#and this is not to say that artists shouldn't charge - they absolutely should

[damnprecious]

I just wanna go walk through some artist alley and pick up all the cool shit and fill up a wall

[batboyblog]

The recent Chappell Roan thing is why I absolutely hate the lack of political literacy in this country. Big-name celebrities think they're really cooking when they say "well Kamala still supports blowing up Palestinian babies because she won't cut ties with Israel, so therefore I'm not voting for her and you shouldn't either! Both her and Trump suck so I'm not voting/voting third party!"

Like it or not, Israel is an ALLY of the United States. We CAN'T just cut ties with them unless it's a long drawn-out process, and even then it's probably NEVER going to happen. This is basic shit we learned in social studies, holy shit!

Trump would be so much fucking worse for everyone involved, including Palestine, and not voting or voting third party is pretty much just handing your vote over to Trump due to how voting WORKS in a two-party system dictated by the fucked up electoral college.

This was a long ramble and you've probably gotten similar asks the last few months like this, but fuck, I just have to get this off my chest, and the most recent event with her was like the straw that broke the camel's back. Celebs in general need to shut the fuck up about politics unless they are actually partaking in activism instead of this virtue-signaling bullshit.

Taking things one thing at a time.

I'll admit to having only seen Chappell Roan's final video on the subject, so idk what she said before that (outside of generally)

The two things that really stuck out to me and pissed me off about that live/video was she 1. accused Democrats (she said "the left" but was clearly in context talking about the Democrats) for "transphobic policy" (also genocidal, equally silly) and it was SUCH a groundless lie, such a baseless, stupid, uninformed, silly lie. It'd be like saying "yes the right is bad! but Kamala Harris says she wants to shoot a pony every day of her Presidency and I can't support that!" And to be a Queer artist who's whole thing is centering Queer art, particularly drag who's got a young maybe not very informed queer fan base who's made talking about trans rights your main political thing to just lie about the nature of the threat to trans rights and trans lives at this moment is fucking awful and downright criminal.

Listen right now Republicans are aggressively attacking Democrats on trans rights. Trump went after Harris at their debate for "trans surgeries for illegal aliens in prison!" Republicans are attacking Tim Walz as "tampon Tim" for the idea that he supports trans male students having access to tampons (and other crazy transphobic attacks on him) Republicans are centering transphobia as a main campaign issue, anyone who gives a fuck about trans people in this nation should know Trump and Creepy Vance in charge of the federal government? is the nightmare. You can't claim to care about trans people or be "centering" them and not be doing all you can to stop Republicans at the ballot box this November. And both siding it and saying bullshit that somehow it will be just as bad if Democrats win is not stopping Republicans no matter how you personally vote.

The Second thing in her video that really annoyed me was she said she was voting for Harris but then had a whole word salad about how everyone needed to make up their own minds about who would be best. Basically saying that while she was voting for Harris, a vote for Trump was a reasonable conclusion people could reach. Again if you truly care about the issues she says she cares about, no, you can't vote for Trump. And again to use your platform to push "both sides" is to throw the very people you claim are your brand under the bus in the worst way.

I don't like to throw people under the bus for their family, Tim Walz' brother is a MAGA lunatic for example, but Chappell Roan talked about Republican family that "loved her" and I can't help but wonder if she was thinking of her Republican State Rep uncle, Darin Chappell. Again people can't control family members and I'm not asking anyone to come out and attack their family in public. I'm just wondering if her views on Republicans and finding a middle ground and "they still love me" is colored by Uncle Darin and not understanding he might love her and be proud of her but he still walks into the Missouri state capital and votes for abortion bans and transphobia.

to move onto the meat of your ask which I think is less about Roan in particular and more generalized about a certain type of celebrity and GenZ very on-line types. On the whole Israel-Palestine thing, I think most of the people posting about it know very little or know a lot of misinformation, you every see people boldly posting "I don't need to know everything to know right from wrong!" you run into that a lot. And I'd say yes, you do need to know a lot to comment on a complex multi generational ethnic-political conflict with many state and non-state actors.

Last night JD Vance and Tim Walz had their debate and every time there was an issue, housing costs, medical costs, gun violence, inflation, Vance would move it around to how if we just deported all the immigrants the issue would be fixed, no more drugs no more gun violence, housing would be cheap, just get rid of the people I don't like.

And I see a lot of that with Israel, "Palestine is a climate issue!" "Queer as in Free Palestine!" etc where if we just get rid of Israel it'll all be fixed. Which of course connects to long standing antisemitic ideas about Jews running the world, people happily sub in the word "Israel" or "Zionist" and then repeat the same old racism thats followed the Jews around for 1,000 years.

So long and short I think most people talking about Palestine don't know enough to talk about it, but what's worse don't really care about Palestine at all

I'm reminded here of Trump's "Deal of the Century". Oh? you don't remember it? shocker, in January 2020 Trump released a "peace plan" drawn up with no Palestinians involved, where Israel would be allowed to annex everything in the West Bank it would want, the Jordan Vally cutting Palestine off from Jordan and totally encircling it with Israel. The West Bank would be Swiss cheesed up into little pockets connected by tunnels or overpasses but with Israeli territory running through it everywhere. The Palestinians said "no!" and then Netanyahu claimed that Trump had green lit Israel to annex the land it wanted even without Palestinian agreement to the plan and without giving the Palestinians anything. There was some confusion and thankfully that didn't happen. We may never know the fully story of what stopped it, but I do think Trump agreed to annexing much of the West Bank, but pulled back under pressure from Gulf Arab Oil states who later in 2020 made peace with Israel in the Abraham Accords in an effort to stop Netanyahu's annexation plans.

any ways to point out, 1. Palestine was on the edge of annexation the end of the dream of Palestinian statehood in any meaningful sense, and where were the protests? the encampments? etc? it never comes up, 4 years ago, and all the people who live and breath this stuff never mention it? 2. We have reason to believe Trump signed off on a far-right government of Israel annexing much of the West Bank, his "peace plan" abandoned the outlines that American Presidents since Bill Clinton set forward for getting a Palestinian state on 95+% of the West Bank in favor of "what does the Israeli right want?" and again no one is talking about it in the context of this election, we know what he'll do, because he's done it before.

but again its not really about the Palestinians, its not about building a Palestinian state, its "get rid of Israel" and then what? what happens to the 9 million people who live in Israel? and people don't have a realistic answer, because its a political fantasy that if they just do X everything will magically get better, even on totally unrelated issues.

