#at least you and me can be nuance enjoyers
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(About your proship/anti post) tbh it's kinda both sides that don't think critically, but I think the "anti" side is worse about it? Proshippers are usually obnoxious online, but some/most of their views are at least informed by research and studies, whereas a lot of (not all) antis say stuff like "if you put these barbie dolls in this specific situation you are automatically excusing and/or directly causing pedoincest abuse to happen, also if you are a survivor I'm gonna have a savior conplex and demand you find a 'better' coping mechanism. I know better because I'm 15 and take AP psych classes"
Both sides suck overall and the discourse is stupid, but I'd say the "viewing/creating problematic fictional work doesn't automatically brainwash you or define/express your morals or make you a bad person" makes a lot more sense than "liking problematic media makes you an abuser or complicit, and even if someone bypasses all warnings or invades a space they shouldn't be in, it's your fault if they react badly to it. Censor all stuff I dislike now"
Also most "proship" people wouldn't even be doing discourse in the first place, if they weren't getting harassed, doxxed, having to publicly lay out their trauma (if they have any), etc by the anti side over cartoons and video games and books. Abusing/harming real people over fictional content to (not even) prevent hypothetical abuse/harm is, objectively, worse than reacting to said abuse in ways that are annoying or obnoxious, especially when the typically more abusive side has such weird takes that...really don't involve much critical thinking At All, past maybe middle-school-level media literacy
I dont think its that simple tbh. I mean I occupy circles of tumblr that do bat hard against ideas that writing fiction about "problematic" subjects is not inherently harmful (which is true!) but I dont think that belief alone shows a level of "media literacy" whatever you think it means and I don't think implying that people who think differently to you just aren't as educated is really a useful way to engage in discourse. I also don't believe that proshippers who simply yell about intellectualism, critical thinking and media literacy actually do care about those things when someone is critical of their interests for a valid reason (e.g. misogyny).
I think there are probably a lot of proud antis who would say theyve been doxxed and harassed too. You use the example of a particularly combative 15 year old, meanwhile teenagers who do in fact express those views, which may not be ones they hold once they've grown a little, have been harassed by people on the internet who are much older who believe they are justified in their actions for the sake of preserving fandom.
You also imply that the views of proshippers aren't as harmful and simply react to being harassed but this untrue. Proud proshippers often harass people of colour for speaking out against fandom racism, viewing them as aggressive outsiders who disrespect the (white) culture in fandom spaces. The pro/anti divide isnt that simple bc a lot of people of colour get depicted as antis for criticising fandom behaviours which, in these proshippers minds, further justifies their abuse.
Overall, I think a lot of proshipper views don't start and end with writing any fiction is fine because its fiction (even tho thats the main view which i agree with), theres a lot of believing of the preservation of fandom culture on that side, which has always been one way of course, until the "puriteens" showed up which is silly and it just as easily leads to harassment as antis beliefs can do and can end up leading to misogynistic and racist beliefs too. Always believing you're the victim in a scenario (say you're a proshipper thinking you're up against a wave of antis) can often make you believe that any action you take is justified which can lead to you harassing and abusing people and claiming youre defending yourself before theyve harmed you. As long as you feel you're being harassed, as proshippers often claim they do over anything that disagrees with their views, its fine for you to attack. Proshippers can be just as abusive online as much as anyone can.
#i made that post in reaction to stumbling across a blog who said something similar to#criticising fandoms at all including over misogyny is misogynistic bc women are in fandoms#like lets be for real here#sorry if any of this sounded aggressive it wasnt intended that way and thank you for a polite ask#at least you and me can be nuance enjoyers
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why are we hating on ii? /gen
because its fun
#real answer theres no media thats unproblematic or pure or perfect#including ii#at least personally for me past flaws of mental illness stuff and whatnot in the show#theres flaws in story and pacing and tone. it irks me and makes me wanna chew on glass#but there are some good stuff about ii that reminds me why i like it#nuance in media enjoyment. its fun to poke fun at your interests. fun to say its shit!!!!#its like homestuck fans saying homestuck sucks. or with anime. or whatever other show there is#hell i can also say bfdi fucking sucks as a minimal bfdi enjoyer#really it just comes down to recognizing and accepting the shitiness in stuff you like and nothing is ever Good#everythings bad and terrible and sucks!!!! just make do of your enjoyment in life and you'll be fine#asks
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hi, i have feelings about cartoon nostalgia and the audience perception of them 20 years on
this is gonna read hyper-specific, but bear with me
i refuse to credit butch hartman for the way danny phantom came out during it's first two seasons, at least outside of the initial pitch and the idea of the protagonist having white hair. i know the majority of enthusiasts for this show are more than aware of hartman's antics at this point. these anctics, i won't get into. other people are far more suited to explain that stuff vs me, a random guy on the internet. but there's very specific topics that i don't often see get brought up in detail, like the production and staff behind this show.
i'll get into it below the cut so as not to clutter your dashboard. but if you're not familiar with the actual production history of danny phantom, this might be interesting to read.
it's common knowledge these days that stephen silver is the one who developed the design for danny based on hartman's original rough sketches. the similarity between each drawing is apparent, but you can see clear as day which design was gonna be more apt for animation and overall audience allure back in 2003.
he also did character designs for hartman's other poster child, Fairly Oddparents. the trend is similar, though far from a huge concern. character design overhauls happen all the time in media production. designs might be too complicated for animation, so they get stripped down. or maybe things aren't complex enough and more nuance needs to be added. that's normal stuff, and i am not dunking on hartman for not nailing danny's design right out the gate. i'm pointing this out in case you've ever looked at butch hartman's recent work and wondered "how are these done by the same artist?"
the answer is they weren't. hartman had to adapt to stephen silver's conceptual designs in order to work on the storyboards. take from that what you will.
onto the actual writing.
butch barely wrote a single episode for this show's first two seasons.
