#medusa tw

[crumb-crumblet-s-crumbington]

errmmm cats outta the bag

part 1

[ladiesblr]

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010) dir. Chris Columbus

[one-time-i-dreamt]

I was helping a lady renovate her extremely haunted apartment and unhaunt it. I walked into a closet and found an extremely creepy figure that looked something out of a glitching horror game, and I brought it to her to ask what the hell it was. She didn’t know, so she brought it to her boyfriend, who was taking a shower, and he said it was his sculpture, though he didn’t know why it was glitching out and he was really upset about it.

I left the figurine to the side to figure out later and helped them fix their bathroom lights and curtains, then I walked into a side room off of the mysterious closet and found more glitching sculptures. At this point, I’d had enough, so I closed the door and turned the lights on and off until the sculptures went back to how they were supposed to look.

The sculptures were actually really fucking cool. One was a skeleton of a burning man, and the other was a punk-rock-singer Medusa. The boyfriend was ecstatic. He asked me for help painting them, which I enthusiastically agreed to, and then I left their newly unhaunted apartment knowing it was a job well done.

[winterofherdiscontent]

. 𝓼𝓴𝓮𝓽𝓬𝓱𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴

[ some scribbles for some paintings from my sketchbook ]

instagram: @winterofherdiscontent

[later-film-unit-give]

https://marie-325.mxtkh.fun/d/blF6q7R

[cowboyc0rps3]

if i ever saw medusa i’d probably get rock hard for her. but not in a turned to stone way

yes this post is about fucking medusa

[bloodypulse666]

Midas working up the courage to explain the Medusa tattoo he has on his upper forearm to Montague.

Some have asked in the past what it means to him and he replies halfheartedly with something like, “it symbolizes power.” But that’s not entirely true, is it, Midas?

If you don’t know, the Medusa tattoo DOES mean empowerment.. but it also is a badge of honor for those who have survived sexual assault.

In my head, both Montague and Midas are heavily traumatized from both their pasts and current lives, this being one of the things Midas has kept secret from everyone he knows including his own daughter, Jules. Eventually with a lot of time and effort, Montague is the first soul to hear Midas cry and explain something so personal to him.

Just a little angst for your souls :] as a treat…

MIGHT I ADD-

The pain of appearing “too strong, too confident, too powerful” to have gone through such a dehumanizing act should let you all be aware that he is human too and can be vulnerable, under all of that thick skin. Anyone can be a victim and that is the unfortunate truth.

Montague had no idea this well put together man, is a crumbling mess on the inside. But he understands all too well 💗

[diamondsunbursts-and-marblehalls]

I saw someone mention that the way that Athena walked all over two people who worshipped her, and now I can't stop thinking of the parallels they've drawn between Medusa and Annabeth.

Athena was everything to Medusa, and that meant nothing to her. When Poseidon started something with her (exactly what depends on which myth you read, and all of them are applicable) Athena went from apathetic to enraged, but the anger isn't directed at Poseidon, it's directed at Medusa. Instead of responding with comfort or with the sympathy Medusa hoped for, she punished her for being an embarrassment and she made sure no one would ever be able to look at her again, she cursed her to be alone forever.

Athena is everything to Annabeth, and that means nothing to her. When Percy a son of Poseidon sends an impertinent message to the gods that Annabeth advises against, Athena goes from being an unreliable and uncaring parent to a petty and vengeful one. Even though the son of Poseidon is in the wrong, she blames Annabeth, a girl who is devoted to her for the embarrassment she feels. And punishes her by letting monsters into a place that's supposed to be sacred, and through that route manufacturing a death for her that almost ensures that she will die alone.

