#instead i look like a disney channel star who started in a boy band and now i'm trying to transition into my sexy solo era

[remyfire]

POV I slipped and fell at the gay poetry reading but I try to be casual about it and make it look intentional

[popculturebuffet]

Donald Duck Birthday Special!: 12 Donald Shorts!

Happy Birthday to my faviorite duck! As you can probably guess from my previous Ducktales reviews Donald Duck is my faviorite of the classic disney gang. As an angry but well meaning, sometimes lazy sometimes hardoworing and always out of his depth guy really spoke to me for obvious reasons and my love of him made me check out life and times and well you know the rest.  But weirdly, until last month i’d hardly seen any of his theatrical shorts. I grew up as a “Tom and Jerry” and “Looney Tunes” kid, and with Disney never playing them on disney channel for whatever reason (even with the ones they really CAN’T play there’s dozens they sure as hell can), I just never had any real intrest. But then Louie’s Eleven happened , I was starved for Donsy content and thus rewatched Mr.Duck Steps out, and most of her filmography, skipping the ones where she’s the miserable wife from every sitcom... more on that later, and with one exception. So I wanted to review them.. but quickly reailzed that with 6 minutes for most shorts there’s not a ton to dig into, so I decided after finding out his birthday was next month to take a handful and pile them in here, review them and see what makes my boy so great, what dosen’t, and look at the good the bad and the holy shit did he just point a shot gun at that poor defensless animal of Donald Fauntleroy Duck. We get this party started under the cut. 

For funsies since, unlike most things I cover, every episode has a gif on here i’m going to use the gif keyboard to look up an image for the cartoon.. and if not well.. whatever’s there will have to do. 

1. The Wise Little Hen (1934) A charming little short that I rewatched today to get on the docket, and i’m glad I did. The plot is very simple: A Hen and her 8 chicks are planting, then harvesting corn. For each task they ask Peter Pig, Local dick and the Rusty Spokes of 1934, and Donald Duck, our boy looking very diffrent, for help. Peter just says who me then runs off while Donald fakes a bellyache. Both get their compuance when the Hen and her 8 chicks make a ton of goodies from the corn and decide to eat it all themselves, while donald and peter give themselves an ass kicking. 

I genuinely wish this is how life worked: Your bad, take advantage of people and your reward is not taking their beinfits and snickering but having to kick each other in the tuckuss on loop.. you know instead of the Peter Pigs of the world blaming people for getting maced in the face by stormtroopers. Sigh.  That aside it’s just a fun, charming short with great animation, and a great look for Donald. I do genuinely love his first look, even if it’d later be eased down to perfection. And there’s plenty of fun gags and great music. Overal a solid A short.  

2. Moving Day (1936) As you can see from the GIF this one isn’t strictly donald, we’re still one away from a starring role. After annoying the shit out of Mickey in the classic’s “The Orphans Benefit” and “The Band Concert” , Donald soon became his regular sidekick alongside Goofy. Both would quickly breakout and this short is apparent why as Mickey is a side character in his own labeled short.  The setup is somehow, after 84 years, STILL relevant to modern day. Basically Mickey and Donald are tennants who haven’t for whatever reason, paid their rent and are 6 months behind. And sure they could just be obnoxious squatters doing it onlyf or their art who shriek like banshees the moment their asked to actually pay rent, but thankfully this isn’t RENT, or else I would’ve jumped out of a window by now. No given this is the depression, their likely trying to hold onto their house and meager posessions for as long as they can while work is incredibly scarce... not like.. now.. ha .. ha. ha.... I may take the window up on it’s offer after all.  Anyways, our valiant heroes decide to try and cram everything they can into their friend Goofy’s milk truck while Pete’s busy putting up signs to advertise him trying to sell their shit to make up his back rent. WHich translates to a bit of mickey doing that and most of the short being spent with donald fighting a rug and Goofy being outsmarted by a piano. Both are utterly hilarious and prove why these two became far more popular, and overall the short’s a damn good timea nd our heroes win by still getting a pile of possesions out while their antics destroy the rest so pete gets nothing! Horay! They can sleep at goofy’s place! Now moving on from crushing reality, it’s animal cruelty! 

3. Don Donald (1937) I wasn’t kidding. Yeahhh this was donald’s first full, not attached to Pluto for some reason or an adorable chicken family or his mousy overlord short. Don Donald. Donald’s in mexico, for some reason and wooing a lady, in this case Daisy prototype, Donna Duck as seen in the header image. I like her, they have a diffrent dynamic, both being kind of tempramental and flirty instead of that being just ONE of donald and daisy’s dynamics. Others being muttually supportive and adorable (Ducktales and Quack Pack) or daisy being the wife from according to jim, or last man standing, or my wife and kids, or king of queens, or the george lopez show, or everybody loves raymond, or ... you know what i’m depressed enough from the last two shorts you get it. But you know without Donald being an obnoxious asshole who views every guy his daughter dates like a horny degernate who just wants to get in there and overreacts to everything involving them and makes me pray for death but death wont come.... I may not like classic daisy very much. Moving on.  That being said as you can tell from the donkey abuse donald.. ihs a fucking asshole in this one.. and not the loveable asshole he is in the band concert mind you I mean he’s less brent sienna and more tucker carleson. He laughs at his girlfriends misforutunes and hit shis burro and then tries to trade it in for a car.. which he does. He gets his commupance and all but yeah.. it’s deeply uncomfortable to watch him abuse this animal for half the runtime. Trading it in is one thing, but he’s still an utter dick to it.A short that COULD’VE been fun that instead is just uncomfortable, even given the time it takes place in. 

4. Donald’s Ostrich (1937) Donald works at a distant train station taking care of various cargo that comes in and ends up having to care for an adorable ostrich named hortense. Hyjinks, especially once she swallows Donald’s Radio, insue. This short.. is a MASSIVE step up from don donald. INstead of uncomfortable animal abuse donald just gets frustrated with an ostrich and battered round a bit, and tries to cure her hiccups. My faviorite bit is when hortense arrive, and stands up with a box on her,a nd donald goes under her gives a greatly delivered by Clarence Nash “what’s going on around here” before hortense sits on him. Really funny. And yes Hortsense is a regular ostrich. And yes that paradox has been around this long. But this one’s way funnier, way more charming and really damn adorable and dosen’t remind me of the crushing horrors of real life so yeah. A+. There’s only one short I like as much and it’s coming up. 

5. Modern Inventions (1937) Another one from his first year and another classic. Basically donald deals with various inventions in a “house of the future” type attractions, gets ruffled by them and the robot butler seen above steals his hat with a dry brtiish “your hat sir” while donald adorably pulls one out of thin air in increasingly creative ways. Again plotwise these shorts are simple but by now they figured out what made donald work: getting frustrated sure but with him being a relatable every man and sometimes trickster as seen here with the hats and him pulling that old coin on a string trick. 

He also dresses up like a baby at one point and i’ts weird but oddly funny... but yeah donald is in peak form here and this one is another clear A+, if for the running robot gag alone as donald keeps puttingon new hats and the robot has a truly spectacular design.

 6. Donald’s Better Self (1938)

Now for a weird one.. not the most surreal thing on our list, despite you know a devil version of donald popping out of his mailbox, but it’s damn close because you know, Donald as Satan popping out of his mailbox.  In short Donald is cast as a school aged child.... you know what’s coming. 

And you may say “Well jake they were just experimenting and his age was vauge at first” and to that I say, with no joke Huey Dewey and Louie debuted THIS SAME YEAR. Even given how adaptable older cartoon characters are, and they are it’s part of the charm, and tha’ts fine.. this is a bit over the line. Oh and it gets weirder as donald has the standard cartoon angel and devil arguging over his actions things.. only here the Angel and Devil are donald sized, and again fighting over the soul of a chid in the body of a 30 year old man, literally in some cases, ending with said devil encouraging donald to smoke before he and the angel get into a fistfight. While not an especially GOOD short, you have to admit.. it’s unique.. batshit but unique and worth at least one watch. 

7. Donald’s Penguin (1938)

The second in our trilogy within a series of “Donald gets a pet” shorts, this one start’s out fine, Donald gets an adorable penguin named Tootsie from “Colonel bird” and does cute things like immitate it’s walk or what not while Tootsie is a grumpus. Fun stuff. Then tootsie apparenlty eats Donald’s fish, and donald spanks the poor bird. Now this pissed off some people on Letterboxd but me, while it’s slightly distressing, it was 1938: while spanking was NEVER a great thing, it was acceptable back then and as far as Donald knew Toottsie knew not to eat the fish, Donald had told him no adorably, and did it anyway. So donald goes to get an apology trout, which he just.. has for some reason out of the ice box and uh.. things take a turn from “it was accpetable at the time” to “HOLY SHIT”...  Tootsie decides fuck it and eats the fish and uh... Donald.. how do I put this calmly.. ahemahem okay... DONALD GRABS A FUCKING SHOT GUN AND CHASES HIM AROUND, THEN ONLY BACKS OUT AT THE LAST SECOND, A SHORT FIRES, AND HE MOURNS WHAT HE THINKS IS HIS DEAD PENGUIN. We then get a cute shot at the end but holy shit.While Elmer fudd is one thing since he’s A) the bad guy and B) is indeed trying to kill a wild animal he has a lisence for instead of his fucking pet whose a protected species if those existed back then, this is just... like the donkey abuse, deeply uncomfortable. It’s one thing to spank a pet, even up to the 90′s that was acceptale and still is in some circles, but it’s another to try and murder it over a slight infraction. Just.. jesus christ. I want Tootsie back too, this was objectivley terrifying. Let’s move on. 

8. Mr Duck Steps Out (1940)

Ahhhh yes the short about dancing that brought me to the dance. This one is, without a shred of second guessing, which for my anxious self is a miracle, my faviorite both of this batch and in general.  The short is about Donald trying to go on a date with Daisy at her house, and his nephews inviting themselves along and trying to ruin there uncle’s every attempt at getting romantic with wacky hyjinks. That’s.. basically the plot.. as you can tell these things are very light on plot but here that’s all you need.  A few things to note. 1) The boys are VERY much in their early characterization, i.e., their all assholes instead of “All huey 2k17 but dialed down a notch” or “karmic tricksters working against their uncle’s ego”, though they’d ocassionally dip into this in the 80′s ducktales depending on the episode, especially if webby was around, and shove their face into it and inhale deeply like me with the hidden mountain of cocaine hidden under my basement.   The second is that Daisy has a duck voice, much like Donna did for this short and only this one. It’s not too distracting given she barely speaks, though she has more than enough body language to make up for it, it’s just.. odd.. especailly since it means Clarence Nash, donald’s voice actor, is voicing EVERYONE in the short and doing a terrific job of it.  Even weirder is Disney would later redub a shortned version for Disney Channel in the 2010′s that had their modern voice actors (Donald Aselmo, Tress Macneil and Russi Taylor, god rest her soul) re-dub it and it just feels all kinds of wrong despite the three being excellent va’s. I dunno the cleaner modern audio just feels wonky coming out of the old 40′s short.  But despite it’s oddities the short really has fun, from the iconic little dance donald does at the start...

Serioulsy I freaking love that dance and his outfit. To the little laughs donald gives when telling daisy “HA, I brought my nephews ha” like a 40′s tommy wiseau, to him roaring in a lion skin to the ending which is just pure adorable and nice because Donald actually GETS to win, especially because half of all donald shorts or comics where he’s sympathetic end up with Donald miserable and beaten up and me like this. 

Instead Daisy kisses him all over and over again, until the night goes dancing. 

Overal a fun, fast paced short about Donald trying to get laid and the gold standard of Donald Duck shorts. Two more things before I move on. This was co-written by disney comics legend Carl Barks, and it shows, and i’d be remiss if Id idn’t mention this bit of Daisy, after playfully shoving donald away when he coyly asks for a kiss, giving him a come hither signal with her butt.. which is somehow hot. Don’t ask me how.

And with that mental image we move on. What do we got next?

9. The Spirit of 43 (1943)

Ah yes propaganda! and the first one I couldn’t find a gif for. I watched this one because it’s another Barks one, he worked on several of these and was also the one who suggested not having HDL be assholes all the time as he felt, rightly, it’d get old after a while, and because it has protypes for scrooge and gladstone, and is thus one of the only shorts Scrooge is in and the only classic one... And like Donald’s Better Self it’s fucking weird. It’s all propganda no joke as ONCE AGAIN, yes AGAIN, two figures battle for Donald’s soul, this time a scottish man encouraging him to save and donate and a sleezy huckster encouraging him to spend for himself.. even though spending in bars and what not helps the economy and gives the bartender money to stay open during such trying times, but whatever. Also the huckster aka proto gladstone turns into hitler.. yes really.. and Donald then punches him through a swastika captain america style because donald duck is hardcore. Trust me this is somehow NOT a cocaine induced fever dream I had. Not a great one but like Donald’s Better Self worth at least one watch, in this case in additiont o the insantiy for the historical value of seeing two prototypes for Carl Barks most iconic characters. 

