#2. and also thank you to HER amazing best friend Greta for coming up with the title without you I would be lost thank you queen

[escapades-to-rivendell]

Growing From the Ashes - Chapter One

Pairing: Modern!Aragorn x F!OC

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 3k

Warnings: Drug Use, Alcohol Mention

Summary: Ash goes on a hiking expedition/camping trip with Strider and the rest of the Fellowship. Things go great. Until they don't.

A/N: This is a horror WIP, tags and warnings will be updated accordingly in following chapters. This is my first time posting a fic so please be patient with me!

Read it on AO3

This will be good for us.

The words echoed through her head as she watched the trees roll by. She didn’t know what they were, and didn’t care to break the semi-comfortable silence enough to ask the man driving the truck they’d been more or less trapped in for the last day and a half. This trip was more for him, that went without saying. She didn’t know much about his past, but from what she could piece together he had been raised in the woods by hippies or some crazy thing. The more she thought about it, actually, she didn’t know much about anything. The man beside her or the thickening trees whipping past them.

She didn’t even know what to call him, as far as their relationship went. Sure, they had been spending all of their spare time together since they met in Intro to Environmental Studies last semester, but it’s not like they had made any verbal agreements about what that meant. They hadn’t even slept together. Shit, they hadn’t kissed yet, either.

The main strain in their relationship, whatever it was, was her constant thoughts of insecurity and self-doubt. She knew nothing about the outdoors, nor cared to; ENV101 was simply a degree requirement on her part. Most conversations the two of them shared were dominated by his animated descriptions of various flora and fauna of frighteningly specific regions of the United States. She didn’t mind this outright, but she wished she could keep up with him once in a while.

Lost once again in a spiral of thoughts and barely clinging to her desperate mantra that this will be good for us, it took three repeats of her name before her attention was caught away from the rushing trees, growing still bigger and thicker with every passing mile.

“Ash!” If it hadn’t been for the edge of annoyance in his voice, he likely would have continued to go unnoticed, but her head finally snapped around, her neck popping in two places with the sudden movement.

“Sorry, lost in thought. What’s up?”

“Are you ready? We’re almost there.”

For the first time in several hours, Ash really looked at his face. His real name was another item on the extensive list of Things Ash Doesn’t Know, but Strider did suit him. His sparkling grey eyes seemed to look beyond the windshield, beyond the road, and into adventures far before him. His excitement, while contained to his eyes, was palpable and honest, the same as it had been when he had first told her about the trip and proposed that she finally come along.

“Is everyone else already there or did we make good enough time that we beat everyone?” She kept her tone even, not wanting to rock the boat. They had had a decent fight in the motel the previous night about her reservations about meeting the rest of his hiking crew and rehashing that did not seem like an avenue worth pursuing.

“No, everyone should be there. Stopping last night set us behind.” One calloused hand reached up to brush a few strings of hair out of his storm-grey eyes but there was no malice in his voice. He was passionate, but the farthest thing from unkind as a person could be.

Ash shifted in the rough bench seat, stretching her arms and attempting to regain her bearings. As she looked through the bug-spattered windshield, she could see the sign of the campsite growing out of the trees.

“I’m ready.” She stuffed her until now forgotten romance novel into the glovebox and straightened in her seat.

Meeting the crew was overwhelming, but not as much so as Ash had been expecting. She was not particularly thrilled about being the only woman on a ten-person hiking trip, but everyone had seemed genuinely interested in her, not the fact that she was, in fact, a her. Maybe this would be tolerable after all; everyone was nice, and it was only three nights, after all. Worse came to worse, Ash knew she had her own small tent Strider lent her, and that would garner at least a small amount of privacy in a pinch.

Her mood continued to improve as the group made their way to the trailhead. Strider was ahead at the front of the group, but it didn’t bother her. He was a natural leader, and he was in his element. She knew it wouldn’t be fair to drag him down to her pace at the back of the group, and she was content to take up the rear anyway. Gave her plenty of time to think.

This will be good for us.

She had stumbled into a frenzied, schoolgirl’s crush and wanted, of course, for things to work out between her and Strider. To be by his side forever, following him on adventures and getting to stare into those stormy eyes whenever she so desired. To listen to his deepest thoughts and feelings as they lay together at night, her fingers tracing patterns over his chest that so far had gone unseen by her, but that she could tell was strong and muscular. All she needed to do was learn to love being surrounded by nature the way Strider loved it, to love it in a way a city girl used to a plethora of modern conveniences maybe never could.

Ash was still resting comfortably in daydream-Strider’s embrace when she heard her name spoken by an unfamiliar voice, startling her back to the present.

“Ash, right?” Her head swiveled around to see, at first, nothing but a bushy red beard. It seemed to take up the stocky man’s entire face, and the thought crossed her mind that Strider must have gotten in with the grad students—despite the fact they were both only sophomores. That beard was impossibly long and full for how young they still were.

“Right,” she replied, finally meeting his dark, sparkling eyes. “I’m terrible with names, I’m sorry, what was yours again?” She winced hearing how whiny and apologetic her voice sounded, but it was too late now. Why can’t I just speak confidently for once? I can’t make a fool of myself in front of Strider’s friends.

The man smiled. “There’s eight of us for you to remember, and only one of you. Don’t worry about it too much. My name is Gimli.”

Ash smiled back, grateful that so far at least one of Strider’s companions was as kind-hearted as he was. “I appreciate it. I have to admit, I’m a little out of my element here. I don’t typically spend my time outside or with groups of people, let alone both at the same time.”

“I hear you,” Gimli chuckled. “If we’re being honest with each other, I don’t leave my workshop much except for these outings with El… Strider.”

The stumble got Ash’s attention in a hurry. He was going to call Strider by a different name. His real name? Does everyone here know it but me? Why is it such a secret? “Workshop? What’s your major? Or are you a grad student?” Her addendum likely didn’t make her look any better, but she was genuinely curious how old the people she was travelling with were.

“I’m a grad student, yeah. I spend a lot of time in the art building, I want to open a jewelry store someday.” He breezed quickly by this fact before Ash could ask another question. “Besides the two doctorate students up at the front, I’m the oldest sonofabitch here.” He chuckled again, and gestured to the two men walking closest to Strider. Their faces were still blurry with unfamiliarity in Ash’s mind, but one had beautifully long blonde hair tied up into a practical ponytail, and one, who had a dope walking stick as far as Ash was concerned, had… grey hair?

Ash’s anxiety was overridden by curiosity. “Gimli, could you help me? I’d really like to have a better idea of who everyone is.”

“Of course, kid! The two lads up front, the doctorate students, that’s Legolas and Gandalf. They’ve been working on their dissertations for, well, practically forever. You can tell it’s taken its toll; no man should go grey at 32. But at least the lads or ladies will know what they’re getting into.” Gimli broke off to laugh again, amused by his own jokes at his friend’s expense. That’s what friends were for, Ash supposed. It was odd that since leaving for this trip, not one person she had interacted with had shown anything other than genuine kindness towards her. Not unwelcome, by any means, but odd for sure.

“What are they writing their dissertations on?”

“Legolas has an incapability to make decisions, so no one really knows. He works with plants though, so he’ll probably settle on medical uses of some really specific plant.” Another laugh. Ash was becoming very fond of this laugh, rough and deep in his barrel chest. “Gandalf’s has something to do with metaphysics and the occult, but he’s such a perfectionist that I doubt he’ll ever finish it at this point. He really chose the wrong field, not enough hard facts.”

This time it was Ash’s turn to laugh. “You might be right about that. I took a couple religion courses last year because I thought it would be interesting, all it did was give me an existential crisis.”

“Gandalf might agree with you, honestly. Poor guy smokes almost as much as Willie Nelson.”

“He smokes weed?” She kept her voice down, although she wasn’t sure if it mattered. His smoking habits, if they were what Gimli said they were, had to be common knowledge for everyone in the hiking crew.

“So much weed, Ash.” Gimli broke out into a full belly laugh this time, and Ash joined him. “He’s always willing to share,” he added, and tipped her a wink. Ash filed that fact away for later, fully intending on buying a joint or two further into the trip. Maybe when they made camp that night. “Anyways, the other scruffy fella is Boromir,” Gimli went on. “He’s a junior, a fancy poli-sci major. Between you and me, I think he’s just going that way to be like his father. He’d make a great history professor; he knows just about everything about ancient civilizations.”

A sexy history professor, Ash thought, but kept it to herself. She remembered when the group had first coalesced at the campsite, and thinking that she might try and get his number in case things with Strider didn’t work out. A terrible thought maybe, but his strong jawline and broad shoulders were stunning.

“Finally, you’ve got the babies of the group.” Gimli’s deep voice startled Ash out of her thoughts again. Spacing out and daydreaming about boys was becoming a problem. “The four freshman, all undecided majors. We’ve got Frodo and Sam—” he gestured to one of the two pairs of guys directly in front of them, one dark-haired, the other a dirty strawberry blonde, “—and Merry and Pippin, who may as well be twins as far as any of us are concerned.” He was right about that. They had been nearly indistinguishable back at the parking lot, and the backs of their heads weren’t any more helpful.

Gimli and Ash continued discussing the other members of the crew as the miles to their campsite dragged on (it still bothered Ash a little that they couldn’t have driven directly there, but Strider had insisted hiking first, camping second; the parking is better here anyways), with Merry and Pippin occasionally breaking in with snide remarks once they realized they were a topic of conversation. By the time they had finished their six-mile trek, Ash finally felt like she belonged somewhere, aching legs and sore back be damned.

Their first camping site on the journey was gorgeous. It was September, and the mountain winds were picking up enough to scare away most casual hikers. No one was around to enjoy the turning colors and crisp autumn air except Ash and her nine companions. It was easily agreed upon that a bonfire would be built as soon as tents were pitched, and the four freshmen (who had, to Ash’s curiosity, tied their boots to their packs about a half mile into the hike and stuffed their socks into their pockets) set quickly to making a wonderful-smelling supper.

The stew, which turned out to be less glamorous than it smelled, was no more than reconstituted camping rations. Ash went into the meal not sure what to expect, being entranced by the aroma but at the same time repulsed by the idea that shorty before entering her mouth, it was nothing more than a dehydrated powder in a bag. She needn’t have worried; Sam, the freshman with beautiful golden curls, had brought some small plastic bags full of not drugs, but spices, and had made the stew come alive. Dessert was smore’s, in typical camping fashion. Not even die-hard hikers could escape that delicious tradition, as it turned out. Laughter constantly echoed off the trees as the group ate and shared stories of camping trips gone by.

At the end of the night, after a couple beers and more than a couple joints—to Ash’s delight, Gandalf was more than happy to share his stash, free of charge—were passed around the circle, the group dispersed into their tents, neatly arranged in a larger circle around the fire. Being the only woman, Ash was without company when she finally collapsed onto her sleeping bag.

At first, it seemed to Ash that she would never be able to sleep outside; it was cold, the ground was hard, and no matter which way she turned her sleeping back, it always felt like there was a root or rock sticking into her back. She hadn’t bothered bringing her phone with her; her portable charger had mysteriously gone missing right before her old roommate moved out last semester, and she knew that there wouldn’t be a chance to charge it anyways. It was sitting safely in the glovebox, right under the novel she had been trying to get through during the drive.

As she lay there miserably tossing and turning, her thoughts turned back to Strider. From the dim shadows thrown onto the walls of her tent by the very last embers of the bonfire, she could tell that he was still outside his tent. Everyone else had turned in around the same time Ash had; she figured he was just making sure the campsite was secure before everyone was left vulnerable for the night. She rolled onto her stomach, resting her chin on her arms, and considered going back out. She couldn’t sleep anyway. But maybe he doesn’t want to be bothered, a voice in her head spoke up. She considered this briefly, then dismissed the thought. If he didn’t want to be bothered, he could have gone back into his tent by now. She unzipped her tent and crawled out.

Strider was sitting on one of the logs they had pulled up around the fire. He turned as he heard Ash’s footsteps in the underbrush approaching. “Can’t sleep?”

Ash shook her head and drew her arms around herself, retreating her hands into the sleeves of her yellow sweatshirt. “No, not yet. I think I chose a bad spot to pitch my tent, there’s rocks all over the place.”

Strider chuckled and patted a spot next to him on the moss-covered log. “Come sit down. I go to sleep late, I’ll keep you company for a while.”

The pair sat together under the light of the stars, passing the time with Strider answering the questions Ash had about the rest of their trip. She learned that tomorrow would be the most difficult day, but if she could get through it, it would be smooth sailing for the next two days. Most of the elevation in their hike would be gained tomorrow; Strider hadn’t planned on her first trip being too strenuous for her, so the group wasn’t going all the way up the mountain. They were, however, taking a path typically used only by locals. There would be a couple of “fun” passages, in Strider’s words, and they would be travelling uphill most of the day, but the plateau they would be camping on was less than a mile from a natural hot spring. It all sounded just fine to Ash. As far as she was concerned, she would get to spend the whole day with attractive men, and knowing her inexperienced legs would keep her at the back of the group again, she would have plenty of time to stare at Strider’s toned ass.

Ash fell asleep, optimistic for once, with one thought in her mind.

This will be good for us.

Ash awoke—too early, in her opinion—to the enticing smell of… bacon? That couldn’t be right. She couldn’t remember any of their easy-to-pack dehydrated camping rations including a bacon breakfast, but the aroma filled the entire campsite. The crisp morning air shocked her as she slid out of her sleeping bag, so she pulled a crewneck and a sweatshirt on over the tank top she had passed out in. She awkwardly climbed into her jeans, trying not to hit the walls of the one-person tent, and grabbed her boots before crawling out to see what smelled so amazing.

It turned out to be bacon after all. Sam had had more than just plastic bags of spices hidden away in his backpack. He also had a small cooler at the bottom of it that he had used to keep the bacon fresh until they could eat it that morning. It would be the only “real” food they would have on the trip, but Ash was more than grateful to the unassuming freshman to have it at all.

Her pleasant mood didn’t waver through the entire morning; the sun came up as they were breaking camp, and it was one of the most breathtaking sights of Ash’s life. Sunbeams shone through the trees in yellow-orange streaks, and in contrast creating dark streaks of shadows across the forest floor. The group set off up the mountain, and Ash’s heart skipped a beat when Strider chose to walk at the rear with her, letting Gimli take up the front with Legolas.

The first few miles were uneventful, but Ash would look back on these as the proverbial calm before the storm.

#oh boy here we go #goblin's first fic #growing from the ashes #strider x oc #strider #aragorn #gimli #legolas #fellowship of the ring #lotr #lord of the rings #lotr fanfic #some personal notes: #1. thank you to my amazing best friend Beth for prereading and giving me loads of advice #2. and also thank you to HER amazing best friend Greta for coming up with the title without you I would be lost thank you queen #3. i cannot WAIT to start writing the horror bits this first chapter is fairly wholesome but i just. hmm.

[thatblondeperson]

So I learnt from that Tim Drake Guy's tumblr that Steph is a bully and abusive with Tim is that true. I ask since I know you seem to agree with a lot of the thoughts expressed on that blog. Can you help me find some examples of Tim/Steph comics. I was going to get YJ but the same tumblr blog says it's bad

So I want to preface with some very solid advice I've learned from being in fandom. It's really hard to learn anything from any blog because so much of it is opinion based, that the line between headcanon and canon gets far too muddied too often, and there's also always going to be biases that come from very personal spaces. It's important to take everything that every blog says ESPECIALLY in the DC fandom, with a very large grain of salt because half the fandom really doesn't actually seem to source their information with anything other than out of context panels, shitposts, or their own perfect ideals of what they want to gleam from the pages of each comic. It's all interpretive, and I'm sure that sounds a little bit petty, but I'm adding myself in here too because I have my own opinions separate from others, despite my firm ideology in staying as close to canon as I possibly can.

As far as that blog, I actually strayed away from them because I no longer agreed with a lot of what was being said. It got to the point where it was getting very unnecessarily negative all the time, and I want no part in this ship war that drives practically every bit of drama in the Tim fandom. I think that there is a lot of merit to some of the opinions on that blog, and they're clearly an expert on Tim in many ways. I knew them personally, so I can attest to that. But I think they also read only what they WANT to read on every page, and I think that makes for a lot of gaps where misinformation can leak in. That got filled with a lot of straight up wrong assessments of Stephanie Brown, and unfortunately that blog was already prime traffic for antis to spew unnecessary hate, so once the blog itself got on board, I tapped out.

No, Stephanie is not an abuser or a bully. I think tumblr throws around the word abuse far too casually. At most, Steph teases Tim, but never to a malicious or purposefully hurtful extent. She pokes at him, just like you would with a best friend. He barely even protests. A simple "Steph..." every now and again, but he even teases her back often and jokes with her. She's not an abuser, in fact, she herself is a victim of severe abuse in her childhood. Her flirting at the beginning of her and Tim's relationship is a bit intense, but she's 15, and doesn't know how to catch his attention. Her boyfriend was clearly way older than her and did not treat her well, her father abused her mother, and she was sexually harassed by her father's friends. She's never seen a healthy relationship to know how to act. Once they get together, she mellows out and is actually very compassionate and kind with Tim, and especially supportive.

A lot of haters throw around all this terrible stuff she did.

They say she stole Robin from Tim. He stepped away from the mantle, and she thought she caught him cheating, and Bruce opened up the opportunity for her.

They highlight a time when she almost blew Tim up. Bruce told her to do something drastic to force Tim to be a better Robin. Should she have thought it through? Yes. But she was young, and still desperate to prove herself.

Steph is a loose canon throughout a lot of her appearances. She doesn't always think before she acts, and that is one of her major flaws. She gets into trouble often, and that causes a lot of tension between her and Tim, often from him becoming overprotective of her.

Steph starts out fairly cynical in the beginning and softens up over time. After the explosion stunt with Tim, she does get her act together and she goes through a fantastic character arc where she really improves upon herself. She becomes a beacon of hope, but she really already was one. She's always been a source of light for Tim. She's a constant tether for him throughout their relationship, and she constantly bringing him back to reality. I think their dynamic is really great, and it does hurt me a lot how often she gets dragged through the mud now. It's tumblr, what can you do?

It's also interesting to me how often Steph is called out for being the unhealthy one, and they never talk about how Tim was the shitty boyfriend way more often:

Kept his identity from her but didn't respect keeping hers private

Kissed her when he was dating someone else at the time (he's actually kinda known for subtle two-timing, but this is hardly brought up by fans)

Essentially stalked her for a while

Often told her she needed to stop being Spoiler (overprotective nature yes...but still)

Interesting how the relationship is only toxic because of Steph. Hell she even gets shit for getting upset that Greta straight up tried to kill her in Young Justice, because they think it was selfish of her that she was desperate to learn Robin's identity. Yeah sorry...murder vs wanting to know your crushes name? Which is worse?

I'm also not going to sit here and demand that everyone love Steph. It's ok that people don't like her, I could give 2 shits, but if they're gonna spew hate, I'd prefer it be rooted in truth. Some of what I see written about her is just so so wrong...there's a trend in anti culture to even write her as Tim's rapist which YIKES. That's so beyond a healthy amount of dislike for a character.

Anyway, comic recs!!!

Detective Comics 647-648. (First appearance of Steph/Spoiler with classic "love at first brick" moment.)

Robin 57-65 (First date issue which is the cutest thing ever. Robin does a little flip at the end because he's so happy. And the chronology of Steph being pregnant which Tim was supportive of the whole time. Super sweet)

Robin 100-104 (Steph gets sick and Tim brings her soup. Lots of cute domestic moments, and you get more into Steph's past)

Robin 111 (more about Steph's past with Tim being super supportive, also the infamous piano issue which is a personal favorite of mine)

Robin 116 (very cute moments after Tim forgets his bday and everyone, Steph included, surprises him)

Robin 119 (supportive bf Tim, strikes again)

Robin 120 (Steph being an amazing supportive gf)

Batgirl 8 (Steph's run, where she and Tim collide again for the first time in a long time. Awkwardness and tension ensues, Tim tries to make a move)

Red Robin 10 (more crossover, very fun. More awkwardness and tension)

Convergence Batgirl (Not the best run, but a nice bit of closure for the pre flashpoint universe. Very sweet and wholesome.)

