WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.299
Welcome to Everyone Deserves Sunshine. I'm Diana.

00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:04.759
And I'm Anusha. We're the girls in the crease.

00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:08.439
So Diana and I tried to do something last night

00:00:08.439 --> 00:00:11.380
and had a lot of fun doing it, but it is not

00:00:11.380 --> 00:00:16.000
ready for primetime because, yeah, it was kind

00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:19.239
of a... audio failure type situation. It was

00:00:19.239 --> 00:00:22.839
actually both audio, video. So as probably many

00:00:22.839 --> 00:00:26.519
of you were doing, we were watching and enjoying

00:00:26.519 --> 00:00:31.800
SNL because Connor was what? The person? The

00:00:31.800 --> 00:00:36.159
host. The host. Yes. The host of SNL. Do you

00:00:36.159 --> 00:00:38.299
usually watch SNL? Was that like your first time

00:00:38.299 --> 00:00:40.600
watching since you don't even know the name of

00:00:40.600 --> 00:00:43.280
the person who hosts it? You know what? I haven't

00:00:43.280 --> 00:00:46.520
watched SNL live. In forever. I mean, it's a

00:00:46.520 --> 00:00:48.700
little bit beyond my bedtime because I was usually

00:00:48.700 --> 00:00:52.259
like collapsed in bed out of exhaustion on Saturday

00:00:52.259 --> 00:00:55.439
at 11. Or maybe I'm out with you. You know, those

00:00:55.439 --> 00:00:57.020
are the only two options. Those are the only

00:00:57.020 --> 00:00:59.079
two options. But if they were playing it live

00:00:59.079 --> 00:01:02.740
at 3 a .m., I would be watching it. Gotcha. Absolutely.

00:01:02.820 --> 00:01:05.900
I understand. I actually haven't watched it live,

00:01:05.980 --> 00:01:08.219
honestly, in a very, very long time. But I have

00:01:08.219 --> 00:01:11.219
been a pretty loyal Chanel viewer since like

00:01:11.219 --> 00:01:13.519
the late 90s. I don't watch every single episode,

00:01:13.640 --> 00:01:17.099
obviously. pretty regularly. But, you know, when

00:01:17.099 --> 00:01:19.739
Connor is hosting. Yes. When Connor is hosting,

00:01:19.980 --> 00:01:23.680
you watch live. OK, so what was your what was

00:01:23.680 --> 00:01:26.319
your overall take? What was your favorite skit?

00:01:26.540 --> 00:01:28.239
What are your thoughts? It's funny because I

00:01:28.239 --> 00:01:30.640
was on threads today reading people's reactions

00:01:30.640 --> 00:01:32.959
and a lot of people were like, oh, my God, SNL

00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:34.879
is not funny. What is wrong with it? I'm like,

00:01:34.939 --> 00:01:38.319
what you guys have to understand is SNL is like

00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:43.879
80 percent not funny and like 20 percent. And

00:01:43.879 --> 00:01:48.239
the 20 % that's fantastic is what makes SNL,

00:01:48.260 --> 00:01:52.000
SNL. Connor was fantastic. He's an incredible

00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:55.519
actor. He's a trained clown, literally. My favorite

00:01:55.519 --> 00:01:59.859
skit was actually when he's the stripper who

00:01:59.859 --> 00:02:03.939
was hit by the car. That skit is based on his

00:02:03.939 --> 00:02:07.900
prior, like it's like he had created this character.

00:02:07.900 --> 00:02:12.300
So they basically recreated his own skit. for

00:02:12.300 --> 00:02:15.939
SNL. And so that was really awesome because usually

00:02:15.939 --> 00:02:19.939
actors don't get to do that. And that was like

00:02:19.939 --> 00:02:23.520
showing so much respect to Connor from Lorne

00:02:23.520 --> 00:02:25.139
Michaels and the writers and everyone that's

00:02:25.139 --> 00:02:27.919
involved. And that was really cool. I did not

00:02:27.919 --> 00:02:29.900
know that. You didn't tell me when we were watching.

00:02:30.139 --> 00:02:33.580
That's amazing. Yeah, that's it. That's why he's

00:02:33.580 --> 00:02:36.919
a great physical actor. Like the entire sketch

00:02:36.919 --> 00:02:39.719
was really hilarious. And now that I know that

00:02:39.719 --> 00:02:42.419
it's because like that it's a continuation of

00:02:42.419 --> 00:02:44.539
something you did. Yeah, that's kind of even

00:02:44.539 --> 00:02:47.500
better. Yeah. So I think that's that's what made

00:02:47.500 --> 00:02:50.840
made it so special. And it was Connor's art now

00:02:50.840 --> 00:02:54.919
put on display for everyone else to see, which,

00:02:54.960 --> 00:02:58.300
you know. It's pretty cool and a good segue into

00:02:58.300 --> 00:03:01.620
the fact that this episode is about art inspiring

00:03:01.620 --> 00:03:04.879
art. So let's get into it. That is a great segue.

00:03:04.979 --> 00:03:08.800
We are on episode eight, How Art Inspires Art.

00:03:08.900 --> 00:03:11.479
And for this episode, we have a very special

00:03:11.479 --> 00:03:14.560
guest. Today, we are chatting with Melanie, a

00:03:14.560 --> 00:03:17.099
self -taught editor who's been editing since

00:03:17.099 --> 00:03:21.520
2017, but has been in fandom since 2012. Melanie

00:03:21.520 --> 00:03:24.419
made a name for herself in the heated rivalry

00:03:24.419 --> 00:03:28.389
fandom. for creating these gorgeous edits. under

00:03:28.389 --> 00:03:30.889
the name of a Bucky. Is that is that how we're

00:03:30.889 --> 00:03:34.810
saying it? Okay, cool. You have about 18 or so

00:03:34.810 --> 00:03:37.250
from what I've counted edits under your belt

00:03:37.250 --> 00:03:40.590
for heated rivalry specifically. And you have

00:03:40.590 --> 00:03:43.969
recently been offered a position with HBO. So

00:03:43.969 --> 00:03:46.449
that's really exciting. So we're getting her

00:03:46.449 --> 00:03:48.889
before she becomes super famous and never wants

00:03:48.889 --> 00:03:51.770
to talk to us ever again. So welcome to the show,

00:03:51.789 --> 00:03:55.030
Melanie. Thank you. We're so excited to be here.

00:03:55.030 --> 00:03:56.770
Thank you guys for asking me to come on here.

00:03:56.810 --> 00:04:00.110
I'm so excited. Well, I wanted to know, is there

00:04:00.110 --> 00:04:04.090
a story behind your A Bucky screen name? So I

00:04:04.090 --> 00:04:07.090
made it when I was 17. And I loved Marvel at

00:04:07.090 --> 00:04:09.669
that time. I still do. And I loved Bucky Barnes.

00:04:09.750 --> 00:04:11.689
So my train of thought just went to him. And

00:04:11.689 --> 00:04:13.569
obviously nobody had that name because it's so

00:04:13.569 --> 00:04:16.920
weird. So that's how I got it. All right. I love

00:04:16.920 --> 00:04:19.860
it. Okay. I like that origin story. How did you

00:04:19.860 --> 00:04:23.899
get into heated rivalry edits? How did you get

00:04:23.899 --> 00:04:26.259
into the show? Tell us everything. All of the

00:04:26.259 --> 00:04:29.220
details. So I was in the 911 fandom before this

00:04:29.220 --> 00:04:32.199
and all my friends talk about these books and

00:04:32.199 --> 00:04:33.819
these hockey players and they kept posting these

00:04:33.819 --> 00:04:36.300
scenes. I mean, they seem to be really fun characters,

00:04:36.459 --> 00:04:39.060
good chemistry. So I read the books. It was only

00:04:39.060 --> 00:04:40.980
like a month or two before the show came out.

00:04:41.040 --> 00:04:43.699
So like pretty new to it. But so yeah, I read

00:04:43.699 --> 00:04:46.050
the books and I binged them. I was obsessed.

00:04:46.290 --> 00:04:47.470
When I was reading the books, I mean, there's

00:04:47.470 --> 00:04:50.290
a huge notepad of songs I wanted to edit. I love

00:04:50.290 --> 00:04:52.709
editing and it kind of usually follows me whatever

00:04:52.709 --> 00:04:55.910
fandom I go to. I kind of knew once I started

00:04:55.910 --> 00:04:57.350
watching the show, I was going to be making edits

00:04:57.350 --> 00:04:59.589
for it. So that's kind of how I got into it.

00:04:59.709 --> 00:05:02.269
So you started with the books and then you were

00:05:02.269 --> 00:05:04.410
like preparing yourself. So you pretty much knew

00:05:04.410 --> 00:05:07.029
the whole story, obviously, by the time you watched

00:05:07.029 --> 00:05:10.269
the show. OK, then did you watch each episode

00:05:10.269 --> 00:05:13.029
as it came out? Yes, I was. It was Thanksgiving

00:05:13.029 --> 00:05:15.370
on Thanksgiving night and I was in my parents'

00:05:15.509 --> 00:05:17.490
basement and I didn't have headphones. So I just

00:05:17.490 --> 00:05:20.209
had to pray nobody came downstairs and I was

00:05:20.209 --> 00:05:22.509
watching it on my laptop and I watched every

00:05:22.509 --> 00:05:25.389
episode live. I feel like. That is not the way

00:05:25.389 --> 00:05:28.629
shows get watched anymore. Even if it comes out

00:05:28.629 --> 00:05:31.069
piecemealed, it's usually like a bunch of episodes.

00:05:31.470 --> 00:05:33.990
I think it honestly is such a lost opportunity

00:05:33.990 --> 00:05:36.250
to not have shows come out weekly just because

00:05:36.250 --> 00:05:38.970
I think it helps build hype so much. I mean,

00:05:38.990 --> 00:05:41.329
I love being able to binge a show, but I also

00:05:41.329 --> 00:05:43.310
think that if you release it weekly, it builds

00:05:43.310 --> 00:05:45.089
such a fan base, which is what happened here.

00:05:45.250 --> 00:05:48.639
Your edits are... amazing. They're incredible.

00:05:49.060 --> 00:05:51.480
My favorite, favorite, favorite, favorite, favorite

00:05:51.480 --> 00:05:54.939
one is The Falling, The Fall in Love, right?

00:05:55.040 --> 00:05:57.300
The Fall in Love Again and Again. I've sent that

00:05:57.300 --> 00:05:59.839
one to everyone. And then I was like, wait, when

00:05:59.839 --> 00:06:03.829
I saw that you got the offer that I sent it back

00:06:03.829 --> 00:06:06.050
to my friends. I'm like, this is the girl, the

00:06:06.050 --> 00:06:08.189
video that I've sent you. She now has a job.

