#red dwarf thoughts | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

Visit Blog

Explore Tumblr blogs with no restrictions, modern design and the best experience.

Fun Fact

Total funding amounts to $125.3M.

nerd6log · 21 days

Note

hi buddy, as a normal person who saw the post abt low rimmer and the secret instincts, yep. he looves having authority, being in control, barking orders at people, etc, which he's even admitted himself at least once. as such, (god makes the rules, not me) be patient and let him stumble through his fear and awkwardness for a while, get him in his zone, and be DESTROYED

Not me thinking about this on the bus to work 🫣🤣

A few years back I think I would have had Rimmer down as the whiny submissive type but now I think maybe he's a bit of a switch in that, yes, you could totally get him in his zone and let him wreck you 🥵 but also afterwards, (maybe my brain is switching to Chris rather than Rimmer here but 😅😅😅) he wouldn't mind just resting on your shoulder while you stroke his hair after he put all that energy into being in that kind of role 😇

I think maybe I'm also thinking of Thanks For The Memory Rimmer where he gets all soft and sings that song while being all sad 😔 You know how you could just cuddle him and make him feel loved even after letting him fulfil what could be a very hard core fantasy (depending on how he wants to play it out and how far you're willing to let him go 😈)

#I'm not sure how long this was in my box lol #red dwarf #red dwarf smut #rimmer #rimmer smut #arnold rimmer #chris barrie #red dwarf thoughts #red dwarf fic #red dwarf fanfic #rimmer fic #rimmer red dwarf #red dwarf rimmer #rimmer fanfic #smeghead

9 notes · View notes

cuddlytogas · 2 months

Text

So I accidentally almost got into an argument on Twitter, and now I'm thinking about bad historical costuming tropes. Specifically, Action Hero Leather Pants.

See, I was light-heartedly pointing out the inaccuracies of the costumes in Black Sails, and someone came out of the woodwork to defend the show. The misunderstanding was that they thought I was dismissing the show just for its costumes, which I wasn't - I was simply pointing out that it can't entirely care about material history (meaning specifically physical objects/culture) if it treats its clothes like that.

But this person was slightly offended on behalf of their show - especially, quote, "And from a fan of OFMD, no less!" Which got me thinking - it's true! I can abide a lot more historical costuming inaccuracy from Our Flag than I can Black Sails or Vikings. And I don't think it's just because one has my blorbos in it. But really, when it comes down to it...

What is the difference between this and this?

Here's the thing. Leather pants in period dramas isn't new. You've got your Vikings, Tudors, Outlander, Pirates of the Caribbean, Once Upon a Time, Will, The Musketeers, even Shakespeare in Love - they love to shove people in leather and call it a day. But where does this come from?

Obviously we have the modern connotations. Modern leather clothes developed in a few subcultures: cowboys drew on Native American clothing. (Allegedly. This is a little beyond my purview, I haven't seen any solid evidence, and it sounds like the kind of fact that people repeat a lot but is based on an assumption. I wouldn't know, though.) Leather was used in some WWI and II uniforms.

But the big boom came in the mid-C20th in motorcycle, punk/goth, and gay subcultures, all intertwined with each other and the above. Motorcyclists wear leather as practical protective gear, and it gets picked up by rock and punk artists as a symbol of counterculture, and transferred to movie designs. It gets wrapped up in gay and kink communities, with even more countercultural and taboo meanings. By the late C20th, leather has entered mainstream fashion, but it still carries those references to goths, punks, BDSM, and motorbike gangs, to James Dean, Marlon Brando, and Mick Jagger. This is whence we get our Spikes and Dave Listers in 1980s/90s media, bad boys and working-class punks.

And some of the above "historical" design choices clearly build on these meanings. William Shakespeare is dressed in a black leather doublet to evoke the swaggering bad boy artist heartthrob, probably down on his luck. So is Kit Marlowe.

But the associations get a little fuzzier after that. Hook, with his eyeliner and jewellery, sure. King Henry, yeah, I see it. It's hideously ahistorical, but sure. But what about Jamie and Will and Ragnar, in their browns and shabby, battle-ready chic? Well, here we get the other strain of Bad Period Drama Leather.

See, designers like to point to history, but it's just not true. Leather armour, especially in the western/European world, is very, very rare, and not just because it decays faster than metal. (Yes, even in ancient Greece/Rome, despite many articles claiming that as the start of the leather armour trend!) It simply wasn't used a lot, because it's frankly useless at defending the body compared to metal. Leather was used as a backing for some splint armour pieces, and for belts, sheathes, and buckles, but it simply wasn't worn like the costumes above. It's heavy, uncomfortable, and hard to repair - it's simply not practical for a garment when you have perfectly comfortable, insulating, and widely available linen, wool, and cotton!

As far as I can see, the real influence on leather in period dramas is fantasy. Fantasy media has proliferated the idea of leather armour as the lightweight choice for rangers, elves, and rogues, a natural, quiet, flexible material, less flashy or restrictive than metal. And it is cheaper for a costume department to make, and easier for an actor to wear on set. It's in Dungeons and Dragons and Lord of the Rings, King Arthur, Runescape, and World of Warcraft.

