tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4889202279949275532024-03-26T08:44:36.662-07:00Jasen T. DavisTHE OFFICIAL WEBSITEJasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.comBlogger179125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-4638258294142234032023-08-25T12:23:00.013-07:002023-08-26T08:19:24.510-07:00THE VEIN - Art<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRz-QJuOPVrr3xraVhnkrFA1MCGOoyvJmJuuBP-eP2XnmJSUCyAOz1ZyMPb-cjfH0dNydgL3z3PZ5r1qg2mRaL0GxkfZJDIUyDqWpBd9eio41XfYMJJrcBhpXN-CttIJ8RQ8uGjuvfq-d2WurumNyiXHFcTBZix1DT3606nZA5t6hYFpgGLUBNZS1TznDm/s6000/check-out-this-wraparound-cover-for-the-vein-illustrated-by-v0-1m2u0lan1pib1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4390" data-original-width="6000" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRz-QJuOPVrr3xraVhnkrFA1MCGOoyvJmJuuBP-eP2XnmJSUCyAOz1ZyMPb-cjfH0dNydgL3z3PZ5r1qg2mRaL0GxkfZJDIUyDqWpBd9eio41XfYMJJrcBhpXN-CttIJ8RQ8uGjuvfq-d2WurumNyiXHFcTBZix1DT3606nZA5t6hYFpgGLUBNZS1TznDm/s320/check-out-this-wraparound-cover-for-the-vein-illustrated-by-v0-1m2u0lan1pib1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><i>The critics agree, THE VEIN is for thee!</i></span></div><p></p><p><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;">Hello everyone. I hope you are happy! Welcome to the world(s) of THE VEIN.</span></p><p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;">Here is the hyperlink to our website.
We paid good money for it. Enjoy: <a href="http://www.theveincomic.com." target="_blank">www.theveincomic.com.</a></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;">Our Kickstarter is now officially
live! Now you can help good win by
donating to a cause greater all of us, get free swag, and receive a
copy of THE VEIN with alternative art nobody else has ever seen. Oh,
what a wonderful world! Check it out: <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/davidlecomptecomics/the-vein">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/davidlecomptecomics/the-vein</a></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcxffF6EO3OhT1WRTfMTvObjf7MB1Krubfr6LH0KOoAXfO_kTXBaAtWkzx-lN9LnZJV9V9aTudGePRuBew0ct4JO-wzn70Bl2PC078BrCtd_3ky0TRYeCuUtpLhOGLp46SG42EGlAX-DIczV_N7eaHh3oGH21zXPC50rjwCq4hqauRFRMo2rRnFJBbYvy/s1253/unnamed.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1253" data-original-width="825" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcxffF6EO3OhT1WRTfMTvObjf7MB1Krubfr6LH0KOoAXfO_kTXBaAtWkzx-lN9LnZJV9V9aTudGePRuBew0ct4JO-wzn70Bl2PC078BrCtd_3ky0TRYeCuUtpLhOGLp46SG42EGlAX-DIczV_N7eaHh3oGH21zXPC50rjwCq4hqauRFRMo2rRnFJBbYvy/s320/unnamed.png" width="211" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><i>T getting frisky with the enemy.</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;">What is THE VEIN about? It's a science fiction, body horror comic book about a young man named "T" who merges with an extraterrestrial, outer dimensional entity (known as "The Tentacles") due to an unfortunate scientific accident outside his control thanks to advanced technologies beyond his understanding. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;">T gains powers, including the ability to travel to other planets and dimensions, and learns about worlds far more technologically advanced than Earth while fighting demonic entities, dealing with alien intelligences, or just learning to live with The Tentacles while trying to return home. They spit acid! They can kill at will! Plus, more importantly, The Tentacles really enjoy old skool American theater showtunes. Who can blame them?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqlkh06tAkn4fG0zVfJM7Q-5Ms1dsicXBwqGP-rz7WWSujBqzL-trRhdD7EDkF8Jn5LFW3U7MXmdqSn4SWJfY28vaBqzWbgcBK2s7Ado8W7QsW2kAbGeLJyl6EzSWxnloYQsuSYxq3PKE1CpGaJiEQrX0uyhK876UkdADG-8GqA5Tp7Af2VvJf8r_gqrT/s1000/unnamed%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="1000" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqlkh06tAkn4fG0zVfJM7Q-5Ms1dsicXBwqGP-rz7WWSujBqzL-trRhdD7EDkF8Jn5LFW3U7MXmdqSn4SWJfY28vaBqzWbgcBK2s7Ado8W7QsW2kAbGeLJyl6EzSWxnloYQsuSYxq3PKE1CpGaJiEQrX0uyhK876UkdADG-8GqA5Tp7Af2VvJf8r_gqrT/s320/unnamed%20(2).jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><i>T uses his powers. </i></span></div><p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;">THE VEIN is more than just the story of
T, a young man with body dysmorphia possessed by an alien entity
granting him powers that go beyond mere mortals, it's also about his
friends!</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;">APRIL AYERS is T's best female friend,
helping him out when others won't. She studies quantum physics with
an occult twist.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;">FABIO is T's best male frenemy, a real
knee biter who'd bully our hero in a polite social setting forever,
if it wasn't for April.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIG3R40IZ582ZEgY2Kt5l7IyC8W6Rurpv7tLfeJA5Qfktc9mJ4J4NnWY677andpM-uvvb7B1j9tJ24WFN4Y4TtfmojRO028-gJZAcl6BKNmoKqqudSiQe11BFq5RZ0-FjDxZkdS5pZsgmF-XQiJJydUfVkL5_FTquaXfGYyqzquw-ujKl0dx7Fw26BWwnV/s940/2d5fa7c4b1deae2c024dadd61aad398a_original.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="940" data-original-width="680" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIG3R40IZ582ZEgY2Kt5l7IyC8W6Rurpv7tLfeJA5Qfktc9mJ4J4NnWY677andpM-uvvb7B1j9tJ24WFN4Y4TtfmojRO028-gJZAcl6BKNmoKqqudSiQe11BFq5RZ0-FjDxZkdS5pZsgmF-XQiJJydUfVkL5_FTquaXfGYyqzquw-ujKl0dx7Fw26BWwnV/s320/2d5fa7c4b1deae2c024dadd61aad398a_original.jpg" width="231" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;"><i>A comic for you, freaks and me too!</i></span></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;">UNCLE BOB is T's mean uncle, teasing
him unmercifully with his gargantuan vocabulary (even spelling bee
champions can be jerks) and antagonizing attitude. Can't a kid going
to community college get a little respect?</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;">BLUE BALL is a severed head in a jar
that speaks. Good times!</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSmE3zm3YfnT2EfJr3KsXLDCeH7jhxOawY4TQA_Egq0yjS6fnFW4f692DkyuyT4Kqfh-wsGDZv58eNAsqpEshi6prfCIdsERr3wK-9zI3ffxaTsYNJBTHLRofmFRj5Bv78kHSplvM0bu_13a9GqFPhkhzX-6Mauc0d6PbYrZiPSAlP9WmZSGqynBIgVN2/s680/f1518a5e6988bb99758a8ff35fd91f11_original.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="680" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSmE3zm3YfnT2EfJr3KsXLDCeH7jhxOawY4TQA_Egq0yjS6fnFW4f692DkyuyT4Kqfh-wsGDZv58eNAsqpEshi6prfCIdsERr3wK-9zI3ffxaTsYNJBTHLRofmFRj5Bv78kHSplvM0bu_13a9GqFPhkhzX-6Mauc0d6PbYrZiPSAlP9WmZSGqynBIgVN2/s320/f1518a5e6988bb99758a8ff35fd91f11_original.jpg" width="320" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;"><i>Buy the comic book and take a better look. </i></span></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;">LOXXANA is a scientist on another
planet a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away (spacetime is funky
like that) pulling the strings, and the biological dendritic
connections, to make people do what she wants. What is this mentally
superior, technologically terrifying, matriarchal mastermind really
up to?</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;">THE GREAT MUTATO is a hovercycle
enthusiast with a penchant for egomania, kidnapping, violence,
weapons, vehicular manslaughter, any kind of manslaughter, antisocial
tendencies, and telling you on Friday that your paycheck isn't going
to be ready until next Monday...yes, he's THAT evil.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-d33cnkOT7XiaQPcOHs6hHn1Eec7fsOb9aar72riM8Y5jXaFSXoXSR2q6fx3o-SGtQP8YEodzm54jl1XjdCmIV88gRpHkAEg1D9oAHQVLts9qW_r70Rktp2QEAmgGXfzyAfVF9dpQ65dt2lSg9zfILst3P2UYTzbxP-1rLxwghd3Klyk04TeqB9GgH6G/s680/bbbba283a1ade53e15ed0fe03eddbaf7_original.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="303" data-original-width="680" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-d33cnkOT7XiaQPcOHs6hHn1Eec7fsOb9aar72riM8Y5jXaFSXoXSR2q6fx3o-SGtQP8YEodzm54jl1XjdCmIV88gRpHkAEg1D9oAHQVLts9qW_r70Rktp2QEAmgGXfzyAfVF9dpQ65dt2lSg9zfILst3P2UYTzbxP-1rLxwghd3Klyk04TeqB9GgH6G/s320/bbbba283a1ade53e15ed0fe03eddbaf7_original.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #999999;">T and his fun, happy, brutal friends.</span> </i></span></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;">THE TENTACLES...Peter Parker had his
spider. Venom had his symbiote. VAMPIRE HUNTER D had his talking
hand. I had acne in high school (it totally sucked phalluses).
D'Artagnan had THE THREE MUSKETEERS. THE THING had The Thing. THE
BLOB had The Blob. What if amazing mutant superpowers came with a
price, three heads, and a penchant for singing showtunes? You'll find out!</span></p><p></p><p><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;">Now that you've learned about the comic book, meet the rest of the team behind THE VEIN!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNaNrTbXgeQd58nvWyW9ru-pAOIVAOQPcV6Edv5BmdLVX2QqTK77GXLqDLs9HrbuDO_uyO8gWbmrdA0rJbS5DU5eEmYf6dj-H6nf6SN3-qlk1IS4ZUEHyPYfMP7qFWBPbmiT47pqjp-QSShWrc7otzX1vrpTjcdRRwktVaxGLy_jOw0jPIA95sEeUgwkY/s200/c34b7b65b679565b40587fe31e12cdf6_original.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNaNrTbXgeQd58nvWyW9ru-pAOIVAOQPcV6Edv5BmdLVX2QqTK77GXLqDLs9HrbuDO_uyO8gWbmrdA0rJbS5DU5eEmYf6dj-H6nf6SN3-qlk1IS4ZUEHyPYfMP7qFWBPbmiT47pqjp-QSShWrc7otzX1vrpTjcdRRwktVaxGLy_jOw0jPIA95sEeUgwkY/s1600/c34b7b65b679565b40587fe31e12cdf6_original.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;"><i>The Main Man, the Head Honcho, and creator of THE VEIN!</i></span></div><p></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;">DAVID LE COMPTE <span>started
getting into comics at a young age, THE X-MEN and BATMAN cartoons
from the 90's were his doorway into comics. His family couldn’t
really afford buying them though, so for a long time he only had three: A
Chris Clairemont / Jim Lee issue of THE X-MEN, A Barry Windsor Smith WEAPON X, and
an issue of 2001 by Jack Kirby. </span></span></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Bfvq3D4lE3XiBnKIT_CWG4K1o7s40HhhScFEYhLFzjMDmUKe8oe_LDTSQQJg8RjFh341_iyG_GiY_aRxy32MsZ67fTDD5JPA_q0X7b7cyncwKaF0qYjMq19f6IBYsG-j7yllq0GhWaqbpL1vdxWowkOawjjxDocf7Y-PFk7a_sqf4z4EY8Z0dQbOB_Ol/s680/e9b3cd9eb23f5ec0ada1b4d402f65503_original.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="680" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Bfvq3D4lE3XiBnKIT_CWG4K1o7s40HhhScFEYhLFzjMDmUKe8oe_LDTSQQJg8RjFh341_iyG_GiY_aRxy32MsZ67fTDD5JPA_q0X7b7cyncwKaF0qYjMq19f6IBYsG-j7yllq0GhWaqbpL1vdxWowkOawjjxDocf7Y-PFk7a_sqf4z4EY8Z0dQbOB_Ol/s320/e9b3cd9eb23f5ec0ada1b4d402f65503_original.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;">Eventually he got old enough to work
and he spent most of his money on comics, and most of his free time
trying to figure out how to draw comics. After high-school, he
attended the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He
eventually found his way to San Diego, California, where he began a
career as a graphic designer which turned into a career in front-end
software development. He has published 4 comics independently: MISPLACED EYED, ELECTRO BEETLE, PLAN R, and ROWS OF LIGHTS. </span></span></div><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJc_9HvkuHdI1uePYQDyHGv_prAiS2CPTAgOrcZ5BMmRlLb87ooQYISaGTJVUnBbb2iMUBonhV4IqkwFLs1JymV5AdvhSSOkrKWZYhAcO7DEa21KJtKeRJO0bIftwUYSUeCE0WEMauUlt1oDM4Tvb0rMAsTPcSvLw6fnsEe4RQbxm9roW3zjk7l5rlTQkA/s200/2c9d60c450444b3b2a0e299d5acc5ea8_original.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJc_9HvkuHdI1uePYQDyHGv_prAiS2CPTAgOrcZ5BMmRlLb87ooQYISaGTJVUnBbb2iMUBonhV4IqkwFLs1JymV5AdvhSSOkrKWZYhAcO7DEa21KJtKeRJO0bIftwUYSUeCE0WEMauUlt1oDM4Tvb0rMAsTPcSvLw6fnsEe4RQbxm9roW3zjk7l5rlTQkA/s1600/2c9d60c450444b3b2a0e299d5acc5ea8_original.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><i>Hans Fink. Creative Editor. Humorist and Artist.</i></span></div><p></p><p></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">HANS FINK was
either born or hatched some time ago when he was young. His parents
are giant big-brained nerds with large personal libraries. Hans
learned art from his maternal grandmother, and hilarity from his
paternal grandfather. He spent some of his formative years growing up
in a family owned graphics shop, where he discovered his love of
comics books. </span></span></span></span></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcb4FAeSRbKuTlcAL7RHat6jp2XjHgKrLi1veKlK3gbSf51P7fUp5XVNynMA5hVPX9JlhuUhR4iOcYFM2lNZRuhTXklqKnutSMM0199eRylJTfm6GtuBWw-gXpWqs0fotxuWGLzibbbHNLI6jBLY3Dqj_P_uy8AqkvN7x4XsPfj9VlxifI-75lBwF7wxUm/s999/f55bf063f315305ab557212c10cae8e8_original.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="999" data-original-width="680" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcb4FAeSRbKuTlcAL7RHat6jp2XjHgKrLi1veKlK3gbSf51P7fUp5XVNynMA5hVPX9JlhuUhR4iOcYFM2lNZRuhTXklqKnutSMM0199eRylJTfm6GtuBWw-gXpWqs0fotxuWGLzibbbHNLI6jBLY3Dqj_P_uy8AqkvN7x4XsPfj9VlxifI-75lBwF7wxUm/s320/f55bf063f315305ab557212c10cae8e8_original.jpg" width="218" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><i>The mind of Hans Fink is better than geniuses think.</i></span></span></div><p></p><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">As a young child, he could not stop reading comics and
drawing his own. Somehow Hans went from this to becoming
Editor-in-Chief of SKINNIE ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE. During his
career in entertainment journalism, Hans also contributed articles
and images to various publications such as CULTURE MAGAZINE, MUSIC CONNECTION, PASADENA WEEKLY, IE WEEKLY,
and others. </span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span><span> <br /></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><span><span>Hans eventually met a wild artist and horror-enthusiast named David Le
Compte, who promptly hired him to color THE VEIN and provide
additional art & design as needed. To this day, Hans is a big fat
fucking nerd who makes comics, does Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (not the Japanese version), pets cats, and smokes
all the weed.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESJzrnkVbce2vC4NYudPinKcV-bkThNWA8gOkyp38FDVEMnpRTPwznoZ5PEBAuvqqH4moPIiaFS1iZLx4jh4qMNMGFo49eSr_THorgpXj659MQrS4MpnzTrbvPHfmNjPydzTISSj5pvBDgLwXuTMLb_iEePg2P7E_wiGSE2NHtenShikCpz0phBntQLRq/s999/8934b481a9bbfa27faffd4d1fba972c1_original.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="999" data-original-width="680" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESJzrnkVbce2vC4NYudPinKcV-bkThNWA8gOkyp38FDVEMnpRTPwznoZ5PEBAuvqqH4moPIiaFS1iZLx4jh4qMNMGFo49eSr_THorgpXj659MQrS4MpnzTrbvPHfmNjPydzTISSj5pvBDgLwXuTMLb_iEePg2P7E_wiGSE2NHtenShikCpz0phBntQLRq/s320/8934b481a9bbfa27faffd4d1fba972c1_original.jpg" width="218" /></i></a></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><i>When genius meets advertising results ensue.</i></span></span></span></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;">That's it on THE VEIN for now. If you are interested in contributing art, ideas, and even writing for our comic book, contact us! This comic isn't just for the entire world to enjoy...it's also for you!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;">Finally...please give to our Kickstarter. You'll get incredible swag, enjoy a storyline not endorsed by a sold-out, corporatist Hollywood industry, and support independent writers/artists who think like you do. One day, if we are all successful, you'll see THE VEIN on streaming services like INVINCIBLE or TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES too!</span></div><p><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw7Waa3c21lOFEszqyXE4i4ExYCY48g2xQes20rCb6BQQPdiwoYc0qTFOBnWTgmgkwO_m6hvphkk4Pg6LZzlA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p></p>Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-47694034148199927612022-10-14T13:41:00.000-07:002022-10-14T13:41:01.578-07:00THIRTEEN - Comedy<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFmMX5f1q9BYYxq9wyrtcgCd_f_ewprO4wsZiZe3EWHI6JXdQQwSMOWzmPvclHnxPMCqAHyhKz1RzyCifk_bHmkgyUqK2FvpIzvLjycfgbD5aAmzpERTX1-OgHJUgQMEddlwU2q2ojis082W4f7uJnILYgbeuoJIrZ_AsoGsQi-SqACVMCk72J0TjuoQ/s3017/THIRTEEN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3017" data-original-width="2001" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFmMX5f1q9BYYxq9wyrtcgCd_f_ewprO4wsZiZe3EWHI6JXdQQwSMOWzmPvclHnxPMCqAHyhKz1RzyCifk_bHmkgyUqK2FvpIzvLjycfgbD5aAmzpERTX1-OgHJUgQMEddlwU2q2ojis082W4f7uJnILYgbeuoJIrZ_AsoGsQi-SqACVMCk72J0TjuoQ/w424-h640/THIRTEEN.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">WHY THIRTEEN?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">There are hundreds of stand up comedy
shows in L.A. Netflix shoots dozens of one hour comedy specials a
month. The big clubs like The Comedy Store, Laugh Factory and The Ice
House are full every weekend. Comedians are obviously on those stages
getting noticed, getting paid, and moving up in Hollywood, right?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Not exactly.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">For more than a dozen years I've
interviewed dozens of stand up comics. Although they are all different
people with unique imaginations and their own style of comedy,
stories they tell about the evils of Hollywood are often copies of
each other when it comes to the abuses they suffer to get stage time. Extortion is common. Working for free is the norm. </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">For female comedians it's worse. They
often are asked to exchange sex for stage time and/or payment. Sexual
harassment doesn't even describe it. Dating the host of a comedy show
to get stage time can be mandatory for most women. To even be a part of "the
scene" in stand up comedy if you are young usually means hooking
up with other comics, if you want to move up.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAsmCnWF-EwkxavmtBQSrI4VKLMwUm3FyKwgab5usirLs8YEPRlcSN2yEdwG_KTkAWIxKwzF61lbM8VMaXSCSzQMrJjSV9HBcbzEKG95TNSkrdq55vvWEyAspJzTGiAq1mEnmchzkJk8ku-eGGxjg34nsXCOw7xT-LKeCdS3QkOb0qUjBchRjbVAin4A/s960/D712F294-E41D-4824-8C4A-A4212446D936%20(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="960" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAsmCnWF-EwkxavmtBQSrI4VKLMwUm3FyKwgab5usirLs8YEPRlcSN2yEdwG_KTkAWIxKwzF61lbM8VMaXSCSzQMrJjSV9HBcbzEKG95TNSkrdq55vvWEyAspJzTGiAq1mEnmchzkJk8ku-eGGxjg34nsXCOw7xT-LKeCdS3QkOb0qUjBchRjbVAin4A/s320/D712F294-E41D-4824-8C4A-A4212446D936%20(1).JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Steven Marcus Releford, the headliner for THIRTEEN</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Human greed is also a factor. In real
life you work a job, get paid for it, and with more education and
experience you move up and get paid more. Some people might work
internships in college. Others work for free to get experience before
a new career. At one point you will get paid for working a job,
that's the logic. Not in Hollywood.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Stand up comics often pay for
stage time. Gasoline, parking, and traffic tickets all take a
chunk of money. After that they might buy two drinks to put their
name in a raffle to go up or even pay $5 to perform for five minutes.
Some clubs are generous. Any comedian going up only buys two drinks
for the privilege. They cost $10 each of course. </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">The worst are bringers. The
producer/host demands each comic bring ten people to perform. Out of
the $200 the comedian brings in they might get $20, while the bringer
host happily brings in their friends to perform, too, without the
burden of bringing anyone. It also does the beginning stand up comic no favors with their peers, who will despise the performer for performing in a bringer, even if they were paid. </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsd2_7wWT6leCs5Y5ZE4D3Do0ducgruSs0ELc0gGHXGRsp_Xu0_qXf3vmDFWnAvCEEDtAQwsmP5V8d6Fm0dlObczi8qJjlXJr4KG0SQAt_K83wtTbYl-rbIuWGchKibJGxTRVXam-cLdTHfeqWlEwr0QP61guH3LldrsHzdYt05ij1lxBfZuxhvR59FA/s1799/E16C7E99-DB1D-42A1-8FCB-C0E5ED3F0656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1799" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsd2_7wWT6leCs5Y5ZE4D3Do0ducgruSs0ELc0gGHXGRsp_Xu0_qXf3vmDFWnAvCEEDtAQwsmP5V8d6Fm0dlObczi8qJjlXJr4KG0SQAt_K83wtTbYl-rbIuWGchKibJGxTRVXam-cLdTHfeqWlEwr0QP61guH3LldrsHzdYt05ij1lxBfZuxhvR59FA/s320/E16C7E99-DB1D-42A1-8FCB-C0E5ED3F0656.JPG" width="256" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>It's time to celebrate Halloween early...</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">If a comedian sees any money from their
work early on, it will probably be out of a bucket or hat the
producer of the show passes around the audience to pay the
performers. Here's your paycheck...$3.72, plus dryer lint. This is
after all the hours comedians spent driving to the event, before they
get a parking ticket because L.A. screwed up the signs again.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Breaking into stand up comedy in
Hollywood also means joining social cliques. Remember the cool kids
in high school that looked down upon you and could ruin your social
status with a word or lie? They are alive and well, producing and
hosting comedy shows. Make friends and you might move up. Make someone jealous and you've made an enemy to your career. Refuse to date the wrong person and they'll make sure you never work in any show they are on. Nobody will defend you if that person is a producer or host known for abusing others...they need the stage time.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANwNKCrY1t_uBY2RjCK0xegDDhv3RykyNXcyG0WmtVLPreKxLIT4gAgsIxHzfMEpRn8FFXa5Agj2ZQi8opoYDkzrCudwqvfTebIX3XV49r58mScS2hNNTPmit4wOrO5E-tVZJyLt_8pPseOsqoCmevKKV87sfG0ToriH5BG72GhfWCEPdAxvbi1kuqg/s4032/IMG_1599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANwNKCrY1t_uBY2RjCK0xegDDhv3RykyNXcyG0WmtVLPreKxLIT4gAgsIxHzfMEpRn8FFXa5Agj2ZQi8opoYDkzrCudwqvfTebIX3XV49r58mScS2hNNTPmit4wOrO5E-tVZJyLt_8pPseOsqoCmevKKV87sfG0ToriH5BG72GhfWCEPdAxvbi1kuqg/s320/IMG_1599.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Holding a flyer for the show.</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">If you don't fit in because don't have
the exact, specific, perfect personality to get along with the covert
egotistical narcissists that infect any healthy social scene, you
don't move up and you don't get stage time. Open mic nights can be
miserable for anyone new, even if they are damn good. Every comedian
in the audience is a potential rival, waiting to hold back laughter
to hurt their competition.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Comedians MUST get stage time. Theater
gives any actor hours upon hours of experience thanks to rehearsals,
technical blocking and performance. Film repeats scenes and shots
endlessly. An actor may say the same lines fifty times in one day.
Stand up comedy only has the stage plus the audience. They have to
get up there to get a measly 3-5 minutes, after hours of waiting. At
the end of the month an amateur stand up comic might only perform for
an hour, and they are often paying to do it. </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqGDcyuwnEIsLG2MvbMoKQOMtH5BgXmMEDBHajzS3dHuIlzGYnSHWzWGkZxdRJsBB618_P3E-mz7d2bTg2JkWyQsCPQblghIftmSmamETJad2yi-mJb_ET3nEa9x_4D-Nx06AAfLMHrkTFjZ9ykKJhfpikBYce3y5FH7UTUqcrOtTZ0W5brQzVOYdsA/s960/2D45A4FA-6C9D-4866-ABAA-4D3074D8F91C%20(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="960" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqGDcyuwnEIsLG2MvbMoKQOMtH5BgXmMEDBHajzS3dHuIlzGYnSHWzWGkZxdRJsBB618_P3E-mz7d2bTg2JkWyQsCPQblghIftmSmamETJad2yi-mJb_ET3nEa9x_4D-Nx06AAfLMHrkTFjZ9ykKJhfpikBYce3y5FH7UTUqcrOtTZ0W5brQzVOYdsA/s320/2D45A4FA-6C9D-4866-ABAA-4D3074D8F91C%20(1).JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Releford on the mic, entertaining the audience.</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">THIRTEEN is a safe haven from all that
useless chaos stand up comics usually deal with. Comedians get to work in a professional environment where they are
respected, paid for their work, and not exploited. There will also be diversity, so that everyone is equally represented. While this might
be common sense to the reader, it's brand new facts to some people running stand up comedy shows throughout California.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Guests at the THIRTEEN will notice the improvement in the performance of the comedians
entertaining them. Great money means greater morale. Happy people are
funnier to be around, and get bigger laughs from the audience because of their attitude. Paying stand up comics also means the audience gets the best performance for their buck because our show hired a person worth paying. They are, after all, professional comedians, not amateurs. </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNEK701_n8zhmcn_1PYmZ-ralFzMYcgd-MZbkwqcN-RwQHMCvKY076wU6bR2JtbKegMAVD9FCTd6n4A4m32wYo9VyneSv-JWqZuGu_nhyiQMih1gxlmUwIleQLKctabHR2iewfsnIwvFYRxDy7L6WUFgSsJMCPpAZKCo_gMa9qEd1PqeXXjHECepdVA/s840/tg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="559" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNEK701_n8zhmcn_1PYmZ-ralFzMYcgd-MZbkwqcN-RwQHMCvKY076wU6bR2JtbKegMAVD9FCTd6n4A4m32wYo9VyneSv-JWqZuGu_nhyiQMih1gxlmUwIleQLKctabHR2iewfsnIwvFYRxDy7L6WUFgSsJMCPpAZKCo_gMa9qEd1PqeXXjHECepdVA/s320/tg.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Enter if you dare.</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Another big influence is theater,
specifically The Grand Guignol Theatre of Paris, France, more than a
hundred years ago. Normally a stand up comedy show is just a comedian
doing comedy until they bring up more comedians to do the same. There
is nothing wrong with this. A variety show featuring comedians along
with other artists using music, magic, improvisational comedy and even
dancing is an experience worth paying to see, especially one like ours with a gothic, macabre sensibility. </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbQ-sb2LIiM7h8-RFAQ1v7JkzT7J3D5dDnN0aRU3JivZx0npWIXML9UYmGw0f8LkuOptbMPiOB9a58lOh4aA5rIJBKu6pOuhECxTL_k9W7goV_a7HYOUbJEOQvtePyb0LrEitaVfT5n4S9nNEUBXdb-kIXeXiiLE_1vG2pT0ngAC44U1C35FUY7wDHw/s1360/IMG_1348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="1242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbQ-sb2LIiM7h8-RFAQ1v7JkzT7J3D5dDnN0aRU3JivZx0npWIXML9UYmGw0f8LkuOptbMPiOB9a58lOh4aA5rIJBKu6pOuhECxTL_k9W7goV_a7HYOUbJEOQvtePyb0LrEitaVfT5n4S9nNEUBXdb-kIXeXiiLE_1vG2pT0ngAC44U1C35FUY7wDHw/s320/IMG_1348.jpg" width="292" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A prop from the comedy horror show THIRTEEN.</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Theater has a resounding importance
across time and space because of humanity. Plays written hundreds and
thousands of years ago are still performed today, and still matter.
When the electricity stops and it's just fire and humans, theater
will be there, as it has always been. Stand up comedy is theater.
It's also speech, film acting technique and properly done, like a
funny conversation with somebody entertaining at a bar. It doesn't
need CGI to succeed. Fake blood helps. </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFHm8kVyluv-ec0cU-WAwdxwFwPDGe04W0X7_Kb9Gij8rzJ9wX72FcNKZmb5wdmRumqKgm_qMn1XtQHca0rv8Mrh4GSe341rMic8d8_hxL_UXGjG0UOF8MeCEdm9liQUBY2L2CBzK_hCDy2wQyf7xG3NsvxhsaIMQfWxZx1BOWcR4Ay0qShtBsyJXqw/s2469/image-asset.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="875" data-original-width="2469" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFHm8kVyluv-ec0cU-WAwdxwFwPDGe04W0X7_Kb9Gij8rzJ9wX72FcNKZmb5wdmRumqKgm_qMn1XtQHca0rv8Mrh4GSe341rMic8d8_hxL_UXGjG0UOF8MeCEdm9liQUBY2L2CBzK_hCDy2wQyf7xG3NsvxhsaIMQfWxZx1BOWcR4Ay0qShtBsyJXqw/w400-h141/image-asset.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Some posters for The Grand Guignol Theatre of Paris, France, from more than a century ago.</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">The Grand Guignol was simply a theater
in France, and a style of drama, that was innovative, bloody and
violent. Gore isn't new to the stage, just watch Shakespeare's <i>Titus
Andronicus</i> or <i>Macbeth</i>. Then watch <i>The Little Shop of Horrors</i> and
<i>Sweeney Todd</i>. Add elements of horror and science fiction, like
<i>Dracula</i>, <i>Frankenstein</i> plus <i>The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari</i> and you have
the essence of Grand Guignol Theatre.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm9CcOPErJ30rD1Ac5AUEY-ps-qUJbn0Fq0g9np7cIdkgIR7tP0mznr-0X9bhcpp-C0KAFJLxrKFK6Fn7y8iKikPRa8do4ol6YnO1VOvTd5a7D3ETs_FTQHDIORztjukONOXk9mRi3gzmWcHQddvu9y3l34MpBIbvCltgluH1c_LNA0vK62QfcWGjHPA/s1020/Theatre-of-Fear-and-Horror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1020" data-original-width="697" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm9CcOPErJ30rD1Ac5AUEY-ps-qUJbn0Fq0g9np7cIdkgIR7tP0mznr-0X9bhcpp-C0KAFJLxrKFK6Fn7y8iKikPRa8do4ol6YnO1VOvTd5a7D3ETs_FTQHDIORztjukONOXk9mRi3gzmWcHQddvu9y3l34MpBIbvCltgluH1c_LNA0vK62QfcWGjHPA/s320/Theatre-of-Fear-and-Horror.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Audiences in the early 1900's saw shocking displays of blood, severed heads, scientific experiments gone wrong, tyrannical government tortures, executions, vampires, murder, madness, maniacs, werewolves and other dark subject matter worthy of modern Netflix Halloween specials, slasher flicks and <i>Twilight Zone</i> episodes. They were shocking senses and pushing boundaries, paving the way for horror and sci-fi films decades later. It is no mystery why Grand Guignol persists to this day, with troupes like <a href="http://molotovtheatre.org/molotov-theatre-group/about-grand-guignol/" target="_blank">The Molotov Theatre Group</a> espousing it's gory glory. </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Stand up comedy vernacular fits right
in with the ghoulish visualizations and horrific concepts The Grand
Guignol Theatre espoused. Comedians "die" on stage, or they
"kill." They "bomb" onstage, or they "slay"
the audience, who were "dying of laughter." They "murder"
the crowd. Even the end of joke is violent...a "punch line."
Bomb too many times in Hollywood, if you are famous, and your career
is "dead."</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkFCIr76Sb-70xvW0jj-WqBjIqA4O1N2uTJO1x1gTFoRRXWijxvYtN4kPyisRb6jELKOHwC4A4Im2-VdJCoP1wT96DYXV5omk_RuTN0CPVQCXI8GNpSeV-Czt7AlMLlb_VkR018mNHzzfsXxIfZ7eymPF14iRe9VHWflzmNOpG-bdvs0RFJRycj8akg/s1799/B9AE586E-EE99-4757-A007-6F816ACE24F2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1799" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkFCIr76Sb-70xvW0jj-WqBjIqA4O1N2uTJO1x1gTFoRRXWijxvYtN4kPyisRb6jELKOHwC4A4Im2-VdJCoP1wT96DYXV5omk_RuTN0CPVQCXI8GNpSeV-Czt7AlMLlb_VkR018mNHzzfsXxIfZ7eymPF14iRe9VHWflzmNOpG-bdvs0RFJRycj8akg/s320/B9AE586E-EE99-4757-A007-6F816ACE24F2.JPG" width="256" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our show is a theater production including horror and humor, with comedians appearing throughout to keep us all laughing. As THIRTEEN goes on we can add new acts, live music, belly dancers breathing fire, horror improv comedy and whatever it takes to give an audience their money's worth in an original way through a traditional method...live theater, which never dies. <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/finance-a-venue-for-the-comedy-show-thirteen?qid=e343b9db44c889c558e92fcac2ec3fba" target="_blank">Please donate at our gofundme</a>, if you can. We plan to expand, hiring more people, different acts and innovating our live show as time goes on. </div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">So please join us at THIRTEEN. We've
chosen the perfect lineup for your entertainment. The price is right
and parking is free. Halloween is right around the corner, and our
show is the perfect place to turn up to celebrate such a tenebrous
season. Sure, The Host of the show is a little crazy, and by the end
of the evening there will be blood. Our comedians are complete
killers. You'll never forget the humor, as long as you live! After all, there is
no slaughter without laughter.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/thirteen-tickets-432154254007" target="_blank">YOU CAN BUY TICKETS FOR THIRTEEN HERE AT EVENTBRITE</a><br />
</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/finance-a-venue-for-the-comedy-show-thirteen?qid=e343b9db44c889c558e92fcac2ec3fba" target="_blank">YOU CAN DONATE TO ESTABLISH A VENUE FOR THIRTEEN HERE AT GOFUNDME</a><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dRbPSzjgws0" width="320" youtube-src-id="dRbPSzjgws0"></iframe></p></div>Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-90391082565199986972022-09-20T18:51:00.000-07:002022-09-20T18:51:03.863-07:00"Y'ALL HAD TO BE HERE" PART III - Comedy<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5ET3pFCRU8lxe5t1dtTS7t1ZCKu5jDbpLJn4LLGyaCkdukzROpgGTpU7zWHatXX3NlViIl5d50s6k6_0_BUjFMVM3bW1wd9owJ4Q2a2CiJI3WBo7O6CSV56FeoqTfqv4i6rRn2aHRicPh01qJMgYLvitn8vwsFZPS9blYWc9Gc7oOXEMkTFvNOzvTQ/s1500/IMG_1215%20(1).PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1500" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5ET3pFCRU8lxe5t1dtTS7t1ZCKu5jDbpLJn4LLGyaCkdukzROpgGTpU7zWHatXX3NlViIl5d50s6k6_0_BUjFMVM3bW1wd9owJ4Q2a2CiJI3WBo7O6CSV56FeoqTfqv4i6rRn2aHRicPh01qJMgYLvitn8vwsFZPS9blYWc9Gc7oOXEMkTFvNOzvTQ/s320/IMG_1215%20(1).PNG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>This is part three of an interview
with Steven Marcus Releford, Niles Abston and Johnny Mac about Y'ALL
HAD TO BE HERE, a show combining comedy, improv, podcast interviews
and an inside look at the lives of comedians that goes beyond mere
stand up to entertain the audience with layers of humor and
commentary from a team of who knows what they're talking
about. It's an education for anyone who loves the business of stand
up comedy and intellectual entertainment for everyone else.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>If you are interested in seeing more
from the very funny people involved in this project check out BASEMENTFEST,
a three day event featuring talent from all over Los Angeles in a
venue unique from the rest. The comedic extravaganza will have performers from Y'All HAD TO BE
HERE and more with a party atmosphere only personalities as
powerful as Niles Abston, Steven Marcus Releford, Johnny Mac, Arthur Hamilton and their fellow comedic performers can provide.</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlszj10t-tNwHqsnkrmwboCg0NWiVCW7XfSqja341Z2fPRHpaWsmUJy-lerLe3hKQfLN2XerALNQpQSfZJVJ2FbWg0q2qJiuSh9ivqIYBCMuF4IOFuzqpsYhzt4XpRqsHL5k7AlJhZWnR-9JwwV2SQSPrVSfjLWaDjtlpZ7jn3gu7oFtQ1MdxQ7CPMw/s750/Basementfest+1920+x+1080.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="750" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlszj10t-tNwHqsnkrmwboCg0NWiVCW7XfSqja341Z2fPRHpaWsmUJy-lerLe3hKQfLN2XerALNQpQSfZJVJ2FbWg0q2qJiuSh9ivqIYBCMuF4IOFuzqpsYhzt4XpRqsHL5k7AlJhZWnR-9JwwV2SQSPrVSfjLWaDjtlpZ7jn3gu7oFtQ1MdxQ7CPMw/s320/Basementfest+1920+x+1080.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Just like any good TV show, many audience members could never understand the pain, sweat and tears it took to get to the point where Donald Glove could do a show with as much depth as <i>Atlanta</i>. </b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">You
have to look at all the groundwork Donald Glover has done to make
white people feel safe around him. He is the safest bet for white
people when it comes to a black guy. He's "The Black Friend" to white people. He's funny, he can rap, he's handsome...he's been in
so many spaces from NYU to improv comedy to </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">30
Rock</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">, to </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Community</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
where he's collected all these white tokens in a way so it's like,
"Alright, we'll let you make a TV show." And then it's
like, "Woah! That's not the show we want you to make, but we
like you so we'll let you do it.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">And
it's making money.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston:</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
And it's making money. He's been able to do what a black film maker
has never been able to do on television because he's been palpable to
white people for so long.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>He's had to make sacrifices to. It's
on YouTube. Chevy Chase...</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston:</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
He was so mean to him!</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Oh yeah. Even Chevy Chase thought
the writing for Donald Glover was terrible because he was portrayed
as a dumb jock. There's also the problem of how Chase thought it was
ok to use the n-word in front of Glover. I'm sure the young man was just sitting
in the middle of all the controversy thinking, "I don't want to
make any waves." He had to suffer without saying anything to
move up in Hollywood.</b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89g5GP6NsI7jNT7h_kKiOPzF8Gnda2DPPB0o21y1bTpyT4PDDzgXx-G20ecps1vMQfIWpf1EQ3oumKhHpVg2t6CH2nwOReQlysbqi4E6nFJBHVU--Ex8TK9sHhf9mWMemnZsqchNwx8xTa1zkABM6QtKdmAN0CDm5BEO287FCIbH510ljTHlCOjD2sQ/s1350/FdHVAhFaMAAxfhj.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89g5GP6NsI7jNT7h_kKiOPzF8Gnda2DPPB0o21y1bTpyT4PDDzgXx-G20ecps1vMQfIWpf1EQ3oumKhHpVg2t6CH2nwOReQlysbqi4E6nFJBHVU--Ex8TK9sHhf9mWMemnZsqchNwx8xTa1zkABM6QtKdmAN0CDm5BEO287FCIbH510ljTHlCOjD2sQ/s320/FdHVAhFaMAAxfhj.jpeg" width="256" /></a></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston:</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
That's what being black is. Picking your battles. "I'm not going
to say anything about this because down the road I want to direct."
I've been told this: "It only takes black people ten seconds in
this industry to be 'hard to work with,'" and once the word
"difficult" gets used to describe you, especially black
women, now people don't want to work with you. Donald Glover was
like, "I'm not going to complain over some TV role, I'll just
leave." He wanted to make a crazy TV show one day. It's crazy
how we have to think like this. White people don't have to do that.
They can just live in the current moment.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>I've also been told about how
there's a lot of pressure on black people from Hollywood executives
sometimes to be a stereotype. To be more black. That's part of the
reason John Amos left <i>Good Times</i>. The show became a parody of
itself and the real people the writing was supposed to portray.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Johnny Mac: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">And
the fucked up thing is that the executives are probably arguing, "But
that's what people want." The fact is the audience is black,
Asian, white...everybody. So a white executive might say, "Our
white audience..." and if they put a black or Asian show on TV,
only those groups would watch it. It's actually that the white
executive wouldn't watch it. A middle aged white man is telling me
that young white people won't watch a show. "Only black kids
will watch this show," he thinks that. It's not the truth.
That's why you need representation in there, or you need to
understand what the big picture is.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5Uxa_F13c7BI-iBQjX0JvA1odtNc3br1RBmHJGg18jJJP65jAVu6CG0EZgu0vOQAJcFY1NLs6LhGaijFOGJFjWa9TaVEhfU-AlnMf4JEg4ORQIqJuqFDpIYZICYWod5vcmPmPbpSQMlLH5omTGbtxrZynopfQh-JF6sCLtSYjWDgR3gl-gyll45Fcg/s1080/FdHcp41akAIgKs1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5Uxa_F13c7BI-iBQjX0JvA1odtNc3br1RBmHJGg18jJJP65jAVu6CG0EZgu0vOQAJcFY1NLs6LhGaijFOGJFjWa9TaVEhfU-AlnMf4JEg4ORQIqJuqFDpIYZICYWod5vcmPmPbpSQMlLH5omTGbtxrZynopfQh-JF6sCLtSYjWDgR3gl-gyll45Fcg/s320/FdHcp41akAIgKs1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">That's
what's cool about stand up. You can tell your story any way you want
to. You'll tell a joke, and it works, for either crowd, but the
laughs are different, right? It's because it's still a laugh, and a
truth, that needs to be heard. That's the same thing with Atlanta,
it's like, "Oh, we didn't want you to make this type of show,
but we've already green lit it and people love it." It's real.
It's truthful shit. I'm laughing in a way that's different.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">He
couldn't have pitched that type of show. And everything is based on
the pitch instead of the actual product.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>He also makes fun of both sides. He
makes fun of African American culture and white racist culture.</b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAirCbSdNzrkdPKWh9NokRo9s6mX6cJzVMWANj0sqG5_Ln6BL5OiJ8Bak3uuuKVvUzdipt2NqrS5ToXI_duw0ZMAweJCk3T9ft7i3bRC7-zl7R3VhQiKC3llqMA-6balIL4t4iuv6wOx9QPGUq0s4AL0x_n7Sl--yDxvRm8If-fHk5ZfPUbYPhHE6hg/s400/HFoOJkSG_400x400%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAirCbSdNzrkdPKWh9NokRo9s6mX6cJzVMWANj0sqG5_Ln6BL5OiJ8Bak3uuuKVvUzdipt2NqrS5ToXI_duw0ZMAweJCk3T9ft7i3bRC7-zl7R3VhQiKC3llqMA-6balIL4t4iuv6wOx9QPGUq0s4AL0x_n7Sl--yDxvRm8If-fHk5ZfPUbYPhHE6hg/s320/HFoOJkSG_400x400%20(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b>Right,
from the things he knows, though. It's a genuine place. He's not
making up a stereotype to make fun of. If a white person is making fun
of black people it's like, you don't even know anybody who acts like
that. What are you talking about?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It
feels sometimes that Glover is also being very meta. He's making fun
of stereotypes...and also making fun of television stereotypes, not the
real person or predicament.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Johnny Mac:</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
He makes fun of the white perception.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Uh
huh. He's a genius.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>There's
a part in his Childish Gambino video for "This is America" where
he's dancing shirtless on a car in a parking garage. The camera pulls
back. What's the color of the garage and everything around him? It's
white. He's absolutely surrounded by a white structure. He's in a
giant white parking garage in a white structure with layers going up,
and he's still near the bottom.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">That's
hilarious! I've never thought about it that way.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2fHYL23oRe3O_Mw0_VxEw0ALZVLH7-Bm58UF0PG8j0lh4TK63T5ks2gpRwcbU356YmJKpajAC7b08DVC6VW8raitTMHFFheC-pG6KnenIBdBf5SGVOHEUglBEURYJ5Cz330uqZwah3CYgmPnNUfblsT5d9zeqcXzXVfR10NInwPDtBlvGCloPvbxSIA/s1080/FcjzZaBagAIuwW3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2fHYL23oRe3O_Mw0_VxEw0ALZVLH7-Bm58UF0PG8j0lh4TK63T5ks2gpRwcbU356YmJKpajAC7b08DVC6VW8raitTMHFFheC-pG6KnenIBdBf5SGVOHEUglBEURYJ5Cz330uqZwah3CYgmPnNUfblsT5d9zeqcXzXVfR10NInwPDtBlvGCloPvbxSIA/s320/FcjzZaBagAIuwW3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>It's very subversive, if that's what
he meant. He loves David Lynch, he also loves Kubrick. I saw that and
thought, "That's how he feels. Look where he works."</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston:</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
And he had to do so much to get to that point. It's almost like he
became a rapper to make that show because he knew one good way for a
black dude to get famous is to become a rapper. He did that stand up
thing. He did stand up before rap.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Johnny Mac: </b>He
did improv, sitcom, rapper, movie star...and then they are like, "What
do you want to make?" And he's like, "Fucking finally."</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston:</b>
That's the thing, he totally cut to the front of the line because of
rap. It's because he got popular in another place. The only person to
ever do that was backwards, like Will Smith got popular in rap and
then went to TV. Donald Glover had to do the reverse, which is
honestly stupid when you think about it.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Talking to all of you also makes me
realize that even back then, Will Smith had to rap as if he was at a
Def Comedy Jam because of the popular stereotype. "There's no
need to argue, parents don't understand," sounds like a punch line.</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SpXEx1JMWU0" width="320" youtube-src-id="SpXEx1JMWU0"></iframe></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">You can buy tickets for BASEMENT FEST <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/basementfest-los-angeles-tickets-367252551267" target="_blank">right here.</a></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Check out more of Y'ALL HAD TO BE HERE by <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/yall-had-to-be-here/id1635162233" target="_blank">following this link.</a> </p>Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-87950485894774807152022-09-12T13:03:00.004-07:002023-01-03T12:00:43.041-08:00Dennis Feitosa, The Artist Known as Def Noodles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXepJFMkBXdn1-BCFIs2lFdMktxvMHiTdMylAwmupbknyfLbItO3tm1xmd4lPNPDuP1R82rwolk35HTZFguGr56GWSanASS_CrtC-cYJT3GJu46kDrN8-T_6tYSc-_cEalbHFkXD7hu7x7MV9jtkkXxj_7sygIamqTyE7DkNbfkrJaTKszBn8smNsdtw/s1245/IMG_1056.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1245" data-original-width="1242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXepJFMkBXdn1-BCFIs2lFdMktxvMHiTdMylAwmupbknyfLbItO3tm1xmd4lPNPDuP1R82rwolk35HTZFguGr56GWSanASS_CrtC-cYJT3GJu46kDrN8-T_6tYSc-_cEalbHFkXD7hu7x7MV9jtkkXxj_7sygIamqTyE7DkNbfkrJaTKszBn8smNsdtw/s320/IMG_1056.jpg" width="319" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Def Noodles, keeping them entertained.</i></div><p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The comedian known to the planet as Def
Noodles cannot be described by just a few adjectives or merely as a
noun. A funny multimedia entertainer who knows how to criticize as
good as he characterizes, Dennis Feitosa, aka Def Noodles, has
several YouTube channels, and a heavy online presence, with more
followers than Gandhi and more laughs than humanly possible. Armed
with his own fully operational studio, as well as his own comedy
club, the businessman, producer, director, comedian and successful media
personality is a force to be feared, online or on the stage.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Def Noodles desire to right wrongs and
tell truths has made him some adversaries. That's ok, the ancient
Japanese samurai had a proverb: "An individual with no enemies is probably not respectable." The courage to say what's against mundane cultural
norms is a hallmark of any famous comedian or writer, from Lenny Bruce
to George Carlin to Richard Pryor to Dave Chapelle, today.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">With so many YouTube
channels dedicated to denigrating him you'd think he was some sort of
superhero going up against an evil online conglomerate with
only one power...filming themselves complaining about another, more
qualified person's hard work.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0TJRvK0qO_5tcOEqp8KDY-kfOExngQ4G_8zJbB8VFiRqr_qdjR3Opn-SxPDmwcXfTtWECBd8ZCxHyb7Nkn3JRLYxjyGdu8qVtMjjHwJEhEfJOmeotXmSOfRqWAkqSzvSYjOF0hPN9cJda8SiTD7-dUblkXbXDnUMx7bidrlJrDCwWFHn_Wd86PXPZg/s1566/IMG_1057.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1566" data-original-width="1242" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0TJRvK0qO_5tcOEqp8KDY-kfOExngQ4G_8zJbB8VFiRqr_qdjR3Opn-SxPDmwcXfTtWECBd8ZCxHyb7Nkn3JRLYxjyGdu8qVtMjjHwJEhEfJOmeotXmSOfRqWAkqSzvSYjOF0hPN9cJda8SiTD7-dUblkXbXDnUMx7bidrlJrDCwWFHn_Wd86PXPZg/w255-h311/IMG_1057.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>His club, his comedy, and the people who love it.</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">In a recent adventure Def Noodles
hosted a roast at his comedy club in downtown LA, right off of Sunset
Ave. where many legendary stand up comics got their start. While a
traditional comedy roast is supposed to be good fun, where nobody
loses their temper and silver tongues win, not violence, a man
somewhat unknown to the world calling himself Salvo Pancakes
(hereafter known as Mr. Pancakes) decided to try to ruin a fun night
out by trying to start a fight and create a scandal to gain
notoriety, similar to the dumbass that rushed Dave Chapelle months
ago and got so beat up he looked like he lost The Ultimate Fighting
Championship.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Violence is never cool in stand up
comedy, and The Slap, which is what comedians call what Will Smith
did to Chris Rock at the last Academy Awards, has made stand up
comics afraid to perform, especially females. Mr. Pancakes didn't
just act like a kichigai (it's a great Japanese word, perfect for
describing an egotistical narcissist that ruins the party, look it
up) for his fifteen seconds of online fame...the man ruined his
career and endangered the lives of women in the club, trying to start
a riot just because of an online argument that never needed to get
violent. I guess Mr. Pancakes isn't a feminist, aside from not being
fun to work with or funny to others. So what happened?</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVkf-6HK0NBI0Y16ZzAcpVJ-2k_WU2iqFnlnsODgQSqFEUpsMvU_DXaWvAs5MntCJNswia7NiZyCQnGmGvE5jvCygmPdBPJqUDlfn_8z-31JoTs0HRFGDNygZMY83PQGCaJKAn-Z18E2xqnJTonb7h6ERs5xfP75wXyE3wuqaau8zWfhiWyPlpyLLKg/s1561/IMG_1062.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1561" data-original-width="1242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVkf-6HK0NBI0Y16ZzAcpVJ-2k_WU2iqFnlnsODgQSqFEUpsMvU_DXaWvAs5MntCJNswia7NiZyCQnGmGvE5jvCygmPdBPJqUDlfn_8z-31JoTs0HRFGDNygZMY83PQGCaJKAn-Z18E2xqnJTonb7h6ERs5xfP75wXyE3wuqaau8zWfhiWyPlpyLLKg/s320/IMG_1062.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>How did Mr. Pancakes end up at your
show?</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">It's
a crazy story. I can't go into all of the details because it involves
a legal situation. Essentially, we did the first roast battle. People
online would chicken out. They would all talk a bunch of shit I would
invite them to come over and they would all find some excuse. We had
one person say, "I'm going! I'm going!" on Twitter space
and then I said I would pay for her ticket to come, and she said, "I
can't." So we did the first one. It was very successful. A lot
of fun to do. A lot of people really enjoyed it and came back for the
second one.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>The first Roast Battle was sold out,
right?</b></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles:
</b>Yeah, it sold out. The narrative on the internet is that I had
seven friends here. As far as tickets go we sold 38, 39 tickets, we
had all the plus ones and the guests, so it was about 50 people. For
the second Roast Battle we had 55 to 60 people. So the difference is
that we only had one camera angle on the first one because I had some
technical issues so we didn't really show the audience but there were
a lot of people in the building. The whole building was packed for the
second one.
</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">So how Pancakes
ended up at the second one is that as soon as I announced it...I
think I announced the second one after maybe a couple days after the
first. He reached out and said he really wanted to be in it, that he
would fly in from Ohio, which is where he's from...he essentially
invited himself. I was aware he was a troll who works for
people I'm suing. I thought it would be a good precedent to set for
other YouTubers.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>You wanted to give others a chance
to back up their words, and also give yourself a chance to do the
same.</b></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles:
</b>Yeah. I liked the idea of having somebody show up. This has never
been done before in the YouTube community. Comedy happens all the
time. On YouTube it's usually people talking shit behind a screen
protected by the anonymity or the difference between themselves. So I
thought it would be interesting to have that play out here and that's
how he (Mr. Pancakes) ended up getting invited. I was like, "Let's
have a YouTuber." I like helping out people. We help each other
out all the time out here.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>To his credit, he's being
courageous. You are pretty high up up there amongst the clouds with your career and
this guy is still on Earth, so you are being nice to reach down and
help this dude.</b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODZ0IpgZS-kn6fZv0ZTnttfkgratmw5jlKtYU5uoOZP2PQiNr3DVutSMKh9yG-HJNoUYBDGuc2ZFSHxBDYx02S-gqJ0byPailS3dsEpTvJVhFjIACwzbMXzs0I9pgAnCrmcSOkZihUkEmCvCKbXMTBi1_Fsy8jthtzj65xvA-ZjBY8z8xcshbexTQAw/s1247/IMG_1060.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1247" data-original-width="1242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODZ0IpgZS-kn6fZv0ZTnttfkgratmw5jlKtYU5uoOZP2PQiNr3DVutSMKh9yG-HJNoUYBDGuc2ZFSHxBDYx02S-gqJ0byPailS3dsEpTvJVhFjIACwzbMXzs0I9pgAnCrmcSOkZihUkEmCvCKbXMTBi1_Fsy8jthtzj65xvA-ZjBY8z8xcshbexTQAw/s320/IMG_1060.jpg" width="319" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Mr. Pancakes, being unhappy.</i></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b>Yeah, the entertainment business is not
really built for upward mobility. All of this I had to build myself.
I had to save the money and then surround myself with other people
who are even better at it than I am so we can do more, which is where
everyone else comes in. Everyone brings something to the table.</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">I like creating
culture. I think creating something fun and cool and funny is
ultimately the objective and incorporating YouTube as much as
possible because it's such an insular thing. What I get from a lot of
people is, "Why did you put up so much of of Pancakes shit?"
Because honestly I wanted to see where it would go because nothing
like this has ever been done in the YouTube community. You're getting
street comics, and YouTube drama from people used to trolling you in
a basement, putting it all together and seeing what happens.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Pancakes had the courage as a troll
to show up and do something. I admire that. It took balls.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b>100%.
As a comic I can appreciate the balls that it took. That's like,
first year comic shit, a lot of the stuff he did, being so
antagonistic, so in your face. I used to host open mics in New York
and I saw the same thing happen some guy walks in and he's with his
friends who think he's funny and he bombs. Those same people who are
funny in front of a group of friends cracking jokes can't handle it
onstage so they start bombing and panicking.</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">In one case I saw
this guy have a violent meltdown, take off his shirt and start flailing, trying
anything he can to be funny. That's first year comic shit. If Salvo
had any experience he'd know that he's essentially jeopardizing all
the comics around him, and endangering everybody around him, by doing
the shit that he is doing.</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Sure, he's getting
a specific audience of trolls to laugh because of the schadenfreude.
They are enjoying, "my downfall." "Yes! Dennis is
taking it!" And at what cost? There's no club in LA or New York
that would put up with that type of shit.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Also, when you listen to him and
look at him in the video of the roast the guy looks unhinged. He
looks angry. A roast is a bunch of guys making fun of each other.
It's not supposed to be serious. Mr. Pancakes looks like Wolverine
going into berserker mode and taking out half of the MCU.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Yeah,
honestly the way we handled it, outside of me pushing him when he
wouldn't get off the stage...if I could take it back, yeah, I shoulda
woulda coulda walk up onstage and kindly told the dude to sit down
and even if he got into my face like I did before he came onto the
show.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Was Mr. Pancakes angry and violent
with you before the show?</b></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles:
</b>He'd been trying really hard to break into the green room and
cause a scene. Two of my staff had to stop him. He was banging on
windows when he first got here. I didn't want to have him in the green room because he had
been antagonizing other comics. I didn't want to have a situation in
the green room get out of hand, I'd rather have it in a controlled
environment where we have three security guards instead of just one
back here.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>So he was already trying to create a
scene before he got pushed?</b></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles:
</b>100%. Exactly. He was walked off stage two or three times before
anyone walked out. He knew I was going to come out because the show
was starting. So he was looking for a reaction, and he definitely got
a reaction. He got his clip, he got his fight. He got pushed by Def
Noodles and all that . I would have done that differently. I think
that honestly, the whole night, considering the environment we had,
that we had 10 to 15 hecklers at one time...</p><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUQIX1dsWimBCwmuvDnoJWWuk3D5PN0gLJmn0u4taBQtquLCRt7X13DnfR6VuzwZ8-6Cl9A6YocrsDOsyf3Mef4ZTkdzTZ9neFKqnxkrR3WsWBbBLZ3y8GKbldNKigG-iZfdIofldXJ5-LmRXAIw0gwdOFoNbBK8TXPbjPxDUjoXHbhVA2KC0vRUJhg/s1242/IMG_1059.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="1242" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUQIX1dsWimBCwmuvDnoJWWuk3D5PN0gLJmn0u4taBQtquLCRt7X13DnfR6VuzwZ8-6Cl9A6YocrsDOsyf3Mef4ZTkdzTZ9neFKqnxkrR3WsWBbBLZ3y8GKbldNKigG-iZfdIofldXJ5-LmRXAIw0gwdOFoNbBK8TXPbjPxDUjoXHbhVA2KC0vRUJhg/s320/IMG_1059.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Def Noodles killing it at Flapper's.</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>You guys look like you are all
keeping calm.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b>Yes,
we handled it pretty well. I think Salvo is going to look back at
himself and be extremely embarrassed if he isn't yet. Unless he feels
absolutely no shame whatsoever or he's that gung ho about clout and
getting attention that he'll do anything for it. I do believe that at
some point he's going to look back and feel a deep sense of shame
because he didn't ruin the show for me, I just feel bad because
people came up to me who had also bought tickets for our next show
and said they couldn't enjoy the show because he was causing a scene
outside and screaming at people outside of the club after he got
kicked out.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>So Mr. Pancakes was going out
messing with the show after he was 86'd?</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b>Yeah, he got taken
out, and after that we wrapped up the show in about a minute after
we got our bearings back together. What he doesn't understand is that
there is a greater spectrum than the one he is insulated in who just
enjoy trolling. There's a greater community. What he did is fucked
up.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>What bothers me is
that in the videos where he talks about the roast Mr. Pancakes says,
"Ha! He fell into my trap! Def Noodles totally fell for what I
was going to do!" That tells you he is a guy that walked in with
an agenda.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>What people online need to
understand is that in the video, he is trying to destroy the world
around him. You guys are being very calm despite that. You're trying
to protect the world around you. A protector is under an incredible
amount of stress because you are worried about your people and
establishment while he's just shooting everything with a
flamethrower. When you pushed him you were just trying to protect the
show.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Yes.
That's not the narrative on the internet. The narrative is that I
assaulted him and he's some sort of victim, even though I've shown
how he, a dozen of his friends and some guy who created another show
essentially coordinated this attack, how they were literally trying
to incite a riot in my building, I got an email from the guy who paid
for Pancakes to fly out here tell me a week and half beforehand, "I
hope you have insurance, we are going to burn your place down."</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Wow. That's not cool.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">They
were making threats. They were going to have people faking seizures.
The first show we had three security guards work the show. This time
I had four and an EMS. It was still not working. I was advised to get
off duty LAPD cops to do it and prevent a SWAT raid. They still
couldn't handle the situation.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>It's more volatile because there are
a million people watching online and anything can make you look bad.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">This
is unprecedented too because we are filming it live online. Our first
show got banned on Twitch because somebody said something that was
against the terms of service. We had to figure out with the second
show how to have a delay in the stream to save my social media
account and not get banned.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">I thought his plan
was just to go up there and get me banned on my social media
accounts. He could go up there and yell a slur, or just hold a sign
that has a slur written on it. So I had to be able to censor the
stream, and the last thing you want to do with comics is interrupt
their flow. I'm literally running a television station that has a
delay, like they do for the Oscar's. I can't afford to lose my
platforms because of how volatile it has gotten.</p><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2aR5b2c_Tmb_iSaLH7aXXVpzNvpaY-mv7AJdAK9C8VPYXfj5Jcl1ncFpPaoKRXJICXDr0JSv0BcbZ7cbmyWsOsPqj3waYjogrO2UjDA10iNyGQNAnDCIfbUR7wIPSlDDi2w_AGJcMnlgfqSidRPs3i1jU8uNye3O0YeACBbG34nbKHnXLnlCoE4Y4YA/s2208/IMG_1077.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1242" data-original-width="2208" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2aR5b2c_Tmb_iSaLH7aXXVpzNvpaY-mv7AJdAK9C8VPYXfj5Jcl1ncFpPaoKRXJICXDr0JSv0BcbZ7cbmyWsOsPqj3waYjogrO2UjDA10iNyGQNAnDCIfbUR7wIPSlDDi2w_AGJcMnlgfqSidRPs3i1jU8uNye3O0YeACBbG34nbKHnXLnlCoE4Y4YA/s320/IMG_1077.PNG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Mr. Pancakes, shortly before he left the show.</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>If you could do it again, what would
you have done differently to handle Mr. Pancakes?</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
would have never let him in the building. If I had let him in the
building, I would have kicked him out earlier because he was already
causing destruction and bothering people. It was my curiosity. I
wanted to see the end of the situation instead of cutting it short
and thinking of what it could have been. That often bites me on the
ass.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>You are on the horns of a dilemma
too because if you don't let him on, you are a coward who is afraid
to face him one on one. So he gets to show up, destroy the place, and
to a person that doesn't know what's really going on you look like
you just kicked him out. Mr. Pancakes wanted to
blow the whole thing up.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">That
was a dilemma, too. Somebody highlighted that on Twitter. So it's
lose or lose. I got a lot of shit because we got to his part of the
show eventually, and there are a lot of people who didn't even watch
the whole show, so they just see him get onstage and get kicked out
immediately. No, the guy sat there for the whole duration of the
show, to the very end, and towards the end I was advised by people I
trust to not give him the mic.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">People
still loved the show. So did people online. So I decided to draw out
the suspense. Will I him give him he mic? So we could draw it out for
the people online and for the whole community. I asked the audience,
"Should I give him the mic?" Some people said, "Yes!"
Some said, "No!" I was going to give him the mic anyways. I
was just curious to see what he had. </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So I kept walking onstage and
getting heckled, and then I got a lull where I could talk, so I tried
to thank him for flying over, because I think that took a lot of
courage to fly out from Ohio, spend two nights in a
hotel...apparently he has a nine-to-five job, he has a wife and kids,
he seems like a person who has a full-fledged family and he gave all
that up to come here and cause this scene.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqZR6h3ndvdEL2m0tFhE8XmyVnBFFdDxxX_cfaskKl6zc3DM3Nye2Ozh6cWQaL6gObA924mNXM4oeBsvHn5H3s7X_PP-oc0u3K89IFxTe3J-W_f4I-trT_-n8Osb-S_y1YHST4gaKYIihruZxFZNK4KG7d3bLpVXdP64Ozumj2zOry1qrKK6uLT585Q/s2208/IMG_1076.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1242" data-original-width="2208" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqZR6h3ndvdEL2m0tFhE8XmyVnBFFdDxxX_cfaskKl6zc3DM3Nye2Ozh6cWQaL6gObA924mNXM4oeBsvHn5H3s7X_PP-oc0u3K89IFxTe3J-W_f4I-trT_-n8Osb-S_y1YHST4gaKYIihruZxFZNK4KG7d3bLpVXdP64Ozumj2zOry1qrKK6uLT585Q/s320/IMG_1076.PNG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>At the roast keeping cool while facing the fire. </i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>At least he looked you in the eye.