10. Sleepy Time Donald (1947)

As you can tell this one’s way more wholesome and way less of a drug trip. Donald goes sleepwalking and Daisy, realizing it, plays along so he dosen’t wake up and goes thorugh the motions of one of their dates. Very simple, ending with Donald thinking he’s the sleepwalker before she conks him out, and very adorable as while Donald isn’t concious, and has a boot on his head, we see what a standard date for them is like when Daisy is being written well as they strut around the park, he proposes, it’s all really damn cute and if you like these two together, you’ll really enjoy this one. Not much else to say other than it’s really precious and really funny and creative. Kinda hard to follow up Donald duck punching out hitler. 

11. Daddy Donald (1948)

Another quick one and the end of the “donald gets an animal” trilogy. First off, while I only got one gif from this short, I DID get this lovely image under “Daddy Donald” in Tumblr’s gif search thing

Awwwww. Anyways, Donald adopts a kangaroo like it was a baby, it’s kind of weird, not as weird as the above. He and Joey slowly bond, while he gets directions on what to do from the lady at the adoption place over the phone and hyjinks insue. Kind of cute but not quite reaching the heights of “Donald’s ostrich or the first hal fof “Donald’s Penguin” and not being quite as surreal as Double LIfe or Donald Punches Hitler.. which is what Spirit of 43 should’ve been named. I mean at least “De Fuherer’s Face” had a memorable name. But yeah not one of hte more notable ones and I mostly included it to round out the trilogy. Speaking of trilogy’s to close out this celebration of Donald, one of the last shorts and the last one featuring Daisy, and the inspriation fo rher Ducktales outfit. Donald’s Diary. 

12. Donald’s Diary (1954) Well.. this is basically one half of a good short ending in a lot of misogny. I could end it there but there is a lot to this short. It basically has donald, weridly in a clearly voiced narration talking about his courtship with Daisy as she first tries to get his attention and he’s oblivious.

Then she uses a rope trap and we get this iconic image which is concentrated awwwww. 

Then they date, Daisy’s implied to have dated a bunch of guys which was a bad thing in the 50′s but is perfectly resonable in 2020, and he meets her brothers, basically huey dewey and louie standins and her.. parents. Yes apparnetly donald’s parents have to be implicitly dead by present day, but Daisy’s can be alive. Weird ain’t it? It’s pretty adorable, has some great gags and we even get him proposing and them marrying!  And then the shoe drops.. yeah the rest of the short is how she expects him to GASP work all day , fair enough but then GASP do all the chores.. which is bad but the short implies it’s because he’s the man and she’s the woman and she should do housework. It’s actually bad because marriage is an equal partnership and while asking him to do a chore or too after working all day is fine just fine, asking him to do EVERYTHING while you do nothing is abusive and terrible and i’ve seen it actually happen in my friend’s previous marriage. So yeah this message can fuck off. And I knokw standards of the time, penguins having shotguns pointed at them etc but there’s not having aged well but being able to ignore it and there’s this.  And then she procedes to spousally abuse him and work him to the bone, and then he wakes up, and assuming ALL marraige sare like this dosen’t end up proposing leaving the poor girl wondering what the fuck she did to upset him. Real fucking cute guys. Seriously just.. part of the reason this part bothers me so much is MANY people think this is what marriage is like, like a fucking terrible sitcom. Life isn ot like home improvment or according to jim, or my wife and kids or king of queens or family guy, or you get my point again and yes I reused some their that bad.. even now we get stuff like man with a plan. It annoys me because 70+ years later and while it’s getting better this same lazy comedy still happens! and much like king of queens wasted the late great jerry stiller, this short wastes great animation and a great first half to tell a terrible story. It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth and is a bleh note to end on. Watch the first half because it’s adorable, end it at the wedding.  IN conclusion Donald’s shorts are a mixed bag but as you could tell some are truly spectacular and some are worth the spectacle and all have terrific animation and effort put in, evne when they didn’t deserve it and as such I couldn’t think of a better way to honor donald’s birthday than with these animators hard, well worth it efforts. Even when it wasn’t great, it was still somewhat fun. So happy birthday old friend and here’s to many more. Later Days.

[art-by-rozzai]

had a bad day so more band au headcannons

anyone who wants to write a fic for this is absolutely allowed if they tag me, i’m not gonna make any full length ones but i might post some one shots eventually

anyway i had a really shitty day so here’s me self projecting and creating more band headcannons

check out the first here~

check out the second here~

tag list~

@athenashipsthings @thelesbianspoon @flowersheep @insert--self--hatred @nafsbluebery @sunflowerss0 @nerdiegurlie @stars-and-rose

okays lets do this✨

so last when we left the boys, it’s the day before they release their album “death of a bachelor”

to celebrate, roman suggests they get dinner out and maybe go see a movie??

logan is suprisingly the first to agree, saying that if he doesn’t get to watch the “scary stories to tell in the dark” movie soon he will explode. plus there’s no food in the fridge

virgil is also down to go see the movie, but is more reluctant to get dinner. he hates formal things, so to make him feel more comfortable roman offers they go to the local diner that he knows has virgil’s favorite chicken parm dish and virgil can’t say no to that

patton doesn’t want to see the movie at first-he really doesn’t like scary movies. but he wants dinner with his friends and he might be able to latch onto logan during the scary parts so he goes with it

so patton offers go help virgil with his hair and they end up getting ready together! they talk about everything they can think of as patton does hair and virgil does makeup and they both do each other’s nails and then they’re ready to go out whooooppp

meanwhile roman collapsed on logan’s bed an hour ago and began complaining about how he needed to impress virgil to get him to fall in love with him and has been talking ever since

logan doesn’t mind tho, roman helps him pick out a nice outfit and gives tips on how to woo patt

even though it’s not a date

yet

anyways they get to the diner and they all have an incredible time! by the end of the meal they’re in tears laughing at each other, from roman’s hysterical stories to virgil’s banter to logan’s fun facts and spilt tea to patton’s enthusiastic impressions

they love each over like family :)

and the movie is top notch. virgil is in love with it, him and logan spend the whole time guessing what’s going to happen while roman hides behind virgil and patton shoves his face full of popcorn and squish himself into logan’s arm

and yes virgil can’t stop laughing and logan’s immediate tensing up and blushing

after the movie they just don’t want to go to bed quite yet, so the friends head to the park and enjoy lying in the grass, talking and letting logan point out the stars while roman makes up stories of the aliens and space princesses that protect the galaxy

virgil makes everyone his famous hot chocolate and they stay up until midnight to release their songs

and then the clock strikes 12 and death of a bachelor is available to download

the boys decide that staying up and watching the comments flood in is a terrible idea and instead they put on some disney films and fall asleep on the couch

it’s nice

they wake up to millions of notifications

everyone is freaking the fuck out

this album ??? is beautiful ???

all of the fans are in love but also have a lot of questions-so the fab four start doing monthly live-streams to just chat and answer questions and catch up with their fans

“are y’all single?”

um

well yes

but uh

this question is not goOD ROMAN WHAT THE FU-

anyway virgil comes to patton one day, slams the door, puts his face in a pillow and screams “PATT IM SO GAY HELP”

because roman called his hair pretty this morning and yes it’s stupid and it happens all the time but this time was different

don’t worry tho they won’t admit their feelings to one and other for another three months

death of a bachelor does really well-all of the songs end up going either gold or platinum

their song “victorious” is played on the radio all of the time

so november rolls around and the friends decide it’s time to go on tour! starting with just north america, they post a video on the youtube channel that gives all the locations and dates

it’s to start in april:

virgil is extremely nervous. being on the road for so long and preforming live in front of thousands of people and will anyone even show up and-

logan is slightly nervous but honestly he really enjoys preforming-once he ties the tie around his head like a bandanna he almost transforms into the punk rock bassist he is known by the fans to be

patton!!! is!!! bouncy!!!!!!!! he wants to meet all these people!!!! and he can’t wait to give back to all of them by preforming and meet and greets and social interaction makes him really happy!!

roman is so excited-preforming is his thing. when he’s on a stage, he’s in his element! he can’t wait to show off and travel and be with his friends for even longer :)

but they can’t go on tour with their boring old instruments sooooo

roman and patton team up to paint and decorate all of the instruments

virgil’s piano matches his jacket, lots of purple and swirls and patton paints the classic nightmare before christmas scene on the front (u know, this one but stationary)

and they decorate the microphone stand purple and silver and black

logan gets a dope space themed bass-the outside is dark blue and the inside is painted like a galaxy, with a plain silver pick

roman paints his gutair with a castle and sunset in the back, with a bright red pick to play

patton’s drums have clouds on them nowww like a sunny day with blue puffy clouds

they’re ready to go! but it’s still only december so u kNoW whAt ThaT mEaNs

CHRISTMAS!!!!!

since none of the squad are jewish, (although technically patton is half jew since his mom is, but he just really loves christmas and always celebrated that growing up so)

they decide to celebrate at their house

they invite all of their close family to the apartment and have a lovely dinner

and yeah virgil doesn’t invite anyone cuz he was adopted by a shitty family who he doesn’t talk to anymore, bcuz all they did was try and get money out of him

and yeah he has a panic attack when all of his best friends are excitedly talking about their family coming over

and y e a h roman helps him calm down and swears that he will always b there to protect virgil bcuz he’s never met anyone quite like him and it’s not easy to explain but he just wants virgil to know he’s safe with roman

and yeah virgil wishes he could stop falling for roman but the ground keeps disappearing beneath him

so time skip a bit closer to christmas and logan bursts into romans room with an idea

“i can rap”

“we know”

“you can rap”

“kind of but okay”

“christmas rap song for fun”

“yeS”

so they write “gonna kill santa claus” (look it up) and decide to post it on the youtube channel on christmas eve

they film a music video for it where they jokingly set up different traps for santa like poison cookies and fire cracker chimneys and more

virgil sings the chorus, logan raps the rap parts, roman does the bridge, and patton lays down a pretty sick beat

it comes out really nice and honestly really fucking funny

so after a delightful family dinner with everyone over, the friends release that video and the internet fucking dies it’s so funny and logan can rap (??????) and ohmygod all of them are so cute what the fuck

anyway back to christmas dinner

roman has like 6 little sisters, and his mom and dad and papa and nana over

(he’s latino, his mom and dad are both from the dominican republic)

patton invites his mom and dad and little brothers, thomas and dee

and logan invites his two moms

everyone comes over for lunch and gets along reallyyyyyy well

logan’s got the punk mom and soft mom dynamic whereas, patton’s family is all super kind and like homey and boisterous and romans family is wild and crazy and funny and they all instantly click

presents are passed around, lots of money and books and movies and stickers and jewelry

really sweet stuff

and then everyone goes home and the friends have their own little gift exchange

virgil got logan the stephen king book “insomnia” and a (sort of) joke blanket with benedict cumberbatch’s face on it that he can use when he goes stargazing at night

logan gets virgil some noise cancelling headphones and a framed picture of a wedding with virgil’s face cropped on one and gerard ways face on the other

they both can’t stop laughing at the fact they attacked each other’s celeb crush

virgil gets patton a cute little cat stuffed animal that when u push the hand it’s a recording of all of them saying “we love you!!!” and a really sweet card

patton gets virgil a eyore necklace that was super expensive but matches patton’s winnie the pooh one and a itunes card for him to buy more music (and yes a really sweet card)

virgil gets roman two tickets to see mean girls on broadway and a framed picture of the two of them

yeah roman tears up a bit fuck u

roman gets virgil a collage of him and roman and a handmade hoodie that virgil is never going to take off oh and also meet and greet passes to see dan and phil at their interactive introverts tour

and maybe virge gets a little teary too

roman gets patton a recipie book and an apron that says “you BAKE my day”

patton gets roman a new ukelele and a printed out pamphlete of theatre song chords that he can play

roman gets logan the sherlock script and an empty box just to fuck with him

logan gets roman the entire grimm fairytale series and tapes a note to the front that says “bcuz u are an illiterate fool😜”

patton gets logan a phone case with the stars that were out on the day they met, hand painted framed picture of him and logan, and comic con tickets for this spring

logan gets patton tickets to the art museum downtown, a gift card to the coffee shop next to it, and two gold hoop earrings with a note that says “next week, friday at 7. it’s a date ;)”

so christmas is pretty good for all :))))))

and that’s the end of this one i’ll make a part four soon lmao

[jobrosupdates]

Nowstalgia: Jonas Brothers' Second Coming

Story by Jael Goldfine / Photography by Robin Harper / Styling by Britt McCamey

On a conference call, the morning after the Met Gala, Nick Jonas divides his and his brothers' career in two: before and after Disney Channel first aired the "Year 3000" music video in 2007. Before "things weren't working," afterwards "it all came together." In the infamous clip, a 15-year-old Nick, 18-year-old Joe and 20-year-old Kevin, dressed in Converse and graphic tees (Joe in camouflage, Nick and Kevin in Ed Hardy) fall into a portal in a suburban living room, shimmering with CGI sparkles like an Instagram filter. They emerge enthused to find that, among other developments, in the future they are rock stars wearing matching suits, with a pile of magazine covers and a new album that outsold Kelly Clarkson.

