Inct is mon. Dragons le the ski. But gay men are unacceptable? Here's a look at the anchise's problematic history wh LGBTQ reprentatn.
Contents:
- EMMA DARCY SEXUALY AND GENR: IS SHE GAY? PARTNER AND DATG HISTORY
- HOE OF THE DRAGON FALLY DID RIGHT BY SOME OF ITS GAY CHARACTERS
- 'HOE OF THE DRAGON' FANS ACCE SHOW OF PARTAKG ANTI-GAY TROPE
- THE NEW ROYAL TOWN: EMMA D’ARCY TAK THE CROWNHOE OF THE DRAGON ST ADDN EMMA D’ARCY TALKS ABOUT MILLY ALCK, POWER, AND HOW THE ARGONTS HELPED THEM FD THEIR VISN FOR PLAYG RHAENYRA.BY ESTHER ZUCKERMANSEPTEMBER 26, 2022FACEBOOKXEMAILSAVE STORYPHOTOGRAPH BY JASON BELLSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEEMMA D’ARCY’S VERSN OF HOE OF THE DRAGON PROTAGONIST RHAENYRA TARGARYEN IS TRODUCED DURG THE AGONIZG LIVERY OF HER THIRD CHILD, HER FACE NTORTG AS SHE PH AND SCREAMS. TO PREPARE, D’ARCY SPENT TIME DIGGG TO HISTORIL MATERIAL ABOUT CHILDBIRTH AND S EFFECT ON WOMEN. BUT THEY KEPT G BACK TO A MORE MORN TEXT: THE ARGONTS, MAGGIE NELSON’S MEMOIR MASHED WH QUEER, FEMIST THEORY. “WHAT I READ THAT BOOK THE NTEXT OF THE SHOW WAS A PERSON WHO WAS TRYG TO E UP WH AN IOLOGY OF MOTHERHOOD, AS A PERSON WHO FOUND HETERONORMATIVE NVENTN PLITED OR A BAD F,” D’ARCY EXPLAS OVER ZOOM.ONE DON’T NECSARILY EXPECT TO JUMP OM GEE R.R. MART TO MAGGIE NELSON—BUT D’ARCY, WHO STEPS TO THE ROLE HELD FOR FIVE EPISOS BY MILLY ALCK, BRGS A THOROUGHLY UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE TO THE QUTNS OF GENR WHICH THE GAME OF THRON PREQUEL TRAS. THE 30-YEAR-OLD D’ARCY IS A NONBARY PERSON G THEY/THEM PRONOUNS, PLAYG A WOMAN FOR WHOM POWER IS BOTH HERED AND ELIVE. RHAENYRA HAS BEEN APPOTED HEIR TO HER FATHER, THE KG (PADDY CONSIDE), BUT HER ABILY TO LEAD IS DOUBTED.TO D’ARCY, THE BARI PRENT MEDIEVAL FANTASY AREN’T ALL THAT DIFFERENT OM THE WORLD WHICH WE NOW LIVE. “IF SHE’S GENR QUTNG ANY WAY, ’S BEE SHE SE MEN OCCUPY A SPACE THAT ISN’T AFFORD TO HER. AND SHE CRAV THE SPACE, WHICH MAK HER REFLECT ON WHY SHE IS NOT AFFORD THE SAME THGS AS, SAY, HER UNCLE DAEMON, TO WHOM SHE FEELS CREDIBLY SIAR AND AK AND SORT OF GEILLY FAIAR,” D’ARCY SAYS. “AND YET THE L ARE APPLIED PLETELY DIFFERENTLY TO TWO OF THEM. I THK, PROBABLY, I STARTED A VERY SIAR PLACE WHEN I WAS YOUNGER TERMS OF CRAVG THE RIGHT TO OCCUPY SPACE A WAY THAT I SAW BOYS AND MEN DO.”HOE OF THE DRAGON HAS BEEN QUIETLY DOLG OUT TIME JUMPS THROUGHOUT S RERD-BREAKG FIRST FIVE EPISOS—BUT THE JUMP THAT OPENS THE SIXTH IS THE BIGGT YET, TAKG RHAENYRA OM NEWLYWED TO MOTHER OF THREE. AND WHILE D’ARCY’S APPEARANCE MARKS AN EXCG TURN FOR THE SHOW, THEY ADM THEY WORRY VIEWERS