#but yeah corporate propaganda

[meme-loving-stuck]

I agree with the point op is making but i ALSO wanna completely sidetrack this to say that a 12oz can of redbull has like 112 mg of caffeine in it??? Thats definitely enough to be an energy drink, how fucking much caffeine do people think they need?

Fun fact: anytime you hear a story that boils down to “and then some ABSOLUTE FOOL sued this totally innocent megacorporation for assloads of money AND WON! Can you believe it? Ridiculous. Some people, right?” 99 times out of 100, the corporation super fucked up, the plaintiff 100% deserved that money,.and you’ve just been fed corporate propaganda.

[florbelles]

potential tw for mention of the handling of sensitive topics, specifically sexual in nature, but oh my god one thing that's almost never discussed about the Great AI Debacle is the fact that it is literally incapable of sensitivity reading

even though i specifically state that i don't accept ai manuscripts i obviously still get fucking inundated with them and when i tell you that the most consistent content marker of an ai generated manuscript (so beyond the obvious grammatical, structural and language-related errors) is that there will be straight-up sexual misconduct or assault that is never, ever approached as such. (revenge porn! false assault accusations from the Rival Love Interest! harassment played for laughs!)

it's not that humans are not fully capable of writing that shit on their own—if they weren't, it would be quite literally impossible for it to show up here—and more than a few of these scenes wouldn't have been out of place in the 2000s bro comedies, but that's the thing. they're SO out of place and tonally dissonant. they're not only dated, they're nonsensical and virtually never have any actual bearing on the actual plot.

anyway. another way chatgpt brings progress & change to the industry <3

[dukeofankh]

Almost everybody has at least a *little* bit of a point.

Yeah. Even them. And being wrong about everything else doesn't actually change that. They might not know how that point should actually be interpreted, they might come to foolish or even actively harmful conclusions from that point. They might radically overstate how prevalent or important the point is. But don't fall into the trap of refusing to acknowledge things that are true just because a bad person says them.

I cannot tell you how many times I've seen someone from a group I belong to dunking on someone from some outgroup, even a very harmful outgroup, and in doing so, denying basically true things that we would absolutely agree with if we were talking about them in private.

I dunno. Maybe it bugs me for neurodivergent reasons. Maybe I'm a pedantic ass.

The other day I got into a massive fight online with a guy in a feminist group because he was squabbling with a bit of a dipshit who pointed out that men are under a lot of pressure to become financially successful, and that's why they do stupid shit like get into crypto.

And like... rather than say "yeah, men are still expected under hegemonic masculinity to be breadwinners, despite the advances of women into the workforce, the economy being in shambles and the middle class having been whittled to a toothpick at this point. We need to work as feminists to challenge that gendered expectation, and as leftists to rebuild the power of labour to allow everyone, both men and women, to have a living wage that can allow for a family and a dignified life." This other feminist guy decided instead that, since the concept of men being pressured to be economic providers was being used in a way that sounded like it was suggesting that women only want to date rich men, it was redpill propaganda and, therefore, fascist misinformation. He went with, "what are you talking about, Gen X killed the concept of corporate success as marker of personal worth, everyone agrees that being a workaholic is bad and unattractive now. The idea that you think you'll be judged for being poor is a lie spread by the right to radicalize you into hating women." He did not react well when I pointed out that he was just as wrong as the other guy was. More wrong, actually.

And like...you can build multiple arguments from the same data point. Some are well reasoned, some aren't. Someone can feel pressure and assume it's much more widespread than it is, or that it takes a much more extreme form than it really does. But if you're going to coherently argue against an idea, you have to honestly appraise the situation and figure out what grains of truth it has in it. You have to acknowledge that core root of truth and show them how it means something else.

If, instead of doing that, you just deny the true thing because the other person's argument is built on it and you want to stamp it out? Because, hey, they interpreted it wrong, it's not like they really believe something true? You act as though a fact used to support a lie is also a lie. And if you do that, and argue against the facts because their conclusions are stupid, you construct a little world where, in refusing to accept both their flawed argument AND the fact it's based on, you become more wrong than they are. And you make the deeply foolish choice of picking a fight in that world. And if it's on the internet, that little world can become pretty big. Tactically, it's about the dumbest thing you could do. It ensures that they will keep fighting you because...you're fucking obviously wrong? It radicalizes people, because suddenly the only people who will acknowledge the truth on this thing they care about are other terrible people. It makes your side look dogmatic and ignorant. And apart from all of that...it gets things completely backwards.

Your principles are what you want to use to change the world for the better. You believe them because you honestly believe that following your principles improves things, because they are based on a solid grasp of how the world works. Your beliefs follow from what is true. If you flip it so that whether something is true is based on whether it supports your beliefs...that's a bad road to go down.

