#Somehow forming a parasocial relationship with fictional characters

[schermit]

There has to be a language that has a word for the satisfied sadness you get when finishing a book series.

[starlit-typewriter]

Genshin SAGAU, Creator of Teyvat, but not Humanity Part 2

I didn't expect such a warm reception, but I'm so glad you guys all liked it!

Your kind words inspired me so much so behold the next part!

Warning for spoilers up to 4.6

Masterlist | Prev Part | Next Part

~~~

It all started with a dream.

Well, a lot of things start with dreams, but this one was an actual, asleep in bed, REM cycle dream.

Well, at least you thought it was. But that's neither here nor now. 

It was, to your unending embarrassment about Genshin Impact. 

Now there’s absolutely nothing wrong with likings something so much that you end up dreaming about it, it’s just slightly humiliating when you as a person is not someone who dreams a lot and your first actual proper dream that you can actually remember past the first twenty minutes after waking up is about a fictional 2D character vowing to love and care for you.

Ever so slightly humiliating.

You'd've preferred it if it was an actual person because at least that way you knew you had a crush on a living human being rather than having a parasocial relationship with a giant block of code and text. 

Actually, can you have parasocial relationships with fictional humans?

Not the point,

This started with a series of extremely weird and slightly embarrassing dreams about Iudex Neuvillette.

Actually this started when you C6’d him.

Honestly, you did not expect to get anywhere near this lucky, especially since your past luck has been average to low in terms of wishing for characters.

But with him, 

Well,

It wasn't quite streamer luck, but you did not have to spend any monetary funds to achieve your goal. 

You did have to skip quite a few Fontanian characters, and grind out all the region’s exploration, but you’d say it was well worth it.

The night after you’d gotten that final constellation, you had the aforementioned weird dream.

You weren’t in the dream per say, as you didn’t seem to occupy any physical space, 

you well.

The best way to describe it would be a movie scene. 

You watched as the man, dragon, stood on a balcony. 

The moon’s rays reflecting off of this silver chalice, you could only assume filled with another one of his fancy waters. 

But it was his gaze that caught your attention.

It’s cheesy to say, but you’ve always been drawn to the man’s gaze. It was always so sharp, so intentional.

He knew what he was looking at and he did so with reason.

But now, at this moment.

It was unfocused, hazy. 

His gaze was not focused on the moon, nor the city lights.

He did not stare at the landscape of Fontaine, nor the glittering waters beneath.

But, he saw you.

You don’t know how you knew, but you did.

You didn’t hear what he was saying, nor could you make out the words his mouth was forming but you knew that it was a call, a call for you.

It was odd but flattering and confusing, but a deeper part of you crooned as his sentiments. A part of you you didn’t realize you had was rising to the surface.

“My child,” it crooned, “my dear Hydro Dragon,”

Neuvillette seemed to startle at that.

You knew you didn’t make any sound, you didn’t even have a body, but somehow he heard it, heard you.

His face flushed, hand grasping at his chest as his murmurs seemed to grow faster.

You didn’t know what was going on anymore, simply that this rising feeling in your chest was growing and growing. 

It was scary.

It was alien.

Feelings that were not your own, moments of clarity and nostalgia flash through you, connecting to nothing but faceless figures and a deep sense of regret and loss.

What is happening,

A part of you that you didn’t know about, that you’ve never felt.

Is this what it feels like to be possessed, you recall thinking faintly before sinking into darkness.

~~~

The Iudex of Fontaine stood above all in the courtroom.

With the destruction of the Oratrice Mechanique D’analyse Cardinale, his word and judgment were the last line holding Fountaine to its standard of justice and order.

On paper, he seemed to have it all as the youths may say.

But his identity as the Hydro Dragon may deter from that.

It is already isolating enough to be the Iudex of the nation of Justice and Hydro, but to be the only dragon, were it not something that he had spent his entire lifespan balancing, he feared he could go mad from that.

There is a sense of irony in that.

Focalors's plot put both he and Furina in the highest positions in all of Fountaine, and in turn made them both the most isolated as well.

Although, at least she was released from her duties after the job was done.

While he was and forever will be grateful for her contribution in saving Fountaine, there is a quiet part of him that he’s tried very hard to bury, that is green with envy. 

He understood Focalor’s reasoning, after all, once their act was done Furina would be able to live a normal human life and he would be able to regain his powers and authority as the Hydro Dragon. 

That was as much as she could do for him, from her limited position.

He was grateful.

But,

His brethren, his kin.

They did not have the same freedoms granted to them.

While he did not have many memories of what happened to the previous sovereigns, nor of his life before the arrival of the Primordial one, he knew that they were most likely sealed away, deprived of their rightful power and authority.

It is his duty as the Hydro Dragon to render judgment upon the Usurpers that massacred his brethren and sealed away his kin. To uphold the standard of justice he has worked so hard to maintain during his rule as Iudex of Fontaine.

He once saw a quote in a popular novel that was making the rounds. “To become God is the loneliest achievement of them all,” whilst he does not recall the contents of the book, the sentiment of the line rings true, especially now that he has regained his authority.

While he and Furina did not spend much time together whilst they were performing their duties, she was a constant presence that he knew was always there. Much like a tree you would pass by everyday on your morning commute, or the singing of birds at dawn. An ever present figure whose loss is sudden and to an effect irreplaceable. 

He finds himself missing her, sometimes.

Not that he dares let Sedene and the others know, else they’ll enact some kind of plot to get him to go out and meet more people. 

But there was a comfort in knowing that she, just like him, was alone in their positions and would serve Fontaine to the very end.

Not that he dares disturb her well earned retirement, nor does he wish to retire himself. 

It was simply,

A shame.

The melusines were the closest equivalent to his dragon kin that he has had over the centuries, and will most likely continue to be for many to come. For as much as their presence filled him with happiness, they do not, and he hopes never will, understand what it truly means to be a dragon.

To be the last survivor of the original people of Teyvat, crushed under the heel of the Usurper king and their shades. 

To have to live amongst their people, knowing that while humans are innocent, their creation was built upon the bloodshed and suffering of his people.

There is a unique sense of cruelty in her actions, he reflected, fitting for the successor of one of the usurpers.

Whilst he has no doubt she meant it as an honor, taking him in, raising him to the highest scene of this land, giving him the highest seat of power and eventually returning to him his authority after watching her death.

There were moments, especially when he first took on the mantle and was trying to prove himself worthy of the title, that we would stare out at the people of Fountaine and wonder why he was doing this.

Humans were the reason for the destruction of his people. The Usurper King, sought out this world and destroyed it and it’s civilization so that a new one could be created in place of it. So that humans could be created in place of it. 

Human are the reason why his people, why the dragons were destroyed, they were the reason behind all the suffering and pain his kin have gone through and yet.

Yet they were still innocent.

They did not participate in the war.

They did not ask to be created.

They did not deserve to be punished for the sins of their creator.

However that does not make it any easier to stomach.

There is a peculiar sense of humiliation, to be worshiped alongside those who have destroyed your brethren. To serve and protect the beloved children of those who caused him and his people great harm.

