#modern day Peter Pan

[somegaymernerd]

pov: you are of a marginalized group with little to no representation in current day media, and the one time you get representation in current day, it’s deemed as racist and cancelled

#vagueposting #the only other native characters I can name from the top of my head are the ones from disney’s peter pan and lone ranger’s side kick #other than that there’s fuckin nothing #so maybe stop getting offended at a guy doing a rain dance and throwing tomahawks #he’s the only modern day native character I can name (AND I’M NATIVE) #kebs.txt

[alwaysahiccupandastrid]

I know I’ve spoken about my issues with ‘Peter Pan and Wendy’ (2023) before, both in my initial thoughts post about the film after it released and a couple of smaller comments since, but I’ve realised something this past week after rewatching the original Disney cartoon and the 2003 non-Disney live-action while sick, and I feel I need to talk about it.

It’s about Wendy Moira Angela Darling.

While I stand by that Ever Anderson was one of the highlights of the film and that she did a great job as Wendy, the Wendy in the film is not really the Wendy seen in Barrie’s book, nor the one in the play and other films adaptations. It’s a very different character in a lot of ways, and while it’s normal for characters to differ from adaption to adaptation - especially over the course of 70+ years - I feel like the Wendy seen in the 2023 is more like Jane, Wendy’s daughter, from Disney’s Return to Neverland sequel in 2002.

Let me preface by saying that I actually love Jane in the sequel as a character - I see a lot of myself in her, and while the sequel in itself is not really my favourite, I do have some nostalgia for it because I grew up with it and it’s a cute little story. I like that Jane is actually different from Wendy in a lot of ways; she’s a lot more headstrong and more of a tomboy, and while she’s also a storyteller at times like her mother (mostly to her brother Danny), she is a lot more practical I think and seems to be opposite to Wendy in that she’s trying to grow up too fast. Wendy believes in Peter Pan and doesn’t want to grow up, meanwhile Jane believes Peter Pan to be silly childish nonsense, that she has to grow up quickly and be more adult due to the war/her father being away - Wendy says to her, “you think you’re very grown up - but you have a great deal to learn”.

Obviously the 2023 Wendy doesn’t want to grow up, that’s still the same, but in terms of personality, temperament and the way she treats her brothers after the broken mirror incident (blaming John for it), she reminds me more of Jane than Wendy. Like Jane, she also doesn’t seem to have a good time going to Neverland (at least not at first?) and she seems to take on a lot more action than Wendy did in the animated film.

Of course, it’s not the first time that we’ve seen Wendy wielding a sword and fighting pirates - the 2003 Wendy was shown to play with wooden swords and use real ones, even remarking, “who are you to call me ‘girlie’?!”. I’m not saying that Wendy can’t be a sword wielding girl and fight because she can, it’s one of the additions I love the most about the 2003 film.

The problem with the 2023 version of Wendy is not her being a main character (she has always been a main character), nor her sword fighting and being generally bad-ass - it’s the erasure of the other qualities that make her Wendy Darling.

One of Wendy’s primary character traits is her mothering nature - she is very motherly to her brothers, and when she hears that the Lost Boys don’t have a mother, she’s aghast and agrees to be their mother. The whole “Peter is father, Wendy is mother” idea is clearly a reference to how kids in the playground will play games like “mummies and daddies” - kids imitating what they see around them. It’s all a big pretend game in Neverland for fun. It’s also undeniable that Wendy pretending to be the Lost Boys’ mother is clearly reflective of her own mother, who she adores and is portrayed as the loveliest lady ever, and how she’s imitating Mrs Darling in a lot of ways during this “game” - singing to them, telling them stories, medicine etc.

Some would argue that Wendy is “forced” into being the “mother” and that while all the boys are off having fun, she’s left playing house, which I understand. But what a lot of modern audiences and filmmakers don’t understand these days is that motherhood is NOT an anti-feminist idea - there seems to be this view that portraying a girl wanting to be a mother or expressing the wish to be married/have children is some old-fashioned misogynistic notion, which is absolutely bizarre to me.

As a feminist myself, I believe that there is no clear cut definition of “womanhood” or what it means to be a strong woman with autonomy. Some women want to have careers and not have children, and that’s fine; some women want to have children, that’s fine; some women want both, and that’s fine. What matters is that it’s the woman who is deciding what she wants.

For me, Wendy has always been this remarkable and extraordinary character to look up to because she chooses to grow up - and for her, that means having her own children to tell her stories to. That’s what she wanted, that’s why she went back to England, and that’s part of her character arc, realising that by growing up she has things to look forward to.

For some reason, when 2023!Wendy thinks “happy thoughts” to make herself fly when being walked off the plank, her vision for the future that she looks forward to involves piloting automobiles that haven’t even been invented yet and then dying alone? Which… I mean, if that’s how someone wants to live then fair enough but that’s not Wendy. That’s not the Wendy Darling I grew up loving.

A lot of my issues with the 2023 version of Wendy do in fact link with other issues of the film in general: the Lost Boys including girls, for example. Like I get wanting to be inclusive, and I 100% wanted to be a Lost Girl growing up, but the Lost Boys are boys for a reason (“girls are much too clever to fall out of their prams”), and when Wendy arrives it’s a huge deal because they’ve never actually lived with girls before, and the only concept of girls they have is their memories of “mother”, which is why Wendy becomes their mother figure - because they literally don’t have any other female figures in their lives to compare her to other than the tiny scraps they remember of their mothers.

There’s also the issue of the thing prompting Wendy not wanting to grow up being changed; in the original, it’s because it’s her last night in the nursery and moving from the nursery - aka the room she has spent her entire life thus far in - to her own room is a HUGE transitional worry that a lot of kids probably go through (usually it’s in the form of moving from toddler beds to big kid beds but still). In the 2023 version, she’s being sent off to boarding school for some reason which doesn’t really make sense to me because the Darling parents a) are so poor they have to have a dog as a nursemaid and b) love their children so much that they would never do that to them. I’m not saying that being shipped off to boarding school ISN’T a worry for a young girl or a huge deal, but it isn’t one that I think necessarily fits with the story.

There’s the fact that Wendy is no longer the storyteller; in most versions, the reason Peter visits the nursery is because he likes her stories. Instead, the reason he comes to the nursery is not because he likes her stories but because he used to live in the house? And instead of bringing her to Neverland to tell stories, he comes to take Wendy away as he apparently heard her saying she didn’t want to grow up? It just doesn’t sit right with me, but maybe that’s just my opinion.

Also, for some reason, Wendy and Peter don’t actually seem to like each other at all in the 2023 version - I’m not saying there should have been romantic hints or whatever, but even just in a friendship way they really don’t seem to care in any way about each other. They just seemed rather indifferent towards each other, and it’s kind of jarring to see.

In some ways, I feel like 2023 Wendy was made a little too bad ass and on the nose super feminist: “this magic belongs to no boy!”, slapping Peter across the face (which was just…??? Why?!?!), constantly criticising Peter/Neverland, having WAY more action and heroic moments than Peter Pan himself… maybe in a different story it could have worked but for this one, it came across forced at times, like they were intentionally trying to show “look! Look how badass she is! She can fight off grown men all by herself! She doesn’t need a boy to help her! She can do everything by herself!”

This is why I feel like the 2003 version of Wendy is the best one (so far): while they modernised her slightly by making her sword fight and express an ambition to write novels about her adventures, she was still a storyteller and motherly figure to the Lost Boys/her brothers. For me as a child, seeing Wendy be the storyteller and her journey of acceptance about having the grow up was really important to me because I could completely relate to it.

Of course, I recognize I’m very biased because this is the one I grew up with (along with the animated Wendy of course) so I’d be interested to hear other people’s thoughts!

