#this is also my new favorite meme format
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now that we've got robbie again, i would like to petition us to turn our attention to getting aimee carrero back at the table full time because
i love her to death
she's funny
she's a shit-stirrer
she's magnificent at the table
LOOK AT HER
#aimee carrero#she's the love of my life actually#need her full time in cr#critical role#this is also my new favorite meme format#liam o'brien#4sd#4 sided dive
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i’m not sure if you’ve heard yet but nico’s tattoo is all of his family members’ astrological signs smushed together which is so… i’m obsessed
NO I HAD NOT HEARD!!!!! (partially because tumblr decided i was not to see people’s asks??)
oh my god. oh my god. that is so unbelievably. actually i take it back it is incredibly believable and i love that for him
#what is this fucking update. guys i hate it here i hate the stupid little circle buttons i don’t Like It they’re the wrong shape#and WHY are you eating all my asks!!! have you been eating them!!! i don’t know when this is from i’m so sorry!!#anyway.#hi anon. i love you. i love when i ask questions and then you guys come to my inbox and tell me things this is my favorite way to learn#(yell into the void and the void is like uhhhh oh yeah bud we got you)#the way in which i full mouth open BEYONCÉ???? meme’d myself. i wanted to function for the next ??? hours and now i will NOT oh my god#liv in the replies#guys i don’t even have an appropriate rxn meme for this. what can i do when i can’t even use my brain approved ask format (comment & meme)#DID I POST THE YOJ THINK I’M SMALL POST OR IS IT STILL IN MY DRAFTS#i know my thirst tags about nico’s sister from like. two years ago are still in my drafts sorry but i love the way nico is with his family#nice to see good family dynamics!!! they all seem like really talented and lovely people!!! i’m going to throw away the part of my brain#that just rapid fire went ‘nico’s mom is an olympian right she’s an olympic swimmer ellen’s an olympian right or at least high level player#where’s my nico’s mom & ellen narratives y’all are sleeping on that’ NO ONE IS SLEEPING ON IT you’re just vibrating at a nonsense frequency#aka i will be dragged kicking & screaming into nicojack & in the process will be getting my grubby little hands on any adjacent narratives#moral of the story: thank u i love you i will use this information for evil (think about it & hurt my own feelings)#it is Nico Hour on the blog now. we will be releasing a bunch of nico posts from my drafts in honor of this ask#[also in honor of me having the devs game on while i work]#nico hischier#new jersey devils
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The results from my Dracula Daily survey are in! Just like with my Hamlet survey in the past, these are the highlights of data that I found from the survey. Folks shared valuable insights that are soon to be shared with the purpose of advocating for further free education resources like these. The data in these graphics is not all the data received but that is because I never share 100% of results, only the interesting parts. This is also probably my final survey I will do like this unless there is desire for me to do more research, if you have a topic you’d like me to cover send me an ask! Otherwise I will be working on my child, my magnum opus, my future PhD dissertation.
Onto the post mortem thoughts and alt text which are both under the fold!
This survey was originally done with the purpose of a specific conference I was to attend and share my thoughts on accessible education with. However that conference was, ironically, incredibly inaccessible. I am a queer disabled scholar and I face a lot of challenges in academia so making my case for why educational resources like Dracula Daily should be promoted within academia is very important to me. Unfortunately my original plans for this research could not happen due to my having to pull out of the conference. Now this data is being shared with a new and much more accessible conference, so at least I can still have use it for its original purpose!
Also of note is that this survey, unlike work I have done in the past, received some really nasty responses. Specifically terfs (idk why they wrote gross stuff in my survey answers though) and people who wanted to belittle the way or the content of what I was researching. This is not okay. I want to reiterate that I am a queer, disabled scholar who has zero tolerance for some of the responses I received. Studying fandom is never fully free of this but I want to hold people accountable always for the way people are treated within a community. My studies of online community are basically done (because I am moving onto my PhD work which does not involve the same research) but if I come back to doing it I will be implementing other methods to avoid the way I was treated.
Regardless of the bad eggs and struggles I have with most all of academia this was fun. I appreciate everyone who participated and thank you for the feedback. Please enjoy these results!
ALT TEXT:
Slide one: Dracula Daily survey results
Slide two: About the survey - A survey was conducted to gather data from fans of Dracula Daily to gain insight on accessible education and fandom. The survey received 863 responses these are the data highlights.
Slide three: Disclaimer - The data presented here is a summary of information and highlighted portions of responses. This is not all of the data and the entirety will never be released. Also some responses were omitted from final numbers due to abusive language entered into the survey toward the researcher.
Slide four: Before Dracula Daily - 62% of respondents had not read Dracula before Dracula Daily. More than 50% of respondents answered that they had been avid readers at some point in their lives.
Slide five: 85% of respondents noted that they had consumed other gothic or vampire media prior to Dracula Daily.
Slide six: Finishing the story - 66% of respondents finished Dracula Daily. 15.7% plan to finish.
Slide seven: 92% of respondents said Dracula Daily improved their understanding of Dracula and/or classic literature
Slide eight: Stopping short - The majority of those who responded that they did not finish stopped reading sometime in October. The top reason for not finishing was: lack of motivation.
Slide nine: Let’s Talk About It - 82% of respondents talked about Dracula Daily online, in person, or both. Over 50% cited memes as their favorite part of participating.
Slide ten: One More Chapter - Many respondents indicated their desire to read more books in this format, the titles with the most interest were: Sherlock Holmes, Jane Austen, Phantom of the Opera, and Les Miserables
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Weekend links, April 21, 2024
My posts
Initially I wrote, “I ran my mouth about the Watcher streaming/paywall situation because I make bad decisions,” but I think the post has actually gone over well? In short, I want to see them succeed but I am also deeply fuckin’ baffled. I so desperately want the tea about what was really going on behind all this, and how the guys are reacting to it now, and I really hope they can turn this around somehow.
Side note, Friday was CHAOTIC.
Reblogs of interest
The Hot Vintage Lady Polls are escalating in round four. We got to a point where I posted propaganda for Ava Gardner AND Dorothy Dandridge in their matchup. Probably the biggest scandal of round three was Vivien Leigh getting knocked out, but she’s now High Chancellor of the Shadow Realm. The most contentious matchup this time seems to be Judy Garland vs Natalie Wood, which is nearly 50/50 as of this writing. But keep your eye on Hedy Lamarr, who may have Mifune Sweep energy.
(I think I love these brackets for the same reason I love Dracula Daily: it’s delightful that thousands of people on Tumblr actually have deeply-held opinions about things from many decades ago, and if they didn’t before, they do now.)
(“I’m Katharine Hepburn, and this is Jackass!”)
--
Happy Bread Day (Observed)!
