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rabbiitte · 6 months

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Character Analysis #4.

Sleepless Nights and Silent Battles: Top's Journey Through PTSD, Attachment and Performative Sexuality.

Following the latest comments made by P'Jojo, I feel compelled to contribute to the appreciation of Top as a character. I consider that, far from being the flattest character, he's one of the most complex characters in the series. Not only is he a character who evolves throughout the story, but many sensitive themes are explored through him. Today we'll dive into Top's intricacies and explore concepts such as stereotypes, attachment patterns, PTSD and performative sexuality. If you're interested in what makes Top such a fascinating character, read on.

1 | Narrative differentiation: the deconstruction of a stereotype.

The characters in a story often serve as narrative tools to explore and contrast various thematic and emotional aspects. Each character can represent a unique perspective, contrasting values or even opposing archetypes. Opposing characters may mark contrast, create tension, humor or highlight the complexity of the issues being explored. Two opposite characters in Only Friends are Mew and Boston, for example. On the other hand, similar characters may highlight patterns in the story or underscore the repetition of key themes. In Only Friends, two characters who are introduced as similar are Boston and Top. Although both present certain differences on a deeper level, they both embody the stereotype of the "heartbreaker" or "promiscuous" man.

The “heartbreaker” stereotype: refers to a male character characterized by his physical attractiveness, charm, and ability to have multiple romantic relationships without serious commitment. Some of the most common attributes of the “heartbreaker” include physical attractiveness, charisma and ability to persuade others. They tend to avoid commitment, be the object of desire for other characters and have notable social skills.

Certain characters can start out being different to end up being similar, as in the case of Ray and Boston. Other characters can start out being similar to end up being different, as in the case of Top and Boston. This phenomenon where two initially similar characters reveal deeper layers and different motivations could be called "narrative differentiation". It's a common device in writing that adds complexity and depth to characters, allowing the audience to explore different facets of the same stereotype. On a narrative level, this is often used to challenge viewers expectations and provide a richer understanding of the characters. In this way, Top and Boston serve as vehicles to explore different facets of the same stereotype.

The expression "narrative differentiation" is not a standardized or official term within literary or film theory. It has been used to describe the narrative process in which initially similar characters take different paths and develop in unique ways throughout a story.

Through Boston, the most superficial facet of the “heartbreaker” stereotype is explored, while through Top, the deeper facet of this stereotype is explored. Boston personifies the idea of living out sexuality without regrets or explanations, without any specific reason behind his behavior (for most of the show). In Ton's case, there isn't deep exploration and, for many episodes, there's no development. On the other hand, through his traumatic past, Top adds a layer of complexity to the stereotype, showing that people with this behavior aren't always the way they are simply because. This narrative duality enriches the representation of the experiences and motivations behind the characters' choices.

2 | The effects of parenting styles and attachment patterns in adulthood.

Generally, when it comes to Top (and unlike with other characters) people fail to recognize what drives him in his decision-making process. This is, how his childhood affected his adulthood. And if the importance of Top's childhood is recognized, the focus is usually on how his trauma affected him. And, yes, the fire in which Top was trapped as a child without his parents caused him sequelae but Top's abandonment issues were not only caused by this traumatic event. Top's traumatic experience reinforced his abandonment issues, but his fear of abandonment was already present before that. If Top had not experienced that traumatic event, he would also manifest abandonment issues. To talk about the beginning of Top's abandonment issues we have to go back to Top's childhood and we have to talk about the importance of Top's parents in his emotional development.

Childhood is a crucial time in our lives. During this period, many of the foundations for emotional development are laid. This is why parenting is so important. How parents choose to bond with children (or choose not to) will be reflected through parenting styles. There are four types of parenting styles:

Authoritative: authoritative parents set rules and boundaries, but they're also understanding and responsive to their child's emotional needs. They encourage open communication and encourage independence. Children raised authoritatively tend to have a good balance between self-discipline and emotional expression. They can love and fulfill themselves without needing other people. They tend to be more confident, have social skills and make informed decisions. As an example, Mew's mothers raised him through the authoritative style.

Permissive: Permissive parents are forgiving and tend to avoid imposing strict limits. They're usually very responsive to their children's emotional needs. Children raised permissively may have difficulty following rules and boundaries, which can sometimes lead to behavioral problems. They may also experience difficulty developing self-discipline. Children raised in this style may be more prone to experimentation with substances, as they may not receive adequate guidance on the dangers and risks associated with drug and alcohol use. As an example, Sand's mother raised him through the permissive style.

Authoritarian: authoritarian parents are demanding and controlling. They set rigid rules and clear expectations for their children. They tend to be less responsive to children's emotional needs. Children raised in an authoritarian manner tend to be disciplined and compliant, but they may also experience high levels of anxiety and have difficulty making decisions for themselves. As an example, there are clues that suggest that Nick's parents raised him through the authoritarian style.

Neglectful: neglectful parents show little interest or involvement in their children's lives. They may be emotionally absent or distracted by other problems. Children raised in neglectful environments may experience attachment problems, low self-esteem, and difficulty establishing healthy relationships in adulthood. They may also feel neglected and devalued. This parenting style can lead to self-esteem issues, anxiety, depression and substance abuse. As an example, Boston, Ray and Top's parents raised them through the neglectful style.

Top's parents ignored or rejected him and, as Boston and Ray, Top has self-esteem issues. He's needy for affection and, especially, protection because he lacked these things during his childhood.

If the bonds established in childhood are so important, what will be the effect of having neglectful parents? How we form a bond with a caregiver will affect how we form bonds in our adulthood. Therefore, each parenting style has a consequence. That consequence is the emergence of an attachment pattern.

According to the attachment theory, developed primarily by British psychologist John Bowlby and later extended by Canadian psychologist Mary Ainsworth, an attachment pattern refers to the way individuals form emotional bonds and connections with others, typically based on their early experiences and interactions with primary caregivers during infancy and childhood. These bonds provide a sense of security and emotional protection, especially in situations of stress or danger. Attachment patterns can influence how people perceive relationships, approach intimacy, and react in times of stress or vulnerability.

The attachment theory identifies two types of attachment that can be develop in childhood: secure attachment and insecure attachment. For example, when a little girl feels secure to walk away because she knows that when she returns her caregiver will still be there to meet her needs, this is called secure attachment. If a little boy feels insecure about walking away because he's afraid that his caregiver won't be there when he returns to meet his needs, this is called insecure attachment. At the same time, insecure attachment is divided into anxious attachment, avoidant attachment and disorganized attachment. Today we will talk about anxious attachment but, if you want to know what type of attachment each character of Only Friends has, I recommend you read my general analysis of attachment patterns in Only Friends here.

Anxious attachment: Those with this attachment pattern often worry about being abandoned or unloved. They may seek excessive reassurance from their partners and can be overly sensitive to relationship changes or perceived threats to the relationship. They may be reluctant to express their anger or dissatisfaction, which can sometimes lead to increased anxiety. This apparent passivity can be a strategy to avoid conflict or maintain a relationship.

Top grew up with two absent parents. Growing up, his parents ignored him and didn't spend quality time with him. They usually went to social events without taking Top with them, which is why Top was alone during the fire. His parents didn't meet his needs immediately, as they were never at home (although perhaps they did met his needs in the long run). When his parents were with him, Top was happy and when his parents left him, he felt anxious. His parents' inconsistent behavior (of being present, then absent) caused Top deep anxiety and he developed a strong fear of abandonment. As he grew older, he stopped perceiving his parents as a safe place to perceive them as unreliable figures. He never felt safe exploring the world because he feared his parents wouldn't be there when he returned. This type of insecure attachment is called anxious attachment.