It is a cruel and angry part of him that he does not dwell on much.

He cannot, lest it overrule all his rational sensibilities.

Humans are not inherently cruel beings. They are curious passionate creatures who love and care for each other deeply, who are compassionate and curious at their very core. 

Whilst during his reign as Iudex, he has seen a great deal of human cruelty and evil, he has also witnessed selfless acts of kindness and compassion. 

It is the duality of human nature that strikes him so. He cannot blame them for acts they are innocent of, but neither can he proclaim them to be free of all responsibility.

Truly the most vexing case he has ever dealt with.

Especially since,

Neuvillete frowned as he rubbed at his chest, feeling where the small spark of divine blessing lay within him. 

As the reborn Hydro dragon he does not have access to all the memories of his previous incarnations. As such his knowledge of the previous Dragon Sovereigns and the Creator of Teyvat remains incomplete.

But what he does know, what he does remember, is warmth.

The same warmth that now resides in his chest and on his very self.

He does not remember having many interactions with the creator of Teyvat, knowing that the greatest of interactions lay between the Fromitable Dragon Father himself, and the creator of this great realm. 

 He had assumed that they had abandoned Teyvat, abandoned the dragons. He’d have preferred that to be in case rather than the harrowing alternative of their defeat and possible imprisonment at the hands of the Usurper king.

But deep in his heart he knew that not to be the case.

“A creator cannot abandon their world”, King Nibelung had proclaimed, their Dragon Father was the one who knew the most about their creator after all, he had no reason to dispute such a fact.

 Worlds are much akin to terrariums, whilst on the surface it may seem completely self dependent and a skilled enough botanist may even be able to create one that can last years without any need for direct intervention, but even terrariums need light.

They require the sun to nourish its plants and create the water cycle, for all it may seem self sufficient it requires the energy of the world outside it’s glass container. 

That is very much the situation of Teyvat.

For as much as Teyvat seems to have taken care of itself, the world is breaking. Ley lines disorders have become more and more common, abyssal energy roams around, attaching itself to unsuspecting creatures. Bodies of dead gods spread harmful miasma around, polluting the earth.

If the creator wanted to destroy Teyvat, it would be as simple as cutting off the power of the Leylines, putting out the sun, or any myriad of actions that would destroy this very world.

They did not, instead they still provided this terrarium with bits of light. Enough for it to survive, but not enough to thrive. 

They still cared enough for Teyvat to sustain it, but not enough to intervene when it so clearly was struggling.

The creator he knew was not like that, they took no pleasure in toying around with others.

The only explanation for this was that they lacked the power to give Teyvat the help it so truly required. 

That realization was horrifying.

Nauvillete could only sit and wallow in his own helplessness as he watched the situation in Teyvat decline over the centuries.

Until,

Well,

Until the Traveler,

The witness from beyond the stars.

They have been given a great many titles in their journey through Teyvat, and have undoubtedly more than earned all of them. 

What he did not realize, is that they also had another title, unbeknownst to all.

A title given by a presence beyond all that they’ve encountered.

A title that they most likely did not even know of themselves.

The Creator's ∎∎∎∎

They carried the essence of the creator within them, it was clear they were beloved, it was clear that they were back.

The creator had come back.

And they were kind.

A part of Neuvillette feared that they would be much like King Nibelung, furious and desperate to do anything to drive out those that did not belong on Teyvat.

Perhaps they were at some point, but it seems that that point is not now.

The Traveler that acted with their blessing was kind,

They cared for those around them, human and non-human alike.

But they were not naive, willing to dispense justice upon those who deserved it.

If this was the person the creator chose to represent their will, perhaps their return will be much more peaceful than their disappearance.

Neuvillette had contented himself with that thought back then, throwing himself into his works as he had to deal with the threat that was the prophecy.

Little did he know that with time, the creator would bless him in much the same way.

The same blessing that sits in his chest at this very moment.

It has been months since he had been blessed as well as the completion of the prophecy. A selfish part of him wished that he would receive more since then.

Through his investigation he has seen many others, being blessed just as he had, gaining strength and power beyond their previous limits. 

But they were not dragons.

They were not the creator’s original creation, their children.

Is it unfair for him to hope that he’d be treated differently. 

Perhaps, the age of dragons had long passed already, and humans have dominated so much of this world that it is hard to deny that they are the driving force behind Teyvat.

But still,

He hoped,

He prayed,

Until,

The skies glowed.

Not the stars, mind you,

The sky

It was akin to the opposite of a solar eclipse, the night turning into day.

A surge of energy filled his body.

Not like when he regained his authority, that one was a wave of pure power cascading upon his person, placing responsibilities and burden on his shoulders alike.

This one was kind, gentle, hopeful, excited.

Is this what it feels like to take drugs, Neuvillette thought faintly.

Synth was incredibly popular on the market for its ability to create unprecedented euphoria in its users. If this is what those people felt then he understood why they were willing to go to such methods to achieve this feeling.

“My child,” the power crooned, wrapping itself around him, embracing him with all the tenderness of a loving parent,

His mouth formed the words he could not bring himself to say,

The power purred with reassurance, erasing pains and aches that he didn’t even know he had, before fading from his body.

His arms reached out in desperation, hoping to capture that feeling again to no avail.

Their presence was gone,

But their blessing remained

It certainly remained and it was stronger than ever, this power surge he feels is akin to receiving his full authority once more. 

Whilst many worries and doubts he had about the future still remained, one thing was made clear.

He was beloved, he was wanted, and the creator would keep him safe.

~~~~

Masterlist | Prev Part | Next Part

~~~

Let me know what you think! I love reading your comments and feel free to send me asks about it as well!

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

It will constantly remain surreal how people can say "talk about this character with more nuance" and you do that with what is provided by text. But what they really mean is "I want to force another to see this character as I do despite what is contrarian to the narrative ".

And this is only an issue that arises despite being able to curate what you don't want to see if that offends whatever sensibility you have parasocially developed regarding an antagonistic character. Who on page is not spoken of well, is not shown themselves as to be of better intention or exhibit kindness. While the text continues to provide negative and violent scenes for a general audience to understand you are not supposed to sympathize much with this character any longer. And this makes YOU need to come up with completely supplementary reasons outside of the author and text, as to why an antagonistic character is sympathetic, likable, misunderstood.

When ironically the main character of the plot was faced with this slandering instead, including slandered by the one you are trying to call nuance for. You not liking how that nuance comes in the form of negativity produced intentionally by the plot for him, doesn't mean others are somehow being maliciously obtuse for not wanting to engage or accept a completely fabricated excuse you made up, not the work.

I do not give a shit what sad backstory you yourself try to add to the table, because I am not talking about you. I am talking about words on a page. As soon as you even try to use whatever apparent worldly knowledge you have that I don't, that has nothing to do with the discussion of text and story plot, I have no reason to engage patiently. Especially when said personal knowledge is being used to try to downplay the active criticism of abuse the novel thematically uses in portraying its inner character relationships. Not you, so any time you try to say you have some deep cultural insight or personal insight as to why I am wrong with how I choose to analyze said work, I do not care when it is to the opposite effect the work has built up for.

