#bombology

[ohnobjyx]

I remember reading something about wyb being mad and saying xz choose some commercial over him or something. Was that fake or nah?

Hi, anon!

I do remember that particular post, which was based on a video (I can’t find the post, tumblr why? I reblogged and I tagged it 🥺). The video the post is talking about is Bombology, which has two parts. Here is the first, and here is the second. I highly recommend to watch it, it’s quite worth it!

Disclaimer: fake fake fake.

In short, anon, I think it’s true to a 90% degree (old bxg have probably seen the video, and may skip the points I think are true, I just go over the video adding my opinion).

(As a note, one of the first solo interviews I watched of dd was one of the Bombology interviews, and I was apalled by the sheer difference with his attitude. Now ofc I see that there was reason behind it, but still... who are you and where is the cute dd I know?)

Points I think are true and why:

1. Dd really, absolutely was in a awful mood that day. We all know that he’s usually unable to hide it. Just compare that to his mood in any other interview/tv show, where he’s more neutral (for max comparison, compare to Happy Camp 180707, even if he wasn’t talking, he was very relaxed, smiling in the background). He ofc, remained professional throughout the interviews, but the cutting comments was of a frustrated unhappy mood. 

2. A representative from Olay actually confirmed that gg was supposed to be filming both the 14th and the 15th, and that it was gg himself who pressed them to film in just one day. This, deducing from this guy’s words, was decided after the schedule had been set in 2 days of filming, but gg insisted on going to Hunan TV, so they wrapped up in a day instead of two.

3. The words choice and the man’s voice tone suggest that it was actually very disrupting that gg asked to film in just one day, and that he was displeased by it. Gg actually had to go and apologize, which is... actually pretty important? Because gg wasn’t so famous then, CQL had just began airing, but he insisted anyway. It’s very out of character for someone like gg, who tries very hard to be accommodating to anyone, so we know that the program on July 15 was important for him.

4. Compare gg and dd in Happy Camp vs gg and dd in TTXS. Happy Camp looks like an extension of the bts: they are playing around, having their own little moments, and being terribly cute overall. However, dd in TTXS is tense at the beginning, silent for dd-with-gg standards, and there were many awkward moments that speaks of something behind the scenes. 

Like, I’d say he’s much more relaxed here...

Than here.

Some of the most awkward points are:

This moment from the video is a highlight of the whole situation: after dd rebukes him twice, gg starts saying “for today, let’s stop (xiu)... stop...”. It can’t be explained by any other reason, nor there’s any other significance for the words that gg says before stopping himself. However, he doesn’t complete the phrase, most likely because they are on camera and he didn’t want to fuel those nasty rumours of them hating each other, and because he doesn’t want dd to be angry or sad anymore.

The moment in which the MC asks about whether they had discussed beforehand about gg going to TTXS. You can see how gg is hesitant to answer, but dd looks very sure on his feet. And gg looks at dd until it’s dd who answers, so he knows he’s on safe territory. It’s one of the first times dd actually smiles in the interview, and you can see that he’s somewhat appeased.

However, by the time they are filming the actual episode, dd looks much more better than in the interview. And by the end of the episode, they are back to “gg-dd” normality, of having their little convo aside from the others, pushing each other around and laughing together.

5. Gg, from start to finish, is being particularly obliging and courteous to dd. I dunno about you, but he reminds me of children who have done things wrong and are particularly obedient to try to appease their parents (of course, I don’t actually mean that he did anything wrong, it’s just that he seemed eager to make dd feel better).

Point I find OOC and probably untrue:

The actual fake rumour sounds a little bit fishy, which is why I think it belongs to the “exaggerated real event cathegory” (I highly recommend this post on how to approach fake rumours!).

The fake rumour said that dd was “screaming ‘between two options, you don’t choose me!’”. Don’t you find it out of character? He was in public (the fake rumour specifies that in the restroom), where people could hear him.

And while I do think he was a bit angry at gg for not going with him to TTXS (at first), in my opinion he wasn’t that mad as the video or the fake rumour wants to make us think. In the interviews, whenever gg was brought up, he still praised him whenever he could, and even that the “who is the silliest?” question was answered good-naturedly. I don’t think he’d have said any other name than gg’s.

That’s why I think that rather than angry, he was a little bit sad. Because it’s one of the few occasions in which they’d work together and appear together in public with good reason. And because no matter the reason, it’s bound to make you sad to miss a opportunity to see your loved ones. Sometimes it’s easy to mistake sadness with anger, and to focus on the emotion that’s more manageable, but based on his behaviour, I don’t think dd was really actually angry with gg.

Of course, that’s based on observations and it’s speculation, and all fake rumours are to be taken with a grain of salt.

[rainbowsky]

(the anon who asked about the analysis of ggdd denying the couple thing) Actually I wasn't referring to that interview, I was referring to one where they got asked directly about their relationship where they responded that they were just friends and then xz called yibo "little friend" which yb got offended by. I can't for the life of me find the interview, I remember watching it at the begining of my stanning journey two months ago, and all the comments were very.. "see you make them uncomfy!"+

+ so I felt bad. Now that I look back on it I find it really weird that, 1, nobody here seems to talk about it despite being a direct refutal (not that they could say yes either way but) and 2, the fact that i don't think chinese media would ask them that directly about them possibly being in a relationship? Thats really weird, so I wonder if the video I saw was purposfully mistranslated. I think it might be in this vid? (anti account fuckery removed)

This is in reference to a previous post.

OK Anon, here I am trying to figure out what it is you’re talking about when I have no frame of reference (which is why I hope people will always include a link to the footage they are asking about), but I think I know which interview you are talking about.

But first I want to say, that link you provided A] Didn’t lead directly to interview footage (and I’m not digging for it there for reasons that will become obvious in my next point) and B] Was a link to one of the most virulent hater accounts on all of Twitter. If you are getting your information from that utter and complete asshole, then I can see why you are confused. Nothing that person says should be taken seriously. Everything they say is lies and misinformation and hate. I personally believe that is a paid anti account.

So I’m going to give you the real interview, the real translation and my take on it. Of course, fake, fan fiction, CPN.

The interview in question comes from a backstage session during GG’s visit to DDU for their 11th anniversary special. That interview is blocked on YouTube and can be hard to find, but you can see the whole thing in this Twitter thread. Also, the entire episode (without the backstage bits) can be found with English subs here.

The question they are asked during the interview isn’t “What is your relationship?” or “Are you two a couple?” or anything even remotely along those lines. The question is essentially, “Tell us what you think of each other.” They both respond that they’re really good friends. Which of course they are.

GG throws in ‘little’ to his answer, which pisses DD off, because he seems to hate anything that would appear to ‘separate’ the two of them, and whenever GG refers to DD as his junior, DD gets annoyed. Here DD kind of belabors the point a bit, that he doesn’t feel there’s a gap between them. GG laughs at how much DD is digging into it, and then finally agrees that there’s no gap.

There is some nervous tension in this interview and in some parts of the episode overall. For excellent analysis on why, I recommend checking out XiaoMan M’s series on YouTube:

I would also add that this is the first time that GG has come to visit/meet DD’s DDU family since they’ve been dating, so of course he’s going to feel a bit nervous. It would be like meeting the parents while cameras are rolling, trying to interact with people who know about your relationship while hiding that relationship from the cameras. For someone as shy as GG, it must have been a bit nerve-wracking.

Here’s the bottom line, Anon: No one is ever going to ask GG and DD point blank in an interview, what their relationship is. For one thing, censorship in China bans any depiction or ‘promotion’ of homosexuality, so even if they got an answer it wouldn’t be airable. Second, and more importantly, it would be extremely rude and out of line for an interviewer to ask that knowing that it could endanger GG and DD’s careers. No one is going to do that.

