#/ unpopular opinion cw.

[hot-take-tournament]

HOT TAKE TOURNAMENT!

GREATEST HITS!

Submission 474

vocaloids (and all similar non-Yamaha-owned vocal synths) are bad. all of them.

It's a mockery of the human voice. Frye from Splatoon 3 of all things is the closest we will ever get to having any interesting vocal technique in a voice synth bank. Singing styles around the world are so interesting and take so much skill and you abandon them for a glorified MIDI file? I also blame them for the rise of AI-generated covers, because they first started the devaluing of the human voice and the usage of it as an instrument - a really boring one that will never know advanced or diverse technique. Congrats, Miku made Minecraft, now all of SpongeBob has sang Billie Jean by Michael Jackson. At least the SpongeBob characters have distinct and interesting voices.

[from follow up asks]

hello. vocaloid take submitter here.

i didn't expect my submission to gain as much traction as it did, i thought it was lukewarm at best. i thought there were more vocaloid haters out there. this is tumblr, though, so i guess not. still think vocaloid is ass though.

i will say, it might add context to my take that i myself am a singer and have natural perfect pitch. while i haven't sang in any professional capacity, i've still done some voice training and lots of lower level performances. i have very strong feelings about singing, and hold what the human voice can do in high regard.

i also have a better ear for picking up smaller things in the human voice (re: natural perfect pitch) and the difference between humans and vocaloid is extremely striking to me. no amount of tuning can make a vocaloid not sound lifeless to me, because i will never, ever hear a human voice, and instead of letting the lead of the song Not Be Vocals - which has never been a novel concept - they HAVE to put the voice bank in.

also, re: "frye isn't a voice bank dumbass", congrats! you took away something i felt was actually interesting! god i wish more people knew about more singing styles that they couldn't easily replicate!

while now i know that AI voices are not a continuation of vocaloid, sorry, still think it's bad, go to hell and learn to compose a song without lyrics.

also - still the vocaloid take submitter - to continue:

i will eventually send a link to a playlist of all of the Vocaloid songs i have ever listened to, because i am sure most of the people who think i submitted that think that i do not even know what Defoko is, or that i've heard exactly two Hatsune Miku songs. i know what Defoko is. i know she's entirely computer generated. i've listened to her voice. i still think it's bad. have any of you big shots heard of Big Al? i've listened to him. also bad. it's bad.

Submission 111

I think chicken breast is disgusting and I would rather blend it up into a shake than eat it with my teeth

It’s fast, it’s efficient, it’s nutritious if you add fruits and vegetables. It’s easy to prepare and you can drink it on the go. I need the protein but chicken breast tastes disgusting either way, and I’m tired of putting in so much effort to make the joyless rubbery meat taste good.

My friends and family are wrong, this is the future.

I see some of you not voting! That's cheating!

It's ok if you agree with neither take! Just choose the take you agree with slightly more!

Think of it like choosing the lesser of two evils!

Propaganda is always encouraged, and remember to reblog your favourite polls for exposure!

[add1ctedt0you]

Four times Jiang Cheng protected someone

Bonus: Two times Jiang Cheng was protected by someone

Yet, at the same time, Wen Zhuliu was closing in on Madam Yu. He looked as if he was about to knock her down. Jiang Cheng hurried, "Mom!"

He immediately gave up on Wang Lingjiao and threw himself over.

The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation - Chapter 58 - Poisons - Part 3

That, at the town we passed on our way, when you were buying food, a group of Wen Sect cultivators caught up. That, I discovered them early and left where I sat, hiding at the corner of the street and didn't get caught, but they were patrolling the streets and would soon run into you outside.

That this was why I ran out and distracted them.

The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation - Chapter 110 - Concealment - Part 4

Jiang Cheng heard the voice as well. In an istant, his face had turned white, "Sis? Sis! Where are you? Where are you?"

The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation - Chapter 78 - Nightfall - part 3

With a roar, Nie Mingjue grabbed at Jin Ling. Both Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling had backed away to the corner of the wall, unable to retreat further. Jiang Cheng could only stuff Jin Ling behind him and unsheathe Sandu, which at the moment was unable to use spiritual energy, forcing himself to fend off the attack.

The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation - Chapter 107- Concealment - Part 1

Bonus:

Lan Wangji grabbed Wei Wuxian's shoulder with one hand, letting Wei Wuxian stand behind him, and with his other hand he forcefully pushed away Jiang Cheng's hand. Rage could be seen hidden within his eyes. Although his push held no spiritual energy, it was quite powerful in terms of strength. The wound at Jiang Cheng's chest ripped apart again. Blood surged.

Jin Ling cried, "Uncle, your wound! Hanguang-jun, spare some mercy!"

