rebekah writes stuff.

Author: raadamswriting

  • Stuff I thought would flop but didn’t

    Stuff I thought would flop but didn’t

    Avatar: The Last Airbender

    Ok, before you make a b-line for the unsubscribe button, you’ll be happy to know this show is among my favourites. It truly is a work of art – but I didn’t get to experience the beauty of this show without some convincing.

    Like many people, I was dissuaded by its cartoonish style and, no shade to Nickeloden, but I figured it was a kid’s show. How could this be relevant to me? I hadn’t grown up watching Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA) and it was a show I wasn’t all that interested in watching. When people desperately begged me to watch it, I was never that keen, no matter how amazing they said it was.

    I thought it was just a cartoon.

    Left to right: Momo, Aang, Sokka, Toph, Katara

    Eventually, I did give it the chance it deserved and my perceptions were sorely wrong. Each season became richer and the stakes kept getting higher and higher. I was hooked and it blew my expectations of a kid’s show out of the water.

    Why? In a war-torn world, these tweens and teens are pushed into the roles of adults, not unlike many youth who stepped up in World War I and II. Our protagonists sacrifice their childhood to be warriors, leaders, and, in Aang’s case, to be the saviour of the world. This bildungsroman, or ‘coming of age’ story, shows us how each character navigates their way in an unforgiving world. Indeed, the themes of war, genocide, oppression, politics and power shape the narrative. It breaks the mould for what can be included in a kid’s show and, for this reason and boldness, ATLA has been praised and received countless awards.

    It’s so much more than just a cartoon, and I highly recommend you watch it.

    Being an early bird

    I’ve never been a morning person. I never thought it could be for me. There was zero appeal in seeing the sun rise, leaping out of bed and pursuing a life that started before 10:00am. It baffled me that people could have so much vim and vigour that early in the day.

    I admit, I am a bit of a bear. I enjoy my sleep and love a good lie in. If it was an olympic sport, I’d have many a gold medal. I thrive in the evening, where most would start to dip in energy. But the world isn’t designed for sleepy bears like me and, eventually, I had to swap my sleepy ways and join the hordes who wake up early.

    And wouldn’t you know, I actually don’t mind it.

    The peace of the morning is unmatched. You get more out of your day. Sure, the inertia after waking up feels terrible, but give it five minutes and boom, it’s actually bearable. Yup, even a sleepy bear like me can change their sleep schedule – with the help of the snooze button and a bunch of alarms.

    Art by Jennifer Thermes

    If you want to wake up earlier, but think it’s not for you, I’d honestly say don’t knock it til you try it.

    Wonka

    I didn’t even want to see this movie, I had my mind so fiercely made up. I didn’t see the point of adding yet another Charlie & The Chocolate Factory movie to the world. It’s a cash grab, I would say. I stood so strongly with Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Willy Wonka that nobody could move me.

    When I was forced along to the movie, I sat with my arms folded, enduring the 1 hour 56 minutes. But I didn’t endure it. I actually left the movies in a state of shell-shock. While my mum and my sister spoke excitedly about how much they’d loved it, I was speechless. I couldn’t believe how horribly wrong I’d been about this movie.

    The storyline was original and heart warming. The songs were catchy and we proceeded to blast them as soon as we got home.

    I went back to see it again and the tone was completely different. I actually let myself enjoy it – I had the movie experience I should’ve had the first time. I laughed, I bobbed my feet and saw Wonka in a whole new light.

    It’s easy to get protective over our favourite movies and the constant reboots and poorly written sequels (Mufasa, for example). I’m glad I went, because I would’ve missed out on such a sweet gem of a film.

    Have you had any similar experiences? Let me know below in the comments!!

  • The Creepy world of Cryptids

    The Creepy world of Cryptids

    What’s a cryptid I hear you say? Coming from the Latin word for ‘hidden’ or ‘secret’, cryptids are creatures which are alleged to be real, but their existence is shrouded in mystery and conspiracy. A bit like Big Foot and aliens. The ‘are they?’ or ‘aren’t they?’ is the fuel that keeps the cryptid fire burning.

    I was first introduced to cryptids through the game Poptropica. This was quite possibly the best and one of the most imaginative levels the game had come up with. Essentially, you arrive at Cryptids Island and it’s up to you to prove the existence of a select number of cryptids for a lucrative 1 million dollar reward. Sounds easy enough, right?

    Cryptids Island

    As Halloween approaches, let’s dive in to the fascinating world of cryptids.

