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All the Reasons Why I Won’t Be Watching Fate: The Winx Saga
Hey there, everyone! Welcome to my blog post! This is still the Babyland newsletter, just with pizzaz added to it.
Last week, I briefly discussed Winx Club and Fate: The Winx Saga. Today, let me prepare you.
If you are a huge fan or a so-so fan of the adaptation, please skip this post. I’m entitled to my opinion, as you are. Going by the litany of disappointed fans and negative reviews, I obviously agree with them; therefore, I list my own reasons why I don’t agree with the latest adaptation of WINX.
Spoilers are included. Read with caution, loves!
*I read reviews, watched commentary on YouTube, watched trailers for both seasons, and read up on both TV shows to get a feel for whether I’d like to watch Fate. Can’t say I’m interested after I researched all that.Let’s start with what the show does not include:
1) Close friendship
Yo, I’m not seeing the warm, close-knit, friendly friendship! From the looks of it, the girls don’t bond and go their separate ways. Animated WINX should teach the live-action series a lesson.2) Home planets
YEAH, HOME PLANET! Mine is Earth, what’s yours! Each fairy from the cartoon series had a residence from another planet, including Bloom, who resided on Earth for much of her life until she learned over time, she originated from a magical dimension named Domino. Now, on Netflix, in the world of Fate: The Winx Saga, planets have been removed and replaced by realms all compressed together. Where be sparkly magical world?3) Wings
Someone forgot their pair of wings! An angel without wings is ludicrous. A fairy without wings is ridiculous! According to the Netflix adaptation, fairies used to have them. Yeah? I used to be a mermaid; now, I can get by with half a tail transformation and continue to swim in the water—still a mermaid.4) Magical creatures
While the creator of Winx Club himself, Iginio Straffi, wanted an adult-themed, live-action version of Winx Club, I don’t understand why that meant making the version into a dark version. Unicorns, pixies, dragons, fairy pets, or ogres don’t appear to make the cut for his latest fairy project. Bloom’s firepower counts! She comes from the Dragon Flame! There’s your magical creature! Nailed it, Netflix!
In my opinion, it’d be adorable for a computer-generated pixie to appear on the screen. It’s been done before.5) Tecna and Flora
In our prevalent reality of omnipresent technology, what GIVES with the erasure of Tecna, fairy of technology? As for Flora, she doesn’t make an appearance until Season 2! She’s practically a late-comer to the Winx! She may, yes, have been added to the series (finally), but her arrival in Season 2, not Season 1, makes me quickly say, “I’m out!”6) Brandon and Timmy
Pro: the Specialists are included. Con: original members are subtracted. The Winx Saga writers must love to eschew from the original story. Brandon was one of the prominent Specialists, and Timmy might have been the most essential to the crew as he was adroit with technology. Thinking it over, Tecna is absent from this show, and she was Timmy’s love. Then again, we have Stella, who dated Brandon in the first show, but her heart lies with Sky . . .7) Hovercraft
Synonymous with the tech we saw Tecna use all the time, The Winx Saga leaves no reminder of the hovercraft in their series. Cars are the norm. Basic, are we?8) Cloud Tower
Headmistress Griffin and her witch students, along with their school, were killed off in the “grown-up” Winx Club. My heart goes out to them.Follow me, and let’s look at what the hell has changed!!!
9) “Flora” and Musa
The new “Flora” of Netflix’s Fate is Terra. Flora is mentioned in Season 1 as a cousin to Terra. What what? This would be a flip flop, except in the animated counterpart, Flora had a sister named Miele. With Terra in place of Flora, it doesn’t fly with me. Pun intended. Over to Musa: The Winx Saga writers relegated her from a fairy of technology to an empath fairy who feels others’ emotions. Those headphones she wears are to work against her abilities rather than acting as a source of her magic. Cartoon Musa made sense!10) “Diversity”
I’ve had a look over the extended cast, and there is diversity. Applause! However, look closely enough, and you’ll see precisely where casting screwed up. Wow, one black character in the overall major Winx characters. I don’t find this up to snuff. Was there difficulty hiring an Asian actress for Musa and a Latina actress for Flora, or more like, Terra? Write to me, Netflix!11) Wardrobe
Explain how this is a young-adult version of Winx when the girls are supposed to be the same age as their cartoon counterparts. Further, the teens on the Netflix saga don’t dress as much as teen girls do. The fashion is quite blah. Surprisingly, I am fond of the outfits from the original TV show. For the Netflix original series, skimpy outfits would do. That’s how girls from my high school dressed, anyway.12) Accents
