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whitherliliesbloom · 4 years

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Hilda, Hien, and Haurchefant :3c

[send me a character - accepting]

OHHHHHHHHHH BOY THIS BE LONG THANK YOU. Answers will be under the cut!

Favorite thing about them

She’s badass without feeling like a forced femme fatale type. Lots of female characters her type from other series go way too over the top and I feel like Hilda is the more down to earth, realistic version of that type of character.

Least favorite thing about them

It’s not really much to do with Hilda herself but.. I kind of wish they explored the controversy behind interracial relationships and children more. Instead it feels like they just glossed over the whole ‘half race children are taboo’ subject and it was never addressed again. It could have been potentially interesting to see them actually address the issue and maybe have an arc about the Ishgardians being more accepting of interracial relationships which would tie into the other issues they have that were given more time to be addressed like their racism, the bad attitude the nobles have towards peasants in general.

Or maybe I’m just saying this because I still see people arguing that interracial relationships / children are impossible when that clearly isn’t true.

Favorite line

Uhh god I’m bad at remembering lines I’m sorry.

brOTP

Spoilers for the machinist storyline but brotp with her actual brother Muscadain. He was a bit of an ass at first but I really really liked how they made up in the end and even acknowledged each other as siblings. I love sibling rivalry relationships like that.

OTP

Barring ships with some wols I’ve seen, nobody.

nOTP

None so far

Random headcanon

Hilda is the person who came closest to being able to eat Illya’s black blossom stew. She couldn’t quite finish the whole bowl but the fact she ate more than few spoonfuls of the thing makes her head and heels better than anyone else who has tried Illya’s stew.

Song i associate with them

youtube

Favorite picture of them

This fanart of her.

Favorite thing about them

He’s the bro character we never knew we needed. I feel like the Hien really made the trio between Yugiri, him and Gosetsu complete and balanced with his relaxed, confident but also responsible personality that compliments Yugiri’s more stoic personality and Gosetsu’s goofier sides. He was just such a refreshing character that made Stormblood a lot more enjoyable in general. Also helps that he’s a far better big brother figure to Alphinaud than Estinien...

Least favorite thing about them

I don’t think it’s the fault of Hien himself.. or even that the writers intended for it to come off this way but.. I’ve always felt something was strange about how he seemed to refer to the Xaela that lived in the Azim Steppe as nothing but tools.. or at best just potential soldiers for his army to fight off the imperials. I really don’t think Hien is meant to be the sort of character who thinks of others as disposable but I do remember being iffy about some of his dialogues.

Favorite line

Not a line but I liked the part where Alphinaud comes up with a plan for them to take Doma castle and Hien just casually comes up with “yeah let’s flood the castle while we’re at it”. It shows off his wit and his guts at being able to sacrifice what was meant to be his home for the greater good of the people.

brOTP

YUGIRI AND GOSETSU

OTP

Aside from the obvious =)))))))))) Nobody

nOTP

Uhhhhhh nobody. At least not any I can think off the top of my head.

Random headcanon

I really wanna think outside of his traditional clothes Hien is actually really fashionable. Introduce him to western clothes and trends long enough and he’d actually put together his own wardrobe rather well. He’s no trendsetter or influencer but he’d still look good in just about anything he chooses to put on.

Unpopular opinion

Hien should’ve stabbed Asahi before it was too late.

I think it’s weird that they reduced Hien to being something of a derpy bystander when it came to that whole Tsuyu arc, from him basically doing nothing while Asahi was clearly up to no good to him leaving Yotsuyu unattended multiple times. He’s clearly better than that.

Song I associate with them

youtube

Favorite picture of them

This isn’t even fanart but wow look at that man

Favorite thing about them

God after the mess that was the end of ARR, Haurchefant was just... a gift. His supportive, kind and joyful demeanor was much needed levity we needed after everything felt so bleak and helpless. He honestly genuinely felt like our sole ally and source of comfort in that moment and I think that’s why so many people grew so attached to him. He was there for the wol when nobody else was.

Least favorite thing about them

We don’t talk about Japanese dub Haurchefant.

Favorite line

“Are you content to remain a broken blade? Is there no flame hot enough to reforge you?”

I could have gone for the easy “a smile better suits a hero” but you know..

brOTP

Francel!! I really wish we could’ve seen these two interact more...

OTP

The obvious.... looking at a certain pink miqo...other than that, nobody.

nOTP

Nobody I can think of?

Random Headcanon

Haurchefant 100% is the type who would roast people with a full smile. He doesn’t often do it because he’s just an absolute angel and he’s so nice but.. anyone he thinks is awful enough would just get told off with his full smile = ))))).. and he’d even add a “have a nice day” at the end of it. Also I headcanon that the pixies all adore Haurchefant.

Unpopular opinion

Totally not unpopular but I’m still gonna say it. I miss him and want him back.

Song I associate with them

youtube

Favorite picture of them

Not that valid but I still have feelings from this comic

#ask #out of mana #send me a character #THANK YOU FOR THE ASK THIS TOOK A WHILE TO FILL OUT #windup-dragoon

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keiratheraven · 4 years

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Bentley 8 Squad Characters Description

(First, forgive me for my broken English. Second, sims close-up in sims 3 gameplay isn't so good and I can't install pose player for some reason, so I have to go to CAS just to take their closeups).

This is the description of the characters from my fanfiction, Bentley 8 Squad. Like I said in my previous post, they called themselves "Bentley 8" because all of them like Bentley cars. They are living together in a house in Sim City. Each nicknames represent their traits/styles and positions in this squad. Their friendships are inseparable, and they're always there for each other. They established a mental health community named "Im-perfection", and their goal is to help everyone who struggles with mental health. Their Im-perfection community tagline is: "It's okay to not be perfect, and we are perfect because of it". Despite their obstacles, they're always finding ways to chase their dreams in their early 20's. By the way, some original characteristics are changed for the storyline.

Angela Pleasant (Bentley Queen) - age 20

She's ambitious, fashionable, popular, cheerful, and a trendsetter. As a cheerleader captain and queen bee of Pleasantview high school, Angela knows how to fit in. She's always friendly to everyone despite her stuck-up personality, and it made some people nicknamed her "phony" behind her back. But as she gets older, she became more sincere, especially after she's taking a master's degree in psychology. She and her twin sister, Lilith, disliked each other when they were teens. But she apologized to her and they became friends. She also has interests in fashion design. She's a great home cook, and excellent at making cakes. Angela is a good listener to her seven housemates. She loves Dustin so much although they came from different social circles. She suffers from eating disorders and endometriosis, but it doesn't limit her to become a (soon-to-be) psychologist.

Lilith Pleasant (Bentley Gothic) - age 20

She's often misunderstood due to her attitude and black clothing. She's sharp, gloomy, sarcastic, hot-headed, and somewhat rude. But she's really nice if you know her well, and she will do everything for her close friends and lover (especially her boyfriend, Dirk).

Despite her parents (Daniel and Mary-Sue Pleasant) treated her unfairly and favored Angela over her, plus she and Angela disliked each other when they were teens, she's forgiving and didn't hold grudges. Unlike Angela who was a queen bee, Lilith was one of the outcasts in high school. As a lead vocalist in her high school band, and she's taking art major, Lilith is a great artist and talented rock singer/guitarist. She has bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder, but her manic-depressive phases make her even better at making arts and music. That's the way she deals with her mental disorders : pouring all her emotions into creations as a coping mechanism.

Dustin Broke (Bentley Rogue) - age 22

He's rebellious, bad-ass, tough, daredevil, and likes to break the laws. He used to be a criminal and drug dealer in high school. He liked to smoke weed and use cocaine. Back then, he liked to steal things. But actually, he's not a bad person. He's really soft on the inside but pretends to be tough. He cares a lot about his seven housemates, especially his beloved girlfriend (Angela). His mother, Brandi Broke, is married to Dirk's father (Darren Dreamer) several years after his father (Skip Broke) passed away.

Then, he realized his dream was never to become a criminal. He quits his criminal career to become an architect. Also, he suffers from schizophrenia caused by the drugs and trauma (his then-alcoholic mother, Brandi Broke, often beat him up when he was a teen), but medications and his job keeps him stable. He's getting nicer and trying to do good, although his rebellious nature is never faded.

Dirk Dreamer (Bentley Brain) - age 21

He's good, selfless, genius, bookworm, and compassionate. He's the smartest among them in this squad. He graduated from medical school at age 19, then he took psychiatry specialization aside from his dream to be a general practitioner because he wants to recover his girlfriend (Lilith), his step-brother (Dustin), and his best friend (Angela) from their mental disorders. As a kind doctor, Dirk is always helping people or put everyone's priority first before him, especially all of his housemates. His hard-work is because he wants to make his late mother proud. He's good at treating sick people or saving lives, and he'll be distressed if he fails to keep them alive. But, he has a terrible sense of humor. He has a library in their house, full of his book collections. Despite his struggle with type 1 diabetes, it doesn't stop him to become a successful doctor. He wrote a best-selling book about his journey as a diabetic psychiatric resident.

Johnny Smith (Bentley Leader) - age 23

He's nice, athletic, charismatic, commanding, and a party animal. He's so confident despite having a green skin due to alien descent. As the squad leader (and the oldest member) who has a black belt in karate, Johnny is trying his best to guide and protect all his friends and lover (Ophelia) in this squad. Johnny is a great organizer and planner. His perfectionist nature makes him never missed any arrangement. He has a bachelor's degree in business. He also likes to be a party DJ in the clubs. He's the second-best home cook in their household after Angela. Although sometimes he's loud and bossy to his seven housemates, it's because he cares and wants the best for them. He suffers from OCD and PTSD because he got beaten up by 9 people, stabbed on his abdomen, and thrown to the filthy dumpster due to hate crime against green-skinned sims when he was 18. But, he's trying to let go of the past, learning karate, and became a successful young executive.

Ophelia Nigmos (Bentley Flower) - age 22

She's kind, worrywart, mysterious, graceful, and patient. She likes every kind of flower, and her hobbies are gardening and writing. Motherly and nurturing, Ophelia knows how to give attention to her seven friends/housemates (especially her boyfriend, Johnny). She likes children, and she's working as a kindergarten (sometimes elementary school) teacher. She's also a talented writer. She has a strong interest in literature and has a bachelor's degree in it. She's also a successful blogger and their Im-perfection website admin as well. Her parents died when she was 10, and she became independent and quiet since she moved to Olive Specter's house in Strangetown. She's often panicking and worrying about the smallest things. Although she has anxiety and paranoid personality disorder, caused by the ghosts of her old house, only writing and gardening that can calm her down beside the meds.

Ripp Grunt (Bentley Clown) -

age 21

He's playful, humorous, hyperactive, talkative, and a heartbreaker. He slept with more than ten women (and also slept with men). But, he never fell in love with them like the way he fell in love with Ophelia and Johnny. As a drama student, Ripp is a talented actor and entertainer. He's great at imitating impressions. He can do a pantomime or stand up comedies as well. He likes to sing/play guitar and often posting duet cover videos with Lilith. He also likes to post pranking videos. His nice and funny personality makes him great at consoling his seven housemates when any of them gets sad, even though he often cries alone when he remembers his past because his father and older brother (Buzz and Tank Grunt) abused him when he was a teen. He wants to become a successful actor and musician despite his struggles with ADHD and chronic gastritis. Although sometimes he can't control his manners or actions, He's still trying to do the best.

Puck Summerdream (Bentley Fancy) - age 22

He's good, shy, polite, thoughtful, and serious. Charming and well-mannered, Puck knows how to treat everyone nicely. Coming from the most respected and wealthy family beside The Capps in Veronaville, makes him the richest sim in this squad. But he's still humble and doesn't want to talk about his wealth. Unlike his peers in Veronaville, Puck didn't want to get involved with Capp-Monty feuds, and he's always trying to be nice to both sides. He likes to wear suits and bowtie. He's an expert in classical music because he has double degrees in mathematics and fine arts (music branch). He likes to play the piano, violin, saxophone, and he can conduct an orchestra as well. He often treats his seven friends at the restaurants, movie theatre, and concerts. His sensitive nature makes him a little bit over-emotional. Despite his weak heart, and his depression caused by the death of his girlfriend (Hermia Capp) due to the mass shooting at Academie Le Tour three years ago, Puck will never let grief or disease obstructing his dreams. He became a successful conductor, and his dream is to bring peace with his music.

Bonus pics

Six of them autonomously spending time together at the gym (Lilith is not in the pic).

