? worry? this is such a tiny thing that may well just coincidental actor-choice on liz's part, but it certainly works in the scene context... that saraqael seems quietly and calmly terrified.

another point, back on the subject of saraqael's role in heaven; i feel like the source of both the earth observation files michael gets in s1, and the fact that metatron says he's "looked back over a number of [aziraphale and crowley's] exploits" may have come from saraqael themself. that's a bit tentative, but it would certainly fit that it would come, at least, from their department. say - metatron has been spying on our boys through the sigil in the bookshop (or something to that effect), has gone to saraqael essentially for intel, and then put the offer to aziraphale to return to heaven in order to split them apart, after seeing the extent to which they're entwined with each other.

we haven't seen a direct, lone aziraphale-saraqael interaction, but their line about, "we'll be keeping a very close eye on you, aziraphale.", doesn't actually feel as ominous as i once felt. in fact, it's muriel that saraqael sends down which - let's face it, by all accounts they are not the angel to send down to earth when camouflage is key - feels actually like saraqael was banking on covering up the miracle for aziraphale and crowley, or at least buying them time.

last little bit: the comment on aziraphale's frisbee halo trick makes me think once again of saraqael's potential role as, essentially, head of operations (declaring war is rather messy, they're right), but also brings me back to the point i made here about the halo toss... somehow, i feel like it signifies something a bit more than just a casual hand grenade.

and now for the bible-y bits

well, i mean, there isn't really a lot to go on, lbr. as anon said (hi, anon, if you made it this far✨), they're described as one of the seven archangels in the first book of enoch (20:6), and if ive read correctly, the second book describes that they brought enoch himself to heaven... so maybe the GO narrative will follow this somewhat? if saraqael feels somewhat responsible for metatron being in the position he is, and having done the hypothetical things he's done? and that's why they might be trying to undo it, or undermine it?

i think the first book also describes saraqael (who i believe is synonymous with sariel and suriel, as well as other different but similar angel names in biblical/apocryphal texts) as being essentially the observer of justice and injustice on earth, "who sin in the spirit", which would also track against them having potential control over earth observations, and them potentially guarding over those that have fallen/have been punished by heaven.

i think some islam and talmud texts also indicate that saraqael may be azrael and metatron respectively, but i doubt that is an arc that the GO narrative will follow, nor indeed other bits and pieces from enoch that ive read through... but certainly there's enough that looks like it could have hypothetically inspired the saraqael story that im interpreting at the moment!

and as for metratr-on, and sandalph-on, iirc that is the meaning of the -on suffix, to reflect being born of man...? i looked at this a little while ago and found zephon as another example... parsing out abaddon kinda drove me a bit insane though, so that's where i left it! i agree that i doubt that metatron and sandalphon are twins, but definitely seems to speak to their origins, perhaps!!!✨

[maatryoshkaa]

young god | chapter 15

chapters: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | epilogue |

word count: 12.0k

warnings: descriptions of violence, sexual assault, mental illness. dark themes and foul language. all information regarding psychiatric conditions or courtroom procedures are to be taken with a fat grain of salt.

description: As Han Jisung’s trial steadily approaches, Hwang Hyunjin struggles to decide where his loyalties lie. Prosecutor Kang is as ruthless as he is greedy, and a startling confession from Yang Jeongin reveals that the ugliest pasts often lie behind the brightest of smiles. Old scars run deep, and all wounds are finally reopened on the day of the trial.

watch the trailer here!

ryu says: “holy h*cking shit.”

15| the devil’s advocate.

“Is Miroh Heights rallying for the death of a 20-year-old orphan? Is justice always this heartless?

“The only existing psychological analysis of alleged serial killer Han Jisung has now been revealed to the public eye, painting a stark contrast with the image of the stone-cold murderer we were all introduced to before. What else is the prosecution hiding? Is Han Jisung at the mercy of a system that has failed him once — and will it fail him again? More on this complex case, next week.” 

You set the school paper down on the diner table. Across from you, Bang Chan gave a low whistle. “Lee Felix, is it? You really outdid yourself, kid.”

Felix grinned. He was glowing, not just from the detective’s praise, but with a light sheen of sweat — you two had woken up at the crack of dawn to deliver the newspapers around town, Felix on Jeongin’s bike, and you and Chan in Woojin’s police cruiser. The delivery boy had even drawn out a map of all the shortcuts he knew, and so you had all made it back to Glow Cafe — where Hyunjin was waiting with fresh mugs of coffee — before noon.

Jeongin scanned the front-page article again, nodding excitedly. “I read the local press’ papers every day while I was in the hospital — this basically goes directly against everything they’ve been saying.” He still had weeks before he was allowed to be discharged from the hospital, but had managed to bribe a nurse into letting him take ‘short walks for fresh air’ during the day. 

“Why’re we fighting against the local media, though?” Hyunjin asked. The barista looked much better now that Jeongin was awake — the colour had returned to his once-pale cheeks, and he had opened the cafe back up for business again. “I mean, what does the news have to do with the trial? Knowing the prosecutor, he probably doesn’t even care.”

Chan shook his head. “The media plays a huge role in cases like these — mass murder allegations, things that’ll implicate the entire town. In smaller cases, yeah, no one would look twice at the news. But for cases like Jisung’s, they’re going to bring in a jury for the trial — and most times, what the jury agrees on ends up being the final verdict.”

“But the jury isn’t supposed to have heard of the case beforehand.”

Woojin grimaced. “In theory. Miroh Heights is a big town, but it’s old — not to mention it’s a campus area.” When Hyunjin still looked confused, Woojin continued, “That all makes it a close-knit community. There’s only so many people who qualify for jury duty — and I’m willing to bet that there’s not a single person in Miroh Heights who isn’t keeping up with Jisung’s case by now.”

“Kang’s a top-tier scumbag, but he’s far from stupid,” Chan mused, reaching for his mug and frowning when there was no more coffee left. “It definitely wouldn’t be beyond him to pull some strings to make sure he gets to choose the people on the jury: the ones exposed to the case — the news — the most—”

You finished his thought for him. “Students. Professors. Citizens.”

“Exactly.”

There was a brief silence. Chan began a side conversation with Felix, and you snuck a look at Hyunjin. He had disappeared behind the counter, and was fiddling with the cash register with his head down.

You glanced back at the table. Woojin and Jeongin were sitting in a strangely awkward silence — the delivery boy’s expression was oddly closed off, you thought to yourself. It was almost...cold, a side of Jeongin you had never seen before. Shrugging, you excused yourself from your seat and retreated behind the bar to where Hyunjin was standing quietly. The barista was idly unrolling packets of coins to refill the cash register, and didn’t look up at you. 

You nudged him gently. “Hey, ‘jinnie.” Nothing. “Hwang Hyunjin, talk to me.”

The long silence was broken only by the clinking of coins, until Hyunjin finally mumbled, “What d’you mean?” 

You sighed, fiddling with an empty coin tube and trying to find the right words. “It’s— it’s a lot to ask for, I know.” You didn’t have to mention Jisung’s name for him to know what you were referring to — your boyfriend’s case hung over all of your heads like a guillotine every second of the day.

Still, your mind flashed back to his sudden outburst months ago, when he had first met Jisung face-to-face in the cafe. His cold, guarded wariness towards the other boy, and how he’d spent the next two months practically soulless by Jeongin’s bedside. You tried to meet his eyes. “You’ve been through a lot.”

The coins were trembling in Hyunjin’s long fingers. “You’ve been through more,” he muttered back. You didn’t have to follow his gaze to know he was looking at the site of your stab wound, hidden under the layers of your sweater. “How’d they let you out so early, anyways?”

“Hey, I was in there for nearly a month — they said I slept for three weeks straight, you know?” You laughed lightly, trying to ease the tension, but Hyunjin didn’t return the smile. “I’m okay, ‘jin.”

Your eyes searched his face for a response. Despite everything, Hyunjin still looked weary — like he had gotten older, more tired. He had seen things in the past few months that could never be erased — you all had. And you knew Hyunjin like the back of your hand — he had been one of the first faces you’d met when you’d moved to Miroh Heights, the unlikely first close friend you’d made. With absent parents who ran businesses abroad, Hyunjin had been on his own for most of his life. You knew how he always kept his worries and doubts to himself, how his polite, casual demeanor hid a heart full of emotions he didn’t know how to deal with or express. 

“Are you okay, though?” Hyunjin asked, finally lifting his eyes to meet yours, and you felt your heart pang at how helpless he looked. “Every time you see something wrong — someone in trouble, you stop at nothing until you can help them. And I love that about you, y/n. I really do—but—” Hyunjin gestured his hands wildly, voice wavering as if he was struggling to get the words out, “You can’t save everyone, y/n.” The familiar words made you shrink back as Hyunjin kept talking. “The last time you tried, you nearly ended up— d-dead. I’m worried like hell, okay?. Worried that if you keep trying to save others, you’ll just be the one hurt in the end.”

“Hyunjin—” You reached out to grab his shaking hands, to calm him down, but your elbow knocked over a roll of coins. They spilled across the floor, making everyone jump and look up.

“Everything okay back there?” Chan called, and you nodded, waving him away distractedly as Hyunjin dropped down to pick the change up. As you knelt down to help him, you heard footsteps approach the counter, and looked up to see Jeongin behind you. Back at the table, Chan and Felix were still talking like newfound frat brothers, but Woojin was fiddling with his mug silently.

“Can I talk to him for a moment?” Jeongin asked you quietly, and you glanced back down at Hyunjin. Jeongin had been sitting the closest to the bar counter, you realised — he had probably heard a good chunk of your conversation. You nodded, placing the change on the countertop, and headed back to the table.

Hyunjin watched Jeongin dive for a quarter that was rolling away. Underneath Jeongin’s sleeves, Hyunjin could see fading scratches peeking out — where the skin had scraped away when he’d fallen to the ground, bloody and unconscious, the night of the attacks. They were nearly healed, but the memory alone still made Hyunjin’s gut twist, and he tore his gaze away.

“Do you still think about that night?”

Both Jeongin’s quiet voice and his question took Hyunjin by surprise, and he couldn’t help but look up. The younger boy’s eyes were soft, gentle — a contradiction to his naturally fox-like features — and it was as if he’d spoken Hyunjin’s thoughts out loud. You never had to explain anything to Jeongin, Hyunjin thought. Growing up with no one but his sickly grandmother, Hyunjin had never truly opened up to anyone before — but Jeongin always seemed to understand exactly how Hyunjin was feeling, and there was something about the younger boy that could always calm Hyunjin down. 

He’d always looked at Jeongin like a younger brother, a bright presence Hyunjin wanted to protect and take care of at all costs. 

Now, Hyunjin found himself wondering if Jeongin had been the one taking care of him, all along.

“I see it every time I close my eyes,” Jeongin finally continued, and the question repeated itself in Hyunjin’s head — that night. The night Han Jisung had killed another student, and sent Jeongin into a two-month coma. The night Hyunjin had woken up to find his closest friend bleeding out on his storefront. No matter how many times the memory crept up on Hyunjin, it still made his blood run cold.

Hyunjin could only nod, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat.

“Sometimes...I think about how things might’ve been different. If I hadn’t stopped — no, if I hadn’t even taken that shortcut through the Yellow Wood. Or...if I didn’t have to work the night shift in the first place.” Jeongin huffed a soft laugh, then drew quiet. “But we don’t really get to decide what happens to us, huh? One thing leads to another, and the next thing you know, the world’s turned upside down.” He paused. Something in the younger boy’s voice made Hyunjin think he wasn’t just talking about the Yellow Wood anymore.

“I wonder if he...if Jisung thinks about that, too.” Jeongin continued. “How things would have changed if he hadn’t taken that path that night. Or, if he never had to do the things he did...” Jeongin trailed off, and a question was left hanging in the air.

Where did it all go wrong?

It wasn’t like Hyunjin had never seen Jisung in passing — the kid whose bright smile and boisterous laugh masked his strangely wide, dark eyes. Who seemed to linger alone on the streets and in the shadows of murky alleyways after curfew, just wandering. As if the boy was constantly looking for something he’d lost — but had long since forgotten what it was.

“I just...” Hyunjin’s own voice surprised him, but as soon as he got the words out, he could no longer stop them. “I just want everything to go back to normal. The way things used to be. I—” Hyunjin looked around the cafe, letting out a shaky sigh. “I’ve grown up in this town all my life. Maybe I’ve grown scared of change — scared of how it could make me lose everything. Scared of how it could make me lose you guys.” He put his throbbing head in his hands. “Maybe that’s what makes me a coward. I don’t know Jisung. But I’ve seen the things he’s done, and I can’t — I can’t watch it happen again. I don’t think I could take it.” He looked at Jeongin helplessly. “How do you...forgive someone who could have killed you?”

Jeongin was silent, pensive. He picked up the last coin and slid it into the cash register before saying quietly, “Did I ever tell you about my dad?”

Hyunjin frowned in confusion. “You don’t...talk about your family often.”

“Most of the time, I’d rather not.” Jeongin gave a small smile. “But these days, I keep thinking about them. I know people talk about them behind my back — why a freshman has to work delivery jobs all day, and study all night. Why no one came to visit me in the hospital, except for you.” The younger boy shifted his feet, gaze dropping to his hands. “My dad’s in prison. Third-degree murder.”

Hyunjin’s hands stilled, and Jeongin continued talking. “My mum was your typical office worker — real big company, too. We were never that well off to begin with — maybe that’s why she stayed silent about the...the abuse for so long. About the stuff her higher-ups would do to her behind locked doors, when they’d make her stay overtime in their offices.” Jeongin’s voice wavered, and he cleared his throat shakily. 

“I don’t know how my dad finally found out, I...I could never bring myself to ask.” Jeongin was gripping the count[er, knuckles white and voice barely audible. “I’ve never seen my dad angry before. He doesn’t get angry. He’d always take the short end of the stick with a smile, you know? This was the first time he’d ever...picked a fight with anyone.” Jeongin paused, eyes glazed over in memory. “That night, Mum was staying late again. But this time...my dad showed up at her workplace. Burst in after-hours, like a madman. And that night, neither of them came home.

“The police came knocking on our door the next morning. And they told me my father killed three men in a fight. A fight.” Jeongin looked up at Hyunjin now, smiling, but his crescent eyes were filled with tears. “No one cares about an office woman’s sexual abuse story. Not when you have the families of three rich businessmen bribing law enforcement any way they can to keep their reputations clean. You can guess who the lead prosecutor of the trial was.”

“Prosecutor Kang,” Hyunjin breathed, not daring to believe it, but Jeongin nodded.

“The trial was easy. My dad would spend the rest of his life in prison.”

“That’s not fair,” Hyunjin blurted, voice barely a whisper. “They can’t—it’s not—”

“The system isn’t fair,” Jeongin replied. It sounded like he was quoting someone. “It’s been a long time since the system’s chosen morals over money.”

Hyunjin’s gaze wandered back towards the table, where Woojin was sitting, and thought back to the tense atmosphere between Jeongin and the young police captain earlier. “Is that why you and Captain Kim…”

“His parents put mine in prison. It’s more than a little awkward, really.” Jeongin laughed, but the sound didn’t quite reach his eyes. The younger boy always tried to put on a bright face, Hyunjin realised with a pang, no matter the pain he might be hiding underneath.

“I’m not trying to compare my dad to Jisung. Jisung, everything he’s done…” Jeongin shook his head. “He has too much to make up for, I wouldn’t even know where to start. We all knew that going into this.” He glanced over his shoulder at the table where his friends were seated. “y/n more than anyone. If we make Han Jisung out to be innocent, if we try to get him pardoned...that makes us just as bad as Kang.” Jeongin sighed. “But I can’t just watch them treat him like they did my dad. Make him out to be a psychopath, until even he starts to believe it.

“My mum can’t find work anywhere. She doesn’t sleep, barely eats, never leaves the bed because she’s so sick. The doctors all say she has lifelong trama. I don’t want to watch the system...end another life that doesn’t deserve it.” Jeongin glanced behind him. Hyunjin followed his line of sight towards the table, where everyone was chatting. Jisung’s friends — Felix, Chan, maybe even Woojin; and his girlfriend, you. “I don’t want to see what it does to the people that love him.”

Hyunjin was silent for a long moment. The chatter at the table and the clinking of the coffee mugs seemed like background noise as Jeongin watched the older boy take in everything he had said. Outside, students and citizens were beginning to fill the streets as rush hour approached — it was the end of the school term, and the bustle of summer life was humming beyond the glass windows of Glow Cafe.

Before Hyunjin could respond, though, the cafe doors swung open, the CLOSED sign clattering against the glass in protest and making everyone look up at the sudden commotion. A middle-aged woman in a tweed blazer and pencil skirt was marching straight towards the table you were seated at, a younger woman with a notebook stumbling after her.

Hyunjin straightened up, tone professional despite the weary look on his face. “I’m sorry, but we’re closed today under special circumstances—” 

She cut him off impatiently. “Where is Felix Lee?” 

Bewildered, Felix stood, holding out his hand to attempt a handshake. Instead, the woman reached into her bag and slammed down a newspaper identical to the one you already had on the table — the school paper.

“What is the meaning of this?” Her voice was high and reedy as she jabbed a red-nailed finger onto the front page, where Jisung’s article had been printed. “Who do you think you are to publish these—these baseless stories?”

“With all due respect, ma’am,” you responded tensely, “I think you’ll find that this article contains more truth in it than all the articles the local press has published, combined.” 

She turned on you, sneering in disbelief. “Do you know who I am?” You glanced outside uneasily, where a sleek black car was parked.

“Why do rich people always assume we know who they are? Listen, lady, we don’t care—” Chan began, but was interrupted by a sputtering sound Felix made.

“I think we should care,” your best friend choked out. In his hands was a business card that the woman’s assistant had handed him, and the blood had drained from his freckled face. “She’s the head of the local press.”

Everyone fell silent, and the woman smiled slyly. “Precisely. Publishing articles like these…” she glanced down at the school newspapers on the table, clicking her tongue. “Your school should be ashamed of you. An amateur school newsletter, overstepping their boundaries.” 

You saw Felix’s expression darken at her words, ears red. “A good newspaper reports on all sides of the story. We publish the truth here, and nothing but the truth—”

“Why? So you can all bail your psychopath friend out of prison? Do you even care about the implications? Your truth is hindering the investigation of a convicted murderer. People like him should not get their story told. Your truth will put this town in danger if he walks free, you understand? It will get more people killed.” She fixed Felix with a withering look of contempt. “Let me give you a word of advice, young man, if you even think of surviving in this industry—sometimes, you need to know when to keep your mouth shut.”

Your mouth was burning with countless words to bite back with but your tongue stayed stubbornly tied, mind racing. The woman had spoken out loud what you had all thought of at one point, what you had been most afraid of the public believing. You stole a look at Hyunjin behind the counter. The barista was avoiding eye contact, but you knew he had been thinking the same thing. His stormy, unreadable expression made your stomach churn — you knew he had been the most hesitant and unsure of Jisung’s case out of everyone, but seeing it written on his face now made you feel even worse.

