#critical discourse

[neo-somnovem-thirst-account]

Okay I'm not current on CR at ALL (every time I have enough time try and catch-up I'll get through an a handful of episodes and then be inundated with time consuming tasks and have to set it down again, but one day I will catch up) but I'm hearing about some ™️Discourse happening so I'm just gonna say something, but I don't even know if it's at all relevant. (I think it might actually be anti-thetical to whatever is currently happening but I'm having thoughts) I guess let me know if I'm making a fool of myself due to lack of context, this is maybe more about CR in general though so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ .

When in real play, TTRPGs aren't always going to flow smoothly or have characters make the smartest choices or even the choices that make sense for them as characters. It's just a fact of how weird the play space that role-playing games exist in can get, especially when it's done in formats geared towards an audience. Sometimes a player will just be in a weird place and it will blend into a session, or time between sessions might get stretched and suddenly you feel very differently about certain in games decisions. If you care a lot about making a perfect story that can be sold as a streamlined story, then it would be an issue, but if your just playing for fun then it doesn't really matter.

I feel like this is exacerbated by the fact that CR in my mind has always tried to be a game/player first situation over being a story/viewer first situation. What I mean by that is, in the game itself they don't always try and force a streamlined well thought-through story, though they definitely do try to make it more polished and well written. It's one of the things I always liked about CR, that the funky amorphous feeling of the role-playing heads pace is way more tangible in the campaign. Characters sometimes make wildly out-of-character decisions, or stories take weirdly convulated and unnecessary turns. It makes it feel more wobbly and imperfect and I love it dearly, as that just happens sometimes in role-playing, Shit gets weird when you let your friends into your brain.

That being said, when you're viewing it as a weekly show, that aspect can be so VERY frustrating because we're used to getting streamlined thought-out storylines from media. It can totally be enough to stop people from watching CR altogether if it bothers them enough. It's almost certainly the reason why people prefer other TTRPG shows like D20 or TAZ (refering entirely to the mini-seasons as ive never made it all the way through the big seasons of TAZ, so major grain of salt on this one), but it's also what makes CR feel different. D20 and TAZ and most other live play shows are usually short-form stories which allows/forces them to cut through the role-player brain fog and just focus on telling good stories.

Obviously CR does sometimes let the fact that the audience is watching 👀 affect their in game moments, and that's okay... because their role-playing, and role-playing is inherently imperfect. CR is more likely to experiences both ends of this dichotomy (being widely unstreamlined/convulated and being very streamlined/railroaded) because they are longer form and trying to capture that role-playing headspace, but they are ALSO a company who has based their careers around those organic (and imperfect) stories they tell, and how they are recieved by fans.

At the end of the day, I guess what I'm saying is, if you want CR but as a perfectly streamlined and well told story, but also maintaining some well-placed and intentional wobbliness, then the live campaign just isn't what you're looking for. Honestly in my mind that's what you'll get from the adaptations of the campaigns (Tlovm, TM9 show when it comes out, the comics, the books etc.) so I bet people who don't like the wonkiness of the campaign love those right!...right?

Obvs I'm not saying you can't be upset with whatever decision the Hells made (or didn't make) that has people fighting, but I also think that this decision they made being wrong, imperfect, or unsatisfying from a story perspective is just what can happen in TTRPGs. Capturing that is, to me, what CR is all about, and what endeared me to it so much before other liveplays. It captures the unique thing that happens during roleplay that is specifically experienced by the roleplayer and not the audience. Which can obvs be a little unsatisfying for the audience member sometimes if we're wanting it to feel like a show and not an experience.

[topazsink]

Jeezum Pete all the debate over character alignments and stuff after last week’s episode 😅

Y’all thought Vox Machina was evil after how they killed Ripley y’all gotta chill tf out.

I know this fandom loves ANGST and debating characters but it always feels like people just wait for a character they don’t like to have a bad day and then try to conflate that into “SEE THEY’RE A BAD PERSON.”

(Either that, or they want to use it so the other person in the ship they like will try and bring them back from the dark side lol)

Idk I’m just tired of the constant “omg they’ve GONE TOO FAR.” You guys didn’t even think Essek went too far in STARTING A WAR but this episode is where ya drawn the line?

The fandom always hates when the characters are complex and try to boil it down to something too simple, if that makes sense.

[dope-daggerx3]

I have absolutely no problem with people finding flaws and having criticisms regarding CR, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

However, shitting on the DM and saying that the way that he plays/creates the story is bad because you don't agree with it, is not alright. Saying that the way they are playing is not how "D&D works" bcuz that's not the way you would do it, is not alright. Presuming to know anything about the way the PCs/cast members feel or how they should feel about the way their campaign is going, is not alright.

Once again, we should all get this tattooed somewhere on our bodies so we don't have to keep going through this: It's their game. They are playing for themselves, not you. If you don't like the choices Matt makes with his world, or one of the cast members makes with their characters, nobody cares.

Complain if you want to, but you're just making people in the fandom not like you.

[shyjusticewarrior]

At some point "fanfic can be as good as professional writing" became "fanfic should be as good as professional writing" and that's caused major damage to fandom spaces.

[opuestocomplementario]

I been working on this idea for a while, meaning I have been thinking about this and seeing in everything

I have been seeing a lot of fans talking about the artists they follow (ex., kpop) and how they praised how said artists do a lot of things in one year, and how they keep making content and music and how they stay until late to make stuff....and not to be like that but those artists then have a ton of health issues and are the first to said they (fans) should take care of their health.

Do they not see it????? Do none of them notice it?? Artists nowadays should not be praised for overworking themselves even if its because they are the ones who put themselves through.

A lot of fans like to jump into companies and management for these people and say things like "they are overworking them, they are doing too much, they should take a break", but they are praised when the artist themself shows EXPLICIT SIGNS of unhealthy relationship with their work as an artist. Also, at this point, blaming anyone but the artist is quiet childish. Maybe years ago the artist didn't have as much as a voice and that could be a valid argument. Right now, is not.

A lot see this "overwork" as dedication to the art and to the fans and stuff. Which is good sometimes, love your job or whatever. I just think the way they choose to talk about it isn't the best to what they are trying to archieve.

[writing-for-life]

“Some of what I see […] is even pre-operational thinking. It’s I can only see it from my point of view.” (add by me: pre-operational = under 7).

“I avoided the topic entirely because I knew the drill: If you don’t agree with me, you’re wrong. If you offend me, you’re canceled.”

“Levine says that what alarms her about the rigid, concrete take on right or wrong she sees in my generation is that without the “capacity to hear opposing points of view, you don’t develop empathy.”

“We’re in desperate need of humans who can grapple openly with ideas, and disagree, as reasonable people will, without villainizing each other.”

“I see teenagers unintentionally becoming more unforgiving and judgmental rather than open-minded and compassionate.”

This article has been written by a high school senior, btw.

[eggwhiteswithspinach]

Since the 20th-century inception of the one-drop rule, widespread critical discourse on the validity of the concept has followed. Some critics argue the importance for mixed-race children to identify themselves by all racial classifications involved, rather than choosing a dominant one. Some assert that Black being a dominant gene, is justifiable as grounds for primary race classification over other racial identities involved. While some simply contend the possibility to identify as both mixed-race and Black.

Willi Quinn

[stheresya]

i love the way sansa is so proud to be catelyn's daughter. in a world where women are expected to assimilate to their husbands' world once they get married, there's sansa adopting her mother's gods into her creed, taking pride in having her mother's looks, often choosing to wear the colors of her mother's house and, most importantly, drawing strength from her mother's memory. what's so great about this is that it's not an act of spite against her father. she's just proud of being both stark and tully. it's like arya said: the woman is important too.

