#too reliant on US pop culture and US events in general

[idiopathicsmile]

there is a level where i'm delighted that Fall Out Boy wrote a continuation of We Didn't Start the Fire. both because it exists, and because more songs should have sequels.

the meanest thing i can say about it is that the nicest thing i can say about it is that it exists.

[austintexas-rp]

Age: 27

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She / Her

Neigborhood: Zilker

Occupation: Wedding & Event Planner

Triggers: Death (Parental), Adultery

BIOGRAPHY

Can Kemal — a wealthy man. One born of privilege and a silver spoon in his mouth whilst he looked onto the world in admiration and appreciation. From a young age, he had been spoiled rotten, but alas, he was no stranger to hard word and dedication, his father had come from nothing and in turn worked his ass off for where he and his family were currently at. With Amira’s grandfather building his own hotel within their home of Istanbul, Turkey, it had become a huge success. People from all over becoming tourists to the beautifully designed and welcoming environment. It’s design classic and glamorous, appealing to those with heavier wallets and bank accounts; but of course, there were availabilities for smaller and more affordable room, as he believed everybody should have the chance to visit his hotel; The Kemal. An obvious reason behind the name choice, and in turn, he knew that the hotel business was going to be passed down through generations, which it of course was; later passed down to his son, Can. It was pre-established, and there was no real choice in the matter, though he was more than happy to take over, ensuring he was ready when the time came, taking business courses and anything that could assist him in the running of the empire his father was handing over.

Things seemed to have escalated over night, and rightfully so considering the hard work put into running a successful hotel. Within ten years, there was another few hotels popping up around Turkey, winning a few acclaimed awards in the hospitality business. Between himself and his father, it was no surprise really, one more modern at the time, and one taking old fashioned traditions and customs, giving them an amazing middle ground. Throughout most of his life, he had managed to focus solely on that of his father’s empire and growing this into something he could be proud of on his part too, but alas, he had not anticipated falling in love in the way that he had. Deeply and intensely to the point he would’ve given it all up for her if she had asked. A simple feat considering what was at stake if he had lost her. Alas, that was never in the question, and in turn, she had accepted him for all he was; even if it was a workaholic at times. Amira’s mother was also from money, though in this instance it was at her own hand, after she had thrown herself into the modelling industry; so there was never any question regarding her loyalty, or her intentions towards Can. And it wasn’t long before the pair were wed; now becoming Can and Leyla Kemal. Give it a few years of building the business together, Leyla using her fame, and Can his business strategies and they were top of the market, and what made it better? The fact that Leyla was now expecting their first child; their son.

Upon the birth of Murat, the parents were thrilled; Can not only ecstatic with his newborn baby, but knowing that he would have someone to help him with the family business in the future. Unfortunately though, not everything goes according to plan. After four years, the pair then anticipated the arrival of their last child, and this time a daughter by the name of Amira, blue eyed and beautiful, she was immediately the apple of her father’s eye. They were their own perfect little family unit, and above all — they were happy. With the hotel chain just building in success, and the newfound family that was now complete, it was no surprise that the Kemal’s felt on top of the world, really. Unfortunately though, Can’s father then passed away, leaving him the entire empire in which they had essentially built together over the decades. There was more pressure than ever to continue the high stakes and build the dynasty further, which was hopefully going to be passed down onto one of his own children, though Can had always had his eyes set on his eldest son taking on that ownership. Nonetheless, it was years down the line that that would even have been a possibility, and in the meantime, further challenges were ahead for the small family. Can’s grief lead him to push further than ever with his work, now deciding to move to the United States and build his first hotel in another country. It was time, and there was nothing keeping them in Turkey, the shareholders and partners were happy to manage things there, and if worst came to worst, Can was merely hours away on a flight.

At just four years old, Amira found herself in an entirely new culture; the land of the free. It was beautiful. The cities bigger than ever, and the accents and language enough to confuse such a young girl. Alas, San Francisco was now going to be her home, alongside her family’s. Years pressed on, and the family found themselves settled in nicely, with Amira particularly taking a shine to the place they now called home, with friends rapidly finding their way into her life. Especially considering their residence being in the top floor of the hotel, children always found it interesting that Amira resided there, and always come over for dinner and play dates, all the way through the age of four until she was up and out of high school where she excelled in everything. It was her duty to come out of school with the best grades possible, and extra curricular in place to secure herself a place in college, without relying on her father. The Kemal hotels had taken off in the Sates, and by the time she had reached the age of eighteen, they were all around the country, their name now familiar amongst even the press. She wasn’t quite Paris Hilton, thankfully so, but the public knowledge of her life was there. It was strange at first, but she had quickly become accustomed to it, especially when she didn’t have much to hide at a young age, and instead just focused her attention on her own career path, and investing time in her family.

Whilst Murat quickly learned from his father, at the age of twenty-two, when Amira was just eighteen and finding herself just starting college, Murat was finishing up with business school. He had everything he needed to get by with the company, and he would continue to learn as time went on, though he had taken to the public eye a little differently to that of his baby sister. He was young, and no doubt it was what had spurred matters on, especially with another woman on his arm every time he stepped out the door, but it could have been worse, right? So, whilst he focused on learning the lay of the land with this particular career path, Amira was left to do as she pleased, essentially. Her mother had great connections to get her into whatever she pleased, but the blue eyed young woman wanted to make a name for herself that didn’t revolve around her mother and father’s attention, and instead knew she was interested in event planner and wedding planning; which is exactly what she went to school for. Again, a business career path, knowing she could create her own company if she wished to, CFO; it had a nice ring to it. Her parents had no real objections to it, and in fact, she helped throw together some parties and galas held at hotels across the country to get her foot in the door once she had graduated from school with honours.