Sensing that things were beginning to get out of control, Woojin cleared his throat. “Ma’am, if you’re finished, I would kindly ask you to leave—”

“I have every right to stay here,” the woman interrupted viciously, snatching up the campus newspaper again, “until your journalist friend revokes these articles—and promises not to interfere with the investigation until the trial has concluded.”

You started in protest. “You—”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible.” Hyunjin’s calm voice cutting through the growing chaos made everyone freeze and turn towards the barista. He pushed the cash register shut with a bit too much force, and leaned down to rest his forearms on the bar counter. “I told you we were closed, yes? You have no more business here. If you choose to continue infringing on my property, we can bring this to the police.” His eyes were still stormy as he stared the stunned woman down — but the words coming from his mouth were the complete opposite from what you had been expecting. “Now get out of my cafe.”

“I—why, you—” The woman could only sputter for several seconds as you all stared at Hyunjin in awe, the most self-assured expression you had seen on the barista in ages — as if he had finally made up his mind about something. Behind him, Jeongin had a small smile on his face.

“Preposterous,” the head of the press stammered, taken aback by Hyunjin’s bluntness. Her mouth opened and closed like a puppet’s, but no words came out. Finally, glaring daggers at all of you, she snatched her bag and stormed out in a whirlwind of nauseating perfume, her poor assistant barely keeping up behind her.

The silence lasted for several more moments. Hyunjin was still staring after her with a reserved expression, his shaking hazel pupils the only indication of how nervous he was.

Felix was the one who finally spoke first, the wide grin in his voice breaking the tension. “Hwang Hyunjin. You are the man.”

━━━━━━━━

Opening the door to Bang Chan’s office sent clouds of dust into the stale air, and the detective into a coughing fit. Chan moved to snap the blinds open, letting evening sunlight warm the musty room.

“Bloody hell, Chan,” Woojin groaned as he patted the dust from the coffee table in the corner. “I was joking about your office being a coffin before, but—how did you let it get this bad?”

You, Hyunjin, and Jeongin followed the police captain into the room, taking tentative seats around the coffee table as the detective tried in vain to open a window and clear the stuffy air.

“I haven’t had any new clients since this case was taken from me by that damn prosecutor,” Chan protested indignantly, grabbing a notebook and pen. “I’m taking a well-deserved hiatus. B���sides,” he added, sighing, “I don’t exactly have the heart to focus on anything else right now.”

Woojin grimaced, and looked around the room. “We’re waiting on Felix?”

You nodded. It had been nearly a month since the first article had been released — a whole month since the head of the press herself had come storming into Glow Cafe, demanding for the publication to be stopped. You weren’t sure if it had been the woman’s biting remarks or the newfound support from Hyunjin, but Felix seemed to have hit the ground running, publishing story after story and going head-to-head with every article the local press put out. 

The articles were beginning to pick up steam, too — as soon as the school year had ended, the entire town had begun buzzing with talk about the contradicting stories. You should have felt relieved that your last-resort plan had even stood a chance — but the longer the fight and investigation went on, the more you could feel the stress weighing down on your shoulders. Though removed from the investigation, Chan and Woojin came to you with more and more bad news they were able to overhear with each passing day. The trial was scheduled for next week, and you hadn’t heard from Jisung since...well, since you had found him, bloody and broken, in the back lot of Mia’s Diner.

“Things aren’t looking too good,” Woojin began, expression grim. “The prosecution’s claimed custody of the camcorder footage and Jeongin’s Walkman tapes. Seungmin’s legally not allowed to touch them anymore—not without Kang’s permission.”

Your heart plummeted to your stomach at the police captain’s words. You, Chan, and Seungmin had all been warned separately to stay out of the investigation by legal officials, but that hadn’t stopped you from gathering what information you could. You should have known Kang would find a way to get ahold of all the evidence, but nothing could have prepared you for the sick feeling the confirmation stirred in your gut. 

Chan sighed, tapping his pen on his cheek. “Far as I know, Jisung still isn’t taking a lawyer. The kid won’t even talk to me now.”

“How’s the trial going to work, then?” Hyunjin asked. “If the kid doesn’t take an attorney…”

“It’ll be his word against Kang’s,” Chan nodded glumly. “It’s a trial held under special circumstances. The prosecution will present all the evidence they choose, the judge and jury’ll listen to all the witnesses who decide to come forward, and then they’ll use that to form the final verdict.” He paused, then added, “And if Jisung chooses to defend himself, he has the right to speak, too.”

“Except he won’t,” you interjected, heart heavy, remembering Jisung’s face when he had told you about his parents’ deaths. Jisung had spent his entire life living in the shadow of guilt his childhood cast over him, a self-induced hell he forced himself to relive every day.

“Kang has the jury, the witnesses, and the evidence,” Jeongin thought aloud, the sentence alone making the air feel heavy. 

“We’ve all been called to attend the trial, yeah?” Chan nodded at you, Woojin, and Hyunjin. “Us, Felix, and Seungmin can only come as spectators. Jeongin’s been called in as an eyewitness.” He frowned, counting off his fingers. “The only other type of witness Kang can bring in would be an expert witness. Medics, psychologists, that sort of thing.”

“Kang’s clever — he’ll probably bring in child psychologists or medical specialists,” Woojin noted, frowning. “It’d be easy for them to cherry-pick the evidence to use it against Jisung — especially since he refuses to speak to anyone right now.”

“Haven’t they found anyone for Jisung?” You asked desperately. “His old social workers, foster families —”

“He was abandoned over a decade ago. None of his social workers have come forward.” Woojin sighed. “But you’re right — they have found a forensics specialist to come testify.”

Jeongin perked up. “Who?”

Chan looked grim. “Head coroner Lee Minho.”

Your heart sank. Lee Minho. No one was willing to address the elephant in the room: that Minho admitting to his own crimes would be one of the easiest ways to avoid a death penalty. Except…

“No one on the prosecution knows what Minho’s done, and we don’t have any incriminating evidence against him, either. They won’t believe us, and there’s no way he would confess,” you muttered, remembering the uneasy conversation you had had with the coroner on the rooftop. Minho had been hiding in the shadows of Jisung’s self-destructive crossfire his entire life. From the coroner’s unreadable eyes to his strange, reserved attitude, you had no idea how to guess his next move.

There was a knock on the door, and everyone looked up as Felix walked into the office, backpack sliding off one shoulder. “I have good news and bad news,” your best friend announced, taking a seat on the edge of the sofa.

“Bad news first,” you answered immediately, groaning. Good news was rare these days. “I want to get it over with.” Hyunjin nodded in agreement, looking at Felix expectantly.

“The head of the press is still up our asses, believe it or not. She’s changed her strategy —  they’re making bribes now.” Felix fished a slip of paper from his bag. “Someone came in today — dressed real proper and business-like — and told me that if I halted publications, they’d be willing to pay a pretty hefty sum.” He flipped the slip over onto the coffee table.

It was a cheque, you realised. Chan whistled as he read out the amount. You looked back up at Felix, holding your breath.

“I took the bribe,” Felix admitted, tone apologetic, and your shoulders slumped. Your last connection to the investigation, gone — but Felix kept talking, a glint of mischief in his eyes. “I took the bribe, and we used the money to buy everyone in our department the most expensive coffee on campus. Actually, thanks to them, we pulled an all-nighter and published the last part of your case study this morni—oof!”

Your best friend was cut off when you tackled him into a hug, nearly tumbling backwards as Felix laughed and patted your back. “Felix,” you declared, voice still shaking from how scared you had been, “You are ruthless.”

“One of my many charms,” he grinned, Hyunjin clapping him on the shoulder. Felix pulled away from you, and his hazel eyes suddenly grew serious as he scanned your face. 

Out of everyone at Miroh Heights, Felix had known you the longest — if anything was wrong with the other person, you were always able to pick up on it. Despite your relieved smile, Felix could see how overworked you were — you had been reading up on past cases nonstop, making phone calls, and making notes on the camcorder footage, no matter how much rewatching it traumatised you to the core. From your bloodshot eyes to your pale lips, anyone could see that the upcoming trial had taken the worst toll on you. “y/n,” he said worriedly, “you need to take it easy.”

You sighed, scrabbling a hand through your dishevelled hair. “How can I? I need to keep working on this — I need to be strong.” 

“You’ve always been strong.” Surprisingly, it was Hyunjin who spoke up this time. For the first time in weeks, there was no more anger or bitterness in his voice — only sincerity. “You’re incredible, you know that?”

You tried to give him a small, grateful smile, but even that couldn’t staunch the bubbling anxiety in your gut. “The trial’s in a week. We can’t let up now.”

You could sense the boys looking at you anxiously until Chan finally clapped his hands, breaking the grim silence. “Well, you heard the boss lady.” The detective winked at you. “Let’s get back to work, boys.”

━━━━━━━━

The courthouse lobby was already overflowing with chaos and reporters by the time Prosecutor Kim Seungmin arrived at its doors.

This wasn’t his first time attending a trial, of course, but the scale of it all was what made him uneasy. Citizens of Miroh Heights were huddled outside the gates, catching whatever glimpses of the trial and snippets of information they could. When Seungmin had elbowed his way into the building, he spotted security guards flanking all the entrances.

There was a sign for the bathroom on his left hand side. Seungmin made a beeline for it, pushing open the doors and allowing himself to escape the pandemonium for a couple of moments. As his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, he saw a familiar figure standing by the sink. 

Prosecutor Kang’s eyes met Seungmin’s through the mirror and the older man straightened up, snakelike mouth curving into a smile. “Ah, Prosecutor Kim. Good to see you.”

Seungmin nodded stiffly as he tried to muster up the courage to walk past his colleague. He could feel Kang’s beady eyes watching him contemplatively.

“Are you still beat-up about the case? You must be,” Kang mused, turning back towards the sink and flicking on the tap. “Don’t get yourself too down about losing it. It was only a matter of time.” If Seungmin didn’t look at him, Kang’s tone sounded almost kind.

Almost.

Kang was here on behalf of the prosecution, with his team of carefully selected witnesses and—Seungmin was willing to bet—jurors. Seungmin had barely landed a spot as a spectator in the trial, alongside Felix, the school journalist. If things went Kang’s way, anything and everything that happened in today’s trial would be completely out of Seungmin’s control. 

“Rookie mistakes,” Kang continued, wiping his spectacles. “It’s to be expected at your age, really—”

Seungmin ignored his passive insult and turned back towards Kang, tone pleading as he tried one last time. “Mr. Kang, you don’t have to do this. Han Jisung—”

Kang barked a laugh, cutting him off. Behind his spectacles, his eyes were filled with equal parts amusement and resentment. “I’m not sure why you young people always have such blinded judgement,” he seethed. “He’s a monster.”

“He’s just a boy,” Seungmin shot back, heart pounding at the way surprise flashed on Kang’s face. He had never dared to challenge his colleagues before — especially not Prosecutor Kang — but he forced himself to stand his ground as Kang finally turned around to face Seungmin. He was silent for several tense moments, slowly drying his hands before picking up his briefcase. Then, Kang’s expression smoothed over as he raised an eyebrow at the younger prosecutor. 

“Not in my court of law, he isn’t.”

He had walked briskly out the door before Seungmin could muster a reply. The commotion outside grew louder before it was muffled again by the closing doors, and the younger male was left in the dark, empty washroom, filled with an increasing feeling of dread.

━━━━━━━━

Jisung jerked forward when the prison bus came to an abrupt halt, nearly slamming his head against the front seat. He tried to shake himself out of his daze and turned towards the window, tired eyes adjusting to the morning sunlight. Outside was the town he had grown up in, and yet everything felt so...different. 

As soon as the bus doors swung open, swarms of reporters surrounded its sides. Two policemen roughly escorted him through the crowd, and he could vaguely register the questions being screamed at him from every angle.

“Han Jisung, is it true?”

“Did you kill all those people? Did you set fire to your own home?”

“Will you plead guilty? Will you plead insanity?”

Insanity? Jisung’s mind flashed to the memory lapses every time he...killed, the gaping black spots in his thoughts, the endless throbbing in his temples that never quite went away. His head was swimming, but his body felt numb. Have I gone insane?

Once they were inside, he was ushered further down the hallway into a side room. A stone-faced clerk in a grey suit nodded at the policemen, then fixed his hawk-like eyes on Jisung’s unfocused face.

“This is him?” He asked dubiously, then cleared his throat. He didn’t move to shake Jisung’s hand. “Well, then. You refused to take an attorney or public defender, so, uh...your trial will be held under special circumstances. The judge will hear the witnesses, the evidence, and anything you have to say. Got it, kid?” 

Jisung couldn’t will himself to form any words. Everything sounded as if he were underwater.

The man coughed nervously. “As long as you cooperate, things shouldn’t be too bad, eh? Although from what I’ve heard about you, I wouldn’t keep my hopes up.”

Jisung could sense the official’s eyes raking him up and down in slight distaste at his silence. As Jisung quietly took a seat in the corner, he could hear the man muttering irritatedly to the guard by the door and chuckling.

“It’s always the messed-up kids, huh?”  

━━━━━━━━

You watched as the courtroom slowly filled with people — reporters and spectators huddling around you, clerks and attorneys taking their places in their respective boxes. You were sitting with Bang Chan, Felix, Woojin, Hyunjin, and Seungmin near the bar, watching the members of the jury shuffle in. They were all somewhat familiar faces — students, professors, and citizens, as Bang Chan had guessed — and you felt a small glimmer of hope every time you recognised someone.

The prosecution’s witnesses were beginning to file in on the opposite side of the room, as well: A stocky boy with a swollen, bandaged nose, and a scrawnier one, also heavily bandaged — the only survivors, you realised, shuddering — from that terrible night at Mia’s Diner. Then there was Jeongin, whose face made you relax slightly. Next to him, though, there was a nervous old woman who you didn’t recognise, and an unfamiliar middle-aged man. And of course, pacing back and forth behind them, like a panther on the prowl, was Prosecutor Kang. 

Every time the doors swung open you couldn’t help but look up, heart hammering in your chest. 

You were really only looking for one person, after all.

Sure enough, the heavy oak door in the corner creaked open, and a familiar flash of golden hair made your breath catch in your throat. Flanked by two stone-faced officers, Jisung entered the courtroom. 

You immediately leapt to your feet, and heard Chan whisper in warning. “y/n.”. The detective’s tone was gentle, but you didn’t have to turn back around to imagine the alarmed look on his face. Your eyes were glued on Jisung, and it took every fibre of your being not to sprint up to him, push past the guards, and pull him into your arms. You were shaking with equal parts relief and horror as you took in the sight of him. 

He’d lost weight, his skin was pale and bruised, but his eyes — you felt your mouth go dry. The eyes you had seen fill with both laughter and sadness, light and darkness, were now completely lifeless. As if he wasn’t really seeing anything at all. You felt hot tears prick at the back of your throat and you clapped a hand over your mouth to keep from calling out his name. You had thought you were prepared, that you would force yourself to stay calm at all costs — but now, as the weight of the situation was finally beginning to sink down on your shoulders, you weren’t so sure you would be able to.

You felt Felix’s hand gently tug at yours, the only thing anchoring you to reality, and slowly sat back down, your hands grabbing fistfuls of your cardigan to keep from shaking.

Jisung found you in the crowded courtroom before you did, and the split second he caught your face soothed an ache in his chest he’d been trying to ignore, like a long-neglected wound. Seeing you alive and breathing — when the last memory he had of you had been one where you were bleeding out in his own hands — sent a bittersweet pang through him, the sheer relief overwhelming him to the point that he felt his own knees buckle. To anyone else, you looked almost normal, he thought — but he would have been a fool not to catch the dark circles under your eyes, your shaking hands, the raw worry that had etched itself into your weary features.

As soon as your eyes flickered up to him, Jisung immediately looked away, a voice in the back of his head seething. Coward. 

His gaze wandered around the room and he was instantly met with a mix of hostile glares and fascinated stares — like an animal that had been chained down. Wherever he looked, dozens of eyes were on him, dozens of blazing lights searing through him and pinning him to the spot. It was almost as if he could hear the spectators’ thoughts, the countless names that the local press had called him ringing through his head. The youngest mass murderer of Miroh Heights. A walking psychopath. The soon-to-be-convicted serial killer.

“Order in the court,” you heard a man next to the judge call out, and a hush swept across the room. The judge — a middle-aged woman in sombre black robes —  nodded. “The trial is now in session. The case of Han Jisung, and the Miroh Heights Murders, Your Honour.”

Kang moved forward and cleared his throat.

“Your Honour, today I intend to prove the defendant guilty of nineteen counts of first degree murder, as well as a history of crimes spanning over a period of thirteen years. This includes eight counts of arson, including the defendant’s own home, and five counts of aggravated assault, including the attack of Yang Jeongin three months prior. The numbers are based on the images of the victims we showed him that he recognised.” Kang gave a deliberate pause, flashing a look of disdain over where Jisung was seated. “He has violated Sections 235 and 435 of the Criminal Code, and the prosecution intends to prove him fit to receive capital punishment.”

Capital punishment — the death penalty. Kang was doing exactly what you all had feared, and his words and self-assured attitude made you feel sick. 

“Does the defendant have any opening statements?”

Your eyes flickered to Jisung’s face — had his expression darkened? His features had stiffened into a cold mask — lifeless eyes, sickly pallor, clenched jaw. It was almost as if he was trying to fit into Kang’s description of him, you realised with a sinking feeling. To your dismay, Jisung stayed silent, and the judge cleared her throat.

“Please call upon your first witness.”

You watched the nervous old woman from earlier wobble forward and introduce herself.

Kang had pulled out images of a familiar crime scene — the burnt-down flat on the outskirts of town, where the remains of a woman identified as a local sex worker had been found. The night of your first date, you thought, grimacing.  “Where were you, the night of this fire?”

“I was making my rounds through this neighbourhood,” the old woman began, fingers trembling as she pointed at the images. “I happen to live ‘round there, and I own some of these flats myself. This woman is—was—a tenant of mine.”

“Did you see anything suspicious prior to the fire?”

The old lady paused. “I thought I saw a boy lingering ‘round the alleyways. Holding his head and stumbling around real bad, pacing back ‘n forth like he couldn’t see clearly. ‘twas near the red-light district, so I thought he was just another drunkard.”

“Could you point to the boy you saw, stumbling through the alleyways?”

The old woman slowly pointed at Jisung.

“And what did you see, at around 10 o’clock, sundown?”

“I-I saw the roofs in my neighbourhood go up in flames. Ran as quick as I could, but the blaze was already too big to stop —” She shuddered. “But through the smoke, I could see the figure of a boy in the fire, escapin’ from the house.”

“Could you point to the boy you saw escaping the burning building?”

You watched in muted dread as she lifted another quivering finger in Jisung’s direction.

“There’s no way she could have seen clearly through all that smoke and fire,” you heard Woojin mutter behind you.

“Your tenant had no prior connection to him — no negative relations beforehand, correct?” 

The old woman nodded. “Not that I know of.”

