#like my self-worth as an artist kind of deal

[vimse]

random cloud paintings i made over the past week

[dailyrothko]

No, the Popularity of Abstract Art is Not the Result of a CIA PsyOp

If you are unlucky enough to move around the internet these days and talk about art, you’ll find that many “First commenters” will hit you with what they see as some hard truth about your taste in art. Comments usually start with how modern art is “money laundering” always comically misunderstanding what that means. What they are saying is that, of course, rich people use investments as tax shelters and things like expensive antiques and art appraised at high prices to increase their net worth. Oh my god, I’ve been red-pilled. The rich getting richer? I have never heard of such a thing.

What is conveniently left out of this type of comment is that the same valuation and financial shenanigans occur with baseball cards, wine, vacation homes, guitars, and dozens of other things. It does indeed happen with art, but even the kind that the most conservative internet curator can appreciate. After all, Rembrandts are worth money too, you just don’t see many because he’s not making any more of them. The only appropriate response to these people who are, almost inevitably themselves, the worst artists you have ever seen, is silence. It would cruel to ask about their own art because there’s a danger they might actually enjoy such a truly novel experience.

When you are done shaking your head that you just subjected yourself to an argument about the venality of poor artists plotting to make their work valuable after they died, you can certainly then enjoy the accompanying felicity of the revelation they have saved to knock you off your feet: “Abstract art is a CIA PsyOp”

Here one must get ready either to type a lot or to simply say “Except factually” and go along your merry, abstract-art-loving way. But what are the facts? Unsurprisingly with things involving US government covert operations, the facts are not so clear.

Like everything on the internet, you are unlikely to find factual roots to the arguments about government conspiracies and modern art. The mere idea of it is enough to bring blossom for the “I’m not a sheep” crowd, some of whom believe that a gold toilet owning former president is a morally good, honest hard-working man of the people.

The roots of this contention come from a 1973 article in Artforum magazine, where art critic Max Kozloff wrote about post-war American painting in the context of the Cold War, centering around Irving Sandler’s book, The Triumph of American Painting (1970). Kozloff takes on more than just abstract expressionism in his article but condemns the “Self-congratulatory mood”of Sandler’s book and goes on to suggest the rise of abstract expressionism was a “Benevolent form of propaganda”. Kozoloff treads a difficult line here, asserting that abstraction was genuinely important to American art but that its luminaries, “have acquired their present blue-chip status partly through elements in their work that affirm our most recognizable norms and mores.”

While there were rumblings of agreements around Kozloff’s article of broad concerns, it did not give birth to an actual conspiracy theory at the time. The real public apprehension of this idea seems to mostly come from articles written by historian Frances Stonor Saunders in support of her book, “The Cultural Cold War: The CIA and the World of Arts and Letters” (New York, New Press, 2000). (I have not read this 525 page book, only excerpts).

The gist of Ms. Saunders argument is a tantalizing, but mostly unsupported, labyrinthine maze of back door funding and novelistic cloak and dagger deals. According to Saunders, the Congress for Cultural Freedom (CCF), an anti-communist cultural organization founded in 1950, was behind the promotion of Abstract art as part of their effort to be opinion makers in the war against communism. In 1966 it was revealed that the CCF was funded by the CIA. Saunders says that the CCF financed a litany of art exhibitions including “The New American Painting” which toured Europe in the late 1950s. Some of this is true, but it’s difficult, if not impossible, to know the specifics.

Noted expert in abstract-expressionism, David Anfam said CIA presence was real. It was “a well-documented fact” that the CIA co-opted Abstract Expressionism in their propaganda war against Russia. “Even The New American Painting [exhibition] had some CIA funding behind it,” he says. But the reasons for this are not quite what the abstract art detractors might be looking for. After all, the CCF also funded the travel expenses for the Boston Symphony Orchestra and promoted Fodor’s travel guides. More than trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes, it was meant to showcase the freedom artists in the US. enjoyed. Or as Anfam goes on to say, “It’s a very shrewd and cynical strategy, because it showed that you could do whatever you liked in America.”

For what it’s worth, Saunders’s book was eviscerated in the Summer 2000 issue of Art Forum at the time of its publication. Robert Simon wrote:

“Saunders draws extensively on primary and secondary sources, focusing on the convoluted money trail as it twists through dummy corporations, front men, anonymous donors, and phony fund-raising events aimed at filling the CCF’s coffers. She makes lengthy forays into such topics as McCarthyism, the formation and operation of the CIA, the propaganda work of the Hollywood film industry, and New York cultural politics—from Partisan Review to MoMA to Abstract Expressionism. Yet what seems strangely absent from Saunders’s panoramic history, as if it were a minor detail or something too obvious to require discussion, is the cultural object itself: The complex specifics of the texts, exhibitions, intellectual gatherings, paintings, and performances of the culture war are largely left out of the story.”

Another problem with the book seems to be that Saunders is an historian but not an art historian. For me, I sensed an overtone of superiority in the tale she’s spinning and most assuredly from those that repeat its conclusion. The thinly veiled message of some is that if it were “Real art” it would not have had be part of this government subterfuge. The reality is very different. For one thing, most of us know it is simply not true that you can make people devoted to a type of art for 100 years that they would sensibly hate otherwise. Another issue is that it’s quite obvious none of the artists actually knew about any government interference if there was any. Pollock, Rothko, Gottlieb and Newmann were all either communists or anarchists. Hardly the group one would recruit the help the US government free the world of communism. Additionally, this narrow cold war timeline ignores a huge amount of abstract art that Jackson Pollock haters also revile and consider part of the same hijacking of high (Frankly, Greek, Roman, or Renaissance) culture. If you look at the highly abstract signature work of Piet Mondrian and observe the dates they were painted, you’ll see 1908, 1914, 1916. This is some of the art denigrated as a CIA PsyOP, 35 years before the CIA even thought about it. Modern art didn’t come from nowhere as many would have you believe to discredit its rise. There was Surrealism, Dada, Bauhaus, Russian futurism and a host of other movements that fueled it.

Generally, people like to argue. On the internet, “I don’t like this” is a weak statement that always must be replaced by “This is garbage” or my favorite, “This is fake.”

It’s hardly surprising that the more conservative factions of our society look for any government involvement in our lives to explain why things are not exactly as they wish them to be, given the (highly ironic) conservative government-blaming that blew up after Reagan. In addition, modern fascists have always had a love affair with the classical fantasy of Greece and Rome. Both Mussolini and Hitler used Greece and Rome as “Distant models” to address their uncertain national identity. The Nazis confiscated more than 5,000 works in German museums, presenting 650 of them in the Entartete Kunst (Degenerate Art, 1937) show to demonstrate the perverted nature of modern art. It featured artists including Marc Chagall, Max Ernst, Wassily Kandinsky, and Paul Klee, among others. The fear of art was real. It was the fear of ideas.

To a lot of people on the internet just the mentioning a “CIA program” is enough to get the cogs turning, but as with many things, the reality of CIA programs and government plots is often less than evidence of well planned coup.

The CIA reportedly spent 20 millions dollars on Operation Acoustic Kitty which intended to use cats to spy on the Kremlin and Soviet embassies. Microphones were planted on cats and plans were set in motion to get the cats to surreptitiously record important conversations. However, the CIA soon discovered that they were cats and not agreeable to any kind of regulation of their behavior.

As part of Operation Mongoose the CIA planned to undermine Castro's public image by putting thallium salts in his shoes, which would cause his beard to fall out, while he was on a trip outside Cuba. He was expected to leave his shoes outside his hotel room to be polished, at which point the salts would be administered. The plan was abandoned because Castro canceled the trip.