[hazz-a-bear]

so even though i mainly post about seventeen on here, you guys know that one direction is one of the most important things in my life. I've already talked about liam multiple times but I wanted to share what I posted on wattpad here - I have absolutely no one to talk about this irl so I'm projecting a bit.

yesterday morning I woke up around seven like usual, drank my tea and lounged around. and then I remembered my phone had been charging since midnight so I went and took it from under my pillow to a single message from one of my friends. 'what the fuck?' with a screenshot of the google news page attached. obviously wanting to see it myself, I googled 'liam payne' right away and everything came to a fucking stop.

the only thing I remember before fucking disassociating is going to my mom and saying 'liam is dead'

this whole thing might seem a little dramatic to you. if you're not on the same page as the majority right now you might think, 'eh, esa is it that serious?'

yes it is. yes it is. yes it is.

and if you're reading this, you know it as well as me.

i spent the entire day yesterday in my head, just disassociating and replaying everything one direction in my mind like one of those youtube compilations. i couldn't even cry as much as I wanted to. i was so so numb, it was this weird kind of emptiness that made me feel so drained. for almost thirty minutes after i'd seen the news, I was shaking. my entire being was shaking so badly because it was so shocking. i knew that one day we would have to say bye to the boys but never in my entire life had I thought that day would come so soon. I didn't have anyone to talk to about this because none of my friends are one direction fans nor do they want to hear me yap about them.

one direction was always more than just a band for me - I don't have to tell you guys that twice.

i was first introduced to them by one of my closest family friends. back then I was in primary school and she was a teenager. today, she's a working adult and I'm in university. it reminded me of just how much we've grown up alongside them and their music.

'i'm so shocked. i'm trying to process everything' is what she texted me yesterday.

'he's gone' is what a girl I met at a science class four years back tested me.

please check on your friends who you think is affected by this, because it's not easy to be okay with the passing of your childhood. reach out and ask if everyone is okay.

most of the relationships in my life were made because of one direction. I've found a lot of friends because of them and I've also lost a lot of friends because of them. and yesterday I thought about each and every one of them, just hoping they took the news well.

mourning liam isn't just mourning his life and his legacy as an artist - I'm mourning the teenager that's inside of me who was trying so hard to remember their names, the teenager who was learning every single song lyrics, the teenager who watched 'one direction being crackheads' almost every night, the teenager who went to lengths to get the one direction movie copied to a DVD, the teenager who started writing because of the love she had for them, and the teenager who was dedicated to work hard so she could see ot5 live one day.

and just thinking about the fact that we've now lost one-fifth of the boys who gave life to our childhood, our teenage years is heart-shattering. 

i know that a lot of you guys are feeling confused about what to do and how you should mourn. i've seen a lot of people hesitating and feeling like he shouldn't be grieved. this was a result of what went down the past two weeks and I get it, I understand the hesitancy and I understand why. but, a man is dead and I believe he should be remembered for the good things he's done and mourned because, at some point in our lives, he was a part of something that meant everything to us.

I also want to mention that nobody should invalidate your feelings and nobody should tell you how to feel at all. you're allowed to mourn him while holding him accountable for the things he did. I'm not going to sugarcoat the fact that he wasn't a good person during the latter part of his life, but it doesn't mean that he deserved to pass away without getting the help and closure he desperately needed. he had his own traumas yet it didn't give him the freedom to continue that cycle of abuse. however, this should not be the topic that should be talked about right now. a mother lost his son, a father lost his son, two sisters lost their brother, four boys lost their brother, a woman lost their partner, another woman lost the father of her child, a seven-year-old boy lost his father. this is not the time for some people to pick up their gut and talk shit about his life. this is not the time nor the place. keep that in mind.

and on an important note, nobody should point fingers at anyone who should be at fault for his death. if it's published as an accident, I'm not believing it as anything else other than an accident. don't be that person who put the blame on maya. she was brave for coming forward with it, as well as the other victims. all she did was give us a view of what went behind the curtains and the cameras, the timing was unfortunate. we simply have no right to point fingers and call out anyone as we know nothing about what truly happened. this isn't what anyone would have wanted, don't do that. what we should do is mourn his passing, stay strong and wish his family and loved ones well. because if we, as fans, are going through this much pain, I can't imagine the pain they're going through at all.

when I saw louis, zayn and harry's post today morning I sobbed for the first time. it suddenly felt too real, I couldn't believe that liam was truly gone. every second up to that moment I read louis' caption, I was trying to convince myself that it was not real. but seeing them - seeing all three of them - remember liam in such a lovely way was like a knife to my heart. we can clearly see that they all love him very much and want him to be remembered as the kind soul he was. so let's remember him as such, the sweet boy who gave most of us a purpose at some point in our lives.

I'm typing this without any direction whatsoever but I hope you guys understand everything I'm saying. never in my entire life did I think I would be writing such a thing.

one direction was what led me to wattpad, I'm not sure if you know this. i found a book about louis and harry which landed me on a strange little orange website. and then, you guys know the rest.

