I haven't done one of these in a while, so I thought I'd do one now. WTH: Mystery Skulls Ghost: Lewis
Okay, so if you don't know what this is, Ghost is an animated music video created by Mystery Ben for the group Mystery Skulls. I'm not going to go into a summary, because most of you have already seen it, but if you haven't seen Ghost, and it's sequel Freaking out, then go look them up on YouTube.
Alright, you did that? Good.
So, as the title says, this is just a little thing I noticed about Lewis.
So, obviously, when we first meet Lewis he's this boss awesome ghost with cool flame powers, ghost minions, and a desire to kill Arthur.
It's only later that we get a look at his original human form, and I noticed something interesting.
In classic anime/animation form you don't get to see his eyes at all the first time, but, interestingly, every time after that when you get to see his eyes, you only ever see one. And it's always on the same side.
I just find it interesting that Mystery Ben only ever draws Lewis' right eye, and part of me wonders if there's a sort of in cannon reason for it. After all, in Lewis' foster parents description it says they found him injured when he was a child and adopted him, maybe there's something wrong with his left eye.
Also, before anyone points out that ghost Lewis technically has two eyes, I would like to point out that 1) He's a ghost, and 2) Ghost Lewis' human form is never shown with both eyes.
On a contradictory note he is shown crying from his unseen left eye, so make of that what you will.
Like the title says, this doesn't really have much to do with cartoons. This is a straight up rant because there are a few things about fanfictions, fan stories about whatever the series, mainly things the writers do that are, always have, and always will piss me off. Don't get me wrong, I actually like Fanfiction; it's interesting to see people's writing styles, ideas, and takes on the characters. It's just there are several things writers do, repeatedly, in such works that make me want to go freaking kill them. So without further ado...
Dear Fanfiction writers, YOU'RE PISSING ME OFF!
1) Stop with the freaking surprise angst at the end!
Look, I get that people like angst. I hate it, but that doesn't mean other people do, but seriously, if your story is ending all happy and it was going all one way the entire story, do not suddenly throw in some angst at the end. The surprise is not funny, it's not good writing, and it doesn't make me want to read more of your work, especially if your're only thinking of writing sequels. It's one thing to have a surprise reveal, like that whatever character was a bad-guy the whole time, or something reasonable. It's entirely another for a bad-guy character, one you already want to kill for existing, to suddenly kidnap one of the good-guy's kids to raise as their own, and the good-guys have no idea, and the kid, who was only introduced for this puropse, will end up killing or hurting their family when they grow up, and then there only might be a sequel story.
This is straight up useless angst, it is not a cool twist, and it makes half the people reading it want to kill you. If you already had a good ending going, don't try to go for shock and awe!!!!! It will not work, and it makes you seem like a crap writer. If you want to allude to a sequel, or angst is a must, either lead up to it better, or place it in the beginning of the sequel, leave the original story alone. Doing this will ultimately make the original better, and any sequels much more stable. Otherwise makes readers want to kill you. I actually read a story recently where the above happened, and needless to say any appreciation i had for the story/writer is now gone and I WILL NOT read the sequel story if there ever is one.
Summary: Save surprise angst for the begining of the sequel, leave the origional alone, it in no way makes you a better writer, it just pisses off your readers.
2) No surprise monster endings!
And by that i mean no magical fix-it all endings.
I run into this more often than i care to. There are actually writers I straight up avoid because they do this. Someone once wrote that it was impossible to write 52 bad short-stories in a row. I call BULL! because I can straight up give you a writer that has, and it was all because of this. Surprise magical fix-it all endings are something all good writers HATE with a fiery passion. These endings are freaking lazy writing in action. The story involving it usually involves some angsty themes, or several deaths, or something, and then, suddenly, at the end all the bad-guys from the real series appologise want to be friends with the good guys, and fight the ultimate-evil/final-boss/big-monster, and all the dead come back to life, and all the relationship issues between the characters are resolved, and a magic portal opens for them to go to a safe place, etcetera etcetera, so on, and so forth.
