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kanmom51 · 1 year

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Jungkook 28 Feb 2023

*Disclaimer: this post is written by an opinionated blogger that usually is not afraid to speak her own mind. I say it now and I also repeat it throughout the post – these are MY opinions, my thoughts. You can agree or disagree. Just don’t be an ass about it!!

Cr./ to all the creators of the media used in this post.

28 Feb 2023 started out as a lovely quiet peaceful uneventful day.

Until it was no longer peaceful and uneventful, cause Mr. Chaos himself, a.k.a Jeon Jungkook, decided it’s time to liven things up.

28.2.2023 at 13:31 SKT Jeon Jungkook started a live.

*Anecdote time:

Just for a second here, before I go into the live, I would like to talk about the coincidental numbers playing here. Yes, we have another coincidence.

From the date:

2+2+2+2=8

8+3=11

8/11

You can also go with:

2+2+2+2+3=11

And the extra 8, bringing you to the same place:

8/11

Oh, and the time: 13:31 – 2 thirteens, mirrored (well the numbers are).

So, yeah, again, one of those strange coincidences that kind of keep happening time and time again with those two.

Moving on to the live itself.

This time it was on the shorter side, just under 30 minutes, JK letting us know in advance that it probably would be, as he had to leave for work soon.

And yet, he decided to do the live cause he was bored (and even though he hasn’t washed up yet either, a piece of information he shares with us later on).

J-Hope and JM showed up at the start, in the comments, once again. JK with his “oh, J-Hope” reaction and his special “JM’s here” one including his unmissable JM smile.

JM's last comment was Hyung is going to a shoot (filming), as in JM is.

And a special prize goes to JK's very special JM smile.

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Now, I know there was a whole wave of (add annoying voice effect here): “JK asked JM and Hobi how they are doing” and “JK told them to be well”, followed by, of course: “boo to you, you lose, that means JK hasn’t seen either of them for a long time” and “clearly JK hasn’t seen JM for a while now, heh heh heh, we win”. If only you could see my rolling eyes at this point.

So, as usual, idiots will be idiots, and of course they twist things up to suit whatever and whichever narrative they want at that moment in time (cause the narratives, they keep changing as well, like constantly).

I will start by saying that even if that WAS the actual translation or WAS what JK was saying, then: SO WHAT? In what world can we not ask our significant others how they are or tell them to be well during the day, even if we saw them off to work that very morning? I mean in the actual living long term relationship world and not in the “we don’t have an idea about what a real relationship is and live in fantasy” world that is.

But you know what? We didn’t even have to go there, to that real life relationship world. Because JK, he wasn’t talking to JM and Hobi at that point.

He was talking to bloody army. Pity these ‘army’ didn’t realise JK was asking them how they are and to keep well.

So this is how it went down:

JK sees Hobi and JM. He reacts the way he does (you know, JM smile and all) and then says “it’s nice to see the members”.

Then he moves on to that Japanese word they were commenting about.

And only after that he goes on to say:

“Yeah, everyone, be well. Are you doing well?” followed by: “I’m growing my hair. What do you think?”

These 4 short sentences were all connected. The “everyone” is meant for us, the viewers. I also have to ask, do these idiots think the question about his hair was also meant for Hobi and JM?

Later on, around the 6:54 min. mark he once again asks: “everyone, what are you doing?” was that for JM and hobi as well?? She asked sarcastically…

Before I go on, and because I need to calm down for a second, can someone tell me please….

Is this person real????

Is it actually legal?

Ok, moving on…

JK telling us he doesn’t want to wash up, too lazy, and asks who wants to help him. Lol, JK, you don’t ask your fans something like that. I bet that ring at the door was someone coming to help you out… (I don’t believe I’m laughing about that, it was probably a bloody sasaeng…).

But you know, that “I’m too lazy to wash up” did sound a little familiar.

So, let's remember for one second a certain other who stated just that, and a clear solution to it all.

JK explains Bam is in a new training centre, but also that he hasn’t been well. It seems this is an ongoing issue, well a few issues (stomach, spine, skin). Poor Bammy, and poor JK too, he does seem really worried (Bam post will come…at some point…I promised and I will deliver).

He talks a little about the new centre and explains that they have camping options on site, and that:

“We’ll gather around all cozy and nice, and drink some beer”.

I’m kind of wondering if this translation is accurate and if it is, then who the “we” is that he is referring to.

JK talks about going out for drinks with friends the night before the live. He also talks about having a full pork belly delivered and grilling it, so now the whole place smells of meat (me asking: do they not have proper ventilation in the kitchen in such a high end apartment?).

JK says he made himself a hearty meal, but couldn’t finish it off, as his stomach shrunk.

Ahm, yeah, frown.

Editorial:

I, as opposed to those that think JK is great, happy, doing well, don’t think that at all. I think he is going through something. Maybe, as a very good friend of mine called it yesterday, a quarter life crisis. But he’s not ok. And him calling himself lazy, which he does after saying he doesn’t want to wash up and will someone come help him, and before saying “I don’t want to do anything”,

doesn’t explain it all away.

It doesn’t explain this, for instance, assuming this translation is correct:

Yes, I think Bam’s health is weighing on him. But I think it’s more than that too. He told us in the previous lives that he hasn't been working, although he hasn't finished his album yet. There was also a sense of loneliness, talking about how quiet the place is without Bam (read between the lines too). It probably isn't easy for him this new reality, in which he's separated for long periods of time from the person he has been practically connected at the hip to for almost 24/7 almost 365 days a year for 10 years.

That’s my gut feeling. You can take it or leave it.

One good thing I did notice and am happy about is that he has put on some weight again. That last live at the gym, his jaw line, he was unhealthily thin. Evidently (by him), he’s eating again, so that’s good.

End of editorial.

At this point JK moves on, to the thing that he feels most at ease with, and that’s singing.

He sings “To find you” – a beautiful love song.

A song he says he’s heard recently. I’d say more than heard once.

He KNOWS the song.

And this isn’t the first time he’s singing this song either. I’d go so far as to say JK knew the lyrics off by heart, well at the very least some of them. He clearly likes the song. 😊

He starts singing and stopped by the door bell ringing (well, probably not door bell, more like downstairs entrance).- that’s when he doesn’t recognize whoever it was and doesn’t let them in. He looks at the camera and then comes back to us saying he doesn’t let in someone he doesn’t recognize. He giggles after saying he should sing a bit quieter, but then he looks back at the monitor (the door monitor), he does that again mid song. It felt like he wasn’t at ease then, which does makes me think: sasaeng?

Side note: love the way he just climbs and jumps over the sofa. Not first or last time we'll see him do that in this live, lol.

JK goes back to sing the song.

1st time:

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JK sings the song twice, cause the first version felt to him like it wasn’t heavy enough, the backtrack.

Mid 2nd performance he goes, well jumps over the sofa, to fetch another mic, and then continues to serenade us with the 2 mics.

2nd time:

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Then he does a Jang Beom June song. A couple of times, first his version, then imitating him, well trying to in any case, lol.

After those performances JK asks for song recommendations.

And then comes the second bell, and JK talking to whoever that was (from the company probably, because he straight away tells/warns them he’s doing a live).

JK then comes back to explain about a garbage disposal unit that isn’t working (not him causing the damage – but why would that matter if the apartment was his?) and they are coming to take it away.

JK ended the live. And us mere mortals were sure that’s the end for today. We got to enjoy our boy. And when I say boy I mean young man (it’s just enjoy our boy rhymes…shoot me…well actually please don’t, but that’s what you get from someone that has year 4 level poetry).

JK came to be with us at a normal time of the day, when we are actually still awake (and when I say we I mean me of course), even though he was supposed to be getting ready for work. I mean, he kept saying on repeat that he was bored and that’s why he started the live, but dude, you have to get washed up, dressed and off to work in no time, so you do a live? Not that I’m complaining…

But low and behold, Mr. Jeon Jungkook decided that the 28th of Feb 2023 (you remember 8/11, wink wink) is going to be a super dramatic day, and approx. a couple of hours later, Mr. Jeon committed the mortal sin of obliterating his IG account. Wiping it out. Deleting it. Even deleting the app from his phone (his words).

JK came to us a little after that heinous and deliberate act to tell us:

Whoever thinks JK doing this, including letting us know he deleted the app, is not a statement, well idk what to say to that.