And the moment you downplay how that abuse is portrayed as, by making fun of it or making excuses as to that's just how xyz culture familial units are, why should I have respect for you, if this is how you speak of it when it is in the context of fictional characters? This is not a failing upon the author when they were very upfront with this theme and it's criticism, but a failing on you to disengage and further derailing for your own validations and attention between a group you have bubbled yourself in with no actual nuance.

[theangryjikooker]

Do you think that the hard core shipping some people engage in is a form of a parasocial relationship, or a part of being in it? I use to scroll through jikook posts a lot more, years ago because I really thought there was something there, and later on just because I liked their interactions without thinking them romantic or sexual in any way. But the people I noticed where the most delusional are the ones who post on every singal little thing they do, and almost hourly. It's frightening how involved some of them are, and how personally they take things that don't concern them. I've deleted most of my social media since, and only chech here every once in while to see what they are up to, and the further away I get from the fandom, the weirder the whole shipping community seems.

Sort of? I get what you’re getting at, but it’s also hard to apply because a parasocial relationship is a two-party phenomenon—unless projection is somehow involved, which I suspect is the case for some of the more unhinged folks. Case in point:

Some people will subconsciously project themselves into the role of Person A, who they identify with the most, and expect/anticipate a relationship to develop with Person B, who is usually the object of their affections. It’s a roundabout version of a parasocial relationship—Y/N by proxy, if you will—but the end result is the same.

But realistically, and for the most part, I view this particular obsession that you’re referring to as a dollhouse fantasy. These are the shippers who want two people to be with each other so badly that they’ll manipulate any available narrative into one that secures that fantasy, even though said narratives are theories at best. There’s no injecting logic or poking at holes with them because they will absolutely refuse to see anything but their version of reality.

The bigger problem here is that the Kpop industry itself encourages this by forcing these idols to embody blank slates. RPS isn’t as predominant in the west, and when it does happen, it’s rarely to the extremes we see in Kpop.

Supporting an existing couple is a little different in that it’s generally an admiration of two people having managed to achieve something that is universally desired, but most people in this camp don’t go to the same lengths that we know shippers to do. It tends to be a passive sort of appreciation. Like with anything, there’s still a limit here, and as soon as you breach that respectable boundary and start imagining their intimate lives and cooking up scenarios that isn’t actually known, it’s no longer normal.

Objectively, RPS is extremely weird, and that’s why it’s so controversial.

__

Disclaimer: I’m exclusively referring to RPS. Shipping fictional characters is in a different ballpark.

[sohnric]

Hello, anon! As a fellow writer, I just wanted to share my thoughts on this matter, since some of the things said in this ask didn't really sit right with me. I am aware this was most likely meant in a kind manner, but there is something I want to get off my chest:

First of all, all fanfiction is inherently parasocial and self-indulgent. Just by consuming fanfiction of any kind, regardless of the topic discussed in the work itself, and imagining yourself as the main character with the idol of your choice you're reading about, is parasocial. Both writing and consuming fanfiction is primarly a self-indulgent and a parasocial act– you read fanfics for the comfort and the feelings you get from it, and yes, also for the plot: but there is a reason why so many people opt for fanfiction rather than actual books these days. No matter the fandom– be it a fictional character, a western musician, an athlete, a youtuber, and yes, even an idol (which, we must all admit, the whole kpop industry is feeding into parasocial relationships by itself and making money off it)– all of it is self-indulgent.

I don't see how Izzy's choice to write about these topics is any different than any other type fanfiction. How are relationship headcanons, smut, crush scenarios– you name it– any different to writing and reading fancition about difficult topics regarding mental health and real life events? A whole genre of hurt/comfort fanfiction exists, and for a rightful reason– to bring comfort to both the writer getting their hardships off their chest and also to the reader to make them feel like they are not alone and somebody understands what they are going through. Just because Izzy is one of the brave people stating that the topics of their works are personal to them, it doesnt mean she is the only one, and that she is somehow wrong for doing it. Writing is both a hobby and also a place for writers to write about their feelings, fantasies, but also a place to write about their struggles and hardships– it's healthy, it's normal, and it's much better than keeping all of this building up inside.

I also think there is confusion between the word 'parasocial' and 'obsessive/delusional'. As a psychology major, let's have a little lesson on this! Parasocial relationships are one-sided relationships with public figures, where a sense of intimacy, connection and familiarity is formed. "An individual may see in, or project onto, a celebrity a range of emotions that mirror their feelings and challenges." What I think you may be hinting at is when a parasocial relationship turns maladaptive and morphs into obsession or delusion– thinking the idol is in love with us/is gonna fix our problems/is ours only etc etc. We are adults, though, and we are fully aware this is not happening. How other people percieve our works and how it influences their view of an idol or a relationship with a celebrity we are writing about is not the writer's responsibility. You regulate the content you consume, so if you think reading stuff like this is not healthy for you or it makes you feel uncomfortable, the block button is right there for you to use.

Also, a fun fact from a psych major who did a whole paper on parasocial relationships– they are actually proven to be healthy for your well-being! (I can provide scientific sources if anyone is doubtful).

I think writing about more difficult things and opening up in your works is not only brave and difficult, but also very important. Not everything in life is sunshine and rainbows, and if writing about some of your troubles and including your favorite idol that makes you happy (not a bad thing at all!) helps to make the burden less heavy, I don't see an issue with that at all. I know writing (and reading) helped me get through a lot of difficult things just by getting the words out of my system– you never know how much a piece of work means to its creator and also other consumers. Don't tell people to change their art just because it doesn't suit you.

look i am very appreciative that you write vrry realistic topics but at the same time did you know it could be received very badly

you writing about realistic in real life things and dont seperate from in real life topics and using idols feeds the parasocial relationship that a lot of fans have and that's rly rly rly bad influence you know that right? as long as you know

i'll still read your works but i hope you know and maybe seperate irl to fics to make everyone more comfortable. not hating but something to think about lmaooooooooo

when i decided to start writing again but posting on a different platform that is, in my opinion, more interactive, i didn't expect to be getting something like this. with how tumblr works, it's quite hard to find posts that you didn't for example, link to your pinned post/masterlist/navigation but thankfully, i think i have addressed something similar to this here.

when i decided to pick up writing again after longer than two years of not writing anymore, in a site where everything is more interactive etc. i was mentally prepared to be criticised and/or judged with the quality of my writing: "you're not good at writing, stop writing"; "you're not using proper structuring"; "your plot makes zero sense"

but i must say that, i wasn't prepared to be faced with an ask like this (or the one that was linked) at all. and i just want to be transparent because i will still be true to myself and those who have decided to read my stories that it took me around a month to be able to answer the previous ask. i was beyond shaken up; i thought about quitting.

but this ask, in my opinion, is more serious.

i asked advice on how i should answer this ask and what i should do in general. i received support (even a template answer) on how i should respond to this ask and if my friends read this, i just want to say thank you for helping me out. i decided to approach this ask in my own way, taking your advice on board as well.

anon, i am very appreciative that you took the time to read my works. because of that, you decided to send in this ask. when i read this the first time, i was more apologetic over any other emotion that my writing has caused you to feel this way but after slow thinking and reflecting, i think the only thing that i can apologise for is that you found my page. i'm sorry that the algorithm led you here and that as i'm reading your ask, there is implication that you continued to read more than one of my stories. however, please understand that this is my art and i will not be changing my art for anyone else. i would like to further defend myself by saying that writing is an escape for me to reflect on my daily life. yes, i have made mistakes with the lack of warnings in the past but that is something i will continue to work on and be mindful of. if you're asking me to stop writing about realistic topics, then please understand that you're indirectly asking me to quit writing in general. i'm very sorry that i cannot give you this. if you feel like my writing is influencing you badly, please feel free to block me and tell anyone that you know that might be uncomfortable about my writing. i hope you'll be able to find stories that will suit you. warmest and kind regards, izzy

[jcmorrigan]

Do you support anti-harassment and pro-shipping?

