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sillyrabbit81 · 3 years

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The Pull

Summary: Alternative Universe. Vampire Henry. Henry, Crown Prince of the Vampires is avoiding his responsibilities because of his mother's fate. When Henry finds his mate, the circumstances are eerily similar to his mother's. Rather than risking his mate's life, Henry chooses to run, but can he run from his fate?

Pairing: Henry x OFC

Word Count: approx 2.4k

Warnings: mention of death, mention of abortion (although it didn't happen), and swearing

Masterlist

Part 1 Part 3

Chapter Two

Rowena POV

"David, I can't wear this!" I complained on the phone. I held up the dress again. "It's just too much, too revealing."

It was a simple white silk floor-length skirt, but the top of the dress was two long vertical pieces of silk, barely wide enough to cover my breasts, which crossed at the back before wrapping around my waist and tied in a bow on my lower back. There was no way I could wear a bra. It would only take a slight wrong move, and there would be an embarrassing nipple slip.

"Yes, you can," my brother said. "Lawrence had it made for you to wear as a gift. He wants to meet you and make a good impression." Lawrence was David's partner, they had been together for over a year, but I was yet to met him. Lawrence and David seemed to travel together an awful lot, so it had been challenging to find time for us to get together.

"Have you seen it?" I asked.

"Of course," David replied. I was surprised. David was my older brother and had always been a little protective of me, especially since our parents died when I was 15 and he was 20. Maybe he had finally let that go considering I was now 26.

"You know I'd never wear something like that. It's gorgeous, but it's too revealing for me."

"Rowena, it's Halloween. It's an excuse for excess." I rolled my eyes. For David, being a day that ended in 'y' was an excuse for excess.

"Why does your boyfriend want to see me in this?" It just seemed over the top for a party. I gathered that Lawrence was wealthy, but still, it's just a Halloween party.

"Because he wants you to fit in. Honestly, you'll stick out less wearing that than anything else. Besides, no one knows you there, and you'll have a mask. Just pretend you're someone else."

I grumbled. "What time did Lawrence say the stylist was coming?"

Although I couldn't see him, I could hear David's victorious smile through the phone. "At six pm. The driver will be there at eight."

"That seems late, David," I said. "I won't arrive until nearly nine."

"I know, but that is Lawrence's style."

"Promise you won't leave me alone." I wasn't afraid of being alone at parties usually but by the sounds of this one, the dress and the fact that I was having my hair and makeup done professionally made it feel like a big deal.

"Lawrence and I will take good care of you," David promised.

I said my goodbyes and hung up the phone.

Feeling only a little more confident after the phone call, I jumped in the shower, washed my hair, and shaved my legs for the first time in weeks. I put on a robe and slippers and went up to the main house to see Charlie since I had half an hour to kill before the stylist arrived.

Charlie was staying there tonight with Alice while I went out. He had his own room and often slept there now that he was getting older and wanted space from me. Charlie and I mostly ate our meals up at the house and just kept basics in our two-bedroom flat above the old stables.

Charlie and Alice were sitting together at the dining table, playing with a random assortment of lego pieces. "Hey, Mum. I made this for you." Charlie handed me a flower made from the blocks. He was such a sweetheart of a boy.

"Awww, thanks, Babybear. I love it." I kissed the top of his head and sat with them.

"I thought you had to get ready for tonight," Alice asked.

"I have an hour," I replied.

"You're still going, aren't you?" Alice asked. She seemed more eager for me to go than I was. Alice was Charlie's paternal grandmother. Charlie's dad, Alex, had been my boyfriend when I was 17. Despite being on the pill, I fell pregnant, and Alex tried to pressure me into an abortion and refused to be a part of his life. Alice had been horrified by the way Alex had treated me. In an unexpected turn of events, she had stepped in to help raise Charlie. Charlie rarely saw Alex, but Alice saw that we both wanted nothing. The woman was a saint.

"Yeah," I said reluctantly.

"It'll be good for you," Alice said, squeezing my hand.

"I know." I sighed.

"Charlie, go get Nanny a glass of water, please. My throat is feeling dry," Alice said. She had something to say to me outside of Charlie's ears. Being a kind and helpful kid, Charlie immediately got up and went to get her one. He made me so proud.

As soon as he left the room, Alice said, "Rowena, don't feel guilty getting out there again."

"How can you say that?" I asked. I had tried dating a few times over the years. It always ended disastrously. Always my fault too. I had developed severe commitment issues.

"Charlie is my grandson, and I want his mother to be happy. Not lonely and depressed. It would be best if you had a life beyond Charlie. I've been telling you that for years."

Charlie came back with a book, and Alice read to him. As mothers often are, I was struck by how handsome my little boy was. His blonde sun-bleached hair and deep brown eyes were framed by a face that had lost nearly all of its childhood fat. At nine years old, he was almost as tall as me already, and he would probably take after his father in that regard. In fact, his eyes were the only thing that came from my side of the family as they were the same colour as David's and my Dad's. Charlie looked so much like his father, sometimes it hurts to look at him.

Kissing him again, on the cheek this time, I said goodbye to Charlie, told him to be a good boy for Nanny and went back to our flat above the garage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I arrived at Lawrence's house not long after the sun had set. House was probably too humble a word to describe it. It was a borderline castle. I had thought Alice's family was wealthy, but this was another level. It was like something out of the Great Gatsby.

The car drove around the circular driveway and pulled up near the front door. A valet opened the car door, and he escorted me into the house, where he told my name to a butler who asked me to follow him.

Looking around the room, I was grateful to David for insisting I wear the dress. Everybody was dressed like it was a Hollywood awards show, and I mean everybody. Not to mention they all looked like actors or models. I had never in my life been around so many beautiful people. And I don't mean just beautiful because they were thin. There were people of all shapes and sizes, but everyone moved with grace and ethereal ease. They seemed so other.

This was crazy. Who the hell was my brother mixed up with? This whole night must have cost a fortune. Beyond a fortune! All for a Halloween party?

I was led from room to room, the house full of beautiful creatures. More than that, the house was decorated in a way that would put Versailles to shame. The decadence of the furnishings was lush and rich. Every piece seemed to be a precious antique but shone like it was brand new. Gold leaf decorated the cornices, and priceless framed artworks, tapestries and mirrors filled every wall. Even the wooden floor was an intricate parquetry design that appears to have taken years to lay.

At first, I thought I imagined it, but I noticed that everybody stared at me as I moved through each room. I felt heat rush to my cheeks. Did I look so different from everyone else? I supposed I did, but the eyes following me made me thankful for the mask.

After what seemed like hours but couldn't have been, I was taken to a large hall and presented. Yes, presented. What the fuck?

My escort stopped outside the room and spoke to a man standing just inside the door. The man rapped his cane on the floor three times and thundered, "Rowena, sister of David, Inamorato of Duke Lawrence." An eerie silence fell as every face turned to me. Some even bowed their heads. What on earth was going on?

"Rowena!" David was at my side, clutching my hands to his chest. "I've missed you so." He leaned over and kissed both my cheeks. Everybody in the room seemed to return to normal, and sounds of chatter resumed. David was wearing a mask and wore an elegant dark grey suit. He looked so different. David has always been handsome, but he looked so unlike his usual self, and I couldn't pinpoint the difference. I didn't even have the words to describe the change. I know it had been months since we had seen each other, but it wasn't that he had lost weight or gained muscle. What I could see of his face was inconsistent with my memories of him. Then I saw his eyes.

"David, what the..." David cut me off and embraced me. His smell was mouth-watering, and I wondered what cologne he was wearing. He had never smelt like that before.

"Come, meet Lawrence!" David exclaimed, gripping my hand tightly. Maybe he had put on muscle because he was stronger than I remembered.

David lead me further into the room. I followed, but my head was spinning. Why did everything look so beautiful but feel so... unreal?

"Lawrence, my love, this is Rowena," David said.

The man who sat before me took my breath away. I had no word to describe him other than impressive. He wasn't tall or large, but he seemed to take up all the space in the room as if by looking at him, your eyes couldn't see anything else. His skin was like a midnight sky lit up by the moon, which seemed to reflect the light as it was so smooth, flawless and radiant. His hair bounced with large curls, and although it was dark too, it seemed to shine with its own light.

As Lawrence stood, his movements were so polished they almost had a serpentine grace. His white lace mask framed his eyes, black with a red rim around the pupil, just like David's. Lawrence came towards me, and I was captivated, struck immobile by the force of his presence. Then all of a sudden, the fear left me as though it was never there. I sucked in air, not realising I hadn't taken a breath since I laid eyes on him.

Lawrence grasped my hands to his chest, just like my brother had. "Oh David, she is lovely, isn't she?" He lifted my hands to his lips and kissed both of them before lifting my arms wide and inspecting me. "She does look luscious in this dress. I do have excellent taste, do I not?"

I looked to David, who was beaming proudly like he had passed a test by bringing me here and meeting Lawrence's approval. Stunned, I looked again at David's smile. Something was wrong with it.

Lawrence was still talking, "You were right that she would be a hard one to crack. She seems to see many things others don't. Including you, by the way." David laughed at Lawrence's observation.

I tried to speak, to ask again what was going on, but nothing came out. I kept trying to breathe but I felt suffocated. The more I tried, the less air seemed to come in.

David grabbed my shoulders and caught my gaze. His voice was solid and musical, and the force of his words almost made me fall. "Rowena, it's alright. You can breathe." And all at once, I could.

"This dress is too tight." I managed to say.

"Nonsense," Lawrence said dismissively, "it's perfect. He is going to love it."

"He?" I questioned.

Lawrence sighed and glanced at David. They looked at each other for a few moments, then David took me by the arm and led me to a cluster of sofas. "Come, sister, sit with me and let's catch up."

Even the way he spoke seemed to change. It can't have been that long since I'd seen him. I thought back and realised I hadn't seen him in about two years. We occasionally spoke on the phone, but years had passed since I had physically seen him.

Lawrence left us mingled around the room, which I saw now was a ballroom. Some people danced, some drank wine, and others socialised. Something was wrong with all of it, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

David started to talk to me, asked me about little Charlie. I went to get my phone to show him some pictures and realised I must have left my bag in the limo. Before I could tell David that, he said, "never mind, the driver works for Lawrence. He has it. You can get it before you leave."

How did he know where I had left my phone? This was too much. "David, what's going on? There's something wrong here. This place is... off."

I suddenly felt bewildered, like I couldn't concentrate on anything. I felt a curious pull towards the back of the hall. I stood and looked back and started to walk towards the doors. It was like I was trapped in a gravitational pull towards... something. Without warning, a spontaneous feeling of arousal hit me, and my body was on fire. I let out an audible moan. I felt a desperate call come from between my legs to ease the rapidly growing craving. And not just by anyone, by Him. Wait, who was Him?

David held my arm and tried to lead me back, but I wouldn't allow it. I struggled for him to let me go. David was about to say something when another announcement was made, "The Crown Prince, Henry, Son of Alfred, King of all Sanguisuge."

I looked first to David to question what on earth that meant when I caught sight of the Prince.

It's Him.

I felt like I was falling, plummeting to the ground. The floor rushed to meet me, and my vision went dark.

Masterlist

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@henryobsessed

#henry cavill #fanfic #alternate universe #Henry Cavill vampire #alexander skarsgard #werewolf #vampire #henry x ofc

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ordinaryschmuck · 3 years

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What I Thought About The Mitchells vs. the Machines

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is up there as one of the best installments of the MCU. Sure, the action and CGI sucks, and the season finale could use a bit more polish, but there is so much more of what it does right. It brings up an engaging discussion through Karli; the bromance between Bucky and Sam is incredible; Zemo's surprisingly a riot, and U.S. Agent is a character whose inner psychology is something I would like to study. Plus, the series really dives deep into the themes of race and the realistic hesitance that comes with making a black man Captain America. It's easily an 8/10 series that is worth an in-depth discussion.

But f**k that s**t, because I'm talking about The Mitchells vs. the Machines instead!

I know it might be questionable that reviewing a movie starring a predominantly white family of idiots saving the world instead of the TV series about the powerful journey of a black man taking the mantle of an American icon...but this movie is fun, alright? And yes, I'm going to spoil it to explain how. So if you still have a Netflix account, I highly suggest you check it out when you have time.

Because, random people on the internet who most likely won't read this, this Ordinary Schmuck who writes stories and reviews and draws comics and cartoons is going to explain why The Mitchells vs. the Machines might just be my favorite film of the year (steep contest, I know).

WHAT I LIKE

The Animation: Let's get this out of the way right here and right now: If a single person ever tells you that this movie has awful animation, or the worst animation they have ever seen, just go ahead and assume that person is an idiot. Because holy hot cheese sticks, does this movie look amazing!

Say what you want about most of Sony Pictures Animation's movies, but you have to admit that they nail making a CGI movie looking like it could be in 2D. And The Mitchells vs. The Machines is the peak of that style. Every character in nearly every frame looks like they could work well if the movie was hand-drawn, and I love it. I am addicted to seeing films that look 2D with a 3D makeover because there has to be ten times the amount of effort to get that look just right, what with modeling each character in unique ways to nail that style wherein a hand-drawn film, you could just, well, draw it. Not to mention that the cell-shading and certain hand-drawn elements also add to the aesthetic.

Plus, there is so much attention to details, such as most of Katie's character model being covered in sharpie, or how you can see a hint of Eric and Deborabot 3000's drawn on faces even though their black screens are showing something else. Seriously, you can listen to any criticism this movie gets, but don't you dare let someone get away with telling you that it looks awful. It doesn't. It's incredible, and I SO wish that I could have seen it all on the big screen.

The Comedy: On top of being incredibly well-animated, this movie is also incredibly funny. Like, really funny. I shouldn't be surprised since it's made by the same people responsible for Clone High and The Lego Movie, but yeah, I found myself laughing, chuckling, and snorting with nearly every joke in the film. Not every joke works, to be fair. But because of the fast-paced humor, the bad jokes are almost immediately followed up with better ones soon after. What's even better is that the writers know when to take a break with the humor and let some surprisingly compelling drama take over. And even then, when there are jokes during the dramatic moments, they add sincerity to the scene rather than take anything away. Looking at you, The Amazing World of Gumball...I mean, I love you, but sheesh, you need to learn to let a solemn moment play out.

Anyways, the comedy is hilarious. And while I won't spoil every joke, I will go over some bits that might have gotten to me the most.

Katie Mitchell: Let's just go ahead and add Katie Mitchell to the list of characters I highly relate to on a personal level (which is getting longer by the minute, hot damn). But jokes aside, I really like Katie. Her love and desire to make movies is something I identify with, and her goal to just go to a place where she feels like she belongs is easy to understand. Trust me, if I found out there was a group of weirdos who like the same things I do and enjoy the things I make, I’d be willing to pack everything I have and go to them as fast as possible too. Plus, I feel like a lot of us can relate to a character who lives in a household where people question if our career goal is something we can make a living with. I remember two years ago when I told my aunt that I wanted to make my own animated series, and her reaction is a little too similar to Rick's when Katie showed him her movie. They mean well, but sometimes it's for the best to have a cheerleader rather than a critic, especially if that person is family.