The anxious attachment pattern is what is colloquially referred to as "abandonment issues." Although both terms share similarities, they aren't interchangeable. The difference between the terms lies in their origin and context of use. "Anxious attachment" is a more technical and specific term used in psychology to describe a particular attachment pattern. It refers to anxiety and worry about abandonment in interpersonal relationships. On the other hand, "abandonment issues" is a more colloquial term used in everyday conversations to express in a general way the anxiety or fear related to abandonment. Although the two concepts may overlap, the former is a more clinical and precise description, while the latter is a more informal and broad expression.

Top worries about being abandoned all the time. This fear isn't only activated at night, but is present unconsciously during his daily life due to the way he got used to building relationships (based on how he was raised). That terrible fear affects the way he connects with other people in his adulthood. It led him to limit his romantic relationships and mostly engage in one-night stands. In order to avoid being abandoned first, Top developed the three-month rule. Probably, this is how long it took his previous partners to break up with him. However, ironically, despite not wanting to be hurt or abandoned, Top's anxious attachment pattern leads him to constantly seek affection. That's why Top dated other people before Mew (we know about Boeing and some other “serious” relationship thanks to the existence of the three-month rule Boston talked about). All this information suggests that Top is open to relationships because he seeks companionship and he wants to satiate his need for affection but prefers to avoid being abandoned.

In his romantic relationships, Top is insecure and needy. He worries about not being enough and being abandoned eventually. This is the main reason why Boston's revelation about Mew and Ray's kissing affected him so much. Top is overly sensitive to relationship changes or perceived threats to the relationship. After Boston's revelation, Ray's existence in Mew's life became a threat or possible change in his relationship with Mew. For people with anxious attachment, abandonment doesn't necessarily have to be clear and definitive, any suggestion of abandonment triggers deep fear and insecurity. At the same time, people with anxious attachment tend to be reluctant to express their anger, dissatisfaction or insecurity. This apparent passivity can be a strategy to avoid conflict or maintain a relationship. This is why Top didn't confront Mew about his kiss with Ray at that very moment, because directly confronting Mew in search of the truth would involve facing and hastening possible abandonment. People with a fear of abandonment become irrational at any suggestion of possible abandonment.

Top needs Mew to feel loved, important and protected. In his relationship with Mew, Top craves constant reassurance and intimacy. Top's need for reassurance can be seen reflected through his desire to be rewarded manifested in two instances: the cookie's scene and the drug's scene at Mew's place. Why does Top feel he's owed rewards when he does something right (keep in mind that Top would stop consuming as a favor to Mew, not for himself)? This emotional blackmail comes from a place of deep insecurity, as you can imagine. Top is constantly looking for proof that he's appreciated because he's doing things right and that he's not going to be abandoned. Instead of communicating honestly and trusting that he's loved and valued, Top constantly seeks validation through rewards. It's like a way to win affection and avoid being abandoned in the short term.

Similar to animals or babies, after getting a reward, they'll expect to get rewards every time they do something right as a sign of satisfaction from the owners or guardians. In humans, it's normal for children to seek to act in a way they know they're going to be rewarded to avoid being abandoned by figures they perceive as “unreliable”.

Through the previous experiences (the three-month rule, Boston's manipulation, and the rewarding moments) we can account for how much Top's anxious attachment affects his decision-making process. As stated, Top's attachment pattern isn't rooted on the traumatic event he experienced as a child, but rather on his parents' upbringing. Because of this, his attachment pattern affects him in all aspects of his life and not just at bedtime at night. Having seen the effects of Top's parents' upbringing in his adulthood, let's take a look at the specific effects of his traumatic experience in his adulthood.

3 | The influence of PTSD on Top's performative sexuality.

Thanks to EP2, we now that Top struggles with insomnia due to a traumatic event from his youth. However, unless the show explicitly mentions Top's struggles, the deeper impacts of his trauma tend to be overlooked and they only resurface when the storyline considers it relevant. For example, for a period of time, Top's insomnia and its effects were ignored and only brought up again for the purpose of introducing Boeing. Despite the importance given by the plot to Top's struggles, it's key to consider that Top's trauma has strong consequences. Actually, even though it's never verbally made explicit, Top exhibits signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, with insomnia being just one facet of this complex condition.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, series of events or set of circumstances. An individual may experience this as emotionally or physically harmful or life-threatening and may affect mental, physical, social or spiritual well-being. People with PTSD have intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings related to their experience that last long after the traumatic event has ended. They may also relive the event through flashbacks or nightmares.

Here are the symptoms of PTSD that Top presents:

Intrusion: Triggers for a PTSD episode can be diverse and can include situations, places, people or even sensory experiences that are in some way related to past trauma. Exposure to similar situations can trigger intrusive thoughts such as repeated, involuntary memories; distressing dreams; or flashbacks of the traumatic event. Flashbacks may be so vivid that people feel they're reliving the traumatic experience or seeing it before their eyes.

In Top's case, the PTSD episode is produced when he sleeps alone because he's exposed to a situation that is reminiscent of the original traumatic situation. This similar situation triggers intrusive thoughts. In Top's words, when he doesn't take his pills, his head always thinks something bad is going to happen while he's sleeping.

Re-experiencing doesn't always mean reliving the exact details of the traumatic event, it may mean to experience the same feelings or emotions associated with the traumatic event. While Top doesn't directly re-experiences the traumatic event, the PTSD episode involves the same intense emotions, fears or beliefs associated with the night of the fire. Top's fear of something bad happening and dying alone is linked to the trauma he experienced as a child. This fear may trigger heightened anxiety, which is a common aspect of post-traumatic stress.

Alterations in arousal and reactivity: Arousal and reactive symptoms may include being irritable and having angry outbursts; behaving recklessly or in a self-destructive way; being overly watchful of one's surroundings in a suspecting way; being easily startled; or having problems concentrating or sleeping.

During a PTSD episode, Top manifests alterations in his ability to concentrate and experiences difficulty sleeping alone, which manifests itself in the form of insomnia. Difficulty sleeping alone and the need for someone present to fall asleep are common features in PTSD, especially when they are linked to specific traumatic experiences (such as the fire event in Top's case).

Avoidance: Avoiding reminders of the traumatic event may include avoiding people, places, activities, objects and situations that may trigger distressing memories. People may try to avoid remembering or thinking about the traumatic event. They may resist talking about what happened or how they feel about it.

Top actively and consciously tries to avoid sleeping alone. In order to avoid this situation, he often seeks companionship through his one-night stands.

Even after the breakup with Boeing, Top seeks his company in exceptional situations. In fact, both agreed to be each other's "confort zone". Hence, in times of need, he calls Boeing. This dynamic reveals a level of Top's emotional complexity because, even if he wants comfort and emotional support, he also wants to keep some distance (maybe to avoid the risk of being abandoned, at least at the moment of the breakup). Despite the romantic breakup, the emotional connection and security that Boing provides are valuable to Top. This is a complex and revealing dynamic of Top's emotional life. The fact that Top keeps looking to Boing in times of need, such as when he has insomnia, suggests that duality in their relationship.