I'm so incredibly thankful for everything one direction has done for me. liam was a part of something I loved more than myself and I'll forever love him for that. I'm so sad that he wasn't able to get the help he needed and redeem himself but I hope he's at peace now. he was so talented and kind but the industry was so cruel to him, the world was cruel to him and I hope, in another life, he'll be able to live up to his happiest moments and cherish them for eternity. i have so much more stuff to say but I'm going to stop here for now because I'm feeling so much in the moment and it's awful.

my heart goes out to liam's family, his friends, bear, everyone he's ever worked with and everyone's who has crossed paths with him. my heart goes out to all of you, all of us who has stood by him for so long. it's valid if you feel confused right now but remember, keep a dead man's name out of your mouth if you don't have good to say about him.

if you see strangers on the internet cursing him out, invalidating what you're feeling - stay out of it. you don't have to waste your energy to prove them wrong, it's the feeling in your heart that matters. if you feel like you need someone to talk to, reach out. just remember that you're not alone and your feelings are valid.

let's all get together and grieve the boy that once gave life to all of us, he should be remembered for everything good he's done.

liam james payne, rest in peace 🤍

[dearansur]

i don't have a therapist and i'm not gonna get one in the foreseeable future so instead i'll just talk to myself on my blog like a weirdo but anyways, stream of consciousness joyce style ahead

my fear of drawing (like. outright fear that grips me and makes me unable to do anything!) is probably (99% sure) connected with my own self and how close the identity of an 'artist' is tied to my identity as a person. i'm not scared of making Bad art because i'm well aware that i'm mid at best, i don't have much going for me and i'm already grateful for the people who are nice enough to be kind to me about it. but what scares me every time is that i see Nothing. that whatever i make is empty and boring and it says Nothing, and it brings nothing, means nothing. it's the same stale ugly thing that is okay but is never good and will never be good enough for me to be comfortable in my skin and proud of it enough to say 'yeah, i draw'. and with each year passing it becomes even more embarrassing to identify myself with anything artistic because clearly, i'm not. in those 10+ years of drawing i have reached nothing and god i have known people who have started the same time as me or later and who are thriving while i continued to stagnate after reaching my peak back in 2020. that was the last time i made anything that at least felt good.

surprisingly, i even miss the early days when i kept feeling like shit because i was dependent on my friends praising me but still could just make stuff that was fun and cringe back in 2013-2014. i was unhappy a lot of times but at least i let myself fail and be free and just do little stuff without the care in the world.

and then i had to rely on art to survive because i dropped out of university (being suicidal and depression is kinda tough when your family hates your guts for it and doesn't want to accommodate or help). i would later find an irl non-art job that would last me some months and then go back to live on commissions, and that was enough to live just above poverty line but at least i wasn't chained ot an office life or in retail. and now working this Normal Job for 7+ months i resigned from art once again completely, because well! i have no time! i'm not an artist anymore, it's over!

i still don't know how i got work in that project and still feel like they asked me to work with them because i didn't ask much in terms of pay and frankly, i do feel embarrassed of how badly i did that job, even if i tried really hard. but when i look at what i make, i feel like charging any money for it is absolutely obscene and i'm a fraud.

considering it's the only job i have ever done professionally art wise and never worked on any other projects, i'm more than sure that it was a lucky coincidence that shouldn't have happened to me but did nonetheless.

i keep making stupid ugly mistakes that a professional or at least a person with 10+ years of experience shouldn't be making and it infuriates me so much because it only fuels my belief that it's not for me, that i'm forcing it, that i should simply let it go and stop embarrassing myself at my big age by pretending to play an artist online. i have nothing to offer and it's pathetic to watch, especially 'competing' with teens who are simply having fun while i'm tearing my hair over not being good enough and not making anything worthwhile or that i can show to someone without regret or shame

it's simply. so fucking scary to look at what you built of yourself for years and what you relied on to prove that you have a place in this world and that you're not a waste of space who doesn't deserve to live, only to see that you have built absolutely nothing, and all that effort to prove you have worth means nothing too. i can't do anything well, even the things that i do best.

it all circles back to the people who are my complete opposite and who chewed me and spit me out with disgust and who are living their best lives while i'm struggling to not lose my mind, and it only makes me feel like they were in the right and they should have treated me worse and be even meaner and rub their superiority in my face harder so i would never dare to imagine we could be close or that i could be seen as a person to them. truth to be told, i should have just offed myself instead of whining so much but i have known i'm a coward for years so i will just pity myself and wallow in my missed opportunities and my inherent vices.

i used to want to be seen and understood and praised and validated for what i am and how i feel, but in the last years i simply don't care to be seen, i want to be gone and closed off and for no one to touch me or talk to me because i have Nothing to talk about, nothing to share, and i want no one to see or be close to me because it doesn't matter anymore. i don't believe it's possible for me to connect to anyone in a real way and i'm content with superficial surface level contacts with people (until i'm hit with a nasty realization that i'm no one's closest friend and no one considers me their first option and it should be fine because i put zero effort in being anyone's friend and yet it stings).

god i truly lost the thread of what i was rambling about. but what i can clearly see is that i'm losing whatever scraps i called 'self' and that with each passing day i become less a 'person' and more of a ghost i always thought i was and that i can't handle even people i like so i escaped from all online spaces that aren't tumblr (bc i don't talk to anyone here) and telegram (which i use to communicate at work and with my 3 irl friends). i'm ignoring people's messages and feel like shit and all i can say in my defense is that i'm scared and it sounds so stupid and pathetic. i fear getting older and still being nothing and meaning nothing and regretting not offing myself when i was depressed enough because now i have cats i take care of and i can't just leave them. for fuck's sake.