Puck and his new girlfriend, Marina Prattle from Bridgeport. She's really a pretty sim for a sims 3 premade.

#sims 2 characters #sims 3 screenshots #angela pleasant #lilith pleasant #dustin broke #dirk dreamer #johnny smith #ophelia nigmos #ripp grunt #puck summerdream #squad #mental illness #description #fanfiction #sims story #marina prattle #bentley 8 #sims 3

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zarafoodrecipe · 5 years

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How Alessandro Michele made Gucci relevant again

"A way to live." That phrase, that concept, keeps coming up with Michele, and it's a key to his transformation of Gucci from a label that had drifted far from the conversation to one at the centre of it. He isn't just selling robes, slippers, handbags, things, though he certainly wants customers to buy those, which they've done in numbers that have returned Gucci to peak cultural relevance and extraordinary financial success. He's selling a sensibility: eccentric, eclectic, inclusive. And he's doing it with every mode of communication at his disposal.

The Gucci bomber jacket inspired by Harlem designer Dapper Dan. Credit:Getty Images There are, for example, the collaborators he chooses and the celebrities he pulls into his orbit. His reaction to the graffiti artist Trevor Andrew, aka Gucci Ghost, who in late 2013 and 2014 scrawled the label's signatures all over Brooklyn and Manhattan, wasn't a copyright infringement suit or a cease-and-desist order. It was a formal invitation accepted to make clothes together (for Gucci's autumn 2016 collection). Michele's response to an outcry last year that he had copied from the legendary 1980s Harlem designer Dapper Dan a famous bomber jacket panelled in dark brown mink fur, with voluminous monogram-printed balloon sleeves was to say yes, he did, proudly and in tribute. Then, to prove his respect, Michele teamed with Dap for a joint line of apparel and set him up to work on it in an impeccably restored corner brownstone in Harlem whose lowest level, just beyond an ornate gate, is an atelier with a wall of blood-red drapes facing the street. "I didn't believe it, you know, until Cinderella saw the carriage the carriage with all the horses," Dap tells me when I drop by. "I thought, 'Wow, I guess I'm going to the ball.' When Michele introduced Gucci Bloom, the first new fragrance under his watch, he assembled unconventional ambassadors: Dakota Johnson, best known for being trussed and teased in the Fifty Shades of Grey movies; the young Canadian photographer and video director Petra Collins; and Hari Nef, a transgender actress and model. The Michele message, which never falters, is that the world of luxury is infinitely elastic, that Gucci is a palazzo with room for everybody and that the way to live is together, in harmony, in all of its overstuffed rooms. What to wear? Michele has on a pair of white leather sandals studded with dozens of crystals, sweat socks, frayed jeans and a bulky plaid shirt in baffling tension with the silk scarf above it. He's a fop. He's a lumberjack. He's a hipster. He's also a Christmas tree, ornamented to a fare-thee-well. He loves jewels, typically wears multiple bracelets and necklaces and has bulbous rings one shaped like a fox, another like a wolf on all his fingers except for his thumbs. He's his own Manhattan, his own mosaic. He's messy and mesmerising. Just like his ready-to-wear designs, which jumble elements, patterns, time periods and allusions that were seldom if ever jumbled before: pussy bows on men's shirts, babushkas atop power suits, sneakers under gowns, stripes with plaids, the old-fashioned meeting the space age. He's unrestrained with colour, promiscuous with layers and gaga for floral patterns, animal imagery and corporate logos. Where Tom Ford's Gucci spanning a decade, beginning in 1994 was minimalist, emphasising glamour, Michele's is hectic, emphasising irreverence. I sometimes wonder if he was put on this earth to liberate fashion writers from the adjective "sleek" and acquaint them with "magpie". "Beauty doesn't have limits," he tells me. "It doesn't have rules." When he took over at Gucci, he says, "fashion was talking about something that didn't exist anymore, this kind of posh world of beautiful legs and beautiful hair. I was just talking about humanity. I was trying to find a new energy in the street, not in the jet set." You still need a certain budget for Gucci. But you don't need a certain bearing or taste. "It was a revolutionary act to come in and do what he did with this company," Leto tells me, calling Michele "the Steve Jobs of fashion". Elton John, who was the muse for Michele's Spring 2018 women's and men's collection and his collaborator for a capsule collection in September last year, likens his exuberance to Gianni Versace's. After Versace's death, John thought he'd never gravitate to a famous designer's apparel again. "I didn't think there would be anyone out there worth it," he says. But when he began his farewell tour in September, he did so with a wardrobe by Michele, who creates "clothes with humour", John tells me, adding: "He's making clothes for basketball stars, for US National Football League stars, for people who feel they're not being judged for what size they are. That's important. Most designers make clothes for anorexic stickpins. He's making clothes that everybody can enjoy." John socialises with Michele, knows him well and says Michele's personality also distinguishes him from others in his industry. "Fashion is known for people being divas and being grand," John says, "and I can think of a lot of fashion designers I wouldn't want to spend five minutes with, probably 90 per cent of them. And he's just very down-to-earth."

Michele with Elton John and Johns partner David Furnish at a Gucci launch in London. Hes just very down-to-earth, John says of the designer.Credit:Getty Images Jared Leto, Elton John: this wasn't Michele's crowd before 2015, because for most of his career first at the Italian knitwear brand Les Copains, then at Fendi, then at Gucci, where he designed bags for Tom Ford before rising to become an associate designer to Ford's successor, Frida Giannini he was only modestly known outside the companies he worked for. That changed in a blink, in one of the most unexpected and consequential fashion stories of the last quarter-century. Ford's Gucci was a sensation, its air of hedonism and hypersexuality in perfect sync with the prosperity and libido that defined Bill Clinton's US presidency, but during the Giannini years, from 2005 through 2014, the label lost its mooring and its lustre. It didn't turn heads. It didn't prompt talk. Above all, it didn't communicate anything specific about its time. Michele's Gucci, in contrast, is engaged in a consistently spirited and occasionally profound conversation with the zeitgeist, drawing from it, adding to it and revolutionising fashion in the process. Young consumers plant their flags and sculpt their images on social media, so Gucci, under Michele, does too. They expand and even explode the old parameters around gender, sexual identity, race and nationality, and Michele takes that journey with them, even leads them on it, giving them a uniform for it, a visual vocabulary with which to express it. The emotional genius of what he has done is to affirm their searching. The commercial genius is to create totems for it and, in the process, democratise what we historically called "luxury goods", a phrase too haute and hoary for the party he's throwing. Franois-Henri Pinault, the chairman and CEO of Kering, the luxury conglomerate that owns Gucci, says before Michele took the reins, the problem at Gucci wasn't really sales, which remained respectable. "The perception of Gucci as a fashion authority, as one of the trendsetters, was declining," he says. He fired both Giannini and the company's CEO, who was also her romantic partner and the father of her child, and started over, bringing in the Italian businessman Marco Bizzarri as a new CEO and charging him with finding Giannini's replacement in all likelihood, a fashion nova from another label. When Bizzarri met Michele, then 42, for coffee one day in late December 2014, he was just trying to learn more about the company. Michele, he tells me, "certainly wasn't on the list of candidates". But they talked and talked about the more joyful culture that the company needed, about history and art and life, about how fashion is so much more than merchandise. The conversation spanned three hours, and when Bizzarri contacted him almost immediately afterwards to ask for more time to talk, Michele realised that he had joined the roster. Bizzarri then laid down a challenge that became fashion legend. Gucci was about to present its new autumn 2015 menswear collection, and Giannini had essentially finished it. What if they scratched it and swapped in a collection by Michele? He had a week: five days for the clothes (36 looks in all) and two days for the staging of the runway show, every last detail of which, from the models to the seating arrangement, Michele subsequently changed. "It was a way for me to see if Alessandro was willing to take risks," Bizzarri recalls, "because considering the kind of turnaround that I had in mind, I needed a person who was willing, like me, to take big risks and maybe make big mistakes. If he was going to tell me no, then I didn't want to be with someone who was risk-averse." Michele was emboldened partly by his knowledge of the size and skill of the design team at Gucci. But mostly, he just didn't think about the insanity of what he was trying to pull off. "Somebody gave me the chance to do something beautiful, and when you are working on something beautiful, you don't feel the pressure," he says. "I work to create something that is in my brain, and I don't feel like I have to impress people outside." The result, unveiled in mid-January 2015, was where the pussy bows came in, along with other necklines and fillips usually associated with womenswear. He used both female and male models, so interchangeable in their looks that they became a grand, genderless blur. They wore berets, spectacles, scarves. Androgyny cosied up to cheeky intellectualism, and in a slightly off-kilter palette: an announcement of his willingness to play with colour more daringly than his forebears at Gucci had. These weren't his boldest hues, which would come later, but they were surprising, under-appreciated ones: the gunmetal end of the blue spectrum, the rustier shades of brown, each sometimes throwing a pure, vivid red into more brilliant relief. At the show's end, instead of taking a solo bow, Michele brought his whole team on-stage with him, which was another declaration that a new day had dawned. Only then did the nerves kick in. "I'm not shy in my private life, but I'm really shy when I have to go out in front of a lot of people," he says. "I'm more than shy. I'm terrified." But the applause, he remembers, "was like the biggest hug I've ever felt in my lifetime." Some fashion insiders muttered privately that Gucci had gone mad. But both Pinault and Bizzarri were impressed by Michele's instinct to transplant his own quirks and obsessions into the brand. It gave his designs authenticity and palpable emotion. "He's one of those guys who, despite the size of the brand, despite the power of the brand, says, 'This is my personal creative universe, and I will work with that and the icons and symbols of the brand to create something new,' " Pinault explains. "And he was right." The success that Gucci has had with that approach was a factor in Pinault's decision earlier this year to appoint the unknown 32-year-old British designer Daniel Lee as the new creative director of Bottega Veneta, which Kering also owns. "I asked him about his own personal aesthetic," Pinault says, referring to Lee, "and then tried to find if there was any compatibility between the designer and the brand." The gender fluidity of Michele's work was what drew the lion's share of attention at first. "I was very surprised," he says, because it wasn't a considered provocation or political statement. "I thought that it was such a normal thing." It was happening in the world; it needed to happen in fashion: "This is not a time when fashion can stay inside a box." Popular culture certainly wasn't staying inside that box; just a year earlier, the pioneering television dramedy Transparent had debuted to enormous interest and huge acclaim, and less than six months later, Caitlyn Jenner would appear on the cover of Vanity Fair. The LGBT consonant cluster was being elongated, litigated and traded in for more flexible banners like queer and genderqueer, and "binary" was suddenly a dirty word. Fashion hadn't fully reckoned with that. Michele did intuitively, intelligently and expansively.