Unfortunately, out of college, and when life was supposed to just start, it had crept up on and everything was crushed by the next hand dealt. Her mother’s death was sudden and not without trauma. An aneurysm, the doctors said. There was nothing that could have been done. But unfortunately, thought he words were supposed to be comforting, they were nothing if not a hindrance. They were useless. And now? Now their family was missing a vital piece. Not only that, but her father refused to do just about anything, not even talk. No words left the man’s lps for months after her death, which of course made their business fall, with Murat only twenty-six years old, he was in no position to be running the entire company, especially after suffering a loss himself. And the shareholders knew as much, meaning things began to fall downhill for the family business, it was knock after knock for the Kemal’s and quickly they began to become heavily reliant on Amira who was now the woman of the household; still living under her father’s roof essentially as she had her own place within the hotel. She did her best to be there for everyone, becoming somewhat of the glue of the family, but it too took it’s toll on the young woman. So much so that one night she vanished, ditched her phones, left everything in her room and went down to one of the, what she assumed to be empty bars. Fortunately enough, it wasn’t. Aside from the bartender, there was just one other patron, a man. And that too was where their story began.

At first, their time together was purely platonic. That one night at the bar leading onto many discussions of their current stance in life; how they were going through hell and needed to turn it around rapidly to get by. Amira with her father’s downfall, her mother’s death, and the weight upon hers and her brother’s shoulders, whilst his marriage rapidly began to disperse around him. They met frequently and took advise from one another to the point where they realised that perhaps it was working? Whatever it was that was going on between them, life was beginning to look up. Her father was making a comeback, and he was actually getting out of his bed, which was a massive step in the right direction. However, both quickly realised that it wasn’t quite the advise that changed things, but the person in general, and though he was married, and she knew it was wrong, she couldn’t help herself. Upon one drink too many, a kiss escalated their relationship to an entirely new level; unfamiliar territory for both involved. One kiss lead to her escorting him back to her room upstairs, and the rest was history. And despite the usually moral Amira knowing exactly what this relationship was, and how nothing could come from it, she realised that it felt right. Being with him. And this just happened to outweigh her better judgement against such actions. And that relationship grew to more than just seeking solace in the other, but instead, she fell in love with the married man.

Their unlikely alliance resulting in years of sneaking around, and confessions of adoration and love of the other. And despite how it had begun, it was going to end better than she had anticipated. Or so she had thought. He promised her a life together — he was going to leave his wife. But upon the night it was supposed to happen, he was thrown with a secret on his wife’s part; she was expecting. A daughter, to be more specific. And that was that. The end of their long lasting affair, as he went to Amira, explaining that he was sorry but how could he turn his back on the family that they were now creating? It had devastated her, but there was so much within her that completely understood and respected his decision, in fact, it had only caused her to fall in love with him more than ever before. She was a good person at the end of the day, despite her earlier actions suggesting otherwise. But love made you do crazy things, right? And she has done her best to distance herself from him and his family. and will go to the grave with this secret. After all, she’s got the public eye on her side. The last thing anyone needed was to find out that Amira had willingly entered into an affair with a married man; her father would be dishonoured, and he was finally on his feet again. Could she really subject him to such a scandal when business was finally looking up? So, instead, she has only ever confided in one person, and no names were mentioned. He was just referred to as ‘him’. It has been some time since the demise of her relationship, and she has done everything she can to rectify such guilt within her. Charity work. Working abroad to help those who needed it. Sponsorship’s within her work, and taking on interns who needed her help to get their foot into the event and wedding planning business.

PERSONALITY

( + ) Withstanding, Courageous, Passionate

( - ) Naïve, Stubborn, Reckless

[toonstarterz]

BECAUSE I’M NOT POPULAR, I’LL READ WATAMOTE: CHAPTER #137

Once upon a time, there was a girl. An unpopular girl. That nobody knew, nobody cared. She strived to be popular. To have dozens of friends and live the life of a socially fulfilled high school girl. After much time and effort, she had finally succeeded in her goal. She got friends. She got popular. She became normal.

But it wasn’t everything she hoped it would be.

And so Golden Week came around. She made plans with her new friends. And the popular girl can’t help but wonder...

“Is this really what I want?”

Chapter 137: Because I’m Not Popular, I’ll Prepare for Golden Week 

Okada: “Is my forehead that big?”

Katou: I wonder if Kuroki-san is doing anything after this...?

Tomoko: “Man, I’m tired.” 

Komiyama: [ Exactly what it says. ]

Y'all know the drill by now. Tomoko expects the least, ends up getting the most.

Katou is honestly a very difficult character to get right in this kind of manga. For a series as excruciatingly real as this, a beautiful, popular girl like Katou could easily come off as “unrealistic” or an “otaku’s fantasy” with the way she reaches out to Tomoko. But Nico Tanigawa manages to keep Katou within the realm of believability, and I think it’s because she treats everyone with motherly kindness. It’s her natural instinct, so it doesn’t seem forced in the slightest.