There's way more that I could list but I'm awful with issue numbers tbh. I know the stories, but I don't have the catalogue memorized. Better people than me have probably made a masterlist of TimSteph comics lol

I don't think you should let any blog turn you away from any particular series. I think if you wanna try out the new YJ, go for it!! I'm very cynical to anything published post 2011, but YJ is the only thing I've consistently read that's NEW, in years. I find it fun. Is it the best? No, not by miles, and it gets stuck with a lot of nonsensical filler often. But it's still a very cute and fun run.

I hope this ask gave you a lot of good info! I also recommend the very long post that should be just below this that goes into a lot of fandom misconceptions about Stephanie brown with more picture examples to highlight everything. Thanks for the ask, anon! I hope you have a lovely time reading these comics and hopefully many more!!

🖤💜❤😊😊😊❤💜🖤

#TimSteph #stephanie brown #tim drake #robin iii #robin iv #spoiler #batgirl #red robin #dc comics #batfamilly #batfam #personal #ask tbp

[peterstanslizzie]

Reacting To: Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts (Season 3 Episode 8)

OMG kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss!!! 👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨

Episode Title: Hidden Treasures

Spoiler Warning: Kindly proceed if you’ve already seen the episode or are able to handle spoilers

1. “Prahm” is an acronym, which stands for “Party Reconciling All Humans and Mutes”. First HMUFA and now PRAHM? What’s with these lame acronyms? Somebody else needs to takeover for her when it comes to creating these group names lol. 

2. Kipo pleads with the humans to make peace with her and the mutes once and for all. Emilia, unsurprisingly, thinks they shouldn’t believe her instead. Luckily, Doag is on Kipo’s side and so are Doag’s teen friends. 

As I’ve predicted, Zane ditches Emilia for Prahm

3. Emilia has no other choice but to give in because it seems like all the humans are on the side of making peace with the mutes. So, she accepts Kipo’s invitation to Prahm. I hope Kipo and the rest of them are smart enough to lock up Emilia and Greta just like they did with Scarlemagne because they’ve done things that are as bad, if not worse than him. 

4. I’m glad Wolf is finding this hard to believe. Just lock them up! Or at least, monitor at them at all times. Emilia’s definitely hatching up a wicked plan. However, Kipo thinks that Emilia is powerless because the cure doesn’t work on her and the other humans aren’t on her side anymore. That’s true Kipo but remember the last time you let your guard down and got complacent?

5. Another thing they need to worry about is to convince the mutes that the humans have switched sides. That’s gonna be tough since some of them have be cured. 

6. Of course, you can’t change stubborn people like Emilia and the same goes for Greta and Hoag. Emilia has her eyes on some sort of giant sea-creature mute and she’s planning to use it in her next plan. 

7. Back in Timbercat Village, the mutes express they aren’t ready to join Prahm just yet. They want the humans to apologize for what they did to them. I’m with the mutes on this one; How could Kipo expect them to forgive them and come back to the village, especially so soon after they shot their cure darts at them? As a result, all of them decide to resign from HMUFA except for Scarlemagne and Jamack. Well, that’s because none of their friends/family were cured by the humans lol.

8. Since the Timbercats have resigned from HMUFA, Kipo and the others are basically kicked out of their village. But Kipo’s not ready to give up on Prahm; She still wants to host it and get the mutes to change their minds. She’s suggesting that they “Prahm-pose” to the mutes to get them to go to Prahm and then hopefully, this will get the humans an opportunity to apologize to them for reals. 

9. They proceed to make preparations for Prahm like building a giant float, practicing some dance routine and setting up decorations for the event. 

I’m liking this interaction between Wolf and Scarlemagne; They’re in agreement that Emilia is most likely going to back-stab them. Also, it looks like someone is secretly stealing things...hmm

10. Benson is facing a dilemma of his own: He wants to ask Troy out to Prahm but he wants to make his Prahm-prosal (ugh, I can’t believe I typed that out again) perfect. 

11. We find out that the ‘sea creature’ from earlier in the episode is a Mega Walrus with two heads? Or is it two separate walruses that just so happens to be right next to each other. I can’t tell. What is Emilia’s plan, anyways? Does she want to get Kipo and the others to get themselves killed trying to save her and the humans from the mute. I can’t think of any other intention....

12. While everyone else are having rehearsals for their float parade, Wolf and Scarlemagne let Kipo know that there’s a couple of objects that have mysteriously disappeared and they think that Emilia has something to do with it. Why is Kipo acting so clueless and not listening to them!? It’s so obvious that Emilia is up to no good. How many times does it need to get into her head? They eventually discover that the float has disappeared too. Of course... 

Who the heck are these two now?

13. During their search for the float, Kipo, Wolf and Scarlemagne meet a couple of annoying hyper-active Treasure Squirrels, Kameko and Jeanine. They are the ones who actually stole the float and hid it somewhere. Okay, so it wasn’t Emilia but they still need to keep their guard up with her. 

14. These squirrels are a bunch of nut-cases, pun intended. They mention that they tend to not remember where they’ve hidden the treasures they found. Ugh, it’s gonna take awhile. This episode is starting to feel filler-y.

15. Inside the float, the humans and mutes are playing a game to pass the time until Kipo and the others find them. However, Benson and Dave are starting to lose it. Benson is also freaking out about his Prahm-posal to Troy. Lio tries giving him some advice and even demonstrates his very own Prahm-posal to Song and she says “No, duh”. I hope she’s trying to be funny here lol. Before Benson could open his mouth and ask Troy, they hear a roaring sound coming from outside.

16. Lio calls out to Kipo and luckily, she manages to hear his cries for help; The sound is coming from a giant tree with a bunch of gigantic acorns inside. Kipo tries to dig out the float but she mistakenly causes an acorn landslide lol. 

This episode featured a really cool action scene of Kipo saving Scarlemagne and Wolf from getting crushed by the acorns. 

17. She opens the vault in order for everyone to get out and finally get some fresh air. But it’s so frustrating that all of this was because of those crazy squirrels. I’m also thinking why introduce these two so late into show just for them to be irrelevant in the end? 

Love her or hate her, Emilia is one badass character

18. We watch Emilia save her fellow humans by shooting a cure dart at the Mega Walrus. But she also extracted some of its blood into a syringe. Hmm, I wonder why? I’m guessing is so that she can make another cure that doesn’t come from Kipo’s DNA? So, in that way, Kipo won’t be immune her cure anymore. Let’s see if I’m right.....

19. I guess not; It seems like she wants to create her very own Mega Beast to fight off the Mega Jaguar. But which animal/mute is she gonna use though? 

20. Scarlemagne sneaks off to most likely kill Emilia himself but is stopped by Wolf. He doesn’t want Kipo to risk her life to save them from possible future attacks from Emilia. He manages to convince Wolf to let him go. Okay, so I’m pretty sure Emilia is going to turn Scarlemagne into a Mega Mute. I hope he lives by the end of the series. I think he deserves a full redemption for sure.

21. It’s time for the Prahm-posal to the mutes, which is a live performance by the humans about messing up lol. Wow, Troy has a really nice singing voice! And so does Doag! They basically go on a road-tour to perform in front of all the mute groups. 

Lol, did Troy just flirt with Fun Gus? ROLF!

22. After performing in front of the different mute groups, they’re all hoping that the mutes will say yes eventually. OKAY! It’s now time for Benson to make his Prahm-posal to Troy!!! EEEEK!

23. OMFG he said YESSSS and WE GET A LIP KISS?! THIS IS THE BEST CARTOON GAY COUPLE ON TV EVER! 

24. And the cherry on top of this perfect sundae is we also have Molly, Cotton and Label coming to see Kipo to tell her that they accept their invitation to Prahm on behalf of everyone else. Amazing! It’s time to plan for the actual party!

25. However, all things can’t end so positively because Kipo eventually finds out from Wolf that Scarlemagne has gone to end things with Emilia once and for all for Kipo’s sake. Kipo is disappointed and mad at Wolf for agreeing to all of this. But Wolf thinks it’s for the best because Emilia is not someone you can trust. She then runs off, probably to join Scarlemagne. 

26. Hope you all enjoyed my review of episode 8, which is a great episode for Troyson! Stay tuned tomorrow for when I will be posting my review of episode 9. Thanks for all your support. Bye! 

#kipo #kipo and the age of wonderbeasts #dreamworks #dreamworks animation #netflix #netflix cartoons #troy x benson #benson x troy #troy and benson #benson and troy #troyson #gay ships #gay couples #gay kiss #promposal #gay love #lgbt representation #lgbtq #lgbt #lgbt cartoons #gay cartoons #kiss scene #love is love #episode review #karen fukuhara #sterling k brown #hidden treasures

[amphtaminedreams]

Filling the Met Shaped Hole (No, Not Like That): The Best Red Carpet Looks of Awards Season 2020

Hi to anyone reading,

I want to jump straight into things and ask a question. Which is the best Met Gala theme of the last 5 years and why is it Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination?

Seriously though, despite the fact that I’m not sure anything will top Heavenly Bodies with the preceding and succeeding Met Galas being relatively disappointing (the camp theme definitely could have been taken further and lets not even talk about the Comme Des Garcons disaster), I still get excited for the gala every year, staying up til whatever hour of the morning so I can see all the fashion live. Of course, it makes complete sense that this year’s event has been postponed until October given the circumstances but the chosen theme of Fashion and Duration had the potential to be quite interesting, so I hope we do eventually get to see it; whilst I don’t miss endlessly scrolling through photos of every white male celebrity wearing the exact same suit and tie to the point where fangirls claim Harry Styles to be a pioneer of breaking gender norms because he wore a pink top, I long for the days where we could all temporarily coexist in peace and harmony thanks to the internet’s collective dragging of the Kardashians for paying no attention to the theme whatsoever. We should’ve guessed life as we know it was about to be flipped on its head when they actually turned up in something interesting last year.

What I’m trying to say is that I would love nothing more than to jump back in time to when tomorrow morning’s top Google search would be best Met Gala looks, and not how many lives did Boris Johnson’s fuckery cost us today. So in honour of the lack of trivial content, I thought I’d fill the Met shaped hole in our lives (amongst many other unfilled holes; today the freezer door at work hit me on the ass whilst I was putting ice cubes out and I think for a split second I got all flushed) by putting together a collection of my personal favourite red carpet looks from this year’s awards season and their respective afterparties: the BAFTAs, Brits, Critic’s Choice Awards, Golden Globes, Oscars, SAG Awards, and the Grammys to finish with.

Enjoy!

British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award (yes, that’s the BAFTAs but I needed a longer title)

(L-R: Zoe Kravitz in Dior, Rooney Mara in Givenchy, and Scarlett Johansson in Versace)

I am a British fan of television and arts but I will gladly say it: of all the awards ceremonies, the BAFTAs is hardly the most exciting, and the red carpet even less so. As I said, lots of boring men in boring suits and middle aged women being dressed by stylists who seem to think we’re dead from the neck down by the time we hit 40 and dress us accordingly so. Any hint of a décolletage explicitly forbidden.

There were a few good looks, however. From left to right, above we have Zoe Kravitz in Dior, Rooney Mara in Givenchy and Scarlett Johansson in Versace, who looks so amazing I almost forget that 1). Versace is going down the drain and 2). Scarlett Johansson would stand in front of a forest and take the role of a tree if she could. Which, along with her whole defence of Woody Allen, is really shit-she’s genuinely great in Marriage Story and an otherwise talented actress. As for Zoe Kravitz, she is up there with Robert Pattison as one of my biggest crushes right now and looks amazing in literally everything she wears, and Rooney Mara is consistently low-key yet elegantly dressed. 

(L-R: Greta Gerwig in Gucci, Florence Pugh in Dries Van Noten, Renee Zellweger in Prada)

Renee Zellweger proved an exception to the rule when it came to women over the age of 40 generally having clueless stylists-her dress is beautiful, very reminiscent of the delicate, demure beauty of 50s icons such as Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn. Florence’s dress, I actually really loved. It didn’t seem to go down all too well with actual Florence Pugh fans but red and pink together is an elite combo; I’m still firmly on the “surprised that it works but I’m into it” train. I mainly included Greta’s dress for the green velvet, to be honest; it’s disappointingly low-key for Gucci but nice enough all the same.

(L-R: Andrew Scott in Paul Smith, Charlize Theron in Dior, Daisy Ridley in Oscar de la Renta, and Emilia Clarke in Schiaparelli)

I was particularly excited to see Emilia Clarke in Schiaparelli-yes, I adore her because she played Daenerys Targaryen and I was ride or die for that bitch but also whenever I see her interviewed she has the most exuberant energy and honestly I want to be best friends. It’s not the most interesting dress Schiaparelli has ever put out there, but I like the fact that she went for something unique all the same.

Forest green is a colour I find hard to resist which is why I included Andrew Scott’s otherwise kinda basic suit (points for it being velvet) and Daisy Ridley in Oscar de la Renta. As elegant as the dress is, I would love for her stylist to have really leaned into the forest nymph vibes I’m getting and do something a bit less uptight with the hair and makeup; like imagine loose curls with tiny braids and hair rings and a dark lip and a slight smoke around the eye and...yes, I have very specific visions, I know. As for Charlize Theron, her work with Dior is the only reason I care about the brand; there’s definitely a case to be made here for giving Maria Grazia the benefit of the doubt, assuming that she tries all the prototypes on women who look like Charlize and that that’s why she’s happy to send dresses that are otherwise relatively underwhelming down the runway. 

The Brit Awards

(L-R: Charli XCX in Fendi, Ellie Goulding in Koche, Hailee Steinfeld in Fendi, and Harry Styles in Gucci)

In my opinion a much better reflection of quintessential British style than the BAFTAs, I originally ruled out including any music award ceremony red carpets in this post until I saw Maya Jama and Charli XCX’s looks. Consider me pleasantly surprised by Hailee Steinfeld’s cobalt blue burnout dress, a classic incarnation of the regal bohemian aesthetic Fendi channelled in their 2019 haute couture show. Plus Charli’s emo take on Glinda the Good Witch is also Fendi, driving home for me just how much I love their collections. I don’t know if I’d be sure about Ellie Goulding’s dress on the rack but the simple styling makes it work and she looks gorgeous, and Harry Styles looks just as pretty in a Gucci look that is MADE for him.

(L-R: Adwoah Aboah in Vivienne Westwood, Celeste in Gucci on the far right! I’m not sure who the guy in the middle is, I’m sorry and if anybody knows drop me a message and I will correct this immediately!)

Unfortunately, Harry Styles and Celeste didn’t get to pose together because this is really a perfect his and hers Gucci look; I feel like seeing one outfit next to the other would really highlight the quirky elegance of each. That being said, it feels criminal to talk about elegance without including Adwoah Aboah in Vivienne Westwood in the sentence; the dress is obviously stunning quality on its own merit, but Adwoah is what elevates it from unremarkable to ethereal. Fuck the weird ass knight figure that’s currently on top of the Brit Award, this woman is the definition of statuesque! Put her on top of the trophy you cowards!

And just to get it out of the way, when it comes to the guy in the middle, to quote Keke Palmer:

Sorry to this man.

Honestly, I saved all the red carpet photos from a Nylon (I think it was Nylon?) article back when the awards aired and towards the end of the photos they stopped including names-this happened a few times when I was looking through red carpet galleries. I reverse image searched where I could but not every photo turned anything up. If anyone does know who this man is, message me so I can include his name. He looks sick, and as far as suits go, this one is built upon and accessorised enough that it’s actually a look rather than the same old variation of a suit we’ve seen a million times before that may as well be the straight man’s designated red carpet uniform. 

(L-R: Maya Jama, Neh Neh Cherry in Bottega Veneta, Laura Whitmore)

And now the woman that forced me to include the Brits red carpet in this post in the first place: Maya Jama. Don’t get me wrong, my mind isn’t blown by this dress on its own, I probably prefer Laura Whitmore’s (Jaded do a similar newspaper dress and I’ve resisted adding it to my basket for 6 months now, this is the ultimate test of whether or not I finally cave), but Maya looks fucking MAGNIFICENT. The fit, the gloves, the confidence with which she carries it, it’s all SO good. Considering the timing, this is basically her Princess Diana revenge dress levelled up, 2020′s Jessica Rabbit moment. 

(L-R: Maya Jama, Ellie Goulding, Kendall Jenner)

Obviously anything is gonna be a step down from the red carpet look but Maya’s Brits afterparty outfit was cute too, if a tad Pretty Little Thing. 

Don’t ask me what Kendall Jenner was doing at the Brits afterparty btw, because I have no idea. We live in a world where the Kardashian-Jenners just seem to occupy every public space possible and I’ve begrudgingly accepted it at this point. I don’t have the energy to question it-and it helps that green catsuit is actually Very Cool™. 

For the last of my favourite Brit Awards looks, we have a few more afterparty photos-from left to right we have Charli XCX again, Lizzo, and Anne Marie. It was Charli posting her dress on Instagram that sent me searching for afterparty looks in the first place; apparently wearing nothing but feathers and crystals is something that appeals to me, and the more I read that statement, the more it sounds spot-on. I’d categorise it as gothic glamour hoe, and slot it in with the rest of the night-out clothes in my wardrobe that I think I’ll finally have the balls to wear out of sheer desperation once this lockdown is over. The Blossom to Charli XCX’s Buttercup here, we’ve also got Anne Marie looking extra AF and I loveeeee it; it’s an ensemble somewhere between a high-end version of Alaska Thunderfuck’s candyfloss Sugar Ball dress from season 5 of Drag Race (Alaska DID deserve to win AS2 nation, rise up) and a low-key version of a Katy Perry California Dreams Tour costume. I don’t call it low-key as a drag, just a regretful admission of the fact that maybe wearing a cupcake bra which squirts whipped cream out of the boobs is a bit too much for most of us. 

Critic’s Choice Awards

(L-R: Alison Brie in Brandon Maxwell, Chloe Bridges in Azeeza, Cynthia Erivo in Fendi, Florence Pugh in Prada)

I was going to say the Critic’s Choice Awards is kind of America’s version of the BAFTAs but then I remembered that the BAFTAs is really the only big TV and film awards ceremony we have here in the UK and that it’s kind of sad that I have to compare our most high-profile red carpet of the year to L.A’s most low-key one. Getting Cynthia Erivo and Florence Pugh to infiltrate is the best we can do. 

THAT BEING SAID! 

They both look amazing. This is Florence’s best red carpet look of this year, imo (she the prettiest icicle I’ve ever seen), and Cynthia Erivo’s arm must ache from serving the entire awards season. And in Fendi! Taste!

Side note before we move onto the next set of looks: has anybody else watched Alison Brie in Mad Men and Community simultaneously and experienced the extreme cognitive dissonance that comes from watching her play a tragically nerdy (relatable tbh) 18 year old and an overly-sophisticated 30 something married to an ad man in the 60s at the same time? Weird, but anyway! The orange dress with the red lipstick is channelling Marina Diamandis’ Froot era style subtle sex appeal and is a timeless, playful combo. Put the hair up into a beehive and it’s Megan Draper on a date in Cabo-don’t know much about the place but I know the sea is aqua and the sun seekers are blindingly white and the cocktails are plentiful (and whatever colour you want them to be), and all that together is a juicy palette if we’re talking cinematography. The Mad Men directors are out there somewhere shaking their fists at the sky that they never got to consult me on that, I’m sure. 

(L-R: Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Dior, Saoirse Ronan in Erdem and Zendaya in Tom Ford)

Zendaya’s red carpet look was the stand out of the Critic’s Choice Awards for sure; the skirt I can do without but I hope that hot pink metal breastplate ends up on display somewhere because that is ART, and she is the perfect person to wear it. The Tiffany Pollard “she's so powerful” meme was made for this moment. 

Also, can we talk about Phoebe Waller-Bridge backing up my Dior 2019 Haute Couture wasn’t *that* bad hypothesis? Because unless I’m mistaken this is one of the dresses from that collection and it is quite beautiful. Yeah, black mesh isn’t going to start a revolution or anything but it’s so delicate looking it almost seems out of place on a red carpet-I don’t know if it’s the structure of the bodice or the tulle but I can totally see this in a gothic ballet, whether that’s sensible in theory or not. Probably not. But then again I did quit ballet when I was 10 after months of getting people to near poke me in the eye on the way out of class so it would look like I’d been crying and I didn’t have to go to my lessons after school. So what do I know? Fuck all, in case that wasn’t clear. I also feel a little vindicated by Saoirse wearing one of the Erdem dresses I loved from last year’s collection-if multi-award winning actress Saoirse Ronan’s probably ridiculously well-paid stylist liked it enough to pick it out for her then I guess I’m doing okay in terms of taste levels.

