asherlockstudy

[asherlockstudy]

Due to personal circumstances the following was hard to make so it might be a bit all over the place:

Regarding their deconstruction five years later, I think that distance from the original video shows even more clearly that the main reason they left faith was personal trauma.

Link's boldness:

In Link's case it is once again perfectly clear, why do we even discuss it anymore, or why people DON'T discuss it, I think he hardly even tries to hide it. Is it a coincidence that all the concerns he keeps raising about religion are almost exclusively about inclusivity and the acceptance of gay sexuality?

Notice the following exchange:

In the voicemail question about finding your moral compass without religion, Rhett argues you don't need religion to be a moral person. One of the examples he presents as evidence of not going immoral once you are out of the faith is (dare I say perhaps poorly chosen?) cheating on your wife. While it's not super obvious, I think that gets a reaction from previously meek Link, who counterargues about the perception of morality in religion when it comes to gay people. Rhett responds not exactly to the question by simply gives his secular yet seemingly detached opinion on why it is beneficial for humanity to let people form consensual relationships with those they love and not force them to "deconvert or go to conversion therapy".

Then Link says this:

"My experience post deconversion is that my instict to be the type of person that I can stand behind my actions, there is integrity, I haven't done anything, I haven't gone nuts. I haven't gone wild, like no wild oats type of thing. Now, we are talking about assessing morality from the outside but if you are gay, your experience is that "if I am true to myself, this is good and this is true to who I am". When you are on the inside of that experience, it's different than on the outside and issuing it as a law. "

Okay ummm first of all I will say I believe Rhett's words got into him so much that he misspoke when he said "deconversion", I think he intended to say "deconstruction" but it is a textbook example of truth slipping out. And even so, the rest of his statement hardly makes sense from a straight bystander's perspective anyway. He clearly reflects on a personal journey, he talks about finding his integrity, he's not playing the ally card like in some other cases, he speaks for the gay experience from the inside.

The underlying message of Wonderhole confirmed:

When Rhett said "While we do aspire to continue to make things that are thoughtful, that make people think and, you know, are more creatively ambitious like Wonderhole and Wonderhole season 2..." Link did their "tap nose" gesture to Rhett right after the "make people think" part. This is a gesture they have done to each other several times and it means "Careful, this is a secret!".

He seemed to rub his nose pretty intentionally in another instant as well but I couldn't make out why based on what Rhett was saying.

One good and one bad thing about Christy's mentions:

"We're going to die together" Rhett and Link pretty much said they do not need to continue their relationships to their loved ones in the afterlife for it to be a satisfactory perception of heaven. Not very graciously, Link said that if Christy died he'd be like "okay we ran our course, we had good times together, ciao". He didn't say "ciao" but he could have said it and it would not have changed much the feeling his words were emitting, sorry. (They didn't mention their own relationship with each other in this context.)

On the other hand, Link said he prayed for Christy, the first time in forever, when she was going through some hardship lately. He did not verbalise it exactly like that but to me his action had the vibe of "if You don't accept me for who I am, at least accept my prayer for her who still belongs to Your community". He joked that he also did it for brownie points and, you know, because he doesn't like to lie, this is not entirely untrue. I think the reason he prayed for her has guilt and desire for redemption written all over it. Feelings of guilt against her and a desire to prove to her, perhaps God and above all himself that he still is a good person. Truth be told, when something is so intentional, it loses a bit in value, but ultimately I think this action deep inside shows there is still unsteadiness and fear in his path, despite the trauma caused defensive anger that makes him appear so resolute.

As for Rhett...

Boy, this is so hard to do. Once again, I hate to question him when he is being reflective and introspective. But... some things just don't add up. What Rhett told us again is that his departure from the faith had a 10000000000000000000000% scientific / intellectual cause (why he always emphasizes this SO much), that he was King of the World type of status when he was still in the Christian community (Link described this as "being a fake"), that he was a conservative Republican and YET felt like the perception against gay people was not right, and that he is still an agnostic that is "perhaps" hopeful. I am sorry but none of these things go together and with his past.

He is not exactly an agnostic, and "hopeful" is an understatement. He is still an avid consumer of books, podcasts and other content of revising and re-evaluating Christianity. He is planning to make podcasts with relevant people on the matter. He made the podcast 40 minutes too long because he could not stop discussing it. He is not someone who "doesn't know" and tries to become okay with it, like Link. He actively wants to find an answer even though he admits nobody has so far. Dare I say, being from a country far far away, he won't find any satisfactory answer in those books of deconstructed American protestants saying the same things over and over. I believe he's fallen in a loop he enjoys. Link was yawning at some point. And despite exploring spirituality, mindfulness and all that, it is obvious he still tries to connect them to some form of enlightened new age Christianity he hopes to find. In short, I admit I believe he is a hopeful spiritual who actively tries to find ways for Christianity to work in ways that he will find right, just and, who knows, more welcoming maybe, so that he can perhaps return at some point.

