Half Magic is a fantasy novel written by Edward Eager. The book was first published in 1954 and has since become a classic in children's literature. It tells the story of four siblings - Jane, Mark, Katharine, and Martha - who come across a magical talisman that grants them half of whatever they wish for. However, the catch is that the wishes only come true halfway, leading to unpredictable and often hilarious results. The siblings embark on various adventures and misadventures as they learn to navigate the world of half magic. For example, when Jane wishes to be the queen of the May, she becomes half the queen and finds herself with a crown and half a robe, resulting in an awkward situation.
2017
Like The Neighbourhood s Sweater Weather another 2013 rock song given a second wind on TikTok recently , Freaks is both a nostalgic artifact from a more carefree time and a fresh sound in streaming s perpetual present tense. , was part of a boomlet of bands born in the wake of Best Coast and Wavves that played catchy, melancholy punk songs about feeling lost and lonely in the SoCal sun.
For example, when Jane wishes to be the queen of the May, she becomes half the queen and finds herself with a crown and half a robe, resulting in an awkward situation. Similarly, when Mark wishes to be the best baseball player in town, he can only hit the ball halfway, leading to confusion and laughter on the field. Throughout the story, the children learn important lessons about the importance of responsibility, caution, and the unintended consequences of their wishes.
These indie-rock lifers went from obscurity to scandal to a major-label deal in 10 months
Nick Rattigan and Jacob Rubeck knew something weird was afoot with their band Surf Curse when they saw a TikTok video about “Scooby-Doo’s” alleged polyamory subtext, soundtracked by their 2013 single “Freaks.”
“We have a group chat with our manager, and she kept saying, ‘Oh my God, ‘Freaks’ is getting all these plays.’ But to be honest, we were kind of numb to it,” drummer and singer Rattigan said.
Before this spring, the L.A. duo had zero reason to think that their old garage-punk song, off their independent album “Buds,” was going to be the breakout online rock hit of summer 2021.
Advertisement“But then we started seeing all the TikTok videos that kids were making with it that were so insane and absurd,” Rattigan continued. “It was all very strange, but I guess this is why the song has 150 million streams on Spotify right now.”
“Freaks” doesn’t scream “pop hit.” It’s sparsely produced and red-lined with distortion. The lyrics lean morbid: “My head is filled with parasites / Black holes cover up my eyes.” But there is something cathartic and relatable in its main chant — “I am just a freak” — that aligns with perennial teen angst and the formatting of TikTok memes. Unrequited crushes, fashion missteps: “Freaks” can soundtrack whatever you’re cringing about.
The reams of “Freaks” videos on the service — at least 400,000 and counting — earned the L.A. duo hundreds of millions of streams across platforms, a major-label deal with Atlantic Records and an unexpected post-pandemic life after a decade in the DIY trenches.
“We wrote that song when we were 18, so the lyrics and everything were very youthful, and I guess that’s why teens still relate to it,” guitarist Rubeck said (the bandmates are now in their late 20s). “We’ll see some Adonis-looking guy on TikTok being like, ‘These lyrics blow my mind.’ I guess people can relate to it today.”
‘The screen door slams, Mary’s dress. ’ waves? Sways? An investigation into the Boss’ mystery verb
Twitter can’t agree on whether Bruce Springsteen sings ‘waves’ or ‘sways’ on his 1975 classic, ‘Thunder Road.’ Turns out, Springsteen isn’t sure either.
If you were knocking around the downtown L.A. all-ages club the Smell in the 2010s, you probably heard “Freaks,” or a whole bunch of songs more or less in line with it. Surf Curse, which formed in Reno before moving to L.A., was part of a boomlet of bands born in the wake of Best Coast and Wavves that played catchy, melancholy punk songs about feeling lost and lonely in the SoCal sun.
AdvertisementSurf Curse (and Rattigan’s other project, the Secretly Canadian-signed Current Joys) had a solid if still-underground career, releasing three albums, including 2019’s “Heaven Surrounds You.”
Why did the near decade-old “Freaks” take off now? Who knows. The band certainly doesn’t.
“We had to grind our teeth struggling this long, hoping that if we just kept working, there was some cosmic energy that rewards you when you’re not looking,” Rattigan said. “Obviously, we didn’t expect it to be a global phenomenon on an app 10 years later, but that’s just how things are discovered now.”
Adam Schulz, the band’s A&R rep at Atlantic, knows TikTok fame is the currency for pop breakouts today. Like The Neighbourhood’s “Sweater Weather” (another 2013 rock song given a second wind on TikTok recently), “Freaks” is both a nostalgic artifact from a more carefree time and a fresh sound in streaming’s perpetual present tense.
“When I heard ‘Freaks’ for the first time, the thing that stood out to me was how exhilarating the song is,” said Schulz. “That energy is consistent across the band’s catalog, and once you watch videos of the band performing live, you realize it translates even better in real life.”
