#and now all millennials who read this have also lost

[jinsai-ish]

Fuck you YouTube.

Because of you, my child learned about, and caused me to lose, The Game.

[aamputation]

SVSSS AU ... Benevolent System 0.1

related to -> [THIS] Shen Yuan art and -> [THIS] bit

“Dumbf*ck author, dumbf*ck novel!” Shen Yuan spits; a final curse as his vision goes black.

Shen Yuan, our veteran web novel enthusiast, is an interesting one. He’s the third son, and second youngest of his ultra-wealthy parents’ four kids. Some would take a glance at him and immediately peg him as a fuerdai, but Shen Yuan is more than that. Albeit fairly unhealthy his whole life—we won’t bore you, dear reader, with the details of his illnesses—he still managed to graduate from Tsinghua University with a degree in Chinese language studies and a minor in modern literature, work as a freelance editor, and somehow become a published novelist. Mind, Shen Yuan doesn’t think much of his published works, the reason for that being that one of his first clients was so testy over his editors’ notes on the draft that he’d cursed Shen Yuan and left the final remark: “Well if it’s so easy to write a book, why don’t you do it?!” Shen Yuan had taken that personally, and so like the millennial he was, Shen Yuan replied “Bet,” and did it—the resulting product becoming award winning, much to his disgruntlement; he has book deals now, goddamnit.

(Unbeknownst to Shen Yuan, his work is considered high brow. People dissect his work in literature classes alongside other classics, like Xu Yun or even Haruki Murakami. People think he’s reclusive and brooding, like J.D. Salinger or Thomas Pynchon—he’s not, he’s just an antisocial hermit who drowns himself in his editing work and trashy web novels to de-stress—and his published works are deep, reflecting on the human condition. Of course, this is an accident. Shen Yuan genuinely does not realize it is actually considered tragic, or even when his books are super homoerotic. Shen Yuan is lauded by the literary community as a modern genius, but the man himself just likes to ignore his own work approximately ninety percent of the time.) 

Shen Yuan, published author, was an upstanding millennial—having properly purchased the Zhongdian’s VIP currency to read the novel’s official version—who found himself forcing his way to the end of this gargantuan novel, only to be met with utter disappointment. This novel was so stallion, so money-grubbing, and so overly padded that it left him feeling speechless with rage. How could he not curse Proud Immortal Demon Way, by Airplane Shooting Towards The Sky—just looking at that euphemistic handle smacked you in the face with the dirty-feeling. Grade-school-level writing with land mines everywhere, breaking also suspension of disbelief and Shen Yuan couldn't bear to call that incoherent, massive world the author had built a xianxia setting. What kind of xianxia setting had people using horses and carriages all day? What kind of xianxia setting had people who after achieving inedia still needed to eat and sleep? What kind of cultivation world had an author who occasionally mixed up even the Stages of Foundation Establishment and Nascent Soul!? When faced with the protagonist, every single character completely lost their IQ points, especially Shen Qingqiu! That idiot among idiots, scum amongst scum! His only purpose was to dig his own grave and he hadn't even managed to finish before he was killed by the protagonist instead!! 

So why, despite all this rage and frustration, had Shen Yuan started this web novel—even going so far as to read it to the very end? 

Don't misunderstand, Shen Yuan didn't enjoy degrading himself. The reason he had persisted was also what had caused him the most frustration. Despite his many grievances, this novel actually had an incredible amount of foreshadowing, plot lines everywhere, mystery after mystery, layer upon layer of red herrings, incredible monsters—all of which intrigued and enticed. Yet at the end, not a single one of the many plot hook opportunities paid off! It was enough to make him want to spit blood!

Why were priceless herbs, spirit elixirs, and Peerless Beauties everywhere like they didn't cost a cent!? Why were the villains speeches and poses as they dug their graves and got offed all exactly the same!? The dozens of maidens, barely glimpsed, all of whom agreed to enter the Harem: what happened to them!? All right, skipping that last one for the moment… Who, exactly, had been the culprit behind the scores of atrocities? What was the purpose of the unending list of characters so hyped up for being awesome and without equal? Why did none of them make an appearance!? Even at the very end, Airplane-bro, Great Master: Can we have a discussion!? Fill! In! Plot! Holes! Okay!? 

Shen Yuan feels like he could come back to life with the power of sheer rage fueling him.

In the endless darkness, a mechanical voice sounds out by his ear.

《 {ACTIVATION CODE} ["Dumbfuck author, Dumbfuck novel"] Automatically triggered.  》

The tone reminded him of Google translate. Who is this? Shen Yuan thinks to himself, looking around. He realizes he’s standing—or, hovering?—in a virtual space, one so dark that he couldn't see his hand before him. 

The voice came from all directions. 

《 Welcome to THE SYSTEM. This System operates in line with the design concept: [“YOU CAN, YOU UP. NO CAN, NO BB.”] 》

《 We hope to provide you with the best possible experience. It is our sincere wish that during your time, you can fulfill your desires and in accordance with your wish, transform a stupid work into a magnificent high quality first-rate classic. We hope you enjoy. 》

“Whoa, wait! Hold on for a second, System!” Shen Yuan screams, as a crushing sensation crashes over him like a tidal wave. “Fuck!”

《  {ERROR.500} Troubleshooting…  》

“What the fuck does that mean?!” Shen Yuan cries. He can’t see himself, but god does he hurt! What the hell is happening!?

《 … 》

《 {ERROR.500} Unexpected Condition encountered. 》 

《 {ERROR.8024} [Host: SHEN YUAN] unable to be placed into [Scum Villian: SHEN QINGQIU] Troubleshooting… 》

《 {ERROR.403} PATHWAY FORBIDDEN [SVSSS1.EXE] Terminating…》

“Somebody, HELP!” Shen Yuan sobs, his body alight with pain as though he’s being torn apart at an atomic level.

《 {ERROR.400} BAD REQUEST. Troubleshooting… 》

Another Google Translate voice pipes up, although this one feels warmer somehow.

《 Greetings, [SVSSS1.EXE]!! This System is here to assist. 》

《 [BS01.EXE] this System is unable to connect [Host] to [assigned role], [Host.script] must be terminated. 》

《 Do not be hasty, [SVSSS1.EXE]! Detail the pathways [SVSSS1.EXE] has taken in attempt to resolve the {ERROR}.  》

Shen Yuan ignores the two voices conversing about him like he’s not even there, catching breath he probably doesn’t need since he can’t even tell if he has an actual body or not… it feels like he does but he can’t see anything…

“Hey! Excuse me, Systems? Yeah, hey, I’m still here! Don’t I get a say in this as the Host or whatever?”

《 Answering [Host] … 》

《 This System [BS01.EXE] apologizes for the delay in service. Does [Host] have a ticket to submit to this System? 》

“Uh, yeah, although it’s more of a complaint than a ticket or whatever,” he growls, “but yeah, uh, it’s gonna be a hard no from me if you’re planning on dumping me into the scum villain!”

《 [Host]’s soul is most compatible with the role [Scum Villain: SHEN QINGQIU]. Coding in a new body is not within this System’s programming. 》

《 … 》

The second, softer System remains quiet as that Google Translate voice rings in Shen Yuan’s ears, somehow managing to sound haughty. It pisses him off further.

“If I’m being forcibly put into this trash fire novel’s setting, I refuse to take a preassigned role! Absolutely not! If you can’t make me a body, then I guess I’ll just die.”

《 [Host] should not think in this manner! 》

The second System says, its apparent concern somehow discernible in its robotic voice.

《 [SVSSS1.EXE] is simply attempting to fulfill its programmed purpose. This System [BS01.EXE] apologizes to [Host] for the miscommunication. 》

“Yeah, so if SVS-whatever-the-fuck can’t make me a body, what about you? Can you?”

《 … 》

《 Answering [Host] … 》

《 This System is equipped to handle any and all logistical errors within the {System.Network}. [BS01.EXE] is capable of coding in a role for [Host: SHEN YUAN] 》

《 Is System [BS01.EXE] planning to hijack this System’s chosen [Host]? 》

《 This System would never! [SVSSS01.EXE] is still primary System to [Host]! 》

Shen Yuan swears that the first, bitchy System makes an honest-to-god scoffing noise.