WILL HAVE ALREADY GROWN ATTACHED TO ALCK’S TERPRETATN OF RHAENYRA. “I THK NOW I HAVE A WEIRD GUILT BEE I’M AWARE THAT ORR TO E TO THE SHOW, MILLY’S GOT TO LEAVE. AND THAT THAT’S GOG TO BE A PA FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, ME CLUD, ANKLY,” THEY SAY.THEY HOPE, HOWEVER, THAT THE BTAL WAY WHICH THEIR RHAENYRA BUTS WILL ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE POTENTIAL SORROW OVER ALCK’S PARTURE. “WE REALLY DON’T GIVE THE DIENCE MUCH TIME AT ALL TO S WH THEIR GRIEF,” THEY SAY. MOMENTS AFTER GIVG BIRTH, A BLEEDG RHAENYRA MARCH THROUGH KG’S LANDG TO PRENT THE BABY TO HER FORMER BT IEND AND NOW QUEEN AND STEPMOTHER ALICENT (OLIVIA COOKE), WHO IS WORRIED ABOUT HER OWN LE OF SUCCSN.D’ARCY AND ALCK DIDN’T SPEND TIME ORDATG THEIR PERFORMANC—THEY WENT FOR A DRK OUTSI THE NTEXT OF FILMG—BUT ON SEEG THE FIRST EPISO OF HOE OF THE DRAGON, D’ARCY WAS TAKEN BY HOW MUCH THEY REGNIZED ALCK’S RHAENYRA. “I’M FEELG A B LIKE WATCHG TARGARYEN HOME VIO OR SOMETHG,” THEY SAY. D’ARCY AND COOKE, HOWEVER, DID SPEND TIME DURG REHEARSAL READG SCEN BETWEEN THEIR CHARACTERS’ YOUNGER SELV THAT THEY WOULD NEVER FILM, “JT TO GET A TASTE AND A FLAVOR OF THAT MORE HOPEFUL, MORE EROTIC, FIZZIER ADOLCENT ENERGY, AND TO KNOW WHAT’S LOST.” Y, D’ARCY DID SAY EROTIC. “I THK MOST OF THOSE EARLY, TENSE, ADOLCENT IENDSHIPS HAVE AN EROTIC EDGE,” THEY EXPLA. “BEE ’S AN AGE WHERE WE’RE TRYG TO WORK OUT WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE WANT AND WHO WE WANT TO FUCK. THOSE ARE ALL TERSECTG QUTNS.”RHAENYRA’S SEXUAL ACTIVY IS A FOL POT OF D’ARCY’S IAL APPEARANCE, WH KG’S LANDG ALL ATWTER WH THE QUTN OF WHO FATHERED HER CHILDREN—NONE OF WHOM SEEM TO BEAR REMBLANCE TO HER HBAND, LAENOR VELARYON. (LAENOR IS GAY, AND HE AND RHAENYRA APPEAR TO HAVE WORKED OUT AN AGREEMENT.) “I’M STILL NOT SURE THAT SHE HAS YET HAD THE GNIVE SPACE TO REALLY UNRSTAND HER OWN SIRE,” D’ARCY SAYS. “AND, SIMULTANEOLY, I THK HER STCT IS FOR THIS CREDIBLY ENMHED ATTACHMENT TO PEOPLE, AND SHE SORT OF LOCKS ON TOO MUCH AND FALLS APART.”WHEN FILMG HOE OF THE DRAGON, D’ARCY, WHOSE PREV WORK CLUS THE SIMON PEGG AND NICK FROST PRIME VIO EDY TTH SEEKERS, DIDN’T REALLY FEEL THE PRSURE OF WALKG TO A MAJOR ANCHISE. BEE OF COVID, THE SET WAS VERY PRIVATE. “AFTER A WHILE, BE A DAY JOB A REALLY LOVELY WAY,” THEY SAY. NOW THAT THE PRS CYCLE FOR THE SERI IS WELL UNRWAY, THE MAGNU OF WHAT THEY ARE A PART OF IS HTG. THEIR FIRST SCENE AS RHAENYRA LNCH THEM TO AN ALREADY VIBRANT DISURSE ABOUT HOW THE SHOW DOCUMENTS THE RISKS OF CHILDBIRTH, STARTG WH RHAENYRA’S MOTHER’S ATH DURG A DIMENTARY