Why he did it, only he knows.

Do we take what he said at face value? We can. But then, if we think that they tell us everything without embellishment at times or without omitting at times, then that would make us super naïve.

My thoughts?

This is something JK said during the live (again, assuming Weverse translation is correct):

And yes, it was said in the same context of him getting ready, washed up, being lazy. But it means more than just being annoyed at having to get ready.

His words: “annoyed with everything…”

So my thoughts are that just like JK didn’t tell us all the story with the J and M tattoo, the placing, the connection, the meaning, he didn’t tell us the full reason for him deleting his 52 million follower JK branded IG account.

That just like we didn’t take what he told us during the Vminkook live in LA about how he would go to JM’s room 3 times a day because JM’s room was the closest to his, at face value, I don’t think we should with this either.

And these wouldn’t be the first or last times we’ve been told partial stories/ partial truths, parts of the stories being omitted or maybe even changed to suit our ears (cough hickey cough).

So, I believe this is bigger than just JK being bored with the app. Also the him being stressed by IG theory is not one I go for, as this was something we were told back in May 2022 when he deleted all his personal posts and turned the IG account into pure business/professional. Again, back then, in my opinion, not divulging the actual reason for doing so, but it doesn’t take too much to understand what led to it, including the timing of it all.

Just like JM (since around mid 2022) this account was used mostly for promotional purposes only (with a couple of exceptions for JM). When they had something to promote they posted on IG, otherwise they didn’t. And he could have continued doing that. No pressure what so ever. But he decided out of the blue, or not so out of the blue really, to end the game (pun intended - end game, you know…).

Does it have to do with the invasive video of his posted on IG just a few days earlier? Does it have to do with the dating rumors circulating? Does it have to do with his friends/colleagues/and friends of friends being harassed on IG by TKKs and possibly other fans? Does this have to do with companies following him to get traction and free publicity (cough CK cough)? Is this some kind of defiant act against the company, a rebellion of sorts? There could be 1001 reasons why JK did what he did, we will probably never really know why. But in one sweep of the finger JK deleted a buying force of over 52 million.

And yes, JK’s brand hasn’t been ruined, it’s not about his brand, it’s about how the company will use that selling power, how they are supposed to reach the audience. That was one of the biggest reasons the company set up those accounts for the members. Not out of the good of their hearts. Not because they wanted to give them a way to stay in touch with the fandom. MONEY folks. It’s always about money. And big money at that.

The IG accounts were there for promotion, for staying in touch with the fandom on a personal level (sells more) now that they were doing their solo acts, but also a lot of money exchanged hands when they opened those accounts (and I'll leave it at that).

There are those that say “well BH have their own IG account for promotions”, and indeed that’s true. But be real people. It lands different when the company is posting and when the idol himself is. It’s more personal. It’s the idol himself reaching out to the fans saying “look, this is what I’m up to now, please support me”. That by itself generates more sales. But also, the idol posting a pic of himself in a Dior outfit – everyone running to buy Dior. With no IG account where will said pic be posted? Weverse? Twitter? Not every IG follower is an actual fan of BTS. Many don’t even know what Weverse is. IG at this point has a wider reach than Weverse does.

What I’m saying here is that this action has financial consequences. And JK knew that. Stress or no stress, this is something he knew the company would not be happy with. Because this isn't a decision that affects him alone. It's a decision that affects the company as well. And he did it anyway.

Good for him.

Whatever the reason behind it.

Be it retaliation for his breach of privacy.

Be it a defiant act against the company.

Be it both and more.

Good for him.

I just hope, as impulsive as he is, that he got some form of legal advice prior to doing so, because this could definitely be in breach of contract, something that could have real consequences for him. This is not going live when told he shouldn’t or without staff present. This is big. This involves a lot of money. This might very well be him breaching a clause of his contract, requiring him to take part in whatever promotional activities the company deems necessary. And we don’t know what that contract looks like, but I do know that some contracts have set penalties for parties breaching this clause or another.

All I’m saying here is that it’s not as simple as pressing a delete button. There are complex issues here.

This is an action that can have consequences for JK if this is a step too far as far as they are concerned.

I guess we will wait and see how things work out.

Will JK keep in touch with us via Weverse?

Will we get more lives from him? And if so, how often?

Will these lives be from ‘home’, given what he told us in the past about permission from the company?

One thing I’m also curious about is where to now? Does him deleting IG mean he has no brand deals in the horizon and/or no solo releases planned any time soon? I'm not going to ask the next question that comes to mind. I think there are quite a few that have thought it already. And I don't think the answers are as cut and dry as some might think. All I'll say is, god I hope not.

I will end this post with my wishes:

I wish for JK to find his way if he is feeling a little lost, be happy, be content.

I wish for all the obstacles that stand in their way as a couple to just fuck off, including effing military service.

And if ms doesn't just disappear, I wish for it to pass as fast as possible and for us to be on the other side of it all. Them and us.

And if I'm already wishing for ms to be over, let's wish to be on the other side of the rainbow and meet them all healthy and happy for Festa 2025 and a comeback.

There are a few other wishes I'll keep to myself, you know, like win the lottery, for one...

I would wish for world peace, and end to racism, bigotry, hate, homophobia, transphobia, and all that crap, but let's be real here, I might be delusional, but not that delusional.

#Jungkook #JK #JK Wlive #JK live #JK IG #Jikook #Kookmin #Minkook #JM #Jimin #Youtube

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jmdbjk · 10 months

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Baby Stud Candy

JK still sounded very nasally. I hate it when they have to fight a cold while performing live. Yoongi had to do that too while on his tour.

JK said he felt worse the day of the One Show performance than he felt the day before and he was a little stressed about it but then all of that disappeared once he got in front of Army.

He said promotions were over and some of it didn't go as planned. It felt really limited but he was grateful.

He goes on for a few minutes about singing off key a little and messing up a little during the performance. He knows he can't be perfect all the time but he still had fun even if he made mistakes.

JK wants to have an ease and openness with us. He wants to just be himself and say whatever is on his mind... honesty. That's all he wants with us. Honestly, he's been that way for a while now.

He said if he didn't have that heart, he would just be done with work and just have fun getting drunk. But here he is telling us what he truly wants.

Mr. Unserious.

He apologizes if the sculpture has some sort of cultural significance...

I'm afraid someone in the hotel's housekeeping staff got fired yesterday...

the unseriousness...

He reiterates what every member has said... that after solo activities, when BTS comes back together as a group...

He contemplated again, why do Army love him so much? He said he would try harder to live up to our love that he feels.

He doesn't care. Think what you want. He just wants to be comfortable being himself when he is with us like this.

He reads a comment about growing a beard and he says he has very little facial hair... a true baby face. Which adds to his Giant Baby Villain label.

And now we get to the nitty gritty...

His reply? "Tell me why is that a dirty version? Explain yourself." And he looks a little perturbed at that question. Like about to throw hands or something. Then he says people have different attitudes about what the explicit version means and there's nothing he can do about that.

He went on to say he's been in this business for ten years, please respect his age, and that unless he shows us something new using his own free will to do so, he knows he won't be acknowledged. It's only something HE can do. He has to be the one to set things straight because AS WE'VE SEEN when things are not said clearly and in detail, people will run with whatever narrative suits their know-it-all-glass-half-empty view of life.

He goes on to say he's had the image as "youngest" and he knows we've loved that. But he is not the youngest amongst idols anymore. He admits he lived up to his maknae image but now he wants to break free of that. It's HIS life that HE needs to change.

HOW. MANY. TIMES. HAS. HE. ASKED. TO. NOT. BE. BABIED?

He questioned if he and us could be happy until the end if nothing changed. Realistically, no. But there are those out there who don't want anything to ever change. I've heard people say they wish BTS would make music like they used to do in the first few years... which is antithetical to everything they've been telling us this past year. Things change, people change, everything changes.

JK says he was fearful of trying new things/changing but he decided to stay true to himself. It is unclear to me if he meant we created this circumstance or we created the motivation for him to change.

He says his choices may make some of us uncomfortable and he will try to keep that in mind. He is using his lives as a way to listen to what we want, how we feel, our reactions. He wants us to be honest, to give honest words back at him. He is trying to tell us to grow up and mature along with him. He has said this before.

