#uninformed commentary

[nothingenoughao3]

So y'all know how Jeff Combs was doing a theater production which someone involved with Re-Animator saw him in, and how he's suggested that the character he played there influenced how he played Herbert West.

I relayed this to @andalusiapunk and they were like "Oh! That explains it! He's theater-acting!"

I am not an expert by any means, but I did misspend my teenage years in a magnet school as a theater student. I understood immediately what they meant by theater-acting and I'm mad I didn't come up with it.

A lot of this has to do with Herbert's overall physicality. We all love talking about how he's hyper-dramatic, right? How he moves in a particular way that is extremely precise and sharp and, to be on point, theatrical. How he spins the tape recorder in his hand; how he offers Meg's heart in BRIDE; how he fumbles or manipulates syringes in various scenes.

None of that's in the script and it's not necessarily justified by what's happening... unless you're trying to make sure the audience in the backass end of the theater can see you're holding something small, like a tape recorder or a syringe or a human heart. As I observed elsewhere, you can trick the audience into 'seeing' or 'hearing' things that aren't present onstage or screen if your body language insists on its reality.

And, not to get into super-nerdy film history, but: originally theater-acting and movie-acting were one and the same. Early films are blocked like plays, they have extended sequences without constant cutting between shots (like an audience watching a play), and the extremely clear, over-enunciation of a play-actor trying to make sure those poor bastards in the back can hear what they're saying. And like a play, all acting was heavily rehearsed and expected to hit the same points and produce the same results every time.

What changed this was Marlon Brando introducing the idea of improvisation into movie-acting, a choice which also led to a greater flexibility in movie-acting... including delivery of lines. A more "natural", verisimilitudinous delivery became acceptable for films. This doesn't make either style bad, to be clear: each serves its purpose.

Bruce Abbott (to name the most obvious example) is doing movie-acting. He's got some Protagonist Accent going for him, but he has a clear variety of tone and a great deal of subtlety with his facial expressions and delivery. The same goes for the rest of the cast, although David Gale kind of straddles the line between these two styles.

Herbert's delivery is pure theater-acting. When he and Dan invade the morgue, Dan is whispering--but Herbert is stage whispering, which is why he hisses so much. I've made jokes on here before about how Herbert was born on Skid Row in Little Shop of Horrors-verse, and he thinks he's supposed to be in a musical... and, you know, LSOH is a film based on a play, only in that movie, EVERYBODY is theater-acting.

Anyhow, lotta words to find a different way to compliment Combs and the rest of the REANI cast on their acting, because I live for sorcery enjoying these damn movies.

[alwaysbewoke]

[fairymint]

↑ The face of a man who is pretty openly gay, but still with one foot in the closet about being trans. (despite being a frickin celebrity at this point.) He didn't even tell his dad directly.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

An open copyright casebook, featuring AI, Warhol and more

I'm coming to DEFCON! On Aug 9, I'm emceeing the EFF POKER TOURNAMENT (noon at the Horseshoe Poker Room), and appearing on the BRICKED AND ABANDONED panel (5PM, LVCC - L1 - HW1–11–01). On Aug 10, I'm giving a keynote called "DISENSHITTIFY OR DIE! How hackers can seize the means of computation and build a new, good internet that is hardened against our asshole bosses' insatiable horniness for enshittification" (noon, LVCC - L1 - HW1–11–01).

Few debates invite more uninformed commentary than "IP" – a loosely defined grab bag that regulates an ever-expaning sphere of our daily activities, despite the fact that almost no one, including senior executives in the entertainment industry, understands how it works.

Take reading a book. If the book arrives between two covers in the form of ink sprayed on compressed vegetable pulp, you don't need to understand the first thing about copyright to read it. But if that book arrives as a stream of bits in an app, those bits are just the thinnest scrim of scum atop a terminally polluted ocean of legalese.

At the bottom layer: the license "agreement" for your device itself – thousands of words of nonsense that bind you not to replace its software with another vendor's code, to use the company's own service depots, etc etc. This garbage novella of legalese implicates trademark law, copyright, patent, and "paracopyrights" like the anticircumvention rule defined by Section 1201 of the DMCA:

https://www.eff.org/press/releases/eff-lawsuit-takes-dmca-section-1201-research-and-technology-restrictions-violate

Then there's the store that sold you the ebook: it has its own soporific, cod-legalese nonsense that you must parse; this can be longer than the book itself, and it has been exquisitely designed by the world's best-paid, best-trained lawyer to liquefy the brains of anyone who attempts to read it. Nothing will save you once your brains start leaking out of the corners of your eyes, your nostrils and your ears – not even converting the text to a brilliant graphic novel:

https://memex.craphound.com/2017/03/03/terms-and-conditions-the-bloviating-cruft-of-the-itunes-eula-combined-with-extraordinary-comic-book-mashups/

Even having Bob Dylan sing these terms will not help you grasp them:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/10/25/musical-chairs/#subterranean-termsick-blues

The copyright nonsense that accompanies an ebook transcends mere Newtonian physics – it exists in a state of quantum superposition. For you, the buyer, the copyright nonsense appears as a license, which allows the seller to add terms and conditions that would be invalidated if the transaction were a conventional sale. But for the author who wrote that book, the copyright nonsense insists that what has taken place is a sale (which pays a 25% royalty) and not a license (a 50% revenue-share). Truly, only a being capable of surviving after being smeared across the multiverse can hope to embody these two states of being simultaneously:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/06/21/early-adopters/#heads-i-win

But the challenge isn't over yet. Once you have grasped the permissions and restrictions placed upon you by your device and the app that sold you the ebook, you still must brave the publisher's license terms for the ebook – the final boss that you must overcome with your last hit point and after you've burned all your magical items.

This is by no means unique to reading a book. This bites us on the job, too, at every level. The McDonald's employee who uses a third-party tool to diagnose the problems with the McFlurry machine is using a gadget whose mere existence constitutes a jailable felony:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/20/euthanize-rentier-enablers/#cold-war

Meanwhile, every single biotech researcher is secretly violating the patents that cover the entire suite of basic biotech procedures and techniques. Biotechnicians have a folk-belief in "patent fair use," a thing that doesn't exist, because they can't imagine that patent law would be so obnoxious as to make basic science into a legal minefield.