Prosecutor Kang hummed. “We have no reasons to believe this murder was provoked by the victim. And yet, that night, Han Jisung set fire to an innocent woman’s home — in cold blood. She was an outcast, no family or friends — he likely chose a victim that wouldn’t be missed.” He smiled, turning towards the judge. “That is all for the eyewitness, Your Honour.”

You grit your teeth as the old woman sat back down. Kang had called on his next witness — a chubby, red-nosed man who introduced himself as a child psychiatrist.

“The defendant refused to answer questions during the psychological evaluation,” Kang informed the judge smoothly. “We researched his past thoroughly—”

“Bullshit,” Felix muttered.

“—and reached our conclusions by analyzing the nature of his criminal history during his adolescence. We will also be consulting—” Kang motioned for the two boys to step forward, “His former classmates, who will testify on Mr. Han’s character.”

“He’s insane,” Chan whispered in horror, “He’s letting the kids from the diner attack testify on Jisung’s mental condition?”

“Please state your affiliation with the defendant.”

“We grew up in the same orphanage,” the boy in the buzzcut answered, his voice thick from his swollen nose. “Kid always stuck out like a sore thumb.”

“Did the defendant ever exhibit any strange behaviours during his adolescence?” Kang asked.

“He’d be missing from classes for days,” the scrawny boy piped up. “Always hoverin’ in the corner like a little creep. Sometimes even lightin’ things on fire. Never got in trouble though — always real charming towards the teachers.” 

“Changed his expressions like masks,” the boy in the buzzcut added quickly.

Kang turned towards the child psychiatrist. “How would you describe the mental condition of a patient like Mr. Han, taking these testimonies and the defendant’s criminal history into account?”

“W-well,” the red-faced man began, sweaty brow furrowing. “Starting with his unexplained history of pyromanic tendencies — this destructive behaviour indicates the patient harboured violent habits from a young age. That’s often a strong indicator of various conduct disorders in young children.”

“But isn’t it normal for children to be curious, to cause a little trouble?” Kang smiled — he was playing the devil’s advocate, you realised uneasily. “You surely can’t sum up his fascination with fire as a dangerous condition.”

The psychiatrist nodded. “Of course not. But the patient was able to shift between personas from a very young age — like his classmates have said, he could be cold and reserved to them, but charming and cunning towards authority figures. This constant deception in young children, along with the destructive tendencies, is what often leads to sociopathic behaviour.”

“Sociopathy,” Kang repeated, and turned towards the judge. “Oh, dear.”

You looked on in dismay as Kang kept twisting the case like the strings of an ugly puppet, clearly aware of the way the jury and spectators were beginning to lean towards the prosecution’s arguments. With Kang’s carefully crafted questions directed at nervous, unsuspecting witnesses, everything seemed to point to one obvious answer. Han Jisung was a guilty serial murderer, there could be no question of it. Even the testimonies were beginning to blur together:

He went all psycho on us. 

Laughing like some maniac, like he enjoyed it. 

Murdered my friends for no reason. 

At this rate, you didn’t stand a chance.

Kang needed one more witness — one more witness was all it would take for the trial to shift completely in his favour, and for you to finally lose hope. You looked around the room in desperation and spotted Minho seated on the prosecution’s side, the coroner’s smooth and mask-like expression doing nothing to calm your frazzled nerves. His words from the rooftop rang in your head, sending chills down your spine.

There is little you can do with people who don’t want to be helped, y/n. You’re just like how I was. 

Was that why Minho had cooperated with the prosecution? Because he thought that Jisung was already beyond saving? As if he could feel your gaze burning into him, Minho’s eyes darted upwards to meet yours. You were startled to find that there was something unfamiliar in his expression; something that hadn’t been there the last time you’d met him — like a crack in a mask, a ripple in smooth water. Before you could decipher what it was, you heard Kang’s haughty voice calling Minho up to the stand, and the coroner turned away.

“Please state your name and status.”

“Lee Minho, forensic pathologist and head coroner of the Miroh Heights murder cases.”

“Could you describe the autopsy results of the confirmed victims?” Kang held up a remote and projected images of various crime scenes onto a screen. An uneasy murmur rippled through the jury and spectators at the graphic images — some, like the burned body of the woman, and caved-in skull of the man at the Yellow Wood, you recognized, but there were several more you never had the courage to look at before.

Minho glanced at the photos Kang had projected onto the screen, expression unchanging. You remembered his oddly empty smile when you had first met him, when you had asked him if the endless rows of corpses ever made him uncomfortable.

“I’m sure it did, at some point. Sooner or later, they all start to look the same.”

“Yes. Well, as you can see, the victims’ bodies almost always showed signs of excessive force and trauma. Victim #1, Na Jangmin, was pronounced dead on scene from smoke inhalation and respiratory burns from the combustion of various chemicals found in the science laboratory.” Minho pointed to a gruesome image of a peeling, shrivelled corpse that made your skin crawl.

“Victim #2, Park Beomsoo. Died from asphyxiation. The victim had a high dosage of flunitrazepam — Rohypnol — in his system prior to his death.”

“And what is Rohypnol, Mr. Lee?” Kang interjected.

“It’s a powerful tranquilizer drug. Small amounts are sold as sleeping pills, but high concentrations can cause paralysis, or even loss of consciousness. It’s a common date rape drug.”

“Did the victim consume the drug of their own accord?”

“The concentration is too high to have been used as a sleeping pill dosage. The victim’s time of death was around noon, on campus, so there would have been no reason to for him to consume the drug. We detected traces of food in Park’s body along with the drug, but we don’t know where the drug came from.”

Kang turned towards the judge triumphantly. “Shortly after the drug took effect, the victim was pronounced dead. This was a premeditated crime. The defendant drugged the victim’s food, and slowly suffocated Park Beomsoo to death. Taking the defendant’s mental condition into consideration, Your Honour—” Kang gave a meaningful nod, a dark glint in his hawklike eyes, “I would argue that the defendant may have enjoyed the process of committing the murder.”

It took the last ounce of your self-control not to leap up from your chair at his words. Seemingly unfazed, Minho kept talking. “You can also find strange correlations between the victims. We always deduce signs of brute force exerted, and a pattern of victims: people with a history of abuse, adultery, and harassment. You could say that this killer...hunted killers.”

“The defendant’s M.O., Your Honour,” Kang added, nodding. “The constant pattern of victims and killing styles confirm that these were premeditated murders, habitual murders.”

You felt your heart sink, feeling sick. Beside you, Woojin had his head in his hands. Your last hope had gone down the drain. You should have known the coroner would play along, that he would never give himself in; that Lee Minho was the type to always save his own skin before saving others’— 

“However,” Minho spoke up again, “I’d like to add that all the crime scenes are also always impeccably clean. We observed minimal blood spattering, DNA evidence, and even fingerprints. Some wounds on the victims’ corpses didn’t match the hypothesised murder weapons, and were ready to become cold cases.” 

“Evidence that the perpetrator of these murders was also able to plan their clean-up afterwards,” Kang flashed the coroner a strange look. “Ladies and gentlemen, this only shows that the killer is meticulous and calculated in his attacks. As I’ve said, this is an insidious, long-seasoned killer we have on our hands—”

“You might be wondering why the evidence for this case is so scattered,” Minho’s mild voice cut him off, and Kang looked irritated at the sudden interruption but let the coroner continue. “Why the killings are so sporadic, always occurring at irregular intervals.” He paused, thinking. “Why nothing seems to fit together.”

It took several moments for his words to hit you, and you lifted your head in disbelief.

What? You turned to your friends, who all looked equally confused. 

What is he trying to say?

“I remember recording that the deduced weapon at the Yellow Wood attacks was a hammer, or crowbar.” Minho nodded at the papers in the Judge’s hands. “That’s not true.”

All the heads in the room seemed to snap up in shock at the coroner’s blunt words. You felt your breath stop, and looked over at Chan, whose expression was just as stunned.

“The weapon of choice was actually a stone from the Yellow Wood,” Minho shrugged. The coroner set down the papers Prosecutor Kang had handed him, turning to face the jury. “If you dig around in the lake outside Miroh Heights Hospital, you might be able to find it. Then there’s the vodka from the fire, the knocked-over chemicals in the science laboratory, a janitor’s rope from the rooftop. They were all impulsive weapon choices,” Minho nodded at the judge, “all from the scene of the crime. As if the perpetrator had chosen it on the spot, in a fleeting moment of impulsive judgment.”

You saw Kang sputtering behind him, mouth opening and closing uselessly. The Judge was evidently taken aback, too, peering at Minho from over her half-moon glasses. “What are you trying to say, Mr. Lee?”

“That it should be obvious that these crimes were almost never premeditated.” Minho glanced at the pictures of the crime scene. His voice was quiet — nearly inaudible — but exasperated, as if he were surprised at the words coming out of his own mouth. The entire room seemed to be leaning forward, listening to his words with bated breath. “They were done in the heat of the moment, and someone else had to tamper with the evidence afterwards.”

“How could you possibly know—”

“Because I’m the one who’s been cleaning up after Han Jisung for the past thirteen years.” 

Your mouth dropped open in shock as a hush fell over the room, reporters gasping and scribbling in their notepads. Minho had a small smile on his face as he took in the entire room’s response — how everyone had fallen quiet, speechless at the sudden turn the trial had taken. The smile wasn’t gloating or cruel, you realised slowly. It was filled with a simple curiosity and wonder, like a child who had finally tried something new for the first time. 

Even Jisung had looked up, his eyes widened in surprise. “Minho—” His voice was raw from disuse as he called out to his first friend, his oldest friend —  but Minho only smiled at him and shook his head slightly.

The room was shifting uneasily around him. He should have been scared, Minho thought. He could already feel lies instinctively forming on his tongue, a thousand ways he could backpedal and take back what he had just said. It had become second nature to him, he realised — covering up murders first, and his own emotions second; the two things he had always feared the most. He could hear Kang angrily stammering and calling his name behind him, but Minho ignored him.

The judge cleared her throat unsteadily, fixing her piercing gaze on him. “Why are you doing this? You are aware that a confession like this will lose you much more than your job? That it may very well condemn you to a lifetime in prison?”

“I’m aware,” Minho replied softly, eyes wandering across the room and landing on Jisung’s distraught face. The boy he had clung onto as his only family, the boy who he had both loved and feared for thirteen years. There was nothing left for him to lose. “I thought for the longest time that covering the murders were my own twisted way of...saving the boy. I don’t think I had the courage in me to do much else.” He looked around the courtroom, and his eyes finally landed on you. The girl who wore her heart on her sleeve, but was strong enough to challenge him with a steady voice and blazing eyes. The girl who was an unapologetic contradiction, he remembered, almost fondly. The girl who had reminded him what it was like to be brave, to finally start living for himself.

Yes, he thought. This was the least he could do.

“Han Jisung had nothing to do with the cover-ups of the crime scenes,” Minho raised his voice, surprised at the strength in it. Behind him, he could hear the prosecution stirring, and felt two security guards seize his arms to remove him from the podium. “He is not the depraved killer the prosecution wants you to think—”

“Your Honour, this must be a set-up between the coroner and the defendant,” Kang cut him off furiously, shooting Minho a death glare behind his spectacles. The murmuring of the jury and reporters drowned out the coroner’s last words as he was dragged from the room. “Your Honour, do not be deceived—”

“Order in the court!” The judge banged the gavel repeatedly, holding her head in her hand as if she had a migraine. “The—the coroner’s statements will be deemed faulty, and Lee Minho will be dealt with separately. The trial will continue.”

The silence that settled over the room after the coroner’s outburst was eerie. You could feel your heart still pounding, mind racing over the words Minho had shouted over Kang’s, the almost wistful smile on his face as he let the guards drag him from the room. The coroner had been a wildcard, you thought uneasily, your gut churning with a cocktail of anticipation and anxiety. There was no telling which way the trial would go from here.

“Does the prosecution have any other witnesses?” The judge called out, and you saw Jeongin finally stand up. Words and whispers began flying as he made his way forward to the witness box, the citizens recognising the delivery boy immediately. You glanced over at Kang, who looked more relaxed than ever — and you knew why. Everything from Jisung’s camcorder footage to Jeongin’s salvaged Walkman tapes had either been confiscated by the prosecution, or were in Seungmin’s hands. Kang had been meticulous making sure that the younger prosecutor had no power over the case, banning him from interfering with the investigation for good. 

Which meant that all Jeongin had to sway the jury was his own verbal testimony. One young boy’s word against Prosecutor Kang’s. 

“State your name and status.”

“Yang Jeongin. Um, student at Miroh Heights University.”

Kang looked down at his papers, then back up at the judge. “On the night of the Yellow Wood attacks, Yang Jeongin was biking home after closing shift before he was brutally attacked by the defendant with a blow to the skull. He is the only living witness that has come forward to testify, and the only person who witnessed the defendant’s attack firsthand. Luckily, he was able to regain consciousness after the horrific attack.” He turned towards Jeongin, smiling triumphantly. “What he has to say may well turn the entire case upside down.”

He was clearly expecting Jeongin to give away evidence against Jisung, you realised. After they had told Jeongin that his tapes had been withdrawn from the investigation, the delivery boy had hit a dead end in his testimony. No matter what he said, Kang would be able to find a way to use it against Jisung. Sure enough, he was watching the young boy now like a vulture, ready to pick him apart.

But Jeongin only smiled back at Kang. “Actually, it’s not what I have to say, sir.” When the prosecutor’s face contorted in confusion, Jeongin continued, “It’s the things that you’ve said.”

Before Kang could reply, Jeongin reached into his pocket and pulled out something silver. The guards instantly moved forward, but Jeongin set it onto the clerk’s table, motioning for him to take it. After several moments, the low crackle of speakers connecting began filling the tense silence, and you realised what it was that Jeongin had brought with him. 

A voice recorder.

“He didn’t tell anyone to make sure it wouldn’t get confiscated, too,” Chan realised, eyes widening. “Smart kid. But what could he have possibly recor—”

The detective’s awed voice was drowned out by a recording of another very familiar voice.

“Kim Seungmin. As you may have heard, the serial killer — ah, the Han Jisung case, I could say — has been transferred to me.”

Prosecutor Kang.

The room froze. When you looked at Kang, you saw that all the blood had drained from his face.

“Now, now — don’t feel too ashamed, Kim. Everyone makes rookie mistakes. They may have assigned the wrong case to you, but rest assured — it’s in proper hands now.”

“Is it?”

You winced, peeking at Seungmin beside you when you heard his voice on the recording as well. Seungmin had never mentioned the way Kang treated him to anyone, and the younger prosecutor’s jaw was clenched, but his eyes were blazing. 

Still, you weren’t exactly sure why Jeongin was playing a recording of Kang and Seungmin’s conversation. What could he have possibly overheard, that made him look so confident now?

“Have something to say to me, Kim?”

“I’ve just — never understood the way you handled cases, sir.”

“Seungmin.” You could almost see the condescending look on Kang’s face. “Allow me to share a word of advice. They won’t teach you this in law school.”

Seungmin watched realisation flash across Kang’s face like he had been struck by lightning, but it was too late.

“Your job as a prosecutor is not to judge the defendant fairly.”

“Wh—”

“If you want a smooth career...all you need to do is make sure you’re appealing to the right people. In other words, listen to what the public wants. Please the public; don’t waste a single damn about the defendant. You spent all your precious time worrying your little head over the killer’s motives, and now that we finally have him, you’re still worrying over the severity of his sentence? Murder is murder, Kim Seungmin, and actions speak louder than motives. You can show lenience towards a mass-murderer, or you can sweep his sorry past under the rug and bring closure to dozens of families. Which would make you a richer, more popular man?”

“Your Honour,” Kang stammered, face white, “This is—improper use of evidence, this shouldn’t—” The recording cut him off again, the judge’s face stony as she motioned for the clerk to keep going.

“Is that how you got to where you are?”

“Think, boy. As far as anyone needs to be concerned, the cold-blooded killer is caught, peace is re-established, families are soothed, justice is served once again — and I come out the hero. You saw that boy’s wretched past. Even he can’t handle it. So why poke at wounds that aren’t meant to be re-opened?”

You didn’t realise how hard you were clenching your fists until you felt your palms sting from your nails. The entire room seemed to be holding its breath. Kang looked stricken, pale mouth opening and closing frantically like a fish out of water, but no words were coming out.

“You think you’re being kind? Justice isn’t meant to be kind, Kim. Make up the easiest case to solve, and do everyone a favour.”

The judge stopped the tape, her face livid. The room had gone deadly silent, your own heartbeat pounding in your ears. ““Your job as a prosector is not to judge the defendant fairly?”” 

Kang could only shake his head wildly as she continued, raising her voice, ““Make up the easiest case to solve, and do everyone a favour?” From a faulty forensics expert to this — Prosecutor Kang, what do you have to say for yourself?”

“Your Honour, I—” Kang sputtered out, beady eyes darting around furiously — at Jisung, and at Jeongin. “L-lies! It’s all lies, this is absurd!” He laughed, trying to make himself sound nonchalant, but his voice was weak. “This must be a—a fabrication perpetrated by the defendant—” The room was erupting in chaos now, the jury and reporters bickering amongst themselves. 

You had never seen the prosecutor so worked up before as he continued to protest frantically, “Your Honour, the defendant must have coerced the victim to do this, to—to frame me. Please listen to me, we must conduct another investigation—”

There was a deafening bang as the Judge slammed the gavel down, making the room jump. “There will be no investigation,” she thundered. “Prosecutor Kang, you are hereby removed from the Han Jisung case.” 

Kang leapt up from his seat as officers appeared on either side of the prosecutor, seizing his thrashing arms. “Let go of me! Your Honour! Your Honour, you cannot do this. Han Jisung must be condemned — you cannot let this murderer walk free—”

“Silence!” The judge bellowed, and the last of Kang’s words were drowned out, the heavy oak doors banging shut as he was thrown from the room. Jeongin looked evidently shaken. He had been right. His last existing recording — the unlikely trump card — had flipped the case on its head. You heard frenzied whispers all around you as your heartbeat pounded erratically in your chest. 

“Does this mean the prosecutor’s been fabricating all the evidence? Who can we trust now?”

“I’ve never seen a case like this before.”

“What’s going to happen to the trial now that the lead prosecutor’s been detained?”

The banging of the gavel eventually brought the restless audience to a strained silence. The Judge looked weary. “We need to take an emergency intermission. The trial...will recommence shortly.”

━━━━━━━━

You let the sea of people push you through the courtroom’s double doors, your legs threatening to collapse at any moment. Outside was hardly a breath of fresh air — all around you, cameras were flashing, reporters were gossiping, and officials were arguing. You tried to focus — to process what had happened, but the incessant buzzing of people chattering around you made your head pound so hard you swore your skull was splitting.

A firm hand on your shoulder yanked you out of your migraine, and you whipped around to see Hyunjin. You let out a small sigh of relief. 

“Hey, it might be good to get out of this crowd for a bit,” Hyunjin said, taking in your exhausted expression worriedly. “I, uh, lost everyone, but if we step outside—”

Before he could finish, you both caught sight a blond head bobbing towards you in the sea of people. Felix pushed through, cradling his camera for dear life. His freckled face was sweaty and breathless. 