    Nessie

    By far, one of the most famous cryptids, is the Loch Ness Monster. Hailing from the mists of Scotland’s Loch Ness, the legend of a fearsome water serpent has captured the interest of local and international media for decades. Encounters with the enormous water monster date back as early as 565 AD, where Irish Missionary, St Columba, came face to face with an enormous serpent-shaped monster.

    Most of us will know of Nessie’s most famous photo, taken by Robert Wilson in 1934. However, the gentle giant was nothing more than a long-necked, plastic submarine hoax.

    Speculation around Nessie’s existence still continues to this day, with research groups taking to the water, intent on being the first group to find unequivocal evidence. So far, nobody has seen Nessie, not even with our new fangled technology. It begs the question: wouldn’t such a huge water-dwelling creature have been seen by now? Supposedly. Or does she stick to the depths? Even blue whales have to come up to the surface! But that’s cryptids for you. Their appeal is in that grey area.

    The Chupacabra

    El Chupacabra is a Latin-American cryptid which translates to “goat sucker”. Reports of livestock mysteriously being killed in Puerto Rico in 1955 were attributed to this terrifying, vampirish beast. However, others were not so convinced. The appearance of the chupacabra in general is mixed. Some say it is a large dog with spines along its back. Others depict the chupacabra as a kangaroo-like creature that stands on its hind legs. Most recently, it’s thought chupacabras are actually just coyotes infected with mange. Either way, the legend of the chupacabra remains a mystery and one that has found its way into popular culture.

    The Yeti

    The myth of the yeti has been around for what seems like an age. According to legend, the yeti is a giant ape-like monster. It has white hair which helps it blend into its snowy environment of the Himalayan Mountains. It’s also been called the Abominable Snowman, with cousins the Sasquatch and Big Foot living in America. According to Monsters Inc., he also has a penchant for making lemon flavoured snow cones.

    The Jersey Devil

    By far the creepiest cryptid I’ve ever come across is the Jersey Devil. To understand its origins, let’s have a read of the letter they give you in Poptropica:

    Let us travel back in time 300 years to the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. On a dark, moonless night, Mother Leeds gave birth to her thirteenth child. A hideous creature emerged with feathery wings, a long tail, horns and a head like a horse. It let out a terrible cry and flew up the chimney…
    people still report hearing its unearthly cry in the woods late at night.

    That still gives me the chills! American folklore depicts the Jersey Devil as a goat-like creature with large wings and a long tail. Among the many hoaxes, the Jersey Devil is likely a story made up by early settlers to entertain (and definitely scare) folks by candlelight. I know for a fact I wouldn’t sleep for weeks.

    What’s your favourite cryptid?? Let me know if you’d like to see another blog post on these fascinating figures of legend!

  • Disney, why did you change the story?

    Disney, why did you change the story?

    If you don’t know already, Disney is in the production of Mufasa, a new live action film about Mufasa – Simba’s dad. When I saw they were bringing out a Mufasa movie in 2024, I was initially very excited. I love the Lion King!! It’s one of those childhood films that I hold so dear to me. Plus, big cats are my favourite animals, so an entire film dedicated to lions is a winner in my books.

    However, and it’s a big one, with the release of teasers and extended trailers, my heart has slowly been sinking. It’s now at the pit of my stomach. Why? You’ll see.

    The Trailers

    The Teaser Trailer, released April 20 2024, gave us our first glimpse of Mufasa. It was only 1 minute 32 seconds long, and it dropped this bombshell:

    “A lion was born without a drop of nobility in his blood.”

    Red flag #1.

    The Official Trailer dropped just 4 days ago and said this:

    “Long before they became legends, Mufasa, and the prince, who would come to be known as Scar, became brothers.”

    Did you pick up on that? Not were brothers, but became.

    Red flag #2.

    Incase you’re still wondering what I’m going on about, the significance of that sentence has sent a shockwave across The Lion King cinematic universe and community. Scar and Mufasa, according to this new film, are… how do I say this? Not blood brothers. Mufasa is portrayed as an orphan. Why is this so shocking, you may ask? Well, because it’s simply not true.

    A well established backstory

    If you aren’t a hardcore Lion King fan, allow me to enlighten you.

    Mufasa and Scar (Taka) are blood brothers. They are the cubs of King Ahadi and Queen Uru. How do I know this? Uru and Ahadi are characters in the Disney story A Tale of Two Brothers published in 1994, among the other six adventures. We’ve known that they’re siblings since the 90’s!

    While we know what Ahadi looks like, Uru’s description is less concrete. Fans depict her with a brown coat, not dissimilar to Taka.