steve marmel helped write at least 28 episodes of the original two seasons, with writers like sib ventress and marty isenberg bringing a good amount of episodes to the table, as well.
butch hartman is credited primarily for directing and storyboarding this show. the episode pitch and writing was by other people almost entirely. the ONLY episodes in the first two seasons that hartman is credited with having written are mystery meat, one of a kind and splitting images. and he's credited with co-writing these episodes alongside steve marmel and mark banker. ie, he did not write these episodes on his own. and allegedly, butch hartman had a tendency to be credited as a writer for an episode, even if he only wrote a few lines of dialogue. again, take from that what you will.
past that in season 3, he wrote infinite realms, torrent of terror, forever phantom, urban jungle, and ofc, phantom planet. which a lot of people know, these episodes in particular weren't the most enjoyable, nor was the overall direction of them very good.
a director's job is to make sure that the overall tone, feel, and message of the show is being kept consistent with intent. that means meeting with producers, who are the ones managing the, y'know, producing part of the whole project. it may sound like the director is the one heading the project if it's their job to keep things in check. which, i will not deny, hartman must've put in a good deal of work to make the show come out as well as it did.
but pile that with some of the off things per episode. the mean-spirited way that characters tend to be taught lessons, the voice direction getting a drastic change in season 3 (you can hear it explicitly with david kaufman suddenly going for higher pitches instead of the usual one he's done so far). there's really only one consistent motif in the entire show's OST. which isn't a bash against the music producer. it's a concern that the director of the show never asked him to change things up, and ONLY stuck to this one motif.
to briefly touch on the mean-spirited thing. there's multiple instances in the show where danny or someone else is seen fighting back against whatever has given them trouble, or they're taking matters into their own hands to ensure they won't be hurt ahead of time. and repeatedly, the show likes to kick these characters back down for trying to stand up. it's a trend in all of butch hartman's shows, and it's treated more like comedy than anything else. it's up to audience perception on how to view it. but for me personally, it starts to feel like an overused gag and turns into something more malevolent after seeing it overused almost every single episode.
okay besides that, i actually wanna look at specific examples of episodes that steve marmel wrote for. again, this is the guy who's more or less responsible for the show's serialization.
the complete list of episodes is as follows:
Mystery Meat, Parental Bonding, One of a Kind, Attack of the Killer Garage Sale, Splitting Images, What You Want, Bitter Reunions, Prisoners of Love, My Brother's Keeper, Shades of Gray, Fanning the Flames, Teacher of the Year, Fright Night, 13(Thirteen), Public Enemies, Memory Blank, Reign Storm, The Ultimate Enemy, The Fright Before Christmas, Secret Weapons, Flirting with Disaster, Micro Management , Kindred Spirits, and Reality Trip.
multiple episodes listed here are from the first season, which a lot of people consider the show's best. and of the handful listed for season 2, he wrote all of the hour-long specials.
i would be here for hours talking about how steve marmel tackles all of these characters and concepts significantly better than hartman does in season 3. but that's a topic best praised elsewhere. point is, if you watched any of these episodes and thought to yourself "wow, that was actually kinda clever," steve marmel is more or less the guy responsible.
butch hartman was in charge of direction, but that does not give him exclusive credit for every single line of dialogue or plot beat. there could be a LOT we just don't know because people on production staff don't want to comment. but the writing consistency taking a dive off the board by season 3, which is the same season that steve marmel departed from the project due to conflicting direction in the story? you might deduce that butch hartman was not the prized writer and artist behind this otherwise beloved cartoon.
to dredge up an easier-to-tackle target, season 3.
my criticisms are 18-year old echoes at this point, you've heard them all. from otherwise pointless episodes that don't develop the characters or world, to completely out-of-touch writing (looking at you, phantom planet) that juxtaposes the characters with everything we've been told about them so far. it became a slog of a season that didn't have any build-up to it's finale. the occasional gem of an episode like frightmare helped in some aspects. or the promise for something later with d-stabilized. but it all gets swept under the rug thanks to a rushed finale with poor build-up, bad writing direction for the characters, and most importantly, an unlasting effect on the viewer. (or a negative lasting effect, which is arguably worse)
for a season that knew it was on its last leg before inevitably needing to give up, there's seldom few episodes dedicated to advancing an overall narrative, and thus give a slimmer of hope for a satisfying conclusion. instead, the show goes all in with villain-of-the-week stories, and even the returning villains are hardly taken seriously or given more to do besides just being there.
of course, we know the reason steve marmel had left the project was because hartman wanted the show not to taken a more story-focused drive. it almost starts to feel like spite that kept the show so horribly grounded, letting it become stagnant before eventually being forgettable.
all this is in service of letting people know, it really wasn't butch hartman that made the show, not alone. death of the author and all that nonsense aside, he pitched the concept. and it takes a lot of love and dedication to make a concept something you can physically see and adore. don't let him swath in all the credit. recognize the others who made the work you can still enjoy.
#stormy weather#danny phantom#hey guess what i found in my drafts!!!#this is an INCREDIBLY old post#this is dating back to like almost 2016!!!#anyways i rewrote most of it because the og was a lil rough lol#but all of these feelings remain the same to this day#it's kinda wack#a younger me knew what he was feeling#and an older me knows how to say it
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atla live action thoughts: season one review
first things first: anyone who says the Movie That Does Not Exist is better than the live action is straight-up lying. the shymalan film fails on the criteria of even being a decent movie, let alone an adaptation. the netflix series, for all its problems, is at least an enjoyable watch with great effects, music and (mostly) appropriate casting. there's absolutely nothing to compare here - the netflix version clears easily.
now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's delve into the series, starting with the positives.
