#anti LO

[maddness-time-bby]

I hope op knows how correct they are and both sides of their pillow are cold tonight and many nights more

[adorable-pink-cinnamon-roll]

Thought I'd start things off with a lil doodle. (˶^▿^˶)

[mythsandheather]

When the super problematic creator + their equally nasty project that’s stuffed with toxic messages, weird kinks and bad writing that you’ve been aware of for years finally starts getting open criticism on mass and you can finally voice your own frustrations and experiences without the fear of rampant harpy stans trying to hunt you for sport

[sharkodude]

I’ve had this in the back of my head for a while, but I’ve finally mustered the will to draw this.

[handsoffmysquirrel]

Y'know what I do not blame Demeter whatsoever for acting the way she did at the trial, because wdym my own daughter just nominated the man who's hated me for years as my defense attorney.

[moony-2001]

A star is born 🌟

I just had to redesign Hera’s fertility goddess form. In all ways possible, I wanted her to be opposite of Kronos, hence the total makeover.

I based her color palette off of a neutron star! Neutron stars are technically dead stars and she was “dead” there for a minute so I figured that would go hand in hand.

Hope you like my redesign (click for better resolution) ✨

[that-guy-in-the-chiton]

The Stolen Bride

[heavenlybrat220]

*points to hades* fuck you

*points to persephone* fuck you

*points to hera* fuck you

*points to minthe and demeter* you're cool

*points to apollo* and fuck you

[pomegranatepomp]

I love giving her pearls, idk what Hades was on when he turned her down

Original panel under the cut;

[justmenoworries]

Daphne, Echo and Psyche are Class Traitors

LO makes it no secret that nymphs and mortals aren't well treated by the gods.

Mortals are seen as resources first, people second, if at all. If a god commits mass murder, almost no one really cares. It's only a problem if the deity in question didn't get permission from Zeus beforehand.

And sometimes, not even then.

Nymphs and satyrs meanwhile are second-class citizens. Most gods and goddesses talk about them as if they're expendable and lesser.

This ever-present racism has greatly affected the nymph community. Many nymphs suffer from internalized racism, down to trying to hide their more nymphish features like pointy ears. And the more "nymph-like" a nymph is, the lower her standing, even among her own people.

A god brutalizing a nymph or satyr or even killing them isn't a big deal. Persephone can turn Minthe into a mint plant and her only punishment is having to turn her back. Apollo forces Daphne to turn herself into a tree and it's rarely mentioned after. Persephone can vandalize Leuce's home and threaten her and gets rewarded with sex by her husband. Hades can tear out Alex's eye and leave him half-dead, Hera can turn a satyr motel owner into an animal and no one bats an eye.

Nymphs are acceptable as casual hook-ups and fetishised, but a god dating or marrying a nymph is largely frowned upon.

So you'd think Psyche, Daphne and Echo, the only people in the main cast who are from these lower classes, would shine a light on this constant discrimination. Maybe even speak up or do something about it, seeing as all of them are good friends and/or in relationships with powerful gods and are therefor in a unique position to affect positive change from the inside.

But they never do.

After the trial, Minthe's plantification and that Persephone was the perpetrator becomes public knowledge. Yet Daphne never calls Persephone out for what she's done to Minthe. Which is weird, because Daphne of all people should know what it feels like to lose your bodily autonomy as the direct result of a god's wrath.

Daphne knows what it's like to have been assaulted by a god, yet be unable to speak up about it.

Yet when Persephone does this exact thing, using her privilege as a god to threaten a member of the lower/working class, right in front of Daphne, Daphne says nothing. She doesn't even acknowledge it.

Tori did not deserve to be threatened and harassed for something that happened over ten years ago and wasn't even entirely his fault. Hades beat his roommate half to death, then tore his (the roommate's) eye out over a minor slight done to Persephone. Tori had no idea Persephone didn't know of it and didn't tell Hades to do that. So of course he'd assume Persephone did what gods always do: take extremely dispropotionate revenge on someone who can't fight back.

You know.

Like she's doing right now.