C-SECTN.MOST POPULARSARA RAMIREZ ISSU STHG RPONSE TO ANTI–CHE DIAZ PROFILEBY SAVANNAH WALSH2023 FALL PREVIEW: 46 FILMS TO WATCH OUT FORBY REBEC FORDHOW MADONNA TURNED THE LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN SET INTO A THREE-RG CIRCBY ER CARLSONFOR D’ARCY, THAT MOMENT WAS “FUNDAMENTAL” TO HOW THE SERI FUNCTNS. “I WOULD LOVE IF PEOPLE WERE TALKG MORE ABOUT THIS, MAYBE. BUT I THK REALLY STRIV TO TERROGATE—I MEAN THIS THE MORE ABSTRACT E OF THE WORD—THE VLENCE THAT IS HERENT TO PATRIARCHY,” THEY SAY. “I THK ’S REALLY EXCG. IT’S A FANTASY SERI THAT’S TALKG ABOUT PATRIARCHY.”AS A SHY CHILD, D’ARCY GRAVATED TOWARD ACTG TO UNRSTAND SOCIAL STCTUR AND WHAT ’S LIKE TO BE OTHER PEOPLE. “I’M REALLY TERTED HOW POWER, FOR EXAMPLE, KD OF WARPS REALY, AND I THK N BE REALLY EFUL TO DISVER WHAT IS TO BE ANOTHER POSN OF STAT,” THEY SAY. HOE OF THE DRAGON GIV THEM THE IAL OPPORTUNY FOR THAT KD OF EXPLORATN. IT’S JT THE ATTENTN PART THEY HAVE TO GET ED TO.“I THK I ALWAYS FOUND A LOT OF EEDOM GETTG TO BE OTHER PEOPLE,” THEY SAY. “I THK A LOT OF ACTORS WOULD SAY THAT. THAT’S WHY THE PRS B IS A NIGHTMARE. BEE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN NNG AWAY OM THEMSELV. DON’T PUT THEM ONT OF A MERA. IT’S GONNA BE A DISASTER.”LISTEN TO THE STILL WATCHG: HOE OF THE DRAGON PODST, AND SIGN UP TO RECEIVE A WEEKLY “WTEROS UPDATE” YOUR BOX.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRHOW FOUR BILLNAIRE TECHNO-OLIGARCHS ARE CREATG AN ALTERNATE REALYEXCLIVE NEW DETAILS ABOUT MEGHAN MARKLE’S WEDDG DRSA BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF EVERYTHG HAPPENG AT THIS FALL’S FILM FTIVALS—WHOUT THE STARSA SER SETBACK FOR TMP’S PLAN TO GET REELECTED AND PARDON HIMSELFMEET KYLE DCHANEL, THE PRETEND PLAYBOY WHO SEEMS TO HAVE FOOLED HALF OF MANHATTANTHE ULTIMATE GUI TO FALL MOVIFROM THE ARCHIVE: A FATHER’S ACUNT OF THE TRIAL OF HIS DGHTER’S KILLEREND-OF-SUMMER SALE! TAKE 25% OFF AT THE VF SHOPESTHER ZUCKERMAN
EMMA DARCY SEXUALY AND GENR: IS SHE GAY? PARTNER AND DATG HISTORY
We do not know whether they are straight, gay, or else. THATS GAY.
Not my gay ass shippg Rhaenyra and Alicent knowg damn well won’t happen ? Friends, is gay to ll your btie to ri a dragon wh you? Warng: Spoilers for Hoe of the Dragon ’s Hoe of the Dragon may be a show full of giant dragons and spooky propheci, but s cisn to spare not one, but two gay characters seemgly sted for ath somehow feels even more a massive change om Gee R. I know ’s Game of Thron, but to have our heroe workg to kill the gay hband she says she lov her own way jt for some ct-y schemg?
