#i do not need to be rich

[emokoala]

one day i will be sitting in a silly little one room studio apartment with a really big window open that's letting in the perfect amount of light and i'll have a sleepy cat laying on my leg while i'm sitting on the floor drawing something for an animation job and nice music will be playing softly in the background and that's when i'll know i made it in life

#this is literally my dream #i do not need to be rich #i do not need to be famous #i just want a little apartment a big window and a cat #not art

[egophiliac]

bring your son to work day

#art #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland spoilers #tsumsted wonderland #sorry this might be it guys #just kind of burnt out right now #i am enjoying the event though! i love these silly beanbags and their charming little adventures #can't wait for silver-tsum to wake up just long enough to take a bullet for malleus-tsum #and i extra extra love malleus and his beanbag both being SO passive-aggressive about missing the pile-up #the solution: DANCE PARTY #APPARENTLY #between this and glorious masquerade i'm starting to think this is malleus' solution to everything #(is this how episode 7 will end) (we DO traditionally get an end-of-episode rhythmic...) #also a+ some truly excellent spritework going on in this on #(sebek crunches down slightly 'RIDE ME WAKATSUMSAMA') (long beat) (malleus and tsum just sliiiiiide away screen left) #genuinely so much funnier than a literal depiction could ever be #anyway i did some careful calculations re:the probability of upcoming cards that i absolutely need and long story short #i am key-poor but tsum!malleus-rich >:) #(immediately goes through and switches all his lesson sprites to having a tsum wobbling on his head) worth it #now watch next month they're going to give us a white rabbit rerun with malleus and/or lilia as the frilliest froufrou bunnies #and i will be thoroughly effed

[cuddlytogas]

So I accidentally almost got into an argument on Twitter, and now I'm thinking about bad historical costuming tropes. Specifically, Action Hero Leather Pants.

See, I was light-heartedly pointing out the inaccuracies of the costumes in Black Sails, and someone came out of the woodwork to defend the show. The misunderstanding was that they thought I was dismissing the show just for its costumes, which I wasn't - I was simply pointing out that it can't entirely care about material history (meaning specifically physical objects/culture) if it treats its clothes like that.

But this person was slightly offended on behalf of their show - especially, quote, "And from a fan of OFMD, no less!" Which got me thinking - it's true! I can abide a lot more historical costuming inaccuracy from Our Flag than I can Black Sails or Vikings. And I don't think it's just because one has my blorbos in it. But really, when it comes down to it...

What is the difference between this and this?

Here's the thing. Leather pants in period dramas isn't new. You've got your Vikings, Tudors, Outlander, Pirates of the Caribbean, Once Upon a Time, Will, The Musketeers, even Shakespeare in Love - they love to shove people in leather and call it a day. But where does this come from?

Obviously we have the modern connotations. Modern leather clothes developed in a few subcultures: cowboys drew on Native American clothing. (Allegedly. This is a little beyond my purview, I haven't seen any solid evidence, and it sounds like the kind of fact that people repeat a lot but is based on an assumption. I wouldn't know, though.) Leather was used in some WWI and II uniforms.

But the big boom came in the mid-C20th in motorcycle, punk/goth, and gay subcultures, all intertwined with each other and the above. Motorcyclists wear leather as practical protective gear, and it gets picked up by rock and punk artists as a symbol of counterculture, and transferred to movie designs. It gets wrapped up in gay and kink communities, with even more countercultural and taboo meanings. By the late C20th, leather has entered mainstream fashion, but it still carries those references to goths, punks, BDSM, and motorbike gangs, to James Dean, Marlon Brando, and Mick Jagger. This is whence we get our Spikes and Dave Listers in 1980s/90s media, bad boys and working-class punks.

And some of the above "historical" design choices clearly build on these meanings. William Shakespeare is dressed in a black leather doublet to evoke the swaggering bad boy artist heartthrob, probably down on his luck. So is Kit Marlowe.

But the associations get a little fuzzier after that. Hook, with his eyeliner and jewellery, sure. King Henry, yeah, I see it. It's hideously ahistorical, but sure. But what about Jamie and Will and Ragnar, in their browns and shabby, battle-ready chic? Well, here we get the other strain of Bad Period Drama Leather.