Now, Katie isn't perfect as her enthusiasm can get a little annoying at times, and her desire to leave can be conceived as a little too harsh as well. Still, she's pretty cool and serves her role as a protagonist pretty well...also, if the movie gets a sequel, let's hope she and Jude become cannon by then. GIVE KATIE A GIRLFRIEND, DAMN IT!

Aaron Mitchell: But as great as Katie is, it's this goober that earns the reward for my favorite character. At times it looks like Aaron is nothing more than a source of comedy, but he handles some dramatic moments really well. Partial credit goes to Michael Rianda for that one. Yeah, having a child actor would have made Aaron sound more like a kid, but no other voice could have fit him better than what Michael offers as he comes across as weird but never obnoxious.

Also, let's give the writer points for making a character who is clearly neurodivergent. Yet also refraining from having him be annoying or useless to the rest of the cast. No one ever really disrespects or belittles Aaron and instead chooses to work with him rather than against him. Especially Katie, who forms a solid sibling bond with Aaron as a fellow weirdo. It's genuinely sweet to see, and I loved every minute that the writers showed that just because someone acts on a different wavelength doesn't mean they shouldn't be treated any less because of it. You get that with Katie, a little bit, but I see it much more with Aaron, for some reason. And I love him every minute, so that’s a win.

(Plus, I may or may not have had a dinosaur phase when I was younger, so go ahead and add him to the list of relatable characters too.)

Rick Mitchell: This is probably a character you will either love or hate, and I can see both sides of that argument. Because on the one hand, I really like Rick Mitchell. His motivation is clear and understandable from the first set of home videos with him and Katie, both near the beginning and the end. Sure, he messes up a lot, but he is still a man who cares deeply about his daughter, as well as his entire family. He gets to the point where he would make great sacrifices for all of them, especially Katie. Plus, it's just pleasant seeing a cartoon dad who isn't a complete idiot or overprotective regarding his daughter's love life.

However, there are times when Rick comes across as an irresponsible d**k. When he does things like smash the family's phones without telling them or giving them screwdrivers for "presents," you're either gonna find that funny or you won't. Personally, I enjoy Rick and his antics, and I have no problem with irresponsible cartoon dads. As long as they don't cross the line toward Modern-Peter Griffin territory, I've got no problem with dads like Rick, who I believe has never even got that bad. Still, some people might think differently, and I can't blame them. Because after getting great cartoon dads like Greg Universe, I can understand if some people won't be interested in characters like Rick Mitchell.

Rick’s and Katie’s relationship: Alongside the top-notch animation and gut-busting comedy, Rick and Katie's relationship is what I consider the movie's most essential asset. These two are the main characters of the film, and as such, they develop through each other. And what's crazy is that they have very conflicting goals. Katie wants to escape and be with her people, where Rich just wants one last chance to have a good memory with Katie before she leaves. To do so, they first have to understand each other. Katie has to learn why Rick is so desperate to spend time with her, and Rick has to realize why Katie is, well, Katie. What I love most about it is that they try. These two don't spend the entire movie arguing and being at each other's throats until a sudden "Oh" moment in the end. No, there are actual moments when they genuinely try to understand one another and fix their relationship. It's nice to watch, and I especially love when it cuts to Linda and Aaron celebrating each time Katie and Rick get closer to each other. When recommending this movie, I'd say come for the animation and comedy, stay for the phenomenal relationship building.

Monchi: There are probably people already comparing Monchi to Mater or the Minions due to being a comic relief with nothing else to add...but gosh dangit, do I love this little gentleman. Maybe it's because I'm a dog person, but I find Monchie to be incredibly adorable, and I will fight anybody who disrespects this king of kings. Probably not physically, 'cause I'm a wuss, but I will verbally. So WATCH IT!

“HeLlO. i Am DoG.”: Have I mentioned that this movie is funny?

Rick’s videotapes of him and Katie: And right there. Rick's motivation for everything is set in stone through a solid case of visual storytelling.

PAL: The writers do almost everything they should have with this character. PAL might not have the most creative evil plan in the world, but to me, a villain can have a generic scheme as long as they're funny. Thankfully, PAL is funny. Not only is the idea of a smartphone ruling the planet hilarious in all the right ways, but Olivia Colman delivers such a great cynical energy that the character needs. The way PAL reacts to people explaining why humans are worth living is just the best, and her flopping around in a fit of rage successfully gets to me.

If I had to nitpick, I'd say that I wish PAL had more of a meaningful resolution to her character. The movie builds up that she makes a big deal about Mark dropping her, so it feels weird that neither of them really get any actual closure with each other. I'll get more into that in the dislikes, but I wish PAL had more of a fitting end than just dying after accidentally getting dropped in a glass of water. Other than that, she's a great comedic villain for a comedic movie.

PAL MAX Robots: These guys are the funniest characters in the movie. Half of it is the bits of visual humor, while the other half comes from the solid line delivery from Beck Bennett. Especially with Bennett's and Fred Armisen's Eric and Deborahbot 3000. These two are definitely the comedic highlights, as nearly every line they say is both hilarious and kind of adorable at times. And just like with Monchi, if you dare disrespect these characters, I will fight you. Because they are funny, and I will not hear otherwise.

PAL demonstrating what it’s like to be a phone: Have I mentioned that this movie is funny?

(Don't disrespect your phones, kids. Otherwise, they'll try to take over the world.)

PAL turning off the Wi-Fi: Again, have I mentioned this movie is funny?

“I love the dog. You love the dog. We all love the dog. But at some point, you’re gonna have to eat the dog.”: It's the sick jokes that get to me the most. Everyone booing Rick afterward is just the cherry on top.

Attack of the Furbies: Have I. Mentioned. That this movie. Is funny?

Seriously, if you haven't lost your s**t during every second of this scene, then you never had to deal with the demonic entity that is a Furby. In a way, I commend you. But you also don't get to appreciate the comedic genius of all of this. So I also weirdly feel bad for you.

The Mitchells deciding how to celebrate: You don't have a real family if you spend more time arguing about how to celebrate after saving the world than you do about how to save the world. I don't make the rules. I just abide by them.

The PAL MAX Primes: There's not much to say about them. The PAL MAX primes look and act pretty cool, are brilliantly animated, and raise the stakes while still being funny at times. I love 'em, but I don't have much to analyze with them either.

The origin of the moose: ...I'd make the "I didn't need my heart anyway" joke, but to be honest, it's still shattered after WandaVision.

(For real, though, this is a really effective scene that establishes why Rick makes a big deal with the moose and why he might feel hurt that Katie is willing to disregard it completely)

The Theme of Technology and Social Media: There's a theme about how family is important, and working hard on making things work is worth the effort. But that's a bit too generic for my tastes, so instead, I'm gonna talk about the equally important message this movie has about technology. Because as twisted as she is, PAL makes a great point. The technology we have today helps us in a variety of ways. It's especially useful with sites like YouTube, allowing content creators like Katie to reach out and share their voices. The only issue with technology is how people use it. Take note that the main reason why the Mitchells stand a chance against PAL is by using her own tech against her. Yes, over-relying on all the advancements around us can be dangerous, but if we're smart with how we use them, we can get by just fine. This movie isn't about purging all technology like most robot apocalypse stories are. Instead, it's about using it correctly and not being helpless sheep the second the Wi-Fi gets turned off. Which might just be the most unique thing this movie has going for it story-wise (more on that later).

The Climax: The Mitchells vs. The Machines has everything that I think I climax should have. First off, it utilizes callbacks and jokes that I wouldn't have thought twice on actually coming in handy for how the Mitchells win the day. But showing that Monchi causes the robots to malfunction turns a pretty "eh" joke into a solid case of foreshadowing.

Second, everyone does something. Some characters do more than others, sure, but the fact that every Mitchell, even Monchi, has a hand in beating PAL and her robots is a great sense of writing to me. It shows that you really can't cut anyone from the main cast, as they each add value to how they are essential to the plot. Even Aaron, who arguably does the least in the climax, still manages to be the catalyst to what is easily the best scene in the movie. Speaking of which...

Linda Kicks Ass: By the way, that's the actual name on the soundtrack. I'm not even kidding. Check it.

Anyways, for the most part, Linda seemed like a decent cartoon mom. She's insanely supportive but still has the common sense to keep her foot down, like agreeing with Rick to stay safe in the dino stop the second the apocalypse starts. A pretty fun character, for sure, but nothing too noteworthy...but the second she loses her s**t, Linda Mitchell frickin' SKYROCKETS to the best-cartoon-mom territory! Believe me when I tell you that seeing her slice and dice robots like a middle-aged female Samurai Jack is as awesome as it is hilarious. Does it make sense how she can suddenly do this? No, but at the same time, who gives a s**t about common sense?! Because this moment was epic, and I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching it over and over again.

Rick Learning How to Internet...Again: I consider this the funniest moment in the movie. Trust me, the Furby scene is a close, close, CLOSE, second...but I think this scene was funnier.

The final goodbye: This is what I'm talking about when I say humor adds to the dramatic moments. The Mitchells saying "I love you" in moose is pretty funny, but it's also a sweet moment given that this is absolutely how this family of weirdos would say goodbye to each other. And, yeah, I got a little misty-eyed during this scene. Especially when Rick saw Katie pocketing the moose. That s**t just cuts deep, man.

Alex Hirsch Voices a Character: ...That's it. I look up to Alex Hirsh as everything I want to be as a creator, and the fact that his name is on this movie fills me with joy. He's also a story consultant, so that can also explain why the movie turned out as great as it did...although there are some imperfections.

WHAT I DISLIKE

Katie-vision: What's Katie-vision? Well, throughout the movie, we get to see how Katie views the world as there are these hand-drawn elements that look like effects Katie would add if she was the one who made the movie. At times it can be subtle and cute, like when this little beating heart appears when Katie is talking with Jude and her other friends. It's when the movie is in your face with Katie-vision does it get annoying. Like showing how Katie is lying about being certain she can drive up a vertical ramp or signifying what is the Rick Mitchell Special. Even if you justify that this would be how Katie would edit the movie, it still doesn't change how obnoxious these moments can be. For instance, Monchi is justified to be essential for the plot, but that doesn't mean people won't hate him...I'll still fight them if they do, but that's beside the point.

I can totally accept this being a personal issue, as I'm sure some people enjoy it. As for me, I think Katie-vision works best when used subtly instead of crudely.

The Meme humor: It's something similar here. Because some people like meme humor...but I don't. To me, it just dates your story if you reference memes even once. Now, a show, movie, or book being partially dated is nothing new. We Bare Bears, a series that I love, reference memes, apps, and social media constantly. Yet, the show still has a timeless feel to it as it doesn't rely on those references too much. The Mitchells vs. the Machines doesn't rely on memes as much either. But even then, that doesn't make a difference about how annoying that gibbon monkey joke was. Seriously, what the f**k was that? And how is THAT the joke that gets used twice!?

Underutilizing Mark Bowman: It really bothers me how this guy barely does much. I mean, Mark Bowman is the main reason that anything happens in the movie. Because he mistreated PAL, Mark acts as the catalyst for events to come. So the fact that he could have been written out the second PAL takes control doesn't make sense to me. It's worse since I could see more potential with his character through his relationship with PAL. These two could be anti-Rick and Katie, as Mark and PAL show what happens when people disrespect their family. So separating them halfway through the story, and keeping them as such, is a huge mistake as it results in neither having a proper resolution to their arcs. Like I said, Rick and Katie develop through each other, and the same could have happened with Mark and PAL. It doesn't, making it something that I can't help but feel disappointed about.

The Poseys: These are characters I feel like work better with multiple appearances. Sure, they only have the one joke about being a perfect family, but at the same time, you can make a joke like that work. Look at Yvonne from Shaun of the Dead (Which might just be my favorite movie). That's a bit-character whose only purpose is showing how better she is than Shaun despite being in an eerily similar situation. But she works well as we constantly see how great she's doing in every instance we see her. The same could be done with the Poseys, as using a similar joke for one scene is underutilizing great potential to make an already good movie into a better one.

Plus, if you're gonna shoehorn in a romance between Aaron and Abby Posey, the least you could do is have more than one scene developing that...just saying.

Katie’s and Rick’s “Oh” Moments: I want to make it clear that I actually like these scenes. They're well written and effectively emotional. My problem is that they also happen two seconds apart. There's nothing wrong with having a character realize the error of their ways through a tear-jerking moment. It's a popular tactic for a reason. And given how both Rick and Katie are the protagonists, they both need their own "oh" moment. But you gotta space them out, as it makes things easier to see the emotional manipulation that you're clearly trying to pull on the audience. They work, but putting them back to back is an issue easily solved with at least two minutes of padding, not two seconds.

Katie’s Death Fakeout: This is one of the few instances that a joke doesn't work in the movie, made even more annoying with the fact that I could see the punchline a mile away and kept thinking, "Just get to it already." I'm pretty sure no one bought this, especially when Katie didn't look like she could have gotten killed in any way after throwing PAL. It's poorly handled and proof that even the funniest comedies have a stale joke every now and again.

Nothing New is really being done here: Keep in mind that in terms of style, this movie is incredibly innovative. And here's hoping future animated projects can take notes. But narratively speaking? Yeah, there's nothing really new that this movie is offering.

A story about how technology will be the death of us? Been there.

A story about a group of idiots miraculously saving the world? Done that.

A story about a father forcing their teenager on a road trip so they can spend quality time with each other, thus ruining the teen's chance of hanging out with their girlfriend? Believe it or not, I have seen A Goofy Movie...multiple times...both as a kid and as an adult.

Now, I have no issue with a movie's plot being a bit by-the-books, and in some cases, cliche. If done effectively, and if I still have a good time, I don't think there’s much to complain about. And there isn't with The Mitchells vs. The Machines. The problem lies with that I'll forget this movie along with the dozens of others like it in a couple years. Which might just be the biggest issue any film can have.

---------------------

Overall, I'd give The Mitchells vs. the Machines a well-earned A-. It has nitpicks, sure, but it's still a blast to watch. It might not be innovative or groundbreaking as movies like the last Sony Pictures Animation movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse. However, it is fun. And when the world is burning down around us, it's nice to have a fun movie that can distract us from all of it. So feel free to log in to Netflix the next time you're in the mood for a film that is great for the whole family. You won’t be disapointed

(And I will talk about The Falcon and the Winter Soldier pretty soon. I just needed to get this out of my system first.)

#the mitchells vs the machines #what i thought about

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vek-o · 4 years

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My fav cartoons... ranked

There might be a few hot takes and i havent seen a few big contendors, but here’s my cartoon shows i love ranked! this is really just for me to write about them lol.

Netflix’s Carmen Sandiego ... 10/10

This 2019 reboot of the original Carmen Sandiego is pretty much perfect? I watched the original show on and it was great! I was really afraid i wouldnt like the reboot and be biased. But honestly? This show made me personally so happy and excited for the future of Carmen Sandiego. The world building, story telling, animation, characters. and interactions are so ??? amazing?? It has sub-plots that tie in so nicely to the main plot and advances each character. The show also has great representation and found family is pretty strong. It’s really easy to watch and to me, that’s a big thing. I could watch it while doing a second activity and wouldn’t be completely lost. Also very high rewatch ability.

