*puts Hands On Hollywood Exec's Shoulders, Staring Unblinking Into Their Eyes* Listen To Me. You Will

*puts hands on hollywood exec's shoulders, staring unblinking into their eyes* listen to me. you will never get people who hate musicals to like musicals by making your musical less of a musical. if you hide the fact that your film is a musical in the advertising, you're going to get a lot of low ratings from people who hate musicals and went into your movie not expecting a musical and got one anyway. people who hate musicals will hate them no matter how realistic and diegetic and lowkey you try to make it. they will hate musicals even if you completely excise anything complicated, over the top, silly, or even slightly challenging. they will hate musicals even if you cut half the songs. they will hate musicals even if you cast that a-lister who can't sing worth a damn. stop trying to market to people who hate musicals. they're a lost cause. your audience should be people who love musicals. this half-assed middle ground pisses off both camps. just embrace the fact that your movie is a musical. lean into it. don't try and trick musical haters into coming to your film when you could be marketing to the theater kids. better cringe than a coward.

I've been rewatching Phineas and Ferb (just found out that Disney uploaded a bunch of full season one episodes to YouTube) and one of my favourite parts is how, even though they have kids, Linda and Lawrence both lead full lives that don't depend on their children.

They have clubs and interests and skills that don't include their kids, they have a history before them and - most importantly - this history is SHOWN, and both of them seem to love their lives even if they aren't young.

I think a lot of people think that when you become a parent, you stop being yourself. They think that they have to give up all their hobbies and friends and everything for their children, but, while you do have to prioritize your children over yourself, you DON'T HAVE TO STOP BEING YOU. You're allowed to have hobbies, spend time with other people, build new skills, you're allowed to LIVE YOUR LIFE even with your kids. You are allowed to try things out, and make mistakes, and back track for a bit.

Obvs it's not a 1-1 to real life, which is much more messy and dangerous than the PnF universe, but I think the core message still stands.

EVEN AS A PARENT, YOU ARE STILL A PERSON

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More than being parents, I think this is a good way to portray adulthood in general. As you get older, or when you move out of the education system, a lot of things get harder - you're expected to fend for yourself (or depend on others less), it gets harder to make friends, and everything becomes more stressful. While I'm not dumb enough to think that most of us can have the life Linda and Lawrence have, seeing them lead full lives gives me some hope in that my life and my future can be as full of people, activity, and fun as theirs is.

i went to alphaville and everyone there asked if you really want to live forever

did anyone else form a very personal connection to the diary of Anne Frank in middle school and feel like you were holding your breath your whole fifteenth year only to realize you were outliving her, continue to outlive her, continue to grow like she deserved to and you die a little inside or is that just me

i keep unsuccessfully attempting to explain to my mom and sister that Michael Crawford’s Phantom has a *tangy* voice, please tell me i’m not the only one who gets it

observing the way two people care for each other so deeply and know each other so well even after such a short time and hoping nothing ever comes in the way of that is such a bittersweet feeling

one of my best friends’ birthdays is coming up and we’re planning a party and her boyfriend—who is nervous about talking in most group chats—is flooding the chat with ideas that even i hadn’t considered. i have known her for around six years and he’s known her for less than six months and still i hope with all of my heart that they are happy together beyond any of this