#it's a miniseries about rabbits

[taketwoinink]

OKAY BUT

GO WATCH WATERSHIP DOWN ON NETFLIX YOU WILL CRY AND THE ENDING CREDITS SONG IS SO FREAKING GOOD GO LISTEN TO IT IT'S CALLED FIRE ON FIRE THANK YOU THIS IS ALL

[bonebabbles]

Hi! Sorry if this ask is quite random for you to see, but is it ok to ask you that

On a scale of 1-10, how sexist and/or misogynistic would you rate the book Watership Down being?

I’m considering checking out the book, but I’m unsure whether I should do that or not due to the possible sexism within it. Thanks!

If you can't handle sexism, I would skip Watership Down. It's pretty bad in that aspect, enough that Ursula K Le Guin uses it as a major example of how misogyny expresses in xenofiction narratives.

In spite of how doe rabbits are the ones responsible for founding new warrens, the main characters are all bucks.

Does are spoken about a lot in terms of reproduction, and mostly that.

There is a massive plot point later where the all-buck party realizes they need women, and set out to get them.

There's an evil rabbit warren, and they show that this warren is evil partially because of some implied sexual assault of the does they control.

It was also written by a White British Man Of A Certain Era. It will sometimes drop a line that we find VERY racist in today's standards, particularly near the beginning where it compares the rabbit culture to... "other primitive societies."

[lepurcinus]

Now talking in a positive way about the miniseries. I actually enjoyed this despiction of the black rabbit

Not only because it is a doe, but because I really feel here a more interesting representation of that "naturalness" of death.

Don't get me wrong, I love the black rabbit stories in the book and their mentions, you do get that theme across there. It's perfect, it's good and I really want to see that story animated someday.

But to my personal taste, that "creepy" side is not so much to my liking. That scary rabbit hole with sick rabbits, extinguishing some beavers and stuff is like oh yeah, and the "rabbit hell" depictions I don't know.... Of course again, it's a representation of that fear that one feels towards death, and more so for a rabbit, an animal that knows it could go at any instant. (Although well it might get a little lost with at the end of the book it's not even the black rabbit who takes Hazel, so.)

Now, this isn't just something from this miniseries, the movie had already done that. The black rabbit is more of a "representative" thing. It's silent, instantaneous and calm, almost like an illusion. And I really like that idea more, that you feel that "naturalness and acceptance" towards death, because it's something that will happen eventually.

Plus it adds to the fact that in the end Hazel leaves this world in the most "honorable" way possible, peacefully as an old rabbit who saw a lot of things. His voice, though gravelly, is subdued and friendly.

Now in the miniseries she doesn't differ much, beyond that her interactions are more "direct". At the end she is similar to the movie one, only appearing as a illusion for brief moments. Now her voice is just as dominant, somewhat cold but at the same time peaceful, perhaps maternal (by the way, personally his voice in Latin Spanish is more in tune with this).

And that phrase that she says "all walk with me, but it is for a brief moment called "life" that rabbits leave my side." It's beautiful, it seems so goofy or whatever, but it fits well with all of this. Adams once said it, there is no animal almost as close to death as a rabbit.(well, maybe some mouse too) This phrase fits that idea like a glove.

This is why I like this depiction so much, it's one of my favorites.

(By the way, the one in the TV series is the one I like the least, because it's basically the summary of that "creepy rabbit hell" I mentioned before and I hate that autotune edgy voice detail. His voice already sounded perfect without editing).

[dandunn]

“WELL WILD RABBITS IRL DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH COLOUR AND PATTERN DIFFERENCIATION”

it kinda makes you laugh when you think about if WD2018 did that with that thought process in mind, maybe because that “don’t have MUCH differentiation” still means they have SOMETHING that differentiates them, be it size, a small different patch of color or anything. Fuck even WILD ANIMALS have things that differentiate them from other animals same as people. Even if the differences are small and minute, not everything looks the same wild or not

I like the WD2018 miniseries, but man it annoys me when people seem to forget not every wild animal is a copy paste of each other. Same thing with what pissed me off with LK2019 except I got annoyed when they refused to properly emote the lions, like dude do you think animals are made out of drywall??? THINGS EMOTE maybe not like us, but I’m certain people have seen the facial expressions of a happy lion/scared lion/angry lion. Cats emote well we’ve seen it

but nope. . .let’s make them boring and emoteless and exactly the same as everything around them.

yeah.... YEAH. I hate it when designers think 'realism' has to be fucking boring. even if you do want a realistic tone you can add more hair/scars/melanistic/albino colouration. i mean they're rare sure but it's not like it's impossible for that stuff to exist in nature!!! Hell even just changing the body shape of an animal can go miles in emoting like Dandelion's slightly longer body and narrow eyes telling u that he can run super hella fast and that he's the shrewd storyteller guy. Silver's droopy ass ears telling you that he's kind of the glass half empty guy.