Netflix’s The Hollow ... 7/10 and 9.5/10

Two ratings? One for the first season and one for the second. The Second season of The Hollow outshines the first by so much but that doesn’t mean the First season is bad! If you’ve ever watched Digimon Adventure to the end, then you will see the resemblance. I can’t write much about the story without major spoilers, but it is such an interesting tale. The world building is very very good. You get to learn where they are and where they’re going and how each place fits in to one another. The 3 main characters really have a dynamic relationship. And Representation?? WELL this show knows a thing or two about that. Honestly The Hollow deserves way more recognition than it deserves. It’s pretty easy to watch and everything is worth it for season 2.

Netflix’s Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts ... 8.5/10

Okay Kipo is such an amazing show! The only thing that would keep someone from watching it would be the art style of the humans, but its simply different and also fits the show really well. The art is just superb tho. The backgrounds and locations just brings a tear to my eye. Also World building?? Kipo is a master of that! Found Family? Kipo OWNS that. Representation??? Kipo made that! Kipo is such a good show for people of all ages to see a part of themselves. For me, the first episode was a little hard to watch because it felt very lonely? You could tell Kipo was someone who wanted and florished off making people happy and being with them, but in that same episode she does find Wolf. But this also sets up exceptional growth in all characters. Also Benson?? love him. Rat World? love that. Frogs in suits? Mutant pigs and rabbits? Lesbian Snake rockers? OH DID I MENTION THE MUSIC?? Its a diverse range of music that really helps introduce emotion, element, and just?? love it all.

Glitch Techs ... 8/10

The art and characters are amazing? Very easy watch with high rewatchability. good rep and concept. i am v tired but please give this show a chance !!

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power ... 5/10

Okay plain and simple? This show is not good from a critique standpoint? Or watcher? It’s honestly so hard to watch and stay motivated to watch. The real good thing is LGBT+ rep. It’s like they said “Hey let’s reboot She-ra, but make it gay.” “Okay what’s the storyline?” “That is the storyline.” and went n that. The first season is good and i kinda liked it! But it’s so hard to understand whats at stake? Cause its always the world? Like 3 times. There is no character or attachment at stake. Mara was the biggest loss in the show and she wasn’t even a main character. I have an issue Catradora too. When i watched it I saw the hurt that Catra caused Adora? Like physically and mentally. Even as a child Catra physically hurt Adora because she was upset. And the excuse is she was abused by Shadow Weaver? Like? Just becaused she was abused does not give her an excuse to do the same thing. I also have a problem with fans saying hordak is disabled rep and i really hope he wasn’t intended to be. He was healed and rid of his dying body. Real disabled people are never that lucky? You don’t get rid of a disability in disabled rep? In Gender and Sexuality i was very happy with this show but in terms of everything else?? Not too happy... It’s kinda of like Steven Universe? God rep, but bad story telling? It’s so iffy. Like sometimes you;ll get a good episode or sometimes you;ll get something which really just doesnt fit.

Might make reviews but her’s some recommendations:

- ATLA (obviously lol this show rocks)

- The Willoughbys

- Hilda

- Lego Ninjago

- Digimon

- Bojack Horseman

- All Saints Street (A chinese Animation but god the op is a bop and the show is so good. It’s on Youtube)

- Camp Camp

- The Amazing World of Gumball (Duh this show is a god)

- Over the Garden Wall (!!!! please!!!!)

#she-ra #spop #glitch techs #carmen sandiego #the hollow #kipo #kaotwb #reviews

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casper-has-a-cat · 5 years

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AJR appreciation post

because i don’t think enough people have heard neotheater. some background, their previous album, the click, is a masterpiece in its own right, it came out when i was in college and it captured all of my college feels, not to mention the song about the office (yes, the tv show) which had me genuinely laughing aloud. but this post will focus on neotheater, because i’ve only just recently finished college and this album perfectly captures new-to-the-real-world feels.

like this album has made me cry so much and in the best ways, it’s been the biggest reassurance because i’ve been on my own for a month and a half now and hearing people that i respect articulating everything surround the fears and pain and sadness of growing up is as heartbreaking as it is comforting. i’m not the only one who is filled with doubts and uncertainty and having those feelings doesn’t make me a failure, thank goodness. thank goodness someone put that into music because now i can hear it whenever i need it.

and let me just say, this album has an odd sound. even for ajr, it’s odd. it’s extremely theatrical sounding, and that’s not so much my style of music, so at first i was iffy on it, but... it directly ties in to the meaning of the songs and the story that the album as a whole is telling. the idea of feeling as though you’re being judged and watched and that everyone has expectations for you whether you want an audience or not. it was a brave move and adds to the authenticity of the album.

so, let’s get on to more specifics!

lyrics that make me cry:

“i wanna be next up forever, find a way to never hit my peak” - next up forever (these made me cry on the first listen, because like, i know they’re talking about music, but that’s such a big mood post-college)

“you’ll sail the ocean finding where you should be. and if you’re broken, you’ll find your own thing” - next up forever. there's??? so much in these two lines??? like the idea that life is just one big search is huge, its releases so much stress surrounding the feeling that you should know where you should be as soon as you graduate. and the second part? that reassurance that you’ll figure it out, even if you don’t fit, it’s so good

“i wanna move out, i don’t wanna move on” + “i’ll come by when i’m grown, it won’t be the same though, i can’t even go home” - don’t throw out my legos. honestly the whole song just hits me hard if i’m in the mood. the profound sadness that comes with growing up and going out on your own is so well articulated in this song, and the metaphor of like. wanting to keep insignificant things around because if you do, then maybe your younger self can still stick around too. and then this idea of not having a home, i didn’t even realize it until i heard this but that’s maybe the most painful thing that i’m dealing with right now. because it takes time to make a home

“you say that i'm better, why don't i feel better? the universe works in mysterious ways, but I'm starting to think it ain't working for me. doctor, should I be good, should I be good this year?” - karma. i have so much to say about this song and i could’ve included a much longer quote here but this gets the point across. i think anyone who’s struggled with mental health can probably relate to this. and i love that it’s (imo) very clearly not dismissing counseling- they’re being honest in that counseling is not a magic solution, it takes work and sometimes it doesn’t seem to be working as well as we want it to, even if we do still see value in it. and the transition right here, at the end of the song, from the “i’ve been so good this year” to the question - should i even be good this year if it’s not making me feel better? that’s what really got me.

“dear winter, don’t move too far away.” + “will we still hang out and talk when i’m no longer in charge?” - dear winter. this song makes me cry every time i hear it no lie. apparently when ryan (the lyricist) played it for his brother for the first time, his brother also sobbed so i guess it only makes sense. but yeah this specific verse kills me a lot because this is exactly where i’m at right now. i moved too far away. i hate how painful that is for my parents. i had to do it but it still hurts every time i hear this.

“they wanted heaven from me, i gave ‘em hell. now they want something bigger, i’m overwhelmed” - finale. this lyric is preceded by 4 repetitions of the line “they wanted,” and the first two times it’s sung in a deep tone, but the third and fourth times it’s sung in a higher tone, and the singer sounds more energetic and maybe even high-strung, it’s like he’s rejecting “their” opinion. and then you get this lyric about heaven and hell and you see that he did something unexpected, he’s decided not to be “their” version of perfect and done something that “they” didn’t want, and maybe he thought he’d be free from “them” after that, but it turns out just the opposite happened.

“just don’t forget about me when you get out of college” - finale. it’s such a good double meaning. it’s playing off of them being scared that they’re music will lose popularity when their audience graduates, but it’s also like... talking to college friends. don’t forget about me. and also the world? and this is where things get complex with the idea of having an audience. on one hand the expectations are oppressive and confining, but at least someone’s watching as we grow up, but when we graduate it does feel a bit like society no longer cares about us so much. at least, it did for me. so i guess this line could have a triple meaning?

lyrics that make me laugh:

“thank you for coming to my birthday party, i am one minute old today” - birthday party. honestly, every lyric in this song makes me laugh, it’s just such a fucking hilarious song, and like, dark humor all the way??? but this specific lyric is said in such a funny way i love it. i actually can’t think of any other song that’s made me laugh so hard.

“what doesn’t kill you makes you ugly, life gives you lemons, at least it gave you something” - break my face. there’s a whole aspect of this song that’s really tongue-in-cheek. like it’s funny because they’re taking an idiom and really looking it in the eyes and being candid, like okay let’s stop sugarcoating things, what doesn’t kill you might not make you stronger but it’ll make you ugly! but then the song as a whole can totally be read as a satire on people who are so critical of anyone who complains, or those people who are always like “look on the bright side” and “why can’t you just be happy!” and anyway it’s so genius

extra notes:

100 bad days hasn't made me laugh or cry aloud but it’s still such an important song imo. “a hundred bad days made a hundred good stories, a hundred bad days made me interesting at parties, no i ain’t scared of you, no i ain’t scared of you no more” it’s such a powerful mantra to keep in mind when things get rough. idk if that last part was meant for this, but as someone with social anxiety and probably agoraphobia, it’s just been really empowering

turning out pt. ii... i don’t personally relate to this song as much as most of the others, and yet it still makes me profoundly sad. honestly i don’t like listening to it because of that? but also it kind of... doesn’t feel as clever to me as the other songs. like i could’ve written those lyrics. which is something i rarely feel about ajr songs. idk, maybe it’s better if you relate more! and i’m biased probably because of how much i loved and related tot turning out pt. i and this wasn’t what i expected.

the entertainment’s here articulates something that scares me a lot? how easy technology makes it to ignore real life, how tempting it is to just watch netflix or youtube videos or whatever. so i avoid this song a bit as well. i think it’s clever as hell, but it scares me and i’m a coward

beats: i’m just gonna say it, it’s my least favorite song on the album. the idea is funny but to me the implementation isn’t the best? it’s not that clever imo? it’s very repetitive and i think that was supposed to like, go along with the meaning of the song, of echoing and doing what others are doing for success, but for me it’s just ultimately kinda... meh.

wow, i’m not crazy: kinda like 100 bad days, hasn’t made me laugh or cry aloud but this song is really important to me. it makes me happy. the idea of finding people who are crazy in the same way you are, and how that can make you love yourself so much more. i love that.

okay yep we stop here! honestly there are more lyrics that i love but this is an essay already sooooo. yeah. i love this album.

#ajr #music #random #irrelevant #happy post #i love ajr that's all #neotheater #if you read this whole thing props #this whole unnecessary post

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sophieellisbextorarchives · 4 years

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Lockdown's dancing queen: Sophie Ellis Bextor explains how she's survived with five sons while performing web concerts from her kitchen - and owes her life to the NHS after almost dying during childbirth

SOURCE: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8371137/Sophie-Ellis-Bextor-talks-surviving-lockdown-five-sons-performing-concerts-kitchen.html

Any mother of five who is still sane after two-and-a-half months of lockdown will surely have some survival tips for the rest of us. And Sophie Ellis-Bextor does indeed have advice.

Come Friday night, when the textbooks have been flung in a corner and you've finished screeching at the kids, you should dig out your heels and put on your sparkliest hot pants, she says.

'If you don't own a sequined one-piece, you should get one,' the singer insists. 'They make you feel like a disco superhero!'

She would also recommend a glitterball to hang in the kitchen. It will distract from the dirty dishes, she says.

Tidying the kitchen is optional, though: 'I do try to but if there's the odd dish in the sink, who cares?'

When the history of the great British lockdown is written, there will be villains (take a bow, Dominic Cummings) and heroes.

And Sophie Ellis-Bextor will surely be in line for a medal, for services to the national dancefloor (kitchen disco division).

Every Friday night for ten weeks she has donned her own glad rags and, via the magic of social media, invited us all to a disco round at hers.

She has been in charge of the mic, singing her own hits (with tweaks) and cover versions of some of her other favourites (speaking of favourite things, she even does a mean Julie Andrews).

Each week she has changed the lyrics of one of her biggest hits, Take Me Home, to the lockdown-friendly Stay At Home. We cheered. We heeded. 'Well, most people did,' she says.

Lots of entertainers have been doing their stuff in lockdown. Few of them have done so with five children in tow, though, and with such pizzazz.

You'd never guess it from the size of her waist but 41-year-old Sophie — whose mother is former Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis — has five sons, aged from 16 down to 16 months. Her family life has never really been a part of her work.

But at the start of lockdown, something changed and she decided to stop being so precious about the work/home life divide.

'I've always been quite private, never showing the kids' faces, that sort of thing,' she says.

'But suddenly it all felt totally irrelevant. I just had this desire to sort of connect with people, to have fun and do something that just distracted us all — and for me, as an entertainer, that meant getting up and putting on a show.

'If it was going to be a show in my own house, the kids had to be involved as we're all locked down together. That overwhelmed any other emotion, really.

'I said to them, 'We're going to have a party. Do you want to come? What do you want to wear?'

'We pulled out all manner of sequined things we already had. They got out costumes, hats, whatever. There were no rules. They could be in their pyjamas if they wanted, because they often are.

'At the end of the first one, I remember making a joke like, 'This could be the end of my career.' '

In another time, it could have been. What too-cool-for-school singer sashays around the Lego, for goodness' sake? And what pop star hoicks a baby onto her hip, limbos around the lightsabers or attempts some sexy strutting when there is a pint-sized Superman in the way?

'It has been quite surreal, hasn't it?' she says with a laugh. 'But this whole situation is surreal, so I guess it has been fitting.

'We've had all sorts — the kids joining in, or sitting there bored with it all as I dance around them. We've had the baby crawling across the floor, trying to pull the plug out of the router. It's not stuff you normally have to contend with when you go on stage.'

And the performances have been all the more magical for it, I suggest. Her kitchen discos have been in keeping with the national mood, which lurches between delirium and despair and involves much trying to get on with the day job, with the kids at our feet.

All our kids are represented in hers, too. There is Sonny, 16 and a typical teenager, who mostly rolls his eyes at the idea of being in his mum's disco 'but actually he's invaluable because he helps with the baby so I can relax'.

Kit, 11, has 'kind of dipped in and out of the discos. He has missed a few. Sometimes he'd just rather do something else'.

Ray, eight, and Jesse, four, are generally game for anything — but if the children all join in at the same time, while wearing masks, the potential for chaos is high.

Last is baby Mickey, who likes to reach for bright lights. And cables. And sparkly shoes.

'I think what has kept some people tuning in is the music, but others are only watching to see if any of my kids injure themselves,' Sophie says.

People may also be tuning in to see her game attempts at making the most inappropriate songs kid-friendly. Her new repertoire includes the highly suggestive Prince song Gett Off. If the kids ask, it's a song about getting off the climbing frame, she explains.

When we speak, Sophie is preparing for — sob! — the last lockdown disco. Kitchen Disco No 10 will finish with a rousing rendition of the Madness hit Our House, which contains the lines 'Our house it has a crowd/ There's always something happening/ And it's usually quite loud'.

How apt. That sums up family life in all its messy glory.

It will be the end of a very weird chapter for Sophie.

'We could keep going but I'm getting the feeling that lockdown is being eased. There is a different feel, so it's time to stop. Although I'm bad at saying 'never again'.'

It has been a blast — and Sophie admits she has benefited herself.

'The discos have done my soul and my spirit the world of good. I've always turned to music anyway when anything has been happening in my life, good or bad, but I don't know what shape the past few months would have taken without this outlet.

