#and parents generally aren't aware that if their kids look up their favorite characters on pinterest or tumblr

[losttranslator]

Another problem that needs to be adressed is that no kid arrives on the internet pre-equipped with the knowledge that they are going to see stuff they'd rather not. No kid starts out knowing what to filter and what to avoid. (Especially kids that don't have English as their first language. I sure as shit didn't know to blacklist 'nsfw' and 'bdsm' when I didn't know what the acronyms meant.) Worse even, kids mostly don't have the understanding of WHY adult stuff is bad for them if they are exposed to it too early, so when they come across it they don't know that it's hurting them.

Like, seriously. What warning signs were there in Fanfiction.net fandom pages as you browsed through story summaries? Sure, you could filter out 'romance' and 'mature,' but as a 12-yo kid, I didn't know what it meant for a story to be tagged as romance (because let's be real, many of the mature ones weren't tagged as mature because it hid them from searches by default and authors didn't want to lose on potential readers) and why I needed to stay away from it. Only purposely seeking out age-appropriate gen stories never stopped me from coming across a whooooooole bunch of EXTREMELY graphic and shocking stuff that I could barely even recognize as scarring at the time. And when I arrived on tumblr at around 14, there was even more stuff I was totally unaware that I should block and avoid, because I didn't even know that stuff existed before I came across it. I didn't blacklist incest until I'd already come across it, because as a kid it doesn't occur to you that people you followed for the fanarts will put incest on your dash.

Individual blogs can be marked as 18+, but you don't see the blog's header when you come across it in a character tag, and the problem of very, very poorly tagged posts being everywhere remains.

The usual response is "it's the sole responsibility of parents to manage their kids' screen time" but that's an increasingly unrealistic expectation in a world where screens are everywhere.

I am NOT saying fandom shouldn't have adult content, btw - I'm saying placing the responsibility of curating their own experiences on kids is just as unreasonable as tone-policing adults and stopping them from having their own spaces. Kids, by the very reality of their limited life experience, are not capable of knowing how to keep themselves safe from dangers they know nothing about.

Just saw someone say something like "proshippers stop inserting yourself into minor filled spaces" (referring to fandom), so daily reminder fandom was never made for or by kids. It has always been predominantly adults.

Kids are welcome in fandom, but they are the ones who must read the signs warning not to enter 18+ spaces

[pineappleciders]

RW Omori squad (separate) with a s/o who has verbally abusive parents. Just like “oh it’s fine, it’s how we talk :)” and it’s clearly not, and the character can see that. (and the reader knows too but they don’t like to say that because that’d make everybody sad!)

RW OMORI gang with an S/O who has verbally abusive parents

includes: SUNNY, AUBREY, KEL, HERO, MARI, BASIL

TRIGGER WARNING: verbal abuse, physical abuse (mentioned), parental issues, arguing

reader is referred to with they/them pronouns

☆ ☆ ☆

SUNNY

sunny grew up in an asian household, and not to mention his parents favorited his sister. so he's faced his fair share of hurtful comments or impossible standards

although, he hasn't really gotten it to the extent you have, and he's a little. concerned.

like when he first hung out at your place and he heard your mother call you names and berate you,, he got really nervous and awkward

he really doesn't like arguing, and for many other reasons you two sort of decided it would be best to not chill at your place

but it doesn't mean he ignores it!!! he thinks about your parents all the time, and is kind of scared to pry but he asks about it for your safety

you two spend a lot of time at his house!!!! he prefers to not go outside and seeing as your parents erm. aren't the greatest, his house is usually empty and so it's perfect for hanging out!!!!

he never pries to the point of making you uncomfortable, but he is very worried. he'll constantly try to be there for you and lend an ear, as he knows your parents aren't the best listeners.

if you text him that your parents are being loud or yelling at you, he'll send you songs he likes for you to listen to to distract you and texts u constantly to keep you company

AUBREY

it. really pisses her off.

she had incredibly neglectful parents, and her mother would even get physical when drunk

so she knows what abuse is like. that's why although it angers her whenever she hears your parents degrade you, she never talks back to them or anything. she knows that would only end up worse for the both of you

although, she does express it a lot when you two are alone.

"dude, your parents are dicks, Y/N."

she's fully aware you're only playing it off for everyone's sake, but she never really talks about it. she knows how much it sucks for someone to call out a facade cough cough

she'll get you little trinkets or send you images of things that you like or that remind her of you throughout the day to hopefully cheer you up

her house isn't really available for hanging out either, so you guys often go to the lake or get pizza at GINO's, or just chill with the hooligans at the park

she never judges you for it, and tries to subtly let u know that she's there to listen whenever you need it. she wants to offer support that you otherwise don't really have

KEL

when your parents start saying shit at dinner, he looks kinda awkward and tries to change the subject. like if they started comparing you to him he'd be like "oh, haha i actually look up to Y/N! you raised an amazing kid :)"

he might dislike your parents, but he's always respectful of parents in general. he was always taught to respect his elders!!!

and then when you two leave the house he looks at you like a dejected kicked puppy

"man.. your parents are really something, huh?"

kel had only really been insulted by his parents during arguments or whenever he did something wrong, whereas he'd get spanked with a shoe and berated. they didn't verbally degrade him often, but they emotionally neglected him a lot.

he feels real bad for you, but he tries not to bring it up often. he knows it's a sensitive subject, he can tell by how you constantly say it's normal and it's just how they are

kel wants to wait until you're ready to talk about it. he doesn't push it, he wants you to come to him whenever you're comfortable!!

lots of walks and playing sports to get out of the house. he is constantly treating you to pizza at GINO's, and his family loves you to death!!!!! hero sees you as a little sibling and is always teasing kel about you

HERO

he tries his best to be respectful around your parents. he honestly wants to punch their faces in but he will not admit that

it concerns him when you lie and say it's nothing, but he doesn't push it often. sometimes he'll let you know you can be honest with him and that he's there to listen

with most parents, hero automatically wins them over and always tries to be polite and kind. but he doesn't really bother to get your mother roses or strike up conversation with your dad. he just can't really be comfortable around them

hero's family is very welcoming, so he'll always invite you over for dinner and his mother is asking constant questions!!! kel bugs you and jokingly asks why on earth you'd date someone like hero

(this earned him a smack on the head from both his mother and hero)

gets you gifts and flowers often, and leaves encouraging notes and compliments. he really doesn't want you to feel bad about yourself,, he knows it must be hard having parents like that

has a bit of a hard time finding words if you break down or cry, so he holds you in his arms and rubs your back.

