#rewatching this drunk is so fuckin interesting

[bisexualshakespeare]

Things we learn about Airk from episode 1

Airk Tanthalos is our beautiful damsel in distress. Out of the 8 episodes of Willow, he only features in 5 and his most prominent role is the first half of first episode, leading to his kidnapping. Which means I have rewatched episode 1 a lot while writing my fanfics about him! Will this be actual analysis? Probably not! Will it just be crying over what a cute little bimbo he is? There will be a lot of that yes! You better press J if you don't wanna see this because we don't believe in read mores in this house, let's go!

Some of the screenshots I will be taking myself for captions and others I get from @alyx-stills . Those will look much better ✨

So before we get to our damsel, we're introduced our show Lead Kit, and her love interest Jade, who give us their opinions.

Kit: If I have to be there and get all dressed up, my brother better be too.

Now we don't really see Jade and Airk talk so this moment is the only indicator of their possible dynamic. Jade hearing the phrase "hunting" and immediately smiling and making a joke, implying she teases him along side Kit.

Then we meet Dove, who, although we don't know it yet, is our second lead in the show! Their kissing starts out with Airk on top of her and then switches so she pushes him down. It tells the audience, maybe this girl he's "hunting" is more than she appears? She's no shrinking violet, maybe she is the one doing the hunting. It also tells us Airk is very very into that.

Look at him! He's fuckin drunk on her kisses!

"You're trembling." "Am I?" Airk is fuckin INTO this girl! Does he always act like this? We don't know! At the moment he looks sincere. But Dove reminds us about his reputation. "things I know aren't true." to which he replies

uuuuuuhhhhggghhhhhh....some of them might be true BUT that was before!! This boy is a slut and he's not denying it, but he is turning over a new leaf! He's not "that guy" anymore. We'll get back to who "that guy" is later. For now we have a declaration.

Dove gets the slightest amount of confirmation that this isn't just a fling and she is off to the races. Airk... is unprepared for this. Doesn't know what to say. Doesn't say anything for a very long moment! Now we've been told this guy gets around, but given this reaction, he's not one to drop the L word. It's not entirely clear how long they've been fooling around, but she was literally just questioning his seriousness so probably not that long.

He pauses long enough to be interrupted by Kase, they have a fun little back and forth to show how light and easy everyone is before the Gales arrive. Kase delivers his message, turns around to go back home, and

they immediately start making out again!!! I love these horny teens!

They get back to Tir Asleen and kiss some more to show how absolutely head over heels Dove is and make us believe that she'll run after him later. And then he's caught

(side note, this is the first time it's clear his shirt is sheer and I loooove it!) "You saw nothing" he tells his sister, which is interesting right? He already has this reputation, the knight who said he was "hunting" had a very knowing smile, Kase already saw him, so why is he denying all of a sudden?

this is hard to show in stills but as soon as they walk into the room, a servant runs to get Airk's jacket for him and Airk thanks him. I find it notable that while they're having this conversation, Airk interacts with multiple servants and thanks them, smiling, every time. This shows he's kind, charming, polite. Kit feels no need to do the same. She doesn't acknowledge the servants but she doesn't give or take anything from them either. She's independent.

Now this scene is there to give us a little about Dove and to define exactly who "that guy" is that Airk wants us to believe that he isn't anymore. According to Kit, the only thing he's consistent about is his inconsistency. He loses interest quickly and moves on to the next girl (girls specifically but I mean...come on, this boy ain't straight) and inevitably breaks their hearts. To be plain: he's a slut!

Airk says it's different with Dove because she has "this ineffable human quality about her soul." and also he's given her a romantic nickname! Dove isn't her name, wow what a mysterious young woman! Does Airk actually know her name? We don't know! The audience has no idea if it actually is different with her. Before he can tell us, he's interrupted by their mother!

NOW we see who he was lying for. The servants can gossip, his sister can tease him, the knights can straight up watch him make out, and that's all fine but now mom's home. He pretends like he's winded because he was in SUCH a hurry to get back to her. She asks about him rolling around in grass and the hickie and he lie lie lies! Airk wants to be in his mothers good graces so bad! Not enough to actually stop chasing girls, of course, but enough to try and cover it up. Him and Kit are doing the same thing, getting out of the castle so they can be with their crush, coming in to an important function late, but unlike Airk, Kit is completely unapologetic about it. (Kit also isn't gettin any so...)

Tumblr is fucking up the quality of these screenshots but this is the engagement dinner. Up on the high table is Sorsha, the Hastur family, and for some reason (security?) Ballantine. Then we have two tables on the lower deck, one headed by Kit and the other by Airk. Kit spends her time gossiping with her best friend about her husband to be, while Airk charms some visiting noblewomen. He is clearly lying about doing everything in order to impress them if they believe him or amuse them if they don't, but then one of the women comes back with a positive rumor about Airk.

And isn't that weird?? Kit is the one we see training and talking about adventuring. When Airk talks about training, it's to cover up his trysts with the maid! I have no idea how much we're supposed to believe that Airk is actually good at sword fighting. I definitely didn't think that much of it the first time I saw it, like yeah yeah he made the wine and he's an amazing swordsman, sure... So where are these rumors coming from? Is he actually that good? Or is it because of...

This is the first time we hear about Madmartigan and apparently he's famous! These women have heard about him and Elora Danan, first time we're hearing about her too! Where are those people? Aren't they supposed to be important to the story of Willow??

Airk clearly has some feelings about his dad being gone that the show doesn't have time to get into. Kit's whole arc revolves around her coming to terms with her father leaving her, so I think it's important that the first time he's mentioned it's by Airk. He doesn't get to have that arc but he was left too. When the girls are talking about how they grew up with stories of Madmartigan, Airk doesn't have the easy smile he did before.

It comes back later just in time for him to notice Dove watching him, clearly upset...

Then it's engagement time! 🥰✨🎉👰 (also this doesn't have to do with Airk but Sorsha says Kit and Graydon will rule "till that day when the true empress Elora Danan returns." so you'd think Kit would've been happy to find Elora seeing as it kinda makes their engagement unnecessary?? or maybe i'm interpreting that generously lol)

Sorsha has some very unsettling voices in her head. The transcript says it's Willow but i don't think so??? but it's clearly some kind of magical warning. This mysterious warning is part of why I suspect Airk has his own magical sense, which could be why he was so overwhelmed by Dove, because he could feel her magic. Or maybe he's just a big sub! Who knows!

So Kit is upset about the engagement and makes a scene, which Airk notices right away and the rest of the room quickly notices too. Jade tries to step in between Kit and Graydon with no luck. Airk tries and has even less!

Kit tells him to make himself useful, and by that she means target practice. Airk goes through a little mini face journey where he realizes what's happened and that he can't do anything to stop it so might as well keep his head forward.

King Hastur comes in, clears his throat, and Graydon politely declines to throw a knife at Airk's head, which you'd think he'd be grateful for right?

But actually he looks kind of confused? He looks at Graydon and then the King like, 'what is that about?' Which, why does he care? Even when he's being used like a pawn in Kit's game (and ooh isn't that ironic!) he's still thinking about other people! 😭

Kit is pulled back by Sorsha in a far less subtle manner, they argue for a minute, and Airk runs in saying he spoke to Graydon, "who is actually not such a terrible guy if you get to know him." I totally thought he was BSing that the first time but maybe not???

So Airk tries to smooth things over and what does he get for it?

Mom knows about the girls but instead of telling him to stop, instead of saying he has responsibilities like Kit, she says it's actually the only thing he knows how to do.

Sorsha instantly regrets this BTW. Like I know she's mean but she doesn't enjoy how much she's hurting her children.

Kit's upset which makes Sorsha upset which makes Airk upset. Great! Now we're all upset! That's it right? Oh wait no, Kit wants one more chance to make Airk upset!

"Everybody loves you because you're so charming and fun, as long as they don't expect anything from you. The moment that they do, you'll just leave. Just like Dad did."

And isn't that exactly what Airk has been trying to say he's not the whole time? Hasn't he been trying to live up to expectations that, apparently, no one actually has? Kit says you don't know who you are, I do. You're the parts of our dad that I hate.

And then she leaves, because actually, despite everyone trying to put it on Airk, Kit is her father's successor.

oh god maybe we should believe in read mores this is going on so long but we're almost done! now we have the Dove meeting! Switching up expectations, Dove tries to break up with him and he protests. She says she was so jealous she burnt her muffins which Kit would absolutely laugh over but Airk takes SO seriously. He clearly comes up with the idea of marriage in the heat of moment and this is the part where I hyperventilate.

His mother and sister think he's a useless slut but if he wasn't? if he could prove to them that he's done chasing girls and he's not going to leave, well then things would be different right? He could fix it! He really likes this girl, maybe that's love! and he wants to change and be good, support his family and not be a problem. I am so sad!!!

They go back to his room where Airk has a gorgeous four poster bed with curtains. Earlier we saw Kit's room and her bed doesn't have curtains because she gets no bitches. He gives Dove a bracelet, it's unclear if bracelets are the standard marriage wear in Tir Asleen but I like the idea. They have a beautiful romantic moment because they are a fairytale come true ✨ and then the darkness comes.

NOW the voice in Sorsha's head sounds like Willow. The Gales descend on the castle. Airk pulls down a sword and does some fancy flips with it so like maybe he is good at fighting?? Dove says, "Let our love be your strength" and he's clearly not on board (something he and kit agree on) but says okay. He runs out behind Kase, does another fancy sword flip but no real fighting, and gets taken by the spooky contortionist.

And that's Airk in episode one! He's a whore with a heart of gold, he treats people kindly, wants his mother to respect him, and takes on responsibility even when no one wants to give it to him. im love him

[thatsouthernstate]

I decided that I would stay in tonight. Alone. And drink.

Is that bad?

I just really, really need a break from people. In general. Not for any specific reason. Just because it’s been such a long past few weeks. I need alone time.

So I’m here with tequila. And rewatching Fresh right now because… Of course.