(L-R: Olivia Wilde in Valentino, Lucy Hale in Miu Miu, Mandy Moore in Elie Saab, and Margaret Qualley in Chanel)

The last few Critics Choice Awards looks I picked out above aren’t thrilling or anything but they’re cute enough to include-from left to right we have Olivia Wilde in Valentino, Lucy Hale in Miu Miu, Mandy Moore in Elie Saab and Margaret Qualley in Chanel. It’s kind of besides the point, but Margaret worked with Chanel throughout awards season and I just wanted to add my two cents in here and say that I think she’s the perfect person to collaborate with (also think Laura Harrier would be a good match, anyone agree?) and that in a similar vein, I urge Miu Miu, the creative directors of which I’m sure are eagerly awaiting the opinion of irrelevant Tumblr user amphtaminedreams, to work with Lucy Hale more often. I feel like if girl stopped starring in those shitty Blumhouse horrors and did something a bit more sophisticated she’d fit the brand right down to a T.

The Golden Globes

(L-R: Cynthia Erivo in Thom Browne, Dakota Fanning in Dior, Jane Levy in Steven Khalil, and Janina Gavankar in Georges Chakra)

Finally! I hear you cry! A more exciting red carpet! It’s not the Oscars, but celebrity stylists still pulled the big guns for this one, the Golden Globes probably being considered the second most prestigious American awards ceremony of the year. Plus Dakota Fanning was there! Big yay for me! She and Elle can practically do no wrong in my eyes and are probably the only 2 women that could take on Dakota Johnson and Jennifer Lawrence when it comes to established red carpet style. 

Cynthia Erivo did it again, of course, as slick, as dignified and as regal as she was at the Critic’s Choice. The woman really has got this power stance thing locked down; she always seems so cool and confident in everything she wears that the whole getting dressed up to go out out out (we call going to the club going “out out”, but I’d say a red carpet is a slightly bigger deal than my local club with the sticky floors hence the 3rd out) thing looks like second nature.

(L-R: Zoey Deutch in Fendi, Karamo Brown in Grayscale, Lucy Boynton in Louis Vuitton and Kat Graham in Georges Hobeika)

Lucy Boynton was another of my Golden Globes stand outs, and in general is someone who I really look forward to seeing at red carpet events. She (or her stylist, I don’t know how much of a role she plays!) always seems to commit fully to an outfit and sees it as part of a whole concept where the makeup, hair and accessories are equally as important and that is a girl after my own heart. 60s space age empress is the theme here and I’m all about it-well, either that or a feminine editorial take on the tinman from the Wizard of Oz but the former sounds a bit cooler and does way more justice to how good she looks so we’ll go with that. Quick shoutout to Kat Graham too because she looked absolutely radiant. 

(L-R: Shailene Woodley in Balmain, Winnie Harlow in Laquan Smith, and Zoe Kravitz in Saint Laurent)

The trio above I really couldn’t skim over, Winnie Harlow especially; my America’s Next Top Model grudges aside, she consistently turns it out at every event she’s invited to. She’s another woman that wears pieces with such confidence that they look like they were actually made on her body-even if the garment itself isn’t the most breathtaking in the room, she’s the one that draws my attention. Though she’s got these dainty, other-worldly qualities about her, what you’d expect to be a gentle presence is firm and commanding and whilst the sharp drama and glitz of the dress probably helps, that’s just the way Winnie Harlow is naturally, based on her other red carpet appearances. 

Zoe Kravitz is an interesting one because, on the one hand, her looking amazing with that bone structure (I would trade a vital organ to look like that any day) is a given, but it does also seem like she went out of her way to do something a bit different this past awards season. I have always loved her street style for its trademark edge and the androgynous, oversized silhouettes that she leans towards, and the overt femininity of her red carpet dresses is that grungy, skater girl aesthetic completely flipped on its head. It’s cute, and if anyone can pull a dress as kitschy as this off, it’s Zoe. She’s got that just rolled out of bed look we all dream of that screams “I’m over this shit” whereas the rest of us have to rely on dark circles to get the message across. It’s very weird to think that she and Shailene Woodley were in Divergent together, especially since Zoe in particular has changed so much since. 

My main note with Shailene was just that I got excited to see that Balmain dress off the runway-it was one of my favourites from the S/S 2020 collection (IIRC, mostly on the basis that I’m pretty sure it wan’t haute couture), and it looks good! Not wildly good because I’m not sure the fit of the dress is inherently all that flattering, but still good-she makes it work.

(L-R: Taylor Swift in Etro, Sofia Carson in Giambattista Valli and Scarlett Johansson in Vera Wang)

I know a lot of people online didn’t seem to like Taylor Swift’s dress, but she looks cute, imo. I will say that I’m surprised it’s Etro! At first glance I would’ve thought Carolina Herrera or Oscar de la Renta or something along those lines. And predictably, I think Sofia Carson looks flawless. If you’ve read any of my other posts you’re probably sick of hearing it but I really can’t resist anything that is this modern Disney princess, like powder pink layered tulle? Feathers? What did you expect me to say, ew? I think deep down my clothing preferences will always be that of a 9 year old girl and you know what, that’s okay. Sometimes. Well, when it comes to red carpets. That’s when you can kinda get away with it.

(L-R: Bell Powley in Miu Miu, Billy Porter in Alex Vinash, and Charlize Theron in Dior)

There’s a few things worth mentioning when it comes to the above outfits. Firstly, and most importantly, I need to proclaim my love for Billy Porter. No man is doing it like him, honestly. To compare Harry Styles in his pink suits is unfair. The drama and the beauty and the flair that Billy brings every awards ceremony is on another level and that’s all I have to say about that. If you disagree, I’m gonna need a bullet pointed essay-I am that firm in my opinion.

Second, Bell Powley in Miu Miu semi confirms the direction their PR team tend to head in when choosing women to work with. I might be totally alone here but I feel like she and Lucy Hale both have one of those porcelain doll faces which work really well with Miu Miu’s signature girlish silhouettes and overly-ornate details. 

And thirdly, just to restate my earlier point: someone give Charlize Theron a pat on the back for bringing some life to a Dior design. That is all.

(L-R: Jodie Comer in Mary Katrantzou, Joey King in Schiaparelli and Kaitlyn Dever in Valentino)

All the newcomers really turned it out too, which is a sentence I type through gritted teeth; to call Jodie Comer of My Mad Fat Diary origins a newcomer pains the former depressing 2013 black and white Tumblr user in me, though I suppose to the US audiences uncultured in the ways of British teenage angst Vilanelle is her breakthrough role. And how Vilanelle is this dress too!? It’s bold and it’s attention-grabbing and it’s fun and it is definitely very theatrical female fictional villain that you were inexplicably drawn to as a child before you realised why as an adult-”oh, it’s because she was hot”. 

Joey King in Iris van Herpen was a pleasant surprise too considering that when I first looked through the red carpet photos I only knew her as the girl who was in that shitty Netflix original-having watched her in The Act, I apologise for the dismissal! And I admire the sartorial choice! I adore Iris van Herpen designs but as a short girl, wearing one of her dresses to a red carpet event is a risky decision-I hate to admit it because casting a diverse range of people for shows is something I have come to expect of my favourite brands, but the appeal of a lot of IvH pieces comes from the movement of the garments on standard willowy runway models. Fortunately, the styling is really complementary here, and whilst it can’t be denied that the dress itself does swamp her a bit, I liked that she and her stylist stepped out of the box. 

Kaitlyn Dever’s red carpet look is obviously a lot more typical, but you can't go wrong with a Valentino dress, and this one in particular is so suited to the aura she gives off-it’s young and it’s fun and it’s fresh and the intricate floral print, otherwise muted if not for the spring influenced pops of pink and red, is timelessly pretty.

(L-R: Akwafina in Dior, Saoirse Ronan in Celine, Beanie Feldstein in Oscar de la Renta, and Renee Zellweger in Armani)

Lastly, there was Saoirse Ronan in Celine-one of my highlights of the night; she looked phenomenal, a glacial toned dream, and it was pretty different to what I generally expect to see her in. I might be way off base and in need of a bit of a review of her red carpet style, but I feel like she usually leans more towards pretty than edgy with regards to her styling at these kinds of events and a loose fitting, gun metal glittered slip dress is, imo, the perfect way to hit that previously uncharted midway point between the two.

(L-R: Kate Bosworth in Prabal Gurung, Kathryn Newton in Valentino and Sarah Hyland)

Now onto the afterparty looks, and I’m not gonna lie, they’re usually the highlight of the ceremonies for me; I feel like the initial ceremony is all about looking respectful and maintaining that whole dedicated actor image, whereas it seems the literal point of these showbiz parties is a competition to be the best dressed person in the room. Competition really makes people step their game up, and we always get to see more young talent whose style tends to be more current than that of the people we see on the red carpet. 

I’ve got to say, as annoying as I found her character in The Society, I have to overlook that gut instinct of irritation when I see Kathryn Newton and accept how stunning everything going on here is; honestly, she looks like an angel, and I feel like the team at Valentino must reeeeally like her to put her in that dress.

(L-R: Alexa Demie, Ashley Benson in Georges Hobeika, Maude Apatow and Barbie Ferreira)

Obviously I was super excited to see the Euphoria girls on the red carpet, especially Alexa Demie-she does 90s/early noughties inspired glamour better than anyone else on the young actor scene right now and her personal style and the sass she does so well as Maddy Perez shines through every time. Whilst Barbie Ferreira’s look is more casual and achievable for the rest of us in terms of wearability, it’s just as interesting a take on the same period; the delicate pink makeup, hair and jewellery with the 90s inspired slip dress in light teal is a red carpet take on soft grunge for the ages. As for Ashley Benson, she always looks gorgeous and that’s all I’m gonna say before I get emotional and start going into a rant about how her and Cara Delevigne’s relationship was one of the only good things about this shitshow of a year and how now that they’ve broken up the single flame of hope inside me has been extinguished and how their sex swing is gonna get so lonely with them caught in the middle of an ugly custody battle and-

You get the idea.

(L-R: Storm Reid, Sophia Bush in John Paul Ataker, and Sydney Sweeney)

(L-R: Billie Lourd, Paris Hilton, and Camila Morrone)

The Oscars

(L-R: Charlize Theron in Dior, Cynthia Erivo, and Florence Pugh in Louis Vuitton)

Ah, the Oscars. This is where the big money is really spent, and bad decisions are made-in fairness, this year’s winners were a lot more satisfying than usual and I think all of us felt that Parasite was a well-deserved win. I really thought it was gonna be Once Upon a Time in Hollywood just as a bit of a token gesture to Tarantino considering it’s his 9th film, though undoubtedly his worst of the ones I’ve seen, so I was relieved that this wasn’t the case. That being said, it still pains me to see the horror genre being ignored by the academy-in my mind, Florence is here for her performance in Midsommar just as much as Little Women. 

At the risk of getting repetitive, just assume my opinions on Charlize Theron in Dior here are the same again, that Cynthia Erivo is still bringing goddess energy (this is probably my favourite of her looks), and that against the opinion of the masses, Florence looks divine in this colour. I mean, when I say the masses I just mean the people I follow on Twitter, but still, I just wanted be an excuse to be dramatic so that I could insert a meme.

(L-R: Natalie Portman in Dior, Regina King in Versace, Scarlett Johansson in Oscar de la Renta, and Sandra Oh in Elie Saab)

Once again, Scarlett Johansson’s stylist is doing God’s work; this outfit is everythingggg-the Oscar de la Renta dress is probably my favourite thus far. Like we’re talking angel, but make it fitted and sexy, and I hope you read that in the Tyra Banks voice I intended because 2 memes in a row would rob me of any credibility I’m building as a fashion account and I’m not ready to trash that for bad memes just yet; give it a couple of mental breakdowns and I’ll be there. Natalie Portman’s look was a favourite of mine too, with the cape over the top adding a sophisticated touch to the celestial, slightly bohemian feel of the dress. I initially found the detail of the names embroidered into said cape to be quite moving-in a dream world, directing would be my career of choice and so I really admired the statement-but finding out that Portman herself is the only director hired by her own production company ruined that for me a little bit. Then again, multi-millionaire celebrities making performative gestures for good publicity and not doing all that much to make any real change? Colour me shocked.

(L-R: Beanie Feldstein in Miu Miu, Brie Larson in Celine and Billie Eilish in Chanel)

Now, of all the Miu Miu looks so far, I think Beanie Feldstein definitely got the best one. The intricacy of the embroidery, the silhouette, the old Hollywood stye curls-it’s all so graceful. I’d say this is probably her best look of awards season and she and her stylist did a really great job.

And as for Billie Eilish...Guys...do you think she might be wearing...Chanel...by any chance? I’m not sure.

Seriously though, as far as an oversized tweed suit with the brand’s logo emblazoned all over it goes, I like this look. The acid green roots and the jewellery are what make it for me, adding to the grunginess of the outfit which is interesting against Chanel’s prim and proper aesthetic of the last few years. I know she has good reason for the way she dresses, but I’ve never quite been able to appreciate it-this outfit proves to me that her style doesn't automatically equal ugly and occasionally, she can make it work.

(L-R: Leona Lewis, Colton Haynes, Dita von Teese)

Elton John’s Oscars afterparty being the less exciting of the two big ones in terms of fashion-the other being the Vanity Fair afterparty which I’ll cover in a moment-I thought I’d whizz through it (posturing aside though, I bet Sir Elton’s party was a lot more fun).

(L-R: Chiara Ferragni, Donatella Versace, Bella Thorne)

This is a big statement considering Alexa Demie attended, but I think Chiara’s outfit and overall styling might be my favourite of the partygoers; if they decided to do a live action Barbie film in 2020 minus the PG ratio-because lets be real, she’d be a noughties Paris Hilton type and get up to some SHENANIGANS-this is the look that would become iconic. 

(L-R: Ashley Greene in Off-White, Alexa Demie, Sydney Sweeney, Annalynne McCord)

It was a hard decision to make though: I’m just as into Sydney Sweeney’s interpretation of burlesque come 1950s red carpet Barbie, Ashley Greene’s surprisingly delicate Off-White number, and Alexa’s dress and (as always) impeccable styling. That being said, Chiara’s clearest contender here for the best dressed of the night is Annalynne McCord. I know I'm one to throw similes around but she looks like an ACTUAL Disney princess-the dress is magical and an absolutely flawless fit. She carries it with such grace. I'm truly in love.

(L-R: Tessa Thompson in Versace, Vanessa Hudgens in Vera Wang, SZA)

As for the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty, there were SO many iconic moments this year. SZA was the definition of the fire emoji, Tessa Thompson’s throwback Versace was the mermaid’s take on BDSM fashion I never knew I need to see, and I’d die to turn up to my graduation ceremony (here’s hoping for a successful attempt at the old uni shebang this time, lol) looking as elegant and simultaneously extra as Vanessa Hudgens did in Vera Wang. I mean, this was before Vanessa went on her dumb Instagram live corona rant because she was upset she couldn’t go to Coachella and I still kinda lived for her, mostly because of moments like this. She’s always been the queen of channelling a more hedonistic, carefree era and this dress is the most refined example of that boho decadence yet. It sounds dramatic to say but the rich purple is such a bold choice considering it’s a a colour we rarely see on the red carpet but now I’ve seen eggplant coloured silk I need it, lol. 

(L-R: Suki Waterhouse in Fendi, Lili Reinhart in Marc Jacobs, Lucy Boynton and Margaret Qualley in Chanel)

Then there was Suki, Lilly, Lucy and Margaret as well who all went full angel mode in some of my favourite runway looks of last summer’s haute couture week; Suki’s Fendi dress and Lili’s Marc Jacobs number were highlights of both their shows and there’s something even more magical about them both when the uniformity of the runway is removed. I also would go on about how much I love Lucy Boynton’s style for the millionth time but I think you get my point.

(L-R: Nicole Richie, Cynthia Erivo, Hunter Schafer, Billie Porter)

The more I look at the photos I saved from the Vanity Fair “red” carpet, the more I come to the firm conclusion that these looks are my favourite as a collective. Along with the elegance and sex appeal of the outfits above, we’ve got all these looks too which are so VIBRANT and fun and experimental. Billie Porter is absolutely majestic and continues his reign as the king of in-your-face, theatrical red carpet style, and Hunter and Cynthia look so radiant. Whilst Nicole’s look isn’t as colourful, she still brought drama with the satin gloves and the smoke lined eyes, and she is definitely ready to step on someone’s neck here.

(L-R: Halima Aden, Ella Balinska in Schiaparelli, Emma Roberts, Ciara)

(L-R: Kiki Layne in Michael Kors, Kim Kardashian in Alexander McQueen, Kylie Jenner in Ralph and Russo, Lashana Lynch in Michael Kors)

(L-R: Rowan Blanchard in Iris van Herpen, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Stella Maxwell, and Sarah Paulson with Holland Taylor)

I’ve got to say, it’s really cool to see Rowan Blanchard in Iris van Herpen too; it’s interesting that as far as I know, she and Joey King were the only ones to wear her this awards season, both being up and coming actresses. It would be a good choice for the brand, probably best known for its futuristic, conceptual aesthetic, to also focus its PR efforts on the young potential inheriting that future. Orrrr it could just be that Rowan, Joey and I have the same (good, lol) taste-not gonna lie, from my experience of stalking her instagram Rowan Blanchard does make some unique fashion choices and her feed is full of bold outfit inspiration.

(L-R: Adriana Lima in Ralph and Russo, Alessandra Ambrosio in Armani, Billie Eilish in Gucci, and Donatella Versace in Versace)

Then there’s Billie Eilish, who is really on another level. This is her second custom made baggy suit of the night, this time Gucci. IMAGINE. Chanel and Gucci making custom pieces to suit your very specific style. Again, though, I really like this; whilst it’s very clearly a Billie outfit, it’s got a level of sophistication, cohesiveness and glamour to it that takes it to that I can admire. 

(L-R: Camila Mendes in Moschino, Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse, and Chiara Ferragni)

Honestly, the Vanity Fair red carpet really belonged to young talent this year, and Camila Mendes in one of my favourite Moschino looks from the Picasso collection really seals it. She could’ve just gone for a basic pretty dress-this isn’t a natural choice-but she really does have the proud, regal look of a woman who knows some man is gonna paint her a portrait that will end up in a famous gallery one day. 

One last thing before I move on, though. How the fuck does Chiara Ferragni get everywhere?! And by that I don’t mean how does she get invited, I had the shock of finding out this woman I followed on Instagram because I liked her outfits and thought she was pretty is a hugely successful businesswoman in Italy long ago. Power to her. She’s a big deal! I get it! I just mean, physically HOW? How do you hit Elton John’s party AND the Vanity Fair party in one night and look this good? God really does have favourites, huh. Well, I guess in this hypothetical scenario where I believe in him anyway. 

The SAG Awards

(L-R: Dakota Fanning in Valentino, Kaitlyn Dever in Ralph Lauren, Scarlett Johansson in Armani, and Zoe Kravitz in Oscar de la Renta)

So, I kinda forgot the SAG awards existed and thought that my post was basically finished before I looked in my folder and saw the one dedicated to this ceremony. My initial reaction was like “oh, this is the shitty Oscars, right?” and I assumed the red carpet would be shit and that I could call it a night-it’s 3:30am, I wish I was calling it a night-but then I looked and saw that I had even more outfit photos saved in that folder than I did for my Oscar dedicated one. Because fuck, I want to to sleep, but the SAG awards had a surprisingly good turn out?! So maybe not as irrelevant a ceremony as I thought? Because Dakota Fanning turned up looking like some divine mythical being again, Scarlett Johansson pulled another incredible look out the bag, Zoe Kravitz was a modernised Audrey Hepburn, and Kaitlyn Dever read my comments about her dress being “timelessly pretty” and said “bitch, you really thought” before showing up looking hot as fuck. Truth be told, I think the SAG awards were first but in this universe where Kaitlyn Dever would pay any attention to my opinion of her outfit do we really care? 