Regardless of your feelings on this subject or how much you believe abstract art benefited from government dollars, Saunders herself quotes in her book a CIA officer apparently involved in these “Long leash” influence operations. He says, “We wanted to unite all the people who were writers, who were musicians, who were artists, to demonstrate that the West and the United States was devoted to freedom of expression and to intellectual achievement, without any rigid barriers as to what you must write, and what you must say, and what you must do.” Hardly the Illuminati plot we were promised.

In 2016, Irving Sandler, author of the book that started Kozloff tirading in 1973, told Alastair Sooke of The Daily Telegraph, “There was absolutely no involvement of any government agency. I haven’t seen a single fact that indicates there was this kind of collusion. Surely, by now, something – anything – would have emerged. And isn’t it interesting that the federal government at the time considered Abstract Expressionism a Communist plot to undermine American society?”

This blog post contains information and quotes sourced from The Piper Played to Us All: Orchestrating the Cultural Cold War in the USA, Europe, and Latin America, Russell H. Bartley International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society, Vol. 14, No. 3 (Spring, 2001), pp. 571-619 (49 pages) https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20161004-was-modern-art-a-weapon-of-the-cia https://brill.com/view/journals/fasc/8/2/article-p127_127.xml?language=en https://www.guggenheim-bilbao.eus/en/learn/schools/teachers-guides/the-dark-side-of-classicism https://www.artforum.com/features/american-painting-during-the-cold-war-212902/ https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/modern-art-was-cia-weapon-1578808.html https://www.artforum.com/columns/frances-stonor-saunders-162391/ https://www.artforum.com/features/abstract-expressionism-weapon-of-the-cold-war-214234/ Mark Rothko and the Development of American Modernism 1938-1948 Jonathan Harris, Oxford Art Journal, Vol. 11, No. 1 (1988), pp. 40-50 (11 pages)

[morlock-holmes]

Maybe this is appropriate for September, but I watched this joke when it first aired:

And as I approach late middle age I'm struggling to deal with the question not of how I deal with the fact that it happened, but with the fact that it didn't.

You just are never going to convince me that I'm as culturally different from the Zoomers as the baby boomers were from their WWII-era parents, and you aren't going to convince me of it because it is so incredibly, self-evidently untrue.

The reason I say this is appropriate for September is that after the 9/11 attacks some people tried to talk about the cultural death of irony and its replacement by the New Sincerity, which I now take to be an attempt to convince ourselves that the pace of cultural change wasn't slacking, but there was no New Sincerity, and the irony of the 90s continues unabated to this day.

After that Bush II created the disgusting morass of the Iraq war, and people said, "Well, at least we'll get some great protest art and comedy out of this".

I remember Jon Stewart talking about how it was fundamentally unserious to even suggest that the moral horrors of the 00s were worth it because we might get some good comedy out of it, and while that was a good point it kind of overshadowed the fact that, for the most part, the biting satire and artistically vital protest art didn't actually materialize at all.

Now we're trying to gin up this generation gap nonsense and we are on at least the third attempt of my life to cargo cult the moral and artistic vitality of the 60s back into existence.

But man, like, that radio tower is just a stack of bamboo and that headset is made of coconuts.

[aetherdoesthings]

hanahaki!reader x arlecchino

forethoughts: omg aether finally uploads?!?!? apologies for the long break; i was getting my life together, because there's a lot going on in my life right now all at once. nevertheless, this was inspired by my previous work of hanahaki!reader x nico robin, but with arlecchino because of @edgeray's idea! thanks buddy, couldn't have revived my blog without you. also i'm sorry if there are grammatical mistakes or errors, i wrote this at 2am at a sudden burst of inspiration and motivation.

notes: modern setting, y/n and arlecchino are famous actresses, fem!reader, gentle!arlecchino, hanahaki au

“And how long will filming take?” You sighed, biting down on a hateful tone as you looked at your assistant.

“Roughly a year, Ms. Y/N.” Your assistant replied, clicking a few buttons on her tablet.

“How much is Furina offering to have me star in it with her?”

“$10,000,000 Mora, Ms. Y/N.”

You chewed on your bottom lip, despite your makeup artist’s ‘friendly reminder’. That amount could be worth the turmoil and agony to have to be in a constant space with… her.

“Arlecchino has already signed on board to the project. Ms. Furina is waiting to hear from you.” Your assistant looks up at you. “Surely you would not pass up a deal like that just because she is in it?”

“Shut it, Navia.” You scowl.

Navia laughs. “I jest, Ms. Y/N. What about Arlecchino do you dislike anyways? I heard she is kind and respectful.”

“Yeah, like that gives you a golden star.” You rolled your eyes, finishing your glass of wine. It wasn’t that you disliked or loathed the actress. You respected her upbringing and career and found honor in being in the same tier as her. But something about her rubbed you the wrong way. Every time you watched one of her press interviews or promo videos, your stomach would feel ill, hollowing itself out and making your legs kick in the air like a kid on Christmas. Simply sickening and rotten. And now you were to do an entire movie with her. 

“Hmn, fine. I’ll take it.” You sighed, leaning back on your couch. All for the Mora. All of the Mora. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s just one year. You survived with lousy and inadequate ‘colleagues’. Certainly you’d be able to survive the bane of your existence.

“Y/N. I’ve heard so much about you. It is a pleasure to finally meet and talk to you in person.” A familiar voice you only heard from behind the screen was now playing behind you. You turned your body, a curt smile on your face as you faced the disgustingly tall and surprisingly built woman (that looked so much bigger than what you saw on a screen), a dumb, cute and sweet grin plastered on her face. You acquiesced her offer, shaking her hand.

“And I share the same sentiment as you do, Arlecchino.” You smiled as politely as you could muster, suppressing your inner self and pummeling it for the sake of face. “I look…forward to working with you.”

Arlecchino’s lips turned into a thin line, her crimson eyes boring into yours, as if peering into your body to find that soul she tortured with just her appearance. You kept your smile, withdrawing your hand. “How was your flight here?”

Shock and surprise pierced that air tight smile of yours, allowing it to falter for a second. “I beg your pardon?”

“How was your flight?” Arlecchino repeated her question, an amused smile on her stupidly perfect and gorgeous face.

“It was… good.” You stammered, folding your arms.

Arlecchino chuckled. “Vague but straight to the point.”

“I prefer things to be like that.”

Arlecchino grinned, placing a hand on your shoulder. You had to bite back a shriek or gasp, nails digging into your palm as you tried to remain a smile. “Let us go to rehearsal, hmn? I’m certain Furina is eagerly waiting for us.”

A blockade started to emerge in your throat, your nails drawing blood as you nodded your head. “Sure, yeah, yeah. You go on ahead. I need to do something real quick.” You said, hoping Arlecchino would buy it.

“Alright then.” And she did, that lovely gullible soul. The minute Arlecchino walked out of earshot, a violent cough erupted from your throat, causing you to double over until it subsided. Looking down, you noticed a lone cherry blossom petal right by your feet. You massaged your throat, hoping to alleviate the sudden pain. Had that petal been there all along? But you were standing on open land without a tree in sight. Furina’s movie synopsis did not mention any cherry blossom trees. Surely, you couldn't have coughed up a petal. No, you did not cough up a petal. That stuff was out of the movies, not in reality. Your mind recalled back to an old movie you shot once, about the protagonist suffering from something called hanahaki disease, where the victim would cough up petals because of their love for someone. The protagonist was lovesick and had their eyes set on the other character, but died because the other person did not return their feelings. This wasn’t happening to you. Yes, the movie was based off of a true story, but certainly not. You were certain you were hallucinating. 

“Y/N!” You heard Arlecchino’s voice call your name from afar. 

“C-Coming!” No. You had to get yourself together. Come on, this was Arlecchino. That… elegant, beautiful, eloquent asshole who you always watched from afar but never had the chance to be with up close. But now you could. And this was how you reacted? Your stomach churned, as you swallowed anymore nonexistent petals down into your vat of acid before making your way to everyone.

