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missbrunettebarbie · 3 years

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All the Barbie protagonists I know -from best to worst

I feel like starting with a disclaimer that this is just my opinion, which should be implied. Anyway, this list took forever because I kept switching them. Look I am bad at picking favourites. The top 3 is actually pretty interchangable.

1. Eden Starling (Barbie in a Christmas Carol) - I love her with all my heart and then some. I love her design, her backstory, her personality, how unique she is from every other Barbie on the list. (Whoever came up with Barbie as Scrroge is a genius that deserves an Oscar) The fact that I relate to her in some aspects makes her even more loveable in my eyes. Also I think she deserves #1 spot because out of all the characters on this list she's the one I sorted before even rewatching her movie -and the rewatch confirmed the sorting. She's that memorable!

2. Princess Annika (Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus) - I love her too: her determination,her cleverness, her bravery, her justified anger. The "Destroy Wenlock!" speech alone guaranteed her a place in top 3. The fact that she doesn't back down even in the face of impossible odds - or maybe especially because the odds are impossible, her relationship with Aiden and with Brietta and her passion for ice-skating make her a very interesting character. Annika is a powerhouse and her entire journey is *chef's kiss*.

3. Merliah Summers (Barbie in a Mermaid Tale 1&2) - I think what I love about Merliah is that she put herself first, in both movies. Her first priority was her career as a surfer and only later did she come to accept her role as a mermaid princess. Her relationship with her mother is also great, I love them when they get along and I also love them when they don't - probably my favourite mother-daughter relationship from all the Barbie movies. Merliah's initial skepticism, her putside the box thinking and her competitive streak are delightful. Also her and Kylie might my favourite ship in the Barbieverse.

4. Blair Willows (Barbie Princess Charm School) - A Barbie with actual money problems?! Of course I was soft for Blair from the very begining. Her dedication and love to her adoptive family made her an instant fave. I loved that once Dean Privet helped her with her lessons she did her damn best to graduate from the school. She had her clothes torn, was accused of theft and looked in a safe, yet nothing stopped her.

5. Mariposa (Barbie: Mariposa) - I always had a soft spot for her as a kid. Her desire for adventure -for escape- the way she felt like she didn't quite fit in, her love for books, the somehow-anti-social attitude made her a perfectly relatable character in little!me's eyes. The way she refused to believe the rumors and the stereotypes in the second movie makes her even better. I loved her friendship with Catania and her romance with Carlos was cute too. Also her design might be my second favourite after Eden's.

6. Ro/Princess Rosella (Barbie as The Island Princess) - This movie is a goddamn masterpiece and Ro is a huge part of why. First I cannot help but be impressed by how adaptable she is: not only did she survive on a deserted island for ten years, she thrived. And then she had the courage to leave the only home she knew to go with Antonio and find answers about who she is. My heart ')). Then there is the fact that she risled her own freedom to help save the animals or how she was ready to step back and let Antonio do his duty and marry Luciana despite the fact that she loved him. And the ending wjere she finds her mother and starts singing the lullaby? It is what had cemented my love for this film and this character.

7. Corrine (Barbie in the three Musketeers) - In a lot of ways I find her and Merliah very similar -they both have goals they want to achieve and are somehow selfish because of it in the begining- but I think Corrine is a much kinder person: remember when she got that violin bow for one of the girls as a way to apologize? It felt like such a character establishing moment. I love that she took no shit for anyone, even the prince, and never faltered for one second in her desire to be a musketeer.

8. Princess Genevieve (Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses) - In a lot of ways she reminds me of Blair as she's a quieter personality but forceful in her own way. The way she always stood up for her younger sisters, her love for dancing, her relationship with her father and the fact that she was so heart-eyes when it came to Derek -seriously I don't think any other Babrie was so smitten with her LI from the very first moment- made sure she'll have a place in top 10. The only reason why she's not higher is because I love the others more.

9. Princess Annelisse (Barbie as Princess and the Pauper) - I think my favourite thing about Annelisse is that she completely understood her duties as a princess and was ready to sacrifice her personal happiness for her people. I also really like how she never shied from using her royal status- even if it didn't really work- or how she still tried to help the other taylor with the work when she was thought to be Erica, pity she had zero skill. Her relationship with her mom is my second favourite after Merliah-Calissa. Also collecting rocks is such an unique hobby AND she's a cat girl. Of course I love her.

10. Erika (Barbie as Princess and the Pauper) - Another cat girl! And so snippy and unafraid to be herself. Her dynamic with Annelisse is gold: Erika had all the reasons to despise Annelisse but instead clearly ~bonded with her from the very first moment and went along with an insane plan just to help her. Not to mention, she's the first Barbie who explicitly said "I am gonna fulfill my dreams and have the guy I love; what's this nonsense about choosing only one?" and I have to appreciate her for it.

11. Rapunzel (Barbie as Rapunzel) - The fact alone that she is best friends with a dragon gives her major points in my books. Her love of painting and the way she used it as a literal way of escape? Go, girl! The fact that she refused to let Stefan tell her his name just to make sure Gothel won't find out? Impressive and so spiteful! And the disgust in her voice when she realized Gothel had kept her prisoner for years because her father hadn't married her? Perfect.

12. Kristyn Farraday (Barbie in the Pink Shoes) - I really liked her enthusiasm for getting to actually be the characters she didn't even get to dance in the real world, the way her mind immediately internalized the rules of the fairytale-esque world despite how insane it was and how she refused to conform to the rules. I see the movie as an exploration of Kristyn's creepling fear of failure and the pressure she felt as a proffesional ballet dancer and seeing her come out triumphant on her own terms felt really good.

13. Actress!Barbie (Fashion Fairytale and Fairy Secret) - Probably the most three-dimensional of the "real" Barbies. I think what I like most at her is her determination to save Ken in the second movie. What can I say, I love a Barbie-in-shining-armour. I also like that she knew when to step back and let others do their jobs - in fact she doesn't so much in the first movie, just motivates people. If I had to pick a Barbie to have as a friend, I think she'll be my first choice. She seems like a good listener and someone who knows how to solve problems.

14. Elina (Barbie: Fairytopia 1&2&3) - She is an interesting character and one whose stories I do like, but something never clicked for me when it comes to Elina. Buut, this doesn't mean I don't appreciate her desire to save everyone or how she never drowned in self-pity when she was the only fairy without wings.

15. Clara (Barbie in the Nutcracker)- Clara doesn't get the chance to do much, but I love the glimpses of her intelligence we see (how she figured out the Nutcracker is Eric) or how she longs for adventure and excitment.

16. Thumbelina (Barbie present Thumbelina) - I like that she's an inventor and that she is ready to use Mackena to save her home, but overall I found her unimpressive.

17. Liana (Barbie and the Diamond Castle) - I always had a grudge on her as a child on Alexa's behalf. I always felt like Liana dragged her down. This being said, Liana is still a super smart cookie and very devoted to her friends so she avoids being even lower on the list.

18. Princess Lumina (Barbie: Pearl Princess) - The most memorable things about her are how she loooved having a job and how she refused to condemn the woman that may have raised her but had also kidnapped her from her family. Now both these traits should make her an intriguing character, unfortunately the movie is pretty boring and it never taps into Lumina's potential.

19. Princess Alexa (Barbie and the Secret Door) - Look I relate to her: Lover of books? Check. Desire to escape your life full of rules? Check. Not good with people? Check. But Alexa's development was so weird, the movie was very boring and felt like it had no trajectory and it affected the protagonist a lot.

20. Odette (Barbie in Swan Lake) - She just...doesn't do much. I wish we have seen her more involved in her own story. Not to mention I really didn't understand why she was so afraid of being in the spotlight or how being turned into a swan helped her get over it.

21. Starlight!Barbie (Barbie: Star Light Adventures) - I think my opinion of her -and the whole movie- can be summed up in the world "meh". There is simply no spark of life here.

22. Teen!Barbie (Barbie Diaries) - I have such an overwhelming repulsion towards "unpopular" girls wanting the be popular. Especially since I cannot see what exactly is holding Babrie back from being happy? She seems to have everything (great friends, nice life, good grades and music talent!), but doesn't care about any of it. Not to mention, she's the only Barbie who has to settle for a guy that was pining for her while she only saw him as a friend and I resent that.

#barbieverse #my thoughts #god this was waay to hard #but also fun!

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brookelynnsanders · 4 years

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Practice Challenge - Prompt 2

A/N: Here is the second part. Thanks for my amazing beta @freykitten who tells me excactly what I need to here - even if I don’t want to. Mentions of @safiya-schreave and @clara-choii

A sloughed down figure rests against a light grey wall, inhaling deeply. A rushy rose dress is spilling all over the floor, nearly swallowing the girl whole. She's desperate for a quiet break - without any judging eyes or snickered remarks. Her eyelids may cover the storm raging in her iris, but the angry waves inside her soul do not seem to calm down.

She relives each moment. Each twisted revelation followed by the next misstep. No matter how hard she tries to silence her mind - her world doesn’t stop rotating around the past few days.