When he says he always felt the Christian perception of gay people was wrong, I suppose he means this was deep, deep, deep inside him because on the outside he acted very uptight, given the family he grew in. It's hard to forget that one of the very very first videos they were making, where they are close to each other and the camera only shows them from the shoulder and up and Rhett sourly says "Don't touch me. You touch me on my knee. Don't touch me. Please." And Link responds: "Well, I didn't do it on purpose!". So he exposed it on camera and demanded Link's immediate correction, even though it wasn't visible to the viewers. He could just drew his leg far from Link, why make a fuss about something nobody could see, if not to boast out of nowhere how much of a manly hetero he is, even at the expense of his friend? So... even if he always felt it was wrong, he felt it at a much deeper, introspective level and it took him time to bring it to the surface and reconcile with it, let alone that he still struggles as we see. And at the time, no matter if he felt it was wrong, he apparently acted like it was right. (Link's "being a fake" rings in my mind.)

If the problems that made Rhett abandon the faith were 100% intellectual and scientific, then why does he linger so much behind, in discussions and revisions and alternative Bible reinterpretations, in what people try to make out of something that he presumably now thinks it's a 100% fantasy story?

Also, if he was so at the Top of the Game when he was the prime role model of White Christian Straight Male and everything worked great for him and he only left because science is cool and says "nah", then why did he come up with an Alter Ego to express his trauma and reflect on it through music? Why so much heavy and dark symbolism in his scripted works, from The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek to the 2023 videos to Wonderhole? Come on now.

I believe he has chosen to be vulnerable almost exclusively through the scripted work. Otherwise, I don't have an explanation for the so many contradictions in the things he says versus the things he does. But it would be better if he was more vague than being so adamant in presenting what seems to be half the story. This is my perception, at least. What I don't understand is whether Rhett tries to convince Link and himself that this is indeed how things are in his case or Link knows he is saying only part of the truth and he is patient and respectful of Rhett's boundaries.

*This analysis will be included in the One Story Masterlist due to the important implication about Wonderhole.

[asherlockstudy]

I feel like there's a lot to unpack in the latest deconstruction EB but I am sick and I feel so tired and they didn't make it easy with these two hours of roundabouts and Rhett's conflicting interest non-interest in Christian things, that I can't put two sentences in a row... but there was much going on and I feel like if I don't write my thoughts now I will forget about them entirely

[asherlockstudy]

this is so funny. ducklings from wish.

[asherlockstudy]

Link's heart falling off his sleeve again.

[asherlockstudy]

Cos it was spontaneous 🙂

Why was this more intimate than 90% of fanfiction theater?? 😂

[asherlockstudy]

My favorite part of the fanfic theater was link getting smug about his blowjob abilities after the bonus story

^thing i paid real life money dollars to see...

[asherlockstudy]

Fanfic theater not as rhinky as were were hoping! I shouldn't be surprised.

Yes it was actually showing from the trailer that this was a purely comedic thing that would not go far.

There are some interesting points to make though, I think:

I suspected this was a marketing ploy and it was, they wanted to attract more MBs (shippers?) to the Mythical Society. This is why they gave most of it free but they kept the last one behind a paywall.

Link was consistently the best actor of the two and the crew’s votes were strategic in order to create a draw that would lead to the next paywall story. Since the voting of the crew was made up, Jordan chimed in to give credit where it really was due. Link could not help himself and asked “you mean I am more committed to this as an actor or I like this more”? Some people including Rhett joked it was because he liked it more which is an answer Link did not approve of but it felt to me that it was not truly because he had to deny liking this but because Rhett’s consistent comparative coldness is pissing him off. It was also a little evident when he challenged the crew for giving their vote to Rhett in the second story: “At what point exactly did he win you over?”

Having said that, the gap in their performances was not as huge this time as other times. Both acted fake uncomfortable. And yet there were also a few moments where some naturalness slipped in, even in Rhett’s case a few times. The accidental little moments of naturalness always felt more real than the pretense to be so very uncomfortable.

Rhett did not deny this is harder for him. But what does this public statement mean? Surely not that it’s harder for him because Link is more into him than he is into Link because that would be an outing of Link, which Rhett would be careful not to do. So he admitted that he has more trouble letting himself go in such a context in front of everyone, regardless if deep inside there is truth in it or not. But given how much he struggles, my bet is on that things are not fake deep inside (let’s not forget he has easily kissed Chase full on the lips).