00:06:08.410 --> 00:06:11.709
I'm not kidding. I'm a big fan because this is

00:06:11.709 --> 00:06:15.230
my first fandom as an adult. And it's interesting

00:06:15.230 --> 00:06:18.350
for me because I've never watched edits or anything

00:06:18.350 --> 00:06:21.069
like that. And now I'm just like, I go to sleep

00:06:21.069 --> 00:06:23.550
with edits. I wake up with edits. And yours are

00:06:23.550 --> 00:06:25.529
some of the best ones that I've seen. Tell us

00:06:25.529 --> 00:06:29.389
what sparked your creativity and where do you

00:06:29.389 --> 00:06:31.540
draw your inspiration from? for this it's a big

00:06:31.540 --> 00:06:33.279
question like I said I've been editing since

00:06:33.279 --> 00:06:36.420
I was 17 and it's honestly just such a fun outlet

00:06:36.420 --> 00:06:40.319
for me um I think it really scratches my brain

00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:42.459
well when like the beats hit and everything um

00:06:42.459 --> 00:06:45.699
I love lining up lyrics with scenes it's just

00:06:45.699 --> 00:06:48.639
so satisfying to me a lot of the times what sparks

00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:51.240
it is I'll be watching a scene and it kind of

00:06:51.240 --> 00:06:53.060
just reminds me instantly of a song and then

00:06:53.060 --> 00:06:55.680
I immediately need to edit it um that's usually

00:06:55.680 --> 00:06:58.379
how that goes honestly or like Like I said, I

00:06:58.379 --> 00:07:00.459
have a notepad of songs I want to edit. And then

00:07:00.459 --> 00:07:03.040
as I go through, see if it matches. But I usually

00:07:03.040 --> 00:07:04.819
see the edit in my head first. And it kind of

00:07:04.819 --> 00:07:07.120
like clicks in my brain. And then I have to make

00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:09.060
it before I go insane. Yeah, it makes sense.

00:07:09.100 --> 00:07:11.639
Like I, you know, Anusha and I are both writers.

00:07:12.319 --> 00:07:15.759
And so... I mean, I'm pretty sure it's the same

00:07:15.759 --> 00:07:17.980
for you, Anusha, but like when you are inspired,

00:07:18.279 --> 00:07:19.899
when like you're watching something or something

00:07:19.899 --> 00:07:22.240
is going on or something happens, it like pours

00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:24.160
out of you. Like you have to get it on a piece

00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:27.420
of paper. Right. And or, you know, type it, you

00:07:27.420 --> 00:07:30.899
know, whatever it may be. So I I totally understand

00:07:30.899 --> 00:07:32.879
that. I think we both do. Right. Like you just

00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:35.600
need like you feel it. And that's, you know,

00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:38.899
that's art. Yeah. And I mean, this podcast gives

00:07:38.899 --> 00:07:41.399
that to me, too. That is like that like creative

00:07:41.399 --> 00:07:45.100
outlet, like the writing and composing. And it

00:07:45.100 --> 00:07:48.120
takes a degree of effort to sound effortless

00:07:48.120 --> 00:07:49.879
as we're learning. You know what I mean? Like

00:07:49.879 --> 00:07:52.279
you need to and then you edit the voice. You're

00:07:52.279 --> 00:07:55.120
trying to put it together. But you know what?

00:07:55.439 --> 00:08:00.040
And Diana is a visual editor, too. I have no

00:08:00.040 --> 00:08:03.879
visual composition ability whatsoever. And so

00:08:03.879 --> 00:08:06.579
what you're describing to me is just such an

00:08:06.579 --> 00:08:10.480
interesting way to think about creativity from

00:08:10.480 --> 00:08:27.310
that element. her throat and I wish I had more

00:08:27.310 --> 00:08:30.089
moments of like that because most of the time

00:08:30.089 --> 00:08:32.129
my brain feels like that and then I'll get distracted

00:08:32.129 --> 00:08:34.549
by like something mundane and then it goes away

00:08:34.549 --> 00:08:38.889
but I love creative activity that you're expressing

00:08:38.889 --> 00:08:41.690
in that visual element where you're it's like

00:08:41.690 --> 00:08:44.669
you're seeing it in 3D. That is new to me. I

00:08:44.669 --> 00:08:46.750
don't know what that looks like. That's amazing.

00:08:47.169 --> 00:08:49.169
So I'm definitely a very visual person with the

00:08:49.169 --> 00:08:51.250
edits, which I didn't I guess I didn't really

00:08:51.250 --> 00:08:54.230
realize until just now. But I definitely do picture

00:08:54.230 --> 00:08:56.330
a lot of it in my head. How many times do you

00:08:56.330 --> 00:08:58.789
have to like have you rewatched it to make all

00:08:58.789 --> 00:09:01.230
those edits? Like do you even know? You don't

00:09:01.230 --> 00:09:04.289
know. I don't know. I think at least 15 times,

00:09:04.409 --> 00:09:07.809
probably. I mean, I watched episode five on a

00:09:07.809 --> 00:09:10.649
loop. I just played it. Whenever the episode

00:09:10.649 --> 00:09:13.950
ended in my apartment, I just hit replay. I love

00:09:13.950 --> 00:09:16.970
episode five. It's easily my favorite. I watched

00:09:16.970 --> 00:09:19.029
it over and over again. I cried every single

00:09:19.029 --> 00:09:22.779
time at the ending. I've seen it a lot of times.

00:09:22.919 --> 00:09:26.820
I'm shocked at how often I can watch an episode

00:09:26.820 --> 00:09:30.360
or a scene and have exactly the same feeling

00:09:30.360 --> 00:09:33.539
that I had. when I watched it the first time.

00:09:33.559 --> 00:09:37.100
And because we do the podcast, we have also rewatched

00:09:37.100 --> 00:09:40.600
it so many times. And that's why I'm asking you

00:09:40.600 --> 00:09:43.100
because you're doing visual stuff. Like for me,

00:09:43.179 --> 00:09:45.320
I'm like, we rewatched it for like our music

00:09:45.320 --> 00:09:47.580
episode, you know, to analyze the music a bunch

00:09:47.580 --> 00:09:49.940
of times. But like for you having to make those

00:09:49.940 --> 00:09:52.360
edits, like at this point, I would assume that

00:09:52.360 --> 00:09:55.419
every single... part of that show is burned into

00:09:55.419 --> 00:09:57.960
your brain like you know what happens when it

00:09:57.960 --> 00:10:00.980
happens who says what right absolutely all the

00:10:00.980 --> 00:10:03.080
scenes that I use like all the hits to the beat

00:10:03.080 --> 00:10:05.460
ones I know exactly where they are in each episode

00:10:05.460 --> 00:10:07.120
I know where to find them I know where all the

00:10:07.120 --> 00:10:10.059
quotes I use are I mean like I really know that

00:10:10.059 --> 00:10:12.179
show like the back of my hand which is why I

00:10:12.179 --> 00:10:15.200
feel like fan editors are starting to get hired

00:10:15.200 --> 00:10:18.500
more in the industry because I feel like we are

00:10:18.500 --> 00:10:21.909
able to consume shows and know them really quickly.

00:10:22.070 --> 00:10:23.950
We're so dedicated to it that we know it like

00:10:23.950 --> 00:10:26.850
the back of our hands. But I think it's interesting

00:10:26.850 --> 00:10:28.669
too that you mentioned this is your first fandom.

00:10:28.750 --> 00:10:30.250
I've been actually talking to a lot of people

00:10:30.250 --> 00:10:33.990
about this. I think about it a lot. I think COVID

00:10:33.990 --> 00:10:37.169
really shifted a lot of perspective with fandoms

00:10:37.169 --> 00:10:39.049
because before there was such a separation between

00:10:39.049 --> 00:10:42.809
fandom and the general audience with the companies,

00:10:42.889 --> 00:10:44.610
with the show itself. Like fandoms were kind

00:10:44.610 --> 00:10:47.250
of this like hidden, secret, kind of shameful

00:10:47.250 --> 00:10:52.129
sort of thing with... pop culture. And I think

00:10:52.129 --> 00:10:54.269
COVID with so many people inside, nothing to

00:10:54.269 --> 00:10:57.129
do. A lot of people were watching anything and

00:10:57.129 --> 00:10:58.850
then they had nothing else to do. So they were

00:10:58.850 --> 00:11:00.470
looking up on their phone, whatever. And then

00:11:00.470 --> 00:11:02.470
edits started to become really popular on their

00:11:02.470 --> 00:11:04.470
For You page. I mean, TikTok was getting really

00:11:04.470 --> 00:11:07.450
big at that time. So I feel like it was just

00:11:07.450 --> 00:11:10.710
like this huge mix of things that led the general

00:11:10.710 --> 00:11:14.070
audience to step over the line more and go into

00:11:14.070 --> 00:11:16.480
the fandom space. which I think is great. I mean,

00:11:16.500 --> 00:11:18.399
I do think that like it definitely changed fandom

00:11:18.399 --> 00:11:20.399
culture. I think it's really fun. I think it's

00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:22.379
awesome that more people are watching edits,

00:11:22.440 --> 00:11:24.759
consuming people's art. I think it's interesting

00:11:24.759 --> 00:11:26.100
too that this is your first fandom because I

00:11:26.100 --> 00:11:28.919
think kind of aligns with that almost. So I will

00:11:28.919 --> 00:11:33.019
say this is not my first rodeo at all. I get

00:11:33.019 --> 00:11:37.059
very obsessed with things and I don't consume

00:11:37.059 --> 00:11:40.419
visual media and maybe it's because the I just

00:11:40.419 --> 00:11:42.620
said I'm like such a print person. She's like

00:11:42.620 --> 00:11:45.259
100 years old, so it makes perfect sense. I'm

00:11:45.259 --> 00:11:47.899
very old, so I was born this way. What can I

00:11:47.899 --> 00:11:50.700
say? I also am obsessed with Game of Thrones,

00:11:50.860 --> 00:11:57.220
but it is way too violent. And the content, violence

00:11:57.220 --> 00:12:00.080
against women, like it's like too much for me

00:12:00.080 --> 00:12:04.659
to watch. So I have read every recap of the Game

00:12:04.659 --> 00:12:08.679
of Thrones. I have not. read the books. So my

00:12:08.679 --> 00:12:13.240
story, and I know every character, I know the

00:12:13.240 --> 00:12:16.759
details of every character. Hold on, Anusha,

00:12:16.799 --> 00:12:19.440
hold on, hold on. I just, I need to like, I need

00:12:19.440 --> 00:12:21.539
to like process this. Hold on. You have never

00:12:21.539 --> 00:12:24.159
watched the show ever. You have never read the

00:12:24.159 --> 00:12:27.659
books ever, but you're in the fandom reading

00:12:27.659 --> 00:12:31.460
like. Fan fiction and recaps. And I start with

00:12:31.460 --> 00:12:34.700
recaps and then episode analysis. The recap gives

00:12:34.700 --> 00:12:37.679
me the plot. And then I read about what are the

00:12:37.679 --> 00:12:40.019
deep themes in the plot. I'm shocked. This is

00:12:40.019 --> 00:12:42.320
the first time I've heard of it. And we've been

00:12:42.320 --> 00:12:44.000
doing this podcast for like two months and we

00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:45.379
talked about fandoms and we've never brought

00:12:45.379 --> 00:12:48.000
this up. And I'm just, I'm feeling some type

00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:50.200
of way about this new information about you.

00:12:50.259 --> 00:12:52.840
I could read the books, but I don't know why.