The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation - Chapter 102- Hatred - Part 5

Nie Mingjue's heavy fist punched through a body.

But the body was neither Jiang Cheng's nor Jin Ling's.

Wen Ning blocked himself before the wall, in front of the two of them. With both his hands, he grabbed Nie Mingjue's iron arm and slowly pulled it out of his chest, leaving behind a large, hollow hole. There was no bleeding. Only a couple of black organ crumbs fell out.

The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation - Chapter 107- Concealment - Part 1

[evanpeterswifeyyy]

Phantom of The Opera rant because I just watched the full movie of my favorite stage play and it’s on my mind.

Warning: controversial/ unpopular fandom opinion. Key word: OPINION. Excessive yapping—I’m pulling up recipets yall. This is actually an essay. Despite that, I will definitely make some spelling mistakes, explain things poorly or repeat points. I am human, thanks.

I’m not sure if this is controversial or not, but I don’t fully understand how people like Christine and the Phantom together. At a basic level, I can understand why:

- It has dark romance themes/ tropes (totally different topic I could rant about)

-It’s taboo and edgy, kinda raw

-Many actors who play the Phantom are conventionally attractive

-Christine and the Phantom usually have more on-screen chemsitry (chemistry does not always mean romantic, please be mindful of that)

So, I wanted to write a small little essay picking apart why I believe The Phantom and Christine are a toxic and abusive pairing.

This is not an attack on anyone who pairs them together, nor do I honestly care that much if you do, I just don’t see many in-depth second opinions about this.

With this knowledge, proceed at your own discretion and be respectful:

I want to start off with the main reasons why I believe the Phantom and Christine should NOT be paired together. To preface, I have only seen TWO pieces of media related to the POT. I will be using those as my evidence, as they are also the most popular reditions of the play that I’m sure most of you will know and reference yourself.

Those being:

The 25th Anniversary stage play with Sierra Boggess and Ramin Karimloo

The Phantom of the Opera screenplay starring Emmy Rossum

To begin, in the screenplay Christine has been shown to have known the Phantom since she was a child. Throughout multiple reditions, Christine has always been portrayed as in her late teens to early 20’s during the main events of the play and the Phantom is depicted somewhere around his 40’s-50’s. That in it of itself is creepy.

I understand that age gaps are a big topic in fandoms and media, and I would have little problem with this age gap if it weren’t for the fact that it is implied many times that he has been training her to sing since her father died. To get to Christine’s level in the opera, that would take years. Even if she already had vocal talent. Meaning that she was a minor when he met her.

That would be grooming. Literally.

To add onto this point, I want to paraphrase and quote some of the things the Phantom says to/ about Christine.

“Sing for me, my angel of music”

“Since I first heard you sing. I have needed you with me, to serve me, to sing. For my music”

Now, anyone can interpret these lyrics differently, but how I interpret them is:

He is using Christine for her voice. He has groomed her (in multiple ways) and polished her voice to sing so he can use her for his music. I mean, he literally kills and threatens people who do not allow Christine to be the star of every play once the main events happen.

He calls her his “angel of music”. Which might be endearing, if you remember the fact that he has been grooming her since she was a child to “serve” him. This is an objectifying name. He is saying this in contrast with Christine’s angel of music, which is a literal angel that her father promised to send her. To Christine, her angel of music is her father’s love and legacy. For The Phantom, it is his magnum opus: Christine.

Speaking of Christine and her “Angel of Music”. This leads me to my next point:

The Phantom pretends to be Christine’s father/ angel of music to manipulate and trick her.

During both graveyard scenes (the musical and the screenplay) Christine says:

“Angel or father, friend or phantom?”

The way I interpret this:

It is not a coincidence the comparison. [The split/ play on words]

Angel or friend?

Father or phantom?

Christine believes the angel to either be her father, or an entity he sent. When the Phantom says to her in the next moment:

“Have you forgotten your angel?”

That is him admitting he knows that Christine has believed he was the angel of music/ her father teaching and guiding her this whole time. And in the same song he is manipulating her, putting back on the facade of being her “angel of music” and leading her back to him—where Raoul has to snap her out of it.

Raoul has to literally tell Christine that the Phantom is not her father in both the play and the screenplay. Further solidifying the fact that she believes that the Phantom is her father or a being sent by him.

If we take that into fact, that means that the whole time up until at least now, she has only seen the Phantom as a fatherly figure.

Now, let’s talk about the final confrontation.

I’m already hearing the “but she says she loves him at the end!” Or “then why did she kiss him?!”

Glad you asked!

The final confrontation is the most blatant showcase of the Phantom’s delusion and abuse.