The fact that Top constantly seeks companionship to sleep, even with strangers, suggests that the symptoms are intense and cause him discomfort. Probably, at some point in the past, some situation arose in which Top was much more interested in having company than in the sexual act itself. However, since sex was what people expected from him, Top “gave in” to the sexual act in order for his parter to stay. Expectations occur because Top is often perceived as the type of man who isn't looking for an intimate connection, but a one-night stand. This is the kind of perception he's trying to get rid of in his relationship with Mew.

The scenario in which someone engages in intimate acts with others not necessarily out of personal desire but to meet societal expectations or avoid loneliness, is connected to the concept of "performative sexuality". This refers to individuals engaging in sexual behaviors not primarily for their own satisfaction but as a response to social norms, expectations or pressure. It involves performing sexual acts for reasons other than one's own innate desire or pleasure, often influenced by external factors.

A specific moment in which we can see the concept of "performative sexuality" reflected in a clear way is when Top has sex with Boston, an activity that clearly doesn't aim at the pursuit of pleasure. Remember that, before this happened, Top always rejected Boston in a very clear and determined way. Also, since Top was with Mew, he never showed signs of attraction to anyone, least of all Boston. However, in the car scene, Top ends up “giving in” (something that is completely different from giving "consent") to Ton's advances, this as a result of Boston's high level of emotional manipulation (we've already talked about how Ton's manipulation affected Top). And, despite the debates about whether it was cheating or not, one thing most of us agree on is that Top didn't have sex with Boston for pleasure. If it was not to obtain pleasure, but to obtain some other type of retribution (whether emotional or material), it's considered an act of "performative sexuality".

An important parallel presented in the story is that both Top and Mew can be connected to the concept of "performative sexuality". Think about it, they both use sex to get what they want. While Top uses sex to seek company, Mew uses sex as a bargaining tool or to maintain his relationship with Top. On EP4, Mew agrees to sleep with Top in exchange for him giving up drugs. In EP5, Mew has sex with Top to please him and prevent him from leaving him (he feels pressured to do it). In all these instances, Mew, like Top, engaged in the sexual act for reasons other than his own pleasure. And, ironically, the only person for whom Top manifests sexual desire (Mew), manifests no sexual desire for him. The one person Top doesn't use sex with as a tool, uses sex as a tool with him.

The effects of Top's trauma may seem sparse, as the plot doesn't explore them in depth, but they do exist. Insomnia is just one facet of Top's PTSD and this facet triggers a myriad of consequences, such as Top's fear of sleeping alone and Top's performative sexuality. This concept can be applied to both Mew and Top, who often use sex to get something other than pleasure.

4 | Breaking down the intricacies of Top's personality.

The formation of an individual's personality is a complex process that involves various influences and factors over time, such as biological factors, upbringing, social interactions and socialization, cultural influences and significant events throughout life. Top's personality appears to be strongly shaped by a combination of his traumatic experiences, parenting style and attachment issues.

Let's delve into some of the most prominent aspects of his personality and their possible origins:

Calm demeanor: If Top, from a young age, learned to cope with rejection or lack of attention by adopting a calm demeanor, it could become an integral part of his personality. He may have developed a defensive strategy to keep emotional distress at bay and maintaining calmness could be part of this strategy. Calmness can also act as a defense mechanism against perceived threats. A calm demeanor can serve as a way to regulate emotions.

Avoidance of conflict: Top usually avoids conflict with people he appreciates. The tendency to avoid conflict and not initiate problems may stem from his fear of abandonment and his desire to maintain connections. If his parents were neglectful, he might have learned to avoid confrontation to prevent further rejection. Top also tends to avoid conflict with people he doesn't appreciate because a) he's naturally calm and non-violent. b) to avoid a negative image that could lead to being abandoned. For example, Top usually avoids responding to Ray's provocations so as not to project a bad image to Mew. Even at the birthday party, he avoids reacting to Ray and only responds when Ray pushes him first. In episode EP7, when Top gifts Mew some books, he only reacts to Ray when Ray punches him first.

However, if someone is hostile or seeks conflict with Top when alone, he won't be afraid to respond verbally or physically (since the possibility of being abandoned is not present). For example, Top is usually very reactive with Sand, as their encounters are hostile and in private.

Affectionate nature: Top's affectionate nature, especially towards Mew, could be a way of seeking reassurance and creating a secure attachment. Affection might serve as a means of connection and comfort in the face of his underlying fear of abandonment.

Passion for drawing: His passion for drawing could indeed be a reflection of his calm and introspective personality. Creative outlets often provide individuals with a way to express themselves and find solace.

Challenges asserting himself: Top doesn't have a hard time refusing but it's hard for him to assert himself when his boundaries aren't respected. This could be influenced by his overall fear of rejection and his past experiences. The difficulty in expressing clear boundaries might stem from a lack of practice or models for healthy communication (like his parents). If he has not had many experiences where he could assert his needs without fear of rejection, this skill may not be as developed. For example, if Top has engaged in sexual activity during some of his one-night stands even when he didn't want to, it could contribute to a pattern of not clearly defining or expressing his boundaries. This might be due to a fear of rejection or the perception that people might only stay if there's a sexual component. Top's upbringing and his history of seeking companionship through one-night stands, might have influenced how he navigates relationships. Over time, he might have learned to navigate these situations without clearly expressing his preferences.

Although Top is not one of the most explored characters in the series, he's certainly one of the characters with the most personal development. His personal baggage, previous experiences, and current personality are painstakingly thought out and carefully portrayed. Through Top, authentic and sensitive topics are explored, such as PTSD, the anxious attachment style, performative sexuality, among other aspects that are extremely valuable today.

In case you're interested, here you can find my Mew, Ray and Sand's analyses.

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uhsschoolwork · 17 days

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Film Review: The Godfather (21)

a. Sight: "The Godfather" masterfully utilizes visual elements to convey its story and themes. The cinematography, characterized by long, sweeping shots and meticulous framing, captures the grandeur and intimacy of the Corleone family's world. The use of shadows and lighting adds depth and symbolism, reflecting the moral ambiguity and hidden motives of the characters.

b. Sound: The film's sound design is equally as crucial in creating its immersive atmosphere. From the sounds of bustling streets to whispered conversations, every auditory detail enhances the mood and tension of each scene. The use of silence is also notable, allowing moments of quiet contemplation or impending danger to resonate with the audience.

c. Color: While "The Godfather" is predominantly shot in muted colors, the strategic use of color accentuates key moments and themes. The contrast between the warm, earthy hues of family gatherings and the cold, sterile environments of power negotiations underscores the dichotomy between loyalty and betrayal, tradition and modernity.

d. Motion: The film's pacing and movement contribute to its immersive storytelling. Whether it's the slow, deliberate movements of the characters during moments of contemplation or the frenetic energy of violent confrontations, every motion is choreographed to convey meaning and emotion. The fluid camera work and seamless transitions between scenes enhance the sense of continuity and inevitability that pervades the narrative.

e. Emotion: At its core, "The Godfather" is a deeply emotional film, exploring themes of loyalty, honor, and the complexities of family dynamics. Through nuanced performances and subtle gestures, the characters' inner conflicts and moral dilemmas are palpably conveyed, eliciting empathy and introspection from the audience. The film's emotional resonance lies not only in its dramatic moments of tragedy and triumph but also in its quieter, more introspective scenes that reveal the humanity beneath the facade of power.

