Ivy's blog. She/Him

Where I share my inner thoughts on star wars, books, or whatever else. :)

[ivyboyinlace]

@Ivyshack

Linktree. Make your link do more.

Link to my goodreads & spotify :)

[ivyboyinlace]

Running on Empty (1988) review/analysis.

Some key aspects of the plot are not super realistic or believable, but for me that didn't take away from the touching and beautiful story.

It's a great coming-of-age/leaving the nest story about family with some really interesting tidbits about living life as a leftist under capitalism. It's also got a really well done and engaging slow-burn romance at it's heart.

Some spoilery points I wish to make:

A little detail I noticed comes when Danny gets Lorna out of class to say goodbye to her, the teacher is teaching a lesson on Catcher in the Rye. I have yet to read the book, but I was aware that the novel was about a young man coming of age, similar to the film. According to writingexplained.org, some of the most important recurring themes of the novel include "self-alienating for the purpose of self-protection", which I think is a theme also very prevalent in Running on Empty.

There were only two things in the film that really left a sour taste in my mouth:

When Danny initially refuses to have sex with Lorna, she gets really mad at him, avoiding him the next day and treating him poorly. She is framed in the wrong somewhat, but never apologizes for this. I understand the point of her being upset narratively, though. Lorna has spent the whole movie up until this point trying to get Danny to open up and is frustrated by how distant he is. This conflict is the catalyst for him being entirely honest with her. I still think it could've been handled better but I do understand the purpose.

The second thing I hated was that the good 'ol break-in for love trope is utilized. I'm not super upset about the first break-in because it's for the pursuit of the piano rather than Lorna, and he's also condemned for it later. I have distaste for when he sneaks into her house to take her to their nature spot. She goes willingly but it's still problematic.

After those two things are over with they have a really great scene where Danny finally opens up about everything going on in his life. They cry together for a minute and have sex for the first time, their physical intimacy aligning with their emotionally intimate breakthrough.

Some what-ifs that didn't bother me so much as I think it would've been interesting to explore:

Lorna mentions that she wasn't allowed to sign up for the mechanics elective and Danny gets laughed at for being the only boy in home ec. I think it would be interesting to explore Lorna's desire to be a mechanic in relation to her parents' and society's expectations of her a little more, but I understand that the focus of the story is on Danny and there's not much time for that. Because Lorna's character struggle with hee family is very rooted in her womanhood, I think it would've been interesting to take that angle with Danny. Again though, I understand why they didn't because Danny's parents are progressive enough that I don't think they would care, so the pressure would have to come from a different source, and the narrative focus is on the family.

I would've liked an epilogue of sorts, perhaps some dialogue-less footage under the credits where we see Danny explain things to Lorna and reunite with his grandparents. The grandparent part would be especially nice because of the scene where Danny is dissapointed at how his grandmother doesn't recognize him. I just felt slightly hung out to dry in the ending in a way I don't think is intended.

All in all, terrific movie. I will be chewing on this one for a while.

[captainwaffles]

Life goal

Be as cool as the percussionist carrying a bagget in a backpack around Epcot

[ivyboyinlace]

Could've stopped at percussionist

[ivyboyinlace]

I haven't seen anyone mention it yet, but does anyone have any idea why the fuck Roy is avoiding Ted?? The way he drove off so fast as soon as Ted approached him in the new episode was weird.

[ivyboyinlace]

What happened to Ted's dad?

(Season 2 episode 2 spoilers)

Gif by @urbanhiking

The Ted Lasso writing team is really just giving us crumbs of Lasso backstory aren't they... Well I have some theories and speculations as to what's up w his dad, particularly the meaning of "He was harder on himself than he ever was on me," and how he died at what seems to be a young age, as Ted was 16.

On first blush, when I heard what Ted says to Jamie in the pub, I automatically guessed that father Lasso killed himself. I still think this is a possibility, but I have some other ideas too.

Ted mentioned while playing darts with Rupert that he got good at darts because he would play them all the time when his dad went to the pub. I think papa Lasso could've had an issue with alchohol, maybe as a means for coping with something like depression. There's also reason to speculate that Ted has an alcohol problem, so it's easy to think it could "run in the family".

Who knows, we'll see what the crumb trail leads us to in time I guess.

[kimwxler]

“Optical illusion induced by your mistrust for her profession?” “Metaphor, huh?” “Bingo, Ringo.”

[ivyboyinlace]

Prolly over-thinking this but what if the weeping angel reference is a representation of how Sharon and Ted are getting closer, and with that he feels more and more observed.

[tedwelton]

ted reads the prince of tides in order to better understand sharon and finds out about the relationship between the former football coach and the psychiatrist and turns up at sharon's office like 'hi i'm very flattered but i just got out of a long term relationship and i'm not ready to date again just yet' and she's like 'cool. i'm a lesbian'

[ivyboyinlace]

Yeah

[ivyboyinlace]

I blocked the ted lasso spoiler tag because I have to wait for my mom to get home from work to watch episode 2 and now my whole dash is censored lmfaoooo

[krystal-prisms]

You look like you play clarinet (derogatory)

[ivyboyinlace]

This but trumpet

[ivyboyinlace]

Another screen cap from The Lasso Way promo video that got me hyped.

This appears to be Sudeikis helping Waddingham during a scene with who I'm assuming is Nora.

[ivyboyinlace]

Oooh BTS lasso screencap from "the lasso way" promo video.

Sassy Smurf and Marlboro Man reunion oughtta be weird.

[ivyboyinlace]

Hhhh oh my GOOOD every clip of him and Sharon is soooo tense. When they got to talking about sugar and video games it was finally fine but then his comment about how he's just denying himself seems sooooo passive aggressive.