He wants to feel like he can collaborate with us in some things. That would be cool except for the people who think they can run his life better than he can. But he does have an idealistic way of wanting to relate and communicate with us. This desire of his is sweet and authentic.

He pretty much admits he is just rambling his stream of thoughts to us at that moment.

We should all know that everything is not always a one-sided proposition. That some people might get "hurt" and he never wants that to happen but he has to balance what he wants and what we want. And surely we understand that. I can't get over how frank he is. I love it. I want Jimin to come here and speak to us like this.

He says he is just a 25 year old man speaking his thoughts and though it might not be "broad-minded" (I disagree, he's been very broadminded this live) he wishes us to "get" where he's coming from... to understand his point of view on these things. He's been very tolerant and patient with us.

He mentions why he stopped using Instagram. What he says is that Instragram has its usefulness but it's not as real and authentic as he wants to be. Its true, IG is great for communicating and its strength is visual but sometimes the images or video clips are not really showing authenticity in its whole. It is a very skewed way of presenting things, which is why companies love it for touting their products.

He read a comment for him to just do whatever he wants, but he says he wishes he could, however in reality, who can really do everything they want? He refers to what he's doing as his job. I think people forget that this is his job. And he can't do EVERYTHING he wants, that would also be unrealistic and we should know better.

And apparently he answered a comment that asked if he was drunk... and he said yes and that's why he was saying all this though even if he wasn't he would be saying it anyway because:

He doesn't want to worry about what we think or what the company thinks he just wants everyone to be comfortable with being real.

He says those who don't approve, thanks for being here while you were here but he's going to continue being himself whether anyone likes it or not. In other words, there's the door, don't let it hit your ass on the way out.

He became interested in the bad lighting in the room and all of a sudden turned on the light on the device he was using...

Does this mean he is done sitting in his dark house with only his Mikrokosmos lamp on and the light from the television screen the only illumination in the room? Please?

Right before stepping away to use the restroom he looks at some notes he wrote...

He made talking point notes which is very endearing and also shows he has a purpose when he comes to visit us

... again, he sings while he pees...

Still keeping it real in replying to a comment about how soft his skin looks...

He expressed his desire to meet up with Army, have a drink, shoot the shit... someone says "would you be able to handle Army?" ... ... ... was that a challenge? Thou shalt not challenge thee Jeon Jungkook to a drinking contest me thinks. The man could probably drink anyone under the table. Except maybe Jimin.

He suggests he make a program in which he can converse comfortably with Army ... and he says the company is going "wtf JK"... a JK version of Suchwita but with Army... could be like Jin on Young Ji's Youtube show except JK with Army... see who passes out first:

TMI: Vodka gets JK drunk fast... (files that away in my fun facts)

He goes on to say maybe one day we can get together and talk about it all like the adults we are... he'll just continue being himself even though...

He had other stuff he wanted to say, he thinks he is bad at saying what he wants to get across. He'll say it again next time. lol.

He continued on as if we were saying our good byes ... "tell your parents I said hello (lmao)" and for us to call him, or wait, he'll call us first... let's have a meal next time (I've heard this is a common idiom in casual Korean conversation and doesn't really mean let's go have a meal, its just polite conversation)... but it appears he'll be hard to contact because:

Don't know how anyone could hate him...

Though he'll always be the baby of the BTS family, we now have this bonified Stud Candy walking the bora streets.

So does this mean I can't call him Kookie-pookie anymore? The Bun? Giant Baby Villain?

He came to this live with a purpose. He has seen the feedback over the song, of course he has, he said he was wondering whether to release both versions and then decided to just go for it so of course he was going to monitor the results. He will certainly keep moving in this direction of a more motivated, more forthright and authentic Jungkook in the future. And he's told y'all if you don't like it, it's ok, just step aside while he and the rest of us come on through.

#jungkook seven #bts chapter 2 #jimin basically said the same coming through moving forward #they've learned a lot in how to approach the US music market #the fight continues

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chrkrose · 10 months

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I’m gonna catch heat for this, but I’m gonna say it anyway:

The Velaryions should have stayed white and racebending them was a racist decision disguised as representation.

I can’t expand on this without giving away spoilers, so read more.

As a black latina woman (giving y’all my credentials before anything else), since it was announced the Velaryons wouldn’t be white, I didn’t like it. Which was a conflict for me because hellow, of course I love to see shows where the characters aren’t all two shades of beige.

But the racebending of the Velaryons was made the for the sake of appearances only, and the lack of real representation inside the writer’s room is clear in the ramifications of what this decision brings to the table. To add more salt to the injury, racebending them absolutely undermines the original narrative’s essence.

Valyrians are white, and this plays a significant role in the story.

The reason why this is annoying the hell out of me is because spoilers suggests that Addam Velaryon (Corlys Velaryon’s bastard) won’t have his Valyrian white-silver hair. So to anyone else’s eyes, he is a black man with no blood of Valyria running through his veins.

Which means that Nettles and her entire arc is severely compromised, because a lot of her story is based on the points that:

she is the only black character with a crucial role to play in The Dance and

she has no Valyrian looks.

Nettles journey lies in her distinctiveness: she is a black woman who lacks typical Valyrian features. The narrative emphasizes her experiences with racism from the white Valyrian families, who consider themselves divine. It is IMPORTANT that this happens to her.

Yet, the showrunners chose to racebend the Velaryons, and by doing that, took away from the experiences and uniqueness of Nettles and her story. And what happened when they changed their race? They treat the Velaryons like shit.

And I can’t help but think it’s because they are, now, black.

The only conclusion I can infer from this is that the choice of changing the Velaryon from white to black was solely for appearance’s sake, because the writers clearly not only don’t know how to write for black characters, they also surely have the biased view that a character once turned black will definitely lack in comparison to a white one. What the Velaryons got in return for being black was their storylines made worse, as if they don’t deserve the same treatment now they are no longer white characters.

An example is Laena Velaryon.

Laena went from being universally acknowledged as the woman Daemon Targaryen truly loved/loved the most by the fandom before the show aired (because funny enough they ignore the existence of Nettles, which is a whole other topic for discussion)… to become “second best”, to be portrayed as a secondary choice, feeling inadequate and as if she would never be enough in comparison to the white thin woman. Her death was changed from a sad bittersweet scene between herself and her husband to a violent traumatic scene where she suffered until the very end.

And now, if Addam Velaryon indeed has absolutely no Valyrian traits whatsoever to his physical appearance, then what this changes will mean is that the sole canonical black dragon rider in the entire lore of ASOIAF, who endured racism and discrimination due to her non-Valyrian looks, will be stripped away from several key aspects of her story. Nettles distinctiveness is minimized, and the absence of Valyrian traits in one of the Velaryons further erodes the significance of her narrative.

Nettles’ importance is already being downplayed in certain discussions across several HoTD boards. Nettles “isn’t that special anymore, is it even necessary to have her in the story” and “you can’t say that rhaenyra is racist because she married Laenor, Addam will be her ally according to several spoilers, it makes no sense. The maesters lied to make Rhaenyra look bad”. In an effort to make the white Targaryen family (and the white Targaryen woman) more appealing and palatable to the public, they stripped away the only canonical black character of important plot points in her story, all to prevent the Targaryens from coming off as antagonists.

Like I said before, the fact that Targaryens and Valyrians in general are white is important to the narrative. Their whiteness encapsulates their sense of racial superiority. Black characters never get to have their own “I’m special” moment, they never get to have a hero journey like white characters often do, and then we have a story where a black character has exactly that, where her story arc mirrors the ones often given to the white heroes, in all of its tropes and awesome achievements… and that gets stripped away from that black character as much as possible just so your show looks diverse? (Although we know the real answer: it’s so your white characters don’t come off as shitty as they are in the original story).

