“Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is a proof that humans are capable of magic”
-Carl Sagan
SKELLY ISN’T PRETTY
OFF-TOPIC! I think most Tumblr girls need to see this photoset. Cross-posted from my blogspot.
One of my favorite questions for anyone in the fashion industry is this: “Many models say that confidence is sexy, but a lot of girls don’t seem to truly grasp its meaning; they still think they have to be really thin in order to be considered beautiful. What advice can you give them?”
(FACT: Whenever I get a chance to interview a model for our bi-monthly fashion magazine, I always ask them this.)
Let’s face it—the clichéd “what truly matters is that you’re beautiful on the inside” won’t do anymore. Up to now, I still haven’t heard an answer that girls would immediately heed, what with their perspective of beauty tampered with and distorted by our society today. If you aren’t stick-thin and post-tall, if you can’t stuff yourself in branded teeny-weeny tees and micro-mini skirts, then most likely you’re out. The fashion industry’s obsession with size zero models with mile-long legs and filament-like arms has always unnerved me, but what can we do? That’s how the world as we know it rolls.
When I chanced upon Gavin Bond’s old in-your-face photography set that ridicules this situation, I know I should give it a space on my blog. It’s playful but definitely thought-provoking. The set features a skeletal girl doing things the typical rich girls most people revere do on the beach.
The photos sort of reminded me of the Apocalyptic horseman Famine from the Gaiman-Pratchett collab, Good Omens. Famine loves skinny models. They’re the living proof of his success. He creates diet fads and new foods that are indistinguishable from any other food except for the nutritional content…which was roughly equivalent to that of a Sony Walkman. It didn’t matter how much you ate, you lost weight. And hair. And skin tone. And, if you ate enough of it long enough, vital signs. :p
Don’t let yourselves become walking skeletons, girls! Health is important, and you can be beautiful without your body image having to mimic the stick-and-paper build of a kite. ;)
References from Gaiman’s work in Supernatural
While themes and motifs from Gaiman’s work are woven throughout Supernatural, there are some explicit references.
- The character of Tessa the Reaper, who first appears to a dying Dean in 2.01 In My Time Of Dying . She who bears a striking resemblance to Death from Sandman, and the Supernatural: The Official Companion Season 2 confirms her as the inspiration.
- John Constantine, of the Hellblazer series which Gaiman wrote for and who also appeared in Sandman was Kripke’s source for Castiel’s look. See our entry on Castiel’s Trench Coat for more details.
- Azazel is a ruler of Hell in Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series.
- Episodes such as 1.11 Scarecrow, 5.05 Fallen Idols and 5.19 Hammer Of The Gods have themes similar to American Gods where deities of ancient mythology (Odin, Loki etc) are remanifested and recruited to fight the New American Gods.
- A Hand of Glory appears in 3.06 Red Sky At Morning as well as the “Sandman” comic by Neil Gaiman and his novel “Neverwhere”.
- American Gods and Anansi Boys by Gaiman also feature the character of Anansi, under the name Mr Nancy, who is a Trickster God not dissimilar to that which Gabriel disguised himself as.
- Crowley’s name is probably a shout out to the character of the same name in Good Omens. Interestingly Crowley is introduced in 5.10 Abandon All Hope which opens with an overhead shot of a freeway which evoking the description in Good Omens of the M25 which Crowley builds in the shape of a sigil and on which the traffic unknowingly helps generate “low-grade evil to pollute the metaphysical atmosphere.”
- Mark Sheppard talks about Neil Gaiman’s reaction to Crowley and Supernatural
- Good Omens also features the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and an 11 year old Anti-Christ reminiscent of Jesse in 5.06 I Believe The Children Are Our Future. And Chuck isn’t the only prophet to write books – Good Omens has the works of “The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch”.
from Supernatural Wiki: A Supernatural Canon and Fandom Resource
Review (repost): Good Omens
Authors: Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Genre: Fantasy, comedy/satire
My Rating: ★★★★★
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Nowadays, when I plunge into the info superhighway or when I just lurk around a local bookstore, it’s almost impossible not to find something that relates to the end of the world. Internet memes discussing the Last Generation, tomes about 2012 rapture and Nostradamus’ prophecies…there are even a bunch of flicks about the coming Armageddon. Bogus or not, it’s clear that people are drawn to this topic; most of them—it’s ridiculous but it’s true—are now panic-stricken and are readying for the last days.