I don't even remember what woundwort looks like in the miniseries and he's supposed to be the big menacing presence as big as a hare. like u said, copy paste everyone with minor differences.

[john-keels-sinister-goatee]

John Dee: Hey babe this is my new medium and bff, Edward Kelley. We're gonna scry into the spirit world and talk to angels, discover the secrets of creation and being itself, and maybe usher in the Apocalypse

Edward Kelley: And find lots of buried treasure

John Dee: Oh obv, that goes without saying

Jane Dee: Why does he have no ears?

Edward Kelley: They got cut off because I'm a convicted forger 😎

Jane Dee: ...

John Dee: I trust this man with my life

Edward Kelley: The angels want us all to be swingers btw

[moonlightspencie]

luna’s masterlist

(i write for criminal minds, supernatural, harry potter, and that’s about it for the time being, but MORE IMPORTANTLY i do take requests)

drabble masterlist here!

Aaron Hotchner

one shots:

Things I Can’t Say: “Aaron Hotchner has a lot of things on his mind. Most of which he can never bring himself to say. Until one slip unravels everything” (4.3k words: FLUFF).

Sleepover: “Hotch wants the reader, but doesn’t know how to tell her. Maybe a night in will be of some assistance” (4.9k words: FLUFF).

Solace: “Finding comfort in one another. Repeatedly.” (4.4k words: FLUFF)

self-assured: “There are many things Aaron Hotchner is sure about in his life. One thing evades this sureness: you” (2.4k words: FLUFF)

tolerate it: based on the song of the same title by taylor swift (2.0k words: ANGST)

Everything Goes Wrong: “A few bouts of bad luck aren’t all that bad” (2.4k words: FLUFF)

Meet-Cute: it’s all in the title (1k words: FLUFF)

series:

the sweetest con: “Aaron Hotchner is dealing with the aftermath of his divorce, and the new feelings that spring up for someone he shouldn’t feel anything for. It’s a mess to say the least, but it’s a mess he’s more than willing to involve himself in.”

Spencer Reid

one shots:

Next to You: “Trying to ignore the feelings you have for your best friend can cause complications. Especially when you find out what they’d risk for you” (3.8k words: FLUFF).

The Fulton Project: “The knowledge of an FBI operation gone wrong has the world as the BAU knows it turning on it’s head. How does something like this end after months of civil unrest?” (4k words: ANGST).

champagne problems/the beginning and end: based on ‘champagne problems’ by taylor swift, PLUS the prequel (2.9k words: ANGST AND FLUFF)

Devils Roll the Dice… / …Angels Roll Their Eyes “A new recruit to the BAU catches Reid’s eye. Unfortunately for the both of them, she has a past with someone very close to him. Are they willing to keep secrets just to keep one another?” (TWO-PART MINISERIES)(8.2k words for both parts: FLUFF)

lost in it: “The aftermath of falling down a rabbit hole!” (1.9k words: ANGST AND FLUFF)

Dean Winchester

one shots:

Wrong Time: “Dean doesn’t know how to act right. Sam doesn’t get the animosity. Reader is just trying to live life. Otherwise known as Mutual Pining: the Fanfic” (6.6k words: FLUFF).

This Ain’t for the Best: “Mutual pining. Classic hunting scenarios. Sharing a bed. Wearing the other’s clothes. Confessions. Friends to lovers. Tswizzle title. Need I say more?” (5.9k words: FLUFF)

bloodmoonlit: “Six years of friendship with more simmering beneath the surface. They thought they had no chance (but that’s romance)” (5.4k words: FLUFF).

‘cause look at your face!: [based off a request linked on the fic](1.6k words: FLUFF)

and i’m not how you hoped: “Forgive my northern attitude, oh I was raised out in the cold” (4.4k words: ANGST AND FLUFF)

series:

a life where we work out: “Struggling with the aftermath of a fall-out feels hopeless, especially when things seemed to just have run their course. Though, he was never one to let things go that easily.”

Ted Lasso

one shots:

Help Me Hold on to You: “Ted and the reader struggle with balancing mental health and everyday life. (Based on The Archer by Taylor Swift)” (8.9k words: ANGST AND FLUFF)

Speak Now: “You’re not usually the type of girl to barge in on a white-veil occasion… but the officiant did say ‘speak now’” (2.5k words: FLUFF).