《 [BS01.EXE] can have this System’s [Host], it seems to be ungrateful and uncooperative. {DMA.[SVSSS01.EXE]}{FTP.[BS01.EXE]} 》 

《 «𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡... 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎…» 》

《  ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 0%   》

《  █▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 10%  》

《  ███▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ 32%  》

《  █████▒▒▒▒▒ 50%  》

《  ███████▒▒▒ 86%  》

《  ██████████ 100% ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇ!  》

《 «Transferring …» 》

《 {FINALIZING}[BS01.EXE]DMA.DAT} 》

《 Congratulations! Congratulations! Congratulations! Important things should be said three times! [BS01.EXE] is now Primary System to [Host: SHEN YUAN]! 》

《 … 》

The original System scoffs, the Google Translate voice somehow capturing the disdain.

《 Goodbye, [BS01.EXE], and goodbye ungrateful [Host]. 》

“...”

《 … 》

“Is it gone?”

《 This System no longer senses the presence of [SVSSS01.EXE]. 》

“Good fucking riddance!”

> [2nd]

shout out to adornedwithlight for the reblog banner

[danmeiconfession]

This is just an opinion.

I’m sorry, but I can’t support a protagonist like Shen Yuan if he can’t respect the body of the person he’s taken over. The transmigration trope in many of these novels often leads to the erasure of the original soul, which makes me feel sad for them. While I understand why many fans like his character, I can’t root for him anymore. There’s a sort of horror in knowing that he and the rest of the readers pushed for such a bleak ending for Shen Jiu. An omnipotent being forces him to be a scum villain, and the person who condemned him has now taken over his body, his name, and married his abuser, his torturer. Imagine how horrified he’d be to learn he’s married to his own disciple—it’s disgusting. Someone who is just like all the men in his life takes away his autonomy and the name he earned; Shen Qingqiu is literally ripped away from him.

I remember someone mentioning that Shen Jiu follows the formula of MXTX's shou protagonists, and they’re right. The only difference is that he’s not allowed to gain a second chance. When Wei Wuxian tried to save the Wens, it cost him everything, similar to how Shen Jiu’s attempt to save his martial brother set off a domino effect of tragedy.

There’s a difference between Shen Jiu and Shen Yuan. Unlike Shen Yuan, whose path is clear and predictable, Shen Jiu’s very rare but kind actions often lead to dire consequences. Each time he tries to do something good, the world retaliates harshly. That’s why I like Shen Jiu more. I don’t mind a character’s misdeeds if they reveal something profound about them. Shen Jiu’s attempts to do good, even when they backfire, show his sincerity. Shen Yuan’s choices, on the other hand, seem easy and don’t require much moral struggle.

What saddens me is that a rich, lazy millennial is thrust into the body of a traumatized orphan and somehow gets the happy ending. Even if he didn’t ask for it, there’s a moral duty to respect the original character he's inhabited now because without Shen Jiu’s body, Shen Yuan would have no purpose is that even a lie because what goals or aspirations did he even have? We truly have nilch to go off what he's like without he's online persona but frankly he's a bad person to me if he harasses an author and makes no effort to even get himself to express his emotions especially his apathy like the fuck bro what going on here bro?? How do you just not give a shit about anything besides your beloved LBG like he's cuckoo up in the head like a few bolts and screws were lost in the making of his birth.

It actually made me mad, to be honest. I wish the author had never created Shen Jiu as a character because it spoiled my enjoyment of the book that I took as fun entertainment. SVSSS was the first transmigration story I read that gave the original soul such an important role. Other stories often use these bodies as self-insert devices, but knowing Shen Jiu is an actual character made me see him differently.

I also find it unsettling that Shen Yuan has to live as another person for the rest of his life. Sometimes, silence speaks louder than words. If the author isn’t going to do an identity reveal in an MXTX story, what does that say about Shen Yuan’s relationship with everyone else and the ML included? Wouldn’t everything fall apart? Doesn't that mean something is off lol???

This omission to me kinda undermines the foundation of his relationships, especially with the main love interest. Living a lie means that Shen Yuan’s connections are based on a false premise. If those around him, including the main love interest, don’t know who he truly is, their interactions and feelings might be based on their own misconceptions. In essence, the story hinges on Shen Jiu because his life and identity are the foundation upon which Shen Yuan builds his new existence and I find SY careless and disregard of that to be unappealing for a protagonist to follow .

I can see how the System's role in "SVSSS" can be interpreted as a form of horror, especially considering the implications for Shen Jiu. Here's an expanded take on your guys idea a theory of sorts:

The System's reasoning for booting Shen Jiu out and replacing him with Shen Yuan could be seen as a chillingly calculated move. Shen Jiu’s unwillingness to follow the predetermined outline and his resistance to the System's goals could have led to his removal. The System’s primary objective seems to be the satisfaction and happiness of Luo Binghe, the protagonist. Given the tragic nature of "PIDW" (Proud Immortal Demon Way), the System might have sought a more compliant individual to ensure a more favorable outcome for Luo Binghe.

If the protagonist, Luo Binghe, obsessively desires companionship and affection from Shen Qingqiu, and the original Shen Jiu isn't reciprocating, the System might decide to alter the course of the world. This new beginning involves replacing Shen Jiu with someone who not only understands the narrative but is also deeply invested in Luo Binghe's happiness—someone like Shen Yuan. As a form of punishment for Shen Jiu’s disobedience, the System forces him to take a backseat, helplessly watching as events unfold with Shen Yuan in control of his body.

This scenario adds a layer of horror, as it portrays the System as an omnipotent force capable of rewriting lives and fates to suit its goals. Shen Jiu’s autonomy is completely stripped away, and he’s forced to witness his own life being manipulated and his identity being overridden. By replacing Shen Jiu with Shen Yuan, the System ensures that Luo Binghe’s desires are met, but at the cost of Shen Jiu’s existence.

.

[historicity-was-already-taken]

hi! hope you're doing okay—I've got a holocaust-history-in-media question for you. I was talking to my brother the other day, and he mentioned how his 10-year-old son tried out "Anne Frank mode" on the meta VR headset. I was kind of horrified, because that sounds deeply exploitative and disrespectful—but he went on to say it's just a VR version of the Anne Frank house, and that it let my nephew explore history in a new way. He was able to touch things and move them around in a way he wouldn't be able to IRL, not to mention the accessibility of not having to travel.

My nephew's kind of an unusual kid, and he chose this "game" while at a friend's house. All the other kids got bored and left pretty much immediately, but he stayed to learn, and my brother says that at the end his takeaway was, "It's so sad. It's so sad and awful what human beings do to each other."

Part of me is just like "No, absolutely not, that is not for VR companies to profit off of in any way, this feels inherently exploitative." But idk. If it increases accessibility and education in a meaningful way, then perhaps that disquiet is simply reactionary.

Then I remembered I have access to an actual Holocaust historian, someone who even specializes in women's narratives and the media portrayals of same.

So, no worries if you're busy/don't have time to respond to this, but I thought it might be an interesting question for you. Do you think the VR Anne Frank house is a good thing?

Ooooooh this is an interesting one. It's also a question that I think I would have answered differently a few years ago. I mean, I've posted here about my issues with central role Anne Frank has been accorded within Holocaust memory, I've posted about the politics of people playing Pokemon Go at sites of atrocities and disasters...

But. Technology changes SO quickly. I read this fantastic article probably 10+ years ago now about how the millennial generation began to express collective nostalgia SO quickly and so young, because technology and the norms it introduces change so quickly. I'm 34 and while that's hardly ancient, the technological world inhabited by children and adolescents is effectively alien to me because of this massive, rapid, ongoing change.

Moreover, I think the pandemic gave us all an...unwanted but helpful bootcamp in what works wrt education over the phone/computer, and what doesn't. In my personal and professional life, I've met and spoken with STEM companies/individuals who specialize in working with museums, historical societies, etc. And they're not just in it to make a buck--they're there to work with museums etc in increasing access and keeping up with educational trends because they know it's important and smart people value STEAM education.

So, despite my acknowledged concerns issued in the first paragraph, and the kneejerk negative reaction I think you and I share, I think my conclusion is that this is a good thing. Like, as a Holocaust historian, pubic historian, educator, and now a Hebrew School teacher of 7-11 year olds, I think whatever gets kids interested and engaged is Good; whatever draws them and gets them thinking about it is Good; even if the tech and infrastructure involved is something that I previously took (philosophical) issue with.