[qqueenofhades]

so…now that we all know what you DISLIKE about star wars (and 400% fairly so, you have my full support here)…

what drew you into the universe, what keeps you around?

favorite characters, ships (OTPs or actual spaceships lol), overall themes, do you have a favorite random weird creature or robot that you adore? whatever you wanna talk about!

go off honey (again, but supportively 💖💖💖)

tax paid: the very nerdy star wars punk vest i made and the even nerdier matching vest i made for starsky

Lmaooo, entirely valid. You were like "star wars?" and I was like the drunk person at the bar who can't stop shouting about how much their ex sucks. But now that I have gotten all that off my chest, let's talk about why I love it (since if I didn't love it, I wouldn't have such strong opinions). Basically my feelings on the OG SW trilogy are similar to my feelings on the OG LOTR trilogy, as that tumblr post floating around somewhere put it: sure, they have flaws, but also, they're perfect. I have a complicated relationship with the prequels, as do we all, since George Lucas cannot write dialogue or direct actors to save his life (stick to what you're good at, George, hire other people to do the rest), but even they have their moments. Like. Hit me with that "Across the Stars" love theme, John Williams. Gahh. Just like that.

Because... Star Wars wasn't actually this omnipresent corporate global entertainment monolith when it started out. It was a dorky low-budget indie sci-fi film in the 1970s which everyone thought was going to bomb. But it told a simple and compelling story in an interesting way, everyone agrees that ESB is one of the best films/sequels ever made, and then ROTJ gave it a happy ending while it was still okay to do that. My main thematic gripe with the Disney trilogy (I will try to keep those to a minimum, lol, but I have to bring it up to compare) is that it very clearly fell into the "actual happy endings are naive and unrealistic and a cynical postmodern audience won't accept anything less than things being Bad" trap that, yet again, we have GOT to thank for. It obviously existed to some degree before that, but GOT blew it up to huge levels, where the only valid situation or character is that which is Grimdark and Depressing. Which, in my view, misses the heart and soul of what SW is all about??

Like. ESB is genuinely dark. ANH was this fun plucky little sci-fi film where the scrappy good guys won the day against the Nazi stand-ins, as they were supposed to, and then ESB comes along (speaking of John Williams, let us all chant together, DUH DUH DUH DUHDUHDUH DUHDUHDUH, DUH DUH DUH DUHHHH DUHHH DUHHH DUHHHH) and things go... wrong. Leia and Han are on the run for most of the movie, then get captured and tortured by the Empire and and betrayed (however unwillingly) by Lando. The Rebellion is attacked on Hoth (I tell you, those fuckin AT-AT walkers were SCARY when you see it as a young kid for the first time), and forced into hiding. Luke loses his hand, doubts Obi-Wan and Yoda and realizes that his mentors are fallible, makes dumb mistakes, and of course gets hit with The Most Famous Line In Movie History. But it's also just adrenaline and excitement. THE ASTEROID FIELD! THE HAN-LEIA BANTER! THE FIRST LUKE-VADER DUEL! THE FACT THAT YOU HEAR TWO FRICKING NOTES OF THE IMPERIAL MARCH AND YOU'RE JUST LIKE OH YEAH OH YEAH OH YEAHHHH!

But also then... Return of the Jedi. It gets shat upon for the Ewoks and reusing the Death Star as the Big Bad and being supposedly cheesy and not as Thematically Dark as ESB. Which is all kinda silly, in my opinion, but also, can we talk about Luke Skywalker's character arc and how he chooses possibly the most radical compassion ever demonstrated by a hero in an action movie, let alone a space opera. He insists that Anakin Skywalker is still in there somewhere and puts his own neck on the line to prove it. Luke doesn't save the galaxy by being a Badass Jedi. He saves it by throwing away his lightsaber and saying "I will not fight you, Father." He saves it by trusting that even in the depths of darkness, Anakin can come back from the charred ruins of Darth Vader and finally do what he was supposed to do all along. He can end Palpatine for good and all (we don't talk about "Somehow Palpatine has returned" because it's nonsense, obviously). Anakin can avenge the Jedi and what was done to him and all the lies he believed and the pain he wreaked on the galaxy, even then. It's not too late. It's not too late. Like. I don't care if this is Lightweight or Childish or whatever. It makes me CRY every time I watch it. Especially the moment where Luke takes off Anakin’s helmet and sees how ruined he actually is under there, and yet the downfall and death of the trilogy’s chief villain is not triumphant at all but instead utterly heartbreaking. “You were right about me Luke... tell your sister... you were right.”

Excuse me, I need to just /CRIES INTENSELY/

Luke won't be tempted to the dark side for his own sake, but Leia's ("If you will not join me, then perhaps she will"). I likewise hold firmly that Anakin/Vader is one of the best movie villains/antiheroes of all time and likewise have many feelings and Strong Opinions about his arc, prequel writing clumsiness and eye-rollingly tepid love story aside. (See: he and Obi-Wan were deeply in love and in a way they still are, don't @ me. I have no problems with Padme and obviously stan Natalie Portman at all times, but Anakin and Obi-Wan’s relationship is the real love story, the heart of the prequels, and in some ways even the subsequent movies, the end.) And “so this is how democracy dies, with thunderous applause” is... raw af as a line. For being in a Star Wars prequel movie. What?? (Also, the Revenge of the Sith novelization had no business being as good as it was. If only that dude had also written the movie.)

Anyway, my point is: the OG trilogy had plenty of moments of staggering emotional weight and where things genuinely sucked for the good guys and the outcome wasn’t entirely clear. The difference is that it didn’t choose to dwell on them, and it allowed for a transformative fictional space where a happy ending, fiercely fought for and squarely earned, was the right outcome. We didn’t need to go back thirty years later and make everything suck for fear that a cynical modern audience couldn’t connect with it otherwise. (Like I said, we didn’t need the new movies at all, but Disney heard that Cha-Ching of the Almighty Dollar). Star Wars was sci-fi, sure, but it also had the fantasy elements that allowed a happy ending to be the right choice for what we saw the characters go through and the philosophy that carried us through the original trilogy.

Likewise it’s just... Peak as far as dynamics go. C-3PO the fussy metal butler who worries about Everything and R2-D2 who is the droid embodiment of YOLO? Flawless. Sassy scruffy space pirate and badass politician warrior princess bicker constantly, butt heads, drive each other crazy, and then fall in love? Iconic. (And has shaped my ship tastes for... all of eternity, oops.) The above-discussed transformation of Luke Skywalker, whiny ordinary teenage kid, to the truly great man who fulfills what Obi-Wan, Yoda, AND the rest of the entire Jedi order couldn’t manage to do, because of their own flaws and blind spots and black-and-white moral views that didn’t know what to do with a man who loved as passionately as Anakin Skywalker, for better or for worse? The guy who managed to save the galaxy with love? STAN.

So... what? The Disney trilogy decides to retcon all that, throw everything that they’ve fought for out the window, make Han, Leia, and Luke miserable and rejecting the roles they grew into in the original trilogy, and die without ever really reuniting or seeing each other again as a trio? The underlying message was that “these happy endings aren’t satisfactory/realistic/sophisticated enough” and idk, maybe it’s just the shitshow of the last few years, but I’d like to see some entertainment that had the cojones to tell me that despite all the darkness and despair, maybe there’s a chance for hope. (”Rebellions are built on hope,” thank you Only Valid New Star Wars Movie Rogue One.) And Rogue One worked so well, despite being utterly GUTTING as all the heroes died one by one, because we knew what was coming next (A New Hope) and that their sacrifice was going to be worth it. I don’t care if that’s “realistic” or not. As I’ve said before, that’s what stories are for, and if I only wanted things that were Real Life, I would only read the news. Besides, the idea that happy endings never happen in reality is equally bullshit. We as a culture need to accept that more, instead of finding reasons to tear everything down.

So just... yes. The original trilogy might have flaws, but also, it’s perfect. And do I want to rewatch it all now? Kinda.

(Anyway. I warned you this was gonna be long. Oh look, it’s long, and I’m sure there is even more I could say, but still. Ahem.)

sleepover weekend asks

[misterbitches]

i had the misfortune of finally watching/getting through what happened in whatever episode where he gets raped so im gonna talk about it and tag it cos that's what a bitch fuckin feels like, got it? i do what i want aint no limit bad ass bitch aint never been timid. woopsie realized i got the nicknames confused oh well lmao

it's just logistically and plot wise like there's literal plot holes in this and i'm taking the production and set-up into account along with the actual content and development. im an ARTIST OKAY im jk i mean i am and i am pretentious and terrible but look. i didnt get that degree and im not in a house worth of debt for nothing ok. it's called writing on tumblr about my grievances of shows that dont matter and do not respect me as a fat black american woman either so it is my fault yet here i am.

anyway it was worse than i imagined and their talk after (with chengren) was even worse. that's what i mean about making the lines their own (the actors) bc teng teng sounded like a straight up motherfucking moron and im like

bECAUSE IT'S HIM EVEN THO IM LIKE WHAT THE FUCK DID U JUST SAY U STUPID BITCH? but then it's like awwww and they also care about his wellbeing obviously??? but no? but it's like ok still teng teng said it even if it's stupid because he is a character and charles puts that forth. the people that fail the most to do that are xing si's family but that's not the actors fault because it's the literal material. you're like wait what but you just said...?

so i know they have no script editors i guess i think i find this season ACTUALLY fascinating because of just how egregious it is. i also went back and watched history: obsessed which i thought i liked because of their chemistry even though god the production....but i tried rewatching it and i was like wow this is worse than i remembered and the production issues were even worse because some of the music was SO LOUD AND BAD HOLY FUCK and their whole rship isssssss a sight to behold lmao

so man i guess it really is the power of anson/charles. which is good cos we love to see it...sort of but also a lot.

i honestly....because i've been able to pay attn more to the aftermath of the rape going back and putting it into more context and focusing (just barely lmao) is hm even worse. the inconsistencies are insane. it's not even just about the act but the writers have zero idea where they are going because they have no interest in exploring it. but the way in which it happens is like fascinating. yong jie literally thinks he owns xing si and it doesn't matter if he was kissing him or not or asked for a kiss on the lips (which dude what the fuck? i'll get to that) because he was plied with "extremely strong drinks" and his mom knew about it....which girl congrats you're an accomplice to the rape of your son by your other son?

