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allthefilmsiveseenforfree · 3 years

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Dear Evan Hansen

You may have seen some ~online discourse~ about the film Dear Evan Hansen, an adaptation of the 2016 Broadway musical, and you might have wondered what all the hubbub is about. I mean, it’s a feel good story about a senior in high school, Evan Hansen (Ben Platt), who has some pretty severe anxiety and depression. While trying to fulfill an assignment from his therapist to write a letter to himself, his letter gets picked up by another student, Connor (Colton Ryan) - and later that day, Connor kills himself. Connor’s grieving parents and sister Zoe (Amy Adams, Danny Pino, and Kaitlyn Dever) are desperate to learn more from the boy they think was Connor’s best friend - after all, Connor’s suicide note was a letter addressed to “Dear Evan Hansen.” And, as you can imagine, Evan tells them about the unfortunate mistake and sits with them in their grief as they struggle to pick up the pieces of their lives.

Just kidding! He lies to them, repeatedly, elaborately, expansively for months, constructing an entire false friendship with Connor that never happened, and ingratiating himself into the wealthy nuclear family he never had, in large part because he wants to get into Zoe’s pants! THIS IS THE PROTAGONIST OF THE STORY. Oh, and it’s a musical so there is a lot of singing and crying and singing WHILE crying and sometimes crying and not singing at all. But the #inspiration, you guys.

Things I liked:

Pretty much everything but the story and Ben Platt’s performance. The supporting cast is stacked, and all of them do a great job at elevating material scraped directly out of a diaper worn by someone who just chewed their way through a copy of the DSM-5.

A couple of the songs are damn catchy - “Waving Through a Window” and “You Will Be Found” are standouts for a reason - and here’s the thing, Platt sings them well. But as you’ll discover, there’s a lot more to a movie musical than just singing your part.

Stephen Chbosky, the man behind every deep thought I and a lot of people in my generation had in 2006 after he wrote The Perks of Being a Wallflower, is a pretty good director. I particularly enjoyed the fanvid-type cuts in “Waving Through a Window” in conjunction with the lyrics, and his use of interstitial shots to flashbacks (and sometimes flashforwards!) is a neat little bit of shorthand that I thought was used sparingly enough to be effective.

Amy Fucking Adams. She’s holding on so hard, so desperately to the idea of who her son could have been, rather than the reality of who he was, and she is full of such deep pain that is masked by an almost endless supply of patience with Evan and relentless positivity. All this made me want was Enchanted 2 even worse than I already did.

Super into everything Zoe wears - the costuming department did a great job, and now all I want to do is live in mom jeans and baggy sweaters.

Did I Cry? I teared up a couple of times because I’m not a completely heartless bastard and when Amy Adams offered Evan Connor’s college money, my heart broke for the lie Evan had thrust upon her, and Julianne Moore’s song got me good, because she’s just a single mom to Evan who is doing her goddamn best.

Things I hated more than the time I dropped a frozen gallon container of fruit cocktail on my pinkie toe in my parents’ garage and it turned black and I thought it was gonna fall off:

Ben Platt is 28 years old. He originated the role of Evan Hansen on Broadway, so in many respects it makes sense that he plays the role in the movie, except for the one kinda sorta important thing where he looks like a wizened old crone standing amongst a sea of children doing his best twitching, cringing Hunchback of Notre Dame impression. If you want someone to convincingly play 20 years their junior, hire Paul Rudd. Otherwise, please don’t ask me to believe that this supposed 18-year-old has crow’s feet.

And that twitching nervous energy is a huge part of the black hole at the center of this film - he’s playing to the cheap seats and walking through the halls of his high school like a wet chihuahua. It’s an excruciating acting choice to watch - he doesn’t just have anxiety, he is on the verge of a nervous breakdown seemingly every second of every day. Like honestly, where is only-mentioned-never-seen Dr. Sherman, because this young man’s meds are NOT WORKING DR. SHERMAN.

There’s such a lack of self-awareness on behalf of the writing, directing, and performance by Platt. There’s one song, “Sincerely, Me,” that offers the only glimpse of commentary about what Evan is doing, by pointing out the malicious ridiculousness of him writing a series of fake emails as proof of his and Connor’s friendship.

Also what high schoolers email this much?? I know this was written in probably 2014 or so, but has a bitch never heard of a text? Even a DM? This whole plot is constructed around the premise that high schoolers are just constantly, constantly emailing each other.

Everything - and I mean EV-ER-Y-THING - about Evan’s relationship with Zoe is so creepy and disturbing that with a soundtrack change, this could easily be a horror movie. He attempts to get her to like him by describing to her all the things her brother noticed about her - oh wait, I’m sorry, all the things HE noticed about her while he was skulking in the shadows following her around for years, watching every move she made, and it ends with him singing repeatedly “I LOVE YOU” because following a girl around and never having a conversation with her or knowing her at all is love, right? This was clearly written by the same people who chose “Every Breath You Take” as their wedding song because Sting is hot and they never actually listened to the damn words.

And it gets about 10 billion times worse when Zoe goes to Evan’s house alone, takes him up to his room, and sings “I don’t need reasons to want you” and that was the moment I was that person I hate in a movie theater and I pulled out my phone to Google who wrote the music and lyrics to the musical (we were in the back row of the theater no one was behind me THIS WAS AN OUTRAGE EMERGENCY) and of motherfucking course it was written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, 2 men who heard about meeting an actual human woman from a friend one time but otherwise are unfamiliar with the concept.