See, designers like to point to history, but it's just not true. Leather armour, especially in the western/European world, is very, very rare, and not just because it decays faster than metal. (Yes, even in ancient Greece/Rome, despite many articles claiming that as the start of the leather armour trend!) It simply wasn't used a lot, because it's frankly useless at defending the body compared to metal. Leather was used as a backing for some splint armour pieces, and for belts, sheathes, and buckles, but it simply wasn't worn like the costumes above. It's heavy, uncomfortable, and hard to repair - it's simply not practical for a garment when you have perfectly comfortable, insulating, and widely available linen, wool, and cotton!

As far as I can see, the real influence on leather in period dramas is fantasy. Fantasy media has proliferated the idea of leather armour as the lightweight choice for rangers, elves, and rogues, a natural, quiet, flexible material, less flashy or restrictive than metal. And it is cheaper for a costume department to make, and easier for an actor to wear on set. It's in Dungeons and Dragons and Lord of the Rings, King Arthur, Runescape, and World of Warcraft.

And I think this is how we get to characters like Ragnar and Vane. This idea of leather as practical gear and light armour, it's fantasy, but it has this lineage, behind which sits cowboy chaps and bomber/flight jackets. It's usually brown compared to the punk bad boy's black, less shiny, and more often piecemeal or decorated. In fact, there's a great distinction between the two Period Leather Modes within the same piece of media: Robin Hood (2006)! Compare the brooding, fascist-coded villain Guy of Gisborne with the shabby, bow-wielding, forest-dwelling Robin:

So, back to the original question: What's the difference between Charles Vane in Black Sails, and Edward Teach in Our Flag Means Death?

Simply put, it's intention. There is nothing intentional about Vane's leather in Black Sails. It's not the only leather in the show, and it only says what all shabby period leather says, relying on the same tropes as fantasy armour: he's a bad boy and a fighter in workaday leather, poor, flexible, and practical. None of these connotations are based in reality or history, and they've been done countless times before. It's boring design, neither historically accurate nor particularly creative, but much the same as all the other shabby chic fighters on our screens. He has a broad lineage in Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean and such, but that's it.

In Our Flag, however, the lineage is much, much more intentional. Ed is a direct homage to Mad Max, the costuming in which is both practical (Max is an ex-cop and road warrior), and draws on punk and kink designs to evoke a counterculture gone mad to the point of social breakdown, exploiting the thrill of the taboo to frighten and titillate the audience.

In particular, Ed is styled after Max in the second movie, having lost his family, been badly injured, and watched the world turn into an apocalypse. He's a broken man, withdrawn, violent, and deliberately cutting himself off from others to avoid getting hurt again. The plot of Mad Max 2 is him learning to open up and help others, making himself vulnerable to more loss, but more human in the process.

This ties directly into the themes of Our Flag - it's a deliberate intertext. Ed's emotional journey is also one from isolation and pain to vulnerability, community, and love. Mad Max (intentionally and unintentionally) explores themes of masculinity, violence, and power, while Max has become simplified in the popular imagination as a stoic, badass action hero rather than the more complex character he is, struggling with loss and humanity. Similarly, Our Flag explores masculinity, both textually (Stede is trying to build a less abusive pirate culture) and metatextually (the show champions complex, banal, and tender masculinities, especially when we're used to only seeing pirates in either gritty action movies or childish comedies).

Our Flag also draws on the specific countercultures of motorcycles, rockers, and gay/BDSM culture in its design and themes. Naturally, in such a queer show, one can't help but make the connection between leather pirates and leather daddies, and the design certainly nods at this, with its vests and studs. I always think about this guy, with his flat cap so reminiscient of gay leather fashions.

More overtly, though, Blackbeard and his crew are styled as both violent gangsters and countercultural rockstars. They rove the seas like a bikie gang, free and violent, and are seen as icons, bad boys and celebrities. Other pirates revere Blackbeard and wish they could be on his crew, while civilians are awed by his reputation, desperate for juicy, gory details.

This isn't all of why I like the costuming in Our Flag Means Death (especially season 1). Stede's outfits are by no means accurate, but they're a lot more accurate than most pirate media, and they're bright and colourful, with accurate and delightful silks, lace, velvets, and brocades, and lovely, puffy skirts on his jackets. Many of the Revenge crew wear recognisable sailor's trousers, and practical but bright, varied gear that easily conveys personality and flair. There is a surprising dedication to little details, like changing Ed's trousers to fall-fronts for a historical feel, Izzy's puffy sleeves, the handmade fringe on Lucius's red jacket, or the increasing absurdity of navy uniform cuffs between Nigel and Chauncey.

