#i don't like getting negative especially about characters & media i enjoy

[maryrouille]

Toxic romanticization of studying

In a word of introduction, my profile partly shows that studying and exploring is wonderful. But as a person involved in science*, I would like to show healthy and true patterns of this beautiful adventure in acquiring knowledge.

The inspiration for writing this post this time was not the phenomenon from Tumblr (although you can also observe it here), but from Pinterest. There you can come across cycles composed of quotes and photos whose aim is to motivate young girls to learn, succeed and get good grades. These images often also show examples of characters from movies, TV series or real life that you can aspire to be like. Overall, I have to agree that it really works! But I would like to draw attention to certain elements that need to be verified.

1. You shouldn't get up at 5am

First of all, the correct amount of sleep is one of the most important factors affecting the proper and effective functioning of our brain. During sleep, nerve cells regenerate, organize information acquired during the day and consolidate memory traces, which is directly related to learning. Lack of sleep increases impulsivity, deepens negative thinking and slows down the body's reaction time!

2. You can be a genius without good grades

Of course, good grades are a pleasant confirmation of our knowledge and praise for hard work. However, sometimes it is worth considering whether the structure of exams themselves, especially those with closed questions, affects the results. We often study for one specific exam, the knowledge of which may be very… limited and sometimes not useful, so it is worth prioritizing the topics that we study hard.

3. It's not cool to think you're better than others

We are different and have different priorities in life. It is also worth considering how many people escape from the rat race and start a slow, stress-free life. So we have to agree that judging people based on grades or responses under stress (sic!) is not cool.

The good thing about romanticizing studying

As I have already said, these types of collages are really motivating. So let's talk about what's great about them and what's worth highlighting and saving for later.

1. Knowledge is beautiful, but your outfit and surroundings can also be

We know that we should never judge a book by its cover, but… the issue of social perception painfully confirms that we do and will continue to do so because this is how our brains work. And isn't it nice when someone looks at us and thinks this girl is so classy?

Moreover, a nice outfit that makes us feel good gives us a lot of self-confidence. There are also many studies confirming the positive impact on motivation and concentration of a neat and aesthetic workplace.

2. Not just cramming, but also discovering

Broadening your horizons is easier with passion and real commitment. And to achieve this, the topics must really interest us. Not everyone has yet found something that they are extremely passionate about in science, so that is why you have to dig deeper and discover different areas.

3. Don't be afraid to use your knowledge in practice

Schools and universities, unfortunately, have their own rules and they do not always allow you to show your 100% potential. Thus, share your knowledge with others externally, write essays, blog and social media. This form of activity also makes you learn things faster and easier. In addition, contacts with others will expand your knowledge.

Therefore, I must say that it is worth choosing your inspirations carefully. Nothing helps you enjoy studying better than a clear head and lack of prejudices.

*This post was inspired by my own experience with studying. If anyone is interested, I think I can share my mistakes that did not help me in an academic adventure :)

[cosmereplay]

If you are having strong negative emotions about Wind and Truth after you finish it, and you're having a hard time expressing why, consider: maybe you are sad about the stuff around the book.

Let me explain, because this happened to me over the last week.

Sanderson's books are known to be emotionally pretty rough, and it's hard to read my favourite characters going through it. The ending is the end of an arc, not the whole story, so many things are left open-ended. On top of that, the characters grow and change, so the characters I have grown to love are different now! AUGH CHANGE!!

On top of that, for me personally I have relied a lot on the Stormlight fandom to help me laugh and distract from my shitty life, so to go through a month minimum where people are avoiding social media for spoilers purposes, or not posting, or have info that they can't share yet, is isolating and frustrating. Even though it's not anyone's fault, it's just change! (More change. Fuck)

Change brings its own grief. Many people will be moving on to other fandoms after this, or thinking about characters in different ways than I might want to. I might have to rebuild my community a little as people develop different obsessions or ideas. It's normal, and it's okay to be sad about it!

Anyway so after I finished reading the book I had a real depressive low for a bit. It's commonly known as post-vacation blues, the time after the thing you looked forward to, when you have to go back to regular life. That just by itself is a well known cause of temporary sadness/depression. No wonder I was having trouble getting out of bed 😅

There can be a temptation, especially for those of us who like to project our feelings onto characters, to take umbrage at this or that characterization, or pick the book apart to find things to be upset about. But if the critique is based off projecting emotions, then it won't be a solid argument and you'll probably end up having a bad time in a conversation with someone who is enjoying the literary critique.

I just started coming out of it today and realized hey, maybe the book isn't bad. Maybe I was just sad, for all these reasons. It'll still take months for me to digest it but that's just me, I'm a slow learner for literary stuff. At least now (after a couple good mopes) I can start thinking about my true opinions not clouded by grief.

So I thought I'd pass it on in case others might relate! If you don't relate that's fine. (ie This is a mental health post, this is not the place to tell me what you didn't like about the book, that's not what this post is about.)