Remus Lupin

one shots:

you should see the things we do, baby: Remus and Reader decide to take advantage of teasing Sirius, and it leads to a lot more than a dirty dream (5.2k words: SMUT. 18+)

series:

treacherous: This slope is treacherous, but you both realize that nothing safe is worth the drive. In which, Remus Lupin, ever the believer in his own flaws and failures, falls for someone he never expected to. (12.8k running word count: FLUFF AND ANGST)

Sirius Black

one shots:

you should see the things we do, baby: Remus and Reader decide to take advantage of teasing Sirius, and it leads to a lot more than a dirty dream (5.2k words: SMUT. 18+)

James Potter

one shots:

only like you can: ex boyfriend!james and reader just can’t seem to stay away from each other. (7.9k words: ANGST AND FLUFF)

tenderly, tragically: best friends aka idiots to lovers. they’ll never learn until they do (9.4k words: FLUFF AND SMUT)

darling, i fancy you: yet another idiots to lovers. this time a college/muggle!au. they’re falling slowly but she hates him openly (8.2k words: FLUFF)

Draco Malfoy

one shots:

isn’t it?: “Years after the battle at Hogwarts, reader runs into an unlikely old friend. A simple invitation to tea leads to much more.” (10k words: FLUFF)

[krinsbez]

A Watership Down Meta/Headcanon/Rant

So, both @jaybutnotthebird and @stavarosthearcane have stated that, to their knowledge, I've not posted this on tumblr, and indicated that they would like to hear it, I'm posting it now!

So I don't recall if it was stated explicitly or was, like, a rumor, but everything about Gen. Woundwort makes so much more sense when you realize he's a hutch rabbit.

Why is he so enormous? Cuz he was bred to be big and fluffy, was fed flayrah everyday, and was taken to the vet if he got sick.

Why is he so afraid of humans? Because they were the first elil he ever encountered.

Why is everything he does in complete opposition to proper lapine culture and behavior? Because he grew up not knowing anything about it.

Efrafa is, in essence, an attempt to make a warren into a hutch.

OK got that? So, here's another thing to think about. Cowslip's Warren, or Strawberry's Warren, or the Warden of the Shining Wire, or whatever you want to call it...they also completely disregard traditional Lapine culture and behavior; they don't tell stories of El-ahrairah, they make weird poetry about the inevitability of death, they keep babbling about dignity, they make ART, etc. This, by the way, is why it and Efrafa come off as so viscerally wrong, because Mr. Adams went to the trouble of putting us in a rabbit headspace, so we can understand the full horror; it's not just Woundwort's tyranny or the farmer's snares, it's that they're unnatural and rabbits aren't meant to live that way.

Now, I know what you're thinking when I say that word, "unnatural", but put down the pitchfork.

Because Hazel and Co. do a LOT of things that is outside the realm of typical rabbit behavior:

Despite being Chief Rabbit, Hazel let's the others argue with and talk back to him.

They made friends with mice and a bird.

He adopted Cowslip's Warren's idea of using tree roots to create a big central chamber

Tales (the sequel short story collection) has them adopt a (obvs. less aggro) version of the Efrafan practice of having the Owsla run patrols

They busted out hutch rabbits.

They used a boat

Meanwhile, Sandleford, the Warren that our heroes fled, was apparently the epitome of a traditional Warren and of course they all died horribly.

So, what's the difference?

It goes back to the last lines of the first myth, part of which was used as the first animated film adaptation's tagline:

“All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.”

(I bolded the important part)

Sandleford's Chief Rabbit (EDIT: The Threarah) decided he liked things as they were and refused to change, and his people died. Cowslip and Co. allow themselves to be farmed and treat death as an inevitability, and they're slowly going mad and dying one by one. Gen. Woundwort teaches his Owsla to respond to every situation by fighting, and they break and flee when the unexpected happens. The ordinary rabbits of Efrafa are forced to live like hutch rabbits and they're miserable and not having babies.

Hazel does weird stuff…but he does so because he's in a weird situation and has to adapt. He listens to the other's concerns and ideas, he keeps an open mind, he figures out what resources are available to him, and then figures out how he can use them to protect his people.

In short? Unlike Woundwort, Cowslip & Co., or the unnamed Chief Rabbit of Sandleford EDIT: The Threarah, he is cunning and full of tricks.

(I think one of the reasons the BBC miniseries from a few years back didn't hit right is that they failed to get this)

Anyways, thanks for coming to my TED Talk

[villainousshakespeare]

In Praise of Tom Hiddleston and Female Directors

As a female director (albeit of Theater and not Film) I have been feeling a little frustrated once again as awards season brings no nominations for women. This led me (as many things do, lol) to thinking about my favorite Muse, Tom Hiddleston.

One of the things that I love about TH is willingness and enthusiasm to work with female directors, and on thinking about it I realized that this allyship has also benefited him as well. Case in point:

1. His first movie, Unrelated, was directed by Joanna Hogg. Now, of course all of us see Hiddles as the perfect Beautiful Boy but imagine if this movie had been directed by a man. In that case, Oakley, the handsome younger man who charms and tempts the 40 something woman, would almost certainly be cast with some young beef cake actor, or at very least had them bulk up in order to play the role. This is who male directors seem to think we desire. Instead, Hogg casts TH and boy does she sell him. Oakley is a little shit, but the way he is lit, framed, directed makes him all but irresistible. The female gaze sees all of his ethereal beauty and shares it with us.