IP is a perfect storm: it touches everything we do, and no one understands it.

Or rather, almost no one understands it. A small coterie of lawyers have a perfectly fine grasp of IP law, but most of those lawyers are (very well!) paid to figure out how to use IP law to screw you over. But not every skilled IP lawyer is the enemy: a handful of brave freedom fighters, mostly working for nonprofits and universities, constitute a resistance against the creep of IP into every corner of our lives.

Two of my favorite IP freedom fighters are Jennifer Jenkins and James Boyle, who run the Duke Center for the Public Domain. They are a dynamic duo, world leading demystifiers of copyright and other esoterica. They are the creators of a pair of stunningly good, belly-achingly funny, and extremely informative graphic novels on the subject, starting with the 2008 Bound By Law, about fair use and film-making:

https://www.dukeupress.edu/Bound-by-Law/

And then the followup, THEFT! A History of Music:

https://web.law.duke.edu/musiccomic/

Both of which are open access – that is to say, free to download and share (you can also get handsome bound print editions made of real ink sprayed on real vegetable pulp!).

Beyond these books, Jenkins and Boyle publish the annual public domain roundups, cataloging the materials entering the public domain each January 1 (during the long interregnum when nothing entered the public domain, thanks to the Sonny Bono Copyright Extension Act, they published annual roundups of all the material that should be entering the public domain):

https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/20/em-oh-you-ess-ee/#sexytimes

This year saw Mickey Mouse entering the public domain, and Jenkins used that happy occasion as a springboard for a masterclass in copyright and trademark:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/15/mouse-liberation-front/#free-mickey

But for all that Jenkins and Boyle are law explainers, they are also law professors and as such, they are deeply engaged with minting of new lawyers. This is a hard job: it takes a lot of work to become a lawyer.

It also takes a lot of money to become a lawyer. Not only do law-schools charge nosebleed tuition, but the standard texts set by law-schools are eye-wateringly expensive. Boyle and Jenkins have no say over tuitions, but they have made a serious dent in the cost of those textbooks. A decade ago, the pair launched the first open IP law casebook: a free, superior alternative to the $160 standard text used to train every IP lawyer:

https://web.archive.org/web/20140923104648/https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/openip/

But IP law is a moving target: it is devouring the world. Accordingly, the pair have produced new editions every couple of years, guaranteeing that their free IP law casebook isn't just the best text on the subject, it's also the most up-to-date. This week, they published the sixth edition:

https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/openip/

The sixth edition of Intellectual Property: Law & the Information Society – Cases & Materials; An Open Casebook adds sections on the current legal controversies about AI, and analyzes blockbuster (and batshit) recent Supreme Court rulings like Vidal v Elster, Warhol v Goldsmith, and Jack Daniels v VIP Products. I'm also delighted that they chose to incorporate some of my essays on enshittification (did you know that my Pluralistic.net newsletter is licensed CC Attribution, meaning that you can reprint and even sell it without asking me?).

(On the subject of Creative Commons: Boyle helped found Creative Commons!)

Ten years ago, the Boyle/Jenkins open casebook kicked off a revolution in legal education, inspiring many legals scholars to create their own open legal resources. Today, many of the best legal texts are free (as in speech) and free (as in beer). Whether you want to learn about trademark, copyright, patents, information law or more, there's an open casebook for you:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/08/14/angels-and-demons/#owning-culture

The open access textbook movement is a stark contrast with the world of traditional textbooks, where a cartel of academic publishers are subjecting students to the scammiest gambits imaginable, like "inclusive access," which has raised the price of textbooks by 1,000%:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/10/07/markets-in-everything/#textbook-abuses

Meanwhile, Jenkins and Boyle keep working on this essential reference. The next time you're tempted to make a definitive statement about what IP permits – or prohibits – do yourself (and the world) a favor, and look it up. It won't cost you a cent, and I promise you you'll learn something.

Support me this summer on the Clarion Write-A-Thon and help raise money for the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop!

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/07/30/open-and-shut-casebook/#stop-confusing-the-issue-with-relevant-facts

Image: Cryteria (modified) Jenkins and Boyle https://web.law.duke.edu/musiccomic/

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

[hallowpen]

I have a question about that scene in Love Sea. I saw your post saying we could ask you about Thailand culture and I was wondering what your interpretation of it was since folks on here had a lot to say about colorism. If I'm overstepping, please feel free to ignore me. I'm not meaning to. I'm just curious what the Thai perspective is.

I'd like to start this off by saying that any genuine curiosity is never an overstep to me. In fact, I appreciate anybody who feels like they can come to me to have these types of conversations rather than making any uninformed generalizations. It's why I made that post to begin with 😊😊😊

I have to admit, that I had no intention of watching Love Sea until after it had finished airing... and mostly for the sapphic cut hehe But my partner is watching it as it airs and when I tried to ask for clarification about the scene you were referring to, I found it better for me to just watch the episode in full myself. So I did...

I think I'm going to tackle the colorism culture that exists in Thailand before I analyze anything having to do with the series. My father is black (Haitian) and my mother is Thai... and that resulted in some very unique experiences for me. Please keep that in mind, as these experiences are going to be what inform my cultural viewpoint.

Colorism exists as a systemic prejudice in Thai culture. The beauty industry, the entertainment industry, and even some cultural traditions place a higher value on lighter skin which is seen as 'preferable' and more attractive than darker skin (especially if you are a woman). It ranges anywhere from what I consider to be ignorant colorism... where someone might say something without even realizing it has racist undertones... to blatant racism where words like ไอ้ดำ are thrown in our faces and we are very obviously being judged. For example, a disagreement on political views could easily become about a person's skin color, rather than a comment on the actual discussions being had (i.e. Nam Patcharaporn). Like all countries, these prejudices vary from place to place. I've been involved in very uncomfortable situations (to put it lightly) in Pattaya... but other than familial issues (I won't get in to any of that) I've never really experienced racism in Pathum Wan. Have things gotten better in more recent years? Slightly. But a lot still needs to be done to reverse racist prejudices and promote a more inclusive society. It's why something like The Last Case and Ester Oruche's casting made me very emotional [X]

Now...on to Love Sea: I actually took Mut's remarks on Rak's "pale skin" to be a pointed mini-commentary on colorism (which if that really is the case...well done Mame!) It read to me as... these are the things you value? that you (Rak) put yourself above me (Mut) for? You (Rak) clearly expect me (Mut) to find you appealing and attractive but it's not going to go according to what you think. I could be way off base, but I do so hope that that was its intended purpose because it makes such a small moment feel like a well earned victory to someone in Mut's shoes.

