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on some subconscious level i never even thought of david lynch as someone who could die

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Cuckoo you absolutely hit the nail on the head here. Adding my two cents which is mostly reiterating what you've already said with my own thoughts.

General disclaimer, I'm just a rando on the internet so take this all with a grain of salt and no I do not condone anything Neil has done and I hope he reaps every consequence he deserves.

It's definitely not like JKR. It's more like Stephen King. Everyone knows and acknowledges Stephen King is a fucked up person and has done bad things in his past, but damn if his books aren't good. He's also not using his money to actively campaign against minorities. Stephen King (and Mr. G) are flawed, fucked up humans like the rest of us, likely even more so. Now if you look at Stephen King as a person and decide not to engage with his works, awesome! You're allowed to do that, have fun storming the castle. If you decide to do the same with Mr. G, awesome, go nuts.

However, what seems more disturbing to me is the sort of parasocial relationship a lot of people have with him, and other celebrities too. Believe me, I understand the 'oh shit that could have easily been me' and feeling like this is a gross betrayal of trust. Believe me, I get that. However, for those of you/us who have never had personal contact with Mr. G (like me), or have never even been in the same room as him, some food for thought: why does this feel so personal?

I understand the hurt, the disappointment, the outrage, the massive ick feeling. Personally I thought he was better than this, and it's very disappointing to learn that he's not. But for those who feel personally betrayed, why? In the grand scheme of things, Neil doesn't owe you/us anything, leaving out the universal 'don't be a shit human.' He doesn't know that 99% of us exist, other than as icons on a screen, as numbers under a follower count. In the grand scheme of things, you burning his books isn't going to affect him, it's only going to affect you.

I guess what I"m saying is, don't be hasty. Let the strong feelings pass before making any emotionally charged decisions (not telling y'all what to do, just my two cents). But especially to those who get so much joy from his works, and feel like they now have to renounce everything he's done and that just doesn't feel right, take a minute before doing that. Think of who you're doing it for- your own conscience? The faceless mob on the internet? To spite Neil? Because if it's for the latter two reasons, I'm willing to bet the only person you'll be hurting or sticking it to is yourself.

Nothing in this world is 100% unproblematic, and letting the internet's ever shifting standards of what is 'okay' to enjoy dictate your life just sounds like a very miserable way to live. Letting the actions of celebrities who don't even know you exist dictate what you're allowed to enjoy also sounds like a very miserable way to live.

At the end of the day, I refuse to let the shitty decisions of one shitty man who doesn't even know I exist rule my life, and limit the things I derive joy from. I've been subjected to too many shitty decisions by too many shitty people that I actually know to have room for the shitty decisions of someone I don't know. There are so many ways to engage with his properties that don't give him money- engage in fandom, pirate stuff, borrow his stuff from your local library (we love supporting libraries!), buy unlicensed merch from Etsy, Redbubble, etc. Personally, I’m going to continue to write fic and watch the new season and engage with the fandom- there are too many stories I want to tell and too many awesome people I’ve met through fandom and to give all that up for one schmuck’s bad decision seems like a huge waste. Fan creators are not Mr. G, don't throw the fandom under the bus to spite the creator.

It is possible, and actually very achievable, to condemn the bad things he's done as a person, without setting a torch to everything good his works have done.

"Appropriate" responses to the Gaiman issue

TLDR: This isn't a Rowling situation, be wary of internalized purity culture.

He's a predator. I'm glad a proper journalist followed up where police have failed (and possibly given victims a better footing for future charges).

But I have a problem with the knee-jerk responses targeting the fandom.

Just to clarify, I'm not talking about insulting The Predator. This is about how you treat people who have/do/will enjoy the stories that unfortunately came into the world through his keyboard.

Fans aren't intrinsically evil/uncaring for continuing to participate in associated fandoms.

This is not another Rowling situation. Why? Let me clarify. The consequences of consumption are very different. Rowling is ACTIVELY using her popularity and income as a creative to target one of the most vulnerable minorities in the world. Buying official merch/books/movie tickets prove to the powers that be that she remains a good investment, so they'll give her even more money. This perpetuates the cycle - new movie/book deals, more income, more hate, rinse and repeat.

The push to avoid Rowling's work in full is driven by the fact that she has FACED NO CONSEQUENCES and is still powered by her creative properties. It's fandom/consumers trying to bring justice.

Gaiman, on the other hand, knew he was doing bad shit on some level because he kept his abuse hidden. His status and reputation let him get close to vulnerable fans and essentially intimidate authorities from going after a celebrity. He is FACING CONSEQUENCES. I would personally like to see criminal charges brought against him, but that's out of the fandom's hands. Things we could've influenced (his Disney deal appears to have gone to shit, he's been booted from the truncated final season of GO, and there's no news on Sandman 3) are already in motion. If his publisher doesn't drop him, I'd say avoiding his future works is beyond valid (I certainly wouldn't buy them). But I'm going to watch the new season of Sandman. And once I've taken time away, I'll probably finish my active fics.

"Judging" people who still enjoy his work stems from good intentions that grew out of the fetid ground of purity culture rhetoric.

Writing fanfic and enjoying shows that are already made do not make people soulless accomplices. The idea that unproblematic stories by saintly creators are the only things you're allowed to enjoy is not only flirting with censorship, but it's also impossible.

If you think people should have nothing to do with Gaiman's works, you better throw out anything Weinstein touched. That includes Jackson's LOTR trilogy, FYI. Also, anything his company officially produced (which still gives him money in some cases) should never, ever grace your screen. That includes some of the better Stephen King adaptations, The Orphanage (which was a breakthrough Spanish-language film in Western markets), The King's Speech, The Imitation Game, Woman in Gold, Paddington, and It Follows.