HOE OF THE DRAGON FALLY DID RIGHT BY SOME OF ITS GAY CHARACTERS
Perhaps bee the language to scribe and fe multiple sexual orientatns don’t exist Wteros, his fay speaks only phemism, but Laenor is gay and his lover is Jofey Lonmouth (Solly McLeod). And while n be argued that most characters the seri experience some form of horrific vlence, queer characters’ aths are often also marked by homophobic subtext that n’t be ignored.
'HOE OF THE DRAGON' FANS ACCE SHOW OF PARTAKG ANTI-GAY TROPE
He is arrted by a relig sect for the crime of beg gay and havg been timate wh other men.
THE NEW ROYAL TOWN: EMMA D’ARCY TAK THE CROWNHOE OF THE DRAGON ST ADDN EMMA D’ARCY TALKS ABOUT MILLY ALCK, POWER, AND HOW THE ARGONTS HELPED THEM FD THEIR VISN FOR PLAYG RHAENYRA.BY ESTHER ZUCKERMANSEPTEMBER 26, 2022FACEBOOKXEMAILSAVE STORYPHOTOGRAPH BY JASON BELLSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEEMMA D’ARCY’S VERSN OF HOE OF THE DRAGON PROTAGONIST RHAENYRA TARGARYEN IS TRODUCED DURG THE AGONIZG LIVERY OF HER THIRD CHILD, HER FACE NTORTG AS SHE PH AND SCREAMS. TO PREPARE, D’ARCY SPENT TIME DIGGG TO HISTORIL MATERIAL ABOUT CHILDBIRTH AND S EFFECT ON WOMEN. BUT THEY KEPT G BACK TO A MORE MORN TEXT: THE ARGONTS, MAGGIE NELSON’S MEMOIR MASHED WH QUEER, FEMIST THEORY. “WHAT I READ THAT BOOK THE NTEXT OF THE SHOW WAS A PERSON WHO WAS TRYG TO E UP WH AN IOLOGY OF MOTHERHOOD, AS A PERSON WHO FOUND HETERONORMATIVE NVENTN PLITED OR A BAD F,” D’ARCY EXPLAS OVER ZOOM.ONE DON’T NECSARILY EXPECT TO JUMP OM GEE R.R. MART TO MAGGIE NELSON—BUT D’ARCY, WHO STEPS TO THE ROLE HELD FOR FIVE EPISOS BY MILLY ALCK, BRGS A THOROUGHLY UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE TO THE QUTNS OF GENR WHICH THE GAME OF THRON PREQUEL TRAS. THE 30-YEAR-OLD D’ARCY IS A NONBARY PERSON G THEY/THEM PRONOUNS, PLAYG A WOMAN FOR WHOM POWER IS BOTH HERED AND ELIVE. RHAENYRA HAS BEEN APPOTED HEIR TO HER FATHER, THE KG (PADDY CONSIDE), BUT HER ABILY TO LEAD IS DOUBTED.TO D’ARCY, THE BARI PRENT MEDIEVAL FANTASY AREN’T ALL THAT DIFFERENT OM THE WORLD WHICH WE NOW LIVE. “IF SHE’S GENR QUTNG ANY WAY, ’S BEE SHE SE MEN OCCUPY A SPACE THAT ISN’T AFFORD TO HER. AND SHE CRAV THE SPACE, WHICH MAK HER REFLECT ON WHY SHE IS NOT AFFORD THE SAME THGS AS, SAY, HER UNCLE DAEMON, TO WHOM SHE FEELS CREDIBLY SIAR AND AK AND SORT OF GEILLY FAIAR,” D’ARCY SAYS. “AND YET THE L ARE APPLIED PLETELY DIFFERENTLY TO TWO OF THEM. I THK, PROBABLY, I STARTED A VERY SIAR PLACE WHEN I WAS YOUNGER TERMS OF CRAVG THE RIGHT TO OCCUPY SPACE A WAY THAT I SAW BOYS AND MEN DO.”HOE OF THE DRAGON HAS BEEN QUIETLY DOLG OUT TIME JUMPS THROUGHOUT S RERD-BREAKG FIRST FIVE EPISOS—BUT THE JUMP THAT OPENS THE SIXTH IS THE BIGGT YET, TAKG