They are especially not going to do it at DDU, where DD has been working for years and is practically family. In fact, DDU are always looking out for DD and protecting him, covering for him when he slips up and says things that could reveal their relationship. There’s no way his DDU family would put him in the position that hater claims with that fake translation.

I urge you to stay away from hater accounts on Twitter. It’s unhealthy to be exposed to such toxicity. If you want good, honest information Tumblr is a better place to find it.

It’s been a very long time since I had any doubts about GG and DD being in a romantic relationship together, so I sometimes forget what it feels like to see things that might tend to call it into question. Rest assured, Anon, once you’ve become more familiar with the available info your doubts will almost certainly melt away.

And I want to leave you with one final point, and that is that if something isn’t being talked about by BXG at all then you can be fairly certain that it’s either A] Fake B] Doesn’t have the significance you are assigning to it (for example, GG posing next to a Pride bear for an ad) or C] Something that would endanger GGDD if it were made too public.

[jcisthebestfightme]

5 times gg/dd show they love each other

This is completely my own analysis. Do not take this seriously. These are just my top 5 favorite “episodes.”

1. Pancake - DD is very proud of his ability to make Chinese pancake, although he does state that he needs to buy frozen, prepared pancakes. He bragged about this 4 separate times (mag interview, ttyxs, detergent commercial, and on the surfing show). Many interesting things about his recipe: 1) He said he uses cheese and butter. Most Chinese families don’t have these ingredients. Also, this very Western style of cooking means he didn’t learn this recipe from his parents. However, we know that gg likes to bake cookies, bread, cakes, etc. so he would have butter and he also loves cheese. 2) DD said that you need to add butter at the end when the pancake is almost done. If you know how to cook, you would know that it’s because butter has a low melting point so you add it quickly at the end to give the pancake flavor and color. I doubt a person that didn’t know you need to wait for water to boil to cook noodles will instinctively know this. And this is pretty high level knowledge and only people who bakes will know. 3) DD said that the pancake is easy but you need to add fried eggs and bacon to it. He said this part so casually that it sounds like someone prepared those for him and he just added it to the pancake. My conclusion is that he just heats up the frozen pancake and gg prepared all the other stuff for him. But dd thinks he “cooked” it so he loves bragging about it and I think that’s hilarious. Also, what makes someone who notoriously is known for not knowing how to cook suddenly so happy about being able to make 1 dish?

Easter egg: if you Google or Baidu “溫婉居家” (meaning homey, a phrase gg always use to describe his ideal partner), the picture of dd pops out as the first image result.

2. “Dead duck mouth hard” - This is the literal translation, an idiom meaning someone who is unwilling to admit they’re wrong. What is interesting here is that gg said that he says this phrase to JC a lot but he doesn’t want to say this to dd because it’s “not good” to say it to him. Why? It’s because of the word “dead.” Dd has very dangerous hobbies (motorcycle, skateboard, etc.) and gg is very superstitious. He thinks that saying any word with the connotations of “death” to dd is bad omen so he avoids it.

Easter egg: Dd is also very superstitious. He once got mad in a show because people were joking about putting motorcycle helmets on the floor, a very bad omen for cyclist. So I think he would be very touched about gg’s care for him.

3. Art museum - When dd went to London, he visited the London art museum. (He was caught on video by an international student.) Rumor has it that there was a car exhibit (with motorcycle) next door but he chose to go to the museum instead. Afterwards, he was caught talking on phone. Speculations is that he visited the museum for gg.

Easter egg: That museum has a painting “Venus and Mars.” Gg has use “Venus” to refer to dd during the BZ photoshoot and dd has use “Mars” to refer to gg (because Mars = “Zhan” shen).

4. Dance - When gg went to ttxs’s 11th anniversary, the two of them did a dance. We all know how much dd cares about dancing and he’s very meticulous about keeping to the beats. However, because of reasons (see Bombology), they have to learn this dance on the spot and perform it. Gg tries his best to learn the choreography (can see him practicing over and over again backstage, but during the performance, there was one instance where he wasn’t on tempo. What does dd do? He looked at him and just repeated the move to match up with him. During the whole performance, he watches gg and just dance to whatever speed he was on. 

Easter egg: Later on during this show’s filming, audience keep asking gg to dance freestyle, which he wasn’t comfortable with. Gg being super courteous didn’t know how to refuse. Dd first came out to dance by himself to diffuse the tension. When that didn’t work, he said “why don’t he sing instead?” Dd always speaks up to protect his gg.

5. Artwork - I personally believe that artists are very truthful to their work (song, painting, dance, etc.) so I love analyzing gg’s artwork. His painting of his ideal life was one of the most romantic and domestic thing (very fitting of his personality.) It showed himself with his cat. But at the far end, there’s another person approaching him (coming into his life?) This person is a tall, slander man (?) Next to him, is a bicycle, although the shadow looks more like a motorcycle. I find this interesting because we all know gg doesn’t really know how to ride a bike so for him to include it in his ideal world is strange. And then there’s a speculation that the waves spell out “WYB”.

Easter egg: I remember my art teacher from the past teaching us to put in our names secretly in our work as an easter egg. Some fans speculate that gg’s signature is a dot (can see it in the V-day and Dragonboat drawings). In another one of his painting, (boy holding lantern), you can see the letters “WYB” around a flower and “XZ” around another flower. The shadow in the lantern also overlays almost perfectly with a photo of them from xgds. This is all speculations though. 

Just thought I would share my favorite moments. 

[starsxinxthexbluexsky]

My 5 Favorite Moments of GGDD

Like last time, the GGDD moments were difficult to choose, because I like them all. I had to look at some things again. But, finally, I posted it for mistake...😃😃😃😃. The fate wanted me to post this.

This is Fake. My imagination. CPN

5. On BAZAAR interview, first of all I love the fact that they say that they knew each other before on TTXS, but both emphasize that there was no eye contact, nor that they spoke, but that's not what I like, it's just an addition for put us, in context. What I like, is when GG draws DD (I think most of them like it), DD says his eyes aren't that big, but GG says he had heard comments from some friends saying that DD's eyes were tight, so GG drew DD's eyes bigger. Meanwhile, he says that ... DD looks at him with a silly face and smiles, even he places his hand on his chin, looking very focused on what his GG says (it is my impression, it can vary between viewers), GG makes a sign, but DD plays dumb and clears his throat, looking away (more like he's trying not to see his GG).

4. In TTXS, when they were together in the same place for the first time, in 2017. A cute GG, with a pink jacket and accompanied by X-NINE and a DD very cute and surprisingly smiling, imitating everything that his not-yet-GG did, is that DD couldn't take his eyes off from GG, DD moved his hands nervously when he was next to GG, and DD looked at him when GG looked away, but stopped when it was already very obvious (I keep saying it's my perspective, others may think other things). I don't think GG didn't realize it, because I think, when someone looks at another person a lot, that person has to realize it, for me, DD…well, the fool was very obvious. He even showed off his mating dancing (is a joke) just to impress his GG and use his pistol finger to aim at him at the end of the dance (yeah, for me he aimed at GG). DD and his love at first sight…GG couldn't be saved.

3. At Happy Camp. First is the fact that they sat next to each other, moving away if the person on the opposite side got too close, so they were practically on top of each other (I have a meme about that…). When the hosts asked questions, they both started whispering to each other (I won't say anything more about this). Then there's the dance they did, DD was distracted by GG (my mom told me *the boy in the flowered shirt* didn't dance that well, just looking at GG and that was a comment she made when I didn't even believe that they were SZD, still) and then there's that dance move that couples suspiciously do in their wedding photos. Then, DD started pouting, because GG was paying more attention to Daxun. At the Happy Camp hole games. DD allows GG to win, even though DD is competitive by nature and always wants to win (that seemed pretty obvious to me, DD's “double standard” makes an appearance, for his GG). GG gets jealous of Daxun, when he and DD are trapped inside the hole, one on top of the other (his face is scary), but DD doesn't realize at the time (but then cleverly fixes it). Also, when DD gets hurt (although this isn't a good thing) we see GG's real concern, that he is unlike any other. You can see the others concerned, but GG's concern is so legitimate and true that it even hurts me every time I see him again (maybe because he felt guilty that DD hurt himself from the necklace he gave him). The last thing about this, is the fact that they share every little comment, no matter how silly it is, it is so sweet.

