#the state of the film industry is very poor

[femsolid]

The documentary showed footage of Depardieu on a trip to North Korea in 2018 to mark the secretive state’s 70th anniversary. The actor, who had travelled to Pyongyang with a TV crew and knew he was being filmed, made obscene comments to women, and about women, repeatedly sexually harassed a female translator and made sexual comments about a child at an equestrian centre whom he saw riding a horse. On Friday, the footage was described by the leftwing member of the European parliament Manon Aubry as “vile”.

So to be more precise since I've seen the footage and I speak french, big trigger warning, Depardieu is looking at a 10 years old korean girl riding a horse and explains that "women love riding horses because they rub their clitoris on it, they cum a lot, the women who ride horses are big whores". Talking about the girl he says "if the horse starts running she'll cum" and the young girl turns towards him and he laughs "yeah, that's right my little girl, keep it up, see how she's rubbing it?". He tells another korean woman (I think she's his interpretor) 'why aren't you riding? It feels good!" before looking her up and down making grunting noises. He later tells her "I want to become a horse to rub against your pussy, you'll scream "my pussy!"". Obviously the north korean people around him can't understand what he's saying and the interpretor is very uncomfortable and confused. Then he's sitting to take pictures with some people, including a korean woman, and he says "go ahead, take the picture while I touch your ass, and your little mussel that must be very hairy and already smelling like a mare." At the hospital a nurse is next to him and he makes grunting noises again. He gives his weight to the interpretor before grabbing her shoulder, she steps back but he presses on and says "that's because I don't have an erection, I weigh more with an erection". Then he's at the airport with the interpretor and he tells her in french "you're gonna go take your shower and you'll be thinking of me", she doesn't understand so he mimicks taking a shower singing and she laughs. He looks at the documentary crew and starts laughing at her and says "her little pussy" before leaving and she's left confused as to what happened. Then his interpretor tries to explain to him the architecture and tells him in french that it's all made of wood, he responds "yes, wood, like my cock" but she doesn't understand, he adds "I've got a wooden plank in my boxers right now, but..." then he looks at the documentary crew and laughs at the fact that she didn't understand again. I mean it's endless, literally any time a woman is around he talks about her genitals and what he wants to do to her using absolutely revolting language that's hard to translate in english. And the poor interpretor, she's so sweet and polite, she took the time to learn french only to be confused by a litany of misogynistic slurs and degradation by a man who tries to humiliate her on purpose.

Depardieu is currently under investigations for multiple rapes, so he wrote an open letter stating that he had never abused a woman in his life, that it would be "like kicking my mother in the stomach", yes again the "I'm not sexist I love my mom" mantra. Yet we have here several instances of sexual harassement that took place in a matter of weeks and on camera without any shame.

Yann Moix, the author of the documentary was happy with it and wanted to do another one, but in the end the documentary never came out and the footage we're seeing has been published without his consent, which made him angry. But hey, you might remember Yann Moix because he made headlines too in 2019:

Moix, the author of several prize-winning novels, added that women in their 50s were “invisible” to him. “I prefer younger women’s bodies, that’s all. End of. The body of a 25-year-old woman is extraordinary. The body of a woman of 50 is not extraordinary at all,” he said, adding that he preferred to date Asian women, particularly Koreans, Chinese and Japanese. “It’s perhaps sad and reductive for the women I go out with but the Asian type is sufficiently rich, large and infinite for me not to be ashamed.”

So, a man who has a fetish on asian girls, probably a user of prostitution, went to an asian dictatorship with a fellow rapist where they sexually harassed women and girls. I also remember Yann Moix saying on TV that Michael Jackson could not possibly have raped a kid because he was a kid himself (in his head or something).

Back to Depardieu:

The documentary also interviewed the actress Charlotte Arnould, who went to the police five years ago, accusing Depardieu of rape and sexual assault on two occasions at his home in Paris in 2018, when she was 22 and Depardieu, a friend of her father, was 70. Depardieu was placed under formal investigation for alleged rape and sexual assault in the case in December 2020. Depardieu’s lawyers have denied all allegations against him. Arnould told the documentary that she had been anorexic at the time of the alleged attack and it had been “absolute horror”. In Thursday’s documentary, the actress Sarah Brooks, who appeared in a TV series with Depardieu in 2015, alleged that one day, while the actors were standing for a photo, he had repeatedly forced his hand into her shorts, despite her repeatedly pushing him off. When she protested to those TV crew around her that Depardieu had put his hands in her shorts, she claims the star replied: “I thought you wanted to succeed in cinema,” and everyone laughed.

And let's remind ourselves that Depardieu admitted to raping girls during his youth. Yes he literally said so to a TIME reporter in 1978 "I had plenty of rapes, too many to count." Asked if he had participated in rapes, Depardieu said yes. "But it was absolutely normal in those circumstances," he added. Depardieu later denied making the statements and threatened a libel suit against TIME and any news organization that reprinted them. "It is perhaps accurate to say that I had sexual experiences at an early age," the actor said in a statement. "But rape -- never. I respect women too much." The statements were on tape so he definitely said that and that's why his threats were ignored. And in any case, he said the same thing to french men's magazine Lui: he said he participated in gang rapes: "we raped a lot of girls with my buddies, but I would always go last because I was the youngest. The girl would say "go on, let's end this I can't take this any longer."" This has all been known since the 70s. While in the USA they tried to boycott him after that, nothing happened in France. He was born in 1948 so he's been raping women and girls for around 60 years and is only now being investigated for a couple of them.

[daisiesonafield-blog]

Hi Daisie,

do you know if any of your followers has access to the full article?

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/news/harry-styles-album-year-grammys-speech-beyonce-white-privilege/

This doesn’t happen to people like me very often.” So said 29-year-old Harry Styles, accepting his Grammy Award for Album of the Year on Sunday night. Most normal people assumed that by “people”, Styles meant a boy born outside of Birmingham and brought up in between Crewe and Manchester, far from the bright lights of London and the Brit School. But the internet is not full of normal people, and outrage ensued, as critics claimed that Styles was ignoring his white privilege – and, worse, having a pop at Beyoncé.

Styles also drew ire by arguing that “there’s no such thing as ‘best’ in music”, and refusing to say that he thought Beyoncé would win, instead saying merely that “you never know with this stuff”. The critics didn’t hold back. “‘This doesn’t happen to people like me’,” wrote the American podcaster Sam Sanders, “is the most white privilege-iest thing to ever be uttered at an awards show ever for all time [sic].” “Beyoncé continues to be boycotted, without AOTY [Album of the Year] and used as a token to disguise the Academy’s racism,” complained the pop-culture website Pop Tingz. 

Styles may have had a wobbly night – not least because the turnstile on which his dance number was meant to be performed rotated in the wrong direction – but an attack on “Queen B” this was not. To most Britons, Styles’s accent is the clue that he’s different from many a young London silver-spoon star; yet this subtlety is almost entirely lost on Americans. True, that Cheshire accent has been muddied by his recent attempt at a transatlantic twang while filming Don’t Worry Darling. 

And having a finance director for a father hardly puts you in league with British pop’s history of working-class heroes, from The Beatles to Oasis. Yet these days the industry has changed, and Styles is quite clearly different to the likes of Florence Welch or Marcus Mumford, who seem to fit into the world of fame as if they were born to it.

We’ve been here before. In 2019, when Sam Fender, born in North Shields, dared to explain why “white privilege” sounded like a difficult concept to the white men with whom he grew up, he was labelled tone-deaf and racist. This is the success of the “white privilege” label: admit it and you’re damned, deny it and you’re deluded. But in importing a particularly American brand of racial politics, discussion about success within the British arts only becomes skewed. 

Unlike in the States, class is a greater defining factor of success in Britain than race or gender are – a fact that many commentators seem to want to forget. “The debate raging online about where Styles sits on the class spectrum is a fascinating insight into Britain’s class obsession,” wrote one writer in The Guardian. That sound you can hear is a nation of working-class music-lovers choking on their own scorn.