the good:
visuals and cinematography. they really did a great job of making it feel like a fantasy universe you wanted to be in & i love how vibrant the saturation and colour grading was. it made the world feel so much more dynamic and alive instead of the same flat, boring dullness that so many movies and shows have these days. sometimes i didn't even mind that i was being fed obvious exposition because at least they were giving me something pretty to look at lmao
effects and action. the bending was surprisingly good for the most part, and they did a good job of making the elements feel unique through the stunt choreography and the actors' movements. i'm immensely thankful they didn't try to skimp on budget by merely cutting away from fight scenes or showing us as little as possible. almost all the action sequences were fast-paced and engaging, and i was never bored watching them
acting. the main four were all great, but gordon cormier and dallas liu have to be the standouts for me. gordon brings such an earnest, innocent sweetness to aang that you can't help but like him, and dallas plays all of zuko's facets perfectly: the angst, the explosive anger, the bratty snark, and especially the deep-rooted pain that characterizes so many of zuko's actions in book 1. the range he has, especially when flashing from younger to older zuko, was insane. special shoutout to maria zhang and sebastian amoruso as suki and jet respectively, because they killed it
music. leaves from the vine instrumental had me tearbending and i love how they kept the iconic avatar theme while making it a little darker for this iteration of the story. in general, the soundtrack felt very true to the animation while still being a fresh spin on it
zuko and iroh's relationship and expanding on zuko's crew. i think the fandom universally agrees that lu ten's funeral and zuko's crew being the 41st division were the best changes in the series, so i'm not going to talk about it further other than to say that these scenes show me what the show can be, and that's why i'm not giving up on it
the bad:
characterization. almost all the main characters are missing the little nuances that made them so great in the original, but the greatest casualty is katara. i hate that they took away so much of her rage, and gave many of her traits and struggles to sokka. i don't think this is a problem solely with the writing though, because certain lines do feel like things animated katara would say, but the directing and line delivery don't have the same punch that made her so fierce in the original. this is an easily fixed issue though, so i hope they take the criticism and let my girl be angry and fuck shit up next season
exposition. this was primarily a problem in depicting aang's personality and the relationship between the gaang, because a) why are you TELLING me that aang is mischievous and fun-loving instead of just showing me and b) the gaang do NOT feel like close friends, mostly because they spend so much time apart in every episode that they have little screentime to actually bond and develop intimacy.
lack of focus on the intricacies of bending. for a show whose tagline is "master your element" the characters spend very little time actually... mastering their element. zuko is never shown to struggle with firebending (which is going to have ramifications when it comes to developing his relationship with azula), and neither aang nor katara ever learn waterbending from a master throughout the the entire show. i'm pretty sure aang never willingly waterbends ONCE in the entire eight episodes, discounting the avatar state and koizilla. bending isn't just cool martial arts, it's closely linked to the philosophies and spirituality of each nation, and i wish that had been explored more.
pacing. they really needed to do a better job of conveying that time passed between episodes because an 8-episode season is just going to FEEL shorter than a 20-episode one. the original animation felt as though they'd truly been on a long journey before arriving at the north, but here it feels like the entire show happened in the span of a fortnight or so because each episode seemed to pick up right after the previous. they needed to have more downtime within episodes instead of just rushing from plot beat to plot beat because it made everything feel a lot more rushed. give the characters and story time to breathe.
final rating: 7/10.
overall, i would describe the live action as a better version of the percy jackson movies - not an accurate or perfect adaptation, but a decent story that's very fun to watch. but what really makes me root for this show to get a season 2 is that it has a lot of potential and more importantly, a lot of heart. it's evident that the people who worked on it do genuinely love and respect the original series, and it shows onscreen.
regardless of anything else, this show created opportunities for so many asian and indigenous actors, writers and creators to tell the kinds of stories and play the kinds of roles they don't usually get, and that's something worth supporting. if they take the criticism from this season and improve, i believe they really do have something special on their hands which - although it might not be the original we all know and love - could still be a story to be proud of.
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The Sign Commentary Review Ep 4
We start off with a bang, staring at a woman's scared face. Ah, she's being interrogated by Phaya. Okay, so the whole investigation is a bit triggering for me, so I'm watching, but my only commentary is if he sexually assaulted someone and then is being victimized himself. Well, I'm okay with that.
Yai and Sand! Yai is such a drama king and I adore him for it.
Oh, someone is still playing hard to get. And apparently that is not limited to just Tharn, but also Thong. The way Phaya grabs Tharn and drags him is cute.
This just looks yummy! Haha! The way Phaya is getting annoyed about Tharn talking about the case is hilarious considering how one tracked mind he used to be. Now he is just trying to go on a date with his baby and Tharn is drawing a line. Business only.
Who is this woman that Tharn has bumped into. She's wearing Naga jewelry.
"Your life is short. You were supposed to be dead since when you were young. But your parents gave you to the Abbot... To extend your life and try to change your destiny. That’s why you’re still alive today. But young man, I warn you. You must look out for those whom you’ve wronged in the past life. They are very near. They are coming to take your life."
I love how Tharn's face says, tell me shit I don't already know, lady. She then turns to warn Phaya who had been doing an amazing job of looking like he wasn't there. He's like, I just want to eat. Why won't anyone let me eat!
Woman disappeared. Just poof. But then we see her and she is clearly Naga.
Phaya are you really concerned about Tharn or are you trying to get in his room? Him thinking over what the woman said and it's matching the Abbott. And to be honest, it matches with what he wants, soooo...
Oh, Tharn has a vision of Phaya getting stabbed right when we hear the doorbell, which we all know is Phaya. His excuse is his bike isn't working. You're a cop dude and that's the best you could come up with. I hope you at least let granny know.
I love the way Phaya pushes the envelope and always causes Tharn to back up. These two are hilarious. I really enjoy the clearly macho humor thrown in. I enjoy shows where one love interest isn't macho, but this girl likes variety and is enjoying the different nuances to this show.
Poor confused Tharn. What wait, is this real? It has a dream like quality. Daaaaaaaaaaaaaamn, good dream Tharn. Go back to sleep! Go back to sleep and finish it!
Haha! The dream got you so rattle Tharn it has you covering up Phaya with a pillow!!! Damn, his picture cracked. Which means someone is secretly watching him. That's not creepy at all.
