#which star wars characters owned barbies growing up?

[presbierue]

Does Star Wars have Barbie? Even if she's called something like Borby, is there a popular intergalactic doll? Does she have a nerf hearding outfit? A Mechanic outfit? She definitely has a Naboo outfit. Outlander Club (Smuggler) Ken was the best-selling version of the doll even though they pulled him immediately. Did she have like, an Imperial Era where she was wearing the uniform and came with a Dream Destroyer? Then, when the New Republic came in, did she switch side a la Iden Version and start wearing Rebel jumpsuits and flying x-wings. The original Clone Wars Barbies must go for thousands of credits at auctions.

[solarpunkpresentspodcast]

It’s Time to End the Hero’s Journey

I don’t know about you, but I’ve absolutely had enough of it: the story structure known as the hero’s journey.

It’s everywhere, from Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark to just about every Bruce Willis or Tom Cruise movie you’ve ever seen even through to Barbie and The Hunger Games. A hero is called to action, refuses the call before begrudgingly accepting it, has adventures in which (generally) he is repeatedly tested, receives assistance from mentors and other helpers, is brought low by a nemesis shortly before (generally) ultimately succeeding, and comes home an enlightened person.

Brought to public awareness as a common pattern in myth by Joseph Campbell in his books, like The Hero With a Thousand Faces, it has irritatingly come to take over western, industrialized movie making and mass market fiction. We have even, to a frightening large extent, internalized our own personal narratives as hero’s journeys thanks, in part, to the self-help industry.

But this is all laziness and a terrible failure of imagination. On top of being egotistical and self-indulgent, the hero’s journey is far from the only structure possible for stories. Worse, its sharp focus on the individual and the male experience of heroism, instead of on community or other ways of moving through life, it has us longing for strong leaders of single–minded, masculine vision. And it has us dreaming of ourselves rising the occasion in the fight against tyranny and catastrophe instead of imagining ourselves working together with other people to solve systemic problems before they plunge us into exactly that sort of catastrophe and tyranny.

Oh, Have You Ever Heard This Story Before

Even if you haven’t been formally introduced to it, you encounter the hero’s journey all the time. Lifted from myths like the wanderings of Odysseus, the story of Jonah, the life of Buddha, and many fairy tales, the hero’s journey has morphed into what feels like our default mode of storytelling.

Take the “save the cat” rules for script writing, which are just the hero’s journey template. Just about every Hollywood blockbuster now follows this formula. Not just just about every Bruce Willis and Tom Cruise (and the Rock and Vin Diesel and Liam Neesen and etc) movie ever, but all the super hero movies. Even female protagonists are frequently shoehorned into the hero’s journey template (see: Angelina Jolie in “Salt” and “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”; Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games books and films; Mila Jovovich in all the Resident Evil movies; and even the little girl at the heart of the story of “Spirited Away”), as if the only way to be interesting is if you’re a hero just like the guys.

But This Is Not Great

While these stories make for great escapism, they’re not great for actually changing the world.

Look at the sort of places the hero’s journey goes…

At the end of the movie Edge of Tomorrow, it becomes clear that the whole point of Tom Cruise’s character’s saving the world from alien invasion is that he’s learned to be a brave, bold hero, rather than a selfish coward. This doesn’t make him less arrogant, but it means he gets the girl, the satisfaction of knowing he has saved the life of anyone he will ever meet, and a magical fresh start that wipes away the negative consequences of his previous insufficiently heroic behavior.

Or, look at Katniss at the end of the fourth Hunger Games movie (Mockingjay, part 2). She’s sitting in a sunny meadow with her husband and young children. On the one hand, oh, I get it know. This is why ordinary people pick up arms and go to war in the face of a terrible threat. She fought so hard and sacrificed so much, not just for her own survival, but so her as not yet even conceived of children could grow up in freedom. It was all worth it. On the other hand, she’s been transformed from being a fearless warrior, skilled hunter, revered leader, and the chosen one who fomented an entire revolution by staying true to her ideals and made the world safe from not one, but two tyrants into a harmless young mother, utterly unthreatening in a faded, modest calico dress, tending to her husband and young family. The whole point of her journey is that the minute she she doesn’t need to be a strong, fearless, rousing warrior anymore of unprecedented skill with a bow and arrow she can happily settle into domesticated bliss, aside from a bit of PTSD? That, deed done, she can now settle into the fate she was truly made for, that of being tame and ordinary and enjoying her subservient place in the patriarchy? I mean, ARGH!

And then there’s “Oppenheimer”, which took the incredible story of everyone and everything that converged to create the atomic bomb, drop it on Japan, and start the Cold War and turned it into the personal hero’s journey of one man. So ridiculous and, frankly, so meh. Go read The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes—which is one of the best books ever written—if you want your mind properly blown by this story. Sure, his story of the endeavor is way more challenging to the reader—you’re going to be exposed to actual information about atomic physics— than the celebrity biopic approach. But you get so much gain for your pain if you push through the reading of the story. You’ll learn so much of the history of the chemistry of the elements that make up existence, of the various genius scientists (all of whom were some pretty interesting characters) involved in the advancement of nuclear science and the Manhattan Project, and you’ll truly feel the horror of the scientists when the military comes along and takes the product of their hard work to save the free world and doesn’t give them any say on how it will be used. But Oppenheimer (in the movie about him). Oh, poor guy, gets his name drawn through the mud by a political nemesis and is a bit sad when all the people die when the bomb is dropped. Sheesh. Doing its sad little treading of the boards in the shadow of The Making of the Atomic Bomb, Oppenheimer is the perfect example of how limited, narrow minded, narcissistic, and shallow the hero’s journey approach can be compared to other ways of telling the story.

 We Should Be Telling All Sorts of Stories

Honestly, these hero’s journey stories aren’t the only kinds of stories we should be telling—either within in the genre of solarpunk or not. Not only is all this heroic journeying getting boring, there are major downsides to locking ourselves into this single vision of story. Like becoming fans of authoritarianism and monarchy.

David Brin had some great words about how Star Wars’ use of the hero’s journey results in main messages that are authoritarian and undemocratic, leading us, for instance, to forgive—and even fete—great evil, despite the millions of death that person (Darth Vader) has caused, so long as he performs a personal act of redemption in the end. Star Wars and its hero’s journey involving the Skywalkers has us cheering on people with a magical hereditary right to power, as if we’re fine with consigning basically everyone else to be followers.

Jo Walton and Ada Palmer also touched on the down sides and limitations of the hero’s journey, at least adjacently, in their editorial in Uncanny Magazine that called for more stories that don’t center on a single protagonist, called to action, from whom all change unfolds. Using history as their example, the point out that events generally happen because of the actions of the many, not just of one special single person. I might add, when big outcomes do hinge upon the actions, leadership, and unique talents of one single person, it’s generally someone despotic, like Hitler or Stalin. And, as pointed out to us by one of our listeners, Jon Ronson has a great podcast with one episode in particular about how trying to understand your own life as a hero’s journey can lead you to brainwash yourself straight down a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories, until the call to action you hear is to undermine, if not actually overthrow, democracy.

 To the Typewriter Computer, Solarpunks!

Here’s my call to action by you. Let’s let solarpunk stories dump the hero’s journey, even as a means to explore life in a solarpunk future. Let’s use all the other story structures instead.

Let’s tell stories about endeavors—like the making of the atomic bomb—not about a person undertaking an endeavor—like Oppenheimer herding his cats at Los Alamos.

Let’s tell stories about relationships between people, or between a group of people and the natural world.

Let’s tell stories where the actions of an individual on his, her, or their own never advance the plot.

Let’s tell stories about moments, or about conflicts, where what’s interesting is the development of the moment or conflict, not of the protagonist and antagonist’s paths through them.

And when we do tell stories about a single protagonist, let’s not keep religiously following the structure laid out by Joseph Campbell and copied by save the cat.

Not every protagonist needs to be a hero! There are so many other arcs to follow.

[fuckyeah-jessicabiel]

Jessica Biel for Giants Magazine - August 2006

Those lips, those eyes... surprise! Behind the drop- dead gorgeous looks of Jessica Biel is the heart of a soldier who loves a good fight. Just don't give her a steak knife.

In the weeks leading up to my conversation with Jessica Biel, the following dramas rocked young Hollywood: Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan had a tiff, which then escalated into a full-blown war when oil heir Brandon Davis issued the Lohan-lashing heard 'round the world. Christina Aguilera got into it with Mariah Carey about, well, something, and Mischa Barton took sides, to notable effect, in the Nicole Richie-Paris Hilton battle royale (Barton is Team Richie).

But Jessica Biel has no tiffsno history of them and no real prospects, either and when asked about her lack of beefs with fellow celebrities, she laughs. "It's not really in my personality. I'll go out and dance and have a drink, but I don't get messed up in the drama. I'm also pretty busy. On most nights people are going out, I usually have a 6 A.M. call the next morning."

Ten years into a career that began with 7th Heaven, Biel is one of the few young celebrities without some kind of scandal, feud or sex tape to call her own. And though she was branded the "Sexiest Woman Alive" by Esquire magazine last year, Biel is more the anti-Paris Hilton, refusing to coast by on looks alone and choosing instead to work her ass off for every audition and part she's ever scored. Even with three movies set for release in the next year, the unassuming 24-year-old actress places herself, on a fame scale of one to 10, on the lower end of the spectrum. "I'm probably a...four? I don't know. I'm always thinking about how difficult it is to obtain the parts I want, and how I'm losing roles to all these other girls-Keira Knightley and Scarlett Johansson, Rachel McAdams. All those really, really talented women who are doing movies that I'd like to be doing." That's why she fights.

I HAVE TO FIGHT...BECAUSE IT'S EASY TO BE PERCEIVED IN ONE WAY."

She fought to break into television at 14 as a Christian TV teen queen, and she fought for her first breakout movie role as a coked-out vixen in 2002's The Rules of Attraction. She even had to fight for her latest project, The Illusionist, a romantic period drama co-starring Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti that hits theaters in August. "In the beginning, they wouldn't even see me for the part." Biel says of Sophie, a corseted duchess who falls in love with a master magician (Norton). "It made sense-I'd never done anything period before." But with the shoot date fast approaching and the female lead still open, director Neil Burger turned to Biel and put her through round after round of auditions. When she turned up to test-read opposite Norton, she wore a turn-of-the-century getup she had purchased an hour earlier out of her own pocket and her future co-star was impressed.

"I think she surprised a lot of people when she came in," Norton says. "Because it's a period piece, I think there was some of that 'Oh, there's this girl from television' prejudice. But her work ethic was fantastic, and she's beautiful in the way you think the girls in a Tolstoy novel would be. She looked exactly right for the part." Burger also sensed in Biel a kind of moxie required for the role. "Jesse has an adventurous quality to her, and she's not scared of anything."

Biel's sense of adventure stems from a blue-sky childhood in Boulder, Colorado. She describes her younger self as "a tomboy and an athlete" who could throw a perfect spiral and once broke her heel jumping off a fence. "I played with a lot of boys growing up. I had some Barbies, but I played a lot with my brother and his G.I. Joes."

At 14, she landed her breakthrough role in Aaron Spelling's family values drama 7th Heaven. As Mary Camden, the oldest daughter of a minister, Biel portrayed a sweet and wholesome character that would come to define her public image. Over the next five years, as 7th Heaven became The WB's first runaway hit and found millions of fans in the heartland and beyond, the teenage actress would earn more in a single week than most people earn in a year.

Biel quickly branched out into film, and although she had one memorable, rebellious role as a teenage brat opposite Peter Fonda in 1997's Ulee's Gold (and one nearly-naked photo shoot for Gear magazine in 2000, which she later described as "horrible"), she fortified her Mary Camden persona with "dream girl" parts in toothless romantic comedies like 1998's I'll Be Home for Christmas and 2001's Summer Catch. But by 2002 Biel was ready for something else, and she began dismantling, role by role, her sweetheart image. "It made more sense to me creatively," she says, "to do something that I hadn't done before." To follow Biel's career over the ensuing years is like visiting a schizophrenic on a bad day. First she was a backstabbing slut in 2002's The Rules of Attraction. Then she was a feisty victim in 2003's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and a crossbow-wielding vampire slayer in 2004's Blade: Trinity. Last year she was a ballsy fighter pilot in Stealth and a sultry heartbreaker in Elizabethtown. While none of these films lit up the box office, they nevertheless established Biel as one of the few young actresses who can pull off action, romance and drama. She sinks herself deep into diverse roles, and depending on your perspective, that diversity either indicates a broad artistic curiosity or an expert marketing savvy. This being Hollywood, it's a little of both.

"I wouldn't be in this business to do the same thing over and over- I'd be bored," Biel says. "I also don't want to be put into a box. I like that you think I'm going to do one thing, and then you think, 'Wait, what's she doing now?"" It's a risky career tactic in a town that loves typecasting, but Biel is ready for battle, and if her colleagues are to be believed, she doesn't mess around.

Writer-director Roger Avary first met Biel when he was casting The Rules of Attraction. "We had dinner, and I told her, 'Listen, having seen you on TV over the years, you seem so sweet and I just don't know if you have it in you to play the bad girl.' She then took a steak knife and held it to my neck, and said, 'I can be bad.' I told my casting director afterwards, 'OK, she's the one."" Or as Biel's 7th Heaven co-star Barry Watson says, "There's no bullshit about Jesse."

After The Illusionist, Biel stars in two other films that could very well give her first dibs on the projects of her choice. First she'll play a working-class soldier in the upcoming Home of the Brave, Irwin Winkler's ensemble drama about US National Guardsmen returning home from Iraq that also features Samuel L. Jackson and 50 Cent. And she's currently shooting opposite Nicolas Cage and Julianne Moore in Lee Tamahori's big- budget sci-fi thriller Nert, playing a woman who can see the future.

"Right now I'm really interested in doing a comedy, but, again, people are not extremely open to that at this point. So I'm having to say, 'Please let me audition." she says, her voice picking up steam. "I have to fight in the trenches for most of my projects, because it's easy to be perceived in one way. But I'm gonna keep on fighting."

[lokiondisneyplus]

Loki spoilers won't be found here.

Loki shouldn't exist. Not as a show anyway. Despite being perhaps Marvel's most popular character on screen, Loki snuffed it at the start of Avengers: Infinity War. But of course, that didn't stick for long, what with him being a god and all.

Following the return of an alternate Loki in Avengers; Endgame, Thor's mischievous brother is now working to fix the timeline alongside an organisation known as the Time Variance Authority (TVA). It's a weird starting point for one of Marvel's most unique characters, but in a world where people fly and heroes are named after bugs, weird is most welcome. In fact, that's exactly why fans are so passionate about Marvel, and that includes Loki director Kate Herron.

"I remember trying to turn one of my Barbies into Storm, and I melted her hair off," says Herron. As far as Marvel entry points go, that has to rank up there with the very best. And just like Kate grew up "loving the X-Men cartoon," a whole new generation will grow up adoring shows like Loki.

Herron tells us that she's always loved the God of Mischief, so when she heard that Loki would be starring in his own solo outing, she immediately had to get involved. "I remember saying to my agent, 'Just keep calling them. Just keep calling them. Eventually, they will cave, and they will meet me.'"