Alessandro Michele with his team on the runway after his first Gucci show. Credit:Getty Images That was hardly all that distinguished him. Both the clothes and the voluminous notes that he distributes at the shows betray an erudition and a roving, restless mind that have a lot do with his deep roots in Rome. He grew up in the heart of the city, to parents who revered the arts and had the resources to enjoy them and expose him and his sister to them. His mother was an assistant to an Italian movie executive, and thus steeped in the world of cinema, while his father, a technician for the airline Alitalia, was a sculptor in his spare time. "I walked through these antique ruins from the very first day of my life," he tells me when I visit him there in June. We sit on a green velvet sofa under a dazzling coffered ceiling in his office in a palazzo that was built in the early 16th century according to plans by Raphael. It's now Gucci's design headquarters. Rome is overflowing with the archetypes and iconography of various epochs, layering them, cluttering them, bringing them into collision. When you step out of Gucci's Renaissance digs and glance to the right, you can see a bridge over the Tiber lined with baroque sculptures designed by Bernini and, on the far side, the cylindrical hulk of Castel Sant'Angelo, built in the second century by the Roman emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for his family. All of this visibly informs Michele's perspective and style. "I spent time with my dad not in the park, not playing sports, but just going to museums," he tells me. "So I spent time in front of these beautiful statues and all these faces and bodies." "Rome is in Alessandro's veins," says Elisabetta Proietti, who taught him when he was a student at the Accademia Costume & Moda, a three-year school with a single program in both fashion and costume design just a few short cobbled blocks from the Gucci headquarters. Proietti is continually struck by the impact that the school's dual focus had on his work. To produce costumes, she says, you must be fluent in the gradations of the past, and Michele's collections for Gucci are indeed like glorious excavations the fashion equivalent of archaeological digs (here the Elizabethan, there the Victorian, a nod to tsarist Russia, a wink at Ziggy Stardust) narrated in a century-hopping, decade-scrambling vocabulary of flowing caftans and boxy jumpsuits, floral and animal prints and brocades. His fascination with yesteryear is even more intense than his and other designers' more common flirtations with the present pop culture. And it's coupled with his insatiable appetite for reading, roving, learning. "He's interested in everything," Proietti says. "He's extremely, extremely curious." Hari Nef recalls that when she first met Michele, at his request, over dinner in West Hollywood at the Chateau Marmont, she had recently graduated from Columbia University, "this program where I had been required to read Virginia Woolf and the Greek tragedies and Homer and Aeschylus. These were all fresh in my head, bouncing around." Michele was game. They bounced around in his head, too. "Frankly," Nef tells me, "these were nerdy topics I was rarely able to engage with people in the fashion industry about." The "fashion industry" isn't something Michele cares to dwell on or in. Among the reasons he favours Rome, he says, is he's unlikely to bump into the designers, journalists, publicists and celebrities who define that demi-monde. His thoughts aren't contaminated by what is deemed trendy. "I want the separation," he says. "I need the separation. I'm not really inspired from fashion. I started from other points of view." His longtime romantic partner, Giovanni Attili, is a professor of urban planning whose scholarship has focused on such subjects as the Haida Nation, an Indigenous tribe in British Columbia. Michele and Attili don't steal away to Tuscany or the Amalfi Coast for breathers. Instead, their holiday home teeters literally atop a gorgeous, ludicrous butte of sorts called Civita di Bagnoregio in central Italy. The village has a year-round population of about a dozen, largely because the earth under it is crumbling and the structures require constant maintenance. "I love the house because it's like it's falling down every year," Michele says. "You don't know how long it will be there. And you don't care. It's a reflection of our life, you know?" On the inside of his left bicep, he has a tattoo of Attili's nickname, Vanni, while his own, Lallo, is tattooed in the same writing and place on his right arm. They're a matching set. The couple met 13 years ago, over the internet, in a funny way. Michele had just gotten a new laptop, and a friend was showing him how the Facebook precursor Myspace functioned, insisting that he sign up.

Models carried replicas of their heads at Guccis autumn 2018 fashion show in Milan.Credit:Getty Images "I was aghast at these kinds of things," he says, but he played along, connecting with one of his friend's 700 acquaintances Attili because of his profile picture. "It was just the view of a beautiful landscape in Canada," Michele recalls. As the two exchanged messages, Michele remarked that he had no idea what Attili looked like. Attili, amused, pointed out that his face was right there, in that landscape. "I didn't realise," Michele says, "that if you clicked on the picture and made it larger, there was a little guy inside. I didn't know I had the possibility to get inside that picture. I was really bad." Which is strange, because one of the hallmarks of Gucci under Michele is how clever it is about social media and what a commanding presence it has there. Michele has more than 400,000 followers on Instagram, where he posts a hypnotic array of pictures that underscore how readily his designs, with their embroidered symbols and explicit pop culture references, translate into viral images. That's integral to the traction that Gucci has found with young consumers. "If you're constantly documenting yourself, you want to be wearing things that are a little over-the-top or statement-oriented," says Phillip Picardi, who was until recently the head of Teen Vogue. Michele makes that possible. "He's managed to do maximalism in a very chic way, and that's perfect for your Instagram grid or your Instagram story." The adolescent protagonist of the critically acclaimed independent movie Eighth Grade, released in July in the United States, ends each of her YouTube videos by saying, "Gucci." It's her equivalent of "cool". In Rome, I watch Michele work with about a dozen colleagues on his spring 2019 menswear collection. Boxes upon boxes of jewellery crowd the tables where they sit. A kaleidoscope of fabric swatches dangles from the walls, and there's an easel of potential T-shirt designs that reveal a current fixation on Dolly Parton, her 1973 song Jolene and the movie The Bride of Frankenstein. I have no idea how they all hang together but then I don't think that I'm supposed to. Four male models charting varying degrees of androgyny wander in and out, quickly changing clothes. Some of their shorts have billows and pleats that evoke skirts. A shiny long-sleeved shirt and an even shinier jacket look as if they're made from hot-pink and turquoise plastic. The wispiest of the models, his long hair gathered in a bun, appears in a pale mauve shirt with traditionally feminine construction, burgundy slacks with wide hips and, over them, a white jockstrap. As Michele fusses with sleeve lengths and frets over colour combinations, Bjrk's Utopia album plays in the background. (Naturally, he designed her outfit for the video of the album's first single, The Gate.) The word I hear him use most often suggests the playful attitude that he brings to bear on everything he designs. It's not bello, or "beautiful". It's carino "cute". At one point, I ask him which of his collections he was most pleased with which one expressed exactly what he wanted it to. He cites the collection with the dragon, his autumn 2018 womens- and menswear show. It was titled Cyborg, and the dragon wasn't the half of it. Several models carried replicas of their own heads. Others had masks obscuring their faces. The clothes kept pace with that eccentricity: royal blue turbans, a multitiered black pagoda hat and colourful patterned head scarves. Rhinestones galore. The plainest suit and the palest jacket had Major League Baseball insignia, just because; a ruby sweater with sleeves that looked like enormous, fuzzy dust mops had "Paramount Pictures", with the iconic mountaintop image, across its chest. He says that he was contemplating the nature of identity today: how everything from the poses you strike on social media to the accessibility of cosmetic surgery allows you to hide, expose or wholly transform yourself. "It's like a laboratory, you know?" he says. "Your life can be like a laboratory. In the past, the idea of being human was what the earth and nature gave to you." That's not so anymore. He calls this era "post-human", explaining that "you can really manipulate everything. It's pretty scary, but it's also pretty interesting. You can lead different lives. You can decide to be different things." And fashion must reflect that, too. By Michele's reckoning, it can no longer be a leash, tethering you to someone else's ideal. It has to be a licence, setting you free and giving you the tools to figure out your own. "Fashion now is like an old lady that is dying on a bed," he said in Harper's Bazaar last year. "I think we can let this old lady die." I ask him if that makes what he is doing post-fashion. He ponders that for a few seconds, letting it sink in. "Probably it's true," he says, "because in a way, it's like, I don't care about fashion. I'm trying to say that fashion is a platform. The way you look is the way you live." No stranger can decree that. It comes together incrementally and sometimes haphazardly, in a fitful and imperfect process of discovery, the way every story and every city does. Why pretend otherwise? Why not just celebrate it? Most Viewed in Lifestyle Loading https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/how-alessandro-michele-made-gucci-relevant-again-20181126-p50id1.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed

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privatshop · 5 years

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Illegal Street Racing: An Examination of Causes

Source Illegal street racing is a growing trend, and has been since the advent of the automobile, but in recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of street races. There are several possible causes for this trend such as: a recent installment of several car and car racing movies that may have inspired young drivers to race, young drivers seek new ways to satisfy their hunger for adrenaline, and it’s just another way that teenagers can ‘prove’ themselves to one another, feel good about themselves, and achieve celebrity status. What exactly is street racing? According to my sources it is any of the following: “… two guys showing up at a stop light and trying to out-race each other." (Armijo) or “an organized race,” (Thompson) where upwards of twenty or thirty people show up to race each other. Oftentimes, the racers will place bets on which car will win, or even on how long until the cops show. Normally, a race isn’t organized and typically goes like this: a driver will pull up to a red light, and rev his engine to another driver to signify that he wants to race. If the other driver accepts his offer, he too will rev his engine. Then, the light turns green and the drivers jam the accelerator pedal. Most of the time, a street race like this is a short one that ends when it is clear who the winner is. These types of races are very dangerous and can cause many accidents. Street racing can be considered a form of aggressive driving. Each year, until about 5 years ago, the number of deaths and injuries related to Illegal Street racing had increased steadily. Due to new laws and increased incarceration, the numbers now have begun to go down. “Nationwide statistics show that 49 people are injured for every 1,000 who participate in illegal street racing.” (NHRA). To further support this trend, some data was taken from San Diego’s traffic statistics and from The Florida Department of Highway and Safety for motor Vehicles: In San Diego, where the street-racing problem has been termed "epidemic," 16 deaths and 31 injuries were directly related to Illegal street racing in 2001. The city's attorney's office prosecuted 147 illegal street racing cases in 1999, 161 in 2000, and 290 in 2001. In 1999, the Florida Department of Highway and Safety for Motor Vehicles reported 28 accidents related to illegal street racing, with 2 fatalities and 27 injuries. In 2000, the agency reported 39 racing accidents, with 1 fatality and 55 injuries. In 2002, there were 48 racing accidents, 1 fatality, and 60 injuries. (NHRA) For the data set from each location, the number of deaths and injuries related to illegal street racing has increased with each year that passed. But why was there an increase street race related accidents and injuries?

Ferrari Crash What’s a better trendsetter then a good old Hollywood movie? Every time a good movie comes out, there is usually going to be movie spoofs and copycat films. In the case of street-racing movies, many moviegoers wish to experience the same thrills that the movie characters felt when they raced their cars. “`Movies such as The Fast and the Furious and 2 Fast 2 Furious do more harm than good; it promotes street racing,’” (Armijo). “The thrill of the illicit races were depicted in last year's box office hit `The Fast and the Furious.’ But street racing doesn't always have a movie's happy ending” (Powell). After the movie’s release in 2001, there was an increase of street races, and when the second movie came out in 2003, there was another rise in street races. (Armijo). But this can’t be the only reason for the increase in street racing. According to RaceLegal.com, the number one reason to street race for teenagers is that they seek a thrill. They are ‘looking for something to do’ and feel that by street racing, they can give themselves an adrenaline rush and have fun by doing something illegal. In some ways, teenagers may even feel passionate about racing and to them it may be a “popular pastime” (Thompson). To add more substance to this, a writer for the Los Angeles Time said the following in one of his articles:"A large percentage of the draw and the fun is getting chased by the cops, we can't stop street racing any more than a stop sign stops a car." (Haberman). Street racing is dangerous, and dangerous situations give people a sense of fear, which in turn causes adrenaline to enter their blood stream. The California Highway Patrol lists this reason among a list of several reasons that teenagers may engage in this type of activity.

Dangers of Street Racing

Teenagers also feel that they have to prove themselves to one another. Another excerpt from the L.A. Times, proves this point, “`The big adventure in street racing is showing off in front of your friends,’ said, adding that, `without the friends, the racing is far less fun.’” (Haberman). They enjoy the compliments they receive after winning the race. You could probably imagine that those include anything from “That was an awesome race!” to “You went so fast that your tires almost melted!” It’s compliments like these that make the racer feel good about himself and may make him want to race again. Through racing, teenagers can receive attention from their peers and ultimately achieve status as an established racer. Having a fast, expensive, and good-looking car will earn them respect on the road (and attention from the police). With street racing, teenagers can easily create an `awesome’ car for themselves which both brings them physical and emotional satisfaction and fame and status. And when fame and status come, popularity and materialistic wealth will follow. For some of America’s youth, this reason alone makes it worth it to race illegally.

Racing in the Street: The Bruce Springsteen Reader Buy Now What if these aren’t really the reasons that teenagers street race? What if the only reason they street race is because it’s illegal and they can? “Young people, often think that adults have forgotten how to appreciate the very meaning and thrill of life. Youths are rebellious, and adults see the rebellion as one step shy of a crime.” (Chabad). So really one could say that teenagers are inherently rebellious, and will do a lot of illegal stuff anyway, including street racing. Also stated, rebellion is a phase that usually dissipates around 25 or earlier. And when comparing the age that rebellion ends to the age that teenagers stop racing, you can see that there is a correlation. The age group of street racers is exactly the same as the age group for rebellious teenagers. One street race driver was quoted as saying, “If it were legal, it would remove some of the fun from doing it, and probably race less.” (Haberman). The reasons for the increase in the trend of illegal street racing may truly be unknown, but we can all speculate about the reasons. Through speculation and research, I’ve concluded that illegal street racers race for three main reasons: they race because Hollywood and the movies make it seem cool, it gives the racers a thrill and an adrenaline rush, and the fact that winning races makes you feel good and brings you popularity.