Lastly, enormous serial killer vibes from Evan sending unlabeled flash drives anonymously through the mail with no note in an attempt to right his wrongs. That’s not catharsis, that’s how the next installment in the Saw franchise starts, with Evan in a Billy the clown doll mask showing up on the screen and asking if you want to play a fucking game.

Also, I know it’s not possible for the narrative to justify this in a way that could be satisfying based on Evan’s actions, but what is with this thing where single working-class mom Julianne Moore is turning down rich people’s money for Evan to go to college? Like, obviously we can’t have that happen in the movie but in real life, fuck your pride! Take those rich people’s money!

I also know how movies work but nothing annoys me more than a giant group of high schoolers all getting beeps and boops to indicate text notifications all at the same time because I don’t know a single person under the age of 55 who keeps their ringer on. That shit is on vibrate AT MOST, and I feel like that’s a millennial thing.

The emotional climax of the film is obviously Evan’s WAY TOO LATE confession, but the idea that it’s prompted by Connor’s family suddenly getting a lot of internet hate is, frankly, laughable. If Sandy Hook taught me one thing, it is that no tragedy is immune from trolls who live only to cause other people devastating emotional pain on the internet. That shit starts day 1. Apparently no one involved in this production has ever been on Twitter?

Also it feels like there should have been a dog somewhere in this movie and there was no dog, so points off for that too.

Perhaps Dear Evan Hansen isn’t nearly as deep as it aspires to be. Perhaps it’s a morality play, a simplistic message of “Don’t lie, kids, lying is bad!” Major studio movies wrap themselves up with a nice bow at the end so everyone can feel good about themselves and leave with a happy ending, but the moronic cruelty on display here makes that feat feel impossible. We’re left with Evan in an orchard, reading Connor’s favorite books and staring into the big blue sky with all the self-actualization he’s earned now as a lil treat. And if Evan Hansen looked like an actual 18-year-old, it would be a lot easier to extend more empathy to him and his not-fully-developed prefrontal cortex, but it’s a little harder with this fully-grown, weathered man who was old enough to remember seeing Liar Liar in theaters.

Dear Evan Hansen,

Get some actual help and a haircut and maybe you can grow up enough to have an actual healthy interaction with any other living person, ever.

Sincerely,

If you liked this review, please consider reblogging or subscribing to my Patreon! For as low as $1, you can access bonus content and movie reviews, or even request that I review any movie of your choice.

#121in2021 #dear evan hansen #dear evan hansen review #dear evan hansen 2021 #ben platt #amy adams #kaitlyn dever #julianne moore #colton ryan #danny pino #movie reviews #film reviews

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elsarah · 4 years

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Favorite clips of s5

Thank you so much @smblmn for tagging me, I love the idea! While the season as a whole was kinda underwhelming, it was full of amazing clips and I do have a lot of favorites. Here’s my top 10 and a few honorable mentions. I tend to have one favorite clip by episode, except for episode 8, which I REALLY didn't like. I didn't rank my picks, I'll just list them chronologically.

And since I didn't have the opportunity this season, I'm also making gifs to illustrate my picks :) I need the practice, as you can see.

Ep.1: Samedi 0:25 - Le choc

One of my favorite things this season has been the symbolism and the metaphors around sound and silence. In the first episode, there were 2 occurrences: Arthur seeing Noée for the first time underwater at the pool and him looking in the street as snow falls and slowly realizing he's gone deaf. I thought this was an amazing idea and that it gave disability more depth and beauty.

And that look at the camera in the last seconds… And the piano music… It was so chilling.

Ep. 2: Jeudi 20:59 - La nuit de

Globally, the scenes at the association were my favorites, even though I have a complicated relationship with them. Before shooting started in October, someone from the crew promised they would invite me on set during the filming of these scenes, but they ended up breaking their promise. I try to be as drama free as possible on the internet so I didn’t talk about it publicly but now that the season has ended I’m like “Why should I bottle this up, I’m not the the one who screwed up and I’m still hurt about it”.

The first time I watched that clip in January, I was heartbroken. Not just because of the missed opportunity but because I realised I never got to experience what Arthur did; there was no association for me, no one. But I still have a really soft spot for this scene because it's just gorgeous. The aesthetic is incredible and I totally understand what Arthur feels (minus the alcohol). Overall, as bittersweet as it is, it's probably one of my top 3 scenes this season (and it looks like it's one of David's too, this man has great taste). I can’t help but feel for the teenager I was and I wonder how I would have felt watching it then.

Ep.3: Vendredi 13:12 - Check de frérot

Arthur and Basile's friendship was one of the highlights of this season, heck Basile WAS the highlight of this season. Basile and Arthur never shy away from hugs and I'm living for it. I'm so looking forward to see more of Basile in season 6 (since I guess we'll see more of his relationship with Daphné). I loved seeing him be so well-intentioned, despite his usual clumsiness. Seeing Paul in a more serious register (for instance when Arthur lashed out at the boys in episode 6) was delightful.