but first of all...the kissing thing. in what fucking world would he (xing si) want that unless he thought he (yong jie) was someone else. i can't say their attraction is evident because we are being lead by this team to think so; they create this false sense of sensuality already so to me that signifies that they never intended for them to have a bond as brothers. it just feels cheap and fucking lazy (which it is.) even if he did, which doesn't make sense considering the context THEY CONSTRUCTED, it wouldn't matter because he was so fucking drunk which.... at that point nothing is fun, you feel sick, who wants sex like that? does he not have whiskey dick? did they have a condom? was it not painful for him considering? even if this was something to easily get over like was the dick good? it couldn't have been. and then, on top of that, there's the fact that you can change your mind or whatever but also that people do get aroused in these situations bc it is human nature (that's if they can literally get aroused which if the drinks were allegedly sooooo strong that nigga would be out so....again like even practically here it doesnt add up. have these people ever been drunk? if not, write what you know girl. cos sometimes it's like i think some of u r trying to be cool when u dont have 2 b lmao)

so yong jie coming on to him previously may be seen as like push-and-pull but here's the thing. right after it happens (the rape and it's rape so call it that you'll be okay) xing si gets up and goes home and is terrified and upset. he acts like what we have seen or even felt after a violation. he's scared, clutching his bag, it's like...you know...decently coming off as truly distressing (the actor isn't bad at all and i like that he's dark. i just massively hate this for him but hey at least he can show some chops.) like honestly man that fucking sucks and hurts to see. if we've been there we feel it. or part of it is realizing belatedly what happened. a lot of times that drop in your stomach is the worst.

but somehow for some reason, to which i cannot understand, the three of them begin to talk as if xing si pressured him? which maybe i missed something and that is possible—dont feel like going back to look—but that also made no sense. like what kind of false memory is this? why would he think he wasn't willing? and if he thought yong jie wasn't and that he pressured him how does he remember like...anything about the sex?!?!??!? besides waking up and being with him. like i guess he felt yong jie's MASSIVE DONG imprint but ??!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!??!? MAKE IT MAKE SENSE!!!!!

god then the logic of the top/bottom thing is like i said i wasnt going to get into it but it's actually really funny. this whole thing was hilarious. honestly because I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS. he could have totally raped him in that way but how did you get to this CONCLUSION FROM THAT??????? BY YOUR LOGIC THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS? IF HE IS THE BOTTOM AND PENETRATION IS THE ONLY FORM OF TRUE CONSUMMATION AND RAPE BECAUSE APPARENTLY, BASED ON ANATOMY, IF YOU HAVE A DICK IN UR BUTT UR A GIRL THEN HOW. DOES. THIS. MAKE. SENSE. AND THEN

AND THEN

AND THEN

AND THEN

this whole stupid conversation happens so we get to the conclusion that xing si violated him ok cool but that means that something is wrong. that is the CONCLUSION WE CAME TO A SECOND AGO?

also the other rapist is a villain and muren isn't in love with him so, once again, you're breaking the rules of your own world about acceptability which is why most of this is absolutely mind bogggglinG that iit's fuckign comical. like i actually when i can stomach it start laughing or my jaw is slack because it's so insulting as a viewer because there is like 0 logical followthrough.

because whatshisface barges in, kisses him in front of his friends without permission, then says whether you were willing or not which is hm. at that point how u gonna change that around but let's not bother with logic here. i am simply here to point out how this makes no sense according to the rules they set up even outside of the basic rule of life which is hm dont rape people maybe.

so now we know xing si was raped, they believe he was raped, he himself believes he was raped, and whatshisface literally says he doesn't care even if he was willing (he wasn't) so he admits to rape. i don't believe in the police and i hate them (BL industry needs the cops but dont get me down that road) but no one...thought to go?

because according to history 4 logic nothing matters so im sure if he went to the police you could handwave the homophobia since there's no actual context for anything besides their whimsy. but they dont want to do that because they aren't interested in an arc of growth; redemption isn't possible unless he is removed from the family but again no work on thinking this through or thinking about the victim's feelings. because gay sex? who fucking knows. supposedly progressive taiwanese writers of gay shit (like how supposedly progressive the world is. as in it is not and this behavior is the norm and bl perpetuates that) can't think of transformative justice?

and then they gave bad advice so we wont acknowledge that because teng teng doing anything wrong/stupid is frequent but hurts me and also that storyline is not real so i pretend they are not there outside of this post

so all of this is just straihgt up clownery now because it's fucking absurd like logically, practically, human-wise. the kissing thing is inconsequential but it was such a lazy cheap way out lmao cos they really wanted it to seem consensual but that's not how it works. on top of that their attraction makes no sense because whatshisface is just there. he is just there. he's nothing and no one so the sentiments are even more empty and on top of that he doesnt listen to a single request fucking obviously because the basis of their relationship is fucking rape so fucking listening and respecting his partner is not on his list of fucking priorities. he's literally so fucking annoying even without being a rapist it's like someone please beat his ass.

and then after all of that you want us to feel bad? with your horrible writing, poorly misplaced music, stupid costumes (those fucking SHOES THEY ARE HIDEOUS, AND MOST OF THIER CLOTHES DO NOT FIT IT'S LIKE WHY), questionable fucking editing. we're supposed to wnat them together? this sounds literally fucking crazy but bear with me lmao even with the rape they could at least have SOMETHING i mean like i cant believe im fucking saaying this. but like in addicted heroin which is fuckin tragic and awful at least there's a MODICUM of interest but honestly that show s a fucknig drag. idk they lookd good together? here we have 0. nothing. and it doesnt motivate. watching obsessed again i can see why i liked it in the beginning bc they have good chemistry but the acting and production adn like everything about it plus the rape-y vibes it's just too much. you need to pick one thing so if you're going to be a shit writer at least supplement it with something. this thing is nothing.

and even more nonsensical and what boggles my mind frankly out of all this is the mother's involvement and the father's final response. there are NO consequences? theyre all happy?

ok so lets go through this:

1. 2 boys grow up 2gether, one of the boys is fucking psycho, the mother knows but does nothing??????????????

2. one of the sons moves out so his father doesn't get a hint that's he's fucking gay. ok fine. he has 2 best friends, a job, an apt. he is fine.

3. aforementioned brother is obsessed with him for SOME REASON besides being crazy?

3.5 no one has done anything during him growing up to help him not be crazy?

4. mom says to husband who is their father also just in case we forget "im afraid he will lose his humanity"

4.5 again, do nothing. 0. just like oh man hes crazy. guess that's just our son ;)

4. who cares. plies him with alcohol purposefully to rape him. not even dubious (even though dubious is fucked and not okay or is just not. fucking real. these shows are contextless when they want to be or even movies or whatever so it's like largely not up to the task to understand complexity in human rships and then oversimplifies it constantly because that's what we do IRL. but people have fucking feelings you know and we realize when things don't feel good or right to us either very quickly after or having to process it. and once you're eyes are opened you may feel as something was fucking ripped away from you. for the modc couple this would be a very logical conclusion for the high schooler the thirty year old dated but again logic or feelings are up to their whimsy. no one cares bc everything can be counted as dubious so honestly it's a fucking stupid fucking topic like again why are we litigating what is and isnt consent when you could just like idk. read cues? consent? wait? not be a freak? like we all know what is proper human shit so even if we are watching this uncritically which u cant bc it's glaring and stupid it's just even more dumb) so it was honestly a rape plot like he literally planned it soooooooooo??!?!

5. aftermath of rape the victim is like literally fucking bereft and confused. and a rape victim. like that's what they are insinuating and what also he is to be clear.

6. boy tells him "idc if i raped u i luv u lmao"

7. mom ENCOURAGED THE BOY to get him drunk because her other son was too nice? she encouraged her adult son to rape her adult step-son (but her real son because she repeatedly says you are my son and the dad does too THEY GREW UP TOGETHER WHEN THE KID WAS IN AN IMPRESSIONABLE STATE) so THIS ALSO MAKES EVEN LESS MOTHERFUCKING SENSE

8. everyone finds out about his rape and he isnt mortified he's just concerned about himself being gay to his dad?????? except it's not really about his gayness bc now it's about his sudden love for his rapist brother? which? hm ok. understandable the dad is like wow i do not think i like this

9. dad knows all of it is fucked up, everyone does, knows the mother fucked up, knows he fucked up. doesnt like it because he is normal. so we know this is terrible? ok great so—

10. father says "i can't accept this...but i'm willing to give you my blessing" ok see here's the thing. when you write you have to think about the things you are putting on the page and what you have written previously. this quite literally made no sense how the fuck are you going to not accept them but give them your blessing? does this crew know what the fuck words are? i'm assuming they went to some sort of school to obtain jobs here bc there cannot be natural talent or experience. maybe most of them are rich. fuck i do not know but this also makes no sense. just the literal logic of it it's like fucking insane the whiplash.

10.5 apparently this father is also shitty. everyone here sucks and they are basically begging me to think xing si is a fucking idiot so i dont even want to look at him if he is an object he doesnt matter so now i want to kick him. thanks a lot you made the victim get absolutely fucking nothing

they KEEP PUSHING the brother thing it is so insane and it's liek GUYS WE GET IT WE UNDERSTAND THEYRE "RELATED" BUT NOT RELATED SO IT'S OK HE WAS "RAPED" BUT NOT RAPED but you're GOING BACK ON YOUR OWN RULES!!!!!!!!!! WE GET THAT THEY ARE BROTHERS!!! WE'RE OVER IT NOW BUT WHAT IS THIS WHEN WE ALREADY ESTABLISHED SOMETHING? I AM CONFUSION? they flip flop between my son, my brother my actual brother, and cannot fucking distinguish between love for your father and love for your romantic partner? so to me what i see is that the father wants to fuck the son. that's the conclusion i am garnering now considering nothing matters and his love for his "brother" is the same as his love for his dad lmao. they couldnt even do that in a way that made sense. like damn anybody can get anything. these ppl who are doing this have to be fucking rich and/or have connections.