References

Armijo, Mark. Pros want to curb illegal street racing. March 2004. The Arizona Republic. 12 April 2004. California Highway Patrol. Illegal Street Racing. April 2011. Chabad. Life as a Teenager. 2011. Chabad-Lubavitch Media Center. Haberman, Douglas. County Ordinance Makes it Illegal to Watch Street Races. March 2002. The Los Angeles Times. National Hot Rod Association. Illegal Race Stats. NHRA. 2011. Powell, Ronald. Street-race tragedy: Fiery crash into trees kills two. August 2002. The San Diego Union Tribune. Race Legal. Racetrack Not Street. 2011. Thompson, Justin; Younglai, Rachelle; Brunetti, Sara. Indepth Backgrounder: Street Racing in Canada. June 2003. CBS NEWS. Read the full article

#IllegalStreetRacing:AnExaminationofCauses|HubPagesHubPages

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chalantness · 7 years

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fic: Meet Me Under the Spotlight

Rating: PG-13 Word Count: ~3200 Characters: Steve/Natasha, mentions of the ensemble Summary: The celebrity social media au no one asked for.

A/N: This started off as just an article I was writing that was supposed to be a snippet in a fic I’ve wanted to write for a while, but I had so much fun that I expanded upon it. I’ve always been a fan of those social media edits circulating Tumblr, and after I’d read a few fics that incorporated texting and social media, I’ve always wanted to try it out. So, here it is! You can also consider it a preview for the celebrity au I’m probably still planning to write.

(Also, this is very raw; as in, I sort of skimmed it for errors, because I'm leaving in a bit. But I'll come back to it for editing when I can take my time.)

Read On: [ ao3 ]

‘Marvelous’ Cast Talks Shocking Season Finale and What Next Season Could Hold

June 1, 2017. 11:32 AM PST

It’s been a week since the Season 3 finale of ‘Marvelous’ aired and fans are still in hysterics over the state of their beloved heroes.

(Spoiler alerts below!)

Season 3′s Episode 22, “How the Mighty Fall” left Scarlet Witch held captive and under experimentation at the hands of a mysterious scientist, with Winter Soldier and Falcon quite literally at each other’s throats on how to find her. Hulk has disappeared, Thor’s powers have been seemingly sealed away for good. And just as the Captain has come to realize that Black Widow’s betrayal had ultimately been for his protection, he’s too late: Hawkeye is in a coma, and Widow’s memories have been erased.

And you’ll have to wait three whole months to see what happens next.

Upset? Yeah, so are we.

And we made sure that ‘Marvelous’ co-stars Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff were aware of this when Access Entertainment! caught up with them in the AE! lounge.

“He cried [when we did the table read],” Natasha had dished about Steve, who didn’t try to downplay the claim as he almost doubled over in laughter at the recollection. “We all did,” Natasha went on to admit with a laugh of her own. “With ‘Marvelous’ being supernatural, you just never know anyone’s fate and it’s fun. Fun and scary. And it’s as emotional to us as it is the fans. When we read the scene where Wanda [Maximoff, playing Scarlet Witch] is experimented on, it was already a lot to handle. Then to see her crying on the floor like that? It was tough. Such a good performance, though.”

“Wanda blows us away every day,” agreed Steve with a fond smile. Steve has always been quick to praise the talent of Wanda, whom he starred alongside in the romantic comedy Brother of the Bride that premiered the same day Wanda received the news about being cast in ‘Marvelous’. Wanda had shared with AE! before that Steve had been a big reason for her auditioning for the role in the first place. The fact that landing it could mean working alongside Natasha, one of her childhood idols, also helped.

(Related: Wanda Maximoff Posts a #TBT with Steve Rogers to Announce Being Cast as Scarlet Witch on ‘Marvelous’)

After the emotional turmoil that the season finale put us through, it seems like they’re setting up Season 4 to be bigger and better than ever! But if the cast has a clue as to what is happening next, they’re keeping it under lock and key.

“He wants us all dead,” Natasha had joked when asked if the show’s writer/producer Nick Fury had shared some insight on where he wants to take Season 4. “No, seriously. We’re all so close and we all have a lot of fun, and yeah, we get the work done. But there’s some serious teeth-pulling and bribing on Nick’s part to get us to behave. If he had hair, he would’ve torn it all out. So he’d just kill us all off as punishment, one by one.”

“I think he’d spare you,” Steve had said in response to Natasha’s teasing. “She’s his favorite. Which isn’t an issue, because she’s everyone’s favorite!”

The Official Twitter of Access Entertainment @accessentertainment -- May 31 Steve Rogers and his shrinking shirts. You’re welcome, Twitter... pic.twitter.com/sGR1mW...

Natasha A. Romanoff @therussianprincessnat -- May 31 @stevefrombrooklyn can’t blame Marvelous Wardrobe anymore. you suck at doing laundry and @accessentertainment has the proof

Steve Rogers @stevefrombrooklyn -- May 31 @therussianprincessnat you mean they’re not supposed to be skin tight? then what does Captain America draw his power from?

Natasha A. Romanoff @therussianprincessnat -- May 31 @stevefrombrooklyn those big baby blues... seriously rogers, who’d you sell your soul to?

Steve Rogers @stevefrombrooklyn -- May 31 @therussianprincessnat aww thanks nat, i always knew you loved my eyes

Steve Rogers @stevefrombrooklyn -- May 31 @therussianprincessnat you’re still in trouble for eating my pudding, though

Natasha A. Romanoff @therussianprincessnat -- May 31 @stevefrombrooklyn oh god, get over that, grumpy old man. i’ll buy you another one. geez

Steve Rogers @stevefrombrooklyn -- May 31 @therussianprincessnat thanks love :)

Just In: ‘Marvelous’ co-Stars Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff send fans into a frenzy over flirty banter on Twitter during AE! visit; fellow co-star Sam Wilson laughs over the reception, shares “that’s just how they’ve always been” (June 2, 2017)

‘Marvelous’ Cast Talks Shocking Season Finale ... (continued)

June 1, 2017. 11:32 AM PST

Speaking of sparing the Widow... with her memories gone, fans are already speculating on what Captain’s next move is going to be.

“It’s a funny one, you know? It’s a funny situation,” Steve shared when asked about how he thinks Captain and Black Widow’s dynamic will progress in the next season. “He’s always been the first person to vouch for her. He knows what she’s done, what she’s had to do, and he trusts her anyway. He’s always valued her where others haven’t. What’s funny -- well, in a bittersweet kind of way, what’s funny is that he’s also the first person to take her for granted. He doesn’t realize how much she’s come to mean to him until she can’t remember who he is, and I’m sure it’s going to be a real hard hit to be around her when she’s like this. He’ll raise hell to get her memories back.”

That’s how Steve thinks it will go, at least. And we’re sure that fans will be totally on board for that.

As for Widow? We've come to realize that maybe her lack of memories could be for the best. Sort of. “Nick and I talked about it early on,” Natasha confessed. “Widow is who she is, and acts how she acts, because of her past. She doesn’t want to get involved with anyone because she’s scared. But with Captain, she’s also curious. She feels that connection, and what’s stopping her is herself, and ultimately that’s what’s stopping him, too. Because he can read her in a way that no one else ever could, and so of course he senses her hesitation and he steps back like the gentleman he is. So without her memories, she’s going to see him frantic and desperate to help her and that’s going to open her up in a way that wouldn’t have been possible if she’d still had her memories. So that’ll be fun to play off of. It’ll, hopefully, become a ‘blessing in disguise’ sort of thing for them.”

“They need it,” Steve added as he nudged Natasha’s shoulder. “They’re both stubborn, and it’s been a long time coming.”

Yeah, we know, Steve.

Captain and Black Widow have captured the hearts of fans since Day One, and that probably has a lot to do with the natural chemistry between these co-stars off-screen. Though Steve and Natasha had yet to have worked together before both being cast in ‘Marvelous’, they’ve always acknowledged each other’s talent. Steve has said on multiple occasions that he’s been a fan of Natasha since her acting debut in The Russian Princess, and often posted his praise and support for her on social media following the premieres of her movies. When Steve landed his first leading role on HBO’s historical fiction drama “Howling Commandos”, Natasha had posted a glowing review of the show’s pilot on Instagram and paid particular attention to Steve, saying that she looked forward to seeing him “take Hollywood by storm.” Though the show came to an early conclusion just three seasons in, Steve hadn’t had any trouble getting back on his feet.

(Related: ‘Marvelous’ Announces Breakout Actor Peter Parker to be Newest Hero to Join the Fray)

WATCH: ‘Marvelous’ Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff Get Cozy on Social Media During Flight to Hawaii

AE! News - Published on June 5, 2017 - 140,401 views

Natasha A. Romanoff @therussianprincessnat -- June 5 Christmas pajamas in June? #trendsetters @stevefrombrooklyn pic.twitter.com/cA4sBW...

[Image Caption: Steve and Natasha seated together in first class, wearing matching gingerbread men pajamas and Rudolph socks.]

Natasha A. Romanoff @therussianprincessnat -- June 5 @stevefrombrooklyn but let’s get this straight, mine are cuter and I wear them better

Steve Rogers @stevefrombrooklyn -- June 5 @therussianprincessnat you’re right, I don’t think I can top those Rudolph socks. you must really love whoever bought them for you

Natasha A. Romanoff @therussianprincessnat -- June 5 @stevefrombrooklyn you bought yourself the matching pair, you ass

Steve Rogers @stevefrombrooklyn -- June 5 write this down: the quickest way to @therussianprincessnat’s heart is through fuzzy socks #shelovesmeforthem

Just In: Steve and Natasha are all cuddles on Instagram during flight to Hawaii; fellow ‘Marvelous’ co-star Clint Barton snuffs dating rumors... or not? “It was supposed to be a cast vacation, but it didn’t pan out. But it’s fine. They won’t even notice that we’re gone.” (June 6, 2017)

‘Marvelous’ Spoilers: Cast Teases Fans With Finale on Instagram

May 19, 2017. 9:45 AM PST

[Image Caption: A candid photo of the cast and crew of ‘Marvelous’ drinking hot chocolate, eating cupcakes, and chatting while taking a break from filming.]

Last night’s episodes left fans reeling, wondering how things could get darker and more dangerous than ever in next week’s season finale. The icing on the heartache cake? This morning, the cast and crew teased fans on Instagram with photos of their on-set shenanigans while filming the finale. While it was nice to see some silliness and smiles after all of the arguing and tears from last night’s episode, fans were quick to catch on some of the ominous implications of these pictures. Such as: Tony Stark (Iron Man) decked out in fake blood and gore; the strange and daunting backdrop of a laboratory, not unlike the lab that Quicksilver had been tortured in the second half of season 2; fake ligature marks on Wanda Maximoff’s (Scarlet Witch) wrists, which can be seen as she poses with her arms around Jane Foster (head costume designer) and Darcy Lewis (head makeup artist); and Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) in a hospital gown, laughing with Steve Rogers (Captain) as he wipes away staged tears.

[Image Caption: Tony Stark, bloodied and bruised, carrying Pepper Potts on his back while she wears his prototype Iron Man helmet.]

[Image Caption: Clint Barton taking a nap in the Tower infirmary set, while Sharon Carter and Maria Hill hook him to the medical machine props.]

[Image Caption: Wanda Maximoff, Jane Foster, and Darcy Lewis hugging in front of a laboratory set.]

[Image Caption: Natasha Romanoff sporting a hospital gown and fake stitches while laughing with Steve Rogers and Nick Fury between takes.]

Nick Fury also tweeted for the first time since teasingly responding to a few fans’ reactions to the Season 3 mid-season finale back in December. After the cast made a Twitter and Instagram account in Nick’s name at the beginning of filming the first season, Nick Fury became infamous for his cryptic responses and vague tweets that end up tying to major plot points and revelations in later episodes. This morning had been another opportunity to strike:

(screen captures from Nick Fury’s official Twitter account)

Nick Fury @nickfurry -- May 19 @therussianprincessnat @stevefrombrooklyn I’ll never forget how exhausting you two are to work with pic.twitter.com/bW13sCA...

[Image Caption: Nick Fury giving direction to Natasha Romanoff and Steve Rogers while filming a scene in the Tower infirmary set. Natasha is laying on a bed in a hospital gown while Steve holds her close.]

Nick Fury @nickfurry -- May 19 @iambuckybarnes @snapwilson friendly fire pic.twitter.com/wS17jB...

[Image Caption: Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson in costume while filming a fight scene in the snowy mountains. They have their hands around each other’s throats as fight choreographer Helen Cho gives them direction.]

Nick Fury @nickfurry -- May 19 @littlewandamaximoff @theothermaximoff that’s one way to help your sister out pic.twitter.com/qS0sW...

[Image Caption: Wanda Maximoff laughing as Pietro Maximoff helps her drink from a bottled water with a silly straw. They’re sitting cross-legged on the floor, with Wanda’s hands seemingly bound together and tied to something out of frame.]

Fans are already scrambling to figure out what surprises are in store for us in the finale. Caught something that we haven’t? Don’t forget to share it with your fellow Marvels in a comment below.

