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newsroom rw thread pt 14
#jan 11 2023#just tell me before she gets in here PLS that's a husband afraid of his wife#can we settle who my boss is? it's me it's him PLS#🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 macs care for will knowing his history with his dad and ohhh she's so ☹️☹️☹️ in this ep#you know i think tonight is one of those nights you should just do everything i tell you to- how is that different from any other night? pls#if jim is back WHY is jerry still there#emily says so much with her jawline lifts and blinks and eyebrows ohh#forget about f*cking TWEET PLEASE#mac and will are insane and so complicated and messy and complex i love them could watch them forever#you can seeee don falling in love with her oh mac mac mac mac mac she loves him so much god#mac and sloan calling will and don pal 😭😭#charlie's acapella group doing weed bye 😭😭😭#i love her so much oh my god#i know this one very well ndncnxbzbxbxncn#and her talking abt his relationship w the audience#throwing UP she's so meow meow coded#SLOAN GOING TO BEAT UP THE GUY OHHHHH SLAY#after the show i'm gonna tell you about the bonnie and clyde of prank callers and he told her he died he FACE IG N YGOD HER FACE SHE LOOKS B#SO BRIJEN FIR HIM OH MY GOODSDDDDDD AND SHE HAS NO WORDS SHE JUST NODS AT HIM AND THEIR STARES CLINGING TO EACH ITHER#her desperation when he's not responding and his eyes oh my godddd#and she was looking up heart attacks during the show ihhh my god her face her heart breaking for him is so clear#i'm fully thinking in emily's voice now it's so bad i just had an entire ten minute conversation w myself in the shower in her voice please#jan 12 2023#2.06 don't remember anything except nina wills breakup YASSSSS#literally why is jerry still there if jim is there#the reindeee humor during the red team meeting ceels forced but :(#why is he >:((((( why is he looking for focus groups#mac drivinggggg oh#regular negligence HAHDHDH#DONTCALL HIM HINEY I HATE THISSSSSS is
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I have a lot of feelings about Julie’s collection. After the election of Richard Nixon, the deaths of Janis Joplin, Jimmi Hendrix, and Jim Morrison, and then the Manson murders, the peace and love happy hippie 60s had given way to the dirty, strung-out scumbag 70s. Even though Julie is living in San Francisco, the hippie era had long since passed by 1974. As Hunter S. Thompson beautifully put it in Fear and Loathing in Los Vegas:
“There was madness in any direction, at any hour. If not across the Bay, then up the Golden Gate or down 101 to Los Altos or La Honda. . . . You could strike sparks anywhere. There was a fantastic universal sense that whatever we were doing was right, that we were winning. . . . And that, I think, was the handle—that sense of inevitable victory over the forces of Old and Evil. Not in any mean or military sense; we didn’t need that. Our energy would simply prevail. There was no point in fighting—on our side or theirs. We had all the momentum; we were riding the crest of a high and beautiful wave. . . . So now, less than five years later, you can go up on a steep hill in Las Vegas and look West, and with the right kind of eyes you can almost see the high-water mark—that place where the wave finally broke and rolled back.””
I love the hippie aesthetic. I get that AG would want to have a doll that reflects that. A lot of Julie’s story revolves around her fighting for environmentalism, which is one of the aspects of hippie culture that managed to stick around, largely because of backlash to the consumerism of the 50s. But in Julie’s collection there’s plenty of times when her looks lean too far into the 60s and miss the mark of the 70s. As much as I appreciate AG doing the hippie thing, an accurate collection for the 70s would drag us to polyester hell and never let go. The 70s are one of those special eras in fashion where everything is ugly as fuck. The fashion of the 60s was much more aesthetically pleasing, but the fashion of the 70s is ironically appealing. It’s so ugly you love it. It’s ridiculous. It’s camp.
Granted, the fridge that was 1974 fashion still had plenty of hippie leftovers in it, and her original meet look with its crochet cap, embroidered tunic, and fringe belt feel true to the era.
Hand crafts like knitting and crochet had a resurgence in popularity, so I’m glad that both collections have a knitted accessory.
Part of the history lesson Julie gives is that Title IX meant schools could no longer forbid girls from wearing pants, so that’s why Julie is in jeans.
Julie’s BeForever look is straight 60s hippie. The inspiration seems to be Janis Joplin, who had been dead for four years:
AG seems to be wanting to have it both ways with Julie, and I honestly wish they’d just commit to the 70s:
On another note, the 70s would have been a great chance to have another doll of color (American Indian Movement, much?), but they went with a White girl with blonde hair. Which honestly I kiiind of get. Like if I were going to select ONE decade of the 20th century to have a blonde doll, it would be the 70s. I cannot emphasize enough how ubiquitous long blonde hair was to 70s pop culture.
For an era that still claimed to be progressive, the 70s were whitebread as hell. Outwardly there was women’s lib, civil rights, and the sexual revolution, but inwardly, the 70s were an extremely conservative decade when Jerry Falwell and the Moral Majority were just starting to lay their slimy hooks into the American political system. It’s a decade of contradictions and extremes that I wish AG would fully commit to.
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the anon here that had something to say about jerri having a baby. first off jerri is always on the run from the cops, she is a “pimp” and doesn’t know how to embrace change. jerri’s mindset is still in correlation with her upbringing ie, constantly calling indya a bitch or a hoe when indya has moved passed her ways. how bout the thought of her calling her own child those names. jerri was scared of indya change because she didn’t want to lose the indya that she used to know. just because she “protected” her sister doesn’t make her valid enough to be a parent. example one the cops just popping up and taking the baby. has jerri been able to spend any real time wit her nieces and nephew ? that answer would be no. not to mention that she fraudulently hooked bishop up wit mercy ! mercy ain’t one of her hoes and she set her up for failure without even knowing it. suppose mercy got killed then what ??? she is not capable of having a child ! is she gonna teach that child to be a pimp or to get her money too ? not to mention she robbed her own brother in law !!!!..................the ghetto! i mean so yea I want all the smoke!
Oh nonny! There you are! I'm so glad you came back AND with an explanation of how you're viewing this here situation. Good thing you just didn't leave it at "that's ghetto", for obvious reasons.
You know how we do, let's get into it!
"first off jerri is always on the run from the cops, she is a “pimp” and doesn’t know how to embrace change"
Jerri grew up in the same environment her sister did; the streets, on the strip with pimps and hoes, boo. I would argue that Jerri learned the hard way to embrace change whether that was good change (released from prison) or bad change (not accepting her sister's new life).
"jerri’s mindset is still in correlation with her upbringing ie, constantly calling indya a bitch or a hoe when indya has moved passed her ways. how bout the thought of her calling her own child those names"
Come on son, Indya called ME a hoe when she woke up with wrinkles on her face. For both Indya and her sister this is a classic case of taking the sim out of the streets but not taking the street out the sim. Same goes for Darren. So where is this smoke for Indya and Darren?Calling each other bitches and hoes isn't the horrible behavior you think it is for Jerri and Indya. In most cases they are terms of endearment for them. Its just how they talk to each other. You absolutely will not understand that if you don't have some basic concept of street knowledge or lived experience (and I'm about to eat so i can't run it down for you friend).
Also, Indya will call the mail lady a bitch if needed but have you ever heard her call one of her daughters that? Even when she snatched Hope up by the elbow, she never once called her out of her name. Jerri wouldn't either, these are kids. One rule of the streets is let kids keep their innocence (operating opposite will get you killed).
"jerri was scared of indya change because she didn’t want to lose the indya that she used to know"
No, nonny, I wrote this part so let me eat right quick: She was afraid of losing Indya PERIOD. As in, losing her sister to a man (lots of patriarchal trauma in this story). Indya is all she has aside from mom and she hadn't quite embraced Darren so yeah she was scared. But not for the reason you think.
"just because she “protected” her sister doesn’t make her valid enough to be a parent."
What makes a person valid enough to be a parent?
"example one the cops just popping up and taking the baby"
Bro... I literally gave links to explain why Child Protection (an arm of the police) targets Black/LGBTQ+ families. Not saying Jerri is some upstanding citizen, but she's going to be a target for reasons Michelle Alexander so eloquently stated in The New Jim Crow. A book a I very highly recommend.
"has jerri been able to spend any real time wit her nieces and nephew?"
Define "real time".
"she fraudulently hooked bishop up wit mercy ! mercy ain’t one of her hoes and she set her up for failure without even knowing it. suppose mercy got killed then what ???"
Jerri created a singles profile for Bishop ( she was paid handsomely to do it), thought Mercy was a nice match, made the connection and dipped. Its business, never personal. Jerri doesn't just operate street shit, she has expanded her portfolio. Basically I am writing about someone who sells sex no matter what the medium. Because one thing adults are gonna do? Adults are gonna fuck. Its the oldest profession in the world friend.
"is she gonna teach that child to be a pimp or to get her money too?"
I can't tell if you're being facetious but.. of course not, on the pimp part. On the "get her money" part? No doubt. All young women should find the means to be financially stable without assistance. We stan an independent woman who got her own.
Always stay gracious, best revenge is yo paper.
(I realize "whew chile, the ghetto" is popular slang, however the way you used it earlier insinuated that hood folk shouldn't be parents and this post is still giving that energy. I don't think its a fair assumption to say hood folk shouldn't be parents. in fact, it gives Ron DeSantis energy and thats not a good look nonny)
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60 Years to the Marvel Age of Comics
This year Marvel Comics is celebrating 60 years of the Avengers and the Uncanny X-Men. Two superhero teams (not super teams equivalent to DC’s JSA & JLA) that have seen many highs and few lows over the decades. Both transitioned from the pages of comics and onto the TV as well as Silver Screen. Both were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, two names that would start the Marvel Age in the comic book industry with the Fantastic Four in 1961
A lot has been written, and many documentaries have been produced about this particular era, referred to as the Silver Age. However, what needs to be examined is why we won’t be able to see a repeat of the Marvel Age till the end of time. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that this was Fukuyama’s “End of History” moment that brought superhero content full circle (foundations of which were established by Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster in 1938)
Had Stan given up the industry would still be producing content about ideal beings establishing truth, justice, and the American way, or World Peace for that matter. Luckily for every superhero fan out there, he didn’t nor did Jack Kirby (co-creator of Captain America and the man who drew him punching Hitler), Steve Ditko, John Romita, John Buscema, Gene Colan, Don Heck, Marie Severin, Jim Steranko and Larry Leiber (Stan’s brother). They added realism into a genre that was built on idealism
Lee, Kirby, and Ditko by Alex Ross
The stories of this era have stood the test of time. Aside from old, heavy hardware being seen in the panels; the struggles of flawed humans speak out and connect till today. The Fantastic Four and The Amazing Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, the Invincible Iron-Man, Ant-Man, and Wasp are a reflection of our daily struggles be they financial, emotional, and in the case of X-Men, discrimination
The Age saw a new way of depicting heroes artistically. Kirby and Ditko’s art mesmerized the readers and the same happened when they were succeeded by other comic books art legends like John Romita, and Gil Kane to name a few but what many may not know was that it was during these years, Steve Ditko would introduce corner box art, now considered a cult classic, to help differentiate Marvel titles from the competition on the newsstands. DC had started branding its covers with illustrations of superheroes who would be appearing in anthology books but Ditko took it to a whole new level by making it more organized as well as enhancing the look and feel of the cover
The foundation laid by Lee, Kirby, and Ditko ensured that younger talents who would succeed them could produce more of such content without compromising their heroic DNA and still keeping them relevant for today’s readers. It is for this reason that the comic book industry’s most tragic tales involved two of the best creations from the Marvel Age, namely Spider-Man and the X-Men
The Night Gwen Stacy Died, written by Gerry Conway and illustrated by Gil Kane, shattered the rule that a superhero would never lose his/her love interest to death. This happened in 1973 (50 Years ago) and wasn’t done to create shock value for short-term sales boosts. It had to be done because the reality outside of the pages was a city suffering from one of the highest crime rates at the time and how can it be possible that a superhero doesn’t get affected by it. Even today, younger readers feel the same pain as their older peers when they actually read the story and go through the panels instead of looking it up on fandom. The X-Men’s Dark Phoenix Saga could have eclipsed Spider-Man’s tragedy had it not been for a reckless decision by Marvel Editorial to bring back Jean in the mid-80s (a decision even Dark Phoenix Saga author Chris Claremont didn’t agree with). Needless to say, Scott Summers lost Jean Grey, and Parker lost Gwen; this was the new precedent for the industry and a continuation of the Marvel Age which established the fact that superheroes can be fragile human beings for whom great power brings great responsibility along with adversity
From The Coming of Galactus/Galactus Trilogy to the Death of Aunt May to Secret Invasion, all of these stories found a way to connect deep down with the audiences not just in terms of personalities or social issues but even beliefs as well as trust in one another which reminds us that it was during the 60s that Marvel broke the racial barrier long before any other publisher ever thought of, giving us stories that would be way ahead of their time. Whether it’s about Mutation and Cloning or Kirby’s Madbomb, we are living in a world that is seeing glimpses of such developments, if not in entirety
Let’s face it, the Marvel Cinematic Universe won’t exist had it not been for the works produced in the 60s. The global popularity of Avengers, Spider-Man, and X-Men (thanks mainly to FOX Studios) shows that without a solid base, a structure or a studio can’t be erected on top of it
A homage to Joe Simon and Jack Kirby
All of Marvel’s success goes back to these formative years of 1961-63 in which flawed, struggling individuals would redefine what superheroes were all about in the pages of The Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, The Avengers (Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Ant-Man and Wasp) and X-Men as well as breathe new life into Golden Age characters such as Captain America and Namor. The rest is history!
