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snkpolls · 3 years

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SnK Episode 61 Poll Results (for Manga Readers)

The poll closed with 359 responses. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Please note that these are the results for the Manga Readers’ poll. If you wish to see the results for the Anime Only Watchers’ poll, click here.

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RATE THE EPISODE 347 Responses

While this episode wasn’t as big of a hit as episode 60, overall most viewers still enjoyed the content and are looking forward to more next week!

amazing amazing! I'm so delighted with this season so far!

Im so beyond pumped i love everything

Dissapointing but acceptable.

I’m like angry I loved it so much.

I just wish we didn't have to wait a week

It was amazing. We all gotta apologize to MAPPA for ever doubting them.

It's a huge stepdown from episode 1. At times the animation was straight up painful to watch. My expectations were low and yet I'm still disappointed :/

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING WAS YOUR FAVORITE SCENE/MOMENT? 349 Responses

Reiner-centric scenes were the highest on people’s radar, with 24.9% of respondents enjoying his reunion with the warrior cadets, and not far behind, 22.9% enjoyed Reiner bringing up the 104th at the dinner table. In third, with only 13.5%, was Pieck and Porco’s formal introduction to the audience.

Hearing Zeke greet his grandparents with such happiness warmed my heart. I do believe that he loves them.

They just had to add one last image of Ymir's broken face before she died, huh? :(

WE FORGOT TO ASK LAST WEEK D: WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING SCENES/MOMENTS FROM EPISODE 60 WAS YOUR FAVORITE? 348 Responses

Last week we forgot to include what your favorite scenes were. The scene from episode 60 that got the most favor was Reiner’s, “I’m sick and tired… of walls” with 33.6% of the vote. 16.7% most enjoyed Zeke’s titan transforming scream. 14.9% were hyped about Reiner and Porco wrecking Fort Slava.

MAPPA WENT ALL OUT WITH THE CINEMATOGRAPHY IN THIS EPISODE. WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE CINEMATIC PANS AND ROTOSCOPE ANIMATION? 349 Responses

Overall, a total of 74.5% respondents have positive feelings about MAPPA’s use of rotoscope animation and camera panning. Some felt like it was akin to watching a movie, while others are just happy to have the dynamic movement. A smaller amount of respondents didn’t have feelings one way or another, and a minority (about 10.3%) really are not a fan of this type of animation style for the series.

It felt odd sometimes as they used it for long scenes (like Udo talking or Gabi telling the story to her family) but overall it was pretty great and I prefer it to WIT's stale animation during season 3

I liked the more dynamic movement during dialogue, but my roommate found it super awkward and off-model. So a fifty-fifty split in a sample size of two lol

It could have been animated better, but I like the extra dimension it gives to scenes

Enjoyed it a lot! However, there were a few scenes that felt a bit off, like some frames were missing. Specifically, when Udo was doing all those gestures while talking with the rest of the Warrior Candidates.

It felt dynamic to the point of looking unnatural - some gestures and expressions just moved wrong

i'm split, in some scenes it was great (like reiner waking up), but in the dialogue scenes the constant movement seemed kinda unnatural and distracting

It was amazing but at the same time I'd didn't look fluid enough, especially at Udo's mouvements which made the character look kind of...video game-ish in constant moving.

I thought it looked great the rotoscoping,the movements all looked amazing

The animation during Urdu’s scene is so cool! I was caught of guard at first though lol. It’s so realistic!

NOW THAT WE’VE GOTTEN TO HEAR A LITTLE MORE OF THE NEW OST TRACKS, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE SOUNDTRACK SO FAR THIS SEASON? 344 Responses

So far, reception to the newer music is overall positive. 31.1% are really enjoying the music and think the songs are being used immaculately, and 40.4% really feel that the song choice compliments the scenes they’ve been used in. 13.1% think the songs are good, but miss having that sole Sawano feel to them. 10.8% just feel the music is “ok” and 2.6% aren’t a fan of the new OST tracks so far.

I mean it sounds good, but we haven't gotten to important moments that require a memorable track, so we'll see!

First episode slapped because it really complemented the scene but it's more... generic. I didn't like how it was used in this episode, there wasn't enough of it and again, generic. I miss Sawano's unreal scores.

the animation absolutely blew me away, and i love the intense music that played during Reiners monologue

The music is fine.

I've heard both new and old songs from the previous seasons. Still too soon to make an opinion as we need to hear more.

I am deaf, I can't hear no damn soundtracks

That music guys when they came back to Liberio and reuniting with they parents, made me tear up but also because the scouts never had the chance to go back home with victory in the arms of their family, I wish I could have seen EMA like this.. It kinda felt unfair X) but I was happy for them nevertheless.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE CLOSEUP OF ZEKE’S MOUTH? 346 Responses

Our first of probably too many crack questions in this poll, 32.7% thought the closeup of Zeke lighting his cigarette was cool looking. 21.4% are concerned about Zeke’s lung health. 19.1% are probably annoyed with us and simply don’t care (lol). 13.3% wouldn’t mind smooching Zeke, and 11% were just plain grossed out.

Does smoke even affect a titan shifter? Surely his lungs just heal themselves

ASMR for the eyes, right there. Aww yiss

It was awesome! Zeke is shown as relaxed person with a big drop of mystery.

Smoking Bad but he is gonna die in a year anyway

Suuuuuuucc

It might've just been an artistic choice to include it in there, but i gotta say I'm oddly fascinated and idk why

I don’t remember it lol

I didn't even notice.

Zeke looks hotter than he has ever looked

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION ABOUT ELDIAN ASSES? 341 Responses

Most of the responses seemed to feel rather positively about Eldian asses, with almost 40% seeking out Zeke’s ass wiping technique. About 17% simply stated their appreciation for them, while almost 13% are just thirsty. In contrast, a little over 17% seemed confused to the question’s inclusion and about 10% were confused outright.

MAPPA WHERE IS PIECK'S ASS

More into Eldian thighs, really

I bet Levi’s is nice

If only Eren had one

zeke has the energy of a straight man who doesn't wash his ass

Only Shadis' ass

GIVE IT TO ME 😏😏

They are like normal, human asses. Do not turn them into some magical, special snowflakes, just because they belong to Eldians.

Seek help

Enough

DO YOU WANT REINER TO GIVE YOU A HEAD PAT? 343 Responses

A definitive majority, almost 59 percent, openly expressed enthusiasm for the prospect of a head pat from Reiner. However, a near 30% fraction of responders didn’t seem too happy about this recent chain of less than serious questions. We’re sorry about that. 😅. The rest either didn’t seem interested in said prospect or noted they wouldn’t care either way.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE DECISION FROM MAPPA TO CONDENSE REINER’S FLASHBACK INTO (PRESUMABLY) A SINGLE EPISODE? 346 Responses

It would appear that the majority of those who took our poll express cautious optimism at the prospect of seeing all (or the vast majority) of Reiner’s backstory being adapted into a single episode, with a near 47% supporting the move, thinking it could make the narrative “more coherent”. Almost 20% argue it would work better pacing wise. On the flipside, just over 17% state that they would rather have a more accurate adaptation to the manga. 11.6% simply say they have no opinion. There were also more than a few write-ins.

I do wish everything could be animated to full detail, but pacing and structure will benefit here

They've done a good job so far, so I'll reserve judgement until I actually watch it.

It will be difficult as they're chapters with loads of dialogue, but they can pull it off if unnecessary stuff gets cut out or changed in some type of way (like watching Marcel's death for the sixth time, them breaking through the wall or even Jean and Eren fighting)

If they get the pacing right, then the rearrangement will be for the better.

Reiner flashbacks + Reiner suicide attempt + Falco meeting "Kruger" (more than 2,5 chapters) in a single episode? HELL NO! WTF MAPPA!

Worried and cautiously optimistic.

At least it looks like they're going to stick to just one episode for the RBA flashback. It was mostly just filler anyway, so there was never any need to stretch it out and waste precious time getting back to the Paradis side of the story

I doubt that that's exactly how it is, but if so, then I don't think that that's a wise idea

It’s gonna be rushed as hell

Reiner flashback is very long and there is tons of dialogue, so I dont know how its going fit in only one episode, but if they can make it work then its fine for me

WHICH CHARACTER DESIGN DID YOU LIKE BEST IN COMPARISON TO THE MANGA? 346 Responses

This question gave us a somewhat evenly split pie chart, but Porco nonetheless managed to gain the bigger piece with just over 55%. Surely due to that bomber jacket and haircut. Nearly 45% picked Pieck (gottem) instead. Must have been the somewhat inconsistent nose.

WHO’S SEIYUU DID YOU LIKE BEST? 335 Responses

On the flip side, 68.4% seemed to prefer Pieck’s soft voice. Porco with his (how the hell does Porco sound like… how can you describe his voice) managed to win the hearts of 31.6% of responses.

Pieck voice wtf? I imagined Pieck with a more Hanji-ish voice, not this sweet and high pitched.

DID MAPPA DO PIECK’S NOSE JUSTICE? 345 Responses

The debacle over Pieck’s POWERFUL nose gave us quite a colorful pie chart. Almost 39% of responses noted that Mappa was on point with Pieck’s nose for most of the episode. Afterwards, 26.7% stated that they thought that Mappa got it right only in some points of the episode. On the flip side, another 26.7% thought that Mappa was generally quite on point throughout the entire episode. A small minority (7.8%) thought that Mappa simply did a poor job.

The animation is good, and while I don't want to complain, I have a small problem with the drawings themselves. I feel like they lack precision (like Pieck's nose, idk if that's clear).

I'm grateful for Pieck's nose. I always respected Isayama for drawing imperfect characters, because this way he has made them to look more realistic. Even though Pieck has so-called imperfect nose, she is still absolutely gorgeous. Her imperfections are part of what makes her beautiful and unique.

PORCO’S HAIR - WERE YOU TEAM RED HAIR OR BLOND HAIR? AND ARE YOU HAPPY WITH HIS ANIME COLOR SCHEME? 345 Responses

A far less controversial debacle concerned Porco’s hair scheme. The folks supporting a Blond color scheme were universally content with his hair color (all 57.4% of team Blond). On the flip side, an almost universal approval was also present from team Redhead (13.6% of those supported his blond hair color). 27.5% of the responses seemed to care not about this issue at all, however.

NOW THAT WE KNOW PORCO BETTER IN THE MANGA, DO YOU THINK HE WOULD HAVE *ACTUALLY* DONE A BETTER JOB THAN REINER IF HE HAD INHERITED THE ARMOR AND WENT TO PARADIS? 348 Responses

Porco inheriting the Armored Titan is a rather interesting what-if scenario. Perhaps of the most interesting as a whole, so it’s no surprise to see a rather divided opinion of those who took our poll. A little over 36% believe that Porco doing a better job than Reiner on Paradis is a definite possibility. Just over 24% believe it’s not likely Porco would have done better than Reiner. On the flip side, 21.6% think that is is likely Porco *would* have a more successful conduct on the island. 9.2% believe that Porco’s success is a given and in opposition to that, 8.9% think that Porco’s success would have been basically impossible.

HOW ABOUT IF PIECK HAD GONE TO PARADIS WITH THE WARRIORS? 346 Responses

Much less division here, however. 70.5% of responders believe that Pieck’s possible trip to Paradis (in the initial attack) would have not have resulted in a given “mission success” for the Warriors, although she would have been a rather useful ally. Nearly a quarter, on the other hand, think that Pieck’s inclusion would have ended the story right then and there. The rather small minority of the other responders think that Pieck would not have been useful had she participated in the mission.

GABI HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CONTROVERSIAL CHARACTER. HAS MAPPA BRINGING HER TO LIFE CHANGED YOUR FEELINGS TOWARD HER? 342 Responses

64.6% of respondents overall have positive feelings toward Gabi as of right now, with 39.5% having already been enjoying her character throughout the manga. 25.1% now view her more positively with her being brought to life. 20.2% don’t really care about Gabi either way, and 11.7% feel very negatively toward Gabi, without the anime swaying their opinions.

Gabi still sucks

Sakura ayane as gabi is probably the best thing to happen to me all year

WITH SUCH A DIALOGUE-HEAVY ARC, CUTS WERE INEVITABLE. WHICH CUTS WERE YOU DISAPPOINTED IN, AND WHICH CUTS CAN YOU LIVE WITH?

Overwhelmingly, the scenes that were most missed by manga readers were “Pieck walking on all fours/scaring Porco”, “Zeke mentioning the Ackerman Clan”, “Reiner’s smirk when his family talks about ‘Island Devils’”, and “The imagery of Eren and Armin wrecking ships”. Smaller character details, such as Reiner mentioning how he acted like Marcel on Paradis, Gabi wishing to understand Reiner’s feelings, Falco pointing out how Reiner almost had the Armor taken from him, were also very missed by manga readers, although just less so.

General Calvi talking about Zeke’s loyalty, Gabi getting praise from her parents when they reunite, and Magath trashing the Marleyan navy, were moments that many respondents didn’t feel strongly about one way or another, or felt that these were details that weren’t really needed anyway.

Cutting the scene where Falcon talks about why Reiner kept the AT was really bad. Also the table scene could have been better. Some imagery when Reiner was describing the 104th and his smirk.

The cuts the anime has done made the spectators less informed about some story background stuff. This is in order to direct attention to the marley's eldians planning how to overcome the world's disparagement towards the power of the titans.

I'm sad they cut the gate guards. They humanize the marleyans a bit. Hope they add their scenes next episode and do them justice.

I hope we will get the Gabi/Reiner talk about understanding each other through PATHS when she eats him next episode

Gimme crawling best giiiirl

MAPPA cut Pieck's ass so this episode wouldn't be so ass centered with Zeke's ass wiping technique. This is my theory lol

Great episode but U was so looking forward to the Reiner scene talking about Paradis “devils”. In the mange it was a powerful scene really adding to the duality of Reiner and the pain he has, and the animation did not do it justice. Plus some parts of his speech were probably hard to understand for a non mange reader without the flashback. (Like which one is referring to Jean for example). I really wish it had been better delivered

IS THERE ANY CHANCE WE’LL SEE SOME OF THESE CUTS ANIMATED IN A LATER EPISODE? 342 Responses

them into different scenes. Overall, the majority answered a big, fat, “maybe.” 15.8% are confident that what’s done has been done, and 12.6% are more optimistic that MAPPA will find a way.

Overall I was a bit disappointed. I feel like the amount of material cut from every conversation included really added up overall and gave it a very rushed feel to me. I really hope they add it all in later.

ON THE FLIP-SIDE, WHICH ADDITIONS/CHANGES DID YOU LIKE/DISLIKE?

The changes and additions that MAPPA made were overall viewed very favorably, with the scene of Porco and Pieck interacting with the warrior cadets being the most liked addition. This is followed closely by the overall character movement during dialogue scenes, the small detail about Pieck’s father being unwell, and Gabi shouting “Watashi!” on the train.

I loved the additional details made it very emotional

IT WAS A GREAT TIME TO BE GALLIPIECK TRASH

Sneakier Eren's a nice addition too

Porco my boiii I'm so happy he's here 💖💖💖💖 if mappa is adding some extra scenes then gimme more of gallirei 👀

WHICH SCENE FROM THE PREVIEW ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO? 338 Responses

Unsurprisingly, 42% of respondents are hyped about Kenny’s brief return and Annie’s unlikely encounter with him in the Underground. 22.2% are eager to get that sweet Reiner angst as he is rejected by his Marleyan father. 17.8% are looking forward to Reiner’s training days.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON THE EPISODE?

great! it was inevitable they would cut stuff but it hasn't changed any major plot point or thing i would want to see desperately

It was just really great to see the scenes animated, it adds another level of depth and understanding to the story I believe.

Loved anime-onlies missing Eren completely. Some even thought it was him but then noticed the leg and thought against it

I think it was very well done. Just need a little getting used to with MAPPA on the reins now. I think MAPPA added some scenes to show how those Eldians over there are still just human after all and they have their own problems to deal with. 8/10 episode.

I feel like they took a lot of emotion way from reiner. made him seemed stoic and determined to go to the island even though in the make he looked scared about having to return.

I thought the rotoscoping was really well done! I’m happy with the pacing, the fact that the episode felt like it went by fast is good considering it was dialogue based.

Incredible. The direction, the cinematic quality, we are feasting. MAPPA is elevating the story beyond anything I could have imagined! I'm beyond hyped for the rest!! But where is asshole Marley guards/Hobo!Eren's appearance as a favorite moment?!

Incredible, it adapts the source material very well while adding some touches that make it unique in it's own way. As a manga reader, I'm really glad that they're doing this because it feels like a completly different experience from reading it and makes me excited on what changes or directing choices they're going to make during the course of the season, great job so far MAPPA!

Such an amazing episode. Made 20mins feel like 5. MAPPA is doing fantastic. The characters have never felt more alive and the animation style is something I never knew I wanted until now.

I can't believe they didn't cast Mads Mikkelsen to voice Mads Mikkelsen

The episode was good but the dinner scene didn't do justice to the manga. It didn't have the same feeling to it. I saw a lot of anime onlys thinking Reiner was just trying to talk shit about the 104th. I feel like the flashbacks during that part in the manga gave it a nostalgic feeling that helped convey what he truly felt about his time on the island. His facial expressions were not quite there either. Specially sad because it was the moment I was expecting the most this episode and because it's a big part of Reiner's character, maybe next episode can kind of fix this.