[kerubimcrepin]

Liveblog: Wakfu Season 2 (episode 17)

I find myself liking Eva a lot, during this rewatch, because I really am realizing that Eva&Joris is a very interesting and insane duo to consider.

If Ankama was wiser, they'd make them friends explicitly. Oh well.

Joris watching Adamai say this (Adamai is living through his worst nightmare of the person who loved him dying and coming back without memories, this time for real): 😬💀🚶‍♂️

This seems like some sort of waiting room for the meeting, judging from the fact that all the participants (as well as Grougal, but, to be fair, he's like a baby, it's logical that he'd be present with him until the very last possible moment, before being passed on to babysitters.)

I think it's interesting that Joris is sitting quite neutrally, looking exactly at Adamai and Armand, while Qilby is turned fully towards him.

...Studying him, perhaps?

Judging from the fact that Qilby was appealing to Sadida royalty by having studied their texts, and claiming to have met their god, he seems interested in learning more about people — maybe to manipulate, maybe simply curious.

Considering Qilby's connection with dragons and millions of years worth of memory, I could wager that he can feel/see that Joris is a bit weird.

(I know I am reading way too much into this, but let me have this lmaoo.)

This is why I find it quite fascinating that Qilby (interested in studying people around him, maybe seeking an advantage) is telling Joris (an old, dragonized Bontarian deligate) about a dragon that razed Bonta before Joris was born (Arty (Goultard's Dead Dragon Husband)).

Trying to gauge if Joris is secretly a dragon? If he knows that dragon? Trying to gauge his age? His opinions? Hmm???

This is one of the most short and uninformative Joris one-liners in the whole franchise. He's so epic for the way he dodges saying anything here.

Considering the fact that Joris is 1. pretty gullable, actually, 2. generally distrustful of people he doesn't know, especially royalty, 3. sounds pretty happy about this interaction here, I think Joris's opinion of Qilby is "this is a foreign leader, and the whole thing is going to cause a lot of issues. Eliatropes' happiness is worth it, though, and also he seems nice enough. But we are not friends."

Basically, I think Qilby has Joris on his side hook, line, and sinker. Lmaoo.

HE LOOKS SO AMUSED BY THE SHENANIGANS.

Joris LOVES Sadida Kingdom.

I'm insane about Brakmar. Of course the prince of Brakmar (a capitalist hellhole) would be the only one to give a lowly servant a coin.

[wipes tear] Tipping culture is real in Brakmar because otherwise people will not survive on their wage alone. Just like in America...

While none of them are shown, this meeting implies the existence of a kingdom for every race. (I need ecaflip lore so bad...)

I love this animation error so much. How did this happen.

Sitting cutely with his hands crossed.

Guys I think Qilby might have supremacist beliefs about his people. Idk, just a hunch.

And in THIS shot, the animation error is gone.

I want so, so bad to know about whatever the Ecaflip equivalent of Cra City/Sadida Kingdom may be...

Kerubim has canonically been to Trool fair and he LOVES fishing for quaquacks, and we know this from the anniversary map commentary (despite his painful and traumatic memories from episode 48 of Aux Tresors de Kerubim. He talks in the MMO about being uneasy about quaquacks since then.)

Another error — Joris sits there quite inconsistently...

@dullard @dullard @dullard @dullard @dullard @dullard @dullard HEY DULLARD HE SAID THE LINE—-

I love this so much. He's been dealing with politics for centuries, and he's so fucking angry that he allowed himself to slip up and say something antagonizing.

This is a bunch of rich people who have not known orphanhood or living in squalor in their entire lives, talking about putting children in mines, and trying to pass off a bunch of children who lost their parents in a war like a hot potato. And one of them, from a country that his country fucking hates, says that this might lead to a war.

I think Joris, with his life story and opinions and the tragedies he's witnessed in life, must be thinking things much harsher than this. Just a hunch.

This "us" doesn't include Bonta, btw :)

While I have issues with season 4, I do like that there was some moral ambiguity to the world leaders: with hindsight, I think we can say pretty easily that Brakmar's concerns are quite valid, even if false this time.

As I've said — Joris, like Yugo and Adamai, thinks pretty simply that everyone should always do good things, and that it's so so simple to be good — you just give people what they need! :) It's literally so so simple.

And that's how he, after becoming the ruler of Bonta in Waven, got to the point of having: cannibalistic wars, using living beings as building material and weapons, having 999 prisoners of war, spies and guards everywhere, implied slavery, as well as—- [I am forcibly taken offstage]

Once again, Wakfu demonstrates that Bonta and Sadida are very closely aligned.

me and @dullard have had countless conversations about this fucking episode, and he said a lot of interesting things. Here are some highlights, which he has allowed me to include:

I literally don't even know how to put my opinions into words, besides including these screenshots.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

While I also definitely wouldn't call him one of the worst characters in the show, I think the main upset over his character as a self-insert comes from this exchange:

Ladybug: What's with that trailer too? I am not scared of cats, at all. Animaestro: You haven't even seen the movie and you're already slamming it? Cat Noir: He does have a point, you know.

Which makes it seems like one of those take that, critics moments the show is full of, but it does kind of feel more awkward coming from the self-insert of the creator.

For context, this ask is in reference to my post about the lead writer's self-insert character.

I can see why someone would read it that way and I don't think that they're necessarily wrong to do so. I just don't think that it's the only good explanation.

It's hard to say if this is actually a dig at Miraculous fans or if it's just general commentary on the way that some people react to promotional material. I think we've all seen internet mobs form off of things as uninformative as single promotional picture or a random interview. Sometimes those mobs are totally overreacting and sometimes they raise valid points (see the Sonic design debacle). It totally depends on the situation, but I think it's fair to say that we do see a lot of overreactions, meaning that the point raised in this line has some validity in a general sense.