A really big one is the fact that they don't shy away from historical footwear! In almost every example above, we see the period drama's obsession with putting men in skinny jeans and bucket-top boots, but not only does Stede wear his little red-heeled shoes with stockings, but most of his crew, and the ordinary people of Barbados, wear low boots or pumps, and even rough, masculine characters like Pete wear knee breeches and bright colours. It's inaccurate, but at least it's a new kind of inaccuracy, that builds much more on actual historical fashions, and eschews the shortcuts of other, grittier period dramas in favour of colour and personality.

But also. At least it fucking says something with its leather.

#everyone say 'thank you togas' for not including a long tangent about evil rimmer in red dwarf 5x05 #Our Flag Means Death #Togas does meta #and yes these principles DO fall apart slightly in s2 and i DON'T like those costumes as much #don't get me wrong they're fun and gorgeous - but generally a bit less deep and more inaccurate. so. :( #I'm not sure this really says anything new about Our Flag but I just needed to get my thoughts out #i hate hate hate Gritty Period Drama costumes they're so boring and so ugly and so wrong #god bless OFMD for using more than 3 muted colours and actually putting men in heels (and not as a shorthand for rich/foppish villainy) <3 #looking at that Tudors still is insane like they really will go to any lengths to not make men feel like they've got bare legs XD #image descriptions in alt text #and yes i DID just sink about two hours into those so you'd better appreciate them

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girl found dead in a hidden room.

[First] Prev <–-> Next

#poorly drawn mdzs #mdzs #lan xichen #jin guangyao #jiang cheng #wei wuxian #qin su #EDIT: Tumblr published an earlier draft with only half the notes I wrote so: late entry on my JGY thoughts. #Unlike the mystic powers of the stockmarket (what the OG meme is referring to) I think this situation calls for more active investigation. #qin su is such a deeply tragic character to me and I really wish we got a bit more from her. #Love everyone who sent me messages about her after the last time she appeared. #I think she needs a spin off of her being a transmigrator SO badly. #MDZS has so many interesting characters - but it sometimes fails to give them the proper room to really develop past a role in the plot. #That's just the consequence of writing a story like MDZS. Not every character in a book *needs* to have a rich inner life and backstory! #To do so would bog down the story and obliterate any notion of pacing. It's just not possible. #Jin Guangyao (nee Meng Yao) is unfortunately not free from this leeway rule. He is the culprit of this murder mystery plot #and thus NEEDS to encapsulate the themes of the book. And personally he's a 7 out of 10 at best on this front (in the AD). #MDZS is about rumours twisting reality and working towards truth. And about how people & situations are rarely ever black & white #JGY has his motivations. He's well written in regards to his actions making sense for his character. #What started as good traits (drive to succeed & improve his image) became twisted over time (do anything to maintain his image) #and it's a good parallel to WWX! He has the same arc (with different traits)! Bonus points for IGY in that regard. #but man....by the time we confront this guy for murder there's not a lot of grey morality. He's just...deep in the hole *he* dug. #There's a beautiful tragedy to it! More on JGY in later comics - this is getting pretty long already!

[leupagus]

On Voting in America

So one of the most profound comments on routine chores that I've ever encountered was, hilariously, the Pickle Rick episode of "Rick & Morty," where (after a lot of shenanigans have already ensued) this therapist absolutely lays Rick out:

"I have no doubt that you would be bored senseless by therapy, the same way I'm bored when I brush my teeth and wipe my ass. Because the thing about repairing, maintaining, and cleaning is: it's not an adventure. There's no way to do it so wrong you might die. It's just work. And the bottom line is some people are okay going to work and some people, well, some people would rather die. Each of us gets to choose."

I think about this at least once a week — usually while I'm doing my laundry or sweeping or some other task that needs doing and won't get me anything more than clean clothing or a dog-hair-free floor. There's no Pulitzer for wiping down your microwave or scrubbing your toilet; no one's awarding you for getting all the dishes out of the sink. At best you have the satisfaction of crossing it off your list.

Voting is very much the same (and I'm talking about the US here, as an American). Sure, you sometimes get a sticker; but nobody's going to cheer for you. There's no adventure here, no potential for anything more than crossing something off of a list. It's a chore, something that needs doing in order to repair, maintain, and yes even clean. So I get why people don't like doing it.

And I've decided I don't give a shit.

Do it anyway. Your country takes astonishingly little from you — taxes, the once-in-a-blue-moon jury duty, and a theoretical draft that hasn't been used in over half a century and likely will never be again — but it asks you (asks! not requires! not demands!) to vote once a year. It's not always easy; especially in conservative states, the impediments to vote can be ridiculous. But it is once a year and unlike in our nation's all-too-recent past, you will not die if you do it.