We are on the phone, along with Joe and Kevin, to talk about The Jonas Brothers' surprise reunion and their first album in six years, Happiness Begins. Much like the rest of the world, however, I am fascinated by their past.

Like The Jonas Brothers' second coming, "Year 3000" is an intoxicating orgy of nostalgia for anyone who lived through their genesis: malls were in their heyday, technology was magical, not terrifying, Instagram was a prototype on a jewel-colored Mac desktop in Silicon Valley, and Kelly Clarkson was the gold standard for album sales. The prophetic song feels self-congratulatory now, but at the time, it represented a fantasy. The Jonas Brothers didn't know that they'd spend much of their adolescence in matching suits, or that their next album would, indeed, crush Clarkson's corresponding My December in sales that year.

Without that video — a cover of British pop-punk band Busted, whose original lyrics envisioned a future full of triple-breasted women, instead of cute space girls with Star Wars buns — we might never have met The Jonas Brothers. Their debut album It's About Time had middled out on Columbia (it would later become a fan favorite), while they spent a couple years opening for their teen idol forbearers: Jesse McCartney, the Backstreet Boys, Jump5 and The Cheetah Girls. It was only after "Year 3000" went "viral" (in the way things did in 2007, conducted via hallway chatter and YouTube-binging sleepovers, alongside clips like "Salad Fingers," Shoes" and "Charlie Bit Me") that Disney realized Nick, Joe and Kevin, with their unthreatening good looks, nuclear New Jersey normalness, and formidable skills with guitars and microphones, were the perfect raw material for their cottage industry of boys and girls next door.

They released their breakout second album The Jonas Brothers on Disney's label, Hollywood Records later that year. Quickly, they saturated the Disney multiverse and the lives of early-to-mid 2000's suburban youth. They made a guest appearance on Hannah Montana that broke cable records. Their songs could be heard in Aquamarine, Zoey 101, on Cartoon Network's Friday program, and leaking out of iPod minis, mall speakers, high school gyms and 100,000-seat stadiums. The Camp Rock series, entanglements with other famous teenagers, various concert films and their sitcom, Jonas, followed.

Nostalgia is an inescapable fog hanging around Nick, Joe and Kevin, as the world watches them tease each other on TV hosts' couches and jump around in matching suits again, for the first time in six years. It's not just about them. That bedazzled, low-rise moment is on everyone's minds. An avalanche of blog posts about their reunion begin with some iteration of the pseudo-incredulous question: "Avril Lavigne, JoJo and Ashley Tisdale are dropping albums, Amanda Bynes is back, Lindsay Lohan is making TV and The Jonas Brothers are getting back together. Is it 2019 or 2009?" PAPER recently debuted a column, called "This Week In 2009," to feed our appetite for photos of Rihanna with a momager haircut, andSpencer Pratt and Heidi Montag making out in surgical masks during the swine flu panic. The Jonas Brothers have already made it into several installments. The guys confirm they did not engineer their reunion to sync up with our cultural nostalgia cycle, but due to it, talking about the good old days will be an extra compulsory aspect of their press tour. At 26, 29 and 31, The Jonas Brothers aren't unwilling, but a bit ambivalent about rehashing their adolescence.

"We're not really defined by those years," Nick claims, when I ask the trio about how they look back on the fever pitch of the JoBro craze. But when I nudge, he admits the period was undeniably influential. "We had a lot of fun... you know, it was sort of a rocket ship to the moon during that time. When Disney played our video for 'Year 3000,' everything changed. It all started to happen when Disney got on board. Our years doing Camp Rock and TV shows were really formative."

It's not that The Jonas Brothers are at odds with their origin story. They'll soon release a glossy Amazon documentary reliving it, and this past weekend, gave a euphoric rendition of their 2008 hit "Burnin' Up" at their first SNL performance in a decade. But they've previously indicated otherwise. "I don't feel as frustrated now as I did then," Joe says of a candid as-told-to essay he gave New York Magazine in 2013, a few months after the band's break-up. He wrote then, "Being a part of the Disney thing for so long will make you not want to be this perfect little puppet forever." He detailed an authoritarian, image-obsessed company culture (recalling that High School Musical's Vanessa Hudgens was put on lockdown in the Disney offices after her nude photos were leaked), and how the band became stifled under Disney's tutelage, forced to maintain an increasingly awkward and false teen marketability as they grew eager to sing about more complex topics than crushes and homework. Joe and Kevin were required to shave every day, and allusions to anything sexier than a kiss or darker than a minor bummer were "sugar-coated." The essay is emotional, but not scornful, simply trying to make people understand the many factors that led up to 2013, when The Jonas Brothers cancelled their tour, scrapped their fifth album, and stopped being a band.   

Joe doesn't walk back anything he wrote. But with the anxiety he faced back then as a newly unemployed solo act now largely evaporated, he speaks to the same topics with adult, big picture complexity. "We were having to censor ourselves, I think any artist could relate. That's not fun. We were at a standstill with our TV show and the movies. We were young adults, having to pretend like we're young teenagers," he reiterates, but explains that to be frustrated with the company was "such a weird mindset to get into, because we have Disney to thank for so much, they got us started in our career."

Nick bristles at the cartoonish idea that he and his brothers were victims of Big Bad Disney, or anything besides mutual investors in their image and success. "Before this becomes an indictment of Disney and Disney culture, I think it's important to say that, though we felt limited at times, bottom line, Disney was really good for us; really good training wheels for anybody that wants to become a musician or entertainer, as far as work ethic and all the rest. There was a balance to it all, and we could have had it a lot worse." They seem acutely aware there was no cost to their relationship with Disney more valuable than what they gained: "[Those years] are a major part of our story and a big way that our fans connect with us and continue to today." If it were the case that the world couldn't move on from their childhood, Nick says, "It might be tougher to accept... But we have to continue to make new statements and push ourselves to create who we are, every day."

"We were young adults, having to pretend like we're young teenagers." — Joe Jonas

Why would they be inclined to dwell on the past? Since their break-up — when Nick was 21, Joe was 24 and Kevin was 26 — each Jonas has transitioned into an entirely new life. Following his Married To Jonasreality TV show, Kevin retreated into his family and pursued real estate development, satisfied to spend his days as a non-famous. Joe and Nick each rebelled, a little. Joe, "the bad boy," experimented with the archetype he'd been cast in as a teen by dating famous models and growing a beard. Seeming to find the role ill-fitting, he then opted to become the frontman of fun dance-pop band DNCE, of "Cake By The Ocean" fame. Baby Nick tripled in girth, made a vulnerable, sexy R&B record, landed a few underwear billboards, and emerged as a Hollywood heartthrob following his effective performance in blockbuster Jumanji. As you might have heard, the latter two have also recently gotten married, attaching themselves to famous and successful women who, aside from appearing to make them genuinely very happy, also brought them back into the fold of A-list celebrity even before the reunion was announced.

Instead of reminiscing about the highs and lows of their days sketching Mickey Mouse's ears with a CGI wand or picking at scabbed-over angst at the behest of a pesky writer, The Jonas Brothers would rather talk about all the good things in their lives, now. For instance, how sublime it feels to be The Jonas Brothers, again.

"It's been incredible, being back together after the longest time apart and spending this amount of time together in the studio, not to mention actually announcing this stuff and the response to the music," gushes Kevin. "It's been so overwhelming and so exciting. It means so much to us to be able to do this again as brothers. It's just beyond..." The words "incredible," "exciting," "amazing," "overwhelming," as well as "crazy" and "surreal" are repeated over and over in our conversation, as they describe getting to know each other as brothers and musicians again. "It had been four or five years since we spent any time by ourselves, you know, just hanging out."

Today, The Jonas Brothers are poised to become a bigger force in music than they ever were in their Disney days. They've achieved this — despite re-entering a radically different pop landscape than the one they departed, now ruled by rappers making country, bearded scumbros making rap, and teen girls making ASMR — by doing exactly what first made them a sensation: clean, universal, good vibes pop songs.

"We take what we do seriously, but we don't take ourselves seriously." — Nick Jonas

Both of their new singles, "Cool" and "Sucker," radiate an unforced joy and playful confidence that seems to be the defining quality of The Jonas Brothers' second coming. "It's all about having fun," says Nick. "We take what we do seriously, but we don't take ourselves seriously."

The sound of The Jonas Brothers not taking themselves seriously is so pleasant that "Sucker" — a carbonated love song that sounds the way Pop Rocks fizzling on your tongue feel — has become their first ever No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It doesn't sound like old Jonas Brothers, but it also doesn't sound like much else in pop right now. With the help of OneRepublic frontman, songwriter and producer Ryan Tedder (as well as popcraft overlords Max Martin, Greg Kurstin and Justin Tranter), The Jonas Brothers have shed their pop-punk-curious crunch and Disney sing-along sugar, while staying faithful to the drums-and-guitar roots and tactile storytelling that made a generation fall in love with them. The effect is a flavor of blissed out pure pop, that both sounds both refreshing next to today's deluge of morbid pop cyborgs and comfortingly familiar.

"We had a real sense that it was important for us to stay authentic to who we are," Nick explains when I ask how they resisted the urge to abandon their rockist roots for pop's current greener, genre-scrambled pastures. "When you go back and and listen to Jonas Brothers records, they're written and produced as rock and roll records." However, he says "that doesn't mean that we can't try out other sounds, or go on a journey to get there," and promises there's at least one trap beat and one yeehaw moment on Happiness Begins.

Despite the above, let's be honest: a No. 1 Jonas Brothers single in 2019 doesn't make complete sense (a glitch in the simulation, as they say). The Jonas Brothers belong in the past: in the childhoods of a generation now in their mid-twenties, and in a normcore, suburban fantasy that feels like it should have lost its appeal in our increasingly conscious times.

Plus, boy bands don't often get number ones. The last time one accomplished the feat was in 2003, when B2K's P. Diddy-assisted "Bump, Bump, Bump" hit number one (overtaking Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" and Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me A River), according to Billboard. Even unfathomably famous ones: One Direction's highest entry on the Hot 100, 2013's "Best Song Ever," peaked at No. 2, lagging behind "Blurred Lines." Their own hits, 2008's "Burnin' Up," "Tonight" and "A Little Bit Longer," never made it past No. 5 during the reign of Katy Perry's "I Kissed A Girl" and Rihanna's "Disturbia." Their new trophy signals the JoBros have begun to transcend the silos of a traditional boy band audience, and thus, our general disdain for the culture young women tend to love.

So how did they do it?

There's a strong cinematic mythos to The Jonas Brothers' reunion story, which, indeed, will be soon available to stream. It went like this: Nick, the architect of the reunion, had started occasionally slipping JoBros songs into his solo sets and realized he was craving their brotherly magic. As they began spending time together on the set of their documentary, the seed in Nick's brain broke ground, and became an explicit conversation. Then, there was the spontaneous jam session of "Love Bug" in Cuba that reminded them of the magic of playing together. Then came the "intervention," when Kevin and Nick flew to Australia where Joe was hosting The Voice to address the baggage left over from their last run as a band, which they'd realized would be a prerequisite for a successful reunion. They did so with a series of conversations that Kevin describes as "the kind probably only brothers can have without wanting to throw a table at each other" ("they're in the doc, and they're heavy," he promises). During these talks, they decided that this time around, it would be all about having fun. Kevin adds: "The choice to do this wasn't out of need, it was more, 'This is something we really want to do together.'"

The Jonas Brothers' break-up went like this: the flame was Nick's solo ambitions. The gasoline was burn-out, the colliding egos of a band with two frontmen, diverging tastes (evident in the forked road of DNCE and Nick Jonas), and general paralysis. "We lost touch with what we wanted to say, because we were trying so hard to say something different from what we said in the past, musically and creatively," Nick explains. Plus, instead of becoming deluded by their preternatural fame, it had given them imposter syndrome and anxiety. "We understood that our level of success and fame had reached a point, where our musicianship and writing and performing abilities needed time to grow and catch up to it."

When I ask what kept them humble enough to realize this, Nick admits: "I think it was a combination of humility, and just being scared that it was all going to disappear." He references what he recalls as a Coldplay soundbite, that helped them through that choice: "I don't want to misquote, so you might want to fact check, but something about the fact that, they had become too big, you know, for their level of musicianship, so they worked harder than ever and went even deeper creatively. We really related to that." I'm unable to confirm the words belong to any member of Coldplay, but wherever The Jonas Brothers came across it, it must have been a comfort to know they were navigating charted rockstar waters.