And I think this is how we get to characters like Ragnar and Vane. This idea of leather as practical gear and light armour, it's fantasy, but it has this lineage, behind which sits cowboy chaps and bomber/flight jackets. It's usually brown compared to the punk bad boy's black, less shiny, and more often piecemeal or decorated. In fact, there's a great distinction between the two Period Leather Modes within the same piece of media: Robin Hood (2006)! Compare the brooding, fascist-coded villain Guy of Gisborne with the shabby, bow-wielding, forest-dwelling Robin:

So, back to the original question: What's the difference between Charles Vane in Black Sails, and Edward Teach in Our Flag Means Death?

Simply put, it's intention. There is nothing intentional about Vane's leather in Black Sails. It's not the only leather in the show, and it only says what all shabby period leather says, relying on the same tropes as fantasy armour: he's a bad boy and a fighter in workaday leather, poor, flexible, and practical. None of these connotations are based in reality or history, and they've been done countless times before. It's boring design, neither historically accurate nor particularly creative, but much the same as all the other shabby chic fighters on our screens. He has a broad lineage in Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean and such, but that's it.

In Our Flag, however, the lineage is much, much more intentional. Ed is a direct homage to Mad Max, the costuming in which is both practical (Max is an ex-cop and road warrior), and draws on punk and kink designs to evoke a counterculture gone mad to the point of social breakdown, exploiting the thrill of the taboo to frighten and titillate the audience.

In particular, Ed is styled after Max in the second movie, having lost his family, been badly injured, and watched the world turn into an apocalypse. He's a broken man, withdrawn, violent, and deliberately cutting himself off from others to avoid getting hurt again. The plot of Mad Max 2 is him learning to open up and help others, making himself vulnerable to more loss, but more human in the process.

This ties directly into the themes of Our Flag - it's a deliberate intertext. Ed's emotional journey is also one from isolation and pain to vulnerability, community, and love. Mad Max (intentionally and unintentionally) explores themes of masculinity, violence, and power, while Max has become simplified in the popular imagination as a stoic, badass action hero rather than the more complex character he is, struggling with loss and humanity. Similarly, Our Flag explores masculinity, both textually (Stede is trying to build a less abusive pirate culture) and metatextually (the show champions complex, banal, and tender masculinities, especially when we're used to only seeing pirates in either gritty action movies or childish comedies).

Our Flag also draws on the specific countercultures of motorcycles, rockers, and gay/BDSM culture in its design and themes. Naturally, in such a queer show, one can't help but make the connection between leather pirates and leather daddies, and the design certainly nods at this, with its vests and studs. I always think about this guy, with his flat cap so reminiscient of gay leather fashions.

More overtly, though, Blackbeard and his crew are styled as both violent gangsters and countercultural rockstars. They rove the seas like a bikie gang, free and violent, and are seen as icons, bad boys and celebrities. Other pirates revere Blackbeard and wish they could be on his crew, while civilians are awed by his reputation, desperate for juicy, gory details.

This isn't all of why I like the costuming in Our Flag Means Death (especially season 1). Stede's outfits are by no means accurate, but they're a lot more accurate than most pirate media, and they're bright and colourful, with accurate and delightful silks, lace, velvets, and brocades, and lovely, puffy skirts on his jackets. Many of the Revenge crew wear recognisable sailor's trousers, and practical but bright, varied gear that easily conveys personality and flair. There is a surprising dedication to little details, like changing Ed's trousers to fall-fronts for a historical feel, Izzy's puffy sleeves, the handmade fringe on Lucius's red jacket, or the increasing absurdity of navy uniform cuffs between Nigel and Chauncey.

A really big one is the fact that they don't shy away from historical footwear! In almost every example above, we see the period drama's obsession with putting men in skinny jeans and bucket-top boots, but not only does Stede wear his little red-heeled shoes with stockings, but most of his crew, and the ordinary people of Barbados, wear low boots or pumps, and even rough, masculine characters like Pete wear knee breeches and bright colours. It's inaccurate, but at least it's a new kind of inaccuracy, that builds much more on actual historical fashions, and eschews the shortcuts of other, grittier period dramas in favour of colour and personality.

But also. At least it fucking says something with its leather.