In fact, the worst outcome from voting these days is that the person or issue that you vote for loses — but you won't know if they lose until after the election. Polls are less accurate now, for a whole host of reasons; you cannot know until after the election who or what will win. This makes your vote more valuable than possibly ever before.

Use that power. Not because it's exciting or even rewarding, but because your vote is what keeps our country's metaphorical teeth from falling out and our metaphorical ass from stinking.

Brush, wipe, vote.

#ok the metaphor may've gotten a little gross but rick & morty chose it not me #anyway if voting didn't matter then rich people wouldn't do it #and I can assure you: they do #also: please don't think of voting like a reward for the person you're voting for #or as a punishment for the person you're not voting for #my mom's advice was: #think about the most vulnerable people you care about and vote for the person or issue that will make their lives better #and you'll rarely go wrong #yes there are often two bad options but if you're old enough to vote you're old enough to understand the difference between bad and less ba #anyway that's all the political lecturing I'll do this year #except maybe to complain about the 18-hour day I'll be having on Tuesday #oh also SIGN UP TO WORK ELECTIONS WE NEED MORE HELP #thank you #politics!

[aturnoftheearth]

destiel // i, carrion (icarian) - hozier // watch on youtube

#listen. if i had a nickel for every time i ended a video on 15x18 and/or paralleled 4x01 to 15x18 well. i would be rich #but like. the writers didn't do it when they should've and i need to make that everyone's problem forever #also if there are any glaring mistakes or it looks wonky im rusty okay i gotta get my groove back <- almost spelled goove #destiel #jamvs #spn amv #destiel amv

[showsandshowtunes]

what do you mean that at reeve's last show the principal obc was there and they gave orpheus and eurydice an alternate ending by having reeve and eva walk out of hadestown up the golden staircase?? what do you mean?????!!!!??

#the emotional impact this had on me #the emotional impact this ENTIRE SHOW has had on me #i will always love the original broadway cast of hadestown #like they're my family fr #what am i gonna DO without them #need to get super rich and influential so i can bring them all back together for one last show and record it professionally #hadestown #hadestown musical #hadestown broadway #reeve carney #eva noblezada #amber gray #patrick page #andre de shields #broadway #musicals

[lazylittledragon]

there are so many things i could scream about the watcher situation because i'm So upset but i think i can summarise it through a comment i saw on The Video that said something like "we didn't care about anything more than text on a black background. all we wanted was You" and. yeah.

#ramble #already did my venting on twitter #but i will say again: how did shane 'fuck capitalism and eat the rich' madej agree to this #obviously i'm not in any of their heads but he did not look happy in that video #whose idea was this and are they stupid #it was fine when it was just some guys in a room occasionally going to a Building!!! it was FINE #it didn't need anything else #shane take puppet history and run #so i'll never do any more buzzfeed unsolved AUs i guess #rip

[ghostpajamas]

i have a quota to fill

#guy who only draws people : really into bodies lately. people bodies #ghostart #dungeon meshi #chilchuck tims #delicious in dungeon #sorry the pants are crazy i need to do something to fabric or i get evil #anyway its crazy how differnt his bodytype is from other halffoots like in daydrram hour. brother you need to retire and eat rich foods NOW #NEOWWW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[knox-knocks]

actually I think that neil josten is very smart. he’s quick, clever, and a MATH nerd. he’s a polyglot! he keeps decently good grades despite having a VERY unstable schooling. he knows how to manipulate people to get information/people to do what he wants. he’s incredibly observant and is able to predict what the people around him are going to do. he’s so so smart

and he’ll throw all those braincells out the window when he’s with his bestie, matthew donavan boyd

#neil josten #matt boyd #aftg #when neil and matt hang out they hand over their braincells to andrew and dan for safekeeping #they’re so stupid with each other #like they are just goofy best friends who do stupid shit with each other #and maybe hug a lot #also for the record I think matt is also very smart #his parents were rich so you know he got that good education. and I think it also mentioned somewhere that he was well educated #sorry guys I don’t think matt is the himbo representation we need 😫 #jeremy tho! now there’s a himbo #anyway I’m getting off topic

[hellenhighwater]

why are you lying about being rich

ah drat, you've found me out! the billions in gold bullion that I have in my basement and swim through like scrooge mcduck have been discovered!