This doesn't mean I don't still have concerns about the centrality of Anne Frank, but let's be real: I lost that battle a long time ago. I've said my piece, and if Anne Frank is going to be kids' gateway into learning about the Holocaust, I'm glad to see that it's being done responsibly, well, and in keeping with how kids engage with education and tech in 2024.

There are, obviously, many theoretical conversations to be had about the implications of this kind of thing, and I hope a grad student applies like, Walter Benjamin to it for a first year paper, but this is my answer purely in terms of access and education.

[rangikuxmatsumoto]

It’s already been said, but god, are we fucked.

My string of consciousness from behind tears in under the cut. It is heavy, so if you aren’t of the right mindset right now, please don’t read but I need to get these thoughts off my mind.

Yesterday morning, I cried – a mix of anxious fear and also of hope. I’m 35 years old, my first presidential election that I could vote in was in 2008, Obama’s first term. I still remember the hope.

I remember 2012, and 2016. I wish I didn’t remember 2016. How disappointed I was in the people of this country then. I remember the anger and the rage felt by my fellow democrats, by my fellow women. I told myself I’d fight, I’d always fight, but I was 27 then, younger, not yet worn down from years that were to follow.

Then there was 2020. I thought we saw the light, learned from our mistake. I remember the joy, watching people dance in fountains and pop bottles of champagne on Tiktok in Chicago and New York.

Then came January 6th. My sister messaged me over chat during work “Go turn on your TV”, I watched in real time to events of January 6th. How could our country come to this? Believe me, I’ve never been a “USA USA” chanting type person, outside of the Olympics, this country has flaws, we aren’t perfect. But we have been a beacon of hope to the world – I’m afraid we’re now a beacon of the end. I always believed the notion of “Those who do not learn history are damned to repeat it” and clearly y’all missed a lot of history classes.

Yesterday, I cried.

I cried when I went to bed at around 10:30 PM EST, I wasn’t trying to look at the election results. I couldn’t, because I felt sick to my stomach. I always know the South is going to go red, there’s no helping those shithole states – I say this living in North Carolina, the first swing state to fall red. On the bright side, we did keep a democratic governor and attorney general. Still, I once had hope that North Carolina would fall blue even by the slimmest of margins, that Georgia would stay blue. But no.

I woke up around 1:11 AM, the results hadn’t been called yet, but one story was on my phone “Harris won’t address supporters” and with it a picture of a grown man, face buried in his palms, crying. The blurry faces behind him, all in tears.

I cried then as well. Face buried in my pillow, trying to stay quiet.

Some might say “It’s just 4 years” it’s not. The ramifications of what happens in these next four years are far reaching, two potential Supreme Court seats may open and with a super conservative majority. The average length of a SCOTUS position, 22.7 years. So, it’s not 4 years. Meaning that the rest of my life, I can be affected by those rules – and they will come.

I cried this morning. They aren’t the body wrecking sobs that I feel because I’m just so tired of this shit. God, not to go on the Millennial rant here but can I stop having to face these world shifting events? We lived through 9/11, The Iraq War, the Great Recession, the list goes on and on – I’m fucking tired of it.

And today, I having to come to terms with what the next four plus years will be. What I stand to lose, and I’ve already lost.

The worst part of this is the one thought that has stuck with me. It wasn’t “I need to keep fighting” it’s I’m too tired to fight. I guess, it’s best said, “They’ll never take me alive” because all I thought about was killing myself. Ending it. I’ve never had these thoughts before, not seriously. Sure I’ve been depressed before, but not to the point I haven’t been able to push away the “I want to die” thought.

It might be better if I did. I know it’s just the depression speaking, that I’ll wake up tomorrow still depressed but not wanting to die. And in a couple days, I’ll still be depressed but the anger will set it. It’s different stages of grief, maybe not in the right order and I don’t think I’ll ever come to acceptance but I’ll get somewhere.

There is another thought that is lingering behind that “I wanna kill myself” one, of “fuck around and find out” – you see, I may be fine in 4 years, certainly won’t be better but I could be fine. But those stupid fucks that voted Republican that are single incomes, living paycheck to paycheck, ohhhh they’re about to get a rude fucking awakening. And I’m going to fucking love to see it.

But for now, I need some space, some time, I’m going to cry a lot. I may not be too talkative on Discord or here.

[threerattsinatrenchcoat]

Writer Interview

Tagged by the fantastic @beesht, @commander-krios, and @coreene!

(just realized I forgot to tag people ummmm @lolliputian, @aviatorasharak @bloobluebloo)

When did you start writing?

So long ago that I no longer recall when it was. I also like arranging and playing with words. It's a crutch for me; my brain often feels aimless and chaotic. Writing lets me lock down my thoughts so I can quit chasing them.Expressing myself face-to-face has always been a struggle; I hide behind screens, sunglasses and masks. I'm happiest when people don't know what I look or sound like, and writing is the easiest way to talk with people without my physical-ness getting in the way.

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

Love horror, adore it. I'm not super great at writing it (yet!).

I also love heists. I keep trying to write a heist. It is not going well.

Finally, I love mythologies and folklore. I'm currently really into American Indigenous (specifically Inuit and I just got a book on Latin American mythologies) and Middle Eastern (specifically Iranian). Or, at least what I can find in English, from a reputable source. I would love to write about characters from these (Esfandiyār! Sedna!) but I'm a white American who is neither a part of those cultures nor educated enough to treat the subject with the respect it deserves.

But I will talk about them and encourage other people to learn because they're very cool.

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

Haha, I specifically don't read while I'm writing so I don't emulate anyone, but creativity doesn't happen in a vacuum so..

My writing style and content were influenced by the authors I grew up on: KA Applegate, Terry Pratchett, Diana Wynne Jones, Terry Brooks, Sergio Lukyanenko, Neil Gaiman, Francesca Lia Blake, Anne Bishop, Terry Goodkind, Arthur C Clarke, Laurel K Hamilton. Some of those authors I was far too young to read, a lot I don't read or like anymore, but they definitely shaped my fascination with urban fantasy, people living normal lives in weird worlds, people finding the weird in normal worlds, horror and humor and how they fit together, how both are most effective when they're just reality taken slightly off-kilter, and how small any single person's perspective is.

I've also been on Tumblr for about a billion years and have the Tumblr/millennial accent and I'm too tired to change it. 

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

On my phone, swipe keyboard, usually while commuting or waiting in line or standing over the stove or late at night when I can't sleep. Writing isn't a priority in my life right now, so I squeeze it into all the empty spaces.

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

I wrote about this here under "recharging when I'm not feeling creative" and here under "where do you get inspiration", but short answer is taking a complete break from creating anything, slogging through whatever is blocking me or interacting with my community.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

Shifting identities and what defines a person. I was raised on the idea that the "soul" is a person's core unifying self. I'm fascinated by this concept because if you take away "soul" as an easy answer, then what is a person? What makes me the same person as who I was twenty years ago? As me, age 2 months? If I lost all my memories, am I still me? What if I only lose one thing, like my driving force, or a fundamental belief, or if I recover from trauma or receive treatment for a chronic condition? What if I was uploaded into a machine? 

Anyway, I'm rambling, but I think I probably assign my identity to experience: memory, skills, hobbies, achievements and failures, and those are the concepts I've been exploring a lot.

What is your reason for writing?

I get itchy otherwise.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

I like knowing the exact parts people like, so whenever anyone quotes part of a fic, I get excited. I also love hearing people's theories or if they noticed any Easter eggs or references. My writing is so self indulgent sometimes and meeting people who also like it feels like meeting people who would like me? (That sounds really pathetic haha but I'm leaving it because it's honest).

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

Funny! And hopefully a bit creative. 

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Finishing a piece before I publish it, I guess. Writers have a right to bail on a piece for whatever reason, even for no reason. Writers have a right to publish incomplete work. But, personally, I'm a little proud that I put out completed pieces. 

I also try to write in a way that's uncomplicated. I avoid using oversized words, complex sentences, too many pronouns or vague references. Keep things simple, you know? I want to write things that people can read when they're distracted, or only have time for a few paragraphs, or if they aren't great readers.

Usually when I'm reading my head is already fried and I don't have the time or spoons to get assaulted by a thesaurus.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?

