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rockislandadultreads · 6 months

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Libby Spotlight: New Memoir & Biography eBooks

Being Henry by Henry Winkler

Henry Winkler, launched into prominence by his role as “The Fonz” in the beloved Happy Days, has transcended the role that made him who he is. Brilliant, funny, and widely-regarded as the nicest man in Hollywood (though he would be the first to tell you that it’s simply not the case, he’s really just grateful to be here), Henry shares in this achingly vulnerable memoir the disheartening truth of his childhood, the difficulties of a life with severe dyslexia, the pressures of a role that takes on a life of its own, and the path forward once your wildest dream seems behind you.

Since the glorious era of Happy Days fame, Henry has endeared himself to a new generation with roles in such adored shows as Arrested Development, Parks and Recreation, and Barry, where he’s revealed himself as an actor with immense depth and pathos, a departure from the period of his life when he was so distinctly typecast as The Fonz, he could hardly find work.

Filled with profound heart, charm, and self-deprecating humor, Being Henry is a memoir about so much more than a life in Hollywood and the curse of stardom. It is a meaningful testament to the power of sharing truth and kindness and of finding fulfillment within yourself.

Daughter of the Dragon by Yunte Huang

Born into the steam and starch of a Chinese laundry, Anna May Wong (1905–1961) emerged from turn-of-the-century Los Angeles to become Old Hollywood’s most famous Chinese American actress, a screen siren who captivated global audiences and signed her publicity photos―with a touch of defiance―“Orientally yours.”

Now, more than a century after her birth, Yunte Huang narrates Wong’s tragic life story, retracing her journey from Chinatown to silent-era Hollywood, and from Weimar Berlin to decadent, prewar Shanghai, and capturing American television in its infancy. As Huang shows, Wong’s rendezvous with history features a remarkable parade of characters, including a smitten Walter Benjamin and (an equally smitten) Marlene Dietrich.

Challenging the parodically racist perceptions of Wong as a “Dragon Lady,” “Madame Butterfly,” or “China Doll,” Huang’s biography becomes a truly resonant work of history that reflects the raging anti-Chinese xenophobia, unabashed sexism, and ageism toward women that defined both Hollywood and America in Wong’s all-too-brief fifty-six years on earth.

First Gen by Alejandra Campoverdi

Alejandra Campoverdi has been a child on welfare, a White House aide to President Obama, a Harvard graduate, a gang member’s girlfriend, and a candidate for U.S. Congress. She’s ridden on Air Force One and in G-rides. She’s been featured in Maxim magazine and had a double mastectomy. Living a life of contradictory extremes often comes with the territory when you’re a “First and Only.” It also comes at a price.

With candor and heart, Alejandra retraces her trajectory as a Mexican American woman raised by an immigrant single mother in Los Angeles. Foregoing the tidy bullet points of her resume and instead shining a light on the spaces between them, what emerges is a powerful testimony that shatters the one-dimensional glossy narrative we are often sold of what it takes to achieve the American Dream. In this timely and revealing reflection, Alejandra draws from her own experiences to name and frame the challenges First and Onlys often face, illuminating a road to truth, healing, and change in the process.

Pulling the Chariot of the Sun by Shane McCrae

When Shane McCrae was eighteen months old, his grandparents kidnapped him and took him to suburban Texas. His mom was white and his dad was Black, and to hide his Blackness from him, his maternal grandparents stole him from his father. In the years that followed, they manipulated and controlled him, refusing to acknowledge his heritage—all the while believing they were doing what was best for him.

For their own safety and to ensure the kidnapping remained a success, Shane’s grandparents had to make sure that he never knew the full story, so he was raised to participate in his own disappearance. But despite elaborate fabrications and unreliable memories, Shane begins to reconstruct his own story and to forge his own identity. Gradually, the truth unveils itself, and with the truth, comes a path to reuniting with his father and finding his own place in the world.

#biographies #memoir #ebooks #new books #libby #reading recommendations #reading recs #book recommendations #book recs #library books #tbr #tbr pile #to read #booklr #book tumblr #book blog #library blog #readers advisory

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malewifehenrycooldown · 9 months

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a very long post talking about how some of the mainline nmh characters interact with amelie and rhys.

Right off the bat, Jeane and Travis would both be the 'cool aunt and uncle' on opposing ends of the spectrum of 'will break more than your ankles if you hurt my niece/nephew' to 'you can stay up late past your bedtime and watch tv just don't tell your mum or dad i said that :3 '

on a more serious note, when Jeane Smackdown holds newborn Amelie (and then later Rhys) she almost cries because now she realises the future is worth fighting for and also swears to kill anyone that harms her niece/nephew. def. makes a comment about how cute they are. Absolutely the kind of person to take them to theme parks and other outings.

Travis on the other hand, who has no idea how to hold a baby is like 'Haha! A mini version of Shallow and Henry :D' (regarding both Amelie and Rhys). But then a lot later it then turns into 'oh god I'm an uncle now, oh god I need to get my shit together, I need to turn down the loud anime paraphernalia in my home, I need to keep hazardous objects away from them, oh god my nieces/nephews can be used as leverage against me and as the top number one assassin I need to keep my guard up around them.' TERRIBLE babysitter, but is a great uncle, has also cheekily let them stay up late a few times when they're older.

Bishop is sad that his older brother (who was also called Bishop) won't get to meet Amelie and Rhys, but he is also happy to be part of this circle of friends. Should be noted that much like Travis, he has NO idea how to hold a baby, so poor Shallow has to tiredly demonstrate how to hold them.

Shigeki Birkin gets slightly nostalgic, because holding Amelie/Rhys immediately reminds him of the time when he was a new dad raising Charlotte. Definitely takes Henry aside to give them as much helpful parental advice as possible.

Charlotte doesn't really pay that much attention to them, because this is bad girl we're talking about she is not the most family friendly person ever. But when Amelie and Rhys get a bit older (say 4 - 6 years old), she opts to actually teach them baseball w/ her dad. sometimes she does their hair too.

Scarlet Jacobs does have other things on her plate, especially with her dojo. Although when Amelie and Rhys are old enough she does invite them over to the dojo and they make friends with the other kids there :'). When Scarlet does hold Amelie and later Rhys for the first time, she's kinda comes to similar conclusions like Jeane Smackdown. When Amelie and Rhys get older they start to view Shinobu as a role model figure, and they do help out at the dojo when Scarlet needs extra helping hands.

Kamui and Midori do take a liking to Amelie and Rhys, esp. Midori who does have her own 'kids' (they're demon kids that are her hands, look non-nmh followers just roll with it) - so immediately she has a BIG soft spot for them. Is ABSOLUTELY the best babysitter, loves putting on shadow puppet shows for them.

Kamui on the other hand is a little more apprehensive, because I think that even with the powers he has - he might be a little scared of harming them, esp. since you know. their dad is like outright dangerous - but I do think that he'd be great in making sure that Amelie and Rhys have their powers in check. (which hey remember, shallow DID create a black hole in a room that one time as a kid so y'know. Kamui can perfectly handle such a situation.)

Dr. Naomi is just. kinda disappointed? I'm not sure how to explain this other than her asking Henry point blank "are you sure you're ready to take care of a child who might have inter-dimensional abilities?" Henry just simply says "I know what I signed up for. Don't question my capabilities." Obviously since she's a Cherry Blossom tree she can't really hold them, but I do like to think that maybe she has a branch that does turn into a swing of sorts. idk it's more of a sentimental thing because really seeing Amelie and Rhys just reminds her of the time when she was caring for Shallow when she was their age.

Dr. Juvenile is kinda melancholic in that she can't really properly interact with her grandniece/grandnephew as much as she would like. Don't get me wrong, she is really happy for her niece, and does really adore Amelie and Rhys - she feels that this is an opportunity to make up for the lost time she never really spent with Shallow when she was younger, she's not lost in her work making games or being a perfectionist anymore - she has the opportunity to make up and be the aunt she has wanted to be. It will certainly be a challenge, esp. since she primary communicates through technology, and obviously tech can't replace any of the same sensational feelings like flesh and blood provide. But Juvenile is a genius enough to probably find solutions to these issues, and perhaps may make an artificial body for her to load her consciousness in and actually be able to physically interact with Amelie and Rhys. She at the very least tries to interact with them, which honestly just doing her best is enough.

#before anyone asks henry gets his own separate post about this #shallow rambles #nomoreposting #suda51posting #nmh3 spoilers #tokophobia tw #<- just in case!#[p]: jeane smackdown | the path of revenge #[p]: travis touchdown | the crownless king #[p]: midori midorikawa | red blue green #[p]: bad girl | batter up!#[f]: dr naomi | the mechanic #[p]: bishop | collector’s edition #[platonic tag]#no more heroes oc: amelie cooldown #no more heroes oc: rhys cooldown #to add links later #queue awaits you at the garden of madness

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fazbearsecuritycrew · 2 years

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Since it's February, shipping headcanons for any ship in this au?

yes! surprisingly!! ❤️

when they're not fighting for their lives, some of the guards have found themselves fortunate enough to have some form of life in between their shitty low paying jobs and even shitter circumstances in life.

whether it be estranged wives or cycling through hook-ups like a washing machine performing spin cycles, here are the love lives of the guards (which is more or less general things about romance and not many shipping headcanons):

mike and fritz are known as the “experienced ones” because they’re both known to be in healthy long-term relationships. while fritz has no problem handing out advice to those who ask, mike feels awkward being approached for it since the only relationship he’s ever had is with doll lol

mike could totally never picture himself as a dad. not only did he feel inexperienced since he didn’t have a dad of his own to use as an example, but he just thought he’d do a shitty job. needless to say, when doll got pregnant, he did a complete 180 and not only made a great dad, but would also brag to anyone with ears about his kid

william is into milfs lmao (probably because he was marie’s boy toy)

because jeremy’s parents were a fairly dysfunctional couple themselves, jeremy really admires mike and doll’s relationship and always hopes that any of his relationships are just like theirs (awww)

scott is married to his job

before doll, mike was totally one of those guys who still believed girls had cooties lol

despite fritz acting like a total bachelor because of that playboy personality of his, everyone knows he has a girlfriend. they know she exists because he regularly brings her up, but no one knows what she looks like, or even her name (which is something coming from freddy’s workplace environment, where gossip spreads faster than a burning wildfire).

anytime they would see her, she’d always be wearing a baseball cap or stand somewhere where her features weren’t very visible. she’s about mike’s height though, so nobody passed up the opportunity to make fun of the fact that fritz is shoulder-level to his girlfriend lmao

(it makes sense why fritz never mentioned her name, because his gf is actually a semi-famous “adult model.” they met while he was bartending at his other job. he’s now known as the lucky guy who gets to date a hot model.)

everyone knows that mercy and luke are fuck buddies lol

i feel like kentris and mercy would also hate fuck each other as well (enemies to lovers style) had kentris not been a by-the-book asexual

i’ve always imagined that eggs would probably scared of relationships. like as he got older he’d probably want a family of his own, but i feel like he would have been scared of turning out to be exactly like his dad, and therefore never let himself fall in love :(

in fact, maintenance at freddy’s is largely regarded as the “bachelor’s role.” all three members of that staff (eggs, gray/ryan, and fritz) either were/assumed to be bachelors.

ff crew is OT4

henry actually had the most stable and loving marriage ever and it was ripped from his hands so brutally i don’t think the man would ever consider love again LMAO

mike would have totally been one of those guys whose face earns him a lot of attention from ladies had the resting expression on his face not been genuinely terrifying (lucky for doll though since that means no competition!)

lukas can actually be incredibly romantic and is probably the most romantic out of all the guards. he’s very expressive with how he feels and touch is his language of love <3

and that’s the love lives of the guards 🌹🧸

#fazbear answers #anonymous #fnaf #facts about the guards #the guards #love is in the air!#can you believe they actually have love lives?#❤️#i only covered some of them since others are either ambiguous or i haven't come up with anything yet #actually don't think i've ever answered an ask with what the person asked for #long post #happy valentine's day!

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godsporncollection · 3 years

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Saturday Morning Session

(personal commentary in italics) (sorry for how inconsistent i am at this, i’m trying new medication, so my focus comes and goes unpredictably, but i didn’t want this to take weeks)

Russel M Nelson - strengthen your testimony (?)

"I understand better what he meant when he said 'behold, i will hasten my work in this time.'"

Y'all have been strengthening your testimonies and i, and your children, thank you. did that inclusion of "your children" feel off to anyone else?

I can see the work on the temple outside my window and that makes me think about how we need to remove the old debris from our lives. I too think of the temple as 'old debris' that should be removed from my life.

"the gospel is a message of joy" I cannot roll my eyes hard enough

that was short. what was the topic? blab for a five minutes?

Dieter F. Uchdorf - god is Among Us

I had to move lots when I was a kid because there was a war on. i thought about the missionaries who came to the country of their enemies to bring us the gospel.

i was a kid in a war-torn country > missionaries > god has not forgotten us > we will be heirs of god > how could we complain when we have that? > the atonement > mistakes are okay, just gotta keep repenting.

what would jesus teach if he was among us today? the same thing he's always taught. "the savior always teaches timeless truths, to everyone, a message of hope and belonging, a testament that god has not abandoned his children that god is Among Us."

jesus says to love one another and to be full of charity towards all men. i would like to see it.

anyone else feel like these talks are just. empty? like, they're not feeling it either?

if jesus came into your home today, he would see into your heart and i'm gonna waste a couple more minutes by expanding on that. one look into his eyes and we would be forever changed by the realization that god is Among Us.

back to me, i wish i could go back and tell myself to stay on the right track because god is Among Us, so i'm gonna tell you instead. god is Among Us.

"line upon line" *gag*

god is Among Us

Joy D Jones - abuse is wrong unless you use it to teach kids about the gospel

"have you ever wondered why we call 'primary' 'primary'?" as someone who understands how language works, no.

because kids are importanter than everything else

god trusts us to be nice to our kids; that means no abuse, even if we're angry. whoever needed this reminder should be shot.

hey, maybe you can "combat the evils of abuse" by not fucking raising your kids in an abusive cult!

analogy of a kid who fell out of bed because he "didn't get far enough in" = he wasn't indoctrinated enough, with awkward collage of pics of kids for a minute.

eyring said to get 'em while they're young

love all the pics of black people that try to say "see? we don't think black people are inherently evil (anymore)!"

analogy of a soldier in boot camp. drill seargants are mean, but that was necessary because apparantly it's the only way this guy can learn how to hide. also, apparently this guy is "our friend". not my friend, thanks.

"how can we do the same for our children?" don't fucking act like a drill seargent to your kids! ffs

"wouldn't we rather have them sweat in the safe learning environment of the home than bleed on the battlefields of life?" first of all, fuck you. second, dramatic much? third, fuck you, kids shouldn't have to learn about life in a hostile environment. does this woman have kids? are they okay? fucking hell, five kids were raised by a woman with this mentality. what a bitch.

"eternity is the wrong thing to be wrong about." i got news for you. of course, if i ever spoke to this machine, that topic wouldn't be my top priority.

I need a fucking drink.

Jan Eric Newman - teaching the gospel is good, but you can't force a testimony on others

anecdote about a local old woman getting birthday gifts. she taught us some good things when we were growing up, so thanks, sister davis.

another teacher, at college, was a "master teacher." he loved me and the lord. he taught me to learn doctrine on my own and that "changed me forever."

just sayin', if you're taught how to learn on your own, but didn't exercise enough critical thought to gtfo of this cult, maybe the teacher wasn't the best.

it's good to have good teachers.

the ancient nephites and lamanites had good teachers, and "there was no contention among them!"

"how can we teach more like the savior and help others become more deeply converted?" nope, nope. nope.

1st, "learn all you can about the master teacher hismelf." so, we're sticking with the term "master teacher." cool. doesn't sound weird at all.

ask yourself questions about how he taught, then do that.

read "teaching in the savoir's way."

2nd, use bullshit stories. oh, no, it's a story about how somebody is grateful for the pandemic because her adult child read the BoM for the first time during it. she said it had made "literal miracles."