[imperiuswrecked]

Here lies Namor. Invader. Avenger. International Terrorist. - Namor (2024) #1

I am Namor. The Terrorist Propaganda says I have issues. Don't trust the Terrorist Propaganda. - Bucky Barnes: Winter Solider (2014) #1

You know what annoys me about Aaron's writing, where is Defender? Namor is part of and actually is the instigator in creating Marvel's The Defenders, the first trio called Titians Three consisted of him recruiting Hulk & Silver Surfer to aid him in stopping humans from hurting the Natural World in The Sub-Mariner (1968) #34. This would later spin out into Doctor Strange recruiting Namor, Silver Surfer, Hulk, and later joining them Valkyrie for the main and first wave of The Defenders. A team made up of outsiders who defended the world from supernatural threats. Namor is literally a founding member of (in my very strong opinion) the best modern team he's ever been on.

Yes, he's Namor the Avenging Son, but he was only ever called Terrorist by his enemies. Namor wouldn't think of himself in that way, he'd call himself a Defender, a Protector of his people, of the seas, his home. If Aaron means Invader as in he was part of the Invaders team then that also is a defense because he and the Invaders were fighting in WWll.

Namor knows the humans see him as a threat and for the most part he doesn't care if they label him as a monster because he's always had this strong belief of defending his home and people, he worked past his hatred of humans to help them all the way back in the golden age, but time and time again the humans do something that he has to respond to.

If you ask me for 2 panels to understand Namor in a nutshell then it would have to be;

The Defenders (1972) #53

Sub-Mariner (2007) #4

He's actually so easy to understand if people actually took the time to read his freaking comics. He's complex yeah, but that's what makes him so interesting as the first comic Anti-Hero!

Aaron focusing on Namor's outsider status isn't something new, it's been explored in his comics a lot of times. What really frustrated me was back in Avengers (2018) #9 Aaron had the chance to set up Namor to combat Captain America in terms of ideology of what is right and wrong, how is the defense of his homeland wrong? how is resistance against oil drillers, and poachers, and corporate greed, and polluters, and giant space robots falling and crushing his city and people wrong???

Human Laws have always been in favor of Humans, not the Atlanteans, not the Sea. Instead of exploring the concept of Namor being a Defender of his home and his people, Aaron constantly labels Namor a Terrorist. The he makes Namor want to atone for the wrongs he's done (never specifying exactly which ones, just a general "crimes against surface humanity") while never addressing or exploring the wrongs done to him by the humans/surface world!

Even now Aaron sets up Namor for conflict under the sea, and states it's for the best interest of the human world that their shipping lines and cruises be uninterrupted by the "shrieking blue skinned warriors who've invaded their coasts". Basically it's "We humans don't care if the Atlanteans are suffering so long as they suffer in silence and don't bother us or disrupt our money & lives".

Aaron writes in Avengers that Captain America offered aid to help the Atlanteans, but it's Namor who's rejected it, why would he accept help from the people who constantly hurt his people? Why would Namor ever trust them when they've broken his trust so many times in the past? Humans make promises and then break them all the time. Why should Namor ever accept the crumbs they deign to give him in return for obedience and silence so the humans can keep doing whatever they think is right? Why is the Surface World more moral and more right than the Undersea World? It's Namor's land, it's his home, they broke his laws, they broke his home, his people, his seas.

I've always said the biggest obstacle and mistake writers often encounter when writing Namor is they come at him from a very surface world mindset, where the humans are right and Namor isn't. Namor was never meant to be a champion of humans, but of the Atlanteans, the Seas, and all it's creatures.

I could not care less that you are breaking the Laws of Man. What you do here violates the Law of Namor. And thus you shall now endure Namor's Justice. - Defenders (2012) #1

Namor being seen as a Invader/Terrorist began back with his first fight against The Human Torch in Marvel Mystery Comics (1939) #8, Jim was championed as the Hero of Humanity, while Namor was labeled as Public Enemy No. 1. and even now 85+ years later Namor faces persecution for doing what he was raised to do all his life, be a king, be a protector of his people, take justice and vengeance for the wrongs done against his home and people.

Aaron wants to focus on Namor's outsider status of being born half human/half atlantean. He's already shown Namor being bullied and nearly killed as a child for being born different by his people, but that isn't anything new, that's been canon that Namor is an outsider among humans and atlanteans, it's canon that the Atlanteans are just as racist as the humans, but often they're framed as worse than the humans.

One comic reviewer questioned if Aaron is making statements about the current political climate but honestly anyone who reads Namor comics can see these themes, the tensions among atlanteans and humans, have always been there. What remains to be seen is if Aaron can actually deliver on some good writing.

[hades-least-favourite]

i like it when they do this actually. be more openly fucking supportive of genocide. make it unavoidable in media, impossible to ignore. stop being subtle!

knuckles would never, by the way. free palestine 🇵🇸

oh, thats zionist propaganda in my knuckles the echidna show

[munsonfamilyband]

@nburkhardt ;)

It is technically not Valentine's day for me anymore but it's still Valentine's day in other places so I'm writing it anyways.

