Madness Most Discreet

Writer, bibliophile, music lover, language afficionada, philologist, secular humanist. English, Spanish, & intermediate French.

[cto10121]

Wilkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome: Tag Masterpost

Cto10121 is finally doing a personalized tag masterpost!!! It’s about damn time. Anyhoo, hopefully this will make it easier to find most everything of interest in my blog.

Me, Myself, and I

Cristina Reviews: General tag for my reviews of books, movies, musicals, and TV shows.

Cristina Reads: General tag for books with text, quotes, and screenshots.

Cristina Opines: My cold takes.

Cristina Has An Unpopular Opinion: My hot takes.

Cristina Is Silly: Technically I have a sense of humor.

Cristina Memes: Badly, but she does.

Cristina Metas: General tag for my nerdy griping.

Icon Fun: I had tons with those icon memes of yore.

Ask/Reply

I Come Anon: For anonymous asks.

Books & Literature

Cristina Is An English Major: Main tag.

Popular Fandoms

Twilight Meta: Meta on Twilight.

Anti Anti Twilight: This is a pro-romance blog above all, but honestly it doesn’t deserve it.

Twilight Clownery: Tumblr’s hatred of Twilight has much to do with hate, but more with love clownery.

SAB Meta: Very critical meta on Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone. See also: Anti Malina, Mal Me Cae Muy Mal

Darling Dorkling Darkling Done Dirty: I originated this tag and don’t you lot forget it! Defense of The Darkling from Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone.

HP Clown Takes: Harry Potter clownery is real and so I eat it.

Shakespeare

R&J Meta/RJ Meta: Meta on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The Struggle Is Real for both Shakespeare and Presgurvic meta. I also did a read-through on Arthur Brooke’s version.

R&J Clown Takes: It’s a whole series by this point. See also: RJ Clown Takes, RJ Clownery, R&J Clownery.

Romeo Hate Dumb: So much material that I literally had to create my own tag for it. Thanks for nothing, world.

Hamlet Meta: Meta on Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Hamlet Clownery: I foresee this will be a thing.

Shakespeare Meta: Meta on Shakespeare’s plays in general.

Shakespeare Clownery: Might as well create this tag because I know I’m going to need it.

Life of Will: Meta on Shakespeare himself and his life.

Musicals

Romeo et Juliette: General tag for Presgurvic’s musical. Also Roméo et Juliette.

RetJ Meta: I like to talk about this musical way too goddamn much.

RetJ World Domination: The whole purpose of this blog by this point.

Original French RetJ

Revival RetJ

Takarazuka RetJ

Hungarian RetJ

That Production That Must Not Be Named: You lot know exactly what I mean.

Idaho RetJ: This exists.

Notre Dame de Paris: General tag for the Plamondon/Cocciante musical.

Elisabeth: General tag for the Kunze/Lévay musical. Also with the das.

Rebecca: General tag for the Kunze/Lévay musical. Also with the das.

My Writing

That’s kind of my main thing. I still have my AO3 and Fanfiction.Net accounts, as well as a sister blog here, technically.

Lyrics and Translations

The agonies of a certain English translation of RetJ has driven me to a life of crime lyric writing, beginning with RetJ. I also uploaded whole scripts to my lyrics website; those are more or less the latest versions.

My Lyrics: My general tag for all my translations, including pop and world music.

RetJ English: English lyrics for Presgurvic’s Roméo et Juliette, de la Haine à l’Amour.

Notre Dame de Paris English: English lyrics for Cocciante’s and Plamondon’s Notre Dame de Paris.

Elisabeth English: English lyrics for Kunze and Lévay’s Elisabeth.

Starmania English: English lyrics for Plamondon and Berger’s Starmania.

Tanz der Vampire English: English lyrics for Kunze and Steinman’s Tanz der Vampire.

[cto10121]

“And Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare.” The evaluators nod, make notes. Romeo and Juliet is required reading in every freshman-year health class. “And why is that?” Evaluator Three asks. It’s frightening. That’s what I’m supposed to say. It’s a cautionary tale, a warning about the dangers of the old world, before the cure. But my throat seems to have grown swollen and tender [...] “It’s beautiful.” Instantly all four faces jerk up to look at me, like puppets connected to the same string. “Beautiful?” Evaluator One wrinkles her nose. There’s a zinging, frigid tension in the air, and I realize I’ve made a big, big mistake.