He's brave for doing that. He made the journey. A lot can go wrong on
a journey.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
respected him for doing that. Then I gave him the mic. His moment in
the sun. After everything he did...he completely chokes. And then he
says, "I'm not going to do any jokes, I'm not going to roast
you. I'm going to monologue for an hour." So he starts to yell,
"Fuck Def Noodles," and everything is chanting with him, so
I jump in and chant too, I don't give a fuck. Fuck me. Fuck everybody.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>You were rolling with the punch.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Then
he starts calling everyone who showed up before him a hack, just
disrespecting every other comedian that was onstage, which is an
asshole thing to do. He's not really a comic. He doesn't understand
what he is doing. Here's the irony. He calls everyone a hack and then
starts to make hack jokes, like calling me old, which is stuff that I
joke about.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">There was this
little scandal on the internet that my age was listed as being 37. My
agent listed me as being that young so I could get more jobs playing
younger roles.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>In your defense in Hollywood, it's
not your age, and the age you can play. That's what a lot of people
don't get. Everyone looks younger in Hollywood. You're not lying, you
are indicating the age you can play.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">So
ok, I'm old. He had his shot. He had 3-5 minutes. He starts getting
heckled and then turns to me like, "Are you going to do
something?" I'm like, "Bro, I've been heckled for 90
minutes. You can't take getting heckled for two?" Here's a taste
of your own medicine. Eventually security took the microphone away
and dragged him out. He caused a scene. That's all he wanted. To be
dragged out.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>In the video people can see he's
trying to peaceful noncompliance act when he raises his arms and just
drops on his ass like he's a protestor at a rally on the streets. The
problem is a person can't do that in a private establishment. That
shows his intent. The owner of a business can legally kick a person
out whenever they want. He's trying to act like a peaceful protestor
because he doesn't understand the law.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Like
I said, there's plenty of evidence if this ever goes to court. He
says he has a ruptured disc...I've had a ruptured disc once and
couldn't walk for a week and a half. I couldn't get out of bed. He
was running around for two hours after getting kicked out. I was
immediately unable to walk.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>It's obvious. If he was really
injured he would have gone to a hospital, gotten treatment from a
doctor, and then filed a police report.</b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvoDMnetNZzNkNmIZsCXYzxz8hn1TEx4JyUzC3yrQCZEHP7Y79ACpU_kl3Zyll0NXTksmmEyBoUgKJCGqv6Cz4yNKo4z7WPwO2SuVXG9DQD_CorqlMg7qZ4Zzjp7Q8fUgU-Q60q4xEHTH6adaCy8Fjbx_tywEDIst9HgqVEQk4LgG_z7BUv4hQ-N8buQ/s1251/IMG_1061.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1251" data-original-width="1242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvoDMnetNZzNkNmIZsCXYzxz8hn1TEx4JyUzC3yrQCZEHP7Y79ACpU_kl3Zyll0NXTksmmEyBoUgKJCGqv6Cz4yNKo4z7WPwO2SuVXG9DQD_CorqlMg7qZ4Zzjp7Q8fUgU-Q60q4xEHTH6adaCy8Fjbx_tywEDIst9HgqVEQk4LgG_z7BUv4hQ-N8buQ/s320/IMG_1061.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Mr. Pancakes complains, Def Noodles explains.</i></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">He
didn't file a police report. He didn't check in with any local
hospitals. He's just trying to have his 15 minutes of fame.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Yeah, if he's so busted up because
you hurt him so bad, why is he doing all of those interviews? That's
not a person in pain and agony, fighting for his life because of the
injuries. He's just trying to get bad publicity.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">100%.
Then he gets into his limo afterwards and says he's going to sue me,
and he's just joking around. I have footage of him walking away
perfectly right outside the club here. He stayed around for ten
minutes after the show was over, still bothering people, still
getting into vocal situations with people.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Honestly, I don't
know where that type of behavior leads you. There's not positive
outcome for that. I really believe that there's a cycle of karma.
When he's facing the same shit he's been doing to everybody it's
going to be bad. Karma is ruthless.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>In Hollywood, whether it's film or
theater you've gotta get along. He's basically telling every comedy
club producer, "I'm going to start a riot. I'm not going to get
along, I'm going to bust up your show and ruin it," based on
that video of the roast nobody is going to want to hire this guy.
He's proven that he's useless and cannot be trusted.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b>Somebody
like that can only exist on the internet. This little tiny bubble on
the internet that values this destructive behavior. That shit gets
old. There are a lot of people that have made their careers doing that
and they don't really last more than two years. There's always
somebody who does that shit better.</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">That's why it's
cooler to build communities, with cool, artistic shit happening to
try to empower people so you are building everybody up around you so
everybody is lifting each other up and then you have something cool
at the end that everybody can show up for, instead of, "I went
there for a day and destroyed it. That's my legacy." Can you
imagine that? You'd have to be tremendously unaware to think that's
good. There were people who came up to me afterwards who were
literally traumatized.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>The video of the roast looks like a
prison riot. It's not cool.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Exactly,
that's the memory he's leaving people with. There are people who did
enjoy the schadenfreude. They were super entertained. But that only
lasts so long, because if you are just destroying you aren't building
something up. You're not adding value.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>I agree. What breaks my heart is Mr.
Pancakes was so focused on hurting you, and look at the people he was
working with? There was some A+ talent on that stage. Steven Marcus
Releford has and all of those other comics have worked everywhere.
They are in films and on Netflix specials. This guy had a chance to
work with talent he never would have been able to work with. He
should have said, "Now is the time to get along." Instead
he's ruining a career he never really had. He wasted the opportunity.</b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpUSZea9ad0h3V1ZhLzq7WhNGfiJc8EKWMA67mzX2nsIBV3-O1P2pRyR1gPHU-GBqe8KH_Yx2aifpbTyz05hsizu_Gk9ag9ttNHFNJtIVWuUZXMyUrya0uXfPZe9C9YMGfHc3fUAg7LuKk88CUUeRL7U4VUC5Fy5zLI843loHQveVhKVXNE3Cztxq3dA/s1527/IMG_1074.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1527" data-original-width="1242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpUSZea9ad0h3V1ZhLzq7WhNGfiJc8EKWMA67mzX2nsIBV3-O1P2pRyR1gPHU-GBqe8KH_Yx2aifpbTyz05hsizu_Gk9ag9ttNHFNJtIVWuUZXMyUrya0uXfPZe9C9YMGfHc3fUAg7LuKk88CUUeRL7U4VUC5Fy5zLI843loHQveVhKVXNE3Cztxq3dA/s320/IMG_1074.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Setting the stage...literally.</i></div><p></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles:</b>
You are right. People are only seeing only the very beginning stages.
They are seeing just a baby that's three weeks old. By the time it's
5 or 10 it's going to be totally different. It's like a television
show. There are pilots that are shot on a shoestring budget. <i>The
Office</i> only shot six episodes and ended up being the longest running
comedy. In every season they got better, they got more writers, they
got better at everything, the coverage, the filming.</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">This is just the
beginning. When big companies approve comedies they greenlight a
dozen episodes because they know it will take a while for people to
understand the humor. So people shouldn't see the second roast and
think that's it. We are thinking two or three years down the line.
Everybody else is just looking at what just happened.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>You are trying to
grow roots for a community, for people who are poor and need the
money and the stage time. Mr. Pancakes isn't just bothering you, he is
burning down a community. He's the bad guy in every Disney film. He's
just one person trying to hurt everybody else.</b></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles:
</b>100%. We're trying to build a platform in a community that would
rather give a platform to sexual predators, right? It pisses me off because
I'm the face for all this, so it's like having a target on your back.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>People watching the roast should
really understand the bad position you were in. In the video Mr.
Pancakes looks very angry, his face is red, and you are all doing
your best to smile, look confident and keep the show going on.
Everybody else onstage was being a professional. You did your best.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b>It
was definitely a learning experience. I was never in a room that was
that hostile. With comedy shows there is an understanding that
everybody paid their ticket to be there and is there to be
entertained. But there was a large group of people who came and their
entertainment wasn't the show, their entertainment was disrupting
this show as much as possible.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzu6ZtJOnQrNE2G5k2Xi5eg0DBRUaT2uyib_oFZCGbPlvp2mgHNm_wD0GLZhTrxUjkuGgTw3n2UnVLPChkRLOShUZGR7D8W0i5uHxpYuA_xuLK33fXXFTKHwlGhlDbdnCyMkr0rG41sFtvhqXpO6sYsoWTU4Fj9R-rlck53gVAIQGeDFT6J1orqUDnQ/s1245/IMG_1058.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1245" data-original-width="1242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzu6ZtJOnQrNE2G5k2Xi5eg0DBRUaT2uyib_oFZCGbPlvp2mgHNm_wD0GLZhTrxUjkuGgTw3n2UnVLPChkRLOShUZGR7D8W0i5uHxpYuA_xuLK33fXXFTKHwlGhlDbdnCyMkr0rG41sFtvhqXpO6sYsoWTU4Fj9R-rlck53gVAIQGeDFT6J1orqUDnQ/s320/IMG_1058.jpg" width="319" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The mighty Los Angeles underground legend and celebrity comedian </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Steven Marcus Releford, </i><i>Dennis Feitosa and friends in the green room.</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>True.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b>That's
like some Twitter shit. That's gonna be a memory that I'll have
forever. There were a lot of comics that weren't really happy about
it and I had to apologize afterwards.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>He was like a terrorist with bombs
strapped to himself. If a person is willing to kill their career to
trash your show, and doesn't care about hurting the audience or other
performers, even Superman couldn't stop something that bad.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b>I
didn't expect it to go the way it did. We were talking about it
before. He really came here feeling emboldened with all the people
backing him up. If he just came here by himself it would have been
different. If he had came her with a neutral crowd or my crowd it
would have been different. I don't try to use my crowd against
people. That would be fucking terrible. Nobody would want to perform
here. Weaponizing my audience to attack people who come here...</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>You don't want to be a demagogue.
You want to be a host.</b></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Yeah, exactly. I'm
wondering, if he had come here by himself, would there have been a
different dynamic? Imagine if he's by himself without the 10-12
people supporting him who were yelling and chanting people with him.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Were those people planted here?</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Yeah,
they were plants. I have the facebook posts by this guy from Chicago,
his name is Mike, he runs a show called Red Bar, it's like a public
access show. He's built a career making fun of comedians. A lot of
comedians absolutely despise him and really don't like him. So he
paid for Salvo's plane tickets, he paid for him to stay here, he paid
for his limo, for his security guard and the fans who came over who
were all fans of his show Red Bar.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqvzTjnAFdM1JDYkB7aiMvyrtUYwYgngXlbBkg7CoJ_i8Cv8JTaOXF7a-oLFoFqy3WVEu6FkzCTX_o5rWe3tUKdULLRv6v5lu1bbNC57HdobhOzIJLz5uXH_e-ocCl71vn-V611eAUNKcdv0xRFGGzJUG1xh-6sQYGk-0QB-Rz4I2C5HDc95QUEer0w/s656/IMG_1073.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="369" data-original-width="656" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqvzTjnAFdM1JDYkB7aiMvyrtUYwYgngXlbBkg7CoJ_i8Cv8JTaOXF7a-oLFoFqy3WVEu6FkzCTX_o5rWe3tUKdULLRv6v5lu1bbNC57HdobhOzIJLz5uXH_e-ocCl71vn-V611eAUNKcdv0xRFGGzJUG1xh-6sQYGk-0QB-Rz4I2C5HDc95QUEer0w/s320/IMG_1073.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mike David, the anti-comedian, and his strange radio show, "Red Bar."</div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>That's how Mr. Pancakes got
assistance. He had a bunch of bots.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b>Yeah,
he got a bunch of people but it was Astroturf shit. What politicians
do to each other. They know there is going to be a rally, so they pay
somebody to heckle their opponent. They do that shit all the time,
it's just that nobody expects that to happen at a comedy show because
everyone else is there to be entertained.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Your detractors should also
understand that it's very difficult for anyone to keep their cool
with a dozen people heckling them. Even Mother Theresa would
eventually start flipping them off.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">It's
not even protected speech. It's what they call the heckler's veto.
It's yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theater. I could take
legal action against him for that. For a lot of free speech laws
there's a year long statute of limitation on it. I'd have to look
into it. I'm pretty sure he committed several crimes with what he
did. He said he intended to incite people. That's not protected
speech. You can't go inciting people to act that way.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Mr. Pancakes had no jokes. He was
just angry. People also have to remember this is after Will Smith
slapped Chris Rock at the Oscar's. Every comedian in LA I talk to is
afraid of someone walking up and attacking them for performing. They
don't want Mr. Pancakes at their show.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Is there anything else you'd like to
add?</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
know I got a lot of shit for pushing him. My conclusion is I had two
options. I should have either not pushed him or gone all in and
knocked him the fuck out.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Get sued. Go to jail. Fuck it,
that's punk rock. Not a good way to host a comedy club, though.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Honestly,
if I'm going to get accused of something I didn't do then I'm going
to do it. Moving forward I am never going to have a situation like
that. I want YouTubers to be a part of this because I think it's a
cool thing to have. I have to establish limitations. Sure, I'll lose
the public battle on social media because I'm kicking them out of the
show, but the integrity of the show is being preserved because people
get to see the show they paid for. So at this point I'm learning
which battles to choose.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32fXBj9e-NK_t1MqyU6K_lxWm3pwmvJRYbydysOznbScn8lnWa2aFbVHaGrUnSz6Gb6WwlMp8xagBlawVPUoOSP7hmgJq8V3wG2nQ_9FkZEaIOvnz73wmw_Z_aNJHpt7Rr4HNutXvIKS6GU8XM-Oh1s02JHs0GycxFquAVr9OOmSWPxEHj0OG8TCkZg/s1242/IMG_1075.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1234" data-original-width="1242" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32fXBj9e-NK_t1MqyU6K_lxWm3pwmvJRYbydysOznbScn8lnWa2aFbVHaGrUnSz6Gb6WwlMp8xagBlawVPUoOSP7hmgJq8V3wG2nQ_9FkZEaIOvnz73wmw_Z_aNJHpt7Rr4HNutXvIKS6GU8XM-Oh1s02JHs0GycxFquAVr9OOmSWPxEHj0OG8TCkZg/s320/IMG_1075.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Winning is easy if you're willing to work.</i></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>A roast is about having a good time,
being funny and constructive criticism. Mr. Pancakes wasn't there for
any of that. People who aren't at your level will try to bring you
down. It like crabs in a bucket.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">I've
learned that I'm a little too laid back sometimes. Honestly, I could
end up making this all into a movie. There were two times I had to
get off the stage because I needed a drink of water. I was sweating
buckets, it was like 120 degrees in Los Angeles. We had air
conditioning but there were too many bodies.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">The moment I
stepped out Pancakes started doing jokes about George Floyd to really
piss people off and get us banned. So when I stepped out there was
just this wave of negativity and all that anger, while back here (in
the green room) it was just chill, but it was like people witnessing
an automobile accident. So I'd step outside and just imagine a camera
on a dolly following me in and seeing all that. The guy said, on the
show, that he flew from Ohio to kill me. That's literally what he
said.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Author's Note: Mr.
Pancakes was not available for comment.</b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>You can find Def Noodles on YouTube right <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzztaOtjmaZoiLvWLagq7bg" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Check out his <a href="https://www.instagram.com/defnoodles/?hl=en" target="_blank">Instagram page</a>. It's fun and informative.</b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Don't forget to follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/defnoodles?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.</b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Def Noodles is also on facebook over <a href="https://www.facebook.com/defnoodles/" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><br /></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PUpfqRe8xKg" width="320" youtube-src-id="PUpfqRe8xKg"></iframe></div>Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-50792155657787202852022-06-15T16:24:00.016-07:002022-08-22T17:20:49.134-07:00"Y'ALL HAD TO BE HERE" PART II - Comedy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLZMM6uhHHehS94taRxDHr9vcxzvdHHqA9n7MpvaqXDN04fa9Lrvy923wTpWpkHR_1ps9n9jpo_qGBm1As--OFiQTpvUnPBWOMPSX-uyZS_cFVTvD-zvfElzuCK-4anUaLjP1jFnpGgmdYNrofIaXHrS0d7gSa-hDPOXLvRCUvWfrFNd_ZO80NBIgLw/s1551/IMG_9591.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1551" data-original-width="1242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLZMM6uhHHehS94taRxDHr9vcxzvdHHqA9n7MpvaqXDN04fa9Lrvy923wTpWpkHR_1ps9n9jpo_qGBm1As--OFiQTpvUnPBWOMPSX-uyZS_cFVTvD-zvfElzuCK-4anUaLjP1jFnpGgmdYNrofIaXHrS0d7gSa-hDPOXLvRCUvWfrFNd_ZO80NBIgLw/s320/IMG_9591.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>This is part II of an interview with
Steven Marcus Releford, Niles Abston and Johnny Mac, a few of the
brilliant minds behind "Y'ALL HAD TO BE HERE." For those
who missed their legendary, sold-out show last time, you have a new
opportunity to experience their multimedia music and comedy
extravaganza thanks to "Y'ALL HAD TO BE FREE'D" live at Bar
Lubitsch at 7702 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA on June 19<sup>th
</sup>at 8:30 PM. You can buy tickets for that show right <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/yall-had-to-be-here-juneteenth-edition-tickets-340219655147" target="_blank">here.</a></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>...</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Johnny Mac has a good point about
how social media has impacted stand up comedy.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Doing
stand up I was apprehensive about social media. "Why do I need
social media if I'm already out there doing stand up? That's not
where it's at!"</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>At least you had developed mad
skills at places like The Garage before focusing on social media.
Many people don't want to put in the work. Desmond Dekker was a
Jamaican musician and producer that helped create Bob Marley and The
Wailers. To sharpen them up into the perfect machine for playing live
music with no fear Dekker would have the band perform alone in
graveyards at midnight for the dead.</b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2F1bayBDpWRQrc57_is1sL_Ukh-O4ON2bkcGcNjVfugLARjp7sAltofdJa6VGzZ7eI79uWkgwyIpvcanukMEptrtX2cW_1YVIS09df7g7ajt4s7lgkwGW_Q_sy1GAnbY6_ZM0-r1m5bAqdB_DUkqKTbG6nTRHCKYq1Bd_PHzPZtIn6bvyk0fZNHWSfA/s289/876552016b0ba07309a9d759425cb32c--reggae-roots.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="236" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2F1bayBDpWRQrc57_is1sL_Ukh-O4ON2bkcGcNjVfugLARjp7sAltofdJa6VGzZ7eI79uWkgwyIpvcanukMEptrtX2cW_1YVIS09df7g7ajt4s7lgkwGW_Q_sy1GAnbY6_ZM0-r1m5bAqdB_DUkqKTbG6nTRHCKYq1Bd_PHzPZtIn6bvyk0fZNHWSfA/s1600/876552016b0ba07309a9d759425cb32c--reggae-roots.jpg" width="236" /><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The absolutely incredible Desmond Dekker.</i></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">That's
what an open mic is like. If you could perform for the dead then
having fifteen live people watching you is going to give you that
energy. That's what The Garage open mic was like. If you can perform
for people knocked out in their chairs drunk and asleep...</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>You know you're ready for the big
time.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">When
I was putting my Netflix special together, I knew that if my joke
made people chuckle at The Garage, than the same joke for one hundred
people who paid to see me will cause the roof to come off. That was
always my gauge, does it get laughs at The Garage mic? If it doesn't
I'm throwing it out.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">What you said
about Desmond Dekker making the band perform in the graveyard, if the
band can bring that much energy to a live crowd and they do well it
makes perfect sense. The Garage was our graveyard.</p><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2tSiFAYuAc0kpJuXJ7C22Y5fiXUVcEzjIFi6XIwavkTRWPO019F_dyGnky98jt3QJevygqOayCBIM8UJ51FSJjP75Qe231ashoH6r5X-0ZKGCB1Q4fxSE75vCGKTQa0yW1g8J-SqEfVtxlHE3eMigCnaq0ht_bsDTF4EzkHQMHTSztNXeB3gi9M6-kQ/s665/Bob-Marley-and-the-wailers.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="665" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2tSiFAYuAc0kpJuXJ7C22Y5fiXUVcEzjIFi6XIwavkTRWPO019F_dyGnky98jt3QJevygqOayCBIM8UJ51FSJjP75Qe231ashoH6r5X-0ZKGCB1Q4fxSE75vCGKTQa0yW1g8J-SqEfVtxlHE3eMigCnaq0ht_bsDTF4EzkHQMHTSztNXeB3gi9M6-kQ/s320/Bob-Marley-and-the-wailers.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Bob Marley and the Wailers.</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Plus, any Los Angeles stand up comic
performing live is going to be tougher because L.A. stand up comedy
is tough.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">You
have to want to be here to be here.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>It's a gift for the audience too
because all of you sharpened your acts at The Garage together, so now
you are bringing the finished product to the people paying you to
perform.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">There
is an element in this group that we have from performing shows
together for years. We've been running shows for a while. We've been
working the scene with feet on the ground so we know what's
happening.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">That's the energy
we got from The Garage. With our show we'll all be able to witness
the greats coming up. To have that osmosis between the people and us
is that energy in the name, "Y'ALL HAD TO BE HERE." Because
if you missed it you missed it, so now here it is, again.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQCXMkgSYFFta4knBL3nXHJAzbkqmJWF-CN_CHRyyxPQkyNlektnQwX-QcQ3uYwIAIrDKn6KRf4_X_m1qU0x54NvcXIEcMI17qeajURBeMRM5sIbnvjsOVKJXLz1qaMnE6jVEIlz83StefUMjJDza2WFkludDJBiNOTivPiD553ffJXPEWUbaTRYxxqw/s1555/IMG_9594.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1555" data-original-width="1241" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQCXMkgSYFFta4knBL3nXHJAzbkqmJWF-CN_CHRyyxPQkyNlektnQwX-QcQ3uYwIAIrDKn6KRf4_X_m1qU0x54NvcXIEcMI17qeajURBeMRM5sIbnvjsOVKJXLz1qaMnE6jVEIlz83StefUMjJDza2WFkludDJBiNOTivPiD553ffJXPEWUbaTRYxxqw/s320/IMG_9594.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Johnny, have you ever seen an LA
comic that's more focused on creating a character to play in a
Hollywood film, so they don't have real jokes, and then go out to New
York City only to fail because of that deficit?</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Johnny Mac: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">I've
never personally seen it but it is kind of a known thing in New York
City. It's a running joke in the scene. "I had an LA comic on my
show and..."</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston:</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
They had a lot of charisma.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Johnny Mac: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Exactly.
They were all personality and no jokes. Because in New York it's all
about the jokes.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">When
I moved there in 2019 I would always get the, "Are you sure you
are an LA comic?" I didn't know what that. They really don't
think we can write jokes out here because some people really went out
there and fucked that all up.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">There are killer
joke writers up on stage out here, it's just that some people went
out there before they were ready and fucked it up for the rest of us.
That's why I started Basement Fest as a way to chip away at that. I'd
bring comics out from LA for the festival and they'd kill in New
York, so it's not the truth.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>So LA can write jokes. I like how
you created Basement Fest to defeat the stereotype.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Johnny Mac: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Comedy
is performance plus writing. You are the actor and the writer. And in
LA you got a lot of actors who want to be comedians. They want to be
funny actors. Someone like Will Ferrell, he's hilarious, but we don't
know if he is a stand up comic. If someone wrote jokes for him
though, he would kill it.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7dtTuJDO5lgiuwZR5Ip6vT4GMXa_EgrEd5beiLjRbAMDPlPPQQBLmdFo4ebB9HkkEox7DghyAREjJCA0wKzQDg2MKHFN0UXF2FVrJhiWg_yOKCVCc3RJHryilGYWbhE67Neyd-B9Fk7l_heVrxTvNCJXxg37cDzlQO61JqzsuTAo6mSJ-MACR3y5AMA/s960/https___hypebeast.com_image_2022_04_will-ferrell-cast-in-greta-gerwig-barbie-film-000.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7dtTuJDO5lgiuwZR5Ip6vT4GMXa_EgrEd5beiLjRbAMDPlPPQQBLmdFo4ebB9HkkEox7DghyAREjJCA0wKzQDg2MKHFN0UXF2FVrJhiWg_yOKCVCc3RJHryilGYWbhE67Neyd-B9Fk7l_heVrxTvNCJXxg37cDzlQO61JqzsuTAo6mSJ-MACR3y5AMA/s320/https___hypebeast.com_image_2022_04_will-ferrell-cast-in-greta-gerwig-barbie-film-000.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The power and fury that is Will Ferrell.</i></div><div><br /></div>We write our jokes
and perform them. If you are a performer without the material, it
shows. The better writers seem to be better performers. You want to
have a balance. That's the best version. But if you can write comedy
and do it deadpan, that's the best comic. If you are very personable,
but have no joke or punch line, that's not a good comic.<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston:</b>
We see those people there. They will yell the punch line. They'll
change their voice into a British accent or they'll sing the punch line. Because they know that in their head there's a voice
that's saying their shit ain't funny. So they throw something extra
on it to try to make something else.</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">I've seen that all
the time. Why are you faking a British accent if you aren't British?
Why are you singing the punch line even though the joke is not about a
song. Oh, because you are not funny, and I'm talking about a specific
person, right now.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>You're talking about many. I've seen
a lot of comedians like that. For their punch line they'll use an
emotional, cartoon voice and transform into a different human being.
They'll use a radio disc jockey voice like they are doing a
commercial or suddenly screech their punch line and shock the audience
into laughing because of the cringe factor. They'll wave their arms
like a windsock puppet because they don't have a punch line or much of
a joke. People in mental institutions do that, so it seems funny.</b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9whlG8XixUn-_KG5uiQUPBa-khOsTUxvPRQxBffZvrLFTkbee7hSNvO-wdR-JJFMz4K9n6u8p_PouFiIsRxGSKi6RfJZFlOoxIFgCZJTsE-HBIuKPNaOvGhHxrQ4qyV_NfVCHys69a5_P--_cZD8stHcdgE_J8lol0rpQ3qTl9in-5BzQ3Rkly6ryA/s1564/IMG_9595.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1564" data-original-width="1242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9whlG8XixUn-_KG5uiQUPBa-khOsTUxvPRQxBffZvrLFTkbee7hSNvO-wdR-JJFMz4K9n6u8p_PouFiIsRxGSKi6RfJZFlOoxIFgCZJTsE-HBIuKPNaOvGhHxrQ4qyV_NfVCHys69a5_P--_cZD8stHcdgE_J8lol0rpQ3qTl9in-5BzQ3Rkly6ryA/s320/IMG_9595.jpg" width="254" /></a></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
know a lot of comedians that perform in their black voice. When they
are up there doing stand up, that's not how they are in real life.
They are trying to sound like a black person. You see a lot of white
people doing it. Trying to sound black.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">J</span><b>ohnny
Mac: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Growing up, most of my
favorite comics were black. I did my own voice.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
feel like stand up at large is kind of like the martial arts. LA has
The Way of the Crane. New York has The Way of the Monkey. So it's
like, if you pull back from it there are different styles, but there
is an overlap of what makes comedy, comedy.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>I believe that LA comics are under
great pressure to be a character that works on film, instead of a
stand up comic that performs on stage. Some great comedians would
just never look good on film.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford:</b>
My family was visiting the other day, and said, "Look at you.
There's nobody like you on Netflix." It's like I have to fit the
mainstream whatever so people will be like, "Ok, he goes into
that box." Black comedians go through that too. People assume
there are only three types of black comic archetypes.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston:</b>
"Is he a crazy one?" One of the biggest comedy archetypes is
what I call, "The Def Jam." It sounds crazy, but white
comedians expected us all to be like that. They didn't even want to
have Def Jam happen. That was invented by Russell Simmons and his
company. They presented it to HBO and it almost didn't get made
because they were trying to explain, like, that black comedy was
synonymous with hip hop because hip hop was popular at the time.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIlJAY-uqulrmDzEnbKGA-XAbA97iLlAFlOwreezL4-n9O-ICnZ1J0cG6wHGWl-MUb2h7ETCj8L6hgiRbnhDUL2aS5_1CQ42xctQro3ecmFr7mvcIOeZ6WNFFZ7FgABQdebP_wqXFrfcuq8_9SBK6VVGSdc8pMXAoq0QNRNkzLbEXV_RKtjSlato6mw/s500/51M1V9EpMtL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIlJAY-uqulrmDzEnbKGA-XAbA97iLlAFlOwreezL4-n9O-ICnZ1J0cG6wHGWl-MUb2h7ETCj8L6hgiRbnhDUL2aS5_1CQ42xctQro3ecmFr7mvcIOeZ6WNFFZ7FgABQdebP_wqXFrfcuq8_9SBK6VVGSdc8pMXAoq0QNRNkzLbEXV_RKtjSlato6mw/s320/51M1V9EpMtL.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">It was the 90's so
black comedy had to reflect that. They couldn't get black people to
watch comedy, but there were these underground spots like The
Peppermint Lounge live in New Jersey where you would go practice
there and end up on Def Jam. If you could kill with the black crowd
in New Jersey, you would end up on Def Jam and so that almost didn't
make it on TV.</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">And now 20-30
years later, you want black comedians that you almost didn't want
back then? So that means whatever the new wave is right now, you are
suppressing that, and it almost won't happen. Whatever we do in 2022
with our finished product, they are going to make black people do
that in 2040. That's just not going to work.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>What you are doing with your show is
a completely different art compared to Def Comedy Jam.</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span><b>With the current technology you'll also be able to present
the show to more people than comedians could 20-30 years ago. It can
be on YouTube, Hulu, Netflix...</b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkse2U1vPS6VljJkjWVvkQl8d5Lj2QfQgq6SWzyBg6iqwoc0HRkmdH6CdlXzOAUrR1dqZ6Eh8v_iNRIpOa9cpgtYajm82smfIvR5ciEStrxp5UugXZAzINoPFq-vEXVdAygjVaoM_vaKPoUwEprxqG5-vwdVwDMa7_FLWdWAXuVdFabKQZJChKY4_oYA/s612/gettyimages-147497571-612x612.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="612" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkse2U1vPS6VljJkjWVvkQl8d5Lj2QfQgq6SWzyBg6iqwoc0HRkmdH6CdlXzOAUrR1dqZ6Eh8v_iNRIpOa9cpgtYajm82smfIvR5ciEStrxp5UugXZAzINoPFq-vEXVdAygjVaoM_vaKPoUwEprxqG5-vwdVwDMa7_FLWdWAXuVdFabKQZJChKY4_oYA/s320/gettyimages-147497571-612x612.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Larry Byrd, killing it.</i></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b>I
kind of compare everything to NBA and basketball. Stand up comedy is
a lot like the NBA. Back in the 80's Larry Byrd was one of the best basketball guys ever. Everybody was freaking out because he was
making two or three threes a game. Now you got guys coming off the
bench that are making two or three threes a quarter because the
League realized three is more than two so lets just take more of
these shots.</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">So for a kid
growing up now they would watch a kid from the 90's would think it's
boring because they are only scoring 80 points. Now it's just, shoot
the three, shoot the three. The game has evolved. I feel like comedy
has evolved that same way. Most of the stand up comedians you know
have a podcast, edit the podcast on your own, direct on the side,
write scripts, do stand up, run shows, do all these things and we are
still expected to kill onstage like our predecessors.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Yes, that's right.</b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4zMxjwXslXgMfhdH7G9eNfDN94rOxSwASCraWHDLRngY2-bDo3OuVdI7JoyT9ADzL3uaefrr4HLCSyjDxU0X_BDI22ZWSd9GfA49C3sT9Efxy8objUZaxbaQe3yYfO9fM-vkdqqrruPPlbNAMrBYG15NPydCHIuLGZItCbneoQOhbUbRcZs7I6RItQ/s1200/chris-rock-ua-today-photo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4zMxjwXslXgMfhdH7G9eNfDN94rOxSwASCraWHDLRngY2-bDo3OuVdI7JoyT9ADzL3uaefrr4HLCSyjDxU0X_BDI22ZWSd9GfA49C3sT9Efxy8objUZaxbaQe3yYfO9fM-vkdqqrruPPlbNAMrBYG15NPydCHIuLGZItCbneoQOhbUbRcZs7I6RItQ/s320/chris-rock-ua-today-photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The unbeatable Chris Rock.</i></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
love Chris Rock. I love Dave Chappelle. I wouldn't be doing what I do
without them. But if you compare 26 year old Chris Rock or Chappelle
to 26 year old me, I would eat those motherfuckers alive because I
have to edit, I have to direct, I have to write. I have to do all
these different things they don't have to do, and I still have to do
stand up.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>The audience is also much more
demanding. They have heard it all before.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston:</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Exactly.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Oh
yeah. If we are all able to achieve what we've done now imagine how
high we will fly when we can delegate these tasks to others and have
that weight lifted off of us.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Johnny Mac: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">We
are training with weights, dude.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Marcus was talking to me earlier
about how just being his own manager takes away from the time he has
to write jokes and perform.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">You
gotta damn near be a company yourself.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8-gvliOjDcmTXtZIRd6BT6cvwFPByA6VjGbuzHy2su8FUpVYOP8Wa6LJn1hI7pjaT1iRwFicptzxuOCNFy258Ua0wY8Hlt3lZSRARoWZaKiQMNEqFn06DNya4LVDPh2XFAk83GL7uDMOEPK2Jg90uMKTwUWY9WazcqzGloEkNwl_lZdNpLu53Gv5zw/s314/IMG_9592.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="253" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8-gvliOjDcmTXtZIRd6BT6cvwFPByA6VjGbuzHy2su8FUpVYOP8Wa6LJn1hI7pjaT1iRwFicptzxuOCNFy258Ua0wY8Hlt3lZSRARoWZaKiQMNEqFn06DNya4LVDPh2XFAk83GL7uDMOEPK2Jg90uMKTwUWY9WazcqzGloEkNwl_lZdNpLu53Gv5zw/s1600/IMG_9592.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Its
also a testament to being black on the scene. You have to work ten
times harder and build that shit on your own.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston:</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
You can't just be good.</span> </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>We were talking about it before, and
what a lot of people don't understand about being African American in
Hollywood is that you do not have the same generational wealth that
white comedians and actors, mostly actors in Hollywood, have.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">We
could do a Top White Actors List. Look at all the kids that are
actors in Hollywood. They are all kids of white actors or executives.
The only kids we have like that is Jayden Smith and he sells water.
He doesn't even want to do that shit. He sells boxed water. He's like
Jesus. Will Smith raised Jesus. He's like this good person that tries
to help people, and then he makes music here and there. Every other
white kid like Jayden Smith is an actor or producer.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>It's also, look at the top studios
you think of when you think of the giants even now that affect
Hollywood. They are all white. And then you try to name a famous
black Hollywood studio. You can't.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Oh
yeah. And they can only make so many projects a year. How many black
kids growing up did you know that wanted to be a P.A. (production
assistant)? They are like, "PA? Is that Pennsylvania?" But
white kids will have families that get them to be a P.A. on a
project, and now they can just sit back and watch a big time director
do their job...</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6TF3T893vUwAQGDd4Z1KkOGGxkORKBEeQp-bzZ4OfS6JyiKqRUf9Hx6At7y_izugaTVvilJdrHcPIbEh1wqpL9nUsYI-aJXdNyxVi3O4XU-flsNvXYYt3W5g7MCs5EZRVcaUP1LjxC5ba5_34n93E4bd-YoQmBonHMKuuJ0HDhU9db1sbGbB_iuk7vQ/s1562/IMG_9624.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1562" data-original-width="1242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6TF3T893vUwAQGDd4Z1KkOGGxkORKBEeQp-bzZ4OfS6JyiKqRUf9Hx6At7y_izugaTVvilJdrHcPIbEh1wqpL9nUsYI-aJXdNyxVi3O4XU-flsNvXYYt3W5g7MCs5EZRVcaUP1LjxC5ba5_34n93E4bd-YoQmBonHMKuuJ0HDhU9db1sbGbB_iuk7vQ/s320/IMG_9624.jpg" width="254" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Sun R</i><i>ise the Divine from "Y'ALL HAD TO BE HERE."</i></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford:</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
And get paid $700 for a major fucking film.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston:</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
I'm finally going to get to watch a director do their thing because I
had to grind for seven years, to get hired on a TV show, write that
show, make it funny so I could see the words I wrote be directed.
That's how I managed to see a major director work. While some other
kid can just say, "I have an uncle that works here so I'm going
to go check that out." So you just look at the hurdles we have
to go through just to be around to see the stuff. Because you can't
be the shit you want to be unless you see it.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>It sucks because people tend to hang
out, by default, with other ethnicities they are apart of, whether
they are Armenians, Jewish or white, although LA and NYC are
more integrated. To make it in Hollywood an African American has to
hang out with those Hollywood industry, generational wealth Caucasians. That can be tough.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">That's
where the resources are at. There are people starving right now,
crossing deserts, looking for where the white people are at. "I
don't care where I end up, I'm bringing my baby where the white
people are at to find some food."</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>What bothers me about Hollywood is
that there are no African American Golden Era Hollywood studios going
back decades, but they are more than happy to profit from the African
American, gangster stereotype. Or any black stereotype.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>When I grew up, there'd be movies
with African Americans shooting people, and they'd be more than happy
to collect the money based on films like <i>Boyz in the Hood</i>, or <i>Menace 2 Society</i> exploiting the black gangster archetype.</b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfrEJRKw0fV5ewml8JQotTzBzrsREA79JVocKqk2qd-2_jOSXIIgTIQyX9iAJhCOHT7_WasOHKo-zd7UczUjT5WtENyBwah36gFh09RYgiQedXo3UtSH8hnnXmG36BDX8gARddqloEUFW8_rsmzMTVyLbAYLAoLNC11Chc5FFMr6AThMJTiGqXBrM_Ug/s450/s-l500.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="331" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfrEJRKw0fV5ewml8JQotTzBzrsREA79JVocKqk2qd-2_jOSXIIgTIQyX9iAJhCOHT7_WasOHKo-zd7UczUjT5WtENyBwah36gFh09RYgiQedXo3UtSH8hnnXmG36BDX8gARddqloEUFW8_rsmzMTVyLbAYLAoLNC11Chc5FFMr6AThMJTiGqXBrM_Ug/s320/s-l500.jpg" width="235" /></a></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Johnny Mac: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">They'll
even hire white writers to tell black stories. It's crazy.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>I understand how sometimes to tell a
story you have to have an outside perspective, but you still have to
represent that inside perspective without using a stereotype. Paul
Mooney, a great man, understood the black experience, and had to
explain to white people who aren't paying attention, especially
middle class white people, by being an ambassador without insulting
them when he wrote for <i>The Cosby Show</i>. </b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>He provided an example of a happy,
upper class black family to inspire others the way he could because
he was dealing with white Hollywood executives. Hollywood has gotten
better. <i>Reservation Dogs</i>, on Hulu, is doing a good job of
talking about Native Americans without resorting to stereotypes.</b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZiYmWBpmZUf0pNDisKV7kR4EE9zictcDC5u8W6PFVy8Ba-eJFTowisCn_Guv-L0_0SKEA0H92IwlN0hVr6X-tsXJjviSz1Fae3sx2O9w7AXH_mACnz2qUv9yj5G_mwBCvty5zE5c6gazqsJHBj-40Fi7HIdPZdlhaDGSXo0kkf_dw1scDEWoHrxJzUQ/s1260/MV5BOTZmYWIyYzctZTk1Ni00MGYwLTk4MjctNjMxNTdkNzc3MTM0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ@@._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="864" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZiYmWBpmZUf0pNDisKV7kR4EE9zictcDC5u8W6PFVy8Ba-eJFTowisCn_Guv-L0_0SKEA0H92IwlN0hVr6X-tsXJjviSz1Fae3sx2O9w7AXH_mACnz2qUv9yj5G_mwBCvty5zE5c6gazqsJHBj-40Fi7HIdPZdlhaDGSXo0kkf_dw1scDEWoHrxJzUQ/s320/MV5BOTZmYWIyYzctZTk1Ni00MGYwLTk4MjctNjMxNTdkNzc3MTM0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ@@._V1_.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b>FX is killing it. At the end of the day that is a Native American show with a Native American creator, Taika Waititi, directs a lot of episodes, but they had to package their culture, while there are some rich white people that are like, "Ok, fine." Meanwhile there has never been a show that is too white for TV. You never hear that. But you hear, "Too Asian for TV, too black for TV, too Mexican," because we have to make our experience palpable to them, first.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">When you look at <i>Atlanta </i>people think, "Wow, they are really talking about some shit black people don't get to talk about on TV." Here's the thing, you have to look at all the groundwork Donald Glover has done to make white people feel safe around him. Donald Glover is the safest bet for white people when it comes to a black guy. He's the black friend to white people.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">He can rap, he's handsome, he's talented, he's been in so many spaces like <i>30 Rock</i> and <i>Community</i> where he has collected all these white tokens in a way so that they say, "Yeah, we will let you make a TV show," and then, "Woah! That's not the show we wanted you to make...but it's making money." So he's been able to do what a black director hasn't been able to do on television because he has been so palpable to white people for so long.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yPZGda5oDXU" width="320" youtube-src-id="yPZGda5oDXU"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>
Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-5709033703638758272022-05-27T18:04:00.025-07:002022-07-12T17:49:52.081-07:00Stranger Things 3! - The Weird<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil8ePuMwFphHFhZCmgEURdpW1aj2SP7jJbo-CiwR-5ZwbkEBIh8kYn7L82Nqz9BtJ_UUajp4sfLgGcdYIvFjHmjO4M9BZKsETNTJgq5ZAWlLtmI8tiHgdUURAbpUKlCPYOXpXfGobV83td9rJTU9rgeqcWErqwBXRBPnHbYSq0SJVIJXLvf6Ylf-uhAg/s385/Stranger_Things_season_3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="260" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil8ePuMwFphHFhZCmgEURdpW1aj2SP7jJbo-CiwR-5ZwbkEBIh8kYn7L82Nqz9BtJ_UUajp4sfLgGcdYIvFjHmjO4M9BZKsETNTJgq5ZAWlLtmI8tiHgdUURAbpUKlCPYOXpXfGobV83td9rJTU9rgeqcWErqwBXRBPnHbYSq0SJVIJXLvf6Ylf-uhAg/s320/Stranger_Things_season_3.png" width="216" /></a></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">"Can you count, suckers? Because I say the future is ours...if you can count."</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">-Cyrus, <i>The Warriors</i></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><br /></i></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">"Camilla: You, sir, should unmask.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Stranger: Indeed? </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Camilla: Indeed it's time. We've all laid aside disguise but you. </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Stranger: I wear no mask. </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Camilla: (Terrified, aside to Cassilda) No mask? No mask!" </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">-<i>The King in Yellow</i>, Act 1, Scene 2. Robert W. Chambers</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">"Strange is the night where black stars rise, </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">and strange moons circle through the skies, </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">But stranger still is </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Lost Carcosa" </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">-"Cassilda's Song," <i>The King in Yellow</i>, Act 1, Scene 2. Robert W. Chambers</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">"My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">-<i>The Bible</i>, New International Version, Mark 5:9</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">"My fantasy </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">has turned to madness </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">And all my goodness </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">has turned to badness." </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">-Michael De Barres, "Obsession," Animotion</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><br /></b></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvb90iRol4eayydaD0OJXLjJDK5eomUyD9LGLMg9EL2LPebtii6WRBlsv5m8_ar030SY36Yl11h4ss_vrWopQmb9MeIFA0yoPg3c5OEZSuBn54JMAU13Q71vjL8kkGOy8hJloESqE0vRUbH-67-2n4p3ahjPWwncsJnxF4aBk2i4ob_ynYDmpXVE9Vg/s2560/81JOsKLEn9L.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1621" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvb90iRol4eayydaD0OJXLjJDK5eomUyD9LGLMg9EL2LPebtii6WRBlsv5m8_ar030SY36Yl11h4ss_vrWopQmb9MeIFA0yoPg3c5OEZSuBn54JMAU13Q71vjL8kkGOy8hJloESqE0vRUbH-67-2n4p3ahjPWwncsJnxF4aBk2i4ob_ynYDmpXVE9Vg/s320/81JOsKLEn9L.jpg" width="203" /></a></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">BEFORE WE REALLY BEGIN...</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">This is part one of an exploration into
the myths, conspiracy theories, horror films and occult concepts
behind <i>Stranger Things 3, </i><span style="font-style: normal;">the
hit Netflix horror/sci-fi show created by my favorite geniuses, The
Duffer Brothers</span>. To fully understand what the frack we are
about to discuss, you will want to read the first work discussing the
first <i>Stranger Things</i> <a href="http://www.jasentdavis.com/2016/10/the-monster-in-stranger-things-weird.html" target="_blank">right here</a>. After that, check out my
observations on <i>Stranger Things 2 </i><span style="font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.jasentdavis.com/2018/10/the-stranger-things-2-autopsy-weird.html" target="_blank">over here</a></span>. After that, follow me on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jasentdavis/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. Please. Thank you!</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">INTRODUCTION</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Just like you this writer watched
<i>Stranger Things 3</i> through one bloodshot, inebriated, very high
eyeball and decided the whole show had gone someplace else, far
beyond horror, into realms we saw in movies before during the 80's.
Action and science fiction are now part of the pastiche. Even
Dungeons & Dragons has been abandoned. It's all about being cool,
getting chicks and going to the mall. The Montauk Project seems to be
a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmo92qTW5b18riIxp6W2rMqGxlQ5SV5xdaU_R1KlE_PsTjyw9Mj7RvIz8bHVjaUt3zKIbaR2xC72hlWerNa7tMyRIM-TzvNEDWNgKAt3gtggGGAZP5PjwNKUaogFRzSIWOtnbBIF9AoiJbtfqTxbuIKrxJ3R5zk_rcuZX3IlmTWuR7qafQ24wnQEjYg/s2048/80a98d5238ba4f0aa59ba7bff5787528-superJumbo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="2048" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmo92qTW5b18riIxp6W2rMqGxlQ5SV5xdaU_R1KlE_PsTjyw9Mj7RvIz8bHVjaUt3zKIbaR2xC72hlWerNa7tMyRIM-TzvNEDWNgKAt3gtggGGAZP5PjwNKUaogFRzSIWOtnbBIF9AoiJbtfqTxbuIKrxJ3R5zk_rcuZX3IlmTWuR7qafQ24wnQEjYg/s320/80a98d5238ba4f0aa59ba7bff5787528-superJumbo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">CONFESSION</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So rather than break down <i>Stranger
Things 3</i> my writing time went to putting together a screenplay
for a science fiction horror flick about mind control called <i>The
Populace</i>. No, really! None of us can get away from the topic of
the show. We always return, as if programmed to do so. The script got
finished, and yet the conversation was still about Eleven and her
wacky friends. Here we are again.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The problem was, at first there seemed
to be nothing new I could tell you about the third season that wasn't
already discussed before in the previous work done on the website
discussing the show. You know about conspiracy theories like MKULTRA,
PROJECT STARGATE, THE MONTAUK PROJECT, THE PHILEDELPHIA EXPERIMENT,
tulpas, fallen angels and demons. You also already know about the
Dungeons & Dragons references. What can I say that will entertain
you, now?</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIroDHhOmU4R6ZfWv8RL8Yb6D5a0QLwroDupwCAs4zHx5Ho-SD03X2E3Vlikn_gKU0NaaxiRLsWWVaXSvDpsk2iVL6I9TX8bIU2_O7gi77YcWRDYuEB626-2omkwKvbOK1SnUGXysbhNHaalIeS704lfohZgLyR2FqA_V59QfAiQvDG1sTNU1ui-D4w/s720/MV5BMjIwNDEyNTE1Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNjkyMjM4NA@@._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="535" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIroDHhOmU4R6ZfWv8RL8Yb6D5a0QLwroDupwCAs4zHx5Ho-SD03X2E3Vlikn_gKU0NaaxiRLsWWVaXSvDpsk2iVL6I9TX8bIU2_O7gi77YcWRDYuEB626-2omkwKvbOK1SnUGXysbhNHaalIeS704lfohZgLyR2FqA_V59QfAiQvDG1sTNU1ui-D4w/s320/MV5BMjIwNDEyNTE1Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNjkyMjM4NA@@._V1_.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The Day the Earth Stood Still</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">MORE SCI-FI FOR YOU</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Surrealism began to creep in when I
realized that a lot of sci-fi really is horror. <i>The Day the Earth
Stood Still</i> is really just about the Greek myth of Talos and
automata, or the mythical horror story Jewish folklore has about the
golem. <i>The Terminator</i> is also about a golem. He's a killer
robot, a card from The Horror Tarot Stephen King talks about in his
masterpiece, <i>Danse Macabre</i>. <i>The Thing</i> is also a monster,
and that shows up later by the end of <i>Stranger Things 3</i>. The
living mind-controlled zombie men that show up controlled by the
strange dark fluids they injected into themselves. This goes back to
<i>The Stepford Wives</i>, which is also a sci-fi horror story.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9eI_PUZjao3mdEK6L-EDtzY-UHsW9VlFld7N5CfTr7m0UyL_4EVdk581UXWMt-Y6u6tDyn5MymLr4qMGsuCRs6V8RDzvGi8TKcvQktcHqpmOtaKxd-F8gqRVOyUCTrErP2Dzv8nZ33w3gium7bwWIzEgYyI4iiV64RDLc4g4uRqE6LTDmcck7IDvW2A/s3000/lf.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="1988" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9eI_PUZjao3mdEK6L-EDtzY-UHsW9VlFld7N5CfTr7m0UyL_4EVdk581UXWMt-Y6u6tDyn5MymLr4qMGsuCRs6V8RDzvGi8TKcvQktcHqpmOtaKxd-F8gqRVOyUCTrErP2Dzv8nZ33w3gium7bwWIzEgYyI4iiV64RDLc4g4uRqE6LTDmcck7IDvW2A/s320/lf.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>Stranger Things</i> is a sci-fi
horror story. So is the conspiracy behind The Montauk Project, the
government's exploration into alternate universes via time travel
tunnels, and the id monster summoned by the psychic that destroyed
the base and ended the experiment. The original conspiracy also dealt
with time tunnels and cracks in reality that scientists attempted to
explore, leading into alternate realities and very terrible places.
So if <i>Stranger Things 3</i> decides to add all those elements,
plus films from the 80's like <i>Fast Times at Ridgemont High </i><span style="font-style: normal;">and</span><i>
Die Hard</i>, and <i>Back to the Future</i> to the mix, who am I to
argue?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">GROWING OUT OF YOUR OWN MYTH</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The real problem I had decided whether
or not to write this intellectual excavation of <i>Stranger Things 3</i>
is because there really seemed to be nothing more to discuss. They
sort of dropped the Dungeons & Dragons references, because the
kids aren't paying attention to that. The show was now growing up,
like the children, and reinforcing it's own structure with references
to itself.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If The Duffer Brothers created a show
based on Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the same way they created a
show based on The Montauk Project, there'd only be so far we could go
once we described a female burglar sampling porridge created and
consumed by three bears. We can guess what's going to happen until
the bears show up. So you can understand how once the Soviet Union
showed up, built a secret base under a shopping mall, and now
everyone is referencing <i>Star Wars</i> (or <i>Raiders of the Lost
Ark</i>) by putting on uniforms and sneaking around a military
installation, I just lost interest. That wasn't a part of the
original conspiracy theory. Not my department.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If the original story of Goldilocks and
the Three Bears suddenly has a big brother, some penguins, a centaur,
talking trees and a bowl of clam chowder, it's going to be rather
hard to predict or discuss these new elements as they relate to the
original fairy tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The Duffer
Brothers did that with the original conspiracy theories behind their
work. There's so much more that was never a part of the conspiracy
theories that are now part of <i>Stranger Things 3</i>. Since that's
not my department, we are done. Nothing more to talk about, right?
Good bye!</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSH5mCjDsksOnT6l__PyZAHWtvA5hDs-30FO6jwKez76omQLicsk5aJbxDA1N2hcju_rum3pJmMzQkSOUdPnHTRcxoNpDpir0dx4MCRzNfqaBHF69Apa5WVuvWzb2b8SEfFynawxBLYr_dDQGM58dnfMV4_cLvVmpuk2mOcpX4Hs1IEz1TysP_EOdA6w/s1020/Didrachm_Phaistos_obverse_CdM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1020" data-original-width="1020" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSH5mCjDsksOnT6l__PyZAHWtvA5hDs-30FO6jwKez76omQLicsk5aJbxDA1N2hcju_rum3pJmMzQkSOUdPnHTRcxoNpDpir0dx4MCRzNfqaBHF69Apa5WVuvWzb2b8SEfFynawxBLYr_dDQGM58dnfMV4_cLvVmpuk2mOcpX4Hs1IEz1TysP_EOdA6w/s320/Didrachm_Phaistos_obverse_CdM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Talos, an automata (robot) from Greek mythology.</div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">THE MISSING THINK</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Ha ha ha, just kidding, there's
actually more to discuss because I fracked up! There are things I
missed while discussing <i>Stranger Things </i>and <i>Stranger
Things 2</i> that watching <i>3</i> again helped me remember. It's
actually embarrassing. The Duffer Brothers did more than reference The
Montauk Project, alien abductions and horror movies about psychic
powers. Other concepts are at work here, including deep parallels to
western European folklore about The Gentle Folk and Greek mythology.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>THE CHINA SYNDROME</i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">At the beginning of <i>3</i> the USSR
is attempting to blast a hole into the same underworld Eleven closed
at the end of <i>2.</i> The machine blows up, the tentacles emerging
from crevasse before it does, and the resulting electrical backlash
triggers the remaining detritus of the monsters from <i>Stranger
Things 2</i> to become a strange cloud that controls animals and then
people. It's also an infection, associated by electricity, that is
related to the weather, particularly thunderstorms. Why?</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2B_GDhlmuJR-YBpd6ayvG3WMtHG9f_bg1XNfB2Z-VG8xZS-qvVEQqDtx91xefmLH0MMogPOJSk_Xa9F-7rJTvYd2RhEXF6gzO1iVV0dAvd3HMWhGkAUTLlFK2uNFqHQ49ggzEKNtjfPHgWZuw5RvBhTSOEQWBL7RqC1dVrCIkHCNnKgA7K1_qxbF6Kg/s1100/MV5BZjU0OWRmMmEtZTkzNC00NjUyLWJkNzMtMjYxMWYyMzQ5NjQxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTExODYyNA@@._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="770" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2B_GDhlmuJR-YBpd6ayvG3WMtHG9f_bg1XNfB2Z-VG8xZS-qvVEQqDtx91xefmLH0MMogPOJSk_Xa9F-7rJTvYd2RhEXF6gzO1iVV0dAvd3HMWhGkAUTLlFK2uNFqHQ49ggzEKNtjfPHgWZuw5RvBhTSOEQWBL7RqC1dVrCIkHCNnKgA7K1_qxbF6Kg/s320/MV5BZjU0OWRmMmEtZTkzNC00NjUyLWJkNzMtMjYxMWYyMzQ5NjQxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTExODYyNA@@._V1_.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">This concept of The Cold War getting so
bad that an out of control corporation might do something that
triggers the destruction of the Earth, or at least a good part of it,
is very similar to <i>The China Syndrome</i>, a movie about what
happens when beating the USSR becomes so important we end up going
too far, with technology out of control. For instance, many
scientists believed that when the first atomic bomb was tested in New
Mexico it would cause all the oxygen in the atmosphere to ignite at
once, killing all life on Earth. That's a lot better than losing to
the Nazi's, so they tested the bomb anyways. The rest is history.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>FRIDAY THE 13<sup>th</sup> PART VII:
THE NEW BLOOD</i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If the thought of Jason Voorhees from
Crystal Lake walking around chopping people to death fills you with
awe, glee and wonder, than by all means check out this flick. It has
everything! Lighting brings Jason back to life! He's a zombie with a
weapon now, totally brought back to life just like <i>Frankenstein</i>.
Horror, sci-fi and electricity were really made for each other, huh?
Just like electricity is a big deal throughout <i>Stranger Things 3</i>.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Now, here's the confession. Eleven's
ability to use psychic powers is a total reference to this film.
There's a young girl who is telekinetic in this movie! No, really!
There's also no reason given why she has powers. She just does. The
telekinetic eventually fights Jason and it's totally badass. Like,
completely radical. Whey didn't I notice this when we talked about the
first <i>Stranger Things</i>? Gag me with a spoon! Seriously, check
out this film. Lot's of <i>Stranger Things</i> vibes to shake with.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3mScg5XKK1F9Y_y4hx71sogrUNkdWGzSy-PeFOsyOhJF9YuI_K8Tc7nMdJiNhCgAPq5XOyM3_z9ELqbXnxx4trke6K9Q2T2vnTchtBEDfrv_12uEpu1oytz2ugJBoWxAO945906rjDtdHGFTCl97vWZZYeptUTnPFZjVQmRurMaN42CJ-rH6y1Wb0sQ/s475/MV5BMjAyNDM5NDQ5NV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMDkxNjg4._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="264" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3mScg5XKK1F9Y_y4hx71sogrUNkdWGzSy-PeFOsyOhJF9YuI_K8Tc7nMdJiNhCgAPq5XOyM3_z9ELqbXnxx4trke6K9Q2T2vnTchtBEDfrv_12uEpu1oytz2ugJBoWxAO945906rjDtdHGFTCl97vWZZYeptUTnPFZjVQmRurMaN42CJ-rH6y1Wb0sQ/s320/MV5BMjAyNDM5NDQ5NV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMDkxNjg4._V1_.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">FALLING LIKE LIGHTNING</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The massive burst of lighting that
reanimates the remains of the monsters becomes a whirling cloud that
starts to control simple creatures, similar to how Dracula controls
rats, and then moves on to control humans by grabbing them with
tentacles. We were warned about this in the <i>Stranger Things 2</i>.
The Mind Flayer, as the children call it, tried to control Will. Now
it's controlling, and trying to control, everyone else.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The Duffer Brothers even give us a
conversation with this horrific, extradimensional evil, and it's
intent is pretty simple: conquest. Just like a disease, it wants to
consume your body until you are something, or someone, else. This
includes other free willed entities that die and become a monstrous
collective.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'm about to tell you a real life
horror story. Trust me, it's horrific as it is scientific! You may
want to skip down to the next part if you are faint of heart, have a
mind that is easily broken, or are eating a pastrami sandwich. Take a
deep breath. Brace yourself. It's about to get REAL.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.newscientist.com/people/henrietta-lacks/#:~:text=Henrietta%20Lacks%20was%20an%20African,first%20immortalised%20human%20cell%20line." style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="308" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipdH72FyQwrl8u199D7zZPMOJgr5zYrgRmZG4wn2WP5Sxq2V5o6AfYFl4Po1o1p_JKFi4yeWD6UvyLiXGI03ClKEHlmZZg9IK-OrmklqPr8ekGuNnX34gCA7S_gCSIKTUdz-o13WnjWcUnCmJ5UzJRcijdxLagd4ddUizKqffFgYr6vZhII7KMGb91GA/s320/1000706560-Library-Henrietta-Lacks.jpg" width="110" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Henrietta Lacks</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">CANCER...FOREVER!</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Long story real short (I'll provide you
with a link) there<a href="https://www.newscientist.com/people/henrietta-lacks/#:~:text=Henrietta%20Lacks%20was%20an%20African,first%20immortalised%20human%20cell%20line."> once was a woman that got cancer</a>. The doctors
studied it, but could not save her. She died. So far, so sad.
Except...she lives! Apparently her cancer had a strange genetic
mutation to it that meant it never died. Seriously. Worse yet, it
kept growing.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The scientists kept feeding the cancer
and giving samples to other scientist across the planet, who
apparently aren't smart enough to watch horror films and learn to
calm the frack down, until now the original sample is very, very big
indeed. Bigger than the lady it came from! Like...tons! Maybe not
tons, but dear Lord it's really big. Plus it's still alive, which is
enough to make an army of atheists believe in The Devil.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Check out this link if you want. My
point is that the body horror featured in <i>Stranger Things 3 </i>does
relate to real life. The poor woman was afflicted by a genetic error
that replicated, killed her, and lived on without her. It's still
alive, like the horrific genetic monster in the Netflix show we know
so well. A disease that controls the flesh, mutates it, and then
kills the host, living on without them as the flesh that died
creating it. Like The Mind Flayer, her cancer wanted to build. </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>THE GATE</i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>The Gate</i> is a movie about a rift
that opens to Hades, releasing little demons that try to murder
everybody. This movie even (spoiler alert) kills a kid! Woah! They
open the gate by doing the usual stupid things protagonists in horror
movies do to open a gate to Hades like in <i>Night of the Demons</i>.
Science always does that. Just ask Stephen King about <i>The Mist</i>.
Or the scientists who worked on The Manhattan Project. So quite
obviously<i> Stranger Things 2 </i>and<i> 3</i> reference this, just
like the first installment referenced alien abduction stories and
conspiracy theories.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_vwriFB7AfKGH0dAurmN56cyxrKy50MPQ-BJiP_JRwkwh_pwJu2Eqgi8GmvVOzjC2Wdh_hkYsDLzYmtvn6NZvrUwAJtb9PytRXyuaa1JJ6qlnD2y7djpVJq3NSLMF4ir5KoQxf9obPAVdmeOxPp6abLVADSwwSU0gZzNW2EahZJT08AsHLkSiLBCsA/s2753/MV5BMWU4ZmFlMDEtYjExNy00MmQ0LWFjYTUtNWMxNDg0ZjM0OGQxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2753" data-original-width="1767" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_vwriFB7AfKGH0dAurmN56cyxrKy50MPQ-BJiP_JRwkwh_pwJu2Eqgi8GmvVOzjC2Wdh_hkYsDLzYmtvn6NZvrUwAJtb9PytRXyuaa1JJ6qlnD2y7djpVJq3NSLMF4ir5KoQxf9obPAVdmeOxPp6abLVADSwwSU0gZzNW2EahZJT08AsHLkSiLBCsA/s320/MV5BMWU4ZmFlMDEtYjExNy00MmQ0LWFjYTUtNWMxNDg0ZjM0OGQxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">THE THEATER</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">A lot of attention is paid to the
opening sequence inside the theater with some of the kids. A tunnel
opens up in the film screen, broadcasting images into their little
heads, living as electricity becoming holograms in their heads. This
concept, that the film screen is a dimensional gateway into other
dimensions of understanding, is very Stanley Kubrick. <a href="http://collativelearning.com/">Just ask Rob Ager!</a> The Duffer Brothers, like many good directors, are also very
Kubrickian.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">THE BEGINNING MOVIE</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">This one baffles me. Sorry. A young
woman in a white room, obviously trapped. Kind of like Eleven was,
huh? Is this even a part of the zombie flick the movie says it is? I
don't think so. This, to me, is Eleven's dark side, The Demogorgon,
living on as an image that taunts her and those wacky kids across
film and television. The young woman certainly looks like an evil
Eleven. Or maybe it's a reference to Eve in Genesis and Sophia in
Gnosticism. A woman trapped by an evil god in a world of flesh and
sin. So The Mind Flayer is kind of like Demiurge.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8KeiHZh7_OYNplAWdgf3DEMhx1yluu3qCEmRcf7p8TlkW7dZle0XWmxsM1NP0ccs_G2UaaxGFmw4-XZevn207cCtAK_ucu_w-1eGvk1_3M67NGYxumfo5BVKzNF9NEVIFxQqh9rIEFuZ_IPvl3NTyPSXdv5W7MOke-0Znryq0PqShPuFycnlRqquiag/s1024/62-monolith-in-room1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="1024" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8KeiHZh7_OYNplAWdgf3DEMhx1yluu3qCEmRcf7p8TlkW7dZle0XWmxsM1NP0ccs_G2UaaxGFmw4-XZevn207cCtAK_ucu_w-1eGvk1_3M67NGYxumfo5BVKzNF9NEVIFxQqh9rIEFuZ_IPvl3NTyPSXdv5W7MOke-0Znryq0PqShPuFycnlRqquiag/s320/62-monolith-in-room1.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>2001, A Space Odyssey</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Which brings us back to Eleven, again.
Is she from the future, maybe? It would explain why the scientists
and soldiers trying to capture Eleven in the first <i>Stranger Things</i>
were killing people. Perhaps they were trying to prevent a paradox.
