#What’s Coming to Netflix in September 2023

[tellusepisode]

What’s Coming to Netflix in September 2023

🔥 September 2023 Netflix Movies' List 🔥

#netflix films #new netflix movies #new netflix movies 2023 #new films 2023 #netflix films 2023 #top 10 netflix movies 2023 #netflix top films #new netflix films #netflix September 2023 releases #movies on netflix #What’s Coming to Netflix in September 2023 #new films September 2023 #September 2023 netflix movies

[chirpsythismorning]

Unfortunately, one major reason streamers like Netflix don’t plan on breaking any time soon in the strike, is because it could have the potential to inspire others to fight for fair pay if it ended up being fairly easy for the writers to do it.

They would rather wait it out for as long as they can, making writers risk financial ruin, so that they have no choice but to agree to a deal that is, at best, half of what they were initially asking.

This means that going into this strike, from Netflix’s pov, it could go on until September, at least, and they would be fine with that.

They assume that by then, writers will have been picketing for 4+ months, without pay, and won’t be able to go on for much longer.

Upon being asked about the impending strike a few weeks prior to it starting, Ted Sarandos said that they have at least 6 months of backlog set in stone. And so apparently, he’s comfortable with sitting it out that long at least.

Though, it is worth saying that as bleak as it all sounds, we’re 3 weeks in and there is a lot of support for the writers. With how bad things are PR wise for Netflix, one could argue they might just say fuck it were used to it and push through. However at the same time, they’ve been struggling with subscriber growth a lot more than ever before, they could be on the brink of risking it all regardless. So if they come to realize fighting this fight as posing a serious risk for them in the short term and long term, something they definitely don’t want to have to admit to their investors at the next conference, they’ll need to get their shit together sooner than later.

I know it’s frustrating to imagine the strike still going on late into 2023, but if we can put our heads together now, this early on still, maybe it won’t have to be that long?

It really does feel like there’s nothing we can do, but showing support and informing others about it so it doesn’t just dwindle to background chatter is a start!

#byler #stranger things #st writers strike #st writers #duffer brothers #st5 #maybe we should just scare them and have everyone demand fair pay right now #like make their worst fear a reality at the get-go? #idk I just want to talk to Ted #let’s talk ted #let’s have a little Ted talk #and then lay it on him #what is ur deal you greedy bastard #i hear you’re at the top of the list as to why this strike has the potential to hold out for a long time #dude!? what the fuck!?

[fans4wga]

8 NOVEMBER: SAG REACHES TENTATIVE AGREEMENT TO END STRIKE

"After a grueling118 days on strike, SAG-AFTRA has officially reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract with studios, a move that is heralding the end of the 2023 actors’ strike.

The SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Committee approved the agreement in a unanimous vote on Wednesday, SAG-AFTRA announced. The strike will end at 12:01 am Thursday.

The performers’ union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers announced the provisional agreement on Wedneday, after about two weeks of renewed negotiations. If ratified by the SAG-AFTRA members, the deal could bring an end to the strike that kneecapped Hollywood for much of the summer and early fall in conjunction with the writers’ strike, which ended in late September.

The union and the AMPTP are so far being mum on the details of the agreement, which will emerge in the next few days prior to the union’s ratification vote. If the deal is ratified, the contract could soon go into effect, and if not, members would essentially send their labor negotiators back to the bargaining table with the AMPTP. It was unclear as of press time whether the union would end the strike before or after the ratification vote.

When negotiations restarted on Oct. 2 for the first time since SAG-AFTRA called its work stoppage in July, hopes were high in the industry that Hollywood’s largest union could come to terms with major companies quickly. Just like they had in the final days of the writers’ negotiations, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Disney CEO Bob Iger and NBCUniversal Studio Group chairman and chief content officer Donna Langley attended the talks at the union’s national headquarters in Los Angeles. But the studio ended up walking out on Oct. 11 over SAG-AFTRA’s proposal to charge a fee per every streaming subscriber on major platforms in a move that the union’s chief negotiator called “mystifying” (Sarandos called the ask “a bridge too far“).

The sides reconvened on Oct. 24 after a nearly two-week break. This time, the studios came in with a more generous offer to increase actors’ wage floors and a slightly modified version of a success-based streaming bonus they had previously offered the WGA. The two sides exchanged proposals for much of the week in a tense situation that had the industry on edge. Even as a deal came into sight, progress was slow, especially when it came to putting the contract’s inaugural guardrails on AI: The union considers the rapidly advancing technology an absolutely existential issue for members and sought to close any potential loopholes that could lead to future issues. On Saturday the studios presented what the union characterized as the companies’ “last, best and final,” overarching offer (still, the two sides kept swapping offers after).

When the union’s previous contract expired in mid-July and SAG-AFTRA went out on strike, many outstanding issues were left on the table. Setting terms for the use of A.I. was a major sticking point between union and studio negotiators, as was a proposal to provide casts with additional streaming compensation. Union negotiators sought to institute an unusually large minimum rate increase in the first year of the contract, a host of ground rules for self-taped virtual auditions and major increases to health and pension contributions “caps” that have not been changed since the 1980s. Meanwhile, as the entertainment business continues to experience a period of contraction, major companies looked to preserve some measure of flexibility and cost control.

SAG-AFTRA’s strike, coming as it did amid an ongoing writers’ strike in July, gave the union an unusual amount of leverage early on in its talks with the AMPTP. Almost immediately, most remaining unionized U.S. productions that were operating without writers shut down, including Deadpool 3 and Venom 3. An as the months of the work stoppage stretched on, a strategist at the Milken Institute has estimated that the strikes have cost the California economy alone at least $6 billion.

But pressure started to build as the strike neared and surpassed its 100-day mark. A-lister actors began talking to both their union and the studios in an attempt to improve progress in the negotiations. A number of actors also started drafting a letter expressing concerns about the union’s leadership but held back from publishing it, fearful of the missive’s potential impact on negotiations. Then, on Oct. 26, a separate letter was released signed by apparently thousands of actors, exhorting negotiators, “We have not come all this way to cave now.”

The amount of time that the union spent on strike in 2023 will certainly raise expectations for the deal they reached with studios. In the union’s upcoming ratification vote, the date of which has not yet been announced, members will decide whether the pact is acceptable to them."

#sag-aftra strike #sag strike #actors strike

[brainddeadd]

"I fucking adore you. I love you. And you love me too. So why the fuck are you running from me?"

fluff, angst if you squint, fem!reader

September 2022

“Aren’t you going to go with them?” Y/N asked, nudging her shoulder in the direction of the other girls, but Lisa just shook her head and turned to start walking back towards the apartment building.

“Come on, we’ve got shows to watch and junk food to eat.” She called over her shoulder and Y/N stared at her in shock for a few moments, before jogging softly to catch up with the taller girl, complaining about her longer legs, causing Lisa to laugh and offer to give her a piggy-back ride, to which Y/N shoved her lightly.

“You shit.” Y/N muttered when Lisa made her footsteps comedically smaller and slower, trying to match the smaller girl’s own footsteps. “I hate you.”

“No you don’t.” Lisa replied, smiling cheekily. “If you did, you would have asked for a different roommate.”

“How do you know I didn’t?” Y/N asked, a playful glint in her eye. Lisa held a hand over her heart in mock offence.

“How dare you?” She exclaimed, making her steps bigger again and quickly leaving Y/N behind her, the latter muttering to herself about the ‘damn long legged idiot’. Y/N began to run after Lisa, only catching up to her outside of their flat, panting and cursing the athlete.

“You good?” Lisa asked, and Y/N looked at her, expecting there to be a teasing look on her face, but only seeing concern.

“Yeah, I’m good.” Y/N nodded. “Just need some water.”

“Come on then. You get some water and I’ll set up the couch with blankets and the food. You can pick what we watch.” Lisa opened the door and gestured for Y/N to go through. Mumbling a small ‘thanks’ Y/N beelined for the kitchen, hearing the door close and Lisa's bag fall to the floor and a cupboard open in the hallway.

“You can go with them, don’t miss out because of me.” Y/N said as she sat on the couch, waiting for Lisa to re-appear.

“Who says I’m missin’ out?” Lisa questioned, her frown hidden by the packet of chips placed in front of her face.

“But they’re your friends and-“

“You’re my friend, too.” Lisa said, looking at her pointedly. “And besides, I see them all day, every day and I hardly ever see you, which considering I live with you, is insane, but-“

She sighed and shook her head.

“I want to hang out and watch shitty TV and eat crappy food with you, so I’m gonna do just that.” Lisa then threw a packet of lollies at Y/N's face and turned to the TV. “Now pick something and let’s enter the vegetative state in which we basically live.”

April 2023

Y/N and Lisa fell into a routine. They knew exactly what the other wanted to do when the other had a good day or a bad day, and they knew just by looking at each other which one that day was.

Lisa knew what to do when Y/N’s work got to be too demanding and irrational during the meetings (get her some Soju and get wild) and what to do when nothing seemed to go right (a bath and some good food, maybe some cuddles).

Y/N knew that Lisa forgot her food all the time, so she’d order Lisa’s favourite takeout on those days and she would always have Netflix and blankets ready for the bad days.

Their relationship was comfortable and far less platonic than either of them would care to admit.

July 2023

Lisa stumbled in through the door, exhaustion setting into her bones, her movements slow and soft. It was late, already hours past the time she’s supposed to be out until, and she knows it. She staggers into the living room and frowns when she sees the light is still on, looking around and seeing Y/N on the couch.

“Y/N.” She called out, but she got no response, so she walked over to the lump, frowning when she saw that Y/N was asleep. Gently shaking her, she calls her name a few more times until Y/N begins to stir.

“What?” Voice quiet and heavy, Y/N frowned and then shot up and looked at Lisa. “I fell asleep.”

“You did.” Lisa nodded. “What were you doing on the couch?”

“Waitin’ for you to get home safely.” The words were mumbled and almost incoherent, but Lisa got them and smiled before pulling Y/N up off the couch.

“To bed.” She pushed Y/N softly towards the hallway and ensured that she didn’t bump into anything before they parted ways into their own rooms.

“G’night.” Y/N mumbled. “Love ya.”

August 2023

"Lisa. Lisa. Lisaaaaaaaaa.” Y/N started poking Lisa's cheek in an attempt to wake her up.