WATCH: ‘Marvelous’ Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff Recap Latest Episode and Discuss Black Widow’s Shocking Betrayal

Marvelous Cast Wraps Up Filming for the Season

Marvelous Cast Plan Summer Trip to Hawaii During Livestream

[Image Caption: Natasha in a bikini, stretched out on a beach towel, smiling at the camera with half of her face hidden behind a straw hat.]

412,016 likes

stevenrogers apparently this is what “terrible” is supposed to look like

View all 920 comments

JUNE 7 2017

[Image Caption: Photo of a Polaroid of Steve and Natasha taken at a luau, the two of them laughing as he places a flower crown on her head.]

421,610 likes

nataliaromanov the “get lei’d” joke i made while this was taken was a hit

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JUNE 7 2017

[Image Caption: Natasha sitting on a lounge chair with a plate of breakfast in her lap, peering over her sunglasses at the camera as she sips orange juice.]

514,017 likes

stevenrogers apparently noon is too early for her to get up for breakfast

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JUNE 8 2017

[Image Caption: Steve sitting with his back to the camera, busied with his sketching, with the sun setting over the ocean in the horizon.]

526,041 likes

nataliaromanov where else can you get a view like this?

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JUNE 8 2017

Spotted: ‘Marvelous’ Co-Stars Practically Glowing During Hawaiian Vacation

June 9, 2017. 1:16 PM PST

[Image Caption: Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff laying close together on the sand, both smiling at each other as they talk.]

It seems like these stars are following in their characters’ footsteps!

Well, if you don’t count the superpowers.

Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff landed in Hawaii on Tuesday for a well deserved break after filming finished for their most intense season yet. After plans for the whole cast to vacation together fell through the cracks, Steve and Natasha -- in true Steve and Natasha fashion -- decided to do their own thing and go anyway.

Fans will probably already know that this isn’t the first time that the two ever have vacationed together. After they wrapped up a spectacular first season together, the pair joined fellow co-stars Tony Stark and Pepper Potts on a cruise along the Mediterranean, which both Tony and Pepper later revealed to have been a “spur of the moment” trip, and were pleasantly surprised when the pair agreed. Steve and Natasha then came back to the States, where Natasha would spend a week in Brooklyn with Steve to visit his parents and other fellow co-star Bucky Barnes, who has been best friends with Steve since childhood.

Though scheduling conflicts prevented the pair from spending the following summer together, it seems like they’re back at it again this year. And they seem cozier than ever! In addition to posting their personal photos together on their social media, pictures have been circulating of the two seen out and about around the Hawaiian islands, looking friendlier than ever. Which has always been the case, considering the explosive chemistry we’ve seen between them on and off screen since the beginning. But is it just us, or do things seem to be far more personal between them than before? They certainly seem to have the “honeymoon phase” glow, and lately the pair has noticeably avoided or outright ignored inquiries about a romantic relationship between them as of late. Though, that could just because they’re tired of repeating themselves. It’s been three years now.

Either way, it’s always heartwarming to see these two having so much fun whenever they’re together! Hopefully it’s forever.

[Image Caption: Natasha feeding Steve a spoonful of shaved ice at a cafe along the beach.]

[Image Caption: Steve and Natasha standing close together in the aisle of a supermarket, Steve smiling as Natasha whispers into his ear.]

[Image Caption: Steve with his arms around Natasha, the both of them laughing as he tries to drag her deeper into the ocean.]

Just In: ‘Marvelous’ cast barraged with questions on the relationship status between Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff as their vacation get cozier; Wanda giggles when shown the photos during Phil Coulson radio interview, but simply responds with “it’s cute” when asked her opinion. (June 10, 2017)

‘Marvelous’ Cast Talks Shocking Season Finale ... (continued)

June 1, 2017. 11:32 AM PST

Nick Fury will have one direction he’ll want to take Captain and Widow in the next season, and fans will want a dozen others. But what do Steve and Natasha hope the future will have in store for their characters?

“Wherever they are, however things may be, I hope they just stay together,” Natasha shared. “They have such a beautiful thing going on because they’ve been the one constant piece to each other amidst the chaos. And they’ve come to really depend on each other for comfort and supports, even just company. I would hate for anything to happen to that. And I personally don’t believe that anything exists for Widow that would be more important to her than remaining right by the Captain’s side. That feeling, I feel, will resonate with her even with her memories gone. She’s so tied to him that her body and her heart are going to remember what her mind can’t. That’s my prediction.”

“I agree,” Steve added. “I think that’s why Cap was just so devastated when he thought Black Widow betrayed him. It hurt him down to his very core and she knew that it would, which is why she said the things she said. To make sure he was so blindsided that he wouldn’t go near her and then wouldn’t end up in the crossfire. And that’s what makes it another huge punch to the gut when he figures out the truth. Because I think he had to have known deep down inside that Widow was looking out for him, just as she’s always been, and he held onto that sliver of hope. So I really hope this teaches him that life is too damn short and you’ve got to fight for what you love. You’ve got to.”

Now if that didn’t move you to a few tears, we don’t know what would.

And we feel a little better knowing that Natasha and Steve are hopeful for their characters’ future, as well as the future of all our beloved heroes. Nick Fury has always taken his cast and crew’s opinion into consideration before taking these characters into the next chapter, and it makes the show bigger and better than ever.

What do you hope to see in the next season? Share it with your fellow Marvels in a comment below!

Steve Rogers @stevefrombrooklyn -- June 12 @therussianprincessnat are you going to tell them or should i? pic.twitter.com/nAR4o1...

[Image Caption: Natasha cuddled with Steve on a beach towel, hiding her face in his chest as he kisses her hair.]

Natasha A. Romanoff @therussianprincessnat -- June 12 @stevefrombrooklyn you impatient ass. you’re lucky you’re cute

Steve Rogers @stevefrombrooklyn -- June 12 @therussianprincessnat thanks love (:

#romanogers #romanogersday #steve rogers #natasha romanoff #chanty writes #seriously tho i had to much fun writing this sjfhak #marvelous 'verse

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insecure-hbo-recaps · 7 years

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hella open

Previously on Insecure: Issa slept with Lawrence but Lawrence is apparently with Tasha. Lawrence told Tasha, and it didn't go well. Lawrence moved out of Chad's place. Molly's therapist helped her try to move up a level at work. Issa starts to accept that Lawrence is done.

Issa is having a red wine and chill with some random. She's wearing a purple football jersey for the occasion, which is an interesting choice. Her hair is braided down in a protective after-shampooing set of Celie cornrows like... it tickles me when famous black women publicly do stuff that is just-for-at-home and mainstream media loses their shit over it (see also Rihanna wearing sparkly bobby pins in her wrapped hair) but, Insecure is for us. I'm not so sure I can cosign this ostentatiously quirky style choice, lol.

The guy moves in to kiss her and Issa awkwardly accepts it. She continually giggles while he is trying to be sexy, past the point where he is amused by it. As an aside, this is everything:

Issa is frankly annoying him now - I get that it's weird for her to have sex with a new person after being with Lawrence for five years. The first time I had a serious long term relationship I was surprised how weird it was to begin sleeping with someone new again. It wasn't something I thought I'd have a problem with, since obviously I'd never had a boyfriend and that was the weird thing. But, it was. Issa asks to reschedule, but she has blown this dude's high - he's wearing jeans with cutouts at the knee, this is some Eric Benet California shit - he doesn't really want to try again. This didn't work. So Issa gets dressed to leave.

Dunes. Issa is about to leave for work when she catches sight of the plume of smoke she burned into her wall at last week's party. She also notices before she goes that the new property management has issued what appears to be every apartment notices for noise violations, taped to their doors.

On the way out, Issa runs into one of the bloods that crashed her party. He has a really big, weird shaped head.

It reminds me of this kid I went to high school with named Mickey who had a big oversized head that sort of came to a point at the top; so more a triangle than round head. Of course now that I've spent several years working in developmental pediatrics I know what happened there is that he should have had a helmet as an infant and his parents didn't get him one, but at the time it was just there goes Mickey with his big ass pointed head that he for some reason chooses to accuentuate with a cloth headband. (This was obviously during the Rocafella era when that was en vogue for men.) I actually think that he ended up being shot and murdered as an adult, but for the life of me I cannot remember his last name in order to check and I'm not exactly on speaking terms with my high school classmates.

Anyway, Mickey (I don't know that we ever get to hear his name and I'm going to make the executive decision that it doesn't matter) says he had fun at Issa's party and she watches him go.

Molly's law office. She's skyping with Hannah in the Chicago office as well as the TSA agent from Get Out, Quintin, a fellow lawyer in a trendy bow tie. There's a Chicago joke about the sun shining so he's going to the beach. That doesn't work here because Chicago is not an overcast city and we don't have an excessive amount of cloudy days. You're thinking Portland, Insecure writers. Idk why the actor didn't correct him, since apparently he's also from Chicago. In the summer I hang a dark blanket on the window behind my blinds because my bedroom is east facing and there's too much sun for 75% of the day. Anyway, they bond over being the token black lawyers and it's all lovely and relatable.

High school. As you may have noticed, I really don't give a shit about this storyline. I did think it was interesting that Issa ended up being the bad guy in this scenario, as the show's hero, because you are definitely tempted to take her side in this. Frida comes across as an overly Clueless White Person with her concerns that the after school program is only black children while Issa isn't bothered because she's just glad the program is full. When I watched this the first time I was uncomfortable with it because while I didn't exactly disagree with Issa's blase attitude, I did think the show made it clear enough that she wasn't doing the right thing to take it. Of course this season will make it overtly clear - more than the first season did in my opinion - that Issa's judgment is sure in the fuck not to be trusted, and this was just another way that they established that. Duly noted that white people aren't always wrong when it comes to race. Issa's attitude doesn't sit well with Frida.

Multicultural Silicon Valley start up, aka Lawrence's computery job. It looks like he's wearing one of those Untuck It shirts. Tangent. I went out with this guy who was born in the 70s because he started hitting on me when I was working on my laptop at Map Room and trying not to cry because I was texting with my new boyfriend-even-though-we'd-been-fucking-for-the-last-three-years-not-as-a-couple because he up and booked a flight for a 10 day trip to Costa Rica and didn't tell me about it til afterward. I was two La Fin du Mondes in already and when I went to close out, the random man offered to buy me another, apparently not noticing my teary eyes. Anyway, because he was born in the 70s, he was particularly preoccupied with anything young and trendy, and frequently mentioned his Untuck It shirts to me. Granted they do look expensive and well made in real life. But they're also just regular fucking shirts that charge a 300% premium because they cut them slightly shorter so that you don't have to... guess what... tuck them in. I've literally only ever seen or heard of these shirts due to advertisements during daytime CNN or MSNBC viewing so like... who's supposed to be impressed by this?

Anyway, The Generic White Guy is obnoxiously eating snack food made from crickets, and Lawrence is talking about his trip to Phuket, so we get the full range of lovely diversity at work in this cool, trendy environment. Apparently the ethnic girl next to Lawrence slept with Corny Colin, which the blonde teases her about. Ethnic Girl is not amused by it. The group discusses a company social, but Lawrence can't go because he "promised someone he'd pick up some chairs." So he's going to go to Tasha's family bbq after all. The group clearly regards Lawrence as a trendsetter amongst what's hot and what's not - a distinction I feel that certain types of black people, in certain environments, are relegated to simply because black culture is presumed to be cooler than the other prevailing cultures - and everyone is disappointed that he will not be going.

Loading dock. Molly is wearing a fabulous black skirt suit with leather trimmed lapels. She's on the phone with her mom about the vow renewal thing her parents keep bugging her about. A worker comes out with her bookcase and assumes the random black man standing nearby is there with her. He asks if he should hand it over and everyone looks at each other, blanketed by the wrongness of the assumptions all around. Molly scoffs that she's not with him, and makes to pick up the bookcase by herself.