“Kang—Kang’s lost all power,” he gasped out when he reached you. “Detective Bang’s managed to convince the guards to let him talk to Jisung for a few minutes—”

You had already seized your best friend by the shoulders and spun him around. He instantly got the message and the three of you began elbowing through the hordes of people, Felix leading the way.

The clamour died down to a quiet hum as you reached the hallways, Felix ushering you past an OFF-LIMITS sign. The corridors were nearly empty now, and the three of you sprinted to the end until you reached a heavy oak door. It was slightly ajar. You caught a glimpse of Jisung’s expressionless face through the dim crack, and your hand hesitated on the door handle. 

“I told you and Woojin I wouldn’t give you any counter evidence.” Jisung’s voice was cold and lifeless. 

“And you didn’t.” You could hear the growing agitation in Chan’s voice as the detective pleaded. “But you’ve got to listen to me. More people want you — need you — to keep living, more than you give yourself credit for.”

“Stop, Chan. You don’t have to do this anymore—”

“Han Jisung.” You couldn’t help his name falling from your lips, voice louder than you’d intended as you threw open the heavy door. The guards rushed to block you before you could get any closer, but you pushed back, forcing Jisung to meet your eyes. His were flat, dark, horribly cold.

“y/n,” he replied softly, and you felt your heart break.

“Why are you doing this?” You fought to keep your voice steady. “You have the right to speak for yourself. Defend yourself. You know what they’re saying isn’t true. So why are you letting them keep accusing you?”

“How do you know it isn’t true?” Jisung laughed humourlessly, shaking his head. “Don’t lie to yourself. I did kill all those people, and you know that.”

“I do. But you’re not the psychopath Kang is making you out to be,” you protested. “I know you.” 

“You don’t.” Jisung’s voice was bitter. “You don’t, actually. I’ve always — always hidden parts of myself from you. What you’re hearing from Kang is the closest you’ll ever get. He — he knows me better than I know myself.” He smiled weakly, but it fell flat. “I’ve always been like this, drawn to murder and blood and fire. It can’t be fixed.”

Each one of his words pierced through you like bullets, and you searched his face frantically for a sign, anything left of the rain-drenched, smiling boy from the diner; the wounded, soft-hearted boy you had fallen in love with. Your heart was hammering in your throat as a horrible question echoed through your head. 

Did he mean it?

It was as if Jisung had pulled on a mask, you thought. His face was absolutely still — but for a fleeting moment, you could swear you saw a flash of pain

No.

You had grown to know him, grown to know that he was the kind of boy who was willing to play the part of a depraved monster, just so you would push him away first. 

Jisung stared back at you, and for once, the darkness in his wide eyes no longer scared you. Instead, endless memories were flashing through your mind.

Jisung making you laugh until you choked on Chinese food, and apologising profusely for hours afterwards.

Jisung spilling pancake batter all over your kitchen counter, and feeding you blueberries to make sure you didn’t notice.  

Jisung, holding you in his arms until you fell asleep, hands as gentle as if he thought you were made of glass. 

“You need to go,” Jisung broke your long silence. “Stop hurting yourself. You need to let me go.”

You looked up, taking in his slumped shoulders, the note of defeat in his voice, the facade he had pulled on during the trial, and everything hit you all at once. Maybe it was the stress of the weeks leading up to trial or your hatred towards Kang had finally reached its breaking point. Either way, an overwhelming feeling of sheer frustration was washing away the anxiety that had been thrumming in your veins for weeks, and it left in its place an unbearable, burning anger.

You felt yourself push past the guards as if in slow motion, a voice in your head telling you that maybe this wasn’t the best idea — and slapped your boyfriend across the face.

The slap wasn’t hard, but the sound that rang through the room felt deafening.

“Han Jisung, you are such an idiot,” you yelled. Guards immediately surrounded you, dragging you backwards, but you didn’t take your eyes off Jisung. He was staring at you, stunned,  the stone-cold facade he had put on earlier now cracked wide open. “What do you think you’re solving this way? Do you know how many people have been working nonstop to make sure you don’t get yourself killed?” You could feel hot tears of frustration spilling onto your cheeks. “Your friends want you to stay alive. Your mother wanted you to stay alive. I need you to stay alive.” Your voice was hoarse as you screamed over the guards pushing you out of the room, and the heavy door swung shut with a deafening bang. 

The silence in the hallway seemed to swallow you up, the weight of what you had just said and done crashing down on you like a ton of bricks. You felt your knees finally buckle as you sank to the ground, burying your face in your arms and finally letting all your pent-up tears fall freely. 

Hyunjin and Felix were by your side, exchanging worried looks as they patted your back gingerly. You weren’t sure exactly how long the three of you stayed like that, your exhausted body racking with frustrated, mortified sobs, until you heard footsteps running down the corridor towards you.

“There you are— I’ve been looking for you guys for—” Kim Woojin’s breathless voice made you look up, and the captain did a double take. “Bloody hell, what happened?”

You wiped your reddened eyes furiously as Felix shook his head at the police captain, who was kind enough to take the hint.

“The thing is —” Woojin began again, tripping over his words. It was the first time you had seen the police captain so frantic. “It’s — it’s an emergency situation right now. A mistrial. The head prosecutor’s been thrown off the case, people are rioting—”

“This is a fucking mess,” Hyunjin muttered, but Woojin shook his head.

“No, it’s not,” the police captain exclaimed excitedly, “Not for us. They’re calling for a prosecutor who’s familiar with Jisung’s case to step up, asap. If there’s any prosecutor who was also working on the case—”

As if on cue, the intercom buzzed above you, making you jolt. “The court hearing for Han Jisung and Miroh Heights Murders will be resuming in five minutes. All attorneys, jurors, and participants of the trial, please report to the courtroom immediately—”

“Seungmin,” you, Felix, and Hyunjin all said simultaneously, and Woojin nodded. Felix was already pulling you to your feet, and the four of you broke into a run towards the courtroom.

[dreamsofthescreen]

How Godard Broke Our Hearts in Le Mepris - Analysis & Review

The 1963 classic French-Italian drama serves as a masterclass in impactful filmmaking

Brigitte Bardot & Michel Piccoli in ‘Le Mepris’

Expert director Jean Luc Godard’s films are considered pieces of art for convincing reasons, and 1963 classic ‘Le Mepris’ (Contempt) is a masterful example of this. It’s stylistic choices reflect the sombre, but beautiful & hard hitting story of a marriage turned bitter. It is the cinematography, writing & somewhat clean-cut, French directing style that livens the plot. With reference to cinema & the connection with life that it shares, the emotional bluntness of the New Wave story makes it all the more impacting. 1960s stars’ Brigitte Bardot, Michael Piccoli & Jack Palace all add to the heart of the Eurocentric film, their sourness becoming a point of interest in the plot. Colour, light and contrast all are significant points in this perfectly painted film.

Rising to prominence in the New Wave period, French-Swiss director Jean-Luc Godard is known for his colourful, sharp & artistic European projects, expertly executing any romance or drama in a beautiful way. ‘Le Mepris’ is an adaptation of Alberto Moravia’s 1954 novel, II disprezzo (A Ghost at Noon). The story goes as American producer Prokosch (Jack Palance) casts Paul (Michael Piccoli) to write a screenplay for Homer’s ‘The Odyssey’. This intake of work on film & challenging of his artistic values from Prokosch turns his marriage with Camille (Brigitte Bardot) on it’s head. Sticking to well-known themes in a drama such as tragedy, romance, infidelity and change, ‘Le Mepris’ breaks our hearts by touching on the beauty of a classic.

Godard’s distinctive style is prevalent in the significance of the story, as the way in which the film is both written & directed is in touch with each emotion & colour throughout. The rocky marriage between Camille & Paul on the backdrop of a film set actually reflects Godard’s personal demons - his struggling marriage and dissonant relationship with Hollywood at the time. Bold blues, reds, whites and yellows colour the film, which is something rather ironic, as emotion can be seen as something badly represented with such uplifting tones remaining in a heartbreaking scenario. Yet, this is all apart of Godard’s wonderful filmmaking. As a directer and writer, he brings realism to the table, where most romance pictures don’t. As the anguish of love decaying is on the forefront, Godard’s style still remains throughout, showing that although emotions change, the world around us really doesn’t. However, Godard also utilises these colours as a means of drama, the sultry opening scene with a naked Bardot & Piccoli soaked in an erotic red. Colour and costume is a hugely recognisable feature of the New Wave Era, as the 1960s began to explore aesthetics more freely. With Tanine Autré as the leading costume designer, the clean-cut & artistic costumes all sit well with each beautifully painted scene. Stripes and colour-blocking in the summer style are all reflective of the New Wave Movement. Even the 1960s interiors that Godard chooses reflect his storytelling style. Modern buildings, references to art and the human figure is relevant, as for a film about love, the male gaze is utterly, yet tastefully focused on French bombshell Brigitte Bardot. The visual spectacles are phenomenal, but still have meaning. As Godard focuses on realism, classism and a very Eurocentric story in ‘Le Mepris’, this can be seen as him even mocking Hollywood’s growing commercial and idealised storytelling at the time.  

By connecting cinema with life, striking reference is made to many emotions & creates space for a beautifully relevant drama. For a movie about movies, when art and love mix, disaster strikes. Scorsese quoted Contempt, saying ‘it’s one of the greatest films ever made about the actual process of filmmaking’ & named it as “brilliant, romantic and genuinely tragic”. Godard filmed a variety of scenes with tracking shots, in a natural light & near-real time. He too focuses on the beauty of Capri & the settings of the characters, rather than the characters themselves. The cinematography celebrates film itself, relevant to a storyline focusing on movie-making. With a painfully moving, stringed soundtrack and sweepingly romantic landscape wide shots, audiences can feel as though they are watching the film being made by Prokosch & Paul. Even the dialogue is reminiscent of the film, cleverly making connections between the project being made and the drama in Paul’s marriage. As Paul & Camille discuss ‘The Odyssey’, Paul states, “I agree with Prokosch’s theory. That Ulysses loves his wife, but she doesn’t love him”. Camille has no reaction to this comment, but we as audiences know that Godard is linking ‘The Odyssey’ with Paul & Camille’s fading love. Furthermore, Paul states that he is to “walk back with Mr. Lang (the director) to discuss the Odyssey.” This is followed by a comment by a crew member on set who comments, “I should have done a scene at the beginning, in which the Gods discuss the man’s fate, in general & the fate of Ulysses in particular”. It isn’t hard to see the comparison made between Paul and Ulysses’ romantic situations, one a Greek king & the other a script writer, yet still both are relevant & though contrast vastly, are mighty men. Both wonder about their fate. This is the great connection between the two storylines - the beauty and pain of cinema & how it all too often relates back to our own demons, so gracefully presented in ‘Le Mepris’.

Brigitte Bardot in ‘Le Mepris’

Godard’s clean-cut directing & blunt writing style, along with the impressive acting are all successful in presenting a widely emotional drama. Set in the outstandingly beautiful Capri, melancholy and mourning is mixed with the sunlight and dreamy landscape of the island. As Godard worked with cinematographer Raoul Coutard, he contrasts light and dark, showing the unexpected nature of life - where love can grow in a beautiful area, it can also be killed. We associate colour and light with positivity, yet the fact is that however life changes, the world around us does still remain the same. This is reflected in the writing of the film, as Godard’s straightforward dialogue hits hard. Rather than creating a falsely dramatic ‘movie magic’ script, there is no drama in the very real & blunt adult conversation that characters’ Camille & Paul have in establishing their feelings for one another. As Paul questions as to why Camille has been acting so distant, she simply replies with, ‘it’s true. I don’t love you anymore’. Paul asks, ‘you still loved me yesterday?’ & Camille replies with ‘yes, very much. Now it’s over’. With statements along the way from Camille like ‘that’s life’, there is melancholy reality, which is beautifully French in comparison to the excessive, long-winded scenes we see in todays writings. Yet the film seeps in elegance through it’s script, as when any words are spoken, each is valuable. As Camille reflects on the breakdown of her marriage, she metaphorically states, ‘We used to live in a cloud of unawareness, in delicious complicity. Things happened with sudden wild, enchanted recklessness’. Character Prokosch brings statements like ‘I don't believe in modesty. I believe in pride! I believe in the pride of making good films’. Furthermore to this, it, again, is the realism that breaks our hearts through the masterful filmmaking. The acting in ‘Le Mepris’ is very real, as Godard had the actors improvise lines in the moment. When asked about this, he stated, ‘I need them, just as I need the pulse and colours of real settings for atmosphere and creation’. Godard’s focus on realism is great as it is something so sincere and authentic. He also rather fitted the character of Camille to Bardot herself, rather than having Bardot act as Camille. This too made for an authentic script, as Bardot’s supposed acting ability shone through, bluntly delivering bold lines & somewhat rising above the typical sensual blonde that she was used to playing, as she had a voice. Godard’s writing brings in slices of poetry to inspire us & add to the artistic nature of the cinematic experience.

The Guardian’s description of it as ‘poetically sour’ encompasses the beauty of 1963 classic ‘Le Mepris’, as iconic director Jean-Luc Godard creates a heartbreakingly real tale of love lost. Through the recognisable New Wave style of the early 1960s that Godard helped define, the significance of ‘Le Mepris’ is made through it’s visuals and aesthetics, that we as an audience can recognise and appreciate. The beautifully artistic and European summer drama shines through with it’s ability to challenge everyday filmmaking. Godard hits the nail on the head with every emotion throughout, presented through not only dialogue, but the ravishing soundtrack, cinematography, set design and overall disposition. ‘Le Mepris’ remains a wonder that inspires and transports us to a world that, through it’s passion, seems all to familiar for some.

Stars Out of Five: 5/5

[massielandnetwork]

Managing Your Portfolio During a Bubble

1. This Time is Different - It is a Global Bubble

If you had put $1 Million in a bank account one year ago, today it would have the purchasing power of $955,800 according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) calculated by the US Department of Commerce. Per the calculations of one of America’s Billionaire bond investors, that $1 Million dollars would have the purchasing power of only $900,000. The difference is the CPI includes rent (which declined in 2020) in its calculations and the Billionaire substituted the cost of a home which increased by 17% over the last year.

Across the board, all commodities have increased in price over the last year. Lumber increased the most having almost tripled, similar to its behavior during the 2005-2007 Bubble. Copper, a critical component to all sorts of construction, has reached an historic high. We are in a Bubble.

The Bubble in China is best illustrated by a recent survey of five of China’s smaller cities all of which have lost population but the prices of residential units in those cities have continued to SOAR approximately 40%+ over the last five years. Vacancy rates in those cities are approximately 22 %. The residential unit price increases obviously reflect speculation. The author suggested these facts indicated that the population decline that China faces as a legacy of their one child policy may not have an impact on its real estate values. That quality of economic analysis, prevalent among the Demented Marxists (DM), is the equivalent to the analysis during the Tulip Bulb Mania. That bubble burst when someone asked, “Who needs another tulip bulb?”

Last week, the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) reported that sales in April had declined for the third month in a row. It was also reported that new home sales declined. According to NAR, the inventory of resale homes is below normal while the cost of construction and the shortage of lots on which to build new homes explained the trends. In both segments, prices increased significantly in the past year. Since a capitalistic society allocates scarce resources by price, the increased home prices reflect that behavior. Actually, the most important factor in the sales decline was the increase in mortgage rates since the election.

The three solutions to balancing supply and demand in the residential market are:

1. Build more homes - but federal, state and local regulations create such a matrix of hurdles that it is impossible for land developers to create more lots in less than 3 to 10 years.

2. Increase interest rates – that is happening.

3. Increased prices – currently the majority of the balancing effort.

Capitalism allocating scarce resources via price is the explanation for some of the commodity price increases seen recently. Our supply lines were built for “Just in Time” delivery to minimize the cost of carrying inventory. When the Wuhan Virus led us to shut down our economy a year ago, those supply chains were disrupted and are not yet fully functioning. My educated guess is it will be the end of this year at the earliest before those supply chains are completely rebuilt. I also doubt that “Just in Time” will return as the guiding mantra so there will be a surge in orders that will take additional time to fill. If only the USA still had a president focused on building our manufacturing base here in the USA.

However, this discussion is incomplete without addressing the role of economic stimulus which is an appropriate response to a decline in demand for the goods and services below what is being produced. However, when the production of a society is already being absorbed, increased economic stimulus simply creates inflation. The economic stimulus passed in January and the two Biden bills already passed by the DM House as “Infrastructure” are prime examples of dangerous economic stimulus driven by political power objectives rather than good economics. Accurately described, they are voracious economic wolves cross dressing in sheep’s clothing.

While at the beach last week, one of the five books I read was “When Money Dies” by Adam Fergusson. It provides an historian’s perspective on the German economy from 1918 – 1927, including their experience with hyperinflation during 1918 - 1923. Reading this book provides an interesting insight regarding the future of the USA.

While remembering that inflation is the consumer side of currency devaluation, a very brief synopsis of some of the key points in Mr. Fergusson’s book follows:

1. Within the first year of hyperinflation, the cost of one egg was more than the value of the entire farm in 1914.

2. The head of the German central bank received recognition for successfully doubling the amount of currency he could produce annually by changing the currency so he only had to print it on one side.

3. Running 24/7 the central bank’s printing presses could not keep up with the demand for currency even by constantly adding 0’s.

4. Germans were getting paid daily at noon so that they could go out at lunch time and buy something, anything, with the money they had been paid because prices were rising so quickly.

5. As a result, merchants were constantly selling everything they could stock which suggested surging profits however, prices for goods were going up faster than the merchants could raise prices which therefore reduced profits.

6. The German stock market was booming because of the rapid sales of goods; however, the stock market values did not keep up with inflation.

7. Folks living outside of Germany thought it was enjoying robust economic growth because sales were booming and the stock market was rising,

8. However, wage earners and those on a fixed income were destitute, unemployment rose, while formerly middle class and wealthy individuals sold their clothes, furniture, jewelry, in fact anything they could sell in order to survive.

9. In 1923, the president of the central bank died about the time the government replaced all of its currency with a new currency which the government publicly stated would be printed in limited numbers.

10. While the new currency stabilized the German economy, it also (a) wiped out ALL EXISTING DEBT in the old currency which destroyed anyone that owned bonds (government or private) or held financing for someone to buy an asset they sold (b) businesses lost the ability to raise prices at will which resulted in some businesses collapsing.

11. The ripple effects of 1918 – 1927 were a major contributor to the rise of Adolph Hitler.

Last week the financial markets experienced turmoil because knowledgeable investors know that DM champions of the Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) must have gotten their PhDs in Economics from Sears during a liquidation sale. This will be a bumpy ride.

Here are several critical economic facts applicable to the USA and Global Bubbles:

1. In times of rampant inflation, the stock market is not a safe refuge to escape the devaluation of a currency, despite becoming speculative with rising stock prices.

2. When an economy is operating at less than its optimum because demand is less than the productive capacity, monetary policy stimulus (low interest rates) can increase demand and thus spur economic growth. However, when the constraint on economic growth is supply, the use of monetary policy stimulus simply stimulates inflation. Please re-read.