“Is there a fire?”

“Nope.”

“Are you gonna die if I don’t take you to the hospital right this very second?”

“Nope.”

“Are you injured? Is anyone else injured? Is something wrong?”

“Nope.”

“Then let me sleep.” Lisa muttered and shoved a near by pillow over her face.

“Come on, get up.” Y/N whined. “I made breakfast, and it’s like eleven o’clock, get up, let's go sleeping beauty.”

“Noooooooo.” Lisa rolled over, grabbing Y/N’s hands and pulling her along, wrapping her up and holding her in place, Y/N's back in Lisa's chest. “Sleep.”

December 2023

Y/N walked into the living room, rubbing her arms in order to generate some kind of heat, to warm herself up and completely prepared just wrap herself up in a blanket on the couch and just stay there for the rest of her life, only to stop at the sight in front of her in what could only be described as adoration. Lisa was sitting on the couch, three blankets wrapped around her in various ways and the hood of one of Y/N’s jumpers covering her hair, and a pout on her face as she looked over at Y/N.

“It’s cold.” Lisa mumbled, still obviously cold under her mountain of fluff. “The power’s off. Has been since this mornin’.”

“Have you been here the whole time?” Y/N asked, frowning and moving towards her bedroom.

“Yes.” Lisa mumbled. “I was doing jobs, so I kept warm but then I ran out of things to do and the storm started and now I’m cold and have been for ages and I can’t get warm and-“

“Here.” Y/N cut her off by holding a long sleeve top and a pair of track-pants in front of her. “Put them on. It’ll help.”

Lisa took the clothes, and Y/N walked back into her room.

“Thank you.” Lisa called out, and when Y/N returned a few minutes later, she’d changed into track-pants and had one of her hoodies cover her body, socks on her feet. He moved towards the cupboard where the blankets were kept, pulling the remaining five out and dumping them on the couch next to Lisa.

“What are you doing?” Lisa stared in confusion as Y/N moved towards the kitchen.

“Food.” Y/N was rummaging in the pantry, pulling out anything and everything she thought they could eat whilst being as warm as possible.

“You ok?” Lisa knew the question was pointless. She obviously wasn’t ok, but she figured she’d ask anyway. Y/N grunted in response and went back to the food.

“Y/N.” The tone of Lisa’s voice caused Y/N to turn and look at her, eyes wide. “What happened?”

“Nothin’.” Y/N picked up what she could and walked over, dumping it on the table and then walked back to get what was left over.

“Y/N,” Lisa pulled her hand out of the mound of blankets and took Y/N’s, causing the taller girl to stop and look at her. “I can’t fix the problem if I don’t know what’s wrong.”

Y/N’s shoulders drooped forwards and her knees appeared to give out from beneath her, causing her to fall onto the couch and a loud sob to leave her mouth, her chest heaving. Lisa pushed the blankets away from her body and pulled Y/N closer, wrapping them both up in the eight fluffy blankets and curling her arms around Y/N’s shoulders. The taller girl’s shoulders shook and Lisa frowned, pulling her closer and rubbing her shoulders, humming a tune to whatever song popped into her head, holding the girl and occasionally pushing her hair out of her face, trying to comfort her.

“What happened?” Lisa whispered once the sobbing had subsided, and Y/N tightened her hold around Lisa’s waist.

“They’re talking shit again and my boss was yelling at me and only me because of shit the others did and I’m so stressed about all of the work that the other managers have given me and-“ Lisa shushed her and pulled her closer.

“It’s ok, shh, I’ve got you.” Lisa rubbed her back. “They’re talking shit about things they know nothing about, and your boss is a dick and you know it, everyone knows it. Just breathe, and tomorrow is a new day, you’ve got me and the girls and your family, and we’re not going anywhere. You’re ok. What do you need?”

“Keep holding me.” Y/N’s voice was soft, as if she thought that Lisa would say no, pull away or recoil, instead, Lisa raked a hand through her hair and kissed her forehead.

January 2024

“Come on.” Lisa said and grabbed Y/N’s hand, pulling her off the couch and catching her when she stumbled. “We’re going on a walk.”

“What? Why? Lisa?” Ignoring Y/N's questioning, Lisa walked them down the stairs and out into the front of the building. “Lisa, what are we doing?”

“Going for a walk.”

“Why?”

“Because you have been cooped up in that flat for way too long, and now I’m reintroducing you to the sun and letting you experience some natural heat.” Lisa shrugged. “Besides, we haven’t hung out in a while, so I figured we could do that. Unless you don’t want to?”

“No, I want to.” Y/N caught onto the hesitant tone, the look in Lisa’s eye, as if she didn’t know if Y/N wanted to hang out with her, as if that’s not all Y/N ever wants to do.

February 2024

“Take my hand.” Lisa muttered, holding her hand out for Y/N to take.

“Why?” Y/N asked, but did so anyway, both of them hating the way they love the feel of the others' hand in theirs.

“Don’t want to lose ya.” Lisa's voice was quiet, and Y/N almost didn’t hear her over the sound of the crowd. “Gotta protect ya, keep ya close.”

“Why? What?” Y/N frowned and was tempted to pull away from Lisa, but someone bumped into her, knocking her into Lisa, causing Lisa to wrap her arms around her and pull her close, whilst trying to navigate their way out of the crowd.

“Stay with me.” Lisa mumbled. They linked hands and forced their way through the crowd, mumbling apologies to those they bumped into and dodging bodies that were all forcing themselves into the space around them.

“Why do you need to protect me and keep me close?” Y/N asked when they were finally free from the crowd, and Lisa looked at her, alarmed and shocked, before shaking her head.

“Of course you don’t know.” She muttered. “I want to. I need to. I care about you. I’m used to protecting you, instinct left over from before, and now I can’t stop protecting you. It’s not a ‘you can’t do that shit’ type of thing, its more of a ‘do it if you want, but I’m gonna keep an eye on you cause I care’ type of thing. I can stop if you want me to. It’s not-”

“No, it’s ok. I don’t mind it.” Y/N reassured her, causing her shoulders to lose some tension. “It’s sweet. Thank you for caring enough to watch over me.”

“Never thank me for that.” Lisa begged, hoping to somehow get Y/N to see herself the way she does. “It’s not something that warrants a thanks and it’s not a big deal. It’s just me loving and caring for ya.”

February 2024

“You made dinner?” Y/N’s eyes were wide, and her face held a look of concern.

“Yeah, why?” Lisa asked, placing a cup of tea on the table and then turning to look at the smaller girl and frowning slightly at the expression on her face. “What?”

“You made dinner.” Y/N’s everything had softened, as if she’d started to melt slightly.

“Yeah, you always make dinner and breakfast and lunch and you were out and I wanted to do something for you because I never do and I guess dinner was just the first thing that came to mind.” Lisa shrugged. “If you don’t like it, we can order in.”

Y/n shook her head and sat at the table next to her, both of them taking one bite of the meal before putting their forks down.

“Ramen?”

“Please.”

March 2024

“You talk about her like she’s your world.” Jennie told her friend , smiling softly when she looked up at her with wide eyes, slight fear etched upon her features. “I’ve known for years, didn’t say anything because I wanted you to have the freedom and the power to tell me yourself, I didn’t want to take that from you.”

“Why say something now?” Lisa asked.

“Because I need you to realise that you love her in a way that most people only dream of feeling.” Jennie saw the look on her face and took her hands in hers. “Lisa, you have this person right in front of you, standing there, patiently waiting, their whole soul begging you to realise that they love you and your soul is begging you to realise that you love him back. I’m begging you to realise it. Don’t let her slip away from you. Don’t lose this love. Don’t let this love go. Grasp this love tightly in your hands, pull it as close to your heart as you can, and hold on for dear life. This love is good and pure and true.”

“How?” Her voice broke, and she turned from her slightly, wiping at his eyes. “I’m so scared. I’m so in love with her it’s insane and I have no idea how to proceed in this situation.”

“Just tell her. Be honest and open with her. No matter how scary it is.” Lisa looked at her friend and Jennie pulled her into a hug. “Tell her. Hold onto the love.”

April 2024

“You told me that you loved me and then ran away, Lisa. Literally ran away. How am I supposed to feel after that? What do you want me to do with that?" Y/N was pissed, ranting away, ignoring the look on Lisa's face. "I fucking adore you. I love you. And you love me too. So why the fuck are you running from me?"

“I’m pretty sure I’ve been in love with you since the day we met and it fucking scared me. My entire soul was begging me to tell you and it just kind of blurted out and fuck, I didn’t mean for it to, so I ran. That’s what I do. I run from my problems and in that moment, you were the problem or my feelings were and I blurted them out without fucking thinking about it and then ran away.”

"You don’t need to be scared, baby." Y/N's voice was softer now, gentle and soothing. "I know we've got some things to figure out, but we can do that together."

"I love you."

"I love you too. And I intend on proving it to you every day for the rest of our lives if you'll let me."

#lisa x reader #lalisa x reader #lisa manobal x reader #lisa manoban x reader #lalisa manobal x reader #lalisa manoban x reader #blackpink x reader #blackpink imagines #lisa imagines #blackpink lisa x reader #lalisa imagines #° braindead writes

[glimbowweek]

💖 Glimbow Week 2023 💘

✨ September 9th-15th 🏹

Everyone is welcome to join this week of fanworks to celebrate Glimmer and Bow from Netflix's She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)!

Here they are, decided by you, the 2023 prompts!

Prompts

Day 1: Birthday Cake*

Day 2: Meet Cute

Day 3: Enemies / Rivals

Day 4: Seasonal Vibes

Day 5: Second Chance

Day 6: Milestones

Day 7: Domestic

*= Sept 9th (aka Day 1 of Glimbow Week) is Bow's canon birthday if you want to use that for inspiration!

How do I participate?

Anyone is welcome to participate by making fanworks like fics, fanart, edits, drabbles, gifsets, AMVs, headcanon posts, moodboards or whatever else you feel like making to celebrate Glimmer and Bow’s relationship! Just remember to tag us either here or on Twitter or IG so we can share whatever you make!

Prompts are just suggestions to get you started. Feel free to interpret them however you wish or ignore them entirely and do your own thing!

More questions? Check our FAQ and our askbox is open!

