#says that in English

[malinthebodyguard]

August Quotes the Godfather: betrayal, vengeance, and loneliness

I’ve always just slightly annoyed at August saying this, whenever someone asks why the Erikssons  are at the party : 

And yes, I know 80% of the things he says are slightly annoying and goddamn Malte for his excellent delivery of the shittiest comments. 

But still, he’s quoting the Godfather at a Gen Z High School party. Of course,  ‘Keep your friends close but your enemies closer’ is now  just a phrase people say, often with no connection to the film that made it popular. 

 But the fact he’s specifically saying it in English makes me think that August was intentionally quoting the film. And it makes sense that he’d know this films enough to reference them. The protagonist is a sly, attractive man, wealthy enough to disregard the law, all while wearing a stylishly pulled-back hairdo  These films are the stories of  rich men, who control everyone and everything around them. Men who make offers that cannot be refused. Men whose pulse doesn’t shake if they have to avenge their father or kill the brother that betrayed him. Female character are either objects of desire or victims of violence, with little to no agency. 

 August quoting this is telling us, the audience, that he’s the kind of person that values and admires this kind of film. But also that to a certain degree that he wants the people around him to know that of him. He knows these movies, and wants to be perceived as someone similar to its leads not just by quoting the film, but by claiming to adopt one of its most famous tenets. 

 We as the audience also know that  this is a performance for him . August didn’t invite Simon and Sara  so he could ‘keep his enemies closer’. His motivation for lying here is strange to me. Yes, Simon is someone he considers below him, but having Simon get him booze from outside is not something that preposterous. It’s even something that another character suggests. But August had asked Simon that favour out of desperation, because he had no way out. I think his unwillingness to admit that is telling about how much August values his perceived power and ability to get what he wants. We also see how meticulous he can be about maintaining it. 

But I think this quote is also a foreshadowing for what’s to come for August. The quote is something Michael Corleone says in Godfather II, a film that examines the rise and downfall of the Corleone family. Betrayal and revenge are some of the key themes of this story. Michael is betrayed by some of the most important people in his life.  The biggest betrayal of all is his brother Fredo’s. 

Fredo is Michael’s weak and easily manipulated older brother. His betrayal of Michael is one of the driving forces behind this film’s story, the revelation that he’d done it the climax. And in the film, Michael has  to punish his brother’s treason:

I think it’s easy to see how August might identify with this character . By episode 5, August thinks of himself as someone who's been betrayed by everyone around him: his mother, Felice, and Wille.

Of course, we know that’s not exactly what happens  But as far as August is concerned , then this is very accurate description. Felice’s interest in Wille, even when it’s platonic, is a betrayal to August’s own feelings. His mother’s request to sell their art is a betrayal to August’s legacy

The worst betrayal of all is Wille’s. Because Wille doesn’t just  reveal his financial problems, but in doing so he actively destroys the image of power and wealth that August had so carefully constructed. Simon is part of that betrayal as well, since he’s the only person who knew the truth. 

The only way August can take back what Wille ruined is by following along the model he was already emulating. It’s not just that the betrayal must be punished, but that August is justified in doing so.  

But August didn’t watch the film till the end, it seems. 

Michael Corleone is a powerful man, sure. But he’s a lonely violent man, who had the opportunity to escape his family’s expectations and instead chose to embrace them to his own detriment.  

The film ends with Michael alone, surrounded by memories of a family destroyed by his own acts of violence and sitting by himself on a dining table. 

August is seemingly starting the next season in a very similar place. Completely alone, dealing with the consequences of his own actions.

Revenge has been quoted as one of the key themes of this next season, and I’m interested in seeing how this is going to incorporate August into it. 

[professorcalculusstanaccount]

I remember discussing Tintin casting choices with a friend from Germany and remarked how it was odd he often has an English accent in adaptations rather than a Belgian one, and my friend just replied "that's because Tintin gives incredibly strong English boy energy (derogatory)"

Here in the UK there's a lot of weird classism tied into accents. Today accent diversity and representation in broadcasting is actively pursued but in Tintin's time there certainly was a preferred accent to have.

imagine this exchange happens between pages 28-29 in The Crab with the Golden Claws

[feluka]

In front of the Journalists' Syndicate, Cairo, Egypt, on 15th January 2024.

The crowd chants:

مصر مشاركة في الحصار معبر بيننا و بين اهالينا الصهيوني متحكم فينا طول ما الدم العربي رخيص يسقط يسقط اي رئيس عملوها احفاد مانديلا و احنا فخوف و فعار و مزلة عايزين المعبر مفتوح

Translation:

Egypt participates in this siege! A crossing between us and our people! Controlled by Zionists! As long as Arab blood is seen as cheap, Any and every president must fall! Mandela's grandchildren have done it, While we are seized by fear, shame, and humiliation! We demand Rafah Crossing open!