Once she was in the room with Disney, Kate showed them a 60-page pitch document that included "everything" in it. "I figured, go big or go home, because I knew I’d be up against some really experienced directors, and I thought, 'Well, I’m not going to lie to them' and be like, 'I’m the most experienced person you’re meeting.’ But I thought I’d just be the most passionate."

"Loki defines what the vibe of the MCU has become. He was that, almost from the beginning."

Clearly, it worked, and not long after, Herron started to collaborate with Loki head writer Michael Waldron, another Marvel fan who took an unusual path to reach this point. Before joining the House of Mouse, Michael worked in the Rick and Morty writers room, which he describes as a sort of "sci-fi college" where he was "inundated with science-fiction knowledge all day, every day."

Riffing on obscure Marvel characters for Rick and Morty put Waldron in good stead for the challenges he would face writing Loki. "Obviously that kind of sci-fi multiversal world was adjacent to what Marvel is doing more and more of. My brain was really finely tuned for that, heading into the MCU world."

In his first pitch meeting, Michael described Loki himself as pivotal to this world that Marvel has created. "He defined what the sense of humour and the vibe of the MCU had become. He was that, almost from the beginning." It's vital then that Marvel gets this show right, and that's something both Michael and Kate are fully aware of.

Not only does Herron want to "pay respect and homage to a character that people love," she also wants to ensure "there’s a reason why we’re going back in," by "taking Loki to fresh ground."

Of course, covering "fresh ground" can be risky, especially with a "six-hour movie" like this. And that's why Waldron was "terrified" longtime Marvel fans might find their show too complex or inaccessible. "That was my biggest fear. It keeps me up at night," says Michael. But the writers room rose to that challenge by starting from the ground up.

"We had to establish a logical foundational sci-fi reality for the show. It’s the TVA. They police time. That meant that we had to create rules, and build out what do they do? Why do they do it? For the writers’ room, they all had drawings and stuff like this on the whiteboards."

"That was my biggest fear. It keeps me up at night."

"And that necessitates really complex explanations and ideas," Michael continues. "Then you have to figure out: 'OK, how can we boil this down into a very simple way so that the audience is going to understand what Loki is going through, but they’re not going to feel like they’re in science class? They’re not going to tune out because they’re bored?'"

That doesn't seem likely though. Waldron describes himself as the show's "harshest critic," so he was quick to call out scenes or bits of dialogue that might not work. "I’m very easily bored," says Michael. "I fall asleep easily in anything." And it was this low threshold that helped him navigate those trickier exposition scenes in ways that will still hold the viewer's interest.

And it also helps that we've never seen Loki quite like this before. As Kate points out, "Loki's in a very different place to where we’ve seen him in the last 10 years. We’re taking him on a very unique, new journey. It’s him working out who he is, and trying to basically undo this mess he’s made with time, with the TVA."

Although there will be nods to the comics, Herron says that Loki's journey here is something we've "not seen or read before." And that's also true of where we're at in the MCU right now. Post-Endgame, this is a very different world to the one Stan Lee envisioned all those many years ago.

Michael remembers when the Loki writer's room was fortunate enough to watch an early cut of Avengers: Endgame, and then suddenly they realised, "We’re making Loki in this era after that." So what comes next? "To me, that was exciting – this unchartered territory of 'where does the MCU go?' It felt like, more than ever, that sandbox – we could blow the lid on it, and go wherever we wanted to."

No comic book characters were off-limits to Waldron and his team either. "If they were within the rights, and legal could clear it, there was no reason we couldn’t try and chase them down." And when we pressed him on possible cameos, Michael simply told us to "Expect the unexpected."

"Loki's in a very different place to where we’ve seen him in the last 10 years."

That's often par for the course with new shows like this, but we have no reason to doubt Michael here, because for once, it really does seem like Loki will be different from anything that's come before. Kate says just when it looked like things might be getting "too" weird — "They’re not going to let me do this" – Marvel told her, “No, go weirder.”

So yes, keep an eye out for "twists and turns" and sure, look out for wider "ramifications" that will impact the MCU at large. But first and foremost, except things to get real weird real fast. Could melty-haired Storm even appear for a multiverse cameo? Probably not, but that's exactly the kind of chaos we're expecting to see in the God of Mischief's very first solo venture.

Loki premieres on June 9, 2021, streaming exclusively on Disney+.

[sierraywja526]

15 Best Twitter Accounts to Learn About pokemon funko pop ash

What's Funko Pop! collectables? New to Funko Pop! Vinyl? No issue, let us bring you up to date.

Funko Pop! Vinyl include figures inspired by your favorite characters from smash hit movies, cult hit television shows and even video games. Each one is designed with precision and is made from premium quality PVC (a.k.a. PVC) plastic, the same substance used to make super heavy duty PVC statues.

When you buy these PVC toys, they are packed in specially designed trays that contain either one or multiple pieces. The PVC figures are then secured into their respective cases using special latches that can't be opened easily. When the case has been closed, you will then place the item in your specially designed collection case, making sure to add a card and label for identification purposes. Because these figurines are so popular, they've become more affordable over time. You can now find amazing prices on the Funko Pop! vinyl line!

While the costs on these tops are already quite cheap, you can expect to pay extra for their exclusive variants. All of the original figures are limited to only a specific number of units, and the costs of those packs grow accordingly. If you're looking for an exclusive figure that you can't find in any store, the hunt is over!

You may also purchase the Funko Pop! Exclusive pre-order Augmented Reality Vinyl figure, including the first release of the hit robot! This figure will include an exclusive metallic avatar of Funko Pop! With over thirty points of articulation and a mind attachment, your robot Pop! Can speak, laugh, and wave its arms as though it was an animated character!

The brand new collectibles section of Funko Pop! Includes a wide selection of vinyl figurines inspired by the pop culture phenomenon of the year: Spider-Man, Star Wars, The Incredibles, Iron Man, Spongebob Squarepants, Barbie, The Grey's Anatomy, X-Men, Spongebob Squarepants, The Lord of the Rings, and many more! You will even find a few rare items that are rare to find, like the first limited edition Pop! Vinyl Figure of Darth Vader.

All of these awesome limited edition figurines are available at great discounts. Prices start at just $30. Included are a wide variety of figurines, including the popular favorites from Spider-Man, Star Wars, The Incredibles, Iron Man, Spongebob Squarepants, and more! These super trendy vinyl toys make great gifts for kids and adults alike! If you're looking for something different than your regular comic book or action figure, then you should consider one of the Funko Pop!

To discover more about these cool vinyl figurines, have a look at the Funko Pop! website. You'll also find an exclusive gallery featuring some of the toys you're absolutely sure to love. If you're searching for a gift for a child in your life, then you should have a look at these limited edition toys which have been designed by the world's biggest toy manufacturers. From Spider-Man to the X-Men and from Spongebob Squarepants to Star Wars, you are certain to find something that your little one will absolutely adore!

The company started manufacturing in 1992 with the first of their crazy line of bizarre collectibles. As time went by, they grew to include an assortment of crazy collectibles, such as a wide range of action figures. They are all based on the first Disney animations and are produced with precision and creativity. The company has expanded into a successful business with a huge selection of vinyl figures and collectibles. They are now known for their top notch quality, and if you would like to collect a bunch of them to add to your collection, you can do that!

One of their most popular figures is the Star Wars Limited Collector's Edition Pop! Vinyl Figure, which includes Star Wars legends like Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Darth Vader. This awesome figurine comes with a certificate of authenticity, a deluxe collector's box, and a flocked upon poster. If you want your children to have the best collection of pop culture action figures around, then this is the best gift!

For fans that want something totally unique and out of the ordinary, the new collectibles segment is full of even more awesomely weird alternatives. Check out the My Little Pony Power Ranges, or the Life As a Bunny collection. Both are amazing examples of Funko Pop! Collections, and they each have their own unique personality. The Pony collection features Equestrian animals such as ponies, donkeys, zebras, and unicorns, and the life for a bunny collection includes a collection of figurines of animals, cartoon scenes, and automobiles.

If you're not going to San Diego Comic-Con this year, don't worry! The company is releasing their new line of plastic collectible toys in the forthcoming Shreddex 2021 holiday. Each is a one of a kind collectible and has a specially designed character from one of the hottest animated movies of the year. Take a pop funko avatar look at the new funko pop! section today!

[svankmajerbaby]

13, 20, 30, 40 !!

thank you so much for the ask!!!!!!

13.  Describe your writing process from idea to polished i’m not really sure, but i think i’d go something like this: i get the idea usually by either being obsessed with a property (whether it’s frankenstein, beetlejuice or barbie) or by thinking up characters and adding traits and backstory to them, and then thinking up possible dynamics for them to have with other characters. then, i try to figure out a particular context (place and time) that could fit these characters, and i make sure to think it up in such a way that it doesn’t really conflict with the source material (for my barbie-frankenstein fanfic, for example, i didn’t want to set it in early 19th century, because i wanted vivianna to be able to become barbara roberts at some point, and as such it was more comfortable to preserve the victorian aesthetic while also being closer to the 20th century); if there’s not a proper space and time these characters can feel comfortable in (whether because of a particularly tense political situation, persecution, or simply The Wrong Aesthetic Choice), i make up one. after that i begin to write dialogues and location descriptions, try to picture it all in my head as clearly as possible. then, after i have some scenes written and some interactions done, i try to organize them, thinking what should come first, what can lead to a good finale, what would be the most important moment for each character and so on. when this is done, i usually already figure out the ending and can structure everything to lead up to it. after that, it’s all a matter of sitting down and writing between the scenes i’ve already done, editing them and adding whatever new ideas i get in the meantime. usually this is what takes the longest, because by this point i’m losing steam and interest and become distracted by new projects... but sometimes i manage to finish it and by then the editing process starts on full, checking for any grammar or spelling mistakes, wrong pronouns or words or names, usually cutting down on redundant descriptions or dialogues, adding things if i think something is not clear enough or erasing things if they seem too on the nose, and then i do this over and over until i feel it’s good enough.

20.  How many WIPs and story ideas do you have? oh boy do i have plenty. i’ve sorta finished the first novel of the story of Olimpia Gómez -the first one is simply called “La Ejecutora, 1938″; i’m currently writing the second, the third and the fourth ones -”La Ejecutora, 1946″, “La Ejecutora, 1954″, and “La Ejecutora, 1966″ respectively. then i also have almost finished my stage adaptation version of “Corpse Bride”, which i renamed “Death and Marriage”. i’m a chapter away at finishing my toy story fanfic, “Sitting On The Shelf”. i’ve written a single chapter of a beetlejuice fanfic about the maitlands that i still haven’t found a proper name fore, but which i’m very excited about. i’m writing several chapters at once of a massive addams family fanfic, focused on most of the main family characters’ backstories or developments beyond the nineties movies, which i’m calling “Family Beyond Blood”. i’ve started a little princess tutu fanfic that i’m not sure if i should continue, but which is a stylistic deviation of what i’ve been writing so far, so that’s good. i’ve kind of abandoned another fanfic idea i had, “Vulnavia & Vulnavia”, from one of my favorite horror movies, “abominable dr phibes”, which i have to come back to... and like the madwoman i am, i’m planning on rewriting the star wars sequel trilogy, so i got that in my to do list, as well. besides those fanfics, i got a sci-fi novel being developed, called “Los Prototipos”, about two twins that escape the enclosure where they had been raised to find out they were being studied to make a single-minded working force (kind of like the replicants in blade runner) with an expiration date -all this set in a dystopic 1960s country somewhere in latinamerica, tackling issues of economic imperalism, forced labor and independece through revolution. this is one of my most political works, so i’m giving it a lot of space to breathe. i’ve also began some time ago a series of noir/horror short stories set in Buenos Aires, one of them based on a short movie script i’ve written, which i’m really excited to do -because i’m usually crap at writing short stories -but i’ve left it in standby until i finish the bigger projects first... and then I Have Scripts, Baby! “Mi Amiga Carolina”, about a possessed doll that emotionally manipulates a depressed teenager that moves alone into her grandmother’s old house; “El Moderno Prometeo”, a (mostly) faithful retelling of frankenstein set in Argentina, focused on the family drama of the frankenstein family and on the relationships between victor, daniela (justine, here being his older sister), quique (henry) and elsa (elizabeth); a screen adaptation of a novel of a friend of mine, “La Chica Que Trabajaba Los Sábados”, about a non-practising jewish woman in Buenos Aires who falls in love with a rabbi, and how their relationship ebbs and flows; and “Verano en los Manzanos”, about a boy who lives in rural Córdoba who falls in love with a girl from Buenos Aires (i try to write what i know, usually), and who as they grow up become a couple, have a kid, and ultimately wind up apart due to his struggle with depression and her own struggle with acute anxiety, all of this interweaved with his own return to the little forgotten village he grew up on, where he reflects on the life he used to have. so, in total... 16 WIP. plenty.

30.  Favourite idea you haven’t started on yet i just now realized that i forgot to mention it in the last point, but technically i havent’ even started, so yeah, it’s just an idea: a series of sci-fi books about a parallel history in which India was the first country to go to the moon, and in which South America has the ASADE (Asociação Sul-Americana D’exploração Espacial), where they train cosmonauts to explore the vastness of space: set in an alternate 1930, a team of specialists on several fields and from several countries (the ones I got thought up already are captain Alfonsina Shua, from argentina, and copilot Adolfo Chaviano, from a paraguayan-argentinean couple) go on the fifth ever tripulated voyage. on an exploration, copilot Chaviano gets lost and disappears in space, cut off from his crew, and ends up going through a wormhole and crossing a threshold between sci-fi and fantasy of a blooming star -rendering him immortal but extremely radiated, which allows him to continue exploring space (ending up in several planets, registering his encounters with varied extraterrestrial cultures) while back in Earth the ASADE and his family try to locate him and bring him back home -it’s basically “The Martian” meets “The Little Prince”. and then, there’s the sequel series, about the three grandchildren of Adolfo Chaviano, who, after his death, discover that their grandfather had been developing a time machine alongside Alfonsina to go back in time and look for a way to revert the effects of the radiation in him, in order for him to live longer -and, perhaps, to find the way to become immortal and continue exploring the deepest limits of space. set in an alternate 1971, where space travel is now commonplace, the three siblings, Lena, Majo and Laucha embark on a space mission, meeting all sorts of new characters similarly affected by radiation and some mysterious magical/space properties, in order to find Alfonsina and ask her to give them one more chance to ask questions and say goodbye to their grandfather. so yeah, i got a lot of ideas, but i haven’t been writing any scenes yet -it’s still all in my head so far.

40.  Share some backstory for one of your characters well, the original character i’ve got developed the most is Olimpia Gómez (whose birth name is Beatriz Moreno), the orphaned daughter of two spanish union workers who were killed in the Semana Trágica on 1919 by the mysterious Society (of course, working in cahoots with the repressive government), and taken in by that same Society and raised to kill supposed “criminals and dangerous subjects”. trained in the countryside, taught to always be ready to die an honorable death for peace and justice while on duty, she’s taken to Buenos Aires to prove herself by stealth-killing the targets she is given, who she is told are people beyond salvation. she’s never been popular, but her closest friend, Eugenia Menéndez, always tries to get her to open up and join her own attempts at having a normal social life -which is quite difficult when being a spy and “executioner”. Olimpia has a boyfriend, fellow agent Evaristo Gutiérrez, but by the time they’re nineteen their relationship feels cold and strained, and at the same time there’s the pull of one of the most powerful members of the organization, Azucena Velázquez, daughter of two high-ranking agents: she’s kind-of out as a lesbian (only able to be so because of her high status), and has always been interested in Olimpia; Olimpia has to wrestle with her own internalized homophobia, feelings of guilt and bisexuality in order to finally decide who she wants to be, alongside her discovery of precisely how the Society is corrupt and extremely politically motivated when electing its “targets”, which leads Olimpia to try to escape it -despite knowing that the Society is everywhere, and if she can manage to escape, it’s because the Society allows it in the first place.