#peter pan #peter pan and wendy #wendy darling #neverland #jm barrie #j.m. barrie #disney #peter pan 2003 #peter pan 2023

[aheathen-conceivably]

In staunch opposition to some of the more austere, practical Darlington lookbooks that we’ve seen in this decade is Rosella Darlington in the early 1910s. Now twenty years old, she is the epitome of late Edwardian, pre-war fashion, with its flowing layers of fabric, high waistlines, and slimmer, full length dresses.

Through a combination of her own sewing skill and Lady Harrington’s gifts, Rosella’s wardrobe has matured immensely since her teenage years. She has moved away from childish elements like short hemlines and Peter Pan collars, instead leaning heavily into decadent fabrics and a modern silhouette. However, there’s still a sort of dreamy girlishness to all of her looks, highlighted by her pastel, rose, and white color palette.

She has also fully embraced the luxury that her younger wardrobe hinted at. Judging from her looks, she is far from a day maid who lives on a farm. Rather, her style tells the story of how she envisions herself. For this reason, there are elements of late Victorian fashion like puffed sleeves and dramatic hats that highlight her Edwardian style. These remind her of her grandmother, and make her looks even more fanciful than other, more modern wardrobes, like those Lady Georgiana Harrington epitomizes.

There is some overlap between Rosella and Lady Georgiana’s looks, notably in the outfit categories and jewelry. All of Rosella’s jewels are also seen in Georgiana’s lookbook, indicating that George shares her expensive items to make Rosella’s wardrobe possible. The exception to this is a small pair of pearl and ruby earrings that George gave to Rosella on her 18th birthday. Rosella wears these with many of her looks, from her finest evening gown to her morning dress, and I imagine that they are her most prized possession.

CC details under the cut.

Everyday: hat / hair / blouse / gloves (My Wedding Stories) / skirt

Underwear: hair / outfit (Coquette Corset) / stockings

Day Dress: hat / earrings / hair / necklace / dress / gloves / shoes

Work Uniform: maid's cap / hair / dress / shoes

Dinner Dress: hair / earrings / necklace (Base Game) / dress / gloves / shoes

Nightgown: hair / dress

Travel Suit: hat / scarf / coat / skirt / stockings

Evening Gown 1: earrings / necklace / dress (Ravishing Rosette)

Evening Gown 2: dress (Fanny's Finery) / gloves

Morning Dress: hair / dress (Lofty Layered Dress) / shoes

Hot Weather: hat / dress / gloves

Cold Weather: hat / suit / gloves (Base Game)

Another shoutout to the CC creators featured here! Then my lookbook fever is done for a while I promise!

@gilded-ghosts @lilis-palace @happylifesims @joliebean @natalia-auditorets4 @rustys-cc @satterlly @simsfromthepast @buzzardly28 @waxesnostalgic @glitterberrysims @belaloallure3 @twentiethcenturysims @zurkdesign @nell-le @simverses @peebsplays @qicc @dancemachinetrait @arethabee @batsfromwesteros @birksche @historicalsimslife @linzlu @clumsyalienn @simmerofthedawn

#ts4 decades challenge #the sims 4 decades challenge #sims 4 historical #ts4 historical #ts4 historical cc #ts4 maxis match #ts4 cc finds #ts4 lookbook #sims 4 lookbook #historical lookbook #1910s lookbook #1910s cc #1910s #1910s fashion #rosella darlington lookbook #darlington lookbooks #rosella darlington #historic fashion #decades challenge lookbook #decades challenge cc #the darlingtons #Edwardian

[blueapplesiren]

I’m about to go on a rant about infantilization and growing up in the modern world, so if you don’t feel like reading it, feel free to scroll on.

I refuse to accept the narrative that gen Z has “Peter Pan syndrome” or that we “can’t seem to grow up.” I refuse. I KNOW it’s wrong, because I AM growing up, and so are my friends and peers. I’ve participated in elections. I have worked several jobs at this point; when I messed up at those jobs, I faced the consequences and made them right to the best of my ability. I’ve made good decisions that helped me grow as a person. I’ve made BAD decisions that helped me grow as a person. I’m learning to care for my body and mind. I’ve cared for the young, the sick, and the elderly. I am actively integrating myself into my community and society as a force for good.

Yes, I still live at my parents house, but so do many functioning adults of modern day, and people have continued living with their families as adults for CENTURIES. Moving out is not the end-all-be-all of adulthood that many Boomers and Gen X’ers think it is.

Yes, I read fiction, play video games, watch animated movies and cartoons. SO DO MILLIONS OF FUNCTIONING ADULTS. Can you imagine what it would be like if as soon as you turned 18 you were only allowed to indulge in media deemed “mature enough” for you by other people? That would SUCK, and that would be STUPID.

I’m just so sick of being infantilized from so many angles by people who don’t even know me, and I’m sick of my peers being treated the same way. I reject the attempts to belittle and infantilize me because of circumstances outside of my control. I reject the narrative that I am doomed to be helpless and childish forever. I am growing up. I am getting stronger and smarter every day. That is my right and my destiny, and I claim it as mine.

#hope y’all don’t mind me getting kinda spiritual at the end there lol #growing up #rant #adulting #tagging my mental illnesses because they’re another reason people infantilize me #autism #adhd #audhd #autistic adult #actually autistic

[tizniz]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by @devirnis 🩵

How many works do you have on ao3?

42. (Will be 43 tomorrow!)

What's your total ao3 word count?

172,166

What fandoms do you write for?

Currently 9-1-1, previously Harry Potter, Merlin, Percy Jackson, YouTubers, others

Top five fics by kudos:

Buck's Boyfriends

Threes Not A Crowd

Flare Up

Eddie's Housewife

a place where i feel at home

Do you respond to comments?

Every single one.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Come ask me after tomorrow's story.

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Uh....most recently, I'd say Buck's Surprise that I wrote for Hippo.

Do you get hate on fics?

I have received one comment that was sort of 'mean' (but lead to me meeting Sunny 🥰) and then I got one mean comment that I deleted.

Do you write smut?

Hahahahahahaha. Yes.

Craziest crossover:

I do not personally write crossovers.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yup. Back when I posted on WattPad when I wrote imagines for YouTubers.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not to my knowledge.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes. Me and my ex wrote a LOT together. And then more recently I was writing with someone (unfortunately, due to reasons, that has since stopped).

All time favourite ship?

Merthur will always hold a special place in my heart. But Buddie has revived my writing inspiration in ways I haven't seen in so long. And then special shoutout to my OC and some of her pairings.

What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Honestly? Probably my soul mark fic....

What are your writing strengths?

Fuck if I know. I'm hard on myself and barely think my stuff is good most days haha

What are your writing weaknesses?

Al, Hippo, and Ellie will yell at me if I say everything. So...uhm...sometimes I feel my writing is too simple?

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

I am very careful to use as little as possible, because I struggle with English some days, and that's my native language.

First fandom you wrote in?

McFly. Back when I was on Fanfiction.Net....wow.

Favourite fic you've written?

Of my published ones? Fight or Flight or saving you, saves me.  Of my WIPs? Recovery. Of my secret fics? Either the entire universe that is Time Travel II or my Peter Pan modern verse stories. Neither of which are 9-1-1 fandom.

NP tagging: @hippolotamus, @actualalligator, @actuallyitsellie, @perfectlysunny02, @theotherbuckley, @spotsandsocks, @bidisasterevankinard, @elvensorceress, @daffi-990, @dangerpronebuddie, @underwaterninja13, @watchyourbuck, @cal-daisies-and-briars and literally anyone else who wants to do this because I’m tired and tagging is hard 🩵

#writing game tag

[justrainandcoffee]

Happy day (dad!Luca Changretta)

Summary: Because of work, Luca's ex wife and mother of his kid had to travel to other city and Luca is taking care of his little Cathy. And a brief trip to Disneyworld it doesn't sound that bad. The baby is happy and he's in love with her.

Warnings: None.

Words: 400.|| This is part of my celebration.

Mama isn't there and father and daughter are alone. Luca and Cathy's mom aren't together and yet they are. They always loved eachother despite the problems they had prior their divorce. And even more now that they have the baby that plays with Luca's hands.

Luca could kill for her daughter.

Cathy looks ar him and smiles. Too young to understand what's going on, and yet, she knows that the man at her side is her father and she is safe in his arms.

The day that Aveline told him that she was pregnant it was a day he'd never forget. But that happiness was eclipsed by the moment he held her in his arms for the first time. He was there when Catherine was born, he heard her cried for the first time and it was a feeling that he never imagined he could have.

Around them, people walk, laugh and eat. Disneyland is a magic place and seeing their faces it's obvious why. That is a happy place. Aveline could say that workers don't have the same opinion, and she's right, but visitants are happy people. And so is Cathy.

Her Minnie ears and dress look adorable in her. Luca should have taken photos of the place where they're, instead all his cellphone is full of photos of his baby. And his cats.

He buys her more toys. Everything she wants, even if she can't speak yet. When they stop to eat, everything is a mess. But what do you expect? His white shirt suddenly has tomato sauce on it. He doesn't care.

More pictures are taken. Cathy and Pluto, Cathy and Cinderella, Cathy and Peter Pan…

When the sun starts to hide, it's time to go. Cathy is almost asleep and Luca covers her with her blanket in the baby stroller. She's hugging her new Donald Duck.

But she's not completely asleep.

"Pa-pa"

Luca's world suddenly stop.

"What?"

"Pa-pa" she repeats and laugh. Her childish laugh makes Luca smile. Honestly, he wants to cry.

Papa. Dad . Cathy's first words.

As he pushes the stroller to his car, to return home, he's smiling. He doesn't care if people look at him.

For him it was a really happy day.

(The Changrettas in modern times live in London bit suddenly they're in Florida 😂. Ignore that. I needed them on Disney 💁‍♀️. They can teleport 🤣.)

#luca changretta #luca changretta x oc #modern!luca changretta #peaky blinders #adrien brody #alfieversary 2 #luca changretta fanfic #luca changretta imagine

[mybeingthere]

Walt Peregoy, Disney Animator 1950's-60's

"My style was unusual for Walt Disney, but he tolerated me," Peregoy says. Although, since he was "tolerated" for 14 years, the artist sheepishly admits, "I had to be doing something right."

Born in Los Angeles in 1925, Walt Peregoy spent his early childhood on a small island in San Francisco Bay. He was nine years old when he began his formal art training, attending Saturday classes at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Berkeley. When he was 12 years old, Peregoy's family returned to Los Angeles, where he enrolled in Chouinard Art Institute's life drawing classes. At age 17, he dropped out of high school and went to work for Disney as an in-betweener.

In 1951, with a young family in tow, Peregoy returned to the United States, and resumed his career with The Walt Disney Studios. Initially, he served as a designer and animator on Peter Pan (1952) and Lady and the Tramp (1955).

"To this day, Walt Peregoy's color styling in 101 Dalmatians (1961) remains a fine example of how color can be used creatively in animation while serving more than a merely decorative function," says modern animation authority Amid Amidi.

Peregoy continued at Disney on the features The Sword in the Stone (1963), Mary Poppins (1964), and The Jungle Book (1967) Peregoy's unique style meshed well with that of his contemporary, stylist Eyvind Earle, and their work on the Academy Award®-nominated short Paul Bunyan (1958) was a departure for Disney.

[dummie-writes]

imagine ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* movie night!

[modern au]

shenhe

imagine dragging her over [you didn't really need to drag her, she would have followed you had you asked] to the couch, where you have the couch set up with a huge fuzzy blanket, and your favorite snacks.

imagine that when she looks at the screen, she reads the title "finding nemo". she tilts her head at you, and asks what movie this is.

imagine you just blink at her, before promptly sitting her down and berating her about having never seen nemo, of all things. talk about no childhood!

imagine snuggling up to your beautiful partner, blanket draped over both your legs as you grab drinks and snacks, only to jump up and rush over to turn the lights off as the intro begins.

imagine how intently she watches, eyes focused on the screen. sure, it's a kids movie, but she enjoys it anyway. even if it isn't super showy.

ningguang

imagine that when you tell her you have a movie night planned, she nods and let's you know that she'll be ready at about seven o'clock.

imagine that she gets ready to go to a theater, fancy dress and all, and when you come in you're both awestruck and incredibly confused.

imagine when you explain that you're staying in, and she just stands there awkwardly for a second before squinting, shrugging and changing into more... comfortable clothes. alright, finally ready! to her personal theater that she has in her home!

imagine that except, you walk right past that door and to -... where are you going

imagine she doesn't argue, but is still confused - until you bring her to your room [that's right. you don't even live there, but she has a room dedicated for anytime you want to stay anyways].

imagine the snide little joke she makes, asking "what kind of movie we're watching", before you smack her in the shoulder and put on the little mermaid.

beidou

imagine that you live with your super hot pirate girlfriend, so you two don't exactly get to sit down and watch movies a whole lot. as the captain of the ship, she's busy running things.

imagine she doesn't prefer reading all too much either when she's on board, especially the first few days after being on land for a short time. it gives her head aches if she reads for too long.

imagine that one day, you book a hotel room in inazuma, for just one night.

imagine that she would make a face at you, asking what's up before you giggle and shush her, saying it'll be a surprise for when you get there. she's bashful, and you both make jokes about being a pervert [you're not] until you finally arrived.

imagine you walk into the room, hand in hand, and change into pajamas.

imagine while she's distracted changing and making a simple dinner for the both of you, you sneak in the DVD you brought along - peter pan.

imagine when you two do finally sit and cuddle up on the bed, and she realizes what movie it is, she smiles and tells you her favorite character it captain hook.

imagine when you ask her why on earth the forty year old is her favorite, she grind and says; "we kinda look alike, don't we?" to which you immediately start saying that he's in fact, the hottest character in the entire franchise if that's the case.

#dummie-writes #genshin imagines #genshin imapct #beidou x reader #ninguang #ninguang x reader #beidou #shenhe #shenhe x reader #x reader #genshin x reader

[thedreadvampy]

btw on the tangent of end of history ass bullshit I put my finger recently on why adapting Good Omens as a modern-day story bugs me

bc I Have Known. bc I was a comedy-fantasy afficianado in the 90s/early 2000s. that GO is one of many examples of a very specific genre of British comedy-scifi-fantasy popular in the 90s I would term "millennial apocalypse farce".

you know, they're a mix of biblical eschatology, Fortean Times conspiracy theory, cult tropes, and Y2K Rise of the Machines stuff, smashed together into an Adamsian comedy where a group of hapless protagonists bumble around while the world falls apart in comically overblown ways. imo, though a lot of authors bring their own spin to it, they're all heavily stylistically influenced specifically by Dirk Gently, which isn't Millennial Apocalypse Farce but I think did inspire a lot of it. Robert Rankin is on the edge of it, Good Omens is the most lasting example, but I read like 20 of these and most authors only wrote one afaict.

but the thing I was saying the other day is I honestly cannot think of a genre of popular English-language fiction that's more rooted in a specific time and culture. I tried for a while and really couldn't.

It just doesn't translate well away from the turn of the millennium, purely because the millennium was such a fevered touchpoint for Apocalypse Stuff. two things there I think.