Does that mean the USSR military and scientists we keep seeing are
also from the future, or even the past? I'm not sure. Later on the
kids hide in a movie theater and a giant, flaming 11 appears on the
screen from the film <i>Back to the Future</i>. If you understand The
Duffer Brothers, you known by now that's not a coincidence.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOkwsmvIquyjfmzLu1wpatpuJWCjC-12idvhLZsrG47pMVGBPmShrDevRLN6Rk4qQYAJM8Ax69Q4ZbDe51Sxc1JQa273BSUYiezXScvNNh_aJBpPozrB01rBVUp6YVr-7wD1Zi1Jj-k1mvJiejjnIqn5sDQAFHho2ipziA9b_h0eDsqvkX3X5D5lq0rA/s450/emw1mc6jpol31.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="450" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOkwsmvIquyjfmzLu1wpatpuJWCjC-12idvhLZsrG47pMVGBPmShrDevRLN6Rk4qQYAJM8Ax69Q4ZbDe51Sxc1JQa273BSUYiezXScvNNh_aJBpPozrB01rBVUp6YVr-7wD1Zi1Jj-k1mvJiejjnIqn5sDQAFHho2ipziA9b_h0eDsqvkX3X5D5lq0rA/s320/emw1mc6jpol31.webp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Back to the Future</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">THE WILL TO CONTROL </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Have you noticed that the entire series
is about control? Eleven was controlled in the first one. The
laboratory shoved her into a room and made her obey. The second
series saw Will get controlled. The third is also about control. The
Sheriff tries to control Eleven by keeping her in a room in a cabin
in the woods and makes rules, telling her what to do. When another
character tries to investigate, she enters a room and is controlled
by the men.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Eleven controls the robots in the very
first episode. The Mind Flayer controls live humans. The adults try
to control the kids, and are controlled by their government agents.
Will is also a control freak, too. Did you notice that? Remember,
Will was possessed in the last season. He also had a tube from The
Upside Down (or Vale of Shadows) in his mouth throughout the last
half of the first season. Of all the people in this show, Will is
controlled the most.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-pi6pBIHWxpZ1nLHj2IAtvhR50Z_cNegBfr6UQ86xLOWglF67y04EptRaYHT4B8zyasbwdhzgzGLO19Jfa2HJ0CKWKmHDfCsow1-4Mdk-EozvJAVQrsQCHqXZxSWyxxJPdfmGkOpFPAtvcQSXIg77WRY2I6K1fvgp8GBN5jM1iIFA0qmhmBG_axIXg/s1200/https___cdn.cnn.com_cnnnext_dam_assets_190320094824-stranger-things-ssn-3-trailer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-pi6pBIHWxpZ1nLHj2IAtvhR50Z_cNegBfr6UQ86xLOWglF67y04EptRaYHT4B8zyasbwdhzgzGLO19Jfa2HJ0CKWKmHDfCsow1-4Mdk-EozvJAVQrsQCHqXZxSWyxxJPdfmGkOpFPAtvcQSXIg77WRY2I6K1fvgp8GBN5jM1iIFA0qmhmBG_axIXg/s320/https___cdn.cnn.com_cnnnext_dam_assets_190320094824-stranger-things-ssn-3-trailer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">When the Mind Flayer activates, because
of the USSR electrical experiment, it starts to control everything.
Rats and then humans. Will also does this. Throughout the first
episodes he's doing the same thing. Trying to get his friends to play
Dungeons & Dragons. He feels the sensation in the back of his
neck when there is strange weather, and in the theater. He's part of
the Mind Flayer, even though he's not possessed, and his personality
still reflects it.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I honestly spent the first episodes of
season 3 trying to figure out if Will was totally insane, or just a
typical hormonal teenager trying to figure out life. He just wants to
get his friends into a room and make them play his game. Like the
Mind Flayer, the government trying to control Eleven, or the Sheriff
trying to control her too, Will wants to control his friends and make
them live in his imaginary world.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Dungeons & Dragons is the ultimate
drug if a person is a control freak. A good Dungeon Master listens to
the players, creates an imaginary world where their opinions, hopes,
dreams and decisions matter, proceeding to reflect their freedoms
through visualizations created for entertainment purposes only. Its
like good comedy improv, "Yes, and..." where everyone is a
participant.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghS9RoO1rKerQCBSmuNEUzCdW4ZzFDMJWSEK-Q6gMkyRCmaanjrfyd7bE2GNxt1Is8Q9Eop4OcfotVGKFdwjLl0jq8EjozOH_ib1cLCJPXUBQkwkhlkHmFhfFozf7dYvvDs_Zj_FiHjVONiUbxBas1n1FT1JNZiH8kPvWliLq2Lb45M73hRyUofOq61Q/s856/_methode_times_prod_web_bin_4d7034bc-a49e-11e9-b7db-61a6074b49a3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="856" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghS9RoO1rKerQCBSmuNEUzCdW4ZzFDMJWSEK-Q6gMkyRCmaanjrfyd7bE2GNxt1Is8Q9Eop4OcfotVGKFdwjLl0jq8EjozOH_ib1cLCJPXUBQkwkhlkHmFhfFozf7dYvvDs_Zj_FiHjVONiUbxBas1n1FT1JNZiH8kPvWliLq2Lb45M73hRyUofOq61Q/s320/_methode_times_prod_web_bin_4d7034bc-a49e-11e9-b7db-61a6074b49a3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Trapped in a world inside his imagination.</div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">A bad Dungeon Master puts his players
into a box (you know, a dungeon) and controls them. The players must
play the game they are given. Their choices are preprogrammed. It's
an illusion of free will. As his players begin to make choices that
don't reflect the reality Will wants, he loses his temper. Later on,
he destroys the tree house because the agony of watching his friends
ditch a game for real life tortures him. It's as if being possessed
by the Mind Flayer reinforced something in him that needs to enslave
others, just like the disease itself.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">When you think about it, Will's plan to get everyone together helps out The Mind Flayer. Occupied by a game inside of their heads, locked in a room, they won't notice all Hades breaking loose in the town. They'll be too busy counting experience points instead of corpses. Will's redemption is when he realizes that fighting evil in real life is a true adventure.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">To be continued!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-o_7hJCdj3g" width="320" youtube-src-id="-o_7hJCdj3g"></iframe></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80057281">https://www.netflix.com/title/80057281</a></p>Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-47311827861999154312022-05-02T18:17:00.001-07:002022-05-02T18:44:16.708-07:00"Y'ALL HAD TO BE HERE" - Comedy<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjL53xNastQ5YMvFpZKslkyS8fReaKtP_xjsvqiQYfPDC6DWY_6dMFiLEYv93bf_cHSSbdahXzrNroj7XZSAJW_dx6sfcQFK9ePbENhLngK3fMR9GJJB9XfTLxkIbNWonIXVpzz5wlLPLO5_KCEw77OLXDkt8-G9czFy_q0qF4Oxab2pTRe9TWMmv-A/s1799/image0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1799" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjL53xNastQ5YMvFpZKslkyS8fReaKtP_xjsvqiQYfPDC6DWY_6dMFiLEYv93bf_cHSSbdahXzrNroj7XZSAJW_dx6sfcQFK9ePbENhLngK3fMR9GJJB9XfTLxkIbNWonIXVpzz5wlLPLO5_KCEw77OLXDkt8-G9czFy_q0qF4Oxab2pTRe9TWMmv-A/s320/image0.jpeg" width="256" /></a></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">This May 7<sup>th</sup> Y'ALL HAD TO BE
HERE will be performing live in Los Angeles, California featuring
Steven Marcus Releford, Niles Abston, Arthur Hamilton, Johnny Mac and
many others. With so many other live stand up comedy shows appearing
all over L.A. thanks to the end of the Covid-19 lockdowns, why go to
this one?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">More than just a podcast or improv
comedy show, Y'ALL HAD TO BE HERE is a hilarious ongoing
conversation between stand up veterans in the industry along with
live music by artists like Johnny Mac (who's also an incredible
comic), Just Vibes Collective and Deuce Flame. The audience is also
the star of the show as viewers become participants in an interactive
dialogue featuring prizes as well as laughs.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Already as popular with the Los Angeles
stand up comedy underground community as it is with the Hollywood
industry, this exclusive interview with Steven Marcus Releford, Niles
Abston and Johnny Mac is a deep discussion about Y'ALL HAD TO BE HERE
and an inside look at a brutal, merciless industry where the only the
funniest survive to be successful.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrpMM_fuhJpX2ElHa9VYaGG2SOJvs9I4rDY--TsVUd52fEOzuMEWoucAYeL3sz3DrHQKFM6S4fPnTPu5-CSVDLl_nKirXUfQ7atJGYFNXf6voxmK3q10tX9rg34mTUvZefb_M7FyiEYApwUY2mduekvvR4tFDEM--CAXKi7DrZRlO-wfcp11U3kFFRrg/s1799/image1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1799" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrpMM_fuhJpX2ElHa9VYaGG2SOJvs9I4rDY--TsVUd52fEOzuMEWoucAYeL3sz3DrHQKFM6S4fPnTPu5-CSVDLl_nKirXUfQ7atJGYFNXf6voxmK3q10tX9rg34mTUvZefb_M7FyiEYApwUY2mduekvvR4tFDEM--CAXKi7DrZRlO-wfcp11U3kFFRrg/s320/image1.jpeg" width="256" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The location, as you can see, has been determined.</i></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>What is Y'ALL HAD TO BE HERE about?
Why go see this show? Compared to others, why is your show so
special?</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b>It's
a variety show of epic proportions. We as a group, Just Vibe
Collective and others are good at a lot of different stuff so we've
always wanted to do something that brought all of that together. We
didn't want to do a run-of-the-mill stand up show...we can do that
anywhere...we didn't want to just do a music show. We're good at the
podcast thing as well so we wanted to pull those things together and
have a platform where are really funny friends can have a ball and do
their thing.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Where did the idea for the show come
from? Why is it called, "Y'ALL HAD TO BE HERE?"</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Johnny Mac:</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
A big part of it for me is letting people know who we really are when
the audience isn't there and the cameras aren't rolling. Whenever we
are hanging out we're constantly dying of laughter from cracking
jokes, so let's invite an audience to watch that happen. That's the
idea of the name, "Y'all Had to be Here." It's more of an
inside joke.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>So it's like hanging out in the
green room after a show?</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Yes.
It's essentially the green room on mushrooms. It's a comedy show on
drugs. In the best way. Like Niles said we are just combing all of
these elements we want to play around with including music and
comedy. We can already do a music or comedy show. Whey not make it a
live podcast in front of an audience? Each of us go up, do 7-10
minutes and highlight a special guest.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">This
is a special edition show so we got three guests.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Who else is in the lineup for the
live May 7<sup>th</sup> show aside from Arthur Hamilton and each of
you?</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">We
got a music open with Just Vibe Collective. Then we got a music close
with Deuce Flame. Then we're going to highlight three other comedians
that are really dope on the scene...Alice Hamilton, Kalea McNeill and
Nore Davis. It's fun as fuck. After the comedy we have a panel
discussion with the comedians we invite on the show and it's just an
impromptu, loose discussion with the audience and the guests. We
propose different questions. It's a fucking riot, man.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklmDKv5jwthBqHH_dcLSlgespSa2IsGc6Q446uXbIFig8186YbdD5ydamZek7hRTC3Pc50wFU-DfA6UZwSD4iE7TsmFOOatDSooxeqtall-zZMlGpacJvxsMCt9wXZO8xmeO6UJq__y25YnlKH_up9BNfCvL1qeXdQgL0w20ZpxP276FT0d30UmP14A/s1280/image4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1026" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklmDKv5jwthBqHH_dcLSlgespSa2IsGc6Q446uXbIFig8186YbdD5ydamZek7hRTC3Pc50wFU-DfA6UZwSD4iE7TsmFOOatDSooxeqtall-zZMlGpacJvxsMCt9wXZO8xmeO6UJq__y25YnlKH_up9BNfCvL1qeXdQgL0w20ZpxP276FT0d30UmP14A/s320/image4.jpeg" width="257" /></a></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">We
do a lot of interactive things like playing trivia with the audience
and giving out prizes. People love an inside look at things. There's
nothing else like it.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Johnny Mac:</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
The audience an ask questions too. They can be part of the
conversation.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford: </b>It's
not improv comedy in the traditional sense. A lot of it is
improvisational, though. The first time we did the show it was like
trying out a new hour long bit for all of us. Because of social media
it's just as valuable to show people what's going on behind the
scenes. It's just as valuable to people as what's going on in front.
That's how they are getting to know you, in a way. If you don't
witness it now, you are definitely going to hear about it later.</p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">There's also an
antiestablishment, PSYOPS, covert element with the title,
"Brokeflix." Netflix has been seen as this checkpoint or
finish line...as gatekeepers when it comes to stand up comedy. "We
have to get a Netflix special."</p><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaw9yvXJpzzk9J64Vg5ldd5uTFdE1-pLZHNvk_jbqaU2P2acJGQV0hOVLXz4_kp53fB18tru5wTsk35gLCdYJtOjrqjIHudouEYk9eqNsQoLx5_OjlA5MYmf0UT0HNQ89PRXR0Ahef7IBh9XBHlY287CqHeGyDytn-c_q6vOgtlhNm1Ylw-ojMcAC0Fg/s1280/image3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1026" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaw9yvXJpzzk9J64Vg5ldd5uTFdE1-pLZHNvk_jbqaU2P2acJGQV0hOVLXz4_kp53fB18tru5wTsk35gLCdYJtOjrqjIHudouEYk9eqNsQoLx5_OjlA5MYmf0UT0HNQ89PRXR0Ahef7IBh9XBHlY287CqHeGyDytn-c_q6vOgtlhNm1Ylw-ojMcAC0Fg/s320/image3.jpeg" width="257" /></a></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
am part of a Netflix comedy special coming up. Although I'm very
honored by Netflix, I'm more excited about something I own with my
friends because I pick who goes on, I know who is going to be on the
show, it's very integral to who I am and our friendship and
everything like that.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">It's also that
we're watching comedians we look up to who built their brand that
Netflix is paying to be a part of the festival. So that's something
we want to build up to and the only way you can do that is to do
something on your own outside of the system first. Because that way
you can dictate who you are because you already know and they can't
tell you what to do. So next year it will probably be a different
conversation.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">You
gotta make your own shit. If you build it they will come. Because
we've already ran around the scene to know that scratching at the
walls ain't going to help. Rubbing elbows, kissing ass, that ain't
the way. If they don't give you a spot, make a spot.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">When
I met these guys they were running a show outside of a cafe. You had
to battle a smoothie blender to tell your jokes. So do go from that
to trying to sell out our own show during the biggest comedy festival
ever. On Saturday nights we'd do shows at our friend's garage. It was
an L.A. staple in comedy before Covid. That's how I got good at stand
up.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBRcfGF-CdgyzlrZw60SlaaMg8xz1r0J8px_czVYxFeZxhPNCrzFndYZyHHsqDCWDDG_kXai9DKH-l2GaK6sczOTJtO1forKVJtd9sVnRO1OfJ874ByvZTinLy7DpHoujuW0rM5RLYzVIISLmUYMCNydnEvaLdKQMjNNJvZKGIACve6Z8TllhOOydQg/s1799/image5.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1799" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBRcfGF-CdgyzlrZw60SlaaMg8xz1r0J8px_czVYxFeZxhPNCrzFndYZyHHsqDCWDDG_kXai9DKH-l2GaK6sczOTJtO1forKVJtd9sVnRO1OfJ874ByvZTinLy7DpHoujuW0rM5RLYzVIISLmUYMCNydnEvaLdKQMjNNJvZKGIACve6Z8TllhOOydQg/s320/image5.jpeg" width="256" /></a></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>How'd you get to be a part of this,
Johnny?</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Johnny Mac:</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Kind of at the places he just named, The Garage Mic and the cafe. I
met Marcus the day I moved to L.A. We started doing spots together
and eventually we started running shows together. I started meeting
all these other comics on the scene like Niles. We would have shows
and put them on and they were doing shows and putting us on. We stuck
together. It's interesting seeing people come and go doing stand up.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>It breaks my heart.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Johnny Mac: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">So
over the years this squad became more solidified over time. First it
was different people all over and then by three or four years we had
a core group.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>That's quite an education! People go
through college for that long to get a degree.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Johnny Mac: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">It
really is like that.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Anyone
doing something outside of the traditional route you pray to God you
could get what you obtain with a four year degree. You have to spend
ten years in stand up comedy to make it a viable option. The scene
shifts and changes. We just kept grinding.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">There
was a period of time where the only way I got shows was because of
these guys.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
problem is the scene at large is not really built for it if stand up
is your dream. If you want to go on the road or do a special you
gotta do more than five minutes. The scene around here is not built
creatively to allow a comedian to spread their wings and build that
up.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston:</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Have you ever seen someone kill doing a five minute set? Then you go
somewhere else, see them do a longer set and think, "Wow, you're
not even the same person."</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford:</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
They're drowning!</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston:</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
I just did Arizona over last weekend, so I was doing twenty minutes
to thirty every night, and it's like the audience figures you out in
that longer set and gets to know you doing that. So unless you build
that muscle up, in my opinion, you're not a real stand up comedian,
you can just be funny for five minutes.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJTctEtXxa_N2Gki7zinkh-PbDoVItRh7HtnSgBJbmwxksR_nvzichtSffF8qUZyqGB7L0gL69Pp_afrSrgo0HMbt3C2Do4J_eBp77GxSJv1TbNN4GN5O9EEiwdvCnjkYynBfhRWSbmY3KmI6eFWdBNTolGWYS4ysVwtKgc6c0B-exZFK8jGDJ6Zw5Yg/s414/136114149_10224316892412880_3511172291645631436_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="414" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJTctEtXxa_N2Gki7zinkh-PbDoVItRh7HtnSgBJbmwxksR_nvzichtSffF8qUZyqGB7L0gL69Pp_afrSrgo0HMbt3C2Do4J_eBp77GxSJv1TbNN4GN5O9EEiwdvCnjkYynBfhRWSbmY3KmI6eFWdBNTolGWYS4ysVwtKgc6c0B-exZFK8jGDJ6Zw5Yg/s320/136114149_10224316892412880_3511172291645631436_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Niles Abston</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Johnny Mac: </b>Really,
what makes stand up great is that you have a strong voice. If you
have a strong five minute showcase set, that's great, but it's not
enough time to develop an actual voice. You have to stretch to
actually establish that.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Yes,
and what actually gets the audience involved and want to invest in
you and your disposition, that's only if they get to know what it is
by hearing you out. You have to be willing to find spaces to
cultivate that. It's the blueprint. If you are serious about doing
stand up comedy, and if you are good, you are better off doing your
own thing. Now, if you are whack, you will get ushered in. You get to
do bringer shows. That was the point of a lot of the shows we were
running. To give people time to have longer sets.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Name
me a comedian who went on a five minute tour.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">You
just basically introduced yourself. We're still in this late night
era. Everyone still thinks someone is going to see that five minutes
and give them an hour long special</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Johnny Mac: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">That's
old school mentality.</span><b> </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">During
the late night talk show era, five minutes could change your life.
That's not the case anymore. An hour can change your life.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
way pop culture and media has changed, being good at stand up isn't
important anymore. It's being popular. "Y'All Had to Be Here"
is something different to attract a large audience that maybe isn't
interested in stand up and wants to have a different experience.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>People like a variety show. The
format is always successful.</b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVnsql_L5FU59-UXHvKptkt2dL7BcS0LIc35P8afIBfpKG39oktcaom5WvV2UN97hiNRy8DWq5l6BcbHOwILHKUc8sUjIsDLp_wzwS76H3sDT-qDXvZC8bQHde_-R1ZeJTqQ1C8KozPLl06FzbC7DUQUkMdXpspNB6GtFuvjm2GpTRNz3ScoAZHFvcBw/s400/7qynC-jS_400x400.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVnsql_L5FU59-UXHvKptkt2dL7BcS0LIc35P8afIBfpKG39oktcaom5WvV2UN97hiNRy8DWq5l6BcbHOwILHKUc8sUjIsDLp_wzwS76H3sDT-qDXvZC8bQHde_-R1ZeJTqQ1C8KozPLl06FzbC7DUQUkMdXpspNB6GtFuvjm2GpTRNz3ScoAZHFvcBw/s320/7qynC-jS_400x400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Arthur Hamilton</i></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">It's
like watching a movie being written right in front of you. It's a
different experience.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford:</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
You're fully invited in the making of the movie. The audience is like
an instrument, we are up there playing and the show is the music
being made going back and forth. How they engage matters to us. The
laughter of the audience dictates the outcome of the film. It's a
much more participatory, inviting type of show.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Other
shows have already built a brand. Coachella is going to sell out no
matter who plays there. Beyonce headlined Coachella a few years ago.
It's an incredible show, it's on Netflix, right? The ticket sales
didn't go down because Beyonce wasn't on it the next year because
Coachella goes experience first, fan first, so it doesn't matter who
is on the stage, you are going to have a good time no matter what.
They've built that brand.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">That's what we are
doing with "Y'ALL HAD TO BE HERE." It doesn't matter what
venue they're at or if some big time headliners come to the show,
it's an experience for you tailored to you so we are going to have a
good time. I've been a part of some really good comedy shows, and
I've been a part of some shows where they treated the comedians
really bad, so I want this to be the antithesis of that.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Johnny Mac: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">I've
been freestyle rapping since before comedy. To me it's like hanging
out at lunch with your friends freestyle rapping, and it's just four
or five of you laughing. With this show it's a whole audience
laughing with us, making it that much bigger. Just Vibe Collective is
going to be a part of the show, and we are a group that plays off of
each other. We use instrumentals. We use anything we can find. Last
time I was beat boxing and Marcus had a highlighter he was hitting
against a wall while we were freestyling.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Lunch
table vibes.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHB9fZbebkk0prknvlG-NChu0fA1NJrR5kbkfWU4CWzE37diAWksNfPTz51JZLNy20WXvm051zVyH9ZzYzfPZRWHJWlxyZVTnWqzcYzIx2LJLgiMLoXuZmjlWu0A9h-bHGCT8Zobcp6Mv2qenz_ro7-d_vq5JW-scM7mbuSbVNSt0ubBurL5urFE7pWA/s1280/Kq_FYk--xAUyf-ae.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHB9fZbebkk0prknvlG-NChu0fA1NJrR5kbkfWU4CWzE37diAWksNfPTz51JZLNy20WXvm051zVyH9ZzYzfPZRWHJWlxyZVTnWqzcYzIx2LJLgiMLoXuZmjlWu0A9h-bHGCT8Zobcp6Mv2qenz_ro7-d_vq5JW-scM7mbuSbVNSt0ubBurL5urFE7pWA/s320/Kq_FYk--xAUyf-ae.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>"Y'ALL HAD TO BE HERE" live and in action.</i></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>A variety show is less boring
because each different act entertains a different part of a person's
brain so they are entertained more. It's not just a dozen of the same
stand up comedians in a row.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Yeah.
Instead of one thing on your plate you have more. With us there's a
freestyle element that you can't get from anyone else.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">With
this show it's like Thanksgiving. I can't do it so it's fun watching
them. I can barely freestyle comedy. I'm totally cool with playing
more of a Quincy Jones role when it comes to that kind of shit. I
love seeing it come together. That's why I love directing.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">I can see how it's
an energy that comes from spontaneity like improv comedy. The
audience loves seeing it even if the performer makes mistakes, like
watching a circus performer walk a tightrope.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Aside from Covid-19 shutdowns or
scheduling conflicts, what are some setbacks you've all faced when it
comes to keeping this show going?</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Losing
the venue, like we lost our last one at The Formosa. That's been the
worse. It's really the nature of any time you are running your own
show that's probably going to be the biggest issue. The problem was
we had was that after we made a deal to do the show there for a month
they reneged because they didn't like the demographic. After working
in that spot for ten months it was really just a slap in the face.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvakOqA3ofCde0MK-tulbWSClwzFfKwh9LJ-ovYpjF-p0nNZWKoHb5hISTr90FE5a5o3svg1YM4o6vscfNDUuKpBotrO79BZT61s89e8fibw1szK-qxj4uqiahW8iD_nW9me5Rlk7KyvNW5OvDXNqBFXpz2QX1oI0MvtCInFui7DEcUHkU7o3dxiRaHw/s400/eWNGo2i9_400x400.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvakOqA3ofCde0MK-tulbWSClwzFfKwh9LJ-ovYpjF-p0nNZWKoHb5hISTr90FE5a5o3svg1YM4o6vscfNDUuKpBotrO79BZT61s89e8fibw1szK-qxj4uqiahW8iD_nW9me5Rlk7KyvNW5OvDXNqBFXpz2QX1oI0MvtCInFui7DEcUHkU7o3dxiRaHw/s320/eWNGo2i9_400x400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Comedian and rapper Johnny Mac</i></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Like we talked about before the
interview, telling you that they didn't like the demographic sounds
like coded language.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Johnny Mac: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">A
lot of the audience were people coming to see our show. They were
buying food and people already dining would come in to see the show
and be a part of it, too. I don't know what they meant about saying
it wasn't their demographic because a lot of our audience were people
who were already customers eating at The Formosa.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">It
was a mixed audience.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Johnny Mac:</b>
We've had a lot of venues do that. They act like they are doing you a
favor, but we are doing them a favor. At some point a venue decides
it's them and forget that everything changed when we came in and then
they decide they don't need us.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston:</b>
It was definitely frustrating having that partnership and
relationship after ten months, especially thinking of all the money I
spent there as a customer alone. Because of us performing there, we
had bigger industry people showing up to watch. The CAA's of the
world. The WME's. The Comedy Central's. People from places like
Netflix. I taped a whole comedy special there and had a huge after
party on a Tuesday night. Who cares what kind of demographic it is if
they are spending money.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>I know people who were spending $250
a table going to watch your show.</b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZtZY8Cm0ZMIWfxzVTSbLwSuf7TXXFRh-_s10MxN-MWmyxGLqzwQaSJ_nDYWfiLNtm5Wa_rjjRXU61fr_CROYx4GtZDqE-oRvxUS8bnFtuTpxgovzu9AvZ88r_qFvR9a_Jwp5zyiomVHs8OX4l8cRw4yt8rP-stf1hIG3AAwSnViD0e1NAnrcg_wHNw/s400/5564301-1616897312477-0983cc80b297b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZtZY8Cm0ZMIWfxzVTSbLwSuf7TXXFRh-_s10MxN-MWmyxGLqzwQaSJ_nDYWfiLNtm5Wa_rjjRXU61fr_CROYx4GtZDqE-oRvxUS8bnFtuTpxgovzu9AvZ88r_qFvR9a_Jwp5zyiomVHs8OX4l8cRw4yt8rP-stf1hIG3AAwSnViD0e1NAnrcg_wHNw/s320/5564301-1616897312477-0983cc80b297b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Steven Marcus Releford</i></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">It
hasn't been mentioned enough, but Marcus made that place synonymous
with LA comedy. When comedians from other cities like New York are
contacting me to get a hold of him and do the show. This dude
basically made them famous around the country as a comedy spot.
People from other time zones were coming to spend money. He made a
national commercial for them.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>I noticed on nights were there was
no comedy that back area was totally empty. Looked like a storage
room.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston:</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
I used to take dates to The Formosa knowing that back area would be
empty if we weren't performing. You could brag and say, "Tomorrow
this room is going to be packed." Marcus set that up.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>A lot of people thought The Formosa
was gone for good. You put it back on the map and reminded people in
L.A. that it still existed.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abson: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">You
can't put a price on being cool.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">You
can't market cool unless black people are involved. White people
can't market cool. They can market empathy or sincerity, romance,
safety, shit like that.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">And
the white people that do market cool just hang around black people
and emulate them.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>And once black people have given
white people the cool...</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Oh
yeah, you can be done with me.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Rock and roll musicians stole from
African American blues artists, who helped invent modern rock and
roll.</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Elvis
Presley stole from black southern preachers.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeWePuTvs9sZpezaZU91nAT_GqEoJlwcq1joOEEdwZK-fEq1rUEXGVTAufNzKTVOPGyRCYokLn-ME5xYE-Bj2ju9y2yGNcK1syAbHiJt06D8zzQ0NzIs045bcj4PWX-9ZlJ9itoghlKLA7i-ZVZWFMZqHl-py580VIiuflZXbuYCyDELfX8FbCxfPSw/s1799/image7.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1799" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeWePuTvs9sZpezaZU91nAT_GqEoJlwcq1joOEEdwZK-fEq1rUEXGVTAufNzKTVOPGyRCYokLn-ME5xYE-Bj2ju9y2yGNcK1syAbHiJt06D8zzQ0NzIs045bcj4PWX-9ZlJ9itoghlKLA7i-ZVZWFMZqHl-py580VIiuflZXbuYCyDELfX8FbCxfPSw/s320/image7.jpeg" width="256" /></a></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>I heard that. What separates Los
Angeles stand up comedy from places like the Midwest or New York
City, New York? How are those scenes different than here?</b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Johnny Mac: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
think New York is more pure when it comes to stand up. People go
there to really do stand up. In L.A. there's always this underlying
urge to want to be famous. I want to be an actor. I wanna be known
for doing this thing. In New York it is, "I want to be as good
as I can at doing this thing." And that's naturally going to
change how you go about doing that artform.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Steven Marcus Releford: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
think that depends on the mentality that you have. I feel like I had
that mentality going in. I got good in silence. Nobody was paying
attention. The scene isn't good at cultivating upward mobility in new
comics.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">That's
the thing. You got good in silence. You probably never thought you
were going to be on TV anyway because of what you were talking about,
so you got good at it. That's why I'd go to The Garage.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Johnny Mac: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
better you are the more fun it is, so just get good at it.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Niles Abston: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">If
you are willing to spend Saturday night from 9 pm to 2 am playing in
a garage across the street from somebody putting a needle in your
arm, you want to be good at stand up. If your goal is to be an actor
or famous, you are not going to be in some garage working on jokes.
The people there were either degenerates, or wanted to be good at
stand up. You didn't see people trying to be famous on Instagram
there because The Garage was not going to help you do that.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Johnny Mac:</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Because of technology, social media and The Internet we are the first
generation that can take our picture and say, "I'm a stand up
comic." Nobody knows if they are good or not. Back in the day
you just did it, you went to the shows and then you ended up on TV.
The best of the best went on and that's why Johnny Carson's five
minutes really mattered. "He's a stand up, I saw him on TV,"
is now, "He's a stand up, I saw him on Instagram holding a
microphone."</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sgDu9gD1BNI" width="320" youtube-src-id="sgDu9gD1BNI"></iframe></div>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>You can buy tickets for Y'ALL HAD TO
BE HERE over at: </b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/yall-had-to-be-here-tickets-310166435157?aff=ebdsoporgprofile">https://www.eventbrite.com/e/yall-had-to-be-here-tickets-310166435157?aff=ebdsoporgprofile</a></b></p>Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-82223674117310545762022-02-08T16:43:00.004-08:002022-02-08T16:44:27.866-08:00Barbara Gray - Comedy<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAp8Ix5r2I9TAZrrad55GBxMxOHlGxxrKXZk7rihFM0lFBd3qJNcAGspxelKmfLup3VNk6oRcwQhDVHyWNiMUn54FvxOTb-NUciH9_UfuIy_3aghefbDYKYbjwo7sBo4fGwfdqgXS0QIHDFUQWXrC3UwRbajDWa2HBzJASn89g2rKEGxzw7FhGM7KAdw=s600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAp8Ix5r2I9TAZrrad55GBxMxOHlGxxrKXZk7rihFM0lFBd3qJNcAGspxelKmfLup3VNk6oRcwQhDVHyWNiMUn54FvxOTb-NUciH9_UfuIy_3aghefbDYKYbjwo7sBo4fGwfdqgXS0QIHDFUQWXrC3UwRbajDWa2HBzJASn89g2rKEGxzw7FhGM7KAdw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">One of the most intelligent, hard-working, funniest professional stand up comics working in Los Angeles, California. That's Barbara Gray. She's written the perfect Hollywood stand up comic joke. It's about surviving a break up and going out on a new date at a local restaurant. It also reveals a personality to the audience any casting director would love to see in film. I won't give her joke away...you'll have to find it yourself...just trust me. It's a funny story that combines genius, heart, soul, talent, character and comedic logic into one single ICBM of a joke. Any stand up comic who wants to make it in Los Angeles should study her career with admiration and wonder. I enjoy interviewing comedians. It's an honor to contribute to their success.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIXcoEmxRBK5hSlOjjjTcTEcc_3HnVEbLRp4ScHpqrUglqjlGcSLZ5_Teu5K2u772VKGFpOoo203Cbz7oWAFbBfFoqzphn0V_aAxyWiISPqU8r29zmOOEBg4zX2DzUxJbPv68FltZOt9MfbqP8nhUrno6xfr-qSF07h1vPzx7Bpbginmhv3IUpHZi_Hg=s1500" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIXcoEmxRBK5hSlOjjjTcTEcc_3HnVEbLRp4ScHpqrUglqjlGcSLZ5_Teu5K2u772VKGFpOoo203Cbz7oWAFbBfFoqzphn0V_aAxyWiISPqU8r29zmOOEBg4zX2DzUxJbPv68FltZOt9MfbqP8nhUrno6xfr-qSF07h1vPzx7Bpbginmhv3IUpHZi_Hg=s320" width="213" /></a></div><p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Barbara Gray started doing stand-up
comedy in Los Angeles back in 2008, shortly after studying film at
the University of Utah. “I was obsessed with comedy. I wanted to be
in L.A. and do it. I threw myself into the scene doing improv at the
Upright Citizens Brigade.” After performing stand-up at a local
open mic, she was hooked. “I completely went headfirst into doing
stand up and have been doing it every day since then.”</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Gray has been performing for audiences
throughout her life. “I had done a lot of theater growing up. I
have an incessant need for attention. As I get older I realize how
much attention I need to survive. I used to feel bad about it, but it
is who I am.” Why does she do stand-up comedy? ”It just felt
right the first time I did it. I was meant to do it. It is cheesy but
making people laugh is incredible. It is a weird, physiological
response that tickles your brain. I love getting this weird noise out
of their body. It is amazing to be able to do that without touching
them physically.”</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWztL0VHI_70ohXdU1tXgNZwFw1buLCq_VP_Wg0MUl_v_rKR19e5x-s6FRbGxB_Dntcs4BZxz13LOyzcUxsnuPzI5lhcOM7cVtl2LLxv-Urbc1GH2SnoQ5nKKmQN54J2ZIKnPStcs5XHtfF-jT4RaGeGsTQdTmKeBZ4NCLIOO7YV0skXjdU6TUjBAPHw=s500" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWztL0VHI_70ohXdU1tXgNZwFw1buLCq_VP_Wg0MUl_v_rKR19e5x-s6FRbGxB_Dntcs4BZxz13LOyzcUxsnuPzI5lhcOM7cVtl2LLxv-Urbc1GH2SnoQ5nKKmQN54J2ZIKnPStcs5XHtfF-jT4RaGeGsTQdTmKeBZ4NCLIOO7YV0skXjdU6TUjBAPHw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The young, gorgeous comedian has
already appeared on critically acclaimed shows like Viceland’s
“Flophouse”, Hulu’s “Coming to the Stage”, Comedy Central’s
“Deadliest Chef” and has been a writer for the hit show, “Billy
on the Show.” Success has been sweet, but for Gray the real award
is getting better at making people laugh.” I feel like I’m
getting better. I’m pushing into the next phase. I’m willing to
go up there and just see how it comes out. I can go up onstage and
trust myself. I can talk about anything. I am getting good at comedy
and that is its own reward.”</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>Sauce</i> is a stand-up comedy show
organized by Gray featuring cutting-edge comics performing in the
back room of a real-life pizzeria, every Friday night at 8pm. “I
really feel special to have that show with my friends.” One of her
friends discovered the place and told Gray about the opportunity to
host a show there. “They had not even been open a year yet.”
DeSano’s Pizza, located at 4959 Santa Monica Boulevard, was a
perfect venue for the group. ”The owner seemed interested in us
bringing new business. The pizza is really great, I have it every
week!”</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7gjUED-HK2VrNto_udyn0ciWD6MAud9czM_L57iPbBp5LqX92qWlJSYBCNv6cLGHtedWo03TvMKLS65BCRK9Fga2j3RXgTTjHbAdtJk1dpFMQmHTluFLe8W0PfZ6mG3BIvvS6352JzePBi5SJhRv1HbUKf4iK230NCvGZmc4erMLSVz9JBYZXD7j4hQ=s2333" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2333" data-original-width="1717" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7gjUED-HK2VrNto_udyn0ciWD6MAud9czM_L57iPbBp5LqX92qWlJSYBCNv6cLGHtedWo03TvMKLS65BCRK9Fga2j3RXgTTjHbAdtJk1dpFMQmHTluFLe8W0PfZ6mG3BIvvS6352JzePBi5SJhRv1HbUKf4iK230NCvGZmc4erMLSVz9JBYZXD7j4hQ=s320" width="236" /></a></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>Lady to Lady</i> is a podcast
featuring Tess Barker and Brandie Posey, two friends and comedians
that have been performing longer than Gray. She describes the show
as, “Pee-Wee Herman mixed with <i>The View</i> and David Lynch.”
“The podcast has taken off,” she says. “We’ve been doing
stuff with Comedy Central.” The three comedians bring on a guest,
usually a woman but men have been on to, who are usually performers
like musicians and other stand-up comics. “The live show is a
parody of a talk show. We’ve even hired a real Oprah impersonator
to take over the show,” Gray says.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">While she has had fun with cannabis,
Gray warns that self-control is the best policy. “I used to be a
big stoner, but it turned on me at some point. I had to pull back a
lot. It kind of gave me panic attacks. You have to be careful with
it.” She’s glad that the medicinal plant is becoming legal in
more states throughout the country, because she’s met people with
genuine ailments who have benefitted from its use. “There are so
many people who need it,” she says.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Her website: <a href="http://www.myjokesareuphere.com">www.myjokesareuphere.com</a></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The podcast: <a href="http://www.ladytoladycomedy.com">www.ladytoladycomedy.com</a></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">FunnyorDie: <a href="http://www.funnyordie/babsgray">www.funnyordie/babsgray</a></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/babsgray">www.twitter.com/babsgray</a></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/babs_gray/?hl=en">https://www.instagram.com/babs_gray/?hl=en</a></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/c9TgYaeHLcM" width="320" youtube-src-id="c9TgYaeHLcM"></iframe></div>Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-74187638811034275822021-12-31T09:43:00.022-08:002022-06-23T08:55:26.633-07:00Die Hard/The Destroyer - Film<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-VTPwjMfhh2ZAmUm2iUMPRM2E80TfdOCFfQ2Ay_-FLp_GKV8yS-cccX8d_sXF-veOwXlY6qqKPfxvEdc0ieZCCGVdXde4HGFSWhEBpCBloit44Qem0cKgefbZUBKZ7k3r5WkJ1moeD9fHKRM468z-FjJicKwY_kM7jPiYtDdjwJe0Hn91ypgAesXalw=s1501" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1501" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-VTPwjMfhh2ZAmUm2iUMPRM2E80TfdOCFfQ2Ay_-FLp_GKV8yS-cccX8d_sXF-veOwXlY6qqKPfxvEdc0ieZCCGVdXde4HGFSWhEBpCBloit44Qem0cKgefbZUBKZ7k3r5WkJ1moeD9fHKRM468z-FjJicKwY_kM7jPiYtDdjwJe0Hn91ypgAesXalw=s320" width="213" /></a></div><p></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">MERRY CHRISTMAS!</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Everyone loves Christmas. It is a time
to be with family, appreciate friends, buy gifts for loved ones and,
of course, watch one of the most important Christmas films of all
time, <i>Die Hard</i>. Most people have missed some important features in
this beloved holiday classic, and because I'm as high as funk on The
Christmas Spirit it is the perfect moment to tell you these things,
for the benefit of future generations.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkNp_Cndka2XNQWh6VAEHFC6AfWN7ROAjCV_rhy73A1YP2CNfdS9MY0ac3LuOQbadnm76MDYx6mtmajuAbYnCZ1hlefZpjDsfSH4kFYMfsd7kWRpRpCOMzy7Ch6mmfmxZeVpvyyfPtvb0JIDB9MY_1T4ImH8pluQsHHbOUkr98bob__w0jHyrNVGS7_g=s2400" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkNp_Cndka2XNQWh6VAEHFC6AfWN7ROAjCV_rhy73A1YP2CNfdS9MY0ac3LuOQbadnm76MDYx6mtmajuAbYnCZ1hlefZpjDsfSH4kFYMfsd7kWRpRpCOMzy7Ch6mmfmxZeVpvyyfPtvb0JIDB9MY_1T4ImH8pluQsHHbOUkr98bob__w0jHyrNVGS7_g=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>"The Christmas Spirit" costs $150 an ounce, by the way.</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Sure, there are other Christmas films
to watch. <i>Elf</i>. <i>Miracle on 34<sup>th</sup> Street</i>. <i>White Christmas</i>.
<i>Black Christmas</i>. <i>Argyle Christmas</i> (it's the Irish version of <i>Black
Christmas</i> except the villain is a Red Cap), <i>Scrooged</i>. <i>It's a
Wonderful Life</i>. So why is <i>Die Hard</i> also a Christmas film? Simple. It
takes place near Christmas. The Nakotomi Plaza is having a Christmas
party. When that one evil hacker finally opens the Nakotomi Plaza
safe, Christmas music plays and he even says, "Merry Christmas."
Bruce Willis, as McClane, defeats Snape with holiday wrapping paper.
They even play that Christmas song by Run D.M.C.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiki6Z2wsDBCqgoN9aNMAP8A1O-TwS8tDGPdGYKE-LHeZqjB_ktcKo7Ts_d986VIwD9OIUl8GUkA6IQKDpB71JgF7qb_eFiFL35Bp-XeBgk1coSAraiU-hFaVD8ZVW6U-ILIUDezLlIO-bfRbhQsU9dSHmfmH8pU5GOOq7iOfEQNln-TMV3pO20s0oiyg=s316" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="316" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiki6Z2wsDBCqgoN9aNMAP8A1O-TwS8tDGPdGYKE-LHeZqjB_ktcKo7Ts_d986VIwD9OIUl8GUkA6IQKDpB71JgF7qb_eFiFL35Bp-XeBgk1coSAraiU-hFaVD8ZVW6U-ILIUDezLlIO-bfRbhQsU9dSHmfmH8pU5GOOq7iOfEQNln-TMV3pO20s0oiyg" width="316" /></a></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Moving right along, <i>Die Hard</i> has some
pretty amazing symbolism going on within the film, a hidden reference
most don't know enough to appreciate, and a message for American
feminists that isn't very nice at all. What am I talking about? Let's
keep reading...but first, if you haven't watched <i>Die Hard</i> yet, please
understand I am going to spoil the frack out of this movie. I'm also
not even going to reiterate the plot, because that's boring for my
average reader, who usually has above average intelligence and has
seen this movie along with the other films and television shows I'm
going to reference.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">IN THE SHADOW OF THE VIETNAM WAR</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I grew up surrounded by people who had
been in the military during The Vietnam War. You are never going to
understand how it fucked them up completely. Before 'Nam you could
believe in the government. You could believe in corporations. You
could believe in the CIA (ha ha ha just kidding after JFK nobody
believed in the CIA).</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">What happened in Vietnam changed all
that. People were angry. They had seen friends die. They had followed
orders...and died. They had believed in the draft...and lost friends,
family or died. You can see this absolute hatred for the power
responsible for the loss of life during the Vietnam Conflict in the
decades of film and television that followed. Not merely the
government, but a combination of government and corporate forces
called corporatism, which is just fascism with corporations in charge
of the government. Just ask Nazi Germany.
</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcNDs18b0d0EfZg0Q3ErREIMJNJQusbkGm6nYtPkQHwYlO42Y5-pXgC-drM5VjQEAkSlX7FgNDa3TEQZfNXNrktfrtNL4xjASL093ha4DisLEXzuTfaqsmFzRBlTKEx_23V6CvhiDD8qEmklbv-GYWd8RCJjXMlm41R4T1rq0qvQTkXquUJ7amU3pw6w=s1200" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1155" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcNDs18b0d0EfZg0Q3ErREIMJNJQusbkGm6nYtPkQHwYlO42Y5-pXgC-drM5VjQEAkSlX7FgNDa3TEQZfNXNrktfrtNL4xjASL093ha4DisLEXzuTfaqsmFzRBlTKEx_23V6CvhiDD8qEmklbv-GYWd8RCJjXMlm41R4T1rq0qvQTkXquUJ7amU3pw6w=s320" width="308" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Magnum P.I.</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Most of the main characters of <i>Magnum
P.I.</i> were in 'Nam. Magnum took on wealthy elite government
influencers all the time. <i>The Equalizer</i> was about a man that avenged
people who had been wronged by more powerful entities that were above
the law like the government, corporations or organized crime. <i>The
A-Team</i> fought these people all the time. <i>Knight Rider</i> did the same
thing. So did <i>Spencer for Hire</i>. And <i>Charlie's Angels</i>. Just about
every James Bond movie deals with this problem.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjipEjZyv2zhd58wsG9aBOF7bLZewCPtCqn8aCNjt7kfmukfOi10nWK-n0nWLiuIPxg9mzbxuhuUUvhFRnYZDMO67VRgYJ3WZFCSbn6mgk0CVTQmclNrjcNDiZS6g_Kvnzwtn-LHx6VLz_YDfJYwllpJOT5h2TL67bASfT20miWfMN93m9ivnA5GJjm9A=s1280" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="930" data-original-width="1280" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjipEjZyv2zhd58wsG9aBOF7bLZewCPtCqn8aCNjt7kfmukfOi10nWK-n0nWLiuIPxg9mzbxuhuUUvhFRnYZDMO67VRgYJ3WZFCSbn6mgk0CVTQmclNrjcNDiZS6g_Kvnzwtn-LHx6VLz_YDfJYwllpJOT5h2TL67bASfT20miWfMN93m9ivnA5GJjm9A=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The Equalizer</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Wherever an evil government official, evil foreign government (like the USSR), or corrupt businessman
existed, some uniquely good person or group steps up to expose the
wrong doers and punish the guilty...and the guilty usually weren't
small time hoods robbing banks...they were banks, the military
industrial complex, or just greedy, soulless murderers in business
suits, making money from death, immune to prosecution because they
were wealthy elite with government connections.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The bad guys in <i>Die Hard</i> are basically
evil European businessmen with military training and hardware who are
stealing a lot of money from a corporation. That's it. Sure, one of
the FBI agents was in 'Nam, but you really don't have the same
references as another famous American action movie. Snape and company
are just pretending to be terrorists. They do, however, represent the
greedy corporatists blue collar Americans hated for funding wars,
influencing the government, and destroying their economy. They even
sound like Nazis, or the same evil Swiss bankers that laundered
their money.
</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKOreE9G837bPD7KYxZC6dWdhVlbEj4SRwCt6pj4hFN7GuxDZkvstSZvDkbUsxO1fkaopiZN09AIdECJPpKPSMzwZv1CeM2XMvlxVROY_HVDPL4Ho7cv9nanw6f4AZdWfJRgpJ8svn9YTPNaqiMRzAZHz0Zn4AVDuwfD46oqqHjGvxAqcRoG2okZVD6A=s620" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="620" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKOreE9G837bPD7KYxZC6dWdhVlbEj4SRwCt6pj4hFN7GuxDZkvstSZvDkbUsxO1fkaopiZN09AIdECJPpKPSMzwZv1CeM2XMvlxVROY_HVDPL4Ho7cv9nanw6f4AZdWfJRgpJ8svn9YTPNaqiMRzAZHz0Zn4AVDuwfD46oqqHjGvxAqcRoG2okZVD6A=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Because yet another </i>Lethal Weapon<i> movie is being released, </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I guess he wasn't getting too old from this sh*t.</i></div>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">LETHAL WEAPON
PARALLELS</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>Die
Hard </i><span style="font-style: normal;">and </span><i>Lethal Weapon</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
have much in common. It's quite a list. Both films feature a black
man and a white man working together to defeat the enemy while
forming a friendship. Both films feature scenes with helicopters
threatening the main character. The villains in both films are
professional business types. They wear suits and obviously have
military training. Each film has cops taking on well-connected
elites. A car gets shot up by semiautomatic rifles in each film.
Protagonists are stripped bare and tortured. One of the bank robbers
in </span><i>Die Hard</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> even plays a torturer in </span><i>Lethal Weapon</i><span style="font-style: normal;">. </span>
</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxVeipGkPeKIL569M2Kj4gixF4Nch5dkNvhweWSyY_NXaqZk3hMiHWnxipod5t0SFLLS8PRd4JeuHODtWMdBEAb6kALas3NnaaTSRvXixKFbI_ygCe8O4m1NilgZ9miCR4G5jfbONV_rst0J5b-YTpMZ4DnvW0lnTl3AMvv9jgTv9q6n5ox8SBmNzlVw=s1140" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="1140" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxVeipGkPeKIL569M2Kj4gixF4Nch5dkNvhweWSyY_NXaqZk3hMiHWnxipod5t0SFLLS8PRd4JeuHODtWMdBEAb6kALas3NnaaTSRvXixKFbI_ygCe8O4m1NilgZ9miCR4G5jfbONV_rst0J5b-YTpMZ4DnvW0lnTl3AMvv9jgTv9q6n5ox8SBmNzlVw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>If this man is in the film you are about to watch, </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>you are about to watch an awesome film, my friend. </i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">There's an
explosion at the end of each film. They both take place around
Christmas. Both films feature two men fighting each other in unarmed
combat, and in both films the bad guys are even blonde. It's as if
somebody watched one movie, kept a checklist, and then threw the
elements into the next film. However,</span><i> Lethal Weapon</i> has the
unmitigated balls to mention Project Phoenix. <i>Die Hard</i>, however,
doesn't reference The Vietnam War in such a direct way, although at one point an FBI agent mentions participating in the conflict. </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Project Phoenix was
pretty fucked up. Basically, rogue elements of the CIA started to
sell heroin in the USA by shipping bags of the stuff back overseas in
the bodies of dead G.I.'s. This really happened and was pretty damn
controversial. Even Marvel's comic book series, </span><i>The 'Nam</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, ended up
discussing the dark deed. </span><i>Lethal Weapon</i> wasn't the only film to do
this.
</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmVzcie_rvCX3153Z1PhnN7Ry--_zYEODEbcdp2-ZPHhqpTxGn9WhdsLDDQRTRHnd764i6p7a7lildf9uaNkMn1YcZGhnHGL4jet0MGtPb4IuBlNbuV6bBOlf4EqeSNKozbscfgsckng3wB58HtjbPdE3UUvFiLHfPbGRvPbkCqnoHPynJz3bueM4VIg=s2800" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2800" data-original-width="1821" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmVzcie_rvCX3153Z1PhnN7Ry--_zYEODEbcdp2-ZPHhqpTxGn9WhdsLDDQRTRHnd764i6p7a7lildf9uaNkMn1YcZGhnHGL4jet0MGtPb4IuBlNbuV6bBOlf4EqeSNKozbscfgsckng3wB58HtjbPdE3UUvFiLHfPbGRvPbkCqnoHPynJz3bueM4VIg=s320" width="208" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The 'Nam</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>ABOVE THE LAW</i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Although
it can be fairly said that his later films are unrealistic, pretentious and
predictable, </span><i>Above The Law </i>is
yet another example of a movie that is the shadow of 'Nam. In this
movie Steven Seagal, as the main character, is a former CIA operative (or
maybe asset, but definitely not an analyst like Jack Ryan used to be)
who ends up quitting when he discovers Project Phoenix. Later on he
also uncovers a plot by the CIA to kill a Senator who is messing up
their business.</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Like I said, a lot
of films in the 70's and 80's were made by very angry people for
people who were still very angry at their government, corporations
and others for what happened in The Vietnam War. At the end
Seagal basically beats up the CIA, corrupt government officials and
criminal types...and he's basically taking revenge on corporatists
and the military industrial complex...two major players responsible
for the horrific tragedy that was 'Nam.</p><p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRjViwL-7tPLCmjMebL1rhwtgIiwo3PlStPPfilgfQ6y65MArpLTWt3Ou8g1PWz-S5pgTXHJMmQuM_J2mk4lZowIGaEwHPqH6SxRUEf1vBN3t-76gSRFGa8oiGMYOn_6BD6RTA7uAuxZAy9j0k-1aiHK6j3u6XIqUZ0sGhnENcPrY-IQoFsk7dAaIr5Q=s1920" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRjViwL-7tPLCmjMebL1rhwtgIiwo3PlStPPfilgfQ6y65MArpLTWt3Ou8g1PWz-S5pgTXHJMmQuM_J2mk4lZowIGaEwHPqH6SxRUEf1vBN3t-76gSRFGa8oiGMYOn_6BD6RTA7uAuxZAy9j0k-1aiHK6j3u6XIqUZ0sGhnENcPrY-IQoFsk7dAaIr5Q=s320" width="213" /></a></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">BLUE COLLAR AMERICA VS. THE FOURTH
REICH</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">You see, what many
don't know is that after World War II the Nazi elements of the Third
Reich kept going. They had gold. They had connections. While many did
end up dead or in jail, films and books featuring this surviving Nazi
ideology and power structure still being a threat to us all were at
one point very popular in American culture. </p><p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Sure, Hitler ended up
dead in ditch as a burning corpse (good, fuck 'em) but people like
Hans Kammler (the Nazi that designed and oversaw the construction of
concentration camps, as well as being in charge of their entire fleet
of submarines) ended up with a lot of money, as did many other
Nazis, and they invested in banks, corporations and pharmaceutical
cartels in order to survive in the dark, long enough to take over
with banking money, psychological propaganda and big business instead
of military might. Politicians, journalists and military experts referred to this cabal as, "The Fourth Reich."</p><p style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj01Al3d9y2UTKD58BolqJl5PbTx_LlbgPf6NLzBqngpqdvTvb-XorGvl1J5mymY1VAWydzacWJ0CNlSg2hZU3LWUs2qYC_nH4YMcTmM0Ra80Rml3Xe9JT9gIKuboMIHyH86WuNWLN4UKGyM7qN0p1Cwws2TUnMScp-xUvZCpd8SNahobjQnX7OTvYsRA=s450" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="295" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj01Al3d9y2UTKD58BolqJl5PbTx_LlbgPf6NLzBqngpqdvTvb-XorGvl1J5mymY1VAWydzacWJ0CNlSg2hZU3LWUs2qYC_nH4YMcTmM0Ra80Rml3Xe9JT9gIKuboMIHyH86WuNWLN4UKGyM7qN0p1Cwws2TUnMScp-xUvZCpd8SNahobjQnX7OTvYsRA=s320" width="210" /></a></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Of course, the
</span><i>Lethal Weapon</i> bad guys are evil CIA selling heroin to poor American
people, a conspiracy theory proposed by many whistleblowers and
journalists. The <i>Die Hard</i> bad guys are bank robbers disguised as
terrorists who are willing to do mass murder to make money.
Regardless, they are surrogates for the very real, fourth Reich
Nazis American's feared throughout the 70's, referenced in films
such as <i>The Parallax View, Three Days of the Condor, The Boys from
Brazil </i>and <i>Marathon Man</i>.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">In <i>Die Hard</i> the good guy is a working class
man, a police officer, taking on professionals in business suits
whose power allows them to operate above the law. Their accents
resemble the same Fourth Reich operatives in <i>Marathon Man</i>. The symbolism
was there for a reason. It's always fun killing Nazis, neonazis, or
the coldhearted bankers that foreclosed on your home right before
Christmas.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2Y5QtkmIqFFUPnDf7s1P__1eMdO5uBpZRNseV-DtS2DaIk6uiyX_NA6Woy9jpq2awPerF9IKPfxGQ9U_DuQCO0q6TUXXjrYdtfj9uCPNKPfYBi8mfv2ETy8IOLokFui8-kzyXPRrtsGW2a2LnOZxBkoLdSALEdfoSu-FBvTFGQOyyRUnW76ziFPinMA=s1148" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="764" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2Y5QtkmIqFFUPnDf7s1P__1eMdO5uBpZRNseV-DtS2DaIk6uiyX_NA6Woy9jpq2awPerF9IKPfxGQ9U_DuQCO0q6TUXXjrYdtfj9uCPNKPfYBi8mfv2ETy8IOLokFui8-kzyXPRrtsGW2a2LnOZxBkoLdSALEdfoSu-FBvTFGQOyyRUnW76ziFPinMA=s320" width="213" /></a></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">WIFE ARGUMENT</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">As a happily married man that supports
his wife moving up in the professional corporate business world, it
is somewhat alarming to me that McClane starts out the
movie upset at his wife for moving across the country to take a job
at Nakatomi Plaza. She has the kids, too, and he doesn't like that
they are all separated because of her ambition. They even argue about
it, to the point of shouting, right before the robbers take over the
building.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">As an unprofessional family therapist
with zero relevant education and no experience whatsoever, my humble
observation is the McClane should chill out. His wife took the kids
to the west coast. They live in a nice house. They even have a maid.
Her job is in Los Angeles. That's where she has to be...there are
really no other options. He's a New York City detective. He could
easily move out to L.A. He could easily join LAPD. In fact, they'd be
amazed to have him. Asking her to grab the kids and move back to New
York City is selfish.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTISWDdvvEjkOkOniRYqblcvRfTlPSk11Ovh1YjcOPerp2SSrYkCKTvTZJFoB5cCiJ7RGg_DVq8yW7nkUPwDig5PqlNnr4QfTMW0-3QKM5bptliXQxKBAT100OLHTOrQe22jFHwS7dfCMDrZyCEGbH3tQHfR9jRI_k6Qj7K45NmtIle4BAFjCWK_jQIw=s1081" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1081" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTISWDdvvEjkOkOniRYqblcvRfTlPSk11Ovh1YjcOPerp2SSrYkCKTvTZJFoB5cCiJ7RGg_DVq8yW7nkUPwDig5PqlNnr4QfTMW0-3QKM5bptliXQxKBAT100OLHTOrQe22jFHwS7dfCMDrZyCEGbH3tQHfR9jRI_k6Qj7K45NmtIle4BAFjCWK_jQIw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A character so important to the franchise she's gone by </i>Die Hard III<i>.</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">He should be relocating to join the
family...after all, the money she will make as a business executive
in a firm that has so much money they warrant technologically elite
paramilitary bank robbers kicking in their door tells you she has a
future, not him. What if he gets shot? How much does an NYC detective
make, compared to what she's going to make? She can't move back to
NYC. His argument makes no sense because his wife is right. The
tragedy of this film is that he never admits that to himself, so no
lesson is learned.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">SHIVA</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The art inside the Nakatomi Plaza is rather odd. The business is basically a Japanese zaibatsu. Why do
they have Chinese and Hindu decorations? You'd expect katanas and
samurai armor. Instead it's a conglomeration of Han era weaponry,
various pieces of art from Asia, and a statue. A very, very important
statue. So important in fact, that at one point it dominates the
screen entirely.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIYe36yjCk_GCPwO2GoaX4_Ms4xmo-a8ixVyzcnMTJEZ2WbtnDZtVhwQLDict1P15uznbx7q63-No7DhWeOno4Wx3g9UHCP9C1xE0PQEdjgGskPEvwGspNxDSL5LN1Gj7BxNy975fnKBj0VelGz_x5bnC2Hjv6Ub3pZEBMZQ1i5DPCIO4irdFw5ugw1Q=s1600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIYe36yjCk_GCPwO2GoaX4_Ms4xmo-a8ixVyzcnMTJEZ2WbtnDZtVhwQLDict1P15uznbx7q63-No7DhWeOno4Wx3g9UHCP9C1xE0PQEdjgGskPEvwGspNxDSL5LN1Gj7BxNy975fnKBj0VelGz_x5bnC2Hjv6Ub3pZEBMZQ1i5DPCIO4irdFw5ugw1Q=s320" width="320" /></a></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">In the scene McClane knows the Nakatomi
plaza has been taken over by bad guys and is making his way through
the place, scanning his surroundings. As the head bad guy, played by
Alan Rickman, taunts him over the radio. When Rickman asks, "Who
are you?" the camera drifts to a statue of Shiva, the Hindu god
of destruction. Not a coincidence. In fact, the statue appears at the
precise middle of the film, 55 minutes and 15-20 seconds in, and it's
the only thing you see, because McClane is completely out of the
scene. It's just Shiva, the Destroyer, staring at you.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXKPSNT7HlDagfl1df-FWFGdADDQsycqu9v3vDr5pfH7TEdVo6i40ggCm29E5dVkZuF6RLoqmGcPCYMTzu5uZi1aa8VPbGzJXFXsgHhPuWxiwcpYUFVVtvLJLw87OcQKGqg7-wKyWAllGgUf2x9PJZE8kbGN1eBsXEOib4XCArHBUlsEELJlxQHuh__g=s1600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXKPSNT7HlDagfl1df-FWFGdADDQsycqu9v3vDr5pfH7TEdVo6i40ggCm29E5dVkZuF6RLoqmGcPCYMTzu5uZi1aa8VPbGzJXFXsgHhPuWxiwcpYUFVVtvLJLw87OcQKGqg7-wKyWAllGgUf2x9PJZE8kbGN1eBsXEOib4XCArHBUlsEELJlxQHuh__g=s320" width="320" /></a></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Study up on film, cinematography,
symbolism and all that art. Directors don't just film things by
accident and leave it all in randomly. Even on a subconscious level
your mind sees everything, so good directors do their best to
eliminate any imagery antithetical to their story. McClane doesn't
answer, but the statue does. It's the answer to the audience. By the
end of the film, we all know what happens to McClane's enemies,
everything in the building and parking lot. Again, McClane doesn't answer
Snape's question. The camera does.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>THE DESTROYER</i></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Have you ever watched the news and
wanted a team of martial artists with near superpower levels of
ability to step into the situation and just murder all the bad guys
that deserve it, even though they are above the law like the big tech
companies, multimedia conglomerates, and evil corporatist masters of
the world you live in? Yeah, so did Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir
so they created a book series about a Korean martial arts master
assassin and his American student doing that. In <i>The Destroyer</i>, every
episode was basically the annihilation of a sacred cow/societal evil
by the two as they cracked jokes about doing so, leaving gallons of
blood on the ground as they did.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMFxu3IvuRW_6QIh83n9MB6-96gDyjd4P7l518KnmAggGwPsYl4YGe9hxNvIcPYnSVflM2gU1h1m6uYBhdSF0TwGkAr7cEEsMbG1CdIzBlIZzQkZpKwdwwCwb8UOuJEDUNP2irQAwDZhJniC0X6pp93dGbDm4jaQVFMXPg_A9e9JK8de-bm7LX6i2Exg=s500" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMFxu3IvuRW_6QIh83n9MB6-96gDyjd4P7l518KnmAggGwPsYl4YGe9hxNvIcPYnSVflM2gU1h1m6uYBhdSF0TwGkAr7cEEsMbG1CdIzBlIZzQkZpKwdwwCwb8UOuJEDUNP2irQAwDZhJniC0X6pp93dGbDm4jaQVFMXPg_A9e9JK8de-bm7LX6i2Exg=s320" width="192" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Don't worry, they killed enough Nazis and neonazis to fill a cemetery.</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The basic premise was that every novel,
I mean, uh, paperback book, was an ultraviolent fantasy where Chiun (which is Hebrew, by the way, for Saturn/star/idol/king),
a Korean master of Sinanju, the ultimate martial art, and his
American trainee, Remo Williams, teamed up to destroy the Mafia,
corrupt politicians, fascists, corporatists, terrorists and anyone
else that had to get horrifically murdered for CURE, a super secret
United States organization set up by JFK (before he died) to
eliminate threats to the country that could not be dealt with by the
usual legal, political or military means, or as Chiun sort of
summarizes, "CURE is an organization that does not exist created
by a President who is dead to protect a Bill of Rights and
Constitution that does not work. All hail the wisdom of the west!"</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">While the upside was that every book
dealt with a problem that really was something worth destroying, from
terrorists to neonazis to insane genocidal scientists, the downside is that every
episode of <i>The Destroyer</i> was really, really racist, sexist,
homophobic, transphobic, ethnocentric, problematic, patriarchal and
even possibly funkadelic. The books were written in the late 70's and
80's, after the violent political demonstrations of the 60's, the
government corruption, The Vietnam Conflict and everything else, so
they reflected the popular opinions of the time. Unfortunately.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjO0ZpOGa-o4h4DUeo-qU4NaTP0DzP0F7hwPTA-tORbXcnMubgnVZyCn8C2NHqRwmG4WC1v6GrLW4lrLGIVDKmPMDfFqdiv6y-C2NXjayIEc5lnkx9TLCi2ZWPP3t2bROFan7KVAZqD6TFGOwNpOGUgF5eaCmojhJJkwLajlV9uZjlRwDbwKwuquHeH-w=s2200" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="1612" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjO0ZpOGa-o4h4DUeo-qU4NaTP0DzP0F7hwPTA-tORbXcnMubgnVZyCn8C2NHqRwmG4WC1v6GrLW4lrLGIVDKmPMDfFqdiv6y-C2NXjayIEc5lnkx9TLCi2ZWPP3t2bROFan7KVAZqD6TFGOwNpOGUgF5eaCmojhJJkwLajlV9uZjlRwDbwKwuquHeH-w=s320" width="234" /></a></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Remo Williams was a white cop from New
York City, so he basically acted and sounded like a blue collar
working class man who kind of didn't give a fuck about corrupt
politicians, businessmen, sensitive people, feminists or anyone else.