Yeah, buzz off, Kiyota! You’ve already exceeded this manga’s male quota for the next ten chapters.

It sure is swell that Tomoko’s friendship with Yuri has grown enough that even people outside of the loop can see how joined-at-the-hip they’ve become.

I’m getting flashbacks of the KBBQ dinner right now. Someone invites Tomoko, she invites Yuri, Yuri gives a double negative response, etc. What gal pals.

Again, more KBBQ flashbacks, only with a twist. At the party, Yuri took the affected role, stating that her decision to go would be based on whether Tomoko would. But now, the roles have switched with Yuri suggesting that Tomoko wouldn’t go if she wasn’t there with her. I don’t like where this is going...

Mako is totally the type to keep track of how she divides the time between her friends, always balancing a bail with a hangout. Such are the difficulties of being the “nucleus” friend.

For better or worse, Yuri‘s been taking Mako’s “rejections” in stride lately. Better, because that means she’s no longer unhealthily dependent on her best friend. Worse, because that could means she projected her attachment issues onto Tomoko and Yoshida. Have her insecurities been dissolved, or have they just been spread wider across their little quartet?

Mako and Yoshida talking when the others aren’t around is total friendship-baiting and I’m behind it 100%.

The ultimate tug-of-war between a mom who knows their daughter’s faults and a daughter who’s too stubborn to heed her mother’s concerns. 

Sorry, Yuri dear, but at that, I’mma callin’ shenanigans. 

It should be fairly obvious by now that Yuri is becoming dangerously co-dependent on her relationship with Tomoko. It’s not so much that Tomoko needs Yuri with her, but that Yuri needs to feel that she’s invaluable to Tomoko so that she herself can be validated. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy that can only get worse since Tomoko and Yuri are going in opposite directions, with the former becoming more self-assured, and the latter becoming more reliant. 

Katou rolling her sleeves up inexplicably raises her “mom” appeal three-fold.

For those who don’t know, this the same joke that happened when Tomoko peeked at Ucchi during the sports festival. Only eating rice is suggestive of just having done something exhausting, usually perverted in nature. Oh, that Nemo.

Still, it’s telling that Nemo actually made that joke and got shot down by Tomoko right in front of the others. Their bantering is usually kept just between them, but doing it within earshot could lead to some pretty tense situations if the others jump in.

That’s quite the unique face Yuri’s making. Not exactly anger or resentment, but there’s something negative about her expression. My best guess is exasperation, but low-key, as only Yuri could. And I hate to say it, but it’s pretty hypocritical of Yuri to get all bent out of shape about Katou’s smothering, when she herself came just to “support” Tomoko.

This might seem innocuous at first, it really speaks to Yuri’s non-indulgent behavior when receiving attention from others, as is very common of introverts. Just like how Tomoko chose something moderate when Okada treated her.

The whole exchange here is incredibly awkward, but it comes off more sincerely than it is cringeworthy. The kind of awkward that makes you facepalm is the result of knowing that the whole thing could’ve been avoided, or at least done better. Okada’s apology and Yuri’s dismissive forgiveness really couldn’t be handled differently, so while there’s this unspoken barrier between them, we can get behind it because you can tell Okada and Yuri are doing their best to clear the air.

Food porn.

Is it embarrassing? Yes. Is Tomoko going to do anything about it? Nah, she’s going to milk Katou’s motherliness for all she’s worth.

And let’s be real-Can you really blame her?

This whole “normie” business didn’t make a whole lotta sense to me when I first read it, but by comparing it to another label used in the West, I was able to make a connection.

Back in the day, the word “nerd” was a derogatory term, used to insult people who were into comics, video games, anime, etc. But by the turn of the last decade or so, this idea of a nerd became antiquated when people realized that the things that nerds were once ridiculed for were actually entertaining in their own right. The standard of being a nerd dropped to the point where mildly enjoying pop culture was enough to make you a nerd. And thus, when everyone became a nerd, nobody was. And the nerd became an identity that only the most hardcore of nerds could adopt.

I never realized until now just how much social stock Tomoko has put into having a boyfriend. You’d think that after her perceptions of the “normies” evolved, she’d understand that having a boyfriend or having a romantic relationship, in general, isn’t as valuable as society makes it out to be.

Now the whole “hanging out at the cafe” thing being normie...maybe.

Quickly researches the reputation of Aoyama Academy.

Oh. So like, Stanford or Princeton. Dream on, Tomoko.

Dat tiny smile on Yuri is too precious.

One thing that I’ve always wanted to see more of is Tomoko’s sense of humor at work. She doesn’t do it often, but the few times when she casually jokes around are met with positive reception, most notably with Yuri. While the readers are more used to Tomoko’s raunchy, crude humor, Tomoko can also play up the “I’m an idiot”-type humor. And it works especially with Yuri and Nemo, who can tell when she’s half-bullshitting them. 

A rare moment of genuine playfulness between Tomoko and Nemo.

Of course, because Tomoko actually is an idiot at times, it can be hard to tell when she being actually stupid, or being fake-stupid for the laughs.

Mama Katou doesn’t know this yet, so naturally, she has to protect her daughter from the mean bullies. Her dialogue here could easily come off as confrontational if it were spoken by anyone else, but as we’ve seen before, Katou is more of the “quiet rage” kind of girl.