Read this twice in case I’ve offended you: I have no problem with British accents. It’s in a story written like Fate, where characters who come from all over share the same accent, does it piss me off. Harry Potter characters can get away with it for the straightforward reason that they live in England. For Fate: The Winx Saga, where everyone has the same accent (but not Bloom), makes the creators look like they are striving for unimpressionable sophistication.13) Trix
We got no wings; we got no Cloud Tower; we got no Trix! The destructive trio of witches made the animated Winx so enjoyable to watch. Come on over to live-action Winx, and one has made it to the small screen. Her name isn’t any of the original Trixes: it’s Beatrix. Beatrix dies already by Season 1. To screw this up more so, she’s a flippin’ fairy!14) Evil headmistress
What I love about Winx Club (I have plenty of seasons left to watch) is the presence of the sincere, kind headmistress named Faragonda. Faragonda protected the girls and strived for them to be powerful fairies. Enter Fate: the world of Alfea has changed its tune by replacing her with a headmistress who isn’t what she seems to be.15) Relationships
Stella goes for Sky, Bloom’s BF? Riven has his eyes set on Beatrix and not Musa? Where did these effed-up relationships come from?? I find it cringe-worthy! Sky and Bloom were such a power couple in animated Winx! Just put Sky with Bloom and Musa with Riven–properly–end of story!16) No crown
I was surprised to learn that in Season 2 of the 2004 series, the newcomer Winx–Layla/Aisha–was a princess. Switch to the 2021 series, no princess Aisha. Stella keeps her crown. Can’t say the same about Bloom, but I’m not picking favorites here.17) Added characters
All these unnecessary brand-new characters, even a fill-in for a Specialist, when surely there was room for a Specialist named Brandon, make the show unrecognizable to the highest degree. Around this point, I fail to see how this is Winx Club in flesh and blood.18) Parents
2004 Bloom had a warm, supportive relationship with her adoptive parents. In that version, she was adopted after her adoptive father discovered her safely protected by a magical shield. That shield protected her from fire, which broke out around her. In the gloomy Netflix version, she’s switched with another baby. Somehow her parents didn’t know that. :/ Not dark enough? Her power unleashes in her house and on one of her parents, nearly killing them. Thankfully, Winx Club didn’t turn down that dark path. While original Bloom’s power was magic, I look over at adapted Bloom, and I get more of a sense she’s a mutant and not a fairy.19) Stella
In the lovely Winx Club, Stella wasn’t perfect, for she made comments about those around her, was highly opinionated, and snapped when she didn’t get her way. Through it all, her habit of cracking jokes, standing up for her friends, courageousness, and kindness is the polar opposite compared to the live-action Winx Club. Hell, going after her friend’s boyfriend is not Stella at all! Her rudeness, mean attitude, and lack of loyalty to her friends turn me away.20) Moody and gloomy
A young-adult-themed Winx Club didn’t have to be dark, rife with snappy, uneasy-going teenagers who drink and mention gays. LGBTQ is the norm in television nowadays; refer to social media and Harry Potter, as though that’s the single most appropriate reference for a magical fantasy series. It could have turned out similar to Mean Girls, embracing the colorful set design and outfits for each character that is both on-point for their style, age, and period. The magic deserved a more magical essence than popping up like mutant abilities. The girls definitely could have acted nicer to each other and accepted one another faster.
Harry Potter did a fantastic job going from page to screen. The writers of Fate: The Winx Saga did not have such a laborious task. Yet they mistook that grown-up fans of the original Winx would love a stress-inducing, eerie take on the beloved show in live-action.Admittingly, Fate looks cool, but I don’t get that same feeling of Winx when I look at it. I see gloom and death and so-so friendships. If you like the show, good for you. I’m going to be sticking with the beloved, colorful Winx Club!
If you’d like to see more of my blog posts, subscribe to get updates on them by going to my website!
After reading this post, are you more Winx or Fate?
Thanks for reading!
Sources:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8179402/?ref_=hm_rvi_tt_i_12
https://winx.fandom.com/wiki/Winx_Club_Wiki
https://winx.fandom.com/wiki/Fate:_The_Winx_Saga
https://www.rbw.it/en/about/management/iginio-straffi/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDkKzjDW1TU&t=436s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4aDRtnk4Yo&t=903s -
Books I Recently Added to My TBR List (As Recent as 2021)
From my (usually) weekly newsletter.
Howdy, fellow fellows! Exsqueeze me for not having a newsletter out last week. Baby and her friends have been dragging me to and fro to coach their end-of-summer activities. Gosh, are they dumb! I’m talking about both the activities and the babies!
Maybe, if you can handle it, imagine babies throwing wet diapers at each other to cool off from the summer heat or strapping themselves into mermaid tails and waiting beside the shoreline for it to take them into the ocean. Oh, sure, THAT turned out well!