3. Inflation in a mild form (2% or less annually) stimulates investment in long term assets because those assets appear to increase in value over time.

4. During periods where inflation exceeds 2% annually, the currency is being devalued. During devaluation the appearance of increased value of hard assets can be smoke and mirrors. Only a few hard assets will indeed experience a significant REAL increase compared to the effects of devaluation known as inflation.

135 days into the DM’s coup, more details regarding the fraudulent election last November are emerging. The ballot audits in Antrim County, Michigan; Maricopa, Arizona; and Atlanta, Georgia are on the forefront of a potential tidal wave. If they did not have anything to hide, the DM’s would not be afraid of the audits. The Dominion Voting Systems (DVS) lawsuits and the counter suits filed by Mike Lindell, Sidney Powell appear to be rear-guard actions by DVS and the DMs. Stay tuned.

A great piece of land remains The Best investment long term. Capitalism builds wealth, Marxism/Socialism consumes it in self destruction. Pray for a return to honest elections in the USA. God is in control. Men make plans, but God ALWAYS wins.

“To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their actions. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.”

(Titus 1:15-16) New Revised Standard Version, Oxford University Press)

Stay healthy,

Ned

May 27, 2021

Copyright Massie Land Network. All rights Reserved.

[gingerburak]

Just took my theory final. I feel pretty good about it. Im not sure about if I broke any rules on the note placement section, but im sure i did the analysis right and thats about half of the section I was worried about. I'm sure I passed it. I have a listening test here in about an hour I didn't study for so we'll see how that goes. On a separate note I went to grab some coffee between tests just now and Pauly is still all I think about. For a moment there I forgot we were broken up and I imagined her in my passenger seat singing along to some of the songs I was listening to and it hit me that I may never get to experience that. I may never get to see her again. I pray that I do. I hate this shit. Im going to improve myself insanely between now and the next opportunity I get to see her, but we'll see if that opportunity ever comes. I love her so much it physically hurts. I still sleep a lot. I need to get back on a steady sleep schedule and make myself get up by a certain time to keep it together. I think between sleep and a stable diet again will be my first major step to helping myself improve. I've already been improving on my education and nicotine intake. I was up to half a pack a day again for a while there and now im back down to 5 or 6 (I stopped smoking before noon and that helped). On days that I dont work I usually only smoke 2 or 3 and then on days that I work it's been really slow so I usually smoke out of boredom and I need to cut that shit out, but baby steps I guess. Im not sure if quitting cold turkey at the end of the semester is the move or not. I have to do more research on how long the major symptoms of withdrawal last and talk to my friends and bandmates about it before I start. It may be something I do this summer but either way I need to cut it out of my life. I had a dream the other night that Andrew started smoking and when I told him off for it he asked how I could be the one to tell him when im the one person he knows who smokes. I woke up and started crying. I almost couldn't handle it. I was able to keep it together well enough to stay quiet though. Anyways I need to quit so I never have to go down that road. Also so I dont have any major health problems in the future, but more than anything I just want to be a good role model for my little brother. After finals week I'll make a plan for myself and start working towards my goals of self betterment, but regardless of what I'm doing im still missing her. I wonder if I'm on her mind even half as much as she's on mine. I think so because we felt the same for one another, but she was also able to break up with me when I thought that I was something she was afraid of losing so idk. Im sure she has it all rationalized in her head and it was a rational reason to break up. I understood, but then there's that other part of me that knows just how long I'd be willing to wait for her...I cant believe I fucked up so badly...I was trying to give her space and be a good boyfriend, but she didn't ask for space and I drove her away. Something in my brain that I saw as so small, but ended up being devastating...im devastated...I hope she's okay

[dipulb3]

Determined voters endure long lines to cast early ballots in historic election

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/determined-voters-endure-long-lines-to-cast-early-ballots-in-historic-election/

Determined voters endure long lines to cast early ballots in historic election

Heavy turnout at early voting centers in Georgia and Texas comes as many voters elsewhere take advantage of mail-in ballots, defying President Donald Trump’s misleading attempts to cast the election as the most corrupt in history. Another of the President’s many misinformation efforts — his claim that the Obama administration spied on his team — suffered a serious blow on Tuesday when it emerged in a Washington Post report that a Justice Department probe into one key aspect of the conspiracy theory will end without even a public report.

The candidates should have been making last minute preparations for the second presidential debate on Thursday night. But a drama initiated by the President’s diagnosis with Covid-19 caused the cancellation of the event after the President refused to take part in a virtual version — then demanded the reinstatement of the clash when he recovered.

Instead, Trump and Biden will take part in dueling town halls on NBC and ABC respectively. The arrangement may be a disservice to voters since they will only have one final chance to see the candidates on stage together on October 22. But given the President’s constant interruptions in the first debate, the format may actually allow a more forensic examination of each candidate’s positions. It is also certain to trigger the former “Apprentice” star’s obsession with television ratings.

Inspirational scenes of eager voters, in some cases in Georgia waiting eight hours to exercise their democratic rights, reflected enthusiasm on both sides at a raw moment in US history at the tail-end of a tumultuous presidential term.

Voters are facing the most difficult circumstances imaginable given the health emergency. Confidence in the election is also being challenged by court battles in a handful of states arising from apparent GOP efforts to complicate early balloting that Democratic voters prefer. There are also infrastructure problems — for example the registration portal in Virginia crashed on Tuesday on the last day when citizens can sign up to vote.

Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden mostly concentrated Tuesday on winning votes rather than on how they will be counted.

The President corralled another large crowd in defiance of his own government’s social distancing recommendations as the pandemic takes a dark turn. He is now promising multiple rallies per day — potentially risking the health of his supporters and making it likely they will spread Covid-19 into their communities as the predicted fall spike in infections takes hold.

Trump’s trip to Pennsylvania Tuesday highlighted the state’s potential role as a kingmaker on November 3 and forthcoming rallies in Iowa, North Carolina and Georgia show he’s playing defense across swathes of territory he won in 2016.

Trump made a clumsy attempt to repair his support with women and suburban voters in Johnstown, a gritty Keystone State coal town where he ran strongly four years ago and which is receptive to his populist economic message and claims Democrats like Biden are to blame for an exodus of jobs.

“Suburban women, will you please like me? Please. I saved your damn neighborhood. OK?” Trump said, referring to his claims that Democrats would allow outsiders — i.e. people of color — to invade suburban areas.

Visit Appradab’s Election Center for full coverage of the 2020 race

The President’s event as usual featured few masks, little social distancing and open defiance of the reality of the pandemic. His decision to crank up the pace of rallies also dismayed public health experts, after the government’s top infectious diseases specialist Dr. Anthony Fauci warned on Monday that packed political rallies were “asking for trouble.”

“(This is) even beyond asking for trouble. It is very self-destructive and actually very destructive behavior,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of Baylor College of Medicine’s National School of Tropical Medicine.

“Ideally, you don’t hold in-person events at this point. The numbers are going up, they are going up pretty precipitously,” Hotez told Appradab’s Jake Tapper.

Biden: The only senior Trump cares about is himself

Biden followed Trump’s footsteps from the day before in Florida, another potential pivot state, seeking to accelerate the President’s ebbing support among seniors and to bash him over Covid-19.

“To Donald Trump, you’re expendable. You’re forgettable. You’re virtually nobody,” Biden told seniors in Pembroke Pines, trying to capitalize on polling that has shown him with a double digit lead among a crucial demographic that votes in reliably heavy numbers.

“It’s become painfully clear as his careless arrogant reckless Covid response has caused one of the worst tragedies in American history, the only senior Donald Trump cares about — the only senior — is senior Donald Trump,” Biden said.

And later Tuesday night, in a move that certainly won’t help the President improve his standing with senior citizens, Trump suggested in a tweet that Biden be admitted to a nursing home.

Biden’s running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris, used her turn at Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court hearing to drive home warnings that the conservative judge’s confirmation would help destroy the Affordable Care Act.

“People are scared. People are scared of what will happen if the Affordable Care Act is destroyed in the middle of a pandemic,” Harris told Barrett, hitting another election talking point by warning the judge could also help the Court overturn Roe v. Wade, which enshrined the right to an abortion.

Democrats have little chance to stop Republicans ramming the nomination, which will enshrine a 6-3 conservative majority on the Court, through the Senate before the election. But they are using the hearings to drive home their messages that health care is not safe in Trump’s hands.

View Trump and Biden head-to-head polling

With 20 days to go before the election, Biden leads Appradab’s national Poll of Polls by 11 percentage points. He is also ahead in most swing states, leaving the President seeking a last-minute comeback.

Long lines and voting snafus

Both parties have been trying to convince voters to cast ballots early, given that crowds at polling places on Election Day could pose a serious health threat given the extraordinary circumstances shaping this election.

By noon on the first day of early voting Tuesday in Texas, 50,000 ballots had already been cast in 122 early voting locations in Harris County, which includes the city of Houston. More than 20,000 votes were registered in Tarrant County, which includes Fort Worth, according to county officials.

In Georgia, a traditionally red state in which Biden is making a strong push, some voters lined up for up to eight hours on the first day of early voting on Monday. A total of 126,000 early votes were cast on Monday alone. Long lines were not the only annoyance, however. Technical problems slowed voting at one super site in Atlanta, heightening tensions in a state blighted by accusations of attempts to make it difficult for voters, especially African Americans, to vote.

More than 10.5 million Americans have already voted in the general election, according to an analysis of voting information in 41 states from Appradab, Edison Research and Catalist. And more than six million of those ballots come from the 16 states rated most competitive by Appradab this cycle. In 2016, some 130 million Americans voted in the election, and turnout is expected to be high this time around. Polling shows that Democrats prefer to vote early or by mail and Republicans, perhaps partly owing to Trump’s incessant assaults on mail-in voting, are more likely to vote in a traditional manner on Election Day.

Build your own road to 270 electoral votes with Appradab’s interactive map

The circumstances of this election are unique, given the public health emergency that has already killed more than 215,000 Americans. But the new habits that Americans are making in how they vote could outlast the pandemic.

At the same time political acrimony is also building over a series of apparent attempts by Trump’s campaign and Republicans to complicate an early voting process favored by Democrats. An appeals court ruling in Texas on Monday night upheld GOP Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive allowing only one ballot drop box location per county. The move leaves Harris County, with a population of 4.7 million, massively underserved. It also means some Texans face long car rides to drop off ballots. California officials meanwhile tried to force Republicans to remove unofficial drop boxes that they say do not benefit from the security and chain of custody required for official drop boxes.

In Pennsylvania, a judge over the weekend denied an effort by the Trump campaign and the Republican Party to make ballot drop boxes in the commonwealth unconstitutional. The entire Virginia voter registration system crashed Tuesday on the last day to register. A federal judge re-opened voter registration in the state through Thursday. And a federal judge has rejected Florida’s bid to extend its own voter registration deadline.

The wrangles over voting in these and other states threaten to play into the President’s attempts to cast doubt on the probity of an election that he appears to be in danger of losing and which he may challenge in court if he loses after refusing to guarantee a peaceful transfer of power.

This story has been updated with additional developments Wednesday.

[joyfullynervouscreator]

The Power of Potions pt2

Sorry, I forgot to upload this!(It’s been on AO3 for a few days)

Chapter 1

Looking at the sleeping faces of Fíli and Kíli, you wondered how the small terrors could look like such angels when they were unconscious. Sighing, you closed the door on the small bedroom Professor Durin had been surprised to find had sprouted in his chambers.

“They’re asleep, Professor,” you muttered tiredly. It had taken two goodnight stories – luckily, the Library had contained an ancient copy of Beedle’s, you thought – and four lullabies. You hadn’t known any of the lullabies the boys apparently remembered, but they’d been fascinated by the Danish ones you remembered your own mother singing before her premature death, and even a weird Gaelic one you’d learned from your grandfather.

“My thanks, Miss Grey,” Professor Durin replied stiffly, staring out of the window. “You should go get some rest yourself. I’ll see you in the Great Hall at 7:30 for breakfast tomorrow? If I remember right, the boys usually woke up before seven at that age.”

With an inward groan, you accepted, feeling worn out by simply one afternoon in your new role as caretaker.

 Making your way down through the castle, you stopped at Professor Snape’s office door, knocking lightly. You hadn’t been summoned – though you would have received a scroll on your bed, you knew, before bedtime – but it was often better to show up of your own volition the Slytherins had learned, showing initiative instead of cowering from your punishments.

“Enter,” Snape called, the door opening slightly on silent hinges.

“Good evening, Professor,” you murmured, recognizing the pewter cauldron Professor Snape was peering into as your own.

“Miss Grey,” he greeted, looking up and nodding once. “You may leave your notes on my desk when you’re done. If possible, bottle the memory of the day’s lesson too.”

“Yes, sir,” you said quietly, taking a seat at the smaller desk as the Professor scribbled notes on a long scroll of parchment. A large tome lay before him, though Snape hadn’t begun using magic to unravel whatever you had created; the stasis spell was still holding, surrounding your cauldron with an iridescent shimmer preventing anything getting into - or out of - the potion.

-        Followed instructions for ‘Kalhoun’s Fibrous Cardiac Healer’ (found in “Medical Potions for the Prepared” by Master R. Brown, pp. 273) until step 12; add four gentian flowers. Added five. Potion began sizzling and turned crimson instead of coral.

-        Performed Bacchus’ Test spell to confirm suspicion of excessive acidity.

-        Added two #3 measuring spoons levelled of powdered moonstone; this should make the potion neutral. Potion flashed orange for a moment before returning to previous crimson, large bubbles forming on the surface. Potion gave off excessive heat as expected.

-        Added four hairs of thestral to lower temperature. Standard procedure for controlling thermally unstable compounds. Potion remained crimson; appeared slightly darker in hue. Bubbles remained, now shimmering lightly; like frost blossoms forming and melting.

-        Added one diced mint leaf to stabilize the hair/yarrow interaction. Potion began to turn gelatinous.

-        Added two hairs of thestral; felt the heat dissipate. Bubbles continued to roil, however, enlarging and splashing against the lip of the cauldron.

-        Attempted to add another two hairs, but potion reached critical stage.

-        Called for those around me to duck and attempted to shield myself and cauldron. The shield spell on the opposite side of the cauldron either failed or did not manifest properly. Used Barnaby Haldor’s variation of the Brewer’s Shield, non-verbal, mastered in fifth year Potions Club.

-        Potion was evanescoed off the two victims, Mr & Mr Durin, who verbally claimed to be unharmed, by Professor S. Snape.

-        Arriving in the Infirmary 16 minutes and 4 seconds after initial eruption. Confirmed by Haldor’s shield variation with wrist-timer.

-        Heard a scream from the bathroom 19 minutes and 37 seconds after explosion.

-        Discovered Mr & Mr Durin in bathroom, naked, apparently reverted to their own four-year-old selves. This observation was made by Professor T. Durin, who arrived promptly at noon – time substantiated by the meal bell ringing which can be heard from the Infirmary.

-        Mr K. Durin seems emotionally attached to myself, possessive, even, though both Mr F. Durin & Mr K. Durin seem to have no problem remembering my name, which is peculiar as I have known them for only two months. This suggests partial memory of older self was retained.

-        Boys asked about their mother – to my knowledge Mrs D. Durin passed away when the two were around age 12, which substantiates the theory of partial recollections.

-        According to Professor T. Durin, both children are acting much as they did when they were four, suggestive of maturity regression, though further observations are needed to verify either of these theories.

-        Both boys remembered childhood stories and favourite lullabies.

 “Is the timer still counting, Miss Grey?” Professor Snape asked. You showed him your right forearm, the magical ink that Haldor’s variant spelled onto the caster’s wrist still counting. Professor Snape nodded, and you knew he was pleased you hadn’t been so daft as to dispel the timer. Turning to your cauldron, he indicated the stasis spell with a wave of his stained fingers. Waving your wand, you spoke the partial finite; keeping your timer was essential, but the stasis part dissipated with a slight shimmer of magic. Using a pair of tongs to hold a small vial, Professor Snape collected a sample of your goo. You recast the stasis spell on the cauldron. “Continue to take notes, Miss Grey, and observe anything out of the ordinary in regards to Mr & Mr Durin,” Professor Snape said quietly. “Goodnight.”

“Sir?” you asked, confused. It was barely gone nine, you had assumed he would keep you for some hours either lecturing or working on your potion.

“This analysis is Master level, Miss Grey, you have years of study before you will be able to do it yourself,” he explained quietly. You nodded, but your curiosity made you bold.

“I’d still like to watch, Professor,” you mumbled, staring in fascination as he pulled out an array of glass instruments – the most magically inert tools for any potioneer – pouring a blob of your goo onto a small slide and looking at it through a microscope.

“Very well, Miss Grey. You may ask questions when I am finished. Take notes throughout.��� Professor Snape commanded crisply, but you didn’t think he was displeased. He rarely was when students – especially his own house, of course, as you were more likely to dare brave his temper – actually wanted to learn the art of Potions.

 Trudging back to your bed hours later, you yawned widely.

“So?” Kimberly-Anne asked, pulling her curtains aside when you entered your small room. Slytherin had rooms – two students per room – rather than dorms, and you’d been roommates with Kim since first year.

“They turned into toddlers!” you moaned, falling back on your bed. Kim burst into laughter, uncowed by your glare. You reluctantly gave into your own chuckles. ¨

“Seriously, how adorable are they?” she asked, reaching out to poke your foot teasingly.

“When they are asleep? Very.” You admitted with a laugh as you pulled off your robes, throwing them into your hamper. “When they’re awake… they’re mostly hyper and want to explore everything.” You groaned lightly, rolling your shoulders as you found your night gown. “Kíli thinks I’m his pet or something; he keeps calling me ‘My Gwen’ and glaring at anyone talking to me.” Walking into your small bathroom, you washed quickly, brushing your teeth and returning to bed with a yawn.

“Was Snape very angry?” Kim asked, well aware of the anger of your Head of House. You shook your head, feeling puzzled by the fact.

“Master Snape was hardly angry at all – though he took the opportunity to needle the DADA-Professor as expected,” you both chuckled. It was no secret that Snape had yet to meet a DADA Professor he could do more than tolerate. “He spent hours using very advanced magic to analyse my potion,” you admitted, still awed. “I think he likes the puzzle,” you finally admitted with a yawn, staring at your clock. “Merlin’s beard,” you groaned, dismayed, “I promised Professor Durin I’d meet them for breakfast in six hours.”

The soft laugh of your best friend followed you into sleep.

[yeah-sure-amanda]

Participatory Culture and You: Does a Fandom Ruin a Show or Character?

Fandom.

It is an entertaining, reassuring, annoying, downright scary part of loving a piece of art. Yes, this art does include television shows. I’m convinced we are seeing a manifestation of Andy Warhol’s art in reality shows. That is for another essay though.

Anyway….

Fans are there to celebrate the highs and the lows.  You develop friendships that go beyond just talking about the show. You find your creative center. You can overanalyze and criticize the show and not be considered ‘weird’ for doing so.  You can swap theories and inside jokes. Fandom becomes this community of sorts. A place to stop by when the real world is getting too rough.