Yeah, I saw the video of Cristiano Ronaldo defending the Japanese boy from the audience. Referential humor tends to be hit-or-miss, depending on whether the joke is sustainable without it. In this case, it’s the kind that can be lost in a few years time. So despite being a piece of common entertainment knowledge in Japan, once in while for the series is just enough to keep it fresh. 

I must admit, I used to think that Katou was a replacement character for Imae after she left. But now that we’ve had time to get to know her, I see that that’s not really the case at all.

Sure, Katou is caring and sweet like Imae, but what sets Katou apart from her besides her “mommy-ness” is her naivety. Katou has all the tenderness and effort of a guardian, but she lacks the sensibility...somewhat. But that bit of cluelessness is essential to rounding out her character, enough so that even this stylish riajuu can play the outcast in times like this.

Damn, girl. It’s one thing to view Tomoko as a good person. It’s another thing to see her as some societal paragon. Now I’m kind of hoping she doesn’t get corrupted by the Tomoko virus.  

Even though this is being played for laughs, it does key into an actual strength of Tomoko’s that none of the others have. That being, her extreme candidness. Tomoko, frankly, sucks at pretending to be someone she isn’t, but is incredibly impressionable when she's her unrestrained self. Yes, there’s a time and place for that kind of thing, but sometimes, an incestual eroge is exactly what you need to get your point across.

Precious Lil’ Bean and Jealous Lil’ Bean. Take your pick. 

Yeah, yeah, Nemo getting in Tomoko’s face is nothing new. However, what is new is how Nemo dishes it out and how Tomoko takes it. Nemo usually glowers over the girl as if to assert dominance, but she’ll occasionally crouch down, like a cheetah ready to pounce. Tomoko always cowers a bit during Nemo’s provocations, shrinking down with caution. But here, Tomoko doesn’t waver. She stays upright, even looking down at Nemo for once despite being obviously flustered. Stand your ground, Tomoko. Stand. Your. Ground.

Low-key bitching followed by buddy-buddy invitation equals the politics of friendships.

Sweetie, the girl can’t even bother to use your own name. What do you think?

Normally, I’m not fond of this kind of storytelling where the author tacks on additional, never-before-seen events to a previously seen memory just to add plot tension. The only reason I let this slide is because, as is soon revealed, this memory is more for Yuri’s characterization than for story direction. Plus, it’s interesting to compare how close they are now as opposed to back then. You win this time, Nico Tanigawa.

Taking the easy route even in college, eh, Tomoko? I expect nothing less from you.

Taking the easy route even in college, eh, Yuri? I also expect nothing less from you.

Lazy Sisters Unite!

Promised, my ass.

You’re killing me, Yuri, making me call shenanigans on you twice in one chapter. But yes, twisting your friend’s words into a promise just to suit your needs, and then playing the victim card when said friend doesn’t keep their “promise” is a serious friendship offense. As much as we will all want to Yuri have beautiful, lovely friendships with these girls, it suddenly makes a whole lot of sense why Yuri didn’t have these friendships in the first place. My emotional spectrum is out of whack right now, unable to determine whether Yuri’s behavior is a regression in character or a reconstruction of one.

Bless Mako and her patience.

Oh god, Nemo’s Yandere Stare is spreading.

Hmm, the extra text on Yuri’s date is ripe for some overanalyzing. My first instinct is to say that writing more of a description is indicative of Tomoko actually caring more about spending time with Yuri than she does with Nemo and Katou. But then again, it could just very well be that Tomoko didn’t want to be redundant and write the same thing over three times. 

Whatever the reason, at least she managed to write out Yuri’s last name. I might have died if she just drew a face with pigtails. 

This has always been one Tomoko’s key developments, realizing that being a normie or popular doesn’t give you a pass in life. Everyone has their own shit to deal with no matter how (un)popular you are, and now that Tomoko has gotten a taste of that, the next step for Tomoko’s personal journey could be one of self-actualization: 

Stay where you are and possibly lose your roots, or go back to where you came from and potentially lose what you gained?

Exact-a-mundo. A lot of people have criticized this manga for turning Tomoko into a normie and betraying who she was. But in my opinion, Tomoko is not a normie. Such a self-deprecating label is more defined by one’s personality rather than their social network. Tomoko knows a lot of normies, but until she stylizes up her hair, disregards her hobbies and pulls a Nemo, she’ll always be our lovable mojyo.

On a final note, it’s easy to see Tomoko as the dense protagonist of harem manga right now, and yet, these punchlines regarding her “pursuits” seem to be much more effective if you look at Tomoko’s “harem” as just platonic and devoid of romantic subtext (whether or not it’s actually doing that is another story). Perhaps it’s because while Tomoko is oblivious to everyone’s jealousy, she actually has a great deal of agency that is not often seen in harem protags. The girls are so responsive to Tomoko’s actions, and thus, the emotional core of the Tomoko’s harem actually carries some well-earned weight. 

Can we have more manga with a strong, platonic harem, please?

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 21st April 2019

There’s two new arrivals this week and other than one other story not much happened this week so this is going to be a really short episode without a featured song but I don’t care, I needed a break anyway, we’ve had some busy weeks very recently, I’m going to take advantage of a slow week.