"hey, hey, sshh.. i know... it's alright.."

MARI

similar to hero, your parents make it hard for her to control her anger. they're just so!!!!!&!!$&$ she has a general level of respect and awareness though, so she never really says anything

if she's at your place, she tries to be quiet but eventually can't take it and stands up for you.

"you should be a little easier on them. they've been doing quite well in school lately." she says, crossing her arms.

unfortunately this led to her getting kicked out, but she didn't really regret it

if you're ever feeling down about your grades or yourself in general, she's immediately showering you with compliments and encouragement. mari can't stand seeing you doubt how much you mean to her

i think mari has had a complicated relationship with her father, so she isn't a stranger to arguments and general mean comments and berating. part of why she's such a perfectionist is because her father pushed her,, so she's a bit of a hypocrite when saying you shouldn't let your parents dictate what you do

she's very supportive of wherever you want to go in life, always helping you practice and follow your dreams no matter what!!

always taking you out for picnics and dates!!! you spend a lot of time with the group to get away from things for awhile

she plays the piano for you to help you relax, and sometimes you fall asleep on her shoulder as she plays a calming song. she cherishes those moments the most.

BASIL

he hates it, especially when your parents come into the room and start yelling at you. he can't stand it at all

it makes him angry, but he's far too scared and shy to say anything, so he opts for excusing the two of you and taking you outside to check up on you

he can only imagine how hard it is for you to deal with that, so he's always checking on you to see how you're holding up mentally

he isn't great with words, so you two often spend lots of time together!!! at the park, at his house, at the beach, anywhere is fine with him as long as it's with you

polly loves you dearly!!! she's always embarrassing basil in front of you

he's scared that you're insecure about yourself due to your parents' words, so he leaves little sticky notes and drawings around to encourage you in everything you do

"hi Y/N! i hope you have a great day!!!!! here's a sunset picture, it reminded me of you :) -basil" and there's a photo attached of a pretty sunset

you cook the simplest meal?? he's praising it like it's gourmet

he gets you into gardening and photography, always sending you pictures that remind him of you!!!! they're good coping mechanisms for him and make him happy, so he wants to share that happiness with you

[arcflashhazard]

yanqing

foreword:

the ungus bungus. the ooglie boogle. the beastly blorbus..

he's one of my favorite hoyo characters and the reason why i even started honkai: star rail. i don't talk about him nearly as much as i should when he's also the reason why i first logged into tumblr (hi maur)

people like to dunk on him for being "annoying", which i really have never agreed with. i've found that people tended to relegate him to "punching bag" or "background character" while i tend to squeal with joy whenever i see him on-screen.

tl;dr is i really love yanqing

the following are all opinions i've had for a while now but finally get to put into words

why does/did the fandom gloss over yanqing?:

on the luofu, he's certainly lauded as a genius and "the precocious retainer of the dozing general." i believe this drew away from the fact that yanqing is still, in fact, mentally a kid.

kids can be annoying, and they can talk a lot. but that's what they do! yanqing already is in a rather grown-up position for someone who seems to be barely 14 years of age and has never been around people his own age a lot.

being so mature does make him seem much more adult-ish (even more so considering the nature of xianzhou natives, which he might not even be!) i think he's just surrounded by so many extraordinary people that we forget just how extraordinary he actually is.

general jing yuan: father figure or idol?

look, i like the idea of father-son jing yuan and yanqing. it's cute; but i must pry myself away from fluff for a moment and ask myself if jy actually *treats* yanqing like a parent would.

sure, he took yanqing in as a baby, but we don't know definitively how their relationship formed. yes, he gives yanqing an allowance, but how much is that just to keep yanqing sharp?

i have just one bias.

i hated the fact that during the 1.3 story (i believe when he became a boss) that jy just left yanqing on that landform. i understand he may have been on a time crunch, but leaving your disciple out to dry after facing two of the most powerful people on the luofu and actually making him face death? NOT COOL. it's shown that for a period after that, yanqing was struggling to go back to his past self (possibly compounded by the apyra incident) so it clearly made it's mark upon him.

again, he is a child.

that really soured me towards jing yuan, and made me wonder if a parent would actually treat their child like some kind of weapon.

the two respect each other, but in the end yanqing is really just looking up to him as a mentor and not someone who really offered a lot of (for lack of better phrase) parental love.

yanqing and the saga of not being a person

people really like turning yanqing into a sword. or at least yukong does.

when i first read her voiceline about yanqing, i was suddenly made aware of how much yanqing is presented as less of a person and more like a "sword savant who's crazy about anything swords" and anything to the tune of prodigy.

but that's it.

prodigy, not person. a 2D, flat cutout, generic walmart-brand genius you'd find anywhere in shounen. you aren't wrong per se, but this just makes me think about why the game presents him to as like that

(mentioning @catamaurrr-star for his thoughts)

[telomeke]

✨2023: A Summary✨

Post your most popular and/or favourite edit/gifset/analysis for each month (it’s okay to skip months!)

I was tagged by:

@colourme-feral (here);

@lurkingshan (here);

@dribs-and-drabbles (here);

@ranchthoughts (here);

@chickenstrangers (here).