Obviously, Y2K looming. Millennium Approaches. The turn of every century has often been accompanied by an uptick in interest in apocalypses and end times, but this was the BIGGIE. It's only happened on this calendar once before. People in the 1900s were talking about how close they were to a new millennium. The approaching millennium dominated the whole 20th century, and especially with how apocalyptic a lot of the 20th century felt in terms of war and technology, apocalyptic fervour really kicked up in the 90s. And there was a smorgasbord of apocalypses to choose from; divine, nuclear, digital, cosmic, alien, all stuff which on the millennial scale had really only just shown up in the last century or so. I was 7 in 2000 so pinch of salt but I remember all of us sort of holding our breath leading up to Jan 1 2000, not just bc of Y2K but bc it felt like something momentous HAD to happen.

The end of history. The cold war had subsided, and so had the economic depression of the 70s and 80s UK. There just was not a Singular Apocalypse hanging over a group of people who'd spent their whole lives in the shadow of a Singular Nuclear Apocalypse. I think stuff really rushed in to fill that gap, and Millennial Apocalypse Farce is a response to that sudden glut of possible apocalypses all clamouring for attention.

I think as well American end-of-days right-wing evangelism was really loud in the 80s-90s and that plays a part, cause the generally lefty and consciously self-effacing British comedy author milieu found that off-putting in a very mockable way

but the point is that glut of apocalypses was a real flash in the pan, the same way the End of History was. it was a like 10-15 year timespan where the world was definitely ending but nobody could say why or how, and it began around the fall of the Berlin Wall and ended on September 11, 2001.

Millennial Apocalypse Farce novels did keep coming out after 2001 but like everything else, the culture has changed really radically, and also, like, we were past the millennium. Those infinite possibilities of apocalypses hadn't paid off. Not saying that the public interest in apocalypse went away - 2012, obviously. The LHC. But the full on fervour for any and all crank apocalypses kind of petered off a bit bc the turn of the millennium was so much a flashpoint for it. and anyway we had really concrete apocalypses again - terrorism, totalitarian governments, plague, and of course the main 21st century apocalypse, Oh Shit We Really Fucked This Climate Change Thing Up.

and I really love the Millennial Apocalypse Farce genre. I really love stumbling on books in that genre. because it's such a time capsule for an incredibly specific period in recent cultural history.

but it does not translate into a 2020s setting. It's so 90s. it's so rooted in a really specific landscape of cultural anxieties and abstractions. it just doesn't make sense to me to translate it to the modern day, it's like setting Angels in America in 2023. it's just the wrong type of apocalypse. apocalypses are culturally generated and they change fast based on how a culture sees itself and the world. you can't pick up a 1990 apocalypse and put it unchanged in 2023, it's Wrong. if you're going to do that you have to be in conversation with it, you can't just update it.

like ok example of thoughtfully recontextualising an anachronistic apocalypse for a modern setting. War of the Worlds 2005. Why is it War of the Worlds? Because it wants to say some things about the relationship between post 9/11 America and colonial England, and how the specific common anxiety of invasion affects them as people in a nation of invaders. Idk if it's a good film cause I didn't like it when I watched it but that was a long time ago. But the intent makes sense.

what does putting a Millennial Apocalypse Farce in the 2020s actually. say? about the commonalities between now and then? I mean. Based on the TV show of Good Omens, to me, not a lot. It's pretty beat for beat in that sense, and we're not really far enough away from 1990 for it to have the obvious impacts that saying "now is very like then" does with, say, War of the Worlds, because the world of HG Wells was distant enough for a 2005 audience to go 'oh, Victorian colonialism, that's Not Like Us.' whereas like. I remember the 90s. It's not recent but it's in continuity with now. saying "then it's like now" is a) kind of Incorrect imo, the cultural anxieties are Very Different, and b) not...striking?

idk like. The genre is dated. The nature of that specific apocalypse idea is incredibly dated. And that's good actually. It's fine for art to be a time capsule of a specific cultural moment and to not make sense divorced from that moment. That's good! That's a good use of art!

#red said

[jokeringcutio]

Fics Listed (Feb 6 '24 )

I've got new updates folks. As Tumblr pages aren't that easily clickable on the app, here's a current up to date list with some of my writing.(Tumblr kept crashing so this is list is without pics)

IN THIS ENORMOUS POST YOU"LL FIND: Black Phone | Joker (2019) | Five Night's at Freddy's (William Afton & Stepdad AU) | Scream (Stu Macher & Stepbrother AU) | House of a 1000 Corpses/Devil’s Rejects / 3 From Hell | Terrifier | Moon Knight (2022) | Blue Eye Samurai | Pokémon | Enola Holmes(2020) | Once Upon A Time | Peter Pan/Hook | Crimson Peak | (Halloween2023 list including Crimson Peak & Stranger Things & Harry Potter & First Reformed ) Click below to unfold the list and browse. There's more to come lovelies <3

The Black Phone (2022) Albert Shaw / The Grabber:

Stories: *~* The Chance to make a Change (Grabber x Reader) When you end up in front of the Grabber’s house, you decide to take matters into your own hands and stop Albert Shaw from kidnapping and murdering these innocent boys like he does in the movie. You have good intentions. But will you succeed? (Rating Explicit, Lots of warnings and tags such as older man/younger woman, age difference, size difference, rape/noncon, violence, dead dove: do not eat, kidnapping, stockholm syndrome, daddy kink, major character death, etc) *~* The Gift (Grabber x Reader) Your curiosity got the better of you (Mature, though not overtly explicit, kidnapping, older man/younger woman). *~* A Gift for his Gift - Albert Shaw / The Grabber x Reader Insert [ WARNINGS ] (Explicit, Dub/noncon elements/can be seen as a continuation of ‘the gift’). *~* TEARS - Albert Shaw/The Grabber x Kidnapped!Reader (Explicit, lots of warnings, Dacryphilia, Daddy Kink, Non-con elements). Reader hasn’t succumbed to Stockholm Syndrome yet. *~* HALLOWEEN DECORATION – SWEET GRABBER X READER VERSION (Explicit) Reader is Albert’s coworker. *~* TRICK OR TREAT – SWEET GRABBER X READER VERSION (Teen, No Warnings except perhaps dark undertones? But overall quite innocent). Reader rings Albert’s doorbell to trick-or-treat. *~*  Menstruation Kink - Grabber x Reader (NSFW, lots of Warnings) *~* Just as Dangerous Grabber x (f) Reader  Explicit. Warnings. Smut. Consensual Rough play, belt choking, daddy-kink and much more. Reader has been taken by the Grabber but he discovers she has her own agenda (killer Reader). 

Drabble:

*~* What if Reader got pregnant of the Grabber and he discovered her pregnancy, Mature themes *~* Reader is Albert Shaw’s younger girlfriend and helps him unwind. Explicit, Age Difference. *~* Reader has a nightmare but is comforted by the Grabber Explicit, Stockholm Syndrome, dubcon smut. *~* Reader scratches their own arms when Albert Shaw stops them, T, but self-harm (scratching), swearing (by reader), genneutral Reader. *~* Grabber Finds a Plushie, Yellow Bunny in your backpack, NC-17 due to themes. *~* A warm spring day in the garden with your family (implied kidnapping) * ~* You’re kidnapped and have insomnia (Smut), Explicit, Non-con warning. *~* You’re kidnapped and have amnesia [ Part 1 ], Mature. [ Part 2 ] *~* You’re his new neighbor and meet him when Samson enters your garden. Sweet, light drabble, bit of flirting, Rating: Teen. *~* The Grabber returns for you after you escaped him. Modern AU. Mature. Imagine: *~* Albert Shaw x (Teacher afab) Reader - Search Party

Headcannons: *~* Grabber x Male Cop Reader

Crossovers: Black Phone & Moon Knight ~*~  Albert Shaw x Reader x Arthur Harrow “ His Brother” : When his brother Albert joins the cult, Arthur orders you to marry him. You’re a tool to keep Albert in check. Or could there be more to it? Rating: Explicit. Warnings: Explicit sexual content, strangers to lovers, forced marriage, pining, dubcon-to-con, older men/younger woman, age difference, belt/choking

Crossovers: Black Phone & Joker Ficlets: ~*~ Reader is Joker’s girlfriend trying on a new costume, J swears to take revenge on her ex-boyfriend the Grabber, Warnings 18+, sexual content, references to Badass!Reader

Drabbles:

~*~The Magician - Reader and Arthur go to see a show, but the Magician is getting a bit too friendly. Rating: PG13, no real warnings except jealousy and possessive men.  ~*~ Bumping into Albert on way to date with Arthur, Rating: Teen.

Joker (2019) Arthur Fleck/Joker: Stories: *~*The Man Who Claimed To Be Yours - JokeringCutio (Breakingthestandards) - Joker (2019) [Archive of Our Own] (Arthur Fleck x Reader : You are Sophie’s hired babysitter, taking care of Gigi the best you can, when suddenly one day, Sophie’s neighbour is standing in the apartment. Explicit! Dark Themes. See all Warnings on AO3!) *~*The Princess and the Clown - JokeringCutio (Breakingthestandards) - Joker (2019) [Archive of Our Own] → You are a princess at a charity and Arthur is a clown. When you say something kind to him, he becomes obsessed with you. [ Modern Day AU. Mature. *~* No Family Man [ Chapter 1|  Chapter 2]  On AO3 - Finished. Summary: You met Arthur when you were just in high school, but by the time you got into university, you knew you’d fallen for him. But then, when your parents moved, you lost him. Little did you know he would return for you. And to give you that baby you once said you wanted. Warnings: Dubcon, Kidnapping, Stockholm Syndrome? Daddy Kink, Older man x younger woman. 

Ficlets: ~*~ Ficlet: The Librarian and the Clown (Rating Teen) You notice the man as he comes in and asks your help using the computer. You’d never imagined he would come ask for your help in an entirely different matter.   ~*~ Savior Fill: I Need You (Reader Rescues Arthur from the boys who attack him, Joker returns the favor later on). A second fill, different to the one below this. ~ * ~ Savior Fill: I can handle myself(Reader rescues Arthur from the boys who attack him, Joker returns the favor by rescuing the reader later on). Warnings: (Mature for safety due to themes) Violence, (attempted) sexual assault, Crude Language, Clown beating, Blood, Murder. Drabbles:

The Rescue (Reader being Rescued by Joker) 

Pregnant with Arthur’s baby, there are complications (Angst)

You Meet Arthur in London years after leaving him without a word

Arthur sees Reader interact with their child

At the Movies- Reader goes to watch Joker again in Cinema and encounters him.

Arthur touching Himself on the phone - While speaking to reader, based on gif. (NSFW)

Arthur finds out that you are pregnant with his child

Continuation of Arthur finding reader is pregnant

Arthur with a chubbier/curvy S/O who is really soft

Reader makes Arthur cum in his pants and he calls them mommy

Prompt Fills: *~* NSFW ALPHABET for Arthur & Joker - Mature audiences only. Christmas Visit - JokeringCutio (Breakingthestandards) - Joker (2019) [Archive of Our Own] → { THIS FIC SOMEHOW IS LOST?? } Imagines: *~* Reader’s Gary’s friend and Arthur’s Blind Date Imagine HeadCanons: *~* Arthur/Joker Love Language *~* Arthur/Joker at seeing their s/o injured in hospital *~* Arthur/Joker Pleasure with Younger Reader *~* Arthur/Joker Headcanons with a younger reader *~*Arthur/Joker Headcanons for Kissing *~* Arthur/Joker Headcanons for when S/O has been kidnapped *~* Arthur/Joker Headcanons on Flirting. *~* Arthur asking Reader’s parents if he can marry you *~* Turn ons and offs for Arthur/Joker *~* HC about how Arthur and Joker would like to receive and express affection  *~* Jealousy HC for Arthur & Joker *~* Arthur/Joker x Reader, Age Difference. How it Affects Readers View of him, baby talk  (= First chapter of No Family Man) *~*On the Mental Instability of Arthur Fleck: Could you live happily ever after with him? [ An essay on a serious note] Prompt idea: *~*Prompt idea: reader is a student visiting Arkham Asylum  *~*Prompt idea: With 3 pictures *~*Prompt idea: Father went to get cigarettes

Crossovers: Black Phone & Joker Ficlets: ~*~ Reader is Joker’s girlfriend trying on a new costume, J swears to take revenge on her ex-boyfriend the Grabber, Warnings 18+, sexual content, references to Badass!Reader

Drabbles:

~*~The Magician - Reader and Arthur go to see a show, but the Magician is getting a bit too friendly. Rating: PG13, no real warnings except jealousy and possessive men.  ~*~ Bumping into Albert on way to date with Arthur, Rating: Teen.

Five Nights at Freddy 

Index: 

FNAF General Fics

Stepdad! William Afton x Reader

~*~William Afton x (f) Reader “Best Friend’s Dad”, Warnings, 18+, Explicit Sexual Content, Extremely Dubious Consent, Older man x younger woman, Friend’s dad x Reader. ~*~ William Afton x (f) Reader “Swimming Pool”, Warnings 18+, Explicit Sexual Content, Vag, fingering, hint of adultery, married older man x younger woman. You’re swimming at the local pool when you bump into a married man. If he is deliberately touching you, then why does he introduce his family to you? Surely you are imagining things, right?~*~William Afton/Steve Raglan x (f) Reader “Explore”, Warnings 18+, Explicit Sexual content, non-con/dub-con, loss of virginity, breeding kink. Reader is exploring an abandoned building when she finds a wounded man. She should not have helped him. [ Continuation MULTI-CHAPTER on AO3 ]

Stepdad! William Afton:

~*~ William Afton x (f) Reader “Accidental Picture”, WARNINGS: 18+, Smut, Non-con/Dub-con, Dark!William, First time (reader),  Stepdad teaches his daughter a lesson after she accidentally sends him a nude.  ~*~ William Afton x (f) Reader “Boyfriend”, Warnings, 18+, smut, older man x younger woman, Stepdad!WilliamAfton, William is not a nice man, fingering, jealousy, creampie. ~*~ William Afton x (f) Reader “Christmas Present”, Warnings: Explicit, Sexual content, fingering, creampie, keeping it a secret from mom, smut. ~*~ William Afton x (f) Reader “Telephone Cable”, Warnings: Explicit, Sexual Content, Light choking, cock warming.

Drabbles: ~*~ William Afton x (f) Reader “Caught In the Act”, You catch your stepdad on the toilet. Warnings: Mature, Accidental Nakedness, Confusion, Tension. ~*~ William Afton x (f) Reader, Mom brings up a paternity test during dinner, William is, of course, your son’s father, and no one is to know. Mature due to themes. ~*~ William Afton x (f) Reader Drabble, [4] Mom suggests a paternity tests while you’re eating dinner.~*~ William Afton x (f) Reader “Newborn”, [3]You are on your way home after giving birth to your stepdad’s child - but no one may know. Warnings: Mature. talk about dub-con/taboo relationship, keeping it a secret, name-calling, William being mean, William calling you a slut, but also: William being emotional about his baby. ~*~ William Afton x (f) Reader “Discovered”, [2] Your pregnancy is discovered by your mom. Warnings: Explicit. talk about dub-con/taboo relationship, keeping it a secret, angst, drama, William being evil/Manipulative William ~*~ William Afton x (f) Reader “Pregnant”,  [1]Your mom has news to share. Warnings: Mature, talk about dub-con/taboo relationship, keeping it a secret, angst, drama, William being mean. ~*~ William Afton x (f) Reader “New Year”, Explicit, SMUT. ~*~ William Afton x (f) Reader “Cinema”, Warnings: Mature, older man x younger woman, Stepdad!WilliamAfton, Family Gathering, Secret touching. ~*~ William Afton x (f) Reader “Barbecue, Warnings: Mature, older man x younger woman, Stepdad!WilliamAfton, jealousy.