2. Next we have my personal favorite, Henry V in The Hollow Crown. In his big leading episode, Tom is once again directed by a woman, Thea Sharrock. Again, look at how his is shot. The female gaze follows him riding in like a hero from our collective imagination in his opening shot. He is strong and dangerous, savage even at times, without ever loosing that thread of empathy that Henry struggles to clamp down. And do I even have to mention the proposal scene? Watch that and tell me it isn’t pure wish fulfillment for the majority of people who fancy men. I liked him when I watched Loki, but Hollow Crown made me fall so deep down the rabbit hole that I may never climb out again (and honestly, I’m okay with this).

3. Lastly, we come to the role that pushed him over the edge into superstardom, The Night Manager. Can there be any doubt that this miniseries was directed by a woman? The entire show was an advertisement for how gorgeous he is. Yes, there are some lovely shots of Elizabeth Debicki in various states of undress, but Pine is the major eye candy here. See him in finely tailored suits, see him astride a motorcycle, see him bathing, both in a waterfall and in a shower covered in mud, see his much lauded English countryside looking all round and pert... it just goes on and on. It is not just the visual that Susana Biers gets either. Unlike other spies of film and television, Jonathan is emotional, chivalrous, and above all intelligent. Tom nails the role and the world loved him for it.

I am not saying that male directors do not make Tom look good (hello Conrad’s arms) or play to his strengths (see the psychological beauty of Adam). I just believe there is something to be said for the qualities that female directors can bring out. 

In short (ha, sorry, this ran on looooong, lol) Tom trusts women directors more than many of his fellow actors, and I think the results are that he shows a vulnerability in his work that helps make him more than just another action star. Women have helped make him the actor he is today, and I don’t believe the fact that his last two directors were women is an accident. He said in his interview for Leading Lady Parts that he needed to work with more directors (he had worked with five at that point I believe) and he has been as good as his word. Another reason to love this man.

* I also want to make a special shout out to stage director Josey Rourke, who has the career that I want and gave us this amazing contribution:

[20kmemesunderthesea]

Captain Nemo, Freedom Fighter

There's a lot of historical and cultural significance in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea which is not widely known by modern audiences. Here some some facts I find very interesting:

-> In Verne’s original character notes, he was going to be a POLISH noble whose family was killed by Russians.

Verne’s publisher argued with him about that for a long time because of his large Russian fanbase. Verne reluctantly gave in, but eventually changed Nemo’s backstory to that of an Indian Prince whose family was killed by the British.

With that in mind, that makes the Soviet miniseries more interesting: A Polish revolutionary is actually mentioned by Captain Nemo in the second episode. Vladislav Dvorzhetsky, the actor portraying Nemo, was actually half-Polish himself!

-> Captain Nemo was written as a foil to Confederate Navy Captain Raphael Semmes.

Captain Raphael Semmes had portraits of General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate President Jefferson Davis on the cabin wall of the CSS Alabama, while Captain Nemo has portraits of Abraham Lincoln and the radical abolitionist John Brown in the cabin walls of the Nautilus.

Semmes was a supporter of slavery while Captain Nemo was an abolitionist.

Raphael Semmes stated that India should never be free from British rule,  while Captain Nemo was an Indian who fought to be free from British rule.

A list of more comparisons between Jules Verne's "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" and Raphael Semmes' "Memoirs of Service Afloat During the War Between the States" can be found on Wikipedia.

Thus, in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Jules Verne was trying to point fingers at the cruelty of the British towards India, the Russians towards the Polish, AND Americans towards people of color.

There are many fascinating rabbit trails to explore in regards to Jules Verne's literary masterpiece. Here are some sources:

[pfenniged]

Okay, when I tell you how much I love that Lewis Nixon married a Japanese-American lady after the war and they didn’t have any children and just traveled the world together living off his families’ riches... so good. 

Also, every time I hear more and more about Grace Nixon, I can see if Nix was half the person he was as portrayed as in the Band of Brothers miniseries, I see why her and Nix would get along so well (And why she was basically able to get a lifelong alcoholic who couldn’t get two marriages to work to straighten up, how she was able to manage to live through a literal internment camp, where she literally did the jitterbug and said she was lucky because her internment camp came with “cute boys,” and then how she joined up as a nurse to serve her country and prove her loyalty even though she was going to be a professional cellist in order to escape the camp). 

Like, she’s literally my favourite person in this narrative.

And if this doesn’t convince you, I found her obituary and the fact that this was in her obituary, A LEGEND:

“In 1956, Grace married Lewis Nixon. In marriage, Grace and Lewis had a wonderful, loving life. They happily travelled the world, listened to music, supported charitable causes, and raised pets—among them Anubis the cat, Nicholas the one-eyed dog, and Peter the rabbit—as well as feeding a neighborhood family of raccoons and the annually migrating Mr. and Mrs. Duck. Grace and Lewis often spent time with their nieces and nephews, teaching them cards and backgammon and playing for keeps over the children’s allowance money.”

