#actually genuinely such a breath of fresh air and so feminist

[figthefruitfaeth]

obsessed with the way that Lisa Frankenstein answers the question of “how will Lisa overcome her trauma” not with “by putting her morbid tendencies aside and rejoining society as a normal girl” but having her relive it as the perpetrator instead and being rewarded with a messy codependent husband

[comeandhavefunwithme]

The Other Merlin: Book review #2

Synopsis:

For as long as she could remember, all Emry wanted was to be a great magician like her father, the magnificent Merlin. As a kid, she fought to be included in his magic lessons for her twin brother, Emmet, and easily outshone him with each spell she cast. But after her father's disappearance several years ago, Emry has been feeling a little lost. Fate soon appears in the form of a royal messenger, summoning Emmet to court to serve as Prince Arthur's right-hand wizard. With Emmett indisposed thanks to a bad spell, Emry has to disguise herself as a teen boy and pretend to be her brother at the castle until they're able to switch.

Training as a wizard is everything Emry hoped it would be, except working so closely with the unbearably hot Arthur is a growing danger. They soon share adventures and a connection that can't be denied, but Emry's secret is a crime punishable by death. When royal scandals involving Lancelot, Guinevere, and Gawain threaten to reveal her truth, Emry must decide whether to stay and risk everything for a love borne out of deceit, or leave and never fulfill her potential to be Camelot's greatest magician.

My Review:

I absolutely love this book.

After procrastinating for weeks to read it, I finished it in 1 day.

This is a modern retelling of The Legends of Arthur. With casual mentions of the LGTQ+ community, feminist themes, power, corruption as well as friendship and, my personal favourite, found family. I hope these are the books that the next generation gets to read.

It’s amazing how this book can talk about different topics, such as corruption, toxic families, and the future.

The fact that this story doesn’t follow the original makes it all the more better. It might seem like a weakness but it is actually a strong point.

The story might be a little hard to get into and is definitely only for people who like re imaginings of stories.

The writing is great, and I absolutely love the Merlin-Arthur banter.  It’s both cute and genuinely funny. This book was a breath of fresh air.

If you are looking for a women empowerment book, here is the book.

If you are looking for books where people don’t make a “big deal” out of being gay, here is the book.

If you are looking for a chill book, here it is.

A solid 9/10 on my scale.

[rabdoidal]

i know you listen to a lot of podcasts and ive found some of my favourites from hearing you talk about them! do you have any favourites?

under the cut! my top 10 podcasts at the moment:

Alice Isn’t Dead Genre: horror, thriller, drama, Lovecraftian, Americana Episode count: 30 (completed) Description: A truck driver searches across America for the wife she had long assumed was dead. In the course of her search, she will encounter not-quite-human serial murderers, towns literally lost in time, and a conspiracy that goes way beyond one missing woman. Thoughts: This podcast is, to me at least, completely flawless in every way. I would consider myself a person that listens to a lot of horror podcasts, but Alice Isn’t Dead takes the cake for its depictions of liminal middle America, the horror that is capitalism, and the most tender, realistic depiction of lesbians in any podcast. Anything else I could say would spoil it and for this, I don’t want to spoil it because I want every person alive that can stomach horror to listen to this.

Archive 81 Genre: horror, comedy, sci-fi, Lovecraftian Episode count: 35 (ongoing) Description: Archive 81 is a found footage horror podcast about ritual, stories, and sound. Thoughts: The latest podcast I’ve tried, and it’s definitely one that grows on you. The audio mixing is some of the best I’ve heard in any podcast, and every bump and scratch and hum of frequency weaves to form moments that are truly and viscerally gory. Season 3 and Left of The Dial are my favorites because again, I love Americana horror, and anything that involves family!

Artificial Ghost Radio Genre: non-fiction, discussion, comedy Episode count: 75 (ongoing) Description: Our Sisyphean music recommendation challenge with hosts Miles (he/him) and Jupiter (she/they) challenge each other to find songs based on arbitrary themes and to spin the WHEEL OF DISCORD to talk about a random song from their library! They can be found on twitter @artghostpod. Thoughts: Gotta plug my own podcast! We’re still small, but the people I’ve met from doing AGR has made my life richer and fuller, even through the ups and downs. I recommend starting with #58: Songs about Aliens ft. our friend Liz (@thescaryjokes)!

EOS 10 Genre: medical drama, comedy, sci-fi Episode count: 34 (ongoing) Description: Doctors in space, a deposed alien prince, a super gay space pirate and a fiery nurse who'll help you win your bar fight. Thoughts: It’s been a hot minute since I listened, but as someone that inherently loves things like Star Trek and procedural comedies, EOS 10 is a quick and hilarious listen! Fair warning some of the earlier stuff is a little bit ignorant when it comes to their LGBT characters, but it gets a lot better over time.

King Falls AM Genre: horror, comedy, Lovecraftian Episode count: 100 (ongoing) Description: King Falls AM centers on a lonely little mountain town's late-night AM talk radio show and its paranormal, peculiar happenings and inhabitants Thoughts: I’m a bit behind, but again, gotta love some Alpine American horror! King Falls AM perfectly captures the feeling and sound of listening to a small late night radio show with two bros, but it really goes from typical dude dialogue to heart wrenching found family alien conspiracy real quick. Same as EOS 10, fair warning for some ignorant language and LGBT stereotypes, but they address it and it gets better as it progresses.

Not Another D&D Podcast Genre: actual play Dungeons and Dragons, TTRPG, comedy Episode count: 128 (ongoing) Description: Welcome to the campaign after the campaign! Three unlikely adventurers attempt to right the wrongs caused by a party of legendary heroes who screwed up the world while trying to save it. Thoughts: I’m only like 40 episodes in because they’re thick, meaty ‘sodes, but god is NADDPOD fucking hilarious. I’ve tried a fair few TTRPG shows, but the chemistry and care that the cast has together is unmatched by others in the genre. I’m a complete sucker for shows that are so funny and so tragic in equal measures, and the entire concept of a D&D game set after the world has been so drastically changed by a different D&D game is so unique!

The Faculty of Horror Genre: non-fiction, horror, philosophy, sociology, feminism Episode count: 86 (ongoing) Description: Tackling all things horror with a slash of analysis and research, horror journalists and occasional academics Andrea Subissati and Alexandra West are your hosts for brain-plumping discussions on all things that go bump in the night. Thoughts: A little non-fiction in this list of fiction podcasts! The Faculty of Horror is a concise and educated intersectional feminist podcast, and it’s a breath of fresh air to listen to anyone that isn’t a cishet white guy talk about horror. I highly recommend the episode on Cabin in The Woods or Jennifer’s Body!

The Magnus Archives Genre: horror, office comedy Episode count: 180 (ongoing) Description: The Magnus Archives is a weekly horror fiction anthology podcast examining what lurks in the archives of the Magnus Institute, an organization dedicated to researching the esoteric and the weird. Join new head archivist Jonathan Sims as he attempts to bring a seemingly neglected collection of supernatural statements up to date, converting them to audio and supplementing them with follow-up work from his small but dedicated team. Thoughts: TMA is, similarly to A81, a bit of a slow burn to get into, but I think once you listen to a few episodes you’ll know if you want to continue. It’s a pretty standard prompt for a narrative, but the sheer amount of individual short horror stories they’ve managed to write is insane! And I love the slow break down between recording statements and the stuff happening within the archives. Also one of the best redemption stories in a character that starts off as such a grumpy fuck!