‘Nuff said
#Marvel Age#marvel age of comics#fantastic four 60th anniversary#spider-man 60th anniversary#avengers 60th anniversary#x-men 60th anniversary#stan lee#jack kirby#steve ditko#john romita#don heck#gene colan#Bill Everett#fantastic four#spider-man#avengers#x-men#Silver Age Comics
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What was the dream you had that inspired your fic? It definitely seems like a lot of people have very interesting dreams about Jim!
Well, it was a bit strange, considering the moment in my life it appeared, but let me tell you about it!
So, this was when I was reading Jim's biography by Jerry Hopkins. I read through almost all of it, stopping just before Jim moving to France. You know, I knew nothing, this was the book that introduced me to him and not having a lot of time I put the book away for a few days and just before picking it up when I was done with exams I had this dream.
So I was at the beach with the entire band, but Jim was nowhere to be found and I got worried. I saw him very far away in the water. I don't know why, but the first thing that came to my mind was that he was drowning or something. I excused myself and swam to him. Before I reached the spot Jim was at, he hid himself under the water and when I was close he pulled me under it, not wanting to let go, until eventually we both got on the surface, me splashing the water on him, being kind of furious at him for making me worried for nothing. Jim apologized and when I told him that we should go back to others he said he doesn't want to. Once I asked why he didn't answer, just got under the water again, saying that he belongs here.
It then turned out to be a scene like on some paintings, where there's two surfaces. One above water and second under it. We've talked like that, but I won't tell you what it was about, I can't remember. One or two things I know was that our hands were touching through the surface and Jim said this and this is the only thing I remember clearly from my dream: "I'm happy I could make you my fan. Enjoy your journey through what I've created and don't you cry, little girl. We'll meet again. I'll be waiting for you."
And this is where my mom woke me up, because I had to wake up to attend lessons at university, but I I still can recall his words so vividly it creeps me out. I literally heard his voice, I remember how he looked like and this was a day before I learned how he probably died.
The sentence I remember clearly inspired me for the fic, but not before I was listening to "Morrison Hotel" and "Waiting for the Sun" came up a month ago. It was night, I just chatted with some friends when those lines snapped my attention from my phone to the music: "Waiting for you to come along Waiting for you to hear my song"
And this is when an idea about analyzing the lyrics to the song came up, but then I turned the full interpretation I had in mind into a fic, which you just read.
So this is the story behind the inspiration. I know the dream might sound cheesy and irrational, but ya know. Dreams are dreams <3
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Monthly Muppet Madness: Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (Comission for Emma Fici)
Happy holidays all you happy muppets and welcome back to monthly muppets, my monthly look at all things muppet related. It's christmas time again and for this year it's something near and dear to my heart we haven't covered yet and when I asked my co-pilot emma to do this one her response was a resounding "Wait we hadn't done this one yet?" Friends grab your washtubs, your glam rock glasses and your christmas branches, it's time for the Tail of Emmet Otter's Jugbband Christmas.
Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas is a 1977 special done for the CBC and aired on HBO the next year here in the states. The special came about because.. the CBC asked?
I did my due dillegence but coudln't find anything on why the CBC comissioned this special. I mean you don't need much justification to ask Jim Henson do to a heartwarming holiday special. Because muppets is how this feature got started, it's a very good reason for doing something. I just expected more than that from a special this high quality and well loved. I DID find more on how this got maid though thanks to this wonderful oral history.
So we can dig right in.
At the time this show was greenlit most of the crew worked in London, leaving the Henson Workshop to Don Sahlin, a longtime builder for the crew who created the Rowlf the Dog Puppet and did most of the puppetry and set design for this film, so props to him. So to make Don's Muppet's come alive, Jim enlisted a small but powerhouse crew: himself, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, David Gohelz, Richard Hunt and Charlie Ozeker, basically a whos who of muppet stars likely because they could do it fast, do it well and could do it big.
See something I never knew about Emmet Otter is that it's a vital step in the evolution of the muppets: it was the first one Jim did on a full set, building a whole ass river for characters to move down for the boating segments, a full on world. IT was the first without humans, something I didn't even scan as the story works fine as is. And it premired techniques not using a raised stage, something vital for the muppet movie. It was a brilliant way to test new techniques too: since the story's small scale, it made it easy to tech this sort of thing out. It could be difficult with beams in the way of their heads, but the results paid off with a special that looks seamless but clearly took a lot of tech wizardry Another all important addition to the Muppets was
Yes Paul Williams, music icon and muppet god. Williams had guested on the muppet show, but going into it was already a fan of Jim's work from Ed Sullivan and Seasame Street, with the latter being a reliable source of entertainment for a traveling musician it turns out: no matter where you were you could guarantee something pretty neat as almost everywhere carried it.
With WIlliams becoming fast friends with the muppet crew, Jim naturally asked him to do this special.. though Williams suspects he had ulterior motives.. granted this being jim henson those motives were entirely still pure and good because Jim Henson was our own personal jesus and I miss him dearly. Anyway quoth williams from the SYFY article
" I think what he was actually doing was giving it a test ride to see how we worked together. Because what was major on his plate at that time was The Muppet Movie coming up. It was a huge gamble, and I think one of the things he was wondering is if I would be the right guy for The Muppet Movie. "
I entirely buy it, as while Jims likely didn't doubt williams was good: At this point in his career he'd written three #1 hits for the carpenters including "We've Only Just Begun" andthe classic "Old Fashioned Love Song" for Three Dog Night, which jim personally loved. On top of that he'd already done the music for Phantom of the Paradise, a horror rock opera whose soundtrack i've listened into infinity and whose review also got pushed back to next year as my schedule continues to spiral just a tad.
Point is Williams was proven and likely had the job.. Jim was just nervous. The Muppet Movie was a big gamble and something he'd wanted since he started doing puppetry, the cumulation of his life's work. He HAD to double check. It's also likely why he took the big swings technically HERE: it was a smaller project he could do it on to see if the even bigger, riskier ideas of the muppet movie could be pulled off. He was testing everyone.. including himself. He's Jim henson: he's nothing if not fair. He had to see if he could pull it off on this scale, that he really had it. I get that impulse in creating something: that you have something you want to do and WORRY you can't do it so you test yourself or , in the worst cases, simply say your not capable and never make it. Thankfully jim wasn't that kind of guy and could easily past his own task.
And sountrack wise, he hired Paul Williams, so Williams passed the test with flying colors and became a mainstay for the muppets, soundtracking both the muppet movie and last year's christmas review, A Muppet Christmas Carol, which now lives rent free in my head. Passing it wasn't effortless, but Williams rose to the occasion, to quoth the man again.
"It's funny because I've never had songs write themselves as quickly as these songs wrote themselves. And some of the titles are [from] the book. With Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas, you have this remarkable tale that has such depth. I think it's written in such a way that the titles, and the story, led me to what we would now call Americana, and it's not what I did. I think probably as close as I got to that style is one of the songs that Jim mentioned when we met. He said "I just loved you from the time I heard "Old Fashioned Love Song." And though "Old Fashioned Love Song" was really kind of rinky-dink, old-fashioned, there was something about that song and the simplicity of my melody that he lit up around it.
So, I went to the script [for inspiration], and I think that the script is a wonderful fairy tale with a great spiritual lesson in it. Ma Otter and Emmet take a chance, and they basically destroy their means of earning a living with the washtub and hocking the toolkit. As brave and as wonderful as they are, and as much as we're rooting for them, the fact is that they are outperformed by a hard rock group, The Riverbottom Nightmare Band. But from that, there's that wonderful opportunity to write two songs that, put together, make one song, but also have a message like "Our World" and "Brothers." It was a marvelous opportunity for a songwriter. "
So with a genius musical soundtrack, marvelous new puppetry and a lot of heart.. how does the special stack up now a days? Join me under the cut and i'll tell ya.
Our World:
The story of Emmet Otter is simple, but effective: Emmet and his mother Ma Otter, puppeted by Frank Oz and played by stage actress Marilyn Sokol, and her son Emmet, played by Jerry Nelson make not even enough to really get by doing odd jobs on the river, Ma doing the wash for various people and Emmet doing odd jobs. As we see on the scene of both jobs, the two get stiffed with Mrs. Fox faking a singe mark to try and get a refund and an old lady offering Emmet and his friends 50 cents to repaint her fence neglecting to metnion her fence is also half dead. The two barely get buy and while Emmet looks forward to Christmas, Ma is less jolly about it: they can't afford much to eat let alone presents. It's a well done message: sometimes Christmas isn't something EVERYONE can afford and some struggle to just live, let alone provide gifts.
Not helping is the passing of Pa Otter, sir not apperaing in this film, who wasted money on Snake Oil, but no one wanted to oil a snake. The two seeing possible presents for each other at a music store, a piano for ma and a pearl trim guitar for Emmet, the two are talked into entering a music contest by their respective friends, emmet's variety of jug band buds whose names I don't remember and aren't really important and Hetty, ma's only friend. The catch is to even have a chance of winning.. they'd need to hock something from the other person, a weird, sad, all too probable take on Gift of the Magi: Emmet needs to turn his mom's washtub into a bass, the greatest instrument and Ma Otter needs a dress. Why Emmet's friends can't find an old washtub or use one of THEIR mother's washtubs and why Ma specifically needs a fancy dressy to compete..
So our heroes decide to take after pa and take a chance on something big, with enough left over to replace the thing they just.. outright stole to give their family member something better. MAYBE.
