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pynkhues · 3 years ago

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.... any succession fic recs? 👀

Yes!! I haven't read a lot for it yet, but some of the stuff I've read has been staggeringly good. I'm generally more into gen fic in this particular fandom, but have enjoyed some Stewy x Kendall, Gerri x Roman and Naomi x Tabitha too.

A few recs under the cut!

“I wanted to get out. From under all this. Take the money and run.”

Kendall tells Stewy even though he knows he’ll never get it, not like Naomi does. He’ll never understand the crush of it, the heart-stopping head-fucking fear of failing a tyrant. Kendall’s been ignoring the shape of it for a long time, putting pieces of it together in the back of his mind in total darkness like a blindfolded man. It doesn’t matter that one day his dad will die. It doesn’t matter about the money or the hostile takeover or the stolen files or any of it. There’s no running. Kendall’s Logan Roy lives inside his head.

Stewy laughs. Stewy laughs for a long time.

“There is no out, Ken, what the fuck are you talking about? You were born this and you’ll die this. You are what you are, and what you are is a fucking Roy.”

Kendall hates him, for a moment. Lightning-strike furious. What the fuck does he know about any of it, about his dad’s swinging dinner plate-sized hands, about getting 24% name recognition in reliable international polling, about puking every time you think about a car swerving off the road in the rain. About finding out that you can do something unthinkably, unimaginably terrible, and it doesn’t matter to anyone you know but you. There’s a scar on his arm that no one else who hasn’t already been told how it got there can ever know about, and he’s sick of it, and it’s not fair. He hates Stewy for a moment because Stewy’s right.

“I wanted to do the right thing, Stewy, for once in my fucking life.”

Stewy laughs again, more briefly, and the predator flash of his eyes in the neon of the motel sign is a torture all its own.

‘There is no right and wrong, Ken. How the fuck do you not know that yet? Not for people like you. Like us. There’s shit you get caught doing and there’s shit you don’t.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. You really, really fucking don’t,” says Ken, and fuck, there it is. The road less travelled, that only he has ever driven on. The path he’s down where Stewy can’t follow. That place beyond Stewy Hosseini where he never thought he could go.

“You’re not telling me something, and when I find out what that is, and I will find out what it is, Kendall, don’t you think I won’t, so I am warning you that when I do find out I am going to be righteously fucking pissed,” says Stewy, and if Kendall thought those were a predator’s eyes before—

“Yeah, you will,” says Kendall, because he knows exactly how perceptive Stewy is. Exactly how weak he is. Exactly, precisely what both of them are.

And treat this night like it’ll happen again by postcardmystery. 8k words. Kendall x Stewy. Post s2. (CW: internalised homophobia, some homophobic language)

I tried to pick a shorter excerpt, but I literally couldn’t, this fic is so. good. The voices are pitch perfect, and it’s got this incredible build to it overall that goes back and forth between time and point of views and just rips your heart out. The premise itself is pretty simple – after the press conference at the end of 2.10, Kendall calls Stewy, and they drive through rural America while Kendall has a breakdown, and it’s just - - unspeakably good. I love it so so so much, I have no words.

r/roysucks Connor’s gf just posted on Instagram (instagram.com) submitted two months ago by webbedscrum_2279 23 comments share save hide report

[–] DM_ME_SAMESMAIL 40 points two months ago I too like to escape to my yacht in the Mediterranean when my family and I are on trial for covering up rape and murder. permalink embed save report reply

AITA for accusing my father of multiple crimes on his own news station? By amleth 3k words. Gen fic. Post s2.

And now for something completely different – epistolary fic which is just reddit news threads of the Roy family drama. I love an epistolary fic and this is just totally charming, and made me laugh a lot out loud.

“You’re quiet,” she observes. “That’s a first.”

“Yeah, well, the Turks beat it out of me. Gave you a run for their money.” He waggles his eyebrows. “So what is this? Whips and chains? Are we doing the whole boat-sex thing? I heard Shiv and Tom are looking for a third —“

Gerri finds what she’s looking for: a black leather binder. She drops it on the bed and begins paging through it, and Roman cranes his neck enough to recognize that it’s just full of documents, not like, dick pics. “I’ve given some thought to what you proposed a few weeks ago, and I agree that we should make things official in some way,” she says, and he blinks.

“Uh,” he says. “Which — what part of it?”

“Take a look.”

Gerri closes the folio and hands it over. It’s deceptively heavy, and the print on these pages is way too fucking fine, he thinks, paging through it. “Is this some kind of, like, Fifty Shades of Roy sex contract? Because it’s not that I’m not into it, but I think there’s a strong argument for going paperless —”

“Strictly speaking, this isn’t legally binding,” Gerri says. “Just something I threw together with regard to our business arrangement going forward. But with no respect to the family — the past few weeks have really illustrated that no one should take anyone at their word right now. Give me a little more than your word.”

Evacuation strategies for a yacht on fire by devourthemoon. 11k words. Gerri x Roman. Post s2. Explicit.

After the events of s2, Roman and Gerri fake being married as a professional alliance, only, y’know, maybe it’s not so fake. This fic is just so, so much fun, and messy in the best possible way. The author nails all the character voices, and the sex scenes are just the right amount of hot and ridiculous, and I just love it all a lot too.

Kendall estimates it will take an hour for the first articles to go up. Some rapid-fire blog without oversight—the New York Post, maybe, or wherever those Vaulter hippies have skulked off to—will slap a catchy headline on it and report his words verbatim. Give or take a gif of his face when he switches to script number two. New York Times, Washington Post, AP, those fuckers take longer. They like to bleed the story like Middle Ages plague doctors for its marrow, fact-check and add context and analysis and as many backlinks as their servers can handle. Still, a couple of hours, and his face will be plastered on every major news outlet. His voice will play over the nightly talk shows. He’ll trend on Twitter. A few more days, and he’ll be the star of analysis segments, podcasts, weekly briefings. Maybe, fuck it, maybe he’ll trend on Twitter again.

It’s been years since Kendall read Shakespeare. But that shit sticks with you, gets under your skin and emerges when you least expect it, like eczema or Keynesian economics. He knows how the media will spin this. Kendall Roy Attacks CEO Logan for Years of Corruption. Prodigal Son Disrupts Family Legacy to Restore Credibility. That’s how Hamlet ends, right? And Macbeth, Lear, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, even Titus fucking Andronicus. The spilled blood sinks into the ground, the seedlings sprout forth from the soil, and a new castle is built on the bones. Order out of chaos, or at least close enough an approximation that the tabloids will buy it.

Legacy for profit by owlinaminor Post-2.10. Kendall Roy. Kendall through Shakespeare analogies – just - - ooooof. It's a beautiful, lyrical character study that weaves through Roy family history and teases at a future none of them are even sure they want. It's gorgeous writing.

For the next few days Shiv would have to keep the pressure on Kira like an open wound because there were other women, victims that Nate’s people were going to find one by one as soon as that phone call disconnected. Mo was her father’s friend, good friend, for a long, long time. Nate and Gil, Sandy and Stewy, too many sharks in the water and the share price probably dipped to a new low but she would never check a stock ticker. Her husband’s nerves fraying at the edges on national television. She had promised a woman she’d never met before that she would kill roughly one third of the top male executives of her family’s company. Her company.

The last look Rhea gave her before she shut the car door was concern close to fear—no longer the same woman who heard their pitch in the safe room, who laughed with her at Argestes. Rhea had only looked into the abyss; she got cold feet and she didn’t even know what it’s like to grow up in it.

Her family’s company is hers, will be hers. Even from a whale fall, new life would spring.

Feed his flesh to wayward daughters by reogulus. 2k words. Shiv Roy. Set during 2.09.

This entire fic is set around Shiv bribing Kira not to testify, and god, it is so good. It’s bleak and rough, and really hones in on the complex ground Shiv walks as a character. It's another brilliant study of what it takes to be a Roy, and the way they make the awful choices in order to fulfill this legacy that they don't even know they want.

Kendall sets down his fork. “So. Tell me. Is it everything you wanted? Is it what you thought it would be?”

Roman stills. He never does that. He’s constantly a menace in motion, slouching and fidgeting, worse even than Kendall at his amphetamine peak. “What? The view from the tippy-tippy-top?”

“His regard.” Kendall wipes his mouth with the edge of the white cloth napkin. It comes away pink from the steak. “Dad. He’s all yours now.”

Roman still hasn’t moved. Finally, he lurches, like corroded machinery come uncertainly to life. “Yeah, man. It’s fucking tight as hell. I love every beautiful daddy and me moment I was a good enough little boy to earn.” He snorts. “Fuck you.” His face goes curiously slack then, like something Kendall’s own face would do. An intermission in the performance, an energy cut. Something genuine finding its way to the surface. “Why don’t you tell me. When you got everything you wanted, how the fuck did that make you feel?”

Nauseous, is the first word that springs to mind. Sick. Scared. I’ve never had everything I wanted, there’s that. I’ve never once had a single fucking thing I wanted. There’s that, too.

Interim leadership by arbitrarily 2k words. Roman + Kendall. Post s2.

I love Roman and Kendall scenes generally, but this one which features Kendall and Roman meeting for the first time a few months after the press conference in 2.10 is just a bit magic. The push pull dynamic that's just inherent to them mixed with the genuine affection and brotherly love is really special, and arbitrarily embraces both in equal measure. It's a great little fic.

There are lots more of course, and I'd also recommend checking out other works by these authors, but I hope this is a good place to start! :-)

#hbo succession #succession fic #fic recs #welcome to my ama #kendall x stewy #gerri x roman

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patrick-hockstutter · 5 years ago

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Modern!Bowers Gang:

Patrick:

Really into cinematography and photography of the unsettling

Never captions his Instagram posts

Goes live on Instagram a lot, even though people really wished he wouldn’t

Makes art out of dead animals or animal bones he finds

Think Banksy, but with roadkill

He’ll take some (somehow) tasteful photos of them, post them, then leave the scene there for some unexpecting bystander to find

Has a nosering (fight me)

Never uses incognito mode

If someone happens to stumble upon his search history, he’s not paying their therapy bill

He likes reading smut more than he likes watching porn

A ps4 guy

Loves spooky games like Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Until Dawn and Death Stranding

He’s not really into school, but he surprisingly reads a lot when he’s alone in his room

Only about things he likes though

Abnormal psych, criminal psych, and sometimes some zoology (u kno y)

Watches serial killer documentaries like he’s paid to

Listens to grunge, nu metal, and 80s alt

Won’t admit it, but sometimes listens to Joji

He’s not super into emo music, but he’s the only one who will listen to it with Victor (he fckn vibes to Brand New)

Ironically uses a Zune

Has an Android but lowkey wishes he had an iPhone

Doesn’t have a computer, just jailbreaks/hacks the school issued laptop

Has a black line tattooed around some of his fingers, one of his wrists, and the shell of his ear

Has a foot tattoo

Has a fucking Juul

Watches LeafyIsHere on YouTube (tell me I’m wrong)

Spends too much time on Reddit

Wears flannels, skinny jeans, and Vans (a beanie if he’s cold)

Mostly cycles through the same three or four outfits

Wears the same pair of Vans every single day

Victor:

Big into aromatherapy

He uses lavender soaps and has an essential oil diffuser in his room

Uses incognito mode to watch Vampire Diaries

A Nintendo ass b i t c h

He has the gray Switch Lite

He brings his Switch with him everywhere (yes he’s that guy)

But what else are you gonna do when you wanna ignore Patrick?