We can't wait to see what everyone comes up with!

#spop #shera #she ra #glimbow #she ra and the princess of power #glimmer #bow #glow #glimbow week #spop glimmer #glimmbow #bi characters #bi couple #canon bisexual characters #ship week #fandom event #spop prompts #spop fandom #spop fanart #spop fanfic #fanart #fanfic #netflix #dreamworks #queen glimmer #princess glimmer

[fallloverfic]

Nimona, the 2011-14 webcomic by ND Stevenson, turned into a graphic novel published on May 12, 2015, and adapted into a full cast audiobook on October 4, 2016, has been adapted into an animated movie!

The movie premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France on June 14, 2023. Netflix released a teaser trailer on May 18, 2023, a clip on June 8, 2023, a full trailer on June 14, 2023, another big clip on June 21, 2023, more footage on June 22, 2023, and another big clip on June 27, 2023. The movie released in select theaters starting on June 23.

The movie released on June 30, 2023 on Netflix for streaming! You can also view the movie for free, legally, on YouTube, until February 26th, 2024. Netflix also released a free-to-read digital-only multimedia 358-page artbook for the movie.

For simplified background, Disney cancelled the movie in 2021, but on April 11, 2022, it was announced that Annapurna would produce the movie, DNEG would animate it, and Netflix would distribute it for streaming sometime in 2023. I'm seeing a lot of confusion out there, so I'll make a summary of what else we know. I also keep the Nimona movie fanwiki page up to date with more info as it releases. Other good places to get news: ND Stevenson's twitter, his Tumblr, his personal site, the savenimona twitter, and the movie page on Netflix. While managing the fanwiki I found that Wikipedia's reference articles for the movie were kind of terrible and often quoted things not being said in the articles being quoted, even in their archive versions, so I would stick with first-hand accounts where possible, particularly what's coming from folks working on the movie and the companies making it. Below is a more detailed summary of info.

Nimona by ND Stevenson began life as a school project while Nate was in college. He was a tumblrite and posted the first pages on Tumblr on December 14, 2011. On June 19, 2012, he began publishing the webcomic in full on its own site. Sometime before November 2012, it was contracted for publication as a graphic novel after completion. The webcomic ended on September 30, 2014, and was released as a single graphic novel in entirety on May 12, 2015. It has currently been translated into 16 languages. Nate adapted it into a full cast audiobook that released on October 4, 2016 (you can hear a preview and purchase it via the link above). The graphic novel and audiobook are still available for purchase.

Apologies for maybe getting studio names wrong, some have changed over time. Anyway: the movie rights for Nimona were acquired by 20th Century Fox Animation in June 2015, to be produced by Blue Sky Studios. In June 2017, Fox scheduled the movie to be released on February 14, 2020. Patrick Osbourne was brought on as director, and it was planned to have the movie in the style of Paperman (Osbourne was animation supervisor of Paperman (2012), and went on to direct Feast (2015), which used the same style). After Disney acquired 20th Century Animation (as it was later called), the movie was delayed to March 5, 2021. There was reportedly pushback for queer stuff in the movie. Blue Sky is publicly stated to have shutdown due to the pandemic and money issues, which isn't relevant here, and I would be careful spreading rumors it was for other reasons. A lot of "successful" US companies shut down studios and departments en masse for other very dumb reasons, particularly in recent years, sometimes just because they aren't making as much money as their parent/shareholders wants them to and cutting salaries makes your profits look better to shareholders. The important part is: Blue Sky was being shut down, and Disney officially cancelled the movie in February 2021.

At some point around the cancellation, a video compilation of early release footage and sculpts seemingly from someone involved in the movie's production was released online. It was later taken down, but put back up by iO9 after the Annapurna, DNEG, Netflix production was announced.

After Disney shuttered Blue Sky, according to Variety, the Nimona crew, "led by former Blue Sky co-presidents Andrew Millstein and Robert Baird, shopped the animatic around town. The film caught the attention of Annapurna CEO Megan Ellison, who was familiar with the film and had been tracking the project. “I think anyone who has ever felt misunderstood or like an outsider will connect with N.D. Stevenson’s story like I did,” she said in press material for the film. “When I watched the storyboard reels I immediately fell in love with it. Nothing about it felt conventional or built off market research. It’s bold and mischievous and full of love. Nimona has such a powerful voice.”

Annapurna stepped in and signed up Millstein and Baird as executive producers. They created Shapeshifter Films so the team could finish “Nimona,” and subsequently joined the company, forming Annapurna Animation.

DNEG Animation was hired in the spring of 2021 to help with the animation, becoming collaborators on the film."

On April 11, 2022, it was announced that the film would be produced by Annapurna, animated by DNEG, and distributed by Netflix. Netflix also shared the first summary:

"A Knight is framed for a crime he didn't commit and the only person who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona, a shape-shifting teen who might also be a monster he's sworn to kill. Set in a techno-medieval world unlike anything animation has tackled before, this is a story about the labels we assign to people and the shapeshifter who refuses to be defined by anyone."

Between Netflix's posts and DNEG's Nimona page, as well as folks involved with the film talking about it, and new info released after the Annecy Film Festival announcement, we knew it would release in Summer 2023. Netflix released a primary cast article with images of what the characters look like from Netflix (be warned, both are very spoilery).

What is also interesting about the cast listings is that Ballister's last name was changed from Blackheart to Boldheart.

Sources for Business Insider said that Blue Sky's work would be incorporated into the film somehow. The second production seemingly wasn't started from scratch, and members of the Blue Sky production stayed on to work on the project. This makes sense, given the art was quite similar to what was in that footage released around the film's cancellation in 2021. DNEG crew have stated repeatedly, though, that although they did have a lot of material from the Blue Sky production, they had to make a lot of things from the ground up.

Quane released an official shot from the film on January 4, 2023:

It was announced that the movie would premiere on June 14, 2023, at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France. (Post on Annecy's site, post on DNEG's site)

Two new stills were also released on April 25, 2023, with the Annecy Film Festival announcement:

On May 10, 2023, Netflix posted a new image for the movie:

The May 10 article also had a new movie summary:

"When Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), a knight in a futuristic medieval world, is framed for a crime he didn’t commit, the only one who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz), a mischievous teen with a taste for mayhem — who also happens to be a shape-shifting creature Ballister has been trained to destroy. But with the entire kingdom out to get him, Nimona’s the best (or technically the only) sidekick Ballister can hope for. And as the lines between heroes, villains and monsters start to blur, the two of them set out to wreak serious havoc — for Ballister to clear his name once and for all, and for Nimona to… just wreak serious havoc.   

Directed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane, Nimona is an epic tale about finding friendship in the most surprising situations and accepting yourself and others for who they are."

Netflix released another still on May 17, 2023. On May 18, they released their teaser, the movie's first poster, and the announcement of the June 30, 2023 general streaming release date!

Netflix also added a new preview image to the Nimona page on the app, featuring Ballister and Ambrosius facing off behind Nimona.

And Netflix started selling Nimona plushies! Amazon (and possibly other vendors) are also selling shirts/jackets with official movie art!

Netflix released more footage of the movie on May 24, 2023! (it's around 6:31 in the video).

Empire magazine released another still for the movie on June 7, 2023, as well as an article in their June 8, 2023 issue.

Variety released a new still on June 11, 2023.

Netflix released a new poster on Jun 13, 2023!

More stills were released in an Entertainment Weekly article on June 14, 2023. And Netflix released even more. More teasers were put up on the Netflix app (though these are quite spoilery, so I'd advise avoiding them). The cast and crew did press tours throughout June 2023.

Again, the Nimona movie fanwiki page has more detailed info on all this.

#Nimona #NIMONA #ND Stevenson #animated films #2023 animated films #Nimona film #Nimona film information post #Nate Stevenson #Nimona webcomic #Nimona graphic novel #Nimona movie #Ballister Blackheart #Ballister Boldheart #Ambrosius Goldenloin

[houseofbrat]

https://twitter.com/alexlarman/status/1658822509209214978

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/meghans-lecture-on-service-is-hard-to-take/

Meghan’s lecture on ‘service’ is hard to take

17 May 2023, 1:06pm

Alexander Larman

Since the publication of Prince Harry’s memoir Spare in January, Meghan has kept an unusually low profile by her standards. Her non-appearance at the coronation earlier in the month was widely interpreted as a snub to the Royal Family, whom she has missed no opportunity to castigate.

Now the Duchess of Sussex is making a comeback – but her vapid speech at an awards ceremony in New York last night shows little has changed. Meghan was in town to accept a ‘Women of Vision’ award at the Ms. Foundation for Women’s 50th anniversary event. The Duchess declared that:

‘It’s just never too late to start. You can be the visionary of your own life. You can charter a path in which what you repeat in your daily acts of service, in kindness, in advocacy, in grace and in fairness, that those become the very things that are recognised by the next wave of women, both young and old, who will also choose this moment to join the movement and make our vision for an equitable world reality.’

If Meghan’s talk of service sounded oddly familiar, there’s a good reason. In April 1947, Princess Elizabeth made one of the most famous public statements of her life, half a decade before she became queen. In a speech that she made from South Africa on her 21st birthday, she said:

‘I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.’

The speech is now regarded as the beginning of a pact the Queen made with her people, and which she assiduously followed until her death in September last year. Whatever you say about Elizabeth II, you cannot accuse her of not being dutiful. Meghan’s speech appears to be an attempt to emulate Elizabeth’s sentiments, albeit with a decidedly 21st-century spin.

What Meghan appears to forget, however, is that Elizabeth is remembered for her words, not merely because she said them, but because she went on to dedicate her life to service in the way in which she promised. As Meghan says herself, ‘it’s never too late to start’ – but if Meghan really is hoping to follow in the Queen’s footsteps, she has a long way to go.

Meghan’s address sounded like more of the platitudinous sentiment that has gone down well in certain quarters of American opinion and on the Duchess’s ‘Archetypes’ podcast. But it will leave the average person shaking their head in disbelief. Her exhortation that ‘daily acts of service’ will be the means by which people will seize their emancipation is hard to swallow: among her own ‘acts of service’ have, so far, included making a fortune from Netflix and Spotify and railing against her husband’s family. Self-service would seem a more accurate description when it comes to Meghan.