The rage in her bones may have simmered down to a slight irritation, but that doesn’t mean she will forget. The disappointment in her father’s eyes the day she had raged like a hurricane finally letting loose, made her cave in at last. A semi apology halfway stuck in her throat was enough for her mum to drop the victim card. So all she had heard the next few days was what a lucky God’s daughter was.

And so the roll began - and not even Vanessa’s little rants could lift her mood this time.

Now she is here. Far from home. Far from everyone she knows. Left to decide who she wants to be - who the world will see. One of thirty five.

With another deep breath Brooke grabs the leatherbound journal laying by her side. She opens a random page and carefully props up the book on her knees - staring at the blank paper infront of her. The words currently spinning on the merry-go-around in her head are very much waiting to be released onto the blank space. Steady fingertips grab the pen hidden in the back pouch, twirling it between freshly manicured nails. Yet it only hovers above the page, the blonde suddenly at a loss for words.

So she does what she knows best - pouring out all piled up impressions of the day. Finally giving into the whirlwind of emotions she usually locks away.

Blank space. Here we go.

Let’s keep it simple.

Tea party

Boiling water oozes out of the cracks in my skull

Rephrasing my mantra until it ends up dull

Sticking to the roof of my mouth

Underlining the ever present drouth

Thirst is the security blanket I wrap around torn skin

While everyone else offers to fix me with a security pin

I stopped counting how often I’ve screamed “I don’t like coffee” at the top of my lungs

While still gulping down the bitter expectations - not just once

Who would’ve thought tasteless buds would find themselves in an award winning coffee roaster

With an unfastened seat belt going down a rollercoaster

Dolled up like the new edition of Barbie

While I secretly crave a quiet tea party

Brooke Lynn’s heart picks up its pace as the words pour out of the young woman’s soul. Only subconsciously registering what her heart reveals. The last lines spilling out of her guts like the ink droplets flying onto the recycled paper.

Well shit - now I feel worse.

Unease settels deep down in the young woman’s stomach, slightly disgusted by her own facade. She should be grateful to be here - one of the lucky few. Grateful her family cared enough to see her as a “good match”. Grateful to be normal - yes, normal. Because Brooke Lynn Sanders is normal.

“There are comfier places to sit in than here, you know.”

Brooke flinches at the sudden voice, before snapping her head around. Her pupils widen at the sight of a gem covered crown propped up on the head looking around the corner. Fuck. Princess Safiya.

"Oh really? Marble floor seems to be an upgrade compared to my usual existential crisis spot." Brooke attempts to keep her cool - locking away the storm threatening to take her last ounce of self perseverance - no need to lose her composure during her first encounter with a royal. Just be cool. Sayifa is just as human as you are - at least that's what she tells herself.

The brunette raises both brows before coming around the corner fully. Her slender hands bury themselves into the pockets of her skirt. A skirt with pockets - nice. Good to know our princess also values practicality.

"And where would that usual spot be?"

"Concrete floor of the smoker area next to my university building or the very stained hardwood flooring of my flat," Brooke puts on a cheerful armour once she realizes this isn’t just a one liner conversation. Even chuckles a bit at the ridiculousness of all this. Not even 24 hours have passed since she arrived at the palace and she has already been transformed into a pretty doll, went through her second meltdown of the day, and now she is chatting with a Schreave. Sadly not the one her parents had hoped it would be.

"Which university?" The woman asks with a slight humm in her silky voice.

"University of Dakota. My home building is the Healthcare and Social Science complex! Very dull exterior if you ask me." Brooke shakes her head slowly and leans it against the wall, a smile creeping on her face. She remembers countless study breaks spend breathing in THC and contemplating her life decisions. Nina by her side - offering comedic relief - a well needed contrast to the blonde’s bitter remarks. Life seemed much easier then. Even though it wasn't so long ago.

Her eyes roll to the back of her head for a brief second while she leans her head back. The contrast off the cool wall against her heated skin a welcomed distraction. Her grey eyes flick back to the princess, just in time to see the corner of her mouth tilting up and her barely noticeable nod.

"Major?"

The blonde blinks multiple times, a bit taken aback. Very surprised that the woman opposite her even cares. Or maybe she is just very polite.

"Psychology! I was actually about to finish my Bachelor's degree and apply for a Neuro Science Master", Brooke sighs deep before continuing, "but then this whole ordeal happened." Her perfectly shaped brows - the result of the makeover she wouldn’t like to repeat - raise high as she purses her lips.

"Really." The princess breaks her flow with another hum. "Have any specific plans after Master’s?"

If I even come that far, Brooke adds mentally.

"Becoming a famous scientist," the blonde answers after a brief pause and let's a little laugh bubble up in her throat. "May sound like I am reaching for the stars, but I would love to get a PhD degree and have an impact as a researcher."

Brooke knows the exact phrasing of the answer by heart at this point - having had to defend her dreams to multiple judgemental family members. Long used to the "psychology is not a actual science" snickers following her around.

After a brief pause the blonde attempts to shift the focus of the conversation. "Aren't you in the medical or more like science-y field as well? Or am I mistaken…"

A small smile appears on her counterpart’s perfectly shaded lips. "Not the stars, a PhD is perfectly attainable. But, yes, ‘science-y’ field is correct. Second year medical student."

So Brooke's assumption was correct, and the woman opposite her seems more open minded than her relatives.

"Oh wow!" Brooke Lynn adds, impressed. "People who have the guts to study medicine really impress me," she mentions with a little smile. "How come did you choose such a difficult major?" She’s a little bit unable to imagine how people can put themselves through so much stress. She pulls regular all nighters for research purposes, however, medicine just seems like the most direct path to a burnout.

"I’d like to help people. Even more than what my current position allows," the brunette pauses. Brooke wonders if the woman already regrets saying too much. "You said Neuro. Anything specific you’d like to research?"

"I actually have the same reason for my career choice, and not to sound offensive, but I find DID, Schizophrenia, and personality disorders really fascinating, and that's why I would love to find out more about the mechanisms involved in those disorders. In order to contribute to better treatment methods - obviously. Also, in general there are so many brain areas we only have mere assumptions about - yet not much factual evidence."

Once she takes a deep breath after her last sentence, she gifts Princess Safiya and awkward smile after having realised she ranted a bit. Three years of ongoing studies - and she is still as passionate about her dreams like she was on the first day.

The brunette shakes her head in response, some curls escaping her tight updo. "Don’t feel embarrassed. Those are commendable reasons, partly why I want to go into that field as well." Princess Safiya tilts her chin down a bit, before speaking up again, which makes Brooke painfully aware that she is still slumped against the wall. "I wish you luck with that... “ A seemingly confused blink accompanies the sudden silence. “I’m sorry, I didn’t ask for your name."

The blonde finally gets up from the ground, grabs her journal, and carefully straightens the fabric of her pastel pink skirt with her other hand before introducing herself. “I'm Brooke Lynn Sanders - but, please, just call me Brooke!” Her last ounce of enthusiasm spills out of her with a grand smile, while she attempts to a courtesy, barely remembering appropriate manners. Thank god her ballet lessons at least taught her how to do a proper courtesy - she might be a bit rusty, though.

“Brooke.” The name rolls off her tongue like it somehow actually belongs there, like they were meant to meet. With a single nod she approaches her farewell. “Well, I wish you luck in your studies. And for your time here at the palace.” Her regal frame now takes a step backwards.

“Thank you very much! It was lovely meeting you,” Brooke adds while letting her glance wander around. The grey walls and gold framed portraits unfortunately giving no indication where she is.

“Do you know, by any chance, how I can find my way back to my chamber?” Embarrassed laughter disruptis her question as nervous fingertips cradle her neck. “‘Cause it seems like I am lost.”

The princess gestures down the hall to their left, showing her the way. “End of this hallway, keep to the right until you see the main staircase. That’ll be on your left. Second floor is given to the Selected. I’d show you myself, but I have a meeting to get to.” The raise of her brows shows off the glowy highlight on her brow bone while just making sure the blonde would make it alright.

“I am pretty confident I will,” Brooke adds with a confident wink, before saying her finale goodbye. “It was a pleasure talking to you, your royal highness.” A slight grin tugs at the corner of her mouth as the formal title barely rolls of her tongue. “I wish you a lovely evening.”

The brunette's lips fall open, but she pauses before letting a word flow from her consciousness and offers a small, polite smile instead. “You as well, Brooke,” are her last words before she turns away.

The soft clicking sounds still reaches Brooke Lynn’s pinna long after she last saw the long train of the royal’s skirt being dragged across the marble floor. A silent tug on her heart bringis the mesmerized woman back to reality. The blonde blinks a few times before shaking her head and deciding to finish her writing in her chamber, hoping her maids have finally left, just so she can reflect in peace.

End of hallway - right - second floor

Now what ?

Brooke really should have memorized the location of her room a bit better. So all she can do now is stroll around the halls of the second floor without any concrete plan.