[ivyboyinlace]

I love Nirvana/Dave Grohl and I love the thematic concept Jason Sudeikis got from the Foo Fighters. Also man I just love when different forms of art (especially music) influence each other.

Jason Sudeikis on How Foo Fighters Song “My Hero” Influenced ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 2

Jason Sudeikis says a certain Foo Fighters track is helping inspire the writing for the second season of one of TV’s most feel-good shows, T

"'I knew what it is about for me and some of those themes are literally being used in season two of Ted Lasso, which I hadn’t put together until I put together this list,' he said. 'Just the idea of false prophets or don’t meet your heroes. Or the idea of like all statues have clay feet, I think is another example of that. People are human, you know, people are human.'"

One of the only criticisms had with Ted Lasso on first blush (despite it not really bothering me) was how Ted seemed a little too perfect. He's like a character out of children's cartoon almost. Over the course of the season, we start to see that he developed his amazingness largely through hardship. We also see him make mistakes that he apologizes for. I like the idea of season two pushing this even further. Where we have a paper towns moment--

"Margo was not a miracle. She was not an adventure... She was a girl."

Or even,

"What a treacherous thing to believe that a person is more than a person."

(both quotes from Paper Towns by John Green.)

[ivyboyinlace]

Upon rewatch, I noticed what I think is a plothole in Ted Lasso s1 e6 regarding the curse-breaking ceremony.

Ted doesn't put anything into the fire, which seems odd considering even Rebecca, Higgins, and Nate all put something in. Now that I'm thinking of it, I don't think Beard does either.

It's easy to imagine Ted putting his wedding ring into the fire. Idk if it would burn well exactly, but the opening scene of the episode is him putting his ring in a metal box. It seems like it's such an easy and perfect fix to have him put it in the fire.

This would be a great moment as well, a good bonding moment between him and the team. The footballers all share something vulnerable and the coach shares something in return.

This seems like a flubbed callback or just a simple inconsistency that was intended to occur, but didn't for whatever reason. Maybe it's a situation similar to what happened to the punchline to the British owl joke in s1 e9, where the script editors fucked up a little bit and accidentally cut out the callback where the punchline is revealed. Maybe the callback to the wedding ring was accidentally cut out of the script.

It's also possible the scene was recorded but cut. I doubt this though, because it would be a very weird choice to cut such an important moment from the main character.

It's also possible this moment was never intended to happen, and it's just a small writing inconsistency with an obvious answer.

In my headcanon, the moment occurs.

So there's a prompt for you fic writers: Ted throws his wedding ring into the fire.

As for beard, I can easily picture him throwing something chess-related into the fire, as a reference to his habit of "putting the game before the dame".

[ivyboyinlace]

Anyone who knows me well knows that I like to have conversations about gender, specifically the concept of masculinity. but if I hear one more mention of Ted Lasso being a role-model for men or the show being a subversion of toxic masculinity just because Ted Lasso is cool, I- I don't know what I'm gonna do but I'm gonna do something.

Yes those things are very true. I like that Lasso is a folksy sports coach who's not misogynistic and cares about the emotional well-being of his characters. But that's not what's remarkable about the series to me. I don't like the way people say the show "teaches men how to behave." Because ultimately I don't think the show is about Ted showing the bare minimum, I think it's about him going above and beyond, and not just from a gendered perspective.

Yes there are conversations about how women are treated in society, especially in the sports sphere. Yes there are conversations about toxic masculinity and the importance of breaking it down. But I don't think the goal of the show is to teach men how to behave, I think the show is meant to help viewers re-discover the value of kindness, authenticity, and intimacy. It's about encouraging all of us to be curious, not judgemental. I don't think that's exclusive to men.

I'm just kind of tired of the search for the one-good-man or the guidebook to masculinity. It makes sense given our current crisis in masculinity, but I'm tired of how the conversation about Ted Lasso so often centers around Ted being a Good *Man*™. For once I am tired of masculinity being such a prominent topic to a conversation.

Note that this isn't a complaint about the show itself, but the discourse that's been done a million times over.

I like that the show just is what it is without having to lean into how Ted is so good *for a man*. There are some brief mentions to masculinity and the crisis surrounding it, like Jamie's relationship with his father vs his relationship with Ted. The discussions about how the press treat women (specifically wags) vs men. The way Ted let's Rebecca paint his nails for a little while but it's not some big statement about norms of expression, it just is.

I like that the show breaks gender boundaries and has conversations about sexism without being preachy or the main focus. Granted, there's a time and a place for such content, I just like the way it written here.

That's my rant where I ended up writing exactly what I hate reading.

Don't forget to decolonize gender, folks!

[ivyboyinlace]

I feel like we all know that there will definitely be some romantic/sexual tension between Rebecca and Ted in season 2. I speculate that in season 2, in the awkward phase of relationships where romantic feelings are there, but not fully actualized or articulated, Sassy will make a comeback, causing conflict as Ted's one-night stand with her will make things a bit awkward between them considering Sassy is Rebecca's best friend.

[ivyboyinlace]

Hmmm, idk you might have to later on...

[unstatedmartini]

maybe ted and michelle just had a bad therapist, but also i think there’s something about the way ted didn’t want to “quit” his marriage, and the way he says “so sometimes girl talk can just be blabbing away about stuff and nothing has to really change and no one has to solve anything,” and his discomfort when dr. fieldstone doesn’t engage with his defensive positivity…

it kind of makes you wonder if he entered couples therapy thinking he was going to Win At Therapy and Fix Everything and felt that he was being set up when he wasn’t offered the opportunity to do either of those things

[ivyboyinlace]

Fire take. Idk if I agree I just think it's thoughtfull. We'll see if it pans out.