3rd, "remember that conversion must come from within." guess jan and "joy" should have compared notes before speaking.

"children inheret many things, but a testimony is not one of them. we can't give our children a testimony any more than we can make a seed grow; but we can provide a nourishing environment, with good soil, free of thorns that would choke the word."

Gary E. Stevenson - kindness

story about a study where rabbits were fed a high-fat diet, but those under the care of a loving researcher didn't gain as much weight.

only christians can intuitively understand that this means there's a reason to be kind to others.

jesus said love one another.

addressing primary kids - be kind. here's a story about a kid who stopped being a bully because the bullied kid said it hurt.

to the teens - social media makes bullying worse, clearly satan is using social media against your generation. do what you can t make these spaces safer. if you're a bully, "stop it."

to the adults- "we have a primary responsibility to set a tone and be role models of kindness (get wrecked "joy"), inclusion and civility."

from ballard- "i have never heard members of this church to be anything but loving, kind, tolerant and benevolent to our friends and neighbors of other faiths." k, but, like, you know it's not just a difference of religious belief that’s the problem, right?

i'm heartbroken to hear about prejudice against blackasianlatino people or of any other group. i love how that section was really only about race, with a blanket "any other group" thrown in as an afterthought so they can't be accused of being homophobic.

in the winter of 1838, jo smith was in prison and why do you think that happened, gary?

church members were driven from their homes and the residents of a town across the river gave them food and shelter. that generosity saved the lives of many of them.

god is a compassionate care-giver.

Gerrit W. Gong - disjointed anecdotes of human experiences, idk

i miss my dad. he was adventurous, except regarding food.

i saw a guy be mean to a lady selling ice cream. he smashed all of her cones. the image of her trying to salvage the cones haunts me to this day.

story of the good samaritan.

be like christ this easter.

"we recieve inspiration as we counsel together, listening to each person, including each sister and the spirit."

does this guy have a topic?

he’s is just giving a list of random human experiences and parables.

*displays a lack of understanding of instagram.*

he's listing something throughout this, like, he keeps counting, but i have no idea what and his voice is making my adhd medication run away, so i'm not listening to this again.

Henry B. Eyring - temple worthiness

today i'm feeling light and hope, like the first day i went to the salt lake temple

i'm an oblivious fucker who didn't notice my name being pinned on me, so i thought the woman who greeted me was an angel because she knew my name.

thought he could remember being in the temple before, but a voice that was not his own (that's how you know it's true and not something he just told himself) told him he was remembering heaven.

confused "holiness to the lord" with "this is a holy place." i know both phrases use the word 'holy', but like, those contexts mean separate things.

i also had this feeling during my wedding in the logan temple.

i think henry should get checked out, he suffers from frequent hallucinations and it's good to know how your brain works differently from others when in a leadership position.

during my wedding, i had a vision of a house and the officiant said to live in a way that you can walk away easily. a year later, my father in law bought the exact house and my wife and i lived in the guest house for ten years. then i got the call to move somewhere else on assignment from the church and we walked away easily.

scripture from jesus about temples.

if you're unworthy in the temple, you won't be "able to see, by the power of the holy ghost, the spiritual teaching of the savior that we can recieve in the temple."

"when we are worthy to recieve such teaching, there can grow, through our temple experience, hope, joy, and optimism throughout our lives. that hope, joy, and optimism are available only through accepting the ordinances performed in holy temples."

i forgot how simple a baptism is, so i'm gonna tell you how amazed (and a little concerned) i was when my youngest daughter stayed to do baptism for the dead for all of the names on the list that day. maybe i'm just super comfortable in the water, but that doesn't sound hard, actually. i used to almost enjoy doing those.

quotes the primary song 'i love to see the temple.'

remember to be worthy so you can live with your family forever.

#exmo #ex mormon #exchristian #ex christian #excult #cult stuff #exlds #ex lds #former mormon #apostake #ex religious #agnostic #mine #gc april 2021 #gc summary

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rebelbyrdie · 3 years

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Swan Queen AU Fic Idea

I had a wierd dream and after some thinking, thought I would share it.

Regina is desperate to preserve her family’s entertainment business. Emma is a washed-up stunt woman hired to help. Sparks fly...sometimes literally.

The Mills Midevil Experience was a hold-over from the heyday of travelling circuses and sideshows. When Henry Mills took it over from his father in 1975, they were in debt and struggling to survive. Henry had a business degree and a passion for history. Toss in his then-girlfriend Cora’s flair for the dramatic and a new idea was born.

The show settled down and created a home-base just outside of Boston. They were a circus no more; they were an experience. Knights in shining armor, horses, kings and princesses, bards and acrobats dressed in motley. They had dinners and wine, courtesy of their own farm and vineyard. It wasn’t an immediate hit, but it was easier and more profitable than travelling. Their people could settle down and build more stable lives while still doing what they loved.

Now they have five locations nationwide and are a household name. But the modern ease of streaming tv and smart phones have made The Midevil Experience boring and less profitable.

When Henry passes from a heart attack, Cora is ready to sell the business to a corporation and retire. Her daughters, Regina and Zelena, refuse to let their father’s dream die.

So they spice things up. They look to things like Las Vegas-style shows and popular TV for new ideas and themes.

“We have to make ourselves more interesting then sitting on the couch and watching Netflix, Mother.” Zelena pointed out. “I want us to pass this company on to Robyn and Henry one day.”

Henry, ten, looked up from the comic book he was reading. “The show is really boring. It's the same thing as its always been since, like, forever.”

Regina sighed. “Thank you for your input, Darling, but-”

Henry didn’t let his mother deter him. “I mean, the whole tournament for the Princess’s hand in marriage thing is old and kind of sexist.” He twisted his face. “And boring. All the knights are inter-changable, and it doesn’t actually matter who wins. Its been the same since you and Grandpa wrote it like in the stone ages.”

Cora looked at her grandson over her glass of wine. They were gathered in the living room for the evening, trying to relax.

“Junior.”

Henry scowled at being called that.

“What do you think would be interesting?”

Cora was no fool. She may have never became the Hollywood Superstar she wanted to be, but she was a businesswoman. Henry was their target audience, after all.

“We need better villains.” He held up his comic book. “The bad guys always make the story better. The good guys have to have a reason to fight. We need-” He shrugged. “An Evil Queen or a Wicked Witch or something. Like the Queen of Hearts in Alice, Off with Their Heads. People love to hate bad guys.”

He went back to his comic. “Some explosions would be cool too.”

Cora looked to her granddaughter, three years old and cute as a button. She didn’t have many opinions on things that weren’t related to her current obsession of Minnie Mouse. Cora decided to ask her, anyway.

“And what do you think, Little Bean?” Robyn, Zelena’s daughter, smiled and held up an oversized wooden piece that she’d been trying to smash into a jumbled mess of a floor puzzle. “Fix.”

Cora took a sip of her wine and regarded her little family. If her daughters wanted to fix things, they would have to figure out how.

***

Regina worked with the horses and their riders. She bred, trained and babied the horses. She was a demanding and perfectionist bitch with the riders. She refused to let the horses, the real stars of the show, get hurt because the riders were incompetent.

Zelena, who directed and occasionally acted in the performances, found her in the stables, mucking out the stalls with a vengeance.

“Are you done being angry with me yet?”

Regina looked up from her work with narrowed eyes. Her mouth was twisted into a scowl. “Maybe.”

“With Mother?”

Regina straitened up and wiped sweat from her brow. “Definitely not.”

Zelena sighed. Her baby sister could be so hard-headed.

“It isn’t the end of the world, Gina. It’s just a trial run. You know damn well we don’t have enough female actors and hiring one is just going to further drain our budget.”

Regina bared her teeth. “We would have had the budget if you and mother hadn’t hired this stunt person. An outsider! This Swan is supposed to fix our show? We can fix our show, Z.”

Zelena had to disagree. If they wanted to do everything, to revolutionize the show, then they needed the help.

“And why do I” Regina continued “Have to be the Evil Queen anyway! You’re the actress. I never did well in the shows. You should do it.”

Zelena was playing opposite of her sister, as the Good Queen. It was a limited role but that meant that she could direct and manage too.

“Because you’re the only woman who can ride and lets face it, you are a little scary sometimes. Phillip is still afraid of you.”

Phillip was their lead-actor in the Orlando location.

“He’s an idiot. Thank God for Mulan.”

Mulan ran the Orlando show and did it well.

“Never the less. I know you can do it. Dad would have loved to see you.”

It was an underhanded move, and Zelena knew it. While she had always been partial to her mother, Regina was a Daddy’s girl through and through. She had even named her son after him.

“Give it a try. For me? For Dad?”

Regina sighed. “Fine.”

***

Emma Swan had fallen and fallen hard. Both physically and metaphorically. She had gone from doubling for A List actresses and having her name in the credits of every action movie to a freaking tourist trap dinner theatre.

She should have never gone on freaking American Ninja Warrior. She’d made it to Stage 3 then fallen, hit several things on the way down and destroyed her knee, shoulder and career. Worst of all, the universe had watched it live and could do so again and again on Youtube. She’d gone viral as the American Ninja Failure.

Now she was here, back in Boston, to try to scratch up some money to pay off her medical bills by teaching a bunch of Cirque Rejects and Drama-School Drop-Outs how to use make their hoaky stunts look better.

She was going to kill her agent.

It was Monday morning and the Midevil Experience’s parking lot was empty. She parked the Bug and went in, trying to hide her limp the best she could. She’d caught one of these shows out in Frisco years ago. It was like a Ren Fair, but for kids. There was jousting and swords and a dumb storyline. The food was mediocre and the acting even worse.

She wandered around the back of the sprawling complex and found an employee’s entrance that was unlocked. She let herself in and had not been ready for the change. The parking lot was empty, but the building was a bustling hive of activity.

People, horses and props were all around. There was, she assumed, a method to the madness. She knew better then to touch anything. Stage Managers and Prop Masters could (and she had seen it more than once) maim someone for touching props that they weren’t supposed to.

“What a shit show.” Emma mumbled to herself.”

“Miss Swan, I presume.”

Emma winced because there was no way that her remark hadn’t been heard and turned around. “Um hey.”

She was met by a glare from dark brown eyes and a scowl. They eyes and scowl were attached to the most beautiful woman Emma had ever seen.

“I’m looking for one of the Mills?”

The woman (Emma assumed she was an actress or something) continued to glare at her. “I am Regina Mills. Animal and Technical Manager.”

And also, according to Emma’s agent, one of the three owners of the entire shebang.

Damn. It.

She might as well just walk back out to her yellow bug.

#ficlet #fic ideas #swanqueen

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walkwithheroes84 · 4 years

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The New Mutants Film: Thoughts

I haven’t seen this film, and I do not plan to pay to see it. I’ll stream it when it appears online. I have a long history with this film, and I feel the need to discuss it - even if it is just me pouring my thoughts into a soon to be forgotten Tumblr post.

I spent my childhood being in love with Marvel comics. They were one of the ways I learned how to read. The 90s X-Men cartoon? It will always be a favorite. The New Mutants hold a special place in my heart, as my dad had a couple of their comics. I remember thinking they were really cool characters. When I got into reading comics on my own (around 2000), I ended up reading The New Mutants, volume 2 and searching for the original run.

Now,here are my thoughts on the film (and what went wrong). Broken up into parts.

A History of a Troubled Production:

When The New Mutants film was announced - I think in 2016 - I was excited. I remember reading about the casting and being disappointed that Blu Hunt (who is a descendant of the Lakota tribe) and Henry Zaga (who is a Brazilian actor) were not to the liking of hardcore fans. Many fans believed the characters were whitewashed as Hunt and Zaga were deemed too light skinned for the roles. (Zaga’s character is meant to be of Afro-Brazilian descent and some considered Hunt to be “white passing” when Dani is darker in the comics.) But, I was encouraged by the casting of Anya Taylor-Joy, Maisie Williams, and even Charlie Heaton - as I thought they could fit their roles. (Though I understand the whole cast caused backlash in one way or another)

I also remembering reading about the filming. The original idea seemed to be focused on a “horror” feel. Josh Boone, the director, wanted an “80s horror vibe meets coming of age story”. However, he was restricted by FOX, who were looking for a more a Breakfast Club meets Cuckoo's Nest vibe - "a haunted-house movie with a bunch of hormonal teenagers. We haven't seen a superhero movie whose genre is more like The Shining than 'we're teenagers let's save the world.'"

I remember reading about the first test screenings, which took place in late 2017/early 2018. And they were positive. People liked the film. The studio liked the film. It was compared to Deadpool. It was described as a “dark YA horror film” and reshoots were scheduled. Then the film's release date got pushed back from May of 2018 to February 22, 2019,to avoid Deadpool 2. This also allowed time for things to be reshot (again) and visuals to be added. They were adding post-credit scenes - first with Jon Hamm as Mister Sinister. And later with a post-credits scene introducing Antonio Banderas as Sunspot's father Emmanuel da Costa. The studio and Boone wanted a trilogy, with each film having its own horror feel and each being based on a classic New Mutants comic arc.

Then Disney bought them. Disney was unimpressed with the film, believing it had “limited” potential and that it would fall into a weird section of comic film lovers/horror film lovers/YA lovers. They weren’t sure how to market it. Did they market it to adult comic fans? Horror fans? Teenagers? They just didn’t know what to do - they just knew they didn’t like it and they were worried that the film could confuse fans of the MCU, who might think The New Mutants was apart of the universe.

So, the original cut of the film had to be edited down and fixed. In March of 2020, Boone was brought back again to finish/rework the film. He stated that no reshoots ever took place and that even standard pickups had never been done. Only 75% of the film was edited and most of the visuals were not complete. Boone also stated he couldn’t do reshoots, as the cast were now all too old (having last filmed nearly four years ago) and people were spread out around the world during a pandemic. He had to work with what he had and edit out what wasn’t going to work - especially now that mentions of X-Men films had to be taken out/edited down, and any hints of a second film had to be removed.

Critics and Cast Thoughts:

When the film was screened in New York, the cast stated they loved it and they were all excited. They have been promoting it on their social medias and Josh Boone has stated he is happy with the film. But, Bob McLeod (co-creator of the original comic) has voiced his distaste for the film. He feels his characters have been ruined and he does not care for the casting and story. The movie currently has low reviews on most review sites. It’s being called “cliched” “shallow” and “generic”. It has been praised for having its three female leads take on the more “male” roles within the group and for being “pretty coherent”, despite a lot of meddling and reworking.

Viewer Thoughts:

I haven’t seen this movie. I wanted to see it back in 2017/2018. I was excited. Now...I’ll stream it. I still honestly think that Anya Taylor-Joy and Maisie Williams were solid casting choices based on small clips and gifs. But, I can’t give any solid opinions. I can just list what people who have viewed the final cut, which clocks in at 98 minutes, have to say:

- There is a love story between Dani and Rahne. It’s not a “blink and miss it” or “queer baiting”. They are WLW. However, some fans are angry because Rahne is the comics is a canonically straight and homophobic woman. Some have stated that would have liked to have seen Rahne deal with her own homophobic feelings as she deals with her newfound feelings for Dani.

- People are still disappointed in the white-washing of Dani, Roberto, and Cecilia Reyes. Many are refusing to watch the film based on the casting.

- People are disappointed/angry with some lines that throw around casual racism. Notable seems to be Illyana Rasputin calling Dani Moonstar names regarding Dani’s heritage.

- People are reporting that the visual effects are, at times, fairly poor or cheesy.

- People have also said they do like the connections that some of the characters make throughout the film.

Overall Thoughts:

- It sounds like people are really upset with the white-washing and racism. Which is all understandable.

- I have to say that I feel bad for the cast. When this was filmed, Blu Hunt and Henry Zaga were newcomers - they were probably hoping this would be a big break for them. (Henry Zaga will be in the upcoming The Stand mini series and Blu Hunt is a main cast member on Netflix’s Another Life.) Anya Taylor-Joy was also fairly new when this was first filmed, but she’s gone on to a lot of good roles. She’s fine. Maisie Williams may have been hoping this would release her from her Game of Thrones fame and allow her to branch out. Charlie Heaton probably felt the same, only regarding his Stranger Things fame. They are both talented young people, they’ll break away from the shows that made them famous. Honestly, the whole “younger” cast will be fine, even if this bombs (which it is likely to). They all seem to get on, so I do hope they stay friendly.