It’s another version of the ‘third place.’

That is a lot of fun. Until it’s not.

Which leads me to the question that has been populating my fandom riddled brain.

Does Fandom Ruin the Enjoyment of a Show/Character?

This reminds me of an academic writer named, Henry Jenkins and his theory of participatory culture.  I used to read him in graduate school and I loved what he found out.  In case you are wondering what participatory culture is, “…an opposite concept to consumer culture — in other words a culture in which private individuals do not act as consumers only, but also as contributors or producers.” (Jenkins).  It is the way we went from being passive in how we enjoyed our art to be more active producers. It depends on where we affiliate ourselves (Tumblr/twitter/message boards), how we express ourselves (fan videos/fanfiction/Meta-analysis), how we work together to solve problems tasks (special events that are by the fans for the fans), and how we shape what we see while enjoying our art (reviews/podcasts).

It’s how we contribute in our participatory cultures that have us enjoying the art on a deeper level. That includes a few more ideas that came out of studying participatory culture. Jenkins came up with a phrase called, textual poachers from his 1992 book, Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture. Textual poachers are:

How fans construct their own culture by appropriating and remixing—”poaching”—content from mass culture. Through this “poaching”, the fans carried out such creative cultural activities as rethinking personal identity issues such as gender and sexuality; writing stories to shift focus onto a media “story world’s” secondary characters; producing content to expand of the timelines of a story world; or filling in missing scenes in the story world’s official narratives order to better satisfy the fan community. (Jenkins; 1992)

Whew. That was just me nerding out (Look Ma, that graduate degree came in handy) but what does this all mean towards my question? What shows have some of the strongest and largest fanbases that stretch generations and have recently turned to the internet to join forces with others?

If you guess soap operas, you are right!

Soap Operas have fans that have grown through the years through the generations that watch.  This is very true for two soaps I love, Emmerdale and The Young and the Restless. One from the United Kingdom and another from America. Two different worlds, same participatory culture, and textual poaching.

I’m going to compare these two soaps I enjoy. Emmerdale and The Young and the Restless.

Emmerdale Fandom (As I See It)

Emmerdale has a powerful fandom. The fans are protective and opinioned which makes for a fun time.  Not kidding. Having so many different feelings and views gives you more to talk and think about. There are more people to talk to about theories, favorite characters and even how we feel about certain writers.  The fanfiction and fanart are heavily available for any character you want (even the characters who are long gone). The meta is outstanding and people knowing the histories of every family is aplenty. You can always ask a question and get an answer.

People are taking the art in front of them and putting their own spin on it, poaching it if you will.

With that said, poaching the material and making it our own is when things get messy. Head canons become fact for people. Shipping outside the norm becomes a sore spot for the fandom. Some even think the poaching goes too far. Some want to participate but feel left out of the well-established groups already formed. Some even take those discussions we have and take it too far letting opinions upset or get them.

How people shape and view the characters or a storyline on the soap can affect how others see a storyline or character.  While you think, ‘I’m not that easily swayed’ you would be surprised how strong group think gets while everyone is in their little online worlds.  Fractured fanbases make it hard to participate in this fandom and still be respected for the contribution. It comes in waves and right now, we are surfing on a fractured wave.

For instance, I’m heavily involved with the Robron fandom. The current storyline and split have caused a fracture that always happens when a soap couple ends things. Except, this time, there seems to be a war going on. In fact, I found that I’m starting to hate Aaron when I know I don’t hate him. Not for a minute. However, being constantly shouted down for pointing out faults, not understanding someone’s head canon or letting troll take over the fandom space makes the character harder to love. Which, for the lack of a better word, sucks. I think I can argue that a lot of people feel that way.

The Young and the Restless Fandom (As I See It)

The Young and the Restless. The fandom has a smaller social media presence but still as loud and opinioned as the Emmerdale fans. One could argue there is less textual poaching in this fandom. There isn’t as many theories or meta.  There is participation through reviewing and using social media to talk about the soap.  People know their character histories and are well-versed on showrunners and producers. Less on the writers.

With that said, things can be angry fast.  Usually around the showrunner. The biggest drama isn’t always who should be paired with who but who is running the show and if they are doing a good enough job.  That starts the showrunner wars.  We are in the middle of another changeover, and the fans are arguing over who should be picked next. It is less about what is happening on screen (it’s there) but what happens off screen that effects the fandom and how they participate within the fandom.

The ship wars are never bad. The storylines are usually mocked and tolerated. It is the fighting about behind the scenes drama that does me in.  I really don’t want to care about the showrunner. I don’t care who is running the writers room. I just want to see my favorite characters every day at noon dealing with the craziest of problems. I want to see who gets thrown down a volcano not who said what to whoever in the dressing room last week.

What was the Point of That?

What was the point of comparing the two fandoms and shows? There are two different fandom and two distinct ways they participate in their shows.  Emmerdale is intense about what is happening on screen while The Young and the Restless is passionate about the behind the scenes that what happens on screen.

Which brings me back to the original question. I’ll remind you. Does fandom change how you feel about a show/character?

I believe it depends on how intense the fandom can be.  Emmerdale has an active, intense young fandom out there. Opinions are shared and misheard, and people take those meta/fanfiction/gifs and love or hate them.  Fights happen easier and the longer you stay in that world participating, the easier it can get to feel like what others feel like (group think sneaks in again as well as wanting to agree, so you don’t have to fight with someone anymore). It makes it hard to enjoy a character or show on your own terms.

The Young and the Restless has an older fandom that tends to stick to discussing or reviewing the show than getting deep into the meta/fanfictions/gif making.  They don’t textual poach but there is a culture of participation that can affect how you see things but easier to walk away from seeing as things never get that intense over what is happening on screen.

So, yes, I think a fandom can ruin a show or character, but only if you stay too long and stay unhappy.  Meaning, this can all be fixed by walking away for a while. Watching the show and its characters on your own terms. Get a better footing before jumping back into that culture of participation and the groups that form.  It is easier to do that with The Young and the Restless seeing as it isn’t as intense and the participation is small (I have walked away too. For a year and it was the best decision. I can watch the show with clearer eyes now).

Emmerdale is harder to walk away from. The show itself has been one of best things I stumbled upon in a long time. It’s a different look at how soap operas could be running, and the fans are passionate and lots of fun. That fun can turn on you fast though when a story doesn’t go the way the fanbase wants, and their poaching of the material doesn’t help lessen the blow. People arguing can get old and hard to ignore. Like I said, I should walk away but I can’t. I’m too rooted here now. I have met many smart, talented and fun people in this fandom.  I love the fanfiction. I love the gifs. I love the jokes, and I love how people try to make the best of a bad situation. Even though things are rough and people are getting more and more cynical, I see hope there. A positive that is on the horizon. It’s just rough to see it for long right now.

So, how do I fix this feeling? Tell me below or Tweet/Tumblr me @AmandaJ718. I’m very interested in getting opinions on this. Until next time, I’ll see you around in Overthinking World. It lives next to Denial World and Theory Land (THEORIES DON’T GET A WORLD?).  If you got that reference, you get a cookie and a trip to St. Olaf. Enjoy.

[justanothercinemaniac]

Epic Movie (Re)Watch #141 - The Librarian: Quest for the Spear

Spoilers below

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: I don’t think it’s ever been shown in theaters, so no.

Format: DVD

1) The opening to this film (Flynn inside the pyramid then it turns out it’s just a class project) creates a nice juxtaposition between expectations and reality going into this film, especially when it comes to the establishment of Flynn Carsen.

Noah Wyle as Flynn is a really interesting character who is in a lot of ways a counter response to your typical male adventure hero. At the time of release (and an argument could be made for today as well) Flynn wasn’t different. He’s not Indiana Jones with brains and brawn to match. He’s not debonaire or smooth. He’s a giant NERD who is painfully awkward in social situations and is afraid of living his life. But he never comes off as pathetic or annoying or gripping, something I think can be attributed to Noah Wyle’s fine performance. This was one of Wyle’s first major efforts in comedy, having starred on “ER” for about ten years at the time of the film’s release. Wyle is able to perfectly capture Flynn’s nerdish and awkward qualities and a likable, fun, and interesting way. He also doesn’t make Flynn feel like a know-it-all jerk like Sherlock Holmes. He doesn’t have much of an ego, he doesn’t seek knowledge to show off how smart he is. He truly is just interested in knowledge for the sake of knowledge, a bedrock which creates for a fun and unique character.

2) Wyle has a fun chemistry with Olympia Dukakis.

(GIF originally posted by @j2stwincestiel)

There is a bit of that awkward, “He still lives with his mother,” thing going on but there are nice moments between Wyle and Dukakis very early on which show you that their relationship is not unhealthy. This isn’t some bullshit Howard Wolowitz and his mom relationship from “The Big Bang Theory”. They actually love for each other, care for each other, and Dukakis as Mrs. Carsen is supportive and caring towards her kid. It’s a nice relationship we get a small peek into.

3) The whole idea of the Metropolitan Public Library in New York sending out this letter looking for it’s next Librarian is something I like a lot. It gives the whole world of The Librarian sort of an extra bit of mythology, a Harry Potter vibe if you will.

4) Jane Curtin!

Jane Curtin isn’t in the film much but she is able to create a memorable character from the moment we meet her as Charlene. A bit of a tight wad who takes her job seriously, Curtin is also able to bring some extra X quality to Charlene. Maybe it’s just me, but by watching her you sort of just KNOW there’s this extra warmth hidden under the surface. Curtin does a nice job in the movie.

5) I love this, and not for reasons I usually do.

Charlene: Tell me something you know that nobody else who has walked in here could tell me.

[Beat.]

Flynn: You have mononucleosis. Your marriage broke up two months ago. You broke your nose when you were four, and you live with three cats. Is that what you had in mind? Swollen parajugular lymph nodes and distended eyelids are clearly mono. It takes three months for an indentation on the ring finger to completely disappear. Yours is two-thirds gone. Your plastic surgeon gave you a terminus paralateral scar, which is given to children under the age of six, and I can clearly see three distinct types of cat hair. A white Himalayan, a tortoiseshell, and an orange striped tabby.

Usually when a character whips this out it’s because they want to show off how smart they are, but not Flynn. There’s no ego in his analysis in Charlene, he didn’t sit down and say some bullshit like, “Oh, how’s your divorce going?” just to show off his smarts. No, he only did it when he was asked and clearly isn’t gloating in it. He’s just doing what she asked of him: telling her something he knows no one else could have told her.

6) FYI - just like Flynn - I would lose my mind in The Library!

When I was a kid I was big into myths and conspiracies. Indiana Jones, National Treasure, those things were my bread and butter. The Library would have my going NUTS!

7) Bob Newhart as Judson

Bob Newhart is a comedy legend and I have never once seen him be bad in anything, and The Librarian is no exception. He’s able to play Judson with such subtlety and heart while still making some of the film’s best jokes, it is absolutely wonderful. He would be nominated for playing this role in the third Librarian film, but he’s just as good here. Newhart brings an extra level of heart and humor to the film that helps make it as good as it is.

8) Some of the jokes in this film just have me floored.

(GIFs originally posted by @flynnscarnation)

9) I think the fact that this film decided to personify Excalibur (and in later installments give it even more personality) was a smart decision. It not only give The Library an extra flair of magic but also another unique character to add to its halls in addition to Judson and Charlene.

10) I think the entire idea behind the villain of this film being a former Librarian is a good way to kick off the series. It shows just how corrupting/tempting this power can be (an idea later seen in depth in Return to King Solomon’s Mines) and also what can happen to Flynn if he’s not careful. Contrarily, however, it creates a nice juxtaposition between Kyle MacLachlan’s Wilde (who is very much your typical tough guy/fine-as-hell action hero turned villain) and Wyle’s nerdy Flynn.

11)

Charlene [after the bad guys come and steal something]: “They knew about the fail safe.”

But they DIDN’T know about the security cameras?

12) Honestly if I were ever in an action/adventure movie situation, I’d probably be Flynn.

Flynn: “The fate of the world is in my hands? That is just so...sad”

13) Ugh, femme fatale intros. The moment when a female character walks on screen in slow motion with saxophone music or something playing behind her while the male lead ogles her. A clear indication that this is more of a trope than a character.

14) However I will say, despite that introduction, Nicole Noone ends up being a pretty interesting character. I personally don’t think it makes sense that she sleeps with Flynn after having her heart broken so recently by the (supposed) death (and eventual betrayal) of her last love, but on her own she is fairly well written. Tough as nails, we understand her sense of humor, what makes her tick, her sense of loyalty, what gets her to smile, what gets her to cry, we get a pretty nice peek into who she is as a character. It’s a shame the franchise would lose Sonya Walger (although I do like the female characters in the proceeding films) as she does a pretty great job in this movie, but I’m glad we got her here.

15) While this film does work against some established tropes with action/adventure characters, it unfortunately does fall into, “Super attractive woman falls in love with someone she disdains at first AFTER we make clear just how HOT she is.”

Nicole [to Flynn]: “I’m WAY out of your league. WAY out. If your league were to explode I wouldn’t see it for days.”

It does establish Flynn’s reasoning for calling her egotistical throughout the early parts of their relationship, but still. It would be so refreshing to me - personally - if we had a movie where two characters like this formed a deep friendship instead of a romance. Not that it ruins the film by any means. It just reminds me of tropes I am bored with in cinema in general.

16) I love the running gag of Kelly Hu’s Lana seeing Flynn as this brilliant Librarian and having a massive crush on him.

Rhodes [Wilde’s thug]: “That’s the Librarian?”

Lana: “Don’t underestimate him.”

Lana [after Nicole pushes Flynn out of a plan with no parachute]: “He brilliantly lowers our expectations then dives without a ‘chute! Remarkable!”

Kelly Hu is great in general but this running gag just makes me chuckle every time.

17) The reason I say I’m Flynn is not because of his brains or anything, but because of how he reacts to what’s going on around him.

Flynn [after Nicole pulls out a sword]: “How did you get that on the airplane?”

18) We don’t get much of a peek into the relationship between Flynn and his late father in this film. That’s coming up in the sequel.

Flynn: “My mother said my father was a dreamer...”

19) While I do greatly enjoy this film, I think it misses some opportunities to increase how fun and adventurous is. This is an observation I’ve made mainly through comparison with the film’s two sequels (which were directed be someone else than this film), but still. An example of this is the scene where Flynn and Nicole make their way across the rotted bridge in the Amazon. I personally feel that with some faster pacing in moments and the addition of music it could have been a lot more fun, a lot more adventurous, but that’s just me.

20) Flynn and Nicole do have fun chemistry, more when they’re bantering than anything else. But Flynn is also shown to understand Nicole, despite her claims to the contrary. There’s not only a whole scene where he tells her what he’s noticed about her character, but also fun lines like this:

Flynn: “Why are you smiling? I don’t like it when you smile. It means you’re about to do something dangerous.”

21) I will say, any issues I have with the bridge scene, those issues do NOT apply to the temple waltz scene. The fact that the only way Flynn and Nicole can only get through the booby traps by doing a waltz is just so fun and well paced, while also providing some nice character interaction between the two. I love how Nicole leads in the dance and how she dips Flynn. It’s just a lot of fun, and that’s when this movie is at its best. When it’s having fun!

22) Lana is so turned on by Flynn just speaking a dead language, I love it!

23) Another moment I find sort of weaker in the film is when Flynn falls off the mountain on the way to Shangri La and Nicole has to save him. It sort of just happens, I feel. Its over and done with out of nowhere with little tension. It doesn’t feel real, if that makes sense. But again, maybe that’s just me.

24) Are we not going to address the fact that these supposedly peaceful monks just start fighting out of nowhere? Do they train in fighting? Did they ever have to use their fighting skills before today? I must know!!!!

25) Okay, in this moment I’m Judson.

Flynn [upon learning a former professor is evil]: “I should’ve known he was evil. He gave me an A-.”

Judson:

26) Bob Newhart gets a fight scene! Bob Newhart has a fight scene! Bob Newhart has officially done everything! Well...probably not. But still! Fight scene!

27) I like how Flynn is able to outsmart Wilde into causing the pyramid to crash down on him instead of taking him on in a straight fist fight. It is a perfect illustration as to how Flynn isn’t your typical action/adventure hero.

28) I would love to see the whole “Time Traveling Ninjas going after HG Welles time machine” adventure this film ends on. Maybe not as a full movie, but in some format that’d be fun.

While I do prefer the sequels to the original, The Librarian: Quest for the Spear is an exemplary start for the franchise. The unique mythology is established in a fun way, Wyle excels as Flynn Carsen, Newhart and Curtin give A grade performances which will continue throughout the series, and we just are taken on a fun adventure for about 100 minutes. Because that’s what this movie is: fun. If you’re looking for something a little more off the beaten path than Indiana Jones or National Treasure, this film is a worthy substitute.

[tonydaddingham]

so i just saw this post

https://www.tumblr.com/fuckyeahgoodomens/724574959442247680/i-noticed-that-while-in-s1-crowley-is-always-on

and like… yo… we need to search some other times when crowley and aziraphale switched their usual places, 'cause I KNOW they have

and also, what do you think about this? because i also find it extremely curious, taking into consideration that the only time when they switched places in season 1 was:

1. the globe, when crowley was basically circling around aziraphale when talking about the arrangement - which makes perfect sense, basically showing through his movement how they take each other's roles when they need to

2. in the scenes before the trial when they actually switched appearences

so what does this say about this ending?

well personally, i don't think it's a body swap; again, i think it would completely derail a good portion of the message in the Feral Domestic™ scene, and would make parts of the narrative redundant.

(further asks and 'analysis' under cut)

i think the point of the body swap in s1, and as LWA✨ has consistently pointed out (and i trust them with my life, on god), is that it was a means of demonstrating to the audience (and was meant to demonstrate to each other, not that the boys seemed to notice) that they are two halves of the same whole, and their true balance and power is achieved in working together... and this to me doesn't seem like the scene to do it in. there may be more to it than that, but so far this makes sense to me.

i did some ramblings on their positioning in s1, the globe instance to the contrary you've already pointed out bestie, and because im a mad lad ive gone through s2 on fast forward to spot as many as possible:

- when crowley discovers gabriel, and pre-miracle:

- goob's earliest memory:

- resurrectionist minisode:

- 40s minisode:

- returning the plants:

- "plume of your imaginary tante", and "if you're going to stand here and just carp-"

- ball:

- the ineffable bureaucracy reveal, and the Smooch™:

now my initial thought (and i will return to this post once ive read the Long Document), is that some of the purpose for these shots (and the positioning of aziraphale to crowley's left rather than his right) may be just down to good ol' fashioned blocking. and that may be the case.

but as you say, it was very deliberate in s1 that it was the other way around, that aziraphale was on crowley's right (with traditional connotations of good and just). the exception to this being the globe (where we see aziraphale get tempted into another Arrangement, so crowley circling him in a predatory manner, cycling him on the balance between right and wrong, was appropriate symbolically).

now to me, i feel like the above is explained by my favourite explanation stand-by: character development. in most of these scenes, we see aziraphale either directly stand in opposition to heaven and/or angelic purpose (or having a Human Moment), is questioning his own beliefs in morality, or simply is having a particularly intimate crowley moment. so his increased presence on crowley's left is again, to me, symbolically apt.

in terms of something "being off", i absolutely felt this in the screening of eps 1 and 2; it felt very different tonally, and i wasn't quite sure how to take it. there was a reason why i was so behind my theory that the episodes were fake/altered ones (which i still think would have been a mega-brain idea), and that's because it just didn't feel right.

this season is very different to s1, there is no doubt about it. but at this moment in time (until i properly read the Long Document, at least), i don't think it's because of a higher narrative purpose. i do think metatron has been meddling or spying, but not so much to the point that i think s3 will reveal a retcon of s2 (bearing in mind ive only skimmed the Long Document, so this inference of what it's proposing may be entirely inaccurate (ie noone @ me)). that, to me, would be very strange - to essentially render all/most? of s2 redundant.

so at the moment, no real thoughts from me on this, other than me thinking that the aziraphale placement is, as far as i currently see it, completely symbolic✨

[ladystylestores]

Georgia’s Long Lines – The New York Times

Want to get The Morning by email? Here’s the sign-up.