Styles, in truth, is both right and wrong. Poor boys and girls have often made it to the top, though often that has been on account of the sheer tenacity of their talent. Barry Keoghan is currently flavour of the month in Ireland for his performance in Martin McDonagh’s film The Banshees of Inisherin, despite his extremely tough and poverty-stricken upbringing, which involved going in and out of the care system. 

Bands have often capitalised on class difference, too – admitting whether you were an Oasis or a Blur fan was as much a class signifier as the tea-vs-supper debate, and it did neither band any commercial harm. Some fans have also pointed out, amusingly, that Adele, who was also up for Album of the Year at the Grammys, was born and raised in Tottenham.

A working-class hero Harry Styles may not entirely be, but he certainly isn’t a white-privilege villain either. And we would all do well to remember that awards ceremonies, and the speeches made at them, may be full of glitz and glamour, but they bear little relevance to the politics of the real world – or to the real people who live out there.

Full article. Link here. No paywall link.

[denimbex1986]

'Irish actors claim they have been treated like the poor relations in the film industry for decades despite big government tax breaks for major studios.

LA-based actor Alan Smyth revealed that Colin Farrell, Ruth Negga and Cillian Murphy have signed a petition for fair and equal pay for native performers and crew.

Over 2,500 people have added their signatures online.

It says the Irish diaspora in the US and worldwide strongly support the efforts of Irish Actors Equity, which is in talks with several government ministers to secure a guarantee “that Irish performers will not be subject to lesser terms and conditions regarding their intellectual property rights than international performers in similar roles”.

“This, unfortunately, has been the case for many years,” it states.

The petition is still open as Irish Equity plans to hold a solidarity rally with the striking SAG-AFTRA union and the Writers Guild of America today.

Smyth, who is from Dundalk, has first-hand experience of the set-up on both sides of the Atlantic. He has reaped the benefits of the American system where actors traditionally got residual cheques whenever their performances are aired.

The threat now, he says, is that the so-called “streamer” networks are imposing drastic cuts to the value of the residuals.

Hence, the strikes.

“It’s a lot worse in Ireland,” said the actor, who has starred in a number of big TV dramas, including CSI: NY and Criminal Minds.

“The system in Ireland is that the Irish cast and crew for the most part, unless it’s Colin or Cillian, are put on buyout contracts so don’t get residual payments.

“The awful thing about it is the Irish Government gives tax breaks to film and TV productions. Within the productions, the Irish cast and crew are paid far less than anyone brought over from England or the US. It’s 100pc discriminatory.

“Colin, Cillian and Ruth Negga have got behind the petition. They know how hard it is until you get to a point where you’re doing really, really well. I can really see how hurtful it is in Ireland.”

Actor Gerry O’Brien lodged a cheque for $800 (€735) yesterday for his role as an Irish man in Pirates of the Caribbean years ago. The payment covers just a quarter of the year.

He got a US contract for the job, rather than the typical Irish buyout one.

In contrast, he has earned just €54 in residuals in the last 20 years here. That was for an RTÉ TV series.

O’Brien said Equity wants a contract for Irish actors like that on offer to their British counterparts. The coveted UK contract sets out minimum pay rates, residual arrangements and other terms and conditions.

Irish production companies offer the buyout contracts on behalf of the major international studios when they are in town, he says.

A Dublin-based actor (27) did not want to be named for fear he would be “blacklisted” when going for jobs.

He has been following the Hollywood strike very closely.

“It shines a light on just how unfair the industry is,” he said.

“Those at the top are earning incredible amounts of money and profit. In a large part, it is due to those at the bottom scraping a living.

“I graduated from drama school in 2017. Last year, I made the most money I ever made working as an actor and that was €14,000. Obviously that is not sustainable.

“If you work on an Irish film, you get paid for the day of work and never see another penny. I routinely sign off my rights for €600 or €700 a day.

“I’m delighted that Cillian Murphy and Colm Meaney are coming out in support of small fry actors like myself.”

Actor Owen Roe has won many theatre awards during his career and his film appearances including Breakfast on Pluto, Intermission, Wide Open Spaces and Michael Collins.

He said actors here are “not prepared to go on strike” but it is an opportunity to inform younger ones of their rights.

“It’s far more competitive as well . There is AI and all those things. The whole buyout situation is not good for us.”

He was glad to see Cillian Murphy and other stars walk out of the Oppenheimer premiere in support of their US union.

“They don’t have to financially, I’d imagine,” he said. “It gives confidence to people who feel they are being exploited.

“I think it will be interesting to see what happens in America. If the whole thing of buyouts and residuals gets sorted. The attitude that we’re cheaper is offensive,” he said.'

[piratefalls]

a bonus list! for the longest time i did not read wips because it seemed like the second i hit subscribe they stopped updating, but! this fandom has, for the millionth time, awakened something in me, so here's a super delayed wip wednesday in which i tell you the wips i've been following and enjoying.

masterlist.

(make me) misbehave by r_holland

Alex Claremont-Diaz has done it again. The Texas-born singer-songwriter released his fourth studio album second skin Thursday at midnight. Full of Claremont-Diaz’s signature lyricism, critics are praising the album for the cohesive image it paints. second skin is the result of a young writer at the top of his game, and every lyric depicts for the listener a picture of a sun-drenched secret romance. Fans are clamoring to be the first to uncover the mystery girl at the center of it all, although Claremont-Diaz remains tight-lipped on the subject… *** Or: Alex Claremont-Diaz is a singer-songwriter rising up in the music industry. Henry Fox is the shining star of an acting empire. This is a love story.

A Man Born To Lead A Nation by BisexualChaosDemon

Henry was born to be a spare. A spare of a spare, in fact. He would never need to wear the Crown, so he was allowed to build his life with Alex in the States. New York, Texas, marriage and soon maybe kids, it is everything Henry throught he would never have and better than he could have ever dreamed. But, what will happen when Philip tells them he won't take the Throne after Catherine and the line of succession ends up in tatters?

Binary Light by Leaves_of_Laurelin

In the sci-fi smash-hit movie Binary Light, Dev Creehil (played by Alex Claremont-Diaz) and Qindeli (played by Henry Fox) go from enemies to reluctant allies to friends. While a legion of on-line fans believe that arc should have included a ‘to lovers’ at the end, the behind the scenes truth is that the lead actors stayed firmly enemies to enemies throughout filming. Fresh off a brutal breakup, Alex is back for the sequel and back to dealing with Henry—the asshole Hollywood nepo baby who has failed to conceal his disdain for Alex ever since their first chemistry read. In the script the shippers will finally be getting what they’ve always wanted, but, as some of Henry’s ice begins to thaw, what Alex wants has become decidedly more confusing.

Burning Love by absoluteaudacity

“You’re such a wanker,” Henry says emphatically, but there’s no heat in it. “You love me,” Alex counters, because Henry does and he knows it, but Henry makes sure to roll his eyes anyway so Alex’s already impressive ego doesn’t get too much bigger. -- The Ignite My Heart sequel

Every Time My Heart Swings Back to You by TheLastKnownSurvivor

"Promise me," James says, gaze firm as he looks into Gabriel's eyes. "Promise me. Let's meet again." Hundreds of years ago, Prince James and Sir Gabriel fell in love following several chance encounters despite their very different stations in life. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before the two star-crossed lovers met a tragic end due to the anti-sodomy laws of the time, desperately wishing for the chance to meet once more. In the modern day, Alex and Henry are college students who have been haunted by mysterious visions for years. Despite a poor first meeting, the two are inexplicably drawn to each other and the visions grow in number and intensity. Slowly, they try to piece together the story and discover it is that of their past lives. Yet the question remains as to whether it's a past worth remembering and if they can disentangle themselves from the tragedy in this life.

