#Anti-The Dreaaming

[thenightling]

Thoughts about The Dreaming (Sandman Spin-off comics)

There are so many things I don’t like about the writing of The Dreaming.  My biggest complaint being Nuala and the false empowerment thrust upon her hiding under a glamour again when the apex of her original storylne was her showing up in Faerie without the illusion, and truly being herself despite the consiquences.   

Sending me Tumblr replies that are nothing more than long winded “But this time it’s her choice so that makes it empowering!” doesn’t change my mind.

  Uh... No. Not really...

I actually don’t really mind her ending up with Lucien at the end, that part I’m okay with, but the reasoning behind it bothers me.   It’s to “Show that she has finally moved on from her unrequited love for Morpheus.”   No, no, honey, no.  That’s not healthy.  In fact most relationships started with that in mind fail.  You don’t “move on” by choosing a rebound boyfriend.  Especially one who showed no sign of sexual interest (or romantic interest) at all in the original comics.  Lucien doesn’t even know how to literally sit down without looking awkward (See “Season of Mists”).

Literally!

   That’s not healing.  That’s perpetuating the idea that a woman needs to be in a relationship to be happy.  “But she’s no longer pining for someone who didn’t love her (and is dead) so that makes it happy!”

So not only is she happily conforming to hiding her true self based on what her society originally expected of her but she is in a relationship so that’s a happy ending.   And the author has no idea how ironic and cynical this actually is...

Please, for one moment, before even TRYING to reply to me, understand that I am speaking of the symbolic significance.  A Glamour spell literally means “Hide your true self”.   A character who had a whole story arc about self-acceptance is “empowered” by hiding her true self?!?

  Now let’s look at that metaphorically - A gay person choosing to be in the closet, a Trans boy who was forced to wear a dress now chooses it because it’s easier than trying to defy stereotypes and culture norms, a gender-non-conforming girl forced to wear pink ribbons, ties them herself...  Do you understand YET?!?  It’s the ugliest thing written in a Neil Gaiman inspired comic.  

It’s like the author mistakenly associated the Glamour spell with the accouterments of a Trans woman to make herself look in a way that she considers beautiful but in reality the Glamour spell by it’s literal meaning is to hide who you really are and be what others expect of you.  It’s closer to a Trans boy being forced to wear a dress... 

With being Trans and posing as your birth-sex to appease social norms, that’s essentially a glamour spell- living up to what others expect of you instead of being your true inner self.  Finally being the gender of your heart is the removal of that glamour and self-liberation.  I don’t know how the author doesn’t see it for what it is. 

A Trans male friend was hurt by Nuala’s plot line and I am not over that.  

Don’t pretend this has to do with my preferring a certain hair color or body type. It’s about hiding who you truly are, literally, and figuratively.  And to make that a message of “empowerment” that she is back under the glamour is frankly hideous.  Nothing - no amount of justification will ever make it okay. 

Side note:  Are you aware the sapphire Nuala had that the faeries were after is literally just the Gaelic word for “Plot”?  That’s how lazy the writing is!   You might as well have named it McGuffin.   “Nuala has the McGuffin!”   That’s literally what they were saying!  It’s not subtle.  It’s not cute.  It’s not funny.  

Want to know how that sort of thing is done right?  Go back to the first issue of Sandman.  There’s a grimoire mentioned that’s just the Latin words for “Yellow pages.”  Alexander Burgess found Dream of The Endless listed in The Yellow Pages.  Now that was funny.  And it wasn’t a major plot point repeated over and over and over again to the point of annoying.  

My feeling that Echo is woefully under developed is just the tip of the iceberg of things I don’t like about The Dreaming spin-off comics.

How about Merv Pumpkinhead using sleeping mortals as slave labor and one of them mistaking him as a God and attempting suicide, resulting in brain damage- and Merv is oblivious to what happened to him!  Speaking of which, Good God, there’s a lot of suicide and attempted suicide in The Dreaming!  Sixty issues and there are at least six different suicides and / or suicide attempts, possibly more than that.   

Cain’s banishment by a Nightmare judge (who really shouldn’t have that kind of authority even if he is a borrowed DC horror host).  And the idea that the human race “needs” Cain to murder Abel as a subconscious outlet for our violent tendencies... Maybe you (the writer) should have re-read a Parliament of Rooks first? (Issue 40 of Sandman).  It’s implied that Cain and Abel (these versions anyway) predate The Human race.  

Consistency!  