The Penumbra Podcast Genre: sci-fi, neo-noir, romance, comedy, found family, magic, medieval fantasy, adventure, mystery Episode count: 75 (ongoing) Description: At the Penumbra, you might follow Juno Steel, a brooding, sharp-witted private eye on Mars, as he tangles with an elusive homme fatale, tracks dangerous artifacts of an ancient alien civilization, and faces his three greatest fears: heights, blood, and relationships. Or you might enter the world of the Second Citadel, where the merciless Sir Caroline must corral a team of emotionally distraught all-male knights to defend their city against mind-manipulating monsters...even the ones they’ve fallen in love with. Thoughts: On god TPP was a life changing podcast for me. Having creators that are genuinely concerned with accurately representing minorities with care and dedication makes me feel spoiled when I try listen to anything else. The two main universes are so different with their own set of histories and cultures, but I love them both so completely. If you want LGBT+ representation, this is the seminal podcast for everything non-binary, trans, queer, and people that aren’t afraid to change and have that change be known! I haven’t listened to another podcast that actually depicts transitioning like they do, absolute king shit.

Wolf 359 Genre: space drama, comedy, action Episode count: 61 (completed) Description: WOLF 359 is a radio drama in the tradition of Golden Age of Radio shows. Set on board the U.S.S. Hephaestus space station, the dysfunctional crew deals with daily life-or-death emergencies, while searching for signs of alien life and discovering there might be more to their mission than they thought Thoughts: Wolf 359 is like if you fell down the stairs and at the bottom of the stairs was a bear trap, and then after you step in the bear trap someone helps you take off that beartrap, but then they kick you in the nuts. Just replace physical pain with emotional pain. It can be so funny but also so fucking stressful and sad – w359 isn’t afraid to kill its darlings, and it will break your heart but you will still say thank you.

[looney-mooney]

So, disenchantment season two its finally there, what do you think of that?

Controversial Opinion: the Electric Princess is the best episode. It's a breath of fresh air, and you can tell that Matt Groening has been WAITING for this moment to happen. This is why he made Disenchantment as the completion of his trilogy: the past contains far greater things than we ever could have imagined, and he is going full-force on this futurama-esque feminist steampunk utopia! Which makes it all the more jarring when she returns to Dreamland. It's the kind of jarring that makes for a really, REALLY strong moment of impact, when (spoilers) that gunshot rang out through Dreamland. Something so familiar to a modern audience, that just the sound itself triggers an instinctual terror - then the realization that the citizens of Dreamland don't know what that sound means - and the CONSEQUENCES of that moment - it's absolutely DEVASTATING in the BEST possible way.

I'm also really glad that Elfo is officially over Bean and they can have the deep, loving, affectionate friendship they deserve. Where else are you gonna find a male/female friendship that involves casual, platonic kisses on the mouth, and like, you KNOW they're platonic because nobody ever makes a big deal out of it??? The fact that Elfo is genuinely no longer interested in pursuing a romantic or sexual relationship with Bean is phenomenal and it really frees Elfo up for character development.

And speaking of Character Development, Luci??? Is amazing???? He's gone from the most selfish of the trio to the most selfless. He's sacrificed everything, and is letting himself indulge in becoming a genuinely good person. He's a productive member of his community, whose business endeavors mostly bring the different communities of Dreamland together. He owns an interracial bar that caters to the specific biological needs of all his patrons, he ran an emergency clinic during a public health crisis, he singlehandedly resolved an economic crisis, he's... Benevolent.

And I also genuinely think he's probably in love with Elfo at this point - he was going to drag Elfo back from Hell HIMSELF (remember how he didn't want Bean to come at first? YEAH. Really throws a wrench in that selfish betrayal narrative he spun up), he helped Elfo get over Bean and then helped them reconcile their friendship, he sacrificed everything for Elfo, specifically this season! Then helped Elfo's people prosper, even though he didn't need to do anything! And then he dated Kissy, which either A) shows that Luci is genuinely into badass elves or B) he was trying to make Elfo jealous so that Elfo would pay attention to him (which worked).

And we see Elfo and Luci growing closer than ever this season - they dance, they hug, they play, they fight, they reconcile, they buy an apartment together! And I'm not just happy about this because I've been shipping it since season 1, I'm happy about this because it shows Luci is letting himself fall in love. Not just for pleasure, but the genuine kind of love that you have to make sacrifices for.

And Bean's trial, when you realize that, yeah, holy shit, the accusation of Witchcraft is actually incredibly well-founded? Usually when there's a witch trial in media, you're like "all this evidence is complete baloney and can be easily explained away but the accuser is fearmongering for personal gain and it's frustrating," and it waa set up like that! But in THIS trial, the more details are revealed, the more you realize that the prosecution... actually has a point??? And you can SEE the CHARACTERS realize "oh holy shit there's a LOT of solid evidence to support this accusation" and it's SO GOOD???

And then, Bean gets to be freed because the Exicutioner knows her. He mentored her, is the husband of the woman who raised her, he's known this kid through stories and experience since she was just a little baby. And he knows she's a good person. And he's so sure about his actions, no hesitation, just the unconditional kindness of someone who cares about one of their kids. And the entire surgery scene was great, because it's the same kind of unconditional trust and love, but in reverse this time - a father who knows his daughter is gonna do the best she can.

This was a season about love and sacrifice. A king who finds his soulmate, and lets her go so she can be herself. A friend who lets go of heaven forever, so he can be with his friends again. A demon who gives up everything he has to save one of his best friends. A queen who does not love her daughter, because she refuses to sacrifice her own vision for her daughter's consent. An entire kingdom who sacrifices not just their blood, but their home and way of life, to rescue the fallen of their brother's new home. It's beautiful, it's exciting, it's clever, and it's genuine. And I'm excited to see how they go on from here! (... Although I do still rather desperately hope that Elfo and Luci get their apartment back.)

[shizukateal]

I’m just gonna say it: The furry anime is VERY promising and everyone should check it the fuck out.

Sorry to fans of the manga to call it that, but it’s the best way to get people’s attention. I mean, technically it is the best way to sintetize the thing, but it takes away a lot of the things that make the story so interesting.

So to start, the story takes place in a furry world as you can see, where there is, in fact, a constant tension between herbivores and carnivores, which of course has led it to be compared to Zootopia. However, there’s a lot of differences in its approach to this setting, starting from the fact that, unlike Zootopia, Beastars doesn’t attempt to present its conflict between carnivores and herebivores as a 1 to 1 metaphor for real life racism, which makes its exploration of its society a lot more genuine. It also has a much more darker presentation of that society since, you know, it’s not a Disney movie, however now it’s a good part to point out some trigger warnings: tw: gore, tw: child slavery, tw: child abuse, tw: sexual assault.

Yes, you read that right, sexual assault. It ultimately doesn’t culminate in anything, tho. But yes, the manga, and so most likely the anime in the future as well, does dive into the sexuality of its characters, aka. the furries do fuck eachother. However between the stupid, mysogynistic, and brain-rotting take of sexuality that engulfs most anime each season, Beastars actual exploration of what sexuality implies in its society is a breath of fresh air. That’s what I meant when I said that calling it “the furry anime” is both appropiate and inappropiate at the same time: Beastars is a furry story that fully explores the implications of its setting, but that doesn’t make it furry fanservice.

The characters, however, are the thing I think that makes the story truly shine. Our protagonist is Legosi, a kind, but naturally shunned gray wolf, who starts becoming more involved with some of his clasmates and as a result with his society at whole, particularly when he starts becoming attracted and fixated with Haru, a white dwarf rabbit. The main thread that pulls and keeps the story together is Legosi trying to mantain some moral stability against his less-than-perfect society and his own feral impulses, his idealism clashing and making him a foil to the much more cynical surrounding cast. In other words, think mob psycho 100 but if mob not only had to deal with the destructive capability of his powers and the other espers around him, but also his society as a whole.

The other characters are great as well. The extent to which we can make a 1 to 1 comparison from their issues to real life ones varies, but the story still gets some excellent melodrama out of them. I’d like to stand out Haru, both because of her complicated, but still rather wholesome relationship with Legosi and because her particular issue in kind of a metaphor for how our society views femeninity and female sexuality, and while I can’t say yet if the story comes to feminist conclusion about that she is at the very least worth watching and debationg.