Heist Society by OrchidScript

“Don’t sound too giddy, sweetheart,” Alex answered. They turned a corner up onto Fifth and descended the first set of stairs down onto the F line, the bright orange bubble a welcome sight. “I have half a mind to put your hands in cuffs where I can see them before letting you into that store.” “That threat is more tired with every turn, Alex.” Henry followed, hands in his pockets and a half step behind. “You know as well as I do that diamonds don’t interest me.” “But they are a girl’s best friend.” “If Marilyn is to be believed,” Henry hummed. “I also hear gentlemen prefer blondes.” “You’d like that wouldn’t you?” Alex rolled his eyes. ____________________________________________________________ After two months of proving their partnership's value, Alex and Henry are asked to consult on a jewel heist by Alex's mentor, Rafael Luna. Facing unfamiliar territory and a questionable undercover plan, will their effort make or break their burgeoning relationship -- or turn it in a new direction entirely? Part of the Portrait of a Thief series

Ho, Then Make It Fashion by TuppingLiberty

Alex is an in-demand model who has been modeling since his teens. He knows how to use his body, he knows how to wear clothes. But he has barely any time for friends or anything else. He and Henry cross paths a different way, but still end up in the same place. ;)

my every road leads to you (it's to you, i'll always belong) by blackrose1002

Right there, on the other side of the room, sipping something that looks like gin and tonic, watching the room just as discreetly as Alex, is an MI6 agent. One that Alex last saw about a year ago, during a mission in Madrid – a mission Alex would very much like to forget. Henry Monte Cristo fucking something. The ridiculously attractive British spy that screwed Alex over so spectacularly he thought both Zahra and his mother were going to kill him. (Or the one where agent Alex Claremont-Diaz needs to work with agent Henry Mountchristen-Fox, but there's just one little problem. Alex can't fucking stand him.)

Salt Follows the Moon by Pondermoniums

Vampires exist, and it's no secret. What is a secret, is that Henry Hanover-Stuart Windsor needs a blood donor. Alex Claremont-Diaz just can't leave well enough alone.

Rule Britannia by DuchessdePolignac

“Understand what? Are you anticipating there being an interview question on the number of men Prince Henry has gone out with since he came out? Or do you think the Ambassador is going to ask you questions like, ‘Hey, Alex, why do you think he’s such a serial dater who can’t keep a relationship? Do you think he cheated on his age-appropriate hunky Brazilian boyfriend with that sixty year old oil tycoon with a face like raw leather? Is he a greedy gold digger or does he just have questionable taste?” ** Philip is King and Prince Henry is living his best, openly gay, tabloid-fodder life. But something doesn't feel right to Alex about the progressive fantasy the Hanover-Stuart-Fox's are selling. Or: where Henry is a political courtesan fucking for King and Country, and Alex is the diplomat who foolishly and earnestly falls in love with him. Can Alex understand Henry's motivations, and can he live with the reality of being in love with a high-power courtesan with dangerous clientele? Or: A long and long-winded meditation on sex and power, and power and sex.

Something Borrowed, Something Blue by anincompletelist

When June gets engaged, Alex, her brother, and Henry, her best friend, are asked to be the official Guys Of Honor. There’s a month to plan the whole thing, which would be near impossible anyway, only made worse by the fact that being around each other the last several years has only ever led to petty fights and useless competition. Unfortunately, as the two most important men in her life - aside from her fiancé - they don’t really have much of a choice. Alex has a lot of feelings about this. As it turns out, Henry does too.

The Haunting of Cursed Hearts by wordscavenger

Moving to a new city can be difficult. Moving to a new city known for its tragic history involving witchcraft and murder can sometimes involve more difficulties than one bargains for. When Alex takes a job in Salem, Massachusetts to teach law classes at a local university, he ends up renting a room above a lovely little bookstore run by his very handsome, and very British, landlord. The more time he spends in this quaint New England town that is more popular than he had ever realized, and the deeper he gets into its haunting season, the more he can’t help falling for the secretive man with a sweet little dog and even sweeter kisses. If only a centuries old curse wasn’t hell-bent on keeping the two apart. -- Or, a cozy seasonal supernatural mystery about new beginnings, falling in love, and learning that magic may be more real than one would think.

The Story of Us by princebutt

Henry Fox is only attending this American football game as a PR stunt. That's all it is. He's definitely not fatally attracted to the brash quarterback Alex Claremont-Diaz who had the audacity to publicly call him out for not taking his number at a concert... that would be absolutely idiotic of him.

as always, if you want to be tagged in the future just let me know! i am uncomfortable taking tagging liberties - especially if we have never interacted - because i am horrifically shy lol.

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

Yana Toboso’s editor wrote about his thoughts concerning the other media adapting the manga. It coincided with the controversy surrounding the manga “Sexy Tanaka-san,” its mangaka, and the TV adaptation and the prompt changes the scriptwriter had made.

In his recent Twitter posts he cited the example with adapting “Kuroshitsuji” into a live action film, which I, unfortunately or fortunately, only saw in parts.

A post by the original author of #セクシー田中さん . I read it with interest. I remember the live-action movie #黒執事 .

Regarding this matter, I think the complaints that the original author is too strict and that the drama scriptwriter has changed too much are completely unreasonable. There is a high possibility that the person who intervened was responsible. The reason for this is that the production side has agreed to the dramatization condition by stating that ``no changes to the original work are permitted, and that if the original author wishes to do so, they will take action.'' It's a different story after drama production has started.

….

When #黒執事 (Kuroshitsuji) was made into a live-action movie, the original author's stance was not to ``no modification of the original work,'' but to ``OK modification as an optimization for different media.'' But will it actually be something that can be seen as good even from a manga perspective? It will be difficult because it includes nuanced elements.

Therefore, if something amazing that can't be made into a manga without nuance is realized as facts and figures, I'll give it an OK. I decided on this stance even before there was a plan.

I turned down offers for small-scale dramas and movies and waited.

A few years later, a proposal came in starring Hiro Mizushima, who at the time was refraining from media exposure. I thought it was something amazing that couldn't be done in a manga, so I discussed it with the original author.

To put it simply, "If Hiro Mizushima (as Sebastian Michaelis) really can play the lead role, I'll leave it to him. If it's someone else, then it's a no-go (probably because it was an underground proposal, he just had a cast idea)."

As a result, I'm really going to do it! was. At this time, P went on to have a series of blockbuster hits, including ``Gintama'', ``Kingdom'', and ``Golden Kamuy'', which were popular manga adaptations that were difficult to realize in live-action. He's a man of his word!

Well, I'm starting to fall asleep. It's an old man's fairy tale 💤

And when a Kuroshitsuji fan replied concerning the live action’s poor performance:

Regarding the content of the resulting work, I believe that the impressions of those who have seen it are all correct. I am very sorry. Also, I think some people were less satisfied with the movie due to its box office performance and lack of sequels. Since I don't have the power to directly involve the movie and entertainment industry in making changes to the content, I decided at the time to draw the line between OK and NG for this film. That was the story. I posted this as an example of a different way of interacting with “Sexy Tanaka-san,” who is currently a hot topic.

Interesting.

[inu-jiru]

For the ask game!

13. I saw your art on the goetia sometimes doing adverts for products in your rewrite. Do you have ideas for what other sins are advertising? It is a really neat idea! :0c

Ahhh! Great question! For "H U N G E R", I imagine the Sins have their own products to sell, as well as any collaborative projects they might do since a lot of sin tends to overlap:

For Pride, I don't see Lucifer really selling anything unless it's based off him in some way (i.e. a film adaptation of his various deeds). I seem him more as a straight up propaganda guy who'll just plaster his image everywhere to make sure everyone knows he's in charge (and it irritates him greatly when they're destroyed, but that's a different discussion entirely ;3). Lucifer's already paid a large amount in taxes from everyone (Goetias and Sins included), so money isn't his main concern.

Satan typically collabs with Belphegor to advertise steroids and I also see him hosting Hell's version of WWE (except a lot more violent). I do plan on keeping some of the wild west/ranch elements from canon, and Hellborn who own land can advertise their goods if they can afford it.