First off, MR. AND MRS DUCK.

Secondly, TEACHING CHILDREN GAMBLING AND FUCKING PLAYING FOR KEEPS FOR ALL THEIR ALLOWANCE MONEY IM SCREAMING THATS SUCH A NIX THING

“CHILDREN HAVE TO LEARN SOMETIME” -a literal millionaire taking three dollars off a child-

(Also this is on top of the footage of her behind the scenes with Ron Livingston who played Lewis Nixon in Band of Brothers, and Grace flat out saying he was much more handsome than her husband, Ron Livingston trying to defer and be gracious, and be like, “No, no, THIS guy was the handsome one,” and Grace basically being like LOL NO I KNOW MY HUSBAND AND YOU’RE HOTTER THAN HE EVER WAS. A QUEEN.)

[beebopboom]

Am I a Good Angel? Am I a Mad Angel?

Here for the Occult Stuff

(Intro, part 1)

Last time we explored who The Metatron was among scripture

This is actually going to be like a miniseries within this ongoing analysis of the Metatron because this post and the next were supposed to be one however I recognize this part is pretty out there so it's getting its own part.

Like I know, I understand - this is just to explore and have fun

But join me down this rabbit hole if you want - with an open mind

Not One but Many

There is one interpretation of the Metatron I left out of the last post and it has to do with Éliphas Lévi.

Éliphas Lévi was a French Occultist in the mid 19th century and his works were highly influential in occult circles

When it came to the Metatron he didn’t believe him to be one specific angel but rather an honorific for an enlightened existence. That they are the Chief of Souls on Earth who do not die and instead rise alive to Heaven. He gave them the title Metatron Sarpanim, or Metatron: Prince of Lights.

Here is quote from him

"All Metatrons must have two reigns and they return to earth after having traveled through all the globes of our solar system. This is why the return of Enoch and Elijah will precede the second coming of Jesus."

His ideas are obviously pretty influenced by Enoch but the fact he seen Metatron not as an angel or human but rather a job, or position, is pretty interesting considering how in the show their names seem to be intrinsically linked to their position in Heaven.

Also back in season one there were a few instances of him using “we” - which is probably just referencing Heaven as a whole or perhaps even just God and Himself - just interesting nonetheless

I was going to include that in the next part as a merge between the two. Except because I’m totally normal I decided to keep looking into his works and oh boy…just hear me out

Another Face

If you didn't recognize Lévi by his name you may recognize some of his drawings

some of these will come into context in a future, separate meta about Agnes Nutter. But you have the seven seals and probably his most recognized drawing, Baphomet - who we are going to focus on here

Stay with me - I'm not trying to say they are one in the same, just some parallels

So let’s break down elements of this drawing

The androgynous nature - with breasts and a phallic caduceus - that represents the union of male and female

Male is meant to represent good and wisdom while Female is to represent evil

The wings which represent spirituality and ascension

The goat head representing sin and animalistic nature of humans

The four elements - wings = air, scales = water, hooves = earth, torch = fire

The gesture which represents "that which is above is like that which is below” - in which "above" is the universe at large or divine realms and "below" is life on earth or the human body

The words on said arms "solve", or to separate, and "coagula", or to bring together

The torch representing intelligence, divine knowledge, and enlightenment - the soul over the body

The pentagram is upright on the head putting spirit above matter

The white and black moon represent the sephiroth Chesed and Gevurah (respectively), therefore the qualities of mercy and severity (respectively).

The caduceus representing magical power, healing, bringing together of opposites, and eternal life

The circle behind the caduceus is reminiscent of the Ouroboros, representing the Principle of Mentalism — all of the universe is in the mind of God.

The image as a whole is reminiscent of the Tree of Life - which if want to learn more about here is a video on that

Baphomet in itself is primarily a symbol of balance, of the goal of a perfect social order. Also has been seen as a symbol of wisdom.

In his writings Lévi says that Baphomet is associated with the nature forces that are explained in his theory of Astral Light

Astral Light - honestly I'm not going to into detail about this because my brain hurts, just pointing out what is relevant I guess

In his book Dogma and Ritual of High Magic he describes it as this blind, amoral, universal force that sweeps all before it in a perpetual and restless search for equilibrium

That it was created when God said “let there be light” and is "indifferent in itself” - can be used for good and evil

He also notes "it is a kind of universal record keeper that registers all of our desires, intentions and, acts.”

Honestly there is a whole history between Baphomet, Templars and the Freemasons - largely due to them being falsely accused of worshipping them, or so it is said. Plus Aleister Crowley thrown into all this. It’s just a lot but if it’s wanted I can go into further detail about it.