#everyone say 'thank you togas' for not including a long tangent about evil rimmer in red dwarf 5x05 #Our Flag Means Death #Togas does meta #and yes these principles DO fall apart slightly in s2 and i DON'T like those costumes as much #don't get me wrong they're fun and gorgeous - but generally a bit less deep and more inaccurate. so. :(#I'm not sure this really says anything new about Our Flag but I just needed to get my thoughts out #i hate hate hate Gritty Period Drama costumes they're so boring and so ugly and so wrong #god bless OFMD for using more than 3 muted colours and actually putting men in heels (and not as a shorthand for rich/foppish villainy) <3 #looking at that Tudors still is insane like they really will go to any lengths to not make men feel like they've got bare legs XD #image descriptions in alt text #and yes i DID just sink about two hours into those so you'd better appreciate them

1K notes · View notes

shydeerwolf · 21 days

Text

I wonder how much old!lister (sX+) actually remembers of people, like humanity in general. like little customs between people who don't know each other very well. The little ope, sorry guy, as you accidentally knock someone walking past or dumb small talk getting to know people's everyday lives that you will never see again. I wonder if he forgets how people used to be like and he'll know once he forgets he will never know and lose a little piece of his humanity bit by bit until the only thing that he remembers how to be is in codependant domestic relationships.

#Dave lister #Red dwarf #Thoughts

65 notes · View notes

smeg-and-the-red · 10 days

Text

was describing a scene from series 10 to my girlfriend over the phone and when I mentioned Lister and Rimmer's sleeping quarters she suddenly asked "why have they not got a double bed yet"

#this happened a week ago but i'm still thinking about it #why did she say that #i thought she was going to ask “why have they not moved into separate bedrooms” or something #not that 💀#red dwarf #mine

55 notes · View notes

quibblegoobe · 4 months

Text

i would say im the most normal

#ferris quiddlegoose brain thoughts #red dwarf

86 notes · View notes

lizardthelizard · 8 days

Text

listen...LISTEN!!!!!!! I don't CARE that Lister's lines are only here for the sake of the gag! I don't CARE that they're actively making fun of him! Rimmer having at least two friends (or, at the very least, two people he kind-of-gets-along-with-well-enough) that he meets with every Thursday is SO important to me.

#actually forgot this was a deleted scene until I thought about it again and went to look for it in the episode #anyway BLEASE!!!!!!!!!!#I physically NEED him to not have been completely alone over the last 15 years aboard the ship #red dwarf #arnold rimmer #he makes me so ill #currently 2am as of writing this but i will likely post this tomorrow at a more reasonable time #<-- if you saw this tag: no you didn't

53 notes · View notes

deviltownresident · 4 months

Text

think i'm gonna make this into a series just to be annoying >:)

#el's stuff #red dwarf #red dwarf edit #el's thoughts on...

68 notes · View notes

spotforme · 13 days

Text

so in the first episode Lister decides that Cat is coming home with them and Rimmer asks "Home? And where exactly is home supposed to be!?" in an argumentative manner, Lister of course answers that he meant earth but now i'm thinking if i take Rimmer's guestion too seriously, in a way it was not meant to be taken, i might cry because for him has there ever been a home? Io? doubt that, his family's there, and the only other place he has recided in is at the JMC ship and i, again, doubt that a corporation could be considered home.

also Lister's immidiate desition upon meeting Cat, an alien basically, is to take him home with him and he's even willing to argue and back up his desicion like i can not ever get over how fundementally good Lister's heart is. if anyone can find a family and home in deep space without other people around it's Lister because his willingness to help everything and understand other's grief is unmatched. like, yeah he is a slimeball, but everything would fall apart without him, because when it comes down to it he's the most dependable

#that's what i think anyway #just a random thought #red dwarf

32 notes · View notes

antiparticular · 5 months

Text

lister put a rimmer patch onto his pyjamas just to have another patch that calls him a smeghead. why does he have a rimmer patch. why was this necessary to put on his pyjamas.

#red dwarf #dave lister #arnold rimmer #married behaviour smh #i thought it was his jacket at first but no it's his fucking pyjamas???

60 notes · View notes

celery505 · 1 year

Text

Arnold Rimmer would’ve googled “I (a heterosexual male) have developed homosexual feelings for my (also heterosexual) roommate” and expected an answer.

#red dwarf #rimster #my brain doesn’t work right #so that’s a thought I had #but his masses of internalised homophobia make this possible #like bro ur gay!!

168 notes · View notes

thebeesareback · 6 months

Text

It's strange how throwaway lines in media can really stay with you. I remember being about 11 years old and watching Red Dwarf, an utterly daft show, and one of the characters claims he's never known anyone who was gay. The woman he's talking to just looks him in the eye and says "yes, you do. You just don't know they're gay".

It's funny because, at the time, I didn't know anyone gay. 18 years later, I don't think I know anyone straight! I suppose it reminds me not to be too myopic. People have a complex interiority which I know nothing about. I'm always surprised by people around me, with their religious beliefs and political views and life experiences.

So when I meet someone who claims that, for example, there are no queer people in their lives, I know that's not right. They're just not the sort of person who invites confidences. They think everyone is like them, and they wouldn't even consider anything else.

#late night thoughts #red dwarf

40 notes · View notes

Last Seen Blogs

somnianyx

𝐴𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒

choicefurnituresuperstore

Choice Furniture Superstore

zeusdemetertwinflames

ZEUS ALULIM + KATYCAT HUDSON IS DEMETER 1111 TWIN FLAMES

anavitca7

Art Needs No Title

gallusdrawseverything

Gallus Draws Everything