#But then do I really need an American Girl doll at all or am I just cranky I have to wait 2 weeks to dress up my Build-A-Bear? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

im-yn-suckers · 23 days

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Hi! I saw your post about Enha with a Latina reader and I was wondering if you could do one with an American reader if possible? Thank you if you do!!

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ bf!enha x american!gf!reader ·͙̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥̩̩̥͙✩warnings; kissing, food, mention of thongs, very minor cursing. not proofread!!✩̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥̩̩͙‧͙ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊ mia says; oh em gee suys i posted !!american go crazyyy im american yall fr⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊

⁺₊heeseung

he loves going to basketball games with you. and like he WILL buy you tickets to go see the lakers

hes not the biggest fan of rollercoasters but hell go on one w u !!

you wear an "american aesthetic" outfit but its really js mary janes w frilly socks, a skirt n crop top (is pinterest stereotypical guy ??)

⁺₊jay

american gf and american bf>???? he will take you to cinnabon on dates while in seattle and would love going to new york to see the empire state building, going to florida for disney, dc, chicago, cali etc.

one time while in cali, you were eating in n out and you fell in love all over again bc hes just so pretty eating a burger in the car watching the sunrise.

'babe, since we're in chicago, wanna take the cta?? it might be fun'(had to inlcude my home) it WAS NOT. some crackhead got on the bus and started cursing

⁺₊jake

'are you patriotic' 'HELL YES I AM' with a custom made american flag w you on it (like the chaewon one)

'babe, these are thongs' 'THOSE ARE FLIP FLOPS JAKE' 'then whagts a thong??' 'um. what do aussies say?? oh!! bum floss' "THATS A THONG???' yes babe that what it is

will watch baseball games w u ^^ (pt1)

⁺₊sunghoon

listens to lana del ray w u

'jolly ranchers?? never had em" and will get a headache for eating five back to back

'wait targets are real??" yes baby boy, they are

⁺₊sunoo

apparently apple pie is american (??) so hed for sure love it !!

omg babe, please take im to baskin robbins please. and let him get mint choc ice cream

'tipping?? tf, no' he WILL roll his eyes. if you have seent hat one clip where him and jay were shopping somewhere, they bought smth and needed change. jay walked away w/o the change and sunoo waited ToT

⁺₊jungwon

'baby, look at that huge bird!!!' 'the bald eagle??' 'it doesnt look very bald to me :(' 'no wonnie, its called a bald eagle' 'but why, it has feathers??'

so apparently having cookouts is an american thing (?? pt2) and wonnie would have so much fun !!

'baby i want it!!!' 'an american girl doll??" "yea!!'' wonnie :(

⁺₊niki

watches baseball games w u (pt 2) and basketball games (pt 2) w matching jordans and jerseys. hed also buy lakers tickets ^^

will watch the real houswives of dallas bc why not

'are you patriotic' 'HELL YES I AM' with a custom made american flag w you on it part 83 never shuts up abt you bc he loves america (source:weverse)

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agbob-dollpants · 25 days

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💓 Meet Velvet! 💓

If you’ve seen my post on here about picking out dolls in person, I can’t do that anymore! My local AG Place closed in February, and I’m genuinely still in disbelief. However, this girl embodies all of the wonderful memories I have made there, as I purchased her on my last trip there on February 16. ❤️

Velvet is a truly me 118, who was never really on my radar when she was first released, but something inside me decided I absolutely NEEDED this doll after seeing a million photos of her on AGIG! When picking out my second to last doll at AGP Columbus, though, I chose truly me 120 instead. Sometimes I’m so mad at myself because, when I picked her out, she didn’t have that awful little star on the bottom of her foot, but there was also one 118 in the store who did not. When I went to pick out Velvet, tons of 120’s were in the store without a star foot, but EVERY 118 had one! It was a nightmare to pick Velvet out, but her sweet face just spoke to me and I bought her anyways! 🌟

One thing I really love to do with my dolls is create stop motion videos for my AGTube channel, AGBob DollPants. For those videos, I have to fashion personalities for my dolls, which usually persist with unusual, outlandish personality traits that create a lot of chaos. However, making a more relatable personality for Velvet has really helped me bond with her! 💓

As I tried to come up with ways to “make up for” her star foot, I landed on the idea that the star is her “scar” from being the last doll to “step foot” into the AGP. Then, I came up with the most BRILLIANT idea! She would be an AGIGer and AGTuber like me! 🌟

In my “doll lore,” Velvet’s presence on AGIG has become even more relatable to me, as I’ve created a story for her that involves similar events to my own experience in high school. At the age of 17, Velvet is a senior in high school, and she still absolutely adores her AG dolls. Navigating her upcoming adulthood, she has to deal with her adult friends growing out of dolls, trying to hide her AGIG from people at school, and the closure of her local AG Place.

At least she has her stories, though. Velvet has loved to write stories about her dolls since she was eight years old. Though I do not have a mini doll to represent him, her stories mostly revolve around Fletcher Rae—a customized Kaya mold boy doll with curly black hair and freckles who was created from a mangled Kaya doll that she “found at a yard sale.” Fletcher, as well as every other doll in Velvet’s collection, attends a school of magic in their 400 page novels! So far, Velvet has created six books about Fletcher in the style of the AG historical books, such as “Meet Fletcher” and “Fletcher Saves the Day,” but filled to the brim with action, suspense, and TONS of lore! ✨

Nobody at Velvet’s school knows that these stories are really about a massive collection of American Girl dolls, though—except for her best friend (who is still to be determined, she will be one of my existing dolls!) As much as she would love to share her doll collection with the world, only the closest people in her life know about her passion for these dolls. Similarly to my own life, Velvet feels like she’s hiding a huge part of her personality to others when she first meets them—almost appearing “personality-less” without her dolls. However, with thousands of followers on AGIG, Velvet realizes how amazing her dolls truly are, as so many people admire her photography skills and love for the American Girl brand! 💓

I absolutely love taking photos of Velvet as if she was a real AGIGer. The photo above showcases her dolls falling over during a photo shoot…I’m sure we’ve all been there! I just adore having a doll who doesn’t look like me, but embodies a similar personality. With Velvet as an AGIGer, I am able to feel more seen as an adult with a passion for AG, even though I created her character myself. Even though Z Yang was a 13 year old girl who adored AGTube (who I own in my collection), something about carefully crafting everything about Velvet’s character makes her so much more special! ❤️

After deciding her personality, and considering the fact that she was my last doll from AGP Columbus, Velvet quickly became my favorite doll of ALL TIME! Though I have had other “comfort dolls” in the past, there is just something about this girl that rises above all the others. To be honest, I don’t even know what I was doing without her! 🌟

Every single day since I first purchased this doll, she has not left my sight. Of course, she always has to have a mini doll with her, so a lot of mini dolls have also been invading my bedroom. Having Velvet around has even inspired me to take the photo above at a public library! It’s been a long time since I took photos in a public facility that was not outdoors, so her love for AGIG has made me more confident in that respect! ❤️

Once you find a doll that you really bond with, they will be your best friend forever! I’m shocked, yet not surprised, that I did not feel this way for my first two dolls that I got all the way back in 2012, but for a doll that I actually purchased as an adult. I like to think that I’ve just accumulated more appreciation for my dolls with time! ✨

Even though my beloved AGP closed, I am beyond thrilled to have the most PERFECT 118 in my collection. It sounds a bit silly, but Velvet means the absolute world to me, and I am so glad to have such a connection with one of my dolls! 💓

#american girl #ag dolls #american girl dolls #dollblr

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breeistired · 25 days

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J.M with goth reader hc's

Warnings: Reader is female, suggestive content (its JJ, come on-), witchcraft, pogues macking on each other

Tropes: Sunshinexgrumpy, opposites attract, poguexpogue,

Bree rants: I really want to write this as a whole oneshot, so if you like these head-cannons, please give me some feedback on if you want more oneshots with goth reader. ALSO, read-a-thon is tomorrow, so go check it out, its pinned! I do also take requests, but if you do request something, please be patient, I have a busy life and I am a new writer. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, I AM ADDING THIS TO ALL POSTS, AND IF I FORGOT IT @brokenwingsgalore WILL PUT IT IN THE COMMENTS. IF YOU DONT LIKE IT, DONT READ IT!!!! Thank you! I love you and make good choices kiddo.

(still dont know how to make aesthetic boarder things.)

JJ! Meeting goth reader at a beach party. Only noticing her because she stood out. The only one wearing a black dress that went to her ankles, dark hair with specs of purple in it, holding a red solo cup filled with some non-alcoholic drink. The rest wearing short dresses or bikini's.

JJ! Noticing how reader groans and rolls her eyes at the music playing.

JJ! Nudging John B, pointing at goth reader, telling him how he thinks you're cool.

JJ! Then telling Sarah to get her man to stop being a dick. Goth reader wouldn't have a clue about this.

JJ! Walking to goth reader, getting shy and nervous as she reapplies her black lipstick.