Short answer: Yes.

Long answer: This is an issue I’ve been monitoring and grappling with for a long time, and I feel like while my core philosophy has been the same for a while now, the nuances I’ve held shift every so often. I don’t identify as an anti. I just don’t. I think shipping things - be it incest, adult/minor, or one of the many flavors of abusive - is an ENTIRELY separate issue from wanting to do that IRL. I think sometimes people just want to write taboo topics for various reasons. Because the topics themselves are taboo and that’s interesting, because they offer methods of coping, even because some people are kinda into projecting upon the person on the losing end of the power dynamic and being dominated and kicked around, since that’s not something you should really chase in real life (unless it’s during a roleplay with a network of safewords).

There are many ships I think are gross, but I don’t want people to stop shipping them because I don’t like them. I don’t like ships that involve anyone under 13 with anyone over 18. I don’t like ships that involve anyone under 18 with anyone over 30. (Aging up is a whole different matter; if you write the younger character older and legitimately have them behave the way you think they would as an adult, it’s all good.) I REALLY don’t like ships where a character is either confirmed homosexual or only shown onscreen to be attracted to the same gender in a big-deal reveal sort of way (if the character has crushes on many genders or the creator uses Word of God to say they’re bi/pan, it’s fine) and the ship involves putting them with someone of the opposite gender (shipping them with enbies is fine). And no, I don’t think it’s a double standard that I sometimes like to do same-sex ships for characters who are coded very very straight. But this is all to do with my tastes and beliefs, not with what I think the rest of you all should do. If you like something that falls in my personal no-no category, then go ahead and do it. I’ll decide how much I want to interact with you, and that says more about our potential chemistry as a unit than it does about you as a person. And if you have boundaries yourself - if age-gap ships skeeve you out - then that doesn’t make you a bad person or even an anti! Just block as needed, talk to friends if you feel betrayed by them, and recognize what it is you don’t like and that you don’t have to like it.

Selfshipping? Do what you want. Again, I might personally have reservations about shipping with somebody too young (I actually perceived my own main f/o as in his twenties when I first watched his source, then saw Word of God say he was NINETEEN actually, even though that invalidates many many jokes about how he’s bad at adulting, so I just said “fuck it” and he’s at least 24 to me because that makes more sense and is more of my comfort zone). But what I like shouldn’t dictate what YOU do. I might give you a little side-eye if you’re shipping with somebody young, but I don’t know your reasons for doing so and I don’t have the right to judge. I might distance myself from certain situations if I’m feeling skeeved out. Or I might not feel skeeved out depending on how it’s handled. I also again would raise a brow if you’re selfshipping with an opposite-gender gay character, but same principle: you have your reasons, you shouldn’t stop because some rando (me) has an issue with your ship, and if I have a problem with how you handle it, I’ll just peace out on my end and not make a deal out of it.

A lot of this comes from the fact that I have mega OCD and I already try to moralize everything I do and hyper-analyze my choices to make sure I am being a Good Person. If I try to follow the “rules” to make my ships palatable to everyone, then I start worrying that any deviation makes me unforgivable. The vast majority of ships in my deck are squeaky-clean and have no problems, but sometimes I’ll get, like...Ventus/Papyrus, where Ven is 15, and Papyrus is in age limbo but I always thought he was at least 18, and then I don’t want to spiral into a moral crisis because I really think it would be cute to put the anime boy with the skeleton and I think they’re both asexual anyway. Or when I aged up Zevon from Descendants in order to make him make more sense as Yzma’s son, and then I had to give him a ship with an adult and I found one I really like (Kamdor from Power Rangers). And this is not even scratching the very complex issue of “The writers of this piece of fiction were ACTUALLY horny for incest and I can see the subtext for it and now I gotta figure out what to do with this mess because I like the series and I do want the characters to have partners who will treat them right.”

That said...up until recently, I looked up to the more extreme proship community, even so far as to kinda be more of an “anti-anti.” But as time went on, that...didn’t seem to fit. I’ve unfollowed a few of those blogs now because first of all, proshipping as a “political party” seems to come with some things I don’t believe in, such as forming a parasocial relationship with AO3 or saying that freedom of fans to ship what they want means the creators of mainstream media should be allowed to portray whatever they want and that being “critical of media you consume” is an automatic dogwhistle for bullies. More importantly: I have at least one friend who I know leans more anti, and I value her a lot and I think it’s valid for her to have her boundaries. After a while, the things that anti-antis did to protect themselves from bullying started to feel a little bit like bullying right back. I can’t really call myself a traditional proshipper anymore, even though I’m definitely not an anti. But I don’t want to be an “anti-anti” either. Because actually, I USED to be an anti on a different social media platform long before Tumblr, and though I can’t tell you exactly why I was that way, I can understand what it’s like to feel that strongly about things that gross you out and want to get them out of your face. I don’t want to say I’m against a whole bunch of people who are probably as varied in intensity as proshippers are.

At the end of the day, what I want is for us all to CHILL OUT. Can we please, PLEASE just focus on having fun in whatever way that comes - problematic ships or no - so long as people IRL aren’t getting hurt? Can we respect that there are probably a LOT of people with OCD on social media who spiral easily if shamed too much (which is probably how the anti movement rose in the first place - I’m sure my anti phase was fueled by my secular scrupulosity)? Can we not assume that people who ship weird age gaps are Actual Pedophiles, which is an entirely separate issue? (Listen...I grew up in the Age of AkuRoku. I hated AkuRoku. But if all the AkuRoku shippers turned out to be pedos, well, the news sure didn’t cover it. I’m saying the majority of them didn’t. And it’s been a decade.) Can we not spread the fear of being cancelled or that having a certain fictional preference will ruin a budding friendship? Can we communicate with one another in private if a friend says or does something that makes you uncomfortable, such as shipping something that makes you question their moral stance? Can actual legitimate creators of media not take sides in the goddamn pro/anti war, thereby making groups of their fans feel alienated from being welcomed by the source? Can we just have fun PLEASE?

Also, just...stop fighting about Reylo. That’s the dumbest thing to fight over and we managed to somehow get the actual SW crew in on that dumbass fight. Some people like Reylo and some people hate Reylo and THAT’S IT. WE’RE DONE HERE.