00:12:52.919 --> 00:12:55.059
And I need to make fun of you for it. So we will

00:12:55.059 --> 00:12:58.429
regroup. It's really weird. to talk about it

00:12:58.429 --> 00:13:00.389
because I've like literally never watched one

00:13:00.389 --> 00:13:05.169
scene or read one page. Like I go, I read insane

00:13:05.169 --> 00:13:09.370
levels of detail, like, but I do that for a lot

00:13:09.370 --> 00:13:12.409
of shows. So now my first rodeo. So you were

00:13:12.409 --> 00:13:16.610
into 9 -1 -1 before this? Yes. And then before

00:13:16.610 --> 00:13:18.529
that, Percy Jackson. I mean, I've been in so

00:13:18.529 --> 00:13:21.570
many fandoms throughout the years. Like it's,

00:13:21.570 --> 00:13:23.590
I've had every phase. What was your favorite?

00:13:23.769 --> 00:13:26.330
What was your favorite fandom? Yeah. That's hard.

00:13:26.429 --> 00:13:28.580
I mean, like. Once you're in a fandom for long

00:13:28.580 --> 00:13:30.620
enough, you see every side of it. So like any

00:13:30.620 --> 00:13:32.799
fandom is going to have its really great sides

00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:35.340
and some not so great sides. The Percy Jackson

00:13:35.340 --> 00:13:37.460
fandom gave me like my absolute favorite people

00:13:37.460 --> 00:13:39.440
in the world. I have a friend group that have

00:13:39.440 --> 00:13:41.679
been, we're like into our third year of knowing

00:13:41.679 --> 00:13:45.419
each other. There's 11 of us. We go on trips

00:13:45.419 --> 00:13:47.000
together. They've come to my apartment and be

00:13:47.000 --> 00:13:48.759
like my absolute favorite people. And I wouldn't

00:13:48.759 --> 00:13:50.500
have met them if it wasn't for Percy Jackson.

00:13:50.600 --> 00:13:53.929
So I think. That will always hold a super special

00:13:53.929 --> 00:13:55.710
place in my heart because of that. But I also,

00:13:55.789 --> 00:13:58.230
I mean, the heat rivalry fandom has been so much

00:13:58.230 --> 00:14:01.009
fun. I've met so many cool people. It gave me

00:14:01.009 --> 00:14:03.649
my absolute dream job. So I think because of

00:14:03.649 --> 00:14:06.149
that, it's probably heat rivalry, but it's also

00:14:06.149 --> 00:14:09.639
like... recency bias yeah so I think there can

00:14:09.639 --> 00:14:11.179
be an argument made for any of them but I think

00:14:11.179 --> 00:14:13.460
Percy Jackson for the people I met he a driver

00:14:13.460 --> 00:14:16.039
for the content for the opportunities I got um

00:14:16.039 --> 00:14:18.179
9 -1 -1 I also had so much fun with I kind of

00:14:18.179 --> 00:14:20.559
got my love again for editing with 9 -1 -1 so

00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:24.159
also special place in my heart for that um so

00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:25.580
again I mean I feel like it's kind of like a

00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:28.320
roundabout answer and not really an answer at

00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:31.159
all. This is your answer. Yeah. It's like each

00:14:31.159 --> 00:14:34.639
gave you something and like sparked your creativity

00:14:34.639 --> 00:14:37.860
in different ways and also provided something

00:14:37.860 --> 00:14:41.559
that you needed or wanted at that time in your

00:14:41.559 --> 00:14:44.940
life. I love that it gave you connection because

00:14:44.940 --> 00:14:48.659
I do feel a little bit like that culture is sort

00:14:48.659 --> 00:14:52.379
of like, you know, poo -pooed baby, as you said,

00:14:52.399 --> 00:14:56.559
dismissed, which. very much is also the way romance

00:14:56.559 --> 00:15:00.039
is treated. There's a lot of overlap in this.

00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:03.360
Yeah, definitely. You know, I love fandom so

00:15:03.360 --> 00:15:06.080
much. I'm such a huge advocate for them. I think

00:15:06.080 --> 00:15:08.399
that it's such a great way to meet people you

00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:09.759
never would have met. And I feel like I've learned

00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:11.659
so much about different places and different

00:15:11.659 --> 00:15:14.080
people. And I just learned so much about life.

00:15:14.100 --> 00:15:16.179
It sounds so weird. I feel people don't think

00:15:16.179 --> 00:15:18.179
about it, like you said, but I've learned so

00:15:18.179 --> 00:15:20.440
much. They've helped me grow so much. They've

00:15:20.440 --> 00:15:22.460
helped me in so many different ways. I'm going

00:15:22.460 --> 00:15:25.200
to one of their weddings in October. Like, yeah,

00:15:25.200 --> 00:15:28.620
it's an entire community. Like, that's amazing.

00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:31.159
Like, how could you how could you poopoo something

00:15:31.159 --> 00:15:34.220
that helps you not only build a community, but

00:15:34.220 --> 00:15:36.620
like, I don't know, make you feel part of this

00:15:36.620 --> 00:15:39.320
world that sometimes we don't, you know, we don't

00:15:39.320 --> 00:15:41.600
feel like we belong or whatever, you know, and

00:15:41.600 --> 00:15:44.379
further like you got your dream job. Can you

00:15:44.379 --> 00:15:47.200
talk about it? I posted, I mean, obviously my

00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:49.740
edits online stuff and then. I posted the previously

00:15:49.740 --> 00:15:52.159
on edit, the really, really fast one. Not sure

00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:55.399
if you saw it, but I saw one of my friends sent

00:15:55.399 --> 00:15:58.600
me a screenshot of Instagram threads and somebody

00:15:58.600 --> 00:16:00.720
posted it there. So I posted the edit there and

00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:03.159
then did really well. And it was New Year's Eve.

00:16:03.399 --> 00:16:06.620
And I happened to check my hidden DM requests

00:16:06.620 --> 00:16:08.480
on threads. And there was this guy there and

00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:11.960
he said that he works at HP. I was like, yeah,

00:16:11.960 --> 00:16:15.399
sure you do. I honestly didn't believe it. I

00:16:15.399 --> 00:16:17.700
wouldn't have believed it either. And then I

00:16:17.700 --> 00:16:20.159
looked him up on, like, LinkedIn online. I was

00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:21.919
like, no, I think this is actually real. And

00:16:21.919 --> 00:16:23.700
then we ended up talking and I sent him my...

00:16:23.700 --> 00:16:26.059
Well, what did the DM say? Yeah. If you can share.

00:16:26.059 --> 00:16:27.539
He was just interested in, like, talking about

00:16:27.539 --> 00:16:31.000
my work. Okay. Okay. So, yeah, I sent him my

00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:33.399
portfolio that I have. And I kind of was just

00:16:33.399 --> 00:16:35.159
thinking, like, it might be a conversation about,

00:16:35.179 --> 00:16:37.259
like, the industry or just, like, a one -off

00:16:37.259 --> 00:16:39.340
sort of fun fan thing. And then I didn't hear

00:16:39.340 --> 00:16:41.299
back for a bit. And then I got a phone call.

00:16:41.360 --> 00:16:43.639
And this... Person was on the phone and they

00:16:43.639 --> 00:16:47.379
were just like offering me a job. And I was so

00:16:47.379 --> 00:16:48.620
confused. I didn't even know what was happening

00:16:48.620 --> 00:16:50.720
at first. And then and then I was on the phone

00:16:50.720 --> 00:16:52.440
with my sister and I got the call back. I say,

00:16:52.519 --> 00:16:54.879
hey, I think I have to go. I think HBO is calling

00:16:54.879 --> 00:16:56.759
me. And then, yeah, we talked and she offered

00:16:56.759 --> 00:16:58.799
me the job. And then I met with some people the

00:16:58.799 --> 00:17:02.039
following week once. And then that Friday I got

00:17:02.039 --> 00:17:05.180
the actual offer. Literally happened in the span

00:17:05.180 --> 00:17:07.240
of a week. It was absolutely insane. They were

00:17:07.240 --> 00:17:09.539
all so incredibly nice, so excited to have me,

00:17:09.599 --> 00:17:12.170
which is so mind blowing. People online are so,

00:17:12.250 --> 00:17:13.990
so kind about my edits. I'm so grateful. And

00:17:13.990 --> 00:17:15.970
like, I don't think I'm bad by any means, but

00:17:15.970 --> 00:17:18.069
like there are people who have been in the industry

00:17:18.069 --> 00:17:20.549
for so long or who are trained in this. And it's

00:17:20.549 --> 00:17:22.450
just so mind boggling to me that they're willing

00:17:22.450 --> 00:17:24.410
to like take a chance on me. I'm so extremely

00:17:24.410 --> 00:17:28.289
grateful, but I'm also just like, why? Be grateful.

00:17:28.450 --> 00:17:30.910
Yeah, that's amazing. Did they tell you which

00:17:30.910 --> 00:17:33.569
edit of yours like kind of grabbed their attention?

00:17:33.769 --> 00:17:36.640
It was the previously on. previously on yeah

00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:39.599
oh i like that one too that was good we will

00:17:39.599 --> 00:17:42.359
link all of your edits to this interview yeah

00:17:42.359 --> 00:17:46.940
um you know what a congratulations that is awesome

00:17:46.940 --> 00:17:50.519
so happy for you like um like Doing something

00:17:50.519 --> 00:17:52.680
you love and then getting recognized for it and

00:17:52.680 --> 00:17:55.319
then getting opportunities for it is truly one

00:17:55.319 --> 00:17:57.059
of the greatest feelings in the world. To be

00:17:57.059 --> 00:17:59.980
recognized, to have your work out there, to have

00:17:59.980 --> 00:18:03.519
people recognize your talent, enjoy it. Pay you

00:18:03.519 --> 00:18:05.839
for it. Yeah, I mean, pay you, but like have

00:18:05.839 --> 00:18:08.220
it resonate, right? With like others. Like it's

00:18:08.220 --> 00:18:10.240
a great, it's an amazing feeling. That's why

00:18:10.240 --> 00:18:11.779
I'm so excited we're talking to like artists

00:18:11.779 --> 00:18:15.240
like you. So congratulations, A. And B, when

00:18:15.240 --> 00:18:17.970
you started putting these out. Were you nervous

00:18:17.970 --> 00:18:20.309
about putting this out, like how it would be

00:18:20.309 --> 00:18:22.250
received? Or were you just kind of like, I know

00:18:22.250 --> 00:18:24.109
I'm good at this and I'm just going to put it

00:18:24.109 --> 00:18:26.470
out into the world? Well, you had prior editing

00:18:26.470 --> 00:18:28.769
experience. Right, right, right. That's true.

00:18:29.210 --> 00:18:31.769
Maybe this hit differently. It's not as niche

00:18:31.769 --> 00:18:34.829
as it is. It's like so much. I mean, Percy Jackson,

00:18:35.029 --> 00:18:37.470
definitely worldwide. You know, 9 -1 -1. Yes.