I haven't seen the anime only poll results, but given personal conversations with them I imagine quite a few could care less about the Warriors and are looking forward to the 104th showing up to stir shit up. Boy are those folks in for a treat :)

I knew I'd feel more attached to all of them once they got animated. I didn't expect getting real thirsty for Lainah.

I was so happy with how much detail MAPPA put into the background scenery. Also, I think that an underrated moment during this episode was the Marlian douchebag triggering the Eldian soldier’s PTSD. You could really feel their terror, and THEY KEPT THE HOBO EREN PART IM SO HAPPY!

Its consistently very pretty and well animated which is great of course, but I worry the team won’t be able to maintain this quality for some of the meatier scenes in the later episodes. The fast pace of the episode (compared to the manga) as well as the many cuts make it a bit harder for scenes to stick, I wish there was a bit more breathing room at times. This also makes the fancy animation and frequent rotoscoping cuts feel less impactful for me—with every scene being cut down to its core ingredients, and every scene having at least one cut with more motion and energy than we’re used to, I can’t help but feel it all kind of mashes together without sticking out as much, leaving less of an impact. (I feel really really weird actually complaining about good camerawork/animation, what the hell lol) Also hobo <3

Plenty of questions about ass but no questions about the full ED? Or how we thought the episode did at hiding Eren in plain sight?

rip Reiner's chocolate abs :'(

The episode wasn't as interesting as the first one. I was yawning from time to time. Yet, I think that Mappa did a great job, because it's hard to animate full of dialogues chapters. I was disappointed of the fact that flashbacks from Paradis have been cut. I hoped to see Sasha, Connie, Ymir and Marco while Reiner was speaking about them. Without the flashbacks we just got the dry speech and this way hard to say what Reiner is really thinking about people he met on Paradis. We - as manga readers - already are aware of his feelings, but anime onlies may not know and see Reiner as cold hearted person. I'm not complaining over animations or the OST tracks because no studio is perfect and some small mistakes here and there won't destroy my fun. I just sit and enjoy the episode.

Very good, with the exception of the dinner scene, in which the director missed the mark completely with the tone.

WHERE DO YOU PRIMARILY DISCUSS THE SERIES? 328 Responses

Thank you again for participating! We’ll see you again next week!

#snk poll #snk polls #shingeki no kyojin #attack on titan #snk #aot #snk s4 #snk spoilers

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phroyd · 3 years

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Rest In Peace, Alex! - Phroyd

Alex Trebek, who became known to generations of television viewers as the quintessential quizmaster, bringing an air of bookish politesse to the garish coliseum of game shows as the longtime host of “Jeopardy!,” died Nov. 8 at 80.

The official “Jeopardy!” Twitter account announced the death without further details.

Mr. Trebek had suffered a series of health reversals in recent years, including two heart attacks and brain surgery, and was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2019. He continued to host new episodes of his show until production was suspended in March because of the coronavirus pandemic, and then filmed socially distanced episodes that began airing Sept. 14.

For more than three decades, Mr. Trebek was a daily presence in millions of households, earning near-rabid loyalty for the intellectual challenge of his show, in which questions were presented as answers and answers were delivered in the form of questions. By the time of his death, “Jeopardy!” was one of the most popular and longest-lasting programs of its kind in TV history.

Mr. Trebek, the self-made son of a hotel chef, had no sequined co-presenter to match Vanna White on host Pat Sajak’s “Wheel of Fortune.” His show neither attracted nor allowed histrionics, no galloping, shrieking contestants such as those summoned to “Come on down!” on “The Price Is Right” with Bob Barker. Even the “Jeopardy!” theme song, one of the most recognizable jingles on television, was restrained in its dainty dings.

There was no “hot seat” like the chair for contestants on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” with Regis Philbin — a show that “Jeopardy!” purists disdained for its elementary subject matter and inflated prize money.

On “Jeopardy!” there were only questions and answers — or rather, answers and then questions — leavened by the briefest of banter before Mr. Trebek directed his three contestants back to business.

He became known, a reporter for the New Republic magazine once observed, for his “crisp enunciation, acrobatic inflections [and] hammy dignity” as he primly — and with precise pronunciation — relayed clues in categories such as “European Cuisine,” “U.S. Geography,” “Ballet and Opera,” “Potent Potables” and “Potpourri.”

“The folding type of this cooling device became accepted in China during the Ming dynasty,” Mr. Trebek might declaim, as competitors raced to buzz in with the reply, “What is a fan?”

“Jeopardy!” was the creation of singer and talk-show host Merv Griffin, whose TV empire also included “Wheel of Fortune” and “Dance Fever.” His wife, Julann Griffin, proposed the show’s conceit. If players provided questions instead of answers, she said, then “Jeopardy!” would be safe from the high-profile cheating scandals that plagued TV quiz shows in the 1950s.

The Griffin brainchild aired on NBC from 1964 to 1975, then returned as “The All New Jeopardy!” from 1978 to 1979, both times with the stately actor Art Fleming as host. Mr. Trebek took over when the show was revived in syndication in 1984, also serving during his first several seasons as producer.

Much like his program, Mr. Trebek indulged in few frills. He favored conservative suits. When he shaved his signature mustache in 2001 — “on a whim,” he said — his viewership erupted in titillation.

The most exuberant flourish about the show might have been the exclamation mark in the title. Mr. Trebek, for his part, emitted few if any exclamations as he led contestants through the first round of clues; then a second, higher-stakes round dubbed “Double Jeopardy!”; and then “Final Jeopardy!,” in which players could wager all or some of their earnings on a single stumper.

“My job,” he told the Associated Press in 2012, “is to provide the atmosphere and assistance to the contestants to get them to perform at their very best. And if I’m successful doing that, I will be perceived as a nice guy and the audience will think of me as being a bit of a star. But not if I try to steal the limelight! The stars of ‘Jeopardy!’ are the material and the contestants.”

(Perhaps the show’s greatest stars were Ken Jennings, who reigned over the grid for 74 shows in 2004, claiming $2.5 million in winnings, and Watson, the IBM computer that defeated Jennings and another champion, Brad Rutter, in 2011.)

Fans who attended tapings of the show received a rare insight into Mr. Trebek’s dry humor when he held forth with them during commercial breaks, cutting up about how he didn’t “like spending time with stupid people,” which resulted in his having “very few friends.” He often regaled the crowd with tales of his DIY home-improvement projects.

He said his breakfast consisted of a Snickers and Diet Pepsi, or a Milky Way and Diet Coke. And he was not always as staid as he might have seemed, once tearing his Achilles’ tendon when he chased a burglar from his hotel room in 2011.

But to most “Jeopardy!” viewers, Mr. Trebek was akin to a neighbor they saw every day without becoming intimately acquainted. In a tribute to Mr. Trebek after his cancer diagnosis was announced, Jennings affectionately described him as “a riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a Perry Ellis suit.” One of the few clues to his past was his slight Canadian accent.

George Alexander Trebek was born in Sudbury, Ontario, on July 22, 1940. His father was a Ukrainian immigrant, and his mother was French Canadian. In a memoir published in July, “The Answer Is . . . Reflections on My Life,” Mr. Trebek described a childhood marked by poverty and illness, including a painful form of rheumatism that he developed after falling into a frozen lake at age 7.

Mr. Trebek said that he considered becoming a priest but did not enjoy his experimentation with a vow of silence. “I was a very good student, but leaned more toward show business than anything else because I had a way of entertaining the class,” he told the Toronto Star. “I wasn’t the class clown, but always prominent — even when I was quiet.”

He said he was nearly expelled from boarding school and then dropped out of a military college after three days because he did not wish to subject himself to a buzz cut.

Mr. Trebek began working at the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. while studying philosophy at the University of Ottawa, where he graduated in 1961. As a broadcaster for radio and television, he delivered coverage in English and French, reported on news, weather and sports, and hosted “Reach for the Top,” a popular teen quiz show.

In 1973, Mr. Trebek came to the United States as host of “The Wizard of Odds,” a short-lived game show created by fellow Canadian Alan Thicke.

“It was canceled on a Friday, and I was disappointed, of course,” Mr. Trebek once said on “The Dan Patrick Show,” a sports talk program. “It was replaced the following Monday by a show called ‘High Rollers,’ which I also hosted. . . . After two and a half years, it was canceled, and it was replaced by another show which I hosted. So I have the either great honor or dubious honor of having replaced myself on three different occasions.”

Mr. Trebek, who became a U.S. citizen in 1998, also hosted shows including “Double Dare,” “The $128,000 Question” and “Battlestars.” He subbed for Chuck Woolery, Sajak’s predecessor on “Wheel of Fortune,” bringing him to the attention of Griffin. For a period Mr. Trebek hosted “Classic Concentration” and “To Tell the Truth” while also presiding over “Jeopardy!,” where he reportedly commanded $10 million a year.

As “Jeopardy!” host, Mr. Trebek participated in national contestant searches and shepherded the first teen, senior and celebrity tournaments. He also contributed clues, drawing from his knowledge in such arcane fields as oil drilling and bullfighting. He personally reviewed all clues before taping a show and claimed that he could answer about 65 percent of them correctly. If he judged one too difficult, he asked writers not to use it.

“I’ll say, ‘Nobody’s going to get this,’ ” he told the New York Times in a 2020 interview. “And they usually take my suggestions, because I view myself as every man.”

By the time Mr. Trebek completed 30 years as host, “Jeopardy!” reached 25 million viewers a week. His Emmys included a lifetime achievement award, and, in 2013, he ranked No. 8 in a Reader’s Digest poll of the most trusted people in America. Jimmy Carter, the highest-ranking president on the list, arrived at No. 24.

A ubiquitous presence in pop culture, Mr. Trebek appeared in the “Got milk?” advertising campaign, in films including “White Men Can’t Jump” (1992) and on television shows including “The Simpsons” and “The X-Files.” In a memorable episode of “Cheers,” Mr. Trebek welcomed as a contestant the postal carrier Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger), the sitcom’s most undesirable bachelor, in a round of “Jeopardy!” with categories including “beer,” “mothers and sons” and “celibacy.”

Mr. Trebek was spoofed on “Second City Television,” the Canadian TV sketch show, and “Saturday Night Live,” with comedian Will Ferrell, as his impersonator, barely containing his contempt for dimwitted contestants on “Celebrity Jeopardy!”

“I’ll take ‘Swords’ for $400,” Sean Connery, portrayed by Darrell Hammond, intoned in a Scottish accent when the category of clues was in fact “ ‘S’ Words.”

Mr. Trebek’s first marriage, to Elaine Callei, ended in divorce. In 1990, he married Jean Currivan. A complete list of survivors was not immediately available.

Little changed about “Jeopardy!” as the years wore on for the show, for Mr. Trebek and for fans. Newfangled topics, such as twerking, were occasionally introduced. Over time, contestants revealed themselves to be more familiar with Dan Brown, author of “The Da Vinci Code,” than with the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the New Republic noted. And Mr. Trebek was called upon to learn to rap to read certain clues.

But mainly the show stayed “comfortable, like an old pair of shoes,” Mr. Trebek once said. In its constancy, it became all the more comforting for the legions of fans who turned to “Jeopardy!” for its promise of clear right and wrong answers in a world where the matter of what is true was increasingly subjected to partisan debate.

“There’s a certain comfort that comes from knowing a fact,” Mr. Trebek told the Times in July. “The sun is up in the sky. There’s nothing you can say that’s going to change that. You can’t say, ‘The sun’s not up there, there’s no sky.’ There is reality, and there’s nothing wrong with accepting reality. It’s when you try to distort reality, to maneuver it into accommodating your particular point of view, your particular bigotry, your particular whatever — that’s when you run into problems.”

Phroyd

#alex trebek #jeopardy #rip

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just-another-ficwriter · 4 years

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Betrayal - Part Two

Pairing: Sweet Pea x Reader

Words: 2100ish

Warnings: Lying

Summary: When the reader’s past comes back to haunt her, she stands to lose everything; her friends, her boyfriend, the life she’d built for herself. With Sweet Pea refusing to talk to her, she agrees to do the one the she thought she’d never do.

Notes: The final part to my first request, thank you so much @rye128! I hope you like it!

Read part one here

“Damn it Pea!” Toni hit out in the door one last time, followed by a swift kick and string of curse words that even had Jughead impressed.

“What’s that door ever done to you?” He smirked, watching her from his trailer, glad he wasn’t in her firing line.

“I’m not in the mood Jughead.” She huffed, the anger radiating from her as she shot him a deathly glare. “I know you’re in there SP.”

“He’s still not coming out?” Toni practically scowled as Jughead stated the obvious and again, he found himself thankful for the distance between them.

“Nobodies seen him in week.” She admitted, shoulders deflating in defeat. After the truth had come out, Sweet Pea has become secluded, locking himself away and even choosing to skip Serpent meetings as well as school.

“He just needs some time.” The uncertainty in Jughead’s voice deceived him as he tried to convince Toni as well as himself, the situation affecting them all.

“Don’t suppose you’re seeing Betty today?” Toni looked between Sweet Pea’s trailer and a confused Jughead, an idea already forming.

“I’m about to meet her at Pop’s, why?” He asked, already wary of where this was going, the smile growing on her face only adding to his doubt.

“I have an idea.” As Jughead watched her jump on her motorcycle, ready to follow him when he left, he wondered if things were about to get a whole lot worse.

“Don’t scream.” The words Betty Cooper whispered into your ear as she ushered your into an empty class room and locked the door had you wanting to do the exact opposite of what she told you.

“Betty what the hell?” You tried to make your self seem tough as you spun around to glare at her, but the look in your eyes must have given you away as she realised her mistake. The last few weeks had not been easy on you, and even though part of you knew you deserved it, that didn’t make it feel any less lonely. You watched as she held her hands up to show she meant no harm but Toni stepped out of a storage cupboard and interrupted her.

“It’s the only way we could get you to talk to me.” You looked to the floor to hide your guilt as Toni moved closer. It wasn’t that you wanted to avoid her. You’d just assumed that she’d be angry, that she wouldn’t want to talk. After all she had been Sweet Pea’s friend first and you had lied to everyone not just him.

“Look if this is about what happened...” Your voice trailed off as you tired to think of the right words to say but you just shock your head and gave up. “I already said I’m sorry.”

“It’s not about that. Not in the way you think anyway.” The small sympathetic smile she gave you surprised you as she pushed out a chair for you to sit. You took it, watching her cautiously as she chose to sit on the table in front of you. “I need you to explain to me why you did it.”

“Why would you care anyway?” You hadn’t meant for it to come out so bitter but your tone even had you grimacing as Toni sighed in frustration.

“Because you’re my friend.” She stared at you like it was obvious, her hurt evident before her expression soften again. “And I can’t bare to see Sweet Pea like this any longer.”

“I did what I had to do.” You were trying to convince yourself more than them, even though you knew you should have just been honest from the start, the idea that you’d hurt Sweet Pea had started to become unbearable at this point.

But then the words started spilling from your mouth and you didn’t know how to make them stop. You confessed that the ghoulies has found you at your lowest point, your parents had abandoned you, your grandmother had just died and you had no where to go. They offered you a roof over your head, something to call your own and despite the fact you hated everything they stood for you saw no other way. So you’d stuck to hiding in the background, doing the bare minimum that was required of you and desperately searching for a way out. Then eventually the ghoulies had crumbled after becoming leaderless and you’d stumbled across Sweet Pea.

“I know how to fix this.” She followed her words with a determined head nod, desperate to do anything to get both her friends back.

“You do?” You wiped away the tears that had escape down your cheeks, surprised that she even wanted to help at all.

“Have you even seen the film Dusk till Dawn?” It was the first time Betty had spoken in a while, but her words didn’t make you feel at easy neither did the grin on her face.

You had seen the film.

And you definitely didn’t like where this was going.

Sweet Pea sat at the back of the Wyrm with a scowl on his face and his fist wrapped tightly around a beer bottle. He hadn’t been out in so longer that everything seemed louder than he remembered, the music giving a headache instantly as he wondered why he even bothered coming out in the first place.

“Cheer up, it’s your birthday.” Fangs playfully punched him in the shoulder but kept his distance, scared he might hit back.

“Yeah well, I don’t feel much like celebrating.” He snarled, drawing out a long sip from his bottle. The taste of alcohol no longer making his throat burn, he’d drunk too much of it that last few weeks in hopes of blocking you out only to find the more he drunk the more he thought of you.

Fangs replied with a defeated sigh, the pair of them sitting there in silence before FP stopped the music and walked out on stage.

“So some of you may or may not know but it’s Sweet Pea’s birthday today and we have one last surprise for him.” Sweet Pea looked to his left to finds Fangs grinning, while FP waiting for the thumbs up from Toni. “Happy birthday son.”

Several cheers erupted from around the room, the loudest coming from Fangs despite Sweet Pea’s annoyance. He shot him a confused look, desperate to find out what was going on when someone hit the lights except for the one on stage as the music started to play again.

When he heard the song he felt his stomach twist into a knot. The two of you had listened to it so many times before, spending hours driving around in his truck as it blasted from the speakers.

He stood to leave, the memories too painful to bare, but then Fangs grabbed his arm, yanking him back into place as he pointed towards the stage.