Hozier Watch 2024: “Why Would You Be Loved” has arrived on the Wasteland, Baby! special edition. I like this post about how that song is in conversation with “No Plan,” one of my favorites. (I wrote about “Movement” a while ago, but I could have fully inflicted an essay on you about how “No Plan” pulled me out of my six years of hiding from the internet. Anyway, it’s a great album from a few years ago, check it out if you haven’t.)
Generally I keep my mouth shut about Taylor Swift, but the new songs sure have some lyrics. I love Florence Welch, but I’m scared.
You’ve heard of spoon theory, now check out spell slot theory
“You’re either frolicking in this field with me, or...” is funny, but then you get to the reblog.
What if we lay in this field together and held feet
A deep breach of etiquette with a little dog named Gucio
A story about statue vandalism with a delightful twist
You gotta fight mint with mint (like I can bring in my lemon balm, but at what cost?)
I saw this post about feeding wild skeletons on Pinterest and I loved it so much that I tracked down the original.
Once again, Holy Shit, Two Cakes theory
Remember the haunted house I grew up in? Yeah, it had a carpeted bathroom like this.
“gonna start formatting my posts like fics on ff.net circa 2008” will do you exactly the psychic damage you’re imagining
The Round Table attempts to use Zoom
Video
Lil Nas X covers “Jolene,” Dolly Parton loves it, and @oscar-wet-and-wilde has further��Black Country recs
A big loud steppy
“He’s retrieving”
Crispy meows
Watching this angel of a Doberman get a full spa treatment is also self care
AND YOU DARE SAY NO MORE TREATS??!?
The sacred texts
I don’t like thing, now with artist credit
Personal tags of the week
I love when I can use a really niche, specific tag, and this week, it’s mouth perfect size for meme, with a little shaped on the side.
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f1 ask game
thank you my lovelies @wewentcarracing @pitconfirm @calebwidgast 👼
Who is your favorite driver?
do i even have to answer this question? my wife (lance) and my bff (yuki). i feel like my love for yuki is understated here sometimes but he's on the same level as lance don't get me wrong
Do you have other favorite drivers?
Este bestie! Alex! Nando! I like a lot of them actually.
Who is your least favorite driver?
I reserve the right not to comment <3 unless you talk to me privately
Do you pull for drivers or do you like teams as well?
I can casually root for teams but it'll never be that deep as long as the driver I like does well lol
If you like teams what teams do you pull for?
AM as the main team most times (no surprise there) but actually RP (i desperately need the pink car back). Maybe more surprisingly im definitely waiting for a Ferrari comeback I really am, and not because of their drivers. I don't really care about who's in the lineup when they succeed they just have to do it. I will wait for one of Kimi's kids if i have to.
How long have you been into F1?
Since 2020!
What got you into F1?
I've mentioned this once before but I started following Yuki in his F2 season so i watched that first, and naturally decided that I should be watching F1 as well. It was kind of funny actually because I thought the formats were the same so I when i watched my first F1 race i was like "where's the reverse grid?" "where's the extra point for pole?". The F2 and F1 2020 seasons were both very good imo.
Do you enjoy fic/rpf?
yeah (i say whilst peaking behind a brick wall)
How do you view new fans?
As long as they're respectful it's all good, shouldn't matter how you become a fan. New fans on F1blr tho? Make yourself aware of the tagging system 🥹 tag your stuff appropriately please and thank you
If you could take over as team principal for any team, who would it be and why?
Yeah I don't think id be a good TP to tell you the truth... Maybe AM so I can hire myself as a social admin but also make them stop giving Lance abysmal tyre strategies... Oh or merc because I highly dislike how they're doing socials right now
Are your friends and family into F1?
Not really 🥲 Maybe one friend but we don't talk abt it too often. He sends me memes sometimes though.
Are you open to talking to other fans/making friends?
Yessss always!
I feel like everyone's done this 😅 so if I tag you again forgive me! @vicsy @yukierres @chilegp
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🏎️💨 THE FORMULA 1 TAG GAME! 🏎️💨:
i don't know who else to tag honestly but thank youuu @wisteria-wisteria for tagging me 😉
1. Who or what got you into F1?
i've been wanting to tell this story to someone cuz i think it's so dumb
so well, my dad and my cousins are HUGE f1 fans they always talk about it on the family gc. it was the mexico 2023 gp (we're mexican btw and just like every single men in mexico they love checo) and we all know what happened to checo in that race so they were fuming and honestly i was enjoying it and all the memes on twt
anyway i never really cared about the sport, to me it was just men going vroom vroom in circles for an hour but then the brazil gp came
we were in my grandparents house, i was in the living room and they were watching the race obviously, it was just about to start and then something magical happened that changed my whole life... charles leclerc crashes on the formation lap and i thought omg who's this dumbass 🙄 but then i heard his voice with that sadness you only hear in eastern european gay porn saying "why the fuck am i so unlucky?", i was like damn he's so me, my dad was asking me to traduce what he was saying, i had no context of everything that happened on the season but i could just think damn is this not the first time that it has happened to him? poor bro
then i saw him get lost in the motherfucking woods and i was crying laughing at this point wondering who the hell is this guy?
i made a mental note to search his name on twt later, anyway the race went on and i was actually getting invested in it, i remember my cousins had to leave but they were all i want to see checo pass hamilton bla bla bla and i had no idea who hamilton was but i wanted to see it too it was so exciting. when i got back home i went into a charles leclerc rabbit hole in twt and tumblr and tiktok, then i learned more about all the other drivers and as someone who was lacking content of my man finn wolfhard i was getting bored and seeing this guys being a chaotic mess and getting content of them every weekend i was like fuck it they're my new blorbos especially charles❤️
and now here i am :) the end.
2. Who was the very first F1 driver you supported? Do you support them now? Have your opinions on them differed or stayed the same since then?
i am a charles leclerc girlie and i will always be he's my sunshine i will fight anyone who dares to say something bad about him, i just love him so much he's so determinated and passionate i am so sure he will achieve his dream but he's also very kind, charming, funny. his history is also so amazing to me, his mental strenght is unbelievable and has motivated me to keep going no matter what, he's very dear to me, i admire him so much and i don't think it will ever change because he amazes me more and more everytime.