Thanks for tagging me, sweeties! 🥰 Hope the new year is treating you well. 😍

Apologies for being a bit late with this, but after I got back from my 2023 year-end break there was a ton of stuff to attend to, with deadlines suddenly looming much closer than they had seemed looking through eggnog goggles. 👀

But anyway I have a bit of time before the next deadline, so I'm going to use this window to try and summarize my 2023 on Tumblr. 😁 (Some of the posts referenced below may not fall into the definition of "edit/gifset/analysis" but that's just me being honest: my output on Tumblr is definitely a bit of a mixed bag! 🤣)

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✨JANUARY 2023✨

MOST POPULAR POST – A meme summarizing Greta Thunberg's epic takedown of toxic masculizard Andrew Tate, with the help of Jerry's Pizza boxes, Elon unbanning Andrew on Twitter, and the domino effect:

‌ (above) Post linked here

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FAVORITE POST – Of course it's something to do with Bad Buddy. 🤣 I posted about my experience viewing Bad Buddy's corner at the GMMTV Exhibition in Osaka, with photos and write‑ups about actual wardrobe and props that appeared in BBS (especially Baseball Mom and the Ep.12 memory board! 🤩):

‌ (above) Post linked here

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✨FEBRUARY 2023✨

MOST POPULAR POST – A write-up about Jim and Li Ming's confrontation in Moonlight Chicken. More than just a teen-versus-(surrogate)-parent argument, the scene was also an insight into elder/junior dynamics and the importance of self-control in Thai culture:

(above) Post linked here

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FAVORITE POST – Oh don't make me choose between my kids! It's a toss-up: the more popular one is a Bad Buddy post about the pause before PatPran's second kiss on the rooftop in BBS Ep.5 (yes, THE Kiss™):

(above) Post linked here

But also sharing the Feb 2023 favorite spot in my heart is a post about GMMTV producer/director cameos (in My School President and other series) and what they might mean beyond the show:

(above) Post linked here

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✨MARCH 2023✨

MOST POPULAR POST – This was written after Michelle Yeoh won a SAG Award for Best Actress and was nominated for an Oscar in the same category. I thought most of her newer fans wouldn't be aware of Tan Sri Dato' Seri Michelle's death-defying stuntwork (I'm really not exaggerating here) during her earlier years as an action hero in 80s and 90s Hong Kong moviedom, so I wrote a piece about it:

(above) Post linked here

If you've not watched the video linked therein yet, you should. And then carefully pick your jaw up off the floor (as I had to, the first time I watched this). Not to give too much away, but it involves Michelle riding a motorbike helmetless atop a rickety Malaysian train carriage with no safety measures at all. 👀

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FAVORITE POST – My favorite post for March 2023 is about the characters' names in Moonlight Chicken, and it's so long I had to break it into two parts. (Whenever it's an Aof show, you can usually expect the characters' names to carry some significance, as was the case with Last Twilight and Bad Buddy too.) So Part 1 of the Moonlight Chicken post is about the names in general, what they mean for their characters and any relevance they might have for the narrative:

(above) Post linked here

And Part 2 of my favorite post for March 2023 is about Wen's name, with a detour into political color symbolism in Moonlight Chicken:

(above) Post linked here

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✨APRIL 2023✨

MOST POPULAR POST AND FAVORITE POST – It's the same post doing double duty, about the prevalence of the chue len Korn as a character name in Thai dramas:

(above) Post linked here

There aren't that many actors named Korn, so I found it quite befuddling that so many characters would have that name, but there you go. And "Korn Kob" Songsit Rungnopakunsi was ultimately crowned king of the Korn harvest: 😂

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✨MAY 2023✨

MOST POPULAR POST – Our Skyy 2 x My School President's red-hot comment on Thai politics, with Principal Ratchanee (Gun's mom) announcing a subversion of the election process:

(above) Post linked here

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FAVORITE POST – My favorite post in May 2023 was a look at linguistic wordplay on some t-shirts in Moonlight Chicken, touching on the themes of generational change, eggplants, etymology and cute little weiners:

(above) Post linked here

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✨JUNE 2023✨

Well! Our Skyy 2 dropped its Bad Buddy episodes beginning 31 May 2023, so June 2023 was dominated by BBS for me. 😍

MOST POPULAR POST – A (sort-of) review and analysis of the Our Skyy 2 x Bad Buddy x A Tale of Thousand Stars episodes:

(above) Post linked here

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FAVORITE POST – Do I really have to choose? Top of my own list is the most popular post above, but I'm going to list another one that was just a Phupha-whisker away in second place, and it's the OS2 x BBS filming locations:

(above) Post linked here

I love research and analysis, and tracking down the Bad Buddy filming locations was especially fulfilling because it combined the opportunity for me to exercise my bloodhound instincts and also find out more about this show that I love so much. (The locations were not very well-credited in the original BBS, unlike later GMMTV offerings, so it was very satisfying hunting down mystery BBS locales based almost solely on visual clues.) I've got almost the whole list of BBS locations now, although I've yet to post the last few (which are minor locations only).

So I'm very proud of the work I've done on identifying the BBS filming locations – and also a little alarmed at how powerful Google plus a bit of logical deduction can be.

Stay safe on the Internet people! Don't ever reveal too much private information about yourself, because my time doing this and other location posts has shown me that online info can all be tracked down and consolidated to identify what might have seemed to be pretty well-hidden at the start. Which bodes ominously for privacy and safety, online or off. 👀

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✨JULY 2023✨

MOST POPULAR POST – A write-up about Bad Buddy's Nong Nao, Pat's beloved comfort object. But in the unraveling of Nong Nao's significance to BBS (and this was surprising to me too) we got further insight into Pat's character as well:

(above) Post linked here

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FAVORITE POST – OK, so the Nong Nao post above is quite my favorite for July 2023, but it also shares that spot atop my list of faves with this reply to a Bad Buddy Ask from @pandasmagorica about Pat and Pran's emotionally-laden verbal zingers on the Ep.5 rooftop, before they took that step forward beyond the point of no return and fell into The Kiss™:

(above) Post linked here

It's not just about how well the dialogue was written, or how well Ohm and Nanon brought the scene to life. Part of why this post is special to me is because the scene demonstrates how well-crafted BBS actually is, with an underlying logic and consistency that holds up no matter how hard you prod and poke at it (which, for the record, wasn't quite the case for OS2 x BBS). When you can analyze the characters, their actions and reactions in-depth as though they are real people with real motivations, and no inauthenticity shows through, you know there's been a whole lot of deep-rooted work sunk into it. I'm still in awe of what Khun Noppharnach has wrought. 👀

But there's another reason why this post is also one of my faves, and it's rather more personal.