The anime is in cgi, and while I couldn’t really tell you how it fares up against other anime in that category since I don’t watch much of it, I’d say the crew putting it together did a pretty decent job. Yeah, there are a few efects here and there that were kinda janky, but the characters move and emote very well, even if I can’t call the animation particularly smooth, and some of the abstraction in certain scenes is well made. The op is going to be in stop motion and it fucking slaps, bro. 

So yeah this anime has my full recommendation and I hope it becomes more popular as the season goes.

[anastasiaskarsgard]

ok but now you're obligated to write about single dad finding a lady it's the law and I will call the police if you don't

This is an old old ask that I never quite liked, but I’m just posting to clear it out

———————————————————

Alison was at a crossroads in her life. She was 25, a college graduate, that was a waitress at Hooters. She’d always said she only worked there, to get through school, but here she was more than two years done with school, still putting on those dumb orange shorts.

She wasn’t quite sure what she wanted to do next, but she knew that she didn’t want to work Around a bunch of drunk idiots any more. She just didn’t have the capacity or tolerance for their antics anymore.

She decided to take a look online on various job seeking sites, seeing if anything caught her eye. She had a degree in psychology and her dream was to ultimately have her own space to bring people into, that wanted to balance their life, without relying on prescription drugs. Alternative treatments like Equine Therapy, Expressive Arts, Play therapy etc for individuals or families that set goals. Genuinely helping people was the ultimate goal, but she wasn’t quite ready for that yet, so she needed something new. An add for a live-in nanny caught her eye:

Single Professional Parent of two children under five years old seeking live in Nanny with no criminal record, drugs, or smoking. There will be a background check, driving record, and hair follicle drug test run on all serious applicants, to be completed and passed BEFORE meeting children. Email me for more information and I can discuss living arrangements, pay, benefits, children or any other details. I look forward to hearing from you!

Alison figured it was most likely a woman that had lost her old nanny or lost her significant other and needed someone to pick up the slack. She loved children, and she liked that she was adamant about all the tests and checks being completed before meeting the children. That was very refreshing. Her lease was up and she hadn’t signed a new one, so it actually was a great option. She typed out an introduction about herself, her relevant experience and qualifications and decided to just admit to being a waitress. She knew she’d have to include it in her background check, but she’d rather tell the woman in person, rather then be eliminated right away.

She sent it out, and figured she’d carry on with her day, when no more than twenty minutes went by and she had a reply from a Mark V. She was kind of surprised it was a man solely caring for two toddlers, but i guess deadbeat parents could be any sex. She wondered if the mother was possibly deceased. She opened the message:

Hello Alison!

You have no idea what a breath of fresh air your email was, after getting a bunch of crazy peoples’ replies. Let’s just dive right in, and I can tell you what I expect and if you can meet those needs.

I am the sole guardian of a 3 year old boy named Dakota, and an 18 month old little princess named Danielle. Neither one of their mothers is involved in their life which I worry about them, but with your degree, you probably know exactly how to approach that. I work Monday thru Friday 8am-6pm and very rarely a weekend, and would need you to care for the children, prepare their meals, and take them to their activities and classes throughout the week. I already have a cleaning lady, so as long as you’re not a slob, you’ll only need to do your laundry. You didn’t mention if you had a car or not, but I’d prefer you drove my Tesla anytime you have the children with you. I have a truck for myself, the Tesla is safest for kids. It pretty much drives for you and is very safe, so it gives me a false sense of security. Lol. What you do with your evenings and weekends is up to you. I ask that you only ever have very close friends and family over that are willing to get a background check. I pay for everything of course, I just don’t want a parade of unknown people around my kids. You’re room is a large bedroom, with your own bathroom, walk in closet and balcony. It’s not furnished, but I’d be willing to furnish it if you don’t have your own stuff. Pay is $750 per week, as well as full benefit package through my company Life/ dental/ medical/ vision etc at no out of pocket cost to you. You also will be issued a company credit card for any costs for activities you and the children venture out to do, and all the grocery and incidentals shopping. You can eat whatever you want, and I’d like you to feel comfortable. My children need a consistant female figure in their life and I need help. If this sounds fair to you, I’d like to meet you in person and give you the drug test lab forms and get your information to get your driving and background reports knocked out. If you don’t think you’ll pass any of these, please don’t waste my time. My office is at 111 s Main in that new glass office building. We are the entire twentieth floor. It’s 10am now, hoping you’re available at 1pm today. Let me know either way. Look forward to meeting you and hopefully hiring you. (Oh and just so it doesn’t seem like I’m moving too fast, I need a nanny like yesterday but won’t settle when it comes to my children) Although you’re a bit younger than I’d like; your degree, stable work and address history and willingness to take a hair follicle drug test are positive attributes in a person That will play a major role in my kids lives. Mark V. You can text me at 555-123-4567 as well!

Alison stared at the email a bit stunned. The pay, benefits, accommodations and credit card and car all sounded great but it’s a man. She was curious why both mothers skipped out on him or if he did this on purpose. Maybe they weren’t his kids and they were a friend or family member that died or something. Well what the hell. Anything was better than Hooters. She clicked reply

Hi Mark!

You sound too good to be true! I am totally ok with taking those tests, but i feel like I should inform you that I work at Hooters but want to leave. I have given notice that I’m seeking other employment so am free to leave that job. My lease is also up so this works out perfectly. Let me know if you’re ok with where I work and I can come meet you at 1. Hope to hear back! Oh and if I don’t, I’m just going to show up! Lol

Alison Clarke

She sent it and sat there nervously waiting to see a new email. There wasn’t really any problem with Hooters unless they were really conservative. Some of her very liberal feminist friends were very against the place too. She was just about to shut down when a new email arrived.

Thank you Alison!

I think this is going to work out great! I have no problem with chicken wings, and am not judgemental. See you at 1

Mark

‘What if he’s hot? No. I wonder how old he is. The kids are pretty young so he might not be very old. Girl! Forget it! You do not shit where you eat and no matter how hot your boss is, you don’t look at him as anything more than your paycheck.’

Alison jumped up to get ready, thrilled at the possibilities this job potentially presented. The more she thought about it, the more determined she became to see it through. With no bills, and $750 a week, she could save up for her own practice in no time.

‘What if he’s an unbearable asshole?’ She mused. ‘Fuck it. He can’t possibly be a bigger pain in the ass than the guys I deal with now.’

Famous last words.

[dalia1784]

My thoughts on all the Disney Live Action Remakes so far!

Fair warning: This is strictly my opinion, if you have conflicting opinions on it feel free to post. Just don’t be a jerk about it.

1. Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book (1994)

Though it doesn't stay as faithful to the Kipling classic and in someways the animated classic, it's a pretty solid action film with a pretty impressive cast. The action was amazing, interestingly the animals don't talk (except in it's 1998 prequel The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story) but the body language spoke for itself. Personally This is one I recommend.

2. 101 Dalmatians (1996)

Glen Close was the perfect Cruella De Vil! Unlike the animated classic, the animals do not communicate but their actions speak louder with some pretty humorous and down right adorable moments with the puppies. The odd change that stuck out was Rodger's job, in the animated film he was a musician struggling to write a hit song but in this one he's a game designer struggling to create a good game. There were some pretty sweet and even funny moments but then again this was written by John Hughes (Home Alone, Uncle Buck, National Lampoons Vacation).

3. 102 Dalmatians (2000)

With the director of A Goofy Movie, Tarzan, and Enchanted at the helm this one was a fun film. The idea of a rehabilitated Cruella was an interesting take but when she lapses back to her old ways it's pretty funny. Of course there's a lot more puppies this time around and the introduction to a spotless dalmatian named Oddball who stole the show alongside Glen Close and a very talkative parrot named Waddlesworth. I adored how they show how self conscious Oddball is about being spotless and the antics she gets into trying to get spots like her siblings. An enjoyable sequel with some adorable humor.

