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fpinterviews · 14 years

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Jaclyn Santos

FP: We've spoken about the subject of the male gaze, and even part of the mission statement of FP is to question what it means when women artists control the power of their own objectification. There have been other artists who have paved the way, ie. Vanessa Beecroft, why do you think it is still considered controversial and shocking for a female artist to portray her sexuality as outwardly powerful and/or vulnerable?

JS: While many women artists have displayed their own sexuality in their artwork, every girl and woman still has to confront this topic individually and form her own convictions. It's something we continuously re-examine as we age and deal with new personal struggles. There are so many conflicting messages in society regarding a woman’s stance on her own sexuality and most women are still trying to figure it out for themselves. On one hand, society definitely rewards physical beauty yet, in many other ways, it can be an impediment. Increasingly, I think people turn to media figures as a barometer for their own morality. For the "Shock Challenge" I wanted to generate discussion about the way women are often criticized because of images they present of themselves – particularly the way certain female celebrities objectify themselves by posting sexy personal photos on social networking platforms such as Twitter. Often these photos are low-resolution and snapped from cell phones. I decided to photograph myself in this manner as a sort of contemporary “self-portraiture” and elevate the photos to fine art status by re-contextualizing them. I then displayed the images in the gallery and allowed the audience to physically alter the work in any way with sharpies, which draws attention to the way women are criticized online. I titled the piece, “Triple Self-Portrait in Bathroom,” which references Andy Warhol, an artist known for working with the idea of celebrity persona.

Another reason it may still be considered controversial is because of female competition, which occurs in part due to socially imposed myths of female worth. The scrutiny with which women can judge each other is incredible. Growing up, I wasn’t horrendously unattractive but I did go through an “awkward phase,” and for five years of my life other girls ridiculed me nearly every day. Now that I am older and have grown into my looks, I am condemned by some women because I keep up my appearance, when if I didn’t I would be put down for it. The world sets up a standard for beauty, then criticizes those who admit they struggle with it. I’m willing to honestly examine this contradiction through my artwork.

FP: You've also mentioned isolationism in your statement...a theme that seems to be prevalent in American culture today, particularly because of the internet, and our ability to be alone yet still remain virtually connected. Can you speak about how that relates to your work?

JS: I think the piece I did for the "Art That Moves You" challenge on WOA, "11x17", touches on the issue of isolationism in contemporary urban culture. It also examines voyeurism, a somewhat natural response to isolation. While most people do not spy on their neighbors' with binoculars, voyeurism has transcended to the internet in a more diluted version, where many of us use social networking platforms and blogs to comment on the lives of those we see on Television and other forms of Media. The pseudo-anonimity of the Internet offers protection while potentially causing further isolation. I think this has affected women in a very specific way. Oftentimes women display sexy images of themselves in an attempt to garner attention or praise, yet this often backfires into “unwarranted” criticism. Too often photos or explicit videos are released without consent.

FP: In regards to the nudity on the show...it really was a missed opportunity as you said for the production to discuss the current state of feminism as it pertains to the art world. Such a HUGE topic and yet (for the sake of time constraints? titillation of tv?) Bravo chose to edit down your provocative "shock value" piece to a hot girl defaulting to her own voyeuristic sexuality more than anything else. How did you feel about that? What could they have done to further the dialogue? What do you think would have happened if say one of the male artists had asked to photograph you naked or had photographed themselves naked...do you think more or less would have been made of that episode?

JS: So far my character has appeared very one-dimensional. The fact is, I am not a "bimbo" in any capacity. Instead of portraying my true personality, they jumped on every opportunity to dumb-down my character. I was very disturbed by the way my piece, “Triple Self-Portrait in Bathroom,” was depicted on Work of Art as well as the way my character and art making process were completely distorted. I don’t think this was done because of time constraints; rather, it was done to create a very simple story arch that any casual viewer could follow. This was problematic because it made me look like I default to nudity without any thought behind the concept of the work, which undermines my art process. I am not shy about my appearance as they suggest, but I did feel incredibly vulnerable being taped in the nude. There's a huge difference between presenting a photograph that I have carefully selected and composed, verses handing over raw footage that can be manipulated in any way whatsoever. I was very hesitant about doing this but I believed in the piece and the producers said they needed the footage only to display my process. Yet in the episode, the rest of my process was barely discussed, then it was falsely made to look as though I was not responsible for conceptualizing the final product.

The treatment of sensitive issues on set was different for the boys. A male contestant was not required to film himself ejaculating on a piece of art, which caused some tension on set.

FP: In The Art of Reflection: Women Artists' Self-Portraiture in the Twentieth Century, Marsha Meskimmon states: "If the task was to find oneself, then the crisis for the postmodern subject is that nowhere is home, everything shifts and changes. What is the reflection in the mirror that 'vanity' holds? She refuses now to be the 'site' of another's desire and reflects back to you the insubstantiality of your projections."1

Do you think it's possible for the physicality of an attractive female artist to ever be a separate entity from her work, particularly if she is the subject matter of her own work? Is vanity and the mirror important to an artist?