JJ! Basically recreating the scene in Scott Pilgrim Vs the world where he first meets Ramona. "So, do you like parties?" JJ says, ending his sentence with a shaky breath. Goth reader sighs and simply says a deadpanned no. JJ quickly says me too, despite loving them. Goth reader gives them an awkward smile, not knowing what to do with this golden retriever of a man beside her. JJ slowly and embarrassingly leaves.

JJ! Who comes back to the pogues telling them what happened, letting them make fun of him.

JJ! Who sees goth reader come back to him because her friend told her she needs to socialize. JJ who is ecstatic, while goth reader is awkwardly waving.

JJ! Who rapidly takes goth reader away from his friends before they can embarrass him

JJ! who talks to you and slowly you get out of your shell. Telling him how you hate parties, and hate the music, eventually telling him you liked rock music, as if it wasn't obvious.

JJ! Who tells goth reader he has to go to the bathroom. When in a reality he's forcing the DJ to play the music you like so he can dance with you.

JJ! Who comes back and acts surprised when Metallica, All American Rejects, System of down, My chemical romance, and so on plays.

JJ! Who gets you to dance and has the best night of his life with goth reader.

JJ! Who gets goth readers number at the end of the night, setting up a date with you.

JJ! Who takes goth reader to an old creepy bookstore and buys all the books she looks at with a small amount of money in his pocket. And at the end, they watch the sunset while having a picnic.

JJ! Who falls in love with goth reader after a week of dating because she's the opposite of him. He says, "Its boring when people are like me, the conversations are as bland as John B's cooking." When deep down its because she brings balance to his life.

JJ! Who makes goth reader sleepover at the chateau because he sleeps better when she's there.

JJ! Who lets goth reader do all the witchy stuff to him. Whatever makes his doll happy right?

JJ! Who lets goth reader sage his dick because "too many girls with negative energy have been on it."

JJ! Who lets goth reader put crystals and incense all over the chateau.

JJ! Who is so so so in love with goth reader and loves their differences.

JJ! Who brags to John B about goth reader, because she's into freaky things during bed. (She asked him to put healing wax on her back and he took it as sex.)

(STILL DONT KNOW HPW TO USE THOSE AESTHETIC BOARDERS)

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gamerwoo · 1 year

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svt as 5sos songs (1st album edition) except the explanations hardly make any sense but if you listen to 5sos then they probably do lmao

a/n: i know i literally just did this for skz but i'm having some weird brainrot rn leave me alone

seungcheol -- heartbreak girl

he is the trope of "best friend in love w his best friend who has shitty luck w boyfriends but hello i am right here i am your simp" but seungcheol probably knows the friendzone doesn't exist

jeonghan -- voodoo doll

idk it makes sense in my head bc he manipulates shit in games to win

joshua -- good girls

remember when everyone pinholed joshua as a gentleman and nothing else haha yeah :)

junhui -- don't stop (bonus: greenlight from their b-sides bc jun is a harlot. no i'm not over limbo) ((also jun gives don't stop vibes 5sos girlies iykyk))

don't stop is horny but disguised as.......sort of not horny??? greenlight is full on horny jail

soonyoung -- 18 (bonus: english love affair from their b-sides)

horny & unhinged

wonwoo -- amnesia (bonus: beside you)

he needed an angsty love song and also a sappy love song. idk they both give me wonu vibes that's all i got

jihoon -- everything i didn't say (bonus: end up here)

also needed angsty love song and sappy love song. shy & tsundere vibes only

seokmin -- lost boy

i know it's from their b-sides but it's so cute and wholesome and very seokmin

mingyu -- mrs all american

milf hunter mingyu

minghao -- never be

deep song for a deep artsy man

seungkwan -- social casualty

seungkwan does what seungkwan wants fuck everybody else

hansol -- long way home

very casual and chill and the perfect song to drive around aimlessly at night

chan -- she looks so perfect

still slightly horny but good at being normal

tag list: @minluvly @honeyylin @miki-chi @heemingyu @noraehey @awkwardnesshabitat @floweryjessy @woozarts @anothershorthuman @shuabby1994 @vernxnsfool @ti--red @etaerealboy @plants-w0rld @futuristiccomputerkitten-blog @thepencilkorner @shmooooo @dejavernon @slut-for-dabi @pussymode @iamxelia @itbtoblikethatsometimes @wonderfulshinee @aikisbbq @ohmykwonsoonyoung @just-a-really-bored-kpop-fan @merapehlapyaaradhoorarahgaya @saythenameseventeen178 @starlight-night0 @ulavenger64king @itbtoblikethatsometimes @woo8hao @lillijayy-blog @twistedsiren

#seventeen #seungcheol #jeonghan #joshua #junhui #soonyoung #wonwoo #woozi #seokmin #mingyu #minghao #seungkwan #hansol #vernon #dino #again so sorry to the people on the tag list who don't listen to 5sos lmao

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desertdollranch · 6 days

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Doll brands I never thought I'd own, part 3: Vanange

Vanange dolls were first released in 2008 and went defunct a few years later. They were a line of seven dolls all representing seven-year-old girls from around the world, who are pen pals with each other. The doll I am introducing here is Luz, who is from the Philippines.

This was a brand I was vaguely aware of, but didn't know much about due to it being discontinued, and there is only a little information still out there about them. Then I stumbled across the listing for Luz, and she was so inexpensive that after thinking it over for a few days, I decided to give it a shot and bring her into the family.

I was astonished when I pulled her out of the box and realized that she's not 18 inches tall; she's actually closer to 20 inches! I hadn't known that before. It was a nice surprise, since I do like the larger size. She's also built really sturdy, and her wig is lovely quality. Her red and white dress is beautifully made. Her eyes open and close, and she is articulated at the neck, hips, and shoulders. The upper part of her torso is vinyl and the rest is cloth.

She is closer in size and proportions to a Karito Kids doll than she is to an American Girl doll. Her head is the biggest out of the three dolls. Karito Kids get most of their height from the longer leg length, but Luz's legs are a bit shorter

She can wear American Girl clothes and Karito Kids clothes, and they can wear her dress comfortably. The shoe situation is a bit different; Luz's feet are thinner but about the same length as an AG doll's foot, so shoes will be hit or miss. On the right she's wearing Maplelea brand shoes.

And here she is in a couple more American Girl outfits.

And some clothes that I made. The picture on the right shows how she can stand unsupported and hold poses without falling over.

I love to see dolls whose hands aren't identical to each other, which is more realistic. Luz's fingers are individually molded rather than clumped together.

While I am very pleased with her, I believe she might need a bit of work done on her face. I think she'd look better with some color in her cheeks and maybe her eyebrows and lower eyelashes repainted. Stay tuned for that.

#vanange dolls #vanange #20 inch dolls

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fortheloveofwonderland · 1 year

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🎵 Scarlet’s Milestone Concert Celebration 🎵

To celebrate reaching another milestone I am inviting you all to Scarlet’s Concert 🎵

As most of my fics are named after songs, I have complied a list of some of my favourite songs. Send me a pairing and a song lyric and I will gift you a little fic. Lyrics with gender specific pronouns can be changed at request. Come join the concert! 🎵

🎵 Pairings 🎵

Spencer x Reader

Spencer x Luke

Luke x Reader

🎵 Song lyric prompts below the cut! 🎵

🎵 I’ll admit I’m impressed by your vanishing act. Place your bets on your best guess of when you’re coming back - Swan Song by Set It Off

🎵 “Just give me a chance,” she said as I packed my things. “But I already did four times, don’t you remember?” “I won’t blow it again,” she said, with her fingers crossed. But she forgot about the mirror behind her - Plastic Promises by Set It Off

🎵 Pick up the phone, I know I’m drunk again. And you know my intentions ‘cause it’s 2am - Ancient History by Set It Off

🎵 And tomorrows now misunderstood, ‘cause it’s reading “outlook not so good”. If these signs would point to “yes” she could maybe feel the same - Magic 8 by Set It Off

🎵 I got your letter and the poetry you sent me, postmarked in December of last year. I really hope you’re doing better, all your friends close by your side, one step closer to recovery - My Reply by The Ataris

🎵 Out of every girl I meet, no other can compete. I’d ditch them all for a night with you. I know you don’t believe you mean this much to me, but I promise you that you do - I Won’t Spend Another Night Alone by The Ataris

🎵 But if you close your eyes, does it almost feel like nothing changed at all? And if you close your eyes, does it almost feel like you’ve been here before? - Pompeii by Bastille

🎵 I wish that we could save today, but I know we can’t stay the same. And I keep pushing you away, don’t wait for me - Home is Such a Lonely Place by Blink 182

🎵 A little drunk, waiting on your phone call. A little numb, maybe I can’t feel at all - I Really Wish I Hated You by Blink 182

🎵 Isn’t it messed up how I’m just dying to be him? I’m just a notch in your bedpost but you’re just a line in a song - Sugar, We’re Going Down by Fall Out Boy