Top 10

We barely get any country on the UK charts mostly because country is very, very American so there’s barely any real crossover most of the time, although Florida Georgia Line have cropped up a few times before. So that’s why I think the success of Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Old Town Road” is so puzzling, at least internationally, because countries like those in the UK are not typically all too friendly to country and/or trap, at least before about 2017 when urban music really started to take a step up in popularity within Britain. I guess it just struck a chord at the right time, especially with the cowboy aesthetic that I see in fashion recently, how we’ve reached peak trap, the acceptance of comedy and meme-rap in the mainstream, unfortunately thanks to Lil Dicky and simply how Lil Nas X is one of us. He was a Twitter comedian and Nicki Minaj stan account, so I’m sure his personality and character is relatable to people right now. We’re still experiencing some 90s nostalgia resurgence right now so Billy Ray Cyrus’ addition just made it perfect... and yes, that means that there’s a new #1. Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’ first, “Old Town Road” is up one space from last week to the top of the charts, and I’m not complaining. While I’m a tad more lukewarm on the original, I do think that Billy Ray Cyrus adds a lot to the track and I’ve been rooting for its success ever since it started to be in TikTok memes, so this is a pretty cool event here, even if it’s already been #1 in the US for like four weeks, and I’m pretty sure it’s more of an international cultural phenomenon than I ever expected it to be.

Wow, what a drawn-out speech just to say some country-rap song from a Nicki Minaj stan has hit #1. Speaking of wastes of time, Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved” is of course down a spot to number-two from last week.

Billie Eilish’s “bad guy” is still at number-three.

MEDUZA and Goodboys continue to rise a spot to number-four with “Piece of Your Heart”.

Also up a space from last week is Tom Walker’s “Just You and I” at number-five.

“Giant” by Calvin Harris and Rag ‘n’ Bone Man has a particularly bad week down two spots to number-six.

The interesting story here is Russ splash and Tion Wayne, however, both having their second top 10 hit in the UK thanks to “Keisha & Becky”, which debuted a few weeks ago in the top 20 and went absolutely nowhere, but has suddenly boosted up 23 spots to number-seven. Maybe there’s been a video released – but that can’t be it because it quite literally debuted with a video already released. I soon found out that there’s a remix with Aitch, JAY1, Sav’O and Swarmz. I’ve talked about JAY1 and Swarmz before, but otherwise this is new territory and while I still have the same problems with the chorus especially, but the verses aren’t bad here, and Tion Wayne ending his with humming is pretty funny. Aitch is just embarrassing though, Sav’O and JAY1 are non-existent and Swarmz references “Gucci Gang”. It’s also way too long now, so I would in no way call it an improvement.

Down a spot from last week is Jonas Brothers with “Sucker” at number-eight.

Also down one space from last week is Dave with “Location” featuring Burna Boy at number-nine.

Finally, “Here with Me” is at #10, rounding off our top 10 with CHVRCHES’ first ever top 10 hit and Marshmello’s fifth, up a spot from last week.

Climbers

I find it funny that I concluded the last episode or so with mentioning how I can see all the debuts being hits but none of them are really going away right now, so I hope they’re slow burners. Speaking of, Alec Benjamin’s “Let Me Down Slowly” featuring Alessia Cara is up five spaces to #31, and that’s the only notable climber we have.

Fallers

We have a handful more of these, however. Billie Eilish’s “bury a friend” continues its fall down five spots to #15, as does “wish you were gay” funnily enough also by Billie Eilish at #26. “MONOPOLY” by Ariana Grande and Victoria Monét is also down seven positions to #30, prematurely joining long-term hits like “Wow.” by Post Malone down six spaces to #32. Oh, and there was an absolutely massive collapse for Ariana Grande’s “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored” thanks to streaming cuts and dumb UK chart rules, down 24 spaces to #39.

Dropouts & Returning Entries

Remember when I said last week’s debuts would have longevity? Well... “My Bad” by Khalid is out from #32, “Kill This Love” by BLACKPINK drops out as expected from #33 and “Cool” by Jonas Brothers is out from #39. Otherwise, as I figured, “Streatham” by Dave is out from #40 and that’s all. In terms of returning entries, “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee is back at #40 for some reason and for equally no reason, “Who Do You Love” by the Chainsmokers and 5 Seconds of Summer is back at #36. Sure?

NEW ARRIVALS

#13 – “Boy with Luv” – BTS featuring Halsey

Produced by Pdogg – Peaked at #1 in Malaysia and South Korea, #8 in the US

BTS have a new “Comeback”, because that’s what all their albums are called, I guess, even if their eras are non-existent. That’s one thing I don’t really like about K-pop – the mismanagement, and how the bands are overworked, but I suppose that’s none of my business, I’m just here to review the music – and, yes, this is the lead single and video from K-pop boy band BTS’ album and/or EP MAP OF THE SOUL : PERSONA, featuring... Halsey? To clarify it’s pretty much just a brief cameo, she doesn’t add anything to the song at all other than some crossover potential and to be fair I think that it will help them have more longevity unlike most K-pop songs that end up on the main charts. The beat is pretty barebones initially, just a vocal samples and a pretty groovy bassline actually, under a pretty steady drum beat which feels more organic than most K-pop beats, which usually go for a stilted trap beat. I can’t tell the difference between the BTS boys and Halsey, but I will say the pre-chorus is really catchy, even though I feel like I’ve heard it all before, it has a slight resemblance to “Wolves” by Selena Gomez and Marshmello, I see? The “oh, my, my, my” refrain reminds me of something I cannot exactly place my fingertip on and it’s really annoying, maybe it’s “Sweet but Psycho” by Ava Max but not exactly? I don’t really care, though, because it still suffers from what all K-pop does, the randomly-placed trap-rap verses which, while usually flowing well and okay within themselves, are not placed into the song as if it was an actual part of the song, as in, cohesive composition, and instead like an abrupt beat switch for no apparent reason. To be fair, this is more comprehensible than most other K-pop, but for BTS’ second top 40 hit (First top 20) and Halsey’s sixth (Fourth top 20), it is disappointing, especially with knowledge of the other artists’ work, which is mostly pretty damn good.