#I’ve been sitting with this for a long long time #but I’m tired of having to be grateful for ‘representation’ that causes more harm than good #and having to pretend I’m happy when in reality I’m seeing one of the only black characters in the entire lore at risk of being fucked over #so yeah #I said what I said

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seek--rest · 1 year

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Thinking about how Zendaya was first cast and rumored to be Mary Jane Watson and the internet lost their fucking minds so much that Feige et al. had to say “actually NO she’s Michelle, she’s not Mary Jane don’t worry racists!!” only for HOCO to come out with the dumbest fucking zinger at the end with “my name is MJ” and double down and say she’s a ✨ reinvention ✨ of Mary Jane Watson which is completely undercut because you let the first Black MJ on screen be just as completely and utterly changed as Ultimate and PS4 MJ but didn’t name her Mary Jane thus giving racist shits a pass to continue to say “not my MJ” or whatever the fuck, only for standing up against that kind of bigotry to finally be commercially viable + Zendaya had some actual star power so that come NWH the MCU FINALLY deigned to give her the significance of the Watson name— while having to acknowledge the dumb fucking name Jones that the fandom gave her because canon refused to give her anything— making it a POINT in NWH’s narrative and dialogue to telegraphing that MCU MJ is MJ, she is THE Mary Jane Watson which is a point that was subtle as a sledgehammer and could’ve been fucking avoided had they just named her Mary Jane fucking Watson from the very start because now a full year and a half after NWH there are still racist dumb fucks who STILL say that she isn’t Mary Jane and worse, MCU MJ fans who think it’s some kind of dumb fucking flex to say that MCU MJ is nothing like Mary Jane Watson like a weird ass “I’m not like other girls” bullshit that was old and tired decades ago when will Mary Jane Watson get the respect she deserved from canon AND fandom you miserable shits know you that you can champion for and protect Mary Jane WITHOUT diminishing the power of MCU MJ existing on screen AS WELL AS fans recognizing that the MCU did MCU MJ so fucking dirty that they did not allow her to be the Mary Jane Watson we all know she can be like it is NOT just the hair and the name but to take those out AND take away her name is to undermine the significance of having MCU MJ be who she is @ FEIGE I AM IN YOUR WALLS MAKE HER BE MARY JANE WATSON YOU CAN DO THIS I KNOW YOU CAN

MARY JANE WATSON YOU WILL BE AVENGED

#seek speaks #petermj #spideychelle #petermjane #Mary Jane Watson #Michelle jones Watson #Michelle jones #this doesn’t even touch how I feel about the ‘relationship’ of Peter and MJ in the MCU #I need to go run a lap

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guiltyonsundays · 3 months

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In defence of Will Ladislaw

George Eliot's characterisation of Will Ladislaw is one of the few aspects of Middlemarch that is not universally praised, with no less a person than Henry James commenting in 1873 that he lacked “sharpness of outline and depth of color”, making him the novel’s “only eminent failure.” And while Will's character is certainly not as clearly defined as some of the other characters in the novel, I believe that this was absolutely intentional on Eliot's part. Middlemarch is full to the brim of characters who believe they know exactly what they want—not least among them, our two protagonists, Dorothea Brooke and Tertius Lydgate, whose ardent ambitions and inflexible attitudes lead them into catastrophic errors of judgement and unhappy marriages.

By contrast, Will's lack of strongly defined goals and his changeability are almost his defining character traits. He's aimless and pliable, prone to rapid mood swings and drastic career changes, with even his physical features seeming to "chang[e] their form; his jaw looked sometimes large and sometimes small; and the little ripple in his nose was a preparation for metamorphosis. When he turned his head quickly his hair seemed to shake out light."

Will’s inscrutability is closely tied to his ambiguous status within the rigid class structure and xenophobic society of Victorian England, with his Polish ancestry and “rebellious blood on both sides” making him a target for suspicion. He is repeatedly aligned (and aligns himself) with oppressed, marginalised, and outcast populations—Jewish people, artists, and the poor.

He serves as a narrative foil for characters like Lydgate and Edward Casaubon, who prioritise specialist expertise above all and are consequently incapable of broad knowledge synthesis. He critiques Casaubon's life's work as being "thrown away, as so much English scholarship is, for want of knowing what is being done by the rest of the world." By contrast, Will serves as Eliot's defence of the value of a liberal education. One of the first things that we learn about him is that he declines to choose a vocation, and instead seeks to travel widely, experiencing diverse cultures and ways of life. He has broad tastes and interests, trying his hand at poetry and painting before eventually pursuing a career in politics.

He also functions as a narrative foil for Dorothea. Will is initially apathetic to politics, whereas Dorothea initially professes herself to be disinterested in art and beauty. This is perfectly encapsulated in their exchange in Rome, when Dorothea declares, "I should like to make life beautiful—I mean everybody's life. And then all this immense expense of art, that seems somehow to lie outside life and make it no better for the world, pains one", to which Will replies, "You might say the same of landscape, of poetry, of all refinement [...] The best piety is to enjoy—when you can [...] I suspect that you have some false belief in the virtues of misery, and want to make your life a martyrdom.”

By the end of the novel, Dorothea unlearns some of her puritanical suspicion of sensual pleasure, whereas Will becomes more serious, compassionate, and politically engaged, dedicating his life to the accomplishment of humane political reforms. They are both flawed individuals, who ultimately become more well rounded through their relationship with each other. Admittedly, Dorothea's influence on Will is more significant than his on her—and once again, I believe that this was intentional on Eliot's part.

In my opinion, the negative response to Will Ladislaw at the time of Middlemarch's publication (and in the centuries since) was and is profoundly informed by gendered expectations of masculine dominance in romantic relationships. Will's marriage to Dorothea has often been described as disappointing, with many readers and critics viewing the ambitious Lydgate as the embodiment of the ideal husband that Dorothea outlines at the beginning of the novel—a talented man engaged in important work for the betterment of humanity, to whom she can devote herself.

However, one of the central themes of the novel is that people are often mistaken in their beliefs about what they want, and Dorothea's marriage to Edward Casaubon certainly demonstrates that she would not in fact be happy living her life in submission to a man who does not respect her opinions. I firmly believe that Lydgate's misogynistic attitudes and expectations would have made it impossible for him to be happy in a marriage of equals with a woman like Dorothea. He is explicitly drawn to Rosamond Vincy because she has "just the kind of intelligence one would desire in a woman—polished, refined, docile."

By contrast, George Eliot made a deliberate choice to pair Dorothea with a man who is not ashamed to be influenced by her, and indeed looks up to her as his moral superior. Through Dorothea's influence, Will discovers his life's work. In turn, by marrying Will, Dorothea is able to pursue her true passion. As a result of their influence on each other, these come to mean the same thing—reform. Thus, George Eliot grants Dorothea Brooke a subversively feminist, politically progressive, and profoundly cathartic ending: a life of companionate marriage, sensual pleasure, and meaningful work, in which Dorothea can devote herself (within the limited means available to her as a woman in the 19th century) to the achievement of just and compassionate reforms that "make life beautiful" for everybody—herself included.

#PUT SOME RESPECT ON HIS NAAAAAME #hello please enjoy this fucking essay that I wrote #I haven't cited them here bc I'm not insane but I did in fact read several academic articles while writing this post #so if you wanna see my sources/ do some further reading let me know #i love pouring all my fandom energy into content that no-one gives a shit about #(girl who just posted an Alias Grace fic that noone will ever read and is currently working on a Middlemarch fic noone will ever read voice #Middlemarch #George Eliot #Mary Ann Evans #Will Ladislaw #Dorothea Brooke #Edward Casaubon #Tertius Lydgate #classic literature #19th century literature #classic lit #books

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squirrellypoo · 1 year

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Is Dubai later than we think?

At the end of season 1, we still don’t yet know where the Dubai scenes fit in with the wider book timeline. It feels like the general fandom consensus is that it's at a point when Lestat is incapacitated, either in the ground (TVL) or possibly comatose elsewhere in the penthouse (Merrick, which could possibly account for The Groan?).

However, I saw someone recently suggest that the Dubai scenes could be set during the early Prince Lestat era, and I like this for a number of reasons. I’ll try my best to keep this spoiler-free for non-book readers!

Image source

Placing Dubai in the early PL era gives a different, yet equally plausible reason why Lestat hasn’t turned up in Dubai yet - he’s busy renovating the Auvergne castle and setting up the Court. In the books, Louis was hesitant to come to Court at first, and stayed with Armand at Trinity Gate, even though he and Lestat were in contact regularly. Dubai could easily be a Trinity Gate replacement in the show and not really lose anything.