[myfandomrealitea]

okay, so- this is coming from someone who really hasn't engaged in fandom discourse, especially regarding shipping and such. I dearly hope this doesn't come across as bait or troll, I'm genuinely curious and want to learn. apologies for the possibly-dumb question, but I really just need to ask-

what is proshipping? and what are 'antis'?

you know how it is, when you ask around you always get a biased answer one way or another. "proshippers are pedos" "proshippers all condone incest" "proship Bad and if you interact You Are Bad" (i think these are 'anti' points of view? am i using that term right? that's the rhetoric ive mainly heard). but despite all of that, i don't know if ive ever actually gotten a straight answer as to just.. what it factually is. because it doesn't feel like the sort of thing that you can boil down to insults or accusations or whatnot. it's all just very confusing to me, especially because i come from a place that essentially just told me to avoid like the plague and never look back. sorry, this became a bit of a ramble, lol. thank you so much in advance, i hope i'm not being a bother or insulting with this ^^;

The modern term; 'proship' (s.a; 'proshipping' and 'profiction') is an evolution of an earlier fandom acronym known as: 'SALS.'

Ship And Let Ship

SALS was one of the earliest fandom adoptions and interpretations of the concept of not bullying others for what they shipped or their fandom interests, and not trying to control or dictate what was "allowed" to be shipped or enjoyed. The most notable origin of SALS was during the early years of accessible fandom via Star Trek, and the present homophobia and misogyny in a largely male-dominated community.

As woman became more involved in fandom spaces, the presence of 'other' ships and pairings began to increase. M/M, F/F that wasn't purely for sexual gratification, and M/O and F/O (where 'O' is Other) pairings were popular amongst women, much as they still are today.

Not only did the presence of women in a "male space" receive a not insignificantly negative reaction, so too did them filling the fandom space with their shipping content. Now; sexism and misogyny and homophobia were not entirely to blame. Again as is still very much present today, people simply Did Not Like Certain Ships or Characters. And as they still do today, they'd spread hate about them and to the people who did enjoy them.

Thus: the birth of SALS.

(In other words: I like what I like and it has fuck all to do with you. Shut up and move on.)

Back then, SALS was mostly contained to just that. Ships and characters. Since back in that era 'taboo topics' and 'sexual content' were still pretty covert, people weren't exactly arguing the merits of incest in public forums and at conventions.

However, as all things do, the internet evolved. Society evolved. Media evolved. And so too did 'SALS' evolve in keeping with the new culture and subjects present in fandom spaces.

Suddenly it wasn't just ships and characters to be advocated for. It was themes. Subjects. Kinks. Plots. The more things people found to enjoy, so too did the more things people found to hate.

'Proship' is actually grammatically pro-ship. As in; in support of shipping. This is why I always state that the modern conceptions of proshipping would more accurately be coined profiction. It is no longer just about ships, but fiction as a whole.

However; the core value and sole inherent point of being proship, SALS, profiction and so forth remains exactly the same:

[I/We] believe you have no right to harm others over the [ship/content] they create or consume and [I/we] do not have the right to dictate what is or is not allowed in fandom spaces.

That's it. Don't harass people for what they enjoy fictionally. Don't try to force them into not enjoying or being able to enjoy it.

Of course, the modern adaption varies wildly in terms of 'additional values' thanks to the evolution of the term and what it can encompass. However, there is certainly no obligation to:

Create or consume content you are uncomfortable with.

Create or consume content regarded as 'taboo' or 'triggering.' Such as incest.

Be involved with any aforementioned content beyond turning a blind eye if its not your thing.

Inherently, anyone who says they're 'neutral' on the matter but firmly believes in minding their own business is just a proshipper refusing to use the label if you're taking the term solely at its core value.

In terms of 'antis' they're just the antithesis of the above. Antis are people who generally believe that fiction is irrevocably tied in with who you are, what you believe/condone, and that real-life limitations and values should also apply to fiction.

Although, its is heavy debated and it wildly varies per individual to the degree this is taken.

(E.g: some 'antis' believe you should only write rape fic if you are a victim using it as catharsis or education. Other 'antis' believe there's absolutely no excuse or reason to write rape fic at all.)

Antis typically believe that enjoyment or being invested in content which is regarded as harmful or illegal in real life is morally unsound and reflects that you're a bad or morally unsound person.

Although I disagree, I can honestly say in some aspects I do understand this reasoning. I don't agree, but I do understand why people may come to that conclusion.

As with proshippers, antis vary from people who simply ignore and block content they don't agree with to radicals.

'Anti' is again a prefix. Although modern adoption of the term uses it as a singular signifier, it would grammatically be anti-[fandom], anti-[character], ect. As was commonly used in the past.

The rhetoric that all proshippers are pedophiles or support incest is common-spread and effective 'anti' propaganda. Similar to how so many people believe 'proship' inherently signifies that you must create and/or consume taboo or darker content.

It doesn't.

¹ Proship may also be accurately termed as simply: 'anti-harassment.' ² Its important to note the 'definition' of these terms may vary wildly depending on the individual. However, detailed above is the most historical use and evolution of the terms and their definitions.