Watches conspiracy theories about ghosts, cryptids, and aliens

Also big into podcasts (mostly true crime and conspiracy ones)

He listens to them on his headphones while he takes walks or draws

Posts his drawings on Tumblr

Does art streams on Twitch when he gets really bored

Has an eyebrow piercing (but it’s a small stud one, not a ring)

Has little tattoos on his hands

Wears bomber jackets, skinny jeans, joggers, army jackets, converse, and combat boots

The boy has style okay

Had an emo phase but still listens to the music (especially Tiny Moving Parts)

The emo phase was pretty short because Henry made fun of him so much

He just fucking liked MCR and Taking Back Sunday a lot, okay?

And Pierce The Veil and Sleeping With Sirens, but he doesn’t readily admit that

Now mostly listens to new wave, synth pop, and lofi hiphop

His favorite bands are Drab Majesty and Choir Boy (look up their new album btw)

Has a black iPhone and a space gray MacBook Pro

Uses Apple Music

Vapes, but only fruity flavors

Watches BoJack Horseman

Doesn’t really eat fast food but never passes up an M&M McFlurry

Paints his (and Patrick’s) nails black

One time Patrick caught him doing a facemask, so Patrick put one on and started chasing him around screaming as a joke

Cue: hmm… this feels kinda good tho

So now Victor and Patrick have secret mini spa days

Drives a Subaru

Belch:

Makes Spotify playlists like he’s paid to

He’s just really good at putting songs together

He tried to get into music theory, but he wasn’t one for actually making his own songs

Really into metal (obvi) but also likes some classic rock and punk stuff

Has records hung up side by side all around his room where the wall meets the ceiling

Still buys CDs

His Instagram feed is full of vintage cars and custom import cars

Fast and Furious is his favorite movie series

His favorite shows are Sons of Anarchy and The Walking Dead

But he also loves early 2000s comedies

Has a mini projector to watch movies on his room wall

Wears band tees, flannels, jean jackets, Carhartt stuff, d a d h a t s

Really wants a tattoo but always gets nervous

Uses incognito mode to watch porn and buy some of his band tees from Hot Topic

Only one in the gang that uses Facebook (Mama Huggins made him so he could keep in contact with family)

Follows a few meme pages but also some cooking ones so he can send his mom any cool recipes he finds

Victor lowkey makes fun of him for actually using the Facebook page

Invests money in really good headphones and car speakers

Has a black iPhone

It’s always at 20% battery cause it’s always connected to his headphones, Bluetooth speaker, or car stereo

Him and Victor FaceTime when they’re bored

Sometimes they won’t even say much, they just like the over the phone company

Doesn’t smoke, but sometimes hits Vic’s vape

A social vaper if you will

Watches Idubbbz and Filthy Frank on YouTube

His favorite fast food place is Wendy’s

Not really into video games but fucking slays at Guitar Hero

And when Rock Band came out nobody saw him for like two weeks

Has a black Hydroflask with band stickers on it

Henry:

He plays a lot of Xbox

Mostly Halo, COD, Destiny, any first-person shooter really

Baits people on Xbox Live cause he thinks it’s hilarious

He’s also a fucking cyberbully but we all expected that

Has Victor’s old iPhone

Never fucking charges it

He’ll text you back in 3-5 business days (if at all)

And if you try to call him he’ll block your number

Plays iMessage games like cup pong and 8 ball with Belch

The only social media he uses is Snapchat and Tinder to look at girls

In one of his Tinder photos he’s holding a fish (srrynotsrry)

Doesn’t really listen to too much music

He doesn’t dislike music, just usually prefers to do things in silence

His mind is chaotic enough, he doesn’t need background noise

But he will listen to Cigarettes After Sex and TV Girl on a really low volume when he goes to sleep

Uses incognito mode to pick and choose random soft or angsty songs that he likes to put into a bedtime playlist

Otherwise just listens to whatever Belch listens to

Has a tattoo on his wrist

Takes a lot of drives into the countryside/national forests/mountains with Belch

Takes a lot of scenery photos, but never posts them anywhere or shows anyone except Victor

Still smokes cigarettes (he thinks vaping is douchey)

Watches South Park and American Dad

If he’s willing to spend money to go see a movie, he’s going to an IMAX theater

Sometimes he likes 3D, but most of the time it just hurts his eyes after a while

Longboards everywhere

Needs prescription glasses but refuses to wear them

They’re mostly for reading, which he doesn’t do anyway

But he does listen to audiobooks sometimes

Likes Frappuccinos but will kill you before you find out

He orders them through Uber Eats under a fake name so nobody will find out

BONUS: all four!

Victor still has his childhood GameCube that they play Mario Party, Mario Kart, and Melee on

Henry is banned from playing Mario Party after breaking a controller while beating Patrick with it

Patrick only ever picks Waluigi in Mario Kart and everyone is sick of it

When they play Rock Band Patrick is on bass, Henry plays guitar, Belch absolutely slays the drums, and Vicky boy sings his lil heart out

One night a week they order a shit ton of Dominos and make a drinking game out of watching Vine compilations

Victor does everyone’s birth charts

They collectively made a fake Tinder account on Patrick’s phone and catfish guys with it

They all try to one up each other doing vape tricks yikes

They buy bags of chips and candy from Costco and lounge around eating them on weekends

They’re banned from the city metro busses because Belch’s car was in the shop for a week and that week was hell for every bus driver in the city

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jockrightsnow · 4 years ago

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“petey lore” my new favorite expression... also pls feel free to share with the class any other piece of lesser known petey lore that we should all know about (also bless him for that girlfriend comment - tbh to me is really normal that teenagers don’t have relationships, let alone elite athletes with a full schedule since age 15)

i don’t know what facts are truly Secret Lore and which are generally known, because i have consumed as much Petey Content as i can without knowing swedish. i don’t consider myself a person w/ exhaustive knowledge but i have at least been following hockey since he was drafted (and for some time before, so i remember all of the stupid conversations about how cody glass was better--which, firmly: LOL, and i did lol at the time too, so i feel vindicated. i remember someone calling him lazy for staying to the side--he played wing in sweden, largely because he was fucking tiny and a teenager playing against grown-ass dudes, he was staying to the edges so he wouldn’t get murdered. it was TACTICAL!) so here are some fun facts gleaned entirely from publicly-available sources:

petey learned to unicycle at least in part out of spite. his dad unicycles, but his brother tried and failed to learn, so petey decided he would do it better to prove he could. (and then learned to juggle for “coordination.”)

his middle name is fredrik because his brother got to choose it and named him after a local swedish hockey player.

he got good at hockey in part because his dad drove the zamboni at the rink, so he had access to the rink at weird times. (some people have used this to imply he is the son of a lowly zamboni driver--this is not true, unfortunately. he just lived in a very small town, so i get the impression people had to take on multiple roles in the community. his dad owns a lot of buildings, so he has a lil wealth).

he’s an emotional person! he knows it!

i personally am obsessed with this moment where he says, essentially (paraphrased), “snitches get stitches but if i put up this wall hanging, you can bet i woulda done it right.” everyone could learn a lesson from a steadfast refusal to narc on even the incompetent. (that said, it was certainly his brother’s gf/the friends she recruited to make his apartment look not Male Living Spaces Dot Reddit--fanny posted a video of them redecorating the apartment for him and it is unbearably sweet to me as a Love Languages Acts of Service Person. he clearly has Overall Very Healthy Family Dynamics and talks to his family every day.)

he is a Sore Loser Who Gets Pissed Off When He Loses--this is imo clearly the case, but he confessed to it, so he’s also self-aware.

the front office asked him if they should arrange a billet family when he went to vancouver, and he was like, “uh, no.” he likes his own space and as you can see in various videos, he has all manner of little plants (can’t tell if they’re fake) in his apartment in sweden. he can cook--competent self-sufficient king of living by himself.

he knows he is a scorpio and has scorpio wall art hanging in his bedroom. sometimes it’s not about the facts themselves, it’s about the fact he KNOWS about the facts.

i am so sorry to report this i’m so fucking sorry but he gets little freckles during the summer and additionally has little freckles on his stomach. i am so sorry. i know this cannot be Secret but i did not perceive them from regular instagram posts and then i saw them and i thought “oh my god if anyone hurts him...i’ll go back in time and hurt them first...”

#i love everyone but i think it's very funny when Fandom Characterization of petey is like ultraconfident bitchy #it's better than totally emotionless but #he's very intense and dedicated and also extremely sensitive and awkward and shy in new situations #peak understanding petey is asg videos when he went by himself #he's confident in his skills but uh it does not translate watch him try to say hi to erik karlsson #also i like swedish interviews because they're markedly different but not that many w english subs

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tea-at-221 · 4 years ago

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The TJLC Debacle: 3 years out from S4 and counting; the copyright mini-theory; so much salt I’m bloated; but in the end, there is peace (I love you Johnlockers)

Ugh, don't even talk to me about Mary.

Don't even talk to me about the way Mofftiss have said they're sick of responding to fans on the subject of Johnlock. Of how they've said they're "not telling anyone else what to think or write about them" (as if they could stop us; as if they even own Sherlock themselves. Do keep reading, because this point becomes much more relevant and in-jokey later on). Don't even mention how they've bitched and whined incessantly because--god forbid--fans got *really really* into their show and emotionally invested.

They're so eager to discount all the beautiful little moments they wrote as accidents. And Arwel, who planted all those props, continually demonstrates that he's on their side (a not-very in-depth-analysis of his Instagram account and the way he interacted with fans towards the beginning of the pandemic showed as much, but I think maybe he’s grown a bit wiser and quieter since at least in terms of Johnlock and all things elephant-related. I don’t know for sure because I stopped looking.)

Anyway--they'd actually prefer for us to celebrate our own intelligence, is I suppose a charitable way of looking at it: our ability to make connections between things in the show; our metas on symbolism; our insightful fanfic; etc., and denounce them as the bad writers that they ultimately are.

More under the cut.

(This post may be of interest to you especially if you came to the fandom a bit later: multiple links to things of relevance/quotes/explanations appear both within and at the end of this entry.)

Because what makes a writer good?

Well, an ability to make people feel an emotional connection to their work, for one. I know this is just my own perspective, but if not for Johnlock, all my emotion about the show would evaporate. There wouldn't be much else there. Other people might get something, but I wouldn’t. Is some of the writing witty and entertaining regardless of any inferred/implied Johnlock? Yeah but, eh, a lot of shows have some good writing and I just don’t give a damn about them.

What makes a writer good?

Not making promises to the reader/viewer that they'll never keep. Plot holes, leading dialogue ("There’s stuff you wanted to say...but didn’t say it.” “Yeah”) never followed through on, puns that are apparently, I suppose, unintentional (e.g. "'Previous' commander?" "I meant 'ex'").

Uh, not writing continual gay jokes that aren't actually pointing toward the inference that people are making them because there's actually something going on there under the surface. (How about just don't make those jokes ever.)

Not being, apparently, oblivious (? questionable) to the queerbaiting they're engaging in *as they’re writing it.*

Acting like their LGBT audience is in the wrong/the bad guy, instead of choosing to remain respectful in the face of dissent. Instead it's just, "we never wrote it that way" / "We never played it that way."

A lot of those other mildly witty shows don’t actually blatantly drag their most passionate fans face-down through the mud the writers themselves created. Imagine that.

I'm not even a fan of Martin Freeman anymore, for the way he handled the whole thing (getting angry, the comments he made about how the fans made Sherlock “not fun anymore”...apparently Martin’s packing up his crayons and going home?)...no offense to anyone who is still a fan of his. I don’t make it a habit to drag him. I do to some degree understand his frustration with having the whole situation taken out on him--he’s just an actor in the show--but I simply wish he’d remained as cool and professional about it as Benedict Cumberbatch instead of pointing at the fans. You’re pointing in the wrong direction, mate.