[exdeotm]

kian  andrew  mathis  .    beat  up  playing  cards  with  odd  symbols  etched  in  black  sharpie  against  dulled  red  backs  splayed  out  on cracked  &  darkened  wooden  floorboards  that  smell  of  moss  &  sink  heart  -  poundingly  low  when  walked  across  with  too  heavy  a  foot  ,  the  slam  of  a  hole  -  ridden  back  screen  door  of  a  house  after  a  late  evening  screaming  match  ,  just  to  sit  down  in  the  middle  of  a  field  full  of  laundry  hanging  &  the  sound  of  cicadas  &  crickets  harmonizing  in  the  dark  blue  distance   –  pounding  a  fist  on  the  ground  under  bloodshot  eyes  ,  &  a  body  full  of  tattoos  meant  to  harden  the  skin  underneath  that  sings  relieved  songs  above  rigid  -  seeming  muscles  when  it’s  touched  –  every  once  in  a  blue  moon  –  by  love  rather  than  malice  .

rumor  .    his  family  –  his  mother  ,  father  &  younger  sister  --  ditched  town  when  kian  was  sixteen  because  they  thought  he  was  possessed  &  would  hurt  them  .

out  of  character  .   aubs  ,  twenty  -  one  ,  she  /  her  ,  est  ,  &  i  would  live  &  die  for  andy  dufresne  from  shawshank  redemption  .  i  watch  speed  racer  (  2008  )  unironically  &  it’s  one  of  my  favorite  films  of  all  time  ,  barbie  in  the  nutcracker  is  unequivocally  the  best  barbie  film  &  i’ll  take  that  statement  with  me  to  my  mf  grave  ,  &  sam  giddings  &  josh  washington  deserve  it  all  .  idk  what  ‘  it  ’  entails  but  .  .  .  they  deserve  it  .

✷   *   ˚   𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑒  𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜  𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒  𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒔  /  𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔  𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑤   .   ˚   *  

nickname  .    ki  .

character  inspiration  .    stanley  barber  (  i  am  not  okay  with  this  )  ,  billy  russo  (  the punisher  )  ,  poe  dameron  (  star  wars  --  except  i  would  never  ruin  his  character  like  d*sney  &  co  did  so  jot  that  down  )  ,  chris  chambers  /  teddy  duchamp  lovechild  (  stand  by  me  )  ,  will  hunting  (  good  will  hunting  )  ,  &  kirby  reed  (  scream   franchise  )  .

age  .    twenty  -  five  .

pronouns  .    he  &  him  .

orientation  .    bisexual  .

occupation  .    mechanic  at  pineview  mechanical  .

frequents  .    wheel  -  a  -  while  roller  rink  .  his  family  used  to  frequent  the  rink  .  he’s  an  expert  rollerblader  who  goes  to  the  rink  to  get  lost  in  the  nightlife  &  music  scene  .  kian’s  infamous  for  picking  up  dates  there  &  never  following  through  .

tattoos  .    he  has  tattoos  all  over  his  body  --  up  &  down  both  arms  ,  a  few  scattered  along  his  legs  ,  a  tree  facing  upward  along  the  right  of  his  torso  ,  and  wings  against  his  shoulder  blades  .

face claim  .    jordan  fisher  .

zodiac  .    gemini  sun  ,  leo  moon  ,  &  aries  rising  .

alignment  .    chaotic  neutral  .

hogwarts  house  .    ravenclaw  .

demeanor  .    he’s  incredibly  independent  &  is  angrily  forthright  whenever  he  feels  like  he  needs  to  protect  himself  .  you’ll  usually  find  him  smirking  from  across  a  room  or  smiling  to  himself  --  minding  his  own  business  &  enjoying  his  own  company  .  he  treats  every  room  like  he  owns  the  place  ;  a  bit  of  a  jay  gatsby  meets  tom  buchanan  type  ,  sans  the  simping  .  he’s  the  type  to  down  a  drink  ,  give  someone  a  smile  ,  &  when  they  don’t  return  the  sentiment  he’s  quick  to  throw  the  smile  away  ,  replace  it  with  a  bored  expression  ,  &  throw  the  glass  over  his  shoulder  so  he  can  get  back  to  what  he  was  doing  before  someone  tried  to  ruin  his  mood  (  which  is  always  secretly  poor  to  begin  with  --  he  just  pretends  he’s  happy  because  he  doesn’t  understand  what  real  happiness  that  doesn’t  rely  on  acceptance  feels  like  anymore  ,  so  he’s  gonna  have  to  suffer  ig  !  LKSMDFL  )  .

positive traits  .    beguiling  /  charming  ,  indulgent  ,  &  quick  -  witted  .

negative  traits  .    trenchant  /  sharp  -  edged  ,  irritable  ,  &  selfish  .

phobias  .    enclosed  spaces  &  being  locked  inside  rooms  ,  his  limbs  being  tied  together  (  being  cuffed  to  something  ,  etc  )  &  being  unable  to  move  ,  not  being  able  to  remember  things  ,  &  feeling  like  he’s  about  to  be  cornered  .

drug  use  .    frequently  .  he  has  experimented  with  plenty  of  things  in  the  past  ,  but  secretly  only  does  it  because  he  feels  like  he  remembers  things  /  his  childhood  better  when  he’s  high  .

alcohol  use  .    on  occasion  &  in  small  increments  .  he  drinks  socially  ,  but  doesn’t  enjoy  getting  plastered  .  he  hates  losing  gaps  of  time  &  tends  to  panic  in  morning  -  after  situations  post  -  blackout  .

diet  .    average  but  chaotic  .  he  eats  as  clean  as  someone  with  a  lack  of  money  &  time  possibly  can  .  he’s  infamous  for  eating  out  ,  getting  takeout  ,  stopping  at  diners  for  a  pick  -  up  meal , flirting  with  waitresses  while  he  waits  ,  etc  .  but  eating  oats  in  the  a.m.  &  keeping  things  simple  with  a  salad  by  noon  isn’t  too  off  base  for  him  .

birthplace  .    radisson  ,  alberta  ,  canada .

has  he  experienced  strange  radisson  happenings  ?    absolutely  .  he  considers  himself  a  strange  radisson  happening  ,  but  he’ll  get  instantly  irritable  if  someone  tries  to  make  smalltalk  about  anything  like  that  --  talking  about  radisson  transparently  brings  back  memories  &  makes  him  anxious  ,  which  is  a  mood  that  turns  sour  far  too  quickly  &  seamlessly  in  kian’s  book  .

family  .    

andrew  &  deanna  “  dee  ”  mathis  :  kian’s  mother  &  father  .  they  were  kind  ,  but  religious  to  the  point  where  it became a fault  &  paranoid people who attempted to keep kian extremely sheltered growing up  .  when  kian  began  acting  up  in  school  ,  getting  in  fights  ,  getting  into  it  with  his  parents  &  inciting  household  scuffles  ,  his  parents  began  to  fear  for  their  son  .   things  only  grew  worse  when  kian  contracted  appendicitis  when  he  was  sixteen  &  grew  pale  &  sickly  with  the  same  attitude  ,  but  wasn’t  audibly  in  pain  .  he  can’t  remember  much  that  happened  at  home  during  his  childhood  /  early  teen  years  ,  but  he  knows  he  has  the  scars  to  prove  that  he  eventually  had  surgery  to  remove  his  appendix  .  the  most  he  can  recall  is  being  in  bed  a  lot  ,  being  angry  often  ,  being  spiteful  &  fiery  whenever  he  could  squeeze  the  sentiment  in  ,  not  wanting  to  go  to  church  ,  getting  his  first  tattoo  when  he  was  fifteen  &  making  sure  it  was  visible  just  to  spite  his  parents  ,  etc  .  kian  ran  away  from  home  after  a  large  family  fight  that  ended  in  what  he  remembers  as  a  scuffle  where  his  father  pinned  him  on  the  floor  &  screamed  for  him  to  calm  down  while  he  urged  his  wife  to  take  kian’s  sister  &  wait  in  the car  .  funnily  enough  ,  kian  recalls  ,  during this  memory  ,  feeling  completely  calm  &  content  beneath  his  father  .  the  warring  dichotomy  between  what  he  remembers  feeling  &  how  he  remembers  his  father  reacting  haunts  him  to  this  day  .  when  they  left  ,  kian  was  able  to  emancipate  himself  &  prove  that  he  was  able  to  take  care  of  himself  instead  of  being  forced  into  a  foster  home  .

younger sibling whomst i might add a wanted connection for so i won’t name them  :  kian’s  younger  sibling  probably  was  closer  to  kian  than  their  parents  were  ,  but  they  ended  up  leaving  town  initially  with  their  parents  --  either  by  force  or  willfully  ,  he  never  found  out  .  kian  being  kian  ,  though  ,  attributed  it  all  to  his  family  ditching  him  without  a  second  thought  &  hasn’t  taken  a  moment  to  actively  miss  them  since  .

education  .    went  to  public  school  his  entire  life  &  left  alberta  about  seven  years  ago  to  go  to  study  theology  for  two  years  ,  only  to  wind  up  back  in  radisson  ,  where  he  studied  auto  mechanics  through  a  trades  program  &  now  works  on  cars  for  a  living .

languages  .    english  ,  asl  ,  &  spanish  .

[hotchocolatefanfics]

Planet of The Disney Apes

The following is a humorous one-shot of some of the PoTA characters reacting to the news of being bought by Disney and the possible fourth movie while poking fun at the characters. Doesn’t really follow the usual setting for the PoTA universe, just something random to laugh at.