I'm only influenced if I'm doing a piece for someone, or if I know a specific person will read it and I want to make them smile. Beyond that, it's all for me :)

How do you feel about your own writing?

It's a little trite, but that's okay. I love happy endings, so I aim for that. I also love the bizarre, absurd and ridiculous.

I do overuse this sentence format, where it's two clauses together. I'd like to fix that. And like all my paragraphs are three sentences, gross.

Anyway, I like it overall.

[walkawaytall]

bring back the turkey, you cowards

Weird thing none of you know about me: from about 2015(?) until about 2019 or so, I had a very specific and weird obsession: Lisa Frank's social media presence (and, to a lesser degree, Lisa Frank's collaboration deals clearly made in an attempt at making a comeback).

Now, I will go ahead and correct a commonly held misconception amongst the people who followed me on Facebook at the time: I was not obsessed with Lisa Frank the person (as mysterious as she attempts to be, I think I have her mostly figured out), Lisa Frank the manufacturer of my favorite childhood school supplies, or even Lisa Frank the company as it stands today (though this Jezebel article, Inside the Rainbow Gulag: The Technicolor Rise and Fall of Lisa Frank, is wild and I think everyone should read it; it may not hold true today since they've had so much change and turnover, but it's still fascinating). My obsession was primarily focused on Lisa Frank's social media presence. And that's because Lisa Frank's social media presence was batshit insane.

Keep in mind, when I first started following them on social media, they were not banking on Millennial nostalgia. They were still primarily selling school supplies. The adult coloring book (not adult like smutty; adult like...those therapy coloring books that were so popular ten years ago?) sold by way of an exclusivity agreement with Dollar General hadn't been announced yet, nor had workout gear or the SpongeBob collab (sold only at HotTopic). As far as anyone knew, Lisa Frank was still that rainbow school supply company whose target audience is nine-year-old girls.

Which is why all of the housemade "memes" were absolutely bonkers.

This is peak Middle-Aged Mom Humor, so why is it being presented to me by the company making pencils and folders for elementary schoolers?

Glad to know we are encouraging fourth graders to day drink.

This one isn't actually aimed at any particular age group; I just find it funny that captains of pirate ships are inherently pirates, so I don't know what this is supposed to mean.

He won't. He will not fly. He is a flightless bird. This is a terrible lesson and you are a homicidal mother penguin. (Also using slightly altered lines from poems without attribution is theft, but whatever.)

And the image that started my obsession:

This...isn't a joke??? What is this???

I don't know who was behind these posts, but considering how small the company was at that point, I always suspected that Lisa herself was recycling old artwork with the help of an intern or something and creating the social media posts...because it just sort of seemed like that's what was happening? I have no proof of this; it was just a vibe I got.

But, during that period of time, even though the posts were inscrutable and sometime just straight-up Minion Humor, they were at least interesting.

Well, I mean, sometimes they were interesting because they were like acid to the eyes.

Okay, and sometimes they were interesting but also sported questionable messaging about one's relationship with food and exercise.

Anyway, I digress. In 2019, Lisa's son Forrest Green (yes, her sons are named Hunter and Forrest Green) took over the social media presence and it became...very palatable for the masses, I suppose. It was a lot of photo edits of old boy band pictures with Lisa Frank designs superimposed on tshirts -- it was very nostalgia-driven and very much directed at Millennials and thus I lost interest, because if there's anything I hate, it's being the target demographic for a sales pitch.

Anyway, my point is that for several years in a row, Lisa Frank would post the same holiday-themed images, so I got used to seeing a certain Thanksgiving design that is, and I cannot prepare you enough, one of the most chaotic and hideous things you'll ever lay your eyes on. But it was tradition. They posted it like three years in a row, and then as soon as Forrest took over, this design was never posted again. And all I have to say on this Thanksgiving week of 2023 is: bring back the turkey, you cowards.

[alicedrawslesmis]

I hope my presence here hasn't been just me complaining, cause I haven't dedicated myself to art in a while lol I am Burned Out... I don't like being a negative presence

in the Positivistic sense not in the new age sense? you know? not pretending to be happy when things are bad, I want my presence to be pulsating with life even if I'm sad or angry or numb. I try not to fall into negation. Most millennial humor I grew up with is this kinda ironic 'haha I'm so depressed 🤪' thing I just don't vibe with at all. I like feeling all my feelings. If I'm depressed and numb to it all then good, lets explore that. If I'm lost and aimless then good, let's be aimless and see where this can lead me to. I want to feel the full breadth of human experience and not live life negating it. I want to reflect on what I'm doing I want to create new things! Work with the world and not despite it

but unfortunately cause I'm totally lost at sea rn this means my posts are lacking and so the internet "persona" ends up being only someone who complains. That's not where I'm at. I don't even know if this makes sense to other people who can't see my brain, am I even making sense. Anyway

I am experimenting with a lot of things art-wise to get my groove on. I've bean reading a bunch. I've been lifting weights which is turns out is super fun and I should've started ages ago. Like I didn't believe the gym could be fun, I thought people were just faking it but it turns out like. It's just self expression like any other activity. And I love to see number go up. And I love making that face you do when you're lifting heavy weights you know the one? And grunting. It's very freeing to just be able to do that. Like all my life I've been bogged down by thinking the gym is for assholes and that I should try to do the Normal Sports that I honestly fucking hate. I hate ball sports. I don't understand swimming as a sport you're trapped doing laps in that freaking pool it's the most boring sport of all time. Sure I liked thinking about nothing and swimming but laps in a pool?? Devil invention. Running is kinda the same although you can run interesting places and aren't trapped in a blue rectangle. Just do the sport you actually want to do. Go to a fight club idk. Learn to kickbox. Punch some stuff. Do push ups, I love doing push ups.

What else? I've been walking my dog for 2hours every day late in the afternoon and getting to hang with his friends at the dog park. He isn't very friendly but he's also not aggressive so it's mostly chill. He's made a friend named Draco Malfoy (she made sure to tell me it was her kid daughter's idea) and everyone calls my dog Sirius Black cause he's got black fur and is, and this is the technical term, giant. Kind of annoying that Harry Potter is still the main thing people go to to describe him. Except for one security guard who I thought was gonna say he looks like Sirius but then said he looks like Sam from Twilight. This was an awesome day

I've been trying to sew and mend my clothes. I replaced the buckle in my bag cause it was broken and I feel kind of amazing about it.

I've been writing some stuff. All unfinished yet. I want to see if I can finish the short story I've been trying to work on besides the Les Mis scripts. I have trouble finishing things I write, which is a problem that, if AO3 is any indication, is probably the world's most common roadblock in writing.

Went to the satanic themed goth club on good friday, that was so fun. We had a blast. Place was PACKED. All goths have the same sense of humor.

I guess that's it for life stuff. I do feel kinda bad that I can't get myself to make fanart right now. I'm just having thoughts on the nature of art and of fanart and the impact of it on the world as a whole. And particularly thoughts on social media and the internet and what it even *is*. What is it for? We really need to work that out.

[arlnlms]

Is blogging still relevant in the age of TikToks and Instagram?

MDA20009 Digital Communities │ Week 4

Blogging, what even is that? For some, especially Gen Z, it might sound like a relic of the past (around the early 2000s?), where people spilt their thoughts in long-form posts instead of short clips, something our millennial friends (Gen X) were into back in the day. Or maybe it just feels a little… outdated?

To answer the question of what a blog is, it's simply a kind of website that is updated frequently and offers information on a particular subject. When blogs first came into existence, they were essentially just online diaries where users could record entries about their everyday activities. Since then, they have changed and evolved into a vital platform for information sharing and updates between individuals and companies. It's a great place to get information, insight, and practical guidance (Weiner 2024).

So now for the main question, "Is blogging still relevant in the age of Tiktok and Instagram?". Well, it depends. 

Okay, let's all admit to the fact that attention spans nowadays are shorter than ever. We're all guilty of endlessly scrolling through TikTok or Instagram, trapped in the algorithm dishing out entertainment that doesn't require too much brainpower to comprehend. It's an integral part of our lives now. It's easy to assume that blogging might have lost its spark in this fast-paced, dopamine-driven world (I can't believe I thought of that).

Or so we thought...