First, lets it back to the fact that the Phantom is shown to be a murderer. Someone who kills for their own benefit without remorse. Christine says it herself, and there are multiple scenes where she speaks of the Phantom and is afraid. She believes the Phantom may even kill her if she does not comply with his rules.

Quotes/ Paraphrases here (from the broadway and movie scripts):

“(to RAOUL, pleading)

Raoul, I'm frightened -

don't make me do this

Raoul, it scares me -

don't put me through this

ordeal by fire

he'll take me, I know

we'll be parted for ever

he won't let me go” (Christine talking about doing the Don Juan play)

“RAOUL

When will that be?

It's an engagement,

not a crime!” (Raoul fighting with Christine about hiding their engagement. It’s implied here that Christine is hiding their engagement from the Phantom because she knows it will upset him.)

The most damning piece of evidence:

“CHRISTINE

Twisted every way,

what answer can I give?

Am I to risk my life,

to win the chance to live?

Can I betray the man

who once inspired my voice?

Do I become his prey?

Do I have any choice?

He kills without a thought,

he murders all that's good

I know I can't refuse

and yet, I wish I could?

Oh God - if I agree,

what horrors wait for me

in this, the Phantom's opera?” (Christine speaks about the Phantom after being told she is forced to play in Don Juan)

With this information, we know that the Phantom kills for selfish reasons. He will do anything to get what he wants. Regardless of even the feelings of Christine.

Back to confrontation, Christine in the movie is shown to have the Phantom force her to put on the wedding dress. She clearly does not want to do it, but feels threatened by him to do so.

The whole time she is uncomfortable. Then, he captures Raoul.

He gives her an incentive and she only has two choices:

-Admit she loves him to free Raoul

-Deny she loves him and kill Raoul

Now, if you know anything about incentives and abusive people. This is the most toxic thing to ever do. It is completely self-serving and both Christine and Raoul know that he is going to kill him regardless and is pressuring her to lie and say she loves him.

Quotes/ Paraphrases:

“CHRISTINE:

Farewell my fallen idol and false friend

We had such hopes, and now those hopes are shattered!

PHANTOM:

Too late for turning back, too late for prayers and useless pity!

RAOUL:

Say you love him and my life is over

PHANTOM:

All hope of cries for help; no point in fighting!

RAOUL/PHANTOM:

For either way you choose, he has to win/you cannot win!”

The Phantom is not doing this out of love. No one who loves someone would threaten to kill the person they love/ choose instead of them. The Phantom up until this point is possesive, infatuated and obsessed wih Christine. There are no signs of real love from him. It is all self serving and an idolized image of Christine.

When Christine shows him a bit of kindness during this moment I believe she is being genuine, but I also believe she’s only doing it to save herself.

Christine feels pity for the Phantom because she realizes during this encounter that he has been traumatized and isolated so bad that he feels he has to torture others to get what he wants. That he truly believes that no one but Christine will love him, and therefore he must make sure at all costs that he will get what he wants. Christine, being empathetic, tells the Phantom that she hears him.

I don’t think Christine kissing the Phantom is out of love. Not in a romantic sense. Christine kisses the Phantom not only to save her and Raoul’s lives, but also because she is feeling pity for the Phantom. He has never felt the physical touch of another person as he says in his own words, so she kisses him.

This obviously works, and she sets him free.

Lets talk about the musical because there’s a scene after this where she returns while the Phantom is wallowing after freeing them.

I still don’t think Christine returns because she loves the Phantom. Up until now, she has no reason to except for the fact that she finally humanizes him. No, I think that this scene just further solidifies that she yes, she loves the Phantom. But not in a romantic sense. From the beginning she has been shown to have a fatherly view of the Phantom, and I believe that paired with the memories of her father and the years they spent—she returns because she continues to see her father in him and feels pity for him. She wants to help the Phantom be happy because he brought her a piece of her father. Possibly she even still believes that he was in fact sent by her father to teach her music and take care of her in some way.

This is my interpretation of the scene.

A point I see brought up A LOT when it comes to justifying Christine’s romance with The Phantom is:

“Well, Raoul is abusive in the second rendition and her and the Phantom have an affair.”

Have you ever seen Cinderella 2? Have you ever heard of it? There are 3 Cinderella movies.

But we all refer to the first one because A. It’s the most popular and a classic B. The other movies sold poorly because they were bad and nobody asked for them.

My point here is: so is Love Never Dies.

I said what I fucking said. Cry about it.

But lets imagine for a moment if we took Love Never Dies as part of the main canon:

I don’t think Christine should be with Raoul either.

Another point I see a lot is: “They just meet again and instantly get engaged”

Which yes, that’s definitely a point of contention.