Beelzebub advertises various food items, but mainly pushes her own line of honey which is dangerously addictive (eating it can send a demon spiraling into a gluttonous frenzy). She also has her own food channel where some members of the Goetia (like Queen Felicity) host their own cooking shows (she'll regularly make demands on what kind of food they produce since it's all food porn to her, so if one day she wants to see some poor imp butchered and made into a roast, it has to happen). As much as I didn't care for "Queen Bee", I did think the idea of pop music and parties fit Gluttony in a sense that, yeah, people splurge when they're partying, so she'd have a hand in pushing Hell's music industry as well.

Mammon handles much of Hell's manufacturing, so anything from clothes, jewelry, theme parks and anything else he can make a buck on, he'll advertise (mainly to the other Goetia since most Hellborn can't afford the good stuff). He's not above the idea of "sex sells", so I tried to implement that in the art piece I did. A story in the series I hope to get to at one point relates to his and Leviathan's collaboration in bringing cruise ships to Envy's ocean, so that'll be fun to write more about.

Lust, of course, manages the porn industry and everything involved with that. Collaborations would include aphrodisiac-based foods with Beelzebub as well as some darker projects that I'd rather not outright state here, but involve Belphegor (you can probably piece it together; this series won't shy away from dark topics, but I wanna give fair warning before I go into detail). Ironically enough, Asmodeus doesn't advertise contraceptives all that much, but I imagine he'd want pregnancy and disease to spread like crazy.

Envy tends to overlap with Greed when it comes to goods, but I can't see Leviathan advertising very much. He's the most animalistic out of the Sins and prefers the primal fear and chaos he gets out of his demons rather than material gain. He only really bothers to do it because he can't stand the other Sins having things that he doesn't.

Finally, Sloth is the mass producer of drugs of all kinds, uppers, downers, the works. Belphegor also endorses spas and resorts (for those who can afford it, of course). She doesn't advertise much, and that suits her fine since it's less work to deal with.

I'm sorry if this answer was super rambly aaaa I was just really excited to answer! ^^ Hopefully, it's an interesting read!

[beautifulpersonpeach]

I don't call myself army, just a music fan, like to follow grown up fans of kpop and other groups and honestly up until now I thought your characterization of kpop fans and multis behavior to BTS was very one-sided and overblown. But now I'd like to offer you an apology Bpp. I keep up with a bunch of kpop podcasts run by kpop fans and black women and I follow this 30+ black woman whose whole shtick is being in kpop for vibes, not engaging in fanwars and overall being above the gross behavior from immature racist armys. So imagine my horror when I open my Twitter today and the first thing I see is this:

https://twitter.com/SideShowShit/status/1647483768423464961?s=20

My heart is so heavy and burdened by this I don't even know where to start bpp. Just last week I saw a Shinee/taemin/multi fan say the hate against Jimin should 'show give those armys a taste of what they do' when Jimin has been the target of overwhelming hate from the same shinee fans since his debut. I'm thinking to just leave kpop completely because this kind of brain rot in adults over nothing makes me depressed as fuck. I sympathize more with armys now more than ever. I love Jimin and don't want to stop actively following him. How do you deal with all this hate? Seriously how do you do it?

***

Hi Anon,

Your link.

Abridged answer: "I got no worries because you can't stop me lovin' myself" - reference linked here. :)

Long-form answer:

Like I've said before, if you've managed to make your way to the podcast side of k-pop stan environments you already have my condolences lmao. I won't state the exact reasons for that here but you're already experiencing a few of those reasons it seems.

That user is actually familiar to me - she's a black woman who works in the US entertainment industry, Hollywood to be exact, in a semi-administrative role. That person is a Blink who runs in the same circles as Ash - a k-pop writer/podcaster and multi in the US; Carrie - an Exol and Shawol in Toronto who writes K-drama/film reviews; Tamar - a Jewish Blink and multi who is a k-pop journalist; and a bunch of other k-pop writers, journalists, DJs, and otherwise 'grown-ups in k-pop' who can't seem to speak even in a neutral capacity about BTS, let alone ARMY, despite many of them deriving their livelihoods from the spread of k-pop in the West spearheaded in a large part by BTS. It's partly why ARMYs are extremely skeptical of k-pop journalism because oftentimes these content creators, journalists or reviewers are just stans of other groups with barely concealed animus for BTS. And also why the quality of critical conversations in k-pop fandom is so poor. I mean, how can you trust the opinion of an adult Black woman who should intimately know the implications of racism, calling Jimin, Oli London, unprovoked? It's all so comical but also kinda tragic lol.

You sent me this ask just as I was publishing this post so perhaps you hadn't yet seen what I've said about the dominant behaviours of k-pop stans in fandom.

I understand how painful it is to see things like that but I suggest you ignore them, report and block the account if it bothers you that much, but otherwise focus on celebrating Jimin and the things you love about him. I keep saying that hate does nothing but create more of the same. Many of the people who belong to rival fandoms, especially the fandoms that have a history of being abusive to BTS and ARMY since as far back as 2014, including fans of Shinee, EXO, Beast, Super Junior, and since 2018, BlackPink, many of the people in those fandoms default to hating anything connected to BTS, and it fascinates me even now how it's like a social contagion.

If seeing opinions like that really distress you, it's okay to step back from k-pop completely. In fact I recommend it for people who tend to get really emotionally connected to the artists they support, because none of those people are going to learn to do better, and chances are you could begin mirroring their behaviour if you get too attached. I'm friends with many people from those fandoms because they've known me since before I became ARMY, they know what I think, value, and tolerate, and they share the same values as me. But a few of those friends have been sort of 'excommunicated' from their fandoms because they refuse to engage in the hate towards BTS, and this happens far more often than you think.

I write as much as I do about this topic because I get it. Nobody wants to see shit like that. But at the same time, those sentiments towards Jimin and BTS have always existed and Jimin is still happy, thriving, more concerned with knowing what his fans think about his music, so if he's the reason you're here, then focus on him.

For me it's really that simple.

[hauntedpearl]

A lesser known fact about The Room (2003, dir. Tommy Wiseau) is that the iconic "Oh, hi, Mark!" scene is inspired by one of the charged confrontations that take place between Goncharov and Ice Pick Joe in the first act of the Scorsese film. Now, Wiseau is infamous for his poor directorial skills, and so, it's no surprise that this reference that he put in the movie was almost indiscernible as an homage by the audience. However according to this interview, it was something that was really important to him as he based Lisa's character off of Katya Goncharova, and also wanted to depict the relationship between Johnny and Mark to be similar to the one Goncharov shares with his not-so-trustworthy double-crosser of a right-hand-man Ice Pick Joe.

In the book about Wiseau and the filming of The Room, The Disaster Artist, his co-star and friend Greg Sestero writes:

Tommy was always very secretive about where he came from, or how he came by the fortune that he spent on the filming of The Room. He often vaguely alluded to time spent on the French coast or the vineyards of Italy while talking about his past, but he never did go into the specifics of his life, or his businesses. From these conversations, I got the idea that his life before he came to the States probably involved things that were either extremely illegal, or traumatizing, or both. Still, there's always been a dreamer in Tommy. It seemed that he'd clung to the idea of fame and the glamorous life of a Hollywood star to get him through those years.

In the early stages of the production, before we'd begun filming, Tommy and I were getting dinner at an extremely expensive restaurant in downtown LA. It was the kind of place paparazzi flooded in hopes of catching a glimpse of the elusive Elite in the business. Over plates of fish that cost more than my rent, Tommy told me about the kind of film that he wanted The Room to be.

"I watch this film when I was young," he said, a faraway look in his eyes that reminded me that for all that Tommy came off as the clown with too much money to burn, he had come from pain. "It was a Scorsese. We did not have it in English, so my brother and I, we watch this in Italian. I think, 'I am going to go to America, and I am going to make movie like this.' And look! Now I am!"