Filming wasn’t too bad in the first few weeks. You and Arlecchino were to play star crossed lovers, and all that was scheduled was basic exposition. No petals came up, which supported your case that you were just hallucinating and definitely not a fictional disease. Until it came to the more intimate scenes.

“Alright, and action!” Furina exclaimed. Arlecchino’s character was pinning you to the wall, her finger on your chin.

“Did you really think you could hide it from me?” Arlecchino’s character sneered, her eyes boring into yours, her lips getting dangerously close.

“I-” You ducked your head in time to not cough into Arlecchino’s face, bringing a hand over your mouth as you coughed loudly, the air escaping your body as you wheezed. 

“Cut! Everyone, take ten!” Furina yelled, and the crew murmured and resetted everything because of your sudden cough.

“Are you alright?” Arlecchino placed a hand on your shoulder, rubbing small circles in an effort to comfort you, her voice soft and gentle. A complete contrast of her character she portrayed. That did not comfort you at all, rather stir up a bubbling feeling in your lower parts, warmth rushing to your face.

You balled your fist, nodding your head as you forced yourself to meet Arlecchino’s eyes. 

“I…” You stammered, words suddenly disappearing from your brain, as if Arlecchino was sucking it out with that crimson glow, radiating with warmth and concern, the grin on her face dissipating the moment she saw your soul momentarily leave your body.

“I-I’m alright. I-I’m so sorry.” You regurgitated. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“That’s alright. Do you need some water?” 

“That’ll… That’ll be good.”

Arlecchino nodded her head, patting your shoulder as she asked a staff member to grab you some water. “I’ll go talk to Furina for you. You just rest and recover, got it? I don’t want my acting partner to be ill.”

Oh, your acting partner already is ill. A voice inside of you replied back. 

“Right, yeah. Thank you so much, Arlecchino.” You exclaimed, smiling back.

"Always, Y/N." Arlecchino walked away, waving her hand. "Get well soon."

The crew was busy packing everything up and preparing everything for tomorrow. Arlecchino was talking to Furina, most likely going over tomorrow’s shoot and your cough. As everyone around you was moving and busy, you were escorted away into a car, which drove you back to the makeup trailer. Alone in the backseat, you opened your fist, staring at the item in the dead center of your palm.

A goddamn cherry blossom petal.

No. This can’t be happening. What the heck is happening?! You forced yourself to breathe, staring at the curled petal. Why was this happening? All you did was be in close proximity with that damn Arlecchino, which made your heart flutter and start to drum, your stomach churn and mind go fuzzy, legs limp and-

No.

No.

You did not have a crush on Arlecchino.

You could not have a crush on Arlecchino.

You were colleagues. Workers. She was the winner of multiple awards, she was the one who the paparazzi could never get a picture of, she was everything and you… you were…nothing. Nothing compared to what Arlecchino had done. 

Yet you were here, forced to work together with her and even have to do intimate scenes with-

God strike me here and now. Or make me go into a fatal accident. You silently prayed to anyone who was listening. 

Arlecchino would not be the reason you coughed and hacked up flower petals.

You refused to believe those soft crimson glow in her eyes she always had with you, those thin lips that always curled into a smile when you walked in the room, and those fingers that found a way to your shoulder, or cheek, or your waist would be the reason why you were coughing up petals, just like-

Hanahaki. The word taunted you. No. That couldn’t be. 

You refused to believe you had fallen in love with Arlecchino, let alone die because of it. No. As long as you could breathe, you would not let yourself be a victim of love that you will never receive and have. 

Arlecchino was going to be the reason the newspaper headline would read ‘Y/N FOUND DEAD IN HER BEDROOM FROM HANAHAKI DISEASE’ and lead numerous people to speculate who your Romeo was. 

But in that ill state you were, a tiny part of you was at ease with that scenario.

[doumadono]

Emergency request

Been dealing with self esteem and weight issues lately which I know I can't control but it's slowly getting the better of me.. could I request the clones comforting an s/o with weight issues and low self esteem?

A/N: remember, it's okay to reach out for support and help during difficult times. Take things one step at a time, be kind to yourself, and focus on self-care and self-love. You're stronger than you think ♥

EMERGENCY REQS MASTERLIST

Karaku

Karaku, with his easygoing personality, constantly reassures his S/O that he loves her just the way she is. He adores her for her uniqueness and never wants her to change for anyone.

He surprises her with little acts of kindness, like preparing her favorite snacks, to make her feel pampered and loved.

Whenever she has a bad day, he'll hold her close, reminding her that she's precious to him.

He encourages her to join him in fun and low-pressure physical activities, like going for a relaxing walk or having a light workout together, to boost her confidence and mood.

Karaku often compliments her genuine qualities, emphasizing her intelligence, kindness, and resilience. He reminds her that her worth extends far beyond physical appearance.

He enjoys dedicating his time to his S/O, reveling in the act of worshipping her body. After passionate moments together, he refuses to let her conceal herself, choosing instead to bestow kisses upon every inch of her form while whispering sweet affirmations about her beauty. "I can't help but adore every curve and contour of your body. You're a work of art."

"Remember, you're stuck with me, no matter what, khe-khe! and that includes all your beautiful imperfections."

Urogi

Urogi is incredibly attentive, always listening and understanding her feelings. He never judges his S/O.

He's known for his sassy and playful demeanor, often teasing his S/O with cheeky comments and light-hearted banter.

When his S/O is feeling down or experiencing a mood drop, he gently comes close and envelops her within his expansive wings, whispering to her that tears aren't necessary, and that this moment of sadness will eventually pass.

He's a fantastic cuddler, and he loves to hold her close and reassure her that she's safe and cherished in his arms.

Urogi encourages her to set achievable goals for herself, focusing on self-improvement rather than striving for unrealistic standards of beauty.

"You're unique, and that's what makes you so incredibly beautiful to me. Embrace your individuality."

Aizetsu

Aizetsu, being a bit mysterious and reserved, tends to show his love through actions rather than words. He constantly supports her, offering to help his S/O with tasks.

He often takes her to peaceful and natural places, like a serene forest or a calm lake, to help her connect with the beauty of the world beyond appearances.

Aizetsu is a great listener, often sitting with her in quiet moments, giving her space to express her thoughts and feelings. He never interrupts and offers a patient ear to help her release her burdens.

His presence alone provides a sense of comfort and understanding, as he values her words and emotions.

"Don't feel that way, my love, it's truly heart-wrenching, and it stirs up an overwhelming urge within me to shed tears."

He appreciates her artistic and creative side, encouraging her to express herself through writing or other creative outlets, helping her boost her self-esteem.

Aizetsu values her inner strength and resilience, often reminding her that she's much stronger than she thinks, and he's there to support her no matter what.

He's a master at creating an aura of calm and serenity, helping her relax and find inner peace when her self-esteem issues become overwhelming.

"Look at the stars. They don't judge. They just shine, much like your inner beauty."

Sekido

Sekido's anger is like a protective shield around his S/O. Whenever they face a threat or feel vulnerable, his anger flares up, ready to defend and shield them from harm.

Despite his constant anger, Sekido's unwavering support is evident in his actions. He's quick to take action when his S/O needs help, making sure she's always defended and cared for.

"Tsch! Don't keep things from me, weakling. It's fucking frustrating."

His anger also acts as a healing force, as he fiercely helps his S/O confront her fears and insecurities. He encourages her to face challenges head-on, providing the motivation and courage she needs to overcome obstacles.

Sekido cherishes the quiet moments with his significant other. He understands the importance of relaxation and calm, and in these moments, he is surprisingly gentle and tender.