It's because this Ask is the first one where @pandasmagorica lifted the Anon veil to use his own Tumblr name. And that was when I felt I'd made a new friend right here on Tumblr. 😍 I'm actually quite reticent in real-life, so I don't make friends easily – but I do treasure the friendships I have once made (even though I can be pretty bad at staying in touch; doesn't mean the feelings aren't there still – far from it). I'd learnt to recognize @pandasmagorica's voice even when his Asks were anonymous, and this particular Ask made my heart swell with happiness. So even though we haven't communicated directly in some time, dear @pandasmagorica, please know that you're still a treasured friend to me! 💖

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✨AUGUST 2023✨

MOST POPULAR POST – This was a bit of throwaway fluff, an assembling of images pointing out the visual similarity between a promotional poster for Only Friends (on the same day as the show's debut, which was 12 August 2023) and a poster for the iconic 1990s sitcom Friends:

(above) Post linked here

Image posts and zingy hot takes always garner likes and reblogs so much more easily than long, thought-driven essays on Tumblr, especially when they ride on a wave of hype (as this one did, on the absolute tsunami welling for Only Friends). Doesn't mean the post or the series are really anything of substance though! 😂

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FAVORITE POST – I have more than one in August 2023, and they were momentous for me. 🤩 The first is my analysis (loving, yet incontrovertibly loopy to the point of near-lunacy) explaining my finding why Director Aof put the incongruous Baseball Mom t-shirt on Pat in Bad Buddy Episode 5. If you've not read the explanation yet, the answer will surprise you:

(above) Post linked here

There's also a Part 2, because as usual I had so much to say, and this second part explains why PatPran's Ep.7 rooftop encounter is also a parallel with (and counterbalance for) the Epic Rooftop Kiss in Ep.5.

Anyway, my other favorite post for August 2023 is also dear to me because it points out some very clever visual rhetoric in Be My Favorite that was carefully woven into a particular scene, taking up the clarion call for marriage equality in Thailand:

(above) Post linked here

Screenwriter/director Waa Waasuthep Ketpetch really piled on the magic into this one scene. It was fun to pick it apart and look at all the different elements, within what was otherwise an only somewhat complex and not too challenging series (that still managed to be highly entertaining nonetheless). 😍

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✨SEPTEMBER 2023✨

My MOST POPULAR POST and my FAVORITE POST are one and the same, which was an apology to any legitimate Tumblr user I might have blocked (as we were facing yet another onslaught of porn bots with believable names suddenly following our Tumblr blogs):

(above) Post linked here

I then got a few snarky comments (from people whose names I didn't recognize) letting me know that people whom I've blocked can't read the post. 😮

But that's not exactly true (this is Tumblr after all). 🤣

I've since found out that if you've been blocked, you can still view the blog that blocked you, as long as you read it in blog view but not dashboard view.

If you've been blocked, here are some salient points to know:

You can't search for that blog on Tumblr (but Tumblr's search function is pretty much rubbish anyway, and you can still find the blog with a Google search).

If you know the name of the blog, then typing the URL (in the address bar) using blog view format (as opposed to dashboard view format) will still bring you there. For the difference between blog view and dashboard view (using my own Tumblr as an example) – typing telomeke.tumblr.com into the address bar will take you to my Tumblr in blog view, while typing tumblr.com/telomeke into the address bar will open my blog in dashboard view. You can still view my Archive (if I haven't hidden it) and read my posts, even if I've blocked you.

This one should be obvious – you can't like, comment on or reblog any of a blog's posts if that blog has blocked you. You can't DM that blog either. You can send Asks, but they will not be received. And that's part of the delicious irony that Tumblr bestows if you block any hater troll from your blog – you can continue posting everything that set them off in the first place, and they will still be able to see it, but they can no longer send any negativity your way. (You can also troll them back with impunity, but why waste precious time and energy like that? You won't know if they've seen your trolling, just that they can. 🤷‍♂️)

Asking to be unblocked is a bit trickier if you've been mistaken for a bot and inadvertently blocked. You'll need to ask a friend with a Tumblr account to request the unblocking on your behalf, or you'll need to set up a new Tumblr account just to send in this new Ask/message.

Anyway, the point of my post above was to let newbies know how important it is to humanize your blog, so as not to be mistaken for a bot and blocked – it would be especially rueful if the blog that blocked you (thinking you were a bot) was one you followed because you liked the content in there!

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✨OCTOBER 2023✨

MOST POPULAR POST – This was a jokey review of/(slash)/reaction to the newly-released Red Peafowl trailer:

(above) Post linked here

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FAVORITE POST – @pandasmagorica sent me an Ask about PatPran's sex life in Bad Buddy, and this was a fun look at the physical side of their love (that they, and Director Aof, kept mostly hidden from view):

(above) Post linked here

Because BBS is extremely self-referential, part of me now thinks they kept so much of PatPran's sex life under wraps in order to squeak by the ratings – this is what the cookout scene with Junior in Ep.11 seems to be telling us, IMO.

And they succeeded in getting a 13+ age rating, allowing Bad Buddy's message about LGBTQ+ positivity and growing into your authentic queer self to reach exactly the audience demographic that needs it (and of course even beyond them too 😊).

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✨NOVEMBER 2023✨

MOST POPULAR POST – This was a look at the meanings of Mhok and Day's names in Last Twilight:

(above) Post linked here

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FAVORITE POST – I'm cackling with fairy godfather glee because I got to inflict the warm fuzzies on people in the Bad Buddy fandom, by helping them relive their first time watching The Epic Rooftop Kiss in BBS Ep.5 (on the two-year anniversary of that event).

YouTuber "Chib" had put together an absolutely genius montage of a myriad reaction videos to The Kiss™, and my post was simply a link to it. But the ensemble of gasps and outpouring of unbridled emotion onscreen had so vividly brought back memories of my own first time watching PatPran's rooftop moment that I just knew I had to share it. I think Bad Buddy fans who watch the video will absolutely see themselves in it:

(above) Post linked here

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✨DECEMBER 2023✨

MOST POPULAR POST – The Sign really happened in a big way when December 2023 came around, and my most popular post is testament to that. I wrote about the naga and garuda mythology underpinning the narrative (hat tip to @respectthepetty for getting the ball rolling 👍) and the subject seems to have resonated with a lot of viewers because the post is still getting notes a month later:

(above) Post linked here

But the post above really should be read in tandem with others that followed, because the series is really going all in with the naga and garuda, and there's lots to take away if you're a culture and linguistics fiend like I am. Additional info linked below: 🤩

Evil jellyfish (Tharn's pet name for Phaya, a mistranslation of the Thai แมงกะพรุนไฟ that actually means fire jellyfish, which is a nod at the flames of the garuda);

Nong Khai, naga fireballs and the dance of adversaries;

More naga and garuda references in Ep.4 (although the storytelling had become a bit muddled by then).