Yes, Tharn, let's go back over that dream. *Nods head in pleased mode.* Haha, the way Tharn jumped back when Phaya took off that towel. What I find hilarious is that Phaya wore the towel when he clearly had that on underneath. Tease much Phaya.
I think this smile says it all. He did not stick his finger in the yoke! That's it, throw him out! Yeah, stick it in your mouth like you're a sexy bitch, but Tharn and I are on the same page. Phaya's face clearly saying that this did not go according to his plan.
🤣🤣🤣 Poor Phaya was trying to hard to bring sexy back and gets this instead. 🤣🤣🤣 He probably woke to those pillows covering his crotch and came to the sensible conclusion that with a little push he could have Tharn. He's just not as smooth as our baby is, klutzy.
Phaya, just take the enjoyment out of it that you can. Tharn cleaning up the ketchup for you. Tharn's solution to this whole mess. "Just go to work naked!" I can absolutely get behind this. Like literally... hahaha. These two coconuts are hilarious.
This dumbass, oh look, the bike is fixed. Magic! 🤣🤣🤣 Yai, God, I love Yai. He's just asking some innocent questions that Tharn is trying to cover up. Which Phaya is not having. He has been walking perfectly fine, but when he hears Yai, he starts yanking at the pants and acting dramatic. Then, when Yai ask HIM an innocent question, he tells him the pants are Tharn's.
Which leads to this beautiful interaction.
OMG... Apparently the pants were really too small. Hahaha!
Wait, doesn't that girl look familiar. Isn't that the Naga lady?
Maybe not, maybe just similar looking. Either way, Phaya catches the significance of the conversation and goes to ask them abut the influencer. They've got a clue now!
Woot! I love all the strong females. Mayris is a hoot. Here comes Phaya sparing no feelings. I suspect Singh. With absolutely nothing to go by as yet.
He sees the future, though, not the past. Hmm. Tharn only had a seconds warning, now they are stuck and Phaya is running after the fire starter.
Tharn picks up Phaya getting stabbed. Gets them unstuck somehow with a chair. And is now going after Phaya.
Phaya, you are once again saved by Tharn. Why is Tharn playing doctor to Phaya instead of medical staff? I mean, he got hit in the head. I know he is hard-headed, but I'm just saying. Phaya being short-tempered and so confused about Tharn acting like he cares when he usually doesn't. Then Mayris reading the room and having fun with it. 🤣🤣🤣
Sneaky Phaya listening to the convo.
Tharn's face says it all.
Who is Dao... I'm sure this won't cause misunderstandings at all. Oh, I called it. Tharn is jelly! So jelly! Yai don't look happy either. You fucked up, Phaya. Hahaha! Of course, Yai is also going to take the opportunity to poke the sore spot.
Revenge has shown up in the face of Dr. Chalothon. OMG, that was so classic and yet still Beautiful. Chalothon asks Tharn if he is hungry and if he wants to eat before going home. Tharn looks right at Phaya as he says yes. Phaya has his priorities in order though and chases after them. But not smart enough to clear up the misunderstanding. Oh goody, when we incorrectly diagnose Schizophrenia without any data. Schizophrenia exists on a scale, the more extreme cases that refuse medication can be a danger whether to themselves or others depend on environmental factors. Also, Schizophrenia isn't as common as people think. On a global scale, it's 1 out of 300 people. 1 out 3 Schizophrenics can successfully get treated and recover enough to live independently. Ahh, there we go, he is using it to point fingers at Phaya.
Nobody told the good doctor this. You fell for that Phaya???
Aww, Tharn was so happy to see Phaya, but Phaya is not happy.
So much excitement about finding genitals. Oh, they might have found him. I'm not holding my breath yet.
Phaya looking at Cap while everyone else is looking at Tharn...
Ahhh, please let the scene in the preview not be a dream! Woot! Can't wait!
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I've been thinking about it because I've seen some insightful posts cross my dash recently on related subjects, and I think one of the big sources of bad blood in this fandom stems from an inability to really agree on the fact that we are in the Hetalia fandom and not the Actual Literal Real Life Political Entities Called States/Countries fandom, no matter how much those characters may have their characterization and backstory inspired by aspects of the history and culture of Actual Literal Countries.
What I mean by this is that the expectations people have of how they and others should conceive of, react to, interact with, etc. Hetalia countries are all over the place because some people approach them as if they are characters inspired in some way by aforementioned political concepts and some people approach them as the actual country -- And to complicate this I think most people differ on who, when, where, and to what degree they do this and perhaps more importantly, the degree to which they think other people are or should be doing this.
In essence I think at least this specific issue comes down to an ability to see one's own favorite or least favorite characters or even OCs and know that, you know, this is my country-themed Boy that I am playing with and obviously I know they're not the same thing, yet struggling with the uncertainty of whether other people know that they aren't the same, and rather than saying "Well maybe they're just like me and their opinion and understanding of the Country is more nuanced and complex than their opinion of the Boy," sometimes/often then defaulting to the assumption that they don't have that separation.
And when we assume they don't have that separation, then it follows that there is a direct correlation between how they treat the Boy and how they feel about Actual Country, whether it is in the "i'll excuse the Bad Government and Bad History because I love the Boy" direction or the "I love the Boy because I excuse the Bad Government and Bad History" direction. It means that a difference in interpretation or minor historical inaccuracy suddenly becomes A Big Old Deal because instead of being wrong about a Fake Thing, they are now assumed to also be wrong about a Real Thing (and so probably lots of other real things too) and that is way more important.
And, alright, look, I won't even say that nobody is like that, because I know for a fact there are people with genuine bad opinions about characters who also have those genuine bad opinions about real countries and people from those countries, though I would argue that typically they're in the category of already having had bad opinions before Hetalia. (Those people also tend to be obvious in other ways.) And there are also definitely people who are wrong about history in minor ways who also happen to be wrong about history in big and important ways.