#12 – “SOS” – Avicii featuring Aloe Blacc

Produced by Avicii, Albin Nedler and Bonn – Peaked at #1 in Finland and Sweden, and #68 in the US

So, yeah, EDM DJ Tim Bergling committed suicide last year, there’s no way to avoid talking about that, and as to be expected with (And has since happened to) pop stars who die, posthumous albums will be released, the first of Avicii’s being Tim. While Avicii supposedly had the instrumental prior and all was needed was for Aloe Blacc to add some songwriting and lay down his vocals, it is stil like most posthumous releases, somewhat empty, and since a representative stated that there weren’t any plans to release any music, it does feel pretty scummy just a year later, but this is the only song really generating all too much profit for the producers and songwriters (Mostly because of the writing credits for TLC, ironically excluding the member who passed away), because of how all of the profits the album generates are going to the Tim Bergling Foundation, spreading mental health awareness, and I can’t knock that, so I do respect his label and close friends and family for producing this record. This is Avicii’s 14th UK Top 40 hit, the first of which that is posthumous, and his 12th Top 20, as well as Aloe Blacc’s fourth Top 40 and Top 20 hit, and honestly it’s pretty good. Sure, it sounds somewhat unfinished, and it really isn’t anything unique, but I love Blacc’s voice and the hook is insanely catchy, mostly because of the interpolation of “No Scrubs”, with the overproduced synths producing a legitimately good build-up into a relaxed but fun EDM drop, and I don’t really have any complaints about it, other than the fact that due to the circumstances, Aloe Blacc’s subject matter is unfortunately ironic and perhaps misguided, but I understand his intentions with having the song portraying a man, possibly detailing Avicii’s own personal struggles, willing to stop being reliant on drugs for the love of his life, and that’s a message I can get behind. For what it’s worth, I like this, but I’m not sure how moral it is or how long it’ll stick around.

Conclusion

It’s kind of slim pickings here, but I’ll go with Avicii and Aloe Blacc in terms of Best of the Week for “SOS” but I don’t dislike “Boy with Luv” at all so I think BTS and Halsey can scrape through with an Honourable Mention and there are no negative titles this week, because nothing here is worth getting angry about. Follow me on Twitter @cactusinthebank for more pop music ramblings and Top 20 rankings, and I’ll see you next week!

[natsunoomoi]

Tulpa?

So I learned about this a week or so ago after watching a video where it was casually mentioned. I’m a little confused and unsure about the concept and if I understand it right. It looks like the initial idea came from Tibetan Buddhism, but I’m not really trustful that the common practice is a correct interpretation of that or if it’s kind of an appropriation of an actual cultural practice. So I’m a bit apprehensive about it in the general sense....

But also reading about people’s experiences also sounds a bit like my experience with my “imaginary friends” when I was a kid.

I think at the beginning they were like real imaginary friends, and they would play with myself and my sister. I can’t be sure though if my sister’s experience was the same as mine or if it was all just pretending for her. I always had a sense of those friends being around and cheering us on. At the beginning it full on was pretend because we’d have elaborate races in our grandmother’s backyard and we’d say to each other they were cheering us on and stuff.

As we got into anime, anime characters filled the ranks of our friends, which always included characters from pop culture. Every time we watched a new show, we got more friends that would join in on our childhood shared antics. Growing up we mostly only had each other. We had some friends at school too, but after we got home it was just us and we weren’t really allowed to go to friend’s houses a lot because we were latchkey kids and it might be dangerous to be out. So then there was us, our stuffed animals, and our imaginary friends that filled our play time for a long time.

Then though we got into middle school and they were still there, but we didn’t play with them like we did before. At least for me they were still there. I don’t know if for my sister they were still there for her or if they faded away because we didn’t play with them. For me though, they watched over me and sat in corners of the classroom or waited outside. I didn’t necessarily interact with them as much anymore, but they were still there.

One in particular though, I feel like never really left and still feels like watches over me. It’s weird because I know he’s not really there, but it also feels like he is? It also isn’t weird that I don’t interact with him because he’s based off of an anime character who just acts like that. I don’t know if it’s obvious, but that particular “friend” was one based on Hiei from Yu Yu Hakusho. So like, again, him hanging out in a tree somewhere and just watching over people he cares about without talking to them seems completely normal. But like from when I was 10 until I was in about my first year of high school I had regular interactions with many imaginary friends including him. Over time most of them faded away and I didn’t question it because society said that’s normal for imaginary friends, but the Hiei one never really left-ish? Like it always still felt like he was in some tree or nearby. Even now, I don’t really feel like he’s here with me in my apartment, but I always have a faint inkling like he’s just watching over and standing on a branch or on top of some building or something. It’s weird. I think a few times it felt like he would come into the place I’m living or just check things out even when I was older even though I didn’t really fully acknowledge it because it was weird to think an imaginary friend I had since I was 10 was still around me.