One of The Dreaming comics explains that the reason Dream (Daniel) doesn’t get involved more often is because “It’s like living in New York City and expecting to run into a celebrity because they just happen to live there.”  Well, no. But the mayor of New York would probably have shown himself if a literal civil war was declared between The Lower East Side and the Upper West Side!  “I didn’t want there to be any martyrs.” doesn’t cut it, Daniel.  You’re the king!

This just makes Daniel look incompetent that he does nothing when his land goes to war like that.  The Dreaming was on worse shape with Daniel in charge than it was when Morpheus was being held prisoner for seventy-two-years.

And don’t get me started on Matthew’s death (”Third time’s a charm.”) just to give Daniel a matching white raven and that painfully cheap “The Wake” knock-off, right down to Echo and Corinthian’s use of “You can be me when I’m gone” where I’ve come to hate that phrase and that poor, guiltless poem it originated from.

And Daniel giving that great speech (I actually mean that.  It was a good speech) about the importance of memory and how our memories define us, only to alter Lucien’s memories anyway!   WTF?!   There’s no charm, whimsy, or depth.  It’s just a cynical and pale imitation of something that actually was good.

Also when you’re a spn-off from a semi-dark comic book and most readers complain that it’s too dark... MAYBE THEY’RE ON TO SOMETHING!

[roguematt]

Let👏antis👏see👏the👏blocklist👏if👏youre👏gonna👏make👏a👏list👏make👏it👏public

[maliciouslycreative]

My Top Kpop Songs of 2021

I realise that at this point January is almost over but please realise that I am a human mess and my life is hanging on by a thread. You can hear the whole playlist here on Spotify.

I’m really excited for this as this was my first year in the community. I’ve really had a great time rediscovering my love for music. I’ve fallen for so many new groups and made so many new friends. I look forward to making more new friends and finding even more groups to love. My DMs and asks are always open so don’t be afraid to say hi!

I’m not gonna make a huge post about every song I love on here because honestly this will make this post like way way way too long. I will however put under the cut a typed out list of 50 of the songs I really enjoyed this year for anyone that does not want to go through the playlist. Also if you want to hear my opinions on anything please drop me an ask or a comment.

10. Butter - BTS

9. No Diggity - Oneus

8. Anyone - Seventeen

7. Hello Future - NCT DREAM

6. Save - NCT 127

5. You Can’t Sit With Us - Sunmi

4. libidO - OnlyOneOf

3. Advice - Taemin

2. Don’t Call Me - SHINee

1. Bad Love - Key

I didn’t think anything could shake SHINee from number 1 and then here Key came in and absolutely fucking SLAYED it with Bad Love. The first time I heard it I knew I was completely gone. As you can see from this list I am a die hard shawol above all else and that I love EDM and powerful songs lol. It was so hard to order all these songs but it came down to the fact that these 10 were probably the ones I kept coming back to the most.

Love you all, can’t wait to see what this near year brings! fighting!

Key - Bad Love

Don’t Call Me - SHINee

Advice - Taemin

libidO - OnlyOneOf

You Can’t Sit With Us - Sunmi

Save - NCT 127

Hello Future - NCT DREAAM

Anyone - Seventeen

No Diggity - Oneus

Butter - BTS

0X1=LOVESONG (I KNOW I LOVE YOU) - TOMORROW X TOGETHER (feat Seori)

Deja Vu - Ateez

Atlantis - SHINee

Low Low - Ten & Yangyang

No More X - T01

Charger - A.C.E

Drunk-Dazed - Enhypen

Go or Stop - Sunmi

The Boyz - Thrill Ride

BEcause - Dreamcatcher

Eternal Sunshine - Ateez

Lemonade - NCT 127

LO$ER=LO♡ER - TOMORROW X TOGETHER

Sticker - NCT 127

Bbusyeo - Oneus

The View - Stray Kids

Santa Monica - NIK

Paranoia - Kang Daniel

Rock With you - Seventeen

Touch By Touch - Greatguys

tear Of gOd - OnlyOneOf

MEGA PUNCH - NOM

Fireworks (I’m The One) - Ateez

Anti-Romantic - TOMORROW X TOGETHER

Scientist - Twice

Tear Drop - SF9

Black Mirror - Oneus

Odd Eye - Dreamcatcher

Splash - Mirae

My Universe - Suga’s Remix - Coldplay X BTS

Tail - Sunmi

SPARK - A.C.E (from Light on Me soundtrack)

Move - SF9

What Type of X - Jessi

Beautiful - NCT 2021

? (questiOn mark) - OnlyOneOf

Control - GHOST9

It Doesn’t Matter - AQUINAS

Drink It - The Boyz

KISS OR DEATH - Monsta X