4. Alice in Wonderland (2010)

Director Tim Burton gives his spin on the tale of Alice and her adventures in Wonderland. Though surprisingly it takes place after the events of the original novel as Alice is now an adult who must return to Wonderland to end The Red Queen's reign. This one is visual candy from beginning to end with some pretty frightening moments, I enjoyed a lot of the acting and Johnny Depp was a treat to watch. The soundtrack admittingly is the best I've heard from Danny Elfman next to Edward Scissorhands.

5. The Sorcerer's Apprentice [Based on the segment from Fantasia (1940)] (2010)

I was pretty mixed on this on one hand Nicholas Cage's performance wasn't too bad I'd personally call it decent. But I felt personally that it was an underwhelming film. It had potential but so very little of it was shown. The iconic scene of the broom coming to life was a bit disappointing.

6. Maleficent (2014)

Angelina Jolie is extremely gorgeous and was the perfect choice for this movie. The action and the visuals were very dreamy, Lana Del Rey's cover of Once Upon a Dream is very haunting, and I adored that they tried to establish a bond between Aurora and Maleficent. The way the faeries were portrayed left me bewildered but it was something I was willing to overlook.

7. Cinderella (2015)

This one had the most gorgeous costume designs to put to film. Lily Tomlin was a doll in the role and her rendition of A Dream is a Wish (Your Heart Makes) is beautiful. The villains are well written and Helena Bonham Carter was an interesting choice as The Fairy Godmother. My major nitpick was with two certain scenes: The first was when Cinderella's original gown is torn, I felt it was way more stronger in the animated classic as not only do they tear it to shreds they curse and verbally (possibly physically) abuse her to the breaking point. The other is when Cinderella is locked in her room, many complained that she did nothing in the animated one but wait to get her out which isn't exactly true. She tries to get out even when the mice go through the effort to get the key to unlock the door. In the live action version she literally does what everyone had initially criticized and yet they claimed she was a feminist role model for doing so? I don't know I may be reading into this But I will give it this they do establish a relationship with Cinderella and the Prince in the beginning.

8. The Jungle Book (2016)

This movie deserved it's Oscar. The cast was spot on, Neel Sethi was perfect in the role of Mowgli. The action scenes were a fantastic especially in IMAX 3D, the emotional scenes were very powerful and I loved how they incorporated the songs and score cues from the animated classic. For the record I died laughing at Christopher Walken as King Louie, I did not expect to hear him sing at all.

9. Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016)

A pretty mixed sequel, I loved a lot of the actors including Sacha Baron Cohen as Time. However the movie left me with way more questions and even more confused as to why certain events in the movie happened. I have nothing else to say but it's not bad, it's not great, it's just.. okay...

10. Pete's Dragon (2016)

This is my highly recommended of the remakes as it lives up to the original and then some. Elliot is one of the most uniquely designed dragons since Toothless and Falkor and this movie allowed him to shine. What I loved about this movie was the core focus on the movie which was the relationship between Elliot and Pete. This was one the most enduring and emotional films I've seen to date.

11. Beauty and the Beast (2017)

One of my all time animated films and this remake was a genuine mix of "I love this but dammit there's a lot I hate too!" For starters I absolutely hate the design of Belle's gown, for me it looked like a prom dress and sadly I've seen the Broadway show, the parks, and even cosplayers do a much better job of the gown's design. Dan Stevens as the Beast had me sold and nearly fooled me for Robbie Benson. I love the scenery design of the castle, the casting of the enchanted objects was actually really good though they did very little for Audra McDonald. Emma Watson's singing is extremely mixed when listening to the performances done by Paige O'hara and Susan Egan. Honestly I wished this was mixture of both the Broadway and the animated. The major positive I have is the soundtrack the songs are great and I was happy Alan Menken returned for the score (thanks for incorporating Home from the Broadway). Out of the new songs mine personally were Josh Groban's rendition of Evermore, Celine Dion's rendition of How Does a Moment Last Forever, and Days in the Sun as a decent replacement for Human Again. Ariana Grande and John Legend's rendition of the song is okay, it felt more like they were just trying to up Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson's rendition. Oh for the record the whole Lefou being gay was pretty solid I mean I caught on just by listening to his dialogue but it felt like it was tacked on to get more ticket sales because of it. A major mix bag it's worth a watch on Netflix.

12. Christopher Robin [Based off The Many Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh(1977)] (2018)

Once again I was reduced to crying, this is personally one of my favorite Winnie the Pooh films to date next to The Tigger Movie and 2011's Winnie the Pooh. This was a genuine roller coaster of feels and breath of fresh air for the Hundred Acre Wood, the effects for our favorites so perfect and so life-like. Hearing Jim Cummings reprise his roles was overwhelming and a welcoming call, Ewan McGregor's performance is enduring and emotional. The movie itself gives off the stunning whimsical vibes like 1991's Hook, showcasing the idea of Christopher Robin as an adult. This is a pure gem to watch.

[maevelin]

I don't mean to be rude, but' i'm genuinely confused. I understand liking Nesta, but I don't know how you would love her so much knowing that she was this abusive : "...Feyre, you’ll have no one left to remember you, or to care that you ever existed.” "No one in this family cares about you and we would all be happier if you were dead”. "You stink like a pig covered in its own filth. Can’t you at least try to pretend that you’re not an ignorant peasant?” and many moreeeee

“I think Nesta feels everything— sees too much; sees and feels it all. And she burns with it. Keeping that wall up helps from being overwhelmed, from caring too greatly.”

“You know nothing about who I am, and what I’ve done and what I want.“

“What happened to Tomas Mandray?” I asked, the words strangled.“I realized he wouldn’t have gone with me to save you from Prythian.”  

“He stole you away into the night…It wasn’t right.”

“But beneath the wall, I witnessed children - entire families - starve to death. Were it not for my sister…I would be among them.”   

And many moreeeeee.

And all that while we have only one side of the story and not a clear picture since we only got Feyre’s PoV. For every example you put here for Nesta’s abusive behavior I can present an action of hers that showed remorse and love and sacrifice for Feyre. And yet somehow those do matter in this equation at all.

What surprises me here however is that somehow people are ready to be confused and jump to conclusions and ask explanations as to why someone likes a fictional character. As if there has to even be a reason for liking a character as if it is wrong to love it and therefore you need to explain your thoughts and motives for daring to like a fictional character.

This truly baffles my to be honest. Also a helpful reminder. When you send an ask to someone starting with the phrase  ‘I don’t mean to - insert whatever word’ then the receiver of that ask will immediately get into defensive mode because chances are that what the sender did not mean to be actually…is.

Generally speaking however I can like whatever I like without having to explain myself. Fiction is not reality. And what attracts one person to liking certain things in fiction is a matter of personal taste and …you know…different strokes for different folks.

Nesta Archeron is a fully developed character. The side you showed in your ask (which I am not excusing because I do not have to pretend as if it is not there in order to like Nesta) is only a part of Nesta’s characterization. In order for me at least to like a character I need to eventually go through their journey and progression and then decide. Personally I liked Nesta from the very beginning. Why? Because she was not a character that we have seen a thousand times on repeat in the YA genre over and over and over again. That alone made her a breath of fresh air in a collection of anachronistic cliches to which Feyre succumbs to in every aspect and form for most parts in the trilogy to the point where in the last book became practically a bland character with no characterization. But liking is not the same as genuinely loving and as I saw more sides and layers in Nesta I came to love her. I came to love her cold exterior and the fear that lurks underneath. I came to understand how closed off she is. I came to see her struggle with her inability to express emotion. I came to see her mental disorders. I saw the battle  that raged inside her. I came to love the little things and those that were left untold when it came to her. I came to like the realistic parts of her portrayal.