3. Who’s your current favourite F1 driver?
charlieeee obvi but i've also been very obsessed with max lately they are fighting for p1 in my favorite drivers championship every single day hahahah
maxie poo i love you babygirl 😘
ok but now seriously MAX VERSTAPPEN YOU ARE A FUCKING LEGEND AND DESERVE ALL THE HAPPINESS IN THE WORLD he means a lot to me now too
i love lando and oscar also i hope they achieve amazing things with mclaren they have so much talent and potential i know they will be great
and ofc mi gente latino 🇲🇽✊ checo pérez you are my dad and i support you no matter what also he's so unintentionally funny as max said i'll just call him lovely 😌
4. Is there a driver pairing or pairings you support? What made you attracted to that pairing in the first place?
LESTAPPEN MY GOD when i tell you that i think about them every day i'm not joking at all
my roman empire as the tiktok kids would say
i just love them for the same reasons everyone else does they have been racing against each other for most of their lives and of course they've had their rough patches but they respect each other and love racing together, they push the limits and will do everything to win but they always keep that mutual respect and admiration
i got into them with the inchident video it's just hilarious max being all mad like no it's so unfair 🙄 and charlie being like just an inchident 😘 I CAN'T THEY'RE SO ICONIC LIVE LAUGH LOVE LESTAPPEN we love emotional support rivals
also shoutout carlando, maxiel, charlos, chestappen, landoscar they are so funny love seeing them do stupid shit but also have each others back
5. Do your parents, siblings or relatives have a favourite team and/or favourite driver(s)?
my dad will die for red bull especially for checo, i don't really know my cousins favorite drivers but they like ferrari and one of them has a charles leclerc cap and a valtteri bottas one so i think them
i'm kind of a closeted f1 fan lmao because most of my life i've been like it's so boring just them going in circles but now i'm obsessed but also if i say i like it now they would be like you just like it because the drivers are good looking
and i mean YEAH but fuck just let me enjoy it and it's also my first season i'm still learning give me a break bruh
6. Do you have any favourite races? Are there any that stand out to you the most?
like i said this is my first season and i started pretty late but they first race i ever watched from start to finish was ✨las vegas 2023✨ and as a charles fan i will never forget that last lap where i was mourning p2 already and all like well let's hope for the best on the next race😔 when all of a sudden i see this mf overtaking checo, it was 1am and when i tell you i JUMPED from the couch and started screaming and jumping around, genuinely i will never forget it
7. Do you have a favourite circuit? Can be from the past or from the current calendar.
i don't really know about each circuit that much but i like monaco
8. Have you ever been to an F1 race in real life? Feel free to tell us your experience going to one if you like.
naaahh they're expensive af maybeee one day i'll go to the gp in mexico city but in a very distant future
9. Have you ever met an F1 driver in real life?
i see checo's face in every corner in my city does that count?
10. Do you have a favourite F1 car? If so, what is it?
i like the mercedes' cars just for the mere reason that they look cool to me and since i don't know all the technical stuff i think i could give you a pepper answer once i learn more
11. Do you have a favourite one win wonder?
not really ✌️
12. Do you have any favourite quotes from the F1 world? This can either be inspirational or hilarious.
when max said "i always thought that if i would make it to F1, charles will also make it"
what can i say i love my babygirls
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top 5 fics?
1) high speed connection by hoodieheda ( @wvearp)
listen. listen to me. im a sucker for a good modern au and this is the holy grail of modern fics for critical role as a whole for me. i reread it once a month just because i love barista laudna with an army of grandmas
2) intertwined by picturesofthegoneworld ( @picturesofthegoneworlds)
the way the girls are in this is just!!! the way their relationship is still new but just as volatile as running away with the witch in the woods would really be. always in love with how goopy and weird laudna is, i love her so much in this (this is a theme in my favorite fics. laudna is my babygirl i love her)
3) Lives Like A Haunted House by AstoriaColumnStaircase ( @astoriacolumnstaircase)
this fic has it All. ghost laudna, morally ambiguous imogen history, crafts, just. i want to live in it so bad i want to be ghost besties with laudna so so so bad
4) Shit, Let’s Raid Area 51 by Caubool ( @caubool)
obligatory homestuck fic. this was writren, if you cant tell, during the area 51 raid meme craze, and while it does focus very heavy on that it takes the idea and Runs With It so well. one of my favorite fics of all time, i love the formatting (and rose) so much
5) Time of (un)Death by Antlered (meeeee)
is it cheating to list my own fic? who cares, i still think this is the funniest thing ive written, the idea of laudna being a world record holder still makes me laugh just from the sheer hilarity of the idea that a world record rep would find this deeply traumatized woman to give her a certificate and medal for her Literal Death. also laudna and chet being woodworkers together is still a great idea and im just patting my own back for that lmao
#antlered talks#also. apologies for the random tags i just think people should see their work getting complimented
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For any of y'all staff members who've been on/working for Tumblr for a while: what have been some of your all time favorite memes?
Hey there, @localdorkincombatboots.
Why, we thought you’d never ask…
*
look at you, making me choose between my favorite children :< but i suppose i could highlight a few. just for you.
this one‘s for a show that i don’t even watch, but i feel it in my soul
i love the x as text posts format
these friendly crabs (actually the inspiration for our april fool’s day crabs!)
this absolute banger
—Caroline (Tumbly Engineering)
*
Something I’ve found really funny recently is counterfeit posts. It’s unique to Tumblr, a beautiful result of people taking the formatting options to the extreme conclusion of imitating the Tumblr interface itself.
As for all-time, though… my favorite meme format has gotta be YouTube Poops. I especially love when Hotel Mario voice clips are included. Toys Gone Wild and Civil Defivil stand out as ones that use them expertly. Warning for adult language for both!
—April (Tumblr Engineering)
*
Picking a favorite meme is like picking your favorite color of the sky. I’m at a loss—I am fundamentally incapable of narrowing it down to just one. Picking just one winner would make all the others lose the game, which I’d feel terrible about. Every time a fresh new meme comes around, I get so distracted by it that I turn my head and forget the previous one. I am awfully fond of this meme, though.
—Cates (Tumblr Marketing)
*
I take every opportunity to use Spiders Georg, that’s definitely my all-time favorite. I’m also loving the Breaking Bad resurgence on Tumblr, especially these very specific videos editing Breaking Bad into Mario games.
—Elena (Tumblr Design)
*
Hands-down it’s Hide The Pain Harold, not only because he’s just so often relatable but also because he’s a real and delightful person.
—James (Tumblr Community Support)
*
Where to begin? Whatever I answer, I will remember something else later this week and regret what's written here. However, the best I can do for now is as follows:
Not a meme exactly, but I do enjoy the anti-TikTok videos you see of people being filmed, while filming TikToks. The instant they realize they are being recorded is just delicious every time. The Grand Theft Auto, Here we go again... is very funny, and echoes in my internal monologue several times each week.
Also really enjoy the Luke Skywalker, end of Return of the Jedi, Me taking one last look at the party before i leave early and announced
—Jon (Tumblr Marketing)
Best,
—Your good friends at WIP.
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Oh hey would you look at that it’s an inbox fic
This one ended up running away from me a little bit, so it’s sort of a hybrid transcript format. Color coded for your convenience, of course.
And now for the mandatory pings: @lesbian-empress-nero @meme-boys-blog 
!!!!!!Major SMT IV Apocalypse Spoilers ahead!!!!!!!!