What also irks me at the end of the day is this: the subsection of people who legitimately responded badly to the TJLC/S4 debacle and went above and beyond to harass the writers and actors/actresses on social media are *few and far between*, but we've been lumped in with them by what feels like...everyone, Martin included. TJLCers/Johnlockers (not the same group, but often treated as such) have been made to look like a bunch of rambunctious, immature, demanding children time and time and again in the wake of S4.

They'd rather, what, suggest John was so in love with Mary? THAT was the relationship they wanted to uphold in that show as so significant and...what, a demonstration of how honorable it is to respect your heterosexual relationship despite, you know...ANYTHING?

Yeah sorry, I don’t believe in that. John’s text-based affair, whether a disappointment for some as to his supposed character, was a very human reaction and I kinda sorta feel like I would have reacted MUCH more strongly than that had I been John. But nope. He stayed with Mary and was *ashamed* of his wandering eye. Ashamed that maybe he wanted to be admired by someone. I can’t think of a scene, off the top of my head, where Mary ever interacted with John without belittling him in some way--if not with words, then with consistently patronizing glances.

The message here is that heterosexuality is not just acceptable, but VALUABLE, however it manifests--but god forbid anyone see a queer subtext. (Why are lgbt+ writers some of the very WORST offenders where this is concerned? And they defend it! Is this childhood nostalgia/Stockholm Syndrome of the very fondest variety or what? Gay angst is all they got if they got anything at all, so it’s still good enough as far as “representation” goes?)

They really want to tell the story of John as so emotionally/mentally fucked up that he surrounds himself with unstable people time and again. They never give any reason *why* he might do that (which they could have done even soooo subtly), or delve into his past--just, apparently it's okay to assume that Sherlock's comment about "she's like that because you chose her" is exactly that.

No. Sherlock and Mary are NOT the same. Not...*remotely*!

Mary is underhanded and evil. She lies. She manipulates. She schemes. Her “love” is based on selfishness, and her assumption that John is a simpleton and hers to mold. She's in it for herself.

Sherlock hides. He prevaricates. He feels. He loves John. He does fucked up things in the name of love, but always for the benefit of those he loves. When he screws up, which he obviously does, it’s painful to us as the audience because we see that it is painful for him when he recognizes and regrets it.

I have never seen Mary regret anything. Those crocodile tears at Christmas? More manipulation. Inconsistent with anything else we were shown about her as a character.

To even think for a SECOND that people could ship Mary and John and mentally condemn John for cheating on Mary AFTER SHE SHOT HIS BEST FRIEND...as if marriage is the be-all-end-all free pass in which every sin must be forgiven until the end of time...as if John broke any covenant with his wife beyond those she broke from the very moment she walked into his life *with an entire fake past.* Is just. Well. It's asking us to accept gaslighting as healthy, loving, normal, *preferable* behavior, so...given the source that message is coming from, it's all a bit meta.

THAT. Is insanity. Maybe Mofftiss are the sociopaths.

How these men could write characters they themselves understand so little (or tell us they understand so little because their emotional maturity has yet to surpass that of the average three-year-old’s), I will never know. I can only imagine that they have absorbed, by osmosis over their lives, real and nuanced human behavior...then churned it back out again in their writing unaware, a bit like psychopaths who teach themselves what "normal" people do so that they can pass as psychologically sound in regular society.

Remember, we *are* talking about men who do these sorts of things:

Moffat says that Sherlock is celibate and that people who claim he's misogynistic when he does things like make Irene Adler imply she's attracted to the detective (even though she's a lesbian) are, ironically, "deeply offensive" (despite lines like "look at us both" in Battersea. We aren't your therapists, Moffat--we don't care what you meant, we care what you said, and what you *said* was clear. *Implying* it does not let you off the hook).

Gatiss has proclaimed that "I find flirting with the homoeroticism in Sherlock much more interesting" than the idea of ever making a show addressing LGBT issues. (That link is to a reddit forum, and I can't find the original interview anymore, but I assure you I had seen the actual article myself ages back and can't find it online again now along with some of the Martin quotes I wanted to link to. And nevermind what Gatiss has done with LGBT shows/issues since--my focus here is on what he has said, versus what he and Moffat have since claimed regarding their queerbaiting.)

Here’s a transcript of this screenshot:

"...many people come up and say they didn't realise." Despite this lack of public awareness, being part of the gay community is clearly important to Gatiss: "The older I get the more I want to give something back. I mean, I keep meaning to do something." When asked if he'd be interested in making a series about gay issues his response was enlightening:

"No, I don't think I'd make a kind of gay programme. It's much more interesting when it's not about a single issue. And equally, I find flirting with the homoeroticism in Sherlock much more interesting. Of course this reflects the grand picture of everyone's strange make-up; there are good gay people and bad gay people. I wouldn't like to make an issue film around the culture of being gay."

Instead Gatiss' interest seems to lie in making a drama where sexuality is, if not mundane, part of the wider framework: "I'd quite like to do something about a quite happy, ordinary gay person who's just incidentally gay. For example, a three-part thriller for ITV where the lead character just happens to be gay; when they finally go home, say 45 minutes in, and they had a same sex partner. That to me would be genuinely progressive. It wouldn't be a three-part gay thriller for ITV. It would be that this character just happened to be gay."

--End article quote.

And instead, who is canonically gay in the series? Well, Irene Adler. The innkeepers at the Cross Keys. And perhaps most notably, the *villains*, because that's a helpful trope: Moriarty and Eurus are, in S4, both implied to be at least bisexual.

Any character should be able to be any sexuality, this is true. But can we have some main characters, the good guys, give some good representation? Can't we start making that the standard, rather than the villains and the background characters? Because so far, that is the exception and not the rule.

Writers need to be aware of the damage they are perpetuating. We are not quite in a world yet where any character should be able to be any sexuality but isn't, yet we have no problem with saying the villain is LGBT+ or looks different/functions differently than much of the viewing audience.

"Male friendship is important and valid, not everything has to be gay"--this is a popular point with casual heterosexual viewers (and, to my chagrin, some of my LGBT+ friends) who don't fully grasp what "queerbaiting" is, often even when it's pointed out to them.

The lens of heterosexuality is real. My first time through watching BBC Sherlock, I didn't see the Johnlock at all. I had to look for it and read about it. When I saw it, the lens was lifted for me, and it changed my life and the way I view things forever (and for the best).

But back to my point about how little Mofftiss seem to understand their own story/most ardent fans, and then on to my other theory: in S4 it must be that they dropped their “psychopaths emulating empathy” act and indulged in their own "insane wish fulfillment" by doing away with all of the meaning, continuity, and sense. Right?

So, here’s the alternate theory. One which is not, please remember, in their defense.

Remember that S4 is what Mofftiss are *happy* to have us believe is what they'd do with these characters, given the chance to do whatever they wanted. I repeat, in Moffat’s own words: “Insane wish fulfillment.”

Okay I get it, this pasta has been over-salted.

Without further delay: MY COPYRIGHT RESEARCH THEORY THAT EVEN I DON'T PUT MUCH STOCK IN AND WHICH DOESN’T MAKE UP FOR THEIR CRUELTY EVEN IF TRUE

Part of me also raises an eyebrow at S4 as perhaps an example of the effect of the Conan Doyle estate on any modern production in the US. While it’s true that all of Sherlock is part of public domain in the UK and has been for quite a long time, Gatiss and Moffat still talk about it being partially under copyright. Specifically, the last 10 stories. I’m supposing that this means that because Sherlock airs internationally, or due to whatever contract the BBC has with the Doyle estate, they are still limited by the copyright as to what they can “publish”.

The Doyle estate is known for being a pain in the ass when it comes to abiding by copyright law as everyone else knows and practices it. They’ve tried to argue, for example (in 2013 and, much more recently, with the advent of Enola Holmes), that because Holmes and Watson were not fully developed as their final selves until the conclusion of all 10 stories still under copyright, then perhaps the characters themselves should still be protected, basically, in full.

It’s true that certain elements of the remaining stories are still under copyright here in the US (Watson had more than one wife--uh huh, we have that to look forward to, Johnlockers; the Garridebs moment is still under copyright--yeah, I’m getting to that too; and Sherlock didn’t care much for dogs til later so that’s not allowed either, fuck off Redbeard), but the estate’s problem in 2013 seemed to be based around a fear that *gasp* some day--if not right now!--anyone could write a Sherlock Holmes story in any way they pleased, changing the characters however they wished to and giving those characters “multiple personalities.”

See the following excerpt from the Estate’s case:

“...at any given point in their fictional lives, the two men's characters depend on the Ten Stories. It is impossible to split the characters into public domain versions and complete versions.”

(Click for full transcript.)

Obviously, by this point, that’s been done in multiple iterations. So I dunno. Their argument was *more* than muddy to begin with--they just grasp at straws to stay in control, it seems.

But okay. Backing up: wasn’t there sort-of a Garridebs moment in S4?!?? you cry. Yep. But imagine this: the Conan Doyle estate taking Mofftiss to court to argue that they depicted the Garridebs moment--a moment still under copyright--in The Final Problem.

Did they, though? Did they really?

The fandom cried out about the ridiculousness--the utter disappointment--of that moment when it was shown. It was not what we would have expected/wanted. We didn’t see John injured, Sherlock reacting with tender outrage to the good doctor’s attacker.

Instead we saw some ludicrous BS that was as bad as the clown with the sword-gun-umbrella. More of that.

I think Martin probably found that it was easy to produce real tears when he thought about how fucking terrible the S4 scripts were.

Ahem. Yet, this all seems very Mofftiss-flavored in terms of humor.

I can all-too-easily imagine them saying, “HA. We’re going to show some of these supposedly copyrighted things--and if they take us to court, they’ll be laughed out of the room.” Could that explain some of the overall S4 fuckery?

Sherlock wasn’t supposed to like dogs til later stories, as previously mentioned-- is that why Redbeard pulled a “Cinderella’s carriage” and transformed into a pumpkin (Victor Trevor)? Hmm. Sigh.

It...doesn’t actually appear that the estate has any qualms about taking laughable stuff to court, I mean...*shrug.* They have the money to do it, and money is the name of the game, because you’ve got to pay for rights (cha-ching sounds).

Yep, it does seem that the estate is open to the copyrighted materials being made reality, but who knows for what price or with what caveats. The BBC isn’t, so far as I’ve ever heard, known for throwing money around. Early Doctor Who would be so much less entertaining if they’d had any sort of budget. (And in fact, more of the older episodes would exist, but apparently the BBC--in part to cut costs--reused some of their tapes.)

My bottom-line bitter is this: Mofftiss do like to amuse themselves. To please themselves and no one else, as they’ve shown time and again. Sure, they could do whatever they wanted with S4...and they did...but they were also cruel about it, and that’s what I’ll never forgive them--OR the BBC--for.

A lot of fans gave up after series 4. I was very nearly one of them. I was angry, like just about every other Johnlocker and/or TJLCer, but I was really truly heartbroken. I couldn’t look at fanfiction. My days were full of bitterness and I keenly felt the lack of the fandom outlet that had become so essential to my mental well-being. I didn't know how to overcome the disparity between TJLC and what the show actually was. I didn't know how to separate the things I loved so much from the shitty writers and the way the BBC handled things with their whole response letter (that atrocious, childish blanket response they sent to everyone who complained about S4, not just the Johnlockers/TJLCers. Related to your complaint or not, if you filed one post-S4, this was the response you got). I still boycott BBC shows/merchandise, just by the way.

I tried to link to the blanket response letter but the link didn’t want to work (it’s an old reddit post; I had difficulty finding a copy of the letter elsewhere though at one point it wasn’t so hard...Google is weird these days y’all...tell me it’s not just me) so here’s a screenshot:

Transcript:

“Thank you for contacting us about “Sherlock”.