If you aren't willing to publicly announce your "disappointment" in anyone who continues to enjoy any of those films, then kicking up a fuss over how other people process and interact with problematic content from a fallen celebrity who is in the process of getting his dues is pure hypocrisy.

Personally, I'm maliciously complying with Gaiman's famous quote about how once a story is out there, it doesn't belong to the author anymore. Well said, Predator, these are mine now, and I shall fuck about with them as I see fit.

Attacking or snobbishly looking down your nose at the fandom also erases YEARS of beautiful critique and thoughtful exploration of existing, acknowledged problems in works like The Sandman.

People in these parts already know how to handle complex issues in complex pieces of media. Gaiman isn't our god. His canon is not our bible. He didn't teach us morality, as is apparently the case for a lot of people who grew up reading Rowling's works as a child.

If you have a problem with the censorship comment I made, I'd like to point out at least one writer friend is LEANING INTO the fandom as a way to process their own trauma. Suffice it to say they survived a very similar situation. They see it as empowering to take the stories away from the abuser and use the characters/settings to make something new.

I get the ick. I have it right now. But I'm not burning every copy of his work I own (full disclosure I have... *checks shelves* a copy of Neverwhere and The Sandman series). Doing so is totally valid, and if that helps you process and feel better - go for it!

But this is not the same as Rowling and the only ones you hurt by declaring your "judgement" is a complex group of individuals who are able to enjoy fiction, remain aware of potential social consequences, and found a place that doesn't align with your black/white morality.

With that said, judge away! I better not see any stories from Charles Dickens, anything in anyway associated with the Weinsteins, Nickelodeon shows, Charlie Chaplin references, or Francis Ford Coppola films touch your feed. If you scratch the surface, you'll find more things to judge others for enjoying, and they will inevitably find something to judge you for, too.

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The clearest image of Pluto captured by the New Horizons spacecraft.

via @MAstronomers

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pine forest flower bunny commission 🌼🌲

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Morpheus rolling up to the Dreaming like

Chapter Seven: Return of the King

Happy holidays to those who celebrate the season! May it be joyful and calm to those who need it.

Figured a holiday treat was needed for today! Be safe everyone.

Previous

Start from the beginning >>>

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me as a 14th century knight: this sucks i'm gonna fms (translator's note: fall on my sword)

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~~Read It Here~~

Nearly a year has passed since Morpheus' abduction, the anniversary nearly coinciding with the winter solstice. Hob is determined to replace those memories with something warmer.

Happy solstice, festive Saturnalia, bitchin' Yule everyone 💖

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drop this sunflower🌻 into the inboxes of the blogs that make you happy! lets spread a little sunshine ☀️

awwww thank you!! You and your blog make me so happy too!! 💖

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I just watched the Superman trailer and DC, imma need you to stop doing my baby dirty like that like what did Green Lantern ever do to you

I’m just saying they should give me a bajillion dollars to make a green lantern movie I’d treat him right

So many people hate Guy Gardner for shit ass reasons and I don’t want this movie to give them a justified one 😭

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Thinking I need to get back on my Morpheus/Reader and Morpheus/OC bullshit 🧐

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a dragon finds a clutch of goose eggs and attempts to hatch them

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I’m gnawing on this like a bone just may have to write it aaaahhhh

hob who pushes away the memory of his witch trial and refuses to confront his fear even 800 years later vs his husband king of nightmares whose job it is to make people confront their fears but can't surpass his consorts power without he knows will be a terrible argument. discuss.

This is genuinely fascinating actually!!!!

Because imagine how good Hob is at compartmentalising and suppressing his trauma. He has to be, in order to survive. And that's fine, Dream understands, but his function is to help process that trauma and Hob. Won't. Let him.

Because Hob is secretly terrified of being anything less than functional. He doesn't want to be a burden; he needs to be as normal as possible. That way, he won't ever give Dream a reason to abandon him.

So when Hob starts to dream of deep waters or pitchforks or anything of that nature, he's quick to switch up the narrative. He'll try to distract Dream, or use his own consciousness to make the deep water into a shallow kid's pool. Dream wants to scold him and lecture him again about the importance of nightmares, but he also doesn't want to drive Hob away!

Ultimately its Delirium who offers a little advice to her brother-in-law: if he keeps avoiding the truth, then he'll end up in her realm instead of Dream’s. And it won't be half as nice. If he processes this pain in his nightmares, at least he'll have his husband to comfort him. In the realm of delirium, he will be alone. It's his choice to make.

And in the end, Hob will always choose Dream. Of course he will. He has a feeling that everything might actually turn out okay.

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the Borgia: "but how do we even find this assassin?

ezio, in this cunty ass outfit:

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OCs who own my heart ➻ Camille "Female Rage" Rohan Three Hundred Years of Longing on AO3 "You should have seen the look on his face when he realised the blood on my hands was his... It was like cutting into butter, again and again. I couldn't even feel my arm. By the time I stopped, there was more blood on me than left in him."

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~~Read It Here~~

Immortale: Italian, 'immortal' Hob Gadling finds himself entangled in a struggle that spans millennia. Dream of the Endless sends his blade to ensure their wager is unaffected. When they both meet famed Mentor Ezio Auditore, things take an expected and yet somewhat surprising turn.

FINALLY IT'S HERE my entry for the @sandman-connect4 fic game, filling prompts prison, willpower, belt, forum

I almost didn’t finish this on time because Ezio and Hob sprinted away with it while laughing maniacally- what I thought would be maybe 9k ended up being LITERALLY DOUBLE THAT

This work isn't a direct sequel, but it does come after The Tale of the Blade in the Dark

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This crown but for Consort of the Dreaming Hob

I've always liked this design, and the halo motif just seems right, especially if you're going for Hope!Hob

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It's my 12 year anniversary on Tumblr 🥳