-------------------

Eddie walked into Family Video, shaking the snow out of his hair because he refused to wear a hat, and he stopped in his tracks when he saw the decorations. Hearts, pink and red and white hearts. Hearts on the counter and hanging from the ceiling.

Valentine's Day was coming.

"Hey, Eddie." He managed to snap himself out of his stupor to look at Steve. God, Steve. It really is unfair how pretty he is, even in a polo and his stupid work vest. Grinning, Eddie walked up to the counter and leaned his elbows on it, immediately grabbing a heart and glaring at it before tossing it over his shoulder.

"Hey, Stevie. I see Hallmark has sunk its claws into Family Video." He watched Steve get the most adorable frown on his face, his eyebrows scrunching up in confusion.

"Hallmark, what-? Oh! The hearts, right?" Eddie grinned even wider, grabbing another heart and starting to rip little pieces off of it.

"Yeah, figures a movie store would buy into the capitalist propaganda though," Eddie groaned as he spoke, finally ripping the heart to pieces and scattering it on the counter. Steve was giving him a weird look that Eddie couldn't quite decipher but he was save from contemplating it by Robin stepping out from the back room.

"Oh joy, our most frequent and worst customer." Eddie stood up straight with a gasp, holding a hand over his heart.

"Birdie, you wound me. I am your best customer." She chucked a ball of paper at him, somehow managing to hit his chest with only a glance in his direction.

"You can't be our best customer when you barely buy anything and all you do is distract Steve from working." Eddie couldn't help but laugh when Steve yelled a noise of complaint. "What are you even doing here today, Eddie? Shouldn't you be out preparing a valentine for someone or something?"

"Ha! Me, participating it that sham of a holiday?" Eddie laughed, shaking his head. "Absolutely not, Bucks. Valentine's day is a corporate sham that preys on the lonely and not lonely alike. If you're in a relationship you get pressured into buying thoughtless gifts to show off how happy you are for a day. If you aren't in a relationship, then you just get crushed under all the pink and hearts and babies in diapers with arrows, and you get pushed into buying excessive amounts of booze and food so you feel a little less lonely for the day. I've never celebrated and I don't have any plans to any time soon." When he finished his speech he expected someone to say something, but it was completely silent. Robin had moved over to stand behind the counter with Steve and she was frowning at him (something he never liked because she only frowned at him when he was being really stupid and he usually couldn't figure out what he did). Steve was standing oddly still and he had that weird look on his face again. "You feeling okay, Stevie?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. Totally fine." They all lapsed into silence again before Robin cleared her throat.

"Well, I mean, it's not just about relationships it's also St-Ow!" Eddie turned fully to look at Robin who seemed to be leaning weirdly to one side.

"You good?" He watched as Robin and Steve had one of their silent conversations. He loved that they had each other but the silent talking did get annoying.

"...Yeah, slipped and stubbed my toe, that's all. But if you want to avoid Valentine's day you may want to run because we put out all the romcoms today so the crowds will be bad." Eddie wrinkled his nose in distate.

"Ugh, thanks for the warning, I'll see you guys around then?" He glanced between them, noticing that both of them were giving him a tight smile that didn't quite reach their eyes but he decided not to dwell on it. "I gotta catch up with Nance, someone does have a date and has asked her bestie to help her plan it. Any requests, Buckley?" Eddie was relieved when that did get Robin to blush, finally a normal reaction.