(above left) Post linked here; (above right, top) post linked here; (above right, bottom) post linked here

The props, lighting and wardrobe are also playing their part to add to the visual feast of naga and garuda references. I may post more about these if I can find the time. 🤩

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FAVORITE POST – All the above (Signposts? 😂) are dear to me. But tying with them for top spot on my favorites list at the end of 2023 is this one, a tongue-in-cheek look at QL objects of carnal affection:

(above) Post linked here

Not meant to be taken seriously (and maybe I shouldn't have been focusing on the actors themselves instead of the characters they play) but it's all in the name of good fun. 🤣

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🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇

And that's a wrap! 🥳

Dunno who to tag next because I'm so late with this, and I think everyone will have already played by now. So I'm just going to tag creators at random (excluding those already tagged above) – if you've already done your post, please send me a link because I'd love to read (and re-read) what you've done!

@waitmyturtles

@grapejuicegay

@neuroticbookworm

@airenyah

@absolutebl

@williamrikers

@wen-kexing-apologist

@respectthepetty

@pandasmagorica

@recentadultburnout

@visualtaehyun

@inventedfangirling

@dimplesandfierceeyes

@bengiyo

@befuddledcinnamonroll

@btwinlines

@twig-tea

@blmpff

@hereforlou

@solitaryandwandering

@brazilian-whalien52

@hughungrybear

@callipigio

@dudeyuri

@kattahj

@jemmo

@non-binarypal7

@lovelyghostv

@isaksbestpillow

@shortpplfedup

@rythyme

@squeakygeeky

@starryalpacasstuff

Apologies if I've missed anyone out – if I've ever liked and/or reblogged a post of yours, please know that you're special to me too and do feel free to play along. (And do tag me please, so I can read your post! 😍)

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P.S. This site (JetBlackCode) is super-helpful in searching for and filtering your posts: 👍

[throwra3882]

Okay, so, this thought won't leave me alone, so I have decided to finally post it. Fair warning, the post is super long.

It's about Micah Bell from Red Dead Redemption 2.

I'm not new to the Red Dead Fandom. I've been playing the game solidly for nigh on 3 years now, and I adore it. I've played so much red dead that I can turn my map off and find my way around the world. I memorized where most of the hidden loot stashes, dinosaur bones, and rock carvings are. I hardly have to look at the treasure maps to know where my next destination is going to be.

My first playthrough, Micah was my least favorite character. I hated his guts. I had an excellent time during the epilogue and took too many screenshots of me posing next to his dead body.

My second playthrough, because I knew what was going to happen, I harassed him, watched him, and tried to see if there's any way you can change the outcome. On story missions together, I'd chuck dynamite at him.

And suddenly overnight he became my favorite character. I think it's because I love to root for a charismatic villain. I think it's because I was finally noticing little details about him and thinking, oh, that's neat. The creators put a lot of thought into this game. It kind of clicked in Guarma when Micah actually protected the camp instead of laying about doing nothing like he usually does.

So I went looking for content to see if there were other Micah enjoyers out there. I was not surprised to find there were! What I was surprised about was how controversial liking his character made someone.

I've been on tumblr for over a decade (not with an account, I lurked that whole time) and everyone who's been here that long knows two things.

You police yourself. You look at tags that interest you, you block tags you dislike (I'm a little sex repulsed, so I don't like looking at explicit art. Not that the artists aren't talented or that people can't enjoy it! But it's not my cup of tea so I tend to avoid that), and you generally stay in your area of interest.

Fandom and reality stay separate to an extent. Can you have merch of your favorite fandom? Pins and socks and jacket patches? For sure! Can you go to conventions and cosplay as your favorite character? Absolutely, you look fantastic! Can you go harass an actor because you don't like their character? No way! Doing that makes you a shitty person. (Jack Gleeson/Joffrey Baratheon comes to mind)

So I was surprised that so many people decided that liking Micah meant the person was racist or idolized his behavior, which is not what normal, healthy people think.

I am aware that Micah is the villain. I am aware that he is a problematic fave and is a racist, sexist, homophobic piece of shit. That's not why I like him. Racism, sexism, and homophobia in real life are bad. I would never like a person in real life who was like Micah. But I am fully aware that Red Dead Redemption 2 is a fictional world and Micah Bell III is a fictional character, and I am not going to now idolize racist, sexist, homophobic assholes because I saw it in a video game. That's like saying that playing video games makes you violent in real life, which is an issue that a lot of boomers had when video games became popular, saying it was going to make kids violent.

The reason I like Micah is because the game is about redemption, and I like to explore how Micah could possibly be redeemed. Honestly, he reminds me of a kid fresh out of high school who's still saying the same stuff his parents taught him, and who hasn't yet been to University to see that the world is not black and white and that people of color actually exist and are people, instead of racist caricatures explained by his parents because he grew up in a town without any diversity.

I wonder what could have happened if Micah had grown up in the Van Der Linde gang (he's only 3 years older than Arthur. Hosea and Dutch could have adopted him). Or if the gang didn't fall apart and they actually got to start a new life somewhere with the Blackwater money.

I think it's okay to explore that. What if he realized his racism and sexism and homophobia were bad? What if he wasn't so socially awkward and abrasive and actually got to know and like people? What if he took steps to try and make amends for his past behavior and became a better person? In a game about redemption, I don't think it's so far-fetched to want to imagine that.

In conclusion, block the things you don't want to see, and as long as you're able to separate fiction from reality, like whichever characters tickle your fancy.

[berryscaryskies]

the lil sweet pea herself!

-Perdita Boudreaux is a little bit of an Airhead, she spends most of her time with her head in a book and fantasizing about love. And she's pretty much always been like this! having her head in the clouds and the unescapable infamy of her father (and her mother's family too tbh) made it kinda hard to make friends for a really long time. After her dad scaring off one too many potential friends Perdita, not having a ton of common sense, decided the only option was to run away to somewhere far from her family legacy. So obvi she moved to an old family vacation home in Copperdale that her dad once took her too while hiding out during the divorce.