The ongoing psychodrama (the unkind would call it a soap opera) of the Sussexes’s lives might seem to have been temporarily becalmed by Harry’s dignified and correct appearance at his father’s coronation; he did everything he needed to do, did it well and did not overshadow the day in any regard. Meghan might, of course, declare that her appearance at last night’s gala was nothing to do with the Royal Family. Instead, she may say, it represents another chapter in her being a self-described visionary of her own life. Yet in the appropriation of the Queen’s famous words in a tawdry fashion, it seems that, rather than being a true woman of vision, Meghan is stuck in a self-regarding spiral that she shows no desire to drag herself out of.

#Twitter #alexander larman #queen elizabeth ii #critique #comparison #that dumb prince's stupid wife #pr games #duchess of I NEED PRESS #Harry's Wife's Public Reputation Management #the spectator

[fantasyiswaybetterthanreality]

My Experience with Lego Friends

So way back in 2011, when I was but a wee 8ish year old, my mother and I were walking through the Walmart toy aisle. We moved through the girls section and saw this:

And my mom screamed. No Joke. An employee came over to ask what was wrong and she yelled. "There's Lego's for girls!!!"

That was my first introduction to the franchise/Lego theme. Now I was just as excited as her. Before Friends, I only had one Lego set that Mom had to search extensively for because there weren't really any proper sets for little girls.

So she bought me Lego Friends.

And more Friends.

As a budding Lego lover, I built them. I watched the corresponding TV shows on Netflix. I talked about them with my friends. I received a bunch of sets on my Birthday and Christmas.

A few years later, Lego started to release Disney Princess sets and Lego Elves. While I never got into Elves while they were released (something I regret now that I'm older), I watched the mini movie and series that were released on Netflix.

And then in 2018, Lego rebranded Friends for the first time.

Originally in 2012, Lego Friends advertised a young group of highschool girls and their subsequent adventures in their hometown of HeartLake City. This is what the lineup looked like:

(From Left to right: Emma, Stephanie, Olivia, Andrea, & Mia

Four white girls and one African American, and an extremely light skinned one.

And the "new" line-up in 2018:

(From Left to Right: Andrea, Mia, Emma, Stephanie, & Olivia)

One Asian, one one Hispanic, one African American (dark-skinned not light), and two whites.

Now my 12 year old brain was mad about the changes, especially since American Girl (another toy brand I loved) had rebranded one of there lines and honestly, butchered the best parts about the line.

But after someone told me it was wonderful that they were being more inclusive, and after I looked at some of the sets, I came around.

So I continued to collect the sets. I watched the corresponding show on Netflix.

Then January 2023 rolls up, I innocently stroll down the toy aisle at target and see

"What the hell is this? What's wrong with the logo?" (<- Actual thought from my brain)

After a quick scope around the Friends section, I figure out it's another rebrand. Now, I'm on the fence, holding out judgement.

A few months pass, I see a few new Lego models. A boy in a wheelchair, a girl with half an arm, a girl with Vitiligo. I'm starting to feel hopeful about the rebrand.

However, the core 5 girl squad don't seem to appear as much. So finally, I turn to google like a normal person. And find out that they got rid of the core 5 girl squad and that there's a "New Generation of Friends".

...

Yeah, that ticked me off. The girl squad was my favorite part of the Friends brand.

So after finding this out, I go on a mini-boycott, because apparently, I am still a petulant child when it comes to Legos.

And then around September, I tread into the Lego section of a store for the first time in a while.

And spot a set that has the cutest animal in it. The familiar longing itch to buy a new set returns. My mom approaches me, and we start talking about the rebranded sets. She points out a couple sets with cool architecture.

And I let myself enjoy window shopping for Legos again.

Fast forward to Christmas, I get a set titled HeartLake City Community Center. I haven't built it yet, but I'm looking at the box \/,

Wait a minute, who's that in the corner? Is that who I think it is?

IT IS!!!!!! IT'S STEPHANIE!!!!! AND SHE'S THE MAYOR. HAJKSHJKDHKJLSAS

So I make a red string/conspiracy board theory, that this 2nd rebrand of Legos is *literally* the next generation of Friends. Like, the core 5 grew up and these are all the new kids that live in the city.

I bring this up to my parents, and Mom's thinks it's an awesome theory since it's been a decade. The girls should be allowed to grow up and have adult lives.

I don't think much more about it until I'm browsing the Lego store this afternoon for Lego Monkie Kid Sets, and come across a new set titled Andrea's Modern Mansion. Of course I click on it.

(All following pictures are screenshots from the Lego website)

Front ^ and back \/

Wait, what's that in the middle?

Are those pictures?

THEY ARE!!!!!!!!!!!

Stephanie and Mia graduating! Family portrait! Andrea with her baby! Olivia and Emma!

That's it. The rebrand has won me over. I love seeing all this later in life core 5.

Stephanie's the Mayor, like her idol from the original show. Andrea's a singer, has won some awards, is married, and has a child.

I can't wait to see what they do with the other girls.

Also, look at the reunion!

They're doing karaoke! I can't take it.

#Lego #Lego Friends #lego sets #lego shows #core 5 #Lego be careful #you almost screwed this up for me #Watch your rebrands #At least you know better than American Girl #Yes i'm still salty about the Beforever rebrand #I will drag it through the mud #for the rest of time #Ruined a perfectly educational doll brand #lego monkie kid #I'm going to buy a set #as soon as possible

[ijafterhours]

A NEW CHAPTER.

This is a deviation of my usual posting schedule, and is something i've been mulling over today. Today is quite important in After Hours' development! Hi there! This 2nd of August, 2023, at around 7pm on the dot, I reached the end of writing Season 2 of Inside Job; After Hours. This marks the end of the plot that I've been developing since late November 2022, after seeing the second part of Season 1 of Inside Job air on Netflix. 

I have miscellaneous plots for After Hours that I may want to bring forward from here, such as a Ron-centric movie falling in between seasons, and a plot focusing on a certain shenanigan Lara’s future son Charlie gets into in his adulthood- but I have no plans to start on any of it any time soon. 

What I want to wax poetic about, however, is how After Hours has been changing and improving my life since I started dedicating my time to it. I’m going into my second year of College (British school system, so for Americans, I'm between Grade 11 and 12, and preparing for University!) And I go to a film school that has no exams, and is purely coursework assessed, and for my final for year one, I decided to develop the canon designs for Lara, Logan and Toby for the start of Season 2. If I had not chosen to work on my story the way I had, when it came time to submit our project briefs in late March, I never would’ve passed Year 1 as I did now. I owe passing one of my college years, and in the grander scheme of things, moving up in the animation industry, to After Hours for simply giving me the source materials I needed to impress my examiners. I’ve yet to receive my official grade, but according to a teacher’s verbal slip-up, I'm excited to say I'm getting a very high mark….

I’ve also used After Hours as a coping mechanism, and this last year has been a blur and a struggle, and I could always turn to After Hours in order to release some tension and fuel my creativity. I had no bounds when it came to AH. 

I even procrastinated writing the finale because of my emotional attachment to it- I started Episode 11 in April, and only now have I finished it. 

Lara, Logan, Toby- and even the rest of the crew have my life experiences gently and lovingly sewed into them, and displayed against a background of tumultuous experiences and events that test the true fabric of family and love. 

I’m incredibly moved whenever someone decides to delve into their world and honour me by accepting this offshoot of a story we all know and love.

It’s really hard for me to let go of this project, because it means closing a chapter on what has been the scariest, most productive, most tumultuous and most memorable year of my life. I’ve made so many new and incredible friends, both online and offline, whom I cherish dearly. I’ve started new chapters in love, and also in self discovery. After Hours has accompanied me through that this academic year. 

After the release of the end of Season 1 this weekend, i’ll be taking some time off in beautiful Italy, and i’ll be back with Season 2 in the new academic year come September. 

Thank you so, so much to everyone who's witnessed the development of my ideas come to life these past few weeks, and it only gets more interesting from here!

And a separate thank you to Lara Higgins. She won’t ever know me, but she’s helped me through more than you’d know. 

Stay tuned! Love ya! Thank you for sticking around!

Laika. (@fiuworks)

#inside job #inside job au #inside job; after hours #ij;ah #reagan ridley #ron staedtler #renew inside job #ron x reagan #ask ron staedtler #regron #brett hand #andre lee #inside job netflix #gigi thompson #glenn dolphman #myc celium #magic myc #ah tidbits

[somuchyoudontknow]

"Netflix’s biggest get from the 2022 Cannes Festival is Emily Blunt’s new feature film set for release on Netflix globally in 2023. The new movie, called Pain Hustlers, will be in the vein of Wolf of Wall Street. Here’s a rundown of everything we know about the movie so far that’s set to premiere at the TIFF film festival."

"The world premieres of Ellen Kuras’s biopic Lee starring Kate Winslet, Craig Gillespie’s GameStop meme craze drama Dumb Money, David Yates’s crime drama Pain Hustlers with Emily Blunt, and Michael Winterbottom’s thriller Shoshana are among Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Galas and Special Presentations."

#chris evans #emily blunt #tiff 2023 #pain hustlers #world premiere

[reasoningdaily]

September 25, 2023

One thing that Black people know how to do is cook. Over the years, the look of the culinary industry has drastically changed. From the traditional eating standards to Instagram chefs, the chefs in the aprons share one thing in common: being the best at what they do. For National Cooking Day on Sept. 25, Black Enterprise highlights five chefs killing the game in their respective lanes.

According to National Today, National Cooking Day was set up to encourage and inspire food lovers to try something new and explore the true beauty of the kitchen. From finger-licking good barbecue to fine-dining sous chefs, these five culinary artists have created a lane of their own.

Rodney Scott – South Carolina 

Scott is known to make your mouth water with his traditional barbecue recipes and is often referred to as one of the U.S.’s master pit masters; the chef and business owner has made his mark as one of the industry’s favorites. His popular restaurant, Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ, is a staple in the Charleston community, serving fried chicken, pit-cooked chicken, mac and cheese, and, oh yeah, whole pigs.

He gives his feedback to those coming up behind him as a judge on Food Network’s BBQ Brawl.

Ayo Adeyemi – London

Chef Adeyemi has brought West Africa to the U.K. As head chef of London’s Michelin-star restaurant, Akoko, Adeyemi has changed how traditional African food is celebrated.