Enjoy!

~~~~~

Thump! 

“ Allie like tea?” Bad Ape asked his plush alligator (which he apparently named it ‘Ali’…Of course he’d give that old thing a name) as he offered it a plastic tea cup.

Thump!

“Why isn’t there anything good on to watch?” Complained McCullough, as he flipped through the TV stations.

“Looney Tunes is on.” Suggested Preacher, though he looked uncomfortable sitting on the couch next to the Colonel.

“That’s for children.” McCullough remarked. “Besides, it might give Donkey and One Eye ideas.”

Caesar wasn’t sure why he was so annoyed. The longer he sat on the floor, the more he wanted to break something…Particuarly, McCullough’s skull…But wait, he always felt like doing that!

Hmm…Then maybe what he wanted to break was the blasted tea set that Bad Ape had found and insisted on having a Tea Party with his plush alligator…No, that’s too mean!

All Bad Ape did was invite-no! Drag him and Winter into playing with him…To be honest, Caesar didn’t object because he couldn’t find a good reason not to.

Besides, Rocket was baking cookies and offered to give them to Bad Ape for their little Tea Party! Ever since the balding chimpanzee discovered the oven and the magic of cookie mix, he’s turned the kitchen into a cookie factory.

Caesar guessed that Bad Ape only invited Winter so he wouldn’t feel left out but Winter likely only said yes because he knew Bad Ape was, more than likely, the only one in the room who won’t manipulate him or try to kill him.

Thump!

No, it wasn’t the Tea Party or McCullough’s presence that was annoying him…It was Koba and Red playing darts….And using HIS picture as the target!

What will stop them from using the real thing? He wondered bitterly. Why does Red and Koba have darts anyway?…Why does Bad Ape have a Tea Set and why does Winter have a Barbie doll collection?

Preacher glanced around nervously, trying to think of another suggestion. “Ok, uhh…What about King Kong? That’s not for kids.”

McCullough snorted. “We’re living with King Kong, Preacher-and there’s more than one!”

Just then, the front door slammed open. “Father?!”

Blue Eyes.

Finally! Someone who doesn’t want to kill me or isn’t childish!

“Blue Eyes?” Caesar called back.

Blue Eyes ran into the room and paused at the scene before him. Eyes darting from his father sitting on the floor with Winter and Bad Ape, McCullough and Preacher on the couch and Red and Koba behind them.

“Uhh…What going on?” He asked.

Before Caesar could answer, Bad Ape exclaimed: “It a Tea Party!” Which, of course, prompted snickers from Koba and Red.

“You mean YOU’RE having a Tea Party!” McCullough corrected. “The rest of us are relaxing like REAL men!”

A bing suddenly came from he kitchen and then Rocket, sounding every bit like the ape-reincarnation of the Cookie Monster himself, squealed: “COOKIES!!!” Very shortly after, he appeared with a platter full of the chocolate chip goods.

Blue Eyes, still not sure what to make of the unusual scene, blinked. “…Ok…” Then he remembered why he was there at all. “Fox! Sold us!”

Now it was Caesar’s turn to be confused. “What?” He asked.

McCullough, barely listening shrugged. “So we’re moving studios. Big deal-“

“Disney bought us!!!” Blue Eyes blurted out., causing everyone to gasp. Even Koba and Red dropped their darts.

“Disney?” Caesar stood up, forgetting all about the Tea Party. “You mean the-?”

“Yes!” Answered Blue Eyes with growing panic.

“With the-“

“Yes!”

Caesar felt panic rising himself at that point. “Oh no…”

“They’re making. FOURTH MOVIE!!!”

If the others weren’t scared before, they definitely were now. The only one who wasn’t hooting like the other apes, or saying ‘no’ like McCullough, was Bad Ape. He picked up his alligator plush.

“What going on?” He asked it.

He made the stuffed animal turn to the others and back to himself and then shake it’s head. As if to say ‘I don’t know.’

Bad Ape hummed in thought. “Join in?” He asked.

He shook the plush up and down in a nodding motion.

“Ok!” Bad Ape replied before making panicked hoots of his own.

“Guys please!” Turns out, Preacher was the only one, other than Bad Ape who wasn’t panicking. “We don’t need to panic here!-We all know what happens when we panic!”

“Oh look who’s suddenly more than just a yes-man!” Snarked McCullough as he too stood up from the couch.

Preacher frowned at him. “So would you rather have Koba make a death list, Red pick up fights with everyone, Winter’s old phobias return, Rocket to eat all the cookie-dough ice cream we have, Caesar act grumpy all the time and sigh ‘why me?’ when he’s alone and you to drink yourself into a stupor instead of talking about this like ‘real men’?”

That left McCullough speechless for a moment. “That doesn’t happen when we’re stressed-!”

“Not! Stressed!” Rocket interjected. Before inching his way back into the kitchen. “…Want. Ice cream. Now…” He added before disappearing back inside.

….Maybe they should stop buying the cookie mix and ice cream for a while…

Red suddenly noticed Koba was no longer with him and glanced around for the scarred bonobo. “Kob-“

Just as suddenly as Koba disappeared, he reappeared with two guns and handed one to the confused Red. “Get gun!” He yelled out, startling everyone.

“Koba, what are you-“ Koba answered before Caesar could finish the question.

“Going! To war! Kill! Mouse! Kill! All! Of them!”

Realization set in to what he meant. Caesar and Blue Eyes glanced at each other in fear and Winter, scared beyond belief, hid behind Bad Ape-who was busy eating cookies in the midst of all of this.

“Uhh, Koba?” Preacher’s past look of confidence was gone…Possibly due to the fact he was talking to the very ape who started the whole Human-Ape War to begin with. “Not to ruin your dreams of mass murder, but the Disney kind of rules the world and…Well, Mickey Mouse is their pet. If you kill him, I’m 99% sure you’ll get the death penalty AND be cursed a thousand times over.”

Koba frowned at him, looking as though he was contemplating adding the young soldier to his ‘death list’. “Stupid human! Am already dead! They! Can’t do! Anything! To Koba!” He then turned to Red. “Red. Follow?” He asked.

Red honestly didn’t know how to answer him. He still had more respect for Koba than he did for Caesar, and would still follow Koba but even he knew this was crazy. “…I…Don’t think we. Have enough bullets.”

Koba’s eyes went wide as he realized that was true. “Oh nuts!”

“It doesn’t matter if we fight them, Disney will likely ruin our franchise anyway.” McCullough fumed. “Look what they did with the Marvel and Star Wars franchise! They all suffer from Dead Horse Syndrome!”

“Colonel.” Caesar interrupted, trying to stop his rant-to no avail.

“And lets not forget all the ANNOYING songs and musicals, the cash-grabbing remakes and the worst of the worst! The Air Buddies!”

“Not Air Buddies!” Yelped Blue Eyes.

Koba growled, which made Red’s eyes widen. “You not plan. To kill puppies, do you?”

“No!” Koba half yelled at the rusted furred gorilla. “I kill! The MERCH!”

“…Red likes puppies?” Asked Blue Eyes, in a less panic voice.

Red’s face flushed before twisting into a scowl. “I’m. Allowed. To like things!”

There was an awkward pause before Winter, finally, said something. “…I like puppies too…And kittens…And cookies.” He finished by taking a cookie and eating it whole.

[lovemesomesurveys]

What type of bread did you use on the last sandwich you made? White bread.

& What was on said sandwich? Bologna, sharp cheddar cheese, mayo, and spinach with a bowl of some olive oil mixed with basil and oregano for dipping.

How many doors are in your house? Like 10.

Got any bad habits? If so, what are they? Biting/picking at my nails and the skin around them, biting/picking my lips, picking acne, poor self-care...

What was the last compliment you recieved, that made you smile? I don’t even remember the last time I received a compliment.

Do you ever lie to your friends? Everyone lies.

If so, do you feel bad about it after? Depends what the lie was about.

Think you need to lose weight? How much? Definitely not. I actually need to put a little on.

When was the last time you watched a VHS movie? Uhhh. According to Google, DVDs became the norm in like 2000/2001, but I feel like we still used VHS tapes for maybe 3 years after that.

What event would you go back in time to see, if you could? Hmm. That’s a tough one.

Do you remember the last thing you said you wanted? Coach did a collab with Star Wars and they have a backpack that I really like. It’s too expensive, though. 

Who was the last friend you hung out with&what’d you do together? It’s been like 4 years since I’ve hung out with anyone outside of my family.

Who is the person, other than a spouse, that you are closest to? I don’t have a spouse, so no problem there. I’m closest to my mom and younger brother.

Do you know when to use ‘to’ & ‘too’? Yes, I know how to use both. I know how to use there/they’re/their, too.

Who do you currently live with? My parents, younger brother, and doggo. 

Favorite board game? I have a few. I love board games.

If you watched it, who was your favorite 'Hey Arnold!’ character? Ha, it’s on my TV right now. I like the whole gang. 

Have any good school pictures? or do they all just suck? My early school year ones are cute. The ones from 4th grade and up are ew.

How old were first kiss? 16.

Do you ever wonder what people think when they look at you? I used to think about that a lot more. It’s weird cause like... I’m very self-conscious and my self-esteem is shit, but I really just stopped even trying with my appearance. Me from a few years ago would be mortified with me now and the way I let myself go out the house. 

Do you like trying on clothes or not? & Why? No. It takes more energy than I care to give. Or just don’t really have.

What are your thoughts on marriage? I don’t see it ever happening for me.

What was your favorite toy as a kid? Barbies.

Do you still play with it or have it? I have them stored away in the garage.

Are you currently IN love with anyone? No.

Difference between loving someone&being in love with someone? Yes or no? Uh, yeah. Big difference. 

Don’t you hate when reruns on TV are in a random order? Depends on the show. If the storylines aren’t connected then I don’t care. Like with a show like Catfish, it doesn’t matter. A show like The Golden Girls, it does.

Do you ever watch any crime shows? I watch the ID channel sometimes with my mom. That’s her favorite thing to watch.

If so, which do you watch the most/is your favorite? Various shows on ID.

Ever smoke pot? Yeah.

Don’t you hate when people you love/care about annoy you with stupid crap? I definitely don’t enjoy being annoyed.

Do you ever get frustrated&say 'nevermind’ when people just don’t get it? Yep.

Still have feelings for an ex? No.

Have you ever SERIOUSLY considered any kind of plastic surgery? No.

What was the last thing you cleaned&why? I cleaned off my bed yesterday cause my mom was changing the sheets and such. I had to move stuff cause my bed has become a storage space for clothes and a desk for my laptop, coloring book, colored pencils, phone, remotes, and Nintendo Switch. 

Don’t those weightloss pill commercials just irritate you? No.

Before taking this survey, what were you thinking of? I was irritated about something.

How long have you lived in the current place you’re living? Almost 10 years.

Do you plan on moving anytime soon, if so where? We want to, but there aren’t any plans to as of now. As soon as we’re able to we will.

Does blood make you queasy? Yes.

Do you ever walk alone at night just because, or does that freak you out? I definitely wouldn’t do that. 

What happened in the last TV show you watched? Phoebe got to move up to the 6th grade, but she didn’t end up liking it so she went back to the 4th grade with her friends. It was an episode of Hey Arnold lol.

Do you ever correct grammar/spelling errors your friends make? Only in my head. I’ll sometimes point out typos to my mom and brother, though. I just tell them personally, I don’t put them on blast.

Or do you just not care about that stuff? I don’t put people on blast for it.

Don’t you think things are getting wayyy too pricey? Yeah. 

Facebook, wasn’t 'become a fan’ better than 'like’? No.

What do you think was the best year you ever had? Childhood years.

Are you more of a follower, or a leader? Be honest. I’m more of a wallflower, ha. 

Are your dreams/nightmares in black&white or color? Hm. I honestly don’t know? 

Or do you not even remember any of them? There’s that, but also I just can’t seem to recall if they’re in color or not.

Have you ever wanted to be some sort of hero outside of videogames? No. I’m no hero.

Will you admit that you’re at least somewhat superficial? I don’t think I am.

Most attractive actor/actress that comes to mind right this second? Alexander Skarsgard of course.

How often do you go to the mall closest to you? I never go anymore. I used to go pretty regularly back when I had a social life.

What physical features can you just not stand about yourself? Just about everything.

Do you still count with your fingers, even if only every so often? I still do.

The last flavor of gum you chewed? Minty gum is the only kind I like.

Have you ever gone on a road trip with just friends? No.

What was the last thing you had to drink & was it yummy? Yeah, it’s a white chocolate Starbucks Doubleshot.

What word or words do you think you say the most? “I don’t know” and “like.” There’s more, but there ya go.

Without trying, do you act differently around different friends? I acted a little different around different people. Not in a fake way, just different levels of comfortableness and different people bring out different things in you. You might be more outgoing and chatty with one person, but more chill with another. 

What was the last thing you drew/wrote on your own or someone elses’ skin? I have no idea.

Did you know your nose continues to grow/get longer as you get older? I think I’ve heard that. I don’t recall if it’s true or not.

The last time you spent money, what was it on & how much did you spend? Christmas presents.

What’s the most money you’ve ever spent on one piece of clothing? Hm. I don’t know.

Don’t you believe you’re not really a vegetarian if you still eat chicken Chicken is a type of meat and vegetarianism is abstinence from meat, so...

Who was the last person you avoided/ignored? Blah.

In elementary school, were you more of the bully or the bullied? Neither.

How much do you say you walk in a week outside of school &/or work? I spend majority of my day in bed. Most activity I have is going from my bed to the kitchen, bathroom, living room, or my parents’ room. Then there’s the doctor visits twice a month and the occasional trip to Walmart, the movies, or some other random outing.

Did the last person you talked to in person annoy you in anyway? They said something that kinda rubbed me the wrong way.

Where are you sitting right now? On my bed of course.

[jana-hallford]

Baby Boomer Memories: The Golden Age of the Lunch Box

When I was growing up, school started in September, usually the day after Labor Day. For many of my era, one of the most enjoyable aspects of getting ready for a new academic year was choosing a lunch box.

In earlier times, people carried meals in baskets or pails. (In fact, the term “lunch pail” was still in use when I started school, when referring to a lunch box.) In the 1800s blue collar men began using sturdy metal lunch boxes at their work sites. Children wanted their own versions, and often re-purposed tins, especially those with handles.

Disney introduced a tin litho Mickey Mouse lunchbox in 1935, but decorated children's lunch boxes really took off after World War II. From the 1950s and 1960s through the 1980s, lunch boxes were more than utilitarian meal containers -- they were statement pieces that told your peers what you liked. This was especially important because in many cases there were few if any other licensed products available for television series. Companies producing school lunch boxes included Ohio Art, Themos, and Aladdin. Here are some examples from the golden age of the school lunch box.

“Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier” lunch box from 1955, tying in with the 1955 movie from Walt Disney Productions starring Fess Parker. The film was edited from television episodes.

Metal “Mercury” lunch box. Project Mercury, which ran from 1958 through 1963, was the first human space flight program of the United States, and a critical part of the “Space Race” between the US and the Soviet Union.

This domed metal red barn metal 1958 lunch box was issued for years. I saw lots of them in the 1960s. The dome top worked well as a barn roof, and the design was not tied to a movie or TV series, giving it more longevity than many other designs.

This domed metal “Walt Disney School Bus” lunch box from the 1960s was very popular for years.

“Barbie and Midge” vinyl lunch box with thermos, early to mid 1960s. Vinyl lunch boxes were cheap to produce, as they were little more than thin vinyl over cardboard. (Over time the vinyl could stretch or rip, causing the lunch box to sag or peel, so good examples of vinyl lunch boxes are harder to find than their metal counterparts.) They were primarily marketed to girls, perhaps because of their purse-like appearance. I had a similar one in the first grade.

Vintage metal “Disneyland” lunch box, depicting the Jungle Cruise ride. Disneyland opened in 1955 to great fanfare.

Metal lunch box tied in with the 1964 Walt Disney movie “Mary Poppins.” I was the perfect age for that film when it came out! 

Metal “Flipper” lunch box. “Flipper “was a popular television show about a pet dolphin and its human family living in Florida. It aired 1964 - 1967.

I always thought this circa 1964 metal lunch box with a floral design and the name “Corsage” was pretty. Some of the girls I went to school with had this one.

Red plaid lunch boxes like this metal one were an enduring classic.

“The Munsters” 1965 Kayro Vue lunch box and thermos. Starring Fred Gywnne as Herman Munster and Yvonne De Carlo as his lovely wife Lily, “The Munsters” television series ran 1964 - 1967. 

“The Beatles” lunch box and thermos by Aladdin Industries, 1965. The Beatles were international stars by early 1964, ushering in “The British Invasion” of popular music. They made their film debut later in that same year in “A Hard Day’s Night/”

Domed metal “Lost in Space” lunch box by Thermos L.L.C, 1967. “Lost in Space” was a television series that ran 1965 - 1968. I never had this lunch box but I loved that show! 

“The Banana Splits” vinyl lunch box with thermos. Produced by Hanna Barbera, “The Banana Splits Adventure Hour” was a packaged variety show featuring four funny animal characters designed by Sid and Marty Krofft. Mixing live action and animated segments, it originally ran 1968 - 1970, then went into syndication 1971 - 1982. 

“Julia” metal lunch box and thermos by Thermos L.LC, 1969.. “Julia” starred Diahann Carroll as the title character, a widowed nurse raising her son alone after her husband was killed in the Vietnam war. The groundbreaking series, which ran 1968 - 1971, was significant for featuring an African American woman in a non-stereotypical role. Julia was middle-class, and not a servant.

