#always believe victims

[inhayara]

Jesus fuck. I know I’ve been absent for the past few months and I don’t see myself going on tumblr regularly for the foreseeable future, but the Neil Gaiman thing. Christ.

I’m so fucking furious. I loved his work and I looked up to him. And now I find out that one of my favorite writers is a horrible person. Most of all, I feel terrible for the victims. May they get their justice.

I’ll be pirating good omens and the rest of his work from now on. I don’t think I could separate myself from a fandom that has not only brought me so much joy, but is full of wonderful, creative fans that make beautiful work that he is not fucking related to. It’s not his fandom, and it never was.

[flying-coffeebean]

In light of the allegations against Neil Gaiman, I've turned off reblogs of my popular post about meeting him. Always believe victims.

I've decided not to delete the entire thing as it also speaks about Terry Pratchett. GNU Terry.

[nefkyo]

Alright folks, you see this? This is what you call minimizing. You can also recognize this as the common colloquial phrases "jumping through hoops", or "bending over backwards" to keep a point standing. Note the presence of the word "allegations" instead of "accusations", the personal opinions and sprinkled-in "for me/to me" in every paragraph, and the comparisons between mundane actions and uncomfortable scenarios.

Don't skim over the fact they're also forgiving the actions of someone while they're supposedly intoxicated.

(George has done that before, on a podcast, on the same year it happened. He knew what he did.)

These you see now are common attempts to make the situation sound less terrible and more like a young woman's overdramatic rant.

Unfortunately, Caiti's situation is not a story blown out of proportion. It's grounds for a lawsuit.

In 2023 Caiti was groped by a 26 year old man, a man of higher social status than her, while she was vulnerable. She was 18, hanging out in her hotel room with friends she trusted, playing on her phone. A man touched her in ways that made her so deeply uncomfortable she couldn't speak. He made advances on her. He kept his hand under her clothes and persisted though she never gave consent. He tried to lure her in an elevator.

You always believe victims. Always. And if they only release minor details it does not mean that they're being dramatic, that they're using "flowery language", maybe it means that they're ashamed, that they're trying to keep their sanity! LET THEM! They don't have to give all the crude details to be believed, THE CULPRIT HAS TO SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES!

Fuck George Davidson. Fuck Georgenotfound.

About the current situation:

There's a streamer, Caitibugzz, making an allegation that some people believe is directed towards Georgenotfound. She doesn't name him, and the details are somewhat confusing, but people are making that connection. I'm not entirely convinced myself, mostly due to the number of people involved not adding up for dteam.

Her allegation is that while drunk in a hotel room in summer 2023 with several other people, he touched her several times, the first time she only describes it as "sticking his hand under her clothing and asking if she was ticklish" although she does not say where. And then "touching her in certain areas to make her lose the phone game that she was playing". She alleges that he contacted her on instagram, although no specifics are provided. That he left the hotel room at the same time as her, and asked her to get in the elevator with him, she refused and he left. She never describes telling him to stop, although she does describe being very uncomfortable.

I have mixed feelings on her allegations myself. She uses very flowery language when talking about things and colors statements without actually providing details, she doesn't actually discuss where she was touched at all and that context really matters. Like, a drunk guy poking you in the side right under your shirt has an extremely different context than a guy groping at you under your clothing. Or someone tapping your shoulder to make you lose a phone game vs touching elsewhere.

Without that context, it's really hard for me to know how I feel about this. If her allegation is directed towards George, and it's "while we were drunk, he poked me in the side and then tapped me on the shoulder to make me lose a phone game" then that's something I feel extremely differently about than "while we were drunk he groped me in front of other people". One can easily be a misunderstanding and someone not behaving appropriately while drunk and thinking everyone's having fun, the other is assault. I'd want more context there and for George to be able to make a response if this is about him before I'd cast judgement.

[bixels]

Scary Sunset.

I'm concepting things way outta order in this story, but I'm sure you can piece things together. Context is for a storybeat where, after defeating and capturing Adagio (thus having all three sirens in her possession), Sunset enacts her revenge plot to release the sirens on Canterlot as Thea discovers she's been manipulated. In a confrontation, the two scuffle and fight over the siren orbs while Sunset struggles with her conflicting wants and emotions.

