#hes just not popular nor was made in 2012. whatever

[zzoupz]

thought about how lord quaedam has tumblr sexyman potential. anyways.

[appleb18]

Why Modern Cartoons is Not Great as it Used to be in this Decade

As 2010′s draw near to the end and begin a next-generation, cartoons have changed from being a fun episodic adventure with a meaningful message and can get dark sometimes to a story-driven show with deep messages. While cartoons have a great start in early 2010s such as Adventure Time, Regular Show, Gravity Falls, and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, however as time passes cartoons are becoming less interesting and not many aren’t talking about it. So what the hell happened with modern cartoons? Let’s get to the bottom of what happened to this decade of cartoons and why isn’t anyone talking about it anymore 

The Animation Quality 

The quality of the animation of cartoons back in 2000′s were amazing, so many variations of animation styles that look very appealing such as 

Samurai Jack 

Avatar: The Last Airbender 

Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends 

Recess 

Proud Family and so many more

But now in modern cartoons, most cartoon shows are using a similar style of animation which many people called it “Calarts style”. Most cartoon shows are using because it’s cheap however it takes away creativity, more detail nor being organic. Look at Infinity Train, compare from the pilot to the release 

It looks very boring having most cartoons look the same. Then there’s artistic freedom where creators let them draw whatever they want such as Steven Universe and OK KO. That sounds good but really though it just looks lazy and unprofessional. This is very distracting that most characters go off-model every scene like why Rebecca and Ian-Jones Quarry think it was a good idea! 

Great to Below Average

So now let’s talk about the three shows that were once popular Steven Universe, Voltron, and Star vs The Forces of Evil. The trope I’ve been seeing as of late about these shows that it was pretty hype and they deliver on that. All they need to do is conclude it and call it a good cartoon but then crash and burned in later seasons. 

Steven Universe didn’t get popular until “Jailbreak” and that was when everyone was watching it. It had character development, an interesting world of gems, a gorgeous background and has one of the best soundtracks. This isn’t surprising because the creator is the same person who wrote Marceline episodes in Adventure Time which was Rebecca Sugar that created the series. Then season 4 and season 5 happened which the show drop in quality like mostly the show prefer showing filler which makes the plot go too fast and made arcs underwhelming, crystals gems and Lapis Lazuli and Peridot aren’t being used that much in the show and having each villain being beaten by simply talking to them. While there is Steven Universe Future but that hasn’t gotten interesting in my opinion. 

Star vs The Forces of Evil is a show used to be interesting for the two seasons and “Battle for Mewni” arc but then shipping drama got out of hand and that resulted to fell from grace 

Then there’s Voltron and we all how that turned out for the last two seasons

What these three have in common that they set up this interesting premise and world in the first few seasons but they all went downhill. Awful character writing, insane plot twist, and terrible pacing. I did wish that those shows would get better like how Adventure Time and Regular Show had one bad season but after that, they both got better but they didn’t and it went from being great to disappointingly average. 

Comedy Over Messages

Now that’s got the most hype shows, let’s talk about shows that not many people talk about because the premise and world aren’t engaging enough to watch and which they are We Bare Bears, Craig in the Creek, Clarence, OK KO, and The Loud House. While I’m not saying they aren’t bad but it is just not interesting to watch, it's just that it’s too tame and too comedic. The main issue I have it doesn’t really teach viewers like they used to anymore 

OK KO was about to talk about gun violence but they turn it into a comedy. In “Let’s Not Be Skeletons” people overuse the gun and resulting everyone to turn skeletons and KO tries to stop it but fails. By the end of the episode, it was a dream and calls Congress to stop it from happening. I really hate how writers of this episode of making a serious issue turn into comedy and that’s a pretty awful way of doing it. 

Look at Static Shock and Fat Albert, instead of making Gun Violence a joke, they talk about how serious it is by having someone shot and that devastated the characters a lot 

Then there's Hey Arnold, it really dives into serious issues such as 

“Pigeon Man” showcases that some people are meant to be with other people while others like Pigeon Man are just different and can’t be with other people. 

“Helga on the Couch” showcases Helga's anger issues and those issues manifest because her family ignores her because of her sister. Never truly cares for like no makes her lunch for school and no one brought her to school when she was a young girl. The only person that cares for was Arnold.

Then there’s my personal favorite, “Arnold Christmas”. Mr. Hyunh is always sad at Christmas and this episode revealed that he had a daughter and all he wanted was to see her grow up but there was a war coming near his village. In order to do so, he had to give her up so she can have a better life. It took 20 years to get out of the country and he almost gave up hope to find her until Helga helped Arnold to search for her and be reunited with her father. 

Modern cartoons don’t show those kinds of messages anymore and there’s something worse than that and I hate how cartoon shows keep doing this. 

Today’s Villains

I” ve been seeing a lot lately that the main antagonist isn't handled well in cartoons as of lately. Most villains have been getting redeemed lately and not paying their crimes. While show creatures try to make them sympathetic and the victim however it doesn’t excuse them for their crimes. 

White Diamond who caused multiple mass genocide on worlds, brainwash any gem that stands in her way and shatter gems gets easily defeated by simply getting talk to and just not gonna do it anymore because Steven said so. 

Mina Loveberry and her Mewni soldiers wanted to destroy monsters. When her and her army magic depleted, she just goes in the wilderness and no one stopped her. 

Moon Butterfly helped Mina create her soldiers so she can retake the throne from Ecipsa. Instead of having the monsters and her surrendering the throne that she was attending to do, however, her plan backfired when Mewni Soldiers and Mina wanted to kill all the monsters. Why didn’t Moon saw that coming, they were clearly racist against them. Then by the end of the show, she never once apologized for what she has done. 

Starlight Glimmer created a cult that no one has cutie marks until the mane six defeated her in “Cutie Map” She returns and her revenge on Twilight by going back in time and making sure Rainbow Dash doesn’t perform the Sonic Rainboom. After multiple going to multiple timelines, she finally catches up to her and then her tragic backstory been revealed and it was very disappointing. The reason she caused all of this because her friend moved away and that’s it. That’s not all, instead of her facing her crimes like most villains such as Tirek or Queen Chrysalis, she gets off the hook and she became friends with Twilight in a matter of minutes 

A good example of a good antagonist is Aku from Samurai Jack. When he first appeared in the show, he’s pure evil, destroying anything that stood in his way and ruling over the weak but as the show progresses, the serious villain became more comedic villain but that doesn’t mean he’s a silly character, he’s far from that. He’s still all-powerful and should be taken seriously. This is what I want from a villain.  He’s powerful, he’s truly evil and has a personality. 

Villains can be sympathetic and relatable however shouldn’t be forgiven so easily. When a character crosses the line by taking multiple innocent lives should never be redeemed, even if they have a sad backstory 

Cartoons lately have become less popular in this past decade, the glaring problems about cartoons are its animation, comedy over messages, messy plots, and terrible villain. People will only talk about cartoons from the late ’80s to 2012. I’m afraid that this day of age that it isn’t appealing anymore than in previous years. The only animation that people will talk about is anime shows which I can’t lie, is far superior to cartoons as of now. I feel that the only way it can make it back on top is it needs something like Adventure Time or Gravity Falls moment that reinvent it more relevant and view to modern audiences. I really do like to watch cartoon shows for animation, message, and characters but I keep seeing issues in modern cartoons and I hope that it will change in the future. 

[vikingqueer]

music recommendations because i have some thoughts™

i don't wanna be that person who's like "my music taste is so weird lol" but i find that very often most of my friends don't really care for the music i like so i thought i'd just make a long ass post about it on tumblr instead. Fair warning, I'm very passionate about MIKA and The Mechanisms and so this very quickly got VERY long because it is part of my ongoing campaign to convince people to listen to mika and the mechs.

1) MIKA in general, but especially My Name Is Michael Holbrook (2019) and No Place In Heaven (2015) (especially the Deluxe version!!)

MIKA is a kind of British singer (half Lebanese, grew up in France blabla), and you probably know him for Grace Kelly and Relax, Take It Easy from his first album Life In Cartoon Motion from 2007. He writes a lot of FUN music, interspersed with the occasional slightly sadder song, especially when looking at an album like No Place In Heaven, which contains a lot of songs with gay themes, resulting in some songs that are just a little bit ouch. He's originally classically trained and has a frankly RIDICULOUS range and idk he just writes very good pop music. Also I have so much respect for that time he talked about how a lot of pop is very fake, with like expensive cars and stilettos and mini skirts in the snow and said "Because I walk down the street, and I don't see any of that. I see fat women and gay men. I don't know... That's real". He's written 5 albums; My Name Is Michael Holbrook (2019), No Place In Heaven (2015), The Origin Of Love (2012), The Boy Who Knew Too Much (2009), and Life In Cartoon Motion (2007).

For starters, I recommend listening to Last Party, Origin Of Love, Grace Kelly, Blame It On The Girls, Blue, Happy Ending, Pick Up Off The Floor, Last Party, Underwater, Tomorrow and Tiny Love (yes this is a long list but i REALLY love MIKA). If you want a slightly broader palette that's not just my favourites, I recommend the Mika starter pack on spotify.

2) The Mechanisms. I warn you. I am making this a thing. I have been obsessed with the mechs since last march.

Boy, where to start? The Mechanisms were a British 9 member space pirate story-telling cabaret that "died" in January 2020. They rewrite songs to fit retellings of various stories. I don't even know what genre I'd describe them as, but probably folk but steam-punk?? Their 4 "main" albums are concept albums, and I honestly just recommend listening to the from beginning to end in chronological order. A good way to get into the mechs is also to listen to UDAD and then watching the live show on youtube or alternately try giving Death To The Mechanisms a listen, to get good quality live show audio of TBI and various other stuff. Also, it was streamed on YouTube and someone combined the footage with the album audio and it rocks. Really, I think the mechs' best selling points are honestly just their concept albums:

Once Upon a Time (In Space) Their first album from 2012. I'd say this is the most "easily digestible" for the general public, since it's a retelling of various fairytales. So, what if Old King Cole was in fact not merry, but rather a cold-blooded dictator, intent on colonising as much of the galaxy as possible. What if Snow White was a general, looking to avenge what King Cole did to her sister, Rose. What if Cinderella was to be wedded to Rose the day that King Cole attacked in order to kidnap Rose? But y'know, In Space and also like every other mechs album it's a beautiful tragedy. Fave songs are Old King Cole, Pump Shanty, and No Happy Ending.

Ulysses Dies at Dawn You guessed it, it's a story about Odysseus, or Ulysses because I guess Ulysses is easier to rhyme or fit in the meter or something, idk. Ulysses is a war hero of unknown gender who is said to keep something that could take down the corrupt Olympians, meanest families in the City, in a vault to which only they know the passcode. Oedipus, Heracles, Orpheus, and Ariadne have been hired by Hades, who happens to be The Mechs' quartermaster Ashes O'Reilly, to get into Ulysses' vault. I didn't care much for udad at first, but honestly it's got some real bangers and the story is really good. UDAD weirdly stands out as the only of the concept albums to not feature any gay relationships, per se. Fave songs are Riddle of the Sphinx, Favoured Son, and Underworld Blues.

High Noon over Camelot This is my favourite mehcs album. So basically, this is Arthurian legend, but it's a space western and Jonny D'Ville does a bad southern accent. This is the story of the cowboy lovers Arther, Lancelot, and Guinevere searching for the Galfridian Restricted Acces Interface Login, or GRAIL, in order to stop their world from falling into the sun. Meanwhile, Mordred and Gawaine are ruling Camelot, and Mordred has convinced Gawaine to try to establish peace with the Saxons by whom Mordred was raised, but Gawaine hates viciously. If you love getting your heart broken and songs by a fucking off the rails batshit preacher I HIGHLY recommend hnoc. Fave songs are Gunfight at the Dolorous Guard, Blood and Whiskey, and Once and Future King. Honorary mention for Hellfire because it awakens something animalistic in me.

The Bifrost Incident TBI is the frankly only good adaptation of norse mythology I've ever known of, and I say that as Dane who was literally forced to learn things about norse mythology in school because it's my heritage or whatever. I've been listening to TBI a lot lately because it's VERY good. It's definitely the most refined of the mechs' albums (because it's the newest) but also I just love a little bit of cosmic horror. 80 years ago, Odin, the All-Mother, ruler of Asgaard, launched a train through the wormhole Bifrost that would reduce the travel between Asgaard and Midgaard from 3 months to 3 days, but things didn't go quite as planned. Lyfrassir Edda of the New Midgaard Transport Police is trying to solve the case of why suddenly the train has arrived 80 years late; to figure out whether it was accident or maybe it was sabotaged by Loki, who was allegedly sentence to death her murder of Baldur, by the Midgaardian resistance led by Loki's wife Sigyn, or maybe by Thor, who was to take over after Odin, and who holds quite the grudge because he used to be a friend of Loki's. You might've heard the song Thor from this album, it's apparently quite popular. Fave songs are Loki, Ragnarok III: Strange Meeting, and Ragnarok V: End of The Line. Yet again an honorary mention: Red Signal because while Lovecraft was a bitch, his invocations are fucking RAW.

Basically, the Mechanisms do all of their performances in character as captain first mate Jonny D'Ville, quartermaster Ashes O'Reilly, pilot DrumBot Brian, master-at-arms Gunpowder Tim, science officer Raphaella la Cognizi, doctor Baron Marius Von Raum (neither a baron, nor a doctor), archivist Ivy Alexandria, engineer Nastya Rasputina, and The Toy Soldier, who is, as usual, present. You can find very obscure lore about the crew of the Aurora here, tidbits on Tales To Be Told and TTBT Vol. 2, such as One Eyed Jacks, The Ignominious Demise of Dr. Pilchard, Gunpowder Tim vs. The Moon Kaiser, Lucky Sevens, and Lost in the Cosmos.

If you feel like listening to a full 40-50 minute album to find out if you like a band is a bit much, I recommend listening to one of the mini stories Alice, Swan Song, or Frankenstein, which are about 12, 5 and 9:30 minutes respectively.

3) The Amazing Devil You know that guy who played Jaskier in the Witcher? I got into The Amazing Devil from spotify recommending them because I listened to the mechs, and apparently Joey Batey from The Amazing Devil is the same Joey Batey who was in the Witcher. Both him and Madeleine Hyland are VERY talented singers and songwriters and their second album The Horror and the Wild makes me go out into the forest and SCREAM. I listened to it on repeat for like a month straight. I guess they'd also be considered folk, but like. New Folk. Also yes, this is another British artist, I don't know why I'm like this. I've never really gotten that into their first album, Love Run, but King slaps. As I understand there's this whole lore about the Blue Furious Boy and Scarlet Scarlet, Joey and Madeleine respectively, but unlike the Mechanisms it's actually possible to find out things about the actual real people and harder to find the obscure lore? I'm open for people to please help me. Fave songs are The Horror and the Wild, Farewell Wanderlust, and That Unwanted Animal, which is literally a third of their second album, but again. I haven't really listened to Love Run that much, and I just LOVE the harmonies on THATW. (also im gay and dramatic leave me alone)

4) dodie I have so much love for this woman. Like many others, I first knew dodie as doddleoddle on youtube. I think I first stumbled across her in probably 2015, because I distinctly already knew her before she released her first EP Sick of Losing Soulmates in 2016. I think I watched probably every video she's ever made in the span of a few weeks. I just loved her quiet sound and was absolutely HOOKED. Also she's actually the reason I got into MIKA originally, so thanks for that. Dodie just realeased her first album Build A Problem (in addition to her three EP's; the one mentioned above, You, and Human) and it slaps. Yes dodie is also British Fave songs are probably Monster, Rainbow, and In The Middle.

5) Cladia Boleyn Unfortunately, Claudia Boleyn only has three singles and that's it. She's been making content on youtube for quite a while, and that's how I first discovered her. I don't know what genre her music is, but I like it. The songs are Celesta, George, and Mother Maiden Crone, of which the latter is my favourite. I'm not saying Claudia Boleyn invented women in 2017 when she released Mother Maiden Crone, but she did. Also you guessed it, Claudia Boleyn is British.

6) Hozier I'm not about to tell you about Hozier. You know who he is. Listen to Nina Cried Power, Angel Of Small Death & The Codeine Scene, and Shrike. Also Hozier isn't stricly British in that he is definitely from A British Isle, but Ireland is not part of the UK. Give me a break.

7) Oh Land Oh Land IS DANISH. I like her early music best, because I'm not that into the electronic sound. I guess Oh Land is just you regular old pop, but with the occasional weird vibe? Oddly enough, I like her first album Fauna best. Unfortunately I haven't really listened to her newest album Family Tree much, but it seems good? Fave songs are Frostbite, Love You Better and Family Tree. I cried on the bus, first time I listened to the Danish version of Love You Better, Elsker Dig Mer because my mother tongue always just hits harder. Also Frostbite is Oh Land doing a duet with herself which is pretty cool.

8) Oysterband This is a live recommendation. I mean they're a decent folk band and all, but they're a fucking experience live. If you like folk and you ever get the opportunity to see Oysterband live, do it. Unfortunately, yes. They are British. Either way, they are incredible on a scene and I think they deserve a mention for that.

9) Ben Platt Honestly don't know much about this guy, but he's not British and he was in Dear Evan Hansen. He released an album in 2019, Sing To Me Instead, and I just think it's a good album, there isn't really not much more to it. Fave songs are Grow As We Go, Bad Habit, and In Case You Don't Live Forever.

and thats all for now. this has been a ramble. shout out to you if you actually read all of this, especially the mechs part.