In my case, it’s different. When I hear someone pronounce the word “apocalypse”, my face will curl up in a toothy grin because a certain creation of two literary rock stars will automatically pop in my head. It’s called Good Omens: A Narrative of Certain Events occurring in the last eleven years of human history, in strict accordance as shall be shewn with: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter Compiled and edited, with Footnotes of an Educational Nature and Precepts for the Wise. Or simply, Good Omens. :p
What’s so funny about the end of the world, you ask? Terry Pratchett (Father of the Discworld series) and Neil Gaiman (Creator of The Sandman graphic novels) illustrate all answers to that in this droll masterpiece and cult classic. It details the Armageddon…or perhaps how Heaven and Hell comprehend the ineffable plan of God about the day of reckoning, and how a Satanic nun messes the whole thing up by a switch-at-birth mistake that involves the Antichrist. An unlikely partnership between representatives of heaven and hell was formed after agreeing that they don’t like the world to vanish so soon, as they became so fond of human lifestyle after many years of staying on Earth. They decide to look after a kid who they thought of as the Antichrist and make sure the kid will receive balanced influences. But it turns out that the real Antichrist ends up in the care of the wrong family—away from heavenly or demonic influences—and grows up to be a normal child, resulting in a series of events that will undoubtedly make the reader laugh out loud.
I think the genius of Good Omens is that at its heart, it is more than just a four-hundred-page of bon mots and silliness; its satiric foundation lies not too deep beneath the thick layer of English humor. The authors are able to convey their message through adroit storytelling, never letting the reader feel a minute of boredom while tackling issues concerning religion, the environment (Global Warming in particular), government, war, and poverty, most of which are told via the anthropomorphic characters of War, Famine, Pollution (Pestilence retired in 1936 when penicillin was invented), and Death, also known as the Four Horsemen—or motorcyclists in this case—of Apocalypse. Human behavior and the workings of mortal minds are as well discussed very efficiently especially in conversations of the two main protagonists.
The main characters: Aziraphale (an angel and part-time rare book-dealer) and Crowley (a demon, or an angel who did not so much fall as sauntered vaguely downwards) become the best of friends after six thousand years of thwarting each other’s deeds on Earth.
Usually it is through Crowley’s introspection that the readers realize “the good are half-bad and the bad are half-good”, and the fact that most of the time humans don’t need any diabolical urgings to conceive bad things and put them into practice. He easily became my favorite character because of his attitude. He is often seen as a cool, gadget-loving, sunglasses-toting guy who drives a shiny black Bentley and kills time by doing minor mischief. The poor demon, however, has his bottled up fear and anger towards Hell and he often shows this to his houseplants by talking and imposing to them the fear of God—or more precisely, the fear of Crowley. Hell exercises tyranny over him and he vents his frustration by exercising the same kind of tyranny over his plants. For some reason, his character seems to tug at my heartstrings in an odd sort of way. Behind his grinning façade is someone who suffers—“He’d been an angel once. He hadn’t meant to Fall. He’d just hung around with the wrong people.”
Aziraphale is also not hard to love: he is the tartan-loving, sushi-craving bookworm with a penchant for using endearments for everyone. Aziraphale once believed that anyone from his lot will only do good things, and anyone from Crowley’s side would only commit bad acts. But in the end, he learned that’s not always the case—and he himself is a proof of it. Together, Aziraphale and Crowley make an unconventional, hilarious partnership that can rival Watson-Holmes (no goggles needed to see the bromancy friendship!).
The plot charges along at a gallop, and there is no single page that will fail to make you smile or giggle. Mini-storylines pop out every once in a while, and though they may not show any relevance to the main plot, you’ll discover at the end that everything is linked together. One remarkable thing I noticed about these subplots is the characters. No matter how short their exposure may be, there will always be something that will stick in your mind and heart: a peek at their touching ordinary lives laid in stark contrast with the complicated happenings leading to the Armageddon. The authors successfully showcased their morbid humor here.
This book, for me, is a personal touchstone: a masterpiece that will bring entertainment like no other and at the same time relay thought-provoking messages that the present society needs to understand. It’s been twenty years since its first publication, but its contents show how timeless this story is. There’s a scene in the story where War, Pollution, and Famine vanish into thin air, and when someone asks where they went, Death replies: “Where they belong. Where they have always been. In the minds of man.” Everything boils down to this: humans are lousy stewards of the earth, and if it is going to be destroyed, then we for sure acted as a catalyst for it.
Five stars for a rippingly humorous and surprisingly riveting read.
yosb:
She was beautiful, but she was beautiful in the way a forest fire was beautiful: something to be admired from a distance, not up close.
And as she held her sword, she smiled like a knife.Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett.
#hey guys #betcha didn’t know that i have a thing for redheads #i have the crowley cover of this book
Good Omens fake cast: Michael Fassbender as Crowley (An Angel who did not so much as Fall as Saunter Vaguely Downwards) — (see Aziraphale here)
Wow, Crowley with a James Bond swagger? Very classy! I will never say no, but I think this will be just in my dreams. Haha! I have to confess, I immediately thought of James McAvoy as Azi but he’s not chubby and blonde and not bookish-looking and—I don’t know—it’s just impossible so I let it go. Haha! Right, X-Men: First Class hangover…