The BBC and Hartswood Films have received feedback from some viewers who were disappointed there was not a romantic resolution to the relationship between Sherlcok and John in the finale of the latest season of “Sherlock”.

We are aware that the majority of this feedback uses the same text posted on websites and circulated on social media.

Through four series and thirteen episodes, Sherlock and John have never shown any romantic or sexual interest in each other. Furthermore, whenever the creators of “Sherlock” have been asked by fans if the relationship might develop in that direction, they have always made it clear that it would not.

Sherlock’s writers, cast and producers have long been firm and vocal supporters of LGBT rights.

The BBC does not accept the allegations leveled at “Sherlock” or its writers, and we wholeheartedly support the creative freedom of the writers to develop the story as they see fit.

We will of course register your disappointment.

Thank you for contacting us.

Kind Regards,

BBC Complaints Team

So how about that? *Did* they “register our disappointment”? We can actually check that. The BBC’s website has a monthly summary of complaints received. So what did they receive in January 2017, the month S4 aired?

Huh, what do you know. Sounds like that blanket response was exactly the “fuck you” it came across as.

But the show--the FANDOM--had filled a need in my life, and so I had to own that and make it mine, or just...let something in me die: something that felt like an actual vital organ. I had to decide that these characters mean something to me beyond what anyone else tells me they should. I had to accept my own perceptions as truth, as I do with everything else in my life. I had to overcome the idea of canon as law (BBC Sherlock isn't canon anyway; ACD is canon. BBC Sherlock is, in the end, badly written fanfiction--or--worse?--decent pre-slash fanfiction distorted by consistent lies and the hazing of the LGBT audience, topped with the dumpster fire of S4′s incoherent nonsense).

I had to take the good and throw away the bad, just like anyone else who chose to stay. The good bits of the show...dialogue, yes. Plot points, yes. These awful writers did write some good stuff sometimes.

They just broke all the unspoken rules of what not to do to your audience. And then did and said everything they could not to apologize, and to justify their own failings. Which, in the years since I began shipping queer ships beyond any others, I have unfortunately experienced more than once.

So, my vulnerability has been yeeted into the vacuum of broke-my-trustdom: no one can tell me what things should mean to me. I will decide.

I decide that all of the FUCKING AMAZING writing in the Sherlock fandom is a staple in my life that makes it worth living. And that that's okay. And takes precedence over anything the writers or anyone else associated with the show could ever say or do.

Johnlock can not be taken away. It doesn't belong to them. It never did, even if they brought us to it. It belongs to us. To the group of amazingly creative, brainy, empathetic, resourceful, vibrant, resilient people who make up this fandom.

So thank YOU, all of YOU, for giving me Sherlock, Johnlock, and TJLC.

I am SO SAD for those who never found a way to make peace with this fandom again. Let me just say that I understand that inability entirely.

I am fortunate that I found the ability in myself to cling to the joy (something it has taken my whole life to be able to do). I hope others will who haven’t yet but wish they could.

Let Mofftiss and whoever sides with them stay angry and bitter and vicious, always looking over their shoulders for anyone who dares to whisper about subtext.

I’m proud to be part of what they’re whispering so angrily about.

Thanks for sticking it out if you made it this far. I know this was very self-indulgent and rambly.

Articles of interest:

A Study in Queerbaiting (Or How Sherlock Got it All Wrong) by Marty Greyson

“We never played it like that.” - Martin on Johnlock

Henry Cavill on the Enola Holmes lawsuit

More on that--and by the way Sherlock isn’t allowed to like dogs

The way Sherlock creators told fans Sherlock & John aren’t gay is so rude

Especially for those new to the fandom who may not know the distinction between TJLC and Johnlockers and want to know more about TJLC's evolution/what it is/meta through the years

Moffat's view on asexuality, offensive to me in particular *as* an asexual person (same article where he claims he isn't misogynistic): "If he was asexual, there would be no tension in that, no fun in that – it's someone who abstains who's interesting."

Yet he says Sherlock isn't gay or straight and that he's trying to keep his brain pure which is a "very Victorian attitude"

(Nice historical research there, Moff--actually the Victorians were sex-positive).

Sherlock fans were robbed of the gay ending they deserved

Benedict Cumberbatch has lashed out at his Sherlock co-star Martin Freeman over his negative attitude towards fans

BBC complaints January 2017

Martin Freeman: 'Sherlock is gayest story ever'

From 2016: UNPOPULAR OPINION: "Sherlock" Isn't Sexist or Queerbaiting; It's Actually Trying to Stage a Revolution

Queer-baiting on the BBC's Sherlock: Addressing the Invalidation of Queer Identities through Online Fan Fiction Communities by Cassidy Sheehan

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bluecastleheadcanons · 4 years ago

Text

Nekoma + Bokuto and Akaashi Youtuber headcanons

Kuroo Tetsurou

Conspiracies

"Government Conspiracies pt2"

"More alien Conspiracies ft Oikawa pt21"

Science experiments

"Removing DNA from a kiwi fruit"

Collabs with Oikawa, Bokuto, Yaku and sometimes Noya and Tanaka

His fans think he doesn't sleep because of a series on his channel

"3am coffee runs ft yakkun"

Has a joint channel with Kenma where they play video games Kuroo has never played (called Kuro lived under a rock)

All of his photos on Instagram make him look like a model and like a sex god (Akaash is really good at taking photos ok) but in reality, his videos are titled

"Doing dumb stuff with Bo pt47"

He's does a live every week and helps people with their homework

Works at a certain coffee shop

The occasional storytimes

"That one time I fell asleep on a train"

Vlogs that are super chaotic

"Bokuto and I buy Kodzuken clothes"

Started as a guest on Kenma's channel

"meet my roommate/best friend"

and fans begged him to make his own channel

He goes to uni for many different science subjects as well as psychology

Yes the same one as Suga

He gets recognised there a lot

He has to live in the dorms during the school year because his uni is a 2-hour train ride but goes back to his and Kenmas apartment during holidays

He plays for the college team

He doesn't drive

His BuzzFeed unsolved like series with Tsukki

"Visiting the haunted Toyama park ft Tsukishima and my suffering"

Kozume Kenma

So Canon…

Video game

"Replaying FNAF"

The joint channel with Kuroo

"Kuro lives under a rock"

Collabs with him sometimes

Streams every week

Doesn't vlog but he appears in Kuroo’s vlogs so its all good

He does have one vlog on his channel and it is of him driving the 3-hour drive to Kuroo’s uni to pick him up for the holidays

It was a surprise and its one of his most popular videos

He wears a mask and goes by Kodzuken

Kuroo and friends call him Kod or Ken

Kuroo says Kenma's name all the time during filming and Kenma is getting tired of bleeping it out

He is extremely popular and started his channel before everyone else

he participates in Suga’s mental illness awareness week and does a segment on was of coping and distractions for mental illness

He attempted to make Apple pie with Kuroo once

His videos with Hinata are so fun for everyone

"Playing Minecraft with Shouyou"

They are planning to meet up soon

Most of his fans think he is really chill and relaxing to watch

Yaku Morisuke

A college dropout who drinks too much coffee and vlogs his life.

"Someone accused me of being a lost child"

He also does top tens.

"Top ten haunted places to avoid"

And reactions.

"Mori reacts to kids doing dumb shit"

Those are funny.

His reactions can vary from his laughing to him cursing the person out because.

"What the FUCK did you think was going to happen?!?!"

Fans think his laugh is cute.

Fall asleep on live.

Swears so so much.

His acc is not child friendly.

Him and Suga collab when they can but Yaku lives so far away.

People send snacks to his PO box because they think he never eats real food.

"3am coffee runs ft kuroo"

His roommate is Lev.

More like his child actually.

Vlogs ft lev are fun.

"Grocery shopping with Lev because we don't have any food"

He will disappear for a while and then post a 3 part series of an impulse road trip him and lev went on.

"We went to neverland"

Sometimes he'll go with Kuroo and Kenma or Suga.

Most of his fans are taller than him.

He is very much a mum and takes care of others.

He has self-care videos.

"A morning routine that we should all follow"

But he sucks at taking care of himself and his diet is 75% coffee.

Lev is actually the better cook.

Yaku is salty about it.

He works at a juice/smoothie place.

Haiba Lev

He is similar to Hinata.

Their collabs are extremely chaotic.

"Pranking our roommates ft Hinata WE ALMOST DIED"

He does go to college.

He studies zoology.

And loves to hold it over Yakus head.

Among other things.

He does a day in my life videos.

"We did something different for once ft Yaku!!"

He loves volleyball and joins the volleyball collabs.

He isn't very good but he is getting better.

He had Yachi do his make up once.

He didn't look bad.

He has Yaku reacted to it but he didn't realise any had changed

Lev was disappointed.

I don't have a lot for Lev.

Akaashi Keiji

Read people's true stories off reddit.

Fans think his voice is really soothing.

He reads all sorts, scary, funny.

If a story makes him laugh you win an award and that is listening to s laugh because it is THAT good.

Collabs with people.

Bokuto being the main person along with Kenma and Kuroo.

He does photography for said squad.

His photos are immaculate.

Participates in Suga's mental health awareness month and does a segment on mental and nervous breakdowns and how to prevent and or deal with them.

He sometimes will join Kenma playing games.

"playing FNAF with Kodzuken"

Bokuto Koutarou

Volleyball.

"Volleyball montage with HINATA!!!"

"SPIKING TIPS WITH ME!!!"

chaotic vlogs.

"Kuroo and I explore the city!!!"

Bokuto does college online because it's easier for him.

He regularly goes to visit Kuroo at his college.

He does have a dog.

"MEET MY SUPPORT DOG MOCHA!!!"

She's a German Shepherd.

Participates in Suga's mental health awareness month and does a segment on mania/manic episodes and how to deal with them.

he disappears from the internet sometimes for weeks at a time.

he loves driving out to places early in the morning with Akaashi for a photoshoot

He can play the guitar

He sometimes sings but most of the time it's just instrumental

"Instrumental for Somebody you loved”

Prank videos

“FAKING MY DEATH PRANK FT AKAASHI AND KUROO”

#haikyuu!!#haikyuu headcanons #kuroo tetsurou #youtuberau #haikyuu fanfic #kozume kenma #yaku morisuke #lev haiba #bokuto kotaro #akaashi keiji

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missmentelle · 5 years ago

Note

This might sound very silly but I just don't know how to be more proactive. I've been very passive all this years until this point where I feel like I can't anymore. I wish I could be more hardworking for the things I want but I get all overwhelmed and don't even know how other people have the energy or the motivation. People think Im just lazy. I don't have almost any skills let alone any that I can monetize, I feel like Im going to be a looser forever.

I think this is a problem that a lot of people - especially younger people - are struggling with right now. We want to achieve great things, and we feel like we should be achieving great things, but many of us are so paralyzed by doubt/anxiety/apathy/uncertainty that we have a hard time mustering up the motivation to run basic errands, let alone chase our dreams. I’ve certainly spent more than my fair share of time beating myself up for the countless days that I’ve fucked around on Reddit all day instead of actually achieving anything, even when I was fully aware that I was sabotaging my own dreams and goals by doing so. I just couldn’t always muster up the ability to care about the things I needed to be doing, even if there were dire consequences for not doing them. The good news is, there are definitely ways to overcome this issue, and reach a point where you are happier with your progress and your life. To get started, I recommend:

Decide what it is you actually want. Telling yourself to “be more proactive”, “work harder” or “have a better life” is not helpful if you don’t actually have specific goals that you’re working towards. It is very, very easy to find ways to be “busy” for 8 hours per day - but being busy doesn’t necessarily mean progress. Take some time, and think about some rough goals that you’d like to actually work towards. Don’t worry about how much work or effort it would be to achieve those goals, just start thinking about what you want in life, and what’s the most important to you. Think about the kind of life that you would like to have someday, and start figuring out the steps you need to take in order to get yourself from your current life to the life that you envision. It’s okay if those things are very far apart - the point is not for you to get overwhelmed, but for you to have something to be proactive about.