[fromtheplanethexagon]

the robot problem: a critical look at tobecky, 5 years late

hello wordgirl fandom i am back :) and i have a lot of thoughts that i never got around to expressing before i moved on from the show. so be aware that everything i'm saying is based on my experiences during the 2012-2016 era of the fandom & state of tumblr in general, and i am not familiar with more recent fan content.

it's been over five years since the show ended, and @ifbrd​ reminded me (along with some great analysis) that while tobecky was super popular since before the show technically started (thanks to the play date shorts), it's pretty unhealthy in a lot of ways that tend to be excused or flat out ignored in fanworks. i'd like to reflect on that a bit (a lot); specifically, how both the show and the fandom approached this enemies-to-lovers ship, and how easily this ship can slip into uncomfortable territory if we're careless about how we interpret the ship and create fan content of it.

i will admit, i'm mostly writing this as a response to past me and my old creations - though i moved on from the show as a whole years ago, i do like taking the time to reflect on old interests once in a while, and reevaluating my thoughts on them. and this ship is probably the biggest one that still lurks in the corners of my mind once in a while, so let's go.

cherish is the word: a short positive note before a much longer negative one

i wanted to start this essay off with some positivity, because i am going to be very negative after this. tobecky was, in some ways, cute. it's obvious from the very beginning that these two characters are on pretty equal ground, even if one of them isn't aware of it. and that's part of the fun - the irony of how unaware tobey is that his nemesis/crush/person that pretty much always wins against him is someone that he completely dismisses as incompetent. i want to point this out because honestly, in general i don't like enemies-to-lovers because a lot of them use a power imbalance within the dynamic, and i hate power imbalances, especially when it comes to actual life-or-death scenarios (at least, as much as cartoons can do that). in most episodes, becky is never actually forced to go along with his wishes. she's not held in a 'date' against her will, nor is she ever really outwitted by him. i bring this up because there is one huge, uncomfortable exception, which i will get to later.

another big plus to the ship is the fact that they just... get along? even when fighting? of course we get brief moments where they just hang out and talk about paintings or whatever, but i'm talking about how much they get each other, even if they don't realize it. like the word banter, for example. been there since day one. becky loves words, and while most other people in her life don't really care (ranging from 'eh, that's cool i guess' to her brother calling it annoying), tobey gives her a chance to show off and thus treats her as a worthy adversary as herself, not because of her more generic superpowers - something that we've seen in canon that she feels self-conscious about (see: her motivation in patch game). one of the less noticed examples, to me, is "it's your party and i'll cry if I want to", because it's just - okay. they both are excluded from a social event, and while it's obvious that tobey deals with it by destroying the city, it's also pretty obvious that becky also deals with her frustration by fighting in that battle. like, yes, realistically it's just objectively bad that he's destroying buildings. but they're also providing each other with a way to work through their frustrations, first by fighting and then by talking things out, and finally by hanging out together instead of dwelling on being excluded from the party.

so it makes a lot of sense to me that many tobecky fans gravitated towards writing far-in-the-future fic, usually by implying that some growth had taken place before starting to write the ship. (there are, as far as i'm aware, 2... maybe 3 exceptions, that take the time to attempt a real redemption for him, at least when i left the fandom.) because if you take away his worst moments, either by reasoning out that he was 10 years old and a mess, or that he was a cartoon character in a cartoon world where everyone's actions are over-the-top, or by just flat-out pretending that certain episodes never happened, there's some pretty solid ground to start a ship on.

go gadget go: we all do not see it, we simply close our eyes (review of canon)

when the show began, i was the same age as the characters. a lot of other people were, too - at least in my cohort of the fandom. i think it's pretty safe to say that many of us have fond memories of the show's earlier seasons, and held on to that interest as we got older, for whatever reasons. so like, not to be all 'as an OG fan...', but i remember seeing the shorts air for the first time in 2006. i have a diary entry in july of 2009 about how i, a 12yo with no concept of the idea of 'shipping', was disappointed in the new tobey episode because i wanted more tobecky interactions. (that was robo-camping, btw, lol.) and so i remember how exciting their rivalry felt, watching them as someone literally their exact same age, and then watching that again as a nostalgic 17yo, and then uh... growing up, to put it frankly, and realizing just how unhealthy most of their interactions were.

okay what i meant to say was, this section is an overview of the relationship's canon portrayal throughout the years.

first, we have early tobecky: this includes the shorts and the first few seasons. this is their classic relationship: he likes her and takes robots on rampages to get her attention, she majorly disapproves and has fun taking him down. we've all seen the show, you know what i'm talking about. his backhanded ways of trying to find out her identity often feature prominently in the episodes, which - sigh, i've mentioned this whole issue before, but it's kind of a grey area in the whole uncomfortable-factor thing, because while trying to find out her identity is VERY invasive, it's something that like... everyone in the show tries to do, even her canon crush (scoops). on the one hand, it's really not a great look, but on the other hand, this is a cartoon meant to parody a genre in which this trope is extremely common. so i just wanna say that i have Issues and Thoughts on this aspect of their relationship, but there are other things i find more important to discuss here.

second, we have late tobecky: this is seasons 7-8. this is... a very strange and huge shift from the previous dynamic, though it's not necessarily obvious. what i mean by that is that for some reason, the show writers made it so that half of tobey’s rampages have nothing to do with his crush on wordgirl, even though that used to be the sole reason for his villainy. seriously. we have the birthday episode, where he's upset because he feels left out; wg vs tobey vs the dentist, where he's mad that he has a cavity; and trustworthy tobey, where his robot goes on a rampage... after becky accidentally makes it malfunction. the two outliers are ‘guess who’s coming to thanksgiving dinner’ and ‘patch game’, but they still differ from previous seasons because 1) his destruction is isolated to a forest far away from the city, and 2) his motive is still to impress wordgirl, but his methods are relatively tame. also he completely gives up on the secret identity thing??? i may have missed some things but i think he straight up tells her 'yeah there's no way you're wordgirl, lol' and the subject is just dropped for the rest of the show.

i also want to include 'the robot problem' here, because it's one of two season 6 tobey episodes, and follows the 'doesn't destroy buildings to get her attention' pattern: in fact, he teams up with her to try and stop someone else from going on a rampage (even if his reasons are selfish, lol).

and finally. the other season 6 episode. we have go gadget go, the bane of my time spent in the fandom. because GGG is the single episode where tobey truly manages to take away her autonomy, and proceeds to abuse that power for an extended period of time, for his own amusement. it's bad. it's Very Bad. put in the context that it's a white boy doing this to an (ambiguously) brown girl, it's REALLY REALLY BAD. and the more i look back on it, tbh, the more weirded out i am that the show not only made it seem like she wasn't affected at all within the episode, it just... forgot about it (which is not unusual for shows and especially children’s shows, but WG does make some efforts to either retain continuity or create canon reasons for why things are forgotten about). it's the kind of thing that you can't excuse and honestly you can't redeem (like at this point, you gotta ask yourself why you're spending so much effort trying to redeem this guy when becky has several other possible ships that are nowhere near this unhealthy - violet, scoops, honestly even victoria if you want another hero/villain ship, my absolute fave rarepair rose, etc).

so if you want to still ship it you have to just pretend that it never happened. (i remember trying for weeks to write something exploring the aftermath of this episode, to try and make myself feel better about it, but the more i wrote the more i realized just how traumatic this event should've been, so i eventually just dropped it.) and i brought up my own timeline of experiences earlier to point out that this episode aired eight whole years after the show started. which means that when i saw it, even though i was a huge stickler for canon at the time, i'd built up my own idea of the show and characters strongly enough to go 'yeah, no, this episode sucks and i am going to pretend that it doesn't exist'. and i think a lot of other people did too, because i really saw like... no one mention it, ever, except for some rogue fanfics over on ff dot net that already liked dynamics like that.

because here's the thing, and i don't know if people nowadays are aware of it? but i'm 80% sure (cannot find a source, so the other 20% is that it was just a rumor) that the show was originally supposed to end after season 6. and even if it's a rumor, it makes a ton of sense, because we get 1) an 'ending' to tobecky, which is a bad one, 2) a permanent wordgirl identity reveal that significantly changes one of the major dynamics in the show, 3) an episode where TJ gets to work with wordgirl and get a nice potential ending for their sibling dynamic, 4) an episode where we see Two-Brains explore life without his henchmen... the list goes on, and idk how many of these are just major stretches. but the point is. if the show had ended there, that would've been a pretty solid ending for many things, including their relationship: aka, it would prove that it was only ever heading somewhere bad, and when tobey finally has his moment of triumph, he is truly evil about it. and this provides us fans who HATE go gadget go with an easy reason to dismiss it - we can say that it was an attempt to conclude things in a way that wouldn't have happened if the writers had known they'd get more time. but despite that... it is still a canon episode.

it is odd to me how dramatically the dynamic shifts after that, though, because we seriously go from 'worst case ever, tobecky is toxic, your ship is dead' to 'no actually they get along and hang out and get ice cream together and tobey isn't even pressuring her into it, she's happy to go along with it :)' like, immediately. i never knew much about the show writers, so i don't know if the writers changed in between these seasons, but i would absolutely not be surprised if they did.

the earlier episodes are definitely problematic as well (though they pale in comparison to GGG) but i think everyone who ships it is aware considering that tobey is, yknow, a villain. from memory, he destroys buildings to get her attention, lies to her about the level of danger that people are in to trick her into spending more time with him, blackmails her into reading his poetry, and he creates a robot based on her that’s supposed to be devoted to him (but of course, all of these things backfire). not great stuff of course, but like... he’s a villain, that’s the point of his character. and considering that he’s a child these are things that can be redeemed, if done thoughtfully.

anyway, to sum up this section, the show starts off with a pretty standard 'enemies with an unrequited crush' setup, takes a really dark turn for a single episode, and then for the rest of the show takes their dynamic in a direction that makes it much, much easier to ship. as long as you ignore a lot of previous content.

wordbot: where's becky's autonomy in all of this? (misogyny)

we've finally gotten to the fandom. i recognize that a lot of this is going to come across as hypocritical considering how active i used to be re: this ship, but like... i'm a very different person now. anyway. disclaimer i guess - i don't write this to accuse all tobecky shippers of being like this - i know a lot of us aren't/weren't! but boy do i have things to point out, so without further ado:

it is very hard to ship this without allowing some bit of misogyny to slip into it. very, very hard. the entire premise of the ship involves a girl falling in love with a boy that repeatedly pressures her to date him via threats to the safety of herself and people she cares about, which... it's 2020, i shouldn't have to explain why that's terrible & a terrible example to set for children (which is why i am glad they never made it canon, tbh). best-case fan content has tobey stop pressuring her and start working to redeem himself out of an actual change of heart, which leads to becky seeing him in a new light. worst-case fan content treats his incessant pressuring and sometimes outright threats as something romantic - and even worse, romantic to the point where he deserves her attention and love as a reward for not giving up or whatever. i did see this pretty frequently for a while, especially in the earlier 2010s (didn't read much, Not My Thing At All), but i don't feel like going into detail here because of how obviously problematic it is. one medium (but still bad) case is where the fan content makes him start his redemption, but treats her liking him back as a reward for not knocking buildings over anymore. another not great case is where she tries to fix him with her love, which is a very common and very dangerous romantic trope. both are just... so incredibly unfair to her.

in content where she tries to 'fix him'... yeah i feel like it's really obvious how misogynistic that is. girls and women should not feel responsible for the evil actions of men, plain and simple. idk what else to say here i just really hate that trope and hated it back then and it just sucks! so can we not do that anymore, thanks.

in content that treats her like a reward for good behavior, there really isn't much of an explanation for what she sees in him. if she just goes 'oh wow, you're good now, i am going to fall in love with you for it' the whole thing falls flat because it makes NO sense whatsoever. we get to hear so much about tobey and his feelings and why he likes her and how he feels about it, but where is that energy for becky? why does she choose to trust him, to spend time around him, what does she enjoy about his presence? where is her getting over scoops in the process of falling for tobey? where is her telling her friends about this, confiding in them, asking them for advice? where is her choice in the matter?

win a day with wordgirl: do you guys even like becky or do you just like the idea of her (misogyny... 2!)

it was pretty standard for all fandoms the early-mid 2010s, but that's still not a good excuse for why so many tobecky fanfictions centered specifically around tobey's feelings while refusing to give becky the same level of empathy and nuance. it is true that to ship them comfortably you have to redeem him to some degree, which means spending time figuring him out and trying to find ways to pull him to the light without feeling super OOC. but ships take two people??? and there was so much potential for fanfics to explore becky's complex feelings on the matter - because she is! complex! she's heroic and kind but she's petty and has a competitive streak, she easily befriends villains but also doesn't trust them and doesn't believe they can ever really change, she's the savior of an entire planet but has feelings of inadequacy as her civilian identity and struggles with feeling like she can be successful without superpowers, she's great at the straightforward meanings and uses of words and loves reading but struggles to write passages that aren't dry as hell, it can be easily headcannoned that she's neurodivergent (special interests, issues with fitting in with her peers, taking things very literally, etc)... seriously there is SO MUCH to explore about her character, and a lot of it comes into play when you add tobey into the mix (literally ALL of the things i mentioned are explored at some point using tobey as a parallel or foil), but i rarely saw fanfiction that explored her thoughts on things further than 'he's evil but... maybe good?' or 'he's evil but... i kind of like him anyway?'.

if you want her to fall for him while being a villain, explore it!! why does she go against her morals? does she lie to herself about it to feel better? does she feel like she has to 'fix him' as part of her superhero duties to the city, and if so, how does that affect her as she tries and fails to help him? does she fall for him when she believes that he's turning good, only to feel betrayed when he starts acting worse because he feels like he can get away with it? it's such a shame that fanworks spend so little time even considering these questions, and it is absolutely a product of how deeply misogyny is/was baked into how we approach media (especially back then).

tobey goes good: but wait, i thought this show was progressive (a conclusion, i guess)

ifbrd wrote a great meta recently about how the show is a bit misogynist, despite being progressive in several ways. honestly i don't have much to add, but i'd really recommend reading through this; it makes a lot of great observations about the ways that male and female characters are presented differently through the show

i have little to add, so i'd just like to conclude with a reflection on the ship from my current viewpoint. i do think part of the reason so many of us latched onto the ship, despite how obviously problematic it was, is that the show treats a lot of things that would be serious in real life as normal or even comedic - which is fine lol, i'm not going to pretend that it's not a show for little kids, so they have to keep the tone light.

but if we, as teens/adults, decide to engage with this content in a more realistic manner, we have to be prepared to confront how messed up so many of the things going on really are. and if you still want to ship it, there's nothing inherently wrong with that! there's a lot of interesting things to explore in this ship, no matter what stage of enemies-to-friends-to-lovers you write them at, and it can be really helpful to have a space where you can explore a dynamic such as this in fiction. (speaking from experience here tbh, writing some fic for them helped me deal with complicated feelings about some ex-longtime friends.)

so to write this ship at all means that there are canon issues that you need to deal with if you want to have them end up in a healthy relationship in any manner that makes sense (unless you create an AU where none of that is applicable, which, power to you then). and i’m not saying ‘write them with a healthy endgame or you’re Bad’, not at all lol. but at least please, please take a step back once in a while to examine the dynamic that you’re writing, and please be careful about whether you mean to be romanticizing whatever behaviors you end up portraying as good.

[the-bejeesus]

To Those Who Say “I’m not gonna catch up on One Piece until it’s finished. Why would I watch/read 1000+ episodes/chapters when I don’t even get to know how the story ends?”

      Now for the past few years, when I came across somebody who said this, my rebute would be something like “Well the series is great already. It doesn’t really matter if I don’t know how it ends, because the journey itself is enjoyable.” or “Man if that’s your excuse, who you gonna explain why you read/watch stuff like Berserk, Hunter X Hunter, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and My Hero Academia? Newsflash, they aren’t done yet.” But it came across my mind that I can now apply a completely different approach:

“If you start watching/reading at this pace right now, it will be over by the time you catch up.”

      If you’re a fan of the series, you’ll know that for awhile now Oda has been saying that he plans to end the series in just 5-4 years. Now he’s made lots of claims in the past that turned out to be ridiculous. However, many One Piece researchers have compiled his claims and found out that they only get more accurate as time goes on, with the most ridiculous claims being found to be myths. And with the most recent claims of ending the series in less than 5 years, even his editors who are usually skeptical have started to trust that he can do this. After all, he has officially set there to be only one more saga (which isn’t necessarily one arc, but it’s either going to be 1-2 major arcs or an anthology of 5-6 shorter arcs). And now that we can trust this claim, we can essentially extrapolate how many chapters/episodes are left and what pace we have to binge to catch up at just the right time.

If you plan to read the manga (black and white):

The manga in black in white is a perfectly fine way to enjoy One Piece. It’s what Oda draws, it’s how he intends it to be viewed, and best of all, it will be the first version of publication to finish.

     Out of the 1223 weeks since the first chapter published in July 19, 1997, 1000 chapters have published, meaning on average he publishes 42 chapters per year, or in other words, there are only 10 hiatuses per year (including holidays where WSJ does not publish). Now if I wanted to be more accurate, I’d only look at the chapters published this year, to exclude outliers like how he had no hiatuses for the first 200 chapters, or how he had a 4-week hiatus during the timeskip, but 2020 has been a bit crazy, so we’re not doing that for this or any of the others.

     Going off of this, the final chapter would be chapter 1212 in December 28, 2025 (yes, the 28th would be a Sunday again.) So here’s how you’d calculate the pace in which you need to read One Piece, and really this is how we’ll calculate it for every version)

     Now I know math is boring, but the reason I’m showing this to you is because the amount of weeks until One Piece ends will vary based on when you start this binge. Chances are you aren’t going to start the day you see this post, and there’s an even greater chance you won’t see this post the day it’s posted. For every example I’m going to assume you started binging on December 28, 2020. Now let’s try to use it for this example.

     And there’s your answer, just read 4-5 chapters per week. By the end, One Piece should be nearly over or have very recently ended. To put that into a different perspective, you could purchase and read just two volumes per month and you’ll be at prime pace. Or you could read one chapter every day, but only on weekdays.  If you want to, you can see this calculation in action in graph form.

     While this is a very rudimentary graph, it’s a basic visualization of what we’re calculating here. We’re calculating what speed we need to binge to catch up at exactly the right moment. I say exact, but ultimately no one can predict how many chapters there will be exactly, nor how many hiatuses Oda will go on during it. It will be important, as you’re nearing the end, to find a spoiler-free way to keep up on how close One Piece is to ending. To know whether you ought to speed up or slow down.

If you plan to watch the anime (subtitled):

For years now people have hated on the anime “terrible animation!” “terrible pacing” but at the end of the day, it’s the more popular version. Or the more viewed version I should say. And personally, I think that once you acknowledge its problems and learn how to deal with them, it’s a perfectly fine experience. There’s enough good voice acting and enough good storytelling that you’re easily able to ignore the problems. Plus, the animation has substantially improved since Wano.

      Now for this we’re going to have to change a lot of variables to get this right. We’re going to have to adjust when publication started, and recalculate when One Piece will end by looking at how slowly the anime adapts the manga, and how behind it is. The anime aired on October 20, 1999, and has aired 956 episodes since then. This means on average they air 44.9 episodes per year, meaning there is pretty much only 7 breaks the entire year. With these 956 episodes, they have adapted 955 chapters, making the pace almost exactly one chapter per episode. However this is really inaccurate, considering all the better-paced arcs earlier on in the story. Looking solely at episodes 2012 and onwards, the anime adapts at a pace of 0.65 chapters/episode.

     Knowing that there are roughly 212 chapters left, and Toei adapts at 0.65 chapters per episode, we can assume that there are going to be roughly 324 episodes left. That sounds like too many, but keep in mind that there will be several, several instances where the manga will be on hiatus whereas the anime will keep on airing. Knowing there are approximately 324 episodes left, and that the anime only takes about 7 breaks a year, we can assume that it will take 7 years, or 374.49 weeks before the anime will end. So now we have the information we need to do the math again.

x = 1280/374.49

x = 3.417 episodes/week.

     It may seem like a more relaxed binge, since you get a whole 2 extra years to binge, and you only have to do 3-4 episodes per week, compared to the 4-5 chapters. But keep in mind that these episodes are 24 minutes each. Still not at all bad, but you will be spending more time on it overall.

If you plan to watch One Pace:

One Pace is a fan project that edits the anime so that filler and padding is cut, other edits will be made to make the anime more manga-accurate, such as reorganizing scenes, or adding title cards where absent. Originally only used by a niche number of One Piece fans, One Pace has grown in popularity, and has tried to improve its quality to accommodate more fans, such as making their episodes Dual Audio (meaning you can switch between the dub and original Japanese audio tracks), and including Spanish subtitles.

      You’d think we’d have to adjust for when One Pace began, how slowly One Pace catches up, and the works, but there’s not much to calculate. Fortunately for us, no matter how far behind One Pace is on editing the current arc, they always like to wrap things up just a few weeks within when an arc ended, if not the very same week. So really all we have to calculate is how many One Pace episodes there will be by the end of all this, so that we know how many you’ll need to watch per week.

      Looking solely at what they’ve covered so far, One Pace has taken 573 episodes and condensed it down to 259 episodes. That’s a pace of 2.21 anime episodes/ paced episode. Earlier we calculated that there would be 324 episodes of the anime left, making for 1280 episodes total. This would mean that there would be around 578 One Pace episodes by the end. And One Pace would probably wrap up in, let’s say 376 weeks, because as I said, they’ll probably finish editing the final arc a week or two after the last episode airs.

x = 578/376

x = 1.53 episodes per week

      Now that’s a relaxed pace. 1-2 episodes per week? That’s so slow, I’m not even sure if I’ll remember what I watched last week next time I watch some episodes. The only problem is some of the pre-timeskip still haven’t been edited. They’ll probably be done by the time they finish the final arc, but that’s not gonna work out fast enough. You’ll hit your first roadblock about 7 weeks in when you need to watch the Baratie arc and it’s not done. And don’t even get me started on how many arcs aren’t done in dub or Spanish sub yet. Hopefully you could just switch to the anime or manga when you hit these arcs, readjusting how many episodes/chapters you need to watch/read when you do. But that’s a bit of an excessive amount of math for something that’s supposed to be fun. So yeah, if you’re still convinced you shouldn’t get into One Piece until it’s ended, maybe this is the option for you.

If you plan to read the manga (Colored):

Since 2012, Shueisha has made a colorization of One Piece. It’s not a fan coloring, it’s as official as it gets. Many consider the color schemes portrayed in this version as the most canon, as the majority are pulled straight from whatever colored illustrations of Oda’s they can find. And quite frankly it makes the manga at least 10 times more beautiful. It’s especially great if you have trouble interpreting dense, small black and white panels.

      This one is a doozy. You’d think all I gotta do is calculate how far behind the colored manga usually and just adjust from there, right? Wrong. Because how far behind the colored manga is, or how frequently they release volumes in full color, is one of the most inconsistent things I have ever seen. You wanna see what I’m talking about? This is how they’ve chosen to release each volume since 2012:

Volume 1-12: July 15, 2012

Volume 13-23: September 28, 2012

Volume 24-63: December 4, 2012

Volume 64-65: April 4, 2013

Volume 66-68: December 20, 2013

Volume 69-70: August 25, 2014

Volume 71-72: September 16, 2015

Volume 73-75: October 4, 2016

Volume 76: December 2, 2016

Volume 77: March 3, 2017

Volume 78: July 2, 2017

Volume 79: September 4, 2017

Volume 80: December 4, 2017

Volume 81-82: March 3, 2018

Volume 83: October 4, 2018

Volume 84-86: August 2, 2019

Volume 87-92: September 16, 2020

     How I am supposed to find out how long it will take for Shueisha to colorize the final volume of One Piece is beyond me. I guess the first step would be to look at how far behind the manga each release was on average, but I’m going to ignore all the ones before 2013, because those were clearly just Shueisha catching up really fast cause they just started and didn’t want to be dozens of volumes behind forever. So of the 14 publications between 2013 and now, on average the last chapter of the last volume they colored was 97.78 weeks after that chapter had published in Weekly Shonen Jump. This means that if the final chapter of One Piece is chapter 1212 on December 28, 2025, then you can expect the final colored volume to publish November 14, 2027.

x = 1212/359

x = 3.37 chapters/week

     So if you prefer the manga but don’t want to read 5 chapters every week for 5 years, this might be a better option for ya. But yea, I have no doubt my prediction is at least a little off for this one.

If you plan to watch the anime (dubbed):

Unlike the 4KidsTV and Odex dubs of One Piece, the FUNimation dub is a perfect way to enjoy One Piece. The DVDs come with enjoyable commentary and a marathon mode, great for binging.

       FUNimation’s releases of the dub are inconsistent, although not nearly as erratic as the colored manga release. However, there was recently a 2-year hiatus we only just got out of. Since Episode 1′s dub in May 27, 2008, the dub has gotten as far as Episode 614. But that’s only looking at the DVD releases. If you’re willing to stream on FUNimationnow, the dub is as far as 641, and if you’re willing to digitally purchase it from an e-shop such as the Microsoft store, it goes all the way to Episode 654. With that being said, that would mean that on average, FUNimation dubs 1.004 episodes per week. Although if we go back to before the two-year hiatus so as to exclude it from the average, it’s actually 1.10 episodes per week. Not a huge difference, actually. And then if we look solely after the two-year hiatus, it’s actually 2.25 episodes per week, which is insanely faster. It’s hard to tell what the future of the dub will be. I can’t assume they’ll go this fast forever, so I’m just going to take the average of all 3 and say it’s 1.45 episodes per week. Don’t know if that’s the best mathematical approach, but the number seems about right.

     So knowing that the dub is at Episode 654 and looking at our previous guesstimation that the anime will be 1280 episodes long, we can predict that it will take 431 weeks before the dub catches up and ends. That would be in 2029! Sounds quick at first until you notice it’s 4 years behind!

x = 1280/431

x = 2.96 episodes per week

      Looks like it’s almost exactly 3 episodes per week. Not as much less of a workload as I expected, compared to catching up to the sub. You know, I figured those 4 extra years would make you binge a lot slower.

Final Thoughts:

      There’s a lot of my math that was estimation, approximations, extrapolations. Feel free to correct me or fact check me, especially if you plan on using this. I figured this would be a fun thought excercise. There’s also a lot of smaller variables I simply didn’t want to take into account because of how long this is already. For example, reading the black and white manga. The calculation can vary slightly depending on if you read it the day it’s published (which I assume would have to be a fanscan unless you can read Japanese), reading the weekly publication legally on Viz.com, waiting for the physical volume release. The dub can also vary depending on whether you buy from Microsoft, wait for the FUNimationnow release, wait for the DVDs, or wait for the Collection sets. So feel free to take this into account.

[cecilspeaks]

165 - Charlie

There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are written about on Wikipedia. Welcome to Night Vale.

Charles Rainier grew up in Becket, Massachusetts, nestled in the rolling small hills of the Berkshires. The fiery fall leaves, pristine winter snowfall, lush spring flowers and sparkling summer lakes belied the average life of young Charles. He went to school, passed his classes, he spent time with friends seeing popular movies and playing popular games. His family ate food together and generally got along. When he wanted to be alone, he went to a small pond, hidden in the woods, to fish. He studied sociology at Amherst College and graduated in the top 50 percent of his class. Nothing about his unremarkable upbringing indicated he would one day be standing in the middle of a desert, behind a roadblock, holding a rifle and a flashlight, and searching for fugitives from his own asylum.

Last month, a dozen inmates of the Night Vale Asylum escaped during a production of a play. As an attendee of that play, I would say that while the escape was clearly not part of the original draft of the script, it made for an exciting resolution. I mean, bout 30 minutes in Carlos and I were like, is there going to be a car chase or a shootout or something, I mean that play was bo-o-o-orring! And then suddenly, there was both! But the warden, Charles Rainier from Becket, Massachusetts, did not like the last minute edits to the plot, as he and the Sheriff’s Secret Police have yet to round up any of the inmates now on the run, somewhere in our vast desert. Night Vale citizens have expressed deep concerns about their safety. A scathing op-ed in yesterday’s Daily Journal by Leann Hart read: “Warden Rainier should never have been in charge of such an important institution. His unchecked irresponsibility will lead us all to be killed by psychopaths, who surely hide now inside our basements, our attics, our laundry hampers, perhaps inside our own pants pockets.” The editorial continued: “They wield knives, ropes, wrenches, candlesticks, or pipes. And when we least expect it, these crazed killers will leap out at us, screaming bout eating our faces or feeding us to rodents. Or whatever other evil actions those two very funny women are always describing on “My  Favorite Murrderrr”. Charles Rainier called Hart’s claims “neurotypical ableism”, saying that we become too biased from movies and TV shows that play up harmful tropes about mental illnesses. He added that none of the peoples inside were of immediate anger to any individual in Night Vale. The Night Vale chapter of the ACLU then responded, calling for in investigation into a public facility that would imprison people who had committed no criminal acts and were of no harm to society. Charles Rainier replied: “I said they wouldn’t hurt any individual. I didn’t say they were of no harm to society.”

But who were the people in the asylum? Carlos and I attended the production of the play “18713/NTSB”, partially to have a nice date night, just the two of us. But also because I was curious if I would see Amelia Anna Alfaro there. The air traffic controller has not been seen since 2012, after hearing voices from the missing flight, Delta 18713. There were rumors she was checked into the asylum. Other rumors, that she had gone off to find the missing plane, and other other rumors, that she was disappeared by a Vague yet Menacing Government Agency.

Amelia was not inside the asylum the night of the breakout. But Doug Biondi was there. He played the pilot of the missing plane in the play we saw. Doug was the impetus for this entire story, really, because it was Doug who, according to Sheriff Sam, had real information about the missing plane. Members of the National Transportation and Safety Board had also come to Night Vale to talk to Doug about what he knew, and Sheriff Sam obliged by sending those agents from Washington DC on an undercover investigation into the asylum. Yet, like Doug and the dozens of other inmates in that fearful place, they did not return.

According to to Doug Biondi’s journal, which Carlos and I found inside the asylum after the play, warden Charles Rainier developed a paradoxical logic for dealing with these inmates. He encouraged them to talk openly bout their feelings under the guise of healing them, but the more they expressed their thoughts and emotions, the more the warden used this information as proof of their insanity, and by extension, ineligibility for release. But as Doug elaborates, if inmates refused to talk, they were deemed uncooperative and of course, ineligible for release. Reading further into Doug’s journal, I realized it’s just like that novel, “Catch-22”, in that there’s a bunch of talk about airplanes. What stood out most to me, though, was the fact that every other inmate Doug mentions also talked about the missing Delta flight. Every single person in there either heard voices of the passengers, or had theories about what happened or were, in the case of NTSB agents, just open to find survivors of a missing plane. Doug railed against the collusion between the warden and the sheriff to imprison people simply because they knew something, anything, about flight 18713. “This is the last thing,” Doug wrote the day he escaped. “This nefarious conspiracy runs deep. Deeper than we can imagine. There are innocent people on a missing plane, and our government wants to destroy us for seeking the truth. Oh well. In other news, they fixed the TV in the rec room so I’m hoping to finally watch ‘Cheer’ on Netflix. Everyone says it’s super good.” Doug makes a compelling claim here, but he is wrong. About the conspiracy thing, not about “Cheer”, that show is super good.

So. Back in 2015, my devoted husband and devoted scientist Carlos, was heading a research project into a desert otherworld, a place very similar to our own. We spent almost a year apart while Carlos was in this alternate dimension performing experiments and drawing charts and pouring bubbling liquids back and forth between flasks. It was hard. We had only been dating a year when he left, but we kept in touch talking almost every day, sending each other text messages at night, like a kissy face emoji with a big red heart emoji. Or sometimes we sent racier messages, like [naughty voice] the safety goggles emoji with the police siren emoji and the first place ribbon emoji. Oh, sorry if that’s a little too graphic.

Anyway. Carlos made friends during his many months out of town, and so when he finally decided to return to Night Vale, some of those he met followed him. They came through a portal Carlos discovered in the Desert Otherworld: a one-sided door. It was difficult to find in a never-ending sandscape, but it is still there. And as Carlos said, once you know the way, you never forget it.

One of the people who came with Carlos through the portal in 2015 was Charles Rainier of Becket, Massachusetts. It was not easy for most of these new arrivals to find comfort or employment in Night Vale, but in just a few months, Charles had become friends with our new Sheriff and secured himself a job at the Night Vale Asylum. Few people looked deeply at the asylum, nor at Charles Rainier’s quick appointment as warden. Few people, in fact, looked closely at anything to do with mental disorders. It it almost as if we prefer not to see the mental illness at all. It is almost exactly like that. Well below the radar of public attention, Charles settled into his new position. And because there are no accounts of what went on in the asylum, and thus no stories of failure, it was inferred that he did a good job. But Carlos discovered something this week. In reading Doug Biondi’s journal, Doug makes passing mention of warden Rainier cautioning his inmates against listening to the voice of the pilot. The warden warns them that the pilot can control other beings with his mind. It is odd that the head of a mental health institution would patronize his patients with their own inner demons. Carlos at first thought the warden was manipulating the mental stability of his charges to stir up their fear and confusion in order to keep them there. We don’t know if the warden profited from retaining inmates or if he just felt an evil thrill from playing these games. But in Doug’s notes, the warden apparently said: “It is possible to escape the allure of the pilot. The power of his voice. Some have, but it is rare. And it is dangerous that you can hear him at all.”

Carlos remembered when he first met Charles Rainier, five years ago in the Desert Otherworld. Charles was so enthralled with Carlos’ stories of Night Vale. Charles Rainier could not wait to see this fantastic town and more importantly, to leave the terrible place in which he lived. He told Carlos that he escaped some – frightening people there. Charles Rainier said he had live in a commune for a couple of years. It began OK, they foraged and hunted their food, they helped each other and shared shelter inside the fuselage of an old plane. Everything was fine. They were alive, but soon the group became cult-like and aggressive, fashioning weapons and manufacturing enemies. The constant threat of violence toward other, towards themselves, shackled Charles’s every move. But he could not leave. Every time he tried, he heard a voice that called him back. So he trained himself to block out the voices. It took him weeks of determined practice, but finally he broke free. Carlos said to me: “Cecil, sweetie, my hypothesis is Charles Rainier was flying home from Detroit to Albany on June 15, 2012.” And I said: “What are you saying, honey-pop?” And Carlos said: “Babe, his plane blipped out of the sky and into the Desert Otherworld.” And I said: “Are you saying, kitty-cake, that Charles ws a passenger on Delta 18713?” But then Carlos aid: “You know, little piggy-pie, all this work talk is exhausting. Let’s have a glass of wine, sit out on the deck, and enjoy the nice weather.

[“Breathe” by Tanja Daub http://tanjadaub.bandcamp.com]

Listeners. I called Charlies Reinier, and I told him what Carlos and I talked about, and he confirmed what we discovered. He was indeed a passenger on 18713. They landed roughly but safely in the Desert Otherworld in June 2012. They ate their few food items and drank their water stores in two days. And soon they began spreading out to find civilization. But the desert was vast and seemingly uninhabited. They were too afraid to venture far from the plane, the only symbol of recognizable society. The pilot lead expeditions to find plant life and sources of water. He exuded calmness and clarity, and the passengers followed his example, occasionally finding peace in this unpleasant and frightening desert. Within a few months, they had developed a rhythm. They were finding food to eat, water to drink, the pilot seemed to know exactly where to hunt, exactly what to say, exactly how to behave.

Every passenger fell in line. They all had jobs to do, roles to fill, in this little commune. The fuselage kept them sheltered from the searing white days and the icy black nights. Sometimes they sang together, walked together, taught each other how to sew, how to cook, how to make tools. The passengers’ fear became comradery, which became unity, which became family. Which eventually became religiosity.

One day they were making salves from cacti, and the next they were crafting weapons. Charles hadn’t realized it at first, but every person on that plane could communicate telepathically. They could speak without talking – no, without learning. They were becoming a single organism separated into dozens of bodies. The loudest voice in their heads was the pilot. They had grown too complacent, and the pilot began to fill them once again with fear, fear of outsiders, of the rest of the world. They began to make barbaric expeditions hoping to find people or things to destroy. “I tried to escape,” Charles said to me. “I tried to escape over and over, but the voice was too strong. It was only when I thought about a little fishing hole down near Stockbridge that I would go to in summers by myself, to get away, to be alone.” Charles said he began to pantomime fishing, casting his imaginary lure on an imaginary line into and imaginary pond on hot desert sand. And when he did this, the voices quieted in his mind. He could free himself from the pilot’s voice, from the pilot’s control. I asked Charles why he and Sheriff Sam were locking away people just for knowing about the plane. He said: “Cecil, I locked up Doug Biondi before anyone else. He’s from that Otherworld, and he knows how to get back, and if he knows how to get back, he’ll join the 18713 and lead them into Night Vale.” Charles said he was protecting our little town from the threat of the passengers of Delta flight 18713. “If the pilot enlists Doug and gets into Night Vale, he’ll recruit who he can and destroy the rest.” “But why odes he communicate only through Doug? I-I mean why not Carlos or, or Dana Cardinal or Sheriff Sam themself? Why not recruit everyone who knows the way into Night Vale?” “I don’t know, Cecil,” Charles snapped back. “But I don’t will into existence by yapping about it either, so drop it!”

Listeners, Doug Biondi is about six foot tall. With an unsettlingly… long smile and dark nightmarish eyes. If you see him, contact the Sheriff’s office immediately. If you do not see Doug Biondi, then close your windows, hold your family close, and repeat a mantra that will clear your head of all outside thoughts.

Stay tuned next for a meditative oummmm. A single oummmmmm. For one full hour, uninterrupted by breath and commercial free.

Good night, Night Vale, Good night.

23:07 time traveler 30:32 pottery class

[bustedbernie]

Hi @heatherleee .

I don’t “hate” anyone. But as far as politicians go, Sanders has a comportment that is totally unacceptable. And it’s not just about policies.

So, i worked for the Obama and Clinton campaigns in 2008, 2012, and 2016. I’ve volunteered for local and state level candidates in both the Albuquerque area and in rural parts of New Mexico. This is to say that I am a democrat and have been working for actual democrats for longer than Bernie himself has been. That’s part one why I dislike Bernie. He is not a democrat. He is not “blue.” If he wants support from actual democrats, than that means he’d have to do several things. 1) either apologize for his past and current antagonism toward democrats or at least claim to “evolve” on this. 2) fundraise BIG for downballot democrats both in his home state and across the country. 3) Work for the actual party 4) register as a democrat through and through and run as a democrat in his senate elections. He hasn’t really done any of this. I’m sorry, but if he is expecting people like me who have spent time calling, canvassing, data banking, knocking on doors and donating to be on his side if he got the nomination, that’s insane. This is hard work and takes a lot of sweat, tears and dollars. We see him as a conman who is using our carefully built infrastructure while not doing the above to help. We don’t stand for that. And add in him getting involved with OUR campaign and saying OUR man, the first black president, needed to face a primary while we were dealing with a very powerful candidate emerging in Mitt Romney? It was not only totally irresponsible and disrespectful, it was a slap in the face. Don’t forget that Bernie has long held onto the idea that democrats and republicans are “the same.” Why would I like him after all that? 

Going on, I can’t forgive nor overlook his sexism and racism. This is kinda a big deal. His plans are not intersectional. Even to cite himself and many of his supporters, he bases much of his ideology on marxism. Marxism comes from a specific time and place and our point in history is quite different. I am quite smitten with many radical thinkers and philosophers, which is why I see Marxism and marxist writings/thoughts as foundational to a certain worldview in the same way Aristotle is. They’re great, but we’ve built on that worldview and adapted it, and we now have thinkers who speak not only of the facetious nature of “revolution,” but also the need for intersectionality and how “revolutions” often come at the expense of oppressed groups. Bernie’s ideology has not caught up. If you hear me say things like “Hillary Clinton or Kamala Harris are far more progressive than Bernie Sanders,” this is why. Their plans actually address issues of racial justice and gender issues while Sanders sees them, at best, as a secondary issue. He himself has called them “distractions,” while also peddling the idea that “a rising tide lifts all boats.” This just isn’t the case. If he is truly as revolutionary, futuristic, and truly the justice candidate, why in the world can’t he support or speak to issues that black americans, queer americans and indigenous folks deal with everyday? Saying a “rising tide lifts all ships” is to ignore us, to leave us unseen and to castigate the very base of the democratic party. Why can he speak to the so-called “white working class” but not anyone else? 

We can use your housing plan as an example. On the surface, I support many of Bernie’s goals and even many of his plans. But on this issue, you can see that he is peddling ideas that became popular in the 60s and 70s and were implemented in some areas. But, his program is outdated and racist, and doesn’t address the need for black wealth building programs. It also uses blanket policies that aren’t good for certain urban areas. Furthermore, his plan makes little room for new housing development which is actually the largest issue with rent and home prices currently. His plan would actually perpetuate problems by ignoring the supply-side issue. This is seen throughout much of his policies and proposals. 

Let’s get into why that’s an issue. Bernie supporters will tell us that it should be “just about policy,” yet, Joe Biden has now created a public transport plan that is the gold standard in this primary. Elizabeth Warren’s housing plan addresses the issues I outlined above. Kamala Harris’ plan did as well and arguably was better than either Warren or Biden’s current plans. Both have been attacked by Bernie supporters on this issue in breathtaking ways. They have been labelled land developers (which i’m not sure as to why that’s a pejorative), neoliberals, centrists, republicans even. This is not a policy debate. In this example, I’ve mentioned three candidates that have had policies. Instead of engaging on the policies, they attack the very character of the candidates. Whether you support Biden, Buttigieg, Warren or yes, even Sanders, they ALL have very similar goals and ideas. They may have very different timelines for those goals or funding mechanisms or might value some goals more than others, but we are all on board. Yet, we are attacked as if we don’t want healthcare or housing for the poor, as if we don’t want some form of debt relief, etc. There is no nuance allowed and I see frequently the idea that “Bernie is the ONLY one fighting for [X,Y,Z].”

And that’s the largest reason I don’t like Bernie. He has built up a very dangerous cult of personality. It feeds a form of discourse that is corrosive, divisive and actually benefits our largest rivals more than it benefits any type of progressive goal. Me, and many others, place much of the blame for 2016 at Bernie’s feet. You don’t have to agree, but that’s that. I, personally, will not forgive him for what he said and did against Hillary Clinton. I won’t forgive his campaign or his followers for lying on Kamala Harris. And I am not a super big fan of Warren or Biden and here I am finding myself defending them because many in your cohort are spreading the same kinds of lies and conspiracies and propaganda as the MAGA people. And yes, I am fully aware I am making an equivalency between Trump and Sanders with that statement, and I fully stand by it. This black and white worldview is why we have a discourse where “Bernie is the only candidate that has done [X,Y,Z]” is taken seriously by some voters, many of whom either don’t believe Bernie has ever evolved on issues (guns, LGBT rights, women’s rights, states rights, military, etc) or are willing to give Bernie the right to grow and evolve as a politician while not allowing the same of other candidates. It’s not right nor is it okay. 