Their perpetual stupidity aside, I’ve still taken the time to write a list of books I’m hoping you’ll like. Always jazzing it up, here’s how I’ve listed it for you today:
- Mood: The grown-ass fairy
The Fairies’ Path (Fate: The Winx Saga Tie-In Novel)
2. Mood: Living the college girl trope
Fresh3. Mood: Ye Scottish Gran has been buggin’ you on jus’ on much ye know ’bout Scotland
Bravely
4. Mood: Labor Day is on the back burner–Halloween vibes only now
Resurrection Girls
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44174348-resurrection-girls
5. Mood: Haunted abodes are all the rage
Séance Tea Party
6. Mood: Searching for a cure for not growing an interest in adulthood
Dr. Rick Will See You Now
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59546874-dr-rick-will-see-you-now
7. Mood: Tight-knit siblings band together
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33413919-the-vanderbeekers-of-141st-street
8. Mood: Considering a career in espionage
Secrets of The Silver Lion (A Carmen Sandiego Novel)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53529450-secrets-of-the-silver-lion
9. Mood: Bad-ass fairy feels
Pixie (Pixie Hollow Academy)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55580463-pixie
10. Mood: Surfing the web for Salam, MA, ghost tour availabilities
How to Hang a Witch
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27405351-how-to-hang-a-witch
11. Mood: Interest piqued how ’60s people vacationed
The Lioness
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58537058-the-lioness
12. Mood: No time like the 1920s
The Shining Girls
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16131077-the-shining-girls
13. Mood: Retro witch
The Complete Sabrina the Teenage Witch Collection 1962-1971
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18465970-the-complete-sabrina-the-teenage-witch
14. Mood: Revived witch from your childhood
Sabrina the Teenage Witch
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44799225-sabrina-the-teenage-witch
15. Mood: Scrolling through ancestry.com records for Beezlebub genealogy
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Vol 1: The Crucible
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23308488-chilling-adventures-of-sabrina-vol-1
Peace!
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8 Dark Comedy Films to Ease Your Soul
Yo, yo readers! We’re one month closer to summer, buuut. . .wow, no shortage of stress in the world, correct? I won’t list them here, though. Gloom and doom’s residency is elsewhere.
However, my idea to round up an abbreviated list of dark comedy films is apt at the time of Mental Health Awareness Month. In the discussion of comedy–at this very moment–comedy and mental health are an odd mix yet add up when you take a closer look.
While not an odd mix but a great combo, take dessert and pair it with a broken heart. Chocolate has a way of soothing salty tears if you follow.
Mental health help and self-love–which I believe in–go hand in hand.
Looking for relief during that self-care? Then read on!
Dark comedy-horror flicks
Classic
For the droll animal in you . . .
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
Credit: IMDB Recent
For the duo who find themselves in unbelievable crap . . .
Get Out (2017)
Credit: IMDB Dark comedy romance flicks
Classic
For your abstruse interests . . .
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Credit: IMDB Recent
For your heart and soul . . .
Warm Bodies (2013)
Credit: IMDB Dark comedy-drama flicks
Classic
For the times you let the curse words fly. . .
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Credit: IMDB Recent
For your bad-ass self. . .
I, Tonya (2017)
Credit: IMDB Dark comedy-mystery flicks
Classic
For you and the gang who break out a DIY crime scene when someone’s phone goes missing at so-and-so’s house. . .
Clue (1985)
Credit: IMDB Recent
For the “pal” in your life who runs around wearing Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak . . .
A Simple Favor (2018)
Credit: IMDB Enjoy whatever film you pick! One more thing!
Have you tried the LikeWise app? It’s similar to GoodReads, where you make a list of your favorite books and discover new reads. Like GoodReads, LikeWise gives you options to discover similar TV shows, movies, and podcasts! Hence, LikeWise!
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The Sims 4: Barbie’s Dreamhouse: Part 2
Simmers! Welcome back to my post about the Sims 4! Or welcome in general, if this is your first visit! That’s grand, too!
I would have posted this sooner, but life has been chaotic! Promotions, job opportunities, and schedule changes have upended my intent to finish this off!
Allow me to introduce post one:
Post one, I shared pics of the interior and exterior of my take on Barbie’s Dreamhouse. In this post, I’ve changed it up. Way up!
*All images are mine and under my EA username, TheEilof97. You may not use these images without my permission. If you would like to use these images, you must contact me to receive my permission.
Barbie CAS
I styled Barbie to the best of my ability. For reference for all the characters, I headed to Barbie’s Wiki page.
Yes, Barbie could use a makeover. Where are her eyelashes?! Is that the best I could do? It’s Maxis, all! I don’t want to drown my PC with CC. I did the best I could to make her resemble Barbie . . .as Barbie is in her Dreamhouse cameo. Yeah, right, cameo! You know, Barbie! She’s a star in her films! But Life in the Dreamhouse is a TV show on Netflix . . .