STEPDAD X Male Reader Quick Drabble of M Reader discovering something’s missing from his room, Mature due to themes and implications.

Stepdad William Afton & Stepbrother Stu Macher: *Stepdad Afton is sometimes mentioned as the dad/present as a father figure/ sometimes romantically or sexually involved. Check story description/warnings for this.

Stu Macher (Scream)

~*~ Meeting Stu, Rating: Teen, Tension. Mention of Stepdad William and Stepsister Vanessa. ~*~ First Evening Meal (Footsie) Rating Mature due to themes. Mention of Stepdad Afton (getting involved under the table) ~*~ Baking Cookies with Stu, Rating: Mature due to themes. ~*~ First Time having your Period, Rating Mature due ot themes and remarks made by Stu. ~*~ First Time Bumping into Stu in the Hallway on your way to bed. Rating Mature due to themes and amibiuos comments by Stu.  ~*~ Watching Stu and his girlfriend Casey, Rating: Teen. Jealousy. Mention of Stepdad William Afton. ~*~ Stu Playing FNAF Rating: Mature. Mention of Stepdad Afton.

House of a 1000 Corpses/Devil’s Rejects / 3 From Hell Drabble/Ficlet:

~*~ Otis F*cks Reader into labor, Explicit! Smut, labor, Can be seen as a continuation of the Halloween Ritual AND Reader is pregnant as found below. ~*~ Otis discovers Reader is pregnant Mature, Can be seen as a continuation drabble of the Halloween Ritual. ~*~ Reader ends up being bred by Otis in a Halloween Ritual Explicit, Smut, Murder. ~*~ Otis B. Driftwood x (f) Reader Artful Pictures, Warnings 18+, Reader takes pictures of Otis’s art. ~*~ Otis B. Driftwood x (f) Reader “Migraine”, Warnings: 18+, Menstruation/Period Kink, Dub-con, Reader has migraine, smut. ~*~ Otis B. Driftwood x (f) Reader “Third Time’s a Charm”, Warnings 18+, breeding kink/pregnancy/murder etc., Can be read as a continuation of the drabble below this one: How reader is rescued, eventually, by the police. But not before having kids with Otis. ~*~Otis B. Driftwood x (f) Reader, Modern Au, WARNINGS: 18+ due to themes. Otis and Baby take you to the hospital. You hope to find a means to escape your captors, but you discover something more. ~*~Otis B. Driftwood x (f) Reader, Modern Au. WARNINGS: 18+/Noncon/Murder etc. You met him online in a game, and now you regret it.

Terrifier Drabble/Ficlet: ~*~ “Giving Birth to Art’s Baby” - Art the Clown x Reader, Explicit for Gore, Blood, Murder, Graphic Birth, Cannibalism. ~*~ Reader Bumps into a Clown at Halloween who comes to visit her house Explicit, Smut.

#albert shaw #the grabber #arthur fleck #william afton #stu macher #terrifier #otis b driftwood #not my masterlist but sorta #I wrote this

[asitrita]

For whatever reason I felt like sharing some of my thoughts about spuk today.

I kind of have this hc that Arthur's a really good story teller (probably because i've grown up with tlotr, hp and arthurian legends, plus, you know, the chronicles of narnia, alice in wonderland, peter pan and a lot of fantasy literature for kids and teens), and I like to imagine that, perhaps, back in the day and before all the drama, during the Middle Ages and first decades of the Modern Era, when Spain (and the different Spanish kingdoms) and England had a rather good relationship, when visiting England for whatever diplomatic mission, Antonio would ask Arthur to tell him some stories before bedtime, or during "nap time" after lunch, while laying on a meadow under the shadow of a tree, maybe a oak or old chestnut (so romantic u.u) It is kind of canon, I believe, that Antonio was a huge fan of chivalric themes and medieval heroic epics, like most of Europe at the time, and Spain fed a lot on the chivalric poetry and romance, not only during Medieval times, but also later on. It may seem out of topic, but Spanish conquerors and explorers (which would led to the begining of the Spanish empire), for better or for worse, were greatly inspired by both, classic epic, but also chivalric novels (maybe it is not a coincidence that the literary work that universally mocked the chivalric genre ended up being a Spanish production, Don Quixote). Medieval romance poetry is also a big deal in Spanish literature and folk culture, so it is only fitting he would enjoy fantasy tales and chivalric epic, as well as romance and poetry. The two would complement each other. Arthur would enjoy making up stories, and telling old chivalric romances, adding a little bit of magical and fantastic elements to it (like the magic cauldron tell, or magical swords,and whatnot), that Antonio would very much enjoy, while Antonio would passionately deliver passages from classic works, like The Aeneid, and recite poetry, also around the themes of chivalry and romance, while playing the lute, sometimes singing, rather than merely reciting the verses.

I also have this hc about Arthur being an exceptionally good archer and timidly trying to show off so Antonio notices him. On the other hand, I think Antonio would be skilled in the art of poetry, and be good at languages in general, making him a good rhapsodist. He would also be a pretty skilful musician, and play the lute, the vihuela and be surprisingly good at playing the clavichord (not at all referencing Antonio de Cabezón here). I even imagine during the times of Catalina de Aragon as queen of England he would try to teach Arthur how to improve his fingering and playing technic.

Just a few of my silly hc.

#aph england #hws england #aph spain #hws spain #antonio fernandez carriedo #arthur kirkland #aph spuk #aph engspa #aph #hetalia #spuk #engspa #hetalia hc #aph hc

[pixiedust-poppers]

NEVERLAND REAL?? NO CLICKBAIT?? (Real world AU)

Been Thinking about this majority of the day and putting it to paper now.

“Neverland” in this context is a little county in South Carolina, close to north Myrtle beach. It’s in a mostly rural-ish community with a small town and a few shops. Not the fanciest place but modern-ish enough, it has a costal community vibe.

Residents are both young and older, there’s a strange aura around the people, they never seem to age. Even the oldest residents barely look past 60.

A majority if not all the residents work on the beach strip in some way whether it’s shop owners, bar owners, clerks, entertainers, etc. it’s not uncommon to see kids working the roles of waitresses or gig jobs either.

Speaking of kids and the youth, there are a surprising amount of them despite the amount of families living In neverland being mostly low. The kids do live in either ranch or trailer homes, in groups.

They also have cars it’s not uncommon to see a kid behind the wheel either, they’re modded so the kids use hand controls instead of foot petals. Yes they do have fake licenses don’t look too hard :)

The newest residents are 3 particularly in puny poppinjays. They stay in a ranch style 1880 sq/ft plan home perhaps something like this (it’s subject to change)

(The master bedroom is reserved for Peter when he visits)

These are their work and work casual cars

And this is ‘Bucky’ and ‘the mighty colossus’

Now you be wondering how these kids have these cars and trucks well. Peter is such a loving father, that he gave them rewards for meeting their quota and hustling.

Where is Peter Pan? Why he’s in Florida! Celebration, Florida to be exact. He has a few nice homes in celebration, Miami, and LA ofc. He runs a successful airline called NeverLost (“with us you’re never ever lost!”) and is the big Mouse man circle. Why did Peter adopt these guys? He saw something in them, he saw they had the smarts, coordination with one another and how deeply their loyalty runs if you treat them right. It was perfect.

Does he have ulterior motives? Of course not :).