2. TTXS 2019, First is the fact that DD invited GG, I think, he could invited someone else. After all, GG was a person, whom DD knew for a short time in 2018, if we put them on the screen, but still DD decided to take it to TTXS, who are a family to him. Then, GG and DD sang their respectively songs "What I Miss" and "If I Were Young", I mean from all the speculation that was made with bombology, DD was supposed to be angry that day (for some reasons), but when they both sing these songs. The way DD sang the song and how sweet GG smile was, DD's voice was so soft and full of soul, so soothing. GG nailed the high notes and turned to DD to meet his eyes while singing. DD was fascinated even though he can't clearly show it. Uff...every time I see them I have to look away, I can't handle that ... both are so...well, that's why I like it so much ... besides, the fact that DD brought his photo album when he was a child and GG wanted to take it (is a joke 😂), he was serious about bringing the album, DD is so silly cute. GG also sings "Love Confession", when he's sitting with the other guests. DD stares at him with sheep's eyes, until GG signals DD for stop to looking at him (with heart eyes), because they are recording them...this man, I can't handle him, neither of them.

1. Interview for "The Paper", DD and GG both have a stuffed animal in their hands (they both look sweet). MC ask them various things (obviously), they both look so comfortable and smiling. MC even ask them if WWX and LWJ's bedtime was the same as them. DD says no, and GG says he's similar, GG says "Sometimes he ... aren't you?" "Sometimes you will stay up later?" (Me: GG, how do you know that? 👀, they are the best friends forever 😂) and DD says yes. Near the end they talked about when they were both filming, that they should record scenes from when WWX and LWJ were young by the day and at night the "after 13/16 years" scenes. The MC asks, what would they think, if a TV show organizes them to go skiing and DD says he can teach to GG and GG laughs saying he's just a beginner (this kills me, they look so wonderfully comfortable) DD looks sweet saying some of ski techniques, while looking at his GG softly, in the end GG says it's okay. Afterwards, the MC asks what they would say to "CQL" fans who say they look the most beautiful after watching all 50 episodes of the drama. GG say a lot of things with a sweet voice and then he is ashamed (it is a sweetheart) and DD wants to laugh at what his GG says, but when it is his turn he says that he will not say anything, GG shows his rabbit teeth ... (Double standard, it seems DD really likes when his GG shows his rabbit teeth to him). And here comes my favorite part. The word is supposed to be deep, but I don't really know what it means, it seems like something important and obviously GG is very surprised that DD said it. Well, they ask you to describe the CQL summer in three words. GG answers right away, burning hot "灼热" (not the literal characters) and DD thinks about it for a moment, quite a bit, compared to how fast GG answered. At the end, DD says true fellings "真情实感" GG looks at him for a moment and lets out a WOW!!! Very tall, covering his mouth, he seemed very surprised. DD seems to realize that it was obvious (it's my imagination), but he says he wants to change the phrase to touching "就 感人" (or something like that) but, GG tells him that they aren't going to edit just because he said that ... I mean, he screwed up 😂😂😂. Simple woman, this is the first place after all.

Bonus

Honorable Mention

Sina Interview in CQL film place. When, GG starts to flatter DD by saying that he danced well in TTXS, but later he realizes that he was not only a good dancer, but also a good actor and when he mentions that LZ doesn't have many lines (mentions LWJ and DD gets angry 😂😂😂), DD makes this face. (Note that DD was happy, as he watched his GG compliment him, until he mentioned LZ)

My 5 Favorite BTS by GGDD

My 5 Favorite GGDD Fake Rumors

[yahargul]

did u see the bjyx video called bombology on YouTube? Its all conjecture obviously but its so convincing lol😅

i just watched it omg (link here for anyone who wants it) that’s super cute to think about...xz moving his schedule around for wyb ;o; 

[jcisthebestfightme]

5 times Yizhan choose each other over something else + 1 time we can do the same for them

Disclaimer: Treat this as fanfiction, because it’s actually based off a bjyx fanfiction prompt on ao3: “5 times yizhan were asked to make a choice between love and any other thing”. I saw this prompt over a month ago and it stuck with me. Since I don’t have the patience to write an actual fanfiction, I started to observe if I can realistic instances to fit this prompt. 

1) Gg chooses dd over his pride. During the TJ fan-meetinng, the host talked about gg and dd’s thin waist. Dd was extremely unhappy and rudely rebutted the host. Afterwards, it can be seen that gg is telling dd that it was fine and he should’ve just laughed it off. Here, gg is more worried about dd being seen as “rude” and would rather take the hit than to cause harm to dd. 

Easter Egg: The tone here is almost scolding, warning dd that his straightforwardness could be misinterpreted and use against him. Gg is usually polite but this lecturing response shows us that he treats dd as someone that he cares about, someone that is close to him.

2) Dd chooses gg over dancing. I’ve mentioned more in detail here. But basically, dd loves to synchronize his dance moves exactly with the beat of the music. Usually when dancing by himself or with others, he’s more focused on the dance moves. Even with his own trainee, he is more focused on demonstrating the right moves (becoming a role model) and hoping they can catch up to him. However, when dancing with gg on variety shows, he’s more focus on synchronizing with gg and making him feel comfortable. (People joke that he’s watching his face and not body.) He would repeat moves he already did or moves backwards when gg did in order to match him. Of course there is also the difference between dancing for fun vs dancing for a performance. But we can all see how happy dd is after he dance with gg regardless.

3) Gg chooses dd over his schedule. This comes directly from Bombology (great video btw, highly recommend.) Gg was suppose to be filming a commercial for two days. However, dd wanted gg to attend the 11th anniversary of ttxs where every host brings their “musical partner”. (Strange right? They’re acting partners, not really musical partners. But the key here is that gg’s attendance that day was NOT to promote The Untamed.) The director of the commercial later said during a live stream that they had to condense their 2 day filming schedule into 1 because gg had to go film ttxs. What goes into this change in schedule? For someone as polite and serious about their job as gg, it probably took him a lot of apology and coordination with the other cast and crew to achieve this, not to mention extra work now that they have to fit 2 days of filming into 1. And then when he went to ttxs, he had to learn the aforementioned dance routine on the spot. Did he seem mad about all this? Nope. He did it in whatever way to make dd feel happy.

4) Dd chose gg over motorcycle. Everyone that knows WYB knows how much he loves motorcycle. His fans are even call “motorcycle jie jie” because he once said his motorcycle is his girlfriend. So this became a shock to me when I noticed something. This may be over or mis-interpreted so don’t quote me on this. Remember the bts where gg said that dd sent him 5 high-def photoshoot images? Dd then refuted with “What no, you sent photos to me first.” Gg then said “I send you photos of helmets.” (The sub here said selfies but if you listen carefully, it’s actually helmets. It’s probably helmets that gg is asking dd to choose for his birthday present.) However, dd didn’t hear the word helmet and continue to argue, “You sent me selfies.” Then gg admitted that he sent selfies but that they weren’t high-def photos with large files. The point here isn’t that dd misheard selfies for helmet, but the fact that gg did indeed sent both helmet AND selfies. But what did dd pay attention to and remember more? The selfies. Yes, dd has found someone that grabs his attention more than motorcycle. 

You think this is stretch? dd mentioned before in order for him to want to talk to you, you must have some similar interest with him like skateboard or motorcycle, etc. However gg has 0 interest overlap with him yet he talks to him the most. 