He often points out her accomplishments and the things she's proud of, emphasizing that her worth goes beyond her physical appearance.

"Don't let fear hold you back. You've got this, and I'll be right there beside you."

[sirfrogsworth]

Thoughts on Live Action Avatar: TLA

I'm sure people are going to hate this. Some for valid reasons. Some because of endless nitpicking that really has no bearing on how good or bad it actually was. Some because they have already chosen to hate it and it's just a self-fulfilling prophecy.

But I always root for things to be good. I want them to succeed. And I always go into everything I watch with the hope and expectation it will be good. I turn off my critical brain and try to just experience the show for what it is. As I said, I saw no trailers. I read no reviews. I knew almost nothing about the production of this going in.

Initially, things were rough... buddy.

And I think that is a longstanding problem with live action TV shows in general. I am always reminded of Star Trek TNG and how it took two seasons (48 episodes) before they figured out what the hell they were doing. Back then shows were able to find their footing and grow and learn. Actors were given time to find their characters and understand them and finally become them.

But now, every show has to be amazing from the start or they get cancelled. And I think people have become very unforgiving of first seasons as well. I feel like not enough people consider the potential of something getting better. And I think that is a shame.

So, yes, Avatar started out rough. They tried to cram all of the exposition into the first 20 minutes. And that was unpleasant. The effects were jarring at first. It is incredibly difficult to translate animation into live action. And please don't say the CGI was "bad." It wasn't. There was just so much that needed to be packed into every frame of this show to make it work, and finding a way to make it all seamlessly blend is a monumental task. I think the artists did an amazing job with the constraints of essentially making an 8 hour movie in the time usually given a 2 hour one.

But as the show continued, the actors seemed more comfortable in their roles. The showrunners seemed to figure out what worked and what didn't. The quality across the board started to improve. Especially when they started to deviate a little bit from following the cartoon. I also noticed that the effects that were jarring in the beginning eventually stopped bothering me and breaking immersion. I got used to them and was able to just focus on the story. And I think they got a little better as well. The bending was much more convincing as the show progressed. And it was a bajillion times better than the slow-motion bending of that movie that shall not be named.

And by the final episode, I was all in. The Avatar monster was really cool. And I was crying my eyes out and having all kinds of emotions. And there were some changes they made to the story which I actually thought made more sense. And I was glad this show was doing a few things to differentiate rather than being an exact carbon copy.

It won me over.

And I know it won't do that for everyone. And perhaps I am forgiving a lot of sins just because I wanted it to be good. The original was my absolute favorite show of all time. I just liked spending time with these characters again.

But I liked it more than I didn't and I'm hoping that is the general consensus, but I fear that is not the case.

Things I really liked...

I thought the actor playing Sokka was really great. They didn't give him enough humorous material. But I think this kid absolutely nailed the role. And if this gets another season, I do hope he can show Sokka's lighter side a bit more.

Ken Leung also did amazing as Zhao. I think he surpassed his cartoon counterpart in villainy. I loved hating him.

The final battle was beautiful. I think they probably dedicated a lot of resources to that. Maybe at the expense of other things. But I think it was worth it to end strong.

In the first season of the cartoon, the trauma was often skipped over or kept very brief. I'm sure the idea of dealing with genocide and war time trauma was not an easy sell to Nickelodeon initially. But they did actually take the time to show some of that trauma, especially with Katara and Sokka. And I cried a bunch.

They seemed to go to considerable effort to have a diverse cast. I am glad they learned that lesson from the movie.

That said, they probably could have brought back Dee Bradley Baker to make the animal noises. This might have been an overcorrection...

I guess this will give the anti-wokesters something to complain about since the original was already super woke and it is probably a challenge to complain about the new thing being woke as well. Though I'm sure they are up to the challenge.

Things I didn't care for...

The compressed timeline caused a few stories to be combined and accelerated. I understand why that was necessary. But there were some important moments of character growth that got lost.

Sokka's missing sexism. I think it is much more useful to see someone grow and change and let go of their problematic traits than to pretend that never existed. Sokka's sexism was a symbol of the conservative views within water tribe culture in general. It was also foreshadowing for the conflict with Pakku (which was also minimized). I just think young viewers seeing a character overcome ingrained ideals has a greater influence than just erasing that aspect from the character.

Things I hated...

Princess Yue's hair. You get the amazing Amber Midthunder to play Yue, and she does an amazing job with extremely abbreviated screen time, but I couldn't stop staring at whatever that was they put on her noggin. I know I criticized people for nitpicking, but that was very distracting. I don't know exactly how it could have been done better, but I worry a great performance is going to get overshadowed by... hair.

In conclusion...

I think the people making this show loved the source material. I can see that love. I think they tried very hard to make the best show possible. And I also know they are probably going to get a lot of hate. I still haven't looked at the reviews because I didn't want to be influenced when writing this. But I can feel the review bombing as we speak.

But this was not a Witcher situation where the writers didn't respect the source material. This was displaying how incredibly difficult it is to convert one of the most beautifully animated shows in existence into live action. Maybe that is an argument for not making live action versions. Though I usually love them when they work and am happy both versions exist.

I really hope people can remember the original still exists and they can completely disregard this and watch the cartoon any time they wish. This doesn't have to "ruin their childhood." These two things can exist and everyone is perfectly capable of ignoring all of the live action material.

But I do hope this gets another season. I think that final episode showed the potential. I think the cast was getting comfortable in their roles and they deserve another chance to show what they can do.

I love Paul Sun-Hyung Lee and I think he was a great choice for Iroh. But Mako's shoes are probably the biggest shoes in the existence of shoes to try and fill. I do not envy the task he was given. But every once in a while I saw that Mako spirit come out in his performance and I think he could use another season to really find that and show us what he is capable of.

This felt a lot like The Phantom Menace to me. There was actually a ton of amazing stuff to love in that movie. But it didn't quite work the way the original movies did. But I think this was good enough to hope for the future.

[pastel-medic]

//Really brief vent (mention of depression)

Just a small vent on some personal emotions cuz I've been feeling really stressed and maybe that's feeding into my current mental mindset rn

As I've said before tho I won't be making these kinds of posts much because I want to keep my mental health private from my art posts. I'm making this post cuz it's been on my mind for a while and causing me some doubt in myself

So I found out about a week ago that my Medicsona looks similar to someone else's oc, and I first learned about this oc through an attack on Art Fight. I assumed the artist of the oc was a bit upset about the similarities from the frowny face they put in the art, and I feel a bit awkward and don't know how to feel about it. I've recently been trying hard not to look too deep into tones in text cuz it often makes me nervous. Maybe I'm being anxious and just reading into something that isn't a big deal.

I've contemplated changing Shortcake's design a couple times but I'm so attached to how I've designed him. I don't want to change it just because I feel conflicted over this. Idk I've been having a few depressive episodes about myself as an artist lately, and I often find myself feeling unoriginal. The artist of the oc is really nice, but I can't shake the feeling that I've made them feel upset somehow. I know I shouldn't dwell on what others think but I'm a highly empathetic person and unfortunately a people pleaser. It's likely just my fluff brain being mean to me again.