-Not story related, but I had actually considered having a mini rags to riches thing going on for 9th gen, but by the time Perdita was a fleshed out character it just didn't seem like something she'd do. It made more sense to me that she'd "run away" but go somewhere cozy and luxurious that her dad actually still has full access too. In fact I found Adriel coming over constantly without invitation to be rather funny. In Perdita's mind she's run away and is now having to fend for herself somewhere far away, but in reality her parents are fully aware of where she is and generally helping her stay afloat even if they aren't communicating with her much atm.

-Copperdale is one of Perdita's favorite places in the world, she loves the small town energy and the peer is generally one of her favorite places to people watch and just sit down to write and work on her novels, she also loves the library. She has all her dates there because Thrift Tea is too popular and she doesn't like the crowds. She actually had a bunch of fun romance shenanigans.

-so you see Perdita to start off with trying to make as many possible friends as she could upon entering Copperdale high, finally away from the family name she thought it was the perfect chance for people to get to know her. The core friend group though consisted of Pierce, Cora, Anne, and Keon. Keon and Cora are a year above the rest of them and as such age out of high school a bit sooner. Anne for most of high school is fairly distant due to depression. Cora has feelings for Anne but Anne honestly doesn't even really talk to Cora much or know about this until she's already gotten with Perdita. Perdita and Anne start as friends but eventually start developing feelings for each other, this is slow and takes the entirety of high school to work out.

-The you've got the boys, Keon is Perdita's first boyfriend, they actually met at the library rather than at school and because of this Perdita was absolutely smitten with him. He's sweetheart, but she was always way more into him than he was into her. Plus the slight age gap and this difference in how invested they each were in the relationship is what eventually led to their break up right before prom. Meanwhile you've got Pierce! Pierce has been Perdita's very best friend since the first day of school, she became incredibly close to him very quick and views him as a bit of a brother to her. He was the only one who knew she was living by herself at first. Little did she know that Pierce actually had developed feelings for her and was utterly heartbroken when she first got with Keon. And, ya know, not willing to admit to his crush to anyone he wound up developing a sort of one-sided disdain for Keon. It certainly didn't help matters that it was Pierce she'd go to whenever Keon would stand her up on dates or reject her advances. 

-Pierce eventually got over his crush on Perdita, and is the only one that her and Anne remain close to outside of High School. Seeing as Perdita doesn't want much to do with Keon anymore and Cora skeeved Anne out from asking her out multiple times after she got with Perdita. He even helped with the conception of Lovely once the two were looking towards having another kid(Minks counts as their first one imo).

-Speaking of Anne she is so interesting, cuz literally throughout all of high school she was sad because her PARENTS DIED, and they left her with a toddler to take care of!!!! And to make it worse even way later once Anne moves in with Perdita she is constantly getting new notifications about someone having died, whether that be an aunt or uncle or some older person she was friends with for some reason. Its honestly nonstop deaths for Anne, to the point where despite only being a Young Adult she has a fear of death!! poor girl, Perdita's always there for support.

-Perdita and Anne pretty much raised Minks together, she's trans and honestly kind of emo, but she's also a very warm person and surprisingly takes after Perdita quite a bit with her love of books. Unlike Perdita though she loves being outside and is a little scared of the dark so really enjoys sitting outside in the sunlight all day. I adore Minks she's such a pretty sim.

-It was actually growing closer to Anne and Minks early into their relationship that convinced Perdita to reach back out to her dad. Leandro was a bit sad to have seen the ways his darling daughter had grown up without him during this period of time, but more than that he's happy to be able to be in her and Lovely's lives. He even gets along rather well with Minks and appreciates Anne for having brought them back together.

Perdita, Anne, and Minks

[cerinelle-stellarium]

The Avatar: The Last Airbender Standard Problem

In recent years, I've noticed a trend when a promising looking cartoon makes its' debut and begins to gain a fanbase, a number of these fans will start comparing said series to Avatar either becaus they were fans of the original series or have only heard about it but choose to hold their favorite piece of media to that kidn of level, even if the show has yet to realize is' full potential and as noted by this article on TV Tropes, they are usually a combination of the Undesired Champion and the Willfully Blind types of fans plus this kind of mindsets are just fucking terrifying. But, why is this a thing? Come with me as I explore the depths of fandom hell and desiccate aspects of the history of western animation.

Before ATLA debuted, most shows for children in the 2000's were purely episodic comedic adventure types. Avatar was the first modern story focused animated series to tackle themes like genocide, parental abuse, moral quandaries as and racism while it aired on a childrens' animation network. While many know that Bryke created the concept of the series, these same people aren't aware that Aaron Ehasz and Giancarlo Volpe were the driving forces behind the show's emotional/memorable moments and attention to continuity. Withou these two, Bryke pretty much floundered on Legend of Korra (originally set for a single season with the rest apparently written by the seat of their pants partily due to Nickelodeon's deadlines) where Ehasz and Volpe would eventually collaborate on The Dragon Prince which is very well written and has great characterization. Now that Bryke has established their own animation studio within Nickelodeon but witout having hired others who are experienced in handling continuity and proper character development currently, I'm honestly not sure they will be able to reach the heights of the show that made them household names

