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meddling-in-horror · 9 months

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Giving Them the Moment: How Our Flag Means Death and it's Portrayal of Black Men is the Most Important Thing on Television Right Now

Note: written April 20, 2022

Media is an incredibly distinct way of communicating. It has a wide reach, and each person has their own interpretation of what they see. That’s the beauty of the medium as a whole. However, there are often downsides, especially when it pertains to the West. In the US in particular, there is a trend within popular media to lean towards propagandization. Whether it’s the idea that communism and socialism are products of the ‘Evil East’ or the lingering effects of the Motion Picture Production Code - also known as the Hays Code, the media monopolies have a firm grasp on what we as a society watch and enjoy.

When you begin to play close attention to how the media portrays Black men, this becomes abundantly clear.

It is a rare thing when we see Black men whose characters aren’t portrayed as being the object nor the perpetrators of violence. In fact, only one mainstream popular show comes to mind: The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. But even then, the given circumstances of Fresh Prince revolve around Will’s escape from the violence of the ‘urban’ inner city. This vilification of Black men dates back to the 1910s with D. W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation, and continued into the 1930s, where Black people were often personified as the monsters, representing the ‘exciticism’ of the world beyond the West. It is the ‘exoticism’ that has played a huge part in the dehumanization of Black men as a whole. But as a Black Queer person watching Our Flag Means Death, it is breaking that mold in an incredibly important way.

The Black men in the show are allowed to have fun.

This show is breaking barriers left and right. Of the major recurring cast of 15, over half of them are people of color. It’s overt and unflinching portrayal of Queerness when so many of its older viewers - myself included - have lived through the Bury Your Gays and Dead Lesbians tropes time and time again is overwhelmingly refreshing. Nearly all characters are Queer until proven straight and represent all parts under the umbrella, including Leslie Jones’ polyamorous pirate queen and Vico Ortiz - a non-binary actor - playing a non-binary character.

But in a world where the narratives of Black men are so often framed around violence and brutality, the Black crewmates of the Queen Anne’s Revenge - Frenchie, Oluwande, and Roach - are allowed to be funny and vulnerable. Each one of them is starkly different from the other with identifiable characteristics that allow the audience to humanize them. The trio quickly became my favorites among the crew, with Roach being the stand-out amongst them. Samba Schutte’s often deadpan delivery never fails to draw a laugh from me, in particular the assertion that “meat is meat”. Frenchie, played by Joel Fry, is the quickest on the draw where his intellect is concerned, being posited in the show’s fifth episode as having had a hand in inventing the pyramid scheme while spouting the wildest of conspiracy theories and being afraid of cats (they’re witches, they steal your breath, and have knives in their feet, you know). The softness and constant vulnerability of Samson Kayo’s Oluwande may be one of the most important aspects of the show, as it establishes him as a reliable and trustworthy confidante to not just Jim, but to Rhys Darby’s Stede Bonnet as well.

They exist in their own separate spheres on the ship, going about their own separate business completely unbothered. While it is implied they lead violent lives as pirates, this violence isn’t used to define them as characters. In fact, Oluwande stated that both he and Jim engaged in piracy because they “had no choice”. The brief mention we get of Frenchie’s backstory implies that he lives a life of servitude, though whether that was as an enslaved person or a freed Black domestic worker is not mentioned. While there is little known about Roach so far, it is implied that his culinary skills are far beyond the levels of what is needed aboard a pirate ship.

The friendships and relationships they form within the crew aren’t built on violence either, but on open and honest communication. Most notably, the friendship of Frenchie and Wee John Feeny, played by Kristian Nairn. Fry and Nairn are an impeccable comic duo when their characters become ‘room people’, and the scene where they begin to design their new space is a personal highlight of the episode. Oluwande and Jim’s romance - played to perfection by Kayo and Ortiz - is one that revolves around both characters being almost devastatingly open with each other. Both actors play the emotional vulnerability of the characters well, and it is important to emphasize that it is Kayo’s Oluwande that moves to meet Jim where they are.

While the show allows all its men to show varying levels of emotional vulnerability - an exception being offered to the emotionally constipated Izzy Hands, played by Con O’Neill - there is something so special about seeing that luxury afforded to Black men. This show has, in just ten episodes, has become a game changer for the television industry. It has proved that a show with explicitly Queer characters can become a massive sleeper hit, and that sometimes the best kind of historical show is one that is historical fiction. But it has also proved that you can create a narrative with Black men that doesn’t include their stories being framed in violence or brutality, that they can be funny, charming, witty, vulnerable, intelligent, complex characters with their own narratives that serve a purpose outside of a device of exoticism. It is this rare thing that makes these characters, and indeed the show as a whole, so important to its viewers.

We deserve more vulnerability, more humor, and more humanizing content from these three men, and this show is one that is truly deserving of a glorious second season.

Sources:

Donaldson, Leigh. “When the media misrepresents Black men, the effects are felt in the real world.”

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/12/media-misrepresents-black-men-effects-felt-real-world.

Kumah-Abiwu, Felix. “Media Gatekeeping and Portrayal of Black Men in America.”

Opportunity Agenda. “Media Portrayals and Black Male Outcomes.”

https://www.opportunityagenda.org/explore/resources-publications/media-representation-impact-black-men/media-portrayals.

Our Flag Means Death, (2022-). HBO Max.

#not horror but its relevant #our flag means death #ofmd #ofmd s2 #roach #frenchie #oluwande boodhari #david jenkins #black men in media #let black men be silly in things!!!!!!#our flag means death season 2

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withered-rose-unbreakable-lotus · 2 months

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Masterpost: Visual Kei movies & other types jrockers were involved

So, it came to my attention some of you want to watch more visual kei movies so I thought of listing what I know, in case you've missed any of those. Please feel free to add anything I've missed with reblogs or in the comments.

Thank you @kirk-goes-to-gallifrey for the three movie links! ^^ And thank you @waretamado for helping with the titles of Plastic Tree's movies! Btw most of the vkei only movies must still be available on YT guys, however not all of them will be on HD.

Visual Kei movies:

Seth et Holth (1993) (Hide) YT link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx_laJCEpew)

Moon Child (2003) (Gackt & Hyde)

Verte Aile/Bel Air (1997) (Malice Mizer) YT link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdd58pTaK8A)

Bara no Konrei/Bridal of the Rose (2001) (Malice Mizer) YT link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr1d_cFRnxs)

BeatRock☆Love (2009) (Takeru ex.SuG)

Number Six (2006) (Alice Nine)

Yuku Pura Kuru Pura... Edokawa Puranpo no 「Ougon otoko」~「Visual bako no bijo」 (Plastic Tree) YT link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81Bb-3L4l2E)

Yuku Pura Kuru Pura... Edokawa Puranpo no 「Onan tokage」~「Bishounen wo kuu bijo」 (Plastic Tree) YT link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAha6vDCE0Q)

Yuku Pura Kuru Pura...Edokawa Puranpo no「Angura Kaijin」~「Remon no bijo」 (Plastic Tree) YT link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pzt3ai5LSXc)

Ascendead Master (2009) (Versailles)

Onegai Kanaete (2011) (Versailles)

Oresama (2004) (Miyavi) YT link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcBvKQfVKNM)

Non Visual Kei movies jrockers acted in:

Kagen no Tsuki (2004) (this is a live action of a manga) (Hyde)

There is a movie that Takeru of SuG had played in for only a couple of scenes that was his first ever role, but I forget the name. I remember sth about "blue generation" or sth. If sb remembers it, please put it in the comments. Most people might remember the scene with the fluffy coat, him with blond hair turning to the protagonist with a menacing look, from the distance.