I bring this up now and am admitting it now only because I heard about this thing with tulpas and it sounds similar? I don’t know, I don’t really know what to make of it.

I think at the beginning with my imaginary friends, it was definitely a thing with childhood play, but after awhile perhaps it was more like a way to cope with loneliness or something. I don’t think I felt particularly lonely or anything, but I guess maybe it was a way to deal with how I couldn’t share everything with my actual friends so maybe it was a way to cope and maybe I wasn’t lonely because I had them. There were a lot of difficult things growing up and I took a liking to Hiei the character in general like for real, so I suppose naturally I just wanted and wished I could interact with him so I kind of did? But then when things got really hard at a certain point and I tried to do like more actual growing up and having real life experiences, I avoided interacting with those friends because it was the grown up thing to do that society said so I did that. I felt more empty though because my real life friends weren’t giving me the support I needed and the first real big painful event that happened, I still felt like they were kind of there to give me some support through it, but as I got older I guess I made myself not rely on them because I thought I have to face it myself and it just got harder. And mostly they only stayed in the stories I had in my head. For some years I didn’t even go there, but when life was really hard I’d go inside and be in that place when I could tune out outwardly like I’m on a long bus ride or I’m drifting off to sleep. But still even though I tried to be more self-reliant and act like an adult, I never really felt like the Hiei one went away. Like he was just around, but I’d never say anything about it because of course that sounds stupid and crazy. But I guess that’s actually what an accidental tulpa is? I don’t really know.

I’ve talked before in a few places about how Hiei the character made a huge impact on me, and yeah he did. The rich stories of the show and manga colored a lot of my life and made me think about a lot of things. My feelings regarding Hiei were a huge influence on how I grew up and like even years later, I laugh when I come to realize how much other characters and people I like are actually similar to Hiei. Like, wow, my brain has a one track mind. I moved on to other shows and other characters and other people, but the character was a huge part of my young life and through, I guess my tulpa, I had other kinds of interactions-ish that kind of strengthened my thoughts about the character and what he means to me. It’s all really confusing to me and hard to explain. When I was really young at the beginning too, I would think I would see him in a flash in different places and I thought he was really there. But I don’t know, it was a way for me to get through the tough parts of life. I felt stronger when I did too I guess because it was like being a friend to myself? I’m not sure. I don’t really know what to make of this as I have that nagging voice in my head about society’s expectations of me and stuff, so there’s some things I guess I can’t even verbalize in text about it.

I don’t know, maybe it’s stupid and sad, but I don’t really have much to lose at this point in my life. Nothing’s really worked out how I wanted. I’ve been fortunate enough to make some better friends and such, but also other kinds of betrayal and mistreatment. And I don’t know. Maybe if I talk with him some more I can help give myself the motivation to get all the things I need to do done and to work my way out of my situation and make the best of the rest of the life I have, but it was just kind of weird to come upon this phenomenon now that perfectly seems to describe something that happened to me before and something I tried to distance myself from because society told me it was childish.

[viralhottopics]

Can YouTube star PewDiePie survive this latest scandal?

An image from YouTube Red’s “Scare PewDiePie.”

Image: YouTube red

How far is too far?

For PewDiePie ranked Forbes‘ highest-paid YouTube star of 2015 and 2016 that question had never been a problem.

In the last year, the Swedish gamer has: tweeted that he and YouTuber Jacksepticeye have “joined ISIS“; bashed reporters for singling him out in articles about the Federal Trade Commission and Warner Bros. “pay for play” settlement; hated on a rival channel which stars a 5-year-old; and trolled fans by saying he would delete his channel after he reached 50 million subscribers but instead deleted a secondary channel he barely uses.

Despite this, most fans stood by PewDiePie, whose real name is Felix Kjellberg. His business partners remained silent about his often inappropriate jokes and actions.

SEE ALSO: YouTube cancels PewDiePie show after anti-Semitic jokes

But on Monday, PewDiePie’s trolling posting videos containing anti-Semitic “jokes” and Nazi imagery cost him his biggest business relationships: Disney and YouTube.

Disney’s digital entertainment company Maker Studios dropped PewDiePie after The Wall Street Journal’s extensive review of the YouTubers recent videos. YouTube subsequently canceled season two of its Red series Scare PewDiePie, and removed the star one of their biggest names from the Google Preferred advertising program.

Image: screenshot/youtube

This is the first time such a huge YouTube star arguably the biggest YouTuber has faced such repercussions for his actions.

Now, the industry is at a crossroads. Will businesses reliant on YouTubers for revenue scrutinize their content more? And if they do, will it even matter for these stars, who have already built their own massive followings?

“This is a critical moment for the oftentimes awkward dance that YouTubers and brands have been doing,” said Chris Allieri, principal, Mulberry & Astor, a communications and public affairs consultancy.”Its a risk for brands to associate with YouTube talent, especially the irreverent and at times controversial ones.”

If PewDiePie mostly survives this big of a scandal, it will mean that anything goes in the YouTube world. And businesses may not even have a say.

‘Broadcast Yourself’

Since its inception 10 years ago, YouTube has operated under the motto “broadcast yourself.”