"The Godfather" is compelling for several reasons. Firstly, its richly drawn characters, from the enigmatic Don Vito Corleone to the conflicted Michael Corleone, are captivating in their complexity and moral ambiguity. The film's exploration of power dynamics within the Mafia underworld offers a fascinating glimpse into a shadowy world governed by its own code of ethics and rituals.

Additionally, the film's intricate plotting and suspenseful narrative keep viewers on the edge of their seats, as alliances shift and betrayals unfold against the backdrop of escalating tensions and power struggles. The themes of identity, destiny, and the corrosive nature of power resonate on a universal level, transcending the specific context of organized crime.

Moreover, "The Godfather" boasts impeccable craftsmanship, from its stellar performances to its lush production design and evocative cinematography. Francis Ford Coppola's assured direction infuses every frame with a sense of gravitas and urgency, elevating the film beyond mere genre conventions to achieve timeless cinematic greatness.

While "The Godfather" is widely regarded as a cinematic masterpiece, there are areas where it could potentially be improved. One critique is that the film's portrayal of female characters is somewhat limited, with women largely relegated to secondary roles as wives, mistresses, or victims of violence. Incorporating more complex and empowered female characters could enrich the narrative and offer a more diverse perspective on the Corleone family's world.

At its core, "The Godfather" is a meditation on power and the human condition. Through the lens of the Corleone family saga, the film explores the seductive allure of power and the destructive consequences of unchecked ambition. It exposes the hypocrisy and moral bankruptcy of institutions built on violence and corruption, while also acknowledging the enduring appeal of tradition and loyalty.

Moreover, "The Godfather" underscores the inevitability of change and the cyclical nature of history, as old orders crumble and new ones emerge in their wake. It reminds us that even the most powerful figures are ultimately subject to the whims of fate and the passage of time, highlighting the fragility of human ambition and the enduring resilience of the human spirit.

Overall, "The Godfather" is a cinematic masterpiece that deserves its reputation as one of the greatest films ever made. Its compelling characters, intricate plotting, and thematic depth make it a timeless work of art that rewards multiple viewings and continued analysis. While it may not be suitable for all audiences due to its mature themes and violent content, for those who appreciate thought-provoking storytelling and impeccable craftsmanship, "The Godfather" is an essential viewing experience that should not be missed.

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519magazine · 10 months

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mylordshesacactus · 3 years

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1, 3, 15 and 23 for the askmeme?

What themes would you like to write about that you feel don’t get explored very often?

Hmm. See, I feel like it’s fairly self-evident from my writing what themes I care about and want to explore, and since 99% of that writing is already embarrassingly niche, it goes without saying that I don’t think those themes get enough love XD

Found family is, thankfully, a very popular trope. The slightly more niche themes that I enjoy exploring are...hmm. How to phrase this.

The (inherent eroticism of the) loyal lieutenant trope; that not only is it okay to not want to lead, but that people can want to be a natural second-in-command without feeling resentful or having that itch of ambition. That being the loyal, quiet support and standing back and watching someone you trust implicitly lead can be what you aspired to in the first place.

The idea of kindness and respect being about what the other person needs to feel safe, not what feels right to do.

The bright, dramatic, larger-than-life fantasy realm is primarily populated by ordinary people. This does not have to be a “deconstruction” or “commentary” on fantasy tropes or on the larger-than-life canon characters; they can and should coexist, because they’re part of the same world.

Asskicking =/= authority. Authority =/= leadership. Leadership in its purest form is soft-spoken and sure, with nothing to prove and no need to posture. Authority only requires certainty that the people under your command can be trusted to do their jobs. Leadership requires certainty that the people under your command can be trusted, fully and completely.

Animals Don’t Work Like That, Actually

Canine Body Language Is Completely Different From That, Actually, You’re Thinking Of Cats.

Loyalty requires you to challenge the people you love outright. Anyone worthy of real loyalty might be angry at first, but will ultimately trust you more as a result.

True love means trusting one another to do the right thing, and knowing for a fact that the other person will not betray their greater responsibilities for your sake no matter how much it hurts them. Anything less is not love; it’s selfish obsession.

What loves do you tend to write about?

Oops I kind of gave that one away with #1 huh. Well, a quick summary then: Agape, philia, storge, pragma, are going to feature most heavily.

Which isn’t to say there’s less of eros. And if you’ve read my smut you know I LOVE playfulness in sex and romantic relationships; all intense passion is exhausting, you should be able to laugh together, and honestly it’s healthy to still have the hallmarks of ludus show up sometimes. Especially when my faves have such fucking awful lives, letting them just kind of...be grinning, giggly young women who like each other a lot is nice.

Mania (as in, the term for obsessive love in the Greek tradition and not like, the psychological condition) is such an intensely terrifying and deeply unpleasant force--writing it makes me feel so dirty--that it doesn’t show up very often if at all. It’s always an antagonist, if it does, because it’s so incompatible with love.

And all my fanfic faves are like no philautia we hate ourselves like wlws.

What physical quirks do your characters tend to have?

Oooo, I LIKE this one.

This is pretty clearly OCs, since with fanfic characters I at least TRY to just accurately recreate what their physical quirks onscreen seem to be. So, my OCs...

One linguistic quirk that I like to give to OCs is an oddly specific one--you can get a LOT of characterization into a small package by creating characters who are extremely laconic--writing their dialogue by trying to get across their idea in as few words as you possibly can, and using body language for the rest. The most recent version of this is my WoW character Talet, who I actually write as mostly nonverbal. In her case, this is the result of long-term isolation and partially due to trauma; she can and does speak, but she communicates mostly through lupine nonverbal signals to the point where her ward (officially her “apprentice” but in practice, her adopted daughter) openly describes herself as Talet’s “translator”.

I also have a weakness for characters with extremely still body language; not necessarily stiff or tense, just....still. No fidgeting or wasted movement. And for characters who can be described as soft-spoken--often as surprisingly soft-spoken, like my blunt and impolite mule handler with a low, rough voice...who has a completely contradictory tone, very gentle, very calm. Only with her beasts, of course. Or trauma victims. Or children. Or--

Do you prefer reading series or standalone novels and does that reflect on how you write?

Oh that’s also a good one. I like both! Honestly, SHOCKING information from a fanfic author--I love stories that set up a unique and interesting universe with like...rules? Especially when that universe feels bigger than the one story we get to see in it.

And I’m a sucker for the IDEA of spinoffs, I’d normally adore big sprawling universes that allow for lots of stories to be told in the same basic world. It’s a shame that expanded universes get so bloated and that the writing gets so bad--and I think a major failing of that format is that they so quickly lose sight of the POINT of an expanded universe and try to make every goddamn thing interconnected. The whole POINT is that you can just....read or watch the stories that appeal to you, and while knowing other stories might enrich that experience not knowing them doesn’t detract from it.

(Discworld. The perfect model for how to do this is Discworld. Not interested in the Watch? Cool, here’s a pile of books about other characters. Not interested in Granny Weatherwax? Cool, have fun being wrong but also have fun reading all these witch-free books while doing it. Not interested in Death? Tough shit and have I got news for you about the degree to which not being interested in Death affects its presence in your life, but you don’t have to read books ABOUT Death.)

However, I do have a firm policy about series, and ESPECIALLY about the first book in a series: Cliffhangers are cheating, and they’re weak writing, and they’re only allowed if they’re setting up the actual finale.