So I don’t hate Bernie for any one policy, I am more than happy to engage in policy debates and accept that we all have slightly different views on that. But, those debates need to be done in good faith and that’s simply not something we get from Bernie or a majority of his supporters. If this were a policy thing, I could talk about Bernie the same way I talk about Warren or Biden or Buttigieg, and say they’re okay people with okay ideas but they need to pay attention to X,Y,Z because of A,B,C. But when I said I like Kamala’s health plan best for X reasons, I got told i was a fascist or centrist or neoliberal or whatever. I NEVER had a discussion where someone told me why they thought Bernie’s plans were better. Same with Hillary Clinton. Same with everyone still running today. As for this blog, I made it because I was frustrated by all of the above and wanted a place to vent + I wanted to make sure there was at least some content on Tumblr challenging the idea that Bernie is perfect, unproblematic or the undisputed winner. B/C that narrative really made people who spend a ton of time on the internet freak out when it turned out not to be true in 2016. I STILL see people who say “I don’t know a single Joe Biden supporter” on here. I’ve seen that for several other candidates as well. If this blog helps demonstrate that not all democrats/leftists are not on board with Bernie, maybe it will help just a little bit to lessen that blow. I’ve met people who have supported most all of the candidates. The echo chamber needs to have some challenge to it. That echo chamber only feeds the awful cult of personality that i really can’t stand and that I feel is very dangerous. 

[agreateryesterday]

Dramione - Werewolf/Veela fics

Human Hermione

Instinctive by goldhorse (were Hermione)

*Finished* 3 chapters

Draco and Hermione are turned into wolves and thrown in a zoo as punishment by Voldemort and the death eaters.

Secrets of the Moon by EndlessMoonChild (were Hermione)

(Last updated April 11, 2020) 5 chapters

When Draco stumbles upon Hermione working at a law firm - a lone wolf with no pack, and no knowledge of the magical world - he makes it his mission to help her discover the secrets of her past, while showing her what her future can hold. But, will Draco and Hermione be able to withstand the danger that comes along with knowing who she really is?

Wolf's Mate by FictionAficionado

(Last updated Aug 21, 2019) 54 chapters

The hunt for the horcruxes has gone on for years while Voldemort wages open war to establish his dominion in the wizarding world. When his men capture Harry Potter's best friend, he doesn't think twice before throwing the mudblood to his wolves. However, an unlikely ally emerges in the form of a werewolf. To escape her captors and defeat Voldmort, ever the realist, Hermione can't afford to dwell on the fact that help comes from the creature that raped and impregnated her. [On Hiatus]

An Unsuitable Mate by FictionAficionado

*Finished* 29 chapters

Draco discovers he's part Veela and Hermione is his mate. Tired of having his choices taken away from him, he ignores the fates and marries Astoria instead. Draco is happy with the life he's made for himself till a marriage law threatens to destroy it all by once more forcing the most annoying witch he's ever known back into his life.

Predestined by diemdoll (orphan_account)

(Last updated Jan 11, 2020) 11 chapters

"I would say congratulations are in order, but you won't be making it down the aisle." Madam Monroe told Hermione as her fingers continued to trace the contours of her hand. "You were predestined for another."

Addicted To You By Kittenshift17

(Last updated Dec 7, 2018) 15 chapters

An act of kismet whilst herb gathering sees Hermione interacting with an unknown werewolf. When he bites her while she is in her animagus form, he sets into motion a twisted destiny that binds them together as mates. With Remus and Sirius there to help her through, Hermione's biggest worry is finding out the identity of the werewolf who marked her.

Howl For Me by Kittenshift17

(Last updated June 10, 2020) 28 chapters

The Ministry enacts a Marriage Law, magically pairing couples who'd never in a million years agree to even speak, let alone wed. Paired off with Malfoy, Hermione has to suffer the added indignity of the Ministry banning all contraception and forcing fertility treatment and aphrodisiacs on them all. Draco's secret makes it worse.

As Seasons Change by flawlesslyfallasleep

(Last updated May 6, 2012) 5 chapters

Veela power couple Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy have been married for a year and are expecting a daughter, but what happens when the past catches up with them? Will bad blood be enough to taint the small family's love?

Dark Water and Dying Eyebrights by Bex-chan

(Last updated April 21, ?) 10 chapters

One of them is desperately trying to remember their past while the other is forever trying to escape theirs. It's seven years after the war and Draco has managed to avoid almost everyone from Hogwarts, living a lonely life on a small island, far away from the wizarding community. But a familiar face in a cafe window capsizes his world into chaos.

Perfectly Matched by silverstorme

(Last updated Feb 10, ?) 20 chapters

When Auror Draco Malfoy is mauled by a werewolf on a mission gone awry, his partner Harry entrusts his best friend to care for him: Healer Hermione Granger. But now his heightened senses won't allow him to escape the one witch from Potter's crew he'd always kept at a distance, and his new and volatile wolf has decided she's his perfect match.

Affair de Coeur by woodsywintle06

(Last updated Jun 11, 2017) 9 chapters

Hermione is a smart, young witch who just wants to make the best of her last year. What happens when she is faced with the choice to choose the man she thought she loved or her worst enemy who is depending on her to survive. Draco has discovered the veela part of him and his mate is none other than Miss Hermione Granger, will she fall in love and save him?

Red Moon by g-o-t-a-m (werewolf Hermione)

(Last updated Jan 31, 2017) 16 chapters

All were were changed in one night and all have changed together. After the war, they expected things to stay the same, but a recent break out at azkaban changes everything. They all must come together once again and protect each other even if it costs each other their lives. (Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Pansy, Luna, Fred and George, and Ginny are all Werewolves)

The Beast by LillyanMalfoy

(Last updated Aug 14, 2018) 26 chapters

The Golden Trio is more divided than ever, and when Hermione gets a surprising new patient, anything could happen.

His

Hers by Shaniyyaahh (prequel)

*Finished* (Last updated Aug 11, 2020) One Shot, 7 chapters

(no summary)

He didn’t even know her and yet...she was already driving her mad.

Tethers by dormiensa

*Finished* 7 chapters

It was perhaps inevitable that Draco and Hermione were a bonded pair. After all, they had a long family history of complicated relations.

A Hard-Fought Victory by Maloreiy

*Finished* One Shot

The rivalry between Gryffindor Army and Slytherin Army was almost as big as the rivalry between 7th years Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. With the clock ticking down in the race for the Hogwarts Cup, an interesting...complication...will affect the outcome of them both.

Evigilatio by darkcivet (FallenInDreams)

*Finished* One Shot

She could Apparate to the other side of the world and he'd still find her. She couldn't run forever. Not from what she wanted. And especially not from him.

An Unlikely Mate by gingersparkle92

(Last updated Dec 16, 2017) 1 chapter

When Hermione goes back to Hogwarts for her eighth year, she never expects to discover that she's the destined mate of her childhood worst enemy.

Lightning by floatsodelicately

(Last updated Nov 8, 2014) 9 chapters

The Black family has been cursed, every male born of Black blood is born a veela and is doomed to die without their mate. Draco has to deal with his veela side, his Death Eater father, his Slytherin front and his muggleborn mate, Hermione Granger.

His Mate by sxgittxrius

*Finished* One Shot

No summary available

Thank Jarila for Veela by Varali

(Last updated Aug 6, 2014) 5 chapters

Hermione is invited by the British Society of Veela to their annual Jarila's Day celebration. Draco is an unwilling benefactor to the same event. When the two meet at the party, Hermione discovers something interesting about Draco's lineage and something ignites between the two of them.

Awaken Mine Soul by otterlyardent

*Finished* 5 chapters

The events that occurred over Easter Hols at Malfoy Manor brought about a completely unexpected turn of events. With Hermione under Bellatrix's wand, Draco and his parents realize just how important she will be to their family. A change of heart among other things leads to the pair spending the summer together, getting to know one another without blood prejudice standing in their way. Will it be magical, or will it all end in tears?

A Little Twisted by Scarlett_Letter

(Last updated Sep 28, 2016) 2 chapters

Draco just barely missed his one chance at freedom. Now on an unwilling path to become a death eater, an old friend is entrusted to him. Add to that certain changes brought out by a brilliant witch that sees more than the act he gives the rest of the world, and a sprinkle of a few meddling friends and you can bet for a happy ending; even if getting there was a little twisted.

To Be With You by Kipsels

(Last updated Nov 6, 2017) 3 chapters

Draco's dealt with a lot of difficult things since the end of the war, including losing his inheritance and going through his Veela maturity. Finding out Hermione Granger was his mate however, that had to top the list.

Silver Roses and Ebony Thorns by MadMaster

(Last updated May 30, 2016) 1 chapter

Draco returns to Hogwarts his sixth year completely different. His father was sentenced to Azkaban, and he recieved an order from the Dark Lord-Kill Dumbledoor. As if his life isn't already fucked up enough, the summer before his sixth year he turns out to be a 2/3 Veela. So not only does he have wings and is deadly passionate he must hide what he is. Which is harder when he realizes a certain curly haired bookworm his his soulmate. Everything he was taught and everything he has ever know quite literally flew out the window.

That Which Destroys Me by Lovenyx125

(Last updated March 21, 2019) 17 chapters

"Mudblood Princess," she breathed out. "Disgraced Prince," he murmured against her pulse. Recovering from their stay in Malfoy Manor is hard enough, but Draco is battling a fatal illness of Voldemort's own design and Hermione may be the cure. Forget salvation, with the way she looked at him just now and the heat that touched him with her hooded gaze, she would be the death of him.

No Force on Earth by GreyBauer, SinBin

*Finished* 2 chapters

When Draco goes too far, Hermione has to learn to let go. She's worth more than what Draco can give her, she knows that. Now if only she hadn't gone and tied her soul to his, that'd be great.

Veela you marry me by Nervousmilkshaketrash

(Last updated Oct 29, 2017) 4 chapters

Draco is veela, shit happens

Neglected by Lost Cookie (Akalish)

(Last updated Jan 19, 2016) 1 chapter

Contrary to popular belief, Theodore Nott did not give a sodding fuck for whatever claims his Death Eater father made, did not follow pure-blood beliefs nor was Theo into the importance of "securing" magical benefits. Neither did he have the shallow impression that Muggles, Muggle-borns and Half-bloods were inferior beings ― not by much, anyway ― and so, he reflected, if ever asked by Professor Severus Snape, Theodore Nott should very much have been sorted into Gryffindor instead of Slytherin.

Inevitable by SilverOwlCity

*Finished* One Shot

His death, he mused, was inevitable.

Business Partners by Debboluh

*Finished* 20 chapters

Andromeda Tonks approaches Hermione with an idea to start an orphange and community centre for children and families who have been affected by Voldemort’s werewolves, other extra-magical children and families are more than welcome! But what secret is their potions master hiding? And will Hermione ever find out? Draco's mood swings are giving Hermione whiplash, first he doesn't care and then he offering his own house!?

Her Veela Knight by thrivingrightnow

(Last updated Nov 25, 2019) 6 chapters

Hermione Granger's been through more than any of her closest friends know. Her life has been woven through loopholes and hidden scars in order to keep everything well. One night, everything backfires when Draco Malfoy accidentally comes to know her dark past. The unlikely ally comes to discover what's been happening with her ever since Ron and Hermione broke up. To make matters worse, Draco's coming down with something.. quite brutal. When they turn to their friends for help, will Hermione open up to the problems that she has faced over the years? Will Draco stick with her all the way?

No Choice by Klazora

*Finished* 31 chapters

The trio and friends return to Hogwarts to finish their final year; it seems at last that they might finally have an uneventful, purposeful year of schooling, at least until Draco Malfoy's world is turned upside down by a family secret. His mother was a Veela, and so is he; now he's in a rather extraordinary predicament. Veelas are matched for life with one person, and he doesn't get to choose who it is. But it gets worse for him; if he doesn't find 'the one' in time, he won't live to become 18. This should be good...

My Savior by ShelbieRae

(Last updated June 20, 2018) 15 chapters

Hermione Granger wants nothing more than to just finish her education and have a normal year. Draco Malfoy simply wants to find his Veela mate before his clock runs out. What happens when they both return to Hogwarts, get Head positions, and have to share a living quarters and duties? Will they kill each other, or will new feelings emerge?

Unwritten by Maloreiy

*Finished* 3 chapters

"He’d always known that hair. He’d stared at it, he’d jinxed it, one memorable day he’d gotten his wand, his hand, and a good portion of his arm, stuck in it. But for the first time he was overcome with a longing to touch it. To touch her. To reach out to her and pull her towards him.” A lovely little romance about a young Veela and the mate he never expected.

Storm by Momo (uglee)

(Last updated Feb 6, 2019) 10 chapters

After being attacked during the batle at the department of Mysteries, a secret hermione Granger preferred to keep long hidden is exposed and it starts a snowball effect that will change the wizard world forever. When her friends find out her secret, their reactions are mixed, some more upset than others about her new status. With her closest friends by her side, Hermione Granger decides to come out of hiding and change the world for the better whike she's at it.

The Trouble With Veelas by hiddenhibernian

*Finished* 4 chapters

Draco just wants to make Hermione happy. Unfortunately, telling her he is a Veela and she is his mate would achieve exactly the opposite, so he has to find another way. Nothing else in Draco's life has gone according to plan, so he ought to have known it would only go downhill from there...

Can't Shake This Feeling in My Bones by brightraven14

(Last updated March 11, 2020) 7 chapters

She saw his distinctive platinum hair amidst the sea of bodies on the platform, almost insulted that he had the nerve to return to Hogwarts after what he had done. But at least that would mean he'd keep to himself this year, right? With Hogwarts being immensely overpopulated this year, they wouldn't even have to interact...

Draco's astonishing birthday by Hbsj

*Finished* One Shot

Theo and Blaise take Draco out to celebrate his 21st birthday, but at the stroke of midnight everything changes and all Draco can feel and need is that captivatingly dark haired gorgeous woman at the bar. Only his parents forgot to tell him about his true heritage...

Trope Soup by MotherofBulls, SaintDionysus

*Finished* 12 chapters

On the twenty-third of September, the year of our Lord, two thousand and seventeen, MotherofBulls and SaintDionysus thought it would be a good idea to get drunk and write as many tropes possible into a single fic. Lord help us. Again...we were drunk while writing this.

Wrath by dormiensa

*Finished* One Shot

If tickling dragons is folly, irking Veelas is madness.

Dangerous by sunalso

*Finished* 17 chapters

Life is, at last, safe and stable for Hermione. She knows who she is and who she loves. Until something starts to follow her in the dark and she finds she might not know herself at all.

Between the Trees by NuclearNik

(Last updated May 18, 2020) 2 chapters

When the tides of war change quickly, Draco makes a split-second decision and steals the freedom of the only person he still cares about, desperate to protect them. Hermione Granger becomes prisoner to a reluctant captor, locked away in the ruins of the one place she'd ever truly felt at home. Trust does not come easy for either of them.

His Veela Heritage

His Veela Heritage: M Rated Outtakes by RiverWriter

*Finished* 31 chapters, 2 chapters

His entire world shifted and he was suddenly certain that his life was no longer really his own, it belonged to her. He could only hope she'd forgive him, could only hope she'd accept him. Because he was a veela and Hermione Granger was his mate. The only woman who had any chance of truly making him happy was the same girl he'd spent half a lifetime tormenting. Karma was a bitch.

As the title suggests this is an M Rated outtake from my story "His Veela Heritage" written as a gift for Weestarmeggie's birthday. This may become a collection- Now officially a collection!

ICW's interfere by lonelyroads, LonesomePhantome

(Last updated Oct 8, 2019) 4 chapters

The ICW -or- The International Confederation of Wizards' high court decided to not trust Albus Dumbledore any longer after the Triwizard fiasco and sent some of their own to keep an eye on him and fix up all of Britain's Ministry of Magic's mistakes.

Between Love and Abuse by Fanfrick

(Last updated Jan 30, 2020) 2 chapters

Hermione Granger wanted one year without drama. One year without everything going wrong. One year knowing what was going to happen. She wanted a safe and normal year, but nothing is normal after Draco Malfoy kisses her. All of the sudden, her world is thrown inside out and she is left questioning everything she ever knew. Draco has Veela running through his veins. He had wished it would never be active. Of course not all wishes become true. Now he has to fight deal with not only returning to Hogwarts after the war, but also with finding his mate. Though he never expected that both could possibly be connected, when Hermione Granger smacks him he learns he must start expecting the unexpected

The Irregular Malfoy Gene by Grangermalfoy1

(Last updated Dec 12, 2018) 22 chapters

A Malfoy with the veela gene has been popping up irregularly in their bloodline since the 17th century. Draco Malfoy is one of the rare male veelas, and has until his 18th birthday to find his mate, and convince her to be his, forever. Finding her won't be the problem for this particular veela, it's convincing the stubborn witch to accept him that's going to be the hard part!

Missing You by Athenniene

*Finished* One Shot

Hermione has a visitor in her office. Draco just wants to see her one last time.

Story Challenge: I'm A Veela, And Karma's A Bitch by WritersObsession2002

*Finished* One Shot

"Granger, what the bloody hell are you doing here?" I demand, feeling blood rushing up my neck and ears despite myself. She glares at me. "When were you going to tell me?" she retorts hotly. I swear my heart plummted to my toes. "Tell you what?" "Don't!" she hisses. "When were you going to tell me that you're a Veela, and that I'm your mate?"

The Great Work by HallowQueen

(Last updated Feb 7, 2017) 2 chapters

Voldemort punishes Lucius for the Department of Mysteries and losing the diary by letting Greyback bite his only son, causing Draco to lose the one thing he could always count on: his blood. Struggling with his identity an given a task he cannot complete, he is left turning to his godfather to stave off the beast and drawn to the one person he was cruelest to: Hermione Granger.

What Happened to Us? by elfhunter05

(Last updated Nov 22, 2018) 19 chapters

Draco Malfoy finds out he is a Veela... His parents think they know who his mate is... Professor McGonagall sets up arrangements in Hogwarts... Will it work?

Undisclosed Desires by Mila_Reeves

*Finished* One Shot

Draco tried to stay away, but she was his mate and he was ready to show her what that meant.

Choices by MidnightValkyrie

(Last updated May 16, 2020) 20 chapters

The choices you make shape your future. After so long of having them stripped from you, you'll do anything if it means you get to be the master of your own destiny for once.

Veela, My Veela by LucindaRemyJohnson

*Finished* 3 chapters

Draco's got one hell of a problem, and he's really hoping Hermione can help him. These waters are citrusy.

Following by writerspassion18

*Finished* One Shot

Draco's obsession with a certain brunette is a little unhealthy. It may just be animal instincts, or that's what he tells himself at least.

Beautiful Disaster by ashleyfanfic

(Last updated May 30, 2019) 26 chapters

Veela!Draco! discovers that his mate is the least likely person on the planet, and the discovery leads him and his father in new directions...

Unequivocal by irene_doe

(Last updated May 20, 2020) 6 chapters

Hermione thought her biggest issues this year would be being stuck in a dead-end job and not quite getting along with her new officemate, Draco Malfoy. However, the Ministry is about turn her tidy and contained life upside down with the announcement of the new Marriage and Family Law, and there's more trouble brewing as outbursts of uncontrolled magic begin to wreck havoc in the office. Draco has been reassigned to Corporate Services after an Auror mission went spectacularly sideways; at least, that's what he's telling everyone. The truth is hardly as straightforward and Granger has him increasingly on edge, so naturally, he was only too pleased to learn of the new Law that was going to out him as a Creature to the woman he loves.

The Things We Do to Each Other by badthingfine_as_hell

(Last updated May 30, 2019) 5 chapters

Veela blood in the Malfoy family has been dormant for generations. But the stress of the wizarding war has caused Draco's to manifest, and he must cope with being an ex-Deatheater outcast and a secret magical creature. Meanwhile, Hermione Granger is beyond excited to return to Hogwarts for a final year without the looming threat of Voldemort. But when something completely unprecedented happens at the Welcoming Feast, her hopes for a normal year disappear.

Count Your Blessings Not Your Flaws by FizzyBee

(Last updated Feb 5, 2017) 7 chapters

Ron was a prat. There wasn't much more that could be added to that, other than a few choice expletives. Hermione had always been know as a genius, so it should have come as no surprise that a solution was on the imminent horizon. To the person asking nor to the person agreeing. Either way, Draco was happy. Things spiral out of control when it turns out that Ron isn't entirely incompetent, though.

