Jaime Burbatt
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My name is Jaime, I'm 26 years old & my dream is to be an author
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Stephen King & the Ambiguously Gay Trope 3
Stephen King is the author of sixty-plus novels and over two hundred short stories ranging from downright horror to thriller to the occasional Hard Case crime. Over the years the storyteller has developed a knack for specific tropes, enough to fill a bingo card if one is up to the game. As previously discussed on this profile in articles entitled, ‘Stephen King & The Ambiguously Gay Trope’ & ‘Stephen King & The Ambiguously Gay Trope: The Sequel’, one of the writers' most prominent motifs is the special bond shared between two significantly close friends who act as featured players in the story. King’s efforts to express just how close, familiar, or even just plain engrossed these characters are with the other always lead to a largely accidental, but phenomenal all the same, LGBTQIA+ lens to look through. Looking at a whole new set of characters from three King novels; ‘Cell’, ‘Wolves of the Calla’, and ‘Carrie’, it becomes clearer and clearer that said lens can be looked through for a crazy number of King’s books.
By Jaime Burbattabout a year ago in BookClub
Kallus/Zeb - A 'Rebels' story
Initially premiering worldwide in October 2014 as a television movie, ‘Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion’ grew into a top-rated animated television series. Running from 2014 to 2018 with four Emmy nominations, the series was the first major Star Wars project released since Walt Disney Company acquired Lucasfilm Ltd in 2012. From the beginning, the foundation of ‘Rebels’ was the validity of found family. The trope has been popularly used in ‘Star Wars’ media since the early days and ‘Rebels’ beautifully crafted it into the script. The crucial & unique relationship dynamics are what truly made ‘Rebels’ the great show it was. Hera Syndulla & Kanan Jarrus take the position of Father and Mother throughout the show while Garazeb Orrelios, Sabine Wren, and Ezra Bridger are endeared as the children. But it is not just the main cast's relationships with each other that stand-out. In fact in the middle of season two, Garazeb forms a surprising bond with an imperial operative on a far-off moon. From that episode on, that bond boomed in popularity and became the LGBTQA+ ship to come the closest to being canon in mainstream ‘Star Wars’ media. Why does it deserve to rank among the other great Star Wars couples? It is one of the most underrated yet sincerest portrayals of romance in any ‘Star Wars’ media because of the way it successfully captures the enemies to lovers trope in a healthy manner.
By Jaime Burbatt4 years ago in Beat
Finn & Poe - A Star Wars Tale
Beginning with the initial announcement of the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, back in October 2012 by the Walt Disney Company, fans have had a series of conflicting opinions. After a progression of negotiations, George Lucas allowed Disney to acquire Lucasfilm, citing reasons for retirement. This deal would end up being one of the most controversial/splitting decisions in the eyes of the fans who would later view it as an absolute, definitively determining if the Sequels were good or bad. It’s especially dividing when one considers the fact that Disney disregarded George Lucas’s own plans/ideas for the sequels. But whichever way your opinion falls for the Sequel Trilogy, it’s likely that you Poe Dameron & Finn. Two characters from the core trio (Rey being the last member) whose relationship with each other boomed in popularity just from the initial trailers for ‘The Force Awakens’. A large portion of the audience instantly found this pair to be incredibly endearing and the idea of them possibly being romantic took off sensationally fast. This even extended past the general audience, thanks to the kind & open nature of ‘Star Wars’ actors Oscar Isaac & John Boyega, they were not afraid to share and encourage speculations of their characters' sexualities. StormPilot, as Finn/Poe is commonly referred to, has brought one of the most public/popularized discussions of LGBTQA+ representation and is wonderfully hard to ignore.