“When I was growing up in the industry as a young chef, restaurants like this weren’t around,” Adeyemi said, according to SCMP. “So I was forced to have to learn the modern British culture, the modern Asian culture, the modern French culture.”

Under the chef’s leadership, the menu now hosts an interesting take on jollof rice, served with BBQ, native blue lobster, and smoked goat with mustard seeds.

Nyesha Arrington – California

Her multiracial upbringing has made her keen sense of taste a powerful force in the industry. Arrington, who grew up with a Korean and Black background, trained with top cooks to pick up a spatula and has served as the head chef at Wilshire in Santa Monica, California. Arrington prides herself on concurring many food lanes, including “that path of France and nouvelle cuisine,” she told The New York Times, but she says the main thing she loves is finding the common denominator in food.

While she has made appearances in the Los Angeles Times and GQ, she currently stars as a judge on the cooking competition show Next Level Chef.

Jerrelle Guy – Florida

If you have a sweet tooth, make sure you’re following Jerrelle Guy. Her mouth-watering treats come with a unique spin, ranging from black bean brownies to brown sugar strawberry jalapeno lime pie. Her different recipes have given her a reputation to be proud of, catching the eye of fellow Black girl chefs like Carla Hall, and she was even nominated for a prestigious James Beard Award.

The cookbook author has also been featured on the Netflix series High on the Hog.

Chef Resha – YouTube

If you’re looking for simple but fulfilling recipes, tap into Chef Resha’s delicious YouTube page. So many chefs used the pandemic to uplift their craft, and Resha is one of several that wears the crown. Check out her steak and cheese stuffed peppers or bacon cheeseburger egg rolls recipe and tell her BE sent you.

#Celebrate National Cooking Day With These 5 Black Chefs Who Have Changed The Way We Eat #Black Chefs #cooking

[greensparty]

Stuff I'm Looking Forward to in February

Can't believe we're now into the middle of the first quarter of 2024. In addition to Black History Month (2/1-2/29), Groundhog Day (2/2), Lunar New Year (2/10), Valentine's Day (2/14), Ash Wednesday (2/14), Presidents' Day (2/19), and Leap Day (2/20) here is what's on my radar this month:

Movies:

Orion and the Dark

What got my attention about this animated feature is that it is written by Charlie Kaufman. Yes - the writer of Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind wrote this! Premieres on Netflix on 2/2.

Lisa Frankenstein 

This horror comedy from director Zelda Williams (yes - the daughter of a legend) and writer Diablo Cody looks promising. Opens 2/9 (review to come).

Madame Web 

The newest entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe is also the next installment of the Spider-Man Universe as this gets into multiple Spider-Women and they filmed in Boston too. Color me curious! Opens 2/14.

Kiss the Future

During the Zoo TV Tour in 1993, U2 shined a light on the crisis in Sarajevo in an effort to support the besieged Sarajevans. This documentary about their efforts was produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. After playing festivals last year, it is being released exclusively by AMC Theaters on 2/19.

Drive-Away Dolls

I was a huge fan of the Coen brothers, but after The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, they began working solo. After Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, I’m excited to see Ethan Coen’s solo feature, an action comedy about inept criminals, which is his wheelhouse. I first was looking forward to this in September 2023 and I still am. Opening 2/23.

Music:

Paul McCartney & Wings Band on the Run 50th Anniversary Edition

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Paul McCartney's greatest non-Beatles album, a new special edition is being released. The timing happens to be a few weeks after the passing of Wings guitarist Denny Laine as well. Re-release drops on 2/2.

J. Mascis What Do We Do Now

In addition to Dinosaur Jr., J. Mascis has done some great solo work. His last solo album Elastic Days had some bangers and I was lucky enough to see him do a live solo show in 2019. Looking forward to his newest solo album, which drops 2/2.

TV:

Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 12 premiere

The 12th season of one of the most brilliant TV comedies of all time is going to be the final season (or so they say). Even though it's only at season 12, each season has been spaced out over the past 24 years. I named Season 11 my Best TV Show of 2021. Hopes are high for Larry David's social assassin going out on a high note! Season premiere on 2/4 on HBO.

Awards Season:

We're in the midst of awards season now! This month we have Grammy Awards (2/4), DGA Awards (2/10), SAG Awards (2/24), and Independent Spirit Awards (2/25). Not exactly an awards show, but the biggest competition of the year is the Super Bowl (2/11) as well.

#stuff i'm looking forward to #orion and the dark #charlie kaufman #lisa frankenstein #zelda williams #madame web #drive away dolls #ethan coen #paul mccartney #wings #j. mascis #curb your enthusiasm #film geek #music nerd #tv #kiss the future #U2

[onenettvchannel]

FLASH REPORT: The 3rd and Final Season of 'Hilda' to be screened for a Sneak Peek at OIAF, while Netflix unveiled a Release Date by Early Christmas 2023

(Written by Ridley Terrance / Contributed News Reporter of OneNETnews and Chief Master Control for ONC)

(PHOTO COURTESY: HildaTheSeries via IG PHOTO)

OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- There will be an exciting, upcoming release date for the 3rd and final season of the beloved animated series 'Hilda' on Netflix for this yuletide season. It is even more exciting due to the actual fact that a special sneak peek might be potentially unveil at the Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) on Thursday night (September 21st, 2023 at 7 pm -- Canada local time).

Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) is a global animation festival founded in early mid-August 1976, showcasing both short and feature length films from around the globe. The excellence of animation, innovation and creativity are celebrated at the upcoming Canadian festival in person.

(PHOTO + SCREENGRAB COURTESY via OIAF and Eventival + CONTRIBUTED PHOTO for REPRESENTATION / Three individuals sat down to discuss at Ottawa International Animation Festival for a Question & Answer panel, which possibly in talks for a Sneak Peek and the future of the final 3rd Season of Hilda)

In relation to the final season of 'Hilda', the OIAF screening will provide fans alike with an exceptional opportunity to catch a glimpse of the new adventures awaiting the beloved blue-haired, fearless young explorer. With this Canadian festival in Ottawa, viewers are enchanted with the magical world of animation, as they get a taste of the series' ending before wrapping up for a calendar year of 2023.

The news was first reported exclusively by Deadline, the 7th of December will mark the long-awaited premiere of 'Hilda' Season 3: The Final Season, allowing streaming fans to finally witness the culmination of Hilda's extraordinary journey.

Randy Garita, a YouTuber personality known as ReyGGTV and an Online Media Insider from Los Angeles, California, United States of America (U.S.A.), further confirmed the exciting update regarding the aforementioned cartoon show. As an Internet sleuth who specializes in uncovering entertainment news, Garita cited various reliable sources to support his legitimate claims.

He reportedly shared a YouTube video alone on his own channel last Tuesday afternoon (September 19th, 2023 -- Pacific local time) discussing news and generating even more buzz among enthusiastic fans eagerly awaiting the aforesaid final 3rd season.

Festival-goers can also get a glimpse of 'Hilda' by visiting the official Instagram page (which owned by Meta Platforms Inc.) of the renowned animation festival in Ottawa, Canada. The festival organizers have shared intriguing posts featuring Hilda's iconic blue hair and beloved characters, building up excitement ahead of the sneak peek at the OIAF. The Instagram posts provide a visual feast for Hilda enthusiasts, leaving them desperately wanting more content of them.

With the anticipation surrounding the release of 'Hilda' Season 3 reaching a fever pitch, the Ottawa International Animation Festival promises to be an unforgettable event for animation enthusiasts worldwide. Fans eagerly await the sneak peek at the OIAF, clinging to every piece of information revealed about the highly anticipated final 3rd season.

So, mark your calendars for the Ottawa International Animation Festival on September 21st, 2023 at 7pm (Canada local time), where the enchanting world of 'Hilda' will come alive once again, giving viewers a tantalizing taste of what's to come in the grand finale of this beloved animated series.

Don't miss the epic conclusion of the final 3rd Season of 'Hilda'. Streaming this December 7th, 2023 at 3am EDT / MIDNIGHT Pacific, only on Netflix.

PHOTO COURTESY: Silvergate Media & Mercury Filmworks / Luke Pearson via IG PHOTO BACKGROUND PROVIDED BY: Tegna

SOURCE: *https://deadline.com/2023/09/hilda-netflix-final-season-launch-date-ottawa-animation-festival-1235547896/ [Referenced News Article via Deadline] *https://www.awn.com/news/netflixs-hilda-season-3-sneak-peek-comes-oiaf-2023 [Referenced News Article via Animation World Network] *https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFR29b1Ylrg [Referenced YT Video via ReyGGTV] *https://www.instagram.com/p/CxL8RJXRLFx [Referenced IG PHOTO via HildaTheSeries] *https://www.instagram.com/p/CxVmqMoqCYF [Referenced IG PHOTO via Luke Pearson] *https://www.instagram.com/p/CxRBG3eLfNQ [Referenced IG PHOTO via OIAF] *https://vp.eventival.com/oiaf/2023/film-schedule?day=2023-09-21&view=compact [Referenced Schedule Listings via Eventival] and *https://www.animationfestival.ca/about/ [Referenced Biography via OIAF]

-- OneNETnews Team

#entertainment news #flash report #ottawa #ontario #canada #hilda #hilda spoilers #hilda the series #season 3 #the final season #ottawa international animation festival #OIAF #awareness #cartoon #adventure #OneNETnews #Youtube

[gunsatthaphan]

~ Monthly BL Breakdown: July 2022 ~  

Disclaimer: ALL shows can be streamed here or here, as well as on Dailymotion and Youtube. For more info on where to watch what, check out this post!