Paracelcus' Homonculus (2015) (this is an artsy film based off a photographer's exhibition) (Takeru of SuG)

Midori: the Camellia girl (2016) (live action of a manga) (Takeru of SuG)

Bunraku (2010) (Gackt)

Akumu-chan (2014) (Gackt)

Karanukan (2018) (Gackt)

Tonde Saitama 1 (2019) & 2 (2023) (Gackt)

Moshimo Tokugawa Ieyasu ga Sori Daijin ni Nattara (2024) (Gackt)

Furin Kazan (2007) (Gackt)

Mr. Brain (2009) (it must have been 1 episode or 2) (Gackt)

Tempest (2011) (Gackt)

Sengoku Basara (2012) (Gackt)

Time Spiral (2014) (Gackt)

BLEACH (2018) (live action) (Miyavi)

Hell Dogs (2022) (Miyavi)

Familia (2023) (Miyavi)

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019) (Miyavi)

Kate (2021) (Miyavi)

Stray (2019) (Miyavi)

Unbroken (2014) (Miyavi)

There's a movie with either gangs or bands that Chiyu of SuG played after the disband. Papiko, shed your light cause I don't remember the title.

Other

REPO! The Genetic Opera (2008) (Yoshiki was involved with the music production of this film. Personally I learnt it years after I'd watched it)

Death Trance (2005) (It features many Dir en Grey songs in its soundtracks)

I hope you can find anything you like and enjoy!

#visual kei #vkei #visual kei movies #hide #x japan #versailles #malice mizer #gackt #miyavi #takeru #hyde #l'arc en ciel #vamps #alice nine #plastic tree #chiyu #sug

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hooked-on-elvis · 4 months

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How did Elvis took care of his awesome hair? 🚿🍃

Plus, a quick overview on one of the King's hairdressers and Memphis Mafia man, Larry Geller: How somewhat he was the friend Elvis needed and how Elvis' over-controlling inner circle banned Geller from their surroundings for a while.

I was actually looking if I could find Elvis' haircut name - precisely the type of haircut he had on the '68 Comeback Special and "Charro!" (1968), since I'm a girl and I have zero idea about the names for male haircuts but I just love that haircut he had so much I wanted to talk about it... anyway. But I found an article about Elvis' hair care routine and that sounds very interesting to me, so it might be something you wanna know too.

This is told by Larry Geller, so this means this was Elvis' hair routine starting from mid 60's on, precisely from 1964 to 1967, and possibly also from late 1972 to 1977 *, periods in which Larry was responsible for taking care of the King's hair.

Geller, who will be launching his own line of organic hair products later this year, tested out some of his first custom mixes on Elvis. “I used to go to the health food store and get a benign base shampoo and get some vitamin capsules and pour 99 percent pure aloe vera and other herbs into it, and shake it up,” Geller tells Yahoo Beauty. “That’s what I used on Elvis’ hair. He said to me, right from the get-go, ‘You can do whatever you want with my hair, but one thing — make sure I keep it!’” Source: Yahoo Beauty: Elvis Presley’s Hairstylist Spills the King’s Secrets by Lilit Marcus. The article was shared on a Graceland's website on January 28, 2014.

Elvis, you're the best, man. LOL. Just that comment is worth this entire post. It made me laugh. But the article goes on.

Then there was the daily routine. “I shampooed his hair regularly, usually every day. I would massage his scalp for a few minutes, then brush his hair at least 50 or 60 strokes. I was focused on long-term health of his hair, which was so important,” Geller explains. He also used products like vitamin E and jojoba oil to style Elvis’ hair and replace conditioner. Hairspray was used to set it, with Geller alternating multiple brands so that none of them would dry out Elvis’ coif too much. As for its color, Geller dyed Elvis’ hair every two to three weeks with a L’Oreal formula. What did the two men discuss during all that grooming? Religion, philosophy, books, life, and anything else you can think of. “Elvis had everything,” says Geller. “He was an extraordinary human being. He had the greatest eyes, the greatest voice, fans galore. He also had great hair.”

Elvis in "Frankie and Johnny" and "Spinout", both 1966 movies.

Larry Geller styled Elvis’ hair for: "Roustabout" (1964), Girl Happy (1965), Tickle Me (1965), Harum Scarum (1965), Frankie and Johnny (1966), Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966), Spinout (1966), Easy Come, Easy Go (1967), Double Trouble (1967), and Clambake (1967). Geller prepared Elvis’ hair for the last time for his funeral in August, 1977.

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Elvis' hair must have been so good smelling and soft. Washed every day, organic products to make it smooth and shiny as it was. 🫠🥹

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Now, if you want to understand why there's a pause in Larry's association with Elvis, here it is:

LARRY GELLER QUITS WORKING FOR ELVIS IN 1967: INDIRECTLY CAUSED BY ELVIS' HEAD INJURY POSTPONING THE FILMING FOR 'CLAMBAKE'.

On March 9, 1967, Elvis was staying in him home in Bel Air, Los Angeles, and one incident (Elvis tripped over a TV cord in his bathroom and banged his head against a porcelain bathtub) caused the beginning of the production for the movie "Clambake", for which he was preparing to, to be postponed. Colonel Parker was fuming when he heard about the need for Elvis to take a couple of weeks of resting to recover from the mild concussion he had. It was a critical moment in Elvis' life. By the time the filming begun, Elvis even put up some weight from his normal 170 lb (77 kg) to 200 lb (91 kg) — I said it before, whenever this happened to Elvis' body it was because he was extremely distressed. He was an emotional eater.

Getting back to the accident, Parker even thought Elvis did it on purpose not to fulfill his Hollywood commitment since Presley clearly was not happy about his movies anymore, something Parker somehow blamed it on Elvis' spiritual quest. He pulled some strings to manipulate Elvis to remove Larry Geller from his inner circle by saying to him that all that spiritual thing was getting too much into his head, distracting him from his business obligations. If not enough Parker said to Presley that Larry Geller was brainwashing him because of some personal agenda he must have had in his mind — it's mentioned by someone, somewhere (i'm sorry, I'm not gonna remember where I've read it now) that Geller was planning on using Elvis' money to open a religious study center or something like that).

Basically, Parker thought Larry was a threat because if Elvis decided in throwing his career away, like some say he was by becoming a preacher, Parker would lose his most profitable and only client. Consequently all the religion and spiritual "shit" (as they called) that Larry Geller had put inside the King's head (as they thought), presenting him with many books and having deep conversations for hours with Elvis about several religious and spiritual subjects but not exclusively that, they also talked about meditation and self improvement as a human beings, astrology and so on, all of that was threatening Parker's plans over Elvis.

But Parker didn't make it on his own. Even Priscilla says in her memoir book that Elvis was obsessively reading non-stop and wanting to share his learning with everybody else, but his friends and herself didn't care about none of this self-improvement and religious talk. His inner circle even looked at Presley's spiritual quest as somewhat annoying, including Priscilla. Their thoughts about Larry Geller were something like "Larry changed his mind. Elvis is not spending time with us as he used to." Ugh!

Nobody actually told Larry to leave, tho, and Elvis wouldn't do such thing if he didn't have a good reason to - until this point Larry was a confidant to him, one of the only people he could talk about life and wonder what was God's plan for him, his true life mission, something Elvis would never cease trying to understand. However, Elvis' inner circle and Colonel Parker begun making Geller feel uncomfortable, unwelcome among the group, while they took Elvis' attention back to them, practically forcing Geller to decide to finally leave and go away for good, and he did it. But it was not something definite.

Many things happened in Elvis' life since Larry Geller and him went different ways but by August 1972, tho, Geller got back in contact in Elvis when he attended one of Presley's concerts in Las Vegas, and from then on Larry begins working for Elvis again, till the end of the King's life in 1977.