If have been following along with this series though some of these things might have set off some alarm bells in relation to the Metatron

It’s just something about an Angel dressed in dark clothes that hints at a duality, a balance, who is primarily remembered as a head - a head that holds knowledge - a human head with a goatee 

Something about him giving the “choice” of bringing together Aziraphale and Crowley as angels or completely them ignoring him and staying together on Earth except was that ever an option really? or to separate - with a coffee that he lifts up to offer while keeping the other hand below.

Something about an Angel that seems to come after four angels. Something about him having a connection to Wisdom and the Tree of Life.

Something about the portal that looks similar to the light that Aziraphale called down with “let there be light” and it being used to discoporate demons and angels

Something about him sweeping into the bookshop and sending the remaining angels away only to beeline it to Aziraphale.

Something about an Angel who is connected to the Book of Life - that keeps a record of all good deeds and transgressions in Heaven and on Earth

Something about an Angel whose primary goal is to bring about the Second Coming, or Heaven on Earth. From his point of view would be a perfect social order.

an Angel that is supposed to be on the side of good, and is probably in charge of all the “good” rhetoric and in charge, or responsible for how Heaven is set up but that’s a whole other thing, but really his motivations and actions (from what we can see as an audience) prove to be the opposite

(it’s giving “The Greater Good”, my lord the dumbledore flashbacks)

Can you see my point? It’s just a few parallels I noticed and this series is pretty much just about exploration

Look I know it’s a little out there - it’s on its own for a reason.

But tune in next time for some symbols, numbers, and tarot cards - or yknow what this post was actually supposed to to be - here in part 3

[bigwigxhazel]

One thing that I feel isn't mentioned enough is Kehaar's portrayal in Watership Down adaptations, as well as his friendship with Bigwig. He's always just "an annoying bird" and in the miniseries he's a straight up asshole, always having a bad relationship with Bigwig. Meanwhile in the book Bigwig not only has a good relationship with him, but straight up admires him. I remember one part from when Bigwig first starts talking to him, he considers him to be a skilled warrior of his kind and gushes to Hazel about how much of a badass he is. I would love to see an adaptation someday that portrays Kehaar and his friendship with Bigwig with some dignity instead of just "tough guy annoyed by bird."

FOR REAL!! kehaar is both a VERY intelligent bird and a very good friend to the watership down rabbits! it's such a shame that the adaptations never seem to do him justice!

[lepurcinus]

I'm going to find it highly insulting that in most (if not all) Watership Down adaptations they leave out the rabbit folklore part so much. They always adapt one or two stories and the others never appear or are told in a super abbreviated almost lost form.

I don't know about you, but I think that was one of the things that got me hooked on WD the most when I first read it. To me it was so amazing and clever the idea of creating an animal version of our myths based on their perception of the world, it was like a way to get me into a more into a mindset so different from my own.

Not only that, they detract from THEIR IMPORTANCE. The stories are meant to function as a "middle ground" a moment of relaxation and fun where the angst of the moment is set aside, not only for the author but for the rabbits themselves, as a connection. But beyond being a simple relaxation, the stories HAVE A WEIGHT on our characters. The story of El-ahrairah's blessing and the story of the black rabbit gave our protagonists the strength and will to go on and be like El-ahrairah, the story of the lettuce reminded us of the importance of cunning and trickery as part of the rabbit's life, the story of the trial gave weight to the role of Kehaar and the mouse, the story of Rowsby Woof gave Fiver the vision of the dog, even the half-told story of the fox in the water was important to make the female rabbits feel good during the siege of Efrafa.

Seriously, one of the things I loved most about WD was that whole role of culture and myth (something I personally have always been fascinated by) seen even in non-human animals. It's so sad how little weight people give them, they really deserve to someday be represented in all their glory.

In the movie we only had the animation of the prologue (simply beautiful that yes, of my favorite animated sequences of all) and a half-worked idea of the King's Lettuce ("cut the tone" my eggs, Rosen).

The '99 series was the only one that more or less gave them more weight even adding one or two new ones. It's appreciated, but I still felt them very empty and the black rabbit one was never realized (despite there being plans for a chapter dedicated to that, heck).

Of course the miniseries doesn't differ that much from the movie, just the prologue part. But at least it was kind of nice to have at least parts of other stories told occasionally (I would have loved to hear that version of the black rabbit story in full).

(I would even go so far as to say that other WD inspired xf stories have failed to reach this "height" either. Either because those stories are always left very briefly aside or the story is so fanciful that they just don't matter/impact in the same way).

[seriouslycromulent]

What I've Been Up To (Larroquette love)

A couple of weeks ago, I started watching a lot of films and TV shows centered around John Larroquette. This is not out of character, of course. If you've visited my blog before, you might know I spent a fair amount of time gushing over him in 2022 after I finally made my way through The Librarians series for the first time, and followed it with a re-watch of the original Night Court.