JS: To answer the question, if the womans' chosen subject matter deals with nudity or sexuality in the form of self-portraiture - i.e. Marina Abramovic, Cindy Sherman - no, I don't feel the artist's appearance could be a seperate entity. If the subject matter involves sexy images of other women or the imagery is more illustrative - i.e. Lisa Yuskavage, Hillary Harkness - I think it will be much less of an issue. I think it can only be a non-issue if the artist completely plays down her appearance or doesn't acknowledge it in her work. Yet this doesn't necessarily mean it won't be an issue. At a college critique, a guest artist was invited to our studios and the minute he saw me, before he ever saw my work, he blurted out, “you are the artist”? “You don’t look anything like an artist... YOU are as interesting as your work." This sort of thing happened so often that I made a decision to incorporate my appearance into my work.

FP: Another great quote from this same book: "One of the key issues in feminist theory has been that of women's voice in male language. To what extent is it possible to enunciate a truly different position when you are already within the structures which mark your difference?"2 Do you think the art world is still a predominantly masculine one or is it now equal...what has your experience been thus far?

JS: While certainly more doors are now open to female artists, there’s no denying the highest paid artists are all still men. There’s also no denying that the vast majority of Art collectors are men. I worked for Jeff Koons for two years and there were very few women who came in to purchase work. Granted, this may simply be because men still make more money than women and if women had more spending power, more of us would invest in contemporary art. I think it is a challenge to make work about women that can appeal to both a male and female audience on the same level. We respond to images of the female form rather differently, and it's hard to subvert the provocative aspect of a sexualized image.

FP: The high-low art status is interesting in your pieces --do you think anything can be elevated to art status by redepicting it?

JS: Yes, it can, if done in a particular way. Intent is important -- low art must be appropriated in an intelligent way. For instance, a high school student copying his incredible hulk comic book is entirely different than Jeff Koons appropriating the hulk into his personal iconography.

FP: You worked as a studio assistant to pop art icon Jeff Koons. Has he influenced your work? And who are your biggest influences?

JS: Before I ever worked for Jeff Koons, I loved his Made in Heaven series as well as his Luxury/Degradation series. Speaking of Made in Heaven, that’s a prime example of low-art being successfully elevated to high -art. Jeff Koons is brilliant and there are very few people who love art as much as he does. Working at his studio was an incredible learning experience. It was so interesting to see how he spoke with visitors about his work and I learned an incredible amount of technical skill while at his studio. Jeff talked "acceptance" quite often. We must accept who we are -- our individual and collective pasts -- our shortcomings, failures, weaknesses, and strengths. As artists, we must be honest with ourselves in order to make work that is personal yet transcends to a wider audience. So many artists have influenced my work, but to name a few: Damien Hirst, Marilyn Minter, Laurel Nakadate, Liz Cohen, Vanessa Beecroft

FP: Where do you see your work evolving now that you've participated in Bravo's Work of Art? Has the show inspired you in a new direction? What's on the horizon? Where can we see your work next?

JS: Participating in the reality show was an experience like no other. It really made me more aware of the internet as a portal for criticism and dialogue in fine art. It also opened my eyes to how incredibly critical and voyeuristic our culture is, and I think I would like to comment even further on these qualities in my new projects. The show also allowed me to branch out into other mediums when appropriate, something I think I may have been afraid to do before. Since the show wrapped up, I’ve been continuing my series of figurative paintings as well as a new series of explosions that respond to the war and oil spill.

Check my website, www.jaclynsantos.com for frequent updates of my new work.

#Jaclyn Santos

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agiospills · 4 years

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What I think about Selena Gomez’s last album.

Before I start sharing my opinion on Rare, I just wanted to say that this is my opinion as a LOCAL and not as someone who loves Selena. My reviews will be based on how I personally take the songs. Maybe it’s not what Selena meant with the lyrics but anyways. I’ve already heard the album, it’s not my first listening. I think there are a lot of things that need to be talked about. Be careful with the spoilers even though I don’t think I’ll spoil too much. Enjoy!

1. Rare

Rare is a cute song that talks about self-love and being confused about a love story and its consequences. I would definitely name it "Bad Liar’s little sister". It’s a great opening to the album. I personally do know that Selena is obsessed with the 80s and I get some Talking Heads vibes out of it. While concentrating on the song, I do think the lyrics are repetitive but if I don’t concentrate on it, I wouldn’t notice. This song did not suprised me, like I mentioned I think it’s a replica of Bad Liar. So there was nothing in the record that made me surprised. It’s definitely a 8/10.

2. Dance Again

Dance Again is about overcoming sadness and being happy again. It gives me some MAJOR Prince vibes. I like the disco and 80s vibes about it. Again, I think she could’ve got a lot deeper in the lyrics. When you know what Selena went through, I think she could’ve explored it more. I do think it should be the third single, I mean it’s definitely a song that makes you dance. I can see it being a radio hit. This song surprised a lot, I’ve never thought that Selena would and could explore the Disco genre. And I really love it. It’s a 9/10.

5. Ring

I’m so sorry for all the Ring stans out here. Bur what the fuck is this? I wanna say mean things about this record. I don’t think the album needed it even though I think it makes it more versatile. Again, I’m not a fan of the lyrics. But if there’s something about the song that caught my attention is Selena’s voice. She completely took a different tone and challenged her sound. I don’t want Selena to EVER make a song like this one. I really hate it. I don’t know about y’all, but I would rate it a 3/10.

6. Vulnerable

THIS IS WHAT I WANT! This is exactly what I want and need from Selena. First of all, thank you Jesus for these amazing lyrics. I needed it after listening to Dance Again and Ring. I love her soft voice, it makes the record so much better. I think the song is an amazing representation of wanting something that makes you bad. It’s literally my favorite track on the album, it tells a story and a story that I fully understand. BUT, I wish that she could’ve added a verse that makes the song more relatable for the outro. 10/10!