RHAENYRA OM NEWLYWED TO MOTHER OF THREE. AND WHILE D’ARCY’S APPEARANCE MARKS AN EXCG TURN FOR THE SHOW, THEY ADM THEY WORRY VIEWERS WILL HAVE ALREADY GROWN ATTACHED TO ALCK’S TERPRETATN OF RHAENYRA. “I THK NOW I HAVE A WEIRD GUILT BEE I’M AWARE THAT ORR TO E TO THE SHOW, MILLY’S GOT TO LEAVE. AND THAT THAT’S GOG TO BE A PA FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, ME CLUD, ANKLY,” THEY SAY.THEY HOPE, HOWEVER, THAT THE BTAL WAY WHICH THEIR RHAENYRA BUTS WILL ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE POTENTIAL SORROW OVER ALCK’S PARTURE. “WE REALLY DON’T GIVE THE DIENCE MUCH TIME AT ALL TO S WH THEIR GRIEF,” THEY SAY. MOMENTS AFTER GIVG BIRTH, A BLEEDG RHAENYRA MARCH THROUGH KG’S LANDG TO PRENT THE BABY TO HER FORMER BT IEND AND NOW QUEEN AND STEPMOTHER ALICENT (OLIVIA COOKE), WHO IS WORRIED ABOUT HER OWN LE OF SUCCSN.D’ARCY AND ALCK DIDN’T SPEND TIME ORDATG THEIR PERFORMANC—THEY WENT FOR A DRK OUTSI THE NTEXT OF FILMG—BUT ON SEEG THE FIRST EPISO OF HOE OF THE DRAGON, D’ARCY WAS TAKEN BY HOW MUCH THEY REGNIZED ALCK’S RHAENYRA. “I’M FEELG A B LIKE WATCHG TARGARYEN HOME VIO OR SOMETHG,” THEY SAY. D’ARCY AND COOKE, HOWEVER, DID SPEND TIME DURG REHEARSAL READG SCEN BETWEEN THEIR CHARACTERS’ YOUNGER SELV THAT THEY WOULD NEVER FILM, “JT TO GET A TASTE AND A FLAVOR OF THAT MORE HOPEFUL, MORE EROTIC, FIZZIER ADOLCENT ENERGY, AND TO KNOW WHAT’S LOST.” Y, D’ARCY DID SAY EROTIC. “I THK MOST OF THOSE EARLY, TENSE, ADOLCENT IENDSHIPS HAVE AN EROTIC EDGE,” THEY EXPLA. “BEE ’S AN AGE WHERE WE’RE TRYG TO WORK OUT WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE WANT AND WHO WE WANT TO FUCK. THOSE ARE ALL TERSECTG QUTNS.”RHAENYRA’S SEXUAL ACTIVY IS A FOL POT OF D’ARCY’S IAL APPEARANCE, WH KG’S LANDG ALL ATWTER WH THE QUTN OF WHO FATHERED HER CHILDREN—NONE OF WHOM SEEM TO BEAR REMBLANCE TO HER HBAND, LAENOR VELARYON. (LAENOR IS GAY, AND HE AND RHAENYRA APPEAR TO HAVE WORKED OUT AN AGREEMENT.) “I’M STILL NOT SURE THAT SHE HAS YET HAD THE GNIVE SPACE TO REALLY UNRSTAND HER OWN SIRE,” D’ARCY SAYS. “AND, SIMULTANEOLY, I THK HER STCT IS FOR THIS CREDIBLY ENMHED ATTACHMENT TO PEOPLE, AND SHE SORT OF LOCKS ON TOO MUCH AND FALLS APART.”WHEN FILMG HOE OF THE DRAGON, D’ARCY, WHOSE PREV WORK CLUS THE SIMON PEGG AND NICK FROST PRIME VIO EDY TTH SEEKERS, DIDN’T REALLY FEEL THE PRSURE OF WALKG TO A MAJOR ANCHISE. BEE OF COVID, THE SET WAS VERY PRIVATE. “AFTER A WHILE, BE A DAY JOB A REALLY LOVELY WAY,” THEY SAY. NOW THAT THE PRS CYCLE FOR THE SERI IS WELL UNRWAY, THE MAGNU OF WHAT THEY ARE A PART OF IS HTG. THEIR FIRST SCENE AS RHAENYRA LNCH THEM TO AN ALREADY VIBRANT DISURSE ABOUT HOW THE SHOW DOCUMENTS THE RISKS OF CHILDBIRTH, STARTG WH RHAENYRA’S MOTHER’S