#at Myrtle beach so oh god inspo overkill #the kids clothes are mostly from bargain beachwear shops and they rock crocs HARD!!! #they devour seafood like no tomorrow and are mean as hell at mini golf #cubby hate how dark in gets at night esp since there’s barely any sea #*streetlamp #yes the lost boys. pixies and the devils are here too #(including other residents from both franchises) #jake and the neverland pirates #Peter pan #peter pan disney #jatnp #disney junior #disney #Real world AU #<- new tag

[wehadfaces]

tag game!

tagged by @warningsine, thank you! i have a bunch from the past saved in my drafts, which i will resurrect one day bc they're fun <3

Last song/piece I listened to: U Were Not Here by 潘PAN feat. Chiu Pi. The sound production on it is *chef's kiss*

Last book I read: I can't remember, I think it was "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie?

Last film I watched: Cry Wolf (1947) dir. Peter Godfrey. I think it fell flat because it was 1947 and I am typically opposed to remakes, but I think a modern retelling of this would be fantastic. I have a 3am scrambled essay written about this, including a fan cast, somewhere lmao

Last TV series: I can't remember, I think when I finished "The Bear"?

Last video game (if applicable): I haven't played in forever, but "Animal Crossing: New Horizons."

Last thing I googled: the hours for a new Indian take out place near me

Last thing I ate: a leftover doughnut

Sweet, Savory or Spicy: savory, with spicy

Amount of sleep: [looks at the camera like I'm Fleabag] 2-3 hours? <-- keeping that because same and exactly

Currently reading: still working on "The Hours" by Michael Cunningham (had to take a break) and also "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams, and various poetry collections

Currently watching: I'm currently watching "So Help Me Todd" and "Abbott Elementary" with my mom, and some Star Trek: TNG, but mostly Star Trek: DS9. Mainly just comfort shows for the time being <3

tagging: @grusinskayas, @poeticsinnamon, @karathraces, @emuculate, @hardcockcafe, and anyone else who wants to do this! i never know who likes these and doesn't, so if you happen to see this and want to participate, i actively tag you <3

#thank you again! #a

[owlsong74]

I have like, this theory revolving dark rides and their evolution over time, and Snow White at Disneyland.

They originated as thrill rides. The very first Pretzels didn't initially rely on traditional horror imagry like skeletons, monsters, etc, but they were still meant to be scary, taking place in the pitch dark and using loud noises and even physical touch to scare riders. Horror scenes began to be used pretty quickly. They started to be themed after haunted houses and be called "spook-a-rama"s. Disney, with the exception of Peter Pan, continued this with their 50s dark rides: Snow White was a witch hunt, you die and go to hell on Mr. Toad, and the original Alice was far creepier than the Disney source material called for (see: that giant chesire cat jumpscare). American audiences would have expected dark rides, even those not themed explicitly around a haunted house, to be thrilling.

Dark rides in North America have been on the decline in most parks besides Disney/Universal since at least the 70s, with many of the old spook-a-ramas closing down for good. Modern Disney/Universal dark rides are relatively book-reportish, à la Pinocchio, Monster's Inc., Cat in the Hat, Little Mermaid, and Frozen. Even if they don't follow the source material exactly, they still focus on presenting the most iconic scenes/characters/songs from them. Why do you go on the Frozen ride? To see Elsa sing "Let it go." Since the older dark rides have been shutting down and becoming less popular, and their equivalents at Disney/Uni have been less scary, American expectations about what a dark ride contains changed.

These days, if a ride says "Snow White" in the title, they would expect it to be relatively lighthearted, featuring songs and characters from the movie in the spotlight. Instead, they got a single happy scene at the start, a short stint in the mine in the middle (with no dwarves), and a frightening witch chase for the remainder of the ride. Snow White appeared once, the dwarves twice, and the evil queen/witch 6 times! And that's probably why Disney felt they had to nerf it a few years ago. I personally miss the older, scarier incarnation, and find it part of the lamentable tendancy to use rides to support good IP, rather than IP to support good rides. But that's neither here-nor-there.

#disneyland #dark rides

[twistedtummies2]

Fifteen Days of Disney Magic - Number 10

Welcome to Fifteen Days of Disney Magic! In honor of the company’s 100th Anniversary, I am counting down my Top 15 Favorite Movies from Walt Disney Animation Studios! We’ve reached the Top 10! Today’s entry truly never gets old. Number 10 is…Peter Pan.

Okay, let’s get the elephant out of the room immediately…no, some parts of this film (I think a lot of you will know which ones) have NOT aged well. It was made primarily for children in the 1950s, with development reaching as far back as the late 1930s, and certain elements are clearly a product of their time. I acknowledge this, and how it was as wrong then as it is wrong now. I concede it’s an issue for at least some (if not, indeed, many) modern audiences. If those elements or any others bother you for any reason – and I imagine they probably bother a LOT of people – I won’t pretend like you don’t have justifiable grounds for disliking the film as a result. With that said…I freaking love this movie, despite those issues, and that is the hill I choose to die on.

While I don’t know if Disney’s Peter Pan is the BEST interpretation of J.M. Barrie’s classic fantasy adventure, it’s certainly one of my top three favorites. (The other two are the 2003 film, and the musical that originally starred Mary Martin…also, no, I’m NOT counting “Hook" there, because “Hook” is a sequel, not a direct adaptation or reimagining.) When I think of the character of Peter Pan himself, it’s Disney’s version that most immediately comes to mind. The same can be said for many of the other characters, such as Smee, the Darling Children, and Tinker Bell…in fact, I think the only exceptions to this rule are Captain Hook himself (and he’s certainly not a version I dislike; easily in my top three takes on the character, as well as one of my Top 5 Disney Villains of all time), the Mermaids (who have so little to do with anything it hardly matters), and the Native American characters, who...I'm not going to touch here with a ten foot pole. 'XD I think it’s my passion for the story itself, and the fact the film introduced me to it, that helps make this such a major favorite for me. It also has the advantage that, like “Fun and Fancy Free” and “The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad,” it was one of the first Disney movies I ever owned, and I watched it over and over again. In fact, I think I saw it perhaps more than any of the others I had on VHS. Something about Peter Pan just spoke to me as a kid, and still speaks to me as an adult. I loved its sense of cartoonish comedy, I loved its spirit of swashbuckling action and adventure, and I loved how it had this sort of strange edge of something unsettling under its colorful exterior. Hook is a funny villain in a lot of ways, but he’s also a murderous psychopath who’ll kill and betray you at the drop of a hat. Peter is, in some ways, who we all wish we could be, but he’s also brash, cocky, and not exactly the most likeable protagonist…and then he’ll turn right around and do or say something that makes you like him all over again. While one could say the film really only covers the superficial elements of Barrie’s darker and more psychological story, it does brush on those deeper layers in some interesting ways, and still makes the ride enjoyable all the way through. This is possibly one of the single most merchandised and frequently referred to films in the entire Disney canon. There’s a preschoolers-aimed TV show, a whole spin-off franchise about the fairies, books, plays, a sequel film that was actually brought to theaters (and, in my opinion, while flawed it is actually not really bad; rare for Disney sequels), and numerous appearances by the characters in various other properties and attractions. It’s one of those stories and worlds that seems impossible to mine dry, and I think that also may be part of why it appeals to me. I was actually fully primed and ready to place this one in 8th place, at the top of the heap of the four films in the stretch between 11th and 8th...but after revisiting it, I found it lacked some of the punch the two films above it had. But hey, Top 10 isn't too bad, right? The countdown continues tomorrow with my 9th Favorite Disney Movie! HINT: If You Were Hoping It Would Be Here, Wish Granted!