#elvis #elvis presley #elvis history #elvis presley history #larry geller #memphis mafia #colonel parker #priscilla beaulieu #priscilla presley #elvis hair #elvis the king #elvis fans #elvis fandom #60s elvis #70s elvis

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carsthatnevermadeitetc · 1 year

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Chevrolet Caprice Custom Wagon, 1966. The first generation Caprice became Chevrolet's flagship wagon and with simulated woodgrain exterior trim was the first Chevrolet offering such a design since its real woodie wagon was available on the Bel Air in 1954. It was available in 2 or 3 seat versions with an optional rear-facing 3rd row providing accommodation for 2 passengers. The Caprice wagon remained in production through 4 generations until 1996

#Chevrolet #Chevrolet Caprice #Chevrolet Caprice Custom Wagon #woodie wagon #woody wagon #first generation #1966 #1960s #flagship #3 row #long roof

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chasingmidnights · 1 year

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Cage the Devil Series

Title: Trouble Ahead

Summary: You were never one to follow the rules, your grandmother called you a free spirit. So, when you move back to Knockemstiff, you shouldn’t be too surprised where you ended up.

Warnings: First, this is for 18+ so minors DNI, this is for mature audiences only!!! Definitely rated M for Mature. Now, let’s get down to the other stuff shall we? Sheriff Lee Bodecker (he’s a warning alright!); alcohol consumption; some mild cursing; there is smut in this so minors keep scrolling this isn’t for you (go on, get!); foreplay, male receiving; public sexual activities; mentions of smoking cigars/cigarettes. I believe I have everything listed that should be looked out for during this part. If I missed anything, I do apologize but you are responsible for what you consume on the internet. So please, if any of the above mentioned warnings make you feel uncomfortable do not read this.

A/N: Okay, I had so much fun writing this! I might have gotten a bit carried away but I love the finished end product. This is not beta read so any and all mistakes are my own. I do not claim to be a professional writer, I do this for fun. Also, I’m still getting used to writing smutty scenes so it may not be perfect. I hope you all enjoy it!

Also, the gold glitter divider is by none other than @firefly-graphics

Wordcount: 5,259

You flipped through the radio stations as you drove down the long, winding highway. Your turquoise chevy bel air easily glided down the semi-smooth tarmac. The top was down on your car and the wind was blowing through your hair on this sweltering hot day, which helped cool you down, even if just a little bit. You groaned as you saw the mile sign, you still had another ten miles before you reached Knockemstiff. You had been dreading this trip for multiple reasons. The main one, you loathed the small, hick town. Growing up, you would constantly dream about getting out and when you did, you didn’t look back. But when you got word that your grandmother had passed away, you decided to move back to help your mother. You finally settled on a station when a woman’s voice caught your attention. The song had already started but you decided to listen to it anyway, liking the sound of it.

“...I know what that evil do…. Come down from a mountain to where the river runs…. Poison the water and tell no one…. Ohhh, what I know, what that evil done....”

An unexpected cold chill overcame you as you saw another city mileage sign for Knockemstiff, five more miles. A pit started to grow in your stomach, something in you was screaming at you to turn around but you ignored the feeling and kept driving.

“....Redemption ain’t coming around no more…. Someone’s banging, banging down the door…. What a fearful sound, I’ve never heard before…. Mmm, sweet redemption, ain’t coming around no more….”

The five miles went by in an instant and you sighed when you saw the ‘Welcome to Knockemstiff’ sign. Knockemstiff wasn’t known for its well-built homes or white picket fences, you’re honestly surprised that the town is still standing. If it wasn’t for the fact that your mother was alone now, you wouldn’t have bothered coming back. Natural instinct kicked in as you made each turn that led to your childhood home. As you continued to drive, you started to hum to the song as it still played on the radio.

“....Mmm, there’s trouble, trouble ahead…. It’s all going down and coming back up again…. Cry, cry…. Momma is crying…. Mmm, she said trouble…. Trouble ahead (ahh, ha)....”

When you pulled into the driveway of the house you once considered home, you couldn’t help but sigh. You mustered up all of your will power and opened your driver’s side door but before you climbed out of your bel air, you reached for the keys and jiggled them out of the ignition. You walked to the back of your car and popped open the trunk to grab your belongings. After closing the trunk door, you glanced around your surroundings, a feeling of being watched suddenly coming over you. You shrug the feeling off as you don’t spot anything unusual and you make your way to the house. A huff of air escaped you before you let yourself in and started to call out for your mother.

“Is that my little Spirit?!” Your mother, Margaret, called back as she emerged from the living room with a bright smile on her face.

She closed the floral patterned folding fan with a quick movement of her wrist before she came and greeted you. You always thought that your mother looked so elegant and graceful, everything she did seemed to come to her with ease. You took in the sight of her, she seemed to be doing well for herself. She was wearing cream colored, high waisted pants that complimented her form well and she had her lavender colored blouse with a gingham check pattern tucked into her pants. A strand of pearls were wrapped around her neck and her curls bounced effortlessly as she walked towards you. When she reached you, she engulfed you in a hug and she doesn’t let go until you mentioned that you needed air.

She placed her hands on your shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze, a small smile curled up onto her lips. “Well, you look just as beautiful as ever darling! California definitely agrees with you.” Your mother then turned quickly and began to walk towards the stairs. She spun around as she spoke up again. “Well, your room is all set up. So, why don’t you go unwind and unpack, then we can go get some dinner! How does that sound?”

You and your mother walked into the only diner in town and it wasn’t nearly as busy as you thought it would be. When you opened the door for your mother, you noticed the ‘hiring’ sign in the window. You would have to check on that before you leave. A waitress led the both of you to a booth and you took the seat opposite of your mother. The waitress took your drink orders before she handed you some menus, she then turned quickly to walk away. As you were glancing over the menu, the bell above the door sounded, causing you to look up to see who’s entered. Your eyes grew wide when you recognized the person, you leaned towards your mother and lowered your voice as you spoke up.

“Mom, is that who I think it is that just entered?”

You watched as she glanced over her shoulder to see who you were talking about and a smirk formed on the corner of her lips. “Yup, that’s Lee Bodecker, he’s the Sheriff now. And I believe that’s Rogers and Barnes that is with him, deputies of his. I could introduce you if you’d like?”

The knowing look on her face did not go unnoticed by you, you could feel your cheeks begin to heat up. Growing up, you always had a crush on the older gentleman and your mom would constantly tease you about it. He, of course, had no clue who you were but you knew who he was. You took a drink of your orange soda and tore your gaze away from the Sheriff. You decided that a safe place to look would be outside, so you look out the large diner window. As you continued to drink your soda, you peeked over the cup to find that the Sheriff and his deputies were sitting down now and at the other end of the restaurant. Just as you were about to say something, the waitress came back over and asked for your orders.

Throughout dinner, you and your mother played catch up as the two of you ate. You told her all about California and how you wished you could take her one day. When your mother told you that nothing had really changed over the years, you weren’t really surprised. Knockemstiff wasn’t a town that changed much, if at all. She said the most exciting thing that happened was when Lee Bodecker became Sheriff. You cursed yourself when a small smile curled up on the corner of your lips at the mention of his name, you felt like you were a teenager again. To say you were thankful when the two of you were leaving before Bodecker and his men, would be an understatement. You didn’t know how much longer you could’ve been in the same vicinity as that man without feeling flustered. But when you realized you had left the diner without inquiring about the job, you let out a frustrated sigh. Your mother was reapplying some lipstick when she paused and turned her attention towards you.

“What is it Spirit?”

“Oh, I was gonna ask about the job opening. Do you mind if I go back in and ask the manager about it?” You gave your mom your best pout.

She let out a chuckle as she answered. “Go right ahead darling, I can wait here.”

“Thank you!” You say almost too excitedly before you climb back out of the bel air.

When you re-enter the diner, you go straight to the counter and ask to speak to the manager. As you waited, it felt like someone was burning their eyes into you but you refused to look, you were here for a reason. The manager came out after a few minutes, a tall, burly man with long sandy blonde-brown hair and a full beard. You had a quick conversation with him about the job opening and you were relieved when he hired you on the spot. You both agreed that you would start the next day at eight o’clock in the morning. Before you left, you shook the man’s hand and bid him a good evening. When you turned to leave, you held your head a little higher, feeling proud that you got the job. As you left, you could still feel someone watching you, your curiosity getting the better of you, you glanced over your shoulder and to your surprise, it was the Sheriff’s gaze that you had been feeling. His piercing blue eyes were boring into your very soul, you left quickly before he had a chance to see you become flustered just by him looking at you.