“Lord Dagda… You belong with us.”
“No. I’ll carve out my own path. And no one-no one- will stand in my way. Not you, not YHVH, not even that galla dorchadais.”*
“Oh? And who would that be? Another doll brought into your game of treachery? (Scoffs) I have no time to waste dealing with that.”
“...Dolls? What is the meaning of this!?”
———————————
“...a poison. We should strive to be true individuals, to think freely for ourselves.”
”My, my Dagda. You must be fond of your doll, speaking to and for him.”
”Quiet.”
“…How is that kettle, pot? Is it quite as black as you thought it was?”
“And here you are. I guess that makes it a party.”
“A party would imply one is having fun.”
“And you look like you’re having a blast. Cut the crap, what do you want.”
“You hold your vessel in your hands. You tell him that his compatriots are worthless, but we have seen much to the contrary.”
(Scoffs) “You’re as blind as Mother is. Those friendships he has? Crumbling. Turning to ash as they were destined to be.”
“And from the ash new life will rise. They will be forged anew, stronger than before.”
“Don’t give me that shit. You and I both know that this little group is going to splinter.”
“Perhaps they will. But shards can be made whole, glued together with gold and made into a finer piece than before.”
(Sighs) “Agree to disagree.”
(Laughs) “Capricious, are you not? You parade around telling your beliefs to anyone who would listen, but as soon as someone challenges you-”
(Seething) “…Shut. up.”
“Oh? Does the barking dog bite-“
[BOOM]
“…I won’t ask again.”
“Good.”
[Crashing, a muffled thud against a wall.]
“You won’t have to.”
“Listen to us well, High King.”
(Muffled indignation)
“We have seen your kind before. Building yourself a tower so tall with a matching Fool to manipulate. You remove his connections and have him chasing after a goal that will never be reached. All the while dangling salvation like a carrot on a string. Now where have we heard a story like that before?”
“Teammates!? Friends!? To hell with that! How can such a worthless piece of trash be more special than me!?”
(Gagged alarm)
“You teach him how to fight; You tell him it is needed for his duty. You tell him he shall be remembered, while he lays forgotten in chains.”
(Whispered) “You tell him his bonds are worthless, when it is all he has ever had.”
[Body hitting the floor, gasping.]
“We have danced with far more powerful beings than you, Dagda.”
“You-“
“We have seen the consequences of gods who are selfish in the face of selfish gods, High King. We know how this story ends. And we crave to see it to its conclusion.”
(Inscenced, shouting) “Don’t you dare lea-“
[Rocks falling, low rumble of room shaking.]
“-ve!”
“…Now how did you get yourself over there?”
[A pointed silence.]
(Mumbling)“Galla damn an dorchadais. Fuck i agus a tràill damn. Dè tha fios aice? Gun dad. Tha dè.”**
“Dagda, is there-“
[Dagda returns.]
[Flashbang.]
—————
Gaston is pink because there’s no yellow, and he is the next one to speak cause I needed to get canon back on track
Translation corner this guy got mad~
Full credit to Lance for having the idea of getting Dagda to insult Kuro in Gaelic. Because of course he would.
Used this site to translate, and key is below!
* bitch of darkness
** Damn bitch of darkness. Fuck her and her damn slave. What does she know? Nothing. That's what.”
GET POSITIVELY FFFFFFFFFFFFFUCKED DAGDA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KURO KILL THAT OLD MAN‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️
ALSO GORO AKECHI JUMPSCARE BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY EX-FAVORITE-DAD GETTING HIS SHIT KICKED IN. LETS FUCKING GO. SLICK AS HELL FIC AS ALWAYS VIN
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I used Tumblr's feedback function about the recent changes. But, fuck, it was hard to get it short enough. It had to be under "5,000" characters--but the system's broken so it required me to get it to around 4,700.
I don't think the short version makes as much sense, but I'll provide it under a cut. And I'll follow with a long version.
You want to drive engagement: that means being more fun than nuisance.
We hate snoozing Live. Disrespecting users' preferences and giving busy work means you'll never convert us to Live users: you've only built resentment.
Some users turn off push notifications for being annoying. What does Tumblr have that requires urgency? A friend who needs a ride to the ER is not asking on the fun meme site. When you push notifications, it's your decision to get my attention, instead of my choice. There's no way to spin this as a positive.
The persistent banner in "Activity" warning that notifications are off, is a rude reminder that you feel entitled to my attention. Your intention to SPAM users like me is worse, but we're the kind of users who are also motivated to click “Report Spam” to hurt your domain score in retaliation.
Users hate algorithms. Most users turn off “in your orbit” etc. They made your site harder to use--it's confusing and awkward to see posts of unexpected origin. I had a look at the separate feeds, but I haven't used them again. The chronological feed is more appealing.
Users don't want your vision of condensed reblogs. You'll destroy popular memes that only work in the current format, such as the speech bubble gag. You will lose users if this humor is tough or impossible. 2 better ways of rolling this out: 1. Offer it in the editor, like polls. Users will choose when threaded is better. 2. Offer a toggle on posts. This allows threads to be viewed when it makes sense.
Users like duplicate reblogs. This is social bonding, unique to Tumblr. duplicates show which mutuals share your tastes. The joke about seeing the same post shared by 5 mutuals is endearing, not derogatory.
Be more thoughtful with your ads. You have a lot of LGBT users. Why show ads from a hate organization like Chik-Fil-A ads? It's very offputting.
Don't "fix" the things you do well; improve where you're doing poorly.
Search needs work.
Users who remove their blog from search are confused when they can't use the search bar inside their blog. They turn on favorite tags which can't be used in that case. It would help to have an option to enable search only from within the blog.
Search is inconsistent. I can type a whole post from days ago, with no results. It's not clear why some posts aren't searchable.
I want duplicates in my feed, not search.
Sometimes I lose a post after an accidental refresh. An option to search blogs I follow would help.
Add search to the follower/ing lists. And if you follow someone called 1Funny1 now, it would help to know that they were NotJoking8 when you followed last year.
Fixing search might seem low impact. But it's probably the one thing that will stop users from calling the site broken. That will encourage new users to join.
We want a "mutuals" badge. You're mimicking the worst parts of social media, but we love friend lists. An indication of who's a mutual is helpful. It should increase engagement as well!
Your hate speech policy needs improvement. The bar to remove LGBT-phobic content is too high. The "mundane political speech" has deadly consequences. Allowing LGBT-phobic content if it's "not extreme" normalizes attacks on our human rights--you're influencing public policy by treating these ideas as if they're civil, despite the harm. And we deserve a place to escape the hate.