[imsparky2002]

Akuma Park - Nath runs Hollywood.

(Nathaniel is looking at a TikTok as Kim and Sabrina walk up to him.)

Kim: Hey, Nathaniel? There's this rumor going around that you... like run Hollywood or something?

(The artist looks annoyed and confused.)

Nathaniel: What?

Kim: I told Sabrina that it's just kids being dumb and she shouldn't listen to stuff like that...

(He pauses and looks sheepish)

Kim: But... we do have this sweet idea for a buddy-cop movie about a monkey and dog. We've got the first 20 pages written down, so... you don't really run Hollywood, right?

Nathaniel: I'm not even going to justify that with a response, because repeating a derogatory slur even for the purpose of refuting it can make stupid people think it's valid!

(He storms off.)

Kim:... Holy shit, Nathaniel runs Hollywood.

Sabrina: Yeah, and you fucked up the pitch!

Kim: What?! How'd I fuck up the pitch?!

Sabrina: You gotta tell him what the stakes are.

Kim: It's a dog and monkey as cops!

(Later, Nathaniel and Chloe are sitting in front of Principal Nora, who looks absolutely furious.)

Principal Nora: Miss Bougeois, did you or did you not tell students at this school that Nathaniel runs Hollywood?

Chloe: I think I said that, yes.

Principal Nora: And why would you say such an intolerant, offensive thing like that?!

(The girl simply shrugs.)

Chloe: Somebody has to run it.

Nathaniel: LOTS OF PEOPLE RUN HOLLYWOOD!

Chloe: Yes! Lots of people.... like Nathaniel.

Principal Nora: Miss Bougeois! You are on dangerous frickin ground here, kid!

Chloe: Look, what is so offensive about saying he runs Hollywood. Hollywood's great. Jews should be honored to be in charge of it.

(Nora pounds the desk.)

Principal Nora: HEY! I am telling you right now, Chloe. The next time anyone says anything about Nathaniel running Hollywood, that person is gonna have two months detention!

Chloe: Jesus, Mary Mother Full of Grace. You guys really take this seriously.

Marinette is still Kyle, but I wanted to give Nathaniel a moment. Also introducing Nora as PC Principal. Thanks to @artzychic27 and @msweebyness. Based off of this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9-CO5HQm90

[usedpidemo]

Do you think K-pop concert ticket prices are too expensive now? What do you think should be the threshold, and what can be done to give all fans, whether casual or diehard, a great experience?

I could go on an entire rant/tangent on what I think concerts as a whole should be like, but it would be the length of a regular fic, so I'll spare you every issue and thought I have about them. I've only been to one concert in my whole life, so I don't have the experience or depth that other concertgoers have, but let's just say the streaming and COVID economy fucked up everything.

Prices: I believe the terrible royalties from streaming, as well as the increased demand for live shows in general has caused these ticket prices to skyrocket. Like you can't just buy a ticket for a decent seat for less than $70 now, that shit only gives you nosebleed seats. Not to mention the deliberate collusion of scalpers by ticketing sites. Those resale tickets and third parties directly cooperate with Ticketmaster so they can punch a bit more money from consumers. And don't even get me started with Dynamic Pricing and those terrible service fees. I'm fortunate enough to live in a country where such things don't exist, but with HYBE openly expressing their intention to enable dynamic pricing and finding alternatives in places where it's not available, you can bet they'll find a way to punch up the prices too.

I understand why they charge this much. Fans will go out to see their favorite artist, regardless of how much they complain about it. FOMO. You don't know if they'll come back to your country or city, or when. Not to mention, the typical K-pop concert is a much grander production than, say, your average pop star. You got backup dancers, large stages, numerous costume changes, sometimes a live band, and of course, multiple members with dozens of staff managing a group. Concerts are the biggest revenue/income drive now for a majority of artists because of how music is distributed today, so they have to break even. Doing world tours are costly; consider the VISA and other costs on a country-to-country basis. No wonder they'd rather tour the US and Japan only to save a few thousand dollars.

It's difficult to gauge the threshold because popularity and demand is fickle, especially in K-pop. However, if there has to be a limit, I personally would stop at around $1000-sub range. There's not a damn singer or artist on planet earth, dead or alive, that's worth over a $1000 ticket. Even MJ. The economy isn't looking good, inflation keeps jumping year by year, and concerts have become basically rich people havens too.

Personally, I do think it'll eventually die out. There's a touring oversaturation right now that it dries people out and we have to pick and choose who we want to attend.

There's a few things I really want to see happen in the future, ideally:

• Rookies shouldn't be pricier than their seniors. I don't care if its NewJeans, IVE, or Le sserafim, they really shouldn't be more expensive than say, a 3-4 year old group. It's ridiculous how NMIXX and IVE were more expensive than The Boyz or ATEEZ.

• Announcing ticket sale literally right after the tour announcement. This is something I absolutely hate. Why are you selling tickets for a show six-eight months away like two weeks after announcing it? Fucking insane! It gives us little to no prep time to gather up resources and plan accordingly. Also, what if something happens that causes a concert to be canceled or delayed? It'll be much harder for us to get refunds back, which is exactly why they pull this shit off. Normalize selling tickets at most two months-a month before the show.