It sure says something that I worry, before hitting the Post button, that this might ruin some of the relationships I have or inspire a mass exodus of the followers whose names I come to like seeing in my notifications. But it’s ultimately better for all of us if I’m honest.

[mymomanddadaregonnabesomadatme]

"Hey Khyle, why are you obsessed with a rarepair with a dead guy in it?"

Or, JonGerry manifesto time

FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS: Gerry vs Jon's misandry

Let's talk about how Jon hates men! Jon hates men. Listen to how he conducts himself around Martin, Tim and Elias in season one versus how he gets along with Sasha and the tone is so hilariously different. He has NO patience for the men around him and even though he's still pretty crusty to the women who come in to make statements (Naomi Herne & Melanie in s1) the way he handles talking to Sasha as a colleague is wildly different from how he talks to the men he works with. The same with when he meets Basira! His social comfort around women feels distinctly different from the way he feels about, navigates around and talks to men. So it's very, VERY fun to contrast this not only with how well he and Gerry get along (even after a pretty terse greeting from Gerry!!), but also to how excited he gets talking and thinking about Gerry when he reads about him in statements and goes to America hoping he's still alive. I think being an exciting Idea of a person makes it slightly easier for Jon to digest him before meeting him, and I also think it's the reason that...

SECOND ORDER OF BUSINESS: Gerry is Jon's celebrity crush

If you need convincing, look no further than the fondness with which Jon says "that would be our Gerard" to Jurgen Leitner and your heart will open to this reality...Jon read about a cool goth in some statements and idealized him so hard he started crushing on him. Is Jon out to himself? No idea! Will that stop him from doing the very Jon thing of having very transparent feelings about something? Nope!

I've mentioned it in other posts but I do think it's significant how excited Jon is when he hopes Gerry is alive in America so he can meet him. There are a lot of little notes and quips Jon makes about Gerry throughout the series thay really solidify the idea that he's excited about him. I think Jon gets excited to pull information together and recognize figures from other statements -- he is the Archivist after all -- but I think some of the fondness Jon applies when talking about Gerry is significant and distinct from how he talks about other figures from statements. Plus, Jon has a reason to empathize with and relate to Gerry, given the fact that Leitners were one of the few things he allowed for the existence of even in season one, and Gerry is clearly so upset by their existence that he's gone around destroying them and beating up Jurgen Leitner himself. Probably hard for Jon not to idealize someone doing the work that he was so desperate for Elias to let him engage in during season one, huh? I think we all idealize and build parasocial relationships based on a feeling of relating to the people who are somewhat out of our reach...a cool goth who destroys evil books and punched the man whose library ruined your life? Might be a little hard not to get excited about the idea of him...🤔

THIRD ORDER OF BUSINESS: Gerry in the (quasi-) flesh vs. Gerry on the page

So, maybe you're convinced there were some celebrity crush feelings, maybe you aren't, but there's definitely some idealization at play with how Jon views Gerard Keay, Book-Hunting Goth Of Legend. Now let's talk about how that idea contrasts with Gerry, the regular (ish) dude that comes out of a book in America!!!

I think something very fun to note is how much they joke around with each other, basically right off the bat. It's pretty clear to me how much fun they have in each other's company, especially considering Gerry cites literally being in pain while he's existing as a page in the book. Both the crusty intro and Jon's reluctance to take and burn the page could have soured the entire interaction, but they both enjoy each other's company pretty transparently for the whole exchange. Gerry is straight with Jon in a way no one has been through basically his entire time learning about his position as the Archivist, and despite the fact that Jon summons Gerry for a purpose, it's hard not to view the exchange as largely social because of the tone. The fact that Gerry has ONE conversation with him and thinks of him as a friend is I think pretty telling as far as how Gerry views Jon's intentions and trustworthiness. He has a backlog of experience with Gertrude and insight into the ruthlessness of an Archivist, one that we never see calling him Gerry, and he still meets Jon for 20 minutes and goes yeah. I could befriend this dude. I also think this reinforces how Jon feels about Gerry: he's pretty forthcoming with information, even if he fucks around with him a bit, and there's some trust and transparency there that I think reinforces Jon's rare positive view of a dude in his life.

Like, I've said it before and I'll say it again: Jongerry lives in the passage through the Jon Misandry Zone. He can only like a cool fictional goth that he has a reasonable amount of distance from but he's so excited when he meets him irl it forces him to actually learn about him as a person. Idealizing Gerry gives him the motivation to actually learn about another man and untangle how he feels about them!!!

FOURTH ORDER OF BUSINESS: One of these dudes is literally dead

Honestly I'm only Marginally stopped from my rarepair dedication by this fact, but if it's an issue, let's consider:

It's literally a horror tragedy podcast so I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say literally any happy romantic ending for characters is inherently an AU anyway, even if the ones folks are invested in somehow all end up living to the end lol. I guess folks can pray for postgame potential but I've already succumbed to how inherently doomed a lot of these characters seem so...the world is gonna be my rarepair oyster I guess!!!

Also, it's a podcast with some level of worldbuilding around reincarnation. Gerry got brought back once, could he be again? Imo we're only limited by our imaginations on that one. Lots of potential to play around with the form him being brough back and sustained could be...and, honestly, same with any rarepairs where one or both parties are dead imo! I'm here to push my jongerry agenda AND support the kneading of canon into something your faves could be brought back to life in. Death should stop no one from wanting Jon to kiss a hot goth dude!!!

LAST ORDER OF BUSINESS: Compatibility??? CHEMISTRY???

Alright I mean...I can't force anyone to find their back and forths cute and flirty like I do but I CAN say why I think this couple has so much fun potential:

Gerry is already used to being around An Archivist and seems to already think Jon is more friendworthy based on the Gerry request. He would probably be a lot more comfortable navigating around him than some of Jon's other colleagues, occasional snacktime or not. I think being in a book owned by two hunters probably gives him enough context for "monsters, but trying to be good in their own way" for him to be pretty levelheaded about Jon. A human connection that's based on enjoyment of each other's company with someone smart enough to not sign a contract might just be good for our spooky little Archivist...Also...

JON IS A STUFFY DWEEB AND GERRY IS A COOL GOTH THAT'S KILLED A GUY!!! Is this NOT the greatest couple concept this podcast could have offered us? The contrast...the meeting of worlds...Jon idealizing Gerry because he's a cool sexy goth and Gerry getting excited because he's got a sexy scary monster boyfriend...it's all there!!! Rife with entertaining potential!!!

Anyway these are my pro-jongerry arguments I hope you all enjoyed my rarepair shipping manifesto. Don't forget to like comment and subcribe and let me just say...once more for the road...