also this guy sounds literally like a textbook abuser like he says constantly "im the best choice" is a rapist is awful holds capital (oh hees "saving" smh ur trapping her!!!!! RETIRE!!!!) also wears terrible shoes so i am like ur alllllllllLLLLL FUCKING CRAZY ur all literally crazy and then they are trying to set rules and boundaries in their fucking house like WHY ARE THEY LIVING TOGETHER EVEN? even tho oh my god they know he raped him and for some reason they are both allowing to live in the house but they dont want them to have sex??!?!?!??!??!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?! i get that this is their house but this is like at this point these ppl are writing anything and now whatshisface is acting like a 2 yr old again and we are supposed to find this cute? like it makes 0 sense why do u fucking care u literally encouraged ur son to rape him so they cant have consensual sex under your nose now and have to wait four years? this is coming from the son who couldnt wait until someone was sober enough to realize hes fucking psychotic and should be killed also the fact that they act like being 20 means u have no fucking brain like this kid is in med school supposedly how do we know like hes a liar and an idiot so. also wait do they mean undergrad? how are you in med school at 20? is he a genius? girl i dont care lmao i guess i missed that but it's not like it matters so whatever

even if we ignore the stupidity of the literal acts, the grossness of the content, the absolute inability to write coherently or even remotely in a way where we would even want to see them together which is like....u set it up at the beginning so he punches "the love his life's best friend" also holy fuck im sorry remember when he punches muren because xing si got too drunk. so i'm guessing whatshisface is that good of a bartender that he makes super strong drinks and gets xing si drunk but his alcohol is magical therefore it doesn't make him sick. his alcohol is the type that gets you drunk but somehow doesnt get to your liver even though that's how we get drunk but dont ask guys he's only in med school and a bartender so i think he knows best (seriously have the main writers had a day of fun in their lives? have they ever been drunk? are they toddlers? drunk babies could probably do better tho.) i get that he was also jealous but if this kid is SOOOOOO genius (he understands social cues lmao he has the cpacity to project onto his victim so im like miss me with the not understanding shit. go to a fucking therapist like seriously did no one care abt this kid? his mother thinks he's like almost a goddamn murderer. how is she not dead? how are they all not dead? how do any of them know how to drive with this type of brain?) then he would understand that they are very clearly friends since he watched them part in a very platonic way and since he apparently knows what love is cos he thinks....he can....make someone fall in love with him bc he loves them? again, i wouldnt know hes 20 and taiwanese and im 29 and black from AMERICA so im WESTERN* so you know. different life experiences i guess XD

even if we do mental gymnastics to get it to a place where they "had sex" and he didnt rape him there's 0 ZERO ZERO ZERO ZERO ties to the literal story they wrote and the rules they set up. i'm going ot assume they dont know wtf theyre doing and i know for a fact we all care more about their dumb show than they do but it's actually startling how piss poor this is it's like idek what to compare it to. the continuity is awful awful awful they needed a script supervisor majorly and they are making bank and are going to make fucking bank fof this shit. and itll just continue like that until IRL material changes and that's facilitated by these very same groups they choose to profit off of and exploit by propelling it into the mainstream and litigating homosexuality through capitalism. and i'm being specific with homosexuality. i dont want a GL market like at all and i know why we wouldnt have it either and that has everything to do with the nature of BL, capitalism, coercion, and the fanbase being young girls and women. i don't think in this day and age we can safely say all the fans are straight; i'm sure a majority but many women or people on the gender spectrum and sexuality spectrum also consume it. frankly, it's possible the women who write it could be or something too. i dont rly believe any1 is str8 lmao but im just saying it's not out of the realm of possibility. but it isnt about that at all. that's why we wont see "good" female characters (like well written) often that's why we won't see trans women or kathoeys or fat people or black asians in it. a lot of it is is a choice we participate in whatever. but holy fuck dude u could at least respect the audience's fucking intelligence. i'm talking about everything i think that is encapsulated in the project but it's even more jarring and worse because it's so insanely inconsistent and poorly done. like how we jump from one conclusion to another is wild to me. even their first "night together" and he wakes up im like girl....u no ur ass felt it. this nigga broke into his house and was like "im gonna have u" like it's getting weird

just make xing si suffer offscreen not us the stupidity is staggering, mind blowing, hilarious.

how wong kar wai, a straight man from HK (or at least married to a woman), or barry jenkins, a striahgt black man, write/do stories well about people they wouldnt knw about their experiences directly is....well thinking like using their brains and like knowing all types of people? the man who co-wrote moonlight is a hOMOSEXUAL, leslie cheung was fucking gay or queer (and he committed suicide and that's important also RIP homie) both are hailed as queer cinema like WKW wanted to do something else and invested time into it, changed the way he played around with structure, moved away from his crime oriented stuff. he THOUGHT about it and this film is about their reality. it's a harsh film, idk how i feel about it (but my fav movies of his are the crime ones or the messy ones where it's clear he didnt write a script lmao fallen angels is one of my fav movies its' abt assassins kinda) but i know it means something. and he didnt like what HK had previously wasnt enough. it is not the only cinema that should be shown since it's such a stark reality and depressing but it is a real depiction so we can have all sorts of stuff. no this isnt WKW level or moonlight level but i know for a fact these people think they are doing something because artists always do i say this as one and someone who is equally as useless. you're making a statement.

i also hate the westerner component of peoples analyses. first of all dont do cultural relativism. we can critique and respect. but second of all how are we going to keep saying "dont put western ideals on this" when that is what is happening anyway because that's part and parcel for soft power and capitalism. how about taiwan's history with the KMT? what about the regimes young people fought about? aided by US imperialism which permeates through society and affects material conditions, views, democracy, identity and that goes into culture and media. hm? what about that? is that reality too fucking western for people? that we are doing the same thing again now? is that okay to talk about or is that only on your time?

then there's the argument that this is just entertainment. yea no shit but the thing is if we r gonna talk about marginalized groups and watch bc of marginalized groups and then be expected to identify then i dont see why i cant put this in context. even if it wasnt fucking serious we'd still judge it. but it's so pompous and again like i wouldnt say EYE think it's art but it is "art" in the literal sense and no self respecting artist would ever go "man this means nothing." of course im not sure if they do respect themselves so hey but u cant just go oh man it's entertainment when it literally rests on the fact that HOMOS are MARGINALIZED. it literally rests on the fact that WOMEN ARE OBJECTS. you either want progress or you dont. i dont understand being so demanding but not beign specific in the demands and not trying to use your brain. if you dont want to use your brain don't. but if you are looking , engaging, and keep making these arguments or telling ppl it doesnt matter whilst complaining about how much others care is hypocritical at best, willfully obtuse at worst. both bad. :)

(also all this + another thing; it is insulting to have this like wedding happen based off of this stupid relationship when people fought so hard and had to push it. now they can use the material conditions to their advantage but it's so ridiculous. also because there is difficulty still in getting married in taiwan i'm honestly like....the boldness of the writers...)

[joshhhhhhhhhhhhhhh]

Girls’ Last Tour episode 8 rewatched.

We’re split into 3 minisodes this time, and the first one is Memories.

Memories takes us through a vast land of flat concrete, lined with these walls of steel drawers. We don’t manage to see what’s in the majority of them, but we do get our hands on a couple of objects. A tissue. A button. A radio. An empty bullet shell. All very mundane objects, and with the radio being seemingly broken, none of them even really have any obvious value. Really it’s just pointless shit that Yuu’s picking up for the hell of it.

However, when they come across another of the stone statues and start taking photos of it, they find themselves talking about what it is to remember people. Because see, Yuu forgot who Kanazawa was. He’s been mentioned a few times past his initial episode, as has Ishii, there’s continuity after all, but this is the first time we explicitly see a character be forgotten about for a length of time. And through having this discussion about forgetting people, and the fact that the camera is what’s helping the pair remember Kanazawa, Chito comes to realise that this land they’re in is probably a graveyard. And that’s just one of those conclusions that’s like, it’s fair enough to make, obvious even when you’ve got all the clues. But the actual design of the whole place as well as Chi and Yuu acknowledging that sentimentality, they do return the items after all, it gives the whole thing extra weight. The pair have spent a good portion of the show contemplating what being dead even is,  yet here they are respecting the dead without any attachment to any of them or any societal pressure to respect the dead piling on them. They’re just like that because yeah. Idk, it’s interesting. This is a good minisode.

The second minisode is Spiral. Which sees the pair have to ascend the inside of a tower on their kettenkrad, and the path to the top is pretty much entirely a spiral. Sans a part where the path’s broken and they need to go around the outside, which has its own flimsy metal path. Of course, the rule of Chekhov’s precarious walkway suspended hundreds of feet above the ground on the outside of a tower kicks in, and they do find themselves having to rush to get out of danger again. But after that it’s just a tiny bit more chill climbing and we’re home free. The main thing this spiral tower serves as is a metaphor for the cyclical nature of life. Eat, sleep, Fortnite, repeat. Stuff like that. Chi and Yuu come to terms with the mundanity of their existence, as well as ponder over what’s at the end of the spiral of life. We don’t get an answer but they wouldn’t have the answer anyway so.

And then the last minisode this time around is Moonlight. Now I’m always saying that despite the near 3 years since my first and otherwise only watch of the show, that I can remember most of the minisodes. And this one’s no exception! But what got me is that it’s one where the title card appears shortly after the actual minisode begins, and yet I was able to remember that this was the beer episode from this shot:

Which I felt proud of myself for. And yeah, the beer episode. That’s actually pretty much this episode as well. They find themselves in a building which has old beer bottles, Yuu talks about the power of the moonlight a lot, the pair get fuckin' mad crunked, and then they just dance around, and be cute, and talk about going to the moon, and Chi has a hangover the next day. It’s really nice and fun to watch and I’m a fan of the fact that the pair down their entire bottles before getting drunk, rather than the fuckin, cute girl licks an alcoholic chocolate and gets drunk from that that you see sometimes. Like Chi and Yuu actually go all in and it’s great.

Look how fuckin cute they are!

And then that’s episode 8. It’s a good blend of the usual philosophy stuff with the first minisode, the acknowledgement of the danger they’re in in the second, and then cute girl slice of life for the third. Nice time all around.

[spaceorphan18]

ckerouac replied to your post

“what is your favorite episode from your least favorite season of glee?...”

Ok I love this question, but 1, this is cooper Anderson erasure and 2, I think S8 is way less trash than you do lol

I know - I did think about Cooper - and Big Brother is definitely a highlight, but as whole episodes, I like the other two more :( 

Okay - let’s break down season 8 and see how bad (or alright) it really is! I’d love to hear your opinions on it, RB! (Clearly this is my life now) 

The List - Robert splits the staff in half on some random list that he made.  I think it’s a pretty decent episode, which reintroduces the characters pretty well.  Plus, we get some great Pam stuff, so I’m okay with that. 

The Incentive - Andy has to motivate the office.  Another episode which isn’t that bad, despite being a plot line already done by Michael Scott.  

Lotto - The warehouse wins the lotto, and Darryl has to rethink his life choices.  There’s some good Darryl development in here, and Andy isn’t that bad as a manager - but he’s not great, and it does feel like they keep trying to give Andy plots originally for Michael Scott, which doesn’t help. 

Garden Party - This is the first episode that starts to bug me.  Andy’s obsessive need to impress Robert as well as his parents is incredibly irritating.  However, this episode does get a few points for having a fun Dwight/Jim subplot. 