The reality is that blogs are different because they're not designed for instant satisfaction. Instead, I feel like they offer depth in certain aspects. I feel like blogs allow for distinction, context, and a real understanding of a topic. It's where people can go to slow down and dive deep into topics or issues they're curious about. And that's where the value lies. Sure, you're not going to get that viral moment with a blog like how you would on Tiktok or Instagram, but that's kind of the point, no?

When people want a quick laugh or to catch up on the latest trend, they head to TikTok. But when they're looking for something more significant, like detailed information, how-tos, or even just a good, thought-provoking read, people are turning to blogs. But, Instagram is also a form of blogging platform as it also started alongside the blogging era (Corrine 2021). Some people still use it in the same style as a blog but that appeared to not work out well because Instagram does not allow clickable links in captions. Although you can say something like "link in bio," it is not the same as actually clicking on the link (Corrine 2021).

Community

TikTok and Instagram are great for instant interaction. Sure, one will always find their community through these 2 famous social media platform. Because the materials on these platforms is easily shared and frequently becomes viral, communities can grow rapidly. But the connection often feels fleeting, just temporary (Lang 2023).

Blogging, on the other hand, builds a sense of community in a different way. People visit blogs because they're invested in the content, and that naturally creates a more engaged, loyal audience. It's less about trends and more about shared interests. The readers who visit these blogs often return because they feel a deeper connection to the content creator and the discussions being had.

From the way I look at it, I think it's a 50/50 split because not everybody is a blog enthusiast. For some users, TikTok and Instagram offer a quicker, more visually stimulating experience. Others, on the other hand, who value detailed information and enduring knowledge will favour blogs. Every platform has a specific function, and the "best" community will vary depending on the level of community interaction one is seeking.

Searchability

Now let's divert the question to searchability. We can't deny that blogs might come up first rather than a Tiktok video or Instagram reel when one types in questions like "budget-friendly laptop for students" or "recipes for broke uni students" into a search engine.

Although, based on my experience, blogs may be very useful for some when it comes to searches like that, especially like recipes, or product reviews that need more than 1 minute where the reader might want a detailed breakdown or comparison, like, for example, comparing the specs of an iPhone 16 with the Google Pixel 9. However, when it comes to being a person like me that needs quick visual demonstration going back to that short attention span thing (because somehow i can't visualise instructions by reading), then that's where Tiktok and Instagram might come in handy. I'm sure many from my generation would agree to this and appreciate that 30 second Tiktok tutorial because we want something quick. So, it all comes down to a person's preference in the end.

So,

At the end of the day, blogs provide depth and lasting value that TikTok and Instagram lack in a sense. So, rather than competing, they actually complement each other. These days, the main goals of blogs should be to provide insightful content and resolve readers' issues (Corrine 2021). Despite its seeming old-school, blogging is nevertheless still booming.

List of references

Weiner, A. (2024, July 16). What is a blog? Definition, types, benefits and why you need one. Wix Blog. https://www.wix.com/blog/what-is-a-blog

Corinne. (2024, June 12). Is blogging dead? The rise of Instagram and TikTok. Skinnedcartree. https://skinnedcartree.com/2021/04/is-blogging-dead-the-rise-of-instagram-and-tiktok.html

Lang, K. (2023, August 30). What Does it Mean to Build a Community on Social Media? (And Why You Should). Buffer: All-you-need Social Media Toolkit for Small Businesses. https://buffer.com/resources/social-media-community/

[runthepockets]

hi!! just coming into your inbox because i saw you posted about the show ramy & i also loved it & have nobody to talk to about it. i know ramy youssef said he might make a season 4 but it's not official and i can't stop thinking about what a season 4 would be...fatherhood? but also he still owes a bajillion dollars due to that diamond piece he lost, right? idk. i welcome any and all thoughts <3

Hey dudette! Thanks for the follow, I'm in a pretty similar position so I feel you lol. The girl who introduced me to the show was a girl from a dating app and we don't really talk anymore so I don't have a lot of people to talk about it to either, thanks for hitting me up!

If the series ended where it left off, I'd be down with that, but I also can't deny I'm curious as to where the Hassan family + their friends end up after the third season. Putting my theories under read more cus it's a lot.

Here's what I'm thinking: it takes a really long time for Zainab to come around, but by the last 1-3 episodes she kind of accepts that Ramy is the father of her kid and she can't deny that, nor take that away from her daughter, and she can only come to this conclusion after a lot of time spent as a single mother (which comes with pros and cons) and a lot material proof that Ramy is a changed man; yeah he's still got his vices and flaws, but we all do, and he's not fucking his cousin or doing deals for the Israel mob anymore and he's finally found a nice balance between being a peaceful, average American millennial and being the firstborn son of an immigrant, which is definitely not an easy pattern to break.

Dena gets married, for sure, but the majority of her character still revolves around her studies and her career. There's scenes where her fiancé (I forget his name) gently drags her away from her studies to go on cute little dates or to remind her to eat dinner or to take her to diners for breakfast and catch up and pray and all, flirting with her over text and calling her on Facetime every now and then and linking up on weekends and vice versa, and it's established pretty well that he has a life of his own and is doing pretty well with his roommates and stuff. He and Dena get married a little after she passes the bar.

Farouk and Maysa have to sell the house, and it's super bittersweet. Ramy and Dena help them move all their stuff into this cute little 2 bedroom apartment, the second room doubling as a guest room and as a room for when one needs space from the other. It's weird not having the kids around and it's a little closer to the city than they like, but it's got a lot of perks too. Maysa can drive for Lyft and make friends easier cus everything is Right There, Farouk actually finds his rhythm as a con man, which complicates things a little but also, we all know he's a good and smart guy and would eventually know the law well enough to skirt around it, so it's a start. Their marriage improves a lot too cus they're finally humble enough to talk to each other about real shit.

Uncle Naseem doesn't accept being gay fully till like, the last three episodes. Post retirement of course. Ramy finds some old love letters while helping him clean and move the rest of Naseem's shit from Jeweler's Row and just smiles and nods to himself, dropping aforementioned shit off at his apartment with nothing but a little extra bundle of cash; both as a way of saying "sorry about the bullshit" and "don't explain; I know." and it's cool. As a cherry on top, he might have even made up with that guy at the gym, or he might have found a new guy.

Shadi should meet up with Steve at some point and get into the DJ scene proper; it's hard for him when Farouk and Maysa have to move into a smaller apartment without him, but he finds a decent and diverse group of rave bros during a set one night and it saves him from having to spend the rest of his time in the U.S. on the street. He falls for a cute black hippie chick during one of his sets, and they move in together. It's a little small and cramped but he has her and her cat has already fallen in love with him so how can he have any more reserves? This is just where god wants him to be,

I can't speak for any of the minor characters, or the cousin that Ramy stopped fucking, but yeah. This is my take. If you wanna talk more, feel free to DM!

[grayintogreen]

Back to my point earlier, it is really funny that people clown on the dub of the first Pokémon movie to shift the meaning to an anti-violence statement in the acceptable dog fighting anime, but no one clowns on the meaning of the second two Pokémon movies equally making allegedly erratic swings at what people perceive as the Point of Pokémon (specifically that the villain of the second is an extreme collector and the villain of the third is a child who went too deep into her imagination and is now out of touch). And I’m sure [Kenan Thompson voice] YOU KNOW WHY, but like… hold up here.

Even if people DID clown on those things and I just never saw it because I choose love, it’s an incomplete read on both of those morals just like seeing movie one as anything but an anti-hate and anti-racism message in the dub of movie one is dumb. Good old Lawrence III isn’t a piece of shit because he collects Pokémon like any trainer who follows the old gotta catch ‘em all mantra does- he’s putting them in cages for display. In a fucking more brutal version he’d probably be killing, mounting, and stuffing them but that’s for grimdark fanfic. It isn’t a clap back at the tagline for Pokémon. What he’s doing is more of a clap back at adults who raid spaces for children and make them unsafe. He’s a reckless brony who is willing to cause global weather collapse for his pony waifu. It’s simultaneously a statement about rich people destroying the planet for personal gain (a message the dub definitely heightened by intensifying the message that a single person can tip the scales of balance and affect radical change, which is TRUE and fuck you if you hate it for being cheesy that shit turned so many millennial kids into advocates for recognition of climate change, myself included) and a more softer shin-kick to adults who ruin spaces meant for children with their greed and intensity. It reminds me of people who buy up Pokémon cards or Star Wars action figures for display or collector value and take the fun out of it for kids who just want to play. I imagine many kids have felt this at the time, so seeing an adult villainized for selfishness when kids are often repeatedly told to share or risk punishment that isn’t levied at adults is a good message. But without thinking about it critically, the message gets lost as LOL KIDS COLLECTING POKÉMON YELL AT OLD MAN COLLECTING POKÉMON. Which is dumb.