Me, broke: Thinking Romeo and Juliet is a cautionary tale is a media illiteracy and lowkey recession indicator.

Lauren Oliver in 2012, woke: Thinking Romeo and Juliet is a cautionary tale is a dystopian government indicator.

[cto10121]

Me: [at the witness bench] I am still very much haunted by the removal of the slow-motion Le Bal reprise as a transition to C’est Pas Ma Faute. Because we feel the impact of RetJ finding out they are each other’s enemy all the more, that ominous doom and gloom of it all. It’s a good transition! Instead, the Austrian and Revival version interrupts this with Tybalt and Capulet’s argument and then Tybalt sings C’est Pas Ma Faute in the middle of the ball. Like. Can we not? We need to close on RetJ first before we can focus on Tybalt and Capulet and the plot. Even the London had the wit to put that argument after Le Bal, and it was a perfectly good idea (though the execution was terrible, as always, and getting rid of C’est Pas Ma Faute altogether for a sung Le Bal reprise sucked). The most baffling part of all this is, most if not all productions have followed suit! To this day, we haven’t had a slow-motion Le Bal reprise transition, not even the Takarazuka and Toho. Why not? Is it not very feasible? Is it goofy-looking live? Maybe it’s the sort of thing that makes better sense in a movie than on stage. But I personally feel you can still have Tybalt and Capulet argue after the transition as in the Shakespeare and still work musically. Either way, I don’t want to see more of Tybalt tearing down frozen couples mid-ball because angst, please and thank you.

Lawyer: Objection, Your Honor!

[cto10121]

Me: [at the witness stand] I know I have talked about my preference for a white wedding instead of a color one for Aimer like some productions *glares at the Austrian and Revival*…but really, guys, I mean it. I know it isn’t realistic for RetJ to whip out something white to wear while they’re trying to hide their forbidden love affair from their color-coded families, but it’s the ~symbolism for me. Having RetJ be in their house colors when they are literally getting married and defying said houses is just not it. It’s not white=wedding, it’s white=a color that is RetJ’s alone and doesn’t signify the damn feud. It could be purple (red + blue) or even black (to symbolize their subversion of Verona’s norms). If I were to direct a production, I’d have RetJ begin Aimer in their house colors, (because yeah, it’s ordinary dress, they can’t draw attention) and then change/reveal their white costumes because they are beyond the feud now. Then Romeo would be able to keep some portion of his white costume during On Dit Dans La Rue. It would also give them something to do instead of just singing at each other and going to the altar and kneeling. Speaking of the direction, can we please make Aimer not boring to look at? The French and Hungarian are still the gold standard for direction, but I swear the direction of this scene keeps getting lazier and lazier. I don’t know, does that make sense?

Lawyer: The defense rests.

[cto10121]

Chapters: 1/18 Fandom: Roméo et Juliette - Presgurvic, Romeo And Juliet - Shakespeare Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Juliet Capulet/Romeo Montague, Juliet Capulet & Romeo Montague, Juliet Capulet & Tybalt, Benvolio & Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet), Tybalt/Original Female Character, Benvolio/Original Female Character, Mercutio/Original Female Character Characters: Romeo Montague, Juliet Capulet, Benvolio (Romeo and Juliet), Lady Montague (Romeo and Juliet), La Mort | Death (Romeo et Juliette), Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet), Tybalt (Romeo and Juliet), Rosaline (Romeo and Juliet), Lord Capulet (Romeo and Juliet), Lady Capulet (Romeo and Juliet), Balthazar, Horatio (Hamlet) Additional Tags: Modern Era, There Was Only One Bed, Forbidden Love, Shakespeare Expanded Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Fluff and Angst, gratuitous Italian, gratuitous Spanish, Hacking, American setting, Gun Violence, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Asexual Character, Alternate Universe - America, Mild Sexual Content, Cunnilingus, Mild Smut, References to Hamlet - Shakespeare, References to Macbeth - Shakespeare, References to The Taming of the Shrew - Shakespeare, very mild virgin/rake dynamics, Alternate Universe - College/University, as in r&j et al are attending college, no actual studying or college life alas, Gratuitious song references Summary:

When a mysterious hacker leaks the private information of two rival security companies, CIC and MIC grudgingly put aside their enmity to hatch a daring plan: Lure the hacker out with a fake dating scheme involving MIC’s own bachelor heir, Romeo Montague. But when the Capulets unexpectedly choose their own heiress, sheltered but whip-smart Juliette, both scions find themselves playing a dangerous game…one that threatens to become all too real. Modern AU.