7. People You Know

Again, this is exactly what I want from Selena. I love the lyrics of the first parts. I don’t like how the song ended though. AGAIN, she could’ve ended the song with a different verse than the chorus that we just didn’t need. Thank God, the production saved that small detail that lowkey got on my nerves. I can also imagine it as a third single, I think the music video could be interesting. I just don’t want her to make the song something that we all know isn’t about, for example what she did with Fetish or Same Old Love. Again, it’s a perfect description of regretting a love that became toxic. I don’t know if the song talks about relationships or friendships. But I personally think it’s about a relationship, I take it that way. I love the record, 8.5/10!

8. Let Me Get Me

It’s gonna be a similar description to the ones I wrote for Vulnerable and People You Know. I don’t like how she finished the song, the production is perfect though. It’s a song that surprised me. And I love the pop-Middle Eastern vibes to it, the chorus is so CATCHY. It makes me want to get up and dance. I still think she stayed in her basic sound when it comes to the vocals. I can definitely feel what she is feeling while listening to the song, it radiates freedom and relief. I love it. 9/10!

10. Crowded Room (ft. 6LACK)

I love R&Bish Selena. I think her voice sounds so good, I love seeing my two words on a song together. 6LACK’s verse in the song was NEEDED. I can’t imagine the song without his part, and I love how Selena uses her head voice. I love the chorus because it reminds me of Me & U by Cassie, a fucking classic. I mean I’m so hypnotized by Selena and 6LACK’s voices that I don’t pay attention to the lyrics. For the hundredth time, I really want Selena to add high notes or something that makes me jump from my chair or whatever the fuck I’m sitting on. It’s a 9.5/10.

11. Kinda Crazy

It’s... cute? I mean I love the production, I think the producers did an amazing job with the song. It’s a not a reliable song to me, I mean I don’t have a lot of things to say about that song. I’ve heard it in 2016, and I’m hearing it again. What I think is interesting though is that it sounds like she’s talking about Charlie Puth’s weird obsession with her? Or maybe I’m being delusional lol? But yeah, please Selena get deeper into your lyrics, like come on... It’s a 6/10.

12. Fun

0/10. Please Selena, once but not twice.

13. Cut You Off

Not a fan of this song. I don’t think it’s a skip though, it’s interesting to listen to because the lyrics are reliable. But a-fucking-gain, the lyrics are not enough for me. I wanted something deeper, you’re talking about a love that drained you during 4 years. I don’t think it was needed on the album. But hey, it’s cute. It’s a 5/10.

14. A Sweeter Place (ft. Kid Cudi)

This song is definitely one of my favorite ones on the album. The first time I heard it, I cried. I think the production makes it cool and soft but it’s actually sad. It talks about Selena’s experience with almost dying and what it felt like to be almost dead. And I think she decribes it in a good way, because it really feels like that. I love Kid Cudi’s verse, if you’re not into his vibe then you won’t like it I guess. Again, I love seeing my two worlds collaborating. Perhaps it could be a good single, I definitely can see some awesome visuals for the music video. I love the fact that this song is the last song on the album, in a way, we’re saying goodbye to Rare after our first listening. But to me, the song sounded like a goodbye but like FOREVER. And I just love it. 10/10!

My overall opinion:

Rare is an amazing album that sounds so fresh. I think the Pop industry needed this album, it gives me hope for what this generation is about to listen. Rare is a perfect description of a versatile and cohesive album. The collaborations were interesting, the only skip of this album is Fun which I really hate. The way I’d rate this album is kinda harsh but Selena didn’t release an album since 2015, there are some songs that she could’ve scrapped instead of scrapping her best songs. I definitely think Stained and Feel Me (I mean with different lyrics for Feel Me lmao) had a place in this album, if we wouldn’t have heard them. I think this album is a grower and I can’t stop listening to it. I haven’t heard such a good Pop album since 1989 by Taylor Swift. I think the wait for Rare was definitely needed and it was worth waiting. If Rare isn’t nominated at the GRAMMYs, I will be mad. It’s a masterpiece. It’s just the songwriting that ruined everything on a couple of songs. I do not understand why Lose You To Love Me and Look At Her Now are on the album, they sound so different from the tracks. But honestly, good work from Selena. I’m madly impressed. I rated it a 6.5/10 on my Twitter account, but I guess it’s a 7/10 now. Bravo Selena!

#selena gomez #sg2 #6lack #kid cudi #rare

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spaceoceania · 4 years

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🎊🎉I FREAKING DID IT🎉🎊

I commented 👏on👏 every👏 single 👏norray 👏fanart👏and👏fanfic👏submitted👏for👏norrayweek2020👏on👏Tumblr👏and👏ao3👏

Like??? How the hell did my dumbass even do that??😂😂 Ahhh I'm in so much awe with myself. I mean good job Amy you succeeded in accomplishing your goal, made a lot of people happy, and voiced your genuine reaction and appreciation to all the creators!! :'D 👏👏💖💖 But on the other hand, WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU AMY AGAIAHAH😂😂 Like, if you just go through the tag, you can just see me in every comment section (is that even what you call it here on tumblr?? Or is it reply section??) And it's highkey creepy😂 LIKE AMY YOU DIDNT HAVE TO DO ALL THAT SHIT AGSISHSUJA- but then again it's oddly satisfying too?? Fryrutgj 🙏✨🎉 UwU