• Make the ticket prices worth it. This is my biggest gripe with concerts, more than the prices: that you're basically paying for the seats and nothing else. I'm not gonna lie, I likely wouldn't have gone out to my one and only concert if I wasn't guaranteed anything else besides a nice seat. Pre-pandemic, the price of the ticket I bought would have given me a group/solo pic with the group and some other cool perks like maybe signed merch. Now? Most concerts give you the show and nothing more. You have to justify paying that hefty tag beyond just a close view of your favorite artist. I remember when pop stars like Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and The Weeknd had photo-ops before the show for those VIP tivkets. COVID ruined all of that. It's such a damn shame, because at best, you're getting soundcheck, which I'm not fond of, in my opinion. It forces people to bait for interactions and not enjoy themselves during the show cuz they aren't guaranteed artist engagement (though this won't really change anything if we're being real lol). I personally would be a lot more comfortable and have a greater time if I knew I could greet them before or after the show instead of trying too hard to get their attention.

[sixthwater]

Content Creation & Consumption

Disclaimer: since it's hard to read tone over text, this should read pretty neutral. I'm passionate about the idea in general, but I want this to be seen as an informative piece? Or a thought piece. Comfort or Reassurance? It's not supposed to seem aggressive, that's the point. Anyway, I hope it's helpful in some way.

Once again, I've been sitting on these thoughts for a while and they haven't left, so I have to spit them out somewhere (and actually I did! but they're still around-), so here I am. I've seen some weird takes in regard to content creators lately, in a lot of places not just here. So I want to talk about platforms, creator-consumer relations, and the like while courage the cowardly dog plays in the background.

Creator & Consumer

One of the main issues that will be reoccurring is: seeing content creators as non-human. What I mean by that is they're sometimes viewed as content farms which is insulting and frustrating honestly. Before I continue, creators absolutely should have something to deliver for the consumer. They kinda can't just expect people to always support or donate to them without anything in return (that would be ~exploitation~). It reminds me of an artist (who I forgot please if you know who I'm talking about let me know so I can source it) who explained the process behind their album making: "Let's say the album has ten songs. I make eight for them, two for me." So it's like a present for them and self-serving for the artist. It's also a bit of knowing what the public wants and being able to balance doing what you want and "performing". However expecting them to perform and do all of their services and beyond? For free? All the time? Is kind of pushing it. They have every right to charge for their service or ask for support/donations of some kind to keep their 'business' going. They always say two things: never make your passion a full time job, or make sure you truly love what you do for your job so you don't begin to hate it. Both are true. Recent times have made this issue so grey and blurry but turning your hobby into your work is a risk because what do you turn to when you need a destresser now? It's possible to achieve a new balance but it takes a while to figure that out, which is why support and kind words are so important in the beginning.

I grew up on the internet, I have been here for a long time. I have also made loads of different stuff under different aliases while being here. I will never forget what it feels like to hear people's reaction to my creations in a viewing room. Hearing hushed reactions to my stuff. Knowing that people come back to my pieces as a source of comfort. I still remember the usernames of people who left feedback on my old content and the way they talked -- it made my day seeing a notification from them since they became 'regulars' in a way. Support does not need to be money. Knowing that I wasn't merely throwing my stuff into the void, but people were consuming it and enjoying it, someone was actively waiting for new stuff from me -- it made me motivated and excited to make more stuff on top of how much I enjoyed my hobbies. Creators aren't joking when they say it matters and they remember you.

Lately thank you's have become pretty rare and it's just become a request without a please even, barely an acknowledgment to the previous work, which is a whole other issue but I digress. Please show support to your favorite creator if you like their work, I assure you it makes their day a little better lol.

Platforms

Not to be negative but every platform sucks for creators. That's just the truth. Some have more benefits, but at the end of the day it's a business so they still have to put themselves before the creator so the website can stay up for the creator to profit off of it. Which is why it's so important for the consumer to carry some sort of weight (support) for the creator to keep shining. I shouldn't have to explain much about how Youtube has slowly gone down the drain in reference to creator preference. Most of it's creators are now relying on Patreon which is actually pathetic considering how Youtube started out. However, it's not like Patreon is a golden website for creators either. There's a reason why there are so many Ko-fi VS Patreon articles, but those two just come down to which one you prefer. I assure you they're hell of a lot better than Etsy, at least currently (it's pretty bad if the original creator makes a tweet against you). I know a lot of people usually speak to Tumblr's shitty system, but a good amount of well known artists on Twitter started off here. During the 'Twitter meltdown', a good lot of them mentioned going back to Tumblr, remember. Before the weird 'no reblogging' phase that started in 2017/2018?? Getting eyes on your stuff here was pretty easy. The only thing these sites have in common is that they're unreliable for artists or content creators, and consumers are so helpful for them. If you pay attention to intros/outros for youtubers, they've become more extensive over the years right? It's because of their algorithm. It used to just be if you liked it, subscribe. Oh likes help, give it a like. Comments now help: okay give it a like and a comment to help maybe throw me a boost into landing in their good graces? Oh you guys suddenly aren't getting notifs that's fine: Give A Like, Comment, Hit the Notif Bell, and subscribe if you like :). Literally none of the platforms are actually supportive of creators. Consumers are though, they are always the ones we're thankful for because like, you're the one reading/watching our stuff. If you didn't spread or interact with our stuff it's kind of game over for us since there's really no clear answer with these sites. However I guess if anyone ever cared about people pursuing the path that was fairly walked then the starving artist trope wouldn't be a trope then would it.

That's it. A little quick thought that's been sitting with me and if you want to add something then feel free? I like talking. Obviously lol.

[lilith-vodkaaunt-of-demons]

Hard disagree. This is the same as people saying commissions shouldn't cost as much as they do, when in reality, they're usually worth MORE than the artist often charges. Should ALL $60 games be $60? Absolutely not, but there are some games that absolutely earn that price tag, and to go even farther, there are some games that honestly should cost MORE than $60. Game Devs deserve to get paid just as much as any other creator.

it should be illegal for a game to still be $60 after being out for 4 years

[berlinini]

I think the problem is that his team doesn’t believe in him.