You tried to step in time to the music, but your heart beat was ringing so loud in your ears you couldn’t hear much else including the boo’s that FP was desperately trying to hush.

You’d been sceptical at first, Toni and Betty explaining the plan over and over until you accepted the idea. You were determined to show that you were sorry, that you were one of them now despite your past and that you’d do anything to prove it.

You found Sweet Pea at the back of the room, and for a split second your swore your saw his eyes roam over your hands as they slowly peeled away your clothes before they snapped back up to your face.

But the one look was enough to give you the encouragement you needed as you stood there in lingerie he’d bought you months ago and moved your hips back and fore. Your back met the poll as you spun around it, the serpent part of the dance coming to an end but your routine was far from over.

Just as the second verse of the song was about to play, both Betty and Toni joined you on stage making several people around the room gasp as jaws began to drop. But it wasn’t their sudden appearance along side you that had everyone shocked. No, it was the large python they held in their hands, the same python they were now placing around your shoulders.

You squeezed your eyes shut as you drew in a shaky breath. Your hands replaced theirs as you willed your body to keep moving with the music and your eyes flew open again, drifting back to Sweet Pea as Toni’s part of the plan truly kicked in.

Sweet Pea watched in awe, his heart pounding in his chest as his mouth become dry. He could barely believe that you were doing the dance in the first place yet along walking towards him with a snake wrapped around you.

You stopped dead in front of him, eyes locked with his as you moved up and down, desperately trying to keep calm so the python stayed in place. He heard someone wolf whistle from across the room and he had to refrain himself from reach out to you in a need to show everyone you were his.

His.

It had been a while since he’d thought of you as his, been a while since he’d wanted to. But now you stood in front of him, baring everything for everyone to see despite not knowing if it would even work, and that was something to admire.

But before he could do anything about it Toni and Betty we’re back, taking the snake with them so you could join FP back on stage.

“Well that was quite some show, huh?” FP smiled out at the crowd, their initial scepticism now replaced by cheers as he placed a hand on your shoulder. He turned to you, whispering how well you had done before wrapping your very own Serpent jacket around you, solidifying your place with them. “Give it up for Y/N.”

Betty was quick to join you back on stage, thankfully without the snake this time and as she dragged you away with her you barely had time to notice the way Toni and Sweet Pea were tucked away in a far corner, speaking in hushed tones.

“Leaving so soon?” The sound of Sweet Pea’s voice had you shivering more than the cold air ever could as you stepped out of the Wyrm and into the night.

“I was actually looking for you.” You admitted sheepishly, silence following for the next few minutes as the two of you simply stared at each other. It was the first time you’d laid eyes on him in weeks and the thought only made your heart ache more.

“That jacket looks good on you.” You watched as the corner of his lips turned up into a small smile, his eyes trailing over your leather clad arms before meeting your own again.

“Thank you.” You couldn’t help but smile back at him, your gaze dropping to the floor as your cheeks blushed red.

“I talked to Toni.” His tone became serious as he shifted from foot to foot, trying to find the best way to approach the next subject. “She told me everything... about your past.”

“I never meant to hurt you Pea, I just wanted to forget about it.” Your voice cracked as you tried to explain, desperation filling your eyes along side tears. “When I met you, I wanted you to think I was a good person. You made me want to be a better person.”

You’d wanted for so long to explain the truth to him, to finally be honest with him. As you confessed, you waited for him to tell you that he was still angry, that what you did would never be okay but he surprised you by touching a hand to your cheek. “Did you really do that dance for me?”

“My way of saying Happy Birthday.” You laughed as he grinned at you, just happy to see a sight you never thought you’d see again. “Does this mean I’m forgiven?”

“Like I could ever get the image of you with that snake out of my head.” He was smirking now, his bottom lip pulled between his teeth as his hand drifted to your hip.

“Come on, I have another present I want to give you.” You eagerly gripped at his hand, pulling him with you as you turned to leave.

“Lead the way princess.”

Sweet Pea Masterlist

Forever Taglist: @p-marie-sp

Betrayal Taglist: @ryn128 @oopsiedoopsie @eleventhdoctorsangel @fuzzy-panda

Sweet Pea Taglist: @80sand90simagine

#riverdale #riverdale fanfiction #sweet pea #sweet pea fanfiction #riverdale imagine #sweet pea imagine #sweet pea x reader #riverdale edit #riverdale one shot #sweet pea one shot

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talktoaspeck · 4 years

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A lazy summer afternoon in Allahabad, Aman is heading back home from his ISC coaching classes. Although it's just a 10 min walk , It often takes him over an hour to reach home. On his way back he pensively stares at the old buildings, and the new ones, and compares the two. He likes the old ones. They have so much history and character. He takes in the hustle and bustle of the busy market that he comes across next. He knows what grocery he has to buy— His mother gives him a list every morning before he leaves for school. He knows which shops he has to make stops at, where he may find the churmura wallah from whom he buys churmura everyday. Everything is as it is supposed to be be and he loves it. He is in no hurry to reach home. The repitition of these monotonous task is like the repitition of a beat in a melodious song: much welcomed. So much he drags his mundane chores at the market that one may think he doesn't even want to reach home.

He does not.

His reluctance to reach home as early as possible after a long day at school and coaching class does not stem from a lack of love and affection from his family. It is because of the opposite. His father, Shankar Tripathi, an agricultural scientist, who despite being busy working on a new strain of cauliflower which other than being an unappetising black in colour, he claims, is also maggot resistant, finds enough time to mollycoddle his only son. Aman's mother, Sunaina, whose full time job is to pamper her son,is predictably much, much worse.

A loud honk from behind startles Aman. He turns to a sight that immediately makes his heart jump out of his mouth. His brow is suddenly lined with beads of sweat and his pulse starts racing.

"Tripathi Jee, glad I found you. Look, new bike!," Chuckles a boy of his own age, sitting on a brand new motorcycle, revving it up to show off its brand new engine. "

It is Sarthak Khurrana, the coolest boy in his school according to both Aman and the school magazine's year end poll.

Sarthak Khurrana twists his body while being seated on his new bike and taps on the backseat, gesturing Aman to come sit. "Chaliye, Sangam ghuma laaye aapko, Tripathee Jee," he says.

Aman, ready to kill more time, jumps onto the backseat and off they go to Sangam. The holy Sangam, which is the confluence of the rivers Ganga and Yamuna, literally translates to union.

On the backseat Aman observes how weirdly Sarthak's ears jutt out of his head, almost at right angles, but they do not look bad on his face. "Nothing can look bad on THAT face," concludes Aman as he gets flustered at the thought. He isn't sure how he feels about Sarthak. They seldom interact at school. Whenever they do, it is usually Sarthak who initiates and he always calls him "Tripathee Jee". As a result whole school has started calling Aman that. Popular kids like Sarthak have that kind of power. Being referred to as "Tripathee Jee" makes him feel old and uncool. " Nobody, not even I, will ever call Sarthak "Khurran jee," thinks a smiling Aman.

They leave the city traffic behind. Aman stares at the way wind sweeps Sarthak's hair. The sky is a shade darker and the air is a touch cleaner and cooler. They take a turn to start on a worn out road that runs alongside Akbar's fort, and then turn onto a sandy kaccha Road that finally leads them to the sandy bank of Sangam.

They find a secluded spot where sonorous sound of bells being tolled at the nearby Hanuman temple, calls from mallahs beckoning tourists to go on boat rides, Screeches of hawkers selling Chaat, Pakoda, Samose, Churmura, Aloo dum etc. drown in the gusts of cool breeze that's rushing to them from the water body. There is barely any distinction between these sounds. They blend with the swishing of wind and form an ominous symphony that just hangs eerily in the background.

"It is peaceful here," says Aman awkwardly.

"So how did you like my new bike. Makkhan na?"

"Acchi hain. This red colour matches your skin tone. You look good on it."

"Hain?'

" I m..mean...this bike suits your personality," stutters Aman.

" Oh..Thanks, "smiles Sarthak and looks up in the air, "I can just hope Bhumi thinks it, too. I have been meaning to ask her out on a date for so long now. But ..tum jaantein ho ..her family is so conservative."

The Sky is blood red in the presence of the sun that is now slowly sinking below the horizon line. The river looks like someone has put its entire extent on fire. It is kind of dark now. These two men are laughing together over an anecdote when one suddenly leans over and rubs his finger behind the other man's ear and gently kisses him on lips.

The kiss lingers for a few second.

The other man suddenly breaks contact, pushes back, and then hits him in the face. He falls down.The other man kicks him to his heart's content and then leaves on his bike.

The one left behind is in pain. He is bleeding through his broken nose. He is scared. He feels so lonely. He takes his phone out and calls someone.

Devika's phone rings thrice before she answers.

"Hello, Kartik ..where are you ? Are you ok? ..hmm..You pinch your nose hard and don't move alright.. I'll be there in no time! "

She hangs up.

The sun is an orange ball hanging on the edge of the earth. Aman sees Rajni coming towards him on her bike, orange sun's reflectinons blazing on the goggles she is wearing. She looks like an angel to him. He has been crying.

" Tuh coaching Se Yaha kaise Pahuch Gaya..aur phir main hi milti hoon tujhe lift maangne ke liye? Jab man Kiya phone ganghana Diya. Number delete Kar mera," rambled Rajni.

"Sarthak got a new bike,"says Aman.

" Ayee ..Hot stuff Hain kya Yaha," She calls Sarthak Hot stuff while he calls her Goggle.

"Hot stuff date pe hain abhi with Bhumi.He wanted me to tag along so it doesn't feel like a date and madam Bhumi doesn't feel uncomfortable. He wanted me to be a third wheel. I said no."

"Ha ha ha," laughs Rajni, " don't worry he has broken many hearts before yours.Mine included. You will get over it"

" What do you mean "broken heart"..why would .."

"Whatever, Aman, " she speaks over him," chal peeche baith. let's go home," and kick-starts her bike to life again.

Meanwhile Kartik is staring at the burning waters of Yamuna river in Delhi. His broken nose has stopped bleeding but his shirt is soaked with blood through and through. An Activa Scooty stops behind him. He turns to find a concerned Devika with frozen packs and a first aid box.

" Baith isspe," she points toward Activa and Kartik follows her order. She starts attending to his wounds, " Kya zaroorat hain tujhe itna adventurous hone ki? pata toh Kar liya Kar acche se. Aur thoda apna horniness control main rakha Kar. India hain yeh.America Nahi," she rants mindlessly.

Kartik looks despondent. Devika holds his face in her hands, turns it to herself, and says," Cheer up, Kartik. I hate to see you like this."

"I am so alone Devika. Don't I deserve at least one happy ending?" He says and bursts into tears.

They both get on her Activa. Kartik's riding. They ride along the bank of the Yamuna River.

"The river Yamuna doesn't even look like a river anymore ," says Kartik.

" You should see it in Allahabad, Kartik. It is glorious there. It unites with the river Ganges there and forms the most revered place in the whole world," Says Devika as she grabs him from behind and rests her face on his back, " I'll take you there."

#jeetendra kumar #ayushmann khurrana #shubh mangal zyada saavdhan #smzs #smzs spoilers #karman #fanfic #fandom

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beneaththetangles · 4 years

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10 Year Retrospective, Month #5: Throwback to May 2014

As we celebrate our tenth anniversary on Beneath the Tangles, we want to take some time each month to look into the past, not only to commemorate our ten years, but also to see where we were and how far we’ve come as a site and collectively as anime fans. For most months this year, we’ll do that by looking back at a particular year and at the month corresponding to that year. For instance, we started this off by looking at January 2010. Today we throw back to May 2014.

TOP OF THE CHARTS: MAY 21, 2014

We’ll dive into anime a bit, but I want to us to look at what else was happening at this time in 2014. Here are the most popular songs, movies, and series on this day or during this week six years ago.

Top Selling Album: Frozen, Soundtrack Number One Song: “All of Me,” John Legend Top Movie: Godzilla ($93.2 mil) Most Watched TV Show: The Big Bang Theory

CURRENT EVENTS: MAY 2014

youtube

Here’s what was happening in the world eight years ago this month…

Demonstrations are held across the world for the recovery of 280 Nigerian girls kidnapped by Boko Haram.

More than 2,000 are killed in a mudslide in Afghanistan.

Fighting escalates and a presidential election is held in Ukraine.

Narendra Modi becomes the 15th prime minister of India.

“Gangnam Style” reaches 2 billion views on YouTube.

POPULAR ANIME in 2014

Six years. It seems that this might be the line of demarcation, the divide between “old anime” and “anime the younger generation still watches and appreciates.” At least that’s the sense I get from endless hours posting and looking through social media. Series that should have slid further into oblivion remain in vogue, like Monthly Girls Nozaki-kun, Ao Haru Ride, Noragami, Love, Chuunibyou, and Other Delusions, No Game No Life, and Parasyte. As I get older, it’s hard to really keep track of the differences between years, but I feel like it’s practically twice as likely that someone in their teens to early twenties will have seen one of these series than a random one from a year or two before.

The year also provided some of biggest hits of recent years, like Free (the last series that was an Internet sensation before it aired?), Seven Deadly Sins, Your Lie in April (recently covered by the TangleCast), Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, and Haikyuu!! (which by the way narrowly defeated Violet Evergarden in our Caitin Glass Review and Watch poll). Some of the most well-reviewed (or at least well-covered) shows of the year also included Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works, Yona of the Dawn, Terror in Resonance, and Shirobako (the next series our podcast is covering—a little info drop for those who are reading!). These series stand out so well to me because I was knee deep in Tumblr at the time, the so many fans were clamoring about them. It really made these series stand out, whether or not they truly deserved the attention.

WHAT WE WERE BLOGGING

At the end of our last article in this series, I hinted at how I would leave the blog. But although burnout was coming, I wasn’t there yet, and most probably because 2014 was a really good year for Beneath the Tangles, especially the first half. During that time, leading into the summer, Beneath the Tangles was exactly how I hoped it would be. I slowed down my output because our writers were doing so much. It really felt like a partnership, a group of about eight of us who were writing regularly, including Lynna who started to do some episodic posting; Kaze, whose pieces were always far different from anyone else’s; Goldy, who was so skilled with her words and knee deep in convention and Christian otaku life; Hansha, who covered a variety of series but espoused the grace that could be found especially in shoujo shows; Zeroe4, who became a Swiss army knife of sorts for the blog until he departed for greener pastures; Emma, who came on as our webmaster but also helped out with social media and writing, too; and Japes, whose Anime Today column was as a strong any we’ve ever had on the blog. Speaking of Japes, it was in 2015 that he started The Tangles podcast, which he would later retool as the TangleCast—unfortunately, those early recordings have become lost.

It’s strange for me to see what I wrote during that year. I’ve written so many posts now that I’ve forgotten, maybe, what a majority of them were about. It’s weird to see my spending so much time writing about series that I was meh about, like Golden Time or Nisekoi or Blue Spring Ride, the last of which I mused for almost every episode during season one. Looking back, doing episodic looks was a bad idea, one that helped speed along my burn out. In fact, browsing through those posts is like taking a mile high view at my blogging life. Ah…I see what was happening there! It’s too bad that I couldn’t or refused to take that kind of look at the time. Writing about each episode of Terror in Resonance was fun, but it was also challenging and, again, not the best idea.

Taking this viewpoint also helps me see how I was trying to spread my wings. An article I sold to Christianity Today was posted on our site that year. I haven’t revealed that name before, but I worked closely with one of their editors at the time who encouraged me greatly with an article that would be almost an introduction to anime for that site’s audiences. It was accepted, I was paid, and then I waited. When it wasn’t published, I checked back and found that my editor had left; the new one wasn’t as interested in anime and rejected the article. I proposed another one about Miyazaki, also rejected, and also later posted on this site. The weird timing on the first one was especially painful to me, as I thought that would help launch Beneath the Tangles to a higher plane among Christian readers. It was hard to absorb having gotten my work where I wanted it, and then seeing it fall away.

A lot of times, life can be see as these series of “what might have beens.” In retrospect, I wouldn’t have been ready for the attention that posting on Christianity Today might have brought, nor was I strong enough of a writer to continue to put out work equivalent to that I prepared for the magazine. God, after all, does seem to know best.

I hope enjoyed this look into the recent past, both on a bigger, societal level and at Beneath the Tangles. We’ll keep up this throughout 2020. Read the other posts in this yearlong series.

#Anime #20 20 in 2020 #10 Year Retrospective #2014 #Beneath the Tangles #Flashback Friday #Articles #Author: TWWK

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imagitory · 5 years

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D-Views: The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Bonjour, mes amies! Welcome, bienvenue, to another installment of D-Views, my written review series for films produced or inspired by the Walt Disney company! For more reviews for films like Enchanted, Star Wars Episode III, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, feel free to consult my “Disney reviews” tag, and please, if you enjoy this review or any of the others, please consider liking and reblogging! I look forward to writing more of these in the future for films like Wreck-It Ralph and Halloweentown, as well as Non-Disney films like Charlotte’s Web.

I recently put out a poll suggesting three Disney Renaissance films for possible review subjects, and although The Little Mermaid won that poll, this film ended up not far behind. (Thank you, @schifty-al and @mygeekcorner for your votes!) It’s one of my personal favorite Disney films of all time...The Hunchback of Notre Dame!