The best part is that I did it all within the actual norray week! When I was double checking I got everyone, i spent most of my time laughing at how dumb I sounded xD I didn't have to comment on as much stuff as i thought I would! 😂🙏 As in for ao3, I don't even know how I did that- cause I left some long ass comments in some works... Like jeez Amy just shut up🤦😂 Looking back at it now and I'm just like... So shook about it😂��

So yeah guys! :D Quote me on the fact that I actually commented on everything for norrayweek!👏🎉🎉💖 But I'm pretty sure i missed something cause tumblr really hates us and wouldn't show some stuff on the tag😒😒 So yeah tell me if I missed something cause I apparently never get tired of screaming about fanart 💖😅🤦 Rip Twitter and Instagram though- there was some pretty amazing stuff on both platforms! Like, I dont even know how norrayweek was happening on Instagram!! :0 I saw a post about it on my explore page I was shook! So bless everyone who spread the news🙌🙏 And just bless everyone who participated💖 Hopefully next time I'll be able to share my love with the people on Instagram and Twitter!! <3

I can't wait for the next norray week!💖 UwU Next time I'll try to not be super ambitious😂 And I'll make sure to NOT LEAVE FUCKING ESSAYS ON THE COMMENT SECTIONS AGSISHWHSJ😭🤦😂😂 (don't quote on that tho... I always underestimate how excited my dumbass can get😪)

So yeah anyways I just want to thank everyone who organized and participated in this!!💖✨ I would tag those people but... I don't wanna bother them😅 So yeah! You all know who you are :') Actually, if you're reading this, then you're probably one of them! Actually no nevermind, it's all of us!💖 (so everyone reading this😂) It's thanks to everyone who has ever made content and everyone who like/reblog/commented on said content! And also to everyone who just supported and voted from afar! :3 Thank you guys so much <3 Norrayweek was such a nice way to start 2020 ^^

And like?? I'm still so amazed by how talented yall are?? Like?? FREAKING BRAVO TO YOU ALL👏👏✨✨ 🎉🎉🎊🎊 Trust me, if I could give every single one of you guys showers of love, I so would!! Like we got all types of content is amazing!! :DD Not only did we get some LOVELY fanfics, we also got some AMAZING fanart!!👏👏🙌🙌✨✨💖💖 AND WE GOT A COSPLAY PHOTO AND AN AMV AGAUQJAH👏👏🎉🎉🎉✨✨💖💖💖

Anyways here are some random facts about me and norrayweek😂:

I can clearly remember the first and last fanart submission here on tumblr! :D🙌💖 (first by our lovely @/sweetylittlebirdie 💕and last by our queen @/mika-hime✨)

I can't remember that ⬆ for fanfics on ao3 but the first and last fics I left a comment on were both to the same author! And that was for @/piperemerald <3

I reblogged a total of 3 posts relating to norryaweek! One which was an art made by our goddess @/justanotherbnhalover because her art kills me like that xD the other one was the amv I keep talking about which was made by our girl @/mika-hime because it was just so beautiful! And the last one was a mini fic by @/vidaflxwer cause omg I c r i e d- so yeah X3 I had a quite a lot of stuff to say about all those three things and the idea of leaving multiple comments never crossed my mind at first. So I ended up gushing about it on the tags😂💖

The hardest part of norrayweek was easily making my orgins post cause i kept going back and editing it and then the little shit didnt even show up in the tags😂

There were two fanarts that I didnt leave a comment on at first cause I personally gushed to the creator about it through the chat box. But when I was going through the tag again I found those two arts and gave the creators a comment😂💖

This is the second ship-week I have officially participated on! :D

But this is the first time time I actually make it all the way through the ship-week!! 😅

I was never able to memorized the prompts and what day they were attached to xD So I had to look at the screenshot of the prompts quite a lot of times.

So yeah! :D Everything for Norrayweek2020 should have a comment from me except for those three posts that I reblog and everything posted on ao3 cause i just left the comment on ao3! :3 So if you see something that doesn't have me screaming in the notes, tell me so I can go gush about!! X3

Thank you all so much and thank you to whoever read all of that xD <3

#okay time to go set myself on fire-#jk jk😂#my next goal is reading everything posted on ao3 and oooooooabsisja #imma take my time with that one😅#but aaaaa i did it guys!#norrayweek ended like 3 weeks ago but i did it!!#norray #norrayweek #norrayweek2020 #okay now i'll shut up about norray😂#i mean i'll try to okay #also fun fact #i fell asleep before posting this last night so here i am posting it at 4 am xD

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jerseydeanne · 4 years

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No “bias.” Only CORRUPTION.

LAW & THE COURTS

The FBI’s Corrupt Cops

KEVIN D. WILLIAMSON

December 11, 2019 5:27 PM

Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, December 11, 2019. (Erin Scott/Reuters)

The falsified documents and the many errors all disadvantaged one side. That’s not bias?

White-collar criminals should hope for one thing this Christmas: that they get to live under the Horowitz rules.

Michael Horowitz has testified that he found no evidence of political bias on the part of the decision makers who, under the Obama administration, relied on hilariously implausible “evidence” and falsified evidence of their own in order to launch a federal investigation of the Trump campaign. Rather than political bias, Horowitz says, the investigation uncovered a series of “basic and fundamental” errors. Democrats are cheering that aspect of the report, because they believe that Horowitz’s words can be used to silence charges that the investigation of the Trump campaign was, as the president charges, part of a politically inspired “witch hunt.”