"Not really." Eddie just grinned, throwing up a two finger salute before heading back out into the snow to head to the Wheeler's.

~~~~~~

"Nance, I promise you, Robin does not care how elaborate your date is, she will love it anyway because you planned it." Eddie was sprawled on Nancy's bed in her room, arms behind his head as Nancy paced in front of him.

"It's our first Valentine's day, I want it to be special." Eddie scoffed quietly. Nancy had already heard his anti-Valentine's day speech and while they didn't agree, they decided to just move past it. "Oh, right, I meant to ask. I know that you still refuse to ask Steve out, for reasons unknown-"

"They aren't unknown, Nance, we just don't know-"

"Hush. I know you won't ask him out, but are you at least planning something nice for his birthday? I don't know how much I'll be able to help you with since it's in two days-" Eddie suddenly sat up on the bed, staring at Nancy with wide eyes. She couldn't be saying what he thought she was saying.

"Nancy. I need you to not judge me right now when I ask you a question." He waited for her to nod at him, eyebrow already raised to judge him. "What day is Steve's birthday?"

"The fourteenth? Did he not tell you? Eddie? Why do you look so panicked?" He had collapsed back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling in horror. He had gone on and on about how much he hated Valentine's day and how he wasn't planning anything ever and... and he basically said that Steve's birthday was a day he hated. What kind of friend does that?

"I didn't know- Nance, I gave him the V-day speech-"

"Please tell me you are joking, Edward Munson, or so help me-"

"Nancy! Why would I joke about this! I just basically told the guy that I'm practically in love with that I hate his birthday! What do I do!" He was standing now, taking up Nancy's place and pacing the room until she grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him to look at her.

"Eddie, listen to me. You helped me plan my date, now I'm going to help you. Because there is no way I am letting you fix this without telling Steve that you love him, and there will be no arguments. You fucked up, not it's time to not run away and fix it."

[axnewxera]

// I've been deep in thought the last few days about Rufus and his character. I just started this blog and I'm still fleshing out my muse in my head.

So. I'mma dump some of my headcanon on the character, and this WILL affect how I RP him and this WILL get long and ranty.

(I'm sorry if the format is wonky, I'm laying in bed on mobile. Also spoilers of pretty much all FF7 media ahoy)

In the original game (and arguably in different levels in other media since then), Rufus is definitely presented as a villain.

His big introduction in the original game has him giving off this big speech to the party about how his father was too soft on the world with propaganda and narrative control and intended to instead rule through fear and intimidation. He stages a public execution of our party members late in the game. He tries to take Cid's plane instead of reviving the space program. He sent Cait Sith to act as a Shinra spy on our party (or at least was aware of this, as the Turks actively follow Cait Sith's intel). He bankrolled Avalanche to essentially backstab his father! He's very manipulative and deceitful and you can never quite trust him!

But honestly..... Nothing he's actually done has me convinced that he was ever actually a bad guy.

Yes, he SAYS how bad he is when you first meet him in the original. He definitely seems to WANT to be the big villain of the series. But Sephiroth's greater threat to the planet aside... Rufus is just not that guy.

Is Shinra, Inc. evil? Oh hell yeah. Heidegger, Scarlet? Yup. Hojo? LOL

But almost IMMEDIATELY after becoming president, Rufus started suppressing Heidegger and (presumably) Scarlet. Heidegger seemed to be THE dude for President Shinra. The two were very much in alignment in their goals and methods. And Rufus lowers him by berating him and never taking him seriously. Not to mention the fact that he basically started an eco-terrorist group to get his heartless evil father gone.

Even though he starts off saying how little the common people mean to him, his goals from very early on are to protect the world from Sephiroth, and to spearhead the effort to find the Promised Land. Even his execution of Barrett and Tifa is an attempt to comfort the people (and, I suspect, to draw Cloud out of hiding) - but he never seems too upset that they escaped the attempt. Or that Cait Sith remains on the party after his usefulness as a spy was over.

He comes off as arrogant and tricky, he sure does some mean things... but his intentions are noble, and his known tendency to play both sides of any conflict - secretly funding Avalanche, secretly funding the World Regenesis Organization, whatever amazing shenanigans are going on in the remakes with Wutai and Viceroy Sarruf - has me doubting that the "evil" stuff like the execution were even intended to actually take place. He's pulling strings to get people where he wants them.

Rufus can't just SAY what he wants. Advent Children is a good example - his intentions are much more openly "good", but no one believes him and there's all this doubt and "What is he really up to?" that swirl around his character. When it counted, he seemed surprisingly honest, yet it just pushed Cloud away.

If he came out as the president of this huge evil corporation and laid out his noble intentions to the world, everyone would doubt him every step of the way and his plans would never get done. Not to mention the very likely possibility that Heidegger and Scarlet and whatever supporters President Shinra still had would stage some sort of coup against him in that event. He still has to be a Shinra. So he does it to play the game, give the world or sometimes our party a villain to unite against, and get things done.