🎵 But you didn’t have to cut me off, make out like it never happened and that we were nothing. And I don’t even need your love, but you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough - Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye

🎵 I’ve got more wit, a better kiss, a hotter touch, a better fuck than any boy you’ll ever meet sweetie, you had me - Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off by Panic at the Disco

🎵 Can we forget about the things I said when I was drunk? I didn’t mean to call you that. I can’t remember what was said or what you threw at me, please tell me - My Own Worst Enemy by Lit

🎵 I’ve been trying to call, I’ve been on my own for long enough. Maybe you can show me how to love, maybe - Blinding Lights by The Weeknd

🎵 If I go crazy, then will you still call me superman? If I’m alive and well will you be there and holding my hand? - Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down

🎵 I’ve found a reason for me to change who I used to be. A reason to start over new, and the reason is you - The Reason by Hoobastank

🎵 Tried to be so strong, but you see through the cracks. My defence is gone, come take me home tonight - Home by Goo Goo Dolls

🎵 I don’t mind spending every day out on your corner in the pouring rain. Look for the girl with the broken smile, ask her if she wants to stay a while - She Will Be Loved by Maroon 5

🎵 You kiss me like an over dramatic actor who’s starving for work, with one last shot to make it happen - Slow Down by The Academy Is

🎵 You’ve been broken into fifty pieces, today is gone, I’m the only light that you see. You need someone, I know all you needed was me - Sunshine by All American Rejects

🎵 You’re the cure, and your eyes have dug me out of my grave more times than I could ever count. You’ve always been the one to breathe me back to life - The Cure by The Movielife

🎵 Why don’t you find someone who will love you the way you deserve? The way you deserve, never puts you down and comforts you when it hurts - The Way You Deserve by New Found Glory

#milestone celebration #spencer reid #spencer reid fanfiction #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x you #spencer reid fanfic #spencer reid x y/n #luke alvez

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mangle-my-mind · 6 months

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Todd Haynes on Velvet Goldmine and Fandom (and Gender, and Yaoi, and Slash Fic)

Source: "Something that is Dangerous and Arousing and Transgressive: An Interview with Todd Haynes," Julia Leyda.

Edits and emphases my own :) The whole interview is fascinating, and while I kept most of the Velvet Goldmine stuff in this post, there are more bits to read about it, as well as conversation around Todd Haynes' other films. This is gonna be a really long post, with screencaps throughout, so find it below the cut!

JL: You've done several movies that are very clearly woman's films, but the movie that I am most fascinated with in terms of gender is Velvet Goldmine, which is not usually interpreted in that context.

TH: No, except it's probably gotten the strongest female fan base of any of my films. And what's wonderful for me is to see new generations of young women, even as we think we progress as a society and there are new options available to each new generation that seem to be catering to that market more acutely, still Velvet Goldmine offers that market something that they’re not getting elsewhere. I always love it when girls come up to me at festivals and that’s the one, that’s the movie that really turned them around.

JL: I’m interested in how you use the trope of playing with dolls in Superstar and Velvet Goldmine as a way to figure gender, embodiment, desire, identification. You said in an interview that playing with dolls is what you’re doing in Velvet Goldmine, using it as a metaphor for the filmmaking process, to play with the characters of the idols more than making an actual biopic about bisexual pop stars. So what about the female characters in Velvet Goldmine? Fans, rock and roll girls like Mandy — talk a bit about them.

TH: Interesting question... I don’t know if [the role of the rock-n-roll girl and the role of Angela Bowie in glam] relates directly to doll-playing except that it really might be the last time that you see an active female figure freely utilizing artificial terms of self-expression and persona in an unembarrassed, unabashed, almost radical way. That was in a way the fascinating counterpart to the more aloof, silent, objectified figure that Bowie assumed as Ziggy Stardust. Of course, there was also that hardcore influence from the American music that he loved — the Stooges, the MC5, and the Velvet Underground and Lou Reed — as the final ingredient to give it that kind of duality, the cross between English musical traditions and this American hardcore, a direct assault. He needed both of those, but there was still a kind of passivity and object-ness of that figure that seemed more quiet, and more comfortable being an image, an idealized beautiful façade that people could project onto; whereas Angela Bowie was active, pulling the strings and moving the levers — in that way, I think, making him up so that he was the doll that she was playing with. So a lot of that energy and that fire and fearlessness I think could be attributed to her.

JL: In the doll-playing scene in Velvet Goldmine, the girls are like Mandy, manipulating them and fantasizing about them. So that trope of little girls playing with dolls scene really gets at the way the movie is about bisexuality and a kind of less bordered sexual identity, that is based in play, in fantasy —

TH: — is fluid, is mutable, is conducive to all kinds of voices and all kinds of players pulling the strings. But one thing that Velvet Goldmine kind of misses is how strongly and passionately young women were the driving desiring consumers of this very unique moment in popular culture history. That has continued, too: the androgynous male object is something that still attracts a really passionate, active female spectatorship. That’s so fascinating to me, and you can see it played out in so many different ways: the tradition of the Japanese comics of the ’70s, what’s it called again?

JL: The subgenre of manga with the boy lovers and its girl fans, yaoi.

TH: Exactly. The boy lovers and the girl fans, really directed at girl consumers, and it’s this androgynous, starry-eyed princes and pretty boys who have sparkly eyes for each other.

JL: I wondered if you were aware of yaoi or not. When I was working on a conference paper about the girl fans in Velvet Goldmine some of my colleagues said, Hey that’s just like yaoi! And I said, Wow, it really is, but I have no idea if that’s part of what he was thinking or if it’s just a coincidental, cross-cultural parallel.

TH: It was a tangent that I learned about in the process of research, but I don’t remember when exactly. I was certainly aware of how there was a particular Japanese following with a passionate attachment to the Bowie phenomenon, glam rock, T. Rex; Japan made up a major part of their market. But I think it’s an interesting counter-argument to the classic Laura Mulvey idea of a limited female spectatorship and if anything it only further underscores — although I think this is all embedded in that, and though I haven’t read those articles in some years — that marginalized subjects, such as gay subjects and women, have to find a more dexterous and nuanced way of reading culture and finding their way into all kinds of content that is not designed for them. I think there’s this ability to transform and to enter into all kinds of different subject positions of which this is one amazing and fascinating example: the glam rock thing with young girls’ driving interest in it.

JL: When I was a teenager I was a huge Bowie fan, and my mother was confused because I was always trying to look like Bowie; she would say, “You’re attracted to him, you have a crush on him, why do you want to look like him? When I was younger I loved Jean-Paul Belmondo, but I didn’t want to look like him.” But in the ’70s, and in my case the ’80s, and still today I think, girls of all sexual orientations experience that overlapping between desire and identification — it’s there in the Arthur character, too, but I’m thinking of in the opening sequence with the glam girls rampaging.

TH: Right, they’re absolutely rampaging, terrorizing the town in utter desire. And we all know that the passion that we see displayed there, the intensely sexual display of female spectatorship probably started with Valentino, Sinatra, the Beatles, and Elvis.

JL: It’s almost hysterical.

TH: Yes. There was in these cases an androgynous, feminine element to the actual performance; in a way, just for the star to be up on stage, just to be objectified, is to arguably be feminized. These artists in their unique and shaded ways capitalized on that, and the result among female spectators is something that society is still startled by: that radical emotional response that it engenders... Each generation has its own variant on that. It does call into question all sorts of assumptions about opposites attracting, the whole simplistic reductive ideas of what drives desire —

JL: — and the borders of identity.

TH: Yes, and the female subjects, spectators, consumers, maybe because they’ve had to learn how to occupy different subject positions in dominant patriarchal culture, have revealed the ways that desiring has narcissistic or self-reflexive aspects. On the other hand, maybe male spectatorship has just been so much more catered to and delineated in solid terms, and thus hasn’t been able to explore the margins as thoroughly, but women and gay people and African Americans, for example, all have to find different ways of entering mainstream cultural production.

JL: I love that the girls with the dolls in Velvet Goldmine are storytellers, they are controlling the narrative, in a sense, and that you say that that’s what you were doing as a director.

TH: I think that’s how we all begin to externalize our desires: through storytelling. Dolls are a tool that lends itself to that; they are supposedly made for little girls, and I loved dolls when I was a kid. The Barbie doll became a multiply useful subject in the Karen Carpenter film, and that was the internal nod that I was making in Velvet Goldmine, but it was so relevant it didn’t feel like a detour or a private joke — it felt like it was getting to the core of the intense effect that is felt by these kinds of characters in popular culture. That free-floating desire in the little boy-romance that the little girls are constructing is about as sweet and tender as anything in the film.

JL: That kind of storytelling, the freedom in play, helps the characters, but also the rest of us, decide who we are and how we want to tell our own stories.