This could easily be more messed up, I mean their stealing to give each other presents.. but it's their desperate situation that makes this premise work: The two are barely getting jobs as is, and simply wanted their loved one to have a good christmas. It's better to gamble on a dream that may not come true, than to simply sit in abject misery, and the gamble still makes sense as neither knows abotu the other and thus isn't risking all their money. I bet both ma and emmet would do their hardest to make up the extra income. It's all worth it for what they assume will be a happy christmas. After all..
The two are geninely talented too: Emmet's band performs the in-universe standard Bar-B-Que , a fun and lively number we'll unpack later, and when someone else performs it and they don't want to be accused of copying at the talent contest, the main trope talent contests have but one that works here, the two make something up on the fly, Brothers. Likewise Mom blows THEM out of the water with the touching and thoughtful Our World.
Problem is... their good.. but they simply aren't as good as the best people there. And the best people there are
A bunch of punks seen earlier in the special causing havok every so often with really neat designs, including a fish that was .. tricky to puppet. David Goetz was entirely in black box gear to appear invisible.. and sitting on top of a forklift. so if someone move it.. his arm would've snapped off. You needed to know this because Muppet Performers go damn hard, but probably shouldn't of been at that level of risk.
I'll get into WHY this performance is so damn great later, but I like this plot point as not only is their consequence to hte gamble the otters look.. despite being huge jerks.. the river bottom band.. is talented. They won their win legitly: Their musically talented, have a nice theatricality and the stinger to it is that they likely didn't spend MUCH more: Only Chuck, their leader has a special outfit for the concert, and at most they fancied up their guitars.. or stole them. Did anyone check paul williams? Is Paul okay? I think they might've mugged Paul Williams.
It's a hard truth: you can be really great for what you have.. but if someone can outspend you while also having just as much talent, or simply has more people to pool resoruces and mug paul williams. I mean their just four beavers and a middle aged beaver, they can't mug paul williams. He's paul williams. It takes at LEAST a snake and some weird fish to beat paul williams. Everyone knows that. The River Bottom Nightmare Band (Technically the nightmare but I prefer the longer name), are just.. good. It's a trope i've only seen so often, most recently with Glitz and Glam's number Klown Bitch from helluva boss, but it's one i like: it's easy to have the jerk antagonist in a picture win or come damn close simply because they bought their way to victory, bribed or whatever and are untalented.. it's a harder truth that sometimes, assholes be talented. And sexy as both the twins and the river bottom nightmare band show.
At any rate our heroes loose, and loose big, having nothing left but each other.. though I also like that there's no recrimination, no blame.. they both get what they did, that their kinda screwed.. but it wasn't done out of greed.. but out of love for one another. If they can't hold onto that, what DO they have left? So they combine their two songs into one beautiful melody of togetherness, a sweet song trying to welcome all.
Naturally though they still get a happy ending as a bullfrog what been in this story on and off, including being a contest judget, who runs the local inn hears their duet and offers them to be his house band. So our heroes win.. simply by being good people, and said risk paid off as he already saw they could perform profesionally. They never go hungry again.
Also Kermit was here. Yeah Kermit opens and closes the show and apparently in previous versions narrated it. It'd be nothing more than just a neat cameo.. if it wasn't also the reason this special was in limbo for a decade, with only one early dvd release. The reason is understandable: Kermit got bought by disney, Emmet Otter belongs to the jim Henson company, so it was a rights issue kerfuffle, with some versions removing kermit to still at least air the special. Eventually shit was worked out and as of last year you can stream the special on peacock and at the time of this article can also stream it on Amazon Prime, which I used. No adds and such.
Paul Williams Baby:
I really could end it there: Pauls work on The Muppet Movie, Muppet Christmas Carol and Phantom of the Paradise all speaks for itself, Emmet Otter is no exception. But it's not my job to let work speak for itself, so here we go.
The special opens with The Bathing Suit Your Grandma Otter Wore, a goofy song about one of the Otter family's grandma. While the jokes are mostly "Gee Grandma Otter sure was fat wasn't she" it dosen't come off as fat shaming, more some playful joking... or alternatively.
But either way it's meant with a goofy tone and comes off like the sort of joke Grandma Otter herself told, more a fond rememberance by sharing her humor. Or it was just the 70's and this was still okay, but I just.. can't detect any malice from this. Trust me i've seen out and out fat shaming jokes plenty. This.. just isn't it. THIS is fat shaming.
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The one bathing suit your grandma otter wore is just goofy. It's too goofy to get really mad at. Like the actual goofy. He may destroy yoru house but only someone without a soul or donald duck who has suffered enough at his hands to get an exemption can truly get mad at goofy.
Where The River Meets the Sea.. wasn't in the original version of this review because i'm stupid, but is now. i'ts a beauitful song I feel deeply ashamed having missed and was williams taking a song MENTIONED in the book and expanding it.
There Ain't No Hole in the washtub is the thing I remembered most after catching this special on Cartoon Network once as a kid outside of one number we'll get to towards the end. A fast paced, fun country number with some really nice pattering from Nelson and Sokol. IT's just pure country fun.
Bar-b-que: another fun fast paced country number. And look I won't lie these first three songs are pretty simple but it dosen't make them any less fun and I get what Henson and Williams were going for: a sort of theme park version of the country, but without getting offensive. Hence a quick country song about a mess of barbeque is just.. fun, wholesome and really makes me want some ribs. Soon... soon.
Our World is a genuinely sweet song by Ma Otter, with a good message about being welcoming to all and not letting hate in. Sokol sings the hell out of it and i'ts why the first few songs sorta. It's a touching calll for peace and unity.. which given in the years sense this special we've gotten so much war on christmas nonsense and calls to stop letting everyone into the holidays, is a really nice thing to here
The Jugbands song, Brothers is also really nice. it has a fast tempo like Ain't No Hole and Barbeque, but takes it up a peg, while having a really ncie message about found family comparing themselves to "long lost brothers"... a sentiment certainly shared by most of the henson crew.
River Bottom Nightmare Band. Oh baby this song. It stands out in part because it's diffrent from the folk stylings of the rest of the tracks, being a glam rock number which Williams was already skilled at thanks to phantom of the paradise. He takes it up a notch here, just having the rive rbottom nightmare band be card carying villians talking about how they don't brush their teeth so their toothaches make them mean and grass dosen't grow whereever they standddddd
It's the standout track on an already stellar lineup.
The final track though comes close and is a work of musical genius: Williams had to build Our World and Brothers to function well on their own.. and PERFECTLY together. While Mash Ups aren't exactly uncommon nowadays, it's not Williams tweaking with two unrelated songs.. he built TWO diffrent songs, complete and still damn good and made it so they interlocked perfectly. That my friends takes talents and what makes this my second favorite track of the special: a heartfelt song of unity, warmth and peace to close out a special that's kind wholesome and wonderful.
Our WOrld:
So yeah.. Emmet Otter's is great. Even beyond the heartwarming and sadly still all too relevant story that manages to sneak in an aseop about poverty, it's a heartwarming tale tha thas a lot of technical mastery packed into a simple, moving tale. It also has sexy glamorck bear monsters who apparently pissed off the mayhem, so it has that. It's a wonderful, well done, simple special that touches the heart. It's worth a watch if you haven't seen it.
Now before we go , something I haven't done in a while as I haven't been covering as many films muppet wise: i'ts time to bring back ye old letterboxd ranking list!
As you can see Emmett Otter shot right up there to #3 and it's well done technical work and warm soundtrack earn it that place. It was a joy to see this again and to cover it and I hope if you haven't seen the special you will and if you have you enjoyed this look at it. Thanks for reading.
Next Time: We can finally do one of these with confidence as next time we go to a land down under to visit australian human and muppet do Sammy J and Randy as they stake out on Bin Night.
#emmet otter#emmet otter's jugband christmas#paul williams#the muppets#jim henson#christmas#holidays#xmas#river bottom nightmare band#Youtube
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BILL APTER’S WOW XTRA magazine : VOL 1 / NO. 8
ON THE COUCH
By The Birdman
WWF LIVES UP TO VIEWERS’ STANDARDS
Every January, I ask myself, “How do they do it” How does the World Wrestling Federation get me so revved up for Royal Rumble even though we haven’t witnessed a truly classic Royal Rumble match since 1992 (when Ric Flair snatched his first WWF title)?
Not that the past eight years haven’t served up some memorable moments. Who could forget the 1993 debut of Giant Gonzales, who lumbered to the ring in a full-body suit decorated with airbrushed muscles and tufts of fake fur? Or when Vince McMahon won the Royal Rumble after spending most of the night in the bathroom? Or, best of all, the entire 1995 Rumble, which was so bereft of any big-name talent that the WWF chopped the event down to 30 minutes? And yet, despite a steady stream of lowlights, I still consider Royal Rumble my favorite WWF pay-per-view. As Funaki might say, how do they do it … indeed?
[Cheris Jericho locks Chris Benoit in a top-of-a-ladder submission hold.]
The 2001 Royal Rumble at the New Orleans Arena, showed tremendous promise. For one thing, the match featured several top-level guys who could legitimately headline Wrestlemania, like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock, The Undertaker, and, of course, K-Kwik. Next, the WWF promised some surprises - and wrestling fans know that promoters always deliver on surprises. ( “Higher Power,” anyone?)
It’s a testament to the WWF’s bursting roster - possibly the best roster since 1992 - that the company can put 30 guys in one match and still serve up appetizing undercard matches. The pay-per-view opened with Tag Team Champions Edge and Christian taking on The Dudley Boyz in a regular old match. After a year of table matches, ladder matches and tables, ladders and chairs matches, these guys figured there was nothing else left to do but fight the old-fashioned way. Though gimmickless, this match was notable for several reasons: Jim Ross’s liberal use of the word “concussed”; the crowd’s “D-Von, D-Von” chant; and the Dudleyz becoming the new champions.
[Edge put D-Von Dudley in a headlock.]
The next contest, and Intercontinental title ladder match between the WWF’s two Chrises (Benoit and Jericho), had a few obstacles to overcome. First, Benoit and Jericho have fought about 463 times in the past year (With Benoit winning about 462 of those contests). Second, after seeing Jeff Hardy’s finesse with a ladder, could Benoit and “Y2J” serve up anything new?
As it turns out, this match did have something old, something new, something borrowed and someone black-and-blue. Not only did we get everything we’ve come to expect from WWF ladder matches (the “ridiculous slow-motion climb up the ladder/half-hearted reach for the belt” routine and the funky over-the-ring camera angle), but these two innovators supplied some personal touches as well. Benoit, for example, attempted a sick swandive headbutt from the top of the ladder, and Jericho locked Benoit in a bizarre, vaguely pornographic submission move on the ladder that I wouldn’t describe even if I could. “Y2J” ended up besting “The Rabid Wolverine” in this very solid contest, snagging the Intercontinental belt and proving to fans that he can win a match on pay-per-view.
[Jerry Lawler checks on an ‘injured’ Chyna.]
Next up, Ivory beat Chyna to retain the women’s title after Chyna re-injured her neck and collapsed in the ring in a segment that worked better when Shawn Michaels did it back in November 1995. What fan didn’t predict that something screwy was going to happen in this match? After all, the WWF has spent two years showing us that Chyna can mix it up with the big boys - and now it puts her in a women’s title match? Isn’t that a little, well beneath her? (Man, how sexist does that sound?)