Daphne should recognize the pattern. She should realize her friend is on her way to become just as bad as goddesses like Hera and Aphrodite. But she doesn't stand up for Tori, nor does she have a talk with Persephone about her behavior afterwards.

Apparently whatever was on her phone was more important than showing solidarity towards a fellow victim of the gods' systemic abuse and racism.

In fact, the only time Daphne is shown getting mad at and calling out bigotry, it's on behalf of Persephone.

And even that is quickly forgotten when she decides to date and "fix" the guy who was basically calling her friend a slur.

Daphne's sense of justice is extremely self-centered. She would rather cozy up to the powerful than consistently call them out on their shit.

Echo is arguably worse.

Despite knowing what it's like to have your arm twisted by a god to serve them

she does absolutely nothing when her employer takes extremely disproportionate vigilante justice on a satyr. She even sells him out and stays quiet when Hera calls him by a very derogatory name beforehand.

Like Daphne with Tori, Echo barely acknowledges what was done to this poor guy. She just leaves him there, unable to speak, robbed of his previous life forever, while she saunters off into the sunset with the goddess that did this to him.

When almost the same thing happens to Daphne later, Echo is visibly horrified and distraught. The wanton cruelty of the gods has finally turned on someone she personally knows and cares about. Does this lead to some sort of heel-realization about Hera and her previous actions?

Nope!

Echo never calls Hera on her violent acts against the lower class or her constant racist remarks. Instead she starts dating her. The goddess who is notorious for hating nymphs and only made an exception for Echo because she considers her "one of the good ones".

Last but not least, we have Psyche. The mortal woman who was forcibly turned into a nymph, then had to serve the perpetrator for who knows how many years. During which she wasn't allowed to tell the man she loved it was her.

Prior to this, Aphrodite had planned to have Eros curse Psyche for the crime of being more beautiful than her.

Psyche is well aware that the lives of mortals mean nothing to the gods. They will ruin or end them on a whim.

And in all that time spent as Aphrodite's involuntary nymph attendant, I bet she got a taste of how much life sucks for nymphs on Olympus.

She also realized instantly what sort of man Apollo was, due to her own experiences at the mortal royal court. Even tried to expose him, but unintentionally set the train of events in motion that ends in Daphne being forced to go into hibernation to escape Apollo.

Still, this act establishes her as a hero to the working class, who express unflinching support for her. Because she's done what so many people on Olympus won't or are too afraid to do: she tried to make a god suffer consequences for acts of violence against someone on a lower rung of the social ladder.

But Psyche's activism begins and ends with Apollo.

She never gets to find out what Aphrodite was planning for her and she never gets to call Aphrodite out for years of indentured servitude. She never expresses shock or horror at Eros comitting mass murder after they broke apart.

Even her trying to expose Apollo and make him pay for his crimes is hijacked by Zeus.

Her arc culminates in her becoming part of the One Percent. And she doesn't use her new position to advocate for mortals like she used to be or to protect them. She never expresses support for nymphs or speaks up against the prejuidice they face, despite having been privy to them as Ampelus for years.

She just happily assimilates into the pantheon and has a perfect little family with Eros. The god who kidnapped her and had her locked up for who knows how long.

No need to try and change the system, now that she got her happy ending.

TL;DR Daphne, Psyche and Echo could have been more than the token minority friends/girlfriends. But they weren't.

Their only purpose in this story is to be sidekicks to the gods and godesses who hate and continuously abuse people like them.

All three of them sold their fellow working class people out so they could advance and then never looked back.

[aj-thegreatest]

Why Persephone and Minthe are (or could've been) Perfect Foils:

I’m starting this off with 3 things: 1) This’ll be less of an essay and more of a ramble, so apologies if this is messy! 2) I’m framing this as a “what if this was written in a non misogynistic way,” and less(?) based on canon. And 3) If an essay like this already exists…oops!

Ok. So we can all generally agree that Persephone and Minthe, as love rivals, function as foils for each other. Persephone is the sweet, young, and naive girl who doesn’t know what sex is. Minthe is the mature, sexy, and stone cold older woman who’s too sexually active. 