Avatar's legacy has rippled through an entire generation of viewers and the references in other series can't be denied. But with certain cartoons, those former viewers have sought to create something to emulate the success of Avatar. Case in point being Star vs., Steven Universe and the She-Ra reboot. These shows have tried to tackle racism, moral quandaries plus the pacifist protagonist and abuse, respectively. And yet the apparently first time creators tried to address these subjects in shows directed at younger kids than the age group that entered Avatar in the first place (12-15 year-olds) and weren't aware that these children who watch their shows won't fully understand these concepts until they're older. In their attempts to 'dive deep' in a narrative based show based on their experience watching Avatar, they made some pretty bad story telling mistakes (especially in the case of D*r*n N*f^y). Steven Universe had the protagonist go in without any real plan nor strategy and forgive the people who tried to genocide his own planet not to mention having done so to an untold number of celestial bodies 'just because they're family' not to mention that he gets away with murdering someone in a mental break later on along with a number of other individuals in the series suffering no consequences for their potentially life threatening actions (L*p*s, P*a*l), the She-Ra reboot entirely diregarded the main character's personal growth and development and the story that was built up over 4 seasons just to have said main character end up with someone who put her through emotional and physical abuse since they were children and whose many crimes over the course of the series were never even mentioned at all nor does she serve any form of prison time for it going by the creator's many post-series sketches during the 5th and final season and Star vs. is the worst offender of the lot; taking these two endings, combining them and making things infinitely worse. Overall, these 3 cartoons tried what Avatar did but their creators didn't fully think of the implications that their handling of difficult topics would impact those who watched their creations in the future nor did they realize and understand that full consequences must follow drastic actions taken by their characters and said characters have to face them properly to overcome obstacles in their narratives along with outright acknowledgment that they've made mistakes and are genuinely willing to own up to them. There's also the problem of non-existant world building with both the She-Ra reboot and Steven Universe where the effect of the antagonistic forces on the world at large not to mention various cultures are never even touched upon because the PoV never goes beyond the series protagonist, only scant scraps are present for the fans to wildly speculate on. While Star vs. had a degree of world-building, it was never properly utilized during the entirety of the series run. Shows like The Dragon Prince, Amphibia, The Owl House and Final Space chose to opt for a slow world building approach that make the relevations presented in these shows all the more interesting and catches the audience's attention.

Oldr cartoons that made good use of their runtime to actually care about difficult subject matter to find in-story methods of slowly overcoming them got swept away in the hype that these other animated shows generated and newer series that followed in the wake of these shows tend to have the toxic Undesired Champion and Willfully Blind types of stans migrating to them if there's even a smidgen of similarity between characters, setting and narrative. A number of these recent shows in question, however utilize careful narrative planning in advance long before airing to create distinct stories to use their potential to its fullest. They should never be forced to live up to the standard of their predecessors. Instead they should be appreciated for how well they can handle their subject matter and for doing their own thing that sets them apart from these other poorly written shows. Though, the state of The Owl House fandom is genuinely alarming with the fact that they're comparing a perfectly healthy and trusing not-yet-canon pairing to a toxic and abusive romance from another series (the She-Ra reboot, ugh) just based on it being rivals-to-lovers in addition to orbiting in the same region as the Undesired Champion types, especially on Twitter. I know that TOH has potential to go places but let's see how that goes.

In conclusion, if any one holds up a new show up to the level of Avatar without doing research on the porfolio of the person behind the project, it may be not worth your time. While Avatar may have paved the way for the rise of story cartoons, it doesn't mean that the new shows shoud try to be like ATLA in scope and narrative. It all comes down to the if and how a showrunner handles difficult topics in their work as well as narrative cohesion and the legacy that's left when the series ends. Creating something that will have real impact on those who discover what you are putting your time into is tough and tricky, but as long as you exercise your imagination well to make your concept innovative as well as original, plan and execute story beats, world building and character growth carefully, you can make that dream come true!

[mavrustheunskooled]

Why is Bare: A Pop Opera not as super popular as Dear Evan Hansen or Be More Chill? The fandom loves LGBT rep (which Bare has) and the songs are amazing and I think B:APO is actually superior to both of those. Thoughts? I mean the musical fandom tends to try to find LGBT characters even when they aren't stated, so why do you think Bare is not as popular?

this is a very interesting question and I am hopefully going to do it justice by analyzing Fandom, Musical Writing, and Many Other Things I’m Super Passionate About

the short: many factors and a lot of luck

the unnecessarily long: 

(opening disclaimer: I love dear evan hansen and be more chill, and I’m not upset that they’re popular musicals because I feel that they’re popular for a reason. anything that sounds like an insult in the following response isn’t such because I truly enjoy both of those musicals a lot) 

(another disclaimer: spoilers for bare, DEH, and BMC, also mentions of homophobia) 

on paper, bare seems like the exact sort of musical that would be popular. bare the musical (cursed as it is) has a cast of super popular actors like Barrett Wilbert Weed, Gerard Canonico, Taylor Trensch, Alice Lee, Alex Wyse, a high quality bootleg exists of the 2013 LA cast, it’s got LGBT+ rep, complex women characters… and yet it’s got a tiny fan base. Why? 

first let’s look at why dear evan hansen and be more chill are popular. I’m more well versed in bmc, so let’s look at its history (disclaimer: I’m estimating dates but this is roughly the timeline) 

the original bmc run was in 2015 I believe. they recorded a soundtrack, everything was fine, and they closed. in 2017, people began discovering the soundtrack in hoards. specifically, they were discovering one song: Michael in the bathroom. that’s even how I learned about the show- I heard that song and had to look up the rest of the soundtrack. and in February of 2019, they’ll start previews on broadway because the fandom was revived 

why this song? I think a ton of fame comes from talent, yes, but also from luck. I think bmc was lucky that Michael in the bathroom, a great song, was discovered as the great song that it is. I also think the fame came because that song is super relatable. as someone with pretty bad anxiety, that song really touched me because I’ve definitely spent parties hiding in the bathroom and avoiding everyone and wishing I was dead because I’m so overwhelmed with anxiety. it’s relatable, so people flocked to it. 

this made me pause to think “what is bare’s hook song” my first thought was a quiet night at home if we want a song in the same vein as MITB, but that song isn’t as hype as MITB (and fandoms don’t care about fem characters as much as it cares about masc characters). my next thought was are you there because I think it’s a bop and a relatable “pls someone help” kind of song, but I don’t know which song everyone could relate to as much as everyone could relate to MITB 

and speaking of relatable content- that’s where the DEH connection comes in. dear evan hansen is similarly relatable, although it takes that to an extreme given what Evan does as a result of his anxiety. Michael and Evan are relatable characters, even if you don’t condone everything they do (and if you condone everything Evan does, we have much to talk about)

but doesn’t bare have relatable characters?? absolutely !! there’s Peter, a closeted gay kid who wants to come out, and Jason, someone who acts tough but is secretly very insecure, and Nadia, with her body image issues, and Ivy, who people won’t take seriously because they’ve decided they already know her, and so many other complex characters. so why are they left behind? 

let’s look at bare’s history: 

bare was originally written in the 90s (I want to say 1999, but I could be wrong) the performance most people consider the quintessential bare performance was in 2004 with Michael Arden, John Hill, Jenna Leigh Green, etc. 