By Jaime Burbatt4 years ago in Geeks
NEWSFLASH: Han was in love with Luke the WHOLE time
In the year 1977, media lovers were given what turned out to be several classics in various formats. Stephen King’s third novel; ‘The Shining’ began the year in January and went on to become one of the most popular horror tales. Sing/Songwriter Billy Joel came out with his fifth studio album, ‘The Stranger’, which would later receive the ‘Diamond’ certification after selling over ten million units. The biggest thing to hit the film screen that year was a ‘little-known’ movie entitled; ‘Star Wars’, the Sci-Fi Western story which took everyone by surprise. It’s difficult to condense the journey from ‘A New Hope’s unprecedented success to the three film trilogies, spin-off movies & several TV shows which make up what is now a franchise. The intense popularity of ‘Star Wars’ could be credited to the characters who made the Sci-Fi landscape surprisingly relatable. Luke Skywalker resonated with so many people as he is perhaps the purest hero who in any other film, at that time, might’ve been the sidekick. Princess Leia Organa was a leading character who was never forced to the side-lines & Han Solo, though very cool, never had any idea what he was doing. As an audience absorbing these fantastical adventures, it is only natural that we make these character connections, interpret them as we see fit, and express them creatively. A particularly creative outlet that ‘Star Wars’ fans took to, what we now refer to as ‘Fan-fiction’, began as early as the 70’s/80’s in the pages of Fanzines. However, those ‘controversial’ pairings had to circulate privately. What was so ‘controversial?’ That would be the romantic interpretation of Han Solo & Luke Skywalker which will be discussed in this article.
By Jaime Burbatt4 years ago in Geeks
Spider-Man: On My Way Home
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, which premiered in theaters on December 17th 2021, managed to break new ground for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and tether all the various types of Marvel fans together for an extremely endearing two hours and twenty-eight minutes. Being a Spider-Man fan my whole life, I was highly anticipating this film's release. Sitting in the audience that night with my sister, surrounded by strangers, I knew what was coming. But I had never fully comprehended how emotional the experience would make me. As the credits for ‘No Way Home’ rolled, I realized that the tether it had used to bring us all together was the same neat little bow the film used to complete something like sixteen years of my life. It felt nice to be whole, that tiny feeling of homesickness which I’d been harboring for the two universes previously canceled was finally cured, but the overwhelming feeling that I had grown up was a lot for me to deal with. It sounds silly and it probably is but when the movie ended, I was thinking about being that little girl who would watch ‘Spider-Man 3’ on bad days to distract herself and I didn’t want it to be over. This character who I’ve leaned on to get through bad days as a child, to deal with my growing anxieties as a teenager, and to find solace during my struggles with mental health as a young adult…each incarnation was together on the big screen. Years in the making, it came to this one point…an all-encompassing display of growth. I feel very lucky to have had the experience I did with Spider-Man, as I think it was truly the best little adventure.
By Jaime Burbatt4 years ago in Geeks
Horror & Mental Health
“You're not afraid of the great world, Eddie, but of the small one inside yourself.” (King, Stephen. The Wastelands: The Dark Tower Iii. A Signet Book, 2003.) Perhaps we are all born with a healthy fear of the intrusive thoughts which our tell-tale hearts are capable of? Possibly, we invite personal demons into our tiny worlds by the casual over-exposure of visionaries' fears, personified in the media. Conceivably, the digestion of these horrors actually allows us to purge the dark and struggling sides of ourselves. Or just maybe, asking these ‘deep’ questions shows no justice to the fluidity of a universal audience, each person differing from the last. The conversation’s about the way horror media affects people have been long-lasting and strenuous for several years but the general idea that Horror is bad for you, is the most accepted/popular answer. What becomes of our mental health when we turn the corners of pages or look at the television to find figments of a scared imagination? The true response of this fault-line is that there can be no universal answer. Mental health is a near unfathomable spectrum within each human being. Never the same and always changing. Depending on the person, the horror genre could be a coming vessel of fear or a form of escapism from the vessel which lives in you. By no means am I an expert in the education of mental health, rather, I’m just a twenty-two year old woman who’s learning to cope with OCD, Anxiety and Depression. My personal experience and those close to me (who’ve felt comfortable enough to share) are the background from which I speak.
By Jaime Burbatt4 years ago in Psyche
Frannie Goldsmith’s Things to Remember: ‘Femininity’ is not synonymous with ‘Weak’.