Yes, it is exactly as absurd as you'd think it would be, and two things. Motherfuck this whole concept where black women aren't allowed or should be or expected to be the normal amount of "feminine" granted to every other woman. I had this epiphany somewhere not long after high school when I realized how panicked and backed up against the wall I felt that my natural inclination was to resist any kind of vulnerability and the realization that I didn't want to have to be "strong" all the time. That wasn't going to work for me. I am damsel in distress all the time. You will stop when I cross the street, even if I'm timing it wrong with the stop signs - when I politely give you the right of way, you will insist I cross instead. You will pause to let me pass and open doors when I do. You will push my car out of the snow. You will offer to carry the leftovers from the restaurant. I dated a guy who insisted on walking down the stairs in front of me when I was wearing high heels, just in case I tripped. Point being, with regards to this scene, I wouldn't have lifted that shit. I wouldn't have carried shit. I would have been pointedly unable to carry that box. I'd have stood there for a half hour if that's as long as it took for someone to offer to carry the box for me. But it wouldn't have. When you behave with the expectation that you are a woman and you expect to be treated like a woman, something kinda funny happens... people treat you like a delicate woman. It doesn't escape my notice that the black man the worker assumed was there for Molly is there with a white woman, whose boxes he handily carries, while Molly struggles absurdly with the bulky oblong in her five inch heels down a flight of stairs. No ma'am. Later for "strong black womanhood," in this physical sense at any rate.

Molly's fantastic apartment. She's telling Issa she's putting her therapy on hold until she finds another therapist. Naturally, therapy was hitting too close to home, so Molly's instinct was to run from the truth. They are trying to put together this Ikea ass bookcase (related to my previous tangent, whenever I need this kind of manly work done, I outsource it now. Task Rabbit is an app, y'all. That's what it's for. It's not as solid a solution as having an actual man around or anything, but on some level I simply refuse to become a handyman myself just out of sheer principle. You will not deny me my femininity this way, it is a political issue at this point to me.)

Anyway, Molly is bitching about the therapist trying to get too close "just because we both got brown titties." Issa abides this silently. I can't believe they unironically drink Carlo Rossi. I remember being a kid and trying to learn about this kind of stuff and making a note from, of all places, an episode of Intervention about what kinds of wine people actually drink. Haha! (And yes, it was the huge gallon jug of Carlo Rossi.) Issa encourages Molly to keep looking for a new therapist, which Molly flips back on Issa regarding not finding a new Lawrence either.

Issa recounts how she couldn't do casual sex because she was too stuck in her own head. I'm so glad this has never been a problem for me LOL. I don't even know what my social life would be like if I had a hang up about this issue. They decide they should be doing their "ho phase" together - but then Issa met Lawrence and he "made [her] fall in love with him and shit." Issa wants to get on Team Fuck Love, and asks Molly "can you teach me how to ho?" "Bitch that's rude... and yes," Molly replies.

Late night spot. Issa is wearing a ridiculous outfit as she ridicules the other thirsty women in the spot that are there for an apparently different kind of thirst than the one she is. Seriously, what were we supposed to think about this outfit?

Baby, no. Especially as a woman walks past wearing the exact same bad dress. She's also wearing what I'm sure are an expensive pair of espadrilles, but they are wedge espadrilles, with a red floral print. Plainly, that outfit is ridiculous. Issa suggests a vacation to somewhere where they'll be exotic. Molly doesn't care, and seems very underwhelmed by the night.

Issa is chatting with some guy, making awkward double entendres and sexual innuendos. The guy is not amused and flat out walks away from her mid conversation. The next guy at the bar keeps peeling his eyes around at everything else but Issa, finally admitting that he's only talking to her because his friend wanted to talk to Molly. Issa is the grenade. Dayuuuuum, bro. "Do you have any other friends?" he asks, which Issa doesn't dignify with a response.

Molly is talking to Sterling K Brown and is still underwhelmed with the night - the way his friend was only talking to Issa, she's only talking to him. He asks for her number and Molly coolly hands him her business card. She joins Issa at the bar, who has given up on the night and ordered a plate of wings. I get it. There's only so much humiliation you can take when you put yourself out there to pick up a random at the bar. Hell, at least Issa has a friend with her while she does it.

Tasha's house. Tasha is in bed with Lawrence with her hair wrapped gossiping about tv shows. Lawrence tries to distract her and get amorous but Tasha isn't interested in going there. She pushes Lawrence away and we are treated to more of the show-within-a-show.

Back at the Dune's, Issa (in her middle-of-the-bed pillow) can't sleep so she pulls out her vibrator. The battery dies and she spends like ten minutes walking around the apartment looking for new batteries. And, why don't you have a magic wand? True story: I held off buying any kind of sex toys because I never had any and it made me have to seek out men if I wanted to have a sexual encounter; I (it turned out, rightly) figured that if I had any sex toys it would discourage and demotivate me from meeting actual men. Guess what... I was completely correct, and my love life took a marked down turn the same year I bought a magic wand of my own. Could have been timing, coincidence, I don't know, but it was interesting. I have since incorporated it into my regular sex life. (My boyfriend-that-I-loved-so-much-I-was-always-crying was amused the first time I used it with him, calling it "violent" and "over the top" because I was "loud" and it "plugged into the wall." lol. I did nothing but laugh and concede the point, because he was right. But in other news, fun fact: it also works on men, so if you are hooking up with someone that you don't actually want to have sex with, everyone can have an orgasm with no intercourse whatsoever.)

There are a few scenes about Molly's being underpaid and Issa missing the discrimination that I'm going to skip because the point has been made already.

Lunch. Molly is on a date with Sterling K Brown. He's showing her pictures of his niece on his phone, because he's a Good Black Man looking for a Good Black Woman. Actually, given the champagne flute and the bottle on the table I'm going to assume this is brunch (mimosas, you see). Sterling K Brown is wearing an interesting outfit, what says the tribunal?

This rote-date-conversation centers around the fact that they both have ticking biological clocks, and that Sterling K Brown is not being at all ambiguous about his intentions. Molly seems uncomfortable, and isn't following this conversation as well as a woman would be if she were truly interested. I gotta say, Sterling K Brown comes off as a LITTLE thirsty... but, considering Molly really does the most when it comes to choosing a man, like... you can't empathize with her at all. Do we know this, do viewers know this? Molly is wrong and ridiculous and has no clue what she is doing, and her choosing criteria is wildly outdated, immature, and foolish. Like, there is no shrewdness to her relationship behavior at all. She is doing nothing that would prove to be in her best interests or better her life circumstances at all, even if it were just casually dating a potential husband so that you have that back up available when things aren’t going well. This is the kind of thing I might of done before I realized it may be an actual real possibility that I actually might not find the husband I wanted some day.

California Family Cookout. There's ribs, there's dominoes. You feel right at home. Lawrence shows up in some hipster ass shirt, carrying chairs as promised. Tasha is wearing a lime green midi dress with scribbled print and a lopsided sew in. It works, as long as you don't pause at the wrong moment. Why am I hating on both their outfits? Let's move on. Tasha's relatives line up to get a good look at Lawrence and he is clearly there in a capacity of Tasha's Man Friend... which he looks decidedly uncomfortable with. Well, what the fuck were you expecting, Lawrence? Why do you think she hedged around inviting you, and made it clear you didn't have to come?

Lawrence's coworker texts him, and he decides to take it as an out, telling Tasha he'll be right back. "Oh... ok," she says. Damn. Again, people were furious over the "thirsty" character of Tasha. Meanwhile I'm just over here wondering why fellow black women didn't have more sympathy for her flexibility. Some of the time when I peek back into conversations in The Community, I am reminded of all kinds of toxic shit I used to feel and believe when I was younger that I eventually had to unlearn in the interests of any kind of healthy interpersonal life. She cheerfully says she'll see him later, and he leaves.

Molly is at a cupcake shop - those are a thing, y'all, and why? I live near one that granted, makes delicious cupcakes, but they cost like fucking four and a half dollars for one REGULAR SIZE muffin tin mold cupcake! Funnily enough, they are actually named "Molly's Cupcakes." Someone calls out that they will pay for her cupcakes, and it appears to be someone Molly knows:

A guy named Dro and his ostensible wife, who playfully criticizes Molly's insistence on wearing "ugly" dark colors - it's a black greek thing. (The wife is Delta, which I presume makes Molly AKA). The married couple set up the plot for next week's episode, expositing that they are in town for the Kiss n Grind party. It's clear that Molly knows Dro from way back, and the wife is newer.

Dunes. Issa has decided to paint over her burnt wall. She's typically spastic at it, dripping paint everywhere and making a mess. While cleaning off the roller, she spots Mickey Bighead lounging by the pool and is apparently attracted by what she sees. Molly calls; Issa notes her "high pitched fakeness" as she describes the date with Sterling K Brown: although there is clearly nothing wrong with him it's obvious to the both of them that Molly just isn't into it. For SOME reason. And this is the thing that is frustrating about Molly... there's never any legitimate or tangible reason why she has no interest in normal men and normal relationships, or why she brushes off scenarios that would be good for her. Like, what is she looking for instead? What's wrong with Sterling K Brown? Why would she not be interested in him? There are no red flags - it's not his looks, it's not that he's not a professional peer, it's not his baggage as he is unmarried with no children. And perhaps that is the point the show is making - that just because she should be interested in him, that doesn't mean she has to be. In the larger context of women "wanting it all" or "not settling," the point is valid. But in a practical sense, Molly is being ridiculous and her actions are not justified. This is how bitches end up single til 40 when they wind up marrying a bald janitor in the end anyway, is all I'm saying. Making smart choices don’t always feel like the choices you want to make.

Molly is comparing her lack of interest in Sterling K Brown with the fact that Candace and Dro are happy despite the fact that Dro was a mess and never had a "five year plan." So I guess that's what her problem is. She has no idea what will make her happy and is constantly peeking in other peoples' lives like it will tell her what would work in hers. You can always find a reason why a person is lacking when you compare them to someone else because... people aren't the same.

Start up Happy Hour. Lawrence shows up and his coworkers are happy to see him. They know the workplace is one big ho fest once enough drinks start flowing. Ethnic Girl is still pointed about regretting hooking up with Generic White Guy. Which, rude.

Issa has painted over her wall, which looks really good. But then she notices she neglected the smoke on the ceiling. Knowing she can't reach it, she reckons with it and tells it, "you can't have my joy." She spots Mickey Bighead going into his apartment and concocts a plan. She pulls out her charger and takes it down to Mickey's asking whether he left it at her house at her party. He seems momentarily taken aback, but recovers smoothly enough to invite her in.

Start Up Saturday. Lawrence gets a text from Tasha wondering where he is. Ethnic Girl asks what his deal is - and I kind of hate those "work people" that you can tell their primary source of social capital comes from people they meet in and around the work environment. Like other people are wrong for having a life outside of work and are not as immersed as you are. They ask whether Lawrence is single as a waitress comes up to flirt with him. Although Lawrence says he has to take off soon, her overt interest is all it takes for him to stay for a round of shots.

Back at Mickey's they're talking about Gossip Girl. Blake Lively is the most generic white woman on the face of the planet. "Yeah, white people," Mickey says. "There's so many of them," Issa adds awkwardly. Lol. Issa daydreams a confidence boost rap to convince herself to make a move: "even if it's wack, you can still get some head!" Unflattering accidental pause moment:

Issa makes an awkward kiss move, accidentally knocking him in the nose with her forehead. It works anyway, and they start making out. The first time I watched this I was a little annoyed because while I understand Issa's excitement over her new body, her constantly barely clothed state this season just seems so gratuitous. The fact that I personally don't like her body type - not to say she hasn't done a lot of work on it! - mainly just annoyed me. And I don't enjoy her sex scenes. Molly's sex scenes and Lawrence's sex scenes are great. So it's always kind of a let down when we have to watch Issa have sex. Her bra collection is excellent though, I guess.

Mickey asks if he could titty fuck her, which Issa "respectfully decline[s]." He wants to put her legs over her head, which she is uncomfortable with. Her head is squashed into the headboard and it's terrible. To her credit, Issa asks to change positions and finds a way that suits her better. He's wearing white socks. Aw. Flashbacks.

Molly is at home, working with a glass of red. Sterling K Brown invites her to a SZA concert and she declines. He comes back with a dinner invitation which she doesn't even reply to. Whatever, Molly. But hey, she heard my complaints and hired some random men to put the cabinet together for her! There's that at least.

Start up Saturday. Everyone's drunk and Lawrence is explaining the concept of his app to the two girls. What IS "Woot Woot" exactly? Besides the fact that everyone makes fun of him when he talks about it, as far as I can tell it's some kind of group chat client? Idk. Tasha calls, and Lawrence puts the phone to his ear in the loud bar. Tasha is mildly agitated, asking what happened to him because he never came back; her family members are even now in the background asking about him. He apologizes and says he ended up drinking too much. Tasha says if he didn't want to come he should have just told her. Lawrence tries to brush it off but then admits he isn't looking for a serious relationship. Tasha is put out because he ghosted on her in front of her entire family; if he didn't want a serious thing he shouldn't have come. He embarrassed her. Lawrence apologizes in a way that still blames it on her: "I know how much you wanted me to be there." It's her fault for expecting his intentions to match his behavior, not his fault for not being up front and leading her on. Tasha tells him to stop acting like he gives a fuck about her feelings, because he "fronted like it was [something more], apologizing for shit" he knew he wasn't sorry for.

