Hello whoever might be out there,  I hope you're having a great summer holiday, or simply a great day. I was having a boring day, so I scrolled through my Netflix recommendations to see what I can watch next despite my watch list already being absurdly long. Now, usually I am adamantly against comparing media because every piece of media is different and it isn't fair to hold the work of one team against something entirely different. But this time I am excusing myself as I was recommended the ten episode workplace sitcom " Blockbuster " by Netflix solely "because [I] liked Superstore." I do like Superstore , I love it even. I'm currently about half way through re-watching it (although I watch it on Disney+ now because adverts suck) and I will then immediately start it again. It's on my rotation of shows, and is the only one on that rotation that actually has a plot that runs through it rather than episodic plots. So I watched Blockbuster . The premis...

Hello whoever might be out there,  I decided to watch Soul again, like I'm on some 2020 nostalgia train that felt the need to do a few more loops for whatever reason, but this time I got off at Disney+ for a trip to Crisis Lane. I am only 17, which sometimes feels like equal parts exciting and dread-filling. So what better to watch than the story of a man who couldn't be further from me, learn about the meaning of life through a corrupt corporation's underappreciated creatives? "Soul" is thought provoking and tear jerking. It led me to wonder whether my personality can be summed up into six brownie-badge style components? Am I the same for everyone? Which traits I display are the real ones? What do I really love? What's my "thing"? In my own self-absorbed way, I could imagine myself being a lost soul. No true passions or desires. Sure people that know me could probably spew up a couple. I love Splatoon an unhealthy amount, or maybe they'd go with...

Hello whoever might be out there,  My task for my sociology homework is as follows: Research disabled characters in a TV show/film you like. Answer these questions: Are they represented by a disabled person? If not, why is this the case? ​ Apply your sociological theory – e.g. are they presented as inhuman as Longmore suggests? We go for Bob's Burgers obviously, and the episode which, to me, has the best representation of disability is "Amelia", season 13 episode 22. But it is impossible to look at this episode from the perspective of disability alone, especially given that it is a primarily feminist episode. The answer? Look at them both in tandem. Getting to spend my college breaks watching my favourite show feels like an easy way out of doing "proper" work, but these thoughts aren't exclusive to this watch, or even this episode. Bob's Burgers is filled with the unserious and the serious, and it is what makes it such an incredible watch if you haven...

Hello whoever might be out there,  My birthday gift this year was tickets to see Matilda The Musical at my nearest theatre (which as you may know, isn't near at all, especially as my Mum doesn't drive) and it was the best thing I could've got. I have wanted to see Matilda on stage for so many years, basically as soon as I heard about it. I was meant to go in Year 6 with my primary school but couldn't, and I am kind of glad in a way because it meant I got to go today. Matilda (1996) has always been my favourite film and probably always will be. I relate to Matilda Wormwood more than any other character, and part of the reason why I am glad I got to go now is because I can fully appreciate both the character's and my own lived experiences. I'm not going to trauma dump, that isn't fun to write or to read and I have already rephrased this several times to avoid it, but all you need to know is that I understand Matilda in practically every aspect of her character...

Hello whoever might be out there,  I want to preface this by saying that I may use Neighbor and Neighbour interchangeably throughout this. I know officially it uses the American spelling but I am a firm advocate for British English remaining strong, which is a whole rant for another time (idea now added to my ever growing list.) I finally watched My Neighbor Totoro. I am slowly working my way through the Studio Ghibli films, with each one seeming like a reward. I have now seen Kiki's Delivery Service, Ponyo, and My Neighbor Totoro; so the most well known ones. I always knew I would like Ghibli. Everything I had seen advertised about them interested me. Animation, storytelling, music - three things I simply adore, and adore even more when put all together. I was having a bit of a treat day today, so I thought there would be no better way to end it than to watch My Neighbour Totoro, one I was told was cosy and heart-warming. I have been trying to watch more films so no better place t...

Hello whoever might be out there, The day has arrived that you have all been waiting for, or perhaps only I have been waiting for it, but I am extremely excited regardless. I have officially finished the animated TV show set in Alaska; "The Great North". This review has been just under three months in the making, just because that is how long it took me to finish the show. This is your very final warning that if you ever intend on watching The Great North (TGN) and do not want any spoilers of any variety, click off now, although it makes barely any difference because there aren't many plot points that span across more than one episode so there is actually very little to spoil. I am going to start this out by saying that I am not going to compare this show directly to Bob's Burgers. It makes no logistical sense. They are different shows with different characters who happen to share an art style. Yes they have some similarities which I may explore, but fundamentally the...

Hello whoever might be out there,  I have been watching The Great North recently (full review coming shortly once I have actually finished the show now it has been officially cancelled, rest in peace) and the episode I have just finished particularly peaked my interest, just how the debate themed episode of Bob's Burgers also piqued my interest. This is your official spoiler alert if you are particularly invested in The Great North but haven't yet watched season 5 episode 6. I love debating, that comes as a surprise to nobody. Yes it does annoy me when TV shows have a cop out instead of having an actual final debate, but I recognise that I am a part of the minority audience that would find a debate on the privatisation of Alaskan national parks more interesting than what actually ended up happening. The episode, in short, is the newest Tobin family member (Aunt Dirt) becoming the Lone Moose debate team captain in order to date a lunch lady. That is as brief as I am going to kee...