The next morning you were running around trying to get ready for your new job. All of your belongings were strewn all over your room. It was only seven in the morning and the heat was already starting to get to you. You let out a sigh of relief when you finally found the pair of shoes you were looking for and you quickly slipped them on and darted out of your room. When you got downstairs, you called out a goodbye to your mom before you grabbed your keys and bolted out the door. You parked across the street from the diner and rushed across to get inside. The bell dinged above you and you were surprised with how empty it was. A waitress was leaning over the counter and she was flipping through a magazine as she chewed on some gum.

“Be with you in a minute.” The young woman called out, there was no urgency in her voice.

You took in a deep breath and walked over to her. “Hi, I’m looking for Ari? He hired me last night.”

The girl looked up from her magazine and stared at you for a minute, blowing a bubble with her gum. “Ari, new girl is here!”

You heard a curse coming from the back followed by some clattering and you did your best not to laugh. Next thing you know, Ari is coming through the swinging kitchen door. He wiped his hands with a dish towel as he smiled at you. “Ah, right on time!” He was about to say something else when he glanced over at the other girl. He turned towards her as he placed his hands on his hips. “Penny! Don’t you have work you could be doing?”

Penny continued to flip through the magazine as she answered. “There’s no one here.” She blew another bubble and it popped.

You watched as Ari shook his head in frustration as he let out a huff of air. “Sorry about that miss, that’s Penny if she didn’t already introduce herself. Don’t worry, she won’t be your trainer, that would be Darcy who should be here soon. Well, if you’d like to follow me, I can show you around and get you settled.”

When Darcy finally arrived, you were pleasantly surprised. She wasn’t afraid to stand her ground and she definitely wasn’t hesitant to put Penny in her place. You could tell that the two of you were going to get along just fine. The lunch crowd had just shown up and you were shadowing Darcy as she took orders and introduced you to people. It was nice as some of the older people had remembered you from when you were younger and caused mischief around town. You were helping Darcy clear a table when the bell on the door chimed once again. The two of you looked up to notice a group of deputies strut into the diner.

“Great, the cavalry's here.” Sarcasm laced Darcy’s voice as she rolled her eyes.

You couldn’t stop the giggle that escaped even if you’d tried which caused Darcy to laugh too.

“Should we go wait on them?”

Darcy looked back over at the deputies before she started to shake her head. “Nah, Miss Prim will be over there any second. See?”

Sure enough, Penny was over there in a heartbeat and she was pulling out all of the stops. A bright smile adorned her face as she twirled her pencil around and took down each of their orders. When she turned around to place their orders, they unashamedly watched her walk away. You shake your head as you help finish clearing the table and wiping it down. The two of you moved onto the next dirty table when Darcy spoke up again.

“Say, what are you doing tonight?”

“Nothing that I know of, why?” I arched an eyebrow at her as I picked up the dishes.

“Well, a group of us are going to the Tecumseh tonight if ya wanna join us.” Darcy glanced over at you and you don’t miss the small smile on her face.

“That place is still around?” You’re honestly quite surprised.

“It’s gone through a few different owners but the guy that owns it now really makes it feel like you’re in a different time. You should come, it’ll be fun.” Darcy explained as she picked up the now full dishtray.

Darcy started to lead the two of you back to the kitchen when you replied. “Sure, I’m in!”

“Great! We usually meet there but if you’d like, I can pick you up.” Darcy offered as she pushed open the kitchen door.

“If you don’t mind, I wouldn’t mind riding with you and your friends.” You continued to follow Darcy over to the sink and began to wash the dirty dishes.

“Of course not! I’ll pick you up at ten!”

The Tecumseh Bar was nothing like you remembered growing up. You had only heard rumors about the old bar but the sight before you was not at all what you were picturing. Laughter and various types of smoke filled the air, the place was crowded. People were dancing by the stage as the band played a folk-rock song that you had to admit was quite catchy. The different horns and piano played vibrantly. You were in a trance as you continued to take everything in. Women walked around in skimpy clothes, you only assumed that they were waitresses, whereas the bartenders were in more formal attire with their white sleeves pushed up to their elbows as they effortlessly made drinks for everyone.

“...I’ve been living in sin for about a month…. Something turns me ‘round it’s something that I just can’t understand, the way I behave…. Some people you can never save…. On my right hand, I’ve got a girl on my ear…. And in my left hand, I’m throwing back a beer….”

The atmosphere was intoxicating even without alcohol in your system. If you didn’t mind the scent of smoke, booze, and pure sin, one could live here. A wide smile grew on your face, you already loved it here and had barely been here five minutes. Drinks were continuously being poured and more and more people entered the bar. You glanced all around as Darcy ordered drinks for the pair of you. When the drinks had been made, she handed you your drink with a smile on her face as she spoke up.

“Best booze in Knockemstiff can be found right here! Drink up!”

You and Darcy clinked your glasses together before you took a drink. You’re surprised at how smooth the clear liquid went down and it instantly began to warm your body. Darcy then grabbed your hand once more and led you towards a table.

“Come on, everyone is already here!” She called back to you, only turning her head slightly.

You have no choice but to follow her and you do so willingly. The folk-jazz music continued to play, the upbeat tempo filled your ears.

“....Every night we throw this little soiree…. Gonna turn her head until she’s mine, all mine…. Every night I breed a new disaster…. I might be wrong, I might be wrong….”

Introductions were quick before you were being dragged out to the dance floor by Darcy and her friends. You danced with a guy named Tyler and you danced as if you had no cares in the world.

“....Try to get away and I will bring you right along, so…. Sit back, have a seat…. Sometimes salty, sometimes sweet…. Hard to swallow but fun to eat…. You ain’t never leaving Bourbon Street, come on!”

Tyler twirled and spun you around gracefully as the pair of you danced. Sometimes you would dance with Darcy and other times you would dance with her partner Jimmy. You were glad that you agreed to coming out tonight, you hadn’t had this much fun in a while.

“....When I walk the street people step aside…. Twirling my cane and smiling wide…. Some would say I’m a carnal slave….I put my hands on what I crave….”

You and Darcy were dancing with each other when you started to feel parched. You excused yourself to get a drink and you pushed yourself through the crowd as you made your way to the bar. You were almost there when someone harshly bumped into you causing you to stumble backwards and you slipped on something sticky. You closed your eyes tightly as a gasp escaped you, fully expecting to hit the floor and be trampled. But none of that happened. Before you hit the floor, a pair of strong arms scooped you up and held you close. It took you a minute for you to open your eyes and when you did, you were met with a pair of dazzling blue eyes. Your breath caught in your throat as you stared at the man who saved you.

“You alright doll?” The blue-eyed man asked, concern was written all over his face.

You slightly nodded your head as you stared up at him, you couldn’t believe who had rescued you. It was Sheriff Lee Bodecker holding you in his arms. You cleared your throat to find your words but it doesn’t help as much as you had hoped.

“Yes, I’m alright.” You paused briefly as a small smile curled onto your lips. “Thanks to you.”

Lee straightened you back up but he kept a gentle hand on your side. “Say, didn’t I see you in the diner the other night?”

Butterflies formed in your stomach at the fact that he remembered you. “Yes, I was there with my mother. I just moved back to Knockemstiff sir.”

Lee smirked when you called him that, he liked how it sounded coming from you. “Ah, I think I heard rumblings that Margaret’s daughter was coming back to town. You certainly have grown up. My, my.”

Heat rose to your cheeks at the Sheriff’s words, you tucked some of your hair behind your ear before you spoke up again. “I hope it was nothing but good things Sheriff.”