(L-R: America Ferrera, Andrew Scott in Azzaro Couture, Camila Mendes in Ralph and Russo, Caleb McLaughlin )

(L-R: Lupita Nyongo in Louis Vuitton, Lily Allen, Nathalie Emmanuel in Miu Miu, Cynthia Erivo in Schiaparelli)

See, I was going to make a comment above how I took back what I said about Camila Mendes not just going for pretty dresses (which I guess I just did here instead-JUST TO BE CLEAR SHE STILL LOOKS STUNNING) and then I uploaded the next photo set and got distracted by 2 things:

1. How weird it is that British legend Lily Allen, who does not get NEAR enough credit for her smart her songs were might I add, is dating David Harbour AKA. Hopper off Stranger Things!?

2. How mad I still am about Game of Thrones and how dirty the writers did Nathalie Emmanuel (and Emilia Clarke and Lena Heady and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and basically everyone else on that show but that’s another story).

In this same universe where Kaitlyn Dever cares about my opinion can we make the issues I have in the last bullet point not exist? Please?

(L-R: Sophie Turner in Louis Vuitton, Renee Zellweger in Maison Margiela, Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Armani, and Renee Bargh)

(L-R: Gwendoline Christie in Rick Owens, Madeline Brewer in Monique Lhuillier, Kathryn Newton in Valentino, and Lili Reinhart in Miu Miu)

Finishing off the SAG looks, we’ve got the four above. 

Once again, Kathryn Newton was Valentino’s blushing crown jewell; Allie Pressman hate aside, she really is the perfect dressing up doll for the brand. Fresh faced and poised, she has all the elegance and gentle femininity necessary to make floating down the runway as Valentino models do look natural, and Lili Reinhart did an equally good job being a Miu Miu girl. She makes that idiosyncratic cutesy-ness work, all the frills and fragility of a china tea set look easy where I’d just look like I’d been consumed by a charity shop doily. Madeline Brewer did a good job too, helping a Monique Lhuillier design pop in a way that it doesn’t usually. When your hair is bright red and your dress cerulean blue, coral tinted lipstick is a *ahem* choice, buuut in this case it paid off because the result is a look which demanded my attention-ML dresses are reliably pretty, however, they tend to be predictable. Madeline and her styling did a good job subverting that formula. To end the section, though, I feel it’s only fair to save my fave woman til last-probably one of the few people in the world that isn’t a Rick Owens model that can pull off his designs. Ofc, I’m talking about the queen that is Gwendoline Christie. If we’re talking embodying brands, she did justice like nobody else could to the spectacle of Owens’ formidable, out-of-this-world aesthetic. This is her version of the princess moment, and when you’re as striking as she is, nothing less would do. 

At least my girl Brienne of Tarth is thriving<3

The Grammys

(L-R: Ariana Grande in Giambattista Valli, Cardi B in Mugler, and Pia Mia in Julien Macdonald)

TBH, like I said with the Brits, I never planned to do any music award ceremony red carpets, just because I feel like the fashion tends to be more geared towards a younger audience buuuut I’m kinda glad I changed because Ariana looks INCREDIBLE. MESMERISING. TRANSCENDENT. JFC. There’s a reason the photo of her on her Wiki page has been changed to one from this night and it’s because she looks absolutely exquisite, like some kind of moon goddess with an R&B touch which I suppose is kind of her brand? Sometimes I go kind of lukewarm on Giambattista Valli and forget how mystical but at the same time frothy and indulgent and all around luxurious the pieces can be. This is a cupcake of a dress and I want to eat it. Cardi B has become a bit of an unexpected fashion icon and Pia Mia looks as hot-party-girl as ever but I feel to put anyone next to Ariana in this dress seems harsh because she just completely stole the show and I don’t even know if she won any Grammys.

(L-R: Josephine Relli, Gwen Stefani, Jameela Jamil in Georges Chakra, and Chrissy Teigen in Yanina Couture)

Other than Ariana, I’m not gonna lie, there was nothing wildly exciting, BUT I did think there were some beautiful colours out on the runway-plus for all her occasionally bad takes I really like what Jameela Jamil stands for and her style has always been very quirky cool. The electric blue tiled effect with the black mesh underneath kinda reminds me of a peacock, and contrasts wonderfully with the carpet-it’s very reminiscent of her T4 days. She’s one of those people that seems to get aggression directed at her that’s completely disproportionate to whatever it is she’s supposed to have done; sometimes the way she goes about saying things is wrong but the intention behind what she’s saying is usually good. Then again, the internet still despises Chrissy Teigen (in a way that’s kind of excessive considering what we seem to collectively let some people get away with) for a dumb AirPods tweet and I’ve included her too. THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT, this time anyway. I just think she looks good!

If I’m going to get controversial about anything, it’ll be Gwen Stefani. She looks stunning, the dress is stunning, and the boots are stunning. The outfit is not my problem! My problem is how she seems not to have aged at all. This woman is 50 years old! That she drank the blood of her Harajuku girls is the only explanation here. Can you imagine if she tried to pull that shit today? She’d get rightly accused of being a culturally appropriating weeb in about 10 seconds flat and we’d have to pretend to stop liking Cool and Hollaback Girl. 

(L-R: Finneas O’Connell in Gucci, Lucky Daye, and Shaun Ross)

(L-R: Tess Holliday, Dua Lipa in Alexander Wang, Tyler the Creator, and Grace Elizabeth in Giuseppe di Morabito)

Back to what I’m supposed to be talking about in this blog post: the fashion. And here, most importantly, Tyler the Creator looking like a cast member of the Grand Budapest Hotel. IDK why. But I love this man.

(L-R: Lil Nas X in Versace, Lizzo in Versace, and Shawn Mendes in Louis Vuitton)

(L-R: Billie Porter, FKA Twigs in Ed Marler, and Swae Lee in Giuseppe Zanotti)

See in general, the men were a lot more interesting on the Grammys red carpet. With the exception of Twigs, Dua and obviously Ariana, the men’s outfits are a lot more memorable; Billie Porter became the most fashionable meme on the internet, for god’s sake. And even when their outfits weren’t extravagant, they were just more interesting, imo, which is a rare occurrence. I didn’t expect Finneas O’Connell to be the writing half of Billie Eilish (the other half being Billie herself) I cared about and yet, in that Gucci blazer, here we are. 

(L-R: Jessie J, Hailee Steinfeld, and Madison Beer)

(L-R: H.E.R, Usher, FKA Twigs, and Matt Shultz)

Of the afterparty looks, my favourites are what we can see of these more casual outfits-I love what F.K.A Twigs and H.E.R are wearing, the headscarf with the leatherjacket on top is in particular very throwback rockabilly, and I’m even into whatever it is Usher’s got on.

(L-R: Olivia O’Brien, Amine, and Alrissa)

(L-R: Salem Mitchell, Machine Gun Kelly, and Sydney Sweeney)

Now, how to round this all up!? How to relate the confusingly persistent but very welcome presence of Sydney Sweeney on, like, ALL these red carpets back to the MET!?

IDEK. It’s been a long year. 

The Met Gala has usually come and gone before we know it, but with everything going on, it’s been the longest January-May I think most of us have ever known. I keep going on about COVID-19 in all my posts now but I have almost forgotten how to write an intro and outro because the pandemic is pretty much consistently on the brain and unless I have something right in front of me to use as a distraction, my mind tends to wander off into a very anxious place. I think, like many others, I feel frustrated and disappointed and angry with the way the situation is being handled by the people who are supposed to protect their citizens, and by how much of a fight some are putting up against measures that are in place to try and save lives. The point of this ramble, I guess, is that whilst we should never forget what’s going on and do the best we can to help prevent the spread of the virus, it’s okay to still care about mundane shit. Was this post one big long distraction for me? Probably. But if there’s something harmless you can do to keep your anxiety at bay, don’t feel bad for doing it. Contrary to popular belief, you can care about more than one thing at once. You can be sad that something you were looking forward to has been cancelled whilst still being sad for the people who are suffering because they’ve lost love ones or who have been forced into precarious living conditions. If talking about clothes on the internet is going to help you get through this pandemic, power to you.

If anyone has read til the end, thank you! I hope you are well! As always, feel free to reply to the post or inbox me with your thoughts! It doesn’t even have to be related to this post. If you’re struggling with everything going on, feel free to reach out too. I spend too much time on the internet anyway, lol! My plans are to finish my fashion week reviews and then I have a Lana Del Rey albums inspired lookbook which I pinched off the stans on Twitter (who I will of course credit when I write it!). For the time being, look after yourselves!

Lauren x

#met gala #fashion #high fashion #red carpet #haute couture #dior #chanel #style #style inspiration #fashion review #outfit inspo #designer #pop culture #celebrity #zoe kravitz #brie larson #cardib #ariana grande #film #oscars #award season #beauty #beauty inspiration #armani #runway #dresses #marc jacobs #lili reinhart #miu miu #saoirse ronan

[lastsonlost]

Comedian Ricky Gervais is clearly enjoying himself as he rides the outrage wave from his fan-loved and Hollywood-loathed performance as the host of the Golden Globes Sunday night. After gaining hundreds of thousands of followers as a result of his celebrity slamming performance, Gervais took a moment early Wednesday to provide a helpful list of reminders about humor for his “offended” critics — many of whom happen to be journalists, who Gervais also made sure to mock.

In his instantly famous opening remarks at the awards show Sunday (transcript below), Gervais announced that it was his “last time” hosting the show and then promptly proceeded to do what so many viewers have been longing for a host to do: put virtue-signaling Hollywood in its place. “Let’s go out with a bang, let’s have a laugh at your expense,” he said at the start. “Remember, they’re just jokes. We’re all gonna die soon and there’s no sequel, so remember that.” After calling out Hollywood hypocrisy — including on sexual misconduct, corporate corruption and human rights abuses — Gervais ended his blistering opening statement by telling all the winners, “If you win, come up, accept your little award, thank your agent, and your God and f*** off, OK?”

His brutal rebuke of Hollywood was met with predictable outrage from many, including media figures and journalists, which Gervais pointed out in one tweet Tuesday.

“I always knew that there were morons in the world that took jokes seriously, but I’m surprised that some journalists do,” he wrote (tweet below). “Surely, understanding stuff is pretty fundamental to their job, isn’t it?” He ended the post by twisting the knife: “Just makes it funnier though, I guess.”

Early Wednesday, Gervais felt compelled to help out some of those particularly suffering from a case of perpetual offense by offering a list of reminders about how humor works and doesn’t work:

1#. Simply pointing out whether someone is left or right wing isn’t winning the argument.

2#. If a joke is good enough, it can be enjoyed by ANYONE!

3#. IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU!

4#. Just because you’re offended, doesn’t mean you’re right.

As The Daily Wire reported, Gervais spent Monday after the Globes having fun at his critics’ expense online, ridiculing responses to his performance from The Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter and The Independent, along with the very show he hosted.

Among his posts was one in which he slammed those calling him “right wing.” “How the f*** can teasing huge corporations, and the richest, most privileged people in the world be considered right wing?” he tweeted (post below).

He also made a point of thanking his hundred of thousands of new followers. “Welcome to the 300,000 new followers I acquired today. I promise you won’t like everything I say, but here’s a sexy photo,” he wrote.

Gervais continued to hit his critics on Tuesday, including retweeting a defense of his Golden Globes jokes by Second Amendment champion Dana Loesch, who called The Independent’s condemnation of Gervais “garbage.”

“Oh garbage,” Loesch wrote. “[Ricky Gervais] demonstrated that good comedians go after everyone. No one should be safe, but the prevailing thought these past 10+ years is that one group IS exempt. They can lecture from the stage but he can’t mock their inconsistencies? You prove his point.”

<I mean if calling out corrupt corporations and the super rich is right wing then I guess the right wing is better at being liberal than liberals.

Below is the transcript of Gervais’ opening comments at the Golden Globes:

You’ll be pleased to know this is the last time I’m hosting these awards, so I don’t care anymore. I’m joking. I never did. I’m joking, I never did. NBC clearly don’t care either — fifth time. I mean, Kevin Hart was fired from the Oscars for some offensive tweets — hello?

Lucky for me, the Hollywood Foreign Press can barely speak English and they’ve no idea what Twitter is, so I got offered this gig by fax. Let’s go out with a bang, let’s have a laugh at your expense. Remember, they’re just jokes. We’re all gonna die soon and there’s no sequel, so remember that.

But you all look lovely all dolled up. You came here in your limos. I came here in a limo tonight and the license plate was made by Felicity Huffman. No, shush. It’s her daughter I feel sorry for. OK? That must be the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to her. And her dad was in Wild Hogs.

Lots of big celebrities here tonight. Legends. Icons. This table alone — Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro … Baby Yoda. Oh, that’s Joe Pesci, sorry. I love you man. Don’t have me whacked. But tonight isn’t just about the people in front of the camera. In this room are some of the most important TV and film executives in the world. People from every background. They all have one thing in common: They’re all terrified of Ronan Farrow. He’s coming for ya. Talking of all you perverts, it was a big year for pedophile movies. Surviving R. Kelly, Leaving Neverland, Two Popes. Shut up. Shut up. I don’t care. I don’t care.

Many talented people of color were snubbed in major categories. Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about that. Hollywood Foreign press are all very racist. Fifth time. So. We were going to do an In-Memoriam this year, but when I saw the list of people who died, it wasn’t diverse enough. No, it was mostly white people and I thought, nah, not on my watch. Maybe next year. Let’s see what happens.

No one cares about movies anymore. No one goes to cinema, no one really watches network TV. Everyone is watching Netflix. This show should just be me coming out, going, “Well done Netflix. You win everything. Good night.” But no, we got to drag it out for three hours. You could binge-watch the entire first season of Afterlife instead of watching this show. That’s a show about a man who wants to kill himself cause his wife dies of cancer and it’s still more fun than this. Spoiler alert, season two is on the way so in the end he obviously didn’t kill himself. Just like Jeffrey Epstein. Shut up. I know he’s your friend but I don’t care.

Seriously, most films are awful. Lazy. Remakes, sequels. I’ve heard a rumor there might be a sequel to Sophie’s Choice. I mean, that would just be Meryl just going, “Well, it’s gotta be this one then.” All the best actors have jumped to Netflix, HBO. And the actors who just do Hollywood movies now do fantasy-adventure nonsense. They wear masks and capes and really tight costumes. Their job isn’t acting anymore. It’s going to the gym twice a day and taking steroids, really. Have we got an award for most ripped junky? No point, we’d know who’d win that.

Martin Scorsese made the news for his controversial comments about the Marvel franchise. He said they’re not real cinema and they remind him about theme parks. I agree. Although I don’t know what he’s doing hanging around theme parks. He’s not big enough to go on the rides. He’s tiny. The Irishman was amazing. It was amazing. It was great. Long, but amazing. It wasn’t the only epic movie. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, nearly three hours long. Leonardo DiCaprio attended the premiere and by the end his date was too old for him. Even Prince Andrew was like, “Come on, Leo, mate. You’re nearly 50-something.”

The world got to see James Corden as a fat pussy. He was also in the movie Cats. No one saw that movie. And the reviews, shocking. I saw one that said, “This is the worst thing to happen to cats since dogs.” But Dame Judi Dench defended the film saying it was the film she was born to play because she loves nothing better than plunking herself down on the carpet, lifting her leg and licking her pussy. (Coughs) Hairball. She’s old-school.

It’s the last time, who cares? Apple roared into the TV game with The Morning Show, a superb drama about the importance of dignity and doing the right thing, made by a company that runs sweatshops in China. Well, you say you’re woke but the companies you work for in China — unbelievable. Apple, Amazon, Disney. If ISIS started a streaming service you’d call your agent, wouldn’t you?

So if you do win an award tonight, don’t use it as a platform to make a political speech. You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg.

So if you win, come up, accept your little award, thank your agent, and your God and fuck off, OK? It’s already three hours long. Right, let’s do the first award.

#outrage culture #call out culture #Ricky Gervais #hollywood #media bias

[ohwriteiforgot]

Soooo ~smirks~ time to return the favour!! What about your Top 10 All-Time Favourite Movies? 😏💖💖

Cheeky! Somehow, every time I have to make a list of things, said things evaporate from my head. Like, what are movies? Have I seen any??? I’ll try to do my best, though! I’m also pretty sure I only got the top 5 in the right order 😅

   10. The Breakfast Club (1985)

Yeah, uh, this movie is just amazing. A group of kids with nothing in common coming together and becoming friends in the end? Sign me up! It was funny, it was interesting, it sends an important message. There’s a reason it’s a classic 💜

   9. Life as We Know It (2010)

I feel like this one you’ll love if you haven’t already seen it, Lily, it’s got all the best tropes: enemies to friends to lovers, living together, co-parenting. It’s bittersweet and tooth-rotting and I. LOVE. THIS. MOVIE. 

   8. Hobbs & Shaw (2019)

I’ve never been the biggest ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise’s fan, but this movie. I know a lot of people didn’t like it, but I absolutely loved it. It was just so fun! A buddy-cop type of movie, except they’re running from the law, in a life-or-death situation, bickering like an old married couple. Also, I will give my life for Hattie Shaw. I won’t even deny it, she was probably the best part of the movie. Sigh.

   7. Now You See Me (1 & 2) (2013/2016)

Both movies. But I count them as one. Why they’re on the list? Have you seen them? If you have, then you know why. If you haven’t, PLEASE GO WATCH THEM!!!!! One thing about me, I love having fun while watching movies. That’s why half of this list is filled with titles that made me feel this way, and the other half is filled with titles that made me cry / made me think about life. This is of the first kind, obviously. Illusionists! Amazing tricks! Awesome plot! Dave Franco! Oops, this one slipped, heh. 

   6. Black Panther (2018)

My question for you: Are you surprised? This one fits into both categories. It’s spectacular. It’s incredible. It shows both points of view and makes you think. What’s right, what’s wrong? It’s beautiful, and the storyline is just AMAZIIIIING! And it has such awesome jokes, and I’m a sucker for those. Remember the Oscars just after Black Panther came out? Remember how everyone admitted that this movie would have snatched all awards? I do and I still think about that. 

   5. The Hitman’s Bodyguard (2017)

Ryan Reynolds + Samuel Jackson. I should honestly just leave it at that. Listen, my mom loved this movie. My mom doesn’t like action movies. This has to speak for itself, okay? They Let Samuel Jackson Say Motherfucker. Man, I love this movie. (We have Deadpool and Nick Fury, and on top of that, there’s Elektra too.) 

   4. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

I wasn’t really a Spider-Man fan until Homecoming. Idk, I just never vibed with the movies. And then it turned out I needed a father figure for Spider-Man. As seen in the gif, sometimes you need your father figure to teach you the webs by throwing you over the railing. It’s a found family type of situation. We love a found family type of situation. The animation and the style are b e a u t i f u l. The dialogue is witty and at the same time thought-inducing. This movie. This is a masterpiece, okay?

   3. Pride and Prejudice (2005)

I think this was the first classic I ever saw. I honestly can’t put into words the feelings this movie gives me. I can try, though. Serenity. Longing. Desperation. Love. (And Envy. Where am I supposed to find a Mr. Darcy, huh?) The actors just did such a perfect job here. I can’t even, seriously.

   2. Avengers (2012)

I’m not gonna elaborate on this one. It’s plain obvious.

   1. Little Women (2019)

I cry so many times when I watch this. I have no idea how it managed to dig so deep inside of my chest cavity and get hold of my heart and squeeze it in its grasp. I can talk about Little Women for hours and hours. I can talk about Amy’s growth and Meg’s dreams and Jo’s loneliness and Beth’s kindness for hours. The wardrobe was stunning. The script was perfect. The cinematography, the direction of this film, they’re mind-blowing. THE ACTING IS OUT OF THIS WORLD. I love Little Women and I will always love Little Women and I will never forgive the Academy for robbing Greta Gerwig of her awards.

Soooo that’s my list! Thank you soooo much for asking, Lily, I’d forgotten some of them! COME YELL WITH ME ABOUT THESE!!💖💜

#ask game #Lily asks

[lizzy-c807fanfics]

That Old Black Magic Ch.5

Find the whole story here:

FF    AO3

Killian Jones and Emma Swan didn’t meet under the usual circumstances but they had an immediate spark that ignited into a fiery relationship. Their complimentary life styles create the perfect partnership at both home and work. Can she and Killian keep up their lucky streak while navigating through the dangerous lives they lead? Find out in this Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire Mystery.