Ep 4.: Lundi 19:02 - Les entendants

This one also belongs in my top 3. This is the representation I was looking for when I learned Skam France would tackle hearing loss and deafness. It doesn't come in the same package for everybody, and I love that they tried to show it through so many different characters. The situations described here are universal among deaf people.

On a more personal note, I loved that the extras were actual deaf people and sone of them well known. The lady interpreting is Jennifer Lesage-David, co-director at IVT, and she helped David and Niels a lot this season. And the girl speaking about her relationship with her dad is Lulu, she has a YouTube channel with her sister where they raise awareness about hearing loss. The instagram post that was published that day also featured a lot of people I more or less know.

Watching this clip was an experience in itself. I was attending a conference that night about deaf TV archives. The clip dropped 2 minutes before it started and I had to wait for it to end to finally watch. It was excruciating. Also, half the staff of IVT was there and I actually ended up watching the clip in front them. There were like "Wait? Jennifer was in Skam?".

Ep.4: Vendredi 20:43 - Ma vie a changé

While I'm still sceptical about Noée falling in love with Arthur so quickly (this sign song is unambiguous), I think this is one of the most beautiful scenes in the whole series. I don't care very much about this being romantically coded, I just choose to focus on the sign song, because I'm so happy they featured deaf visual arts.

My friend and I spent hours trying to decipher what the song could be about and our interpretation differed a lot from Winona's original text but we loved doing this. David was curious to see how my friend would understand it (especially the part where Noée signs a growing love which she cradles) and he was so happy when she understood it right.

For those interested, here’s what we interpreted (roughly translated into English):

Like two souls lost in the storm, Swayed by the tide, Never really seeing each other Until ours eyes meet. Something is growing inside me, something new, That sets my heart beating. You take off my mask and the truth in your eyes, Fills my heart. Look at me, I also see you.

Ep.6: Mercredi 18:31 - Un simple bout de métal

Also one of the scenes I was expecting the most this season, especially when it transpired that Noée was a bit radical. Her letter echoes my own fears and I thought it was really on point. Arthur admitting he needs her made my heart melt, he's so lucky to have met her. And Winona was amazing in that clip.

Ep.7: Vendredi 20:31 - Sourd dating

Just like for "Un simple bout de metal", I was also expecting that scene. I like that they made Noée and Camille voice their opinion like both faces of the same coin. It was a great way to address cochlear implants as they're a sensitive topic in the deaf community. I think this is one of the most shining example of the research work they did. They could have just stopped at Noée’s letter. But since they had deaf actors like Lucas, who is also implanted and has faced prejudices from radical Deaf people in the past, they had to show implants were not evil and that the situation was more complex than just “Doctors who want to act as gods”.

Learning Noée’s backstory was also interesting, although I didn’t expect her to be an "ex-implanted" deaf. She explains that she learned sign language at the association, which can't be more than 3-4 years ago (and if you look closely in ep 3, when Arthur checks the website, she says she joined the association at its beginning), but there's no way Noée would have that proficiency in sign language in just 4 years of practice. Winona's fluency in sign language is clearly that of someone who grew up with it. I loved being able to notice these subtleties.

Like all the clips at the association, it was a joy to watch because of the atmosphere and the sign language. The deaf extras were lovely. I actually got to meet a few of them last month and had an amazing time with them.

Ep.9: Vendredi 20:17 - Choisir pour toi

Coline. singing. Do I need to say more? I like that both Noée and Alexia had their shining moment and as clumsy as the story got, I appreciate that the writers didn't try to pin one girl against the other and make one superior. Noée had her sign song and Alexia her own composition. And both were breathtaking. What really gets me in this scene are the colors. I'm a sucker for aesthetics.

And of course, it was great to see Alexia stand her ground and break up with Arthur. I have nothing but respect for her and I'm team Alexia + happiness all the way.

Ep.10: Lundi 10:04 - La même vie que vous

When Melchior, Laura and the brochure subplot was introduced, I was a bit wary because their introduction scene was really, really awkward (it wasn't very well tied at first). By their second scene, at Arthur's place, I was sold. It was great to address accessibility and show that there's no point putting people with disabilities in the same bag, because there are hundreds of them and the needs are different. What doesn't change is our wish to live our life at the fullest, just like abled people. And this scene was precious. Seeing Arthur endorse this new part of him and support his peers was everything.

Ep.10: Vendredi 20:47 - Le meilleur des mondes

I'm still very emotional about this scene. Like… I don't know what to say, the music still sends shivers down my spine.

Honorable mentions :

Ep.1: Mardi 11:59 - 3, 2, 1,…

One of the only things Robin told me about the season when I met him at IVT was that the first clip would drop on New Year's Eve at 11:59 p.m.. That date became a beacon during fall and oh you wouldn't believe how much I waited for that clip to drop and how much I was looking forward to it. And it freaking delivered. The atmosphere, the tense music, that first shot on the loudspeaker, the confetti clogging it gradually… That teaser was a masterpiece.

Ep.2: Like… the whole episode actually. The alarm clock concept was genius.

Ep.4: Samedi 10:15 - Nouveau style

One of these gorgeous clips without dialogues that still say lots.

Ep.5: Samedi 10:03 - Maîtriser le langage

Oh my, this one was so relatable and a joy to watch. Camille explaining that sign language and mimes are different, Arthur being that dimwit asking about swear words and being told off for speaking… Kuddos to the deaf extras who had to pretend they didn't know any sign language, it was so funny (looking at you, Enzo).