Back on topic: I did style her hair differently for each outfit for each occasion (formal, sports, bedtime, swimwear) since Barbie never has ONE hairstyle!
Skipper CAS
I wasn’t sure whether to make her younger sister a kid or a teen, so since Skipper is probably closer to the latter, it’s why she looks the same age as Barbie.
After reading Skipper’s profile and discovering her love of music and sports, I styled her clothes to correlate with a music vibe. Again, to the best of my ability.
Stacie CAS
For Stacie, she is the third sister. I made her a child, though my Sim version of her appears younger than her Wiki profile.
I kept her apparel sporty as I read she is tomboyish.
Onto the CAS, I did use that feature to make all the sisters related. I clicked on it after I created Barbie. I did some tweaking since if you have the feature I am talking about, you can play around with how much or little your next Sim resembles their kin.
Kelly CAS
For those who aren’t on the up and up and haven’t read my first post, Chelsea had initially been Kelly. I wasn’t aware of this even for the couple of new movies I’ve watched starring Barbie and the gang. In the back of my mind, I must have thought there were five sisters –nope! I recall Kelly from the early Barbie movies, and I’m stickin’ with Kelly!
Kell-Kell is the youngest, and I had to make her a toddler. Her Wiki even states she is between the ages of 3 and 5.
The hair I chose for her was the closest to one she dons in the games and TV movies (all of the ones from the early 2000s). I didn’t want to bother searching for a humongous hairstyle for her since she’s only a tot.
Now for the exciting parts!
Barbie’s aspiration
Rewinding to Barbie, I thought over what her aspiration might be: totally motherly and one for children. I couldn’t go wrong with the Successful Lineage Aspiration. I’d like to see her marry and start a family of her own. In my game, Ken doesn’t necessarily have to be her beau.
Barbie’s family tree
I was able to do this correctly: Barbie, Skipper, Stacie, and Kelly are successfully linked as sisters. I’m not sure what is supposed to go up top here. I’m thinking when Barbie marries, her husband will be added to the family tree.
Barbie’s traits
I have not used all the traits in my game yet. I want to do my best to keep everything as relatable to Barbie as much as possible. I forget why I added domestic, but anyone who is a fan of Barbie knows how confident and self-assured she is. She’s Barbie! She bears a sunny, upbeat personality!
Barbie’s likes and dislikes
This is more of a newer feature in the game, and I find it quite fun! In CAS, choose all the music, colors, and hobbies your Simmy Sim likes; the same goes for what they don’t like.
Barbie is the quintessential lover of pink. She probably doesn’t like brown. She likes her pop music but not the blues. Her wide variety of hobbies includes rocket science, painting, piano, guitar, fitness, cooking, handiness, and gardening; her dislikes include fishing and mixology.
She’s Barbie! She’s into nearly everything!
Barbie’s school performance
I only started playing the game for real about three weeks ago, so that’s why Barb’s game performance is still not up there in performance. We’ll say she’s been on vacay.
Skipper’s traits
Let’s back peddle to Skipper. I bestowed her the music lover trait based on the Christmas movie she was in. Say she goes places with a music career; the business savvy trait will come in handy.
Skipper’s skills
Despite her love of video gaming, she’s leveled up the most with fitness! I do have a gaming system for them!
Skipper’s aspiration
One for music, it made sense to me for Skipper to OWN that FABULOUSLY WEALTHY Aspiration. After seeing her reach a music goal in that Christmas movie, sure, why not?
Skipper’s likes and dislikes
Quite the music lover, isn’t she? She does have a liking for technology, as hinted when I mentioned video gaming. The music genres she doesn’t prefer are romance, blues, lullabies, and classics.
Her color choices are red and white, and she’s not someone who likes yellow.
Turning our attention over to Stacie, I like where she is in the skill levels. She may not be the artist in the family, but that’s where she’s leveled up the most.
Stacie’s skills
As a child Sim, their aspirations are going to change. Her Wiki states she’s into sports, and it made sense for me to assign her the Rambunctious Scamp Aspiration. I don’t see this lasting. There’s no room in my Sim yard for a jungle gym!
Stacie’s aspiration
It’s up to this age where Sims are “handed” cell phones. I think it’s cute that there’s an option to surf the web for kid-friendly websites. It’s funny–my first cell phone did not have that feature.
Stacie’s cell phone
I had to go with the active trait for Stacie. As far as favorites go, she likes the color blue, pop music, mischief, fitness, cooking, fishing, bugs, and creepy things.
Halloween should be no problem for her.
Stacie’s likes and dislikes
This came to me as a pleasant surprise: apparently, Stacie has become acquainted with the stuffed unicorn toy in their living room; Stacie is in a relationship with Uni the Unicorn.