Here’s Horowitz in his own words:

Errors were made by three separate, hand-picked investigative teams; on one of the most sensitive FBI investigations; after the matter had been briefed to the highest levels within the FBI; even though the information sought through the use of FISA authority related so closely to an ongoing presidential campaign; and even though those involved with the investigation knew that their actions were likely to be subjected to close scrutiny.

No bias, just honest incompetence. Or so we are expected to believe.

Imagine an investigation of racial bias in a bank, with investigators discovering a long series of serious errors and departures from ordinary standards and practices, violations of business norms, etc., not by a single loan officer but by three separate business units overseen by the highest levels of management — with all of those errors disadvantaging African-American mortgage borrowers. Would we need texts and emails documenting active racial bias on the part of the bankers to conclude that there was racial bias at play? If we found that a police department had violated its own standards on a regular basis in its treatment of African-American suspects but uncovered no texts or emails documenting racial intent, would we be satisfied that no racial bias existed?

Of course not.

And, in the case of the Obama administration, using investigative agencies as political weapons fits a well-established pattern of behavior. Under the Obama administration, the IRS abused its powers for political purposes: Conservative nonprofits were targeted for investigation and harassment. So was the National Labor Relations Board. So was the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. In fact, this is part of a pattern of behavior among Democrats both inside and outside of the federal government: New York State has just been forced to abandon a political jihad against Exxon, which Democrats attempted to prosecute for indulging wrongthink on global warming, using securities law as a pretext. Democratic prosecutors have abused their powers to harass and intimidate climate-policy critics including policy nonprofits such as the Competitive Enterprise Institute. That isn’t a conspiracy theory — New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (later driven from office) organized the campaign and announced his intentions in the New York Times.

The FBI’s actions in the Trump matter were outrageous

, with agents going so far as to alter documents included as part of the FISA warrant process.

Focus in on that for a moment: The Federal Bureau of Investigation under the Obama administration sought to launch an investigation of the rival party’s presidential campaign in order to spy on it under powers reserved for national-security purposes. (FISA stands for Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.) In order to activate those powers, the FBI had to go to a federal court for permission, which it did — with falsified documents in hand. If the FBI attorney who altered that document avoids seeing the inside of a federal prison cell, it will be a grave disservice to justice.

In a free society, there is very little that is as dangerous as a corrupt cop. The FBI under the Obama administration falsified documents in order to get legal permission to spy on a Republican presidential campaign. But there was no “bias.”

Only corruption.

——————————————————————————————–

Bravo. Mr. Williamson. Right on the money! ! Can we now go back and impeach Obama? I guess not?

This is brilliant! You know you have to think this is a presidential election, not some dude trying to blow something up. They took the slimmest of evidence to spy on the Trump campaign. Think about that for a moment. It’s crazy!

Thank you anon, 🥰

Twitter is on fire right now!

#realDonaldTrump #FISA #gig #Michael Horowitz #corruption #submission

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wematch · 6 years

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The Truth Behind It

Neil finally makes a Twitter account the year after he leaves the Foxes. His PR has been nagging him about making a social media account since he joined the team but ultimately he uses it to annoy Andrew. Of course things escalate and the rumours of a rivalry between the two form, that is until Neil clarifies everything.

You can also read it on [AO3]

As always a big thank you to @velvetnoodle for being such a wonderful beta!

Neil is lying on the sofa of his empty apartment staring at the ceiling. The match he had been watching in the TV just ended and now the post game interviews are about to start; the sound of Andrew’s voice coming from the screen draws his attention back to the TV. He grabs the remote to turn the volume up and sits up on the couch to pay attention.

He can’t help but be surprised when he sees Andrew’s blank face right next to his team captain ready to do the interview. Andrew never liked to do this sort of thing and has always left that pretty clear in the past. But this wasn’t college anymore, they were now playing for professional teams and the contracts they signed were different, interviews and the occasional photos were part of their careers as professional athletes.

But that doesn’t mean that Andrew would go there and put on a smile for the cameras and pretend to be nice like Kevin does. No, Andrew will be there because that’s what’s required of him. Nothing else.

Neil is amused at the whole interview; Andrew either ignores the questions thrown at him or gives the shortest answers possible. And when it becomes clear that the reporters are no longer asking Exy related questions, Andrew just exits the room leaving his captain behind.

When the interview is over, Neil’s phone starts beeping so he fumbles on the couch in search of it. When he unlocks it he finds a message in his chat with Allison. It’s only a screenshot, and when Neil clicks to expand it he can see that it’s from a tweet of Nicky just saying next with laughing smiles and then Andrew’s reply to it saying You’re next.

Neil snorts. When did Andrew get a Twitter account? Maybe his PR had him make an account just like they’ve been asking Neil to do. He puts his phone away and watches the sports channel that is currently showing a game from the past season. But he doesn’t pay too much attention to it; he keeps thinking about what Allison showed him so he grabs his phone again and decides to download Twitter to try the damn thing. It will get his PR off his back and he can tease Andrew a bit.

He makes an account in a few minutes, and then he proceeds to type his first tweet.

@JostenN10: Who let @AJMinyard loose near the press?

In no time his phone begins to beep like crazy. People are beginning to follow him and retweet what he said, including some of the Foxes. Neil follows his friends back, and takes some time to figure out how to disable all the notifications except for theirs. He gets distracted trying to read what they’ve tweeted to each other lately until a notification letting him know that Andrew had just mentioned him appears.