'I've been doing cover versions of songs and they have all basically been like love letters to people I can't see any more.'

Lockdown came earlier for this household than for most of us. One of the children showed symptoms even before the schools closed, so they all isolated early.

That Sophie's stepfather — Janet's husband, John Leach — was having chemotherapy as part of his cancer treatment made the situation even more serious.

They are a close family. Janet, who lives only a few streets away in West London, is used to popping in and out, and provides childcare once a week. Any contact at all between them stopped overnight, as it did for so many families.

'I haven't hugged my mum since I don't remember when,' Sophie says. 'They couldn't leave their house at all at the beginning, so it was a case of leaving some groceries on the doorstep. My stepfather has Stage Four lung cancer and was in the middle of chemo, which had to stop.

'Now, thankfully, it has restarted but it has been a terrible time — devastating, really. For so many families the world has just tilted.' The older children understand why they can't see their grandparents, the little ones less so.

This is a united family (Sophie's mum split from her father, film and television producer Robin Bextor, but they are all on good terms), yet not necessarily one that ever did things by the rulebook.

Many will recall the furore when Janet — then the nation's darling, as many Blue Peter presenters were — fell pregnant with Sophie's brother Jackson. She was unmarried at the time and it was a national scandal.

It sounds as if Janet was the sort of mother Sophie has become — old-fashioned about some things (table manners, eating together) but more relaxed about others. And Mum having a slightly crazy day job was par for the course.

'I remember going with her when she did a skydive. She was in the Guinness Book of Records at one point for the highest-altitude jump for a female. At the time it was just normal.'

Janet didn't mind when Sophie decided she would not go to university because she wanted to join a band. 'Many parents would have said, 'No, we have paid for this private education. You will go,' but they never did. They were completely supportive.'

And of course, it worked out. Sophie started to get attention in the industry in the Nineties with indie band Theaudience — but in 2000 her career went mainstream thanks to a feature spot on the song Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) by Spiller.

Further hits followed. Then, in 2013, she went even more mainstream, signing up for Strictly Come Dancing. Her Charleston was a thing of wonder but she lost in the final to Abbey Clancy.

She knew her husband, The Feeling bassist Richard Jones, for a year before they started dating. When they did, it was something of a whirlwind and she discovered she was pregnant within weeks.

'Sonny was premature, so he was actually born eight months after we got together. Weird maths.'

Then, finding that it was rather fun, they kept having children. 'In a way I think it sort of set the tone, having Sonny so early. We've never really known what it is to be just the two of us.'

Juggling a pop career with five children can't have been easy, but her laid-back approach must help.

Some aspects of her parenting style have come in handy in lockdown, she says. 'I try to get up and dressed myself, but I'm not bothered if they want to stay in their pyjamas,' she admits.

Other aspects of lockdown have been hard. She admits she is not a natural home schooler.

'With five, it has been really difficult keeping up with the school stuff. I think their teachers do a brilliant job and I can't compare.

'At the start I did try hard, but to be honest I was feeling a lot of pressure to be running the home and making them emotionally happy. I quit quite early, realising it was making me really tense and really unhappy.

'We've kept the eldest two doing more formal work (Sonny is in his GCSE year, she explains) but with the little ones it's more about projects they can do.'

She says it isn't practical — or even desirable — to turn their home into a school. 'I'm hoping that home is where they learn to interact with each other, where they learn how to be happy, how to be kind.'

They have all been clapping on the doorstep on a Thursday night, too, aware of the debt they owe the NHS.

Sophie's life was saved by doctors when she suffered from complications during her first two pregnancies and gave birth prematurely both times. Kit weighed just 2 lb 6 oz.

'Anyone who has ever had a loved one's life in the hands of hospital staff knows what it is to feel that gratitude,' Sophie says.

'If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here and neither would my first two.

'I'll never forget their faces, the doctors and nurses who treated us in the neonatal unit. You don't, because you owe them everything.'

To be a singer in this climate is perhaps to feel a little superfluous, but Sophie says the only things she can do are sing and dance. The reaction from the wider world to her 'little discos' has been heartwarming.

'If you can make people smile and laugh at how daft it all is, then you make a connection that is actually quite special.'

We are getting all wistful now, when I suggest that her sons will grow up knowing they were a part of something magical. She laughs.

'They are more likely to roll their eyes at their crazy mum dancing around and tell me to keep the noise down!'

#Sophie Ellis-Bextor #Instagram #Daily Mail #Kitchen Disco #article #interview #British #Singer-songwriter

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darkwingsnark · 5 years

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Question; What is your favorite version of the rogues/batfam out of BTAS, TB, Live-Action stuff, etc?

Oh man, that’s a loaded question my friend. Are you sure you’re ready for this? Are you sure you want me to unleash this?

To start off, I’m actually a fan of many different interpretations. I tend to feel most versions I end up enjoying have their place. Sometimes you want one flavor over another, ya feel me? You can’t always eat the same thing for dessert, even if you enjoy it immensely.

Batman/Bruce Wayne

Animated wise, both BTAS and Batman: Brave and the Bold would win out. I appreciate how caring BTAS Batman is, as I feel like I prefer to see a version of the character that genuinely wants to help his rogues and the people of Gotham. It may be tied back into his own pain, but he has the ability to use this pain to empathize.

BBATB, however, gets so many points for literally being the funniest. I kind of love his cheesy dialog and the harshness he deals everyone? This is one of the few shows that I don’t feel like the villains overpower him, writing wise, but I literally just want to see Batman interact with all the different heroes. (Plastic-Man and Aquaman being my favorite, but I got to say… also enjoyed the Batman/Joker team up.)

Live action… I really liked Micheal Keaton. While I think he doesn’t make a very convincing Bruce Wayne, he is one of the few actors that I feel like when I look at him… Yes, I am convinced this is somebody who would don the suit. I feel like most of the time Batman is cast with people thinking who would make a handsome looking Bruce Wayne, and then they don’t fill the role of Batman really well. So while I suppose nobody I’ve seen so far has quite fit the duality of the character– outside of Batman 66′ utilizing Adam West in their more comedic style adventures– I do think Micheal Keaton is my favorite.

Joker

You put me in a spot, my dude! Because I got four, count ‘em, FOUR animated versions I really enjoy.

I’m going to surprise you by saying BBATB Joker is my top tier favorite of the four. I know, I know– he’s nowhere near violent as the other two on my list. …Well, except for the fact he actually did get away with killing. Many times. As a montage. It was GREAT! Getting off track though, I just really love his MOOD. The fact every moment he’s on screen he’s just having a great time. And he’s so willing to work with people, just as much as he’s ready to throw you under the bus. There is something so charming about the fact he’s sit next to his fellow villain to cheer them up, just as much as he’ll trip them. It makes him into a real wild card!

If I want a serious portrayal, I usually for for BTAS though. This is a guy you get swept up into enjoy watching, that you completely forget after a while that he’s using you. And then it stops being funny, your usefulness has ended, and then he’s pushing you out a window.

….So let me tell you about The Batman. Look, I hated the design of the guy at first too. I remember seeing him and going ‘that’s… that’s not the Joker? Whatcha tryin’ t’pull?’ But then I kept watching, they put him back in a more classic looking suit, and I was SOLD. He is probably the only one of the bunch who constantly has me on edge, making me uncomfortable as I feel like he’s about to invade my personal space at any moment… and by God, I love it. Kevin Micheal Richardson, if you’re out there and reading this… Your vocals are so freaken captivating. Your random southern twang to the character��s dialog at times was such an out there choice, but man I was on board.

Lastly… C’mon, Lego Joker was cute. Again, not a classic take of the character. Like I wouldn’t believe the acting for any other version. But for THIS version? The version that wants to be in loath with Lego Batman? Who is BFF with his Gal Pal Harley? He was a TREASURE!

Live Action… I want to say Jack Nicholson. As he does well mixing both the gangster and clown aspects of the character together. And for the longest time he was my very definition of live action Joker. But i do think honorable mentions should go to Heath Ledger (who honestly was the only reason I could even watch the Nolanverse Batmans) and Cesar Romero (who’s mustache under his face paint will forever amuse me, and the fact his voice fills me with joy).

Gonna say, comic wise: Batman Europa had a very compelling Joker.

…. This is getting very long. I may have to break this up into parts. So, uh.. end of part one.

Stay tuned next post: same Bat Time, same Bat Blogger!

#snark replies #batman #dc comics #bruce wayne #joker #opinions #gif #long post #going to break this up into parts #also gonna take a quick break because I've been typing for a while #plummyplums

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unactive-1d · 6 years

Text

my favourite fics in ao3

Ziam

Ninety-Eight Percent

“This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” Niall chokes out, actual tears welling in his eyes. Liam hates him. A lot.

“This website is bullshit,” Liam grumbles. “Niall this can’t be real. How am I ninety-eight percent compatible with Louis Tomlinson?”

In which Louis is Liam's soulmate and Liam is really not amused.

Ziam Twitcam

The fans want some real life Ziam action

As He Moves

Zayn thought he wanted to know where Liam worked. Apparently he thought wrong.

Only Place I Call Home

Liam works at a coffee shop; Zayn is a homeless street performer who plays just outside the shop. Sometimes Liam brings Zayn coffee and donuts and in exchange Zayn sings for him.

Wrong Side of Love

Zayn and Liam wake up in each other's bodies.

Burning Away From Inside

They're a little too dysfunctional to be considered superheroes, but they do their best.

Connected

Fed up with Zayn and Liam skirting around how they feel about each other, the rest of the band devise a plan to get them to own up to their feelings.

(Or, Zayn and Liam are oblivious and annoying, the rest of the band can't handle it anymore, and handcuffs were probably not intended to be used this way.)

What We Become

“Nervous?”

“No.”

“It’s okay if you are,” Harry says seriously. “I mean, I know I would be. Like, if there was ever a date that was destined to go bad, it’s probably this one. Werewolf goes on date with the son of a werewolf hunter, who’s also training to be a werewolf hunter when he’s older, while another pack of werewolves are practically massacring the town, and no one has no idea how to stop them. It's not a question of what could go wrong. It's a question of what could possibly go right, and I'm willing to bet the answer to that is nothing."

Floating On The Water

Liam just wants to get through his last summer working at Malik Resort before University without incident. Of course, life is never that easy, and he ends up getting roped into giving the bosses son, Zayn, swimming lessons. That wouldn't be so bad, if Zayn didn't happen to hate him so much.

Tunnel Vision

In which Zayn is an award-winning popstar with a knack for getting himself in trouble, and Liam is the bodyguard he didn’t want to hire who has a few problems with staying professional.

Not Happening

Zayn and Liam are roommates. They hate each other. (Most of the time.)

Lover Dearest

"First rule, babe," Zayn says, leaning down. His lips slide over Liam's jaw, barely there, just a soft pressure, fleeting and gone as soon as it came. "Never trust a vampire."

He's grinning as he climbs off Liam, heading for the door. Liam watches him go, thinking that he's wrong. The first rule should be to not fall in love with one.

Larry

Learning to Eat

Celebrity chef Louis Tomlinson has a problem. He’s opening his first restaurant in 9 weeks, and he has yet to hire a pastry chef- apparently people think he’s ‘standoffish’ and ‘rude’ and ‘quick to temper’. Whatever. He ends up saddled with an annoying, happy-go lucky rookie who also happens to be obnoxiously good looking. His tv presenter and pop star best friends only add to the drama, and for fucks sake would everyone please stop quoting Julia Child?!

Kitchen AU where Harry helps Louis re-learn how to eat. (METAPHORICALLY)

we are honey and the bee

It isn’t his fault though, it is entirely the fault of whichever gods thought it would be a good idea to taunt Louis by dangling a curly haired boy in front of him with a mouth that can’t possibly be as soft as it looks, a mouth that requires further inspection with Louis’ own mouth. Unfortunately, Louis absolutely cannot do that, because it would go against all rules and guidelines in the Golden Handbook of Nanny and Employee Etiquette that he’s pretty sure exists.

au where harry plays rugby at uni, louis needs to hire a nanny, and life is one big cliche.

Turning From Praise (Punk!Harry Christian!Louis)

Louis has had a strict Christian upbringing that he never realized he resented until he meets Harry Styles, a boy who lives to rebel and doesn’t give a damn what anyone else thinks. But the better he gets to know Harry, the more he begins to realize that maybe Harry does care. And maybe “the children who God forgot” are closer to God than the devout will ever be.

if you need a loving hand

Harry and Louis are just two friends who bought a coffee shop and went into business together. They definitely probably do not have feelings for each other.

Follow Me Down This Time

Harry first noticed Louis in his second term at Hogwarts, and despite three years of inventing ways to stumble across Louis, he's never managed to actually work up the courage to speak to him. Also known as, self-indulgent Hogwarts AU, because every fandom needs Hogwarts AUs.

if you'll be my star, i'll be your sky

Louis smiles in the smuggest, most infuriating way, like he knows every thought filtering through Harry’s mind. He probably does.

“I thought you were a student, yeah,” Louis says, voice quieter now, leaving Harry to lean over the baluster somewhat to hear. “But I hoped you weren't.”

(or, Harry Potter AU where Harry takes a teaching post at Hogwarts and gets a little more than he expected when he meets the fit Transfiguration professor, Louis, who looks oddly familiar... Featuring Messrs. Horan, Malik, and Payne as well, along with some familiar faces from the HPverse)

At Least We're Breathing

(Just another mental institution fic!)

Fairly quickly, it becomes obvious to Harry why almost all of them are there; Liam can't control how much he eats-and then can't keep it down-. Niall doesn't talk, Harry himself has tried to end his own life, and Zayn isn't always...Zayn.

Then there's Louis, who no one really knows what he's in for, and Harry isn't even sure he belongs, but maybe he's glad he's there anyway.

Take A Bite Outta Me

Louis truly resents the implication that he is basically Harry’s own version of Bella goddamn Swan, because seriously, no. Just no. But the issue is that even this stupid Meyeresque revelation has done absolutely nothing to dampen his attraction to this weirdly charming vampire man who dresses in 8000 pound coats and hangs around in dilapidated buildings with his merry band of ethical bloodsuckers.

Louis is a slightly inept vampire hunter. Harry is a slightly unique vampire. They meet

Lego House

Louis didn't know what to think when he woke up with a needle in his arm and an unconscious man across the room. He didn't know what to think when he could hear everything. He didn't know what to think when he picked up four boys on his way out. Maybe, just maybe, they could get away.

or where Louis has heightened senses, Harry is basically a shape shifter, Liam can manipulate the air, Zayn can influence people's emotions, and Niall has healing powers. And crazy stuff happens as they wander through the woods.

Title is "Lego House" by Ed Sheeran

Two To Rule

Prince Louis is an intellectual interested in philosophy and human interaction; Prince Harry feeds off of power and wealth because it's all he's been raised to yearn for. Their arranged marriage will be the downfall of them both.

In Dreams

AU. When Harry moves to a new city, his new flat come with a number of sweet, anonymous gifts and surprises that brighten his days. Could it be a friendly ghost? Another friendly presence in his new building is his tattooed neighbor, Louis, who seems determined to put a smile back on his face.

yellow lamps on blackened skies

Louis is the best baker in his apartment building until his new neighbour shows up and threatens his position (and his dignity). It turns out that actually, he might have a competitive streak.