if you compare this to DEH and BMC, the first issue is clear. DEH was hugely popular around 2016. BMC began to grow in popularity in 2017. these are very, very new shows. 20 years doesn’t sound like a lot, but in our current age where time seems to pass so quickly which each new fad, bare seems like an older musical, and a lot of people aren’t the biggest fan of older musicals. and they don’t have to be !! but it’s a personal preference of some people that could affect how they view bare as a potential musical to be a fan of 

in terms of the music of bare, it’s definitely catchy, but it’s not like a pop song. (again, no shade at DEH and BMC because those aren’t jukebox musicals or anything). bare is simply not as easy to listen to as DEH and BMC are in my opinion (and it’s not the most complicated thing ever either, but holy cow its lyrics are smart and I have to throw that in here) 

now let’s look at reasons why people may not want to watch bare. while it is great that it has canon gay characters, compelling women characters, and is very cleverly written it also has issues that can be turn-offs to people. this includes: 

-bury your gays

-gay-guy-cheats-on-boyfriend-with-girl trope 

-gay-guy-gets-outed trope 

-and potentially other homophobic tropes

I’m not shaming bare for perpetuating these tropes because it was written 20 years ago, and lgbt+ people are allowed to enjoy media in spite of its perpetuation of negative tropes, but for some people these things are enough to turn them away. and I don’t blame them! I watched bare the musical before I watched bare a pop opera, and when Jason I died I closed out of YouTube without finishing the show because I was so Sick of bury your gays. 

I am aware that there are reasons Jason died at the end of bare (they’re making a statement about how homophobia kills, particularly how homophobic religious people can have an awful affect on young religious gay people), but there comes a time when “reasons for a gay character to die” is just too much. sometimes, you just want the gay character to live, and I completely respect that notion because I felt the exact same way when I watched bare the musical. I remember when I first watched bare the musical I wrote a thread about how as a Romeo and Juliet adaptation, bare follows some things closely (like death at the end) while avoiding other extremes (Romeo running off to another country) and I thus felt the death was unnecessary. if someone else feels similarly about being sick of gay characters dying, they have every right to not want to watch bare 

that’s enough on why someone might not want to watch bare. let’s get back to bare vs DEH and BMC 

I also think a big aspect of fandoms is shipping. the fetishization of MLM (and consequently ignoring fem characters completely, along with focusing solely on white men for their shipping and ignoring men of color) is a huge problem in fandoms that I could talk about forever, but for the sake of this response, I’ll keep it a bit shorter 

DEH and BMC profit heavily off of shipping in terms of gaining popularity. people love Evan x Connor (and other ships but that’s the main one I see), and people love Jeremy x Michael (and others). so why then do people not care about bare, a show with a canon relationship between 2 basic white men, which is their ultimate goal? 

I think people like the idea of these mlm ships more than canon content. if there’s canon, it’s harder for them to make a variety of ships because it feels like everything else has to rotate around the canon without touching it (which is where the bare fandom gets Matt x Lucas because they’re the closest they have to 2 basic men- I can write my criticism of them another time though) 

I’ve also seen posts saying that things with canon lgbt+ characters sometimes have smaller fandoms because there is no need for lgbt+ theorizing- it’s right there, and if you want lgbt+ content, watch the thing. I don’t necessarily agree with this for myself (I’ll reblog every pilgrim’s hands gifset I see) but I can definitely see how other people might think this way 

failing to hype up stuff with lgbt+ characters can have a negative impact. BMC is the prime example of how a show can be revived by its passionate fan base. if people aren’t talking about bare, it’s not going to spread like other shows do 

this is kind of all over the place but anyway- I want to talk about characters more. one thing DEH and BMC have are great, complex characters that are very easy to boil down to a fandom’s favorite stereotypes. I am absolutely not saying DEH and BMC have simple characters because I think all of them have layers; however, fandoms do love to go “this is precious cinnamon roll who can do no wrong and this is evil awful terrible irredeemable person” and it’s a bit difficult to do that with bare. 

you can say Peter is your perfect son, but he does try to force Jason out before he’s ready. you can say Ivy is the evil seductress trying to tear apart your gay babies, but I will physically fight you. there aren’t any black-and-white good or bad bare characters (except Father Flynn- hate him), which doesn’t fit in line with the way fandoms function. sweeping generalizations about the current state of society based on the internet are exhausting and bad, but we do live in an age where everything must either be perfect or evil, and you can’t do that with bare. no one “did nothing wrong uwu” and that’s what fandoms Want 

(note: they will excuse wrong actions, such as everything wrong Connor Murphy has ever done, if the character is played by a mildly attractive guy they want to ship with another mildly attractive guy) 

another point that I don’t have fully fleshed out thoughts on enough to devote too much time to is the integration of parents into the shows. in both DEH and BMC, the parents get redemption arcs. in bare, Claire does say she love Peter at the end, but she’s much less of a sympathetic character than Mr. Heere or Heidi (that’s her name right- Evan’s mom) or the Murphys. when I was younger, I wasn’t allowed to watch anything that painted parents, or adults in general, in a negative light, but maybe that’s not a universal experience 

this is getting way too long and it probably has more thought put into it than what was necessary, so I’ll try to close this quickly 

I think, first off, that DEH and BMC completely deserve the hype that they have received. they’ve got compelling stories, interesting characters, and fantastic soundtracks. I also think that luck factors heavily into them getting what they deserve. there are plenty of great shows, like bare and the boy who danced on air and spies are forever and probably more that I’m not thinking of, that have great music and characters and story that, out of sheer chance, don’t get the chance they should have been given. there is no bulleted list someone can follow and at the end they’ll be on broadway with an armful of tonys; is the luck of the draw, and bare has not been afforded that chance 

I’ll end with some reasons why anyone who happened to read this but might not be a bare fan should listen to or watch bare: 

- it is an amazingly clever show; every time I watch it or listen to it, I realize another moment of foreshadowing or a line I originally brushed off was actually very significant or there’s another recurring motif/theme in the music 

- it’s full of bops (go listen to you and I or are you there or portrait of a girl) 

- canon gay characters in a canon gay relationship 

- 3 dimensional fem characters that actively criticize stereotypes 

- it’s about a religious gay boy who grapples with his religion and his sexuality and how those two things can coexist 

- it is Very Very Good

in conclusion: bare is very good and deserves attention xx