Start slowly. You cannot go from “spending 8 hours per day mindlessly browsing the internet amidst a pile of old take-out containers” to “running 5 miles every morning before making art for 8 hours in a spotless apartment with a fridge full of vegetables” overnight. Trying to change your routine too drastically and too quickly will lead to you burning out in a couple of days and going right back to your old ways, with an added dose of self-hatred because you tried and failed. Trying to be more productive and more functional is a process, and a long one at that. It’s not at all unusual or abnormal to take several years of work before you get your life to where you want it to be. Start slow. Start with incredibly tiny changes, and slowly build up those changes over time. If you currently live on a diet of fast food and candy, and you want to be a shredded, clean-eating fitness guru, you can’t rush into that all at once. Start by swapping out full-sugar pop for diet pop for the first month, and trying to drink more water. That’s it. Don’t make any other changes. Then the second month, switch out diet pop for flavored water. And so on. Change only sticks when it’s gradual.

Focus on one thing at a time. Again, trying to do too much, too soon is a recipe for fast burnout and self-hatred. Start by trying to change one area of your life, and one area of your life alone. Once you feel like you have a pretty solid handle on that part of your life and you have established some new habits, then you can add on a second area of focus. Spend some time, and really think about which area of your life is the most important for you to change, and which area of focus will improve your life the most. If it helps, envision your problems as rocks that you are carrying around in a backpack with you at all times. What’s the heaviest rock in your backpack? If you are overweight, unhappily single, making no progress building your YouTube channel and failing out of college, then your college grades are probably the thing causing you the most stress in your life, and they’re your most urgent concern - focus on that, and give yourself permission to let the rest of it sit on the back burner until you have boosted your GPA. Only then will you be ready to start changing something else.

Go easy on yourself. I think one of the pitfalls that many young people face these days is that they absolutely crush themselves with unrealistic expectations of what they “should” be doing with their lives; it’s hard to get up the motivation to do anything when you’ve convinced yourself that the bare minimum for success is an impossible ideal. I have friends with master’s degrees who still consider themselves failures that haven’t done anything in life. Remember that you are not a machine. Even at your most successful and high-functional, you will not be perfect and productive 100% of the time. You will still have lazy days where you don’t get much done. You will still occasionally order takeout instead of making a home-cooked meal. You will still occasionally procrastinate. Don’t set yourself up for failure by comparing yourself to an unattainable ideal - just aim to be a slightly better version of what you are right now.

Get used to tracking, even without making changes. It’s hard to set goals for improvement if you don’t have a solid idea of what you’re actually doing right now. Telling yourself things like “stop being so lazy and do more things” is setting yourself up for a spiral of self-loathing if you don’t actually track what you’re doing, because you won’t be able to see the small, gradual progress that you’re making. Being able to actually see yourself taking baby steps toward your goal is important for keeping you motivated, and keeping you from beating yourself up. Don’t track absolutely everything in your life - that becomes obsessive after a while - but keep an eye on some of the major things that you might want to change in the future. Install apps on your phone and laptop that track how much time you spend doing what. Set up the step tracker on your phone. If you want to eat better in the future, start tracking roughly what you eat now. I’m a pretty avid bullet journaler, I track a lot of my daily habits. Keeping track of the things you do, even if you’re not proud of them, and even before you start to work on them, gives you a baseline to work with, so you can establish how bad the problem is and see when you’re heading in the right direction.

Forget the obsession with monetizing. A lot of us have gotten this idea in our heads that we need to find ways to monetize everything that we’re even remotely good at, or doing that thing is somehow a waste of our time. I don’t want to generalize about millennials and gen z too much, but I do feel like our generation was raised on the belief that “doing what you love” is the most important thing in life; I personally have many friends that are obsessed with monetizing, to the point that they no longer do anything unless they can find some way to funnel it into advancing their blogger/influencer/creator career. I think this is a mistake. When you monetize something that you love doing, you turn it from a hobby into a job, with all the stress that comes with that, and I think it’s important for everyone to have at least one thing in their life that they do just for the joy of it. It’s okay to let work be work, and play just be play. And I say this as a person who has monetized one of my hobbies; I love true crime and forensic psychology, and I co-host a true crime podcast that has recently had a huge surge of popularity and is on the cusp of being monetized. I could write an entire post about the mental health side of being a creator with a public online presence, but in a nutshell, turning my podcast from a hobby into a business has required me to take it a lot more seriously, and it now falls more into the category of “work” than it does “fun”. My enjoyment of life requires that some of my other hobbies - like playing music - just stay un-monetized hobbies. Let yourself create and do things that don’t have economic value.

Don’t compare yourself to what you see on social media. I have had both personal friends and followers on this blog tell me that they feel bad about themselves because their life doesn’t measure up to what they see on Instagram, or because they feel that their own lives would not be worthy of posting online. This is a toxic mindset to get into. The things you see on social media are not reality, no matter how much they appear to be - people put incredible amounts of effort into carefully cultivating an online persona that makes them look more productive and accomplished than they actually are. I have a brother who who is a somewhat successful Instagram “influencer”, alongside his more successful girlfriend, and I could write an entire post about the lengths they go to to fake having perfect lives on Instagram, and the toll that their Insta careers are having on their mental health. If you are looking to be a more productive version of yourself, it’s best to steer clear of “motivation” from people who are paid to pretend to be successful online.

Set measurable, achievable goals. Goals like “be healthier” and “do more stuff” won’t get you anywhere - they are so vague that it’s not possible to tell when you’ve actually achieved them, or how much progress you’ve made. If you want to be more productive and feel like you’re getting more done, you need to set goals that can actually be worked towards and checked off when they are done. Instead of “go to the gym more”, aim for “go to the gym 5 days per week” as your end goal, and start with a solid couple of months with “go to the gym at least once per week”, and slowly increase from there. If you’re aiming for something big like “have an awesome job”, break that down into medium-sized goals like “finish an undergrad degree”, and then break that goal down even further into “hand in all my assignments on time this semester”, and break that down further into “write the first 10 pages of my paper by the end of the week”. Set tiny goals for yourself that you can easily achieve, and that will gradually accumulate into big accomplishments.

Remember that slow progress is better than no progress. If you write one sentence per day, it is going to take you a really long time to write a novel. It will take you a whole lot less time, however, than if you get overwhelmed at the thought of writing a novel and never write at all. Sometimes you need to break goals down into steps so small that they also seem not worth doing. It can feel a little silly to congratulate yourself for things like “brushed my teeth today” and “texted someone back today”, but those are little habits that add up into bigger things, and giving yourself that positive reinforcement is important. “Greatness” and “success” are not things you achieve all at once, they are made up of tiny habits that you’ve been working on for months or years at a time.

Take care of your mental health. Not feeling the motivation to do anything, even things that you enjoy, can be a symptom of depression. Everyone beats themselves up from time to time for not being more productive, but if your brain is constantly on a feedback loop of “I’m human garbage and I’m wasting my life”, that’s a pretty serious problem, and a solid sign that it’s time to seek out some professional help. Trying to make major life improvements without addressing underlying mental health concerns is kind of like trying to drive a car without wheels - you’re just not going to get anywhere until you’ve dealt with the obvious problem.

Remember that setbacks are okay. Even the most highly proactive and high-functioning people have days where they say “fuck it” and order takeout to eat in front of the TV. Everyone occasionally misses deadlines or leaves things to the last minute when they shouldn’t. Everyone shows up late occasionally. These things happen - we are humans, and none of us are perfect. The key to long-term proactivity and productivity, though, is not to let those small setbacks define you, and not to throw away all the progress you’ve made over a bad day or a bad week. Eating healthy six days per week will put you in a much better position than deciding “fuck it, I blew it” after one bad meal and returning to eating unhealthy meals 7 days per week. As the saying goes, don’t let perfect be the enemy of good - in other words, perfection is not attainable, and getting hung up on being perfect will prevent you from achieving many things that are good. The idea is not to be perfect; it’s just to keep striving to be a slightly better version of yourself.

Best of luck to you!

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transfixingcharly · 5 years ago

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Q&A: Always sanitary towels changing their packaging

Here for the great debate about Always sanitary towels changing their packaging?

Cool. Some basics first:

I can't speak on behalf of all trans people, only those I’ve spoken to and whose opinions I’ve read online.

I don’t often “get political” with the gender stuff on this blog because it’s supposed to be a space about sharing my experiences, but I guess this has been part of my experience and I’ve received lots of messages (on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook) about this particular issue.

When I use the term “cisgender” or the prefix “cis”, I’m indicating someone who is not trans. (Cisgender has its origin in the Latin-derived prefix cis-, meaning "on this side of", which is the opposite of trans-, meaning "across from" or "on the other side of". (Some people seem to feel it’s a slur, but it’s no more a slur than “trans” itself is.)

There’s no way to leave comments on here, and honestly this post is aimed at providing a different perspective rather than a discussion space. If you’ve found this post via Facebook, you can always discuss your thoughts there, but please read the entire piece first.

Okay, notes over. Let’s go!

Q. Trans people don’t have periods, so why does it matter?

Two things to note here! Firstly, trans men will often still have periods unless they’ve been on testosterone for a while or they’ve had a hysterectomy. Not all trans men will be able to (or will choose to) access either of these options, meaning they’ll still have periods. (If you want to talk about trans men taking medication to stop their periods, we can do that too, but not here.)�� Secondly, non-binary people may also have periods.

Q. There are lots of brands who provide these products - why don’t trans people just use those brands instead?

You’re right, there are lots of other brands. This means that if the new Always packaging makes you unhappy, you have alternatives to choose from. (If trans people are using Always pads, that’s because it’s their preferred brand. The product’s style and fit won’t change even when the packaging does, so if Always is (or was) your preferred brand, the interior is the same, even if the exterior has changed.)

Q. It’s just a symbol - what’s the big deal?

It would be easy to ask you the same question, but let’s discuss. Having spoken to other trans guys about the symbol on the packaging, I did find a trans guy who didn’t use Always specifically because of the Venus symbol (which was only added earlier this year) and the #likeagirl hashtag Always used for a while - he told me it reminded him of the person he was trying to leave behind.

When I was still having my periods, having a monthly cycle caused me massive distress and dysphoria. Using pads that reminded me of the feminine aspects of my body (that I had no control over) didn’t make that any easier. Trans people do buy brands other than Always. There’s Bodyform, there’s Kotex, and there are half a dozen supermarket “own brands” too. But if a person can only access a corner shop or a local minimart version of a supermarket, then Always might be their only option. Equally, trans people on low incomes might only be able to buy pads on offer, which Always often is. It would be nice for them to not have to see a symbol associated with the the female sex whenever they’re on their cycle.

(History lesson: in terms of semiotics, the Venus symbol was first associated with the female sex around 1750 by an astronomer called Carl Linnaeus. He used the symbol to classify plants and animals, and was a pretty interesting Guy. Flowers calmed him when he was having a bad day, and he once publicly humiliated a mayor who had a fake taxidermied hydra! Linnaeus’ biography is honestly fun for all the family.)

Q. It’s just a design on the packaging, so does it matter?

You’re totally right, it is just a design, so it shouldn’t matter. But if this thing that doesn’t matter to you does matter to a person trying to distance themselves from womanhood, then shouldn’t we try to make their lives a bit easier? The symbol was only added earlier this year, and not much was said about its inclusion at the time. Nobody really commented on the new design until some people have said they could do without it, so Always are accommodating those who’ve fed back.