(It’s a mark in Rise Of Kyoshi’s favor that I didn’t....entirely....mind the cliffhanger because the rest of the book was so good. And since the Kyoshi novels are a duology, it’s TECHNICALLY allowable)

You CANNOT use a cliffhanger at the end of your first book. That’s a horrible sign in the author’s faith in their own story. If this is your FIRST IMPRESSION, and you don’t think the story you told is good enough, you don’t think your world and your characters are compelling enough, to get me to come back without straight up leaving the story unfinished in order to make me come back if I want to find out basic information?

Cool. You’re probably right. I don’t care anymore.

Your first installment HAS to stand on its own. The penultimate book can end on a cliffhanger if you really must, because at that stage in the plot it’s normal to assume there’s lots of things happening quickly, and it feels like less of a cheap trick; if I got four books into a five-book series, or two-thirds of the way through a trilogy, I was probably already planning to come back for the finale. But the first installment has to tell its own story, whole and entire, or I’m probably not gonna care enough to stick around.

Open endings are not the same as cliffhangers. Open endings are great.

So, yeah. A well-written standalone novel and a well-written series are basically the same, and the initial book in a series at least should also serve as a well-written standalone novel in the first place!

#askmeme #natsu-tigre

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elizabethnotbennet · 4 years

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Are you going to keep reading HP even though the books are littered with racism/sexism/verbal abuse/ physical abuse/xenophobia/slave rationalization/aids phobia with a hint of pedophilia?

lol hi purist anon. I know this is probably a troll, and that many people have talked about the subject in much more articulate ways than I can, but I’ll answer you all the same. Under a read more because, as you might have expected, this is going to get big.

First of all I’m honestly struggling to think of any hints of pedophilia at all, so if you want to clear that up the anon function is still turned on. Or, you know, if you want to do something more useful and enriching in your life you can just go read a non problematic and completely pure book. (Can’t be the bible - that’s also filled with all the stuff you mentioned here. Turns out slavery was in back then.)

Just to be clear, Jk Rowling is horrible and I don’t agree with basically 99% of what she thinks and says, so I’m not defending her at all ever. But yes, I will keep reading Harry Potter. In fact, I’ve just bought the whole series in English and will be reading them for the first time in their original format as soon as it gets here! yay! It’s a great series with a very compelling universe, which is made clear by the huge following it still has and the longevity the series has showed so far. JK’s bigotry isn’t going to end that.

About your accusations. Some of those are portrayed in text, like: The physical and verbal abuse Harry, Hermione, and Severus go through; The slave rationalization, which I’m assuming you mean what is done to the house elves; The blood supremacy thing, that is analogue to racism; etc. Those things aren’t flaws in a book, authors regularly write issues like that either to create conflict, which is essential to storytelling, or in order to highlight a real life problem. Some examples of critically acclaimed movies that did that: Hidden Figures, The Imitation Game, Brokeback Mountain, Annie, and several others. Some real life stories, some fictional, but they all had themes of racism, homophobia, and violence in some way.

Now, that is completely different than, say, the antisemitism that shines through on the portrayal of goblins in the Harry Potter seires. That wasn’t an attempt at criticism of prejudice, it was just straight up an attempt at confirmation that those prejudices are somehow “justified”. The portrayal of the house elves can also fall into this category, depending on how you look at it. The queer coding on the characterization of Severus Snape, and the transphobic characterization of Rita Skeeter, do too. The way these things are written is obviously problematic. I agree. But that doesn’t mean we should stop reading them. If we just stopped consuming any media that is in any way problematic or that was created in any way by anyone problematic... Well, we’d have a problem.

We’d not allowed to watch any of the following:

Carol (2015)

Project Runway (anything under this brand)

Django Unchained

Drag Race (anything under this brand)

Kill Bill

Chicago

Gangs of New York

Lord of The Rings

Pirates of the Carribean

Scream

Pulp Fiction

Shakespeare in Love

The Hateful Eight

The Great Debaters

Any of the other 400+ credits on Harvey Weinstein’s imdb page

American Beauty

Se7en

House of Cards

Any of the 400+ credits on Kevin Spacey’s imdb page

Sweeney Todd

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Rango

Chocolat

Any of the 400+ credits on Johnny Depp’s imdb page

Anything Pixar released between the years of 1986 and 2006, and then Disney/Pixar until 2017. This includes:

Toy Story series

A Bug’s Life

Cars

Incredibles

Incredibles II

Coco

Bao

Inside Out

Frozen

Monsters inc

Brave

Tangled

The Princess and the Frog

Ratattouille

This list is already way over 1k titles long, and I only looked up four people. I didn’t even count Woody Allen. Over 200 men were fired during the height of the Me Too movement alone, that’s not counting racism, homophobia, and religious intolerance. Speaking of, you can’t watch anything produced under the Hays Code either- officially 1934 to 1968, but it influences films to this day.

This is not to say “support your local rapist!”, but rather that this type of purist thought is not actually feasible. We can’t just stop consuming problematic media, we just have to be aware of what it is we are consuming. There’s plenty of essays on tumblr about this, and specifically on J.K. Rowling/Harry Potter. One I found very easily is this one (x), but I personally reblogged multiple of those.

This type of thinking is actually very dangerous, we can’t deny that Woody Allen’s movies made an impact on directing. I personally cannot stomach watching his things, and that’s ok too, but that also comes with me understanding that there will always be a gap on my understanding of film and media due to my refusing to ever watch his things. For most people that’s irrelevant, but for someone going into working in the field it might become relevant, but it also might not. But it’s silly to think we can just erase film history until at the very least 1968 (even before Hay’s code, people were pretty racist. Segregation was a thing.), it’s just not going to happen, and ignoring the history makes it so we suddenly can’t understand why queer coding in villains is so harmful, and why LGBT stories in media always end up tragically. We need the history, because we have to understand those things in order to change them.

On another point, we just can’t write off contributions by problematic people. Should we all just collectively erase everything Simone de Beauvoir wrote and theorised on sexism? Are all the criticism made by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels on the capitalism system just irrelevant now, because we know they were racist? Should we erase Freud and everything he said about psychology? Will we disregard relativity theory and all contributions to quantum physics made by Albert Einstein?

#Anonymous #asked and answered #blah this got too long sorry #but i have a lot of opinions on this #listen #everyone is problematic #everything is problematic #anyway in this post there are mentions of #rape tw #abuse tw #racism tw #sexism tw #domestic violence tw #violence tw #also there's #logic tw #and #common sense tw

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pelikinesis · 4 years

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just rewatched Trigun for the first time in probably 10 years or so?

Trigun is often extremely compelling, except when its writing becomes very bad, and by bad I mean dissatisfying in terms of internal logic.

production-wise, i get the sense that they blew the majority of the animation budget on the first two or so episodes, because they’re absolutely gorgeous, but in many of the later episodes they take a lot of shortcuts to the point where some scenes are basically slideshows.

writing-wise, there’s a number of really key moments that are intended to be emotional, but they’re so intent on discussing THEMES and making ON-BRAND CALLBACKS that characters start spouting dialogue in moments that are absolutely unfitting for the situations that were set-up, and a lot of the social issues in the later episodes is due to the fact that absolutely none of the main characters ever explain to anyone else, “Okay so there’s this guy named Knives, and he’s totally the reason why bad things happen around Vash”

and i’m not saying everything would be resolved because they’d be automatically believed, but everything Meryl and Vash say in lieu of that rightfully serve only to infuriate all the scared, misguided people precisely because they’re desperately asking for an explanation and instead they’re told some sanctimonious bullshit about how killing is bad, or so it sounds because it has not been explained to them that Vash is not who they think he is.

in hindsight, i mostly stuck around with this rewatch because of how good the first two episodes were, and the richness of the premise they promised. the idea of a pacifistic but extremely skilled gunman with a legendary reputation who is actually a dork IS interesting, especially when combined with the supporting cast.