I will make sure she makes human friends.
Stacie’s relationships
Her school performance could not be any blunter.
Stacie’s school performance
Toddlers have it all going. Kelly babbles like everyone is listening to her, so it’s no wonder she’s up there in communication.
I do have stairs in their house, and I’ve seen her use them. What counts in mobility is how far she can walk and how long she can walk without falling on her face. You’re getting there, Kell.
I’m glad she can think!I’d love it if she could stop the accidents and use her pink potty already! It’s not there to stare at!
Kelly’s skills
Toddler traits are limited. Wiki does state Kelly as sweet and imaginative, so there you go.
Kelly’s trait
I hope you enjoyed this post! I will have a part 3 to this! As to what it will cover and when it will be up, I’m not sure!
Tune in for next time! -
TV Series and Movies I Need to See This Year
Mentions: Arthur, Inventing Anna, WINX Club, Victoria, Greta, Little Women, Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin, Aquaman, Birdman, The Power of the Dog, The Secret of Kells, and Annabelle 2&3
Before I get all weird and off-the-wall, let’s turn our heads to what occurred this week: Ukraine is under attack by Russia. My heart goes to those fleeing their homes, to those who have loved ones over in Ukraine. My heart goes to those in Russia who wish they could fight back. I wish I had more words to say.
Back to a lighter note: I, Eileen, have time away from Baby today! I brought her over to Funny Baby’s house to have a playdate with one another! It worked out because I told her I had a couple of appointments! True, as this post was initially set for last Wednesday. It’s not like I don’t try to set a time for all of you!
Since I don’t have set plans for the foreseeable future, imma lay out the movies and tv shows I need to see this year. Maybe you’ll like my list; maybe you won’t. That’s why we have TikTok and YouTube–for those who can’t bother with TV seasons or movies more than an hour and a half long.
Arthur) Oh, goodness, how old am I? For your info, Arthur ended its last season days ago after being on air for 25 years. It’s one of the longest-running kids’ shows of all time. Presenting empathy, real-life situations, and its line of celebrities is perhaps what made this beloved show run for this long. If you are in my age group, you might remember the oldest episodes more so than the newest episodes–unless you happen to have glimpsed at Arthur in the past ten years. *Cue the sad music from the episodes*
Inventing Anna) I’ve got a newbie on this list, and her name is Anna! Inventing Anna is a series on Netflix (for a change, not Paramount+, HBO, or AppleTV+) about a female con artist. Think Elizabeth Holmes or President Cheeto. Should you have ever seen Ozark, you may be familiar with Julia Garner–she’s the player here!
I, for one, barely had interest in this series when I was a wee one. It’s had spin-offs and recently a Netflix live-action series, I believe. Le livre of that makes me want to watch this spell-binding animated series from where it all started. I need to know: Will I enjoy it? How many seasons does it last? Which platform do I watch it on? Will eating half a box of chocolate ruin the experience of watching it or not?
Victoria)
Victoria absconded us at season 3 with dire warnings. I’ve been awaiting for thee to make her final return; alas, I’ve been in the dark. Pray tell, you enjoy the English productions? But of course! I fancy England, for I am an Anglophile. Tea practically runs in my blood. The English sweets aren’t easy for me to resist! Has this Queen returned yet, or has she other duties to consider?
Greta)
Let’s pop on over to another female-dominated production, this time a feature film. Some blond teen returns an item to a lone French woman, and stalker city ensues. I saw its movie trailer, and I was like, “Why is this older woman after a blond teen? Does she want her autograph?”
Well, I’m little, I’m a woman, why not watch? Do you recall the buttload of commercials and advertisements this film had before it hit theaters? It did reach theaters, didn’t it? It was Christmas day . . .okay, besides that, I’m impressed by the cast in here. I’m more impressed that I haven’t seen it.
Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin)
This looks like it may be one of the best films in the franchise. What is it, a teen girl visits a village where her ancestors are, to learn more about her dead mother? Her mother’s spirit is still there? Hauntings…loading. From what I’ve noticed, these types of films–the portrayal of scary home movies–went up in popularity since the first Paranormal Activity. Looks like the PA franchise couldn’t end it just yet after the last film. Apparently not enough complaints about trips to the bathrooms. . .
Aquaman)
I’d like to check it out! Let’s experience this “underwater” live-action film. Until the movie’s upcoming release date, I’d never heard about this superhero. There’s a similar superhero in Spongebob and in Fairly Oddparents. My mermaid obsession is coming out! I wanna feast my eyes on what Nicole Kidman’s power is in this film! She’s a mermaid!?