When Acotar began it was obvious that the author wanted to give a Cinderella presentation (so to immediately make Feyre more likable) and did not care for Nesta or Elain aside from showing them as the bad fairytale sisters. They were there simply to play that role (which really made me roll my eyes) and then Sjmaas decided to change her tune and showed more layers. And -for me at least- …it worked.

Yes Nesta is problematic. Yes she is an asshole.You won’t find any arguments there from me.

Nesta is a flawed character. She is not the typical ya heroine. She is not a certain typecast of the Mary Sue protagonist. She also presents characteristics that are both female (propriety, lady mannerisms, dress code etc) and male (rage, unapologetic selfishness etc). She is intelligent and not a warrior. She does not need to yield a sword in order to be a badass. She is not a tomboy in the way tomboy girls are unrealistically presented in these kind of books. She shows characteristics that when are shown in male characters then they appear sexy and hot and their behavior is always excused while when women show the very same characteristics they must always apologize and be condemned for them. I am sorry but I would rather see and like a rude, loud, damaged, unapologetic, flawed and angry asshole lady rather than a picture perfect snowflake at any day. I can LOVE a character without expecting them to be moral or good or even nice. This is fiction after all.

I want to relate to characters. I want to see their flaws, I want to feel them. I want their layers. I want their aggression and their emotional blockage and their depression and their anger and I do not want them to be sorry for it or change their character so to become…likable or loved by others. I want them to speak with actions instead of words. I want them to be consistent. I want them to not be perfect. I do not want the author to spoon feed me any redemption for me to like them or hit me with constant dialogue and exposition so to tolerate a character and come to like it. I do not want one character to be condemned because another is in the highlight and can do nothing wrong which is hypocritical most of the times...and a lie. I want a character that has meat and bones and down to the marrow I can sink my teeth in them and still find more things to explore instead of the same old same old we meet in certain types of literature constantly.

Grey characters are interesting. Morally flawed characters are interesting. Characters that are conflicting and bring conflict are interesting. Female characters of that sort are hella interesting for me.

And because Nesta is an amalgamation of all those traits I came to not only like her but love her. I stan her. I want to read more about her. I am here for her as a character.

On the other hand let me tell you that I also adore Rhysand. Like I live and breathe. And no one is confused when people like Rhysand. No one was even confused when people expressed their love for Rhysand during the first book when we did not have his explanations and excuses for his actions and behaviors. Most people adored Rhysand in acomaf before the chapter in the cabin came. Most people did not even bat an eye when it came to how ‘normal’ it was for Rhysand to have such a fanbase in the acotar fandom even before acomaf was published.

I do not judge people for loving Rhysand (hell I am one of them and I do not want to relate only with moral characters in fiction) but I cannot stand the double standards here.

No one asked me why I like Rhysand. Rhysand that can be manipulative and abusing and secretive and an asshole. Like the way he treated Morrigan in acowar for example. People keep on seeing nothing wrong in him but that does not apply to other characters.

We are still talking about Rhysand that despite his reasoning abused Feyre too. The fact that an abusive action can be understood or explained or ‘excused’ does not negate the abuse no matter the reasons one may have. People seem to somehow forget or excuse that and give a pass to Rhysand as a character AND to people that like Rhysand despite it. The fact that Feyre forgave him or decided it to avert her eyes from his behavior and the author decided to pretend that Rhysand is a feminist and a character that can do no wrong and must be put in a pedestal does not negate his abuse or how interesting as a character he is (at least in the first two books). The fact that he drugged Feyre and treated her the way he did still remains a fact. Or that in acomaf he purposely sent her to the weaver in a situation that could have led to her death which was during a time that she had severe PTSD and could be triggered and further damaged. Or the way he treated Morrigan when it came to her abusers and the way he acted towards her taking away from her all of her agency. And do not even let me start on the suicide pact he made with Feyre while he should know better since he is over 500 years old while Feyre is not even 20. The fact that the author decides to sugarcoat that behavior and even glamorize it as healthy does not change it from being problematic and yet it is constantly praised.

It is praised when it comes to Rhysand but not when it comes to Nesta. Imagine that really.

No one argues about how Rhysand is likable despite being a grey amoral character and an asshole. The fact that he uses honey in his words and not vinegar like Nesta does not change his amorality.

Is it a matter of nobility and motives? Like those Nesta showed when she wanted to save kids and stood up in the High Lords meeting and wanted to sacrifice her life in the war? Is it because Rhysand was abused UtM when Nesta was abused when she was thrown into the cauldron (which we do not even know how much time passed for her in there). Is it because he was a rape victim because Nesta can have Tomas Mandray for that. Is it because despite his PTSD he stood up defending his ideals just like Nesta did? Is it because he is an extrovert while Nesta an introvert? Is it because he loved Feyre despite the abusive moments? Because Nesta’s actions also show love towards Feyre. Is it because of the romance? Because sibling love and rivalry can be just as interesting. Is it because Rhysand’s honest actions in contract with Nesta’s that are also there.Is it because Feyre loves and forgave Rhysand so the fandom has too and be alright with it and not expect more from him? Because the last time I checked Feyre loves her sisters to death and forgives them and is ready to go down for them but the readers choose to ignore that. When Feyre called the names of  those she loved in her list inside her head to give her strength both under the mountain and when she was a spy in the spring court Nesta was always there but people act as if that should not be the case despite the fact that Nesta is Feyre’s family and in families you forgive.

Or is it because Rhysand is a man and does not have to excuse himself especially since the writing favors him even beyond reason and logic while Nesta is a woman so she will have to be judged -by far- more harshly and the people that like her must always explain why they like her as if they should not?

I can’t help but wonder.

In the end I don’t necessarily have to filter everything I read in fiction through a politically correct perspective and apply to the fictional things I like a real life way of thinking. At least not all the way through.

In the end I can just like characters either they are heroes or villains or in the between or nothing of that sort.

And Nesta is one of the character that has won me over. With her bad traits and her good traits. With her dark moments and her moments of light. With her wrongdoings and her ideals. She is not perfect. And I would never expect her to be. And I actually love her exactly because she is not that. I would take an imperfect character any time of the day. Just I have done with Scarlett O’Hara and now Nesta Archeron. They are my jam I can’t help it.

[philosopherking1887]

(1/8) I’m going to make my argument on anon because my blog is not political. I’ll message you off anon separately as I think it’s rude to engage someone in debate when they don’t know who they’re speaking with, but if you decide to respond to this I ask that you don’t post that message. I want to explain why I feel very uncomfortable with people calling the left and right mirror images of each other under any circumstance.

(2/8) It would be erroneous to suggest that there aren’t parts of the left the deal exclusively in black and white morality, who conspiracy-theorize, and who reduce people to basic identities such as race and sexuality. I wouldn’t even make the claim that these people are a loud minority. I’m also aware people who accept nuance in morality occasionally state things in black and white terms, and in doing so turn people off to their more nuanced arguments.

(3/8) I would argue that leftists don’t consider anybody with antisemitic beliefs or conspiracy theories to be leftist, because the backbone of leftist ideology is wanting to crush things like antisemitism, homophobia, racism, and the systems that support these ideologies. Leftists actively distances themselves from these people, in the same way the feminists distance themselves from terfs and swerfs, stating that these people are fundamentally counter to feminist ideology.

(4/8) All that said, I still identify as part of the left. In the circles I run in, it’s less about destroying anyone who has ever said or done something “problematic” (which we acknowledge would be everyone), and more about wanting to reduce the harm caused by oppressive systems, and convince others to consider their language and actions more carefully. It’s these leftists that I’d argue could actually affect societal change.