Lawrence insists he was being genuine. Tasha: "You're a fuck nigga. You're worse than a fuck nigga. You're a fuck nigga who thinks he's a good dude." And she hangs up. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the cultural conundrum facing all of us in this new technologically advanced hook up landscape we are all attempting to navigate. I don't know how it used to be before Swiper Not Swiping and casual sex became the rule, not the exception, but I also find that men are preoccupied with being "good guys" in a way that belies their shitty behavior; some kind of veneer of honesty and distance that doesn't quite square with the level of intimacy and acquiescence they are seeking from their partners. Maybe back in the day it was understood you couldn't get that level of commitment without expressly acknowledging it; I find these days men think they get to have their cake and eat it too on this issue.

Anyway, look at this shit:

Bitch, what are you wearing? Those 1980s Jessie Spano mom jeans. Her name is "Arpana" which leads me to believe she's supposed to be Indian, but I think in real life her body type would indicate she is something else. She's probably Latina tbh. (And no I'm not going to google this to find out.) Anyway, Lawrence is laughing off his conversation with Tasha well enough as he rejoins the party.

Back at the Dunes, Issa is sneaking out of Mickey's apartment. She isn't quiet enough and he wakes up, offering for her to sleep over. Super generous considering she lives literally right upstairs. As Issa grabs her phone to go, she decides she isn't actually willing to sacrifice her phone charger for this farce, so she snatches it up too. But not to fear: it turns out Mickey was aware of her ruse the entire time, as his phone has been sitting plugged into his own not-missing charger the whole time. Issa can't even be mad as she lets out a chuckle and goes. She seems pleased, at least, with this first foray into "honess."

#insecure hbo #issa rae

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douxreviews · 5 years

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Five TV Characters Who Vanished Without a Trace

For the latest instalment of our new semi-regular feature, Doux Five, I'll be looking back at those TV characters who, for whatever reasons the writers couldn't be bothered to come up with, went and pulled a Lord Lucan on us. No wait, that reference isn't universal. Errr, a Richey Edwards? No, that is even more obscure, you idiot. An Amelia Earhart? Yeah, I'm going with that. Characters who pulled an Amelia Earhart on us.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

CHUCK CUNNINGHAM - HAPPY DAYS

The trendsetter. The eldest Cunningham child went upstairs one day and never came back down. Soon everyone, including his entire family, forgot he had ever even existed.

AMY JESSUP - FRINGE

At the start of season two it looked like Jessup (played by the future Duchess of Sussex) was going to be a major player going forward. But after appearing in only two episodes she obviously fell into another universe and was never seen or spoken of again.

KATE LOCKLEY - ANGEL

The sudden and unexplained disappearance of Det. Kate Lockley towards the end of season two was one mystery the team at Angel Investigations never got around to solving. Or even really investigating.

WAYNE PALMER - 24

Yeah, Behrooz is the more famous example, but I'm going with Wayne Palmer because it's insane that 24 put the President of the United States into a coma and then just forgot about him. The bloody President! What's even crazier is that this wasn't even the first time they'd done this. Remember President John Keeler? No? Don't worry, neither did the writers.

MANDY HAMPTON - THE WEST WING

West Wing characters had a habit of suddenly disappearing without explanation, the most famous of which being the deeply unpopular Mandy Hampton, who was effectively wiped from existence after the first season. So infamous was Mandy's disappearing act that now any time a character suffers a similar fate it is said they were sent to Mandyville.

BONUS: HALF THE CAST OF SPIN CITY

Whatever happened to James, Nikki, Stacey and Janelle? They all just vanished between seasons and everyone went on as if they'd never been there to begin with. Did Mike murder them all before he left? I guess we’ll never known.

#Doux Five #Happy Days #Fringe #Angel #24 #Spin City #The West Wing #Doux Reviews

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insecure-hbo-the-recaps · 7 years

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hella open

Previously on Insecure: Issa slept with Lawrence but Lawrence is apparently with Tasha. Lawrence told Tasha, and it didn’t go well. Lawrence moved out of Chad’s place. Molly’s therapist helped her try to move up a level at work. Issa starts to accept that Lawrence is done.

Issa is having a red wine and chill with some random. She’s wearing a purple football jersey for the occasion, which is an interesting choice. Her hair is braided down in a protective after-shampooing set of Celie cornrows like… it tickles me when famous black women publicly do stuff that is just-for-at-home and mainstream media loses their shit over it (see also Rihanna wearing sparkly bobby pins in her wrapped hair) but, Insecure is for us. I’m not so sure I can cosign this ostentatiously quirky style choice, lol.

The guy moves in to kiss her and Issa awkwardly accepts it. She continually giggles while he is trying to be sexy, past the point where he is amused by it. As an aside, this is everything:

Issa is frankly annoying him now - I get that it’s weird for her to have sex with a new person after being with Lawrence for five years. The first time I had a serious long term relationship I was surprised how weird it was to begin sleeping with someone new again. It wasn’t something I thought I’d have a problem with, since obviously I’d never had a boyfriend and that was the weird thing. But, it was. Issa asks to reschedule, but she has blown this dude’s high - he’s wearing jeans with cutouts at the knee, this is some Eric Benet California shit - he doesn’t really want to try again. This didn’t work. So Issa gets dressed to leave.

Dunes. Issa is about to leave for work when she catches sight of the plume of smoke she burned into her wall at last week’s party. She also notices before she goes that the new property management has issued what appears to be every apartment notices for noise violations, taped to their doors.

On the way out, Issa runs into one of the bloods that crashed her party. He has a really big, weird shaped head.

It reminds me of this kid I went to high school with named Mickey who had a big oversized head that sort of came to a point at the top; so more a triangle than round head. Of course now that I’ve spent several years working in developmental pediatrics I know what happened there is that he should have had a helmet as an infant and his parents didn’t get him one, but at the time it was just there goes Mickey with his big ass pointed head that he for some reason chooses to accuentuate with a cloth headband. (This was obviously during the Rocafella era when that was en vogue for men.) I actually think that he ended up being shot and murdered as an adult, but for the life of me I cannot remember his last name in order to check and I’m not exactly on speaking terms with my high school classmates.

Anyway, Mickey (I don’t know that we ever get to hear his name and I’m going to make the executive decision that it doesn’t matter) says he had fun at Issa’s party and she watches him go.

Molly’s law office. She’s skyping with Hannah in the Chicago office as well as the TSA agent from Get Out, Quintin, a fellow lawyer in a trendy bow tie. There’s a Chicago joke about the sun shining so he’s going to the beach. That doesn’t work here because Chicago is not an overcast city and we don’t have an excessive amount of cloudy days. You’re thinking Portland, Insecure writers. Idk why the actor didn’t correct him, since apparently he’s also from Chicago. In the summer I hang a dark blanket on the window behind my blinds because my bedroom is east facing and there’s too much sun for 75% of the day. Anyway, they bond over being the token black lawyers and it’s all lovely and relatable.

High school. As you may have noticed, I really don’t give a shit about this storyline. I did think it was interesting that Issa ended up being the bad guy in this scenario, as the show’s hero, because you are definitely tempted to take her side in this. Frida comes across as an overly Clueless White Person with her concerns that the after school program is only black children while Issa isn’t bothered because she’s just glad the program is full. When I watched this the first time I was uncomfortable with it because while I didn’t exactly disagree with Issa’s blase attitude, I did think the show made it clear enough that she wasn’t doing the right thing to take it. Of course this season will make it overtly clear - more than the first season did in my opinion - that Issa’s judgment is sure in the fuck not to be trusted, and this was just another way that they established that. Duly noted that white people aren’t always wrong when it comes to race. Issa’s attitude doesn’t sit well with Frida.

Multicultural Silicon Valley start up, aka Lawrence’s computery job. It looks like he’s wearing one of those Untuck It shirts. Tangent. I went out with this guy who was born in the 70s because he started hitting on me when I was working on my laptop at Map Room and trying not to cry because I was texting with my new boyfriend-even-though-we’d-been-fucking-for-the-last-three-years-not-as-a-couple because he up and booked a flight for a 10 day trip to Costa Rica and didn’t tell me about it til afterward. I was two La Fin du Mondes in already and when I went to close out, the random man offered to buy me another, apparently not noticing my teary eyes. Anyway, because he was born in the 70s, he was particularly preoccupied with anything young and trendy, and frequently mentioned his Untuck It shirts to me. Granted they do look expensive and well made in real life. But they’re also just regular fucking shirts that charge a 300% premium because they cut them slightly shorter so that you don’t have to… guess what… tuck them in. I’ve literally only ever seen or heard of these shirts due to advertisements during daytime CNN or MSNBC viewing so like… who’s supposed to be impressed by this?

Anyway, The Generic White Guy is obnoxiously eating snack food made from crickets, and Lawrence is talking about his trip to Phuket, so we get the full range of lovely diversity at work in this cool, trendy environment. Apparently the ethnic girl next to Lawrence slept with Corny Colin, which the blonde teases her about. Ethnic Girl is not amused by it. The group discusses a company social, but Lawrence can’t go because he “promised someone he’d pick up some chairs.” So he’s going to go to Tasha’s family bbq after all. The group clearly regards Lawrence as a trendsetter amongst what’s hot and what’s not - a distinction I feel that certain types of black people, in certain environments, are relegated to simply because black culture is presumed to be cooler than the other prevailing cultures - and everyone is disappointed that he will not be going.

Loading dock. Molly is wearing a fabulous black skirt suit with leather trimmed lapels. She’s on the phone with her mom about the vow renewal thing her parents keep bugging her about. A worker comes out with her bookcase and assumes the random black man standing nearby is there with her. He asks if he should hand it over and everyone looks at each other, blanketed by the wrongness of the assumptions all around. Molly scoffs that she’s not with him, and makes to pick up the bookcase by herself.

Yes, it is exactly as absurd as you’d think it would be, and two things. Motherfuck this whole concept where black women aren’t allowed or should be or expected to be the normal amount of “feminine” granted to every other woman. I had this epiphany somewhere not long after high school when I realized how panicked and backed up against the wall I felt that my natural inclination was to resist any kind of vulnerability and the realization that I didn’t want to have to be “strong” all the time. That wasn’t going to work for me. I am damsel in distress all the time. You will stop when I cross the street, even if I’m timing it wrong with the stop signs - when I politely give you the right of way, you will insist I cross instead. You will pause to let me pass and open doors when I do. You will push my car out of the snow. You will offer to carry the leftovers from the restaurant. I dated a guy who insisted on walking down the stairs in front of me when I was wearing high heels, just in case I tripped. Point being, with regards to this scene, I wouldn’t have lifted that shit. I wouldn’t have carried shit. I would have been pointedly unable to carry that box. I’d have stood there for a half hour if that’s as long as it took for someone to offer to carry the box for me. But it wouldn’t have. When you behave with the expectation that you are a woman and you expect to be treated like a woman, something kinda funny happens… people treat you like a delicate woman. It doesn’t escape my notice that the black man the worker assumed was there for Molly is there with a white woman, whose boxes he handily carries, while Molly struggles absurdly with the bulky oblong in her five inch heels down a flight of stairs. No ma'am. Later for “strong black womanhood,” in this physical sense at any rate.

Molly’s fantastic apartment. She’s telling Issa she’s putting her therapy on hold until she finds another therapist. Naturally, therapy was hitting too close to home, so Molly’s instinct was to run from the truth. They are trying to put together this Ikea ass bookcase (related to my previous tangent, whenever I need this kind of manly work done, I outsource it now. Task Rabbit is an app, y'all. That’s what it’s for. It’s not as solid a solution as having an actual man around or anything, but on some level I simply refuse to become a handyman myself just out of sheer principle. You will not deny me my femininity this way, it is a political issue at this point to me.)

Anyway, Molly is bitching about the therapist trying to get too close “just because we both got brown titties.” Issa abides this silently. I can’t believe they unironically drink Carlo Rossi. I remember being a kid and trying to learn about this kind of stuff and making a note from, of all places, an episode of Intervention about what kinds of wine people actually drink. Haha! (And yes, it was the huge gallon jug of Carlo Rossi.) Issa encourages Molly to keep looking for a new therapist, which Molly flips back on Issa regarding not finding a new Lawrence either.