Some of the things they both looked so awkwardly silly in pretending to find uncomfortable are things they have effortlessly done throughout their career, for example waist groping. Rhett is an expert at this when it is not labeled “fanfic theatre”. They are also experts at doing much worse in their scripted content but they never take those into account somehow.

They said they were seeing this script for the first time but they seemed to expect some of the things Emily did and Jordan said in advance.

Also, why do they keep saying they have made one fanfic episode in GMM? Aren’t they three?

Funny show though! Kept me good company now that I am sick 🤒

[asherlockstudy]

Rhett:

Link:

[asherlockstudy]

'also easy to explain away not understanding topping/bottoming with oblivious straight guy persona "oh i thought it was just when she's on top of you"' I'm the initial Anon, and honestly no I don't think this would've worked. Link is a clear advocate of gay rights and all that and he's very into the culture as well, he knows the basic terminology at least. Plus, they've touched on that subject countless times so no, wouldn't work. Anyways I think that interaction was genuinely surface level

[asherlockstudy]

i think im getting better! :) [another event occurs]

[asherlockstudy]

interesting thing to me in that is neither of them seem super impressed with stevie making the "all love a good TOPped pancake" joke but seem to fairly consistently have a good time joking around like that with jordan. also at other anon he does, after a moment and before saying the opposite thing, say "me too" in response to jordan's whisper (and again after they ask what he thinks about it, though that really could be him just agreeing with rhett's "i think that's awesome"), unless he was saying that he also heard it in response to rhett? which wouldn't make much sense as that was clear. also easy to explain away not understanding topping/bottoming with oblivious straight guy persona "oh i thought it was just when she's on top of you"

I'm gonna play Devil's Advocate in this case and say I think the "me too" thing mostly meant he generally wanted to have sex too and then he remembered what "get topped" exactly means so he said "actually the exact opposite". It seemed not very intentional to me.

[asherlockstudy]

Redo/revisit of this - one of the first Rhett fanarts I ever did back in July 2018 

[asherlockstudy]

If one told me that resisting the eczema itch is as hard as going off heroin cold turkey, I ‘d believe them

[asherlockstudy]

s1 sherlock:

me: SAY I LOVE YOU

s2 sherlock:

me: SAY I LOVE YOU

s3 sherlock:

me: SAY I LOVE YOU

s4 sherlock: i love you

me:

[asherlockstudy]

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau by Søren Solkær - Filmmagasinet Ekko #83, 2019.

[asherlockstudy]

I really think the sister in law thing was just Link teasing Rhett and boys being boys, nothing more

Doubt he's jealous or anything, and as for the topping thing well he just wanted to interject and saying he wants to "get topped" too would've been TOO risky so ofc he just said anything

I usually agree with your observations but imo there wasn't anything in this interaction

I didn’t think it was something of critical significance (hence the humorous post) but they were giving each other a hard time, each trying to imply the other’s trip was going to suck

[asherlockstudy]

Two non passive-aggressive friends discussing their upcoming Valentine's trips

Jordan: Ngl I am in a mood to get topped Link: I'm in a mood to top Rhett: :O waaa who would have thought my platonic straight married friend likes to top Link: And let's get this episode over with so I can go to full romantic holidays mode Rhett: Okay chill maybe Link: I am leaving for a romantic extravaganza in the desert..... Jordan & Rhett: ................? Link: WIth my dogs. Rhett: Poor guy. Link:............................well, and Christy. Rhett: Oh. OK. Link: But it's gonna be so romantic, the two of us, all alone, the stars....... Rhett: And the dogs who are going to fuck this up hehehe Jordan: Anyway, let's move on. Link: Yeah, okay from these ingredients I think the best is- Rhett: WELL HOLD ON DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND I SHOULD INFORM YOU ALL THAT I WILL BE FOR MY VALENTINE'S TRIP IN....... *drumroll*... MEXICO HEHE Link: With his sister in law. Deflated Rhett: n-o... with my WAIF Link: :) Rhett: Okay her sister and her man are coming along, but they will be in a different room!!!! Jordan: Well, obviously? Rhett: Link was implying things!!!!!!!! Link: :) Link: You're still taking your sister Rhett: YOU'RE TAKING DOGS!!!!! Link: Sister. In. Law. In. Your. Retreat. Jordan: Calm down, I assume that in these trips you will be having sex only with whom you're supposed to. Link: Pick a fucking waffle topping, Rhett.