- From what I’ve been able to figure out, Disney has NO plans to use these (or really any mutant characters) in any future MCU film or television series. But, they should consider it. The New Mutants - with some major reworks - could make a really good and dark-ish teen-horror series on Disney+. They’d have to rework a lot and recast a few roles, but I think it would work much better as a series. Even Boone’s original pitches read more like a Netflix series than a film.

- In the end, The New Mutants was a great idea to bring to screen, but due to A LOT of meddling, bad script writing, edits, etc - it just didn’t work out. It’s honestly really sad, especially for long time fans of the team/characters.

#the new mutants

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thebrewstorian · 4 years

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“Maybe you’ve heard of her husband? Finding Louisa Weinhard.” The Zoom 2020 PCB-AHA presentation.

Last week I was supposed to give a presentation for the Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association conference. That didn't work out... For the COVID-19 reasons. But we did make it work a week later on Zoom and it was terrific!

My talk focused on Louisa Weinhard. Here’s what I said.

I started OHBA in 2013, the first of its kind in the country. 2013 is also when I met Peter Kopp [see photo above left bottom - Kopp is the author of Hoptopia: A World of Agriculture and Beer in Oregon's Willamette Valley] and we’re old hats at presenting together. Though usually we are in the same room. This talk, “Maybe you’ve heard of her husband? Finding Louisa Weinhard,” is based on an article for the Oregon Historical Quarterly I’m working on revisions for right now. I’m going to talk about women in brewing in Oregon, but first I want to talk about silence.

Archives and records repositories are filled with voices. We visit them to learn about our families, past actions of governments, and the activities of private organizations. But they are also spaces that reflect power and document the dominant narrative. Decisions are made by creators, by archivists, and by researchers about what to include and who to exclude – the result can be distortion, omission, and erasure. And so, for all the voices recorded in an archive, there are also many that have been silenced.

As anyone who has done historical research on women knows, their stories weren’t actually hidden, more often they were simply not recorded. The history of nineteenth century women’s work is often told through the story of husbands and sons. They were categorized as wives and mothers rather than business partners or owners. One issue I always cite when talking about researching women is the complications surrounding names: if their first name was recorded in newspapers (not just “Mrs.”), actually finding a maiden name to track genealogy often feels like luck.

Most (all) brewers in nineteenth century Oregon were men, but as I explored beer history more, I found the stories of early Oregon women and their work in brewing fascinating. In my research I found most women linked to breweries weren’t making beer, but I suspected they played an essential role in the businesses success (for example in running the household, child-minding, doing the books, participating in community events, etc.), and I knew that several ran the brewery for a time after their husband died.

I was preparing for an oral history in 2016 with Dana Garves, owner of BrewLab and former brewing chemist at Ninkasi, and I found a blog post she’d written called “Oregon’s First Women Brewers [1879-1908],” which included names and locations. I have since found photos of three of these women: Left to right is Fredericka Wetterer from Jacksonville, Mary Allen from Monument, and Marie Kienlen from southern Oregon. Garves also wrote about Theresa O’Brien from the north coast and Mary Mehl from the south coast. I added names of own, including Catherine Stahl and Frances Kastner from eastern Oregon; Margaret Beck from Capital Brewing in Salem, and Louisa Kiefer from Albany – she’s also Fredericka Wetterer’s sister.

But is there a way to determine the jobs they did or the role they played? I did a lot of online newspaper searching and onsite research in the places these women lived, and the short answer is no. Variables in terms of family structure, geographic location, brewery size, and available documentation make generalizations and specifics quite difficult.

But Henry Weinhard? His is a pretty familiar name and his business was extremely successful. And I was certain researching his wife would be a snap. An easy win and good practice for future work on the other women I’d identified.

I was wrong.

It turned out records for the Weinhards are scant, mostly limited to newspaper articles and ads, government records, lawsuits, and, for Henry, glowing biographies in “books about great men.”

And so I dug.

This is Louisa, who had that very famous husband. Although she was famous in her own right for generosity, as well as her involvement in local church and aid societies, her legacy is marked by both details and silences.

Not to jump to the end of the story first, but the fact that I have this picture is a true testament to my Googling superpowers. I scoured archival collections, newspapers, and books looking for a picture of her, only to fail. Finally, using a string of search terms I can’t remember, I found a 2015 reference to a portrait in an article about the Portland Community College remodel. Days before I finished the first draft of my article, I emailed their Community Relations manager and she sent me a picture of the portrait. It sat on my desk and I saved it on my phone to show people who I was writing about. We have signed the paperwork to have this transferred to the collections at OSU – I was due to pick it up the week everything closed…

Luise Wagenblast was born in Germany in 1832. She lost her mother when she was four, traveled to Missouri at fifteen, arrived in the Northwest at twenty-three, and married a man who would become famous when she was twenty-seven. By the time she died at aged eighty-five, she’d buried her husband and four of her five children.

Through online genealogy sites and local history sources, I pieced together details about Louisa’s family’s move from Waldrems, Germany, a small town about 300 miles southwest of Berlin, to Missouri to Oregon. Although she travelled to Oregon by ship, her brother Gottlieb journeyed with the 1855 wagon train led by Dr. Wilhelm Keil, founder of Christian communal settlements in Bethel (Missouri) and Aurora (Oregon) – thanks to Peter’s dad James for his work on utopian communities in Oregon because it helped me tease out whether they were part of the colony or not. They weren’t.

Through government records, I learned when she was married to Henry and when her children were born. Census records and newspapers documented the family’s moves back and forth across the Oregon / Washington border. Through the census, I also learned about her neighbors, the ages of her children, and if she had servants living in her home. While dates and names are recorded, what isn’t is the scope of her loss, which feels immense. Her son Christian Henry died in 1863 at two years old and daughter Emma Augusta in 1864 at 18 months. Her daughter Bertha Carolina (Bettie) died in 1882 of acute appendicitis at 13. Henry died in 1904 of kidney disease. Just over a year later, daughter Louise Wagner died of heart disease at thirty-two. Only daughter Anna Wessinger, who lived to 87, survived Louisa.

However, mentions in newspaper articles gave me a significant, and somewhat intimate, glimpse into her life through her community activities. She sent roses to the 1903 Portland Rose Society annual rose show and thirty pounds of sugar to support unemployed men at the Gipsy Smith Tabernacle. She donated $100 to a benefit fund to purchase artificial legs for Marjorie Mahr, an actress who lost both legs in a railway accident. When thirteen-year-old Ervilla Smith arrived at the Weinhard house in the middle of the night in 1905 after being assaulted near the Lewis & Clark Exposition fairgrounds and left on the street by a saloon; the family welcomed her, called the doctor and the police, while “Mrs. Weinhard got her something to eat and made her comfortable for the night.” She was a member of the Portland Women's Union and sent money to the Louise Home for Unmarried Mothers and Albertina Kerr Nursery Home. And during the last weeks of her life, she offered money to a woman whose husband was in prison in California so she could visit him.

I have lots of stories that could expand and fill the rest of my time: things I found out about Louisa’s siblings; brewery owners, saloon keepers, gambling, prostitution, and vice; women’s clubs in Portland; or family real estate acquisitions. But since it’s where I found the most detail, I’m going to tell you about how Louisa used that wealth and her position at the end of her life.

In the years following Henry and Louise’s deaths, it is difficult to determine how involved Louisa was in the brewery and family estate business, perhaps no more than in name as an executrix of the estate. What is clear is that she continued to support her German community. The most significant was her donation of a twenty-acre lot in Southeast Portland, worth $30,000, to build a retirement facility for elderly Germans to spend their final years “among their own people.” The Altenheim was to be the “most important of its kind in the U.S.” Newspapers reported that she wanted residents to take advantage of fresh air, good water, and rich soil; and because she valued work, also wanted “helpful occupations for charges” and imagined the home would be partially self-supporting through farming. On August 6, 1911, with 2,000 people present, the cornerstone was laid, which contained pictures of Henry and Louisa, as well as copies of Portland’s German and other daily newspapers. Louisa’s great-grandson talking later about a picture in the newspaper of Louisa at the May 1912 dedication, in an open carriage with the mayor of Portland, described her as looking like queen Victoria, “very short and very fat.” That’s the picture you see here – a find made possible by the University of Oregon’s Historic Oregon Newspapers site. I learned more about Louisa from the news coverage for the Altenheim than in most previous articles about Henry or the business. Beyond a tone-deaf comment about her appearance, I learned that she valued work, self-sufficiency, and cultural traditions, but also that she was part of a community that felt isolated from the rest of Portland. What we don’t hear are her words – in all the press coverage regarding the Altenheim there isn’t a single quote from Louisa.

The Altenheim was closed in 2003 and the building housed the German American Society offices until the property was sold to Portland Community College in 2010. And that’s where her portrait is waiting for me!

Louisa died in Portland on April 23, 1918 and was buried at the River View Cemetery. She was eighty-five years old, had been in America for seventy-one years and Portland for sixty-three. News of her death was carried in several papers.

W.G. Maclaren, General Superintendent Pacific Coast Rescue and Protective Society, wrote a letter to the editor that was an unfettered tribute to her good works and the hidden nature of her charity. He said that during the hard times of 1907, she bought $100 worth of tickets for the Portland Commons, and distributed them among “men who were out of work and in need of food and lodging.” He went on “She gave me orders that I was not to allow any unfortunate person to go away hungry and agreed to meet the expenses of feeding them.” He continued, “there never was a case of a mother or child in sickness or distress that Mrs. Weinhard knew of where she would not give assistance” and concluded she was a “good woman with one of the best hearts where human suffering was concerned that I have ever known. I believe that the people of Portland should know something of what she did during her long residence in this city for the benefit of Humanity.”

This last sentence feels like a final reminder that she gave freely to charitable causes and individual people, not for personal recognition (and maybe not for our historical record) but for the purpose of bettering others.

In researching Louisa, I found a handful of touchingly personal details that I couldn’t verify. The Weinhards supposedly had a house in Astoria and a farm of 620 acres in Yamhill County. An Oregonian article, written in 1954 when Louise Weinhard Wagner's home was being demolished, noted a 4-foot stained glass window with a woman sipping from a wine glass, said to have been installed by Louisa Weinhard as a gift with the house. The names Henry and Louise/a are handed down to subsequent generations in their family. And Louisa herself was immortalized in Brewery Block Two, a 242-unit high-rise residential building built on the location of the original Weinhard brewery in Portland.

But the last bit of sparkle to this story is a connection I made with one of her descendants on ancestry.com. I found Lizzie Hart, her great+ granddaughter, which had pictures of Louisa’s granddaughter and Lizzie’s grandmother. I wrote her and said “I’m an archivist. I have this picture of your relative and I’ve written this article about her, would you like either?” Fortunately, she wasn’t creeped out by this...

Instead, through our ongoing correspondence she has given me a more personal perspective on the Weinhard family and validated my work in this area. My research has added a dimension both the story of the women in her family and in her own personal understanding of how she fits into it. Her family story was the story of men.

I can’t end with a quote from Louisa, but I can end with one from Lizzie “What you are doing in your work -- the recovery of women's stories, painstaking as it may be to grapple in the dark room of the dominant narrative -- is such an important task to undertake on behalf of our futures.”

***

For more on archival silence, see

Carter, Rodney G.S. 2006. “Of Things Said and Unsaid: Power, Archival Silences, and Power in Silence”. Archivaria 61 (September), 215-33. https://archivaria.ca/index.php/archivaria/article/view/12541.

#louisa weinhard #prepinkboots #beer history #women in beer #Henry Weinhard #portland

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wonderfulworldofmichaelford · 5 years

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Psycho Analysis: Halloween Special Villains

(WARNING! This analysis contains SPOILERS!)

Ah, Halloween, that magical, spooky time of year where ghosts and goblins come out to play and children dress up in the hopes of getting some delicious Halloween candy. But what about all of us who are trapped at home on the night of this pagan costume and candy festival? What do we have to keep us entertained?

Why, Halloween specials of course!

If there’s one thing Halloween delivers on almost as well as Christmas does, it’s spooky Halloween-themed episodes of cartoons, where the show is allowed to get darker and more disturbing than it usually does in some cases. And what is any special without a special one-shot villain? Gotta have someone stirring up some Halloween trouble on this spooky night. And since these characters are usually one and done with little in the way to go super in-depth about, I’d figure we’d look at five of them at once! They are:

Jack O’Lantern from The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy

Pumpkinator from The Fairly OddParents

Bun-Bun from Underfist

Fright Night from Danny Phantom

Ron Tompkins from Toy Story of Terror!

I’m sure some of you feel there are some glaring omissions. Where’s the Flying Dutchman? Where’s Stickybeard? Well, I decided that this time around I’d go with characters whose major appearances and debuts are Halloween episodes; both those guys had major roles in non-Halloween episodes as well, so I’ll be saving them for full reviews at a later date. Also of note: I am aware the story of Toy Story of Terror! does not take place on Halloween, but it is aired as a Halloween special, so I’m counting it.

Actor: So if there’s one thing these guys aren’t lacking in, it’s the actor department, and this isn’t a huge shock since when you’ve got a holiday special you want to splurge a bit, you know?

Jack has one of my favorite actors ever, the always-awesome Wayne Knight. Knight just has that sort of voice that’s perfect for smug jerk characters like Mr. Blik or Dennis Nedry, so really it’s pretty fitting for a pranking trickster like Jack, though I will say that it’s hard to match Knight’s voice to the human version of Jack when you see him in a flashback.

Ron Tompkins isn’t too far behind in the impressive VA department, being voiced by none other than Stephen Tobolowsky, who you may remember as the overbearing Ned Ryerson from GroundHog Day (and how can you forget him? You see him repeating the same scene about thirty times). He does a great job at making Tompkins cartoonishly evil and mostly enjoyable, a tall order for a character who steals toys from children to sell online.

And if you thought the list of awesome actors was done, boy were you wrong! Star Trek’s very own Michael Dorn voices the Fright Knight, and Dorn’s voice is absolutely perfect for a cool, evil, undead knight.

Bun-Bun is voiced by Dave Wittenberg who is an insanely prolific VA, playing characters such as Henry Wong from Digimon Tamers (AKA the beast season of Digimon) to none other than Kakashi from Naruto. I think it goes without saying a VA this versatile manages to make the role work.

And finally, we have the Pumpkinator, who is played by Dee Bradley Baker, and if I sat here listing all the notable roles this man has played we’d be here all night. But here’s a small sample: Appa, Momo, Squilliam Fancyson and Bubble Bass, Klaus the goldfish, Cow and Chicken’s dad, Cinderblock and Plasmus, the Alien and Predator in Mortal Kombat, Lion and Frybo, Numbah 4 and the Toilenator, Remy Buxaplenty, most of the animals in The Legend of Korra… you get the picture. This guy’s a legend. He’ll do any sort of role, big or small, so even if he’s not playing the most complex character here, he’s at least giving it a unique spin with his voice because man, this guy has RANGE.

Motivation/Goals: Jack has a rather simple motivation: revenge. You see, ages ago he managed to steal Grim’s scythe when he was about to be reaped, and bartered for the scythe’s return, asking to be made immortal. Grim reluctantly gave him this, but, as Grim is not someone who likes being tricked, also cut his head off. As anything cut off with Grim’s scythe is permanently cut off, Jack had to replace his head with a pumpkin (of course). This lead to him being shunned as a freak, which just made jis desire for vengeance even stronger; I mean, wouldn’t you want revenge if you could only go to the ding-dong grocery store to get pudding once a year?

If you want to get even simpler, the Pumpkinator is your guy! He exists simply to blow up planets. Tat’s it. He’s very much just an obstacle Timmy needs to overcome so that he can undo his wish for every Halloween costume to be “real and scary” before the consequences end up destroying the world.