Like Master, Like Pet

In which Louis's cat apparently wants to date Harry's frog, intense studying of eyebrows is a thing, pillows can turn into flamingos, and a lot of really lame-ass jokes are made.

feel the chemicals burn in my bloodstream

“Alright, alright. No need to bite,” Harry says, holding his hands above his head in a general gesture of surrender.

Louis quirks an eyebrow and his foot nudges Harry’s as he moves to sit straight. “If that’s what you think biting is, you’ve got another thing coming, Styles.”

Harry blinks at him before he feels his face flush and inside the marrows of his bones there’s pulses of heat, pulses of fire spreading through him. “Is that a threat, your Highness?”

“That’s a promise,” Louis answers just as the car halts to a stop. “One I intend to keep.”

Harry is a journalist with a lot of secrets and Louis is the future king of the United Kingdom; they live together for 60 days.

With the Rising Sun

This idea bloomed after seeing a post of 19-year-old Harry with a picture of younger Louis and I just really wanted to make something where Harry was older.

Louis had been living in NYC for two years now while studying at NYU, and was probably the least social 21-year-old ever. Somehow he got roped into his sister's brilliant idea of getting her college best friend to help him branch out and meet people. Only there was one problem — Harry Styles is like the hottest thing on two legs and Louis' not ready to see a much older version of the boy who filled his fantasies as a teenager.

the value of this moment lives in metaphor

Louis and Harry are best friends and absolutely nothing more. It’s a bit strange that, suddenly, everyone thinks they’re dating.

Or the one where they’re all teachers at a high school and students are more invested in their lives than normally expected.

Baby Heaven's in your Eyes

They couldn’t be more different if they tried. Louis Tomlinson is 17 years old and in his last year of the most prestigious private school in Doncaster. If there’s one thing that completely annoys him, it’s that there is a poor community college right across the street.

Harry Styles is 19 years old, and (once again) in his last year of college. He goes to community college in Doncaster. He never shows up to classes and if he actually bothers to, he’s either high or drunk; sometimes both. His skin is littered with tattoos and if there’s one thing he absolutely hates, it’s the snobby students attending the private school right across from his.

Or a sixth form!AU where Harry is the fucked up bad boy with too many problems, Louis is the perfect rich boy with too much money and their schools are right across from each other. They meet at a party and that’s the last (and maybe the only) thing they need.

put the stars in our eyes

Louis goes to bed having ordered a nineteen year-old husband.

Louis is set to inherit the family farm after the death of his father, but after finding out that he needs to be married in order to do so, purchasing a nineteen year-old, mail-order husband named Harry Styles seems to be the easiest answer.

Zouis

Bruised

Louis accidentally gives Zayn a black eye and it sets off the weirdest year of his life. Set in New Jersey.

Chéri

growing up AU: In which Louis lives far away, but visits every winter; and Zayn falls just a bit more in love each year.

like any real love it's ever-changing

"Do you think if I repeat 'this isn't happening' for long enough it'll make it true?" Louis asks.

The cat—Zayn—moves its tail. Louis doesn't know what that means.

"I have no idea what that means," Louis says.

Zayn turns into a cat. Louis figures some things out.

if not the happiest, surely the luckiest

AU. reform boarding school for the obscenely wealthy, essentially. zayn is new and louis is hot shit.

high hopes

i know it's crazy to believe in silly things, but it's not that easy

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expectyaytions · 6 years

Text

Something Just Like This (part I)

🍂Fall 🍂

Veronica was in grey leggings, and black tank top as she hauled boxes from the sidewalk into the elevator. Her top knot was drooping and she was sweating. Betty, Jughead, Fangs and Toni were all supposed to be here to help and yet none of were there yet. Sweet Pea was moving in with her. She needed a roommate since things with her and Archie went south. She wasn’t opposed to a stranger, but she preferred someone she knew. Sweet Pea was around often enough, she’d even maybe consider him a friend. It was their first year out of college. Veronica worked at Vogue - in their styling department. She enjoyed it. She’d gotten the job straight out of FIT in May. Sweet Pea had gone to NYU on a basketball scholarship. He majored in communications and was currently working at a motorcycle shop in Brooklyn and coaching high school basketball.

Veronica was interested to see how’d they’d fit as roommates. She knew NY was pricey so she hadn’t been 100% honest about the rent money with Sweet Pea. Her parents were technically paying for the apartment so she was only charging him ¼ of the rent instead of half, but she wasn’t about to tell him that, even if he may have assumed.

She was unloading boxes from the elevator into the 10th floor hallway when Fangs opened up the stairwell door out of breath.

“Finally! Nice of you show up!” She snapped wiping sweat off her forehead.

“Sorry! Sorry!”

“Just help me get these boxes in please. I don’t get why he wouldn’t just let me hire movers?”

“Like he’d ever ask for help when he could prove his manliness by carrying his own boxes.”

“I’m carrying the boxes! He’s making sure he doesn’t get towed!” Fangs laughed at her dramatics.

Two hours later, the three of them were sitting on Veronica and now Sweet Pea’s patio. They were sipping beers and reminiscing about high school.

“Where’s Andrews?” Fangs asked, “he left you to move Sweets here all by yourself?”

“Archie is in Chicago. He’s visiting his mom.”

“Oh. Boring. Anyway tell me more about Vogue.”

“Please no more fashion.” Sweet Pea interjected.

“I’ll tell you what. I’ll bring you by and show you around sometime when you free. Wait until you see the costume closet. You.will.die.” She fanned herself. “But in exchange I need your friendship story. Go.” She took a long sip of her beer.

“We go way back.” Sweet Pea started.

“Like pre-birth basically.” Fangs added. Veronica raised her eyebrows.

“Our moms were best friends. They grew up side by side and joined the serpents together. They ended up pregnant a few months apart.”

“I’m older by two months.” Fangs added tossing a grape into his mouth.

“We did everything together growing up. We had big wheels at the same time racing in the driveway! Legos! We played tee ball too. Our moms were inseparable, and our dad’s were unreliable so everywhere they went, we went with them.”

“That’s adorable!”

“They even put us in matching outfits.” Fangs drawled, “do you still have the picture of us in our snake pajamas?”

“Yeah, it’s in one of the boxes - I have the one with the four of us at the lake too.”

“I want a copy of each at some point.”

“I need to see these!”

“You should have seen Fangs when we started school and Toni started following us around. He used to step on her feet and push her and once he ignored for a full week. He stopped when she punched him in the stomach. The three of us have been friends ever since.”

“But we’re closer.” Fangs smiled, “right?”

“My ‘best’ keychain says yes.” Veronica cackled you guys have best friend keychains! That’s the cutest!”

Once the six pack was gone, they opened a bottle of wine. Betty texted and said they were on their way with pizza. Fangs assured her Sweet Pea was a good roommate. “He always cleans the sink after he shaves and he does his own dishes.”

“We have a dishwasher, so that won’t be a problem. We also have a cleaning lady she comes every Monday at 10am. She also does the laundry. So make sure everything is in the basket in your room or the bathroom.”

“Dude! You’re living the high life now.”

“I’m not sure I can afford a cleaning lady.” He admitted wearily.

“I’ve got it covered don’t worry.” He was about to add something when Betty and Jughead made their appearance.

“Finally! I thought you were going to leave us to starve to death!” Fangs jumped up to grab the pizza boxes. “And you brought more beer! Sweet!”

“Sorry we’re late. I had an interview.” Everyone went silent, and turned to look at the blonde.

“The interview?” Fangs tried to whisper to Sweet Pea. Betty nodded.

“And I got the job!” They all jumped up and group hugged her and Jughead.

“Betty! That’s fantastic. When do you start?” Veronica asked.

“Not until next week.”

“This calls for champagne! I’ll be right back!” Veronica hurried inside.

“Investigative reporting for The New York Times. It’s incredible B.” Veronica gushed over her friend.

“You’re glorifying it. I write book reviews, and upcoming book signings.”

“It’s still awesome, and it’s a foot in the door.” They were sitting on the patio, knees to their chests with oversized sweaters drinking wine and picking over fruit salad. The guys had gone inside to help Sweet Sweet Pea put his bed together.

“So where’s Archie?” Betty asked, “and don’t tell me Chicago.”

“He went to LA.”

“What!”

“I know. He didn’t want anyone to know.”

“How do you feel about that?”

“Well considering he and I were off and on and then basically just fucking; I really don’t care.”

“V-“

“Last time I saw he was being rode on by some chick with dreads and a peace sign tramp stamp - and not even the sign like the hand peace sign.” Betty was cackling.

“You’re joking?!��

“Nope.” She confirmed, popping the p. “Safe to say Archiekins and I are donezo.”

“Onward to new beginnings!” Betty cheered holding up her glass. “New jobs and new relationships!” Veronica clicked glasses and laughed.

-//-//-//-//-

Living with Sweet Pea was surprising easy. He was never home. They’d been living together for just over a month and she’d only seen him a handful of times. They were both usually home on Sunday afternoons or nights. Veronica would go to her sunrise yoga class and then pick up pastries and coffee at her fav bakery next door. Sweet Pea was usually still asleep when she got home. She’d work out a little in the living room -usually cardio. Depending on the weather -she’d drink her coffee and eat her breakfast outside. She would bring a book or magazines and relax until Betty, Jughead and Fangs came over they’d make sandwiches for lunch and catch up on their weeks. The crew would leave by late afternoon and she and Sweet Pea had started watching Boardwalk Empire. They were flying threw it. They’d order dinner out and watch for a few episodes. One night she fell asleep while they were watching and she woke up in her bed. She’d always been a bit of a heavy sleeper. She was a little embarrassed, but he never brought it up and neither did she. It was the start of them being more affectionate and loose around each other. She’d fake punch his arm and he’d wrap an arm her waist to move her if she was in the way. She’d also taken to propping her feet in his lap. Which he would whine about but then move then back to his lap. They were comfortable with one another.

-//-//-//-//-

Summer ended, and fall hit New York with a flurry of colors. Veronica managed to get Fangs a job at Vogue. It was primarily answering phones, But he loved it. She liked having someone in the office to eat lunch with and share gossip. He was also good for knowing things about Sweet Pea - like how he took his coffee or his preferred pastry, black and chocolate croissant. He knew that Sweet Pea had a sweet tooth and was a sucker for chocolate. This came in handy for Sundays. She’d pick him up coffee and a croissant they’d sit on the patio or at the kitchen bar. They’d read Betty’s Sunday selection for a review and decide whether they’d actually ready it or not. That was one thing that surprised her -Sweet Pea loved to read. Fangs during one of their coffee runs admitted he had a huge crush on one of the guys that worked with Veronica, and she’d been trying to set them up. She had invited Noah to last Sundays brunch and it seemed like they hit it off. Now she needed someone for herself.

“Have you tried tinder?” She asked Sweet Pea from his chair on the patio. He looked at her confused.

“Where is this coming from?”

“It’s a dating site, right?”

“No, Christian Mingle is a dating site, tinder is a hook-up app.”

“Oh.” She looked confused, “Fangs said I should try it.”

“Don’t listen to anything Fangs says. He watched Barney until he was like 10.” She raises eyebrows her but says nothing slumping her shoulders. “Look, I don’t know all the details with about what happened with Andrews, but you’re pretty, nice, funny and you shouldn’t have a hard time in the New York dating scene.

“It’s just so much effort.” She whined. He laughed at her.

“You got this. Just remember sock on door.” He tipped his coffee cup at her.

-//-//-//-

The following Sunday Sweet Pea found Veronica in a pair of short spandex and and a sports bra jumping around the living room.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

“It’s cardio.”

“It’s something.” He joked. “Did you get coffee?”

“Yeah, it’s on the stove.” She heard him in the kitchen, but turned back to her work out.

Once she was finished, she joined Sweets outside. He handed her the around town and fashion sections of the newspaper while she propped her feet on his legs.

“So how was your first weekend on the prowl?”

“I’m not cut out for dating. I think I’ll buy a cat and become a spinster.” He laughed at her. “Don’t laugh.”

“It couldn’t have been that bad.”

“Some guy approached me at the bar. He was so full of himself, and was like molesting me. I had to get Fangs to come over to get this guys claws out of me. There was another guy he was sweet, but idk, sleazy and touchy feely. However Fangs was a little too eager to be a wingman and we went to a million bars.” Sweet Pea laughed.

“You know what they say, once you stop looking you’ll find someone.”

“People say that?”

“Yeah. All the time.”

“Well I’m done looking.”

“Give it a few more tries. What have you got to lose?”

“My time and dignity.” He rolled his eyes at her.

“Well maybe you should try tinder then. You wouldn’t have to go out. You could meet someone from the comfort our couch.”

“Sounds tempting. Maybe I’ll try it tonight while we watch Boardwalk.” She took a sip of her coffee. “Anyway, what does Betty have for us today?” She pinched a piece of her croissant off and put it in her mouth.

They ended up not watching Boardwalk, instead Fangs brought over the film, Love, Simon and they ended up all staying up late watching the film and reminiscing about high school. Jughead and Betty slept in the guest room and Fangs crashed in Sweet Pea’s room. They all had Monday off due to Columbus Day so they spent the morning binge watching the first season of Shameless. They were onto the fourth episode and awaiting the arrival of Chinese food, still dressed in their sweatpants and drinking bloody Mary’s and mimosas courtesy of Betty and Veronica. They had filled the floor with blankets and pillows and were enjoying the ridiculousness of the show.

Jughead kept exclaiming -“ how have we not seen this before?!”

And someone would give in and say “I know!” When the doorbell rang -Jughead took off running singing about his hunger pains.

“Your grocery bill must be through the roof.” Fangs commented.

“You have no idea. Thankfully he eats a lot of cereal. Mostly because he can’t cook anything besides pasta.”

They heard the door shut and expected to see Jughead carrying bags of Chinese. Instead a certain ginger ex boyfriend of Veronica’s was standing next to him.

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permian-tropos · 6 years

Text

Thought about how Finn and Poe are depicted in TLJ:

I don’t think Johnson was deeply racially biased in the way people think, though I think he might have a racial bias that’s not malicious, but also worth pointing out, since I always butt heads with that bias as a white writer.

I think Johnson wanted to give Finn and Poe solid character arcs to fit with the theme of overcoming failure, and I don’t think he wrote them as if they were Other, because I do feel somewhat familiar with what it feels like when characters are Other. I’m very alert to women being framed as Other, and in SW most droids and aliens are framed like that. also, old mentor figures can be Other, definitely maternal figures, most villains, expendable side characters, NPC-type folks in the plot who help the story along.

Stories have to be full of Others of one sort or another, and you can be Other in a sympathetic light or a negative light. You can be revered or reviled or ignored. You can be reduced to a stereotype or an archetype. And some stereotypes are more harmful than others because of their connection to real world structural oppression.

The only characters in a story who aren’t Other are characters who get POV time -- that’s just how it works, if the movie makes you see through a character’s eyes, they want you to project onto that character for those scenes. Finn and Poe are POV characters, so they’re not fully othered. Something else is probably going on.