[langernameohnebedeutung]

"He wouldn't say that" in a 'fic author trying to use terms of endearment in a language they clearly do not understand' kind of way

[northernfireart]

my most recent random thing ive been thinking about is the idea that Doctor flirts with Rose in gallifreyan the way some people flirt with their partners in their home language even though their partner doesn't speak it and i have been obsessed with this thought ever since

[sibmakesart]

part 2

im procrastinating on the time travel comic by working on the thriller bark aftermath one and im procrastinating on the tba comic on making this

with a bit of luck itll circle back around at some point

[gautierprotectionsquad]

I based these on the quotes most mentioned in the notes of that post about that telegraph article (btw jkr didn't even win the vote. Dickens did)

edit to show my tags: #i just really love books and want a collection of everyones favorite quotes#feel free to mention quotes that arent in english! it did say world literature

edit 2: I made another poll with non english quotes. And obviously you can make your own version

[buppkizz]

tf2 karaoke! 🎤🎶

(here's a list of the referenced+a couple extra songs)

[awnrii]

harley-english siblings late night talks

[zan0tix]

GREETINGS DIRKJAKE NATION! I got dirkjake withdrawals 😢

jake english.. your transfem nonbinary gay bear swag too much..

[neymiiie]

I just want to see him again.

[useless-englandfacts]

so if you didn’t know, last week rishi sunak was due to meet the greek prime minister to discuss — amongst other things — the parthenon sculptures that we've been hoarding in the british museum for a couple of centuries. rishi cancelled last minute for no good reason and one greek newspaper came up with a great response:

[inkskinned]

one of the things about being an educator is that you hear what parents want their kids to be able to do a lot. they want their kid to be an astronaut or a ballerina or a politician. they want them to get off that damn phone. be better about socializing. stop spending so much time indoors. learn to control their own temper. to just "fucking listen", which means to be obedient.

one of the things i learned in my pedagogy classes is that it's almost always easier to roleplay how you want someone to act. it's almost always easier to explain why a rule exists, rather than simply setting the rule and demanding adherence.

i want my kids to be kind. i want them to ask me what book they should read next, and i want to read that book with them so we can discuss it. i want my kid to be able to tell me hey that hurt my feelings without worrying i'll punish them. i want my kid to be proud of small things and come running up to me to tell me about them. i want them to say "nah, i get why this rule exists, but i get to hate it" and know that i don't need them to be grateful-for-the-roof-overhead while washing the dishes. i want them to teach me things. i want them to say - this isn't safe. i'm calling my mom and getting out of this. i want them to hear me apologize when i do fuck up; and i want them to want to come home.

the other day a parent was telling me she didn't understand why her kid "just got so angry." this woman had flown off the handle at me.

my dad - traditional catholic that he is - resents my sentiment of "gentle parenting". he says they'll grow up spoiled, horrible, pretentious. granola, he spits.

i am going to be kind to them. i am going to set the example, i think. and whatever they choose become in the meantime - i'm going to love them for it.

[nerdpoe]

Just A Small Morsel, Please Sir AU AKA Constantine Would Like to Disappear Please

Batman is about to go toe to toe with another god, and he needs armor that will prevent another "lost in the time stream" incident.

So he consults JLD.

The decide that if he has a piece of a really, really powerful entity, then that entity's powers should think that they're protecting the entity and in turn, protect Bruce.

So Constantine draws a summoning circle, and is bullied into making an actual good offering to the being the circle is supposed to summon. They include a note; it's written in an old, ancient language, but with JLD working together they figure out roughly what it says; something about requesting a piece of the most powerful being's belongings to grant them protection.

Thus, the ritual begins! The lights dim; cold green fog emanates from the summoning circle, the feeling of dread almost overwhelms the lessor experienced.

And then in the middle of John's chant, the ritual is forcibly stopped from the other side.

The offerings remain.

A single note floats down on top of the pile.

'I'm uh...flattered? But like, it's kinda weird to ask for someone's hair. Gonna have to turn this one down, sorry. No kinkshaming, though! I also won't tell anyone else what that kink is, Constantine, don't worry; I got ur back. Anyways stop the creepy hitting on me.

Danny'

Apparently, JLD had not correctly translated the language.

It's direct Translation, once they had that key provided to them by Danny, which once they got that they were able to figure out that one key letter was not what they thought, was more along the lines of;

'Oh Great High King, We Request A Small Parcel, A Small Snippet, Of Your Luxurious Hair. Just For A Little Bit. We Need To Use It For Personal Reasons. Just A Small Morsel. Thank You For Being Pretty. And Amazing. We Just Want A Small Piece. That Is All We Need. It Does Not Take Much. We Are Very Eager. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please.'

Needless to say, multiple heroes have to stop Constantine from trying to throw himself out of an airlock.

@simplestoryteller

[theophagie-remade]

Bnha ends Midoriya is nowhere in sight Uraraka turns around looks at the readers to break the fourth wall and says "this truly was my lesbodrama academia"