Victor Hugo’s classic novel Notre Dame du Paris, called The Hunchback of Notre Dame in English, seems like a very odd inspiration for a Disney animated family film, and that’s because...yeah, it is! When the Disney animators first brought Hunchback to the table, they were less inspired by the original Hugo novel glamorizing the architecture of Notre Dame cathedral, and more inspired by a graphic novel adaptation of the story, which was likewise much more influenced by the 1939 Hollywood film adaptation. Because of the historical context that 1939 adaptation was made in (premiering at Cannes during the rise of the Third Reich), themes of social justice were added to a story that originally was about how the “edifice” can outlast the flaws and sins of mankind. The “social justice” element is something that Hugo interestingly put more in his follow-up to Notre Dame du Paris, the epic brick book Les Miserables, but has since been similarly tied in the public consciousness to The Hunchback of Notre Dame, despite not existing in the original book.

The project was already an odd choice for Disney to take on thanks to the darkness of the book, but the political themes also were unique for a Disney picture as well. It clearly was a more “adult” endeavor, even though thanks to the success of previous projects like Aladdin and The Lion King, there were studio mandates demanding more comic relief, and even the marketing team was reluctant to advertise Hunchback as anything other than a family film. Rather than showing the artistry and darker scenes, the marketing almost entirely focused on the Feast of Fools and the gargoyles, highlighting the “Ugly Duckling” aspect added to the story and downplaying the more adult themes. In the end, it’s likely thanks to those poor marketing choices and the inconsistent tone of the picture that this movie failed to find its audience on first run. It only earned $21 million worldwide, compared to Pocahontas’s $29 million and The Little Mermaid’s $84 million, with mixed critical and audience reaction. Although it was nominated for an Academy Award for its music and won several others, it was noticeably less successful than other installments in the Disney Renaissance, and even now, Disney often doesn’t give Hunchback that much attention. Like Quasimodo, the film has been sort of locked up in its own tower...but now, today, I aim to bring The Hunchback of Notre Dame out of the shadows and give it the appreciation it deserves.

Our film begins in complete darkness, accompanied by resounding church bells and the amazing vocalizations of the English Opera Company, and from the very beginning, I’m just enveloped by the embrace of Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz’s unbelievable score. Choral music in general has always been something special in my family. My mum and dad were in choirs a lot of their lives: they even first met when they joined the San Diego Master Chorale in the 80′s. Choral music remains one of my mother’s greatest loves and passions, and when I saw Hunchback, it made the choral music my parents loved so much, which focused around a faith I hadn’t been raised with and didn’t believe in, that bit more accessible to me as a child. Mum, who studied Latin in college, went on to teach me about all of the chants and phrases Menken and Schwartz added to each song so that I could more appropriately sing along. It remains one of those Disney soundtracks that cemented our close bond, and I’ll always treasure being able to see the La Jolla Playhouse production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame with my mum and getting to hear the amazing choir and instruments live.

The Bells of Notre Dame, as an opening number, cannot be matched in how it introduces us all to the story, characters, themes, and tone of the piece. In just a few minutes, the music and lyrics perfectly showcases our setting, the theme of what makes a man, the atmosphere of fear and injustice, our villain, and our hero. Menken and Schwartz previously worked together on Pocahontas, but Hunchback in my opinion easily outstrips their previous collaboration. The use of church bells of all sizes to convey the solemnity, mystery, and grandeur of the cathedral at the center of the proceedings, and the clever use of Latin phrases -- it’s just unbelievable! As one example, in the sequence where Frollo (a judge in this version, as opposed to the Archdeacon) chases Quasimodo’s mother up to the stairs of Notre Dame and she pounds on the door, crying for help, the choir sings “Quantus tremor est futurus quando Judex est venturus,” which means, “What trembling is to be when the Judge comes.” And sure enough, the line comes to a horrible, horrified halt when Judge Frollo snatches the woman’s child away and throws her to the ground.

After one of the most epic musical introductions in a Disney film, we meet our sweet, gentle hero, Quasimodo, voiced by Tom Hulce, who is just such a ray of sunshine. Although I loved hearing Michael Arden as Quasimodo on stage, Tom Hulce will always be my Quasimodo. When I was a teenager, I went through a horrible “hating the world” phase where I only ever saw pain and suffering and felt not only powerless to make anything better, but worthless as well. During that time, I turned my back on a lot of the things that had brought me joy, feeling almost unable to enjoy them anymore. One of the very few exceptions, however, was this movie and especially the character of Quasimodo. When I was at my darkest points, Quasimodo never failed to bring me some light, not because he was particularly funny, but because for all of the misery in his circumstances, he never faltered in being gentle, creative, and kind. Looking back on how I’d been, I wish I’d had just a shred of Quasimodo’s grace back then. I wish I hadn’t allowed myself to fall into despair and resentment. Since I can’t go back, however, I keep Quasimodo in my mind sometimes whenever I’m going through something difficult. He’s kind of become a guardian angel of sorts to me, reminding me that my life is a precious gift and I shouldn’t take anything for granted. And really, I couldn’t do that if not for Tom Hulce and Quasimodo’s supervising animator, James Baxter. I truly am grateful to both of them for giving me a character that even now can be a symbol of everything I wish I could be.

Unfortunately along with Quasimodo, we also meet the gargoyles, Hugo, Victor, and Laverne. As a kid, I actually liked the gargoyles all right, but as an adult...yeah, they really break the mood. Badly. The worst offender is easily Hugo, which is a shame because I like Jason Alexander as a performer, but he just goes way too over-the-top-obnoxious. It would admittedly not be as bad if it were clear that the gargoyles were all in Quasimodo’s head, but Djali sees Hugo come to life at one point and they later help Quasimodo fight off the guards. I greatly prefer the way the gargoyles are handled in the stage production, where all of the saintly statues have their own voices that nonetheless reflect what Quasimodo is thinking and when Quasimodo hits his lowest point before Esmeralda’s execution, he forcefully banishes them out of his head.

Even though the comic relief is handled poorly, I certainly cannot say the same for the villain. Judge Claude Frollo is easily one of the most evil villains in Disney history. Tony Jay’s vocal performance is just chillingly resonant, commanding your attention and making you subconsciously shrink in on yourself whenever he speaks. It makes for a despicable, cold, cruel man -- the antithesis of a father, the true embodiment of a monster. Frollo is often compared to Mother Gothel from Tangled in how they both lie to, control, and emotionally abuse their charges (Quasimodo and Rapunzel, respectively), but I personally find Frollo so much worse than Gothel, because he not only cuts Quasimodo off from everyone, but he indoctrinates a gentle, kind soul like Quasimodo in his racism and intolerance against those different from him -- including Quasimodo’s own people, the Romani. Mother Gothel hoards Rapunzel away like a dragon hoarding treasure -- Frollo treats Quasimodo like a burden, beating into him that no one else would want him and that Frollo was such a “good man” to take him in. It’s just vile.

And now we come to my single favorite Disney song of all time -- Quasimodo’s aria, Out There. From the time I was little, this song spoke to me like few others did. Growing up, I was an only child with a huge imagination surrounded almost entirely by adults and who had a lot of difficulty relating to kids my age. I often liked being on my own, but it didn’t change how I often felt different and detached from the people around me, and as I got older, that feeling only increased. I moved a lot in my childhood, making it difficult for me to plant roots, and I rarely followed trends or popular norms, so I constantly stayed in the fringes of the crowd, enviously looking on at those who could fit in more easily than I could. I always tried to hide my insecurities, but they were still there, and when those insecurities took hold, I would often imagine the world being a place where I could be myself, just like Quasi does. Quasimodo’s longing to be “part of them” and lamentation of people being “heedless of the gift it is to be them” has always resonated with me, and even though it’s hard for me to sing Out There without shifting octaves, my heart swells every time I hear it.

The Captain of the Guard, Phoebus, is easily the biggest liberty that Hunchback adaptations have made with the original novel. The book version of Phoebus was more like Gaston from Beauty and the Beast than how he’s portrayed here, but I frankly have no complaints. Kevin Kline is wonderfully dry and witty in the role -- he’s more than a match for Esmeralda, being brave, noble, and sarcastic with seemingly no prejudice for those different from him. And then yeah, as for Esmeralda herself...as Phoebus says later, “what a woman!” Esmeralda was one of my very favorite Disney heroines as a kid, and she still is. The character of Esmeralda is often rather saint-like in her incarnations, but here we see both the “angelic” and “demonic” sides of her -- she’s fiery, but kind; rebellious, yet noble; anti-authority, but patient; distrustful, yet loyal. In the musical adaptation, when Esmeralda is first revealed, we hear Frollo, Phoebus, and Quasimodo sing this about her --

Frollo: She dances like the Devil!

Phoebus: She dances like an angel --

Quasimodo: An angel!

Phoebus: -- but with such fire!

Frollo: Such fire!

All Three: Who is she?

This is Esmeralda’s characterization and her relationship to the three male main characters in a nutshell. Quasimodo only sees the best of Esmeralda; Frollo only sees the worst of her; and Phoebus sees her for everything she is...as a person. And this is why she ultimately chooses Phoebus, unlike in the book where she solely chooses Phoebus because of his looks.

When we reach the Palace of Justice, I’m reminded that I have yet to accent how absolutely stunning every single background is in this movie. Yes, the animation overall is wonderful, whether in the character animation or otherwise, but there are few Disney films that have more atmospheric and beautiful backgrounds than this. It serves to give the movie such a wonderful depth and makes the setting feel that much richer and deeper. Admittedly one weaker aspect of the animation is the now-slightly-outdated CG background characters. They were made by taking a handful of templates and then mixing up their clothes and colors, so as to multiply them ad infinitum and make the crowds of Paris look bigger and more colorful. Even with that, though, you do sort of have to look carefully at the background crowds to notice, as there are lots of hand-drawn characters sprinkled in in front of those CG models that help obscure their repetition and awkwardness. Those CG crowds also make the city of Paris look appropriately overcrowded and huge, so I’m glad that they used the technology even if it was still so in-progress at the time.

Even though Topsy Turvy starts off so fun and festive, however, it soon devolves into a terrible riot where Quasimodo is bound and tormented by the crowd. I admit, the transition is a little abrupt, but it still works for me, as people can be so easily swept away by mob mentality and those in power -- namely, Frollo’s guards -- sometimes flaunt their authority by putting down others. Fortunately Esmeralda is there to save Quasimodo and give Frollo a much-deserved verbal smackdown. The following scene, though, is another example of the mismatched tone, stretching out Esmeralda’s escape with a lot of comic “hijinks” that don’t really add anything to the film and kind of serve as a big time waster, especially after it abruptly cuts off and turns much more solemn and sad as Frollo silently confronts Quasimodo and Quasi returns to Notre Dame in shame.

Hunchback’s focus on religion is, in my opinion, one of the things that made producing an adaptation of Hugo’s novel such a bold decision. I’m not a religious person at all (Agnostic and proud), but it was still really meaningful to me to see both the good and bad associated with religion, represented by the Archdeacon and Frollo respectively. Frollo, along with Pharaoh Seti from The Prince of Egypt, taught me as a kid that evil is not always self-aware and, more importantly, how much more dangerous evil is when it garbs itself in godliness and righteousness. That’s a valuable lesson, regardless of your religious faith. God Help the Outcasts may invoke God’s name, but it could just as easily be a prayer to the world, or even just to you as an individual. The Christian faith preaches that we are made in God’s image...so when Esmeralda asks God to help her people, maybe she’s in truth asking you to try to be the loving God they need.

Something unique about Hunchback is the wonderful friendship that develops between Esmeralda and Quasimodo. From the time I was very little, I made friends with both boys and girls, so it was so wonderfully refreshing to see a story where a girl and a boy became such close friends and supported each other so much. Yes, admittedly, Quasimodo is romantically interested in Esmeralda, but when he sees how much she loves Phoebus, he both accepts their relationship and treasures Esmeralda’s friendship all the same. He doesn’t wallow in bitterness upon Esmeralda not choosing him; he loves her all the same as the first real friend he’s ever had. Esmeralda truly loves Quasimodo and treasures their friendship too -- her choosing Phoebus romantically is never framed as her teasing Quasimodo or leading him on; she simply loves Phoebus and Quasimodo in different ways. And that I find so unbelievably cool. I also like that in Esmeralda’s and Quasimodo’s conversation on the roof, there are some strains of the deleted song Someday in the instrumental accompanying the scene -- you can hear a R&B variation of Someday in the film’s credits, but originally it was meant to replace the more religious God Help the Outcasts, only for God Help the Outcasts to be chosen over it. I agree with the filmmakers’ decision, but I still like Someday too. Quasimodo’s helping Esmeralda and Djali escape Notre Dame by climbing down the towers also beautifully foreshadows Quasimodo’s dexterity in climbing down to save Esmeralda at the end of the film.

Quasimodo and Frollo are both enthralled with Esmeralda, but as mentioned previously, they each only see the angelic and demonic sides of her, which is best encapsulated by the dual numbers Heaven’s Light and Hellfire. Heaven’s Light is appropriately sweet and pure, but I can’t beat around the bush here: Hellfire steals the show, not just from Heaven’s Light but from all other villain songs in Disney history. The song starts with a choral chant praying for forgiveness, which then segways into Frollo’s demented, mad raving about his lust, fear, and hatred for Esmeralda. The words are almost terrifying in their level of conviction and paranoia, which then devolves into vindictive, destructive mania, framed by the mournful echoes for “mercy” from the choir.

Right after Hellfire, we get one of my favorite instrumentals on the soundtrack called Paris Burning. The choir’s bustling, dramatic cries trimmed by the tense strings and horns of the orchestra just evokes fear and horror as Frollo terrorizes Paris. Then Phoebus finally takes a stand, refusing to set fire to the miller’s house and then, after Frollo does it himself, leaping in to save the family from the flames. In the musical, this whole sequence is accompanied by the amazing musical number Esmeralda (which honestly, every fan of this movie should listen to, it’s really worth it), but the film handles it unbelievably well with only a short scene and an instrumental that sears the final “Kyrie Eleison” into the audience’s ears like a fire brand.

Sadly, after this amazing, epic sequence, we once again are subjected to tonal whiplash when we return to the bell tower and the gargoyles decide to sing Quasimodo a song to cheer him up. Although I maintain Hunchback has one of the best soundtracks ever recorded, what stops it from being flawless is this song. A Guy Like You is not an inherently bad song on its own, but when combined with the rest of the soundtrack, its melody, tone, and out-of-place pop cultural references are just ridiculously jarring. It’s like we’ve been transported into a completely different movie, one less inspired by a classic French novel and a critically acclaimed film about social justice and one more inspired by Disney hits of the day like Aladdin and later projects like Hercules. As sad as it is, it’s kind of a relief when it’s over and we’re brought back down to earth by Esmeralda carrying a close-to-death Phoebus into Quasimodo’s tower.

Frollo’s arrival after Quasimodo agrees to hide Phoebus is excellent in its suspense. We can sense Frollo’s suspicion, and all the while, we’re so worried for Phoebus hiding under the very table he and Quasimodo are sitting at. Then Frollo, who we’ve only ever seen as cold, conniving, and controlled, bursts into a rage the kind of which we’ve never seen before, and for a second, he’s a demon himself. After his rage is spent, he sets his cruelest, most terrible trap yet: using Quasimodo’s feelings for Esmeralda so that he can capture her and the rest of the Romani. And at first, Quasimodo almost doesn’t take the bait, thanks to a short-lived pang of self-pity. At first he’s bitter about his heart being broken and considers not helping Esmeralda, as there’d seemingly be no “reward” in him doing so...but the feeling is quelled in seconds by the memory of Esmeralda and how much her friendship means to him. Quasimodo’s selflessness and goodness wins out in its struggle with his more selfish instincts...and this, in the end, is what makes Quasimodo a hero in my eyes.

All right, I guess with our entrance into the Court of Miracles, I should address the elephant in the room. I’ve called Esmeralda’s people “the Romani” in this review, but throughout the entire film, the term is substituted for the admittedly-period-appropriate slur “Gypsy.” I knew nothing about the Romani culture when I first saw this film and I profess no intimate knowledge of it now, but even with that, I have to acknowledge that this movie doesn’t always showcase the Romani in the best light. Although Quasimodo’s parents, Esmeralda, and (to a degree) Clopin are given relative sympathy, the sequence in the Court of Miracles doesn’t do much to endear them to the audience. These victims of persecution are not really given the focus they deserve: we never learn much about their culture or about why they’re persecuted, and we don’t really get to see how they live their lives as ordinary people. To someone who doesn’t know anything about the Romani, I don’t think this film would be the best introduction to their culture and heritage.