Q. This product is aimed at women - that’s what the symbol is for.

When Bic released their “Pens for Her” - a pink pen “with a great floral design [...] designed to fit comfortably in a woman's hand” - there was uproar. People rightfully pointed out that women didn’t need pens specifically for them to use: women have been using non-gendered stationary for years. Similar responses have been received in the face unnecessarily gendered products for years (there’s a whole Reddit devoted to it). I feel the same argument should be applied to this.

Q. Why are the trans community making such a fuss? or This is another example of trans people / the trans lobby making demands.

Nobody made any demands here - Always took on board some feedback from customers who asked why there had needed to be iconography associated with femininity and womanhood on products used by people other than cisgender women. That’s all - Always acknowledged that the packaging could be more inclusive and made a change to accommodate their customers.

Additionally, while a handful of trans people have said that removing the Venus symbol would be helpful, a vast swathe of commenters have been upset by this, meaning that the fuss, lobbying and demanding doesn’t lie with the trans community - quite the opposite.

Q. Always are bowing to pressure from the trans lobby.

They’ve removed one piece of imagery from one line of products, but they haven’t changed anything else. Their website header menu (as of 22/10/19) still advertises “Always Feminine Products” and has a section entitled “Tips and Advice for Women”. All of the photos on their website are of women too.

Q. The removal of the Venus symbol is erasing women from female-centric spaces.

I can understand concerns about erasure, but it concerns me that the changing of a symbol on one brand of sanitary towels is causing cis women to feel that they are being erased. (I spoke to a friend last week who said that she felt insulted that women were reducing themselves to “pictures on packets”. She said she was concerned that women were “placing their femininity in the hands of reductive symbols on non-recyclable packaging which is tossed into refuse as soon as it’s been used”. She said I could quote her message, but didn’t want to be identified as the risk of inciting ire.)

If the answer is that this is part of a larger problem relating to erasure, then I guess trans men and NB folks could have a separate line of pads specifically for them so that the original line (bearing the symbol) is unaffected? But then the trans community might be accused of wanting their own “special” products, which isn’t the issue at all - we’d just like to be able to use the usual stuff without being reminded of our other-ness. For Always, this probably wouldn’t be that viable as an option financially; it makes more sense to just not include this one symbol, rather than create a new line of products specifically for a minority, because then the trans community would again be questioned for wanting special treatment. Which brings me on to…

Q. Why not just make sanitary products for the trans community? Why do the existing products for (cis)women have to be modified?

For lots of reasons.

Separate products specifically for trans folks can present a safety issue. If products were available in mainstream stores that were aimed specifically at the trans market, transphobes would have an easy way to identify who to target. If the products only existed online then they’d be more expensive and less accessible.

Additionally, the trans community don’t want to be seen as separate - we just want to be able to get on with regular stuff on a daily basis like everyone else does. The point of changing the design is so that the pad’s packaging is inclusive for all users, not to make a small group feel special.

TL;DR -

Too long, didn’t read? Here’s a summary:

Always pads are (internally) unchanged, they’re just externally (a little) different.

Their website and the majority of their marketing is still aimed at non-trans audiences.

There are other brands available to buy.

A small group of people in the trans community politely asked that the packaging could be made more inclusive, but a large group of people have responded very negatively in turn.

Nothing has been lost for the majority - the pads still exist, and Always are still working hard to support young women, especially those who suffer with period poverty.

There’s so much more to say about this subject, but I’ll stop here, for now.

As I said earlier, this post is aimed at providing a different perspective, rather than another discussion space.

I hope this was informative!

#always pads #always brand #venus symbol #always packaging

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stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale · 5 years ago

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I remember night before ep4 came out I saw post on ig with "your ep4 choices" (like they always are at the end of the episode) and one of them was "Violet convinced you to shot AJ after he got bit" or something like that and I was panicking all night is that truth or not. And next day when I saw "happy ending" I was so scared to look for "bad ending" because I didnt want AJ to die after everything. (in the end it was fake so yeah... )

Oh god the fake end cards hahahaha

I remember a bunch of people making them and posting them on instagram and reddit throughout the entirety of the season and a lot of them had crazy things with AJ in them. Like AJ shooting Louis or Violet or AJ dying.

And some of them were well-edited, too! They looked like legit end cards, but I always knew they were fake because where the hell would anyone find them to leak? I will admit that I had some fun in looking at them, though.

#asks #aj night #twdg aj

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doublemmarketing · 5 years ago

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AOC’s Social Media Mastery

Politics and social media. Perhaps one of the dullest marriages to arise from the necessity of appealing to young (and now, older too) voters, many politicians don’t seem to know how to use this invaluable tool to effectively communicate their ideas, their values, their campaign – essentially, their brand – to audiences outside of the traditional media of television and newspapers. Whether that be due to boring, long-winded tweets or coming off as more of a meme (Fake news CNN is VERY BAD!), middle- to upper-aged politicos can’t seem to find their way around an Instagram account.

But for one New York U.S. Representative, Reddit AMAs and Instagram Live stories are a smart weapon for standing out. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, or AOC, took political center stage after winning the Democratic nomination for the 14th District Representative of New York in 2018, defeating 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley by nearly 15 percentage points. Though her fame didn’t achieve worldwide standing until after her upset (she gained more than 2.6 million followers in the 8 months following her win), a campaign video posted on YouTube gained half a million views and since then, she has secured her place in the social media limelight with direct, simple tweets that communicate her authenticity to not just her constituents, but to about 10.5 million followers on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

As her least-followed channel, Ocasio-Cortez still has more than 1 million followers and averages almost 10,000 reactions per post on Facebook. As someone who isn’t currently in the running for office, this is a pretty impressive number, seeing as my own District Representative (who’s been in Congress for the past 10 years) has a paltry 9,000 followers and I had to look up who it was. There, a range of videos featuring her Congressional involvement (usually edited by the NowThis company), links to news articles with relevant commentary, and criticisms of current policies. All of her posts either have a photo or video, a rule of thumb for getting attention on Facebook. Her mix of content, all political and no personal for Facebook, has garnered a high engagement rate. With the younger demographic shifting more to Instagram, her Facebook content does well to keep things all-business but still maintain her trademark sincerity.

Twitter, where her most-followed channel with 5.6 million follows, is from which her most famous content has sprung. AOC runs her own Twitter account, which is clear from her consistent use of no-nonsense, no jargon language, natural use of emojis, and fact-checking responses that made her iconic. About 4 out of every 5 tweets is a reply or retweet, but all of them are interesting and relevant articles with equally succinct messaging that enforce her progressive beliefs. When something can’t be said in just a few words, she breaks her message apart into digestible chunks, a common method on Twitter. Hashtags and emojis are used, but sparingly, as any millennial would be wont to do. Responses to her tweets are usually in the majority GIFs of mic drops and explosions, with the expected internet troll sprinkled throughout. Her Twitter success is owed to her authentic take on Congressional life (and all its flaws), her to-the-point fact-checking when the GOP “calls her out” on getting a haircut, and testimonials from the people she represents. By and large, retweeting and getting retweeted are one of her biggest resources because it spreads her name to other parts of the Twittersphere where people interested in politics already are.

Her Instagram, which comes in at a little over 4 million followers, is where AOC gets the most personal. And perhaps this is her biggest strength. Most politicians use all social media platforms more or less the same – as a tool to replace political television advertising. Most of them simply post clips of their own rallies, articles written about them, or publicity shoots of them posing with a ladle at a food bank. But for Ocasio-Cortez, Instagram is where she lets her hair down, if only for a little bit. She doesn’t simply repost content from her other channels her, but actual moments from her real life, like working in her community garden, on the job at district staff meetings and town halls, and a shot of ramen noodles and other groceries in her shopping basket. These shots aren’t staged moments that endeavor to “connect” with the people, but rather touching commentary that is relatable because it is. She comes off smart and in-touch because she is. And occasionally, she even posts fan art. Her captions can range from a single sentence to 5 paragraphs long, but each is written with intention in each word, sparing hashtags for the rare, cheeky fun photo.

As far as a more formal analysis of AOC’s social media usage, the Evans’ Social Feedback Cycle can be applied to how she responds to criticism. Simply put, she doesn’t. While yes, her aim is to garner the support of citizens not just in her own district, but also people who support her ideas of more accessible education, higher wages, a Green New Deal, prison abolition, etc., so she must know how to appeal to them and how to deal with those who don’t view her in such a rosy light. Many members both famous and layman of the alt-right media have attacked her relentlessly, but she often doesn’t take the time to indulge them, saying “I don’t owe a response to unsolicited requests from men with bad intentions.” Her responses, or usually lack thereof, helps her followers solidify and opinion about her professionalism. As far as direct communication and feedback from her followers, AOC has hosted a Q&A on Instagram, a Reddit AMA, and asked on Twitter what kinds of questions people would ask Mark Zuckerberg in a Congressional hearing. She even opened her direct messages for the Twitter question, letting users talk with her as if they were just messaging one of their friends. Though these specific events don’t happen often, it wouldn’t be surprising if AOC started using these tools as a way to hear from the people what they want.

Because analyzing a politician is different than analyzing a brand aiming to sell something, applying the engagement process model and pinning AOC at “Consumption” is an accurate, but not entirely holistic assessment. While almost no politician goes beyond “Consumption” (unless you count inviting people to tag #FeeltheBern on selfies), it’s the kind of Consumption that matters. All of the content she is creating is incredibly engaging (compared to others in her field) and it’s a response to issues that people she has met have told her about. In this sense, she collaborates directly a lot more than other social-media-wielding politicians, making it more of a conversation than a lecture.

#AOC #alexandria ocasio-cortez

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is6621 · 6 years ago

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When Going Viral Isn’t Always A Good Thing by Matt Razek

In the age of social media, all it takes is a single message - be it a Facebook status, an Instagram post, a news article, a Tweet, etc. - and you could be known all over the world. As I’m sure you can attest too, though, while this may sound like a good thing, that isn’t always the case.

What does it take to go viral?

Going viral means something different for each individual. For someone like Baker Mayfield (Go Browns), he’s used to getting hundreds of retweets and favorites on a single post. For someone like me, anything more than ten is a big deal and that’s usually because the places I tag in a post help me out.

Though, for someone trying to make it to the big leagues, Forbes gives a few tricks to practice. Not all of them will work for everyone, but if you play your cards right, you could be the next viral social media sensation.

Focus on high quality content before investing in advertising

Know your audience - Enough said.

Partner with influencers - Two words: #FyreFestival

Get your content reposted on popular accounts - All it takes is a retweet, favorite, or like from an account with a lot of followers. Think about the quality of your media post (picture, words, message) before positing if you’re hoping for it to catch the attention of these accounts that get thousands of messages/interactions a day.

Tell a relatable story through your account - If you ever think of Facebook viral posts, it’s often of a picture or a video with a long story that describes it. Individuals love that stuff. Sometimes it can be a heartwarming story; other times it is making sure individuals are aware of a negative trend, a missing person, etc.

Keep it short and to the point - Twitter is great for this. A simple photo and 180 characters. Plus, humans have short attention spans so you don’t have much space for filler content.

Utilize interactive content - Instagram has taken this to a new level with improvements to its stories feature that allows individuals to ask open-ended questions, pose questions, etc.

The term viral comes from virus which is an infection. In the internet world, individuals become “infected” with emotion when they see information that they resonate with, and that causes them to do something with it. Individuals want to share items on social media because they hope for their followers to share similar emotions with them. Below are a few examples of the positive and negative effects of viral information.