Spooked - This one is... interesting? Robert asks everyone about their fears and laces it all together for a bizarre scary story.  It’s strange, but definitely watchable. 

Doomsday - Dwight creates a doomsday device! I really wish they had gone more with the tension of not screwing things up, but it’s more about getting Dwight to turn it off.  Not a bad episode despite not being what I initially thought it’d be.  And better on rewatch. 

Pam’s Replacement - Pam’s pregnant and worried about Jim being interested in her replacement.  Shenanigans ensue -- favorite one! 

Gettysburg - I think this episode is boring more than anything.  Andy gets half the group to go to Gettysburg for a motivational trip.  Not only is a questionable Michael Scott plotline, they already kind of did this during The Incentive.  There’s a fun side plot involving Schrute Farms, however it’s not balanced out by the stupid side plot of Robert thinking Kevin is the next big genius.   (Also Pam leaves because Jenna Fischer went on maternity leave, and that might be a reason I think these episodes get worse for a while.) 

Mrs. California - This episode is where I think the season starts to turn really not good.  Robert’s wife comes into the office -- he wants Andy to hire here but not hire her.  It’s so dumb - especially when his wife seems totally normal.  The mind games seem stupid, and make Robert seem insane instead of mysteriously clever - which seemed to be what they originally going for.  Meanwhile, Dwight has the dumbest side plot about starting a gym -- which makes it clear the writers seemed to be running out of ideas. 

Christmas Wishes - The Christmas episodes aren’t usually that bad, and this one isn’t.  There’s a little too much drunk Erin getting weird about Andy and his girlfriend, but it’s watchable.  And there’s some fun Dwight/Jim stuff going on throughout. 

Trivia - This is an episode I’m disappointed isn’t more interesting than it sounds.  The gang goes to Oscar’s gay bar for trivia night.  It’s another watchable one - but there’s so much more they could have done with it.  

Pool Party - This episode is fuckin’ weird.  Everyone goes to Robert’s weird house for a pool party and everyone is just... weird during it.  Except Jim, who just wants to leave.  I don’t really like it cause it focuses way too hard on Dwight, Erin, and Robert, and it’s not necessarily weird in a good way since half of them don’t feel in character.  

Jury Duty - This one is, fine, I suppose.  Jim tries to make it up to the office for being gone for a week, and Dwight deals with Angela having her baby.  I’m kinda annoyed at this point that the writers no longer take Jim very seriously, and he’s consistently written as a dumbass, and the Angela/Senator thing would be better if it didn’t drag on and on and on, but at least this one doesn’t focus too much on Robert/Andy/Erin shit. 

Special Project - This one kicks off the Florida arc, which is...idk, maybe a step up from the rest of the season? This episode is pretty good as it sorts out who is going and who is staying, and Pam’s back! 

Tallahassee - The first episode actually in Florida.  I’m meh about it.  Dwight gets really sick, and there’s some gross stuff going on there.  And we get the intro to Nelly, whom I find frustrating during her tenure in season 8 (she’s fine in season 9), and Todd Packer’s around again, which always annoys me.  The Scranton stuff is fine - as Andy is receptionist for a day. 

After Hours - This one is mostly fine.  I love the plot line where Jim has to keep away from Cathy and uses Dwight to help him out.  The rest of it is meh as a lot of it is Nelly and Todd Packer being weird together, Ryan hitting on Erin, and a lot of Darryl and Val drama that isn’t as interesting as it could be. 

Test the Store - The Florida story is pretty good where the store down there opens, and there’s some interesting things going on.  But I hate the subplot about Andy and Pam being bullied by 12yo girls.  HATE IT

Last Day in Florida - This one is, idk, another meh-ish one? Jim is trying to stop Dwight getting fired, and while I love the dynamic, maybe not one of their better story lines.  Meanwhile Toby and Darryl are selling girl scout cookies, and it’s incredibly boring.  Also, Erin decides to stay in Florida to help an elderly woman - and this kicks off the WORST run in the show.  I’d rather watch Scott’s Tots again than the next three episodes... 

Get the Girl - I HATE THIS EPISODE. Andy goes back to get Erin -- and ends up staying with the elderly woman Erin’s with to woo her back.  It’s so cringy, and both Andy and Erin seem like dumber and more annoying than they usually are.  Meanwhile - while Andy’s gone, Nellie just comes and takes over Andy’s job.  And as much as I hate Andy and Erin at the moment, I hate that his job is just given to Nellie because she decides to sit in the manager’s office.  It’s so dumb.  Every part of this episode is dumb and it probably is the worst episode in the series.  

Welcome Party - Continuing the terrible plot lines of season 8, now that Andy and Erin are back together - they have to go dumb Andy’s not at all developed girlfriend while she’s at a family gathering.  It’s so, so terrible and awful.  And makes Andy and Erin seem like the worst people.  This seems far worse than anything Michael Scott ever did.  Meanwhile, Dwight and Jim are forced to throw a party for Nellie - which is at least watchable, but Nellie is still fairly annoying at this point, too.  

Angry Andy - The Andy and Nellie plot lines come to a head, which you know just by the description isn’t going to go well.  Andy gets angry and terrible, Nellie is still insufferable, and Robert is no longer making any sense at all.  The climax of these stupid episodes is just as bad as the rest of it.  The only redeeming factor of this episode is the subplot involving Kelly choosing between Ryan and an actual decent guy, and everyone helping Kelly try to move on from Ryan. 

Fundraiser - While this episode is at least better than the past three, I find it mostly boring.  The office goes to a silent auction - yay(?) No, it’s boring. Andy spends the whole time plotting revenge against Robert for firing him.  Dwight seems uncharacteristically stupid about the auction.  And Darryl teaches Nellie how to eat a taco (yes that is a plot line) and Angela’s husband hits on Oscar.  

Turf War - This episode is probably the first fully good episode since Special Project? Robert’s going crazy, and closing down branches, so Dwight and Jim go against other branches to steal clients.  It’s nice to see Dwight and Jim work together.  Pam gets to know Nellie - and Nellie’s at least tolerable in the episode? 

Free Family Portrait Studio - Considering that most of the season is rough, this one isn’t bad, though probably one of the weakest season finales.  Dwight schemes to figure out if he’s the father of Angela’s baby - and we’re left on that cliffhanger.  Meanwhile, David Wallace is back as CEO, and gives Andy his job back, and while it’s nice that Robert is leaving (and Sabre is going away), the writing for the show is on the wall.  

So, looking at this list and thinking about it.  The biggest issue is that there’s so much Andy and so much Erin and so much of their terrible romance that it grows tiresome really fast.  Meanwhile, Robert California is a bizarre addition that doesn’t quite fit.  Nor does Nellie, whom it’s obvious the writers like, but aren’t sure how to use her well.  Meanwhile, Dwight, Jim, and Pam don’t feel very present nor do any of them have many memorable plot lines, and it doesn’t help that the writers seem to be stuck in dummy-Jim mode, as well as Pam just not being there for half the season.  

And... there we go, too much time spent on season 8. 

[eldritchsurveys]

199.

When was the last time you kissed someone? >> Last night, in a dream, lmao. It was a strange dream (as usual).

Any recent purchases? >> An in-game purchase on one of the phone games I play.

Have you ever thought about giving up on life completely? >> Sure.

Have you seen the entire Harry Potter series? >> Yeah. I was going to do a rewatch alongside my reread but Chamber of Secrets dragged on so long that I lost interest. 

Do you still have both of your parents? >> They’re alive, but I don’t have them.

Favorite candy bar? >> I don’t think I have one.

Do you like being sensually bitten? >> Eh, depends.

If you wear eyeliner, what color do you use? >> Black. I have a gold one that I like, too.

Have you ever ridden a train before? >> Many times.

Where did your last hug take place? >> Inworld.

Have you ever fallen in love? >> I don’t know, maybe.

Do you live very far away from Kansas? >> Not very.

Do you enjoy cuddling? >> Inworld, yes. Outworld, nehhhh.

Do you play video games? If so, which one is your favorite?  >> I do, but I have a lot of favourites.

How many colors are in your hair right now? >> One.

Do you have your full license yet? >> No. I will probably never have it, which is fine because I plan on living in cities. Also, Sparrow drives.

When was the last time you felt nervous about something? >> I don’t know.

Do you ever make mixed CD's for anyone? >> Nope.

Is it windy outside? >> Doesn’t appear to be.

Do you have a pair of TOMS shoes? >> No.

Do you prefer black & white or colored photos? >> I like both. They convey different emotions.

Are you into gory movies? >> Some.

When was the last time you went to the dentist? >> Last year sometime... or was that 2017...

Have you ever been locked in a room forcefully without anyone knowing? >> No.

Do you have the same color eyes as your mother? >> Most likely.

Does your significant other boss you around a lot? >> No.

Have you ever been drunk? If so, do you get drunk regularly? >> I’ve been drunk, but I rarely get drunk.

Do you prefer winter or summer? >> Summer. I’m sure that’ll change once I move, but that’s acceptable.

Do you consider yourself a loner or a social butterfly? >> I consider myself neither, but I guess I fit the “loner” category more than the other, despite the fact that I do enjoy socialisation.

Do you know anyone who has overdosed? >> Probably.

Are you a fan of PDA (public displays of affection)? >> Not for myself. I don’t care if other people want to do it, seeing as the great thing about eyeballs is that they can move around and look elsewhere.

Have you ever been put to sleep for surgery? >> No.

Do you ever make Youtube videos? >> No.

What is one feature that you're self-conscious about? >> Hm.

Where are your siblings as of now? >> ---

Would you say you're a more serious or sarcastic person? >> I would say that I’m both, and that it’s situation-dependent.

What is your favorite online smiley face to you? >> I like :>

What is something that freaks you out no matter what? >> Uh, I don’t know.

Do you have any fetishes? >> I have a few. Although I think what I have is what would be called “kinks”, the more lax version of “fetish”. I don’t require those things to get off (unlike with fetishes), but they certainly fuckin help.

What color shirt are you wearing as of now? >> Black.

Are the lights in your room more dim or bright? >> Right now, they’re not on. But in general, I like the lighting to be on the dimmer side.

What is your favorite class? >> ---

Do you have any big regrets as of now? >> No.

Are you in love with someone right now? >> No.

Can you speak any other languages than the one you're fluent in? >> No.

Do you take a lot of photos? >> No.

Do you give away your phone number a lot? >> No.

When was the last time you took medicine? >> I took my birth control last night.