00:18:37.569 --> 00:18:40.690
But this one is like really viral, you know,

00:18:40.690 --> 00:18:44.230
at baseline. Anytime you move a fandom, it's

00:18:44.230 --> 00:18:46.789
kind of a little. There's some uncertainty that

00:18:46.789 --> 00:18:50.029
comes with it. I mean, like meeting people, are

00:18:50.029 --> 00:18:51.990
your edits going to do well here? Like, are they

00:18:51.990 --> 00:18:54.349
going to resonate? Because each fandom really

00:18:54.349 --> 00:18:57.069
is so different. But I mean, the first edit I

00:18:57.069 --> 00:18:59.569
made was after the first two episodes, I made

00:18:59.569 --> 00:19:02.509
an edit to Mr. Brightside. And I think it got

00:19:02.509 --> 00:19:04.329
like close to 10 ,000 likes on Twitter. And I've

00:19:04.329 --> 00:19:06.630
never done those kind of numbers ever. I mean,

00:19:06.690 --> 00:19:10.450
in previous fandoms. I think like the max I hit

00:19:10.450 --> 00:19:12.650
was 5 ,000 likes, which is still a lot of likes,

00:19:12.730 --> 00:19:15.450
but like I got 10 ,000. I mean, I had to like

00:19:15.450 --> 00:19:18.650
build to that sort of thing. And getting 10 ,000

00:19:18.650 --> 00:19:21.109
on the very first one. I mean, I love editing.

00:19:21.230 --> 00:19:22.950
I do it for fun. I mean, now I do it for work,

00:19:22.950 --> 00:19:26.890
but I mean, it also isn't the worst thing to

00:19:26.890 --> 00:19:30.630
get, to have your edits do well. those numbers

00:19:30.630 --> 00:19:33.470
come in so i was definitely more excited to keep

00:19:33.470 --> 00:19:35.710
making those edits because it's so rewarding

00:19:35.710 --> 00:19:37.690
to put out something you love and that you had

00:19:37.690 --> 00:19:40.430
fun with and that really made an impact on you

00:19:40.430 --> 00:19:42.650
while making it and seeing that same impact on

00:19:42.650 --> 00:19:45.849
people watching it um people were so insanely

00:19:45.849 --> 00:19:48.029
nice about the editing so excited i was saying

00:19:48.029 --> 00:19:50.829
this fandom in particular really loves edits

00:19:50.829 --> 00:19:53.779
which is so different than other fandoms. So

00:19:53.779 --> 00:19:56.099
it's so wild to me to be part of a fandom that

00:19:56.099 --> 00:19:58.700
loves edits this much. Like that's so not typical,

00:19:58.799 --> 00:20:00.900
at least in my experience. I think that the particular

00:20:00.900 --> 00:20:04.599
audience for the show is re -watching the show

00:20:04.599 --> 00:20:07.000
more than they've ever re -watched anything ever,

00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:09.720
ever, ever. And I think the edits specifically

00:20:09.720 --> 00:20:12.839
are giving them, at least for me, they're giving

00:20:12.839 --> 00:20:16.000
us this like needed hit of like dopamine because

00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:18.720
when you don't have time to watch the entire

00:20:18.720 --> 00:20:22.230
episode again, a quick hit is... and edit, right?

00:20:22.349 --> 00:20:24.009
You know, we could be sending each other like

00:20:24.009 --> 00:20:26.089
horrible news articles, which is what we used

00:20:26.089 --> 00:20:28.769
to do. Which is what we used to do. Or he could

00:20:28.769 --> 00:20:30.890
be doing drugs, you know? He could be doing drugs.

00:20:31.450 --> 00:20:34.150
Growing up, I had so many obsessions. My family

00:20:34.150 --> 00:20:36.329
was like, this is not good. And I'm like, I could

00:20:36.329 --> 00:20:38.029
be doing drugs right now. But instead, I'm watching

00:20:38.029 --> 00:20:40.750
TV. Like, take the win. Take the win. It's okay.

00:20:40.769 --> 00:20:44.130
I always say that too. If the worst thing about

00:20:44.130 --> 00:20:46.829
you is you're obsessed with a TV show or a book,

00:20:47.069 --> 00:20:49.470
like, that seems pretty good to me. You know?

00:20:49.609 --> 00:20:52.400
It taught me a career. It's so crazy looking

00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:55.240
back. I started at 12 years old in the house

00:20:55.240 --> 00:20:57.299
of Anubis fandom. It was, again, such a taboo

00:20:57.299 --> 00:20:59.339
thing. I mean, I was also 12. I probably shouldn't

00:20:59.339 --> 00:21:00.960
have been in the fandom space at 12 years old,

00:21:00.980 --> 00:21:03.680
so I get it. I feel like I always had it with

00:21:03.680 --> 00:21:05.799
me, and I learned so much, and I started editing,

00:21:05.880 --> 00:21:07.960
and I found this thing I loved, and now it's

00:21:07.960 --> 00:21:09.880
a career which is so baffling to me. I still

00:21:09.880 --> 00:21:11.519
can't wrap my head around it. The concept of

00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:14.319
making trailers, promos, all these insane things

00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:16.839
that I've been doing for fun as a job for shows

00:21:16.839 --> 00:21:19.500
I love is so mind -blowing. Is your... educational

00:21:19.500 --> 00:21:22.680
background in film or anything like that or marketing

00:21:22.680 --> 00:21:25.460
actually marketing okay gotcha but we didn't

00:21:25.460 --> 00:21:27.259
do any sort of thing in film we didn't have any

00:21:27.259 --> 00:21:29.180
classes and with that we had really I mean I

00:21:29.180 --> 00:21:31.240
loved being a marketing major it was it was fun

00:21:31.240 --> 00:21:33.400
um which I feel like isn't gonna be shocking

00:21:33.400 --> 00:21:35.200
news to anybody I mean we did like influencer

00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:37.900
marketing classes we did brand marketing it was

00:21:37.900 --> 00:21:39.660
really fun I loved it and I think that'll also

00:21:39.660 --> 00:21:42.240
be helpful hopefully yeah that will that definitely

00:21:42.240 --> 00:21:44.500
will so you have like a business savvy you have

00:21:44.500 --> 00:21:46.880
like a marketer's eye and then you have your

00:21:46.880 --> 00:21:49.440
creativity so that's what I'm saying You're like

00:21:49.440 --> 00:21:51.240
the whole package. The whole package. I mean,

00:21:51.240 --> 00:21:53.259
no, you said it, not me. I'll take it. I guess

00:21:53.259 --> 00:21:55.039
I can say I know I'm a good editor and that feels

00:21:55.039 --> 00:21:57.339
really good, too. I mean, it's super validating

00:21:57.339 --> 00:21:59.839
for people to watch my edits and also think that.

00:22:00.759 --> 00:22:02.720
But I think part of it also comes from I feel

00:22:02.720 --> 00:22:07.200
like with fan spaces, I'm so like firm on fandom

00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:10.279
etiquette and creating good spaces for fans.

00:22:10.319 --> 00:22:13.250
And I feel like part of that is like. the second

00:22:13.250 --> 00:22:15.809
one fan is deemed as kind of like more important

00:22:15.809 --> 00:22:18.329
in the fandom as another fan, it creates this

00:22:18.329 --> 00:22:20.130
really uncomfortable space for everybody else.

00:22:20.210 --> 00:22:22.190
And I've hated seeing it. I don't like the feeling

00:22:22.190 --> 00:22:24.710
of it, like on either side of it. And like, I

00:22:24.710 --> 00:22:26.849
don't think I'm better than somebody else in

00:22:26.849 --> 00:22:28.630
like that kind of way. Like, again, I think I'm

00:22:28.630 --> 00:22:29.769
a really good editor, but I don't think that

00:22:29.769 --> 00:22:32.130
makes me a more important person than somebody

00:22:32.130 --> 00:22:34.970
else. And I think I kind of just keep that in

00:22:34.970 --> 00:22:36.509
my mind. Or a bigger fan, you know what I mean?

00:22:36.549 --> 00:22:38.549
Like you're not more important in the fandom.

00:22:38.589 --> 00:22:42.190
Yeah. Yeah. And like, I feel like part of like,

00:22:42.559 --> 00:22:45.400
like me brushing off compliments is like my fear

00:22:45.400 --> 00:22:47.500
that i'm going to be perceived that people are

00:22:47.500 --> 00:22:49.480
going to think i think i'm better than somebody

00:22:49.480 --> 00:22:51.819
else and like i care so much about fandom spaces

00:22:51.819 --> 00:22:53.619
they've given me so much they've given me such

00:22:53.619 --> 00:22:55.759
great friendships and opportunities and like

00:22:55.759 --> 00:22:58.359
i want to keep those spaces that for other people

00:22:58.359 --> 00:23:01.420
and to help nourish that but i also do feel like

00:23:01.420 --> 00:23:03.940
i've maybe overcorrected i feel like i can also

00:23:03.940 --> 00:23:06.819
um admit that like i do think i'm a good editor

00:23:06.819 --> 00:23:08.940
and i do think that i've earned these opportunities

00:23:08.940 --> 00:23:12.529
so i love that and i and i i think I think that

00:23:12.529 --> 00:23:15.869
alone, that realization that you want to keep

00:23:15.869 --> 00:23:19.390
like this like safe space of fandom and be respectful

00:23:19.390 --> 00:23:22.910
is another wonderful attribute of your personality.

00:23:22.930 --> 00:23:25.430
And I think you're going to go far with that

00:23:25.430 --> 00:23:28.089
because not only do you recognize your own talent,

00:23:28.109 --> 00:23:30.509
but you recognize that like there are other a

00:23:30.509 --> 00:23:33.430
lot of other talented people out there that may

00:23:33.430 --> 00:23:35.569
have not have the same look, for example, that

00:23:35.569 --> 00:23:39.480
you may have had. So I love that. I have two

00:23:39.480 --> 00:23:43.140
burning questions. Okay. As someone who gets

00:23:43.140 --> 00:23:47.000
easily obsessed and I say this is a time management

00:23:47.000 --> 00:23:49.380
problem for me because I do have other things

00:23:49.380 --> 00:23:52.640
I need to do in my life that aren't heated rivalry.

00:23:53.539 --> 00:23:56.259
This is horrible. It's actually horrible. The

00:23:56.259 --> 00:23:59.700
life is getting in the way of my heated rivalry.

00:23:59.920 --> 00:24:02.660
But what do you do? Like, do you let go of your

00:24:02.660 --> 00:24:06.470
prior fandom when you go into a new fandom? I

00:24:06.470 --> 00:24:08.529
don't mean your friends and the people you meet.

00:24:08.630 --> 00:24:11.569
I mean like the actual content you're making.

00:24:11.589 --> 00:24:14.329
Like you can't possibly be making the level of

00:24:14.329 --> 00:24:18.750
content like additively, right? So what happens?