Bun-Bun is rather simple as well: he just seems to be a jerk. But they don’t just make him a simple jerk, no, this is a Billly & Mandy spinoff so things have to be taken to their ridiculous extreme. Bun-Bun turns out to be behind numerous extremely petty actions that affected the lives of the main heroes, having haunted Hoss as a child and made him afraid of monsters, made Billy afraid of spiders which estranged him from his son Jeff, and, uh, sawed off Fred Fredburger’s tusks. The fiend! As you might guess, there’s no real rhyme or reason to this, it’s just goofy absurdist over-the-top sort of thing you’d expect from Maxwell Atoms.

Ron has a relatively simple motivation, but frankly it might be the most evil out of all of these: the man steals toys from the children who stay at his motel to sell them for monetary gain. Yes, this is more evil than attempting to blow up the planet, you heard me. I have no idea how sick and twisted you have to be to think that stealing toys from children is acceptable. Funnily enough, this is the same sort of motivation Al (who was played by Wayne Knight, funnily enough) from Toy Story 2 had, though Ron takes it above and beyond.

And finally that brings us to Fright Knight, Much like most of the ghosts on the show, Fright Knight seems to just want to cause a ruckus after he’s released, attempting to take over Amity Park when Danny foolishly releases him. Later in the show he is freed to serve Pariah Dark, and after Dark is beaten he joins up with Vlad. In his final appearance of any consequence he is seen serving the Ultimate Enemy in the bad future. Basically the guy is just a really cool overhyped henchman.

Personality: So let’s get the easy one out of the way first: The Pumpkinator doesn’t exactly have a personality, because it is a big generic doomsday villain meant to act as an obstacle for Timmy to overcome. However, when it returned later in the episode where Timmy goes to Unwish Island, it did have one notable personality trait: an undying hatred for Timmy Turner, It’s a pretty relatable trait the more into the series you watch.

Bun-Bun is also rather evil and simple. He’s just a petty jerk, as can be seen by his crimes listed up under motivation. There’s not much else to him, same with Fright Knight who, again, is mostly just an overhyped henchman who acts as the hardcore badass serving whatever big bad of the week is out to get Danny (or he would have, but more on that later).

Out of all of these, Ron and Jack have the most personality. Jack is an unrepentant prankster who, at least when alive, was heavily implied to just not get he was taking it too far with his pranks (“too far” in this case being tricking people off of cliffs, at the least), and simply morphed into a bitter, jaded, vengeance-seeking supernatural entity after hundreds of years of rejection by society and isolation. Jack’s honestly pretty tragic in that regard, though it obviously doesn’t excuse his actions.

Ron is just a straight-up jerk, putting up a facade of being a charming, friendly motel owner while stealing toys from under his guest’s noses. As the truth comes out about him, he becomes more cartoonish and hammy, which really doesn’t help his case at all, and in his final scene he actually does something so cartoonish he almost feels like he doesn’t belong in the Toy Story universe.

Final Fate: Funnily enough, Pumpkinator actually gets the happiest ending out of anyone here: after being unwished by Timmy, he goes to Unwish Island and, after Timmy eventually journeys there, gets to have fun tormenting Timmy clones for the rest of time.

Ron probably has the second happiest ending, for a given definition of “happy.” Bonnie’s mother calls the cops on him for his theft, and when they show up, he somehow manages to trick them, run away, steal their car, crash it into a telephone pole when backing up, and then run off before they even move a muscle. It’s ridiculously cartoonish, and there’s no way this guy is gonna be getting off easy after that little display.

Onto Bun-Bun. Bun-Bun made one simple mistake: he put any trust at all int Skarr. For those not in the know, Skarr was the “Starscream” to Hector Con Carne, always hoping to overthrow him and take over his world domination schemes for himself before he ended up retiring from that life and becoming a reoccurring character on Billy & Mandy. So, when he joins up with the villain by betraying Underfist, what do you think he does? He betrays the villain, pushing Bun-Bun into hot cocoa and melting him, using his power of treachery and backstabbing to help his team save the world. It’s pretty amusing in that classic Billy & Mandy way.

Good ol’ Jack ends up getting sent to the underworld this time since Grim wasn’t putting up with his crap anymore, and it seems Jack still hasn’t learned his lesson about pranking. When last we see him, he’s now tormenting demons, who all start moving in on him while he laughs at his dumb pranks. The screen cuts to black and we hear a squishing noise. It’s safe to say he won’t have to worry about that pumpkin head causing him problems anymore.

Fright Night is easily the most tricky one to talk about because his entire intended purpose in the show got aborted. After he was brought back to serve Pariah, he ended up under Vlad’s control by episode’s end, but for some reason, nothing ever came of this and it was never mentioned again – well, except in the “Ultimate Enemy” special, in which the Fright Knight cameos at the beginning, acting as something of the hype man for Dan Phantom, softening up Amity Park for Dan’s attack. After that, though, he’s basically out of the series, save for a couple of brief cameos here and there.

Best Scene: Jack has the flashback to his origins, because not only is it perfectly dark for a show’s Halloween episode, you have to give props to anyone who managed to outwit Grim, even if he did end up paying a steep price for it.

Ron has his aforementioned escape from the police. I do think it’s a bit too cartoonish and silly for Toy Story, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t pretty hilarious either way.

The Fright Knight has the aforementioned scene where he mentions he’s serving The evil future Danny. Considering that’s his last real role in the series, at least he got to go out on a high note, though it still sucks nothing ever came of the plotlines set up for him.

Bun-Bun’s best scene is when he revealed that he was the architect of most of the protagonist’s woes. Again, it’s just classic over-the-top Billy & Mandy silliness, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

The Pumpkinator… just doesn’t have one. Sorry.

Best Quote: While most of these guys aren’t exactly a goldmine of quotes, Jack has one of my favorite quotes from anything, ever, and I even already referenced it above: “Three hundred and sixty-four days a year, I can't even go the the ding-dong grocery store to buy pudding! And do you know why?" The why, obviously, is the fact he has a pumpkin for a head.

Final Thoughts & Score: Frankly, this batch of Halloween hooligans is a very mixed bag. We didn’t fare quite as bad as Charlie Brown did on Halloween, but we only got one King Size candy bar out of this lot.

I guess let’s just start with the black licorice of the bunch: Fright Knight. God, I wish I could love Fright Knight, I really do, but considering the overwhelming quality of most of Danny’s rogues gallery and just the fact this guy was totally shafted and everything set up for him was ignored there’s just no excusing how lame this guy looks, Michael Dorn or no. He has a great design and a cool concept, and the ideas for interesting stories with him were there, but he ends up being a 3/10, saved only by his cool first outing, great voice work, and awesome design.

Worse still is the pile of weirdly flavored candy corn that is the Pumpkinator. He has a cool design, but he’s not much of an antagonist to be honest. He’s just a cool-looking robot who wants to blow up the planet. That’s about it. There’s really not much to say about this guy, and his only other appearance doesn’t really add much. I suppose he serves his purpose, but I have to wonder, why even bring him back if he wasn’t going to do anything remotely interesting? I don’t like generic doomsday villains at the best of times, but if you’re gonna bring one back, at least try and do something interesting with them to justify their existence, otherwise they’re just gonna end up getting a 2/10.

Finally, we get into the good candy! Let’s start off with the tasty marshmallow bunny we got, Bun-Bun (isn’t that more of an Easter candy? Weird). Bun—Bun is a funy, goofy, cartoonish villain, perfect for the first (and sadly, only) outing for Underfist. The fact they went above and beyond to cement him as this ludicrous mastermind who just screwed with everyone’s lives for no apparent reason other than the fact he’s a jerk is pretty funny. I don’t think he’s gonna win any Villain of the Year awards, but I think a 6/10 is good enough for this above average nuisance.

Oho, what’s this? A… candycane? Well, it’s a bit out of season, but it’s still tasty! And that’s kind of where Ron is. I do like just how unabashedly scummy he is, and there is precedent for people like him in the Toy Story universe, but I feel he takes things to a cartoonish extreme. For crying out loud, the guy has a trained iguana that acts like a dog! He feels like he belongs in a different series than this one, but again, I don’t really think that’s a bad thing, because at the very least he is funny. He gets a 7/10, a bit higher than usual just because I love how ridiculously nasty his whole scheme is. Stealing from kids, what the actual hell.

YES! A King Size candy bar! Just what I was looking for! It’s just a generic Hershey bar, but hey, that’s a lot of chocolate, so who’s complaining? And that’s Jack, he is simply put a perfect Halloween special antagonist. Most of this comes from his voice work, since Wayne Knight is a national treasure, but his backstory and concept are worth praising too. His origin story is something of a twist on the old legend of “Stingy Jack,” the origin story of the Jack-O’-Lantern appropriately enough. While obviously there are liberties, such as substituting Grim for the devil, it’s a mostly accurate retelling, something that would go over most people’s heads unless they’re really into classical folklore. Jack’s a lot of fun as a character, earning himself a nice big 8/10, only being held back from a higher score because despite being rightfully beloved by audiences, he never really had a major role again, getting a minor shout out in Big Boogey Adventure and… that’s it. I think Jack could have been a really entertaining reoccurring antagonist in the same vein as fwllow ensemble darkhorse Eris, but alas, it was not to be. Maybe if Underfist had been picked up he could have been brought back for that, but the fact is it just didn’t happen. Oh well, might as well appreciate what we got.

And that’s it for this batch of Halloween goodies. Halloween specials seem a lot less prevalent than Christmas specials, but they’re no less important or fun, and as you can see, they do produce at least mildly interesting villains, sometimes. If only they could produce a villain so devilishly Halloweenie that he could perfectly embody the spirit of the holiday…

Hey, what’s that at the bottom of the bag…

Wait… is that…

OH NO.

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gaybullies · 5 years

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so, people keep insisting on calling henry a psychopath or sociopath. but neither of those things exist. neither of those things are in the dsm.

but you know what is??? paranoid personality disorder!

and you know what everyone who has done some sort of dig-deeper shot at henry’s character has come to the conclusion of?

that he’s scared. all the time. of everything. of everyone. he’s scared of being. everyone who has analyzed him Gets That.

that’s the core of what paranoid personality disorder is.

and not just that, folks.

he shows basically all the signs in some way and at some point or another.

“Paranoid personality disorder (PPD) is a type of eccentric personality disorder. (Cluster A) An eccentric personality disorder means that the person’s behavior may seem odd or unusual to others. An individual with paranoid personality behavior is very suspicious of other people. They mistrust the motives of others and believe that others want to harm them. Additional hallmarks of this condition include being reluctant to confide in others, bearing grudges, and finding demeaning or threatening subtext in even the most innocent of comments or events. A person with PPD can be quick to feel anger and feel hostile toward others.“

personally, i think this should be in the anxiety cluster, as it feels closer to ptsd than schizophrenia ( it being grouped wiht schizophrenia is why it’s in this cluster, not the anxiety cluster) but, im no professional, and regardless, this all says everything i’m trying to get across here. (source)

“The cause of paranoid personality disorder is unknown. However, researchers believe that a combination of biological and environmental factors can lead to paranoid personality disorder.The disorder is present more often in families with a history of schizophrenia and delusional disorders. Early childhood trauma may be a contributing factor.“ (source)

the symptoms this site lists are as follows (its the same source as the last two, but im getting to other sources)

believing that others have hidden motives or are out to harm them

doubting the loyalty of others

being hypersensitive to criticism

having trouble working with others

being quick to become angry and hostile

becoming detached or socially isolated

being argumentative and defensive

having trouble seeing their own problems

having trouble relaxing

it literally says in an intro paragraph that hes scared of the losers, like, he thinks theyre a threat, and thats why he attacks them so much.

he doubts the loyalty of vic and belch, resorting to trying to scare them into following him. even just speaking up against something he does is soemthing he takes as being disloyal. and that ties into that whole being hypersensetive to criticism thing, too. I havent seen him working with others, but i can imagine its not the prettiest. hes definitely argumentative and defensive as HELL. detached and socially isolated? sounds about right to me, but i could be wrong on that. he definitely has trouble seeing his own problems and trouble relaxing.

lets get into the next source.

will try to cut out too many repeats, though.

“The essential characteristic of people with PPD is paranoia, a relentless mistrust and suspicion of others without adequate reason to be suspicious. This disorder often begins in childhood or early adolescence “ looks impotrtant. this one also states its more common in men.

“These generally unfounded beliefs, as well as their habits of blame and distrust, interfere with their ability to form close or even workable relationships.“

sound familiar?

Are reluctant to confide in others or reveal personal information because they are afraid the information will be used against them.

Are unforgiving and hold grudges.

Perceive attacks on their character that are not apparent to others; they generally react with anger and are quick to retaliate.

Have persistent suspicions, without reason, that their spouses or lovers are being unfaithful.

Are generally cold and distant in their relationships with others, and might become controlling and jealous to avoid being betrayed.

Cannot see their role in problems or conflicts, believing they are always right. (a rephrase of a previous point)

Tend to develop negative stereotypes of others, especially those from different cultural groups.

henry jumping to black mail patrick isnt necessarily exactly like bieng reluctant to confide in him or reveal personal information, but the why for why he blackmailed him--- thats the same reason. he doesnt want that information used against him. he’s asserted a position of control in all his relationships, which also keeps him from allowing hismelf to fully trust naybody because he doesnt have to, which keeps him from forming those deep emotional connections with basically anyoneexcept people hes scared of-- his dad, and... patrick.

and the last point? uh... im pretty sure is just polite for “racist” and everything else he is.

“Paranoid personality disorder may be first apparent in childhood or adolescence. People who suffer prefer solitude, have poor peer relationships, social anxiety, academic underachievement, hypersensitivity, peculiar thoughts and language, and idiosyncratic fantasies. These young people may appear to be "odd" or “eccentric,” and they are good targets for teasing. In clinical samples, this disorder appears to be more commonly diagnosed in males.“

this site (probably the most legit out of all of them tbh) basically says everything else the other sources say in a much more strictly prodfessional and clinical manner, so it’d jus tbe a bunch of repeating, but i thought thiswas very good to look at regarding henry.

i also dont remember if ive added this in and am currently too tired to check so i’m going to put it in from this site too “There is some evidence for an increased prevalence of paranoid personality disorder among those whose relatives have schizophrenia.“

butch is very often called “crazy” which in the fifties might have meant schizophrenia. hoenst to god, i havent finished the book, and dont know that much about butch, but.

another site. looks like a dad blog but might have merit “People with paranoid personality disorder are generally characterized by having a long-standing pattern of pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others. A person with paranoid personality disorder will nearly always believe that other people’s motives are suspect or even malevolent.“ felt this was important too. some sources say paranoia in general, but some sources say this. I think both are worth looking at, especially when taking into account henry’s character

“Individuals with paranoid personality disorder are generally difficult to get along with and often have problems with close relationships. Their excessive suspiciousness and hostility may be expressed in overt argumentativeness, in recurrent complaining, or by quiet, apparently hostile aloofness. Because they are hypervigilant for potential threats, they may act in a guarded, secretive, or devious manner and appear to be “cold” and lacking in tender feelings. Although they may appear to be objective, rational, and unemotional, they more often display a labile range of affect, with hostile, stubborn, and sarcastic expressions predominating. Their combative and suspicious nature may elicit a hostile response in others, which then serves to confirm their original expectations.“

^^ also looks important. not just in regards to henry, but in regards to the disorder as a whole.

this last site didnt say anything new, really, but there were a couple bulle t points that caught me

Often described as cold, jealous, secretive, and serious.

Look for hidden meanings in gestures and conversations.

so anyways.... henry bowers is not a sociopath. he has paranoid personality disorder, if you want to diagnose him with anything like that.

#henry bowers #it #it 2017 #it novel #it 2019 #it miniseries #bowers gang #patrick hockstetter #butch bowers #might reorganize this later #and then jsut list all my sources at the end or something

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popwasabi · 5 years

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Remembering My Hero, Robin Williams, Five Years Later

Not terribly long ago I used to deride others for feeling sad in the wake of a famous celebrity’s death.