But people come to a fandom for different reasons, and they get different things out of their fandom experiences, and the assumption that we can tell how they feel or how much they know or care about a thing by simply looking at how they play with the characters and concluding there is a 1-to-1 correlation there is not, uh... It's definitely not nice, for one, but it's also not conducive to a welcoming or enjoyable community, and I'll go ahead and say that it's pretty arrogant, too, whether one means to be or not.
Giving people the benefit of the doubt, adjusting our expectations and assumptions, approaching other fans as people who have the same capability we have to differentiate between a Hetalia country character and an Actual Country, and above all presuming good faith unless/until given a reason to think otherwise, would go a long way towards making the fandom experience better, broadly and individually.
#hetaposting#hetalia#it makes me so sad to see how often people say they are afraid to post things or experiment within this fandom#and i've been right there myself many a time#if you have a healthy attitude about this stuff#make an effort not to be deliberately hurtful or antagonistic#then it's all gravy my dudes#or it should be
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I'm choosing violence: least favorite popular Terror fanon?
Apologies for the delay, mate - I wanted to think a bit longer about how violently to reply to this one, only for it to get lost temporarily in my drafts!
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One of my least favourite aspects of Terror fanon is something that's quite broad and common to many fandoms, and that's the rampant flanderisation of characters and relationships, and the overemphasis on shipping and sex.
Like, if that's your thing then more power to you but it's never been mine, and I can't help but feel that you miss out on so much nuance and intrigue and enjoyment when you only consider things in those narrow terms.
I hope @laststandx3 doesn't mind me including their excellent tags from my Hickey/Tozer Face-Cupping Incident post here because they really do sum up my own feelings on the matter, and I've been thinking about them for days:
#I love that dk is like we can have such interesting complicated relationships with characters that don't always have to be flattened in #A sexual relationship and the fandom response was 'let them fuck' #Same with jopson crozier. Like i get the ships need i get it. But once in a while can we like entertain the idea that not everything #Needs to be a sexual relationship every single time #Like hickeytozer is much more interesting like this (they've barely touched before but committed treason together anyway) than just having #Them be lovers right away or even during the mutiny #It flattens them #You guys are finding those relationships SO interesting exactly bc they aren't as easily defined as romantic/sexual
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(Also, just as a side note, I do sort of regret not including a longer quote from the Q&As in that post that would make it clearer that Nagaitis and Walmsley - presumably mates in some capacity having worked together multiple times before - BOTH discussed the idea of the face-touch, and BOTH came to Dave K with it.)
#JusticeForDwalms
#Again I don't want to be too negative#By all means engage with things in whatever way you wish!#I'm a live-and-let-live kind of lass really#I guess I just get so much enjoyment out of the way I personally choose to engage with the show that I want to share that joy!#That's all :)#The Terror#The Terror AMC#Asks#Ask Game#Friendos!#Also again#Justice for Dwalms#That sentiment I really do stand by
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A moment of reflection on [Only Friends] discourse
I've been writing a lot on other people's only friends posts so I thought I should step back and write my own; and then of course I wrote meta about meta rather than about the show itself lol The thing I have been thinking about most today is disentangling:
What makes sense for a character because of their characterization & plot (the right choice for characterization)
What we want a character to do because it would be better for them and we want good things for them (the right choice for the character's best interests)
What the morally best choice would be for that character to make within the confines of the story (the right choice from a moral standpoint)
What we want a character to do because it would move the plot in the direction we want it to go (the right choice for our personal agenda)
What we think a character should do in order to support the presumed themes or moral of the story (the right choice for the narrative)
What we think someone in real life should do from a moral standpoint (the right choice for reality)
What we think someone would do in real life from a realistic standpoint (the right choice for realism)
And maybe others I haven't thought of. I think some of the conversations I've had over the past couple of days with folks about the OF plot seems like we're disagreeing but we're often on the same page on all of the salient points, just talking about different aspects of the above and coming to different conclusions because of it; and I only realize it when they've pointed it out to me (shoutout to @lurkingshan as one example).
To be totally clear: all of the above conversations are valid and interesting and allow us routes to reflect on and think about ourselves and our world (which is one of the major things media consumption is all about). It's just important to keep in mind which of the above we're talking about at any one time. It's when they get conflated--someone thinking that me wanting a character to do x means I think it's the morally right thing for that character to do in reality, when actually it's the opposite and I'm interested in the mess for plot purposes, for example--where stuff can get dicey. e.g.: Sand and Nick should totally make out for sad boy hours, but not to benefit their characters or for moral reasons or the narrative, that one's all for me and my enjoyment of the drama.
A less crack-y example from a recent exchange: Sand should stop letting Ray walk all over him. I want this for him for his character, and I think it would be the right thing for him to do both in the show and if this were reality. As characterization goes, I suspect we'll need to see growth or rock bottom or a catalyst for change before I would expect that to happen; narratively, I also would expect something to have to change to show that character arc. Also, if he were a real person, I would not expect him to be able to just stop this behaviour. All of these statements are true, at least to me and my assessment of Sand's situation.
Anyway I've just been reflecting on how these nuances make a big difference to how we read what one another are trying to say, and it can also be helpful having in mind which you mean when writing or responding to meta, particularly about a show that is both grounded in reality and very much a drama. I'm going to try to be a bit more purposeful about stating which I mean when I'm talking about this show in particular.
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Tell me your least favorite thing about each of the sides (character, clothing, role in story, ect. whatever)
Ooh this is an interesting question! Before I start just know that all of this is light-hearted, m’kay? Fandom is something that should be enjoyable for everyone, and I won’t police things. But these are things I’ve noticed either in fandom or in canon
Patton: Fandom interpretations :(
He’s not perfect, and he’s not a villain. I think we’ve been over this, but I need to preface it once more.
Virgil: Some inconsistencies with his characterization in the show.
It’s not too bad, but it does show up sometimes, and… I don’t like that alright?