I also think Rufus sees HIMSELF as a villain, even though his intentions are pure. He's a Shinra, after all, and was raised by his father to be this heartless embodiment of pride and corporation. All that lying and manipulating and double-dealing leaves a mark on the psyche. He is fully comfortable presenting himself as the villain because he believes that's who he is, but he disagrees with his father's goals and methods so much that he actively sabotages himself.

I'm not sure if any of this was the writers' actual intent or if it's just all my interpretation, buuuuuut that's the fun of RP right? Getting to dig deeper and assign your own spin on the character.

[queerbauten]

[ID: the “you are not immune to propaganda” meme, where Garfield��s face has been replaced with a promo image of Margot Robbie as Barbie. End ID.]

[fairuzfan]

There's a certain... maliciousness to saying things like "I hope tiktok/twitter/tumblr/social media dies because of this bad take I saw" because yeah people have uninformed opinions about things but when you consider that much of the "Global South" uses digital communication to document and organize their communities while also providing information to large swaths of people to combat state and corporation led propaganda, I wonder where this critique of a communication platform comes from.

As a way to share ideas, social media with its algorithm, advertisement, and sheer speed of information dissemination is deeply flawed and can be harmful, yes, but it doesn't mean ALL information on these sites are useless or harmful and preventing people from accessing that information just reads to me as someone who has never actually had to combat state led propaganda in their life.

[gobbogoo]

So! Finished watching the new Fallout show. Twice. I heartily recommend it regardless of if you've played the games.

Thematically speaking, they absolutely NAILED it. Fallout's charm has always come from a specific blend of absurd comedy and grim tragedy. One moment you're being forced to execute an innocent person for your own survival, the next you're having a funny conversation about Shakespeare with a big green man. The show knows when to take itself seriously and when to be silly, and that's very important to get right! The violence especially is handled well. It has a careful balance between campy and gruesome similar to what you'd find in Evil Dead. Just like the wasteland, Fallout's violence is equal parts brutal and absurd.

But what I REALLY appreciate is how the show explores aspects of the world that the games CAN'T! Its occasional flashbacks to prewar America are arguably where the show is at its strongest, because while the Fallout games have always critiqued unregulated capitalism and government/corporate propaganda, they could only ever really do so in the past-tense. The show meanwhile takes full advantage of its ability to jump between present and past, and in doing so manages to use its cold-war setting to make some EXTREMELY relevant critiques of modern America.

Lastly, I feel I should mention it was a delightful surprise to see some not-insignificant nonbinary representation! Not that Disney blink-and-you'll-miss-it crap, either. I REALLY didn't expect that because I know Fallout is one of those older game series that has capital-G "Gamers" as a not-insignificant portion of its fanbase. The sort of people for whom there are only two sexes: "Male" and "Political."

But in retrospect the Fallout series ALSO has games where being gay is a literal unlockable ability that provides unique benefits in both conversation and combat with same-sex NPCs. This really wasn't a big jump from that.

So... yeah! If you for some reason read all this without having seen the show, go see it! It's a fun time!

[tearlessrain]

honestly just in general I don't like how "advertising and beauty standards are full of shit" is so often accompanied by this attitude that you should never look after yourself ever, as if there aren't many other, better reasons why you should. yeah you don't need a whole hour long skincare routine to stave off any signs of aging, but sunscreen is still gonna protect you from skin cancer and if your skin is routinely uncomfortable because it's so fucking dry (hello it's winter here, I suffer), then you may feel better if you moisturize. you don't have to maintain a rigorous exercise routine until you look like [insert whichever celebrity is currently relevant], but if you're physically able to then going on a walk daily/a few times a week WILL improve your mental and physical health. all food is morally neutral and being fat is not synonymous with being unhealthy and fad diets will harm you more than they help, AND you will feel better if you cut back on sugar and eat a variety of foods and make sure to consume protein and vegetables and give your body nutrients.

just like. don't be afraid to legitimately take care of yourself because you don't want to fall for Corporate Propaganda. those are two different things.

[thefirstknife]

I am LAUGHING at the people upset about Bungie's pride flare and saying they'll quit D2 over it. D2, the game with so many completely normalized queer characters of many flavors you're practically tripping over them, that had an on-screen gay kiss and has a they/them nonbinary as a major expansion characters and destination vendor? What game have they been playing all this time??

It's so cringe. You can see in the comments that everyone who's shitting on Bungie has been poisoned by the recent conservative anti-trans and anti-LGBT+ propaganda that strives to take away primarily trans rights but also LGBT+ rights in general. Don't look at the comments though, for your own sake. They're particularly nasty this time around, because of the propaganda they're all slurping from their fave right-wing youtubers. I'm glad Bungie isn't backing away from this and that they continue to support us, especially at this time.