But considering just The Phantom Of the Opera in this case, they have known each other since they were kids. And considering the time period the events are set in, this is actually not that surprising or uncommon and makes sense. Even if Christine didn’t love Raoul, given her position, it would have been beneficial for her to get married. And it might as well be someone she’s known for a long time.

But if you were to ask me, without being forced to choose between Raoul or the Phantom, I would tell you that I believe that she should be with neither.

Both are abusive towards Christine. One just more literally stated than the other.

Edit because I forgot to add this crucial point:

The Phantom of the Opera was NOT a story created by Andrew Lloyd Webber (the man who created the musical adaptation and scores)

It is a story from 1910 by french author Gaston Leroux. If we take that context into consideration, (as someone who has not yet read the book) the movie (based on the musical) and the musical are not accurate representations of the original material or intention.

There were definitely creative liberties taken or misinterpretations. Especially with Love Never Dies.

There were black and white movies made of the story as well. The Phantom is specifically portrayed as a real life monster. This image of him being a handsome man with a scarred face and tragic past only happened in the 20th century.

I believe that is the conclusion of this rant/ essay. I know this probably won’t get a lot of reach, but if you read this whole thing (whether you agree or not), thanks a lot. Truly.

Hopefully this will add more discussion to the topic and give people a more open minded view on the topic, and realize the real nature of the Phantom. There are so many ways to interpret and art piece, and time and time again, this is what I see in it. So to see people romanticize their relationship always gives me the ick (ofc, you do you boo, I can’t stop you). So I’m tired of arguing individually with people, so I might as well have a full reference to come back to.

I’m sure there’s more evidence and points I could have made, but this is long enough. Regardless, I hope you can take away something from this, and if you want to possibly hear about any more of my controversial opinions—leave a note so I know! <3

[tethysresort]

The first time I read the Silmarillion, I thought about Elwing jumping (from a window, from a tower, from a cliff, from a…) Silmaril in hand and thought, “Ah, well, this at least makes sense to me.”

It is the sort of thought that one takes out of one’s head and sits before oneself to examine more carefully. 

I read the “Lord of the Rings” in junior high, and the “Hobbit” in college.  But not the “Silmarillion” until years later.  And by then I had read the “Tale of Heike”.  An epic saga of the Genpei war, a civil war in Japan.  The saga is a poetic but bloody thing: full of the anger of the gods, battles, massacres, and executions as the Minamoto wipe out the Taira. 

One of the final horrible battles of the war is a naval battle at Dan-no-ura in the strait between the islands of Honshu and Shikoku.  On the losing boats was the six year old Emperor Antoku, his mother, and his grandmother.  As the battle was lost, Antoku’s grandmother gathered up two of the three pieces of the Imperial Regalia (given by the gods) and commits murder-suicide by jumping into the sea with Antoku.  (Antoku’s mother follows but is rescued and dragged onto an enemy boat.  Many follow that way; the Minamoto have already shown that the only fate for captured prisoners is execution.)

Three pieces of holy Regalia, given by the gods.  A little boy who would be King.  A woman who leaps into the sea with the Regalia so that the winning side cannot have it. 

I wonder if Tolkien ever read the “Tale of Heike”. 

In the end, I suppose the initial thought stretched out properly is this: “Ah, well, this makes sense to me.  This is an old and familiar story.  At least she wasn’t holding Elrond and Elros as she fell.”

[radiostatik]

They should've never done the scene of Pentious getting dragged in the sex room from the gang. Like how come you make an episode about the serious topic of SA and then after that you make a joke of it.

My opinion: Yeah, that scene really upset me. It was just a bit much having him be dragged away while screaming no, and the gang yelling "get in here, old man." It was really creepy, and they didn't need to add that for the joke to be funny. The joke would be funnier without it.

Or, if you do keep the scene in the show, use it as an opportunity to show Angel protecting his friends. It's difficult to believe someone like Angel would just watch that happen, and not do a thing about it.

Sir Pentious is best boy. He deserved better. Viv don't you dare hurt my snake boy as use his s/a as a joke. 😡😥

[splosh-crime]

Alfred Pennyworth is a Bystander

Feel free to present new evidence to me (politely) from DC media if I get stuff wrong, as I have limited information. All I ask is an open mind.

Considering how much writing there is confronting Bruce’s abuse of his many children, I am disappointed but not surprised to see an extreme lack of responsibility assigned to Alfred. Alfred’s emotional distance due to his employment and British culture did Bruce a disservice and likely contributed to his emotional ignorance. Yes, he’s very cool-headed, but that’s not always what a child needs. I have seen many comics in which this emotional distance is tempered with warmth but certainly not all. If Bruce (& Jason & Damian) is as abusive as he is in canon, has met little to no resistance, and few to none of the batkids have been parented more by Alfred in response then Alfred has failed in his duty as an adoptive grandfather, parent, caregiver, and responsible adult. Even if he was lacking the title of grand/parent, he has a responsibility as an adult to ensure the relative health, safety, & happiness of the children he cares for. I know people idolize him. He’s legendary, immortal (jokingly or not), badass, sassy, and a jack of all trades. I know he’s amazing. I also know he’s human and every human has flaws. Failure is also not a state of being. Failure is an event or response, what matters is how you react to it. I believe Alfred can learn to intervene in his foster son’s abuse and protect the children in his care.