I remember at the beginning of the last year, when walls was released, some fans said that they talked with his manager and he told them that they didn’t do a lot of promo because they thought walls wouldn’t do well on the charts.

Same in the documentary they didn’t believe this festival will happen and Louis was so so so sure that it will happen.

They don’t know what capable Louis is of and that is so frustrating.

Oh, that is FOR SURE what is happening. LTHQ is my villain origin story.

You can see it clearly in the documentary, when Louis is sitting down with Matt Vines to talk about the festival (the sequence where Louis wears his blue cap and white football jersey, after Mexico). The tension... Louis' body language is everything: he's not looking at Matt for one second, he seems super tense and sad, he's smoking in a nervous manner. I think it's very telling - he's far from being his carefree, chippy self like he is around others.

Then there's the interview bit, Louis says the following:

Early on I piled the pressure onto my manager, Matt, and I’m like ‘if nothing else happens this year, this is got to happen this year’ and I said 'I’m gonna be reminding you every single time I speak to you' and every time I did, I put the pressure on him because I could just feel how amazing it’s gonna be.

A bit later, we come back to footage of the meeting and this happens:

Cameraman: Is there a probably that it won’t happen?

L: Well fucking yeah (laughs)(...)

Matt: That it won’t happen? Yeah, there’s every possibility that it won’t happen...

L: When it happens, not if; it will happen, I just got a good feeling about it.. ugh…. It’s just gonna be a really special night (...)

I think there's a lot of things that Louis communicated through the documentary, either directly or indirectly. The quote above is direct - he's showing he was so enthusiastic with the idea of the festival that he told Matt he would gently harass him until they made it happen. Underlying, he is saying that Matt didn't jump on board the moment he heard the idea, didn't start moving water and earth to make it happen, which is what you should be doing if you're Louis Tomlinson's manager. Because Louis has a strong fanbase and it was clear that the event would be a success on its own (COVID permitting). Because if you're an artist's manager, your job is to make your client shine and give them as many opportunities as possible. So with that quote, Louis also said: my manager is shit and I have to harass him to make him do his fucking job.

Their interaction about whether it would happen is also very telling. Why would Louis, who is the most optimistic person there is, who always gets up after being put down, work with someone who has as little faith as Matt? If Louis says "not if, but when it happens", shouldn't the person who is in charge of his career be on the same wavelength? Shouldn't that person also say: no matter what comes up, we'll do everything we can so it happens. Why would Louis work with someone who doesn't believe in his full potential?

Why is it that Louis always says that his strength and determination comes from his fans? Like we're the only ones who believe in him? Why on earth does he feel like he doesn't deserve to be where he is and is always surprised by the support he receives from us? For me it's clear as day that people around him have worked very hard at undermining his career and his confidence, and I absolutely believe his team, including his useless manager, is part of that.

I think there's a reason why the last thing Louis says in the documentary is: "If I've got these lot behind me, who the fuck is gonna stop us?"

The fans have been here all along and the support he's received is the reason he never gave up. I think Louis is building back his confidence and the fact that everything that he does goes beyond his (and everyone's) expectations because of the fans is showing him that if he's got the mindset and the willpower, and our support, he can make it, no matter who in the industry is working so hard against him, or how little the people supposedly working for him actually work. There's a reasons he made this whole festival by himself...."Together we’re unstoppable!"

[unconditionally-bella-love-light]

Freedom of Speech

is a Human Right

By Chris Hearn (source)

Lately, freedom of speech seems to be under siege by illiberal forces that can't seem to handle that humans should have rights, and it should be cause for alarm.

Lets be clear - no, we will never have absolute freedom to say whatever we want whenever. That isn't achievable. We know this. BUT, that doesn't mean we should look for new ways to curb our freedom of speech or celebrate when freedom of speech is infringed upon.

It is important to maintain freedom of speech as much as possible. This is to the benefit of everyone, including those who are so quick to give it up.

Of course there will be unsavory speech that will make some absolutely cringe. But, what does one achieve by "banning" speech, or infringing on the rights of others to freely express themselves? And what makes those wanting to give up freedom of speech and expression so quickly think that everything they say is okay and won't be affected by this? There really is an arrogance about thinking that curtailing freedom of speech will only affect the "bad guys" and not good people like them.

The thing is, when people do go down the road of infringing on freedom of speech, where exactly will it end? How does one determine the limits of what speech is acceptable and what isn't? Who decides in our societies what is and what isn't acceptable to say? Who should be put in charge of that? And what guidelines will they use? It could just keep creeping and creeping, constantly enveloping more and more speech. The urge to do that must be curbed. Protecting as much speech as possible is the best way to go. Yes, this IS a slippery slope we are looking at.

Personally, I consider myself a liberal. My first true understanding of the concept of free speech came with the Salman Rushdie "Satanic Verses" controversy in 1988. After publishing a book deemed by some Muslims to be blasphemous, a fatwa was issued by Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran, calling for Rushdie's death. The writer had to go into hiding for 10 years after that fatwa. Millions of Muslims took to the streets to call for his execution. It scared the crap out of me. How on earth could all of this happen over a book??

And yet, despite the fact that Rushdie had to go into hiding and had his life threatened, there were those who claim to be Western liberals who actually felt that Rushdie was at fault and shouldn't have written such an inflammatory book. They were willing to throw both Rushdie and freedom of speech under the bus. Even Prince Charles pulled the, "Well, he insulted something people strongly believe in, soooo..." blame the victim game.