Dungeon Dragon by Starkling

(Last updated April 20, 2019) 140 chapters

They had been stumbling around blindly for too long, they should have made it to the rendezvous by now, Hermione thought nervously before she took out her wand, placing it on her palm. "Point me." She whispered. When her wand spun in a circle, pointing off to her far right, she got miffed. They'd gone too far West. Gesturing for Zacharias to follow over her shoulder, she crept quietly though the woods. Keeping her eyes and ears peeled for any sign of humans or wildlife. "Granger! Look out!" Hermione snapped her head in Zacharias's direction just in time to see a look of horror cross his face, before a seemingly grey blur came crashing straight for her. It grabbed a hold of her waist and Hermione screamed bloody murder, before promptly being knocked unconscious by a jet of red light, hitting her square in the chest.

The Reluctant Veela by sapphirephoenix

(Last updated May 12, 2020) 28 chapters

Draco Malfoy has come into his father's Veela legacy, and is fighting it at every turn. The Fates aren't giving him an inch though, and neither is Hermione Granger, his destined mate!

marked by Anonymous

*Finished* One Shot

'“Perhaps you missed it over the last nine years, but I’ve cared for only you. It’s worth mentioning as well that I have forced myself not to get too close in case you did find your mate.” His brows drew together. “I did miss that.”

The Silent Call by UnanticipatedRavenclaw

(Last updated April 26, 2020) 13 chapters

Hermione has just transferred into the DoMLE as an Investigative Analyst. She's meant to be the eyes that find connections between cases but she ends up finding an unexpected connection of her own. Join her as she navigates her new job, the potential of what could be, and discovering the long lost history of what blood purity in the Wizarding World really means. A veela-lite slow burn love story between Hermione and Draco.

Key To Happiness by Marvelgeek42

*Finished* One Shot

A lot of the things in his life were things he would never have expected, but honestly? This was so much better.

Lessons in Lycanthropy by bentnotbroken1

(Last updated July 4, 2017) 8 chapters

The blame, Draco would later muse, fell on Theo’s shoulders. If it hadn’t been for his insistence that they sneak out and throw what the muggles called a “kegger”, none of them would have been in the forest that fateful night. But Theo had insisted and that was why he now had the urge to howl at the moon.

Sang et Lumière by Freya_Ishtar

(Last updated May 8, 2019) 9 chapters

*8th Year* Late one night, Hermione hears a sound that chills her bones—a howling from the Forbidden Forest, yet all werewolves fled at the end of the War. When she finds Draco stumbling back into the castle the next morning, she becomes his confidante . . . and something more.

Beware the Howling Night by Entwinedlove

*Finished* One Shot

Draco drags Hermione through the woods

Kismet by MrsRen

(Last updated Sep 28, 2019) 21 chapters

Kismet; destiny, or fate. Hermione begins uncovering secret after secret, eventually finding herself trapped between her sense of duty to her family, the war that's breaking out across Wizarding Britain, and discovering what sacrifice and love truly mean.

Scar Tissue by TheWildChild

(Last updated Dec 7, 2017) 35 chapters

A few years ago, Draco's life changed for the worst. Still, he could live with it, he could adapt. But when another werewolf comes to Hogwarts to teach the students, it starts to get dangerous. Their absences and behavior towards each other raise some eyebrows and Draco is afraid that a curious mind might even end up seeing right through him.

Containing The Beast Within by xLitheKitty33

*Finished* One Shot

Hermione Granger was his everything, his mate, his. He was hers. Draco would laugh at the fact it sounded like a joke, but it actually wasn't a joke. To be honest, he wouldn't exactly complain. After all, at least it meant he wasn't alone, even in a full moon that he couldn't recall what happened during.

LUPINE by LilithShade

*Finished* One Shot

Draco was not an Alpha, not really. To truly take the mantle of Alpha one needed a pack and he was alone, utterly alone. Yet he had killed Fenrir, ripped his sire’s heart clean from his chest with his own clawed hand during the Battle of Hogwarts. That violent act had imparted on him an ancient magic. Pack magic. Alpha magic. He had first caught her potent scent that very night, it was a pure beacon amongst the oppressive metallic tang of blood and decay. He had known in that moment what it meant, that she was his. His mate.

At Heart We're Human by xLitheKitty33

*Finished* One Shot

The enigma that is Draco Malfoy once captured her attention a long time ago. Perhaps it was because he was the one mystery she never solved that her veela set sights on him. Either way, it was hard to keep away, but they at least kept each other's sanity intact.

A Certain Point of View by RZZMG

*Finished* One Shot

Draco is an unfaithful husband, and Hermione is an unfaithful wife... but then, that depends entirely upon your particular point of view, doesn't it?

With Teeth by dulce_de_leche_go

*Finished* 5 chapters

Infected during the war by Fenrir Greyback, Draco survived one struggle to find another. His return to Hogwarts and so-called “normal” life was a cute attempt to move on but, as always, one insufferable woman turns that on its head as well.

The Deal by Snowflake_Dazzle

*Finished* 15 chapters

In order to win the war, Hermione strikes a deal with Draco Malfoy. Who turns out to be a Veela.

Breadcrumbs by Sharah

*Finished* One Shot

Draco was practically Hansel, dropping breadcrumbs of knowledge for his mate.

Mend by MufinXoxo

(Last updated April 5, 2020) 2 chapters

After the war, things aren’t going quite as Hermione expected. The introduction of a new Ministry legislation that allows ex-convicts back into society, coincides a little too well with a mysterious series of dark events in the world of magical beasts. To make things even more complicated, enter Draco Malfoy, who is carrying a secret he is willing to take to the grave.

Not To Me by naarna

*Finished* 6 chapters

The War is over, Voldemort defeated, and everyone settling into their post-War lives, with Hermione taking up a position at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Yet, when she comes across Draco's name in the confidential register of creatures, she leaves everything behind to go off on a search for him...

True Face by Ariel_Riddle

*Finished* 2 chapters

A/U Voldemort wins. When things take a horrifying turn for the worse at the final battle, Hermione must go under cover as a Muggle in order to survive. Ten years later, she cannot escape notice forever, especially when Praetor Malfoy has troubles of his own that prompt him to seek out the mysterious Muggle Healer, Piper Daniels.

The Girl Who Cried Werewolf by aru_dight

(Last updated June 17, 2018) 11 chapters

Draco Malfoy was far from a Prince Charming in disguise. He was a crude-mouthed beast who terrorizes women in their dreams, attacks their senses, and captures their heart never to set them free. Or that was just her?

Post: Part 1

[unproduciblesmackdown]

My only problems with that bmc theory you mentioned is that 1) bmc was already really popular and 2) that’s kinda body shaming Roland :/ but yeah I agree that he can’t really sing for shit lol. And I hate how his go-to thing when he’s singing (it’s super evident in loser geek or whatever) is to just throw his arms out in a t pose

you should have problems with every part of that theory because everything in that post is about how the arguments are terrible and absurd, and i’m gonna use this opportunity to straightforwardly lay out why all that is, but first let me talk about the problems you did find with it

1) yes 

the off-bway run of bmc is unusual because it did (and existed because) already have popular support/demand. they absolutely had no motivation to try to increase its popularity. they already had that fully covered. 

2) yes

nothing wrong with having a preference or an attachment to the first portrayal you saw but there is no real reason to legitimately dislike or resent will roland’s performance to the degree that anyone wants to act like they have objective justifications for this. i will freely blame a ton of this on the fact that will r is not a super lanky guy who sort of looks like elijah wood’s fey woodland cousin or something, and he has a nasal voice, and the fact people find this less attractive leads to this extra resentment that gets rationalized as some kind of problem they have with his performance. surely i will come back to this but for now i’m going to argue against my own fake arguments

they didn’t approach will only because he was in deh and thus ~famous~ or famous by association or whatever. like i said in an earlier post, they were considering will for the part of jeremy even before will was considering himself for the part, as he said he didn’t consider auditioning for that role until it was suggested to him. and then he made it to callbacks, which means he was seriously considered and they already saw merit in the idea of casting him for the part. the fact that he didn’t get it doesn’t mean he wasn’t good enough: people Don’t Get The Part all the time and it isn’t for any certain reasons. for example, earlier will got cast in the black suits, while george salazar also auditioned and didn’t get cast, and yet we wouldn’t use this as evidence that george wasn’t necessarily good enough. not to mention that will would’ve been getting involved in deh at around that time of the bmc auditions, so evidently he was already good enough to be involved in like, any production.

also, the part of jeremy wasn’t the only change in cast between the productions. and they didn’t seem to leap on the opportunity to get Big Names involved, and in fact, they’ve said they didn’t want to do that. and, again, they did not need a popularity boost, they were in the unusual position of already knowing they had an audience. thus there’s no reason to believe that will’s casting, and will’s casting alone, was some sort of grab for increased attention on the production.

joe iconis had worked with will for years prior to 2018 and it’s just kind of ridiculous to suggest that will auditioned for his play and got turned down because he was terrible, and it’s only due to the fact that he was then cast in deh that made joe go “hm that roland guy can’t sing for shit and i’ve just been too polite to Not cast him in a previous musical of mine and work with him dozens of other times but he’s in a Popular Broadway Musical now so hmmm, maybe we’ll make a sacrifice to the quality of this show to get a popularity boost we don’t need” like

obviously it does not make sense. will was not Only offered the role because of being in deh. and, by extension, he was not offered the role in spite of any kind of inadequacy on his part. or in spite of anything at all.

also there is no indication that will connolly was just like, ditched or something. initial castings and casting changes are done for any number of reasons. and it’s not like joe iconis exactly has a reputation for ruthlessly screwing over people he works with, nor does will roland…and casting changes are basically inevitable if a show goes beyond one run or has a particularly long one. and it’s not unlikely people will have a preference or consider the first performance they see to be kind of the standard in their eyes, and there’s nothing wrong with the end of someone’s run / a casting change being bittersweet, cuz all of that is just how it’s gonna go. but like there’s no reason for animosity towards the replacement cuz then you’re gonna always hate everyone but the o(b)c

again like. maybe people really aren’t aware that will roland was cast in a musical of joe iconis’s back in 2012? the black suits? ben platt was there? george salazar wasn’t? will was 1/6th of the cast and did plenty of singing. and that was 3-4 years prior to him auditioning for bmc and getting the part for the off-bway performance, and as people tend to backhandedly point out, he only gets better with time and experience, and he was already doing great vocally in the black suits. he did that 2012 run, and then the run tbs had in 2013 as well. like, joe had plenty of experience working with him there. why would he think will is bad at singing.

also will was involved with joe’s work even prior to his graduation

will was also involved with bmc producer jen tepper’s work prior to his graduation. had a solo in the “if it only even runs a minute” show

they’d know how good will is. they had already been willingly involving him in various works for years, over and over, prior to will auditioning for bmc. the fact he didn’t get the part the initial time wasn’t due to them thinking he can’t sing, okay. and already right there you have the issue that apparently a bunch of randos figure they just have better judgment than the industry professionals. 

also, you can prefer will connolly’s voice, but it’s not even A Valid Argument to say that will roland is a bad singer. like, this isn’t even about opinion. he is a good singer and this is an objective statement. He Is Very Skilled. his vocals Are Good. this is not opinion it is essentially fact. you may not like them but to say he’s bad is just to say either you don’t have the first clue what you’re talking about or are willing to skew your own perspective or just say whatever to pretend to justify this preference as “one of these is the performance i like better and the other is a performance that is inarguably Bad and Incompetent”

one thing is that will is so good that he makes it seem easy. he pulls off shit that you don’t even have to recognize as taking a crapton of skill. there’s all sorts of performances of his available and the way he’s able to emote during his singing isn’t just his also-strong acting, but it also requires the vocal ability to deliver quick shifts and jumps between differences in volume and pitch and soft/fragile vs forceful/angry and that requires a ton of skill and control. speaking of control and the stuff i’ve just said, there’s also a lot of smoothness to his vocals and consistency which reflects not only the quality of his vocals but also the control and endurance and knowledge of how to handle a performance within individual songs but also an entire show and also a string of shows.

like, dunno what to tell you. like i said before, these industry professionals think he’s good enough. the people he work with think he’s talented. i put myself through reading bmc reviews and i don’t remember anyone saying anything suggesting will’s vocals weren’t up to par, but i do remember a lot of acknowledgments about the opposite and how his performance is stellar and showcases great vocal talent and ability, whether or not the reviewers took to the rest of the show as a whole. and yet people who are mad about him not being will connolly have the take that he can’t sing. pretty wild how the people who would probably know better than you or me all consider will roland to be a very strong singer!! must be because they don’t know as well as various random people who resent will r.

it’s just a bonus when people argue he can’t sing the high notes. i’m guessing i need to say it’s called a falsetto? he has a gorgeous one and the way he’s able to snap right into it is kind of breathtaking? and the fact that joe iconis wrote lgw Specifically For Will Roland’s Voice, specifically designed to showcase and play to his strengths? and that this song, written by a professional composer to be ideally paired with will roland’s voice, features that falsetto so generously? hmmmmmmmmmmm

like, there’s so many amazing and beautiful performances of his online and like every available performance kicks ass and is certainly Vocally Competent but like, if you listen to this and think “he can’t really sing for shit” then you’re just telling on your own flawed judgment n Shit Taste lol…..like, again, to say he can’t sing is objectively incorrect.

also, there’s this. 

i’m also very suspicious of people just interpreting his singing as “bad” because of the fact that his voice is just nasal. or suggesting that he can’t have as ~serious or dramatic~ impact. for unspecified reasons. but what i am going to specify as “because he has a nasal voice and i have an automatic association with this meaning that the character is unsympathetic and a joke”

i now slowly turn around and pull down a slide reading “jared kleinman”

again, not like the “will roland was only cast for clout” idea holds any water in the first place, but it’s just extra good how his character in deh seems to be written off by like, everyone, from reviewers to casual audiences to most more-involved fans of the show alike, and largely overlooked or maligned, despite all characters getting an equally sympathetic treatment, and all of the teenagers being very similar in what their flaws and weaknesses are and what their desires are. 

like i and other people and mike faist will tell you, yeah jared’s character provides a break from Heavier scenes into lighter tone, which is necessary for good pacing, but that doesn’t mean that the character and the things he says aren’t serious or genuine. watch me avoid going off into a longer tangent about jared and bringing it back around to will roland: it just Sure Is Interesting that the character is one that tends to be seen as unimportant or even dispensable despite being absolutely crucial to multiple elements of the play. hmm

and anyways it’s kind of funny that you’d really have to already be a fan of will’s to like, make his casting in bmc make you care about bmc if you hadn’t already (#me, lol) and like. otherwise it’d be like “hey this guy who’s in bmc was in deh” “oh really that’s neat” and maybe it’d make some new people pay attention, but not to the degree that it would like, be expected to carry the show’s sales or anything lol. plus uhhhhh haven’t noticed the marketing saying anything about WILL ROLAND of DEAR EVAN HANSEN and you’d think that if they’d deliberately cast someone who sucks just cuz he had a part in a well-known show, they’d uhhhh take advantage of that? and yet. 

that theory’s total shit is what i’m saying

and it’s interesting that will has a nasal voice and isn’t Serious Enough and his Singing is Bad

by interesting i mean total shit

i’m also totally gonna say that people are mad at will for not being super tall and super skinny and seeming attractive to them.

absolutely gonna say that. there is a real, documented bias towards considering someone seen as Attractive as being more sympathetic than someone who isn’t. for example i am tilting my head 270 degrees when anybody decides jeremy is an unsympathetic character. i am tilting my head 583 degrees when anybody decides that will roland’s performance as jared is the Unsympathetic one. my eyebrows are so raised they’ve just graduated college. 

just yknow people are mad at will roland b/c they don’t find him as hot as will c and resent him for not seeming attractive enough and like, there’s the people who will at least own this and insult him for being too ugly for their tastes and their inability to keep their shit to themselves, and then there’s people who also have this inability to keep their shit to themselves but don’t wanna say they think he’s too ugly for their tastes and will instead be like mmmm dunno the way he follows the written changes to the script is bad………mmmmm idk he just can’t sing ://…………mmmmmmm his performance isn’t the same so uhh fuck him for not being will connolly………………://///……….

i don’t know if anybody sees him as fat rn, there’s this window of being Average where i truly cannot see it even though its supposed to just be Objective Judgment territory. but that sure never helps. also he just doesn’t have the willowy fragile body type of will connolly’s at all, no matter what. and that also cannot ever help. couldn’t’ve helped when he played jared either.

maybe it’s an utter coincidence that the majority of his film roles, where your body and face are always gonna get hq closeups, and in which we also have audio of one’s nasal voice, have him as Nerd Types who aren’t meant to be particularly sympathetic. not saying this is all him being typecast based on being written off from certain types of roles as characters meant to appeal to the audience / win sympathy, except, my eyebrows have now finished grad school.

in fact, although the realm of live theatre may be more “”forgiving”” of these superficial traits, it’s not as though will’s roles haven’t been largely uncool losers in various ways lol…but all of them have been sympathetic. he’s even mentioned how being cast as a romantic lead way back in school changed how people saw him. and here he is in a role where he feels like he isn’t allowed to be the main character even in his own life, and where he feels that he can be treated Like a well-liked, attractive person, but not necessarily be one. will roland is out here just outright saying how lgw is about himself and about you and about me (and for trans and non-hetero fans) and people are really out here going “he’s ugly he shouldn’t have this role” like, i’ll freaking slap you, lord

again. loser geek whatever alone is evidence that the take that He Can’t Sing is objectively false. and it is. move on. love yourself

also just thanks for mentioning the thing about throwing his arms out. that’s just like, one of the peak examples of “i resent will roland for not being will connolly but i need to invent justifications for this” and deciding that totally arbitrary things about him are reasons to be annoyed by him, and thus to think that there’s anything actually wrong with it. like, so he has a tendency to gesture with both arms out whereas other people don’t always do this? you’re mentioning loser geek whatever and it’s pretty crazy how when you watch him perform the song he actually employs a variety of gestures and you’re just picking out the one thing he does and going “ugh god you’re killing me will roland” like god….of all the arbitrary inconsequential things to focus your dislike on and pretend it’s a Legitimate Critique, this one’s a classic. if anything it’s a quirk that puts an individual stamp on things in the midst of all the other ways he moves and gesticulates during songs, but yeah, i suppose you could just decide you hate it. truly, between will roland putting his arms out and the people who see this as some kind of real flaw, whose reach is greater……..

anyways the point is none of you have any real reason to be bothered by will roland, and every “oh my god he’s so incompetent” take is ridiculous, and at least the people who outright insult him based on appearance are being honest about their bullshit since it’s all insults anyways. the oc album is right there. the performance with will connolly also continues to be right there. everybody just might consider why they’re so resentful of will roland for having the part, and also consider getting over it.

[lokaneiscanon]

Mighty Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder rant

Seeing Natalie Portman returning to reprise her role as Jane Foster, nevertheless wielding Mjolnir, finally getting the treatment this character deserves, was surreal to say the least. I had just started reading Lords of Midgard, the 8th issue of Mighty Thor (2015 - 2018), and had fallen in love already. But I didn't suspect at all that Taika Waititi would pull this card in Thor: Love and Thunder, considering Jane was barely mentioned in Ragnarok. The news about my favorite actress portraying one of my favorite characters coming out of the blue - you can imagine the excitement. Alas, I quickly remembered what the fandom thought of that comic (at least on tumblr) and imagined it now growing tenfold, cuz not everyone in the MCU fandom reads comics but pretty much everyone wants to watch another Thor movie. And yes, many fans weren't ready for this step, still recovering from Sam Wilson getting the shield in Endgame. Which is completely fine. We're not obligated to like everything Marvel throws in our faces, we're allowed to criticize and express our opinion on the internet or wherever. What is not okay is mindlessly hating, and even worse - using false facts to support said opinion.