My argument would go something like in the grand scheme of things their deaths “didn’t matter” when compared to various other atrocities and terrible, tragic things going on in the world. I even wrote an entire opinion piece poo-pooing the general populace for being sad in the wake of Whitney Houston’s death waaay back in 2012 for my University paper back in the day all largely because since I didn’t feel anything no one else should essentially.

Then Robin Williams died.

Well, more accurately Robin Williams committed suicide then everything changed for me.

To this day, I can’t recall a single death that has affected or beat me down more than this famous, larger than life comedian’s all too early passing and it still eats me up every time I think about it even five years later. You see, Robin was something of a hero of mine, an uber talented and charismatic funny man who seemed to perform his comedy with the kinetic energy of a hurricane and his humor often brightened my darkest moments growing up.

For him to die the way he did was beyond devastating for me.

Every 90s kid grew up on his various memorable performances. Whether it was “Aladdin” as the Genie, Peter Pan in “Hook” or masquerading as a nannie to win his family back in “Mrs. Doubtfire” we all had one performance that made us all fans early on.

(For some reason I always remember “Flubber” first though haha)

I didn’t start to truly appreciate him though until high school when I discovered his comic stand-up routines from his earlier years.

Despite not growing up in 70s or 80s his humor was nonetheless electric, unlike any previous comic I had seen up until that point and his impressions of Ronald Reagan, Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon are still among my favorites. Live at the Met is an all-time favorite comic stand-up performance and much later Live on Broadway still has one of the greatest closing jokes ever:

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(”Harder than Chinese Algebra” is definitely a line I’ve used in my college years)

What I loved most about his performances was that he could be boisterous and sincere at the same time. Being both genuine and vulgar simultaneously and in the best way. Weave bizarre character references into personal tales of his own life. Tell a multitude of hilarious stories and references at 100 miles a minute like a comedic roller-coaster ride that lasted the duration of his performances and you never wanted to get off it. It’s true when Time Magazine referred to his comedy as something all comedians loved and respected but could never in a million years duplicate. Robin was a one of a kind talent, the penultimate original, and fans loved him for it.

Robin did his performances with such natural gusto and spontaneous hilarity that it might shock you to know he always wrote virtually every line of his stand-ups before his performances. To bring that humor to life with such infectious joy takes real talent and no one can ever deny Robin was one of the best if not the best at it.

The remarkable thing is on top of his stand-up the dude was an all-time great actor on top of that displaying ranges from as absurd as “Death to Smoochie” and “World’s Greatest Dad” to as sensitive and thought provoking as “Good Will Hunting” and “Dead Poet’s Society.” Robin wasn’t afraid to show a darker side either in famous roles such as “Insomnia” and “One Hour Photo.” His range was simply amazing.

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(Personally my favorite^)

Like many high-schoolers, I was angsty teenager prone to hormonal anger and twitches, depressed I couldn’t score girls and that I wasn’t popular but at the end of the day I always had Robin to cheer me up.

As I became more and more a fan I’d read more into his life learning I actually had quite a few things in common with the famous funny man from a love of all things sci-fi including even anime and Warhammer to a deep appreciation of video games as he famously named his daughter Zelda after the titular Nintendo princess of the same name.

He was not just a comedian to me; he was one of us. America’s favorite funny, semi-secretly nerdy uncle and I loved him for it.

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(The sweetest Nintendo commercial ever. #uglycrying)

I would carry my love of this magnificent comedian into college where I would routinely re-listen to his greatest hits when I was at my lowest of lows and boy did I have plenty of them during this period of my life and many of them revolved around suicide.

For reasons that are too personal to expand on, I had a friend who I was close with early in college who had some deep mental health and abandonment issues. She would constantly fear the worst out of others’ intentions and whether I would stick around with her to help her through it all in life. This put a heavy drain on myself and eventually it broke me enough to just attempt to cut her out of my life.

So, she threatened to kill herself when that happened.

If you’ve never tried talking someone down out of suicide before it is by far the scariest thing I have ever had to do and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. To try to reason with someone who is convinced that their life is meaningless that no one cares about them that they are better off dead than alive is unlike any terror I’ve ever experienced. What scared me the most was what I would do with myself if I failed to talk her down. Could I live with myself if I couldn’t do enough to save this person? Is the blood on my hands too since it was my actions that drove her to this point?

Well, long story short, I did succeed in talking her down but it left a tremendous mark on my soul that I don’t think I’ll ever forget (it also would not be the last time this would happen). I did eventually move on from this person (for both our sakes) but the depression it left within in me still stings.

There are limits to emotional dependency that we should all understand and in my need to fix everything for those I cared about I started not to care about myself and it damn near killed me. You should always try to feel empathy and help those who are need but you can’t forget about yourself in this regard because it will destroy you too. Painfully and slowly.

That semester I listened to probably more Robin Williams than I ever had in the past. His humor keeping me from being an unfeeling zombie and my mind from breaking from the stress of that year (there were other events that compounded what was going on.) Robin kept me going, kept me laughing in a period I didn’t have a lot to feel joyful about and I’ll always be grateful to him for that.

Then a few years later, as well know now, on August 11, 2014 Robin took his own life.

Like most everyone else I was shocked, distraught, and in total disbelief. How could a man who had seemingly endless joy and lived by all measures a far more successful life than most people ever would feel the need to kill himself?

It was tragic beyond comprehension.

The aftermath of course was an outpouring of love and support to the Williams family particularly his children but there was also the detractors as well. People who denounced him as some sort of coward for taking his own life, Christian zealots who believed he was rotting in hell for his sin and all matter of bad takes regarding him being too privileged to be depressed. It was infuriating and broke my heart all at once. Here was a man who more than most probably deserved a happy ending, dead by his own hands and now subjected to dumb moronic statements by people who probably will never understand what depression does to someone.

You’d would only need to a modest amount of research to understand where Robin’s depression could come from though. Despite growing up in an affluent household his father and mother were rarely there with him, raised practically by the maids in his household and by himself most of his childhood. He had survivor’s guilt for being in the same room John Belushi died in many decades prior (which would become a wake-up call for his own drug addictions). Also, he was great friends with the late Christopher Reeves who went to school with him Julliard and that shouldn’t require too much explaining there.

youtube

(Personal pain never stopped Robin from lampooning himself of course)

But the real death knell probably came at the end when months prior Robin’s suicide he was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia Association and early stages of Parkinson’s disease. Now anyone being diagnosed with these conditions would be devastating by itself but if you frame it in the mind of Robin Williams, a man who’s comedy and charm relies almost entirely on spontaneous-ness, extreme attention to detail and constant joy this is like losing the very thing that made you who are, what people love you for; your core identity.

Robin was no longer going to be Robin.

I’m not asking people to like suicide or accept every instance of it but people should try to understand why and not judge others for it. Sometimes the demons are just too strong and we can’t fault others especially a mind as crippled as Robin’s was at the end.

If there’s one positive that came out of Robin’s suicide, it’s that the conversation on depression and mental health has notably shifted since that time. In the years since, it’s more acceptable now to feel sad no matter what your background is; you didn’t need to be a coal miner with black lung or a soldier with PSTD to be acceptably depressed anymore (and no, before any of you start I’m not judging those people). Athletes and celebrities alike such as Demar Derozan, Ryan Reynolds, Serena Williams, and Chris Evans have all come out about their own personal struggles with their inner demons. It’s now okay more than ever to feel inadequate even if on paper you have ever reason not to feel that way.

Though society hasn’t become completely understanding of mental health issues yet society is still a lot more open about it than it was before at least. It’s not a silver lining, don’t make that mistake with what I’m saying, but it’s comforting in a strange way knowing that even in death Robin can inspire positivity.

It’s a shame and tragic that Robin didn’t get age gracefully into his twilight years and given the current state of the country and the world as a whole we could definitely use that trademark wit to lampoon our reality right now but I’m glad that Robin helped keep me going in my most formative years.

(I mean seriously though, could you imagine Robin getting a crack at this motherfucker today on stage?)

It’s not hyperbole to call Robin Williams one of the greatest entertainers of all-time and though his time in this world was cut short by his own hand he has still left an indelible mark on myself, his fans and the rest of the world. Depression and mental health is a fact of life, generally speaking all of us will struggle with it at some point but if we can get help early and not be afraid to ask for it or even cry for it then maybe the world won’t feel so dark for us all.

So please, let’s all remember to take care of ourselves whether that’s seeking friends or professional guidance. There is strength in sadness, power in grief and love when you are lonely. You owe it to yourself to seek help and trust me, there’ll be arms open to bring you in.

Because you matter.

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Thanks, Captain.

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gimmetheheadcanons · 6 years

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Sinners & Scapegoats 3/?

A/N: Beta'd by the lovely and always supportive @siancore. The heart and soul of the Richonne fandom we don't deserve. chapter 1 here, chapter 2 here

3. Worse

Rick abandoned his fruitless teddy bear rescue mission pretty soon after it began. All it took first was an unexpected phone call from his own son to put him to shame. Made impatient by his excitement and wanting to share a piece of news his mother had insisted could wait, Carl Grimes' determined dialling unwittingly drew his delusional dad back to the real world of professional boundaries and paternal promises.

"Carl what did I tell you about bothering your father at work?"

"But mom! I just wanna know when he'll be back!"

"In his own time."

In his own time.

Rick felt the slight from miles away. An attack on his fatherhood, his commitment to his duties. It was the first time Lori had brought their battle to the 'Carl front'. The humiliation of listening helplessly over the line was unbearable to Rick, a man who prided himself in his relationship with his boy, his entire world – the center of the universe

Propelled into action by his hurt and in a desperate bid to prevent any further sullying of his good name, Rick raced all the way home – driving with very little regard to the traffic laws he was charged with reinforcing daily. Halfway into his journey, the righteous anger he felt dissipated, and he was left with an uncomfortable truth – Lori wasn't wrong.

He had a son, a little boy of his own, and whilst Michonne was out there, earning her points as a parent, he had to be dragged back to his. It wasn't right, Rick thought angrily, cursing himself, and not Lori this time, for the situation he had gotten himself into. What was he going to do anyway? Kick down his front door in a fit of rage and proceed to throw down with the mother of his child in front of said child? Over what? A comment that may have been just that – a comment. Entirely harmless, except against his ego, thus rousing his defensiveness.

Rick was exhausted; he hadn't even walked through the door yet and he was already done with this. He thought back to little Sophia, caught up in a world of hurt by the state of her parents' marriage, and he shivered at the thought of ever inflicting a different kind of damage onto his own child.

As inexcusable as it was, sooner rather than later, the tension between him and his wife would overflow and impact Carl's blissful childhood existence. Rick could feel it in his bones, the breaking point approaching. The day he would slip up as a Christian and disrespect his once beloved bride by calling her a fucking spiteful bitch. And Carl would hear him and be forever changed by it.

Unless he put a stop to it first.

There it was again, slithering across his mind. A shameful snake of a thought telling him to go against all he promised before God and a congregation of witnesses.

Divorce.

Rick shuddered at the thought, at losing his family, at bailing on them when things got tough. At ever seeing his son look back at him with weary, world worn eyes instead of the innocent, twinkling blue ones that lit up every time Rick walked through the door.

"Dad!"

"Hey there, champ," Rick yelled back, the cheer in his voice overcompensating for a guilt that sought to choke him. "Heard you had a story for me?"

Carl was twelve, but that didn't stop him from jumping into Rick's arms with a jubilant smile on his young face. He was overjoyed to see his father back so soon after his phone call; not bearing an ounce of ill will for Rick being away for so long in the first place. Rick clung to his son, his perfect little boy, grateful for the hero's welcome he knew he didn't deserve and knowing to cherish it whilst it lasted. Over Carl's shoulder, loomed Lori looking less than thrilled by her husband's return.

"Sorry I'm late," Rick mouthed to her, half expecting the apology not to take, but it did.

Lori Grimes simply shrugged her thin shoulders before leaving for their kitchen. A begrudging acceptance of the situation was all she could muster for him, and Rick immediately knew why: She had been hoping for another hour without him. Rick sighed mournfully.

How did they get here and how does it end?

"Okay dad, you can let go now," Carl said, interrupting Rick's thoughts regarding the dark state of his marriage. The not-quite teen playfully squirmed free from the man who continued to cling onto him, completely unaware of his new existence as a sad relic of a once happy marriage. Embarrassed, Rick quickly apologized and ushered his son to tell his tale.

"My piece got picked for the gallery! Everyone's coming to see it and I need you guys to be free on Thursday. This coming one not the next. At seven."

That was all Carl said but Rick was already lost.

"The what now?"

"At school," Carl said, sounding frustrated with his father's inability to extract the relevant details that made up this supposed good news from the excitable ramblings. Rolling his eyes impatiently, Carl started from the beginning.

"We have a new art teacher. Ms. Anthony."

"Yes, son, that I'm aware of," Rick said, unable to help himself but careful not to betray anything further regarding Michonne.

"Yeah she's from New York and so cool and different. Like waaay more interesting than Mrs. Randal. Man was she a pain! Dad, we were painting bowls of fruit over and over and over again. Things were that bad."

"Hey now, don't be so harsh on old Mrs. Randal, Carl. She's a kindly old woman."

"Yeah, but I'm glad she retired, because if I had to paint one more apple – I would've gladly had a stroke too!"

Rick shamefully chuckled at Mrs. Randal's expense. His son's declaration was undoubtedly dramatic as old Testament damnation. But he was glad to hear Michonne brought some much needed vigor to her new role and ditched the cumbersome curriculum of her predecessor. Back at school, he was never a fan of art and he had a sneaking suspicion the blame lay at Old Lady Randal's feet then too.

"Anyway, Ms. Anthony is awesome. We started a new art project two months ago and she promised if all do great job we'd get to display our work in our own gallery – like the Metropolitan, but right here at Henry Ellis!"

Rick clapped his hands right on cue, signalling to his son how incredibly impressed he was. And in all honesty, he was, especially with how fast Michonne was working to make her stamp on this town. She really was something special.

"And when did your school get a swanky new space for the display of art?"

Carl laughed heartily at the way his father continued to feign ignorance just for his amusement, and Rick grinned back, pleased to make his son's face beam.

"It'll only be for one evening. We get to turn the gym into one with movable screens to divide it up, and then lights on like stands, so people can really see the art. Oh and there will be snacks, for the guests – the moms and dads."

"Wow! And you're saying your piece got picked for this event? That's amazing."

Carl's body shifted uncomfortably at Rick's praise. "Well – we all get to display our work because it's a class thing," he confessed finally, for a moment looking slightly embarrassed at exaggerating his own importance.

"I'm sure your piece will be the best one there," Rick said, reassuring his son, as a parent would, but acutely aware that knowing Carl, he would be proven right. The kid had talent; he had been drawing on any and all surfaces since the day he was big enough to pick up his first crayon. It used to drive Rick and Lori nuts, trying to keep Carl's artistic sensibilities within the confines of a sketchpad, but as the years went on, Rick was glad they never did anything to stop him.

His father's praise had a reinvigorating effect on the boy, and Carl returned to gushing about the upcoming event.

"Ms. Anthony did say mine had real potential. She said I get to put my piece in the center spot because she was so impressed with it."

"That's my boy! Up top!"

Lori walked back into the hallway just in time to witness the celebratory high five between the Grimes men, and Rick was pleased to see her approval. They shared a quiet moment of pure parental pride, glad to shower their son with love, for he was a tribute to the heights they could achieve when their partnership worked.

"We're all so proud of you, sweety," said Lori.

Carl thanked his mother with a hug and it was just as welcoming a sight to Rick as his high-five had been to her. This was worth fighting for, Rick reminded himself, determined to etch this image into his mind for the next time he would be overcome with doubt.

"Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Can I call Shane now that dad knows? You said I could tell him once I told dad."

Lori's face changed at Carl's request. There was an awkward pause before she answered with a tense smile on her face. "Sure baby."

"You know the number still?"

"Duh," Carl said sarcastically before correcting himself for fear of repercussions for his tone. "I mean yes, mom."

Lori sighed before laying out her terms. "Are you going to make sure to head straight up afterwards? Because I need you in your bed in fifteen minutes."

Carl happily agreed with his mother's request.