[topazsink]

Alright, OBVIOUSLY I get the real world context of what’s going on in the game. Forcing religion is bad. Obviously.

But it feels like this, along with every single person in this game, except Orym and Ashton and Bor’Dor, being like “pft what have the gods ever done for me” is starting to get frustrating. Not to mention the gods suddenly being more “do this thing for me NOW.”

Isn’t the goal to SAVE the gods? Like the Wildmother that saved Fjord? Or everyone’s bae the Everlight? I’m not saying everyone in the game has to be pro-god, but there should be, I dunno, motivation to reach the goal? Instead of continuing the idea of “mehhhhhh fuck em.”

[septembermonologues]

i love when i fall behind on bell's hells, see people being incredibly angry at orym with no context, and then when i catch up i find out it's over something like him (33 passive perception) overhearing a conversation that was happening out loud in the same room that he (33 passive perception) was in and him (33 passive perception) finding comfort in his friends (a normal thing for people to do) before he (33 passive perception) tuned out and away from them because he (33 passive perception) wasn't eavesdropping on purpose (he has a 33 passive perception and the conversation was happening in the same room)

[tpwrtrmnky]

vexillology

[ID: Three panel "Pills that make you green" comic.

Panel 1: An ochre person with a triangle-shaped body is standing on a stage in front of a curtain.

Ochre: Hey everyone and thanks for showing up today. As you're all probably familiar there's been a lot of discussion about the green pride flag, and how lots of people in the community aren't really represented by it. And while there are a lot of flags for subcommunities we're really missing a unifying one

Panel 2: Ochre person pulls away the curtain, revealing literally just the regular real life Pride flag to the crowd of a variety of people with a skew towards a greenish majority

Ochre: So I'm going to suggest we use this rainbow flag, as a symbolic representation of the full color spectrum

Panel 3: Zoom in on the ochre person looking vaguely dejected, saying "oh..." as criticisms come in from the crowd:

"I feel that this does a poor job representing mauve people"

"Get better at vexilology" [sic]

"That looks so weird"

"There's barely even any of the original green flag left!"

"Way too complicated"

"Orange people don't even have anything to do with green rights"

"What's next, charred brown with lava cracks in it for refugees from Former Italy?"

End ID]

Start - Previous - Next

[tevanbuckley]

leaked footage from the 911 writers room (2024)

[vaspider]

Yes, thank you! That's the point I was trying to make, but I was not clear enough. I appreciate your words.

I am begging everybody, fucking begging them, to slow the fuck down and fucking look things up. Right now, there are a lot of people who are making money off of creating headlines that are meant to make you mad, and it's going to get worse as we get closer to the election.

If someone tells you that there's a secret conspiracy to [do a thing you don't like] and that it's unique to Biden, you better fucking look that thing up, because chances are you're going to find that it's been happening under every administration for the last 50 years. Is that good? No! Should you want to change it? Probably! Is it a unique crime to Biden? Nope!

"Biden said [bad thing] [X] years ago." Well, this bad thing he said happens to be true, but it looks like it was 45 years ago, and he changed his stance 40 years ago. "Biden said [other bad thing] [Y] years ago." What's the source on that? So there's one person who says he said it? And nobody else who was there has corroborated that account? Who posted the story?

These are all random examples of things I've seen over the last couple of weeks, with the details slightly changed from the Tumblr posts and news articles I've seen, because the point isn't the details of the particular story, so I don't want to get bogged down in particulars that don't matter to the point I'm making.

The point of this post isn't the specific things I'm referencing but the fact that in each of these cases, the reality was not what was initially presented. Either the reality was wildly different, or this story can't be corroborated and was told by someone with a clear and very well-known agenda of their own, which means that at the very least, the story should be treated with extreme suspicion.

And on that note, please don't believe that because you're a leftist that you can't be radicalized in the same way that right-wingers are. You aren't immune to propaganda either. I'm not saying you have to like, or should like, any particular politician or political entity. I am saying, however, that you should view a lot of the news with a gimlet eye, and that goes double for anything that makes you real fucking mad.