He was, of course, talking about the '73 Scorsese classic, Goncharov. It's not unknown that physical copies of the film were really hard to come by in the 80s, which is probably when Tommy and his brother would have watched the film. My guess is that they might have managed to find some illegal copies of the Italian dub of the film through personal channels. Debates about the differences in the two versions of the films aside, I understand what about that film drew Tommy into the industry and the glitz and glamour of it all. This story about love and power and betrayal and family, all set in the bustling streets of Italy — streets that Tommy was familiar with, I'm quite sure — that captivates the audience and makes them forget where their world ends and Goncharov's begins. It's a special movie, and Tommy is a special guy. Makes sense that he was moved by it. That it inspired him.

We toasted to this sentiment that night, and for that one moment, even though I knew that The Room was an unintentional parody of the genius of Goncharov at best, I believed in Tommy. I believed in his dreams. I hoped that at the end of this journey, we would make magic like that, too.

The book is a great read (would definitely recommend!!), and it's filled with these little moments where we see what it was like to interact with the person Tommy rather than the caricature Wiseau has become over the years. It's quite heartwarming to see how a film like Goncharov reached this little boy somewhere, and made him want to leap for the stars. Maybe we didn't get another Scorsese out of it, but we did get a cult classic that managed to have a huge cultural impact, all the same.

It's really fascinating to see the ripples Goncharov has caused in the landscape of film, the unexpected projects it inspired and continues to do so to this day. So. The next time you watch The Room, and have a hearty laugh about it, remember that there's a little piece of Goncharov in it, too. God!! Truly, what a masterpiece of a movie!!

[cerastes]

for some reason I feel that thing about movie romances is the fault of the medium itself, and the fact that directors have to just direct people to act certain ways to make the story hold together even when it’s clear people Do Not Act Like That. Regardless of who you put behind the camera, it takes real skill to realistically capture people falling in love, and it’s probably even harder to capture people faking it convincingly

That's a good point in regards to the medium in itself, especially since movies have a short runtime, so they have to get things going and doing in more of a hurry than most other artforms. Where I think this doesn't hold up too well, however, is on the realism part of what you said: I don't think anyone with realistic expectations wants a realistic depiction of falling in love in the runtime of a movie, with all the flesh and meat that entails -- you go to other artforms with longer runtimes for that, like books or games -- what I think people want is anything that isn't the whole "Male Main Character annoys and forces himself onto Uninterested Female Character until she gives in" thing. There's definitely WAY more ways in which romance can be shown, in which romance should be shown.

I'm going to run a very different, yet comparable situation by you: The Denko situation.

If you're not familiar with the Denko story, good ol' piece of netlore, it's about a guy without social or romantic skills, well, stalking a girl because he considered her his girlfriend just because he'd sent her a truly absurd amount of texts with small talk in them, inane stuff like "do you like the new McDonald's burger?" or "I wear my socks two days in a row, by turning them to the other side" or "what a nice weather!". When people in 2ch. asked him if he was trolling or if he was seriously thinking they were a couple, the guy answered he was not playing around, and then someone else mentioned "this guy thinks real girls work like dating sim characters" as in, just by talking to them a lot, about whatever, you win them over, and if you don't win them over, then they are heartless bitches that play hard to get, and you have to talk to them more.

The Denko story is about a lot more than that, but that's the part I want to focus on for the purposes of this: Moviebros feel much the same, and it's a pretty fucking sorry state of things having to see yet another article in the newspaper being like "THIS POOR ROMANTIC PLAYED PIANO OUTSIDE GIRL'S HOUSE SO SHE WOULD ACCEPT HIS FEELINGS..." sympathizing with the guy and not with the girl. Sympathizing with the guy! The guy being a public fucking nuisance that doesn't want to take no for an answer because Popular Mainstream Media taught him that a no is just a yes waiting to happen if you try harder and taught the general populace that these constitute romantic gestures and not stalking and harassment. He's suddenly not a creep that doesn't know when to back off, he's an underdog. We root for him.

And we should not root for him for the same reason we should not root for the Denko Guy: Because That's Fucked Up! And Women Deal With This Shit A Lot!

In the end, it's all part of a bigger Alpha Male Fantasy of "pulling yourself by the bootstrings" that a lot of the mainstream film industry seems to have a raging veiny throbbing hard-on for because a lot of them are narrowminded fossils: "The girl hated me at first, but through MY perseverance... Heh, well, I ended up winning her over!"

And it's that part that I think is really bad: That's not perseverance, that's just self-aggrandizing baby behavior. It's such an easy, basic, generic, digestible plot device to sell, despite how bad and silly and overused it is. I don't think anyone wants realism, I think what we want, is not that.

[isabel-rubin]

Girlhood Critical Film Analysis

Girlhood (2014) is a French coming-of-age film directed by Céline Sciamma and follows Marieme, a 16-girl living in a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Paris. In the beginning of the film, she is seen caring for her two younger sisters, and the viewer gets some insight into her life. We learn that her mother has long work hours, which means that Marieme and her sisters are left under the care of their older brother, who is both verbally and physically abusive. Marieme is romantically involved with Isamael, who is her brother's friend and a relevant character later in the film. 

Marieme struggles academically and has to go to a vocational school to learn a trade. On her way to school one day, Marieme is approached by a girl’s gang of three girls around her age. They all wear their hair straight and are dressed in jean jackets and gold jewelry. Lady, who is the leader of the group, asks Marieme if she wants to spend a day with them shopping at the city center.

In one scene, Marieme, Lady, Adiatou, and Fily are shopping in a clothing store, and the employee, a white woman, skeptically follows her as she looks for clothes. Marieme is visibly uncomfortable and her friends begin to notice what is happening to her. They approach the worker and interrogate her about what her intentions were towards Marieme. 

This act is very telling of the prejudice that Black teenagers face, and displays that as prevalent an issue it is in America, Black teenagers experience racial bias in so many other countries. 

Marieme quickly grows attached to the group, and is heavily influenced by them, as she begins to wear her hair straight and dress in their typical outfit. She also changes her name to Vic, short for Victory. 

The group commits theft by stealing money from people by the school. They get a hotel room, steal fancy dresses, and drink and smoke throughout the night. A cinematic scene of the four dancing and lip syncing to “Diamonds” by Rihanna emphasizes their need to have fun in each other's company, and how they feel comforted and supported by one another. 

In this film, it is common for the girl gangs to set up fights against each other, and Lady sets one up against their rival group. She is beaten and has her shirt ripped off of her body, which is a sign of disgrace, humiliating her. Angry about her loss, Lady’s father forces her to cut her hair and keep her distance from the group. Vic plots to prove herself to the group and get revenge for Lady, so she sets up a fight against the rival group and comes out victorious. 

After Vic’s brother discovers that she slept with Ismael, he physically assaults her, causing her to move out and leave her two younger sisters behind. Vic is like a motherly figure to her sisters, especially the older of the two, who she argues with frequently. Leaving them is very difficult for her and is an integral part of the way her character changes later in the film. 

She moves out and starts to work for Abou, who is a nearby drug dealer. Her life in the last third of the movie is drastically different than in the first two parts. At such a young age, she undergoes such significant changes in her life that allow her to find herself and become more confident over time.

Céline Sciamma wanted to depict a story centered around black women, who already were underrepresented in the film industry in France. In Ella Shohat and Robert Stam’s Stereotype, Realism, and the Struggle Over Representation, they state, “Representations of dominant groups, on the other hand, are seen not as allegorical but as “naturally” diverse, examples of the ungeneralizable variety of life itself. Socially empowered groups need not be unduly concerned about “distortions and stereotypes,” since even occasionally negative images form part of a wide spectrum of representations.” (Shohat and Stam). Representation of women of color in film is so significant to the way they are viewed by society, so showcasing them in a positive, empowering light, is extremely effective and important. 