(5/8) Let’s say someone’s said something racist. People who I’d consider centrist like to focus on the fact that someone is legally allowed to say that. People who I’d consider effective leftist seek to make it clear that it’s not ok to say such things, thereby pushing back against the speech becoming morally acceptable, but also believe that you haven’t completely morally bankrupted yourself simply by saying a thing.

(6/8) People that I’d consider effective leftists don’t believe that media with morally wrong elements shouldn’t exist, and we recognize that it doesn’t have to expressly state something is wrong for it to clearly be wrong. I personally enjoy media that includes ableism, racism, rape, etc. The story doesn’t have to remind me these things are wrong, because a well written story will present these things accurately, and these things are wrong.

(7/8) What I understand to be the right does not have room for people who want to consider humans, their words, and their actions complexly. Their very ideology believes whole sections of our population unworthy of consideration. It’s this core difference that makes me extremely uncomfortable when I see people compare the left and the right.

(8/8) Are there people on the left who think too much in black and white terms? Or course, but this isn’t an intrinsic part of the ideology, it’s the result of not developing or engaging critical thinking skills. The right on the other hand ideologically opposes critical thinking and complex understandings of all human beings.

You’re right that I was overstating the case when I said that the Left was just a mirror image of the Right. There are some good principles motivating the Left; I have no sympathy at all for the principles that motivate the Right. But I do think that the black-and-white morality, bolstered by a simplistic worldview, is an intrinsic danger of being at either extreme on the political spectrum.

The main reason I no longer consider myself a leftist is in your second paragraph: the people who think in black-and-white morality and reduce people to their social identities aren’t just a “loud minority” on the Left; they are the voice of the Left. I see it from my academic friends (“friends”) on Facebook and I see it from people on Tumblr, where the ideas from leftist academia get popularized and proliferated. If anything, it seems, the people who genuinely accept moral ambiguity are a silent minority who are gritting their teeth and going along with the complexity-challenged majority because they agree, on the whole, with their policy goals. I, too, agree with the policy goals, but I don’t accept the -ist label, the identity as a Leftist, because I don’t share the general worldview.

This got incredibly long (and took way more time than I was expecting), so the rest is under a cut.

In paragraph 3 you say: “leftists don’t consider anybody with antisemitic beliefs or conspiracy theories to be leftist, because the backbone of leftist ideology is wanting to crush things like antisemitism, homophobia, racism, and the systems that support these ideologies.” Probably the biggest single factor that’s driven me away from the Left is the very shallow understanding of Jewish history and identity that I see even from people who claim to oppose antisemitism. Most of them don’t even seem to recognize antisemitism within their own ranks, much less distance themselves from it; as commented by David Schraub, a UC Berkeley law professor, on his excellent blog The Debate Link, all kinds of blatantly anti-Jewish crap can get excused as legitimate “criticism of Israel” (including, in a German legal decision, firebombing a synagogue). Despite loving to insist that Israel should not be equated with Jews when they claim that criticism of Israel can never be considered antisemitic (even when that includes saying that the Jewish state should cease to exist, or that Israel’s actions prove that Hitler was right), they’re perfectly happy to interrogate any Jews who show up at progressive political events about their views on Israel. And, apparently, protest LGBT-rights events partly sponsored by Hillel on the grounds of “pinkwashing.” Ah, there are those conspiracy theorists!

Tumblr has actually been a breath of fresh air in that respect: I’m seeing a lot more people on here than among my leftist “friends” in academia (whom I would have expected to know better) who acknowledge that antisemitism is actually still a problem and maybe you should believe Jews when they say it’s a problem, rather than automatically dismissing it as a tactic for shutting down criticism of Israel. Many of my Tumblr mutuals also seem to understand the apparently difficult-to-grasp concept that Jews, even pale-skinned Ashkenazi Jews, have not always and everywhere been considered white—and still are not, by the people who call themselves “white nationalists.” I’m not sure how widespread this view is, but an idea seems to have gotten hold in some segments of the Left that the Jews are just a group of white Europeans who fabricated a historical origin in the Levant to justify a colonialist land grab. This is stupid for a variety of reasons—the basic ignorance of history foremost among them—but what really strikes me about it is how it’s actually a logical consequence of the simple guiding worldview that seems to be widely espoused by the Left.

Here are a couple of general principles of that worldview:1) The world is divided into white oppressors and oppressed people of color.2) The original sin of the modern world (indeed, of the world in general) is European colonialism.

To be clear: I agree that in the vast majority of the contemporary world, white people (i.e., people of European descent) are in a position of dominance and privilege over non-white people. I also agree that colonialism is a great evil and the source of most of the systemic injustices that continue to plague the world. But I also think that racial identity is contingent and contextual, and while leftists will pay lip service to that idea and trot it out when it suits them, their approach to the history and situation of the Jews, which throws a wrench into the simple worldview, suggests to me that they don’t fully understand or believe in that contingency and contextuality.

I agree with leftists that the state of Israel has oppressive policies toward Palestinians. I also agree that in America, Ashkenazi Jews (which most American Jews are, though NOT most Israeli Jews) are for most practical purposes white. Here’s where a problem arises: part of the reason colonialism is such a great crime is that it displaces people from their ancestral homelands—both the indigenous populations who lived on the colonized land and the African people who were transported from their homes into slavery on distant continents. So, the Left concludes, there must be a great moral importance to the connection with an ancestral homeland. Acknowledging that Jews, even Ashkenazim, have a historical origin in the territory of Israel/Palestine would (a) complicate their designation as white oppressors and (b) raise the possibility that they have some rightful claim to the territory. Now, there are all kinds of ways to dispel (b). You could say that diaspora Jews have been gone from the land so long that there’s no longer a meaningful connection to it… but then that raises the question of how long Native Americans, aboriginal Australians, etc. get to claim that they have been wronged by the displacement of their ancestors (is there a statute of limitations on an ancestral connection to a land?). You could say that it’s still wrong to forcibly reappropriate your ancestral land from people who have moved in in the meantime… but that would be a problem for the argument that Palestinian refugees have the right to return to where their grandparents lived. Maybe you could say it’s wrong to reappropriate land from people who aren’t the descendants of the appropriators (the Romans, in the relevant case)? Except then it’s OK to punish descendants for their ancestors’ crimes…?

It’s easier to square everything by just saying that Jews have no historical connection to the land, they’re white through and through and have never been otherwise, and the displacement and continued oppression of Palestinians is merely an instance of the very same European “settler colonialism” that (according to Principle 2) is the wellspring of all the other injustices of the modern world. You may have heard that expression applied to the existence of Israel; it’s a watchword of the BDS movement, beloved of much of the Left. The Chicago Dyke March borrowed from them the credo that “Zionism is an inherently white-supremacist ideology”—which would be a really weird thing to say if you acknowledged that Zionism (meaning the movement to found a Jewish state) arose in response to the prevalent European attitude that Jews are an “Oriental” people who can never really belong in Europe because they don’t have the proper kind of ancestral connection with European lands. Better just say—as did a Facebook “friend” of mine, a philosophy grad student from a prestigious university—that turn-of-the-century Jewish settlement in Palestine had absolutely nothing to do with rising antisemitism in Europe, because racialized antisemitism wasn’t even much of a problem in Europe until the Nazis came to power. Because apparently that shit just came out of nowhere. He even went so far as to say that any Jews who may have left Europe for Palestine before 1930 out of fear of antisemitic persecution were “alarmists.”

