Expect her not to need you, and not to believe in needing much of anything at all.

Updated with second teaser poster: Oh My Girl is set to make their first ever comeback next week with their second mini album “Closer.” Earlier today, their official group Instagram account shared 12 pictures that were parts of a larger image. Featuring members YooA and Binnie, we see them in fairy-tale concept. More teaser images

As we understand many of you are confused (but also amazed) by the Oh My Girls’s “Closer” MV (B1A4′s rookie sister girl group if you don’t know) and here at K-POP TIMEOUT we have an explanation for you! I know it’s been a gazillion years since I last did one of this but this amazing MV has given me the nudge to move my lazy college ass for it. [Updates have been made thanks to you awesome people in places where I named the wrong member. The theory still stands and I’m grateful to know my worries of mistaking a member due to styling is not unfounded.] So the MV begins with a closeup of an ancient clock, signifying the importance “time” will play in this MV. We then see moving water from a waterfall, often used to suggest the movement of time, passing by a bunch of berries, usually poisonous in fairy tales. This is important. REMEMBER THIS. This is followed by the clip of a tree trunk with moss/other things growing on it (don’t judge me I don’t biology). Tree trunks are generally used to symbolise time too (because you can tell a tree’s age by it). Now also remember the growth on the tree trunks! (Sorry for this but it’s important, you’ll see) We then see an abandoned palace of sorts with an old car covered in moss, additional symbols of the passing of time. Strangely, the radio still works for the car, suggesting the natural expectations of time (like batteries running out), are not at play in the “world” of this MV. We will discover what world this “palace” represents real soon. The girls do a clock inspired dance under the great clock. They sing “One step closer to my heart, one span closer to you” WHO IS THE “YOU”??? This is followed by scenes with more clocks and singing about someone who is “far away”. YooA, one of the middle members in age, “wakes up” in nothingness. She then sees Binnie, dressed as Little Red Riding Hood. Note that Binnie is the 2nd youngest member of the group. Little Red Riding Hood, known for her youthfulness and curiosity which got her lost, strangely is acting as a guide to YooA. They pass through a hall of broken mirrors after leaving the woods. Mirrors are a symbol of identity as this is how we see ourselves. As they journey through there, it seems to suggest a loss or uncertainty of identity of some sort. After the hall, they reach an opening with uncharted waters and a boat. Binnie as Little Red Riding Hood then passes the lamp to YooA (suggesting continuity), pushes the boat off and removes her hood. A hood is used to protect someone from being identified/well for warmth. The “protection” is hence removed, suggesting she no longer needs protection. Or so she thinks. As the boat sails, YooA comes across a deer. Deers are symbolisms of purity and grace in Greek and many other mythologies. As YooA sails further and further away from the deer, we see a loss of innocence and a drift from the pure form YooA hopes to be from her longing gestures. As YooA walks through the ruins she arrives at, the girls sing “Closer, I’m closer” in harmony. The use of ruins is once again interesting as it is a symbolism of the test of time. The scene also shows that it is snowing, suggesting we are coming to the end of the story as winter is the last of the seasons. Fire lights up with her every step closer, showing the life she brings to the path. At the end of the path, she reaches a complete, unbroken mirror and touches it. As discussed, mirrors symbolise identity. Her touching of the mirror shows her coming to terms with her identity. So what could the journey have meant? Closer, may seem to suggest a love story of one getting closer to who they love, but the girls are actually instead getting closer to THEMSELVES. They were on a journey to discover and come to terms with their identity. The song is simply, about growing up. So then, who is the “You”? We’ll see. As the mirror was touched, YooA gets transported back to Spring - the beginning. YooA walks towards the car that showed the passing of time and somebody was inside. The voice from the radio speaks “I promise, I won’t walk away” We get a closeup and the girl is Arin, the maknae. She, the youngest, symbolises childhood and youth. YooA shows sadness in her eyes, as she reaches to the maknae, a version of her YOUNGER SELF. We then see Arin, and a group of maturely dressed girls (other members) reaching for a golden apple. YooA runs to stop her. From the crystal ball, which is a symbol of “the future” due to its ability to foresee, shows that YooA was running into nothing. We can assume Arin, a representation of an younger version of her, grabbing the apple is a figment of YooA’s “imagination”. Golden apples had many representations in mythology, mainly beauty and eternal youth. Here we would assume youth, as with Arin’s touch of the apple, we jump to see YooA touching Arin. With the touch, we jump to some sort of Garden of Eden, where everyone was having a good time. And as we all know, one does not AGE in the Garden of Eden. The lyrics say “If I dream of a picture of you, on and on, will I meet you” as we see YooA and Binnie, knocking on the door of the tree house we saw earlier. This is a symbolism of childhood and a bit like the “Door to Narnia”. This suggests the wish of going back to one’s childhood. We then see Arin having gotten the golden apple and eaten it, only for the Garden of Eden to disappear. Just like the biblical story, instead of gain, the apple threw her out of the Garden of Eden. It could be said that she herself chose to grow up (lyrics : You are growing), hence losing her youth forever. YooA is then shown weeping as she can no longer “reach” her younger self. YooA the middle girl has now, grown up. This ended with the girls disappearing, showing the end of girlhood. So basically it becomes clear at the end of the song that the “You”, is the younger version of ourselves, that we lost while growing up. The back in time aspect in clear through the first few lines, as noted by the fact when YooA awakens, the lines are sung by Hyojung, the oldest member of the group, then followed by maknae Arin. This can also been seen in the choreo, as every time they hit chorus and sing the words “CLOSER”, the clock dance formation turns back. Also whether YooA “wakes up” literally is up for debate as she could actually be rising in her dream of her younger times, as hinted by the bed time like gestures of the chorus (led fittingly by YooA). It can also be interpreted as a “moment of realisation” that she loss her youth that she “awakens”. Binnie’s role was to show the process of growth, as the 2nd youngest member. If Arin is the beginning, Binnie is the journey. Her guiding YooA showed YooA’s navigation of life as a young girl with uncertainty of identity etc. The choice of Little Red Riding Hood furthers the idea that as kids, we had no idea what the hell we were doing when we built our identity. Her hood removal showed the leaving of her age and the belief we have that we don’t need protection anymore and can freely roam the world. The journey on the boat hence shows our more dangerous journeys and the deer showing the purity we lost. The touch of the mirror shows that perhaps the truest form of ourself IS our young self, where the whole journey all began. Ultimately, through everything and successfully growing up (like the water that passed by poisonous berries and trees that grew amid the fungal growth on it), we will miss the younger times we had, not knowing anything and just having fun. The song is strangely deep in the sense that it discusses how we all wish to grow up but once we do, we regret it. But sadly, we can never go back in time or forward in time (if you are younger) and stop ourselves from biting on that apple. (Making the choice of YooA as lead perfect since her age as the middle member = turning point in growth) We can only revisit ourselves in our own mind palace of memories, where our younger self will never “walk away” as she promises. But we can never be her again. —————————————————————————————- Was this helpful in understanding the MV? If you notice anything else, do not hesitate to add it in the comments section below as I may have missed stuff out. Messaging me is also fine :)

Sometimes being a bitch is fun -- actually, it's usually pretty fun. Now, I'm not saying you should be a bitch whenever the opportunity presents itself, but there are certain instances when it is acceptable. Dealing with stupid people is usually…

A while back, when my post about South African Public Hospitals was popular, someone recommended I write about women in healthcare. I chose not to because at the time I just didn’t feel reall…

You see the memes and the tweets all the time that there are only two types of women in the world, and it honestly might be true.

Britain’s resorts have been largely left to struggle. But their joys can still be revived

PARTICULARLY SPECIAL! WHY? Hilda Cowham was an unknown to me, until several years ago, now I can't get enough of her. This illustration in particular is the essence of her style--opulent costumes, candy colors, evoking fantasy and charm. And that's why it's PARTICULARLY SPECIAL! Oh, how simply gorgeous! Awe inspiring illustration from the hand of the talented golden age illustrator, Hilda Cowham. Rarely seen, this illustration would be perfect framed for a little girl's room. The colors are divine, and the style soft and blended, to give it that ethereal look. It would be amazing framed, but can also be used in your scrapbooking, paper crafts, jewelry making, whatever strikes your fancy! Ready for you to print out! Total print size- 5.65" x 8" including title And 5.853" x 8" You are purchasing an incredibly sharp, clear, digital image scanned at a high resolution, 300dpi in jpg form. Once payment is received, you will be able to INSTANTLY DOWNLOAD YOUR IMAGE(S). Our images can fit on 8.5 x 11 paper. **THE ANNOYING WATERMARK WILL NOT APPEAR ON YOUR DOWNLOAD** What fabulous things can you create? Announcements, Invitations, and place cards, (think wedding, engagements, baby!) Paper Arts: Jewelry: Used on transfers: Print and Frame For: Greeting cards Earrings Tee-shirts Baby's Nursery Stationery Bracelets Tote bags Child's Room Bookmarks Necklaces Pillows Wall Decor Gift tags Napkins Scrapbooking Dish towels Altered Art Ribbons Card Making And any magical thing your artistic bent can create! The Fine Print (No pun intended) Do's Do make fantastico art with our digital delights! Don'ts Do not use our images in digital collage sheets, resell them, reproduce them in a compilation cd for resale, or share them with buddies. We and our little elves work tirelessly to ferret out special pieces of paper ephemera, which we then scan and restore to perfection for the discerning creative customer. Taking our work and reselling or redistributing is not only bad form, it angers our little pals. And you don't want to make an elf mad! So please refrain from practices that you would not want done to your artwork. Thank you!