Next, there are better ways to spotlight content. You could build a tab for curation. 3 kinds: 1. Official Tumblr Curators 2. Sponsored Curators ($), and 3. User Curators. Users should be able to select which type they see at any time. This should include categories for browsing, and search. They should highlight bloggers, especially creators. This allows users to find new content organically, instead of being forced--this is a marketable feature.
For revenue: Editor+. A robust text editor that matches Google Docs, etc, with unique Tumblr enhancements, like a way to favorite gifs and emojis for faster use, and a meme generator--something that fits the most common meme formats but allows quick insertion of text and graphics. Those exist elsewhere, but integration is convenient. That means value to the user.
You should also leverage the Marketplace better. Gifting would be great for digital products. Send DoorDash gift cards, or gift an online watch party or music through Tumblr. The Marketplace is a lot more appealing if it can include useful services.
Closing thought: after a bonus at work, I was about to go ad-free. But the announced changes will be more nuisance than fun: I can't imagine staying here if you make the site unusable. These are obvious errors that will decrease your userbase, and it's surprising that you didn't immediately realize this.
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Writing for your First Audience
Hello!
Today's blog is mostly for newer to comics folks, though there's probably some useful stuff for old hats here too. As an editor, I see a LOT of scripts every year. Since I am reviewing a high-volume of them on a regular basis, I end up seeing some commonalities of both good practices and things that could make everyone down the line's life easier, so I thought I'd briefly talk about that!
Who Reads the Script vs. Who Reads the Comic
If you're making a comic and making it available to be read, the idea is you want someone reading the final product, right? The full execution of your (and your collaborators') ideas. But most of the time, unless you're quickly cartooning something, that final stage is not the initial execution of a comic. Exact workflows vary from person to person, team to team, but generally speaking, most comics start with a script that's going to be read and shared.
Think of a good mystery. As a reader, you're compelled by putting the pieces together, seeing what's going to happen next, being surprised or vindicated (or both) when a reveal does happen, and these things work in tandem to keep you turning pages. A good script is like that, but you have to make sure you're leaving very clear signposts for the people you're working with to properly put together the puzzle.
It's worth remembering at this point, that your comic is likely to have anywhere between 1 and 7 other people reading it at the script stage: an editor, a penciller/artist, possibly an inker, possibly a colorist, possibly a licensor, possibly a letterer, and possibly any of those sorts of people in duplicate! And because they are helping build and refine the story with you, they need to know what they're working on as early as possible.
The very basic version of that is something like if a baddie is giving their grandiose speech before they blow up a bank vault or whatever, if you know they're going to thumb a detonator on page 8, you should probably make sure you show the detonator while they're speechifying on page 7, just so the action tracks more easily for the reader. And, more importantly at the script stage, so your artist knows that they should be drawing the villain with detonator in hand before they press the button.
But there are a lot more complex versions, and a lot of those come down to formatting as much as the actual writing process.
Where Do You Put the Information
Again, a lot of this is going to come to personal preference between the people involved, but I would generally consider what information the rest of your team will need and flag it as early as possible. Some of my favorite scripts to read as an editor start out with a reference section before the script itself. Some writers I work with will provide short descriptions of the major locations or set-pieces and props. If there's reference available--something we've seen previously in the series and are revisiting--maybe they'll drop in some pictures. If there's a new character joining the cast, they might have a short description of their appearance and personality. Some folks even go so far as to flag ahead of Page 1 word 1 to call out if they've got specific requests for the lettering.
I am very grateful to my collaborators who don't mind that I don't tend to do that in my own scripts (though I try to be better). But I really appreciate it as an editor because it makes my life a lot easier knowing I can properly communicate that information not just to the rest of the team working on that issue's interiors, but also often by having that info and reference available for cover artists.
The other place I see those larger reference archives added is the back of the script. Generally, I find if the reference is at the back of the script, it tends to be more photo-heavy with ideas for locations or specific callouts for characters (or sometimes memes). It doesn't reduce the helpfulness or importance of the reference, but I do find reference in the back tends to be for broader picture ideas that help set a more specific sense of place or build upon a reference, rather than helping to dictate the action.
For myself, I tend to be a heavy in-script referencer. Which is to say, I add a lot of hyperlinks and comments to the things I have a specific idea on how they should look, as they enter the script. That's also a totally fine option, as long as you're planning your script for the other readers. Again, that's making sure the detonator's there before it's used, but it's also things like if you have a back-and-forth with your editor about something being unclear and you figure it out in the comments, make sure you also go back and add that clarity in the actual script so licensors or artists aren't having to track down and read through all your back-and-forth. Plus, as an editor, I tend to like to send licensors "clean" scripts, so I minimize the number of comments as much as possible.
With all that said, figure out what works for you and your partners. A couple of times I've gotten scripts with accompanying thumbnails (usually when the writer is a cartoonist in their own right) and those have specific compositional ideas or funny little details that might not get illuminated in the script as written. I've had some writers drop like one link early on in a script to a shared folder that has all the references or mood boards or whatever for an issue in a single place. I've worked with teams who have created shared inspiration boards and reference boards that make getting a fill-in artist on-board super easy.
Not Everyone Starts at the Start
I was talking with an artist friend at SDCC and she was mentioning how she likes to tackle issues in reverse page order. She reads it front to back, but then she starts drawing with the last page. Her reasoning, which makes a lot of sense, was starting at the back, she'll have the most energy for the most exciting pages, the cliffhanger or finale. And she'll know how things are set up at the end so as she works backwards to the front, she can keep continuity going because she already knows what she's supposed to be setting up. And I thought that was a very neat way of doing things!
I bring this up because it speaks to one of the most important things: like half of knowing how to format for the people you're working with is finding out how they work. And that's not always an option. I have heard a lot of folks talk about how--despite comics being collaborative--they haven't really had a chance to speak to the writer or the artist or whoever else they're working with. Which makes working with them really hard. As an editor, I tend to facilitate communication at the start, but if the creators ask to or seem like they should be in direct communication, I link them up ASAP.
All of which is to say, unless you're operating in total isolation, someone else is going to access your script and when they do, make sure you're making it illuminating for them so they can do their best job, rather than having to piece too much together on the go.
What I enjoyed this week:
Blank Check (Podcast), Craig of the Creek (Cartoon), Honkai Star Rail (Video game), My Adventures with Superman (Cartoon), the beach, The Broken Room by Peter Clines (Book), Crime Scene Kitchen (TV show), Dumbing of Age (Webcomic), Barbie (Movie), Guy's Grocery Games (TV show), Dungeons & Daddies (Podcast), not being at SDCC.
New Releases this week (7/26/2023):
Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors Summer Smash (Editor)
New Releases next week (8/2/2023):
Nothing from me!