We now live in the digital age. So much of our communication as a species is done online, and specifically on a handful of platforms, like Facebook and Twitter. A heck of a lot of power has been consolidated into a few major corporations who now can override governments when it comes to freedom of speech and expression. The threat to freedom of speech is not as much from the government, but from the private sector, from these companies that transcend borders and have immense power. They are even controlling what governments or political leaders are allowed to say and not say online, including Donald Trump. That is concerning, and has governments and leaders, like Angela Merkel, rightly criticizing social media companies.

Over and over, writers, artists, academics will call for curtailments of freedom of speech. And it makes no sense. These are people that rely on freedom of speech and expression to do their jobs. They are only shooting themselves in the foot when they rail against this freedom.

The ease at which some are willing to give up on the concept of free speech, and even just want to hand it over and get rid of it is astonishing. And the thing is, when that happens, it isn't just those people who are willing to toss it aside that are affected. We are ALL affected each and every time freedoms are curtailed. All of us.

[thefirsthogokage]

First of all, I will address the "stolen art" problem; you don't have to use an ALMS trained on stolen art. FULL STOP. You personally, can get an untrained ALMS, and train it on art that you yourself ethically provide (potentially even your own art). Problem solved. People act like the "free mainstream" versions that everyone is complaining about are the only way for the technology to work.

Companies sure as hell wouldn't get an untrained one. Because that way, they'd have to deal with people that they might have to pay and make contrast with. They don't want to do that, that's why some of the things that are going down are going down. Yeah, artists might do it, and disabled artists might do it to continue their work. But companies? Not those soulless monsters.

Now for the "cutting corners will lower pay"; do digital artists get less pay than physical medium artists? I don't think so (in comparative fields).

Yes. They do. I don't understand why you think they don't. Ask someone who paints digital art. Say they charge $60 for it. You think someone who uses physical paints, canvases, who doesn't have the ability to hit "undo," and spends hours more time would charge the same amount? In what universe?

What I'm saying is that this should be treated no different than simulation programs in CGIFX, no one lost jobs over it, no one even cared, things that used to take weeks to months now take hours.

No, it shouldn't. Yes, people will lose jobs over it, and have. And yes, people are certainly caring. You're not even making a proper comparison. CGI simulation is not the same as AI "art," something that people are taking credit for as their own when it isn't. A simulation is never something someone calls their own art.

You seem to be under the misinterpretation that I am against regulation; I am not.

I am not under that interpretation at all. I'm under the interpretation that you're not understanding what I'm saying. We could be having very different frames of reference for what we've seen ai be used for though, and I can admit that. But we are also not seeing eye to eye in other places, and I think that's because in some areas, their might be an interpretation problem.

This technology should absolutely be regulated out of the hands of corporate. It should be "just another tool" to be used at the artist's discretion.

To what extent and for what? Because this is where our communication problem is happening. I don't think that anyone has really come up with a satisfactory scenario in which ai can be applied to in a way that doesn't take jobs out of physical artists hands. People that can do the art or pay to do the art. Even if it's something small, it's still still a job worth doing by someone who knows how to do it and LIKES doing it.

Those people who specialize in the tasks the ai can do? If they put out a superior (emotional resonance counts) product, then they will become sought-after; like that one drone camera pilot that all of Hollywood wants as "the guy" instead of using a digital simulated drone cam.

Is that first sentence worded the way you meant it to be? Because it doesn't entirely feel like it goes with the rest of the paragraph unless you meant to type "specialize in the tasks the ai can't do?". And if that's what you meant to say, then regarding the "emotionally resonate" part ... I just... Look, AI will never produce something that emotionally resonates more than labor by a human being. But corporations don't care - or they won't care soon enough for thousands of people to not lose their jobs - about things created through humans generating real human emotions as long as they can cut labor that puts more money in their pocket. And what job are the ai specialists doing that a human can't do in art that makes it so they aren't taking a job from someone such as a CGI programmer or a visual effects department or a painter of backgrounds? I'm struggling to figure one out.

Like, "this is what the strike is about"; No it's not.

HELLO! I reread my post TWICE to see where I used this phrase. I don't. The closest I could find is something you took out of context:

"But it's not just another tool. And yes, corporations would find the artists cutting corners by using AI art as a reason to decrease their pay. 100%. That's their thing. That's part of what this strike is about - streamers taking advantage of no regulations of streaming pay and residuals to give the writers (and as we're seeing, actors) as little pay as they think the can get away with."

Maybe you are misunderstanding my use of the work "art" I also mean it to including ai generated writing. And that very much is an issue in this strike, not "the" issue. Never in this post did I say it was THE issue. Reread this section again. It actually looks like I failed to even connect streamers using art ("art" as in writing in this case) to cut corners and pay with the second part of that paragraph that syas "that's what part of the strike is about" I should have said "another big part is..."

This strike is about not allowing the corpos to replace writers with AI, [right, and I said that] not eliminating the existence of the technology [I guess it sounds like I'm saying that while its technically not what they said, but the things they outlined seem like there should be very little room for use in the field, and with their outlines, I honestly can't imagine where it could be used. (tumblr post incase that tweet deletes)] . As for the other half of the strike, residual payment has nothing to do with "the artist used [x] tool/application in the process so they get less pay." [Right, and I didn't make that connection. The connection I was making was that companies cut corners to make themselves more money. I genuinely think you might have accidentally misread this part.]

And as you suggested, listening to people in the applicable fields who actually have experience working with these tools instead of against them, the potential benefits are great, and the downfalls can be controlled by regulation.

Not actually what I suggested. I'm suggesting talking to the people who have already had their jobs taken by ai, in art and other areas. "Working with these tools instead of against them." Ok, I'm listening:

[Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, which he created] also admitted the impact that AI could have on the economy, including the likelihood that AI technology could replace some jobs, leading to layoffs in certain fields.