The Good Kind of Viral

Who would have thought that a 98-year-old nun would take over the NCAA March Madness tournament over night and become a household sports name? For almost 30 years, Sr. Jean has been the chaplain of the Loyola University Chicago (Go Ramblers!) Men’s Basketball Team. She goes to every game, says a prayer, emails the players individually after each game, and makes sure the coaches know her thoughts. While she has been a sensation at the university, it took a few interviews made into social media posts during the 2018 tournament for her to become, in her humble opinion, “an international sensation.” By the time the Final Four came around, the university needed to send a separate security detail for her thanks to the internet, and she would have receiving lines at multiple events. She was even in a Super Bowl 2019 commercial for March Madness and was the only non-basketball player/coach featured in the 60 second clip.

The Bad Kind of Viral

We’re used to seeing the good kind of viral as it sometimes becomes more memorable because of the emotions that it invokes in us. But that’s not always the case.

When I was in high school I remember seeing an article outside of a classroom with the following title:

I never read the article posted. I simply just read the title every morning when I would pass by. I remember thinking how sad that was...he seemed so young. I saw a few tweets with the same title over the course of that month. Flash forward a few years and I saw a live TV interview with Bill Nye. My mind was blown. “I definitely saw an article that said he was dead,” I told myself. Turns out, it was an article written by The Onion. If I had only looked at the source and done my research, I would have easily realized this viral message was indeed a hoax and wouldn’t have spent those two years thinking Bill Nye was a dead.

However, there are also bad virals that aren’t as funny. Take this professor who was trying to make a simple joke to her 60 followers but ended up reaching 25 million people. What sounded like good fun, turned into her receiving threats and criticism for not being understanding of those who experience death in their lives, especially her students.

A similar thing happened to a supervisor of mine who tweeted something during the 2016 presidential election related to female inspirations running and being excited so that his daughters could see it. Someone who barely musters any followers outside of higher education and former students was now getting similar responses to this professor from individuals all over the country sending threats to him and his family.

Think twice before hoping to be involved in viral content. And, if you’re trying to spread the content, double check your facts to make sure you aren’t spreading fake news!

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/steveolenski/2018/02/06/7-ways-to-up-your-chances-of-going-viral-on-social-media/#13c942c217af

https://www.lifewire.com/what-does-it-mean-to-go-viral-3486225

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-perspec-viraltweets-reddit-facebook-internet-snowflakes-bullies-viorica-marian-0523-story.html

#is6621 #viral #virality

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fuyuhikoismybabygansta · 7 years ago

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Hiya! What about the boys with an online friend/crush/s.o. who suddenly stops talking and just dissapears for around a month before coming back and admitting that they had tried to commit suicide? (Sorry for such a dark topic aha,,)

Ah, how I love this prompt! I put my all into it, so I apologise if it’s a little long, heh. Although I’m not sure what you meant by ‘the boys’, I’m assuming the V3 boys. If you wanted a different cast, please feel free to request again and I will rewrite it for you. Apologies.

Ask is under the cut, due to being long and potentially triggering. Dark topics, reader beware.

Saihara Shuuichi✎

He didn’t usually go on the internet.

It was strange, why did these people all talk like they knew each other?

Of course, some may actually be planning to meet but… he found it all a bit surreal.

Then, you contacted him.

He was very wary at first, he knew you could be anyone.

Then, you started getting closer and he started trusting you.

Then, it got to the point where you were FaceTiming almost daily.

You were the only person that made him laugh every day and feel happy being himself.

Then, you stopped existing in his life.

He kept messaging, calling… messaging again, calling again.

Always, ALWAYS the beep and the voicemail.

A response text never came.

You never came online.

Though what he found odd was that you hadn’t blocked him.

He was starting to become desperate and that’s when he realised he had a crush on you and boy, what a bad time to realise.

That only made it hurt more.

Then, he saw you typing one day.

He’d almost forgotten about you, it had been 3 weeks since your last message.

You stop typing and just before he gives up hope, you video call him.

You’re… in a hospital?

He’s crying and he doesn’t know why.

He cannot stop crying.

You’re crying too and people are crowding around you, asking why.

Then he realises… you’re in hospital.

The absence, the lack of communication… the hospital… people asking why you were upset… your expression.

You had… you had tried, hadn’t you?!

He could ALWAYS tell there was something else to you.

Occasionally, you would just… show signs.

He hangs up the call, texts ‘I’m coming’.

Within the next day, he’s there with you.

Amami Rantaro❂

He is kind of a very big deal on the internet.

After all, he has an Instagram account that is often mistaken for a modelling account.

He often has business offers because of how attractive he is and he always has to explain ….. that he’s not a professional model???

One day, he got a completely normal PM from you.

You were absolutely stunning.

WAY better looking than him.

He IMMEDIATELY asked if you were getting the pesky PMS from businesses too.

He was surprised when you said no, you had never heard of such a thing.

How??

You’re actually the best-looking person he’s ever seen?

He has full trust in you immediately.

You talk for a few weeks, constantly.

It’s always you, he ignores all the other messages.

You’ve helped him grow as a person.

But then you’re gone.

It’s been weeks.

Nearly a month, actually.

He’s gone back to being a lot more… boring.

He was extravagant before but now…

But now, he’s just back to normal.

He’s stopped posting.

If you can’t see it, there’s nobody else he cares enough about…

Then, you message him again!

You say that things happened and you… may or may not have tried to kill yourself.

He’s shocked, why would YOU of all people?

You were a literal ray of sunshine…

He does his best to help but he can’t help the hurt.

Kiibo✪

He… does not know what he’s doing.

All the buttons don’t make sense and websites keep asking him to ‘prove he’s not a robot’.

He’s honestly a little offended.

When he visits websites, he does NOT sign up for them to instantly be shamed.

He thinks there should be more robot pride around the internet…

So, he just resorts to posting a message saying…

“Could somebody please help with the internet, I do not understand anything.”

So, you DM him, complimenting his ‘shitpost’.

He gets a little bit huffy at this.

“Are you saying my post is bad? I genuinely do not understand… are you robophobic?”

You’re a bit concerned.

Is this person you’re talking to actually okay-

Are they robotkin or-

You ask him to send a picture of himself, just casually.

He doesn’t find it strange, so he does.

He’s… holy shit.

He’s a robot.

You’re so excited and start asking a million questions, not realising you’re offending him.

Then, a beautiful friendship starts… and then more.

Kiibo makes an awful attempt at asking you out.

He says that a long distance relationship would a struggle, but he’s a robot so he can deal with it!

You say yes, and that’s the last time you log in.

He’s always checking on you, thinking you’ve ditched him because he’s a robot.

He accepts it eventually and forgets about you.

When you come back online and tell him what had happened, he’s shocked.

So that’s why…

He tries to comfort you in any way possible and ends up asking his professor to let him see you.

The professor pays for your tickets and gets you down to him as soon as possible.

You’re overjoyed and the happiest you’d been for years.

Kaito Momota✯

You had met on Tumblr.

Kaito had a space blog and one day, you messaged him saying you loved the content.

You started talking more from there, though it annoyed you how OBSESSED with space he was.

You started to like him and then, you asked him out.

Then, you two gained a reputation around Tumblr.

The LITERAL star-crossed lovers.

Actually star-crossed because you know, space blog.

Then, you change your blogs to match each other.

It’s the sappiest thing ever but it’s what happiness feels like.

Then, you end up getting too overexcited.

You accidentally tell your parents about dating Kaito and they treat you awfully for it.

They go on about online dating and its dangers for months and it makes you consider.

What if Kaito isn’t who he says he is?

Meanwhile, on his side, he has NO idea about any of this.

So when you mysteriously disappear, your entire fanbase and ESPECIALLY him are distraught.

Eventually, your fame falls dead but Kaito still remembers.

Then, one day you come back.

All the fame is gone, everything has mellowed down.

You explain everything to him and he feels awful for not realising, though he couldn’t have known.

Your Tumblr fame is never as big as it was before, but it comes back.

Though it’s less crazy this time and you’re content.

You two both love each other very much and that’s all that matters.

Gonta Gokuhara✿

How do use internet-

He’s very confused and doesn’t know where to BEGIN.

Though, he knows how to search on google.

First, he searches where he can talk to people about bugs.

He finds a chatroom for people who like bugs.

He is then SPAMMED with messages asking rather… inappropriate questions.

It was one of those sites, where anyone could message anything.

He then found a different website.

It was much better!

Good for a gentleman!

Then, he met you…

You were amazing!

You told Gonta everything he needed to know about the internet and listened to him when he ranted about bugs!

Though, you thought his caveman-esque speech was text talk…

Oh no, when you video called, you were a little thrown back by his voice.

AND his appearance.

You were expected a meek, nerdy bug boy.

Instead, you got an oddly handsome, muscular giant man.

So, he wasn’t mucking about with his speech then.

You ask why, a little insensitively, but you were confused.

He tells you his story and he’s honestly the coolest guy you’ve ever met.

Then, you’re gone after a few weeks of talking.

Gonta takes this the worst out of any of the guys…

He’s distraught.

He actually CRIES over this.

Real life tears… for hours.

Then, he kind of forgets about you, though he still hurts.

You were better than any real-life person Gonta had met and now you were gone.

Maybe, you didn’t like him… and nope, you’re back now.

You explain EVERYTHING, knowing Gonta wouldn’t guess by himself.

He’s shocked??

But then he starts breaking down, asking why, over and over.

Didn’t you want to live for him?

If not, BUGS, at least?!

Or just live for the sakes of living and finding a better way to live life??

You can’t get it through to him and contact gets less and less.

Then, you talk about monthly.

It’s still nice to talk to him occasionally, though…

It still hurts.

You’re both always crying over the same cause, yet you don’t know why.

Ouma Kokichi♕

Just about anyone can guess where you picked this one up.

Of course, on Reddit.

Why was he still on Reddit in this day and age?

“idk why i’m still here but boy i’m living it hmu with good shit”

Immediately, you thought he was a keeper.

Though, he pissed you off at times.

You find it amusing to imagine the number of people over on Tumblr have made callout posts on him.

Like actual legitimate ones.

You were a little shy to approach him at first…

He kinda seemed out of your league.

You know, the feeling when you want to fit in with someone who’s also a memelord, like you, but you feel like you’re too low-level meme for them?

Yeah, that kinda thing.

It took you weeks but you eventually hit send on that DM.

His first intention was to mess you up but then he kinda started to like you.

He opened up to you and you two switched from Reddit boards to Tumblr DMS and then to texting and FaceTiming.

It was like an actual relationship… but friends.

Then, he asked you out.

He meant it, too.

You said yes, thrilled to be going out with someone like him.

Automatically, your online reputation went to rock bottom.

People tried SO HARD to get you to break up with him.

Then one day, he called you, crying.

Not fake crying, like the usual, either.

Actually crying.

He’s sick of everyone wanting to ruin his life, he just likes having a bit of fun.

He says he wouldn’t be surprised if you left one day due to some ‘abuse’ callout post.

You try to comfort him but nothing works.

He mutters goodnight and then hangs up.

He doesn’t speak for months.

Then, you leave too.

He comes back and sees you’re gone.

Of course.. gone.

You come back a month later and you both admit the same thing.

You had both tried to commit suicide.

You don’t know how to comfort each other, so you just leave it.

You book some plane tickets and you take a picture and show him.

Now he’s crying again because he’s so happy.

He tries to cover it up by saying it was fake but you can tell, it wasn’t.

Hopefully.

Korekiyo Shinguuji✞

He’s on a literary site, of course.

Then, he contacts you.

He admires your work and he messages you, praising your work.

You’re thrilled, but you don’t personally talk for another few weeks.

Then, you suggest talking more.

He agrees, he was hoping you’d come forward anyway.

He tells you about his anthropology job and you admit that you don’t do anything.

It’s mostly small talk, but he develops feelings for you.

You’re such an elegant person, in the way you pen your work and in the way you converse with him.