Birdman)
We’re going back to eight years when this bizarro film touched the silver screen. I had my doubts about this one. I still kinda do. Michael Keaton’s a superhero-actor here? Retired actor? An actor-superhero? He’s more like Deadpool, personality-wise? It’s a quirky film. Watch …if you watched Batman.
A newbie film! I’m not a Western fanatic, but I’ve been tracking Benedict Cumberbatch since his Sherlock days. I gotta see how cruel he acts in his latest project!
It’s some animated Irish film I don’t know what it’s about. It shares the same animation style as Wolfwalkers, that AppleTV+ series. I’ll give it a go–it has that fantasy element to it.
Annabelle Creation & Annabelle Comes Home
Yeah, I don’t have a fascination with old, creepy, haunted dolls in IRL, but when I saw several minutes of the sequel of Annabelle on TV–that’s Annabelle Creation–I had that desire to freak myself out for the fun of it. Based on true events, the real Annabelle doll stays away from humans, since she’s, how do I put this lightly? CURSED! Your life if you wanna visit her. BTW, Annabelle Comes Home is the 3rd film of this franchise. I have no desire to watch the first one since IMO, it doesn’t seem worth watching.
For accurate information on the films and TV series, click on the links, since I didn’t feel like researching for this post at all! That’s not usually the case!
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My Thoughts on Influencers
What do you think of when you hear “influencer” uttered? Do you think of MrBeast ( I hope not) or Like Nastya (too young for you, I hope)? Or do you imagine a bevy of people on YouTube trying to convince you to buy “the most comfortable sneakers ever”? Maybe this is you, scrolling through the YouTube rabbit hole after a long slog.
An influencer is described as a system where people earn money or aspire to earn it from content they put online; it is also where they endorse a brand or product.
These influencers could be experts, artists, gamers, fitness gurus, beauticians, teachers and parents. (Understandable if you are averse to watching your teacher on screen.) Being engaged with an online community can boost their sales or . . .provide more views on their Twitch account?
How did the influencer trend start? Why, with Beth Moncel! In 2009, when she began work at Whole Foods, she was a fresh college graduate. Long story short, her blogging adventure was born when she blogged about recipes. Over a decade after her website launch, she has since retired from it.
In the past decade, with the global growth of Instagram and Pinterest, people have documented their lives through video and photo footage. Memory lane . . .
Influencers make their money through ads, paid posts, subscriptions, sponsors, and affiliate links. It is their goal to influence mindsets, as well as behaviors, take action, and purchase the products they promote.
Relatable, young people want to earn money by doing something they love. A survey from 2023 found that 1 in 4 in the Gen Z era aspire to make a career from influencing. The life of one is being invited to events and getting things for free; it sounds appealing enough to become a professional in this, does it not? You document your life each day (even the most mundane parts). Hours are spent each week making content to then upload to whatever social media accounts you use.
With more and more influencers turning up, social media gets bombarded with seemingly everybody joining the content creator crowd. It comes with consequences, like anything in life. Such as where a chunk of one’s followers are actually bots.
My take on this industry: I hate influencers. The idea of your life revolving around how many views you receive. It’s something I understand but mostly don’t. Relying on followers to pay you. Spending endless hours creating content so to please those who watch you. For me, it isn’t just how involved it is in the process, but the title! A professional influencer? Of what, pet food? Isn’t that what the Farmer’s Dog is for?😁
I imagine a situation where a creator (one of few synonyms found for describing such a person) experiences technical difficulties to the point where their device has to be serviced at the store. They’re rushing the tech expert to hurry up to find the issue because “I need to upload another video by tonight.”😲 Relying on your audience will bring unnecessary pressure and disappointments, I assume.What about the creators who challenge themselves? “I watched all these Miley Cyrus movies, so you don’t have to!” (Yes, the distant days when Ms. Cyrus starred on the big screen.) “I spent hundreds of $ on Temu”; “I spent 24 hours of my life in Little Italy.”
The trends–the crazy, time-wasting trends! Diets, makeup hacks, and fashion tips are more searchable on social media than, say, duckduckgo. Leave it to an influencer to advise you on how to live your life? Let’s go! Convince me why I should be a tradwife and not find work. (I am not a mom, and I do not judge moms who have to stay at home. I am judging the ones who refuse to go out to work and love their homebody lives!)
Tradwife is a stupid term from 2018 that describes. . . you know, look it up. I’d rather not waste time writing about it.