Final Order Cut-Off next week (7/31/2023 - AKA Preorder Deadline)
Godzilla: Best of Mechagodzilla (Editor)
Sonic the Hedgehog #64 (Editor)
Plug:
No big announcements, but maybe join my Patreon! You get this same blog, but without this part plugging my Patreon! Plus you get extra stuff! This week, I'm putting up Jimmy Squarefoot for all $5 and up backers and have my first "something weird" coming out for $10 and up backers: a presentation about some best practices on moderating (and making presentations for) panels!
Pic of the Week:
Took the day after SDCC off to recover at the beach, so that's what's here, but the real pic of the week if Becca's series of Freddie and Laurie's summer vacation!
#comics editorial#comics#comic scripts#formatting#writingtips#be nice to your editor#And your artist#And everyone#please
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@ no one else can make my heart swoon like you do ! — random relationship headcanons
chars. xiao, hu tao x gn! reader (separated)
warnings. no beta we die like my old classroom’s air conditioner when it’s in the middle of fucking summer, lowercase intended, kinda angsty in xiao’s part if you squint hard enough
a/n: the title is a lyric from every time around by vansire. also new format yaya
#! xiao
now, how did you even managed to date him in the first place, i do not know. no one knows. not even him.
if i’m being honest it’s near impossible for him to ever date anyone.
due to him being afraid that his karmic debt will transfer to other people, so he stays away from them as much as possible.
so unless you’re someone who’s associated with the adepti or work at wangshu inn, you’re quite unlikely to ever meet him.
in the start of the relationship, he will be quite distant, he acts like nothing more than a friend to you, if you know what i mean. (i mean this is expected coming from a xiao)
others around you probably wouldn’t ever know that you both were dating especially if you’re not the touchy type. unless you tell them yourself about it, that is.
if you were to initiate any type of affection with him, especially by surprise, he will jump. like a cat.
he won’t reciprocate the affection, but he won’t let go or try to stop you either. he’ll just be.. very tense.
he appreciates and enjoys them. he simply isn’t used to getting and giving affections.
further into the relationship, he will be the one to initiate affections first more.
well, i mean, not really. but he will be the one (shyly) asking you for a kiss/hug etc.
he’ll still be relying on you to be the one who will initiate a kiss or hug him first.
the moments where he is the one to actually initiate them first are very very rare.
and that rare moments are always when you’re asleep (booooo)
due to xiao having a touch-starved nature, you would often find him seeking for your affections and comfort. or at least, presence.
he won’t be able to be your side much, thanks to his yaksha duties. so when he is by your side, he would bask in your presence as much as he can, even though he won’t be direct about it.
xiao is clingy, much more than what he allows others (including you) to see.
#! hu tao
would probably give you the “buy one coffin get one coffin free” coupon for your first date anniversary.
since there are no people who has taken up on that offer hu tao probably still has a lot of the coupons stored so she decided to just give one to you.
well at least you got a gift, right?
naturally, as her s/o, you would often get dragged onto.. her business.
no you’re not gonna get asked to talk with the death or something.
it’s mostly just people begging you to stop hu tao on keeping on bothering others with her coffins sale offers.
not like you’re gonna be able to anyway.
during her free time, hu tao likes to make poetries about you.
they somehow always end up with stuffs related to death, coffins, ghosts, and funerals.
not in a bad way, no. it’s like, she, for some reason, somehow, compared and related sweet and adorable things you both did with coffins and ghosts.
i can’t give you an example i’m bad at poetry.
if you’re scared of ghosts, hu tao will definitely pull pranks on you like how she likes to prank xiangling. especially if you’re easy to scare off.
this often results to you and xiangling planning revenge pranks on her together.
hu tao’s favorite pick-up lines are, as you guessed, the ones related to.. well, her job.
disagree with me if you want, but i can definitely see her doing excessive poses when saying pick-up lines.
you know the “konnichiwa beauty-chan, kimi and watashi. tonight. *wink*” meme? yeah. yeah that’s her, but make her say a death and coffins related pick-up line
the way hu tao expresses things may be a little odd, but she’s a sweet and caring girlfriend.
*all the arts used here are official arts from hoyoverse, unless stated otherwise.
#🪁.archives#genshin x reader#xiao x reader#hu tao x reader#genshin#genshin impact#i’m gonna sleep now
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Ao3 20 questions!
Tagged by: @azures-grace
I tag: @bamsara @argisthebulwark and anyone else! (I can't remember who writes solely on Tumblr or not, sorry for not tagging you if you do write on Ao3 as well!!)
1 – How many works do you have on AO3?
-Currently 16.
2 – What's your total AO3 word count?
-Currently 800,424. (Will change for sure on the 15th haha.)
3 – What fandoms do you write for?
-Skyrim, Five Nights at Freddy's / Security Breach, Undertale, Divinity Original Sin 2, and Baldur's Gate 3.
4 – What are your top five fics by kudos?
-Precious People, Four Makes a Family, That Little Thread, My Neighbor Mr. Roboto, and Forgive Me, for I Have Sinned. (Greatest to least in the top five.)
5 – Do you respond to comments?
-I try to respond to every comment I can, but some I just don't know how to respond to! I'm mentally kissing every commenter on the head though. Mwah.
6 – What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
-Angstiest ending? I don't know if I've ended anything super angsty, despite my love for the genre. I prefer hurt/comfort. Can't say I can answer this one.
7 – What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
-Oh, That Little Thread for sure. But only because TESSDE isn't remotely finished haha. But I'm still very proud of how TLT came out. :)
8 – Do you get hate on fics?
-I have had a stray hate comment here and there, but I just meme and dab on the haters until they die from their own cringeness. #HatersLoveMe
9 – Do you write smut? If so, what kind?
-...The smut kind? I'm not sure I understand. Read 'You're a Feisty One, Aren't You? I Like That', if you need specifics, I guess. (Only if you are above age obviously.)
10 – Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?
-Oh my god I used to on FFNET. I don't think it's crazy, but even before I discovered FFNET, my friend got me into writing crossovers, and it was a massive Inuyasha, Fruits Basket, Code Geass, and Death Note combination with self inserts. I miss it, it was a good stupid time, haha.
11 – Have you ever had a fic stolen?
-I've had people try to tell me they can't get writing down correctly, and oh, would you mind helping me write this out? What about this? Until slowly I'm literally writing their story and they're POSTING IT ONLINE. ON Ao3/FFNET. LIKE. A PARAGRAPH AT A TIME.
INSANITY.
But also I was one of the first few people who had the Ao3 scalpers target their fics, but I have no idea if someone is out there on Wattpad or something using my shit. I don't self search, so I do not know.
12 – Have you ever had a fic translated?
-Nope!
13 – Have you ever co-written a fic?
-Yes! Not on Ao3 though. (Ah good old days of middle school and writing dumb things with friends.)
14 – What's your all-time favorite ship?