Placing Dubai at the Prince Lestat time means that TVL, QOTD, TOTBT, Memnoch, and Merrick have all already happened in the grand Vampire Chronicles timeline. The latter is extremely important for Louis’ character development, and could explain why his feelings for Lestat have changed so much since the first interview. It would also explain how Louis’s powers have increased (hello, Fire Gift!) as he gets an inadvertent “upgrade” during Merrick.

Likewise, it means we could see rockstar Lestat in a different era - think late glam rock, 80s hair rock (as in the books) or even 1990s grunge, and still have decades of time left between that and present day to fit in the rest of the intervening books’ plots.

Also, I just want to point out that even if the events of TVL-Merrick have already happened, doesn’t mean the books have been written yet “in universe”. In the books, Louis/Daniel publishing IWTV is the catalyst for Lestat to write TVL, and then all the rest. So Daniel not knowing about the vampire books wouldn’t be a problem, and let’s be fair, even if rockstar Lestat already happened but not written about, it wouldn’t have necessarily been on his radar (esp if Lestat’s career was as short-lived as in the books).

As much as I’d love to see these books' events happen “in present day”, I think narratively they make more sense being told as flashback stories, a’la season 1. It allows for more time to pass between events, but also to continue the framing of the show as being told to an interviewer. This means we get to carry on with the “Memory is a Monster” and unreliable narrator themes, too.

If this is somehow the way the show is going, it’s going to be WILD to get the first glimpse of modern day Lestat, because he gained significant powers in QOTD (and then again near the end of PL) that are going to be a huge contrast to what we’ve seen so far in Louis’s memories of their time together at Rue Royale. It would also add more colour to Louis and Armand’s relationship to see them weather multiple huge crises together rather than just fading into comfortable complacency as in the books.

In any case, I’m not 100% convinced this is the case, but it’s interesting to think about how the show might handle the differing timelines between it and the book. I love that, even after nearly 30 years of reading these books, this show can still surprise and delight, and keep me guessing.

#interview with the vampire #iwtv #iwtv analysis #iwtv discussion #iwtv discourse #dubai penthouse #louis de pointe du lac #lestat de lioncourt #the vampire chronicles #anne rice

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kiseiakhun · 1 year

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you’re so right but jason todd is so woman coded. and i could go into heavy detail

Listen, Jason Todd can be woman coded because you want him to be woman coded. You know it in your heart. You don't have to provide Irrefutable Canon Proof to prove your point, unless you find that kind of activity fun and rewarding, in which case provide away because I love batshit theories about canon and I am all ears. It just drives me crazy because like, listen. What people say are "women coding" are like, normal tropes that have been applied more to MALE characters than female characters because like... even when women were allowed to be people, their main point in the narrative was to be a prop to a man's story. Even when they were well developed, fully realized characters within their own right, their significance within the narrative was to support a man's journey. Like, I've heard criticisms about fridging that say Alexandra DeWitt was a tragic character from the start, that she had all the hallmarks of being a victim right from her introduction, and it doesn't matter! The point was that she was part of a long line of women who died for the man's story to move forward. It doesn't matter if she was doomed from the start. It doesn't matter if she was a dynamic, complex character who did get focus within the story. It doesn't change the fact that her inclusion in the story was to only serve Kyle's narrative.

So it drives me a little insane to see people argue that this male character is woman coded because he has an emotional arc focused on how other people have wronged him and we see him at his lowest point having a mental breakdown and experiencing irrational emotions because "that's a woman's story". No? It's not? Like historically it's NOT. Men are allowed to feel the full spectrum of human emotion. Men are allowed to buckle under the weight of all the burdens they carry and scream their sorrows out to the world. That's. That's not a woman's story. Achilles wept in the Iliad. Macbeth was flawed and poignant and allowed to be a fully developed person while Lady Macbeth was a scheming schemer from the start. Emotional arcs, through antiquity into the modern day, have been given to men! Men's stories are full of how they've been hurt, how they've been disenfranchised. Underdog stories are an entire genre within themselves. Emotional arcs have been written for men from the dawn of literature.

Like I keep seeing the same argument about how male protagonists have to be stoic and manly men and show no emotions and be hyper successful providers and I want to tear my hair out. No! No they don't!! You are describing a hyper specific genre of action heroes and like, one type of video game protagonist that was popular in AAA titles from the late 2010s. Oh my god. Please read more books. Please watch more movies. I'm losing my mind. Male protags are not like this as a rule BECAUSE IT'S BORING. BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO WATCH THE STORY OF A SUCCESSFUL MAN BECOMING EVEN MORE SUCCESSFUL. THAT'S A SPECIFIC TYPE OF POWER FANTASY THAT NOT EVERYONE ASCRIBES TO ASIDJDHDH READ MORE BOOKS.

I'm fine. I'm fine.

Anyway. Sorry anon I didn't mean to dump all this in your ask. I have just been thinking about this since yesterday and it's been driving me bonkers and also I'm a bit tipsy right now. Tell me about why Jason is female coded. I'll find my post about why Kyle is a girl YA protagonist and reblog it in solidarity.

#asks #anon #SORRY #Kyle is female coded because that's what my heart and my dick says <3 i need no further reason

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shivunin · 7 months

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🎇20 Questions for Fic Writers🎇

Thanks for the tag @greypetrel my dear!

1. how many works do you have on ao3? 35

2. what’s your total ao3 word count? 641,898

3. what fandoms do you write for? So far? Dragon Age (all three games), but I have unfinished Mass Effect and BG3 things as well c:

4. what are your top five fics by kudos?

-Your Fate for Mine (A "what if the Inquisitor was left behind in the Fade?" AU | Cullavellan | 129,681 words)

-Unyielding/Inexorable (Cullen throws hands with a member of the nobility at the Winter Palace; the follow-up is about a duel to settle things | Cullavellan | 3,083 and 8,055 words respectively)

-More than Memory (Smut about cultural differences and expressing one's needs | Cullavellan | 5,214 words)

-Search Your Hands (An exploration of the Dalish courting gift tradition with some mild smutty elements | Cullavellan | 13,581 words) (it doesn't have the most kudos, but this is by a significant margin my most-liked fic with respect to the views: kudos: bookmarks ratio)

-Wander the Drifting Roads (A "Cullen is infected with red lyrium" AU, but the focus is on how memory forms who we are and why the loss of it changes everything | Cullavellan | 108,331 words)

5. do you respond to comments? Yes, excepting the rare occasions that they are just emojis because (though I appreciate them!!) I never know what to say dsfahkjsfhk. The more I cherish a comment, the longer it takes me to answer (because I am hugging them to my chest and sobbing)

6. what’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Hmmm Palimpsest, I think, because it ends with Fenris just after the Act 2 breakup and things are somewhat bleak. I am definitely more a happy endings kind of gal. Or a "if it's not fixed, it's not the end" sort, maybe.

7. what’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Pour Forth (the Fenris not crying fic) I think? To the Bone (Cullavellan soulmate AU) is right up there, I think.

8. do you get hate on fics? I've had a couple of snarky comments about my writing style, but people have generally been very sweet.

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind? Lol. Yes. I find it harder to write smut for some pairings than others, but I really enjoy writing smut. I think smut can be a very incisive window into a pairing's dynamic and feelings about intimacy. What's more, I think I'm decent at writing it haha

10. do you write crossovers? what’s the craziest one you’ve written? Not really! I don't see myself doing so, either. Just not my cup of tea.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know of.

12. have you ever had a fic translated? I have not

13. have you ever co-written a fic before? No, but I have rp'd one of my Dragon Age OC's in a narrative context (which is sort of similar, I think)

14. what’s your all-time favorite ship? October/Tybalt. I will never write fic for the October Daye series, but I would die for them. Their whole battle couple (opposites attract, damaged people finding vulnerability and love, aggrieved rogue chases Hero around) dynamic has got me twirling my hair, kicking my feet, etc.

But of course, all of the DA ships I write for are a very close second place. Just all jammed uncomfortably in the doorway at once, Fenris's gauntlets poking poor Emma in the arm and Cullen's breastplate caught between Wen and the doorway, etc.

15. what’s a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? The Red Crossing Arrangement, my "what if the elves never lost Halamshiral" arranged marriage AU. The concept is so unimaginably cool, but there is a level of worldbuilding required to make it work that eventually sucked all the fun out of the project for me. Ideally...someday, I'll pick it back up again because I love the concept.