TH: It’s the story and the engine of the film. It is really the fan’s point of view — the Arthur character, obviously — but it’s really the theme and the whole motor of it. I always knew I wasn’t really interested in getting inside the closed doors of these famous subjects and that’s why a fictionalization of this unique period made sense. We all already fictionalize and fill in and fantasize. And we see it too in the whole slash fiction phenomenon, which I didn’t even know about until Velvet Goldmine, and in which Velvet Goldmine has itself become a category.

JL: That’s the cool thing about Velvet Goldmine — it is itself a sort of slash fiction, and there’s this ongoing spin-off slash fiction community carrying the stories forward — it’s a perfect loop.

TH: Yes. To ignite that little flame that makes people want to respond actively and creatively and participate. It reminds me of a girl… I was scared of Bowie when I was in junior high school, and I remember I was aware of him, but it was all just too freaky. There was a girl in a lip sync show in seventh grade who picked his song “Changes.” She was this beautiful girl and she imitated him, as many girls did, right, because he was so pretty... [S]he just did the perfect lightning bolt like Aladdin Sane, and she got her hair just right — I forgot if she wore a wig. But she performed “Changes,” and I remember hearing and thinking, “Oh, this isn’t so scary . . .” because I expected it to be really hardcore music and I would be put off by it. But it was so pretty.

JL: So she turned you on to Bowie.

TH: She really helped...

JL: I’m trying not to let my brain explode with that idea! I remember that scene in Velvet Goldmine where they’re reporting on the news, saying something like, “Girls everywhere are wearing glitter makeup,” and that conveyed the society’s sense of fear, of what are all those girls up to? The idea that they’re going to need to be controlled again somehow because they’re getting a little too weird or too powerful.

TH: The glitter girls, as they were sometimes called, especially the LA version of the glitter girls, that’s another thing I really remember from junior high. As I read later when I studied this period, they were a force to be reckoned with — extremely precocious, among some of the youngest, most adventurous and not violent, but persevering, fearless, active fans. They peopled the Rodney Bingenheimer English Club on Sunset Boulevard —

JL: Like the Runaways.

TH: Yes, they gave birth to the Runaways. I think it was one of those girls who ended up in Roman Polanski’s house, who was fifteen or however old she was, but that’s why it’s very hard to examine that infringement outside of its cultural context and what was happening at the time in Los Angeles. Glitter girls scared the shit out of me when I was a kid — they were tough, and girls were already ahead of boys at that age, but they were miles ahead. It was intense. I can absolutely picture those kinds of girls, and they were intense, in their platform shoes and glitter makeup.

JL: With Arthur, I thought you did such a great job developing that character as a kind of giddy, exuberant, awkward young guy. You’ve said that Velvet Goldmine was your most affirmative film, even though the ’80s scenes are so dark, it provides the character of Arthur with this memory to cherish even in the middle of the awful ’80s.

TH: Totally. I don’t know if there’s a more joyful moment in any of my movies than that little passage that I’ve been showing as a clip in a couple of festivals and retrospectives of Arthur getting the record, and making his brother agree to lend him the money taking it home, opening it up, and that cherished —

JL: Fetishized!

TH: — fetishized record. And then he leaves the house, stashing his coat and just prancing proudly with his badges down the street with the song playing, and yet still being met with this higher echelon of socially superior kids who look down on him, and the pretty boy who scowls at him for his presumption to even be in their company. But still I think every kid has some version of that: his awkwardness, his passion, his vulnerability, and his strength, too, are all embodied in that ability to fall in love.

That beautiful sequence ends with him turning the page one more time to the page with the image of Curt and Brian kissing. And I remember feeling that, a kind of recoiling, confusion — like it’s tapping something exact, absolutely precise, but just too many membranes down to be able to be freed up, able to be voiced or affirmed. But it’s something you’re bookmarking for the future, that feeling you’re going to return to when you have a little more strength, a little more perspective. It’s touching something that you know you’re going to have to get back to because it’s something that is dangerous and arousing and transgressive. Christian's performance is so amazing because that sequence starts with him in the classroom, where he really looks all of a sudden like he’s fourteen years old, with his ruddy cheeks —

JL: — and his really bad bangs. I identified with him utterly and painfully in that scene. And his flailing dancing scene. My God, that character is so beautiful.

TH: He did such a beautiful job. He really was so committed and so profoundly inside that guy. I remember when we wrapped and he put away the Arthur clothes and he came back and said, “I just put away the Arthur clothes and cried a little bit.” And I don’t know if I cried but I sure felt like I could’ve. I think despite all the beautiful, fancy guys in that movie, I think my heart belonged to Arthur.

JL: Of course, because Arthur’s us.

TH: He is.

JL: When he takes that coat off and starts walking down the street it’s just: yes! We were all there. I like the way that film gives a few different positions over to that kind of fandom: audience member, fan, young person who’s still working things out, still trying to figure out who they are, and who they want, and who they want to be. The girls as well as Arthur.

TH: It’s also why the whole package of bisexuality, a kind of performative, made-up, dressed-up sense of identity and self, and coupled with this sense of being extraterrestrial, speaks so directly to adolescent instability and to that moment of uncertainty. It couldn’t have been a more total package for the mutability of that time, touching all the nerves and also the freedoms that dressing up allows you, and imagining different kinds of love objects that aren’t necessarily the ones you’re supposed to have. But even that is blurry, unfixed.

JL: Tommy Stone’s star image shows the other side of that dressing-up, right? If you can change yourself that radically, you can also change yourself into a horrible, plastic thing.

TH: Right, and a kind of converse example. The female fan who comes up to Arthur in that final scene at the bar who is so ecstatic about Tommy Stone because that’s all that generation has. That’s what they got — it’s not their fault that the same desire, the same need for something special is expressed, but it’s just not radical, or progressive, or culture-changing. But it’s what they’ve got, and I didn’t want to blame them because they are part of a culture that had to clamp down around categories once again, resume control of those categories that were seeping into each other so surprisingly for a brief time.

JL: Exactly. That limited world that she inhabits and Arthur’s wistful smile as he gives her the press pass, seeing her giddiness.

TH: Just as the emerald pin is the ultimate token of passing on heritages and opportunities or insights or ways of radically inverting a person’s destined experience. That’s how that scene is framed with him passing on the press pass to her and Curt passing on the pin to Arthur. There’s a nice sense of camaraderie among generations and different stations.

#velvet goldmine #25yearsofvelvetgoldmine #velvetgoldmine25th

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see-arcane · 2 years

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“The Invitation,” or, “Please, God, Stop Letting Writer/Directors Slap Public Domain Names on Their Fanfiction”

Spoilers for The Invitation below.

Get a drink, grab some snacks. We’re going to be here awhile.

I am now and always a sucker (bad dum tshh) for new Dracula media.

Past experience has only given a decent payoff 1 out of 5 times, but hey, I like to gamble. And even with my misgivings about the trailer, even with the immediate sour gut punch of Rotten Tomatoes’ poor reviews from critics and audiences on opening night, I was ready to gamble again. The Invitation was written and directed by a woman, Jessica M. Thompson, and it’s playing to an obvious gothic vampire-romance angle, which meant it was already a prime target for snide review bombing. Hell, I was already half-grinding my teeth over the implications of Ken Doll Dracula at his Most Suavely von Handsome and the less than flattering depiction of the Harkers in the trailer.

But there was a chance it was misdirection! Trailers always hide their best twists!

Plus, it was technically doing what Last Voyage of the Demeter and the (obviously parodic) Renfield mean to do when they hit the theaters—it’s exploring the underutilized characters and lore potential that Stoker left laying around the narrative. In this case, the story of the Brides as seen through the lens of Evie, a young woman tricked into joining that same harem. That’s interesting! And, joy of joys, this Dracula is not pulling a Coppola.

No reincarnated wives, no starry-eyed romance with the victim. He’s just being a manipulative hot chick collector. If you squint, you can allllllmost see a loving nod to the (likewise less than faithful, but hey, it's not Gary Oldman going all Romeo with Winona Ryder 2.0) Hammer horror history, with various Draculas preying upon various maidens like, you know, a predator. Which he is.

But that steered me to the last thread of hesitation, which was the rating: PG-13. The only time a PG-13 movie has ever scared me was the American remake of The Ring—a freak miracle that I still believe outshines the original Japanese Ringu in atmosphere, acting, and scares. It was a one-off. Never been pulled off before or since in my opinion.

In the context of Dracula media, the only time this bastard should rate less than an R is when he’s there for a parody’s sake.

But still, I crossed my fingers. Got my ticket. Sat through the whole thing.

Let’s save a little time and get the Pros out of the way.

PROS:

-Evie and her best friend Grace are the best part of the cast, if only when they get to bounce off each other.

-‘Lucy’ is not really Lucy Westenra, though her demeanor is sweet enough to play to her original book inspiration. This is Lucy ‘Billington.’