[inkskinned]

oh you know it's all latestage capitalism but the thing is. how are you supposed to be a person inside of this. a person trying to be a better version of yourself.

oh, you started working young, which was kind of hard, but it's just the way stuff works sometimes. and it was 2008 and your family couldn't afford heat. but it's fine, you grow a spine and get used to the professional world and besides it was the suburbs we're talking about here, like, your life could have been actually hard, so what if your father lost his job and you can't afford to move or turn the lights back on. and once you start making money, it's good. you keep doing that. because now they're relying on you. so you have to do that.

oh you were in thousands of dollars of debt at 17 years old so that you could go to school, because you have to go to school if you want to get a "real" job. you even did it "right", you worked parttime and attended community college before you transferred to a public school. you were under so many merit scholarships.

which is fine. you pick yourself up and you say like, okay. i graduated college. i'm holding down a job. i'm doing the Adult Thing, which looks and acts like this, according to all the books i've read. you start with the shitty job and then you climb that corporate ladder.

but the shitty job doesn't cover rent and you stretch yourself too-thin so you get sick. good luck with that. the shitty job no longer pays for your meals. everyone asks why you don't just move, but there's nowhere to move to. and with what money are you going to be moving? and then the loans come back, because they were never going to forgive them, because you were 17 and trying to do the right thing, which was stupid. people are now saying you shouldn't have even gone to school.

which is fine. but because you have no other option, so you do the shitty job, and you apply every day for like 5 new ones, and despite the fact everyone says "there's no one who wants to work!" it's actually just that nobody is fucking hiring so you can either work for 13 dollars an hour in the shitty place you know (where at least you have a passingly friendly relationship with the manager) or you can start from scratch again with a different 13 dollars an hour without knowing how much abuse from the new job you'll be taking.

and if you quit you lose your insurance. if you quit you lose your housing. if you quit, you'll be another burnout kid. the lazy ones. these assholes, look at them!

and you come home to a family dinner and you hear from your father the same old thing. how he worked hard at his job and yes it sucked for a while but he was able to provide for the family and then the house and the dog and the rest of barbie's dream vacation. how the insurance did cover some of it. how you just really need to start speaking up more in manager conversations so they know you're a go-getter. you want to tell him - did you know we're actually doing more now hourly than any previous generation? - but you can't remember where you heard that statistic, and you're far too tired for the fucking argument. and then he starts in on his usual bit. where's the house? where's your kids? where's your ambition.

the same job the same money the same hours doesn't do it anymore. the same nose-to-the-grindstone now just shreds your face off. there's no such thing as upwards mobility, not really. and as far as you're aware, the money certainly is not trickling. you do the soulless stupid shit you signed up for because you fucking have to or else you literally risk your life (food, the apartment, the insurance), but it's not getting you anything. you download the stupid "save more" app and you budget and you do every right thing and then the price of eggs is 7 dollars and you say - oh great! another thing i have to fucking worry about now!

and you go to your stupid job and everyone in your father's generation just tells you to be better about being an adult. they have their homes and their savings account and their bailout and they say. well have you tried not drinking starbucks. well your generation just spends too much on clothing. well you might just be too addicted to travelling. and you - because you need the job - you bite your tongue and don't say i am being held prisoner and you're suggesting i stop pacing my cell if i don't like the scenery and you don't say what the fuck do you think i've been doing with my money and you don't say i haven't spent a cent on something nice in literally forever much less coffee you arrogant asshole. you open and close your bank app and check your loans and check your credit score and check fucking zillow and ziprecruiter and apartments.com just one time more. and still they give you that demeaning little grin and say - see, what you need is -

what you need is for your meds to stop being so fucking expensive. what you need is for the housing bubble to explode into dust. what you need is for billionaires to choke on their wealth. what you need is actual help. what you will get is more economic advice from people who are older-and-wiser.

and above you, almost in a glimmer, you can see the wedged smile of your debt getting toothier, wider.

[suhnshinehaos]

my heart dropped when i read the statement that sm put out re: taeil, genuinely the last thing i expected to read today. i’m shocked, disappointed, but most of all- i’m angry.

angry at what he’s done, angry at seeing some fans defend him, angry at those turning this into a gotcha moment to promote or lift their faves up. please, this isn’t just some discussion on the internet- there is a very real victim, a very real woman at the heart of all this. i hope she gets the justice and healing she deserves.

[bellisima-writes]

All of this.

PSA - #neil gaiman

Almost a month has passed now since the airing of Neil Gaiman’s alleged sexual abuse of two young women (I use that caveat to protect not him, but myself), and apparently now a third has come forward. Am I surprised? No. After all, where there’s smoke there’s usually fire, right? What I am is weary. Because this type of behaviour is of course not new – the powerful (and most often men) using their power and prestige to manipulate those who look up to them for their own pleasure, and perhaps as a salve to their own insecurities – about getting older, or about how great a maker they really are, when they look into their secret souls. Ok, so I guess I'm angry, too.