Ep.6: Samedi 8:30 - Mythos

Seeing Arthur lashing out at his friends was cathartic. He roasted them so well, I wished I had his ability to speak so well when I'm angry. A+ work.

Ep.6: Dimanche 14:41 - Envie de rien

Alexia being the real MVP, as always.

Ep.7: Samedi 2:15 - Pool Party

It’s strange, because even though a lot of the story went down in this particular episode, it must be one of my favorites, like… tied with episode 2. It has probably a lot to do with the fact there were mostly deaf characters and that they had so much fun together. It’s something I can relate do, the sheer joy of signing the night away, which is something I didn’t get to experience until very recently.

As gorgeous as the underwater scene is, I'm not a fan of Noée and Arthur's almost kiss. I picked this scene because I love the moment of sheer joy that follows; everyone joining in the pool and having fun together. And of course the rise of Camika. I know it's a bit convoluted to have the two openly gay guys fall for each other first time they meet but… it just worked so well.

Ep.9: Mercredi 21:34 - Frère

This clip was about to make the top 10 cut when I remembered about another one and I had to remove it. Just Basile being lovely Basile.

Ep.9: Jeudi 17:30 - T'es pas tout seul

This clip was so important, bless the nurse and bless Jérôme. I wish Jérôme was my audiologist, to be honest.

Ep.10: Samedi 13:39 - Maman

Arthur's mom was so lovely and I'm so sorry she had to go through this shit with her trashcan of a husband. I liked her relationship with her son and her reassuring him he's not like his father was very soothing. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Arthur at the end of this season and I appreciate he’s well looked after after what he went through.

Ep.10: Jeudi 17:46 - Recommencer

Just like "Nouveau style" from ep 4, it's another one of these silent clips that has lots of meaning. Arthur putting back his glasses, slowly accepting his life won't be the same and that he has to move on. Except now things are clearer. Skam France love its symbolism and while sometimes it's very poorly done (like the love triangle emphasizing on Arthur's balancing between two worlds), more often than not it's very compelling.

Now I want to rewatch everything, so see you soon I guess :)

#skamfr5 #Manon rambles #I'm so sad my gifs look so ugly #I spent a lot of time on them but smart sharpen in a pain in my butt #I can't control it very well #oh well #I'll practice and I'll get the hang on it #my edits

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coliverxxx · 4 years

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I just want to say that not all “fanfictions” are PWP

You know, it's funny. I recently began watching Haikyuu!! By recent, I meant I began watching yesterday only (despite the constant pestering of my brother to watch it because apparently it's that good and it's the sort of anime you'd love all characters, not just the protagonists). Well, I am actually currently watching a historical drama but the Internet connection sucks for two days and I have seasons one and two of Haikyuu!! already downloaded anyway. That's why yesterday I decided to give it a try (also to save my mind from not knowing what's happening next to said historical drama). And what can I say, so far, there's no anime suggestion from my brother that failed me.

Anyway, because of the situation brought by the pandemic caused by COVID-19, I had an online meeting last night with people from work, and as I was not the best employee and because meetings like that tend to be monologues by our manager only, I was reading fan fictions while the meeting was on going. Well, Haikyuu!! fan fictions. It was interesting because apparently, Haikyuu!! fandom is the second most written about anime fandom after Boku No Hero Academia. At least, that was the case in Archive Of Our Own when I searched for fan fictions last night. (Please correct me if after reading for years there now I still don't understand how it properly works.) I was on my second story when the meeting adjourned and I just couldn't stop reading until I finished it even when we were about to have dinner. My brother caught a glimpse of what I was reading and told me in an accusing tone, "You're reading those? I know already... If it's fan fiction, I know already.”

I wasn't even reading something explicit or mature! (But I knew that's what my brother was thinking given his accusing tone and expression.) I filtered all stories so that it wouldn't even show those tagged explicit or mature since I was reading outside the safety of my room for my family to see. (I'm not sure my parents would appreciate certain stories that might be involving specific toys, or polyamorous exercises.) But when I was reading and my brother saw me, it was sort of the part when Hinata and Kageyama kissed. That didn't help since my brother was sort of an anti-fan fiction type of anime fan. He questioned me why I read "those kind of stories" that he said "he knew already" what those were about and I wasn't stupid. I knew he meant like all fan fictions were porn without plot, just sex, dirty, explicit, whatever. And I just couldn't let him say that but I also didn't want a debate since both of our parents were also within hearing distance. That's why I said, "What do you mean, I read fan fictions? I also write them. I contribute to the community." That was quite... well, my brother didn't say anything anymore. He was probably shocked that I wrote “those kind of stories” as well.

I began writing fan fictions when I was in college. It was strange actually at first to write about certain characters or certain people because you'd want how you write them to be as precise as possible, or in-character, if I should say, but then, when you get the hang out of it, it's pretty much like writing with your own characters, excruciating and fulfilling, except you still don’t own these characters. I have published online more than a hundred stories now and have written probably about five hundred unfinished ones all hidden in the drives of my laptop (I’m so sorry, stories, I failed). If I would categorize my published stories, out of the hundred, probably fifty were sad or angst, twenty have one or two characters dying, about seventeen have happy endings, and only three were explicit or mature (but I really think they're all just failed smuts to be honest).