Listening to the brothers reflect, it seems that the pyre underneath The Jonas Brothers' flame-out was simply the reality that Nick, Joe and Kevin are genuinely skilled, creative musicians, who were always going to clash with their cramped confines. Maybe the demises of commercial boy bands aren't a product of personal dysfunction at all, but rather, of their artistic health — evidence that they're composed of living, breathing human beings, rather than attractive androids positioned in the right spots on a music video set. If a group of kids in The Jonas Brothers' position forge ahead cheerfully into the complex chaos of their twenties without craving autonomy from each other or Disney's iron fist, someone should probably check under their curls for lobotomy scars.

"I think it was a combination of humility, and just being scared that it was all going to disappear." — Nick Jonas

"It really took the last six, seven years to figure out who we were as people and what kind of music we wanted to make." Nick says. He mentions tactfully that "a lot of young performers find this transition into adulthood really challenging," and implies pushing the bounds of their wholesome, juvenile aesthetic while still operating as The Jonas Brothers might not have been pretty: "If we had continued to try to push things forward the way we were operating, it might have been difficult. Perhaps we would have had to make bolder statements... shocked people into understanding who we are. I think the world is more accepting of us as adults than they would have been if we insisted, 'This is who we are now, accept us.'"

If they hadn't abandoned their spot at the top, and taken the time to grow up and chill out, avoiding many of the more excruciating personal and professional pitfalls of young pop stardom, The Jonas Brothers might have found themselves somewhat tragic figures in 2019, doomed to a career mired in nostalgia. Instead Nick, Kevin and Joe are having the time of their lives on their prodigal pop homecoming. I doubt they'd have this moment if they'd staged their return, however, by attempting to make the world see them as more than "just a boy band." With no ambitions beyond "trying to bottle happiness" and bringing "positive vibes to the world," as Nick explains of the album title inspiration, The Jonas Brothers, against the odds, have plucked themselves out of our "Week in 2009" column and earned a place in the living, breathing cultural fabric of 2019.

Maybe the key is simply prioritizing what's always been at the core of The Jonas Brothers: the fans — their palates and desires, giving them new lyrics to tattoo on their ankles, Easter eggs to mine for the details of their lives, and concerts to scream at with their friends.

"The reunion... felt like getting my best friend back after a long time," one fan, whose handle is @jonasbr0, says on Twitter. Another, whose display handle reads "Kat LOVES the Jonas Brothers," claims "I'm the most excited that anyone has ever been about anything," revealing "When I graduated high school I decorated my cap to say "I'd rather be at a Jonas Brothers concert." "Their music has brought some of my best friends into my life. We've all grown up together with the boys" says @taylaxo, whose pinned Tweet is a photo of herself in a sweatshirt printed with a Tweet from Joe announcing the reunion.

Nick muses, "The best part of this go around, is the fact that those fans have lived with our records for so many years that they're part of their lives, and they're really meaningful to them. We can feel that energy. All those years of fearing it was going to disappear are now kind of..." he trails off. 

Source: PAPER Magazine

[searchingwardrobes]

Natural Opposite: Re-post 4/16

Finally, my last re-post!

I know I sound like a broken record, but I seriously had the best beta in @distant-rose. Especially considering how busy she is. She took being my beta seriously and helped me make this story ten times better. Thank you, Ro!

I also had the best artist in @optomisticgirl. I mean, how did I get so blessed with these two? Her art for this chapter blew me away. I never expected a picset of their “first meeting” routine, and seeing it come to life was such a gift! You can see it here and also check out her art for Chapter Two

Summary: Dance is more than Emma Swan’s career; it’s practically saved her life on more than one occasion. But when it comes to reality TV shows, she’s always danced in the shadows of her twin brother David and her sister Elsa. Her first season as a pro on Dancing With the Stars was a disaster, and she enters her second season determined to prove herself. All she needs is a good partner. Hollywood bad boy and ladies’ man Killian Jones isn’t what she had in mind.

Rating: M for mature themes, steamy dance routines, and sexy times (But NOT smut)

Trigger warnings: discussions of online solicitation of a minor, bullying, statutory rape, and emotionally abusive/controlling relationships; stalking; anti-Rumbelle, anti-Neal

Can also be read on Ao3

Tagging: (let me know if you want to be added to my tag list) @snowbellewells @kmomof4 @jennjenn615 @kday426 @bethacaciakay @teamhook @whimsicallyenchantedrose @snidgetsafan @delirious-latenight-laughs @winterbaby89 @followbatb @onceuponaprincessworld @hollyethecurious @ohmakemeahercules @sambethe

 Chapter Four: Light it Up

Emma felt that familiar pre-performance fluttering in her stomach. She bounced on the balls of her feet and chewed on her bottom lip; habits that Ingrid had always teased her about. The lights of the studio were shining hotly down on the dance floor, and the crowd was pumped.

“So,” Killian said at her elbow, “is it normal for me to feel like I’m about to throw up?”

He gave her that usual charming smile, but he also looked slightly pale under his heavy makeup. The tips of his ears had also turned red. The past few weeks teaching him the choreography had been difficult, but not in the way Emma had expected. She thought it would be filled with Killian’s constant flirting and her barely contained aggression. Instead, after that awkward fall, things had been rather cold and professional. If Emma were completely honest with herself, she would admit to throwing up a wall. She didn’t care if Regina hit the roof; she had decided to be a strictly professional dance teacher and nothing more. Ratings and votes be damned. Even more surprising was that Killian seemed to take her lead, pulling back from his attempts at banter and flirting.

She looked over at him now and attempted to give him an encouraging smile. “I’ve been doing this since I was a kid, and I still get nervous. But surely you’ve felt the same before as an actor.”

Killian shuffled his feet then scratched behind his ear; a gesture she had already learned was a nervous tic. “I confess, nerves are a normal part of my profession, but this . . . this is quite different.”

She took a deep breath, then reached over to take his hand. They needed to play up their partnership for the audience soon anyway, they may as well start now. “You know the choreography perfectly. Now it’s time to just enjoy the performance.”

He glanced at their joined hands with slight surprise, then smiled tentatively. “Thank you, Swan.” Then he cocked an eyebrow at her. “And I am blessed with the most beautiful partner. Have I told you how incredibly sexy you look?”

Emma pulled her hand away, crossing her arms firmly over her chest. “You know, every time I think you’re being genuine, you go and say things like that.”

His eyes went suddenly wide as he put a hand to his chest. “You wound me, Swan. I’m being one hundred percent sincere, I mean, look at you.”

Emma rolled her eyes and smacked him lightly in the chest. The costuming department had stuck with his usual look, putting him in a filmy red dress shirt, open half way down his chest. His pants were simple black dress pants. Emma was in a short sequined number with a red pattern of flames shooting up across the nude fabric covering her chest and arms. They were dancing to “Light it Up” by Major Lazer.

Suddenly a strong hand clapped onto both Emma and Killian’s shoulders. Emma turned, her face brightening to see her twin brother standing there.

“Just wanted to wish my little sister luck,” David teased.

Emma shook her head as she gave him a side hug, “Only little by three minutes.”

Killian reached out to shake David’s hand. “Reminds me of my older brother Liam. Always calling me little brother, even now.”

“Good luck to you too, Killian. I like what I saw of you two in dress rehearsal. I’m glad my sister finally got a great partner.”

Emma could tell that Killian appreciated the compliment by the way his blue eyes widened a fraction and lit up. “That’s encouraging praise indeed! Any tips I need to know? I must confess, I’ve never watched the show.”

“Well,’ David told him, pointing to three people chatting at the other end of the backstage area, “you have to be prepared for the judges remarks. Votes matter more, of course, but the viewers can be swayed by what they say, and no one wants a low judges’ score. Tiana is a former dancer with the New York City ballet. She’s more on our side because she knows how hard our job is. She’s big on the performance factor. Then there’s Blue.”

“You mean Marilyn Blue?”

David and Emma both snorted at the same time.

“No,” David corrected, “it’s just Blue. Trust me. Maybe Madame Blue. She’s the most notoriously famous teacher and judge in ballroom dancing. She’s old fashioned, picky, and she hates gimmicks and props. Fortunately, the audience a lot of times loves the very things she hates. But getting a high score from her is extremely difficult.”

“And what about that last guy. He looks like he’d be one of Hook’s crew on my show.”

“Yeah,” David agreed, “or a member of an 80s hair band. Name’s Edward Teach. He’s choreographed some of the most famous music videos from the late 80s until the early 2000s, and like any choreographer, he’s arrogant and rude.”

Emma shook her head, “Half the time he seems bored out of his mind.”

“Or possibly stoned,” David put in, to which Emma nodded. “He also loves the women, hates the men.”

“So . . . “ Killian said nervously, “no pressure.”

David just slapped him on the back and then walked back over to his own partner, who looked as if she may burst into tears at any moment. Killian watched the fifteen year old for a moment, and then said, “Well, if that little lass can do it, so can I. Right?”

Emma took his hand again. “Right.”

Just then, the studio audience burst into roaring applause as the group number they had all shot earlier in the week played on the jumbotron above the stage. It had been shot on a Disney backlot and choreographed to the song “Dancing in the Streets.” The pro dancers shimmied their way through a fake “town,” picking up celebrity partners along the way. Killian was the last celebrity “revealed.” He and Emma “met” in a bookstore where she found him reading a copy of JM Barrie’s Peter Pan. She was surprised how much it looked like an actual meet-cute: Emma spinning and bumping into Killian, causing him to drop his book in surprise. Hopefully that kind of chemistry would come across in their live dance as well.

As expected, Killian’s reveal caused ear-splitting screams from the studio audience, despite the fact that their partnership had been revealed on YouTube a month ago. Then the couples walked out on stage one at a time as the host and hostess, Marco Carpenter and Ashley Herman, announced them. Once again, Emma and Killian were announced last, and they would be the last to dance as well. They both tried to relax in the cast balcony and even cheer on the rest of the cast, but it all seemed to go by in a sort of haze. She remembered David and his partner, the Disney channel star, being absolutely adorable in a sweet waltz. She cheered like crazy for Elsa, who practically lit up the dance floor with her wounded Marine, Graham, in a cha cha cha.

“They’ve got really good chemistry,” Killian whispered in her ear, and Emma had to agree.

But there were awkward moments, too. Merlin’s dance partner was Cora Heart, the matriarch of a reality show family. She was not only awkward but way too handsy with Merlin. Ariel’s partner Archie was a sweet former child star now all grown up, but he forgot half his choreography. If Emma had to pick the two celebrities going home in the first elimination, it would be them.

Then, finally, it was her turn to dance the samba with Killian. They took their place on the dance floor while the jumbotron behind them showed a video package of their first meeting and their rehearsals. The editing team did a great job, making it seem as if Emma and Killian had shared many hugs and smiles. They even edited Killian’s flirting to make it seem like Emma was rolling her eyes or smacking his chest in a playful manner instead of an irritated way, eliciting laughs from the audience. Of course, they ended with their fall at their first practice, editing out Emma’s abrupt departure. A blush stained Emma’s cheeks as the audience whistled and hooted.

Behind her, Killian placed his hands gently on her shoulders, “You okay, love?”

Emma just nodded, suppressing the urge to shrug him off. “Sure. Just ready to do this, you know?”

Killian gave her shoulders a squeeze in reply.

“And now,” the announcer intoned, “dancing the samba with his partner Emma, Killian Jones.”

The music started, and just as it always did, it sent Emma to another mental plane. She poured herself into the dance, channeling her joy raising Henry, her freedom when she danced, her love for David and Elsa, her gratitude for everything Ingrid had done for all of them. Every time she danced, she drew on all of it.

The thing was, that last season with Leroy, that hadn’t worked. How could she lose herself in the music and in her own soul when she was trying to guide an awkward novice through a routine he couldn’t remember? But with Killian, it wasn’t like that. He seemed to be lost in the music as much as she was, the choreography coming as second nature. She already knew he was a great actor, so she wasn’t surprised at the intense looks he gave her as he ran his hand down her side or the way he buried his face in the crook of her neck when he yanked her close after dipping her. When they finished, the crowd went wild, and in her relief and enthusiasm, Emma threw her arms around his neck and gave him a tight hug. They then turned to the judges, grinning broadly, their arms still around one another.

Emma had been following Dancing With the Stars for years, even before auditioning for So You Think You Can Dance. She knew exactly what to expect from each judge, especially the first week. So she wasn’t surprised by Tiana’s gushing praise for their chemistry and level of performance. Neither was she shocked when Tiana said they needed to find a deeper connection; she pretty much always said that in the early weeks. Also as expected, Blue was happy with the straight forward samba choreography, then gave a laundry list of things Killian needed to work on. Things Emma already knew; his incorrect frame, how he didn’t bend his knees quite low enough or reach quite far enough with his arms, nothing Emma wasn’t planning on tackling anyway. Teach was always the wild card, but it still didn’t shock Emma when he shrugged and noncommittally said that it was “a decent performance for the first week.” She didn’t let herself get excited yet, though. The judges were always nicest on the first night. They had even managed to find positive comments for Leroy last season.