16. what are your writing strengths? This is always such a hard question to answer. It's going to sound vague, but I think one of my greatest skills is voice. I am pretty good at matching character and narrative voice to canon. I also think conveying emotions in a visceral way? I hope so, anyway c:

17. what are your writing weaknesses? Scenery. By like a very very big margin. Every first draft has almost no description of scenery in it, so I have a huge amount of respect for writers who are skilled at that. It's definitely my biggest challenge (I fall into the same trap when I'm DM'ing too T.T)

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? Ehhhh mixed. I wouldn't want to screw up someone else's actual language, so I'd only want to do it if I knew someone who could proof it for me or if I knew the language myself. I only know Latin (rusty) and Spanish (intermediate) besides English, so I'll likely stick to what I know. I have written very brief dialogue in both Spanish and Latin for fics, though. More as a way of evoking the culture of the person speaking than for any other reason.

19. first fandom you wrote for? hahaha. well. Code Lyoko when I was 13. And then not at all again until I was 28.

20. favorite fic you’ve ever written? :C I have to choose one?? Aside from any of the ones mentioned above, Breath of Life (Zev almost dies in the fight against Taliesen, because it's one of my favorite tropes) or A Golden Bell Hung in my Heart (because it's DA flavored with The Last Unicorn and I wrote it for a dear friend; what's not to love?) or As Two Reflected Stars (because it's quintessential hurt/comfort wound-tending and I adore that most of all)

Tagging back (no pressure, feel free not to do this): @star--nymph @zenstrike @jtownnn @idolsgf @dreadfutures @scribbledquillz @ndostairlyrium @vakarians-babe @nightwardenminthara @heniareth @transprincecaspian and anyone else I usually tag but am forgetting somehow---you're supposed to be here, I swear, but tonight my brain is tapioca pudding.

#tag game #long post

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cursedvaultss · 9 months

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Hogwarts Founders Era OC Profile: Elfreda

“‘She decided long ago that life was a long journey. She would be strong, and she would be weak, and both would be okay.’”

Name: Elfreda

Nicknames: Frida

Birthdate: August 24th, sometime during the 10th century

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Blood Status: Pure-blood

Nationality: Anglo-Saxon

Sexuality: Bisexual

Physical Appearance

Hair: Brown

Eyes: Blue

Height: 167 cm (5ft 6)

Weight: 55kg

Faceclaim: Lucy Griffiths

Background

PSA: This is all still kind of all over the place and definitely not historically accurate, I'm just making things up as I go along to suit my narrative. There will probably be changes to the lore later.

At 17 Elfreda was sent by Rowena to garner favours from muggle royalty to help against their enemies. Rowena was of the opinion that muggles could be valuable allies and Elfreda agreed. She struggled to gain their trust because she had no noble lineage but she hid her magic and eventually got the ear of the current king, who was interested in matters arcane, especially alchemy. Elfreda spent two years at court, during which time she gave birth to her son by the king, called Edward.

The baby started to show signs of magic at just a few months old, and Elfreda had to leave the court in fear of being discovered. The king sent people after her, and she spent months on the run, eventually evading her captors and contacting her friend Rowena with the aid of The Fae. Rowena took Edward with her back to Hogwarts, while Elfreda had to remain with The Fae as payment for their help.

Elfreda returned surprisingly when her son was 17. No one was sure of the circumstances of her release, and she didn't talk about it. She was overjoyed to be reunited with Edward, who barely remembered his mother. He had only vague memories of when he was a baby and the stories Rowena and other friends of his mother's had told him. She joined the staff of Hogwarts as an alchemist. She didn't have an official teaching position.

Home: Winchester and Hogwarts

Family

Elfreda's parents were pure-blood but not particularly wealthy. They traded in potion ingredients and lived in or around the city of Winchester. Elfreda's parents died when she was fairly young and she spent most of her time after that with Rowena, whom she saw as practically family.

She has one son, Edward, whom she loves more than anything, and would do anything to protect.

Hogwarts

House: Allies with Rowena Ravenclaw

Career

14-17: Rowena Ravenclaw's ally and assistant

17-19: Arcane advisor at a Muggle Court

19-34: Missing

34->: Alchemist at Hogwarts

Personality & Attitude

Elfreda values knowledge and learning. She's bright and ambitious, yet compassionate, and knows that ends don't always justify the means. She's strong-willed and courageous, willing to risk her life for those she loves.

Priorities: Protecting her son and friends, preserving knowledge, Hogwarts

Strengths: Intelligent, kind, compassionate, determined

Weaknesses: Would do anything for her son, which her enemies can exploit, isn't always ready to do what needs to be done, stubborn

Stressed: When away from her family, or when she doesn't have all the information in a situation

Calm/Comforted: At Hogwarts and/or with her son

Favorites

Colours: green, bronze

Weather: Overcast but not raining

Hobbies: Archery, alchemy

Fashion: Elfreda wears more extravagant outfits when she's among muggles but otherwise dresses modestly in comfortable clothing that doesn't hinder movement

Relationships

Significant Other/Love Interest: OPEN

Ex-lover: Yet to be named muggle king

Friends:

Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, Godric Gryffindor, and Salazar Slytherin (formerly)

Lachlann Doherty by @hphmmatthewluther

OPEN FOR INTERACTION!

Rivals:

Salazar Slytherin

Trivia

Elfreda is interested in magical theory and ancient magic.

She likes stories, especially listening to Rowena or Helga's tales of the events that happened while she was gone.

She is approximately 34 years old when she returns from the Fae realm.

#oc profile #hogwarts founders era #oc: elfreda #she is open for interaction!#let me know if you spot any mistakes haha!#and if you want to be friends with her!#she is also open for a love interest for her post disappearance years!

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onewomancitadel · 1 year

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As a preface I just wanted to say that I'm really glad I stumbled on this page; I had dropped RWBY but your analysis and Skimming Eye (which is incredible btw) pulled me back in. I'm curious as to your interpretation of the Paper Pleasers and Jaune (aside from the dad angle, which is kinda fun to think about). I personally saw it as a setup for Jaune's Ascension, allowing him to regain purpose after being disillusioned and return to youth (hopefully with the hair). Thank you for your time.

Yay, enrichment in my containment. Thank you anon. That's very kind of you to say, and thank you for reading my fanfic.

I admit to being delighted it made you watch RWBY again, though I take no responsibility for the emotional damages. tee hee

I don't commit to any premature conclusions; there are a few ways they could play it yet. The idea of rebirth (which Jaune currently rejects) is significant. The set-up right now is that Jaune is old and disillusioned and has lost his life; he's given himself to waiting.

Would you marry a literal rebirth (magical transformation) with a symbolic transformation? Yes, and most prominently - I may be repeating myself here - this is the set-up for other characters in the story (Cinder, Oscar) who will go through the same thing. What happens to him will tell us what to expect with them. Even Penny has already given us the foreshadowing of what may happen to Ozma.

They've set the stage-and-scene, so it's just a matter of following through. Once you consider the evidence (king reborn as a prince) and how that can be followed on through, it does make one wonder. The problem is that the prince doesn't remember his life as the king, but I doubt that will be the case in Jaune's context (and separately in Oscar's, he similarly has 'too much life'). I think the threat he might forget is just to give more narrative weight to whatever twist eventuates.

You might see under my Jaune tag that I've written about rebirth as a theme in his character arc and the connected autumnal imagery, and I still think this is significant with him. So right now, with what they committed to this episode, a depressing resolution is off the cards. I would tentatively assert that. It's not fair he's been alone, it's not fair he's been left in Ever After, we know martyrdom has been rejected with him, right now he's terrified of rebirth and change and confronting who he really is, so that is the organic direction to take him. It's just how that's in question, so then you need to start asking practical questions.

Of course, as I remarked briefly in an errant post, if it's as simple as a magical fruit that makes him old, it may not be all that complicated. The psychological journey is the hard part. Practically whatever form it eventuates will convey the ideas we need.

Right now Jaune and Ruby are most closely going through separate awakenings to spiritual aridity. So his transformation is probably going to happen in respect to hers. That's at least how I would tie it, and how it's been tied so far. What does that tell us about the things they'll have to do, and the ideological evolution of them both? I really think it's an exciting direction to take them, especially depending on future narrative developments. What heroes do they want to be? What do they have to confront to understand themselves, and the people around them? How do they accept the pain of being truly alive?