That in turn has made the platform home to anyone and everyone who wants to voice their views via vlogging. Overnight, an average Joe with solid views could become a celebrity.

For that reason, fear of consequence doesnt prevail in the digital space. Most digital stars arent contracted at a studio and most dont have a small army of handlers to whom they are accountable.

Many digital influencers achieved fame for themselves. And since their uncensored selves are the reason for their fame, they dont listen anyway, many in the industry who have worked with creators have told Mashable.

Image: getty images

There have been other instances where agencies and PR firms have dropped clients over conduct. But it’s never been this public, nor has it been with someone considered one of YouTube’s biggest personalities.

YouTube has never really censored PewDiePie. The platform’s guidelines give creators permission to be satirical. However, controversial or sensitive subjects and events, including subjects related to war, political conflicts, natural disasters and tragedies, even if graphic imagery is not shown are prohibited.

In a statement sent to reporters early on Tuesday morning, a YouTube spokesperson confirmed that the platform has decided to kill Season 2 of PewDiePie’s show and remove the PewDiePie channel from Google Preferred. The company, however, will not remove any of his channels.

For some in the industry, PewDiePie’s scandal serves as a reminder of what needs to be done when creators cross the line.

“There should be repercussions for any talent on any medium for promoting hate and intolerance,” Keith Richman, president of Defy Media, said in an interview. “We should value free speech and his right to say it, but that does not mean there should not be repercussions.”

Others, like Allieri, said it will help YouTubers with positive messages rise.

“I think that the horrible comments PewDiePie made and equally important his troubling response to the backlash, will give pause to the savvier YouTubers who are looking to associate with brands, monetize their channels and want to be known for bringing folks together and making people feel good.”

Fan support vs. business backing

PewDiePie got his start in 2010 making funny videos of himself playing games. He was one of the pioneers of the now popular “Let’s Play” YouTube genre, which features video game-play alongside footage of the players narration and reactions.

Maker Studios, which Disney purchased in 2014 for a whopping $675 million, boasts a network of about 55,000 independent creators who collectively draw in 10 billion views per month. PewDiePie, who joined the network in 2012 with just 3 million subscribers, was their biggest star by far.

YouTube had him plastered on billboards across the globe. Susanne Daniels, Head of YouTube Originals, has used Scare PewDiePie as an example of a successful series that actually drew in fans to YouTube Red.

PewDiePie now has over 53 million subscribers to his main channel.

His book This Book Loves You made the New York Times bestseller list and his YouTube Red series Scare PewDiePie before being canceled was a top performer. His second video game, PewDiePies Tuber Simulator, was downloaded more than 1 million times within 24 hours of its release.

Some think losing Maker Studios and YouTube’s support will definitely damage PewDiePie’s reputation.

“The things he posted and portrayed give license to supremacism by normalizing hate speech,” Allieri said. “Disney, Maker and YouTube helped him grow his presence – without them (or his other advertisers) he will be seriously challenged. Whether or not he immediately loses followers will remain to be seen. But this is a black mark that he may never shed. Ever.”

But many of PewDiePie’s most fervent fans seem to disagree. On Twitter, some were confused why PewDiePie was trending (pointing out that he had made it on BBC News). Others called out Disney and YouTube for cutting ties.

Seriously. Why is everyone dropping @pewdiepie now? This is old news and obviously people don’t understand comedy.

Vicki T (@vickitm) February 14, 2017

In general, the attitude toward PewDiePie among the YouTube community has either been burning hatred or fervent love.

#pewdiepie is just a goofy Youtuber fitting for the OCD generation, not a modern Goebbels. Hunt some real Nazis, why don’tcha?

TheWonderingIsraeli (@WonderngIsraeli) February 14, 2017

Even YouTuber Phil DeFranco, known for his videos about news and pop culture, suggested on Twitter the news could elevate PewDiePie rather than harm him.

Also to people saying this is the end of @pewdiepie‘s career…You are so incredibly wrong. He has the advantage here. You just don’t see it

Philip DeFranco (@PhillyD) February 14, 2017

YouTube star Casey Neistat, who announced in November that he is no longer going to keep a daily vlog, also weighed in.

“I’d like to preface all of it by saying I’ve met PewDiePie… in my very best judgment I don’t think the guy has a hateful bone in his body,” Neistat says in the video. “I don’t think his intent was to spread hate … [but] when you have 53 million subscribers it does come with a responsibility and that responsibility is to understand your audience and understand how your words are going to be interpreted. So while you are may be saying something is a joke, your audience may not always interpret it as that.”

PewDiePie didn’t respond to Mashable’s request for comment.

But on Sunday, he posted on his Tumblr that he wanted to clear some things up” about some of his videos featuring the anti-Semitic remarks.

“This originated from a video I made a couple of weeks ago,” he wrote in the post. “I was trying to show how crazy the modern world is, specifically some of the services available online. I picked something that seemed absurd to meThat people on Fiverr would say anything for 5 dollars. I think its important to say something and I want to make one thing clear: I am in no way supporting any kind of hateful attitudes. I make videos for my audience. I think of the content that I create as entertainment, and not a place for any serious political commentary. I know my audience understand that and that is why they come to my channel. Though this was not my intention, I understand that these jokes were ultimately offensive. As laughable as it is to believe that I might actually endorse these people, to anyone unsure on my standpoint regarding hate-based groups: No, I dont support these people in any way.”

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