World Wrestling Federation Champion Kurt Angle defeated Triple H to retain his belt, thanks to more than a little help from “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Why this match didn’t take place four months ago - you know, when Angle and Triple H were actually feuding - no one can say. Since the WWF botched the Kurt-Stephanie-Triple H love triangle idea, the hatred between Trish Stratus (Angle’s corner-woman) and Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley (Triple H’s “wife”) provided the fuel for this encounter. In fact, the Steph-Trish catfight really electrified the crowd, while “The Game” Cinched Angle in a (yawn) figure-four leglock. After the ladies ejected themselves, Angle and Triple H settled into a decent contest, complete with a spectacular armdrag off the top rope by Angle and a referee bump that set up Austin’s interference. In the end, a decent match, but nothing like the Triple H-Cactus Jack New York Street Fight from last year’s Royal Rumble. (Speaking of which, just a year ago, Angle was losing to Tazz in the opening match of the Royal Rumble, now Angle’s the champion, and Tazz lasted four seconds in the Royal Rumble match. Who’s hating life more than Tazz right about now?)
[‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin]
Finally. The moment we’ve all been waiting for - the 30-man over-the-top-rope extravaganza. Clearly, the match had some moments that won’t make my personal highlight reel. The Drew Carey appearance, for example, ranks somewhere south of foolish. The Hardy Boyz skirmish didn’t get the hear you’d expect. Some key players were eliminated needlessly quickly (when the returning Big Show doesn’t last as long as Crash Holly, something is horribly wrong.) And I’m not hearing a lot of clamor for the return of Haku or The Honkey Tonk Man, about whom my wife said, “My god, he looks pregnant.”
[The Honky Tonk Man]
Buffoonery notwithstanding, I’d call the 2001 Royal Rumble solidly entertaining. When the match came down to The Rock, Austin and Kane, it truly was anyone’s contest: Kane had been in the ring the longest, entering at No. 6 and withstanding a good heap of punishment; The Rock had gone through the announcer's table courtesy of the returning Big Show; and Austin was wearing the “Crimson mask,” thanks to interference by Triple H. After a brief Rock-Austin slugfest (teasing a possible Wrestlemania main event), “Stone Cold” enjoyed a victory beer after taking a chair to Kane’s Big Red Noggin. This means that Austin will go to Wrestlemania; it also means fans will probably have another go at the Vince McMahon-Austin feud, an angle which, like the Florida recount, will seemingly never die.
In the final assessment, I’d rank this year’s pay-per-view high on the Royal Rumble list, although any match featuring Drew Carey and a pregnant Honky Tonk Man will never topple Ric Flair from the top spot. When the dust settled, this year’s Rumble left fans with some burning questions: Who will face Austin at Wrestlemania? Doesn’t The Undertaker know that his new “Sara” Tattoo kinda diminishes his evil mystique? What was up with Haku’s hair? And who on earth decided to put Giant Gonzales in that absurd body suit? (OK, OK, that was eight years ago … but it still bugs me.)
#wwf#world wrestling federation#magazine scan#magazine transcript#BILL APTER’S WOW XTRA#BILL APTER’S WOW XTRA 2000s#2000s
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23. Are you the same person you were as an adolescent, or very different?
When I have to think about questions like this I want very much to think I have evolved into a thoughtful, brilliant and broadminded adult. Alas, I’m still Evie and despite my greatest hopes and wishes I am still very much the same person I was as an adolescent. At our 40th class reunion my classmate Eunice, remarked on how much we all had changed. We were all older, had married, had careers and most of us had adult children. But I thought we were all very much the same. Character does not change.
Jim, our most illustrious classmate was always serious, studious and handsome. In our late 50’s he is still all that. He has an MD and a Phd and has been inducted into the Order of Canada, a distinction bestowed on 100 Canadians each year for notable accomplishments. Jim was recognized for his work in large and small cell lung cancer. He was published in the illustrious AJN.
Pat who had red hair was full of Irish blarney and very proud of his Irish heritage. He was a great party organizer and regaled us with stories of his hard drinking Irish relatives. One of his memorable stories was about his brother and cousin going to their uncle Frank’s to drink since their aunt Hilda was out for the evening. They drank too much and got into a bit of a kerfuffle with the uncle lying on the floor. The young drinkers thinking they had killed him began to dig a grave in Hilda’s garden. When they went in to fetch the body, uncle Frank was sitting back at the table. Both young drinkers left to stagger their way home. Hilda called the next morning to ask why Jackie dug up all her petunias. Pat had a thousand such stories and was still regaling us with them.
Lynn still slapped her hand flat on the table exclaiming, “Well, I’ll be darned,” at any thing that surprised or confounded her.
Kenny still held his open hand on his left hip as he manned the grill. He and Gail are married to each other and are still the generous, quintessential host and hostess. Their pickerel fish dinners should make the cover of “Gourmet”.
My brother, Kip still has his repertoire of one liners for which he has always been known. It seems to me we are all pretty much older versions of who and what we always were.
Alma has a degree in accounting. Jim has advanced degrees in Medicine. Pat, Jerry and Eunice have Masters in education and four of us are nurses. We all have interesting careers.
I wanted so much to think I had evolved into a broadminded, gracious middle aged woman but when I honestly looked at myself, I was still living with the demons of my adolescence. Try as I might, I am still as impatient, abrupt and sarcastic as ever. My nursing school classmate, Val repeatedly reminded me that sarcasm was a weapon of the weak. I take that admonition to heart every time I catch myself but my remorse
soon escapes me.
I was so much like my mother. She was abrupt, intolerant and impatient but this did not have to be my fate. My father was the polar opposite. He had seemingly endless patience. Kip was like my Dad. We both painted and he could spend an entire afternoon trying to get a cloud right. I had no such patience.
I was demanding of staff at work but my demands did not exceed what protocols or good practice demanded. I once saw a colleague testing fecal matter in the medication room rather than the appropriate utility room and I confronted her. to that she replied, “Evie, you are so anal.” Yes , I will own that but I also think patients were safer in my care.
Year after year at my annual review, my goal was to be a more contemplative and less judgmental person. I have wrestled all my life with this flaw with minimal success. In my defense I want to say that McLean Hospital awarded me the Margaret Tibbetts Award for leadership in Nursing.
I am not the same person I was as an adolescent. I am older, far more educated, far better read and retired from a very satisfying career. I have a wonderful family and now, the most delightful great grandchidren. I still try to temper my shortcomings but alas, character does not change with age and I am destined to be the same sort of person for my next 87 years.
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See...
Did viber recorded my convo? or the devil did?
I'll do a timeline:
That effing devil asked me something about Dina (my roommate) and Carlos (his roommate) He is feeling close. I don't like him. them. My alterego ate or maybe the baby don't like them. Understand? They were not raised poor.
Then he asked again if I have a phone. I'm not interested actually. I have an analogue. I just wanted a laptop for YM and movies. But he mentioned Viber, which is not yet in the Philippines then, (he knows because he came to Kwt, around 6 months before my batch) He even asked me that day to join him because they are going to the mall. He even waved like a puppy from the other bus.
I didn't join him, but I did take a phone because I learned that it was their mode of communication. Everyone even whatsapp. So, he is the first person that I asked about the app. I was so haphazard in checking. He sent so many food stickers.
January birthday celebrants prepared a party (I think they collected money from us too) I wanted to join. That's how we were raised in school. K? We were kinda like part-time actors. All performing arts after school. Yes, like Singapore's Private classes. The top students like Korea's cram school. I thought maybe because the pop student was a director's son. Yes, he is not the relative. Going back, when I asked him about the party, he didn't answer that was his style. I was a bit insecure at that time. He doesn't answer even those he hears me he was kinda like internalizing.
Then C and her minions attacked me. Real? She you? It wasn't necessary. Jim's dopple ganger was right. No expectation. I know my place. They made this epic. It wasn't necessary.
March, your anniv? She kind?
My friend's birthday.
I panicked, so I asked a friend. A late acceptance to his prior invitation. I don't want to talk to the girls. The bastard cried. I'm used to hanging out with friends. Why would he cry? I'm supposed to be the one crying on that day. I wanted to meet new friends. I think I knew then that the white lady from H&M was in their flat. That extortionist? That's what I know. And Dina also talks a lot about Carlos, his roommate. That's me. I needed friends.
I knew then that I was dealing with... If I am a robber, I was seeing pick pocketers. You know, scheming planners. Like these, that I am blubbering. building effing network. A network's name...
They just hit me hard. Obando after Jerry. They turned him. Yeah, they became Millionaire's children.
He is not real to me? Then what was his purpose for getting close to me? You know when gossip mongers whisper their cuss, they will gather around me. Then he'll say "apat dapat" (must be four) He, Melojane and Monatus. See, they ganged up on me. Threat? because I was surrounded with foreign friends. Sayang naman panlilibre at pagkocoat nila for a dinner sa hotel. Eliting the arabs? Elite e. Melojane was like: My husband brought me this for this KD. Yes, 3 idiots' mr. price tag. I know some real rich people would say I bought this BRAND for a cheaper price (but of course it was not really cheap). Then Arjun will say: We used to be rich. My father had a business. He a fortune teller? He is so fucking amazing? Fucking kind to everyone right? Haha! See, they like throwing parties. I just like parties. No bribery. No political advertisement. They look so effing rich. Monatus said his mother is a DOH secretary (he was a grocery bagger)
Me and Melojane was chosen as the trainer cum assistant. They had to go back to the stores. Look here. During our team building and send off party for them, he sat beside me. Didn't notice him until he asked (surrounded by everyone) "Did you love me?" How do relationship starts? I dunno? but maybe I should try. I think my quick thoughts was actually the possible impediments of my finances, like, if I can handle him if this is a kasubuan, like, not for fun. I still have responsibilities. I mean gf can be so I said "yes, maybe" (duh! how did your first relationship started? Love at first sight? He's not handsome, He's not intellectual and he is not good looking and not articulate) THEN HE CRIED LIKE A DRAMA ACTOR. WATERFALLS. saying "my girlfriend is coming" I said ok. For me, it was just a try. An answer to his question. When he said that then, it's invalid. Truth is, in my blog, I was thankful for the shady part. It didn't become a commitment. Wait for the effing bluntness. What actually confused me was after his drama, he acted like a victorious actor. They rode a taxi, I was left with Mina. We walked to our place. Then I realized, maybe he cried for me? That was another loss? So, I cried, while Mina was tracking our way in his GPS. Accidentally, my phone fell on the beach that night. Thankfully, I don't need to talk to him. He was my chatmate. I chat with others too. Even Don (not dawn) I was not interested. More cautious with them. Because I don't know their culture. What I didn't know was the desperate kababayan culture. We have mixed friends right? Gender? Come on, adult doctors that I know male and female mix too. I have group of friends that are very very mix. Pride. I was testing waters, we mixed during the training.
You will think, to see if you can handle the consequences. But it was just all good intentions. Fucking trust in humanity. I have broken relationship with my family. Rehab wasn't the norm, but we do argue, just a spur of emotions but we normally make up so yeah, when I'm kind, I'm weak. Kind people don't win. Devils won.
Anyway, I did cry. But I was really happy about the training. They know I love the brand. My phone was off for days. I even yahooed, It said I should open it, let it dry and bury it under my rice. (Devil's advocate, hey, I read it from a local pocketbook) I tested my phone during our lunch break at work. In less than a minute, it rung. He was calling. He never call. I think not in viber. He called. I was very happy then. It was nothing really. Honestly. Not necessary to avoid. The thick faced called. Laughing! Did he think that I closed my phone because of him. How many times did he try? Instant rung? Coincidence? Thick face right? I searched him on FB. I didn't see any picture of a girlfriend or a name in all his posts. His family? Fat. Dark. Shady. No right to be mean. Who like who? I am not Cherry. But I only have filipinos to rely on. I don't belong to christian church too. Not kidding. Not religious but, very student for me. You know, like me as a student and nurse. They do recollections every week. See, my lola was a community prayer leader. I always join her. She pinches me whenever I move my head or say "hipus" eventhough I am not talking to anyone. But we just pray the rosary. My tita brought us to a catholic group. There was a seminar for new joiners, me and my cousins make fun of what we do sometimes but we listen. Some acts are too dramatic but we've done it in school. The priest invited us to his seminary where my father used to study. I don't know how long. I'm not an atheist. We just attend mass after the orientation.