[poggersbathwater]

Unpopular opinion but I hate the writing of Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss (more hazbin Hotel than anything but Helluva is also roped in because same universe).

(Random disclaimerrrr: Hey. These are my opinions. Also I am not a fan, i just watched the show out of curiosity)

1. The lore sucks. Like, in terms of world building, it sucks. Why do the exterminators exist??? And why would Adam be leading them? Wouldn't he be an archangel or just a regular angel? Maybe even a principality? The exterminators aren't actually a type of angel, bibically. You could've made the Powers do the extermination work, because those are actually a type of angel who also, happen to be warriors! That would've opened the possibility of the other choirs of angels. It also would have been really fun to worldbuild. Also, about the whole god thing, where is he?? Like, I know HH is in its first season, and God could totally just be an unseen force, but shouldn't God have been mentioned in this case? I get it, this is technically Viv's own world and its not going to be accurate, but if you're going to have Saint Peter, Adam, Lucifer, and the Seraphim, then why would God not be in it too? And, if you think about it, it would've been a good message if God was in the show and he had perhaps sided with Charlie, somewhat. Maybe not about redemption, but perhaps about adding rules and making it easier for people to enter Heaven. Because if Viv wanted to cover the idea of hypocritical and selfish christian ideologies (dont even get me started on how many themes are in this show my god), at least show people what Christianity actually is as comparison. It'd make the writing stronger. It feels like the removal of God is a precaution so Christians don't cause controversy. Like, it's trying to do what MONTERO did but it ultimately fails.

2. Charlie is worried about the wrong thing! She shouldn't be worried about the sinners not being redeemed, because technically, heaven is right. If angels can do whatever they want and be in heaven, then it's ALSO fair that sinners can do whatever they want but still be in hell. What she SHOULD be worried about is the fact that there's no rules that say what gets you where. And yes, that is heavens fault, because Hell gets more powerful the more people are in there, and establishing actual rules that tell you what gets you in there would BENEFIT THEM, but it's also just bad writing. (Speaking of which, in Helluva Boss, there is a mention of the rule to not say gods name in vain (episode 4) which I find very contradictory to the fact that there are "no rules".). Anyway, Isn't one of the biggest staples of religion to have some rules to follow for salvation? And I know that technically would work for the case that heaven is hypocritical, but it would've been stronger if heaven had actual rules that just weren't easy to follow (or perhaps had TOO MANY RULES) in order to show how self-righteous they are. She's focused on the wrong problem entirely.

3. Alright, let's get to the writing of female characters. Look, I know I've made a bad take on female characters before (my mutuals remember, and in my defense, my brain does not bake ideas all the way), but even the best chefs burn their food once in a while. Let this be my redemption arc. Viv does NOT know how to write female characters and she makes excuses for it. I can completely understand it in Helluva Boss's case, as it is more led by male characters, but when Fizzarolli, who is a side character, gets more screen time than MILLIE, who is supposed to be a main character, I think there's a problem. (That is not me saying Fizz doesn't deserve screen time- but millie doesn't even have a full episode dedicated just to her, and Fizz has at least one or two). It just- I dunno it bugs me. However, HB did announce some new things coming up and did make a short about Sally Mae and Millie, plus season two of HH is being worked on, so there is a chance for this opinion to age like milk. This is the one time I'd love to be proven wrong.

Anyway, this is in no way me trying to be hateful to Vivziepop (though she is such a shit person). I want to give her some benefit of the doubt because not only were there 10 writers working on the show (that is INCREDIBLY TOO MANY- the most you should need is four imo) but also creators practically lose all creative rights when their show gets handed to a company.

Anyway rant over

[the-gayest-sky-kid]

DAZIA

First Impression: hes like. okay? funny definitely. chuuyas my favorite concept wise because hes what i was introduced to bsd for and ranpos my favorite characterwise. dazais just there like everyone else i guess! ←he did not know

Impression Now: GRGRGEGGEGHSJJRHRRHHRGGRGRGRGEJSHSHRHRHRHRHGRHR BITES YOU BITES YOU BITES YOU i want to take him out on a nice date and then take him home and watch tv and make dinner and and and cries sobs explodes

Favorite Moment: DUNGEON SCENE- (i am assassinated immediately). to be normal though god i really love the 15 LN fight. i am not immune to that. his conversation with kyouka at the end of the guild arc, when shes on the moby dick. thats so everything. any time hes with atsushi. does that count. entirety of hoshikawa 15 adaptation. if you let me keep talking i will literally list every time hes on screen.