They both villainize and hurt each other, ignoring the man who’s actually perpetuating their suffering. The story makes it seem like they’re completely opposed characters, with Persephone being the “better” one. And to an extent, that’s true. 

But I think we could dive deeper! And away from Hades! Because he sucks!

If we compare Persephone and Minthe’s lives and how they view each other, you could make a strong case for them being foils. It’d honestly be brilliant if they reconciled in a meaningful way, BUT-

Let’s start with the basics: while Persephone grew up with an attentive mother, Minthe grew up largely ignored by hers. Persephone grew up around a supportive community, with most of her needs met. And while we only see a peek into Minthe’s childhood, it can be inferred those needs were not easily met. Minthe had to provide for herself, shown by her jobs before Underworld Corp. 

Meanwhile, a lot of Persephone’s opportunities were “handed” to her. Artemis offers to let Persephone stay with her. She gets inducted into TGOEM without any trouble. Demeter most likely is paying for her schooling. She gets placed in Underworld Corp, despite having no experience (and out of her control. Hera what the hell). And gets paid for her internship, something she gets because of her relationship with Hades.

Minthe has continually worked for everything. Persephone hasn’t worked for any of the stuff she gets. But she wants to! Persephone so badly wants to be independent. She dreams of living on her own, dressing the way she wants, being in a relationship. And who is the first being she sees that represents all of it for her?

Minthe is the physical manifestation of everything Persephone wants to be. It’s also why she dresses like her in later seasons. And Minthe is clearly jealous of Persephone. Is it because she’s flirting with Hades? To some extent, yes. But Minthe also feels Persephone is better than her. She’s the sweet goddess who everyone loves, especially Hades’ trusted allies (Hera, Hecate, etc). 

I think if they got to know each other, they’d be envious of what the other had. Minthe would love to have a mother like Demeter: someone who took care of her and gave her what she needed. She needs a support system and people to rely on. Not a toxic friend who prays on her downfall (Thetis what the hell). 

Persephone wants a mother who won’t hover over her. Control of her life, freedom, and the ability to be her true self. Wear whatever she wants. She doesn’t want to be the kind, sweet girl all the time. She wants to have sex! After marriage apparently because uh…yeah. 

A brief deviation: Even their aesthetics are contrasts. Persephone wears white and pink, while Minthe wears reds and blacks. Minthe’s clothes are revealing and conventionally sexy. Persephone’s are cute and conventionally girly. 

Both Minthe and Persephone are stuck in roles that feel inescapable. Which are enforced by Hades, the narrative, and the fandom (at the time). Something something Madonna Whore Complex.

In an ideal story, where they equally like all the women, Minthe and Persephone would’ve reconciled. Come to some understanding of the other and grow as a result. But…that doesn’t happen. 

Really, they just switch places. Minthe becomes accepted in the Mortal Realm. She gets all the support Persephone had. While Persephone gets all the glitz and glam Minthe supposedly had. It all works out! 

…I mean, not really but-

Like Minthe barely gets mentioned at the very end. Persephone spends most of it stressed, hated by her citizens. All the things Minthe feared at the start!

But then she gets her happy ending. Isn’t this great? The character who wanted independence from her mother and everyone, ends up stuck in a marriage without truly finding herself. And with kids we, the audience, don’t know if she wanted? 

All that matters is Hades wants kids. So Persephone needs to have them. Hades wants to break up with Minthe, so she gets planted and moves from his realm. Funny how everything works out for him, right? 

This doesn’t really have an ending. All I can say is, I wish Minthe and Persephone had a chance to stand on their own. And to talk to each other without a man getting in the way…

…which is why you should read my fanfic, PomengranMints-

[adorable-pink-cinnamon-roll]

Helllooo!! Can we have some informations about your rewrite comic of LO ?? 🥺🥺

Hullo!!! Thank you for asking!! (o^▽^o)

I actually had an intro post typed out to explain all that when I made this blog, but I was confused & stupid and accidentally deleted it. TWICE lmfho. 。゜゜(´Ｏ`) ゜゜。 But I'll go ahead and give a rundown here!