This is bad writing, this is lazy writing, and should be avoided at all costs. A fun idea is no excuse for sucky writing practices. If you are about to do this, just don't. Before you even start writing, go through your story, make sure it's viable, work through everything, and try to write an actual ending, or at least do better build up.
3) THINK/TALK YOU IDIOT!
Look, I can't tell you how many times I've read a story where something bad happens, (example: someone's parents/friends are killed by the bad-guys) and one character suddenly becomes a revenge fulled maniac, becomes completely off character, and tries to kill one of their friends/the good guys for it. they never ask questions, they never try to talk through it, they just decide that the only thing to do is become a murderer and go after the good-guys/their friends. What? Or, using a less drastic version, the character overhears something out of context and makes this completely far-fetched assumption based off absolutely no facts and then goes off to do something stupid without taking to anyone. Or, someone gets this idea to go do something like, i don't know, protects them from something, and decide that instead of telling the other they will push them away.
BULL! BULL!!BULL!!! THAT PISSES ME OFF MORE THAN ANYTHING! Especially that last one! this partially ties in to my hatred of angst, but also because it's an absolutely idiotic way of writing! Real people talk to each other, or at least others. The above things are a prime example of a useless drama cop out. Seriously, all they do is suspend the drama, which only works for soap-operas people! and reveals that the writers have no idea how to keep the action going properly.
This doesn't even happen only in fanfiction, this is done by real writers too! Prime example? J.K.Rowling. Does anyone else realize that if Dumbledore had just straight up said that "hey harry, there are these things called horcruxes keeping voldemort alive, and, surprise! you're one too. And oh, also I suspect Sirius Black might be innocent and Wormtail betrayed your parents. And hey, you know how you think you're Dad is all great? Yeah, he was a bully and a jerk and always treated Snape like a freak, and stole your mother from him, and didn't die a hero, he was an idiot who left his wand lying around while a dark wizard was hunting him, and treated his secret keeper(wormtail) like crap. And really the only reason Voldemort even went after them was because he flipped a coin and said, 'I think the Potters might be more dangerous than the Longbottems today' So yeah, got all that?"
DO you realize how much could have been avoided! A whole lot of deaths, that's for sure!
Seriously people, if you cant move the action along without stupid amounts of characters going off book, or needless misscomunication, then you really need to go over your story again.
These are not victimless crimes, US, the READERS, have to put up with this crap. SO STOP! ACTUALLY GO THROUGH YOUR WRITING!
Thank you.
Well, that's all I got for now, but don't worry, I'm sure I will come back to this topic before to long.
Thanks for reading. =D
Okay, so this is a little random, and wont really be understood unless one indulges in the transformers fandom, but here it is any way.
So, for some reason I don't comprehend, I've noticed the transformers fandom has come up with some pretty wide spread... I really don't know what to call them, tropes maybe? that are generally accepted by the fandom at large to be fact.
Such things as Ratchet throwing wrenches at people...
Why use a Wrench when you could just do this?
Totally False by the way.
Or that Prowl's battle computer is some sort of big deal, when it's only ever mentioned once...
And it's never mentioned again...
But one of the bigger ones is that Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp are part of a thing called a Trine.
According to most this means that they are bonded on a sparklevel(usually), the relationship ranging from platonic brother stuff into some creepy areas, and involving a rather broad amount of cultural things among their frame type, and that they are generally inseparable and care deeply for each other.
That is all a complete load of slag...
For some odd reason most people believe that seekers, the starscream frame type, travel in threes because of this, and Trineing, the act of being in/forming a trine, is solely done by said seekers.
So many people think this is cannon, but seriously, it isn't.
First of all, the actual definition of Trine is as follows...
. Trine- A subgroup of three, such as the Insecticons.
Trinemate - Used by one member of a trine when referring to another member.
So the term really just another word for a small group with three members consisting of pretty much anyone, who consider themselves buddies.
See, this is technically a Trine of humans.
Second, despite what it may show in the G1 cartoon opening,
These guys don't care a flying flip about each other. Example? How about when Starscream throws the other two out an airlock to go die in space while he seizes power? No, seriously, after the battle for Autobot city in Transformers The Movie, Starscream literally asks them if they want to be thrown out into space, due to them being damaged in the fight
Then when they say No, he ignores them and throws them out anyway...