My lunchbox ownership was actually quite limited. I had a black vinyl Barbie and Midge lunchbox with thermos in the first grade, when I attended a private school that did not have a cafeteria. My classmate Carol had a similar set, and cried when her thermos broke. Glass-lined thermoses were the norm back them, and opening a thermos to find it filled with glass splinters could be traumatic for a young child. Later on plastic thermoses solved that problem.

After first grade, I was back in public school and my mother wanted me to have a hot lunch of cafeteria food, so I no longer needed a lunch box. But I enjoyed seeing the lunch boxes carried by my classmates. This nostalgia is much like the fond regard I have toys I never owned but remember vividly from commercials and catalogs.

After the 1980s, the rise of the insulated lunch bag led to the decline of the classic lunch box. Thermos still makes them, though!

Vintage lunch boxes are highly collected, and some of the most sought after fetch very prices. Here are some resources for more information:

Collectors Weekly has a good article on vintage lunch boxes and thermoses.

Lunchbox.com is wonderful, with an excellent history of lunch boxes.

The Smithsonian has a fun history of Aladdin lunch boxes. 

[joyofcrime-elinorhigh]

Barbie: Princess and the Popstar REVIEW:

 Hello everybody, my name is JoyofCrimeArt and I hate myself. Barbie.

 The Direct-to-DVD Barbie movies aren't something that I, and I assume many of you reading this, ever really thought about to much. They we're always that movie that you would see in the Wal-mart "five dollar" DVD racks. Or maybe you'd see a snip-it of one airing on Nickelodeon at like, twelve o'clock on a Sunday afternoon. Compared to, say, the direct-to-DVD Scooby-Doo movies the Barbie movies seem to be a lot less attention. Which is why it came to such a shock to me that there are SO MANY!  Thirty-six. As of the time of me writing this review there are thirty-six direct-to-DVD Barbie movies. And not only that, but they are divided into several different continuities and "seasons" as Wikipedia list it. The Barbie movies are a massive franchise! I just can't wait until their next film. Barbie: Infinity War. That one will make all the money!  So in order to honor such a long lasting franchise, I figured it was about time somebody gave Barbie the respect she deserves. The movie we're going to be talking about today, Barbie: Princess and the Popstar is the twenty-third entry in what I have titled the Barbie: Cinematic Universe. I had actually seen this one a couple of years ago on Nickelodeon. And it is, as of the writing of this review, the only Barbie movie that I have seen. Why did I choose to watch this movie oh so many years ago do you ask? Well, it was because of the title. Princess and the Popstar. Most Barbie movies have kinda dumb overly girly titles, but this one takes the cake. Princess and the Popstar! Somebody was PAID to come up with this!  And you wanna know the really crazy thing? This isn't even the first Barbie movie to be an adaptation of Mark Twain's "The Prince and the Pauper." There was another, I'm assuming more straight forward, adaptation in 2004. But I guess marketing decided that Mark Twain's classic novel just...didn't have enough pop stars to meet "Girls between the ages of 2-7" demographic.  But hey, maybe the film won't be so bad. I mean the film is directed by Zeke Norton, who directed both Scary Godmother films. And those films...exist. Anyway, no more stalling. Let's dive head first to Barbie: Princess and the Popstar.

 The movie begins with a pop concert. And honestly, I can't imagine it starting any other way.  Famous pop star Keira (voiced by Ashleigh Ball.) is preforming a music tour in the fictional kingdom of Meribella, in celebration of the 500th anniversary of the countries founding. We see her preform her set. We then cut away the kingdoms princess, Princess Tori (voiced by Kelly Sheridan.) standing outside her castle's balcony, listening to the event from a distance.  And if those voice actresses names sound at all familiar to you that's because our two heroines are voiced by Applejack and Starlight Shimmer, respectively, from My Little Pony.

UGH! As if I didn't already have enough reason to hate Starlight Shimmer! ... Starlight Shimmer is the one that everybody hates, right?  Princess Tori wants to go down to the concert, but she is stopped by her Aunt, Dutchess Amelia. And I want you to guess, purely from her design, what her personality is.

If you said, stuffy old authority figure who's too focused on tradition and doesn't get the joke, than congratulations! You can predict a Barbie movie!  Princess Tori wants to go to the concert, but her Aunt forbids it because Tori has to write and preform a speech for the kingdoms five hundredth anniversary event. And she hasn't even started writing it yet. But Princess Tori isn't one for all this "traditional, princess stuff." She's goofy, mischievous, and a bit of a prankster. She's just too much of a rebellious free spirit for all this noise. Like all princesses in animation she dreams of something more. She dreams of being able to live her own life, free from all the rules and restrictions that being royalty presents. But, y'know, she still wants all the riches and glamour. Cause hey, that shit is sweet!  Meanwhile, Keira is busy dealing with all of her pop star duties. She's headstrong, and a bit of a workaholic. She runs every part of her tour, from lighting, costumes, to TV broadcast all herself. She doesn't even let her manager, Seymour Crider, do any of the work and ignores all of his advice. Keira is under pressure from her record label to write a new album. She says she's working on it, but with all the workload of running the music tour she just isn't feeling very inspired. And Crider is the one who has to deal with all the heat from the higher ups. Keira is just tired of all the pressure from the studio, and wishes she could not have all the responsibility of being a pop star. But, y'know, she still wants all the riches and glamour. Because, as we previously stated, that shit is sweet!  I can relate with Keira. The constant stress of deadlines and work on other projects can make ANYBODY feel uninspired. Sometimes people will become so desperate that they'll be willing to do any half-ass project in order to to stay ahead of deadlines. Like doing a lazy Q&A, or reviewing a Barbie movie.  ...  Wait....  So as you may have noticed by now, none of the characters in this movie are named Barbie! So already, this movie is clickbait. As it turns out, a lot of these Barbie movies don't actually star Barbie. Rather they star "characters portrayed by Barbie" which is all sorts of confusing. But hey, it could be worse I guess. They could be portrayed by Amy Schumer. But luckily we still got a few years before that happens.   Oh, by the way, magic exist in this world. Yeah, I know I bring that up pretty suddenly, but so does the film. Princess Tori has a magic hairbrush that changes her hair, and Keira has a magical microphone that changes her outfit. And nothing is really brought up about this. Like the characters in the film say that it's magic, but nothing else is really elaborated upon. Because outside of the magic, the world the film presents seems to more or less be the same as our world. It's not like it's some fairy tale kingdom or anything, it's set in contemporary times. It's never brought up where the magic comes from, it's just there. And it's even weirder because all they use there magic for is for changing there hair and outfit. Y'know, THINGS YOU CAN DO WITHOUT MAGIC!

Either that dress has a very large pocket, or this scene about to get a lot more uncomfortable.    Anyway, the studio blames Keira's manager Crider for not having the album done already. Because like in the real world, pop stars don't have to suffer any responsibility for there actions. Crider is by far the best character in this movie. He is the most over the top, foppish gay man you've ever did see. We learn a bit about his backstory, as he was once a child star himself on this universes version of Alvin and the Chipmunks. But when puberty hit he fell from the lime light faster than Macaulay Culkin. So naturally he is not only bitter at Keira for having to be blamed for all her actions, but also because he is jealous of her fame. He's a great villain not just because of how over the top flamboyant he is, but also because he gives a refreshing breath of cynicism and bitterness that the movie is otherwise lacking. Also he's voiced by Rolf from Ed Edd'n Eddy. He doesn't sound like Rolf, like at all. But simply knowing that makes the whole film a lot more enjoyable.  He tells his bumbling sidekick Rupert (Because why wouldn't he have a bumbling sidekick? I mean have you seen the type of movie this is?) that he plans on meeting Princess Tori's Aunt Amelia during a PR event, wooing her, and then inheriting all her money when she eventually passes away.

 Crider, Rupert, and Keira arrive at the castle the next day and Crider begins his plot to woo the duchess. Meanwhile, Princess Tori and Keira and immediately hit it off. They are both huge fans of the other, and become fast friends. Tori offers to give Keira a tour of the castle. They begin talking about the problems that they are both going through. This is where they hatch the idea to switch places, and do so using there magic hairbrush and microphone, in order to make themselves look exactly like the other.  Oh, and they also each have a dog. Because hey, little girls like dogs. There are some brief scenes we see between the dogs where they talk to each other in "animal language." but overall they don't contribute much to the plot, other than added marketability. Interesting side note, in the 2004 Barbie: Princess and the Pauper film they both had cats instead. Again, I guess dogs were just deemed more marketable.  Keira and Tori, now disguised as each other, continue there tour of the castle. This is when Tori decides to show Keira, the person she literally just met, the castles most valuable secret. A secret that only members of the royal family are permitted to know about. And this is where the movies gets WEIRD!  Okay, so they activates a secret passage and find a tree. And this tree, which only blooms once every five years, is a magic tree. That is guarded and cared for by a group of magically fairies. And the tree grows diamonds, which Tori says royal family uses the money from these diamonds to help the people! Though the fairies still give a diamond each to our protagonist. Again, it's weird because the world they create in this films universe SEEMS fairly real to our own. But then they just add random magical elements to it with no explanation. They could of at least included some backstory on where this tree came from. It feels like there just trying to check stuff off there "pandering to little girls" bingo sheet.

AH! BINGO! I GOT BINGO!  

Unfortunately for our heroines, Tori FORGOT TO CLOSE THE SECRET DOOR PANEL BEHIND HER and Aunt Amelia ends up finding the two snooping around the secret garden. AND SHE DOESN'T CLOSE THE DOOR EITHER! How the heck has this secret been kept for five hundred years? She get's mad at Keira (Who's still disguised as Tori) and the three leave the chamber. But unbeknownst to them, since Aunt Ameila DIDN'T CLOSE THE FRICKIN' SECRET PASSAGEWAY Crider finds out about the diamond tree. And now he decides to change his plan from marrying into money, to just stealing all the diamonds for himself. But that conflict can wait, because we have pop songs to preform.

 This movie has a lot of pop songs. Like, about a third of the movie is pop songs. And I have to say...there actually really good. If you're into that kinda pop punk type of music that is. The voice actresses each have a separate singing voice in the form of Jennifer Waris (Tori) and Tiffany Giardina (Keira) and both singers really knock it out of the part. Not only that but there is also some really well done choreography. Not only that, but the film also really takes advantage of the CG medium, with some impressive camera angles and panning shots. I mean it's not the greatest thing ever or anything, but for a direct-to-DVD Barbie movie, I was pleasantly surprised. I feel like this is where the passion was when it came to making this movie. Like the story was second to the music.

 However, I would be lying if I said that the music didn't drag on a bit. Just due to how much is in the special. Not only that but several songs are used more than once, which isn't that bad because they sound really good, but it does make it feel a bit repetitive. That said though, I was suppressed by how good this aspect of the film was.

 So Tori and Keira both begin trying to fulfill the role of the others. However, the both seem to have a bit of trouble living up to the expectations of there new roles. Typical stuff you would expect from a

"Prince and the Pauper"

adaptation. Tori, now being disguised as a low class...world famous pop star....decided to take this opportunity to explore her kingdom beyond her castle without escorts.

(Because, yeah, a pop star TOTALLY wouldn't have escorts with her when she's walking through the slums of a foreign nation.)

And Tori ends up coming across something she's never seen before. Poor people!

 More specifically two poor little girls, who are taken a back by "Keira's" presence. We learn that, despite how glamorous the castle life is for the royal family, the kingdom itself is actually suffering. A major drought had occurred in the kingdom the year prior, and while the wealthy nobility we're not effected much the poor people are still suffering, and Princess Tori was completely oblivious to what was going on the entire time.

 So now that Princess Tori has finally

 Checked

 HER

CIS

 WHITE

PRIVILEGE!!!

 -she decides to try to do right for the people by holding a free concert for all the underprivileged children. (Since the kids she met weren't able to afford to go to the concert at the beginning of the movie.) Not only that, but the whole royal family would be in attendance, and the concert would be broadcast live on TV to help raise awareness for the issue. Though Tori and Keira agree that they need to make sure they swap back before the concert starts.

 Keira (disguised as Tori) begins to finally be able to relax without all of her pop star-ly duties. She begins to play and have fun with Tori's two little sisters, (who quickly figures out who she is.) And as it turns out, this break from all the stress of preforming and recording is what Keira needs in order to get re-inspired.

 The day of the concert arrives, and Keira tries to meet up with Tori to swap places before the show begins. But rut-row, Aunt Amelia shows up and finds that "Tori" never ended up writing her speech. And because of this, Amelia refuses to let "Tori" go to the concert and locks her in her room. I do like that Keira actually does try to tell Amelia about the body swap ploy, in order to get her to let her out of the room. But Aunt Amelia doesn't believe her, and heads out for the concert.

 As this is all happening, Crider and Rupert begin there plan to steal the diamond tree. They walk back into the castle claiming that the duchess sent them, and because plot the guards just let them in unsupervised.

 Meanwhile at the concert, the crowd begins to get restless, and Tori is forced to go on stage and preform as Keira. She get's onstage, and is nervous. She begins to preform, badly. But then, with the power of "doing it her way"...whatever the hell that's suppose to mean, she is able to give a performance good enough that nobody is able to tell who she is in a pop song performance that last a total of five minutes straight in this seventy minute film!

 The concert is a success. But wait, Crider and Rupert have successfully broken into the castles secret garden and have to face off against the fairies. Hey look, it's fairy vs fairy!

 ...

 Am I allowed to make that joke?

  Also Rupert brought bug spray to kill the fairies, which is pretty horrific for the villains bumbling side kick. Especially when you realize that this would be a Barbie movie that would have one of the villains using chemical weapons on his opponents. Granted, this doesn't happen, because Rupert accidentally bough hair spray instead, but still. It was his INTENT to use bug spray! Also, of course the villains of a Barbie movies use hair spray as a weapon.  

 Crider cuts the roots of the diamond tree all of the trees in the surrounding area begin to die. To which I have to ask....why? Is it like a redwood thing, where all the trees are actually just a part of this one organism? If that's the case than why don't all the tree's grow diamonds? Or is this a magic thing? Prior to this scene the tree was never implied to have any magical abilities besides growing diamonds. Was a jewel heist just not deemed an exciting enough climax, so they felt the need to raise the stakes here?

 Keira, with the help of Tori's dog, are able to find a secret passage way out of the room and she and Tori both notice the dying trees and run to stop Crider from escaping with the tree. They also switch back into there real identity, and I just now realize as I'm writing this that Crider does not question this very much. HE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE WHOLE IDENTITY SWAPPING THING.

 Also, let me talk about something that bothers me. There was this character earlier named Prince Liam who's "potrayed by Ken." He had a few scenes early on with Keira (who was disguised as Tori at the time.) I didn't bring him up because he honestly didn't really do anything that was important to the plot. But then, suddenly in the climax, he shows up like he was a main character or something. And he's annoying. He feels really tacked on, like the producers realized that there wasn't a romance element to this film and decided at the hour mark that there needed to be one. Except that doesn't even work because he doesn't even end up with either girls. With I admit was a pleasant surprise, that neither girls in the movie end up with a love interest. But it makes Liam's existence even more worthless. Also he's kinda misogynistic, talking about saving the "damsels in distress." even though they save themselves. All Liam does is take down Crider's sidekick.