Remus: Villainization (mostly by fandom :( )
I’m not saying we need to make him a perfect guy who can do no wrong. We should not do that. But if he is just a guy in a story (you can still make him a/the villain, I don’t mind that and I won’t control that!) then he doesn’t need to act like an evil villain!
Janus: Same as Remus, I think
It’s different with him, because I think people treat him with a little more nuance, though sometimes it doesn’t feel like much.
Roman: he doesn’t have a crown
I’m not giving any description or explanation for this one
Logan: He lost his smile :(
:((((
#those last ones were kinda weak but I honestly couldn’t think of much for them that wasn’t said in the others#sanders sides#asks#ask#anon asks#anon ask#logan sanders#ts logan#patton sanders#ts patton#janus sanders#ts janus#roman sanders#ts roman#remus sanders#ts remus#virgil sanders#ts virgil
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wife & I finally watched Killing Eve, and I am just utterly 🤯 by how much of myself I see in Villanelle. the nuances of her reactions, her sense of humor, interpersonal relating, etc., all of it is genuinely deeply relatable. it's the first time I've ever actually truly related to a fictional character overall, rather than just 1 or 2 aspects of a character. as weird as it sounds, it feels like actually very wholesome representation? honestly, I've never really understood why people get attached to fictional characters and even kind of used to make fun of it. I never felt like there was much to relate to. but my wife and I both see it, this dude they consulted for her on-screen character obviously really knows his shit (yeah, this dude, fucking somehow).
him???? kinda pissed ngl. and I'm definitely gonna contact him lmao
but it's undeniable. it's most clear in the subtlest little moments, the little things she does like dumping salt on the curly fries she's sharing with Eve as a playful reaction to an "offensive" joke, the pranks she plays on Konstantin, the things she finds funny, the lack of response when her life is in danger, being ambivalent about prison. and of course the bigger things are just as accurate, and so much better done than any other media portrayal I've seen before. the constant need for escalating stimulation, the s-tier "commitment to the bit" regardless of the situation, the curiosity about herself, the boredom and resulting curiosity about the "normal" human experience & wondering if you can be like them - maybe even convincing yourself for a while, the truth of having some people truly matter to you but at the end of the day you know you're still able to hurt them, the enjoyment of social game-playing - specifically with others who are also knowingly playing social chess* (manipulating unaware people is not entertaining & frankly reminds me of the ways men tend to seek affirmation of their power/superiority by "punching down").
*and enjoying working + thriving in fields where this is required of EVERYONE
I'm posting this a bit late at night in the hopes it's mostly seen by the mutuals who actually come to my blog not just see this on dash, bc this /is/ weird as fuck for me & I'm not super stoked about EVERYONE seeing this, but I have made a commitment on here to challenge myself with consistent and total honesty to the best of my ability. it /is/ disorienting and exciting in its own odd way. but I'm not sure I hate it.
oh, and in s4 when she kills a bunch of women's abusers? the implication throughout the show that she DOES feel some type of way about (at least) 1 moral issue - misogyny? fuck OFFFFF bro wtffff
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Pretty please use this ask to rant about your bedrock bros headcanons I will delightfully listen. (Also what is the specific dynamic you mentioned in tags)
ohhhh my god okay I was planning to do most of it in the art post, because double whammy twice the content, but I can do some here. I'll take any chance to be enabled.
Okay, so, in general I like when character relationships are written subtly. I adore "show not tell" for character relationships, and it makes it even better if eventually in the story, they DO tell, and the quiet part is suddenly said out loud. I'm not a big fan of fluff, or things too overly sweet to the point of being kind of out of character, it's not something I enjoy reading or writing, so a dynamic like cbedrock (the one in my head and have decided is the real one) is something I'm crazy about.
not liking fluff is not me saying I just want angst, I just don't like overly gooey shit and find a lot more enjoyment when they're written more naturally. I don't think fluff is the opposite of angst, they're like two opposite sides of the spectrum. Anyyyywho cbedrock is how I actually started in the dsmp fandom, and they've always had a special place in my cold dead heart.
in my dynamics they both usually always exaggerate their exasperation with eachother (ctechno with his annoyance at ctommys crude attitude and childishness) (ctommy with his lamenting over how "broody" and "boring" ctechno is, and generally arguing with him over inconsequential things that Dont Matter) and whether they're found fsmily or hashtag blood related doesn't realllyy matter , because they typically always feel the same (aside from the few nuances that come from being found fsmily or blood related. I don't like to ignore that but it's its own thing to talk about in a specific au or whatever.)
ctommy always looks up to or admires ctechno in some way, and ctechno could admittedly do without the guy but unironically likes him. ctommy is always the one who's more attached in my head, at least outwardly. my ctechno doesn't feel very strongly about most people, unless they do something to irritate him that can't be ignored with a nap and a walk in the snow, so he naturally doesn't attach himself to people as easily as tommy does. tommy is like a remora, and techno is a shark.
#dsmp#ctommy#ctechno#im saving the more rambling I have for my dsmp au specific cbedrock#for when I draw them#which will be hashtag soon#crazy about them#im not even sure if this is comprehensible#no beta reading amen
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I think I make it pretty clear with how I word myself and, if you’re in the RH server, how I speak when it comes to serious matters as a mod doing my job and less as a fan when the time is needed, but to be clear:
My account is a safe space. It’s safe for other POC, disabled folx, LGBT+ people who decide that I’m someone you want to interact with- whether if it’s because you like my silly fanart or you appreciate me for being an outspoken member of the community. It’s…hard, and yes it’s scary because I’m well aware that I’m black, trans, and autistic, but I hope my voice can uplift those who don’t have one or are too afraid to share it. Even if I may come off as heated sometimes, I’m all for HEALTHY discussion and ultimately keeping a more neutral/nuanced stance until I can fully form an opinion. I encourage ALL SIDES of an argument to be aired out and reviewed before making any judgment calls, but I also encourage the notion of “if you see something- say something” when it comes to noticing red flags in any situation. Am I perfect? No. But I try my damnedest to handle hard situations or “drama” in the best way possible while giving grace to everyone involved as someone with…too much life experience for only being 25. It’s the most I can do as not only a smaller creator (like- I only have ~75 followers here and about 82 on Twitter) but also as one of the loudest POC community members that we have (at least…in my opinion and based on what others have said to me). I will not allow people to take away our enjoyment, and even if I am afraid I will always speak my mind.