New breakdowns coming at the end of every month - feel free to add stuff! -> previous breakdowns

What came out this month? (green tick = seen or currently watching)

🌟 Rainbow Lagoon (short film) - July 4th (Thailand)

🌟 Stranger’s Love - July 4th (Philippines) 

🌟 Oh! My Sunshine Night - July 4th (Thailand) ✅

🌟 Gameboys: The Movie - July 6th (Philippines) 

🌟 Merry Queer - July 8th (reality tv show, South Korea)

🌟 Gameboys 2 (international release) - July 14th (Philippines) 

🌟 His Man - July 15th (reality tv show, South Korea) 

🌟 Vice Versa - July 16th (Thailand) ✅

🌟 Coffee Melody - July 18th (Thailand) ✅

🌟 Kumusta Bro? - July 30th (Philippines) 

Monthly likes/dislikes

❣️ Vice Versa - ugh. it’s so good so far. Like an actual masterpiece. I just love that the story + setup is different. It’s abstract without being cheesy and it has me glued to the screen at all times. The cast is superb, Jimmy and Sea are absolutely killing it, also I’m living for all the Bad Buddy references lol. It’s also nice to see ohmnanon again in this different setting and overall it’s just so much better than I anticipated. I hope it stays at this level. Oh and also the cinematography?? And all the color references?? fck me up. 10/10. 

❣️ The Eclipse - I’m just gonna put this on here even though it hasn’t aired yet because how could I not 🥺😩 it looks so good. I know some people disagree but I liked this trailer so much better than the first one. I know it could be misleading but I’m really hoping for a 50/50 balance between the curse- and the love story. But we shall see. Either way I’m so ready for F&K to own my ass for the next 3 months. 11/10 can’t wait. 

👎🏻 Unforgotten Night - I honestly still don’t know if I love it or hate it djgkfdf I wouldn’t say I had high hopes but somehow I had faith that it could maybe be good... I was wrong lol. It’s so bad. I love Ton as Kim, he’s adorable and very likeable, same with Baiboon - but Yoon?? heck. He’s by far the worst pick for this kind of role. You would think he has improved his performance by now after being in so many shows but nah. He’s giving me nothing. However despite all, it is quite entertaining -  just because of how ridiculous it is. So I guess I’m having a good time. But it’s abysmal. 0.5/10.

New series announcements

🎥 Love Tractor - Date TBA (South Korea) 

🎥 Wish Me Luck (starring Fiat Pattadon and Na Naphat) - Date TBA (Thailand) 

🎥 Egoist (novel adaption) - Coming 2023 (Japan) 

🎥 Mystery of Love - Date TBA (Philippines) 

🎥 Happy Merry Ending - Date TBA (South Korea) 

🎥 Liquor - Date TBA (South Korea) 

🎥 Make a Wish (starring Fluke Natouch) - Date TBA (Thailand) 

🎥 End Love (starring Game Orarig & Boom Jiratpisit) - Date TBA (Thailand) 

🎥 Tie the Not - Date TBA (Philippines) 

🎥 Cheat 2 - Date TBA (Philippines) 

🎥 Kabe Koji - Coming October 2022 (Japan) 

🎥 Jump The Series - Date TBA (Thailand) 

🎥 My Tempo (Musical) - September 22nd (Thailand) 

🎥 Roommate The Series - Date TBA (Thailand) 

🎥 Wish You Luck (starring Tonnam Piamchon (Triage) and Title Teshin (The Yearbook)) - Coming 2023 (Thailand) 

🎥 The Luminous Solution (starring Gun Napat and Mig Teerapat) - Date TBA (Thailand) 

🎥 Self, We See You - Coming September 2022 (Thailand) 

🎥 Fool Love In Pilok - Date TBA (Thailand) 

Other news from the BL world

❗️Choi Si Hoon (from Netflix's “Single's Inferno”) will take the role of Yoo Seong in the upcoming Korean BL “The New Employee”.

❗️The Korean BL “Blueming” is getting a second season. 

❗️Fluke Natouch will star in the upcoming Thai BL Make a Wish, along with Judo Tantachj, Pon Thanapon and Nike Nitidol. 

❗️Filming for the upcoming Thai BL “Between Us” has started. The show will premiere on November 18th. 

❗️Bright Vachirawit, Win Metawin, Zee Pruk, Nunew Chawarin, Ohm Pawat, Nanon Korapat and Mew Suppasit were winners at this year’s KAZZ Awards, amongst a few others. 

❗️Table reads for the upcoming Thai BL “Absolute Zero” have started. The series will premiere in 2023. 

❗️MileApo (KinnPorsche) will star in a historical BL movie that is scheduled to air in 2023. The title, as well as further details, have yet to be announced. 

❗️Wayne Song and Huang Chun Chih (MODC) will be in a theatrical play called "Felicita Wedding Office” which will premiere on December 23-25 in Taipei.

Upcoming series & movies for August

☝🏻 P.S. I Hate You (bl sideplot) - August 1st (Thailand) 

☝🏻 War of Y - August 2nd (Thailand) 

☝🏻 On Cloud Nine - August 6th (Thailand) 

☝🏻 21 Days Theory - August 7th (Thailand) 

☝🏻 Papa & Daddy 2 - August 8th (Taiwan) 

☝🏻 The Eclipse - August 12th (Thailand) 

☝🏻 My Only 12% - August 12th (Thailand) 

☝🏻 180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us - August 14th (Thailand) 

☝🏻 Love in the Air - August 18th (Thailand) 

☝🏻 Takara-kun to Amagi-kun - August 18th (Japan)  

☝🏻 About Youth - August 29th (Taiwan)

☝🏻 Semantic Error: The Movie - August 31st (South Korea, theaters)

☝🏻 Ghost House, Ghost House - August TBA (part-bl, Thailand) 

#doreens monthly bl breakdown #monthly bl breakdown #thai bl #korean bl #japanese bl #bl drama #upcoming bl #update #that blueming sequel.........................why. #have they not learned #also its the same director as tms i believe? fcking hell. #keep that shit in the drafts istg #please #anyway is it august 12th yet jdkhkgfd #so excited #🥺

[tohrules]

shool letter project

(help revived by @zee-rambles @seasaltcosmos thank you to them both this will be update with the grade when I revived it)

Letter under the cut

Dear Nickelodeon, 

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles should get another season. I believe this because of the large fanbase, writers interest in continuing the show, why the show was originally put on pause, and how other shows are treated even ones of the same nature.

I grew up on teenage mutant ninja turtles, from when i was shown the 1987 version by my father at age five to growing up with the 2012 with my older brother. It has been one of my favorite franchises for years. As i got older i noticed problems with 2012 and started to distance myself from tmnt because of it till i heard about Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (from now on i will just refer to it as rise). I was so sad when I found out it had been canceled before I could watch it. When I found it on youtube and netflix I started to watch and was surprised at how many laughs I could get from it. It became a bonding experience for me and my dad. 

Nickelodeon has a few more recognizable shows such as Teen Titans Go and Spongebob. Starting with the show that is most often compared to Rise, we can see that Teen Titans Go has seven seasons and three movies. Spongebob on the other has thirteen seasons and three movies. Both more than the two seasons, although the second season was cut in half, and a movie Rise received.

Spongebob can be better understood due to the fame and more importantly the marketability of the show; however, Teen Titans Go is greatly criticized and has a much smaller marketability. It may seem that Rise would fall into this same problem but it actually is very different. Fanmade merchandise is selling for five to seventy dollars depending on what it is.

Even if you compare it to other versions of tmnt you will see that rise has the least seasons and episodes. Although it has a movie it still didn't wrap up all the plot points such as:mayhem,baron draxam,and big momma. Which leads me into my next point

Rise was canceled or “paused” in the middle of the second season's production. The planned episode number was cut in half and the writers had to wrap up the story lines they could because they didn't know when, if ever, they would be able to continue the story they had made. The reason given to the public for the cancellation from the studio and writers was a change in management combined with low toy sales and poor marketing. Often when who is in charge changes they will get rid of anything the previous management made as a way to make the company their brand.

Rise has a large fanbase. Parrot Analytics and Cartoon Base have down many poles asking rise fans if they want more of the show and over a few months it has gone from 17.1 times the demand than average tv shows to 23 times the demand than average tv shows as of september 2023. The fans have created a thirty page document about why they love Rise and want it back. Some fans have even written and published articles about why it should come back. The fans are dedicated to a fan show in the works because of it. There is also alot of fan merch,as previously stated, from pins to hoodies. 

The writers also have interest in continuing the show. The main writers did a q/a on the show. They showed more plans and a great interest if the show ever got unpaused. They appear to be more than willing to continue if the show got greenlit. One of the writers even released a deleted scene where the characters talk about always being there even if they aren’t actually there. Although it was directed at another character, the writer shared it was deleted because it was ment to be an end, and directed twords the audience, and they didnt want to add it out of desire that the show would be continued. 

Tmnt has had different versions go at the same time especially when it comes to movies so it's not like it is completely unheard of. With most of the fandom recognizing that tmnt is a multiverse and developing a love for rise,sadly it mostly developed after rise was “paused”, rise is much more likely to be better received this time around. Fans have even got the hashtags #saverottmnt and #unpauserottmnt trending.

For all of these reasons I believe that rise should be unpaused, and why I think it would be successful if you decided to bring it back.

Sincerely,

A hopeful Rise fan./tohrules

Thank you to the rise fans on tumblr for pointing me to the tweets and articles needed for the facts in this paper

#save rise of the tmnt #rottmnt #leonardo #leo rottmnt #rottmnt leo #rise of the tmnt #rotmnt #unpause rottmnt #rise leo #rise april #rise tmnt #rise donnie #rise mikey #rise raph #rise of the turtles #unpause rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #unpause rise of the tmnt #letters #nickelodeon

[therecordconnection]

Ranting and Raving: "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang

Recently, I started reading The Come Up: An Oral History of the Rise of Hip-Hop, a really great book by Jonathan Abrams that came out back in October last year. It’s a thorough work, taking its time to really cover the genre, from all its major landmarks (New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, the Midwest, etc.) and most of its major players are interviewed and represented in it. I really recommend it if you’re someone who doesn’t know a lot of the deep lore surrounding hip-hop’s history (like me) and you’re looking to learn more.

2023 marked the year of hip-hop’s fiftieth anniversary and it’s done a lot of well-earned celebrating throughout. There were tons of retrospectives done, the Grammys held a live concert to honor the occasion, and many Spotify playlists were made to help a new generation of hip-hop lovers go back and become immersed in the full history. It’s a good thing that the fiftieth anniversary had so much dedicated to it and people could enjoy looking back, because this year has been very strange for the genre in terms of mainstream Billboard chart success.