Then one time, Melojane invited me to visit everyone at avenues. we saw him with Carlos. He was too elated, fooling around. Not disciplined? It was so effing awkward. What I did instead is stand before Carlos who was doing embroidery at some baby blanket. I shut my ears. I was too shy. It was awkward. He was too happy. I thought, this is what I do at my lola's house. Maybe I didn't think of that, but that is what I normally do. I watch skilled people.
Fucking people who said I'm the bitch.
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The Eyes of Tammy Faye: A Gay-Positive Light in the Homophobic 1980s
The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021) takes us back to the golden age of televangelism, when the big names were world-famous celebrities with huge political and social influence. They had dinner at the White House. They were parodied on Saturday Night Live.
1. Jerry Falwell (Vincent D'Onofrio) turned his Moral Majority into a seething- ground for anti-gay hatred. He blamed them for everything. An airplane crash in Peru -- must have been some gays on board. Rise in teen pregnancy -- gay rights make our kids think they can do anything they want. Your basement is flooded -- God is punishing you for not hating gays enough. "A homosexual will kill you as soon as look at you."
2. Pat Robertson (Gabriel Olds) proclaimed that God was punishing all of the gays by giving them AIDS, but they wanted to infect as many straight people as possible, with the goal of destroying society before becoming extinct. They had special rings that, when you shook their hand, would prick you with a little of their blood, so you would catch AIDS and die. They would spit on your food or cough on you on purpose
3. Jimmy Swaggart (Jay Huguley) said that he would kill any gay man who looked at him romantically. He saw his huge tv ministry decimated after two prostitution scandals, in spite of his famous "I have sinned" speech.
4. Oral Roberts managed to build a whole homophobic university with sleazy fundraising techniques, like claiming that if viewers didn't send in $8,000,000, God would kill him.
5. Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker (Andrew Garfield,top photo and left, Jessica Chastain) ran the PTL (Praise the Lord) Club. Jim always promoted homophobia and denied allegations of "homosexual activity," even after he was convicted of defrauding his viewers out of $150 million and sentenced to prison.
Tammy Faye, however, believed in compassion. In 1987, she interviewed Steve Pieters, a gay minister (who had AIDS), without ever saying "God's punishment." She asked stupid-sounding questions like "If you've never been with a woman, how do you know you don't like it?". but later explained that those were the questions her viewers had.
She regularly attended pride events and was interviewed in gay magazines through her post-PTL years. Her heavy make-up made her look like a drag queen, and she went with it, attending -- and judging "Tammy Faye Drag" contests.
Tammy Faye was not entirely gay-positive: she didn't support same-sex marriage, and continued to believe that same-sex acts were sinful. But so was premarital and extramarital sex between straight people; why should gay people be subjected to discrimination and prejudice?
Many evangelicals today still hate LGBT persons, but imagine what it was like in the 1980s and 1990s, when almost all of them did! My sister didn't speak to me for five years after I came out (my brother was always fine with it). In that morass of homophobia, Tammy Faye was a beacon of hope.
There are nude frontal and rear photos in the NSFW version of this review, on Righteous Gemstones Beefcake and Boyfriends
#the righteous gemstones#Eli Gemstone#The Eyes of Tammy Faye#Tammy Faye Bakker#Jim Bakker#Oral Roberts#Pat Robertson#Jerry Falwell#Evangelical homophobia#Televangelism#1980s
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i feel like i need a glossary of terms or a contact list for all these people involved with the show. i have shit memory and dont pay attention to the credits who is sera (sara??) and why does everyone hate her!! why is he Bobo!!!!!! please... has anyone posted about this im desperate
lol well including everyone involved with the show would be difficult, but I’ll give you some highlights
Eric Kripke: creator of Supernatural, showrunner for seasons 1-5. People have differing opinions about him but general people enjoyed his run and he’s considered the best showrunner in the series overall. Not much to say because there’s a lot to say lmao (notable episodes: “Pilot,” “Lazarus Rising,” and “Swan Song”)
Sera Gamble: writer who was involved from the beginning of the show, became showrunner after Kripke left. Her seasons, 6 and 7, are typically regarded as the weakest seasons. She was a huge brothers-only supporter, and was responsible for Misha being written out of the show (as well as Jim Beaver, Bobby) in order to get the show to just be about the brothers again. There’s a lot of drama regarding her treatment of Misha/Cas, but more recently she’s known for the Magicians debacle, a horrendous example of the Bury Your Gays trope. She’s also involved with (the showrunner of?) You on Netflix. She was a pretty good writer, but overall fans dislike her because of her showrunning tenure (notable episodes: “Faith” with Raelle Tucker, “Death’s Door,” “The Born-Again Identity”)
Jeremy Carver: writer from season 3 that was promoted to showrunner from seasons 8 through.... some time in 12, the timeline has been a little murky to me. He was the one who brought Cas back into the main plot, as well as allowing the deancas storyline to become genuine subtext (we can argue whether it was queerbaiting or what he was intending to do if he had been running the series finale, but yeah). Unfortunately, he was also the showrunner when Charlie was killed off brutally, which dampens his legacy. People are conflicted about his seasons, but generally he’s looked upon favorably (not related, but the picture that comes up when you search him on google is NOT him, he’s really like a typical white nerdy looking dude lol) (notable episodes: “The Rapture,” “Sacrifice,” “Do You Believe in Miracles?”)
Andrew Dabb: writer from season 4, promoted to showrunner during season 12 and is the last showrunner of Supernatural (he wrote the finale). He was well-liked by deancas fans for awhile because of how much screentime they were allowed to give, and because of the focus on extended/found family. Sam and Dean only fans didn’t like him for the same reasons. Unfortunately, HIS legacy has been marred by the awful series finale, though it’s debated whether that was his fault or because of network meddling. (notable episodes: “Dark Side of the Moon” with Daniel Loflin, “The Prisoner,” “Moriah”)
Robert Singer: executive producer since the beginning of the show (he’s also co-showrunner throughout Supernatural, but I don’t think he typically was involved with the plotlines too often). He’s directed quite a few episodes, including the infamous wire fight episode (s13 finale) as well as the series finale. Married to Eugenie Ross-Leming, writer of the show
Eugenie Ross-Leming/Brad Buckner: writing partners TECHNICALLY from season 1, but they only wrote one episode until they were brought back in season 7. They are regarded as the worst writers in all of Supernatural, responsible for tactless death scenes of fan-favorites (and typically minorities) like Kevin, Charlie, and Eileen. They also feature a gross amount of dubcon/noncon, racism, weird unnecessary sex stuff, and are SUPER into Lucifer for some unknown reason (they have a crush on Mark Pellegrino I guess). They’re also just kind of bad writers in general, their pacing is weird and their plots convoluted. To be fair, though, they have written some good moments, like Dean trying to reach Cas in Hell’s Angel and Dean’s confessional scene in Paint It Black. But overall, they suck. Why are they still on the show even though BOTH sides of the fandom (who never agree on ANYTHING) dislike them? Well, because Eugenie is married to Singer. Nepotism. (notable episodes, the ones I can stand to watch lmao: “Holy Terror,” “Hell’s Angel,” “Our Father Who Aren’t in Heaven”)
Ben Edlund: writer from season 2 who left after season 8, but people STILL talk about him simply because he is arguably the strongest writer of the series. Cas fans particularly like him because he did most of the heavy-lifting regarding Cas’ characterization. He also wrote the famous bi!Dean scene with Aaron in season 8, where Dean is flustered after being flirted with. (notable episodes: “On the Head of a Pin,” “The French Mistake,” and my all-time favorite “The Man Who Would Be King”)
Robert “Bobo” Berens: writer from season 9, his first episode was “Heaven Can’t Wait,” which is all you really need to know about his influence on the deancas storyline. He’s also gay, so people particularly enjoy seeing how he approaches destiel in his episodes since it’s not just another straight guy potentially just catering to fans. He was also the one who was meant to go off and run Wayward Sisters, and is responsible for a lot of their development in recent seasons. I believe he also created Rowena? He wrote the episode this season where Cas confesses his love to Dean (along with other heavy deancas episodes like “The Trap”). Sam fans typically don’t like him because he doesn’t give him much focus. (notable episodes: “Heaven Can’t Wait,” “Who We Are,” “Wayward Sisters” with Andrew Dabb)
Steve Yockey: writer from season 12 through the beginning of season 15. Also gay, and also responsible for deancas moments in recent years. Generally loved for his deancas subtext but ALSO because he is an amazing writer who came out with iconic episodes. (notable episodes: “Celebrating the Life of Asa Fox,” “Lily Sunder Has Some Regrets,” “Peace of Mind” with Meghan Fitzmartin)
Robbie Thompson: writer from seasons 7 through 11, and wrote some fan favorite episodes in the meantime. He is also the creator of fan favorite characters like Charlie and Eileen. He was also one of the few writers who was vocally supportive of destiel during his tenure rather than just later. I’m not implying anything about his intentions, but it was validating for him to encourage fans during a time where most of the cast/crew ignored or actively dismissed it. Plus his episodes are just fun! (notable episodes: “LARP and the Real Girl,” “Fan Fiction,” “Baby”)
Meredith Glynn: writer since season 12, has worked closely with Bobo during their seasons together. She and Bobo cowrote “The Future,” which is the mixtape episode, so she has been taken in by deancas fans haha. She also wrote the episode where Cas makes the deal with the Empty, so it’s pretty safe to say she and Bobo had worked on the deancas plotline together :) She’s also liked some deancas-related tweets on twitter, so she’s being subtly supportive (notable episodes: “Regarding Dean,” “The Future” with Robert Berens, “Byzantium”)
Davy Perez: writer since season 12 (a lot of the ones I’ve mentioned are, since this is when Dabb became showrunner and made changes in the writers room). His episodes tend to either be horror or bizarre. I mention him because he’s responsible for episodes like “Stuck in the Middle (With You)” (Cas’ first “I love you”) and “Tombstone” (aka Brokebacknatural lmao). I don’t know much about him otherwise, but that’s why he’s brought up usually (notable episodes: “Stuck in the Middle (With You),” “Tombstone,” “Atomic Monsters”)
hopefully this helps, and hopefully I didn’t forget about anyone major. There have been a LOT of people behind the scenes so it’s hard to say who to include. Like, I didn’t mention Jerry Wanek, Jim Michaels, Kim Manners, Thomas J. Wright, or others who might be mentioned from time to time.
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One Piece 1044 Reaction
So here we go with my faves. I'm skipping the reaction for stuff revealed earlier this week.
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GOROSEI WAHHHHHHHHH
''Why are you guys still standing and sitting in the same position we last saw you guys?! wtf, do you guys not get cramps or something xD
Damn, Luffy looks so much like Nika now ;---; I'm crying asdfghjkl now people should not treat Skypeia like trash after this. Imagine when he defeats Kaido, he's gonna have the same double page, but this time it's the sun in the background, not the full moon.
Kazenbo burning Orochi is such an irony. Orochi ordered Kanjuro to make their enemies or others burn in fire of glory or some shit previous chapters before, and now Orochi is burning in glory.
Orochi be like ''Something like revenge isn't fashionable or popular nowadays." Please. This man is eating his words xD He's so pathetic.
But I wonder when Hiyori will do something...... also where tf is Denjiro? Oda why you doing him dirty!