‘Shit,’ Lee thought to himself, he really needed to tell you his name before he took you right here and now. “Please, call me Lee.”

You told him your name as you do your best to subtly glance down at his lips. You wondered what it would be like to be kissed by those lips and what they would feel like elsewhere. You shook the thoughts from your head and cleared your throat.

“Well, I should probably get to my friends. Thank you again for saving me.”

Lee didn’t want you to leave quite yet, there was something about you that he wanted more of but he couldn’t put a finger on it. But he was certainly drawn to you and so his words came out all at once as he invited you to his table. “Joinmeforadrink?” He cleared his throat and tried again. “Sorry about that, would you care to join me for a drink?”

You glanced over at your friends who were still dancing before you looked back at Lee. A small smile formed onto our lips at his offer. “I’d love to.”

Lee’s face brightened up at your answer, pleased that you agreed. He stepped to your side as he moved his hand from your hip to the small of your back. “Follow me then.”

As Lee led the two of you to his table, you noticed how people would stop and stare. The whispering didn’t go unnoticed either but you did your best to ignore it all. Lee must have noticed too since he leaned down and whispered in your ear.

“Ignore them, they’re just jealous.”

The feel of his breath on your ear and so close to you sent a shock wave of tingles throughout your body. You wanted him to whisper other things into your ear. When you got to his table, Lee let you slide into the booth first before he slid in next to you. He instantly put an arm on the back of the booth before he motioned over a waitress and ordered a couple of drinks. A brief moment of silence fell between the two of you, the music thankfully filled the silence. Your drink orders were brought to you rather quickly and you took a drink to settle your nerves. Lee is the one to speak up first, beating you to it.

“So, are you enjoying yourself tonight?”

You nod your head before you answer him. “Yes, I am. I definitely wasn’t expecting it to be like this, that's for sure.”

Lee chuckled at your answer as he took another drink. “What were you expecting?”

You finished another drink before you replied. “Honestly, something run down and dirty. I’m pleasantly surprised though.”

“I’m glad you like it. I put a lot of hard work into it.” Lee explained as he began to play with your hair, feeling rather bold. When you didn’t object, he continued to do so.

You felt Lee playing with your hair and you were half tempted to lean into his touch. “Oh, are you the owner?”

“No, I’m not but I helped a lot when Gatsby took over.” Lee explained further and as he did, he couldn’t help himself as he glanced down to your lips.

He wanted to kiss you so badly but he didn’t want to be too forward with you. He had to play this the right way but Lee knew that he wanted you. He hasn’t felt this way about anyone in a long time and he was determined to make you his. He watched you as you listened intently to what he had to say and you seemed genuinely interested. Little did Lee know, you were thinking the same naughty thoughts about him. Drink after drink made the night slip by as you and Lee laughed and talked. The two of you gave each other small intimate touches throughout the night. You had completely forgotten about your friends as you finished off another drink with the Sheriff. Feeling rather bold due to the alcohol coursing through your system, you leaned into Lee and planted a quick kiss against his plump lips.

When you pulled away, your eyes grew wide in shock but before you could begin to apologize, Lee surprised you. He pulled you back in and placed a hand on your cheek before he moved it to your neck. You weren’t sure what you were drunk off of more, Lee or the booze. Your body grew more and more heated the longer you remained lip locked with the man in front of you. When he swiped his tongue along your bottom lip, you immediately opened your mouth for him. You bit back a moan as your tongues swirled around each other, not wanting to seem too desperate. His tongue easily claimed yours and you could taste the whiskey that he’d been drinking all night. When the two of you finally parted to catch your breaths, you closed your eyes and wished that this all wasn’t just a dream. You opened your eyes slowly and a small smile curled upward onto your lips. You leaned into Lee’s touch when he cupped your cheek, he let his hand linger there for a moment before moving it to your chin. You could see that his eyes were filled with lust as his thick thumb caressed your bottom lip.

“You wanna get out of here doll?” Lee asked, his voice husky and filled with just as much lust as his eyes.

You nod your head in reply with Lee’s hand still on your chin.

Lee chuckled at your response before he leaned in close and pressed a quick peck to your lips. “Words darlin’, I need you to use your words.”

You blinked a few times before you quietly spoke up. “Yes.”

A devilish smirk formed on his plump lips as he saw the eagerness in your eyes. “Good girl. Now, follow me.”

Arousal suddenly filled your panties, you liked how it sounded when he called you a ‘good girl’. You were about to press your thighs together but before you could, you were pulled out of the booth. The Sheriff held onto your hand gently as he led you out of the bar. You glanced back over your shoulder to see if your friends were still around but you couldn’t spot them. When you got to Lee’s tan Cadillac, he opened the passenger side door for you and you climbed into the vehicle. The door closed behind you and you waited for him to get into the driver’s side. You watched as he started the Cadillac and he glanced over at you, shooting you a wink.

“Don’t worry, I know a spot. Here, you can make yourself useful.” Lee pushed the center console up before he started to undo his belt buckle and pants.

Your eyes grew wide at the sight of his large member when it sprung free. It was already hard, red, and leaking and the sight alone caused you to lick your lips, you wanted to have a taste. You pulled your gaze away from his cock to look him in the eyes and you waited for permission.

“Come on, be a good girl and come suck my dick, keep it warm in your mouth for me.” Lee ordered and it only took you a second to follow his command.

You gripped his thick member at the base and began to kitten lick the tip, collecting some of his pre-cum onto your tongue. The saltiness lingered on your tongue but you didn’t mind it, in fact, you wanted to taste more of it. You adjusted in your seat so that you could lick a long stripe from the base of his cock and up to the tip, licking right on the fatty vein. You heard Lee groan in approval at your touch, so you repeat yourself over and over again. Lee was in pure bliss and you’ve barely touched him. He threw his head back and tried to think back to when someone had last touched him like this and he couldn’t remember. He refused to let any of the girls in the brothel touch him like this, it was too intimate of an act in his opinion. An animalistic growl escaped him as he tried to clear his thoughts. You had hollowed out your cheeks and took him in your mouth, every little bit that you could take. He had planned on driving the pair of you to a more secluded spot but screw it, he’s not sure if he’d make it there. He reached over and spanked your ass as you continued to drive him closer to his release.

A muffled yelp escaped you when Lee’s hand suddenly smacked your ass which was quickly followed by a moan when he grabbed a handful of it. You diligently worked his hard cock as you licked and twirled your tongue around it, bobbing your head up and down as you did. Your hand that was wrapped around the base made gentle yet firm strokes as you sucked him off. Hearing the pornographic sounds coming from Lee above you only spurred you on. You would pull all the way off of him with a loud pop, only to tease him with small licks before you took him back into your mouth. You did this several times before it earned you another slap on the ass. You must’ve been taking too long for Lee’s liking because next thing you know, Lee grabbed a fistful of your hair and started to pound into your mouth. You gagged and drooled all over his member while you tried to find some sort of friction for yourself. You pressed your thighs together and began to rub them against one another. Another harsh slap is given to your ass as you gag on Lee’s cock.

“Shit, doll, I’m close. Are you ready to swallow everything I’m about to give you?”

All you can do is nod your head, if you had tried to say anything it would be incoherent. Lee continued to thrust his hips upward, his cock reaching the back of your throat as he did so. It didn’t take long before Lee was spilling his load into your mouth, his moans sounded like music to your ears. You swallowed everything he gave you and when he was done, you slowly slid your mouth off of his cock with a loud pop at the end. You noticed some of his seed had leaked out into his dark curls, so you lean back down to clean him up. A smile curled up onto your lips when he moaned again. When you sat back up, you were met with his blue eyes shining at you and they were filled with an euphoric bliss. You both sat there trying to catch your breath, you both were breathing heavily. You’re surprised when Lee grabbed you by the neck and crashed his lips into yours. The kiss was filled with teeth, tongue and passion and it didn’t bother Lee one bit that he could taste himself on you. When You finally pulled away, you were panting even harder than before and when Lee started to chuckle, you tilted your head at him with a raised eyebrow.