From August 2022 to August 2023, no rap song topped the Hot 100 chart, which hasn’t happened for twenty-three years. Rappers were still very much successful and there were still albums that hit the top of the album charts (Lil Uzi Vert’s Pink Tape, Travis Scott’s Utopia, Drake’s For All the Dogs topped it twice) but there was no single song that topped the Hot 100. That dry spell finally ended when Doja Cat managed to break the slump with “Paint the Town Red,” which became a number one hit back in September. In a year where Morgan Wallen and Taylor Swift reigned supreme with no end in sight (especially if you’re Taylor Swift), it was almost a good thing that hip-hop was able to focus on looking back and enjoying how far it's come and celebrate all that the genre has achieved in such a short time.

Anyway, as I was reading the first chapters of The Come Up, which focus on hip-hop’s birth in the Bronx and how it grew out of New York and out of the block parties DJ Kool Herc was throwing in 1973, I was captivated. As I kept going though, there was one thing I kept wondering about.

When do the Sugarhill Gang enter into the story?

When I was young, I had always been under the impression that the Sugarhill Gang were among the first rap pioneers, more or less believing they were the first MCs to spit into the mic and bring hip-hop into the world. They... kinda did, but also not really. They were responsible for playing a major part in the genre becoming the cultural juggernaut we recognize it as today, but as for pioneers? Your mileage will vary on that and I hope that’ll become clear soon as we start discussing them. 

Now, I want it to be known that being a white guy from Bumfuck Nowhere, Pennsylvania, my hip-hop history knowledge has always had giant gaps in it that I’ve only been starting to fill up in recent years. I imagine for many others like myself, they’re only just now really learning the history of hip-hop’s birth in the Bronx and what the first MCs unleashed. If you’re not much of a reader, Netflix’s Hip-Hop Evolution is a really great series that covers a ton of that early history. Charlie Ahern’s 1982 film Wild Style also serves as a historical time capsule of that history as it was being written. The Sugarhill Gang get discussed in Hip-Hop Evolution’s second episode, but they’re nowhere to be found in Wild Style.

So, as I was learning about hip-hop and rap’s origins in New York, eventually the Sugarhill Gang did make an appearance. What I ended up learning gave me an entirely new fascination with a song that up until recently I had just found enjoyable and didn’t think too much of. “Rapper’s Delight” is such a fascinating song. Let me count the ways. Why don’t we start with who the Sugarhill Gang are?

The story of the Sugarhill Gang begins with a woman named Sylvia Robinson, often dubbed the “Mother of Hip-Hop.” A shrewd businesswoman, she was the head of All Platinum Records, a label that started in and ran through the seventies (Sugarhill Records, where “Rapper’s Delight” was released, was a subsidiary of All Platinum and formed in order to focus on the emerging rap scene). Robinson was also a musician herself, being one half of the guitar duo Mickey and Sylvia, scoring a hit in 1956 with “Love is Strange” (a song you definitely know if you’ve seen Dirty Dancing). Sylvia herself also had a hit in 1973 with the song “Pillow Talk.” Robinson has lived a life that goes beyond the scope of our subject today, so we’ll stick with knowing her as a businesswoman. If you want to learn more about Robinson’s story, this Billboard piece on her from 2019 is a good place to start.

In 1979, All Platinum was facing bankruptcy and was in desperate need of a smash hit in order to save it. Robinson had agreed to attend a party at Harlem World, a popular disco club in the late seventies and early eighties at 116th & Lenox Ave, in Harlem. Abrams tells the story of how Robinson first discovered the music that could save her label in The Come Up:

“Robinson witnessed Lovebug Starski work the turntables and the crowd into a frenzy with his call-and-responses. Robinson wanted to capture the music and release it commercially. When Lovebug Starski declined the arrangement, Robinson went on a hunt for other artists.”

Robinson’s search for talent, led by her son Joey Robinson, Jr., took them to a pizza parlor in New Jersey. It still exists today. It’s Crispy Crust Pizza in Englewood, NJ (the surviving members of the Gang are interviewed there in Netflix’s Hip-Hop Evolution). The story goes like this: 

The Sugarhill Gang are made up of three guys: Michael Wright (“Wonder Mike”), Henry Jackson (*Big Bank Hank”), and Guy O’ Brien (“Master Gee”). Robinson only came to hear Big Bank spit, but Wonder Mike and Master Gee also auditioned for her. Unable to make a decision on which one to go with, she ultimately decided to say “fuck it!” and made them a trio. 

It’s the best decision she could’ve made.

They auditioned on a Friday night and by Monday they were in the studio cutting the track. The three guys just kept passing the mic to one another and eventually the full song wound up being fifteen minutes long. 

We’ll get into the rhymes a bit later, but now that we’re familiar with the gang, we should cover what “Rapper’s Delight” ended up being the first of. Hip-hop may have already existed in the Bronx and New York scene for about six years before the gang came along and scored a bonafide hit, but the song does have legitimate cred. It’s the first rap song that made it onto the Billboard Hot 100 and the first rap song to break into the Top 40. It paved the way for Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five to get onto Billboard with 1982’s “The Message” (peaked at #62) and led to eventual chart dominators like Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys, which would start sprouting up a few years after the Gang made their mark. The Sugarhill Gang are also some of the first rappers to film an official music video (which is linked above at the top) and be seen performing on pre-MTV television (there are so many videos out there of them performing this on TV shows. It’s nuts). 

Listening to it, it’s not hard to understand why this song still gets written into the history books. First, this shit holds the fuck up. Second, it’s probably the easiest example to use if the aliens ever visit and Captain Cleevmorp asks, “W h a t i s t h i s t h i n g y o u c a l l . . . ‘r a p m u s i c’?” It’s ripping off a disco song that was barely three months old at the time (“Good Times” was released June 4th, 1979, “Rapper’s Delight” appeared September 16th, 1979) but at its core, it’s a rap song and nobody could mistake it for anything else. Did I mention this is ripping off a disco song that was barely three months old at the time? I feel like that’s an important part of the story.

Do you like “Good Times” by Chic? If you do, then hoo boy, do I have the song for you! I don’t think I’m blowing any minds here when I say that musically, “Rapper’s Delight” is quite literally just three guys rapping over an instrumental version of “Good Times” by Chic. I feel the need to stress that it is NOT a sample of “Good Times,” though you would be forgiven for thinking it is. “Rapper’s Delight” came out during a time when the technology for rap sampling and looping didn’t exist yet, so the production team behind “Rapper’s Delight” had to bring in session guys to recreate the song from scratch. They did such a good job recreating it, Nile Rodgers (guitarist) and Bernard Edwards (bassist) from Chic threatened to sue them. They eventually settled out of court, getting co-writing credits on the song and, according to the Library of Congress, “a substantial undisclosed amount of money made off of album sales and performances.” 

Chic won, but Curtis Brown, better known as New York rapper Grandmaster Caz, didn’t. Now might be a good time to start talking about the lyrics to the song.

For brevity’s sake, we will not be going over all fifteen minutes of this thing (I’ve never made it through the entire song. It just goes on-and-and-on-and-on-on-and-on). Rather, we’re going to focus on most single/video versions of the song and just cover the most important parts. 

Wonder Mike is the first one up. Equipped with a friendly voice and a smooth delivery, he spits some of the most important opening lines in rap history.

I said a hip hop, the hippie, the hippie The hip hip hop and you don't stop the rockin' To the bang-bang, boogie, say up jump the boogie To the rhythm of the boogie, the beat

According to Mike in Hip Hop Evolution, these are the lines he used when auditioning with Sylvia Robinson. Those four lines alone tell you everything you need to know about rap flow and delivery. It’s obviously very primitive compared to what MCs are doing now (and even what MCs were doing when this song got big) but to an unsuspecting audience outside of New York that had no idea what the hell rap was at all, those lines are an immediate attention grabber. I’ve always adored the line that comes after those initial four: “Now, what you hear is not a test I'm rappin' to the beat.” It’s a great way to present something strange and new to an audience without alienating them or scaring them away. People in 1979 had long known about disco and would’ve recognized the music immediately, but the rapping part was a new ballgame and Mike’s delivery in the opening verse lays down the framework for the rest of the song. At its core, “Rapper’s Delight” is a laid back and fun party anthem and he immediately sets that tone with his opening verse. He’s a good straight man compared to the goofy braggadocio that starts immediately once he passes it to Big Bank Hank. 

If “Rapper’s Delight” is beloved, it’s because Big Bank comes in and just kills it from the moment he steps up to the mic. The man just sells it and then some. He’s got great flow, a fun loving attitude, tons of style, and a goofy but confident swagger completely on lock. Depending on the version you’re listening to, he’s going for almost two minutes straight with barely any breaks. For one of the first rap songs ever put to vinyl, it’s an impressive feat. He’s got a lot of really great rhymes too.

It’s just a shame he didn’t write a lot of them...

Remember when I said Chic won their lawsuit threat but Grandmaster Caz didn’t end up being so lucky? That’s because a good chunk of the rhymes Big Bank is using are actually Caz’s and it wasn’t a secret to the New York rappers hearing it at the time. 

One dead giveaway is in this line: “The women fight for my delight / But I'm the grandmaster with the three MCs.” Three MCs, huh? But there’s only three of you. There would have to be four of you in order for that line to work. It worked when Caz said that as part of the group Cold Crush Brothers, because there were four of them. Another Caz line is near the beginning of Big Bank’s first verse: “Check it out, I'm the C-A-S-A-N, the O-V-A / And the rest is F-L-Y.” “Casanova” was a nickname of Caz’s. Caz reveals more stolen rhymes and where Big Bank got them from when interviewed for The Come Up:

“Sometimes I’ve been misquoted, and then sometimes I’ve made the mistake of saying I wrote all of Big Bank Hank’s lines for ‘Rapper’s Delight.’ What I meant is his verses. I meant his rhymes. But the little bridges, the hook, that’s DJ Hollywood. That, ‘Imp the Dimp, the ladies’ pimp. The women fight for my . . ., that’s Rahiem from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Those two things, I didn’t write, but the full rhymes he says, ‘I’m the C-A-S-AN, the O-V-A from the time I was only six years old’ and then the Superman and Lois Lane, I wrote all of that.” 