You two have audio called a few times, your voice is deep, monotoned and has a slight… characteristic to it that he can’t put his finger on.

It’s kind of a snobby tone, but… not with snobby intent?

He talks to you more after those calls… he even tries opening up a little, though very vaguely.

It’s hard for him to talk to you openly.

You’re way above him.

He doesn’t even regularly release works.

It’s you he looks up to and he knows you see him as an underling.

You’re way more mature than he is, despite how he makes himself out to be.

You’re the wise one, he’s just… there.

He notices that you stop coming on one day.

Days pass, no sign.

So much for daily updates on your creations, hm?

Then weeks.

This is getting odd, maybe time to message you.

He asks if you’re alright, but again, subtly.

He does not want to seem clingy towards his literary elder.

Then… a month.

He’s really getting concerned now.

He starts letting loose a little bit.

He starts writing more, maybe in the hopes, you’ll come back.

Maybe it was his lack of work that drove you away from the site…

Perhaps you had moved sites.

He looked for you everywhere.

On every possible site, even the… lower class social media platforms.

No, nothing active.

A few accounts from years ago…

It was heartbreaking, actually.

Pictures of you as a child…

You always had this elegant aura about you… but before then, just a normal child.

Cute, innocent and wanting the most out of the world.

Tears…?

Yes, tears… they were there.

When you came back, he barely reacted.

You told him about everything but…

And, he wanted to be there for you in such a time of need….

But he was so numb.

Those he loved always left and let his emotions die out.

Then, he deactivated his account.

He never told you how he felt.

He didn’t care anyway…

Hoshi Ryoma☯

You two both meet on an anonymous chat site.

It’s short and simple.

You two become good friends over some time.

You always seem to find each other by asking ‘Is this S/O?’ or “Is this Hoshi?”

Then, you moved platforms.

Multiple times actually.

Many times.

As the internet kept updating, so did your contact.

Anon chats.

More anon chats.

Not-so anon chats.

Forums.

Facebook.

Kik.

Messenger.

Skype.

Discord.

Snapchat and Instagram.

You two talked all the time.

He vented to you, all the time.

You vented to him, all the time.

You relied on each other for emotional support and that was it…

But you didn’t feel the spark.

He had mentioned he wouldn’t mind dating you but… you didn't feel it.

Then, the talk of dating became more and he tried making moves on you…

Though, he swiftly apologised after each time.

He knew he wasn’t worth someone like you.

Then, you kind of doubted his identity.

He seemed too… desperate, for a depressive teenager.

Was he really one of those internet predators…?

You asked about it and he broke down.

He explained that life has been really bad and he isn’t sure how to handle everything.

He’s a little desperate for emotional support and you feel terrible.

When you say a little… you’re lying.

Then, you log off for the night.

The next night turns into a week…

then a month…. and you try to.

Real life things have gotten in the way… so you try to end it all.

Then, it fails.

You wake up.

You’re in the hospital.

So… it didn’t work.

Well, you might as well tell Ryoma… nothing left to do, anyway.

You came back to a message from, saying that he knew what you’d done and that he’d done the same.

Only he knew how to succeed.

#mod maki #ndrv3 imagine #ndrv3 #saihara shuuichi #rantarou amami #kiibo #kaito momota #gonta gokuhara #kokichi ouma #korekiyo shinguuji #ryouma hoshi

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michaelandy101-blog · 4 years ago

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How to Choose the Most Link-Worthy Data Source for Your Content

New Post has been published on https://tiptopreview.com/how-to-choose-the-most-link-worthy-data-source-for-your-content-2/

How to Choose the Most Link-Worthy Data Source for Your Content

Fractl has produced thousands of content marketing campaigns across every topic, and for the past seven years, we’ve been keeping track of each and every campaign in order to refine and improve the content we produce on behalf of our clients.

In my last post for Moz, I explained how to set realistic digital PR expectations for your content based on your niche. In this topic, I want to dive a little bit deeper into the data and share insights about how the source of your content can be just as important in determining how your content will perform.

In this analysis, I looked at 1,474 client content campaigns across six different data source categories:

Client data

Social media

Participatory methods

Publicly available data

Survey

Germ swab

It’s important to note that there are countless other data sources that we use for content campaigns every day at Fractl that are not mentioned in this article. In this analysis, each category has at least 20 campaigns, while some categories have several hundred campaigns.

It’s also important to note that averages were collected by excluding upper outliers. For campaigns that went “viral” and performed well above the norm, we excluded them in the calculation so as not to skew the averages higher.

In addition to sharing link and press averages, I will also be walking through how to produce pressworthy, sharable content from each data source and providing examples.

Managing expectations across content types

Across the entire sample of 1,474 campaigns, a project on average received 24 dofollow links and 89 press mentions in total.

A press mention is defined as any time the content campaign was mentioned on a publisher’s website.

There were some individual data source category averages that were on par with the sample average, while other categories deviated greatly from the sample average.

Publicly available data

For almost any niche out there, you can bet there is a publicly available data set available for use. Some examples include data from the CDC, the U.S. Census, colleges and universities, the WHO, and the TSA. The opportunities really are endless when it comes to using publicly available data as a methodology for your content.

While free data sets can be a treasure trove of information for your content, keep in mind that they’re not always the simplest to work with. They do require a lot of analysis to make sense of the massive amount of information in them, and to make the insights digestible for your audience.

Take for example a campaign we produced for a client called Neighborhood Names. The data was free from the US Census, but in order to make any sense of it, our researchers had to use QGIS, Python, text-mining, and phrasemachine (a text analysis API) just to narrow it down to what we were looking for.

And what were we looking for? Looking at neighborhood names across America seems boring at first, until you realize that certain words correspond to wealth.

I was the outreach specialist for this project, and by using the wealth angle, I was able to secure two notable placements on CNBC as well as a press mention on MSN. The project quickly made its way around the internet after that, earning 76 dofollow links and 202 total press mentions by the end of our reporting period.

Survey

Unlike scouring the internet for free data, using a survey as a methodology can be more costly. That being said, there is one major advantage to using a survey to shape your content: you can find out anything you want.

While publicly available data will tell a story, it’s not always the story you want to tell, and that’s where surveys come in.

Of course, when it comes to surveys, anyone can create one without paying attention to research method best practices. That’s one of the problems we need to address. With “fake news” in the forefront of everyone’s minds in 2020, building trust with journalists and editors is of the utmost importance.

As content creators, we have a responsibility to ensure that content is not only attention-grabbing and entertaining, but also accurate and informative.

Survey campaigns, in particular, require you to analyze responses through a rigorous methodological lens. When collecting data for surveys, be sure to pay close attention to ethical upholdance, data validity, and fair visual representations.

Germ swab

From my own personal experience, germ swab content campaigns are the most fun, and often, the most disturbing. Fractl did some research a while back about the emotions that make content go viral, and oftentimes, germ swab campaigns hit all of the right emotions in the viral equation.

Negative emotions like disgust are often evoked when reviewing the results of germ swab campaigns. Our study found that when negative emotions are paired with emotions like anticipation or surprise, they can still achieve viral success (internet viral, not germ viral). What is more surprising than finding out the airplane tray table is dirtier than a toilet seat?

Publishers around the world seemed to think the content was surprising, too. This campaign performed above the norm for a typical content campaign earning 38 dofollows and 195 total press mentions — and this was before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Participatory methods

Participatory methods are campaigns that require active participation for the methodology. These are unique ideas — no two are alike. Some examples of campaigns that fall under the participatory methods category are when we had team members do a 30-day squat challenge, asked respondents to draw brand logos from memory, or when we literally drove from D.C. to NYC with a dash cam to record traffic violations.

These campaigns have a certain level of risk associated with them. They require a lot of upfront effort and planning without the promise of any return — and that’s scary for clients and for our team who put in tremendous effort to pull them off.

As you can see from the chart above, however, these ideas collectively performed right on par with other campaign types, and even better than survey methodologies for both the number of dofollow links and press mentions. In order to reap big benefits, it seems you need to be willing to take a big risk.

Social media

Social media as a data source is almost a no-brainer, right up there with survey methodologies and publicly available data sets. Unlike participatory methods campaigns, you don’t have to leave your computer in order to produce a campaign based on social media data.

Through our seven years of content creation, Fractl has produced campaigns based on data scrapes from Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Reddit, and more. From this experience, we know firsthand what kinds of social campaigns work and which ones fall flat.

The best thing about using social media as a source for content is that it can be applied to all verticals.

The biggest lesson we’ve learned from producing content based on social media data is that the methodology is typically subjective, so you need to keep the project lighthearted in nature in order to earn major coverage.

For example, we produced a campaign for a client in which we looked at Instagram posts with the hashtag #sexy and a geolocation. From this, we were able to glean the “sexiest” countries in the world as well as U.S. states.

While it would be impossible to learn what the actual sexiest places in the world were, (what does that even mean?) we were able to produce a fun campaign that used geo-bait to appeal to lighthearted publishers, like Glamour, E! Online, Women’s Health, and Elite Daily.

Make sure that no matter the topic, whatever you produce contributes to an ongoing conversation. Statistics that don’t point to anything meaningful won’t be relevant for writers actually trying to add to the conversation.

Client data

Client data is often the most underappreciated data source for content marketers. You may be sitting on a wealth of actionable industry insights and not even know it.

You might think of internal data as only being useful for improving your internal processes at work, but it can also be valuable outside of your organization.

Unlike publicly available data, internal data is never-before-seen and 100% unique. Journalists eat this up because it means that you’re providing completely exclusive resources.

Think of this article, for example. This article is filled with data and insights that Fractl has gleaned after producing thousands of content marketing campaigns.

An added bonus of using internal data to craft your content is that, according to our analysis, it performs on par with surveys. Unlike surveys, though, it’s completely free.

Conclusion

No matter what methodology you’re using or vertical you’re creating content for, it’s important to realize that as content creators, we have an ethical and moral responsibility to create with an audience in mind.

With “fake news” on the forefront of everyone’s minds, building and maintaining trust with writers and editors is of the utmost importance.

All of the content you produce and promote must be assessed through a rigorous methodological lens to ensure that content is accurate and informative as well as eye-grabbing and entertaining.

Regardless of your methodology, if you don’t take the proper steps to make sure your data sources are accurate, you are contributing to the fake news epidemic.

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devon-kelley · 8 years ago

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Charlie Hunnam Starved Himself on 400 Calories a Day For His Latest Role

Gym rats and couch potatoes can agree on one thing: when it comes to losing weight, it’s no walk in the park. Hollywood actors regularly endure this daunting task when they’re forced to shrink their already perfectly fit bodies down to nothingness for roles, then snap back to their healthy forms as quickly as is humanly possible.

Charlie Hunnam is the latest victim of forced weight loss for his role in Lost City of Z, which opens Friday. Hunnam’s character is an early 20th century British explorer who makes three treks through the Amazon in search of an ancient indigenous city, and he and his costars Robert Pattinson and Edward Ashley were each required to lose about 35 pounds to demonstrate the hardship of their characters.

“We were starving, and it was incredibly humid and hot, so we didn’t have to imagine too much of the hardship those guys were enduring,” Hunnam told Yahoo Movies, saying he consumed between 400 and 500 calories a day. “On the last film that I did (a remake of the 1973 prison escape drama Papillon), I just had to lose a lot of weight again, and that was by myself,” Hunnam said. “I really missed the camaraderie of losing it with the guys.

“There was a sense that we were in it together. But then also on the underside of it, a little bit of competition… [We’d] be very suspicious of each other. When Robert would be going off and walking away, I’d have a tendency to be watching him wherever he went just to see if he was like, going off into the jungle to smuggle a quick banana or something. So we kept each other honest.”

Click through to see the extreme measures that 18 stars were willing to take for the right role.