Do you have big ears? >> No.

When you were little, did you think band-aids healed everything? >> I don’t recall ever thinking that.

Have you ever had a pregnancy scare? >> Yeah.

Do you get along more with your mother or father? >> ---

Do you have freckles? If so, do you enjoy them or hate them? >> I don’t have them.

Where do you download music from? >> I don’t download music anymore, I just use Spotify.

Write something you'd like to say to someone right now: >> ---

Do you have a laptop, desktop or both? >> I have two laptops.

Have you ever met an online friend in real life? >> Yeah.

If you have a job, do you work with any of your friends? Do you like that job? >> ---

Who was the last person to call you? >> ---

What does the sky look like right now? >> Sunny, mostly. There are a few clouds floating around.

When did you last look in a mirror? >> This morning, briefly.

Did you like what you saw or were you dissatisfied? >> I don’t... recall having an opinion. It’s my face, I’ve seen it a million times, I know what to expect.

Have you ever cheated on someone before? >> Yeah.

What are the first three digits of your phone number? >> Nah.

What would you say is your favorite color, out of them all? >> Gold is nice.

Have you ever attempted suicide? >> Yeah.

What are you most known for? >> I have no idea.

Do you ever steal the ink pens from businesses? >> Nah.

What was the last movie you bought for yourself to watch? >> I don’t buy movies, but the last movie I rented was John Wick Chapter 2.

If you have any animals, do any of them live in the house with you? >> ---

Would you rather have curly or straight hair? >> Straight seems easier to manage.

Do you have a problem with body hair? >> I mean, I’m pretty much over it. Sometimes it’s aggravating, but mostly I don’t have a reason to care one way or the other.

Where is your best friend at the moment? >> ---

Is she/he there for you when you need them the most? >> ---

Have you ever been so depressed, you were put on medication? >> I’ve been put on medication as a teenager. But for most of adulthood I haven’t been in the mental healthcare system, so no one was trying to prescribe me anything.

Who did you last go and visit in the hospital? >> ---

What is one thing you think is gross about the human body? >> Excretion.

Do you have a BluRay player? >> No.

Have you ever witnessed someone being murdered? >> No.

What was the reason for the last time you cried? >> Frustration, probably.

Do you support gay marriage? >> Sure.

At what age do you plan to get married? >> 32.

Do you have any candles in your room? >> Yeah, but I rarely light them. I usually use incense.

Have you ever met someone who was obsessed with fire? >> No. Or, maybe, but they just didn’t talk about it.

Do you have any posters on your walls? >> Yeah, a few. Most of them were taken off the walls of Pyramid Scheme after I attended the show.

Ever make a friendship bracelet for someone? >> No.

Do you ever listen to mainstream music? >> Uh, of course.

Would you say you have extreme morals? >> I’d say I have the opposite.

Do you know what 'irony' means? >> I get confused about what exactly makes something ironic, so I just avoid using the word at all.

What have you been made fun of for the most? >> Oh, I don’t know. My appearance, probably.

Do you actually enjoy dancing? >> I sure do.

When did you last get a papercut? >> It��s been a very long time.

Do you watch any television shows from other countries? >> Sure.

Do you tell the truth for the most part? >> For the most part.

What time did you fall asleep last night? >> Somewhere between eleven and midnight, I assume.

Have you ever been in a physical fight? >> Yeah.

Who is your most favorite television/movie villain? >> I couldn’t possibly choose.

Have you ever been stabbed by something? >> Probably.

Do you ever cry for no reason whatsoever? >> No, there’s always a reason, even if I don’t know exactly what it is at the moment. Crying doesn’t just... randomly happen, like an itch. (Hell, even “random” itches have reasons, but they’re just under the surface or whatever.)

How many pillows do you normally sleep with? >> One.

Do you lose your remote often? >> We’ve never lost the remote...

[sweetjunmyeon]

Tag game #23904

Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 92 truths about you. At the end choose 25 people to be tagged.

I was tagged by: my favorite @kingxiukitten. Again... i got tagged in this like 20 years ago and i’m procrastinating so i did this instead asdfghjkl.

Let’s go!

LAST:

Last drink: Earl Grey tea with too much fuckin sugar

Last phone call: My mom

Last text message: “That being said, i love you, and i hope your week is going well” to my dad

Last song you listened to?: What’s Your Fantasy by Ludacris (akkajfhaj)

Last time I cried: Earlier today outside my job when i called my mom

HAVE YOU EVER:

Dated someone twice: Nope

Been cheated on: Nope

Kissed someone and regretted it: I mean....kind of?? He was just...shit

Lost someone special: Yeah

Been depressed: For about a year and a half after two of my grandparents passed away

Been drunk and thrown up: No, i have a stomach of steel!

IN THE PAST YEAR HAVE YOU:

Made a new friend: Lol yeah

Fallen out of love: gotta have a heart to fall out of love

Laughed until you cried: Yes

Met someone who changed you: not that i can recall

Found out who your true friends are: no, i have a small circle as it is

Found out someone was talking about you: Nope

GENERAL:

How many people on tumblr do you know in real life?: 2

Do you have any pets?: I have 2 fish, Ass and Titties

Do you want to change your name?: No

What time did you wake up this morning?: 7:15 >:(

What were you doing last night?: Homework and rewatching Andante

Name something you cannot wait for: My ass to have money and a car and a job and my own place (i’m n*tting just thinking about it)

Have you ever talked to a person named Tom:  yes! One of my professors this semester is named Tom lol

What’s getting on your nerves rn?: *** ** ** *********

Blood type: O Positive

Nickname: None

Relationship status: Single as a pringle

Zodiac sign: Gemini

Pronouns: she/her

Favorite tv show: American Dad

College: ...UGA

Hair colour: Black, with some brown and blonde highlights. Sounds tragic but it looks sexi

Do you have a crush on someone: Mmm nah

What do you like about yourself: My...range of interests

FIRSTS:

First surgery: None

First piercing: My ears when I was a wee lassie

First sport you joined: Basketball team in 7th grade....and cross country

First vacation: I went to Arkansas to visit family as a wee lassie??

First pair of sneakers: SKETCHERS I WAS SUCH A SLUT FOR SKETCHERS

RIGHT NOW:

Eating: Nada

Drinking: Nada pt 2

I’m about to: ...stare at my laptop and hope my homework gets done

Listening to: Spotify, Ciara is playing rn

Want kids: Yes, someday

Get married: Yeah, someday, but love and marriage are a sham so:///

Career: I want to work for a corporation as a Public Relations Manager in Shanghai or Bejing

WHICH IS BETTER:

Lips or eyes: Depends on the person

Hugs or kisses: Hugs

Shorter or taller: Taller

Older or younger: irl i’m lowkey a cougar, but in theory someone older

Romantic or spontaneous: both

Sensitive or loud: either

Hook up or relationship: depends on the person lmao

Troublemaker or hesitant: ugh the chaotic gemini in me is weak for a troublemaker

HAVE YOU EVER:

Kissed a stranger: Kind of...the guy i kissed, we’d met once before we “hooked up”

Drank hard liquor: All the time

Lost glasses/contacts: All the time

Sex on first date: Nope

Broken someone’s heart: not that i know of

Been arrested: i had to sit in a cop car once?

Turned someone down: lmao yes

Fallen for a friend: YES! One of my boyfriends was my friend who i’d crushed on for YEARS

DO YOU BELIEVE:

In yourself: Yes

Miracles: Yes

Love at first sight: love isn’t real?????

Heaven: Yes

Santa Claus: I mean i did

I Tag: @ineedaperson @silvanadeee @suhosbulge @lambofomg @traphouseseoul @exordiam @enbywankenobi @lov3urself @megaded idk if any of you want to do it, or have already done it, but tbh ignore me kakdjajha

[its-just-like-the-movies]

Horror For Horror’s Sake

Looking at the (albeit few) films I’ve chosen to review, the ones I’ve been willing to dive into blind, the expectedly shitty ones I’ve willing put up with, it’s fair to say I have a bias to exploring horror films more than other genres. At the very least I’m more interested in exploring scary movies when looking for something to watch than other genres. And in some ways, they’re more rewarding on a base level than say, romantic dramas that are equally good or bad. I’m sure Death Note is worse than Tulip Fever, but lord knows I’m not gonna go watching the latter for “fun” the way I got wine drunk with friends and tore at that racist, unscary piece of shit. On the other side of that spectrum, I went and saw It with that same dynamic duo as Death Note roughly a week later and had a ball, premised around actually having a wonderful time with a great film that all of us liked on its own merits and as an adaptation. It was all we talked about during dinner, and if I didn’t have to run home before meeting them at Tommy’s place we probably would’ve talked about it even longer. The film is a monumental step up from the original TV adaptation (obvs), but I sincerely hope that we’re at a place where the culture can stop being as reverential as it is with Tim Curry’s performance - one I liked but couldn’t quite be impressed by - in favor of the truly horrifying wraith that Bill Skarsgard has created. Andy Muschietti deserves plenty of credit for Pennywise too, but also for negotiating such a dense source novel, a mostly child cast, a more elastic range of tones than necessary, a time period wholly original to this adaptation, plus all the hokum reputation surrounding the author, and doing justice to all of it. Never in my life would I have expected the director of Mama to have succeeded in marshalling all of that into such a purely enjoyable, scary, funny, and utterly full film as It. Yes, it’s not perfect in parcelling out equal screen time to every member of The Loser’s Club or establishing what their lives are like when they aren’t hanging out together, but if that’s the worst this film has going for it, I’m absolutely delighted to recommend it to everyone and go along with friends who’re too scared to see it alone. Maybe with a red balloon in hand, and a severed arm to hold it for me.

I originally intended this to be a sort of two-shot with mother! but, given how absolutely insane that film is and the likelihood I’m going to ferry David along someday soon, I’m going to put off a formal review of it until another showing. I think I have my reaction to it sorted out, though another trek through it would do me good. The last scenes recontextualize the whole film so fully, even one as bluntly allegorical as that one, I think it’d be worth checking out again before I dive into it. With that being said, and to give me something fun to write about, I’m gonna just jot down some favorite memories of horror films I’m really in love with. You can consider this a recommendation list, I’d be more than happy to elaborate on full-throttle reviews and explanations of any of these films. Hopefully there’ll be another list of five tomorrow. Either way, sit back and enjoy the ride, dear reader.