Our climax is accompanied by the best instrumental track in the film, Sanctuary! Whenever I hear this piece, I have to stay completely silent, drinking in every single line and note, so as to properly absorb its brilliance. The track has accompanied a lot of my writing in the past: it’s always helped me when I was writing a powerful, emotional climax, whether through the emotion it wrought from me or just from wanting to write a new scene to the music. This entire sequence, from a musical, writing, animation, and character point of view, is I think what made Disney decide to make this film in the first place. The pacing -- the character animation of Quasimodo tearing down the pillars -- the drawn backgrounds of Notre Dame -- the camera whirling over the never-ending crowd’s heads and up onto the cathedral as Quasimodo hoists Esmeralda over his head -- this is the heart of why the movie was made and what the entire film was building up to. This resistance against injustice and the protection of our sacred, historical institutions from hatred and cruelty is what Hunchback is and should be all about. Occasionally this battle scene is inter-spliced with comic bits that once again aren’t really necessary and kind of stick out (Laverne’s Wizard of Oz reference and Hugo’s impression of a fighter plane in particular are out of place), but it doesn’t ruin anything for me. Fortunately as the climax grows darker with the arrival of Frollo and the transition from Sanctuary! into And He Shall Smite the Wicked, the gargoyles take a backseat, and we get focus where we should’ve always had it: on Quasimodo, Esmeralda, and Frollo. Thanks to his love for his friend Esmeralda and the realization of his own self-worth, Quasimodo finally stands up to Frollo and breaks free of his poisonous influence once and for all. This line of Quasi’s has always stuck with me --

“All my life you’ve taught me the world is a dark, cruel place...but now I see the only thing dark and cruel about it is people like you!”

Even now this line is just so powerful. There was a point where all I saw of the world was its cruelties and injustices...but like Quasimodo, I’ve come to see that those cruelties are not inherent to the world or even to mankind as a whole. Humans are capable of both great evil and great good, but as long as the evil people of the world are allowed to seize control and exert their toxic influence over everyone else, the world and mankind overall will never become better. Like Quasimodo, we must stand against those who’ve embraced cruelty and hatred over acceptance and love. We must protect the brighter parts of the world that evil so wishes to snuff out. It’s a moral I think has only become more relevant and important over time.

Unlike in the book and musical, Esmeralda survives, and as much as I’ve heard people try to argue Esmeralda living is not true to the spirit of the original novel, I think it really suits the story being told and really feels just for both characters. Quasimodo deserved happiness; Esmeralda deserved happiness; and most importantly, this all the more highlights how different Quasimodo is from Frollo. Frollo says to Esmeralda, “Choose me or the fire” -- basically, if he can’t have her, he doesn’t want anyone else to...but Quasimodo doesn’t think that way. He cherishes Esmeralda and her friendship without any caveats or conditions: therefore him losing Esmeralda, whether to Phoebus or to death, doesn’t prompt him to commit suicide like he did in the novel. It’s not only a more uplifting ending, but I think a lesson in the selflessness of love, even if it’s just platonic love. And because Esmeralda loves Quasimodo just as much as a friend, she leads him out into the sun, where he finds even more of the love he deserves from the city he wished so much to belong in. Quasimodo doesn’t get the girl, but that was never what he wanted in the first place: it was merely to be accepted as he was.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame was one of the most formative films of my childhood, right up there with Beauty and the Beast, The Prince of Egypt, and Anastasia, and it remains my second favorite Disney animated film of all time. With time, I’ve seen more and more of its flaws, but those flaws don’t ruin what in the end is one of the most daring, revolutionary projects Disney Animation has ever tackled. Its artistry, from the backgrounds to the character animation, is exceptional; all of its major human characters are multi-faceted, complex, and real; its themes are eternally relevant and powerful; and its score and nearly all of its songs are just through the stratosphere in their quality. Hunchback, along with Beauty and the Beast, made me fall in love with France from afar as a child, a love affair that has only become more and more intense through the years, and Quasimodo and Esmeralda even now are so close to my heart. I wish so much to be as kind and gentle as Quasimodo and as brave and noble as Esmeralda, and I can only hope that at some point, if I ever visit Disneyland Paris, I might finally meet them. The Hunchback of Notre Dame may not have gotten the appreciation it deserved when it first came to theaters, but I’ll always be happy to hear Disney fans remembering it as fondly as I do. Who knows? Maybe someday, the world will be wiser and will give this film its time in the sun at long last.

#d-views #disney reviews #the hunchback of notre dame #disney #opinion #analysis #reviews #oh boy here i go

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mahreemari · 5 years

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mari’s collection of perfectly safe 2nu goodness

collection of safe 2nu fics i filtered through both ffn and ao3 to find. will be a total of four to five separate postings. first will be completed works on ffn, ao3, and then the incomplete works in the same posting order.

if i made a mistake, please notify me asap so i can fix the list, i tried my best but i’m just one person and something might slip my eye by accident. at the same time, if there is a fic that i missed, please let me know so i can add it! as well as new publications. suggestions to improve the list are appreciated.

noodle must be 19/20 minimal during the romance period in order for the fic to be included. any underage is prohibited.

here are all the completed works from ffn:

Rated K/K+:

Behind the Mask – Rated K+ – After a four-year absence, Noodle has finally returned but what is she hiding behind the mask she wears? 2DxNoodle

Black Eyes, Blue Hair – Rated K+ – Noodle's view on her blue haired bandmate. Rated K

Blue Haired, Green Eyed Freak – Rated K+ – Murdoc may have gone too far. He has made a clone, named Natalie, using 2D and Noodle's DNA, and it's convinced it's their daughter. 2DxNoodle pairing. Be gentle, my first Gorillaz fic. Please read! COMPLETE.

Early Conversations – Rated K – Just a short story that came from I and Cooliochick5 RP. Noodle is six months pregnant and wakes up finding 2D talking to their unborn child. Pure fluffiness!

English Rose – Rated K – "You know very early on where you belong and who you're meant to be with, 'D. That's not something that can ever change. Those people and places will always come back." 2nu.

Far, Far Away – Rated K+ – For a while, both 2D and Noodle have been sad, have been in pain...but finally, after being reunited on Plastic Beach, Noodle confesses to 2D what she's been thinking about for a long, long time...

Nightmare – Rated K+ – Noodle's had another nightmare. And this time, she's made herself bleed. A bit of a 2DxNoodle, but more brother/sister. First 2Nu fic! Noodle's POV

The Steadfast Black-eyed Soldier – Rated K – Some sort of the re-telling of the 1976s cartoon "The Steadfast Tin Soldier", but with "Gorillaz" characters on the roles.

unconventional – Rated K+ – For a couple years and a half, they lived in Honeymoon Avenue until Noodle had to leave again. Almost five years later, she's close to accomplish her mission and more than ready to go home. / An "end of phase 4" family reunion.

You Are My Medicine – Rated K – 2D always needed his pills to take care of his migraines. But someone can also take the migraines away from him too.

Your the Best Present – Rated K – It's 2D's birthday! And of course 2D forgets that it is his birthday. But Noodle is also sad about something. Sorry, summary sucks.

Rated T:

A Midsummer's Wedding – Rated T – Noodle is getting married... but not to 2D. And he's not taking it very well, poor guy.

A Step Too Far – Rated T – Noodle catches the end of an argument between 2D and Murdoc. One that ends with 2D punching Murdoc and in trying to figure out what happened she learns of Paula. Confronting 2D about it seems like the only way to get answers even if they lead to an unexpected ending.

Bleeding Out – Rated T – "FACEACHE! Faceache, holy shit!" Murdoc yelled, pulling him from his bunker to the lift. "What? What's going on?" 2D squeaked, following the bassist. "It's- It's Noodle! Somethin' ain't right with her!" (2nu-centric, but not actually 2nu.)

Blimey, You're TwentyOne Already! – Rated T – It's Noodle's birthday and she has a special request. What on earth is 2D going to do?

En Route to the Vending Machine – Rated T – En Route to the Vending Machine that I'm Pretty Sure Doesn't Even Exist. Yep. That's all.

Fisticuffs And Frozen Peas – Rated T – Murdoc Niccals has the innate ability to get on the wrong side of everyone. Picking a fight is just the way he communicates. But picking a fight with Noodle? that's a different story. Contains some 2DxNoodle fluff, Oneshot. R&R xX

Gravity – Rated T – Oneshot. 6 years have passed since the release of Plastic Beach and the band reunited. Everything is going great and the Gorillaz are enjoying being together again as they prepare to release their new album. But what happens when 2D finds a letter to him inviting him to Paula's funeral? What will he find when he gets there? And more importantly, what had Paula been hiding from him?

I Promise – Rated T – It wasn't until 2D's head began to feel extremely light, and his eyes rolled back until he realized what he was doing, but there was no turning back now. Warning: Suicide Attempt and Aftermath

Just Say The Words – Rated T – 2D has a special surprise planned for his beloved Noodle and something to ask her. But it seems that he just can't find the time or place to tell her.

Louder Than Words – Rated T – '...They both felt safe and happy with each other...But now she was feeling an old worry tug at her mind's corners again…' The small trials and triumphs of a new relationship. 2DxNoodle. One shot, rated due to mild fluff.

May 23, 2011 – Rated T – Her presence in this stoic world he'd created sent him into an emotional spiral that brought about the worst of his migraines. The emotional detachment he'd grown fond of now mocked him, & he was forced to hold his tongue because it was too hard to speak.

May 23rd – Rated T – It's 2-D's birthday, but no one remembers, well, almost no one.

Melancholy Hill No More – Rated T – Noodle had always been good at finding 2D's secret spots... 2DxNoodle

Memories and Chocolate Pudding – Rated T – A short story I wrote as a request from a friend. She wanted a cute story that had to do with Phase 1 Noodle and 2D, something brother and sister like. Of course I added my own 2DxNoodle touch in the end. 10 years later of course. ; Enjoy.

No Rain – Rated T – If Noodle stays with him, then he's really gonna have it made! 2DxNoodle Song Fic.

Nursing a Flu – Rated T – 2D is sick, but he has a certain guitarist to take care of him.

Plastic Beach: Phase Three – Rated T – A 22 page story we had to type for my English class. It could be about anything we wanted so I chose this. 2DxNoodle.

Something's Up at the Spirit House – Rated T – Something is very wrong with the Gorillaz new home, and it's driving 2D mad. Will he and his bandmates be able to handle the mysterious forces at work at Saturnz Barz? A story to tie together the music videos and events of phase 4. Will be a little silly, a little eerie, and contain a dash of 2/nu.

The Meaning Of - Salt Skin Drafts – Rated T - A series of one-shots revolving around 2D and Noodle and the growth of their relationship between phases 2 and 3. Would-be continuations to my discontinued story Salt Skin. Friendship/Eventual Pairing.

Ups and Downs – Rated T – Noodle and 2-D both have strong feelings for eachother, but can there relationship take the challenges life throws at them? 2-DxNoodle COMPLETE!.

When You’re Close to Me – Rated T – Noodle has returned home to her boys, and is ready to face the feelings she'd had while away.

Rated M:

A Look I Used To Know – Rated M – He bit his lip as his eyes returned to her, studying her unsure movements while she tried to ignore his presence as he watched her. He felt his heart ache as she stood to her feet, the dejection in her body unclear to most was a scream in Stuart's ears...

A Simple Understanding – Rated M – Their grief was eating away at them, but all it took to save them was a simple understanding of feelings. 2DXN

Another Story – Rated M – This is not based in kong nor plastic beach. In fact this is just based between 2D and Noodle. Russel and Murdoc are mentioned but not by name. Please read and review!

Awake – Rated M – After a night out, 2-D awakes with a familiar face next to him, and very little memory of what happened the night before. A 2Nu fic. Rated M for strong language and sexual content.

Confessions – Rated M – 2D wiggled his eyebrows, a smirk threatening to break out. "Yeh think yeh better than meh?" Noodle scoffed. "Of course I am, 2D, I could beat you at any game you throw at me." She tried to ignore the fact that he had edged much closer that he was previously sitting. "Well," 2D breathed. Noodle swore she could feel his breath tickling her face. "Wah 'bout this one?" STRONG LANGUAGE

Just Passing Through – Rated M – A reunion between two band members after four years apart. 2DxNoodle. Rated M

Plastic Beach Romancing – Rated M – 1st fanfic ever! Yay. Everyone from the Gorillaz. So Noodle makes it to Plastic Beach and finds 2D just before he overdoses. I'd love to get comments please. Noodlex2D! 3

Reuniting – Rated M – To make matters worse, somehow, some way without Noodle's consent or knowledge, the three men had thought it would be amazing to vacation in the middle of the woods, in the middle of nowhere, while staying in a log cabin of all things. This is a gift fic for WreckTangle. Rated M for sex...you've been warned. 2DxNoodle. O.o

She's My Collar – Rated M – Noodle and 2D have a secret that they feel has been kept long enough. They want to figure out a way to tell the others and come up with something rather creative. When Russel and Murdoc hear the lyrics to "She's my Collar" for the first time what will their reaction be? Can 2D and Noodle defend themselves or will their secret affair become just a memory? Rated M.

That One Day – Rated M – This fan fic has the song "Girl Gone Wild" in it by Madonna because it fits the plot lol. There is also an outside character by the name of Marcus that is mentioned. Rated M for lots of sexual scenes lol. Enjoy!

The Rube Goldberg Effect – Rated M – Poll winner! 2D has fallen asleep on Plastic Beach. His back now lobster red, he's in desperate need of relief. A hot summer day, a sunbite, a bottle of Aloe, and a bathing suit covered body. So what's Noodle have to do with this?... Aloe can be fun, too

#gorillaz #2d gorillaz #noodle gorillaz #2nu #2nu athenaeum #fanfiction

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yearsblog · 6 years

Link

“I’m glad you noticed!” says Olly Alexander with one of his impish smiles. “I’ve come a long way since then.” We’re talking about the difference between the first time I saw him sing with his band, Years & Years, and the strutting peacock that he has since become. In 2015, fresh from winning the BBC Sound Of . . . poll, Alexander had a mean falsetto and a clutch of killer synth-pop ditties (Shine, King), but he cut a diffident figure during his show at the Heaven nightclub, dressed down in a T-shirt and beanie.

The second time I saw him, a year later, he was rising on a hydraulic lift through the stage of a rapturous Wembley Arena, wearing a red tunic with silver shoulder pads, and garlanded with laser beams. Alexander’s ascent to serious, tabloid-baiting stardom continues. Years & Years have a dazzling album out this week and days before we meet he was on Graham Norton’s sofa, regaling Cate Blanchett and Sandra Bullock with the story of how Meteorite, the song he wrote for Bridget Jones’s Baby, was about “a big dick”. Diffident no longer.

“Looking back, it’s quite overwhelming,” says Alexander, 27, as he lunches on quinoa in a restaurant in King’s Cross, north London. He is slight and conspiratorial, with tiny safety pins through his ears, a ring through his nose and his cropped hair dyed scarlet. “At first you really don’t know what support from an audience is going to feel like. But when people started showing their support for me being honest and being a camp, gay frontman — I just never really expected it and it added so much fuel to my fire.”

Among the things he has eloquently spoken out on are LGBTQ rights (he presented a BBC Three documentary called Growing Up Gay), mental health (he extols the virtues of therapy, which he started pre-emptively, before he became famous) and bullying (at school in Gloucestershire he was regularly “bushed”: thrown into the bushes next to the assembly hall). He is far more vocal than he was at the start of his music career, when an industry person advised him not to talk about being gay. “She was, like, ‘Why do people need to know your sexuality?’ She wanted to protect me.”

Well, it turned out that he didn’t need protection, he needed confidence. That came with experience and a changing musical landscape in which artists as diverse as Janelle Monáe, Christine and the Queens, Frank Ocean and Perfume Genius felt able to be candid about their sexuality. “It’s quite astonishing,” Alexander says. “We’re seeing a lot more visible queer artists and visible gay people.”

Pop has been missing male stars with strong views, especially those with a sense of theatre; it’s all uber-polite George Ezra or anti-glamorous Ed Sheeran. “It has its place, having someone who’s not dressed up,” Alexander says, trying to be diplomatic. “But the thing I love most about pop music is the fantasy, the escapism. I had this moment when I realised I’m in the best place to engineer that for myself. I realised you could go as far as you want on stage.”

A few weeks ago at Radio 1’s Biggest Weekend in Swansea he wore a lime-green Freddie Mercury leotard and led an onstage conga of his dancers, who seemed to be styled as drugged-up zombies. It felt like a long way from Mike Read and Bruno Brookes. “There was a point where I realised if you embody supreme confidence, you can get away with anything,” Alexander says. “It is quite a religious experience for me, to be on stage.”

Religion is a bit of a theme for Years & Years, whose other members are the keyboard player Emre Türkmen and the bassist Mikey Goldsworthy. Their first album was called Communion and their new one is entitled Palo Santo, after a mystical South American tree burnt as incense. Its literal translation, “holy wood”, joins the dots between spiritualism and smut (“It’s a Carry On album!” Alexander says with a giggle). So too does the recent single, Sanctify, partly inspired by a relationship with a straight-acting man, which refers to two very different things that one can do on one’s knees. “See?” Alexander says, turning to his publicist, who is sitting near by. “Ed gets it!”

He has always been into spiritualism and the occult, he says, albeit in a slightly sceptical way. “The first place I ever had a job was in this shop called Moonstones — it sold gemstones, pagan spellbooks and chocolate dildos.” He grew up loving fairytales and fantasy fiction: Lord of the Rings, The Magic Faraway Tree, Harry Potter. You can see why he might have wanted to escape to other worlds, such was the rotten time he sometimes had at school, where he was mocked and sometimes “bushed” for wearing eyeliner, nail varnish and choker necklaces.