This film intertwines themes of race, class, and sexuality into Vic’s journey as she comes into her own and discovers who she is as a young woman. Although Vic’s sexuality is never explicitly discussed, in the last third of the movie, she is seen to present herself as more masculine, wearing her hair in a shorter braid hairstyle, dressing in slacks and a t-shirt, and covering her chest with bandages. This is recognized by the people around her, including Ismael who sees her bandages covering her bare chest during an intimate moment and starts to interrogate her about her choices. The character Monica is introduced, who is a prostitute working for Abou. Her and Vic quickly grow close and their bond becomes intimate due to the circumstances they are living in. Monica and Vic share an intimate, tender moment during a dance, leaving the viewer with a “will they-won’t they” situation, wondering if the two will kiss. The energy quickly changes when Abou inserts himself into the moment and almost forces Vic to kiss him, which she refuses over and over again. 

This French film has almost an entirely Black cast, with a Black female lead at the center of its story. Misconceptions and stereotypes of people of color are often very prominent in European films, as explained by Robert Stam and Louise Spence in their essay Race, Colonialism, and Representation. It is stated that, “Since the beginnings of the cinema coincided with the height of European imperialism, it is hardly surprising that European cinema portrayed the colonised in an unflattering light. Indeed, many of the misconceptions concerning Third World people derive from the long parade of lazy Mexicans, shifty Arabs, savage Africans and exotic Asiatics that have disgraced our movie screens.” Girlhood is a powerful, raw, and heartfelt piece of work that places Black women at the center of its story and embraces issues regarding race, class, and sexuality. 

Work Cited

Girlhood. (n.d.). 

Person, Ella, R., & Shohat, S. (2013, September 27). Stereotype, realism, and the struggle over representation: 12: Unthi. Taylor & Francis.

https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/mono/10.4324/9781315002873-12/stereotype-realism-struggle-representation-ella-shohat-robert-stam Stam, R. (1983, January 1). “colonialism, racism and representation: An introduction by Robert Stam and Louise Spence”, originally published in Screen, vol. XXIV, no. 2 (MAR/April 1983). Academia.edu. https://www.academia.edu/12180023/_Colonialism_Racism_and_Representation_An_Introduction_by_Robert_Stam_and_Louise_Spence_Originally_published_in_Screen_Vol_XXIV_No_2_Mar_April_1983_

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Michael After Midnight: Saki Sanobashi

[Here is the next entry in my journey across the multiverse (backstory here). This entry is from what I’ve dubbed Earth-4444. In this universe, it seems like I’ve actually spent a lot more time talking about anime than I have in this universe, and I seem to have some level of respect if the jealousy-inducing note count on the posts are any indication. Maybe I chose the wrong field. Anyway, here’s Weeb Michael’s review of something that’s probably not real in our world, but is definitely real in his. The above image was not originally attached to his review, but as it turns out I can’t save photos across dimensions. Very inconvenient.]

Last week I talked about the codifier of animated tentacle porn, The Legend of the Overfiend, a film that actually managed to subvert its own reputation in a lot of ways. It is a film that actually showed the horror of being fucked by tentacles as opposed to using it for mere eroticism. Now, tonight, I’m going to talk about yet another piece of Japanese animation with a rather edgy reputation that precedes it, and yet might be one of the most unique, bizarre, and even startlingly philosophical works to come out of 80s anime.

I am, of course, talking about Saki Sanobashi, or Go for a Punch as it was known when it originally was localized. There’s an interesting story here: This did not come to America through legal means at first, being distributed as a bootleg at conventions for years due to the graphic content making it seemingly unfeasible to get out normally. It wouldn’t be until 2015 when the OVA saw any sort of physical demand, mainly due to fan demand as well as the spreading knowledge that the OVA had influenced many big names in the industry, most notably Hideaki Anno. Because of this, the OVA has been dubbed by many “The Evangelion of Guro,” and in some regards this is not an unfair comparison.

It’s actually fascinating how philosophical this work manages to be. The plot is rather simple, featuring five girls trapped in a bathroom with no obvious means of escape, and from there the five women contemplate their situations, delving into intricate discussions of their place in the universe, the concept of destiny, the cruelty of the world, and even Gnosticism. You can definitely see how this helped inspire Evangelion in certain regards, especially with the use of religious imagery in cryptic ways that may or may not mean anything at all. You can also see how it influenced Silent Hill in some regards, though obviously Jacob’s Ladder still deserves the credit far more.

The animation is horrifyingly well done. It very much resembles the sort of things that Miyazaki was making at the time, so of course this makes it all the more unsettling when you see the girl’s mental states deteriorate to the point where they gruesomely and graphically commit suicide. The level of detail put into the gore is just nauseatingly incredible, and the deaths themselves truly live up to their infamous reputation. Of particular note is one of the girls bashing her head repeatedly against the wall, slamming harder and harder until her head cracks. Even worse, though, is the one girl who tears her own throat out with her bare hands--and yes, we get a lovely closeup. It’s rather telling the tamest death is an assisted drowning.

Not everything is perfect, though. The original dub, the one that landed this work into infamy, is rather low quality, and lends a rather narmy quality to the proceedings. The 2015 redub, which was done with professionals, is much better, and it’s understandable given the circumstances of the original release, but it certainly can be jarring to see such flat line reads punctuated by shit you’d see in Higurashi. It’s also a little bit too short for my liking; at only a little over thirty minutes, it just seems to go by too quickly. While it certainly doesn’t misuse what little it gets, and manages to make you really care for these poor girls in record time, I think this definitely could have benefitted from a little extra runtime. The 2015 release does include an extended cut that’s an hour long that feels so much more fleshed out and even features an unsettling ending that seems to hint at the cyclical nature of time (something discussed at length in one of the more poignant added scenes), but if we’re talking about the original, infamous iteration of the anime, it’s a victim of its own runtime.

Overall, I’d say this is one of the more interesting pieces of animation to come out of the 1980s. I certainly wouldn’t call it one of the greatest of all time, but it certainly managed to leave an incredible mark on the anime industry. It’s honestly hard to imagine what it would look like without this OVA, honestly; it’s a niche, underground production that managed to rise to lofty heights due to fan demand and the influence of bigger artists, so it certainly did something right. Definitely check it out if you’re big into anime history like me, or if you’re really into gory stuff. You definitely won’t be disappointed in that case. Frankly, even if it’s not my favorite work by any means, I find it really hard to imagine an anime landscape that looks as good as it does without this work’s shockingly wide influence. 

[destinyc1020]

What unfollows? what did I miss?

We're referring to Keke and Zendaya unfollowing each other.

Years ago (wow, sounds so weird to say that 🥴) back around August of 2020, fans noticed that both Keke and Zendaya unfollowed each other. Keke unfollowed first, and then Zendaya followed suit, so it led many fans to wonder if maybe smthg had happened btwn them. 👀

Idk what happened (if anything) 🤷🏾‍♀️, or why the unfollows occurred, but last I checked, Z has resumed following Keke, but Keke hasn't resumed following Zendaya. 👀

Then, last year, there were fans who were on twitter trying to claim that Keke was suffering from Institutionalized racism and colorism in Hollywood due to her film "Nope" maybe not performing as well as they had hoped it would I guess? (I have no idea) But fans tried to claim that she doesn't get the same roles in HW as Zendaya coz Zendaya is biracial and light-skinned, yadda yadda yadda.

I think fans were trying to cape for Keke, but Keke felt it came off a different way 🥴, so SHE took to the platforms to basically state that she's BEEN in the HW movie game much longer than Zendaya has (basically lol) and that she is equally as successful, and was working with Oscar winners since she was a CHILD, etc. I'm very very LOOSELY paraphrasing everything coz these aren't her actual words AT ALL.... lol 😆....