Do you see how this reflects the same kind of black-and-white morality that we see on Tumblr in other contexts (whether that’s telling people that they’re horrible for sympathizing with villains and other Problematic™ characters, or that they must be rapists and abusers if they read, enjoy, and/or get off on fic that depicts rape and abuse)? Acknowledging the origin of Zionism in European antisemitism, acknowledging that the state of Israel exists in large part because of the Holocaust, even acknowledging the correct geographic origin of the Jewish people, might mean allowing moral ambiguity into the situation. It might mean that early Zionist settlers were not white-supremacist monsters; it might mean that Israeli Jews, many of them the children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors and refugees from the USSR, are not merely callous racists (which many of them, I’m sure, are), but frightened, and not entirely without reason. Not to mention that acknowledging sources and forms of oppression that predate European colonialism and defy color-based racial categories would complicate the simple worldview.

It’s having those kinds of arguments (over and over and over) with people on the Left—trying to explain very basic things about the history and experience of my people—that has thoroughly alienated me. I sometimes like to say, savoring the deliberate irony, that “identity politics is bad for the Jews.” It is, on both sides: we’re not white enough to be considered worthy by the Right, but apparently we’re too white to be considered worthy in the way that matters to the Left: a claim to oppression. People on the Left and the Right both like to say (or just insinuate) that Jews control the media and mainstream politics and are using it to make U.S. foreign policy subservient to Israel (the Chicago Dyke March and the KKK can bond over that). You know what was good for the Jews? Enlightenment universalist humanism. The principle that individuals are to be judged as individuals, not by their membership in a community; that association with a minority religious or cultural community is a private matter, as long as you’re a good citizen of the state in which you find yourself. Those were the principles that drove the emancipation of Jews in Europe (i.e., the elevation to full citizenship), and the principles with which Zola et al. defended Dreyfus. And yes, you can recognize the effects of systemic group-based oppression and work to fight it, while also insisting that the ultimate locus of moral value is the individual, and that all individuals must be presumed to have equal value in virtue of a common humanity that is more important than group differences.

But here the moral rigorism of the Left—the view that a person, action, or institution with any moral taint must be rotten through and through—causes me problems again. Enlightenment ideals were formulated, articulated, and enshrined in government institutions amid racist European colonialism and misogynist patriarchy. Therefore, the Left concludes, they must be wholly bankrupt. Enlightenment individualism, they say (with a little help from Marx), is just a pretext to glorify the white wealthy landowning male and the capitalist order. Racists and sexists like Locke and Kant, slaveowners like Jefferson and Madison, cannot have had good, genuinely liberatory ideals that they failed to live up to; the ideals themselves must have been devised purely to uphold the system of white supremacist patriarchal capitalism. I find this extremely ironic, considering that the ideals to which the Left swears loyalty, of casting off oppressive systems of domination and striving for equality and “liberation,” have their roots firmly in the Enlightenment. Yes, we should acknowledge the failings and limitations of Enlightenment thinkers, and we should keep expanding our conception of the humanity that deserves liberation. But we should also acknowledge our debt to these flawed, sometimes even overall immoral, human beings—keeping in mind that we, too, will probably look deeply flawed to future generations, even if we are striving in the right direction.

I can cite all kinds of other examples of this moral rigorism, including the very loud people who liked to say that there was no moral difference between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump (and then, oddly enough, cited the 90-some percent of African Americans who voted for Clinton and the 53% of white women who voted for Trump as proof of the virtue of the former and the depravity of the latter). In fannish spaces on Tumblr, it shows up as a hybrid moral-aesthetic rigorism: if a work or its creator is morally problematic, nothing about the work can have any artistic value, either. Thus, since Joss Whedon is a bad feminist (or perhaps not a feminist at all), not only can we no longer enjoy Buffy or consider it progressive in any way, but we must say that he’s a bad storyteller, and a bad writer of dialogue and character, even for white male characters (and if we have to read sloppily to come to that conclusion…? *shrug*). The issue is not just about enjoying media that depicts problematic things (though there is a truly batshit wing of the Tumblr Left that does have a problem with that); it’s about whether you’re allowed to enjoy the good aspects of media that depict certain things in a problematic way.

As for the issue of condemning hate speech and acknowledging the legal right (in the U.S.) to speak it: someone genuinely committed to the reality of moral ambiguity would say that you can do both. You can very strongly condemn white supremacists and neo-Nazis, you can go out and protest their rallies, while also saying that it’s not a good idea to initiate violent altercations with them. You can say that the ACLU is still a good organization even though they defend the rights of neo-Nazis to march. You might think that, as a Jew, I’d be in favor of the “punch a Nazi” attitude—and when it comes to dyed-in-the-wool Nazis like Richard Spencer and Steve Bannon, punch away. But as a believer in moral ambiguity, I also recognize that a lot of the young white men drawn to the alt-right have been radicalized in the very same way as the young Muslim men who are drawn to Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State. Here’s where I see an instance of mirroring between the Right and the Left: Conservatives will tend to say that Islamic terrorists are inherently evil, there’s no redeeming them, and the only good terrorist is a dead terrorist, while many neo-Nazis are just unhappy, isolated, vulnerable young men, despairing over the bleakness of their economic prospects, who have been led astray. Meanwhile, over on the Left, people say that neo-Nazis are inherently evil, irredeemable, etc., while many Islamic terrorists are just vulnerable young men who have been led astray. So both sides accept a double standard, only it’s reversed. Can’t we say that there are some vulnerable, misled young men (and women) among both kinds of extremists? In fact, in Germany, the very same strategies that were developed to deradicalize neo-Nazis are being adapted to deradicalize Islamic extremists.

I know a number of genuinely critical thinkers who want to continue throwing in their lot with the Left for its generally good goals and ideals, despite its problems with moral ambiguity, and I don’t have a problem with that. As long as we’re working for the same outcomes, it’s just a matter of labels. But there are some serious issues where I part company with the Left, and some deep differences on matters of history and philosophy. As a historian and a philosopher, those differences matter a lot to me. And, specifically, as a Jew with a profound sense of Jewish history (though not the religion, which is why I’ve been sitting at home writing this essay instead of going to Yom Kippur services), I also have a profound mistrust of ideological extremes that regard group identity as more important than individual humanity, because people on both ends of the political spectrum have always found reasons to hate us as a group.

[ringusscully]

@gifsourcefed made a little post detailing about how she felt about all the hosts and I thought it would be a good way to show my appreciation as well! 

My story is pretty much like every others, I started way back in 2012, right around the time of the fall, and from then on my life was forever changed. SourceFed has always been my home, some place I could leave for a bit and then come back and things were a little different, like the furniture had changed around and maybe we got some new members, but it was still home, it still had the heart and the love that I always remembered.

Lee Newton, the sweetest, funniest, dinosaur loving woman I’ve ever seen. I connected with her Make-A-Wish story and being sick and having surgeries all the time as a kid with my own past being similar, and from then on she felt like a new mom, one complete with hilarious voices and a bright smile.

Joe Bereta, the dad I wish I had, so athletic and fearless, and Joe knew how to tell a story like nobody else, I always wanted to learn how to tell a story like Joe Bereta, even if he did almost die in half of them.

Elliott Morgan, the dry humored, silly guy who had the tendency to go a little dark, Elliott was filled with endless talent and entertainment, there truly was nobody like Elliott Morgan, and never will be. 

Steve Zaragoza, this silly, joyous, funny, fantastic man. I love Stee, even when I disagree with him, because Steve is so magical, so special in the way he exudes happiness. Zabagoobler has always been the kind of guy I wanted to be friends with.

Trisha Hershberger, this small, dramatic, tech loving woman. I love Trisha Hershberger. Trisha reminded me of myself, in drama and wanting to be an actress, and so very tiny and optimistic and loved games and technology. Trisha is the sweetest little lady, and I know she’s going to be a fantastic mother.

Meg Turney, this red haired force of nature. Meg was hot and quick and full of life, so casually cool and fun it almost hurt. Meg seemed so effortless in everything, like that being that amazing was just easy. She made being a nerd girl in a t-shirt be hot.