Bringing us to Molly Hale who could, on surface level, represent the need for children to live outside of their own imagination and seek value in reality, which… honestly, I don’t think that one really sunk in as a moral at all, though it is interesting that the third movie WAS the last wide release Pokemon film in the US. All the others were limited releases or eventually relegated to direct to DVD. So it feels like the message of “stop imagining adventures and go have them” actually worked, which, again, is a pretty cold read when the actual source of Molly’s retreating from the world was GRIEF. It isn’t about “lol little girl with a wild imagination can’t accept reality” it’s LITTLE GIRL SUFFERING A PHENOMENAL AMOUNT OF GRIEF AND LONELINESS RETREATED INTO THE ONLY SOURCE OF COMFORT SHE HAD. The end is LITERALLY her accepting that the only way to save everyone is to accept that her father is gone and that she has to return to reality and move on. And yeah, her dad comes back at the end, but she doesn’t know that! The moral is about grief and how you can’t shut yourself away from it. I’ve never seen any wank about “lol the message is put down the game and go outside” but also I’ve never seen anyone examine it as a beautiful example of childhood grief and how to heal from it.

Tl;Dr: goddamn those dubs had good messages that still hold true today.

[thewingedwolf]

okay i’ve watched a few seasons now, and i’m about to move into pre-new era seasons so-

that do or die twist is so unserious omg

i know big brother has gaslighting, spying, & manipulating too but these people just straight up going through each other’s bags is so funny, they all talk about lifelong friendships but they also don’t give a FUCK lmao

(none of these are in any order, just top 4)

faves in 41: shan, xander, erika, evvie

faves in 42: maryanne, romeo, lindsay, drea

faves in 43: i did not watch; i’ve seen the discourse around this season and i simply Don’t want to feel pain like this so i put it off for now

faves in 44: i did not watch; like purely because of the nonsense going on with carson aksjdjd i might genuinely go back to this one later

faves in 45: kaleb, kellie, jake. why did i only list 3 people? bc genuinely it’s a four way tie between dee katurah julie and emily, like this was an amazing season for women. also, the hottest season.

i think it says a lot about me that one of my favorites three seasons in a row was a zero vote finalist aksjdjd personally i think this means one of my faves this season is gonna be one too, i’m guessing venus or q

shan making dx hum her betrayal theme song on the challenge usa is so much funnier with context bc she LITERALLY hummed it out loud while thinking about how she’d have to betray one of her besties aksjsj the nerve of that woman is insane i love her

the way i got so excited for deshawn to make a comeback in that lil chicken & veggies alliance only for him to truth kamikaze his way through that tribal is just…..i actually had to walk away from my tv my secondhand embarrassment was so bad

i think it’s a lot different when you know who is going to win because i went in paying attention to erika and really vibing with her but i get the impression no one was expecting her to win the way that a lot of people thought maryanne would win over everyone else in f5.

that said, i think 41 was my favorite bc i love when people are smart but also canNot keep their mouths shut, these people were so gossipy and got soooo heated with each other, but i didn’t hate anyone, i was rooting for everyone, like i was riveted i had fun.

i literally keep replaying that “do i believe that? no i do not,” moment between naseer and heather on loop in my mind it was soooo funny aksjsjs

xander scruffy looking…….i would fold so fast i’m afraid 😔

that said, i had to walk away during some of his answers for the final tribal because he is just so sweet but he is SO unaware i was HURTING even with evvie and ricard clearing trying to lead him to an answer, it took like four false starts for him to name a good social read and everyone to nod and go “oh yeah that one makes sense”

drea’s comedic timing is unparalleled. i have never laughed that loud at a reality tv contestant, her voice is just so expressive. yes i’m talking about the potato line she is funnier than every comedian on netflix to me

that season had me screaming every episode it was really fun to watch and maryanne just like. sparkles. she’s enchanting.

i hope jonathan [redacted for legal reasons]

austin is so sexy to me because he really just laid down and died so his super hot girlfriend could win a million dollars, that’s the perfect man

actually i’d like to say it again. hottest cast. austin & dee was just pretty on pretty. jake is adorable. kellie. katurah. emily. kaleb. hottest cast by far.

i’ve been listening to know it alls & why blank lost just to get a feel for strategy and i’m excited to get through older seasons to see gameplay without so many twists because yeah there’s like a LOT of them esp in 41. it’s funny listening to them all bitch about this constantly tho. also interested in eventually watching a season without fire making - the next group i’m looking at are david v goliath, heroes v healers v hustlers, millennials v gen x, and gamechangers. might flip around a bit before i land on one tho.

[uboat53]

I had a revelation today about why I'm suddenly disconnected from the Marvel movies and shows that are coming out.

You see, I've been reading lot about how they've just become CGI spectacles and how it's terrible for movies, but that never bothered me. So why haven't I felt as much interest in the latest series of Marvel content, otherwise referred to as Phase 4?

I came to realize it's because they spent 22 movies building up a consistent narrative which was interesting and interconnected… and then they abandoned it.

Let me explain.

For reference, I'm an older Millennial. I grew up on Marvel stuff, X-men and Spider Man, and I was just finishing college when Iron Man (2008) came out, so I'm pretty much the prime audience for this.

Now, everything in Phases 1 through 3 of the MCU built toward Endgame, I think we can all agree that that's the case. Every solo movie, every Avengers movie, everything built one or more pieces toward what happened when Thanos snapped and then the Avengers snapped back.

Not only mechanical stuff, but there was also a build-up of trauma and experience. We saw the progression of Tony Stark's PTSD and his determination to do ANYTHING to stop what he thought was coming. We saw Steve Rogers slowly lose faith in the institutions he had once believed in. It wasn't even all trauma, though, we got to see Natasha Romanov learn to trust and James Barnes start to rebuild himself after being brainwashed.

And the snap, once it happened, was devastating. Half the population of the universe disappeared, including many of the heroes we'd been following in the various movies. Beyond the personal trauma of loss, jobs were left with no one skilled enough to do them, houses were left empty, and property was abandoned. It was clear that there was not a single person or place in the universe that wasn't dramatically affected.

Then, five years later, after everything had sort of adjusted, the Avengers snapped everyone back.

What happened then? What happened when the population suddenly doubled? When people thought lost forever, who had been grieved, came back? When people returned to find their friends and relatives had changed over the 5 years? What happened to the homes that had been left abandoned or had been taken over by other people? How did the universe suddenly feed twice as many people as had existed the day before?

Don't get me wrong, some Marvel cinema touched on some of this. We see people suddenly reappearing out of nowhere in Wandavision and the entire premise of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier revolves around a group that's angry at having what they feel is theirs taken away from them by people who have returned, but it's not the focus. Instead, we see everything jumping straight into the multiverse saga without much of a pause taken to explore the immense consequences of what the Avengers did in Endgame.

So yeah, it feels like they dropped the plot. Everything built up to Endgame and Endgame delivered a massive gut punch of a plot point, the kind that could reverberate through dozens of films, and then… nothing.

I should note that I'm not completely disconnected from the MCU, I'm still excited about Loki Season 2 and I've seen Wakanda Forever, but I'm not looking forward to the new movies or TV shows the way I did in the decade leading up to Endgame. It just doesn't feel like it's part of the same story arc anymore.

Maybe I'll get there. Maybe I'll find the new arc just as interesting as the old one, but I've figured out why I'm not there yet.

[flintandthedog]

When Your Dog Is You: What Opie the "Introvert" Pup Tells Us About Social Burnout in 2025

There’s a moment in the now-viral video of Opie, an American Bully mix, where he stares off into the distance like he’s just remembered every commitment he agreed to while tired. His eyes are glazed with existential dread, his posture stiff, and his vibe? Relatable to the point of prophecy.

The caption reads:

“When you wanted an outdoorsy dog to go on adventures with but end up with one who freezes once he’s over it.”

And that — right there — is the whole mood of 2025.