But basically the point is I think that Keke took what fans were saying as more of an insult, like "poor you... Zendaya is so much more successful than you... etc", and Keke was trying to set the record STRAIGHT. ROFL 🤣

Personally? I think they're BOTH equally successful and have strengths in different areas, so I appreciate them for various different reasons. 🤷🏾‍♀️

This is why I think it's so important for fans these days to diversify their likes/interests in actors, and to open up their horizons to other actors in the industry and appreciate them. This way, you don't try to make ONE actor your sole everything, and then engage in silly Stan Wars fiercely trying to defend your fave when others bring out that maybe they could improve in a certain area of their acting. 👀

When you diversify your fan pool, you can appreciate a wide variety of actors for various different reasons, and you're not pressed or worried if one actor fave of yours isn't all that great at one area, and another is. You just appreciate them ALL for their unique talents, and you stay happy lol. 😂

I personally appreciate a wide variety of actors and actresses in the industry, and I love it. I can appreciate the strengths that Keke has, while also appreciating the strengths that Zendaya has. 🤷🏾‍♀️ It doesn't become so serious to me in other words.

[three--rings]

That poll about power outages is WILD to me. Most people are replying with like IDK an hour or less than a day or MAYBE that one time a day.

And my answer is 21 days. And it's just the extreme difference in living somewhere with a Natural Disaster Season and not.

So okay I'll tell the story of the 21 days. It's also my very first memory (collectively, a series of memories.) (To be clear I've had other power outages but not THAT long. I've only been ground zero for a big hurricane once. Remind me to tell you my Tropical Storm Alison story sometime tho.)

So Hurricane Alicia hit Galveston and then Houston in August 1983. I was four. It will be the 40th anniversary this year.

At the time my family was living close to the Port of Houston, because my dad worked in the power plants in that industrial area. So my very first memory is hunkering in my parent's bathroom, with an electric lantern and a radio, listening to the storm hit the port a few miles away. And then the radio stopped, just went to static. (Some of this is my mom's account blended with my memory, to be clear.)

The storm passed over us and at dawn we emerged to see the damages. I remember it vividly. The sky was purple and orange. The street was a river and there were entire trees floating down it. I've seen a lot of storms and I've never seen that kind of pure destruction. But it was only trees. We were lucky.

(Yes these photos being Black and White Historical Images makes me feel ancient thanks. I promise we had color film.)

Anyway, after that, the only problem was there was NO POWER. All the power lines were down, poles and all. And it was AUGUST in Texas.

I remember holding ice in a towel against myself as the only way to get cool.

Then power started being turned on in bits and pieces in the area. The first place to get power that we knew was a dentist office belonging to a friend of my parents. So we all moved into the dentist office. Like four sets of parents with eight or so kids. Sleeping on the floor of a dentist because it had air conditioning. Me in my Strawberry Shortcake sleeping bag.

Then my grandmother's apartment got power, so we moved out of the dentist to a one bedroom apartment. My parents, my grandmother, me and my teenage brother. All in two small rooms. I remember...arguing.

Then, finally, 21 fucking days later the power at my house was turned back on.

I'm tempted to say it's because it was 40 years ago or because it was Texas or because it was a poor neighborhood that it took so long.

But honestly, sometimes all the infrastructure gets knocked down and you have to rebuild the whole system from scratch and it takes time. I'm not sure it would be a whole lot shorter today.

My family was without power after Hurricane Ike for a week+ and that was a nice neighborhood without any significant damage. (I had left the city by then.) And most of my coworkers went without power for a solid week after that one and we are 100 miles further inland. (My electric co-op stayed up, though, because it came from another direction. Also stayed on during that terrible freeze that took the state out a couple years ago. Small decentralized community-owned power ftw.)

So yeah, losing power has always just been a thing. Like occasionally you just have a named storm come through and wreck your shit. It's wild to me that people live places where the planet doesn't just try to kill you occasionally.

[msfbgraves]

I've been through a few AI posts these two weeks, and the obvious needed measure here seems to be quality control.

With it, there could indeed be innovation. Automisation isn't of course inherently bad, if it actually frees people up to do other things. But without quality control, you're going to drive people out of industries and the resulting work will either be very poor, or insanely expensive. Honestly, if you wanted your portrait sketched in 1823, that would likely have cost you today's equivalent of $20. Not anymore. And well, who really misses it, in this time of selfies? Abstract art however has flourished, which has of course also heavily influenced film; meanwhile, a painted portrait is now a luxury item. As is experiencing live art. Is that better or worse? Depends whom you ask...

Clothing, I'd say, is a bit of a sadder tale. Clothing made to measure costs an absolute fortune. Clothing off the rack is both poor quality and expensive. Because quality costs more to produce and you have to pay three times as much for the privilege of a little decent cloth.

If there'd been a law that you're simply not allowed to sell clothing that will fall apart after three washes, things may have been different. Now, the only way to find decent quality clothing for a reasonable price is second hand, and God help you if you have any requirements. You have to throw yourself to the mercy of art students (lack experience tailoring), or make it yourself, which not all of us could if they wanted to.

Whether or not AI is using fanfic and project Gutenberg to write story isn't that important. By it's whole setup, AI can only copy and recombine, not truly innovate. AI books will probably be very bland, based on which tropes get used the most. If it is going to be used to write ad copy, uh, well, ad copy is what we all go to do to sell out anyway. If it's all that's going to be offered bookwise, we have a problem. Now, there is some form of quality control in books - fine, 90% of it is "will this sell", but still. The absolute worst of it does not often get adapted. If that doesn't matter anymore, we may be in for a rough ride.

Corporations care only about money and have no eye for quality. They will try to sell you any dreck. And they will always drive creatives to the fringes. Creatives are their enemies! All the humanities to a certain extent, boohoo, why can't we be shit to people? So there will have to be a movement against that, too. Europe does that with state sponsored arts grants (which they always cut again, I'm not naieve about those), and quality control of goods can and should exist for anything automated. It can simply be made mandatory to have a trained expert go over anything that is being allowed on the market (if this isn't already the case). Fail to do this (and the US probably will), and it will probably be very bad. But this isn't the first time human expression has been partly automated. We're still here. And I'm pretty sure "manipulating AI to do something cool" will become just another art form, just like, say, sampling.

The race to the bottom is something you can protect people from. But you can't really do it without some kind of third party interference. And that has it's own issues, as always.

Brave New World.

[submissivegayfrenchboy]

02 / 03 / 2023

🇺🇸🇬🇧 ENGLISH / ANGLAIS 🇺🇸🇬🇧

MAN OF THE DAY #64 :

MICHAEL B. JORDAN

Born in 1987 in California in the United States of America, the magnificent black actor Michael Bakari Jordan known as Michael B. Jordan received his star on the Walk Of Fame in Hollywood yesterday.

This prestigious consecration in the career of a star (Hollywood or not) is obviously deserved for this handsome but also funny and intelligent actor, very sexy but committed, humble and who knows where he comes from. Certainly he is extremely desirable because he plays beautiful and sexy characters, and even when they are violent or nasty we find excuses for him and he touches us.

But the person Michael B. Jordan is in real life is also very admirable. He comes to the aid of underprivileged people, as when he came to a rather poor French town, Aubervilliers, and he attended the inauguration of a fresco in his honor produced by an artist from the district: he was thus able to realize the image he sends of him abroad, that of a black man having fully succeeded in rising socially. Not a lot of (black) actors would have done what he did.

Thus, in addition to being a model of success by himself, Michael B. Jordan is also a generous person: he recently opened an Only Fans account whose profits will be donated to associations that fight for the education of underprivileged children. It makes you want to pay even more to admire hid divine body! If he is also with and without a mustache, I recognize that Michael B. Jordan is now old enough to be able to wear one without looking too old or not enough.

Above all, he has a sublime smile, the blackness of his mustache creating a visual contrast with his dazzling white teeth. His smile is one of the most beautiful for a star, and if you know my blog and the MAN OF THE DAY articles, you know the importance I attach to a smile, which I find sexy on men.

Michael B. Jordan is as handsome a man when he is dressed as when he is naked, but in addition to having a divine body he is very polite. He was well brought up and generally thanks his relatives, not hesitating to invite his mother and brother to the audience of shows. His talent as an actor and now as a director with the release of Creed III proves that he is established in the film industry. He has done blockbusters as well as auteur films. Michael B. Jordan has a long career ahead of him, as the late Chadwick Bozeman would have had if he were still with us today.