Of course, at one point Remo is so dedicated to being an assassin for
Sinanju that he kind of doesn't care that he's even American. Being
completely outside of the social structure of anyone he deals with,
from comedians to actors to military personnel to cultists to
congressmen, means he says what he wants to whoever he wants, making
him the ultimate stand up comic as he delivers one liners that summed
up his jaded, cynical, lower/middle class American mindset.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So while Remo occasionally tells
feminists and minorities to go to Hell, it's Chiun who is really so
problematic you will probably never see <i>The Destroyer</i> series on film
or television. To him all people on Earth are useless subhumans
except for Koreans, and even then only Koreans from his home village,
Sinanju, are worth anything to him. Women are best reserved for
staying home and having babies, preferably boys. He's basically Archie Bunker mixed with Pai Mei from <i>Kill Bill</i> and<i> Kill Bill 2</i>. He only
trains Remo Willliams (who he occasionally refers to as, "A pale
piece of pig's ear") because of his ego...if Chiun can train the
dumbest, most uncoordinated animal on Earth (a white American man) to
be a master of Sinanju, it will make Chiun the greatest Sinanju
master ever since he turned a lump of dung into a diamond.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfq0rcQla7hNMthkGFezb5Azv1pjVqQ_6xs-L9-N43M4l6I9ZHUaRWg3sttbbSHssUbM1vGP3X3IksyQtHsEIJYiBD1uZQcdw-hsUGNn4veliJ_DsyHnwZytGwzsjUN38jAXRVQIO2i42hecDsr0rWGQya0jljb4EVIXwo1IPsR1Kxq67W_RdUUFFiVw=s600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfq0rcQla7hNMthkGFezb5Azv1pjVqQ_6xs-L9-N43M4l6I9ZHUaRWg3sttbbSHssUbM1vGP3X3IksyQtHsEIJYiBD1uZQcdw-hsUGNn4veliJ_DsyHnwZytGwzsjUN38jAXRVQIO2i42hecDsr0rWGQya0jljb4EVIXwo1IPsR1Kxq67W_RdUUFFiVw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Like Remo, McClane is a cop from New
York City. They are both blue collar white guys. Here is something
interesting, though. Every once in a while Remo ends up in really
deep mortal danger, so he goes into beast mode. He basically gets
possessed by Shiva, the Hindu god of Destruction. There's even a
speech he gives where Remo announces he's Shiva and proceeds to act
and speak like the deity while he murders everyone around him that
has it coming with even more horsepower and precision. Whether or not
the statue I mentioned earlier in the Nakatomi is a reference to <i>The
Destroyer</i>, it is obviously a reference to the absolute destruction
McClane is about to unleash.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It's worth noting that later on in the series, the attitude Chiun has for Remo changes. He eventually decides Remo is like a son to him. Remo starts to call Chiun, "Little Grandfather." The two start out not liking each other. By the end they are family.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">AVATARS</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">In Hinduism and Shinto an avatar is
simply a human that is also a reservoir for Something Else, whether it
is Shiva, Vishnu, Kali, Ameratsu, or otherwise. This can even be the
spirit of an ancestor. This happens in horror films, when a person is
possessed by a demon. Shinto calls these beings "akitsumikami,"
or, "incarnation of a god."</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Avatars of gods happen all the time in
the religions of the far east. Shiva has plenty, from Kereet, an
archer that tested the bravery of Arjuna, to Krishna Darshan, an
avatar the stressed the importance of yoga to humanity. Vishnu has
several as well, from Krishna (some modern Hindus believe Jesus
Christ was just an avatar of Krishna) to Narasimha, a half man, half
tiger warrior who destroys those who persecute religion to Buddha, a
religious icon one can find in Thailand, China and Japan.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Americans can understand avatars,
though. The best superheroes seem to be them. Captain America is an
avatar of the country. Spider-Man seems to be an avatar of spiders.
Batman. Superman. Wonder Woman. Comic book villains are great when
they are avatars, like Electro, who is the avatar of electricity. In
Christianity, the antichrist is basically an avatar of Satan. Some of
the most famous, influential people from history seem to embody a
cause, nation or the times they lived in, which is why we love seeing
films about them, from Nikolas Tesla to Malcom X.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaYMGqUobmwlvYfgggoXKb4tEr8rdzcRRIU5p4gI0CYpYUehVFd7zI0OuYLU02ru1CJvrqyGPmcnlGA6eBd6IBEWqoIdSmZw6wcIpDw5wEoYzUe4Kii-R75Ri7bT9JcjbSO8-vzYJYDAdzYqrth2ZYfJYrh0EDHS2mzrvjgAOlVbmiAnX64UXH5Ef8kA=s1115" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1115" data-original-width="884" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaYMGqUobmwlvYfgggoXKb4tEr8rdzcRRIU5p4gI0CYpYUehVFd7zI0OuYLU02ru1CJvrqyGPmcnlGA6eBd6IBEWqoIdSmZw6wcIpDw5wEoYzUe4Kii-R75Ri7bT9JcjbSO8-vzYJYDAdzYqrth2ZYfJYrh0EDHS2mzrvjgAOlVbmiAnX64UXH5Ef8kA=s320" width="254" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I ditched high school to see this film on opening day,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i> just like Spike Lee told me to.</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That's not to say John McClane
literally becomes Shiva, the Destroyer, when he looks at the statue.
Nobody in the film says this, so it didn't happen. What's more
important is that the director introduced the concept of Shiva, so
this includes concepts such as spiritual possession and incarnation.
Whether it's actually happening is meaningless, the symbolism tells
our brains all we need to know.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">NAKATOMI</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Poor Joseph Takagi gets shot early on
in the film. He's like a human sacrifice that gets the brawl rolling.
His name means, "tall tree." Joseph, in Christianity, is
the father of the avatar of God. The name Nakatomi is more
interesting. In Japanese history the Nakatomi clan is synonymous with
Shinto, since the family includes a lot of famous priests in their
history and have close relations with the divine Emperor. There's
also a lot of samurais. So Nakatomi isn't just a name, it's carefully
selected to get us to think of spiritual combat, sohei (warrior
monks), possession, avatars and destruction. Considering what the
occult says about possession, it's easy to consider that part of the
reason McClane does so well against his adversaries is because the
spirit of the Nakatomi clan is with him.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">PROBLEMATIC ANTIFEMINIST TRUTHS</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">While <i>Die Hard</i> is a film about one man
taking on an army of elite, better educated, better equipped, better
prepared and better dressed European bureaucrats, it's also a film
about a man arguing with his wife about how she moved to the west
coast with the kids and left him because she got a job at Nakatomi
Plaza. They argue about this, and then they stop. There is no verbal
resolution to this disagreement.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It would have been nice if McClane had
just decided to swallow his pride and follow his wife. She's the
primary breadwinner, so enjoy the toast, pal. He's a hero to LAPD, he
already has a best friend on the force, he's famous, moving west
would be the best. But nooo...there is no conversation that solves
the issue. He doesn't concede to her point. There is zero compromise.
Even if the hero of the film isn't right, by the end he is because of total destructive force, not logic.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8jsIZxR_-FEkWP8s-_7zjF_k6mSbVaqKd0ECMmOypczES7NVVlblV9kTSot-cCgiwA_br0Jz85AHr4mZz3yxQvOmGTOrxyUDCYOfotFh5rfCU2_PlIqdG1kU_txSoYWwdmwP00hxyMfo4HRsvyAWpgJbDwj6fite99i6ROiKOU2xhOl7xB2wT3l_DcA=s744" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="744" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8jsIZxR_-FEkWP8s-_7zjF_k6mSbVaqKd0ECMmOypczES7NVVlblV9kTSot-cCgiwA_br0Jz85AHr4mZz3yxQvOmGTOrxyUDCYOfotFh5rfCU2_PlIqdG1kU_txSoYWwdmwP00hxyMfo4HRsvyAWpgJbDwj6fite99i6ROiKOU2xhOl7xB2wT3l_DcA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"You know what honey, you're right! Go ahead and keep your job."</div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">A HAPPY CONCLUSION OF TOTAL DESTRUCTION</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">When you summon a god of destruction
like Shiva, you get results. By the end of the film it isn't just the
bank robbers that are destroyed. Everything is destroyed. A
helicopter. A police car. An armored vehicle. The Nakatomi Plaza. The
parking lot. Their money and stocks. Many members of the LAPD and the FBI. Their CEO. Many cops. McClane's
wife's job (Where is she going to work now? Her boss is dead, the
corporation is annihilated, even their stocks and lost...and who in
the business world would want to hire a person involved in such a
controversial tragedy?). He didn't just win the argument, McClane
(that is, The Destroyer) took out the very fundamental reason for the
argument. He destroyed <i>everything</i>. The final shot of the film
reinforces this fact.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">May as well move back to New York City,
New York, right?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The end.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PZtOC-sANi4" width="320" youtube-src-id="PZtOC-sANi4"></iframe></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">P.S. This website has been proudly ad free for a very long time. Please support us with a donation of any amount you wish to the PayPal account so we can keep it that way, and most of all, Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!</p>Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-79809157924237935512021-12-07T15:04:00.005-08:002022-01-07T07:00:14.986-08:00Pyncher's New Single is a Hit - Music<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw0ju76gtoShOzeDugzvTHf9D2d7CnP7QsWttpt5LfqtAlDrikVbxDub-Ftznzh8O4t3UIjepEnlbVFRs8goI6jKMLblZmr78KVU-ovroBzAqmNhvQ_fhwQXeVedlOngNEp5QSi53GoYlh/s960/258584293_277853907603149_5157638490200948675_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw0ju76gtoShOzeDugzvTHf9D2d7CnP7QsWttpt5LfqtAlDrikVbxDub-Ftznzh8O4t3UIjepEnlbVFRs8goI6jKMLblZmr78KVU-ovroBzAqmNhvQ_fhwQXeVedlOngNEp5QSi53GoYlh/s320/258584293_277853907603149_5157638490200948675_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>PYNCHER!</i></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If you peruse this website carefully,
you'll notice that I have interviewed at least more than five very
successful musicians/bands that have created timeless music, like
Digitalism, Imagine Dragons, Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony, Mac Miller, Steve
Aoki and others. So it has been said by wise elders in the industry
that this writer understands what good music is. That's probably why,
according to this website, I'm rich!</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyfp1EH_X32-gRrHde53UpJ-rlkGq9plMVL6NTuJZyeqGjS5hVRo2Cn3vy2wlNaT2mgdrgBLjGJdLwhWMTmAUjIjAC8aip6EwWA6DbwxoihaBbwHmUZdeUMOk568TtKiumZboUzA2i024/s1051/Networth.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1025" data-original-width="1051" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyfp1EH_X32-gRrHde53UpJ-rlkGq9plMVL6NTuJZyeqGjS5hVRo2Cn3vy2wlNaT2mgdrgBLjGJdLwhWMTmAUjIjAC8aip6EwWA6DbwxoihaBbwHmUZdeUMOk568TtKiumZboUzA2i024/s320/Networth.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>This website lies so bad that not only does it lack an ass, it's pants are very much on fire.</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">With this on the brain we ponder, why
listen to Pyncher? Who are they? What do they want? How do they
sound? Should we fear them? I was terrified of what would happen, if
my ears didn't experience Pyncher. You just can't sit around in your
house, all alone, listening to bands like The Misfits, Agent Orange,
The Cramps, Black Flag, Dead Kennedy's, Sonic Youth, and Black Market
Baby. It's demoralizing.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoh5pElusKp_L1mfJnW7vkO0fjS0M4Vp0s2hK3TuZPxYbH0y4xVx2FWA6QtXbY6mMpaQN-ksszA34IvHd2y64SlvfjCv9sv5iaqzEOT9aI9-D9t4kahzbuATOjDFf1jwh0Cx4hXP0IOjc8/s960/241194239_231500618905145_2251713125175010359_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="959" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoh5pElusKp_L1mfJnW7vkO0fjS0M4Vp0s2hK3TuZPxYbH0y4xVx2FWA6QtXbY6mMpaQN-ksszA34IvHd2y64SlvfjCv9sv5iaqzEOT9aI9-D9t4kahzbuATOjDFf1jwh0Cx4hXP0IOjc8/s320/241194239_231500618905145_2251713125175010359_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Pyncher, keeping it real.</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">One must experience either new music,
or inevitable entropy. That's the truth. I knew a guy once that just
listened to old Soundgarden albums until he morphed into a stained, slightly damaged Styrofoam litter bucket full of dented cans of Coors Lite
beer. It was disconcerting. Personal evolution means answering your
email to hear more mighty musical majesty, at least for me. New music
helps us transcend old consciousness.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4XtjYiDtuKwp3oqSH29im-UNOFeke68uzKN7ARo7yKDYoAncd3hY8Ctm2MMy3mdaJoNAuu88GzIwNHFoXjrQlWDqMnz3-nmHa_CTmHWOIDxE_shoVJToFmLt2wz8nYPYVjgCA-U8ARzUU/s960/258803689_278775244177682_8080009672433106670_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4XtjYiDtuKwp3oqSH29im-UNOFeke68uzKN7ARo7yKDYoAncd3hY8Ctm2MMy3mdaJoNAuu88GzIwNHFoXjrQlWDqMnz3-nmHa_CTmHWOIDxE_shoVJToFmLt2wz8nYPYVjgCA-U8ARzUU/s320/258803689_278775244177682_8080009672433106670_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Pyncher rocks.</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">"Dirty Feet," a brand new
single by Pyncher that they will release this Friday, reminds me of The Beatles. Woah! Calm down! What I
mean is that the reason we keep listening to that band is because
they had figured out a killer formula: each song The Beatles made is
actually three songs. That was their secret. Pyncher utilizes that
same power in their new, ferocious single that is an audio odyssey
worthy of the ears of Oddyseus.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Like a fine film with three acts,
"Dirty Feet" goes beyond the usual formula to tell a story.
The song starts fast with a howl that could make Alan Ginsberg happy,
introduces background feedback throbbing with sonic power,
electrifies with drippy, surf-worthy guitar licks that would make
Dick Dale cry, and suddenly stops to cruise across semi-familiar
landscapes of fast audio adventure, only to transform again, evolving into
a final crescendo worth 4 mintues and 23 seconds of your good time.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DzPGC3zN3_6_3sukSNJjqpGTBQj4C9QIVBp0NJCTvw_uO2KgDVokaLZmg4h54kt01zofgo70Ornmn9mQTMIecIKfGZ8VbWDER01ba9vC7OHi9bEKLJuwetZu-WX0JUUVPHN4K4MUKcTq/s960/259401383_278775464177660_8950223088200797981_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DzPGC3zN3_6_3sukSNJjqpGTBQj4C9QIVBp0NJCTvw_uO2KgDVokaLZmg4h54kt01zofgo70Ornmn9mQTMIecIKfGZ8VbWDER01ba9vC7OHi9bEKLJuwetZu-WX0JUUVPHN4K4MUKcTq/s320/259401383_278775464177660_8950223088200797981_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Pyncher is a solid rock band from
Manchester in the United Kingdom, where Britain comes from. I had the
honor of getting some words from the band about their new tour de
force single. "I write the main foundation of each song,"
says Sam, who plays guitar and supplies vocals. "Harvey plays
lead guitar, Jack plays drums, and Britt bass." Time and work
went into this creation. "I wrote the riff in July and it sat
there over the summer. Everything else I did just before we had a
rehearsal."</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">"Then as we do with most of our
songs, Harvey, Britt and Jack added their bits. I had the vocals done
for the verse but the chorus was a matter of trying new things in
rehearsal until I got what I wanted." This craftsmanship shows.
Epic songs have layers hiding dimensions. "I started the lyrics
with a story in mind, but I don't know what's happened to that.
There's a story somewhere in the song. I'm not too sure about the
meaning."</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwzpMFRITgKULML9HAkD1Z-nFSSSGPsZV0-uqjVSxvYIxHwEQVFbgS0Kic4acyBD2y74wi04KPH4bsW0X7001kSTB7FJYMEzLWakTZqq9o-ZslaJv5oVSqsO3QRH6lwEbqhyphenhyphenhRm7gKsHx/s960/258852978_278775437510996_2307846176965474813_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwzpMFRITgKULML9HAkD1Z-nFSSSGPsZV0-uqjVSxvYIxHwEQVFbgS0Kic4acyBD2y74wi04KPH4bsW0X7001kSTB7FJYMEzLWakTZqq9o-ZslaJv5oVSqsO3QRH6lwEbqhyphenhyphenhRm7gKsHx/s320/258852978_278775437510996_2307846176965474813_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Music is personal, even for the
listener. It's OK to hear a song and decide it's meaning is different
for you than it is for others. Sam knows. "I like to write with
ambiguity as I intend on people all having different ideas of what
they could mean. More often than not, the music comes first and then
I'll take lots of listens to the demo or recording before the lyrics
are there."</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG258twjVLBlV2GYraXTPJljesDsEMqWzutP8eON9ldfgEAVFsxzvi0N16YGjMOlAabxcfQc6lkmZtg6WO8k5zgfv6MjgB8VIVpOTNjUVNfNcbqQt6GBjYptUlfGG8MlFps_dsUKqjuLNY/s960/258863107_278775257511014_3012889520586592499_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG258twjVLBlV2GYraXTPJljesDsEMqWzutP8eON9ldfgEAVFsxzvi0N16YGjMOlAabxcfQc6lkmZtg6WO8k5zgfv6MjgB8VIVpOTNjUVNfNcbqQt6GBjYptUlfGG8MlFps_dsUKqjuLNY/s320/258863107_278775257511014_3012889520586592499_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">"Dirty Feet" will please fans
of Pyncher that have been looking forward to a new single which has
everything we enjoy about the music they play. It's hard to earn the
mad skills necessary to be damn good. Harder still to combine so much
genius properly into one audio creation that features them all. "A couple of our
songs are written around some lyrics I've got and that's always a bit
harder for me, but fun." Sounds awesome to all of us. Play it
again, Sam.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">You can check out more of Pyncher's
majestic music right here: <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-952207358">https://soundcloud.com/user-952207358</a></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">"Dirty
Feet" will not be released to the general pubic until Friday.
The presave link is right here:
</span><a href="https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/pyncher/dirty-feet" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/pyncher/dirty-feet</span></span></span></span></span></a></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Follow
Pyncher on facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pyncherband/">https://www.facebook.com/pyncherband/</a></span></p>Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-37441314871765696352021-11-08T13:12:00.004-08:002022-01-07T07:00:00.032-08:00Tigers & Flies - Music<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gX57yClmhf4sh8RN3EJkwbiFkWxwMmSTLQMpqDC9_J-CswwxA063sXyn-4NlfYfTqHltnZNi7WUnkhSavyJ0BhjckqHYNnLWiBDXuJL6DNvOWs9_fOsgjzIv16Lbk-4do3EM0hLn7CiN/s550/unnamed2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gX57yClmhf4sh8RN3EJkwbiFkWxwMmSTLQMpqDC9_J-CswwxA063sXyn-4NlfYfTqHltnZNi7WUnkhSavyJ0BhjckqHYNnLWiBDXuJL6DNvOWs9_fOsgjzIv16Lbk-4do3EM0hLn7CiN/s320/unnamed2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>With millions of megabytes of music
available online to everyone, forever, how do you pick a good band
without wasting valuable keystrokes? Look up Violette Records, where
musicians like Tigers & Flies are making music with heart, soul
and originality. </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The band known as Tigers & Flies are Arthur Arnold,
on guitars and vocals, Eddie Wigin doing bass guitar and vocals,
Arvin Johnson performing drums and backing vocals, Matteo Fernandes
playing trumpet and flugel, plus Risha Alimchandani on trombone and
Harry Badger handling the saxophone. Together they are a band
searching for something fresh in pop music, using their personal
musical individuality to do it.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LpGdnB-IQ_B4Ynitc3cclHkaQjbf878rfUWutRXpoKhF8UHDhV0CEk72EMI09SDjFRwnBA2FEyUsZf3TEstynK7diNaRBU4heRx-b6CDlr0yS8Pbs3_tFnjiflThSmgL9TmLuaXA6rSQ/s550/unnamed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="550" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LpGdnB-IQ_B4Ynitc3cclHkaQjbf878rfUWutRXpoKhF8UHDhV0CEk72EMI09SDjFRwnBA2FEyUsZf3TEstynK7diNaRBU4heRx-b6CDlr0yS8Pbs3_tFnjiflThSmgL9TmLuaXA6rSQ/s320/unnamed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Photography by Ellie Rankin.</i></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">"Among Everything Else,"
their latest sensational creation, has been compared to everything
from the Gang of Four, XTC, The Velvet Underground and Factory. The
fact is definitions can fail since every play of this album offers
more to the listener's ear than what has been heard before. Although
the work won't be released on vinyl and digital formats until
November 12, some fortunate individuals have had access to the album, thanks
to Violette Records. How to describe it?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">After playing this album at full blast
on my Creative iRoar (cheap plug) many times all I can tell you is miracles can
happen, you just have to believe in checking your email and listening
to new musicians. Trust your ears and instincts. Modern music can be
boring. Too much repetition. Not enough innovation. "Among
Everything Else," is modern originality, not boring mediocrity. </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47RBZn54NCM5mwEPaoe8qDDpVC1ik_C_p5sRZLdjhjjevkI829NUMrczmkbxr1x1-Kr6KQLqhC4Gfl4H2V0wM53Lvfq4K5Ws33XreklyT_mzcHJt3z7K58TZ73nS5HvtCmKNdPgp8Cb6R/s1200/0024830807_10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47RBZn54NCM5mwEPaoe8qDDpVC1ik_C_p5sRZLdjhjjevkI829NUMrczmkbxr1x1-Kr6KQLqhC4Gfl4H2V0wM53Lvfq4K5Ws33XreklyT_mzcHJt3z7K58TZ73nS5HvtCmKNdPgp8Cb6R/s320/0024830807_10.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Without giving away all of the
surprises, Tigers & Flies created something worth saving in a jar
for a few million years, to play later for future generations and
possible extraterrestrials. Ten songs telling a tale, so what's the
story? The first song, "Night Time Mood," summons a
sensation similar to Richard Hell and the 1970's post-punk band
Television, blending delicious organic string acoustics with a rough
bass guitars and fun progressive drumbeats.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">After that fast takeoff "Among
Everything Else" soars, entertaining you with "Ben," a
nice song featuring haunting vocals, evocative guitar licks and an
overall beat reminding one of early Paul McCartney or modern popular
indy rock, thanks to it's timeless composition. Maybe I've been
listening to too much music and taking it personally. Perhaps, but
"Ben" is telling a story about growing up and falling in
love with somebody. It could be you. Maybe it's both of us.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYCI5emXEAVOhROcp0wte7-j_zug6ZzVjXf-PhPPzpSpcjI13C4a6NfKNpI30X7E3dJrVx84M71YP210eB1FqMIdLXAFHHE5DIwpbm6kjU_l_bbV-qvn0oHN1xu5ejYvQWiYPV0IhTIv0C/s1350/WhatsApp-Image-2021-06-10-at-5.31.12-PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1228" data-original-width="1350" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYCI5emXEAVOhROcp0wte7-j_zug6ZzVjXf-PhPPzpSpcjI13C4a6NfKNpI30X7E3dJrVx84M71YP210eB1FqMIdLXAFHHE5DIwpbm6kjU_l_bbV-qvn0oHN1xu5ejYvQWiYPV0IhTIv0C/s320/WhatsApp-Image-2021-06-10-at-5.31.12-PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There are more songs worth listening to
as much as typing about, so I'll finish it off by thanking the band
for, among other features, wisely using the saxophone and trumpets to
maximum effect. From late 70's era Gerry Rafferty's legendary hit single "Baker Street"
to modern successful punk/ska groups like Operation Ivy or NOFX,
brass instrumentals are best used with great care. This band
did so, and the album is better for it. Please buy this record before
supply and demand makes it cost one million dollars. It's worth it.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Check out Violette Records here: <a href="https://violetterecords.com/">https://violetterecords.com/</a></p><div>Check out Tigers & Flies here: <a href="https://tigersandflies.bandcamp.com/album/tigers-and-flies">https://tigersandflies.bandcamp.com/album/tigers-and-flies</a></div><div><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3z5lA4CpDgk" width="320" youtube-src-id="3z5lA4CpDgk"></iframe></div>Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-82528539436577517472021-09-27T17:22:00.007-07:002021-12-31T09:44:02.845-08:00That's Not Captain America's Shield! - Film<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx70Ek_1Aq_1ctZLl9mJMT5jcubShoRPq9gyM8OU57wm_Y5sy3Wv4C1Fpai4qKVeDNbGv52FVwjmXjGzv0OF6_k8WJ97SEbdoIit_uG-FbNPcd_2jCZ5nlfMIDroJXj2gD5fXMRIrvUlCn/s2000/IMG_4145.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="2000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx70Ek_1Aq_1ctZLl9mJMT5jcubShoRPq9gyM8OU57wm_Y5sy3Wv4C1Fpai4qKVeDNbGv52FVwjmXjGzv0OF6_k8WJ97SEbdoIit_uG-FbNPcd_2jCZ5nlfMIDroJXj2gD5fXMRIrvUlCn/w400-h200/IMG_4145.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">INTRODUCTION</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Extreme, loving, close attention was
paid to the legendary shield of Captain America in the Disney series
<i>The Falcon and Winter Soldier</i>. It was such a big deal. Who
would inherit the legacy? Who would take up the mantle? It seems so
emotional, so meaningful, except that...it's not Captain America's
real shield.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">SPOILER ALERT!</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If you haven't seen <i>The Falcon and
Winter Soldier</i> or <i>Loki</i>, please do, they are very worth
watching. Having grown up reading Marvel comics, I appreciate every
detail the writers put in to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)
films. It's like watching sequels to <i>Iron Man</i>, <i>The Avengers</i>
and <i>Captain America</i>. I am about to give away many secrets and
plotlines, so don't read any more of this if you aren't caught up and
don't want to know.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">THE REAL SHIELD</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">In the original <i>Captain America</i>
his shield is given to him by Tony Stark's father. It's a silver disc
made of concentric circles. There is a star in the middle.There are
no gaps or black symbols. The star in the middle is basic. It's made
entirely of vibranium.There are no lines bisecting the circles. No
strange, black, trapezoids along the lines. Within the stars there
are no coffin-shaped designs. Just a star, a circle, and radiating,
circular lines. It was destroyed by Thanos in <i>Avengers Endgame</i>.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1j3UJzWGtHWT31p0K4YQjVSQnygvGpOyrSDzLIdj2dVy4_Y7547na4Gr4tyeLOYmARr3mEz4rEmsM6t4t7_soLUfJQSw7WrTzc0c9moUJ67B3AZ4Y-eK2ELFPw6CBk4eVdaPE_8gX4dY/s1200/IMG_4149.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1200" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1j3UJzWGtHWT31p0K4YQjVSQnygvGpOyrSDzLIdj2dVy4_Y7547na4Gr4tyeLOYmARr3mEz4rEmsM6t4t7_soLUfJQSw7WrTzc0c9moUJ67B3AZ4Y-eK2ELFPw6CBk4eVdaPE_8gX4dY/s320/IMG_4149.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Look closely.</i></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">THE REAL, REAL SHIELD</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">In the Marvel comic books (Earth-616)
Captain America's shield is an admixture of vibranium and admantium.
Vibranium absorbs impacts and is invulnerable because the force is
redirected by the metal. Admantium is just damn hard, but like any
tough metal if you hit it rough enough, it cracks.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">In the movies the real reason Captain
America's shield is destroyed by Thanos is because The Mad Titan's
impacts were so devastating Captain America's pure vibranium shield
couldn't redirect the force, so it shattered from the vibrations.
That's why Black Panther is so badass. His vibranium outfit absorbs
hits until he redirects the force into a blast. In the comics Captain
America's vibranium/admantium shield is destroyed because of The
Infinity Gauntlet, not a sword made of uru.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCszsVcpwOWzw32Pt-ainlvPwn52CLsJCE2buwX-8INiJvEMqS3w5YuJl01Z1wVjj4Um4Ady5F8kQFV9-brlUdHvuShyKFshmEZxXsVzMhOfT7MRxvHs1Y9g8rvmZFapwqZ_aFazaMggdo/s1200/IMG_4147.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1200" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCszsVcpwOWzw32Pt-ainlvPwn52CLsJCE2buwX-8INiJvEMqS3w5YuJl01Z1wVjj4Um4Ady5F8kQFV9-brlUdHvuShyKFshmEZxXsVzMhOfT7MRxvHs1Y9g8rvmZFapwqZ_aFazaMggdo/s320/IMG_4147.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Ah, the good old days...</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">THE IRON MAN SHIELD</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Throughout the <i>Iron Man</i> films
there is a variant of the shield that shows up on occasion. You keep
seeing it throughout the films. Something important to remember is
that after Captain America ended up frozen in Antarctica, research
continued. Stark's father certainly kept going with is ideas, and
given the amazing abilities of Iron Man's armor thanks to nanotech,
there are so many possibilities. They keep showing us this other
shield for a reason.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OoMqbCAFL8BSYkSjWOk0nGAgECN8e1Rp5ea2YQvtdvPB-sStYhefzVHKJ1RsCivN6FmCsnrrdVtj_jtm9zBciaGfdyRY_CTYrxQ2OylQrqC1M48AUyTjhf2LxsGmljVMHALuIws-nbzv/s1224/IMG_4160.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1041" data-original-width="1224" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OoMqbCAFL8BSYkSjWOk0nGAgECN8e1Rp5ea2YQvtdvPB-sStYhefzVHKJ1RsCivN6FmCsnrrdVtj_jtm9zBciaGfdyRY_CTYrxQ2OylQrqC1M48AUyTjhf2LxsGmljVMHALuIws-nbzv/s320/IMG_4160.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Probably not a coincidence.</i></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If Captain America had ditched the
vibranium shield and asked Tony Stark to design a new shield, built
to withstand Thanos and utilize all the technology and innovation
Iron Man made use of, what would that shield be like? In both
<i>Avengers</i> <i>Infinity War</i> and<i> Endgame</i>, Iron Man uses
a shield. The first is nanotech. The second is some sort of energy
field. This is an important detail. After Captain America debriefs
Stark, the inventor could give him a shield that is prepared to take
on Thanos and more.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>THE FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER</i>
SHIELD</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">At the end of <i>Avengers Infinity War</i>,
an old Captain America shows up after a younger one takes off to the
past to return the Infinity Stones. We are not shown this adventure.
It is presumed that the stones were returned. So we have no idea what
really happened after young Captain America took off and came back.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQv2xqD07PJKOrqt8xfRIEB2zo2otggh0TL_tFPOCDuKrLfbjBFTDpBkYtK7SFWSscv8t5OuriMRymirKToTSNPvjSvBuFq5M3tQicjKVsJZQgeMb9eVVZY2YqPuhOdJhQ-IwcIHBE34k3/s463/IMG_4157.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="352" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQv2xqD07PJKOrqt8xfRIEB2zo2otggh0TL_tFPOCDuKrLfbjBFTDpBkYtK7SFWSscv8t5OuriMRymirKToTSNPvjSvBuFq5M3tQicjKVsJZQgeMb9eVVZY2YqPuhOdJhQ-IwcIHBE34k3/s320/IMG_4157.PNG" width="243" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Notice the gaps in the groove.</i></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Assuming he isn't a Skrull or variant,
this Captain America gives Falcon a shield. Everyone is cool with
this. It's unusual, when you think about it. The real shield was just
destroyed by Thanos. Where did this one come from? Since we just
watched Thor steal a Mjionor hammer from the past, this new shield
was assumed to come from the "normal" past. It didn't. </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There's another problem. Captain
America was returning Thor's hammer. So, isn't taking a shield from
the past bad if we have to return important, iconic, unique
artifacts like Captain America's shield and Thor's hammer? So this
older version of the hero is a variant from an alternate reality,
right? And Loki taught us variants aren't always good things. As soon
as that new shield was handed over to Falcon, Hulk should have
intervened, considering the advice he just gave.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Something to remember is that this
older version isn't dead. He's out there, somewhere. Is he in the
same dimension as Falcon and Winter Soldier? Did he return to an
alternate reality? Is he still talking to Hulk, or any of the
characters? We don't know. Watching a meeting between old Captain
America and his younger self would have been incredible, and the
conversation would have had profound effects on the MCU.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUGupesy_bJKPOTdHQZSqlqx7i8X_1hq28dGOhjfiSDbIuaIiL5X7Z9JBFmdkECM-7D7gkyEREqTyVx8VQ28FOiTvPOtYofW6CzaX7R7aIba2c4cyFQT3cKaGAddHjm_C3XmEkY48fxNg/s1280/IMG_4202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1120" data-original-width="1280" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUGupesy_bJKPOTdHQZSqlqx7i8X_1hq28dGOhjfiSDbIuaIiL5X7Z9JBFmdkECM-7D7gkyEREqTyVx8VQ28FOiTvPOtYofW6CzaX7R7aIba2c4cyFQT3cKaGAddHjm_C3XmEkY48fxNg/s320/IMG_4202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Obvious differences.</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">THE DIFFERENCES</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Having personally done film before, I
can assure you a lot of attention is paid to making sure everything
in the last shot matched the next one. If my character hands you a
Rossi .357 magnum revolver, and in the next scene you are holding a
.45 Springfield semiautomatic pistol, that's a problem. Observing
viewers will notice the difference.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Hulk warns Captain America about
traveling back in time and creating new realities. He describes them
as, "nasty." A warning is given about returning the stones
to the exact places they were left. However, Loki informs us that
when an Infinity Stone is displaced, a new reality results. When
Captain America chose to stay behind all new possibilities, as well
as problems, surfaced. He didn't even return the way he was expected
to.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Now, really think about what just
happened. Captain America's return is practically a punch line. "Don't
screw up," Hulk warns him, and The First Avenger returns, very old. Looks like somebody screwed up, bad. Remember,
when The Ancient One showed Hulk the problems of an alternate
timeline, it is presented as an ominous, dark cut branching out from
the original. Obviously, this is intended to show us how terrible
these places are.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Instead of showing up in the time
machine, he is just there, sitting on a bench by a lake. Captain
America gives a shield to Falcon. After watching <i>Loki</i> it's important
that this person giving his symbol away could be just a variant of
Captain America. He didn't return via the machine. He just appeared.
Out of the hundreds of others that exist in the multiverse, hopefully
this character didn't return with a different agenda and a new piece
of equipment.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">This shield is vastly different than
the one Captain America just lost to Thanos. The new one has a black
line bisecting the inside white/silver circle of the shield. Black
symbols the shape of trapezoids break up the line. The star symbol
inside the blue of the shield has coffin shaped designs inside the
arms of the star. There is another symbol inside the center of the
star. This new shield seems designed to open up, somehow. The
trapezoid symbols could be part of a hatch.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbWOM-Ex566zHaFtNu0K7YQCX7a2BG1yaJnKAfY8sLOfBev9wFj9LhhpSblRL_9lEOmXmSF_rfdp75179ZyNXYfVy5DYBFprOw3TqxmkGzDQy5RQRsNO9MYDvKILx8429ZhxHbjE5J_rj/s976/IMG_4151.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="976" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbWOM-Ex566zHaFtNu0K7YQCX7a2BG1yaJnKAfY8sLOfBev9wFj9LhhpSblRL_9lEOmXmSF_rfdp75179ZyNXYfVy5DYBFprOw3TqxmkGzDQy5RQRsNO9MYDvKILx8429ZhxHbjE5J_rj/s320/IMG_4151.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Not the old one at all.</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Since we saw Agent Carter getting
arrested in the background of <i>Loki</i>, something is probably going on
behind the scenes. The audience is told that The Avengers were
supposed to do what they used time travel to do. When young Captain
America is replaced by an older one with a different shield, nobody
notices because of the sweet, sad music and feelings, despite the
fact that Hulk's advice was obviously just ignored.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">LOKI AND KANG THE CONQUEROR</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">At the end of <i>Loki</i> it is revealed that
Kang did, and always has, won. The Time Variance Authority could have
existed the entire time <i>The Avengers</i> films were happening, and
we wouldn't have noticed since the audience has been told Kang allows
the time travel heist to happen. Why wouldn't he? It's how the
Conqueror probably conquered.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Since the effects of Kang's supremacy
are immediately felt throughout time (at the end of<i> Loki</i> the statues
within the TVA change, reflecting Kang's eternal supremacy) it's easy
to see why a Captain America leaving, and then a different, older one
with a strange shield showing up is a bad sign.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Look at this all from Kang's
perspective. Thanos is a rival. The Avengers are your enemies. How is
the playing field looking like by the end of the films?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If you are going to conquer a realm,
the best bet is to get that realm to fight itself, slaughter the
survivors and sweep once the civil war is over. Thanos is gone from
one timeline and dead two times. His army is obliterated. Asgard is
destroyed, Loki is dead, Thor has left Earth and been replaced by a
person who deserted their post once and even betrayed Thor for money.
The populace of Asgard is also decimated. No Odin either, so his
advice won't help.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQe18YNVNdrT_aTDLavF6pb920nCjfG2JKAPCLrnHSlZs__4S1e5qKAnJbG6B0rDBwGMAMCD_fZUMeKQ2zMdCjBpc7tVCH9of91yAhJ_NdBB7EuCMaIs9pKjRqTGu22j-ekNear-j5Rio/s960/IMG_4153.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQe18YNVNdrT_aTDLavF6pb920nCjfG2JKAPCLrnHSlZs__4S1e5qKAnJbG6B0rDBwGMAMCD_fZUMeKQ2zMdCjBpc7tVCH9of91yAhJ_NdBB7EuCMaIs9pKjRqTGu22j-ekNear-j5Rio/s320/IMG_4153.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The bad new shield?</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Tony Stark, the only technical genius
that might understand how to defeat Kang, is dead. Hulk's arm is
shriveled. Black Widow is dead. Captain America is a geriatric
octogenarian. The Vision, an immortal machine man privy to the
greatest secrets of two of the most intelligent minds Earth had to
offer, is also dead. From Kang's perspective, killing The Vision
would be very important. There is no team of mighty superheroes to
stop him. If the circle and the trapezoid represent his supremacy,
the five coffin shapes within the shield may as well be for his
potential adversaries. No wonder he won.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Another fact is that in the comics,
Kang just can't fight Thanos. The latter is too powerful for the
former to combat directly, and Thanos is smart enough to figure out
just about every plan or technology Kang could use. The one weapon
the Conqueror had (aside from surprise) was time, and he used it on
Thanos to win.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">GOOD OLD CAPTAIN AMERICA</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">When Captain America went back to the
past and stayed there, he didn't just sit around and keep his mouth
shut. He didn't just have to stones, he had Thor's hammer. The events
surrounding his adventure to return all that could easily be the plot
for an entire series. Since he planned on staying in the past, his
plan probably included preparing it for the future. This meant
telling his story.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Think of all the things he knew, from
how his vibranium shield would be destroyed by Thanos, to The Snap
that killed half of all life in the universe, to Loki's invasion of
New York City, Bucky's fate, how to stop Hitler, the destruction of
Asgard...everything. Since time was on his side (where he went, Tony
Stark had not even been born yet) he and the people Captain America
warned had plenty of time to prepare. It's annoying that we don't
know if he came from the past, or another timeline.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If he stayed in the same past as
Falcon, doesn't that mean there were two Captain America's? Where was
this other one hiding out? Was one frozen solid while the Captain
America from the future was talking? Did they just keep frozen
Captain America on ice, and he's in Antarctica while future Captain
America is handing his shield to Falcon? What a headache. It gets
worse when you consider that old Captain America could actually be
one from a different reality. With all that in mind...what's in that
other shield he brought back from the past?</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkxZhjxTDErHLkWhkXpQco7vZt8kfx2CSD-HLexUZVnBitMVL476oVCAME1Fo2YBONAdNSCjBGaaPp1NV1LnsIRoIuHJI_AHfCnFvXc1y5DR1WRlRc3GASX0lDAb4GAOhjiyG2WyGcBde/s1200/IMG_4158.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="1200" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkxZhjxTDErHLkWhkXpQco7vZt8kfx2CSD-HLexUZVnBitMVL476oVCAME1Fo2YBONAdNSCjBGaaPp1NV1LnsIRoIuHJI_AHfCnFvXc1y5DR1WRlRc3GASX0lDAb4GAOhjiyG2WyGcBde/s320/IMG_4158.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Still alive? An old advisor, or frozen hero?</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Remember, this man is an epic
superhero. If he could go back in time and bend/break the rules to
warn everyone and save the lives of billions, including his personal
friends like Tony Stark and Black Widow, he would. The older Cap
could have come from a happy, benevolent utopia where everything
worked out for the best. From his perspective, the timeline he came
back to could have been a wrong one.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">CAPTAIN AMERICA...ON ICE!</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">By the way, it's worth noting that
right now, in the MCU...a young Captain America is frozen in
Antarctica. What? If he went back in the past to be with his girl,
the other one is probably not around. Why would his girlfriend want
to be with two men? Leaving the other one on ice until they thaw him
out later would make sense. He even has a vibranium shield, which is
why future Captain America didn't come back with that. He returned
with something better.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">THEORIES</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">To understand the future let's look at
the past. Black Panther's vibranium armor stores up kinetic energy
and then releases it. We have yet to see the new shield take a really
hard hit. Since Thanos hit the other one so hard to shatter it,
channeling that energy into a blast to whup the ass Thanos sits on
makes sense. Iron Man also creates an energy shield at one point.
Maybe the other Captain America shield does that now.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Another is that Tony Stark left a
hologram that talks to everyone after he's dead in <i>Avengers
Endgame</i>. Putting a hologram like that in the shield to warn
everyone about Kang would be a great idea. At the right time, with
the right trigger, he could pop out and tell the future about what
the past figured out.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjBO6R2Qmj-wn3XCSlEVTcLcV0xbeoncbJUc8-tfvkB-uuBnTKeDDONiWXpZE3nN3L7_AA1vpqNomoxaltr_Ipk5263ucJNzEchTeQteLNduiO5UKXZcocf-IP34YgSnhiY61-9QZ0G6V/s1200/IMG_4197.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1200" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjBO6R2Qmj-wn3XCSlEVTcLcV0xbeoncbJUc8-tfvkB-uuBnTKeDDONiWXpZE3nN3L7_AA1vpqNomoxaltr_Ipk5263ucJNzEchTeQteLNduiO5UKXZcocf-IP34YgSnhiY61-9QZ0G6V/s320/IMG_4197.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The good old shield. </i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That shield has a lot of room, and Tony
Stark eventually used nanotech. For all we know there are tiny
cameras and microphones inside the new shield, transmitting
information to another timeline or somewhere else. Once Kang starts
to be a problem, glowing people could appear and offer solutions.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The shield could even be a time travel
device. Sure, Captain America could have just been hanging out for
many, many decades until he made his stealth roll to sit on a park
bench. Or he could have used the shield to send him there from
another timeline. TVA technology can create doorways to travel
through time. They could also have sent him over using some
technology until they beamed him back after he dropped the shield
off. At the right moment, that shield could go off, making everyone
teleport to the same timeline.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">SYMBOLS</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The symbolism of the five coffins is
easily understood. Thanos, Iron Man, Loki, Black Widow and The
Vision. The coffins also represent the fact the Avengers team is
effectively dead. The circle within the white circle on the inside of
the shield was a warning. Since Captain America is basically super
old now, the fifth coffin could represent him.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEislt0JysTepuBNwo3mdtKunBzGZMu08p0rUCBjghsTH7FIOPIxrrIcbZtZcEAeQH1yu-2KRkQsZ3rIJdyXNSeHXRs9FZly9bcW01dAGpOOuibJ2okyfivoYRL8Ak6zTrPdpw6GhEIgfUf9/s791/IMG_4198.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="791" data-original-width="625" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEislt0JysTepuBNwo3mdtKunBzGZMu08p0rUCBjghsTH7FIOPIxrrIcbZtZcEAeQH1yu-2KRkQsZ3rIJdyXNSeHXRs9FZly9bcW01dAGpOOuibJ2okyfivoYRL8Ak6zTrPdpw6GhEIgfUf9/s320/IMG_4198.JPG" width="253" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Old shield with no line, gaps, or coffins.</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Again, pay careful attention to what
The Hulk says to Captain America. He says to watch out for bad
potential timelines. Almost as if it was the punch line to a joke,
when Captain American vanishes he is immediately replaced by an older
version sitting at a bench. We saw a similar logic in place when
Ant-Man kept coming back messed up, so this was foreshadowing. </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The black line and trapezoids on the
shield is foreshadowing. In <i>Loki</i>, Kang's supremacy is symbolized by a
circle representing The Sacred Timeline and a strange shape, similar
to a trapezoid, that is Kang's castle. Since Kang won (he tells us so
in <i>Loki</i>) Captain America basically left and came back with a shield
showing Kang's victory. If he had come back with a shield that had a
hammer and sickle on it we would have noticed something was wrong.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Kang's castle looks like a trapezoid.
Each one on the shield could also represent the flawed, murderous
rule Kang's supremacy lead to, since each one symbolizing a timeline
created by Captain America going back in time with the Infinity
Stones with the circle symbolizing Kang's own timeline. Since The Time
Variance Authority are all mind controlled slaves with their memories
wiped clean who kill whole timelines to preserve Kang's rule, a
trapezoid is a proper symbol.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQZHPAbFNEdIwrAWI788VJ7PHfFwaQdrDfwtYw8tCcKrBtKcxkF6icHVn4owQrqiNH528CjkOGKSJLUuAehjG0MhcFn1YbI0twMzJc_7yNdxJ3xddZcEj7ROMXeiXH0J4VMkTHV77ar-x/s1280/citadel.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQZHPAbFNEdIwrAWI788VJ7PHfFwaQdrDfwtYw8tCcKrBtKcxkF6icHVn4owQrqiNH528CjkOGKSJLUuAehjG0MhcFn1YbI0twMzJc_7yNdxJ3xddZcEj7ROMXeiXH0J4VMkTHV77ar-x/s320/citadel.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Look familiar?</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">BAD OLD CAPTAIN AMERICA</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There's also something else to
consider. We are given no real evidence that the old Captain America
that shows up is the same one that vanished. He doesn't have the same
shield. He's older. Could he be a robot? Kang mind controls people by
wiping their memories clean. He could probably plant new ones. Maybe
this older Captain America is evil, and the real one is somewhere out
there, lost in time.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">This older, variant Captain America
might also be from a timeline where he is evil and America is a
fascist dictatorship. The strange shield he brought back could be a
danger to the past, which is Kang's present and our future. The new
Captain America shield could be a time bomb! Like we learned in
<i>Loki</i>, not all variants of a hero, or villain, are the same. Older Cap
could also be Older Evil Cap, working for Kang. Either way, good or
bad, he helped The Conqueror.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJYw8fiWGWs72V5SEzyyX0PQE1hf-zBNVV0Jp2aOo8d4-xE7V24yXdzAR0DHcxJy7LbDsmAoIQsrkakVFyb1wn8Z0Dcn-isnoZCXmKfp9M-5rcCnSEiNFz2sLkMKu5fdEW7PRbCa5iW0x/s960/aIVB6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="960" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJYw8fiWGWs72V5SEzyyX0PQE1hf-zBNVV0Jp2aOo8d4-xE7V24yXdzAR0DHcxJy7LbDsmAoIQsrkakVFyb1wn8Z0Dcn-isnoZCXmKfp9M-5rcCnSEiNFz2sLkMKu5fdEW7PRbCa5iW0x/s320/aIVB6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>From the original </i><i>film. So, how many actually exist?</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">THE END..?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The next movies coming out set the
stage nicely for the new Captain America, featuring Falcon. I'm glad
he got a shield. Flying around without a helmet in a jetpack while
other heroes like Iron Man and War Machine get indestructible armor
is insulting. That new shield is going to be a factor in the film,
and by then we are going to know more about Kang the Conqueror
because there's going to be another <i>Spider-Man</i> film, another
<i>Doctor Strange</i> film, and another <i>Ant-Man and Wasp</i>.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Most of these movies include the other
characters. If that shield has any special properties, we are going
to learn about them. There's also another Avengers film coming out,
and it would be a fun surprise if a shield that has been in the
audience's face for so long is revealed to be completely different
and essential to the story line involving Kang.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There's also something else I've
noticed.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">At the end of <i>Loki </i>the camera backs out
of a black hole. We see a spacecraft flying towards us for an
instant, as if trying to leave. Is that The Avengers? The X-Men? The
Fantastic Four? All of them have access to spacecraft. Why are they
leaving? Where are they going? We then see another black hole. Why
two? Why not five or six? Is Kang lying? Did he just photocopy the
universe and conquer that? When Thanos used the Infinity Stones to
destroy them, since energy can neither be created nor destroyed, a
new universe was probably created (we were told they were created
during The Big Bang) when they were.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREUNbnzYc-wHygTaJTtq4nsD_GT1CaHBcgEYwHJ0-z_NpJhFsD0Th5PxonmXs3XY9Tuhch8MwNw7OpFQ3eaBq18r95QFXZoyW0trThMQ6KPRUwTRA5y6AerHApvqZQe0DflUNsKr5qbic/s1280/IMG_4366.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREUNbnzYc-wHygTaJTtq4nsD_GT1CaHBcgEYwHJ0-z_NpJhFsD0Th5PxonmXs3XY9Tuhch8MwNw7OpFQ3eaBq18r95QFXZoyW0trThMQ6KPRUwTRA5y6AerHApvqZQe0DflUNsKr5qbic/s320/IMG_4366.PNG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, so the 'Stones became another universe.</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We leave the black hole and escape the
singularity (how did we do that?) and end up in another black hole.
Further and further the POV travels until we are at Kang's castle. So
Loki is inside a black hole with a copy of another universe in a
black hole inside of it. That clears things up nicely. Not.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Now that I've really thought about it,
the ship you saw leaving the singularity from the last episode of
<i>Loki</i>, season 1, was probably owned by The Collector. What was he
collecting? Or who?</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIC6sczw_SFRbVFpZ4nZXmTr9pmeTaX3JINBAY5jRvbKBRNnPs5kXVquteXVo6XLm0RWi-ZyFxmtw0lm3mpX1gkQLFDpTD-QIzYhKvou3xqUxEPH1bquNLpmP2KZHoEcLTUnXw6EA1t42/s750/Collector%2527s_Ship.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="750" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIC6sczw_SFRbVFpZ4nZXmTr9pmeTaX3JINBAY5jRvbKBRNnPs5kXVquteXVo6XLm0RWi-ZyFxmtw0lm3mpX1gkQLFDpTD-QIzYhKvou3xqUxEPH1bquNLpmP2KZHoEcLTUnXw6EA1t42/s320/Collector%2527s_Ship.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The Collector's ship.</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">When Star Lord is first introduced, he
is dancing along to "Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone. In
<i>Avengers Infinity War</i>, he is doing the exact same thing on the
exact same planet in the exact same position listening to the exact
same song. It's practically synchronized. Sure, it could be that Star
Lord does that alot. Or it could be that the events of <i>Avengers
Infinity War</i> and <i>Avengers Endgame</i> take place in a completely
different universe.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">When Doctor Strange first sees the
multiverse, it's not parallel universes. The imagery is psychedelic.
When The Hulk talks to The Ancient One, she says infinity stones
create universes. In <i>Avengers Infinity War</i>, Doctor Strange saw
many, many universes where Thanos was not defeated. Only one timeline
allowed The Avengers to win...one where anyone who is a threat to
Kang is destroyed. How convenient.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSyDtdarYq7pvRTDglhmykM-VT5WJRCZDSNpGePfJDXCPO3T-4X2mrcvik-HgKQ1PYJddkXFzuk_X090hT_lu9VdSkQcB-rA6Hq6by8WjAwlkV2uzJ7i4fS4BF8EipL0ir_ml4eZWiBg_/s600/loki-spaceship-1277653.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="600" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSyDtdarYq7pvRTDglhmykM-VT5WJRCZDSNpGePfJDXCPO3T-4X2mrcvik-HgKQ1PYJddkXFzuk_X090hT_lu9VdSkQcB-rA6Hq6by8WjAwlkV2uzJ7i4fS4BF8EipL0ir_ml4eZWiBg_/s320/loki-spaceship-1277653.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Where did he go? What did he get? Where is he going? Why?</i></div>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">When we catch up with Star Lord it
could be that it's a clue the audience is watching a parallel
universe, where Star Lord already met his friends before ending up
where he was, again, only for him it's the first time. I honestly
don't know. Maybe that other universe we saw in <i>Loki</i> is a photocopy
created from the destruction of the first set of Infinity Stones, and
all of the characters that died in the first universe are in that
one.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That's enough mystery for today. Sorry
I cannot answer any of these questions that have just been created.
We'll have to be patient. What does this new Captain America shield
truly represent, for the future of the MCU? Only time will tell.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LlKKBVbCcmg" width="320" youtube-src-id="LlKKBVbCcmg"></iframe></div>Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-10929062719457183772019-11-27T14:54:00.000-08:002020-04-16T14:46:02.012-07:00"UNGAZILIBALI" - Music<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJB3HN1NGUOyQs8JmGP9mP3C2m5MsMeVJnUh46skR6nsKkuaOUNkICZLs_mKuj_QkNyebj-vnjzx88QUyYisuxg75kMlk1y0WIvqbHkp9I6GAw2ehm0qZNKAbcUN0YqUCwU5YJmcQu9M22/s1600/600x600bf.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJB3HN1NGUOyQs8JmGP9mP3C2m5MsMeVJnUh46skR6nsKkuaOUNkICZLs_mKuj_QkNyebj-vnjzx88QUyYisuxg75kMlk1y0WIvqbHkp9I6GAw2ehm0qZNKAbcUN0YqUCwU5YJmcQu9M22/s320/600x600bf.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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"UNGAZILIBALI (Don't Forget Yourself)" is a beautiful, poetic paean about hope, healing and unity at a time when such a message is needed most. In response to women throughout the country suffering from abuse, this single is a majestic, soulful song that has brought together five very talented artists, like fingers, to make a fist for the women facing oppression and violence in South Africa and anywhere else where positive spirituality is needed against political oppression. While traditional records labels can choke out some promising musical genius, digital distributors like Platoon are helping to get female creators the attention they've earned and help worthy causes while doing so.<br />
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In honor of Women's Month in South Africa the five most popular musicians in the country combined their energies and unique talents to bring up the hopes of women with an appropriate anthem. Ami Faku, Bonga Kwana, Msaki, Zolani Mahola and Eryn Allen Kane are all elements in a synthesis from across the planet that certainly captivates. "The magic happens when there is no agenda and you're not trying to force anything...you're just trying to make magic...and I think that is happening. The world should hear it," says Platoon's Co-Founder and CEO, Denzyl Feigelson, about the collaborative effort.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeky0Qx6QngQ_U59SPUTcl0YpbLCidn3GwN0ecI8SREJUzHX3qQX7ba9Biq02mgPv3S5ma2OyglmazjeE4mvBxhwmxZj7JyE68kKOb-LO5KSL1mP3da6Z2bVSgiDXLQs8xO1Kueyk65P3d/s1600/banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="960" height="86" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeky0Qx6QngQ_U59SPUTcl0YpbLCidn3GwN0ecI8SREJUzHX3qQX7ba9Biq02mgPv3S5ma2OyglmazjeE4mvBxhwmxZj7JyE68kKOb-LO5KSL1mP3da6Z2bVSgiDXLQs8xO1Kueyk65P3d/s320/banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Platoon, a music company straight out of London, UK (as well as Cape Town, South Africa), has provided independent, unsigned, alternative artists like the ladies responsible for "UNGAZILIBALI" with a chance to reach out to listeners without going through a stifling official corporate record monolith. They not only have mighty musical mavens like Mr. Eazi, Maleek Berry, and Raleigh Ritchie, Platoon is also sponsoring artists that have gone onto major labels like Billie Eilish and Stefflon Don. "All these amazing artists who make records that aren't of interest to labels would be able to find an audience directly," says Feigelson. "We believe that artists do their best work when they have creative and economic freedom."<br />
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For the women who created the single, the project wasn't just business, it was personal."It's really special because this is something you can only accomplish when there are five women in the room. It's a very unique way to write," said Msaki, who is also a composer and producer. Singer Ami Faku added, "This is for my future daughter to tell her that I believe in her and trust her, and that she shouldn't be putting my fears or experiences upon her own life." Zolani Mahola, a singer that brings her own unique empathy as well as energy to the work, adds "This world is deeply in need of our particular energy and our particular voice."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZ6IisfK9asrMJ50SWql-Lm_CnEYMhGy4YZGtTHdvsheLcHusB0v-KPE4lgE_JbII-DtTeqTtcG3y6sKz-lauQH6r5yb1dI2YcIWsD1RRF6OgZvj38htxOG3iYLgJOTMw3vXBHlAg1-Ch/s1600/69822058_526822668119623_203377563517667632_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="480" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZ6IisfK9asrMJ50SWql-Lm_CnEYMhGy4YZGtTHdvsheLcHusB0v-KPE4lgE_JbII-DtTeqTtcG3y6sKz-lauQH6r5yb1dI2YcIWsD1RRF6OgZvj38htxOG3iYLgJOTMw3vXBHlAg1-Ch/s320/69822058_526822668119623_203377563517667632_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Bonga Kwana (aka Nokubonga Kwana), a self-taught poet, singer and songwriter, reminds listeners of the song's motivational message: "People should take care of themselves." Eryn Allen Kane, a musician from Detroit, Michigan who has collaborated with Prince, definitely knows how to work with the best and heal hearts at the same time. "We're all bound by certain things, but music was the thing that completely freed me," she says. "We have a special mission here on earth as any creative, especially as a female...and there are waves that we are tapped into that we are only beginning to scratch the surface of...this world is very deeply in need of our particular energy and particular voice," says Zolani Mahola.<br />
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The single is a combination of English and Xhosa, a language native to South Africa. If you had a bad day and got mood poisoning, this is just what the <i>ugqirha</i> ordered. As deep and powerful as the sea, the song propels you like a whispering tide to a paradise with words. The five sing together, voices flying away, drifting back, spellbinding you with traditional rhythms and old, old, old skool beats. Each artist has a place in this single where they shine out, and when their voices soar together in unison, you can only feel good again.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrQ9kO0KEwPEPSQJbtGCcnCCDCF7FjXiBAUpZpsVDHWJSD8uuGG6PXRnSeMkYVvOgBLCVyRFJEgIgDQSaHCk2Awpao3MkjJaGdK4PSYahWzlrbgaQ0WEh7IvoS9ZYgG8zjuMoV9co2CHM/s1600/70221452_10156393903766911_1265238601659056128_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrQ9kO0KEwPEPSQJbtGCcnCCDCF7FjXiBAUpZpsVDHWJSD8uuGG6PXRnSeMkYVvOgBLCVyRFJEgIgDQSaHCk2Awpao3MkjJaGdK4PSYahWzlrbgaQ0WEh7IvoS9ZYgG8zjuMoV9co2CHM/s320/70221452_10156393903766911_1265238601659056128_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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What's next for these fine female musicians? Although each artist is occupied with their own successful careers, any successful collaboration like the single "UNGAZILIBALI" could potentially create an opportunity for more magic. Platoon has the platform for it, and Denzyl Feigelson knows how to deliver a hit that raises awareness at a time when women like Ami Faku, Bonga Kwana, Msaki, Zolani Mahola and Eryn Allen Kane around world need sincere support the most.<br />
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You can check out the single for yourself right here: <a href="https://geni.us/Ungazilibali">https://geni.us/Ungazilibali</a> Find out more about Platoon here: <a href="https://platoon.ai/">https://platoon.ai/</a> Learn more about Msaki over here: <a href="https://wikimzansi.com/msaki/">https://wikimzansi.com/msaki/</a> More Ami Faku can be found here: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/3flcjKgRCeBVZTR8n8iShE">https://open.spotify.com/artist/3flcjKgRCeBVZTR8n8iShE</a> Zolani is over here: <a href="http://www.theonewhosings.com/">http://www.theonewhosings.com/</a> Bonga Kwana is here: <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-520139074/bonga-kwana-nzwakazi">https://soundcloud.com/user-520139074/bonga-kwana-nzwakazi</a> And Eryn Allen Kane is here: <a href="https://music.apple.com/tr/artist/eryn-allen-kane/812455847">https://music.apple.com/tr/artist/eryn-allen-kane/812455847</a><br />
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Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-32773676050355987722019-10-29T14:58:00.001-07:002021-12-31T12:57:46.934-08:00Horror Films of the Inland Empire - Film<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG7XeAcIZZoH-9zgmA-ogh868qQkGdnLOkNTn_wpi1Z9YQTUsS8mxrAntDs57-CvA7bUk-_FZKslB8lDLlrErZdC2oMGn75Je7wGCqBzuBqINiLV0AsYsBofm7UdW154Ah9_WXxV2LDqFP/s1600/inland-empire-1280x640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG7XeAcIZZoH-9zgmA-ogh868qQkGdnLOkNTn_wpi1Z9YQTUsS8mxrAntDs57-CvA7bUk-_FZKslB8lDLlrErZdC2oMGn75Je7wGCqBzuBqINiLV0AsYsBofm7UdW154Ah9_WXxV2LDqFP/s320/inland-empire-1280x640.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Home sweet, uh, I mean, sweet and sour, home.</i></div>
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Although I was born on a nuclear Air Force base in Michigan, most of my life has been spent in the Inland Empire. Between growing up punk there to eventually working as a law clerk and then finally as a process server for the San Bernardino County legal court system, as a veteran of the landscape my opinion is that the I.E. is best described as a massive, dusty yin-yang. </div>
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The yang being the wealthy parts of the place that make money juxtaposed by the rather horrific, yin regions that end up making criminal statistics swell. It's the 14th most dangerous city in America, and dozens of people die there every year. I tell my friends the worst parts of the I.E. are basically <i>Mad Max, Beyond Thunderdome</i>...but there ain't no Thunderdome. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQIK3B-8Up2uPZOJvypr1iWpL1yWjudQSDUJxg5VgKuL4UgA_LjUJ-j97hd2aoe4MOAwr4ILH0g38bYnoh_UeAMvD0N4baX7ZP937ZSlISzjWJAzPDXYtv3hlCDVObawd6NZfuaZ-50NKi/s1600/s-l1600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQIK3B-8Up2uPZOJvypr1iWpL1yWjudQSDUJxg5VgKuL4UgA_LjUJ-j97hd2aoe4MOAwr4ILH0g38bYnoh_UeAMvD0N4baX7ZP937ZSlISzjWJAzPDXYtv3hlCDVObawd6NZfuaZ-50NKi/s320/s-l1600.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>I still miss you, Spanky's!</i></div>
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<i>Inland Empire Weekly</i> called me one merry October and requested that I write a whole lot of words about horror films made in the I.E. "Sure." I said. "But it's going to cost you so much money you won't even be able to keep your website going by 2019." They laughed at my weird prediction and basically left me to my own devices until I hit the deadline weeks later. Vita brevi, ars longa!</div>
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<a href="http://www.ieweekly.com/">www.ieweekly.com</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAnA5grcg2nbAx89QBy8df5X2yecX9X_UmfKHqRL77CyeSpIzjONxXhWu8ASk1dFgA6aUbvzLseKwr12iF20iuZSwxX6N8BXYnZ3rSVV4In9HmCVM3STJWxpNMadkQfLgMVvGl1PHImS2/s1600/Horror-Movie-Montage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="962" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAnA5grcg2nbAx89QBy8df5X2yecX9X_UmfKHqRL77CyeSpIzjONxXhWu8ASk1dFgA6aUbvzLseKwr12iF20iuZSwxX6N8BXYnZ3rSVV4In9HmCVM3STJWxpNMadkQfLgMVvGl1PHImS2/s320/Horror-Movie-Montage.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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While Halloween occurs only once a
year, horror films are something we can celebrate every season…as
long as we don’t die before the arrival of that next blockbuster.