And yeah, it's really ridiculous how little attention they pay. Destiny is basically led by LGBT+ characters. From the very start. Even when they were not really allowed to have open rep, they still did it. Maya and Chioma have been canonically wives since vanilla D1. We've come from some minor lines in lore tabs that weren't even in the game to having an on screen kiss between two gay men and a major non-binary character! And not just that, but so much more. And none of it hidden away on a website.

Also people tend to either not know or purposefully ignore it, especially when they try the usual "corporations just want your money and don't care about gay people" cinicism but: Bungie has been supportive of the LGBT+ community for way longer than people think. They've been participating in and sponsoring Seattle Pride Parade from at least 2018. Their first LGBT+ pin was released in 2019. As I've noted, there have been LGBT+ characters since vanilla which released in 2014 which means that Bungie has been writing LGBT+ Destiny stuff since the early '10s.

Absolutely incredible that these gamers haven't noticed any of that. They're so good at poking around every single detail about Bungie, but somehow they didn't notice just how much Bungie has always been supportive of the LGBT+ community. My dudes, if you're bothered by this, I'm sorry to say but you've been playing a gay ass game and giving money to gay ass developers for nearly 10 years now.

[glittercakes]

Sparklas Incorrect Quotes

(Quotes generated by perchance.org)

-

Sherman/Detective to The Squad: None of you know what propaganda is, do you?

Hiro/Mighty: I think it’s when a British person takes a good look at something.

-

Kage/Ninja: I scare people a lot because I walk very softly and they don't hear me enter rooms. So when they turn around, I'm just kind of there and their fear fuels me.

-

Patty/Patissiere: Forgive me Father, for I have sinny-sin-sinned.

-

Hiro: *coughs blood*

Patty: Don't die, Hiro!

Hiro: Don't tell me what to do!

-

Austin/Cowgirl: Like, no offense to myself and all, but what the fuck am I actually doing?

-

Brenda/Swordfighter: You made enough pasta that you could take it to lunch tomorrow. Put it in a container.

Austin: Shovel the pasta into your face. Do it. Put it in your face. The future is meaningless but the pasta is now.

-

Sherman: There is no future. There is no past. Don't you see? Time is simultaneous, an intricately structured jewel that humans insist on viewing one edge at a time, when the whole design is visible in every fact.

Wu Xie/Kung Fu: ...All I asked was if you wanted to cut your birthday cake first.

-

Wu Xie: Whatever happened to the concept of less is more?

Austin: But if less is more, then just think of how much more 'more' will be!

-

Sherman: This is a very powerful artifact. You’d be messing with some forces we don’t fully understand.

Austin: That sounds like a dare to me.

Sherman: Oh my god.

-

Robaire/Dashing Thief: Everyone knows that Santa is an invention designed by the big five corporations to sell tinsel and video games to an unsuspecting public.

Marissa/Mermaid: The whole “childhood wonder” stage just blew right past you, didn’t it?

-

Hiro: I have one brain cell and it bounces around in my skull like a windows screen saver.

Hiro: When it hits a corner perfect, I’m allowed one good idea.

-

Robaire: Do you support gay rights?

Marissa: I’m literally gay.

Isa/Figure Skater: They’re avoiding the question!

-

Hiro: I don’t know, this plan seems complicated.

Isa: You once said that about an orange.

Hiro: They don’t make sense. Apples, you eat their clothes but oranges you don’t.

-

Sherman: You're ignoring all your problems.

Wu Xie: I know.

Sherman: You also know it's an unhealthy coping mechanism?

Wu Xie: I'm ignoring that fact as well.

Sherman:

-

Marissa: If I run and leap at Wu Xie, they will most certainly catch me in their arms.

Marissa, running towards Wu Xie: Coming in!

Wu Xie: No! I’m holding coffee!

Wu Xie: *Drops coffee and catches Marissa*

-

Robaire: Hey, do you know the password to Sherman’s computer?

Hiro: Fuck you, Robaire.

Robaire: Hey!!

Hiro: No, you misunderstood, the password is "fuckyouRobaire".

Robaire: Oh, no numbers? Not very safe.

-

Wu Xie: Are they stupid?

Kage: Yes, but they prefer to be called Hiro.

-

Wu Xie, on the phone: What’s up, Hiro?

Hiro: I’m sitting in a pool of blood.

Wu Xie: …Um, is it YOUR blood?

Hiro: I think so.

Wu Xie: Do you know where the blood’s coming from?

Hiro: Probably the stab wound.

Wu Xie: YOU’VE BEEN STABBED?!

Hiro: Oh, yeah, definitely.

-

Hiro: How do you do that?

Brenda: I'm fearless.

Wu Xie: I saw you run from bees yesterday. You flailed around and tripped over a chair. It was both hysterical and sad.

Brenda: I'm mostly fearless.

-

Marissa: You don't think I can fight because of my gender!

Brenda: I don't think you can fight because you're in a wedding dress. For what it's worth, I don't think Wu Xie can fight in that dress either.

Wu Xie: Perhaps not. But I would make a radiant bride.

-

[carby]

Oh, I get it. The Skull is just a metaphor for whatever’s keeping you down. THE CORPORATIONS ARE THE SKULL, THE GOVERNMENT’S THE SKULL, YOUR TEACHER IS THE SKULL, SOCIETY IS THE SKULL, MY PARENTS ARE THE SKULL, THE MEDIAS THE SKULL, ITS ALL JUST PROPAGANDA

YEAH, WE ALL GOT THE SKULL CONTROLLING US

Exactly 😎👌🏻

[rayclubs]

Mahlzeit,

ok since I´m a firm believer that every merc is a perfect combination of smart and stupid, I feel comfortable saying that everyone is wrong about engineer.

like no he isn´t the only one who would be capacle of realising the benefits of a union. he´s very much unable to see it because he definetely gets too tunnelvisioned as soon as his work is involved and everything not directly linked to his tasks is unnecessary.

Malzheit!

Okay, real, but do you want a TF2 political affiliations post? Because that's how you get a TF2 political affiliations post.

Scout:

The most susceptible to propaganda after maybe Soldier.

Cares about celebrities way too much and therefore is unable to recognize the utmost necessity of taxing the rich.