Easter egg: One time, during an interview, the host ask dd what he would respond to fans saying “You only have us.” He said “No, I still have my motorcycle.” What is interesting is that when he said motorcycle, he looked over at gg who was sitting next to him. 

5) Gg chooses dd over rest. During the filming of The Untamed, you can see dd having more energy and wanted to play with/bother gg. But gg has significantly more lines to memorize and scenes to film so he’s usually either tired or trying to memorize his lines. There are of course instances when he does play around with dd. But what’s more telling are the times when he needed some rest or some time to focus on his lines and dd is just frankly (to me), being annoying. However, gg never once demonstrate any body language or words of finding him annoying. Yes he does tease him like saying “shut up” or telling others to ignore him (I think that roof thing had something more to it though, related to something that happened earlier that day but I’m not really sure). But even during these times, you never feel like he’s annoyed at dd. Instead, even when he’s busy, he’s creating a safe environment for dd to just play around and be himself. 

I just want to point out that even though they made each “choice”, none of these are “sacrifices.” They willing did these things for the one they love and they never have to feel like they’re giving up a part of themselves for each other.

The 1 time we can choose them over ourselves: Respect them. Do not give false media the means to harm them by ignoring negative, berating news. Do not give stalker videos or information attention so they’re not encouraged. Support all their works, even if certain contents may “ruin the ship” because that’s part of their job. And if bjyx turns out not be real, be happy for them anyways because they found people that can make them as happy as they are now.

[ohnobjyx]

A hotpot of candies EP3-4

Part 2 of the candies in “Let’s hotpot together”. No need for more introduction, isn’t it? Let’s get into it.

Part 1: EP 1-2.

Disclaimer: fake fake fake.

1. Invisibility

They were asked: “What superpower would you like to have?”

Invisibility. [Why?] I’m not free, I don’t have any freedom right now. If I had a invisibility power, I could go and do whatever I wanted. I could go out and have fun, I could be out in the streets without a face mask.

This is not exactly a candy (and it’s quite sad, really, I’m sorry for all the sad content in these posts). Both gg and dd have said that if they could have any superpower, they’d like invisibility, to go out in the streets and do whatever they wanted. Gg was saying this since 2019, in one of their interviews for CQL (that time dd said teletransportation).

It looks quite obvious to me that they have discussed about this. It’s really not difficult, they face a lot of problems because they can’t go out without being recognised on the spot.

2. The colours

Most likely a coincidence, but a cute one. A cartoon one of the dancers drew of him is wearing the 3 bjyx colours. Maybe inspired by dd’s panther?

3. Sleep

When they were asked what they do when they’re stressed, dd said that he usually forgets quickly (yes, I’ve seen the type of things you forget, dd, and now I never trust you when you say that you came out of fight scenes uninjured), but that if anything worries him, he sleeps it off.

It’s quite curious that gg gave the same answer in The Economist interview (the first after his radio silence from 2/27). Gg said that time that a friend had quoted a phrase to him that ended in “if worried, sleep”, and that he just slept to forget his worries. Quite curious that they have the same method. It can be a coincidence, ofc.

4. WIFI

Omg. This was like (ohnobjyx’s line of thinking):

Dd, it’s not your turn... Wait. This boy just interrupted in another host’s turn in a game just to say: “I want wifi”?

For those fans who are unaware, Wuxian in WWX’s name has the same pronuntiation as “wifi” in Chinese. So, in c-fandom, is common to refer to WWX as “wifi” (the novel’s author did as well, so it’s very widespread).

Dd demonstrated his knowledge of this fact in one of his bombology interviews (they asked him whether he knew what “wifi” meant in Internet slang, and he answered WWX).

Here are the facts. Dd interrupted ZYX’s turn to say “I want wifi”. No one else interrupts in any other turn. He knows that wifi means WWX for c-fans. I have nothing else to say.

5. “More money”

This one is... curious. I find myself jumping forth and back from “yeah” to “nah”. I’d like to know what other fans think, of course, so I’m leaving this here.

In EP 3, they celebrated dd’s birthday, as it was to be aired on August 5. The members of his team all wrote birthday’s blessings to him, among which the girl wrote “I wish you’ll earn more and more money!”. Dd made this face:

So... among c-fans, a lot of fans call gg “rich gege” (有钱, yes, it’s the same as A-Yuan calling LWJ “rich gege”) because gg’s signature resembles those characters. Notice that the characters in “rich” are the same as “more money”. Some bxg think that these overly exaggerated facial expression was to conceal his original reaction to someone referring to gg on the program.

Honestly? I’m not sure. Maybe? He has never acknowledged (from what I know) that fans call gg “rich gege”, not like he does with wifi and WWX. Everything in this will remain speculation I guess. I’d like to hear what you all think, of course.

(Btw, he got the same reaction when he read “fall soon into the love river”, which is honestly hilarious.)

6. Dd’s double standards appear again

I love the beginning of EP4 because it’s just dd treating other people different to how he’d treat gg. Just judge for yourselves...

Here are dd and ZYX avoiding each other.

Here is dd subtly and not so subtly placing his hand on/under gg’s hand.

[jcisthebestfightme]

WangXian’s relationship with BJYX

Disclaimer: Treat this as fanfiction.

I want to give my opinion on how I think Wangxian’s relationship and their roles in the drama affects BJYX’s relationship. This is not an analysis in anyway. I just want to give my opinion of my own feelings. In particular, I want to talk about this one interview that I don’t think I’ve seen people discuss a lot.

We all know the famous “聞機變色” where dd gets jealous whenever gg refers to him as “LWJ” instead of his actual name.

1) “Because Lan Wangji’s script....”

2) “He’s similar to LWJ...”

3) “Why am I like chicken?” “Because LWJ” “Oh...”(instant disappointment)

Why is this? 

We all know that gg really likes WWX’s character and feel himself really connected with Xian Xian. He even had a hard time getting out of this character and have to go to Japan afterwards to pull himself out of it. In my opinion, during the filming period, he sees himself as WWX. To gg he is WWX and WWX = him. 

But what about dd? Dd is a great actor and this has nothing to do criticizing his acting skills. But rather, I think emotionally, he choose to keep a distance between him and LWJ. He chose a different way of approaching acting a character than gg. To me, dd’s portrayal of LWJ is not him becoming LWJ, but rather he’s bringing part of his own personality into the character of LWJ. This is what elevates the character in the drama for a lot of people because we see a more bold, forward, confident LWJ.

DD saying he’s LWJ’s substitute: (Easter egg: gg is sitting behind the mirror so we can assume he can hear him)

A good example of the difference between how gg and dd view their relationship with their character can be seen in a recent bts. 

Gg is talking about becoming fragile like JC. You can tell that he’s referring to his character WWX and the tragic events that will happen. However dd responded with “You’re born in ‘91, you’re not fragile?” This tells us that he sees gg as himself, and not his character WWX. 

Back to the interview I want to talk about. Dd said that when picking between WWX and JC to throw into the sea, he will and choose WWX and keep JC with him on an island. (I’ve seen people analyze this saying that dd said this on purpose to make gg angry because of something else that happened that day previously? Not sure how true this analysis is.)  

Edit: Went back and rewatched the interview from start to finish. It does feel like dd was purposefully trying to make gg angry for some reason (he later on said WWX and Little Apple, the donkey, are equally useless and then immediately said he prefer Wen Ning over Fairy because Wen Ning is human). But it doesn’t seem like dd is angry or upset throughout the interview (compare to him during ttxs after Bombology, he seems to be in a good mood here.) It’s almost as if he’s trying to provoke gg for some reason? 

Hypothesis #1, he’s trying to make gg angry to get his attention. He said in another interview that’s how he likes to get gg’s attention. Hypothesis #2, he’s purposefully dissing WWX to tell gg he doesn’t like his character but rather him. Hypothesis #3 Like others said, dd was jealous about something that happened earlier that day. Hypothesis #4 Dd is teasing gg because gg is right next to him so it wont’ be rude to tease him. He can’t tease someone off-screen because that’s talking behind their back. 