That being said, the line can certainly read differently depending on what property it's in. If you're watching this having been upset by Miraculous promos that ended up leading to content that was just as bad as you feared, then I get how this would rub you the wrong way. It's hard to be sure if that was intentional or not, but intent doesn't really matter when it comes to your ability to enjoy an episode like this. Once you've made the association, it's near impossible to get rid of it even if you learn that it was 100% unintentional. It's like trying to eat a dish that gave you food poisoning before. This one may be totally safe, but the bad memory is always going to lessen the experience.

For my part, I try to always give people the benefit of the doubt and I generally avoid promotional material because I apparently have a really good memory, meaning that promos often ruin stories for me. This means that I defaulted to reading it as a general commentary and is why this episode really doesn't bother me, but if it bothers you, then I think that's totally fair and make perfect sense.

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

Hi! Can I request some Genderbend Sleeping Beauty x Isekai Reader? (Please no princess reader I've seem them everywhere on qoutev)

Yandere Genderbend Sleeping Beauty x Iseakai'd Reader

Tending to a human man the moment you’d been dropped into this alternate world was not the ideal position. Originally being instated in the castle as a charity-case servant you hadn’t made any connection to the fairy tale. Not until the head butler brought you to a familiar trio of faeries; dressed in blue, green, and red. 

“My my their magical signature is quite–”

“Bizarre?”

“Unique?”

“--I was going to say, perfect for the worst-case scenario.”

Supposedly because of your outlier existence, the faeries had designated you to be their human help. Should the prince–Briar Rue fall into the curse of the spindling wheel he’d need constant care. It was a contingency plan, a tragic plan to set everyone in the kingdom to rest until the princess would return to save him with her kiss. Unlike the kingdom, the prince’s curse was cruel: continuing to let his bodily functions continue as he slept away. 

“It’s just in case.” 

“Yes, not likely at all.”

“--All because it just doesn’t work on you.”

“Mariwether!” “Mariwether!”

“Sorry, forget that I said that please!” 

That was why in the span of a week you were meeting and serving the cursed prince that had spent the entirety of his life in a forest. A position that would have many of the staff sneering at you as waited on the prince’s hand and foot.

“All of this is so overwhelming (Y/n)...I don’t want to marry a girl I haven’t met. Even when I’m so madly in love with another.”

The prince was doing an iconic Disney Princess mope, leaning against the barred windows of his room in the castle. You continued to fold away his forest attire, smiling to yourself as you replayed the animated version of the fairytale. 

“Well I have a feeling you’ll meet her sooner than you may think.”

He turned his sorrowful gaze to you, tilting his head at your ominous smile. He questioned you no further, opting to conversate with you about the ‘modern’ nuances of popular society. Which you were just as uninformed about as him. Needless to say, the both of you were on something of a learning curve, relying on the staff and fairies to fill the both of you in. 

Two days. 

Two days ago he was learning alongside you how to waltz. The day you were dismissed it was in an explosion of emotion. A reaction of his overwhelmed self in this stressful environment; had you sent away and retiring early. Living in such a hierarchy was new to you and your knowledge of the future meant nothing at the intensity of his order. That being said you didn’t blame yourself when the fairies arrived at you, heads hanging low with tears in their eyes. 

____________________________________________________________

As agreed upon you had begun your caretaking duties of the prince. Waking every morning to wash, dress, change his magic feeding trey, and placing the medieval equivalent of a diaper as the day forged on. Whether you are familiar with the task of caring for someone so intensely it soon becomes a habit for you. Becoming a part of a mundane routine for yourself. Care for the prince, have breakfast, read some outdated literature, and repeat. After the first couple of days, you got quite used to the hollow echoing chamber of an otherwise empty castle. Minding the unconscious staff and royal families; it was bliss. 

While you certainly had the time to teach yourself the rules and etiquette of the time, this couldn’t have been the healthiest way to go about it. Without the commentary or viable presence of others, you had begun to speak out loud. Talking to sleeping bodies and non-sentient objects had become you’re normal for the following month. A commonality of that time was being freaked out when any of the fairies decided to make themselves young; they were considerate usually catching your attention in a flurry of sparkles. A fair warning, for whenever they came to grieve.

Towards the end of the month, their visits had a different tune; singing their praises of the princess who was fighting the malignant Sorcerer king. As evident by the distant roars and green swirling sky, this would be over soon. 

“I-I am here to kiss the prince!” 

She came to the castle frazzled, wounded, and on shaky legs. You adamantly refused, practically fighting her to eat and let you treat her wounds. In fact, it was similar to how you had been treating the prince for the past couple of months. Shouldering most of her weight as you bathed and dressed her; a process that only seemed to embarrass you. You figured as a princess this might’ve not been so out of the ordinary making it easier for you to send her to sleep. After all that you scrambled to do the same to Briar, and with a sense of finality you carried out your routine. 

Cheering to the sleeping Briar, “What do you think of that Sleeping Beau? Your beauty is here and we’ll both be free!” 

Waking the next day you finally cooked for someone else, watching as the princess scarfed down her meal only to shake at the door of Briar’s tower. Having full intentions to give them their space, you were shocked by the forceful grip on your apron. 

“D-do you think it’ll work?”

“Of course, I do, your grace! I’m sure you will recognize that he’s someone you’ll enjoy kissing awake. Now if–”

“You have to come with me!”

“W-what!? H-hey!” 

Without heeding your struggle, she curled her arm around your torso easily hoisting you up along with her as she speedily ascended the tower to the sleeping Briar Rue. It was oddly easy for her to bring you to the room the prince was sleeping in. Leaving you in shock as she began to fiddle with her cape and kilted armor. 

“M-maybe i-if I take M-mom’s idea I’ll b-be m-more confident to kiss him!”

“Ah what was your mother’s idea?”

“....”

She went silent at your question; returning your curiosity with a blank stare before shaking her head. Scratching at the back of her head she mumbled to herself before anxiously gripping the handle.

“I–i’ll just wait until h-he’s awake then.”

“W-what?”