I haven’t written here about this before. I tend to worry about saying the wrong things, which I know is something I need to work on. But seeing so many fellow fans continue to tag their creative fandom content with the #neilgaiman tag makes me sad. I don’t want to miss out on having season 3 of Good Omens produced, but I think all of us who consume this media have a responsibility to not cover over these ugly truths. Even if you don’t feel comfortable speaking up, you can make small gestures, like not posting your fandom content with Neil’s tag – that way, the voices speaking up (whatever their angle – that’s what free speech is about, after all) will be better heard. And those fans who aren’t yet aware, since mainstream media seem disinterested at best at this point, might become better informed. Or at least aware.

Losing respect for someone you once looked up to in any way is a grieving process, and we all deserve the opportunity to undergo that. For me, Good Omens was my introduction to Neil Gaiman’s work (and Terry’s, too). But more so, I was inspired by his advice about writing; the small encouragements, the idea that even if you could sometimes only pen 50 words a day you could still write a book. And while I may no longer look at him with respect or for creative guidance, I refuse to let go of the renewed loved for writing and image making I’ve found since that last episode of season 2 grabbed me by the metaphorical lapels and changed me forever.

I love this fandom. A little part of my soul has found a home here with you all. I will continue to create and add to the world of Good Omens that belongs to all of us. And to believe the victims.

[chappellrroan]

a man dating girls half his age will never get respect or any sort of grace in my books

[aaaah-realfeelings]

egotypicals are like “i KNOW this person is a NARCISSIST because THEY DID EVERYTHING WRONG TO ME but I did absolutely NOTHING WRONG i am 1000% the VICTIM in this situation and only did GOOD THINGS. GREAT THINGS! Them = BAD ME = GOOD” and be completely serious. lol guess who you sound like

[virune]

i don't really get how other peoples' interpretations of fictional characters is such a huge point of contention on the internet. i've literally never given a shit about how other people play with their dolls in my entire life. it simply does not have that kind of power over me. fiction is kinda supposed to be exploratory and self-indulgent and the made-up people can't approve or disapprove of how you use them either way so. why fester over it. can't be good for your mental health

[mischieviem]

I noticed you said you wouldn’t be doing any Neil Gaiman related works. Why is that?

/genuine question

(I’m not sure if is a stupid question—I might be out of the loop)

Two women came forward (one anonymously) with sexual assault allegations. I believe there is an ongoing investigation. There are numerous articles about it- I don't recall which was the one I read. Regardless. I take allegations very seriously. It was a heartbreaking thing to learn, and I have chosen not to promote his works in any way. I don't want to be a reason someone like that makes any money.

[gay-fae]

“noooo Neil Gaiman” so y’all didn’t drop him earlier when he openly admitted to being Zionist?? okay💀

[bonefall]

I personally like Thunder's prosthetic. Explained it to my friend (who does use a mobility device, a cane and wheelchair, and listens to me rant and infodump about BB) and they agreed, it's important to know that not every person needs what someone wants to give them. It's another example of "bad ableist person does a thing that hurts a disabled person because they are bad and ableist".

Clear Sky got Jagged Peak killed and would have killed Sunlit Frost! He would absolutely force his disabled son to be "normal" and present it like a privilege. "I wouldn't do this for anyone else, it's special, why don't you want to be helped?"

Thunder Storm should toss it in Clear Sky's face. (I would say toss it into the river but we do not pollute waterways in this house)

Thank you for telling me this, and tell your friend I'm thanking them too! If they have anything else to add please forward what they have to say

Since BB!DOTC tackles some of the heaviest topics in the entire series because its canon equivalent is so dark, I think very carefully about what I do here and how I show it. I take feedback on its sensitive aspects very seriously. If I'm understanding the criticism properly, it's that I should avoid stigmatizing prosthetics by making sure Thunder Storm's not the only one with it-- which he's not! And I'll add even more.

I don't want to avoid something only because it's uncomfortable if the topic is important, and my portrayal is respectful. Ableism IS uncomfortable! There are some situations where a prosthetic is not wanted! I think the rejection of this particular one is both a good opportunity to show a type of ableism and ALSO is very fitting for the characters.

In BB!Clear Sky's mind, the villain, he's fixing an old mistake. He can't admit that he got Jagged Peak killed or take REAL accountability for it (though he will, occasionally, apologize insincerely), but deep in his bones, he knows what he did was cruel. He'll never tell anyone this because he doesn't really cognate it himself, but Thunder Storm NEEDS to take his gift.