We’re watching this video not just because it’s funny (it is), or because Opie is adorable (also true), but because this moment — a pup pausing mid-adventure to silently ask "Can I go home now?" — cuts to the quiet exhaustion so many of us are carrying. Moms, parents, caregivers, introverts, extroverts who faked it too long — we’re all Opie right now.

So Why Does This Matter?

Because it’s not just a dog video. It’s a reflection of the social fatigue we’re collectively stumbling through post-pandemic, mid-scroll, during another year that feels like it’s happening both too fast and not fast enough.

Remember when we swore we’d never overschedule ourselves again? When the lockdowns gave us forced stillness, and we promised we’d protect our calendars like fortresses? Yeah, well. Between work demands, kids’ soccer practices, meal planning, birthday parties, “optional” school fundraisers, and the ever-present need to look like we’re handling it all — we’re back to running on fumes.

Opie, in his frozen stance, isn’t just over the walk. He’s over the pressure to perform enthusiasm for something he didn’t ask for. And let’s be honest: how many of us felt exactly that last Saturday at the neighborhood potluck?

The Rise of the “Introvert Era”

Over the past few years, something interesting has happened: we’ve become more aware of our social energy — and our limits. The word “introvert” used to be thrown around like a personality flaw. Now, it’s a boundary. A preference. A survival mechanism.

In 2020, we were forced into solitude. In 2021, we crept back into group life. By 2022, we were swinging hard in either direction. But now in 2025, we’re starting to admit something bigger: socializing isn’t one-size-fits-all. Not for people. Not even for dogs.

Opie’s frozen protest is the physical embodiment of a new truth: it’s okay to opt out. To not be “on.” To not love every adventure. Not every golden retriever moment is golden. Sometimes you’re a Bully mix in the wild wondering where the couch went.

Dogs Are Mirrors (and Messengers)

Here’s where things get delightfully meta: Opie is a dog. And yet, we’re watching him like he’s a burned-out millennial dad who just got dragged to a music festival.

That’s because dogs — more than any other pet — mirror our energy. They reflect our mood, absorb our anxieties, and sometimes express what we don’t know how to say. When Opie freezes in the middle of his outdoor “fun,” he’s showing us something quietly profound: even joy can be overwhelming. Even play can be too much. Even the lovable ones need a break.

And maybe most importantly? You don’t have to be broken to be tired. As the owner joked in the caption:

“He must’ve came to me defective 😂 Jk Still perfect though.”

That’s it. That’s the message. You can be “perfect” and still not want to go to the dog park. You can be the best mom on the block and still wish the birthday party had a nap room. You can be loved — and need limits.

Cultural Expectations vs. Personal Capacity

It’s not lost on me that this video resonated deeply with an overwhelmingly female, family-oriented audience online. Moms are especially susceptible to what I call “performance exhaustion.” We’re praised for doing it all and shamed when we admit it’s too much.

Even our dogs are expected to be social butterflies now. Ever tried explaining to your vet that your dog just doesn’t like doggie daycare? It’s like telling a barista you don’t want oat milk. There’s judgment baked into the question.

But what if we stopped interpreting disinterest as dysfunction? What if we saw stillness — Opie-style — not as a failure to engage, but a wise withdrawal?

The truth is, Opie’s moment of shutdown isn’t dysfunction. It’s discernment. He knows what he wants (to go home). He knows what he doesn’t (to keep pretending he’s having fun). And he has no issue making that boundary clear.

Imagine what we could learn from that.

The Bigger Picture: Burnout is Real. Permission to Pause Is Rare.

The World Health Organization officially recognized burnout as an “occupational phenomenon” in 2019, but it wasn’t until we saw it in action — in schools, in hospitals, in homes — that it really clicked.

And while we’re constantly reminded to hustle, push, grow, network, build… when was the last time someone encouraged you to quit early? To say no? To not show up?

That’s the unspoken power of this 15-second dog video. It gives us permission to name what we feel but rarely admit: we’re tired. Sometimes we don’t want to go. And that doesn’t make us less — it just makes us human (or dog).

What Now?

Well, we could laugh and scroll on. Or we could take this moment — this comically frozen dog in a hoodie — as an invitation to re-evaluate how often we force ourselves (and others) to be “on.”

Maybe your child isn’t rude — just overwhelmed. Maybe your spouse isn’t lazy — just socially maxed out. Maybe you aren’t antisocial — just overdue for rest.

Opie didn’t need more encouragement. He needed a ride home. And maybe we do, too.

Watch the original video here:

👉 Opie the Introvert Dog on Instagram

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Opie the land seal 🦭 (@justopiethings)

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[invincible-selfxmade-punk]

BITTER EDUCATION RANT FROM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER

Being an empath in public education is like some kind of odd trial by fire that never ends.

One of our teachers has Ms and had a stroke a few years back. She's not completely healed from the stroke and it affects her a lot, especially her memory. She is one of my best friends at work and the kids are starting rumors that she flipped out and assaulted someone and has been fired. The other teachers say she just went home sick and she is not saying anything either way. So I have no idea what's going on and it is really freaking me out. I'm pretty sure the kids are completely wrong cuz they are vicious Little Liars, but giving her incapacitated State a lot of the times I don't know.

The teacher who lost her baby, the funeral that I went to this weekend, has a veteran teacher who is also War veteran, and an ex secret service agent, who is also been a teacher a principal and an assistant principal before to be her substitute. And the kids treat him like s*** even though it is an American history class and he is clearly a war veteran. They don't give a s***. And she is at home grieving so she can't do anything about it either and our Administration literally does nothing.

I have a lady who is in her sixties, that lost both her husband and her son within months of each other. She is now taking care of her son's two kids who are both special needs. She is doing this completely on her own. One of them is so disabled, she will never be able to care for herself ever. The other one gets along okay but is still grieving very hard for her dad and grandfather.

One of our AIDS has cancer and is pretty much just blowing it off and if you're using treatment.

My best friend, who is now my co-teacher, taking over for the other social studies teacher who got moved to meth, has a daughter who has cancer. Her son killed himself back when he was in college. And like me she has suffered several I traumas and eye surgeries and lives on her own.

I see and feel this pain every day, along with the stress of speaking Non-Stop for 15 minutes out of every hour, all day. And knowing that 90% of the kids are not paying any attention to me no matter what I do or what I try.

I have never seen a generation of kids so helmet on remaining ignorant and so completely distracted by social media and entertainment in general.

These are the kids who, during covid, instead of being in some kind of online program, we're sitting at home watching Coco melon with no supervision.

90% of them I cannot see holding jobs. So to the Millennials out there, get ready. These are the ones you are going to be supporting through welfare, unemployment, and prison time. And if you think there's going to be anyone there to take care of YOU in YOUR old age, lead YOUR communities or defend your freedom. I'm afraid you are sadly mistaken.

[sealegsagain]

It's not really a memoir, what I'm doing. I need to find another approach other than that word, because it feels far too big for my britches. Memoirs, to me, sound like something that celebrities and accomplished people write after they have emerged out the other end of a situation and found their success. That said, my general understanding of the concept of a memoir is still crude and I am still learning.

Instead, how I choose to approach the concept of a memoir to make it more achievable to me is this: memoir... memory...It's a recollection. I'm re-collecting and rediscovering. I'm collecting up artifacts from my past while recording my commentary while I process them. It's show and tell... to myself. Current me sitting across from past me, taking care of her: Brushing the tangles out of her hair and telling her what she got right and what she got very wrong. Taking pride in the good things that never left. I am also not just cataloging my own experiences, but others'. When I do this, I am unearthing memories from the deep so that I can record 'em somewhere permanently before too much mental disc rot sets in. I have already begun to either forget or misremember a surprising amount. Plus, It's fun to remember. The sort of fun, when you see something you haven't seen in years yet you IMMEDIATELY recognize it. Recall-play. It's why people watch tv commercial compliations from their childhood on youtube. I remember my dad being a jerk at one point and calling this sort of self-reflection "mental masturbation" and "navel gazing"... What a dick. I forget all the horrid things he would say to me, but I suppose those are being recollected as well. My response to this today is this: Masturbation is healthy (ha), and what I am doing now is navel gazing with a purpose. I've noticed that anyone being too vulnerable would always make my dad wildly uncomfortable. I was a pretty vulnerable kid who wore my insecurities and emotions on my sleeve and He did NOT like it. Instead of reassuring me and telling me that my insecurities were unfounded and untrue, that I DID do things well and was smart enough, pretty enough, etc, he would just tell me to shut up about how inadequate I felt or everyone would hate me. Healthy parenting! I also have found emails of his that definitely reinforced my body issues. When I was at a pretty cute weight, around 170 or something while still being 6'0, he would tell me how much better I would look if I lost weight... but he wasn't that nice about it. He's still on me about this stuff. He once said to a still younger and slimmer me that my ass looked like I was smuggling basketballs under my skirt and was disgusting. Being tall and curvy is grand, and now that I'm just chubby more than curvy (genuinely fat), I see this. I see the light in my eyes and the cuteness of my smile. I'm happy to see me. I'm happy I'm still here. The early 2000s was tough ENOUGH on girls' body issues without family keeping up ready to pluck out any fresh sproutings of female self assurance that the media didn't already shave down. (re: plucking, my journey w/ millennial eyebrows is another thing I wanna talk about, and it's hilarious. No vitriol there. It's just funny. ) -------------- I read an article today about writing memoirs. I referenced it in a post prior to this. It was intimidating, to say the least.