To start off with the recentest features, I think one of It’s greatest successes it that each of its characters has pretty individualized embodiments of fear that Pennywise deploys, each scene delivering its own unique terror. That being said, there’s no way the film’s most utterly terrifying scene isn’t its first, where Pennywise lures poor Georgie into reaching out his hand for a little paper boat. For all I said at the top about Bill Skarsgård’s interpretation of It - and I’ll be shocked if I don’t write up this performance on my year-end list - credit must also be given to Jackson Robert Scott’s sweet, almost saccharine take on Georgie Denbrough. Watching Pennywise somehow circle this poor child even from within a sewer grate, convincingly entrancing by the standard of a six year old even if he can’t help but notice how unhinged this clown is, it’s maybe the only film I’ve been around for the release of that palpably conjured the same kinds of lumps in my gut I got watching Ileana Douglas and Juliette Lewis wrangle with Robert De Niro in Cape Fear (minus all the sexual overtures of Cape Fear, thank god). It’s the only time Pennywise is patient enough to even try and lure in his prey like this, more eager to eat the boy than he is to prey off his fear. The tension here is so efficiently realized I had to wonder what a version of It that drew out a few more of these encounters into their own short films would look like. A little longer, sure, but when the result is more scenes that make your skin crawl and your stomach churn, we’d all be winners.

mother! was an insanely vexing experience, purposely so, but in many ways a virtuoso one. A lot of it comes down to how marvelously it’s crafted, plus Michelle Pfeiffer’s deliciously crafted turn as a home invader, and I’d love more time to sit and think about Aronofsky’s script. Pfeiffer is the only ingredient missing in the film’s most stunningly crafted scene, where the house of Jennifer Lawrence’s nameless character is beset by an seemingly infinite swarm of her husband’s idolaters. Her painstakingly assembled home, one she made all by herself with her own two hands, is torn apart by the mob of fans proclaiming the poet’s will of sharing all that he has. One hangs up the phone as she calls the police only for another to yank it out of the wall, each hurling the philosophy of sharing at the other to justify their actions as though the other is stupid for not expecting them to do this. The police arrive a few minutes after, and suddenly her house seems to be divided into factions of SWAT members, violent cabals of her husband’s words, and those directly loyal to him. It’s almost impossible to imagine how long this sequence takes, especially since mother! often presents its sequences as though they’re happening in real time, but it’s stupendously mounted and realized by everyone involved. The transformation of Lawrence’s home from an idyllic, rustic nest for her and her hubby into a war-torn wreckage plucked straight from Children of Men isn’t the film’s scariest scene - that would be everything immediately after something delicate is inevitably, disastrously shown off - but on a sheer technical level it’s the film’s most impressively realized scene, and one of many I can’t shake for the life of me.

If you’ve never seen [safe], I beg you to go see it right now. Surely everyone who loved Carol has gone back and examined some of Todd Haynes’s filmography, if not looked up his Wikipedia page and seen this film, whose heroine has the same first name as his 2015 masterpiece. [safe] is about as asphyxiating and antagonistic to the audience (while still being immensely hypnotic) as any film can get, and one I had difficulty rewatching last semester in the hopes of finding a screencap to use for an art project. I ended up not using what I got, but there’s so many indelible moments picking one feels difficult, let alone throwing my hands up and just reveling in what Haynes’ direction does to make the film so menacing. And yet, there’s that one object that I instantly thought of for this little piece, in some ways the one that convinced me to do it at all. Early in [safe], Carol White (a genius Julianne Moore) orders a couch to her house and starts to help the movers arrange it in her house, only to find that it’s seemingly the most antagonistic shade of black on the planet. Carol is horrified to see this thing in her carefully constructed beige palace, as was I when I first saw it. Never has an ordinary couch been so pointy and prickly and out-of-place and threatening in a film, and never have I wanted to leave a room so much once I saw it. Pressing against everything pale and beige and carefully styled in her home, this couch doesn’t just look out of place but as alien and invasive as any of the houseguests in mother!, and even more unwanted. [safe] isn’t necessarily a horror film, but it’s still the most unsettling feature on this list, one that’s even more horrifying for all that it has to say on the human experience, and for the tremendous filmmaking (and actressing) that makes it such a seminal, terrifying film.

Suspiria, on the other hand, is nothing if not an exercise in how many scary, go-for-broke aesthetics you can grate against each other and mold together and throw at the audience at once. The production design can be summed up as though the art directors of Wes Anderson and Pedro Almodovar had a child that was trying to kill you, specifically, but of course the real star of this entry is the vicious score of Dario Argento and the band Goblin. Much like Get Out, you have the distinct feeling that somehow the score itself is going to slaughter our hero before the actual forces of evil hunting them do. Even in scenes that don’t seem overtly menacing, the orchestra shrieks at you to remember that Jessica Harper and her friend are always being watched, always in danger, always among those who have killed before and would kill them if they got the chance. And somehow, this only makes the scenes with an actively dangerous presence more affecting rather than less so. In the words of Decider’s Joe Reid “Everything is heightened, so everything is fuckin’ heightened”. Suspiria is so heightened it’s a wonder the central school doesn’t just fly off into the upper echelons of the Earth’s atmosphere, which is probably close to where the film is heightened to, but thank god it’s stuck to the ground. Not all stories work in space, and sometimes all you need is a man, his dog, a weird gargoyle, and a bunch of nice looking buildings to make a scene as tense as all hell. And, of course, a bullying, visceral score.

There’s a multitude of great performances from David Cronenberg films. In truth, the best two probably reside in the duet between Jeremy Irons and Genevieve Bujold in Dead Ringers, if not the duet between Irons and Irons in the same film. But we’re really here for The Brood, which boasts the most volcanic performance I’ve seen among Cronenberg’s filmography in the form of Samantha Eggar’s ferocious, unstable shrew of an ex-wife and absent mother. The entire film is premised on her rage, literally summoning embodiments of her anger to carry out acts of vengeance against those she decries in therapy sessions. These sessions have the head physician role-playing as the target of his patient’s psychosis in the hope of provoking a real break in their psyches, and take place in a facility miles out of town and built like log cabins, resembling a hotel from a distance. Her character’s ex-husband is right to suspect something’s amiss here, that Nola isn’t getting the treatment she needs, but even as he finds the corpses of the gremlins whacking their family members it takes until he witnesses the creation of one of these rage babies for him to fully grasp a situation that’s actively threatening everyone he loves. Eggar’s vitality and commitment gives the film a beating, potent heart that The Brood otherwise wouldn’t have, in spite of its crazy conceits and directorial strength. Without her exorcising fury, The Brood would be a weaker film, and it needs Eggar’s to power the whole thing through its demented thesis and towards its inevitable, monstrous climax.

[eldritchsurveys]

o12.

Have you ever sold anything online either on Craigslist, eBay, Amazon, etc.? If not, what is your website of choice like any of the above for buying things? >> Nope. My website of choice for buying things is Amazon, I guess, just because it’s easy and they have so much shit. If the opportunity arose, would you ever go to a nude beach? Do you think you’d be comfortable enough, being naked among others like that? >> Yeah, I’d try it. I suppose it couldn’t be all that bad, if everyone else is nude too. Levels the playing field, and all. But I wouldn’t want to like... sit on stuff butt-naked. Like, that’s the main thing that bothers me about just walking around nude -- I don’t want to put my unprotected parts on stuff, bruh. So... yeah, I guess I wouldn’t stay long for that reason. At least let me put some bikini bottoms on or something, damn. What was the last book you read? What about the book drew you to want to read it (plot, title, cover…)? Did you end up liking it? >> Dune Messiah. What drew me to it is that it’s the second book in the series I’ve dedicated myself to reading, so it was just the logical progression. I did indeed like it. Have you ever considered keeping a dream journal? If you have one, have you ever looked back on it at all of the odd/interesting dreams you used to have? >> I try to keep one, but my dream recall is very sporadic and unpredictable. Sometimes I look back at what I do have, yeah. Do you think regifting is cheap, or is it okay? Have you ever regifted before? >> I wholly approve of regifting. I think it makes more sense to give something to someone who will actually use or appreciate it, rather than hanging onto something just because... what, someone gave it to me? Like, I appreciate being given the gift, because the thought really does count to me, but if I’m not going to use the thing, then why would I let this perfectly good object go to waste just collecting dust in the closet or something when I can give it to someone who’ll actually enjoy it???? LOGIC