Edits Edit: Haha I’m back. Okay, hypothesis #4 proven false because in a solo interview, the interviewer asked dd if he would use his young age to tease others. He said “No, I just like to make zg angry.” (The “no” can be interpreted as gg =/= others.) But the point here is that he isn’t afraid to cue gg off-camera and tease him because he knows gg won’t be angry with him. In C-entertainment, talking about others off camera is usually a big nono and you avoiding bringing them into your interview because it could be misinterpreted. This shows that they’re really close!

Here is my opinion on why he said that:

When I first saw this interview, I was actually sad because I thought dd didn’t understand LWJ’s character and said WWX was annoying. However, learning more about BJYX, I realized that dd was using this as a way to tell gg “I don’t see you as WWX. In fact, I don’t even like WWX that much.” That’s why he added that “I’m referring to my own opinion, not LWJ”. Dd is afraid that gg thinks dd likes him because LWJ likes WWX. However, this makes gg here mad because in gg’s mind, WWX = himself. So he projects that dd finds him annoying (even though he can logically understand dd means WWX and not him personally, he still feels the pain.) 

An interesting point in that interview is that throughout the interview, gg refers to all the other characters as their characters (i.e. saying he would lend Jin Ling/Jin Guangyao money because their family is wealthy) but refers to dd as himself and not LWJ (saying he would lend dd money for him to buy motorcycle.)

At the end of the interview, gg asked “is there anything not banned in your home?” Since he’s referring to the 4000+ rules at Cloud Recesses, we’re assuming he’s asking LWJ. From his anticipatory and exaggerated expression and also the “okay that’s a cut, thank you” you hear from the interviewer, we can assume that gg was asked to say the phrase and show those expression. But dd was not asked to respond, because the interviewer didn’t expect to record an answer from dd. After dd put the mic down, he whispered “You’re not banned.” You can tell he came up with this phrase himself from his proud smirk afterwards. Why did he say it without the mic? Who is the “you” he’s referring to? Is it WWX or is it gg?

In conclusion, I think dd never felt like he loves WWX instead of gg but he’s worried that gg likes LWJ and not him. Gg struggles with whether he likes dd or if he’s just projecting WWX’s feelings for LWJ. Of course if this is true, this is all in the past. You can see from their 2019 promotions that they’re pretty much themselves again and have their own problems they have to face. 

[jcisthebestfightme]

BJYX Song #8: Brother and Sister

BJYX Song Series List

Disclaimer: My own speculations only.

So after two very sweet songs from gg, we’re back to dd. Dd, why are all your song so sad? Even though we see dd very happy with gg all the time, the songs he chose all reflect his insecurities, especially with age and gender. 

The song I want to talk about today is “Brother and Sister” by Easen Chen, one of dd’s favorite artist that he listen to since he was young. Even though the title says “brother” and “sister”, which implies a guy and a girl, on Baidu Baike (Chinese Wikipedia), it says that this song describe a love so pure, it even exceeds gender. It says “它甚至可以是同性的爱情” which translate to “it can even be love between two people of the same gender.” The lyrics is written by a man that’s famous in the Chinese music world for his sexuality and writing songs that speaks about unrequited love in homosexual relationships. 

This song was listed on the top of his song list when it was displayed during the ttxs episode that gg was there for. Since the events of Bombology, we know that dd tried really hard to get gg on the show and was mad at him for almost not coming. This allow people to speculate that dd is showing gg this song list, which was full of sad love songs, in order to convey to him his feelings of sadness and insecurities in their relationship. I think that they may be songs dd listen to when ggdd had a period of separation after the filming of CQL when gg wanted to get out of character and figure out how they can be together in the future. I think dd is using this as an opportunity to let gg know how much pain he was in back then. You obviously wouldn’t go up to the person you’re dating now and be like “hey listen to these songs I listen to when we were on a break.” And since he was already pissed from gg’s almost in-attendance, he may be using this to get some attention. We know from gg’d reaction that this is the first time he saw this song list or songs similar to this style from dd. When the list was first shown, he was like “What? This is your song list?” And then later, he asked again, “Is this really your song list? I feel like it’s wrong.” (summarizing) Dd then responded that he has many different song lists. So gg was surprise to see this side of dd. Dd likes to act proud and strong so he probably rarely show his vulnerable side to gg, especially when it’s about their relationship.

The backstory of the song already tells us that we can interpret “brother” and “sister” to also be between two “brothers.” If anything, I think this is the song that directly refute anyone that likes to say ggdd’s relationship is friendly, just like brothers. If you watch the music video of this song, it’s actually about the homosexual relationship between two girls. 

對我好　對我好　好到無路可退 ([You’re] nice to me, nice to me, to a point of no return)

可是我也很想　有個人陪 (But I also really want, to have someone to accompany me)

才不願把你得罪 (So I’m unwilling to upset you)

The first line uses repetition to emphasize how “nice” the other person is over and over again. We can see that gg also treats dd this way, creating a safe space to allow dd to be himself and not getting mad at dd when he’s being stubborn. I’ve analyze before in “If I were a song” that this is the way gg show love to dd and this is the way he thinks he can best love dd. However, I never thought about how dd feels about this. This first line tells us that maybe dd can misinterpret it? He knows gg is being nice and loving to him but it actually makes him feel insecure. Is gg being nice because he treats me like a child? Just like family? Is he just a nice person? 

The line “to a point of no return” tells us that dd is completely head over heels for gg, which most of us can see with our own eyes. Here, we learn he know so himself. He knows gg is nice to him and he knows he likes gg. But wants more than that. He was gg to “accompany” him. “Accompany” here means someone to spend eternity with. Dd is saying he desire to never let go of gg. If we assume that he’s speaking about the period where they were on a break in late 2018, then dd is super insecure about where his future with gg is. They spent an entire summer being in an ambiguous flirtatious stage, that may or may have developed into an early relationship. But then gg left him and he feels really hurt. He want to hold gg close forever but he can’t because he loves him too much. That’s why he’s “unwilling to upset” gg. We can see from their interactions and the song “Nan Hai” that dd is actually the one that’s more self-abased and less confident in the relationship. He’s so afraid of not being to provide for gg.

於是那麼迂迴 (So we walk in circles)

一時進　一時退　保持安全範圍 (Sometimes we move forward, sometimes we move back, we stay in the safe zone)

This part of the song talks about how ggdd was during that ambiguous state. They push and pull, testing each other to see how far they can take their relationship. The word “進 (forward)” and “退 (backwards)” before? Yes, they were the same motifs as in “If I were young.” In “If I were young,” knowing when to move forward and backwards show maturity. But here, it’s telling us that even though knowing these limits show maturity, it’s also very painful to be stuck in the ambiguity. For someone as young and straightforward as dd, he must be in a lot of agony. But because of his gender and age, I think dd feels like he must endure this because he can’t be as straightforward as a more socially acceptable romantic pursuit.

這個陰謀讓我　好慚愧 (This scheme makes me ashamed)

享受被愛滋味　卻不讓你想入非非 (Enjoying the feeling of being loved, but won’t let you get what you want)

We can feel dd’s agony in this stage. But instead of making himself the victim, he’s actually blaming himself for “enjoying the feeling of being loved” too much. It’s almost as if he feels like he doesn’t deserve this love he has with gg so every moment he has with him, it’s godsent. This explains why dd is so self-abased in this relationship. He feels “ashamed” for wanting more from the relationship so he’s unwilling to let go and allow gg to “do whatever he wants” because he’s scared that maybe what gg wants is just friendship or brotherhood. 