After that, I watched him in Boston Legal, only to get sucked into a vortex of awesomeness called James Spader. (What can I say? Like most nerds, I have an obsessive personality.)

I've since left that rabbit hole, and leapt into a few others throughout 2023. And now I'm back to gushing over JL.

Maybe it's the new Night Court TV series. Maybe it's the overwhelming increase in great fanfiction that I've come across recently. Maybe it's because the world seems to be constantly on fire and I need a salve to help soothe my psyche. Maybe it's a combo of all 3.

Either way, I'm still leaning in, and I just want to thank my fellow nerds for sharing sources and leads on where I can find more Larroquette goodness. I'm not blowing smoke here either. I truly appreciate this.

Not only because I'm slowly running out of things to watch, but because it's nice to know there are others out there who see what I see in him. You don't know how rare that is.

Anywho! Back to geeking out. Here is a rundown of films, TV shows and TV mini-series-esque things that I've watched starring JL in the past 4 weeks:

* Walter and Henry (watched on Tubi) It was ok. I didn't dislike it. I am a fan of James Coburn and it was nice to see John play a saxophone. I remember him mentioning that he played reed instruments in his musician days back in NOLA. So I'm going to assume that he didn't have to take lessons to sell those scenes.

* Some of the McBride film series (watched on trial version of UP Faith & Family streaming service) These weren't bad. Somewhat Hallmark-y, but I would actually like to see the rest of them, especially the ones JL directed. But about 4 or 5 of them aren't available for streaming, and those include the ones he directed. The ones I saw include - - McBride: Anybody Murder Marty? - McBride: Tune in for Murder - McBride: It's Murder, Madam - McBride: The Chameleon Murder - McBride: Murder Past Midnight

* Camera Store (watched on Tubi) I know JL said in an interview that he didn't like shooting this film, but I thought it was really thought-provoking. You can tell by the reviews on IMDB that some people didn't like the slow burn of the story. But for those of us who like day-in-the-life character pieces, it was very well done. One person described it as a modern-day Death of a Salesman. And I'd say that's pretty accurate. It's definitely not for everyone, but it's certainly worth a watch.

* The 10th Kingdom (watched on Amazon Prime) I think this miniseries was a big deal back when it came out in 2000, but I never saw it. I'm not sure why because I've always been a big fan of fantasy. However, now that I've seen it, I can't say I loved it all that much. So maybe that's why I didn't watch it back in the day. I think it had a great premise, and I loved how they wove a lot of different fairy tales into one big story that played out over 10 episodes (or five 90-min episodes on Amazon).

But I think I had trouble trying to figure out who the audience was supposed to be for this. I'm guessing they wanted it to be for the whole family, but some of the dialogue skewed far older at times and it left me wondering the rest of the series. Especially when it came to things on the topic of virginity, infidelity, and sexuality in general. It was just every now and then, the characters would say something that made me go, "What was the TV rating on this again?!" Also some of the scenes between JL and his daughter were incredibly dramatic, but very out-of-place with the rest of the series' tone. They were good scenes, but it's like it became a completely different series for like 20 minutes. But ... oh well. I'm glad I saw it and can now reference it in the future.

* Wedding Daze (watched on UP Faith & Family) Talk about Hallmark-y! Well, I think this one actually was a Hallmark movie to be fair. The subject matter definitely wasn't my cup of tea, but overall, the cast wasn't bad. Well ... JL, Karen Valentine, French Stewart, and the actors who played the daughters weren't bad. Everyone else was kinda ... m'eh. But it's not bad if you like these types of stories. Interestingly, one of the actors who played one of his daughters (Jaime Ray Newman) also played opposite him in one of the McBride films. It was the McBride: Murder Past Midnight one. In it, she actually came on to JL's character at one point in the story. I looked it up. She shot the Wedding Daze film first, so the McBride role came later. I'm sure that scene was interesting to shoot. All in all, I can't say I recommend Wedding Daze though.

* Chuck, ep. 202 and ep. 414 (watched on Amazon Prime) I've heard about these episodes for years, but I never took the time to check them out because I wasn't a big fan of Chuck. I basically gave up halfway through the 1st season. But for the love of JL, I made myself watch these 2 episodes where he guest starred as super spy Roan Montgomery. And what can I say? They weren't bad. I actually enjoyed them for the most part. It was also fun to see Lesley Ann Brandt playing another sexy badass. (Methinks, she's been typecast.) I also imagine John probably liked playing the scenes where he was tied up. To be fair, he probably enjoyed the whole thing. He looked like he was having fun pretty much the whole time. Still not a fan of the show though.

