#because that is

[probablymoons]

if regis was a really big bat i think that would draw too much attention, but he is also large enough to kill soldiers. im proposing the traffic light effect (looks normal up high, but big next to a person)

[aaaaamorphous-entity]

People need to re-learn how to Read The Assignment in fandom spaces. This can apply to a lot of things but I’m going off of a personal experience here as well as the reactions to a character re-imagining I saw earlier tonight, which sparked this post.

I posted in a character rant board a while ago about the parallels between two characters. To remove as many variables as I can for people to use to deviate from the point of this post, I’m not telling who :p Besides, that’s irrelevant. I posted about these characters’ parallels, citing the particular pieces of the decidedly sprawling franchise they’re a part of that I had seen for my observations and commentary.

Cue what I call the Patrick Star phase.

A couple people started with what-about-isms about depictions of the characters in other parts of the franchise which weren’t included in the list I had seen. Not with the purpose to add to my point, nor to correct factually incorrect claims of which I'd made none, only to argue I didn’t Know Enough to make a point at all, I guess? The point of the post was about the characters’ parallels.

A person started nitpicking my wording (which, mind, was not incoherent nor far off from the ‘perfect’ phrasing). Instead of engaging with the spirit of what I was saying and either giving their own perspective on the one nitpicked character’s mindset, or asking for elaboration on my end, they just cited why I was ackshually wrong. The point of the post was about the characters’ parallels.

Somebody DM’d me about how using they-them pronouns for a character was actually unfair to non-English speaking fans and I should be more considerate. Which isn’t the point of this post either but still irks me to this day. Especially as a resident they-them-haver myself.

Anyways. The point of the post was about the characters’ parallels. The Assignment™ was to discuss this subject. To share one’s thoughts about it, to perhaps, kindly, engage with that point and consider it, or share why one personally can’t see it, or whatever have you.

“But what if I didn’t want that assignment?” a theoretical naysayer might ask. Then: don’t comment on that post. It isn’t for you. Coming onto that post just to tell the OP why they’re wrong or What About This part of the media they haven’t seen, or the evolution of that: 'they can’t have a developed opinion of these characters if they haven’t seen XYZ'...is all unproductive, and Not Fun.

The point of fandom to me is to have fun. To engage with the media you all share a love for and build each other up. That grows creativity, and community, and furthers character analysis and media literacy and all that good stuff (ideally speaking, anyways).

If you come onto a post with an Assignment™, only to act like the Grinch and only contribute comments that spoil the fun, then why did you even comment at all? To be right? To feel superior? To just put someone in their place?

What does that accomplish besides killing someone’s desire to engage with others in this fandom, and possibly just entirely remove their creative voice from the space? I know I’ve certainly lost the desire to engage with many in my fandom save a few curated friends because so often, people Miss The Assignment.

This applies to a character re-imagining I saw tonight (not Hazbin Hotel, and not The Point Of This Post. Y’all could stand to hear this too tho), in which the comments were all negative or nitpicky. The character in question was more or less a parody, poorly written and largely disappointing for what he and many others of his group had been built up to be.

The OP had to take a lot of creative liberties to make him into an actual character, instead of a vindictive author’s joke. They still went to the effort of tying in themes and design choices that all complimented details unique to this character and the one other intrinsically tied to him, as well as incorporating a nod to an old fad in the fandom that apparently happened before I joined it. It was a pretty solid redesign IMO. Very different from the character as he was shown on-screen, but frankly, that’s like taking a burning pile of spinning gears and hammering them into a functional clock in this instance.

And all the comments had to say was ‘just make an OC at this point’, or nitpicking that this wasn’t REALLY a ‘rewrite’ because the OP hadn’t written a story or anything of substance with the character (??????????), and one person correcting OP about bipolarism, of which OP was already familiar with through a family member, though frankly I’m unqualified to comment on any of that myself (although I will note OP did not depart from the depictions of bipolarism within the original media they were working with).