-The Billingtons, along with two other ‘old money’ families featured in the big evil vampire wedding are all human, and all responsible for offering ‘Walter DeVille’ a viable pretty daughter as a tithe-Bride in exchange for their own prosperity. It’s an interesting take and it helps mesh with one of the film’s overarching themes that vampires and the rich are predators of the same ilk, abusing and feeding on the lower classes. Evie herself is a freelancer/caterer used to serving up canapes to the wealthy and her ongoing camaraderie with the hired help is nice to see.

-The subtlest good point the movie offers is the fate of the maids/catering girls who are brought in for the duration of the wedding celebration. They are, quite literally, the catering itself, being fed on and picked off one by one. It’s a metaphor given full bloody demonstration without needing it hammered in.

-Beautiful backdrop with the manor. Lots of gothic love in the design.

-At best, the movie might serve as a stepping stone for folks just weaning themselves out of softer vampire media and into meatier horror fare. Or it could just be for the cheesecake factor of the pretty actors and fangs. Everyone has a turn to get their titties out; Ken Doll Drac gets the obligatory shirtless scene, the Brides have gowns in the climax that seem one sneeze away from indecent exposure. If you’re here for some hot bloodsucker objectifying, a grrrrl power ending, and the kind of flick you can have playing in the background without wanting to crane your head around to catch every scene while you do something else, go for it.

CONS:

-…Give me a minute.

-………….Give me another minute.

- Okay. Let’s start small.

- Just from a technical angle, the acting is not stellar. Nor is the editing. Frankly, there is not a single good scare orchestrated throughout the whole film. And there are opportunities for it everywhere! They just are never, ever taken. Even when the poor maids are getting murdered there’s no menace. It’s like watching sheep marched into a slaughter, but with even less impact.

- Even the potential of having a good surprise monster design is left out. There are no creature effects beyond pointy nails and sharp teeth. Really, if it weren’t for those teeny little traits, everyone involved could just be a bunch of rich weirdoes with a blood fetish. (Which could have been its own flick! Go full Bathory! But no.)

- My absolute tiniest nitpick? Bats and wolves are mentioned as being around, bats and wolves never make an appearance. For shame.

- Grrrrrl power is in full effect. The climax is the main offender here, from the acting, to the editing, to the strangely Matrixy effects in the final battle. It might have worked if it was kept more low-key—Evie’s only real allies are the all-female catering staff/fodder, her best friend back overseas, and, towards the end, the head maid Mrs. Swift and a repentant Lucy who both sacrifice their lives to help her. Even the fact that, if you look, most of the rich human families involved have a heavy skew towards male members versus female. The latter are there, but not as many. The reason Evie gets roped into the scheme is that she’s the last female of the Alexander family they can offer to renew DeVille/Dracula’s fealty. There is not one single male in the cast who has anything but ulterior motives.

-…Including, yes, Jonathan fucking Harker. Alongside Mina fucking Harker. Who, while not in-house servants, are loyal to fucking Dracula. Not even vampires! Just regular evil old folks! Here, they’re an elderly couple running what looks like an antique shop near the manor, and they immediately concuss and sellout Evie when she comes to them for help.

- The brunette Bride, Viktoria, is the bi-coded, Catty Jealous Wife © ™ and the Evil Awful No-Good Mean Girl of the cast. She might have been fun if she wasn’t written to be a cardboard cutout of a character.

- Walter DeVille (those who’ve read the book, you know that last name is taken from canon as one of Dracula’s aliases, because the Count thinks he’s so damn funny) alias ‘Walt’ alias Actual Fucking Dracula. Where do I begin with you, sir?

This man is a marvel of hybridizing the worst parts of charismatic vampiric bad boy narratives and the Little Red Riding Hood Syndrome that involves deforming a villain so far away from his original threat and character into bodice ripper makeover land that he’s utterly unrecognizable.

Coppola-spawned wet dreams, lukewarm Fifty Shades of Grey rough drafts, and every unused extra from every Sexypire TV series ever made have their stamp here. True Blood, Vampire Diaries, that pile of ‘Erik was a Vampire All Along !!1!’ Phantom of the Opera fanfic you bookmarked in middle school. It’s all here. It all went into this one character.

With all my apologies to you, Drac actor Thomas Doherty, you are not scary. You’re not even mildly ominous. The old man playing the butler had more grisly gravitas than you. Which isn’t your fault! You’re following directions! You’re being Count Fuckula, a guy whose only want and purpose is to Gain New Hot Wife, Give Mysterious Unexplained Prosperity/Blood Magic/??? to Family of New Hot Wife, and Be Mr. Sexington Q. Charmley. Your jawline, pectorals, and all 4.5 scenes of chemistry you’re cattle-prodded into with Evie before the ~dramatic reveal~ of vampire cult goings-on were no doubt you following your cues to the letter.

It's not your fault any more than it was Gary Oldman’s fault. You have a script, a role, a certain vibe the director wants from you. But in Gary Oldman’s case, at least he acted like he had whole centuries’ worth of power, intellect, and massacre behind him, rather than an all-night reading session studying YA supernatural series for dialogue tips, done in-between gym sessions and cologne commercials.

You are not Dracula. You were never going to be Dracula. No matter what ‘See! See! I used names and places from the book!’ unearned titles are thrown around, nothing of you or this movie has anything to do with Dracula.

And here we have the biggest, least surprising sin of the film. The longstanding tradition of Dracula adaptations and spinoffs, now at its final form.

-Just because you put a famous name on something does not mean it is that thing. Naming a Chihuahua after Cerberus does not make your half-pound purse dog the three-headed monster mongrel of Hades. By the same token, vomiting public domain names all over the place—

Whitby! Carfax Abbey! Jonathan and Mina Harker! DeVille! Brides! Lucy! Dracula!

—does not mean shit if the things wearing those names are not those things. I know, I know, it’s tempting to hide behind the clout of well-known titles to lend extra punch to your work. It draws people in (hi), and gets them interested because, “Ooh, I recognize that name! I know and love that story!”

It takes some of the hard work out of it. It saves you from having to do what, in hindsight, you should have done all along—Coppola, Moffat, so many more, and now Thompson—and be original. Give these people new names, because they are clearly not the characters they’re named after and/or referencing. Then you can do whatever the hell you want without staying in the confines of the canon you’re borrowing from and trying to expand on; which, you know, didn’t stop you anyway.

You want some Dracula in there? Make Walter one of those snob bloodsuckers who reference Dracula. Maybe have him look down his nose at Stoker’s silly misguided notions about the nature of vampires, but give him credit for hitting close with the bit about the Brides, ha ha.

Or, even better, have him actually be young compared to most vampires. Give Evie something to chew his ass out on—point out that even for an immortal self-made ‘god,’ as he calls himself, he’s still scrambling for respect by naming himself and his surroundings after Stoker’s work. ‘The Harkers’ are only called that because their master wants it that way. The estate was renamed to Carfax. DeVille isn’t even his real last name. He’s just a wealthy, powerful fanboy who happens to have real fangs and a hankering for fresh bedmates. He doesn’t even seek the latter out himself. He needs his Brides delivered to him, like some shitty undead Uber Eats service. Pathetic.

Or or, have a really, properly nasty knife twist for the horror aspect. Make him a descendant of, say, Jonathan and Mina Harker. Spoilers for those who haven’t read the book, only minor spoilers for those familiar with the Coppola film, but Dracula does get a bit nippy with them as the book goes on. There have been theories (and spinoffs) focusing on what might happen if the Count’s influence was still in those heroic veins.

And what might happen if it passed on down the bloodline.

It’d make a lovely bit of salt and lemon to that legacy’s wound if Walter was an apple who fell perilously far from the tree…

…Only for Evie to provide a counterbalance. Yes, half her bloodline is of the Alexanders, which is what matters to the villains. But they only research that half. Wouldn’t it have been a laugh if they overlooked the other side of her tree, which is descended from the Van Helsing bloodline? Whoops.

Among dozens of other ways the story could have gone.

-In short, I was ready to leave The Invitation either mildly surprised or expectedly disappointed. Instead, I just left sad.

It wasn’t just an underwhelming film. It was a confirmation of my concerns for where future Dracula media might be headed. Even in things like Castlevania and Hellsing, stories that feature some of my favorite (and utterly absurd) takes on the Count, the former being full of occult power, wrath, and cunning, the other just having a riotously violent good time tearing his way through enemies like they’re screaming tissue paper, both of them have a romantic undercurrent to them, with Lisa of Lupu and Integra Hellsing respectively. They are anti-villain and anti-hero, not villains outright.

The one thing Invitation-Dracula has going for him is that he has the tiniest hint of Bluebeardish manipulator and illicit motives to his character. He is two-faced, he is a schemer. But, I feel this deserves repeating, the butler is more intimidating than him. Yes, even after the evil reveal.

That’s not a Dracula, guys. That’s not even a Lestat. Even an Edward would laugh at this mess.

It’s the final end product of generations of sandblasting and sexifying Dracula until he’s just one of a hundred interchangeable Sultry Nosferatu Dolls that writers and directors use to add legitimacy they haven’t earned to personal fantasies that have to hollow out the source material before their own idea can fit inside the airbrushed husk and wear it around like a costume.