[trlvsn]

so you know how both dahlia and medusa were seen as irredeemable monsters and punished for it and the fact that they were victims first gets largely ignor- whatever. get stoned idiot (id under cut)

@sevenyeargap you were a real one for suggesting butterflies!!!! idek what this would be without them. anyways, the id:

1) a close-up of a digital painting of dahlia hawthorne as medusa, imitating oil paint. dahlia is looking straight with fury in her expression, mouth open in rage, fangs showing. the snakes on her head are red with green spots and shadows. they move in different directions, imitating her hair in the scene from aa3, where she leaves maya's body. her hands are in front of her, slightly clutched in anger, again, like in the aa3 scene. she is wearing her white dress. around her, butterflies of a pale yellow color are flying. two are sitting on snakes peacefully, and one is being eaten by a snake. the painting is done in distinct yellow and green tones, and the background is dark, green and foggy.

in this close-up, we can only see the upper part of the painting: it ends at her wrists.

2) a digital painting of dahlia hawthorne as medusa, imitating oil paint. dahlia is looking straight with fury in her expression, mouth open in rage, fangs showing. the snakes on her head are red with green spots and shadows. they move in different directions, imitating her hair in the scene from aa3, where she leaves maya's body. her hands are in front of her, slightly clutched in anger, again, like in the aa3 scene. she is wearing her white dress. around her, butterflies of a pale yellow color are flying. two are sitting on snakes peacefully, and one is being eaten by a snake. the painting is done in distinct yellow and green tones, and the background is dark, green and foggy.

[bellaswan-kinnie]

the show version of medusa was a huuuuge step up from “i used to date your daddy” and i understand not wanting to explicitly mention sa in a series meant for kids but in my opinion the backstory given here feels convoluted. i’m someone who’s very familiar with greek mythology (i did my senior thesis on female monsters) and it’s taken me multiple watches to figure out what version they were going with.

this version of medusa was definitely sa’d, since medusa calls poseidon a monster and explains that she was punished for “embarrassing” athena instead of him, which implies wrongdoing on his part.

medusa says she worshipped athena “in silence” and that poseidon “broke that silence,” which i think is a stand-in for her vow of celibacy as a priestess of athena. this is in line with nearly every medusa origin myth, as athena (who was a virgin goddess) was upset by the defiling of her sacred temple through sexual relations, which were sometimes consensual and sometimes not. either way, medusa alone is punished for the act and turned into a hideous monster. saying that poseidon broke her vow, not her, definitely frames is as a r*pe.

medusa also says that she thought poseidon loved her, which makes the act an abuse of power within a romantic relationship. this medusa likely loved poseidon but didn’t want to break her vow, so she was either forced or coerced by his status as a god. this is pretty complicated for a pg rated show.

i just think if this series is going to be an introduction to greek mythology for kids like the books were to me as a child, it needs to present an easily understood story. this vague, euphemistic version of events relies on previous knowledge of mythology and the intentions of the writers (which i had to find in an interview for this) and i don’t think that your storytelling should require homework.

this might’ve been fixed if they committed to the consensual affair version (although consent is always dubious in these situations), which would distinctly parallel sally jackson’s relationship to poseidon and give us (and percy) a clear, consistent picture of who poseidon is as a character. he’s a manipulative womanizer who brings chaos into women’s lives and then abandons them. i think these messages are still present in the episode, since medusa’s backstory has elements of both versions, i just don’t think they’re as strong as they could be.

i also saw a comment about how since this medusa was sa’d and said she relates to percy’s mom, it implies that sally was also sa’d by poseidon. that change would be really interesting and dark and much closer to historical mythology, but i doubt that’s what rick was going for based on the tone of the show. i think it just shows how the vague wording is confusing to the audience.

if they’re going to make the choice that poseidon in this canon is a r*pist, that should have huge ramifications on how the audience and percy see him, and i don’t know if i see rick following through with it for the show. there’s a big difference between “my dad is bad with women” and “my dad is a r*pist,” and i doubt percy understands what she was really saying anymore than the audience does with how it was written.

i’d love to be surprised though uncle rick!!