All this to say: The Assignment™ of that post was to engage with the idea of redesigning that character. To add your thoughts about him, what could fit him, or possibly some alternatives if the reader felt something fit better. What did saying ‘just make an OC at this point’ add? What did nitpicking about the semantics of the word ‘rewrite’ do? It’s a nothingburger of commentary that, if I were the OP, would kill enthusiasm for the subject.

If you see a fandom post discussing characters, sharing ideas about them or the setting, talking about ships, or talking about parts of the media just clearly for the goddang fun of it, then you have two Decent options: Engage in good faith, or Just. Keep. Scrolling. Commenting just to drag down the OP does nothing but kill the mood and damage community and enthusiasm therein.

For the umpteenthousandth time: if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all

[telebeast]

unoriginal joke

[blueskittlesart]

i’ve started babysitting for a VERY christian family which is great because they pay me a lot of money but as someone who was raised almost completely agnostic it’s kind of insane. the 2 year old keeps asking me to read her stories from the bible. (why are we reading david and goliath to a 2 year old????) the 5 year old told me today that he was going to bring his legos to heaven with him. he also has repeatedly told me that the lego spaceships he builds are stronger than jesus. (not sure what to say to that. do i deny it??? are things allowed to be stronger than jesus??) had to stop myself mid sentence today because i almost told them im not going to heaven which would DEFINITELY have caused several meltdowns. they’re also both completely fascinated by my nose ring

[roach-works]

speculative fiction writers i am going to give you a really urgent piece of advice: don't say numbers. don't give your readers any numbers. how heavy is the sword? lots. how old is that city? plenty. how big is the fort? massive. how fast is the spaceship? not very, it's secondhand.

the minute you say a number your readers can check your math and you cannot do math better than your most autistic critic. i guarantee. don't let your readers do any math. when did something happen? awhile ago. how many bullets can that gun fire? trick question, it shoots lasers, and it shoots em HARD.

you are lying to people for fun. if you let them do math at you the lie collapses and it's no fun anymore.

[valtsv]

stuck between "psychological horror statement" and "objectively the funniest thing you could say to your real flesh and blood dad" in the father's day card aisle

[faeriekit]

"This fic was ai generated—" Cool, so lemme block you real quick

[pyroinfusedtiger]

Posting this everywhere til im not obsessed with it anymore

[inkskinned]

please i love you i'm begging you bring back suspension of disbelief bring back trusting the audience like. i cannot handle any more dialogue that sounds like a legal document. "hello, i am here to talk to you about the incident from a few minutes ago, because i feel you might be unwell, and i am invested in your personal wellbeing." "thank you, i am unwell because the incident was hurtful to me due to my childhood, which was bad." I CANT!!!!

do you know how many people are mad that authors use "growled" as a word for "said"? it's just poetics! they do not literally mean "growled," it's just a common replacement for "said with force but in a low tone." it's normal! do you hear me!! help me i love you please let me out of here!!!

[everythingwasnormalhere]

pls rb if you think cuddling doesn't have to be s3xual

im tryna prove a point to my bf's mother help me out

[girldraki]

[sunriseovergotham]

characters have to be a little bit awful in ways that you cant defend. its good for the ecosystem. your honor he did do that. He did in fact do that

[hellishqueer]

we ask that the defense not say "me when i lie" while the witness testifies

[mayhemchicken-artblog]

in the hour or so it took me to draw this op turned reblogs off

EDIT: reblogs are STAYING OFF. op was right and correct and i have never regretted making a post as much as this one. if you want to reblog my art you can reblog something else from my blog. or commission me, lord knows i deserve financial compensation for the nightmare this post has put me through

[incandescent-creativity]

Do you ever write a sentence and then realize “Nah, that’s too self aware for you” and backspace a bunch of times.

[evidently-endless]

i think we should remind musicians they can absolutely make up little stories for their songs btw. it doesn’t have to be about them at all. you can invent a guy and put him in situations to music. time honoured tradition in fact.