Now I know I'm speaking for myself here and my own experience. I have seen authors online who were great in writing explicit and mature content which sort of consisted almost a hundred percent of their writing portfolio that a lot of people enjoyed. But what I was trying to say here was, it wasn't all like that. I wish people could not have closed minds because it really wasn't all like that. Fan fictions were just like every book collection, or library, for home authors, student authors, unpublished authors, people who just wanted to write and leave something in this world, and people who just wanted to connect through words. We have adventures, love stories, stories about friendship, and even horror stories just as much as we have for adult stories like what you would see in an actual book store. I've read my fair share of those explicit and mature fan fictions as well, some of which were incredibly well-written and have actual plot. They weren't all just porn, trust me. And if I could just tell you how many stories have tugged my heart, made me cry, made me realize a lot of things, that I read from fan fictions, we wouldn't end here.

I began reading fan fictions pretty much the same time I began writing them. It was just like what they say, if you can't find the story you want to read, write it. I pretty much applied that all through college and honestly, it was a good way to pass college days — through reading and writing (also I wasn't the party or studious type of person anyway). I couldn't remember how many stories I've read through college until now because there were so many amazing authors online that deserve their works read. Until now, I can still remember my favorite Super Junior fan fiction and it wasn't even explicit. It was just Jongwoon losing his voice and Kyuhyun taking care of him even though at that time, Jongwoon was wary and irritable of him because that was the time when he first joined the group and Jongwoon thought he had another competition for song parts. It was just... warm, if I should describe the story. It made you feel warm and I really liked it and I never really forgot about it even though I couldn't find that story now. Another story which I really like was an EXO fan fiction about best friend Baekhyun setting up best friend Jongdae with almost everyone but it didn't seem to work until they figured out why no one was working and the reason was obvious. That story was both funny and sweet when realization both hit them. From the recent stories I've read, one of the many notable ones was a Seventeen fan fiction about best friends Mingyu and Minghao who talked with what they call flower language. I don't even like daisies that much but after that, I began liking daisies. I even left a comment for the author which went like, "I'm not even that happy right now but this story made me so happy." You could say I enjoy reading these best friend stories ending happily because I often write them in angst. (I'm so sorry, beloved readers.) However, the one story that affected me the most recently was a fix-it Naruto fan fiction and it wasn't happy. It explained how the hell Sakura ended up with Sasuke. That story stressed me the same way it gave me relief and it shook my existence to the point that I had to ask the author to let me create an epilogue while at work. (I sort of read it during lunch break at work and I just had to message the author immediately.) Fortunately, the author was kind and gave me permission to do as I pleased and even commended my epilogue when I published it. None of these stories I just mentioned were porn without plot type fan fictions but I love all of them nevertheless.

You see, it wasn't all just porn. Sure, I wouldn't say there wasn't a lot of it. I know there was a ton of mature and explicit fan fictions out there and I just couldn't understand what was so wrong with it. If you don't like it, I'm not forcing you to bleed your eyes reading them. I guess I'm just saying let it be, let people who enjoy writing them write them and let people who enjoy reading them read them. I just couldn't understand how some people are still bothered by the mere existence of things even though they have all the power in them to not read or even see these things that are bothering them because some people do enjoy them and these are not going to go away just because they couldn't deal with that. And also, don't generalize that everything there is in fan fictions is porn because there are a lot more, I am telling you. There are a lot more. Don't — I don't even know how to stress this enough — freaking generalize all stories you know are fan fictions to one or two genres. Believe me, there are a lot of talented authors out there and they don't all just write one or two genres.

Ultimately, I also wrote this post to thank everyone in the community in every fandom for your contribution. You don't know how many people across the globe (or even your closet neighbor fan) you are making happy, you are making smile, or you are saving their life with the words you are writing, the pages you are drawing, all the craft you are creating, so please continue to do so. We don't own these characters but we still have a voice, through the words or strokes we're putting together to create another form of art, another form of life. (How can that be so wrong?) Also, I read this somewhere in Pinterest but it fits so: Art, like love and life, must always be free.

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screamingtofu · 7 years

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guess what buddy??? do all of them. from the one you reblogged from me

I should’veexpected that, but I’m a weenie. I’d already answered a couple of them but Ican’t think of a better use of my afternoon at work so let’s do this thing.

1.Do youwant a boyfriend or girlfriend?

I dunno, I’mstill getting used to the whole being asexual thing and am just not a fan oftouching in general. I would love the shit out of new friends though. Neverturn down the opportunity to make friends.

2.When didyour last hug take place?

Maybe amonth or two ago, housemate was going through a tough time with his most recentex and I think it was just like a floodgate had broken in him and it physicallyhurt me to not comfort him and I knew there wasn’t anything I could say to makehim feel better … So I hugged the shit out of him.

3.Are you ajealous person?

A coupleyears ago, yeah I was pretty bad. Then I started figuring shit out about myselfand I’m a lot more chill now.

4.Are youtired right now?

Combinationof poor sleeping habits and a near constant level of stress has left me lookinglike I have two black eyes. We had some corporate pictures taken last year andI looked fucking alien after they’d photoshopped them out.