An oozing chunk of the gruesome delight in watching all of that
screaming on celluloid is the thrill of witnessing your own town host
all of that terror…if you dwell within a place Hollywood finds
fearsome.</div>
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The scary news is, when it comes to
terror Los Angeles gets more film than the thriving metropolis known
from here to hell as the Inland Empire. Maybe it’s because of the
cancerous smog, the deadly traffic, or just the constant, eerie
Kafkaesque dread of being face-to-visage with LAPD. </div>
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Occasionally though, all of the omens
line up and some lost, mad soul does decide to shoot something
sinister amidst the haunted hills and dusty domiciles of the Inland
Empire, where even the blandly bright suburbs have gutters that can
stream scarlet, thanks to monsters, malefactors, or everyday murder.</div>
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<i>Invaders from Mars</i>, Palomar
Observatory, San Diego County</div>
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<i>Invaders from Mars</i>, made in 1953
and directed by William Cameron Menzies, is a cosmic sci-fi thriller
that is radioactive with paranoia since it was made at the height of
the Cold War. Decades ago every adult knew that if WWIII happened it
would be nothing but nukes from Rhode Island to Russia, and until
then every American citizen was a secret communist spy, sent from the
USSR to infiltrate and destroy.</div>
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In this silver screen screamer, evil
Martians invade a small town and start to mind control the populace,
brainwashing their leaders into cold, sadistic drones trying to
enslave humanity for their monstrous green masters. Before they
succeed the good guys find out, the bad guys get taken out, but the
space age menace remained, spawning numerous 50’s flicks that
promised moviegoers everything in the universe couldn’t wait to
journey across the cosmos to slay us all.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8B9AhnbUAFKpTEcobLqIuEjqqUbmkP2l4qTHgvXmz91gbHjlt6mEBmI99c7_V0zIj4hZ-RWMgzFntJ9G34uzbDVmxi302cqvjzl0gdJLuXqotYKaX7tidavAuYPxZFgyHsMzgH1fFIqu/s1600/nightmare_alley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1253" data-original-width="854" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8B9AhnbUAFKpTEcobLqIuEjqqUbmkP2l4qTHgvXmz91gbHjlt6mEBmI99c7_V0zIj4hZ-RWMgzFntJ9G34uzbDVmxi302cqvjzl0gdJLuXqotYKaX7tidavAuYPxZFgyHsMzgH1fFIqu/s320/nightmare_alley.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Palomar Observatory is a part of San
Diego worth stitching on to any piece of cinematic excellence. Before
the place was hit by <i>Invaders from Mars</i> film noir got there
first in the form of 1947’s <i>Nightmare Alley</i>, a brutal story
about one man’s sadistic greed and the mayhem he leaves in his
wake. Not exactly a cauldron of gore, through.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7i7tJ5J0QdbIiGfKqVT3PwZ5zmNLnvAVIdIyEb5LR00z7JU2BUiff5fG_6VI3vr0yaUUgocHZiodweb3-Hb2pXhQDIB47KzO02O8zl9rjIiNNB4SBd2GiaoBXGMH3435SRHvJgNzD17k/s1600/The-Crater-Lake-Monster-1977.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1276" data-original-width="1600" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7i7tJ5J0QdbIiGfKqVT3PwZ5zmNLnvAVIdIyEb5LR00z7JU2BUiff5fG_6VI3vr0yaUUgocHZiodweb3-Hb2pXhQDIB47KzO02O8zl9rjIiNNB4SBd2GiaoBXGMH3435SRHvJgNzD17k/s320/The-Crater-Lake-Monster-1977.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In 1977 this beautiful section of San
Diego County ended up on the big screen again, thanks to 1977’s
<i>Crater Lake Monster</i>, a tale about a dinosaur that wakes up
from suspended animation and tries to destroy and devour a city. The
legendary David Allen supplied the claymation magic that made the
monster, but after watching space marines fight acid-spraying
xenomorphs in <i>Aliens</i> or seeing <i>Godzilla </i>stomp Tokyo
concave, the fear you’d normally feel is far, far away.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLvlwopY68_oq24u28BjRF6ADPwi6VLd2KgQWVkgkzbvIK8Ulhnm-8BexYrDMLp50xdONwE_YvvokPVfWpW-Tu09gbqD_kXSD-9MgdmTGYiGTYSDIPuKGSmoFlhMttJhyphenhyphene5JvCmJbLL6ur/s1600/MV5BN2MyNjIwZWQtNzYzYy00ZTA1LWE5YTMtMDEwZGI3YWFkYjVjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzc5MjA3OA%2540%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C655%252C1000_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="655" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLvlwopY68_oq24u28BjRF6ADPwi6VLd2KgQWVkgkzbvIK8Ulhnm-8BexYrDMLp50xdONwE_YvvokPVfWpW-Tu09gbqD_kXSD-9MgdmTGYiGTYSDIPuKGSmoFlhMttJhyphenhyphene5JvCmJbLL6ur/s320/MV5BN2MyNjIwZWQtNzYzYy00ZTA1LWE5YTMtMDEwZGI3YWFkYjVjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzc5MjA3OA%2540%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C655%252C1000_AL_.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Slaughterhouse</i>, Lakeside, San
Diego County</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This cool little chopper hits the road
red for fans that that demand large men with cutlery turning small
ones into hamburger. <i>Slaughterhouse</i>, filmed in 1987 within
Lakeside (also in the county of San Diego) is about a small business
owner who goes insane when evil bankers threaten to take his
property. Instead of filing a civil lawsuit he tells his
muscle-bound, 300+ lb. mentally challenged son to turn the opposition
into crimson coleslaw with anything heavy and choppy that will do the
job.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
While this movie is dreadfully acted, a
little bit awful and rather low budget, the fact that Lakeside ended
up in this bucket of gore is not surprising. A cyclopean, rural
domain containing several bodies of water (including Lindo Lake and
Lake Jennings), and vast stretches of brooding forests sliced into
sections by running rivers, those deep, dark environs are also
stalked by woodsmen who like it wild, scary and far from safety.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Rick Roessler, who also wrote
<i>Slaughterhouse</i>, made a monster that transplanted the Inland
Empire into the blood-streaked mausoleum of cinematic history while
at the same time introducing a villain with a motivation more
intricate and fathomable than, “I’m a killing machine.” If evil
bankers were attacking and your kid was roughly the size, shape and
mental intent of Jason Voorhees, wouldn’t it be fun seeing them end
up like meat on a hook, instead of watching our politicians keep them
off of it?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaMv_WdFolU5qCkax7ejStdb1VL7wWDLfiKZT-7ocIJPIo66zvSXAN749Gr_XaNaxMaMf2dD9aTzQs7uDNXubBJZZU3Db9Q0Fv4xwYzh8qexmAsBstFUcRbf800Zk2ePqy_mTjrbu8h7t/s1600/MV5BYzg2Mjg1MDMtZmQzZi00NTQzLWFkNGQtNDFjMzk2NTdiNGNjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C661%252C1000_AL_+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="661" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaMv_WdFolU5qCkax7ejStdb1VL7wWDLfiKZT-7ocIJPIo66zvSXAN749Gr_XaNaxMaMf2dD9aTzQs7uDNXubBJZZU3Db9Q0Fv4xwYzh8qexmAsBstFUcRbf800Zk2ePqy_mTjrbu8h7t/s320/MV5BYzg2Mjg1MDMtZmQzZi00NTQzLWFkNGQtNDFjMzk2NTdiNGNjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C661%252C1000_AL_+%25281%2529.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Hell Night</i>, Redlands, San
Bernardino County</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Films about teenagers and co-eds going
someplace awful to get brutally slaughtered one-by-one are a proud
tradition in American horror. Whether it is camping near Silverlake
or ending up in the wrong house in Texas where chainsaws are
standard-issue, wacky kids are always going to somehow end up on a
chopping block somewhere when it comes to entertaining the masses.
Everyone appreciates it when someone improperly adventurous dies.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A group of teenagers are challenged to
spend the night in a gigantic mansion, only to be murdered by the
survivor of a massacre that happened there decades before. Filmed all
over Southern California for a horror-hungry public who weren’t
content just seeing Linda Blair possessed by the devil, <i>Hell Night</i>
was made not only in Los Angeles and South Pasadena but also
throughout the County of Redlands within the Inland Empire.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It’s unusual how the Inland Empire
hosts so many movies about homicidal maniacs. When crazy meets
cutlery, the blood usually flows if there are unaware victims nearby,
and the screams sound better against the quiet, rough hills and
suburban sprawl Redlands is heir too. Even the name of the place
sounds lethal, as if the ground itself was carmine from slaughter.
Someone needs to write a script for a slasher flick called <i>Redlands</i>.
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEr5v1ikZBblX1kat097lJfa27B9GtHJpUnqDpkzG4nXl1DhYBI_IudZEfAaDCKFh1fKS3hJozpiZ1lkHxAsm1xaedmhKSG7a3JSv4uYEEVIU6KhCb7eGg7n8KoaFNHR3VjQdiG0pL8Gv/s1600/redlands-ca-1200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="1200" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEr5v1ikZBblX1kat097lJfa27B9GtHJpUnqDpkzG4nXl1DhYBI_IudZEfAaDCKFh1fKS3hJozpiZ1lkHxAsm1xaedmhKSG7a3JSv4uYEEVIU6KhCb7eGg7n8KoaFNHR3VjQdiG0pL8Gv/s320/redlands-ca-1200.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>"</i>REDLANDS<i>." Sounds like a title to me.</i></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Hell Night</i> is replete with
affordable fears and fun kills, but watching one psycho just whack a
bunch of young, dumb trespassers gets kind of lame, quick. I’m sure
every foreboding, dilapidated mansion deserves a mass murder, but in
an age of pepper spray, smartphones, MMA training, a proliferation of
firearms and a militarized police force armed with APC’s, it is
hard to imagine a lone suburban maniac successfully stabbing so many
ignorant kids to death uncontested without anyone calling 911.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVPNN0RSrErFjH9_pkNFSfMJR6m8UqMczzm6di53Ihd2ANhVcBrYI0tjGidEdVjp_qUJwOpfUyiak1yQeYXr_8BV20qKOxEAxmDQcz1xr0JMB6gxzXB-0loZftBKz8vcD6uXVibQbTVyMd/s1600/MV5BYWM3ODgyZTMtZTVkMi00NTAxLTk0OWQtMzM3NzVkYzRlMTA1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzc5MjA3OA%2540%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C656%252C1000_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="656" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVPNN0RSrErFjH9_pkNFSfMJR6m8UqMczzm6di53Ihd2ANhVcBrYI0tjGidEdVjp_qUJwOpfUyiak1yQeYXr_8BV20qKOxEAxmDQcz1xr0JMB6gxzXB-0loZftBKz8vcD6uXVibQbTVyMd/s320/MV5BYWM3ODgyZTMtZTVkMi00NTAxLTk0OWQtMzM3NzVkYzRlMTA1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzc5MjA3OA%2540%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C656%252C1000_AL_.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>The Hills Have Eyes</i>,
Victorville, San Bernardino County</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In 1977 a fun-loving family went
camping in the desert, only to encounter a fiendish pack of violent,
radioactive cannibals. Wackiness ensued. Wes Craven, the writer and
director of this gritty, bloody beast, made cinematic history with an
almost plausible story about a road trip gone so horribly wrong well
before he created <i>A Nightmare on Elm Street</i>.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Shot in the brutal, rocky landscape
anyone in Victorville can find if they wander into the wilderness
miles from their backyard, it doesn’t take long for the film to
fill you with fear as our hapless, lower middle-class family realizes
they aren’t alone in the lonely, dusty hills they camped out in. By
the violent end they are fighting for their lives against gruesome
thugs that look like they wandered in from <i>The Road Warrior</i>.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Apart from the wonderful casting choice
of using the big, bald, terrifying Michael Berryman as Pluto, the
meanest-looking mutant in the movie (Berryman’s career is the envy
of any professional…he’s also in <i>The Devil’s Rejects</i>,
directed by the immortal Rob Zombie), some of the sorcery of this
film is its realism. Anyone who has camped out in the boonies knows
that there just has to be evil people out there, licking their chops,
and they’d be your bogeyman, if unleashed.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItoRqOPj9hZf19D8KksWrk0f28jbVMkOG5SRq909OkV3oZO1SawGgS4BAImXu1D96j_VXkcFcSTW18FFckZIZe6Q8-uxM6ASKVW1bmrEQT3XiFI3AUh96OD4qiNgFswPOF5Uje-Jso2r4/s1600/195336713.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1128" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItoRqOPj9hZf19D8KksWrk0f28jbVMkOG5SRq909OkV3oZO1SawGgS4BAImXu1D96j_VXkcFcSTW18FFckZIZe6Q8-uxM6ASKVW1bmrEQT3XiFI3AUh96OD4qiNgFswPOF5Uje-Jso2r4/s320/195336713.jpeg" width="225" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The real horror, however, is observing
the family debase themselves in an orgy of violence to beat their
aggressors. As mom, dad and the kids start to get their murder on,
too, there’s a feeling by the end of the creation that although the
monsters have been fought and brutally beaten down, new ones have
replaced them.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJPn9sCiWsvQ2LBJJOlGNzl9Z17BGN3MnfCU-X5wl0oaPF2NGtKxqmGf4PK7VA6slKtq0v8rzmXF69TuYtxdUK1afaxV7i3UNK_DncnawT1FDNMZsjNuYGM3MCo-z64bEkbg05_tkm5fl/s1600/415OUvkADML.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="349" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJPn9sCiWsvQ2LBJJOlGNzl9Z17BGN3MnfCU-X5wl0oaPF2NGtKxqmGf4PK7VA6slKtq0v8rzmXF69TuYtxdUK1afaxV7i3UNK_DncnawT1FDNMZsjNuYGM3MCo-z64bEkbg05_tkm5fl/s320/415OUvkADML.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Inland Empire</i>, Los Angeles
County (?)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
While David Lynch (the director of
masterpieces such as <i>Eraserhead</i>, <i>Blue Velvet</i> and <i>Lost
Highway</i>) is always lurking on the bleeding edge of modern cinema,
<i>Inland Empire</i>, created in 2006, has one very serious hang up:
the film wasn’t made in the Inland Empire at all, despite its name.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
While it is a psychological horror film
(which means its more like <i>Angel Heart</i> or <i>Psycho </i>instead
of <i>Scream </i>or <i>The Texas Chainsaw Massacre</i>) about a young
woman relentlessly pursued by an evil, murdering ghost haunting a
cursed screenplay, <i>Inland Empire</i> should be called something
else because it was made in Los Angeles, Hollywood and Poland.
Imagine if <i>Chinatown</i> took place in Sacramento. It may as well
be called <i>Southern California, sans San Bernardino</i>. Thanks a
lot, Lynch.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj280ggjGwdDxuyNfN1xMERWVwt8WgDK8yyWqh5ybCSd6tj4D-8yFZtI_b5ht7kCk4Fwkgq9SsCzT-6t6th8CiMCKMUDaUZ5p5EQ641Fmvt9-j4fTTCgbgUdE1LdQE4gDRtRNOuiO4IW55H/s1600/MV5BZmQ3OTgwN2EtNDQ0MS00YWQ2LTg3YmYtZjk5OWU3M2ZhM2E4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDIzMzcwNjc%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C666%252C1000_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="666" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj280ggjGwdDxuyNfN1xMERWVwt8WgDK8yyWqh5ybCSd6tj4D-8yFZtI_b5ht7kCk4Fwkgq9SsCzT-6t6th8CiMCKMUDaUZ5p5EQ641Fmvt9-j4fTTCgbgUdE1LdQE4gDRtRNOuiO4IW55H/s320/MV5BZmQ3OTgwN2EtNDQ0MS00YWQ2LTg3YmYtZjk5OWU3M2ZhM2E4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDIzMzcwNjc%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C666%252C1000_AL_.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Paranormal Activity</i>, San Diego
County</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Unliving proof that low budget can
still equal big box office bucks, 2007’s <i>Paranormal Activity</i>
is a work replete with dread because of the fact the horror happens
in a suburban home, not in a graveyard, mansion or mausoleum.
Directed by Oren Peli and shot in the thriving metropolis of San
Diego, the film contains scares anyone living in the modern era can
relate to because the demonic nightmare happens in a seemingly normal
house. When the familiar becomes frightening, nowhere feels safe.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A young couple is haunted by an evil
spirit, eventually leading to insanity and murder. The documentary
nature of it merges with the sensation that what you are seeing
really happened, as supernatural occurrences surmount, dark shadows
move in the corners, and something wicked comes their way until fear
and madness gives way to gore. Pass the popcorn, please.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0Jgnh1Kj13_ptnW4UJ2UI6aJJvxnlZm7eUMOkMmYkHUZwDnvn4Tsxa_PZM_ZvwVnNjPGVKCoB72mClEYThh23pObD0gzshQuiBOd9AUJtt-TOA8CyAaNAbb2RK-dDGNlYHuZ5z6znWk8/s1600/poltergeist1982bq175f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr0Jgnh1Kj13_ptnW4UJ2UI6aJJvxnlZm7eUMOkMmYkHUZwDnvn4Tsxa_PZM_ZvwVnNjPGVKCoB72mClEYThh23pObD0gzshQuiBOd9AUJtt-TOA8CyAaNAbb2RK-dDGNlYHuZ5z6znWk8/s320/poltergeist1982bq175f.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Let's just say after </i>Poltergeist III <i>the girl who played little Carol Anne was done with horror flicks.</i></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Not that it’s the first time suburbia
got it’s slay on in the cinema, but when Tobe Hooper and Steven
Spielberg teamed up for <i>Poltergeist</i> (if a cute little blonde
girl tells you, “They’re here,” <u><b>leave</b></u>), the fear
came from having an electrically-charged sledgehammer of big-budget
special effects pound your psyche into oblivion. By contrast, the
more sedate <i>Paranormal Activity</i> has still waters that run
deep, lulling you down into the calm before a corpse reaches up from
the murk to drown you.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The young couple in the story doesn’t
always see the unnatural darkness lurking dangerously behind them,
but the audience does. As their doubt dies when they realize the
terror is real, a small part of your mind wonders if this is film
footage left over from a real demonic attack. The fact it takes place
in a house like yours, instead of the skull-like domicile in <i>The
Amityville Horror</i>, makes it uncertain if going home is safe at
all.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi45I2j3IGRNfn6sk1NJXhTaDDIpV0ZC6UK5cMAEBulBH4WaZNSX9t1sveezCQVccfYiKXrk-d59YJoADT5gv2l7ITxqL_7ntpzS6uxTpNZm-Fn7_1yu7ftujgHUInT8ceELGIq2p5NV-xy/s1600/Amivtyville-Horror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="705" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi45I2j3IGRNfn6sk1NJXhTaDDIpV0ZC6UK5cMAEBulBH4WaZNSX9t1sveezCQVccfYiKXrk-d59YJoADT5gv2l7ITxqL_7ntpzS6uxTpNZm-Fn7_1yu7ftujgHUInT8ceELGIq2p5NV-xy/s320/Amivtyville-Horror.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Why aren’t there more horror films
made in the Inland Empire? It has to be way cheaper than it is in Los
Angeles or San Francisco. Wouldn’t you like to see a werewolf
roaming the marble halls of the San Bernardino courthouse, or witness
vampires feasting under a freeway overpass in Fontana? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Here’s to
hoping the Inland Empire has a cinematic future far ghastlier than
before.</div>
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</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GfCCIbIapMw/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GfCCIbIapMw?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br /></div>
Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-31196888080313165812019-07-02T17:53:00.001-07:002020-02-15T11:48:53.475-08:00The Stranger Things 2 Autopsy, Part V - The Weird<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2GUV5aPyW8Iso1GgMynI7RWJUJGy8znyh8olqwc_76xAlFaoKHRb_Wb_OB7IYyoUnoQ1XjdElv-d57OPRU0VvWSYZ82qMnQIR9ZTnIbAbcrfIzdFYP7nJoGhJ8CwIP8tDOHnSB6ITV-44/s1600/Screen%252520Shot%2525202017-10-13%252520at%2525204.28.50%252520PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2GUV5aPyW8Iso1GgMynI7RWJUJGy8znyh8olqwc_76xAlFaoKHRb_Wb_OB7IYyoUnoQ1XjdElv-d57OPRU0VvWSYZ82qMnQIR9ZTnIbAbcrfIzdFYP7nJoGhJ8CwIP8tDOHnSB6ITV-44/s320/Screen%252520Shot%2525202017-10-13%252520at%2525204.28.50%252520PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
INTRODUCTION & PREDICTIONS</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We've all seen the brand new trailer for <i>Stranger Things 3</i>. As I've predicted, there is a full-blown possession with Billy. The rot has turned into black ooze, so there's going to be vampires and zombies and some serious body horror. The robotic, lantern jawed man wandering around with a pistol is certainly a reference to <i>The Terminator</i>. The giant blob of flesh, eyes and teeth that seems to be a physical threat in the form of a monster is not only a reference to <i>The Thing</i>, it's also a reference to a Gibbering Mouther from AD&D. This makes sense.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijl-TC37iK-6fucpPCAFQPGrBXXqZHqn7JpW5cjdMX0Pv8L8JMWhwEJxNn05g49j-i5NJtTDj_rU-nFppvZxQGpn4IgxQyogqa41nuAKRrtikbeIlDxxLiLiaOCMQVBBtQuk7llvFe8iSX/s1600/050aa82597a62cfb7acdda8ad219fc70.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1539" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijl-TC37iK-6fucpPCAFQPGrBXXqZHqn7JpW5cjdMX0Pv8L8JMWhwEJxNn05g49j-i5NJtTDj_rU-nFppvZxQGpn4IgxQyogqa41nuAKRrtikbeIlDxxLiLiaOCMQVBBtQuk7llvFe8iSX/s320/050aa82597a62cfb7acdda8ad219fc70.jpg" width="249" /></a></div>
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This movie is fuuuuuuuuucked up...</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
From Eleven's perspective, she's going through those physical changes that turn a child into an adult. This is why the body horror genre, which involves the transmogrification mutilation of flesh, is so important. We are used to our bodies. Attached to them. If our body becomes mutated, diseased, and horrifying, this is a terrible fear to face. Suddenly the horror has gone from being outside to within. Bodies merging with bodies (sex), strange fluids (puberty), the protean nature of our own flesh (becoming an adult) is all something that is happening to Eleven, and we can expect her world to reflect this factual nightmare.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6SA2adhz5xlucaxy9zFqLHgtZlhfBC_MlT1pp_gnkYMIGCGSXZggFaVelea1cdHJw5bdkksFYC1uEN1UalGmEfNrBJLXGMyj3jKdgsjfXRO9AnSpbDbwzFpPEL8YVzXQWMjVNu9UWkZZi/s1600/ms_007.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6SA2adhz5xlucaxy9zFqLHgtZlhfBC_MlT1pp_gnkYMIGCGSXZggFaVelea1cdHJw5bdkksFYC1uEN1UalGmEfNrBJLXGMyj3jKdgsjfXRO9AnSpbDbwzFpPEL8YVzXQWMjVNu9UWkZZi/s320/ms_007.gif" width="266" /></a></div>
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You really, really don't want to fight a Gibbering Mouther. Or become a part of one.</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
MIRROR PEOPLE</div>
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<br /></div>
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My theory about Kali & Co. being a
big illusion is that in their very first scene, all of them are
living out some action sequence that Eleven would see on television
at the time. They even have an <i>A-Team</i> type van. This initial sequence
is a dream...Eleven's dream. When she meets Kali, all of the
characters seem to be flipped and warped opposites of her friends
back home, only their colors and sex have been flipped. It's like the
Thessalhydra took everything it saw through Will, mixed it with
Eleven's own dreams from watching too much TV, and then tried to
tempt her into staying in Pittsburgh with another group of friends, so
back home the portal could stay closed.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGZr4toJtQAvO5N9nQCLSTfDFlfvciwGa4ybeTGHuh6ChIydluKYNoIa7HKQAMjl4C1COBG-kMMyPbYt_AmDro4zNMSeBK0CJdAEIcEO1SwizpaxP6h7IUqdhJJUMG3sXlB4Ax5eGBjtYW/s1600/strangerthingskali.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="1200" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGZr4toJtQAvO5N9nQCLSTfDFlfvciwGa4ybeTGHuh6ChIydluKYNoIa7HKQAMjl4C1COBG-kMMyPbYt_AmDro4zNMSeBK0CJdAEIcEO1SwizpaxP6h7IUqdhJJUMG3sXlB4Ax5eGBjtYW/s320/strangerthingskali.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It knows she wants a family so offers her another.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This also explains the odd, dream logic
of the episode that made everyone who watched it feel like it didn't
seem to be in synch with the rest of the show. Kali and her crew
exist in the psychosphere, the realm of dreams, the astral plane, The
Upside Down, and Eleven almost got lost forever in there.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoHUl2syZhBIacbvCK06lSbbmKWqlduMWWeOCQ0vJLe2rjNszHzeHdQoNdj7w5pxS_gDzFelahC2mROsjMBaJYk4KCA5tkMSz5W0bna6zBr2sqtN5vxHvu3C2n_7ORXYCC3h2CJs9TOlZm/s1600/isor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="1600" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoHUl2syZhBIacbvCK06lSbbmKWqlduMWWeOCQ0vJLe2rjNszHzeHdQoNdj7w5pxS_gDzFelahC2mROsjMBaJYk4KCA5tkMSz5W0bna6zBr2sqtN5vxHvu3C2n_7ORXYCC3h2CJs9TOlZm/s320/isor.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Check out the background, it's important.</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
SPIRITUAL (ADV)ISOR</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When Kali and Eleven have their big
moment where an illusion of her father is conjured to say very nasty
things to his daughter (confirming the molestation theory), there is
a big neon sign right behind them. "SPIRITUAL ADVISOR", it
says, but certain letters don't work. This is not a mistake. The
spiritual part is obvious...the ISOR part takes a little research.</div>
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I.S.O.R.</div>
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The first ISOR is an Indian institute
dedicated to oilseeds research. Not very scary, but it is an Indian
institution, and Kali is definately Hindi. Continuing with the
research, disturbing results show up.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The next ISOR has to do with research
into Game Theory. To give you an idea, Game Theory is simply the
observation that there are different levels to any game, from board
games to video games to economics and social darwinism. The trick is
to look at the game from a perspective going beyond a mere player to
see the real game being played, in order to avoid falling into an
intellectual rut. ISOR is apparently another name for the university
that discusses a lot of Game Theory.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_dwY2FqSpliGCg5YfUnikQIVPDEyudKxPiKKWwi2Jg05utE3Li6pgPstF1kedIKWDxZu9izzooyiIzOGOBgDL2pP9N5Tg2evqSTDLtpQIbEJ_SKW4c9sHJA-dr8WfCPXzUW5DdyI8vyDn/s1600/pw5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="951" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_dwY2FqSpliGCg5YfUnikQIVPDEyudKxPiKKWwi2Jg05utE3Li6pgPstF1kedIKWDxZu9izzooyiIzOGOBgDL2pP9N5Tg2evqSTDLtpQIbEJ_SKW4c9sHJA-dr8WfCPXzUW5DdyI8vyDn/s320/pw5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Following Game Theory, Pee Wee Herman evolves and rises above it all. He's not a pawn, Pee Wee's a player.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Eleven really is doing this when she's
working with Kali. Even the illusion of her father is simply facing
her dark side, the whole reason she's angry, hurt and confused. This
scene is pretty much the final evolution for Eleven. After that she
realizes it is important to leave the group behind to save her
friends back home.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Yet another ISOR relates to a research
group that studies religion, identity and memory involving pedagogy,
which I will explain later. ISOR is very interested in the
interstitial nature of religion, culture and the meaning of life when
it comes down to the individual in society. Religion? Identity?
Memory? Reconstructing mental processes? Now you know why those neon
letters are probably there. Eleven's mind needs fixing. Her
primordial self can do the repairing.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://isor.cat/en/isor/">http://isor.cat/en/isor/</a>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The final ISOR relates to something
called pedagogy. Basically, when dealing with people who have
suffered serious mental trauma, there is a whole list of things you
have to do to help them heal. ISOR is an investigative procedure for
treating people who are having psychological problems, especially
when the initial diagnoses and therapy has ceased to be effective. By
searching the patient's background for former trauma by interactive
dialogue with the patient, success (that is, healing) can be
achieved.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sounds like Kali talking to Eleven to
fix her mental problem, to me.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/11892960_41">https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/11892960_41</a>
</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
DAD PROBLEM</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I am now going to admit to you that
when Eleven's father appears, there is strange, loopy writing
scrolling down on the walls next to him. I can't tell what it says
and don't know what it means. Sorry. Hey, at least I didn't try to
fake it.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCn31OzLB1Dtd1P2bldIyJNxWos9wnQ09Lap4p3VxQGP1AsODCBVEnMXRLodpR6X6qksH4CnZvNk-26OewK8Rp6BSwUGMqHCvBHDW3rD9NwVk7k3krk9a7lRSa1Cnsec-a2SeI9GnqxlO/s1600/stranger-things-matthew-modine-1024x475.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="1024" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCn31OzLB1Dtd1P2bldIyJNxWos9wnQ09Lap4p3VxQGP1AsODCBVEnMXRLodpR6X6qksH4CnZvNk-26OewK8Rp6BSwUGMqHCvBHDW3rD9NwVk7k3krk9a7lRSa1Cnsec-a2SeI9GnqxlO/s320/stranger-things-matthew-modine-1024x475.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Kali and Eleven's father, a.k.a. Thessalar, the monster maker.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Moving on, the dark, lecherous nature
Eleven's father exhibits (via Kali's ability to research a person's
mind and produce images from inside of it...you know, kind of like a
tulpa...) proves the theory that Eleven's father moonlighted as
Chester the Molester. He even tries to use her sexual infringement
against her...something child molester's often do when
psychologically manipulating a victim into silence.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We get a lot of things from this
meeting. First off, Kali points out that he is still alive. How does
she know that? Second, Kali says that he not only claimed to be their
father (claimed to be is a clue that he might not be Eleven's father)
but seems to indicate that he is Kali's father. Why would she think
that? Because she was at the facility and was raised by Eleven's
father, too, or because she is Demogorgon, or at least the leftover
energy of Demogorgon...a tulpa intentionally created to kill people
Eleven hunted down.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTy4g9c1ETAWMt9Ad23Hb4MIOKXXUfX4lSs7Z_S0_pBRrGvbVWlrkwoSyo_KLb8f7AZsf5QcpBQ_QEPzHx3dxPnQj8T7frz4454Rx5reSmOT2Tm-1xX_d3ksYOxMnfWBYHGmt6ioP1jEV/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTy4g9c1ETAWMt9Ad23Hb4MIOKXXUfX4lSs7Z_S0_pBRrGvbVWlrkwoSyo_KLb8f7AZsf5QcpBQ_QEPzHx3dxPnQj8T7frz4454Rx5reSmOT2Tm-1xX_d3ksYOxMnfWBYHGmt6ioP1jEV/s320/maxresdefault.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yes to the can, no to the cat.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Remember, Eleven refused to kill the
cat in the first season, when we saw flashbacks of her experiences.
Over the rainbow (The Rainbow Room) represents the creation of
alters, splinter personalities. A monarch butterfly (The Monarch
Program) conjured by Kali is a reminder of this procedure. Of course
Kali feels like Eleven and her are sisters, and if her father created
the tulpa to kill Russian spies he is Kali's father as well.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
REINTEGRATION</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Before I go further, I'd like to point
out something. "El" is a term that means gods in general,
or an assembly of gods (in the Bible gods and angels are the same).
So the B'nai Elohim is sort of like congress. "Kali" is the
title of a specific goddess. So saying Kali is like saying
congresswoman. If El is the whole, Kali is part of that whole. It's
like comparing the Senate to a specific senator within the
organization.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Careful viewers noted that when Eleven
banished the Demogorgon, energy seemed to flow out of it, dispersing
into the atmosphere. Some even saw a small, spiritual figure inside
the monster, reaching out to El. I cannot say for sure that my eyes
are seeing the same thing as these people when watching that part. I
just can't see a little glowing figure, although it's obvious energy
is released from the exploding creation.<br />
<br />
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr6z-IhVTPipU6T6EBCX95DX5A1010AdtmAqV9wMCZZW8vwOMgObCIgtwRUnHoFaAUJb-AMv2aoLsJc07NGysg0lxlr0qB4_ZhiVwUrGf2RhNOS8SmE4B2wxUbY53k43TVIYzKODVzHMTx/s1600/eleven+blowing+up+demagorgon+stranger+things.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="955" data-original-width="1273" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr6z-IhVTPipU6T6EBCX95DX5A1010AdtmAqV9wMCZZW8vwOMgObCIgtwRUnHoFaAUJb-AMv2aoLsJc07NGysg0lxlr0qB4_ZhiVwUrGf2RhNOS8SmE4B2wxUbY53k43TVIYzKODVzHMTx/s320/eleven+blowing+up+demagorgon+stranger+things.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
See the light? Why can't Eleven blow up people like that?</div>
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
According to physics, energy is neither
created nor destroyed, only although it can be dispersed and
reintegrated. If Kali is a real person, my theory is destroyed. If
she is Eleven's dark side, Kali certainly does a very Jungian job of
helping Eleven face her own evil and overcome it...although Eleven
rejects Kali in the process.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In the show Eleven kills people.
However, there is a stark difference between hunting down and killing
people just doing their job when they are not attacking her (like the
worker Kali and Eleven hunt down, or the Russian spy) and killing
people fighting you. Sure, Eleven killed people, but they had guns
and had already murdered innocent people.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNkppFmO81YbNp7EAkH71NHAB1fYf2FsYO0sisirUTVCfxc9OY5fsNoGwUa1eKzRHvm22T-7fb_sPE6JZFGauGQ1Q31c94n9YGSklfLU6sU_92DKQxue96jffKaDmHdAeiDSbgeqqzyvl/s1600/Carl-Jung.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="801" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNkppFmO81YbNp7EAkH71NHAB1fYf2FsYO0sisirUTVCfxc9OY5fsNoGwUa1eKzRHvm22T-7fb_sPE6JZFGauGQ1Q31c94n9YGSklfLU6sU_92DKQxue96jffKaDmHdAeiDSbgeqqzyvl/s320/Carl-Jung.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
As above, so below.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Eleven realizes she doesn't want to
kill the worker responsible for her mother's electrocution years
later. Kali isn't very happy about this, and just when the argument
comes to a head the police show up and everyone has to escape. Eleven
leaves her, but she has faced her dark side and is a stronger person
for it. Because she had a conversation with her shadow. Jung would be
pleased.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If Kali is real, she's basically doing
the job we've seen repeated in previous 80's films we've already
discussed. Even Rey, in <i>The Last Jedi</i>, basically went into The
Dark Side to realize she is a female clone created by Palpantine (uh,
sorry, spoiler alert) just like he created Annakin (it's why you see
many copies of her, until she faces a shadowy figure in a cloak that
could only be Palpantine). Luke Skywalker went into the cave in
Degobah to confront his dark side. He wasn't ready, and lost to
Vader. Eleven confronted her own dark side, was ready, and beat the
Thessalhydra.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqmgxUEN9y66A3x36wbAjrIe4hYNooFgQAHEXSdnSt9tPmYKqBJjTWt6hC217jtUTr-HkcZrgG66Zbzix0lhGSlWdUsupUrXaErdZohOvLPwM1gF2KBgdrlWugqExmQZJWYXpkwKmslA3b/s1600/Manipulator-Ian-McDiarmid-Emperor-Palpatine-Darth-Sidious.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="906" data-original-width="1600" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqmgxUEN9y66A3x36wbAjrIe4hYNooFgQAHEXSdnSt9tPmYKqBJjTWt6hC217jtUTr-HkcZrgG66Zbzix0lhGSlWdUsupUrXaErdZohOvLPwM1gF2KBgdrlWugqExmQZJWYXpkwKmslA3b/s320/Manipulator-Ian-McDiarmid-Emperor-Palpatine-Darth-Sidious.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
"My possessed clone and cloned female copy shall rule the galaxy as father and <u>daughter</u>!"</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
THESSALAR</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Remember what I said about the Lich
Thessalar? He makes monsters. Kali say's he's her Papa, too. Eleven
is a monster. She even said so. Her Papa made Kali by either by the
same way he made Eleven, or he made Kali because she is the
Doppleganger, the lost sister of Eleven, her splintered personality,
make-believe friend that eventually became the Doppleganger...or just
another girl that ended up with pyschic powers just like Eleven.
Either way, the name sticks.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Is Papa still alive inside The Vale of
Shadows? The Demogorgon jumped on him. It probably drained his blood,
but never got a chance to teleport him and shove a tentacle into his
mouth. Maybe he survived the loss of blood and is in the real world.
Who knows what other monsters he's made?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjco3Xmy5F8nn-aQ72xNEz7tOEUGskIk5-A3V1tBSwxoOCHhYaYnHRrcJ73jxlYYyN-_ugJOT2pCpoUlqharnnjoMWv9U2QzBzZjrEL42ACUa-33hyphenhyphenq4kwbrxvr-cN4fkW0d3beNURUME1A/s1600/barbelith01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjco3Xmy5F8nn-aQ72xNEz7tOEUGskIk5-A3V1tBSwxoOCHhYaYnHRrcJ73jxlYYyN-_ugJOT2pCpoUlqharnnjoMWv9U2QzBzZjrEL42ACUa-33hyphenhyphenq4kwbrxvr-cN4fkW0d3beNURUME1A/s320/barbelith01.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
BACKGROUND WORDS</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Like we talked about earlier, what's
going on in the background is very important. To really go over "The
Lost Sister," a chapter everyone agrees is kind of odd, I went
over every background glypho I could. There are a few I couldn't
figure out. The ones that could be researched say very significant
things about the scene.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
O.P.T.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Appearing in the right hand corner at 8
minutes and 58 seconds into the episode. This is a psychological
program for international students who want to treat American
patients. Is this a hint of how Kali is going to treat Eleven?
Hmmm...I dunno...kind of a stretch. Let's keep going.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmPqWK1xbDxRerdI-N5xeZj_njM7Un8qgaAvYRSsQgIgYx1a9RDhnCNHq7qz6W4o880QhlrLFzunMpksI8mEqgMd-CqBVASeTYyZeC5Y27yZqE1iPJZkeUKxJbNcZLMqqrQF1WEE3pEP2w/s1600/kalist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="806" data-original-width="1600" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmPqWK1xbDxRerdI-N5xeZj_njM7Un8qgaAvYRSsQgIgYx1a9RDhnCNHq7qz6W4o880QhlrLFzunMpksI8mEqgMd-CqBVASeTYyZeC5Y27yZqE1iPJZkeUKxJbNcZLMqqrQF1WEE3pEP2w/s320/kalist.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A word is worth a thousand pictures.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
LOLA</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The crazy white girls with the bow in
her head has a giant LOLA painted above at one point. What is Lola?
Our Lady of Sorrows, a Spanish spirit that serves as an intermediary
between this realm and the next, kind of like a Catholic version of
the Voodoo loa (spirit, or god in Voodoo), Legba. Pretty thin,
however, the spiritual and occult symbolism is there.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0gwYwhtMEBBRDolcVbblrgs0FVcM-vcKixnLJYtoNiOyXmAJuolNNYlrZIRRNfh-wtLA7jWuTjET7DzJS4m2TIpDCSoS1Bv7-3w5C6aM2IbCRB65b8wqu691jO6NzjEMotGRn1owvfq5A/s1600/mena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="806" data-original-width="1600" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0gwYwhtMEBBRDolcVbblrgs0FVcM-vcKixnLJYtoNiOyXmAJuolNNYlrZIRRNfh-wtLA7jWuTjET7DzJS4m2TIpDCSoS1Bv7-3w5C6aM2IbCRB65b8wqu691jO6NzjEMotGRn1owvfq5A/s320/mena.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
MENA</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
MENA appears over the head of another
one of Kali's friends. A search of MENA indicated that it stands for
Middle East and North Africa. The young woman in question obviously
is that ethnicity, which is why it is there, to teach the audience
that these random background letters are there for a reason.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
KALI THE GODDESS</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A picture of the goddess Kali can be
seen above the staircase when she first appears. That is not much of
a clue to her being a tulpa or anything, but it's still something in
the background that tells us who someone is. Rather odd that Kali and
Eleven both agree that she was a piece of her that was missing. Kali
meets up with Eleven, and now feels whole. As if she is a piece of
Eleven's puzzle. What did Eleven do to the Demogorgon in Season 1?
She touched it on the shoulder when she was in The Upside Down. Kali
touches Eleven on the shoulder when she's in The Upside Down,
listening to the Sheriff.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"hel"</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
8:53 in, you also see "hel"
in blue letters. This is the realm of the dead in Norse mythology,
and is also a god of the dead in the same pantheon. Hel also means
hidden in the same language. This glypho (I keep using that word
instead of "glyph" for a reason) keeps showing up around
the punk rock guy.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Zw4qU03E-OCbddXzJeyGOkEWmg1sOsYQxOiND-gfLUHrZX3oYmmx899fuyV7X4TSI7S2dmLO32bsQ3W0ng7YePiJohx6zsS7QuhyDs0qRabVANbRf9R0iyiHSdi7GkDi_kg1Dw8UtMM-/s1600/Untitled789.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="1600" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Zw4qU03E-OCbddXzJeyGOkEWmg1sOsYQxOiND-gfLUHrZX3oYmmx899fuyV7X4TSI7S2dmLO32bsQ3W0ng7YePiJohx6zsS7QuhyDs0qRabVANbRf9R0iyiHSdi7GkDi_kg1Dw8UtMM-/s320/Untitled789.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Symbolism. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
THE MOON – YESOD</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Moon features prominently in the
night sky above when Eleven embraces Kali. In the Kabbalah, The Moon
is Yesod, a sort of go between area after the material realm but
before you get anywhere else. It's dark side in the Qlipoth (the
opposite, evil twin of the Shepiroth in the Kabbalah) is Gamaliel,
whose demon queen is Lilith. In other esoteric Western occult beliefs
The Moon is the dwelling place of Maya, which is illusion.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
O'BEDLAM</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This phrase shows up a lot when Kali's
friends are assembled. It means "of bedlam," as in these
individuals are related to a place. Bedlam is a word that can mean
Pandemonium. This word can also mean Hades, Hell, i.e. The
Underworld. So these characters are basically of the dead. They're
ghosts.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5dj8tz4QNtn9FOG_TWzjKJSuXr71ea-3OJN1N2wAbec2BQozgPVy-TDjY0LgjQtGRLVbOC3vgsvnoLIZ30fFPjcRSkCgSmOV0ikAHB3nyjRfq3A2ABEgOifdwZxxN7tqQeSHNqv23DNRc/s1600/pawn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="971" data-original-width="1048" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5dj8tz4QNtn9FOG_TWzjKJSuXr71ea-3OJN1N2wAbec2BQozgPVy-TDjY0LgjQtGRLVbOC3vgsvnoLIZ30fFPjcRSkCgSmOV0ikAHB3nyjRfq3A2ABEgOifdwZxxN7tqQeSHNqv23DNRc/s320/pawn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
"PAWN." Who's the player controlling the pieces?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
PAWN</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This term appears over Kali's head in
one scene in blue and red letters. Why put that there? I thought that
place was a factory? Why is it also a pawn shop? That word is there
to tell you Kali is a pawn. Eleven is in a trap. She's being tempted
by a new family to give in to her dark side and hunt down people to
murder them, just like Demogorgon in the last season. If she stays
there, she can't close the portal. Kali is just another tentacle on
the Thessalhydra, following orders. Just like when you are playing a
video game, the monsters you face are just pawns to the machine.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipaJBW515Vtlv7nubHM10nglqi4wFhlqT0WrTTP0imGgD6Sn7LNu1BPdg8wV2n0UEYuqA2gLxryu481PgYXzl_3ORary0yMuds3CQQm-in_0n7664k2-4Y-D0aklkPVFm4e3xbzDiER-yE/s1600/Invisibles-Barbelith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="921" data-original-width="890" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipaJBW515Vtlv7nubHM10nglqi4wFhlqT0WrTTP0imGgD6Sn7LNu1BPdg8wV2n0UEYuqA2gLxryu481PgYXzl_3ORary0yMuds3CQQm-in_0n7664k2-4Y-D0aklkPVFm4e3xbzDiER-yE/s320/Invisibles-Barbelith.jpg" width="309" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It's all in the mind.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
BARBELITH, KING MOB AND GRANT MORRISON</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
At this point I've jackhammered my
tulpa theory to undeath, I'd like to point out two glyphos tagged on
the wall when Eleven walks in on Kali's crew. They both appear at the
same time, they are both important, and they both relate to the same
story and person: Grant Morrison.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Aside from writing more comics than you
can shake a hookah at, Grant Morrison is also a practicing occultist,
specializing in something many of us old skool occult types kind of
hate called "Chaos Magic," which is basically an anything
goes kind of approach to magic where instead of sticking with Voodoo,
LeVay Satanism, Freemasonry, Goetic or even Thelmanic, a person using
anything they can to summon the arcane forces of whatever, using
anything available, from mythology to film, television and comic
books.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicCYggV6LtkwCC3VOjJ7CAaKeZLLtSsIChq7E9Me73G7XPI8ygDolJGXY0WMhpolDktaiRhYWGjLNiu6zmx1iLsJauBiRKNEIElqSgnijuD1RbNj3fwGwm872goQ8fju6aRgGHEPWXklsw/s1600/barbelith-d674b44a-af91-4666-8602-4530a4dc31c-resize-750.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicCYggV6LtkwCC3VOjJ7CAaKeZLLtSsIChq7E9Me73G7XPI8ygDolJGXY0WMhpolDktaiRhYWGjLNiu6zmx1iLsJauBiRKNEIElqSgnijuD1RbNj3fwGwm872goQ8fju6aRgGHEPWXklsw/s320/barbelith-d674b44a-af91-4666-8602-4530a4dc31c-resize-750.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Barbelith, <i>The Invisibles</i>.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This arcane history of Morrison is
important to what happens next. The two words written on the wall
that are important in The Lost Sister are "Berbelith" and
"King Mob. " Each are two words written by one man that
could only come from him and are from the same comic books series,
<i>The Invisibles</i>.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To explain the comic book <i>The
Invisibles</i> to you would take a stack of books on the occult and 23
hours. Simply put the comic series, published by Vertigo comics
(DC's dark side), is about an organization of anarchistic,
rebellious, iconoclastic occultists who are trying to destroy an evil
occult group that runs the world, all the while trying to usher in a
New Age so indescribable anyone who sees it can't even fathom the
nature of it. Whatever this glorious future is, the bad guys employ
evil magic to keep it from happening. The comic book is about that
conflict as it ranges across the planet and even time.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcS68_itLyMvhIA8-qDCDS518BfWRCGJOkFOsPGWioqXSXHayBHpUzvUjD7U76FAq8K-4OHnbXDT0M0ZWDcrEdSAXqZXeXrwhrIVpOXMhc4SvAoH3A2mq1lDJgg_I_ComIBbV77zbXvaXY/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcS68_itLyMvhIA8-qDCDS518BfWRCGJOkFOsPGWioqXSXHayBHpUzvUjD7U76FAq8K-4OHnbXDT0M0ZWDcrEdSAXqZXeXrwhrIVpOXMhc4SvAoH3A2mq1lDJgg_I_ComIBbV77zbXvaXY/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Grant Morrison</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
King Mob is a character in that comic,
and even Morrison has admitted that the character is him. In an
interview with Disinfo.com the writer talks about how over time, he
became the character. He also has mentioned that in real life, he has
met a tulpa of this character, i.e. a realistic double of an
imaginary being, as mentioned in the works of Blavatsky. Hell, even
the creators of Superman admitted to meeting the character in real
life, so Morrison is not alone.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So King Mob is an imaginary being
created by a person who has described the character as a tulpa. Where
it gets more complicated is that while <i>Stranger Things 2</i> takes place
in the Orwellian year of 1984, <i>The Invisibles</i> wasn't released until
1994...ten years later. That's a decade. The person who wrote that on
the wall wouldn't be able to in 1984 because the term DIDN'T EXIST
YET.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
That's just one reference. However,
Berbelith is another that connects to <i>The Invisibles</i>. It's one thing
to have a single reference, but two? That's a clue to the audience
that the choice is not an accident, because I'm pretty sure The
Duffer Brothers don't get paid big bucks to fuck up.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsALprENIV_qrAdchJzIf-GagPL3U0_Y1WFQyYp3bCO_Bgueat2KJsQA2o0-NUz56ktpCQJNex88u-KAtDUlyNpm7gxXgUk3LvK76C_rdIWcPolTUcDiHVMG1XCdMmOvGRXUi4HJ4vsI_a/s1600/1841e490de160c3ba545deb94ff9040a._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1041" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsALprENIV_qrAdchJzIf-GagPL3U0_Y1WFQyYp3bCO_Bgueat2KJsQA2o0-NUz56ktpCQJNex88u-KAtDUlyNpm7gxXgUk3LvK76C_rdIWcPolTUcDiHVMG1XCdMmOvGRXUi4HJ4vsI_a/s320/1841e490de160c3ba545deb94ff9040a._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Berbelith is a stranger symbol created
by Morrison, although it is really supposed to be, brace yourself, a
massive satellite hidden behind the Earth's moon that looks like a
gigantic pink fake boob. Each of the important characters in <i>The
Invisibles</i> sees it. The term even appears on a wall in the astral
plane at one point as a character experiences an epiphany.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What's spookier is that Morrison has
said that he came up with the term in a dream. He saw it written on a
wall in his sleep and decided to use it. Berbelith is a term that
does exist, though, but what it represents in the comic is a
positive, feminine force, guiding each of the characters, as well as
humanity, into a new evolution and a better future.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Barbelith is a combination of two
names, Barbelo, a goddess of thought in Gnosticism, and Lilith, a
dark goddess of magic in Wicca and other occult disciplines. Lilith is
also a dimension overlapping our own in Jewish Kabbalah. This makes
sense because in <i>The Invisibles</i>, characters only see Barbelith in a
dream. Morrison claimed he saw the name in a dream. So Eleven was
dreaming, which is why she saw it.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4Elqu3HVBuy5S4QUFaFoYqx6UaurNDoSdzKIruqwjnOa5zXWk7tOWvTDr9BEUVF-zZeRp904LqT7l36hOJUlJHulRt4yaIAsCq6kdAf1PWEEmtyepgPEKYzuTGrhsl6FdAuSpyr48l9K/s1600/A1MUUrkuRML.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1036" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4Elqu3HVBuy5S4QUFaFoYqx6UaurNDoSdzKIruqwjnOa5zXWk7tOWvTDr9BEUVF-zZeRp904LqT7l36hOJUlJHulRt4yaIAsCq6kdAf1PWEEmtyepgPEKYzuTGrhsl6FdAuSpyr48l9K/s320/A1MUUrkuRML.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
King Mob & Co.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Remember, <i>Stranger Things</i> is about
other dimensions. You are used to four, three dimensional space
(which you can travel around a perceive), and time (which you can
only travel in one direction, forwards, while perceiving the
dimension in only one direction, backwards). The fifth dimension,
which occultists simply call the astral plane (Eleven would probably
refer to it as The Upside Down), is the imagination. Dreams, day
dreams, fantasies...to the occult this takes place in a dimension
beyond space and time, connected by all minds. Sort of like the
Internet.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Yes, it sounds crazy, but we are
talking about the occult. So a 1994 reference (or two) in a 1984
story line would make sense...if it took place on the astral plane.
Otherwise "King Mob" and "Barbelith" are rather
unique in that they are artificial words made up by a person ten
years later, which means the words couldn't exist in real life.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
By the way, O'Bedlam is also a
character in <i>The Invisibles</i>.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5i_dbv1Q6xobAVhHsxPzdLx2kIMnLJ3sbGerdQKmPvjNypxt8Y_a4R2Tz5ePhUKLpDW8vBX_PZN83SQnOFzXecGBjdQjEMGLeM-h0JxKW20Ib6oijcljlY_lzgk5WxZoNzdnQHLA7l4F/s1600/51W6HWWq-BL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5i_dbv1Q6xobAVhHsxPzdLx2kIMnLJ3sbGerdQKmPvjNypxt8Y_a4R2Tz5ePhUKLpDW8vBX_PZN83SQnOFzXecGBjdQjEMGLeM-h0JxKW20Ib6oijcljlY_lzgk5WxZoNzdnQHLA7l4F/s320/51W6HWWq-BL.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
CHARLES LEDBETTER</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Here is something worth mentioning in
reference to the Demogorgon, Kali and King Mob. When I mention, "the
occult" I'm referencing a pattern of beliefs constantly repeated
in books written on the subject by hundreds of individuals across
hundreds of years, even up until today. One of these books is
Theosophical Manual No. 5, <i>The Astral Plane, It's Scenery,
Inhabitants and Phenomena</i>, by Charles Ledbetter.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A heavy read that is no joke to think
through, the book describes many different supernatural subjects,
what happens when you die, what happens when you are dead and
everyone forgets about you completely (it ain't pretty...), vampires,
necromancers, ghosts, graveyard hauntings, angels and artificial
elementals.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
An artificial elemental is not like a
person. It is something created by a person, whether it is
intentional or not. So far we have not seen another Demogorgon, like
the one encountered by Eleven in The Upside Down, the deep black
space in her head that is separate from The Vale of Shadows. The
Pollywogs looked like the Demogorgon for a reason...they come from
the same source but are related to humans.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitu_sPlbM2m83uI7Ed-dtMhEl154LoKO_nYYvjLeioIi2Xw-R1HkN7zCZIS1ooVZjsvON0OYirzm-zhr2VvME6NROQg-TKGgoGkK3z4y4rdVKJzpdn1Q82OWur4wkmI9OUjcXQ3Ft32fvR/s1600/The_Flea_and_the_Acrobat_S01-E05_SS_001.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="1600" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitu_sPlbM2m83uI7Ed-dtMhEl154LoKO_nYYvjLeioIi2Xw-R1HkN7zCZIS1ooVZjsvON0OYirzm-zhr2VvME6NROQg-TKGgoGkK3z4y4rdVKJzpdn1Q82OWur4wkmI9OUjcXQ3Ft32fvR/s320/The_Flea_and_the_Acrobat_S01-E05_SS_001.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
What happened to the Russian spy? Did he end up like Barbara?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Remember, Eleven's evil scientist
father couldn't get her to kill living things. So he made a split
personality that became Demogorgon to kill the Russian spy. After
that, Eleven was forced to make contact with this demon from inside
her mind...and the resulting shock opened a portal into the place
where it came from, causing the creature to appear in our world. To
Theosophy, it's an unconscious artificial elemental.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
These things can be good or bad, but
the bad ones are terrible in that once freed from their creator, they
will go about trying to exist by basically terrorizing people and
eating their life force...kind of like the Demogorgon, Eleven's
personal demon, ended up doing. Kali is that artificial elemental,
according to my tulpa theory, and she's trying to get back to Eleven.
How?
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglAjYiltU3LiNV8O6FxPMkEPJsq7ePmQ13Ze5c2imVU9FyRk3G6wr-tgLl8yq3XPIhl9KvUTZ8bx-BLKGpiQDEUXZJLTfjbKtYd-Iq6UNKUzHDmDBLb0MuJdRTVF3rjduzXcXngKUinEd9/s1600/stranger-things-2-invisibles.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="600" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglAjYiltU3LiNV8O6FxPMkEPJsq7ePmQ13Ze5c2imVU9FyRk3G6wr-tgLl8yq3XPIhl9KvUTZ8bx-BLKGpiQDEUXZJLTfjbKtYd-Iq6UNKUzHDmDBLb0MuJdRTVF3rjduzXcXngKUinEd9/s320/stranger-things-2-invisibles.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
ELEVEN VERSUS THE THESSALHYDRA</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Look at "The Lost Sister" this way, now
that you know more about <i>The Shining</i>, the occult, and psychic powers in <i>Stranger Things</i>. Eleven sees a picture of a girl. The girl is in
her memory. It's just an image. We have no proof Kali is that exact
girl. The opening sequence in the show, where Kali and co. escape
from the cops, is a dream Eleven is having, formed from a strange
mish-mosh of the TV shows she's watching.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Eleven gets off the bus and wanders
around until she gets to an empty warehouse. She hallucinates
everything, changes her clothes, hair, makeup etc. and then has a
mental epiphany. Kali tempts her into wandering around lost and
crazy. Eleven resists her dark side, resists going crazy and probably
dying of a brain aneurism, and then gets back on the bus. The
Thessalhydra controlled Demogorgon just like it controlled the
remaining energy that became Kali.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2YgpOrK00n3g3d0RKpf1i-zTXTpj6L-fX27J7JZlvARWjUMvqIRUVo_Zw0e8U7w42_1qHIhRWEOmRfr2yTJ7z4OXA8tX3vIA2dTEUDiy9UHelk2nIC6CCP1IfW2TH_IlnUdaOrryBby2/s1600/meda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2YgpOrK00n3g3d0RKpf1i-zTXTpj6L-fX27J7JZlvARWjUMvqIRUVo_Zw0e8U7w42_1qHIhRWEOmRfr2yTJ7z4OXA8tX3vIA2dTEUDiy9UHelk2nIC6CCP1IfW2TH_IlnUdaOrryBby2/s320/meda.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"YOU'RE ALL DEAD..."</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As Eleven strolls down the Hades-like
path to where Kali is, a random, crazy homeless person is yelling
"You're all dead." If Eleven fell asleep on the bus, and
her soul is free to travel in the astral plane, or psychosphere (the
realm of dreams, imagination and higher truths, like numbers and
symbols) it makes sense she'd get a warning along the way. When
Eleven first meets Kali's mates, they are scary, mean people, who
steal money and kill individuals Eleven wouldn't. Kind of like
ghosts. Or demons.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"WE WERE DEAD..."</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The characters around Kali act odd.
Aside from the words all around that tell us these people are dead,
in the realm of the dead, and are now haunting Eleven's imagination,
they talk about how they were dead until Kali found them.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In spiritualism there is an
understanding that just as humans are basically flesh batteries for
electrical charges the people used to call spirits, spirits can stick
around and amplify themselves by sticking together, like oil in
water, bacteria, and other microscopic life. The Bible even talks
about a spirit reinforcing itself with others like it before going
back to possess a person. A powerful spirit will dominate lesser
spirits, allowing it to function.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/path/v01n10p289_elementals-elementary-spirits.htm">https://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/path/v01n10p289_elementals-elementary-spirits.htm</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
BACK TO LOVECRAFT</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Never forget a source material for <i>Stranger Things</i>...H.P. Lovecraft. This means that the Duffer Brothers
are taking angels, demons, Hell, monsters and spiritual possession
and repackaging the whole nightmarish affair for a materialistic,
rational, atheist, scientific reader, just like Lovecraft. While the
kids use AD&D imagery and the adults use scientific thought to
figure out what in the Hades they are encountering, it's worth noting
that other that randomly scream, "Jesus Christ!" none of
the character turn to spiritualists to figure out the problem, even
when Will gets possessed by the Devil or something.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYEmQG5jZccHEdc6KMrbe0TPpVGoi6e72ysQL23dnUQHHQAu_ZgTBou5PJ6YXrpR6LJo9FR5oHyBBUZfviRpt_PqRu3PLW_6WvOlyW7BnA0DykhOT6HEBvIxncL9W5GDvR5xzK8lN_Xz2/s1600/thegoldroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="800" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYEmQG5jZccHEdc6KMrbe0TPpVGoi6e72ysQL23dnUQHHQAu_ZgTBou5PJ6YXrpR6LJo9FR5oHyBBUZfviRpt_PqRu3PLW_6WvOlyW7BnA0DykhOT6HEBvIxncL9W5GDvR5xzK8lN_Xz2/s320/thegoldroom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
All in the mind. Notice the golden ray of light, indicating telepathy. The film poster is that color for a reason.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So Demogorgon is a demon...repackaged
as something horrific out of Eleven's head, made flesh by an arcane,
pseudo-scientific process. Kali is a ghost, trying to tempt Eleven
into doing evil things and not closing the portal into where the
Thessalhydra dwells. The entity possessing Will is nothing like the
demon Pazzuzu possessing Regan in <i>The Exorcist</i>. Instead, Will's
personality change is more like memory loss and brain damage.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We are never going to know for sure in
<i>Stranger Things</i> when we encounter the classic horror movie monsters
you and I grew up with. Vampires, demons, spiritual possession and
ghosts are going to end up like the hauntings in <i>The Shining</i>, where
it's not specters, it's mass telepathy, though time and space. When
Jack Nicholson walks into The Gold Room, and then into the bathroom
to talk to the phantom waiter, everything he sees and experiences is
an illusion, much in the same way Eleven does in Chicago. It's the
Thessalhydra, shining at her, using Kali (an evil spirit/split
personality) and Will (he's unconscious when she's unconscious, so
it's a mental assault somewhat like <span style="font-style: normal;">Dream
Master</span>).</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkNxlhslstJ5qGtSGgu6Sx3hzAknjtQctBkpkA-ZEG35K-WwaIkRUbWfSScxK-TPRlonCbu5Cv4x6sHNumYwcD9XtI99COBnyhTWyVdziUa5OCShmWkKGYem2QwNJFCGOvBc-EfvjhdUh/s1600/zarZxHLeL6BFX6HBnmNvUYVbYPkRRQ27pRbfjHlOCmk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkNxlhslstJ5qGtSGgu6Sx3hzAknjtQctBkpkA-ZEG35K-WwaIkRUbWfSScxK-TPRlonCbu5Cv4x6sHNumYwcD9XtI99COBnyhTWyVdziUa5OCShmWkKGYem2QwNJFCGOvBc-EfvjhdUh/s320/zarZxHLeL6BFX6HBnmNvUYVbYPkRRQ27pRbfjHlOCmk.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Why make contact with it?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"IT'S A TRAP!"</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When Mike appears to Eleven, he yells
his line, which is a reference to Empire Strikes Back. This line is
repeated to Eleven twice. Why? Because one trap is what he and his
friends are in. The other is Eleven's. Notice how Kali even
interrupts communications between Eleven and her friends. Eleven is
trapped by a demon, and her attachment to Mike saves her.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
WHO/WHAT IS KALI?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If I am wrong about Kali than she'll
show up in <i>Stranger Things 3</i> and other characters will see and
interact with each other. I have a feeling that instead, Eleven is
going to once again end up being separate from her friends when she
hangs out with Kali.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPdiq0aCVOwEDWnUsyX2OlsPjzJE4PILxJtQVUzLk2kV50SVbDJt02W0GR9aUW5WCRC-c0q9h6te6xTWYIt6BkFIhjXoa_PazAvdwVbeUSdQhtxVM4wBKWPPHFvJy_wHNu4QA8HSuG41R/s1600/9780345409874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPdiq0aCVOwEDWnUsyX2OlsPjzJE4PILxJtQVUzLk2kV50SVbDJt02W0GR9aUW5WCRC-c0q9h6te6xTWYIt6BkFIhjXoa_PazAvdwVbeUSdQhtxVM4wBKWPPHFvJy_wHNu4QA8HSuG41R/s320/9780345409874.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Jungian psychology for the females.</div>
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Even if all the references written on
the walls in the abandoned warehouse Kali is dwelling in are just
random, it does not matter. Kali can be real and still represent
mythical, literary archetypes and Jungian concepts of a psychological
dark side that allows Eleven to overcome her abusive background and
take on Thassalhydra. The Duffer Brothers don't have to explain
everything because it's supposed to be unknown anyhow, to properly
reference it's source material, Mr. Lovecraft.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If Kali was a splinter personality of
Eleven's created to kill people that was made flesh by a psychic
electromagnetic pulse (a strange gestalt of many conspiracy theories,
from The Monarch Program to MKULTRA to The Philadelphia Experiment to
The Montauk Project) which eventually lost it's body but haunted her
former creator (Eleven) to the point of momentary delusion, we'll
probably never know for certain.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL3nFTjwswm8TkvUDUTk50abfUdrzHAw0RMekL-iwRJN4xbcMCRKryXzsFeyuZhtvmgYdlRCUeIXZfi24tvxkqHbHsn1YTZB57gFa02DmJ8PHFScIyqJAPk_AcPdizvaLKABZbzn0AF1HF/s1600/Stranger-Things-The-Upside-Down-1x08-PictureStranger-Things-The-Upside-Down-1x08-Picture-stranger-things-39860638-1920-958.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="1600" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL3nFTjwswm8TkvUDUTk50abfUdrzHAw0RMekL-iwRJN4xbcMCRKryXzsFeyuZhtvmgYdlRCUeIXZfi24tvxkqHbHsn1YTZB57gFa02DmJ8PHFScIyqJAPk_AcPdizvaLKABZbzn0AF1HF/s320/Stranger-Things-The-Upside-Down-1x08-PictureStranger-Things-The-Upside-Down-1x08-Picture-stranger-things-39860638-1920-958.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
"Double, double, toil and trouble..."</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Many will believe that Kali is real
because of her photograph. <a href="https://www.cru.org/content/dam/cru/legacy/2012/04/thephenomenonofdemonicpossessionlg.pdf" target="_blank">According to the occult</a>, evil spirits can pretend to be a
anybody in someone's memory, and masquerading as a photograph of a
person you know can be done. Eleven's mother seeing Kali in her
memory along with Eleven? We don't know if she's looking at Kali or
Eleven (Eleven's mom completely ignores Kali), so it's as if the
image has been injected into the memory artificially. Aside from a
bad photo and someone else's bad memory, we don't see a single
flashback from Eleven's memory proving Kali's existence.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3hIbjZOL0zHu_IL_celn3fHeNKEt0DnE94kxGar_0NwGB6nr2vBqtZRTQk7RYEgoEWrAB8dqD7f81rkjTYLtenfxEYQSh5mKDL7MF9oBUO79G62fsS2Q92pEoTXjqh-WFqHybB78Oju_V/s1600/51WGJGBJQRL._SY445_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="303" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3hIbjZOL0zHu_IL_celn3fHeNKEt0DnE94kxGar_0NwGB6nr2vBqtZRTQk7RYEgoEWrAB8dqD7f81rkjTYLtenfxEYQSh5mKDL7MF9oBUO79G62fsS2Q92pEoTXjqh-WFqHybB78Oju_V/s320/51WGJGBJQRL._SY445_.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
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Her make-believe friend.</div>
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Also, Eleven hasn't seen Kali since her
young childhood. Since there were at least eleven children involved
in the Hawkins lab experiments, it is reasonable to conclude that
they are all dead. Kali could be a ghost. Or she could be real,
hiding out someplace, while the Demogorgon presumes her identity (in
the same way the Thessalhydra pretends to be Will) and attempts to
trick Eleven into being an evil person that kills people, which is
what the government tried to mind control her into doing, anyhow.<br />
<br />
The
government mind control conspiracy theories touched upon by The
Duffer Brothers are important to recognize, and the background
imagery, words and clues wouldn't exist unless they were important.
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0VlJ9gdFWuZARAfi_dq8tbKTnQsQ6rid_yYzvlcpvQNkValGQWqN-crTrKiuKGdVRbhaZcW4v6pP2Qf3KjPIaVB708AqIkPECRLB3Igf1Pq51-_5JCnJvzVVrs8XrRKcCXQ9Fpzn6B2I/s1600/rainbow-room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="710" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0VlJ9gdFWuZARAfi_dq8tbKTnQsQ6rid_yYzvlcpvQNkValGQWqN-crTrKiuKGdVRbhaZcW4v6pP2Qf3KjPIaVB708AqIkPECRLB3Igf1Pq51-_5JCnJvzVVrs8XrRKcCXQ9Fpzn6B2I/s320/rainbow-room.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Her make-believe friend.</div>
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IN SUMMARY</div>
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<br /></div>
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If I am wrong about Kali, she will appear in the flesh in season 3 and socialize with the other characters. That might be the case, and that's OK because the symbolism is still there and consistent with 80's film concepts regarding the Hegelian Dialectic and enlightenment via a conservation with the shadow. This is also a reference to Dr. Carl Jung and the writings of Joseph Campbell, who in turn influenced films like<i> Star Wars</i>. </div>
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The Duffer Brothers continued their pattern of referencing source material from the 80's to form a film pastiche that is both the old and the new, horrifying the audience with monsters, psychic powers and conspiracy theories, while at the same time telling a tale that is very new. As before, the second season took occult material and overlapped it with science and child-like observations and logic.<br />
<br />
Nobody talked about the occult or the supernatural. The show is still grounded securely in H.P. Lovecraft's godless, materialistic, scientifically-minded philosophies by showing us the terrors of The Unknown while at the same time avoiding a precise definition of the supernatural. We can expect more of the same from season 3.</div>
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Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-4631965242349843882019-06-27T15:58:00.002-07:002022-01-04T07:05:15.641-08:00The Stranger Things 2 Autopsy, Part IV - The Weird<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHlTEojhNTOL1jOOVIVLrtCRTBEl1bia4vvWIrLVXvFuEOrrCGez3QFWsNVJP6euWek-qv41Jucp6aThnjWTzAEr-qhn3dOu8dEq0NefXkcbGCh1i2F31WExz7y6vgFmYyGeDIwO1uH7S/s1600/strangerthings_s3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1081" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHlTEojhNTOL1jOOVIVLrtCRTBEl1bia4vvWIrLVXvFuEOrrCGez3QFWsNVJP6euWek-qv41Jucp6aThnjWTzAEr-qhn3dOu8dEq0NefXkcbGCh1i2F31WExz7y6vgFmYyGeDIwO1uH7S/s320/strangerthings_s3.jpg" width="216" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Is that you, <i>Something Wicked This Way Comes</i>? Is it me?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">"Downe in the bottome of the deepe Abysse</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Where Demogorgon in dull darknesse pent,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Farre from the view of Gods and heauens blis,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">The hideous Chaos keepes, their dreadfull dwelling is." </span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">-Edmund Spenser, <i>The Faerie Queene</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">"Demogorgon: Greek name for the devil, it is said (this) should not be known to mortals." </span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">-Anton Szandor LaVey, <i>The Satanic Bible</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">HELLO AGAIN AND AGAIN</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Good news, my lovely audience! <i>Stranger
Things 3</i></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal;">
is going to roll out soon, so at this point all of us will be
discussing that show FOREVER until we are all DEAD. So let's get
started! As usual, a lot of my initial research is spent reading up
on subjects related to the show and watching YouTube videos of the
more unexplored elements you are here to learn more of. I deeply
admire the work of the researchers this blog links to, and part of
that respect is not just repeating what they've said in order to give
you more knowledge.</span></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">So
what follows is some very deep material that really shows how the
creators of this show truly did their own work to hide these
reference gems in the catacombs of the show for us to find...and wow,
you can't believe what I found. Hopefully my humble writing skills
are up to the task of explaining this shocking stuff so that you can
enjoy the show even more from an angle most people don't have.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxRvIC64SHsk9932mNjyimg1nHHOWt2RzyXimxLoTkMVkzFoZBfOHmxE5PwWyIBN57bWZlIM5touZv8i_RNCJUEumHfgAN6SxpZ3R1R9P5NWXARui3faB3M8WGk2pkiKb0FrrLCYBSazp/s1600/the_upside_down_-_public_library_exterior.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxRvIC64SHsk9932mNjyimg1nHHOWt2RzyXimxLoTkMVkzFoZBfOHmxE5PwWyIBN57bWZlIM5touZv8i_RNCJUEumHfgAN6SxpZ3R1R9P5NWXARui3faB3M8WGk2pkiKb0FrrLCYBSazp/s320/the_upside_down_-_public_library_exterior.webp" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Did you notice how this shot looks like a giant, demonic face?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">AN
ALTERNATIVE WORLD</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: xx-small;"></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The
Vale of Shadows in the show is a scary, dark place that seems to
drain the life out of everything from our world that enters it.
Strange motes of light, like spirits, drift everywhere.The invasion
into our world from that place is similar to cancer, creating
biological growths out of that fissure in reality made by Eleven
represented by a crack with tentacles splaying everywhere. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">We
never saw a Demogorgon, but it and the Pollywogs (I should say
Demodogs, but I don't want to) produced by Will all drain blood,
which contains energy. People in the place too long seem sickened, as
if energy is being drained from them. Now we know that the Demogorgon
was draining blood, too. The whole plane is just a big, chthonic (most
people don't know what "chthonic" means, just like my spell
checker doesn't and H.P.Lovecraft did) vampire monstrosity, eating
our world.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcE1eLKQnYb3GOP1z73nrbnFSw0NSwSo1PpcUYkiws_6QZQFCmKo1ZjOeu6FuA6_x7fgMq4SXJFc34tNWnFEruW26a6cBPYmbznOQu4gBnoOc1aG4XqcYTkpwB2Hbju-5M_pQojr0yXil/s1600/Demodog_at_the_Gate.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="1228" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcE1eLKQnYb3GOP1z73nrbnFSw0NSwSo1PpcUYkiws_6QZQFCmKo1ZjOeu6FuA6_x7fgMq4SXJFc34tNWnFEruW26a6cBPYmbznOQu4gBnoOc1aG4XqcYTkpwB2Hbju-5M_pQojr0yXil/s320/Demodog_at_the_Gate.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Remote control.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">MASS
CONSCIOUSNESS</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">One thing we learned from Will's possession is that The Thessalhydra, <i>Stranger Things 2's</i> main antagonist, is in charge of everything. Unlike a room full of people like the last party you went too, where everyone has their own mind and can do what they want, The Vale of Shadows seems to lack internal divided sentience, leaving us with the impression that everything is ran by one entity.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Demogorgon
grabs people and drags them there. Tentacles are produced from
somewhere in the plane that go into the mouths of people. The
Pollywogs all operate as if they are robots controlled by the same
AI. When Will is possessed, the entity that is him, the Pollywogs and
the Demogorgon invading from the Vale of Shadows all operate
according to the same plan, sharing information learned by Will
throughout the </span><span style="color: #cccccc;">network.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVhyAX6GDYo4uePU39ul-Q4lnnHOU26cD25XMeWUONEhmdqFXsE2BccIhlHfo55PUX7EF8TWd0XyaaQbigTyzsIe2IX41upPdq1gLkff9vRUMaJgbL_GZdS1F9QoXgA0460a_qhkcfx53/s1600/bQDTUsU.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVhyAX6GDYo4uePU39ul-Q4lnnHOU26cD25XMeWUONEhmdqFXsE2BccIhlHfo55PUX7EF8TWd0XyaaQbigTyzsIe2IX41upPdq1gLkff9vRUMaJgbL_GZdS1F9QoXgA0460a_qhkcfx53/s320/bQDTUsU.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">At
the same time, The Vale of Shadows seems like a mirror of our own
world. It's not the past or the future (people in that other place
interacting with electrical lights in our dimension cause them to
shine simultaneously) and doesn't seem to have any people living
there, despite the buildings, streets and other constructions similar
to our own. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Since there are no humans there, nobody built them. The
Demogorgon didn't come from there (it came from The Upside Down,
which is the extremely dark place in Eleven's mind), and aside from
tentacles and motes of light, we didn't see any other monsters,
including the Demogorgon. One story, two worlds.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">One CPU and one million monsters versus you.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">BIG
DAMN METAPHOR</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"></span></span></span><br />
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What
are the kids doing throughout the show? Playing video games. What is
a video game? An electronic image displaying a conflict between you
(a singular, independent consciousness) and a vast collective of
baddies, from space invaders to mutants to gorillas to fireballs to
multicolored monsters to hordes of space ships, all working together,
sacrificing themselves to murder you, controlled by one
consciousness, the CPU. It's the same struggle they have against the
Thessalhydra and it's ability to conjure up and control many
different monsters to destroy them all. In the 80's fighting
communism was a big idea (the U.S.S.R. was still a thing) so this
concept is understandable. </span></span> </span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTWM65sGq0UwK9j5q2iEd9nV4UgyhNVPya7QGvOEeqhe4s213qKAoaJgHvyxgQDRQYDcGjE29oZPRa4K-51sKVLjACZnsWJ7fs-ToADTjgQ28Nakp94RBTtEtB7HyeD-TZ2JAX4PEHddat/s1600/pic533585.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="481" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTWM65sGq0UwK9j5q2iEd9nV4UgyhNVPya7QGvOEeqhe4s213qKAoaJgHvyxgQDRQYDcGjE29oZPRa4K-51sKVLjACZnsWJ7fs-ToADTjgQ28Nakp94RBTtEtB7HyeD-TZ2JAX4PEHddat/s320/pic533585.jpg" width="244" /></span></a></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br />
<i><span style="color: #cccccc;">PALACE OF THE SILVER PRINCESS</span></i></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></span>
<br />
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At
the end of the first season of </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Stranger
Things</i></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">one
of the kids asks, "What about the Palace of the Silver
Princess?" A few YouTube researchers mentioned that line, and
after S</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>tranger
Things 2</i></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">not
much was said about it. There's a lot to be said about that question,
and I'm going to give you the info to enlighten your mind and impress
your friends.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: xx-small;">
</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Palace
of the Silver Princess</i></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">is
one of the first Advanced Dungeons & Dragons modules written by a
woman that was very controversial. Recalled as soon as it was
released, the claim was that the art inside the original, which had
an orange cover, was too erotic for children to stare at (this is odd
considering that the original AD&D </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Fiend
Folio</i></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">was
nothing but bare boobs). So a new version was released that was
green, with different art.</span></span></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig92nsRbqwHArVhBd9tuG6HKlx5eZI7quDv5TNcO27BSR5bC-fcn7hJaGoWdRTfOKLsWwDe4SbIYXK0g4bV5tLfGqysnJ2hD_mV-7k1m9MQovanpR3igD2y_r2JsE3PFksojsSkwdfliXc/s1600/17159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1156" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig92nsRbqwHArVhBd9tuG6HKlx5eZI7quDv5TNcO27BSR5bC-fcn7hJaGoWdRTfOKLsWwDe4SbIYXK0g4bV5tLfGqysnJ2hD_mV-7k1m9MQovanpR3igD2y_r2JsE3PFksojsSkwdfliXc/s320/17159.jpg" width="249" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">V2.0</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">"The
Silver Princess" was actually the alter ego of Jean Wells that she
used in an organization called the Society of Creative Anachronisms.
The Silver Princess in the module is a poor woman who lives in a
castle that suffers from a curse that imprisons her inside a magic
ruby. The magic from the curse poisons the land around the castle,
while monsters roam the countryside, birthed from the evil arcane
energies released by the cursed magic ruby which is actually the
prison of a demon that is behind the arcane energies poisoning the
land with a grey mist. Sound familiar?</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_JnQRx1ibIHA-hL1RDhyeNkrNm-pJD60mmvaZBK3vqFwaxJLRBza3PKcuXCFMddOFLLgBTRQa-60fyBCreFfAl8AJEFXimo1gf_gFqF3sKQzY3ClKjjHRgUIod91zJz-VAZqbZUjzNHG/s1600/UnisexUbuesSmall.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_JnQRx1ibIHA-hL1RDhyeNkrNm-pJD60mmvaZBK3vqFwaxJLRBza3PKcuXCFMddOFLLgBTRQa-60fyBCreFfAl8AJEFXimo1gf_gFqF3sKQzY3ClKjjHRgUIod91zJz-VAZqbZUjzNHG/s320/UnisexUbuesSmall.png" width="243" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">This was apparently the big fuckin' deal. </span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">The
real controversy behind that destruction of the orange version by TSR
was that in the module there are three-headed giants called Ubues
which had artwork that resembled people who worked for the company,
including Gary Gygax. They were offended by the caricature so the art
was changed, as well as the writing. In one version, the princess is
good and has been imprisoned in the ruby. In another the princess is
an evil, undead monster that consumes life to maintain her existence.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">MO'
PARALLELS</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another
feature of <i>Palace of the Purple Princes</i>s </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">are blood-drinking leaves. In the original orange module there exists
a monster called the Jupiter Blood Sucker. It is basically a big
plant with blood sucking leaves that grabs you, smothers you and
pretends the corpse is a slurpy. This explains why the Demogorgon, as
well as the Pollywogs, drink blood. Plus the fireball. What? Will's
wizard uses a fireball to destroy the Thessalhydra. The scientists
use fire to destroy the webwork of tunnels, writhing with biological
growths, where the monsters roam.</span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpIFdRPCm4d5FzrovLzU3kd0zFQMCyXeNrnzics9jHo1HR1VG-RCr4lYk6vCQCpwVnpAJzYisdUJiLhkkPPHX3k7cYYB52-3AbxBSTGhLbrkJTCKxtq2FU_U3hiOZJyly83bmbWz8TqGf/s1600/silverprincess_12.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="550" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpIFdRPCm4d5FzrovLzU3kd0zFQMCyXeNrnzics9jHo1HR1VG-RCr4lYk6vCQCpwVnpAJzYisdUJiLhkkPPHX3k7cYYB52-3AbxBSTGhLbrkJTCKxtq2FU_U3hiOZJyly83bmbWz8TqGf/s320/silverprincess_12.gif" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><i>Palace of the Silver Princess</i></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">A
second reference is Purple Moss, which knocks out the victim with a
cloud spray and suffocates the poor sleeping character in order to
eat him or her. Good times! A third is a creature called the Decapus,
a giant tentacled monster that uses illusions (!) to fool its prey
into getting closer before eating them up. Even the concept of a
princess being locked up in a castle (Eleven inside the Hawkins
Facility) is a callback to the long forgotten module.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Es46OA3e1zvNTVVL4gSE9zxV_CiJmj-n-EpN4dKe_h7AlTzfs69xJiESo7IGeQVgTWy6Zj6Xf6hwRbCQFxZDOw-MQNEj2O_0UTDaR0Yz352MN8xL30yyulhS2EudT_c00axswIrY5wr9/s1600/3366d8734d9eefcb4ff9b5c78fb130d5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="647" data-original-width="561" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Es46OA3e1zvNTVVL4gSE9zxV_CiJmj-n-EpN4dKe_h7AlTzfs69xJiESo7IGeQVgTWy6Zj6Xf6hwRbCQFxZDOw-MQNEj2O_0UTDaR0Yz352MN8xL30yyulhS2EudT_c00axswIrY5wr9/s320/3366d8734d9eefcb4ff9b5c78fb130d5.jpg" width="277" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">The Decapus, looking awful.</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">TWO
REALITIES</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">This means that, just like <i>Stranger Things</i>, there are two universes comprised by the title, "Palace of the Silver Princess." The original orange covered version and the strange, alternate, green covered version. The references don't stop there, though. While you are already familiar with The Thessalhydra because of <i>Stranger Things 2</i>, there is more to it, with disturbing implications.</span></span><br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1kDXzSglBdzeEDkUbfuLNDvkyGDPC70TrZ_WcHcxV0TY9WhjPg5Z8sHNLWAv9Lmc9cul6qXoPz98Bv_z5PKZaqW509HwEa5mPT3FZ-HbClkqpKiU9u4XgCsx2rXtSC-cAnUP9WZSq35S1/s1600/WCF-Thessalar.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1kDXzSglBdzeEDkUbfuLNDvkyGDPC70TrZ_WcHcxV0TY9WhjPg5Z8sHNLWAv9Lmc9cul6qXoPz98Bv_z5PKZaqW509HwEa5mPT3FZ-HbClkqpKiU9u4XgCsx2rXtSC-cAnUP9WZSq35S1/s320/WCF-Thessalar.png" width="210" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">"What can I say? It's an unliving!"</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">"Thessal"
is a term that is used a lot in AD&D. Various monsters end up
with it in their name. It turns out that all of these monsters are
the creation of a Lich (an undead wizard) called Thessalar, who
apparently had nothing better to do but create monstrous creatures
that ate adventurers. Hmmm...a mad scientist creating
monsters...sounds like Eleven's former father to me (thank you, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaGK7DGTEDnUr5vJYL4W9sw" target="_blank">Four Sided Guy</a>), especially since, according to Kali, Eleven's evil
scientist child molesting father is still around.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqiOri1PR7Seou7bB9wAVel1-Nmf9JzN2AKAEgWBZkIMj_1sXX-MMk0SMqcZMYcm7VUzWhS1sBb_FcVj0MwPJSOYJKgFJtvtl2O6HHmvCm5ME-C8f1rRR-PLiY1QAPKWHzl6PhLmCA8XJG/s1600/dragon_s_lair__singe_and_princess_daphne_by_akana_yukinai-d9k11lx.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="1043" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqiOri1PR7Seou7bB9wAVel1-Nmf9JzN2AKAEgWBZkIMj_1sXX-MMk0SMqcZMYcm7VUzWhS1sBb_FcVj0MwPJSOYJKgFJtvtl2O6HHmvCm5ME-C8f1rRR-PLiY1QAPKWHzl6PhLmCA8XJG/s320/dragon_s_lair__singe_and_princess_daphne_by_akana_yukinai-d9k11lx.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">DRAGON'S
LAIR</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">I already told you the plot of the AD&D module <i>Palace of the Silver Princess</i>. Sure enough, shortly before Will has his daydream about the Thessalhydra, the kids are playing Dragon's Lair, and there is the plot we discussed in that game. A princess is trapped in a gem and a dragon is nearby, keeping her hostage. 'Nuff said.</span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">MIND
FLAYERS</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">When
a Dungeon Master was finally tired of your candy ass, he would hit
you with many things, like Type V Demons, Gigantic Black Puddings,
Venerable Green Dragons (worse that Red Dragons because they breathed
carbon monoxide gas...who is immune to that?), a Demi-Lich (nothing
short of a nuclear blast kills 'em) and, finally, a Mind Flayer.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpOQmB9xrvekC9JvVzh8DvLi08FXQ6rP-CMlNyUHLEFyg_CGwBal8gmMAVVon1j3TyUF7SeFhvHsLqXOPIJ_A1XKleJXpOn7k6O_VmNFdLbQzutEsebaqt3sSCw9uGar6xwuADXy7-5cP/s1600/1323306307517317.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="1246" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpOQmB9xrvekC9JvVzh8DvLi08FXQ6rP-CMlNyUHLEFyg_CGwBal8gmMAVVon1j3TyUF7SeFhvHsLqXOPIJ_A1XKleJXpOn7k6O_VmNFdLbQzutEsebaqt3sSCw9uGar6xwuADXy7-5cP/s320/1323306307517317.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">"Time to roll some new stats, PC!"</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">The
Mind Flayer had psionic powers, which nobody really understood,
including the Dungeon Master. A mind blast from those fucks usually
stunned enough of the party (especially the dumb fighters) enough for
the them to eat their brains (hit points didn't matter, their
tentacles just ate your brains). Magic didn't work on them, either,
because of a 90% magic resistance that made clerics and wizards look
stupid. When the fighter's player whined that it was unfair the Mind
Flayer ate his brain first, the DM could point out he had an
intelligence of 20 or more so it's not like the monster wouldn't have
a winning strategy.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayekTEVZ9LOvSK6sETWHBekDHPJRDe3KmmESJvSAC1DwHX60j2BcN_INa3pnyxCHjWuxGm1fgkPbK3SSqbiBATd-njBYf2Cod5aLue3lIdrSiaiIF6s6WS95xlfHQZcGHChYYhf6yi3CC/s1600/mind_flayer_by_gido_d9rdkiw-pre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1103" data-original-width="724" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayekTEVZ9LOvSK6sETWHBekDHPJRDe3KmmESJvSAC1DwHX60j2BcN_INa3pnyxCHjWuxGm1fgkPbK3SSqbiBATd-njBYf2Cod5aLue3lIdrSiaiIF6s6WS95xlfHQZcGHChYYhf6yi3CC/s320/mind_flayer_by_gido_d9rdkiw-pre.jpg" width="210" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">"I heard Aragon was going to explore a dungeon. I wonder how he's doing?"</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Mind
Flayers were ruled over by a mass consciousness of sorts that ate the
brains of Mind Flayers after they died (ironic, considering what they did to player characters), making the monsters a mass
consciousness, once again. This theme was very prevalent in the
latest season, which makes sense considering the looming Cold War and
the threat of communism, which was seen as a mass consciousness of
sorts, too, mind controlling unwilling participants similar to
communist China, today. Will is "The Mind Flayer", of course. He even
has a mind blast. Did you notice it?</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2UfSwlSPNmugRQqZmLKxYR573Z-sJhgCyP5sV_hg7qBJzdivrack5-kla48J4jtaiIxBVa7Wj6sFsWDQbc0sPszMLHwiBPVACoLFWsHJ3brnO1A3fMihOJBhap-LhNei3rJ9s0v1IHo-H/s1600/Elder_brain-5e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="434" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2UfSwlSPNmugRQqZmLKxYR573Z-sJhgCyP5sV_hg7qBJzdivrack5-kla48J4jtaiIxBVa7Wj6sFsWDQbc0sPszMLHwiBPVACoLFWsHJ3brnO1A3fMihOJBhap-LhNei3rJ9s0v1IHo-H/s320/Elder_brain-5e.jpg" width="138" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">To us it is horrifying, but to them it is Mind Flayer heaven.</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">BACKGROUND
BUZZWORDS</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Only
bad directors ignore the background in their films. While the
foreground is noticed on a conscious level (you are paying attention
to the characters, their conversations and actions) the unconscious
notices this background, and processes it accordingly. For this
reason film directors are very, very conscious of this background,
and manipulate it to back up the story they are telling or at least
analyze it carefully so the back ground doesn't muck up the story if
it is not enhancing it.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9gL_8HZ6rFvJHEDFk6EJ-4PnqZjloT2WnV3S68vl_A5HHEVNDOEtGIgkgP1wEVjZRpdMO1UM3aiSDqRpPPT2YNhHJvgzq2M1tLA8KVdvB9v8Dl7w6wKVbJ4bin9SQgNb5pc-pk4uziZu/s1600/only-god-forgives-ryan-gosling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="680" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9gL_8HZ6rFvJHEDFk6EJ-4PnqZjloT2WnV3S68vl_A5HHEVNDOEtGIgkgP1wEVjZRpdMO1UM3aiSDqRpPPT2YNhHJvgzq2M1tLA8KVdvB9v8Dl7w6wKVbJ4bin9SQgNb5pc-pk4uziZu/s320/only-god-forgives-ryan-gosling.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">"CUT! Who put that gold statue in my FUCKIN' SHOT?! Oh, I did."</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Imagine
a love scene where a man tries to convince a woman to marry him,
except that there is a STOP sign in the background. Even if the
director didn't want you to see this as a bad omen (the bright red
STOP sign, even if it is a blur, is still noticeable on at least a
subconscious level) you would, and probably see the male character as
being untrustworthy.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRU7r2bOKn9Fodb7I8gYV3n3o3Ofjc6xz-PVZm07MNe3WbaqCjtEgUvbNxcmNm38SOki1E6jUU0Es8VaTb5bwYWdTNzmaKHCVBLHR6oJ2Q91Hod9bOGtgYTrj1z_eBrH33qrW0STfp7jv/s1600/Untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="1600" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRU7r2bOKn9Fodb7I8gYV3n3o3Ofjc6xz-PVZm07MNe3WbaqCjtEgUvbNxcmNm38SOki1E6jUU0Es8VaTb5bwYWdTNzmaKHCVBLHR6oJ2Q91Hod9bOGtgYTrj1z_eBrH33qrW0STfp7jv/s320/Untitled.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">It isn't going to be safe knowing Angel.</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">ANGEL & BUFFY</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span><br />
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Check
out the shot from <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">right after Buffy first meets Angel. Notice that big sign? It's there
for a reason. Throughout the scenes with Eleven, Kali and her crew,
there are words that stand out, and to be perfectly honest, should
not be there. Remember, the show takes place in the year 1984. We are
both going to break down some big clues that the warehouse was one
big mind-funk.</span></span>
</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-qG3Hu2Bb8OiBKRxxlcXizqUZ0RGm_g99LNdpsPSldRu9AApqwPPhT56w7lgicolx2YNoIesMy2TeiSUMArlNBXaUwU_megcek_MKQ58_OzfpiclQiAN-pWXM99iD3jbzGmxV3ESI3BM/s1600/stdino+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="1600" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-qG3Hu2Bb8OiBKRxxlcXizqUZ0RGm_g99LNdpsPSldRu9AApqwPPhT56w7lgicolx2YNoIesMy2TeiSUMArlNBXaUwU_megcek_MKQ58_OzfpiclQiAN-pWXM99iD3jbzGmxV3ESI3BM/s320/stdino+3.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">See the dinosaur?</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">WILL'S
DRAGON, I MEAN, DINOSAUR</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Back
to <i>Stranger Things 2</i>. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Notice the black, shadowy, dinosaur figure in the upper-right hand
corner? That's the Thessalhydra, of course. It makes you wonder if
the creature always looked like that, or, because it seems to be a
figment of Will's imagination (since nobody else can see it), maybe
the evil force possessing him chose that form because Will is
familiar with it. When he sees the entity, it appears as an image
that already exists in his mind.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQkNIDU6aO90T2cIbF-wpbIFcriAmilefawmSo_V2ZbgZV3Vjawq0uBb8vlFmmNI4QA08QFYyouTzvtuiKOlHiCpS66hZucMI5DH2wtDm68TXgJbcPljQn0nydbJ2eZdLCHyE7JzAo0Je/s1600/stdino5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="1600" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQkNIDU6aO90T2cIbF-wpbIFcriAmilefawmSo_V2ZbgZV3Vjawq0uBb8vlFmmNI4QA08QFYyouTzvtuiKOlHiCpS66hZucMI5DH2wtDm68TXgJbcPljQn0nydbJ2eZdLCHyE7JzAo0Je/s320/stdino5.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Shadowy tentacles.</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbgbjpshTravBL5erlowSYoDUtgmAvY63HMstNE1PK1NphoMu4Q3H5eMj6_k4Sq1UEQpOy51QoXvExVk36RjgSp8tFl-Cu-_MKCo6h_H9ptA4APD-7VyZWjpbXk7DIjD41DyQYpuELqs7/s1600/stdino.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="763" data-original-width="1600" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbgbjpshTravBL5erlowSYoDUtgmAvY63HMstNE1PK1NphoMu4Q3H5eMj6_k4Sq1UEQpOy51QoXvExVk36RjgSp8tFl-Cu-_MKCo6h_H9ptA4APD-7VyZWjpbXk7DIjD41DyQYpuELqs7/s320/stdino.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Dinosaur skeleton. I.E. Undead.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWni-fZLd8hyphenhyphenivN46yEFaeSm_Y5z77J2lX9K9zT7yMR0pugOzy9qeWsRTKksQDvEdTdy_rAO1QIr3v_1GFRs7ha_vd-e9w5m3vsxO0zxsW29OJxYWm3TGPDBDc3lsofSjuhnpyO1jaUk0/s1600/Screenshot+%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWni-fZLd8hyphenhyphenivN46yEFaeSm_Y5z77J2lX9K9zT7yMR0pugOzy9qeWsRTKksQDvEdTdy_rAO1QIr3v_1GFRs7ha_vd-e9w5m3vsxO0zxsW29OJxYWm3TGPDBDc3lsofSjuhnpyO1jaUk0/s320/Screenshot+%25282%2529.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Dinosaur.</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVM6M2kiZEVB_KrrLc3eM2vmZ_iwErPACAB6DvkWOrnNqiLJQBGoVSrXL4vI5PiOhEdn8YRDNf755q-3WbTYpEdhAuQmt8L2wNvc9v9XzyDZ7_mQ1cYcteiewynDXqEBitUMgBcybNNOho/s1600/stdino11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="802" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVM6M2kiZEVB_KrrLc3eM2vmZ_iwErPACAB6DvkWOrnNqiLJQBGoVSrXL4vI5PiOhEdn8YRDNf755q-3WbTYpEdhAuQmt8L2wNvc9v9XzyDZ7_mQ1cYcteiewynDXqEBitUMgBcybNNOho/s320/stdino11.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Dinosaur. Not a coincidence. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhsvMzuDnU7-WCBp0UI0VHBNnO4ZwI9RDg0EqL0XhRPU-jHNJeBxxtwDtUa9cCHscX1oLlFno7LqVh5TmHdIJSUqh01V-ixJLVhW80J6nj4D3wozbUuE856cl0H3HBVdbU2OXZo1XleXa/s1600/stdino10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhsvMzuDnU7-WCBp0UI0VHBNnO4ZwI9RDg0EqL0XhRPU-jHNJeBxxtwDtUa9cCHscX1oLlFno7LqVh5TmHdIJSUqh01V-ixJLVhW80J6nj4D3wozbUuE856cl0H3HBVdbU2OXZo1XleXa/s320/stdino10.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Will's dinosaur.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdP92jkOb23TRIMqQk_viSk_y81nfgvX-CLDeCkECLEXBgb4JjLd2z7D6Yt1bHb53-fi0oVjKmDaUcc4IOh6ncz8TkUHOIYbztWamDywXDBEqU4cF6DSWqwx5gTJ0Ak8LYGQhB066xtum/s1600/stdino7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="1281" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdP92jkOb23TRIMqQk_viSk_y81nfgvX-CLDeCkECLEXBgb4JjLd2z7D6Yt1bHb53-fi0oVjKmDaUcc4IOh6ncz8TkUHOIYbztWamDywXDBEqU4cF6DSWqwx5gTJ0Ak8LYGQhB066xtum/s320/stdino7.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><i>The Exorcist</i>. Notice that the statue resembles Will's dinosaur. </span><span style="color: #cccccc;">In the film the object is a calling card for the demon, Pazuzu, </span><span style="color: #cccccc;">so the reference is intentional. I don't think many people have noticed that the Pollywog's shape was not random. The Duffer Brothers deserve more credit than they are given.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjER-5MFuhd_36FyrmvNGr8obo9y3NWO2oTRKuSuIJWSCNRe-GtCQDSQvTvmbz545gteQkcEeuZiP00IuJ2tKTn4-WnWxyR0uUkCHuVu3TKVLCBR8R_HyHJ6g0kk-yc0DMD9I5rqXe9vrqc/s1600/wogbus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="761" data-original-width="1600" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjER-5MFuhd_36FyrmvNGr8obo9y3NWO2oTRKuSuIJWSCNRe-GtCQDSQvTvmbz545gteQkcEeuZiP00IuJ2tKTn4-WnWxyR0uUkCHuVu3TKVLCBR8R_HyHJ6g0kk-yc0DMD9I5rqXe9vrqc/s320/wogbus.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">They caught a ghost, i.e. evil spirit, or demon. Get it?</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">EL
= 11 = ANGEL</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">In
the Hebrew language El means god. This term is used repeatedly in The
Bible, from the B'nai Elohim (a council of angels ruling the Earth)
to El Shaddai, which is one of the names of God. El can also mean
rather nasty deities (in The Bible other deities are fallen angels),
such as Moloch or Arioch. So Eleven isn't just numerology for angel,
her name (which other people occasionally refer to her as) can also
mean god. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">In fact, to the ancient Jews there was God, the head
honcho, and the gods, which could be Zeus, Athena, Baal, etc., which
are also angels. Even Satan is an angel of light, according to the
New Testament (so basically Satan is our Sun). With this in mind we
can see that Eleven's name, and the nickname she gets from her
friends ("El") both point to her being, well, an
angel...and a god. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">I
wonder who her real father was?</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5P3b1CZBC168ZTouekNv0df5bfcQWsMZoSsYKTH0RuxlluTrjrUKHeEvtQSl5_AlegYB29VAg8vhhsY6DO4c6Y4d18Rg16FNE3Lu0SF16YuMfn2m_h2Xo02APDJAPxiisVCZu1vaeVoD2/s1600/escape-to-witch-mountain-movie-poster-1975-1020244294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="882" data-original-width="580" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5P3b1CZBC168ZTouekNv0df5bfcQWsMZoSsYKTH0RuxlluTrjrUKHeEvtQSl5_AlegYB29VAg8vhhsY6DO4c6Y4d18Rg16FNE3Lu0SF16YuMfn2m_h2Xo02APDJAPxiisVCZu1vaeVoD2/s320/escape-to-witch-mountain-movie-poster-1975-1020244294.jpg" width="210" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Disney's OG psychic kid movie.</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">In
Chinese mythology The Yellow Emperor, basically the greatest person
whoever lived in their ancient past, was born from a woman who was
hit by a ray of light from a star. Even the Native Americans believed
that Star People were supernatural, heroic individuals born from
women made pregnant by celestial bodies. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakHlpV9-t9JMZp1mhb-5-BjI8XiagCR2dXpziIrM5nmUaugJ4QkzqaFHxcGIXrdGGY1K-FtEmuMo7RasFNlQTXcDg-digg_HzG7JACdpyHFD1Qq8OIOSiWa8Gnmo9I4GiQQGElUX5Tuzx/s1600/61PS003ZA0L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="357" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakHlpV9-t9JMZp1mhb-5-BjI8XiagCR2dXpziIrM5nmUaugJ4QkzqaFHxcGIXrdGGY1K-FtEmuMo7RasFNlQTXcDg-digg_HzG7JACdpyHFD1Qq8OIOSiWa8Gnmo9I4GiQQGElUX5Tuzx/s320/61PS003ZA0L.jpg" width="228" /></span></a></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">You already know the story
of John the Baptist, Jesus, and how the wise men found him by
following a star. Take away the religion, add a touch of UFO
conspiracy theory, and there's a very real chance all the epic heroes
of the past were just children born from stars. We haven't seen
Eleven's real father yet. Maybe he's from outer space.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiav2QTf61h5tgLhAaEpFMZNkfHH98iafU7MQa4Sd0U4Gi3ZXKCD7pRT9NDoFnVWdZa7V4DGNFTMLnXmJ4x2Wie88R9gXtkZPpw3JrzOvSxwNJcOOBrXuqthM250AFWrOjf1pAA2u5imTRB/s1600/flying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="814" data-original-width="1081" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiav2QTf61h5tgLhAaEpFMZNkfHH98iafU7MQa4Sd0U4Gi3ZXKCD7pRT9NDoFnVWdZa7V4DGNFTMLnXmJ4x2Wie88R9gXtkZPpw3JrzOvSxwNJcOOBrXuqthM250AFWrOjf1pAA2u5imTRB/s320/flying.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">See the flying saucer? Why is it on the object Eleven moves?</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">11 = E.T.?</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Because <i>Stranger Things</i> mines 80's horror and sci-fi films for references and story lines it is only logical to presume that the extraterrestrials are on their way. <i>Escape from Witch Mountain</i> and <i>Return to Witch Mountain</i> was about little kids who are related to aliens from outer space. <i>Starman, E.T., The Hidden, They Live</i>, and <i>Flight of the Navigator</i> (featured a DMT machine elf-looking alien entity/UFO that apparently enjoys stealing children) all had kids teaming up with UFO's and ET's to do whatever. Maybe Season 3 or 4 will reveal that Eleven's parents are not of this world.</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQPM5V2aCT3-yOsRYo_h4m8a1P32bMSvqzAR2Y2f2-_iU-kSf5W0739IOiT1-2EXnj_te5oa6Vg9CavUO95-E-tQ7cpztxn9aBtFqJEyVis_HhD6hx2jdezNd9LTLXWM4m62_mfdE_Rs6/s1600/ed3632b4692360175d47f642cc33a6c7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="604" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQPM5V2aCT3-yOsRYo_h4m8a1P32bMSvqzAR2Y2f2-_iU-kSf5W0739IOiT1-2EXnj_te5oa6Vg9CavUO95-E-tQ7cpztxn9aBtFqJEyVis_HhD6hx2jdezNd9LTLXWM4m62_mfdE_Rs6/s320/ed3632b4692360175d47f642cc33a6c7.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">"Beyond the Wall of Sleep"</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">THE
LOVECRAFT CONNECTION</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">"Beyond
the Wall of Sleep" is a weird tale about a man in a mental
institution that gets attached to a machine that somehow causes his
brain to transmit the mind of a star currently fighting another
entity called Algol. The star-possessed man explains that all human
beings are actually light trapped in human bodies that can visit
other strange, astral realms in their dreams while asleep. If the
Hawkins Facility created a device that got a woman pregnant from a
UFO that made Eleven, there is the story it could reference.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOkcsGGZY3oG6NjuvpW3NzDrrbiPfhhGoWs9bFw0cXR95jcPE3klEKzg37g3ujaTClLOkzmwka7MDvROqP-Qw88fbi8c7_X-JMoTtHevxUXDKsKGb1ffBjaTfyegDdBtwBb8eCajyP-2yU/s1600/Algol-01w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="677" data-original-width="925" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOkcsGGZY3oG6NjuvpW3NzDrrbiPfhhGoWs9bFw0cXR95jcPE3klEKzg37g3ujaTClLOkzmwka7MDvROqP-Qw88fbi8c7_X-JMoTtHevxUXDKsKGb1ffBjaTfyegDdBtwBb8eCajyP-2yU/s320/Algol-01w.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Algol, a.k.a. The Demon Star. Yeah, they called it that. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">"The Demon Star" would be a great name for a heavy metal band.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">WHERE
THERE IS A WAY THERE IS A WILL</span></span></span></div>
<div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">It is important to remember that only Will is possessed by the Thesselhydra because only he can see the entity since it was produced from the detritus left over from the Pollywogs, who were produced by Will. In this way the cloud is a genetic by product of the life force siphoned by the parasitic slugs before Will coughed them up. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">After it possessed Will, the Thesselhydra still had to deal with adversity from it's alter ego and dark half, which was Will, trapped in his Thesselhydra-controlled body. The cloud is like a disease, infecting the boy, but unable to affect others in that current state. </span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9ndMzjd9x_xv0t8-fT7qVv8FTtACP27CEksRD7xcucnzz3sHQ2_wwA1GLjcaFty5aMBz7dZ57VdTE_WocGgwYQNyTnSn9lonZoqi28dbmFp6XNbtgYCwWmHbiIwLVYgqupD6RO35YSnx/s1600/h302jPS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh9ndMzjd9x_xv0t8-fT7qVv8FTtACP27CEksRD7xcucnzz3sHQ2_wwA1GLjcaFty5aMBz7dZ57VdTE_WocGgwYQNyTnSn9lonZoqi28dbmFp6XNbtgYCwWmHbiIwLVYgqupD6RO35YSnx/s320/h302jPS.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Since it was from him it could possess Will.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">When
Will is knocked out by sedatives, he is asleep at the same time
Eleven is asleep on the train. I really do believe that knocking out
Will while he was possessed was a bad idea because now the
Thessalhydra was free to exert it's control through Will on a level
it couldn't before...the realm of dreams, the imagination, the
psychosphere (check out the first season of <i>True Detective</i> to get
this reference), the astral plane. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Now it can start to control
and delude the minds of the characters opposing it, which is why Will
got possessed in the first place. Remember, the entity does not want
that door to close. If it does, the evil force can't keep invading.
Stopping Eleven and her friends is going to be a priority.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6pVj9lLnDXX33qKccrPhvRpQCa9ZYiwx5X5DjCXC4sz4P_PpRxblJ4vp-hlH_5ZzYPewuomisudqp0gPm07Ei180H7o34tcthCjGewuuWojtgkeD9UYb-cjlBzmlmmnjYIUsXuiMbHM9F/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6pVj9lLnDXX33qKccrPhvRpQCa9ZYiwx5X5DjCXC4sz4P_PpRxblJ4vp-hlH_5ZzYPewuomisudqp0gPm07Ei180H7o34tcthCjGewuuWojtgkeD9UYb-cjlBzmlmmnjYIUsXuiMbHM9F/s320/maxresdefault.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Mind control through mirrors, just like <i>The Shining</i>.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">'Member Jack's restroom scene with the ghost?</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">BILLY
THE BULLY</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is a trope in many, many, Stephen King books, from <i>It</i> to <i>Christine</i>, that bullies are usually terrible, psychotic people which beat up weaker children no matter what the legal repercussions in a way that goes beyond the usual gaslighting and physical abuse. In<i> It</i> Pennywise the Clown mind controls a bully into attacking the protagonists. </span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Billy sure goes off at the right time on the right people for the Thessaldydra, so much so that I believe his parents were an illusion. We never saw them up until that point. Billy's parents show up, tell him to get his sister (which makes no sense...if it is that important, shouldn't her parents go looking for her, too?) and leaves. If that is not the case it is a Hell of a coincidence.</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm0mKNncauR5429eeQ-2aX00XPiSDYqv9-Wz8ZQOPq8TJgT-jTNop1UNWbtP-LWyTrTMa2ZkcUoIWpcSZi2iHnvUGpCIajrl_2Kl91l-MCNCDa-cbKJNdYRMutA-3YfJ6UPj4AyoDMg391/s1600/stranger-things-elm-street.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="655" data-original-width="1000" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm0mKNncauR5429eeQ-2aX00XPiSDYqv9-Wz8ZQOPq8TJgT-jTNop1UNWbtP-LWyTrTMa2ZkcUoIWpcSZi2iHnvUGpCIajrl_2Kl91l-MCNCDa-cbKJNdYRMutA-3YfJ6UPj4AyoDMg391/s320/stranger-things-elm-street.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">An 80's horror film about a demon that </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">attacks people, but only in their sleep.</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">THE
MENTAL BLAST</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">When
Will is forced to go to sleep, Eleven is on the way home inside a
train, and falls asleep. This occurs in the episode, "The Lost
Sister," which featured Kali, one of the other patients from the
Hawkins facility. At this point, I have a theory. That whole part
where Eleven gets off the train, meets those wacky people and hangs
out with Kali? It didn't happen in real life. What?</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">THESSALHYDRA
VS. ELEVEN</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Never
forget that the conflict from the very beginning has been between The
Vale of Shadows (since the whole plane of existence seems to be a
mass consciousness, which is what a Thessalhydra is) and her. She
opened the gate, it wants to stay open and invade. Fairly simple.
Before it possessed Will, the shadowy entity was stuck in the sky,
following him around after being created from the rot left over from
all of the dying plant life the Pollywogs corrupted.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6O3ZY8_41RrQsKlGRqsSnKjewqagrERlK6VfUIk0LlT02_Pbdo3ZET5JmpLEBRar7rjGxYcUFqgW3iMO5MG2-wQRKdfJ9sFkpJ6tu_eNtNtkWPtLynDb1zOfBzStANLqFbdSMkBIy6WTJ/s1600/Advanced-Thessalhydra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="783" data-original-width="1259" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6O3ZY8_41RrQsKlGRqsSnKjewqagrERlK6VfUIk0LlT02_Pbdo3ZET5JmpLEBRar7rjGxYcUFqgW3iMO5MG2-wQRKdfJ9sFkpJ6tu_eNtNtkWPtLynDb1zOfBzStANLqFbdSMkBIy6WTJ/s320/Advanced-Thessalhydra.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">D&D's The Thessalhydra. One mind, one monster, many faces.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;">BACK TO <i>THE SHINING</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To watch Kubrick's <i>The Shining</i> with an informed mind you must remember that in that movie, there are no ghosts. It is all just telepathy and hallucinations. 'Member the part where Nicholson walks into the weird purple and green room, sees a naked lady in a tub, and then she gets out and turns into a monster? OK, let me explain, and please understand that this is a spoiler alert and I am about to fuck your mind up with this information.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Now
that it is in Will's head, it can use psychic powers against the
group (by making Billy go nuts) and trying to trick Eleven into
getting off of the train in Chicago and staying there, so she won't
come back, close the portal and shut down the evil entity's
operation. Will is asleep. His conscious mind is shut down. His dreaming mind, however, is still dangerous. That's why he's called The Mind Flayer...because of his mental blast.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN772bV8eN8o21jzDgWXsrMdSl5ByY6O5ANAayCQ2pO4LSr08reySEeMn5Ze3z0Xa8ebNmNytPJIh9XlTuTSQ8uezQnC4Tu8cR4O6YZLctCWLh1KmOxraK91MQuLo6DQji8CMPDhyphenhypheniH9zK/s1600/E0fWmkl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN772bV8eN8o21jzDgWXsrMdSl5ByY6O5ANAayCQ2pO4LSr08reySEeMn5Ze3z0Xa8ebNmNytPJIh9XlTuTSQ8uezQnC4Tu8cR4O6YZLctCWLh1KmOxraK91MQuLo6DQji8CMPDhyphenhypheniH9zK/s320/E0fWmkl.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">In the mirror.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Shining</span></i></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
is about a man who is molesting his kid, so the kid kills him. This
was very intentional on Kubrick's part and is the source of a lot of
the background imagery (remember what we talked about...) that is
leading the way to that harsh, evil truth. When Jack hugs Danny, they
are reflected in the mirror. As Jack molests his kid, he imagines a
tryst with a beautiful woman in a hotel room. Danny uses telepathy to
turn the fantasy into an ugly nightmare.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMB-RqDyObYvG0gYYiXUZVsYUdQrorEs4IAL4jxyIGilPVSlM8ucr5kkMuzm8MTLsxuf8xTyz2uOYytfjrlcYDdYnZDk18n-zH6l5s7iIwb-fP5OcdkVtI38YMgdzo64849nPQc0O9lKI/s1600/Green-Bathroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1080" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpMB-RqDyObYvG0gYYiXUZVsYUdQrorEs4IAL4jxyIGilPVSlM8ucr5kkMuzm8MTLsxuf8xTyz2uOYytfjrlcYDdYnZDk18n-zH6l5s7iIwb-fP5OcdkVtI38YMgdzo64849nPQc0O9lKI/s320/Green-Bathroom.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">The nightmare world of Jack's imagination.</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">That
is why the color scheme in the room is so psychedelic and bizarre.
It's why Jack's character keeps talking to ghosts...he's really just
talking to The Hotel, which is shining at him. When characters shine
they place images inside the heads of others, which is why in that
film the scenery, location of objects, colors and even the damn bear
skin rug keep moving around or changing. Jack's character is
projecting his dream into the minds of others. Other times, the hotel
is doing it. Danny also does that. Notice how the color of the
strange room where Jack encounters the rotting woman parallels the
color scheme reflected in the mirror.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2IHpSnMGpprgqwb73nQ_HgLu4-IHM9jArhEieGwUMl0Rmbx0wMaCr6m2yNxz-a4v09zJY3KQDpKvnceXa8f3w2SWF-XSu9P4hh7lq6MB_Kqa8sjR5tvfsjoGWHQXoHDnB6ac9f4QrGTM/s1600/the-shining-bed.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="547" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2IHpSnMGpprgqwb73nQ_HgLu4-IHM9jArhEieGwUMl0Rmbx0wMaCr6m2yNxz-a4v09zJY3KQDpKvnceXa8f3w2SWF-XSu9P4hh7lq6MB_Kqa8sjR5tvfsjoGWHQXoHDnB6ac9f4QrGTM/s320/the-shining-bed.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Because the mirror reflects the bed.</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0iSkmqAqV4-ek6xM5BU6BZXg6is2ZdrTgBXUUooQMlGykGTd2n3JvgZhDaGGG4DQoVmisWpWy2NjBO2xLy1q6zW_-7Bh9p4M9TKANjmwoB7pukA4kla9m5PnzxEGyeuFhwIh_vsTq2siM/s1600/3709497_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0iSkmqAqV4-ek6xM5BU6BZXg6is2ZdrTgBXUUooQMlGykGTd2n3JvgZhDaGGG4DQoVmisWpWy2NjBO2xLy1q6zW_-7Bh9p4M9TKANjmwoB7pukA4kla9m5PnzxEGyeuFhwIh_vsTq2siM/s320/3709497_0.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">See the bear?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdEGUVxToU9lSi7FkTjNzrxq1cg4Xb1uPWKNOVbDK2Td_qYQdryTsuWaen2zw4bkv2WNjAPWK0jD0jME3N_Ha0Bb9J_SdY6RwLlzysVkLXM2b0oYQU8nb7iCNBFFoB2Al02kFVOenU-L54/s1600/TheShining-DannyBear-Kubrick-e1484167517625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="640" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdEGUVxToU9lSi7FkTjNzrxq1cg4Xb1uPWKNOVbDK2Td_qYQdryTsuWaen2zw4bkv2WNjAPWK0jD0jME3N_Ha0Bb9J_SdY6RwLlzysVkLXM2b0oYQU8nb7iCNBFFoB2Al02kFVOenU-L54/s320/TheShining-DannyBear-Kubrick-e1484167517625.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Danny is the bear.</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEELDcOOF1LFaMzaLt7TRoLsOkoLPJSO3clCRWKFJkS1o4_CRCe9lFw5fJm_mbvmhDTAM9eH9-xzS0TBklSjVsgiufbd8h7xE3ihT-RUchGon70lo_NlR513PceqsdrLek6i8vIXCMyEHQ/s1600/jU9T6rP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEELDcOOF1LFaMzaLt7TRoLsOkoLPJSO3clCRWKFJkS1o4_CRCe9lFw5fJm_mbvmhDTAM9eH9-xzS0TBklSjVsgiufbd8h7xE3ihT-RUchGon70lo_NlR513PceqsdrLek6i8vIXCMyEHQ/s320/jU9T6rP.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">See the bear? Understand the parallel? </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Notice the color scheme when Danny is brushing his teeth.</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisLuL7xrjT6C0MohfF7s3QIdGp8GB1eZ7eVAd9NtgfN_kiTOj1OjlyMHYpeqxiKtYAow9_HMnuasVHxzcHn8xfeCi_QdDaYDdA1KlemOxn4qI5OWqhA0w0LeIdOqF-XS16hyphenhyphenEuHF1c0Uu6/s1600/6937f4_274fb9b178ba409cb8b1212bec306802_mv2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="630" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisLuL7xrjT6C0MohfF7s3QIdGp8GB1eZ7eVAd9NtgfN_kiTOj1OjlyMHYpeqxiKtYAow9_HMnuasVHxzcHn8xfeCi_QdDaYDdA1KlemOxn4qI5OWqhA0w0LeIdOqF-XS16hyphenhyphenEuHF1c0Uu6/s320/6937f4_274fb9b178ba409cb8b1212bec306802_mv2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Notice the man getting the bear BJ is in a tuxedo.</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYMZy5BR2HAEEuRSjDlVUZwpJ776O6HRriKFP10yOOG1Z2Z-nOyUm3LMgs9sSZxopRB5AhY1E3sVf6yW1VtmDJmtD7VdHu3Hr1buTZkSYIUjowFmlKpZKysdXSkjvBmwhYk851Qx6RIg-7/s1600/178763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1080" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYMZy5BR2HAEEuRSjDlVUZwpJ776O6HRriKFP10yOOG1Z2Z-nOyUm3LMgs9sSZxopRB5AhY1E3sVf6yW1VtmDJmtD7VdHu3Hr1buTZkSYIUjowFmlKpZKysdXSkjvBmwhYk851Qx6RIg-7/s320/178763.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Dad is wearing a tux for a reason. Kubrick was a genius.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAxIM3z7GIbsARw5y2PPYh9Zyq6n5prf-NG6ki0dupV41G_nTSG-bLV-uyHCg_ACzR55-JOSLjnFEbb5XYfDrBZqp7n1tEl1bwmf1C6xuPq-Da1C3ogac-R7Vd03fgkfnNgaAOlAb_cis/s1600/1f2a16fb-fcc3-4367-ad35-16ea33808aa1-brenner-stranger-things.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="1020" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAxIM3z7GIbsARw5y2PPYh9Zyq6n5prf-NG6ki0dupV41G_nTSG-bLV-uyHCg_ACzR55-JOSLjnFEbb5XYfDrBZqp7n1tEl1bwmf1C6xuPq-Da1C3ogac-R7Vd03fgkfnNgaAOlAb_cis/s320/1f2a16fb-fcc3-4367-ad35-16ea33808aa1-brenner-stranger-things.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;">Kali gives Eleven psychotherapy. What evil did Dad do? Why does Kali call him her father, too?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">When Kali's illusion of Eleven's father says "spread," </span><span style="color: #cccccc;">it is is a reference to what Danny did to his dad in </span><i style="color: #cccccc;">The Shining</i><span style="color: #cccccc;">. He </span><span style="color: #cccccc;">traumatized her to summon the Demogorgon. MKULTRA was about </span><span style="color: #cccccc;">mind control and sex slaves. The Montauk Project was about </span><span style="color: #cccccc;">summoning a demon. Put the two together and you have </span><span style="color: #cccccc;">mind controlled demons. What government wouldn't want that?</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">INSIDE
MINDS</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">My
point is that with the whole Netflix series </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">being a shout out to Stephen King, it would only naturally follow
that the psychic effects projected by the Thesselhydra-possessed Will
(in the Palace of the Silver Princess the evil force responsible is
called "Arik," not the Thesselhydra...another mistake by
the children so obvious we have to notice it) would be hard to
notice. First the evil force sets up Billy to go whup some character
ass. It directs the Pollywogs to attack the second problem, and now
it has to deal with the third problem, Eleven, the once character
that can close the portal...and she is on her way back. How to stop
her?</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">BACK
TO ELEVEN</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Eleven
does fall asleep on the train, because when she wakes up her clothing
and hair is changed. This means that she had to get off the train in
Chicago, wander around, and then get back on the train and arrive
just in time to save her friends. This is where the Thessalhydra
makes its move, tempting Eleven off the train to hang out with her
evil alter-ego, her familiar spirit, her quareen (every human's
personal demon, in Islam), her fetch, her dark side...Kali.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit53jPoH89QiU1ocZPworSSJSTYI25xdBpOAZ1LhH8sY9RqanQBhQ52D-O10fuwlURBKFKsNE6bTFLbzHwkUhSvy1gZ0aLW07DnIbGDS-rs83gA9H4UrhAwM4hgNmEo18ayi8ss5SUJjP3/s1600/stdino16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="762" data-original-width="1600" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit53jPoH89QiU1ocZPworSSJSTYI25xdBpOAZ1LhH8sY9RqanQBhQ52D-O10fuwlURBKFKsNE6bTFLbzHwkUhSvy1gZ0aLW07DnIbGDS-rs83gA9H4UrhAwM4hgNmEo18ayi8ss5SUJjP3/s320/stdino16.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Two faces, one person.</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Never
forget that if Eleven had stayed with Kali, all Hell would have
consumed her friends back home. Eleven's return not only saves her
friends just in time from the Pollywogs, she also shuts down the
portal at the exact same time Will stops lying in bed possessed by
the Thessalhydra to get some exorcise. At the moment the exorcism
works the portal gets closed. Ain't that one Hades of a coincidence.
Eleven had to return, and anything that got in the way of that goal
is suspect.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">ELEVEN'S
EVIL</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">At
the start of the series Eleven has problems. After defeating
Demogorgon she's basically acting like the thing. In Season 1 Eleven
opened a door into another place (the supermarket), opened another
door to get her waffles (the refrigerator) and then closed a door
behind her to escape. Now she's wandering the woods, using her powers
to beat animals to death to eat and people to unconsciousness to
escape. The parallel is there for a reason.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Once
she ends up with the Sheriff, her situation hasn't changed much.
Instead of being locked in the laboratory imprisoned by Papa, she's
locked in a cabin imprisoned by the Sheriff. As the episodes
continue, and nobody has bothered to give this child to a decent
psychologist to put her mind back together, she starts to unravel,
using her powers to abuse others and going on angry rampages. In <i>Empire Strikes Back </i></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Luke
Skywalker confronted his dark side (in the cave on Degobah) to gain
knowledge. It is time for Eleven to do the same.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgA9tZvWu3IN0vSMalgd8rd9VJVfvOhvU8xS8pooWVKlDM73j6LQBZir_Hyh5gruSukRKJOJthxeh07UQSLiR9R7GtwEbr9KdF7Gv5V8LQFKzf3jtbHpi4hwYn8nsgJe-au1M2adrDhdfu/s1600/strainb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgA9tZvWu3IN0vSMalgd8rd9VJVfvOhvU8xS8pooWVKlDM73j6LQBZir_Hyh5gruSukRKJOJthxeh07UQSLiR9R7GtwEbr9KdF7Gv5V8LQFKzf3jtbHpi4hwYn8nsgJe-au1M2adrDhdfu/s320/strainb.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Over the rainbow, an MK-ULTRA reference.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Never forget the original sources of the conspiracies behind this show...The Montauk Project, a story about a psychic that summoned a monster from his mind, and The Philadelphia Experiment, a story about a government operation that opened a portal into another dimension, and MK-ULTRA, which is about mind control. If I'm wrong the Duffer Brothers won't make any references to any of those concepts and we can move on. They did, so here we are. Please be patient, it gets deeper than your subconscious and is important to Eleven's evolution.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">80'S
STYLE ENLIGHTENMENT</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">There
is a movie from the 80's called <i>Wisdom</i>. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Emilio Estevez is the main character. He doesn't know what he wants
to do with his life. He's a teenage man, angry at the system, and
proceeds to strike back by robbing banks, destroying files so that
people in debt end up with theirs erased, and eventually (spoiler
alert) gets killed by the cops. Surprise! It was all a daydream.
Estevez wakes up and decides to strike back at the system in a more
mature, adult, business-minded way. The point is that he becomes enlightened in a dream.</span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTC5ZOx63s7KMb3W-kST_Sdby4LQpW3YEeBYTVf9q-Kc4RLkoavPBJ8jFD0FvAEZA9rddNsegk__88IvX-LZQkX_ggygjpndJCPVkhvodbhfCqd9EXo_OW4QzBjJtsEmO9m9HPJF8P1ndy/s1600/7fc33bb6d7a79beb8222618267b8ba1b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTC5ZOx63s7KMb3W-kST_Sdby4LQpW3YEeBYTVf9q-Kc4RLkoavPBJ8jFD0FvAEZA9rddNsegk__88IvX-LZQkX_ggygjpndJCPVkhvodbhfCqd9EXo_OW4QzBjJtsEmO9m9HPJF8P1ndy/s320/7fc33bb6d7a79beb8222618267b8ba1b.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">80's style feminist film.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Another
film is called <i>The Legend of Billie Jean</i>. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">A young woman ends up nearly raped by an evil man whose two sons
stole her brothers motor scooter. (The movie is pretty low stakes.)
What follows is a back and forth, good versus evil narrative weaving
occult symbols with public opinion, self image with spiritual
possession, and a female character that finds inner strength through
personal enlightenment and spiritual possession. In the end, the
young woman finally encounters her own higher self unleashed to the
point of mass manipulation, and makes a choice.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEQKTWbowrRfWYi2xMH34rClEOZcQ4_2qT4d69OGa0S0zWhNVpfOot8a6AU6ScrtFL8lI0-A2v1-YvdE-Ni4-X2NbQD2AR5H3rZ08T0m0DmVl82GA_mZEINY1AlW8edBkAB7rM-KSaxWW/s1600/Untitledlbjj.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="946" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEQKTWbowrRfWYi2xMH34rClEOZcQ4_2qT4d69OGa0S0zWhNVpfOot8a6AU6ScrtFL8lI0-A2v1-YvdE-Ni4-X2NbQD2AR5H3rZ08T0m0DmVl82GA_mZEINY1AlW8edBkAB7rM-KSaxWW/s320/Untitledlbjj.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">The rapist villain of the film. Notice the tie.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Much
like Eleven in <i>Stranger Things 2</i>, what gives Billie Jean the power to
take on her nemesis is that she embraces her dark side, making it a
part of herself. At first the young woman alters her appearance after
the film's antagonist uses a picture of her in a bathing suit to sell
merchandise. Eleven changed her appearance to look more like Kali, from the shading around the eyes, jacket type, hair style and such.