-In shorter short, I am tired. I am spiteful. If this movie and those like it are good for nothing else, it lends me confidence in my own skill, and has inspired me to be infinitely, viciously more fucked up in what I make out of the toolbox Stoker left behind.

#going to take a nap #have a slice of my Harker anniversary cake #drag out all my best vampire flicks for a marathon #and dig into some spite-writing #The Invitation #The Invitation (2022)#dracula #spoilers #ranting and raging

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pbandjesse · 4 months

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Today was a really nice day. It was full of activities. And my feet hurt and I'm really glad I'm in bed now.

I slept alright last night. But when I woke up at 8 I did not want to get up. I did not want to do anything. I heard James in the kitchen mixing their cookies. I just laid quietly and it was good.

I slowly would wake up and felt pretty good when I did. I checked my email and saw some from the title company so I texted James to come ask them what we needed to do. They came and told me that they were filling out the forms and I would have to do some parts once I was up. Sounds good. I went and got dressed.

There was not much I needed to fill out. Is this your first home? Address, etc etc. It is very exciting process but it is an incredible amount of forms and pieces of paperwork and all that kind of thing.

We had a lot of tasks to do today. No rush but the plan was to leave at 10. I would finish getting ready and James made me an egg salad toasted sandwich. And I worked on my knitting. I'm very close to being finished that. But the work continues.

We left here and headed to Hampden today go to the bank to make a wire transfer for the deposit. This was scary because while we have been working at this for a little while now (realistically I know our search has been very short compared to some people's journey) but this is the first time we have actually paid any money. And neither of us have ever sent a word transfer before so it was scary!! But the man who helped us was so lovely.

He is also working towards buying a (much more expensive) house and him, and the other two people who worked there congratulated us when we were finished.

We did have to call the title company to confirm the details and James got a money order and a word transfer confused and got a little flustered but we got it all sorted and it honestly didn't take long.

I had an appointment with away at 11. But we still had time to go to the wine source and pick out fancy snacks. Originally we were getting them for each other. Then we decided we would get them for ourselves and just give them to each other. We each got a few things and we will wrap them up for each other. It was silly but it was also just nice being with my husband and buying fancy snacks.

We went to awah and it was really nice to see everyone. They had a gift for me: a candle, some cookies, and a gift card for Amazon. So sweet. We chatted about my class and what's up and the possible house and all the excitement. On top of it being the week before Christmas! Wild. A house for Christmas???

While we were out the air quality test was happening at the house. And we confirmed the home inspection tomorrow. Which means we get to go see the house. I am going to bring a tape measure so I can have a better idea of the layout and not just from memory. I will also try to get pictures and videos.

We left there and decided to go to Pepe's for lunch. You know?? Pepe's?? Fun for the whole family??? This means nothing but me and James were laughing stupidly hard about this bit and I don't want to forget how much we were laughing and having fun.

We enjoyed our lunch at the diner. And then headed home. I texted with my dad about money and saving and the budget I came up with. We will actually have some move wiggle room in our budget which is pretty sweet.

I did a lot of knitting and sewing. James wrapped gifts. It was a really nice afternoon.

I would knit and sew until 5. And at 5 I got dressed in my Kristian the American girl doll outfit. Did my hair. Got all cute.

And then it was time to go to the BMI party!

And it was such a lovely party. I had so much fun talking to everyone and telling stories. Margaret caught us in the car before we left and she grabbed a ride with us there (her husband would come later and took her home). And I just had so much fun catching up and telling stories. Me, Gaby, her friend and Adam were screaming about conspiracy theories and I got to introduce them to the concept of the hollow earth which is one of my favorite. It is legit the silliest one.

Dinner and talking was fun. There were s'mores but the little fires they had were causing so much smoke that we were very afraid the sprinklers were going to go off. Had to open all the garage doors. But I was just running around and having a great time.

I loved seeing Meril and we took pictures. Everyone thought my phone clicked was so cool and a few people borrowed it. And I promised to get a link so other people can buy their own because. I even showed Stanley's wife on her phone so they could do it themselves. She would return it when they were done and I promised James would help Stanley get one too.

The voting for best desserts was fun and the raffles were really exciting. Jessica's daughter, Sofia, was able to be awake for the party this year (she was very new last year) and we became best friends. We were holding hands and jumping. Me, her, her dad, and Jessica all held hands and jumped a whole bunch and it was very silly. I held her for a little and we spun and we were very best friends now obviously. Jessica kept saying how much she liked me and I'm like. Incredible. I love little baby Sofia.

After lots more pictures and getting to tell people about the house, James was helping to clean up and then we were heading out. Almost last ones out.

I drove us home because James had a few beers. We listened to music to loud and danced in the car and it was very silly and very fun. And when we got back here I put on another song and we danced at each other. The mood was just. Fantastic.

I grabbed a shower. Sweetp bit me on the back of my leg??? Ouch! But now we are all just cuddled up in bed. And I am ready to sleep.

I don't have to drive out to camp tomorrow. We are volunteering to wrap gifts for the Y's angel tree. And then it is time to go to the home inspection!! Ah!

I really hope it goes well. There are some things that may be wrong that are fixable but the things I don't know like the electrical or the plumbing or the roof are the concerns for me. I did get a price for home insurance and because the house has a flat roof there might be a concern about insuring it. So I went on a long search about what we would do if it needs fixing. I just want to make sure we can handle whatever it is. I will not get us in a place we can't survive. And right now we have a budget for fixes but they have to be within reason. But I know a lot and I trust myself to make the right call. Can't be wishy washy on this one.

I am going to go to sleep now. I hope you all sleep great and having a good night. Until next time!!

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theboost · 1 year

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Can’t bring myself to watch the finale of due south, so for the two people who are interested, here are my thoughts from when I was watching through

Due South insanity moment where vecchio gives a long speech to his sister in which he tells her to stay away from fraser because she’ll only get hurt and guys like fraser won’t even notice and then she responds by telling him that he’s afraid to dream. How am I supposed to take this

Obsessed with Fraser having a sleepover with his childhood hockey bestie. I think they should practice kissing with each other. I’m such a gay fraser truther I’m sorry but id take him and random hockey guy over him and Victoria

I think paul gross just has a resting smirk which is something you don’t see too often but it’s really making this funeral scene unintentionally humorous. Buddy you couldn’t muster a frown. I hate you Paul Gross, you live action Disney prince. That is a term that gets thrown around a lot but it’s true for him

100 percent still a gay fraser truther. Why are they having romantical ten- SORRY LIEUTENANT THATCHER JUST HIT HIM WITH A DAMN BITCH YOU LIVE LIKE THIS- romantical tension between fraser and thatcher. I don’t like it. She’s so mean to him all the time. He needs to get with a real man like Ray. I don’t really think you can put a guy like fraser in a relationship with his superior officer the chain of command would fuck him up. But they just keep mashing them together like Barbie dolls. I don’t get it. Also I kind of don’t like Francesca I’m sorry women…

“Ray, get in the closet” “Benny, get out of the closet” real dialogue. I don’t even need to make the joke. “I was in the closet with detective vecchio” I could end it all

Are we really doing another season finale where they’re getting framed by someone who one of them put in prison who recently go out and now seeks revenge. I guess if it ain’t broke. Okay so it’s not a season finale arc but still. It’s weird that it happened twice

CAN WE STOP PUTTING POOR GAY BOY FRASER - henceforth referred to as gayser when he is into situations wherein I want to emphasize his homosexuality - IN FORCED STRAIGHT SITUATIONS LIKE I KNOW THAT HE DOESNT WANT TO PLAY DOMESTICITY WITH FRANNIE. And she really needs to get with a woman

Girl a clip show for the season 2 finale? Come now. Also this is why starsky and hutch will always be a show made to hatecrime the watcher while due south uplifts you, because starsky and hutch did the amnesia plot line but hutch faked it. Because he’s insane.

“Alone we’re incomplete” truly insane thing to say about your best friend. Season 2 has really solidified by theory that ray is an out gay man to himself and no one else and he performs heterosexuality as a cover and gayser is just really truly deeply closeted because there were no gay people in a 100 kilometer radius growing up in the yukon. Also “benny, I could kiss you” “I thought we were just friends, ray” “we are” hello??? Hello???

Okay what the hell is going on with Ray K. You weren’t lying. 2 episodes in and he’s asking if Fraser thinks he’s attractive.

“All women are our sisters” I LOVE YOU FRASER. FEMINIST LEGEND.