Well, it turns out that nearly all the halls look identical, and the only thing she remembers about her room is that it overlooks the garden. So as she wonders through the hallway, wondering if she just took a wrong turn, she bumps into someone.

“Oh gosh - fuck, I'm sorry”, the blonde exclaims at impact, before she scolds herself for cursing.

“Oh, sorry! Wait... Brooke?”

Brooke Lynn’s pupils blown wide as she recognizes the person opposite her. “Clara? I barely recognized you!” She exclaims with a smile. Giving herself a moment to take in the girl in front of her. Her once light blonde hair is now replaced by a gold brown colour, and the selected uniform has been swapped for a sleek A-line dress.

“You look great! But,” Clara tilts her head as she takes a brief pause - giving the the girl opposite her a brief one over, “is it you, though?”

“Thank you, don’t you think I would have chosen such a wonderful dress?” Brooke deadpans with an extravasated smile, and she twirls around before pretending to throw up. “Well - I actually asked them earlier why they can't just put me in a suit, but apparently that's not "lady-like enough" - so they forced me into this baby pink dress just to spite me.”

The blonde is still very bitter about this aspect of her makeover, just feeling incredibly trapped in this doll persona her stylists had created.

Clara rolls her eyes and smirks at Brooke’s complaints. “Tell me about it. They threatened to tie my legs together because I wouldn't stop tapping my foot.”

Brooke can’t help but let out a laughter. “Sounds like our stylists were in a similar mood! Also, like, how did you let them do this to your hair?” she adds in disbelief. “You were such a pretty blonde!”

“I can always dye it back.” The smile on Clara’s face makes it seem like she actually believes that statement. Ohh honey. Brooke’s split hair dye phase is still haunting her to this day.

“And don't tell anyone this, but I heard one of them call me whitewashed,” Clara whispers - even tho no stylist would possibly have access to this floor.

“She wasn't wrong, not gonna lie. It just hurt a little coming from her,” the now-brunette ends on a more serious note. The sting present in her voice.

Brooke’s smile falls and only manages to mutter, “ohh Clara. I am so sorry.”

Shakes her head, probably attempting to get rid of the memory. “It's alright. It hurts now, but it'll pass. So, where are you headed?” she asks after a brief pause, opening up a new page.

“I hope it does, Clara - I was actually attempting to find my room, but apparently that is easier said than done. The only thing I still remember is that I have the view of the royal garden.” Brooke pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, not even caring the pink lipstick could rub off onto her teeth.

“Not sure if I'm right, but I think that's the opposite of where my room is... so maybe that way?” Clara points out the way she recommends the blonde to take. However, even she seems to be confused in this maze.

“Well, that's the direction I just came from,” a laughter bubbles up her throat. “I freaking knew I took a wrong turn.” Brooke shakes her head in amusement until her glance falls back onto the girl standing next to her. “Where are you headed, tho?”

Clara joins Brooke’s laughter before revealing, “Nowhere. Just walking around.” Her dark brown eyes slowly scan the hallway surrounding them. “It's really pretty.”

“I did the same thing. That's how I got lost in the first place. Just wanted to find a quiet spot.”

The feeling of feathers buzzing in her bones had been so overwhelming she could have run towards the stars if she needed to. But now? Now, all of a sudden, the itch in skull has simmered down, leaving her room to breath.

“Yeah, I could use some quiet time too.” A quiet sigh leaves the girl’s lips as they just stand in comfortable silence for a minute.

“Do you think the people here ever get lost? Even the royals? This place is hu-uge.” She accompanies the stretch of the “u” with a large gesture - not even encapsulating an inch of this space. “It can almost fit a whole city.”

“At least I hope so - would definitely make me feel less bad for getting lost.” the blonde adds with a quirky raise of an eyebrow.

A visible shiver overcomes Lady Clara swiftly, which leaves her speechless for a cold minute. “Man, I feel guilty all of a sudden.”

“What's wrong?” Brooke let’s concern slip through her facade. One time won’t ruin a reputation.

“I don't know. It just occurred to me how privileged we are to be here -- upgraded to threes, living in an unnecessarily large castle, eating good food,” the woman digresses as her eyes widen abruptly. “Am I bothering you? I'm not thinking too much, am I?”

“Hey, don't worry. Everyone over thinks a bit. And yes, we may be privileged, but we can also make use of this privilege in whatever shape or form. May it be a representation, addressing certain concerns of the public directly to the crown prince, and any other way one could think of,” The blonde attempts to soothe her worries, all too familiar with that same kind of fear.

“Wow. Someone who actually gets me,” the girl whispers, smiling from ear to ear, as if the woman has somehow physically touched her heart.

And well, maybe Clara’s heart wasn't the only one to feel a slight tug.

As if someone could really melt the ice around my heart.

“Listen, I know this is a competition and we don't know each other much, but I'm glad we met.”

Brooke nods along with a small smile. Very flattered by the compliment according to the slight blush heating up her cheeks. “It's very nice having someone to talk to.”

Not one to easily overload someone with love and affection at first sight.

“So, the interviews are coming up soon. Are you nervous?”

“Uff.” Brooke’s grey eyes are now fully on display - pupils widen i in shock. “I actually completely forgot about that. To be fair it's a bit intimidating to talk the Prince, but at the same time - what do I have to lose? Let's see if I can keep my etiquette straight and be a nice lady.”

She hopes her weak joke still manages to deflect the insecurity hidden in her voice.

“Right? But honestly, I feel more intimidated by the princesses than Arin himself,” the girl reveals with a laughter sprinkled into the conversation.

“Ohh really?” Surprise is basically written across Brooke Lynn’s face. “Princess Safiya seems really nice.” Might have to do with the fact I actually met her, thought -

“She does.” Clara leans in close, her hair tickling the tip of her eyebrow, and whispers, “but I've been hearing rumors about Arin and his mom.”

The blonde feels very intrigued all of a sudden and asks if Clara would mind sharing. She’s never cared much for rumors or gossip - but what else could be exciting in this place?

“I don't know much, but apparently Arin and princess Mélanie aren't on good terms. No one knows why.”

Pink stained lips slightly fall apart into an O-shape. Curiously waiting for her counterpart to continue.

“That's all the stylists would talk about. That and the break up... I don't want to believe them, but I can't stop thinking about it.”

“I mean, gossips don't always have to have an ounce of truth to them... But the stylists work at the palace, so there might be some truth in that.” Brooke indulges herself for a second in to the mystery of it all - letting her thumb and index finger caress her chin before she pulls herself back together. “I mean, I don't wanna snoop around in their business... But you got me kind of intrigued.”

“Yeah, that's what I thought too. I guess it's just because it's the only thing I've ever heard about them from arguably reliable sources,” the brunette adds with a short scof, before jumping to the next topic. “I'm just really nervous about the interviews and I really don't know much about them. I’m worried I won't make the right impression”

”Listen if you are right for Arin - you'll make the right impression on him. You seem like a really sweet person, Clara. You have nothing to worry about.” Her initial brick wall is slowly softening for the gem reminding her of four-year-old Brooke, terrified of her first ballet lesson.

”I, on the other hand, might accidentally insult him with my dry humor,” she attempts to lighten the mood with an awkward giggle.

“Hey, we never know. Maybe he likes dry humor,” the shorter girl adds with a smile and pats Brooke on the shoulder as if she was the one needing reassurance.

“We'll see about that!”

“And if he's right for you, he'd definitely reconsider different means of transport instead of those awful planes,” Clara adds with a giggle.

Apparently Brooke Lynn’s rant about planes and their environmental impact left a lasting impression.

“I fucking hope so,” the self proclaimed environmental activist exclaims enthusiastically - her statement being heard from the adjacent corridor. Yet once she realised the f-word had slipped her again, she dramatically slaps her hand over her lips. “I am pretty sure I am not allowed to swear,” she mumbels while looking around before a loud snort escapes between her fingertips.

It’s no surprise Lady Clara crinkles her nose in laughter at her sight.

“Ugh, so many rules,” she adds with one last giggly breath before putting on a serious face. “I hope it'll all be worth it.”

“I doubt it will be. But, hey, I’m in for a good time, not a long one.” Brooke adds a wink for good measure, not yet ready to share how she even ended up here in the first place.

A stomach grumble pulls Brooke back out of her thoughts. “Someone's hungry?”

Clara answers with a chuckle, “Do they have room service or something? Are we allowed to eat when it's not meal time?”

“I fuck-” Brooke catches herself and restarts her sentence - like a real lady -, “I really hope they do. Your best bet would probably to ask your maids.”

“Ah, right. I guess I better get going then; unless you want to join me.”

A tempting offer, but Brooke certainly has emptied her capacities for social interactions today.

“Thank you, Clara, but I am actually not really hungry! I'll see you tomorrow morning then?”

Reminding herself that this isn’t just all fun and games. Some rules even apply in certain realistic nightmares.

“Alright. It was really nice seeing you again, Brooke!”

Brooke slightly waves the girl goodbye.