ATH DURG A DIMENTARY C-SECTN.MOST POPULARSARA RAMIREZ ISSU STHG RPONSE TO ANTI–CHE DIAZ PROFILEBY SAVANNAH WALSH2023 FALL PREVIEW: 46 FILMS TO WATCH OUT FORBY REBEC FORDHOW MADONNA TURNED THE LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN SET INTO A THREE-RG CIRCBY ER CARLSONFOR D’ARCY, THAT MOMENT WAS “FUNDAMENTAL” TO HOW THE SERI FUNCTNS. “I WOULD LOVE IF PEOPLE WERE TALKG MORE ABOUT THIS, MAYBE. BUT I THK REALLY STRIV TO TERROGATE—I MEAN THIS THE MORE ABSTRACT E OF THE WORD—THE VLENCE THAT IS HERENT TO PATRIARCHY,” THEY SAY. “I THK ’S REALLY EXCG. IT’S A FANTASY SERI THAT’S TALKG ABOUT PATRIARCHY.”AS A SHY CHILD, D’ARCY GRAVATED TOWARD ACTG TO UNRSTAND SOCIAL STCTUR AND WHAT ’S LIKE TO BE OTHER PEOPLE. “I’M REALLY TERTED HOW POWER, FOR EXAMPLE, KD OF WARPS REALY, AND I THK N BE REALLY EFUL TO DISVER WHAT IS TO BE ANOTHER POSN OF STAT,” THEY SAY. HOE OF THE DRAGON GIV THEM THE IAL OPPORTUNY FOR THAT KD OF EXPLORATN. IT’S JT THE ATTENTN PART THEY HAVE TO GET ED TO.“I THK I ALWAYS FOUND A LOT OF EEDOM GETTG TO BE OTHER PEOPLE,” THEY SAY. “I THK A LOT OF ACTORS WOULD SAY THAT. THAT’S WHY THE PRS B IS A NIGHTMARE. BEE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN NNG AWAY OM THEMSELV. DON’T PUT THEM ONT OF A MERA. IT’S GONNA BE A DISASTER.”LISTEN TO THE STILL WATCHG: HOE OF THE DRAGON PODST, AND SIGN UP TO RECEIVE A WEEKLY “WTEROS UPDATE” YOUR BOX.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRHOW FOUR BILLNAIRE TECHNO-OLIGARCHS ARE CREATG AN ALTERNATE REALYEXCLIVE NEW DETAILS ABOUT MEGHAN MARKLE’S WEDDG DRSA BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF EVERYTHG HAPPENG AT THIS FALL’S FILM FTIVALS—WHOUT THE STARSA SER SETBACK FOR TMP’S PLAN TO GET REELECTED AND PARDON HIMSELFMEET KYLE DCHANEL, THE PRETEND PLAYBOY WHO SEEMS TO HAVE FOOLED HALF OF MANHATTANTHE ULTIMATE GUI TO FALL MOVIFROM THE ARCHIVE: A FATHER’S ACUNT OF THE TRIAL OF HIS DGHTER’S KILLEREND-OF-SUMMER SALE! TAKE 25% OFF AT THE VF SHOPESTHER ZUCKERMAN
And for those who will try to pat the homophobia as some sort of “historil accuracy, ” “Hoe of the Dragon” is a fictnal show set a world wh dragons and ice queer women of “Game of Thron” fared slightly better. )For those who hoped that Laenor’s troductn might signal that “Hoe of the Dragon” had learned the same lsons about LGBTQ reprentatn as has Daenerys’ arc, Lonmouth’s ath is particularly troublg bee of the way evok the homophobic “panic” that has long been ed to try to fend vlence agast queer people. But the sequence still amounts to a man, after beg approached by a gay man who knows his secret, beatg the gay man to the first episo, the prequel seri has been clear that the misogyny of the Realm is a mark agast .