Moreover, at the ceremony of his star on the Walk Of Fame, Michael B. Jordan was surrounded by Ryan Coogler, director of the first two CREED films and the Black Panther films, in which Michael B. Jordan played, and there was also Jonathan Majors, another very handsome black actor on whom I wrote a MAN OF THE DAY article and a CELEBRITY LOVE fiction that I invite you to read if you haven't already.

Michael B. Jordan also recently showed that he had overcome school bullying when he came across a journalist who was making fun of him. Proof that people can surprise you.

As far as I'm concerned, I know that I would have taken as much pleasure in being the pet dog of this handsome black man, he could have kept me on a leash and made me lick his shoes to humiliate me. But I would also have been proud if I had had the honor of being in love with this magnificent man.

I recently written a story about this amazing man, do not hesitate to read it, dear readers.

And there is a game i made including him

⭐🌟⭐🌟⭐🌟⭐🌟⭐🌟⭐🌟⭐🌟⭐🌟

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🇨🇵 FRANÇAIS / FRENCH 🇨🇵

HOMME DU JOUR #64 :

MICHAEL B. JORDAN

Né en 1987 en Californie aux États-Unis d'Amérique, le magnifique acteur noir Michael Bakari Jordan dit Michael B. Jordan a reçu hier son étoile sur le Walk Of Fame. Cette prestigieuse consécration dans la carrière d'une star (hollywoodiene ou pas) est évidemment méritée pour cet acteur beau mais aussi drôle et intelligent, très sexy mais engagé, humble et qui sait d'où il vient.

Certes il est extrêmement désirable car il joue des personnages beaux et sexy, et même quand ils sont violents ou méchants on lui trouve des excuses et il nous touche. Mais la personne qu'est Michael B. Jordan dans la vraie vie est aussi très admirable.

Il vient en aide aux personnes défavorisés, comme lors de sa venue dans une ville française plutôt pauvre, Aubervilliers, et il a assisté à l'inauguration d'une fresque en son honneur réalisée par un artiste du quartier : il a ainsi pû se rendre compte de l'image qu'il renvoi de lui à l'étranger, celle d'un homme noir ayant pleinement réussir à s'élever socialement. Peu d'acteurs noirs l'auraient fait, mais il a pris la peine de se déplacer.

Ainsi, en plus d'être un modèle de réussite par soi-même, Michael B. Jordan est aussi quelqu'un de généreux : il a récemment ouvert un compte Only Fans dont les profits seront reversés à des associations qui luttent pour la scolarisation d'enfants défavorisés. Ça donne encore plus envie de payer pour admirer son corps divin !

S'il est aussi avec que sans moustache, je reconnais que Michael B. Jordan est maintenant suffisamment âgé pour pouvoir en porter une sans faire ni vieux ni pas assez. Il a surtout un sourire sublime, la noirceur de sa moustache créant un contraste visuel avec ses dents éclatantes de blancheur. Son sourire est l'un des plus beaux pour une star, et si vous connaissez mon blog et les articles HOMME DU JOUR, vous savez l'importance que j'attache à un sourire, que je trouve sexy.

Michael B. Jordan est un homme aussi beau lorsqu'il est habillé que lorsqu'il est nu, mais en plus d'avoir un corps divin il est très poli. Il a été bien élevé et remercie généralement ses proches, n'ayant pas hésité à inviter sa mère et son frère dans le public d'émissions.

Son talent d'acteur et maintenant de réalisateur avec la sortie de Creed III prouve qu'il est installé dans le milieu du cinéma. Il a autant fait des blockbusters que des films d'auteurs. Michael B. Jordan a une longue carrière devant lui, comme cela aurait été le cas pour le regretté Chadwick Bozeman si ce dernier était toujours parmi nous aujourd'hui.

D'ailleurs, à la cérémonie de son étoile au Walk Of Fame, Michael B. Jordan était entouré de Ryan Coogler, réalisateur des deux premiers films CREED et des films Black Panther, dans lesquels a joué Michael B. Jordan, et il y avait aussi Jonathan Majors, autre très bel acteur noir sur lequel j'ai écrit un article HOMME DU JOUR et une fiction CÉLÉBRITÉ AMOUREUSE que je vous invite à lire si ce n'est pas déjà fait.

Michael B. Jordan a aussi récemment montré qu'il avait surmonté un harcèlement scolaire lorsqu'il a croisé une journaliste qui se moquait de lui. Preuve que les gens peuvent vous surprendre.

En ce qui me concerne je sais que j'aurais pris autant de plaisir à être le toutou de compagnie de ce bel homme noir, il aurait pu me tenir en laisse et me faire lécher ses chaussures pour m'humilier. Mais j'aurais aussi été fier si j'avais eu l'honneur d'être l'amoureux de cet homme magnifique.

J'ai récemment écris une histoire sur lui si cela vous intéresse, n'hésitez pas à la lire 😁

Et j'ai créé un jeu dans lequel il apparaît

🌟⭐🌟⭐🌟⭐🌟⭐🌟⭐🌟⭐🌟⭐🌟⭐

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@delicateaestheticwritingmug @tidodore2 @emerldarchr @rainykpoptravelcreator @leftprogrammingroadtripdean @faginparis @whiteboicuckie @blackmansrevenge @gayhopefullove @intergaycial @lovefanfiction01 @natashaxmarvelmen @buckybarens2steverogers @fartsub1 @alq123

[jeanmcrawford]

In Defense of the Poor Image

This article by Hito Steryl discusses the poor image, which can be understood as images ranked and valued according to its resolution based on standards of image quality in society. Film, images, and lens-based media have been obscured by neoliberal restructuring, capitalism, commercialism, and materialization. The article also highlights the circulation of poor images online, which creates social networks that have shared histories, beliefs, and understandings. The main point of the article is to understand the position poor images hold in relation to industries, social structures, and the art world. It points out how poor images call out conformism and exploitation while exposing the importance of focus or resolution in films or photography. This article shows how life is reflected through the discarding of poor images, and if at all images should be given value through societal expectations of quality.

From this reading, I gathered the complexity of what happens when images or art enters the public domain. I never grasped the meaning behind discarded or poor images even in regards to my own art. I see how we live in a world that values quality, which creates pressure to conform and publicize work that is considered to be high resolution/quality. This will help me in my art process to value every photo and every step of the process, and to not discard something that is deemed 'not to standard' because it still is art that I created that can represent several aspects of myself. I think the whole article was interesting, especially since it critiques an element of art that is not usually discussed. I want to know more about the influence of gender expectations, the nation state, and other structural factors of society on the imposed value on images. I wonder if there can even be a way to publicize art without it being assimilated into controlling factors of society that uphold conformity and capitalism?

This is Chris Marker's virtual home on Second Life. I like this image because it looks like something created for a video game, and how it critiques the privatization of art through its widespread availability. I can see how expectations of quality deem this image poor because of low resolution or it being out of focus, but I think that in of itself critiques this system of ranking images. I like the setting that is created, along with the details that appear to just be thrown together.

This is jpeg rl104 by Thomas Ruff. This is a prime example of valuing images based on resolution and focus. The article discusses the way poor images are spread quickly and compressed, and this image shows the dematerialization of art and critiques the fetish value of visibility and high resolution. If this image was higher in quality it would probably be rewarded for capturing an impactful moment, but since it is not in focus it is not given the same treatment.

This is another piece by Chris Marker that caught my attention. I love how visually stunning this piece is and how it achieves capturing a different reality. Again, this feels very similar to video game art and rendering, and I feel like art from video games gets undermined or underrepresented in the art world.

This whole article debates the system of which photography and film are ranked or valued in society. The ranking of images reflects the ranking of class society, and the parameters that define perfection or quality are influenced by societal structures that turn art into a commodity. This article dissects whether or not art should be valued this way or not, and if not then what other way should art be valued.