I agree: hopefully with the hair. I think that if they did keep that, honestly, it would visually represent a merging of him then and now. No exaggeration, when they revealed his new hair back during V7 I was like, oh okay they've abandoned Jaune because this makes him look like a joke, and I don't know if this happens to be a course correction in response to that, but it is conceptually interesting. It's possible to twist that into something meaningful, anyway, if I were writing by the seat of my pants.

My summary of how much has changed regarding his character this episode: really I think this has struck the possibility he won't be saved off the books, and a physical transformation to represent a symbolic idea is clever. Then you get the interesting interplay of an older character who's also young, which is like Oscar, with an experience which has alienated but also empowered him. Suffice it to say, it sets up a lot narratively. Who else has been alone, tormented, and isolated for that long?

#seraphina's asks #user: anonymouse #seraphina ruminates over V9 #rwby9 #jaune arc sadsack tag

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docholligay · 2 years

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There’s a lot going on here.

So, from a very, just let me explain what literally happens way of starting this off: Changed!Alan and Old!Nadia are on one half of the screen and Changed!Nadia and Old!Alan are on the other. They go through a procession or parade led by Horse, and at the end of it, Changed!Nadia and Changed!Alan are who’s left, and it has flipped so they are PART of the procession, instead of going through it.

Okay, so that’s just what occurred. Let’s break it down now, or try.

Obviously, the main narrative part of this, is that the timelines have converged, and the better versions of Alan and Nadia have survived. They’ve gone through all of this, I’m just going to call it noise and nonsense, in this story, and they came out as the better versions of themselves, leaving the old versions of themselves behind. At the end, those old versions of themselves had to disappear in order for the new ones to survive.

So why this parade? First thing my eye was drawn to was the skeleton, because they’ve had multiple deaths, because every chance we have to be a new person involves the death of the old one. Life is about those chances for renewal and so deaths large and small are part of it, and it’s not always a sad occasion to celebrate a death.

But as I was looking at the skeleton, I saw that a lot of them were not skeletons, but were in fact paper mache people. So is this going back to the Russian Doll idea, that so many of us are these created versions of people, with other people inside of us? And if that’s somehow true, than it must be significant that Alan and Nadia, and some others, aren’t clad that way? Is it because they’ve figured out how to make all of those people, one person? How to work with all of these identities and people together instead of compartmentalizing them?

Because I do notice that Nadia is wearing her necklace, and given that such a big deal was attached to that earlier, I can’t imagine it’s a mistake. It’s heavy, but is it that she’s now learned to carry it? I have a complicated relationship with the past, in that, I don’t think it should define us, and frankly I don’t think its important for other people to have the context of my person, mostly, but also you can’t just...let it go. Our pasts are what they are, and they make us who we are, at least in part, and every decision in our lives is a part of us. Maybe Nadia is learning that living with something is different from dropping it. You don’t have to cut your hair or give away your necklace to not let your mom exert that power on your.

So why a a parade in the first place? Why any of this? I think its significant that at the beginning of the scene, they are going through it, but at the end, they’ve joined it. Because before in their lives, they were, in many ways, going through it instead of being an active and engaged part of it. But after this experience, after having to go through everything, they are a part of everything. They are engaged. I mean, at the end of it they are both carrying torches, both yelling along with the crowd.

And its interesting because Nadia doesn’t look happy, so much as ready. Because the hard part ISN’T over. How do you carry all these lessons with you, how do you keep yourself from falling back into the rut of all your worst traits? Anyone who’s had to change what the fuck they were doing with their life can probably relate to this, this idea of, “Okay...and now we just keep walking” Life doesn’t have neat and tidy endings. Everything’s a mess and a cavalcade of noise and color. And that’s okay! Life is about learning, not solving.

I’m glad the ending isn’t more clear! I’m glad it’s not neat and tidy, and that we know they succeeded, but we don’t know what comes next. I think any kind of conclusive end to this would be a betrayal of everything that’s come before it.

#Doc watches Russian Doll #RD episode 8

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wingsyliveblogs · 2 years

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what are your theories as of now?

(I'm answering these asks together since they're both pretty short and simple!)

1. Hmm... this one's a bit tricky, actually. I don't tend to do a lot of theorising when I'm watching a show, mostly because I have a tendency to get overly attached to my personal theories if I have them and can end up being disappointed if it turns out I'm wrong. I generally try to focus on analysing narrative and characters based on the information I already have instead.

For the Owl House in particular, I'd say I have one significant theory so far, which is the one I mentioned in this post. I'm not sure if it still holds water after Episode 8 (it's looking as if Lilith could just have said what she did to get hand hair lady off her back for the time being) but it is the one bit of speculation on my part that I'd really call a theory, and I still think it'd be neat if it turned out I was right about it.

Besides that, I have plenty of thoughts on the show, but I've mostly expressed them in the form of character analyses, so I'm not sure if those would really count as theories? And on another note, a lot of the expectations I have for the show are directly informed by spoilers/things I knew about the show ahead of time, which are listed in this post. This makes it difficult to tell if something I'm considering is a legitimate theory, or if it's just something that I already know is going to happen.

I'll probably have to think about this question a bit more - there may be more theories that I've come up with that just aren't coming to mind right now. But I hope this answer suffices for the time being!

2. I've actually laid out some of my thoughts on this subject in previous posts! I think a pretty good summary for my answer is: It's Complicated.

I feel as if I want to see more development from both of them before I can really give a solid answer to this question, but so far, what I have is:

Willow and Amity were once friends. At some point in the past, they were on good terms. I feel as if this is important.

Amity has undeniably hurt Willow. And she hasn't given any indication that she intends to be nicer to her. That's gotta stop.

At the very least, Amity owes Willow a big apology, and given that I'm not entirely sure Amity realises how much she's hurt Willow, I think she may need a bit of a smack in the face reality check.

Willow is frustrated by Amity, but she doesn't hate her. She wants Amity to acknowledge her abilities. Despite everything, she hasn't cut Amity off completely. I'm not sure if this says more about Willow as a character, or about how friendly they used to be with each other, but this means that there's a chance their relationship could improve with time.

I don't think we actually know how Amity really feels about Willow at this point.

Regardless of that, it's Amity's responsibility to make things right with Willow. I have faith that Amity is fundamentally a good person, so I trust that she will eventually do something to fulfill that responsibility. I just don't know how long it will be before she does.

In a similar way to the first question, I don't know if this quite covers all my thoughts on their relationship. Overall, I like both of them as characters and I'd love for them to get along, but I recognise that change takes time, especially for people who've been stuck in the same pattern of behaviour for a long time, as I kind of feel Amity has. I really just want to see them talk things out, but I don't know what it will take to get them to that point. Hopefully, I'll find out in time!

#wingsy liveblogs #ask #wingsy watches owl house #thanks for the ask!#and here in my answer to the second question you can see a character analysis AND an expectation based on spoilers #I don't know if I'd be quite so confident that Amity will improve things with Willow if I didn't know about the Character Development

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martianbugsbunny · 2 years

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OUAT Thoughts Pt.34--Episodes 4-5

I have watched through S4E5; spoilers DNI. Also, spoiler warning for anyone further behind than I am.

—How can anybody keep a straight face about that funky lil hat? If Rumple ever actually wears it I will no longer be able to take him seriously.

—The Sorcerer’s Apprentice got turned into a mouse I CANT EVEN

—Are we never actually going to see the Sorcerer? If he could create a hat this powerful, he must be something else.

—I love that Rumple enchanted a broom to do the thing! Sorcerer’s Apprentice is hands-down one of my favorite Disney cartoons, so any reference to its iconic bits delight me.

—How can nobody see the Snow Queen’s castle? It’s an ice palace! IN THE MIDDLE OF A FOREST! And a thing like that has got to generate some kind of supercool temperatures around it, so it should be pretty obvious when anybody gets close to it.

—The Snow Queen’s weird obsession with mirrors is an interesting nod back to the original Snow Queen story. Which, in itself, has some pretty solid themes.

—That backstory stuff with Emma and her buddy Lilith is fruity as heck.