Yeah, really feeling the brotherly love there...
I mean sure, they don't really die, but they do get remodeled by the ultimate transformer evil and converted into practically mindless servants, but still, the only group these guys are in is the one where you can sell the exact same toy under a different coat of paint.
So, to recap, the whole elite Trine thing is Bull, and there is no cannon proof for it. I'm not saying I dislike the whole idea of it, after all there are some pretty cool stories out there that involve it, I'm just saying it is and always will be completely non-cannon.
I've noticed, not necessarily recently but I've definitely noticed before, that Disney has a thing for putting characters in drag, more specifically the sidekick characters...
Disney has a long history of drag, in fact the villain Ursula is heavily based of a drag queen
But far more often it is used as either disguise (for a main character), or as a distraction (for sidekicks). Drag, by definition is, to dress in clothing of the opposite sex for the sake of entertainment. This is done within Disney via traditional means, as well as shape-shifting, and is done by both good guys and villains for several different purposes. It is often comedic, but can actually drive the action as well as function as a plot device.
So, now you get the gist, and without further ado...
Disney in Drag: Top seven Disney Drag Queens.
Honorable Mentions:
Fidget
So I would like to give a shout out to one of the more underrated of the Disney films, The Great Mouse Detective, and the main villain sidekick, Fidget. Fidget is only an honorable mention because his Drag performance last for about a second, just long enough to really freak out Dr. Dawson and Basil, as well as several innocent children watching the film.
Pleakly
Now I will admit, Pleakley from Lilo and Stitch may need to switch places with number seven on this list, but the only reason he is down in Honorable mentions is because, while he tends to solely wear female clothing, that is mostly shown within the TV series, not the movie, and being an alien with an interesting body type he doesn't have many options to the contrary. If this was a Disney drag in TV list he would be very very high on the list.
Hugo
This is from Hunchback of Notre-Dame, one of Quasimodo's only friends, dressed as his love interest, for absolutely no reason what so ever...
No, seriously, this is not important to any part of the movie at all, it only facilitates people's ability to type in the words drag and Disney in the search window and pull up photos of this weirdness.
Yeah, anyway....
On to the List!
7.
Mr. Toad from Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
Remember where I said a main character will dress in drag to facilitate the plot?
Well in the Wind and the Willows the main character Mr. Toad is arrested for supposedly stealing a Motorcar. With everyone else believing him guilty he decides to turn over a new leaf.
That lasts about a minute before one of his only remaining friends gives him another idea; Dress as an old woman to break out of prison. This leads to a wild chase with trains and flying bullets, all while Toad is wearing a dress, a bonnet, and heels.
6.
Timon from The Lion King
As mentioned above.
Timon's incident with drag is possibly the most iconic in Disney lore, mostly because he shouts "What, you want me to dress in Drag and do the hula?!" as Simba tries to get him to play live bait. There's even a small song and dance number accompanying it, which can be viewed above. Despite this being so exceptionally iconic it is only sixth on the list because the actual event is not a very exceptional example of the character in drag.
But don't worry, it gets better...
5.
Kuzco from Emperor's New Groove
Yes, that is a lama, dressed in drag.
This is another example of a main character facilitating the plot by dressing in Drag. Kuzco is the emperor of the Inca empire, who was turned into a Llama, who is trying to get back to the palace so he can be returned to normal. Now why is he in drag? Because he's pretending to be his companion's wife so they can eat lunch. Yeah it's just as weird as it sounds.
4.
Robin Hood and Little John from Robin Hood
Now this is a interesting case, because, while main characters usually only use Drag for disguise, these two main characters are following the more sidekick reasons, distraction. Yep, Robin Hood and Little John intend to use all of their 'feminine wiles' to trick the villainous Prince John and his minions out of their gold. John even goes so far as to seduce one of the treasure guards with his rather... er... enhanced assets...
3.
Pain and Panic from Hercules
You might be wondering why the above picture is some off breed of My Little Pony, well how about this?