00:24:18.990 --> 00:24:21.390
I feel like I'm definitely, I mean, I have like

00:24:21.390 --> 00:24:24.769
raging ADHD. So like my, I fixate so hard on

00:24:24.769 --> 00:24:27.849
things. And I think that like, for me, I'm just

00:24:27.849 --> 00:24:30.099
so focused on this thing that I can't. all my

00:24:30.099 --> 00:24:32.099
energy is being put to that. I mean, I still

00:24:32.099 --> 00:24:34.700
post about like 901 or Percy Jackson here and

00:24:34.700 --> 00:24:36.539
there. But like, if you look at my account, you

00:24:36.539 --> 00:24:38.980
would think it's only heed rivalries. Yeah, I

00:24:38.980 --> 00:24:41.180
do think that those things definitely do take

00:24:41.180 --> 00:24:44.779
a backseat when I move to another fandom. Of

00:24:44.779 --> 00:24:46.420
course, there are new songs, new ideas that come,

00:24:46.539 --> 00:24:49.599
but I feel like the burning desire I have to

00:24:49.599 --> 00:24:51.880
edit is usually in a new space where I have all

00:24:51.880 --> 00:24:54.259
the possibilities of new music, new scenes. So

00:24:54.259 --> 00:24:57.460
I think that's kind of what drives me to edit

00:24:57.460 --> 00:25:00.119
more of a fandom, if that makes sense. is very

00:25:00.119 --> 00:25:03.799
interesting. My second question is related to

00:25:03.799 --> 00:25:06.519
Heat of Rivalry. Do you have a favorite edit?

00:25:06.759 --> 00:25:09.799
And do you have like an edit that has like, that

00:25:09.799 --> 00:25:12.460
was the hardest or like really bugged you or

00:25:12.460 --> 00:25:15.559
you like lost your like, whatever? What is the

00:25:15.559 --> 00:25:18.079
version of writer? Editor's block? Editor's block?

00:25:18.319 --> 00:25:21.480
Yeah, yeah. So tell us about that if that has

00:25:21.480 --> 00:25:23.400
happened. That's a great question. I mean, I

00:25:23.400 --> 00:25:25.220
actually almost gave up on the previously on

00:25:25.220 --> 00:25:29.450
edit. So I added to that edit weekly. So I started

00:25:29.450 --> 00:25:31.130
it with the first two episodes and then I added

00:25:31.130 --> 00:25:33.450
on to it with every episode that came out. And

00:25:33.450 --> 00:25:35.250
then by the time I finished, I was like, I watched

00:25:35.250 --> 00:25:37.890
this edit like every day for the last month.

00:25:37.910 --> 00:25:42.720
It's lost any excitement for me. And I just did

00:25:42.720 --> 00:25:43.779
not want to post it. My friends were like, just

00:25:43.779 --> 00:25:45.920
post it. Like, you worked so hard on it. May

00:25:45.920 --> 00:25:47.319
as well just post it or whatever. People are

00:25:47.319 --> 00:25:49.279
going to like it. Because I also posted a little

00:25:49.279 --> 00:25:50.799
sneak peek of it. I was like, do people want

00:25:50.799 --> 00:25:52.940
this? And it got like 6 ,000 likes. And I was

00:25:52.940 --> 00:25:55.380
like, damn, I wouldn't mind this. They wanted

00:25:55.380 --> 00:25:56.660
it. I was joking. I'm like, I love attention.

00:25:56.880 --> 00:25:58.640
So I was like, you know, may as well post it.

00:25:59.240 --> 00:26:01.339
And so it completely blew up. And I'm like, if

00:26:01.339 --> 00:26:03.640
I didn't post that edit, I don't know if I, I

00:26:03.640 --> 00:26:06.039
mean, I like to think maybe HBO would have reached

00:26:06.039 --> 00:26:07.720
out for a different edit. But like, I don't know.

00:26:08.019 --> 00:26:10.940
I mean, that's the one that. Like they sent around

00:26:10.940 --> 00:26:14.059
the one. I was just talking to somebody else.

00:26:14.140 --> 00:26:17.940
And he told me that like there was like a discussion

00:26:17.940 --> 00:26:20.579
with like these girls at the lunchroom at Netflix.

00:26:20.599 --> 00:26:22.259
And they were talking about it and then showed

00:26:22.259 --> 00:26:24.440
another executive there. And like he liked it.

00:26:24.500 --> 00:26:26.220
And I was like, that's mind blowing to me that

00:26:26.220 --> 00:26:28.099
people were watching this edit and like talking

00:26:28.099 --> 00:26:29.900
about it. It was just so wild to me. So I'm so

00:26:29.900 --> 00:26:32.859
grateful that I just posted the edit. But yeah,

00:26:32.900 --> 00:26:34.859
I do love that one. And so like other edits,

00:26:34.920 --> 00:26:36.740
I mean, will usually take me like three, four

00:26:36.740 --> 00:26:38.259
hours. Like the Sweet Dreams one only took me

00:26:38.259 --> 00:26:40.640
like three hours, I think. Wow. I also do love

00:26:40.640 --> 00:26:42.299
that one because that one blew up. I mean, the

00:26:42.299 --> 00:26:44.980
blinding lights one, I could not post it on TikTok.

00:26:45.140 --> 00:26:47.480
I was so annoyed. I kept trying and it got flagged

00:26:47.480 --> 00:26:50.200
every time. I noticed that this fandom more than

00:26:50.200 --> 00:26:53.160
any other, I'm not sure if it's like TikTok being

00:26:53.160 --> 00:26:55.500
homophobic or what, but whenever I have like

00:26:55.500 --> 00:26:57.680
a law shot to them kissing, it gets flagged,

00:26:57.680 --> 00:27:00.359
which is so wild to me. But the blinding lights

00:27:00.359 --> 00:27:02.539
one isn't even that crazy. I feel like at one

00:27:02.539 --> 00:27:05.339
point, at least this is how I see some of my

00:27:05.339 --> 00:27:08.410
hit to be edits. Once I keep doing them, I feel

00:27:08.410 --> 00:27:10.170
like I'm a little repetitive with it because

00:27:10.170 --> 00:27:12.930
like there's only so many shots of like Shane

00:27:12.930 --> 00:27:15.509
doing a clap that will hit on me or something

00:27:15.509 --> 00:27:17.950
like that or like a hockey stick. So like I've

00:27:17.950 --> 00:27:20.569
used every single hockey scene in the show in

00:27:20.569 --> 00:27:22.990
my edits. And I think like at some point they

00:27:22.990 --> 00:27:25.470
all kind of start to blur together. So like but

00:27:25.470 --> 00:27:26.910
that one I really liked. I think that was fun.

00:27:27.450 --> 00:27:29.950
Is that the one where I may have seen that one?

00:27:29.970 --> 00:27:31.710
Is that the one that made it look like it was

00:27:31.710 --> 00:27:34.170
a show about hockey? I don't know. I mean, like

00:27:34.170 --> 00:27:36.809
a lot of my edits do that. People comment a lot

00:27:36.809 --> 00:27:38.210
saying why you really made this show look like

00:27:38.210 --> 00:27:39.289
it's about hockey. I'm like, okay, well, it kind

00:27:39.289 --> 00:27:42.670
of is. There was this one, I don't know if it

00:27:42.670 --> 00:27:43.890
was yours, but it was literally, I'm like, oh

00:27:43.890 --> 00:27:46.769
my God, if I had only watched this edit, I would

00:27:46.769 --> 00:27:49.390
have thought that it was just a show about hockey

00:27:49.390 --> 00:27:52.509
and that's it. That's so funny. People are really

00:27:52.509 --> 00:27:55.950
doing a good job at maximizing the hockey scenes.

00:27:56.269 --> 00:27:59.809
I've used every single shot I possibly can. yeah

00:27:59.809 --> 00:28:02.309
i think so like oh i also like the um the rivalry

00:28:02.309 --> 00:28:04.349
actually one it's like the huge rivalries of

00:28:04.349 --> 00:28:07.369
rom -com oh yeah i've seen that that one is fun

00:28:07.369 --> 00:28:09.869
um yeah i feel like the ones i like the most

00:28:09.869 --> 00:28:11.589
are the ones i like had the most fun with creatively

00:28:11.589 --> 00:28:14.619
so like It's hard to choose. It's hard to choose.

00:28:14.759 --> 00:28:17.259
There's so many and they're so good. So this

00:28:17.259 --> 00:28:20.660
episode is primarily about how art, great art,

00:28:20.859 --> 00:28:23.880
inspires other great arts. My question is like

00:28:23.880 --> 00:28:26.700
in the time of turmoil, which we're kind of living

00:28:26.700 --> 00:28:29.099
in right now, do you think something like this

00:28:29.099 --> 00:28:33.039
hits even more so and inspires people more? Or

00:28:33.039 --> 00:28:35.039
do you think it has nothing really to do with

00:28:35.039 --> 00:28:37.099
that? And it's just like the show that like randomly

00:28:37.099 --> 00:28:39.440
came, gave us happiness and boom, like people

00:28:39.440 --> 00:28:42.019
are just inspired to be creative. What are your

00:28:42.019 --> 00:29:11.700
thoughts? There's no right or wrong answer. I

00:29:11.700 --> 00:29:15.359
mean, I didn't expect a queer show to do as well

00:29:15.359 --> 00:29:17.180
as it did, to be honest. I feel like I'm so used

00:29:17.180 --> 00:29:19.279
to seeing them kind of brushed aside. And it

00:29:19.279 --> 00:29:20.640
was always super disappointing because these

00:29:20.640 --> 00:29:23.420
stories are so important. And I think, I mean,

00:29:23.460 --> 00:29:26.660
there's no openly gay hockey player in the NHL

00:29:26.660 --> 00:29:29.519
right now. And I feel like this kind of story

00:29:29.519 --> 00:29:33.039
really opens up the chance for somebody to maybe

00:29:33.039 --> 00:29:35.700
even just feel a little more sense of belonging.

00:29:35.940 --> 00:29:38.619
And I feel like with the art that everyone's

00:29:38.619 --> 00:29:40.119
making right now, I feel like it just really

00:29:40.119 --> 00:29:42.880
shows that this story is resonating with so many

00:29:42.880 --> 00:29:45.039
different people even if you're not necessarily

00:29:45.039 --> 00:29:48.660
the target audience for the story i feel like

00:29:48.660 --> 00:29:50.500
people are really resonating with the emotions

00:29:50.500 --> 00:29:52.960
behind it and the impact of the story and what

00:29:52.960 --> 00:29:55.500
the method they can do um and the importance

00:29:55.500 --> 00:29:58.039
of it the art just shows that people are connecting