Idk vent is over tho I don't want to think about this too much rn, it's more of a self-worth thing for me to heal personally on my own

[unexpectedbrickattack]

bro your pepperman and peppino comic hasn’t left my brain since i saw it. i just love the dynamic of a ginormous freak and peppino being both intimidated and flustered.. bro i wish there was more of those two

I should draw them some more bc i really like the dynamic ive written for them 😊 For u anon, i will share some minor (silly) thoughts ive had about them

-Pepperman absolutely has a little baby crush on this man. TEENY TINY. The kind of crush that means nothing- hes a little 💅🏾 and hes an artist like ur gonna be a little gay w all of the friends you make; thats just the way it goes 😭 Like Peppino is sooooo handsome and soooo strong and he can cook and hes smart and he doesnt stand down when confronted (he LOVES this the most). So people in Peppermans Rich Friend circle notice the complete 180 his personality does when Peppino is invited to outings. Its not that Pepperman is being weird and shallow or fake, its that Peppino is probably his First Friend that wasnt rich and snobbish in anyway. Some part of him really REALLY wants to impress Peppino and it makes him act a little ‘foolish’ heehee 😊

-Following up on this, Pepperman visits the pizzeria out of the blue like MONTHS after he first invites Peppino out for the art sessions and like okay maybe they are friends MAYBE…but like he is still kind of anxious bc the last time he came here he almost got his skinned so part of him is like ‘maybe hes only amicable bc feels obligated to cooperate within the walls of my studio…’ BUT he shuffles awkwardly into the shop and Peppino not only waves but SMILES at him while hes attending to a customer and Pepperman is like ‘HEEEHEEUHEEHOOO………….’

-Peppermans art is worth a fortune; he is very well respected in the art world and any pieces hes made (including self portraits) are absolutely stunning. His abstract art is as beautiful as his realism; auctioning them off and doing occasional commission work is how hes acquired most of his wealth. Because of this, it is a MASSIVE show of good faith and comradery that Pepperman will often gift art to Peppino. Unfortunately, Peppino will not accept statues or huge marble sculptures BUT Pepperman is delighted to see Peppino accept paintings and mini sculptures, even if he LOOKS a bit confused about it 😭

-SO… when Pepperman comes by the shop some weeks later, he is overwhelmingly excited to see one of his pieces hung up on the walls. The feeling of having his art fawned over in an art exhibit does not even BEGIN to compare to the excitement of seeing his art being displayed in this common mans shop. Its a portrait of Peppino, stylized, w some funky lookin colors. Nothing fancy or particularly evocative. Just. Peppino! Looking a bit wistful with colors winding around him.

Even Peppino is like (snrk) “Dont you have your fancy arts in a museum or something? Dont see the big deal ‘bout ‘a this.” But its HUGE its like…suddenly it is not just his muse entertaining his artistic vision…his muse VALUES his artistic vision………..it makes him SO happy. He thinks about it for days. Its like; he had no idea that this is what it felt like to have…inspiration and motivation from an Outside source. His art, while breathtaking, felt like it lacked something…Rich. Years and years of self reflection and introspection and Never expanding his horizons, never realizing he was Capable of expanding his horizons until now…he is just a lucky little pepper 🫑🌶✨

[thepaperpanda]

𝓓𝓪𝔂 15 - A Bit Late For Work || Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x fem!reader

Masterlist

Summary: In most cases, it's you who makes Bradley late to work, except when his mission is to make you feel relaxed following a stressful day.

Warnings: smut (oral - f receiving)

Word count: 1510

Author: Rouge

A/N: the prompt for today is: Oral Sex

You threw your car keys on the kitchen table and sighed loudly as you opened the refrigerator.

Bradley raised an eyebrow at you as he lowered the newspaper, tipping his glasses in the process.

You had no idea why he wore them. And yet, that small glint off the end when he was staring down at you from between his legs, ah. You shook off the thought, retrieved a water bottle, and sat at the table next to your boyfriend. The idea was nice, but you knew Rooster had work soon, and while you were normally very willing to make him late, you couldn't work up your usual libido.

Bradley could tell something was bothering his lover, and he tilted his head as you sat next to him. He set the paper down, removing his glasses as well, and placing them in his shirt pocket. "Would you like to talk about it?"

You shook your head. "Not particularly," you shrugged, taking a swig from the bottle. "You usually feel better when you do," he pointed out.

It was a valid point he made. Nevertheless, you decided it wasn't worth mentioning how much you wanted to change career paths again. All the time you bragged about not being completely satisfied with what you were doing but felt that it was too late to change anything. Even so, you didn't want to go to university any more, and felt like dropping your engineering studies. Your new goal was to become an artist. You were proficient at it too, about as good as you were at university, but pursuing it seemed like a dead dream.

Bradshaw watched you turn your head over. He waited for you to collect your thoughts, and eventually, once you had, he watched you sigh and shrug once more.

"Same thoughts as always, I'm tired of everything."

"You're doing a rather great job with your studies," Bradley pointed out.

You shot him a glare. "Sorry, sorry. I know."

You groaned, cocking your eyebrow.

“It’s about a lifestyle, my bad,” he corrected himself, sending you a soft grin.

"Close enough," you mumbled. But he wasn't wrong this time either. You sighed again, took another swig of water, and then put your forehead down on the table. "Maybe I'm just tired of it, I don't know. I don't feel sick of it though, I love learning and making friends. Maybe I just need a break?"

In response to your words, Bradley slowly rose and walked over to stand behind you. When he reached down, he gently pulled you by your shoulders until you were sitting up straight. He worked at the knots that had inevitably formed there by rubbing his fingers gingerly into the flesh of yours. "You think too much," he remarked with a low chuckle, being a little rougher about the massage. But you could handle it. In fact, Rooster knew just how much his little baby girl could truly handle.

The thought went straight to his groin, and he suddenly had an idea.

As you leaned into his touch, you teased, "Maybe you think too little." 

While you didn't expect the massage to last much longer, you were grateful that Rooster remembered little gestures of kindness so often, especially after the self-doubt you had been dealing with. 

When you suddenly felt his lips on your neck, you let out a quiet moan. You grinned a bit at the warmth of his mouth, but you weren't about to complain. If he had something a little more involved than the massage in mind, you weren't going to stop him obviously.

As his fingers slipped from over your shirt to under it, he stretched the collar just a bit so he was gripping mostly flesh. Like warming oil, his touch bit pleasantly into your shoulders and throughout your body. When you felt Rooster's hand reach down to your breast, you sighed and tensed slightly. He paused there for a moment, and when you leaned into his touch, he reached further down, cupping your entire breast in his hand. Your breath caught in Bradley's ears, and he grinned wider. The beast that resided within his heart loved being able to please you like this. 

Putting one hand on your breast, he slipped his fingers under the lacy fabric of your bra and squeezed your nipple sharply. In response to your breath catching again, he stopped massaging your shoulder with his left hand. In addition, he squeezed your soft nipple and traced his hand down your shoulder blade. Your nipple was squeezed again, causing you to moan, and then he rubbed your shoulder blade with his fingers. The two sensations made a louder moan fall from your lips, and you gripped the chair you were sitting in tightly to keep steady. As his voice filled with hellish lust, Rooster commanded, "Touch yourself." His eyes had changed to all-black; the influence you had on him was indescribable.

The fact that you listened nearly without hesitation made Bradley harder than he thought possible. But he was content to please you this time. After all, you needed the stress relief. He watched through his darkened eyes as your right hand reached between your legs, rubbing lightly before undoing your pants, and pushing them down. Then you reached into your lacy white panties and began moving your hand to the same rhythm Bradley was squeezing your nipple and rubbing your shoulders.

You let out a louder moan as all three sensations collided in the pit of your stomach. Rooster began to move faster, and so did you, until you began to feel your orgasm build. You tensed then, letting out several sharp moans as you came, back arched.

After a few moments, you relaxed, sinking into the chair. You were about to say something, but Rooster was suddenly in front of you, hands on either side of the chair. You  felt a shiver of anticipation roll down your spine when you looked into his darkened eyes, and then he was kissing you deeply. You wrapped your arms around him, but the kiss was cut short as Bradley moved to grab your thighs and pull you to him. You giggled a bit, then moaned when you felt his lips clasp onto your nipple.             