But when they got sevens from all three judges, Emma’s heart soared with elation; it was an incredibly high score for week one. As a matter of fact, it was the highest score of the night, one point higher than Elsa and Graham and two points higher than David and Violet. Emma couldn’t believe it; she had gone from the lowest scoring pro last season to winning the night. She tried to temper her emotions, after all, they had a long way to go, but she squealed in delight. Killian grabbed her in a side hug, lifting her an inch off the ground, and Emma threw her arms around his neck. The mirror ball trophy seemed more than a dream after the way they just danced.

Since Emma and Killian danced last, there wasn’t enough time for a post score interview with Ashley. Emma was relieved, worried that the hostess would bring up that embarrassing tumble in rehearsals. Once the show wrapped, the pros huddled together, encouraging the ones who got low scores and praising the ones who did well. Meanwhile, Killian was swept along with the other celebrities, who were all gushing about his high scoring dance.

Emma was surprised when she stepped out of her trailer to find Killian waiting for her. Emma pushed her hair, still stiff with hairspray, off her face and tucked it behind her ears. She bit her lip, feeling a bit self-conscious for some reason about her pink forehead and cheeks, freshly scrubbed of all stage makeup. Killian grinned up at her as she descended the trailer steps. When she reached the bottom, she swallowed awkwardly, fiddling with the zipper of her hoodie. Why was she suddenly feeling awkward around him? All of the hand-holding and hugging had only been for the cameras. And the nuzzling, and the caressing . . . . Ugh, what was wrong with her? She had done all of those things with plenty of partners over the years. On SYTYCD, she had even kissed a partner once as part of a routine. That dance had even gotten over a million views on YouTube, and she still didn’t feel nervous around that guy.

“So, Swan,” Killian said, “have I proven myself?”

Emma masked her nervousness with a half smile as she cocked her head to study him. “I don’t know, Jones. Maybe this week’s choreography was me going easy on you.”

Killian’s eyebrows arched slightly. “Oh really?” He leaned into her personal space. “And are you flirting with me?”

His close proximity had Emma swallowing nervously as she wet her lips. She thought back to their dance earlier and Killian’s intense gaze, his hands grasping her waist and ghosting down her thigh. Get a grip, Emma!

She rolled her eyes. “You wish.” She brushed past him and headed for the parking lot. She glanced over her shoulder and called back to him, “8 am sharp. We’ll see how cocky you are then.”

[onestowatch]

Obsessed with The Jonas Brothers Reunion? Here are 7 Ones To Know

“S.O.S...” The Jonas Brothers are back, baby! It looks like we didn’t have to wait until the “Year 3000” for them to reunite after all because our favorite childhood trio is making a surprise comeback much earlier than we expected. Comprised of three beloved brothers, The Jonas Brothers formed in 2005 and immediately recorded “Please Be Mine,” which led to their monumental signing with Columbia Records.

Proud of their family name, Joe, Kevin, and Nick initially considered naming their pop group “Sons of Jonas,” but they later settled on the memorable Jonas Brothers instead. The undeniable heartthrobs of the 2000s spent the latter half of their teenage years in the recording studio, starring in their own Disney Channel television series, and touring across the world with some of their generation’s finest pop stars--including Jesse McCartney, the Backstreet Boys, and The Cheetah Girls.

With catchy radio hits like “Burnin’ Up” and “Lovebug,” it’s nearly impossible for us to pick a favorite old school JoBros track, and now they’ve made things even more difficult by treating us to a brand new 2019 single, “Sucker.” A decade after their GRAMMY nomination for Best New Artist and six long years after their devastating split, the Jonas Brothers have joined forces once again to reignite our undying love of classic boy bands. With a forthcoming album and an upcoming documentary with Amazon Studios confirmed, we have one simple message for the Jonas Brothers: we’re most definitely “Still in Love With You.”

Regardless of who is your favorite Jonas sibling, here are seven rising artists you need to know if you’re obsessed with the Jonas Brothers:

A R I Z O N A

Before you ask; no, A R I Z O N A isn’t from the Grand Canyon State, but their electro-pop bangers are actually quite suitable for long cruises along towering canyons and dusty highways. The New Jersey trio formed in 2015 and quickly signed to Atlantic Records, where they released their debut album, GALLERY, which features their hit song “Oceans Away.” During a 2017 interview with us, A R I Z O N A reflected on the exquisite record, “Because we didn’t have some high-concept album, we actually named it ‘GALLERY.’ For us, all these songs have real touch points in our lives, and so it’s us on display.” Start falling in love with their impressive discography now and buy your tickets to their upcoming Find Someone tour presented by yours truly.

COIN

Actively defying their native Nashville’s stereotypical country music scene, COIN has taken it upon themselves to create infectious indie-pop jams that’ll get you dancing like nobody’s watching. With two incredible full-length albums to their name, COIN definitely deserves to be on your radar if you adore dancey melodies and enthusiastic instrumentals--especially their notable 2017 track, “Talk Too Much.” Their recent single, “Simple Romance” explores the process of falling in love, emphasizing the mind-boggling chemistry of an enticing connection. A penny for our thoughts? We bet COIN’s bubbly personality (as you can grasp in our 2018 tour preview video) will convince you to add them to your playlists immediately.

flor

The Portuguese translation for “flower,” flor is an indie-pop band from Hood River, Oregon, comprised of close friends who came together as energetic teenagers to create genre-bending music about heartache and anxiety. flor’s remarkable debut album, come out. you’re hiding dreams up an intensely cinematic take on synth-driven alt-pop. On their latest adrenaline-pumping single, “get behind this,” frontman Zach Grace shared, “We were fortunate to spend a lot of 2018 in the studio, and couldn’t wait until next year to start sharing new music. ‘get behind this’ has been one of our favorite songs to perform live for a while now, and we’re so happy to release it as a single.” Revisit flor’s All Eyes On performance of “Rely” and our 2018 interview with the indie-pop geniuses.

Knox Hamilton

A pop rock band who met in a Little Rock, Arkansas church, Knox Hamilton takes pride in providing comfort through cheerful lyrics, uplifting bells, and crushing synthesizers in their euphoric discography. Their celebrated debut album, The Heights, differs from their most recent effort, Beach Boy (EP 2018), which is drenched with warm instrumentals and comforting vocals all around. In a 2016 interview with us, Knox Hamilton discussed their pure intentions with listeners’ responses to their pleasant music, “We want them to feel uplifted. We try not to be a big downer all the time. We’re probably considered composers of euphoria, so you can call us euphoric composers.”

lovelytheband

lovelytheband makes it their mission to create a lasting connection with their dedicated audience by holding nothing back when it comes to translating emotions and anxieties into lively pop anthems. Their captivating debut single, “broken,” has captured the appreciative hearts of millions worldwide as lovelytheband shares their honest perspective on insecurities while maintaining an inviting aura supported by high-pitched synthesizers and calming percussion. Spend some time going through their touching discography and sing along to their encouraging tunes at their upcoming the finding it hard to smile tour.

The Faim

The Faim (French for “the hunger”) is an alternative rock band from Perth, Australia, that seeks inspiration from established names like Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, and Metallica. When The Faim first got their first big break in Los Angeles, they found themselves tirelessly writing and recording two songs per day in the studio. On their musical journey, The Faim shared, “The best part is that this is only the beginning. The story is just starting. There’s so much left to do and we can’t wait.” Revisit The Faim’s phenomenal All Eyes On performance of “Summer Is a Curse.”

The Hunna

With roots that bury themselves deep in the urgency of rock and a sound that’s dappled with a carefree indie aesthetic, The Hunna wants you to take a leaf out of their book, let go of your inhibitions and be young, be free, and be whoever the hell you want to be. The British alternative rock band has two astounding full-length records to speak for themselves, and their teeth-clenching vocals and grappling guitar flicks definitely don’t disappoint. With their highly-anticipated new album, Dare (LP 2018), The Hunna is back at it again with thrilling tunes about life and love as they continue to grow as a band and individuals.

[goofygoldengirl]

Why You Should Be Grateful That Miraculous Ladybug Is Out Now Instead Of 2008

Ok buckle up kids cause this is gonna be a long one and its gonna get wordy and grandma might ramble a bit. Fellow old timers feel free to chime in if I missed anything.

Disney Channel? You Mean Sh*ty Channel!  

Most of you were too young to remember this but from about 2006-2012, before the advent of Phineas and Ferb and Gravity Falls, no one over the age of about twelve point five would ever admit to liking anything on the Disney Channel. Yes that’s right the Disney Channel, the literal embodiment of what might happen to you if you took about fifty cups of Red Bull mixed in with exactly 50 packets of Splenda. Edgy tweens and even edgier teens across despised The Disney Channel with all they, no we, had. Its shows and unfortunate stars were the butt of every single joke, degraded in ways that probably would not be cool now, and boy oh boy if you actually watched The Disney Channel you kept it on the down low. Considering that Miraculous Ladybug is now being distributed by Disney when not on Netflix, the hypothetical switch from Nick to Disney would have been the show’s death sentence. Don’t believe me? Look what happened to Naruto when it moved from Cartoon Network to Disney.

I Will Go Down With This Ship And You All Are Going Down With Me! 

If you think the whole love square plus bonus Kagami and Luka are riling up the fans then oh boy I have some news for you. Ten years ago would have been TEN MILLION times worse. This was back when the Twilight craze just kicked off and let me tell you the dynamics of the Edward/Bella/Jacob triangle made its way into fandoms everywhere. Multishipping and polyamory did not exist. You had your OTP sail or sink til the end and damn every single motherf*er that got in your way. Another shipper? Start an argument on your site of choice and watch it blow up to epic proportions as others joined in. Sometimes your hatred was so strong that you resorted to creating immature anti shipping fanart and fanfic with a long detailed description on how much that ship sucked. If there was rival love interest in canon? Vilified beyond reason in fanworks. If they had no bad traits, ka pam! Let’s create one. Already a bit of a jerk? Now they’re the devil and should go to hell. Especially if said character was female, because hey the average teenage girl back in 2008 had a sh*tton of internalized misogyny. And how you said would this apply to Miraculous Ladybug if it came out ten years ago? There would be intense infighting among the shippers of the love square itself. You had to pick one side and stay with it, even if they’re both the same two people. And don’t get me started on all the love triangle AMVS that would feature Adrienette feat  Kagami and Luka. There would be dozens of: Thinking of You by Katy Perry, My World by SR-71, or Facedown by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

Click Out and Close The Laptop! 

Ok let’s be mature about this guys. Once a show gets an audience with a demographic of teen and up, certain fanworks (they used to be called lemons) will pop up. Back in 2008, it wasn’t common knowledge to most teenagers that it was highly illegal to depict explicit underage smut. Most sites did not have a good filtering system, and even if you weren’t one of those people lying about your age to gain access to mature content, the likelihood that you’d stumble upon something you didn’t expect, want, or prepared to see was very high. However, with that being said, most people then, like now upon finding out that Adrien and Marinette are both 14, would agree that our lovestruck duo are way too young to even consider engaging in activity beyond kissing.

It’S NoT A PHASE MoM!

2008-2009 was the height of emo and scene. If you happened to not be what most media consider to be in the “popular crowd” at your school, then you knew someone who was and get acquainted with the music, looks, and all that goes along with it. And if you have a character who dresses like a cat, wears black, and looks edgy enough for you, Ladybug would get sidelined to the point where everyone believes that Chat Noir is the main character. Or even better: Adrien himself gets sidelined because he looks too preppy and because he’s not sad enough. And oh that’s not even touching upon the sh*tstorm that would happen once Luka would get introduced. You think everyone is fawning over Luka now? Ten years ago there would be no escaping from him. Everyone and their OC would have been paired up with Luka because there is actually a hot emo guy on tv. If the creators decided to poll the fans and ask who they thought was the most attractive dude, Luka would be in the first three spots. Any episode without Luka would be deemed to be unwatchable. Deviantart stamps with Luka that flash song lyrics from Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, My Chemical Romance, Evanescence, Hawthorne Heights, Linkin Park, AFI, Green Day, and all the other bands I wish I could add but can’t would take up the bio on everyone’s deviant art page. Someone would photoshop Luka’s head on Gerard Way’s body and call it the sexiest thing that ever existed. I am serious dudes, you should be glad it’s not 2008. I’ve been there.

And that’s the end folks. Excuse me while I reach for my glass of wine and drain it.

[destressjournal]

DCOM Rankings #95: How to Build a Better Boy

Okay this movie was really cute! It’s has a couple problems but it was really cute!

So I thought I was really going to be comparing this to pixel perfect, and it turns out these movies are actually pretty different, however, I can just explain their similarities and get that out of the way first. Cuz it’s funnnnn.