Idea For A Story: usually i would have many but actually thinking about things on purpose shuts my brain down fhfbdndn recently ive been thinking of persona 4 style shadow confrontations and i think sending dazai into one of those would be insane for him. otherwise uhm reaction fic. I love reactions. well detailed reaction about dazai in his entirety not a moment left uncovered.

Unpopular Opinion: everything i say about him is unpopular going by the shit im exposed to via YouTube. everyone but me and my mutuals are wrong about dark era and mori and chuuya and akutagawa and atsushi and the ada and his mental health issues and- actually speaking on that i dont think hes ever WANTED to kill himself. especially including pm dazai, who joined to find a Reason To Live. and i dont think hed have like. very obvious panic attacks??? which is smth me and the ao3 and gacha girlies very heavily disagree on apparently. he feels like the type to pace around for an hour on the edge of one. he absolutely can and will cry also. the stage plays understand me in this.

Favorite Relationship: wow i wonder what itd be hm checks list ME X DAZAI THATS RIGHT YOU'VE BEEN BAMBOOZLED ‼️‼️‼️ TRICKED ‼️ okay but actually yeah obviously very clear soukoku girlie here but i have a VERY soft spot for souheki but only in my specific way. nobody else gets them.

Favorite Headcanon: moles and freckles and curly hair. his hair is darker and flatter in the pm because he doesnt shower and its greasy. he needs glasses but doesnt wear them. tboy swag (beastzai is also but doesn't address it. to me). aroace but not processing any of that yet. autism. points at him hair twirling stim 🫵.

[flythesail]

The general consensus is that Nancy's baby sibling is a sister, but I'm over here like... I can only picture a brother

[hegrowth]

unpopular opinion but having to look up info about fcs before I use them is tedious and depressing. I think being informed is important but like. I want to use an fc because they vibe with my character, not because I agree with or relate to or like them, you know ? but one wrong fc pick and I'm being canceled for supporting a shitty person. :x

[anarchist-bean]

Unpopular Opinion:

If it’s “all men,” then it’s “all women too.”

I find it inherently problematic that cis women are often in a place of privilege when they are the abuser. When male or queer victims report abuse - they’re often ignored, dismissed, and ridiculed.

As a person myself that has lived experiences from both perspectives (I’m nonbinary & intersex), I encourage everyone to stop engaging in black and white thinking. We must STOP talking and thinking in binaries.

I’ve been abused by just as many women in my life as I have men. The difference being how they abused me and how they were able to conceal it.

It is much easier for cis women to attempt to deny, attack, and reverse the roles of victim and offender (DARVO) a situation in which they were originally the abuser, because we live in a society that gives deference to cis women on the belief that they’re weaker than the opposite sex.

I’m not saying all of this lightly, I’m speaking from having personal experience with being abused by a variety of genders/sexes, it’s not only one specific gender or sex that can cause harm or be abusive.

Abuse has no set sex or gender.

[hot-take-tournament]

HOT TAKE TOURNAMENT!

GREATEST HITS #2!

Submission 77

pizza tastes best when it's dipped in mayonnaise

just try it and you'll see

Submission 517

M&ms are too dry

I put them in milk and eat them like cereal so it’s better

I see some of you not voting! That's cheating!

It's ok if you agree with neither take! Just choose the take you agree with slightly more!

Think of it like choosing the lesser of two evils!

Propaganda is always encouraged, and remember to reblog your favourite polls for exposure!

No, I don't know why it's green.

[thatonebirdwrites]

did i send you one already? i might be hallucinating

ANYWAY let's talk have you talk about the james and lena relationship por favor for that reverse unpopular ask meme

Oh, you're really making this incredibly hard! Whew.

Something positive about James and Lena's relationship?

Hmmm. I'll dig into how they impact each other. This will only look at the James and Lena strands of the larger Superfriends and Kara ecosystem. (To example the larger ecosystem would require an essay I think.)

First off, their connection shows the growth James has, where he goes from being incredibly distrustful of Lena due to her last name, to dating her a season and a half after her first appearance. He recognizes he was wrong in how he originally treated her, owns up to his bias, and strives to do better. Since he isn't really one to admit when he's wrong, this was surprisingly mature of him. Even after their break-up, he treats Lena respectfully and kindly, which also shows his growth and maturity.