Why have influencers tell you how you should live life? Is it that satisfying to spend hours staring at your phone? That way, you don’t miss the latest content? Is it worth your precious time? At all?Sources:
https://www.budgetbytes.com/about/
https://www.businessinsider.com/30-most-popular-youtubers-of-2023-mrbeast-pewdiepie-still-on-top-2023-3?op=1#29-thedonato-288-million-subscribers-2
https://www.npr.org/2023/04/17/1170524071/the-origins-of-the-influencer-industry
https://www.npr.org/2023/04/17/1170524077/the-economics-of-the-influencer-industry
https://www.npr.org/2023/04/17/1170524085/gen-zs-dream-job-in-the-influencer-industry
https://www.npr.org/2023/04/17/1170524093/the-dark-side-of-the-influencer-industry
https://www.npr.org/2023/04/17/1170524155/our-final-thoughts-on-the-influencer-industry -
2023 Update
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What I’m Doing Now
It’s been a while, peeps!
Now that we’re going into December, I, like many people, have my plate full.
Here’s what’s happy happening with me:
I’m thinking of writing another Babyland. I’ve barely started work on it, but I am in the brainstorming stage now.
Can’t think too well now.
I’m conjuring up a short story and that is still in the brainstorming stage as well. That’s probably not the right term to use . . .
I don’t have an idea of when these will be completed. However, there will certainly be more content from me in the future! I’d love to have two works published in the same year!
That is all I have for you as of now.
Peace out!
-Eileen
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Book Blogs I Adore and Follow
(This is taken from my newsletter, Welcome to Babyland, which I try to dish out every Wednesday)
I’ve got something twuly, twuly exciting for ya, and it’s called Book Blogs! While I don’t stalk them every day, and though I don’t blog constantly, I kind of want to change that up.
First thingys first: I’m slightly changing the game here on my newsletter. Since I do not have any new Babyland content, I will rectify this newsletter into one more about reading. That’s not to say I am done with Babyland; I need to spend ample time creating my subsequent published work, and as any author knows, that takes time.
Funny Baby: As much time as making a new baby???
Eileen: Listen, you twit, I haven’t even started telling them about the blogs I follow! Go be a baby somewhere!
Eileen *Back to audience*: Here we go! Out of respect for the book blogs, I won’t show you screenshots of the blogs.
I’ll begin by spouting how I admire Tracy’s website logo first! I get those nighttime garden vibes when I look at it. I can feel myself grasping those flowers above her logo.
Focus, Eileen! As of May of this year, Tracy is on hiatus from blogging. There are plenty of blogs written by her, where you can spend an afternoon reading. To clarify, if you’ve signed up for her newsletter, you won’t receive a new one for a while.
Baby: DO YOU HAVE ANY BREASTMILK?!
Eileen: WHY WOULD I HAVE BREASTMILK?!
Baby: Because we’re like, this. Baby crosses her finger
Eileen: For God’s sake, Baby, why don’t you order some?!
*Baby moves away from her, sulking*
Eileen *Back to audience*: Baby–Tracy lists blogs she stalks, probably putting it lightly. I’d stalk more blogs, but writing life.
I love her features menu, a customized page on her blog. There are pages on popular books that got makeovers, books for peeps who do not read YA, e-readers vs. physical books, and WAY more!
What I have not seen elsewhere, or at least not common at all, are the labels she lists for each blog post (tags, in other words) at the very bottom of her blog.
Seriously, book bloggers are cool! My last word on Tracy before I go on, according to her about me page, she makes book slipcases in her spare time. Not sure what that is? I’ll say it’s a Halloween costume for a book. Kidding.
2) Drizzle and Hurricane Books
I find this book blog, run by two sisters, a plentiful source for novice book bloggers. Not every book blogger offers tips on getting started in this field. I don’t, as I don’t. . .make . . .time. . . for it.
Yeah, I won’t talk about me.
I took notes from their blog before I started blogging. I’d say if you have an interest in learning in doing so, follow in the steps of a book blogger who’s been doing it for some time. They don’t have to be a professional–as in, a lawyer or publishing professional. They don’t need to be an author!
Aside from their blogging resources, the images they include in each post say “professional” all over it . . . and now I wonder if I’m the only one who pays attention to those details.
A link to their shop is on top of their menu, taking you to their favorite books. For each book you buy, they earn a small commission.
*Crawling into the room is Sleepy Baby. Her eyes shut, she bumps into Eileen’s legs.*
Eileen *To Sleepy Baby*: Sleepy Baby, may I help you?
Sleepy Baby: I had a nightmare.
Eileen: Yeah? Tell me about this nightmare.
Sleepy Baby: A doctor told me to drink more caffeine to feel more awake. Why would I want to drink caffeine?
Eileen: You wouldn’t want to be up–
*Sleepy Baby drifts off to sleep next to Eileen’s legs*
*Eileen shifts her to the side and dropkicks her away. Back to audience*: Sorry. As mentioned, Drizzle and Hurricane is a sister blog. The other sister lists her own blog posts on here, so you get a feel of which sister likes what in literature.
Moreover, at the bottom of their shared blog, websites for buying books are listed, as these young ladies have affiliations with a couple of companies.