Okay. So I think the intention behind the creation of the non-human perfect being is the same in both movies. The main character (who is a literal genius I mean they have to be), has an idea in their head of the perfect boy/girl and tries to create a digital version of that. The difference is that in Pixel perfect, the main dude creates her for a specific purpose and ends up realizing that he was in love with her and that he programmed her with all the things about a girl he thought was perfect. In this movie, Mae just got rejected (by an idiot), and was hurt and started going on and on about her dream date night and got carried away. Didn’t think that she was creating an actual robot.

The second main comparison is what the purpose of the robot/hologram was. For pixel perfect, the main guy created her just to fill in for a singer/dancer in his friend’s band, (but also to create the perfect girl because he always found flaws in every girl he was interested in). For this movie, the original purpose of the robot was an army soldier that could kill in seconds if he wanted to. But was instead created as Mae’s ideal perfect boyfriend that was overloaded with information. (Like, I don’t understand how that didn’t backfire, he still came out totally perfect)

But honestly I really love both concepts in both movies, even if they are slightly different!

But when the movie gets going, it takes a different approach to discussing perfection that I also enjoy. While pixel perfect focuses on living up to impossible expectations via music industry/Hollywood standards, this movie takes a more personal approach from the viewpoint of a middle/high schooler. Like, how fantasies are fantasies for a reason, and how one person can’t be everything all of the time, and no matter how hard you try to bring your vision to life, real life is still going to happen.

The point of both movies is that perfection is unattainable. People are flawed and make mistakes. That’s how real life works. And if you try to look for one person that checks every single one of your giant list of boxes, you’re going to miss out on people that genuinely like you. If anyone is “perfect” they are either lying, a robot solider, or a hologram. Everyone has shit they’re dealing with. EVERYONE!

Okay I’ll stop making the comparisons now!

The story I feel progressed very realistically. Mae and Gabby were best friends until Mae realized she wanted to pursue a romantic relationship with boys, but never told Gabby because gabby was all about keeping the duo together and had a life plan spelled out. And I can tell you from personal experience I KNOW how Mae feels in this situation. She doesn’t want to upset her friend and wants to keep the friend ship but is worried if she starts having interests besides math and science, their friendship would be over.

I’m going through something similar with my friend. Not going into details though but I’m just saying that’s realistic. And even when Mae finds out the boy she created was just a robot, and she didn’t care, at first I was like wtf? But after I thought about it, we are talking about a teenage girl who just fell in love with the dude because he is EXACTLY, as close as the fucking tee will get, the kind of guy Mae wants. There is literally no one else that’s going to top him because he is made specifically for her. And if that’s the best that she can get, then why look for anything else. Love (or in this case, infatuation) will make people do crazy things….

Can I just take a second to be like wtf no kissing again??? I mean come on Disney channel! maybe cloud 9 was the last movie to feature a kiss?? I have no idea what these censors are about man, but it’s really confusing. Haha maybe I’ll make a game out of it for the rest of these movies. It’s weird there are only like 15 left…

Okay back on topic.

I like pretty much all of the characters. And the funny ones like the dad and the brother were actually funny, like they were cringey but just the right amount of cringey that doesn’t take away from the characters. I even laughed out loud at a scene, which that hasn’t happened in a long time.

The villains were the only thing I had an issue with just because I thought they would be a much bigger threat. But nah they were apprehended like 20 minutes before the movie ended. and that was that. Kinda wish they were a bigger deal. But other than that everyone else was great! The popular girl was annoying but not AS annoying as the one in Zapped. That was pretty cringe let me tell you! But the two leads were great together. I do feel that Gabby was pushed off to the side a little bit though, I mean I get that was the whole story was her getting sidelined because of Albert but I feel like she still should have had a little more depth to her character and more of a spotlight. But that’s just me I guess.

Can we talk about mae’s outfits though? Who the hell was her costume designer? And why do the outfits on Disney channel shows/movies have to be so complicated and almost ugly? Like NO ONE wears these kinds of things to school on a regular basis. Gabby’s outfits, maybe, but Mae’s, like she’s a literal alien from another planet wearing these things. Why do people think these outfits look good? Ugh. I remember when people would wear dresses over t-shirts, oh wait, no I don’t!

Rant over. But anyway, I felt pretty invested throughout the whole thing, even toward the end when Mae’s first kiss was set up. I thought that was really clever because it only further illiustrates the fact that these things have to be planned ahead of time and are fabricated. It’s all for show, none of it was real, and deep down Mae knew that which is why she didn’t kiss Albert. But I will admit that scene had me glued to the screen. It has similar kids the girl vibes from little mermaid.

I’m also SO SO SO happy that Mae did the right thing and stayed with her best friend the rest of the night instead of hanging out with the boy that wanted to ask her out the first time. I was so worried that would be the case but nope, she cares about her best friend and many years of friendship more than one boy that she recently met. That’s a lesson for all you young hetero girls and women out there! Friends are always more important than dumb boys. And this movie gets it right. But it was also sweet how gabby was like “sorry for putting pressure on you” and now it feels like Mae can talk to gabby about anything. If a friend is bullying you into doing something you don’t wanna do, you need to set boundaries! And also dump them if it gets worse.

In some ways I think this movie is better than pixel perfect because it gets its characters so right. But the theme in pixel perfect is so much better and deeper and the music is better. Oh my god that ukulele cover of I love you like a love song by Selena Gomez. That was also kind of cringe but I can’t pretend that I never dreamed about my crush serenading me on guitar or uke. So….fuck you disney channel for getting into my 13-14 year old mind and making this movie.

How would this score against pixel perfect though? I think I gave that one a B+. Oh boy…I think this movie might be A range…because the here is nothing I outright hated about this movie. Nothing frustrating, hardly any flaws. Oh man…am I really doing this to pixel perfect…? I think I am. I don’t think I’ll give it a plus though. Just a regular A. I know I wouldn’t wanna watch this all the time.

Wow that was shocking I scored this movie higher, but I guess when it comes to technicalities, this one came out on top. Now for the next movie, it stars the girl from ally….something…oh man I don’t remember the show name but it has Ross lynch in the show. But he’s not in this one. Anyway yeah this one might be a cringe for me just cuz of the title but we’ll see!

[thelarryficrecplace]

Any youtuber aus?

Hello! Enjoy:

From Eight Until Late, I Think About You by supernope:

Summary: After finding out that his University of Brighton roommate has a YouTube channel, Harry starts up his own channel, on which he posts videos of himself doing weekly challenges. He strikes up a friendship with Louis, a popular youtuber in London, that starts in the comments on their videos and progresses to texting, skyping, and talking about each other in their own videos far too often. They fall for each other long-distance, but put off meeting face-to-face as long as possible, too nervous that they’ll screw it all up.

Involves a bunch of YouTube challenges (AKA excuses for Harry to get naked), some awkward snapchat mishaps, and a whole lot of pining.

Word count: 35,227

Everyone Can See (You’re Perfect for Me) by salutedeluxe:

Summary: Youtubers Au. Harry and Louis are best friends, roomates, and a duet. They might also be soulmates, they just have to figure it out.

Word count: 23,816

kiss me on the mouth and set me free by suspendrs:

Summary: He moves on to Twitter next, where things get marginally weirder. His newsfeed is full of tweets about someone called Larry, and that apparently everyone is trying to ship him somewhere. There are a good amount of people though, mostly his hardcore gamer fans and ones with little crushes on him, that are screaming about how this Larry guy is gross.

Fifteen minutes of scrolling tells Louis that Larry Stylinson isn’t a person, but instead a combination of his and Harry’s names. The people that are claiming to ‘ship it’ are apparently rooting for them to get together, which. Okay.

Or, Louis is a gamer and Harry is a beauty guru, and VidCon is a good place to fall in love.

Word count: 17,335

MARRIED FOR A WEEK?! by gravitycentered:

Summary: Hi guys :) You might recognize Harry from one or two of my old videos .. I was tagged in the Married for a week challenge so I asked him to be my husband ! We had to live together for a week and take each other out on a couple romantic dates and that, check out the video to see how it went :) Give it a like if you enjoyed and maybe subscribe if you haven’t already. Love you all- Louis x

Word count: 20,424

As if No One Knows Anything but Us by whathappenedinwellington:

Summary: YouTuber Louis watches Beauty Vlogger Harry’s coming out video.

Word count: 10,584

cause all i wanna be is somebody to you by nouiiam:

Summary: There’s things in life that look better when you see them up close and in person. The Eiffel Tower, the Big Ben, Disney World, a favorite band in concert, even. Louis’s seen all of those things and they were much, much better in person. But Harry Styles, he tops them all.

or– the one where Louis’s a YouTuber that gets to interview Pop Star Harry Styles

Word count: 14,442

can i be him? by amory:

Summary: Louis is twenty years old and has been waiting for his soulmate and true love to come along since the day he was born. Harry is an eighteen year old youtuber who is skeptical of soulmates and the pressure of being the person someone else has been dreaming of their entire lives.

They meet at Playlist Live

Word count: 29,215

You Always Seem To Bring Me Light. by sinisterist:

Summary: He jumps when he feels a hand stroking his hair lightly. “I love it like this,” Louis murmurs, reaching to tug a wayward curl.

“Love what like this?”

“Your hair.” Louis’ touch is hesitant, almost reverent, all trace of humour gone now. “When it’s still kind of damp but the ends are dry and curl up like corkscrews. It’s supposed to look gross but it doesn’t.” He pauses before continuing quietly. “Your curls are so lovely.”

Harry swallows. Louis is a hurricane, and amidst his whirlwind of emotions, he slowly says; deliberately says, “So are you.” 

In a world where YouTuber baker Harry pines for the (inconveniently taken) Louis. In other words, another YouTuber AU.

Word count: 18,604

Speechless by mewmewgodess:

Summary: It was due to unfortunate circumstances that Louis had to start doing Youtube videos, trying his best to make ends meet for a charity he wouldn’t have started if he’d had any other choice. It was by chance that he caught the attention of one Harry Styles, member of One Direction and the only boy in the world to ever make him speechless.

One awful knock knock joke and everything goes downhill from there.

Word count: 39,481

Kiss Me With Adventure (‘Til I Forget My Name) by Summer_roses:

Summary: Harry is the big new thing in the music industry and in a mad search to find a makeup artist before his first ever world tour kicks off. Louis is an internet famous beauty guru/YouTuber who drinks too much tea and a habit of cursing excessively. When a fan tweets Harry the link to Louis’ YouTuber channel it starts something neither of them could have ever imagined.

Word count: 31,910

[aion-rsa]

Dash & Lily: What’s Up With That Bonkers Nick Jonas Cameo?

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

In the final episode of Netflix’s YA Christmas romance Dash & Lily, the Jonas Brothers have what (at first) seems to be a straightforward cameo. The ever-earnest Boomer is at their outdoor New Year’s Eve concert at Hudson Yards, so too-cool-for-school Dash has to show up in order to apologize to his best friend. The JoBros play “Like it’s Christmas,” their upbeat holiday song from last year (this year’s tune is a slow jam) while Dash apologizes for being a jerk. Boomer forgives him and forgoes the rest of the concert to help Dash plan his grand gesture.

And that’s where things go a little off the rails.

Dash, Boomer, and all of their friends, including Priya, Sofia, and the Challah Back Boys, need to get away from the loud music of the concert to plan how Dash will apologize to Lily and woo her back. They go to a quiet spot courtesy of the Challah Back Boys, which just so happens to be Nick Jonas’s trailer. If that weren’t odd enough, after a few minutes of Sofia breaking down what’s wrong with men treating women like damsels in distress (she really is the gender and relationships MVP of this show), none other Nick Jonas himself comes in. I guess the concert is just done now? Or they’re doing a song without him? Or it’s a very long break?

Nick’s entrance is marked with a softened record scratch, so the show is at least somewhat aware that it’s deeply weird for this to be happening. Boomer and Sofia look a bit surprised, but only Priya brings a normal human level of holy shit to the proceedings, bouncing in her chair and saying, “This is his trailer?!”

And yet, music superstar Nick Jonas is not shocked and upset to find several teens have broken into his trailer. Instead, he’s actually sympathetic to their cause. Nick agrees with the wise Sofia that Dash should go to Lily as himself rather than trying to rescue her. “When I proposed, I had to dig deep and get vulnerable—”

It looks like a lightbulb practically goes off in Dash’s brain because he cuts Nick Jonas off and the group leaves, as Nick tells them he wasn’t done with his story yet. Dash hugs him, tells him he was perfect, and says “thank you Nick Jonas,” as one would have to do in that situation, and Priya valiantly tries to stay. After they’re gone, poor Nick Jonas looks about as baffled as I feel, shaking his head like wtf did I just experience?

And then no one ever mentions it again. Not to Lily or each other, like it was a collective hallucination or some kind of fever dream.

So what the heck was that and why did it happen? Eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed a familiar name in the credits of sweet new Christmas favorite Dash & Lily: Nick Jonas is an executive producer. The show is the first from the youngest Jonas’s new production company, Image 32.

