Jay 🍀

I keep seeing people say how crazy Mizi is and how innocent Sua was in comparison, but that’s just not true. I adore both Mizi and Sua, by the way. This isn’t criticism of either of them. But you can’t ignore what Sua does here if you want an accurate portrayal of their relationship in this world.

When Mizi becomes an idol, she’s manufactured into a sex symbol, crafted into something that can appeal to the male gaze despite how we KNOW she’s a lesbian. Specifically, we can see how Mizi’s breasts are often framed promiscuously to further her objectification:

So this shot where Sua finds Mizi, tied up and helpless, incoherent, and the first thing she does is frame an unaware Mizi’s breasts as if in a photoshoot—bitterly, ironically, before relief takes over—it goes to show something major about Mizisua’s relationship in both the ALNST and ZOMST verse.

In ALNST, Sua enables Mizi’s infantilization (something often levied against women in a misogynistic context) of herself by keeping Mizi “in the dark” (although Mizi is more aware than either of them want to acknowledge). People rightfully criticize Till for his innocent vision of Mizi to comfort himself with, but Sua has a version of Mizi in her head that she uses to comfort herself, too. She and Till aren’t incredibly different in this regard.

In ZOMST, this translates not to infantilization, but to objectification. Sua is bitter over Mizi’s decision to let the industry use her in this way, she’s disgusted by it, but then she wields it herself when Mizi is finally helpless and incapable of pushing Sua away again by miming taking a photo of Mizi’s breasts.

I luv rythym games

BUT IM SO SHIT AT THEM

AGGHH

I was props master for The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals: Reprise! I've got lots of fun behind the scenes stuff to share, gonna start with one of my favorite things I did for the show--painting this portrait 🤣

Lauren directed Will to pose, and I snapped this reference pic on my phone (post rehearsal, which is why he's only got the jacket and wig on).

Here's a few progress snapshots from my Clip Studio Paint file! I mostly used the default gouache brush to make it feel like a real oil painting!

Took me about 10 hours spread out over a couple days to paint, and then our scenic designer Colin printed it up and built that beautiful frame!!

Original idea was to have him holding his beloved assistant Alexa, but Lauren eventually decided it would telegraph the joke too early in the scene so I painted it out.

And there it is on set!! (That's also my own actual keyboard 😘 When Will says "MUSICAL THEATER" I'm the person rolling the piano on stage 🤣)

Thank you everyone for supporting the show, and i hope you enjoy the pro-shot on youtube!

emma: