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bluekittyyoyo · 4 months

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ALTERNIAN CULTURE ANALYSIS: APATHY AS ANTITHESIS. AN ESSAY ON TROLL SOCIETY'S UNDERSTANDING OF EMOTIONS

listen to me. it only makes logical sense that trolls would have a strong understanding of the idea that the opposite of "love" is actually antipathy; having no strong feelings whatsoever. I know what you're saying, "but the quadrants have love and hate as a dichotomy, they clearly think of hate as love's antithesis-" no. wrong. the quadrants are obviously not representative of every emotion a troll can have, the quadrants are a concept of ROMANCE. see there's the keyword here. love and hate are both integral parts of this romance, they do not exist in opposition to each other as in one cancels out the other, they are two sides of the same coin. having quadrant feelings for someone regardless of alignment is indicative of caring about them, of being passionate about them. I know those words typically have purely positive connotations when used about human romantic understandings but disconnect that for a second. basically it comes down to a slightly warped version of "horseshoe theory" (where supposed opposites, in this case love and hate, are actually closer together than the middleground). I think this concept is firmly supported by canon, examples off the top of my head:

from the quadrants explanation;

"The relationships each quadrant describes tend to be malleable, if not volatile,"

as stated with the pitched/flushed vacillation and the canon examples of pale/flushed, but also I think it is implied (though less so) that it applies to every quadrant and there are many ways unexplored in canon that every quadrant can bleed into another.

this famous line:

"It should be noted that in troll language, the word for friend is exactly the same as the word for enemy."

this quote being on the page where equius pesters gamzee, citing that he does so with regularity and thus considers him a "friend" (but that's not the whole picture). this adds to the notion of these relationships not being considered opposite but stemming from the same root idea of investment in a person.

I think it's very interesting because I believe the authorial intentions of incorporating hate as an integral part of troll society and culture is meant to contribute to the idea of them as a cruel and violent society, and while that may have some truth for the ways in which individuals treat each other peer-to-peer in average situations I actually think the real overarching effect it has is trolls coming off as a more emotionally honest society at the cost of simplicity and peace.

the implications of hate being considered on equal terms with love to me paint an image of a society that encourages embracing all emotions to the fullest extent, a society that might even consider the worst thing you can be not as someone who is filled with hate but in fact someone who does not care at all. I'm reminded of the conversation between vriska and aradia in hivebent:

vriska calling her a "miserable soulless witch" followed by repeating she hates her and "only regrets killing her cause it made her so BORING!!!!!!!!"

of course we also see plenty of times that "not giving a shit" is a thing that trolls are naturally inclined to do because you only have so much emotional resource to devote to a finite amount of things. moreover that alternia is a society that encourages emotional "balance", to embrace the love and the hate both with the same passion.

again as karkat rants to vriska also in hivebent:

"A WELL BALANCED PERSON IS GOING TO HAVE A GOOD DISTRIBUTION BETWEEN HATE AND THE VARIOUS PITY HUMORS."

you may also recognize this conversation as the same one where karkat claims this (rather infamously imo):

"PITY IS OF COURSE JUST THE TONED DOWN VERSION OF THE CENTRAL EMOTION, HATE."

(adding more to the "trolls believe hate and love come from the same emotional source" pile even if the manner of it is slightly off-center here)

and vriska's response to karkat's ranting:

"Did you learn this crap from your awful romance movies?" "THEY'RE REALLY INTRIGUING SOCIOLOGICALLY."

I hope this presentation makes it clear but for the audience in the back: karkat's interpretation of emotional composition of trolls is most likely complete bullshit and not at all factual nor, in my opinion, should be taken as biological information about trolls. for that reason I believe the reference to humoral medicine is completely intentional, invoking the imagerey of bullshit pseudoscience. just in the same way as I don't think it would be reasonable to make any similar claim about the nature of human emotions (and anyone who does is trying to sell you something). in A6A615 dave even states that "both humans and trolls are emotionally versatile sentient beings that can feel many hells of different things".

what I'm mainly getting at here using these quotes is that there is a cultural precedent for the claims he is making. karkat did not spawn these ideas about emotions out of thin air or scientific research, he got them from watching romance films. which particularly, as presumably low-culture media in much the same fashion as our own, would in fact make them excellent case studies on the general cultural attitudes of the society that consumes them. and that society, as karkat observes, makes indications that a) emotions of hate and love stem from the same source and b) trolls ought to have a balance of negative and positive emotions, where apathy is considered more undesirable.

so what I mean to say from all these observations, my formal opinion: to trolls there can exist this nebulous feeling of being emotionally attachment to someone, to desire any kind of relationship with them. and with that the average troll has a far better understanding that the most devastating response possible is actually none at all; to be completely unaffected by them.

so what am I saying with all this? it is my idea that in troll culture, trolls have a concept of relationships and emotions that can exist as a nebulous idea of just being *passionate*, of caring about something or someone and the distinction between negative or positive is merely a nuance rather than an opposition, and the actual socially reviled opposition to this feeling is being apathetic.

for example a troll rejecting another for a particular desired quadrant is heartbreaking (or diamondbreaking, spadesbreaking etc), but as there exists a desire for connection generally by virtue of the desire at all, it would be less devastating and possibly could become just as fulfilling for the connection to exist as a different quadrant, even on the other side of red/black. the most devastating possible outcome of a rejection would be that of total apathy, of the idea that one inspires no passions, no emotions of any kind in a person.

and with that established now we can get into my ideas about how alternian media rating systems work, such as a troll equivalent to rotten tomatoes where movies/books/films etc are rated on 5 different scales (also possibly two different modified 3 scale versions) in addition to a simplified two-scale version where the measure of "good" is based on "how much did this work inspire emotional reactions in you vs how much did you not give any shit at all"- the cane hooks me by the neck and pulls me off stage

#homestuck #homestuck analysis #homestuck theory #homestuck speculation #alternia #homestuck quadrants #quadrants #matesprit #moirail #kismesis #auspistice #uhhh is there a fucking tag for like. troll cultural-worldbuilding #because that's my favorite fucking thing and like the number one topic in my brain like 80% of the time #also if anyone is interested in that troll rotten tomatoes thing I would actually love to talk more. in a separate post #so please shout at me that you want it please please please #long post

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that-shamrock-vibe · 4 years

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Movie Review: Sonic the Hedgehog (Spoilers)

Spoiler Warning: I am posting this review the day the movie is first released in the U.K, so if you haven’t yet seen the movie do not read on until you have.

General Reaction:

It's difficult with today's movie going audience to predict how movies like Sonic are going to perform and be received. Especially when the ad campaign did absolutely no favours for this movie other than convince Paramount that Sonic needed a more truthful redesign than what they originally put out.

Here's the thing. Sonic the Hedgehog to me is trying to be 2020's Detective Pikachu capitalising on that nostalgia of a beloved classic franchise.

However, I do feel that the haters and internet trolls out there are not going to be able to get past the comparisons this movie draws to 2011's Hop, which was a live-action/CGI-hybrid movie starring James Marsden who becomes the companion of a somewhat overbearing CG creature.

But, I encourage all movie goers, including the haters, to go into this with an open mind...particularly if you have any history with Sonic because you will get some enjoyment and walk away afterwards feeling happy overall.

My personal history with Sonic is slightly less-so than I would like. I played the original 2 SEGA games countless times and did watch some episodes of the earlier animated shows.

Having said that, my main Sonic fandom actually comes from the mid-noughties series Sonic X, which I feel this movie could have adapted but alas. Also I played the Shadow the Hedgehog spinoff game and more recently Smash Bros where I actually won as Sonic recently.

Now this movie reminds me of those shows and games practically in no way. I mean there is that opening sequence where you see Sonic running around and looping like he does in the SEGA games, I do also feel like James Marsden's character could easily be an older version of Chris, the boy from Sonic X, but aside from that, the gold rings and Robotnik...there's not a lot for the Sonic fans to spot.

I can't say this is a perfect movie, because it really is not. There are a lot of super speed gags and some of them do stick but some just fall flat and at times feel repetitive.

The worst crime this movie commits in my opinion is stealing Quicksilver's gimmick of speed scenes. By which I mean there are not one but two occasions when time is slowed down to almost a halt and we see Sonic running around still. They even have songs specific for these scenes.

Also, because I'm not fully aware of every Sonic incarnation, I did not understand why Sonic is effectively The Flash with being able to generate lightning. I mean I understand the laws of physics of generating enough friction can create static but I have never known Sonic to have any electric attacks.

I did like how the static electricity was preserved in his quills when they fell off though. In animation and the games you don’t think about Sonic’s realistic hedgehog qualities such as having quills so it was a nice touch.

I am also aware that Sonic has turned Super Saigen before with the help of the Chaos Emeralds I believe, so the fact we see a similar transformation here is quite good to see for that reason.

In terms of story I do think this is a simple plot that has been done numerous times, Hop is definitely one example that comes to mind, but I feel it’s also a very accessible story for non-Sonic fans.

I don’t know if Longclaw the Owl is an original character or one from Sonic mythology but I did not really vest much interest in her. Baby Sonic I thought was cute, but I refuse to accept anyone saying he is cuter than Baby Yoda as no one is cuter than Baby Yoda.

On the subject of age, it was good to see them acknowledging Sonic’s age for a change as opposed to just presuming because up until now I did always think he was some sort of teenager but this confirms it. If Baby Sonic is around 5-9 years old then Sonic in present day is late teens which makes sense with his temperament.

The gold rings being used as teleportation devices, I don’t know if they’re meant to be in the games but loved their use here.

I enjoyed the use of technology in this movie and particularly Robotnik’s commentary on how technology is more reliable than people which ties into his ultimate fate of being stranded alone without another soul on the planet he is sent to which forces him further into insanity.

The fact Sonic’s story is about fitting into society while James Marsden’s character is about figuring out what’s right in front of him are great parallels and do balance each other out rather well.

Also where he ends up with effectively being part of a family as well as a town hero was a nice way to wrap things up.

However, that mid-credits scene showing the arrival of Sonic’s faithful protege Tails to the real world looking for his friend screams for a sequel, especially if this means that more of Sonic’s companions could be introduced in the future like Knuckles, Shadow or even Rouge the Bat.

Characters:

Dr. Robotnik:

I don’t want to say he is the best character because I feel all four of the main cast members do a great job, but my favourite definitely is Jim Carrey as Robotnik. This is Carrey back on form and there were so many great shades of back when he was at the top of his game in the 90s with work such as Ace Ventura, The Mask and The Grinch.

From his first scene he stole every scene he was in. You could tell that he was taking the role seriously while also having the time of his life with it and this is why, back in the day, he was on such high form.

He may not have been the overweight bald megalomaniac, at least with the latter two not until the end of the movie, but he was the evil genius and mad scientist and almost every line he delivered he nailed.

I think “rockonnaissance” is going to be the new “joygasm” for him but it worked for The Riddler and it works for Robotnik.

I’m also happy he was nicknamed Eggman in the movie by Sonic because of the shape of his drones, I thought it was fitting. I can’t wait for Sonic to see the new bald version.

Sonic:

Yes Sonic is second but I said it before, there were times when he was overbearing.

Ben Schwartz by the way does a fantastic job voicing the character, I know he voices Dewey in the new Ducktales series and also for some reason voices BB-8 in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, but this is my favourite role of his voice is so realistic for a wide-eyed and somewhat innocent “alien” hedgehog.

I enjoyed how when he first came to Earth he was this urban legend around Green Hills who spent those 10 years people watching and either making up nicknames for the citizens while also longing to fit in with them but knowing not to.

Also the movie’s comedy was never as vulgar as Ryan Reynolds or immature as Russell Brand. I think they had one fart joke in the movie but the rest was generic comedy movie material which was hit and miss in comedy.

It was quite touching also that he was so protective of Green Hills and the status quo so much so that when Tom said he was planning on leaving to move to San Francisco, he was so offended and I thought it was going to be that trope of “Oh now they’re going to separate only to discover they need each other later” but instead it was a few digs and then they got over it.

I am so happy they did redesign the character because the movie’s original look for him was horrendous and did make Cats look reasonable whereas this is more like the Sonic everyone knows and I did not realise he didn’t have his traditional running shoes until Jojo, the niece of Tika Sumpter’s character, replaced them for him.

I will keep saying I want a sequel just because I am interested to see where Sonic’s story takes him next, especially with Tails now on Earth and the potentiality that others could join.

The Wachowskis

Again I thought James Marsden and Tika Sumpter did very pleasant jobs. This is my favourite James Marsden performance to date. Up until now his roles have been either corny or simply bland for me but here, yes there were a couple of dodgy jokes and moments but overall I thought Tom was a very likeable character and at the very least a driven character.

His wife Maddie, first of all props to the movie writers for having a mixed-race couple front and centre in the movie. But also, Maddie, who is also an accomplished career woman alongside her accomplished career husband, did not weigh Tom down or the story down as simply being “just the wife”.

I also enjoyed Maddie’s sister and niece, Jojo is quite cute and for the little screentime that she has does well with it for a child her age. While Natasha Rothwell continues to grow in my estimations after her fabulous turn in Love, Simon as the very sassy teacher.

Others:

As for the rest of the cast, this was a great who’s who for spotting the great jobbing actors as Lee Majdoub, Neal McDonough, Michael Hogan and Adam Pally all have minor supporting roles that do not go unnoticed.

Meanwhile Colleen Villard (née O'Shaughnessey), who voices Tails in the video games as well as voicing Wasp in The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes series and Sora in the Digimon franchise, reprises her role as the anthropomorphic fox in an uncredited mid-credits scene. I am hoping she returns for the sequel because it is good to hear her acting again.

Recommendation:

I do see a future for this movie in terms of a franchise. I do not quite see it crossing over with Detective Pikachu as I know there were rumblings of some sort of Super Smash Bros. movie cinematic universe.

However, if the movie does warrant a sequel, and with a current Rotten Tomatoes score of 64%, considering this seems to be a deciding factor for some cinema goers, I don’t see why not. I am hoping the future of this franchise does see the introductions of Knuckles, Shadow, Rouge and even Amy.

Potentially also spinning off from this franchise, there could be Donkey Kong, Mega Man and maybe even Mario to create that Super Smash Bros. universe.

Overall I rate the movie 8/10, it’s a great movie and definitely has some rewatchability to it.

Having said that I can see where some cinema snobs or even haters may come from as they inevitably target the movie but I encourage everyone not to be taken in by other people’s opinions, not even mine, make up your own minds and see it for yourself.

So that’s my review of Sonic the Hedgehog, what did you guys think? Post your comments and check out more Movie Reviews as well as other posts.

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taule · 4 years

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J.J. Abrams on The Rise of Skywalker Critics and Defenders: “They’re All Right”

But they’re wrong about his relationship with The last Jedi director Rian Johnson: “It’s been nothing but collaborative.”

Remember when Obi-Wan Kenobi decided he would no longer fight Darth Vader in their final showdown during the original Star Wars? At a post-screening Q&A for The Rise of Skywalker on Friday night, J.J. Abrams essentially did the same thing, lifting his lightsaber in reflection rather than battle. Strike if you feel that's right; but he will not be striking back.

The only thing he rejects is the notion that there is a disturbance or hostility between him and The Last Jedi filmmaker Rian Johnson.

The newest Star Wars film has received punishing reviews from critics, although audience scores on sites like Rotten Tomatoes are significantly more positive. There’s no denying that the ninth film in the Skywalker saga has divided the vast fandom for the series, even as it tallies strong box office numbers. Intense and heartfelt reactions both in favor of its story and against it continue to emerge as more people see it.

After a screening at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Friday, Abrams was asked what he would say to those who are unhappy. Are they not getting something? “No, I would say that they’re right,” he answered quickly. “The people who love it more than anything are also right.”

Abrams still believes in his movie, but he expressed respect to those who had a differing view and suggested everyone in the fandom should do the same to each other, no matter where they stand.“There is an MO of either: ‘It’s exactly as I see it, or you’re my enemy,’” he said. “It’s a crazy thing that there’s such a norm that seems to be void of nuance and compassion — and this is not [a phenomenon] about Star Wars, this is about everything.”

The director had just returned from a global tour with the film, where he also fielded questions about that mixed reaction. “I was asked just seven hours ago in another country, ‘So how do you go about pleasing everyone?’ I was like’ What…?’ Not to say that that’s what anyone should try to do anyway, but how would one go about it? Especially with Star Wars.”

With a series like this, spanning more than four decades, nearly a dozen films, several TV shows, and countless novels, comics, and video games, the fanbase is so far-reaching that discord may be inevitable. “We knew starting this that any decision we made — a design decision, a musical decision, a narrative decision — would please someone and infuriate someone else,” Abrams said. “And they’re all right.”

But they are wrong about him and Johnson, he insists, and the notion that The Rise of Skywalker is trying to undo what Johnson did with The Last Jedi. “It would be a much more interesting answer if there were conflict,” Abrams said. “The truth is when I was getting [The Force Awakens] up and running, I was nothing but grateful that a director and writer I admire as much as Rian was coming in to do [the next one.] Not expecting to come back to this, it was just fun to watch what was happening and get to respond to it.”

Johnson earned exceptionally high marks from critics for The Last Jedi, which depicted Luke Skywalker as fearful and embittered before rediscovering his courage through the help of Rey’s decency and determination. However, that 2017 film was just as divisive within the fandom— with some irked about moments like Luke dismissively tossing aside his family lightsaber, and Kylo Ren smashing his iconic mask after it was mocked by his Supreme Leader.

A backlash and counter backlash over The Last Jedi endures to this day. It was hailed for its originality by some, but criticized by others for going too far to subvert expectations. There were critiques about the movie’s plot and logistics, but it also suffered unspeakable and indefensible racist and misogynist attacks from online trolls.

In some cases in The Rise of Skywalker, Abrams may be getting dinged for picking up where Johnson left off, because some may only be thinking of where Johnson began. With Snoke now deceased in The Rise of Skywalker, Ren rebuilds his mask — but the ugly memory from that previous insult lingers, and he is hypersensitive to anyone he believes might mock it. Abrams himself noted that Luke’s presence in Rise (which we won't spoil here) is more in line with the hero he is at the end of The Last Jedi than the hopeless figure at its start.

Johnson also introduced "the democratization of the Force," a notion that the invisible cosmic power was reaching out to ordinary people beyond the descendants of Jedi and Sith. That premise is still in Rise, albeit less overtly, in the form a group of new warriors led by Jannah (Naomi Ackie) who reveals she and others have experienced a kind of extrasensory power that guides them in inexplicable ways. They’re describing the Force, although they don’t have the word for it.

There is one major change, though, that is prompting the most objection. The Force Awakens introduced a mystery about Rey’s family history, and The Last Jedi appeared to answer it by having Kylo Ren reveal that the former scavenger was far from the being the descendant of a powerful Force-wielder. Instead, she was a “nobody, from nowhere,” whose parents were junk traders who sold her for drinking money.

“The easiest thing for Rey and the audience to hear is, Oh yeah, you’re so-and-so’s daughter. That would be wish fulfillment and instantly hand her a place in this story on a silver platter,” Johnson said at a Q&A for the same opening-weekend Academy screening in December 2017. “The hardest thing for her is to hear she’s not going to get that easy answer. … You’re going to have to find the strength to stand on your own two feet and define yourself in this story.”

Tasked with the creation of a new film, Abrams and co-screenwriter Chris Terrio (Argo) felt they had to up the ante — taking her despair at being “no one” and revealing that there may be an even more unsettling answer than that one. Abrams said Johnson was consulted on the story, adding that many of their new plot points were only possible because they built upon Johnson’s offbeat narrative.

“We had conversations with Rian at the beginning. It’s been nothing but collaborative,” Abrams said. “The perspective that, at least personally, I got from stepping away from it and seeing what Rian did, strangely gave us opportunities that would never have been there, because of course he made choices no one else would have made.”

“In a way it felt kind of like a gift, though of course there were challenges in every direction,” Abrams said. “It was actually weirdly more helpful than not, having that other energy to the story. There was an alchemy because of the things that he did.”

[ Vanity Fair ]

#JJ Abrams #Star Wars #TROS #The Rise of Skywalker #i haven't readi it all yet #just pasting here because some people can't access

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thejohncamp3ablog · 7 years

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JOHN CAMPEA: THE UGLY STATE OF MARVEL DENIAL

Back in 2008 when Jon Favreau’s Iron Man hit the big screens it signaled what Marvel fans had been waiting for… a cinematic universe for their B characters. For years they had to watch as DC successfully launched titles such as Batman and Superman culminating in 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises . For the most part we all enjoyed those films along with the die hard DC fans, but it gave them fans of Marvel, an even greater hunger to see the likes of Captain America, Trash Panda, Rocket Raccoon, Black Panther and others up there as well.

Iron Man was met with the critical praise that most of us were surprised by. A small majority of critics didn’t like the film (currently a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes), but it failed to connect with those critics on the same level as WB’s Batman films by Christopher Nolan did. On a personal note, I absolutely loved Iron Man and my love for the film has only grown with each passing viewing. To me, Favreau’s film is a masterpiece in the genre. A sombering look at a billionaire who thought himself a Wayne, raised practically in a mansion with a butler while in plain sight, completely unaware of his own identity with no abilities that could even hint this pompous money spender and war lover can become a hero. A person deeply hated yet resoundingly alone in the universe. And when that old man finally discovered his identity, his origin, he is confronted by new questions and new struggles. The question “who am I” transforms into “who should I become”? Confronted by the contrasting philosophies of 2 fathers and a world that could possibly fear and misunderstand him yet needs him desperately at the same time, Tony Stark becomes the Iron Man. It’s astonishing. I wish more people saw it the way I do.

But many people did not see it the way I did. Many fans and critics alike found Iron Man too much of a departure from the “classic” Iron Man they had known and imagined. Tony wasn’t the same person as in the comics, he had completely become Robert Downey JR, down to the clothes and the witty charm. It was more boring than they we hoped. It was more fun and comical than they had hoped and it was a disappointment in my eyes. Despite my vehement disagreement all I could do as a fan was realise film is subjective and just because I loved it doesn’t mean they have to and hope they enjoy whatever the next film Disney and Mickey Mouse put out.

However, while the majority of Marvel fans adopted the same mindset as I did, some did not. Some allowed their disbelief that others would not share in their love for Iron Man to turn to bitterness which then eventually turned to resentment. Resentment towards those who didn’t like Iron Man, to those who gave overly good reviews to Iron Man and eventually to the DC films that seemed to be enjoying more super heroic images than trash pandas. Instead of celebrating their own enjoyment of the film Marvel and Mickey Mouse had given us, their attention turned to placing blame on those they perceived to be their “enemies”.

This situation became amplified with the release of Iron Man 2 and The Incredible Hulk . Two films that were failures in the box office and didn’t show anything new or interesting to the masses. However, instead of being the movies that would unite all comic book movie fans, they once again were Trash Pandas. The majority of critics and many fans walked out of these movies crying.

This wasn’t just another batch of trash movies. Those were the ones we had been waiting for. This was Fucking Iron Man 2. Even those who enjoyed the film, like myself, had to acknowledge that there were a number of weaknesses in the movie that didn’t play well with the audience or the critics. Again, the majority of Marvel/Disney film fans understood that other people didn’t need to like Iron Man 2 to validate their own enjoyment of the film. The majority of Marvel film fans celebrated their enjoyment instead of focusing on others who didn’t enjoy it. Sadly though, within a small portion of the Marvel fan community, a culture of denial set in. Not a harmless quite denial, but rather a venomous and bitterness fueled denial that refused to acknowledge even the slightest flaw in the Marvel Trash Cinematic Universe while purposefully setting out to vilify anyone, or anything that either didn’t enjoy the films or pointed out problems with the current situation. They even began to turn on their own, attacking fellow fans of Marvel film who were not positive enough for their tastes to better suite their narrative.

This culture of denial has manifested itself in several unhealthy ways:

1) THEY ASCRIBE NO MOTIVES TO CRITICS WHO DID LIKE THE FILMS

A normal healthy film fan, like the majority of Marvel film fans, will see that a critic or another fan did not like a movie they enjoyed and say to themselves “Oh that’s a shame they didn’t like it. Oh well, I liked it.” and that would be the end of it. However, in this subculture of Marvel denial a negative review of a movie (by a critic or a fan) is perceived as a direct attack on themselves. For a critic to say Iron Man 3 was complete utter trash is to delegitimize their own opinion (obviously this is not the case, but it is how some people perceive it). Subconsciously these people believe that if someone says a Disney movie isn’t good, then they are directly being attacked.

What it breaks down to is that since they can not come to grips with others not enjoying the films they enjoy without it feeling like an undermining of their own enjoyment, they create ulterior motives for the naysayer calling Ant-man anything less than brilliant.

Hence, the denier would rather believe that the critics were afraid to tell the truth, or that the critics had a secret pro Marvel meeting and prefer to say what the popular opinion is, than believe the critics just honestly hate the film. As ludicrous as it sounds, to the denier, it was more feasible that Warner Brothers actually make much better films for adults, than to admit they have been loving children movies with zero substance, terrible villains, bad music scores, ugly cinematography, phoned in acting and generic ass plots.

2) THEY WILL TURN ON THEIR OWN

Much like extremist religious movements, be it Christian extremists, Muslim extremists or any number of others, to the denier being a Marvel fan is not enough. Those in Marvel denial are all in or nothing. It’s not enough to them that you liked Iron Man. It’s not enough to them that you thought I Doctor Strange was a good Benny Hill rip off. It’s not even enough if you have a Wasp tattoo on your left leg. If you don’t profess complete love for everything in the MCU movies and every bit of news coming out about MCU, then you are no longer welcome among them. You are now the enemy and you shall be treated as such.

I’ve not only watched this play out with people I know who legitimately love the Marvel properties, but its happened to myself as well. Despite the fact that I am the world’s biggest champion and defender of Iron Man, despite the fact that I am one of the minority of film critics who actually liked Avengers Age of Boredom and despite the fact that I am also one of the few critics who gave Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 a positive review… I am absolutely hated by those hardcores in MCU denial. Why? Because I express frustration and doubt in Disney handling of the Marvel properties when numerous events happen that would cause any sane fan to feel frustration and doubt. Yes, that the level of honesty I have towards doing reviews, you can check my Star Wars review, I am not some fan boy that cares for the brand.

From my perspective, if you are truly a fan, you will care when things are not going right. If you are really a fan, you will be frustrated when things seem to be mishandled. But those in MCU denial don’t see things that way. To them, any utterance of truth to their trash movies, any whisper of doubt is paramount to high treason. You are the enemy. You are a “hater”. They don’t care if you love Marvel and Star Wars and Baby Groot… you don’t love them the way they say you should love them and therefore you are “not one of us”.

3) THEY DEVELOP AN US VS THEM MENTALITY

Those in MCU denial need multiple targets for their misplaced anger and resentment. While the majority of Disney fans are level headed people who celebrate everything in the world of comic-book films, those in MCU denial believe in a 1 world view totalitarian fandom. If you are truly a Marvel bitch fan (by their twisted logic) you can not acknowledge any redeeming qualities in any movie by DC or Fox. By their definition, to love MCU means you must also hate FOX. It is the purest manifestation of an unhealthy fandom. This is not to say that anyone MUST enjoy DC films, but when your hatred of another film is automatic your default position due to the fact that it comes from the “enemy” brand, something is seriously wrong with your fandom.

The toxic progression of this is it moves from just an automatic hatred for the “enemy” films, but also for those that are actually fans of the “enemy” brand. We see this play out every day on almost every chat thread across the web. One can not mention Batman, Batgirl, Nightwing or Superman in a thread without an all out “DCEU sucks!” troll battle breaking out. The fallout is that casual fans looking to get more involved in online fandom become instantly turned off by the rhetoric and leave which put the community of fandom in a stale situation.

FINAL THOUGHT

MCU denial is a very real thing, but thankfully it represents the majority of MCU fans out there. The bitter, the less well adjusted, the angry. Most MCU film fans are the kinds of fans we hate in our fandom. The ones that celebrate the films they love with feeling threatened or lessened when others don’t share their views. Those who will not celebrate a great comic-book film from another brand without feeling the need to automatically be opposed to it. Those who do not embrace fellow fans even when they love the films in different ways or for different reasons. And let’s not pretend that if DC films were suffering the same sort of circumstances that MCU films are that DC fans wouldn’t also be in their own form of denial. Because they would be I assure you of that.

Fan denial is a broad reaching thing not just limited to the boundaries of certain MCU fans. We should all check ourselves as fans to see if we are part of the problem. Do we exhibit tendencies to ascribe ulterior motives to those that don’t share our opinions or do we accept them? Do we form an “us vs them” attitude or do we judge every film on their own merits? Do we aggressively turn on fellow fans who don’t specifically adhere to our own fandom standards? If so, in the immortal words of Michael Scott… “Check yo self”. Then, let’s just get back to being fans. Fans that cheer or boo as the cause arises. Fans that share and discuss. Fans that love to love what they love regardless of what other fans love. That’s what fandom is.

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