I still gayser truth of course but as far as love interests go I don’t mind this bounty hunter milf

I don’t love that ghost dad was made a main character I liked him more when he would randomly pop up and I think they use him too much but I do love his little office set. And I do love that ghost dad is a character that exists

I don’t really care for the fact that one of kowalski’s defining traits is his love of police brutality. Come on due south. You used to understand that police violence is bad

I’ll be honest this is one of the first American based shows I’ve seen that promotes the idea of Canadian exceptionalism. And like it wasn’t initially like this as, see my last point, due South used to know and show that both the Chicago police and the mounties were corrupt, with Fraser being the worlds most special guy, but later seasons are like “all Mounties are inherently virtuous supermen”

Detective Huey and Fraser narrative foils in that both of them lost their first gay partner and then proceeded to get even gayer with their second partner. I do love Huey. And Dewey’s strange ways bewitch me I think he should hook up with turnbull

Women love to ask Fraser if they can trust him and then kiss him. Non_threatening_boys.jpg

Whenever Scott Bakula sings on quantum leap I cheer and clap like a seal and whenever paul gross sings I shriek and cover my eyes and say kill yourself

Every subplot to Mountie Sings the Blues makes me so happy I love huey and deweys stupid ass country song and I actually think Francesca/Turnbull is cute I’ve actually been hoping they would do it

I’m so sad due south got canceled right after the Fraser sister reveal I want so many more episodes with them hanging out

One thing about Fraser is that his love interest will be a brunette woman. Frannie, Victoria, Thatcher, milf bounty hunter and- sorry I looked up the poker episode to remember if the poker chick was brunette and sure enough

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alixgates03 · 8 months

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Enhancing Language Development and Literacy Through Play

9/18/2023

"Enriching and Assessing Young Children’s Multimodal Storytelling”

Literacy lessons should involve engaging, active, and creative tasks, not merely reading a book to your students and discussing the writing within it.

Growing up I took part in writer's workshops, so reading about the recent introduction and transition to literacy playshops at the end of the year was really intriguing. First, the class learns elements of stories and how to write, and then they transition to implementing those skills into storytelling in various ways.

"Why Children Need Play"

Play is a crucial part of a child's development, and it is certainly not something that should be overlooked when it comes to teaching in early childhood classrooms.

Today there are more adult-directed activities than in the past, and children spend more time playing with electronics than they do taking part in pretend play, which is not as conducive to building imagination.

"Building Language and Literacy Through Play"

There are various ways to implement play into early childhood education classrooms that result in mature, high-quality play that builds language and enhances literacy skills

Dramatic play provides the best opportunities for children to practice language and literacy because it encompasses so much that would totally enhance growth in those areas. When children participate in dramatic play they should always have access to a variety of props, multiple roles & themes, and a scenario that incorporates solving a problem or conflict resolution.

Reflection:

For this readerly exploration, I decided to provide an interpretation of the assigned reading through the lens of a course I am taking this semester- Infants, Toddlers, and Families. The course examines the role of the family and other caregivers in the development of infants and toddlers (ages 0-3), and is focused on Early Intervention. We are learning about all five areas of development, milestones for various ages in each one, and ways early intervention specialists can help grow a child’s development in each area. A huge emphasis is placed on play in Early Intervention. In Early Intervention it is crucial to consider the goals when picking toys as treatment materials. Play is an integration of multiple developmental areas, and offers unlimited learning opportunities when strategically selected. When a child plays, not only do they grow in the area of social-emotional development and communication development, but also in their physical development (fine motor skills) and cognitive development. In addition to that, these readings also demonstrated the role that play can have in the classroom in terms of literacy development. If we want young children to be engaged and enthralled by literature, we must incorporate play activities that are engaging for them within literacy lessons and develop their love for it that way.

Multimedia:

Here is an example of dramatic play as a child! Here I was playing the role of a mother.

As I got older I made the transition from playing dramatic play with myself as a primary role, to playing American Girl Dolls with my friends where we role-played and our dolls played house!

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dollsorwhatever · 2 years

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Bandai America SM, 1995

Hello

it’s her I’ve always wanted this doll, I got her mostly for comparison (she’s one of the last 12′’ American SM doll bodies I need for comparisons) but I am still really excited to have her after all these years! The 6′’ bandai America dolls were my faves as a kid (the Dream Castle playset....exquisite dress) and I didn’t even know Bandai America made 12′’ counterparts to them until my early teens lol

(Himari-Chan is really stealing the show from the background...sorry ****Serena*** ) Post-hair wash (yes those are panties on her head, my go-to method for training SM doll bangs into shape lol) Her body is probably the nicest of the American SM lines honestly; iirc the torso is the same (or very similar) one that Irwin used in 2000, but the legs are much nicer and I like the addition of a grip hand (even if it looks hideous with the gloves on). I find it super fascinating that she is almost a 1:1 replica of the 6′’ doll from the same line, complete with an enlarged version of the same body with the same hands and smooth, toe-less feet lol I also find it interesting that she’s not only more accurate to the anime than her Irwin 1995 counterpart, but she takes a lot more aesthetic influence from the Bandai Japan dolls than Irwin did once they got the license; looking at the prototype dolls you can see a much more obvious influence from the Japanese dolls, from the pink bows/boots/choker to the Bandai Japan brooch, even the way they’re packaged without gloves is reminiscent.

I honestly think this prototype is quite lovely- the hand painted face is so much softer, and if she had a nose and mouth, she would have been an excellent SM doll imo- everything is pretty perfect with the exception of the head. They’re also ever-so-slightly more ‘girly’ than the Irwin 1995 dolls, and I wonder what would have happened if Bandai America kept the license? I feel like they would have course corrected a lot sooner than Irwin because they were already so close to getting it right. Her Moon Stick (excuse me, cosmic crescent wand) is also fascinating because the sculpt is a nearly exact miniaturized version of the Bandai Moon Stick toy from 1992 (which was reproduced by Bandai America as well) while the Irwin dolls have a brand new original sculpt; the Season 1 Moon doll from Japan didn’t come with a wand, but I feel like it would have looked identical to this one if they had!

Anyway while this doll is not significantly better than the Irwin 1995 versions, I do think she’s at least somewhat better and perhaps a little more aware of who she is and who her intended audience is meant to be compared to Irwin 1995, who really leaned into the “these are action figures for boys AND dolls for girls!!!!!” vibe I know we all make fun of these dolls and ignore them 99% of the time but I think people should pay a little more attention to them, if only to understand Sailor Moon’s history a little better, and I’m glad I’m taking the time to handle them as an adult and give them a chance to look nice. Sailor Moon Says- Believe in Yourself! (even if you have no nose)

#Sailor moon #sailor moon doll #bandai america

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stargreen-fan · 1 year

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Kit an American Queer Icon

Reading one's self into material can also be a survival mechanism for LGBT individuals- Marlene Bellissimo

She resembles a Barbie doll more than all the other American Girls, with straight, light blonde hair and blue eyes. It’s not like I really needed a Kit Kittredge doll, I had the movie which came with three others for only $10.75 from Amazon, but then I read her book and that magical thing called resonation happened. But Why would Kit resonate with me so much? I have more in common with Josephina, having grown up in New Mexico, and lost a parent (My Dad) as a child, even though I’m White like Kit. It scares me that that is the reason Kit resonated with me… But there’s more boundary-pushing about Kit’s gender expression than all the other American Girls—a warning for massive spoilers ahead.

I have been struggling with my Gender Identity for a while. At first, it boiled down to the Psychotic breaks I have had, but gender is a social construct, and Psychosis has a blatant disregard for societal norms. Finally, I got well enough to tell my Mom I was Nonbinary in 2019, all I had to do was pick a Nonbinary Identity from under the umbrella, but I am a boy now.

But, back to Kit. Kit Kittredge is the only doll bought entirely with my own money. I connect with Kit loving Robin Hood. Most of the stories I loved until I was 13 stared male leads. Valerie Tripp says of Kit "Kit was not a flouncy girl." She then describes how “Out of place” in her pink frilly bedroom. “Out of place” implies a queer, or rather strange, sense of unease, which makes it sound more complex than just hating pink in a feminist way. Kit and I love baseball. With this setup, we have still a lot to establish about the Great Depression, which the next two books cover really well, nothing remarkably Queer gender-wise happens. Maybe something happens to her sexuality wise though. In Kit’s Suprise, Kit admires Amelia Earhart, the scene was made into a song for the Circle of Friends musical.

When I saw her up there on the big silver screen,

It was the most exciting thing that I’ve ever seen.

Amelia, you’re my hero, you’re my ideal.

You’re not a silly princess – no! – Amelia, you’re real!

How does it feel to be Amelia Earhart?

How does it feel to know that you can fly?...

But nothing can stop you, no one can top you.

I want to be like you

Flying solo,

Solo,

It all goes to show how far a girl can go,

Flying solo,

Solo.

I have memories of admiring Mary Martin flying in Peter Pan, and the verses I copied express my six-year-old literal thoughts about her, which I later realized was a crush! My cruses on Gorden Ramsey, President Obama, and Buddy Ebsen were what I was taught to recognize.