“A-anyway do you really think I can do this?”

“O-of course.”

Her nervous demeanor was grating on your nerves, probably because you were more than minutes away from seeing this whole debacle being solved. After minutes of deliberation the princess opened the doubled doors revealing the hauntingly beautiful image of the sleeping beau. She made an audible gasp at the sight. 

Shining in the angled light of the setting sun, the stained glass windows of his temporary chamber flashed the mosaic of colors across the sleeping prince. Blonde flowy hair splayed out around his crowned head. His face was still, cheeks oddly rosy and lips perfectly puckered with their own touch of red. He looked ethereal and you couldn’t help but internally pat yourself on the back. Whether or not you were familiar with makeup in the modern world, this world wasn’t particularly fond of the attractiveness of healthy color. But judging by her continued awe the smashed berries you got were a good idea. 

“Whoa he’s the fellow from the forest…” She marveled at him tentatively rubbing at his folded hands. She bent forward slowly, lips slowly inching forward before she abruptly pulled away turning from the one act that would end this all. Her worried eyes darted around before falling on you widening with an idea. 

“H-h-how about we do this together?”

“Excuse me, what?!” 

“Like we both kiss him at the same time s-so that I-I won’t be l-lonely when I do this!”

“What! Why do you want me–a servant of all things to kiss the prince with you?”

It was a viable question; unless she felt threatened by you. But knowing the princess it would be for something less daunting—

“B-b-because! This is my first time k-kissing a prince!” 

You shook your head in disbelief but relented when she puckered her bottom lip at you; making the equivalent of prayer hands with her face. You entered the chamber gazing at the both of them before walking around the bed to his lower right side. 

“How about this Princess, I’ll kiss his hand and you will kiss his lips though I’m certain it is absolutely unnecessary.” 

“Alright! W-we er I can do this.”

With newfound confidence, she positioned herself near his face on the left side of the bed. She looked back at you while making sure you were also in position. To which you nodded urging her to go on. 

You originally weren’t going to follow through, faking your involvement but even as she went in for the kiss you still found her gaze flashing toward you. So you followed through lightly pecking the back of his hand, standing up you got to catch a glimpse of the magical moment. Pulling away from the waking prince she nervously peeked with one eye as Briar blinked his own eyes.

“Y-you? From the forest and…”

He looked to the right, blue eyes landing on you or they would have been if the three fairies hadn’t taken your place near the bed. 

“Oh, Rue!”

“You’re awake!”

“Yes but–”

“We must awaken the whole kingdom! We must celebrate!”

Any concerns the awoken prince would have had were brought to a hush under the cheers of the fairies and the castle’s jovial celebration. Their prince, to the kingdom’s knowledge, had survived the curse and was reunited with his love: Princess Phyllis of the neighboring kingdom. 

______________________________________________________________

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay for the wedding?”

“No no I think I’m ready for…the quiet once again.”

“Surely Rue would be happy to see you on his big day!”

“Yes! Yes! I can conjure up something for you! In blue of course.”

“Yuck, that’d be a crime! Obviously in red!” 

“Now here you go again–!” “Why I oughta–”

You stepped away from the bickering faeries, continuing to hug the fae in green. 

“Thanks again for letting me have that cottage, Floran. I really appreciate it.”

He shifted his glasses, magicking a basket full of food into your hands after you hurriedly adjusted your pack’s strap. 

“Deary it’s of no trouble, after all. We have no reason to use such a lovely space. And I’m sure it’ll offer you the quiet you’ve grown so used to.” 

He smiled wiping away imaginary dust on your shoulder as he held your upper arm.

“Just be weary, you know we won’t stay away forever now. We’ll be sure to visit.”

“And when you do I’ll be glad to welcome you.”

You both shared a laugh as you had begun to walk to the mule you were discreetly gifted by the royal family. It was decided that you’d be released from your duties both at your own request and at the faeries' discretion. With vague compliments, the royal family could quietly thank you for your mysterious role in ‘solving’ their Prince’s curse. Phyllis was adamant, as she could be, about thanking you but the fairies were stern about keeping quiet. During this time you found no time to speak or so much as look at Briar without it being from the perspective of a bystander by a passing celebrity. You didn’t mind. And it most certainly didn’t stop you from letting the mule lead you to the cottage Briar Rue had hidden in before, more than willing to enjoy the silence and relaxation of the cottage life. 

_________________________________________________________

Briar fought the urge to yell as Phyllis went into another tirade about her adventure. Sat near the window of the seamstress’ tower as she was fitted for her wedding gown. An event she and his parents eagerly insisted he attended. It was a brazen attempt to make them get along despite the obvious lack of interest on his side of things. 

“B-briar? Er-Rue? D-did y-you hear the l-last thing I said? A-about the d-dragon and the w-wounds I got? I-it’s kind of crazy y-you know b-because when I finally got to the c-castle–”

How did this wake him up?! 

It couldn’t have. He knows it. The nights he’s spent hearing warbled words and grunts didn’t make his heart pound for her. Or the warm touches along his chest and arms, they were evidence of someone else. But no matter how much he wracked his brain the thought of who remained a mystery. 

Faun assured him it was a small side effect, that the cloudiness of waking up was sure to hover over his consciousness for the next week. That was why he got tired every time he tried to recall the time before his cursed sleep. 

“B-briar? A-are–d-do you h-have any questions a-about that day?”

“No Phyllis I’m just trying to remember…”

“Oh okay. S-so, as I was saying (Y/n), was there and th-”

That’s what it was! That’s who it was!

The piece he’s been missing: the memories of the week before. His heart, straying from his so-called love for the mysterious woman in the forest to the clumsy handmaid. He remembered cursing himself and then cursing at (Y/n), sending them away while ignoring the pain in his chest. What could it be, to so quickly change the object of his affection? Was it a problem that when he thought of love all he could see was their face? And even if he was truly devoting his love to (Y/n) instead of the mystery maiden, who turned out to be Phyllis the princess, then what could he do? As a prince himself, he would have no choice but to abandon you in worry that his royal family would reject you for the nobility’s standards; if not for their own biases. It was an endless cycle of heartbreak that had no end. 