For starters, it's going to be more focused on retelling the originally established story in LO itself rather than attempt to accurately portray the myths, and I have a few reasons for taking this path with it:

Several other LO rewriters (Who I have no intention whatsoever of trying to "outdo" or "compete" with, we're all just having fun with this crapshow of a comic lol) are already going this direction with their own AUs.

I have no problem with LO being myth-inaccurate fundamentally, what I have problems with is the fact that RS falsely proclaimed herself a "folklorist" and acts like she reshaped the Greek myth community through LO, which is obv just wrong. I'm not a folklorist, and I'm not trying to "subvert" Greek mythos with my rewrite.

I feel, more often than not, only the best of writers have the skill to reimagine the myths in a way that is both entertaining & original AND respectful to the og myths/authors/cultures. I'm obv nowhere near this level as a writer yet (I'm a noob on Tumblr, for Pete's sake lol), and my intention isn't sm to reimagine the myths as it is to reimagine LO itself.

To expand on that last point, I'll be using (but refining) a lot of the plotlines & characterizations originally established in the pilot eps & S1. For example, Persephone will be soft-natured & demure but assertive & independent, and her arc will be about her discovering herself within & beyond her role both as the goddess of spring AND as the queen of the underworld. As for Hades, there are A LOT of changes I'll be making to his character, and a MAJOR arc that wasn't even hinted at in LO that I'm very much looking forward to writing huehue. (・`ω´・)

I'll also still be taking the romance route, since I actually really like the initial idea and still think it had a lot of potential. HOWEVER, it will most def NOT be a thinly veiled DDLG/Humbert-Lolita/age-gap fetishizing "dark romance" where the characters involved are empty shells both in & outside of their relationship, and will never be used to villainize Demeter. (×﹏×) They'll be their own people, and their affection for each other will be a slow-burning, genuine love that develops through time & trial. But not in such a way that every moment they spend together is filled with contrived romantic/sexual tension lol, they'll just get to know, care for, & love each other at their own pace, in respective stages.

The comic itself won't be almost 300 eps long lol, just long enough to tell the overlapping story of Hades & esp Persephone, both as individuals and as a couple. That being said, I actually have a short spin-off comic planned focusing on Zeus & Hera's story bc I was just as, if not more so, dissatisfied with the way their arc panned out as the main plotline. Oddly enough, I actually have more of a firm idea/concept for the spin-off than the main comic so far (Maybe bc it's shorter? Lol) and it's... emotional af. ( ; ω ; )

As for the art, I'm still in the process of developing my own style, but it leans rather into the anime/manga side lol. Additionally, RS's early LO art mesmerizes me to this day, and I'll be attempting to fuse my budding artstyle with her pre/early/pilot LO art. Using the same brushes, textures, effects, & techniques as RS will be a challenge (Esp since I don't use Photoshop lol), but I'm highly anticipating growing as an artist through expanding my style and studying & mimicking her gorgeous art of the past out of respect & admiration. ( ´ ꒳ ` )

All in all, I'm still in the VERY early stages of conceptualizing this project (Literally, all I've got atm are concepts lmho), and it'll actually be the first time I'm putting anything like this together. (⊙_⊙') This comic & everything that comes from it will essentially be my launching pad into the art scene, an experimental endeavor to ready myself for a possibly professional career in the arts. It may be a bit odd to do, but I've discussed it with others and they agree it'll be a suitable stepping stone that I can fully enjoy creating & committing to. I'm very passionate about bringing this project into fruition, and I sincerely hope anyone who's interested in it will be pleased with what I humbly have to offer and find the closure with LO that I myself am striving for. ( ´ ▿ ` )

I apologize for the long yet vague response (I'm uselessly good at vague tangents lmho), and there are plenty of other things to say concerning my plans for this AU in store. Therefore, I'll be posting a full list of changes & parallels from LO that will be present in my comic in the near future, so stay tuned if there's any additional information you're looking for and thank you for your time & curiosity!! ＼(＾▽＾)／

[bugwolfsstuff]

Am i wrong?