“What?”

Lee ran a hand down his face as he shook his head, a crooked grin playing on his lips. “You’re gonna be the death of me aren’t you, doll?”

A sheepish smile formed on your own lips and you could feel your cheeks begin to heat up. You stayed in your spot as you remained silent and watched as Lee tucked in his softening member back into his pants as he pulled them back up. Lee pulled you in close to his side as he backed out of the lot.

“Come on, let’s get you home. Next time, I’ll make sure you’re well taken care of, you won’t be able to walk when I’m through with you.”

Arousal flooded you at Lee’s promise, you weren’t expecting this to be anything but a one night thing. You hoped Lee would keep his promise as you snuggled into his side as he drove you home. Lee glanced down at you and a soft smile began to form on his lips at the sight of you next to him. He could get used to this.

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undescribed1mage · 1 year

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Every May — August 2023 RTC production that I know about !! (If you see any of these, please get a recording of some kind!)

Abingdon Community Theater, Bel Air, Maryland — May 6th — May 7th

Stone Soup Theatre, Durham, North Carolina — June 8th – 11th & June 23rd — 25th

Santa Barbara High school, Santa Barbara, California — June 1st — 4th

Tribble School For The Performing Arts, Houston, Texas — June 1st — 4th

Mini Mirage Theatre, Kendall, Florida — June 2nd — June 11th

Oddfellows Youth Theatre Playhouse, Middletown, Connecticut — June 16th — June 17th

Emporia State University, Emporia, Kansas — June 22nd — June 25th

Skiing Squirrel Productions, Clinton, New York — July 7th — July 8th

Forest Theater Guild, Carmel, California — June 16th — July 9th

Trinity Theatre Company, San Diego, California — July 21st — August 12th

Opera Wyoming, Casper, Wyoming — August 4th — 13th (with a preview on the 2nd)

Brown Cow Collective, Alberta, Canada — August 11th — 26th

#It isn't much of a list yet lmao but I wanted 2 get this out before April ended #ride the cyclone #rtc #tommy talks!!#again; please get a recording of some kind !! even if it's just an audio !!

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oldshowbiz · 1 year

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youtube

Bel-Air Productions

#bel air productions #howard w. koch

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thepopcultureramble · 20 days

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Now, lemme ramble a little bit.

I wasn't born in the 1990s, but its cultural impact remains. I'm here to talk about the music and cultural impact, in particular, because many would argue that it was the golden era. I got my glimpse through TV shows and music videos. 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' was on heavy rotation in my household, as were Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston.

That was my introduction: my mom singing 'I Will Always Love You' while MTV music videos replayed in the background.

But the impact it has on pop culture today, 34 years after its emergence, is what really gets me. You can see its fingerprints all over contemporary music, fashion, and even internet memes. It's as if the '90s created a blueprint for coolness that refuses to fade away.

I can't imagine what hearing TLC's 'Creep' live right when it dropped would have been like, or being in the crowd when Kurt Cobain was scream-singing 'Smells Like Teen Spirit.'

It's that era that birthed groups and acts like Flo and Olivia Rodrigo.

You know, there's something about the rawness of '90s music that just hits different. It was a time when artists weren't afraid to push boundaries and speak their truth. Take Tupac Shakur, for example. His lyrics were like poetry, tackling issues like racism, poverty, and social injustice head-on. And then you had the Notorious B.I.G., spinning tales of street life with unmatched skill and charisma.

These were more than just songs; they were snapshots of life in the '90s, capturing the struggles and triumphs of a generation.

But it wasn't all serious stuff. The '90s also gave us some of the catchiest pop hits of all time. From the infectious beats of Spice Girls to the smooth grooves of Boyz II Men, there was something for everyone on the airwaves. And let's not forget about the rise of boy bands like *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys.

Ballads ruled the charts, with artists like Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, and Brian McKnight belting out love songs that still give us all the feels today. Whether you were nursing a broken heart or falling head over heels, there was a '90s jam for every romantic occasion.

Adele was kind of a product of that too.

Now, let's switch gears and talk about fashion. The '90s were all about self-expression, and nowhere was that more evident than in the clothes we wore. Grunge was king, with flannel shirts, ripped jeans, and Doc Martens becoming the unofficial uniform of rebellious youth everywhere. And let's not forget about the rise of streetwear, with brands like Tommy Hilfiger, FUBU, and Supreme making a splash on the scene.

But perhaps the most iconic fashion statement of the '90s was the rise of the supermodel. From Cindy Crawford to Naomi Campbell, these runway goddesses epitomised glamour and sophistication, setting the bar high for fashionistas everywhere.

So yeah, the '90s may be a thing of the past, but its influence? It still lives here.

This was a ramble by,

The PCR.

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wheelsgoroundincircles · 9 months

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In 1957, Cadillac didn’t merely lead the Motor City’s luxury class. It dominated and defined the category.

As we page through Cadillac’s catalogs and advertising materials for 1957, we can’t help but notice the spirit of downright arrogance. Amid the images of millionaires in Homburgs and Stetsons and ladies in fur coats enjoying their Cadillacs, the headlines swagger: “Magnificent beyond all expectations,” and “A single glance tells the story.” One of the more modest lines, in fact, is “You will make motordom’s soundest investment.”

Boasting is never good form, or so they say, but here you can see how Cadillac felt entitled to crow a little. With calendar year sales of more than 150,000 cars in 1957, the General Motors premium brand didn’t just lead the Motor City’s luxury class. It towered over the category with 50 percent more volume than Packard, Lincoln, and Imperial combined. In sales at least, Cadillac owned the U.S. luxury car market in those days, leaving the other three brands to clean up the scraps.

Underneath, Cadillac in ’57 was the first GM division to employ the cruciform or X-style chassis frame, developed in partnership with the industry’s leading frame manufacturer, A.O. Smith, which allowed GM body engineers to drop the footwells and roofline several inches. The Eldorado Brougham (above) also used GM’s new pneumatic suspension on all four wheels, while the rest of the line got by with leaf springs at the rear that year. Neither the air springs nor the X-frame ultimately proved out, however, and Cadillac adopted a conventional perimeter frame in 1965.

The brand’s all-new sheet metal for ’57 was crafted by veteran Cadillac studio chief Ed Glowacke and crew, blending elements from previous Motorama show cars. Cadillac’s semi-custom Eldorado models, the Brougham, Seville, and Biarritz, were treated to their own unique sheet metal as well. The Eldorado Brougham was the first GM production car to wear the industry’s new 5 3/4-inch quad headlamp system.

The base model Sixty-Two four-door hardtop was Cadillac’s biggest seller in MY 1957 with more than 32,000 vehicles delivered. At $4,713, it cost more than twice as much as a new Chevrolet Bel Air, and when we say “base model” we note that Hydra-Matic, power steering, and power brakes were all standard. The most expensive Cadillac for ’57 was the limited-production Eldorado Brougham, which at $13,704 cost more than the average new home that year ($12,200). The well-dressed Fleetwood Sixty Special (above and below) was another big seller at 24,000 units—despite the steep list price of $5,539. But then it was motordom’s soundest investment.

#car #cars #cadillac #cadillacs #fleetwood #Eldorado Brougham #Eldorado #Brougham

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jgroffdaily · 7 months

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CRITIC’S PICK

Review: ‘Merrily We Roll Along,’ Finally Found in the Dark - Jesse Green

Jonathan Groff, supported by Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez, is thrillingly fierce in the first convincing revival of the cult flop Sondheim musical.