Ross Everett, although far from a favorite of mine personally, always added a little spice. I actually did come to miss him when brought up the last few days, missing the dynamic he had, and I think that’s how Ross shined: he was good with people, good with bouncing off of them, good at creating a fun energy and a good time. I could only hope to have that much energy as Ross.

And then came our first round of newbies. Admittedly, these are probably my favorite hosts, ones I connected with the most.

William Haynes, the unpredictable, creative, wild Naruto Shippuden loving boy. I had a crush on Will when he first popped up on Anime Club. Will was awkward, but well spoken and characteristic, and funny? Will was so funny. And he changed, right before our own eyes, Will went from this awkward boy, to this amazing, cool, funny man. Will showed me that even in the void, you can always find the light at the of the Tunnel (Vision). Speaking of Anime Club...

Reina Scully, this small, beautiful Asian woman. God do I love Reina Scully. Reina was small, just like me, and loved anime, and was actually pretty disgusting and lewd, in the best of ways, things that I was afraid of showing, but Reina brought me out of my shell. Reina is by far my favorite host, coming into her own from sitting quietly at TableTalks to yelling to my favorite soft chicken boy. Never did I have to think about liking Reina, because she was so likeable right from the moment she popped up. Somebody else that brought me out of my shell?

Sam Bashor, meek and sweet in the beginning, now a still sweet, but amazing man who is so full of ideas and passion that he seems like he’s going to burst. Sam was also somebody I had a crush on, the old Doctor Who outfits were so charming, and the privilege of seeing Sam (and Will) grow from boys my age to these incredibly talented men who are living their dreams and their passions, has always given me hope and something to strive for, that you can change but still be yourself at heart, especially if deep down you’re actually just the Flash.

Matthew Lieberman, this boy! God I love Matt. It was so popular to dislike Matt, but I loved him. I love the crazy stories Matt always brought to the table, and he always knew how to tell them, the details and specifics, and in story reactions almost unbelievable and amazing. And cooking! The man can cook. Amazingly so. I’m so upset we never got to see more of Matt’s skills, and that SourceFeed is never going to happen now. And on top of that, an actor and a writer? Matt is so talented, and I especially loved him on Nuclear Family.

Around late 2014 early 2015 I fell off SF, but not for long. I came back home, just like always, and there were even more new hosts. 

Bree Essrig, this feminist fireball, Bree is everything I wish I could be. Talented, outspoken, funny, beautiful. Bree is the complete package, topped with hair just as fiery as she is. Bree’s skills were brought to the forefront on Nuclear Family, and not getting to see those anymore makes me so sad. God damn do I love Bree Essrig. Know who else I love?

Maude Garrett. Maude. Fucking. Garrett. When Maude Garrett enters a video, enters a single frame, this is Maude’s show now. Maude brings the light to the room, draws all the attention in with that tall blonde Australianness that only she could exude, somehow contained in a Star Wars dress. Maude is so ridiculously funny, you might as well just sit back and let her go at it. The dynamic with Sam is so amazing, so perfect, lightning in a bottle that could never be recreated. I can’t wait for the Smaudecast.

Steven Suptic. This soft chicken boy. This boy grew on me. I watched SPF for Reina, she’d always been my favorite, and now she did games? Full time? Hell fucking yeah I was in. But then this boy came in. This weird white boy with greasy hair who said all the wrong things. I don’t know how long I wouldn’t watch a video that didn’t feature somebody else that involved Suptic. But somewhere along that way, that boy got a haircut, and I’m pretty sure some new glasses, and eventually found his voice and his stride, and GOD do I love Steven Suptic. Suppy is a grower, somebody that’s so bombastic you’re off-put by him. But then you watch more, and you realize that boy that jokes around all the time? Is sentimental, and kinda sweet, even if he still says the wrong things sometimes, but now it’s a little bit endearing, especially if his dick is just, y’know. Out.

I was pretty consistent with keeping up from now until the end, and luckily, I’d already been keeping up with a few of the new hosts.

Ava Gordy, a sweet, funny, short haired lady with legs more bendable than I thought possible. Ava’s been somebody I knew since 2012 as well, I saw a video she did for Taylor’s Swift’s “RED” album reviewing it, and had been watching “HALT, I am Ava.” ever since. Seeing Ava here was a surprise, a good one, Ava’s talents finally having the coolest of platforms I could think of to be shown off. Ava is funny, her timing and storytelling impeccable. Ava Gordy is a masterpiece.

Mike Falzone, this sweet, funny man was also somebody I knew, having been around the YouTube block, knowing of Tonjes and Gunnarolla. Mike was like Steve, hilariously funny, always doing something to get a laugh, and this man is so genuine it seems almost impossible. Mike is so sweet, so good to this world, and so funny on top of it all. The world does not deserve the Calzone, but we get to enjoy him anyways.

Candace Carrizales. Oh Candy. Candace is someone that took the most to grow on me. Her humor is so different from the others, her demeanor so unexpected from this office that’s known to be out of this world loud and exuberant. Not Candy. Candy’s just hear to be here, and have a good time, and to give a laugh. I wish I could’ve appreciated Candace sooner, seeing her grown more comfortable and more into her voice and comedy has been amazing, and I wanted nothing but to see her more, considering she’s made me laugh so much in the last few months than I ever expected.

Yessica Hernandez-Cruz, God damn do I love this lady. Yessica and Will were dynamite, bouncing off each other, feeling like the PBL duo to SFN’s Maude and Sam, it was impossible to not smile seeing these two do magic together. Yessica on her own, is even more magical, proud of who she is and unapologetic, and holy shit can Yessica make me laugh. I’m going to miss Yessica, but I have hope for the PBL trio, considering John’s promises. Speaking of...

John Ross, I love this man. John is somebody I want to hang out with, to teach me all that he knows about food and camera work and everything he’s familiar with. John has such an aura about him, so friendly and positive, John is the calming member of this amazing trio, just wanting to spend time with his friends and have a good time and make amazing content. John Ross is a gift.

Whitney Moore, another gift, was the perfect person for Nerd. Whitney was a slightly familiar face, and she felt just so right to be there. Whitney brought a cool meal edge to the channel, her slightly darker tones of interest so contrasted with her bright and bubbly personality. I always smiled when Whit was on screen, so funny and cool, ready to take on the world. 

Filup Molina, the biggest surprise for me, was just on Nerd one day. Just hanging out. And I’m glad that he did, that hat wearing, funny boy. Filup’s always been slightly out of place for me, in the best way, his references falling on deaf ears because they didn’t make sense to others, jokes that the viewer caught going unnoticed by others, I loved him. Filup was a breath of fresh air for the channel, a sparkling gem that I feel not many noticed.

Aside from the hosts, I wanted to note a few BTS staff:

Rickey Mizuno, handsome, talented Rickey boy, beautiful behind the camera and in front of it. This man exudes charisma, and we didn’t get to see him nearly enough. Dani Rosenberg, the HBIC, funny and badass, Dani was one of my favorites to see. She really made SF what it was, and I want to see her do more awesome shit. Sophia Lorena, that curly haired beauty, dealing with Will’s shit every day was truly a lot for her to deal with, and I think for that alone we should be praising her. Also, have you seen her blog? Sophia’s amazing. Starline Hodge, the beautiful, talented graphic designer, Star’s vlogs and art have never not caused me to smile. Star was always subtle in things, but I always wanted more of her. And Audrey Davy, hearing Reina scream her name in SPF videos was always hilarious, and seeing her in Phil’s vlogs and in the Drunk Co-Workers series confirmed that Audrey is a dime a dozen, hardworking and sweet, Audrey was one of my favorites always.

To all of those in this list, and on staff, thank you for these 5 years. They were wonderful, and funny, and God, I will never forget them or the people that made them. And I will never forget the amazing community that thrived from it. I love every single one of you. 

See you, you hot little daddy’s.