"Okay then, you can go call Shane," Lori said finally, dismissing Carl who dashed out the room the moment right after the first word and nod.

Left behind with his wife, Rick could feel the stillness in the air.

The mention of his best friend's name shouldn't have had this effect on them, and yet, Rick could feel something was hideously off. Lori looked back at him with brown uncertain eyes and Rick couldn't make sense of why. Or he didn't want to. He wanted to go back to the glorious picture of domestic bliss from mere moments ago.

"He expects us to attend this event. The both of us, together."

She spoke to him with none of that artificial sweetness she saved for him whenever Carl was in their presence.

"And Shane?" Rick regretted it as soon as he asked. His distressed heart cried out for him to stop pursuing this line of questioning.

"He said he'd ask him. I told him not to bother him," Lori said, arms folded over her chest a little too defensive to be casual.

Rick let out a small laugh. There was nothing funny about it. "Why Lori? He's family. Why shouldn't he attend his godson's art exhibition."

"Oh, don't Rick. Don't."

Lori turned on her heel, ready to retreat to the kitchen and leave the start of another argument. But Rick Grimes refused to be left behind.

"What, Lori? What is it that I am doing?" He demanded, following his wife into the kitchen and making sure to shut the door behind him.

Lori swung back around to face her husband, confronting him in a low angry whisper so as to not attract their son's attention. They were so well rehearsed in their bouts, they had specific modes. This was not to be one of their earth shattering "To hell with the neighbors, Carl is at school so bring your worst darling" clashes.

"This!" Lori hissed in a tactically low voice, carrying all the irritation or a much louder one. "You're making me feel bad for trying to spare you your feelings."

Rick let out an empty gasp to convey his utter surprise. "Since when? Also, what feelings?"

"It's not my fault that your son loves your best friend. You shouldn't have a problem with that!" Lori continued, serving up the outrage in tightly contained manner.

Again, none of this was making sense to Rick. He could barely follow the turn this conversation suddenly had taken.

"I don't have a problem with it, Lori," he said, answering honestly and somewhat calmly. "But you seem to. Why wasn't it okay for Carl to call his buddy Shane to tell him his good news? Why do you think that would bother me?"

Rick felt he made his question clear enough for his wife, and for a moment, with perhaps nowhere to hide, Lori Grimes was silenced.

He didn't relish in point scoring during arguments, especially when all he wanted was a sincere response. Lori seemed to agree with him. She ran her hands through her long, messy brown waves; her hair looking more and more frazzled these days to match the unkempt stubble on his chin. The toll of an unhappy home life was becoming apparent on their faces. Leaning against the kitchen counter, she finally answered.

"I don't know why, Rick, I don't know why anything bothers you anymore these days. It just does."

Rick bit his lip angrily at the disgraceful attempt at deflection.

"No Lori. You don't get that do that. Not this time."

The clatter of one unwashed pot against after that Rick sent it went flying into the sink shocked Lori for a moment. But then she let out a completely unironic cackle.

"Do what? Walk on eggshells?" Lori cried, barely able to contain her outrage pointing at her husband's behavior as another exhibit to enter into evidence.

Breathing heavily, Rick wiped the splash back of water droplets from his face. He wasn't angry, he told himself, knowing he was barely keeping it together.

"What's that? Missed my head?"

"Don't," Rick whispered the blood draining from his face.

She knew he would never but said it anyway.

How could she.

Needing a break after landing such a blow, Lori bowed over a little. Her hands resting on her knees and her face artfully hidden under a mess of dark hair instead of owning up to the cruelty of her comments. Rick could hear her sob a little, but was in no mood to comfort her.

"Fine. I'm the bad guy," he sighed, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head. "What else is new?"

"No, I am. And I'll go on being the bad guy, Rick," Lori said, straightening up and staring Rick in the eye. She had a pathetic, exhausted look on her face but an iron will and a tone that matched. Lori had been done recharging her artilleries. "I'll be the bad guy. For caring about my husband. For wanting him not to be bothered at work until he's done. For making sure his son doesn't forget to tell his father news that matters first! A man he barely sees these days anyway!"

Rick took a step back, unprepared, he had been wounded by the accusation of neglect on his part.

"I know I've been busy," Rick admitted, feeling sorry for himself and his actions. This was an argument he had lost back in the car. There was no point in hiding that fact.

"You have," Lori replied, relentless in her criticism, not yet knowing she had overreached and Rick wasn't done.

"But that's not what's going on here," said Rick. He was ready to bring the argument back to his original point.

"And what is then Rick?" Lori asked.

After a pregnant pause, Rick decided to come out with it.

"You don't have to keep Carl from Shane."

Unless there is another reason.

But Rick was momentarily stunned into silence by his wife's speedy interruption. "Okay. I won't, but you don't have to keep forcing yourself to be here."

King of self-imposed amnesia, Rick Grimes ran with the subject change, no longer sure what he was getting at in the first place. Instead he decided that this would be the moment. One that called for a new kind of weapon – sincere openness.

"I'm not. Lori," he said softly, moving towards his wife slowly. "I want to be here, I want to be with my son."

Rick paused for a moment before adding the rest. "And I want to be with my wife, if she'll let me."

Lori did nothing to answer her husband's plea, flinching the moment her reached out to hold her hand. And it was enough for Rick to know that he was on his own in manning the scaffoldings that kept his marriage from falling. Lori would never leave him, but she would never stop trying to drive him out.

"I have to go check on Carl. Make sure he washed up before bed."

Both resigned to their fate for the only reason they could offer up, Lori made way towards the door.

Rick hesitated for a moment before calling out to his wife one more time.

"Lori?"

She didn't turn around to face him, but briefly stopped at the door regardless.

Never an inch.

Rick sighed and swallowed his true words for empty ones. "Tell him I'll be up in a minute to say goodn-."

She was gone before he had finished.

Rick waited until Lori returned downstairs before going up to see his son. He wolfed down the night's leftovers, unheated pasta straight from the plastic container in the fridge, before sprinting up the stairs and into Carl's room.

"Hey kiddo, you all tucked in?"

Carl groaned at his father's babying of him. Rick knew it must've looked strange having one parent enter the room, just as soon as the other left.

"You know I'm too old for tuck-ins dad."

Rick chuckled at his son's response. "Like heck you are."

"You can say hell."

Rick raised his eyebrows. "I know I can."

"But I can't," Carl grumbled, sinking further into his bed at the injustice.

"Yep and don't you forget it."

It was always a little disconcerting how quickly the boy in front of him changed. Less than an hour ago, he was flying into Rick's arms the way he always had. Here, they were embarrassing him at the mere thought of a tuck in and pushing his luck with curse words.

Rick wondered if Shane would let Carl swear around him. Maybe that's what made the kid idolize the carefree, cool cop when compared to stuffy straight and narrow old man. The thought irked him and led him down a rabbit hole he so desperately wished to avoid.

"Hey, by the way, what did Shane say when you called?"

"Not much. It was loud where he was but he said he would come."

The boy was downplaying how disappointed he was that his godfather didn't make a bigger deal about the news. But knowing his friend, Rick imagined the man was three beers in already and in the mood to do the kind of adult entertaining Carl's phone call was keeping him from.

It brought a small petty smile to his face; Carl may think the world of Shane and on the right day his godfather thought the same – but the boy only had one father and that was boring old Rick.

"Hey, proud of you son," Rick said, repeating himself but each time meaning it just the same. "Now I might not get the finer details of something as out there as art, but I know talent when I see it."

"Thanks," Carl replied with a look of genuine affection on his face for Rick's hammy, dorky dad act.

Rick looked at Carl's room, covered in a visual history of his son's artistic journey, from original comic book creations and creepy crawlers to sketches of friends, family and fellow townspeople. He had no idea where his son's artistic sensibilities had come from, it sure as hell didn't run in the Grimes family line. But unlike the men that came before him, Rick was supportive of his son's endeavour. Proud of his creative capabilities and his thoughtful, imaginative nature. As was Lori, and he was grateful to hear Michonne now too.

"So…Any hints as to what this masterpiece of yours is like?"

"You're just gonna have to wait until opening night, like everyone else."

"Wow, that's cold, son," Rick gasped, getting up from Carl's bed and stumbling to door in an exaggerated manner of a wounded soldier.

"Hey dad?" Rick heard Carl call out for him. He turned to face his son, completely serious and ready to attend to his needs. "Just don't make things weird for me at school."

Not knowing how to respond, Rick simply nodded before hitting the light switch off and leaving the room, his anxious mind wondering if Shane had received such a warning from the surly teen that was threatening to take his sweet son's place. Somehow, feeling every bit as wounded as he had pretended to be just a few moments ago, Rick Grimes knew the answer was no and all that did was make him want to take off his oldest friend's head with the dirty pot his wife thought was meant for her.

#fanfiction #richonne #twd #gimme: sinners and scapegoats #siancore

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papermoonloveslucy · 3 years

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BACHELOR MOTHER

April 28, 1949

The Screen Guild Theater (aka The Screen Guild Players), was one of the most popular drama anthology series during the Golden Age of Radio. At this point it is being sponsored by Gulf Oil. From its first broadcast in 1939, up to its farewell in 1952, it showcased radio adaptations of popular Hollywood films. Many Hollywood names became part of the show, including Bette Davis, Bing Crosby, Clark Gable, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, and many more. The actors’ fees were all donated to the Motion Picture Relief Fund, an organization that provides aid to retired actors. Screen Guild Theater was heard on different radio networks, beginning with CBS from 1939 to 1948, NBC from 1948 to 1950, ABC from 1950 to 1951, and back to CBS until its last episode on June 29, 1952. Throughout its run, a total of 527 episodes were produced.

“Bachelor Mother” was sponsored by Camel cigarettes and heard on NBC radio. It was directed by Bill Lawrence.

Bachelor Mother (1939) is an RKO romantic comedy film directed by Garson Kanin, and starring Ginger Rogers, David Niven and Charles Coburn. The screenplay was written by Norman Krasna based on an Academy Award-nominated story by Felix Jackson written for the 1935 Austrian-Hungarian film Little Mother. It was included among the American Film Institute’s 2000 list of the 500 movies nominated for the Top 100 Funniest American Movies. The film featured future “Lucy” actors Barbara Pepper, Irving Bacon, Jack Chefe, Florence Lake, Nestor Paiva, Harold Miller, and Amzie Strickland.

It was remade as Bundle of Joy starring Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher in 1952. The original film was re-released in 1945 and made its television debut in 1964.

RKO disliked the title Little Mother and tried out Nobody’s Wife and She Said I Do before settling on Bachelor Mother. In Denmark it was known as Polly’s Baby.

Bachelor Mother was adapted for radio on nine occasions between 1940 and 1952:

January 22, 1940 ~ “Lux Radio Theater” starring *Ginger Rogers, Frederic March, and *Frank Albertson

February 1, 1942 ~ “Screen Guild Theater” starring Laraine Day, Henry Fonda, and *Charles Coburn

November 23, 1942 ~ “Screen Guild Theater” starring Ann Sothern, Fred MacMurray, and *Charles Coburn

November 21, 1944 ~ “Theatre of Romance” starring Shirley Booth, Richard Kollmar, and Jack McBride

December 24, 1944 ~ “Old Gold Comedy Theater” starring Brenda Marshall, Louis Haywood and Jack McBride

May 6, 1946 ~ “Screen Guild Theater” starring *Ginger Rogers, *David Niven, and Francis X. Bushman

April 28, 1949 ~ “Screen Guild Theater” starring Lucille Ball, Joseph Cotton, and *Charles Coburn

March 8, 1951 - “Screen Director’s Playhouse” starring Lucille Ball, Robert Cummings, and Arthur Q. Bryan

April 20, 1952 ~ “Screen Guild Theater” starring Ann Sothern and Robert Stack

* = original film cast repeating their roles

Synopsis ~ An unemployed woman discovers an abandoned baby on the steps of an orphanage, and accepts an offer to take responsibility for the child in return for a job.

CAST

Lucille Ball (Polly Parrish, Toy Department Clerk at Merlin & Son and Bachelor Mother) later appeared for Screen Directors Playhouse in “Her Husband’s Affairs” (May 22, 1949), “Miss Grant Takes Richmond” (May 19, 1950), both films she had appeared in on screen, and “A Foreign Affair” (March 1, 1951), the previous week.

On screen, the role was played by Ginger Rogers.

Joseph Cotten (David Merlin) had worked with Orson Welles on Citizen Kane (1941) and The Magnificent Ambersons (1942). This is his only time acting with Lucille Ball.

On screen, the role was played by David Niven.

Charles Coburn (J.B. Merlin) appeared with Lucille Ball in Lured (1947). He won an Oscar for The More The Merrier in 1943 and was nominated in 1941 and 1946.

Coburn played the same role in the feature film.

The characters of Freddy Miller, Orphanage Matron, Mrs. Weiss, Phillips the Butler, and Jerome Weiss, are played by uncredited and unidentified performers.

EPISODE

After acknowledging their sponsors, Camel Cigarettes, the announcer introduces “Bachelor Mother”.

The day before Christmas, Polly Parrish is let go from her job at Merlin & Son Department Store. Job hunting on her lunch hour, Polly notices an crying baby on the doorstep of the orphanage. When the door opens, the matron assumes that the baby is Polly’s and she was about to leave it with them. She is unable to change the Matron’s assumption. She rushes back to work to finish her last day.

At the store, David Merlin (James Cotten) mysteriously tells her that they have taken pity on her and re-hired her with a $5 a week raise. After she leaves, David tells his secretary that he is anxious to see her face when she gets his real present!

That night, Polly opens the door to a messenger from David Merlin who presents her with the baby from the orphanage. Her boyfriend and co-worker Freddy knocks on the door for their date. Polly tells Freddy that before their date, they are going to bring the baby back to the man who gave it to her - David Merlin!

Freddy and Polly arrive at the Merlin home and drop off the baby with the Phillips, the butler, before going out on their date. When they get back to Polly’s apartment at 2 A.M., David Merlin is there to return the baby to her, believing it is hers and that she is abandoning him. He threatens her with legal action. She decides to go along with his misapprehension of her motherhood, and David agrees to try to help her out.

Mrs. Weiss, the landlady, comes in. She thinks the baby is adorable and tells Polly she will help her take care of the baby so that she can go out to work.

Next day at the store, Freddy notices that Polly is exhausted. He asks her to put in a good word with Mr. Merlin for him regarding a promotion, and she sleepily agrees. Freddy is under the impression that David Merlin is the father of the baby, and he’s going to use the information for his own purposes.

At home Polly is trying to feed a fussy baby on New Year’s Eve when David Merlin shows up to take her out on the town. Freddy calls on the phone, and re-states that Polly better help him get a better job at Merlin and Sons.

~ INTERMISSION ~

Polly and David return from their New Year’s Eve revels. They kiss. Mrs. Weiss tells them that she is excited that her son Jerome is coming home. Polly reveals to David that there is someone who knows who the baby belongs to - Freddy - and warns David to expect a visit from him soon. Just then, David’s father, J.B. Merlin (Charles Coburn) knocks on the door of Polly’s apartment asking to see his son. J.B. asks if he can hold the baby. Polly tells him that the baby’s name is John. B, which pleases Mr. Merlin. David is confused by his father’s behavior. After J.B. leaves, Polly tells David that Freddy has already told J.B. that David is the father.

At home, J.B. is angry at David for not marrying Polly. David insists that it is not his baby! J.B. has gotten a letter that insists it is! As David goes off to find out who the baby’s real father is, J.B. smashes dishes.

Confronting Polly, David reveals that his father want him to marry her, making it sound like an inconvenience. Polly’s feelings are hurt, and she promises David that by tomorrow, the baby will have a new father.

At J.B.’s office, Polly presents Jerome Weiss as her husband. David bursts in with Freddy, who he introduces as the father of Polly’s baby! Freddy and Jerome both contend to be the father! David assumes that Jerome is the REAL dad. They all accuse each other of fatherhood while J.B. asserts his grandparent’s rights!