00:29:58.039 --> 00:30:00.839
with it and help spread it shows how they see

00:30:00.839 --> 00:30:03.240
the show and it shows how like what the show

00:30:03.240 --> 00:30:05.339
did for them what you're saying is i think and

00:30:05.339 --> 00:30:07.779
correct me if i'm wrong that like the more art

00:30:07.779 --> 00:30:10.940
that is created based on the show or that in

00:30:10.940 --> 00:30:14.180
the spy that the show has inspired the more people

00:30:14.180 --> 00:30:17.079
will get to experience it in different ways in

00:30:17.079 --> 00:30:19.380
addition to the show being so wonderful the art

00:30:19.380 --> 00:30:22.410
is lifting up the stories too and and i I hope

00:30:22.410 --> 00:30:25.369
that people continue creating in these times

00:30:25.369 --> 00:30:29.670
because it's meaningful to all of us, especially

00:30:29.670 --> 00:30:33.089
since it is very clearly also, like it did for

00:30:33.089 --> 00:30:35.950
you, building a community, which a lot of us

00:30:35.950 --> 00:30:39.150
really need right now, especially. And I also

00:30:39.150 --> 00:30:42.289
think the thing about what you said about what

00:30:42.289 --> 00:30:44.950
it evokes, representation is important, but also

00:30:44.950 --> 00:30:50.490
the emotions that you remember, like that lives

00:30:50.490 --> 00:30:55.829
with you. Art has that ability to evoke an emotion

00:30:55.829 --> 00:30:58.750
that stays with you, even if you don't quite

00:30:58.750 --> 00:31:03.369
remember every single scene or, you know, crying

00:31:03.369 --> 00:31:06.509
or anything. You just remember the feeling. And

00:31:06.509 --> 00:31:12.269
in a time where that is very hard to actually

00:31:12.269 --> 00:31:15.230
convey in social media, because social media

00:31:15.230 --> 00:31:19.309
tends to be instant and fleeting. The feeling

00:31:19.309 --> 00:31:22.230
sometimes that evokes is like not a great one

00:31:22.230 --> 00:31:25.769
all the time. And then, but then you see this

00:31:25.769 --> 00:31:28.069
stuff and you're like, this is beautiful. And

00:31:28.069 --> 00:31:29.950
even if you don't remember every single piece

00:31:29.950 --> 00:31:32.630
of it, that feeling stays with you. That for

00:31:32.630 --> 00:31:35.069
me is one of the things that is really beautiful

00:31:35.069 --> 00:31:38.069
about the show is that it is able to evoke that

00:31:38.069 --> 00:31:40.690
for so many people. Yeah. And I think like I,

00:31:40.730 --> 00:31:43.190
the I'll believe in anything scene at the end

00:31:43.190 --> 00:31:45.579
of episode five is like. That's like the scene

00:31:45.579 --> 00:31:48.539
of the entire show for me. Every aspect of that

00:31:48.539 --> 00:31:51.220
scene was so impactful. The emotions that that

00:31:51.220 --> 00:31:54.859
scene evoked really landed with people. This

00:31:54.859 --> 00:31:57.740
show reached more people than I ever expected

00:31:57.740 --> 00:32:00.119
it to in the best way possible. And I think that

00:32:00.119 --> 00:32:02.299
it just really opened a lot of people up emotion

00:32:02.299 --> 00:32:05.480
-wise and the impact of the show completely blew

00:32:05.480 --> 00:32:07.680
me away. The actors did such a phenomenal job

00:32:07.680 --> 00:32:09.839
conveying every single emotion. I definitely

00:32:09.839 --> 00:32:11.460
also think what you said about community too.

00:32:14.589 --> 00:32:17.609
I read a story or I watch an edit, you can definitely

00:32:17.609 --> 00:32:20.289
see how that person perceived the show and how

00:32:20.289 --> 00:32:23.109
it impacted them. It's such a cool experience

00:32:23.109 --> 00:32:25.789
to see what that show meant to them. It brings

00:32:25.789 --> 00:32:28.190
people together. I love all the art with the

00:32:28.190 --> 00:32:29.890
show. I think it's amazing. Well, thank you so

00:32:29.890 --> 00:32:32.190
much for joining us today, Melanie. We're so

00:32:32.190 --> 00:32:34.509
excited for your career. Thank you. Thank you

00:32:34.509 --> 00:32:37.750
for having me. Yeah, absolutely. Enjoy HBO. They

00:32:37.750 --> 00:32:40.609
got themselves a great, great person. That's

00:32:40.609 --> 00:32:42.990
so sweet. They're lucky to have you. They're

00:32:42.990 --> 00:32:44.930
lucky to have you. Thank you so much. I appreciate

00:32:44.930 --> 00:32:47.869
it. Thank you. Bye. See you. Take care. Diana,

00:32:48.049 --> 00:32:51.170
I really enjoy talking to Melanie. I mean, I

00:32:51.170 --> 00:32:53.430
don't know if you believe in fate or whatever,

00:32:53.609 --> 00:32:57.529
but she literally got a job at HBO from a DM.

00:32:58.109 --> 00:33:00.890
doing something she loves. And she didn't almost

00:33:00.890 --> 00:33:04.009
post the edit that got her her job. I mean, chills,

00:33:04.130 --> 00:33:06.869
right? I love when social media makes things

00:33:06.869 --> 00:33:09.390
better for a change. Yeah, which is which is

00:33:09.390 --> 00:33:12.789
rare, which is rare sometimes. Yeah. And also

00:33:12.789 --> 00:33:15.130
a great reminder that you really never know,

00:33:15.130 --> 00:33:18.009
like, what is going to land and change your life.

00:33:18.049 --> 00:33:19.829
And actually, same with Connor's story, right?

00:33:19.890 --> 00:33:22.289
Like, what, three months ago, he was or like

00:33:22.289 --> 00:33:24.410
six months ago, he was a waiter. And now he is

00:33:24.410 --> 00:33:28.009
hosting hosting SNL. Right. So it's kind of amazing.

00:33:28.130 --> 00:33:30.210
You never know. And I also keep thinking about

00:33:30.210 --> 00:33:33.720
when she said that fandoms. This fandom loves

00:33:33.720 --> 00:33:36.180
edits more than any other fandom she's been in.

00:33:36.259 --> 00:33:39.859
And I think that part of it is the dopamine hit.

00:33:40.160 --> 00:33:43.539
But maybe also this particular show at this particular

00:33:43.539 --> 00:33:47.440
moment needs art, right? We need an outlet. We

00:33:47.440 --> 00:33:49.779
need an escape. Because the world is a complete

00:33:49.779 --> 00:33:53.500
shitshow. Agree, agree. And to paraphrase a friend,

00:33:53.859 --> 00:33:57.140
even in turbulent times, there's art and music

00:33:57.140 --> 00:34:00.140
and love. And I think so many of the elements

00:34:00.140 --> 00:34:03.180
that this show... is portraying right like so

00:34:03.180 --> 00:34:07.240
authentically and beautifully immigrants and

00:34:07.240 --> 00:34:09.719
freedom to love who you love acceptance even

00:34:09.719 --> 00:34:13.559
like reading the actual book right it's just

00:34:13.559 --> 00:34:17.900
under constant attack i mean like are we at war

00:34:17.900 --> 00:34:21.659
now who knows like everything feels absolutely

00:34:21.659 --> 00:34:24.900
chaotic. We feel completely paralyzed. You know,

00:34:24.920 --> 00:34:27.940
I'm all about finding patterns and chaos. And

00:34:27.940 --> 00:34:30.920
like for the life of me, I can't find anything.

00:34:31.059 --> 00:34:33.840
I can't make sense. I just don't know what to

00:34:33.840 --> 00:34:36.579
do. And I think that's when maybe we need to

00:34:36.579 --> 00:34:39.380
be creative the most. Not using art to escape

00:34:39.380 --> 00:34:43.099
the clusterfuck, you know, but more like using

00:34:43.099 --> 00:34:45.380
it to sustain us through it, you know, just kind

00:34:45.380 --> 00:34:48.039
of get us through it. Because we talk a lot about

00:34:48.039 --> 00:34:52.719
joy. and how this show makes us so happy. But

00:34:52.719 --> 00:34:55.340
it's not as if we're not talking about the bigger

00:34:55.340 --> 00:34:57.639
things that this show makes us think about, right?

00:34:57.719 --> 00:35:00.460
Like these larger thematic elements. We're still

00:35:00.460 --> 00:35:02.719
thinking. I mean, I would say we're thinking

00:35:02.719 --> 00:35:05.659
pretty deeply. Yeah, I think so. And the editors

00:35:05.659 --> 00:35:08.900
and people making this art are also thinking

00:35:08.900 --> 00:35:11.500
that way. And I keep coming back to this Toni

00:35:11.500 --> 00:35:16.500
Morrison quote because I remember in 2016, right

00:35:16.500 --> 00:35:19.500
after the election, she said, you know, I was

00:35:19.500 --> 00:35:21.840
feeling unable to write staring out the window

00:35:21.840 --> 00:35:24.659
in this dark mood and a friend interrupted her

00:35:24.659 --> 00:35:28.039
and said no this is precisely the time when artists

00:35:28.039 --> 00:35:30.940
go to work not when everything is fine but in

00:35:30.940 --> 00:35:35.199
times of dread that is our job this is the precise

00:35:35.199 --> 00:35:38.320
time that we speak We write, we do language,

00:35:38.360 --> 00:35:41.639
and that is how civilizations heal. Like I remember

00:35:41.639 --> 00:35:45.019
feeling that and reading that. And that's when

00:35:45.019 --> 00:35:47.199
I started writing a lot more. And like that is

00:35:47.199 --> 00:35:48.840
kind of like what clicked for me because like

00:35:48.840 --> 00:35:51.219
my writing just became natural and organic. Like

00:35:51.219 --> 00:35:53.119
I needed to get it out. Right. And I think that

00:35:53.119 --> 00:35:55.559
quote really like stayed with me from that moment.

00:35:55.679 --> 00:35:57.980
And like right now it just feels important, you

00:35:57.980 --> 00:36:00.980
know. honestly, more so than ever, when our rights

00:36:00.980 --> 00:36:03.320
are being threatened, when institutions are,

00:36:03.380 --> 00:36:06.119
you know, feeling unsafe and weaponized and the

00:36:06.119 --> 00:36:09.099
world is just tilting. Artists don't stop. You

00:36:09.099 --> 00:36:11.119
know, they draw, they write, they edit, they

00:36:11.119 --> 00:36:13.699
create. That's what this feels like, that that's

00:36:13.699 --> 00:36:17.460
what Melanie is doing and many others are doing.

00:36:17.679 --> 00:36:20.340
They're doing the work. They're not randomly

00:36:20.340 --> 00:36:23.019
creating. They're like literally responding to

00:36:23.019 --> 00:36:25.300
the moment. Melanie also said something that

00:36:25.300 --> 00:36:28.519
struck me. She is so conscious that it's not

00:36:28.519 --> 00:36:31.500
just one voice that speaks for the fandom. She

00:36:31.500 --> 00:36:33.619
mentioned it specifically in her interview that

00:36:33.619 --> 00:36:35.699
it's part of the etiquette. It's part of what

00:36:35.699 --> 00:36:39.050
makes the fandom. nourishing and so it feels

00:36:39.050 --> 00:36:42.570
almost like egalitarian in a time where that

00:36:42.570 --> 00:36:45.929
concept feels like really far out of reach right

00:36:45.929 --> 00:36:48.869
i mean we're all screaming into the void and

00:36:48.869 --> 00:36:52.070
and maybe if enough of us scream into it together

00:36:52.070 --> 00:36:56.610
like together not just as one one voice leading

00:36:56.610 --> 00:36:59.409
the charge right yeah like maybe we'll make a

00:36:59.409 --> 00:37:01.789
difference maybe the inertia and the paralysis

00:37:01.789 --> 00:37:05.849
that we feel will be overcome. And in a small

00:37:05.849 --> 00:37:10.130
way, we can, you know, bend the arc of the universe

00:37:10.130 --> 00:37:13.050
towards justice. You know, as Martin Luther King

00:37:13.050 --> 00:37:15.130
said, you know, it's supposed to go that way.