 Crider runs to his limo, but is blocked by the dogs. Cause y'know, a pug and a King Charles spaniel just COMPLETELY BLOCK THE ENTIRE PATH!  So he ends up be stealing a horse drawn carriage in order to make his escape. Tori get's into Crider's limo and we get a kinda fun car/horse drawn carriage chase striped right out of the end of Ouran High School Host Club.  How is it that I've reviewed two things with that very weird and specific climax?  Anyway, they cut off Crider's carriage, but he has an ace up his sleeve. Turns out his leopard print tuxedo is also a GLIDE SUIT and he jumps off a cliff to make his dramatic escape! And that's why Crider the best character in this movie.  But then Keira just zaps him with her magic microphone and turns his suit into a dress. And Tori zaps his hair to make it look more feminine.    The villain is defeated, but the tree is still dead. But Tori has an idea. They suspect that maybe the diamonds that grew off the tree could act as the trees seeds. They go back to the garden and take the diamonds that the fairies gave them earlier and plant them into the ground. The fairies use there magic and at first it doesn't look like it'll work. But then, the tree begin to regrow and all the life returns to all the other trees all over the castle. This is actually a clever twist, except for the fact that the tree still has diamonds on it, even though they specifically say that it takes five years for the diamond to bloom.  BUT WHO CARES ABOUT THAT, WE HAVE A CONCERT TO FINISH! Yeah, Tori kinda just bailed in the middle of that. Tori and Keira both show up on stage, and preform together. Tori writes her speech and and talks about making changes to the kingdom's irrigation and social serves system to help the people harmed by the drought. Tori learns about responsibility and Keira kinda learns to relax...I guess? And the movie ends on a pop song. Y'know, a good book end.

Puffy Ami Yumi?...  So that was Barbie: Princess and the Popstar! Overall what do I think of it?  Well, to be honest, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't kinda checking the time while watching it. Heck, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't even a little bit tired of thinking about it while writing this review. The main problem is the basic premises. Princess and the pop star. The whole point of "The Prince and the Pauper." is that it's a rich person with a lot of responsibility and a poor person with no responsibility changing places. But here, it's a rich person with some responsibility swapping roles with....another rich person with some responsibility. There's no real contrast, and because of that we only get the bare basics of character development or an actual moral. The overall animation is...okay. You can see there's ambition, but the lack of budget really makes it look like a Sims 3 machinima. The main villain is fun, but the rest of the characters are pretty basic. And the pop songs, while being extremely catchy and well choreographed take up somewhere between a third and a half of the film. And I feel like if the film used more of that time on more important things than maybe it would of been better.  If you want a movie with some so bad it's good elements (some actual good elements worked in) you MIGHT enjoy this film. But you  have to have the patience to get through some of the more tedious bits. Also I feel like a REALLY little girl might like this. I know people say "Kids deserve good things too." and there not wrong. But it's important to remember that kids have different taste than we do. When I was a kid I loved the Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! anime, so that should be evidence of that. But if you want a GOOD girl power type of show or movie....there's plenty better out there. Steven Universe, My Little Pony, Star vs, Hanizuki, the list goes on and on. Those shows are girly AND can be legitimately enjoyed by anybody, young or old. This really can't.  That was my review of Barbie: Princess and the Popstar. If you've seen the movie by some...odd chance...tell me what you think of it in the comments down bellow. I would love to start a conversation. Anyway, see you next time for hopefully something better. Have a great day. (I do not own any of the images or videos in this review all credit goes to there original owners.)

https://www.deviantart.com/joyofcrimeart/journal/Barbie-Princess-and-the-Popstar-REVIEW-744926224 DA Link

[margridarnauds]

6, 7, 10, 21, 23

THANKS AVERY

6. Answered here 

7. List your NoTPs from each fandom you’ve been in. 

Let’s have the SALT. (Mandatory disclaimer that my own personal feelings towards the SHIP does not inherently extend to the shippers, that I ship many dynamics that some people would call “abusive” given the ongoing debate over what “enemies to lovers” means, and that some dynamics here are things that I might have shipped under other circumstances, but things just...didn’t work out that way.)

Cats - I hated Plato/Victoria before I even knew that it was POSSIBLE to hate a ship that much. I always went with the Plato = Macavity theory to get that little skeavy dudebro off my girl. (Also, I’ll be honest, the whole “mating dance” thing is...such a fucking weird sequence anyway. Like, my ship preferences aside, ALW WHY DID YOU HAVE TO HAVE A SCENE WHERE THE CATS FUCK?) 

Pirates of the Caribbean - Jack Sparrow/Elizabeth. 

Harry Potter - Ron/Hermione. I never saw it, tbh, and they seemed to be pretty bad for one another, even in the books. The films just took it up several notches. 

OUAT - Captain motherfucking Swan. I hated that smug, greasy little motherfucker so much. So much. 

Star Trek Ds9: Jadzia/Worf. THERE. I SAID IT. Both sides brought out the absolute worst in each other, leading to an absolute trashfire of a ship that obliterated all in its wake. AND THEN WE HAD TO DEAL WITH THE FALLOUT OF THAT. EVEN AFTER THE SHIP WAS *DEAD*. Don’t mind me, don’t mind me. I’m cool, I’m cool. 

Carmilla - Tbh...Laferry. Never my thing. I know that her character development’s a BIG part of Perry’s arc and I fully embrace character growth, but it just. Left a bad taste in my mouth. And the way shippers used to treat Laflashdrive shippers back in the day. As if shipping a nonbinary character and a flashdrive somehow makes it hetero. (#LetLafBeaRobotfucker2k19). 

Les Miserables - You know what? While I’m on the Salt Train...

Enjolras/Grantaire. Now, there are plenty of ships that are probably more deeply annoying to me, but none are as prevalent as this one. And I might like them a lot more if they WEREN’T so prevalent. But as it is, it’s like a black HOLE that’s devoured the fandom, so that you’d think the entire fucking novel/musical is about these two. And. Maybe I shouldn’t talk given what I ship, but it isn’t even like they’re THEM at this point, they’re just two generic white guys in an “uwu” relationship. And I’m not speaking for EVERY single thing given that I have neither the time, concentration, or will to read every. Single. Thing. Made about these two, but it’s something I’ve noticed, though I’m not saying that I haven’t enjoyed SOME things made about them and the whole “You believe in nothing.” “I believe in you” is...good content. 

It’s like...you’re walking in the woods (there’s no one around and your phone is dead) and you see a brightly colored pink tree. At first, it’s great. A pink tree! You’ve never seen one of those before. You wander further into the woods, and there’s another! And another! And soon enough, you’re surrounded by pink trees, in a technicolored horror realm. Where’s the sky? Where did you come in at? You think you remember seeing the sun once, but NO, it’s another fucking pink tree blocking your way. There is no God, there is no ground, there is only a technicolored nightmare blocking your every move, drowning you in visions of Barbie-esque horror. 

Terra Nova - Skye/Lucas. WHY GOD WHY? Look, we KNOW I have terrible taste in ships, some of which have...questionable dynamics. BUT EVEN I CAN’T GET INTO THIS ONE. There’s no...mutual spark between the two of them, just Lucas creeping on Skye and Skye trying to get away. Also, since I’m here...Skye is estimate to have been born in ‘32-33, making her approximately 16-17 by the time the plot kicks into gear. Let’s be very generous and bump her into 17-18. Lucas? 2124, making him...oh, 25. Not the WORST age gap I’ve ever seen in my lifetime...but....questionable. Very questionable. And I know the series wants to have us believe that people grow up faster (see: The fact they actually think Maddy’s old enough to GET MARRIED. TO A SOLDIER. WHO IS REALISTICALLY IN DANGER OF MAKING HER A WIDOW,) but NO. Like, at my CURRENT AGE, with less than four years separating me from that age gap, I can’t see it. That is still at least 7 years of experience in the “real world” that she doesn’t have. He still saw someone with THAT MUCH of an age gap with him and WANTED something, whether or not she wanted it or not, and tried to PURSUE that something while calling her “sister”. Like, I can’t stop anyone from shipping it and I have a firm “ship and let ship” mentality, but....EW. EWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWeWEEWEWEW. 

B5 - I’m in the same boat as you as far as...on one hand. Byron/Lyta makes me want to vomit, but also...our Teep OC does owe her existence to her weird, hetero white goth uncle. 

Star Wars: Han/Leia. Because, as we all know, cornering a woman before you kiss her is the love story of the generation. Han would have been better with Luke and Leia with Holdo. 

The Pirate Queen - Tiernan/Gráinne. I. Hate. This. Ship. 

His Dark Materials - Torn between Ruta Skadi/Asriel and Lyra/Will. Tbh, leaning towards the latter because while the former is AWFUL and signifies the quite frankly terrible writing decisions that distinguish the second and third books, at least it didn’t involve a badass, feral girl child becoming a dainty, submissive 50s housewife in the body of a 12 year old. “Oh, Will, I’ll do whatever you say, I promise. I won’t use my awesome powers unless you say I can, you’re so fantastic, Will.” Gag me. Also...they’re twelve. This doesn’t HAVE to be an epic, tragic romance, and the fact that their “kiss” (WHAT THE FUCK PULLMAN, WHAT THE FUCK, I’M NOT A PURITAN BUT WHAT THE FUCK) is the key to saving the universe? Really? Basically, they should have been friends. 

1789 - Danton/Solène. (I KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT I WOULD SAY, BUT NO. MY HATRED FOR THIS ONE MANAGES TO OUTSHINE IT.) “But Rachel,” you might say, “You’ve been very, very open about preferring anything to Ronan/Olympe” and that’s TRUE. But the Toho version managed to push my hatred of this one with The Scene, AKA “Go back to the kitchen, Solène and let the menfolk take care of this.” The French version didn’t even really have it as A Thing, he was just a customer. And the amount of time Danton spends with Solène is always directly proportional to the amount of spinal surgery she’s going to have. Now, I can’t exactly BLAME the two Japanese productions for doing what they did, because they have to appeal to a Japanese audience in the way they see fit. It’s an ADAPTATION of 1789, not a tour of it. But that doesn’t mean I have to LIKE it. And. Like. You know there’s no way THAT one’s going to end in a way that’s good for Solène. Either (1) he’ll set her aside for his family or (2) If they SOMEHOW stay together...the Reign of Terror’s looming. 

Also: Danton/Charlotte. No. No. Just. No. There are so many reasons why. But no. 

Ace Attorney - Maya/Nick. WHY SWEET MOTHER OF HETERONORMATIVITY WHY? 

10.  Is there a fandom you read fic from but don’t write in?

We’ve both discussed a lot about how...DIFFICULT it can be to write fic for something. There are a lot of things I love dearly but just don’t have it in me to write fic for. Ace Attorney is an obvious one, Mozart l’Opera Rock, Elisabeth (though I’m trying to work on that one), Les Miserables, Star Wars, Star Trek, B5....a ton more that I could mention but it would honestly take too much time. Words hard, reading still hard but slightly easier. 

21. What was the first fanfic you ever wrote? 

The first thing I ever wrote, when I was five years old, was (very heteronormative) fanfiction for The Stinky Cheese Man, where he finds The Stinky Cheese Woman, which now, of course, I recognize as my own attempt to write myself into a narrative from which I’d been excluded. Or something. I think my mom still has it buried someplace, lurking...

Also, @theocraindora at some point managed to get me to write at least one full Carmilla AU during the second season, when we both must have been about 17-18-ish, if my math’s not too dubious, and that was the first thing I ever actually finished for a long time, even though it didn’t ever meet my personal standards for publishing and is likely to stay buried. For awhile, at least. 

23. Name a fic you’ve written that you’re especially fond of & explain why you like it.

Since I talked about PLP’s tragic backstory, time for something happier. Paradise Lost, which I’m actually pretty damn happy with because it was my first time working with something that’s not a historical piece, and it was honestly a treat working with Mira’s voice. I think that Mira really “clicked” for me as a character here. Like, “Yes, this is why she’s like this, this makes sense.” There are some times where you can really feel a character’s voice when you’re writing and you can get things out, and this was one of those very rare times for me. Not saying that it’s going to happen NEXT time, but this time, it was rather relaxing. 

It was honestly one of the smoother writing experiences I had? Like, it only took me about a day or so, from when we exchanged PMs to publishing it, which is pretty impressive, all things considered. I’m still not tossing out doing anything more with this world in the future, tbh. That and Goosefic were probably two of the easiest to just...get out. (WHICH. 92 HITS. GOOSEFIC HAS 92 HITS. THAT IS INSANE FOR A ONE-SHOT IN A SMALL FANDOM. HOLY SHIT.) 

(From your other ask!)

50. How did you get into reading and/or writing fanfiction?

I’ve been WRITING fanfiction since I could hold a pencil and make scribbles.  When I was younger, I could write that kind of thing easily, the shame came later. 

Finding out that fanfiction EXISTED...was probably when I was about 9-10 and found Balto x Harry Potter crossover fanfiction. Which. In hindsight. Was pretty horrible, but my young self was CAPTIVATED because Balto and Harry Potter? In the same universe? IT WAS LIKE MAGIC. 

Astonishingly, I did not read M rated stuff until I was at least 15-16-ish. I kept myself remarkably sheltered and only looked into it when I became curious. And got over my weird hyper-religious phase. 

When I was about 12-13, I started to toy with writing myself, writing my own OC crossovers for Phantom Manor (the gother, European version of Haunted Mansion that was my special interest for. Ages). Carmilla when I was 17-18 was one of the first things I wrote a full, complete Thing for, even if I never published anything for it. And from there, I’d try to write things for both The Pirate Queen and Dracula, though both projects proved to be too ambitious and I ended up cutting them off, tragically, but they gave me the confidence I needed to get into 1789, which I DID publish something for finally, on the day I was taking my GRE because. Well. I had something else I feared more than a flame. 

51. Rant or Gush about one thing you love or hate in the world of fanfiction! Go!

I don’t know if this is one thing or five separate things in a trenchcoat, but here you go. 

I love how we can explore things that could never be explored in canon, for one reason or another; I love that we have an experience that we can filter according to what WE want, including trigger warnings, which is honestly a godsend to me. We talk a lot about the transformative nature of fanfic, and it IS, but also, the level of empowerment that comes with being able to take back a narrative that says “hey, you’re not supposed to be in this narrative” or “You’ll like what we put out and you’ll stick with it” or “Well, if you don’t like it, create your own” and say “Okay, I will.” And, obviously the comments are lovely, having that kind of instant encouragement, and in the small fandoms in particular, it’s VITAL, but I also don’t feel like they’re inherently mandatory or that readers should feel FORCED. But I do love that, no matter what, something you write can connect with someone from the other side of the world. Like, people can argue all they want about fanfic being valid or not, but MOST people who want to be professional writers never get that. And when you stop and think about how we’ve been changing the narrative for as long as we’ve had oral stories, that this is how storytelling was ORIGINALLY done...that’s very humbling. 

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #188

“don’t you try to hide with those angel eyes.”

Would you rather take a walk in the cold rain, or in the blistering heat? Ha, the rain, any day. What is your favorite card game? Magic: The Gathering. If it were revealed that religion in its entirety did not actually exist, would your outlook on life be any different? No. If you had the chance to slip through a portal, despite being aware of any of effects and/or consequences, would you do it? No. Which parent was more strict when you were growing up? Mom. Worst facial hair, in your opinion: The pedo mustache. You know the one I'm talking about. Have you ever eaten dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets? Yes, I like, demanded we get those instead of regular as a kid lol. McDonalds, do you like it or does it disgust you? I honestly don't see why people hate it?? Do you like the state you live in? No. Did you ever own a Tamagotchi? I believe so. What do you hope you grow out of? The laziness I have with chores oops. What is the healthiest and unhealthiest thing you do on a regular basis? Healthiest, drink at least one bottle of water... even though I know that's nowhere near where I'm supposed to be lmao. Unhealthiest, drink soda. What is the most embarrassing thing you own? Ummmm idk. What is the strangest habit you have? I have to go use the bathroom literally right before I lay down for bed. Doesn't matter if I did ten minutes ago, I /have/ to go again because if I feel even a damn drop in my bladder, I can't sleep. What movie made you cry the most? The Notebook, probably. Titanic really got me, too. What was one of the happiest moments of your childhood? Getting my dog. What’s your favorite vacation memory from when you were a child? Watching the fireworks above the castle at Disney World. What impression do you try to give when you first meet someone? I try to be very polite. Who or what inspires you to be a better person? Mark. What’s the TLDR description of your last relationship? I didn't like him like that. If you found out your current life has been just a dream, would you choose to wake up? (You don’t know if your real life would be better or worse.) No. Well... do I ever wake up? If I was going to at some point, then I would, as I'd just be hurting myself by living in a word I would only leave. What dumb thing did you believe for a really long time? I'm not even remotely kidding, I didn't put together what "PMS" stood for and thought it was about mood swings 'n shit *during* your period until a few months ago. Where would you like to retire? I'm not thinking of that yet. What brings you the most joy in life? Talking/being with Sara. How many windows are on the upstairs part of your house? We don't have an upstairs. Do you own many hats? I have a Carolina Hurricanes one somewhere from going to a game with Dad, maybe two actually, but idr where they are or if I even still have them. When was the last time you were kept off school/work etc because of snow? I haven't been in school in a long time and I'm unemployed. Have you ever taken