Probably believes in the American Dream or something.

Would not start a labor union but would join one because while dumb as a baseball, he at least understands that his ma worked really hard to support him and his gajillion brothers growing up, and that's kinda unfair and all that. Or something.

Soldier:

Can be convinced to do anything. Seems to have political affiliations, what with his anti-communist shtick, but really it's just whatever. If you sit him down and explain the actual communist ideas and how what he's actually against is dictatorship, he'll listen to you. Might take some time, but he will.

Would not start a union but would assassinate the president.

Pyro:

Mmmph?

I don't even know. Anarcho-transhumanism.

*lights self on fire and fights the cops*

Engie:

Okay I have THOUGHTS

He is a bit of a utilitarian, I think. What with him solving practical problems and all.

Graduated into the upper middle class and can't see past that because his mind is 99% the digits of Pi and all that.

Hasn't voted once in his life.

Probably actually has some misguided beliefs about labor exploitation due to being American. Like Pauling, has one vacation a year and leaves his phone on in case someone needs to reach him in an urgent work matter.

People bring up his hand as if it were the result of an OSHA violation, but like. No. He did that. He did done cut it off himself. It doesn't count.

Everything he builds is an OSHA violation.

Heavy:

Was a pioneer. You know, that Soviet thing? Kinda like an American boy scout, but with more propaganda. He got better though.

He'd be a bit wary of unions but I think he's educated enough to recognize the difference. It's just a subconscious bias, is all.

He wouldn't start a union because, while educated, he's not diplomatic. Much like Engineer "I'll break you in half" TF2, he's more used to killing the authorities than to legally opposing them.

Also his father was a revolutionary. And died for it. So yeah. Maybe he wouldn't be quite so eager to follow in his footsteps.

Demo:

I actually don't know much about labor unions in Scotland but I think Demo would be a union man.

Like. His father killed the queen for a nickel. I think the man knows enough about oppression and workers' rights to be angry about that.

Explode the rich.

"But Demo, you are rich!" - "Aye..." *killbinds*

Medic:

Already in a union.

Not politically aligned but LOVES shoplifting.

Sniper:

Individualism on main.

Would not start a union because he hasn't talked to a human being in seventeen years.

You ask him if he wants to start a union and he stares into the void for five minutes before quietly asking "...like ants?"

Can't sign up because he can't write. Why do you think he calls his parents instead of writing letters?

Actually scratch that. Can only write upside down.

Spy:

Supports whatever suits his interests.

A corporate until the labor union is strong enough, then switches sides and becomes an avid proletarian.

Also individualism on main and that's why he and Sniper get along.

Nothing like avoiding your best friend.

I don't even know. None of them would start a union actually. Medic would do it for fun. Demo would do it as a dare. Soldier would do it by accident.

[black-arcana]

WITHIN TEMPTATION's SHARON DEN ADEL Laments Rise In Dominance Of Right-Wing Political Parties In Europe

Last fall, Dutch symphonic metallers WITHIN TEMPTATION co-sponsored the Ukraine Aid Operations boat fundraiser for the Ukrainian Marines. They donated 6,000 euros for 30 patches, which they packaged with a limited-edition box of their latest album, "Bleed Out". Asked in a new interview with Hop N Music how this idea came about, WITHIN TEMPTATION singer Sharon Den Adel said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There were so many songs inspired by the Ukraine. And I really believe that in a lot of countries, right-wing parties have become more dominant in Europe, which I think is not a good thing because most of them are not pro Ukraine; I mean, they're more pro-Russia, so they say, 'Okay, we're not going to support Ukraine.' And I really believe if Russia does win this war from the Ukrainians, then there will be another country oppressed by Russia and he [Putin] won't stop there. And I believe it will destabilize Europe because I think we're more polarized about the subjects in Europe that I was hoping that would unite us more, but it's tearing us a bit more apart, which I think is a sad thing because I do think we need each other, especially when you talk about military defense from Europe, because America is getting more distant from us. We need to depend on ourselves, to my opinion also, and the Ukraine, they have a small army compared to Russia.'

She continued: "So, these patches, they're being sold for 200 euros per patch. So every patch is 200 euros. And we bought 30 of them to put in different boxes, and through that money, they can buy things like night binoculars, but also helmets, small kind of things that they can't get from the army, from the government in the Ukraine, because there's so much they need. They just get big things, like the tanks and the boats they get from the government, but the smaller things, they need very quick access and it takes too long for them to get them or not even get them in time to stay safe. And so we felt through this corporation, the, Ukrainian Aid Ops, it's called, and they get mostly money from people, like donations, but you can buy patches, but also artwork from things they find on the battlefield and they make artworks of it, like vases from shells, military shells. And so they make something beautiful out of something that's really ugly, of course. And we really wanna support them because, like I said, this is a sovereign country. Nobody's allowed to attack a sovereign country. And this is within Europe, and it's getting close towards us. And I really believe that we — there's two reasons. First of all, it's a sovereign country. Don't touch a sovereign country. Second of all, because it will threaten also Europe. And I think we're not prepared for Russia. If they wanna take over more countries, yeah, it's gonna be gonna be way worse than it already is. So I really believe we should keep on supporting the Ukraine for that, and that's why we support them through this organization."