Of course, no one has been able to see Surf Curse live while the pandemic shut down venues (and fans might have to wait a little longer — a fully vaccinated Rattigan says he’s currently at home recovering from COVID-19). Atlantic rereleased the single in May and is promoting it to rock radio (it hit No. 17 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative songs) but also to Spotify’s key Pop Rising playlist. The song has since broken into Spotify’s Top 50.
“The biggest challenge is building a story outside of TikTok,” Schulz said. “A lot of records that work on TikTok never escape the platform. Fortunately, ‘Freaks’ was a sticky record in the L.A. indie rock scene and the band had a dedicated following long before the TikTok moment, so we had a foundation to work from.”
The left-field success of “Freaks” is a happy surprise for the band, but it also comes at a complicated moment for them.
In August 2020, local indie label Burger Records dissolved amid multiple sexual assault and misconduct charges against acts in the SoCal punk scene. As many young fans came forward with allegations against bands in that scene, an anonymous social media account posted sexual misconduct claims against both members of Surf Curse. Their label Danger Collective announced that it would not continue working with the band. (Surf Curse played Burger’s Beach Goth festival in 2016 but were not signed to the label. Representatives for Danger Collective did not return requests for comment.)
“An Instagram account that has since been deleted, post[ed] an anonymous message accusing me of a heinous crime against another human being,” Rubeck wrote on social media in August 2020. “There hasn’t been a moment in my life that even comes close to what was described in that post…The person who made the claim, whose identity I don’t know and whose privacy I want to respect, voluntarily retracted their statement against me and cleared my name…I want to make it clear we never made any threats to the page, legal or otherwise.”
(That accuser, in a now-deleted Instagram post on the account Creeps in the Scene, said that they were mistaken about who attacked them: “It was not Jacob who was assaulting me. I don’t want to ‘cancel’ someone who doesn’t deserve it. In light of this new information, I would like to retract my statement.”)
At the same time, Rattigan also denied two since-deleted anonymous accusations of him harassing fans at shows. “The conversation around harassment is vital to this community and it devastates me to be put in this position,” Rattigan wrote at the time. “These allegations are simply untrue.”
“There was a lot we learned, and it was a very difficult time,” Rattigan said of the accusations. “We came out of it.” Asked to elaborate on what they learned from the experience, he said, “We feel pretty good about everything now, and that’s really all there is to say.”
Surf Curse is writing new music for a future Atlantic release and plans to tour in 2022. Even if they don’t quite understand TikTok, or use it much themselves, Rattigan and Rubeck are hopeful about whatever it means for the band’s future.
“We’re grateful but vigilant,” Rattigan said. “It’s challenging as artists because you’re constantly trying to move on to new things. But people don’t like the time they’re living in, and diving into the past is something they do when they feel that way.”
“We wrote that song when we were 18, so the lyrics and everything were very youthful, and I guess that’s why teens still relate to it,” guitarist Rubeck said (the bandmates are now in their late 20s). “We’ll see some Adonis-looking guy on TikTok being like, ‘These lyrics blow my mind.’ I guess people can relate to it today.”
As they continue to use their half magic, they become more thoughtful and deliberate in their desires, realizing that there is always a trade-off and that their actions can have ripple effects on others. Half Magic is a delightful and humorous novel that explores the power of imagination and the importance of self-restraint. It is a tale of adventure, friendship, and the magic that exists in everyday life. The book has charming characters, witty dialogue, and a timeless message that resonates with readers of all ages. Edward Eager's writing style and storytelling ability make Half Magic a beloved classic that continues to captivate and enchant readers to this day..
Reviews for "The Influence of Half Magic on Popular Culture: From Movies to Video Games"
1. John - 2 stars - I found "Half magic grippis broww" to be a confusing and poorly written book. The plot was all over the place with no clear direction, and the characters lacked depth and development. I struggled to connect with any of them and found myself losing interest in their stories. The writing style was also quite distracting, with convoluted sentences and excessive use of unnecessary descriptions. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and wouldn't recommend it.
2. Emily - 1 star - "Half magic grippis broww" was a complete waste of time. The storyline was unoriginal and predictable, offering nothing new or intriguing. The characters were cardboard cutouts with no real personality or motivation, making it impossible to care about their fates. The writing was also subpar, filled with grammatical errors and awkward sentence structure. I couldn't wait for this book to end, and I certainly won't be picking up anything else from this author in the future.
3. Sarah - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "Half magic grippis broww" but was sorely disappointed. The concept had potential, but the execution fell flat. The plot was muddled and lacked coherence, leaving me confused and uninterested. The characters felt one-dimensional and lacked any real development or growth. The writing style was also underwhelming, with repetitive phrases and lackluster descriptions. Overall, this book failed to live up to its promise, and I wouldn't recommend it to others.
4. Mark - 2 stars - I found "Half magic grippis broww" to be an underwhelming read. The plot was convoluted and hard to follow, jumping from one storyline to another without much explanation. The characters were forgettable, and I struggled to connect with any of them. The writing was also lackluster, with dull descriptions and a slow pace that made it hard to stay engaged. I was left feeling disappointed and unsatisfied with this book.