It occurs to me new #CriticalRole fans that came in for Campaign 3 may not be aware of the extensive lore resources we have thanks to Critters & CR. There's A LOT to keep track of in Critical Role, but we've been pulling together to make it easier since the beginning. First up is the … Continue reading Critical Role Lore Resources
The Radical Queer Liberation Of Cringe
A lot of queer reclamation philosophy, performative queerness to avoid erasure, and the very core philosophical concept of Pride (and why and how we celebrate it) comes down to expressing "I am cringe, but I am free."
Analysis: Philadelphia (1993)
Gay lawyer Andy Beckett (Tom Hanks) sues his former employer for discrimination because he was fired for having AIDS. He asks Joe Miller (Denzel Washington) to represent him. Joe initially refuses due to his own prejudices, but reconsiders after he faces a racist microaggression in a legal library and then watches an anti-AIDS microaggression against … Continue reading Analysis: Philadelphia (1993)
Analysis: Death of a Salesman
I just watched the 1985 film adaptation of Death of a Salesman directed by Volker Schlöndorff. It's a very lightly adapted version that mostly attempts to do the play line for line as Arthur Miller wrote it in 1949, but with 360° sets. The sets aren't trying to be any more realistic than a theater set … Continue reading Analysis: Death of a Salesman
The Accessibility Revolution of the VOD
VODs are an accessibility feature, but we don't think of them that way because they also benefit non-disabled people. Once upon a time at the dawn of broadcasting, most shows were broadcast once. Technology limited what was feasible and profitable. But even when the technology changed, the industry clung to the idea that exclusivity drove … Continue reading The Accessibility Revolution of the VOD
Fiction: Essek Invents Atmospheric Ambient Music, Post CR C2 Ep141
Caleb encourages Essek to take up an artistic hobby for himself that he doesn't feel like he needs to be good at. He does a bit of basic drawing but it's mostly just for field notes. Caleb teaches him Programmed Illusion, but his visual imagination and memory are not very clear, especially compared to Caleb's. … Continue reading Fiction: Essek Invents Atmospheric Ambient Music, Post CR C2 Ep141
Review: Luca (2021)
I listened to about half of Fun Home and now I'm watching Luca with a friend and holy fuck Luca is very queer. Not even queercoded, really, just straight up queer. Like, this is the thinnest possible gauzy veiling. It's about as veiled as Animal Farm. On the one hand, Disney seriously needs to have … Continue reading Review: Luca (2021)
Fiction: Love Is A Multicourse Soup Dinner – CR C2 Ep141
Essek is coming to Caleb's home for his short annual stay. Beau and Yasha are coming to dinner, and also to calm Caleb down a bit because one of their big cases is in deliberation and Caleb's been a bundle of raw nerves. They're over early so that Yasha can bake fresh cookies. Caleb is fretting over the menu and finally settles on a curated and complimentary series of soups. Beau watches him meticulously planning this out like a big detailed world-alerting spell and says, "You know you're still in love with him, right Caleb?"
TTRPGs as a generative art form
CW: Rape - The title on an album mentioned once refers to condemning a rapist So, there's this movement in electronic ambient & experimental drone music for the endlessly generative piece of music that just starts existing & has no resolution or structure except that one day you stop playing it. First really pioneered by … Continue reading TTRPGs as a generative art form
Analysis: Caleb’s Relationship to Essek – CR C2 Ep140
I want to give some possible perspective on Essek and Caleb's relationship as it stands in CR C2 Ep140 before the grand finale. Whatever happens with them romantically, it's going to come from a specific place that needs understanding. Essek said he hasn't really had friends before. While we have no confirmation, the makes me … Continue reading Analysis: Caleb’s Relationship to Essek – CR C2 Ep140
Critical Analysis 