I have seen some people using the argument that it is one of Marvel's worst selling comics. Which has already been proven wrong by multiple sites, including Comichron, just Google it, as I did myself. I read multiple posts, ones saying how good Jane is doing as Thor in sales, others disproving this, so I checked for myself the numbers at the site mentioned above month by month to be sure. The comic truly had its downfalls as the story progressed but in my opinion it's normal for the 1st issue to have more sales than the 21st. If we compare it to Unworthy Thor, which started running a bit later and followed the now unworthy Odinson, the data shows the latter had more sales. But then again, while Might Thor was at its 17th issue, Unworthy Thor was at its 2nd. Also, they later crossed paths, shared comic issues, it's fair to say they go hand in hand and Jason Aaron, the author, probably doesn't want us to compare them, as they complete and compliment each other's stories. Still I decided to check the comic that made Thor unworthy in the first place - Thor: God of Thunder (2012 - 2014), which seemed to me more "comparable" to Might Thor (2015 - 2018). *I keep putting the years it was being released so as to not be confused with previous Mighty Thor issues, whole Odinson was still Thor, please bear with me* So yes, the numbers were pretty close, but from what I saw, Mighty Thor had the upper hand if we compare first issue to first issue and so on. (In defense of Odinson, we have to take into account that this data is only from the US and does not include digital sales. Also, he's been around since the 50s. We could argue Jane was a breath of fresh air that some Marvel fans were indeed ready for. As a non-American, and also a person without a hint of knowledge in economics I cannot take into account inflation and whatever else has prevented or enabled Americans to get their hands on the comics or has affected prizes through the years. Bear that in mind.) Moreover, from what I saw on Comichron, both comics had much competition - God of thunder was released along with Avengers vs the X-men, the Uncanny X-men, pretty popular at the time, and the Goddess of Thunder faced Civil War 2 and DC Universe Rebirth (yes, DC is in the game too), also dominating with tremendous sales for the longest time. Yet I stick with my original statement - both Thors are valid and shouldn't be put against one another regardless of profit. Because at the end of the day what will matter the most is the story. And boy, what a story it is.

Now, I haven't read the Thor: God of Thunder, but as I was doing research I found one very well written summary and explanation of Thor's arc and his becoming unworthy and I will post a link below, because I honestly feel I wouldn't be doing this comic a favor by describing it without having read it. Which I plan to do in the future, tbh. It's a fantastic prelude to the Mighty Thor (2015 - 2018) that I've come to love. First, I'd like to ask you all to stop hating on the comic without having read it first. It doesn't make any sense and being petty for the sake of being petty won't benefit neither you, nor anyone, really. Now, about the comic itself - the art is magnificent. It's just gorgeous. Mighty Thor isn't , thank all the gods, sexualized, she is pretty buffed and generally looks like a warrior. As it is with the other characters, I dare say. The background truly captures the essence of every world Jane finds herself on. Action scenes are just the right amount and balanced with dialogue well. On a side note, it's pretty funny to read/listen to in your head the Shakespearean English cursive in which Jane talks as Thor. The plot line branches beyond this comic, starting from Thor: God of Thunder and leading to the War of Realms. And it is elaborately built in every issue. You don't know what to expect, yet it makes sense when it happens. Which leads me to the characterizations. My God, what a treat Loki is in this. Clearly, my opinion is kinda biased, since he's my favorite character, but you never know which side he's on. What his motivations are. And it just feels so... Loki. His writing is brilliant. Almost makes me forget what the MCU did to him. Also, he gets some daddy time with Laufey (not as kinky as I make it sound). Frigga/Freyja is just as awesome as in the MCU, even more, at least in the comics she calls Odin out on his shit, who btw is I guess an asshole in every version and universe. Malekith, the main villain, is unbearably despicable, I want to tear every page he is on. He really was mishandled in the Dark World, if you want some true action with the dark elves, you are welcome to enjoy. I saved the best for the end - Jane Foster/ Might Thor. Now, if you think Dr. Foster spends her time boasting about her worthiness and how Odinson is just called Thor, but she is Mighty Thor, you are horribly wrong. She just... does her job. Because the hammer chose her. Because there's no one else to do so. That's it. If you think there's some feminism involved, yes, there sure is, but it certainly isn't the reason Jane became Thor in the first place. It was not the creators going SJW because it's trendy, as such a mindset is honestly offensive to any descent creator with any self respect, but a well thought out story arc, which, I repeat, you have to read the comic to understand. Jane is not at all whiny about the hate she gets in-universe, not only from foes like Odin and who-not, but from Shield and generally people whose asses she's saving. Her having cancer is not something they pulled to provoke sympathy and make her look like a victim - on the contrary, she is a damn hero and a victor. I don't want to give out spoilers, but her being Thor is actually a giant sacrifice that no one really appreciates (both in-universe and in the fandom). She is not Thor to prove she can be, or just to prove "women can be heroes" - she doesn't have to. She is simply needed by the realms and so she does her job, even though she is called a thief, persecuted and generally hated. All that matters is that the hammer finds her worthy - the beauty and simplicity of that fact you will find out, for the last time, if you read the comic.

I'm not making you read the comic or watch Thor: Love and Thunder. I myself don't know what to make of this film yet because there's barely any information about it. I only know it will be based on the comic so that's a reason for my hopes to be up already. On the other hand, since I didn't like Loki's characterization in Ragnarok, I'm not sure what to expect from Taika. There are valid reasons to not like the idea of Jane returning to the MCU as Thor, which you are entitled to. However, reasons such as "why does everything have to be political these days" are not. Because if I had to make a list of everything politically related in the MCU, it would take forever. Steve Rogers kills nazis is the most blatant example. Make of it what you want. But I think we're far enough into the 21st century to realize art and real life are not that separable. It's undeniable that art affects people and that is to say, people everywhere. And they all have different opinions and aren't gonna like everything media is offering to them. And I wish I could simply tell you not to watch the movie but I'm a Marvel fan too and I understand that I can't just take away Thor from you because I want Mighty Thor as well. But none of us can stop Marvel from producing it. So, to quote an image I saw recently, I don't know how to explain to you that you should care about other people. Let the rest of the fandom enjoy what they want to enjoy. Yes, ik I can play around with the tags and avoid posts that unnerve me but, for example, I'm looking up Mighty Thor fanart, which obviously isn't anti-Mighty Thor, yet I get attacked in the comics for anticipating a movie that doesn't even have a full cast yet. Ik I'm not asking for too much when I wish to get the same internet experience (not only tumblr, but also insta, YouTube, Twitter, any site) as the Thor Odison fans, for example. I'm aware I cannot stop all the toxic fans and the trolls but I hope this post has inspired those of you who simply can't envision Jane as Thor, or don't like Natalie Portman in the role, or whatever eles personal preference that doesn't involve political issues and isn't harmful to the community, not to attack every post on your dash with hate. The movie is called LOVE and Thunder, for God's sake. (on a side note, is a franchise that is too afraid to show LGBT characters for more than 1 minute so as to not lose profit from China, THAT politically correct)

Anyway, that was a veeeery long rant, sorry to whoever reads this but, like, please, I put effort into this, hoping this time around I won't be the only positive reviewer of a movie, like I was with Solo: a Star Wars story (yes, I'm still bitter about this), which was boycotted for no apparent reason but was a decent film in reality, and I'm only bringing it up because it has a similar experience to Love and Thunder for getting hate before even being released. I'm not defending a billion dollar company that flopped in box office once, I'm defending the viewer's right to media they are interested in. If you don't like the character, remember - that's your opinion, not a fact that the character sucks. Kudos.

Not very easy to navigate, I advice you to do the research month by month individually for comics you'd like to compare. Also, if you happen to find more reliable data, pls say so in the comments.

Here you have the summary and explanation of the greatness of Thor: God of Thunder, Jesus, I'll go bankrupt if I buy this one too.

Yes, I want to end the sales dispute once and for all, I'm tired of seeing it on my dash. This guy probably explains it better than I did.

@awesomejenlawrence you said you'd like to read this and I delivered

[mkdimasacat-blog]

FINALS MOVIE REVIEW PART 1

Dimasacat Kim        

Javier Noah          

MM23

  LSS MOVIE REVIEW

As an artist I could point out details of the movie that are true and that most artists not just local but all around the world go through. An example for that would be when I go somewhere like from a commute I would listen to underrated music artists and also mainstream ones because this helps me get to a mood in which I would be able to think scenarios’ , frames, compositions, poetry that would be made in my head. It somehow connects to me the lyrics that are being sung and in a creative way it somehow becomes part of me. Another scene from the movie was when Sarah (Gabbi Garcia) connected to a complete stranger just by hearing the music taste of the stranger. This stranger down the line would become her lover. With this, I could rest my theory that if you have the same music taste with another person it won’t matter whatever social class you’re in or what age nor gender you have. You would connect instantly just like wifi to gadgets. In a parallel timeframe, Zack (the complete stranger Sarah met while on her commute) was struggling with the relationship of him and the love of his life. Because eventually his love liked a different person and she was a woman. As this scene was shown, I liked how slowly the Filipino movies are injecting the idea of the support for the same gender love and on to this day, relationships like these are now normal and should be accepted by the society. To release Zack’s stress, he remembered before that he asked Sarah to go watch Ben and Ben with him at Route 196 on their live gig. It was funny cause in real time, there are a lot of indie bands who play there to showcase their talents to the music junkies such as myself. But when Zack went there, he wasn’t able to see Sarah because she was late. Devastated and a bit problematic, He called his mother to pick him up and they both went home. The next day was he met up with his step sister because he wanted his mom and dad to meet once again and make up since his dad was dying slowly. Before that day, he asked his mom to watch a movie with him. But little did the mother know that most of the movie titles that Zack picked foreshadowed the history of his mother and father. This was a way so that he could try to talk about his father to his mom. The history between Zack’s mother and father was quite simple. His father left the Country so that he could work abroad but the father had an affair and got the girl pregnant. Because of this, Zack’s mother hated and forgot about her husband. But I know deep inside she felt guilty because she was the one who told her husband to go abroad to work there so that they could have a better life.

Meanwhile in Sarah’s current timeline, she just broke up with her boyfriend since her boyfriend didn’t believe in her dreams on becoming a successful musician. So later on she went to this local restaurant where in she saw Zack with a girl (she was the step sister of Zack) holding hands with each other. This made Sarah a bit jealous. As she enters the restaurant, her ex-boyfriend chased Sarah and asked for forgiveness but Sarah had enough and she ignored him. Later on she noticed that her favorite band was right in front of her. She quickly ran out of the restaurant and followed them and the band if they needed extra hands while on their gig. They respectfully declined her offer but gave her a little advice that she should continue pursuing her dreams that the beginning of everything is just the hardest part of everything. To be honest that line could be applied to anything in this world. That whatever happens we need to succeed no matter what since the first part of everything would always be the hardest.

There is also a scene there in which the little brother of Sarah fought with her because she finally new that her little brother didn’t go to school and wasted all the cash that she gave for school turned into studio recording money. The brother also stated that he has a better chance in the music industry because he is far more better than Sarah. For me this was one of the most painful scenes in the movie because after all that trouble with her brother, Sarah still accepted her brother with open arms and surprisingly she supported her bothers dream of becoming a famous musician. A dream that she wanted for herself but she put it to the side and supported her brother instead. She was like a mother in this scene because she sacrificed her life-long dreams just so his little brother would be happy and would be able to fulfil his dreams of becoming a famous rapper. A little time frame jump happened and now Sarah is supporting her little brother perform in a live gig with a lot of people. This foreshadows of what could have been Sarah if she continued to pursue her music career. Later on The manager of Sarah approached her and asked if she would want to manage her little brothers careen despite of what Sarah’s true dreams. This tore Sarah’s heart because she knew that she should be the one performing at the stage and not her little brother. Later on the film Sarah finally had her break and she was one of the assistant managers of her favorite band. This is a proof that no matter what happens, no matter how long you wait, if its for you and you wished for it, you would have it. As the movie progresses, Sarah had her chance to showcase once more her talent to her idol band Ben and ben and they were sitting beside a campfire eating and just jamming with their guitars. The band was impressed with her voice and praised her for that. On the next day, Zack finally went out to see his father and he brought her mother with him but she didn’t know what was the place they were going and she was asleep the whole time they were at the bus because she had drank with her friends the night before. Later on when they got to the house, Zacks mother got mad and cried as she saw her old husband and argued with Zack. In this scene she said that she felt guilty about everything because she was the one who convinced her husband to take the job abroad so that they could have a happy life. The scene just ended with Zacks mother leaving them behind and crying. On that night, Zack and Sarah stayed on the bed and played an old demo tape that Sarah recorded. It was a song she wrote before she was with Zack.

On the next day, Zack finally told that he needed to go with his father back to the states so that he could take care of him but that would mean that he would sacrifice his time without Sarah. Both of them sat at the bridge and talked to each other heart to heart. A time frame jump happened and now, Sarah is now a recording artist and performs with her favorite band Ben and ben.

During the last scene, as she played the song she wrote to Zack, Zack appeared in the crowd and Sarah saw him and she sang their song together with her band. To me, this means that no matter what happens, we just need to trust the process we have a head of us and it would all make sense once we are there in the very end. In my final words here,If we have a dream, the key to have it is something called the law of attraction. We should send out energy or positive vibes so in the near future, all of our hopes and dreams would come true. No matter how long it would take. We just need to stay positive and adapt to whatever is given to us.

    Lola Igna Movie Review

 Lola Igna is a 2019 Filipino comedy film directed and written by Eduardo Roy Jr. and starring veteran actress  Angie Ferrero, and former Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition 4 housemate, Yves Flores. It had a theatrical release in the Philippines on September 12, 2019 as one of the entries of the 2019 (PPP) Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino.The film has received an award “best picture”, Best screenplay, Best musical score and Best actress for Angie Ferrero.

According to the director Eduardo Roy Jr. the film originated to his own reflections on his relationship with his great grandmother who is a resident of Sagada who died in 2012 at the age of 80 years old. The film was a tribute for his great grandmother, a story of what if he got to bond with his grandmother since he didn’t get the chance to learn more about her since she lived in the remote mountain province. Lola Igna is a representation of the main protagonist. Imagine what would his grandmother say to him if she saw the movie tribute he made for her. He did that with pure heart even though director Eduardo Roy Jr. didn’t had the chance to meet his grand mother.

The film is about an old woman named Igna or called as Lola Igna in the movie as it goes to the title, she is a 118 year old woman who wanted to die as if she already feels she had seen it all. Imagine out living all of your friends , families and relatives that was so dear to you but you cannot do anything since it isn’t your time yet to leave this life. Her remaining grandchildren then made her to join in a contest for the Oldest Grandmother in the world as she is a contender of a fascinating age and she could to win a millions of dollars. Because of her age and as for her gates to open for being the Oldest Grandmother in the world this made her popular and kibitzers from the city come to visit her in her bahay kubo in the middle of the verdant rice fields. Sound familiar right? It is also as the same story of Apo Whang Od, the oldest tattoo artist from the Kalinga Highlands.

As her continuous popularity bought by her age of wisdom, other people also tried to make profit from the tourists who shows up just to see her by selling souvenir merchandise, as if it’s like she’s a part of a circus for someone’s entertainment. She was actually the town’s most sought after midwife, but she already retired. As for Lola Igna’s relatives, her only remaining relatives are her granddaughter, Nida and her son, Bok. Think about this, you are already done working and once you get home, there are people who want to visit you just because you are now treated as a “tourist attraction” booth or like a wild animal trapped in a cage. It may sound rough but by the looks of it, most likely Lola Igna feels that way on how the people treat her. She just wants to rest in peace but the people who know her won’t let her achieve her inner peace.

Then one day a young man appears who claims to be her great great grandson and already calls her “Lola Lola”. The young man is named Tim, the son of Ana, the sister of Nida who left them a long ago and never felt a presence. The reconciliation of the two estranged sisters is a dramatic high point that will make you shed a tear or two. Lola Igna appreciates Tim’s company and asks him to make a coffin for her. Just think of yourself tired from all the work you’ve done and all the things happening to your life but when you are on the verge of breaking down and giving up, a guardian angel appears and gives you the light you need and the energy or power you lacked before. That guardian angel of Lola Igna was her great great grandson Tim. Even though Tim didn’t knew her lola that much, with open arms he embraced her.

Lola Igna has lived a full life of serving to their community, all her life assisting mothers to give a precious life of their kids. Imagine yourself as an assistant of God to help make life to the new born babies but you yourself wants to rest her soul but deep inside you know God still has a plan for you and that is the meain reason why you out lived most of the people you used to be with in your youth days. As Lola Igna says, we should not be afraid of death, which for her is just a start of a journey, a journey which a soul may feel freedom. She wishes for a dead bird and a dead friend Gusting, (the first baby she had ever delivered) for her to have safe travels in the great beyond.

She even talks regularly to her deceased husband and treats him like he is still around. This is a proof that even though lola Igna wants to finally rest her soul, she still continues to love her husband and imagine that he is still walking with her on her journey so that she won’t feel lonely. From most people, when they go through dark times or they are on a new journey / chapter in their life, they want people who they know or who they could trust stand beside them so that they could be influenced by their power of undying support.

The film progresses very slowly, familiarizing us with the character of Lola Igna's daily routine upon waking up, from her chamber pot ritual to her fly-infested breakfast. However, once the main story got its way, there was so much more to tell than just Lola's life story. Aside from the evocative drama within her family, the film also comments on rural politics, folk superstitious beliefs, as well as on social media phenomena. It was like an update on "Himala," but lighter, spices with a generous sense of humor.

The uniqueness of the film Lola Igna is there in the young people who may have been tired already of beaches and camping. One of the more poignant experiences in the film is seeing young people trekking all the way to the small home of Lola Igna for anything at all that would make their lives exciting and unique, as a source of entertainment which arrogance and naivety is within.

The film actually is a celebration of life and even death as it shows how the cycle of life is precious and is beautiful, that we should give it more value as we ride along in our journey from life and death. As for the long life of Lola Igna it may not cut deep into your soul, but it transports you to the alienated world of human being who has lived too long as it shifts one’s perspective about death and aging. Also this movie shows that sometimes, the more you have seen and experienced in life, it helps you get the wisdom and the stories you could share to the youth in a way you could guide them like their guardian angel but this time you are physically there to guide them.  But little did lola Igna knew that she also had a guardian angel herself. This Film is a reminder to us that no matter what happens in our life, we just need to get back up when life brings us down and continue walking our life journey. If we see people who struggle with the problems we used to experience ourselves, we give them a hand. No matter what age, gender, or religion they are. Life goes on and time flies fast as we progress to the next chapter in our lives.

      The Panti Sisters Movie Review

 The “Panti Sisters” is a film that deals about family, pride, acceptance and love. Directed by Jun Luna, this movies is such an enjoyable movie to watch.   Not only is it entertaining, this movie also gives the audience as different perspective of the plight of the LGBTQ community.

The movie tells about the story of the Panti sisters.   The sisters are affluent but their toxic rich father is not accepting of their choice in life, that of being homosexual. The movie takes us to a long plight of hardship in dealing with their father’s open rejection to their ways of being gay. The siblings Gabbi, Samuel and Daniel, went their own separate ways only to be summoned back by their father whose days were numbered because of his terminal cancer illness.  He asked the siblings to go back to their old house where they grew up and gave them an offer of receiving 300 million pesos if they follow his rules.

The father’s intention of getting his gay children back is because of his ulterior motive to have a grandson.  He believes that this is the way to keep the next generation alive.  The father, in an attempt to make sure this happens, asked them to impregnate a woman and stay in his abode for him to see his sons for a while being what he wanted them to be.  As the story progresses, there are hardships that the Panti sisters encountered towards the rules that their dad gave them but only one successfully advances the offer by having a child of his own, but suddenly things didn’t come up as plan as it ended into miscarriage.

With that miscarriage it ended the feud of the sisters and ended up for them to be closer together. The siblings, as much as they love their father, could not fathom to do what their father wishes them to do, that is to bear him a grandson.  As the movie is about to end, one of the sisters died because of a gunshot which leads to the grief of the family including their father. This incident led to the father’s regret in proposing the offer as he knew that he was the root of every misfortune that has happened.  Realization came at the most unfortunate moment as the father realized that he is responsible for the death of his own son. The story ends with the children finally forgiving their father for what has been done wrong to them while the father finally accepted his sons for who they are and ended up to becoming a happy family with acceptance and ended with a happy ending.