A/N: Hello Lovely Readers! Thank you for continuing to read my story and being patient for more if you’ve been waiting. In the previous chapter I brought in two of my own characters, a couple named Nairobi and Greta. If you’ve read my story the Price of Freedom on the Sea, you may remember them from Tortuga. I appreciate the comments and notes that I’ve received. They are so encouraging, and I can’t tell you enough how much they make me want to keep writing. I love writing mystery and romance. Hopefully I can do this genre justice. Please enjoy this new chapter.

Ch. 5

Emma woke up to find Killian’s side of the bed made but she heard him whistling in the kitchen, so he hadn’t left yet. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and checked the time. Of course, it was early, but she needed to get a jump on this case.  She flipped over the covers and sat up, immediately feeling the dull ache after a night of amazing sex.

She raised her arms over her head and stretched out the kinks. She smiled again when she thought about the surprising move he pulled on her. It was amazing how someone so skilled could keep topping themselves.

She climbed out of bed and head towards the kitchen. Killian was in full breakfast mode with two pans going on the stove. He was also still shirtless and that little bit of crack she had a view of above his sagging pant line was enough to drive her crazy.

She moved to sneak up on him but he caught her before she could do it. “Good Morning Love. I thought I’d get you a hearty breakfast before you begin a long day.”

She cupped his face in her hands, smiled and kissed him gently. “Good Morning. That was very thoughtful of you. It smells fantastic.”

“I know how you love bacon.” He grinned.

She pressed a kiss to his bare shoulder before grabbing a coffee mug. “ooh coffee. Thank you for brewing the pot.”

“Of course, Love.”

She poured the beautiful liquid into her mug and savored her first sip. “This is perfect.” She moved to sit on the island facing him “Have you been awake long?”

“No, not much longer than you. You know I like to start my days early.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve already been on a run?” she said aghast.

He grinned. ”Alright, I won’t tell you then.”

“Whew, you certainly are full of surprises. All good but definitely surprises.”

“I’ve been this way for a long time Love. You’ll have to get used to my eccentricities if you plan to keep me.”

She laughed. “I love you, how could I not plan to keep you.”

He stopped in mid motion and turned to her. Suddenly she realized what she’d said. He smiled. “Did you just say you love me?”

She bit her lip and smiled. She’d felt it for a while but was too chicken to say it first but it was on her mind so much that it was natural for her to just say it.  She looked into his beautiful blue hopeful eyes staring at her across the counter. How could she be afraid of him. “Yes, I love you Killian.”

He quickly walked around the counter and scooped her into his arms. She laughed as he held her up, smiling wildly and nodding his head. “I love you too Emma.”

She slid down in his arms closing in on his lips with a soft gentle kiss. Her heart fluttered with excitement. She’d known deep down that he loved her but hearing him say it out loud, well that was different. He pulled back with a sigh and a soft kiss to the tip of her nose. “I’ve loved you for a long time but I just wasn’t sure how you’d feel to hear it.”

She caressed his cheek. “I’ve known for a while too. I’m sorry I’m just scared of my own feelings sometimes. I am learning.”

The smell of burning bacon pulled them back from the clouds and Killian rushed around to the stove to move the pan off the burner. “Love, you can always talk to me about anything. I’m a very patient man and I won’t push. Just know that you’ve had my heart since day 1.”

“How did I get so lucky to have you?” she asked.

“Fate seemed to put us in the right place at the right time.”

“I think you are right.”

He slid a plate in front of her with a stack of bacon and two eggs just as she liked them. “Thank you, this is perfect. Please tell me you’re going to join me?”

He nodded, grabbed his plate and slid around to the stool next to her. “Of course. I have to eat and run though. I’ve got to get to the station. We’ve got something special planned for the recruits today.”

She nodded and snuggled in to his side.  “I love you. Just had to say it once more, you know, because you made bacon.”

He laughed. “I love you too.”

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

She was on a high as she prepared for her day. He loved her, and she loved him, not that she really needed the validation, but it was very nice to hear it from him. Those three little words were very powerful, not something she could recall saying to anyone with the feeling she did when she said them to him.

It didn’t take her long to get on the road. She needed to jump into this case and find those girls. They still didn’t know the motivation behind their disappearance. The cops didn’t mention a ransom note and Nairobi said her Grandmother hadn’t heard anything either.

Her worst fear was that they were taken by human traffickers. They may never hear from anyone and that would mean they needed to work quickly before the trail went cold.

She hadn’t worked the trafficking cases, but she knew from her colleagues at the bureau how frustrating those cases could be. Many of them ended in tears and pain as they case would just go cold. The families would continue looking for the girls for a long time after, but it was only in a rare instance that they would see their loved ones again.

She just hoped that it would be the lesser of two evils and that they’d get a call from a kidnapper. It would still be challenging but better than the girls vanish without a trace.

It didn’t take too long for her to reach Mama Odi’s home. It was in a sleepy little part of town with a lot of character. Her home had a brownstone façade with a bright purple door. She grabbed her bag and head up to the house. She was just about to knock on the door when a bony fingered hand pulled open the door. “Come in Emma, we’ve been expecting you.” Purred the older woman.

She stepped into the dimly lit room and closed the door behind her. “Hello, yes, Nairobi came to see me last night. Are you Mama Odi?”

The slim woman laughed heartily.” No dear, I’m her Auntie Izma.”

Before she could reply the lights flicked on in the room. “Izma why are you always keeping this room so dark, this is no way to accept visitors and you know I can’t see more than 6 inches in front of me if I’m lucky.”

“Odi darling, you know how I feel about too much light on my delicate skin, but I suppose you do need to see our guest.”

The older women mumbled something under her breath before sitting down on the puffy couch. “Emma, please sit down and make yourself comfortable.”

Emma sat on the comfy couch next to the older woman and quickly found herself sandwiched between them. “Ah, I’m happy to help. I just want to see your granddaughter and her friend home safe. Any chance you’ve heard from Tiana?”

A sadness washed over her face. “No dear, nothing, not a word from our so-called police department since we called and nothing from my Tiana.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Now that I’m working for you on this case I will be sure to let them know that they need to give us better updates and let me know about any clues they find.”

“It’s all Charlotte’s fault, I just know it.” Screeched Izma.

“Izzy, it’s not gonna do us any good to blame Lottie. You know Tiana would do anything for that girl and she would do the same for her. Those girls have been joined at the hip since they could walk.”

“Our girl should be here with us not traipsing after Charlotte. This isn’t the first time our girl has been dragged into the rabbit hole because of one of Charlotte’s whims.” Purred Izma.

Mama grit her teeth. “Izzy, we need to help Emma, so she can find our girl. Now’s not the time to open old wombs.”

“Well, now, actually, what did you mean this wasn’t the first time she’s been dragged into the rabbit hole? Have the girls disappeared before?” asked Emma.

Izma perked up and smiled smugly. “Yes, once for 2 days. Charlotte got mixed up with a boy and Tiana had to stop her from doing something stupid. She ran after that bubble brain”

Mama chimed in.” Izzy, this time is different, and you know it. Tiana knew something was wrong. She didn’t just go on her own this time. She went to the police first. Only after they dismissed her she went on her own. It’s not the same.”

The tall thin woman stood abruptly. “She’s still chasing that girl. She’d be here with us if she just left her be.” Emma watched as the older woman huffed and sauntered out of the room.

“Don’t mind her, she is just worried about our girl. She’s not wrong, Lottie does do things without thinking but she’s good for Tiana. She keeps her young. She’s got such an old soul. Lottie reminds that old soul to have a little fun. Not be so serious. You know?”

Emma nodded. “I do know. Sometimes we need those people in our lives to keep us even and shake things up.”

Mama nodded. “Please help bring my brave girl home safe to us Emma.”

She nodded. “I’ll do my best.”  

Izma came back into the room and sat next to them. “Have you checked in with that good for nothing boyfriend yet?”  

“No, can you tell me about him? I didn’t know Tiana had a boyfriend.”

“His name is Naveen, he’s not all bad, just carefree and aloof. I’m also not so sure he’s still the boyfriend either.” Said Mama.

Izma’s eyebrow perked. “Really? I hadn’t heard she dumped the frog. I won’t apologize for wanting more for her. Our Tiana deserves a prince of a man. He ain’t it.”

“Hush Izzy, can we please focus.”

Izma sat back on the couch next to her. “Hmf, I can smell the laziness on that boy. I just wish he’d leave our girl alone. “

“Izzy, can we please focus, Emma needs to get out there and find the girls.”

“Fine, but you know how I feel. I’d start with him, as the first suspect.”

“Ok, you said his name is Naveen?”

The woman nodded. Emma sat and listened to the women as they provided a short list of names and information about the people who might have spoken to Tiana. She captured as many details as she could, hopeful that something might stand out. She would definitely start with Naveen. There have been too many cases where the disgruntled boyfriend is at the bottom of a girl’s disappearance.

She’d also check out the sorority house. She had a feeling someone at that house had more to tell than they let on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

Killian walked into the station house grinning from ear to ear. Emma loved him, she finally said it. He thought she almost said it a few times, but he wasn’t going to push her. He wasn’t so insecure that he needed to hear it but now that she’d said it, he was elated.

“Mate, what’s got you grinning so early this morning?” asked Robin.

He clapped him on the shoulder. “Great run this morning, that’s all.”

“Ok, fine. Don’t tell me.”

Killian laughed. “You ready to test the squad’s mettle?”

“The course is ready. David’s been here for a while setting things up.”

“David?”

Robin shook his head. “He said he and Mary Margaret took shifts last night to sleep and he feels better than he has in weeks.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I was getting worried about him.”

“Let’s just hope the baby lets them both get sleep soon.”

“Oi, I’m here we can start.” Called Will

“Scarlett, gather your gear and find your squad. Today’s test will be done with teams. You’ll find the team assignments on the table near the doughnuts. I’m sure you know where that is.” Said Killian.

“Very funny mate, don’t act like you don’t eat them too.”

Killian lifted his t-shirt just a little to show his perfect abs. “Maybe so but I also work out daily. Can’t say I’ve seen you work out anything but your mouth?”

Will shook his head and grumbled as he walked away.

Robin grinned and shook his head.“He’s doing much better.”

“I know but I’ve got to keep him on his toes. One small slip and we’ll be seeking him out in sorority houses again. It’s for his own good.”

Robin nodded. “I hear you, just throw him a bone sometimes.”

“Alright, I will. Now, let’s get those probies on the course so we can see what they can do.”

“Everyone to the center of the course.” Called Robin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

As Emma pulled up to the sorority house she noticed a police car parked out front. She pulled up behind it and parked. She was glad to see that they were investigating. Now, she just needed to find out what they have learned so far.

#cs ff #captain swan #killian jones #emma swan #where there's smoke there's fire #That old black magic

[valhalla-awaitsfor-us]

My goodbye to Voltron

Hi guys! Some of you know me, some of you don't, but my name is Sol I've been on this fandom since the end of season 2, Im -or was- a Plance shipper and I'm graduated in filmmaking.

I'm a peaceful person by nature so I'm not writing this to generate any type of conflict, I just need to get it off my chest. So, these are my thought on season 8, but mostly on Voltron as a whole. This is my personal journey through the serie and is something that I feel the need to post somewhere because I crave closure. Spoiler: Is not nice. So if you liked this season, or if you just want to avoid any type of rant. Please don't read this.

Ok, here we go:

Thoughts on Season 8:

Just why?

Plot? weak Characters? Totally out of characters

Just why. 

I watch the first 2 episodes and I just couldnt  go through the whole season. For the first time in my life I couldn't end a serie. I talked with some people so i know what happened... but damn. What a mess.

Shiro was almost like a background character. And the original backfroundcharcaters, instead of growing up and have a moment to shine, they simply vanished. I we could have seen more of Hunk... but I was expecting this. He was an important character on season 7... so I guess thats all for him.  Keith giving pep talks?mmm... I mean, it could be? But it still pretty weird. I sounded like a fanfiction...Pidge was... was such a nerd stereotype. Her character ended up being two dimensional. And yeah, sure, I wanted Plance... but beyond that, it would be nice to see for once the  nerd character have feelings. Sure, she cared for her family... but after she found them her plot was over. She just stood there and give a lot of info, like in a exposition. We get it, she is smart. Youve been telling us that for 8 season. And then there's Lance, who was promised a great arc.... and yeah, that didn't happen. His arc was what? Have a gf? His insecurities magically disappeared because he get to be with the girl fo his dreams? And this comes for a person who dosent ship Allurance BUT who think her little date was cute as hell. Just... no.

And finally... Allura.

I could never connect with her... why?I don't know, probably because her 3 main features were:  being a diplomat, being loved by everyone and suffering... she did had her moments...but I could count with the fingers of one hand the times on the show where she was actually happy or just being goofy and having a good time. Thats bullshit, and it isnt fair... But you wanna know what it also NOT fair? Killing her like that.Is messed up. Just why?

The villains motivations were exaggerated. (Haggar actually had her son dead body on that robot, like what the fuck) I feel like they solve everything with the power of friendship  and the whole thing was a big example of deus ex machina.

Also: Shiro wedding? really? that... that isnt... god, I just cant.

And finally, the biggest what the hell of the whole season:

Lance alteans marks.

How why and when?

Is he an Altean now? Why? How does it work? The power of true love or what? Don't throw us random stuff to us and then leave without any explanation. This mean that Lance have altean blood? Or Allura love turn him into al Altean?  Guys, you are writing a show and this is not a continuity error. This could change the characters story and consequently the whole plot. Is some random and just a big nonsense to put something like that on the final season and dont even have the decency of give an explanation.  So now Lance is gonna outlive his family and friends? Is that a real thing? Wow, how wonderful.

Oh and wait, The Lions just flew away ... like..what...why... Guys you are not even trying, thats lazy writing at it best.

Thoughts on Voltron:

Here we go.

I preferred character driven writing above plot driven writing anyday... and personally I think Voltron could have had a really nice balance between the both of them. But they screwed up their characters and then they also screwed up their plot.

After season 2 the show started to lose it quality. That just a cold fact. And I dare to say that it was because they stop focusing on the relationships between the paladin (just take Keith and Allura for example. They had the perfect oportunity the create a great bond between the two of them after season 2... and they just didnt care. AT ALL)... but ofc, it could also be because the plot started to lose sense. Who knows.

But I stayed. I stayed for season 3, and 4 and 5, and 6. Why? Because the great voice actors and the amazing storyboard artists, digital animators, ... the crew was fantastic. But  after season 7 I lost hope, and season 8 was a mess. With bring me to point out this: The people who says "Don't be an anti, if you don't like it go create you own content". I get it, I really don't like ants, they just awful... but Im point out facts and trying to explain why Im so dissapointed in a show that actually helped me a lot when I was feeling terrible with my life.And the thing is. I AM TRYING TO CREATE MY OWN CONTENT. In a graduated in filmmaking, and working my ass off to have a job on the industry, and I'm actually writing a script for an animated movie. But is hard.

  And the simply true is this: JDS and LM are designers, not writers.  I know they have talent... but again: They . are.  not . writers.  So yeah, I cant help but feel like thats a little unfair for people like me who actually studied for years to become a scriptwriter. Because here the thing: to have a good show you need to have a good script, you need to know the tone of the story you are trying to tell and you need to know your characters inside and out .And here is the trick: you need to show us all that, instead of telling us about it.

We all know that Voltron could have been the next Avatar... but ended up being just was another show with a big budget. And that's sad.

Here are some perosnal things that I cant beleive they didnt touch on the series:

-Keith almost dying for the greatest good.

-Lance actually dying.

-The whole friendship between the paladins never really show... is always just told  to us “yay, they are best friends” but not once they actually talk about their feeling, about their lifes, etc.

-I could talk about why plance make a lot more sense, especially because their stories arcs really compliment each other and help them grow as a individual characters... But whats the point.

-Axca ended up being just there.

-Lance having an altean sword? uh... hello?

-Lance explaity saying  that he is from cuba but never speaking in spanish. Thanks for that latino representtion Voltron, I loved it.

- Shiro becoming a background character.

Anyway, it used to be a greta show and I'm always gonna be thankful to help me on my darkest time... but I'm glad is over.

Now lest forget about the last 3 seasons and be happy. 

#voltron #voltron criticism

[historyisgaypodcast]

Episode 5: Stars from a Bi-Gone Era

In this very special episode, hosts Leigh & Gretchen travel to the red carpet and the silver screen to hear stories about queer actors from the golden age of Hollywood. Along for the ride is a room full of queer women who came to listen to the podcast being recorded live at TGIFemslash, a convention dedicated to the queer ladies of media, the ladies who love them, and the fans who love them. Join us and a room full of big gay nerds as we discuss the early years of film and the sexploits of the rich and famous! Who was gay for pay? Who was Hollywood’s favorite lesbian? Who wore violets on the crotch of her dress to advertise her queerness? Tune in to find out, plus listen to our friends at TGIFemslash discuss their favorite queermos from history!

 Special Shoutout

Special thanks are due to Beth Hommel, our friend and fellow attendee of TGIFemslash. Beth generously offered to help us out by designing and ordering T-shirt samples that we both wore and sold at TGIFemslash. She's an amazing and gifted designer of nerdy queer swag, so check out her store on Etsy: Glorious Wierdo! 

And that means...we're going to have merch soon! Stay tuned for details about pins, magnets, shirts and more from your local big gay nerds at History is Gay podcast!

Our Cast of Stars for Silver Screen Sexploits

As people were coming into the room for our panel at TGIFemslash we had them play a game called "Silver Screen Sexploits." We had images of ten silver screen actors up on the wall; people were each given the same set of ten facts about these actors and asked to guess which fact went with which actor. Below are the actors, the facts, and some fun stats about the guesses people made!

Clark Gable

The Fact:

"Was allegedly “gay for pay” and for career advancement. Had a string of older clients who paid their bills and helped them get jobs, but cheated on them constantly. Had close, personal, possibly sexual relationships with several openly queer actors."

Number of correct guesses: 2

Fact most frequently assigned to them:

"A quintessential sex symbol, this actor had strong preferences for partners of the same gender and is rumored to have had affairs with two of the actors on this list. Claimed one of their partners “had a gigantic orgasm and shrieked like a maniac” but then turned spiteful when the actor turned them down after being asked for another round."---6 guesses

Cary Grant

The Fact: 

“Married 5 times and had 1 daughter. Lived with a fellow actor for 12 years and then with a different actor later in life. Prior to becoming famous, dated a fashion designer on and off for 9 years.”

Number of correct guesses: 1

Fact most frequently assigned to them: 

“One lover described sex with them as ‘pleasant, unhurried, gentle. There was what I can only refer to as a kind of refinement about it. It was erotic, tantalizing, fulfilling. High class stuff all the way.’”---5 guesses

Marlene Dietrich

The Fact:

“Came of age in post-war Berlin where the LGBT culture thrived and came to the US with a more open view of sexuality. At the premiere of a film, this actor walked on stage with a bunch of violets pinned to their crotch, a symbol of homosexuality in Germany. Was married but had several passionate gay affairs, one with another actor on this list!”

Number of correct guesses: 17

Fact most frequently assigned to them: 

The right one!  In fact, everyone who played got her right!

Greta Garbo

The Fact: 

“For a time in the 1920s, they lived openly with a partner of a different gender; later, they conducted their relationship with a playwright and poet of the same gender with similar directness and lack of pretense. The poet was a ‘best friend’ and lived with this actor for 30 years. Called their love affairs with same gender partners ‘exciting secrets.’”

Number of correct guesses: 6

Fact most frequently assigned to them: 

The right one!

Katharine Hepburn

The Fact: 

“25 year relationship with differently gendered acting co-star was more about friendship than romance or sex, and their public relationship was likely a publicity stunt by studios as both of them were gay. Was allegedly set up by known Hollywood pimp Scotty Bowers with 150 sexual partners of the same gender. Had a particular attraction for one partner, whom they saw off and on for 49 years.”

Number of correct guesses: 8

Fact most frequently assigned to them: 

The right one!