Back at home, Polly tearfully packs. As she is about to leave, David enters and says he is in love with her. They kiss, not noticing that J.B. has followed him there. David tells him that he is the father of the baby, and J.B. says that when they can come to him as a married couple, they would be welcome in his home. David says he got the license on the way there. They kiss again.

POLLY: “You know something, David? I bet this is the first time in history that a baby gave birth to a mother and father!”

The End

Lucille Ball, Joseph Cotten, and Charles Coburn, thank their sponsor Camels for sending complimentary cigarettes to men in uniform.

LUCILLE BALL: “Happy smoking, fellows!”

The announcer promotes next week’s program, “Undercurrent” starring Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor.

Taylor recreates his original 1946 film role, with Stanwyck playing the role originated by Katharine Hepburn. It was broadcast on May 5, 1949.

‘BACHELOR’ TRIVIA

The film version of Bachelor Mother (1939), is mentioned in two episodes of “The RKO Story: Tales From Hollywood” as a film Ginger Rogers at first refused to do - until she was taken off payroll for three weeks and finally relented. Although audiences loved it, Rogers continued to loathe the film calling it “a dog.” Coincidentally, Lucille Ball is also interviewed in the same two episodes.

The wind-up ducks in the 1939 film were played by Disney’s Donald Duck, who even gets screen credit, although for this radio version, they are written out completely, likely to avoid the challenge of copyright, and to avoid visual gags. In other radio versions, the ducks are included, but not named.

The original film was set around Christmas and New Years, with several reference to the holidays and a huge New Year’s Eve party scene. Lucille Ball’s 1951 radio version of the script omits any references to the holidays.

The Lucy character worked at a department store in “Lucy Bags a Bargain” (TLS S4;E17) on January 17, 1966. In the original film, Polly works in the toy department, but this adaptation doesn’t mention her position at Merlin and Son.

Lucille Ball had done five films with the original Bachelor Mother Ginger Rogers, all of them before Rogers played Polly Parish for RKO. Ball and Rogers finally reunited on a 1971 episode of “Here’s Lucy” with Rogers playing herself.

An October 1976 episode of “Laverne and Shirley” is titled “Bachelor Mothers” and has the girls looking after a baby. Laverne and Shirley were often compared to Lucy and Ethel on “I Love Lucy.”

#Bachelor Mother #Lucille Ball #Screen Guild Players #Screen Guild Theater #Joseph Cotten #Charles Coburn #radio #1949 #Camel Cigarettes #Ginger Rogers

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fucking-trashmouth-blog · 6 years

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Let’s talk about...Wentworth Tozier.

The subject of Richie’s parents is one I’ve been wanting to tackle for a while since I feel like they’re pretty widely misinterpreted. I’m going to start off with Wentworth Tozier, Richie’s dad. (I’ll be talking about Maggie Tozier, Richie’s mom, at some point in another post.) Wentworth is actually one of my favorite characters to appear in the novel in spite of the fact that he only really appears in one chapter. I have a lot of personal headcanons for him which I would love to write up and share with the world someday, and frankly I’ve thought about RPing him, but right now I’m just going to talk about what we see of him in the canon.

But first, let’s get into what I feel a lot of people get wrong about him. Then fandom has a tendency to A: Turn him into a nice and loving parent, or B: Turn him into a literal ogre who beats his son and/or headcanon children and sends them to school with bruises. The latter is more prevalent in the RP community and the former appears more in the fandom in general, and both are 100% not how Wentworth is shown to be in the novel, which is the only source of canon in which he actually makes an appearance.

First off, Wentworth is definitely an asshole to Richie. (It stands to reason he’s probably an asshole to other people too, but we don’t have any examples of him interacting with anyone but Richie, and Maggie to a small degree). I fully respect that people can interpret the same canon differently (That’s one of the things that makes RP so interesting) but I just don’t see that there’s much room to dispute the nature of Wentworth’s character. However, in spite of the fact that he is so obviously horrible to Richie, a lot of people seem to come away with the impression that he’s a good parent/person. I really, really do not understand how this happens, and honestly it’s kind of frustrating to me to see people talking about what a swell guy he is and failing to recognize his abuse of Richie. So I’m just going to break down why Wentworth is definitely not a swell guy real quick by taking a look at what would appear to be a typical morning at the Tozier family breakfast table.

Exhibit #1 of Wentworth Definitely Not Being A Swell Guy

Wentworth repeatedly degrades his son by insulting his interests and calling him stupid.

Exhibit #2 of Wentworth Definitely Not Being A Swell Guy

Wentworth takes advantage of his son by essentially tricking him into agreeing to do more work than he necessarily wanted to do and then proceeds to rip him off by offering to pay him less money for that work than what he paid a couple of kids that weren’t even his own. (And continues to degrade him by calling him stupid/criticizing his interests)

Exhibit #3 of Wentworth Definitely Not Being A Swell Guy

Wentworth’s smug and seemingly apathetic behaviors towards/treatment of his son. He’s now holding Richie’s trip to the movies hostage until Richie agrees to do more chores than he originally wanted to do for less money than he pays somebody else’s kids on a regular basis for doing that same job - to top it off, he’s repeatedly degraded Richie, and appears to be enjoying it. Furthermore - ‘a predatory shark’? Need I say more? Does that look like the kind of description that would be given to a parent who loves their kid?

So hopefully you’re wondering (I know I do) how the flip someone can look at all that and come away thinking Wentworth is a great parent. Honestly, I feel like a lot of people probably get off when they see the bits in the novel talking about how Richie feels about his parents. Richie is shown to love his parents and doesn’t appear to think there’s anything wrong with how his father treats him...

...but at the end of the day, Richie is just a child. His father’s treatment of him causes him to become uncomfortable (Definitely not something you should be making your 11-year-old feel, especially not on purpose) at multiple points during their conversation...

...but Richie doesn’t ever stop to think ‘hey, maybe that shouldn’t be happening, maybe my dad shouldn’t be doing that to me’, because he’s just a kid. And like most kids, he loves his parents and believes he is supposed to love his parents, and that his parents are going to love and take care of him. He’s not going to stop to consider that maybe his father is deliberately mistreating him, especially not at age 11 - and especially because Wentworth’s mistreatment of Richie is subtle (Too subtle for most children Richie’s age to pick up on, but not so subtle where it doesn’t have major repercussions on him - I could go on for hours about how Wentworth’s treatment of Richie negatively impacts him as a person, but that’s really beside the point of this post, so I’ll save it for another time) and intermingled with what could be perceived, especially by a kid who assumes that his parents have his best interests heart, as harmless banter. Richie is, in short, an unreliable narrator when it comes to his parents - which, when you get down to it, is pretty God damn common for sufferers of abuse.

Getting back to Wentworth - it’s made clear to us, or should be clear to us even in the span of a single chapter that he’s meant to treat his son horribly, and that he practices a very particular and damaging type of psychological abuse on him. That being said, for the love of God, please don’t confuse the type of abuse going on here. There is nothing in the couple of scenes Richie’s parents are shown in to suggest that they would be physically abusive towards Richie - but more importantly, Richie never reflects on suffering any physical abuse at the hands of his parents, which puts him at an obvious contrast with how, say Beverly, is shown to reflect on her father, who is physically abusive towards her.

If Richie was intended to be suffering physical abuse from his parents (I’m not saying it’s impossible to reason them giving him the occasional slap on the wrist if he does something they don’t like, I’m talking about serious, recurring physical abuse, like the kind Beverly’s dad or Henry’s dad are shown to inflict on their children, and other people’s children in the case of Butch) he absolutely would reflect on it at some point. Even if he was totally excusing his parents’ behavior or didn’t see anything especially wrong with it, he would still reflect on it. All of the other characters in the novel who are implied to be suffering physical abuse - such as Beverly - do, and Richie has just as much if not more POV than some of those characters. (Also, I’m not suggesting that one kind of abuse is worse than another - just that physical and psychological abuse are very different and that you shouldn’t senselessly blur the line between them when there is indication of one and no indication whatsoever of the other.)

Now, I understand if you’re running strictly with the canon of the movie that Richie’s dad is essentially a blank page. (We don’t even know for a fact that he’s named Wentworth.) That being said, we know that more than not of the kids had their book relationships with their parents adapted basically as they appear on the page. (With the exception of Mike, who was given a completely different backstory and whose character was changed dramatically, so I wouldn’t really factor him into the equation, Ben, whose relationship with his mother and presumably deceased father is not touched on in the movie, and Stan, whose relationship with his father was changed to be more negative, but we easily get the least on Stan’s parents of any of the Losers’ parents in the novel anyway.) Point being, if Bill’s relationship with his parents, Beverly’s relationship with her dad, Eddie’s relationship with his mom, and Henry’s relationship with his dad were all adapted in a manner very similar to how they appear in the book, it stands to reason that the same was probably intended for Richie and Ben (Both of whom are depicted in the movie very similarly to how they are depicted in the book) and their parents.

That being said, I’m not out to condemn people who don’t run with Richie’s parents being exactly like they are in the book - ultimately, we don’t see his parents in the movie, so you do have some freedom to choose. But how they appear in the book is definitely something that should be carefully considered, especially seeing as how Richie’s character’s is depicted so similarly in the movie and book, and we know his parents must have played a large role in making him the way he is. (In short, it’s not very plausible that you would get basically the same Richie in the movie as in the book if you gave him totally different parents, or a totally different relationship with/perspective on those parents.)

Also, Finn Wolfhard has stated that Richie’s father is a dentist (Wentworth is a dentist in the novel) meaning that the movie is at least to some degree acknowledging the canon of the book regarding Richie’s parents. Richie also never makes any negative statements about his parents in the movie, which implies his feelings on them could easily be similar to what they are in the book. Neither his father nor mother accompany him to Stanley’s Bar Mitzvah (The woman sitting next to Richie who a lot of people assume is his mom is actually Stanley’s mom) which implies a neglectful approach to parenting similar to what’s shown from them in the book. Point being, even though we never actually see them, there’s a lot of evidence to support Richie’s parents being at least similar to how they are portrayed in the book. That doesn’t mean you can’t do something different with them (You have that right, you’d have that right even if you were writing exclusively from the book - you always have the right to deviate from canon where you want, that’s the beauty of RP) but for the love of God, please at least consider what’s written in the book, especially since it’s the only source of canon we even really have for Richie’s parents, before doing anything drastic.

Again, Richie in the movie is portrayed very similarly to how he is portrayed in the book - obviously, he’s going to be like that for reasons largely to do with his upbringing and life experiences, and his parents are inevitably going to be a huge part of that. All parents play a dramatic role in shaping their children, especially parents with behaviors as particular as Richie’s are shown to have - you can’t even begin to logically reason him being the kid he is in the movie if you give him parents that don’t at least behave similarly to the way his parents behave in the book, because he is so alike in both, and we know they must have had a lot to do with making him the way he is. Please, please consider that before you turn Wentworth into a good and loving father or a literal ogre slinging punches at his son, whether or not you decide to run with exactly what’s on the page.

Anyhoo, thanks for reading! Hopefully you found this post to be informative. Like I said, I’ll be making one about Maggie sometime in the near future, so stay tuned for that if you enjoyed this one!

#｜beep͵ beep͵ richie! / ooc｜

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jade4813 · 6 years

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It can be in general if you want. Just curious.

Okay, well…

Flash is one of my favorite shows, so I obviously have a lot of love for the show, the characters, and most of what they’ve done. That said. I have…problems, too.

As the main character, I do think Barry has been treated with the most care and consideration. Which makes sense. I do think they tend to go a bit overboard in making Barry responsible/making Barry feel responsible/making others hold Barry responsible for things that aren’t necessarily his to carry. It’s a pretty common thing superhero shows do, though. I can’t think of one of the top of my head that hasn’t overdone it a bit with the hero blame game. Some have even been worse. But outside of that, while I’ve not always loved what they’ve done to Barry…they generally do get him involved in every story, they think about how events impact him, and they try to flesh out both sides of his role - both the Barry Allen/personal life side and the Flash/heroic side.

Iris West is…in many ways…well written and one of the better fleshed out characters. I’ll admit that I think that’s in part because of the backstory they’ve given Barry and her, more than I think it would necessarily be true under other circumstances. That is to say, we obviously get the most background and attention to Barry’s story. Part of Barry’s story is his relationship with Iris from when they were kids and his resulting relationship with Joe. Therefore, we get to see more of Iris and Joe, we get to hear more about her life growing up, we get to know a bit more of her background. If she had been a stranger introduced to Barry in the Pilot and with no connection to him and his story until that point, would we have as much background on her and would she be as developed as she is? Well, I look at Caitlin and I think…probably not.

Which is a problem, in that all characters should be well developed, whether or not they come in with a connection to the hero or are strangers. But where I think the show has always fallen down the most is in its treatment of women.

Look at Caitlin. It took two seasons to find out her dad was dead and three to find out about her mom and get any background there. Even the actress said she didn’t know her background for a couple of years. The background we got in Season 1 for her character was her relationship to Ronnie, and that was so the audience would care about Ronnie when he was introduced and would be invested in his relationship with Caitlin, at least, from the jump.

The show has consistently invested in father/son relationships - Barry/Joe, Barry/Henry, Barry/Wells, Cisco/Wells, Cisco/Harry (to a lesser degree), even to an extent Wally/Joe. But the hashtag #doyouhaveadaughterJoe didn’t come from nowhere. They HAVE done better with that as the years have gone by (though 2A was still problematic, since everyone talked ABOUT Iris instead of TO her). But the fact they acknowledged they were aware of the hashtag makes me wonder if they would have improved in that area if they hadn’t been called on it.

And, to be frank, they’ve never had that kind of exploration of dynamic for Caitlin. They KIND OF implied a mild father/daughter dynamic in season 1. And her line about “if he is who you say he is, the past year of my life has been a lie.” But notice when the revelation of Reverse Flash’s identity was made, Cisco got his own moment of confrontation and catharsis. He got to confront the man who had lied to him and come to terms with all that meant. But Caitlin never did. After they established that the truth would make her ENTIRE LIFE for an ENTIRE YEAR a lie.

So that’s not great. Nor is it great that they took four years to think MAYBE the show could use some sort of relationship between the women on it. And now it only comes on the heels of one trying to kill the other. Four years to realize you have two women on the show and they should maybe talk on occasion? Badly done.

In terms of relationships, they tend to think about the women on the show in terms of their romantic ties. Other things come more secondary to them than they should. Caitlin’s story in season 1 was primarily about Ronnie - tying him emotionally to the narrative - and being a sounding board for Barry in his feelings about Iris. Season 2, they used her as another emotional tie to Jay, explaining his continued wet blanket presence and why we should care - and, eventually, why we should care he was the big bad. (He wasn’t nearly as close to Barry or Cisco as to Caitlin at that point, let’s be honest.) Just look at how the season ended. He kidnapped her because he loved her so much and threatened to kill everyone if she left him and then just…let her go. It was a hot, nonsensical mess, and it wasn’t a great focus for Caitlin’s story.

Season 3, she was tied - once again - to Julian. Once again to really provide the tie for him to be on the team, because does it really make sense that Barry would care that much either way? They were hardly friends. And to do it, they had Julian conveniently ignore that she’d tried to kill him the first time she met him. Yes, it was Killer Frost, but the show last season didn’t bother to explore how much the two were the same and how much the were different. And even if it had, it wasn’t for Julian. If you had someone try to kill you and then their identical twin came up and played nice, would you be so quick to mentally distinguish the two? Or would you just peace the hell out on that?

Then she became Killer Frost, which SHOULD have been a great story arc for her. It had all the potential to be. But even Panabaker said lately at a con that she’d asked NUMEROUS times why Frost would want to kill Iris and she’d never been given an answer. Which tells me they never bothered to think of one. And THAT is a problem. The constant writing for Caitlin without bothering to think it through, without bothering to think of motivations, without bothering to address the impact on her…it’s a big problem for me.

Her connection with Julian ended up being implied - if not explained - that they wanted these two men (Julian and Cisco) to fight for Caitlin. Or her soul. Or something. Which again made her the object. And, again, wouldn’t have been that big of a deal if they put her and her motivations more in the driver’s seat of her story.