Jonathan Groff’s central performance in “Merrily We Roll Along” at the Hudson Theater is “unmissable” and helping to give “the show the hard shell it lacked,” our critic writes. Credit...Sara Krulwich/The New York Times

[Excerpts]

But with the opening of its first Broadway revival, after 42 years in the wilderness and the death of Sondheim in 2021, “Merrily” is no longer lost. Maria Friedman’s unsparing direction and a thrillingly fierce central performance by Jonathan Groff have given the show the hard shell it lacked. Now heartbreaking in the poignant sense only, “Merrily” has been found in the dark.

The contrast between the pleasures that music can provide and the damage obvious in Frank’s demeanor immediately frames what follows as a solo psychodrama. Yes, Charley Kringas, who writes the words, and their friend Mary Flynn, a novelist turned theater critic, are there throughout, trying to encourage his better angels and corral his worse ones. But despite high-wattage, laser-focused performances by Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez, they have no effect on him; they are clearly Frank’s pawns, willing or otherwise.

How he destroys Mary, and nearly Charley as well, not without their assistance, is revealed as the musical’s formerly absent spine. In the first scene, a 1976 party for “Darkness Before Dawn,” a hack hit movie Frank has produced now that he no longer writes music, Mary is dispatched with barely a blink, or drunkenly dispatches herself.

In the next scene, as Charley enumerates Frank’s misplaced priorities in a 1973 television interview — Radcliff handles the song “Franklin Shepard, Inc.” superbly — Groff’s coldblooded rage is terrifying. Collateral damage along the way includes Frank’s first wife, Beth (Katie Rose Clarke); his second, Gussie (Krystal Joy Brown); his probable third, Meg (Talia Simone Robinson); his producer, Joe (Reg Rogers); and even his adorable young son. Who but a monster would betray such a punim?

“Merrily” is thus no longer, as it seemed in 1981, the story of the gradual, almost inevitable dimming of youth’s sweet illusions but rather the story of their falsity in the first place. Frank is only devoted to Mary and Charley when he doesn’t have access to anyone more useful. To think he turned into that monster is a mistake: He always was one, as Sondheim clearly understood. “That’s what everyone does,” Mary sings once the three-way friendship has collapsed. “Blames the way it is/on the way it was/On the way it never ever was.”

If in seeking to sweeten the main story it still leans too heavily on thin satire for laughs — morning news shows, Hollywood sycophancy — the trajectories for the secondary characters, especially Beth and Gussie, who are now more than cannon fodder, at last make some sense.

In this production, though, it wouldn’t matter much if they didn’t. Radcliffe’s wit and modesty, combined with Mendez’s zing and luster, provide perfect settings for what is now (as it has never been previously) the inarguably central performance. Groff, always a compelling actor, here steps up to an unmissable one. With his immense charisma turned in on itself, he seems to sweat emotion: ambition, disappointment and, most frighteningly, a terrible frozen disgust.

I don’t know whether that’s what Furth intended, but Sondheim is brutally clear about the insidiousness of great talent. In Frank, it eats everything it can find, eventually including itself. “Who says ‘Lonely at the top’?” he sings amid the end-stage cynicism of his loveless Bel Air party. “I say, ‘Let it never stop.’”

What a strange and daring thing for the great and greatly missed Sondheim to dramatize, and for Friedman to forefront. I’d call it heartbreaking if the result weren’t finally such a palpable hit.

#jonathan groff #merrily we roll along #reviews #daniel radcliffe #lindsay mendez #maria friedman

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lais-a-ramos · 2 years

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on the first kill cancellation and what it tells us about representation in media

the most heartbreaking part about the first kill cancellation is that it’s an evidence of this trend in audiovisual media big corporations to profit over claims about representation, all while delivering the most sanitized and harmless to the consumption by the cis het , white, able-bodied etc people form of representation they could possibly offer.

because, that’s the thing, back in 2016, when lexa from the 100 and plenty other lesbian and queer characters in general were killed off of shows and it sparked a whole conversation over the "bury your gays" trope, our biggest hope was that having more people from marginalized groups making the decisions in the writers’ room and as showrunners would result in better representation for us.

and, the thing is that, while lots of people were concearned about shaming the show for having CGI problems – problems that are perfectly explained by the very low-budget the show got from netflix --, the truth is that first kill actually achieved a lot in the “representation on behind-the-scenes” front.

the author of the short story it’s based on, victoria “v.e.” schwab, is queer, identifying as gay and using she/they pronouns, and also signed as showrunner, inspite having an adviser role. Not only that, but victoria declared in interviews and even penned an article talking about how they wrote the short story and the pilot for the show in an attempt of giving to the new generations the representation she needed as a teen and longed for when she watched sci-fi/fantasy shows like buffy the vampire slayer.

the “the facto” shworunner, felicia d. henderson, is not queer, she is a cis het woman, but, she is still a dark-skinned black woman with a long and successful resumé in the show biz, with classic shows hailed by the african american community like fresh prince of bel-air and moesha under her belt, and who also worked for DC in their comics’ division (yeah, THE DC Comics) and worked on marvel’s the punisher, in other words, one of the best people you could possibly ask for to work on a sci-fi/fantasy show in which a huge part of the main cast is comprised by black people – actually, to work on sci-fi/fantasy shows in general.

both felicia and victoria have mentioned plenty of times on social media, interviews and so on about how diverse the writer’s room was.

not only that, but they also talked about how there was representation on the production crew as well . people on the camera crew, make-up crew, wardrobe crew, the cinematography crew etc, were all comprised by black people and queer people , an information that was also shared with pride and enthusiams by the leading actresses sarah catherine hook and imani lewis on their interviews.

so, the representation on FK wasn’t just on the characters on screen, it was on the entire production chain.

and, yet, it wasn’t enough for preventing us from losing the representation, because the show got cancelled.

this is not to say that we should give up on trying to get more people from marginalized groups working on behind-the-scenes or anything like that, especially because, I things are hard enough when we try to occupy these spaces, if we stop fighting for space, then that’s when things will not getter better AT. ALL.

but we should definetely stop to think about what do we mean when we say we want more representation and what kind of content we praise or not.

back in 2018, under the release of love simon on movie theatres, buzzfeed news published an article written by contributor john sherman titled “Popular Gay Media Is Still Focusing On Straight Acceptance, Rather Than Celebrating Queer Difference”, inspired mostly by the new york times article by queer and non-binary activist, writer, producer, television host and actor jacob tobia, “Does Gay Hollywood Have Room for Queer Kids?”, and both articles pointed out how the movie’s entire narrative was structured around the Idea that simon was just like another guy, except that he was gay and reinforces the discourse that it’s ok to be gay, as long as you’re “not TOO gay”, especially considering the way the narrative uses feminine, gender non-conforming, flamboyant and campy gay ethan as a prop for masculine, straight-passing gay simon’s story, using the bullying ethan goes thru the entirety of the movie as an excuse for simon to not come out all while never really having simon acknowledging how he was embarassed by ethan because he was struggling with his own internalized homophobia.

four years later, and these articles are actually more relevant than ever.

because here is the thing: the discourse revolving around the need for more “wholesome” queer representation, while completely valid when it comes to defend the production of more LGBT+ content aimed at children and pre-teens, oftenly gets mixed up on the internet with very conservative opinions about LGBT+ sexuality, gender expression and lifestyle choices.

that is what is problematic about the heartstopper vs first kill debate, that started really as soon as the first teaser trailers for FK were released and people begin to make assumptions about how FK was gonna sexualize women and cater to the male gaze, and now took another turn after the cancellation news when FK fans, lesbians in general, BIPOC in general and so on started to point out Netflix’s and the entertaiment industry’s double standards when it comes to the representation of the LGBT+ community, favoring cis White queer, able-bodied, slim, masculine men over all the other groups in the community .