Marilyn Monroe

The Fact:

“A quintessential sex symbol, this actor had strong preferences for partners of the same gender and is rumored to have had affairs with two of the actors on this list. Claimed one of their partners “had a gigantic orgasm and shrieked like a maniac” but then turned spiteful when the actor turned them down after being asked for another round.”

Number of correct guesses: 7

Fact most frequently assigned to them: 

The right one!

Marlon Brando

The Fact: 

“Had multiple affairs with famous actors in Hollywood and once told a French journalist, ‘Homosexuality is so much in fashion, it no longer makes news. Like a large number of [actors], I, too, have had homosexual experiences, and I am not ashamed. I have never paid much attention to what people think about me.”

Number of correct guesses: 3

Fact most frequently assigned to them: 

"Was allegedly “gay for pay” and for career advancement. Had a string of older clients who paid their bills and helped them get jobs, but cheated on them constantly. Had close, personal, possibly sexual relationships with several openly queer actors."---8 guesses

Vincent Price

The Fact: 

“One lover described sex with them as ‘pleasant, unhurried, gentle. There was what I can only refer to as a kind of refinement about it. It was erotic, tantalizing, fulfilling. High class stuff all the way.’”

Number of correct guesses: 0

Fact most frequently assigned to them: 

"Was allegedly “gay for pay” and for career advancement. Had a string of older clients who paid their bills and helped them get jobs, but cheated on them constantly. Had close, personal, possibly sexual relationships with several openly queer actors."---5 guesses

Raymond Burr

The Fact:

“Was married to an opposite gender partner once but it only lasted a couple months. Met a same gender actor on the set of an iconic TV show in 1960 and they remained together until 1993, when our famous queer actor died. The fellow actor is often named as a “business partner” and still owns and operates the joint vineyard they founded together in Sonoma.”

Number of correct guesses: 8

Fact most frequently assigned to them: 

The right one!

Joan Crawford

The Fact: 

“Known for having an “insatiable appetite for sex with men and women,” who may even have slept their way into becoming a screen legend. Also linked with another actor on this list!”

Number of correct guesses: 0

Fact most frequently assigned to them: 

“Married 5 times and had 1 daughter. Lived with a fellow actor for 12 years and then with a different actor later in life. Prior to becoming famous, dated a fashion designer on and off for 9 years.”---8 times

 How do we know about these folks?

Most of the stories that we discussed came from one guy: Scotty Bowers, a Hollywood pimp of the queer silver screen actors of the 1940s and beyond. He was also associated with Alfred Kinsey in his famous study of human sexuality in the 1950s by providing many of the interview subjects.

A former marine, Bowers kept quiet for many years about these stories, as he did not want to adversely affect the lives of any of the actors who were still around. Many of the stories were actively hushed up using fixers paid by the studios at the time, and several of the actors were in "lavender marriages"---marriages arranged by the studio, frequently with another queer actor. At the time, studios especially would not have wanted the queer attractions of their headlining actors to be widely known, as that would have damaged the 'wholesome family image' of many of the films they wanted to market.

After all of the actors died, Bowers finally decided that his experiences and stories couldn't harm their image or beloved status---plus the world was a more open place to queer attraction---so he wrote about it. His memoir, Full Service, records many of the tidbits that we talked about. What makes his book so special is his refusal to be embarrassed by sex, meaning that he handles these stories with a distinct lack of judgment. Good job, dude! 

If you want to learn more about these folks, as well as other queer silver screen stars, check out our full list of sources and further reading below!

Online Articles:

22 Rumors, Orgies, And Relationships From The Golden Age Of Gay Hollywood

Clark Gable exposed in sex-obsessed biography

New Film Showcases Orry-Kelly, Fashion Master — and Cary Grant's Boyfriend

Secretly Gay, Bisexual, Or Queer Stars Of Golden Era Hollywood

Hollywood Fixer Opens His Little Black Book

Books:

Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Live of the Stars by Scotty Bowers

James Dean: Tomorrow Never Comes by Darwin Porter and Damforth Prince

Behind the Screen: How Gays and Lesbians Shaped Hollywood by William J. Mann

Clark Gable: Tormented Star by David Bret

Kate: The Woman Who Was Katharine Hepburn by William J. Mann

The Fixers: Eddie Mannix, Howard Strickling And The MGM Publicity Machine by EJ Flemming

Until next time, stay queer and stay curious!

#Silver Screen #Golden Age of Hollywood #TGIFemslash #live episode

[gretagerwigarchive]

KCRW Guest DJ Project - Greta Gerwig podcast

source: https://www.kcrw.com/music/shows/guest-dj-project/greta-gerwig-2018-02-14

FROM THIS EPISODE                                                    

Actress, screenwriter, and filmmaker Greta Gerwig describes herself as a person who “lives with very vivid emotions” and she gravitates towards musicians who are like that as well, from Kate Bush and Judee Sill to Brian Eno. Her film “Lady Bird” has been an awards season favorite and she now has the distinction of being the 5th woman ever nominated for a best director at the Academy Awards. (Hosted by Aaron Byrd)

Tracklist: 1. Kate Bush - "Hounds of Love" 2. Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans - "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" 3. Judee Sill - "The Pearl" 4. Laurie Anderson - "Baby Doll" 5. Brian Eno - "Lay My Love"

Aaron Byrd: Hey I'm Aaron Byrd. I am here with actress, screenwriter, and filmmaker Greta Gerwig. She is having a big year with her film Lady Bird, which she wrote and directed. It was nominated for a bunch of Golden Globes and won a couple -- and NOW she has the distinction of being the 5th woman ever nominated for a best director at the Academy Awards.

We are here with Greta to talk about some of the songs that have inspired her throughout her life as part of KCRW's Guest DJ Project. So first of all, welcome Greta. Thanks for joining us.

Greta Gerwig: Hi, thanks for having me.

AB: What did you bring today?

GG: Well, I brought in a variety of songs. They all qualify as songs that I have listened to obsessively.

If I love a song, I listen to it over and over and over again. Until I feel like I can never hear it again and then I won’t listen to it for six months and then I will rediscover it. So the first song is "Hounds of Love" by Kate Bush. I find her lyrics mysterious and evocative - almost like poetry -- and there is a real spaciousness to her music that feels cinematic to me. But specifically with this song, "Hounds of Love", I had really been obsessed with it for a long time. But then I did a play - it was called “The Village Bike" -- and in the play a women is taken over by irrepressible, destructive lust and there was something about this song that really tapped into that for me.

I'm a person who lives with very vivid emotions that feel like they often can only be expressed in heightened states of either music or poetry or films or theater and I think that she makes the kind of music that feels like she is always at a 10, emotionally. That level of just sheer emotion and excitement, and it taps me into probably the reason why I make art.

AB: That's great. So up first we have "Hounds of Love" by KCRW favorite Kate Bush.

*Song: Kate Bush – Hounds of Love*

AB: And that was "Hounds of Love" by Kate Bush and, going on to the next song, what do you have for us?

GG: The next song is "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," which I think most people know from Disney movies. But this "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" was first recorded by a group called Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans in 1962, I believe.

It was produced by Phil Spector and it's the most haunting, mournful version of this song that you can think of that's associated with almost maniacal cheeriness.

The voices are just aching, but it also has that Phil Spector kind of wall of sound thing going on.

I haven't found the film I want to use it in yet, but it's definitely a song I would like to use in a movie so, I feel like I am taking a bit of a risk because, in a way, I want to play these more close to the chest so that nobody steals them out from under me. It's been my go-to song to play to friends or something. I’ll say listen to this and everybody just stops, and they're like, ‘WHAT! WHAT! I have never heard this recording.’ Then I look very cool indeed.

*Song: Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans - Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah*

AB: And there you have it. "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah", the pick of our guest DJ today, Greta Gerwig. So up next we have something from Judee Sill, right?

GG: Uh huh, I first discovered Judee through my writing partner and my creative partner, Noah, when I first read his screen play for Greenberg. You know, she is sort of part of that folk scene of Californians in the sixties and seventies and she is actually quite religious; a lot of her songs have pretty religious imagery and angels and Jesus, but she was also a big druggy so it was that combination of heroine and Jesus, which makes for really great folk music.

But this song, "The Pearl," you have a sense of the thing you have been looking for has been inside you and that's what the lyrics of this song point to and there is a lyric in this song that can make me cry every single time. It’s a quite soaring part of the song when she sings, "I found a way outside myself to make my spirit climb."

Every time I hear that I think I know what she means to find your way outside of your own confines of what you think your goals are or your personality is and find something that goes beyond the edges and this song to me is about that. I think anytime I feel like, what am I doing? What am I doing with this writing and acting and filmmaking and I listen to this song, I think, Judee knows what I'm doing.

*Song: Judee Sill – The Pearl*

AB: That's great. So moving on from the combination of heroin and Jesus by Judee Sill, that was “The Pearl”. Let's see, what do you have next for us?

GG: "Baby Doll" by the great Laurie Anderson. This is not a sad song at all. This is an incredibly happy song.

It is also a song that I feel relates to my life as it is -- making art and not knowing exactly what you're doing all the time. It features one of the greatest lyrics, I think. She says, "Take me to the movies ‘cause I love to sit in the dark."

And it's about her brain, talking to her. It’s like one part of her brain is saying, "Why don't you get a real job?" and "What's wrong with you?" you know, and struggling to come up with words and the other part of her brain is like, "Take me to the movies" and "Take me to the ballpark" and "Take me out town tonight" and there is something about the celebration of the part of you that wants to slack off and just go have fun that I love!

*Song: Laurie Anderson – Baby Doll*

AB: So moving on to the last song, I see you have Brian Eno for us.

GG: This is "Lay My Love" by Brian Eno.

I listen to music when I write. Not all the time, but I find writing to be quite isolating at times because it feels like the all the kids are outside playing and you have to stay inside and work and it can be lonely.

I don't listen to music all the time, but sometimes a well-placed song in the middle of writing will get my spirits back up. I've used this song for that a lot, because it’s got this kind of relentless beat underneath it, it’s got a driving sound. It’s not really like chorus, verse, chorus verse, it more just goes on a loop. It's the kind of song you would run to, but I write to it.

*Song: Brian Eno – Lay My Love*

AB: I like how you set us up with all the sad songs to lead us to the happy songs in the end.

GG: Yeah, yeah that’s right. I’m jealous of your listeners if they’ve never heard these songs and then they get to hear them for the first time. I mean that's my most exciting moment, when somebody says, “I’ve got a new song for you" and you think "Oh my God, yes! Now I have a new obsession!"

AB: That was amazing! Thanks so much Greta for joining us at KCRW.com.

GG: Thank you so much for having me, it was really super fun. It’s such a fun format!

#2018 #Greta Gerwig #Interview #Podcast

[thatshighlyoffensive]

THAT’S HIGHLY OFFENSIVE: THE SAG AWARDS 2018

So much pink! So many sparkles! it was actually pretty hard for me to be offended by this year’s SAG awards, but don’t worry- there were plenty of people who wanted to make it easy on me... Let the skewering begin!

Danielle Brooks- I think if her hair had been left wild and naturally beautiful, this would have been my favorite look of the night. Her dress is amazing! She looks like a badass, villainous ruby slipper! Or the glam version of the villain in Never-ending Story part 2. I love alllllll of it.

Chrissy Metz- i know it’s not gonna be cool for me to say this, but… let’s kill her off This Is Us so she’s free to star in my new Lifetime Fiction Made for TV Movie, “Violet Beauregarde: After the Gum, Before the Juicing.”

Giuliana Rancid- First things first: She looks like the child of Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jay Gatsby and the blonde vulture from the cartoon “Jungle Book.” I’m gonna be honest- I’m having a hard time coming up with new or interesting ways to call her an ungodly shade of orange or the Queen of the Antz. Because while she will always remain those things, she’s constantly finding new ways to offend me and the rest of America by being the most obtuse yet anorexic hymenoptera on the red carpet.

Abbie Cornish- Modeling the newest addition to the Elle Fanning & American Girl collaboration with Frederick’s of Hollywood.

Allison Williams: Some college sophomore who became anorexic in preparation for her Chicago audition.  

Sterling K. Brown’s wife (who they keep trying to pretend/cram down our throats is an actress): You’re at the Spelling Bee and your word is DOILY.

Alison Brie: While I’m not obsessed with it, I love how her dress coordinates with her show. It’s fun, it’s eighties, it’s GLOWing.

Niecey Nash- No one cares, except me, but you stole my costume from when I played the Charo originated role of Frog Momma in “The Swan Princess.”

Halle Berry: I kind of love everything about this. It’s pink and berry and sparkly and has black tulle, so LOVE. But i cannot and will not with that My Little Pony Tail. You’re better than that, Halle. Shave that shit off like you did after David Justice!

Laurie Metcalf: If Angelina Jolie had worn this, my head would have exploded. You’re borderline just as devastating bc i LOVE YOU. Well played, sir.

Mary j Blige is clearly on her way to a ballet themed MET Gala dressed in Kmart’s Black Swan collection…

Only Taryn Manning would put a white, ankle strapped, Elizabeth Berkley in Showgirls heel with an elegant, black, Audrey Hepburn-esque dress. Because ALL HER CHARACTERS.

Reese Witherspoon looks like a beautiful emerald earring. But when did she get that gap in her teeth?? @jenniferhintonmarion

Saiorse Ronan- If not for the bolo tie wrapped around your waist, i’d say you are a delightful version of Audrey’s character in Funny Face guest starring in a Moondreamers Valentine’s Day special.

Tracee Ellis Ross- At first I thought this was pants. I wasn’t going to like it then and I’m sad to say I shan’t be liking it any more upon realizing it’s a dress. It does nothing for her body and those shoes resemble something Angela Sephton purchased from Gadzooks circa 2004. Maybe if you get your pay raise, you can afford more attractive clothing.

Kate Hudson- The first time i saw this mess, i said to my friend @loganyost “It’s like Samantha the Victorian American Girl doll raped a care bear.” And I stand by that. #whattheactalfuck

Lupita Nyongo- On TV, that dress is PERFECTION. In photos though, it kind of resembles a silver tooth that’s gathered some Oreo around the gum line…

i didn’t think anyone could be as boring as Alexis Bledel at the Golden Globes (or in any role she’s ever played)… Olivia Munn has proven me wrong. #snooze

Brie Larson matched her eyeshadow to her dress. I love all the colors, but I do not love all the things.

Greta Gerwig: i freaking love everything about this. The color (which is giving me major Nicole Kidman in Dior circa 1997 vibes), the shape, the way she looks in the shape, the makeup that works with it all… LOVE.

Why is Molly Sims at the SAG awards? And why is she dressed as a saloon stripper named Cerulean Sarsaparilla???

Nicole Kidman- This is what you look like with the flu?!?!?!?!? i die. This looks like a chic, ruby-encrusted trash bag with a SJP shoulder flower and i love all of it.

Allison Janney came dressed as a SAG statue tonight, manifesting a win. And it worked. And I couldn’t be happier. Her performance in “I, Tonya” made started my year off RIGHT.

Susan Sarandon’s dress is what i want to own in every single color and fabric and have it be the only thing i ever wear to awards shows. And the sunglasses? Does she think she’s actually Bette Davis? I’m fine with it.

Did all the females in the ‘This Is Us’ cast decide to dress in the same shade of blueberry for a reason? Did they think  this was the blue version of all black everyone pulled at the Golden Globes? That being said, I definitely think Mandy Moore takes the prize for Best Use of Cobalt, 2018.

Aside from the cheap looking hem on Margot Robbie’s dress, this may be my favorite look of the night. She looks like an Ice Capades Barbie at the black tie gala on the eve of her big skate and i love allll of it.

Dakota fanning ALSO looks like a Barbie, but the #myfirstbarbie version.

Marisa Tomei- Perfection, as always. The ultimate modern bombshell. Pink. Glitter. Yes.

Kristen Bell: Great job as the hostess of the evening. HOWEVER, on the red carpet, she just reminded me to pick up medication for my next UTI.

Holly Hunter: Why am I so obsessed with this? Is it because you are one of my favorite actresses of all time  AND you happen to play a fellow ECU alum in your last amazing film, The Big Sick? Is it because there are pockets? I guess we’ll never know.

Connie Britton: Although I cannot forgive your latest role as a 911 operator (even if it is in a Ryan Murphy show), I am obviously obsessed with your pink, sparkly dress! It doesn’t fit even remotely like a dream, but i repeat: PINK AND SPARKLY. If your hair was blonde, the dress actually fit and you had red star earrings with a holographic fairy godmother on the other end, you’d be Jem.

Mary Steenburgen’s dress? Great. The color, the fit, it’s all working. I cannot, however, condone that HAIR! It’s like the brunette Deborah Rush spontaneously cut bangs so she could replace Jeri Blank in the Flatpoint High production of Chicago.

Omg Laura Linney- You look like some sort of beautiful pink bird in a cage in Barbie’s dream house. C’est magnifique.

ALRIGHT Y’ALL... I’D WRITE MORE, BUT FRANKLY, I’VE BEEN DRINKING WINE ALL DAMN DAY AND IT’S TIME TO GO THE PINK SATIN TO BED. LOVE YOU AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING!

#screen actors guild awards #sag awards #sagawards #sag #fashionpolice #eonline #giulianarancic #kristenbell #bullying #thatshighlyoffensive #shamblesinc #shambles #celebrities #redcarpet

[mxnark]

the best version of yourself 

december 31, 2019

mina isn’t the type to feel ashamed of herself. everyone around her new that she was confident and outspoken. whatever she thought of inside her head, there would be a 59% chance she’d say it with a 41% chance she’d keep it to herself just because she had some manners. of course, she had some class by making a bunch of rant posts on her spam rather than on her main instagram or main twitter. some of her thoughts on real life would go on her stan twitter, but she’s tried her best to keep that mainly kpop and movies. but, to be honest, she wouldn’t have made a spam had it not been for her mutuals and her friends in real life. 

this time, however, she felt emotions that she was afraid to tell anyone else. 

she usually watched the gayos on her own, since she was the only one in the house who had an interest in them because her favorite idols were on that show. however, the one she always kept an eye on was mbc’s gayo daejejun because of the amazing stages that the idols would perform. not to mention, it was the gayo with the countdown to the new year. however, this time, she debated if she even wanted to watch it considering that this was the same exact one that she made a video audition for, only to not get in. 

when she saw the post on mbc’s page, she was disappointed, but not surprised. it was bold of her to assume she would ever get the chance compared to the other dancers. when she watched the other entries, she was already beginning to feel insecure. but seeing the announcement only supported her negative feelings. however, one name catches her eye and it’s the main reason why she watches the music show tonight. 

chungha isn’t the only reason why she’s watching this, but she’s the one mina looks forward to seeing the most. it’s weird how almost two years ago, mina became a fan from watching her on the fourth season of the mgas. now, she was watching her as not only a fan, but a friend. it’s only a glow up she can talk about on her spam, but she’s able to use her excitement for her tweets while streaming. 

she makes sure to tweet about her favorite idols and their performances before the awaited dance performance comes. when it begins, she quickly takes out her phone as she patiently waits for her friend to be shown on her screen. she manages to record the 30 seconds of chungha’s dance on her instagram story while whisper-screaming throughout all of it. “ahh!!! kim chungha is so cool!!!! she’s the coolest unnie ever!!!” and a bunch of “wow!”’s and “so cool!”’s. for the group performance, she kept all her excitement on her twitter with a few pictures saved for her spam later on. 

it’s odd. before watching this, she thought she was going to feel an overwhelming amount of jealousy just by seeing chungha for a second. but after the performance ended, she couldn’t help but feel inspired. perhaps it was because of the fact that this wasn’t the first time she’s seen chungha on national television, but mina didn’t feel too upset like she thought she would. what a relief. 

she posts the pictures on her spamsta (spam + finsta) once the countdown for the new year is finished and captions it with her thoughts. after she posted it, she locked her phone, turned off her tv, and went upstairs to go to bed, excited for what was to come in the future. 

notokmina: do you see her??/ that’s the coolest bitch in the world !!!! ever !!!!!

watching her tonight gave me so much motivation tbh. i remember i used to be so… starstruck by her when i first saw her on mga4 and now i know her in real life and we’re friends !!!! i’m so glad she got to audition for this and perform onstage in front of a bunch of idols. she’s so cool!!!! 

i’m gonna work hard with future covers so that i can hopefully be dancing on that same stage!!!!!!!!! it’d be cooler if it was w her!!!! but yeah. hopefully if i work hard enough, i can be on the stage like her (and my cousin and brother if theyre reading this who knows) 

she leaves a comment under her post. 

notokmina: unnie, if ur reading this, hi!!! very proud of u uwu 

… 

january 2nd, 2020

having been on stan twitter since she moved back to korea, she’s gotten to explore the many sides of the website. though she’s primarily a kpop fan account, she also keeps tabs on film twitter. it’s to the point where she even has mutuals who are apart of that community and she frequently talks to them about her favorite movies (recently, it’s been about it 2 because she loves her best boys richie and eddie). so of course, when she asked for movie recommendations on her account, she hoped that said mutuals would see it and give their insight. 

though there were many suggestions, she chose lady bird by the end of it. she knew about the movie years ago, but she never really got around to watching it until now. she’s read mixed reviews, so she was never really able to form a solid opinion on this movie. she told herself not to expect much, since this was a coming-of-age film. but, by the end of it, she found herself in tears. she goes on twitter and writes up a tweet as a response to the movie. 

michi @noplayboy_mp3: film oomfs is it weird to say that i kin w lady bird lol  michi @noplayboy_mp3: no but the film is so good i dont want to drop any spoilers but lady bird is like… so relatable? esp bc im kind of in her situation now.  michi @noplayboy_mp3: icb greta gerwig said “michi has rights”... perhaps i will watch little women when i get the chance

before she’s about to make a tweet about watching midsommar next, she hears her phone vibrate. putting her laptop to the side, she picks up her phone and sees an email from snu. 

dear mina, 

the admissions committee at seoul national university has re-reviewed all aspects of your application in its holistic review process, and you have an updated admissions decision. you may now view your updated admissions decision in your portal.

she gasps. 

as she clicks on the link to her portal and logs in, she was immediately welcomed by the site with a big “CONGRATULATIONS!” and if that wasn’t already obvious enough for her, she looks around to find the little “status: accepted” on her page. she sighs in relief and puts her phone to the side as she lies on her bed. she’s not necessarily excited that she got into a school. even now, she was still questioning if she wanted to go to school to begin with. all she knew was that at this point, she was going somewhere. whether or not this is what she really wanted to do, she at least has an idea of where she’s starting. 

maybe now her mom would stop badgering her. maybe now she can show her that she could do things without her. 