At first, I was thinking the movie was just about fun and comedy, but as it progresses it’s all about the toxicity of us humans for not accepting special people around us because of just rules and misconceptions that had been imbedded and taught to us by some religions and society at large.  It is in this context that we see the plight of a lot of homosexuals and the daily suffering that they have to bear not only from people who are small-minded, but also from society at large that have been misguided by false teachings.  The plight of homosexuals in the Philippines is still a struggle.  A lot of homosexuals are still hiding behind their closets because their families themselves do not accept them or are ashamed of them.  Filipinos are “status quo” sensitive, which is a sad reality but true nonetheless.  Old ways don’t go away easily for Filipinos.  In this movie, this reality still holds true for a lot of Filipino families.  It seems that a family’s integrity, or the lack of it, depends on how the head of the family sees it.  The father figure is still the revered person in a Filipino family.  In this film, the familial representation is so vivid.  The stark truth that Filipinos still see homosexuals as an undesirable member of a unit of the society is so heartrending. Rejection and discrimination are just some of the dilemma that homosexuals experience.  The problem, advocates stress, goes beyond equality.  Our government does not even protect the LGBTQ rights.  Without a national law, several LGBT Filipinos continue to live in layers of fear and inequality. Some stop living all together.  

           The ordeal of the “Panti Sisters” to fight rejection based on their sexual orientation or sexual identity has shown anew a spotlight on the grueling situation on the of the LGBTQ movement in the Philippines.  The film has strikingly shown how the supposedly widely held belief that LGBTQ people have gained acceptance or tolerance in Philippine society can be a fallacy.  

But many can find solace in the words of Pope Francis who, in stressing homosexuals should not be condemned, said in 2013: “If a person is gay and seeks out the Lord and is willing, who am I to judge that person?” Years later, the Pope said that when he blurted his famous words on homosexuality, he was “paraphrasing by heart the Catechism of the Catholic Church where it says that these people should be treated with delicacy and not be marginalized.”

          This film has a message to offer us, Filipinos, and to the whole world.  We need to be accepting and understanding.  We need to find it in our heart to realize that homosexuals are persons, just like you and me.  Homosexuals have feelings, too.  As much as we want to have a decent and happy life, they, too, are entitled to it.  Who are we to judge when we are no better than anyone.

The message of the movie is loud and clear.  We should all take heed, take the movie personally and seriously. It’s not just about the comedy of stereotype gay people making jokes of their own but the story is about them, where they bring happiness to us by making the world more colorful and vibrant.

I personally find the movie very interesting and an eye-opener.  The artists gave justice to the film.  I would be wanting to see more of these movies specially with the LGBTQ supporting the likes of these movies.

[trilobiter]

If you are supporting Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination, please reconsider. I know that we want to defeat Trump, that it can seem like the number one priority. But simply removing Trump from office is not going to make things all better. We need to think hard about the kind of president we want, and not just accept the easiest answer that seems likely to win.

Biden's support comes from four sources: his personal popularity as a member of the Obama administration; his familiarity to older members of the party; his moderation and appeal to culturally conservative Democrats; and his white, male identity. If he were elected president, he would probably govern as a conventional Democratic president. That's better than the status quo, but it is not what we need.

Trump's presidency has disrupted our political landscape, exacerbating a series of deep divisions into yawning chasms. You cannot simply turn back the clock by electing a member of the previous administration. Making the United States more just and free requires new construction, not nostalgic restorations of the outdated infrastructure. In any event, Joe Biden is not Barack Obama, and even Barack Obama failed to undo all the wrongs of the Bush administration. When it comes to making this country a better place to live, we're operating at a deficit and we need to go farther.

Joe Biden is a familiar name and it is easy to to support the familiar. His long presence in politics suggest maturity and experience. If you're an older voter, this is probably comforting. It's not unreasonable to a younger voter either. But Biden has deliberately alienated younger voters, and his recent statements about segregationist Senators from the last century cast doubt on his willingness to reject horrifically retrograde politics. When choosing a leader, you should choose some one forward looking, not carelessly nostalgic for the days when a racist Senator could be civil and polite to other white people in government.

In any event, if you must have a president who can remember the 1980s, please remember that Kamala Harris is in her 50s. Elizabeth Warren is in her 60s. Bernie Sanders is in his 70s. They are not just young people looking for attention. And even the Founding Fathers were willing to accept the possibility of a president in his late 30s, like Pete Buttigieg - otherwise they wouldn't have set the lower age limit at 35.

Biden's age and his record (and his gender) suggest he could do well with "culturally conservative" voters, perhaps reclaiming some that Hillary Clinton "lost" to Donald Trump. But presidential candidates should not defer to the conservative tendencies of the electorate. Trump's voters may have been "conservative", but they voted for him after he promised to do radical things, like ban Muslims from immigrating. The United States has become more tolerant on social issues in the recent past, and not all cultural conservatives are immovable bigots. We need a candidate who is willing to put in the work of selling a progressive cultural agenda to voters who might yet come around. Democratic voters need to cut it out with the assumption that progressive ideas or candidates cannot win on the merits.

But if culturally conservative is is code for "too close minded to elect some one of unorthodox background", then the argument is rubbish. Even avowed racists voted for Barack Obama when they thought they had a reason to. The American electorate is not fundamentally incapable of electing some one who is neither male nor white nor "culturally conservative".

Consider the following facts. The candidate who received the most popular votes in all U.S. presidential elections was Barack Obama in 2008, with 69,498,516. Second place was a slightly older Obama in 2012, with 65,915,795. And in third place was Hillary Clinton, with 65,853,514. Hillary Clinton, one of the least popular candidates in history, was not inherently unelectable if she could convince that many people to cast ballots for her. Pretending that the old, white male is the "safe" choice is belied by the recent history.

The key to defeating Donald Trump is not trying to appeal to his base by flattering white men. He's got his base locked up - they've drunk the Kool-Aid and they will buy whatever he's selling. No, the key to defeating Donald Trump is to build a coalition against him, and forge solidarity between the people he has hurt, and the people who believe that America should be better than what he's made of it.

One of the best ways to build the needed coalition is to nominate a candidate who embodies it. No one can be all things to all people, but putting trust in your coalition partners by elevating some one from a marginalized group is an easy and obvious way of letting them know you take them seriously. Women, LGBTQIA people, immigrants and indigenous people and all voters of color, deserve to know that the Democratic party takes their interests seriously enough to consider nominating one of their own - and there are many qualified people to choose from. The more consideration we give to diverse candidates, the stronger the bonds of solidarity will be forged.

Joe Biden is not the ideal leader of this coalition. Not if he's going to stand in front of some of the richest people in the country, in an era of great income inequality, and promise them that nothing will fundamentally change under his administration. Not if he's going to wax nostalgic about polite disagreement with white supremacists, and scold one of his black opponents for taking offense. Not if he's going to declare he has "no empathy" for millennials, or if he's going to continue to imply that young women and girls should be hidden away from male attention. And not if his defense of reproductive rights, or human rights in general, is anything less than full-throated.

Biden's greatest flaw as a candidate is his apparent belief that everything will be alright if we just remove the Orange Guy and go back to a more polite era of bipartisanship. But it's never going to work that way. Trump didn't invent white nationalism, he simply fed it the best red meat it had tasted in a generation. We need a candidate who will try to slay that beast, not try to pacify it. We need a candidate and a platform that is uncompromising in its promotion of social and economic justice, and seeks to do better than shove our national embarrassments back into the cellar.

[fmdminji]

* ⠀⠀ ♡ ⠀⠀ ─── ⠀⠀ hello, sweet loves ! guess who ?? it’s 𝐑𝐘𝐀𝐍 and i’m back at it again with a second muse, and to some of you, she may seem familiar at first glance ! so, without further ado, i’d like to introduce you to my beautiful babe, 𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐉𝐈, wish’s leader, and main vocal. i’ve based her slightly on my first ever muse in this group, yeo yeoreum, but i’ve updated her, and revised her, so that she’s more well-rounded in my eyes ! below the cut, you’ll be able to find a tl;dr version of her biography, some fun facts that weren’t mentioned in her bio, as well as some plot ideas ! if you’re interested in writing with us, don’t forget to 𝐏𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 in the corner so i can message you. love you all v much !

* ⠀⠀ ♡ ⠀⠀ ─── ⠀⠀ BIOGRAPHY HIGHLIGHTS !

born in seoul, south korea to a single mother in seoul, south korea, minji’s upbringing wasn’t like many others in her class. she, her grandmother, and her mother all lived in a two bedroom apartment, and while the two women in her life worked hard to provide a great life for her, she was often dragged along to both of their jobs; finding a deep love for books, films, and television dramas, from a young age ! after all, she had to find little ways to entertain herself, so when she wasn’t keeping her nose tucked between the pages of a novel, she was lost in a land of fantasy; one where she was often the princess, and she was being rescued by a prince — a man that would save her from this lonesome upbringing. her obsession with romance started at an alarmingly early age, and by the time she was eight, she found herself filling up pages of diaries with love letters to boys in her class; keeping all of them a deep-dark secret from everyone !

however, when she was about to go and give her most coveted crush a valentine she’d saved a lot of money ( you know, a lot of money for an elementary schooler ) to buy, she was interrupted by another girl who, essentially, swooped in and stole her man, hah. the amount of jealousy and rage that flooded through her in that moment was so immense that, even to this day, those feelings of jealousy and wrath ( two of the deadliest sins to exist ) still have never left her, and unfortunately, they’re two of her most fatal flaws. that, and well, being almost desperate for a chance to fall in love with someone.

her teenage years were fairly mild, too, but every time she became entangled in a loving romance, she’d ruin it time after time for being controlling, possessive, and jealous, and it was hard for her to not only keep love interests for long periods of time, but her friends often found her hard to be around, too. her emotions were intense, and to be honest, all of them would find her exhausting to be around after awhile. so, even though she was able to make friends, they often left her alone, too, and the reason she was so attached to keeping men in her life is because she’s never had a father, nor any positive male influence, in her whole life. so, she uses romance as something to fill this void inside her.

though, when she was fourteen, she went with her mother to see a concert of decipher’s — a new boy group who had just débuted. they became her latest obsession, and her mom used money she’d saved up to treat her daughter to a day of fun together. though, while there, she was decided by bc entertainment scouts. her beauty is what made her standout, but when she auditioned, they realized she had a big voice, but little to no idea how to use it. so, after a private audition, they offered her a trainee spot.

her trainee experience was... rough. during this process, she learned to better control her voice, and she even picked up on how to play the piano pretty well, but after awhile, she got a bit bored with everything, so she made the bold decision to ignore the dating ban put in place and start playing the field. this is when she met her first love ( wanted connection ! ) and they began a relationship together that lasted a good while. he was in line to début in knight, and she was set to join the group now known as lipstick, but while the girls’ lineup was being finalized, they caught onto the two of them, and her punishment was that she wouldn’t début as lipstick’s lead vocal, as she was once told. they also forced her to end the relationship she was in, and her heart was broken.

so, in bc she remained, and she learned a lot about herself in those moments. not only did she get into trouble for even being in a relationship, but her jealousy continued to rise up back then, too, and she’d bully her fellow trainees — really, anyone who even dared to talk to her now ex-boyfriend while they were dating. deciding that she needed to focus on herself and her career so she could help her mother and grandmother out in the future, she quit screwing around and got to work, and later went on to début as wish’s main vocalist, and leader.

things started out well, but a few years in, she was beginning to realize that, while many of the other girls in her group were gaining traction and immense popularity, she was somehow falling behind. with hana now starring in dramas, sooyeon releasing tons of solo material, and now june about to make a solo début, too, her jealous rage is kicking in again. she went from a loving leader to someone that’s overwhelmed with envy for her own members, lol. so, that’s where she’s at now... wanting to kill all the girls in her own group that are more popular while she slowly starts to compete with them.

* ⠀⠀ ♡ ⠀⠀ ─── ⠀⠀ FUN LITTLE FACTOIDS !

as mentioned before, minji knows how to play the piano, and towards the end of her trainee years, she began writing her own little songs for fun; she has a few done and complete. she doesn’t really think she’s much of a composer / producer, no, but she aspires to write her own solo music when the time comes for her to make a début.

ever since wish was able to make their own individual social media accounts, she’s taken that allowance in stride, and has become quite popular on instagram ! she not only posts beautifully edited photos of herself, and her surroundings, but she’s also known to post acoustic, piano-led covers of songs she loves.

she currently feels as though she’s not getting as many lines on wish’s tracks as she was in the beginning, and hates that she’s really only there to hit all the high notes and call it a day, lol. she wants to be trusted with more than what she’s given, tbh.

not very surprisingly, she’s been involved in a few dating scandals in her past career, but shockingly, they weren’t true, and since her début, she hasn’t really had a serious bf.

* ⠀⠀ ♡ ⠀⠀ ─── ⠀⠀ LITTLE LIST OF PLOT IDEAS !

as denoted above, i’d looove to see her first love plot taken up ! i’ve envisioned the spot being taken by a member of knight, especially if they trained in bc from 2009-2012. they débuted first, so bc wasn’t able to truly punish them as badly as they were able to punish her. however, if you’re interested in this plot, and your muse isn’t a member of knight, but instead a member of charm, we can try to make that work somehow, too !

also mentioned above, she was a bit of an asshole to other girls while she trained from 2009-2012, and she softened slightly from 2012-2015. i’d love to see a plot where your muse was one of those girls she was really harsh to, and she’s had to try to make amends to her for it. in my eyes, this plot would make most sense if your muse is a member of lipstick, but we can see if we can make it work if your muse is in wish, too !

additionally, i’d love for her to have a best friend — male, female, or whatever else. this is someone who isn’t afraid to call her out when she’s acting like a brat, and though she gets so frustrated by that, she also appreciates it a whole helluva lot. their relationship will be really sweet, and they’ll be almost brutally honest with each other, but everything said is only out of love and respect, as they’d never want to truly wound one another.

i’d geek out really hard if like, your muse ( a member of decipher ) just so happened to be minji’s bias in the group, as she’s an avid fan, and she has a mad crush on them, and they either exploit how she feels about them and toy around with her, or they just avoid her at all costs because she’s... a bit much for them. that, or really, we can discuss other options if those two things wouldn’t fit your muse. i just think it’d be fun !

it’s no secret that my bbg loves love, and at one point in time, she became curious to know if she was interested in women, too. she tried to date your muse ( female-locked ) for awhile, but it didn’t work out, so she ended up breaking up with them. it could’ve ended really horribly and your muse hates her now, or they could be good friends. it’s up to your and how your muse would react to being led on by a confused straight girl.

being that minji dabbles in writing her own lyrics and playing the piano, i’d looove for her to have a producer friend, or partner of sorts, that’d start a soundcloud account with her. they’d release their own lo-fi, soft songs there, whether they be solos or duets, and it’d just be a really creative, fun-loving relationship. this could lead to a romance, or they could just remain close friends and creative partners; either option is fine with me !

speaking of romance: i’d love some people who really love playing with her heart, or who just use her for sex, and run the fuck away from her when she gets too attached.

the flip-side of that: i’d love for a guy, or girl really, to be really interested in her, but she’s too blind to see it, and instead, using them as like, a personal diary and spills all of her feelings to them about other people all the time. she doesn’t realize they have feelings for her, and it kills them when she talks about other people all the time, but they’re too afraid to really say anything to her rip.

i’d also like for her to have some lowkey fwb relationships, too. i just can’t promise that she won’t daydream about getting married to your muses, but you know... lol.

additionally, if you’re interested in discussing a more personalized, end-game romance plot that’s a slower burn, or something that burns up a little fast and they’re now stuck in a mess together, or whatever else, i’m open for discussions too ! don’t be afraid to let me know and we can talk about it a lot more !

[aion-rsa]

Avatar: The Last Airbender – What Can We Expect From the New Avatar Studios?

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If you’re an Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra fan, the long wait is over. Ever since Korra went off the air in 2014 there hasn’t been a new Avatar series on our screens. We’ve gotten comics and books (which have been fantastic) but a return to the screen was always hoped for. The live-action Netflix series is still in the works but after the departure of original ATLA creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko fans haven’t been as excited for it.

Now that excitement has somewhere to go. It has been announced that the newly formed Avatar Studios will “create original content spanning animated series and movies based on the beloved world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra.” Not only that, but we may also be getting short-form content and spin-offs!

The first project set to go into production this year is “an animated theatrical film” and it seems like the primary distribution for these projects will be Paramount+ (though they may also run on other Viacom channels) and even theaters.

This is a lot to take in. Obviously not all of these might come to fruition but with Paramount needing shows/movies and ATLA/Korra proving to be very popular on Netflix, fans can have high hopes we’ll get to see a lot more from the ATLA world.

So what could we be getting? All we know for sure is that a movie will be going into production but we don’t know what it’ll be about, nor do we know what any of these other possible series could cover. However, there are some areas of the ATLA world that are ready to be explored so we’re going to go over the ones that would be perfect for the new Avatar Studios.

Adapting the Comics

In 2012 Dark Horse Comics began publishing Avatar: The Last Airbender comics which continued where the original series left off. They not only filled in the gaps between ATLA and Korra but delved deeper into the world, filled out backstories, and even answered the biggest question left dangling at the end of the series: What happened to Zuko’s mom?

Any of these stories would make fine films or miniseries, but the most obvious one to adapt would be the arc about Zuko’s mom. Many new viewers of the series aren’t aware of the comic and it would be a great chance to tell such a critical part of ATLA’s story on screen.

Koh the Face Stealer

Without question the absolute scariest part of the ATLA universe, Koh is an ancient spirit who has the ability to steal any face of any being who shows any emotion to him. Aang memorably faced him down and barely escaped with his face, and he’s been mentioned in various other ATLA stories since then. Still, this creature is largely a mystery and a film delving more into him would provide an excellent big screen villain. After all, he did tell Aang they’d meet again. (This technically did happen in an online game but much of Koh’s appearance in that game has been lost to the sands of Internet time.)

We don’t have to learn or even see his entire backstory (some mystery is good) but getting the opportunity to see more of him is one that’s too good to pass up. Aang doesn’t even have to be the one who faces him! Koh’s line of “we’ll meet again” could apply to any Avatar. Korra could encounter him or even a future Avatar!

The Furthur (Queer) Adventures of Korra and Asami

The Legend of Korra famously ended with Korra and Asami walking into the spirit portal holding hands and it was later confirmed that they were a couple. We’ve gotten a chance to see some of this in the Korra comics (which if adapted would make great movies or miniseries’) but getting a full series that lets Korra and Asam explore the Avatar world and take on new challenges? That would not only just be a great show on its own (especially after those last two INCREDIBLE seasons we got on TV) but it’d be a chance to let Korra and Asami’s queerness be seen on screen.

Queer representation is still far too low, especially in animation, and getting to see queer characters in such a high profile franchise would do a world of good. We don’t even need them to be around the same age as they were in the show. Let’s get the 40-year-old queer and married adventures of these two!

A Whole New Avatar

While of course the easy options for any new Avatar media is just to tell more stories about characters we already know, Avatar Studios has the chance to continue the story well beyond what we saw in ATLA or Korra. Remember how The Legend of Korra jumped 70 years into the future after ATLA and the technology of the world was comparable to the 1920’s? Imagine if we jumped to a world that more or less matches the 1970’s? Or hell, go further! Imagine if it’s more of a sci-fi fantasy mix and we get SPACE AVATAR. Yeah, bending asteroids and using air bubbles to breathe in space.

It’d be a gamble but new Avatar mediums shouldn’t just be banking on nostalgia. It needs to move forward to ensure it’s future and a new generation of kids (or teens, whoever the show is marketed to) deserves an Avatar series to call their own.

Older ATLA Crew

Nostalgia is still powerful though and a no brainer would be getting the adult adventures of Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Suki, Zuko, and the rest. We briefly saw flashbacks of them as adults in Korra and there’s that famous photo of them all grown up that was released when Korra was airing so why not do an adventure set during that time?

Read more

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Avatar: The Last Airbender and Structural Perfection on TV

By Alec Bojalad

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What Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 4 Would Have Been

By Shamus Kelley

See how the changing world impacted their friendships, what it was like as technology so quickly advanced. Aang trying to be a father and not being all that successful (which we wrote about here and how it enriched his character.) His attempts to preserve air nomad culture. Toph’s lack of a relationship with the father of her children and the further formation of the metal benders. There’s just so much room to explore!