After a few seconds of teasing, Rooster trailed his lips languidly down your body, and then all the way down between your legs. He grinned as he touched your wet panties and pressed his fingers against your pussy, causing you to moan lightly again. "Take these off,” he demanded within a dark voice of his.

You did as you were told, quickly slipping off the lacy panties.

Shortly after, he wrapped your legs around his shoulders. In one swift movement, Bradley's tongue was pressed against you, causing you to cry out in pleasure as you gripped the chair. He grinned against your wetness and moved the tip of his tongue in little circles across your clit. You were already shivering, and soon as he kissed and licked and began sucking on your clit, he reached under his chin, and easily slipped two fingers into your needy pussy. Having his fingers strangle you properly, your pussy immediately engulfed his digits in its juice, causing you to moan in a low tone. To make your head spin, Rooster pressed his whole tongue to your clit and slowly moved it up and down, eventually reaching your entrance as he briefly spat on the fingers he pulled halfway out of your pussy, just to make them wetter than before. Soon, his digits returned to your pussy, and he curled them deep inside of you, massaging your very sensitive spot.

"Fuck!" You cried, pushing into him as he slowly began to pump his fingers. You moaned again, reaching one hand up to grip onto his hair as you felt another orgasm about to overtake your body. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" You cut yourself off and rolled your head back as a loud moan fell from your chest. Your legs tightened around his head as your orgasm hit, your legs shaking, your chest heaving.

Bradley held on for the ride, grinning wickedly as you came right into his mouth. He moaned too, rock hard and lustful, but satisfied in your pleasure. He leaned up after allowing you a few moments to breathe.

You sighed contentedly into the kiss, and then Rooster was pulling away, grin wide, eyes back to the normal color you were so fond of. He looked so wicked with the expression his face held though. 

You smiled all the same before looking at the clock on the wall. "You're going to be late, Rooster."

"Fuck," Bradshaw hissed, then laughed, running around to collect his things before heading out. Then he turned, as if recalling something, and was surprised to see you standing in the doorway waiting for him. After you tapped your lips briefly with your index finger, he smiled and kissed you again. "Right."

As your boyfriend ran out, you yelled, "Don't forget your meeting with Mitchell today!"

[maikaartwork]

Art-adjecent friends, let’s talk about commission pricing

Recently a post I wrote about Instagram scammers got carried far and wide, which is AWESOME, because it’s raising awareness, but it did point my attention in one direction.

I would like to thank these really awesome people for making me think about this:

@astralmouseart @infocards @everentropy @jicklet @xlynchiex @spoonietimelordy @foervraengd

Their comments and hashtags made me realize something very very important. In the scammer post, I wrote that scammers offer ridiculous amounts of money, like 100 or 300 dollars. Since then I added an edit to the original post, but it doesn’t carry to reblogs. And I think that people need to understand that:

For beginning artists that don’t know how to price stuff $100 absolutely CAN be a ridiculous amount. Take into account that people might not know how to price their work, especially when they’re teenagers, deal with low self-esteem, other unknown issues, or…

… make very simple art, or are very fast with their work, or…

… from a country where it IS a ridiculous amount of money. People on the Internet seem to not realize that minimum wage in American McDonalds might be a stupid amount of cash for someone from countries far less economically lucky.

For example:

Minimum wage in my country (Poland) on the day of this post minimum wage is 21 PLN after tax. That’s 5.19 USD. I’m pretty lucky, honestly. $100 for me is 19 hours of work. Which is how long it would take me to make around 8 artworks of the kind scammers usually request.

Brazil’s hourly rate at current exchange rate is equivalent of 1.67 USD. That’s almost 60 hours to get $100.

I am incredibly grateful that the Internet is trying to bring things up to higher standards. But also, please remember that you might make people feel confused, inadequate, or out of place. Like I often feel when people tell me that I’m undercharging because I judge things by standards I was raised with, even though I try very hard to “not ruin the market” (this is nothing anyone said to me recently but I did get comments like that).

Be kind, don’t judge people by your standards, take into account that not everywhere is the same.

THE PART FOR ARTISTS:

Friends, the people that say we undercharge, to put it simply, are usually right. Especially when we’re new to this, or struggle with self-worth issues, it can be hard to imagine that people could be ready to pay more than your asking price.

Truth that you need to hear is:

You are absolutely worth it.

If you don’t know how to go about commission pricing, @thechekhov wrote a wonderful post about it (their advice posts are great in general!)

READ IT HERE

[grumpybunny-edith]

Furry HRT comics have been something my brain kinda constantly returns to over the last... since people started making them, and so just like anything else I'm really invested in, I feel like I need to analyze them as a phenomenon a little bit.

In some ways, I feel like the most popular formats of these comics are informed by a traditional or uncomplicated view of medical transition. Every character is presented as being able to get an appointment pretty simply, and all live in proximity to their endo. Their initial appointment usually sucks, but characters get what they're looking for and generally don't experience any more roadblocks. The meds people take are always compatible with them, and do not cause any unexpected or adverse side effects.

There's also the assumption in many of these comics that transition has a definite "end". There exists a point where a character is "done", more or less, which isn't accurate to transgender experiences and pushes some of the harmful narrative perpetuated by the medical system. This structure, as well as the fact that furry HRT generally functions more quickly than transgender HRT, is helpful to the format of the stories as short-form narratives, as it helps create a satisfying conclusion.

This is all great for what the format and narratives seem to be trying to convey. Even in amongst the body horror which is common to the narrative, which is in itself useful for exploring how something many view as horrible or uncanny (such as gender transition), they are stories about trans joy. They're about some of the adversity we face, finding happiness among that adversity, and sharing in it with our communities. They're also about finding an authentic self through a medical process that isn't seen in reality, and how regardless of how strange people find something, happiness and self love are what is most important.

But also, when I reflect on these narratives, I sometimes struggle to see myself in them. I'm a person who has spent her entire time medically transitioning dealing with shitty, non-fantastical roadblocks; and it's never the fault of a shitty doctor. Prescriptions take a long time to deliver, insurance doesn't wanna cover it, drugs don't work properly (or sometimes too well, and my doctor starts thinking I have a tumor in my brain), that kind of stuff.

And part of why this bums me out is that there's still so much joy there. It takes more work to love oneself when you spend a month or two off for every three months on, but it's a beautiful thing when you do. There's a whole side of the community engaging with things like DIY HRT, helping and looking after one another even when the medical system won't. There's also people microdosing HRT, either because they're unsure how they feel about it, or there's something in the "in-between" that feels right for them.

Of course artists should put to the page the stories that they want to tell. This post honestly was helping me do the same thing by orienting my thoughts. I'm just yearning for stories that feel a little bit closer to the life I've lived and noticing trends that feel reminiscent of the ways the system hurts us. I love and appreciate every single one of these stories and I hope people don't stop making them - there's so much uniquely trans joy to be had in them. I guarantee this isn't the last of what I have to say about the topic; there's too much here worth celebrating and reading closer.

[celestialholz]

So, The Harvest...

Oh, you thought I wasn't coming back for you after spending five hours on Surrendering Sunflora, did ya? Thought you were slipping under my radar? Guess again, my spicy little friend...

The Harvest is of course Brassius' other named Artazon sculpture, and it tells its own compelling narrative, because... well, of course it does, have I taught you all nothing? Imagine this guy does something straight for 0.3 of a second.

Fellow gay theorist mini Holz will be demonstrating these for you today:

For simplicity's sake, we'll call these A, B and C respectively. Now, I've commented before that C is the perfect example of The Harvest being part-Brass, part-Hass and part-Arboliva, because of its colours, spikiness and form, but what's a story with only its ending?

And so, if one must be relevant to types, so must the others.