[cto10121]

Chapter 16 is up!

[cto10121]

Chapters: 1/18 Fandom: Roméo et Juliette - Presgurvic, Romeo And Juliet - Shakespeare Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Juliet Capulet/Romeo Montague, Juliet Capulet & Romeo Montague, Juliet Capulet & Tybalt, Benvolio & Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet), Tybalt/Original Female Character, Benvolio/Original Female Character, Mercutio/Original Female Character Characters: Romeo Montague, Juliet Capulet, Benvolio (Romeo and Juliet), Lady Montague (Romeo and Juliet), La Mort | Death (Romeo et Juliette), Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet), Tybalt (Romeo and Juliet), Rosaline (Romeo and Juliet), Lord Capulet (Romeo and Juliet), Lady Capulet (Romeo and Juliet), Balthazar, Horatio (Hamlet) Additional Tags: Modern Era, There Was Only One Bed, Forbidden Love, Shakespeare Expanded Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Fluff and Angst, gratuitous Italian, gratuitous Spanish, Hacking, American setting, Gun Violence, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Asexual Character, Alternate Universe - America, Mild Sexual Content, Cunnilingus, Mild Smut, References to Hamlet - Shakespeare, References to Macbeth - Shakespeare, References to The Taming of the Shrew - Shakespeare, very mild virgin/rake dynamics, Alternate Universe - College/University, as in r&j et al are attending college, no actual studying or college life alas, Gratuitious song references Summary:

When a mysterious hacker leaks the private information of two rival security companies, CIC and MIC grudgingly put aside their enmity to hatch a daring plan: Lure the hacker out with a fake dating scheme involving MIC’s own bachelor heir, Romeo Montague. But when the Capulets unexpectedly choose their own heiress, sheltered but whip-smart Juliette, both scions find themselves playing a dangerous game…one that threatens to become all too real. Modern AU.

[cto10121]

Chapter 16 is up!

[vaguelyhumanshapedbeing]

I love starting the play with “Two households, both alike in dignity” because it leads an unexpectant audience to think “oh these are two noble and serene families” but it turns out that actually they’re both alike in being batshit insane

[cto10121]

“Dignity” means social class, rank, or status in Early Modern English.

[catcatalpa]

I headcanon the 01, 10, and 23 versions of La Mort as sisters…I call them Borda,Fiamma and Bianca

[chthonic-cassandra]

Night is the interior world - in this case not spatial but temporal - of Romeo and Juliet, a middle world of transformation and dream sharply contrasted to the harsh daylight world of law, civil war, and banishment. Night will be the setting for all the play's crucial private moments, moments of tragedy and love: the masque at Capulet's feast; the balcony scene in the orchard; the aubade scene, after the lovers have spent the night together; and the final night, the final darkness of Romeo's visit to Juliet's tomb, his fight with the County Paris, and his death. This is all the more striking when we recall that plays written for the public theater, like Romeo and Juliet [...] were performed in full daylight, in the middle of the afternoon. The sense of foreboding night and pervasive blackness is conjured up entirely by and through language, with the assistance of a few well-placed props and costumes: a lantern, a candle, a nightdress. Night, that is to say, is a state of theater and a state of mind.

Marjorie Garber, Shakespeare After All

[cto10121]

How do you know if writing is sexist/misogynistic?

You guys just really love throwing me these multifaceted questions, huh? But from my experience, there are these common signs:

Double standards. If a narrative treats a female character differently, i.e., worse, for displaying the same traits as a male character, that can be a sign of sexism within the narrative.

Needless drama and suffering. Female characters tend to suffer more than their male counterparts. A good writer can make it clear this is the result of a violent or unsafe patriarchal world, but some bad writers really have animus you can scent a mile away.