The Rise of Kyoshi Adaption

Released in 2019, The Rise of Kyoshi (and it’s sequel novel, The Shadow of Kyoshi) chronicled the life of, who else, Avatar Kyoshi. It’s a gripping tale that follows her training as the Avatar while on the run and attempting to get revenge for the death of a loved one. Its story would be perfect for two or three films and also, like the further adventures of Korra, would be an excellent chance to see another queer character in the ATLA universe. Kyoshi was established as being attracted to men and women in the Korra graphic novels and the Kyoshi novels ran with it.

Adapting books into movies is still a common practice in Hollywood so this isn’t a huge stretch. The story is already there, let’s just get it on screen!

Past/Future Avatars (Anthology)

Multiple times throughout ATLA and Korra we got to see the long line of Avatars that stretched back before Aang. Some we got to learn about but most were nameless… but what if we got to learn more? Any of these past Avatars could sustain a movie, mini-series, or show on their own but that’s a tall order for such a long line of characters. Instead, imagine an anthology series where every half hour episode could focus on one of those past Avatars. We’d learn a little about their life, see them in action, and get more pieces of the overall Avatar world. This doesn’t even have to be limited to past Avatars. You could jump forward in the future. See the Avatars after Korra, the start of a whole new line!

While these could all be done in the trademark Avatar art style and handled by the original creators, imagine if this took a more Heavy Metal or Animatrix approach? Each episode could be helmed by a different creator and animation team, all contributing their unique takes on the Avatar world in different visual styles. You could of course get famous directors, writers, actors, etc. if you wanted but more worthwhile would be making this a launching pad for new talent. Get people who are just starting out in the industry (especially diverse talent, since Avatar and Korra drew so much from different cultures) and use this as a platform to launch them to fame. With that you also get a new pool of experience to draw from and that diversity would allow all kinds of different and unique stories to be created in the ATLA universe by the people the show has depicted.

The series could even be used as a testing ground for new series, movies, etc. If one episode really hits it out of the park with fans and critics, it could be spun off into its own longer story. With such a rich history and devoted fan following, Avatar Studios could leverage the brand to do something really special that would not only give us more of the ATLA world but develop new underrepresented voices in the business.

The Return of the Super Deformed Shorts

The moment I read that one of the options on the table for Avatar Studios was “short-form content” my mind instantly remembered the adorable shorts featuring the ATLA characters that were included on the DVD’s. These were short parodies of the series featuring chibi style versions of the cast. They were hilarious, zany, and we need more of them! Give us Korra shorts too!

Things We Can’t Even Think Of

The possibilities of stories in the ATLA universe are limitless. The ideas above are only the most obvious. The stories Avatar Studios make don’t all have to involve the Avatar or even benders. They don’t have to all follow the format of the TV series’. We could get action shows, sure, but what about a soap opera? A legal drama? A space opera! Something totally off the wall that defies genre.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Anything is possible and we hope Avatar Studios will let their imaginations run wild. Whatever is made, we’re excited.

The post Avatar: The Last Airbender – What Can We Expect From the New Avatar Studios? appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[sumukhcomedy]

Facebook: The Millennial Mental Illness

In the fall of 2004, I was a junior at Miami University. By this point, other students had already begun talking about The Facebook. It was a website that had reached our campus, and relying on .edu email domains, became a way to connect with other students at your college and at other colleges. I knew it was created at Harvard. I knew its creator was some guy whose silhouette was the logo for the website. I knew that I had no interest in joining it.

By my final semester at Miami (spring 2006), Facebook had simply become a norm. Every party that I attended was documented on Facebook. Any photo people took that I was in they would tell me “it’s on Facebook.” So I caved mostly just to see hilarious photos. In a certain way, it seemed relatively pointless to join a website aimed at college students just as I was leaving college but I did it anyway.

As I graduated, Facebook proved a nice way to keep in touch with those individuals I met in college especially since I had now moved to Columbus and didn’t particularly know anyone. At the time, Facebook was the perfect level of innocence and immaturity. Everyone could be themselves without any consideration of the impact of having such social interaction on the Internet nor with any anticipation of what Facebook would become.

That same year, I began to do stand-up comedy. At the time, mySpace was the website to be on if you were a performer of any kind. There were plenty of comedians I knew that hadn’t even joined Facebook yet likely because it still was being targeted to college students and they saw no value in the site for their comedy career and promotion. At the time, Facebook always seemed like it would be something specific to being in college. It never seemed like something beyond that. It just seemed like Mark Zuckerberg wanted to create a website, not that he wanted to ascend to being one of the most powerful businessmen in the world.

The shift came when Facebook opened itself up to everyone. I recall thinking that was stupid. Here was this kind of exclusive website to college students and now our parents or other members of our family were joining. This always seemed like a website for our generation and now every generation was getting involved. It also pretty much opened itself up to every jackass with an email address which, as we’d find out, would lead to plenty of faces, fake accounts, and the rise of terms like “trolling” and “catfishing.”

Here’s one of my early Facebook profile photos and now my reaction to almost everything happening on Facebook. 

Due to the now mass of people joining Facebook and mySpace’s inability to advance themselves to the quality of Facebook or handle major issues with spam, it started to turn where, as a comedian or anyone with any need for marketing a business, it was essential to be on Facebook. However, unlike mySpace, Facebook was never created to care about artists or small businesses. It’s why it has now smartly suffocated its reach for Pages and pushed boosting posts and sponsorship to gain attention. The revenue helps Facebook and puts the small business in need of raising awareness on social media into a corner: have your page remain relatively unknown or pay up and reap some benefits for everyone’s eyeballs being on Facebook.

This proliferation of information and emotions has totally changed how our minds interact with each other. Everything that we want or could be interested in is now focused into one central area called a “News Feed.” It’s led a majority of people to read and react more than to think and investigate. We’ve been granted a News Feed that is neither particularly news nor particularly healthy to be consuming. “Feed” seems an appropriate description. We seem no better than farm animals feeding, consuming, and accepting what is blasted into our eyes as we scroll through a website. It feels no different than eating McDonald’s all day long and thinking that is a healthy approach for our bodies.

In comedy, I became aware of Facebook’s uselessness fairly early on. I only looked at the website as a place for fun and as I began to see how people were getting emotionally affected in a variety of ways I preferred to satirize it. I “turned heel” in early 2012 and began to post as a pro wrestling heel character mocking the nature of people’s Facebook posts. It was enjoyable at the time and served whatever purpose it may have served both for me and for those who were my friends and found it entertaining. But, as I revealed before, it actually proved to be a more problematic revelation of what was to come for how we interact with social media. I’m not patting myself on the back saying “I told you so” about Facebook by being a Heel. I actually had anticipated and hoped that we would be better and that Facebook wouldn’t be as relevant at this point and that society would have moved on to the next advancement in Internet communication.

Instead, the advancements came within Facebook and they in fact advanced us in going backwards. Facebook now became the focal point as to how adults gained information whether it be news or events or the dumb jokes myself or other comedians may post. These posts now all still follow an algorithm—an algorithm that of course will succeed based off the most interaction to a post and the most interaction to a post no doubt comes from the most controversial or most emotional or most paid for posts.

Facebook has brought out how much we can be assholes. That’s certainly been the case within the comedy community but probably the case with every community that exists on the site. Arguments exist regularly and unlike Twitter where it at least involves opening up a tweet to see random commentary, the comments of other individuals are right there for everyone else to see. It opens the possibility of more arguing.

Public posting is even more irritating for general users. For general users who do click on the trending topics and most popular news stories, beyond the links to certain website articles, the News Feed on Facebook delivers public posts by the most divisive and random Facebook accounts. The most interacted comments even on the most popular articles clearly seem like stock commentary by fake accounts. Facebook has done nothing with their algorithm to address this issue and it only divides our perspectives on the news as badly as 24-hour cable television does.

Public posting by comedians is similarly ineffective. I don’t personally do it but I have friends who do and it only seems to open the door to the most random people choosing to comment on jokes or on opinions. Then, all of a sudden, the comedian gets into an argument with this random person/possible fake account. I’m not sure how this helps to advance the comedian’s career but it points to a serious problem both in how the comedian interacts with social media and with what social media is really doing for comedy. Very few comedians have become famous thanks to Facebook and, if they have, it's usually because they created videos that went viral. People may have had jokes or points shared a lot but it didn’t necessarily prompt a bunch of people to be interested in their comedy or go see live shows. Facebook has never proven to be as effective as Twitter was in that and, as I mentioned, that is because Facebook never pushed itself as being beneficial to artists.

Now over 10 years later, it’s unbelievable to me that some random thing I joined in college for fun is now the source of how people get their information, voice their opinions, and have clearly affected their personalities and emotions so much so that an attorney for this website had to speak in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on how our Presidential election could have been interfered via this website.   

Part of this amazing but absurd experience that has been Facebook is that Mark Zuckerberg is my age. It’s hilarious and strange to follow along on the same path as the man who was responsible for this site. My generation and I progressed with Facebook’s birth to the point that we are at now. I watched myself be in photos drunk at the age of 21 to now watch those same friends I was drunk with have children and be arguing over something political on this same website.

Nothing may have represented the absurdity of Facebook quite like the aftermath of the white supremacist stupidity in Charlottesville. My best friend, who rarely even posts on Facebook, all of a sudden was in an argument with one of my former roommates about this incident in the comments field of a post. What is happening here? Why are two people who ten years ago probably just had a drink together pleasantly are now interacting in this way? And why am I sitting here being the glue between them just observing and reading it? It’s fascinating in one sense but ultimately weird in another.

Over the past couple months, some of the individuals who once were at the forefront of Facebook but have since left the company have made comments about the effect the website has had on society and psychology. Personally, I don't find it far off. I've felt Facebook affect me over the years (again, I turned heel on it) but I've seen it far worse in some of my friends, particularly ones in comedy, who are otherwise kind people in person but who seem to take on completely different personas in social media. That's fine if that is what they want but my bigger concern is if the already present misery that comes with comedy isn't pouring itself out to an even greater and more troubling extent via Facebook.

While I was in college, Facebook seemed so innocent. It was just a fun place to party and say stupid stuff with your college friends. But, as it progressed and opened itself up to more people, it also wanted us to share more. And what we've discovered over 10 years is that what we want to share has been insane.

[movietvtechgeeks]

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Kevin Spacey falls hard, Alec Baldwin off Twitter and Netflix mess

Actor Kevin Spacey continues his downward spiral… As you have probably heard, Kevin Spacey was recently accused of sexual misconduct. In addressing the accusation, Kevin proceeded to acknowledge and apologize for his likely past wrongdoing and then quickly changed the subject of his statement to being about him coming out. Inevitably, people were not impressed with him trying to distract the wrong of his actions by coming out. It was rather obvious that he was trying to lessen the severity of the accusation against him. Since the accusation surfaced, Kevin has been plagued with criticism from fans, social media users, and his peers. Now, his major employer is taking action to punish him for his misconduct, as well as how he handled the whole situation. On Friday, it was revealed that movie and TV company Netflix had officially fired Kevin from their award-winning show, House of Cards. In addition, the company also cancelled his upcoming Gore Vidal biopic Gore. As the news of the firing surfaced in the media, one of Netflix’s spokespersons released a statement addressing the company’s decision. They said, "Netflix will not be involved with any further production of House of Cards that includes Kevin Spacey… We will continue to work with MRC during this hiatus time to evaluate our path forward as it relates to the show. We have also decided we will not be moving forward with the release of the film Gore, which was in post-production, starring and produced by Kevin Spacey." Earlier this week, it was reported by numerous media outlets that the star is currently seeking “evaluation and treatment.” When “House of Cards” debuted in 2013, it catapulted Netflix into a whole new level of Hollywood recognition and acclaim. The dark political series about an unscrupulous Washington power couple became Netflix’s first breakout hit, planting a flag for the streaming service in the competitive world of original TV programming. But just as its protagonist Frank Underwood fell ignominiously from power last season, the series itself has collapsed in scandalous fashion following allegations around actor Kevin Spacey, who has been accused of sexual harassment and assault by numerous men including employees on the show. Netflix isn’t the only company left holding the bag. Media Rights Capital is the production company that owns the series and licenses it to Netflix. Since news about Spacey broke Sunday, followed by additional allegations, the companies moved quickly to cancel the seventh season of “House of Cards” and put production of the sixth season on indefinite hold. Netflix said in a statement Friday night that it is cutting all ties with Spacey and that he will not be involved with the show that he has starred in since 2013. “Netflix will not be involved with any further production of ‘House of Cards’ that includes Kevin Spacey,” the company said in a statement. While the scandal represents a public-relations debacle for Netflix, it isn’t likely to materially affect the company, even though “House of Cards” remains one of its most popular series, experts said. “I think of ‘House of Cards’ as a trampoline,” said Paul Levinson, a professor of media and communications at Fordham University. “Netflix put it up, jumped on it and Netflix got so high that it no longer needs ‘House of Cards.’ ” Netflix spent about $100 million to produce two 13-episode seasons for “House of Cards.” The political drama launched the company’s venture into original programming, helping to transform the streaming service into a global powerhouse and disrupter of the TV business. The Los Gatos-based company now has 104 million paid streaming subscribers and has made massive investments in new shows. It will spend as much as $8 billion on content next year alone. As a result, Netflix now has multiple hit series — including “Stranger Things,” “Orange Is the New Black” and “The Crown” — that it can rely on to retain and attract subscribers. The speed at which Netflix responded to the allegations against Spacey — the first of which was made by actor Anthony Rapp on Sunday in Buzzfeed — will likely work in the company’s favor, according to Michael Pachter, a digital media analyst at Wedbush Securities, where he covers Netflix. “I think Netflix is handling this extremely well,” Pachter said. “This is what you want them to do from an investor’s point of view.” Analysts said the cancellation of “House of Cards” was likely an easy decision for Netflix to make because the series was already past its prime and nearing the end of its run. Public scandals are rare for major TV series but not unheard of. The most recent instance was CBS’ “Two and a Half Men,” which saw the departure of Charlie Sheen after the actor’s personal problems became public. His character was killed off from the show. Among “House of Cards” fans, the most recent season was seen as something of a creative resurgence, but the show was clearly on the decline and had lost a lot of its buzz. Creator and showrunner Beau Willimon had left the show last year after four seasons. "During the time I worked with Kevin Spacey on 'House of Cards,' I neither witnessed nor was aware of any inappropriate behavior on set or off,” Willimon said in a statement. “That said, I take reports of such behavior seriously and this is no exception. I feel for Mr. Rapp, and I support his courage." Rapp alleged that he was 14 when Spacey made an unwanted sexual advance on him during the 1980s. Spacey responded by saying that he didn’t recall the incident, but offered Rapp “the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior.” The two-time Academy Award winner also used the opportunity to come out as a gay man. Since Sunday, the accusations have quickly snowballed, including an unnamed artist who told Vulture that he was a minor when he entered into a consensual sexual relationship with Spacey decades ago. On Thursday, eight current and former “House of Cards” employees alleged to CNN that Spacey created a “toxic” work environment with his behavior. The allegations include one former production assistant who said Spacey sexually assaulted him during one of the show's early seasons. A representative for Spacey could not be reached for comment. Netflix could face civil legal exposure from any employee harassment that occurred on “House of Cards” because Spacey was also credited as an executive producer on the show, which means that he was in a supervisory position, according to Genie Harrison, an attorney who specializes in employment and sexual harassment cases. “The company will have strict liability because he's a supervisor and because he would be seen as acting on behalf of the company,” Harrison said. As the studio behind “House of Cards,” Media Rights Capital could also face legal exposure for any of its employees who were harassed by Spacey on the show. MRC, which is based in Beverly Hills, declined a request for an interview but said in a statement that during the show’s first year of production, in 2012, someone on the crew shared a complaint about a specific remark and gesture made by Spacey. The company didn’t elaborate on the nature of the complaint. “Immediate action was taken following our review of the situation, and we are confident the issue was resolved promptly to the satisfaction of all involved. Mr. Spacey willingly participated in a training process, and since that time MRC has not been made aware of any other complaints involving Mr. Spacey,” the company said in the statement. Netflix, which also declined an interview request, said in a statement Friday that it was just made aware of the 2012 incident and was informed that it was swiftly resolved. “Netflix is not aware of any other incidents involving Kevin Spacey on-set,” the company said in a statement. “We continue to collaborate with MRC and other production partners to maintain a safe and respectful working environment.” Both companies said they are evaluating the future of “House of Cards.” It remains unclear if writers and hundreds of Maryland-based crew are being kept on the payroll as executives decide on the fate of the sixth season. MRC would be on the hook for whatever expenses have to be absorbed as production on “House of Cards” is shut down, though the company could have insurance to cover such events. “House of Cards” is estimated to cost several millions of dollars per episode, with each season consisting of 13 installments. MRC sold the international rights for “House of Cards” to Netflix in a deal estimated to be worth more than $200 million, according to one industry executive familiar with the show. Even if Netflix emerges relatively unscathed from “House of Cards,” the streaming service faces another challenge with an upcoming movie it is making with Spacey, in which he plays the late writer Gore Vidal. The movie, which had been expected to be released next year, is believed to focus on the years that Vidal spent in virtual exile in Italy. Netflix said Friday night that it will not release the film. Netflix rival Amazon Studios confronted its own scandal last month when Roy Price resigned as head of the studio after accusations made by an executive producer that Price had made lewd remarks and unwanted advances. For the fourth time, actor Alec Baldwin and his wife Hilaria are expanding their family! On Friday, Hilaria joyfully announced that she and her husband are expecting their fourth child together. The star took to her Instagram page to share the exciting news with fans and followers. Alongside a photo of her and her family sharing some bonding time on the floor, Hilaria captioned, “Our Baldwinitos are getting a new teammate this spring. I’m [going to] make them a special cake to tell them if it’s a boy or girl…I’ll post tomorrow midday. We are so excited.” Hilaria Baldwin, Instagram post:   As of now, Alec and Hilaria are keeping busy, raising their four young children: Carmen, 4, Rafael, 2, and Leonardo, 1. Later on Friday, Hilaria showed off a picture of the cake she made with “Baby?” written across it in pink and blue icing. The star promised fans and followers that they would soon find out whether her kids can expect a baby brother or a baby sister. Congratulations to Alec, Hilaria and the rest of their clan! Alec Baldwin announced Saturday morning that he would be stepping away from his Twitter account following backlash over his recent remarks regarding women settling sexual harassment suits in the context of Harvey Weinstein. “It is w some degree of sadness that I will suspend posting on this a TWITTER account for a period of and in the current climate,” he wrote. “It was never my intention, in my public statements, to ‘blame the victim’ in the many sexual assault cases that have emerged recently,” he continued. “I simply posited that the settlement of such cases certainly delayed justice, though I am fully aware that those settlements were entered into w the understanding that settlement is wise, intimidated https://twitter.com/AlecBaldwin/status/926855125511163906 https://twitter.com/AlecBaldwin/status/926856382883745792 He added that his heart goes out to all the victims of sexual assault and that his foundation will continue to post on the topic of its work with the arts and environment. Baldwin faced backlash over comments regarding settlements that he made during an interview with PBS NewsHour, in which he pointed out that when women settle sexual harassment suits and are silenced in the process through NDAs, “the course of change” is delayed. “When you talked about Harvey Weinstein in the business, you knew that he was highly intrusive in the process of making films … you knew that he was a very intense guy … and last but not least, you heard the rumor that he raped Rose McGowan. You heard that over and over — we heard that for decades. And nothing was done,” he began. “Rose McGowan took a payment of $100,000 and settled her case with him,” he continued, after being asked why no one had come forward if they were aware of the alleged incident. “And it was for Rose McGowan to prosecute that case.” He referenced a New York Times article and stated that many people had wondered, “Do the settlement of these cases hurt the cause of exposing and bringing us to a place of real change?” “When women take money, and are silenced by that money – even though they took the money and were silenced because they were told beyond the money it was the right thing for them to do, keep quiet, don’t make too many waves, it’s going to hurt your career — when they do it, nonetheless, does it set back the course of change? That’s an issue, I think,” he finished. Asia Argento, who accused Weinstein of raping her in a New Yorker piece following the original New York Times exposé, retweeted the PBS NewsHour video, and wrote, “Hey, [Alec Baldwin] you’re either a complete moron or providing cover for your pals and saving your own rep. Maybe all three.” She followed up with a second tweet: “Alec Baldwin mansplaining ‘the cause’ for women everywhere. That’s a good caption for that video.” She also commented on Baldwin’s departure from Twitter, asserting, “We won’t miss you bully boy.”

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