Anyways, I love how Luffy's like 'lol this my ultimate form Gear 5' and the goes in ang grabs Kaido to the rooftop after ahahahahha
And he just spun him around and whip him like those classic cartoons, you know Tom & Jerry and stuff. ahahhahaha xD
Luffy is laughing here and there while Kaido's head was spinning with stars AHAHAHAHHAHA It's really funny ahahhahahahah
And pls Kaido x Luffy bromance WAHAHHAHA
Kaido: Straw Hat, you're alive, huh....... Thank you.
Also Kaido: *blasts Bolo Breath*
Luffy: EHHHHHHH?! *Eyes popping out like Jim Carrey*
It's so funny ahahahahahahahahahahaha pls this chapter so cool and swag, but also funny ahahahahahhaha
And dude Luffy turned the ground into rubber and deflected Bolo breath back to Kaido
And pls the last panels - Kaido apologizing!
Kaido: It's my bad for that dumbass earlier.....! I didn't want to have a win with that.
Luffy: No worries. Let's end this.
PLS THIS DEVELOPMENT AHHHH 100/10 CHAPTER AINCDIV BOVNDEONSOVNV
No break next week, right? Pls this ought to keep me going while anime is on hiatus.
#one piece#one piece manga#one piece 1044#monkey d. luffy#mugiwara no luffy#luffy wano#op manga spoilers#op luffy#one piece wano#wano kuni#wano arc#one piece luffy#op chapter 1044#one piece chapter 1044#luffy#nami one piece#gorosei#op manga
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Action Comics #267
Cover Date: August 1960 | Written by Jerry Siegel | Art by Jim Mooney
Read on DC Universe Infinite | NOTE: These commentaries are going to be very spoiler heavy
The Supergirl story in this issue is called “The Three Super-Heroes!” and the reason why becomes pretty obvious pretty quickly as we get to see Supergirl’s first meeting with the Legion of Super-Heroes!
This issue starts out with Kara and a bunch of kids from the orphanage taking a trip to the Superman Fair, part of a Superman Week celebration.
You know, something I kind of knew but didn’t fully grasp until I began reading some of these older comics is just how deified Superman was in the comics back then. Sure, he’s still beloved by people around the world in DC’s canon, but it was on a whole different level back then.
Anyway. The kids are taking a bus to Metropolis to see Superman in person at the fair, but they’re stopped at a bridge because a ship is approaching, meaning the drawbridge will have to be raised.
THIS LOOKS LIKE A JOB FOR SUPERGIRL!
Kara, in her civilian Linda Lee persona, is sitting at the very back of the bus. Afraid that everyone’s going to miss seeing Superman, slips out of the back of the bus (yeah I suppose door alarms weren’t a thing in 1960), changes into Supergirl, and drags the ship down so that it sinks low enough to slip by under the bridge without it needing to be raised. She also speeds up the ship a great deal, and once it’s cleared, lets it go, shakes herself dry, and slips back into the back of the bus without anyone noticing.
And I just wanted to share a pic of Supergirl shaking herself dry because it’s adorable:
After that the bus makes it safely to the Superman Fair in time for them to see Superman performing daring feats such as... standing there while people electrify him.
I mean, yeah that IS impressive, but not the most visually interesting thing he could be doing, is it?
And now that we’re at the fair, this is where the three super-heroes in the title start coming in as weird things start happening.
First, the cyclotron used to electrify Superman begins to malfunction, but only after Supes has left. Kara is worried that she’s going to have to do something, but is concerned about outing herself to the public. That is, until some redhead dude steps in and takes care of it for her. Afterwards, he whispers to Kara that he knows her secret and he stepped in to help her protect it. Needless to say, this concerns Kara, and she asks how he knows, to which the man simply replies:
O... Kay. Thanks for the help super-shady dude.
Next, a lion gets free at the fairgrounds, but before Kara must choose whether or not to intervene, a blonde woman is seemingly able to tame the lion and gets it to return to its cage. When Kara approaches her, the woman says, before Kara can even get a word out, “your secret identity is still safe, Supergirl!” Which makes Kara again concerned, but all she gets is:
Finally, Kara is riding on one of those spinning chair rides, but they’re in the shape of the rocket Superman came to Earth in. The one Kara is riding in breaks, sending her flying in the rocket. She’s worried about stopping the thing and safely landing, as it will out her, but a dark-haired man is able to telekinetically stop it for her. He says he did to help Kara protect her secret identity, to which Kara once again asks what’s going on and:
Okay, at this point it’s obvious what’s going on and who these three are: they’re Legion of Super-Heroes members, but this whole leading Kara around all day is such a jerk move on their part!
So, Kara goes home to the orphanage later in the day, and is confused and worried and frustrated. And to make matters worse, apparently there’s suddenly construction around the forest where she keeps her Linda Lee decoy robot hidden (in a hollow tree). But when Kara uses her telescopic vision, she sees that the robot isn’t there, and that it’s been moved to a safe location already.
Kara’s had enough and goes to investigate, and guess who she finds?
Supergirl demands answers, and this time they’re more than happy to introduce themselves as members of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Kara recognizes the name and realizes that she’s talking to Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, and Cosmic Boy, the Legion members that met Superman all those years ago back when he was Superboy. It seems that they’re the children of the people Superboy met, and the things that happened at the fair were events they set up as a sort of initiation test for Supergirl, even though I’m not sure how much they makes sense. What were they testing her for? How committed she was to protecting her secret identity?
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a strictly under 18 club (does that still hold true? or was that just a silver age thing?) They want Kara to come to the future with them and join their club, which Kara is more than happy to do. So, they ask her if she wants to fly in their time ship, Kara declines and decides to fly there herself.
I’m sorry.
Hold on.
SUPERGIRL CAN FLY THROUGH TIME?!
And probably Superman too, but I didn’t realize that they could just simply FLY THROUGH TIME.
Okay, trying to move on from that. The Legion takes Supergirl on a tour of 30th century Metropolis, which as a cute atompunk aesthetic that most sci-fi did at the time.
After the tour (and ice cream), they go to the Legion clubhouse where Supergirl meets the rest of the Legion: Chameleon Bpy, Colossal Boy, and Invisible Kid. They give her a demonstration of their powers and tell her about the application process: they vote in one candidate a year based on who performs the greatest super-feat.
Supergirl asks about the primary travel of the world, and the Legion tells her that most people travel by aircraft, leading to a lot of air congestion, which Supergirl the idea to dig a tunnel through the Earth as a shortcut to help the air traffic congestion.
I’m sure that’s... fine?
Well, Supergirl emerges from the tunnel, super-proud of herself. But unfortunately the Legion have decided to vote in another member because Supergirl has broken the “no one over 18″ rule.
What in the heck?
Turns out, while Supergirl was burrowing through the Earth, she happened upon some red Kryptonite. This one’s effects was to age up Supergirl into an older woman.
For those that don’t know, red Kryptonite has random effects on Kryptonians, no two pieces are the same, like snowflakes! But instead of pretty patterns, red Kryptonite was basically used as “random problem generator” for super characters.
Because they have no idea how long the effects will last, the Legion rejects Supergirl’s application, and tells her that she’s welcome to try again next year if she ages back down to her normal self.
Can I just say that the Legion of Super-Heroes are kind of dicks in this issue. They stress Kara out all day at the fair, then whisk her away to the future, make her compete the same day, and reject her on a technicality that they probably knew wouldn’t last that long. Jeez.
Supergirl returns to the present dejected. Now she can’t even return to the orphanage, so she hides out in the mountains, too ashamed to contact Superman, and distraught that the effects might be permanent.
Thankfully, the affects only last one hour. Happy, Kara returns to the orphanage and thinks about the disappointments of the day.
Even after just a couple issues, it’s already becoming apparent that Kara struggles with loneliness and pushing herself too hard to be the perfect person for other people. Somehow I don’t think those things are going to be directly addressed anytime soon as that doesn’t feel like something comics of this age really did, but maybe I’ll be wrong!
Only way to find out is to keep reading!
#supergirl#1960s supergirl#action comics 267#kara zor-el#kara zor el#linda lee#action comics#earth one kara zor-el#earth one supergirl#dc#dc comics#silver age comics#silver age dc#silver age supergirl#the legion of super-heroes#legion of super-heroes#the legion#colossal boy#chameleon boy#cosmic boy#invisible kid#saturn girl#lightning lad#superman#clark kent#kal-el#kal el
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D Generation X, the Hardy Boyz x Fem Reader- "Don't Forget to Bring a Towel"
I apologize for why I didn't post anything yesterday on Saturday---I was out of town the whole day and I don't own an iPhone, iPad, SmartPhone or laptop.
I was also unsure of what to post on Saturday.
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In the late 1990's, the World Wrestling Federation was becoming less cartoonish and more edgier, violent, oversexualized and more for adults and teenagers.
And women in the WWF in the late 1990's were becoming vastly a lot more sexualized and, for the most part, began being reduced to being "jiggle TV".
That includes you.
During the Attitude era---especially when the WWF had that "WWF Attitude" scratch logo and name---you were extremely way more oversexualized than when the WWF had that block logo in 1996 and even 1997.
When the WWF was becoming a lot more edgier and for adults, you began wearing less and less clothes.
Speaking of which...
On a "Monday Night Raw" episode in December of 1997, you had walked into the men's locker room wearing a dry towel wrapped around your torso that reached the middle of your thighs, the towel you wore was tucked into the top of it.
The towel was covering your breasts, stomach, vulva, hips and ass cheeks, basically covering your entire torso.
Triple H and Shawn Michaels were standing inside the men's locker room as you walked in, where Triple H and Shawn both had their long hair hanging down and not tied back in ponytails.
Triple H and Shawn were the only ones in the men's locker room as well as you, no one else.
As you entered the men's locker room, one of your hands clutched and held the front of the towel at the chest area so it wouldn't fall down.
Triple H's and Shawn's heads turned to look at you while you strolled to them, their eyes both gazed at you and wouldn't look away, whereas you stopped walking once you stood in between Shawn and Trips.
Triple H and Shawn's eyes grew wide as they saw you approaching them wearing nothing but a towel.
"I have nothing to wear!" you complained as you stormed up to them, your hands holding and clutching your towel so it won't fall off.
"And that's a problem, because...?" Shawn asked.
Triple H and Shawn would seem like the types to steal your clothes, in fact, some people watching this think they probably did steal your clothes.
Instead of you being offended, your head turned and smirked at Shawn, with your face looking rather naughty.
Soon, the guitar riff to Slam Jam's "We're All Together Now" played as you stood in between Shawn and Triple H with a smirk on your face.
When you wore that towel while you were in the locker room, your hair wasn't wet and neither was your body.
Your hair was completely dry and you didn't have a single drop of water on your skin on your body.
Later on during the episode, when D Generation X strolled to the ring, you walked with them still wearing that same towel wrapped around and covering your torso.
Many fans' eyes grew wide when they saw you wearing nothing but a towel, and many male fans---both grown men and underage boys---were getting out of their seats and cheering when they saw you only wearing a towel and open toed stilettos.
Male fans who were adults were whistling at you, giving you those cheesy "wolf whistles" as they're called.
Jerry Lawler perked up on commentary seeing you wear nothing but a towel, his eyes nearly bugging out of their sockets.
"Wonder if her body's still wet under that towel?" Jerry asked to Jim Ross, Jerry making a double entendre.
Though, Jerry as well as some male fans were wondering if your body was wet with water due to you wearing a towel, but considering your hair didn't look wet and you didn't have any drops of water on your skin, you weren't soaking wet.
"Did she forget to wear clothes?" Jim Ross asked.
"I don't have a problem with that!" Jerry Lawler shrieked.
Some male fans were reaching their hands and arms out trying to grab your towel, but you were standing far away from those fans for good reasons.