This owning up to his bias influences how he deals with Children of Liberty. He approaches them not only to infiltrate their ranks and figure out what they are really up to, but also to de-radicalize members who may be more on the fence then they appear. His work to deradicalize some of them has mixed results, but the fact he tries is still important.

However, his approach is not something Lena approves of as she finds working with the group incredibly dangerous. They have a fight over it, and that fight is rooted in not - at first - understanding the reasons and ethical considerations the other has.

And yet, Lena still learns from this interaction herself, because she does try to talk to Lockwood and better understand why he is the way he is. She even gives him the truth of how Lex is using him, not only because it might lead her to Lex, but also because she doesn't think he'd be acting the way he was if he knew the full truth. Lena leans very heavily into a strong desire for truth, even if her life itself is shrouded in half-truths and lies by omission. For her, the more information she has, the better the informed decision. (A lesson James also learns from her.)

So in a way, their friendship with the other impacts how they interact with Children of Liberty.

Also, there are several scenes of James and Lena discussing race, which really opens Lena's eyes to something she intellectually seemed to know (since she's well-read), but never actually *considered* in regards to daily-life impact. This, in turn, pushes her away from a more conservative leaning (that the Luthors drilled into her due to being billionaires and unethical) toward a more progressive outlook. She'd already been leaning that way due to her work with the Kara and the Superfriends (considering over half of that group is aliens), but James's impact also pushes her further to the left.

When Lena decides to take the government contract, James takes a stand against it based on his ethics. Lena, on the other hand, stands firm with her idea that she can somehow use this to improve the world. Both seek equality, but how they approach it majorly differs. They clash here in a way that feels irreconcilable, and the romantic part of the relationship ends.

However, later in season 4, we see James and Lena working together to find Lex. Their romance may be gone and dead, but they still show support to the other as platonic friends. Lena reveals her regret at taking the government contract since it wasn't used for good at all in the end. She has a few lines with James in those episodes that shows how she finally comes to understand his concerns about the ethics of harun-el and the contract itself.

Although her hunt for the antidote to harun-el is to help James and stop her brother, she also shows a better understanding of the ethics of the contract and harun-el itself. Of how her work did not improve life for people, but instead gave tremendous power to those causing harm.

James, in turn, does come to understand why Lena took the contract, even if he ultimately disagrees. He sees how she wants an even playing field for everyone, even if her approach was rather grey in a moralistic sense. This impacts his decisions in season 5 actually, when he goes back to his hometown with Kelly. Instead of going into judge-mode (like he might have done in Season 2 and early 3), he seeks to understand the dynamics of his hometown and what is happening there. He decides to assist his hometown in evening the playing field (to build up toward equality and equity), but his approach to it differs from Lena's.

Lena has a tendency toward using science to even the playing field and push for equality. James, on the other hand, uses written word and conversations to build up a movement for that same goal. He learns how to engage the community, but his growth here wouldn't have been possible without Lena (and his other friends) acting as his foil. To point out his own biases.

For Lena, her redemption is impacted by things she learned from James. She even partially quotes something he said in her dialogue with Kara during her redemption period. So although it takes her much longer to process the lessons learned from James, she still comes to an understanding, and it influences her approach to situations in later seasons.

So although their romantic relationship had no chemistry and made no sense, they end up assisting the other in better understanding the world, their unconscious biases, and ethical considerations of situations faced.

What they teach each other is part of an ecosystem, because both James and Lena learn from Kara and the others, and this interwoven web propels their understanding of themselves and their world forward.

They could have still been these foils for the other without the romance, and I posit the show would have been better if they had never been romantically together. But I do think their platonic friendship has helped them be better people in the end.

Of course, all of the above is just a piece of the larger puzzle of the ways Kara, Lena, and the other Superfriends impact and influence one another. Each lesson they learn, each time they better understand one another -- it's all part of the growth ecosystem that slowly unfurls over time due to the nature of conversations, conflict resolution (or lack thereof), and overlapping goals.

What we do, say, and believe has an impact on those around us, and although the CW wasn't always particularly good at writing this impact (and keeping the growth consistent), that growth is still visible in the show itself. It takes a little digging to find it sometimes.

Anyway, thank you for asking! It got me thinking about the interwoven tapestry that is Lena, James, Kara, and the others and how they impact one another.

[badguysgalore]

My Two Cents on the Joker: My Love/Hate relationship with the Clown Prince of Crime

I think something we tend to forget in fandom is that you can like or dislike a character without liking or disliking everything about them. Before anything else said, I want to make this clear as crystal. This is my opinion. I am not saying it is right or that you have to agree. No one has to agree with me. All I ask is that you hear me out, acknowledge my opinion, and if you don't like it, agree to disagree. I fully respect the opinions of those who dislike/hate this character. Okay, let's talk about this frikkin' clown.