Clichéd and stereotypical characterization. The hero-rescues-damsel-in-the-tower-guarded-by-a-fire-breathing-dragon trope is more often subverted than played straight. But such tropes still exist, unfortunately. I recently read an R&J fantasy retelling that had Juliet cry constantly and jump to irrational conclusions, a caricature of a 16th century damsel in distress. Meanwhile her fantasy counterpart was a macho jerk not truly interested in her. The author had a truly beautiful style, so yeah, I can only surmise she had some grave sexism to sort through.

Making 1-2 female character(s) complex or likeable, usually the lead, while the rest are not. By choosing one or two female characters to develop, with realistic personalities and flaws, the sexist writer can get away with more shallow characterization for their other female characters. Side characters are usually not drawn as richly as the main leads, and for the most part shouldn’t be. But if they consistently lack realism or originality in their characterization, and if it’s usually the female ones, that can be a sign of sexist writing. Exceptions include when you’re writing from a sexist perspective.

Tacitly supporting a character’s sexism or misogyny. I don’t believe writers should address their character’s prejudices or even be obliged to devise punishments for them, especially since in real life most sexist people are not. But there is a way to write a sexist character without the narrative approving or delighting in them. If that narrative perspective is missing, then that could be a sign of sexism in the narrative.

Effeminate male characters are treated differently, i.e., worse, in the narrative. This is more heteronormative than outright sexist, but in some MLM romances, one of the romantic leads is characterized as more ~feminine than the other. Because we somehow can’t have two usually masculine men in love. Twink-bear pairings are very much Truth in Television, but it persists even when the two MMCs in question are based on dynamics that are not so (e.g. Achilles and Patroclus both being warriors, but with one depicted as a twink and the other a bear).

Framing female characters as obstacles or hindrances to male goals, business, or even relationships. The nagging girlfriend/wife who tries to influence her boyfriend/husband unduly and is just scuh a stick in the mud comes to mind. For that matter, some MLM books tend to depict female characters as either totally supporting of the MLM relationship, homophobic 2D shrews, or simply 2D shrews who stand in the way of the MLM happily-ever-after. That, too, is an aspect of sexist writing.

Framing typically feminine traits or behavior as inferior to neutral or male ones and/or a flaw to overcome for the typically feminine MC. This one is pretty self-explanatory, I feel, and perhaps the one consistent tell of sexist writing in recent years. If a work consistently puts down feminine characters to favor of, say, tomboys, that can be a sign of sexism.

Framing masculine traits in female characters as flaws to overcome and making them be more feminine or neutral in presentation. This is the other side of the coin, again, fairly self-explanatory. This arc can be averted, however, if it is made clear it’s the female MC’s internalized misogyny that needs to change within the narrative.

Perpetuating sexist myths and/or framing it as realism. Examples include false accusations of rape that are not explicitly justified, framing female infidelity as an act of horrific violence, etc.

Even lead female characters lack agency, and more agency is reserved for male characters. A common trait of amateurish writing, but when a writer is experienced, this quality of passivity or agency can be deliberate in its bias. Some romance novels that ostensibly have female leads but who give most of the development and motivation to the male LIs indulge in this.

Female characters violating the boundaries and the consent of the male characters and that being framed as okay and/or without consequence. A rare occurrence, thankfully, but the fact that I can think of examples is not good. Julia Quinn’s The Duke and I is a good recent one, but I will never forget Anthony Burgess’ Nothing Like the Sun, which has a villainous Anne Hathaway rape a young Will Shakespeare while he lies drunk under the crab tree. The narrative then uses this assault as an excuse for Shakespeare to cheat on her with impunity. So textbook it hurts.

All male characters hate and abuse women, sometimes with (1) token good male character. If I had a dime for every time I read a book that gave these rad fem vibes, I’d actually have a small fortune. Unfortunately, writers that go this hard tend to circle back to misogyny.

[shakespearenews]

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[cto10121]

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[cto10121]

Women Are All the Same (La donna è mobile)

N/B: Returned to my usual translation antics, this time with this catchy ditty from Verdi’s Rigoletto (also makes for a nice mambo). A lot of the major opera arias are really covert I Am songs - that is, they are really about the singer rather than the subject. "La donna è mobile" is 100% one of them, and the Duke of Mantua is projecting hard, like real-life misogynists do. Like if you like, reblog, etc.