…

“i got accepted into snu today.”

it’s used to start discussion, even though she didn’t really want to talk about it with her. it had to come out somehow because even if she was nervous with how she was going to reply, at least her mom would be aware of it. 

her father was the first to say something about it and mina wants to verbally thank him for speaking before her mom does. “honey, congratulations! i knew you would be able to get into that school.” 

“thank you,” mina says with a small smile before she looks over at her mom to see what she will respond with because it was obvious she had something to say about it. 

“why did it take so long for a response?” she asks. “you applied for early decision, didn’t you?” 

it takes a lot for mina to not say something snarky in response. she’s not going to do that now. not so soon. “well, competition’s pretty tough. a lot of kids are applying for snu. especially in my class.” she wasn’t exactly lying, but it was a better response than “i was waitlisted for a month.” and even if she responded with that, at least she got into the school. wasn’t that enough? 

her mom lets out a small “hm” before eating more of their dinner. “well, good job on getting into that school. with how long the response took, i was starting to worry.” 

mina frowns. “i got into other schools, you know.” 

“but did you want to get into any of those other schools?” when mina’s silent for a response, her mother only continues. “you said that you were aiming for snu and it took long enough in order to get a response.” 

“can’t you just be happy over the fact that i actually got into the school?” mina asks, feeling her voice rise. “i thought you would be proud of me. is it that much of a surprise that i got in?” 

“all of your friends got accepted into their schools quicker.” mina feels her grip tighten on the chopsticks in her hands. “all i’m saying is you should’ve at least tried harder or at least recognize that you should’ve done better.” 

mina finds it hard to calm down after hearing that. it’s not like she didn’t expect a response like that, but to actually hear it from her makes her laugh bitterly. it’s sad to say she’s not surprised because this was what their relationship is at this point. even if she told herself that she just wanted to get into school in order to get her mom off her back, her words only make it seem like she was mocking her even if she reached at least the minimum. it made mina wish her mother lowered her expectations or at least make her own higher. 

she eats her food in a hurry, hoping to get out of this dinner as soon as possible. of course, her mother has an issue with it as she glared at her from across the table. “slow down. you look like an animal eating like that.” 

mina ignores her and she manages to empty her bowl, still trying to bite and swallow the leftover food in her mouth. she quickly stands up from her chair, puts her bowl and utensils in the sink, and runs upstairs, swallowing the last bit of her food down. she closes her door behind her even if she knows her mother was going to go up to her room anyways. when she hears the door open, she rolls her eyes before she turns to her mom. 

“can you knock?” the impatient tone was one she’s used frequently enough. whether or not she was proud of it, she kept that information to herself. 

her mother’s not afraid of it, though. in fact, if anything, she’s probably a professional at dealing with it. “you’re one to talk about manners,” she scolds. “what is with you?! at least try to stay for the entire dinner and not make it seem like you don’t like my company.” 

“why would i do that?” mina scoffs. “you’d yell at me for faking it, anyway.” 

her mom sighs. “why are you so selfish? why do you keep on doing this? do you understand how uncomfortable your father feels whenever we fight? how uncomfortable i feel?!” 

“i’m sorry for being upset over you not being a good mom,” she responds, crossing her arms as if to do the bare minimum of making fun of the woman in front of her who would do the same in their past arguments. “i got into a good school and all you can say is ‘i’m surprised they didn’t reject you straight up’? no ‘congratulations’ or ‘i’m happy you got into the school you wanted to get into’? shouldn’t you at least be glad over the fact that i’m going-” 

“how am i going to explain to the family that it took a few months for my daughter to tell me she got into snu after a few months since she applied?” her mom interrupts her, angering mina even more. “it didn’t take long for jaebeom to get his letter of acceptance. it didn’t take daniel long for him to know if he got in. do you know what they’ll say when i tell them you got accepted after countless times of me saying ‘oh i don’t know yet’, ‘she hasn’t received anything yet’? they’ll think i’m raising-” 

“what? an idiot?” mina laughs. “yeah. i’m sure everyone in the family’s already aware of the fact that i’m never going to be a lawyer living in america. at least i got into a school.” 

her mother then points at mina and she has to hold the urge to not swat the hand away from her face. “look at you! you’re already making yourself sound bad by acting like it’s a miracle they accepted you in the first place!” she criticizes. “you’re supposed to go to school. you’re supposed to get a degree in order to get a good job somewhere. after all your father and i’ve done for you and your brothers, why are you the only one who treats this like it’s not a big deal?!” 

“i am treating this like it’s a big deal!” mina asserts. “do you know how many nights i spent studying for tests that i knew i was going to fail? all the times i had to stay after school in order to make sure it wouldn’t affect my chances?! i worked so hard in the last few months to be accepted and i’m the only one in this room proud of myself for it! it’s like you’re actively trying to find reasons to be disappointed in me, even when i do something good!”

“maybe you should be trying to not constantly disappoint me, then.” her mother turns her back to her daughter and makes way for the door, but mina mutters something else that makes her stop in her steps.

“the one time i do something that i thought could impress you and you’re still disappointed in me.”

her mother doesn’t respond. all she does is stand for a moment before she leaves, not even bothering to close the door behind her. 

#wc: 2451 LMAO #(( might be less if u dont count the tweets #(( i never proofread so if u see any mistakes pls excuse them LMAO #tagging people bc they're mentioned #rkchungha #danielxrk #tldr: mina gets into snu but she also has mommy issues! #i also didnt have to include her watching the gayos but last solo talked about how mbc gave her an answer and snu didn't so?? #also bc mina's a chungha stan before she is chungha's friend #( * solo )

[coppicefics]

Masked Omens: Week Eight, Part Two

[Image Description: Image 1 - A simple rendition of the Masked Singer UK logo, a golden mask with colourful fragments flying off of it. The mask has a golden halo and a golden devil tail protruding from either side. Below, gold text reads ‘Masked Omens’.

Image 2 - A page from the Celebrity section of the Capital Herald, dated 13th February 2021. Full image description and transcript below the cut. End ID.]

The Capital Herald, Saturday 13th February 2021 Celebrity section, page 19 Top story: Pepper Moonchild: “Women have been especially important to me” Presenter and interview expert kicks off our series on the women who’ve shaped the stars’ lives Pepper Moonchild is the sort of person who makes interviewing anyone from an entertainer to an astrophysicist seem effortless; she's known for her incisive questions and her flawless instincts. When it comes to asking her questions, then, I find myself surprisingly nervous. But, as all good interviewers can, she soon sets me at ease. “Mary Hodges. Here, I promised you my top secret hot chocolate recipe. How's the family?” Of course, Pepper practically is a member of the Capital Herald family, and she promised me that recipe at the Christmas party. With the pleasantries thus dispensed with, we settle down to get to the topic at hand; talking about Pepper. “Oh, I don't know if I like being on this side of things. I'm usually asking the questions! But of course I'm happy to answer them - go on, I'm just being dramatic.” Pepper is currently a judge on ITV's hit show, The Masked Singer UK, where she's now approaching the end of her second series on the panel. It's an import from South Korea, via the US - had Pepper watched any episodes before she signed up for the task? “No, not at all. Honestly, they started explaining the concept to me and I thought, 'what? How does this work? How does anybody not know when the most famous faces in showbiz are performing in front of them?' Then we started filming series one and it became 'how are any of us supposed to guess?' I'd like to think we're getting better at it, but who knows? It's always fun, regardless.” And the judges really don't have any inside information? “If anything, I think we know less than the audience - we can't exactly hop on our phones and look things up, the way people do at home. And - in case anyone was wondering - we don't do any research between the live shows, either. That would just ruin the fun. We do listen to theories from friends and family, though!” Pepper - or, to give her her full name, Pippin Galadriel Moonchild - is a woman of many talents. Her first television appearance came at just ten years old with her turn on Junior Mastermind (specialist subject: the Pendle Witch trials). While she didn't win, she made a real impression on viewers, and later went on to co-host children's talent show Showstarters alongside Michael Banner - a show that helped launch the TV careers of numerous young comedians, musicians and actors, including those of every member of the current Masked Singer UK panel. “I was so excited when I heard we were all going to be doing the show together,” Pepper confesses. “We all met on Showstarters when we were about thirteen years old, and kept in touch, but this is the first chance we've had to really work together since then. And who doesn't want to work with their friends?” Banner, having made the jump from presenting to production several years ago, is also involved in The Masked Singer UK.“Yes - she's so high up in the production hierarchy that we don't see a lot of her, but it's good to know she's there. She's always been a great example to me, an example of how you can start in one place and then sort of find your way to the job you really want. I think I've done all right at that, so far!” Banner is one of Pepper's role models, but she's far from alone. “There are loads of women  - and other people, but I think the women have been especially important to me personally - who've really shown me that I can do anything the boys can do. I once did a whole presentation at school about Greta Kleinschmidt.” Kleinschmidt, as some readers may remember, was briefly the glamorous assistant of The Amazing Mr Fell before her very public return to The Harmony & Glozier Show back in her native Germany. Much was made of it in the press at the time, with speculation rife that she had broken Fell's heart and taken his secrets back with her to Harmony & Glozier. “I always thought she got a bit of a raw deal,” Pepper remembers, “I hated that the press were so focused on how she'd supposedly done an unforgivable wrong to this rising-star magician, and not the fact that she'd been really struggling with being so far from home. Besides, even the magician she'd been working with said she'd done nothing wrong and he wished her all the best. It was all very unfair, and I thought it was really brave of her to realise something wasn't working and change it like that.” Pepper can talk for days about the women she admires, it seems. “You see some really ugly attitudes towards successful women, even in this day and age,” she muses, “like Anathema, for example. What a voice that woman has, and yet she's constantly battling for people to take her seriously. But what I really admire is that she doesn't let that stop her. And look at the results - Narrative Devices has been at the top of the charts for weeks now.” Working on The Masked Singer has also allowed her to actually meet some of her heroes. “Agnes Nutter, for example, she's always been a big role model of mine. I've been practically devouring everything she writes since I was probably too young to be reading it! And Carmine Zugiber is one of the people who made me want to work on my interview skills; I love how she doesn't compromise on anything.”But, Pepper assures me, there's one woman who's done more than anyone to make her the woman she is today.“Carmine made me want to interview people, but it's my Mum (Tina Moon, a Capital Herald columnist) who got me started with everything in the first place. And she taught me to stand up and be counted, to follow my dreams, and always to reach out and help others up when I can. I do my best, I really do. I hope she's even half as proud of me as I am of her.” MARY HODGES This interview is part of a series called Me And The Women That Made Me, which will be running here on Saturday and Sunday every week until Mothering Sunday, which falls this year on the 14th of March. Next week, we’ll be talking to  Jane Adams, star scorer of the England Women’s Rugby Team. To find more information, please visit our website at www.capitalherald.com/women-that-made-me.

Centre left: Celebrity news in brief: our weekly round-up Misrepresented? Brian Thames changes agent Brian Thames, comedian and The Masked Singer UK panellist, has split with his representatives at MetteTalent and signed with the independent B.Z. Agency, informally known in the industry as BuzzTalent. Reports vary on the reason for the change; a spokesperson for MetteTalent said, “Contracts end, and industry relationships are always changing. There is no suggestion that Mr Thames was unhappy with the service he received at MetteTalent; he has simply chosen to go in a different direction and, naturally, we wish him every success in the future. Thames' blog post on the subject, however, is a little more ambiguous. “I've been with MetteTalent since the moment I won Showstarters – they were partnered with the show and also offered representation to many of the other acts after the series ended. I signed with them when I was very young and, for many years, simply renewed our agreement every time it expired. However, I've since gained more industry experience, and I feel that Buzz – that's B.Z. Agency – is a better fit for me at this point in my life and career.” Thames continues, “My friend Warlock (Dowling, who hosts The Masked Singer UK) is already with them, and with many of the Showstarters contracts due for renewal soon, I may not be the only one to make a change. I am grateful to MetteTalent for taking me on at the start of my career, and look forward to new opportunities for all concerned.” Rumours abound that there is some deeper reason for this change in representation, with many speculating that the child stars of Showstarters may have been forced into unfair or even predatory contracts, lacking the industry knowledge to make better choices. Since then, however, Thames has had plenty of time to change agency, and hasn’t done so until now. It’s likely that any reasons Thames might have for changing agency will stay under wraps. There is no confirmation yet of any other stars leaving or planning to leave MetteTalent. Out and proud West End darling Gertrude Johnson has come out as a transgender woman. Speaking on Friday, Johnson told fans on Instagram, “I've wanted to tell you all this for a while, but I think now it's time. Hi, my name is Gertrude – but you can still call me Gert – and my pronouns are she/her.” A later video thanked fans for their support, and reminded them not to be too harsh on fellow fans who 'slipped up'. “To those of you leaving less supportive messages, I'd just like to say this. Each of us has the choice, every day, to be kind or to be cruel. I try to be kind whenever I can. If you call yourself a fan of mine, please try to do the same.” Gertrude’s second video also explained that she had already discussed her gender identity and pronouns with close friends and family. “When I said I was going to go public, my mates threw me a gender reveal at my parents’ house - balloons and everything,” she said, “so if you saw the words ‘she/her’ floating away over Tadfield last weekend, that’s why!”

Centre right: THE RUMOUR MILL Curated by Scuzz Fisher A MEETING OF MINDS: A doctor, a rapper and a journalist met with an unknown figure in a dark corner of a Kensington restaurant last week. What could they be planning...? MYSTERIOUS VISIT: A high-profile fashion designer was seen lurking in the vicinity of a biographer's home late on Monday night. Is a book in the offing...? SILVER SURFER: An astrologer of renown recently registered a new account on YouTube, a source tells us, and so far has yet to upload anything. But who's getting all those likes...? TEARING UP THE TOWN: Six young stars of stage and screen were seen staggering down an Oxfordshire village high street last Saturday night. The group were quite tipsy, according to one observer, and one was carrying a balloon that said ‘It’s A Girl!’. “Never mind, you’ve still got one,” one of the others was overheard reassuring the balloon-carrier. But one of what...? We rely on your observation skills to fill the Capital Herald’s celebrity pages. If you see or hear something about a celebrity that you think our readers would be interested in, please let us know. You can get in touch via our website at www.capitalherald.co.uk or email us at [email protected] Don’t worry if you have limited information to give us - if we can’t substantiate a claim or develop it into a full article, we’ll anonymise it and publish it here. We cannot guarantee publication of any sort as some verification is required - but all information and tips are kept completely confidential. We never reveal our sources! Correction: The Tadfield Arms has asked us to clarify that there was no fight in the bar on the night stated in this column two weeks ago, and as the only pub in Tadfield they feel they were unfairly identified. We apologise for this mistake.

Bottom left, ad: [Image Description: A picture of Madame Tracy, eyes closed, sitting behind a lit candle and a crystal ball. The photo is credited to QuiteUnlikely.net. The following text is superimposed over the image in an informal handwriting script. A star shape reads ‘As seen on TV!’ End ID.] Madame Tracy's Psychic Hotline [phone] As seen on TV! [Image Description: The following text is in small print at the bottom of the ad.] Calls cost 80p/minute plus network charge from a landline. Calls from a mobile network may cost more. Calls not guaranteed to be taken by Madame Tracy personally. You will be put through to one of Madame Tracy’s trusted assistants and may be asked to hold the line. Madame Tracy’s Psychic Hotline cannot dispense medical, legal or financial advice; please contact the appropriate accredited professional instead. Madame Tracy’s Psychic Hotline is not liable for the consequences of any advice or predictions given.

[End Transcript]

#very much fake news #masked omens #mo week eight part two #good omens fic #masked singer au #mine

[jessicakehoe]

Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong of Greta Constantine on Canada, Sustainability and Catherine O’Hara

Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong are mere days away from celebrating the 14 year anniversary of their label, Greta Constantine. Since launching in 2006, the Toronto-based brand has steadily gained traction, amongst consumers and retailers alike, thanks to their effortlessly beautiful designs that fit and flatter the female form. The likes of Catherine O’Hara, Ciara and Amy Poehler have worn their designs, however celebrity clientele isn’t their focus – it’s the women who wear their designs to events away from the Hollywood Hills that they’re most passionate about.

We met with the designers at Nordstrom, ahead of a trunk show being held to give customers a first look at the upcoming Spring 2020 and Resort 2020 collections. Here’s what they had to say about why face-time with their customer is important, why Canada remains their home base and red carpet season.

Why are events like this one at Nordstrom important to you?

Stephen Wong: It’s incredibly important. These are the women that are wearing the clothes, and we find it invaluable because you get to speak with them and find out what it is like they like, what it is they dislike, parts of the body they would rather conceal, and find out about their issues. We also learn about their lifestyles, where it is that they need to wear these clothes. We always take into consideration what they say in these appointments.

Are the consumers fairly open when they’re giving you their feedback?

SW: Some are, some aren’t. [laughs].

Kirk Pickersgill: They’re very real. Once you get them in that change room atmosphere that’s when they feel ‘you see me this way and now I’m going to ask you something’ and they’re very open about it.

What were the inspirations behind the Resort and SS20 collections which you’re showcasing?

KP: My aunt has an orchid farm in Jamaica and so we visited her there and we got inspired by orchids. Well, flowers in general, but she grows orchids. Stephen knows all the names of all the orchids so he was obsessed.

SW: I love plants and botany, so for me it was a thrill to see. It’s a very extensive collection of incredible orchids that are usually hard to grow but being in Jamaica, I guess they flourish. Also the shapes, the colour, also just being in Jamaica and the fact that they’re grown outside, the way that they move in the breeze – we took notes from that.

Photograph courtesy of Nordstrom

I guess there’s some hidden metaphors in these pieces then about the way women move, and grow, and flourish.

KP: Exactly.

How does the design process work with the two of you?