Hello whoever might be out there,  I'm back with yet another new obsession, because at this point that's the only reason why I come on to this blog. This time it's Superstore. It's a good show. I'm on Season 4 at the moment, and I've only been watching it ten days so... I got this app that lets me review each individual episode. It's called Serializd, it's so good, would recommend (go follow me, MaeDreams). I like reviewing things. Rating things. Reading what other people have said about things I've rated. But the Superstore reviews are, and I mean this in the nicest way I can, TERRIBLE. We need to start teaching people what a review is again, because despite there being an option to tag your review as a spoiler, people are clearly farming likes instead of actually leaving a review. Writing a quote from the episode is not a review. Explaining the plot is not a review. Spoiling the ending is not a review. I want to know what you think about it, I alre...

Hello whoever might be out there, I watched the new Superman film yesterday. I don't really consider myself to be into superheroes. I think they're cool, but the typical "good guy fights bad guy" doesn't outweigh how I can't stop thinking about all the other lives ruined. It's stupid of me to think about it that deeply, I know. Superhero films are made to entertain, not to be realistic, but I can't look past it. I'm sorry I don't find watching innocent civilians killed, even in a fictional context. It's an uncanny sense of realism that I can't shake off. But the new Superman film seemed ever so slightly different. Yes there were fight scenes and killing and a typical mandatory city evacuation, but there was also character depth, a lot of it. I like character depth. I like characters. I like seeing what people come up with when they imagine a human (or other species, I don't judge.) Their motivations and their flaws. That's what ...

Hello whoever might be out there,  I finally watched The Bob's Burgers Movie. I'm doing a chronological watch through, so it was tough resisting temptation and holding out until the end of season 12 to finally watch it. You know Year 11 summer is going well when your plans for the whole day consist entirely of eating mac and cheese and watching a film. I had this day all hyped up in my head for days (had to wait until everybody was out of the house for big TV privileges). After about five trips to the kitchen, fetching various snacks and drinks, I was ready. I hit play. It was peak. For the first half an hour or so. I do not like the Fischoeders. I understand why they are there as characters, and I can appreciate how they are written, but I can not stand them. I know that is partially on purpose - they're the rich, corrupt, landlords, why would you like them? It's not called The Fischoeders Movie. And I know it is twisted so that helping the Fischoeders helps the Belche...

Hello whoever might be out there, I watched the Minecraft movie. And no I am not surprised that it felt like scrolling through two hours worth of Youtube shorts, all that was missing was the AI voiceover explaining everything with the piano music in the background. I have some thoughts on it. And I know people will love to whine "but it's not that deep," but it is. It always is that deep. Because when a film gets so insanely popular to the point where cinemas have to show disclaimers at the start of the film telling people not to throw popcorn, it will be that deep. I was having a conversation with some boys from my school before Easter and before the film was released. We were talking about Alex, who some might refer to as the female equivalent of Steve. How very naïve of me to presume that the second of two main Minecraft characters would feature in the film. I said to these boys, not that they were really listening anyways, that Alex was just as crucial to the Minecraf...

Hello whoever might be out there, I love debating, and I love Bob's Burgers. I think these two things more than qualify me to talk about why Tina Belcher is Miss Debatin'. Debate has been a part of my life... officially since year 8 but realistically forever. With an argumentative spirit with a strong sense of justice, debate is everything I could've ever dreamed of. Getting my time to shine and ramble on about something uninterrupted for five minutes* was glorious, and I haven't stopped since that magical day in year 8 where I watched two English teachers pose a scripted debate about whether boys should be wearing skirts in schools. One can only imagine my joy when I opened up Disney+ this very evening to see the next episode of Bob's Burgers on my watch through was Season 7 Episode 15: Ain't Miss Debatin'. To summarise, a boy named Henry (who also featured on Season 5 Episode 12 as a candidate for class president) invites Tina on to the debate team as they...

Hello whoever might be out there,  I have been miraculously inspired to rewatch The Simpsons, not that that would come as a surprise to anyone. The best place to start? Season one - arguably. And with over 700 episodes, a rewatch doesn't necessarily have to be every single one. So I skip straight to episode six: Moaning Lisa. For being one of the first episodes in the show, it is quite bluntly beautiful. Lisa Simpson is a character I feel deeply connected to, hence why she is my blog profile picture. She is an eight-year-old girl with the weight of the world on her shoulders. She is Lisa Simpson. She meets Bleeding Gums Murphy. She plays some music. She learns she can be sad but happy at the same time. Simple but effective. This episode inspired the song from the "Simpsons sing the blues" album, and also the title of this post. Incredibly obvious as the song she sings with Bleeding Gums Murphy is the first verse of this song.  https://youtu.be/MieasttRrkw?si=K6F3tBzgVbplA...

Hello whoever might be out there, I love charity shops, because you can find some absolute gold in there; such as today where I found a Lego Friends DVD that I had honestly forgotten about when writing my previous posts regarding the franchise. That is the Girlz 4 Life movie. This film was released in 2016 and captures everything that I believe to be wrong with the 2012 version of Lego Friends. Don't get me wrong, it was a good film and is the standard for what every film for a younger audience should be; short, entertaining, and annoyingly unrealistic. I mean, how do you just conveniently manage to get into a press conference for supposedly the biggest in universe celebrity? I made a few notes while watching. Nerdy? Yes. But I knew I would want to talk about this on here so I kept receipts, and I am so glad I did. And in case you haven't already caught on, there will be spoilers. There was one specific moment that made me literally pause the film to pull out my phone. There is...