{Disclaimer: Fiction is all subjective. I am not coming from a judgmental place nor am I saying that this is the only possible reason that anyone could dislike Fran’s character. I’m just hoping to raise a few questions.}
By Jaime Burbatt5 years ago in Horror
Stephen King & The Ambiguously Gay Trope: The Sequel
Stephen King is an author known for effortlessly capturing the constant reader in webs of fear with only disturbed characters for company. The tale-spinner is credited for the creation of many nightmare inducing horrors yet there is almost always a bit of beauty attempting to play devil’s advocate for what King writes best. Endearing characters and soft friendships often soften the blow from the ghoul-of-the-hour. Perhaps the most common way King breaks the tension is through a special bond talked about in a previous article. The author has crafted multiple intimate & affectionate relationships between two male main characters whose romantic chemistry outshines their friendship. The common King trope gained some recognition (from fans & King himself) after IT Chapter 2’s decision to portray the Reddie chemistry just last year. But beyond that pair, exist many more bonds that exceed ordinary friendship. Through his less widely recognized skills in captivating character work, Stephen King has inadvertently created a world of ambiguously gay relationships. These pairs even break off into their own deeper Stephen King stereotypes. Looking specifically at the Jock/Nerd trope, one finds those ‘couples’ with a protective bond in which one character feels the strong need to protect the other as their found partner.
By Jaime Burbatt5 years ago in Geeks
Were Jackie and Hyde Really the Perfect Couple?
'That 70’s Show' has continuously remained an iconic television show which appeals to a wide range of people through its use of nostalgia and bewitching take on 7o’s high-school culture. The aesthetic not only pulls in the older generation from familiarity but also fascinates the young people who are looking for an escape to a more vintage time. One of the most well known parts of the show was the relationship between the charming main characters, Eric Forman and Donna Pinciotti. While the two were the main couple during the show, another couple burst onto the scene during season 5 which proceeded to completely steal the audience's love. Jackie Berkhart & Steven Hyde became the perfect and unpredictable pair which remains to be a fan favorite. What made the two special was the oddity of their coupling, which seemed to work in their benefit for the love story. However, when someone actually looks into their relationship past just watching the show casually, it becomes hard to ignore their hardships and turmoil which take over in the later seasons. Catching major signs of manipulation, trust issues and communication problems. A watchful eye comes to realize the pair might not be as perfect as they once thought. They may even be pretty toxic for each other.
By Jaime Burbatt6 years ago in Geeks
Stephen King's Dreamcatcher - Looking past the Sh*t-Weasels
“Jesus-Christ-bananas, The Beav said. Pete had once made a list of Beav-isms, and Jesus-Christ-bananas was high on it. Along with such standbys as doodlyfuck and kiss my bender.” (King, Stephen. Dreamcatcher: a Novel. Scribner, 2001.) Does that sound like a quote from a familiar classic novel? A literature masterpiece, perhaps? Well, of course it doesn’t. Rather that quote comes from the mouth of Pete Moore as he muses on the fellow-character they like to call; Beaver, in Stephen King’s ‘Dreamcatcher’. King is an extremely popular writer whose body of work is widely known as large & daunting. Among his total of around 63 books is that title 'the average-reader’ might not recognize. With such a large variety of work, it comes as no surprise that ‘Dreamcatcher’ seems to have been overshadowed by some of King’s more hit classics. How well could a book about aliens eating their way out of people in….a distressing way (to be discussed later) do when paired against ‘The Shining’, ‘The Stand’ or ‘IT’ (And both of those titles concern Derry, Maine)? The answer is pretty poorly in the eyes of most Stephen King fans & followers. ‘Dreamcatcher’ is often ranked at the bottom of King lists (both book & movie adaptation). While the novel isn’t immune to problems, ‘Dreamcatcher’ is actually a secret little gem among King’s body of work. The novel expresses the classic King trope of following a group of old childhood friends in an endearingly familiar yet new way. Which inherently gives the reader one of the most important pulls to a book; genuine care for the fictional characters. And that is very beneficial considering the story itself is founded in body horror that is actually effectively creepy. From this creatively creepy story, there are just so many odd details that really enhance the story in a genuinely charming way. This is a Stephen King book that is truly unique. It’s time to take a deep-dive into the reasons why the novel is underrated yet also explain the reason why everyone hates it for the wrong reason while ignoring the completely valid reason to hate it, which is seemingly it’s own unpopular opinion.
By Jaime Burbatt6 years ago in Horror