6.Have youever been called a tease?

I don’tthink so, at least not in the way I think this question is supposed to betaken.

7.Have youever been awake for 48 hours straight?

I have. A coupleof years ago I wrecked my back and ended up not being able to move for maybe aweek or two without excruciating pain and because I tend to wriggle around inmy sleep you can bet your arse that didn’t happen. I ended up watching a lot ofvery bad movies on Netflix and shaving my head due to delirium.

8.Do you cryeasily?

No. I am anemotional fortress except when it’s someone elses pain. Then I’ll cry myfucking eyes out.

9.Whatshould you be doing right now?

I’mliterally at work, surrounded by developers and one very annoying sales personfrom interstate. There are so many things I should be doing right not. But I’malso here for 2 hours after everyone leaves so I get a chance to rocket througheverything without distraction.

10.Are you aheavy sleeper?

If I amtired enough, satan himself cannot awaken me.

11.Do youthink you can last in a relationship for 6 months?

I amentirely unsure. It would depend on what the other person wanted out of therelationship. If it was a completely non sexual relationship than hell yeah. Superfriendship, technically I’ve been doing that for the past 5 years since I movedto Melbourne.

12.Are youmad at someone right now?

Nah, I neverreally get mad at people. I got better things to waste my very tiny well ofemotions on.

13.Do youbelieve in love?

Hell yeah.Love is super rad and I’m glad I’m finally getting to express that for people.

15.Who wasthe last person you talked to?

IT Managerat work. We’re trying to figure out why the mail server is not sendingautomated emails anymore. Also he’s bugging me to bring some of my xbone gamesin for the console they’re hooking up in the office.

16.Do youget butterflies around the person you like?

No? But thenI’ve never really experienced the whole thing where you see someone and feelnervous. Either I’m hanging out with people I’m already comfortable with or I’mmeeting new possible friends. There is no in between.

17.Will youget married?

Unless itwas for some kind of tax benefit … eh probably not.

19.Doesanyone like you?

I have noidea. Sometimes when I go out with friends, they’ll say something afterwardsabout how so and so was trying to flirt with me and I have to really thinkbecause fuck I thought they just really wanted some nachos or something.

20.Do yousecretly like someone?

Not in theway this question is thinking.

21.Who wasthe first person you talked to today?

My Manager,big bearded Englishman named Rob who likes to shitstir almost as much as I do.He’d called me over to try and look into why something was duplicating and alsoto confirm if we could charge a client $10,000 for something.

22.Who doyou feel most comfortable talking to about anything?

Housemate,but I’m always open for conversation.

23.What areyou NOT looking forward to?

Trying toget in shape so I don’t die in the next 5 years.

24.What AREyou looking forward to?

Getting asweet robot body because I lived that far. Also when people start talking aboutsomething they’re really passionate about, I live for those moments.

25.Hassomeone of the opposite sex ever told you they loved you, and meant it?

Probably?All my partners were great people and there was always a connection there. So I’dassume it was genuine.

26.Supposeyou see your ex kissing another person what would you do?

Think “goodfor you” and then keep going unless they wanted to catch up.

27.Do youplan on moving out within the next year?

Nah, myhouse is awesome. Needs some repairs, but it’s great.

28.Are you aforgiving person?

I try to be.I used to be really angry and confused about a lot of stuff, but as I’ve gottenolder I’ve realised that holding onto grudges is just draining and you getnothing out of it.

29.How manyTRUE friends do you have?

How the crapdo I qualify a true friend? Like, do I know they physically exist and have seenthem with my own eyes? I dunno 10?

30.Do youfall for people easily?

I genuinelyhave no idea how to answer this.

31.Have youever fallen for your ex’s best friend?

Here’s apoem I wrote after people were getting defensive because I didn’t want to fuckany of the characters from Mass Effect.

I will notfuck them out in space, I will not fuck them based on race.

I will notfuck them here or there, I will not fuck them anywhere.

I will notfuck them in a bed, I will not fuck them like I said.

It’s nothingpersonal for you see, my dude = asexuality

32.What’sthe last thing you put in your mouth?

Waterbottle, gotta love me some o that delicious h20

33.Who wasthe last person you drove with?

Last personI was in a car with was an Uber driver. I was her 4th ever pick up.She was cool, we basically talked about Orange is the New black the whole wayhome and other stuff to watch on Netflix.

34.How latedid you stay up last night and why?

Like 1AM.Was chatting with a friend about the latest episode of critical role they’dfinished and they were feeling things.

35.If youcould move somewhere else, would you?

Nah, I’mgood where I am.

36.Who wasthe last person you took a picture of?

Besides thestupid selfies I occasionally take, I think it was a cricket player on abillboard who I thought looked like someone made a wax version of Ryan Reynoldsand left him out in the sun

37.Can youlive a day without TV?

Yeah sure,that’s one of the reasons I took up knitting.

38.When wasthe last time you were extremely disappointed?

Mid Novemberlast year, Paul Dini, the dude who helped create the animated batman series wasgiving a talk in the city and I completely spaced on getting a ticket. Would’vebeen great to meet him and hear him talk about writing.

41.What isyour all-time favorite romance movie?

I dunno.Maybe Porco Rosso. Helps you learn that sometimes you just need to say nobecause people are shit.

42.Do youbelieve that everyone has a soul-mate?

Yeah, Iguess. I think there’s someone out there who you just click with. Sometimes there’smore than one, you just need to keep looking.

43.What’syour current problem?

The clutchon my bike will occasionally not come in all the way when I’m trying to go fromfirst to second and gets stuck in neutral so I need to completely let it go andthen reengage. Drives me nuts.

44.Have youever had your heart broken?

Nah, I’m toomuch of a weenie and try to reconcile all my relationships.

45.Yourthoughts of long distance relationships?

I think they’relessened with the internet and social media because you can still talk soeasily and while I don’t have the whole “I miss being physically around you”thing I can understand it would be hard to continue with the shade of someonethat comes from a long distance relationship because there’s so much you wouldmiss.

46.How manykids do you want to have?

Not a fan ofthe whole baby making thing, wouldn’t mind adopting 1 or 2 if I ever had thechance though.

47.Have youever found it hard to tell someone you like them?

Nah, Ialways went for friend level first and then because of things I never reallyunderstood at the time just ended up going on dates that I thought were justlike friends hanging out and then things happen and I end up going out on moredates and then things happen. *shrugs*

#hot dang that's a lot of questions #deltaursae #I haven't done anything in like an hour and it makes no difference because nothing is coming in

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Here's What People In Media Are Excited About In 2015

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Here's What People In Media Are Excited About In 2015

New books, new blogs, new Vines, and new competition. It’s going to be a good year.

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Wilfredo Lee / AP Photo

Fusion’s Alicia Menendez and her production team taking selfies

2. Alexis Madrigal, Silicon Valley bureau chief, Fusion:

I’m excited to see digital networks metastasizing into other mediums, from TV to live events. People who have been forged by the speed, inclusiveness, and oddity of working on the internet are moving off the web in fascinating ways, and I can’t wait to see what happens when they do. Maybe it will be a train wreck? Or maybe the new distillations that result from the pressures and possibilities will produce wildly creative reporting, live events, magazines, companies, and TV shows.

3. Summer Anne Burton, editorial director, BFF:

The thing I am most excited about in media next year is diversity. We have a long way to go, but I’m so optimistic about 2015 after the changes I saw start to happen this year. There’s a snowball effect when media organizations broaden their recruitment networks and see that true diversity in many areas helps them do better work and reach more people. Plus, platforms like Twitter, Vine, Instagram, and YouTube have actually made it possible for reporters, writers, and entertainers to prove themselves and make their voices heard without the necessary connections, degrees, or the approval of the gatekeepers. I’m excited about this because it’s right, but even more so because I’m bored of sameness. I think the greatest chance we have for truly fresh, experimental, creative, and challenging media is for the people creating that work to come from a variety of backgrounds and be able to tell many different kinds of stories. I can’t wait to read, watch, and listen to them!

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pitchfork.com

5. Hazel Cills, Rookie writer:

I’m excited, going into 2015, by all the women in top music and culture writing positions. Jessica Hopper’s EIC at the Pitchfork Review, music writer Julianne Shepherd is heading it at Jezebel, Naomi Zeichner is EIC at The Fader, Lindsay Zoladz is pop critic at NY Mag, Dodai Stewart is leading culture at Fusion, Caryn Ganz has been killing it all this year at RollingStone.com, etc. I love reading what these women have to say about music and culture, but when they’re calling all the shots at the publications they write for, even better.

6. Emily Gould, author of Friendship and co-owner of Emily Books:

Great new books were a bright spot of terrible 2014, for real, and 2015 is poised to be even better. Elisa Albert, Maggie Nelson, Gabby Bess, Nell Zink, Kate Atkinson, and, oh right, Jonathan Franzen all have new books coming out this year, and HarperCollins is finally republishing my favorite book O.A.T., Eileen Myles’ Chelsea Girls. !!!!

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Getty Images Rabbani and Solimene Photography

Tavi Gevinson

8. Jessica Hopper, editor-in-chief, The Pitchfork Review (and former Rookie music editor):

I am really excited about all the books and projects and developments that Rookie writers, contributors, and readers have coming out this year. So many people think of Tavi as, like, this one exemplary extraordinary teenager — this fluke of a go-getter (and maybe Lorde as the other). But there is a huge wave of young women coming up behind them that have been inspired and given a sense of permission, a sense of path, and alllll have shows, books, zines, bands, power, and are coming for our jobs. I am psyched for all of them to blaze past us.

instagram.com

Amber Gordon

10. Jazmine Hughes, contributing editor, The Hairpin:

Nothing excites me more than seeing incredibly-smart-capable-and-driven-women-getting-shit-done, which is why the thing I am excited about most in 2015 is the continual rise of Femsplain, Amber Gordon‘s love letter to the female voice and experience, launched this past October. But Jazmine, you run a different lady blog! Why would you be excited about another one? Well, random internet dissenter, all the ladyblogs are friends — yes, men, we all gather at the water cooler of the internet and laugh at you, and sometimes BeyoncÃ© FaceTimes in — and I’m happy to welcome Gordon’s self-made site into the group. Femsplain runs purely off of sweat, sass, and volunteers, and in a few short months has already carved out a space for women to be unabashedly honest and true; Gordon’s project is, I hope, just a harbinger of what is to come: a sea of spaces where women are welcome to be themselves. From us to you: Welcome to the club, Femsplain.