-I'm a self shipper by trade, I'll admit it. But I was a very big Sesshoumaru / Kagome shipper in my baby years. Now I lean more towards Loid / Yor. Love those idiots.
15 – What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?
-TOO MAN TO NAME. I REGRET LEAVING ANY FIC UNDONE, BUT I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO GO BACK. The past is in the past and it's time is over, unfortunately.
16 – What are your writing strengths?
-Focusing on characterizations and researching accuracies for making things logical not only in the fantasy realm but also reality. I love combining the two and giving people a little educational lesson along side their story time. It pleases me to teach others new things and myself. I also think my pacing has gotten a lot better over the years.
17 – What are your writing weaknesses?
-I tend to structure things differently than most people, and genuine writing formats— even using em dashes, I never learned until this year the difference between it and a hyphen— so it comes across as lesser than other people's writing, I think. Less polished. I like bouncing things around textually, having breaks in spots to let the mind "breathe" in between words or phrases to try and give it a bigger impact, but it weakens actual structures sometimes.
That and word choices. I'll be stuck for ages on what word to use. I hate repeating words or phrases, so it'll take me longer than necessary to just choose a damn word.
18 – Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?
-I've done it many times and think it's fine! I use translators because I am unfortunately only educated in English (and my brain has difficulties learning other languages), but I try my best and do ask around friends if things are accurate if they speak the language.
If you're not sure what it says, just translate it through a friend or Google. Or, read the bottom AN to see if the author translated it for you. I grew up with American's using broken Japanese in their fanfics, you think I'd see dual languages any different? Lol.
19 – First fandom you wrote for?
-Inuyasha? Naruto? Crossover? I don't remember!
20 – Favorite fic you've written?
-Biased. 'The Elder Scrolls Skyrim: DragonBard Edition', otherwise known as TESSDE. It's my bread and butter, my longest length story, and one I would die to complete. We're technically half way there in terms of arcs, but definitely not in chapters, haha. I look forward to the day it's complete, and I hope others enjoy it too.
-
Below are the questions to copy and paste for yourself!
1 – How many works do you have on AO3?
2 – What's your total AO3 word count?
3 – What fandoms do you write for?
4 – What are your top five fics by kudos?
5 – Do you respond to comments?
6 – What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
7 – What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
8 – Do you get hate on fics?
9 – Do you write smut? If so, what kind?
10 – Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?
11 – Have you ever had a fic stolen?
12 – Have you ever had a fic translated?
13 – Have you ever co-written a fic?
14 – What's your all-time favorite ship?
15 – What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?
16 – What are your writing strengths?
17 – What are your writing weaknesses?
18 – Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?
19 – First fandom you wrote for?
20 – Favorite fic you've written?
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For the writing ask meme 😙: 🍰 & 💭
🍰 Name one of your fave comfort fics (doesn’t have to be your all time fave).
Mirror Madness, not only was this for the FBC Zine but I was able to write more about one of my favorite side missions in Control. I think this piece was both funny and serious. It was fun to imagine Trench and Darling's mirror selves, how they would be different but also kind of similar. Blending in both humor and seriousness is something Remedy does really well with their storytelling and it's something that I always enjoy from a reader's standpoint. And I was able to write in a headcanon world where Trench and Darling were together and happy and able to go on a adventures like this.
💭 What is a headcanon you have about your own work?
I haven't talked too much about my America Overnight OC but recently while writing new episodes I've started to flesh out the host character more. His name is Samuel Westbrook and he was previously an Field Agent that was injured during a mission. He picked up the role of radio host because he still wanted to be involved in tracking the paranatural and helping to solve cases but from a different angle. I've written briefly about another OC of mine in The Dog Whistle (AI59-KE) but since that fic was written in more of a document and interview format I didn't get to give too deeply into that character.
The Control-side of the universe is so rich with lore and world building. It feels so easy to create an OC naturally. So I have two OCs for Control right now, one a Field Agent and the other the America Overnight host.
And of course I will ALWAYS headcanon that Zachariah Trench and Casper Darling are madly in love in every fic I write and canonically. In this essay I will explain how Remedy—
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✨️intro post✨️
I edit this over time so please check it kinda often for updates esp the last part with some posts I really like/ that I used real life braincells on, and the beginning for if I add more sideblogs. If you have LITERALLY ANY other questions not answered here, shoot me an ask in my inbox and I will probably answer. If I think it's in good faith but poor taste I'll just say that, so if you're being nice I won't be mad or at least I'll like the attention :3
I'm thatonesongyouretryingtoremember. Song for short and OneSong for long. Or Remy??? I use all pronouns or it/it's. My other blogs are @aroasexualboypussy which is a regular sideblog where I keep fandom rbs besides my own fandoms and spam rbs and @jupiter-jayfield-official which is a Mikhailgate blog/El appreciation blog kinda.I also made a blog called @twasagraveyardsmash and that's my "music blog" aka rambling, keysmashing, and reblogging about music I like, someone likes, or my other music- related posts. I have another ST rp blog as Max- @madmaxmayfield71 , and at some point I started a blog called @byler-freeze-book with the intention of it being a byler tag positivity blog but it kinda flopped. You can still send asks there tho <2 @angelbymadonna is my art blog. I also have a Miraculous roleplay blog as Zoe's superhero form, Vesperia @the-real-bee-holder-vesperia
Tumblr-spouse to @exhausted-enby-vibes <2, coparent of Mikhail Max
My blog used to have this glitch where it was hidden, but I didn't do anything to cause that, so if you see smthng lemme know. I also am still confused by tags on here, so lemme know if I tag something wrong. I also reblog most of the art I see, but I don't always know who's in it, so if I end up reblogging a problematic fanart on accident (which I haven't done yet) lemme know as well.
Hashtags I use
#song spouts bullshit, shitposts/non-ST posts
#song says a smart thing, new tag I'm gonna put on longer posts
#songs textpost bullshit, or #song's textpost bullshit, original textpost memes and meme formats
#artist song, my original art [find it on my art blog as well, linked above] [includes ficlets and visual art, the latter with image description]
#song's st rewatch, details and commentary while I watch the show!
#angela is jane, #angela ives, a theory I elaborate on further down in this post
Blog type/ content (I say content, what I mean is it's what my blog contains. It's for me, not you.)
I'll talk about my ST stuff first since that's what I'm primarily posting rn. I'm a fandom blog and will be for the foreseeable future. As far as ST, I have alot of ship content, but in my other fandoms I don't care as much about shipping. You can ask me about fandoms/media I like maybe :)
I ship elmax, byler, Lumax, hopclair, elumax, jargyle, jancy, Boyce, jopper, boycer, duzie, and a few other things. I also reblog some ronance, steddie, byclair etc content as well. My favorite ST character is Kali. Occasionally you'll see my blog possessed by the soul of a Kali disciple or elmax fangirl. I also some fandom posts besides my own if I'm reblogging art from my mutuals' reblogs ofc.