It is absolutely no surprise, to me or to anyone, that a lot of people LOATHE the Joker. And with good reason. He is a monster. In nearly every continuity he's in, he's done terrible things. He killed Jason Todd, paralyzed Barbara Gordon, abused and manipulated Harley, tormented and experimented on Tim Drake, turned Superman into a dictator, the list goes on. I understand why people hate him. Their reasons are valid, especially if they relate to his victims.

I myself have a love/hate relationship with the Joker.

Here's what I love about the Joker:

I love that he's Batman's opposite, a bright, loud, colorful clown.

I love that when written right, he can be scary AND funny.

I love his overall classic design. Purple suit, bow-tie, green hair, red lips, etc.

I love that he's deadly, as any Batman villain ought to be.

I love his genius-level intellect. Though, arguably, all the great Batman villains have that.

I love his weapons. Joker venom, acid-squirting flowers, ninja-star playing cards, etc.

I love the whole "Joker card as a calling card" shtick. To me, that never gets old.

I love how ruthless he is. Some of the best villains are ruthless.

I love his whole "agent of chaos" shtick.

I love the idea that he's a deadly maniac hiding behind the humorous image of a clown.

I love the fact that he's anti-nazi. Good to see he has some sort of standards, at least in one or two continuities.

I love his obsession with Batman and their rivalry.

Now here's what I hate about the Joker.

I hate that he has zero respect for anyone other than himself, or even if he does respect them, it's only as a means to an end. At the very least, he ought to have more respect for his allies.

I hate how he serves as a bad representation of mental health. I will not sugarcoat it or give it a pass. I have my own share of mental illnesses, so him serving as an example of the mentally ill? Terrible.

I hate the whole "Life's a Joke and only I know the punchline" shtick.

I hate the way he treated Harley. It was wrong then and it's wrong now. There's no hiding it, or excusing it.

I hate the growing amount of "edginess" the character has been given. He's a clown villain. At least half of his crimes should be nonsensical fun.

I hate how he treats the younger members of the Bat-Family. I know they're his enemies, but still.

I will never condone the Joker's actions, nor the actions of any villain. And again, I fully understand and acknowledge that my enjoyment of the Joker as a villain is unpopular. But I feel like I should be honest. At the end of the day, the Joker is one of my favorite villains. Do I like everything about him? No. But I don't have to.

[billowingangel]

🔥 unpopular opinion please 🙏

Gosh, I was all like I'll do this it'll be fun and now I'm anxious 👉👈 I'm not good with controversy.

cw mention of incest and ship discourse

I don't really think any of the characters are related except maybe ones that are multiple representing one country (i.e. Romano and Italy representing Italy. Germany and Prussia [since Prussia may be representing East Germany now?]) I can see though how people may think that but I also can see why people don't. Like some consider UkUs incest but others don't while more people just think Franada is. Really what's the main difference between how those 2 ships had interacted with each other? For a long time I really cared about that stuff but now I don't. And if you consider some to be related then wouldn't most of them be related?

This is what popped into my head but I may change or delete this tomorrow since the phrasing might not be the best or I think of another unpopular opinion. This was the only one I could think of at the moment but I know I have others 😂

[seesgood]

something something while i fundamentally believe that yes, people should be compensated for the creative labor that they put into making templates / graphics / etc, it leaves me with an icky feeling knowing that in order to be “popular” and increase your chances of people wanting to interact with you, you must meet Aesthetic Demands™, which --- if you’re lucky --- you can use a template for, but i’ve seen google doc and carrd templates costing upwards of $15 a piece. or you can spend hours tinkering and learning coding and then oop, now you need more money to buy a special pro account for one of theses sites, sorry friend! more monies. oh you’re not able / willing / creatively inclined to spend hours putzing around on photoshop to make your own psd, icons, promos, graphics, gifs, banners, etc.? i’ve seen stuff cost upwards of $50. the amount of people making base icons, screencaps, or even gif hunts has dropped, and again: i’ve seen gif hunts that charge $10+ for people to be able to access. 

should any of this matter when it comes to people writing with you? no, absolutely not. does it? yes. absolutely. and you’d be hard pressed to convince me that someone who does NOT have a custom theme / developed aesthetic / carrd / google doc / formatted icons unique to their blog / icons edited with a psd / etc. does not have a markedly more difficult time being perceived as ✨ Quality ✨  ( even when their writing is incredible ) than someone who has more of the Aesthetic™

in conclusion: yes it is perfectly reasonable and understandable that people would / should want compensation for their time and creative efforts in making templates / graphics / resources / etc. i just wish that we weren’t getting to this weird phase where it feels like being Quality™ is essentially being put behind a paywall.