* Sanford and Son, ep. 505 (watched via a link provided by another fan) Having grown up on reruns of this show, I loved learning that JL was a part of it, even if it was early in his career and he probably has very little memory of it. After I watched it, I told my mom about it, and she said she remembered that episode after all these years. So that episode definitely had some staying power for a young actor, I think. I mean, how many actors can say they played a white version of Lamont Sanford? LOL! It was a funny episode that kind of gave you a behind-the-scenes look at what the TV soundstages of the 1970s used to look like. Plus, it had Robert Guillaume in it too. Thank you fellow JL fan for sharing it!

---

OK. That's it for now. As I mentioned before, I don't have a lot left to watch that's available featuring our guy. Madhouse and Richie Rich are both on Tubi, but I saw those back in the '90s when they came out, and I don't really think they warrant a rewatch.

There are a lot of things in the shared folder I could enjoy, but I'd have to download them and I don't know if my computer memory can take it. Which sucks because I'd really like to watch Baa Baa Black Sheep. My mom remembers that show too. We'll see what I decide next.

I'm sure I'll land on something else before this obsession quietly gives way to another one in a month or so. Until then, watch this space face.

[namedafterflowerstournament]

Hazel (Watership Down) propaganda:

-He's quite literally a silly rabbit

-Basically said "fuck you" to the leader of his warren when they refused to move when danger was coming

-Ordinary guy becomes leader

-I was in a group in 6th grade where some other 5th and 6th graders read watership down and some of us made a "movie" of the first two chapters and i was Hazel :D I kept staring directly into the camera tho so it ended up being mildly creepy but me and the kid who played Fiver called each other by our character names until i graduated elementary

Wow, already ? I haven't even queued the polls yet ! Go Hazel !

While I'm at it, which Hazels are acceptable ?

Graphic Novel (I mean usually people don't complain about traditional drawings but you never know) / miniseries (I don't think it looks like something fans would like, is it ? No offence but the only thing looking marginally good here is the voice cast if you ask me but hey I'm not in the fandom) / TV series (maybe that's just me but my guess would be 'please don't talk about it either' but at least it looks relatively okay) and movie Hazel (which I think is the best known design ? I've never seen/read any version but that's the "ordinary" looking version, right ?)

Also is it just me / those pics or do rabbits 2 and 3 look more like hares ?

[everwisp]

hi there! i've been following you for quite a while, originally for a3, but i see you also enjoy poto. i've been meaning to get into it for a long time now, but im not sure where to start (so far, i've only ever read the book). do you have any recommendations for poto content to either start out with or to prioritize in general? thanks a ton!

Hi there anon!! this was a pleasant surprise to see in my inbox and I wasn't expecting to get questioned about POTO at all tbh! I'll try my best though 😊

I think starting with the musical would help, that's what actually lead me down the rabbit hole.

The most well known one would be Andrew Lloyd Webber's. This one is pretty similar to the book, if I recall correctly, having a some changes here and there (one of them being that the Persian isn't actually present in the musical.) I'd recommend either watching/listening to the broadway or the 2004 film, the latter being what introduced me to POTO in the first place hehe

There's also another musical by Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit (which I've only discovered this year), though it is loosely based from the novel, and kinda shows the Phantom in a different light. I actually watched the 1990 miniseries first before listening to the musical, and I gotta say that the Phantom was very charming in this one, made me swoon a bit 🙈

Their music style is pretty different from one another, now I'm not that good with music terms and classifying the styles, but Yeston & Kopit's is more opera like compared to Webber's which is a sort of mix with opera, classical and a bit of rock maybe??? They are both bangers though, I swear.

I'm pretty sure there are other retellings and musicals based on it, but these two plus the book are the only ones I've consumed so far.

OH AND ONE MORE ACTUALLY!!

Webber actually made a sequel to his POTO musical called Love Never Dies and boY IS IT A RIDE. I think the fans have mixed feelings about it, it has great songs though omg. So so basically, it's ten years after the original musical and is set in an amusement park called Phantasma, and w/o saying anything about the plot, basically our main trio come together again and we get love triangle 2.0 with so much drama. Was honestly flabbergasted the first time I saw it ‘cause I went in blind but as I rewatched it for the 3rd time and listened to the soundtrack over and over again, I admit it's pretty good. In a trashy way. Do I recommend that you watch it? Honestly, yeah, it was a pretty wild ride and I was entertained, it was a good time despite everything about the plot. You don't have to though if you don't want to!!! Some people actually described it being fanficy or something along those line

But yeah, that's all I have to recommend, I hope this helps you somewhat!! Even though I was just rambling most of the times haha.

If you have anymore questions or if you ever do get around to getting into it more I would love to hear about it, don't be afraid to pop in with your thoughts or screaming or complaints, it would be nice to talk about it with others aside from me just ranting about it to my siblings 🤣 No pressure though!! But i genuinely hope you enjoy it 🩵🩵

Wishing you all the love, softness, and good vibes anon!! ✨🩵