@AJMinyard: @JostenN10 Mind your own damn business.

He smiles at his phone when he reads Andrew’s reply and gets up to prepare to go to sleep. His phone rings a few minutes later so he lays down and answers it. “Are you banned from interviews yet?”

“Not yet,” Andrew replies.

Neil begins to grin; of course Andrew will try to make it happen soon. He turns off his lamp and makes himself comfortable in bed to talk to Andrew. They haven’t seen each other in two weeks and Neil misses him. “You still coming here next weekend?”

“Yes,” Andrew answers, and then he proceeds to tell Neil about the book Renee let him borrow a few days ago when she went to visit him.

And like most nights they don’t talk for long as they both have practice in the next morning. So after Neil tells Andrew about his teammates becoming really stressed about the upcoming matches, they hung up to get some sleep.

***

A few days pass, and Neil’s team wins a game where he scores an impossible shot. Once he’s dressed after the game he comes to sit on his car to make some time for the stadium to clear out.

He checks his phone to see what time it is, but finds that he has a few notifications on Twitter so he clicks to open it. He sees several of the Foxes congratulating him about the game. All except for one.

@NickyHe: What an amazing shot @JostenN10, so proud!!

@AJMinyard: @NickyHe you forgot the part that he face planted himself into the plexiglass. Bravo.

Neil snorts when he reads what Andrew sent him and immediately begins to type his answer.

@JostenN10: Fuck you @AJMinyard

He then puts his phone away and drives back to his apartment. Once he arrives, he takes off his shoes and sits on the couch, the adrenaline of the game has passed and Neil feels his legs giving out.

He takes out his phone from his pocket to call Andrew. “I’m probably going to be told off tomorrow for that,” he comments, remembering his PR warning him to think about what he posts online because it could impact him and his team.

“Tell that to someone who cares,” Andrew replies and Neil can hear the slight amusement in his voice. “They should just ban you from social media before it’s too late.”

“Probably,” Neil agrees. “If they were smart they would ban us both, just to be safe.”

Andrew hums and for a few moments neither of them speak. Andrew is going to stay over during the weekend so Neil walks to his fridge and opens freezer to check if he still has ice cream for him. He sees a container of Andrew’s favorite flavor and grabs it.“Your ice cream container is almost empty, do you want me to buy a different flavor or the same one?”

Andrew doesn’t answer right away and sounds like he’s walking around. So while he waits for Andrew to answer, Neil closes the freezer and starts to look at the take out menus to think about what he’s going to order for dinner.

“The same,” Andrew tells him.“You going shopping tomorrow?”

“Yeah, but I should be back before you arrive,” Neil replies.

***

Almost two weeks later, Neil’s sitting in the locker room putting away his things in a gym bag and he can feel the tense atmosphere of his team in the air. They just lost an away game and it will make it difficult for them to move to the next round. So he takes a deep breath, closes his bag and follows his teammates in silence.

On his way to the parking lot Neil checks his phone and goes on Twitter where he sees he has several mentions from the others about the match. He’s not really in the mood to talk about it, so he ignores them until he notices that Andrew also mentioned him.

@AJMinyard: @JostenN10 I thought you knew how to run

@JostenN10: @AJMinyard At least I played, what did you do on your last game?

@AJMinyard: @JostenN10 You have a death wish

After a short drive, his team gets back to their city. Neil leaves the team bus and enters his car, feeling slightly calmer after bickering with Andrew. He begins to drive and only checks his phone again when he stops at a gas station, and he sees that he has a message from Andrew.

Andrew: How long?

Neil: At the gas station, 20min

Neil pays for the gas and buys some chocolate bars for Andrew that were in the counter. When he enters the car and throws the chocolates to the other seat he realizes that it’s getting late and he’s getting hungry so he sends another message to Andrew.

Neil: Indian tonight?

Andrew: Yes. Number 37?

Neil: Yeah and Naan bread

Once he arrives at Andrew’s apartment he opens the door and Andrew calmly gets up from the couch to stop in front of him. Neil silently drops his bag to the floor and holds up the chocolates one in each hand in front of them.

Andrew spares them a glance and holds Neil’s hands with his own. “You can live. For now,” he comments and Neil can see that he’s amused. Then he moves forward and kisses Neil for a moment, and just as quickly Andrew steps back taking the chocolates with him. “Dinner should be arriving anytime now,” he informs him turning his back to Neil.

“Good,” Neil says, thinking that he’s quite hungry and follows Andrew into the living room to wait for dinner to be delivered.

***

Neil takes a deep breath and steps into the room full of reporters to follow his captain. He was put to press duty because the reporters have been asking why he never makes them, so of course they sent him today with the warning to watch his mouth.

After a few questions about the match they just had, one reporter changes the subject. “You seem to have a rivalry with your former teammate Andrew Minyard, care to comment?”

“No,” He replies, trying not to roll his eyes at the so-called rivalry that, according to Allison, everyone has been talking about.

“Are you excited to go against him next week?”

“Yes, I can’t wait to see him,” he replies and fights the urge to smile when he thinks about Andrew and the time they’ll get to spend together next weekend.

“There’s some rumors going around that while you were at Palmetto you two didn’t get along?” another reporter immediately asks, interrupting his thoughts.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure he hates me,” Neil says to the camera with a grin, choosing to let them interpret that however they want.