Has being a posterboy for LGBTQ and anti-bullying issues become a burden? He gets Instagram messages from fans every day. “It doesn’t feel like a burden. I think it would be more of a burden to not acknowledge any of that. But I’ve had to learn the ways to cope with my own mental health along the way, and I feel like I’m in a good position now, but if you’re having a bad day and you’re suddenly having to talk about things that you experienced when you were 13 years old, it can feel a bit challenging.”

He’s talking about the break-up of his mother, who ran community craft groups, from his father, who worked at amusement parks, but, tellingly, dreamt of being a musician. After the split Alexander moved to Gloucestershire with his mother and brother; his father has only been in contact sporadically. Alexander has sometimes shied away from the subject because “I was trying to protect him, and I was, like, ‘Why am I still trying to protect someone who hasn’t been in my life for over a decade and who’s actually very difficult and caused a lot of pain to my family?’ ”

They hadn’t been in touch for seven years when his father broke the silence in wincing fashion, by tweeting him. Matters got worse when Alexander’s fans started replying to his dad, even trolling him. It sounds horrific. He has seen him once since then, last year. “It was quite triggering,” he says. “I just couldn’t deal with it at the time, it was too overwhelming.”

Social media can be a perilous place for him, especially deciding what to keep private. “I’ve always been fairly ‘Here’s everything!’ ” He’s also prone to “stalking someone that I fancy, and then getting upset because they like so-and-so’s picture and not mine”.

Yet the lure of Instagram can be irresistible. Take his appearance on The Graham Norton Show, when he met Rihanna, one of his heroes, and posted a picture of them backstage, in which he wears an expression of volcanic ecstasy. He was more nervous about meeting Ri-Ri than he was about singing on the show, he says, but she was lovely. “She was, like, ‘My fans love you.’ I feel like we’re destined to be friends.”

Or, perhaps, rivals. Palo Santo, with its mega-hooks, shimmering melodies and sumptuous production, is an album built to take on the superstar Americans at their own game. It was inspired by the R&B and pop that Alexander grew up on: Timberland, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and, before them, Prince and Michael Jackson.

He’s a better fit for music than he was for his first, slightly accidental career as an actor. “It just feels like people can express their identity easier as artists in the music industry.” Still, acting was where he initially made his mark, straight out of school, first in the film Summerhill and later playing a Bullingdon-style posho in The Riot Club, Herbert Pocket in David Nicholls’s TV adaptation of Great Expectations, and a stage role in Michael Grandage’s Peter and Alice, during which he befriended Judi Dench.

He was quite intimidated, but Dench turned out to be “very cheeky. One day she brought in biscuits that had dicks and balls on them; she was, like, ‘Do you want a cock biscuit?’ ” She has since narrated a short film to accompany Years & Years’s new album.

Acting has some happy associations for him, then, but “Hollywood is the worst culprit” when it comes to diversity, he says. “It’s just so far behind the times, it’s disgusting.” He even felt a subtle pressure not to reveal his sexuality on God Help the Girl, a low-budget British indie film directed by Stuart Murdoch of the band Belle & Sebastian, in which Alexander played a straight musician.

“It gave me a lot of anxiety. It was one of the reasons I wanted to stop acting. I definitely felt at the time it was something you had to be quiet about, because otherwise directors wouldn’t believe you could pull off the part.” That was nothing to do with Murdoch, he stresses. “I got on with Stuart really well, and I felt guilty because I never told him I was gay. I kind of tried to play up to the fact that I could actually be straight still, based on lies, even though everyone else knew I was gay.” During the shoot he met a man in a club. “After filming every day I’d just go straight to his house and spend the night with him. You just feel like you’re living a bit of a double life.”

I tell him my editor will tell me off if I don’t ask about his romantic status. “I’m single,” he replies with a smile. “Let everyone know, including your editor! Is he gay? It’s a she? Maybe she has gay friends. Yeah, I am happily single. It’s been like . . . almost two years. Not that I’ve been a nun in that time, I would like to stress.” Celebrity is double-sided in that regard: adulation on one hand, lack of anonymity on the other. “It obviously has positives,” he says with a smile, “but my sex life’s taken quite a beating.”

Don’t buy the mock self-pity — Alexander is doing just fine. There’s the stellar album and an arena tour in the autumn. Nor have his experiences put him off acting. “I feel like I could do something really, really fun and weird, like play an alien,” he says. “Or, you know, a goblin king!” From dressed-down diffidence to a budding Bowie in three years: he really has come a long way.

Palo Santo is released tomorrow on Polydor. Years & Years play the Roundhouse, London, July 10; Manchester Arena, July 14 and tour the UK from November

#olly alexander #article #the times #interview

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ollyarchive · 6 years

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Years & Years’s Olly Alexander: ‘Celebrity has positives, but my sex life’s taken quite a beating’

Olly Alexander is Britain’s most exciting new pop star, but the Years & Years singer has also become a poster boy for social change

Ed Potton

July 5 2018, 12:01am, The Times

“I’m glad you noticed!” says Olly Alexander with one of his impish smiles. “I’ve come a long way since then.” We’re talking about the difference between the first time I saw him sing with his band, Years & Years, and the strutting peacock that he has since become. In 2015, fresh from winning the BBC Sound Of … poll, Alexander had a mean falsetto and a clutch of killer synth-pop ditties (Shine, King), but he cut a diffident figure during his show at the Heaven nightclub, dressed down in a T-shirt and beanie.

I tell him my editor will tell me off if I don’t ask about his romantic status. “I’m single,” he replies with a smile. “Let everyone know, including your editor! Is he gay? It’s a she? Maybe she has gay friends. Yeah, I am happily single. It’s been like … almost two years. Not that I’ve been a nun in that time, I would like to stress.” Celebrity is double-sided in that regard: adulation on one hand, lack of anonymity on the other. “It obviously has positives,” he says with a smile, “but my sex life’s taken quite a beating.”

Palo Santo is released tomorrow on Polydor. Years & Years play the Roundhouse, London, July 10; Manchester Arena, July 14 and tour the UK from November

#olly alexander #years & years #yearsandyears #interviews #articles

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braindamageforbeginners · 6 years

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The Morning After/Diet

Cycle 9, Day 16

POST-FINAL INFUSION, CYCLE 9

Thankfully, a quasi-legal medical substance allows me to get through the night, and wake up feeling mostly-okay on post-infusion days. I’m still exhausted and fatigued, but caffeine does help with that, too. I guess the DARE program’s message should have been that recreational drug use was bad, but as an entire lifestyle, it might be neccessary (I say that knowing they’ll eventually have to stop chemo, because, again, these are dangerous, expensive drugs that will burn out one’s innards. Good news, the outtards are doing pretty well at the moment, which plays well to my plan to ask for more napalm doses until those wretched new cells on the block give up. There are a few people who know me personally who know there’s a non-minor chance I’m just too stubborn to die. Of course, it’s easy to say that now, after a clean scan (that occurred two weeks ago). And it feels good to say that,even for what’s usually the worst infusion in the series was easily treated by some aspirin, and my new bionic joints (although I still seem to get a nasty wonky leg after infusions). The bad news is that, even with my bionic joints, a simple high-speed walk around the neighborhood left me wobbly. So much for prosthetic devices (although it’s worth noting that gait issues are very common symptoms of progressing brain cancer; which pretty much also means they’re a side-effect of chemo)..

Also, even though I’m still not looking at 401K options, I am getting a little better at reading between the lines about cancer statistics, and figuring that our society is completely riddled with bad health practices that will automatically make every health issue worse, including brain cancer (Dad recommended looking into going back to grad school for biomedical informatics, since that’s now one of my hobbies). Case in point, the average American turbo-loading on unhealthy diets. This wouldn’t normally be worth commentary, but when you spend most of your waking hours obsessing over your own health, you can get tunnel-vision and forget most of us aren’t leading terribly healthy lives, anyway; as I kind of realized yesterday taking my grandmother shopping. There’s endless fats, sugars, and all kinds of insanely unhealthy junk (so says the man on a potentially-fatal course of drugs). Before we continue, I’ve been asked if I’m on a ketogenic diet. No, I am not. I am on the Jack Lalanne diet (that was intended to be a joke, until I did a little research and found out that I am). I’d normally not go over that, except this is intended for the next set of folks in line, and ketogenic diet is en vogue with cancer patients. To dip into my biochem background, the ketogenic diet basically swaps sugars for fats, and it is a fad diet. Even though there’s more research being done on it as an interventional therapy (that’s “we’re doing something medically to treat an illness”), I only saw one study for GBM, and it only increased life expectancy two months, AND, to be effective, he patients had to be kept in a state of near-ketogenic shock and in the hospital constantly. We’ll call that “Plan B.”

In the meantime, because chemo and/or zofran tend to stop you up; I thought it’d be easier to just eat loads of fruits of and vegetables to keep everything sluicing through me (that’s not true, I’m just terrified of laxtives; you can peruse the archives for that particular incident). I think I’m up to seven or eight a day, because it’s easier to maintain healthy habits than start and stop them (Jack had at least 10 raw vegetable/fruit servings a day). People often talk/ask about changes in taste because of chemo. I usually shrug because my own tastes are largely unaltered; however, upon reflection, pineapples got amazing in the last year or so. Add onto that at least 15-20 grams of protein before starting dinner or snacking, and, my rule is, you can eat as much as you want of whatever you want. I don’t think you’ll want much, though. If you’ve never heard of Jack, it’s a shame, because he pretty much invented modern fitness.movement. He’s credited with starting the first public gyms in America that featured things like barbells (he’s not so much “Old School” as much the guy who pours the cement foundations). And he lived to be 96, so, clearly, the man was doing something right. His dietary rule was - and this is a direct quote - “If it tastes good, spit it out,” So far, it’s worked fantastically for me (and that’s a pretty easy diet rule to remember), in the sense that I’m still alive and mostly-intact, and haven’t lost much weight (but my belt size has dropped by two inches)(to be honest, I have cheat days, and I do have the odd beer or Manhattan). That sounds all pretty narcissistic, but here’s the pay-off if you’re ever in the hot seat. If you are diagnosed with a terminal illness (another thing that skews GBM stats; if I get side-swiped tomorrow and die in a freak accident; that’ll get calculated into life expectancy stats, even if the cause of death is clearly a drunk semi driver), get into a level crazy health and/or physical activity. Cancer survivors have a severely reduced life expectancy, because of all the side-effects and long-term damage associated with treatment. That’s not just brain cancer, it’s all of them.

And there are many, many cancers that were previously considered “acute” and have been reclassified as “chronic.” My plan here is stolen from Ben Williams - stay healthy and alive long enough and well enough that the Warlocks will keep hexing me until I die, or the cancer (which is me, remember) does. I realize that seems grim and unpleasant as a philosophy, but that is the definition of a terminal situation. Someone will die. I’m damned if that someone is going to be me.

Because that’s not exactly an upbeat way of ending this post, I will point out that there are all sorts of nutritionists at the cancer center, who all have the secret to staying healthy during and after treatment, and, even though it’s a little mean, I do remember one of them mentioning, in a support group, something like, “It pains me to hear people say they want to eat healthy, but don’t enjoy the things that are healthy for them.” Which is an interesting statement to make to a bunch of people in chemo, because it’s not like anyone enjoys or feels great on a non-stop diet of mustard gas. I am now so deep in the Abyss that “unenjoyable” is almost a vacation. Still, I’m ready to endure more punishment, because my sense of humor is still there, and able to appreciate the delicious irony of an authority figure talking about the concept of “fun meals” with people who are now far beyond conventional fun. That seems horrible unless you consider the possibilities of unconvenional fun. Or getting funny, which was my coping method.

Also, because I’m getting restless with just the basic stress of undergoing chemo, micro-managing my health and keeping current with all my drugs, writing the tale/blog, and/or my ongoing attempt at a novel, I figured I’d start The Terminal Artists list. This will be an ongoing project, both as a form of therapy for myself, and because everyone who suddenly comes face to face with a life-altering and/or limiting illness could use it, and because it was a theme at the cancer writing group on Monday. So, the rules: 1. This is a list of people whose greatest - or best-known works (in a few lonely cases, the only books or poems some ever wrote were started when they began dying) were done in the final year of their life. I realize that “best” is highly subjective, and the idiom “best-known” would require a poll to establish. 2. Even though I use the word “artist,” I’ll happily use that as a catch-all for scientists, engineers, playwrights, dancers, athletes - anyone who produces/designs/discovers/creates anything that would positively impact those left behind is a contender. I just don’t want some estate attorney who cleverly scams their clients using loopholes in probate law; or a smuggler who figures a new way to smuggle and sell arms to UN embargo countries. Use your judgment, folks. 3. Ideally, you’d pair a specific person with their song/album/film/discover etc., but if it’s an extremely well-known (or prolific) artist/whatsit, I’ll bend the rules and do some research 4. people who are so prolific that they have works published after they die will be on the list, because the only thing cooler than giving the Reaper the finger and leaping on the keyboard (or easel, or guitar, or wet bench) is leaving such a vast, consistent body of work, it’s still considered awesome when you aren’t around to advocate for it

THE LIST SO FAR.... -Vincent van Gogh - “Starry Night” -Jimi Hendrix - “Angel” -Howard Ashman (Playwright/lyricist/) - “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin” - Paul Kalanithi (surgeon/writer) - “When Breath Becomes Air” -Nina Riggs (writer) - “The Bright Hour” -Warren Zevon - “The Wind” -Freddie Mercury - “The Show Must Go On” -Johnny Cash -Michael Crichton (writer, minor demi-god to all sci-fi fans) - Pirate Latitudes -Samuel Clemens (writer) - Autobiography -Roy Orbison (minor private music teacher - “You Got It”

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snkpolls · 5 years

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SnK Season 3, Part 1 Poll Results (Manga Reader Version)

The poll closed with 240 responses. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Please note that this is the results of the manga reader poll. Anime only watchers are suggested not to read if you do not wish to be spoiled about certain events! Anime only viewers, click here to view your poll results!

RATE THE FIRST COUR 231 Responses

Overall, respondents had a positive experience with the anime’s retelling of the Uprising arc with a 4 being the most popular ranking. It seems most believe there was room for improvement, but that it was overall enjoyable!

Good shit man, good shit. Next arc is gonna wring my heart dry of every last feel in existence, but so far I am satisfied.

This season was poor. I hoped for better. The scenes I loved it the manga were removed. Lots of character development was gone. But my biggest pain is anime version of Kenny. I will be honest - I am disappointed.

I liked it but the manga version will always hold a special place in my heart

I thought it was amazing, despite all the new things and things taken out. I still love the series way too much to really criticize choices they or Isayama make. I know I'm still gonna watch it and love it.

FAVORITE ANIMATED COUR SO FAR? 235 Responses

Nearly half of voters favor the Clash of the Titans arc’s adaptation the most so far, but the Uprising arc came at a surprisingly strong second overall!

Well done, WIT Studio! Although some of my favorite chapters became my least favorite and vice versa (sadly), this was over all the best arc in my opinion.

It was a good story, but they cut out way too many scenes I loved making it not the best adaptation when it comes to comparing it with the manga. Season 3 is still my favorite season though.

FAVORITE EPISODE(S) FROM THIS COUR? 231 Responses

“Friends” was the most well-liked episode of the first half of the season, but overall the last four episodes performed the strongest. This is likely due to their more faithful adaptation of the manga material than than the earlier episodes. On that note, “Pain” did pretty well in regards to the earlier episodes.

First two episodes were meh (way too fast for my liking), then it got slightly better, but the last 4 episodes were amazing

that ending scene in ep 12, what the hell, that scared me so much but it was so well done! also that last scene before the ending song is great for hype lol, Erwin's (japanese) voice actor is a god, my god what a man, SUSUMEEE

RATE THE SOUNDTRACK 236 Responses

It is probably safe to assume that the majority of respondents agree with the sentiment, “OST when!?” The soundtrack was great this season according to voters. Hopefully Sawano treats us soon!

It was so good and I really want the soundtrack to come out, I have 6 months to mentally prepare myself for the return to Shiganshina arc and I still won’t be ready

RATE THE ANIMATION 235 Responses

Overall, reactions to the animation were positive. Although there were some scenes that had room for improvement, ultimately we can’t deny that the hard work done on the action sequences really paid off. Here’s hoping for even more glorious animation in the second half of the season!

HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THE FOLLOWING KEY CHARACTERS BY THE END OF THE COUR?

We’ll let the results speak for themselves on this one. Levi, Historia, Erwin, Hange and Kenny drew the most positive feelings. Rod evoked the most negative feelings.

ARE YOU PLANNING TO WATCH THE NEXT COUR? 237 Responses

We’re happy to see that most of you guys will be around for more!

I feel like this section and onwards are not going to make for very entertaining episodes and are better in manga format, particularly if it's going to keep forcing major changes

HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING THE DUB? 237 Responses

The majority of respondents have not watched the dub and have no desire to do so. 16% will get around to it eventually and 14% are keeping on up on it.

IF SO, WHAT ARE YOUR OPINIONS OF THE DUB THIS SEASON? 211 Responses

Aside from the 75% who haven’t been watching it, those who have are having an overall positive experience with it this season, regardless if the original Japanese is the preference or not!

This season has been an improvement both in voice acting and script, I've been pretty satisfied with it.

I'm not sure why people think animes need dubs tbh. They never sound good. Kenny's voice actor really butchered the cowboy voice.