11. Lockhart Steele, Vox Media editorial director:

I’m excited for — and no, not at all terrified about — the all-out war for the digital space set to explode in 2015. It’s shaping up as a year of peak competition as the planets align for nearly every player at every major digital shop: BuzzFeed and Vice continuing massive hiring sprees at bureaus blanketing the globe; Gawker Media, with Tommy Craggs at the editorial helm and John Cook back on staff set to marshal a powerful scoop troop; Joe Weisenthal, Josh Topolsky & Co. cooking up something major in the kitchen at Bloomberg; Gabe Snyder plotting a new New Republic; the team at Fusion planning to unleash whatever the hell Felix Salmon, Anna Holmes, et al are planning to unleash; and A.J. Daulerio launching Ratter just to keep us all on our toes. It’s going to be a year of truly insane competition — and that’s exciting. (Not at all terrifying.)

12. Stacy-Marie Ishmael, editor, BuzzFeed news app:

MOBILE! Not just because it’s where audiences are, but because what publishers can deliver on mobile is getting better and more interesting and more immersive as the infrastructure — from bandwidth to ubiquitous Wi-Fi to operating system and device upgrades — improves.

Facebook Post.

facebook.com

14. Fiorella Valdesolo, writer, editor of Gather Journal:

I’m excited for the Bjork show retrospective opening at the MOMA in March because, well, BJORK.

15. Naomi Zeichner, editor-in-chief of The Fader:

The end of music criticism and a renaissance of music news. The wave of podcasts that will crop up in Serial‘s wake. Or the staff writers who will become better reporters in Serial‘s wake, because Serial made the mundane parts of reporting seem more sexy and writing up scoops usually makes more sense than podcasting them. The increasing obviousness that newsroom diversity “isn’t an ethical imperative, it’s a business one.” The New York Times Magazine‘s redesigned longform templates for web. And BuzzFeed’s news app, which will teach us all (or BuzzFeed, at least!) a lot about how readers behave on mobile.

16. Kate Ward, managing editor of Bustle:

I’m excited for the media to continue to be considered a flourishing business just years after we were knocked down by the recession in 2008. Since then, we’ve learned that creativity and innovation can help us overcome any obstacle and — even better — that readers expect creativity and innovation out of an industry that was once considered as dated as a Chumbawamba reference. I’m excited to see the landscape of media one year from today. Oh, and cats. I’m excited for more cats.

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amazon.com

Adrian Tomine’s 2007 graphic novel Shortcomings

18. Jeet Heer, Canadian cultural critic:

Peering into the crystal ball of promised delights for 2015, there is much that is tantalizing (new Toni Morrison! Jonathan Franzen! George R.R. Martin! Zadie Smith! Star Wars!), but I want to single out a title I know nothing about: Adrian Tomine’s Intruders. I’m assuming that Intruders will be a graphic novel, Tomine’s first novel-length work since Shortcomings in 2007. Tomine is an increasingly powerful cartoonist, notable for his razor-sharp character studies and ability to capture moments of excruciating awkwardness and unease. I have high hopes for this book.

19. Alissa Walker, urbanism editor, Gizmodo:

I can’t wait to see how this whole Uber thing plays out.

20. Adam Serwer, national editor, BuzzFeed News:

I came up as a blogger, at a time when it was a medium with a lot of direct interaction between writers and a lot of competition that, while sometimes nasty, pushed people to be better. I think almost every media outlet has realized that the presumption that the internet always rewards the cheapest or least thoughtful material isn’t true. And I think that we are all now competing on the assumption that there’s a huge audience for journalism that deeply engages a story or an idea, and that can only push all of us to be better.

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amazon.com

22. Amanda Fortini, freelance writer and contributing editor, Elle magazine:

Next year is a good one for autobiographical literary nonfiction by women. I’m particularly excited about Sarah Manguso’s Ongoingness, a fragmented, book-length essay about memory and time, and Maggie Nelson’s The Argonauts, a personal-theoretical work about queer family making that explores the limitations of language when it comes to writing, talking, and thinking about gender. Both books are wildly original, and both are from Graywolf, which is publishing so much I want to read these days. I’m also looking forward to Heidi Julavits’ The Folded Clock, a diary she kept for a year as an adult. Julavits is such a smart writer; I’d read her to-do lists. Finally, there’s Sarah Hepola’s Blackout, a dark, funny, honest-to-the-bone account of getting sober. Hepola is a friend and former editor of mine, but even if she weren’t, I’d be eagerly awaiting this book.

23. Jenna Wortham, staff writer, New York Times Magazine:

I’m excited to watch this develop.

24. Alex Balk, co-founder of The Awl:

2014 was the year in which we were stepping all over each other to declare the rebirth of personal blogging, newsletters, and podcasts. If all of these things really did experience some kind of renaissance, the inevitable follow-up has to be the revival of people letting their blogs die, giving up on their newsletters, and finding something better to do than bathe the world in the audible comfort of their own voices. Hopefully, 2015 will be the year in which everyone shuts up. I could not be more excited.

Read more: http://www.buzzfeed.com/doree/heres-what-people-in-media-are-excited-about-in-2015

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