Women Are All the Same (La donna è mobile)

Duke of Mantua Women are all the same They play the old game Of lust in love’s name Deceivers ever

Weak as a venial sin Bleak as the northern wind A fickle heart within And constant never

Women are all the same They play the old game Of lust in love’s name Chasing the flame!

Chasing the flame! Chasing the flame!

He who’d believe in her And good conceive in her Will lose within her His life and sanity

Outwardly true and fair Inwardly nothing there Will raze your loving care All for her vanity

Women are all the same They play the old game Of lust in love’s name Chasing the flame!

Chasing the flame! Chasing the flame!

[cto10121]

Chapters: 1/18 Fandom: Roméo et Juliette - Presgurvic, Romeo And Juliet - Shakespeare Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Juliet Capulet/Romeo Montague, Juliet Capulet & Romeo Montague, Juliet Capulet & Tybalt, Benvolio & Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet), Tybalt/Original Female Character, Benvolio/Original Female Character, Mercutio/Original Female Character Characters: Romeo Montague, Juliet Capulet, Benvolio (Romeo and Juliet), Lady Montague (Romeo and Juliet), La Mort | Death (Romeo et Juliette), Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet), Tybalt (Romeo and Juliet), Rosaline (Romeo and Juliet), Lord Capulet (Romeo and Juliet), Lady Capulet (Romeo and Juliet), Balthazar, Horatio (Hamlet) Additional Tags: Modern Era, There Was Only One Bed, Forbidden Love, Shakespeare Expanded Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Fluff and Angst, gratuitous Italian, gratuitous Spanish, Hacking, American setting, Gun Violence, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Asexual Character, Alternate Universe - America, Mild Sexual Content, Cunnilingus, Mild Smut, References to Hamlet - Shakespeare, References to Macbeth - Shakespeare, References to The Taming of the Shrew - Shakespeare, very mild virgin/rake dynamics, Alternate Universe - College/University, as in r&j et al are attending college, no actual studying or college life alas, Gratuitious song references Summary:

When a mysterious hacker leaks the private information of two rival security companies, CIC and MIC grudgingly put aside their enmity to hatch a daring plan: Lure the hacker out with a fake dating scheme involving MIC’s own bachelor heir, Romeo Montague. But when the Capulets unexpectedly choose their own heiress, sheltered but whip-smart Juliette, both scions find themselves playing a dangerous game…one that threatens to become all too real. Modern AU.

[cto10121]

Chapter 15 is up!

[cto10121]

Just saw someone say that Twilight ruined the vampire mythology:

https://www.reddit.com/r/LesbianBookClub/comments/1qoaoog/comment/o2lpiu2/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

*shaking my head*

It’s been awhile since I’ve seen this particular clown take out in the world, literal decades, in fact. Man, it takes me back.

But yeah, this take was dumb then and it’s even dumber now. Vampires have been linked to sexuality and even Gothic romance since Carmilla and Dracula. Anne Rice introduced the sympathetic/anti-hero vampire, still charged with plenty of eroticism and with barely a whisper of condemnation by vampire fans today. But moment Twilight comes along and does the exact same thing, suddenly it ruined vampire mythology forever. The double standard reeks.

[mercutiothecat]

RetJ poll Round 1 - Week I. 3/3

On prie

La reine Mab

Voting ended onMay 31

[benviemont0]

balthasar is a(n) messenger/angel of death. “for the dead travel fast” because balthasar immediately left to tell romeo that juliet was dead, delivering news of death. romeo also got there (the capulet tomb) before friar laurence because he is going to die.

mercutio and benvolio ran into tybalt first for the duel. mercutio was going to die. romeo didn’t show up until later

the nurse didn’t bring news of death, “for the dead travel fast”, and is not going to die so thats why juliet had to wait so long for the nurse to come tell her that romeo was agreeing to marriage before friar laurence.

news of death versus news of new life. marriage turns individual autonomy to a shared life together: therefore, the nurse didnt travel fast compared to balthasar.