“See you tomorrow”, the brunette giftis her one last smile and walks away in the opposite direction of were Brooke’s room is meant to be. She should really go back and rest.

But all her body craves is to stay in place. Now stare at the empty space. Praying all of this is just a really drawn out dream.

#Brooke lynn Sanders #Selection oc #selection #poem #oc #writing #practice challenge

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ryanmeyerart · 5 years

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Grace Hartigan’s “Barbie”

This essay was written in 2012

Opinion alert — Jackson Pollock is the most famous Abstract Expressionist painter. Fact alert — it was in New York City that Pollock and the other artists associated with this new movement blossomed. The “Irascibles,’ as they were dubbed, began to shake up the art world with their new philosophy and aesthetic. The novelty of Abstract Expressionism was powerful enough from the beginning to draw in a younger group of artists. Helen Frankenthaler, Joan Mitchell, Sam Francis, and Grace Hartigan are a few of the artists known as the second generation New York School. Despite her young age, Hartigan was deep in the Cedar Tavern circle and was considered a friend by Pollock, de Kooning, Rothko, Kline, etc. Curious and observant, Hartigan looked outward at her surrounding physical, social, and political world for inspiration. She began to paint a combination of what she saw and what she felt. Her commentary on daily life is the leading characteristic of her work. Her paintings such as Barbie have been interpreted as feminist precursors to pop art, but in reality, Hartigan did not ally herself with either feminism or pop art. For Barbie the output is a statement about the contemporary ‘60’s society. This painting and the great majority of her other works are musings on life and should be viewed the same way one reads poetry. A complete interpretation can only be accurately made by considering her own words as well as clues from her life’s story.

Hartigan was born on March 28, 1922 in New Jersey. She was greatly influenced by her aunt, an english schoolteacher who piqued her interest in writing and theatre which lasted all through high school. She married at age 18 and ended up in California after she and her husband ran out of money on their way to Alaska. They lived there several years with their newborn son until World War II broke out. They decided to move back east where he was then drafted. She began to take night classes to learn drawing and painting and got a job as a draftsman. She fell in love with Matisse after being introduced to book of his work and immediately began seeking out a way to paint like him. She then began to study under Ike Muse and moved to New York with him after she and her husband split. Not much time passed before she and Muse split also and she began to support herself with a “life of total poverty but meeting all marvelous, exciting people.”1 This is a reference to the collection of artists and writers who patronized the Cedar Tavern in the 40’s and 50’s. She visited Pollock’s and de Kooning’s studios and began the journey headfirst into pure Abstract Expressionism which solidified her status in the group as well as Clement Greenberg’s approval. Her first few works in ’49 and ’50 were very gestural and resembled the flat, all over composition of Pollock’s work. This only lasted a couple years before she began to slowly introduce representational elements that are very similar to the figures in de Kooning’s Woman paintings. A key factor in this change was her growing relationship with the poet Frank O’Hara. Hartigan’s childhood love for literature re-blossomed vicariously through O’Hara who dedicated several poems to her. In 1952 O’Hara gave a series of twelve poems called Oranges, Sweet, a Dozen to Hartigan who then turned them into her Orange paintings. This rebellion against Greenberg allowed her to extend her boundaries and begin to develop her own identity as a painter. Her first step was to look back at the Masters like Velasquez, Goya, and Rubens all the while keeping Matisse and the Abstract Expressionist aesthetic in mind. She then began to look outward in the exploration of her world, New York City. For several decades she painted shopping malls, billboards, vendors, shop windows, and anything else that caught her eye and stimulated her mind. Hartigan was overflowing with material that she felt compelled to paint. Throughout the ‘60’s she pulled out all the stops and painted everything from mythical creatures and gods, Marilyn Monroe, lily ponds, human emotions, and Barbie dolls. The only reoccurring visual elements are the gestural forms that came from her Abstract Expressionist background and the bold use of color drawn from her love for Fauvism. This inconsistency of subject matter is the first clue as to Hartigan’s thought processes.

The mistake that critics and historians too often make is the lack of attention paid to Hartigan’s body of work as a whole. When they step back and get the big picture view, they consider it for a couple of minutes and quickly conclude that, “She has reached for new ideas so often that she has no signature style.”2 Naturally at this conclusion, they are forced to focus on individual paintings or small series of them. Unsurprisingly, the interpretations of Hartigan’s Barbie paintings are straightforward and superficial.

The Barbie doll made her debut in 1959 and it was not long before Mattel, Inc. began receiving criticism for the doll’s negative body image. The doll has often been used as a symbol for the unacceptable image of women portrayed in pop-culture. When Hartigan painted Barbie in the heat of the controversy, many people, both feminists and non-feminists, assumed that she was making a feminist statement. The well-informed researcher might also argue his/her point with evidence that Hartigan originally signed her paintings as “George Hartigan” for her first few shows. This has been taken as a statement of the difficulty for women artists to succeed in the world of Abstract Expressionism. However, both of these arguments can be easily refuted by Hartigan’s own words. She has repeatedly denied having any feminist sentiments and even supported Pollock by saying, “The myth I find most infuriating is the one of Jackson Pollock as brawling, woman-hating, drunk and macho. The man was tender, suffering- an inarticulate, shy genius, but people don’t want to hear that about Jackson.”3 When asked why she signed her work “George Hartigan” she replied, “Because I identified with George Sand and George Eliot — they were my heroes. The real story is I had gay friends who all had female names amongst themselves and I thought it would be fun to have a man’s name.”4

The argument that Hartigan’s work is a precursor to Pop art has greater merit, but still doesn’t go much deeper than the paint on the canvas. Nevertheless, Hartigan did paint an abstract work titled, Billboard which can be compared to James Rosenquist’s work, and a couple of paintings of Marilyn Monroe which invariably conjures Warhol’s ghost. These images in addition to the Barbie doll are unquestionable pop culture icons. One can easily imagine Barbie as the subject of a Warhol painting and should not be surprised that he did indeed use the child’s toy in a series of prints. Warhol’s Barbie is very different from Hartigan’s however. In her essay, which analyzes Hartigan’s work, Melody Davis points out that, “Pop art is typically hard-edged, cool, acrylic-painted, repetitive and de-personalized.”5 This is the antithesis to Hartigan’s work. In response to this new aesthetic, she made an unapologetic statement in the 60’s saying, “Pop art is not painting, because painting must have content and emotion.”6 Similar to the contrast between the quality of a hand crafted table that exudes warmth from the carpenter’s personal touch and the mass-produced particle board piece made by machines and sold in an IKEA store, so is the unfriendly relationship of Hartigan and Pop art. It is not uncommon to see the subject of Barbie in everyday life, but just as Dutch genre painting is not Pop art, neither is Hartigan’s work.

Instead, the individual work is one of social commentary. Referring to the Barbie doll, Hartigan made this statement, “I’m very interested in dolls of all cultures, because a doll is an essence, really, of what society thinks you should present to your little girls, about what they’re supposed to plan for, how they’re supposed to think about themselves. And if you’re supposed to think about yourself as a bride that deserves a $100 dress and you only cost $15 and your husband is a castrated man, boy, that tells you something about American morals!”7 Hartigan painted what she saw around her. When she walked throughout New York City she painted vendors and shop windows. When she studied the masters at the MET she painted the scenes and figures that excited her. When she noticed a changing country she painted a doll that symbolized a part of it. Hartigan was not supporting or criticizing mass production, mass marketing, or mass media. She was taking input, processing it, and then giving output. Hartigan explains, “I try to declaw the terribleness of popular culture and turn it into beauty or meaning.”8 Now a motive fueling her creative machine becomes apparent. By zooming out and viewing the entirety of her life and work, we see that Hartigan takes both the ugly and mundane as well as the beautiful and exciting and gives them a poetic quality. This should not be a surprise, given her love for literature as a child, her very close relationships with the poets who patronized the Cedar Tavern (O’Hara in particular), and her “heroes,” the novelists Eliot and Sand. For the final piece of evidence let’s again consider Hartigan’s own words, “As most painting moves closer to sculpture and architecture, my own work moves nearer poetry…It increasingly must be ‘read’ in terms of meaning and metaphor.”9 Hartigan’s bold colors, gestural brushwork, and expression through abstraction are some of the tools she employs to give emotional life to the content that she chooses to paint. The successful viewer is the one who does indeed “read” her paintings. Poetry and Hartigan’s work are musings on life.

With a creative career that lasted over half a century, Hartigan produced a large body of paintings and prints. She did not stray far from her aesthetic, yet changes throughout the decades are visible and tell her life’s story like rings in a tree. Her experiences at the Cedar Tavern were truly invaluable and would cause envy in any historian. Unfortunately, she has been misunderstood a great deal too much. Barbie should be read as a poem, and not as Pop art or feminist art. Only then can one fully appreciate the creative mind of Grace Hartigan.

Bibliography

Diggory, Terence. “Questions of identity in Oranges by Frank O’Hara and Grace Hartigan.” Art Journal 52, no. 4 (Winter93 1993): 41.Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed November 9, 2012).