an underwater picture? No. Ever been on a ride and hated every second? Not seriously. I went on one I was terrified of (one of those circles that goes waaay up and then abruptly drops you) just to step out of my comfort zone, but I didn't hate it. Scared tho. What were an average day’s tasks at your favorite job you’ve had so far? I most certainly don't have a favorite. Does your car have a backup camera? I don't have my own car, but Mom's doesn't. Are you working on any goals? Yeah, not going well. :') Do you enjoy reading? Not particularly... I kinda just stopped enjoying it, but I also associate it with the hospital because that and coloring was all I ever did. The only thing I really *enjoy* reading is our RP because I'm so deeply invested in our characters, but even then, I procrastinate reading long posts. I'm genuinely trying to start reading again, though... I used to adore it. Are you interested in politics? No, though I should care. Did/Do you enjoy high school? Not usually 'cuz I was a depressed shit. Have you ever watched The Golden Girls? YES Ma and I love that shit. Did you ever like the Ninja Turtles? No. Ever been in a meaningless relationship? Tyler, yes. Does anything on your body hurt right now? Not at this very instant. Know anyone on birth control? Most girls I know + myself. Would you go swimming right now if you could? Yeah, that'd be nice. How long was your longest relationship? Over 3 1/2 years. What are you looking forward to in the next 3 months? My birthday. Have you ever gone frog hunting? No. Who’s the last person to seriously hurt you? Mom. Do you like getting dirty? NO. Are you a very flirty person? No. Who was your favorite babysitter? "Uncle" Donny. Do you swear? I think I make that pretty obvious. Are you gullible? Not usually. What is the last dream you remember? (describe) A nightmare with Dad that I don't really remember the details of. What is something that you fear will happen to you in the future? (Also why) I'll develop Alzheimer's. "Why" is obvious. Thankfully, it doesn't run in my family at all. Describe the best day that you can remember? First day at Sara's. Describe your worst day? The night of the breakup. What are some of your favorite songs right now? The SYN remix of Slipknot's "Psychosocial," "Incense and Iron" by Powerwolf, the "Closer" cover by Asking Alexandria, "Sex Metal Barbie" by In This Moment... I really have a lot rn. Do you ever have reoccurring nightmares? Describe? I've had four nightmares with my dad, all with horrible themes. I guess you could call that "reoccurring." Name a fictional place you would like to go? Take. Me. To. Azeroth bitch. Stormheim in specific, or Feralas. What criminal (dead or alive) would you like to sit down and talk to and why? None. If you read books, what are you reading now? I'm very, very slowly reading The Fault in Our Stars. Do you think that forgiveness is mandatory to move on from something? No. I still don't know if I forgive Jason, yet I'm over it. Do you believe in the death penalty? In extreme cases, yup. Some people have no right to life following some crimes. What is something you want to do but are scared of actually doing it? Ride a rollercoaster. Name three things you would buy if you had the money to buy them? A PS4, drawing tablet, another tat. Are you in a relationship right now? If so, do you think it’s a healthy one? Definitely! (Follow up) If it’s unhealthy, what makes it that way? N/A Would you ever date someone long distance? I am now. Name a person that you can’t stand and tell us why? My former best friend for a plethora of reasons. What group do you hate the most on Tumblr and why? SJWs. I'll stay away from "why" because I have extremely strong feelings and don't wanna offend anyone. What is the meanest thing you have ever done to someone, and why? Messaged Jason before leaving for the ER, directly blaming him. I mean the cause was what he did, but like... you don't fucking contact someone telling them "hey I'm off to the ER because I'm suicidal because of you." I don't care what I feel about him now, that was fucked up. Have you ever sent anon hate to someone? Nope. If you could write a book, what would it be about? I actually think it'd be pretty cool to create some sorta novel series involving all the RP stories, like divide the books into each mob's story... If you could make one rule that everyone had to follow, what would it be? Don't exhibit violence. If you could star in a movie, what kind of movie would it be? ONE W/ TIM BURTON. In your opinion what is something horrible everyone should try once? ?????????????????????????????? What is the hardest lesson that you have ever learned? Someone can fall out of love with you. What mistake do you keep making over and over again? Jumping to conclusions. If you could have a video of one event in your life, what would the video be? The moment Sara and I met. What is the most illegal thing you have ever done? Pirated a computer game I desperately wanted to play afsjjwoeuqowe I'm glad I don't have it anymore, that guilt. People in the past were buried with things that were important to them, what would you be buried with? The pebble from Holly Hill. What is something you are against, but find yourself doing anyway? Being sarcastic as hell when I'm mad. What was the last photo that you took? A leaf, I think. What are your favorite lyrics from a song? Probably "a bloody war behind my eyes; I'll come all right on the other side." Have you ever hit someone? Who and why? Nicole when we were little for making me mad over something I don't remember. What do you think they should teach in school that they don’t? Basic adult skills. What’s your favorite language? German. It sounds so powerful to me, especially in metal ajsfoawoejaw. What’s the most vivid dream you’ve ever had? I don't remember. Who’s your favorite celebrity? Korean Jesus. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Rebel's Market rip. Have you ever been in a beauty pageant? No, far from on my to-do list. I don't support them in the very least. How many tattoos do you have? Six. If you don't have any, have you ever thought of getting one? N/A When's the last time you ate a homegrown tomato? Like, '16 on a sandwich. Are you a good cook? NOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Do you know how to pump your own gas? No. What do you think about the most? The future. What do you do most when you are bored? Watch YouTube. Which came first: the chicken or the egg? Chicken. What kind of books do you like to read? Fantasy. How far away from your birthplace do you live now? Like, <10 minutes. Ever been stung by a jelly fish? No. Could you cope with the paparazzi if you were famous? FUCK NO SOMEONE WOULD GET KNOCKED OUT. Do you wear foundation? Veeeeery rarely. Would you ever adopt? If I actually wanted kids, sure. Are you sexually active? No. Last person you sang happy birthday to? Sara. <3 Was the last jacket you wore yours? No. Last thing you won? Uhhhh good question. What level of brightness do you usually keep your phone at? A bit above the middle. Have you ever attended a religious or private school? Well, I went to Sunday school. How many cars does your household own? One. What's your favorite meat? Ummmm pork or chicken. What's the best amusement park you've ever visited? Well, Disney World. How old were you when you got your first car? I still don't have one lol. Do you know anyone who's gotten pregnant over the age of 40? I don't think so? Who does most of the grocery shopping in your home? Mom. Are you listening to music right now? If so, what's the theme of the lyrics? "Adrenalize" by In This Moment. Sex, like it seems most of their songs are about lmao. What movie/game/etc. helps you calm down? Shadow of the Colossus. What does your room smell like? Dog, probably. Do you like to organize? Not particularly. What song is your aesthetic? "She" by Dodie is so Soft and Good. Do you believe in auras? Maybe? Idk. What do you wish you hated, but actually like? Blood On The Dance Floor. I've never really looked into the concrete facts, but I know supposedly they've been sexually involved with those underage. I like a good number of their songs, though. Is there someone you have mixed feelings towards? I'm sure there's someone. Do you prefer space or the ocean? Spaaaaace. What form of government do you like the most? (capitalism, socialism, etc.) Honestly? I don't know actually what they are and I don't care enough to research. What do you think our purpose is in the universe? Hell if I know. Is there a song you can’t handle listening to, even though you like it? "Stairway to Heaven." What ex do you miss the most, if you have one? I most miss who Jason was, not who he became at all. But it doesn't matter, I have someone way more important now. What is your favorite thing to learn about? Meerkats. What country’s history do you find the most interesting? Idk. What breakup was the hardest, if you had one? lol y'all know Do you have someone where you can’t decide if you like them romantically or just as a friend? Not anymore. Do you have any strange interests? RP. What is a topic you are uncomfortable with discussing with most people? Sex. What is something you dislike about the dating world? People don't seem to take love seriously. What gives you confidence? Feeling knowledgeable on the subject. Have you ever dated someone with very different sexual tastes than you? No. Well, not that I know of. I've only been sexual with one. Have you ever said anything you regretted while drunk? No. Has anyone ever been extremely jealous of you? Do you know why? Idk. What was the angriest your parents ever were at you? Dad, idk. Mom, probably when I said "fuck you." That was a night. Or when she tried to kick me out of the car for some argument I can't remember. What was the longest you stayed in your own home for? Weeks, I'm sure. Right now, what is your number one desire? Get a job. Do you feel as though someone ‘won’ in your last break up? No. Whatever happened to the first person you ever loved? I haven't spoke a word to him in almost two years, idk and idc really. Are you currently healthy? In some ways, but no in most. What is something most people are turned on by but you’re not? Extremely muscular men, like wrestlers. Has anyone in your life changed drastically (for better or worse) since you met them? How? Not that I can think of. What song reminds you of good times from high school? "All Signs Point to Lauderdale" by AD2R ironically lmao. Have you ever inherited something? What and from who? No. Who is the last baby that you held? Keegan. Do you know of any twins with rhyming names? No. Last time you saw fireworks? Long time ago. Do you have a black dog? Teddy has some black on him. Do you have a top price where ethics and morality are no longer an issue? No. Well, I guess it depends. What is the greatest physical challenge that you have accomplished? Losing ~60 lbs. Have you ever played naked Twister? No. If tattoos didn't hurt and you could get anything, what would it be? The #1 tat I want is dA's NukeRooster's painting "Denialism" (I got her permission), but I'm going to have to go to an extreme professional, and it's gonna be priiiiiiiceeeeeeey. Have you ever been ghosted before? No. Did you ever get caught watching porn? No, because I've never watched it. Were you ever the bully? No. What's the worst prank someone has ever done to you? Idk.

[galacticnewsnetwork]

What Happens When Fandom Doesn't Grow Up?

Adults are insisting childhood brands from 'Star Wars' to Marvel continue to cater to them, but does preserving the past limit the future?

There’s a proverb that says, “you can’t take it with you,” popularized by playwrights George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart in their 1936 Pulitzer Prize-winning production of the same name. The expression was in reference to our inability to take our material possessions with us to the afterlife, though opinion differs on whether this advice is a suggestion to spend freely, or to not worry about collecting pricey material possessions at all — the conclusion being that our possessions only have worth in the present, or that they may not have as much value in the grand scheme of life as we think.

Though the idiom is seen through the perspective of mortality, it works just as well when viewed through the lens of life’s transitional periods, particularly childhood to adulthood. The notion that we can’t take it with us is arguably a sibling to 1 Corinthians 13:11, which states: When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside childish ways.” Perhaps these expressions once carried weight, but in our current age of pop culture, a living and breathing monument to nostalgia, it has become harder and harder for adults to leave the things they loved as children behind.

From superheroes, Star Wars, fairy tales, and cartoons, the things many of us loved as children remain something we love today – protectively, passionately, and even problematically. This fierce nostalgia is arguably even more common with Millennials whose instantaneous embrace of the internet has allowed very few childhood staples to slip through the cracks in memory. Even if we’re not buying lightsabers, Hulk hands, or Barbie Dream Houses anymore, these characters and concepts are possessions that reside with many of us and sometimes define a key aspect of our identities. Previous generations, less driven by early age consumerist culture, don’t quite have the same involvement as late game Gen Xers and Millennials. In other words, no one is asking for a Lincoln Logs movie. Our inability, or maybe our unwillingness, to put childish things behind us and accept their temporary value isn’t an inherently negative facet of generational culture. But it is interesting how this modern nostalgia presents itself.

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion PicturesAvengers: Infinity War Still

If you take a brief perusal of the Twitter reactions to the teaser for the live-action Kim Possible TV movie that Disney Channel released last Aug. 10, you’ll find plenty of opinions from people upset with the casting, claims it could never live up to the cartoon, or fans hyped with the addendum that "this is for us, not the kids." These passionate, often volatile responses about a once popular kids cartoon are overwhelming from adults. Similar sentiments came after Nickelodeon announced a CGI animated version of the Rugrats and released an image of the updated Chucky. More alarming were male commenters on Twitter photos for the new She-Ra cartoon, noise that basically resulted in a claim that the cartoon character should be “hotter,” and closer to the depiction of the character in the 1985 Filmation cartoon.

There’s an intense desire that these new iterations and reboots not be for the kids of today, but for those in their 20s and 30s. A quick search online will deliver any cartoon character from the '90s you could think of as adult contemporary versions. Some artists, like Brandon Avant, whose work went viral last year, have brought a real craft to these reimaginings of the characters from Doug, Goof Troop, and Arthur, as adults in their 20s, tattooed and stylish. There’s certainly fun to be had in alternative depictions of fictional characters, but there’s also a sense that many fans of these '90s shows would prefer these versions brought back to life on TV and movie screens, as opposed to anything geared towards children.

This feeling of ownership stems from an idea that kids today don’t care about certain characters anymore, at least not in the same way that those of us who grew up in the late '80s and '90s did, or do. Perhaps there is something to that. How many of the properties popularized in the '80s or '90s would still be popular without the adult fandom that keeps it alive through memes and Buzzfeed posts? Of course there are properties like Star Wars, Marvel, and Disney animated movies that are eternal. But there are also properties like Gargoyles, Animaniacs, and So Weird that would draw a blank for many kids today. Even once popular shows and platforms like Looney Tunes and The Muppets have fallen out of favor among children in terms of the position they used to hold with previous generations. While the rumored Space Jam 2 starring Lebron James may bring some children back on board with Warner Bros’ classic library of toons, there’s also the fact that that project currently seems to be more anticipated by those who grew up with the original 1996 film. Perhaps the only way to keep some of these characters and concepts alive is to cater to the now adult audiences. But what happens when these characters grow up?

Properties like Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney’s reimaginings of animated classics have managed to bridge the generational gap, appealing to children, adults, and elderly audiences. While Disney collectively has managed to find a way to appeal to almost everyone, there are a few recent examples that call into question the desire to really see our childhood heroes grow up. Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi created controversy last December, a controversy that has unfortunately bled into 2018 in regards to its depiction of Luke Skywalker, who has become bitter and disconnected from the force. Luke Skywalker grew up, got old, got tired, and got fandom in their feelings over the fact that the Jedi wasn’t leading the charge across space, green lightsaber in hand. While The Last Jedi is a commentary on the failure of the previous generation, setting the stage for new characters Rey, Finn, Rose, and Poe to start their own revolution on their own terms and “let the past die,” many Star Wars viewers weren’t interested in seeing the next generation take charge and instead clung to defunct canon. While many want these characters to grow up with them, they want them to grow up on their own terms, and if not to remake the plot points of their childhoods, then at least to recreate the feeling they got from those original films.

Laurie Sparham/DisneyChristopher Robin

A similar situation of childhood properties expected to grow up under strict terms followed the release of Marc Forster’s Christopher Robin. While Winnie the Pooh remains a beloved children’s property, kept alive by various television shows and animated movies, Christopher Robin tells a story where the titular boy has become a man and left his childhood friends, Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore behind in the Hundred Acre Wood. Christopher Robinisn’t only the first iteration of the property to be rated PG, it’s also deeply melancholy, and grounded in the working class struggle of post-World War II London. Favoring dark grays and weather-worn cinematography, along with allusions to the directorial touches of Terrence Malick, Christopher Robin often feels explicitly geared towards adults. Yes, there are moments of warmth, brightness, and the humor that made A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard’s stories so beloved in the first place, but unless you have a kid who’s eagerly sitting down to watch Days of Heaven, there’s a lot in Forster’s presentation geared towards adults. The reaction to this take has been somewhat mixed, with a number of critics lamenting the film’s more serious insights and a lack of fun. But what’s interesting is that Christopher Robin speaks directly to the phenomenon we’ve been discussing. Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) realizes that being an adult doesn’t necessarily mean leaving childhood things behind, but incorporating them into adulthood. While this revelation doesn’t take Christopher Robin into Ted (2012) territory, there are interesting parallels to these stories of men who are incomplete without the literal representations of their childhood in tow.