Curses! Adventures! And drama! Oh my! Safia might not be able to see the world, but that doesn't mean she can't experience it to the fullest as she finds herself on her very first adventure! This is a contemporary fantasy middle-grade graphic novel about discovering what you are truly capable of. Safia thought that being blind meant she would only get to go on adventures through her audiobooks. This all changes when she goes to live with a distant and mysterious aunt, Lady Whimsy, who takes Safia on the journey of a lifetime! While the reclusive Lady Whimsy stops an old rival from uncovering the truth behind her disappearance, Safia experiences parts of the world she had only dreamed about. But when an unlikely group of chaotic agents comes after Whimsy, Safia is forced to confront the adventure head-on. For the first time in her life, Safia is the hero of her own story, and she must do what she can to save the day. And maybe find some friends along the way. Reimena Yee returns with an all-new graphic novel filled with action, magic, and family. My Aunt Is a Monster explores how anybody can do anything as long as they are given the chance and have the right people behind them. Product DetailsISBN-13: 9781984894182 Media Type: Paperback Publisher: Random House Graphic Publication Date: 10-25-2022 Pages: 336 Product Dimensions: 8.01h x 5.62w x 0.95d Age Range: 8 - 12 YearsAbout the Author Reimena Yee is an illustrator, writer, and designer. Hailing from the dusty metropolis of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, she is now based in Melbourne, Australia. She once was a STEM student, but left to pursue her passion for the world and all its histories and cultures, which she weaves into her art and stories. She is the cofounder of UNNAMED, a comics collective that builds community and resources for visual-literary creators in Southeast Asia. She is the author-illustrator of the gothic comics The World in Deeper Inspection and the Eisner- and McDuffie-nominated The Carpet Merchant of Konstantiniyya. Séance Tea Party was her debut middle-grade graphic novel. @reimenayee

(Intro) Body no be firewood oh oh, body no be firewood oh (Verse 1) This loving something pass my power, e hold me for my mind, e knack me for head, my head…

Discover the Salem witch trials through the eyes of Tituba, one of the first women to be accused of witchcraft, in this gripping graphic novel written by Oh My Gods! author Insha Fitzpatrick and illustrated by Nightmare in Savannah artist Rowan MacColl. Presenting Who HQ Graphic Novels: an exciting addition to the #1 New York Times best-selling Who Was? series! Follow the terrifying events of the 1692 Salem witch trials from the perspective of Tituba, an enslaved woman who was accused of bewitching two girls, Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams, during this harrowing, historic period. A story of speculation, mass hysteria, and survival, this graphic novel invites readers to immerse themselves into this haunting moment in American history—brought to life by gripping narrative and vivid full-color illustrations that jump off the page. Product DetailsISBN-13: 9780593224687 Media Type: Paperback Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Publication Date: 09-05-2023 Pages: 64 Product Dimensions: 5.38(w) x 7.69(h) x 0.27(d) Age Range: 8 - 12 Years Series: Who HQ Graphic NovelsAbout the Author Insha Fitzpatrick (she/they) is an author of books and graphic novels, including Who Sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott?: Rosa Parks (Penguin Workshop, 2022), Hanging with Vampires (Quirk Books, 2023), and the co-author of the series Oh My Gods! She founded DIS/MEMBER, a genre website dedicated to all things horror, and when she’s not writing, she’s catching up on obscure horror films or consumed by reality TV. Rowan MacColl (she/her) is a comic artist and illustrator from New England who loves historical clothing, ghost stories, and, of course, cats. She is constantly mixing up her coffee cup and her ink cup while juggling way too many personal projects, but she hasn’t poisoned herself yet. Rowan wants to draw and write stories about what makes people human. Her work includes the art of the graphic novel Nightmare in Savannah and her personal online comic Kingfisher.

Hannah Betts: There are still plenty of people who like to perpetuate the myth of girls and women being the weaker sex. But in so many ways – biologically, intellectually, emotionally – it's just not so

She said she forgot about the tampon because she felt stressed over exam finals.

Sandra Oh made a surprise appearance at a Stop Asian Hate rally and offered a powerful speech in honor of the Asian community.

In praise of the precious miraculousness of the mundane.

“Oh my gosh, you got to be kidding me. When I saw her face I knew right away.”

The despair is real.

Alright ladies, it’s time for some big changes. Time for women to take our place in the world amongst the best and the brightest, because frankly, I’m tired of receiving magazine after magazine adorned with the faces of men, proclaiming them the new “30 Under 30”, “World’s Top Entrepreneurs”