Later that night he checks in at the hotel where his whole team is staying before they fly back to their city in the morning. He goes to his room and opens the window to light a cigarette on the small balcony. He breathes in the smell of smoke and once the cigarette is gone he thinks about calling Andrew so he grabs his phone. He unlocks it and notices that he has a notification from Twitter and opens the app.

@AJMinyard: @JostenN10 You’re right, I do hate you.

His heart skips a beat after reading Andrew’s message from two hours ago. He stares at the message for a few moments but ultimately realizes that is already quite late and he doesn’t want to wake Andrew, so instead of calling him tonight he only answers him on Twitter.

@JostenN10: @AJMinyard Good

***

After the game between their teams, Neil silently follows his team into the locker room to wait for their turn to do the post-game interview. His coach comes inside and turns the TV on so that they can watch the other team’s interview. Andrew’s team won and Neil almost has the urge to roll his eyes when he sees that they sent Andrew to do the interview.

“Andrew, what was it like to play against your former captain?” a reporter asks as soon as he steps into the room.

“Interesting,” Andrew replies with a blank face.

“You confirmed on Twitter that you hated him - did something happen between the two of you?” another one asks.

Andrew turns to the side to look the reporter in the eye before he answers. “You could say that.”

“Would you like to share some details about that? The fans have been wondering what happened to the two of you; even Kevin Day won’t comment about it.”

“It’s good to know that someone has learned to shut their mouth,” is all Andrew says, ignoring the question completely. And then he turns around as if preparing to leave.

“Just one more question; did you had a chance to speak to Josten after the game?”

Andrew pauses after hearing Neil’s name being brought up again. “If only there were days were I didn’t have to fucking deal with him,” he says without looking at the cameras. “I’m done with this,” he adds, and then leaves.

A few minutes pass, and Neil follows his captain to do the interview for his team. As soon as he’s in front of the cameras the reporters don’t even ask about the game, choosing instead to try and see if Neil can give them more information about the situation with Andrew.

“Neil care to comment about your rivalry with Andrew?”

“Rivalry?” Neil asks, feigning confusion.

“Yes, the public is concerned about what really happened between the two of you and why you hate each other so much.”

“Oh, that,” Neil begins to grin; their so called rivalry is what is making his PR send him to press duty after every game. The press has been dying to know more about them.

“Andrew didn’t say anything about it in his interview moments ago, but can you give us an inside scoop? Did you guys have a serious fight while you were in the same team?

“What?”

“Andrew has been known to have violent tendencies. Did something happen?” another reporter quickly asks.

“What? Fuck, no.” Neil says, no longer grinning. Fuck the reporters; they’re only interested in the gossip that could make them sell more and they were going too far with their assumptions. He doesn’t want anyone to think that about the two of them, so he turns around and leaves before he says something he really shouldn’t. He did swear on camera, but his PR should be proud that he shut his mouth after that and walked away.

Later that night they’re both back at Andrew’s apartment in bed and Neil has been scrolling through Twitter for the past half an hour reading a lot of opinions about their so-called fight, and he’s just done with the whole thing. At the beginning, it was fun to tease Andrew and watch everyone start to wonder why, but now it was all getting out of control. He takes a deep breath and looks at Andrew by his side. “I’m tired of this stupid rivalry.”

Andrew stops reading his book and looks back. “It is getting boring,” he comments, and when he sees that Neil isn’t going to add anything else for now, he turns his attention back to the book.

Neil goes back to Twitter and sees that Nicky’s making jokes about the interviews they did today and commenting about the whole situation between them. Neil decides to reply to one of Nicky’s tweets that is full of laughing and crying smiles.

@NickyHe: @AJMinyard He really hates @JostenN10

@JostenN10: @NickyHe @AJMinyard He really does. Especially today since I scored him so many goals

Neil can hear Andrew’s phone vibrating from the notification and watches him grab his phone to check it so he waits, looking at his own phone to see if he’s going to reply.

@AJMinyard: @JostenN10 I hate you everyday. Now shut the fuck up, you’re distracting me

Neil snorts and begins to type his reply:

@JostenN10: @AJMinyard Is that a threat?

@AJMinyard: @JostenN10 It is now

@AJMinyard: @JostenN10 I’ll fucking kill you if you don’t let me finish this book tonight

@JostenN10: @AJMinyard I’m not afraid of you

Out of the corner, of his eye he sees sudden movement and reflexly brings his arm up to defend himself. He isn’t fast enough, however, so he feels a object hitting him on the head. He grabs it to check what it is and sees the book Andrew was just reading. Andrew had just thrown the book at him without any force behind it so Neil looks to his side and grins. He’s met with Andrew looking at him with an eyebrow raised, as if daring him to do something about it. So Neil keeps the book against his chest and grabs his phone once again.

@JostenN10: @AJMinyard just fucking threw the book at my head!

Then Neil, still grinning, turns to look at Andrew again, wondering if it would be okay to post a picture of them together to just end this mess once and for all.

“Staring,” Andrew comments turning to the side and props up his head with his hand to look back at Neil.

“Can I post a picture of us?”

Andrew stills for a moment, clearly not expecting that.“Yes,” he tells him after a moment. “Now give me back the book.”

Neil turns on his camera, takes a picture and gives him back the book. He shows the picture to Andrew and once he glances at it and returns to focus on his book, Neil posts it. It’s a picture of him seated on his bed holding the book and looking at the side grinning, where you can see half of Andrew’s side looking back at him.

@AJMinyard: @JostenN10 You should’ve learned how to duck by now

(And the media goes crazy.)

#andreil #aftg #aftg fic #andreil fic #tfc #tfc fic #andrew minyard #neil josten #social media #twitter #exy #interviews #minyard-josten rivalry but not really

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wazafam · 3 years

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Two stars of Bravo's The Real Housewives franchise are "upset" with Andy Cohen (who has been accused of playing favorites in the past) for leaving their kids out of his recently announced Watch What Happens Live special that will star several housewives' children. On April 6, Cohen took to Twitter to announce the list of children joining him for his late-night special and ask for fan questions. Over the years, Housewives has utilized dozens of their main cast's children as supporting stars, and fans have been awaiting an opportunity to watch their favorite housewife descendants take centerstage.

Fans of housewives who have been loyal since the beginning have watched many of their children grow into adults practically in real-time. Kandi Burruss' daughter Riley, Ramona Singer's daughter Avery, and Meredith Marks' son Brooks, are some of the kids who have appeared on their parents' series for over a decade and have been invited to talk with Andy on his late-night talk show, WWHL. The event will feature 13 children of stars from a variety of series including RHONY, RHOA, RHONJ, and even the most recent addition to the Bravo family, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. While that may appear to be inclusive, two anonymous housewives are upset their kids were not invited onto the special, according to Andy Cohen.

Related: How Andy Cohen Will Spotlight The Real Housewives Children

On his SiriusXM show Radio Andy, Cohen admitted, "I will say I heard from two moms saying, 'Why wasn't my daughter included?'" While Andy wouldn't name any names, he did reveal the other housewife royalty set to join him on WWHL include Teresa Giudice's "Sad Song" singer Gia, Dolores Catania's son Frankie, Jeana Keough's son Shane, Luan de Lesseps' daughter Victoria, Sheree Whitfield's son Kairo, Cynthia Bailey's daughter Noelle Robinson, Vicki Gunvalson's daughter Briana Culberson, Kim Zolciak's daughter Brielle Biermann, and Caroline Manzo's sons Albie and Chris. This complete list of children, along with Cohen's hint that the housewives requested their "daughters" be included, slightly narrows the field of potential complaining reality TV celebrities.

Although she may seem like a prime candidate, Andy was quick to deny Sonja Morgan was one of the two upset housewives, "I would love to have Quincy [Morgan]." Noticeably missing is any Real Housewives of Beverly Hills children. Could Kyle Richards have wanted one of her four daughters to snag a spot on the special? Additionally, Lisa Rinna's two daughters would serve as great contributions to the group following reports of Amelia and Scott Disick's relationship getting serious in the press. The Real Housewives of Potomac is also underrepresented in this pool of reality television kin. Gizelle Bryant's three daughters and Karen Huger's daughter Raven have all made memorable appearances on the past seasons of RHOP, perhaps prompting one of these housewives to be agitated with Andy.

While there will be no confirmation of which two aggrieved reality stars are upset with Andy, it's safe to say several worthy children were omitted from the anticipated Watch What Happens Live event. Regardless, this late-night reunion is so full of The Real Housewives offspring it will certainly satisfy the Bravo fans who have been waiting for the housewives' children to shine in their own spotlight.

Next: The Real Housewives: 5 Reddit Conspiracy Theories That Could Be Legit (&5 That Are Too Far-Fetched)

Why Two Real Housewives Are 'Upset' Over WWHL Children's Special from https://ift.tt/31V0zSe

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ehentha · 6 years

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Maldives twitter last week #1

Here are some interesting things Maldivians talked about on twitter last week. A long term collection could be very useful for reflection and analysis.

1. @reallynattu creates satirical voting app

Since this has leaked and people got a glimpse of this super duper top secret extremely sensitive totally legit app we've been working on. So releasing #VoteApp for public use. Tweet your features to add to this. iOS: https://t.co/yZYEepIJ3i Android: https://t.co/8W1jtkTwpz pic.twitter.com/EGbczx12rw

— Nattu (@reallynattu) March 7, 2018

An English translation:

The top text reads "Voteapp". Next to it is a drop down menu that says "Presidential election".

Below that the title says "Candidates". Below this the same portrait of current president Abdulla Yameen is displayed five times in a row, giving the voter a wide range of candidates to vote for.

Below this is the presidents full name, "Yameen Abdul Gayoom". The president doesn't use this version in his campaigning or current activities perhaps to distant himself from his brother Maumoon. Next to this the text reads "The driving force behind the progress that the Maldives is experiencing".

After this is a section where the voter decides what kind of reward they want for voting. They are given a choice of money (from well wishers), employment (a coordinator position), or a flat from Hulhumale'. In the mockup the voter has chosen money, and the options for collecting it (deposit, cheque, or a letter delivered to your residence) are below. As the voter has selected the first option, a field to enter their account number and reward amount sits next to the Bank of Maldives and Maldives Islamic Bank logos.

At the very bottom the text reads "press to vote", with the subtext "I swear to god that I won't change my vote". The word used for "my" is "alhugandu", a relic of the Maldivian caste system, which is the self depreciating word one must use for oneself when talking to someone who demands respect; whether it be your elders, a teacher, or certain dictators. The literal translation of "alhu" is slave.

2. @paperclippenny and @legacyofpain attend mandatory marriage classes

Marriage class: https://twitter.com/legacyofpain/status/971438002890203136

"no anal!!" - Marie #marriageclass