When the dark sorcerer’s curse came about, he was entirely lucid. Only refusing to follow the green foreboding glow to stew in his own grief. Audibly sighing at the entrancing orb, he only raised his head when the orb transformed into a figure.

“Come child, it is your time.”

“How can it be my time when all is so helpless.” 

He tucked his head into his folded arms, hiding his sniffles and bubbling tears as they fell onto the table below. Missing the smile that spread over the sorcerer’s face as he feigned a giddy pity as he patted the prince’s back. 

“There there, the faeries spoke of a true love’s kiss. Now I’m sure that you’ve found someone you love?”

The question was rhetoric, the sorcerer was well aware of his rendezvous with the princess in the woods. The sorcerer was certain of this, and it brought a greater smile to his face that he had already acted on this. 

“Y-yes…but–well–I’m not sure if it's true love! Since it’s changed so much…” 

Feigned sympathetic pats on Briar’s back, allowed the fireplace to morph. Lined in green flames a portal opened opening to the tallest tower within the castle where a new glowing orb waited patiently. 

“Now young Briar, the only way to know would be the ultimate test would it not?”

He sniffled, “What do you mean?” 

“What better test for you’re love than sleep that can only be broken by true love? Do you not want a method that is tried and true?”

“Tried and True?”

“Yes.”

Giving into the trance the prince rose from his seat, guided by the hand of the one who cursed him. Settled behind his back as he nudged him into the portal and in the direction of the green light. Aware of his curse he followed dutifully, wiping his tears and rubbing his dribbling nose. He came to the orb that materialized into a glowing spinning wheel, needle piked and practically begging for his puncture. Briar reached forward stopping just a hair’s length away to turn to the sorcerer who was growing agitated. Face full of worry and trepidation he pleaded with the horned man. 

“H-how will I know that the one who wakes me is the right one? What should happen if the one who stands above me when I wake is the one? There are those who might trick me or–” “Fine then.” 

The sorcerer’s voice boomed as he stepped heavily towards him, chest to Briar’s face he held a green flame in his hand. Blue eyes snapped to the flame registering the sound of a snap before the sorcerer pulled away. 

“I’ll let you hear everything.”

He opened his mouth to question the action, stopping to let out a scream as his ears burned. He stumbled to the side, nearly falling to the ground as he clutched at his ears groaning from the pain. The sorcerer groaned pulling a hand from the side of Briar’s face in the direction of the wheel. Pinpricking his finger, releasing the hand as the prince retracted his hand inspecting the wound. Eyelids drooping and knees buckling before sending Prince Briar Rue into the beginning of his eternal slumber. 

“There dearest Rue, you can hear everything. Even the cries and pleas of all those who come to mourn you by your bedside! I applaud you for your creativity, suffering for eternity will surely bring you an even crueler existence than I would have given! Hahaha.”

He was right. It was cruel to remember having doubted (Y/n) as they cared for him. It was they who had read to him and spoken to him while he was trapped in an uneasy slumber for the entirety of thirty days and thirty nights. Now he was meant to marry the mere attraction of his past, it was truly a nightmare. The only solace he could find was in their servitude. If he couldn’t have them in the way of a lover he’d have them in the way of a king. It sounded cruel but surely that was just because the thought was in his head.

It would all make sense the night before the wedding when he’d call them after the dreaded bachelor party. He’d confess his love within the solace of the private garden he’d been gifted, taking them under the moonlight and the stars as his witness. Oh, how he’d dread the morning! When he would have to repeat such false vows as he betrayed them one time last. But that would be the end of it, the rest of himself would be dedicated to (Y/n) and (Y/n) only. 

Or that would be if that wasn’t who he thought it was in the window—

“H-hey! T-that looks like (Y/n) r-riding on that donkey! Doesn’t it Briar?”

Rendered speechless at the sight of your riding form disappearing into the bustling capital city. He could only stifle a fit of frustration as he recognized the familiar trio of red, blue, and green. Post haste he attempted to leave the room stopped by the hand, and following consequences written all over Phyllis’ face. He’d wait for now but when he was done…they’d surely be hearing from the angered and fully awoken prince.

[i-guess-im-into-this-now]

Brave Bang Bravern

Friends.

I've finished watching Bravern and I have some thoughts and questions.

First of all, I love parody. In fact, I love commentary and analysis of stories in many forms, but parody is fun. Mecha anime is very far outside my wheelhouse so I'm coming into this show purely as someone who enjoys unhinged stories.

Also, I love gay shit.

If it's gay + 🍌🍌🍌 now we are where I like to be. I was told Bravern is both.

And it is.

I should preface any of my analysis of queer content with the fact that I am not well educated in queer or gender studies and am in fact just some person on the internet with uninformed opinions. I often struggle to understand and explain how I think and feel about media. So please feel free to share other analysis with me, I love to learn.

Okay.

There may be spoilers ahead.

Bravern is gay. The show, the robot, Smith and Isami. It's gay. I watched it on Crunchyroll and to my bafflement, some people in the comments disagree. An argument can be made that the homosexuality in the show is overt at times, but even if you take the stance that it's subtext or metaphor, it's still prevalent.

Some of that has to do with the fact that Bravern is a parody of Mecha anime. Pilots riding inside a combat robot becomes a metaphor for sex. And in Bravern that comparison is pushed about as far as it can go without becoming tiresome. I'm on the fence about whether this joke about the homoeroticism of it is made with fun wink to the gay community or whether it is at their expense. I'd love some other opinions on this.

Also going to take a moment to insert that I'm also not Japanese so I don't have a perspective that is informed about how culture may play into this topic.

Overall Bravern is really fun. It pokes fun at ideas like the power of friendship and the roll of bravery in anime.

The robot is called Bravern and is an amalgamation of a robot of lust and the spirit of a fallen solider, Smith. Smith has an interesting relationship with Isami. Smith is inspired by Isami's bravery and envious that he is able to "ride" Bravern. They are also friends who have complicated feelings towards one another. Smith's lifelong dream was to become a hero and he tries repeatedly to merge with one of the sentient robots so he can be like Isami and Bravern, but fails. Eventually he dies, bravely I might add, and is able to fuse with a dead robot to become Bravern and travel back in time. Back in the past as Bravern he was able to have Isami ride in him and feels a sense of deep fulfillment. The plot is convoluted which is probably also parody, but plot is also not the point.