I think Finn and Poe are written in ways that white men would comfortably project onto, if the characters were white men. Take Finn and his running away. It’s not as if male characters who have to learn to care about the cause are deeply disliked. Han Solo is a scoundrel with a heart of gold who spends a lot of time in ANH being reluctant to help the heroes, and then he finally shows his true goodness and saves the day. Finn being a bit jittery and focused on saving a girl he likes might seem less flattering, but think about all the awkward, foolish white male protagonists who get dunked on a bit for their flaws, but ultimately win girls’ hearts and save the day. I’m thinking Emmett from the Lego Movie as a key archetype. That’s... clearly something that white guys find relatable and enjoyable to project onto. Self-deprecating, but ultimately a power fantasy. Part of the power fantasy is watching someone who’s a bit of a loser become a hero through adversity, it makes you feel like you too could take adversity and turn it into positive change as well. And Finn isn’t even such an overstated example, but he does have a lovable-loser thing going on in TFA and TLJ. And then of course he gets to be fantastically heroic and good and brave, because we (lovable losers in the audience) would like to be that way as well.

Poe’s behavior in TLJ gives me very... uncooked Captain Kirk dough vibes. I love me some Kirk, and he’s such a passionate guy who breaks rules and defies authority whenever he thinks it’s right. And sometimes he gets it wrong, and misjudges the situation, but the narrative usually doesn’t punish him too much. And the reason for this is because Kirk has Spock and McCoy and the rest of his crew with him and he deeply trusts their advice and expertise. Spock will almost always tell Kirk to cool his tits, so Kirk feels safe getting hot-titted when he thinks it’s called for. He knows he has a limiter. That’s what makes him a good leader, he knows his shortcomings and surrounds himself with close friends who can balance those shortcomings out. He’s also a seasoned captain, wiser from having dealt with a lot of messy situations. But (forget the reboot movies lol cause I do) if you imagine a younger Kirk, you can imagine him getting all riled up about injustice and hatching one of his daring million-to-one gambits to save everyone -- and it turns out to be a bad move. It turns out he was wrong. And he gets a lesson about that, and this helps him grow into the good Kirkboy we love and respect.

The fact that Poe wants to rush out and save the day, but needs to learn patience, is something white men can find relatable and sympathetic.

But the thing is, I can understand people seeing Finn and Poe being written in this way, and understandably perceiving it as race-blind. Johnson put all these bits of character into them, but because he’s a white male writer who does in fact want to write Finn and Poe as likable and dynamic and engaging, he seems to have written things for them that are endearing when a white male does them.

People see the expressed interiority of Finn and Poe in The Last Jedi and get White Male vibes from it, not because they were written to be disposable or Other, but because they were given White Male interiority.

Now, arguably, Star Wars seems not to discern human races, and since so much of White Male interiority involves seeing yourself as the default and not ever questioning that status, while existing in an industrialized Westernized capitalist society, the idea that Finn and Poe would at least reflect some of that attitude kind of isn’t... entirely unrealistic?

I say this as a woman who had a lot of weirdly externalized misogyny and mistrust of feminism as a kid because I grew up in a bubble where I was free to express my gender however I liked, and adult women made all the decisions, and had status and value, and men were kind of just there also. I didn’t actually understand the feeling of not being default, of being Other, of being secondary, and when I was first exposed to feminism I was angry because I didn’t like to be told that I was oppressed. I didn’t want to be oppressed, so don’t you dare imply it could happen! I grew up without a lot of the social pressures women get, and now I actually recognize male-privileged attitudes ingrained in myself. I feel like aspects of masculinity (but certainly not all of them!) are just the gendered appropriation of Human Default, which women would default to if they weren’t pressed out of it (and aspects of femininity are extremely Human Default too and denying them to men is very damaging to them). So Finn and Poe being written by a white man trying to make them Human Default (or at least Male Default since gender disparities do exist in SW), could come across as infused with whiteness. Also humans in SW have heavy privilege over aliens and droids so they probably would act like privileged people when you think about it......

Still, I don’t and can’t begrudge anyone (particular a person of color) who doesn’t like that, because it’s probably not relatable and it’s missing a lot of nuance and perspicacity that a writer of color would infuse the situation with, in portraying a fictional fantasy world that’s relatively blind to race to an audience in a racialized society. You have to balance both fiction and reality.

White writers sort of have to learn that. A writer wants to engage with their audience authentically, and writers can’t get that if they pretend their audience won’t be hyperalert to racial dynamics. “But I didn’t know people would have that reaction” yes you did, or you should. “But I want to live in a world where people don’t have to have that reaction since it’s coming from so much suffering and injustice” me too buddy, but one movie can’t change everything overnight. Obviously if you care about marginalized people, what you want to do is make them feel appreciated and comfortable for the space of time your movie is playing. But I understand you do also want to write in your style. All the characters you write will be coming out of your own heart, that’s inevitable.

It feels like the “why didn’t Johnson listen to the actors” anger is because people kind of wanted to see the actors’ takes on the characters, so they didn’t have to see Rian Johnson interiority throughout all of them. Except... the thing is. If Lucasfilm really begged Johnson to write and direct their movie, he’s allowed to put Rian Johnson interiority into it. Even the characters of marginalized identities -- ultimately, wanting to project onto and empathize with characters of color is not at all bad. Johnson feels like Rose is his self insert. She’s a woman of color, and he specifically wanted KMT for the role. He felt like he could deeply relate to this character. It’s not that he identifies as an Asian-American woman, it’s that he did actually think that distinction wasn’t a barrier to relatability. (On top of that, I think Rose is written to have some backstory elements that strongly parallel her actress’s Vietnamese heritage, and I think it’s a pretty big deal and I wish more people cared about that but we’ve been brainwashed to forget the Vietnam War I guess.)

White writers do need to take care not to project too much of their own interiority onto characters of color, to the point where audiences feel like they’ve been pushed out, like they’re seeing someone who looks like them but clearly is not like them on the inside (an uncanny, unnerving effect). But at the same time, I can’t imagine writing that doesn’t come from the writer. And white writers absolutely need to project onto and relate to characters of color. It’s always going to be a mess and there’s a lot of work to do to get it right but the alternative where you’re convinced you could never relate is not at all better.

TL;DR: Rian Johnson did indeed fall into a white male writer pitfall, but I think it’s not malicious and it’s also both problematic and potentially a good thing. Also JJ Abrams basically did the same thing it’s just that he didn’t have to write “overcome my fatal flaw” arcs for Finn and Poe.

Johnson also definitely put a lot of work into prioritizing female perspectives and female fantasies and female wish fulfillment and female POV, and I think (as a Female... or. something approximating female lol) the film is a lot better about it than any other Star Wars movie to date. Or that may be because he sat down with Carrie Fisher for hours and hours brainstorming ideas and took her suggestions seriously enough to have notebooks full of them. I imagine he should have done the same with non-white script doctor but when it came to script doctoring and a deep connection to SW, Carrie was kind of without equal.

#my post #the last jedi #actually critical as well but not tagging that lol #probably incomplete understanding of race in media due to my privilege #but like I suppose as a white gender-weird person I do have the advantage of like #detecting when something is meant to be relatable to a certain kind of white man?#the thing is I was relating super hard to poe in the holdo arc #and relating to finn and rose in equal measures in the canto bight arc #not like as if they were truly me but I was having the requisite sympathetic projection that I'd expect for a likable POV char

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maevworldny · 4 years

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Mornings Around Here: Liz and Lego

Welcome back to our series on morning routines where we highlight women around the city and talk to them about what their morning routines look like with their dog. No two mornings are alike and they shouldn’t be! A lot of people hope that dogs will help to bring routine and structure into our lives, to bring joy into mornings, to get up early, to lounge a little longer - whatever it is, it’s your sacred ritual. It’s designed to fit your life and your dogs’s. We’re just here to show how many different faces it can take on.

This week, we chatted with Liz, one of the fabulous models from our shoot about life in New York with her playful and hilarious puppy Lego and work as a graphic designer at Myro. Liz has a tattoo of a lego on her wrist, but you’ll have to find out for yourself which came first - the puppy or the tattoo. Let’s get into it.

Liz and Lego

“It’s funny, as a kid I spent most of my time building with Legos… how fitting right?”

How long have you been in New York?

Well technically I grew up in New York on Long Island, but I’ve lived in Bushwick for 5-6 years now.

You’re a graphic designer - have you always been a creative person? What drew you to graphic design in particular?

Oh yeah, for sure – it runs in my blood. My parents were both creatives; my dad worked for Hearst Magazines in their print management department for 25 years, and my mom was a medical copywriter for several of the big name advertising firms in the city.

It’s funny, as a kid I spent most of my time building with Legos… how fitting right? Legos made me obsessed with the ability to create. It all kind of just went from there.

You’ve worked at a bunch of different places and you currently work at Myro, a plant-powered, refillable deodorant brand. What do you love most about working in a startup environment?

Yeah, I’ve worked for a few startups at this point; Plated, sweetgreen and now Myro. To be honest, my favorite part of the startup life is the culture. I am able to do what I do and LOVE what I do because of the people I work with.

Graphic design requires a pretty creative mind - where do you go when you’re looking for inspiration in both your professional and personal life?

The best place to find inspiration in my mind is just walking around the city. I always see something that catches my eye, whether it be the outfit on the person walking in front of me, or a wheatpaste ad posted up on the green walls of a construction site.

When we had you on set, your outfits mixed patterns and colors and textures in really fun and interesting ways. Who are you style icons and fashion inspiration?

It’s a real mix for me. I’m really into this one influencer Suzie Riemer’s(sweetsuzieq) style, and eclectic mix of wild graphic tee’s and color patterned coats/bottoms. At the end of the day though, I feel like my coworkers influence my style a lot as well. We’re always sharing the latest drops of clothing from different brands like pleasures and braindead.

Let’s talk about Lego because that puppy is so f’ing happy. When did you first decide to get a dog and how did you go about that process?

I’ve been in Bushwick now for over five years, and felt that I needed a change in my life. It was either move across the country or get a dog. I first started seeing bernedoodles in the street around the time I decided to get a dog and immediately became obsessed with them. I kept checking adoption agencies and finally came across Lego’s profile on pet finder. I fell in love at first glance and had to meet him.

On set, Lego was so curious and happy and probably the most social dog we had there that day. How would you describe Lego’s personality?

Lego is such a sweetheart, I’ve never met a more passionate, cuddly, quirky pup in my life. I also would like to think that I had something to do with his personality being so great. ;)

Alright, let’s talk about Lego’s name. I noticed you have a lego tattoo on your wrist. What came first - the tattoo or the dog?

The Lego tattoo came first – it was my first tattoo. My dad actually gave me the idea to name my first dog Lego… little did he know I was actually in the process of going to meet Lego at that point.

Lego is clearly beyond obsessed with you (and it’s obvious the infatuation goes both ways). In what ways do you think the two of you complement one another?

We’re each other’s hype man for SURE. We’re also the perfect cuddle buddies. So many people have told me that Lego always seems to be on the same page as me, almost as if he could read my mind… I wish.

Lego’s still technically a puppy. What’s been the most unexpected part of puppyhood?

In the beginning when I first got him, it was so painful to crate train him. The look he gave me when I would shut the crate door, was just the most depressing thing. And then the crying… yeah, it wasn’t great.

And New York isn’t the easiest place in the world to raise a dog. What’s been the hardest part of having Lego with you in New York City?

The hardest part for me is planning ahead. I can’t be as spontaneous as I used to be with grabbing drinks or hanging out after work because most places aren’t dog friendly in New York.

What are some of your favorite activities to do together on weekends or when you have a bit more time on your hands?

Now that it’s off season at Rockaway, I like to bring Lego to beach 90. He LOVES to dig in the sand.

What time do the two of you wake up every morning?

We wake up at 8:15, sometimes earlier depending on how playful Lego is when he wakes up.

Are you guys early birds or night owls?

On the weekends, we are total early birds!

Does he sleep in your bed?

Of course! He loves to snuggle with me, although he doesn’t stay that way for long, as he likes to move around a lot throughout the night.

What's the first thing you do every day?

I’m such a millennial, I check my phone :(

And what's the first thing you two do together every day? We play for a few minutes before I actually need to get up for work.

What's for breakfast?

For me, it depends on my mood. But for Lego, he has Wellness Complete Health Chicken, Oatmeal and Salmon dry kibble, with a few small pieces of Stella and Chewy’s freezer dried lamb patties.

Walk before or after breakfast?

Before breakfast!

What do you listen to while getting ready for the day?

As of late, I’ve been listening to Mark Ronson’s new album “Late Night Feelings”.

Healthiest morning habit:

Going to a morning workout class.

Worst morning habit:

Going back to bed.

One word to describe your mornings:

Productive

I never leave home without…

My headphones!

If you had one extra hour in the morning, how would you use it?

I would go workout OR take Lego to the dog park.

The best part of mornings with my dog is:

When he sees I’m waking up and comes over to snuggle with me.

Our morning routine series is designed to showcase the diversity of experiences that come with having a dog in the city in all the ups and all the downs.

If you and your dog would like to be featured, text ‘ritual’ to 29071

#Dogs #Women's Lifestyle

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amershamsdigitalmarketing · 4 years

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Smashing Podcast Episode 9 With Stéphanie Walter: How Can I Work With UI Frameworks?

Drew McLellan

2020-02-11T05:00:00+00:002020-02-11T08:07:04+00:00

As a developer myself, one of the things that I like about UI frameworks is that they often come with default styling, but is that something that we should be relying on in projects? Simply using the default styling and trusting that whoever produced the framework has done a really good job in designing those components? Join me for today ’s podcast episode in which I soeak to UX Designer Stéphanie Walter about things we should be considering when building on a UI framework.

Show Notes

Stéphanie’s website

Stéphanie on Twitter

Weekly Update

“How To Create A Card Matching Game Using Angular And RxJS” by Anna Prenzel

“How To Create A Headless WordPress Site On The JAMstack” by Sarah Drasner

“Magic Flip Cards: Solving A Common Sizing Problem” by Dan Halliday

“Django Highlights: User Models And Authentication (Part 1)” by Philip Kiely

“How To Create Maps With React And Leaflet” by Shajia Abidi

Transcript

Drew McLellan: She’s a user centered designer and expert in mobile experience, who crossed delightful products and interfaces with a special focus on performance. She’s worked on projects for clients such as the University of Luxembourg, European Investment Bank, BMW and Microsoft to name but a few, and she helps those clients deliver successful projects to their audience all the way from strategy to the final product. She’s a Google Developer expert in product design and a passionate teacher sharing her knowledge in numerous blog posts, articles, workshops and conference presentations. So we know she’s an expert user experience designer, but did you know she once had a job fitting carpets with Sir Elton John? My Smashing friends, please welcome Stéphanie Walter. Hello Stéphanie, how are you?

Stéphanie Walter: Hi, I’m smashing and loved the introduction.

Drew: So I wanted to talk to you today about a particular issue and that’s the subject of using off-the-shelf user interface frameworks. Now you’re a user experience designer and you work with lots of different clients and your job is to help those clients create the best possible user experiences through crafting highly usable user interfaces. So the idea of being able to do that with an off-the-shelf set of tools seems like a bit of a stretch to me. Is the use of UI framework something you see a lot throughout your work?