If someone pitched to me an RPG campaign idea set in some sci-fi wild west world where we’d be playing as insurance claims agents sent to make contact with an outlaw so fearsome he’s on the verge of being classified as a natural disaster or act of God, i’d tell them to sign me the fuck up. out of all the backgrounds for a supporting cast in this type of setting, that’s a very fresh one.

the way that all the drama in Vash’s backstory which took place aboard giant spaceships intended to colonize other planets effectively turns his past into that planet’s own Creation story in a way, and how this somewhat subtly casts himself and Knives as angels or demigods is actually way cooler to me now than i ever registered the first time I watched Trigun.

but i just don’t find that the whole Vash-Jesus-Job analogue exactly resonates. There’s no tension because Knives and the Gung-ho Guns are effectively all-powerful, and if they’d been even slightly more competent they’d have succeeded in their goals. But it’s also left completely unexplained why the most loyal of the Gung-ho Guns are loyal to the point of death to Knives, and at this point I’m actually just talking about Legato because the rest of them barely exist. but Legato, wow, what a hot mess of a plot device masquerading as a character.

early on a question is raised: does Vash manage to get out of life-or-death scrapes with zero fatalities (though lots of property damage) due to dumb luck, or because he’s just that good? But the thing is, it’s never truly answered. Legato, in particular, is central to the least satisfying parts of the story. His powers are the most overtly supernatural and staggering in scope. It’s never explained why he has so little regard not only for the lives of other humans, but for his own life, allowing himself to be a total pawn to Knives despite probably being the most powerful character in the setting. Legato’s arc could have been used to help definitively answer the prior question, but it’s resolved in a different way that i’d call a swerve, but ultimately not a good swerve.

there are certain things i don’t mind not being explained, so long as the lack of information doesn’t turn into plot holes. So for example, i don’t really need to know what the Plants are. They’re humanoid and seemingly-sentient, and somehow provide all the resources humans need to survive on a desert planet. That’s fine. Not knowing how they work is fine. That mystery does not distract from the narrative’s comprehensibility.

But the show is very blatantly one wherein the fate of all humanity always falls on Vash’s shoulders, which is a bit too egoistic a story for my tastes--yet this wouldn’t be a problem if it were done well. i don’t think it is, though, not in its totality anyways.

Legato isn’t the only problem, he just happens to be the biggest problem. Legato isn’t so much a character as he is a plot device, a deus ex machina--not one that *resolves* the problems caused by the plot, but rather *creates* the problem that the plot requires so that the story arrives at the resolution the author wants.

Legato was the *facade* of an interesting character--an immensely powerful psychic with no regard for human life who also enjoyed eating sweets in his spare time. He can mind control hundreds if not thousands of people at once. Cool. Why can he do that, and what does he want? The answers to those two questions respectively are, (1) because shut up, that’s why, and (2) because he wants everything Knives wants because of reasons.

and that second part is infuriating, because in failing to address this, the writers miss an opportunity for exposition that would enrich not only Legato but also Knives as characters, at the same time. *how* did Knives convince Legato and also the saxophone guy to do his bidding loyally until death? Why is it that Legato is absolutely devoted to Knives, whereas Saxophone Guy shows some bitterness as they meet their ends to fulfill Knives’ plan? How has Knives secured their loyalty despite hating humans so much? See, those would have made for interesting moments, if they weren’t absolutely shunted off to the side in favor of varied scenes of Vash coughing up blood as he spouts his beliefs in a way that’s usually out-of-context for his audience.

Now, in other fighting superpower anime, i would normally expect a character such as Legato to be defeated once the protagonist figures out a weakness or limitation in his psychic powers and adopts a strategy to target that vulnerability. In a good fighting superpower anime, i might expect that a powerful psychic might have some vulnerability based on a psychological issue or two. that’s intuitive, and would not only be satisfying for the protagonist’s development to figure all that out, it would simultaneously provide an opportunity for deeper characterization of said psychic villain.

the swerve that instead Vash wins by losing, that is, by finally being forced into a situation where he has to (temporarily) violate his own moral code and shooting Legato dead was somewhat dramatic but only because of the buildup. Actually, one thing I unreservedly applaud Trigun about is the restraint they demonstrated in having Vash not even fire a gun for like the first five or six episodes which, in a 26~ episode show is quite an investment. It also spent even more time building up like 24-25 episodes of Vash not killing anyone, and then suddenly he did. But that’s the only reason it was remotely dramatic. Legato was an enigma and and obstacle but ended up being an empty contrivance, which was disappointing.

in many early episodes, it was very clearly laid out what the villain and guest protagonists’ motives were and why they had them. the writer(s) clearly knew how to do that even within the span of a single mostly self-contained episode. and that makes the bundles of unanswered questions that Legato’s role in the story and also his existence altogether raise that much more grating on my suspension of disbelief.

As soon as Legato’s whole dilemma was resolved, i couldn’t really engage with the story anymore, save to watch the last few episodes for the sake of doing so, and also out of curiosity for where the writers were going with everything. but i was no longer invested in the characters, because at some point they started saying and doing things in a manner meant to tie a bow on the themes the writers had been harping on the whole series, but not in a way that demonstrated any internal consistency or believability as far as the characters themselves.

Vash and Meryl never tell anyone who Knives is because the writers need Vash to forever be a falsely-accused and persecuted Christ analogue. it’s so freaking transparent, and that’s one of a number of similarly unsatisfying elements to Trigun, and it’s a darned shame. because so much of the show is interesting and promising, but it doesn’t really have the follow-through. idk maybe the manga explains everything.

Finally, there’s no good reason why Knives didn’t just kill Meryl and Milly after Legato died. I’m not saying this because I wanted their characters dead or anything. I’m saying it because if Knives’ whole motivation is to hurt Vash, and if Knives thinks of humans like cockroaches, then why wouldn’t he kill Meryl and Milly not long after Vash breaks his own code against killing just to save them? Why not drive that final nail in the coffin just to spite Vash?

All we know about Knives is that he’s Vash, but evil, he wants to wipe out humanity because he thinks they are inferior to them, and he wants to break Vash emotionally. Everything he does is motivated by spite towards Vash, and misanthropy, so killing Meryl and Milly while Vash is sulking over the abstract notion of taking a human life due to killing Legato would be the final insult to injury and would be 100% consistent with everything we know about Knives.

And this is why I couldn’t stay engaged with Trigun. Vash only adheres to his beliefs because the villains don’t do everything that’s within their power to break him. I’m not saying I wanted a grimdark downer ending. I’m saying that the only reason Trigun doesn’t have one is because the writers wanted a good ending, which clashed with everything they set up. Vash’s reaffirmation of his beliefs simply isn’t earned, not in my book, because the only reason they remain intact is because of either laziness or neglect on the part of Knives or the writers.

#Trigun

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analysis-by-vaylon · 6 years

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Animation reviews, criteria for analysis, and the scope of this blog.

Hello, there. I’ve recently been browsing Netflix for animated features and series to watch, and I thought I would share some brief thoughts about these with you; however, it’s not my intention to turn this blog into a review blog -- I’d rather stick to lengthy analysis. I’m simply using these reviews as a starting point to discuss some things that have been on my mind lately.