JonGerry Rights

[wellknownwolf]

I want to move into a new phase in my relationship with fandom, as I mature with new experiences. I'm not sure what exactly that looks like though. What is your take on the parasocial affection inherent in an RPF like Rhett & Link? Or even the deep attachments that can form with fictional characters? Or a desire to emulate fantasy worlds? I'm sorry if I've made you uncomfortable with all this, it's just that it's been a long time coming, and once I got started I couldn't stop. - Natasha (5)

First, let me post the full question, since it came in 5 parts:

Hey, it's me again. Your 'mystery inquirer', as you so adorably dubbed me. You're right, I had forgotten I'd sent in that ask. Just now, I couldn't help but think about a scene from Life After, as I am wont to on a frightfully regular basis, which is what got me back here. When you said you pondered over my seemingly simple, banal question for a good while, and wrote out a beautifully thoughtful answer like you always do, it made me happy.

Your narrative voice is similar to my own, and it made my chest ache in a certain way to have gotten such a response to what felt like a random shout out into the abyss (though it obviously wasn't, I sent it directly to you, I guess it's more what it felt like taking a chance on a conversation with a random stranger online). And now I'm cringing a bit at how melodramatic all sounds. But I'm committing to it, anyway. That's the beauty of anon, eh?

Wolfie (is it presumptuous to call you that? Please do forgive me the liberty I'm taking), I must admit. I'm quite envious of this community you have with @missingparentheses, @lunar-winterlude, and other wonderful people. Since childhood, I've been head over heels in love with fandom. Not a specific fandom, I've been a traveller through dozens, but fandom in general. I've read probably thousands of fanfics, spent countless hours daydreaming about beloved characters and their stories.

To the point where, in my most recent and worst depressive episode, it may have been for the worse, if I'm honest. Escapism and yearning to the point of impairment, engendering a sense of constant bereavement. But it's taught me so much about life and its wonders, I can't write it off as just some damaging habit. It's such an integral part of who I am, a deeply curious soul (shout out to my Enneagram Type 5-ers out there!). But I don't anyone to share it with, and it can get quite lonely.

I want to move into a new phase in my relationship with fandom, as I mature with new experiences. I'm not sure what exactly that looks like though. What is your take on the parasocial affection inherent in an RPF like Rhett & Link? Or even the deep attachments that can form with fictional characters? Or a desire to emulate fantasy worlds? I'm sorry if I've made you uncomfortable with all this, it's just that it's been a long time coming, and once I got started I couldn't stop. - Natasha

.....................................................................

Thank you for giving me so much to respond to, Natasha.  Thank you for continuing to reach out.   I accidentally wrote something like a paper in response to your thoughtful question.  I even conducted a little research and cited a source.  ENGLISH TEACHER, ACTIVATE!

Also, for what it’s worth, I feel at times that I communicate exclusively through shouts into the abyss, so it’s a language with which I am at home.  In fact, it is this very technique, this experiment with intense vulnerability at the hands of a virtual stranger, that earned me one of my absolutely most-treasured friends: @missingparentheses.  I have poured out a great deal of my own melodrama to her, and she has received it and reciprocated it in a way that, three years later, continues to teach me how to be a better friend.  In short, I’m a firm believer in diving straight in when it comes to new friends.  Cringe not; I’m on board.

So let’s dive.

R&L is really only the second “fandom” with which I’ve been involved.  Third, if we count my preteen obsession with ‘N Sync (and considering how much wall space I dedicated to their posters and self-printed photos, we probably should).  My point is, while I don’t have much experience with the community facet of fandom, I do relate to your feeling of near-obsession.  Or clear obsession.  

I know the feeling of escapism you’re describing, and I know the yearning and melancholy that can come on our worst days, where we feel like “real life” will never measure up to the color and brilliance of the worlds we spend so much time considering. These worlds, these characters and their relationships, their challenges, victories, and defeats all seem so purposeful: they’re the plot points we use to craft the stories in our heads (regardless of whether we’re writers at all).  It can be much harder to view ourselves as protagonists worth analyzing, viewing and reviewing through new lenses, perhaps because we’re warned against navel-gazing, perhaps because our self-perception just won’t allow for it.  Maybe a little of both.

But yes!  It teaches us!  We DO learn about life, other people, love, risk, all kinds of things through what we consume in these fandoms, so I would never classify it as a “bad” thing.  We hone our imaginations and learn to pay attention to our own emotions as we recognize feelings from our favorite shows, games, books, and characters arising in ourselves.  

I used to be a little afraid of the fact that I was always telling myself stories, internally imagining myself as someone else, a player in the worlds I often loved more than my own.  I suspected that someday, somehow, I would be caught playing pretend all the time in my own little ways.  I was a bright and ambitious young woman, so why would I give so much of my mental energy to such frivolous pursuits?

In my first semester of graduate school, though, I learned from a Lit. Theory professor who intimidated the hell out of me that we all do this.  We’re all telling ourselves stories all the time, some of which are true and close to objective reality, some of which are more subjective to whatever fantastical (or fandom) material we last consumed.  I’ve whispered my own dialogue in the shower, but so have you whispered yours in your head (if not also out loud in your shower!).  And through this act, however it is performed, I have made those worlds part of my own.  So have you.  In this way, they are real, and I no longer feel fearful of being “found out.”  

When we have those moments of doubt, though, when we wonder whether we’re going too far, it probably stems, at least partially, from the “us v. them” divide between fandom and mainstream society.  We love our little worlds, but we also feel that twinge of anxiety that we might be bordering on obsession, that our guilty pleasure might be discovered and we will be socially punished for it, namely, as Joli Jensen writes in “Fandom as Pathology: The Consequences of Characterization,” because “the fan is characterized as (at least potentially) an obsessed loner, suffering from a disease of isolation, or a frenzied crowd member, suffering from a disease of contagion. In either case, the fan is seen as being irrational, out of control, and prey to a number of external forces” (13). According the consistent covert (and overt, at times) messages of the mainstream, “[f]andom is conceived of as a chronic attempt to compensate for a perceived personal lack of autonomy, absence of community, incomplete identity, lack of power and lack of recognition” (Jensen 17).  Yikes.  That doesn’t feel good to admit about ourselves, does it?  

Luckily, it’s bullshit.

Treating “fans” as others (outsiders, people who can’t form relationships or find fulfillment in the “real world”) “risks denigrating them in ways that are insulting and absurd” (Jensen 25).  Those who take this stance, who see fans as victims of hysteria or desperate loners, do so in order to “develop and defend a self-serving moral landscape.  That terrain cultivates in us a dishonorable moral stance of superiority, because it makes other into examples of extrinsic forces, while implying that we [members solely of the mainstream] somehow remain pure, autonomous, ad unafflicted” (Jensen 25).  In short, that us/them thinking just makes people feel better about themselves by pointing out an easily-identifiable “other.”

 I have also grappled with the concept of parasocial affection, particularly with R&L.  I was well into writing my first Rhink fic when the thought crossed my mind, “Oh my god, what if I actually met these people someday?  How would I look them in the eye?  I’d feel like a crazy person (again)!”  From the safety of the Midwest, I laughed off the thought.  And then a year or so later, they were announcing their first tour. And I was still writing, here and there, still deep in my affection for them, sometimes wrestling with the thought that I’ve devoted so much energy to people who would never know I exist.  