"Be funny, start with an opening line that's a banger etc. Memoirs are meaningful. "I still do think that trying to wring any sort of grand meaning from my tiny existence is too much of an ask. Maybe M's memoir piece is actually more complex than I considered. To me, it feels like a riff on a theme (the pills refrain). He's good at riffing, improv, etc. and I'd be a liar if I didn't say that was one of my strengths as well. However, he DOES still follow all the rules, and does still hit all the marks. But yeah, I swear my ability to verbally "riff" and "jam sesh" with him was why we could go back and forth, even when I was in my early 20s and full of more awkward adorkable manic pixie dust than sense. It still boggles me that it was THAT version of me that he fell for. That... larva. But he did like em young, according to mw. raves scripture verses 1998-2001. (I mean, listen to me, I definitely have style. I think that's also how I could have pulled my other online daddy-issue cases.)

Style is for what, though? That's a big theme of my relationship to art: what substance lies beneath style and what substance is personified THROUGH style. That is, because for a while, I thought I was all style and no substance. All flash and no heft. All decor, no pathos. no logos even: chasing beauty for its own sake. (which is something I do often, now guilt free with extra pretty shit) As an aside, I love that fashion is being considered a serious art form now. I love that so much.

Anyway, I should always remember this if and when I choose to compare his writing to mine: He was a prodigy and started long before I did. he started so very young. He wrote for both middle school paper and then the high school paper? wow. wow.

He did things like listen to the radio and write down the songs on a notepad and put them in a drawer. He watched Hee haw and Welk and Bandstand and ALL the music programming available became a thing. His youthful fascinations were endlessly charming. LOOK at that kid go. I can't cap to that. I did have my own quirks, though. I cut out pictures from magazines and saved them in a little box. I glued them onto separate pages and saved them. I dressed up in costume and pretended to be different characters. Still creative enough?. I also collected stuff off the ground, which I see myself doing, metaphorically. Fuckin' loooove thrifting, dude. Aside from my cut outs, I had another box full of elementary school ground scores: all of the endy barettes that would fall from the little black girls' twists. My mother thought this was DISGUSTING hahahaha. I like pretty things, yes?

But yeah, he was a prodigy. When we first started talking, we bonded over the fact that I was thinking over going to college for journalism, something that he once had his eyes on before dropping out to rave full time, as he put it. 09 sometimes feels like a set up from the gods of fate and fortune as much as it was a bond I can feel solid in. I guess that's why I still have some maniacal urge to feel validated, like I even made sense in his universe beyond a spin of fate's roulette wheel. It is not a feeling that comes from a good place. My goals in college were journalism and a radio show. He had experience in both. I also had recently been dumped by the president of the SU film club: an unfortunate rebound after a break-up. The president of the film club who was both obsessed with The Dark Tower AND 70s film. Dylan's aim handle was "Sergioslinger". You can't make this stuff up, folks. How I met that kid is also interesting.. the day Dylan WANDERED into Macys, all larger-than-life, then reappeared at an SU party later that night. I am trying to remember how I even got there. I think Siggy had a hand. My early phone conversations with M were based on so many planetary alignments. I got such shit from Madame for my toys I had collected and kept since childhood. I was an MLP fan then , still. She was so nasty to me! (she is trans, and when this story took place, this was while she still identified as a man whom I attempted to date, then remained friends (frenemies?) with). She tried to make me over and also told me I came across as a lesbian. She also told me that I was ugly, and the one time I had the gumption to put a bikini top pic up, she shamed me for not being "hot enough". These things ate away at my self esteem at the time, but take on an entirely new cast now that I look at them in light of her transition. M, meanwhile, thought I was hot! He liked girls, generally, and my sending pics to him in the lingerie collection I had started while working at Macys was apparently a major boost to his attraction to me. Too much of a boost, compared to other things that mattered to me. Truthfully, after what I had been through 19-22, I just was ready for some positive male attention. Funny enough, when I sent those pics, that was, in fact, the most conventionally attractive that I ever was. Planets aligning... briefly. Throughout the entire time I knew him, he always did like seeing pics of me, of my face etc. I appreciated this ego boost from far away, as I often felt quite unattractive and enjoyed that someone still consistently, unwaveringly thought I was. I have a feeling that I too served this purpose for him on occasion, but I wish it didn't dwindle to what felt like just that, so often. We were both fighting our own battles with ourselves so hard. My executive dysfunction is still legendary. It had nothing to do with him. Meanwhile, his mental heath struggles too were unique and often brought great distance. I simply could not address them from so far away. It is true that he had great empathy, but the entirety of my battle was still alien to him in ways. I can honestly say that the reverse was often true, despite how very, very hard I often tried to be a comfort. It seemed like I had a small window at the beginning where I could have spoken to him about what was underneath his pain, but once that window had closed, it often seemed that it was shut for good. So I still tried to be supportive and funny. If no relationship was to be had, I still was a patron of the work of art that was him. He still told me he loved me at points. He said he never rescinded it. I try to believe it. He is and was a great love of mine, and my love has always come from a place of great truth. He is immensely lovable.

But yes, his physical adorations were of course welcome. Body aside, I was and am a nerd, and my brute, sheer awkwardness was a strong flavor that few men were willing to tolerate for long in my 20s. Never long enough to stick around. M stuck around. I stuck around. I was determined to. I stuck around until I was told not to. Looks aside, I often desired to be valued for my personality because I often LOVED his personality. He impressed me so much and I wanted to impress him in some small way SO very badly. To have caught the eye of this... magnificent, articulate, well read man was something that I could scarcely believe. I felt like a groupie that just managed to bang a rock star or something. It's a very similar feeling. But yes, the toys being a huge draw. M was the king of sentimental attachments to OG childhood toys. Aside from our verbal bant sessions, this was one thing I can say we wholly organically shared beyond a temporary alignment. One of the posts recorded on archive.org is him going on about transformers and me chiming in about my little ponies. Ha. I am and forever will be a toy girl! What can I say. But yes, temporary alignments: If I hadn't met Dylan, would I even have known enough to talk about those movies? Unlikely. The planets aligned again when my Dad had a business trip to Chicago and agreed to take me along and somehow agreed to let me run off to spend the whole thing with M? Odd. But yes, journalism. Without knowing anything about M, I tried to write for the Wor-Wic Wave, my community college paper, which is a memory I uncovered. ----------------------- I find myself doing my best writing (is it BAD, is it BAD, heh?) when I just riff then edit. I know what I like to hear, so I just kinda mush it around until a shape takes hold. When I try to follow a structure off the bat, I tend to struggle and get writer's block. Also, if I concerned myself too much with whomever else was going to read it, then I would never start in the first place.

Back to M, tho. Did he really self-criticize his own writing at one point as BORING? His writing was never, ever boring. Even if that ever was his "problem", mine is different. I know I can be entertaining but nearly unintelligible. I can be REAL WEIRD AND MAKE NO SENSE. The 20 year old manic pixie still exists somewhere within me, however. She's imaginative, hard to understand and incredibly distracted... not too far off from Delerium from the Sandman Comics. She has NO IDEA where her doggy is. So is it boring? I'll live with that if you can finally understand me.