I want to accomplish multiple things with this post: I’ll talk about some of the animation I’ve seen recently, discuss why I’m not going to post longer analyses for these, and then go into some detail about what sort of things you can (and can’t) expect me to talk about when I discuss animation.

Reviews for Recently-Watched Animation

Only one of these is recent; I basically just browse Netflix, look for something with an interesting premise, and watch it. It’s not a very complex process.

April and the Extraordinary World. 2015. Origin: France. I found its premise silly. The dialogue is uninspired at best and its characters unsympathetic. Many critics praised its animation, but because I don’t like steampunk, I found the scenery and designs to be dull. Not recommended.

The Little Prince. 2015. Origin: France. I’ve never read the book, but I sense that this film does it justice, as it effortlessly weaves imaginative fantasy-adventure together with a story about the pressures of adulthood. There’s a great deal of mystery and symbolism in it that was, for me, a breath of fresh air. Recommended.

My Life as a Zucchini. 2016. Origin: France. This is a stop-motion animation whose characters have a wonderful amount of life and vibrancy in their designs and dialogue. Despite being on the shorter side (at a mere 65 minutes!), this film still manages to pack a whole lot into its charmingly-told love story. Recommended.

A.I.C.O. -Incarnation-. 2018. Origin: Japan. 12 episodes. I wanted to like this -- I really did -- but despite its intriguing premise and the promise of pure science fiction themes, I ultimately found this anime to be lackluster in its storytelling, concepts, and designs. It seems to focus more on action than on execution. The dialogue is especially bad -- rife with what I call “anime-isms”. Not recommended.

In This Corner of the World. 2016. Origin: Japan. This film takes us back to World War II-era Japan with faithfully-reconstructed depictions of both Hiroshima and Kure. The scenery is gorgeous, and the characters’ victories and struggles are as palpable as the looming horror which ultimately waits for Hiroshima. Despite the cheerful face the characters bravely put on, the film reminds us that no one escapes unscathed from war. Recommended.

Remember: just because I enjoy something and you don’t -- or vice-versa -- does not mean that one of us is wrong and one of us is right. There is such a thing as personal taste; April and the Extraordinary World, for instance, was widely acclaimed by critics, but I personally dislike it.

Criteria for Analysis

When it comes to writing analysis, I am mostly interested in longer works that have complex overarching themes, intriguing concepts, or an engaging use of language. I don’t intend to write about anything that I wouldn’t recommend to others for their own enjoyment. Films are nice -- and some of them do indeed offer enough complexity to warrant bringing them under the critical eye -- but I have found that the series format is most suited for allotting time for the development of themes, symbols, and so on. I believe in the power of structured meaning; by this, I don’t mean that the work needs to follows a formulaic structure, but rather the work creates, through association and recurrence, an idiomatic framework of meaning.

An example of what I mean can be found in The Lord of the Rings in the symbolism of the One Ring. Historically, in fiction and everyday metaphor, rings were used as symbols of love, commitment, power, wealth, and greed. In The Lord of the Rings, however, the One Ring -- though it certainly carries this ancient symbolism with it -- takes on additional symbolism through its association with actions or feelings: compulsion, for instance, in being compelled to wear and desire it; hardship, in that the Ring is a heavy psychological burden for all who bear it; treachery, in that the Ring seeks to return to its true master and always threatens to escape or betray those who wear it; and malice, in that the Ring represents Sauron’s power-hungry desire for dominion over all beings and for the ability to cruelly inflict suffering upon them. It’s thanks to the widespread appreciation of The Lord of the Rings that these meanings have entered into the wider consciousness of symbolism associated with rings -- though, of course, love and commitment remain today the central ones.

Obviously, the longer a series is, the more it can add to its personal grammar of meaning: take, for instance, Star vs. the Forces of Evil and the Blood Moon, a recurring symbol -- throughout all three seasons -- of love and destiny. Each additional appearance of the symbol offers a chance to further enrich its meaning.

By borrowing cultural symbols and constructing personal ones, writers can elevate their work, tapping into powerful ideas much greater than themselves; presenting those ideas in an intelligible way can hopefully lead the reader to some sort of epiphany or greater awareness. This is as true of animation as it is of literary fiction, which brings me to my next point.

The Scope of This Blog

I started this blog in order to bring the same critical approaches used for writing about literature to animation. You won’t hear me often discussing frame rate, color grading, or other technical elements of visual design -- despite animation being primarily a visual medium. To people who work in the animation industry, that may seem odd, but I’m simply not trained in film, animation, or art theory, and anything that I know about those subjects (which is not much) is from reading about them in my own personal time. I just don’t consider myself qualified to comment on the finer technical points of visual media.

My academic training is in English literature and critical theory, and I’m more interested in ideas and their conveyance than in visual impact, as you may have gathered from the previous sections. Elaborate animation can be impressive, yes, but my personal opinion is that visual achievement is a hollow victory if it lacks complex meaningfulness. The example that always comes to mind for me is the Nichijou anime: yes, some of the animation in the series is, without a doubt, exemplary in terms of technical effort and stylistic experimentation, but without any intellectual complexity to support the series, it simply feels pointless -- even downright mean-spirited. Perhaps an animator would find the series interesting, but it’s not what I’m looking for.

Part of that, too, is due to my own limitations. I am visually impaired, so I tend to de-emphasize visuals and give primacy to written and spoken language. I simply can’t see well enough to make critical judgments on the visual aspects of animation. Hence, you will often hear me speak instead of narrative, dialogue, characterization, and so on -- elements of literary fiction as applied to animated storytelling.

I’ve often thought about whether or not I should even be running a blog like this; it is entirely possible I don’t belong in discussions about animation. I think animators who believe in the supremacy of board-driven animation (like John Kricfalusi, for instance) would agree with that: animation, they might say, is the realm of artists and not writers -- and especially not writers who have no background in art whatsoever. They would have a point. Animation is, as I said earlier, primarily a visual medium, whether that involves ink, paint, clay, cardboard cutouts, or computer-generated drawings. What right do I have to intrude into the world of color and movement? And my answer is none. I have no right. I am a trespasser.

And I am comfortable being one. I expect no one to listen to me; I would still be saying the things I have said even if no one were. Perhaps it is foolish to think so, but I believe that animation can have the same things in it that literature does: that it can be both intellectually complex and fun, that it say something about the human condition, that it can challenge its audience. I don’t want people to lose sight of what is important about storytelling -- no matter what format it comes in.

#analysis #critical theory #animation

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bmgmw · 6 years

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I have a lot of respect for you and your opinions, but I don't agree with the way you're trashing the Last Jedi or Rian Johnson. He and everyone else on the movie worked really hard on it and they made an excellent movie. Sure, it might not have gone the way you or any of us theorized, but it created an interesting and different narrative that enriched the story. Yes, there are minor issues, but have you seen all the other movies? The prequels? TLJ is one of the better SW films (2nd best imo)

I’m not really straight up trashing it. I don’t think it’s the worst SW movie (that’s TPM…), in fact, I ranked it as 5th overall (definitely better than the prequels and more original than TFA, but not as good as the original trilogy or as compelling as RO).

And I’m sure everyone worked hard on the movie (I never said otherwise) and I thought the actors did a good job.