Stéphanie: Yeah, it’s something I’ve seen a lot, especially in the last few years because I started working with an agency and now I work within the company. So in those super big IT tech teams and yeah, at the moment there’s a lot of framework UIs like the one that I’ve seen the most is Material-UI, basically Material design is a Google design kind of guidelines and thing, and Material-UI is the team from Angular, but also the team from React. They created their own framework using kind of the look and feel of the Material design from Google. But it has nothing to do with Google anymore. It’s just like they, I don’t know, I think they liked the look and feel. So at the moment, those are the two main UI framework I work with. And also there’s something called Ant Design, that’s grew quite popular.

Stéphanie: It’s a React framework. I don’t know if they have Angular too. I think it was made by a team in China. And it’s interesting because not only does it provide the components, everything in React, but if you go to their website you’ll also get the scratch files, which is actually quite interesting because then it kind of motivates or helps the designer build or shape the interface into the UI components used by that framework. So yeah, it’s something I’ve seen a lot, especially in big IT teams because most of the times those don’t have a designer. At the moment I’m basically UX team of one in a small team at a European investment bank. So it’s me as a UX designer. I work with a team of developers, business analysts, all the good people, but still is one designer for the whole project.

Stéphanie: Until I arrived there was no designer. So it’s kind of a solution implemented in a lot of companies, especially on internal products for instance. Where they usually say, okay, we don’t really need a designer for that. We just need something that works for our internal users and let’s just use a framework because it’s convenient for the developers. Most of the components are already there and since they don’t have designers in the team, then it’s kind of replacing, as to say, the role of a UI designer. Yeah, problem with that is that, okay, then you have the components, but the role of the UI designer is not just to decide about should the button be red, green, orange, blue, whatever. Usually the role of the UI designer is information architecture, understanding user needs. So everything that goes beyond the interface. So even if you have this kind of framework that kind of takes care of the whole UI, So visually what you see on the screen.

Stéphanie: You still need someone at some point to do the job of understanding what do we put on the screen, how is it going to behave? What happens when we click here? How does the user accomplish their goal? How do we go from point A to point B? Because we can use a model, we can use tabs, we can use all of the components. So that’s why it’s always kind of a little bit complex and tricky.

Drew: Is it possible, do you think be able to create a usable user interface using an off the shelf UI framework, or is it always going to be a bit of a compromise?

Stéphanie: I kind of hope so. I kind of hope so because otherwise I’m building not usable interfaces. So this answer is totally biased, but yeah, I think it is, but it also depends on the level of compromise you’re willing to do and there’s compromises on both sides. At the moment I’m compromising a lot of buttons for instance, because you have some really specific buttons in Material-UI, and I don’t really like the ripple effect on the button. I think it works great on mobile because on mobile you need a kind of a big feedback when user clicks on or touches the button. But then the steps is kind of ripple effect that goes all the way on the button. It’s a little bit overkill, especially when there’s a lot of button. But still we are going to keep this ripple effect because it would be super complex to remove it because this was built in to the React framework. And to have another hover effect on this button, something more subtle that will not be this kind of whooshy thing here. It would be super complex.

Stéphanie: So this is the kind of compromises you do. But on the meantime, I don’t compromise on specific things which is custom components. Where I was working before, the current client for a travel and airline company. And airline has some really, really super specific needs. The calendar for the airline for instance, you want to put prices, you want to put… if you don’t travel to this destination on a specific date, you don’t know when to put that, you have this departure and arrival and the basic calendar of most of those UI frameworks don’t provide these kind of things. So at some point you can say, okay, we will just use the calendar they have. And that’s it. You need to go beyond that. So most of the compromises are basically built on, do we use the basic component? Do we create a custom one that will fit the user needs? Or do we make a mix of the two? In the case of the calendar, for instance, we use the calendar grid, so we use the basic component and then we enhanced it with customization on top of that. So it was a lot of React development for that one.

Stéphanie: And yeah, so usually you do a lot of compromises.

Drew: So it sounds like using a user interface framework can get you a certain amount of the way there, but to really have a good user interface as a result of it, you need to do quite a bit of customization on top?

Stéphanie: Usually. Yeah.

Drew: Does that customization go beyond theming?

Stéphanie: Yeah, my developer wished it wouldn’t go beyond theming. Eugene If you listen to me. I think he would be super happy if we would just change a few colors on everything. But yes, at some point you need to go beyond the customization because first, like UI frameworks are like Lego tools is kind of a toolbox. So you have a lot of different components in the box, but this doesn’t build a page. You still need a header, you still need a footer. You still need extra content that was not in the framework. So sometimes you can tweak a component into what you needed. From what I understood, we are using the card component to build a modal windows, but the thing with the modal windows is that it doesn’t really behave like a card.

Stéphanie: You are kind of going a little bit beyond that. You need a background with obscurification. You need to trigger it on click while usually your card is already there in the interface. So we are using this card component because it has a lot of the things we need like the background, a header and a title at the top, some buttons at the bottom. So we have the structure and then we tweak it a little bit. But we end up with some conflict sometimes about semantics, HTML as well. Because for instance, I wanted to have buttons that didn’t have button shapes, so just like link button and the developer said, “Okay, so we use a link like your href link.” I said, “No, this is not a link. It’s a button. When they click it, it doesn’t open a new page. It clears everything that is into the form.”

Stéphanie: So it should be technically from a semantical point of view, it should be a button. “Yeah. But it doesn’t exist in the framework.” I say “So okay, I know so what do we do?” So usually you start discussing these little things and since I’m really annoying my developers with accessibility also, this is another extra layer of trying to make sure that we have the basic components that they work well with. But also that they are semantically like I don’t want to have buttons with gifs within gifs within gifs. Otherwise we’ll have issues in the end.

Drew: I guess starting a new project that’s going to use a UI framework, you probably need to start with some sort of user research.

Stéphanie: Yes.

Drew: Is that fair?

Stéphanie: You should. You need to. So yes, usually you can have all the components you want. You still need to know what do your users need on the pages, how are they going to navigate? You need to build a flow. So usually even before deciding on a framework, what we do is we go to our users, we talk to them, we try to understand their needs. So at the moment I’m quite lucky because the users are internally within the bank. So we do a lot of workshops with them and you have to imagine it’s a super complex interface. We are migrating from something that was built, I don’t know, I think 10 or even 15 years ago to something all new shiny using Material-UI React. So it’s quite a big change and you have to understand that during those 15 years, everyone who wanted something could go to the support and then they ask the IT team to implement it. So at the moment my interface is like 400 pages with tables, within tables, within tables, with other tables, and stuff that shouldn’t even be in tables.

Stéphanie: Like we have a lot of things that are just key value, key value, key value. So they build the table with two columns. I’m like, “Nope, maybe we can do something better with that.” So at the moment what we are doing is we did some user research to understand the different goals of the users. So what we identified is that what they do with the interface, they have some planification goals. They need to plan their work. So I want to know that this operation is going to go to this meeting, so I need that on that schedule, stuff like that. They want to monitor a thing, they want to report the data. So monitoring is just like looking at the data and making sure everything is fine. Reporting is being able to exploit the data, to do something with it they want to share and to kind of collaborate with colleagues and all of that we discovered by discussing directly with the users.

Stéphanie: And what we discovered is that actually some of the things we were planning on migrating at the end are some of the most important things on a daily basis for the user. So the planification user goal is one of the kind of biggest one at the moment. So we are really, really working on that. So yeah we do use the interview and now we are in the phase where at the moment we are super high level saying okay we need to build the shell, we need to understand navigation. But at the moment we didn’t really go through all of the data and this is now what we are going to do. And it’s interesting because we have a lot of tables and we said we can either go the kind of not smart way and just put the tables in the new interface and we’re done, or we can say, okay, let’s try to understand what those tables are, What do our users use this table for?

Stéphanie: And then maybe some of the tables could be displayed as data visualization and then to do that you need to understand the whole business So that the data makes sense. So if you have a nice framework and you say, okay, let’s use this chart… I think is called chart JS framework. You have a lot of things, you can have histogram, pie charts and graphs and everything, but at some point you still need a designer to help you decide. Okay, this data, does it make sense if we show it into a graph or it makes more sense to show it as a pie because we want to show part of the whole, or we want to compare evolution for one country in the last 10 years, then a histogram is more interesting. So based on what the user wants to do with the data, you are going to display them a whole other way.

Stéphanie: And usually it’s not a developer job to do that. Our developer, they’re super smart guy. I’m sorry, but I honestly work with guy developers, I wish I had some ladies, but no. None of them are women. So super smart guys but they are not super qualified to say, okay, this data should be displayed like that, that, that and that. So in the end you still need some designers go to talk to the users, understand what you can do with the data and this goes far beyond just saying, okay, this should be a tab bar or this should be a navigation on the left.

Drew: And after making those sorts of decisions based on talking to the users. Would you typically take the resulting prototypes or designs back to users to test them again to see if they understand your type of chart choice for example?

Stéphanie: Yeah, we did that a lot actually, which is really nice because then you don’t develop something until you know it’s going to be useful and usable. So it depends. If it’s quicker to actually develop the thing because they have already most of the components, what I usually do is I do really quick paper prototyping and then we develop the thing because it’s quick, even without the data. If it’s something complex, something really, really new that will take a lot of time to develop, then we say, okay, we design a few screens and we do some testing directly on the screen. So we have a tool it’s called InVision, where basically you put all of your design, you can create links between the different parts. The thing is it also depends what you want to test. If you want to test phones for instance, it’s a nightmare to test those in InVision because the people can’t really feel them and especially on mobile phone for example.

Stéphanie: So it’s always kind of being smart. What’s the fastest and cheapest way? Is it faster and cheaper to test only designs. Is this enough? For forms usually, not really because you have auto completes all of the heavy lifting you put in the front end who have actually the user fill a form so for forms, maybe it’s more efficient to actually build a form and test it. But for new things, yeah, we do a lot of designs. We go to the users. So at the moment we either do one-on-ones, but my users are really busy people. It��s a European investment bank so they don’t have that much time. So what we usually do is that if we come to one-on-one with the users, we do some small meetings, like more like focus groups. And it’s also interesting because then you have kind of a confrontation sometimes. Some people say, “Yeah, I think it works for me because I work like that and that,” and then there’ll be other people who are like, “Oh you work like that? Actually no, I do it like that and that.”

Stéphanie: So it’s also interesting to kind of have a few people in the room and to listen just to the conversation, taking notes and say, “Oh maybe then we could do that” and “This component would be better based on what I just heard.” And things like that.

Drew: If you’re working with a more general audience for your product. So perhaps not internal users like you have, but more the general public, are there inexpensive ways that designers can get that use of research in? Are there easier ways if you don’t know directly who your users are going to be?

Stéphanie: You should know who they are going to be otherwise it does the job of the marketing people before building the product. But yeah, we did some guerrilla user testing for instance, You can still use InVision for instance. So you can build some prototypes in InVision and then you can recruit the users through social media, for instance. I was working for a product that helped, what is the name, car dealerships mechanics who repair things and then to also inform the client about extra repairs, things like that. So we had already kind of a growing community on LinkedIn and Facebook. So what you can do is you can recruit those people. You can do remote testing, like we are having conversation in a tool like an online tool. You can do some screen sharing. So we did that for some project also.

Stéphanie: I would just give you one advice is test the tool before, because I was using, it was called appear.in. But I think they changed the name to Whereby or something, but it’s really in the browser who I said, okay, it’s nice because then the users don’t need to install anything but do users were not on a real computer. They were into VM, into a Citrix and they didn’t have microphones so what we ended up doing is like they used my tool to share the screen. They were clicking on the prototype and at the same time I had them over the phone, like a landline phone, to talk to them directly. So there’s always, this was a quite cheap because it was a wonderful day of recruiting, I think we had 10 users or something like that. Yeah, you can do a lot of things even if you can’t go face to face, I’ve done a lot of usability testing directly on Skype or things like that. So there’s always some cheap ways to do that.

Drew: When it comes to choosing a UI framework to work with, if that’s the route that you’re going, is that something that you would leave just to the developers or is that something that designers should get involved in too?

Stéphanie: For me, you should involve the whole team. Like the designers, the developers, maybe also architects if you have some, because how the framework is built might also influence these kind of things. Unfortunately, most of the time when they arrive on the project, the framework was already decided. No, actually it’s funny, either it’s already decided or they ask me to validate their choice of the framework, but I didn’t do any reviews or research. I have strictly no idea what’s in the project because they didn’t even show me their screens. They’re like, “Yeah, do your thing. We can use this framework.” I don’t know. Well, do we have a screen? So they ended up showing you a few screens, which was a Windows native app they wanted to migrate in the cloud. They said, “Yeah, we only need the buttons and mostly like forms and things like that.”

Stéphanie: But it’s really hard to say, “Yeah, go for this framework, we have all of the components we need.” Or like, “Don’t go if you don’t have a rough idea of what’s your content going to be, what is the navigation.” So I think you should still have kind of a global overview before choosing your frameworks unless you’re 100% sure you have all of the components. But I have a feeling that most of the time the framework choice is basically based on what technologies do developer like at the moment, do they have experience with a framework before that? We used Ant on some projects just because a few developers had experience with that and they really liked it and they were kind of efficient using Ant. And for the Material React UI it’s the same. It’s like because the developer already used it on previous projects, so they are efficient with it.

Drew: So really it’s got to be a balance between what the developers are comfortable with, what they know, what’s going to work with their technology stack and then what the requirements of the product are in terms of creating a good user interface. And you somehow need to balance the two of those to find the ideal framework for it.

Stéphanie: Yes. I have a kind of a specific requirement for some project, which is… I’m in Luxembourg, we have a lot of European institutions and things like that, so we have an extra accessibility requirement for some of those. And usually when the framework was decided, they didn’t really check about the accessibility of their framework and then they come back a few months after the beginning of the project saying, “Oh, just told us that there’s this new law and we should be accessible but we don’t know how to do that.” Like yeah, it’s a little bit too late. So for me, to choose a framework you need really to know all of the constraints at the beginning of the project and if accessibility is one of them you need to test your components and make sure that they are going to be accessible. But I am not a React or Angular developer, but I’m pretty sure that it’s super complex to turn a not accessible UI framework into something accessible. I guess it might be a little bit complex to rebuild all of the components, so things like that.

Drew: If you find yourself working on a project where that process hasn’t taken place and a UI framework has already been chosen, is there a danger that the user interface could start being influenced by the components that already exist within that framework rather than being driven by the needs of the user?

Stéphanie: It really, honestly, most of the projects I worked on, eventually you end up having a lot of trade offs, even if you really try to push. So it’s mostly about balance and discussing with the developers. So usually what I do is we do some wire frames, even quick paper wire frames, say okay, on this page we will need that and that and that component, the first thing I do is I ask the developer do we have that in our framework at the moment? What does it look like? And then we decide together, okay, this is a component that would do the job or okay this will not do the job. Do we tweak it? Like do we still keep the component but change it a little bit so that it does the job, or do we build something from scratch?