Bravery comes up constantly in this show. It's the name of the robot. It's Smith's motivation. It's Isami's character arc. It's a mystical power that can empower Bravern/Isami (by the end I'm not sure what the difference is between the two) to evolve into his most powerful form and defeat his opponent. The roll of Bravery in this show is deliberately over-the-top.

Another theme that is poked fun of it the power of friendship. The bromance between Smith and Isami is made homoerotic, and the friendships of everyone else are used as way to empower Isami/Bravern, sometimes psychologicaly, other times quite literally as a magical power source.

There are plenty of laugh out loud moments and a lot of action, which make it fun to watch even if you just want to enjoy it casually without trying to analyze it. The deadpan looks of the people who witness Braven and Isami's absurdity are hilarious. Also, some of the one liners are just 💋🤌

I'm sure I'm missing some key themes because I haven't even mentioned Lulu or Superbia. But that's my two cents for this show. I would love to hear someone else's take on it.

[srbachchan]

DAY 5619

Jalsa, Mumbai                  July 6/7,  2023                Thu/Fri  1:15 AM

Apologies for missing the Calendar updates 😔 .. but making up .. 🙏🏻

..

🪔 .. July 04 .. was no birthday ..

🪔 .. July 05 .. birthday of Ef Shashikant Pedwal from Pune .. and Rajat Watel from Jammu ..

🪔 .. July 06 .. birthday of Ef Pronobesh Roy Choudhury from West Bengal - Kolkata ..

🪔 .. July 07 .. birthday of Ef Saurabh Bhakri from New Delhi ..

Greetings to all and the joys of the World .. ❤️ from your Ef Family .. 🙏🏻🚩

So .. a few days off .. and the days spent in reflection , rejuvenation .. not of the age kind but to gain the knowledge of what goes on inside the World of reflection .. smart yes .. 

Yes .. 

It is , or rather are the reflection days .. a wonder why certain ‘givens’ were given , why certain doings were being done .. why a name an act an act .. and so many other ‘whys’ .. 

The curiosity widens .. and it is not the curiosity , it is the will of the mind to delve into regions which were in a sense reserved to ask or know .. 

Now with age the ridicule has lessened .. now with time they that are asked or are brought into the picture by me , are convinced that the man is 81 , old decrepit and mental , bear him .. it shan’t be for long .. and the responses go on with a sense of  .. ‘poor guy , so uninformed , let him be .. etc etc etc .. “ 

Also the temerity to seek and voice matters that may never have been done earlier have reached the stage of a fearless disposition .. 

So to start with ..

Wimbledon is on .. and the Women players get Women ex champions in the commentary box to speak and inform and comment .. most of the time .. the Men players get ex men champions in the box .. 

BUT ..

Typically .. give a microphone to any individual and they shall never stop talking .. and this I notice often .. 

In the game of tennis or any such moment , when the entire concentration is in the players and how their mind is working etc., the commentators keep talking .. hey ! I want silence at that time .. I want to get into the mind of the player and the ladies keep commenting on past games and opinions , and moments as to why he or she played so and so and such and such ..

NOOO ..

I do not want to be disturbed by your chatter .. give me all that you have to say in the break .. when the players wipe face drink energy, eat energy chocolate, complain to the Ref , ask questions facially to their team on the stands above , lament that the crowd is not with them .. and so on ..  

then talk as much as you like .. !! hahah .. its limited there isn’t it , because the Ads., start .. hahaha .. the ad., money is so needed for the commerce of the Tournament .. many of you would not know that there never used to be a break in tennis before .. the players just changed sides and carried on .. the break was deliberately introduced to give time to the Ads., to run and for their Commerce to thrive ..

AND THANK THE LORD FOR THAT .. !! I get a job too .. the Ad.s and the endorsements  .. hahah !! 

yes their experience and stories of past moments .. or guidance of how the game goes on and what the strategy should be - unless its an English Brit playing ..  then it’s all about them even when they are losing .. it’s always the ‘sun’ coming in the eyes , the wind is blowing against them when they serve or take a smash shot .. the shadow keeps changing on the court , the linesmen are making mistakes .. ufff .. the list is endless .. even when the opponent has given a amazing shot, the comment if its a Brit will be .. ‘he was there, foot slipped, would have returned it .. ‘  

the exuberant adjectives used when there is a Brit commentator for Cricket and their team players hits 4 or a 6 ..  !!  listen to them .. they just go on and on in praise and compliments .. !!

And for us ..  it’s just a terse inform .. hehehe .. 

WE  THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, NOTICE ALL THIS  .. 

But we are a tolerant people .. just that ..  ‘गले ते  हथ ना लाई  !’  as we would say in Punjabi ‘don’t put your threatening hand on my neck’ .. because we will thoko ..  ठोको,  ..  .. गळ्यात हात ठेवला तर, ठोक देणार !!!

AAAh .. a favorite subject of mine  .. and I love noticing and commenting in private , but today .. गळ्यात हात ठेवला तर ठोक देणार !!

“ to ask the hard question is simple ‘ .. किसी मुश्किल प्रश्न को पूछना बड़ा आसान होता है  

So have asked .. and the answers shall be in the known medium  !!!

Love respect .. affection and more ❤️

Amitabh Bachchan

[girldraki]

more seriously i think that making loud posts about how treating jekyll and hyde as a “split personality” are missing the point because the novel was commenting on blah blah blah are both not engaging with the social reality of how the novel has been absorbed into popular culture since basically the three faces of eve came out and vaguely uninformed about how plurality works. like i’m just not willing to buy that For Reasons Of Victorian Social Commentary we simply can’t discuss the literal ur-example of the Edgy Evil Murder Alter trope as a plural text

[voidedaurora]

Did goatcatto review the Mel situation in a live stream? If so, did she private it?