Bringing this back to Iris. They’ve again done somewhat better in some ways as regards her character, but let’s be honest…their consideration for women has been one of their weakest areas across the board. Are the recent allegations THAT surprising, given how much they apparently think about women from what you can discern on screen?

Iris had a…decent reporting arc in the first season. It could have been better. All things considered, though, it could have also been worse. It could have been totally ignored. As it has been lately.

In this respect, Caitlin has been treated better. Though, like my point above about the treatment of backstory and family, this is likely her version of getting the better end of the stick because the very structure of the narrative allows her to be. She works at STAR Labs. Most of the exposition and problem solving happens at STAR Labs. Therefore, we see her at her work place more often as a matter of course. If she had a different job, would we see her doing it very often? I’d venture to say…about as much as we’ve seen Iris at hers.

Because the focus on Caitlin at work is more a matter of convenience for the writers, not an extension of wanting to give this character more focus and attention and fleshing out. They aren’t showing Caitlin at work because they want to establish Caitlin at her job and how her work impacts her. They’re showing Caitlin at work because SOMEONE has to explain to the audience what the science circles mean, we spent a lot of money on this set, damn it, and she works here so she can take part in explaining it. Notice in season 2, when Caitlin was kidnapped by Zoom, they had Jesse step in and take her place and everyone just seemed…okay with that. (Well, maybe Cisco didn’t.)

It isn’t about the character. And it doesn’t have to be all the time, but it should be more than it is.

Iris’s role as reporter has been reduced to the point where even Patton doesn’t know when it’ll come into play again. And, again, this isn’t an extension of the writers pondering her growth and deciding to move her into another profession. In their minds, she’s probably still a reporter. Given the future headline, at least, she will be in the future if she isn’t now. They certainly haven’t addressed it on screen or had Iris make a decision about her career. As much as I LOVE her taking charge at the lab and I think it makes a lot of sense why she would - and I love seeing her with the agency she’s been given - I’m also frustrated that it is in its own way a measure of convenience. They should at least address the journalism thing. They should even still use it in the narrative on occasion. it’s just…more convenient not to.

And it’s a problem for me that - much as I love Westallen - they’ve ignored the biggest aspect of her life that was separate from her relationship with Barry. And, as I said…I won’t say that Iris (or even Caitlin) is “just a love interest” but I will say that the writers perceive their stories from the love interest angle more than they should. What I mean by that is…again, look at season 3. For both women. Iris found out she was going to die, and after a few minutes of being allowed to grieve, the narrative shifted back to Barry as actor and, to more of an extent than it should have done, Iris as object. Iris supported him and encouraged him and gave faith in him, but the focus on the story about HER death wasn’t about HER dealing with it. It was on Barry and how he would be destroyed if she died.

For Caitlin, she became Killer Frost but the focus wasn’t on who Killer Frost was or why she automatically went evil when nobody else did or whether Frosty and she were the same person or if they were two entirely different personalities or why Frosty would make the choices she did. She made the choices she did for “reasons.” That was literally the explanation in the narrative. “I have my reasons.” But she apparently didn’t because even Panabaker was never given them.

No, the focus even there was on Cisco and Julian and how they wanted to fight to bring Caitlin back and help her and get through to her. Their faith that she could be saved. Cisco’s backstory with her and his grief for and loss of his friend. (I do love her friendship with Cisco and think that’s been one of the best developed areas for her character.)

So. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaall of that is pretty problematic. That said, I don’t want to make it seem like everything they’ve done with Iris - or with Caitlin - has been trash. Iris is still one of my favorite characters for a reason. I love that all the women on the show have been smart. (At least on paper; I’m still giving some serious side eye to them writing Patty like she was a tween. But she had degrees, so I’ll allow she was supposed to be smart.) Iris is the heart of the show, for me, and that’s not just because of her romance with Barry. I love how she’s caring and compassionate and how she’s take-charge and fearless.

But I also have my criticisms - criticisms that fall on the writing for the women far more than they do the men, I think.

Which isn’t to say that their writing for the men outside of Barry has been absolutely above reproach. But compare the writing for Caitlin, for example, for Cisco. Just look at the way they handled her meta arc compared to his. While I had HUGE problems with the arc they gave him, they did explain why he was afraid his powers would turn him evil. They were given to him by the Reverse Flash. He struggled with how to deal with them and develop them, even if they’ve been a little loose at times with defining what he could and couldn’t do. And even though Cisco on Earth 2 was also evil, when Cisco said he was afraid he would also be evil, everyone’s response was “that’s not necessarily true! We won’t let that happen! You’re a good guy!” Whereas with Caitlin, that wasn’t even a discussion. It was just “Well…yeah. Obviously, you’ll go bad if you become Killer Frost. We should nip that in the bud right now.” And not because the show gave any particular reason WHY she would automatically go bad. But because…they just didn’t care to address it either way, to give a reason why she would automatically go bad or think she would automatically go bad or why everyone else would think she would automatically go bad.

See what I mean about the difference?

Cisco was underutilized in the first season, until his death scene. At that point, the show runners seemed to realize how much more he could do and they started giving him more. At which point, they did focus more on developing his friendship with Barry (in a way they have never bothered to do with Caitlin. Sorry, but Caitlin and Barry aren’t best friends. Caitlin has always been closest to Cisco. Barry has always been closest to Iris and then Cisco. Do I think they want to keep the two apart for shipping reasons, as other shippers have alleged? Hardly. I just think the level they think about and focus on the characters tends to put the men and their relationships first and the women and their relationships second.)

Interestingly for Cisco, while the women seemed to be thought of through the lens of their romantic prospects and relationships, Cisco was almost overlooked in terms of love. That was the area they thought about him the least. Don’t even get me started on how crappy I found the “arc” of his relationship with Golden Glider. His relationship with Kendra was used in a very Caitlin-esque way - it was the means by which she was introduced to the story. It was the means by which they tried to get the audience to invest in her character before they moved her off to LoT.

They’ve done somewhat better with his relationship with Cynthia, in that they seem to be considering it more in terms of an actual romance for him and how it impacts both his character and hers. But it is odd how much it seems to have been swapped.

So their treatment of Cisco has bit a bit hit-and-miss, but a bit more hit than miss. They’ve given his character more consideration in terms of how things would impact his character. They let Wells’s betrayal impact him and showed how that lingered and stayed with him. They showed an arc of him coming to terms with his powers and learning to use them. They showed an arc of him coming to terms with being a hero. Flashpoint was a bit iffy. I think both Barry’s and Cisco’s actions and motivations made PERFECT SENSE for their respective characters. It would be convenient if grief were always rational, but it basically never is and that’s part of what makes it suck. But their wrap-up was a bit “meh” and then they dropped it like it never happened. From about mid-season last year to the present, Cisco might have never had a brother.

As for Wells…he’s been…a hot mess. Look. I loved him the first season. He was complex and interesting. The second season, he was…all right. I mean, I hated a lot of the stuff with Jesse. But he was…okay. The third season, they were clearly just trying to find something to do with him. And this season, they seem to be grasping at straws. I get that they like the actor, but they either need to sit down and think of an actual role for him or they need to do something else with him (move him to another show or let him go). Because the Council of Wells was ridiculous.

So I guess that’s what I think of the treatment of characters so far. There are some things I think they’ve done really, really well. But there are areas where…yeah, I think there have been problems.

I’m curious to know what happens now with AJK removed from the show. How much of the flaws were because there was someone in charge who - by all accounts - thought of women in a certain way that very clearly showed? (If it comes out that he was behind the measurements stuff in the last episode, I would not be surprised. In fact, I almost hope that’s the case. If it isn’t, whoever DID come up with that needs to be booted from the show. Immediately.) Not even necessarily in a way that was overtly sexist, but always putting their focus primarily on the men and to a much lesser extent to the women as characters.

Make sense?

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meditatemoremedicateless · 7 years

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The Raven (Before the Storm Theorycraft)

Credit to @geekremix for many of her theories of the original Life is Strange, as well as the Geek Remix Lets Plays I’ve been using as my source material for most of my research of the original game.

Since the release of the first trailers for Life is Strange: Before the Storm, the Raven has been a seemingly omnipresent figure. In the opening of many scenes in the game, including almost every scene with Rachel, the setting is shown, followed by the Raven’s entrance or presence in the scene before the player assumes control. It, for all intents and purposes, appears that Chloe is being followed by a bird. But why?

The symbolisms associated with ravens are varied, but both essential properties of ravens as well as myth specifically included or referenced in the game seems like a fair place to look. With that in mind:

- As carrion birds, ravens frequently represent coming death. They are highly intelligent creatures known to follow large groups of humans, such as caravans or military battalions, in expectation of death (and therefore food).

- As referenced in the placard next to the totem, ravens often stand in as trickster spirits or symbols of transformation.

- In many mythos, ravens act as godly messengers, likely due both to their intelligent and ability to mimic language.

Now, the Raven could be understood as a mere symbol of death, transformation, or a divine message if they did not interact with the cast of their own accord. For instance, the blue jay in Life is Strange may have interacted with Max, but it didn’t demonstrate any awareness of her or anyone else, and doesn’t try to engage with her beyond responding to her actions (such as shooing it in episode 3). However, the Raven is heavily implied to be the source of Chloe’s vision in the junk yard, in which she discovers Rachel’s location and is told that “Sometimes, people need you, though. Even when they don’t admit it.” The way that the vision fragments visually, with William seeming to be more illusion than person, and with the Raven appearing every time the vision fragments.

Because the information that the Raven provided was accurate, I think there are a few safe possible interpretations.

- The Raven may be a familiar/spirit animal (I detest Life is Strange’s use of spirit animals, so I’ll be replacing them with familiars for the rest of the post) belonging to Chloe, guiding her according to her own intentions. They watch over her, only interfering to help her accomplish things she wants (repairing things with Rachel) and help others (keeping Rachel safe). This would fulfill the ‘messenger of the gods’ role.

- The Raven may be a guardian spirit for Rachel. I say this simply because of how often the Raven’s appearance is associated with Rachel’s, most notably at the Fire Walk event and the park hill between Arcadia and Culmination. Additionally, the Raven only actually interfered in a way that helped Rachel, both emotionally and in terms of safety (it showed Chloe a vision of Rachel burning, after all, and if she becomes injured she’ll likely require Chloe’s help to get out of the forest). In addition, Max’s special connection to animals in Arcadia Bay appeared at the same time that she developed her powers, meaning the Raven may be connected to Rachel’s relationship to the wind.

- The Raven may be a puppet of the woman who kissed Rachel’s dad / watched the fire, hereafter referred to simply as The Woman. Because the Woman’s appearances are both directly related to the destruction of Rachel’s life, and because she takes so much pleasure in watching the fire begin (without any apparent excitement or agitation, suggesting she knew it would happen), it’s possible that the woman may be using the Raven to spy on and manipulate Rachel and Chloe in order to cause a sequence of events. More on this in another paper.

- The Raven may literally be a person. Hearkening back to old theories of a shapeshifting Mark Jefferson, the concept of shamanism or animal shapeshifting in Arcadia Bay has always been a stretch, but a reasonable one. If that is the case, my assumption is that the Raven would be someone with a way to access both knowledge of the future as well as being able to gain a psychic connection to others. The most obvious way that this might be possible is if they have some bond with Arcadia Bay itself – however, whether this person wants to protect the people in the bay or to destroy them so far remains a mystery.

Now, I have one last theory, and it is a theory that relies on other theories, and also my actual theory. Stick with me as I catch you up on my accepted theories regarding animals following episode 5 of Life is Strange.

- Both because the butterfly is present for Max gaining powers as well as Chloe’s funeral, I believe that the butterfly is Chloe Price. I follow an interpretation of the Sacrifice Chloe ending of the game that the ultimate justification for Max’s powers was to give Max some of the time with Chloe that was stolen from her upon Chloe’s death. In so doing, Max was able to realize her feelings for Chloe as well as recognize that Chloe could forgive her – in effect, Chloe granted Max her powers so she could make her know how she felt about her, to forgive her, and to give Max a chance at making new connections with people (all the people she got to know in the week she erased).

- It is heavily implied that the doe in episodes 1-4 is Rachel, guiding Max through her journey so that her body might be discovered and she could gain closure. Because Max is the only one capable of seeing her, it seems clear that Max is capable of seeing a version of Arcadia Bay that other people can’t – a spiritual plane lain over the same landscape. Considering the way in which her reality literally fragments in the Nightmare, it appears that people may exist simultaneously on an embodied and spiritual plane.

If we are to believe that certain animals within Life is Strange are the spirits of people, there is no reason to assume that familiars actually exist in Arcadia Bay. Rather, the Raven is the manifested spirit of someone who needs to resolve something. While William is certainly one possibility, and one of the only relevant dead characters at this point, I simply can’t imagine William becoming a raven after his death – transformation, death, and trickery all don’t line up with anything we know about him. However, someone who was interested in creating death and tricking Chloe would appropriately come in the form of a raven. Currently, the game still seems to be hinting a lot about the storm, so the coming death that the Raven is trying to bring may in fact be the storm. Except, who would gain anything by bringing the storm?

My proposition? A Prescott. Of course. I always come back to the Prescotts, don’t I?

Here's my reasoning. Firstly, the wildfire that Chloe and Rachel cause starts up to the north of Arcadia Bay, between it and Culmination. From what we know of Pan Estates, it is built very near there, and its construction doesn’t seem to have started yet. As such, the Prescotts may acquire the land that is to become Pan Estates after the wild fire deforests the land. Secondly, we know from at least one angle that the Prescotts could potentially benefit by bringing the storm to the Bay: in Episode 4 of Life is Strange, Max and Chloe discover that the Prescott family is responsible for a huge bunker boom in Arcadia Bay during the cold war. This exchange occurs in mandatory dialogue, so it must be significant, but there was never any follow-up in Life is Strange – to the contrary, the bunker beneath the Prescott barn was suggested to have been created with little knowledge or input by Sean. However, if Pan Estates were built significantly inland, and it either was built with bunkers or a large number of people in Arcadia Bay simply have bunkers under their homes, then Pan Estates becomes the obvious choice of real estate once people are forced to relocate during the reconstruction of Arcadia Bay. Lastly, in episode 4 of Life is Strange, if Kate was saved and Max brings up Nathan, Kate remarks that the Prescotts “have something to do with death.” While Nathan may have killed Rachel, there’s no real reason for Kate to generalize this concept. However, if the Prescotts actually have a spiritual connection to ravens, a symbol of death, and this Raven is capable of entering people’s dreams, it is possible that Kate encountered the Raven at some point (most likely when drugged by Jefferson).

So, let’s say I’ve gotten lucky and yeah, it’s a Prescott. Although in my own works I’ve usually pointed the Nathan’s mother as a source of a lot of the potential Prescott weirdness, she isn’t dead in Life is Strange – Sean clearly remarks about his and his wife’s feelings about Nathan’s deteriorating mental state in a letter than Max can read in the Bunker / Dark Room. Kristine, too, is alive as of Life is Strange. So what other Prescotts do we know? While I’m hesitant to suggest it, Henry Aaron Prescott seems like one of the easiest people to point to – with a supernatural view of both the spiritual plane of Arcadia Bay as well as the ability to see the future, the Prescotts’ acquisition of so much of the land and power seems trivial. However, it could just as easily be any other Prescott who has died, Henry is just the only one we know the name of.

Now, while this theory leaves Life is Strange extremely consistent in its supernatural logic, it is precisely because of that that I doubt it. At least under DONTNOD, the mystical elements of Arcadia Bay, including Max’s powers, were never consistent. Even if Max is considered to have say, four different powers instead of the expected two, parts of her powers don’t make much sense, such as her flash forward in the opening sequence of the game. Ultimately, I expect that the Raven will be a familiar to someone implicitly, and we’ll never get anything more explicit than the vision that they appeared in. That being said, there’s already a lot of material to work with on the Raven, so I think this is a good place to start.

Let me know if you have any more ideas about the Raven or animal spirits in Arcadia Bay!

#life is strange #before the storm #life is strange meta #life is strange theories #before the storm meta #before the storm theories #before the storm spoilers #geek remix

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