KP: [laughs] We have a different, contemporary way of working. We start with the fabrics and take it from there. We have a general idea and we feed off each other. We design separately but it’s the same theme, and the same outcome is going to be there. We pick the fabric, we make the clothing and then we start working on theme, because we aren’t really theme people. We just follow what the last collection was like and that moulds us into the new collection.

That’s nice from a consumer’s perspective, too, that the collections feed into one another. They’re then building a wardrobe of pieces that make sense together.

SW: Exactly. The collection evolves rather than changing dramatically.

Speaking of evolution, how do you think Greta Constantine has evolved since you began?

KP: Every day is an evolution. We never started with a business plan or anything, so it wasn’t like OK, in 2013 we have to be this way, in 2020 we need to be this way… The evolution of the brand is the growth of it all. We’re not the same as the beginning. We started off as 2 and now we’re 16. The whole atmosphere for the industry has changed, not just in Canada but internationally. And you have to adapt to that again. It’s about not having blinders on and keeping an open mind about things, and creating something that’s brand new.

SW: It happened organically. You just go with the flow. We were more than happy to grow slowly. I don’t think we’d be here if we’d tried it any other way either. It’s a learning process for us, too. For us, to grow slowly is manageable.

Photograph courtesy of Nordstrom

And I guess there’s freedom in not having set plans about where you envision the business or where you thought it was going to go.

KP: There is, but you still don’t want to get comfortable or complacent. If you do, in Canada it’s very hard to get that recognition. You have to go outside of Canada. I’m not saying you need to show outside of Canada but you have to be able to go to New York during the sale season, to Paris, not necessarily to do a show but to be involved in the market part of it because without that they’re never going to know who you are. In this day now, with social media, that’s probably one of the easiest ways to build a brand. To me, once you are on social media, you are a brand.

Do you think that the architecture around the Canadian fashion industry has gotten any better since you began in terms of supporting Canadian brands? Or do you think there’s still room for development?

KP: How political do you want to get? [laughs]

SW: There’s always room for development and improvement. In a way it’s great, being based here, in that you know pretty much everyone and you can ask for advice. Like I said, we are learning and growing and picking things up as we go along so if we ever have a query or something that we’re not sure of, we’re close enough with other designers that have maybe been there and experienced a similar thing that we could ask about those things and get really salient responses. So in that way it’s great.

Is it fair to say then that there’s a camaraderie between the designers, but maybe not necessarily within the wider structure of the industry?

SW: Yeah, pretty much. We’re not best friends, we don’t hang out or anything but being in the same industry, you have this camaraderie and it’s a nice feeling [laughs].

Why have you decided to stay in Toronto and not move to another market like New York or Paris, for example?

SW: It’s 2020, you can be in Toronto and do presentations in New York and sales appointments in Paris. I think it’s the best of both worlds in that way.

KP: Yeah and it goes deeper. It’s your family, your roots, your friends.

And this is where the brand was born, too.

KP: Exactly, that’s exactly it. We travel enough for work that it’s always nice to come home. It’s that feeling of, ‘Oh I just cant’t wait to get home.’ I mean, home is where the heart it as they say. I lived in New York for the longest time, and I still consider that part of my home. It’s not about turning your back on anywhere, but to uproot a company and to go another city, much less another country is…

SW: An upheaval.

KP: Yes. And things are run differently, too. The industry’s not run the same way in Italy that it’s run here. Here, everything is basically done yourself, you have to outsource everything. In Italy you get a factory that will do it for you. So you just do the designs and you work with them for the development but you don’t have to worry about the manufacturing. Whereas in Canada you do have to have control over everything.

Is that a good thing, to be able to have total control over it?

KP: There’s pros and cons. The manufacturing industry in Toronto, that’s dwindling. There’s not very many people out there that are manufacturing right now so that’s one of the biggest challenges. And then a lot of fabric agents are not in Toronto so you have to source out, and the timing isn’t always the best. And sometimes you’re conflicting against bigger brands that are using the same fabric and they’re buying more, and so you’re second, third in line.

Photograph courtesy of Nordstrom

You touched on this before, Kirk, there’s a lot of discussion in the industry right now around the topics of sustainability and size inclusivity – how do you address both of these in your work?

SW: The main fabric that we use is a technical fabric that was developed for the athletic brand industry – I call it the holy grail of fabric. One of the things that I love it for is that it’s got amazing stretch but also holds you in. It smoothes you out. It’s a bonded fabric that enables you to do structure but softer lines also. It’s incredible because you can wear it and you don’t have to wear the usual underpinnings. Women of all sizes [wear our pieces] and they love it.

KP: And that’s part of sustainability because we try and use this fabric every season because for us it’s easier, we know how to work with it now. That’s keeping the familiarity in the company but its sustainable in the sense that we don’t need to keep buying fabrics that we don’t use. That’s one of the biggest issues is that when you do order fabric, it comes in minimums and those minimums can be very high so you’re left with hundreds of metres of fabric afterwards – if you don’t sell it, you’re left with it. So of late, we call it shop under the table, which is us shopping under our cutting table where we store our fabrics. So we’re starting to use fabrics that we’ve bought in the past and incorporate them back into the collection one way or another instead of having to go out and shop and waste.

There’s also something to be said for getting people to invest in timeless, beautiful pieces that they can wear time and time again. That’s another avenue for sustainability in fashion.

SW: Yes. I hate the idea that people wear things once and then never wear it again. It’s really troubling to think that this is happening. We make things in a quality that is incredible so that it can be kept for however long and be worn again.

We’re in red carpet season currently – what does that look like for you both?

KP: It’s something new for us. It started about two or three years ago when we hired on a celebrity agent in LA who works with the stylists. Nothing has really changed – if we see someone in our clothes on the red carpet that’s exciting but if they don’t wear it, it’s of no disappoint to us. We’re not the label that’s going to go out there and make a dress for someone just because of their name. One day we’d love to dress Beyoncé and Nicole Kidman, but that takes time. The red carpet is fun to watch and it’s the icing on the cake when you see your designs on a certain talent.

When you dressed Catherine O’Hara in that gorgeous black and white column gown for the 2019 Emmys, how did that come about?

KP: That happened through the stylist but it had more stipulations than most. [Catherine] wanted it to be black and white, because she wanted to mimic her character as Moira. So we sent her a couple of sketches, and she saw the first one and said, OK I want that. It was easy. She was very easy.

View this post on Instagram

It takes two with #gretagirls @amypoehlersmartgirls + #CatherineO’Hara. 😘 @karlawelchstylist + @andrewgelwicks #gretaconstantine #gretagoesglobal

A post shared by Greta Constantine (@gretaconstantine) on Sep 24, 2019 at 5:06pm PDT

What can we expect to see from the brand this year?

KP: Growth. We’re moving studios. Growth and continuation and seeing what these ladies want!

Nordstrom is hosting a second Greta Constantine pop-up at its Yorkdale location on January 30 from 1-4pm, where you can meet Kirk and Stephen and customize your own piece. For more details, or to RSVP, call 416 780 6630. 

The post Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong of Greta Constantine on Canada, Sustainability and Catherine O’Hara appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

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[chicagoindiecritics]

New from Kevin Wozniak on Kevflix: The Best Movies of 2019

It all comes down to this.  The best movies of 2019.  The final year of the decade the was the 2010’s and it sure was a good one.  2019 was an incredibly strong year for cinema and one that we should all be happy about.  Like most years, we had our duds and disappointments, but we also had plenty of surprises and some truly great films from some of the best filmmakers working today.  I saw 191 films in 2019, a few less than 2018, but still a great amount.  I was able to see all kinds of movies from all over the from all different genres and budget sizes.  I do wish I saw more documentaries, though, but hey, I am only human.

So without further ado, here are my picks for the best movies of 2019.

          HONORABLE MENTIONS

[In Alphabetical Order]

  A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Tom Hanks becomes Mr. Rogers is Marielle Heller’s delightful film.

BOOKSMART 

Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut is one of the best high school comedies of the 2000’s and features break out turns from Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever.

GLASS 

The finale is M. Night Shyamalan’s Eastrail 177 Trilogy is a somber look at how broken people use their trauma to become super.

LITTLE WOMEN 

Greta Gerwig gave us a whimsical, unconventional adaptation of the classic story.

MARRIAGE STORY

Noah Baumbach’s best film to date features awards-worthy performances by Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson as a coupe who’s divorce proceedings get uglier than they expect.

THE REPORT

A tightly wound political thriller featuring terrific performances from Adam Driver and Annette Bening.

THE SOUVENIR

Joanna Hogg’s experimental, powerful look at trauma and memory.

TOY STORY 4

Woody, Buzz, and the gang came back for a fourth chapter that is just as sweet, funny, and heart-breaking as the previous three.

WAVES

A sprawling, emotional, intense look at family, toxic masculinity, guilt, and moving on from loss.  It’s writer/director Trey Edward Shults boldest film to date.

          And now, my top ten films of 2019.

    TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2018

    10 – AD ASTRA (James Gray)

James Gray is one of our most under-appreciated directors working today.  Ad Astra is proof of his talent and shows how Gray can give us large-scale movies with personal stories.  Ad Astra stars Brad Pitt as astronaut Roy McBride, who is sent on a mission across the solar system to find his father, who went missing 30 years ago and is now threatening the universe.  Featuring some of the best visual effects of the year, a heart-wrenching story, and a great subdued Brad Pitt performance, Ad Astra is a jaw-dropping sins-of-our-father movie.

    9 – KNIVES OUT (Rian Johnson)

Rian Johnson reinvented the whodunit genre with Knives Out.  Boasting an all-star cast, led by a never-better Daniel Craig and the breakout performance of the year from Ana de Armas, Knives Out isn’t your classic murder mystery, but one that changes directions so much, your head will be spinning.  Thanks to Johnson’s whip-smart screenplay and outstanding direction, Knives Out was the most fun I had at the movies in 2019 and a movie that only gets better the more you watch it.

    8 – MIDSOMMAR (Ari Aster)

Writer/director Ari Aster’s follow-up to his 2018 horror masterpiece Hereditary is one of the most shocking and exhausting experiences I had at the movies in 2019.  Florence Pugh solidified her leading-lady status as Dani, a girl stuck in a bad relationship who experiences horrible events at a mid-summer festival in Sweden that help her come realize her relationship isn’t everything it seems.  A great looking movie in terms of costumes, production design, and cinematography, yet a horrifying movie in some of the grisly events that take place, Midsommar is one of the most haunting break-up movies ever made and solidifies Aster as the next great horror director.

    7 – FORD V FERRARI (James Mangold)

Ford v Ferrari is a classic American sports underdog story.  A movie that bleeds red, white, and blue and will have you wanting to stand up in your chair and cheer, “AMERICA!”  Director James Mangold has made a wildly entertaining, rousing racing movie that features stellar direction, excellent performances from Matt Damon, Christian Bale, and Tracy Letts, who gives the best speech in the movie, and edge-of-your-seat races to give us one of the most exciting and charming movies of the year.

    6 – THE FAREWELL (Lulu Wang)

The Farewell is as beautiful as movies got in 2019.  This a sweet, emotional story about a Chinese family who discovers their grandmother has only a short while left to live and decide to keep her in the dark, scheduling a wedding to gather before she dies.  Writer/director Lulu Wang takes us deep in to Chinese culture, showing us how the Chinese view death versus American culture.  It’s a movie about the love of family and celebrating life.  This is a movie that melts my heart every time I watch it.  Hug your grandma!

    5 – PARASITE (Bong Joon-Ho)

Parasite is a movie that I did not see coming.  Nothing about this movie is conventional and you can’t predict a thing about it.  This a smart, funny, eerie, sad look at class disparity in South Korea and it’s a stunning film in every way.  From the production design, to the performances, to the twists, to the shocking ending and heart-breaking final scene, Parasite is an astounding achievement from the great Bong Joon-Ho.

    4 – ONCE UPON A TIME…IN HOLLYWOOD (Quentin Tarantino)

After stumbling with The Hateful Eight, writer/director Quentin Tarantino came back strong in 2019 with Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, his funniest and most personal film to date.  This Hollywood fairy tale looks at a washed-up actor (Leonardo DiCaprio, a marvelous turn) and his stunt-double/friend (Oscar-bound Brad Pitt) as they make their way through Hollywood in 1969.  Gorgeous sets and costumes coupled with pitch-perfect Tarantino dialog immerse you in the era.  This is a funny, fun, beautiful look at finding your purpose again even when you think you don’t have it anymore.

    3 – UNCUT GEMS (Josh and Benny Safdie)

Uncut Gems is a movie that will have your heart racing from minute.  A look at a degenerate gambling New York jeweler (Adam Sandler) who can’t catch a break has never been this riveting. Casting Sandler was the best casting of the year, as Sandler gives the best performance of his career and of any lead actor in 2019.  The Safdie’s also get unexpectedly great turns from up-and-comer Julia Fox and future NBA Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett.  Uncut Gems has a pulse and a feeling unlike any movie of 2019.  An anxiety-inducing hell of a man who continues to dig himself further and further down until he is on his last rope.  Josh and Benny Safdie are two of the most exciting filmmakers working today and Uncut Gems is their best film to date.

    2 – AVENGERS: ENDGAME (Anthony and Joe Russo)

Avengers: Endgame is the most epic finale we have ever seen.  This was eleven years and twenty-plus movies in the making and Anthony and Joe Russo ended it perfectly.  Sure, there are going to be other movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Avengers: Endgame ended the Tony Stark/Steve Rogers/Infinity saga and it was a glorious way to go out.  Seeing every single Avenger on screen fighting Thanos and his army might be the single greatest cinematic moment of the decade.  And like all great MCU movies, Avengers: Endgame is exciting and endlessly entertaining, yet this one is elevated to greatness due to its heart and the love that we have for these characters that we have grown with over the last decade.

    1 – THE IRISHMAN (Martin Scorsese)

The Irishman is Martin Scorsese’s magnum opus.  A three-and-a-half-hour crime epic about a man reflecting on his life, the decisions he’s made, and regret and sadness he lives with.  It’s masterful work from the 77-year-old director and some of the best direction of his career, full of technical wonder, tons of emotion, and amazing performances.  Robert De Niro leads the incredible ensemble, with Al Pacino and Joe Pesci giving awards-worthy performances.  These men haven’t been this good since the 90’s and it’s amazing to see how great they still are.  The Irishman is a movie about living with your past and living with the decisions you have made, something Scorsese is battling with here as a director who has made his name in the gangster genre for nearly fifty years.  This is another Scorsese masterpiece and the best movie of 2019.

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[tlcrescuepa]

New Post has been published on To Love a Canine Rescue

New Post has been published on https://tlcrescuepa.com/week-end-update-schools-out/

Week-End Update: School's Out!

The pups are excited because, now that school’s out (or coming to a close), the kids are home more which means they’re happily getting more play time. People are also turning their attention from end-of-year activities to “let’s add to the family” ones and we all hope that means more gotcha days to celebrate.

Ariel, mom to Carli FKA Djali, Kovu, Louie, Meeko & Arya FKA Rajah, completed her treatment for Heartworm and celebrated by getting adopted & changing her name to June. The last of Annalee & Tito FKA Thor’s pups, Colonel (now Maric), Orville & Roxy (now Bella) were adopted (we have a little more to report on this family later in our post) as were the remaining P pups: Pia, Poncho & Pryor (now Brees). Also packing their bags for greener pastures were: Butters, Dexter, Dolly (mom to Luna Tonks FKA Diana), Gina, Ginger (aka Gingersnap), Mia, Nikki, Richard, Ringo (Tracie’s pup), Shiloh & Tina!

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Butters

Colonel now Maric

Dexter

Dolly

Gina

Ginger

Mia

Nikki

Orville

Pia

Poncho

Pryor now Brees

Richard

Ringo

Roxanne

Roxy now Bella

Shiloh

Tina

Ariel now June

Annalee (Anna Lee), Tito (FKA Thor) & pups

Speaking of Annalee & Tito (FKA Thor), it turns out that Annalee isn’t a Morkie she’s a Yorkie-Shi Tzu mix and Thor FKA Tito actually is a Chihuahua. We have some updated pics of Maric FKA Colonel & Teddy FKA Rza (who’s been going to work with dad but doesn’t seem to be doing any actual work). That’s not all we have from this family, we also have a nice update from Maggie FKA Greta & Dublin FKA Mangus below too!

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Maric FKA Colonel’s DNA results

Maric FKA Colonel

Teddy FKA Rza working hard or hardly working?

Maggie (Magnolia) FKA Greta

#gallery-3 margin: auto; #gallery-3 .gallery-item float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 25%; #gallery-3 img border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; #gallery-3 .gallery-caption margin-left: 0; /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

“We just wanted to touch base with an update on Magnolia/Maggie FKA Greta.  Maggie has fit right in to her new home.  She has spent much of her first weekend snuggling an sleeping.  Not sure my Mom and family could love her anymore than we do.  She has definitely found her comfort zone.  She has slept through the night two of her first three nights and doing pretty well with her paper training.   She has changed my Moms life in the most amazing way.  My Dad passed alway almost three years ago after fighting to recover from a stroke and Ginger their beloved dog passed away about 6 weeks ago.  She needed someone to love  and care for and Maggie is the perfect fit. 

My kids are over the moon too, we live on he same street so this weekend was a busy one for her.  It’s nice to even see my teenagers smile and play with her.  

We can’t thank you enough and will send you updates”

Dublin FKA Magnus

Dublin FKA Magnus

“We are so happy! We have named him Dublin as in Ireland. We have a vet appointment scheduled for this Friday. Dublin seems to be acclimating really well, he is going to the bathroom outside, he plays, cuddles, and sleeps a lot.”

��     We also received DNA results from mystery mutt Minka FKA Mae

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  Rocky FKA Prince

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“Hi. All is going very well. We renamed him Rocky.  He is a great dog. Sits already. Started walking on leash. And pretty much housebroken.

Thank you again.”

  Bentley FKA Butterball (Angeline’s pup)

Bentley FKA Butterball

“Bentley Christopher (Butterball) has GROWN to be a big boy. He has almost a year old and is the very best friend to his human brother Drew and his doggie mommy who is also adopted- Sasha Heather Marie (Voorhees Animal Orphanage)”

      Sugar FKA Angelica

‘Most amazing animal she has ever had. Sugar is now her certified service dog and alerts her to any breathing changes and will wake her up from nightmares.”

  Ruby FKA Giselle

Stella & Ruby FKA Giselle (right)

“Hi TLC, attached is a photo of Ruby (momma Giselle) four years after her adoption. We were lucky enough to get Ruby four yrs ago this month. She is doing great, loving her life with her BFF Stella. We love her so much. Wanted to thank you again for Ruby and for all that you guys do!!! Ruby has a fantastic life here. Someone is always here for our pups we even find vacation rentals that allows two dogs… Our pups have visitors all day long, every day. They even have two mailmen with treats. So life is great, you guys did good by Ruby. Thanks again.”

  Astrid FKA Lydia

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“Hi all, 

Time has flown by- we’ve been meaning to send you an update on Astrid (TLC name: Lydia) since her one-year adoptiversary this April!

Astrid is thriving having her very own house. Her hobbies include sleeping on the couch, disemboweling her stuffed toys, and making sure that the postal service always knows that they’re under supervision when they come to deliver packages. She loves having her own backyard. She didn’t really understand about chasing balls at first, but our cat enjoys playing with tennis balls, and heaven forbid he have something she doesn’t… so she learned. Now softballs have become her favorite toys and she loves to use our deck as a runway to launch herself into the chase.

She’s really come into her own and has a huge personality. Like any herding dog bred to be an independent thinker, some days she uses it for good and other days… let’s just say she has her own intentions. She’s getting the hang of this whole “no, you may not chase that goose, that goose, that goose over there, OR that duck” idea. She doesn’t always understand other dogs when they try to play with her, but she does have some particular friends, notably every Corgi she’s ever met. We’re not sure she knows she isn’t a Corgi herself, because she gravitates to them at the dog park. On the flip side, her other best friend is a Newfoundland and her hiking buddy is a Collie, so at least she gets to play with all sizes.

We love her to bits, and are so grateful she’s come into our lives.

I’m attaching some pictures of her recent adventures. We’ll try to do better about sharing updates with you!”

#adoptions #pupdates #updates