This is, as were the Sunfloras, allegorical. I've had to take the meanings from these, as representations of their types. But I've said it before and I'll say it again - this is what artists do, and this is also what people who makes game do. They ask you to consider their minds at the time of creation, and that's kinda of my whole deal, ripping that shit open like it's a goddamn Christmas present.

We start, therefore, with A. A's colours represent the Fire and Electric types - a passion, a spark, a zest and a joy in living. In colour theory, yellow is happiness, and red is fire - a blaze of emotion. And yet, it's circled by pale blue 'olives' - in Pokemon terms, the Ice type, and a type our dear Brassie is weak to. This is his beginning - creativity, smothered by the cold of depression. We know he was saved by Hass, which leads us to...

... B. B is saturated now in Ice - the cold has crept in, the depression and illness is defining him more than the joy in art. Except... now it's joined by pink. And this pink is damn close to the Psychic type, a type filled with knowledge, mental strength, and sunshine allegories - Solgaleo and Solrock, anyone? Or, you know, a man who looks far too much like a Sunflora...

B, therefore, is Brass finding Hass, at his lowest ebb. Hass is getting under his skin, showering him in praise, showing him that he's worth all the self-belief and self-confidence in the world, healing him... which is where the Dragon-type indigo comes in. This time, Hassel orbits him; he circles the outside, understanding, encouraging, boosting that mental strength by showing Brass how worthy and brilliant he is. Which leads to only one conclusion...

... C. C is harmony. C is the man we find before us in the game, the end product of all that boosting, all of Hassel's kindness - the confident, established artist, the man who has allowed colour and vibrance back into his life, orbited now once again by Electric olives - the spark's back. They almost look like miniature suns. Imagine that...

Grass and Dragon, in perfect complement.

Where this gets even more fascinating is that whilst you can find several versions of each colour variant in Artazon, the first place you encounter them is in the central plaza - and whilst A and B host a confused couple, each wondering where their love is...

... C stands separate, unconcerned.

Because C? C is anything but alone. It doesn't need one to wonder where the other is - they're right here, and they always will be.

Just to put the cherry on the cake of this adorable saga, though, we must head a town over. Game Freak so deep in their lore mini Holz has to cross Paldea to piece it together. Fucking spectacular, you funky little company.

Welcome to the central plaza of Levincia instead, where we find this homosexual lassooing his own C on a digital ad board with his own whip. And what's he lassooing it away from? The purple - or, in this case, the Poison type.

... You know, that one type that infects, that creates toxicity. One of those other types Grass is weak to. Nothing toxic will destroy this harmony, not on this man's watch; he will never regress back to the darkness and the depression whilst he has that Dragon beside him, whilst that spark remains.

[peachjagiya]

You think bh wants to push jmn into US by hook or crook? Like don't get me wrong but Tae had excellent sale on first day but bh fucked up. His streams may be less because you've seen how armys make playlist for him and he doesn't have different versions. So all in all I think he is doing among GPs.

Jmn on the other hand I don't get how did he get so less albums sold on 1st day? Bighit went all out with his promotions. I saw army's playlist, it was perfect for streaming. Now they are getting 3 albums 80x. I think bght is targeting another gb Spotify 1. Where were they at the time of friends?

I used to think BH gave best promotion to Jungkook but this time's promotion raises the bar.

I am clueless. I can talk to you endlessly about why things are more likely to get radio play than others - JK and Jimin, yes. Tae and Joonie, less likely, just due to nature of songs - but I have no idea what BH do and don't do with promotions.

I think it's Jimin's goal to be successful overseas. Ditto Jungkook. I don't think Tae has exactly the same ambition. He focused all his self-organised promo on Asian markets. They were HIS decisions. As far as I can tell, promotions are pretty in line with their goals?

I also think perspective on success and promotion is very skewed by Twitter crowing. Louder and more dogged doesn't always translate to real life numbers. FOR EXAMPLE, and I'm only picking Jimin* as he's the most recent example, there was talk about Jimin hitting UK number one.

This is the official UK top 5. He's also not anywhere in the top 100 because the official UK charts (equivalent to Billboard hot 100) doesn't announce until Friday. The official UK charts factors in streaming on all streaming platforms, digital downloads and physical sales:

What Jimin actually did was entered the GLOBAL Big Top 40 as the highest entry at number one:

It's undeniably a great achievement but it's not a UK number one exactly. Global is like a KIIS-FM situation. A franchise of radio stations and they do have a pretty huge list of stations, 40+ across the UK though only half of them play contemporary pop music. Their chart factors in radio play on only THEIR stations, itunes sales and Apple Music streams.

So you see now how it's a little easier for a big push on streaming on itunes, like in pursuit of an all kill for example, can affect one chart in the way it doesn't affect another?

I suspect Sabrina will stay at number one on official charts but I am expecting a top 3 for Jimin if not an eventual number one. Edit: Meant to say we won't know until Friday if Global's chart got this right.

I guess it depends what you determine success to be and what Jimin and Jungkook might be aiming for versus Tae and Namjoon. Namjoon is hitting a number of highly respected lists as one of the best albums of 2024, getting a lot of praise for his artistry. PERSONALLY? I find that as impressive as numbers.

Do you think Namjoon made RPWP thinking it was going to be a radio success? He knows he put together some weird sounds and a fuckton of curses that made his songs nearly unplayable for radio. HE KNOWS THAT... and that's the album he wanted to make. Ditto Tae. There's no way he thought his jazzy chill album was going to be radio gold. But it's the album he wanted to make and he's proud of it.

Army are so obsessed with numbers as if they say a damn thing about the ethos and intention of the artists themselves.

My point is not that Golden and Muse aren't worth anything. On the contrary, there are times when all I want to listen to is Golden. It's kind of my happy place a lot of the time. I'm enjoying Muse too. My point is that it's not worth stressing over numbers and how promoted someone is.

Though there is one addendum to this and that is that a lot of weird stuff happened to Tae's album that felt like sabotage. I don't have enough knowledge to confirm but it sure felt like he got a raw deal out of it.

I don't think I answered your question really but I dumped my brain out, I guess.

Further edit: I know Army love him but I'm pissed about any promo that means I have to witness Jimmy Fallon with my eyes so I'm mad at Jimin right now. :D

*despise that I'm not allowed to be honest about anything to do with Jimin unless PJMs come at me but whatever.

[miyomiikonran]

As always, I reemerge from the void to write about smth I just watched.

Honestly I didn't expect myself to enjoy Helluva Boss as much as I did! And once again, I have to thank the fanbase for it, as I decided to watch it after seeing endless cool arts and analyses of certain characters that made me give it a chance, despite not being all that convinced, mainly due to main character(s) and designs. But about this later!

You see, I happened to know Vivzie's art style and some of her early YouTube animations that I stumbled across accidentally as an older teen, so when I saw Hazbin Hotel pilot, I knew I would love to watch it even if just to see what that one artist I recognize is up to lately. Overall theme was pretty appealing to me too, as I enjoy this kind of reversed dynamic where sinners aren't as bad as one would assume and can do good if they want, while the good ones, often portrayed as religious side and/or heaven is called out for their mistakes. Sorry not sorry, childhood religious trauma here 🤷 Later I just grew to like certain characters (mainly Angel Dust, Alastor and Husk) so I knew I would watch it just to see what's gonna happen with them.

However, with Helluva Boss... Sadly, main characters at the first glance didn't seem like my kind of thing, overall aesthetic with more animalistic designs weren't my thing as well, so I just intended to skip it. Well, I did for a long time as you could see! But fandom did what the fandom does the best, hyping about their favourite characters of the show both in art and writing, which always is such a hook for me, as I love to hype and hyperfocus on things I love too. In particular, I saw multiple people talking about Stolas and Fizzarolli, both of which were the closest to my liking kinds of characters. They ended up being my two favourites after watching the whole show uwu Other than them, I absolutely adored every moment of Moxxie and Millie being two sweethearts against all odds! Can't count how many times those two dorks made me laugh!