My major critique of the movie was the writing. They really needed to edit the script and maybe at least check for plot holes, characterizations, and try to make it fit cohesively with TFA, since it’s part of a trilogy. But Johnson admits in that Vanity Fair interview that the script was 90% the same as it was in first draft a year and a half before filming TLJ (so before TFA was done)…..

And I’m not sure why people who critique people critiquing the movie assume our issues have to do with the movie being different from other SW or that “it might not have gone the way you or any of us theorized”. I don’t really care if my theories are right or not. And in case of TLJ, I had written back when TFA premiered that I didn’t want Rey to be a Skywalker and that Luke would probably die, so my theories weren’t even wrong.

You say it created an interesting and different narrative that enriched the story, but I disagree totally and that’s my biggest issue with it. The movie acts like themes like failure or the force doesn’t just belong to the Jedi are brand new, but they’re not, we’ve seen them in other SW movies.

And in terms of moving the overall trilogy plot forward, it really doesn’t, with the exception of Rey being able to use the force now. Other than that, the rebellion was not in a good place when TLJ started, and they’re even less numbered at the end, after what was basically a long, slow spaceship chase. Finn and Rose’s plot was pretty insignificant to the central story and Poe’s was badly written (there was zero logical reason for Holdo to not tell him anything…).

That being said, I did like the opening, and it wasn’t a boring movie. It just felt like it could’ve been written a lot better, and I don’t think saying that fairly civilly is “trashing” TLJ, just critiquing it.

#star wars #tlj #star wars the last jedi #the last jedi #rian johnson

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teachingspanishmadeasy-blog · 6 years

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“CI” for World Language Teachers: 5 Ways to Enrich Your Second Language Skills During The Summer

The summer is the perfect time to relax, go on vacation and to tackle that never-ending to-do list. It is also a time to ENRICH and/or CULTIVATE the language you so love and teach. This post is geared toward non-native speakers and teachers of a World Language who are looking for ideas to keep their language skills sharp during the lazy hazy days of summer.

1. Take Full Advantage of the Series and Shows on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime

In the last few years, there has been an explosion of Foreign Language Films. My father-in-law, my go-to person for Netflix series, has even started watching Turkish movies and soap operas; he loves them! Netflix has a lot to offer for those who speak and understand Spanish and French. Misclasseslocas.com and aventurasnuevas.wordpress.com have made some bonafide suggestions over the past year.

Similar to how and why we provide comprehensible input to students, watching shows or listening to the language continually during the summer months “attunes” your ear, helps you to stay in the language, and to stay motivated. Once school starts back, you’ll have “menos lagunas mentales” and will be ready to jump back into the swing of things, and provide your students a rich aural experience!

French Shows

My personal favorites on Netflix are:

Mar de plástico

I really like this show because the cast is so diverse!

I am also a big fan of ” Tiempos de Guerra”. I am so desiring the second season!

In addition to watching movies, there are other things you can do to keep your language skills well-polished.

2. Watch Youtube Videos on topics with which you are both familiar and interested.

When strangers find out that I am a Spanish teacher, they immediately confess how they’ve always wanted to learn Spanish as a second language. Then they ask the million dollar question: What is the best way to learn a language? They then begin to list off all the programs they’ve tried such as Duolingo, Rosetta Stone, etc. They feel compelled to tell me their life’s story about how they’ve been learning Spanish for decades or took years of it in school, only to be able to muster up a few words. My advice is always the same: Start with what you love! If you love knitting, find videos on knitting, learn some of the specialized vocabulary, and follow prominent knitters on Social Media. You will not only learn vocabulary incidentally, the way it works in a CI classroom, but you will find yourself doing something that you so enjoy!

My Favorite Topics to Seek Out

These last few years, I have taken a very keen interest in writing (hence my Language Learner CI Novels). But lately, I started relying less on my storytelling skills and more on honing the techniques of seasoned writers and some famous “Literary” Youtubbers. I have checked out several videos (posted below) that have enabled me to communicate better with writers that I meet on Social Media. Not only have I learned meaningful techniques on outlining or “Esquematizando” my stories, but I have also added new “writing” jargon to my Spanish lexicon. I am also passionate about aliens, bioethics, philosophy, the Bible, Apologetics, and cloning (all of which we explore in Spanish IV), so I am always looking for novel perspectives on these topics.

3. Subscribe to Magazines in The Target Language

Subscribing to online magazines is another way to prevent your language skills from atrophying during those summer months. Twitter is a great place to find daily inspirations for your interests. Below are two of my favorite organizations to follow on Twitter. I get little snippets of psychology articles, studies, or quotes that keep the target language at the forefront of my mind. They are also topics with which I love to debate with my father-in-law, that keeps me on my toes as well. I am always surprising him with new words! @psicologiamente @psicologiaySer

I also love going to Target or Hispanic grocery store to stockpile print magazines. We have a store near my house called “La única” and they sell my favorite magazine of all times: Muy Interestante. If you don’t have the luxury of living near a store that sells Spanish-language magazines, check out Zinio.com as they have quite a selection of Spanish-speaking publications.

4. Listen to Podcasts (that interest you)

There are tons of great content on Tunein radio! My two favorite programs, aside from listening to “Las noticas de las ilsas canarias” are:

Todos somos sospechosos – Is a program dedicated to “La novela negra”. They talk about books, characters, and the “La novela Negra” genre on a whole. I have learned quite a bit about new authors, the genre, and of course, the jargon (although these are mostly English words to define phenomena). Best of all, the program’s host is very engaging.

El ojo crítico- Is an Arts and Culture podcast. The themes are wide-ranging but include interviews with authors and episodes dedicated to the work of Classical Spanish Artists and Writers ( Picasso, Cervantes).

5. Read A Book in The Target Language

This may be an obvious step, but recently I just realized the plethora of Kindle books le available in Spanish. I have three authors whose books I am crazy about, and they are all on Kindle! Dulcinea, Yauci Manuel Fernández, and Marcos Nieto Pallarés. They all have very different styles. Dulcinea’s writing style is very contemporary, immediate, she makes you feel part of the action, and has a way of pulling you into the drama. Her book “El día que el océano te mire a los ojos” is a gripping account about a girl who has a terminal diagnosis, a cheating boyfriend (all on the back of the book’s jacket), whose life takes a sudden turn. I discovered in ” El Corte Inglés” in Madrid, and am so happy that she is on Kindle! I recommend her books!

I also like Yauci Manuel Fernández. He authored “Cada día cuenta” and “Dos palabras para enamorarte“. I read his first book and am making my way through the second one. I have opted to read his book rather than watch my favorite telenovela “Amar es para siempre”. His writing is reminiscent of Paulo Coehlo’s themes, as his books center on the human journey in life, priorities, decisions, and living through past hurts. Good stuff!

“El asesino indeleble” a suspensful read. I bought it on Kindle a few months ago, and I could not put it down. It is so entralling. I love the characterization and the dialogue. If you like crime mysteries, I’d recommend this!

6. Find Opportunities to Speak the Language (I know I said 5, but this one is important as well!).

Make the extra effort to speak the language during the summer months, even if you speak the language at home. Although I speak Spanish very regularly with my husband and his family, and my friends, I go out of my way to experience the language in new ways. Last summer I joined a book club. We read one book a month and then meet up to discuss them. In the group were Spanish-speaking people from all over. I remember learning “Ándate a la punta de un cuerno” from one of the Ecuadorian women in the group. We’d discuss different ways of saying things, our cultures and so forth.

I hope these tips were helpful. What are ways you keep up with the language during the summer months? Please comment below!

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