Stéphanie: And at the end of the day it will depend on the budget of course. So you ended up doing trade offs. Like I would be okay for small components that are almost never used if they’re not perfect and there’s kind of few issues. But for main navigation, main structure, things that you see all the time on the screen, for instance, this really needs to work. The user’s needs to understand how they work efficiently and yeah, it’s, as you said, finding a balance between the ideal experience you wish you would have if you didn’t have any framework and what you have at hand and the budget and also the timing. If we say, okay, for these sprints, the feature needs to be finished at the end of this sprint, and then they say, okay, but if you want your components we will never finish the feature at the end of this sprint then you start discussing, okay, do we finish this feature in the next screen, do we take more time to do it properly? And usually it really depends.

Stéphanie: The things that frustrate me the most is when I know that we use a crop fix component and they say to me like, Oh no, don’t worry. We will fix that later. And I knew that the later unfortunately might never happen. So depends on the team. But after a while you have the experience and you know, will this later arrive and or will it not? Yeah, it’s about compromises. When you are working with these kind of tools.

Drew: As a developer myself, one of the things that I like about UI frameworks is that they often come with default styling. So that means that I don’t necessarily need to have a designer maybe to help me with the look and feel of all the components. Is that something that we should be relying on in projects? Just the default styling and trusting that whoever produced the framework has done a really good job in designing those components? Or would you be styling those components yourself?

Stéphanie: I think it truly depends. The problem for instance with Material-UI is the look and feel of your a web app will be basically the configured Google products. So if you don’t actually change the font, change a few colors and kind of bring your own brand identity and do that, you’ll have a product that will just looked like any Google product, which could be a good thing because if your users are used to Google products it might help them understand it. So usually if you don’t have a designer in the team, do you have any choice? Like a lot of the different work I’ve seen, they come with custom themes so at least you can change the colors. I think you can change the fonts also pretty easily. But again, like if you change the colors and you’re not super good at design or even accessibility, maybe the colors you will use will clash, they might have contrast problems.

Stéphanie: For instance, I love orange, but it’s one of the most annoying color to work with because to have a real accessible orange, for instance, as a button with white text, it almost looks brownish. And if you want to have this really shiny orange, you need dark text on top of it to make it readable but it kind of makes your interface look like Halloween at the end of the day. Yeah, I see you laughing. But it’s true. So it’s always about these kind of compromises and say if you’re a developer and you want to use the framework as it is and you don’t have a designer, I think it’s still better than not having anything and building it from scratch and then it’s super complex to use. But the thing is, just because you have the components doesn’t mean you will build a great interface. It’s like Lego bricks. If you have the Lego bricks, okay it’s fine, but you can do a real nice spaceship or you can do something that isn’t holding together and will fall apart because you didn’t have really a plan.

Stéphanie: So design is kind of more than that. Design is about really understanding what’s going to be on the screen, how it will work. And I know some developers who actually have the capability to do that. So they are really good with usability guidelines and they understand a lot of design rules, for instance. So when it comes to choosing the components, they’re really good at that. And I know developers who have no idea what components to choose and choose the first one that does the job. But after a while it doesn’t work anymore. Like tabs for instance, we had an interface where some developers chose tabs. I think it makes sense at the beginning when you only have three items. But then there was 12 items on the screen and then you have the tabs that are three lines of tabs, and all of those are the same level one tabs, and there’s tabs within tabs. So they had the component, it looked nice because they use the framework, but it wasn’t really usable.

Stéphanie: And I had the same with like a modal windows for instance. Where they build the projects without a designer and after a while I think the client asked for more and more stuff into this modal. So they ended up with a screen with a table and when you click on add a row, you open a modal, and in this modal you have two tabs, and then in one of those tabs you even have another table and then they wanted to add an extra stuff into that, I was like, okay, maybe we can put a modal on top of a modal. And at some point the designer would reply, okay, if you have that much content in the modal, it should not be a modal window. It should be a page. So even if you have the component, you still need kind of an architect to do the plan and make sure that all of those components work well together.

Drew: So if as a designer, you’re being asked to change the styling of some components, would you just try and change all of the styling? Would you customize all of it or are there certain areas that you’d focus on?

Stéphanie: Colors I think because it’s the first thing you see, colors can actually bring you identity. If you have like a strong brand identity, at least having the colors of your product on the buttons or the icons and things like that, already helps you customize the framework. Fonts because I think it’s easy, if the framework is well-built, usually you change the whole font family in someplace and then it should kind of cascade on the rest of the site. So colors and fonts is I think two easy ways to quickly customize the framework. Icons is another nice way to bring personality, but it might be difficult because from what I’ve seen, most of the framework come with custom icons or Font Awesome or like a library already built in. So to replace those, first you need a lot of icons if you want to replace them all. So it might be a little bit complex. I have also seen frameworks that lets you choose which icon pack you want to use. like Font Awesome, Glyphicons and some of the other ones. So this is the kind of things you can quite easily customize.

Stéphanie: And then it’s about look and feel, for instance the header, usually you have different kinds of headers, footers. How do you navigate things like that. So there’s already a lot of small customization you can bring so that it doesn’t look Material-UI-ish, it more looks like your brand and then you can play around with border radius’s for instance. Whether you want completely rounded buttons, or you want square buttons or you want something in the middle like shadows also. So some small stuff that are kind of usually easy to customize because most of those frameworks have them in CSS variables. This is the kind of small things that you can customize without I think a lot of effort, except for these ripple effects. I hate that. I’m going to fight it. I kind of hope they change it eventually.

Drew: I guess things like that, that might seem obvious might seem just like a surface level effect, Do you think that would be easy to change and in this case it turns out it wasn’t easy to change? Is that just a case of speaking to your developers to find out what’s going to be easy to customize and what’s not going to be easy?

Stéphanie: Yeah, usually, especially if they’re used to work with the framework, they know what’s easy to change on it. It depends on the developer, I had discussion with one developer and I asked him if we can not have like uppercase buttons, because they are kind of a little bit hard to read, especially in the font we were using, he went into the documentation and say, I don’t know if we can customize it because I can’t see it in the API. I was like, what API? It’s like CSS class, CSS definition. You remove the uppercase from the CSS and it’s done. So he was like looking for an API to change just the font, how does the font look like. And I was like, yeah, but if there’s no API for that, I think you can change it in CSS.

Stéphanie: But then it’s complex because if you have to change this in like all of the CSS line. So it’s usually kind of a big discussion. It was the same… was like drop downs. So Material-UI, the React version we use, has some customized drop downs. So when you have a select box like form element, the select it opens these custom components and I don’t know why but we have a big problem with that on Internet Explorer. We are going to migrate to windows 10 and Edge. I’m looking forward to it, but we are still Internet Explorer 11 at the moment. And what’s happened is whenever you use or you open one of those components, it freezes the screen behind it and you have a scroll bar, so it kind of jumps around whenever you want to use one of those.

Stéphanie: And at some point we discuss with the developer, is the customizing of that worth the screen jumping around whenever users click on that. And it’s like, honestly for me, no, I prefer it not to jump and we use the select in the browser, then it will not look the same if our users have Edge and, no not Edge, IE. Or if some users are using Firefox, okay? So it will not look the same but it will be the native one and it will not make the page jump around every time someone clicks. So it’s this kind of discussion also, do we want to customize it but then it’s kind of clumsy or do we say, okay we are not going to customize it. We had the same debate with a scroll bar because we had another project we had drop-downs and they were 100 elements at some point in the drop downs. So there’s an auto complete but you can still scroll inside the drop down. And the developer said, yeah but this is looking really ugly on IE, the default scroll bar.

Stéphanie: And they investigated, they found JavaScript library that would let us have this really small little a scroll down you have on Mac and have it everywhere. Then we said, okay, is it worth investigating? We need to investigate, test it, put it everywhere, test all of the browsers. So we said we are going to do it, but only if it doesn’t damage the performance and if he doesn’t damage the rest of your experience, otherwise it’s perfectly normal that the browser element don’t look the same on any browsers. So at the end, don’t customize everything.

Drew: I guess it’s a collaborative team effort, then? Everyone needs to discuss and balance up again all the different performance factors, ease of customization and where that customization happens. So once you’ve got your UI framework in place, you’ve got all your components specified and built out and customized and styled to how you want them. I guess you need to document that in some way to maintain consistency?

Stéphanie: So at some point as a designer what we usually do, we already document them in our sketch files. So we have the working files with every single screen and everything. And in the sketch files we have really specific art boards where we put all of the different components. So that if another designer works on the project, they know that the components already exist and they can just drag and drop it in a new page and reuse it afterwards. So we have this system where we document the components also we document the use, like when do you use this component? When do you use that one? Where is this one working better? So all of the different states for instance, like inputs, we have I think 10 of those, like a focus with a placeholder, without a place holder, with content like arrows and things like that. So again, we bring consistency and then the development parts, it really depends on the kind of maturity of the communication of the team. So what we are currently building is basically a library of components and we are also building the tool around it.

Stéphanie: So my developer is currently building that and the idea is to build the component first in our kind of a sandbox, document it. Also he builds things where you can change the colors and if have a button for instance, you can change the icon, you can change the text to see if it will still work with longer text, smaller text, things like that. So we are building this sandbox and in the sandbox, you have a ‘Read me’ tab where you have documentation for how should this look, how should this component be used, when, how is it supposed to behave? Like auto complete for instance, seems to be something really, really easy, But if you start actually designing the flow of the auto complete, what happens when you put the focus in the field? Do you start auto completing or offering suggestion after one character after two, after three? If it’s after three, what happens in the meantime?

Stéphanie: So there’s a lot of different questions about that that we also document, which is really going super deep into that so that if this auto complete gets implemented on another project or gets used by another team, they know exactly how it’s supposed to work as well. So we kind of do the same. The two of us, so designers are documenting into the design tools and usually in the design tool we document the colors and shadows and gradients so that the developer don’t have to look around and try to remember exactly what the hexadecimal code for this button was and things like that. So in the end it’s kind of you have this UI framework that was super generic and you customized it, you made sure that the components you use are actually the ones that are going to help your user accomplish their goals.

Stéphanie: Everything you’ve customized is kind of starting to become your own little design system. So at the end you’re building a design system, but instead of building it from scratch, you’re basically building it using React, Material or, what was the other one? Ant or something like that. So it’s the same constraints.

Drew: Would you go back to user testing at this point after things have actually been built? Would you go back and test things with users again?

Stéphanie: We have tests, like real people testing, like regression testing and making sure that everything works. Like when you click it works, when you hover it works, stuff like that. But yes in the end, especially if we didn’t do a prototype, if we did the user testing in mockups, we want sometimes to test it again with the real users who have a feeling that everything is still working. So yeah, sometimes we go again into user testing at the end. We do that usually at the end of a few sprints where the features were implemented. So usually what happens is like we do the research, we design the feature into design tools, we do quick testing at the beginning, then it’s implemented, we do tests to make sure it works. And then again we go back to the users.

Stéphanie: And it’s also interesting because we are building a community with the users. So they’re actually quite eager to see that. The first testing was a little bit kind of a sneak peek, like, Oh, this is what it might look like. And then they are super curious about how it works and how it looks like at the end. So we go back usually in one-on-one testing for that or if we don’t have the time, we do just like panels and also we deploy it. So sometimes we do AB testing also sometimes if we don’t have time for the user testing one-on-ones, we deployed it and then we say, okay, it was deployed. If you have any feedback, please come back to us. Also if you see bugs, because sometimes we compete, the team missed a bug or something, so if we don’t have time for re testing it, we still try to find and manage to find some ways to gather feedback even after it’s deployed.

Drew: And over time, one of the things that might be a concern probably from a technical point of view is that you’ve built on top of a UI framework and then a new version of that framework comes out and things have changed. Is that a situation that you’ve experienced where a new version has come, your developers want to update but it might have implications on the design?

Stéphanie: Yeah. The thing is we have test environments, so they’re really quick and easy thing to do is like, okay, let’s put in your version in one of those secure environment and see what is broken. So from when designers most of the time when they do a new version they tell developers, is it going to break? Like is this new version something completely new and it’s not compatible with the old version? Or is this new version something that is just an announcement and you might not break that many things. So yeah, obviously sometimes when you put a new version it completely breaks, but this is again, then you have like testing stories and like technical investigation stories to decide if we are going to migrate or not. Also like from what I understand in some of the environment I worked on, they kind of encapsulated those in web components.

Stéphanie: So they’re already has kind of two different version of Angulars on some components, it was using one version on the other ones it was using the other one and from what I understood it works because then you only encapsulate what you need. So this apparently is also a solution is then you can use whatever version you want, but I’m not a developer but I feel at some point you’ll be like, okay, this component is using that version of Angular and this one, this and this maybe kind of becomes super hard to maintain. Do you know?

Drew: Yup.

Stéphanie: It does. Okay. So yeah, you make sure it still works, but I don’t have the feeling that Material-UI are like those frameworks, even bootstrap for instance, they don’t have any new version every year or something. It’s a long lifecycle and in the case of my tool, I think this tool will be here for the next year, so we have eventually to update. But if you’re building kind of a online tool, more like a B to B product. Most of the time you revise every three years or something. And usually there is a new technology. I was talking to a friend and they’re currently working on a project where they’re rebuilding and riffing on React. The first version was built three years ago with another technology. I really don’t remember the technology, but they say, okay, we are three years later, they’re already rebuilding it. And I think in like three years, they will re-rebuild it. So at some points if you’re in like in B to C products, I even wonder if you update your framework or if you are going to change the design and rebuild it anyway in a few years from scratch.

Drew: Is there anything else that we should be considering when building on a UI framework?

Stéphanie: I feel we covered a lot of things. Well, the thing is like, there’s always a way to do it quick, user research, talk to users or at least do usability testing. Make sure you don’t design or build in a silo and try to have other people at least look at what you’ve created to make sure that the components as a developer, that you used as a developer I really do wonder are going to do the job. And don’t ask the designer to put paint on top of the framework at the end of the project because it’s kind of already too late to do big infrastructure on changes. It might not work.

Drew: So at Smashing, we have books, we have conferences, and of course, we have Smashing Magazine, a website with loads of articles. We’re all about learning. So what is it that you’ve been learning lately?

Stéphanie: I’ve been taking online introduction to psychology class.

Drew: Tell us a bit about that.

Stéphanie: Last lesson was actually super interesting. We were talking about visual illusions and how they work with your brain. So it’s really super complex and there’s… Apparently not everyone agrees on the explanation of most of those illusions, but it’s interesting because I had a small psychology lesson, like I read books on cognitive sciences and things like that. So I already knew kind of the basics, but it’s interesting to see like all the different aspects of psychology. So the interesting part of this course is it’s an introduction but it explains to you kind have all the branches from say child development psychology to trauma psychology to intercultural psychology. So and then illusions and I think this week it’s actually about cognitive psychology and how to apply psychology to interfaces. So all of those really, really interesting topics. And it’s nice because it’s an online class, so I’m basically learning stuff on my couch with some tea, and yeah, that’s really, really cool.

Drew: Oh, that’s super interesting. If you, dear listener, would like to hear more from Stéphanie. You can follow her on Twitter where she’s @WalterStephanie, or find her on the web at stephaniewalter.design. Thanks for joining us today, Stéphanie. Do you have any parting words for us?

Stéphanie: Thanks for having me. It was a smashing experience.

(dm, ra, il)

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