I haven’t visited this blog too much; nonetheless, it’s another I’d love to explore for an hour or more.
Though I realized today that the writer of this blog hadn’t written a post since 2020, the website copyright is newly updated. Follow her blog anyway! Her goodreads account is updated!
ReadWriteLove28 has book memes, such as Top Ten Tuesday, which are reviews written on that day of the week. The books she’s listed are awesome, and I know I will add them to my towering TBR list because of this particular category.
More! Novel Newcomers features book bloggers new to the field, giving us an introduction to, well, it’s explained here, isn’t it??
Fashion Baby: Before you say anything else, what about those faux leather leggings you told me about?
Eileen: Uh, what now?
Fashion Baby: The cute leather–
Eileen: Faux leather, red leather, yellow leather, leather, leather leggings?
Fashion Baby: You’re cute when you joke around. When you’re finished running for a seat, you’re taking me out to buy them.
Eileen: I’m not, actually.
Fashion Baby: Bitch. Such a bitch!
Eileen *Back to audience*: That was fun! What’s the next one?
4) Bibliosmile (formerly Novels & Waffles)
Wow, this has to be the artsiest blog I’ve ever laid eyes on! The blogger, Kat, is one cool chick! She lives in Japan, and she’s designed this very blog by herself (hence the adorable/coolness of her blog design), and get this: she works to help book bloggers design their blogs!!!
She’s your teach if ya wanna grow your book blog or climb up to monetize your blog! Wait, there’s more: she’s got a buttload of book blogs for you to follow (why don’t you download the list instead–yes, you!), blog bloggers for you to guest blog on, and . . .
Holy woly, the list of YA books for you to drool over. Get instant access to that by signing up for her delicious newsletter. You don’t have to; her lists are accessible on her sweet website (sweet as in, I crave sweets by looking at it).
Before the last stop on this list, she helps you out with a list of upcoming novels.
Nature Baby: Would you like to participate in saving the narwhals?
Eileen: Not–right now, Nature Baby. Sorry.
Nature Baby: “Sorry” is a sorry excuse. Yes or no, to save the narwhals?
*Eileen skims over the poster board Nature Baby is struggling to keep on holding: a drawing of a narwhal (a bloody one) in the center of the board, and underneath are all types of desperate calls to action.*
Eileen: Where am I signing?
Nature Baby: This petition. *Nature Baby holds out a yellow sheet of paper.*
*Eileen scribbles her signature on it*: Alright, get lost.
Nature Baby: They will if we don’t protect them. Thank you, Eiween.
Last on the list, this packed blog leans more towards book tours. Besides that, it’s giveaways and book lists galore! On the web since 2011, scroll about this book blog until your eyes blur.
The writer of this here blog keeps a heavy presence on social media, from goodreads to bloglovin. After stalking her blog, you might yourself following her on one to three of her social media handles.
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I Caught This in My Sims 4 Game!
Wha up? It hasn’t been too long since I wrote a Sims blog post. Nope. Recently I scrolled through my short list of Sim posts and came back to the screenshots I snapped of my Sims.
As of exactly a week ago, I played with my Sims again, and I’m happy to say it was relaxing to find the time to do so! I’m working it out as I troubleshoot to get my mods back to where they need to be. Since EA does not screen mods, it takes time to contrive, and mods are bound to fail anyway.
Back to my Barbie Sims . . .
this first unexpected encounter could have been more exciting had I turned it into a photograph. Then again, I should grow used to how flippant the Sims are.
Make sense? Nah.
This took me by surprise! Never had it in my game before! Looky look! A sea monster! It has sea monster vibes written all over it! It’s moving like an upside-down sea turtle!Whatever it was, it never even attacked Stacie! It remained under her bed. Rather than a sedate bedtime, a Jaws prop emerges!
Funny, it scared her! Stacie hurried over to Skipper, and on my screen, there was an option for “monster spray.”
Anything can scare a Sim, no?
Stacie’s monster!!! Sometime after that “scare” Stacie experienced, I pondered how to make Barbie more social. Barbie is no introvert on my watch! I took her to the gym (upon writing this, I remembered I keep gym equipment at their Sim house, but that’s not the point).
Yay for me–mainly for Barb–she took to a treadmill! I learned a while back, before I played the Sims 4, that Sims have the ability to chat with other Sims and exercise simultaneously. Barbie girl did just that. . .
and made a grand performance of sliding off of it!Barbie, I did not bestow you with the clumsy trait! What made you fall?!
I love how she shook her head and resumed her exercise!
That’s what makes the Sims 4 reign supreme–they WILL surprise you when they do their own thing!
I’ll keep you posted on my Barbie Sims! In case you aren’t aware, I have Tumblr: eilbirish.tumblr.com.
Bye, all!
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