I believe she might've? Im not 100% sure but from what I heard from others about her covering anything quartelz related she's been really insensitive and uninformed about everything, I personally don't think goatcatto is fit to be a commentary channel and I definitely wouldn't want them covering my situation with how they handle things but that's just a personal take /gen But if they did, I think its privated yes

[dilf-in-peril]

The JerichoPunk timeline (uninformed, unreferenced, according to my memory):

Jericho and Punk have a feud in WWE which like many good feuds is about Punk's alcoholic dad and the *issues*. Jericho repeatedly douses him in alcohol on RAW and on house shows. Punk's sister slaps Jericho. They wanted to have Jericho tattoo his name on Punk in the ring but Vince vetoed it because of the blood and because he's stupid and didn't fucking get it.

Punk defeats Jericho at Wrestlemania 28, by the end of which Jericho gives him "thanks for the good match" scritches. Jericho denies this despite it happening in full view of the camera. We all saw it, Chris.

Punk has a miserable time at WWE working through injuries and a misdiagnosed staph infection which could have killed him.

Punk walks out of RAW and disappears.

WWE fires Punk on his wedding day.

Punk spills the tea about leaving WWE on Colt Cabana's podcast. He also says Chris Jericho is lying to the dirt sheets about him no longer having friends in wrestling and that he simply ignored people who wanted him to be on their podcast for their own agenda and cloud and didn't actually care about him.

Jericho says that wasn't him asking Punk about appearing on his podact and that he has no agenda.

Punk and Colt are sued by one doctor who treated, or rather did not treat, Punk at WWE. Punk and Colt win the case but have a falling out over lawyer fees.

In 2020 Jericho donates $38,360 to Trump's campaign.

In 2021 Jericho's wife is photographed at the Capitol storming.

Punk returns to AEW.

Punk and Jericho are briefly on commentary together. Jericho appears to want to strike up conversations with Punk, who is clearly focused on playing his role as someone actually interested in the Darby/Garcia match he is watching. Jericho mentions being slapped by Punk's sister to both of their amusement.

In an interview Punk mentions that it's so interesting that now that he's in AEW he's working alongside people who could have spoken up for him back when he was being sued by WWE but chose not to.

Rumours about Punk getting Colt Cabana off TV are leaked through Meltzer.

During the All Out 2022 media scrum, an injured Punk burns the barn, right in front of everyone, while the farm owner sits next to him, sheepishly agreeing that it's Punk's right to burn the barn. Then Punk returns to his locker room, where he gets into a physical altercation with the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega over burning the barn. A while later Chris Jericho is sitting next to the farm owner at the media scrum with a strange smile on his lips.

Punk disappears.

Jericho tells Meltzer that on the night of the brawl he called Punk a locker room cancer and, like, was totally there during the brawl out, and basically this story is about him. He also tells Meltzer that he, being the locker room leader, told the boys that survived the barn fire that he'll keep them save from Punk, because he'll make sure Punk never returns.

Chris Jericho wrestles a mystery former Ring of Honor Champion: Surprise, it's Colt Cabana, back on Dynamite!

An internal investigation into the events of the brawl out is made, the results of which have not been shared yet, but the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega are back, Punk is out due to injury, and his attack dog Ace Steel, who was also involved in the brawl, is fired from AEW.

Jericho retweets a clip from his match with Punk at Wrestlemania 28 saying he "always loved working with @CMPunk... [sic]".

Punk posts an ig story, refuting a Meltzer forum post that claims he was being flaky about jobbing for Moxley and ends it by calling Jericho "a liar and a stooge."

Jericho says that it doesn't matter if you don't like someone in the locker room, as long as you can work together.

Scenarios for Punk's return are being discussed and a meeting between Punk and Jericho has supposedly been planned. Rumours have it TK bought them a get along shirt.

[lianecartmanstimtoy]

okay wait i just found your acc W art btw but i’m kinda confused do you not like matt and trey

Honestly I'm impartial to Matt Stone simply because he hasn't been involved in writing south park in literally 20 years. I don't like actively hate hate Trey Parker but the older I get the more I see through his writing and political beliefs and the more irritated I get with him. Mainly because both of them present themselves as "higher than political alignments" while most of the episodes they write that are supposed to be political commentary are at best:

"observation that most sane individuals can make and is popular opinion outside of radical circles"

At medium:

"Uninformed opinion because they clearly didn't read anything outside of a few headlines."

At worst:

"Actively harmful to marginalized communities because Trey Parker is yet another white cishet man who rarely looks outside of his own experiences and views of the world."

Centrist satire in general, to quote one of my favorite articles about South Park, is "half the time fine and half the time really really wrong."

Now to put it more personally,

South Park holds a really special place in my heart because I grew up queer in a conservative homeschool cult and as a teenager it was one of the first media I had access to that actively showed characters questioning my world parent's world view and showing how absolutely ridiculous it was. On top of that the first episode I found was the Butters Conversion Camp one. My parents had been trying conversion talk therapy for years with very little success and I was regularly punished for any form of Queerness. Having a show that not only addressed the fact that kids like me existed but looked me dead in the eye and said "there's nothing wrong with you it's the asshole adults around you that are fucked up" was...unspeakably important. That was something that had never been in my life before outside of other queer peers I was able to find but certainly not from adults.

So I think that's why I get more and more irritated with Matt Stone and especially Trey Parker as time goes on.

South Park has the capacity to do a lot of good. They've won multiple awards for disability representation and going head to head with harmful ideologies and the people who use them for wealth. So seeing it also harm just due to some guy's laziness and lack of willingness to unlearn and relearn.

Well,

that pisses me off.

Also hope this doesn't come off as aggressive @ you!! I'm just passionate about this and wanted to give you a full extremely neurotypical//j explanation.

Edit: Realized I could've summed this up much quicker by saying I don't like to see Trey Parker become my parents.

[givelifetoaworld]

i know it’s been said many a time, but online in the modern era is seeing edgy, rude, and unnecessary commentary and thinking “please be an uninformed teenager”, then looking a little closer and proceeding to shout out loud through your whole house “YOU’RE 35?!?!”

[dirtysenner]

Is it weird that in this day and age, I trust YouTube commentary channels more than I trust mainstream news sites? Like, saying “I get my news from YouTubers” sounds uninformed and dumb but I find they depict more sides to the story and I trust them so much more than big corporations who paywall their articles since it shows their real motivations