Good morning. Republicans are considering their own police reforms. Brazil’s president is threatening a military takeover. And Georgia’s primary was a mess.

Chloe Mexile Benard got in line to vote in the Atlanta suburbs at 7:30 a.m. yesterday, according to The Guardian. She did not vote until almost noon.

Marneia Mitchell, a stationery designer in Atlanta, was starting her fourth hour of waiting in line when she told The Times, “It’s despicable.”

And Greg Bluestein, a politics reporter at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, called yesterday’s primary elections in Georgia “like nothing we’ve ever experienced.”

In several counties around Atlanta, voting machines malfunctioned, and thin staffing because of the coronavirus left fewer poll workers to deal with it. As a result, many Georgia residents had to choose between enduring hours in line or losing their right to vote.

Yesterday’s problems were worse than usual — partly a result of recently bought voting machines — but were also part of a much larger issue. In no other affluent country do citizens regularly have as hard a time voting as they do in the United States. Most of our elections are held on workdays, and a shortage of election equipment and workers often forces people to wait in long lines.

The waits tend to be longest for African-Americans. One study of the 2016 election, using smartphone location data, found that voters in black neighborhoods waited 29 percent longer on average than voters in white neighborhoods.

And as was the case in the 1950s and ’60s, Georgia has again become a battleground over voting rights. In the 2018 midterms, the state had the country’s longest waiting times, according to a Bipartisan Policy Center analysis. Republicans in Georgia, who control most of the state government, have frequently opposed efforts by Democrats to make voting more accessible.

It was not fully clear why yesterday’s lines were worse in the Atlanta area than elsewhere in Georgia. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, blamed local officials — who are heavily Democratic — and said they had not properly trained election workers. Local officials, in turn, blamed him, saying he had not provided adequate training resources. Virus fears among election workers and high turnout, after George Floyd’s killing, may also have played a role.

“No corner of the state had a fully functional voting experience,” The Times reported. Michael McDonald, an elections expert at the University of Florida, wrote: “I have never seen the scale of election failures happening in Georgia today. This does not bode well for November.”

In yesterday’s election results:

THREE MORE BIG STORIES

1. Republicans respond to police violence

Senate Republican leaders have assigned Tim Scott of South Carolina, their only black member, to lead the drafting of legislation that conservatives could rally behind.

Republicans face a dilemma: For decades, they have built an image as tough on crime, and it has helped them win many elections, often by winning the votes of whites who previously voted Democratic. But public opinion has shifted significantly, amid growing video evidence of police brutality and racism, and Republicans are trying to figure out how much to change their stance. For now, several congressional Republicans have changed their tone but not yet supported new policies.

In other politics news:

President Trump floated a false theory that a 75-year-old man in Buffalo who had been knocked to the ground by the police was “an ANTIFA provocateur.”

A group of white counterprotesters in New Jersey, appearing in front of a pro-Trump sign, mocked Floyd’s death, with one man kneeling on the neck of another who was facedown on the ground. One of the counterprotesters was a corrections officers and was quickly suspended.

Democrats are increasing their pressure on Joe Biden to pick a black running mate.

2. Funeral for George Floyd

Two weeks after Floyd died at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, he was laid to rest in Houston, in a grave next to his mother’s. Two rows of police officers saluted as Floyd’s coffin went past. (The Times recently profiled Floyd’s life.)

As the service began, the New York Stock Exchange went silent for eight minutes, 46 seconds — the length of time a police officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck. It was the longest moment of silence on the stock exchange floor in its 228-year history.

3. The threat to Brazil’s democracy

Daily coronavirus deaths in Brazil are now the highest in the world. Investors are fleeing. And President Jair Bolsonaro and his allies are under investigation.

In response to the chaos, Bolsonaro is raising the prospect of military intervention to protect his grip on power — an ominous prospect for a country that was under a military dictatorship as recently as the 1980s.

More on the virus: A Times graphic compares the death toll to the toll from historical disasters.

Here’s what else is happening

The founder of CrossFit, Greg Glassman, has resigned, after BuzzFeed News published the details of a call with gym owners in which he maligned Floyd and shared coronavirus conspiracy theories.

Paramount Television canceled “Cops,” the once-popular reality show that ran for 33 seasons and that civil rights groups criticized for its portrayal of African-Americans. Separately, HBO pulled “Gone With the Wind” from its new streaming service, but pledged to bring back the 1939 film that romanticizes the Civil War-era South “with a discussion of its historical context.”

Lives lived: Bonnie Pointer was there at the creation, when she and her siblings decided to form a vocal group called simply the Pointer Sisters. But before the 1970s were out, she had left the group to pursue a solo career. And then they hit it big, without her. She has died at 69.

BACK STORY: Facial recognition

IBM announced this week that it opposes using facial recognition for mass surveillance and racial profiling. We talked to our colleague Shira Ovide, who writes The Times’s On Tech newsletter, about the problems with the technology.

“Facial recognition is terrible at identifying people with darker skin,” Shira said, pointing out that some research found it has no better than a 50-50 chance. “And there’s a dangerous tendency to over-rely on this kind of technology, even when it’s not accurate.”

She added: “We don’t know when facial recognition is misused. What if law enforcement agencies use it to identify people who are attending peaceful protests, like the ones happening now? Do we want to live in a surveillance state where everyone is in a vast database and we can be identified on sight at a massive scale?” That, of course, is the situation that China’s government is trying to create.

PLAY, WATCH, EAT, STREAM

How to feed a crowd

A key part of the Sikh religion is providing free meals as an act of faith, and many gurdwaras — the places of worship for Sikhs — have large kitchens, ample numbers of volunteers and regular food donations from community members. Some gurdwaras serve more than 100,000 people every day.

This tradition has enabled Sikh communities across the U.S. to respond to the increase in hunger caused by the pandemic, while many food banks have struggled, Priya Krishna writes.

Reckonings in culture

In the publishing world, a viral hashtag this week encouraged black and nonblack authors to compare their pay, in an effort to highlight inequality. One example: A white science fiction writer said he had received $3.4 million for 13 books — more than $260,000 per novel — while a black female author said she had received $25,000 for each installment of her award-winning science fiction trilogy.

In theater, more than 300 artists — including stars like Viola Davis and Lin-Manuel Miranda — published a statement that outlined how artists of color are unjustly treated.

A guide to TV streaming bundles

Inspired by this clever interactive from Bloomberg about the best streaming bundles, we asked Adrienne Maxwell, an editor at Wirecutter, to offer advice to anyone who’s gotten rid of cable television or is thinking of doing so:

When trying to decide whether or not to cut the cord and what services to subscribe to, I think the first question anyone should ask is whether they still want access to live TV and, especially, sports. Hardcore fans who love to watch a variety of sports and want access to their local affiliate broadcasts are probably better off sticking with cable.

If live TV is not something you care about, then it really does come down to personal viewing preferences. The beauty of streaming is that you aren’t locked into a contract, so you can subscribe to one service for a couple months, get caught up on their exclusive content that you love, then cancel and switch to another service.

But if you’re more of a “set it once and forget it” type, I’d say some combination of Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ is likely to be the most satisfying for the most people.

Here is Wirecutter’s more detailed guide.

Diversions

Games

Here’s today’s Mini Crossword, and a clue: Only state with a two-vowel postal code (four letters).

You can find all of our puzzles here.

Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David

P.S. Cooking for kids can be exhausting, especially if they’re picky eaters. The Times’s Kim Severson and Ted Allen, the cooking-show host, can help. At 8 p.m. Eastern today, they’ll discuss how to cook healthy family meals.

You can see today’s print front page here.

Today’s episode of “The Daily” is about George Floyd’s funeral.

The Times is providing free access to much of our coronavirus coverage. Please consider supporting our journalism with a subscription.

Ian Prasad Philbrick and Sanam Yar contributed to The Morning. You can reach the team at themorning@nytimes.com.

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[delectablymaximumwitch-blog]

COM 440/POL S 461 Assignment 1: Spring 2016

COM 440/POL S 461 Assignment 1: Spring 2016

 Click Link Below To Buy:

http://hwaid.com/shop/com-440pol-s-461-assignment-1-spring-2016/

  One of the best ways to learn the rules of law is to apply them to hypothetical situations.

That’s why I'm asking you to analyze one case problem with several parts involving

material discussed in Lessons 1 and 2 (including the discussion forums) and chapters

1 -3 of the textbook. Please refer to Practice Exercise 2-2 for examples of this type of

legal analysis.

The first step is to read the facts of the case problem carefully and e-mail me if you have

any questions. The next step is to identify the correct area (or category) of law that is

applicable to each question of the case problem. In other words, does the question deal

with sedition or fighting words or prior restraint or time, place and manner rules or

another area (or category) of law covered in Lesson 2? This part of the analysis is

essential because the legal rules differ depending on the area of law under consideration.

Once you determine the area/category of law that's applicable (and sometimes it’s given),

then the last step is to apply the correct legal rules to the facts of the case problem and to

state your conclusions. Here’s the case hypothetical, followed by instructions on how to

prepare your assignment.

Case Hypothetical

Let’s assume that Gloria Santos is the Green Party nominee, campaigning for the open

congressional seat held by Representative Jim McDermott, who decided not to run for reelection

this year. People opposing her candidacy have already created a website

dedicated to her defeat. The website’s domain name is GloriaSantosforCongress.com,

and it is the first website that comes up in an Internet search for information about her

candidacy. The website labels her a Communist and includes false statements about her

positions on the environment, workers’ rights, low-income housing and police

accountability, among other issues. The website also attacks her character and fitness to

hold political office, calling her a liar, a thief and an illegal immigrant. It promises to

publish detailed accounts of her anti-business policies and illegal activities throughout the

campaign season.

Gloria Santos and her supporters are outraged and contact the city prosecutor, who is her

friend, asking for his help in shutting down the website. The city prosecutor asks a local

judge to order the website’s creator to shut down the website immediately before most

voters become aware of it because of its lies, deception and character assassination.

1. Would such an order be constitutional? In other words, should the local judge,

using equity law, order the website’s creator to shut down the website? First,

identify the specific area (category) of law that directly relates to this situation;

second, identify the theory or interpretation of the First Amendment that is most

applicable to this type of situation; third, apply the relevant legal rules; and,

fourth, explain your conclusion. (35 points)

Continuing this case hypothetical, let’s assume that Gloria Santos’ supporters want to

hold a political rally in Red Square on the UW-Seattle campus from noon to 1 p.m. on

Monday, Memorial Day. They asked the appropriate university administrators for a

permit, and some administrators expressed concern that people would assume that the

university was supporting her candidacy if they allowed the political rally in Red Square.

2. Should university administrators allow this political rally? In other words,

would this political rally be constitutionally protected under the First

Amendment? First, identify the specific area (category) of law that relates to this

situation; second, apply the correct legal rules to the facts of the case problem;

and, third, explain your conclusion. (25 pts)

Let’s assume Santos’ supporters did hold the political rally, and Santos spoke at it.

During her speech, she called for a political revolution where ordinary citizens would

unite to overthrow the billionaires and capitalists who control this country’s economy and

political system. Several opponents to her candidacy attended the rally and were

offended by her call for a revolution. One man shouted that she and her supporters

should be arrested for sedition because they were advocating the overthrow of the U.S.

government and the country’s economic system.

3. Should Santos and her supporters be arrested for sedition? In other words,

would such arrests be constitutional? Please apply the correct legal rules and

explain your conclusion. (20 pts)

Another man yelled that Santos was a dangerous Communist and would be a threat to the

Seattle way of life if she were elected to Congress. He then tried to push his way to the

podium, and when two of her supporters stopped him, he screamed insults directly at

them for several minutes. Several bystanders urged police officers on the scene to arrest

the man for fighting words.

4. Should the police arrest the man for fighting words under these circumstances?

In other words, would such arrests be constitutional? Please apply the correct

legal rules and explain your conclusion. (20 pts)

Here’s how to prepare and submit your assignment.

1. Create a Word document and enter your full name at the beginning of your

assignment.

2. Begin each of your answers with the specific question number that you’re

answering. For example, when you answer question 1, please start your answer

with “Question 1.” or 1. This will help me grade your assignment.

3. Refer back to the question after you finish a draft of your answer to make sure

that you answered the question completely and didn’t get side tracked into

discussing other unrelated areas of media law.

4. Proofread carefully (double-check spelling, grammar, accuracy).

5. Upload your assignment to the website. You are responsible for making sure that

your assignment is posted on the website by the deadline so please double check

that it uploaded successfully. If you have trouble uploading your assignment,

please e-mail me before the deadline.

6. Save a copy of your work in case something happens to the uploaded file.

Deadline: Wednesday, April 13, 2016, at 11:59 p.m., Pacific Time

If you can’t meet this deadline, you must e-mail me before the assignment is due and ask

for an extension. This rule applies even if you are ill or have computer problems.

Otherwise, there will be an automatic penalty of .5 for every 24 hours late. For example,

a 4.0 grade would drop to a 3.5 if the assignment is submitted five minutes after the

deadline and to a 3.0 if it is submitted 24 hours and five minutes late.

Note: This assignment is worth 10 percent of your course grade. Please refer to the

grading rubric to see how I will evaluate it. Here’s the grading scale that I use for the

four assignments

[projectinfinityblog-blog]

Autism and Pumpkin Empanadas...My Journey as an Autism Mom

My story is not so different from other moms. I was over the moon when I found out that my husband and I would be welcoming our first child.  Well, technically it was our second child, as we had the tragic misfortune of losing our first child to miscarriage as soon as I entered my second trimester.  It felt like I would NEVER get over it.  I remember a vivid conversation with my sister-in-law (who had an almost identical experience) while confiding to her my anxieties after finding out I was pregnant with another child.  She said to me, “If you don’t calm down, and start trying to be positive you are going to put yourself at risk of another one (miscarriage)”.  At that very moment I knew I needed to get it together...and quick.

Pregnancy is awful.  I say that with love, as I have absolutely NO REGRETS about either of my children, and it is impossible to picture my life without them BUT, PREGNANCY IS AWFUL.  I had every symptom under the sun, and some that hadn’t been invented yet.  I had what I affectionately call ‘Morning, Noon, and Night Sickness”, round ligament pain, food aversions, smell aversions, my hair fell out and was so full of dandruff that it looked like a Christmas card.  Then, as if God was playing a fun-filled prank, my son was measuring big.  He weighed 10 pounds 11 ounces at birth to be exact.  I was a walking pregnancy stereotype.  Thank God I have an extremely understanding and supportive husband with the patience of Job.

On June 14, 2011 all of that craziness seemed to melt away after I gave birth to a healthy, adorable, yet large baby boy.  We named him Rogan, and he had a head full of dark brown hair, and a butt chin (I say that with love, as it is absolutely adorable!). Rogan was the most beautiful thing I had ever laid my eyes on.  Of course, having a newborn was an adjustment.  My husband and I were exhausted, and actually had our first argument ever due to lack of sleep.  It didn’t matter though, as over time we adjusted to having this little bug with us.  We were both smitten, and loved watching Rogan grow and develop as the months went by.

In terms of development, Rogan hit every milestone, and some way ahead of schedule.  He was a loving little boy who was full of smiles.  Rogan turned over at 3 months, crawled at 5 months, and walked at 10 months old.  He was extremely active, and loved to be outdoors.  He loved being sung to, and would always look up at me and smile whenever I sang some of our special mother-son songs to him. 

What wasn’t happening was speech and language.  Rogan would babble and coo like most children under the age of 1, but he never started saying actual words.  I noticed that as the months went by Rogan started humming and walking on this tip toes.  As a therapist who works with individualson the Autism Spectrum, I began to become concerned.  I decided to consult Rogan’s pediatrician for guidance, and was told “He’s a boy.  Most boys don’t talk until they’re 3.  I wouldn’t worry about it.”.  I knew that she was a doctor, and the expert on this sort of thing, but I didn’t believe any of the crap that she was telling me.

I took matters into my own hands and consulted a Pediatric ENT. The ENT ordered us to have a procedure to check Rogan’s hearing (which yielded normal results) and referred Rogan for Speech Therapy.  Of course our medical insurance did not cover Speech Therapy, because Rogan did not have any sort of formal diagnosis other than a Speech Delay. We paid for Speech and Occupational Therapies out of pocket, and had two of the best therapists in the world.  Progress started happening. As luck would have it the Affordable Healthcare Act went into effect which caused us to have to change to another pediatrician....THANK GOD.

This change opened a huge door.  We were instantly referred to a Developmental Pediatrician for help.  I remember feeling so many different emotions.  On December 29, 2014 at 9:40am in a small office where my father, husband, and in-laws sat with us, Rogan was officially diagnosed with Autism.  I remember feeling nothing.  My first thought was, “okay, now I need to start seeking resources”.  Luckily, I am extremely familiar with what programs are out there that provide services to children on the Autism Spectrum, as well as knowing lots of other parents who are already in the community.  I started making phone calls...it took all day, but I lost track of time and just kept focusing on what bases to cover.

We didn’t qualify for Medicaid because of our incomes, which meant that we also didn’t qualify for Social Security Income.  I began to see the frustration of those parents who are attempting to secure resources for their children, but are unable to because of income or resources...it was exhausting and aggravating.  I kept hearing things from friends and family like, “but you're a therapist, you can just work with him” and “you should just know what to do because of your background”.  Pardon my frankness, but statements like that are complete bullshit.  It doesn't matter how much you know, or what you do with others, it is completely different when it is YOUR child.

In the meantime, we began to see more Autism symptoms emerge.  Rogan became an extremely picky eater.  I think he lived for the next year on a strict diet of chicken tenders and pumpkin empanadas. Rogan also began to run away from my husband and I when we were out in public places, which scared us to death that he would be hit by a car or abducted. We continued to push, and thankfully the Developmental Pediatrician referred Rogan for Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA).  ABA is considered one of the most successful, yet controversial therapies provided to individuals on the Autism Spectrum because  it is grounded in Behavioral Theory and practice.  Rogan took to it very well, and we began to see lots of progress in the form of verbal communication particularly.