Loyal Jonas fans will of course remember Nick from his Disney days, which Dash & Lily references with one of the Challah Back Boys mentioning “we went to Band Camp together.” Winking, of course, toward Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam, the wildly successful Disney Channel original movies starring the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato. Since then, Nick has had stints in Ryan Murphy’s Scream Queens and the new Jumanji franchise.

As an EP, Nick could of course arrange for his band to appear and for his own spotlight moment. But it’s not like his acting career necessarily needs the boost, and the show doesn’t even promote the band’s current Christmas song. The Jonas Brothers cameo and Nick’s more bananas scene would definitely appeal to YA audiences, both actual young adults and grown folks who love YA, but with their cameo a secret until the show’s release, it’s not like they were using the Jonas Brothers as a significant marketing strategy. 

Nick told ET that he and the band filmed their part while they were on their Chasing Happiness tour back in 2019. “We had to jam it in on a show day just before our concert in New Jersey,” Jonas said. “So I owe my brothers a little bit for spending their day off on set with me and Dash & Lily, but they had a great time and it was a fun thing to get done.”

And it turns out the Jonas Brothers weren’t always necessarily going to be included. 

“Shawn Levy, who’s the other executive producer of the show with 21 Laps — we go a long way back with him to the Night at the Museum days, we were the cherubs in that movie. We’ve always tried to think of something we could work on together and he sent this to me and I loved it. He was backstage at one of our shows, while we were already in production on [Dash & Lily]. He came back and we started talking about the show and if there was any way possibly for us to pop up and do something.”

So why did this happen? Reading Nick’s interview, it seems like he wanted to find a way to be more involved, and he actually got pretty emotional reflecting on his proposal to Priyanka Chopra, which sort of adds to the overall romcom effect, even if it’s a weird scene.

“For any person that proposes to their person and, even as confident as self-assured as you can be walking into that situation, it’s still a little nerve-wrecking [sic]. And it should be because it’s a pretty big question,” Jonas said. “It was fun to be able to say that and it was really funny because I’m sitting there going, ‘OK here I am, not much older than these young actors, but here I’m giving this advice.’ Made me feel kind of like, ‘Oh shit I’m getting older and it’s happening.'”

For the record, Dash doesn’t propose to Lily, but we get what you mean, Nick Jonas. Putting yourself out there is hard! Especially for walled-off cynics like Dash.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

There you have it. Our baby Nick Jonas is all grown up and giving advice to fictional teens.

The post Dash & Lily: What’s Up With That Bonkers Nick Jonas Cameo? appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/36C4i9j

[nottooldforthisship]

I'm going thru the social media au rec religiously right now because there are so bomb ass fics on there and now I have an obsession with YouTube au's

so, 1000 years later, I finally answer you ! SORRY !

- From Eight Until Late, I Think About You : After finding out that his University of Brighton roommate has a YouTube channel, Harry starts up his own channel, on which he posts videos of himself doing weekly challenges. He strikes up a friendship with Louis, a popular youtuber in London, that starts in the comments on their videos and progresses to texting, skyping, and talking about each other in their own videos far too often. They fall for each other long-distance, but put off meeting face-to-face as long as possible, too nervous that they'll screw it all up. Involves a bunch of YouTube challenges (AKA excuses for Harry to get naked), some awkward snapchat mishaps, and a whole lot of pining. (35k)

- kiss me on the mouth and set me free :  He moves on to Twitter next, where things get marginally weirder. His newsfeed is full of tweets about someone called Larry, and that apparently everyone is trying to ship him somewhere. There are a good amount of people though, mostly his hardcore gamer fans and ones with little crushes on him, that are screaming about how this Larry guy is gross.  Fifteen minutes of scrolling tells Louis that Larry Stylinson isn’t a person, but instead a combination of his and Harry’s names. The people that are claiming to ‘ship it’ are apparently rooting for them to get together, which. Okay.Or, Louis is a gamer and Harry is a beauty guru, and VidCon is a good place to fall in love. (17k)

- MARRIED FOR A WEEK?!  :  Hi guys :) You might recognize Harry from one or two of my old videos .. I was tagged in the Married for a week challenge so I asked him to be my husband ! We had to live together for a week and take each other out on a couple romantic dates and that, check out the video to see how it went :) Give it a like if you enjoyed and maybe subscribe if you haven't already. Love you all  - Louis x (20k)

- cause all i wanna be is somebody to you : There's things in life that look better when you see them up close and in person. The Eiffel Tower, the Big Ben, Disney World, a favorite band in concert, even. Louis's seen all of those things and they were much, much better in person. But Harry Styles, he tops them all. or--  the one where Louis's a YouTuber that gets to interview Pop Star Harry Styles (14k)

- Finding Lou  : Louis is the nomadic stranger who wanders into Harry’s bookstore. Harry is the skeptic who falls for him. (60k)(technically not a YouTuber AU, but YouTube plays a big part of the plot)

- You Always Seem To Bring Me Light.: He jumps when he feels a hand stroking his hair lightly. “I love it like this,” Louis murmurs, reaching to tug a wayward curl.“Love what like this?”“Your hair.” Louis’ touch is hesitant, almost reverent, all trace of humour gone now. “When it’s still kind of damp but the ends are dry and curl up like corkscrews. It’s supposed to look gross but it doesn’t.” He pauses before continuing quietly. “Your curls are so lovely.”Harry swallows. Louis is a hurricane, and amidst his whirlwind of emotions, he slowly says; deliberately says, “So are you.” In a world where YouTuber baker Harry pines for the (inconveniently taken) Louis. In other words, another YouTuber AU. (18k)

- Let Me Give You My Life  : Gemma has one rule for Louis while he stays with her family at Christmas; not to hook up with her little brother, so of course that's the one thing Louis does. (14k)

- the wonderful part of the mess that we've made : louis is a popular youtuber and he gets his boyfriend harry to agree to do a boyfriend tag video (3.5k)

- Speechless  : It was due to unfortunate circumstances that Louis had to start doing Youtube videos, trying his best to make ends meet for a charity he wouldn't have started if he'd had any other choice. It was by chance that he caught the attention of one Harry Styles, member of One Direction and the only boy in the world to ever make him speechless.One awful knock knock joke and everything goes downhill from there. (40k)

- Chasing the Clouds  : Louis is a youtuber. Harry's obsessed. (7.5k)

- We Could Be A Story In The Morning (But We’ll Be A Legend Tonight) :Louis is a famous Youtuber, British and openly gay, who's finally introducing his boyfriend to his subscribers via Youtube video. Harry's just worried that Louis' fans won't like him. (2.5k)

- As if No One Knows Anything but Us  : YouTuber Louis watches Beauty Vlogger Harry’s coming out video. (10k)

- From The First Note Played: One of the perks of being friends with Dan and Phil is that sometimes they invite Harry to see their celebrity guests.One of the downsides of being friends with Dan and Phil is that sometimes they invite Harry to see their celebrity guests.Specifically, Midnight Memories, Harry's absolute favourite band. Harry is certain he is going to utterly humiliate himself.Except that apparently he did something right, because he keeps running into them, and then Louis invites him to do a collab. If he can just keep from passing out or saying something particularly stupid, maybe he'll somehow be lucky enough to get to call them his friends. (26k)

[latestnews2018-blog]

The Time Proto Zoa From 'Zenon' Was More Popular Than William F**king Shakespeare

New Post has been published on https://latestnews2018.com/the-time-proto-zoa-from-zenon-was-more-popular-than-william-fking-shakespeare/

The Time Proto Zoa From 'Zenon' Was More Popular Than William F**king Shakespeare

Last year Phillip Rhys was touring William Shakespeare’s former residence outside London when he spotted a huddle of whispering girls, but he thought nothing of it.

“Sometimes you kind of know when you’re being recognized,” the former Disney actor admitted, “but because I was in the home of the greatest playwright of all time, I was mildly distracted ― more interested in that.”

By the time he reached the exit, the murmuring was impossible to ignore. “Oh, my God, are you Proto Zoa?” one of the girls asked

He replied “yes,” and “these young American girls” started screaming, he said. “I thought, ‘We’re in the home of William fucking Shakespeare! Let’s honor this moment. Forget Proto Zoa. This is what we should be pulling our hair about.’”

Instead, hair was pulled over a star of “Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century,” a 1999 movie about teens who live on a space station orbiting Earth in 2049. “I go, ‘Oh, isn’t that funny?’” Rhys recalled. “Popular culture trumps the Bard.”

Even after almost two decades, Proto Zoa could still make hearts go boom boom.

Disney; Getty

Phillip Rhys as Proto Zoa in 1999’s “Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century” and in 2011.

So, yes, fans regularly recognize Rhys, who rode a Disney Channel wave to fame like his colleagues Hilary Duff, Bella Thorne and Zac Efron. Playing the movie’s intergalactic rock star character made him, as he put it in an interview with HuffPost, a ”prepubescent Bradley Pitt for the mid-’90s.”

Twenty years later, the mania persists. Ikea cashiers have been known to spontaneously jump over registers to hug him. 

In the time since “Zenon,” Rhys has appeared in roles for TV shows such as “Nip/Tuck” and “24,” has had parts in Steven Spielberg’s “The Adventures of Tintin” and Al Pacino’s “Salome” and directed a short film starring Sandra Oh called “The Scarecrow.”

Now Rhys is starring in Syfy’s upcoming series “Nightflyers,” based on George R.R. Martin’s novella about an ill-fated space voyage. Rhys joins the series as Murphy, a systems engineer who is said to be very busy in the premiere. 

“[Proto Zoa} is back in space years later!” Rhys joked.

His perspective on acting has changed since his Disney days, when screaming fans were the sign of a job well done. “Jobs I get now feel earned, and they seem to fit better with the richer and more diverse life I try and live,” he said. “A life that isn’t about just acting. It’s a much healthier place to come from.”

Part of that more diverse, healthier outlook comes from what has happened in his personal life. He is now married with a son. So you could say Rhys is done looking for his supernova girl. At least he would.

“I found her,” he said with a laugh. “Oh, my God, she chuckles with that.”

During our conversation, Rhys divulged as much as he could about “Nightflyers,” graciously looked back on the “Zenon” franchise and (zetus lapetus!) teased a possible Proto Zoa return. 

What is it like being in space again?

The ship’s a lot bigger. The craft services is healthier, maybe? No, it’s great. You know, this production, it feels very special. There’s a certain energy on the set where we all feel like we’re involved in something that people are engaged in, excited to see. We’re doing a lot of firsts. We’re using augmented reality, which I had no idea what it was at the time ― deals with depths of field. There’s all sorts of fancy perspective where we can look outside the ship and see Earth going by. We’re using these lenses Ridley Scott used back in the day, [with] this dirty sci-fi feel to it. [It’s a] much more real, grittier vibe. Everything is anamorphic lenses. It’s like you’re getting a 10-hour movie.

Why were you interested in “Nightflyers”? What makes it so special?

They’re pushing certain boundaries … The guys who are running that, they’re about story. It’s not about what’s cool. We all love a cool shot. We all love a cool image, but at the end of the day, if the story sucks, you’ll get the kids for a moment, and they won’t be coming back. The story has to sustain, and they’re coming from that place. When you’re working with a George R.R. Martin, he knows story.

How involved was George R.R. Martin? Was he able to be on set, or was it just kind of approving things from behind the scenes?

I believe it’s the latter. Yes, they’ve taken the novella, and they’ve gone at it. I don’t know how much material was there for a 10-episode season for the first season or even subsequent seasons, but they’ve used that as a launching pad, a jumping-off point. Much to his blessing, he’s endorsed it all. He’s been very positive about what he’s seen, and I think due to contractual reasons with HBO, he can’t be a creative on this, but we’re at least allowed to say “from the mind of George R.R. Martin.” 

Of course, your first foray into space was in “Zenon.” What’s it like looking back on it? 

I’m incredibly proud of it because, by all accounts, it should’ve just been another kids’ TV movie. Even when I read it, I said, “This is good. This is really good.” I went in with a specific thing. I said, “If I’m going to play this role, I’m going to do it like this.” I think I was doing a play at that time … so this was an amalgamation of this character I’d done in a play … [Proto Zoa] wasn’t written English, and it wasn’t written with blond hair [or with] that swagger … I went in, and I did it, and they were incredibly open to it.

We had a screening a few months later. It was really well received. I watched it with my adult friends at the time, and they thought nothing of it. Just, “What the fuck are you doing wiggling your hips around?” It was lost on us. It was lost on kids in their 20s. It wasn’t for them. It was for a generation before us and even younger than that, and it clicked. It really clicked, and I can’t believe it. 

It still comes up, especially on social media. Have you seen the comparisons to Guy Fieri? People say that’s what Proto Zoa looks like today.

Oh, yes. I have seen this. I’m fine [with it]. I’ll be honest with you, I had no idea who he was, not until that moment. So the first time I saw it, I said, “Who is this guy?” So I looked him up. OK, I’m fine. It’s all, you know, if people are looking and talking about your work in a reasonably positive way, I’m fine with it. And Guy, I’m sure, is great at what he does. He’s a cook, right?