就讓我們虛偽 (Let’s be fake)

The word “fake” here has many layers. Because CQL is a BL drama, many people often accuse ggdd as being fake in their relationship as a form of queer-baiting for promoting the show and gaining popularity. So I think the “let’s be fake” can hit too close home for dd because he doesn’t want to have to sell out his relationship with gg but at the same time, if he can use this excuse to be close to gg, should he? This goes the same for their roles as WWX and LWJ. They could use their “fake” persona who are two lovers as an excuse to be lovey-dovey with each other without ever revealing their feelings. We know from all the interviews how much dd wants to separate himself from LWJ but gg during filming sees himself as WWX so dd also struggles with using LWJ as an excuse to get close gg. 

有感情　別浪費 (Have feelings, shouldn’t be wasted)

This line is basically giving in to his desire. Dd knows that true “feelings” exist between them and for someone as ambitious as he is, he won’t let any opportunity “go to waste”. We can see from how determined he is about dancing, motorcycle, skateboard, etc. that he would not let anything go. This is also true about his feelings for gg, at least that’s what he wants. However, there is a lot more insecurity when it comes to love and so while dd wants to grab on like he does with his hobbies, part of him is also afraid to move forward.

不能相愛的一對 (Two people that can’t love each other)

親愛像兩兄妹 (Emotionally close like brother and sister)

This goes back to the theme in all of dd’s songs that talks about not being able to be together because of gender and age. Here, even though we’ve established previously that genuine feelings exist, they “can’t” love each other and have to settle for being “brothers.” I think the label of “brothers” is also particularly agonizing for dd because that’s how homophobia in China like to wash homosexual relationship, for example saying that Wangxian’s relationship is just brotherly. So if ggdd can’t be lovers, being “brothers” would be socially acceptable relationship for them.

愛讓我們虛偽 (Love allow us to be fake/hypocritical)

The relationship feels fake because it’s not exactly what dd genuinely wants. They use their roles as actors and Wangxian’s relationship to cover up a lot of their feelings for each other. 

我得到　於事無補的安慰 (What I gain is useless comfort)

你也得到模仿愛上一個人的機會 (What you gain is the chance to imitate falling in love with someone)

This echos the first line of the song that gg gives dd a lot of care. But the “comfort” is “useless” because no matter how much gg gives, if they’re not honest about their relationship, dd’s heart will always have a gaping hole that the comfort can never fill. Since dd is uncertain of what gg feels, all he sees is gg acting like he’s liking someone so that’s why it feels like gg is just “imitating” the act of falling in love. We know now that gg does love him but when you’re in a fog of ambiguous relationship, you can never be sure if the other person is in love with love or in love with you.

殘忍也不失慈悲 (It’s brutal but still have mercy)

這樣的關係你說　多完美 (This kind of relationship, won’t you say it’s wonderful?)

These two lines have a tone of mockery. The oxymoron of “brutal” and “mercy” paints the push and pull relationship they were in during filming and the up and down dd must have felt when they were on a break. We know dd is a very blunt person and doesn’t like to beat around the bush. So for him to be in this state, it must be agonizing, painful, and “brutal” so the word “wonderful” is definitely mockery. 

眼看你　看著我　看得那麼曖昧 (Look at you, looking at me, looking so “ai mei”)

被愛愛人原來一樣可悲 (Being loved and loving someone apparently is equally pitiful)

I purposefully didn’t translate “ai mei” because to me, there is no good English word for it. It describe an ambiguous state before dating when you’re flirty yet uncertain. When we watch the CQL bts, “ai mei” is the pink flurry bubbles we see between ggdd. Here, the song perfectly describes that state during filming. It also uses “eyes” and “looking” to describe this “ai mei” between ggdd because the most obvious sign of ggdd liking each other in my opinion is the way they look at each other, whether as Wangxian or as themselves. But the next line tells us that while it seems pink and fluffy from outsiders, it’s actually “pitiful” that that’s all they can have, for both parties. I think here dd thinks the’s the one that is “loving someone” and gg is the one that’s “being loved”, establishing an unequal position between them. But I think that they love each other equally and that dd was just too in a mist to see it.

為什麼竟然防備　別人給我獻媚 (Why guard? The flattery others give me)

不能推　不能要　要了怕你誤會 (Can’t deny, can’t want, I worry if I want you will misunderstand)

讓我想起曾經　愛過誰　我所要的她不給 (Let me be reminded of a person I used to love, and she didn’t love me back)

好像小偷一樣卑微 (I was just as pitiful as a thief)

The “can’t deny, can’t want” echos the beating around the bush feeling. You can feel the ambiguous tension in this verse. The song talks about another girl that the singer used to love that didn’t love them back. Here, I’m going to assume that dd just empathize with the feeling and not take it literally. The line “as pitiful as a thief” really breaks my heart. Dd must have felt like the love he was receiving didn’t really belong to him and that every moment he was bask in it, he was being greedy.

The actual plot of the whole song is about a girl liking the singer and the singer didn’t like her back but still enjoy the ambiguous situation they were in. My own head cannon for this song is that for dd, he empathize more with the pain of the push and pull described in the song more than the plot. He’s unsure where his relationship with gg stand. If he listen to this song during late 2018 when they barely contact, he must’ve been using this ambiguous pain to describe the relationship they had during summer 2018. It may’ve been sweet but dd was always in a state of fear of loss. And since he wasn’t in contact with gg, he is also afraid that gg will come back and say they should just be “brothers.” “Brotherhood” must be one of the most painful definition for ggdd because during their interviews in summer 2019, they always refer to each other as “friends” (or “like friends”) and rarely ever use “brothers” because “friends” can imply “best friends” and “boyfriend” but “brothers” can only ever be platonic.  

This song was as agonizing to analyze as it was to listen to. But it’s such a beautiful piece. It’s actually really hard not to let my own emotion get to my analysis haha. I will pick something happier for my next one, probably gg’s view again. 

Also, happy birthday, dd! This is the 8th song to represent you. The music video also have them celebrating a cake. I hope you have move away from pain and are celebrating with loved ones <3

[jcisthebestfightme]

Have you seen the bombology vids on yt? Do you have any thoughts on the analysis that dd was in a bad mood in the interviews because gg said he couldn't attend? He was pretty sarcastic when reading "you only act cute in front of xz" part...

Yes, it’s one of my favorite BJYX video by my favorite youtuber! I do believe in what she presented, especially since the Olay guy said the schedule thing + the awkward silence between ggdd when the ttxs interviewer ask “did you know about coming to this taping before?” LOL That’s prime “f*** we’e been fighting about this for days and it’s awk af now to think about it.” LOL

[rainbowsky]

The interview they did when they were in DDU was SO tense in some moments like when the MC asked about the image they had of each other and xz told yb to answer it and they looked at each other for a long minute in silence and xz was almost speaking first when yb said they were just friends. I think xz added that "little" to try lighten up the mood but yb was not having it lol. I'm very skeptical about things but the bombology video of this day is something to really think about.

This is in reference to a previous post. Fake, fan fiction, CPN.

I’m pretty sure the Bombology videos are correct about the situation. It looks like a spat being gradually smoothed over through the course of the day. That interview was filmed before taping of the show began, so it fits the timeline of events.

[jcisthebestfightme]

Favorite video on youtube (or other places idc) about ggdd

Bombology! But honestly any video from her. Probably my favorite Youtuber right now. I really appreciate how much time and effort XiaoMan M put into making her videos and she presents all the facts without doing too much overinterpretation. All her videos are amazing and fun to watch! 

[jcisthebestfightme]

This bombology.. Maybe it is just me but why dd still pissed at gg even on the shooting day as we saw on their pre ttxs interview? I mean, gg decided to go to ttxs, he even apologized to the brand CEO. So at least 2 days before ttxs dd already knew gg would came anyway, they already prepared music playlist and childhood photos even. But why he still acted like that? Perhaps gg didn't tell him he'd come till the last minute? Or maybe it just dd childish side showing up more than usual?