The Happytime Murders

Perhaps this is all a rather roundabout way to approach the issue of Muppets offering unsolicited sex and hard drugs in Happytime Murders, but nonetheless, the sentiment remains true. We don’t really want to put away childish things, we want them to grow up with us. Brian Henson’s R-rated crime-comedy film starring Melissa McCarthy, earned its share of pre-release controversy, with the Sesame Workshop suing production company STX for the use of the tagline “No Sesame. All Street.” Sesame Street remains popular among young audiences, but the Disney owned Muppets have largely fallen out of favor with the last movie The Muppets Most Wantedmaking a poor box office showing ($80.4 million on a $50 million budget), and sitcom The Muppets being canceled in 2016 after one season. With Disney seemingly having no plans for the characters anytime soon, perhaps Brian Henson’s best bet to keep his father’s art-form alive, if not the characters themselves, was to appeal to a desire to see Muppet-esque characters in adult situations, something that worked well for the popular Broadway musical Avenue Q.  

Not every modern resurrection of once sensational properties has opted to appeal to adults. R.L. Stine’s book series Goosebumps, which led to a popular television series in the '90s, was adapted as a film in 2015. A sequel, Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween is set for release on Oct. 12 this year. The first film is kids’ movies through and through, and trailer for the sequel indicates that this new installment will go even further in that direction, given its younger cast. This doesn’t mean the films don’t register with adults, but rather they aren’t appealing to our nostalgia, going as far to drastically redesign some of the characters popularized by Fox Kids/YTV show and refrain from utilizing the classic theme song. The Goosebumps films haven’t grown up with us, but rather see kids of Gen Z as their primary audience.

Ava DuVernay’s A Wrinkle in Time (2018) is another film that struck a chord with younger audiences more so than adults who read the book series growing up, or those who remember the 2003 ABC television film. It’s a film that aims to be an intelligent kids’ movie, a big-budget PG experience that we rarely see in live-action theatrical releases anymore. Films like Goosebumps and A Wrinkle in Time ask us to meet kids on their level, rather than asking them to rise to an adolescent or adult level to enjoy the things we refuse to loosen our grips on. With films based on Are You Afraid of the Dark and Barbie set to receive new interpretations, and a Sandlot(1993) prequel in development, it will be interesting to see which audience demographic they appeal to and how much nostalgia they’ll give into. We’re living in the height of pop culture adaptations, and if we’ve proven anything, it’s that we’ll take these childish ways with us as far as we can.

Source: Hollywood Reporter by Richard Newby

[mst3kproject]

Attack of the Puppet People

This is the other movie Bert I. Gordon namedropped in Earth vs the Spider.  The screenplay was by John Worthing Yates, a guy who has a name that sounds like a Byronic poet but mostly wrote giant bug movies.  It stars June Kenney from that movie and Bloodlust!, John Hoyt from Lost Continent and The Time Travellers, and yep, John Agar.  The title is pretty much a lie, too – unless it refers to Agar tearing the head off a marionette.

Dolls Incorporated is a small toy company in Los Angeles.  The owner, Mr. Franz, needs a new secretary and hires Sally Reynolds, who is fresh out of college and has no family – an interesting choice, especially when we discover his previous secretary has vanished without a trace.  Sally soon notices that Mr. Franz has a weird habit of treating his dolls like real people, and comes to worry about his mental health.  When a salesman, Bob Wesley, asks her to marry him she is more than happy to leave the unnerving Mr. Franz behind, but Mr. Franz does not intend to let her.  With some technobabble and a contraption made out of photography equipment, he shrinks both Bob and Sally down to Barbie size to join his collection of human dolls! Somehow they must make their way back up to his office in order to un-shrink themselves, but it’s a very long way when you’re only a foot tall.

(The point of including clips from The Amazing Colossal Man, by the way, appears to have been a ham-fisted bit of foreshadowing with the line I’m not growing – you’re shrinking!  Which… okay, sure, if that made everybody feel better about the shameless self-promotion.)

The movie was made very quickly in order to capitalize on The Incredible Shrinking Man and I have to say, it puts significant effort into not being merely a ripoff. It’s not nearly as ambitious as its model in terms of special effects, but it has much more plot, being an actual story rather than a psychological study, although it does some of that, too.  I suspect that this was an idea that either Gordon or Yates had sitting around anyway and they welcomed the excuse to put it into production.

In terms of its story, this is actually one of Bert I. Gordon’s better efforts.  Like The Amazing Colossal Man, it tries to explore character a little rather than just being a monster rampage, and the character it’s interested in is Mr. Franz’.  He’s a deeply lonely man who feels everybody he cares about abandons him – starting with his wife, who ran off with a boyfriend long ago – and therefore goes to great lengths to keep them.  This obsession has grown worse and worse, until now people he’s only known a few weeks are subject to his captivity.  When he believes the police are on to him, he decides to commit suicide and take all his prisoners with him, because even in death he cannot bear to leave them behind.

The movie does occasionally waste our time, as in the sequence where one of the human dolls is commanded to sing, but not very often. Things like the tiny cat, or Sally’s efforts to go to the police, seem like sidelines but later turn out to be quite important.  My favourite part is when Franz is forced to leave his little people unsupervised when a friend drops in on him with a lengthy story to tell – he knows he can’t leave them alone for too long but he also doesn’t want to be rude to his buddy, so he keeps trying to make excuses and things get more and more awkward.  I’m pretty sure any introvert can identify with the situation, even those of us who are not mad scientists.

Attack of the Puppet People also has some of the better effects shots I’ve ever seen in Bert I. Gordon.  The dolls in their cases are nothing but paper cut-outs, always carefully held face-on to the camera in an attempt to preserve the illusion, and there are very visible seams around a miniature cat in Franz’ hands, but the images of tiny people interacting with oversized objects are actually pretty good.  There’s one of tiny Sally on a desk, with a telephone in front of her and Mr. Franz leaning in to talk to her, that’s almost seamless – the only place the illusion breaks is that he’s not quite actually looking at her. Quite a few of the oversized objects, like the telephone or coffee tin one woman uses as a bathtub, must have been specially made for the movie, and they’re detailed and convincing. The best is the oversize puppet the characters have to interact with. It really does look like something small, magnified.

The performances in the movie, on the other hand, are some of the worst I’ve seen even in a Bert I. Gordon film.  Everybody picks one note and sticks to it.  John Hoyt had been in Julius Caesar (although he’d also been in The Conqueror) and would go on to be in Spartacus (and Flesh Gordon), but here he just gives us the exact same Valium-laced smile throughout the whole movie.  Sometimes it’s creepy, lending credence to Sally’s early suspicion that Franz is a serial killer, but mostly it’s just annoying.  The long scene of technobabble while he explains how his shrinking machine works is insufferable.  June Kenney gives her usually slightly over-wrought reads that sound like a high school’s production of Shakespeare.

Then of course there’s John Agar.  His character is written as kind of a jerk, but in ways that were probably acceptable for white men in the 50’s.  His physical performance, on the other hand, makes you want to see Sally kick him repeatedly in the nuts.  He looms over her, follows a foot behind her when she is clearly uncomfortable with this, and touches her when she does not want to be touched.  Nowadays all this would earn him a restraining order but in this old movie it’s apparently supposed to be romantic.  Then there’s the way he laughs at her when she confesses that she’s slightly afraid of Mr. Franz.  How the hell did he ever persuade her to go out with him, let alone marry him?  And who fucking proposes in the middle of The Amazing Colossal Man?!

When Sally believes Bob has run off on her, she protests to Mr. Franz, “Bob wouldn’t treat me this way if he could help it!”  The audience just rolls their eyes, because they’ve already seen Bob treat her far worse.  We’ll see him do worse again, too, when he persuades Sally to abandon the others at the theatre even though they know that Franz will kill them if he finds them.

Besides Mr. Franz’ pathological fear of losing people close to him, the other place the movie goes in exploring its characters psychology is a form of Stockholm Syndrome.  When Bob and Sally meet the other ‘dolls’, they discover that their fellow prisoners have resigned themselves to their fate.  Mr. Franz mostly keeps them in jars and occasionally lets them out to party, and they’ve decided to look at it as if they’re on a sort of permanent vacation, just enjoying the party without worrying about things they don’t believe they can change.  The only rebellion apparent is the teenage girl, Lori, refusing to sing on command – and she changes her mind in a hurry when Franz threatens to put her back in her bottle.

They aren’t totally brainwashed, though.  When a chance to escape presents itself, they all pitch in to help.  The moral of the story, insofar as it seems to have one, is that freedom is better than slavery even when the slaves are well-treated and have everything taken care of for them.  The little people don’t need to work, they don’t need to pay taxes, and Mr. Franz sees to all their needs, but they are still prisoners.  Real life may be difficult and full of worries and responsibilities, but it’s better than being kept in a box!

Bert I. Gordon never used women as heroes, in the sense of actually doing anything to save the day, but it’s kind of interesting how frequently he used them as point-of-view characters.  Sally in Attack of the Puppet People joins Audrey Aimes in Beginning of the End and Joyce Manning in War of the Colossal Beast as a female lead through whose eyes we’re watching all this happen.  Male characters may be more active and heroic, but they are secondary in terms of screen time and audience identification.  I wonder if this were something intentional or not, and either way, what it might reveal about his storytelling.

Is it feminist?  I don’t think so.  In many of Gordon’s films, the characters feel helpless in the face of more powerful forces: the grasshoppers of Beginning of the End overrun the military easily, Joyce and her problem are handed around like a hot potato by people who don’t care, and even Glenn Manning is a powerless victim of his own growth.  Perhaps the choice of a passively watching woman rather than an actively heroic man as the main character is supposed to add to this.  Audrey Aimes might be the best example, in that her job, as a reporter, is to observe and record, rather than to intervene.  Consider The Magic Sword, in which Princess Helene watches her own rescue attempts in the magic mirror, while Sir George’s transition to manhood is represented by him leaving mere watching behind and actually getting involved in the events he has observed.  Or Necromancy, in which Lori Brandon is left watching herself in Mr. Cato’s thrall.  Heck with Manos, I could write a thesis on this.

If I had to pick a Stinger Moment for this movie, it would be the tiny people gathered around a huge telephone while Bob exclaims, “the police!  Does anyone know the number?”  At the time this wouldn’t have been a joke at all – 911 came into wide use only in the early 1960’s, but from a modern viewer it earns a snicker, and it would definitely have been funny in the UK, where 999 had been around since the 30’s. There’s your random fact for the day.

[thepixarenthusiast]

Toy Story 2 (1999)

Back to the toys! What a fun revisit! Toy Story 2 is that rare sequel that improves upon its predecessor in its art, humor, storytelling, character development, and heart. This is the film that solidified Pixar’s place in movie-making history. Its release was the moment everyone knew that this company was going to continue to be wildly successful for decades.

While the original Toy Story and A Bug’s Life were both fun, lighthearted children’s romps (with enough charm to entertain the adults), this is the first time we see Pixar transcend the typical kids’ movie genre into something truly timeless and relatable for all ages: a glimpse into what Pixar would continue to produce time and time again.

The movie starts out in a tone familiar to its predecessor. We see Rex playing a video game that features Buzz in a battle with his nemesis Zurg – a fun nod to Star Wars for the adults in the theater. So we’ve got our gang of the lovable Rex, Mr. Potato Head, Slinky, Hamm, Buzz and Woody back together for the kiddos and enough pop culture references to keep the grown-ups tuned in.

*Side Note* There’s a very funny pop culture reference of Buzz being thrown into one of those 3D pin-pression toys (the kind where you can leave an imprint of your hand, or if you were a gross little kid like me, your face), and it leaves an imprint of him like Han being frozen in carbonite – a reference I definitely missed as a kid. And there’s another good one where Rex is chasing the rest of the gang in the toy car, and Mr. Potato Head looks back at him in the side mirror – a nod to Jurassic Park, of course, which is supplemented by the fact that our villain, Al of Al’s toy barn, is voiced by Wayne Knight, who played the bumbling DNA thief in Jurassic Park.

But soon this story becomes much more than just an adventure tale or buddy comedy. After a heroic rescue attempt at a yard sale, Woody finds himself in the clutches of Al, a toy collector who wants to make big bucks by re-uniting the Woody’s Roundup Gang – which we come to find was a classic black and white kids’ show whose merchandise are now collectors’ items, with Woody as the grand prize. We meet Jessie, Bullseye, and Prospector Pete for the first time. They’re being boxed up and shipped to Japan for display in a Toy museum. Woody must now face an internal conflict of whether to return to an old life or start a new one.

Woody becomes much more likable in this movie. His motivations, desires, and torn feelings are relatable and very human. Because Andy left him home from Cowboy Camp after accidentally ripping his arm, Woody feels understandably hurt and unwanted, which contribute to a change of heart about going to the museum. This is the first time we see Woody grapple with the fact that childhood is temporary – that Andy will someday grow up and lose interest in his toys – that loss of innocence and coming to terms with one’s own mortality that becomes a strong theme throughout the Toy Story franchise. Woah. That’s deep for a kids’ movie.

Where this really comes to light is through Jessie’s song “When She Loved Me.” This one’s a tear-jerker for sure. Jessie had a little girl that loved her too – but that girl grew up and left Jessie behind. It’s then that Jessie’s story starts to resonate with Woody, and he begins to believe that Andy left him behind, too. Thankfully, Buzz and the gang quickly come to the rescue to remind him that although childhood innocence is impermanent, it is still worth experiencing and should not be let go too soon. Buzz becomes the voice of reason this time, him being the one that reminds Woody that he is a toy. That his purpose is to make a child happy, not to be ogled or admired behind glass. The little details throughout the movie reflective of this theme are also worth noting – for example, when we meet a shiny new Buzz in the toy store, you can see how Andy’s Buzz has some scratches and dirt on him that are evidence of toy well-loved. Ultimately, this is what Woody chooses for himself too, and it all works out, because Andy’s still a kid, and he hasn’t forgotten Woody. Woody will eventually choose that new life for himself later in the franchise (think Toy Story 4), but it’s not time yet.

I love the character development in this movie. You see Woody becoming more sympathetic, and less motivated by being the center of attention. He goes out of his way to help Jessie become part of the gang and helps her realize that she can be loved by a child again. We see Buzz become a voice of reason – which is hilariously emphasized by the shiny new Buzz in the toy store who thinks he is a space ranger, like our Buzz did in the original film, and hilariously wonders about how he could have been that irritating. We get some new characters, like Jessie, who could be seen as a bit selfish at the start for wanting to pull Woody away from his life just so she doesn’t have to be in storage anymore – but then you come to truly understand and empathize with her through her song, because you were a kid once too who grew out of your toys. These thematic elements and iconic characters are truly what makes Pixar great.

Final thoughts:

Toy Story 2 improves on everything from its humor to its storytelling to its characters and will forever hold its place as a classic.

Fun fact:

When Barbie is giving the gang a tour of Al’s Toy Barn and they cruise through the Buzz Lightyear aisle, she says “In 1995, shortsighted retailers did not order enough dolls to meet demand.” This is in reference to how after the first Toy Story film was released, toy stores didn’t anticipate how big the film would become, and they didn’t stock their shelves with enough merchandise.

Best character:

Woody redeems himself here. This is the Woody we know and love.

Tear-Meter: 2/5 teardrops. “When She Loved Me” definitely activated the tear ducts, but not giving it a full 5 because some of Pixar’s later films have even bigger emotional impacts.

Current ranking: 1/3

Move over Toy Story 1, we have a new front-runner.

1. Toy Story 2

2. Toy Story

3. A Bug’s Life