When Kit gets a new flour sack dress for her birthday, she’s excited about it, because it’s the first hot weather clothing she’s had in months. It makes Kit feel “Cool and light and airy” according to Valerie Tripp. It makes sense to put practically over dysphoria, when dealing with small things in the world, like getting ready on time. That’s the reason I need top surgery, binders are slow to put on, and my Cerebral Palsy makes it even more difficult, (Which is why Medicare should cover my Top Surgery.) so I can’t wear them as much as is necessary, so when under time pressure I toss on a dress. What I’m trying to say is wearing gender-conforming clothing is not a sign of the absence of dysphoria.

In fact, Kit Saves The Day, the very next book takes the opposite approach. It starts off by innocently mentioning that the overalls Kit is wearing are hand-me-downs from her brother. Now two books ago, in Kit’s Surprise, the family is threatened with eviction, and three books ago, in Kit Learns A lesson Dad was getting donated groceries from the soup kitchen, after losing his job in Meet Kit. The family is too poor to care if Kit can conform to gender norms by book five out of six! When Kit goes on an adventure to the Hobo Jungle and ends up riding the rails, and gets caught, the railroad bulls assume she is a boy, despite Will’s hat not covering up her feminine bob. Then it happens the hat falls off, and she is found out. Transphobes say they can always tell someone’s birth sex, but these railroad bulls couldn’t, because of a cap! This is where the background of hating the pink room and liking Robin Hood makes it feel different than Addy, who wanted to wear fancy dresses in freedom, dressing as a boy to be safe while liberating herself from slavery. Although Will does give Kit the hat to make the railroad bulls think she’s a boy to protect her in jail. Safe from What? My Adult mind can hypothesize

.In Changes for Kit there is a sign of acceptance of Kit’s possible Queer identity as Mother and Miss Hart and Miss Finney give her a coat made from her Dad’s old one with a hat and mittens made from Charlie’s old sweater. For the full end-of-the-story spoilers see the Meet Kit Kittredge video from American Girl, It’s a lovely ending, that does not have to do with Kit’s Queerness.

While I did not have an American Girl doll as a child, the deep connection people feel to them is very personal and is something that kids of all genders and sexualities deserve. If you are reading this article, in a news publication it means Kit and I share a dream.

#american girl #kit kittredge #queer history

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74daysofsewing · 1 year

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McCalls M7734

I made everything in the pattern pack and took images. The pack consists of a plain tee, a polo shirt, a pair of shorts, trousers, a hoodie and a baseball cap and bag.

It's a pretty decent pattern pack - the shorts and trousers are basic and make a nice set. I had mine in the style of board shorts and then grey work trousers. I did add in a little pocket to the trousers as I had a scrap of black satin that was the right size.

The little fake fly is really nice and makes for some nice interest if you plan on tucking in the tops, and if you have a small metal button these would also look nice in a denim as jeans.

The two tshirt options are really high necked - it's nice as it covers the dolls soft body totally, but can also look a little suffocating in the plain tee - although that might just be me and getting my seam allowances messed up.

I shortened the sleeves and waist a little in the polo shirt to make it look a little more different from the other plain tee and I will 100% be using that option for the future as I think it looks really stinking cute - despite the fact the colour I picked made April look like she was working for UPS.

The shirt in this back is a winner in my books. I had this adorable remnant in my stash and if I had enough I'd make myself a version out of this too. The pattern calls for snaps and not real buttons but I figured if you were going to sew buttons on the thing you might as well put button holes on it too.

April is wearing a pair of jeans I made her from the trouser pattern in this set, with a couple of modifications (nice deep pockets, coin pocket, back pockets, top stitching etc) and the shirt from this packet. Isn't the shirt super cute? I'd call this particular pattern a winner.

I had some issues with the hoodie. Firstly, the hood needs to be SO BIG to cover the dolls head and with all her hair it's just not practical - she's got a super high ponytail in so it doesn't cover up the collars of things she wears, and trying to find an open ended 8 inch zipper was a nightmare! I have the zip NOW, but at the time I ended up just photographing it without it on.

I added a little collar and honestly... I think it looks like the cutest little bomber jacket for summer! it's got little pockets (very little) and fits really nice over other clothes - she's got a tee and the shirt on under this and it's still not too bulky.

The hat and bag... sigh.

I messed these up a bit and it's got nothing to do with the patterns. For some reason, the art of bag making is lost on me so much. I've honestly tried so often to make a bag and I fail every time. No idea why!!

I made a couple of little books and comics for April to put in her bag, and that was that!

I highly rate this pattern and think with a few tiny alterations you could make a very varied looking wardrobe with this packet - the lack of 'boys' clothes and over saturation of dresses and skirts make this a really nice addition to anyones collection.

You could use some really nice alternative fabrics to really change the look of these items - like making jeans, swim shorts, or combats from the trousers, or a little leather bomber or jean jacket with a patch on the back out of the hoodie pattern. It might be really cool to combine them both and make one of those really popular jackets with the jean body and jersey sleeves.

If you have a boy doll, or just like a little variation in the patterns, i would pick this one up for sure.

Items needed: knits and woven fabric, thin elastic, velcro, interfacing, 7 buttons and an 8" open ended zipper. That should cover each item on the packet cover.

Here is April wearing everything in the packet:

April is an Our Generation Doll and has (mostly) the same measurements as a typical American Girl doll, although I think her movement is more limited as her joints are only back and forward, with no ball rotation. She's had no modifications or changes other than her hair being up in a high ponytail.

I am NOT a doll collector or an accomplished sewist, I do this for fun and mostly give the end results to the littles in my family.

#doll clothing #sewing #sewblr #dolls #our generation dolls #american girl dolls #mccalls pattern #M7734 #home sewing

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aizenat · 2 years

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if you want a great female rapper who doesn't really talk about sex can i suggest snow tha product? she's a mexican-american artist that's been around for like almost twenty years. she's also bisexual and has been with her partner juju for around five years. she raps in spanish and english so idk if you know spanish or not but it's awesome music either way.

I know I can seem serious a lot, but I actually often make jokes that I expect zero people to take seriously. And so I am rather bemused when people do take them seriously.

So since people are taking me way too seriously:

My "female rappers go a song without talking about dick challenge go" post was VERY tongue-in-cheek. I'm very aware of snow tha product actually (I believe I became aware of her because one of her songs was featured in the second season of She's Gotta Have It, and I really liked it), as well as Angel Haze, noname, Chika, Young M.A, and the billion other fucking suggestions people have sent me as though my post was a request for that. Just about any female rapper out there who isn't singing about sex, I'm at least vaguely aware/familiar with, including many from the UK as well. This isn't me attacking you, but to anyone on my page, I don't fucking need suggestions.

My point is that the MAINSTREAM BLACK FEMALE RAPPERS of this generation are all hypersexual. Period. The end. And that is a PROBLEM. None of the suggestions I get are from popular female rappers playing on the radio (do people listen to that? whatever) or topping the charts. They're not winning awards and being talked about in the mainstream. They're not in our daily conversations, few people are following them on socials, and because of all of that, they get little support from their labels (if they're even signed with one). As such, there are huge gaps between song releases, their songs are never that catchy or have mainstream appeal, all because studios decided they can't sexualize the hell out of them so there's no point in giving them a lot of studio time and sessions with engineers and song writers to pump out at least a full length album every year or two.

And even then, no offense to them, a lot of their songs and vibes aren't compatible with me. I love hip hop. I love pop. I love songs and beats I can dance to. I love catchy choruses. I love repetition, crescendos, beat changes, and fast paced flows. There's a reason I was a huge Nicki fan back in the day. I'm an east coast girl who loves that east coast, fast moving, can barely keep up with what they're saying, rap styles.

Meg gets to do a remix to Salt n Pepa's Push It, and she can afford the royalties and copyrights or whatever goes into that because she has a big label behind her that can afford it, and will do it because she's gonna rap about something sexual that they can push to objectify her and they'll get their money's worth (love the song, but I recognize the game is all). Meg gets to collab with big pop stars with songs that top Billboard. Beyonce featuring on a Chika song? Is Snow tha Product getting a song topping the charts on Billboard? She hasn't had a single song even make it on the US Billboard chart.

And I'm not saying that to put them down; it's to show how our society doesn't appreciate talented women who they can't hypersexualize. Who they can't throw a thong on her and send her out. And this is why up and coming rappers/newer artists play into that. From Doja Cat to Saweetie (who's sexualized image is literally ALL she has going for her; she has zero real talent) to the Shitty--I mean, City Girls, to Coi Leray (who that post was specifically referencing).

Talented Black (and brown) women get snubbed and ignored for the women who are fully willing to put their entire asses and pussies on display, rap almost exclusively about sucking and fucking dick or how great men love fucking them, and are willing to do whatever it takes to doll themselves up and objectify themselves for men to enjoy and for women to aspire to be like. Docile, pretty fuck dolls and little more. And any woman who can't be that (either due to looks/beauty standards, her personality/not wanting to be a sex object, etc) might get a little hype, but never too much. And def never more than women who happily stay in line.

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