Billie Jean changes several times, at first like Joan of Arc (she's
fighting for a cause against corruption) until she looks somewhat
like the antagonist in the film's final act.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-sUrCY529L24c65DCZCaliTcfQUV5eCVlQRIw8-Ulz5YBAqQhlThMjqWLgotQzw-wuISdusD_Yla1vskY4vjS0mXvgFtrJ2zwniDORL4ggDkW_zdNhEIUIpuh6g10P1vLNdyFL2gOCLaE/s1600/Untitledlbj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="950" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-sUrCY529L24c65DCZCaliTcfQUV5eCVlQRIw8-Ulz5YBAqQhlThMjqWLgotQzw-wuISdusD_Yla1vskY4vjS0mXvgFtrJ2zwniDORL4ggDkW_zdNhEIUIpuh6g10P1vLNdyFL2gOCLaE/s320/Untitledlbj.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Billie Jean before. </span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOnqY799AVPuQcAJpGgdI0IX-ZbNXAm6FDasWtI77h4ETahelqojV8Dr2E5qbSJRWdmO2IuPHyI9xcA1vI5nMEQQcCR8e7LxSDW0ntDDTiOOrwYgHkWV9b50HYr9ewCkW5MaNQb3n6I4oT/s1600/Untitledlbjjj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="952" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOnqY799AVPuQcAJpGgdI0IX-ZbNXAm6FDasWtI77h4ETahelqojV8Dr2E5qbSJRWdmO2IuPHyI9xcA1vI5nMEQQcCR8e7LxSDW0ntDDTiOOrwYgHkWV9b50HYr9ewCkW5MaNQb3n6I4oT/s320/Untitledlbjjj.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Joan of Arc's image in the TV beams to Billie Jean, possessing her.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvAANFAumdx8vNYtkmSIeFrUcnOvMk81Xbt_bSj2I0vCmw8LtRBoGENrbD5W3VYcrsUglXE4Bs1P6KNpX2VR26ae5sJAo8BRvxGgJm5Ipe-_rH9Z5WMw72rT4CmbqEIxQkEOUI8OQLt7q9/s1600/Untitledlbjjjj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="949" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvAANFAumdx8vNYtkmSIeFrUcnOvMk81Xbt_bSj2I0vCmw8LtRBoGENrbD5W3VYcrsUglXE4Bs1P6KNpX2VR26ae5sJAo8BRvxGgJm5Ipe-_rH9Z5WMw72rT4CmbqEIxQkEOUI8OQLt7q9/s320/Untitledlbjjjj.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Billie Jean is embracing her dark side. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Notice the hair and makeup transformation.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbArGuBTevRIZ79baeO9l4sgb2Q6H6Z8cmVP5QLkNc2F8vAeIz9LVLL_YzDuMjKw333qf62B5QWtdoGO1C11NQBFNoWTdIbZWhOPw13qyaLB53Dw7EOfyczvnN9hxC_yfvRA-3BBVREU23/s1600/Untitledlbjjjjjj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="952" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbArGuBTevRIZ79baeO9l4sgb2Q6H6Z8cmVP5QLkNc2F8vAeIz9LVLL_YzDuMjKw333qf62B5QWtdoGO1C11NQBFNoWTdIbZWhOPw13qyaLB53Dw7EOfyczvnN9hxC_yfvRA-3BBVREU23/s320/Untitledlbjjjjjj.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Billie Jean confronts her nemesis (who is symbolically nude</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">by his clothing) for the final showdown. Notice the shirt and tie.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">She has merged with her dark side. Hegelian dialectic complete.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">A deep occult film with massive symbolism and huge parallels to the occult Tarot is...<i>Pee Wee Herman's Big Adventure</i>. What?! No, seriously, each scene in the film corresponds with a card from the Major Arcana of everyone's favorite occult past time, from The Fool when Pee Wee has his bike to The Hermit to The Devil.</span></div>
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</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Yn26VZuVqtQqO88WJh42yUpy2xoWsjbTakRE0E0Pa_yH5gmrixJDLCSSL1u4AJHbi4DKCwv0uwN7tv1TWKfJANBXULhgfi3LM63Fyh0ooFrx6xwp3djZ32u4QuB67Wv7zNqayhdINKYP/s1600/pw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="952" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Yn26VZuVqtQqO88WJh42yUpy2xoWsjbTakRE0E0Pa_yH5gmrixJDLCSSL1u4AJHbi4DKCwv0uwN7tv1TWKfJANBXULhgfi3LM63Fyh0ooFrx6xwp3djZ32u4QuB67Wv7zNqayhdINKYP/s320/pw.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Zero, The Fool. Just him and his bike, i.e. lion.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZbepy9CYjskPWHmlcbP42pA33hcF2FY7V8f4HTT8k4ZtG4RXYpx_ZPlmwUQnYh6L_odRbmudOOuh9c_AKofeDl160pfgWtnQ_2u3qrlm_Rp6oD6vEc3qSGg9_p1TBTHqNKLOj9kLqLX5/s1600/tumblr_mjvdzceQnF1qiczdmo1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="933" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZbepy9CYjskPWHmlcbP42pA33hcF2FY7V8f4HTT8k4ZtG4RXYpx_ZPlmwUQnYh6L_odRbmudOOuh9c_AKofeDl160pfgWtnQ_2u3qrlm_Rp6oD6vEc3qSGg9_p1TBTHqNKLOj9kLqLX5/s320/tumblr_mjvdzceQnF1qiczdmo1_1280.jpg" width="186" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">The Fool. That ain't a dog, it's a lion...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">humanities bestial nature. The dark side.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCAhusCSAWVXJDyJKxgfVSrdmUhF5dWvmB-AHNGO10K3MpiGvx37v1TujUILHDM3Z0laNxe7wZtP24VI5joqMv4NtXdUKBTM-OXgOGoUcOCURtqxZt-4zmp_RaNhE2-zu73JEN4tsn0Vw1/s1600/pw1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="952" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCAhusCSAWVXJDyJKxgfVSrdmUhF5dWvmB-AHNGO10K3MpiGvx37v1TujUILHDM3Z0laNxe7wZtP24VI5joqMv4NtXdUKBTM-OXgOGoUcOCURtqxZt-4zmp_RaNhE2-zu73JEN4tsn0Vw1/s320/pw1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Notice the lion. </span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">You
see, Pee Wee is chained to his bike, which represents the temptations
of the world (wealth) and his own bestial nature (the bike has a lion
on the front, The Fool features a small lion, Strength features a man
grappling with a larger lion) until finally there is a fusion. In the
end, Pee Wee gets his bike back and fuses with his bestial nature, as
represented by the film where a man with a lion like appearance,
dressed like Pee Wee, becomes the unstoppable hero in the narrative.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIUQUtXt952hLBb2mLCA4lExMvnN8CZDnNf5Vd7jhyphenhyphenpVyLBucLQaq2l_snur9hBuO6tILDwhs2CUrkWq_Mk6TLNEB43rWrlf3xzvUuAlq-AMPwYvh1BbbSWI7DSoOz-qqBazSLYioo1Mh/s1600/devil2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="699" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIUQUtXt952hLBb2mLCA4lExMvnN8CZDnNf5Vd7jhyphenhyphenpVyLBucLQaq2l_snur9hBuO6tILDwhs2CUrkWq_Mk6TLNEB43rWrlf3xzvUuAlq-AMPwYvh1BbbSWI7DSoOz-qqBazSLYioo1Mh/s320/devil2.jpg" width="193" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Chained the your dark side.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzWw5_yqar2Xec912r-KIiTwzCaery3T6N06i2P_RarBHFZzYN5i7_52RbHZoRFDbixCEaMCMS_emkcjPpbBYztFp6FDKV8NGtK3CJDkwdY1dDANEl1TS82Ov0QUfokPHCyUxR46bbyai/s1600/pw2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="948" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzWw5_yqar2Xec912r-KIiTwzCaery3T6N06i2P_RarBHFZzYN5i7_52RbHZoRFDbixCEaMCMS_emkcjPpbBYztFp6FDKV8NGtK3CJDkwdY1dDANEl1TS82Ov0QUfokPHCyUxR46bbyai/s320/pw2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Notice the chains. In Italian opera, clowns represented</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">the devil. Pee Wee is too chained to something. Time to</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">become enlightened.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8-Po1PcMWhO6Zu_RHLoNDrz-7vqaw9NWI4nOC6n8MDA45hp3kPE0zgEDhd8-jjRs7zG9NVdsk14Xp9YNC-yiMDoYC8TXXgnjxVAA9zxTnesn-mkVD2Pl3q4WIMveg1o3vnvnl0ciE-_n/s1600/1245320f4d3bcfc7d3a3c4b3edcd4070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8-Po1PcMWhO6Zu_RHLoNDrz-7vqaw9NWI4nOC6n8MDA45hp3kPE0zgEDhd8-jjRs7zG9NVdsk14Xp9YNC-yiMDoYC8TXXgnjxVAA9zxTnesn-mkVD2Pl3q4WIMveg1o3vnvnl0ciE-_n/s320/1245320f4d3bcfc7d3a3c4b3edcd4070.jpg" width="186" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN1XHvTm82k08r02Q_r24vF4SijUYy_n1aaBtAd6ODrAeoCo8Ff3-RMnnRq6txv4VYbklE-mM6j18hd8KLJnK_6_55PJVyy2Jyt9pT4a5twXbP9eKvHJ9mC5yyBwmN2QhEIXsqMGQ2lcOz/s1600/pw3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="955" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN1XHvTm82k08r02Q_r24vF4SijUYy_n1aaBtAd6ODrAeoCo8Ff3-RMnnRq6txv4VYbklE-mM6j18hd8KLJnK_6_55PJVyy2Jyt9pT4a5twXbP9eKvHJ9mC5yyBwmN2QhEIXsqMGQ2lcOz/s320/pw3.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Pee Wee is The Hermit.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigcNQYIEK9gDVcCVKXsieqejvZ9yXjMf79sUyw6ztRr-BDYqF4nXZUn0ZraI9QizJu4EFYGKF8s7s1OyV9W0vAiVvjSGFThj1Z6EErdcFmW1FjrIpJt1SEp7jHxvmkVtcnrDezzElq7fL_/s1600/tarot-judgement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="972" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigcNQYIEK9gDVcCVKXsieqejvZ9yXjMf79sUyw6ztRr-BDYqF4nXZUn0ZraI9QizJu4EFYGKF8s7s1OyV9W0vAiVvjSGFThj1Z6EErdcFmW1FjrIpJt1SEp7jHxvmkVtcnrDezzElq7fL_/s320/tarot-judgement.jpg" width="194" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEGM-KBwyQKdsikMWzOtbepROUgQYBNefPEeLxte2LtGJDRbqNw_Ok1BoLhjRDglfExqT9YVmGN-TO8nPY-7QDNuyUNydpmzbc0HGd_Aru35BFkqv5S7eLrv-lRerqgIMIDC7-E6iw18Z/s1600/pw7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="931" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEGM-KBwyQKdsikMWzOtbepROUgQYBNefPEeLxte2LtGJDRbqNw_Ok1BoLhjRDglfExqT9YVmGN-TO8nPY-7QDNuyUNydpmzbc0HGd_Aru35BFkqv5S7eLrv-lRerqgIMIDC7-E6iw18Z/s320/pw7.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Judgement. Notice the cross.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdY-xPuYC1yFyn7Buk-P9e0UCRGiXGLZxUwGnaHsUtbFOL6mqqhu5ya3hWsv_sZ0HpwSBsGGVWDAZpnY1vn_9NlN_WkB_auJkgvjXiqDMhFJCZ3efgXMHjT0ZWlNoA6MRY0J9M9OOeT44/s1600/pw6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="948" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdY-xPuYC1yFyn7Buk-P9e0UCRGiXGLZxUwGnaHsUtbFOL6mqqhu5ya3hWsv_sZ0HpwSBsGGVWDAZpnY1vn_9NlN_WkB_auJkgvjXiqDMhFJCZ3efgXMHjT0ZWlNoA6MRY0J9M9OOeT44/s320/pw6.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">What will our hero do? Notice how the animals are in boxes like the people rising up out of the boxes in Judgement. What does that make Pee Wee?</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">The
joke is, though, Pee Wee didn't just get his bike back. He's above it
all, watching the film screen from a higher dimension, hanging out
with all the friends and people he's met that love him so much. Pee
Wee has become enlightened. He doesn't even need the bike, and just
like Jesus he's serving the people, feeding the masses, because
enlightenment = benevolence. Just like Eleven.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwe-sasBpTBAvRP6yH-MKasoGJInzdZs1OWpMiY2_zkQ46Xs66y4zklcypg9isg9vHhh_6ovY_w9ydHDdhrIxKjMf9G6s1OZHHV1NpKuG_gFLsMpGY_SkdvVwD4JcZOmQVYQSwBuUrr_tn/s1600/pw4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="952" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwe-sasBpTBAvRP6yH-MKasoGJInzdZs1OWpMiY2_zkQ46Xs66y4zklcypg9isg9vHhh_6ovY_w9ydHDdhrIxKjMf9G6s1OZHHV1NpKuG_gFLsMpGY_SkdvVwD4JcZOmQVYQSwBuUrr_tn/s320/pw4.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Pee Wee has merged with his bestial side. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Hegelian dialectic complete.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT1cpu2jqtkkJHvo6toLLaSYX-uP59pMNwR3xOJa8LF1LhcyIqvbkGA0AiIPj_bUZo8khfcRxVS4JXnZxEMJes-CCHXYHdu7k0wtpHiD8SzZd_mD1GMkJzpNrRCSBDgrKl8WYXEjU036LM/s1600/pw5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="951" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT1cpu2jqtkkJHvo6toLLaSYX-uP59pMNwR3xOJa8LF1LhcyIqvbkGA0AiIPj_bUZo8khfcRxVS4JXnZxEMJes-CCHXYHdu7k0wtpHiD8SzZd_mD1GMkJzpNrRCSBDgrKl8WYXEjU036LM/s320/pw5.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Pee Wee has evolved and is above it all. He even </span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">gives up the bike because he's learned to let go.</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><a href="https://kylebstiff.wordpress.com/occult-pop-culture/the-occult-framework-of-pee-wees-big-adventure/" target="_blank">I am not the first occultist to notice this.</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">THE
HEGELIAN DIALECTIC</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Each of these people, including Eleven, represent an ages old concept used in philosophy, mass manipulation, Freemasonry, hypnotism, politics, the occult and Jungian psychology. The concept is simple. A character wants one thing. However, life events and changes force the character to do something else very different. It's either one or the other, and it can't be either. So a new way, a third way, is created from the synthesis of the two. This embracing the dark side is usually indicated by a change in appearance, just like Billie Jean, Pee-Wee Herman and Eleven when she gets a cosmetic makeover from Kali's minions.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAg04T8APnKRc985ZmyB1qxUW_UDnop2biekfekcyhLnhyphenhyphenJzae5s1SB6mURbKcRabOxLZY1QHbFjLVeITfCnSF_yfgQbQzmBnlAPIpWwr8Bg2Aoksy8keneUwWAMVI_Y3iChvXetpvenrw/s1600/MasonicArt1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="749" data-original-width="1000" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAg04T8APnKRc985ZmyB1qxUW_UDnop2biekfekcyhLnhyphenhyphenJzae5s1SB6mURbKcRabOxLZY1QHbFjLVeITfCnSF_yfgQbQzmBnlAPIpWwr8Bg2Aoksy8keneUwWAMVI_Y3iChvXetpvenrw/s320/MasonicArt1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Freemason imagery. The left and the right, the dark and the light.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This
encounter with the dark side doesn't always means a fusion. In </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Scott
Pilgrim Versus The World, </i></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Scott's
last adversary seems to be his dark half. In the end, an agreement is
reached between the two, and there is no conflict. This is what
Eleven needs to deal with before she can stop the Thessalhydra. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You
have probably seen this concept at work in many other stories before.
In Star Wars, Luke Skywalker only defeats Darth Vader when he is
wearing all black with cybernetic parts (like Darth Vader). He even
uses the dark side of the force to defeat Vader. When Luke lost his
temper, he stopped fighting like a cool, calm Jedi...and won.</span></span>
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Eleven's journey to self enlightenment is a common trope in 80's films. Her makeup, hairdo and clothing all change (to look like Kali's style) because that's what happens to characters in 80's films...they can't win until they enter into darkness, get power from it, and then emerge to beat the bad guy. It's another 80's reference. </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQjF7bQK3wzyCBUPYVZaHyavbDfgZb7HgDLgtMwNltCdRiL15P2m2WSbFuDH4E_Go3ymY659xCsNpqlbH9CP_a2ouwCg_ihsySyRQvQhpy7wckw_wUSAkzE7HLFaYF06uLw5rnitOmXNm/s1600/sei_40131607-61b8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="644" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQjF7bQK3wzyCBUPYVZaHyavbDfgZb7HgDLgtMwNltCdRiL15P2m2WSbFuDH4E_Go3ymY659xCsNpqlbH9CP_a2ouwCg_ihsySyRQvQhpy7wckw_wUSAkzE7HLFaYF06uLw5rnitOmXNm/s320/sei_40131607-61b8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;">Have you noticed how Billy...looks like Kali? Same controller, different person.</span></div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">"THE
LOST SISTER"</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Many
viewers complained that this episode felt off, somehow. A vast
departure from the previous episode, which featured Will being
possessed and then rendered unconscious. Free to operate on the
psychosphere (before that all the entity could do was haunt Will) the
Thessalhydra does so, and Eleven is the target. Don't forget it all
started in Eleven's head. Later on Will's visions of the monster
clearly indicate the entity is now in his.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Strange
things happen to Eleven on the way to the warehouse as she searches
for Kali (straight out of psychology, her name is a reference to
Jungian theories regarding the dark side and feminine archetypes). A
homeless person screams out that she is dead. Archon-like cops stare
at her harshly.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4LiDbFpW4QJMAOltEpFQSX6SeOYSY-juoJl_gy3aD5DBUo6mJlNeN60FCJgJQtI5QgWBoY365SNAbhpP9vQvTG0d-ZJ9DA43vvWJ0SwNOF9hn9iGG-Oq4G0yY0Wq2PJTw5_2TAtxEK-2/s1600/stdino18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="761" data-original-width="1600" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4LiDbFpW4QJMAOltEpFQSX6SeOYSY-juoJl_gy3aD5DBUo6mJlNeN60FCJgJQtI5QgWBoY365SNAbhpP9vQvTG0d-ZJ9DA43vvWJ0SwNOF9hn9iGG-Oq4G0yY0Wq2PJTw5_2TAtxEK-2/s320/stdino18.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Into the dream.</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">While
most believe at this point that Eleven ran into Kali, I'm going to
tell you that she just wandered around in an empty warehouse in a
daydream, changed her hair, clothes and makeup, experienced an
epiphany only to get back on the train and go home. It probably took
just a few hours. Everything else was an illusion. The Thessalhydra
played it's last card, fired off a mental blast, and Eleven survived.
The clues are there.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">REMEMBER
THE TULPA</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">I've written about it a lot in my previous <i>Stranger Things</i> posts so the recap will be brief. A tulpa is an entity that started out as a mental image which eventually becomes real through force of will by the creator or because so many people believe in the image it manifests. Many occult writers, even modern ones, claim to have created tulpas when they ran into their creations in real life. Grant Morrison, Alan Moore and even the creators of Superman mention the tulpa, as does the occult writer, adventurer and practitioner known as Helena Blavatsky. Even the X-Files had an episode about it.</span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKcEuge73XvwMB2Ibcc6Exc1WtP06HS01Y2pmErxAGZsw07FbyNj72tW8Cp1qVMxMiAvhXaKvHtQLqpyDrdXFqFia6-4LwEGWxad-C2YFby_Idi9toa-9QSBjneDO1tarQ48xIE2FALEZh/s1600/ls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="822" data-original-width="836" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKcEuge73XvwMB2Ibcc6Exc1WtP06HS01Y2pmErxAGZsw07FbyNj72tW8Cp1qVMxMiAvhXaKvHtQLqpyDrdXFqFia6-4LwEGWxad-C2YFby_Idi9toa-9QSBjneDO1tarQ48xIE2FALEZh/s320/ls.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Eleven and her dark side.</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Never
forget that according to science, reality is a hologram. Your
eyeballs photograph the real world, but the image is upside-down.
Your brain than flips that image over, fills in the blind spot
between your eyeballs and under your nose with background imagery,
and that's what you see. The world you see is never the real world
that actually exists. Kali's ability is a lot easier to pull off,
when you really think about how everything you see is really just an
illusion your brain gives you.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFG0j4tx6FIjT5owl9XVbVfdX0Bl3mAHFcF4J-u06bBDMkvcLL5KwGMTD3RLb5FWMTn80X3eULGvQqbKRHU2JXVMtiHbGY7dzzK-Wd0qiFKhzXdM9qWBT0F4CuRpcbgbBr6ARp8S2Zakrk/s1600/stdino19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="763" data-original-width="1600" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFG0j4tx6FIjT5owl9XVbVfdX0Bl3mAHFcF4J-u06bBDMkvcLL5KwGMTD3RLb5FWMTn80X3eULGvQqbKRHU2JXVMtiHbGY7dzzK-Wd0qiFKhzXdM9qWBT0F4CuRpcbgbBr6ARp8S2Zakrk/s320/stdino19.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Kali summons an illusion from Eleven's head, like a tulpa. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Even another character tells Kali to "get out" of his head.</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">A
tulpa is really just a very, very powerful illusion created by many
minds all emotionally working together to create the hallucination,
according to Tibetan mystics and Hindu yogis who teach their acolytes
that all reality is just a hallucination, anyhow. Just like any other
living entity, the tulpa will eventually obtain free will and try to
survive independent of the creator. The writings of Blavatasky make
it very clear that her own tulpa, a man dressed like a friar,
eventually became out of her control and exhibited a very sinister
nature as time went on. What does Kali do? She makes tulpas. This reference is there for a reason.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJe3m9XkAa24pTl6YMB_I7WBMAZ87tw3iJwv7gHQqBs2Z45bvXZAEMkV4ccMUFDiiMv3mPq0jPgv0f-ATVMNuYNvABwxUx3_7JfKyEttjfOYVcMHz-pl_-smSEdiuRyx9ehu9q3N5yQnfl/s1600/monarch-mind-control.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJe3m9XkAa24pTl6YMB_I7WBMAZ87tw3iJwv7gHQqBs2Z45bvXZAEMkV4ccMUFDiiMv3mPq0jPgv0f-ATVMNuYNvABwxUx3_7JfKyEttjfOYVcMHz-pl_-smSEdiuRyx9ehu9q3N5yQnfl/s320/monarch-mind-control.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;">Notice the symbolism.</span> </div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">BACK
TO BACKGROUND SYMBOLISM</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Stranger
Things</i></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> uses
a lot of background imagery. We've already seen that with Will's
dinosaur, the poster of </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>The
Dark Crystal </i></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>The
Thing</i></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">,
etc. A whole lot of symbols and slogans show up in this episode. It
all points the way to mind control, conspiracy theories and the
occult. Kali represents Eleven's dark side. I believe that Kali is
the spirit of the Demogorgon, a fragment left over from the
programmed alter ego Eleven was tortured into making so Papa the Lich
can make monsters.</span></span>
</span></div>
</div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20j08EFEJlWDY5PqfLDPbMlZ39bw5w0L8Nfdx6QxdueMIwESSSqLXIByZtzLUZpXvXQaGip6yi5j1c-ib4qhKb5f9D6Rqu74RQhBAb2iM8IzMXRAKmr1V74vbQyRocqrM6hROkTtYUbzX/s1600/stdino13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="1600" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20j08EFEJlWDY5PqfLDPbMlZ39bw5w0L8Nfdx6QxdueMIwESSSqLXIByZtzLUZpXvXQaGip6yi5j1c-ib4qhKb5f9D6Rqu74RQhBAb2iM8IzMXRAKmr1V74vbQyRocqrM6hROkTtYUbzX/s320/stdino13.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">See the butterfly in the background? Hopper's head ain't right.</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">THE
BUTTERFLY AND THE RAINBOW</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Many
other journalists like myself have written articles about the
government mind control programs referenced in the first season of
the show. Kali is seen as a small child with Eleven in The Rainbow
Room by her mom. "Over the rainbow" is a term that can be
found in the conspiracy theory that subjects must first have their
minds warped and made malleable before they can be brainwashed and
have their personalities fragmented into splits that do what they are
told to do. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Rather odd that Kali is in that room. Was that the split
personality? Did you notice that Eleven's mom doesn't even look at Kali? At all? Eleven sees Kali in her mind's eye. Why doesn't mom?</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSbv_s9L6fdJZSICW5Xrfkp9IMsm_WwpZ5zwh_7j8Qj_uD1SEepHiTL6HBO2A5NPyS76LM5hPba7hP-kNjo18_ccAMmgpYzBHZe0PpNtz29yHNWAZZWBSzfMWlfnGcRrTampq5ocJHG0-/s1600/eyes11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="214" data-original-width="500" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSbv_s9L6fdJZSICW5Xrfkp9IMsm_WwpZ5zwh_7j8Qj_uD1SEepHiTL6HBO2A5NPyS76LM5hPba7hP-kNjo18_ccAMmgpYzBHZe0PpNtz29yHNWAZZWBSzfMWlfnGcRrTampq5ocJHG0-/s320/eyes11.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><i>Eyes Wide Shut</i>, another Kubrick film about mind control.</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Kali
entrances Eleven with a blue monarch butterfly. This symbol is a
reference to The Monarch Program, and supposed government
conspiracies related to the subject. You will see it over and over
again if you look up books and films regarding the conspiracy theory.
The butterfly is a reference to a person's awareness feeling as if
they are floating away when the psychologists are tightening the
screws to induce a split. Ugly stuff.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><i>HIDE
AND SEEK</i></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This
movie is about a psychologist (played by Robert DeNiro) and a
mentally abused young girl (played by a young girl who is good at
staring at everybody with giant eyeballs) who has a split
personality. DeNiro treats her as a patient until (spoiler alert) he
realizes he has a split personality of his own that is responsible
for the abuse, although a clever viewer will notice the whole town
seems to be some sort of MKULTRA experiment.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This
movie features a lot of the MKULTRA and Project Monarch imagery. The
rainbow, two heads on the little girl to show the split, a monarch
butterfly, etc.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8SmsCxTKrsJI-VGMaFlbFjtpK_OqoSfWHkg9Kk5ZzIe7HLUoNZ9jnFre1gh8EhWAoSX2D603sdIxtN3MaHJ9fB5qJHG5F5BIZyfS5_zfHUwd7pyRu1B2HfkRYWZaEdYefpptJEK9GAn9/s1600/hideandseek33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8SmsCxTKrsJI-VGMaFlbFjtpK_OqoSfWHkg9Kk5ZzIe7HLUoNZ9jnFre1gh8EhWAoSX2D603sdIxtN3MaHJ9fB5qJHG5F5BIZyfS5_zfHUwd7pyRu1B2HfkRYWZaEdYefpptJEK9GAn9/s320/hideandseek33.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">In <i>Hide and Seek</i> the little girl has two personalities.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Ds74wHregP5y5-kzcl1phESARgc2VMOAcEUCKcLcEEncQi-phq71xe3lVb5q73sdjwCAcdiVYh_5Zx0wor-mGbYlLLIyT3qN8rGtGihlgcd65qS0dJJdGZusThUnehuh84OxHnwqADBF/s1600/hideandseek30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="500" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Ds74wHregP5y5-kzcl1phESARgc2VMOAcEUCKcLcEEncQi-phq71xe3lVb5q73sdjwCAcdiVYh_5Zx0wor-mGbYlLLIyT3qN8rGtGihlgcd65qS0dJJdGZusThUnehuh84OxHnwqADBF/s320/hideandseek30.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">The monarch butterfly. The doctor has two, too.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">KALI</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Millions
of people around the world, especially India, practice Hinduism. Kali
is a goddess in the religion and a wikipedia search will show you she
is not a very nice deity, luxuriating in severed heads and baths of
blood. Her followers, an outlaw cult called the Thuggee, practiced
murder and robbery, just like Kali's followers in <i>Stranger Things </i></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i>2</i>.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9em5tykoRNeYq-5mjrwz-oZ0CzCFH2XBeePUE6o3V0POLS3JDDb0qZpsIyLzUjbIDbMIxV4hcOQ1o6xDHphvxZLtKPhcrLjP2mCkQFRMwZhHoITVpabE7vdOh57djYCtfYIG70KOgbf3/s1600/Untitled89.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="1600" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9em5tykoRNeYq-5mjrwz-oZ0CzCFH2XBeePUE6o3V0POLS3JDDb0qZpsIyLzUjbIDbMIxV4hcOQ1o6xDHphvxZLtKPhcrLjP2mCkQFRMwZhHoITVpabE7vdOh57djYCtfYIG70KOgbf3/s320/Untitled89.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Kali and Kali.</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">It's
worth noting that the goddess Kali is actually a dark aspect of
another goddess, Parvati. The Duffer Brothers could have picked a lot
of names, they could have picked a lot of goddesses. And, hey, did
you notice that El and Kali both have the names of goddesses? I really, really want to know who Eleven's father is. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">YOU'RE
AS JUNG AS YOU FEEL</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Jungian psychology has a concept called the shadow. This is your hidden, dark side, and can be quite destructive when you don't work out your hidden desires, negative emotions and selfish aspirations. Many people don't face or suppress this darkness, according to Jung & Co., so one type of therapy is for a person to have a written dialogue with their own shadow (Holy Ouija Board Therapy Sessions, Batman!) to find out what it wants and why it is there.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">ALTER
ID</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Sure
sounds like what happened between Eleven and Kali. We were shown in
the previous season that Eleven's mind is a landscape full of people
and things. Her job was to track down the Russian spy and kill him.
But Eleven doesn't like to kill...so she was programmed with a
splinter personality (known as an alter) to do the job. That's the
Demogorgon. When Eleven ended up in the Vale of Shadows after
Demogorgon blew up in a blast of energy, that energy wasn't
destroyed. It's still in her head, her mind and her dreams.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT91jcFlP2sENKR0ULJWhgdJP7hHrnjutu_HFIX9NzLjs3VSpuN7XS64aUMv9yG_G_bfH1EapMHPh6Bp8861yZPzK2a-koPpdeRgIuVHmGEs9mkIGxQVvxMZAcNATKXCAhhzIN9ngSzDQj/s1600/stdino15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="1600" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT91jcFlP2sENKR0ULJWhgdJP7hHrnjutu_HFIX9NzLjs3VSpuN7XS64aUMv9yG_G_bfH1EapMHPh6Bp8861yZPzK2a-koPpdeRgIuVHmGEs9mkIGxQVvxMZAcNATKXCAhhzIN9ngSzDQj/s320/stdino15.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Kali in the TV?</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Plus...why is the title called, "The Lost Sister?" Kali and Eleven are not related. At all. They just went to a screwed up place together. Unless Kali is related to Eleven...because she got out of her head.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">"EIGHT"</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">The
numerology of Kali's number, 8, is consistent with the symbolism of
Eleven's name. In the occult 8 represents a lot of things, but mostly
destruction. It's a good destruction...the old being swept away for
the new, which is why 8 is also the number of power, authority and
karma. In Hinduism Parvati's essences merged with Shiva, The
Destroyer, in order for her to become Kali, so having the number 8
makes perfect sense.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yyTOB_AQzBQys2zjwWl0I4ID6febh4_IFZfxsIa44GWoeO1SCYqGImuTTC0WJ18v3uuPAXol5fpgD_bpJr31l_1Bpz8-yeGG4ejVdD9MiBcIO7A3wIZy7zfRoHdMNrzxBQtP_WIUMpTQ/s1600/Untitled8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="1600" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yyTOB_AQzBQys2zjwWl0I4ID6febh4_IFZfxsIa44GWoeO1SCYqGImuTTC0WJ18v3uuPAXol5fpgD_bpJr31l_1Bpz8-yeGG4ejVdD9MiBcIO7A3wIZy7zfRoHdMNrzxBQtP_WIUMpTQ/s320/Untitled8.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">See the 8? See what it means, now?</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Eight
also balances the spiritual and material. The character Eleven has a
lot of psychological trauma. This PTSD has to be dealt with so it
doesn't keep affecting her actions in the real world. On the
flipside, a person who has big dreams of pursuing a career they are
incapable of needs to have those dreams destroyed so they can pursue
a vocation that will bring them even more success and happiness, and
in numerology 8 destroys false illusion, inducing enlightenment.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQNEnq-X4C1EuqmXRwVWKgIwksIID_OcD3TClBwdXcfUBou1k33KPMEj1bXVL6QkxDuKK2sS_tY2LkJBmmtk1kCttU53_JsDJgQisJeD_rjpQ24z76IW_ya9AcYsddNocyAh0NXvAbmT5e/s1600/https___blogs-images.forbes.com_simonthompson_files_2018_08_Poltergeist_Large-1200x1459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1167" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQNEnq-X4C1EuqmXRwVWKgIwksIID_OcD3TClBwdXcfUBou1k33KPMEj1bXVL6QkxDuKK2sS_tY2LkJBmmtk1kCttU53_JsDJgQisJeD_rjpQ24z76IW_ya9AcYsddNocyAh0NXvAbmT5e/s320/https___blogs-images.forbes.com_simonthompson_files_2018_08_Poltergeist_Large-1200x1459.jpg" width="263" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">In <i>The Poltergeist</i>, they were here because</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">they were in the TV. That's what ghosts do.</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">By
the way, did you notice that Channel 8 appears on the television in
front of Eleven's mom right after Eleven leaves, right before the
opening credits? Maybe it wasn't her mom that wanted Eleven to find
Kali. Maybe it was her. Eleven can send her mind into the TV
airwaves. Poltergeist taught us those airwaves are haunted, people
can get stuck in there, and it is where demons dwell (cue Bach's
Toccata and fugue in D minor).</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtI8cITo7T7FclDks33jbdFVkkgF9HWHB-DBc2MVPB_9U6nfoMXCGwr6iZGd9rV-Q58hN70CMBryRH0B-58-nYofJX0Z6Gclyvx6mYPqYgKlZt9BSwtG6mWObBJOG0puLfVb-IivvdDxoR/s1600/strainb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtI8cITo7T7FclDks33jbdFVkkgF9HWHB-DBc2MVPB_9U6nfoMXCGwr6iZGd9rV-Q58hN70CMBryRH0B-58-nYofJX0Z6Gclyvx6mYPqYgKlZt9BSwtG6mWObBJOG0puLfVb-IivvdDxoR/s320/strainb.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Eleven was in a room with a rainbow. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">Where they make split personalities.</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: small;">I
am already done with the next part. It shall be up within a week. It just needs to be edited and exorcised.The
next post will give you even more evidence, including photos from
"The Lost Sister," to prove that Kali and that episode was
more than meets the mind's eye. By the time you are done reading it
everybody you know that talks to you about <i>Stranger Things 2 </i>will
think you are smarter than a Mind Flayer.</span></span></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zNYFUNLQ_BM/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zNYFUNLQ_BM?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-43390500300155660592019-03-05T11:59:00.001-08:002019-03-05T11:59:55.605-08:00Todd Glass - Comedy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
When somebody finally writes a book called, "The Greatest Stand Up Comics of All Time," Todd Glass is going to get his own chapter. That's why I interviewed him. He's not just a great stand up comic, he is one of the greatest progenitors of modern comedy alive today. Long before modern comedy as we know it conquered new vistas like Netflix and the Internet, Todd Glass was there, helping to set the foundation. He is, he was, and he shall be.<br />
<br />
I saw Todd Glass perform live for about fifty people at a show called Good Heroin in Los Angeles. I was impressed. Here was a comedian who had paid his dues, worked television shows and films back in the 80's, kicking ass and crushing an audience of hardcore, cynical, socially just Echo Park denizens. That takes talent, courage and genius. It also takes intelligence. Audiences change. Comedians must adapt. Glass had done all that and more. If you are a comedian, and I am interviewing you, it is because you are one of the best. A good comedian informs. A great comedian inspires. Glass is an inspiration. It was an honor to interview him.<br />
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<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
By the time he was eleven Todd Glass
already knew he wanted to be a professional stand up comic.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"I was able to relate to it. I
could connect to comedians. It was fun to see adults act juvenile. I
started at sixteen. It's addicting." Now a veteran in an
industry that steadily disentegrates cowards and charlatans, Glass
believes stand up comedy is the best bang a person can get for their
buck. "If you go to see a comedian do an hour, you'll get
hundreds of laughs. If you go to see a movie you don't get that."
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Over the years Glass has not only
performed in prestigious locales across the planet, he's also
appeared on television shows such as "Jimmy Kimmel Live",
"Late Night With Conan O'Brien", the legendary "Politically
Incorrect", and sitcoms like "Home Improvement",
"Friends", "Married With Children", his own
Comedy Central special, and other shows including "Comics Only"
and "The A List". Even after success, Glass warns that for
any comedian, performing can still feel like taming a lion for the
first time. "Stand up can be harrowing. It's like sex, you must
really want to do it or you never would."
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRNfhr30qhpfDx_COdppeCDBAlxewqXt9EaNdJva7JybZct94YnLcg5jZXIsH56wivduNhxeYoPG4luTnPtr9XjK9jaVHy-lROviYhoOaLZ3_JSd6SrihNtlCznbZWuzsW3KBwQC2WhF_/s1600/images+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRNfhr30qhpfDx_COdppeCDBAlxewqXt9EaNdJva7JybZct94YnLcg5jZXIsH56wivduNhxeYoPG4luTnPtr9XjK9jaVHy-lROviYhoOaLZ3_JSd6SrihNtlCznbZWuzsW3KBwQC2WhF_/s1600/images+%25281%2529.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Stand up comedy is still a facet of the
entertainment industry, and eventually any entertainer has to either
make money or settle for enjoying the ride. Glass knows. Between the
Internet, YouTube and other platforms, comics have more opportunities
than ever to make it. "It really just takes its course. You just
do it and do it. Some people take longer than others. I have friends
that do it as a hobby. There's a lot more vehicles than there used to
be. Comedy gets better and better, more real. Acting has gotten more
real. Comedy gets more real and gets better." If you've always
wanted to check it out, now is right. "I think comedy is in a
good place," Glass says. "It seems like a golden age."
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Glass observes that stand up comics
should be realistic. "On one level, they all want to make a
living. I've been doing stand up a long time. You see people who go
further than you, but you also see people who quit." For some,
simply doing stand up isn't enough. "There are actors who ended
up on a series that got canceled and they are back to waiting tables.
At the end of the day people want a vehicle to get noticed, and that
can be just about anything these days," Glass says. "A
podcast, Netflix, and even social media."<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GBdrajFf2HwkRDaN7iZnZLPnkG0ylMHyhqPIguSR0MJsckl5z1w1AI9bddlDRoh9kHSPeA6TPFxklhG9yiaEahCY3zezXcIg5TKpIckh1m7z2fde_drfynPx7el1dsKN4O7kS-xqypFq/s1600/Experiences_001.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="820" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GBdrajFf2HwkRDaN7iZnZLPnkG0ylMHyhqPIguSR0MJsckl5z1w1AI9bddlDRoh9kHSPeA6TPFxklhG9yiaEahCY3zezXcIg5TKpIckh1m7z2fde_drfynPx7el1dsKN4O7kS-xqypFq/s320/Experiences_001.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What's the one thing people just don't
understand about doing stand up comedy that only a stand up comic
understands? "I think it's the intimacy that doing it needs.
Even if things are hectic, it is still very intimate. Good comedy
clubs don't let you talk at the tables." Glass prefers venues
that keep things quiet, like a jazz club. "I don't think people
understand that intimacy. You have to pay attention. Most audiences
are awesome." A bad audience, he explains, ruins the
relationship. "Good audiences reap the benefits. You want to
give them a big hug."
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Glass keeps busy playing every club in
Los Angeles when he isn't touring the rest of the planet or doing his
podcast. "I just got done shooting another one hour special. I
put a lot of time and work into it. My last one ended up on Netflix."
He is still thinking of a name for it. "One was Act Happy.
Another was Passive Progressive. I wanted to call it, Suck My Pigeon
Dick, but nobody wanted that." He's also working on a television
show. "I've shot a pilot called Camping with Todd." The
premise involves taking various celebrities into a deep, dark forest
for an interview. "We sit around a crackling fire and talk."
So far some of his guests include John Dore, Zack Gafflinakus and
Eddie Pepetone.
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi38V4Y3hWbkmDN6tcw_TTn2tfFCn-H_rogHCXiELpmT_CyhOAEvbOGAbCUOdkT5QRA7jO6dBlDsk9VfAQO_JZKSHQqgqB4KNc25R4P-Udx3Wyxhh4yBEQj3G-OLEVLTTsp3BGRvq7ZBxux/s1600/AAAABf59WN0i2Lz6x-nkqdHWb3UuDISTrkl6uL476rXkswsk3KOL5Zen-w4KmCuPtCgESx5Axj_VZ39eJ5o90M5dY2KNH_ahYY5wNAcPeX-8hvSZ81qRUXccxUieKRuWxsN0F6BVJgHg4ss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi38V4Y3hWbkmDN6tcw_TTn2tfFCn-H_rogHCXiELpmT_CyhOAEvbOGAbCUOdkT5QRA7jO6dBlDsk9VfAQO_JZKSHQqgqB4KNc25R4P-Udx3Wyxhh4yBEQj3G-OLEVLTTsp3BGRvq7ZBxux/s320/AAAABf59WN0i2Lz6x-nkqdHWb3UuDISTrkl6uL476rXkswsk3KOL5Zen-w4KmCuPtCgESx5Axj_VZ39eJ5o90M5dY2KNH_ahYY5wNAcPeX-8hvSZ81qRUXccxUieKRuWxsN0F6BVJgHg4ss.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Part of the class Glass has is that he
is cool with cannabis. "I said a long time ago I'm not pro
marijuana in that I want to march to get it legal. I just want to
smoke it." Across the country, however, possession can still
mean prison. "Unfortunately, it is a fight," he says. "If
someone is anti liquor, I get it. If you don't think pot or liquor is
good, that's OK. If a person thinks liquor should be legal but not
pot, I don't know where to start. If I go down to the beach and have
a hack or wine, nobody says anything. So I act the same way about
pot. I started smoking it at
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
30. I don't want to smoke it 24 hours a
day. I don't smoke seven days a week, but I like getting high and I
enjoy the people who enjoy it, too."
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Find out more about Todd Glass at
<a href="http://www.toddglass.com/">www.toddglass.com</a>. His
terrific tweets are at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/ToddGlass">www.twitter.com/ToddGlass</a>.
His fabulous Facebook page is at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/toddglassshow">www.facebook.com/toddglassshow</a>.
</div>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2_acNtmiikY/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2_acNtmiikY?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
</div>
</div>
Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-79965241481551603752019-02-19T16:31:00.000-08:002019-02-22T15:05:50.714-08:00The Stranger Things 2 Autopsy, Part III - The Weird<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdCOCg9poWiMMCqA6ka648B_uC0SMz-wI8yDBps0ITHQsVoVzKXQaKxhP2D7AAt1MKg2d6LGVdWVyPYiB7dx1_v0LJWabWMAKb004zCSZapygUASNPQXdTvQmlEZ8PYsTLxoZSgODcsia/s1600/Stranger-Things-2-for-Katelyn-578x900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="578" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdCOCg9poWiMMCqA6ka648B_uC0SMz-wI8yDBps0ITHQsVoVzKXQaKxhP2D7AAt1MKg2d6LGVdWVyPYiB7dx1_v0LJWabWMAKb004zCSZapygUASNPQXdTvQmlEZ8PYsTLxoZSgODcsia/s320/Stranger-Things-2-for-Katelyn-578x900.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"In this book it is spoken of the
Sephiroth and the Paths; of Spirits and Conjurations; of Gods,
Spheres, Planes, and many other things which may or may not exist. It
is immaterial whether these exist or not. By doing things certain
things certain results will follow..."</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
-Aleister Crowley</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Book VI: Liber O</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"The gate. I opened it. I'm the
monster."
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
-Eleven<br />
<i>Stranger Things</i>,
Episode 6, "The Monster"
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"...I learned a terrible truth. If
you investigate deeply enough, sometimes you become <i>part</i> of the
conspiracy."
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
-The Reverend Ivan Stang of The Church
of The SubGenius
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>The Big Book of Conspiracy Theories</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"Who is Number 1?"</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"You are, Number 6."
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">-</span><i>The Prisoner</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
BEFORE WE BEGIN</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I mentioned before that there were no
conspiracy theories for me to mention in regards to Stranger Things 2 to entertain your
brain in my last couple of blog posts. I was wrong, there are
several. First of all, and I have to admit this was new to my mind,
one of the themes I've found in reviewing the zany, crazy theories
surrounding The Montauk Project is that the scientists working for
the government there were trying to do something very important to
our discussion: mass mind control.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Apparently the big chair scientists
were placing disposable psychics in (study the original conspiracy
theory if you need to catch up) had another purpose...to allow the
psychic to control massive populations of people at once. This wasn't
the original intent of the work, it is just that by the end of the
project's run (according to conspiracy theorists and supposed
whistleblowers) having a way to mass mind control a population using
technology developed by scientists with a window into the future is
kind of what happened.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXP83I6mtVOgu5yt-opF9ooCD4Z4v-zhou_f8dJTyeJSJX9syprEM9V3opD8aWdSoCpqbQiJbWpV2FLEkpNwOSedLf3eo_z4yaN1hk5ve7Q-xtAplJu9nJzYAzuGiWXMIS587XoMeplyDS/s1600/montauk2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="640" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXP83I6mtVOgu5yt-opF9ooCD4Z4v-zhou_f8dJTyeJSJX9syprEM9V3opD8aWdSoCpqbQiJbWpV2FLEkpNwOSedLf3eo_z4yaN1hk5ve7Q-xtAplJu9nJzYAzuGiWXMIS587XoMeplyDS/s320/montauk2.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i>An actual photo of Montauk at Long Island, New York.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
From a government perspective, I could
imagine how having a chair that allowed a single psychic to make an
entire enemy military, or even nation, stand down in the event of a
war is pretty amazing. You wouldn't have to kill anybody to win the
war if you had such a weapon. Of course, only a fool believes that
evil people working for the government wouldn't use mass mind control
on their own population. Only a fool believes that the government
isn't trying to control your mind, right now.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
My personal problem with the concept of
placing a psychic into a mind control chair to amplify his powers
is...what if he mind controls the people working in the entire
military facility? Or just the scientists in charge of the project?
Seems like a great way to escape to me, like something Dr. Who would
do...use incredibly powerful technology created by the bad guys
against them to destroy their evil plans. So I just can't imagine
that part of the theory being true, compared to summoning a rampaging
id monster from deep inside a psychic's mind to destroy a military
base from within, which is equally bonkers.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-i_2J8zPEMZRKeKTfwdUIy7e7204xn-1lX8hP0iPzAUFzqllclRhGuBobefQhMqpeoeL46ZHOxq0Mjg4MDSNVnsTdoIFNUCsSBYTUyN7I1EEBjdV5u3YhugMrwsRySD79nHkQczNN3M9y/s1600/The_Pandorica_Imprisonment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="827" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-i_2J8zPEMZRKeKTfwdUIy7e7204xn-1lX8hP0iPzAUFzqllclRhGuBobefQhMqpeoeL46ZHOxq0Mjg4MDSNVnsTdoIFNUCsSBYTUyN7I1EEBjdV5u3YhugMrwsRySD79nHkQczNN3M9y/s320/The_Pandorica_Imprisonment.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i>Inside the plot device, I mean, The Pandorica.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There are actually
many, many other splendid theories regarding our government, and
other government's, studies into people with paranormal powers. In
one instance a scientific study conducted by Dr. J.B. Rhine back in
1941 centered upon a gambler he met who claimed to have an ability to mentally affect
the tumble of the dice roll. After numerous experiments designed by
Dr. Rhine to eliminate any mechanical bias, it was determined that
the gambler could change the dice rolls using his mind. The chances
of the man being able to affect these chances was determined to be
about 10115 to 1.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.urigeller.com/psychokinesis">https://www.urigeller.com/psychokinesis</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In another instance, experiment after
experiment has been conducted to figure out why a person can detect
when another person is staring at them from behind. In 1989 two
separate experiments were conducted on children in public schools,
one in America and the other in Germany. In both instances children
could detect being stared at 56.9% of the time, with some children
able to individually detect being stared at from behind at an even
higher rate. The probability of the children being able to do that by
chance is 3 in 1,000,000.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.sheldrake.org/research/sense-of-being-stared-at/the-sense-of-being-stared-at-experiments-in-schools">https://www.sheldrake.org/research/sense-of-being-stared-at/the-sense-of-being-stared-at-experiments-in-schools</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
A recent document declassified by the
CIA and released to the general public reported that China has been
studying super powers in humans for decades. <span style="background-color: black; color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Chronology
of Recent Interest in Exceptional Functions of The Human Body in the
People’s Republic of China”</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #999999;">
</span>makes it clear that people can perform incredible feats such as
psychokinesis, clairvoyance and telepathy. According to the report
the Chinese military have been working on repeating these feats since
1984. </span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/document/cia-rdp96-00792r000400300011-9">https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/document/cia-rdp96-00792r000400300011-9</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUddayu-GJ2HBziljSD7fJ4FE6ciytkl6XHe6XF_LKwAKkSoEVnsgNsUeNDgPZ3BJZ3Ip9r4ffR-B-9MW9rgXNuk81CYtKoy-K8fMaChk1uhuxAeWArsbNbvhrll0ErJr2PsoEnszG_TMq/s1600/1546435183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUddayu-GJ2HBziljSD7fJ4FE6ciytkl6XHe6XF_LKwAKkSoEVnsgNsUeNDgPZ3BJZ3Ip9r4ffR-B-9MW9rgXNuk81CYtKoy-K8fMaChk1uhuxAeWArsbNbvhrll0ErJr2PsoEnszG_TMq/s320/1546435183.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Another declassified document released
under the Freedom of Information Act reported that the Air Force
figured out that people can both teleport, and teleport objects at
will, decades ago.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://fas.org/sgp/eprint/teleport.pdf">https://fas.org/sgp/eprint/teleport.pdf</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Another CIA document reports that back
in the 80's our own government conducted studies to determine how and
why some people, including children, had the ability to see small
objects in containers with their mind, and somehow move these objects
through space and physical barriers. The CIA even created a film to
record these miracles being performed. Why isn't that on YouTube?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/document/cia-rdp96-00792r000300390001-2">https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/document/cia-rdp96-00792r000300390001-2</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
THE BEGINNING AGAIN</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It all started in Stranger Things, when
Eleven was asked to make contact with the Demogorgon. Where did it come from? From the Upside Down, the infinite blackness
that seems to exist in her mind. What happened when Eleven made
contact with the Demogorgon? It turned around,
roared, Eleven screamed, and a rift opened up between this world and
a nasty, horrible place called The Vale of Shadows.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4gByW9SiUpJYQiJd2uiG9DuPf43DpUWRtitf1_GzmXmWMb-6TUqfDsbpcScfZuqOZ_3sOtWy_SjURE0Y1EXqsLAEQ369sLSsZhtnjX4IykqNuVcKLEn2x2E57yoWy6kFDRwpcI8-yNVY2/s1600/The_Vanishing_of_Will_Byers_S01-E01_SS_001.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="1600" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4gByW9SiUpJYQiJd2uiG9DuPf43DpUWRtitf1_GzmXmWMb-6TUqfDsbpcScfZuqOZ_3sOtWy_SjURE0Y1EXqsLAEQ369sLSsZhtnjX4IykqNuVcKLEn2x2E57yoWy6kFDRwpcI8-yNVY2/s320/The_Vanishing_of_Will_Byers_S01-E01_SS_001.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Two heads...one for Eleven, one for The Monster.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Eleven and The Monster escaped. When
The Monster followed Will, it took him into the Vale of Shadows while
Eleven appeared in the real world. Will hid from The Monster for a
while but it eventually found him, and he ended up unconscious with a
strange, animal tube stuck in his mouth. The Sheriff took the tube
out of his mouth and got Will back to our world.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
After The Monster was banished Eleven
ended up in The Vale of Shadows, but later escaped back into our
world. Will came back, but he started to barf up little slugs that
went down the sink and became Pollywogs. These slugs were similar to
the slugs that came out of Barb's dead body in The Vale of Shadows.
These slugs seemed to be able to teleport back into the other world,
even in their larval state, which makes sense when you think about
what The Monster could do instinctively.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFYEQ3_dc3ASe3uIOa5D1gcMu-h4NzWZXyR4FEXnkPVvWKGsE5l26v-O_Du9fmRyrS3KD0ZccXXAlOcGWoJn5uSLv9Y_GtZOsI_PswI5EqjRz3M3yG_jAb4_cWUslG1SdVMURZ3szy-Tg/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFYEQ3_dc3ASe3uIOa5D1gcMu-h4NzWZXyR4FEXnkPVvWKGsE5l26v-O_Du9fmRyrS3KD0ZccXXAlOcGWoJn5uSLv9Y_GtZOsI_PswI5EqjRz3M3yG_jAb4_cWUslG1SdVMURZ3szy-Tg/s320/maxresdefault.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i>An obvious </i>Alien<i> reference.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
DEMOGORGON, POLLYWOGS, THE ROT, THE
THESSALHYDRA & WILL</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
At the beginning of Stranger Things 2
the problems left over from the first section are haunting the next
section of the series. The Pollywogs Will is coughing up escape from
the sewer and begin to burrow into the earth around the town, eating
animals for their blood and leaving behind a waste that rots and
corrupts the soil, causing plant death and leaving behind strange,
seemingly biological tunnels rife with fleshy tendrils and nasty
fungal plant life that sprays poison and seems to be a bridge between
The Vale of Shadows and this world.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The rot and corruption seems to form a
dark cloud that Will can only see everyone later calls The
Thassalhydra. It possesses Will (because it is biologically related
to him since the entity came from the waste the Pollywogs left after
he coughed them up) and slowly starts to turn him into Something
Else. Fire eventually drives it out of Will while Eleven
simultaneously closes the portal into The Vale of Shadows where all
of these nasty things come from.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHDwpRTXZ8SDVO9lG1bO7sibDBg91G_zPtfwPD6XJBTf4d-v4BHiW5jLsoa1KGvx3jx0KExDw5qcBrD-Q-Bz6yDdDunwDWImLf8Y_5iIy6cSQzj5Ox-9XcOZ5vN6u1viaZYrxseC6uRaVR/s1600/b068970b2aa226785ce04ad5a7e426f4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHDwpRTXZ8SDVO9lG1bO7sibDBg91G_zPtfwPD6XJBTf4d-v4BHiW5jLsoa1KGvx3jx0KExDw5qcBrD-Q-Bz6yDdDunwDWImLf8Y_5iIy6cSQzj5Ox-9XcOZ5vN6u1viaZYrxseC6uRaVR/s320/b068970b2aa226785ce04ad5a7e426f4.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i>Notice how the Thassalhydra resembles weather...a cloud without rain.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Eleven has her own problems. She
escaped from one bad place where she was imprisoned by a dubious
father figure. Now she's in a cabin, seemingly held hostage by the
Sheriff, a dubious father figure. I don't think Eleven had the
supernatural power, or psychic self-awareness, to close the portal at
the beginning of the second season. She had to go through an
epiphany, a series of enlightening events, before she could do so.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
At the end the portal is closed, Will
is saved, Hawkins Energy closes and all seems well. Except that Will
can still sense the Thassalhydra, still able to perceive our world
from the next, probably because while the Pollywogs are dead and
burned, the rot is still in the land. The tunnels are still there,
forming portals into the next world. The invasion is not over because
there is still another connection, causing the problem.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This seemingly simple story belies a
massive amount of supernatural and cinematic references connecting
the work to a long series of similar works that reveal a profound,
deep connecting mythology that exists in horror, sci-fi and other
sources from decades ago. Art in film does that. It ain't literature
unless it is somehow connected to something else from somewhere else,
including mythology, featuring a bildungsroman about growing up
enough to appreciate your own power so you can defeat evil in the
world around you, which is what Eleven had to do before she closed
the portal. She probably could not have just pulled it off in the
first episode of season two.
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ANVMVu-g16BuEdxbMdWP-juxpA18v9o7dCaJuOY-BBB2YlGXMVVxMf3589awbIA0wTfevkVrFIn52oDqKZDhFrCEKY4GV9egw-F15jFdTlXg47ugrj8BubYIk8oaYR5wn_2x1O8nKFoD/s1600/stranger-things-tv-show-series-art-season.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1123" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ANVMVu-g16BuEdxbMdWP-juxpA18v9o7dCaJuOY-BBB2YlGXMVVxMf3589awbIA0wTfevkVrFIn52oDqKZDhFrCEKY4GV9egw-F15jFdTlXg47ugrj8BubYIk8oaYR5wn_2x1O8nKFoD/s320/stranger-things-tv-show-series-art-season.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i>If Will was The Mind Flayer did he mentally blast Eleven?</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I have a question...what would have
happened to Will if he had continued to become possessed? Since he
would have basically been a vassal for the Thessalhydra (in the same
way that the little girl in The Exorcist is a vassal for the demon
Pazzuzu), what would have been his purpose, then? Perhaps he would
have been like The Yellow King, another Lovecraftian, Antichrist,
Harbinger of Cthulhoid Doom type character. By the way, <i>Prince of Darkness</i> features possessed characters, too. So does <i>Ghostbusters</i>. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
He'd predict a horrible future for
everyone, and then start doing everything he could to make the tear
in reality Eleven fixed worse. His job would be to help the other
evil dimension (what the kids call The Vale of Shadows) invade,
probably using the leftover rotting tunnels in the earth to do it.
This is, of course, my prediction regarding one of the characters in
Season 3. We've already seen someone nearly possessed. Next we shall
see someone absolutely possessed. Remember, the rot is still there, the tunnels remain, and the Sheriff sure got a big blast in the face from something Not of This World. Will the Thessaldydra attempt to control him, next?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibb7ZI7uUVHkr5gWGl_4QqmvAQT0mh2I6ayQSIw7nPzrLIcEIWrx936-ICQD7RMihO60ykgwfBt5M_j9ETRm1T7Sn-nLoKnkF1w0DW-Z79EV1U06vdOoYKZI7Zn-xm39Pfb3KivP3zTwKo/s1600/s-l300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibb7ZI7uUVHkr5gWGl_4QqmvAQT0mh2I6ayQSIw7nPzrLIcEIWrx936-ICQD7RMihO60ykgwfBt5M_j9ETRm1T7Sn-nLoKnkF1w0DW-Z79EV1U06vdOoYKZI7Zn-xm39Pfb3KivP3zTwKo/s1600/s-l300.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I must admit at this point that I don't
quite understand the relationship between the Demogorgon in Stranger
Things and The Vale of Shadows, including the denizens that dwell
there like the tentacles, the slugs and The Thassalhydra. Maybe the
Demogorgon is the Thassalhydra, leftover from when Eleven blew it to
bits. The fact is we never see another Demogorgon in Stranger Things
2. We still don't know where the tentacles come from. We do know that
Barb got taken, and ended up with slugs coming out of her mouth. Will
got taken, and ended up with slugs coming out of his mouth. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Where did the tubes come from? Probably
The Thassalhydra, since that is exactly what the creature of the same
name does in Dungeons & Dragons. I'm beginning to think that
Eleven's monster was totally new, and it was as alien to The Vale of
Shadows as it was to our world since it came from The Upside Down in
Eleven's mind. Why do some people end up being eggs when The
Demogorgon gets them (like the Russian spy in the first season) while
some people end up with tubes in their mouth, or a dead corpse with
slugs coming out of them? Weird.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLA718WC2tWghxpLrZbYXozMy-q4Bha8k_BZK6v-VmL99o5X60tdZZgENA42vWGjx1ux3mCbjJr7CO7w_8Iq_zZwFknvPodxPTy_LI92Bk0GItUubojkxJIoSm6bEOb6dn5yEvtIqvvOU/s1600/52xepq5yzwu11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLA718WC2tWghxpLrZbYXozMy-q4Bha8k_BZK6v-VmL99o5X60tdZZgENA42vWGjx1ux3mCbjJr7CO7w_8Iq_zZwFknvPodxPTy_LI92Bk0GItUubojkxJIoSm6bEOb6dn5yEvtIqvvOU/s320/52xepq5yzwu11.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A doorway to another evil dimension
(whether it's Hell or the antimatter universe discussed in John
Carpenter's <i>Prince of Darkness</i>) that is going to open up and release
demons/zombies/etc. in order to kick our dimension's ass is a
common theme in horror films going back through the decades, so of
course that is a theme in Stranger Things. The 90's horror science
fiction film <i>Event Horizon</i> featured a stranger Hell dimension mirror
universe that corrupted and drove insane the dumb humans from our
dimension that ended up there, although it wasn't trying to invade
our own dimension. It did, however, feature a possessed character,
similar to Will.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Next time I'm going to focus on Eleven, her mental journey, and how coming to terms with her own darkness through personal visions is actually a big part of 80's film psychology. Why was Will called The Mind Flayer? Who is Kali? Who is King Mob? What is Barbelith? We'll find out more in Part IV!</div>
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Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-37392578149042350982019-01-28T16:06:00.000-08:002019-01-28T21:13:24.864-08:00Erin Lampart - Comedy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmrC4Afnov5P6QkhNOCLldQ2wpJ9HclxstgFeXX2WVU4JfwV6LPgQqH9ngXE9eyHZtx07x5DDi6gN0zATwUFVQ4tDQwZpZx4tAsmSFeehAdxJuaJGRAkLRuALp0AaRgBs9_1ygeTabeFI/s1600/6874397829_cc0b8f1393_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmrC4Afnov5P6QkhNOCLldQ2wpJ9HclxstgFeXX2WVU4JfwV6LPgQqH9ngXE9eyHZtx07x5DDi6gN0zATwUFVQ4tDQwZpZx4tAsmSFeehAdxJuaJGRAkLRuALp0AaRgBs9_1ygeTabeFI/s320/6874397829_cc0b8f1393_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A very smart person once said that in America politics are downstream from culture. I would like to add that stand up comedy is even closer to the source. By the time you see a famous stand up comedian do a one hour special on television or Netflix you are seeing an end result. They have gone too far down the river, and they are not telling The Truth. That's why you have to see great performers like <a href="https://www.erinlampart.com/">Erin Lampart</a> to understand how people really feel about life right now.</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Live stand up comedy is 300% more awesome when you see it in the flesh compared to film, TV or the Internet. I interview unique comedians that I've seen IRL like Lampart because she is the future. Performers like her and other comedians I've interviewed and admire from the Los Angeles area like <a href="https://www.mattingebretson.com/">Matt Ingebretson</a>, <a href="https://www.myjokesareuphere.com/">Barbara Gray</a>, and <a href="http://davetotheross.com/">Dave Ross</a> are the people you should check out now because they are the current cutting edge of cool with ideas, jokes, talent and stories that will inform, as well as entertain, all of us for many more decades. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
...</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In a town like Hollywood, being pretty,
smart and tough isn’t always enough, but a sense of humor can give
you the edge to cut past the competition. Erin Lampart has these
qualities, as well as a personal style that is “…kind of dark, a
little dirty…I like to be weird. I like to do silly things.” Her
material includes concepts like work, dating and family, infused with
a twist that is as sardonic as it is comedic. “I guess a lot of
times I take bad things that have happened and turn them into comedy.
I like putting sunshine into the gray.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNbFISYdBQNFwU1EUeImfe7MVtV-i2maxXKGmRDqeawqKWzBaCi_eYYiAJqmpGXkF6wUwjMMeRNNgob9SzNR8vqgoNm-WyDW6rfbzVW87gZrmiU4i0wIZgi5ixGPGat_KN_4zv_HBzbEe/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNbFISYdBQNFwU1EUeImfe7MVtV-i2maxXKGmRDqeawqKWzBaCi_eYYiAJqmpGXkF6wUwjMMeRNNgob9SzNR8vqgoNm-WyDW6rfbzVW87gZrmiU4i0wIZgi5ixGPGat_KN_4zv_HBzbEe/s320/maxresdefault.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i>Lampart rocks the mic.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Although originally from New York, her
family moved to Pennsylvania, she says, “…after a series of
unfortunate events. I’m sassy but still a country girl.” Lampart
started performing for a living after taking summer acting jobs when
she was 11 years old. “I was always a theater kid.” After growing
up one day the talented lady had enough of, “…daydreaming at a
country club and moved to L.A. I started doing Second City Improv,
but it wasn’t until I saw Rory Scovel perform that I decided to do
stand up. I was single and alone, so I had plenty of time.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Aside from being a successful comedian,
she is also a seasoned film and television actress. Lampart has
starred in an as of yet unreleased independent horror film, a
yet-to-be named but soon-to-be-released Comedy Central series, a
television series called “GayCare,” and in the documentary <i>100
Jokes</i>, where she expertly performed the role of herself. She
feels that film is certainly easier than stand up. “I love taking
direction. I’m into details and I listen very well. With stand up
you have complete control. You can do what you want.”
</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Lampart acting.</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Both mediums call for a performer to
quickly actualize an amusing imaginary fantasy by evoking pure
emotion and expressing it for a hopefully captivated audience.
Lampart uses the same process for her signature stand up comedy.
“There’s more emotion. More pain. When I am onstage really going
for it, my performance has exhaustion and frustration.” She knows
how to amp herself up in order to make her set more electrifying. The
young woman says that before going onstage to do comedy, “Sometimes
I’ll just read Yelp reviews about me to get angry.”
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But just like the Force in <i>Star Wars</i>,
comedy has a dark side, and every comic is aware of it. What’s the
worst part, for Lampart? “The constant self doubt. You can keep
having great sets until you have a terrible set.” This makes some
comics stop, or even quit, paralyzed by the fear of failing. Lampart
believes that all artists struggle the same way. “I live with and
date a painter. He goes though the same thing.” She still believes
that the bright side is worth it. “I love making people laugh. I
love making people happy and forget their pain for a little while. I
love connecting with people and making them feel good.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
You can see Erin Lampart perform live
comedy at Sauce, Fridays at 8 p.m. at DeSanos Pizza, 4959 Santa
Monica Blvd., in Los Angeles. (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/Saucecomedy">www.facebook.com/Saucecomedy</a>).
Feel free to follow her on Twitter at ErinLampart@ThatsSoLampy). Her personal website is also <a href="https://www.erinlampart.com/">here</a>. </div>
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</div>
Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-12850559647991708072018-12-20T16:14:00.000-08:002019-02-19T16:36:21.570-08:00The Stranger Things 2 Autopsy, Part II - The Weird<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
INTRODUCTION</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sorry for the delay. I had to move out
of my castle! Fall was over and I was about to house myself from the
public to usher in the new season by talking about <i>Stranger Things
2</i> when there was a knock on the drawbridge. This weird couple
shows up with a deed and it turns out they owned the place,
but they graciously allowed me to stay the night while I packed up my
stuff. Long story short, the lady died, it turned out she was the
sister to the guy, he buries her in the mausoleum but she breaks out
and kills him (because she wasn't dead) and then the whole damn
castle collapsed and sank into a bog. I got out just in time.</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So here I am back in the country,
living in a house in California, and now it's time to talk about
<i>Stranger Things 2</i>, Eleven, The Sheriff, Will, Kali, the
Thessalhyrdra, the Mind Flayer, other dimensions, string theory,
magic, conspiracy theories, quantum physics, government mind control
programs and...wow, we have to talk about a lot of subjects. There's
so much work to do! What are we doing, and why?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
THERE IS NO THEORY</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I watched the entire series, had a
great time, and realized my whole conspiracy theory operation had
been blown up because there wasn't really any theories to talk about.
<i>Stranger Things</i> had deep roots in all sorts of scary,
mysterious ideas about the government using science to tear apart the
world and the human mind to study their contents to completely
control it all. The Montauk Project, a conspiracy theory that's pretty
big to believe, was the basis for <i>Stranger Things, </i>but the sequel
didn't follow that theory all the way, although the work still
transmitted other themes from the 70's and 80's regarding government
abuse and the harmful effects of technological abuse on the
individual.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ZNY1zCT8hDHutBp5ffo90nn3ObL2uSCS2H8CMvplz5JkiMocAJKkf8gXNzbiCNorxdWdgfo6MqE4-XkWqBYeNSESxbax7ssMz9e1B2LgNkCtKwOjNW6H8bS-wkIagmVZxAr_tWI3Pr9o/s1600/51SLssizBxL._SX325_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="327" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ZNY1zCT8hDHutBp5ffo90nn3ObL2uSCS2H8CMvplz5JkiMocAJKkf8gXNzbiCNorxdWdgfo6MqE4-XkWqBYeNSESxbax7ssMz9e1B2LgNkCtKwOjNW6H8bS-wkIagmVZxAr_tWI3Pr9o/s320/51SLssizBxL._SX325_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>It's enough to make you scream yourself horse.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Last time I talked about freaky myths
that would turn any sane person nuts including theories such as MK
Often, MK Search, The Philadelphia Experiment, etc. It's very
important to recap at this point, so please be patient if you are
already familiar with this material.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
According to conspiracy theorists,
whistleblowers, former deep state operators and even military
veterans, the American government one day decided to take a large
naval warship and hit it with so much electricity it would vanish
from enemy radar. It didn't.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The story that follows is so scary even
Chronenberg would label it as body horror. People vanished, melted,
fused into the metal of the ship, and went crazy while the ship
itself reappeared many miles away, creating a hole in spacetime that
the government didn't know what to do with, which lead to Project
Montauk.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
BACK TO MONTAUK</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It is important to once again mention
that the original name for <i>Stanger Things</i> was going to be <i>Montauk</i>. This
conspiracy theory is freakin' nuts. Wacky. Crazy. Total sci-fi stream
of consciousness babble. What makes it worse is that the chief
proponent of the story, Al Bielbek, basically claims to be the soul
of another person transported through space and time into the past
and then mind controlled to forget everything and...yeah, it's kind
of like listening to a story about toys told by a small child who is playing with them.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
One key revelation about Montauk that I
kind of believe is how the government didn't mean to teleport a ship.