I've only seen a few scenes but when Levi shouted ''Nifa!'' it sounded really weird in the dub xD

The very idea of watching dubbed anime is heresy

DO YOU THINK LINKED HORIZON WILL BE INVOLVED IN THE NEXT COUR? 233 Responses

The majority are feeling pretty confident that Linked Horizon will be back again for part 2 with an exciting new opening for us! 16% are sure they will stick around, but we may not see them retake their role as the artist of the opening. A small sliver of respondents think that they will be absent.

OVERALL, DID YOU THINK THE ADAPTATION OF THE UPRISING ARC WAS DONE WELL? 237 Responses

Just over half of respondents believed that the Uprising arc was adapted well overall. 28% felt it was a good story, but not a good adaptation - still enjoyable, but not close enough to the source material. Smaller percentages either preferred the anime’s retelling or, on the opposite end, believe that the adaptation wasn’t good in any way.

Í think a few parts would've been better if they had stuck to the source, but overall it was a good adaptation

It was horrible to be very honest, ehhhhh they ruined it

There were a few cuts and changes that didn't make sense or took away from the story but it wasn't too bad. I love Attack On Titan too much to be ungreatful lol.

At some points it was a better adaptation, with changes I liked, and at some points the attempts to fix some issues created some others. I'd say I find it about even with the manga, the pros and cons balance out.

I enjoyed it, and I loved the action animation in the first few episodes, but I'd still have preferred a more faithful adaptation.

First half was rushed, i like the manga version of it better, but the second half that went more like the manga was excellent

It could've been a teensy bit better, but glad they hit all the marks that were important (except for the hesitation of the 104th squad killing people)

It was a good story, but they cut out way too many scenes I loved making it not the best adaptation when it comes to comparing it with the manga. Season 3 is still my favorite season though.

Although the story was entertaining and was produced well, it missed a lot of key factors present in the manga that really brings it down. At the end you have a feeling of hollowness as opposed to satisfaction

OPINIONS OF THE ARC BEFORE THE ANIME? 238 Responses

Prior to the anime adaptation, the majority of respondents were fond of this arc of the story. A few were indifferent or didn’t enjoy it, however.

I thought this arc was boring when I read it in the manga and it honestly wasn’t any better when it was animated.

AND AFTER? 237 Responses

Opinions stayed about the same after the anime retelling, with just a small bump up in the “liked it” area.

I actually like the Uprising arc. So when the anime came up I expected it to be better. So for me this is a good adaptation. Plus I think half of the budget was spent on making Levi 100 time hotter... My only regret is that they didn't show Levi shirtless.

Uprising arc is my favorite in the manga. So many changes have driven me mad but in the end, I have rather enjoyed this cour. The chara design and the animation are insane. Feel robbed in many ways though, but never mind.

I felt like a lot of details that made the arc good in the manga was lost in the anime

HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THE FOLLOWING MAJOR CHANGES?

While most stances were overall neutral on many of the changes, the most disliked change was taking away Levi forcing Historia to take the crown, thus unraveling subsequent events which eventually lead to the beloved punch/smile scene. The most well received change was including a proper Kenny vs. Levi fight scene in the cave.

I did disapprove of some removals and additions, because I felt that the way the manga structured it made the plot flow easily. For the anime, it felt a tad rushed with the fast stream of information given to the viewers.

Like many manga readers, my biggest and only really significant complaint was the removal of Levi's choking-and-speech moment. It was entirely crucial to both his and Historia's characterisation and future development.

I only liked two of the changes. Everything they did that stuck to the manga was really well done.

The fandom is happy because of the 2nd fight between them in the cave. That was the worst fight IMO: Kenny didn't learn anything from the first battle between them and decided to go against Levi again; he was babbling some nonsense, offended his nephew and as result - he almost got killed. So in other words - Kenny was shown as immature, dumb simpleton who despised his nephew and was pathetic fighter.

while different, i still think it was a good adaptation and none of the changes really bothered me too much.

An additional scene that I'm still upset they didn't include - the conversation between Nile and Erwin before Erwin's arrest, where they discuss their childhood together.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON THE FIRST COUR?

A shame a bunch of the political parts were ''rushed'', but it was to be expected. Otherwise a good adaptation!

Decent adaptation that skimmed over the boring stuff. Too bad some scenes were hacked away.

"Okay, this is epic." - Ben Shapiro

I don't care that Isayama approved the changes and that the majority of people seemed to have enjoyed this arc more in anime form with the changes. I'm not an idiot, I know how adaptations work and that they're a different medium and that it wouldn't be a 100% panel by panel adaptation nor was I expecting it to be. Neither of the previous seasons were. But they removed and changed SO MUCH of what made the arc great and my favorite personally that I'll never get over that.

After a few fast paced episodes that were slightly Concerning™️ things slowed down and made a lot of sense. I’m glad that isayama got a chance to see uprising play out in the way he would have liked. And as far as changes, some were great, some were not awesome, but we always have the manga. Overall it was amazing and what will I do with my Sundays for the next six months rip

It was pretty calm, right before the storm of the next cour

First sighting of god tier character Floch

I feel like a fair bit of changes were made just to give the main/loved characters far more screentime, and some other changes to be simply dumb and entirely unnecessary

I wish they had just stayed true to the manga. It seems like they wanted to remove some of Levi's darker parts which makes him a less interesting character.

While it could have been better (less CGI!), it was phenomenal overall, and I believe guarantees that the Shiganshina arc is in good hands!

Rod's Titan was so gross. YUCK!

EEEEEEKKKKKK

10/10 there was a brief flashback of Mina Carolina in the Cave.

I'm still salty about some cuts but overall I liked it. Who will say no to Anime SNK?

For Yams story and characters are the most important, for the anime team - it's fun for watchers. That's a bit sad but okay.

Historias new coronation outfit was better than in the manga

I see the anime as an extra, so nothing that happens in the anime will change how I see certain characters or the arc itself. So I really had a problem answering your poll. In my eyes, it a gimmick, a nice animated extra but nothing more.

Despite not being a 1:1 adaptation of the manga, the anime still manages to do a fantastic job of adapting Uprising as well as altering it. The story and characters were still executed very well, and this arc overall had a MUCH better reception than its original counterpart which, in my opinion, says something.

WHERE DO YOU PRIMARILY DISCUSS THE SERIES? 221 Responses

SHOULD THE POLLS CONTINUE/OVERALL POLL FEEDBACK? 226 Responses

We’re happy to see you guys are enjoying the polls! We appreciate all of you! <3

Thanks again to everyone who participated! We’ll see you again in April!

#snk poll #snk spoilers #snk s3 #poll results

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glapplebloom · 6 years

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Part 3 of 7 for this final week of the year! And its also a two parter.

Season 2 is when we moved from being the Unofficial Death Battle Fan Blog into the OFFICIAL Death Battle Fan Blog. Ben was impressed that we gathered as much information we could in the time it took to release the Death Battles, he brought us in to aid in the research. We gather as much as we could, give our argument as to who we think should win, and they take all that and their own internal research and discussion to find out the winner. And I can tell you its been fun.

But I bet you’re wondering why am I splitting up the Seasons? Excluding the ones Mr. Lange made last time, there are 28 episodes. You have enough episodes to make two seasons. So I am going to treat the episodes like its two seasons. This part will consist of the episodes starting with Bucky Vs Fox and ending with Samus Vs Boba Remastered. After all, that remastered episode is a perfect end to a Season in my book.

And as a reminder, those that do not make the list are not my most hated, I enjoy these just more.

#10 - Tigerzord VS Gundam Epyon

This fight may look like a typical David Vs Goliath fight, but despite the size difference the Goliath was actually the smaller guy. I did dabble in Gundam when it was on the original Toonami (favorite being G Gundam) but finding out what the Epyon could do was scary man. Funny thing too, the Leonardo Vs Zits fight could have been the White Ranger if the polls didn’t pick him. I always forget the third option though. As for the fight itself, it was frikkin funny.

#9 - Luigi VS Tails

The battle of the second fiddles was fun to research. These two have a lot on the table that you wouldn’t have seen in Mario Vs Sonic. But in the end it was the same as the first: Tails was just too fast for the Plumber. As for the fight itself, it was done really well. Great idea to use the Mario and Luigi Sprites as well as Sonic Battle’s. They do have more to work with than the Super Smash Flash sprites Ben used in the original Mario/Sonic.

#8 - Terminator VS RoboCop

The first 3D Animation from Torrian. It is amazing to see how far he came from this animation to today. And this fight was fun, from hearing the one liners of the two to the counters for each other. Researching on my end I sadly don’t remember much outside a wiki mentioning their real life weapons use, but I do have all the Robcops on DVD, saw most of the Terminators, got the first issue of Robocop Vs Terminator physically, played the Superior Genesis game Robocop Vs Terminator, and was the one who brought up the cartoon where he killed a giant creature with his spike.

#7 - Gaara VS Toph

While I am a Researcher on the show, I also did some sprites for them. The first major direct involvement was ripping Bucky’s sprites from the Arcade game (PAIN IN THE FRIKKIN BUTT). And my second one was leading a collaborative effort with these Custom Made Toph sprites (original was an edit but Ruin came in with these custom sprites). So while I predicted Gaara would win, I couldn’t lose. Either my prediction was right or my work wins. And ultimately, they picked Toph. I was banking of Gaara using his speed when he sees his sand is not working, but we don’t really get to see him really use that speed as an offensive tool that often, even when it would benefit him. And considering it was Toph herself who got me into Avatar, I was glad she won.

#6 - Ryu VS Scorpion

While my screen name says Akuma, my usual first pick is Ryu. So I was so disappointed my pick to win lost. But considering there are numerous profiles that straight up said Scorpion gets stronger in the Netherrealm, I should have seen it coming. There wasn’t a case of Plot Induced Stupidity to help Ryu like it did Liu Kang in Shaolin Monks. No Netherrealm souls to drag Scorpion away from the fight. And even with that in mind, the fight was awesome. The fake out on who won with the reveal Scorpion can still move was great to see.

#5 - Ragna VS Sol Badguy

Yes, Ragna’s story is that confusing. Its why on my end I focused on their weapons and move list. The others took care of the detail about feats and story. And too boot, they were bigger fans of the two series than I was. The fight was great and seeing them go all out in the end was amazing. And the Pre-Analysis they showed was funny. Loved the “That Man” joke.

#4 - Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (Remastered)

A perfect way to give tribute to Monty Oum, who inspired Death Battle and possibly other shows and creators. The Animation was upgraded, the Research was more improved and informative, and it included a dance number at the end. Sadly, the copyrights made it so the ending dance number was muted, but you can see it here with its intended song.

#3 - Deadpool VS Deathstroke

Ah Deadpool, you have so much more to offer but you’re just too fun to write humorously. I did little research in this compared to the others, but the little I did was still fun to see. Seeing Deadpool actually interact with the Hosts and even his opponent’s section was funny and the fight was great. In the end, we all pretty much agreed Deadpool has this and the DB Crew agreed. And as you can tell, my favorite part was when Deadpool started to dance.

#2 - Godzilla VS Gamera

If you were a fan of Giant Monster Battles, this was your Goku Vs Superman. The two biggest names in Kaiju finally take on each other. And it was brilliant. They asked us what we would like to see in the DB and my request was for one thing: the Godzilla Drop Kick. And they delivered! In the end, Godzilla lived up to his King of Monsters title and is ready for whatever the future holds if he does return.

#1 - Kirby VS Majin Buu

As you heard from the DB Crew, the original plan was for Kirby to take on Ditto. But because the research on that match was SO in favor of Kirby, they decided to give Kirby a more suitable challenger: fellow pink blob of destruction Majin Buu. I was on Buu’s side, thinking his stamina trumped Kirby, but the research showed that Kirby was definitely the one with the edges. The research was run to do, the pre-match was fun to see, and the fight was especially fun to watch.

Tomorrow, the rest of Season 2.

#other

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newyorktheater · 4 years

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Nick Cordero

show-stopping tap dance number in Bullets Over Broadway by Nick Cordero and his fellow goons to the tune of “Tain’t Nobody’s Biz-ness If I Do.”

Nick Cordero as Earl and Jessie Mueller as Jenna, in a loveless marriage, but he doesn’t know that.

A Bronx Tale The Musical

Nick Cordero, a Broadway musical theater actor, died yesterday at the age of 41, after a long and horrible struggle with COVID-19 that was chronicled in painful detail on social media by his wife Amanda Kloots, also a Broadway veteran. He leaves a one-year-old son named Elvis. (obituary) His death hits hard, in part because he was so relatively young; in part because we’ve spent the last three months rooting for him. We joined his wife in her daily singing of the song he wrote, “Live Your Life.”

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I first saw him in his starring role Off-Broadway in “The Toxic Avenger,” but was especially taken with his talent in 2014, in his Tony-nominated performance as the mobster Cheech with a gift for playwriting in “Bullets Over Broadway,” by far the best thing about that musical, and the first of his tough-guy roles on Broadway.

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At a time of so much sadness, anger and anxiety, the release of “Hamilton” on Disney+ was a surprisingly emotional experience. We are in need of some good news these days, and the streaming of Hamilton — and the promise of other exciting productions to come — supplied some of it.

The Week in Reviews The Week in Quizzes and Polls The Week in News The Week in Videos

The Week in Reviews

And So We Come Forth Review. The Apple Family Once Again on Zoom I compare “And So We Come Forth” to my experience now in lockdown – a safe, insular, by-now too familiar routine. Still, there are enough moments of insight and pathos to be worth spending the 70 minutes in another visit with these comfortable characters.

Hamilton on Disney Plus

What’s most gained by putting “Hamilton” online comes from the close-ups and the captions.In the number “Satisfied,” after Angelica Schuyler in effect has given up Alexander Hamilton to her sister Eliza, the close-up of Reneé Elise Goldsberry’s face drives home what this has cost her.Indeed, though I always grasped that the musical toggled between the personal and the political, the close-ups somehow make the personal feel more prominent than they seemed on stage…The editing here is generally first-rate, but the use of these close-ups largely assigns the ensemble’s thrilling and inventive choreography to the periphery. Perhaps this is unavoidable, but it’s a loss.

Theater of War’s The Book of Job

Another terrific performance + fascinating discussion from @TheaterofWar, this time about the Book of Job@jfreewright as Job, @FrankieFaison as G-d.@Kimactinup as terrific narrator David Strathairn as “accusing angel”

followed by members of @etcnyorg & audience members pic.twitter.com/euwmx95uXu

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 1, 2020

Job-like questions from @TheaterofWar audience and @etcnyorg members: Where is the justice when it comes to Covid-19, and police brutality? Why is poverty a crime? Why do we arrest young children? In the land of the free, why are these things happening.

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 1, 2020

Another @TheaterofWar #BookofJob comment: Job is blameless, but people blame COVID-19 patients, AND the homeless AND the poor for their situations. This kind of blame, commenters suggest, is a strategy of white supremacy & an essential element in structural racism. pic.twitter.com/BMiS5Rna1N

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 1, 2020

Les Blancs Lorraine Hansberry’s third and final Broadway play, which is being presented online through July 9 in a dark, expressionistic production directed in 2016 by Yael Farber for the National Theatre, is set in an Africa struggling against British colonialism. But some of the issues the playwright explores make it feel especially timely: It argues for racial reckoning, questions the value of good intentions, and dramatizes the complex choices in a time of crisis

The Week in Quizzes and Polls

New York Theater Quiz for June 2020

Hamilton 2020 Quiz

4th of July Poll: Your Favorite American History Theater That’s Not Hamilton

The Week in News

Dustin Hoffman, now 82, is said to be planning his first performance on Broadway in since his Tony-nominated performance in “The Merchant of Venice” in 1990, portraying the Stage Manager in a revival of Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” for sometime in 2021, depending of course on when Broadway reopens. To Kill a Mockingbird director Bartlett Sher will helm the production, which is being produced by Scott Rudin.

“Take Me Out” has been rescheduled for April 22, 2021 at @2STNYC‘s Helen Hayes Theater, adding a 10th Broadway show to the Spring 2021 lineup

Details:https://t.co/IkzChtgfgy pic.twitter.com/j8y9cfnZcu

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 1, 2020

Andrew and Kevin Atherton in foreground of “Paramour” on Broadway

Cirque du Soleil, the circus company founded four decades ago in Montreal that had entertained audiences across the world with its acrobatic theatrics, including on Broadway, has filed for bankruptcy protection and cut 3,500 jobs

A wealth of exciting online theater this month:

Delighted to see that first-rate @osfashland, which (like everybody else) had to cancel its summer festival, is offering two full productions online. The first, The Copper Children by @KarenZacarias6, starts tomorrow!