Gibson, Ann Eden. Abstract expressionism: other politics. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1997.

Hartigan, Grace, interview by Julie Haifley. May 10, 1979.

Hartigan, Grace, interview by Jonathan VanDyke. February 12, 2000.

Hobbs, Robert. 1995. “Grace Hartigan: A Painter’s World by Robert Saltonstall Mattison: Reviewed by Robert Hobbs.” Woman’s Art Journal , Vol. 16, №2 (Autumn, 1995 — Winter, 1996), pp. 42–44. JSTOR (accessed October 18, 2012).

Jachec, Nancy. The Philosophy and Politics of Abstract Expressionism: 1940–1960. Cambridge [u.a.: Cambridge Univ., 2000.

Kunitz, Daniel. “Gallery chronicle.” New Criterion 20, no. 3 (November 2001): 51–54. Art Full Text (H.W. Wilson), EBSCOhost (accessed October 19, 2012).

Landau, Ellen G… Reading abstract expressionism. New Haven: Yale, 2005.

Lavazzi, Thomas. 2000. “Lucky Pierre Gets into Finger Paint: Grace Hartigan and Frank O’Hara’s Oranges.” Aurora: The Journal Of The History Of Art 1, 122–137. Art Full Text (H.W. Wilson), EBSCOhost (accessed October 18, 2012).

Lord, M. G.. Forever Barbie: the unauthorized biography of a real doll. New York: Morrow and Co., 1994.

Princenthal, Nancy. 2009. “Grace Hartigan 1922–2008.” Art In America 97, no. 10: 142. Art Full Text (H.W. Wilson), EBSCOhost (accessed October 18, 2012).

Robert Saltonstall Mattison. “Hartigan, Grace.” Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press, accessed October 18, 2012,http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/grove/art/T036782.

Shapiro, David, and Cecile Shapiro.Abstract expressionism: a critical record. Cambridge [England: Cambridge University Press, 1990.

#art

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rahenning · 4 years

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Examining Youth Culture

Hello Media & Society class! On this post we are going to be examining youth culture in in film. Over the past month we watched great film references on this topic such as “The Breakfast Club” by John Hughes, “KIDS” by Larry Clark and “Mid90’s” by Jonah Hill. Another masterpiece in reference to youth culture is the 2019 HBO original series “Euphoria”. Starring Zendaya as “Rue”, the teen series amazes the audience from beginning to end with crucial topics of the generation Z. The show dives deep into discussions that mostly all teenagers can relate with on their high school and young adult years. One of the topics of the show is incredibly exposed by the strong character Kat Hernandez.

Kat is the character that I could relate a lot due to her struggles with body image and fat shaming. Such as her I was, and still am, a fat young person. Through out the episodes we learn more about her history dealing with her body and how it influenced on her self-image. From a very young age Kat learns how society sees and expects different from her because of her weigh. At first, we see Kat as a self-conscious, shy and modest looking girl. But on the following episodes Kat begin to change her personality due to understanding the power that she has in her hand (online) and body. On episode 5 she stated, “There is nothing more powerful than a fat girl who does not give a fuck”. Kat began to show off a stronger, empowered, confident girl changing the stigma of a quiet and modest fat girl in high school. Her outfit changed along with her attitude. She created a careless attitude for herself. However, the truth is that she cares. Deep inside and under all that make up and strong image that she created just like in her novels, Kat begins to realize that she does not need to be mean to her friends to be more confident and well-resolved with her sexuality, image and reputation. Excluding Kat’s choice of being an online sex worker, I can relate to her issues on building her own personality and acceptance. As a fat woman I struggled with the same problems and took me years to find the beauty and confidence in myself. Many people felt disappointed with the character once she began to have a mean attitude and how she mistreated her friends. But I can see how this is relatable to her own journey on finding herself as a plus size woman and taking up the space that society sometimes rather either mute or shame it. The character is brought to life by the awesome female actor and plus size model Barbie Ferreira. When talking about body positivism and all issues on accepting yourself, it is all about representation. Barbie Ferreira in this show and in her model, career helps individuals who are often unseen by society to have a voice and work in their own journey of acceptance. Personally, this character really touched me, but on more extensive researches about the female actor I also found out she is half Brazilian! It was a big “A HA!”. It made sense why I was relating so much to her, even on the looks. The thick eyebrows tell it all!

In addition, according to PubMed “any type of fat shaming causes overweight people to become stressed, eat more calories, and gain more weight.”. To learn more about the “harmful effects of fat shaming” click on the link below to read the article.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fat-shaming-makes-things-worse

To conclude this matter, I will share with you a great 2016 interview of Barbie Ferreira for “Glamour” about body shaming and her path as a plus size model.

youtube

Adding up with the tittles mentioned before, we have “Mean Girls” and “Saved by the Bell” to enrich our references on youth culture. These films bring an important discussion on the issues and life of a teenage in their high school years. Drug abuse, sexuality and “bro culture” along with a seek of belonging to a social group are common topics presented in these stories. As any other adolescent we all need to fit in a social group. Either the popular in school, the nerds or the skateboarders of the neighborhood. The movies are spot on in representing the initiation in these groups and the aspirations of an adolescent to become someone like them. Sex will always be the crucial part of its times. Either the initiation, the doubts, speculations, fantasies and finally the experience. From the first kiss to sex. Also extending to gender identification. The films show the adolescents sharing their experiences and curiosity with their friends on this topic. Does not matter what generation it is, drugs will appear in front of them at some point. As shown in the films and I believe everyone have experienced or seeing their friends trying a cigarette, weed, beer or whatever for the first time and how you are almost obligated to try to otherwise you will be picked on.

The times may have changed, but all kids will encounter these topics in their path. Most of these movies are portrayed in a time before internet and all the information about these topics would come from their friends, from the streets and their social interactions. What your friend did and said how it happens would be your guide when your time comes.

The films/series selected open this discussion about youth culture and all portrays the youth of its time. All of them, even being filmed in different generation, shows young adults dealing with issues such as sexuality, acceptance, drugs and personal relations. The young men in these films mostly have masculinity issues, struggle with anger management and social interactions in society. “Bro culture” is a topic in all the movies and is very well dramatized on the character Nate Jacobs from “Euphoria”. Nate is a popular student, a football player, with good looks and status. Nate deals with anger and a fragile masculinity which results in toxic interactions within his relations. These traits are used to cover up his emotions as a result to his confusing upbringing and sexual insecurities. Jacobs discovers in a very young age videos of this father having sex or interest in young men and transwomen. For this reason, he becomes someone aggressive and has a bent perception of sex. He ends up having a controversial attitude towards the female figure. Bender from “The Breakfast Club” has a lot of similarities with Nate. Also, in result of a dysfunctional family upbringing. Such as Nate, Bender has anger management issues, a controversial personality and the need of constantly reaffirm himself in front of the others. All the main male characters in these films are a result of how society build them. How we raise our boys to be this alpha type of men. The one who will solve their problems by fighting, being aggressive and being toxic in his personal relations. The dramatization of these men can be stereotyped but reflects our society. And shows the even with the change of generations certain aspects and traits never goes away. Masculinity will always be negatively dramatized if society keeps allowing this type of conduct. The “Bro Culture” can be summarized as guys in groups interacting with each other suppressing their fragile masculinity by being tough, insensible and degrading women to better their self-image. It is the fraternity culture in and out of college. These young age men have their “frat” attitude extended to their workspace. An example of bro culture in a workspace was revealed by the author of the book “Brotopia” Emily Chang.

Here you can read and find reviews about the book. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/36288143-brotopia

The author uncovers the reality inside big tech companies in Silicon Valley and how unfair and sexist is its environment. After over 300 interviews of employees in those companies, the author breaks the boys club and tells us about how women are asked to be in a bikini in a jacuzzi for a meeting. Or how a Trans woman who for years worked as an engineer for Uber, once she started to present herself as a woman people started to interrupt her in meetings. This exemplifies what most woman goes through in a workspace and in society. Bro culture is simply a sexism social norm. I do not even believe that there is a need to create another expression as “bro culture”. The word is sexism.If you are a “bro” and is wondering if you are part of this “culture”; or if you just want to check if you are in a “bro culture free workspace” I suggest you to read this:

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/300514

The soundtrack of these films could not be put on a side for this discussion. Have you ever watched a film in mute sound? Well, if you did you noticed that the narrative fully depends on the sound to keep their meaning. What would be a horror movie without a spooky soundtrack? The soundtrack of a movie creates the mood, gives emotion, emphasizes a crucial moment and acts as a big factor on continuity. If you ever watched “Euphoria” I am pretty sure you noticed its amazing soundtrack. Their music choices are already impeccable, but I took the challenge and recreated their soundtrack. I choose to add representativity and a bit of my culture to it. By representativity I mean giving voices to transgender, women, fat and black artists. However, the soundtrack is diverse. For the character Kat I used music’s such as “Boys” and “scuse me” by Lizzo, “Tombei” by Karol Comka, “Sugar Daddy” by Qveen Herby, “Bola Rebola” by Anitta and “Bury a friend” by Billie Eilish. These songs would match her scenes and add to the narrative. Rue has moments that goes from emotional dramatic scenes to hyped times in parties over substances. For her I would like to use songs such as “Put a spell on you” by Iza, “Howling for you” by The Black Keys, “The dope show” and “I don’t like the drugs” by Marilyn Mason. Jules can be very well represented by songs such as “The ocean” by the transwoman lead singer from Against Me and “That’s not my name” from The Ting Tings. For continuity and momentum frames I would use “Crybaby” by Lizzo, “You will never find me” by Korn, “Parasite Eve” by Bring me the horizon and “The art of losing” by American Hi-Fi. The beginning of “Baba O’Riley”- The Who, could be a good alternative intro for the show. My new soundtrack for this show became extensive and you are welcome to check it out on my Spotify playlist named “Euphoria Soundtrack”. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0ztvGt1Geg1p2zvrXycroH?si=0m7z8pnyTWWKugwoFBPL4Q

I doubt you don’t know about these series/film, but to continue this youth culture discussion I suggest you watch the UK version of “Skins, “13 reasons why” and “Elephant”. I found “13 reasons why” very similar to “Euphoria” from the topics debated and even the way the directors chose to portray the characters. Both series also have an explanation of the characters and topics followed by the episodes. I would recommend caution on watching this series if you suffer from depression and anxiety.

This way I close this chapter of “Youth Culture” and I can’t wait for our next topic.

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tapestrythreads · 7 years

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Of rope swings and purple hair

Image is everything. How we dress, how we style ourselves, how we allow others to perceive us for who we wish to be seen. I have always believed strongly that your externalisation of who you are inside is a key part of being human, and a major human right that no-one has the right to suspend. It took me a long time to come to that conclusion, to allow others the freedom of expression without inwardly judging them for it; that, and the realiasation at around 14 when I was bullied for not standing up for myself that the only way they would stop is if I actually believed in myself and externalised who I was.

Much ink has been spilled in the discourse of hijabs, trans people, queer identity, race theory, and fashion, topics that meld and twine just as much as they are disparate and obtuse to one another. The thread that binds them all together is an externalisation of the inner self, whether through choice like fashion, or not as in race. People instinctively judge others for their outward appearance, even if it is a second glance that sums up a stranger’s life for the rest your time with them. We have all been socially conditioned to do this, to pick out the differences in people, to perceive a thread amidst the tribe. This is why differences are so jarring, our psychology instinctively tells us that difference from the norm is a danger to our own tribal identity. In Britain a turban or hijab is as much a subconscious social threat as a bear headed woman in Pakistan or Saudi Arabia, it breaks down social barriers and rules, forcing the observer to critique both the taboo and their own inner identity. To be sure, this is usually only a fleeting thought for the majority of people, but even so, when you have a transgressive externalisation of identity people are naturally inclined to question it. Dissonance is dangerous when unleashed on societies that are not educated or willing to allow it, hence the many hate crimes against minorities and those outside the perceived tolerated visual safe space.

This is why I have always been uncomfortable with the notion that to be a woman has to be wrapped up in the feminine. Time after time I read, watch, and hear stories of cis and trans women couching their womanhood in the feminine, which is especially true of the trans narrative, as the present discourse is centred around the idea that a male comes into the female space primarily by taking on the feminine externalisation of womanhood. If being a woman is simply putting on the appropriate clothing, and then being read socially as such without causing the dissonance mentioned above, what does that say about being a woman? Hand on heart I identify as femme, I love fashion, make-up, perfume, the occasional high heel; yet the counter-point to this is that I am more at home in a pair of jeans, comfy walking shoes, t-shirts, and no make-up. Does this make me any less of a woman? Does it make any women any less female if they eschrew the trappings of socially acceptable norms?

Of the answer to this is no, it does not. A woman is a woman if that is the gender she acknowledges within herself. No matter the externalisation of that gender identity, no matter what front she chooses to wear she is a woman regardless. This is an issue that creeps into every trans woman’s discourse, the idea that you have to be socially feminine in order to be female. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being femme, more power to those who are, but to dismiss the panalopy of female gender expression to the feminine is to cage women in an identity that does not fit everyone. A girl can play on rope swings, wear jeans, rough house, and still be a girl, much as a boy can play with barbies, be the nurse in doctors and nurses, and prefer sewing to football. Just because the social norms say that a gender has to be a certain way does not mean that a gender expression is that way.

Ultimately gender expression is about as much finding your own inner voice, what you are comfortable with. If you choose to wear a hijab, or jeans, or a ballgown then that is your choice, and no-one has the right to take that from you. I personally may not think that said item of clothing may suit you, but then that is my own personal taste, nothing more. Female gender empowerment comes through accepting diversity of all gender expressions, not just the narrow lens that we choose to view it through. So here’s to all the rope swings and purple hair in the world, bruised and bloodied knees, prom dresses, and the confidence to be ourselves without fear of being judged. One can wish.

#LGBT gender identity feminism fashion

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camiran-blog · 7 years

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Deverable#3 - Design Document

Overview of Premise and Purpose

The premise of the project: Recently, many youths suicided because of their boyfriends /girlfriends, because they only focus on the love rather than other parts of their life.

Some people will do whatever their lover asked since they already forgot that the other parts of their life also very important, such as family, friends, learning, work, and so on. It also shows the consequence that those youths will eventually lose themselves. Even one of my friend told me that she had tried to suicide many times last year, just because she had fights with her boyfriend. And I have seen a lot of similar news that youths suicided because of their lover. For instance: Teen girl 'who encouraged her boyfriend to kill himself' appears in court trying to get her police statements thrown out of manslaughter trial (cite: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3670166/Court-OKs-trial-girl-texted-boyfriend-urging-suicide.htm), A 19-year-old lady allegedly committed suicide following a quarrel with her lover (cite: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/06/19-yr-old-girl-commits-suicide-fight-boyfriend/). This phenomenon makes me feel sad.

The core idea in a nutshell: We want to reveal this phenomenon, and exaggerating the potential harm to tell our audiences that love is not everything in their life, and people shouldn't lose themselves because of love.

The fundamental purpose of this project is to teach that everyone's life is precious; youths shouldn't lose their everything, just because of their lover asked, or a little tricky in front of their face. What’s more, we want to show the consequence of blind love.

Medium and platform:

We will use video websites like YouTube and Vimeo to show our project. It can also be spread on social network such as Facebook and Twitter as our presenting platform. What’s more, we will develop our own blog that is not for our project, but the related fictional product in our film – the beauty spray. Our project is not only a short film, but also a story with transmedia so that our audiences can get involve into our story world in different ways.

YouTube is a platform for original videos, and it can deem its videos potentially offensive are available only to registered users affirming themselves to be at least 18 years old. This is suitable for making sure our video is viewed only by the audiences older than 18. What’s more, YouTube has many different platforms, such as mobile phone, iPad, and smart TV. In this case, the videos in it can be attached and spread easily and fast. We will also communicate with our audience through the comments.

However, the video platforms do have some limitations. The main function of them is to show the film and let the audiences to choose the endings. Nevertheless, the text materials and interactivity are few. Though we have the comment board, it is not enough. And the choosing endings can only achieve the goal of participation, but not the community building.

That’s why we have our blog for the film and the twitter and poster for the beauty spray.

Facebook and Twitter are two famous and popular social network. The features of these two networks are they have huge age range of users (which is beneficial for us due to our huge age range for the target audience); users can post and interact with message; and they can transpond the message. These can help our video to be spread.

Features and intended Audience

Clearly communicates the project features and their suitability for the target audience based on user characteristics and market appeal. Arguments are drawn based on the research of similar projects.

Our target audience is females between 18 to 50. We wish out audience can realize two things. The first one is your girlfriend/boyfriend is not everything in their lives; and it is not necessary to change themselves much or even suicide for the one they love. The second one is that some cosmetic surgical procedures are risky, and people might lose themselves or the things they care about.

This short film if only for people over 18 due to some horrible (violent) factors in it. YouTube and Vimeo are two video websites that target on most people especially youths. Females between these ages are willing to watch makeup tutorials or other related videos through these platforms.

Girls may want to do the cosmetic surgery without any cautious without thinking about the possible risky consequence. Our project targeted on those girls who have the thoughts about doing cosmetic surgery for “love”, or have trouble in their relationships because of their appeals. We hope our video can have a little effect on helping them loving themselves and how they look like originally.

Storyworld and Subsetting

Our story in this project is based on the real world, but a virtual one with things can impossibly happen in the real world. The main item that plays important part in our story is the Beauty Spray – a spray can make people’s body become easily to reshape, along with the side-effect of the re-changed body will become dystrophy and get dark.