They also didn't mean to carve a big battleship-shaped hole out of
reality. Using science and psychics researchers supposedly sent
people into this hole to find out what was going on, and then the
shiznit got real. I'm talking cultural appropriation on a
technological scale.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqeBu0crUYU7u7cbzyoooSyAEyirAHs7SEFD8QcWDulKiAjppwI4MNSQpOPl2SpK9DnStaic3xxH4ugAt6v9N3M-o-44VmtqoRsta27Pzpm-k6IvLr7QcgDkS1CK3E2sRhbNhK7vc2zzW/s1600/51mZel2mk-L._SX317_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="319" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqeBu0crUYU7u7cbzyoooSyAEyirAHs7SEFD8QcWDulKiAjppwI4MNSQpOPl2SpK9DnStaic3xxH4ugAt6v9N3M-o-44VmtqoRsta27Pzpm-k6IvLr7QcgDkS1CK3E2sRhbNhK7vc2zzW/s320/51mZel2mk-L._SX317_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Even more Montauk for your buck.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Although the tunnel only seemed to go
so far into the future, researchers (according to books written about
the subject that have scary, ominous titles and feature images of
bronze horses that mean nothing to people unfamiliar with the occult)
found they could carve holes away from it, into the past and into
alternate realities and timelines. Some people went insane. Some
people died. Some vanished completely. The government kept going
because what they got back was worth the body count.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
On the other side of the tunnel was,
decades into the future, the same operation going on, controlled by
the American government sometime in the late 80's. Scientists from
the future began to play a very strange, extremely ominous game of
ping-pong. The Montauk Project from the future began to send
technology to the past for study and improvement. This would affect
the future, resulting in improved technology, which they sent back to
the past. Over and over again, until the American government had
stuff from the future they didn't even understand.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Whistleblowers who make a lot of money
working the MUFON circuit claim that at one point, the experiment
turned evil. Some powerful, shadowy force began to manipulate the
experiment, forcing scientists to do very awful, extremely bad
experiments and dark deeds that resulted in a few heroic types to
band together and obliterate the entire place with a monster summoned
from the very depths of one psyhic person's mind which wreaked havoc,
killing people, shutting the portal down from both sides. Good times!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyE2T_XHTRsO2MY995sauez6Vy8TFGaoNXTNcmkmB4iQXTnRjwt-jOWLQyVX7gHaD86FzWiuO7D3I7Xcq6u_Q8LO_BabCFa8AQGJ55gcLvYzEPQ-Fwys2swsD2oNJep-UCCOu0hqRsXIVM/s1600/1_vCOOJYz0wJQEXGU4pSxWiA.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyE2T_XHTRsO2MY995sauez6Vy8TFGaoNXTNcmkmB4iQXTnRjwt-jOWLQyVX7gHaD86FzWiuO7D3I7Xcq6u_Q8LO_BabCFa8AQGJ55gcLvYzEPQ-Fwys2swsD2oNJep-UCCOu0hqRsXIVM/s320/1_vCOOJYz0wJQEXGU4pSxWiA.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Do you think she could have done that in the first episode?</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
At the end of <i>Stranger Things 2</i>
(spoiler alert) Eleven confronts the Thessalhydra, shuts the portal
and basically fixes the problem that necessitated the need for the
existence of the scientific research facility. This is somewhat
similar to the end of The Montauk Project, if you believe THAT story.
Portal closed, no more tunnel, no more monsters.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Except that at the end of the last
episode, it's clear that other dimension is still there, and the
Thessalhydra is stll there, waiting to invade, corrupting the land,
haunting Will. It's clear that in the world of <i>Stranger Things</i>,
that other dimension is not the future, but a parallel universe.
Characters that enter this parallel reality affect the real dimension
on the other side. Christmas lights go off, they can be faintly
heard, etc. So it can't be the future, it is now, just a terrible
version of now, where everything is decaying, rotting and apparently
sentient, trying to invade, corrupt and conquer.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFrcVshiQ2giI3q2dEvQRROB-ZjhNS9cVDxY052zByyaW-Rir8gDgHL3EDZjXZ65QMfhzDGoqXdy-4OLZ4bgBS3dAKD4U2e4hpCzsv9YX4AtuJMhk83kQJVJ1XyVBbFq1ieULIUW8TCHVX/s1600/stposter-Edited-1050x375.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="1050" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFrcVshiQ2giI3q2dEvQRROB-ZjhNS9cVDxY052zByyaW-Rir8gDgHL3EDZjXZ65QMfhzDGoqXdy-4OLZ4bgBS3dAKD4U2e4hpCzsv9YX4AtuJMhk83kQJVJ1XyVBbFq1ieULIUW8TCHVX/s320/stposter-Edited-1050x375.webp" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Now we know why The Great Pumpkin didn't show up, Charlie Brown.</i></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What happened in <i>Stranger Things</i>
is obviously a rapid departure from the OG source material. Because
of this I pretty much have to drop the whole conspiracy theory bit
because it no longer applies. That's it! End of blog post. Bye!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Except that last time I did not just
talk about conspiracy theories, I also talked about themes, the
occult, string theory and on and so forth. One glaring aspect of the
Netflix series is that at no place and time does anyone say, "Hey,
I know a Catholic priest that could pull off an exorcism," or
"Let's go to the library and find out if there are any books
about the occult that can help us." No Shamans, no Wiccans, just
people yelling "Jesus Christ!" and a whole bunch of D&D
references combined with a little quantum physics.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Of course, one large reason we all like
<i>Stranger Things</i> is the film references, including themes other
films from the past also possessed. Hollywood has always had a dark
obsession with American government military operations that explored
other dimensions, extraterrestrials, and the occult. Do not attempt
to adjust your television, I'm about to take you to the outer limits
of <i>The Outer Limits</i>.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguGOmUXgO6SLA0NbUOJUryHBxS0bQkDCIF6Mgty5h6a2did7i2J-SBgHVNZfTchDWbLZ8IfG0ymIx56GCpb4qd_lgot7Y6KIpazpmPrJpdFIasCetXYvser3cmqrBSmsxCy71K0GBjUasf/s1600/OL-Title-24-400x304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="304" data-original-width="400" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguGOmUXgO6SLA0NbUOJUryHBxS0bQkDCIF6Mgty5h6a2did7i2J-SBgHVNZfTchDWbLZ8IfG0ymIx56GCpb4qd_lgot7Y6KIpazpmPrJpdFIasCetXYvser3cmqrBSmsxCy71K0GBjUasf/s320/OL-Title-24-400x304.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Before CGI ruined everything. </i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
LESLIE CLARK STEVENS IV</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In contrast to <i>The Time Tunnel</i>,
where the government knows that the military and some strange agency
was going back and forth into the past and is pretty cool with it,
the stuff going on in <i>The Outer Limits</i> occasionally causes the people
encountering the results of their scientific journey into the unknown
to realize that it's time to pull the plug before the experiment
destroys mankind or whatever. The origins of <i>The Outer Limits</i>
are scary, in fact, it's a conspiracy theory into itself.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When you watch The Twilight Show
anything can happen in that magic, The Devil, witchcraft, the occult
and the supernatural exist side-by-side with stories about aliens,
space travel, scientists and the like. In <i>The Outer Limits</i>, at
least for the fist two seasons, deals entirely with science and the
effects of studying other dimensions, planets and extraterrestrials,
or in some cases extradimensionals. The groups doing this stuff are
usually scientists working for the military, and therefore the U.S.
Government, similiar to the main characters of <i>The Time Tunnel</i>.
Over and over again, evil forces employ science to do something bad,
and the military industrial complex is right there, either causing
it, investigating it, or trying to shut the whole machine down.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Leslie Clark Stevens, IV was a lion in
the Hollywood industry with deep, deep ties to the military. He
himself was a military veteran who became a captain at the age of 20
in the Army, and his father was an Admiral in the Navy. Over and over
again in books related to conspiracy theories (check out
<a href="http://www.disinfo.com/">www.disinfo.com</a>, it's great for
well-researched occult and alternative science wackiness), the story
is that Leslie Clark Stevens, IV was simply working for a group of
shadowy deep state operatives that were trying to get the word out
about what was really going on in the military bases funded by
taxpayers but far, far away from their awareness, understanding or
oversight.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIBPQEpIYweHFd92L5j7CcOJMeWKB4zSdzvDNUxtJ1qgw-qXL-ejFNgBm3uwRFj25Ml-_0Ig5eyLpRfdR4TKlCjdDRTpY51iSKktkfJbDKRaN7SVAF5wGgPV4JNzwiGgQXFQ58D79tTqVg/s1600/b6d2f96c0ee6d623725ab175c9b176c7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="640" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIBPQEpIYweHFd92L5j7CcOJMeWKB4zSdzvDNUxtJ1qgw-qXL-ejFNgBm3uwRFj25Ml-_0Ig5eyLpRfdR4TKlCjdDRTpY51iSKktkfJbDKRaN7SVAF5wGgPV4JNzwiGgQXFQ58D79tTqVg/s320/b6d2f96c0ee6d623725ab175c9b176c7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i>The Outer Limits</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
My point is that in <i>Stranger Things</i>,
Hawkins is always behind the bad stuff. They caused everything, when
you really think about it. The show and it's sequel aren't just about
other dimensions, people with powers and weird monsters, it is also
about the Franz Kafka horror of a corporatist military industrial
complex entity doing what it wants, spying on people, killing
everyone and getting away with it. Paul Reisner does a great job of
(spoiler alert) cleaning up the mess and helping to control the
portal, but we still have no idea of knowing how loyal, or good, he
really is.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This theme is prevalent in many other
works in the 80's, such as <i>The Entity</i>, <i>Dreamscape</i> or
<i>Poltergeist</i> where science studies the occult and runs away screaming,
just as it was a theme throughout the decades shows like <i>The Time
Tunnel</i>, <i>Twilight Zone</i>, <i>The Outer Limits</i> and other
films where science encounters the dark side of reality and takes it
on...only to agree that such great knowledge is too much for the
public at large, leading to silence, secrets, rumors and finally
conspiracy theories. This was a generation that had seen thousands of
people die in The Vietnam Conflict after JFK got his head blown off.
You are probably not going to trust the government if you grew up
with that on the television, and never forget that JFK was an officer
in the Navy, too.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPoUnlXwbMX0edyQf4Cd55ilwxgI2Xvy_gsX40BDoEoVcTd7juWSFBR5ebPa4tg0pqDXVcte2dXoWuaMPCypipOO4OLFoLp-Px4NjKoHpIJPj9b3-oeK-HJqo6KLf4ShcaHAisx8FUCUf/s1600/The-Time-Tunnel1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="500" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPoUnlXwbMX0edyQf4Cd55ilwxgI2Xvy_gsX40BDoEoVcTd7juWSFBR5ebPa4tg0pqDXVcte2dXoWuaMPCypipOO4OLFoLp-Px4NjKoHpIJPj9b3-oeK-HJqo6KLf4ShcaHAisx8FUCUf/s320/The-Time-Tunnel1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The Time Tunnel</i></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
By the way, have you noticed I keep
mentioning <i>The Time Tunnel</i>, but I'm not really talking about
it? Have you noticed the parallels between the story behind The
Montauk Project and the premise behind that show? Did you also notice
that the shows seems to take place somewhere in the desert, so it's
probably Area 51? I don't have to tell you everything, you know.
Sometimes you must think for yourself.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>SILKWOOD</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I watched <i>Stranger Things 2</i> and
thought to myself, "Silkwood." That movie was a big deal
when I was growing up, and it is about the corporatist abuse of
nuclear power that goes so unchecked it poisons the earth and kills
people. To cover up their mistakes, the government entity kills Karen
Silkwood and silences whistleblowers. When the media or the law tries
to find out more about what's happening, the company simply says,
"National security," and the crime goes unpunished. You
can't really trust the government, in <i>Silkwood</i>, and you can't
really trust the government in <i>Stranger Things</i>. Welcome to the
80's, The Vietnam Conflict had just ended and people were still
paranoid. After all, The Cold War wasn't over, yet.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbTrt1SpyZJfl3MqUqe2yQD6y9-R-gRB8xYGQzS8dkjE26RJm6Li5aBLoc3R_ljSQfVDsUtMRfnIlAui6h4WFkepQQ68OhWGEzyE-EHWSjJNl4B95dPwajZ20L0Rh_nxzERrn3RPRiOlpa/s1600/MV5BMGQ0N2U0YzMtNWIxYi00NWVhLWI3OTYtNTE5YjU0YTQwMGYxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI%2540._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1510" data-original-width="966" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbTrt1SpyZJfl3MqUqe2yQD6y9-R-gRB8xYGQzS8dkjE26RJm6Li5aBLoc3R_ljSQfVDsUtMRfnIlAui6h4WFkepQQ68OhWGEzyE-EHWSjJNl4B95dPwajZ20L0Rh_nxzERrn3RPRiOlpa/s320/MV5BMGQ0N2U0YzMtNWIxYi00NWVhLWI3OTYtNTE5YjU0YTQwMGYxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI%2540._V1_.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>It was a hit and everybody knew it.</i></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The nuclear power plant in<i> Silkwood
</i>is not too much different than the Hawkins facility. Both are
slowly poisoning the land, killing people, and Karen Silkwood decides
to spy on the company within. The power plant destroys her life, and
the government gets away with it. Of course, Will's mother is also
similar to Karen Silkwood, but the theme remains the same. Incredible
power requires incredible responsibility...and the final horror is
that the government cannot be trusted to wield that power while at
the same time respecting human life.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So that's one parallel. You can see it
in many science fiction films throughout the 80's. Hell, <i>Alien</i>
and <i>Aliens</i> also have the same theme running through them. You
can't trust the corporation, they will sacrifice you to bring forth
monsters to use as weapons of war and sell the technology to the
military. When they were creating Eleven and studying her powers at
Hawkins, it wasn't to make the world a better place through peace,
love and understanding. It was to help destroy the U.S.S.R. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5C-A6HA5qKIX6p-4aHzMWLoXfuaPyU7QKmAle59gH28biFSn5LOP5SkUSB1Wy-GslemR3j_7U_-iC8yx2nJNdHtisSaamm53GWnTQkgTrNSFLiXM4urVG97lgNzP6amJBxNLhHtx-iB2H/s1600/dreamscape-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="853" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5C-A6HA5qKIX6p-4aHzMWLoXfuaPyU7QKmAle59gH28biFSn5LOP5SkUSB1Wy-GslemR3j_7U_-iC8yx2nJNdHtisSaamm53GWnTQkgTrNSFLiXM4urVG97lgNzP6amJBxNLhHtx-iB2H/s320/dreamscape-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Note the reptilian nature of the villain in </i>Dreamscape<i>.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Dreamscape</i> is very, very similar
to <i>Stranger Things</i> in this way. I highly suggest you watch it.
Of course, <i>Escape from Witch Mountain</i> also features a simliar
theme. As does <i>Firestarter</i>, another book by Stephen King, who
is a huge influence on the show. "The Mist" deals with the
aftermath of a research project gone bad, and that work was certainly
a huge regerence to H.P. Lovecraft. The government is selfish,
murderous and has a monstrous hunger for knowledge. It occasionally
screws up, their mistakes escape, the word gets out, and somebody
stops the scientific program before it does more damage. Yadda yadda
yadda, etc.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Stay tuned next time (very soon), true
believers, when I delve deeper into ST. We are going to talk about
conspiracy theories and conspiracy theorists. You'll read about the
path of the hero and how Eleven's journey is another theme from the
past we can study to understand the present and predict the show's
future. Until then, bye kids, and have fun storming the castle!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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</div>
Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-71725422344747186822018-10-22T16:02:00.003-07:002023-05-22T14:53:55.854-07:00The Stranger Things 2 Autopsy - The Weird<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
"The Lord said to Satan, 'Where have you been?' And Satan
said, 'From going to and fro in the Earth, and from walking up
and down in it.'"
<br />
<br />
-JOB 1:7<br />
<i>The Bible</i><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
"And the king said unto her, 'Fear not; what have you seen?'
And the witch said to Saul, 'I saw gods and spirits ascending from
the Earth.'"
<br />
<br />
-1 SAMUEL 28:13<br />
<i>The Bible</i><br />
<br />
"And He said unto them, 'I saw Satan, as lightning, fall from
Heaven.'"<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal;">
-LUKE 10:18</div>
<i>The Bible</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
"She is like a cat in the dark and then<br />
She is the darkness."<br />
<br />
-Fleetwood Mac<br />
"Rhiannon"<br />
<br />
"They are clouds without rain, blown along by the
wind...twice dead...wandering stars, to whom blackest darkness has
been reserved forever."<br />
<br />
-JOB 1:13-14<br />
<i>The Bible</i><br />
<br />
"In this book it is spoken of...Spirits and Conjurations; of
Gods, Spheres, Planes and many other things which may or may not
exist. It is immaterial whether they exist or not. By doing certain
things certain results will follow."
<br />
<br />
-Aleister Crowley<br />
<i>Magick in Theory and Practice</i><br />
<br />
"The single supreme ritual in the attainment of the Knowledge
and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel. It is the raising of the
complete mass in a vertical straight line. Any deviation from this
line tends to become black magic. Any other operation <u>is</u> black
magic."<br />
<br />
-Aleister Crowley<br />
<i>Magick in Theory and Practice</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Fuck waiting. </i></div>
<br />
INTRODUCTION</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">This is Part II of my exploration into the occult origins, as well as conspiracy theories, regarding "Stranger Things." You can find Part I right here: <a href="http://www.jasentdavis.com/2016/10/the-monster-in-stranger-things-weird.html">http://www.jasentdavis.com/2016/10/the-monster-in-stranger-things-weird.html<br /></a>
<br />
"Stranger Things 3" is not coming out until next year. I did not
know this because when I'm not watching sci-fi horror shows on
Netflix I live in a dungeon under a castle in Scotland. Which means
that until someone tells me otherwise, I think there is going to be a "Stranger Things 3" and get all ready to talk about it, but nooo it
turns the release date is 2019 so now I have to wait, like you, and
it is as depressing as the Loch Ness when you are standing on a dark
shore at midnight under a moonless sky, trying to summon the Monster,
and it doesn't show up. If it does, I promise to put that shiznit up
on YouTube.
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>This is MY safe space.</i></div>
<br />
So now I'm going to do what I did last time...talk about the
underlying themes in "Stranger Things 2," connect them to films and
television shows that have also explored similar dark territory, and
then show you, Dear Reader, the references to The Montauk Project,
other conspiracy theories, and the occult. I'll avoid going into the
obvious stuff, or things that have been discussed before by my august
contemporaries, and instead show you the occult references, and the
deepest, darkest truths of black magic and Hell, itself. Pass the
popcorn.
<br />
<br />
The trick is to avoid hitting you with the obvious references.
<i>Gremlins</i>, <i>Creepers</i>, <i>Ghoulies</i>, <i>The Exorcist</i>, <i>Ghostbusters</i>,
<i>Poltergeist</i>...you get it, you got it, you know its good. Why cover
that again? I'm not saying The Duffer Brothers are just copying what
has been done before. No. Great literature references previous works,
great films do the same. "Stranger Things 2" made very wonderful
references, and then spun off into uncharted regions that defied
expectations, kept things mysterious, and most of all, entertained immensely. Can't ask for more than that.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Nobody you know has ever seen this movie.</i></div>
<br />
My hope is not to impress you all with my big fucking brain. The
Duffer Brothers have done an awesome job of splicing a lot of crazy,
important material together, and the references should be appreciated
so they can get even more credit for their work. It must have taken
many hours of research into the darkest abyss of the Internet and
conspiracy theories, as well as the occult, to slice it all up right,
and it is great fun for all to enjoy everything "Stranger Things 2" referenced by the end. I'm also hoping to bring more attention to 80's sci fi and horror films that most of you lovely people might have missed.<br />
<br />
WHAT HAPPENED?<br />
<br />
Eleven began to turn evil and had to confront her dark side, and
the source of her trauma. Kali was introduced, and there's something
about her that seems not good. Eleven's mom is a babbling wreck. Looks
like she's going to need saving in "Stranger Things 3." An immense,
demonic shadow hunted Will until it possessed him, turning him into
Somebody Else. Will can see the shadow, called "The
Thessalhydra" (which is a terrible description of what it seems
to do, although it explains the reptilian nature of the Golliwogs),
one of the kids finds a reptilian thing spat out by Will and they
tunnel through the town, spreading pestilence, rot and ruin.
<br />
<br />
Eventually the little monsters grow up to look like Demogorgon
and try to kill everybody by drinking their blood. Eleven comes back
after a mental epiphany involving another girl with powers from the Hawkins Research Facility and finally has the power to shut the
portal...although in the end, Will can still see something still
exerting an evil influence. The game ain't over, yet.
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"HERE I AM. ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE."</i></div>
<br />
MY WRONGS<br />
<br />
I was totally wrong about Eleven's electrocuted mom being the
source of her power. Sorry. Fucking sue me. Otherwise, The Duffer Brothers follow the
path of H.P. Lovecraft and constantly don't explain things. The
scientists and adults and children all have theories, but it's never
enough. They can only figure out the tip of the iceberg based on
their own, limited perceptions. If only they had talked to me. Just
kidding. My point is that, just like in the original Stranger Things,
nobody ever sat down and totally explained exactly what the frack was
happening. They could only deduce a facet of The Unknown based on
their perceptions.
<br />
<br />
Even if I was right, it would not matter. Since I am analyzing a
facet of The Unknown based on my perceptions, it would not matter if
I was right, based on the logic of H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos
and The Duffer Brothers writing. Nobody is ever completely right
about Cthulhu, Azathoth, Nyarthlotep or Hastur the Unspeakable.
Unless they are insane.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5uYG4KTQWJn5ROTcOOM6vBEJpdK-02XQ39HyHwiO7rBy40sz0Uu-7yzZHyrVxXjoO8_gRXbgiI9sLONND0fHuHIn2wmDp61vKBmDvt35iI6wb9iV_eSKi2pnRuV0iPTjlR6DB4ShXiUvM/s1600/Dreamscape-Poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5uYG4KTQWJn5ROTcOOM6vBEJpdK-02XQ39HyHwiO7rBy40sz0Uu-7yzZHyrVxXjoO8_gRXbgiI9sLONND0fHuHIn2wmDp61vKBmDvt35iI6wb9iV_eSKi2pnRuV0iPTjlR6DB4ShXiUvM/s320/Dreamscape-Poster.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>'Member Dreamscape? Because The Duffer Brothers sure did.</i></div>
<br />
HIGHER SELVES AND LOWER LOWS<br />
<br />
One of the things I was right about was not only Eleven once again
confronting her dark side, only to merge with it in the usual
Hegelian Dialectic voyage of self discovery bildungsroman
cinematic/literary plot arc (try saying that ten times fast while
your killing somebody with an axe), but also that "Stranger Things 2" went deeper into ancient occult Kabbalah magic descriptions of the
metaphysical, in both directions. There is an evil dimension, right
next door, and it wants in our world to control, horrify, hurt and
kill. Since the threat has no personality, the danger is impersonal, which makes it more horrifying.<br />
<br />
While this other dimension could still be the future reality that
got a hole bored into it from the past (google "The Philadelphia
Experiment" and "The Montauk Project" for more
details) the other dimensions experienced by the characters still
correspond to the Shepiroth and the Qliphoth in the Jewish Kabbalah.
These other dimensions also correspond to modern quantum physics,
string theory and even actual scientific studies regarding
teleportation, telepathy, telekinesis and 80's films about the U.S.
Government conducting a scientific study to learn how to assassinate
people in their sleep through dreams. That is what is so wonderful,
and horrific, about The Duffer Brothers. No matter from where you
stare, the nightmare is there, and it is still original, although the roots of their story dig deep into horror, science fiction, and all that cool old skool 80's funk.<br />
<br />
A GODLESS UNIVERSE WITHOUT MAGIC<br />
<br />
The people who exist in the Stranger Things universe are doomed.
Just like the Zoroastrians, ancient Hebrews and Greek Gnostics
described, they exist inside Demiurge. There is no religion. There is
no occult or magic to free them from <i>The Matrix</i> that is Plato's Cave.
All they have is science, willpower and each other. There is never a
point where a Jewish rabbi describes other dimensions and how they
relate to the problem the characters face. We never see a Catholic
priest offer his services to exorcise the demon, and these people
must have seen <i>The Exorcist</i>, right? It's like, the greatest horror
movie ever, even back in the 80's.<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Raise your hands if you love The Exorcist!</i></div>
<br />
A Muslim holy man never shows up to point out that Will is
possessed by a djinn, and if you look up "Muslims and djinns"
on YouTube you will get some pretty spooky results, my friend. We
don't see a witch offer to bless Eleven or throw out some cool Wiccan
spiritual guidance, Anton LeVay doesn't fly out of the night with
giant bat wings and explain the relationship between Pazzuzu and the
Thassalhydra...you get it. "Stranger Things 2" carried on the same
trend as number one. The best you get is a mention of, "religious
mumbo jumbo" (how offensive to voodoo bokors possessed by the
Baron Samedhi). Why?
<br />
<br />
One, to be different. Two, H.P. Lovecraft. In his universe, the
people who explore the Cthulhu mythos are fuckin' doomed. They will
either be killed, vanish, go mad, or vanish but it's pretty obvious
something from another dimension turned them into crimson meat before
carrying off the remains because there's blood everywhere. If a person does understand the occult,
they are usually a sorcerer that becomes possessed, goes mad or
vanishes, but it's pretty obvious that...yeah, you understand. Religion never helps anybody, when Cthulhu is involved.<br />
<br />
H.P. Lovecraft was a logical, scientifically minded, rational
materialist. In his own private journals he only admits to seeing a
satyr in the forest as a young boy, and even then he thinks it was
just a figment of his imagination. He was a total atheist, and if the
rumors about his parents being members of a Satanic cult that
practiced black magic so they ended up going mad and dying in a
mental institution are true, I'd love to see some serious proof. It's
just a rumor, but only the occultists I've read up on talk about it, and just ask a barbarian, magic-users cannot be fully trusted.<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Run away! It's a Straight White Male!</i></div>
<br />
The world of H.P. Lovecraft is pure science. Only, science doesn't
understand that it is doomed. In a lot of his stories professors who
teach at universities, well-grounded in chemistry, philosophy,
physics and whatever gave them their education, have no idea what
they are really up against and usually try to explain away clearly
supernatural phenomena through the scanner darkly that is their
materialistic worldview, right up until they die.<br />
<br />
Even when they do see something horrifically alien to this
dimension, they admit their minds couldn't even fathom what they just
saw. These scientists don't believe in magic or the occult, and even
the zany, psychedelic mystical nature of dreams his characters
experience can be explained away as a hallucination. Probably too
much absinthe or opium.
<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>What goes up will also go down.</i></div>
<br />
MY PREDICTIONS<br />
<br />
"Stranger Things 3" will be the same way. All science, no magic or
religion. I believe they are going to bring in even more science to deal
with what's going on, maybe a little Valikovsky and more quantum
physics, plus computers. Expect to see the children hacking
government machines for the truth, or coming up with solutions using
a Macintosh computer. You'll also see an old-skool telephone modem. Why not?
<br />
<br />
Eleven is going to still have problems and will experience
hallucinations resembling UFO experiences. The 80's got into some
serious UFO territory regarding aliens and extraterrestrial
abductions, I mean, abductions by extraterrestrials, and she's also
going to encounter an enemy that has mental powers, but works for the
government, or a greater evil. She's confronted her dark side, now
she has to take on her real Adversary. In literature and cinematic
works worth writing about, the hero always confronts a villain that
is their polar opposite, their dark half, in the form of an
antagonist that personifies everything they oppose. I predict it will
be Kali. Eleven's father is also still out there, according to episode 7.<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The real secret of Netflix's success? PRODUCT PLACEMENT.</i></div>
<br />
THE KING AND THE LAND ARE ONE<br />
<br />
Eleven never met Kali. She exists, but they talked to each other
in their minds, on the astral plane, while Eleven was sleeping on the
train back home. I'm going to prove that, too. Eleven is going to
save her mother in the psychodrome, but be opposed by that hideous
shadow in a different form while she is doing it. Why? Aside from the
film <i>Dreamscape</i>, H.P. Lovecraft talked a lot about The Astral Plane in The "Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath." Televisions will probably be a factor.
<br />
<br />
Will still has problems. The hole might be closed, but the rot
remains and Eleven is still the source of this entity, unless her
mother is. That rot in the ground (biological waste from the
Golliwog's probably caused it, since they used the tunnels to move
around) is still there, so expect it to mess up everything and cause
death, madness and worse. This is a very, very, very common theme in
Stephen King's books. Something Horrible arrives that the town turns
terrifyingly evil. I don't think Will is going to get possessed
again, but other people will and he is going to be able to detect it. Many of the people working for the Hawkins facility sure seem possessed. Or mind controlled.<br />
<br />
It happens in <i>The Tommyknockers, The Mist, It, Needful Things, The
Shining,</i> all throughout <i>The Gunslinger</i> series, in <i>Salem's Lot</i> and <i>The
Dome</i> and <i>Maximum Overdrive</i>, I mean, the short story, "Trucks."
If the town doesn't go crazy, (and by that I mean the people are
affected by the Thessalhydra in a mass mind control way), the
Something Horrible that arrives usually destroys the whole damn town,
but not before people go crazy along the way to help out. This is
why, at the end of the series, I predict the whole damn town is going
to be swallowed up by the hole Hawkins opened.
<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Run away! It's a Straight White (and Green) Male!</i></div>
<br />
"THAT INNSMOUTH LOOK"<br />
<br />
Remember, the rot is everywhere. The Sheriff getting a blast of
spores is a great candidate for a Juju Zombie, straight out of AD&D,
straight out of <i>The Monster Manual II</i>. I'm going to predict more strange,
pseudo-scientific, blood-drinking related behavior from the
supernatural forces the kids are going to face next in "Stranger
Things 3." Zombies, ghosts, ghouls, vampires...and serial killers.
Demonically possessed, mind-controlled serial killers, as well as
government entities that, like Will, are possessed...but aren't
trying to fight it at all. You see, in D&D the undead are
discussed quite thoroughly. When the kids encounter the new threat,
their RPG background will benefit them.<br />
<br />
FROM NAHEMAH TO LILITH TO GAMALIEL<br />
<br />
There were plenty of films in the 80's that had everything I've
just described. Serial killers, Satanic cults and child abductions
were also very big at that time, with books like Communion becoming
national best sellers that brought the subject of UFO's and aliens
into mainstream culture in a major way. However, it must be
remembered that The Duffer Brothers are very intelligent when it
comes to repackaging the horror from the 80's in a major way.
<br />
<br />
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>You are here. Forever. Da'ath is basically a wormhole. Thanks a lot, Da'ath!</i></div>
<br />
Sure, I predict zombies, ghosts, ghouls, vampires and
demonically-possessed, mind controlled serial killers, but it is
going to be reprocessed and delivered in a very fresh, extremely
alien way so as to be unrecognizable, just like Demogorgon, the
Thassalhydra, the Polliwogs, etc. It won't be a vampire exactly, but
it will be a human, influenced by dark forces from beyond, that does
evil and drinks blood for personal power. Possession and mind control will certainly be factors. Billy sure went fuckin' crazy and tried to kill everyone after his parents showed up. That happened in <i>It</i> and <i>The Shining</i>. Mind controlled, possessed people, possible government agents, killing everybody. Fun times.<br />
<br />
THERE SHALL BE MORE<br />
<br />
That will be all for now. There will be more very soon. I'm
re watching the series, going on YouTube to study the fine works of my
august contemporaries, drag them screaming to my torture chambers until they tell me the bloody truth (I personally enjoy listening to Iron Maiden while shoving somebody inside my iron maiden). Soon I shall have something dreadful for
you to enjoy, Dear Reader. Will, Kali, Eleven, Billy, the Golliwogs,
the Thassalhydra...there is so much to talk about, and by the time
I'm done you're going to know why going somewhere over the rainbow
can be so very important for a mental epiphany, personal
enlightenment, and most of all, finding your dark side to become one
with it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Vz7fxKCslKg/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Vz7fxKCslKg?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
<a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80057281">The Official Site of Stranger Things</a><br />
<br /></div>
Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-24380694968079379132018-09-27T15:38:00.003-07:002021-05-31T15:06:13.930-07:00Benkei - Art<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFtKAFOxhM_DV7MNCxkNgRSLsrgU9eo7zS5eFGOITGskBWYMbM44LgPbJtKtiL8OMgsYFAp2o7MTYcaTQz29u3BeogtT1y83fJxhd2qsKeZw0hv2x3g9l9MDLdcp-E77X7J-ea4N0QK8l_/s1600/0da01c786fdbab769f674bef2d80649a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFtKAFOxhM_DV7MNCxkNgRSLsrgU9eo7zS5eFGOITGskBWYMbM44LgPbJtKtiL8OMgsYFAp2o7MTYcaTQz29u3BeogtT1y83fJxhd2qsKeZw0hv2x3g9l9MDLdcp-E77X7J-ea4N0QK8l_/s320/0da01c786fdbab769f674bef2d80649a.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="color: #cccccc;">This is how a total badass dies.</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">If
you ever go to Japan you will see this guy everywhere. The image of a defiant warrior, killed by many impaling arrows, staring defiantly. It is
called "The Standing Death of Benkei." Let me explain.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">Saito
Musashibo Benkei was a man that lived in feudal era of Japan. He was
born in 1155 AD. The son of a noble samurai and a blacksmith, Benkei
was 6' 7" and had incredible strength. So he became a warrior.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">Benkei
was ill tempered, unruly and somewhat savage, so no feudal lord would
take him. After getting kicked out of a Buddhist monastery for
fighting, Benkei decided to guard a bridge and force every samurai
trying to pass to fight him, go the long way or give up their sword.
He ended up with 999 by the time he met his match.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gIwh4za90ks1J77-_7kdXm-kV2hyphenhyphen2j8AUZVQDTX_jAUsnNtUWrVfqxPMP3A4pRMLQ7pKJqr_GV4aKxPkpeMcSZfwhC-defT-fcdGseUM1fIcMXIKEByjaP5CHNSwTQifK7g7ngFVEoHS/s1600/9312945.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="573" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gIwh4za90ks1J77-_7kdXm-kV2hyphenhyphen2j8AUZVQDTX_jAUsnNtUWrVfqxPMP3A4pRMLQ7pKJqr_GV4aKxPkpeMcSZfwhC-defT-fcdGseUM1fIcMXIKEByjaP5CHNSwTQifK7g7ngFVEoHS/s320/9312945.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="color: #cccccc;">By the way, Benkei also had a badass mustache.</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">One
day an epic hero by the name of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, a young
samurai and feudal lord who was a champion of the common people and
enemy of the current reigning evil government, dueled Benkei for the
bridge. Yoshitsune, trained by tengu (Luke Skywalker is based on
him), beat Benkei by knocking him unconscious with a metal fan.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">Impressed
and humbled, Benkei offered to serve the young lord until death. From
then on the two were inseparable, and there are many kabuki and noh
theater plays based on their adventures.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">Although
loved by the common folk as a champion of good and justice,
Yoshitsune, like most benevolent Japanese epic heroes of legend, was
doomed. While inside a castle planning his attack on the reigning
evil government, he was betrayed by his allies, who switched
allegiance and sent a massive army to capture Yoshitsune. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">Knowing
that defeat was inevitable, the young lord's friends, family, allies
and army deserted him. Since retreat was dishonorable and capture was
even more disgraceful all Yoshitsune could do was commit honorable suicide. He was
betrayed and all alone. There was nobody left to defend him.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7v1oP4eW3l-6Qx3wga_reUWZVWEPNO1H1JdyRVvOgW8eIt0MwwTzPumTjh4H-Ot2qK1m_ItlnDXWq6jjkhOmuBQvmWbByA-FX2oaXeH4Ue33NajOF4uKC1Tau42IzOSqLSGHKifgYAY1t/s1600/Hirakata-kikuningyo3198.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7v1oP4eW3l-6Qx3wga_reUWZVWEPNO1H1JdyRVvOgW8eIt0MwwTzPumTjh4H-Ot2qK1m_ItlnDXWq6jjkhOmuBQvmWbByA-FX2oaXeH4Ue33NajOF4uKC1Tau42IzOSqLSGHKifgYAY1t/s320/Hirakata-kikuningyo3198.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">Except Benkei. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: inherit;">While
his lord went through the appropriate rituals for a proper suicide,
the last friend and warrior he had went out to perform one final
mission: delay the enemy until the end. The reason was simple. Back then being captured by the enemy didn't just mean defeat, failure and dishonor. It also meant torture. Days and days of serious torture. Worse than being chained to a toilet, eating shit pudding and watching episodes of "Hee Haw."</span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2rpARxA3JSpoeRxDkUPpkKWVuK0-tAg5ekssummm9Z5IV7wx1wO1VHfd5E8pRBHou_kWMW1m4k5FmGqOM3yBeG3IYDfilIZaYgPX0OAqgDfd7_9ePsBwPTL_3PEMmdcntzFz1Ek-B4Av/s1600/hee-haw.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="630" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2rpARxA3JSpoeRxDkUPpkKWVuK0-tAg5ekssummm9Z5IV7wx1wO1VHfd5E8pRBHou_kWMW1m4k5FmGqOM3yBeG3IYDfilIZaYgPX0OAqgDfd7_9ePsBwPTL_3PEMmdcntzFz1Ek-B4Av/s320/hee-haw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="color: #cccccc;">This is what a non sequitur looks like. </span></i></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">A
single bridge led to the castle where Yoshitsune was, and Benkei
placed himself on the bridge in the center. The army sent to capture
his lord arrived and prepared for a siege. Surely, they thought to
themselves, this must be a trick. Where was the rest of the army?</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">Benkei
challenged the other army to single combat. From the perspective of
Bushido, this was extremely bad for the enemy army. All alone, he had
just performed something so full of honor and badass that it would
mean a tremendous loss of face to just attack. They had to respond
appropriately to the challenge. So they did.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">One
by one, and then two by two and three by three's, the enemy army sent
samurai warriors out to fight Benkei on the bridge and he killed them
all. This was no surprise. Benkei was a monster, since the average
Japanese man at the time was about 5' tall.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL2pLXalKEusPullxOXc0vT-XslAnW1mXXYh6X77hAYBdAYnADx9LB3G0TQnssm9DetBqVQ7tC-DWAZgTcaBWeLrtk4o4lfq5fygIUztdd-ZfQQz4P_ehQk6_rlDrgvi44z5e4rEntx3E_/s1600/0302.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="698" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL2pLXalKEusPullxOXc0vT-XslAnW1mXXYh6X77hAYBdAYnADx9LB3G0TQnssm9DetBqVQ7tC-DWAZgTcaBWeLrtk4o4lfq5fygIUztdd-ZfQQz4P_ehQk6_rlDrgvi44z5e4rEntx3E_/s320/0302.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;">"O.G."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Another relevant factor was that in Japanese martial arts, a quick, strong downward strike to the enemy's forehead, resulting in a mortal frontal lobotomy, was how a sword fight usually ended (aside from a </span><i>tsuki </i>to the throat). Since Benkei was using a 6'+ long weapon, and the average samurai katana was 3' long, you can guess exactly what the fuck happened to Benkei's brave, but doomed, opposition. They didn't have a chance because they didn't have the reach, especially since their giant of an enemy was probably 6'+.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">This
went on for quite some time until the enemy army paused, staring at
this awesome, fearless warrior that could not be killed. Realizing
his own general was about to be dishonored by being defeated by one
single man, an officer in the army dishonorably ordered all of the
archers to shoot Benkei to death. So they did.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit;">In
Japanese kenjitsu there is a stance known as the "Fuck you, you
can't hurt me" stance. You basically spread your arms, weapon in
one hand, and stare. That's what Benkei did. Hundreds of arrows impaled his body and killed him instantly. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">For
a long time, the enemy army stood in formation, afraid. This was
because the arrows that killed Benkei also propped him up, making him
look like he was still alive. His corpse stood there, glaring,
swaying in the wind, saturated with gore and surrounded by many, many
dead warriors. Who would want to approach that?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFeW-xrhmqK8hyphenhyphenJNq43Mhj4m6H2Up5YOMNAJUcmBW6Y1I3T_jv2xWoOX6GhJZ0Qk-iymnfOyKwIoaUNByvTQwhqKupkoAc6auzkr3IGYOcLt1mNLYjZ6V3-hd3sAOd70RVxCT1-BJSSws/s1600/4d6070385b65e1a6f9c9b651db687d92c2a842c7_hq.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="593" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFeW-xrhmqK8hyphenhyphenJNq43Mhj4m6H2Up5YOMNAJUcmBW6Y1I3T_jv2xWoOX6GhJZ0Qk-iymnfOyKwIoaUNByvTQwhqKupkoAc6auzkr3IGYOcLt1mNLYjZ6V3-hd3sAOd70RVxCT1-BJSSws/s320/4d6070385b65e1a6f9c9b651db687d92c2a842c7_hq.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="color: #cccccc;">"No offence to your exquisite archery skills, but FUCK YOUR ARROWS." </span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">Eventually
they did and the general and the army found Yoshitsune, quite dead. Their
mission was successful. They had followed orders. But the damage was
done.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">From
the perspective of Bushido and the code of honor at the time, what
the enemy army had done was incredibly bad. The officer who ordered
the arrows was ordered to commit suicide for his disgrace. The
general was also dishonored, was stripped of his title, and retired to a monastery. The entire army
was mocked until their death. Some even committed suicide at Benkei's
grave, or on the bridge where they had once opposed him. A single man
had defeated them all. Why?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT90JsY3vBu5hQONg2QKlRrV4WESW7_rYrB-HTOcUO1Yw6u3gAJhu2AA7hKUahEv2Ou7XoqJV1kqwPfvyW0LA645i7O31HUAnEzCPwyVS2J-Mfo2hHK97z-qRO0l6l30zJy9fCvR_lrR4V/s1600/8d8b48997928161780b5820ef7589573c2f39234_hq.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="699" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT90JsY3vBu5hQONg2QKlRrV4WESW7_rYrB-HTOcUO1Yw6u3gAJhu2AA7hKUahEv2Ou7XoqJV1kqwPfvyW0LA645i7O31HUAnEzCPwyVS2J-Mfo2hHK97z-qRO0l6l30zJy9fCvR_lrR4V/s320/8d8b48997928161780b5820ef7589573c2f39234_hq.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="color: #cccccc;">Even more Benkei for your buck.</span></i></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">Because
Benkei won. From the perspective of Bushido, he had indeed carried
out his last mission: to delay the enemy so his lord could die with
honor. Dying to achieve this only made him look more badass.
Yoshitsune's enemies all looked like cowards.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">Hundreds
of years later, Benkei is honored in throughout Japan. There are
paintings of him, illustrations of him, tattoos and even statues and
shrines. Even to this day, a person who has dedicated themselves body
and soul to a cause, whether this is becoming a doctor, an actor,
founding a company or achieving a black belt in the martial arts,
will bow and burn incense to a Benkei in order to show their true
dedication and humble spirit.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cccccc;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">As
for the general who led the army that killed Benkei, and the officer
that ordered the arrows? They are dishonored. Forgotten. Nobody
remembers their names. </span>
</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjpVrbCfYkZ0rwhY56Nx1PFw5aC4vSrNgIkSsWdjVSjdqB7-kH-gh-A56bnRPkrKptsBDU3AQUx9olD6OzZKYRCxxfwk345Rgn7Wl4rAj2OAaezxfVJ_NoKjilKHsZAK9Vhjpl6E_9K3aG/s1600/main-qimg-251e5e27ddd12c4b54651ecc16e0e407-c.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjpVrbCfYkZ0rwhY56Nx1PFw5aC4vSrNgIkSsWdjVSjdqB7-kH-gh-A56bnRPkrKptsBDU3AQUx9olD6OzZKYRCxxfwk345Rgn7Wl4rAj2OAaezxfVJ_NoKjilKHsZAK9Vhjpl6E_9K3aG/s320/main-qimg-251e5e27ddd12c4b54651ecc16e0e407-c.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="color: #cccccc;">In Japanese culture, literature, history and art this means,</span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #cccccc;">"BRING IT THE FUCK ON." </span></i></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/M3-WUw9DdrY/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M3-WUw9DdrY?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-58000766782853362862017-10-26T15:16:00.001-07:002018-07-02T18:18:37.242-07:00The Monster in Stranger Things, Part VII - The Weird<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-C5zv2JLG8e4wZ9kLqsUiOlckLfoRl0f_qJgAVnAWRhUKBrfk57_L54_qT-OG9UQcZG71c742O5wwYxV10w4pGkd-J9Hc9S5dD2CRLJCZLjhDttlBxtwSio-Bjf_W99gASCF0fwOvYY9/s1600/22780421_1024068024399547_8270732035146387435_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="960" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-C5zv2JLG8e4wZ9kLqsUiOlckLfoRl0f_qJgAVnAWRhUKBrfk57_L54_qT-OG9UQcZG71c742O5wwYxV10w4pGkd-J9Hc9S5dD2CRLJCZLjhDttlBxtwSio-Bjf_W99gASCF0fwOvYY9/s400/22780421_1024068024399547_8270732035146387435_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: black; color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 14.85px;">This is Part VII of an exploration into the nature of Demogorgon (or The Monster, as I prefer to call it) in the Netflix sci-fi/horror masterpiece, </span><i style="background-color: black; color: #9ea2a4; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Stranger Things</i><span style="background-color: black; color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 14.85px;">. You can read </span><a href="http://www.jasentdavis.com/2016/10/the-monster-in-stranger-things-weird.html" style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;">Part I here</a><span style="background-color: black; color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 14.85px;">, </span><a href="http://www.jasentdavis.com/2016/10/the-monster-in-stranger-things-part-ii.html" style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;">Part II here</a><span style="background-color: black; color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 14.85px;">, </span><a href="http://www.jasentdavis.com/2016/10/the-monster-in-stranger-things-part-iii.html" style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;">Part III here</a><span style="background-color: black; color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 14.85px;">, </span><a href="http://www.jasentdavis.com/2016/11/the-monster-in-stranger-things-part-iv.html" style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;">Part IV here</a><span style="color: #9ea2a4;">, </span><a href="http://www.jasentdavis.com/2016/12/the-monster-in-stranger-things-part-v.html" style="background-color: black; color: lime; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;">Part V here</a> <span style="color: #999999;">and <a href="http://www.jasentdavis.com/2017/01/the-monster-in-stranger-things-part-vi.html">Part VI over here</a></span><span style="background-color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: #999999;"><a href="http://www.jasentdavis.com/2017/01/the-monster-in-stranger-things-part-vi.html">.</a></span><span style="color: #9ea2a4;"> Spoiler alerts will follow.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">NOTHING MIGHT NOT MATTER</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">You've seen the ad for season two of <i>Stranger Things</i>. I really love how there is a shot of Eleven's mother getting electroshock therapy. That gives us a source for her power. Her mother took some experimental drug, eats a dose of human-made lightning and ta da! We have Eleven. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">What's incredible about the explanation for The Monster, aka Demogorgon, is that we don't need to understand where it came from, or how it works, to enjoy the series. Stephen King's "The Mist" and the works of H.P. Lovecraft operate in a similar capacity. The Unknown doesn't give a damn if you don't understand it. You aren't important enough to the vast darkness of the universe to get an explanation. As I've mentioned before, there is no point where anyone in the series explains the origin of The Monster, and that is OK. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGqxAi-QL7LmE3UtUyW6DurgshTRyuYnm4aH355Y1csvZbaMUsjQ33xwDe2n1aItBPP5X89COcNc0J_D08gATTjDzgVmKSi5qrB4kiECsowrEJBFtrOLSuQQTT0u3DEHuDlwzzeENvT0bx/s1600/The_Flea_and_the_Acrobat_S01-E05_SS_001-800x399.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="800" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGqxAi-QL7LmE3UtUyW6DurgshTRyuYnm4aH355Y1csvZbaMUsjQ33xwDe2n1aItBPP5X89COcNc0J_D08gATTjDzgVmKSi5qrB4kiECsowrEJBFtrOLSuQQTT0u3DEHuDlwzzeENvT0bx/s320/The_Flea_and_the_Acrobat_S01-E05_SS_001-800x399.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">FEAR OF THE (UN)KNOWN</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">It's important to remember that what The Duffer Brothers did was create a monster out of concepts that have always existed in modern horror, occult literature, Stephen King's books, Dungeons & Dragons and conspiracy theories found on the Internet. Eleven didn't go into The Vale of Shadows when she encountered her own personal demon. She went into her own mind, a black space referred to by her as The Upside-Down. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Eleven, just like the <i>USS Eldridge</i> in The Philadelphia Experiment, released an electromagnetic pules that sent her into another dimension. She switched places with The Monster, which escaped from the lab. Nowhere in the series does The Monster seem to show any ability to use telekinesis. When Will is hiding in the shed with a rifle, it is Eleven that opens the door to the shed. She's following light sources, which use electricity and can therefore be seen in The Vale of Shadows. That's why she knows what the boy looks like and feels guilt. When The Monster released an electromagnetic pulse to catch the boy and drag him into the next dimension. Eleven ended up in our world.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw818IZ0bgBWUR70PSnIRvRBNweuADObThkbe0-HjXu0ZawIlZ-FdFQhakKP736n-954WwmyyYcyV2k601K2S3RgX9k16IuPSMkqoyp4hd_KVgvkC-lWgZc_MS8H2YA7ju7CKc8qHTjUZv/s1600/philly-experiment-orig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="729" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw818IZ0bgBWUR70PSnIRvRBNweuADObThkbe0-HjXu0ZawIlZ-FdFQhakKP736n-954WwmyyYcyV2k601K2S3RgX9k16IuPSMkqoyp4hd_KVgvkC-lWgZc_MS8H2YA7ju7CKc8qHTjUZv/s320/philly-experiment-orig.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Later, when Eleven made The Monster vanish, she basically released an electromagnetic pulse that put it back into the black space that was her inner mind (sounds like the title to a Death Metal album) while she ended up in The Vale of Shadows. The ad for the second season clearly shows Eleven in that place, using a hole The Monster created to go into the real world (which we've seen before with the portal in the tree in the forest), so I'm probably correct.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmAFLmekMo05_AU1U9BwuiTEX7NCK79XyY1-Bcnez-CDsdAiPPm6cy2Ze9ly2CHDn5aFPx1n82eiVdoOhsBSSJQ3BgzxV00RhmYBrSiA9L_pCwUAp5QMG0UFDR2Ox08ywpj6tSTX5m0pZ/s1600/10-things-we-know-about-stranger-things-2-22bf96f3-ef03-4c98-9f62-4c2354934fbf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmAFLmekMo05_AU1U9BwuiTEX7NCK79XyY1-Bcnez-CDsdAiPPm6cy2Ze9ly2CHDn5aFPx1n82eiVdoOhsBSSJQ3BgzxV00RhmYBrSiA9L_pCwUAp5QMG0UFDR2Ox08ywpj6tSTX5m0pZ/s320/10-things-we-know-about-stranger-things-2-22bf96f3-ef03-4c98-9f62-4c2354934fbf.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">NO OCCULT AT ALL</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Another thing I've noticed is how nowhere in <i>Stranger Things</i> does a person talk about the occult. Will's mother doesn't even talk about ghosts. No demons, no witchcraft. Instead you have teams of scientists working for some evil, deep state section of the government, and that makes the horror all the more realistic. Even <i>The Exorcist</i> had parts where modern science took a stab at what was messing with the girl's mind. When Carol Anne vanishes into the television in <i>Poltergeist</i>, maybe she went to The Vale of Shadows.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">"IT" </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Spoiler alerts! I've sure by now you've learned about It and have maybe even see the movie. Although I can't tell you how the second movie will end, I can tell you that after reading the book, it is pretty clear that It is actually a tulpa. Case in point, "The Ritual of Chud", which the children use to banish the monster. This is an obvious reference to Tibetan occult mysticism. As I've mentioned before, Alexandra David-Neel, in her book “Magic and Mystery in Tibet,” discussed how she was taught by practitioners of magik during her 14 years in Tibet how to create a tulpa using another ritual, “The Dubthab Rite.”</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">In order to teach their students that all reality is an illusion (an observation shared by modern science, the theory of relativity, quantum physics, string theory and probability) Tibetan holy lamas would train practitioners to summon a “real” illusion with “The Dubthab Rite.” David-Neel did so, and according to her created a man dressed like a Medieval friar, believe it or not.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">After a while David-Neel claims that the friar became “sly and malignant,” forcing her to banish it with “The Dance of Chod.” She basically sat in a circle, concentrated on the monk, summoned demons from her own mind, and commanded them to destroy the monk. Scary, real or not, according to David-Neel the evil friar was banished and stopped bothering anybody.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">It seems to be a tulpa of the violent, horrifying, sexually abusive world that the kids in the book inhabit. Pennywise the Clown is really just a name for an elemental force from another dimension (the book gets really weird by the end) that shows up to kill a lot of innocent people in a regular cycle in order to terrify the survivors enough to feed off their fear. The children banish It with The Ritual of Chud, just like David-Neel banished her own personal demon.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">A FRACTURED WHOLE</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Eleven was repeatedly abused and ordered to kill the Russian spy with her mind. Similar to the children mentioned in conspiracy theories such as Project MKULTRA, MKOFTEN and Project Monarch, she basically created a tulpa, a splintered personality based on her negative experiences, which killed the spy. The scientists ordered her to make contact with it, so she went into her own mind. After confronting her personal demon, she screamed, creating an electromagnetic pulse that placed the monster in the real world but put her in the Vale of Shadows. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">At the end of <i>Stranger Things</i>, Eleven does the opposite, confronting her personal demon again but this time putting it back in her mind (the black space she calls The Upside-Down) while she ended up in The Vale of Shadows. In the latest ad for season 2, she is seen going through a hole in the wall, probably the same one The Monster/Demogorgon made to enter the real world in the final episode. It all makes sense.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">THE COLLAGE TAKES FORM</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">If The Duffer Brothers wanted to create a visual representation of a character's personal demon, what would it look like? There are numerous clues that can be seen as to why the Monster appears the way it does. When Eleven contacts it for the first time, she does so in a flesh colored outfit that looks a lot like The Monster when it stands upright. It crouches like the lion doll in her cell. It's head spreads open like a tulip (tulpa/tulip) from the plant that is also in her cell. Compared to the boy fighting it, The Monster seems like a naked adult towering over a child. The flesh colored baseball bat is another Freudian clue. The Monster's head also resembles something else Freudian, from a female perspective.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">THE SHINING AND MONARCH</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">The concept that abused children have psychic powers can be found both on the Internet, the works of Stephen King, and <i>The Shining</i> by Stanley Kubrick. The concept is that an abused kid ends up with a fragmented personality, with each shard, or splinter, having a distinct personality. According to many sources online, Project Monarch was designed to do this. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">"Firestarter" features a child that can control fire because of government experiments that have been done to herself and her family. The little boy in "The Shining" has psychic powers, just like many children with the shining throughout King's books, including It (a careful reader will notice that the children in It have not only all been abused, they also all have psychic powers). The girl in "Carrie" certainly has telekinesis, and she was certainly abused as a child, too.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Eleven may as well have stepped out of these sources. In Stanley Kubrick's version of King's book, Danny not only shines, he does so because his father has been sexually abusing him. Clues leading up to this horrible truth can be found throughout the film, and the subject has been discussed and explored by many film analysis types who know what they are doing. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Why does Eleven have powers? Because of the drugs her mother took ("Firestarter," Project MKULTRA, "The Girl with the Silver Eyes"), and because she has been abused (<i>The Shining</i>, Project MKULTRA, "It", "Carrie"). What is Demogorgon/The Monster? An alter created to kill people with her mind because Eleven wouldn't do it herself (Project Monarch, Project MKULTRA, MKOFTEN, <i>The Bourne Identity</i>). This monster is an incarnation made flesh, a tulpa ("It", "The Dark Half", Project Montauk, Tibetan occultism, <i>The X-Files</i>).</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">The Duffer Brothers didn't make up a monster out of nowhere, they gave us something we have seen before, crafted from horror films, books and conspiracy theories on the Internet. Don't believe me? Google “tulpa” and you'll see more of the evidence I've described. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">THE MONSTER’S RULES</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">There is a part in the series where Eleven opens the door to a market, walks inside, gets Eggo waffles, leaves with them and then closes the door behind her. Just like The Monster. That scene was there for a reason, to show you the parallel. Remember, as I've mentioned before, Eleven even said that she was The Monster. It certainly seems to follow her around, as if it has to be in orbit around her body even though it is in a parallel dimension.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">What does The Monster eat? Electricity. It used to get it inside Eleven's mind. Outside of that, it must still getting what it needs to eat to live. That's why it is attracted to lights, blood, people, etc. It doesn't tear people apart...it swallows them whole to get to the electricity inside. After the biological matter gives up the energy, The Monster spits it up as some sort of egg...a twisted mockery of the human birth cycle (<i>Alien</i>). </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">Later, we also see people being glued to walls (like <i>Alien</i> and <i>Aliens</i>) with tubes coming out of their mouths. After they die slugs crawl out of their mouths, which seem to generate an electromagnetic field to get back into The Vale of Shadows, just like The Monster. Touching a light socket can't work. It needs a body to generate the electricity, which Eleven used to do when it was inside her. Aside from the strange way it eats energy, The Monster can only detect what it eats. It doesn't seem to see, hear or smell. Otherwise, it is all very, very Id, and that is the dark side of our psychology, our own personal demon. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">CONCLUSION</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #9ea2a4; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">The Duffer Brothers could have just used a vampire, werewolf, zombie or otherwise to be the monster in their series. What I've tried to show in this long, drawn out, hopefully not too boring exegesis is to prove that they chose a creature that did indeed exist, drawn from the various sources I've already mentioned. If The Monster turns out to be just another creature living in The Vale of Shadows, so be it. If there is another theory that is completely different yet equally plausible, I'd love to see it.</span></span><br />
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Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-90514280148953971802017-03-10T15:56:00.000-08:002017-03-10T16:38:01.823-08:00Captain Cannabis - Art<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The Captain Cannabis online comic (<a href="http://www.captaincannabis.com/">www.captaincannabis.com</a>) is a series of 13 webisodes presenting the adventures of Halburt Lighter, a.k.a. Captain Cannabis. Equal parts cynical comedy, life-affirming realism and superheroic fantasy, this mind-altering animated comic book feature delivers an enlightening jolt of THC-infused social commentary.<br />
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Verne Andru is the creator and writer of Captain Cannabis. His previous experience includes working on the legendary cult classic Rock & Rule, one of the many heavy metal-infused animated films that were so prevalent during the 70’s and early 80’s. Since then he’s worked with heavyweights such as Hannah-Barbara, Disney and Industrial Lights and Magic.<br />
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<b>Andru was able to step away from his magnum opus long enough to share a few words with Culture Magazine about life, the universe, and Captain Cannabis.</b><br />
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<b>How would you describe Captain Cannabis to some of our readers who might not have heard of your art?</b><br />
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This is the story of a down and out roadie named Halburt Lighter. Through a series of misadventures, he and his girlfriend end up in Vancouver, where a spacecraft shows up to help Earth. Okee, the alien on the spacecraft, has a magical plant he calls “herb.” When Hal smokes it, he is able to manifest what he thinks about in real life. I’m eventually going to combine all of the webisodes into a feature film I’m going to call 420.<br />
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<b>He reminds me of DC’s “The Green Lantern,” with an emphasis on the green, only he can control reality. Isn’t the alien also a main character?</b><br />
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I wanted Captain Cannabis to look very professional, so I had to split the project into pieces to keep down costs. The next part of the series will deal with Okee’s backstory.<br />
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<b>Captain Cannabis has some deep, occult roots. I’ve noticed a lot of references to Buddhism, Hindu religious beliefs, Gnostic philosophy and Tibetan mysticism.</b><br />
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Yes, the point is that we are a spiritual consciousness stuck in a physical body. Right now many people just want things for themselves and don’t care about anyone else. When you get into the higher realms of spiritualism there is a point where you have to ask, “What is the real truth?” Okee and Hal ask this question.<br />
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Okee is meant to illustrate the struggle our consciousness has to rise above the material world. He represents the inherit weakness of man and keeps falling into matter. That’s our struggle.<br />
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Halburt Lighter, aka Captain Cannabis, is going through the illumination phase of becoming enlightened. In the first comic he’s just a basic guy who doesn’t think beyond his next joint or beer. He goes through a spiritual awakening by smoking pot.<br />
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<b>How does Captain Cannabis reflect your personal beliefs about the subject of medical marijuana and the legalization movement? Why is something so useful still illegal?</b><br />
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One thing people don’t understand is that hemp, the parent plant of marijuana, is the reason that Western culture exits in North America. The first industry in the colonies was building ships, which needed hemp for rope. Because it expanded and became financially viable, this allowed Europeans to come over and invest in America. Back then hemp and marijuana grew everywhere. It actually required a lot of work to eradicate.<br />
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Why is it illegal? Money. You can grow cannabis anywhere. Because of that you have a product that is uncontrollable. Well, why do we have laws? To control us. The question is; what jurisdiction does the DEA have? It’s under the control of the IRS, not the FDA. It has nothing to do with food…it’s about money.<br />
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<b>That’s a disturbing thought.</b><br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Captain-Cannabis-131856846871529/">https://www.facebook.com/Captain-Cannabis-131856846871529/</a></div>
Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488920227994927553.post-31610751676002323052017-02-16T09:12:00.001-08:002021-11-30T06:48:02.487-08:00The Rise of Dave Ross - Comedy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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After many hard-working years of sweat, toil and tears, stand-up comedian Dave Ross is finally experiencing cinematic success. Thanks in part to the lucrative popularity of the production <i>Women</i>, an original sketch-comedy show co-written by Ross and presented by the Independent Film Channel, he’s learning how to enjoy the financial rewards of performing in between touring the United States, starring in Comedy Central’s big hit, <i>Drunk History</i>.<br />
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“Right now I’m chilling, which is nice,” says Ross. “I’ve been doing stand up full speed without any breaks since I started seven years ago. In the past year I made a little bit of money from it. Now that I have money in the bank, I’m not worried so much.” But for Ross, relaxed doesn’t mean lazy. “I’m still doing stand up and writing comedy,” he says. “I’m also trying to sell a sitcom to Hollywood, so there’s been a lot of meetings.”<br />
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While the blockbuster appeal of <i>Women</i>, <i>Drunk History</i> and his own live shows has rewarded him financially, success is even sweeter for Ross since the writer and comedian nearly became homeless. “Last year I hit rock bottom. Totally broke. I was touring heavily and collecting unemployment, but I wasn’t on the road, and that was where my money was coming from. My sketch group and I sold some a show to IFC, but it took a while for them to pay us. I was so sad. If you can’t buy food or pay your rent, you feel like garbage.”<br />
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There is an ancient entertainment adage: “Pain plus time equals comedy.” Ross has a style that embodies this with observations such as, “I love being in my thirties, because being in my twenties sucked. You can sum up my twenties in one phrase, Amanda,” he says, whining sarcastically to dramatic applause as, with one word, his audience remembers the love in their life that crushed them. “When you turn thirty, a man in a trench coat knocks on your door. If you let him in he puts all of your movie posters in frames.”<br />
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“When I started doing comedy I was just scared that I would be bad,” says Ross. “At some point I stopped being afraid because I just wanted to be a good comedian. Now I’m much more relaxed about it. Last year I did a really big tour that ended with me headlining at The Los Angeles Improv. I performed a few months later at Meltdown Comics. At the Improv I just did jokes, but at Meltdown I just went totally off book and talked about what was on my mind for thirty-five minutes.” The audience laughed as Ross entertained them with personal stories about growing up and being on the road. “I just talked confidently about things and had fun. I went on a first date with a girl I met there that night. It was great showing her everything I believe in and who I was in my act.”<br />
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Being the star of <i>Drunk History</i> was an original experience for Ross. “They tell you to drink beforehand and be at least two beers in. I was nervous.” The crew set up the production in his apartment for more than twelve hours. “They gave me a location fee. We all got drunk together. I ended up drinking six dark beers and blacking out. The nurse had to give me oxygen. I told my story before I blacked out and afterwards. I ended up screaming and telling all of them to leave. “<br />
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No matter how successful somebody can get in Hollywood, Ross advises that they keep it real. The industry takes a lot of personal time, and that can hurt relationships. “If you get a credit before you are ready for it, you think it was kind of a fluke. Simultaneously, you notice that work is separating you from people. I was four or five years into comedy. It happened to me early.” In a town where crazy is common, Ross has kept his mind on what matters. “Life is about people. I’m going to start focusing on work and friends. I wish I could impart that to more people. You just have to tell yourself that.”<br />
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You can find out more about Dave Ross at <a href="http://www.davetotheross.com/">www.davetotheross.com</a>. He is also on Twitter at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/davetotheross">www.twitter.com/davetotheross</a>. There’s even more of Dave Ross, and episodes of <i>Women</i> at <a href="http://www.womencomedy.com/">www.womencomedy.com</a>. Don’t forget to enjoy live stand-up comedy and “Good Heroin” with Dave Ross, Matt Ingebretson and Olivia Doud every Saturday night at 8pm over at the Stories Books & Café (<a href="http://www.storiesla.com/">www.storiesla.com</a>) in Los Angeles, California.<br />
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Jasen T. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16246920975224987626noreply@blogger.com0