Yeah, he’s a celebrity chef.

OK, so I don’t really watch those programs, but God bless him. God bless him if I could one day be Mr. Guy Fieri. I probably should watch the shows, and I could learn from him if we ever did a 20-year reunion, a “Zenon” reunion. I could bring some of his flair. Maybe he’s a chef now, Proto Zoa.

Guy Fieri is Protozoa from Zenon grown up pic.twitter.com/0A6OhGR9oT

— woooooooooof (@gilwoof) May 8, 2014

I mean, the 20th anniversary is next year.

Where do you see Proto Zoa 20 years later?

He’d be a manager for the next hot band, selling the next boy group or something to the world. And living off-world, probably because the polar ice caps have melted and all of it. It’d be a bit of a downer. It’d be a post-apocalyptic “Zenon.” Everyone would be in boats.

Boats that could go in space, I hope.

Oh, my goodness. That immediately is the second thought you go to. Could my hair sustain all that peroxide? Jeez. That was a summer I was playing a lot of musicians, and I shot the first “Zenon” in September, so I just did a whole summer of various degrees of musicians, successful and otherwise, so I had let the peroxide grow out. I went and auditioned like that, and they were like, “We love it. We love the hair,” and I was like, “Oh, Christ.” I was actually going to dye it back normal, and they’re like, “No, keep it. Keep it.”

Does Billy Idol still wear [his hair with] the peroxide?

Actually, yeah, he does. I saw him with it on “The Voice.”

Does he? He’s still rocking that hairdo? I need to Google him. What about Bowie? He was a dirty brunet always going around as blond.

Yeah, I mean, David Bowie changed his look a lot.

I took a bit from Bowie, a bit from Elvis, a bit from Liberace, I think. That’s “Zenon.”

Are you still friends with Zenon?

I haven’t seen Zenon [Kirsten Storms] in a while, no. Holly Fulger, who plays Judy, I see her every now and then for a coffee. We catch up.

When I think about “Zenon,” obviously one of the most memorable things was your song.

Zoom, zoom, zoom. Make my heart go boom, boom, boom.

With that, we had Michael Jackson’s choreographer come up to Vancouver. Suzanne de Passe managed the Jackson 5, and she produced “Zenon,” so it was heavy. This gentlemen came up and was like, “OK, let’s do it. Let’s do this choreography dance number,” and I was like, “I have two left feet.” I was like, “Hold on, hold on, hold on.” It was kind of like the day before we were going to shoot, and … [the choreographer] does this, “You gotta go left, right, chassé, twirl with the guitar, play the song, and go!” I did it, I fell over myself, and it was ridiculous, and seeing the producer’s face, they were like, “What the fuck have we got here?” Because every actor says they can do everything, right? Until you’re on set. The band were much better than I, so if you look, the band was doing most of the dancing, and I was just doing two steps to the left and two steps to the right. 

Wow, and that was Michael Jackson’s choreographer?

Yeah, one of the guys at the time, whoever that was. Yep, so when we did the second [movie], they were aware of my limitations as a dancer. I did a lot more pointing in the sequel. Just put your feet on the ground, just start pointing to the stars and the galaxy.

How do you feel about the aliens basically using Proto Zoa to get to Zenon in the “Zequel”?

Bastards! Right? I know, they used me as this conduit. I was used and abused.

Why weren’t you in the third one, “Z3”?

I was shooting “Nip/Tuck” at the time, and … I was committed to it. It was Ryan Murphy’s first big thing, and I just couldn’t leave, really. I actually know the gentleman who played Proto Zoa [in the third], though, bizarrely enough. After a few months, he came into my world. I met him via a friend, and he’s a lovely guy. That’s not easy taking over the role. He’s American. He had to do an English accent as well. That’s tough, just not fair.

For sure. Nathan Anderson is his name. He’s a lovely guy.

I’ve seen this debated, but was it “zetus lapetus” or “cetus lapetus”?

Didn’t she go “zetus lapetus”? It’s a Z. But she’s pronouncing it with an S … “cetus lapetus,” right? Yeah, when I hear it. What’s the Earth translation?

“Crap” is probably better for Disney. The movie also predicted Chelsea Clinton would be president.

More of her discussions in the media have been politically skewed, I think. The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, right? And maybe she’ll want to right the wrong of whatever happened at the last election. I wouldn’t bet against them, but what happened with Ivanka Trump? Wasn’t part of her agreement with daddy that she would also run at some point and they would get behind her?

So you think it could be Clinton vs. Trump again?

Because they were friends pre–this nonsense? Maybe a Clinton-Trump showdown.

Possibly in a new “Zenon.”

A new “Zenon” would be perfect, right?

Brad Barket / Getty Images

Rhys attending the Tribeca Film Festival Shorts in New York City in 2016, with stars of his short film “The Scarecrow,” Sandra Seacat and Darren Pettie.

What have been the biggest challenges you’ve overcome since “Zenon”? What have you learned in that time?

What I learned from 20 years as an actor? The obstacle is the path. When you’re denied the roles and jobs you think you want, it forces you to get even clearer on what you really want and why. It forces you to be at peace with the outcome and look for other things in life to fulfill you creatively. By doing this, you discover your unique truth and what’s valuable to you … so when a job does come along you want, you can basically take it or leave it … There’s less fear or desperation in and around the work. 

So what’s next? You directed “The Scarecrow.” Do you want to direct a feature, or are you planning on focusing more on acting? 

None of it is mutually exclusive. I’d like to direct a feature. I’d like to continue very much on “Nightflyers” and other shows of comparable quality, stuff that’s good stuff, that challenges me in front of or behind the camera. I mean, if you’d asked me a week before I’m shooting this pilot, I never thought I’d be on a George R.R. Martin show. These things happen, they present themselves, and you grab them when they’re good.

And there’s always the possibility for another “Zenon.” Gary Marsh, president of Disney Channels Worldwide, even said there could even be a “Zenon” TV show. Would you be into that?

Yes, I read that. I heard about it too. We’ll see. Maybe they’ll commission the writers and stuff. I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything. Actors are usually the last people to hear. I would be open to it, of course. Of course.

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[wolfy19982-blog]

Review #2 Oct. 9, 2017 “You’ll Float Too”

So in the spirit of Halloween and the fact that my birthday was recently, I decided to go see a movie. No it wasn’t “Blade Runner 2049″ I wish. I saw instead “IT”, or for the title at the end “IT: Chapter One”. Yes I know it has been out for a month and I know that many have reviewed it, but I want to take it differently. For those who haven’t read my reviews (there’s only like two of them) usually I divide it by the Pros and Cons; sadly I have seen the movie reviewed by multiple YouTube channels my most recent viewing of the review being Channel Awesome. 

To admit, I have not read the book by Stephen King, and I did grow up watching the miniseries starring Tim Curry. Like many I want to compare them but I can only say one thing:

     THE MINISERIES WAS MADE FOR TELEVISION.

I understand how some will always say the original was better, but please try to understand this, ABC (which wasn’t owned by Disney until 1995) took the book and tried to simplify it in a way that only could be done in the 80′s and 90′s. I was born in ‘98 so I fully don’t understand the “#90skidsremember with the exception of stealing them from my older siblings. The 1990 IT miniseries did scare me, well only the cover because the miniseries is hilarious. 

Anyways, I will try to refrain from comparing the two because it is over done. Big spoiler warning for those who haven’t seen the movie and are interested, or if you aren’t and just want to not deal with the fear. So here is my review/analysis for the 2017 IT move.

How do I start with this review. Simple. It scared me at times, but made me laugh the rest. I know the trailer was perfect, but when I watch a scary movie I expect not to sleep at night, and to be honest, I’ll be getting a full night’s rest. I have read Stephen King books, my favorite being Green Mile, and I want to do something I’m sure many have done. just a quick analysis on Pennywise, because he didn’t scare me. 

The reason why is because when I saw him taking the shape of their fear, in the movie theater I literally said to my brother next to me “he’s a boggart from Harry Potter”.  Quick Harry Potter information, a boggart is like a gremlin or imp that takes the form of what you fear the most. For Stan in the current film it was the painting. Now because there is no wizarding world they can’t say Riddikulus! 

Bill Skarsgard did a wonderful job as the dancing clown, and the fact that his siblings are also actors makes it better. Gustaf mostly known as Floki in History Channel’s Vikings; Alexander known as Meekus in Zoolander, the boyfriend in Lady Gaga’s music video for Papazzi, but he is mostly known as Tarzan in “The Legend of Tarzan” and as Eric in “True Blood”, also their father Stellan who is mostly known to Marvel fans as Dr. Selvig, to “Pirates of the Caribbean” fans as Bootstrap Bill Turner, and to the musical fans he is Bill in the film adaption of “Mamma Mia!”. His family is huge, however there was something missing going through the film with him. 

Though he was always there watching everything; it was as if his shadow on Derry seemed too great. It was cool how there were snippets on everything that he was somehow there and he had a presence, and yet it felt too overbearing. The biggest example to me could be the television show Eddie’s mom and Henry Bowers’ father watched, he was there watching them the whole time. 

I understand that was a means for dramatic effect for only the audience to know instead of the characters, it felt to me off, or really just awkward. The clown is a threat and is taking children, and yet he never took any adults. 

It is easier to scare a kid, but the fears that adults have are different, and it might happen in the sequel too. 

The plot overall with a group of kids looking a killer kind of reminds me of “Stand By Me” another film inspired by a Stephen King novella. The difference though is in IT the kids are looking for a clown that killed others, in Stand By Me the kids are looking for a dead body.

I know I’m comparing too much than I should, especially when I said I would try not to. The main problem with the movie is the easiest. It’s not scary.

Pennywise lives off of fear, that’s actually cool but he has weaknesses for whatever form he takes. The losers club are all outcasts that band together, that sounds like a lot of other groups I know (Breakfast Club, Power Rangers 2017, Outsiders, etc). The extremely well depth and three dimensional bullies in almost every Stephen King story where a child is the protagonist. These things have become a trope especially for Stephen King. 

Does it impact the story? Sometimes when it’s needed. Is it in anyway needed to continue the plot? Only when the story needs it. 

The story follows a group of kids who are outcasts. Bill the leader who has a speech impediment being his stutter, Eddie a kid who lives on medication (later revealed to be placebos), Stan the kid who was born Jewish that later SPOILERS is the first to die, Richie the voices kid and one that will not stop talking about how big his dick is (he seriously doesn’t stop. And it’s probably small), Ben the new kid that just happens to be chubby, Beverly the supposed slut of the town that lives in a very abusive home, and Mike the only black kid in town (no seriously he’s the only black person cast besides his grandpa). 

So it’s summer break and during the school year Bill’s little brother Georgie goes missing. We as the audience, and the cat on the porch, know that he died; after his arm was bitten off. Later on all of the kids are seen on the last day of school, Bill Richie Eddie and Stan going together, Beverly appearing to be smoking in the stall, Ben trying to escape, and Mike trying not to kill a sheep.       

Of course when Bill gets home he shows his dad where his brother’s body may have ended up, his father becoming furious. 

Now here is something that made me begin to think even more. Bill has not gone through all the stages of grieving. In fact he is still at the beginning, denial. Only until the end when he kills “Georgie” does he actually accept that his little brother died.

Now for the rest of the losers club, it’s a bit hard. So I will do my best.

Ben it’s a bit easy, for the 2017 remake they show that he’s interested in the history since he had just moved in, it makes him curious. He is of course different because really the only chubby kid I saw in the movie besides him was Belch, the bully that spoke out when Henry was starting to carve into him. Though he is new, he wants to know about the history usually going to the library, meaning one thing, he’s a bookworm with a heart of gold. The proof is in the library (my favorite scene) where he’s being chased by a headless kid and in the sewers when Pennywise’s head takes the form of a mummy.

Eddie suffers from a small case of mysophobia (germaphobia) that is mostly because of how “protective” his mother is, really he’s just a healthy boy that doesn’t know he’s healthy.

Richie is just a chatterbox that well, he doesn’t really grow except for becoming more quiet. 

Stan is a bit difficult, he grew up Jewish. That’s really the only thing I can remember of him. His character wasn’t that interesting to me really. 

Beverly is the only girl, and her relationship at home is her father sexually abusing her. What she does over time is face her fear against her father ultimately murdering him. Yes these kids kill people and aren’t sent to prison what so ever.

Finally Mike, being the only African American kid in  town, meaning of course he would be bullied, especially for that. The race card will always somehow be pulled whether it was wanted or not. Even though I consider him the Token Black Kid, he still left a great impression. He had morals pushing his pacifist nature when he finally beat the bully near the end of the film, he really is one of my favorite characters.

To me the film is good, but not great. Do I recommend it? Yes. Is it scary? No. 

Personally I give it a 6/10 and well it was weird to watch. So go ahead and watch it if you want.