From what the ceo said, gg asked to fast track everything on the first day of filming which is just the day before ttxs so it’s possible dd still wasn’t sure during Bombology. Even if he knew, he was probably still kinda mad. Idk if you’ve ever been in a relationship but when you’re mad at the other person, it’s not logical at all LOL It’s no like “oh the problem is fixed, okay now we’re both happy.” No no no honey, you will still be mad if that emotion has been elicited and you will overthink and go “is he only doing this cuz I beg? Dose he really like me or is he just appeasing me?” And that feeling wont’ go way quickly. It needs time and other person to do something (which gg coudn’t until he saw dd in person in ttxs) for it to go away. And no, it’s not being childish, it’s completely human nature.

[jcisthebestfightme]

This was also part of Bombology and he was a bit pissed at gg that day cuz he thought gg might flake on him for ttxs so his reaction could attribute to that.

What are your thoughts in that interview where DD was asked "Why he is so cute with GG and not with girls" to which he replied "What the hell..." ? I've seen antis using this before to say he dislikes to be shipped.

It was a stupid question and got the response it merited. Nothing to see here, folks.

I recommend not worrying too much about what solos say/think. They will try to use anything to try to discredit the ship. They are always grasping at straws and have to dig through ancient interviews for moments like this. it’s really kind of sad and pathetic. I’m completely convinced that if a video came out of GG and DD having sex on a beach the solos would find a way to claim it proved they hated each other.

There’s a tremendous amount of homophobia in these weak attempts to pretend GGDD hate each other or are using each other. The mountains of evidence that at the bare minimum they are extremely close and that in reality they are in a relationship vastly overwhelms any claims to the contrary, yet the solos persist. And then if GG or DD stand within 10 feet of a woman, that’s taken by the solos as incontrovertible proof that they are dating the woman. It’s pure homophobia.

So yeah, just ignore the solos. It’s better for your mental health.

[newingtonnow]

The “Red Scare” in Connecticut

By Steve Thornton

Eager newspaper reporters dubbed the gathering a “bombology class.” Federal agents targeted a nest of suspected radicals in South Manchester, Connecticut. The site was a small automotive garage where Russian immigrants met on a regular basis, and authorities figured they must be up to no good, learning how to construct “infernal machines,” as homemade bombs became known.

It was November 7, 1919, the first day of the notorious Palmer Raids, named after the US attorney general who led them. A. Mitchell Palmer’s Connecticut campaign began a nationwide sweep of thousands of workers, many of them immigrants, designed to rid the country of all dangerous “Reds.”

Attacks launched simultaneously in Bridgeport, Waterbury, Hartford, New Britain, and New Haven. The goal was to dismantle a “nationwide plot” for a “revolution planned by a reign of terror,” according to one Connecticut newspaper. Concern about the recent revolution in Russia and fear of growing labor unrest helped fuel this massive crackdown.

Backdrop to the Red Scare

The new Espionage Act and strict immigration laws gave the government power to criminalize free speech. Demands for wage increases and workplace safety became labeled un-American. Criticism of capitalism’s excesses was evidence of “Bolshevik” tendencies. Hundreds faced jail time for simply expressing their opposition to the First World War (ironically, some of those arrested were war veterans themselves). Postmaster General Albert Burleson attempted to clarify the laws’ purpose: “For instance, papers may not say that the Government is controlled by Wall Street or the munitions manufacturers or any other special interests,” he explained. Similar city and state laws against “disloyal” speech and publishing soon passed in Connecticut. Individuals became outlaws, not for what they did, but for what they thought.

Authorities secretly planned the Palmer Raids months in advance. Palmer’s assistant, the young J. Edgar Hoover, ran the operation. In a number of cases, Hoover planted spies within political and labor organizations; these agent provocateurs established trust within a group, enabling them to call membership meetings, thus allowing police to coordinate their raids.

A Bomb-Making “Ringleader”

Authorities arrested Mark Kulesch on the night of November 7 at his home. They considered Kulesch Manchester’s bomb-making ringleader since he was secretary of the local Union of Russian Workers. According to some news reports, he was in possession of a “full set of drawings” for machine gun designs from the Colt Firearms Factory, as well as “two small machine guns.”

Classified by federal authorities as an “enemy alien,” Mark Kulesch had no right to a trial. It did not matter that the mechanic was a volunteer in the “Americanization” effort to teach English and trade skills to fellow immigrants. Florence Hillsburgh, who led the education program, reacted angrily to his arrest. “This is getting to be a hysteria,” Hillsburgh told a reporter, “It seems that all a man has to be to get arrested by federal authorities is a Russian.”

After six weeks in the Hartford Seyms Street jail, Kulesch joined 248 other prisoners from across the country placed aboard the USS Buford (nicknamed “the Soviet Ark”) and deported to Russia on December 21.

“The Soviet Ark”: The United States Army transport Buford, carrying 249 Russian “Reds.” Literary Digest, January 3, 1920 – Red Scare image database

The growing “red scare” atmosphere affected many others in the state, both immigrant and citizen. Politics forced Edward P. Clarke to resign his position as head of the Employment Bureau, a government job he held for more than four years. His association with the Socialist Party and as a leader of a peace group somehow proved evidence of disloyalty.

High school student David Sohn faced the threat of expulsion after a report that he made un-American remarks at the school’s debating club. When Sohn finally got to speak for himself, he explained what he said: if authorities rounded up radicals, they should arrest industrial war profiteers too.

At the Seyms Street jail, police arrested visitors when they came to see the prisoners. Palmer explained that the visits were the same as attending a revolutionary meeting and proof enough of guilt.

“Lenin’s Dream” a political cartoon by Clifford Berryman, 1920, Washington Evening Star – National Archives

Between November of 1919 and February 1920, authorities arrested and imprisoned 235 Connecticut men and one woman. Nationwide raids on January 2, 1920, led to the jailing of as many as six thousand alleged radicals. Many spent weeks or months behind bars, held incommunicado. Prisoners did not know the charges against them. Authorities denied some prisoners timely legal counsel or the use of interpreters. Bail costs proved astronomical for these working men.

Support for the Palmer Raids

The Palmer Raids had many boosters among business leaders, politicians, and the press. One Waterbury newspaper editorial applauded the effort to “put a leash on violent aliens.” Industrialist Clarence Whitney donated $50,000 to stop radical labor influence in Connecticut factories. The American Legion pledged its 12,000 state members to root out non-citizens for trial by a military court and death by firing squad. Retired bicycle maker George Pope called union activists “a new species of plague” to be treated like “brazen traitors.” They were “criminals by profession and by heredity,” he charged.

Reverend Howard Moss of Hartford’s First Methodist Church expressed the underlying cultural and class prejudice that stirred public support for the Palmer Raids. He told his Sunday flock that immigrants were “a sodden, bitter mass of humanity…low living in filth and poverty.” If you look a radical in the face, Moss warned, “behold it is the face of a foreigner.”

The Palmer Raids were just the beginning of the larger “Red Scare” that continued through much of the 20th century—a broad sweep that disrupted families, meant the loss of employment, caused paranoia in communities, and became a weapon against effective union organizing and government reforms. Some alarmists even decried Social Security as a socialist plot.

Exposing Law Enforcement Abuses

To the American People; Report Upon the Illegal Practices of the United States Department of Justice, National Popular Government League, 1920

The Nation magazine helped lead the fight against the 1919–1920 nationwide jailings. The magazine reported on the findings by a committee of well-known, highly respected legal scholars who investigated Palmer’s actions. One of those jurists was Felix Frankfurter of Massachusetts (later appointed to the Supreme Court in 1939 by Franklin Roosevelt). 
Their May 1920 report exposed significant civil and human rights violations. Prominently featured was the Seyms Street lockup. The committee criticized the use of four particular cells—called punishment rooms—that held the political prisoners. The cells, located directly over the jail’s boiler room, often had floors so hot they burned an inmate’s hands or feet. There were no windows and no light bulbs. Prisoners held in these rooms received one glass of water and a slice of bread every twelve hours.