I post a bunch of shitposts about Stranger Things, and longposts related to theories or analysis I'm into at the time.
I am still not over Mikhailgate, btw. Even though I personally think Mikhail ships byler, alot of my mikhailgate content is willhail.
I also read KotLC, riordanverse (I've read 1-14 of chb chronicles and most of 15 and obv not Chalice yet, 1-2 Kane Chronicles, 1-3 mcga, and none of the spinoffs so far. Can't wait for the show!), and I watch The Owl House, Dragon Prince, and She-Ra 2018. I'm not as avidly in fandom for these but I like them. If there's something else you think I might like or don't know if I've seen/read, lemme know! At the time I'm writing this update, I'm sorry into Miraculous Ladybug! but I haven't seen the second half of S5 yet.
Stuff I want you to know
I have a detailed post about the history of mikhailgate.
My Spotify has tons of character playlists!
I have a theory about Kali's time at the lab which is actually a thinly disguised rant about her halfway finished arc.The theory is ass and I no longer believe it, but the rant still stands and I still believe she has more to offer.
^^pretty obviously not gonna happen but I like to keep it up :) it's an old theory that I no longer believe but I still think she should be in the next szn!!!
I wrote a thing about the Material Girl shopping sequence aka about El my beloved nobody else understands her <2.
Nancy and Steve are aromantic. (Check the respective tags as well, I have more)
Byler Week 2022
I'm right about El, nobody else. Jk but here's my super smart ST5 prediction! Aka thinly disguised El Hopper fangirl rant😅😅
Once again I'm the only correct person (/nsrs) so here's the official list my take of the party's riordanverse godly parents
Check out this post and this one and this one to start learning about the theory that Angela is the real Jane Ives!
There are tags for it too, #angela is jane, and #angela ives, make sure to check them out because there is always new input! This is related to the theories that El is actually not Terry's daughter, that El *is* Edward Creel's daughter (I'm not the guy to ask about those, shoot me an ask and I'll tell you who tho!) And that multiple timelines exist within what we see of Stranger Things!
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彡✎ Unpacking Politics, One Meme at a Time
(Do memes (as it is popular in Malaysian politics) provide a useful way of understanding politics?)
Politics: the only arena where you'll find more plot twists, backstabbing, and unexpected surprises than a season finale of your favorite TV show.
We get it – politics can sometimes feel like a maze of jargon and complex issues. However, with the rise of meme culture and its integration into politics, could memes be used to further understand politics and its complexity? (probably).
Behind the Laughs
Before answering the main question, let me hit y'all with some nerd facts about how memes came about. A meme is a cultural informational unit that spreads by imitation. The term, which comes from the Greek word mimema (meaning "imitated"), was coined by a British biologist named Richard Dawkins in 1976 from his work titled "The Selfish Gene" (Rogers 2023). Memes come in a variety of format that ranges from videos to still images.
From LOL to Legislation
In today's day and age of the Internet, memes can be found on all sorts of social media platforms that we use on a daily basis. Whether it be viral videos or yet another funny cat or dog picture like the doge meme. Nowadays, there seems to be an ongoing trend of memes being used in politics. I'm not particularly sure how it is being used, but most of the memes I see about politics are just to poke fun at a specific person or political party.
Now for the million-dollar (or in this case ringgit) question, how did memes suddenly become a thing in the political world? The earliest instance of memes and politics I could find is from the year 2000 during a presidential debate in the United States about then-candidate George W. Bush where he mispronounced the word "internet" as "internets." Four years later, he made the same mistake during a debate with John Kerry when he said, "I hear here’s rumors on the, uh, internets that we’re going to have a draft". After the whole conundrum, the response from netizens was eventful. Thus, making Bush one of the first few political internet memes (Klein 2019).
It seems that after George W. Bush became a trending meme in politics in the United States, I guess you could say he sort of paved the way for birthing memes in politics as we know it today. As far as I know, there are a lot of memes about our politics here in Malaysia that I've come across and it gets pretty entertaining considering how our politics here are.
Meme-laysia
As someone that currently lives in Malaysia, I would say that there are a handful of memes that circulates throughout social media when it is nearing elections or when someone that is part of a political party (or one of our ministers) screws up yet again. The political scene here is quite eventful, to say the least, but that does not mean we cannot laugh about it.
One of the most popular political memes in Malaysia is during 2021 when our then Prime Minister of Malaysia, Muhyiddin Yassin suddenly resigned from his position after only being the Prime Minister for one-and-a-half years. As good of a plot twist as this is, Malaysians took to social media to express their confusion and reaction to this news (Lee 2021).
Here is one of the example:
Upon resigning as Prime Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin will assume the role of interim Prime Minister until a new leader, who commands the majority, is identified (Lee 2021).
Humor and Power
Phew. We're finally getting to the most anticipated part. Do memes provide a useful way of understanding politics? My answer to that is, definitely. Based on research conducted by Kasirye (2019), it is found that political memes do have an effect on providing information about politics.
The study also reveals that political parties employ memes to promote, oppose, and criticize various political issues among the populace. Since the majority of messages are created by political parties and actors to further their objectives, memes are spread through social media to reach the targeted political groups.
Due to memes having a visual nature and their ability to grab people's attention, memes are a good foundation to start understanding politics. Thus, memes are a great method for political engagement that appeals to people's cognitive and extrasensory faculties in order to interact with them and shape their opinions. Humor and sarcasm, on the other hand, are used as persuasive strategies in this awareness-raising technique (Kasirye 2019, p. 51).
Final Thoughts and Prayers
Overall, I do think that memes play a part in politics in terms of understanding what is going on or providing useful information. Memes are funny and people like memes due to the fact that they can be on different social media platforms, whether it be in video or picture format.
References
Kasirye, F 2019, 'THE EFFECTIVENESS OF POLITICAL MEMES AS A FORM OF POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AMONGST MILLENNIALS IN UGANDA', Journal of Education and Social Sciences, vol. 13, issue 1, pp. 50 - 51, viewed 8 October 2023, <https://www.jesoc.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/KC13_032.pdf>.
Klein, O 2019, The evolution of political internet memes, Kennedy School Review, viewed 8 October 2023, <https://ksr.hkspublications.org/2019/03/11/the-evolution-of-political-internet-memes/>.
Lee, J 2021, Confused Malaysians make sense of country's political crisis through memes, Mashable, viewed 8 October 2023, <https://sea.mashable.com/culture/17175/confused-malaysians-make-sense-of-countrys-political-crisis-through-memes>.
Rogers, K n.d., meme, Britannica, viewed 7 October 2023, <https://www.britannica.com/topic/meme>.
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