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My Favorite Comics of 2023
Sometimes I think I should review all the comics I read as I read them. Then I realize I read like...40 comics a month and decide to not do that. But I figured I could at least round up my favorite books of 2023!
So as not to bury the lede...
My Favorite Comic of 2023: Green Arrow
Was there ever any question? All I have ever wanted for like 20 years at this point is Arrowfamily shenanigans, and this book has been all about reassembling the gang and letting them romp through the DC universe. This is an Ollie who is overflowing with love and bad ideas, and that's perfect. Every character and relationship has gotten a chance to shine so far, and I can't wait until they bring the girls in. I especially love how clear it is that Roy is Williamson and Izaakse's favorite. ME TOO, GUYS, ME TOO. The fact that this is now an ongoing instead of a limited series is the best gift DC could have given me.
The rest of my faves...
Alan Scott: The Green Lantern: I did not expect to be as moved by this book as I am. The overall plot is a bit hard to follow, but that's not really the point of the comic. What blows me away every issue is how unflinching and occasionally brutal the book is in its portrayal of 1940s-era homophobia, including Alan's internalized self-hatred, and yet how simultaneously incredibly kind the book is. The love and validation, especially in #2 and #3, is so generous and beautiful. Also, it's the best and most beautiful I've ever see Cian Tormey's art look - he gives everything such a hazy, heartbreaking softness here. Please read this book.
Batman/Superman: World's Finest: This continues to be one of the most enjoyable books DC is putting out right now. Mora is one of those artists, like Doc Shaner, who draws the DC universe exactly 100% the way it looks in my hindbrain, and Waid is absolutely in his sweet spot of classic heroes, Silver Age lore, and extremely comic book-y adventure. Plus, Tamra Bonvillain is doing that thing she does with colors that taps directly into the happiness center of my brain - they are so rich and sunny and joyful.
Birds of Prey: I love everything Kelly Thompson writes and I'm so glad we finally have her at DC. She is the absolute perfect writer for this book, too - she gives such good superheroine. The banter! The action! The way she mixes and matches her cast in such fun combinations! Leonardo Romero's layouts are so kinetic and fun, and Jordie Bellaire's colors, YOU GUYS, JORDIE BELLAIRE'S FUNKY SEVENTIES COLORS! I can hear the soundtrack of this book. Love love love.
The Flash: To be clear, I mean the Jeremy Adams run that ended earlier this year with #800. I will forever be salty that DC canceled this delightful book, which was all of the action and humor and heart and love of continuity that I crave in comics, in favor of the so far completely mid Spurrier series. RIP Adams run, you were too good for this world.
Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville: This book got off to a slightly slow start, in my opinion, but every issue just gets better and better. It is so funny, and I want Natacha Bustos to design every outfit I ever wear for the rest of my life. Plus, Tamra Bonvillain is doing the color thing here, too! I want to live in her world.
Poison Ivy: I trust G. Willow Wilson with my life. This is such a good, complex, nuanced take on Ivy. (Also messy and poly and queer.) I have no idea where this story is going but I'm on this ride 'til the end.
And finally...
Favorite Backlist Title: Starman (1994): You guys. YOU GUYS. I mainlined all 80 issues of this series this year at an absolutely blistering pace because I did not want to stop reading it for even a single second. It's everything I love about comics: truly serialized storytelling with a huge cast and lots of intertwining subplots, tons of twists and foreshadowing that pay off in immensely satisfying ways, a deep dive into continuity that's still accessible to people who know almost nothing about Starman (me), a love letter to a fictionopolis, and one funky little dude trying his best at the center of it. I am BEGGING you to read Starman. Please.
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pLEASE I NEED AN AKECHI ENJOYER
hes absolutely central to my au but my autistic ass cannot physically comprehend this absolute eldritch creature of social whatever the hell. I have to study him under a supervisor to get the degree I need for this job (fanfic)
This was the push I needed to go ahead and tag all my Akechi metas (and meta-adjacent posts) so they're easier to find lmao. If you want you can find them under #sera talks goro, and I'll add a link to the tag on my pinned post once I get a chance to go on my computer. If you want specific advice, feel free to ask me my opinion on something in particular and I would be happy to pontificate. xD But I'm not sure where to start based on such a broad prompt, there's so much to Akechi that there are so many things I could say. Hmm maybe I could do a bullet points list of things I think writers of Akechi should keep in mind or often get wrong. I also would highly recommend reading @vashtijoy's metas on Akechi, and reading the fics on my favorite Akechi fics list for inspiration (a link is in my pinned post). Hopefully this will give you a good start on the studying of this Eldritch creature as you so eloquently put it. xD
Akechi is almost never honest, with himself or others.
There's always some underlying truth to something he says that he doesn't want to aknowledge (or doesn't want other people to notice). He doesn't ever actually state his feelings straight out as he actually feels them without some kind of mask, with one exception, that being the engine room scene. If you want to see Akechi at his most unfiltered, with the least number of lies, that's where to go, and you should filter everything else he says through that lens.
2. Nothing is ever simple with him. There's always a contrasting truth.
Does Akechi regret? Well yes, but actually no. Does Akechi hate Joker? Well yes, but actually no. Is Akechi arrogant? Well yes, but actually no. Etc. Akechi is both Robin Hood and Loki--the most common mistakes I see in people writing him come down to leaning too heavily into one side of him. This gets down to a lot of nuance and also a lot of personal preference, to be completely honest.