00:37:15.269 --> 00:37:17.769
I mean, where is it? I don't know. It feels like

00:37:17.769 --> 00:37:20.369
I can't quite see it. But there's something about

00:37:20.369 --> 00:37:23.289
that idea that not a single person can do it

00:37:23.289 --> 00:37:26.510
alone. I don't know why it feels so mind blowing

00:37:26.510 --> 00:37:30.030
because it feels very basic. When you feel maybe

00:37:30.030 --> 00:37:33.000
it's our ego, maybe it's this idea that you feel

00:37:33.000 --> 00:37:35.500
like the weight of the world is on your shoulders

00:37:35.500 --> 00:37:38.619
and you're the only one drowning in it, you know?

00:37:38.659 --> 00:37:42.159
And I feel like that's what art reminds you,

00:37:42.260 --> 00:37:45.519
that you're not alone, that this has happened

00:37:45.519 --> 00:37:48.000
before, that you're going to move through it.

00:37:48.300 --> 00:37:50.340
And because a lot of traditional media spaces

00:37:50.340 --> 00:37:53.639
like actually feel like hostile and exclusionary.

00:37:53.679 --> 00:37:57.260
But this fandom, you know, it made art more accessible,

00:37:57.500 --> 00:37:59.800
organic. Anyone can, well, not anyone can make

00:37:59.800 --> 00:38:01.920
an edit, but if you have the talent to do it,

00:38:01.940 --> 00:38:03.460
you can make an edit. If you have the talent

00:38:03.460 --> 00:38:05.280
to do it, you could write fan fiction, you can

00:38:05.280 --> 00:38:07.900
draw, right? So then it gives us these characters

00:38:07.900 --> 00:38:10.960
that aren't static, like in the art, like they

00:38:10.960 --> 00:38:13.739
live in these paintings and digital illustrations.

00:38:13.980 --> 00:38:16.340
And oh my God, claymation. Like, have you seen

00:38:16.340 --> 00:38:19.440
the claymation? that one you have to see the

00:38:19.440 --> 00:38:23.260
claymation like you there's this like mixed media

00:38:23.260 --> 00:38:26.639
art too it's gorgeous and embroidery there's

00:38:26.639 --> 00:38:30.760
posters like the fandom is just beautiful and

00:38:30.760 --> 00:38:33.659
it expands the canon and and that's why we just

00:38:33.659 --> 00:38:37.159
like keep coming back to it OK, you use the word

00:38:37.159 --> 00:38:40.079
canon because I'm now very proud of you because.

00:38:40.159 --> 00:38:45.280
Thank you. I'm so excited. I know I literally

00:38:45.280 --> 00:38:47.599
just started using the word canon, like literally

00:38:47.599 --> 00:38:49.659
like and then canonically. I'm like, oh, my God,

00:38:49.699 --> 00:38:53.920
look at me. You are you're in it, girl. I mean,

00:38:53.980 --> 00:38:57.250
I. OK, so can I tell you there? I've been holding

00:38:57.250 --> 00:38:59.449
on to the story. And you said the word canon.

00:38:59.530 --> 00:39:02.789
And it really, really made me think of this because

00:39:02.789 --> 00:39:07.269
there is this one Reddit take or a story or a

00:39:07.269 --> 00:39:10.630
fan fiction or something about Yuna's background.

00:39:10.730 --> 00:39:17.130
And it was so perfectly on point that I just

00:39:17.130 --> 00:39:21.809
couldn't remember if I read it in the books or

00:39:21.809 --> 00:39:25.530
if I watched it on the show. Like it was, it

00:39:25.530 --> 00:39:28.590
just is in my canon now. It just like lives in

00:39:28.590 --> 00:39:31.309
my head. And it was just such a, I mean, it was

00:39:31.309 --> 00:39:35.389
so on point about sort of her immigrant background.

00:39:35.889 --> 00:39:39.349
I literally can't remember. Did that happen in

00:39:39.349 --> 00:39:41.409
the show? Did that happen in the book? That does

00:39:41.409 --> 00:39:45.510
happen often. I know. And I think that's the

00:39:45.510 --> 00:39:48.829
thing about the show in a nutshell or fandom

00:39:48.829 --> 00:39:52.630
or art that it's inherently the intention is

00:39:52.630 --> 00:39:54.599
to connect. Do you know, like, I do that all

00:39:54.599 --> 00:39:56.619
the time now, too. Like, I will remember something

00:39:56.619 --> 00:39:59.659
and I'm like, was that in a book? Which book

00:39:59.659 --> 00:40:02.019
was it? And then I'm like, was it just someone's,

00:40:02.019 --> 00:40:04.599
like, thread post? Like, I do that all the time.

00:40:04.679 --> 00:40:07.179
But I do keep thinking about, like, why this

00:40:07.179 --> 00:40:09.599
show in particular? Like, why he did? Again,

00:40:09.800 --> 00:40:13.360
maybe this is not the case. Because, again, this

00:40:13.360 --> 00:40:15.280
is my first fandom. So maybe there are other

00:40:15.280 --> 00:40:17.960
fandoms that also generate this much excitement

00:40:17.960 --> 00:40:20.219
and art and whatever else. But I do think, like.

00:40:20.239 --> 00:40:23.829
I don't think so. Not like this. Not so. I mean,

00:40:23.849 --> 00:40:26.369
I think Harry Potter, all of those, but it's

00:40:26.369 --> 00:40:31.150
all, it's not like this open. Interesting. Well,

00:40:31.269 --> 00:40:33.329
you would know. It's not this mainstream. Okay.

00:40:33.590 --> 00:40:35.909
You would know. You know what? That's a good

00:40:35.909 --> 00:40:40.340
word because you're right. it is mainstream because

00:40:40.340 --> 00:40:43.039
people, like you said, like usually like fandoms

00:40:43.039 --> 00:40:44.960
are like small and tight knit, right? And they're

00:40:44.960 --> 00:40:47.480
like hidden, as Melanie said, you know, in subreddits

00:40:47.480 --> 00:40:49.539
or whatever else. So you're right. So this one

00:40:49.539 --> 00:40:52.159
is definitely mainstream. And I'm like, why does

00:40:52.159 --> 00:40:54.559
this one particularly generate so much art? And

00:40:54.559 --> 00:40:56.699
I think it's because it's got to be the regulation,

00:40:56.960 --> 00:40:59.500
right? It's regulating something in us. It centers

00:40:59.500 --> 00:41:02.840
tenderness in like a very brutal cultural moment.

00:41:03.119 --> 00:41:05.639
We talked about it in our anti -dystopia episode,

00:41:05.780 --> 00:41:07.559
right? Like Jenka wrote about this because we're

00:41:07.559 --> 00:41:09.940
living in a time saturated with like violence

00:41:09.940 --> 00:41:13.239
and cynicism, right? Where like masculinity and

00:41:13.239 --> 00:41:16.449
public life looks loud and brittle and authoritarian.

00:41:16.949 --> 00:41:19.510
And the show gives us the opposite. And that

00:41:19.510 --> 00:41:22.889
feels radical, you know. And so the art is also

00:41:22.889 --> 00:41:26.030
giving us that like oxygen that we need right

00:41:26.030 --> 00:41:28.510
now. And it's regulating our nervous system.

00:41:28.869 --> 00:41:31.829
And that's why we just keep going back to either

00:41:31.829 --> 00:41:34.250
watching the show or watching the edits or looking

00:41:34.250 --> 00:41:36.829
at the art or looking at pictures. Yeah. About

00:41:36.829 --> 00:41:40.510
this idea of like a soft power. Yeah. Yeah. And

00:41:40.510 --> 00:41:44.780
I don't think it always needs to be. One of the

00:41:44.780 --> 00:41:48.519
most beautiful things I've read recently is something

00:41:48.519 --> 00:41:51.539
Amanda Gorman wrote after the horrific killing

00:41:51.539 --> 00:41:55.820
of Alex Pretty in Minnesota. From her poem, she

00:41:55.820 --> 00:41:59.260
said, to know that to care intensively united

00:41:59.260 --> 00:42:02.480
is to carry both pain, dark horror for today

00:42:02.480 --> 00:42:05.579
and a profound daring hope for tomorrow. We can

00:42:05.579 --> 00:42:08.420
feel we have nothing to give and still believe

00:42:08.420 --> 00:42:12.360
this world waiting. trembling to change if we

00:42:12.360 --> 00:42:15.300
cannot find words may we find the will if we

00:42:15.300 --> 00:42:18.380
ever lose hope may we never lose our humanity

00:42:18.380 --> 00:42:21.530
and i'm like tearing up I love her so much and

00:42:21.530 --> 00:42:24.489
she always has the and again she's an artist

00:42:24.489 --> 00:42:27.030
she's a poet she's creating while we're in this

00:42:27.030 --> 00:42:30.449
yeah it's beautiful like yeah it speaks to this

00:42:30.449 --> 00:42:34.889
it's not naivete or like this insane and like

00:42:34.889 --> 00:42:37.869
inane belief that like everything is fine I mean

00:42:37.869 --> 00:42:40.030
I don't think that you don't think that I mean

00:42:40.030 --> 00:42:43.550
maybe it's like this idea that you know maybe

00:42:43.550 --> 00:42:46.489
never even if we lose hope maybe never lose our

00:42:46.489 --> 00:42:49.650
humanity you know we're longing I think everyone,

00:42:49.809 --> 00:42:53.449
I think at the very bottom of ourselves, I think

00:42:53.449 --> 00:42:56.929
we're all longing to touch base with our collective

00:42:56.929 --> 00:42:59.710
humanity. I think that's what we all want. I

00:42:59.710 --> 00:43:02.090
just don't think we know how to do it, like how

00:43:02.090 --> 00:43:06.329
to get there. Right. And the... the idea of longing

00:43:06.329 --> 00:43:08.789
is just kind of perfect for this conversation,

00:43:08.969 --> 00:43:10.789
right? Because like, I think that the structure

00:43:10.789 --> 00:43:12.969
of the show itself, right? There's so much longing

00:43:12.969 --> 00:43:15.710
there as well. And it's built around longing,

00:43:15.849 --> 00:43:18.309
right? I know those two, I know what you said

00:43:18.309 --> 00:43:21.030
in terms of longing and the way show is, like,

00:43:21.070 --> 00:43:23.570
it's not exactly the same, but longing, whether

00:43:23.570 --> 00:43:25.809
you're longing for collective humanity, like

00:43:25.809 --> 00:43:29.389
you said, or longing for someone you love, right?