Many interactive projects include a virtual world developed by themselves. One example is the game “the Sims”. In this game, the users are guided to get into a virtual doll world. Just like the real world, the Sims has weather changing, different seasons, and any other possible natural hazards. What’s more, all the virtual people have their own thoughts and characters. And they can grow up with the same progress in real world.

As what the Sims has created, the virtual world in our story also has many parallel items from the real world. It includes all the setting in the real world.

Our story happens during a period that most people consider slim, roman nose, and big eyes as beauty. This phenomenon comes from the real society. Recent years, weight-loss and face-lifting are getting more and more popular. It is good to keep in shape to stay a healthy situation. However, many girls do not use the healthy way to lose their weights by fast but unhealthy ways such as being on a diet and eating a lot of medicines. There are also many girls do not satisfy with what they look like originally. And they go to lift their faces – some common degrees such as double eyelid surgery and nose surgery; but some of them using the facelift surgery to change a totally different appearance. A very famous one would be the woman who spent $500,000 on surgery to look like Barbie. There is meaningless for us to judge if this phenomenon is right or wrong, but we want to reveal it, and exaggerating the potential harm to tell our audiences the achievement that got easily may lose easily. What’s more, we want to show the consequence of greedy.

Rules and structure provide an equally fair and consistent playing environment to all players.

For the same reason, stories in every medium have a structure and format of how they begin, develop, and end. Furthermore, although stories don’t follow set rules, they are guided by internal conventions. This ensures that behaviors and events within the fictional universe are consistent and logical and make sense within the story. Even a fantasy universe like the one portrayed in the Harry Potter novels, films, and games must remain faithful to its own internal set of rules. For instance, if it is established that characters cannot pass through physical structures unless they recite a secret spell, Harry or one of his classmates should not suddenly be able to blithely walk through a wall without using the spell. That would violate the rules of magic already established in the story. Internal conventions provide a narrative equivalent of a fair playing field.

We will not only create the story world based on the real world, but also use the real world’s tools to make the story world “real”. That’s why we will develop Twitters for the Beauty Spray and the two main characters.

The Disney’s movie “Zootopia” gives us a lot of inspirations. Disney is a good example of using transmedia and developing a successful story world. Even though it is a cartoon movie, the products in it come from the real world. For examples, the character uses a smartphone called looks almost the same as iPhone except the apple has been changed as a carrot. And the app appears in the movie, which is supposed as a fictional one, also comes out in the real world.

In this case, we will develop a parallel between the story world and the real world.

Narrative or Gaming Elements

Each character had the specific trait, and those traits lead to some particular plots. Take the protagonist Jane as an example, she will always do whatever their lover asked, because in her opinion, love is everything, and she would like to sacrifice herself to earn Alex’s love. On the other hand, audience can see each character’s action and guess their trait, which creates a whole story.

Since we use multilinear, each presentation of a storyline can be different. Characters in linear media are created exclusively by writers and can never change, but audiences are story driven. Because the major events or challenges that the audience will need to deal with during the narrative is that audiences need to make different decisions for different characters. Even if narrative plays an essential role, and the choices made by the audiences profoundly affect how the story is experienced. It means that sequences of events can play out differently in the same medium and the same narrative, so, for example, there can be different endings, beginnings or middles of a narrative each time it is run through.

The tone of this narrative is from literary to dark. In the beginning, we want to slowly prove the different plots step-by-step. Within the soothing music, mostly, the audience won’t feel any depressed, excepting the limited period when audience makes those decisions. In the end, when the music stop, audiences can saw some pieces of jewelry stay in the tub, or Jane gets a bowl of water from bathroom and heating. At that time, they know more than that character, and realize what is happening (Jane kill herself by mistake, or Alex got kill by Jane). It will create a sense of fear.

Storyline:

Jane finds her boyfriend, Alex, particularly apathetic to her recently. She feels very upset about it, but she does not know how to solve it. Jane loves her boyfriend so much and would like to do everything Alex asks for.

When audiences took the first-person POV with the role of Ivy, the girl who works with Jane for a long time, they can decide what this character should be:

A: being a jealous people

B:kindly and clever

—> A: If the audience decided Ivy is a jealous people, the character Ivy will seduce Alex. Such as texting with Alex, or hand out with him, and let Alex fall in love with her.

—> B: If the audience decided Ivy is a kindly and clever people, Alex and Ivy always chat and laugh at her work place. In most of the time, Alex meets Ivy and talks with her for a while when he goes to the tea shop for finding Jane. When Alex encountered problems, Ivy always give him some advices. And Alex think she is beauty and smart. Gradually, Alex love Ivy; in this case, Ivy did not know.

One day, Alex inadvertently says that she may be more beautiful if she gets bigger eyes and a higher nose. Jane knows that it is because of Ivy. Ivy has a sexy slim body shape, and her small face has big eyes, long lashes, high nose. Jane knows Alex and Ivy always chat and laugh at her work place. From then, Jane thinks Alex does not like her as before is because her face. Thus, she starts searching on the internet and tries to find a simple way to do the face lifting. She finds a product named Beauty Spray. Per the introductions, the body will soften and people can change their body by pinching after spraying this product for 30 minutes. Jane buys three bottles of Beauty Spray, and she successfully changes her face. When Alex sees her, he is surprised and happy. When she looks at his eye, she is satisfied with herself.

A few weeks later, Jane and Alex were watching a film at home. Alex looks at the heroine and said: “If you have firm abs, that would be perfect!” So, she buys another three bottles of Beauty Spray again and shaping to the perfect firm abs.

When audiences took the first-person POV with the role of Jane, they can decide what this character should be:

Ending A: she wants to get a well-proportioned body

Ending B: she changes to love her beauty more, rather than her boyfriend.

—> Ending A: Again, and again, Jane starts paying more and more attention on her own appearance. One day, when she looked in the mirror, she wants to make a big difference and get a well-proportioned body. This time, she buys a large box of Beauty Spray. She sits inside the bathtub after spray the Beauty Spray, and then wait for the change. However, she falls asleep and then entirely melts into water… When Alex comes to her place in the evening, he does not find Jane but only the polluted water in tub. He thinks Jane forgot to clean up the tub, so he washes it away and then goes to the living room. In the bathroom, only some pieces of jewelry stay in the tub.

—> Ending B: Again, and again, Jane starts paying more and more attention on her own appearance, and even expects other’s praise to her own. She keeps using the Beauty Spray, but she finds out the Beauty Spray has a side-effect that some re-change body will dystrophy and darken. Jane still loves Alex, but after being “beautiful” and achieving praises, she changes to love her beauty more. To keep her beauty, Jane decides to use Alex’s body to fill her own body. One night, when Alex was showering, she sprays the Beauty Spray on him quickly and quietly. Eventually, Alex melts into water. Every time Jane wants to re-fill her body; she gets a bowl of water from bathroom and heating…

Character Design

Alex:

Alex is a Chinese graduate student who is studying in Canada. He has grown up in a rich scholar family. In whatever academic or temperament aspect, Alex is always the center of people’s attention. He is a playboy and is not mature enough. Indeed, he has a little vanity. Most of his friends are very handsome rather than smart, and it causes his seeking for people’s appearance.

Alex represents himself like a masculine, but he would love to do everything he can for his girlfriend.

Jane:

Jane was born in China and grew up in Canada. She is an introverted person and does not like to talk at most of the time. This is because her parents are very severe, and they do not think it is a good thing for girls to be too outgoing and noisy. Though Jane does not show her thoughts obviously, she always takes care of others quietly, especially Alex. Over time Alex and Jane has been together for four years, the main reason in the Jane is probably because she loves Alex so much. Jane always worried that he will lose from her, and she would do everything Alex want, everything Alex asks for.

Remember when they were together, Jane does not do fully makeup, she never knows which brand of cosmetics are better than another. But then she becomes more and more self-abased especially when she meets Ivy. Ivy is outgoing and beautiful, everyone loves talking to her, even Alex. She starts to consider that Alex does not love her as before. She thinks Alex loves Ivy. She is jealous of Ivy, for her character and most importantly, her appearance.

Finally, Jane becomes to a fashion insider by using the Beauty Spray. She believes that if she becomes more beautiful, Alex will love her forever. A few days ago, Jane felt that Alex is no longer concerned about herself, Jane felt anxious with a little inferiority, and blaming herself.

Ivy (the antagonist):

Ivy is Jane’ colleague in a tea shop, and they have worked together for a long time. She is tall and beautiful, and she is always willing to help. Besides, she lives alone since she was a child, thus she becomes particularly independent and confident.

In most of the time, Alex meets Ivy and talks with her for a while when he goes to the tea shop for finding Jane. When Alex encountered problems, Ivy always give him some advices. And Alex think she is beauty and smart. Sometimes, Alex wish that Jane can also be the same as ivy, eyes bigger, body better.

Research had shown that many kids like to have bad guys in their games, and that parents did not mind as long as the characters were not evil. For instance, the bad guys in Kutoka’s children’s titles are done with a light touch. In the Didi and Ditto games, for example, the antagonist is a wolf, but not a vicious, carnivorous one, he happens to be a vegetarian; and he is even a little embarrassed about his unusual food preferences (Digital Storytelling 3rd edition, Chapter 6).