I have personal beef with Ovid (IF I HAVE TO GET INTO ONE MORE ARGUMENT ABOUT MEDUSA WITH SOMEONE IM SELLING SOMEONE TO ONE DIRECTION), every time I mention him picture me saying it with the exact expression and tone as this:

[rayewixx]

Lore Olympus is like if you put Greek Mythology in a pan, mixed it with your average Melanie Martinez songs, 13 Reasons Why, Euphoria, Twilight, and Riverdale; then burn it in the Wattpad Baker 1000, and try to cover up the absolute burnt monstrosity with one of those artificial pink frosting that tastes like battery acid and piss.

[demeterdefence]

even ignoring everything else wrong with lore olympus (which in itself feels impossible) there is just something really egregious and insulting at the way a "modern retelling" over an ancient greek myth just full-heartedly whitewashes the entire culture and mythos.

and it's not like rachel is the first to do it - greek myths and legends have been whitewashed for centuries, depictions of the gods have been categorically stripped of their ethnicity and origins long before rachel got a hold of them. it's the fact that rachel goes out of her way to insult the original myths whenever she can, that she emphasizes and pushes a western-centric mindset and viewpoint over and over and over and not only reinforces the whitewashing, but continues it down the line.

like, this is the first episode.

rachel goes out of her way to mock the original styles and wardrobes of the ancient greek world, and i get her attempt was to make persephone feel "out of place" with the more "modern" clothing that the other gods wear, but it really just does more to a) demonize demeter, who is almost always in traditional clothing, b) sexualize persephone.

go even broader with it, move away from the clothing itself, and rachel doesn't even bother to use any of the ancient traditions that are core to the myths. like for the love of god, she uses a christian wedding for persephone and hades!

greece is the birthplace of modern democracy and had a powerful judicial system, and rachel instead uses the modern / western iteration of court because ... why not

(completely unrelated but the inserts of everyone except eros and aphrodite come from the stupid zoom session zeus had back when he first charged persephone with treason, meaning we have proof yet again that rachel isn't drawing the characters into the scene, she's making pngs and sticking them into pre-arranged backgrounds downloaded from stock images)

and there are ten thousand more examples i could pull, because this is just the whole entire comic. you can look at a lot of modern adaptions and see where things have been modernized respectfully, and where they are done with disdain for the source material - no one is claiming percy jackson, for example, is perfect, but the author took a great deal of care in his research, and the love for the original myths and culture shine through. lore olympus has zero respect for the original stories, exemplified in how rachel demonizes demeter - the actual crux of the myth. it's bad writing and bad research and further attempts to whitewash a rich and storied culture that had people from so many walks of life, who existed in full spectrum of lgbt identity, who did not conform or even know of the world that exists today. you can modernize without erasing it, and rachel's refusal to do so is one of the many issues tacked to lore olympus.

[moony-2001]

Some notes

Overall I wanted to put our leading ladies into mortal realm wear because why… would they be wearing modern clothes… thousands of years before they’re in fashion in the mortal realm

Métis I wanted to keep in blue since they’re opposite on the color wheel. I just made it a darker blue and since one of her symbols is an owl, I added the circles to be the eyes.

Truly they more look like the evil eye but oh well, it still looks cool

Rhea hurt me. She and Persephone are so damn similar in color and style I wanted to do a hard left. Gave her the iconic circle crown back, made her thicker, and made her hair more closely resemble a lion’s mane

I also did more of a dark teal as opposed to the more true mint I put Persephone in. Both still have pink but persephone’s is definitely baby pink vs Rhea who leans more towards white/gray

I think Rhea’s outfit is the least “ancient Greek” which does make me cringe a bit internally but I tried to mimic how the fabric would fold and crease… Greek citizens please have mercy 🙇🏼‍♀️

Oh also Rhea has what are supposed to be moss agate on the hem of her dress. Moss agate is *supposedly* what her representative gemstone is but Google is Google so grains of salt

Hera looks great in green. I really leaned into the peacock motif and gave her that spiky crown thing she normally wears (even though it’s not accurate)

It was so damn hard to hide all those ribbons

I think my edit of Hera is a little gaudy… but when in Rome I suppose

Hope you enjoy and see you next week for the finale of Lore Olympus