If Thunder doesn't take it, it blows a hole in his newest story. You see, throwing Jagged Peak out was All That Could Have Been Done back then. It was a Tragedy and he simply Made A Hard Choice. He regrets it very much, But You Have To Understand.

But now? Now? Well, behold. Look at what he's accomplished since the tragic death of his little brother. His cats are well-fed, cared for, and stable enough to make such incredible advancements. If only Jagged Peak had been able to hold on longer, if only he could be here now, I could fix him.

Just like I can (MAKE YOU JUST LIKE ME) fix you.

"Everything I've ever done is for Jagged Peak. For Fluttering Wing. For you." Thunder Sky is SPECIAL, but if he rejects any gift, tries to turn down the "privileges" offered to him, in an instant that becomes ungratefulness and arrogance. He both forces him to be special, and then leverages it against him if it's rejected. "Spoiled brat, doesn't appreciate what I've worked so hard to give him."

It all goes back to him and his own guilt. He can NEVER be wrong. He can't accept his family doesn't have to be "normal" or reflect his own ability. He won't see himself as a bully, let alone a murderer. It was never about his son's comfort or finding out what Thunder Storm wants or needs, it was about his own ego.

...All that said I'm still taking feedback if there's anything else I should keep in mind, or if anyone has a counter point, especially if you also have experience here.

(In the interest of having a link trail for posterity, here's the critique/call for feedback this is in response to)

[quietwingsinthesky]

Dean is such a paradox for me because on the one hand, I have been actively triggered by him in the show, there are moments where, intentionally or not, the writers managed to create a portrayal of manipulation and abuse and control issues that it sets off actual alarms for me. And on the other hand, I would not have him any other way. There is something — not comforting, that’s too soft a word — about knowing where Dean’s actions stem from, having seen and learned all that we do about his childhood neglect and parentification and the trauma he goes through repeatedly in the show, and that he doesn’t come out clean. He comes out a goddamn mess who ends up hurting the people around him in reaction to his own pain!

There’s a reality there that’s. Almost nice, actually. Distressing to watch, but it is a fucking mess, it’s a good mess! He’s got zero healthy coping skills and a healthy relationship with say, his brother, is terrifying because it leaves him open to abandonment!

I’m not sure I’m wording this correctly. There is a way to be a good abuse victim. Take the pain, martyr yourself on it, and then, even if you have no support or idea how to, then you have to become a Good Person who never hurts anyone the way you have been learning to your entire life. Simply toss everything that shaped you out the door and emerge a saint with a tragic backstory. And Dean is not that. And that’s so fucking good. Everything that he has gone through continues to effect the way he treats the people around him, and he can’t fight the behaviors he might recognize as harmful because he also sees them as protecting him (or protecting Sam by keeping Sam with him.)

And sometimes, idk. It feels good to see a guy who didn’t heal the “right way.” Who mostly didn’t heal at all, just keeps the wound open because it’s easier that way.

[me-and-me-fr]

They’re having discourse on Tiktok about attachment issues. Attachment. Issues. You know, the thing usually caused by some trauma or underlying mental issues. Cool, great. They love to victimize people with anxious attachment styles, while villainizing people who have avoidant attachment styles.

Both can be terrible to someone in a relationship.

Both are capable of recognizing that and changing it.

Call me chronically online all you fucking want, but if you believe someone is undeserving of love because of a trauma response, maybe it’s you who needs to take a step outside.

[dukeofthomas]

"Angry robin" "violent robin" "misbehaving robin" shut up and accept my alternative; spunky Robin. Determined and head strong, can out-stubborn the Batman, has a strong moral-backbone and does what he thinks is right regardless of what anybody else says, Robin. Jason who was sassy and quippy and made crude jokes with a smile on his face. Jason who hid in Bruce's cape and whispered gossip to him. Jason who, if Bruce refused him something, could keep bothering endlessly until Bruce caved. And also dramatic Jason. If Bruce tells him no, it becomes a whole theatrical show; a monologue, a narration, embellishments, and falling onto the floor in his grief upon the fact his cruel father has denied him once again.

(Jason who has suffered through abuse and homelessness and poverty and starvation, who is the Fight out of Fight or Flight, who's built up defenses and walls and when pushed and triggered responds with the thing that's always protected him; anger. He's sweet and kind and funny, and when he sees a pimp hitting a prostitute he gets furious and responds with violence.)