It doesn’t matter that the attachment was in the most obvious, tangible ways only one-sided.  As an adult who is ever-learning how to navigate the worlds of her own creation and the ones over which she has far less control, I view my intense attachment to characters both real and fictional with deep fondness.   And while I may not receive affection or attention directly from the sources (R&L, fictional characters, sports teams, who/whatever we build fandoms around), I am still earning some very real rewards for my involvement: Because of them, I found my way to a participatory culture in which I was supported and encouraged to express my creativity.  This gave me the push and interest that I needed to hone skills that have not only made me a better writer, but also a better teacher and mentor.  With fandom comes the ability to immediately strike up a conversation over shared interests. With fandom comes a sense of belonging in what we have proven is an awfully divisive world.  

Right now, I’m consuming far less fandom-related material than I did a few years ago.  I don’t really watch GMM anymore and I’m on a break from Ear Biscuits (though I still love it), Gotham ended over a year ago and I’m not in the habit of reading fics right now, and I can’t yet play the remade Final Fantasy 7, so that’s out for me, too (though I know I will fall deep into that well once the game is in my hot little hands).  This all happened by itself.  I never consciously moved away from these sources; I just floated on to other interests and other levels of interest, knowing that if and when I wanted to dig back in, I could always come back.  

I used to feel quite sad at the thought of someday “moving on” from these intense interests.  I couldn’t fathom somehow falling out of love with those bands, actors, or video games.  But for me, the transition into wherever I am now has not been painful in the least.  I’m glad I knew the intensity that I did, and I’m happy with the distance I have now. And there’s a good chance I’ll be fanatic about something else someday.  I’m looking forward to it!

 Here are some responses that I couldn’t organically fit into my essay:

Yes, you can call me Wolfie if you’d like.  That name started with @missingparentheses (her second appearance in this answer!), and quickly became a reminder to not take myself too seriously.  

Second, I don’t think I know any other Type 5s!  I’m a type 8. 

Also, here’s my MLA formatted citation for the Jensen source:

Jensen, Joli. “Fandom as Pathology: The Consequences of Characterization.”   The Adoring Audience: Fan Culture and Popular Media, Routledge, 1992, pp. 9-29.

[coffeestainedcamera]

1/3 through Fahrenheit 451 thus far

Recently, I finally decided to get around to reading Fahrenheit 451 with a mostly-grown adult brain. Part of it was definitely related to the current attacks on education about basic history and human rights. Another part of it was morbid curiosity about what parts of this 1950’s dystopia still apply today. So, here’s part 1 of the highlighter read-through that clocked in at almost 2000 words. Most of this was typed while I was waiting on the evening's caffeine dose to get out of my system, so this may get messy.

Also, yes, this will get political, obviously, as you cannot divorce this novel from McCarthyism, Hays Code, and Comics Code Authority. As a fun side note, it was written during the Soviet censorship of science fiction and feels like it would make a decent double feature with The Final Circle of Paradise. I think that book was translated into English, although I can’t vouch for translation quality. It’s kind of obvious why Soviet government wasn’t into it, considering that the resort the novel takes place on is portrayed as economically stagnant, idiotic, toxically patriotic, and a zoo exhibit for the rest of the world. Hint: it stands for a certain place, and Strugatskies also repeatedly wrote about the horror of nukes and war.

Please note that my family left Russia in late 2009 because it was already an oligarchy at the time, no thanks to the mess that the fall of Soviet Union left behind. The most bold-faced descent into fascism began in 2010’s, with the infamous “Family Values” legislation that criminalized LGBTQ rights, creation of Roskomnadzor, and crackdown on free press. But even before this, there was a lot of military worship (like May 9th) and other signs that I did not pick up on as a kid.

So, yes, it’ll also be a crooked-mirror look at McCarthyism’s modern counterpart. You can currently get 15 years in jail if you speak out against the war in Russia, for context. Also, feel free to read up on Putin’s bread-and-circuses concert in support of the war sometime. Somehow, this 1950’s depiction of a fascist idiocracy is relevant here.

So, let’s talk about the housewife first.

One of our earliest character introductions is to Mildred, Montag’s wife. Apparently they are on such non-speaking terms that it takes until seeing the empty pill bottle for Montag to notice that something is wrong with her. And when she is dragged back to life via the stomach pump, it is noted that her case is not uncommon.

Why so? Well, apparently everyone relies on pills to fall asleep these days in the F 451 world, including Montag. Thus far, it’s unclear why she overdosed, but it is partially implied that it was the lack of stimulation from being a 50’s housewife. Too much excess energy to sleep. However, it could alternatively be the misery of being at home alone constantly, in a relationship that is so insignificant that neither party remembers how and why they got married at 20. Maybe that is why she constantly is listening to radio shows, is obsessed with the fake families on TV, and is escaping into interactive plays.

Mildred does not get much to do here thus far, and sure, we can definitely chalk some of it up to the 1950’s sexism. She is described as childlike and shallow, but what can she do but be that in an idiocracy that cut all classes that require critical thinking and actively bans it? Given how deeply rooted censorship is in this alternate US, I don’t think she ever stood a chance.

And I think she vaguely understands this and is partially why she escapes into all those “shallow” things. If her husband is an entity she barely talks to and she can’t do anything meaningful outside, aside from visit some other fellow bored housewives, why wouldn’t she form all those parasocial relationships with the TV hosts? Also, she feels like an interesting precursor to all those people who are obsessed with various online influencers, although I suppose we had parasocial relationships since printed tabloids’ years.

A bit that I found to have aged worse is the dismissal of radio shows as shallow, in comparison to books. Certainly, this was written before NPR first went live in 1971, and has gone on to provide some of my favorite business and news podcasts, like Planet Money and Consider This. But Bradbury definitely came off as technophobic here, dismissing radio as only a vehicle for shallow talk shows.

But overall, I would definitely say that Mildred is a character I am keeping a close eye on.

But what about the censorship this book deals with?

Oh, it is horrific. And oddly, this is the bit I most disagree with Bradbury with on thus far.

Let’s recap. In the 1950’s, we had Hays, Red Scare, and Comics Code Authority. Two of these are creative industries’ self-censorship to cater to outraged moral guardians. One is a complex interplay between actual government action and general public’s reaction.

Hays’ Code prohibited profanity, anything suggestive, interracial relationships, sympathy towards criminals, and ridicule of the clergy, among other things (https://mppda.flinders.edu.au/records/365). Complex pictures sure could happen under these watchful eyes. Read this sentence as sarcastically as possible.

And what about Comics Code Authority? Lines like “in every instance shall good prevail over evil and the criminal punished for his misdeeds” abound (https://www.visitthecapitol.gov/exhibitions/artifact/code-comics-magazine-association-america-inc-1954). No drugs, suggestive content, happy divorce, and nuclear family is key.

You can see a pattern here. Kids cannot be shown things that go against a certain worldview under these codes. This all feels familiar in the light of challenges to school libraries that carry Hate U Give, which discusses police brutality against Black people, and the challenges to usage of Maus, a Holocaust survivor’s memoir, in education.