Palmer’s methods and intent did not receive universal approval. “The very agencies which should be foremost in preventing (radicalism) have been, and are now, very busy creating it,” wrote one Connecticut editorial. The raids used “brutality, torture, forgery, theft—provoking crime in order to detect it,” charged the Nation.

In retrospect, even the FBI proved unable to defend Hoover’s 1919 “Red Scare” activity. “The Palmer Raids were certainly not a bright spot for the young Bureau,” the FBI recently admitted. “Palmer and Hoover were roundly criticized for the plan and for their overzealous domestic security efforts.”

Steve Thornton is a retired union organizer who writes for the Shoeleather History Project

from Connecticut History | a CTHumanities Project https://connecticuthistory.org/the-red-scare-in-connecticut/

[newingtonnow]

The “Red Scare” in Connecticut

By Steve Thornton

Eager newspaper reporters dubbed the gathering a “bombology class.” Federal agents targeted a nest of suspected radicals in South Manchester, Connecticut. The site was a small automotive garage where Russian immigrants met on a regular basis, and authorities figured they must be up to no good, learning how to construct “infernal machines,” as homemade bombs became known.

It was November 7, 1919, the first day of the notorious Palmer Raids, named after the US attorney general who led them. A. Mitchell Palmer’s Connecticut campaign began a nationwide sweep of thousands of workers, many of them immigrants, designed to rid the country of all dangerous “Reds.”

Alexander Mitchell Palmer, ca. 1919 – Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division

Attacks launched simultaneously in Bridgeport, Waterbury, Hartford, New Britain, and New Haven. The goal was to dismantle a “nationwide plot” for a “revolution planned by a reign of terror,” according to one Connecticut newspaper. Concern about the recent revolution in Russia and fear of growing labor unrest helped fuel this massive crackdown.

Backdrop to the Red Scare

The new Espionage Act and strict immigration laws gave the government power to criminalize free speech. Demands for wage increases and workplace safety became labeled un-American. Criticism of capitalism’s excesses was evidence of “Bolshevik” tendencies. Hundreds faced jail time for simply expressing their opposition to the First World War (ironically, some of those arrested were war veterans themselves). Postmaster General Albert Burleson attempted to clarify the laws’ purpose: “For instance, papers may not say that the Government is controlled by Wall Street or the munitions manufacturers or any other special interests,” he explained. Similar city and state laws against “disloyal” speech and publishing soon passed in Connecticut. Individuals became outlaws, not for what they did, but for what they thought.

Authorities secretly planned the Palmer Raids months in advance. Palmer’s assistant, the young J. Edgar Hoover, ran the operation. In a number of cases, Hoover planted spies within political and labor organizations; these agent provocateurs established trust within a group, enabling them to call membership meetings, thus allowing police to coordinate their raids.

A Bomb-Making “Ringleader”

Authorities arrested Mark Kulesch on the night of November 7 at his home. They considered Kulesch Manchester’s bomb-making ringleader since he was secretary of the local Union of Russian Workers. According to some news reports, he was in possession of a “full set of drawings” for machine gun designs from the Colt Firearms Factory, as well as “two small machine guns.”

Classified by federal authorities as an “enemy alien,” Mark Kulesch had no right to a trial. It did not matter that the mechanic was a volunteer in the “Americanization” effort to teach English and trade skills to fellow immigrants. Florence Hillsburgh, who led the education program, reacted angrily to his arrest. “This is getting to be a hysteria,” Hillsburgh told a reporter, “It seems that all a man has to be to get arrested by federal authorities is a Russian.”

After six weeks in the Hartford Seyms Street jail, Kulesch joined 248 other prisoners from across the country placed aboard the USS Buford (nicknamed “the Soviet Ark”) and deported to Russia on December 21.

“The Soviet Ark”: The United States Army transport Buford, carrying 249 Russian “Reds.” Literary Digest, January 3, 1920 – Red Scare image database

The growing “red scare” atmosphere affected many others in the state, both immigrant and citizen. Politics forced Edward P. Clarke to resign his position as head of the Employment Bureau, a government job he held for more than four years. His association with the Socialist Party and as a leader of a peace group somehow proved evidence of disloyalty.

High school student David Sohn faced the threat of expulsion after a report that he made un-American remarks at the school’s debating club. When Sohn finally got to speak for himself, he explained what he said: if authorities rounded up radicals, they should arrest industrial war profiteers too.

At the Seyms Street jail, police arrested visitors when they came to see the prisoners. Palmer explained that the visits were the same as attending a revolutionary meeting and proof enough of guilt.

“Lenin’s Dream” a political cartoon by Clifford Berryman, 1920, Washington Evening Star – National Archives

Between November of 1919 and February 1920, authorities arrested and imprisoned 235 Connecticut men and one woman. Nationwide raids on January 2, 1920, led to the jailing of as many as six thousand alleged radicals. Many spent weeks or months behind bars, held incommunicado. Prisoners did not know the charges against them. Authorities denied some prisoners timely legal counsel or the use of interpreters. Bail costs proved astronomical for these working men.

Support for the Palmer Raids

The Palmer Raids had many boosters among business leaders, politicians, and the press. One Waterbury newspaper editorial applauded the effort to “put a leash on violent aliens.” Industrialist Clarence Whitney donated $50,000 to stop radical labor influence in Connecticut factories. The American Legion pledged its 12,000 state members to root out non-citizens for trial by a military court and death by firing squad. Retired bicycle maker George Pope called union activists “a new species of plague” to be treated like “brazen traitors.” They were “criminals by profession and by heredity,” he charged.

Reverend Howard Moss of Hartford’s First Methodist Church expressed the underlying cultural and class prejudice that stirred public support for the Palmer Raids. He told his Sunday flock that immigrants were “a sodden, bitter mass of humanity…low living in filth and poverty.” If you look a radical in the face, Moss warned, “behold it is the face of a foreigner.”

The Palmer Raids were just the beginning of the larger “Red Scare” that continued through much of the 20th century—a broad sweep that disrupted families, meant the loss of employment, caused paranoia in communities, and became a weapon against effective union organizing and government reforms. Some alarmists even decried Social Security as a socialist plot.

Exposing Law Enforcement Abuses

To the American People; Report Upon the Illegal Practices of the United States Department of Justice, National Popular Government League, 1920

The Nation magazine helped lead the fight against the 1919–1920 nationwide jailings. The magazine reported on the findings by a committee of well-known, highly respected legal scholars who investigated Palmer’s actions. One of those jurists was Felix Frankfurter of Massachusetts (later appointed to the Supreme Court in 1939 by Franklin Roosevelt). 
Their May 1920 report exposed significant civil and human rights violations. Prominently featured was the Seyms Street lockup. The committee criticized the use of four particular cells—called punishment rooms—that held the political prisoners. The cells, located directly over the jail’s boiler room, often had floors so hot they burned an inmate’s hands or feet. There were no windows and no light bulbs. Prisoners held in these rooms received one glass of water and a slice of bread every twelve hours.

Palmer’s methods and intent did not receive universal approval. “The very agencies which should be foremost in preventing (radicalism) have been, and are now, very busy creating it,” wrote one Connecticut editorial. The raids used “brutality, torture, forgery, theft—provoking crime in order to detect it,” charged the Nation.

In retrospect, even the FBI proved unable to defend Hoover’s 1919 “Red Scare” activity. “The Palmer Raids were certainly not a bright spot for the young Bureau,” the FBI recently admitted. “Palmer and Hoover were roundly criticized for the plan and for their overzealous domestic security efforts.”

Steve Thornton is a retired union organizer who writes for the Shoeleather History Project

from ConnecticutHistory.org https://connecticuthistory.org/the-red-scare-in-connecticut/