How often do you wash your hair? What do you think when you hear of some people not washing their hair for weeks at a time? Is it healthier, as they claim? >> Every couple of weeks or so. --Well, seeing as I’m one of those people, I don’t think much of anything, because it’s normal to me. I don’t care, this is what works for me and I’m going to keep doing it until something else works better. Do you think President Obama should stay in office, or is it time for a new president? >> Damn, bruh. In general, do you like/get along with your mother’s or your father’s side of the family more? >> --- Have you ever seen an animal give birth? Have you ever had a pet give birth before? >> Yeah, and not my pet but my friend’s pet. I’ve also seen a cat eat its kittens! It was very enthralling. What do your plans usually consist of on Christmas morning? Are they the same this year? >> These past two Christmases I was at Sparrow’s parents’ house, and I guess the first time it was novel and exciting, but the second time I was way over the performative-ness and those people and just... blaaagh. But I assume I’ll be doing the same thing this year, probably day-drinking and trying not to talk to anyone. Do you like iPads/tablets or laptops more? E-readers or books? >> I mean, I use my laptops almost exclusively. And when it comes to books, I really don’t give a damn, man. I use both at my leisure. If you don’t get much snow where you live, do you wish you did get more snow? If you do get snow where you live, do you get a lot? Do you like snow? >> Enough snow falls in West Michigan that I am usually quite sick of it by March or so. Also, winter has a habit of outstaying its welcome to a depressing degree, so by May I want to die. LMAO. --In general, yeah, I like snow, but like... moderation, man. If men could get pregnant too, would abortion still be as big an issue as it is? >> Hm. What is something you want to try to accomplish within the next year? >> I’m not sure. Have you ever had to “come out” to your parents about anything (sexual orientation, change in religion, etc.)? How did it go? >> I tried to explain being trans to my father once, lmao. It was actually pretty funny, because I was like, explaining hormone replacement therapy to him, and he was just like “.... hunh.” Like I think he was mostly just confused, lmao. But I mean, in general, I’m an adult. I don’t have to tell him anything about my life if I don’t want to, so it’s not a big deal. Do you ever get drunk by yourself? >> Yeah. Who else am I supposed to get drunk with, besides the people in my head? But I’m mostly over getting drunk, anyway. I mostly just drink until the light buzz now, and then stop there. I’m still thinking about whether getting ritualistically drunk (with Wednesday, for example) is a thing I want to continue... I’m not sure yet. I think if I do, it’ll only be with specific drinks (like maybe this 1000 Stories wine, which I still think he put into my hand in the first place), to further emphasise the ritual boundaries and also to control it a little (liquor is temperamental and the delayed release doesn’t help either, but wine is easier to control). Has there ever been a time where you’ve forgotten something extremely important? >> I mean, yeah, sure. Describe the last time you were infuriated. >> Infuriated... I feel like the last time I felt that way was because of some bullshit in the PixelCount Discord. That’s why I left that shit, I got tired. What’s the most unusual kind of pizza you’ve ever tried? >> I’m not sure. If you were given the chance to decorate an entire house the way you wanted, with no limit to cost, how would you decorate it? >> I’d need some time to think about that. If you could have any kind of lava lamp, what kind would you have? >> Any kind? I’ve never had one at all. What movie do you know by heart? >> I used to know Labyrinth pretty much backwards and forwards, but my last rewatch was a long while ago. I need to get back on that train. I know the songs of The Prince of Egypt pretty well, and some of the dialogue. I used to be good with The Crow but it’s been a long time for that one, too. Has there ever been a time where you thought you were going to be great friends with someone, but it just never happened? >> I don’t think so. What’s one of your favorite things to touch/feel? >> Certain kinds of stuffed animal fur. How often do you wear tights? >> I don’t. If you had to choose, what’s the most important thing in your life at the moment? >> I don’t like to rank things like this. Do you have Netflix? >> I do. How much money would you have to spend before you felt really guilty about spending that much? >> Hell, I feel guilty about spending $2 at Redbox (”but I can just wait until it’s on Netflix, or pirate it!!! this is a Waste” shut the fuck up, goblin brain, life is short). Has there ever been anything you’ve become interested in much later than other people? >> Yeah, lmao. I’m kinda slow sometimes. Why is your favorite TV show your favorite? >> LOL I keep forgetting to mention Metalocalypse as a favourite, too, but man, my feels about that show are legion. I love it because it’s hilarious, but also because I really actually care about this silly fucking death metal band and their longsuffering manager and the Doomstar that will herald their ascension and... just everything. I love that show so fucking much and I miss it every day of my life. Grey’s Anatomy is my favourite because it really hits me in the feels, like... I don’t cry about a lot of things but I’ve cried at half the Grey’s episodes I’ve seen. It just really does humanity well... like, it has some of the most honest and compassionate writing that I’ve ever seen. It’s an utterly amazing and heartfelt and joyful and sorrowful show and I’m so glad I started watching it. Person of Interest is my favourite because... wow. Again, amazing writing, just amazing. Such complex and emotional characters, and the whole Machine thing is just... right up my alley, man. An artificial superintelligence learning to truly appreciate humanity for what it is, like... I don’t know. I don’t know. It hits me right in the gut. I still get choked up about the ending of that show. God. Describe your favorite picture of yourself, or post it. >> I don’t have a single favourite photo. Is there a genre of music that some people would be surprised that you enjoy? >> Probably not, if they know anything about me. Assuming you have a Facebook, if one of your friends posted things that annoyed you, would you be more likely to delete them as a friend, hide their statuses, or just put up with it? >> I’d hide their statuses for a while, but if it got so I was never looking at their page, I’d just unfriend them. What’s the point, then? Have you ever had a veggie burger? >> Of course. Do you like candles? >> Yep. What’s your favorite video game? >> Pillars of Eternity, Dragon Age, Elder Scrolls, Guitar Hero, the list goes on. What was something you liked about today? >> Fuckin H O T GATORADE, god. fucking... god. LMFAO. When was the last time you passed out? >> I don’t know. Do you think “friends with benefits” relationships could ever possibly work without anyone getting hurt? >> I’m sure someone’s gotten it to work. Like, it’s a big world out there. Do you wear more sweatshirts or jackets? >> Hoodies. What was the last thing you had to drink? >> I had like half a Backwoods Bastard. I didn’t even finish it, it’s still on my desk. When was the last time you wore a sports bra? >> The last time I went out. When was the last time you went to a water park? >> Never. Does your best friend live close to you? >> --- Have you ever rode a train? >> I’ve ridden many a train. Where did you get the shirt you’re currently wearing? >> I’m just wearing an undershirt. This Night Vale hoodie used to be Sparrow’s. When was the last time you played Rock Band? With whom? >> It’s been a while. I usually play Guitar Hero because the guitar controller is more compatible with it. There’s a slight difference in how shit registers on Rock Band that messes me up a lot, and I haven’t felt like dealing with it. But I miss the RB songs, so I might try to make it work at some point. Maybe I just need to calibrate my shit. What was the last thing that you ate? >> A pack of those Captain’s Wafers crackers. The peanut butter and honey ones, the best kind!!!! I’m so glad I finally found a Meijer that sells the boxes, goddamn, finally. Who last messaged you on Facebook? >> Uh... probably my cousin Kythe, with another fucking chain IM thing. I’m about to block her ass, lmfao. What were you doing Saturday at 1:30 pm? >> I don’t remember. The last time you were intoxicated, what were you drinking? >> Mango-pineapple vodka and orange juice. It’s so delicious, too, and that’s the fucking problem -- I drink it because it tastes good, and next thing you know... Who last walked you home? >> --- What do you do to help your face from breaking out? >> Wash it. It takes care of the rest on its own. Did you make any new friends lately? If so, what are their names and how did you meet them? >> --- Would you rather see your favourite band/artist in concert with 2 other people or have a free $20,000 shopping spree to Walmart? >> What on earth am I going to buy at Walmart for that much money, lmao... I’d rather spend that kind of money somewhere else, so I guess I’d take the concert. I’d choose a band that doesn’t come to the US often. >:3 When was the last time you went out to eat? >> When I was in Chicago. On a scale of 1-10, how anxious are you currently? >> Er... 1? What kind of music do you listen to? >> The audible kind. What does your perfect day consist of? >> Meh. Do you have any online friends? >> Whatever friends I do have are online. Would you dye your hair red? >> Sure. If your ex wanted to take you back, would you say yes? >> I mean, that’s basically what happened innit lmao :B How is the weather? >> I don’t know, mild, I guess.  

[spaceorphan18]

TDB Rewatch: The Sue Sylvester Shuffle

On one hand - I wonder if my week has been feeling off because it’s Wednesday and I am just now getting around to doing this.  On the other - this episode feels soooooo long.  It does have five extra minutes, but man, so much of this I just don’t care about.  It feels more like an episode of Friday Night Lights than Glee, which I suppose is purposeful since it is the one that debuted after the Superbowl.  

I kinda think the Superbowl is overrated, too. 

Thoughts: 

This episode so panders to the football watching crowd - from the opening with half-naked women and fire to the whole football championship thing to, well, barely any music...  I get it.  I do.  But...  I miss my delightfully gay show.  And I mean, this aired when Glee was at the height of its power.  But as I’ve talked a ton on the podcast about -- this show really ended up being a niche thing.  I think it became a main stream thing because it hit a few good chords (pun intended) with what was going on in society.  But I’m not surprised that the popularity declined after this.  And, tbh, I’m slightly grateful for it - because it ended up giving me more of what I wanted to see and less of... this.  

I don’t think this episode is bad, and if you’re into football, and regular (heterosexual) male driven teen drama.  Here ya go.  But, it’s just not for me, hence me getting bored.  

I also have some issues with logic about episode, such as --- HS football doesn’t go into February because the season ends at the semester and... snow.  

It’s funny that Sue talks about being bored and wanting to top herself, because I think they’ve finally hit a wall with Sue.  I don’t really find her funny at all in this episode.  I have Sue fatigue now.  Even with the cannon stuff, I’m like -- this is so dumb.  

Note - she watches a cartoon when she gets the idea - cause, you know, she is a literal cartoon character at this point. 

I will say, the line about her needing to translate the owner manual from German was kinda funny. 

The Katie Couric cameo was pretty unnecessary - and really dated now, but I do appreciate Sue being called a loser. 

I don’t know if I have a whole lot to say about the whole football/big game/being on top of the school - stuff?  It sorta feels like the return of the previous season’s main theme.  And I’m glad it kind of dies out after this (with the exception of when they try to force it back in every now and then).  

Still not a Karofsky fan.  Especially at this point in the narrative.  Sorry.  

I don’t think the episode needed the five extra minutes.  Coulda cut one of the five speeches about working together as a team.  

And now that I think about it, it’s funny that such effort is made towards the football team working together, but never that much about Glee working together.  

I realize Finn is still, kinda, the main character at the moment.  But I’m kind of eye-rolly at why can no one figure things out until Finn tells them.  

Do I care enough about Finn and Puck’s friendship to comment on it? ...  Nope not really.  I almost forgot that they dropped that friendship for, idk, the past year. 

Meanwhile... Rachel was pretty funny during this episode.  I’m giving her all the points.  

Mercedes and Tina needed more to do, but I’m glad they all joined the football team (even if this plot felt borrowed from the 80s or 90s).  

I’m glad the girls quit cheerleading - not a fan of those outfits.  

Can’t have a half time show without cheerleaders -- hey now, I was in marching band for years -- yes you fuckin’ can.  

Oh - and they used the University of Southern California’s marching band for this episode.  Awesome.  

Quinn -- please stop using men to define yourself.  

The ending cliffhanger of the Finn/Quinn kiss is so.... uh, why. 

Sam felt so different.  At some point after Comeback (??) he stops feeling like generic guy who wants to be cool.  

Kudos to the make-up artists of this episode - awesome job.  

Will didn’t annoy me once this episode.  Crazy, huh? 

28 minutes into the episode, after the main stream already turned off the TV or was too drunk to care, we finally bring in all the gay.  And it’s delightful. 

Man, it was such a relief to see Blaine dancing on the furniture again.  

Trent is adorable. 

There’s a ton of Klaine flirting in this number.  

There’s just not enough Klaine in this episode (though I mean - they weren’t in it originally, so I’ll take the little bits we got.) 

The music of the episode is... fine.  I’m sorry that I’m less enamored by Thriller - but I do think they did a good job with it.  

Fun fact: when I was in college marching band, we did thrilled with the alums on the field - it was pretty crazy.  

And I think that’s that! On to the much more interesting second half of the season ;)