3. More than anything else, Akechi wants to feel loved--but he feels that he is inherently unworthy of that.
This, I feel, is the core of his motivations and his character as a whole. Akechi wants to be appreciated, acknowledged, and loved, but he can't just accept love, because he doesn't think he's worthy of it because of his trauma and upbringing that instilled the idea that he is a worthless human being. He compensates for this by acting like he's better than others, but his mask of superiority is just that--a mask. A mask that he wears for his own sake too, because if he stopped buying into it, he'd collapse under the weight of his self hatred.
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okay miscellaneous unova elite four headcanons let’s go:
-grimsley is always bisexual to me. however i vibe with both him being cis and him being trans headcanons. either way he’s always gnc to me though.
-caitlin is trans (mtf) and uses she/they pronouns. she and shauntal are also both lesbians to me <3
-marshal is panromantic asexual and i really like the idea of him being trans (ftm).
-grimsley enjoys classic horror films from the 80s-90s. yk the really cheesy horror films where some of them could barely be considered horror. i also think he enjoys musicals, but specifically musicals like phantom of the opera, jekyll and hyde, little shop of horrors, sweeney todd, the beetlejuice musical. he enjoys some recent horror films as well, but he thoroughly enjoys the cheesy, old classics.
-shauntal, on the other hand, loves the fucked up horror movies. she appreciates well done gore. she likes the stuff that would make most people cringe or look away. she’s a little freak who finds that shit incredibly fascinating. plus, it’s wonderful inspiration for her books!!
-caitlin is not a big movie watcher. she will watch whatever anyone else wants to watch because they will be falling asleep during said movie.
-marshal loves his classic karate and martial arts films. he’s a big nerd for them and owns several posters of said movies. however, you could also catch him watching a stupid rom-com… just don’t tell anyone!!
-shauntal has dabbled in a wide variety of genres when it comes to her writing. she specializes mostly in horror, romance, or a mix of the two. but no matter what genre she’s writing for, there’s always certain aspects and nuance to it that defies the stereotypes of the genre at hand. she also is a common author to see featured in the LGBT section!!
-grimsley collects playing cards. it’s not a very special or unique headcanon, but he has a wide variety of playing cards all from different places or themed around things he enjoys.
-caitlin has narcolepsy. i think this is a fairly common hc as well. since she’s often falling asleep and experiencing dreams, her dreams are prophetic more often than not. their psychic specialty is prophecy and interpreting prophetic dreams, however i believe she has the ability to do basically any psychic power one could think of. i like to think she’s a very powerful psychic.
-marshal and grimsley have a very unique rivalry to me. they’re best friends for sure, and honestly marshal is not as competitive as grimsley is. but those two fuel each other’s competitiveness to all hell. they have a running tally on how many times each other have won during sparring matches. they would also die for each other.
-speaking of which, marshal is very much the braincell of the elite four. i do think he’s a bit of a himbo, but he is actually the most responsible of the four and has the best coping mechanisms and self control (as a martial artist should have). he loves helping his friends and finds enjoyment in such.
-grimsley is likely the least responsible. he is by no means a bad friend, and he’s obviously very clever and smart. but he has a knack for disappearing without saying anything only to show up hours later. of course no one trusts him with financial advice. and he absolutely loves messing with and playing pranks on the others.
-shauntal is very caring and a bit of an older sister figure to marshal and grim. she’s also the oldest of the group. this doesn’t mean she doesn’t also like getting into mischief with grimsley, the two are partners in crime for sure. shauntal also has a bad habit of getting too focused on her writing and becoming a temporary shut-in.
-caitlin is reliable and trustworthy when she can be. the others are very aware of her narcolepsy and obviously don’t treat her like they’re helpless, but they do understand she won’t always be present. and they’re okay with that. they’ve known caitlin for ages now and so they know how to help, assist, and work with caitlin’s diagnosis.
-speaking of caitlin, she has autism. i see a lot of people depict her as very bubbly, but i see her as more blunt and monotone. along with her constant tiredness, she doesn’t have the energy to keep up verbal appearances, and so sometimes she comes off as rude or apathetic. she also has a very sarcastic sense of humor, which grimsley finds extremely hilarious. she makes him laugh all the time.
-caitlin’s style is very pink and bubbly and has the black cat personality, while shauntal has the black cat style and the bubbly personality. they are gay <3
UH I SHOULD PROBABLY STOP THERE BUT YEAH-
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seeing you reblog that wyler post REALLY reminded me of one of my biggest issues with wednesday (there are a couple), which is the character assassination of tyler towards the end of the show. i never really found him too interesting until his reveal as the hyde because that was the show fully committing to portraying how ugly grief can be & just how tormented it’s left him. making him “enjoy” the killing he did when he was obviously a victim of thornhill not only hurts his relationship with wednesday, but also his overall character.
tyler is a sympathetic guy. it would’ve been a cool idea to see them carry over wednesday actually feeling some level of regret, at least by proxy, over what’s happened to him. but what do you think??
i think you actually hit the nail on the head in highlighting that a lot of tyler's enjoyment of being the hyde derives from his trauma bond to thornhill and the sheer power she holds over him. looking at it through this lens allows you to understand that the killing would not necessarily be something he seeks for himself, but because he is driven by the whims of his master, he has to develop this sort of bloodlust to maintain her approval. thornhill's grooming is super scary and really reveals how much tyler lost when he lost his mom. to have this connection to her through thornhill makes her control over him all the more heartbreaking. i don't see it as character assassination to have him love something he's forced to love as he seeks a pale imitation of his mother's love. (and if I misinterpreted your ask, send another one!) i do hope in s2 that they show more of the nuance of his situation and how wednesday can draw understanding through that. but yeah thank you for asking this and i'm so sorry it took me a couple weeks to reply.
#wednesday netflix#wednesday addams#wyler#weyler#tyler galpin#tyler is like one of my favorite characters ever#i think they explore his grief in such a painfully realistic way
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