To be extremely clear, absolutely none of you have any right to know jack about my finances or any other detail of my life. You wanna talk about how to make your home cool on a shoestring budget, great; happy to chat. But the exact second someone goes fishing for personal information is the time I tell them to block and unfollow. You guys are not entitled to any part of my life beyond what I willingly divulge. I'm not being rude but this is a hard line for me when it comes to social media. This is a public forum and I do not have any obligation to you.

#guys you do realize that just because a person is not visibly living paycheck to paycheck #that doesnt make them rich #i am maybe middle class #and if you think that's 'rich' you need to reassess where you are drawing 'us v them' sorts of lines #because the middle class is closer to poverty than wealth

[ragnarssons]

so huh. after watching all these youtubers (you know, people who do know how youtube works and how much money you can get off youtube and patreon and sponsorships etc) analyze watcher's numbers and statistics and all... can we finally say it's all for capitalism's sake? thanks.

#watcher #shane madej #ryan bergara #tired of the 'they're indie artists :(((((' 'they need to pay their employees' arguments #ffs WAKE UP #i have been following youtube channels FRENCH youtube channels #with smaller revenues #and more employees #AND THEY ARE DOING FINE #and you know #i don't mean youtubers in their bedrooms doing stuff on their computer #i mean real production value #heck more expensive than the one on watcher #and on top of being capitalistic it's BAD capitalism #because they basically killed their brand with that move #literally their brand was 'eat the rich' 'anti system' 'we revolted against buzzfeed' #no one can believe that anymore

[sojutrait]

billionaire's daughter who can't stay out the tabloids

#ts4 #sims 4 cas #funny story. i realized all i make are broke midwesteners but succession inspired me to make a rich sim #but i just Cant do the old money look i need some trashyness in it to be Me #i had dont cha by the pussycat dolls accidentally on repeat when making her so i think that influenced it

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

i recently went to the actual WH website, saw the cannon Barnaby after months of tumblr brainwashing *cough cough more realistic barn cough* and was taken aback, like i had to look at him for a few seconds. I choose to blame you and that Weevmo feller' for this

you. you haven't. you haven't looked at the actual website? you haven't looked at The Actual Project? i. im.

respectfully,

What.

#im actually speechless. how. why. extra Why #i just. HUH? #if i didnt already have a headache i think i would have one now #this. this actually makes me a little sad #you havent looked at the actual project before? you havent Enjoyed its Splendor and Horrors? do you even know what its about??? #its such a good project... the source is phenomenal why would anyone bypass it #the richness of the characters... the layered story... the audios... the secrets... the Beautiful Site herself... #rambles from the bog #months of tumblr brainwashing... i need to sit outside and stare into the woods for a while idc what stares back #are we as a species truly salvageable. are we #i mean. yes. im being a bit dramatic but this also greatly saddens me #ok im being healed my cat is making intense eye contact while purring louder than a jet engine & making aggressive biscuits

[can-a-tuna-fish]

Shaking my coin jar at you and pitifully offering up morsels of my vague richjer content.

#polycule expansion pack just dropped #rich goranski is here now #LISTEN. #technically this is expensiveskates because it’s from Michaels perspective BLAH BLAH BLAH #but he isn’t actually in the post so I’m not gonna tag it #this fandom has charmed me with its rarepairs #post-squip rich and jeremy is so fun to think about I need you all to listen to me please I’m begging #they would have the strangest relationship ever I want to put them in a cardboard box and observe them #please I need people to acknowledge how weird it would be for Rich to go from being told what to do 24/7 to suddenly having free will #he would not know what to do with himself #he’s the worst (one of my favs) #they/he Jeremy heere save me #richjer #rich goranski #jeremy heere #bmc rich #bmc jeremy #bmc #be more chill #bmc musical #undescribed #my art

[spooky-kakashi]

i have such huge beef with Jeff and being a liar in the season 1 valentines episode where Britta sends BCI he says he once had beef w animatronic ben franklin in disney world/land and then in geothermal escapism he tells Troy he’s never stepped foot outside colorado WHICH IS IT JEFFREY??!!! DID YOU OR DID YOU NOT HAVE BEEF WITH BEN FRANKLIN?!!!!!!

#this is what i think about #we have debate tmr and i am thinking about jeff lying #and jeff saying he drinks expensive wine from rich clients #like do all his clients live in colorado? #i need to know i really need to know #jeff winger #geothermal escapism #community nbc #troy barnes #britta perry