#disney #disney 100 #disney 100 special #list #countdown #top 15 disney animated movies #fifteen days of disney magic #number 8 #peter pan #disney peter pan #peter pan 1953

[invisible-pink-toast]

i don't understand why with the modern retellings of fairytales no one has done rapunzel? there's been a growing trend in wanting to have 'darker' fairytales, or to deconstruct or explore the original stories. but a rapunzel adaptation would be able to do this so well!

compared to other fairytale's and princesses, rapunzel isn't in many adaptations. think of how many different versions of cinderella, snow white, beauty and the beast or peter pan there are (obviously varying in quality lmao)

it's honestly endless!

but rapunzel has very few adaptations:

there are two major movies: 'barbie rapunzel' and 'tangled',

rapunzel is a character in the musical 'into the woods', which also became a movie

one major tv series which is the tangled spinoff 'rapunzel's tangled adventure'

even in stories that combine many fairytales, rapunzel is rarely in them - being a minor villain in 'shrek the third', and as a minor character appearing in one episode of 'once upon a time' in season 3, and then a different version of rapunzel appears in season 7 as a villain who is also lady tremaine (idk i didn't write it)

so there's a lot of potential to explore the story more, especially considering no adaptation has ever gone into the original story (into the woods would be the most similar, but the ending is quite different and rapunzel's not a major character in the musical) and that most versions of rapunzel so far have been for younger audiences.

even just the basic premise of the original story would fit a darker fairytale - a girl is raised in isolation, kept in a tower with no doors or ways to leave and her only company is the abusive woman who raises her, telling the girl she is being kept safe from the outside world. not to mention the other elements of the original story that would be interesting to see portrayed onscreen or be interpreted in different ways - a baby being bartered, rapunzel banished by the woman who raised her for being pregnant, the prince is pushed from the tower and is blinded by thorns, in some versions the witch ends up trapped in the tower herself, etc.

there's a lot of elements there that would make for a fascinating, darker version then what we've seen.

in some of the earlier concept art for tangled, rapunzel is portrayed as much more wild:

which makes a lot of sense!

barbie rapunzel, tangled and into the woods went for a route of rapunzel being sweet, sheltered and naive, which was fuelled by the witch's manipulations. depending on the version, the witch treats rapunzel as a daughter, an indentured servant, or a mix of the two.

but there could be a version of the story where rapunzel is left more to her own devices. or models herself more after the witch - the only person she's ever known. or where her learnt fear of the outside world leads her to want to protect herself against these dangers.

it would be also interesting (as well as pretty heartbreaking) to look into how rapunzel would feel after knowing that her entire life was a lie. that the woman she obeyed and cared about was using her and lied to her. how rapunzel would interact with a world she's never known, but always been taught to fear. and if the story has rapunzel and the prince separated for a time (some versions for years), what would rapunzel's life be like - pregnant and alone and in the world for the first time?

and then there's the prince!

he hears rapunzel singing in the woods and is captivated, but can't get up into her tower, but comes back to listen to her every day. and after he secretly watches how the witch gets into the tower, he calls for rapunzel to let down her hair and climbs up himself. and then they... fall in love and secretly get married.

that part is always glossed over.

it could be a really beautiful love story - a lonely soul who spends most of his time wandering alone in the woods basically hears a siren song and is determined to meet the singer. rapunzel, who's only ever known abuse, meets a genuinely kind person who wants to show her the world. he comes back every day with a strand of silk for rapunzel to make a ladder so that she can be free. after they're separated the now blind prince wanders in search of her, eventually hearing her singing again and that's how they're reunited.

it could also be quite terrifying - a man becomes obsessed with a girl he barely knows, tricks her into letting him into her home, she has no relationship experience (or experience with people at all) and is just as isolated with him as she is with the witch. they get married in secret and she gets pregnant and is punished by the witch for it.

it could even be some version of the two - the prince being captivated by her song, but also drawn to the one thing he can't have (the girl in the tower). but rapunzel being wild when he meets her and him having to slowly earn her trust and respect, and genuinely wanting her to be free of her tower prison.

any adaptation would have to be careful with the character of the witch though - often called gothel, to not fall into antisemetic tropes.

the article 'antisemetism in children's media' explains the harmful ways villains are often jewish-coded:

"[Mother Gothel] was originally drawn as an elegant caucasian looking woman, only to be edited to look like a stereotypical Ashkenazi Jew, presumably as a means to appear more “evil”. Gothel is animated with a hooked nose, and coarse, black curly hair – all aspects commonly seen in antisemetic caricatures. Though these features on a villain alone are shocking enough, what is most terrifying about Gothel’s portrayal is the obvious use of Blood Libel tropes. This can be described as a false belief that Jews kidnap and murder young Christian children in order to perform religious rituals (often associated with Manischewitz wine and matzah). Sound familiar? That’s because it is thinly veiled in Gothel’s portrayal. In Tangled, the main character Rapunzel is portrayed as a young innocent white girl, who is kidnapped by the Jewish villain, who uses Rapunzel’s magical essence to make herself appear younger. What is the laziest attempt at villainizing Jews in this character, and possibly the most hurtful however, is that Gothel is a common jewish surname."

it's awful, and unfortunately something that's been present in many iterations of gothel over the years (as well as other fairytales and witch caricatures)

a solution to this is to not having the witch be jewish coded. her name doesn't have to be gothel, she does not have to have stereotypical or exaggerated features, and rapunzel doesn't even have to be white

but having a focus be on the witch and her relationship to rapunzel is key - because unlike many other fairytale villains, the witch raises rapunzel. in many versions she's the only human contact rapunzel has ever had, or in the versions where rapunzel is locked in the tower as a pre-teen, the witch is the only person she's seen in many years.

the witch's motivations for locking rapunzel away are also important for their relationship and the story:

the original fairytale and into the woods has the witch want to punish her neighbour for stealing from her garden, and wanting a child of her own

barbie rapunzel has a twist on this, gothel was in love with king wilhelm, and when he did not return her love, she kidnapped his daughter rapunzel and framed the neighbouring kingdom, causing the two to go to war.

tangled has gothel using a magic flower for eternal youth, but after the kingdom uses the flower to save the queen & unborn princess, gothel kidnaps the baby in order to stay alive and keep the magic now in rapunzel for herself

Another portrayal of her motivations:

"Many scholars have interpreted "Maiden in the Tower" stories, which Rapunzel is a part of, as a metaphor for the protection of young women from pre-marital relationships by overzealous guardians.[23] Scholars have drawn comparisons of the confinement of Rapunzel in her tower to that of a convent, where women's lives were highly controlled and they lived in exclusion from outsiders.[3]"

this would be a really interesting approach for the character that hasn't been done before. someone who truly believes that she is protecting the child, but is really the one doing all the damage. having the character be inspired by nuns/convents would also work well, as a lot of the techniques gothel uses line up with abusive nuns - isolation, guilt, emotional/physical abuse, and the treatment of rapunzel after the witch finds out she's pregnant. it also flips the head on the often antisemetic coding of the witch

depending on the version made there are a lot of possibilities for endings:

rapunzel having to brave the world alone and pregnant

rapunzel and the prince being reunited - but have days, weeks, months or years gone by? do they ever meet again?

meeting the prince again going differently if it's the terrifying version where he was using rapunzel just like the witch, only in a different way. maybe he wants nothing to do with her or the babies, maybe he pretends they never met at all. how would rapunzel's story change then?

is rapunzel ever reunited with her birth parents? does she want to be?

the ending could be darker, bittersweet, or end on an optimistic note

all this to say that rapunzel is a story with so much potential, and i would love to see it brought to life in more ways - with different genres or interpretations and taking more from the original story.

with the amount of random, unnecessary remakes that are being made - wouldn't a familiar fairytale told in a new way be more interesting?

#rapunzel #adaptation #fairytale #my meta #my post #into the woods #tangled #barbie rapunzel