Three months ago, Den Adel was asked by Metal Musikast why she and her bandmates feel the need to voice their political views in some of their recently released songs, including "Wireless" and the title track of their new album "Bleed Out", which have highlighted such current topics as the war in Ukraine and the suspicious death of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian woman "detained" for not wearing a hijab. She said: "Well, I think it's very difficult to separate your music from who you are as a person, of course. And seeing this happening in Europe, an invasion by Russia into Ukraine, and Kyiv is only two hours flight from [my home], and so it feels really in my backyard that this war is happening. And seeing the propaganda from Russia, setting up the European countries towards each other instead of that we are… We are trying to stick together, but the propaganda does get to certain countries, like Slovenia and Hungary and some others. And also in our own country [the Netherlands], this year we voted, apparently as a country, for far right, which I don't understand. And that party also, yeah, has a lot of same ideas as some other countries, which are pro-Russia. Not to say that our country is pro-Russia at all, but I think that was a vote against, that people weren't satisfied with the government that we have and thought it could be like a protest vote. But, to me, that's pretty stupid. In many countries now, people start to vote for far-right parties because they're fed up with the government, how it was, because, well, things didn't go perfect, of course, but on the other hand, to start voting for far right is another thing. But we are, as a country, very supportive of Ukraine, but it's more like the propaganda does reach certain people also in our country. And that worries me, because I think we should stand shoulder to shoulder to help Ukraine."

Den Adel also talked about WITHIN TEMPTATION's music video for the band's "A Fool's Parade" single, featuring Ukrainian producer and vocalist Alex Yarmak. Recorded amidst the streets of Kyiv with renowned Ukrainian video director Indy Hait, the clip captures Sharon at important Ukrainian landmarks. Asked what it was like to make a music video in the capital city of a country at war, Den Adel said: "Well, I was never scared to go there, because I was in good hands, to my opinion. We were helped to do this video and to organize everything, what we wanted to do in Kyiv, by the organization called Music Saves Ukraine. And they told us about the app that you had need to have. For instance, if you go into Kiev, which we did by night train from Poland, because there's no commercial flights from Amsterdam to Kyiv anymore. So we had to go by night train from Poland to Kyiv. And they told us to download an air-alerts app because everyone in Ukraine has that, and you can select a region that you are in and any incoming dangerous drones or airplanes, like MiGs, who are carrying a supersonic bomb or anything, they will put that in the app and you know what the danger is and how much time you have to go to a shelter. And there's shelters everywhere, even in the hotel that I was. And we once had to go underneath the metro station, because there was a MiG on their way. And sometimes it has a bomb, sometimes it doesn't. It's sometimes just looking and scouting where they can do something with the next airplane. And this time it wasn't wearing any supersonic bomb, which was good for us because it can wipe out a complete area in a matter of seconds."

She continued: "It's strange to be there, because normal life continues in Kyiv for 90 percent, to my opinion, when I was there, because when I left the bombing was actually intensified by Russia on Kyiv. But they have a good air defense system, which most rockets and bombs don't hit Kyiv itself, but the debris, of course, does, and the pieces of that, of the thing that they are trying to attack them with, it's coming still down on buildings and buildings do get hits and also bystanders. But if you know in time that they're coming, then you can go to a shelter. Most of the time it goes okay. So I wasn't scared because I knew this knowledge upfront. And, yeah, it is when the air alert goes off and when you see military people walking in streets, it's a different picture than the rest of Europe, of course."

Last November, the far-right Freedom Party (PVV) won the largest number of seats in the Dutch national elections. Many people believe the shift was triggered by economic and cultural anxieties that have whipped up fears about immigrants.

According to a press release from WITHIN TEMPTATION's publicist, "A Fool's Parade" "showcases the band's commitment to raising awareness of Ukraine's ongoing battle against Russia's invasion. The song itself serves as a condemnation of Russia's deceitful actions and sheds light on the harsh realities faced by Ukraine. WITHIN TEMPTATION remains steadfast in their support for Ukraine, with involvement in initiatives such as the Ukraine Aid OPS foundation, advocating for more much-needed solidarity." All royalties from the new single will be donated to Music Saves UA for the duration of the Russia-Ukraine war.

In March 2022, WITHIN TEMPTATION was one of the artists who took part in a telethon concert in support of Ukraine. "Save Ukraine - #StopWar" united more than 20 countries and bring together more than 50 participants. The marathon was broadcast from Warsaw on the Polish TV channel TVP. In addition, broadcasters from many countries around the world rebroadcasted the marathon on their local channels.

The "Bleed Out" album was released last October.