00:43:29.469 --> 00:43:31.510
Or, you know, have that, like, it still leaves

00:43:31.510 --> 00:43:35.730
space, right? And it creates gaps. artists love

00:43:35.730 --> 00:43:38.670
gaps right because that's when they they can

00:43:38.670 --> 00:43:41.650
fill them right they love the unsaid they love

00:43:41.650 --> 00:43:45.030
the parts that are not showed and fan art specifically

00:43:45.030 --> 00:43:48.210
thrives on that right like the longing practically

00:43:48.210 --> 00:43:52.050
like demands art to fill it politically culturally

00:43:52.050 --> 00:43:54.769
when we feel powerless you know right now like

00:43:54.769 --> 00:43:57.369
we can't control what's happening right but like

00:43:57.369 --> 00:43:59.730
again we can write we can edit we can draw we

00:43:59.730 --> 00:44:03.239
can animate and we can long like for you said,

00:44:03.320 --> 00:44:05.739
for a better future, for humanity, for all of

00:44:05.739 --> 00:44:09.199
it. Yeah. Oh, oh my God. I think that analogy

00:44:09.199 --> 00:44:13.059
actually is really beautiful. It's like longing

00:44:13.059 --> 00:44:16.880
in the bigger picture, like that macro and the

00:44:16.880 --> 00:44:19.940
micro, like what you want your life to be, to

00:44:19.940 --> 00:44:23.800
be good, to be, you know, soft, to be kind, to

00:44:23.800 --> 00:44:28.059
be just. Yeah. Those are all the same things

00:44:28.059 --> 00:44:31.670
you want on an innate level, right? for you and

00:44:31.670 --> 00:44:36.070
your little world. Right, right. You can't control

00:44:36.070 --> 00:44:39.349
the world, but you can control what you create

00:44:39.349 --> 00:44:42.389
in response to it. Yeah. And that's art. And

00:44:42.389 --> 00:44:44.309
the show and the art that comes with it makes

00:44:44.309 --> 00:44:47.050
us feel safe and intense at the same time, honestly.

00:44:47.489 --> 00:44:52.070
Safe and intense, I like that. But our brain

00:44:52.070 --> 00:44:55.039
likes it, okay? Because it's... also safe. Like

00:44:55.039 --> 00:44:57.179
it's not just intense. It's not a thriller. It's

00:44:57.179 --> 00:44:59.739
not, you know, drama only. Right. And so our

00:44:59.739 --> 00:45:03.000
brains like that, both feeling safe and intensity

00:45:03.000 --> 00:45:05.619
at the same time, our nervous systems like it.

00:45:05.639 --> 00:45:08.139
And the fan art is a way to like stay inside

00:45:08.139 --> 00:45:10.920
that feeling longer. Right. That safety and intensity

00:45:10.920 --> 00:45:13.820
at the same time, which is probably why we also

00:45:13.820 --> 00:45:16.559
keep rewatching the show multiple times. The

00:45:16.559 --> 00:45:20.880
show feels like medicine. Because you go back

00:45:20.880 --> 00:45:23.699
to it when you're not feeling your best. It's

00:45:23.699 --> 00:45:27.039
like the antidote to this fuck show that we're

00:45:27.039 --> 00:45:30.679
in right now. Again, art is not going to fix

00:45:30.679 --> 00:45:32.820
your problems. It's not going to fix policy.

00:45:32.980 --> 00:45:35.960
But it will tell a story that might fix your

00:45:35.960 --> 00:45:39.159
heart and soul or at least help in some way.

00:45:39.780 --> 00:45:43.340
Yeah, storytelling. Yeah, storytelling. Storytelling.

00:45:43.340 --> 00:45:46.840
The best storytelling is the one that... inspires

00:45:46.840 --> 00:45:50.639
other people's stories to be told. The show inspired

00:45:50.639 --> 00:45:54.159
Melanie. Melanie's edits inspired other editors.

00:45:54.539 --> 00:45:58.239
These editors inspire writers and claymation

00:45:58.239 --> 00:46:01.739
artists. And I saw a Reddit post about someone

00:46:01.739 --> 00:46:05.820
who made, who like rebinds the books and it's

00:46:05.820 --> 00:46:08.940
absolutely stunning. It's also very soothing

00:46:08.940 --> 00:46:12.199
to watch this video, but it's, you're like, my

00:46:12.199 --> 00:46:16.489
God, it's so beautiful. I saw that. Yes. You

00:46:16.489 --> 00:46:18.969
saw that? Oh, my God. She's gorgeous. I saw it

00:46:18.969 --> 00:46:22.070
on TikTok. Okay. It's so beautiful, right? The

00:46:22.070 --> 00:46:24.010
world's a nightmare, but people are still making

00:46:24.010 --> 00:46:26.090
beautiful things. And so we're there for that.

00:46:26.230 --> 00:46:28.469
Yeah. And we're going to keep doing it. And we're

00:46:28.469 --> 00:46:30.190
going to keep saying, like, we're not done with

00:46:30.190 --> 00:46:33.469
this yet. And listen, we created this podcast

00:46:33.469 --> 00:46:38.070
because it's our art, right? Like, we're putting

00:46:38.070 --> 00:46:40.199
this out in the world, too, because... heated

00:46:40.199 --> 00:46:43.300
rivalry inspired us to do something that we are

00:46:43.300 --> 00:46:46.000
completely new at. We don't know how any of this

00:46:46.000 --> 00:46:48.159
works. We just said, let's do this because we

00:46:48.159 --> 00:46:50.340
need an outlet for our creativity. And we did

00:46:50.340 --> 00:46:51.840
it and we're doing it. And here we are. Yeah.

00:46:52.239 --> 00:46:54.860
Yeah. And that's, I think, very true when the

00:46:54.860 --> 00:46:57.780
world is trying to take it away. Yeah. Yeah,

00:46:57.940 --> 00:47:01.659
absolutely. We are at the time in our show where

00:47:01.659 --> 00:47:04.880
we talk about our moment of sunshine. So, Diana,

00:47:05.000 --> 00:47:06.760
tell me, what's your moment of sunshine this

00:47:06.760 --> 00:47:10.489
week? You know, this was a tough week for me.

00:47:10.550 --> 00:47:13.309
I had a lot of, it was a tough week. I'm just

00:47:13.309 --> 00:47:16.289
going to put it that way. And I did not have

00:47:16.289 --> 00:47:19.489
many moments of sunshine this week. The only

00:47:19.489 --> 00:47:22.570
things that kept me from like going deep into

00:47:22.570 --> 00:47:26.550
my dark hole was rereading Heated Rivalry and

00:47:26.550 --> 00:47:30.090
annotating it this time around. And every night,

00:47:30.170 --> 00:47:34.550
regardless of how shitty that day was, I turned

00:47:34.550 --> 00:47:37.719
everything else off because I was able to write

00:47:37.719 --> 00:47:39.739
in my book and annotate it and just like kind

00:47:39.739 --> 00:47:42.219
of focus on that specifically and focus on the

00:47:42.219 --> 00:47:45.280
words. And that really, like Melanie said, scratched

00:47:45.280 --> 00:47:48.519
my brain in a really good, positive way. Spoken

00:47:48.519 --> 00:47:52.320
like the fantastic English teacher that you are.

00:47:52.480 --> 00:47:56.119
I am telling you, I love reading, but I have

00:47:56.119 --> 00:48:00.940
never annotated a book. Oh, God, I love annotating.

00:48:00.940 --> 00:48:03.699
And like people, people, people get upset with

00:48:03.699 --> 00:48:05.320
me because they're like, how could you possibly

00:48:05.320 --> 00:48:07.619
like write inside a book? And I'm like, how could

00:48:07.619 --> 00:48:09.480
you not? Like, it's mine. Like, I'm not planning

00:48:09.480 --> 00:48:11.500
on giving it to anyone. I can do whatever I want

00:48:11.500 --> 00:48:13.300
with it. All right. What was your what's your

00:48:13.300 --> 00:48:15.860
moment of sunshine? So my moment of sunshine,

00:48:16.079 --> 00:48:19.880
speaking of art. So my daughter was watching

00:48:19.880 --> 00:48:22.900
and she loves. How to Train Your Dragon. It's

00:48:22.900 --> 00:48:26.880
a really good movie. And there's four movies,

00:48:26.980 --> 00:48:29.400
actually. And so the first one is really good.

00:48:29.500 --> 00:48:33.219
The fourth one is actually really, really good.

00:48:33.320 --> 00:48:37.739
And there is this part that she always gets emotional

00:48:37.739 --> 00:48:43.579
at. The score is so beautiful. Talk about longing,

00:48:43.780 --> 00:48:46.639
right? Like that score has that. And it's like,

00:48:46.639 --> 00:48:49.460
as soon as the music comes on, she starts tearing

00:48:49.460 --> 00:48:52.199
up. And then obviously I'm bawling every time.

00:48:52.280 --> 00:48:55.119
And it's like, as soon as that scene, the music

00:48:55.119 --> 00:48:59.219
comes on, she is six and able to feel that. Like,

00:48:59.219 --> 00:49:02.840
yeah, it's just I think it's like that universality

00:49:02.840 --> 00:49:06.840
of those feelings. And it's not just it's not

00:49:06.840 --> 00:49:09.099
just it's not as simple as sadness. You know,

00:49:09.139 --> 00:49:12.730
it's like. The emotion. She's emotional. She's

00:49:12.730 --> 00:49:16.050
not sad. So she watched How to Train Your Dragon,

00:49:16.170 --> 00:49:19.289
Hidden World. And I was sobbing watching her

00:49:19.289 --> 00:49:22.969
watch this. Can we do something like a teeny

00:49:22.969 --> 00:49:28.070
tiny bit different in this one? Yes. Can we have

00:49:28.070 --> 00:49:30.769
a joint moment of sunshine? There are no rules.

00:49:30.929 --> 00:49:33.969
This is a lawless, lawless podcast. You and I

00:49:33.969 --> 00:49:37.769
hung out. on Friday night to celebrate our friend's

00:49:37.769 --> 00:49:41.269
50th birthday. And a bunch of our friends came

00:49:41.269 --> 00:49:42.829
out, people we haven't, some of the people we

00:49:42.829 --> 00:49:46.510
haven't seen in a really long time. And I had

00:49:46.510 --> 00:49:49.349
such a great time with you and like everyone

00:49:49.349 --> 00:49:52.789
else. We laughed so hard after a crappy week.

00:49:52.869 --> 00:49:55.710
That gave me so much, you know, obviously joy,

00:49:55.989 --> 00:49:58.710
but like it made me feel alive again. That was

00:49:58.710 --> 00:50:03.070
so fun. And oddly having like really deep conversations

00:50:03.070 --> 00:50:06.219
combined with... absolutely batshit ones like

00:50:06.219 --> 00:50:10.739
chaos mo right just like you're talking about

00:50:10.739 --> 00:50:13.739
something so deep and then all of a sudden you're

00:50:13.739 --> 00:50:16.860
just cracking about nonsense cracking about nonsense

00:50:16.860 --> 00:50:21.619
so um that is that is the mo you know like combo

00:50:21.619 --> 00:50:25.039
i think that's that's like a that's the mark

00:50:25.039 --> 00:50:28.820
of a good friendship dynamic and a good dynamic

00:50:28.820 --> 00:50:31.380
right Next week on Everyone Deserves Sunshine,

00:50:31.559 --> 00:50:34.380
we're talking about allyship. Subscribe now wherever

00:50:34.380 --> 00:50:36.360
you get your podcasts. And if you want to say

00:50:36.360 --> 00:50:38.760
hi to the girls on the crease, find us on Instagram,

00:50:38.980 --> 00:50:42.059
Facebook, and Threads at EveryoneDeservesSunshine.

00:50:42.099 --> 00:50:45.840
Or email us at EveryoneDeservesSunshine at gmail

00:50:45.840 --> 00:50:48.900
.com. New episodes drop on Mondays. See you then.