What's funny, both shows did exactly the same impression on me with their main characters though, I couldn't care all that much if it wasn't for others around them >u>" Charlie just isn't all that appealing due to her trying to be picture-perfect, almost like a Disney princess, so I'm gonna wait for some more drama and action around her. I really liked the moment when her and Alastor made a deal, I saw it as her finally leaving the peaceful way behind when faced with ignorance, so I'm interested to see how that goes and if I will change my mind about her.

With Blitz... I suppose the reason why I don't like him very much on his own is that his actions and words are very exaggerated (duh, it's set in hell, obviously they will be awful) but at the same time it didn't seem like he suffers the consequences for what he does and how he treats others (at least all the way till now when it finally started to bite his ass) and even when he sees he hurts people (like when rekindling his relationship with Fizzarolli) he still doesn't change his approach towards others. I'm pretty sure we might dive a bit deeper into his past and reasoning since for now it was just briefly mentioned and shown in flashbacks, not directly through his eyes, so maybe my judgement will change as well. He gives me mixed feelings, especially his struggles with self-worth and pushing people away hit close to home, but his violent reactions and absolutely horrible word choices push me away a bit. However, if I would have to choose between him and Charlie, Blitz wins me over so far cus his struggles are much more complex and messy, it's intriguing even if it makes me mad lol. And Charlie is just *shrug* here I suppose. No offense to the fans of either of those characters, not my cup of tea and that's all.

In the end, once again, thank you to the artists for their fanart and to everyone who takes their time to analyze and make threads about what they liked about these shows! It really can convince others to watch even if they didn't plan to at first! I'm glad I gave Helluva Boss a chance in the end!

[halfagone]

What would Danny do for work?

I have a quick question to my fellow Danny Phantom fans... When you imagine Danny picking a career/job, what do you headcanon for him? And this is if he can't- for whatever reason- be an astronaut. This is a hypothetical question, it's not- like, going to affect any of my stories in the future or anything *chuckles nervously*

For me, it's always depended on the headcanon I choose for any particular story/AU. But that gets complicated when I have multiple headcanons that could offer opportunities for him.

For example:

Astrophysicist/Aerospace Engineer - He can't be an astronaut, but that doesn't mean he can't still do some kind of work that involves his love for space.

Engineer - In a similar vein, he could be a regular engineer. Especially if he takes after his dad, Jack, more and maybe even creates his own prototypes and inventions.

In a subset to engineer, in my story weekend wonders, Danny is majoring in biomedical engineering. This is because in this AU, the accident gave him chronic pain, and that's how he gained an interest in this field. This could also work great if he gets attention from the Justice League in a DP x DC crossover, or the Avengers in a DP x Marvel crossover; Danny could just as easily work with heroes who have disabilities or chronic pain from many decades of work as heroes. It helps that he personal experience with the same struggles, after all.

Translator - If you headcanon that Danny can understand a lot of languages (or maybe even them all) due to ghost speak, then Danny could totally use this to his advantage with work. Plus!! This offers many different avenues that could be used to your advantage. Want Danny to be connected to the UN in some way before debuting as Ghost King? Have him be a translator that works there. Want Danny to be busy often with his royal responsibilities/ghost fighting? Have him be a translator; he can work remotely or stay self-employed/on contracts.

Teacher - Danny doesn't have great experience with educational staff, so I could imagine him going into this field of work due to nothing but spite. And! He could teach ectobiology, or just ghosts in general. He could do so many topics: Biology, government, history, hell he could do a whole semester on how physics work in the Ghost Zone.

Blacksmith/Ironsmith - Okay, this one is more self-indulgent, but imagine if Pandora teaches him how to fight with a sword and then he gets obsessed with the sword itself that he wants to make one that's perfectly suited for him and this just dominos into going full-blown into this field. (Trade skills are still important, and sadly, don't get as much attention even when they can usually offer fairly decent pay without the thousands of dollars worth in student debt.)

Writer/Author - If you wanted him to be more artistic, he could be a freelance author/novelist or something similar. I feel like being an author would be one of the better choices for him because, again, if you were writing a story where Danny would be busy with a lot of other responsibilities, then he could largely work on his own schedule. Plus! I can totally imagine him hanging out in Long Now with Clockwork when his head is just full of ideas for a story but he wouldn't have the time to write it otherwise. So he kind of uses Long Now to get that time, but he can promise it's for a good cause, stop laughing, Clockwork!

Actor - I really love the concept of Danny being an actor, just for the laughs if nothing else. While this could be a pain if Danny does actually get famous, since that's a lot of media he would probably prefer not to deal with, the concept alone offers a great deal of shenanigans. And... if he does get a good movie deal, he could very well be set for life afterwards. He could be one of those one-hit wonders in television or something.

If anyone has other possibilities, feel free to add! My head is constantly spinning with even more ideas, I might just add some myself.

[rmd-writes]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love❤

Thanks Michelle! Choosing five fics was like trying to choose a favourite child which is to say, it's impossible. Okay, that's a lie, my favourite child is the one who is not sucking the life from my soul at any given moment. Yesterday both of my kids got a turn - first my youngest, because he very sweetly packed me a little fun size Crunchie bar from his personal stash of lollies and brought it to the movies for me and kept checking whether I'd eaten it yet and if I liked it. But then later he was being so loud I couldn't think, so his older sister became my favourite child because she told him to be quiet. Anyway, I'm turning into one of those recipe bloggers who can't give a recipe without sharing their whole life's story, so here is my list of fics I'm proud of in which I absolutely cheat by sharing some fic series:

don't estop me now (RWRB)

(read to the victor, the spoils first and then the prequel, what, like it's hard?)

I'm really so proud of this lawyer AU! I had an absolute blast writing these fics and I think it shows in my writing - it's definitely some of my best. What, like it's hard? is the first really substantial long fic I've ever written and that in itself was a challenge but the snarky rivarly between Alex and Henry is just so fun to write! Whenever I see comments roll in on these fics it just makes me smile so hard to see other people enjoying them

Soon (Tarlos)

PWP but make it bite-sized (aka 37, 100-word chapters). This started as a drabble but then I got the slightly unhinged idea to continue the fic in drabbles (ie precisely 100 words at a time). Was it a challenge to write only 100 words and make sure each chapter told enough of the story in so few words? Yes. Did I have so much fun edging Carlos and the fandom alongside him? Also yes.

Feeling kind of sketchy (Schitt's Creek)

artist!David unwittingly helps Patrick find himself and finds love along the way. This one is a little different in style to my usual writing, and I really leaned into the slightly more poetic style in the second part which I actually structured around a poem.

Precious Love (Tarlos)

A 5+1 exploring TK's relationship with love and self-worth. I don't usually write much angst but I dove into it for this one and I like how it turned out! Don't worry, it has a happy ending, I'm incapable of writing anything else!

Do you even lift, bro? (Tarlos)

aka my Tarlos gym AU - each of these fics (Let's Get Physical, Let Me Hear Your Body Talk, I gotta handle you just right) stands alone as a one-shot but they are part of a planned seven-part series which contains an actual plot, despite the way they read like pwp. The thing I'm most proud of in these fics though, is the coding - with a big assist from @celeritas2997, I learned to code well enough to embed actual instagram posts and DMs with photos in these fics, which for someone who is absolutely not a STEM girlie, is a very big deal.

The Grindr Toolbox: A Guide to Getting Nailed

A Helping Hand (Tarlos)

This Is Not A Drill (David x Patrick)

Are You Screwing with Me? (firstprince)

I set out to write three fics for three fandoms based on one prompt, and while it was a tricky balance to set up three very different fics using the same loose structure, I like how these turned out!