Whether Big Bank got to see a book of Caz’s rhymes and learn them from reading that is up for debate. Caz claims in both The Come Up and Hip-Hop Evolution that Hank didn’t have to study. He knew them all just from knowing Caz and being around him. If you want to hear Caz get bitter about it (which he has every right to be) he addressed this issue of plagiarism in 2000 with the song “MC Delight” (“the cat who bit this rhyme was my manager, pure treason I'll tell you why...”). 

It does take the wind out of the sails a bit when you learn Big Bank cribbed from other rappers for “Rapper’s Delight,” because he’s a very fun and energetic performer with a great voice and great flow, but once you learn the rhymes were stolen from guys who would never get any of the glory of “the first rap hit,” you start to feel bad and look at Big Bank as nothing more than a thief. It blows. New York DJ Grandmixer DXT voices the backlash and problematic nature of getting caught ripping somebody else off in Hip-Hop Evolution:

"Hank was saying a rhyme that we was hearing at the parties already, and he's saying somebody else's rhyme. And for us, that's a catastrophic no-no. There were people who would get beat up for saying somebody's rhyme. And here's a record where this guy bites and actually records it. Like, that was just the worst thing ever."

It goes without saying that the biggest problem with Hank ripping off rap’s founding fathers in the Bronx is that the Sugarhill Gang gets credit for being the first rap stars when one of them is pretty shamelessly ripping off lines from every rapper he heard in New York. There’s no evidence that everything in Hank’s verses are ripped off from somewhere, but there’s evidence of plagiarism all the same. Luckily, Master Gee and Wonder Mike’s parts are both authentic as well as fully written by them. Which is good because once Gee takes over from Big Bank, he takes a little time to get going, but eventually starts feeling himself and really starts delivering some Grade-A stuff. Most of his lines are either about bragging about his status as a ladies man, observations about the listener dancing to the music, and how he’s the youngest member of the three, but can still keep up with the best of them. I do like that his first brag is how he goes by the “unforgettable name” of Master Gee. Personally, I actually think all three of their names are pretty dumb and lame as far as rap names go, but they’re among some of the first rappers so it’s not like they had any way to avoid that.

Master Gee’s most impressive moment is this verse right here, written out in full:

I got a little face and a pair of brown eyes All I'm here to do, ladies, is hypnotize Singin' on-and-and-on-and-on-on-and-on The beat don't stop until the break of dawn Singin' on-and-and-on-and-on-on-and-on Like a hot buttered pop-da-pop-da-pop, dibbie dibbie Pop-da-pop-pop, you don't dare stop Come alive, y'all, gimme whatcha got

It’s stuff that’s downright corny by today’s standards, but Gee’s ability to spit all that without getting tongue-tied is more than I can say for myself. He’s got really great control; all three of them do. Mike, Big Bank, and Gee each deliver their parts like a never-ending party and when you listen to the full version of the song (that fifteen minute monster!) it has the feel of a party where you and your friends are just shooting the shit and passing around a blunt or something to each other. The three of them all seem like friends that are collectively goofballs just having a good time, which is one reason why I think the song has enjoyed the long life it’s had.

I also think the reason this song has lived so long is because white people LOVE this song. Of course they do! It’s a pretty sanitized version of the kind of music that was being made in New York at the time. There’s no message to it, no commentary about social issues, or even using old records in a creative way like the DJs of the day had been doing. Everything about this song was specifically engineered to be commercially viable, right down to completely ripping off a song that had already been a hit less than four months beforehand.

A mainstream audience (read: white) was absolutely slammed with pretty much nothing but disco for most of 1977, all of 1978, and most of 1979 before a bunch of people finally snapped and held a massive bonfire in Chicago about it. “Good Times” was something they already knew and something disco lovers still enjoyed, so you could ease them into this strange new thing called “rappin’ to the beat” and they would understand it without being confused. To most, it was probably just a different style of disco song at the time. It wouldn’t be until the mid-eighties when people would start to begin to understand a better definition for what rap is.

Obviously, the song has a wide appeal and white people really enjoying it isn’t the only reason, but that definitely plays a major factor. You’re looking at the song that inadvertently launched a thousand novelty rap songs in the eighties, all featuring white guys who should’ve never been allowed to be anywhere near a rap song. Rodney Dangerfield with “Rappin’ Rodney,” the Beach Boys with the Fat Boys on “Wipeout,” Joe Piscopo doing “Honeymooners Rap” with Eddie Murphy, and, lest we forget "The Super Bowl Shuffle" by The Chicago Bears Shufflin' Crew. What I’m trying to get at is this: The Sugarhill Gang made it so that if they, three dorks from New Jersey working in a pizza parlor, can rap, you probably can figure it out too. Adding to the “White People Have Propped This Song Up as a Monument” theory is how many things have referenced this song over the years. Here’s a Homer Simpson toy that raps the song and dances to it. The grandmother from The Wedding Singer famously does it (also adding to the “elderly women rapping” trope). Jimmy Fallon once had somebody cut and splice NBC anchors Brian Williams and Lester Holt rapping the song. Kid Rock’s breakout 1999 hit “Bawitdaba” references the song in its chorus (“Bawitdaba, da bang, da dang diggy diggy / Diggy, said the boogie, said up jump the boogie”). And there’s of course the famous 2002 Las Ketchup song “Asereje,” though you probably know it better as “The Ketchup Song,” which is about someone who goes to the club and asks the DJ to play "Rapper's Delight" and sings along in gibberish because he doesn't know the English lyrics. The point is that this song has been propped up by a lot of people who should NOT be considered rappers (yes, that includes Kid Rock).

I think the first time I ever started to have suspicions that the song wasn’t universally adored was when I watched In Living Color for the first time. There’s a sketch in the first season where Keenan Ivory Wayans plays Jesse Jackson and goes for the joke that everyone used to make about him: That he speaks in rhymes, almost like he’s a real life version of Gruntilda the witch from Banjo-Kazooie. Anyway, there’s a sketch where Jackson is giving his final State of the Union address (in the world of this sketch, he beat George H. W. Bush in ‘92 and has been president for eight years) and gives his address in the most basic AA BB CC rhyme scheme that wouldn’t look out of place in a children’s book. After a few of them, Wayans-as-Jackson breaks and quickly says: “Hip hop, you don't stop the rockin' / To the bang-bang, boogie, the beat,” which I took to be an insult that the rhymes in that song were just as basic as anything Jackson had ever said. The idea that “Rapper’s Delight” was wack was something I think I had already known in the back of my head but didn’t want to say because I thought that would just make me sound like a guy who hates fun. But, upon reading and hearing testimonies from the founding fathers of rap in New York, I realized that the big sin of “Rapper’s Delight” wasn’t that it was wack...

Its biggest sin was that it was made by a bunch of posers.

Sylvia Robinson didn’t know anything about the hip-hop and rap scene developing in New York, but she knew it was something that could be monetized if it was done and presented in the right way. Wonder Mike and Master Gee weren’t real rappers with any credibility, they were just guys working in a pizza parlor in New Jersey who were given the opportunity of a lifetime. Big Bank was the only one who could lay claim to having connections in the Bronx. He grew up there, worked the doors at famous Bronx nightclub The Sparkle, and also served as a manager for Grandmaster Caz (whom he would later rip off). “Rapper’s Delight” wasn’t made by starving artists who were pivotal to creating a new scene, it was made by a bunch of posers who had everything to gain from it. New York rappers interviewed in The Come Up knew this and were justifiably pissed about the song. The only testimony that was kind to them came from Kool Moe Dee, who understood the backlash as well as the song being embraced by white America.

“I understood why there was a lot of MCs at the time that didn’t like it, because I just think the social construct of oppression puts us against each other in many ways. In my opinion, many African Americans have a hard time giving other African Americans credit for achieving because so much of white America accepted that record and they started to define it from their perspective. And we’re saying we’ve already been here; it’s not new. So a backlash was on Sugar Hill that wasn’t deserved because they didn’t ask for it. ... So it was never not really hip-hop. We just had gotten more lyrically sophisticated at that time and the record was a great record. And looking back, if it wasn’t for Sugar Hill, we might not have an industry as prominent as we have because of the success of ‘Rapper’s Delight.’”

Kool Moe is right. It wasn’t their fault that “Rapper’s Delight” took off the way it did. Robinson was cashing in on what she saw as “the new thing” and wanted in. The song taking off the way it did happened the way a lot of hits happen: it was the right song with the right artists at the right place at the right time. “Rapper’s Delight” has stuck around the way it has because it captures a beautiful moment where music history is at a crossroads. The golden age of disco is going to be gone when the ball drops on January 1st, 1980, but rap music is only just getting started and by the end of the eighties it will begin its big mainstream explosion and keep going from there. 

“Rapper’s Delight” captures rap in its beautiful infancy. What it lacks in authenticity, it makes up for by being representative of what was going on at the time. It’s a time capsule. No matter which version of this song you choose, it sounds like a never ending party that everyone is invited to and a party where everyone is your friend. It’s fun, it’s infectious, and the three hosts are entertaining as hell as they pass the mic back and forth and keep the party going. Mike, Hank, and Gee created a fun rap song for beginners: it’s a very easy song to understand sonically and it’s an easy song to learn how to rap along to. The rhymes aren’t super complicated and the most you’d have to learn and work out is how to get the flow right and how to not trip over the words. If you can master Wonder Mike’s opening lines (if a Homer Simpson toy can do it, so can you!) the rest comes easy. Learning Big Bank and Master Gee’s parts aren’t complicated either and it becomes fun to recite along with them once you start getting it down. The beat of “Good Times” is very easy to keep up with and follow so that helps it as an excellent beginner song. Despite the criticisms against it, “Rapper’s Delight” still stands as a fantastic party song and it’s not hard to see why people still enjoy getting down to it even now. If you play it at the right party, you’ll hear a whole room recite the lyrics and just have fun with it. Hip-hop and Rap started life as block parties DJ Kool Herc was throwing in ‘73 and the Sugarhill Gang continued that tradition by capturing that party on vinyl. The rap world has changed in many ways since the Gang started rappin’ to the beat, but it keeps its status as a legendary rap song because it’s the party rap song that all party rap songs aspire to. Forget authenticity and leave your notions about “what rap really is about” at the door and just let loose. With the Sugarhill Gang, the party goes on-and-and-on-and-on-and-on

And the beat don't stop until the break of dawn.

#original post #ranting and raving #sugarhill gang #music criticism #Youtube