"There will be an impact on jobs. We try to be very clear about that," he said, adding that the government will "need to figure out how we want to mitigate that". (source)

Right, and regulation is totally going to happen quickly and efficiently and perfectly in this country. Totally.

Also, I'm sure these people that work with them will all have a totally unbiased opinion on whether or not they will be taking people's jobs. But you're also welcome to respond with articles or first hand accounts from any of these people working with these "tools" to prove your point. Again, I'm not seeing much benefit in the art world.

...Where we differ is that you think that means that every aspect of the technology should be burned and forgotten,...

....Where did I say this? Are you referring to my comments about art in the industry? Ok: in that, I am fairly certain I have been saying, if I can be shown places where it can be used that are ethical, I'm for that. But people are definitely not using it ethically now. Most of them using it now in art are certainly not using it ethically. I think it might have room to be used by artists who physically no longer make their art anymore due to physical limitations due to illness, accident, or age. But the way it's generally being used now? Absolutely not. Not with all these people making free ai generated images instead of paying actual artist to do what they want. That's an area where jobs are being taken, including from disabled people who all they can do to earn money for themselves is make art. Outside of what I stated, I can't see many uses for it that doesn't do what I just said, take jobs. But if it can be proven to me there are other instances where it can be used without doing that, I'm game to listen.

while I see how it could be used to help artists as long as it is kept out of the control of the "abuse everything party".

The few ways you have listen for me I can only imagine taking jobs of specialists before they reach corporations, as far as I can tell.

Like, I understand your fear. Fear of the abuser is good. Fear of the stick because the abuser beats you with it prevents any invention involving the stick.

Well this feels like you're trying to talk down to me a bit. Which I guess some of the things I have said might also sound that way, instead of confusion at why you're saying some of the things you're saying, so you might want to return the perceived favor.

But your sentiment here is uncalled for. First, you cannot generalize all "sticks" with the ways people are using ai right now. And secondly, I'm very much not afraid here, and I have no fear of innovation through new tools, I just understand the foresight here because I've seen the elements of what people are saying is going to happen in ai projects that are already taking place. I have also linked those in other places.

I am not cowering in fear of the "stick," rather just drawing from things I've have seen elsewhere, from ai projects that are already out there, to the general population using ai generators to create things they should be paying others for, to the way that companies behave.

Once again, I hope SAG strikes too

We could lose acting, filmmaking, television as we know it.

(click for better images)

(link to post)

(link to post)

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UPDATE: THEY MIGHT!

[jerzwriter]

Pull up a chair, please. This might take a few...but before I do... just one question:

Nonny... have you ever taken the time to speak to any of the artists in our fandom about this? If you haven't then you shouldn't be speaking on it, and I'd suggest you do so.

Now, I have an aging Toyota, and my ass got in a fender bender tonight to boot. It f-ing sucks. My next-door neighbor bought a really nice BMW 7 series two months ago. It's GORGEOUS (and not dented). Personally, I think spending $100k on a car is ludicrous, and even if I had the money, I'd never spend it that way, but hey, how my neighbor spends money is their business. Still, the car is gorgeous and I would prefer it to mine. Using your logic, should steal their car tonight? Because, yk I really want it! But I can't afford it. So... why not?

Honestly, it's the same thing - and before you say it's not - it is. See my question above again... talk to real artists. They can give you real-life examples.

Art can be expensive - but you know what? That's how some people are putting themselves through school. Or help their families put food on the table or pay for the roof over their kid's head. But now, their livelihood will be taken away from them. What do you do for a living, nonny? I hope it's not something you can be replaced by, but if it happens to you, then maybe you'd understand. If that day should come, I hope you have people who will fight for you and support you, even if you can't see fit to do the same for others now.

If you want real art more inexpensively, reach out to artists. Some may be willing to work with you. Some newer artists can be less expensive. Or see if you can trade-off? A friend of mine utilizes student artists from a local community college, and she gets beautiful work - much better than the robotic, soulless AI shit - and they charge her such ridiculously low rates, she tends to give them double (and no, she's not rich). You can obtain art without hurting others, but it might take some effort.

One other suggestion: many blogs run events where commissions are raffled off to participants. Fandom artists often run giveaways. I know that Lily, Dani & I have all done that ourselves, and I plan to do more. But honestly, I'm not sure I'd be comfortable giving the prize to someone who utilizes AI.

And I know Lily well enough to know she'd never make anything unsafe for anyone. She's entitled to her opinion on AI as much as you're entitled to yours... but yours absolutely DOES hurt artists. Think on that.

I have see your takes on AI art and I want to say that as someone that is never going to be able to afford art AI art provides me with a means of having art. Its a creative outlet for many of us and you are making this fandom unsafe for those of us that use AI as our medium of choice. We dont all have money to throw away on commissions.

Where to start anon, where to fuckin start?!!

So you can’t afford art? And your answer is to utilize technology that steals it from others?! Anon! Do ya hear yourself talking?

I am perfectly well aware that not everyone is in a position to afford art. That does not give you the right to steal it. Try creating it for yourself. Utilize the incredible generosity of artists that offer to draw requests (y’all artists that offer that have my whole heart). Or ya know? Just don’t steal and call it okay.

Next up: It’s your medium of choice? I’m absolutely flabbergasted at this ask (and I get some doozies). You can’t call it a medium if it’s not art. You aren’t creating anything at all! It’s not art! So how the fuck is it your medium of choice? It’s! Not! Art!

Finally, my dear anon, if you think me spending money in support of artists is throwing money away, we have nothing left to say to each other. Please go away and please, for the love of all that is good in life, block me!!