As he reached the age of 5, we then had to prepare for Kindergarten.  ARD’s are a nightmare, and it is absolutely essential to hire an advocate prior to planning for any child receiving Special Education services.  Again, Rogan was blessed with a Special Education teacher who was willing to go above and beyond to help him succeed, and a grandmother who is a retired teacher who has helped him with academics at home.  Even more amazing was that during his testing, he was found to be ahead of most children his age academically and was recommended for inclusion with the rest of his neuro-typical peers.

Rogan is an intelligent, loving, and affectionate child with a love for life.  I love being his mother and he makes me want to be a better person no matter what it takes.  We are extremely fortunate to have an amazing network of support ranging from grandparents, friends, and strangers that are compassionate. My advice to any parent with a child on the Autism Spectrum is this: 

Don't be afraid to ask for help...it is out there.  Never underestimate your child, they know and understand way more than you think. Don’t let Autism define your child. Never, and I mean NEVER give up hope...you are all they’ve got.

[rhlawdigitalportfolio]

For your post on Wed. the 5th @ noon, please post responses to the midterm review followed by an attachment of your research prospectus first draft. This prospectus is your first draft, but it should be your best and most complete effort.  

Original Post: 

1. What does James Boyd White mean by “constitutive rhetoric”?  How is the law constituted by rhetoric? What is the counter-argument to “constitutive rhetoric” that White addresses?  How does he work to expose the problems with the counter-argument?

Rhetoric is a deliberative system of argument about justice which makes the law. Rhetoric and law “construct and define” our “values and motives” (White, 692) as we strive to live in a democratic and just state and society. Constitutive rhetoric invents and it is always specific to its material, such as identity and culture. In law, there is always going to be a specific context or specific situation and the situation cannot always be generalized. This is how the law becomes constituted by rhetoric. Rhetoricians must acknowledge to that he or she is engaged in a “process of meaning-making” (White, 695) in a “particular culture and among particular people” (White, 695) as he or she attempts to persuade the audience. White suggests that the opposing view to constitutive rhetoric is “regarding law as the instrument by which we effectuate our policies and get what we want,” or, in other words, viewing law on a global level. The problem with this is that the whole world cannot have one culture, community, language of approval, knowledge, etc.

2. According to Frost, Anapol, and class discussions, why is Greco-Roman History important for studying the history of rhetoric and law?  How do they address classical rhetoric in contemporary law?

Greco-Roman history is the “original source and a historical reference point for modern analyses of legal reasoning, methods, and strategy” (Frost, VII) and without it, the structure of our legal system would be chaotic. Rhetoric and law were intertwined during the Greco-Roman era and helps us view rhetoric as “the art of amplifying and beautifying man’s thoughts” (Anapol, 16). Through Greco-Roman history, we not only learn modes of persuasion, but we also learn how to become our best selves as we attempt to create a democratic and just society. 

3. What are the rhetorical canons?  Which two have been most important in organizing our study of rhetoric and law?  Why?

The five canons of rhetoric are invention, disposition, style, memory, and delivery. These canons create a system and guide on crafting powerful speeches and writing. They also serve as a template by which to judge effective rhetoric. The two most canons we have used the most to organize our study of rhetoric and law are invention and style. In this class, we primarily focus on legal rhetoric in regards to classical rhetorical analysis. For legal rhetoric, the topics of invention “systematize legal analysis and suggest ways of effectively organizing the available arguments” (Frost, 24), which is one of the main concepts/tactics we have been studying. We have seen the topics of invention (fact, definition, quality, and procedure) in our readings such Lord’s Justice. Logos, ethos, and pathos, are all aspects of invention. Also, in our study of rhetoric and law, we have analyzed the different rhetorical styles used to persuade the audience. Forensic style works through ethos, logos, and pathos in legal argument. According to classical rhetorical theory, rhetorical style is used for creat[ing]…a specific rhetorical effect” (Frost, 93), transferring one context to another context (Frost, 87), and “produc[ing] emotional and intellectual pleasure” (Frost, 89) all in order to persuade the audience.

4. What is stasis theory?  Explain in detail.

In rhetorical theory, a stasis is something that halts the rhetorical trajectory of things that get commanded onto us. In a moment of truth, it changes our path. In invention, the four stases are fact, definition, quality, and procedure. Though facts are what actually happened, they can be conjectural. Definition is taking the facts and defining what they mean to and for the case. Quality represents the mitigating factors that make us change the way we feel about the facts, definition, and procedure. Procedure is what we have done so far and what we will do in the face of what has happened.

5. Analyze via stasis theory, Justice Lord’s speech in the Dalkon Shield case. Which stasis “govern” the invention of Lord’s appeals?

The four stases are fact, definition, quality, and procedure. One of the main facts of the case is that women were maimed, killed, etc. because of the Dalkon Shield that the A.H. Robins Company produced. Also, the company was delaying the payment of claims that were filed against them by women who had used the Dalkon Shield and in many cases, the company was forcing women with little money and access to go against them and their high-paid lawyers in court. Judge Lord defined the behavior of the company as “corporate irresponsibility.” He also defined how they delayed their settlements long enough that the interest on the settlements paid for the cost of the cases as “policy of delay and obfuscation.” He defined their actions of forcing the women to against their lawyers in court as “callous legal tactics.” The stasis that governs the invention of Justice Lord’s appeals is quality. Judge Lord uses countless mitigating factors, such as the company’s ruthlessness, its privilege, and its lack of remorse in order to expose the corruption of the A.H. Robins Company. The procedure was making employees of the A.H. Robins face Judge Lord at the hearing and asking them to show compassion towards the victims.

6. What are the two classical modes of proof?  Explain in detail.

The two classical modes of proof are the enthymeme and the example. An enthymeme is a rhetorical syllogism. It’s designed to reason through probable premises and lead to a probably conclusion. The two characteristics of an enthymeme: probable premises and conclusion; must be universal? An example is something used to illustrate or prove the concept or claim at hand. Examples are used to make enthymemes more logical. An enthymeme on its own is merely an opinion/generalization, but an enthymeme supported by examples strengthens the speaker's argument.

7. Example of an enthymeme in Lord’s Justice:

Enthymeme in Lord’s Justice:

Major (missing) premise: Ethical, responsible corporations do not take the low road to achieve success.

Minor premise: “You have taken the bottom line as your guiding beacon, and the low road as your route.”

Conclusion: “This is corporate irresponsibility at its finest.”

Example of an example in Lord’s Justice:

“And when the time came for these women to make their claims against your company, you attacked their characters. You inquired into their sexual practices….you introduced issues that had no relationship whatsoever to the fact that you planted…instruments of death, mutilation, of disease (Example).”

8. What are the three classical means of proof?  Explain in detail.

The three classical means of proof are ethos, logos, and pathos. Ethos, logos, and pathos are products of invention. Both ethos and pathos are used to strengthen legal arguments, especially in the realm of law. In regards to ethos, Aristotle believed that “the strongest argument in support of a speaker is that he is a good man” (Frost, 69). In legal rhetoric, pathos consists of “playing on the court’s emotions” (Frost, 61) to strengthen an argument. Though logos is a classical means of proof, without drawing material from ethos and pathos, it is merely structure.

Ethos: character, competence, charisma, credibility

Pathos: emotions: anger, fear, sadness, joy, etc.

9. Why is studying rhetorical tropes and figures important for studying the law?

Tropes and figures used are “directly linked to an advocate’s credibility and help[s] legal audiences evaluate his character” (Frost, 85). They also have a “direct appeal to the senses” (Frost, 100) and help us become more effective in our efforts to persuade. Also, if we are able to recognize tropes and figures being used, we will know to analyze arguments even more and not be overcome by the tropes and figures being used. We will be more able to analyze the argument for what it really is, and not for the tropes and figures that are being used to persuade us.   

10. What are tropes and figures, and how are they constitutive of the law?

Tropes and figures are collectively known as figures of speech. They are the use of a word, phrase, or image in a way not intended by its normal signification. Tropes and figures are used at specific times in specific cases in order to persuade the audience. The tropes and figures should be used based on the context and culture of the case/situation and the audience that the rhetor is presenting to. Examples of tropes & figures: hyperbole, metaphor, personification.

11. Analyze Justice Lord’s speech in terms of the modes of proof, the means of persuasion, and the tropes/figures used. Be thorough and detailed in your analysis.

Both ethos and pathos are used to strengthen legal arguments, especially in the realm of law. In regards to ethos, Aristotle believed that “the strongest argument in support of a speaker is that he is a good man” (Frost, 69). In order to establish himself as a good man, Lord made sure to mention how many years ago, he spoke to “hundreds of ministers of the gospel [of] the Minnesota Council of Churches” (Mintz, 10) about how “corporate wrongs [are] a manifestation of individual sin” (Mintz, 10). He knew that Robins considered himself a religious man so he brought up this point to establish himself as a good, ethical man to Robins and other employees of his company. Judge Lord simply being ethical would not be enough. He needed to “take steps to insure that the audience perceives or appreciates the fact that” he was ethical and religious. He did this by speaking of his conversation with ministers of the gospel. In terms of pathos, Cicero suggested “playing on the court’s emotions” (Frost, 61) to strengthen an argument. In an attempt to ignite some type of emotion in Robins and his employees, Lord discussed how the company “planted in the bodies of [those] women instruments of death, of mutilation, of disease” (Mintz, 11). Many rhetoricians believe that “each emotion has a particular purpose and must suit a particular context.” With the previously mentioned quote, Judge Lord attempted to trigger guilt in Robins and his employees, which fit perfectly in the context of this situation since the company knowingly produced a device that injured, infected, and killed numerous women.  Though logos is a classical means of proof, without drawing material from ethos and pathos, it is merely structure. In regards to logos, enthymemes & examples are used. (Mentioned previously in the review).

12. How is Justice Lord’s speech a “constitutive rhetoric” in Boyd White’s terms?

Constitutive rhetoric invents and it is always specific to its material, such as identity and culture. In this case, Judge Lord’s appeals are specific to the context and culture of not only the case, but also the employees of the A.H. Company. In this case, Judge Lord is involved in the meaning-making of the essence of this hearing for this specific case.

13. What are you key “take away” ideas and knowledge from having studying Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy. Phrase your response in terms of rhetoric and law, as we have been studying it thus far.

“The true measure of our commitment to justice, the character of our society….is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned.” (Stevenson, 18)

James Boyd White describes constitutive rhetoric as “ways we constitute ourselves as individuals, as communities, and as cultures” (White, 690).

Constitutive rhetoric has a lot to do with identity. In the book, the people, mainly the white people, who did not feel as if they identified with Stevenson’s clients had no problem seeing his clients sentenced to death row or life in prison. However, Stevenson believes that it is still important to treat people fairly, even when you do not feel as if you identify with them. Stevenson is rhetorically constituting new notions of what it means to treat people fairly. The way it is currently constituted in the law he finds to be corrupt with race and class prejudice. He uses rhetoric to constitute a different idea of fair treatment under the law.

“I’d seen the abuse of power in many cases before, but there was something especially upsetting here, where not only a single defendant was being victimized but an entire community.” (Stevenson, 112)

White describes the law as a “social activity – a way of acting with others and a cultural activity – a way of acting with a certain set of materials found in the culture” (White, 691)

In the book, especially in regards to Walter’s community, the white part of the community had extremely negative stereotypes and ways of interacting with the black community and their culture. Many of the white people being in power constituted how the law was enforced on black people and other minorities. Many times when minorities received support from their communities, the communities were also condemned. Because Stevenson knew this, he seemed to be fighting not only for his clients, but also for the communities that the clients came from or represented.

Research Proposal:

Destiny Riley

Rhetoric & Law Research Proposal

Part 1: AIMS

I aim to engage a classical rhetorical analysis of a dimension of the law as I study the O.J. Simpson murder trial. I plan to focus on how O.J. Simpson’s defense team’s strategy of centering the defense around racial discrimination and police corruption was so effective during this time. The two canons of rhetoric we have discussed so far are invention and style. Within the canon of invention, I will be focusing on the rhetorical stasis of quality. In regards to style, I will be concentrating on how different rhetorical stylistic choices, such as metaphors and hyperboles, were so persuasive. Through two canons of rhetoric, invention and style, and the rhetorical modes of persuasion, ethos, pathos, and logos, I will analyze how the defense team’s strategy was able to affect and persuade the jury to such a great degree during the murder trial.

Part 2: Background & Significance

In rhetorical theory, the five canons of rhetoric are invention, disposition, style, memory, and delivery. These canons create a system and guide on crafting powerful speeches and writing. They also serve as a template by which to judge effective rhetoric. In class so far, we have analyzed the rhetoric of readings, civic discourse, etc. through the two canons of invention and style. Through the canon of invention, we are able to systematize legal analysis and uncover ways of effectively organizing the available arguments. Within the canon of invention, I will be focusing on the rhetorical stasis of quality. The four rhetorical stases are face, definition, quality, and procedure. In rhetorical theory, a stasis is something that halts the rhetorical trajectory of things that get commanded onto us. In a moment of truth, it changes our path. Quality represents the mitigating factors that make us change the way we feel about the facts, definition, and procedure. Logos, ethos, and pathos, are all aspects most connected to invention. Also, in our study of rhetoric and law, we have analyzed the different rhetorical styles used to persuade the audience. Forensic style works through the three classical means modes of proof. The three classical means of proof are ethos, logos, and pathos. Both ethos and pathos are used to strengthen legal arguments, especially in the realm of law. Ethos is essentially the character, competence, charisma, and the credibility of the speaker. In legal rhetoric, pathos consists of playing on the court’s emotions to strengthen an argument. Though logos is a classical means of proof, without drawing material from ethos and pathos, it is merely structure. Logos functions through the two classical modes of proof, the enthymeme and the example. An enthymeme is a rhetorical syllogism. It’s designed to reason through probable premises and lead to a probably conclusion. An example is something used to illustrate or prove the concept or claim at hand. Examples are used to make enthymemes more logical. An enthymeme on its own is merely an opinion/generalization, but an enthymeme supported by examples strengthens the speaker's argument.

On June 14, 1994, the news broke that O.J. Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole Brown-Simpson and a waiter from the Los Angeles Mezzaluna Restaurant named Ron Goldman were found stabbed to death the night before. As Simpson was being considered a suspect, he returned from his trip to Chicago back to Los Angeles to give a statement to the police.

During this time in America, even more specifically in Los Angeles, police discrimination, brutality, and corruption against black people was a major topic of discussion. A few years prior to Simpson being charged with the murders of Nicole Brown-Simpson and Ron Goldman, the Rodney King beating had occurred. Two years prior, the Los Angeles Riots had taken place.

Throughout the relationship and marriage of O.J. Simpson and Nicole Brown-Simpson, Nicole made countless claims and calls to her family, friends, and the police regarding O.J. Simpson’s extreme violent streaks and harsh abuse against her.

With my research, I will discover how O.J. Simpson’s defense team was able to frame the defense around the quality stasis in order to persuade the jury of Simpson’s innocence. Along with operating through the quality stasis, the defense team was able to operate through ethos and pathos as it used enthymemes, examples, and other rhetorical methods in order to appeal to the audience. In this case, the major aspect of the quality stasis was the fact that during this time in America, specifically in Los Angeles where this trial took place, the relationship between the Los Angeles Police Department and black people was an intense subject. O.J. Simpson’s defense team claimed that he was framed by the racist LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department), which, during this time especially for black people, was not hard to believe. DNA evidence had just recently become a means of evidence during this time in the realm of law and court cases. Though there was DNA evidence in this case that pointed towards Simpson as the killer, the story of corruption and racism was much easier for the almost completely black jury to believe.

By the conclusion of my research, I will hopefully have discovered a new angle to view the way that O.J. Simpson’s defense team was able to successfully utilize the strategy of centering the defense around racial discrimination and police corruption in order to win Simpson’s case.

Part 3: Plan for Research

First, in order to build up the background of the case, I will search for evidence that displays the years of abuse that Nicole Brown-Simpson suffered at the hands of O.J., which was, supposedly, one of the reasons Simpson eventually became a suspect. Also, I will search for evidence that shows that O.J. Simpson’s DNA was found at the crime scene. Next, I will find articles, videos, etc. that exhibit the years of police corruption, violence, and abuse against black people, specifically in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Police Department during this time. So in order to thoroughly research this topic, I will find and analyze numerous articles, videos, etc. that address and discuss not only the trials and tribulations the defense team had to combat, but also its success. As I gather an abundance of information, I will analyze the information in a rhetorical manner in order to relate it to the basis of the class. I will relate the information to numerous rhetorical concepts such as modes of proof, means of proof, the stasis quality, and rhetorical styles.

Part 4: Literature Cited

Frost, Michael H. Introduction to Classical Legal Rhetoric: A Lost Heritage. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing: 2005. Print.

“Jeffrey Toobin Interview.” Frontline Documentaries, by PBS. April 22, 2005.

Meyer, Josh. “Police Records Detail 1989 Beating That Led to Charge.” Los Angeles Times, June 17, 1994.

White, James Boyd. “Law as Rhetoric, Rhetoric as Law: The Arts of Cultural and Communal Life.” Heracles’ Bow: Essays on the Rhetoric and Poetics of the Law. University of Wisconsin Press: 1989. Print.

Reflection:

Midterm Review:

The opposite of constitutive rhetoric is the bureaucratic view of the law. The bureaucratic view consists of viewing the law as a machine with no regards to culture, context, etc. This machinic view sees every situation the same when in reality, not every situation should be viewed the same way under the law. While the constitutive view considers contexts of situations, the bureaucratic view does not. 

Greco-Roman history has also given us the five canons of rhetoric.

In my midterm review, I questioned whether enthymemes must be universal. It is not essential for them to be universal. The one essential characteristic is   probable premises and a probable conclusion. The other two inessential characteristics are truncated premises and or conclusion and multiple premises beyond the norm of the syllogism.

Logos does draw its content from ethos and pathos, and consists of the enthymeme and the example. Judge Lord’s examples make his enthymemes stronger as he claims that the Robins company was extremely irresponsible and corrupt.

Prospectus:

In the AIMS portion of the first draft of my prospectus, I wrote more to an audience who knows a great deal about rhetoric and the case, rather than to a general, non-familiar audience as I should have.

In the Background section, I should have simply provided the background of the Simpson trial and the history of racial upset and police corruption that defined the times and the area of Los Angeles. After this, I should have explained how the background of the time and area provided topical resources for rhetorical invention by the defense team. 

To make the distinction between the background and significance from my research methods, I could move the first paragraph in part 2 to part 3 to explain my analysis.

In my initial plan for research, I planned to look at too many articles, videos, etc. and this would have taken too much time and given me much more information than I needed for this research project. It would be better for me to focus on the trial transcripts/videos and the defense arguments about racial discrimination and police corruption and they way they constitute the law rhetorically through these topics of racism and corruption.