    Oh, and another thing, Mufasa doesn’t just have one drop of nobility in his blood – it flows through his veins! He comes from a long line of lion kings. His grandfather was Mohatu, a king! Even Taka has royal blood, but he is not in line for the throne, as we know from The Lion King.

    Why Disney?

    I don’t understand. Why wouldn’t you want to make Mufasa’s backstory true to the fans and to the books? It would still appeal to a new generation of Lion King fans! Imagine if a new Frozen prequel came out which revealed Elsa and Anna weren’t actually sisters. People would notice. Same for if Luke and Leia Skywalker weren’t twins.

    Why wouldn’t you want to do justice to The Lion King’s Mufasa, and do it right? It baffles me that Disney went in this direction, and it pains me to see people actually believing that Mufasa is an orphan.

    Final thoughts

    I could go on and on about this. Mufasa releases in theatres 20 December 2024. Am I going to watch it? Of course. Am I disappointed? Yeah, for sure. The writers have essentially taken Mufasa’s beloved backstory and tossed it out the window. Stay tuned for a review in December and let me know your thoughts on this!

  • Saddest Disney Deaths

    Saddest Disney Deaths

    I love Disney movies and you better believe they’ve made me cry. Why Disney? Why do you do it? Without further ado, here are just some of the saddest deaths that Disney has come up with. Let’s get into it:

    Bambi’s mum

    This is up there as one of the saddest. The pair flee a hunter, but Bambi’s mum is shot. Bambi only realises his mum isn’t behind him when he reaches a safe spot. Bambi calling out “mother” into the howling wind is heart breaking. Lost in the storm, he meets his father, who tells him, rather stoically, “your mother can’t be with you anymore”. :((((

    Tarzan’s parents

    Tarzan is one of my all time favourite movies – they just don’t make them like this anymore! Before becoming Tarzan, king of the apes, Tarzan is a defenceless baby. Luckily, he has his two parents to protect him. They have seen their fair share of tragedy. Clearly, they are a quick thinking and innovative pair, as they build a treehouse high up in the African jungle in order to survive. But as we see when Kala, Tarzan’s adoptive gorilla mother, enters the treehouse, Tarzan’s parents were no match for leopard Sabor.

    Tadashi

    Disney has this habit of creating wonderful, caring and gentle characters that the protagonist loves dearly and needs, all to be taken away too soon. Every time! Tadashi, from Big Hero 6, is one of those characters. He and his younger brother Hiro lost their parents and live with their Aunt Cass. Hiro is a genius but has lost his way, entering bot fights and narrowly avoiding trouble. Tadashi steers Hiro onto a better path – and frankly a better use of his big brain: The San Fransokyo Institue of Technology. Hiro is inspired and, after a successful presentation, he is offered a place. But then there’s a fire and Tadashi dies in the explosion. WHY??

    Mufasa

    Yup, I’m sure you were waiting for this one to come up. This scene will never not make me cry. Mufasa is King of the Pridelands. He is an enormous lion with an even bigger heart. He is wise, brave and fun-loving. He is just such a beautiful character, why Disney? Why did you have to do it? As one of my fave films, this ranks among the top for me on the sad scale.

    Sitka

    This might be a lesser known Disney character’s death. Brother Bear is the story of three boisterous brothers; Sitka, Denahi and the youngest Kenai. In a nutshell, Kenai is presented with his totem, but he is disappointed. Adding fuel to the flames, Kenai finds the salmon basket, that he was responsible for tying up into a tree, has been found by a bear. Embarrassed and angry, he goes after the bear and provokes it. It escalates to where the brothers are fending off the angered bear on top of an ice shelf. In a moment of peril, Sitka sacrifices himself to save the others. He drowns in the calving ice shelf. Another beautiful character who left too soon.

    Have any of these made you cry? Which ranks the saddest for you? And if you have anymore I’ve missed out on, let me know and I’ll do a part 2!

  • I’m back!

    I’m back!

    Hi everyone!! And if you’re new here, hello!! Thank you so much for subscribing! It really does mean the world 🙂 I hope you are all doing well! How is it June already??

    As you can tell, I haven’t been active on the blog for a couple of months now haha BUT I want to get back into blogging! I’m lacking a bit of writing inspo at the mo and I’d love to hear from you guys about what you would like to see on rebekah writes stuff. or any ideas you have!

    I’ve made a little survey, it’s just 2 slides. You can write me a suggestion or select from my own list of ideas – or you can do both! Hopefully it works!! Also it closes on the 24th of June. You guys are the best :))