When creating an antagonist for the protagonist in the Kutoka’s, it provides the antagonist with an understandable motive to explain why the antagonist is blocking the protagonist’s way. In this video, Alex wishes Jane can be more beautiful like Ivy, as “the first act inciting incident”, can help sharpen the conflict and supply some obstacles. By understanding the motivation, people can create more compelling works of this video.

The second act turning point is when Jane decided to change herself. And the “third act climax” is the ending part.

Interactivity: User's role and point of view (POV)

Audiences have many possible roles they can play in an interactive narrative. In digital storytelling, we have two major categories of characters; one large group consists of the audience characters. These are the characters over which the audience have direct control. This project offers the audience an array of choices of role, such as the protagonist (Jane), Alex, or the antagonist (Ivy). In this way, audiences can view the virtual world from more than one possible point of view. And, characters in interactive narratives can break the fourth wall and talk directly with the user. At the same time, introducing an element of uncertainty can also increase dramatic tension, since uncertainty is a close cousin to suspense, which is the burning desire to know what will happen next. For example, in this project, Ivy might have enemies in disguise. When the audience took the first-person POV with the role of Ivy, they can decide what this character should be: kindly or being a jealous people, clever or silly. If the audience decided Ivy is a jealous people, the character will seduce Alex and let him fall in love with her. At the same time the audiences can hear the thought of Ivy, such as how she envies about Jane, and how she has a favorable impression of Alex. If the audience decided Ivy is a kindly and clever people, Alex would love her; in this case, Ivy did not know. Besides, when the audience took the role of those characters, they can make decision depend on the specific situation, or their personality opinion. It will lead to different sense, and different ending.

We will mix the first- and third-person POV together in this virtual world: via the first-person (Jane, Alex, or Ivy) and third-person (audiences) POV, because of the first- and third-person POVs each have their advantages and disadvantages. In this film, the decision whether to use the first- or third-person POV depends on to a large degree on the kind of situation being offered in this film. When this film needs to illustrate the character's mood, the first-person perspective gives us great immediacy and impressiveness. It can create a sense of connecting to the user and the material. On the other hand, the third-person POV allows us to see the character’s movements and facial expressions, so the character is so well-defined visually. When emphasizing some particular actions, using the Beauty Spray, for example, we can use the third-person POV to show character’s face, such as exciting, or anxious. When the character chooses to kill Alex, the third-person POV can also show character’s face with nervous, guilty, or ferocious.

With a first-person POV, we see the action as if they were right there and viewed it through our own eyes. We can see the world around them, but we don’t see ourselves, except for perhaps a hand or a foot or something are holding. The first-person POV is much like the way their experience things in real world. For instance, with a first-person(Jane) POV, we see the how she becomes depressed and changes to be jealous when she saw Alex and Ivy’s endless chatting. As an introvert girl, others do not talk with Jane much. However, after using the Beauty Spray, Jane gets more attention from others, and she became expects other’s praise to her own. And we can see the different mood with the first-person POV.

With the third-person POV, on the other hand, we are watching those characters in the distance in a movie. We can see the character’s body in motion and can see his or her facial expressions, too. Also, with the third-person POV, our protagonist can be extremely well-developed visually. Cut scenes show characters from the third-person POV, as well. At the end of the movie, audiences know more than characters. Meanwhile, when people are watching the narrative, they can make the decision and see the different outcome. For example, people, who care more about the beauty of the appearance or want to see how the consequence of this behavior, might decide to use Alex’s body to fill her own body. Or, other people might choose the one that makes a huge difference from the other. June, in this ending, will get a well-proportioned body and let Alex love her more. By contrast, in Alex POV, people might want his girlfriend to become more beautiful. Jane keeps using the Beauty Spray, and then kills Alex for filling her own body.

Interactivity: User Engagement

Because interactive cinema is a direct descendent of movies, one of the contemporary world's most beloved forms of entertainment, we want to build some material that would make audiences want to invest their time in it.

A certain feature that was designed to create tension and offers reward for the participants to keep the user interested and involved. All the characters have their own thoughts and characters. When the audience took on the role of Jane, I will use a device called a ticking clock to pump up the adrenaline and keep the audience glued to the story. For instance, this project was given a specific and limited period show that how many days (such as 2 days) the man (Alex) will leave Jane. If the audience makes the decision on time (in 1 minute, for example), such as use the Beauty Spray and become more beauty, the protagonist will get more days (e.g.30 days) that stay with Alex. If the audience doesn’t make the decision on time, the protagonist might lose the part of her own body, or lost Alex's love. Thus, audience members can assemble the story in any order, depending on the order in which they. The protagonist will be upset if she loses Alex’s love, which is a kind of penalties, and being happy if they still being together, which is a kind of penalties. Because, for the protagonist, love is everything. It can create gameplay that is exciting and complements the narrative.

Moreover, we decided to devise narratives that are designed from the ground up to “live” in several forms of media simultaneously. Each relates a different aspect of the story, or relates it in a different manner. In this new approach, at least some of the story is offered in an interactive medium, so that people can participate in it. We want to use two platforms overlap in such a way that they are integrated at the core: traditional media, which is a poster for the product Beauty Spray; and interactive media, which is the Internet (YouTube, the Twitter account for each character individually, and a blog as a community building). On the macro level, works of digital storytelling can be constructed to exist across some media platforms with parts of each story available on different media platforms and with the whole story interconnected. This is transmedia storytelling, and it includes a new type of narrative hybrid, the alternate reality game. For instance, we plan to create a poster that introduces the product Beauty Spray. Also, create a blog (as a community building), to allows individuals to communicate with each other and share their thoughts, concerns, and opinions. When people visit a community building, particularly one that focuses on a fictional world they especially care about, they look for community-fostering options like comments boards and chat features. Such as discusses the character, related information with the phenomenon (youths suicided because of their boyfriend /girlfriend, they only focus on the love rather than other parts of their life), background stories, opinion, and so on. When audiences log in to the Twitter, and searching those materials about the Beauty Spray, or each character's Twitter account, those materials can seem as true. At the same time, it can offer a much more enriched version of the story. After audience watching the film on YouTube, they can provide their opinion or other relative information on the community building. It can generate powerful responses on the part of the audience participant.

Meanwhile, audiences have many possible roles they can play in an interactive narrative. This project offers the audience an array of choices of role, such as the protagonist (Jane), Alex, or the antagonist (Ivy). In this way, audiences can view the virtual world from more than one possible point of view. Introducing an element of uncertainty can also increase dramatic tension, since uncertainty is a close cousin to suspense, which is the burning desire to know what will happen next.

Eventually, the curiosity of the audience gets satisfied, as if we would go to a movie or TV show. At the same time, they can understand that we want to tell them the truth. At the end, when audiences make the last decision, it reveals the phenomenon that some people already forgot that the other parts of their life is also very important, not just lover, or themselves. It is also exaggerating the potential harm to tell our audiences that love is not everything in their life, and people shouldn't lose themselves because of love. The consequence will give them more impresses within interactive (audience makes the decision), rather than watching the film.

Functionality: Structure and User Interface

Transmedia productions typically include both traditional media and digital media platforms. And we have three media types to show the transmedia of our project. “Transmedia narratives have the potential to become highly personalized through these devices, and that in turn can generate powerful responses on the part of the audience participant” (Digital Storytelling, 3rd edition). We will tell our story through these different ways, to make it believable and attractive.

1. The video:

Our video is the first and the main part of our project. It is a short film revealing today’s social phenomenon. The first function of it is it let the users to choose direction of the plots, and these plots lead to different endings. But it is not just a choice of ending; it is a choice of the character's behavior and causes to different ends. What's more, the users can discuss and share their thoughts through the comments. These can express themselves. And they can understand that we want to tell them the truth. And it can let the users make their wishes known and control what they see and do.

The second one is the comment board. our short film has the function to let the audiences have comments, and they can reply and like each other's. They can see the amount of their "likes" or replies. And they can also know the amount of times of watched.

2. Our blog:

We will develop a blog for our project. This blog is mainly about the links to our video, the story background, sidelights, and other related information. This platform can navigate the users to learn more about the project and satisfy their curiosity about the video. This platform is clear fro presenting information, and it connects the video and other media types of our project.

3. The poster for the Beauty Spray, and the Twitter for the main characters and the Beauty Spray:

These two media tools are designed for the fictional product in our film. The users can add comments to this product or the main characters’. In this way, the users can participate in our story world. Twitter has an app that can be downloaded to the smart phone. in today’s society, the smart phone has become the first source to achieve information and entertaining for most people. And it is very convenient. This is why we chose it as one of our platforms. What’s more, because the events we post in the Twitter are fictional, the users will be as a part of this story though they have not participated in the shooting. It will also connect to the characters’ Twitter to make this story real.

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