—So the Snow Queen was Emma’s foster mom? Oh, the intrigue! The question still remains: did she know who Emma was at the time? It seems almost impossible for it to be that big of a coincidence.

—I enjoy a bit of leg as much as the next person, but Elsa needs some new clothes. Her dress simply isn’t practical in Storybrooke. But she could keep the sparkly purple cape, I wouldn’t mind.

—On the other hand, it kinda makes me sad that Hook is out of his pirate clothes. Those are mostly practical, and they’re quite dashing.

—I can’t believe Will Scarlett is actually of some narrative significance. I’ve watched the Disney Robin Hood where they’re all animals, and I’m not sure he was even in that one; I’ve also watched Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, in which he happens to be one of the main draws for me. His part in the story seems to be largely variable. The Wonderland stuff has some potential; the drawing he tore out of the book was, I think, of the Red Queen? Which might have cool implications if he’s actually from Wonderland, given his last name.

—If Hook ever risks his relationship with Emma to take Rumple down, I’m gonna mad. Mostly because I am now ride-or-die for CaptainSwan, but also because if Rumple’s marriage falls apart I will cry.

—Emma’s date-night dress was gorgeous. I love Elsa being confused about how little of it there was, compared to Arendellian fashion—but then again, has she looked in a mirror lately?

—Snow and Charming mother-henning about Emma’s date with Hook was adorable. I love when the Charmings get to have normal domestic moments like that.

—We’ve seen how much Hook cares for Emma—he traded the Jolly Roger to help her, for Pete’s sake! (Which is peak romance if you happen to be dating a pirate captain.) Having Emma show him some of her childhood keepsakes was a good way to balance out their relationship and show that she trusts him and cares for him too.

—It’s not such a big deal that Will escaped and got pardoned, considering he was in jail for a pretty minor offense and was apparently being kept there for longer than he should have been.

—I kinda wish the other Snow Queen had a hair color other than blonde. It’s a classic, but it might’ve been more interesting to give her dark or ginger hair. Heck, maybe even just straight white would’ve been cool. Or pale blue. Or light purple. Her dress is pretty, though.

—Regina and Emma being grudging frenemies is amusing. I love how salty they are around each other.

—I’m not sure how I feel about the turn Henry’s taken. Snooping around Rumple’s store is one thing; using the ‘connection to Baelfire’ card to manipulate his way into a job there is another. He’s definitely Regina’s kid.

—Elsa’s story kills me, especially in Frozen 2 (I cry at Show Yourself every frickin time) but this version hits a bit harder. Her parents actively searched for something to change her so she would be “normal.” It’s kinda the next logical step for them, seeing as they were pretty crappy parents in Frozen to begin with, but it’s so much worse. Good golly.

#once upon a time #ouat #the sorcerer's apprentice #the sorcerer's hat #rumplestiltskin #Captain Hook #Emma swan #the charmings #queen elsa #the other snow queen #Henry #regina mills #will Scarlett #martianbugsbunny reviews

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pearlcages · 1 year

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OMG that hair remark. Throughout season 12, Callie barely had her hair down and it was so unnerving to me. But recently I saw a IG of E.R and they said something like that the hair, the makeup, the setup, the lighting all account for how a pairing will play out and it makes me wonder that the hair was kept up intentionally. With Arizona, Callie’s hair was always flowing…so free. And the hair-do at least with Calzona was something important because they both cut their hair when breakups happened.

i feel very strongly about callie’s hair in s12 being intentional!! callie keeps saying she’s happy, saying she’s moving on, but the show actively pushes against that little self-made narrative in small ways

casting someone SR has very little chemistry with, not introducing penny as a genuine love interest, the “i love you/thank you” scene, and the hair!

hair has been a consistent marker of change for callie and arizona, but particularly callie. changes in what callie does to her hair always read as significant to me— impulsive, fun, interesting decisions with her hair are a hallmark of callie at her most genuine. the switch to her almost exclusively wearing it back in s12 is almost jarring because it’s so abrupt. its reserved and controlled and almost distant, which are things callie has never been before

there’s also something about her eyes in that last season. i don’t know how much of it is sara ramirez being checked out of the show and being sort of burned out themself, but for the entirety of s12 callie looks fucking miserable. the hair being consistently pulled back from her face just does nothing to hide that

#asks

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gothprentiss · 2 years

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blah blah characterization blah blah

one of the ways i have like, made my peace with the fact that later season prentiss seems off to me (off in ways that aren't merely like, oh the job changed her or whatever, oh the show's tone has kind of shifted and its commitments are more halfhearted and being a senior member of the team means you're written differently, etc.) is the sort of character position trajectory. like, it's really obvious that we work among types: gideon -> rossi; the two jj replacements we get are jordan todd (parallel problem of commitment, foil & mirror for jj) and seaver (obviously a special case, more of a parallel than a replacement, but Blonde. family at issue again); the self-aware but still kind of miserable derek -> luke wonderful hunk of color position. obv these kind of wander between narrative purpose, demographic, and physical resemblance.

this sort of gets nebulous the further we go in the show as we lose and gain characters, but i feel like it's still present. so, like, among all this you have first elle greenaway, who is like... white girl but dark haired, which is, as we all know, the edgy type of girl, and is sort of a counterpoint to jj as a result. emily prentiss picks up and furthers this trope-- she's not quite as harsh as greenaway can be, but the show is also sort of stepping back from that sharp of an edge on a character. prentiss is individualistic and strong-willed like elle, but in a different direction-- her entire narrative is characterized by this overwhelming desire + need to be in the team. it's funny because on most other levels she's a problem for how the team can be conceptualized (here i am shelving moral compass etc. thought process), but a lot of her early characterization is about union with and the unity of the team. i am not making this post much longer.

anyway the fraught position of the Dark Haired White Woman Agent is one which, imo, clearly is always thinking of the next character as a successor or sequel to, or comment on, the previous character-- prentiss's early arc feels a bit like patching up the ramifications of what went down with elle greenaway, alex blake as a professor of linguistics is an obvious callback to prentiss' ostensible function but also strikes me as an attempt to have it both ways, and not present a character who is merely a stopgap. a child is pretty central to her exit, which picks up on the lesser but still evident significance of children for prentiss; and we get this again with callahan, extremely centrally. the point is that like, by the time we get to prentiss returning she's replacing both hotch and callahan, and is stepping into a position which has become more overtly parental, and more specifically maternal, while also being sort of stripped of its early difficulties-- one of the reasons, it feels like, that greenaway and prentiss could be so troublesome for the team was that they were more junior agents, who were clearly treated as still being shaped. so at the return i don't really recognize prentiss, in part because there is a lot of generality to the writing in cm outside of the current Thing about the character, and in part because what's changed about her is her narrative function and purpose, which means that a lot of the character traits that i am most drawn to about her are absent, forgotten, or severely backgrounded. i don't know how much this registers or matters, because i'm sure Moral Status and Narrative Function aren't quite as big in other people's character evaluation, but i do firmly believe that it is a huge and troublesome character shift for her, like properly a point of fracture. if you're reading this like shut the fuck up this is dumb and minor, yea sure whatever. of course it is. but the thing is that prentiss + elle were notably morally askew from the team, which allowed for things like elle's whole exit arc and the s2 finale / s3 prentiss arc, as well as the entire doyle arc. like no one else on the team would have faced doyle the way prentiss did, and certainly not without a more clear articulation present. flash forward to reid in prison arc where prentiss is, repeatedly, there to assure him of and affirm his moral goodness, and bring the law in line with that. there's the obvious protective / parental element to that, right, which is what has been added by the late season characterization, but there's also the fact that, like, this sort of moral surety has everything to do with that narrative function, and very little to do with any meaningful understanding of how she thinks about goodness or morality. if i wanted to actually be clear at this point i'd be writing like 5 more paragraphs so i'm just sticking this under a readmore and peacing out. my biggest gripe is that she's the wrong kind of afraid / wrong kind of cowardly in wheels up and probably if you don't vibe with that take then we just do have different takes on how she works as a character. i've written probably a lot about prentiss having a lot to do with the structure of romance and the trajectory of the romance hero and i just always feel very correct in doing so. etc. peace!

#sorry in the process of this i decided emily prentiss is exactly like childe roland to the dark tower came and i'm tired of myself now #mediaposting

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