Issa recounts how she couldn’t do casual sex because she was too stuck in her own head. I’m so glad this has never been a problem for me LOL. I don’t even know what my social life would be like if I had a hang up about this issue. They decide they should be doing their “ho phase” together - but then Issa met Lawrence and he “made [her] fall in love with him and shit.” Issa wants to get on Team Fuck Love, and asks Molly “can you teach me how to ho?” “Bitch that’s rude… and yes,” Molly replies.

Baby, no. Especially as a woman walks past wearing the exact same bad dress. She’s also wearing what I’m sure are an expensive pair of espadrilles, but they are wedge espadrilles, with a red floral print. Plainly, that outfit is ridiculous. Issa suggests a vacation to somewhere where they’ll be exotic. Molly doesn’t care, and seems very underwhelmed by the night.

Issa is chatting with some guy, making awkward double entendres and sexual innuendos. The guy is not amused and flat out walks away from her mid conversation. The next guy at the bar keeps peeling his eyes around at everything else but Issa, finally admitting that he’s only talking to her because his friend wanted to talk to Molly. Issa is the grenade. Dayuuuuum, bro. “Do you have any other friends?” he asks, which Issa doesn’t dignify with a response.

Molly is talking to Sterling K Brown and is still underwhelmed with the night - the way his friend was only talking to Issa, she’s only talking to him. He asks for her number and Molly coolly hands him her business card. She joins Issa at the bar, who has given up on the night and ordered a plate of wings. I get it. There’s only so much humiliation you can take when you put yourself out there to pick up a random at the bar. Hell, at least Issa has a friend with her while she does it.

Tasha’s house. Tasha is in bed with Lawrence with her hair wrapped gossiping about tv shows. Lawrence tries to distract her and get amorous but Tasha isn’t interested in going there. She pushes Lawrence away and we are treated to more of the show-within-a-show.

Back at the Dune’s, Issa (in her middle-of-the-bed pillow) can’t sleep so she pulls out her vibrator. The battery dies and she spends like ten minutes walking around the apartment looking for new batteries. And, why don’t you have a magic wand? True story: I held off buying any kind of sex toys because I never had any and it made me have to seek out men if I wanted to have a sexual encounter; I (it turned out, rightly) figured that if I had any sex toys it would discourage and demotivate me from meeting actual men. Guess what… I was completely correct, and my love life took a marked down turn the same year I bought a magic wand of my own. Could have been timing, coincidence, I don’t know, but it was interesting. I have since incorporated it into my regular sex life. (My boyfriend-that-I-loved-so-much-I-was-always-crying was amused the first time I used it with him, calling it “violent” and “over the top” because I was “loud” and it “plugged into the wall.” lol. I did nothing but laugh and concede the point, because he was right. But in other news, fun fact: it also works on men, so if you are hooking up with someone that you don’t actually want to have sex with, everyone can have an orgasm with no intercourse whatsoever.)

There are a few scenes about Molly’s being underpaid and Issa missing the discrimination that I’m going to skip because the point has been made already.

Lunch. Molly is on a date with Sterling K Brown. He’s showing her pictures of his niece on his phone, because he’s a Good Black Man looking for a Good Black Woman. Actually, given the champagne flute and the bottle on the table I’m going to assume this is brunch (mimosas, you see). Sterling K Brown is wearing an interesting outfit, what says the tribunal?

This rote-date-conversation centers around the fact that they both have ticking biological clocks, and that Sterling K Brown is not being at all ambiguous about his intentions. Molly seems uncomfortable, and isn’t following this conversation as well as a woman would be if she were truly interested. I gotta say, Sterling K Brown comes off as a LITTLE thirsty… but, considering Molly really does the most when it comes to choosing a man, like… you can’t empathize with her at all. Do we know this, do viewers know this? Molly is wrong and ridiculous and has no clue what she is doing, and her choosing criteria is wildly outdated, immature, and foolish. Like, there is no shrewdness to her relationship behavior at all. She is doing nothing that would prove to be in her best interests or better her life circumstances at all, even if it were just casually dating a potential husband so that you have that back up available when things aren’t going well. This is the kind of thing I might of done before I realized it may be an actual real possibility that I actually might not find the husband I wanted some day.

California Family Cookout. There’s ribs, there’s dominoes. You feel right at home. Lawrence shows up in some hipster ass shirt, carrying chairs as promised. Tasha is wearing a lime green midi dress with scribbled print and a lopsided sew in. It works, as long as you don’t pause at the wrong moment. Why am I hating on both their outfits? Let’s move on. Tasha’s relatives line up to get a good look at Lawrence and he is clearly there in a capacity of Tasha’s Man Friend… which he looks decidedly uncomfortable with. Well, what the fuck were you expecting, Lawrence? Why do you think she hedged around inviting you, and made it clear you didn’t have to come?

Lawrence’s coworker texts him, and he decides to take it as an out, telling Tasha he’ll be right back. “Oh… ok,” she says. Damn. Again, people were furious over the “thirsty” character of Tasha. Meanwhile I’m just over here wondering why fellow black women didn’t have more sympathy for her flexibility. Some of the time when I peek back into conversations in The Community, I am reminded of all kinds of toxic shit I used to feel and believe when I was younger that I eventually had to unlearn in the interests of any kind of healthy interpersonal life. She cheerfully says she’ll see him later, and he leaves.

Molly is at a cupcake shop - those are a thing, y'all, and why? I live near one that granted, makes delicious cupcakes, but they cost like fucking four and a half dollars for one REGULAR SIZE muffin tin mold cupcake! Funnily enough, they are actually named “Molly’s Cupcakes.” Someone calls out that they will pay for her cupcakes, and it appears to be someone Molly knows:

A guy named Dro and his ostensible wife, who playfully criticizes Molly’s insistence on wearing “ugly” dark colors - it’s a black greek thing. (The wife is Delta, which I presume makes Molly AKA). The married couple set up the plot for next week’s episode, expositing that they are in town for the Kiss n Grind party. It’s clear that Molly knows Dro from way back, and the wife is newer.

Dunes. Issa has decided to paint over her burnt wall. She’s typically spastic at it, dripping paint everywhere and making a mess. While cleaning off the roller, she spots Mickey Bighead lounging by the pool and is apparently attracted by what she sees. Molly calls; Issa notes her “high pitched fakeness” as she describes the date with Sterling K Brown: although there is clearly nothing wrong with him it’s obvious to the both of them that Molly just isn’t into it. For SOME reason. And this is the thing that is frustrating about Molly… there’s never any legitimate or tangible reason why she has no interest in normal men and normal relationships, or why she brushes off scenarios that would be good for her. Like, what is she looking for instead? What’s wrong with Sterling K Brown? Why would she not be interested in him? There are no red flags - it’s not his looks, it’s not that he’s not a professional peer, it’s not his baggage as he is unmarried with no children. And perhaps that is the point the show is making - that just because she should be interested in him, that doesn’t mean she has to be. In the larger context of women “wanting it all” or “not settling,” the point is valid. But in a practical sense, Molly is being ridiculous and her actions are not justified. This is how bitches end up single til 40 when they wind up marrying a bald janitor in the end anyway, is all I’m saying. Making smart choices don’t always feel like the choices you want to make.

Molly is comparing her lack of interest in Sterling K Brown with the fact that Candace and Dro are happy despite the fact that Dro was a mess and never had a “five year plan.” So I guess that’s what her problem is. She has no idea what will make her happy and is constantly peeking in other peoples’ lives like it will tell her what would work in hers. You can always find a reason why a person is lacking when you compare them to someone else because… people aren’t the same.

Issa has painted over her wall, which looks really good. But then she notices she neglected the smoke on the ceiling. Knowing she can’t reach it, she reckons with it and tells it, “you can’t have my joy.” She spots Mickey Bighead going into his apartment and concocts a plan. She pulls out her charger and takes it down to Mickey’s asking whether he left it at her house at her party. He seems momentarily taken aback, but recovers smoothly enough to invite her in.

Start Up Saturday. Lawrence gets a text from Tasha wondering where he is. Ethnic Girl asks what his deal is - and I kind of hate those “work people” that you can tell their primary source of social capital comes from people they meet in and around the work environment. Like other people are wrong for having a life outside of work and are not as immersed as you are. They ask whether Lawrence is single as a waitress comes up to flirt with him. Although Lawrence says he has to take off soon, her overt interest is all it takes for him to stay for a round of shots.

Back at Mickey’s they’re talking about Gossip Girl. Blake Lively is the most generic white woman on the face of the planet. “Yeah, white people,” Mickey says. “There’s so many of them,” Issa adds awkwardly. Lol. Issa daydreams a confidence boost rap to convince herself to make a move: “even if it’s wack, you can still get some head!” Unflattering accidental pause moment:

Issa makes an awkward kiss move, accidentally knocking him in the nose with her forehead. It works anyway, and they start making out. The first time I watched this I was a little annoyed because while I understand Issa’s excitement over her new body, her constantly barely clothed state this season just seems so gratuitous. The fact that I personally don’t like her body type - not to say she hasn’t done a lot of work on it! - mainly just annoyed me. And I don’t enjoy her sex scenes. Molly’s sex scenes and Lawrence’s sex scenes are great. So it’s always kind of a let down when we have to watch Issa have sex. Her bra collection is excellent though, I guess.

Mickey asks if he could titty fuck her, which Issa “respectfully decline[s].” He wants to put her legs over her head, which she is uncomfortable with. Her head is squashed into the headboard and it’s terrible. To her credit, Issa asks to change positions and finds a way that suits her better. He’s wearing white socks. Aw. Flashbacks.

Molly is at home, working with a glass of red. Sterling K Brown invites her to a SZA concert and she declines. He comes back with a dinner invitation which she doesn’t even reply to. Whatever, Molly. But hey, she heard my complaints and hired some random men to put the cabinet together for her! There’s that at least.

Start up Saturday. Everyone’s drunk and Lawrence is explaining the concept of his app to the two girls. What IS “Woot Woot” exactly? Besides the fact that everyone makes fun of him when he talks about it, as far as I can tell it’s some kind of group chat client? Idk. Tasha calls, and Lawrence puts the phone to his ear in the loud bar. Tasha is mildly agitated, asking what happened to him because he never came back; her family members are even now in the background asking about him. He apologizes and says he ended up drinking too much. Tasha says if he didn’t want to come he should have just told her. Lawrence tries to brush it off but then admits he isn’t looking for a serious relationship. Tasha is put out because he ghosted on her in front of her entire family; if he didn’t want a serious thing he shouldn’t have come. He embarrassed her. Lawrence apologizes in a way that still blames it on her: “I know how much you wanted me to be there.” It’s her fault for expecting his intentions to match his behavior, not his fault for not being up front and leading her on. Tasha tells him to stop acting like he gives a fuck about her feelings, because he “fronted like it was [something more], apologizing for shit” he knew he wasn’t sorry for.

Lawrence insists he was being genuine. Tasha: “You’re a fuck nigga. You’re worse than a fuck nigga. You’re a fuck nigga who thinks he’s a good dude.” And she hangs up. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the cultural conundrum facing all of us in this new technologically advanced hook up landscape we are all attempting to navigate. I don’t know how it used to be before Swiper Not Swiping and casual sex became the rule, not the exception, but I also find that men are preoccupied with being “good guys” in a way that belies their shitty behavior; some kind of veneer of honesty and distance that doesn’t quite square with the level of intimacy and acquiescence they are seeking from their partners. Maybe back in the day it was understood you couldn’t get that level of commitment without expressly acknowledging it; I find these days men think they get to have their cake and eat it too on this issue.

Anyway, look at this shit:

Bitch, what are you wearing? Those 1980s Jessie Spano mom jeans. Her name is “Arpana” which leads me to believe she’s supposed to be Indian, but I think in real life her body type would indicate she is something else. She’s probably Latina tbh. (And no I’m not going to google this to find out.) Anyway, Lawrence is laughing off his conversation with Tasha well enough as he rejoins the party.

Back at the Dunes, Issa is sneaking out of Mickey’s apartment. She isn’t quiet enough and he wakes up, offering for her to sleep over. Super generous considering she lives literally right upstairs. As Issa grabs her phone to go, she decides she isn’t actually willing to sacrifice her phone charger for this farce, so she snatches it up too. But not to fear: it turns out Mickey was aware of her ruse the entire time, as his phone has been sitting plugged into his own not-missing charger the whole time. Issa can’t even be mad as she lets out a chuckle and goes. She seems pleased, at least, with this first foray into “honess.”

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