tofushopmustdie

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i recently read some work on james dean and it got me thinking about why his image was used by mcr from 2002-2004. (it was on their website, merch (1, 2), banner (1, 2), shirts, even their guitar straps into at least 2007)

it was a pretty big part of who they were. but they *never* talked about why they chose him. i had my theories about him being the epitome of "live fast, die young" and his reputation as a star rebel, and that's probably it. maybe even the "famous living dead", considering the X's. but i hadnt considered james dean's unusual kind of masculinity.

richard dyer briefly talks about dean in comparison to rock hudson in his book "the culture of queers" (2002). comparing acting styles, dyer sees hudson as classic hollywood - straight, stiff, normal - while dean's naturalism "suggests someone ill at ease in the world, marginal and insecure." to dyer, hudson is stable heterosexuality, dean is insecurity associated with homosexuality. i connect this further to how it isn't just stability in sexuality, but in gender performance as well. dean's anxiety is so physical (intense eyebrows, hunched shoulders, flailing and wailing) that it's closely linked to how he's perceived, and how he's perceived as a man. he is insecure in his body, as if he's trying to escape it. he lacks masculine traits such as confidence, emotional stability .. even class (he directly represents this narratively in rebel without a cause). it wasnt the strong masculinity cinema, and dominant culture, favored. deyer also attributes dean's appearance (along with other actors' like monty clift and sal mineo) to othering him from the hudson-gable-cooper dominant masculinity: "physically slight, with intense eyes and pretty faces". many things contribute to the conclusion james dean disrupted dominant masculinity. im reading a book on this rn so im sure there's more to say (the book is gay fandom and crossover stardom by michael deangelis).

sooo i think that out of historical context, dean isnt as much disrupter. pretty much any idiot emo boy wants to act like james dean. he's cool now. but i like reading uneasy masculinity when i see that mychem poster. im not saying it was intentional, but dean's anxiety is the most important aspect of his acting to me. that necessarily translates to his expression, including gender expression. also i trust that film major and hitchcock-tattooed ray toro knows something about rebel without a cause

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Synyster Gates (Burn Halo - Dirty Little Girl)

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Ain't no rest for the wicked.

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midwest emo fall. midwest emo winter. midwest emo spring. midwest emo summer. midwest emo fall.

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WIP//

my friend had a dream about Synyster Gates and Brian being partners in crime and this mixed hard with my current obsession for both of them + me playing Red Dead Redemption again….

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does anybody have that one picture of 9/11 where u can see gerard standing like rlly cuntilly on the sidewalk??? plz i need it.

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Bullets era, photos from the 2002 mcr website.

(source)

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„do you miss me?”

.yes i fucking miss you.

actually(!) i drew this for my voidfriend (hesitant alien gerard x joyriding frank are his personal favourite <:)

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johnny christ is the best🫡

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Warped Tour, Silverdome, Pontiac, MI // July 31, 2005 // Chris Schwegler

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happy late birthday to gerard arthur way!!!!

(and to my little telegram channel)

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PARTY LIKE ITS 2004!!

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wassup

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I love my silly little emo guys in silly little emo bands

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Spooky valentine stickers from 1966 PNGs.

(source)

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