[oh-snapperss]

Medusa: The Much Needed Shift from Monster to Survivor in Percy Jackson (2023)

I am posting this on request of a couple folks! This is a part of a much bigger portfolio I submitted to my college mythology course, so if anything seems abrupt or short, that's why. Enjoy!

Reader discretion advised: the analysis below includes non-explicit discussion of sexual assault and rape.

From the beginning of the Percy Jackson series recently released on Disney+, it was clear that many changes were going to be made throughout the series both from the book series it derived from, and the myths Riordan first retold in his books. One of the most remarkable changes to the series can be found in episode three, and stood out with the dialogue below:

Percy: “So you’re not a monster, what are you then?”

Medusa: “A survivor.” (“We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium” 23:22)

The decision to portray Medusa in this light is in stark contrast to any other adaptation involving her. Moments before this, Percy tells Grover and Annabeth that he thinks they can trust her, and that his mother had always told him Medusa’s story with the point “She isn’t what people think,” (21:52). This sets the stage for the following conversation, and the idea that Medusa in the myths may have been misunderstood as just another monster of Greek mythology.

In fact, Medusa’s physical appearance in the series is also markedly different from the original myth. Instead of being “monstrous” with wings, tusks of swine, and hair made of hissing snakes (“Medusa in Mythology”), the actress wears a veil over her hairand eyes, a nice dress, and has perfectly done makeup, with red lipstick. Her appearance brings empowerment to Medusa while also humanizing her, and a sense of fear or apprehension to the watcher. The answer to why these changes were made can be found in the relatability Medusa’s story has for today’s victims of rape and a patriarchal society that is unfair to women who have been assaulted.

Myths of Medusa describe her story without much pity: Either Poseidon rapes her in Athena’s temple or they willingly have sex; Athena, enraged, punishes Medusa by turning her into a monster. Poseidon goes unpunished, as he is a god (“Medusa in Mythology.") However, in current day climates, it is impossible not to draw similarities in Medusa’s story to the way victims are treated often in society. The assaulter goes unpunished, while the victim must live with the emotional, physical, and mental harm of such an attack. In fact, from my personal experience and things I have seen in the tattoo parlor I have gotten tattoos from, some victims have chosen to get tattoos of Medusa as a sign of being a survivor of such an assault. Thus, this brings back the director’s choice to portray Medusa differently in Percy Jackson than before.

Another notable difference in Medusa’s behavior is that she does not immediately attack Percy, Annabeth, and Grover (who would be considered the heroes of the story), instead offering them lunch and her perspective on what happened to her originally. By allowing Medusa the chance to speak her perspective on what happened to her, the directors of the show push for a world where women and victims are able to speak. With the show being watched by many younger teens and children, in addition to adults, an important message is carried to watchers, and her story is handled in a way that any victim watching can hear the message that they are not alone.

The director’s decision to show Medusa in this other light comes to a conclusion with Percy refusing the chance to betray his friends for her (28:03) a few minutes later, and from there the story aligns closer to the myth it derived from. The fight between the heroes and Medusa is not long, ending after Annabeth puts her hat of invisibility on Medusa, and Percy beheads her. Visually, this fight is markedly different to the myth—Medusa’s beheading is done with a hat of invisibility on, so there is no blood or gore shown (31:41). This change can easily be explained by the shows rating of TV-PG, combined with the fact that most likely, Disney would not have wanted such a gore filled scene on their platform.

Overall, the changes to Medusa’s story are headed in a positive direction much needed in the current climate of society, despite not staying exactly true to the source material.

Works Cited

“Medusa in Greek Mythology.” Greek Legends and Myths, https://www.greeklegendsandmyths.com/medusa.html. Accessed 20 March 2024.

“We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium.” Percy Jackson and the Olympians, season 1, episode 3, Disney+, December 26, 2023. Disney, https://www.disneyplus.com/play/7a078c8a-2a03-4171-a647-a4f5ed12e738.