Yeah, this is why you should never pick up some random woman in a bar; this happens... kinda sorta...
The first use of shape-shifting for Drag, Pain and Panic, Hades henchmen, use this ability to draw away Hercules' partner, Pegasus, so their master can drain Herc's powers. In the process they traumatize both Pegasus, and most if not all young girls watching this scene.
And yet when I was younger I always hoped they'd make a toy of this...
2.
Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po from Mulan
You expected Mulan didn't you?
While Mulan is a convicted cross-dresser, since she is female she does not qualify for the title of Drag Queen.
That doesn't mean there aren't others from her movie that do qualify. Example: these three.
Soldiers who form a friendship with Mulan when they think she's a man named Ping, they quickly come to her aid when she alerts them to an imminent attack on the Emperor of China. So, for their equivalent of king and country, they trade in their man-cards for fans, sashes, and dresses, disguising themselves as some of the Emperor's concubines...
Yes, I said Concubines.
They seduce, then beat the crap out of the Huns guarding the Emperor, allowing Mulan to get in and save him. They spend the entire rest of their time on screen still dressed as concubines,
and they are Fabulous!
Honestly this entire movie is a study in cross-dressing, but saddly it didn't make top spot, that spot is reserved for...
1.
Genie from Aladdin
There is no possible way you can beat the Genie in the Drag Queen game, simply because he does it
All...
The..
Time!
And don't even get me started on all the sequels. Seriously, don't...
But the Genie is the absolute Queen of Drag, using his shape-shifting to great effect,
and the kicker...?
He does it for absolutely no reason but comedy!
Genie fulfills the entire definition of Drag Queen to its fullest, and all as he is making our sides split with laughter. I mean, who can forget in the Prince Ali number when Genie bursts out on a balcony and immediately begins to practically belly-dance?!
It sticks with you.
There's no doubt Genie takes top spot on this list.
This post is done in the spirit of the upcoming christmas season, and is honestly something that's concerned me for a long time...
Has anyone seen those multiple rip off sequels to frosty the snowman, the ones where the animation doesn't even attempt to match the origional or there is some completely conveluted story involved? Well one of them was called "Frosty Returns", and honestly was the second less irritating out of the bunch. Even if the animation was off, the songs were good.
It wasn't a direct sequel, it wasn't even produced by the same company, but it was alright. It focuses on a town where the adults hate snow, while the kids love it, and follows a lonely girl and her nerdy friend as they attempt, with the help of Frosty, to stop an evil business man from eliminating all the snow in town and taking it over. While it is obviously not the best, there was one character I really liked, the nerdy friend Charles...
Recognize him? This kid is totally the spawn of Charles m. Schultz's Charlie Brown and Marcie.
I'm dead serious, look at him! and this isn't even that implausible of a theory. In the Peanuts strip Marcie actually acknowledges that if Charlie Brown were to ask her to marry him, she would say yes.
Plus the Kids name IS Charles, as Charles Jr. maybe? not to mention those familiar glasses, outfit color choice, that the film itself was directed by the same guy who directed Charlie Brown Christmas, and, if you go by Marcie's first real appearance being in 1971, and this film takes place in 1992, that would put the two of them in their late 20's and in a ripe age to be married and have a kid already in elementary school. And I'm not even going to get started on the other children of the Peanuts characters.
Pig-pen's kid and Franklin's kid sit in the front. The blond either belongs to Sally or Schroder. The red head looks like Pepermint-Patty's kid, while the guy with glasses could belong to Violet. The Kid on the end is Lucy's.
I apologize for being absent for so long, I am a procrastinator by nature, anyway...
WTH: Aladdin, A.K.A. Oops, forgot you were dead
Ok, so does anyone else see this plot hole?
So Jasmine sneaks out, dresses like a beggar, and falls for a street rat while breaking the law.
After which she is returned to the palace and Aladdin is arrested. Not wanting to see the guy she likes, might possibly love, imprissoned for no reason she confronts Jafar to have him released.
Jafar tells her Aladdin is dead.