Some of those male fans leaned over the guard rail trying to reach their hands and arms out to yank that towel off of you to see if you're naked, but security is backing these fans' up.
You were trying to be careful walking down that wrestling ramp so you won't fall down as well as so your towel won't slip off of your body.
You actually were completely naked underneath that towel, that's why you're so scared and worried.
When the match began, Shawn and Triple H were having a match against the Hardy Boyz.
You stood by the ring as that match happened, watching this match, but you were panicking deep down inside afraid that male wrestling fans in the front row will try to rip your towel off.
You tried standing as far away from those horny, eager male fans as much as you could.
Some of those male fans were chanting "show your tits!" and "take it off!" at you, but you didn't listen.
Soon, as the Hardy Boyz, especially Jeff, were close to one of the ropes, you walked up that little set of stairs leading up to the ring, one of your hands clutching and holding on to your towel as you walked up the stairs as well as while you walked in the corner of the ring.
The camera followed you as you walked up those stairs, filming you from your side, and thankfully the camera didn't film you underneath that towel to get a look at your vulva and ass cheeks.
You carefully walked across the corner of the ring right next to the ropes, trying not to fall off and drop your towel.
Is it necessary for you to walk up those stairs? You can easily do what you're about to do when not standing by the ring?
That is, if Jeff and even Matt can see what you've planned on doing.
Despite that you were worried about your towel coming off, you were hiding your panicking underneath by walking up the stairs and by the corner of the ring with a smirk on your face.
The camera filmed you from your side while you strolled to the middle of the ropes.
Once you stood the middle of the ropes, one of your feet rotated your body until your torso was behind the ropes and your back was in front of the camera.
Basically your feet rotated your body until you weren't standing sideways next to the ropes.
"What's she gonna do?" Jerry Lawler asked. "Is she gonna show us the goodies?! Is she naked under that towel?!"
Oh yeah.
With a smirk on your face and your eyes looking at Jeff Hardy, both of your hands grabbed the top of your towel and unfolded the towel off of your chest, flashing and exposing your bare tits to the Hardy Boyz.
You wore no bra or even nipple pasties covering your nipples, you flashed your bare chest out in the open.
Dozens of male fans got out of their seats and gave you a standing ovation, their arms and fists up in the air as they smiled from ear to ear and roared in cheers and delight.
Many grown male fans whistled at you, including wolf whistled at you.
The cameraman filmed in front of you, filming you smirking at the Hardy Boyz while your tits were exposed, although on television, your nipples and areolas were censored with a D Generation X sign.
Jerry Lawler exclaimed excitedly at the commentary table, getting very overexcited over seeing your tits.
However, he did not screech out "Puppies!" which would come 2 years later.
As you were pulling the top of your towel down exposing your chest, as well as holding the tops of your towel while your breasts were hanging out, you were trying to still keep your towel to cover your vulva, ass and even your stomach.
Jeff Hardy meanwhile, was staring and gazing at your bare breasts in front of him, he had lost all track of space and time and his eyes were glued to your chest out in front of him.
Of course the cameraman was filming and caught Jeff's facial expression, where his eyes couldn't stop looking at your breasts.
Matt, too, was distracted over your bare chest, where he looked and saw your tits from away in the ring.
While Jeff and Matt were distracted, Triple H and Shawn ended up attacking the Hardy Boyz because it was all a trap.
As Jeff and Matt were getting beaten up, you carefully pulled your towel back up until your bare breasts were covered again.
You then carefully and gingerly walked to the stairs next to the ring and walked down them, still holding on to your towel and being careful, watching your step.
Of course many male fans were still trying to grab your towel.
During the rest of the match, some male fans were chanting "show your tits!" and "take it off!" at you, but you didn't listen to them.
However, when the match was over, you did flash your tits to the male fans once more, opening up the top of your towel and exposing and showing off your bare breasts to all of those fans, male and female.
Many male fans gave you another standing ovation while you showed off your chest, many of those male fans chanting "Take it off!" at you.
You honestly wish you could've flashed your bare tits under that towel to Triple H and Shawn instead of the Hardy Boyz, because Triple H and Shawn are way sexier.
Though at least you're flashing your breasts to the Hardyz and not Legion of Doom.
Before Mandy Rose, there was you (remember when Mandy strolled to the ring wearing a towel and seeming naked?).
You truly are the female Val Venis: playing a promiscuous, seductive, slutty, sex obsessed nymphomaniac and sometimes coming to the ring wearing nothing but a towel!
Although Val had wrestling trunks underneath his towel as well as a pair of boots on his feet.
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The reason I posted this fanfic on Susanne Somers' birthday is because she was on "Three's Company", which was a show that had a lot of women wearing nothing but towels (herself included).
#d generation x#dx#triple h#shawn michaels#the hardy boyz#hardy boyz#jeff hardy#matt hardy#wwf#attitude era#wwf attitude#1997#90s
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My thoughts on last night’s episode
I’ve loathed Travis since the moment I first saw him in ep 1.
Who are these people? We don’t need new characters. We need to flesh out the ones we already have!
Lindor 🧍🏾♀️
Denise had Jenny sign a lease. Does this mean Jenny still has ownership of the office even though she doesn’t work there anymore?
Donno may be a murderer, but he is also very loyal.
Jim the dog! He’s so cute! 🥰
So there are people after the Bhullars. They truly are in trouble.
Smart for Ren to have surveillance footage of Travis killing Bob
“It’s actually bud with a ‘d’ sir” -deputy pumpernickel 😂😂😂😂
Jerrie! Yay!!!
Interesting that Ren doesn’t know about what happened to Kate
I love Ren and her facial expressions!
I’m confused on where that last scene leaves Jerrie and Lindor.
The men on this show ain’t shit. Travis with all his stuff and Lindor for stringing along two women. Jenny needs to dump Travis (unless she already did? I couldn’t tell) and Cassie needs to dump Lindor. Then Jenny and Cassie need to get together with each other.
*sigh* Jenny…why does she do this? Why does she always go to places without backup and gets surprised when something bad happens? It’s extremely stupid.
How can Dhruv be so big yet move so quietly? He came out of nowhere.
Dang, he hit her hard.
Yay!! Cassie will be back next week!
It sounds like Jenny killed Dhruv and the Bhullars want revenge
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Monthly Muppets: The Muppets Take Manhattan: Meh In Mahattan (Comissioned by Emma Fici
Hello all you happy people and welcome back to Monthly Muppets, your slice of monthly muppety madness funded by readers like you.. you specifically Emma Fici, my friend who funds these and picks out each months selection.
Today we look at the iconically titled Muppets Take Manhattan. While they weren't the first to take the big apple, their the ones who popularized it with everyone from jason to ghostface having taken it ever since. I mean I assume that'll be Scream 6's title , why else set it in new york. C'mon paramount, cm'on radio silence, let it be Ghostface Takes Manhattan. Me's in the area concur it's a great title. Their your target demographic: Aging orangutans who watch a lot of dead meat and children's cartoons!
Yeah! I feel good about this. So on that high Muppets Take Manhattan is notable for a lot of reasons: It's the last film in what i'm now calling "The Henson Trilogy", the three films starring Kermit and Co done while Jim was still alive, the ones most people think of when they think Muppets movie (along with Christmas Carol and Treasure Island), and some of the works that helped define the troupe outside of the muppet show.
This film is also notable for being the solo directing debut of Muppet maestro and mean green mother from outer space Frank Oz, who co-directed Dark Crystal with Henson. With a massive workload and pure exaustion from directing two films back to back, and that's on top of launching Fraggle Rock around the same time. He needed a second to catch his breath so he put the operation in Frank's first class hands.
This film also had a notable absence: Jerry Juhl, long time muppets writer and the man who wrote the previous and next two films. He was a supervisor down at Fraggle Rock (Clap clap) Down at Fraggle Rock, so it fell on his other Great Muppet Caper Co-Writers, Jay Tarses and Tom Patchett to pick up the pace. Problem was they went in the same direction as caper and while I would've loved that, Frank wanted something more grounded, especially after Caper didn't do great at the box office. So he went in and rewrote himself, and the resulting film was a more grounded take. So what was it all about?
Taking Manhattan
MTM follows our heroes. LIke Caper it recasts them this time as recent graduates of Danforth College, whose graduation show, Manhattan Melodies, was a massive hit. So with big starry dreams in their eyes they take it to broadway.. and instead of taking Manhattan more get taken to the curb BY Manhattan. After a few or so stoppings Kermit is at the end of his rope and snaps at everyone else, who decide the best thing to do is to scatter to the four winds while he writes it. I get their trying not to pressure him but like.. they don't have to leave New York. And it's REALLY dickish they all pressure PIggy into seemingly doing the same despite no reason to. She's Kermit's girlfriend here, not his stalker or some strange he falls in love with all over again. He doesn't HAVE to be cut off from everyone to get a needed break.
So they leave with a very sad, beautiful ballad i'll get to in a moment, and Kermit starts working with Jenny, a kind human played by Juliana Doland, who doesn't have a ton of credits to her name but does a pretty good job. She's thorughly upstaged by Pete, Jenny's dad and diner owner constantly fed up with everyone's nonsense whose hiring of Kermit and a bunch of rats recommended by Rizzo, in his first major role in a muppet production as Pete's waiter, with…
The Rats are a great addition though and the scnee with them cooking in the kitchen (People were uncomfortable with them as waiters) is a thing of beauty, creative, fun and clearly taking a lot of wizardry. It also turned out the simplest solution was the best a lot of the time: they found out just using actual butter for one of the rats to skate on worked best, and most amusingly , an attempt to make fake pancake batter ATE THROUGH THE BOWL and actual batter was fine just fine. If that isn't the most muppets thing I ever heard I don't know what is.
So Kermit tries to get the film made, gets hugs from Jenny and Piggy stalks them both from afar in a trenchcoat because apparently they needed to make her even creepier than she already was, while kermit ocasoinally gets a letter from anothe rmuppet elsehwere in the country. This pattern repeats for 40 minutes. I'm not kidding.
It's the film's main problem: Plot wise it just.. goes about nowhere for most of the film. The first 20 minutes have pretty brisk pacing: Our heroes perform their college thesis, try to get the show made nearly get conned by a BAD MAN BAD MAN BAD MAN, then decide to go their seperate ways so kermit can focus on the play without worrying about them. It's fairly dense, still has plenty of jokes (Again BAD MAN BAD MAN), and works.
But the middle is just.. nothing. Most comedy films have a somewhat loose plot, but said plots serve as the motor. Using some of my faviorite movies as an example first off we have Wayne's World. Wayne's World HAS a plot, our two heroes get picked up from Cable Access to regular TV and have to deal with the exec who picked up the shows ulterior motives. We also have Wayne's building relationship with Cassandra which dovetails into said Exec threatening it. A clear a and b plot with some other stuff mixed in. Is said plot what most people think about Wayne's World? No, they think of bohemian rhapsody, the bugs bunny gag, Wayne speaking Cantonese with Cassandra, the sponsorship scene, Alice Cooper, "it seemed superfluous at the time". Rob Lowe is great in that section, but it's at it's core just a way to get from one joke to the next and to give the plot a semblance of flow. There are plenty of scenes like our heroes playing hockey, going to see allice cooper and shopping for Wayne's Dream guitar while Garth does a sweet solo that have nothing to do with said plots, but are all memorable and charming. While there are comedies that are tightly plotted as heck, and that's fine, at the least you just need a plot to keep the momentum.