It all feels familiar when since around Sochi Olympics era, portrayal of queer folks as anything but something to demonize got a work slapped with an 18+ rating in Russia due to the Eastern Orthodox-influenced “Family Values”. Yes, She-Ra was rated R in Russia before sanctions took Netflix. No idea how Steven Universe aired, but it apparently was chopped up pretty extensively. Please feel free to draw a line to a certain bit of Floridian legislation here.

Which brings us to the scene where Montag finds out that he’s book burning not for the government, but for self-censorship. Reasonable enough, as things like movie ratings are still more of a film industry invention than an actual government thing. But the second part is where it may age like sour milk to me.

“All those minorities, you’re just gonna offend someone” flies directly into the face of the discussion we just had on the influences of Hays and Comics Code. It is spoken by a source that has a vested interest in maintaining the censorship regime, though, so I’m taking it with a soy sauce bottle’s worth of salt for now.

It also comes with an interesting, also potentially unreliable, addendum of “we are censoring ourselves to stay happy”. Everyone wants to be a nice, upstanding protagonist of their story and bristles when their worldview gets called into question. It is obvious in the attempts to teach painful history via Boy in Striped Pajamas, a fictional story, and the aforementioned challenges to Maus’ depiction of reality. It is a layer of separation away via that veil of fiction, meaning that the reader will not directly face States' continued antisemitism issues and the pain they inflict. Across the pond, go forth and celebrate Russia’s survival of World War 2 during Victory Day, never mind that antisemitism, xenophobia, homophobia, and transphobia nationalists have been stoking since I was a kid.

Similarly, we only had a single assembly to discuss Japanese internment in high school. This was a “nice” school in Maryland during 2010’s, with Advanced Placement courses for American history. Chinese Exclusion Act only got a few lines. Not much discussion happened about Ellis Island either.

Reality is painful. Perhaps this is why we are now in the peak MCU, Star Wars, and Disney adult era. You get the nice little stories where typically-American good always defeats evil, love (of very specific varieties) wins, and everything can be wrapped with a nice little bow. Don’t need to think, here’re your explosions, Disney bops, and mediocre one-liners. You’re welcome. Sleep tight and come to rabid defense of a billion-dollar brand when someone starts with valid criticism.

This “bow, pow, more action” formula that Bradbury was already seeing signs of in the 1950’s sells. I should know, as I believed in it enough to buy a share of Disney during the 2020 park closures. This uncritical audience I just mentioned, one that religiously goes to Disneyworld, spams Baby Yoda gifs, and thinks superhero movies are serious Oscar contenders? Combine it with Disney’s ownership of Fox and we have a media holding that will not be a going concern, if nothing else.

Similarly, I suppose it is why fluff like Ted Lasso prospered. Lockdown blows, front-line workers are getting infected with COVID and dealing with covidiots, and you’re a telecommuter in your nice little bubble of sourdough and Animal Crossing. Have yourself a TV family, and don’t consider the xenophobic and racist sentiments swirling around. You’re safe around that European football team, in the twee old Britain, and you feel bad if you’re called out for plugging your ears and shutting your eyes. And you might curse out someone who actually pays attention to reality.

And yes, I am aware that this is very much a “glass houses” situation, as I am typing this in a Batman shirt and semi-seriously debate superhero comics with friends. But they are something I read on workweek nights, swapping to works that require more serious analysis on weekends. Sleeping pills, just ones that actually work on me. The read-through of this third happened on the Sunday that Oscars happened, so I missed the slap.

Can any of this low-brow stuff evolve, though?

See previous point about NPR’s start in 1970’s. Seriously, they (and folks behind Freakonomics, Hustle’s audio edition, and Stuff You Missed in History Class) have my whole heart. In fact, this is my preferred background audio for whenever I feel like drawing, as it’s a nice compromise between stewing in silence and getting distracted by a movie on my other screen.

In short, I laughed at the Seashells’ introduction as a frivolous device.

Aside from that, I think that we are far out from the days of the “idiot box” that would serve you sitcoms that aged like sour milk. Sure, cable TV still sucks, as things like Grey’s Anatomy and Big Bang Theory are unfortunately somehow still alive. CW shows also very much prove Bradbury’s point.

However, we do get rare snatches of brilliance from the medium. Killing Eve, Mr. Robot, and Hannibal come to mind, as shows that hit cable before streaming. Two contain flashy violence that plays into that “action” argument, one only uses it to punctuate a handful of important scenes. All require analysis to fully appreciate, as Killing Eve and Hannibal both run on meaningful costume designs and visual motifs as well. Decadence with purpose, if you will.

Additionally, we live in an era of prestige streaming TV, like my beloved Succession. That show runs on verbal jabs, meaningful visuals, and character analysis. Its form of action is glitzy parties and fashion, along with periodic gross-out moments. No “boom, pow” form here, and it somehow still became HBO’s darling.

Squid Game also went viral, both due to its astute commentary on wealth inequality and the “deadly reality show” format. Latter factor, along with various memorable ways in which characters die, got the more basic butts in the seats. Would the show have gone viral if it was drably designed and non-violent? Well, it would first declaw the entire story and make for an inferior thematic companion to Parasite. And it would not invite the people who previously ran from subtitles as if they were cooties.

Also, let’s just pause for a moment and consider that we can easily access a wide variety of foreign media, in a wide variety of ways. And then google for additional context and google translate foreign news articles. The successors to the Idiot Box can be used in enlightening ways, contrary to Bradbury's worst fears in the 50's.

Additionally, comics, always considered a low-brow medium, are now in an arguable golden era. Oh, sure, we still get insubstantial projects by a bucket load. However, these insubstantial projects can now be whatever they want, with the death of Comics Code Authority.

You want something cutesy and uplifting? Here are some comedy-and-family-focused works like Lumberjanes and Backstagers. Neither would have passed muster under the homophobic rules of CCA.

Some romance? Sure, that’s what’s keeping Webtoon and Tapas going. Just read up on Greek mythology before reading Lore Olympus (and honestly, it’s a series I don’t care for due to source material but felt like bringing up because of its runaway success).

Plain old schlock? I am tempted to joke about the dirtier side of indies that is currently charting highly in BCPL’s Hoopla but trying to keep it vaguely safe for work. Tim Seeley’s Hack/Slash is out there, I suppose, and thriving.

Material with teeth? Sure, there’s plenty of cerebral horror like Nice House on the Lake and noir like Good Asian, both of which would not pass muster with CCA. Similarly, go read The Fire Never Goes Out by NK Stevenson (referred to by old name for that publication). This collection of autobiographical comics also probably violates at least a billion 50’s rules and is one of my favorite recent reads.

And in general, there is a living and breathing scene of comics that do not fit the superhero mold that nonetheless continue to actively circulate in schools, libraries, and bookstores.

So, less of Cates’ Crossover, Williamson’s Deathstroke Inc, and Aaron’s Avengers and more Department of Truth and Homesick Pilots for you.

Don’t exclusively read YA of dubious quality.

Watch something besides direct-to-streaming true crime show № I don’t even know.

Maybe ask around for educational podcast recs.

So, sure, Bradbury’s commentary on anti-intellectualism and easy entertainment thus far still very much applies to today, but you’re not confined like 50’s people. Idiot Box is only that if you choose to turn it into such a thing.