She believes him,
Here's where the plot hole comes in. After meeting Prince Ali, she begins to suspect he is Aladdin, and eventually confronts him, accuseing him of lying to her about being, well, himself.
See the hole yet?
Not once does Jasmine question the fact that he is alive, even when he confirms that he did meet her in the market place (dont even get me started on how flimsey that lie is).
Seriously Jasmine?
You spent a period in mourning over this guys death, threatened the job stability of, essentially, his killer, and even got your father in on the action, then the guy shows up alive and it's like 'Meh, you're alive. So what? Why did you not tell me you were the filthy, homeless, poor kid I met the other day?'
I really am sorry I haven't updated since, like, June, but I've been busy.
Yeah... so...
Alright I know this is a bit nerdy, but so is everything else on here. Anyway, I was recently re-watching Transformers Prime, and in one of the earlier episodes we get to see Optimus' trailer, and as I watched the whole episode I had to admit that the saddest thing wasn't all those bad guys whose 'deaths' occur in the car chase, or in the skirmish later, or even the thought that the human protagonists were about to shoot off the edge of the train tracks and crash and burn in a fiery explosion.
No, it was that the bad guys blew up the magic trailer.
So now you're probably wondering, why should I care? Or, where am I going with this? Or, why am I on this blog when I typed that scene in from the wizard of oz instead?
Rest assured there is a madness to my method.
First of all, to really appreciate what the heck it is I am talking about, one really needs to understand why I call it the 'magic trailer'.
So the series itself is part of a vast, um, universe I guess, of stories that have been around for about 30 years, give or take, which center around alien robots that turn into cars.
Yeah.
Anyway they are in a millennia old civil war that has spilled over onto Earth (because EVERY alien inthe history of EVER, lands on earth at some point in their lives), and the good ones are led by the big red truck in the middle.
In just about every continuity he has transformed into some form of semi, or of a fire truck with a detachable bed, all complete with semi trailer attachment.
That isn't so much of a problem, as the newer shows tend to have the trailer solely as an accessory, to be attached for random episodes. It is not a part of his transformation.
However, when he first débuted, every time he transformed the trailer was suddenly there, and then gone when he got back up. It always bothered me as a kid, but not enough for me to get super worked up.
And why does he even need the trailer anyway? What functionality could it possibly have if it disappears every time he goes into attack mode? Even the show's/comics/toy-line's creators had a problem with this.
So, in all the subsequent editions after G1(Generation one), Optimus' trailer gets upgraded into either a portable battle station, extra armor, or both.
So what exactly is this mystical, magically appearing device that has raised questions for generations of loyal, nerdy transformers fans, and what is its purpose?
Well... I have a theory...
Something a lot of fans appeared to have missed concerning the beloved leader of the Autobots, besides the fact he is guaranteed to die at least once per series, (GUARANTEED! Fastest death and revival, 72 seconds), is that he is actually a member of the original thirteen transformers (not that he remembers of course), also known as the thirteen Primes. Each Prime had some mystical weapon or object associated with them, one that defied all laws of science and logic. And, while they confirm the names and powers of the other twelve objects/weapons, sort of, Optimus'/Thirteen's artifact/weapon is never confirmed.
Do you see where I'm going with this?
Oh Yeah!
Yep, I am pretty darn sure the magic trailer is his epic weapon/artifact.
I mean if you watch some of the original, and the newer shows, that thing can re-purpose into just about anything. It can even 'clown car' like ten Autobots into itself before either becoming a battle ready station, or just ceasing to exist so any bad guys can't use it for evil.
It's even got a space satellite mode apparently.
That'd do it. And lets not forget that anyone who tries to become prime after Optimus ends up with a trailer too.
Hot rod goes from that, to this. Yikes. Small mercy, he loses it when Optimus comes back from the dead a second time.(Yes, he not only comes back from the dead once, but twice within the EXACT SAME SEASON of G2!!!)
The magic trailer strikes again! You cannot escape!
But seriously, the magic trailer is very deeply embedded into transformers pop culture history. It just defies all logic and boggles the mind. Now, if you like I've included some videos that make an attempt to solve the trailer's mystery, so watch if you will, if not have a great night.