Detailshttps://t.co/T4LlLNNlMt pic.twitter.com/GC9bBMyY1L

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 2, 2020

First up: The Woods, July 7 Details: https://t.co/WtavNvrtlN https://t.co/NWkCcAQnN2

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 1, 2020

Next @TheaterofWar performance & discussion is July 16, two Sophocles’ plays & the visible and invisible wounds of war. (And no date yet, but another performance soon of #AntigoneinFerguson)

Details:https://t.co/e1jLOFQ0yn pic.twitter.com/laTih9EUQY

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 1, 2020

.@_juliannemoore will star in @mcctheater‘s reading of @peterhedges1113 Good As New July 16

Detailshttps://t.co/e1jLOFQ0yn pic.twitter.com/wFPWPX9sWQ

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 1, 2020

.@jeremyoharris & @TheresaRebeck among the 8 playwrights w/ original 10-minute plays in @redbulltheater‘s 10th Annual Short Theater Festival July 20th Details:https://t.co/0SczgecbMd pic.twitter.com/eO8NVMpdBJ

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 2, 2020

Tickets soon on sale for a starry production of @MrJasonRBrown‘s first musical Songs for a New World@raminkarimloo@1racheljohn @racheltucker1 @iamcedricneal at UK’s @TheOtherPalace

Detailshttps://t.co/EjSjNL95eA pic.twitter.com/nnJNA2ukQJ

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 1, 2020

Some theaters in the U.S. are going ahead with live performances, taking precautions, such as @alhambrajax‘s production of “Cinderella” in Jacksonville, Florida https://t.co/giJtaWHQOx pic.twitter.com/P8VudgIQPb

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 5, 2020

Rest in Peace

Carl Reiner as a young man

“The absolute truth is the thing that makes people laugh.” Carl Reiner, 98, comedian, creator of Dick Van Dyke Show, Broadway veteran, starting in the 1940s. His roman a clef “Enter Laughing,” about growing up in the Bronx wanting to be an actor, was turned into a Broadway play, and then a more successful musical.

Lewis John Carlino, 88, screenwriter and playwright who earned an Oscar nomination for “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden” and who both adapted and directed “The Great Santini.”

The Week in Videos

Not everybody sees the Fourth of July as a cause for celebration Daveed Diggs

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From The Capitol Fourth

Vanessa Williams

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Mandy Gonzalez Performs the National Anthem on the 2020 A Capitol Fourth

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Brian Stokes Mitchell

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Kelli O’Hara Performs “If I Loved You”

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The Hamilton orchestra has fun with the Fourth.

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#repost @crodees1: “In our ‘Season Finale’ of SNOB, @alacamoire told us to “go out with a bang”, so we cooked up a little arrangement to celebrate the #hamilfilm release, to collaborate with this amazing group of musicians who have helped create and play in the show, and to showcase the 4th of July classic “Stars and Stripes Forever”, done in our signature way, with a lot of musical Easter eggs from @hamiltonmusical and #intheheights I have loved bringing these weekly SNOBs to our bway company, and especially for the partnership with the singular and amazing @ianstagramiam Enjoy this last installment for a while while we ‘take a break’ 🎼✏️: @crodees1, @alacamoire, @swasserm, @ianstagramiam 🎧👂: @justinbrathbun 🎬🎞: @miaweinberger 📝: #emilygrishman 🎻: #jonathandinklage, @erinmayland, @themonicakd, @anjawood1 🎹: @crodees1, #mattgallagher, @alacamoire, @mike.moise, @madelinesmyers @swasserm, @ianstagramiam, @williamfwells 🎸🪕: @robinmacatangay, @richardhammondbass 🥁: @andresforeroofficial, @khiyon94, @bennyreiner #SNOB #theyaintready”

A post shared by Hamilton (@hamiltonmusical) on Jul 5, 2020 at 6:39am PDT

#Stageworthy News: RIP Nick Cordero, 41; Carl Reiner, 98. Still High on Hamilton. Nick Cordero, a Broadway musical theater actor, died yesterday at the age of 41, after a long and horrible struggle with COVID-19 that was chronicled in painful detail on social media by his wife Amanda Kloots, also a Broadway veteran.

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ladystylestores · 4 years

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Coronavirus, Russian Bounties, Poland’s Election: Your Monday Briefing

(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)

Good morning.

We’re covering the world reaching 10 million coronavirus cases, a suspected Russian plot to pay bounties on U.S. troops and Europe’s first pandemic-era presidential election.

Coronavirus cases pass 10 million as U.S. infections surge

The number of coronavirus cases worldwide has reached 10 million, and the death toll passed 500,000 on Sunday, with daily infections escalating in the U.S., India and Brazil.

The grim milestone came as countries struggled to keep new infections at bay while also emerging from painful lockdowns.

The European Union will allow outsiders to enter again on July 1, but will bar most travelers from the U.S., Russia and other countries that are considered too risky because they have not controlled their outbreaks.

Cases in the U.S. have risen 65 percent over the past two weeks — they now total more than 2.5 million. Some administration officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, have said that increased testing explains the surge in cases, but health officials say otherwise.

Testing sites in the U.S. were overwhelmed over the weekend in the hard-hit states of Arizona, Florida and Texas.

A suspected Russian plot to pay bounties on U.S. troops

United States intelligence officers in Afghanistan warned superiors as early as January of a suspected Russian plot to pay bounties to the Taliban to kill American troops in Afghanistan.

The recovery of large amounts of American cash at a Taliban outpost and interrogations of captured militants and criminals helped determine that Russians had offered and paid bounties in 2019, one official told our reporters.

Military and intelligence officials are reviewing whether American and other coalition casualties were victims of the plot. They believe bounties led to at least one death of a U.S. service member, two officials said.

New: Some 291 Afghan soldiers were killed in Taliban attacks from June 19-25, according to the country’s National Security Council, making it the war’s deadliest week for Afghan forces. The violence is sapping optimism over a peace deal the U.S. signed with the Taliban that would negotiate an end to nearly two decades of war.

Poland votes in Europe’s first big pandemic-era election

Poland’s president, Andrzej Duda, fell short of securing a majority of the vote on Sunday in Europe’s first socially distanced election, according to exit polls. There will be a runoff on July 12 against Warsaw’s mayor, Rafal Trzaskowski.

Turnout was high and voters at polling stations wore masks, brought their own pens and waited in lines with three feet of personal space in all directions.

The country’s nationalist party has made judicial changes that E.U. leaders say threaten independence and turned public television into the government’s propaganda arm.

Details: Polls said Mr. Duda received about 41 percent of the vote and Mr. Trzaskowski about 30 percent, with official results set to be released today. Mr. Trzaskowski has promised to draw the country closer to the European Union and to protect the rights of the L.G.B.T. community, while Mr. Duda has attacked homosexuality as an ideology comparable to communism.

New Irish prime minister: After four months of negotiations, Ireland’s Parliament has appointed Micheal Martin, a center-right politician, to lead as the country deals with the coronavirus, Brexit and fallout from a housing crisis. France also held municipal elections on Sunday.

If you have 15 minutes, this is worth it

A crucial warning ignored as the virus silently spread

Dr. Camilla Rothe, above, and her colleagues at Munich University Hospital were among the first to warn the world that people without symptoms could spread the coronavirus.

But even as evidence mounted from other scientists about symptomless transmission, health officials dismissed the finding. Our reporters pieced together why a crucial warning was ignored early in the pandemic as the virus was fanning unnoticed in French churches, Italian soccer stadiums and Austrian ski bars.

Here’s what else is happening

Wirecard: Investigators are still trying to piece together how one of Germany’s most feted companies fell from grace. Its auditors said last week that the company had engaged in fraud, but skeptics had long questioned the company’s worldwide revenue.

U.S. presidential campaign: Polls show that President Trump is losing support among a once-loyal group — older white voters — who have soured on the Republican Party and are largely backing Joe Biden in the six most important battleground states.

Russia: Kirill Serebrennikov, one of Russia’s most prominent directors, was convicted on Friday on an embezzlement charge that was widely seen as manufactured to justify a crackdown on independent theater.

Pride: Celebrations this year were cut back over coronavirus concerns, but Taiwan, which has controlled its outbreak, was able to hold an in-person event on Sunday, with a rainbow flag-led procession in central Taipei.

What we’re reading: This Rolling Stone profile of the largely forgotten singer-songwriter David Blue “reads like a classic detective story, with stops in the Greenwich Village of Bob Dylan, the Laurel Canyon of Joni Mitchell, the Montreal of Leonard Cohen — and a final scene you won’t be able to shake,” says Steve Reddicliffe, the deputy editor of the international edition of The Times.

Now, a break from the news

Cook: These crunchy-topped corn muffins use up whatever fruit you have around. They’re perfect for breakfast, warm, with softened butter on the side.

Read: Seven years after “Crazy Rich Asians,” Kevin Kwan is back — but Asia is not. His new novel, “Sex and Vanity,” begins with a very touristy idyll in Capri, then goes back home to Manhattan and the Hamptons, with one eye on Hollywood at all times.

Do: If you’re interested in strong, healthy muscles but wearied by burpees in the living room, you may want to consider heading to the nearest park for weight training. Here’s how to work out without a gym.

Staying safe at home is easier when you have plenty of things to read, cook, watch and do. At Home has our full collection of ideas.

And now for the Back Story on …

‘Hamilton’: A musical game changer

Michael Paulson has been covering theater at The Times since 2015. During those years, he’s written more than 100 articles that prominently mention “Hamilton,” a musical that explores America’s revolutionary origins through the life of Alexander Hamilton.

Now, “Hamilton” is streaming on Disney Plus, starting on July 3. Here’s an excerpt from what Michael wrote about his time on the Hamilbeat.

I sensed right from the start that this musical, with its cast made up mostly of actors of color and its score influenced by hip-hop and pop music, was going to be a huge story. I remember being determined, that summer, to land an article about the production on the front page, convinced that the paper needed to make a big early statement about the show as a game-changing reflection on our culture, our politics and our history. Ultimately, the Page 1 gods agreed. I was traveling in Spain when it happened; I felt so affirmed that I didn’t mind the time-zone-busting copy desk questions.

A feature that followed about Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical upbringing was particularly fun to report — as we explored the Venn diagram in which show tunes and hip-hop overlap, he started playing random songs from his iTunes library and riffing about what each one meant to him.

The story I waited longest for was about Miranda’s relationship to Puerto Rico, where his parents grew up and where he spent his childhood summers. The island’s influence on his art had always struck me as significant and underexplored. I knew the best way to tell that story would be to see Puerto Rico through his eyes, at least as much as a journalist can, and when he announced that he was bringing “Hamilton” to San Juan, I had my peg. I asked to meet him there, and in fall 2018 he agreed; a devastating hurricane and campus unrest made the story more complex than either he or I could have anticipated, and I’m glad we did it.

That’s it for this briefing. Here’s Christian Löffler playing from a French castle to start your Monday.

— Isabella

Thank you To Melissa Clark for the recipe, and to Theodore Kim and Jahaan Singh for the rest of the break from the news. You can reach the team at [email protected].

P.S. • We’re listening to “The Daily.” Our latest episode is chronicling the human condition with one of the most influential photographers in history, Robert Frank. • Here’s today’s Mini Crossword puzzle, and a clue: Silly and frivolous (five letters). You can find all our puzzles here. • Dean Baquet, our executive editor, spoke to Longform Podcast about leading change at The New York Times.

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dangkynhanhieusanphamcom · 5 years

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Brexit has given me a sense of dread – and Spurs aren’t helping

Monday

The final day of the last home cricket Test match is always tinged with melancholy. Even when England win a game to draw the series. It’s the end of summer, the nights drawing in and a long slog through to spring. But the weekend had another layer of sadness as about 70 of us gathered in a beautiful Wiltshire garden to celebrate the life of an old friend who died of cancer in the summer. In May he was merely complaining of back pain; two months later he was dead. He was only 64. Ali had a variety of seemingly incompatible careers – there can’t be many accountants who also made shoes for dozens of films including the Harry Potter series and Gladiator – but at heart he was basically an old hippie who was never happier than when driving around in his old VW camper van with his dog and friends in tow. So as well as some touching speeches, there was plenty of Grateful Dead and a spine-tingling live version of Gram Parsons’ A Song for You performed by one of his closest friends, Rod. I knew him primarily as a lifelong supporter of the Hemingford Hermits, one of the world’s worst cricket teams, for whom I played for about 25 years before my knee gave out. My performances were so mediocre it took the rest of the team five years to notice that I had actually retired. Ali never batted, never bowled and never fielded, making him the very best of us. Something that was recognised by him twice winning the award for Hermit of the Year. The second time posthumously. As we left to go back to London, our dog was so overjoyed to see the people who had looked after him while we were on holiday that he tried to get into their car. It was a day marked by loss.

Tuesday

It’s hard not to enjoy the Lib Dem party conference. Bournemouth in the mid-September sun, when most holidaymakers have long since vacated the beach, is hard to beat and there is none of the ring of steel security that surrounds both the Labour and Conservative dos. There is no queueing up to have your pass checked by three separate security guards, followed by a 20-minute wait in a demilitarised zone as you and your bags are put through an airport scanner. Rather you just turn up at the front door, wait for 30 seconds at most while someone does a quick hand search of your bag, and you’re in. You actually feel as if everyone is pleased you have made the effort to come rather than a problem to be managed. Much of the conference itself seemed to be focused on the thrill of the new. New leader, new opinion polls putting the party neck and neck with Labour, new Brexit policy and a half dozen new MPs. Sam Gymiah, Sarah Wollaston, Luciana Berger, Chuka Umunna, Angela Smith and Philip Lee were all given a hero’s welcome and every event at which they spoke was packed. It did make me feel a bit sorry, though, for those Lib Dem MPs who had been with the party during the dog days when no one took much notice of them and were now rather taken for granted. Just about the only place where they were guaranteed a presence was in the merchandise stall. Here Tim Farron, Tom Brake and Wera Hobhouse took pride of place on the coffee mugs and fridge magnets as there hadn’t been time to order in any with the defectors’ faces on them. There were also several Lib Dems whom neither I, nor the woman running the stall, could identify. O tempora, o mores.

Wednesday

Piers Morgan would no doubt tell me I need to man up and stop being such a snowflake, but Brexit is definitely doing nothing for my mental health. I feel depressed and my anxiety levels are sky high. I wake up in the morning with a sense of dread – it often takes a huge effort just to get out of bed – and I feel out of control most of the day. It becomes increasingly hard to be funny about things that aren’t really funny and yet I wouldn’t swap my job for the world. Satire at least gives me some release. But other things don’t as much as they used to. There was a time when I was going through depressive episodes that football would give me a sense of purpose when little else did. The Spurs fixture list was imprinted in my brain. Now, not so much. Today I even forgot that Tottenham were playing their first Champions League match in Greece against Olympiacos until 10 minutes after kick-off. That’s never happened before. I still go to all home games and quite a few aways – some things will never change – but I do feel slightly disconnected from the team. Part of the problem is the new stadium. I’ve tried to love it, to embrace the increased capacity and the better facilities but I can’t help missing the old White Hart Lane. Even the rancid toilets. Watching football at the new ground reminds me of going to a baseball game in the US, where people wander in and out of their seats during play. It has become more of a tourist destination than a place of communion. Every game there are different people sitting next to me and I yearn for the faces I used to see week in, week out. Even the bloke who used to annoy everyone by yelling “CONCEN-TRATE” throughout the game. Words I thought I would never write.

Thursday

Three days at the upreme court following – with a great deal of help from Owen Bowcott, the Guardian’s superb legal affairs editor – the appeals against the different rulings by the English and Scottish courts on the legality of the government’s decision to prorogue parliament has been an intense but also uplifting experience. A sense that some people really did still care about the rule of law. It also gave me a new hero in the form of Lord Pannick – a total failure for nominative determinism – who was acting for Gina Miller against the government. Here was a man totally in command of both his brief and surroundings who could make complex arguments in plain English and cut through bullshit with ease. I could listen to him speak all day and if ever I found myself on the wrong side of the law, he’s the man I would want on my side. Though I dare say I could probably only afford to pay for 20 seconds of his time, so I would have to pray my case was simple. I did wonder, though, quite whether his opposite numbers in court always feel quite as warm towards him as I – and, it seemed, many of the judges – did. Because however good you are, you are almost bound to look a bit crap in comparison. I’m sure that on his day, Lord Keen, who was acting for the government, is a first-rate lawyer. But up against Pannick, he visibly crumbled and became almost incoherent. There again, Keen was having to make the tricky case that Boris Johnson was intrinsically trustworthy. Even Pannick might have struggled with that.

Friday

I am full of wonder for the achievement of Sarah Thomas in swimming across the Channel four times without a break. Not just for her physical endurance – few swimmers can even manage a single crossing – but for her mental strength. The sheer pain and boredom involved in going through the same repetitive motion with no real change of scenery for well over two days is almost unimaginable. I’ve always been a hopeless swimmer and I’ve been far too scared to ride a bike out on the roads after the mother of one of my daughter’s best friends was knocked off and killed by a lorry, so ever since I had my knee replaced with a lump of metal I’ve had to rely on the non-load-bearing cross trainer in the gym for exercise. I try to go at least three times a week – more frequently when on holiday – not just to keep me fit but to displace stress. I have to get my endorphin fix somehow these days. After turning up the resistance to level 15, all I’m capable of focusing on after 20 minutes or so is the sheer exertion required to keep going. The longest I’ve ever kept it up for was an hour and 45 minutes and it wasn’t fatigue – even though I was knackered – that made me stop. It was the boredom. And I at least had the distraction of a TV to watch in the gym. Thomas just had the grey waves and the lights of her safety boat for company. Whatever she’s got, I want some of it.

Digested week, digested: The Incredible Sulk v The Incredible Silk

‘The thing is, John, that the real victim in all this has been me.’ Photograph: Jeff Overs/Getty Images

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