It’s not that heartstopper is bad or awful or that it should have been cancelled like first kill was, that’s definetely not the point.

heartstopper as a franchise is actually far bolder than love simon ever could, with the comics talking about topics like bullying and mental illness, shining a light in some topics not so talked about in media like anorexia and body dysmorphia in young boys, storylines that the fans hope to see in the new seasons of the show .

on top of that, it did a great job at portraying Nick’s realisation about his bisexuality and ditching the “bisexuals are traitors and manipulative” trope by contrasting nick’s honesty about his sexual confusion and his loyalty to charlie to the toxic and abusive way Ben treated charlie during their secret relationship.

still, it is a show that is centered around two cis White boys and that has lesbians, trans people and people of color as side characters at most, being in the background of the cis white boys’s love story, like a book footnote.

and the thing is, most people don't care about the book footnotes.

tao and elle, the straight couple formed by a cis chinese british boy and a trans black girl of egyptian descent, is still on the background, not the fore front.

and while tao defying gender norms about cis het boys is a very welcome change, nick and charlie, the main characters, are still pretty much very masculine, straight-passing boys. also, the fact that, from all the boys, it is the asian guy who is the less traditionally masculine when we consider the way western culture desexualizes and mock asian men

yes, charlie is bullied by the school’s rugby athletes for not being masculine enough, but, in spite of being gay, he is not much different from the same old cis het nerdy white guy in coming of age movies and indie movies, who is sensitive and listens to indie bands and is some sort of “cool loser”.

and nick nelson is still the very stereotype of the masculine jock, except that he is the “gentle brute" type.

it’s important to note that not only non-binary bisexuals do exist, but also that gender non-conforming cis bisexuals exist as well. there are bi guys with a gender expression that is affeminated, and also there are bi girls with a gender expression that is masculine.

when it comes to the lesbian interracial couple, formed by masculine white girl darcy and more feminine, dark-skinned black girl tara, they are side characters in nick and charlie’s story like tao and elle, having a smaller role than taoelle.

i actually remember reading somewhere that one of the changes the show made from the comics was to actually give a bigger role to tara and darcy, with the storyline about how their school reacted when tara came out actually being exclusive to the show, which means that their roles were even smaller.

and while it’s true that these side characters are still more rounded than your typical side characters, they’re still, guess what? Side characters.

people like tara and darcy, tao and elle deserve to be the main characters in their own fictional stories too, much like they are the main characters in their stories in real life.

people like calliope and juliette deserve to be the main characters in their own fictional stories too.

especially in a genre like the sci-fi/fantasy one, that is beloved by queer people and people of color for its fantastical elements and adventures and themes that flirt with the weird, unusual and that these and marginalized groups in general find comfort in because the social outcasts relate to the weirdness of it all.

so, it’s very important that we have shows like first kill and main characters like juliette fairmont and calliope burns, out and proud lesbians who are comfortable in their sexuality and whose biggest conflict with their families is not about their queerness, but because one is a monster hunter and the other is a vampire; who never get to face homophobia; and get to be the main characters and kick butts on screen and be the heroes just like cis het white abled-bodied people, mostly cis het white abled-bodied guys, get to do.

all this talk is because we have to question what has been sold to us as diversity and inclusion.

because diversity and inclusion don’t involve people from marginalized groups forcing themselves to fit into the standards of the dominant groups just to be accepted and be treated with basic human decency.

Queer people shouldn’t have to repress their sexuality and gender expression to be accepted, much like autistic and neurodivergent people shouldn’t have to supress their quirks like stimming or the way they react to sensory overload to be accepted, or like fat people shouldn’t have to lose weight, or indigenous people shouldn’t have to abandon their cultures to fit in, or like people with disabilities shouldn’t have to display some form of productivity to be accepted and so on.

We shouldn’t have to water ourselves down, it’s society that should create a safe space so we can live on it according to our experiences.

and that’s why the discourses revolving around normalcy are so tricky and can get problematic very easily, because while it was useful in the past, as the buzzfeed article points out, it also reinforces the Idea that there’s something naturally wrong with being different from what society says it’s the norm.

and we can see the wa ythis mindset is spreading around the internet, even amongst teens and twenty-somethings, as we can see by the whole discourse against the use of the word “queer”, even if it was historically reclaimed by the LGBT+ community.

or the way we can see people on tumblr spreading the "the kinky community shouldn't be at pride" discourse.

“queer” is precisely about celebrating the differences as they are what makes the experience of being yourself so unique, and it’s also precisely a reaction about the way the narrative about LGBT+ activism was historically centered around the experiences of cis het gay men and cis achilleans in general.

so, when we see society being more receptive towards the boys from heartstopper and not towards the girls from first kill, it doesn’t happen by accident, it's a part of an entire social structure.

the same goes for the topic about femininity and sexuality. traditional social conventions about sexuality basically censor and shame woman and transfeminine people for having any interest in sex and , something that, combined with the conventions about queer desire and attraction being wrong or predatory, creates a scenario of intense sexual repression in ways that it doesn’t happen with cis white men -- except for, maybe, the disabled ones.

the way people reacted so negatively against the calliette make out scenes wasn’t an accident, it was part of this structure that shames female pleasure, interracial sex, lesbian sex and acts like girls and women are uncapable of enjoying sex, having sexual desire and having any interest in the matter.

that’s the kind of nuance that usually escapes from conversations about fetishization of women: it’s not that we are uncapable of sexual desire, it’s just that most of the narratives put us in a position of objetcs instead of agents. that’s what the male gaze is about, taking our agency and input on the matter from us to cater to cis het men’s fantasies of power.

and male gaze is not what happened in first kill, a show in which felicia, the showrunner, made sure to ask for the lesbians and sapphics on set for their advice and input over the calliette scenes to make sure the final product were true to the lesbian and sapphic experience rather than the assumptions of a cis het woman about the lesbian and sapphic experience. not only that, the show hired an intimacy coordinator, named dr. tiff, that, if I’m not wrong, is a queer woman as well, to help the actresses feel comfortable even with the smallest of touches, like a hand on a shoulder or a hug, and it was discussed amongst said intimacy coordinator, the directors, the showrunner and the actresses how to portray the scenes between calliope and juliette without sexualizing the teenagers too much, how to find a balance between showing the interest of non-asexual 16 year-old girls on sex and not oversexualising them . one can’t be further from the male gaze and fetishization as that.

still on the topic of sex, it’s not a coincidence that the general audiences were so receptive of heartstopper, because the show is almost devoid of sexual scenes.

of course, this isn’t a problem on itself, especially because it seems like the show is aiming not only at teenagers, but at children as well.

but it gets problematic when people begin to defend that all types of LGBT+ media representation should adhere to these standards even if they’re not aiming at children and pre-teens as their target audiences.

especially because it’s not just lesbians and sapphics, or just trans people in general, who are shamed and have their sexuality treated as inherently wrong and predatory, it happens with cis gays and achilleans as well.

again, and I can’t emphasize this enough, there is nothing wrong with heartstopper.

there’s nothing wrong with LGBT+ media that is fluffy, family-friendly and PG-rated.

the problem is that LGBT+ fiction, and fiction about marginalized groups in general, shouldn’t have to be forced to adhere to the fluffy, family-friendly, PG standards to have a space in media and not get cancelled by networks and streaming services; and that media companies are imposing these conditions for LGBT+ content because they know these standards are seen as harmless by the cis het white audiences, and, therefore, these media companies are profiting over a serious cause like that of diversity and representation all while continuing to treat the cis het, white, abled-bodied, skinny etc audience as the only valuable one.

this is not about fandom wars, and some people are right when they say that there is space for all types of queer shows, for shows like heartstopper and for shows like first kill alike.

the important question here is why is it that we from marginalized groups are forced to adhere to all these respectability politics to be accepted when cis het, white, abled-bodied, skinny etc people aren’t.

don’t know whether first kill can be saved by another network like it happened with one day at a time, or what the future holds, but, that is the important question that we all should take from this mess.

and, most of all, we got to remember that we can and deserve to have so much better than what companies are delivering to us, and we don’t have to settle for less, in pop culture and in any other area of society.

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