Watching The New Percy Jackson Episode, And While By No Means Is The Show Perfect, I Do Love How They

what is adolescence if not leaving and being left?

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“Sejanus is like Katniss!” “he’s just like peeta!”

What if I said he was like Gale?

Their blind loyalty their districts. Their rash nature, fuelled by their anger at the injustice the people of their home face. Their strong sense of morality, their eagerness to save the people of their district. Their hatred for the games, and their trust in their friend counterparts.

I’ve seen posts comparing Katniss to Snow, and Peeta to Lucy. In this case, Gale representing Sejanus makes so much sense.

Gale is Katniss’ friend from home. Katniss partakes in the games, but Gale doesn’t get the chance to- like how Sejanus’ tribute Marcus died from default. Katniss feels as though she owes Gale her love, and the way Snow treated Sejanus was all from pity. Artificial love, although Snow and Katniss are set so far apart that Katniss still loved Gale, but as a brother.

Something sets all of the characters apart from their counter character. For Katniss, she was forced to become a hunter when Snow was one at heart. For Peeta, he was forced to put his true feelings forward to perform, when it was Lucy Gray’s passion.

For Gale and Sejanus, I think it’s their sense of morality. Gale is who Sejanus would’ve been if he had no room to act out, had no trust fund to protect his outbursts. Gale is Sejanus after years of oppression, the pride and protection for his home becoming almost toxic. Sejanus is Gale with a chance to change the things around him - a boy with hope, refusing to play by the Capitols games.

If Sejanus had lived, he could’ve become a version of Gale, who in war would risk the lives of hundreds of innocent people from the Capitol. Perhaps Sejanus is the version of Gale who would’ve run away with Katniss before her reaping. Hung and punished, before their urge to help people turned fatal for others. Still morally good.

I will never be over the absolute irony of how this movie has been treated in the award shows. The golden globes, the critic choice awards...all we need is one more moment from the Oscars and we'll have a perfect trifecta of fuckass blindness.

Like seriously? "I'm Just Ken" was a song quite literally made to be an ironic incel anthem, and they gave that the spotlight? Don't get me wrong, Ryan Gosling gave an excellent performance but even the man himself was baffled.

Like look at his face. That is the look of a man who just realized he is quite literally living the reality of the movie he made and somehow everyone runs face first into the point, and right past it. He wants someone to say "You just got punked!" so bad.

RYAN GOSLING "I'm Just Ken" wins Best Original Song at the 29th Annual Critics' Choice Awards (January 14, 2024)

Hannah Montana is fucked up because its entire POINT as a show is that children should be protected from fame and exploitation, but it stars a REAL little girl that's being exploited. Nearly every episode carries the looming threat of Miley being outed as Hannah and losing her peaceful teenage life to the ravages of fame. Her father in the show (played by her own father in real life) wisely protected her from the trauma of fame by making her wear a disguise and live a rather quiet, interview-free life. Meanwhile the REAL Billy Ray Cyrus sold his daughter to Disney Channel when she was 11 and forced her to read dialogue about how terrible it would be to face the public eye. Like... Jesus, dude. The fictional Robby Ray is 10x the father, and it's not even close. (It's also IMMENSELY funny that her dad doesn't use his real name in the show, while she does. Almost like he wanted a bit of a disconnect between his identity and his character. Something Miley didn't get.)

there is something significant that suzanne begins thg with an interaction between gale, katniss, and madge. and in that interaction, gale specifically calls out madge for having only five entries, implying that her chances of going to the capitol are nonexistent (thg, 12). or at least less than him, who has forty-two entries (thg, 13).

suzanne integrates this scene with madge in the novel to show (1) the class division throughout the district that creates animosity. and although gale knows that it is not her fault, that doesn't stop him from digging into her (thg, 13). and it also emphasizes (2) the illusion that some people are safe, or benefit in this system.

yet, you know who had also only five entries? just like madge? peeta. and prim only had one entry. the two people whose names were called that year. so when the reaping happens, it proves just one thing. no one is safe. not a merchant's son. not even a girl with only one slip in the bowl.

and it just goes to emphasize the theme that follows katniss's throughout the novel: who does this system benefit? one that she finally reaches her conclusion at the end: that "it benefits no one to live in a world where these things happen" (mj, 321). because no one is safe in a world where people murder children in order to solve their differences. and that means no one. not a capitolite. not a mayor's daughter. and not even a young medic whose sister has done everything in her power to keep her safe.

For some reason I’m still seeing people being racist about the Disney+ PJO show, so if you’re out there hating on Leah for being a black Annabeth, here’s what you need to realize:

A big part of Annabeth’s character is how she felt she was never taken seriously because of the way she looked. In the books, it was specifically because she was blonde, and blondes were seen as dumb.

Well, that stereotype is much less common today, and most blondes aren’t really looked down upon. But you know who is? People of color. Especially young black girls. Leah’s Annabeth will still have to deal with prejudice because of how she looks.

Annabeth’s key trait wasn’t her hair color, it was how she proved to be the best despite how others judged her. It just so happens that her skin color is now what causes her to be judged.

I think Leah is perfect to play Annabeth in today’s world. Just how young blonde girls used to be empowered by book Annabeth, I know Leah’s Annabeth will teach young black girls that they can be everything she is.

#LeahIsOurAnnabeth

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