The purest example of this is True Stories, the David Byrne classic and his only directorial outing. It's mostly just vignettes of various things around the town of Virgil, Texas as they prepare for their celebration of specialness. But it still has connective tissue in the various characters, and the through line plots of David Byrne in a Cowboy Hat narrating to us and John Goodman's attempts to find a wife who loves his basic panda bear shape.
Here the plot doesn't really make things go and things just aren't zany or surreal enough, like true stories, to really make it work. It's too grounded for the plot to be this thin and even teh far less grounded caper and after it most wanted had far snappier plots to compensate for being batshit insane. It's just "Kermit tries zany scheme to get the play accepted" (and not nearly enough though him with an afro wig, gold tooth and pick velvet suit was a fucking riot, as was the whisper campagin0, "Piggy stalks him", "stuff happens" and then he just .. falls into getting the plan accepted by an up and coming producer. He works HARD sure but it dosen't feel like there was any real progress sin his attempts. One just works.
The plot just feels unengaging as a result: I DO want Kermit to succed and he is trying hard but there's no escalation to his work or real flow. And Piggy's jealousy is mostly resolved when they just.. talk and she realizes he wans't cheating on her which could've been resolved in five minutes. It feels like , in part thanks to Emma telling me this, Oz wanted to immitate the screwball comedis of hollywood, scaling things back to just our leading man and lady and a few characters. But that's just not what the muppets is. The muppets aren't scaled back they go all in. Even the more serious flims like Treasure Island, Christmas Carol and The Muppets still have plenty of chaos and character. This film just feels like Frank Oz trying to fit a muppet peg into a normal film hole. It's telling most of his films after this weren't all that fantastical and even his next, his masterwork and one of my faviorite films Little Shop of Horrrors, was still grounded in the humans and their actions and a morality tale. Frank OZ was great with playing muppets, Miss PIggy for all the faults I have with how she treats Kermit is still a fun character when used right and Yoda is yoda, but it's clear his heart wasn't in telling muppet stories by himself. And that's okay. It's better he played to his strengths than tried to be something he wasn't and let those who wanted to do it. It makes for a sloppily paced film, but it allowed him to learn the lesson early and get on to doing films he wanted.
That said there ARE a lot of great gags. While Frank is out of his element here, it dosen't mean he's not still part of the troupe. This isn't a TERRIBLE muppets film. Frank still gets enough for it to be enjoyable: Kermit with a gold tooth and afro, Piggy and Joan Rivers make up laughing fit, the penguins asking for a job.. this plot is still packed with good bits, it's just not as consitent tone wise is all
Even the eventual resolution to Miss PIggy stalking kermit because that's normal and not at all a red flag is a banger: While stalking Piggy gets caught on a poll and has her purse stolen. So we get the GOOD side of piggy as she borrows some skates from Gregory Hines, and CHASES THE FUCKER DOWN FOR A GOOD FEW MINUTES The guys other terror and surprise as she KEEPS FINDING HIM is fucking amazing. I love it. The best part though is after as Gregory tries to get his skates back while Piggy and Kermit fight "I'll just unlace these while you fight" getting overly involved in their argument before deciding they can just keep the skates "I just like to wear these shorts". Gregory Hines is this film's mvp. In fact that gives me an idea. You'll see
Kermit does eventually land a broadway gig
So with the muppets reassembling and bringing everyone they met along, they try and find him. This last third is the best part of the film as we get the whole gang back together while Kermit gets his legs stretched, wonders who he is and then wanders into getting an advertising gig. Seeing Kermit as a straight laced executive is hilarious. I don't know what voice Jim is doing here but i love it.
THe resolution is also great as our heroes end up finding him at the diner and having to straight up kidnaping him with Kermits new frog friends not really bothered ("If that's how they treat customers no wonder they don't get a lot of repeat buisness" ) though it takes Piggy saying they were in love to get him over it. oh no no the love part, Amnesia!Kermit laughs so hard and is such a delightful dick about it (Even going Sooeeeeee while the rest of the cast gape in horror) that Piggy understandably decides to murder him. Thankfulyl Kermit surivvies, is restored and we get two great numbers in a row as our heroes are married…. kinda. It's left vauge if the preist really is really real or not. The wedding is also wonderful with every other muppet showing up. And I mean EVERY ONE. Kermit's old Sesame street friends, every member of the troupe and even uncle traveling matt. It's a wonderful capper to a fairly.. eh film.
Yeah before we move onto the music as you can see Muppets Take Manhattan is.. okay. The plot is very stalled and way too grounded, but it has enough truly all timer muppet jokes and songs to make it watchable. It's a decent watch but not one i'd really come back to. Speaking of songs
Manhattan Melodies
The songs for Take Manhttan are the other pillar that makes up for the pacing. Every song is a classic and every musical number great. Admitely it's part of act 2's major problems, as the songs are mostly in act's 1 and 3, with only one number in act 2, but when we get a song their great. Sadly they havne't been released, likely due to rights issues, but the original album did get a grammy nomination so . t.her'es that. Hopefully we can get one eventually for now though let's break down these classics
We start with an all time classic, Together Again, the final number of manhattan melodies in it's orignial starkid-esque form. Together Again is truly amazing, a wonderful song about reconnectiong, reunion and hapiness.
You Can't Take No For an Answer is a fun electric mayhem number with a slightly melancholy beat underscoring our heroes failed attempts to make it on broadway. EM always tends to have some of the best songs , with Can You PIcture That probably being my faviorite from The Muppet Movie, so its no suprise they slap here.
Saying Goodbye fucking broke me. A truly sad number as our heroes all seperate, it really gets the feeling of parting with someone down pat and hurts even more knowing we'd loose Jim Henson and Richard Hunt all too soon after this. Hauntingly beautiful.
Rat Scat slaps, some fun as the rats cook int he kitchen which should be gross but it's charming. Wonder if Rattouie was at all inspired by this. Food for thought. Pun welcomed.
I"m Always Gonna Love You is a fun rocking ditty. I consider it the weakest of the film's tracks.. but it's no chilly down in terms of a quality drop. I just like it SLIGHTLY less than the others because it goes on a bit longer than necessary. That's all. This is also for some reason a sequence starring the Muppet Babies, who would be so popular they'd get their own show
We then get Right Where I Belong, which embarasingly I first remember hearing in a commercial even though i'd seen this movie before (and mostly forgot it apart from Mad Men!Kermit) , but is probably my faviorite, it's snappy, happy and really fits Kermit coming back and finally having everyone else. It's got that good old fashioned broadway style that really fits the films tone. I love it.
Finally we have Somebody's Getting Married/Waiting For The Wedding/ He'll Make Me Happy, a lovely ballad and show stoppin number as our heroes gather for the wedding of Kermit and Piggy. Which again she might of tricked him into which is..
But hey the music is nice. And with that we have two final pieces of
Film Ranking
As i've done since the last review, it's time to see where the film ranks compared to the other muppet films and specials i've covered so far and well.. this one's probably going to piss a LOT of people off
(ranking)
Keep in mind the gap is WIDEEEE between those last two. But despite expecting some backlash, I stand by this. The other films sans Trashfire of Oz are all paced MUCH better and while from Space is mostly just okay, it has more heart to it and better jokes. This one ALMOST inches it out for the songs, but in the end I just in good concious can't put it above the more solid film.
Muppet MVPS:
I've decided after Gregory Hines outstanding performance to start giving out awards, dead meat stylez please don't sue james I love you man, for the best human and muppet performance. This section will be longer than most as to head off Kevin asking me what the others would've been, because I know my friend and I know like me he's a very through dork, and to keep this feature introduced a ways in consitent, i'm going to give out the ones for previous films and episodes too. I also thought of the idea to award best cameo just as I was almost done soooo
Take Manhattan: Muppet MVP: Kermit gets our first as his various shenanigans and seeing him more as hustler than his normal put upon everyfrog is just fantastic. Hines-Grodin Award For Best Human: Gregory not only gets the first award but gets it partly named after him, as he's the one who inspired me to do this. He just perfectly fits in and his bit will live in my head rent free form now on.
From Space: Muppet MVP: Bobo. I mean i'ts hard not to give it to him every time as Bobo just slaps, but he works here as Jeffrey Tambour's foil and gets a great payoff sabotaging the guy's gun. Hines-Grodin Award: This is a hard one. Do I give it to David Arqutte, the most dangerous man alive or Ray Liotta? In the end Liotta gets it for his great brain dead performance post memory wipe. David is good as always but his roll really goes nowhere. Best Cameo: HINES. Joan Rivers comes close but come on.
Wizard of Oz: Muppet MVP: Kermit. Not throughout the main part of the film, but for the Quinten Tarintnio Sequence. He looks so afraid for his life it's awesome. Hines-Grodin Award: Again Quinten Tarintino. In a film that nearly killed my soul his sudden cameo brought life and muppet energy back into it. God bless you you very weird very terrifying man. Best Cameo: Once again, mr. tarintino.
Muppet Caper: Muppet MVP: Going to have to go with Beau for the cart stunt. Chefs kiss that was awesome. Hines Grodin Award: The man who named the award himself Charles Grodin. I feel he deserves this both for his untimely passing and for setting the standard for Human performers in the films. WHile he wasn't the FIRST , he certainly madea lasting impression. I mean what other actor would be so game as to sing an opera to Miss Piggy? Cameo Award: the guy who played columbo, both for his increasingly insane guess and Kermit's iconic response "Amazing what you said was 100% wrong. Nothing you've said has been right"
Muppets Tonight: Muppet MVP: Gonzo for the Dancing With Myself number. All time great in muppets history there. Hines Grodin Award: Obviously the reason I watched the ep and reviewed it, the late, great Gilbert Gottfried as Kermit's date/creepy fan, though Dennis Quaid was REALLY good. But Gilbert was born for this.
Muppet Show Star Wars: Muppet MVP: Angus Macgonagle, the Gargoyle Who Gargles Gershwin Gorgeously. Human MVP: Kinda obvious but Mark Hamill. He's terrific both as luke and as himself. I"d expect no less.
Labyrinth: Muppet MVP: This is a close race between Ludo and Sir Didymus but in the end his good sirship pulls out just ahead. He's just so fun and i'm amazed they got the puppet so tiny yet detailed and movement oriented. Nicely done. Human MVP: David. Fucking. Bowie. Need I say more? Need I REALLY say more or justify this one? Cameo Award: Uh jim I guess for appearing in the opening scene. Otherwise i'm saving these most for the muppet movies
Most Wanted: Muppet MVP: Constantine. Steve Whitmire doing a weird as hell kermit voice and the scene with the jaws kill me. Human MVP: This is a REALLY hard one. Ty Burrel, Ricky Gervais and Tina Fey ALL fucking bring it to grodin levels. So picking one is hard. But I have to go with Ty. His deliberatley over the top french accent, great chemistry with same and antics are just all so damn hilarous, though Ricky Gervais wearing a lemur suit and Tina Fey always knwoing hwere you are do come up close, I gotta give it to Ty. Cameo Award: A decent suply of candiates, including Stanley Tuci as the cheerful watchtower guy, but the winner is Usher as an Usher. IT's a stupidly obvious and stupidly brilliant gag.
Treasure Island: Muppet MVP: Dead Tom. He's dead! Human MVP: TIM CURRY. NEED. I. SAY. MORE. Cameo Award: Dawn French as the landlady "How does she do that? So with that the takes manhattan review is on the books. Thanks for reading and if you enjoy the film feel free to do so. This is one orangutan shaped man's opinon.
Next Time: We're dancing in the moonlight for spooky season as we review last year's Muppet's Haunted Mansion. OOOOOOOOO
#the muppets take manhattan#the muppets#kermit the frogg#ms piggy#frank oz#jim henson#gonzo the great#rizzo the rat#gregory hines
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