You need - need - to stop and read the whole article and ask yourself if you can verify the claims and who benefits from this making you mad.

Please. For the sake of the people around you who have to patiently explain to you that you've gotten fucking bamboozled again by propaganda if for no other reason. We're all very tired of you thinking that leftists can't be propagandized.

[rambyol]

For me it was the montage of Zaunites joining the war to fight for Piltover.

You just KNOW Silco’s corpse was spinning in the water

[tea-cat-arts]

Sometimes I wonder what Jiang Cheng could've become if his parents didn't instill a mix of "crippling fear of failure" and "impossibly high standards" in him. Cuz like, his dad was holding him to the vague standard of being as good as wwx, his mom yelling at him whenever he goofed around like wwx, and then both of them expressed disappointment when he's less successful than wwx. The thing both of them seem to ignore though is that wwx got where he is entirely because he had the freedom to fuck around and find out- he trained tirelessly because he made training fun for himself, he was innovative as a cultivators because he experimented and persisted through failures, and he was able to act in line with the Jiang clan moto because his actions had less political pull than members of the main family. Jiang Cheng on the other hand- if he fucked around he got told to "stop stooping to the level of servants." If his achievements were lesser than wwx's, he got either dismissed by his dad or yelled at by his mom to try harder. And if he picked fights with the Wens, they'd have an excuse to destroy his clan. Like ya- no shit that'd create an adult who's terrified of failure.

The kite game serves as such a good metaphor/embodiment of this set back- with Jiang Cheng never being able to shoot as far as Wei Wuxian because he pulls back and shoots closer the second he misses.

And its sad too because he's shown to be pretty brilliant when he's in "fuck it, we ball" mode. Like, when he's not freezing up, he manages to pull off things like rebuilding his entire clan from the ground up, leading armies and taking back territories from the Wens, and I'm fairly sure he's the only character we see counter the Lan music cultivation techniques (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on that last one. Also feel free to add any of the other cool shit he did that I'm blanking on at the moment, cuz I know I'm forgetting something).

That being said- even with his anxiety, he's still one of the top cultivators. Imagine what a force of nature he'd be if he could sustain "fuck it we ball" mode

[luckthebard]

I’m going to say something I’ve been thinking for a long time. Travis/Chetney always bringing up Molaesmyr gets laughs but I think it is the largest factor which is making Matt’s attempt to have the Predathos question be a real debate, and the cast treating it as one not only fall flat for me, but have me ready to be incredibly disappointed in the storytelling of C3 depending on what happens.

Molaesmyr is the most pure example we have of Ludinus’s sins and what happens if he gets what he wants. He contacted Predathos and destroyed a civilization. Not only destroyed it, but twisted the animals, plant life, and people of the city and for hundreds of miles around into horrible, tortured and suffering mockeries of themselves, still haunting a perpetually dying space. That is what Matt presented when we visited Molaesmyr in episode 57 and, because Matt is good at horror and especially body horror, it really landed.

We’ve heard the cast say several times now that the characters definitely want to stop Ludinus from getting any power but after that “we’ll see.” We’ll see what? How is doing any version of what Ludinus wants a victory, even if he’s not involved? How are we considering that it might be fine to let Predathos out to chase/eat the gods or to control after seeing what it did to Molaesmyr? Do the people we saw as twisted and suffering mockeries of their former selves in that dead city not matter to the story at all? Are they just set dressing we’re supposed to forget?

Trying to present any version of what Ludinus ultimately wants, releasing Predathos, as a possible and even potentially correct or admirable endgame was, imo, a huge mistake after seeing Molaesmyr. As an audience of this story, it turns who we’ve been told are protagonists into villains. And while some stories can do that well, I don’t have confidence this one could, in large part because D&D is designed to be heroic fantasy. And seeing the heroes turn to villains at the last second will be even harder to swallow if the story tries to tell us they had a point.