[malenjoyer]

tim used to be my fav robin a long time ago but I've started to understand why so many ppl don't like him

he was an okay character in the 90s/2000s but now with all of the other characters that have been added to the batfam he just brings so little to the table. he pales in comparison and has just become white guy with blue eyes number 738393. everything that stood out about him can be found in other characters, in the other robins, but better (big brother-little brother with dick&damian, solo robin adventures with damian, detective robin with maps, timsteph with daminika, family outside of the bats with damian or maps, etc).

it's so bad that in adaptations he's the most likely to be omitted (and can we blame dc?). steph is omitted as a robin more than him but in her case it's misogyny; what's tim's excuse?

he contributed to some important aspects of modern robin but those aspects are far better utilized by other robins. and I think steph is better off as a cass cain cast character bc, although dc is misogynistic and racist, cass has far better longevity than tim as a character and I think she has so many great things to achieve. so steph becoming part of her cast is a far better option for her popularity + perhaps steph could have her own solo stuff in the future bc she also is more interesting than tim. steph even has her own hero alias as spoiler which is already far more than tim has done post-robin. I frankly can't blame dc for not knowing what to do with him bc there's not much to work with and he doesn't stand on his own as a character

I actually had a lot of difficulty liking Tim or getting started on Tim at first because of this but the Old Media Lover brain took over. I think, yeah, it’s super doomy to think about the future of Tim drake and I have pondered what could be done about him and whether they’ll let him move on.

I really do think the power of being a fan is being able to take the character you loved before and simply create a universe for them where they have that future that you want for them. My friend and I have discussed a potential future for Tim that we really like and it honestly involves an aspect that other people probably won’t like- leaving gotham and leaving the “batfamily”. It’s one of my secret projects.

I guess once you realize that you don’t have to wait for DC to give your favorite character a better ending, you can just write it or draw it, it’s easy to stay a lot more optimistic.

Because when you say this for Tim drake, it’s hard to not say the same thing for Batman- the incapability to move on. For Batman, it’s part of the charm, but you realize gotham will never heal, Batman will never heal, or else the story will change. That’s the consequences of being a story that must go on. Once you think about that, it all gets very depressing because you realize eventually characters have to regress or stagnate because they are a product.

My point is, as a fan even though these are valid criticisms, I don’t believe you have to lose interest in characters if you truly don’t want to. A company doesn’t have control over your imagination. You can fix him. You can give him what he needs. It’s easy to get swept up by the negativity of being a comic fan especially with other people saying the same points and agreeing with you but you are put on this earth to be happy and enjoy life. So you can give him a new path if you want

[martialartslover7]

Why I think Kishimoto isn't sexist, but just VERY tonedeaf and an idiot

Boy, will I have some venting to do today. I mean, at this point, it's not a secret, that Kishimoto has consistently stated that "he can't write women", to save his life. And to this day, for as long as I was a fan of the series, I am going to be absolutely real: This statement is so full of shit. Why? Simple. And allow me to express it in very big capital letters, so that even the last giant mental invalid can understand:

WOMEN ARE HUMAN-BEINGS WITH BREASTS AND A V BETWEEN THEIR LEGS. WHAT TYPE OF "NUANCES" IS THIS GUY TALKING ABOUT? THERE IS NOTHING "COMPLICATED" ABOUT THEM. WHAT NONSENSE IS THIS?

Like, this entire statement is bullshit for a completely reason altogether: Why even reduce his own point to the fact that the shinobi just so happen to be female? This just sounds like excuses on top of excuses, especially considering the competition like One Piece and Bleach, who all have badass, memorable and sometimes, quite well-written characters, that just so happen to be female.

Let's count up a few IPs that I am aware of, written or directed by males, that has some of the most badass, and most memorable females in all of media:

One Piece

Bleach

Soul Eater

Kill la Kill

Jujutsu Kaisen

Code Geass

Persona

Tekken

Street Fighter

SoulCalibur

Fire Emblem (not all of them, some of them, from what I have seen, can be insane jokes)

And so on, and so forth, the list goes on. And you know what all these IPs have in common, that make them stand out, compared to what Naruto does to its females?

THE FEMALES AREN'T GETTING BOGGED DOWN BY IRRITATING, REDUNDANT AND DOWNRIGHT OFFENSIVE TROPES, THAT FLAT-OUT RUIN THEIR POTENTIAL AND APPEAL AS STANDALONE CHARACTERS!

Like, allow me to list up all the tropes, that Kishimoto made use of, while writing the manga, or being involved in the process of writing / directing the anime, along with the movies.

1. Making the women overtly dependant on the male characters

This one, is not as egregious, but it's a good kickstarter. In the context of the world these characters operate in, to me, it does make sense to show that, like in the Edo period of Japan, women were always seen as second-class citizens, always needing to be tied to men somehow, otherwise they are "worthless". Considering the corrupt, militarized system that most of the girls work in, mostly operated by wrinkly, old farts, who enjoy playing god too much, it does remain understandable to me, that they would be hesistant to be 100% committed to the job, and just ask for normal lives...

...BUT...

...it does leave you asking: Why did they choose to be ninjas in the first place, then? To get smitten with the boys (not counting Hinata, by the way, because she was literally forced into this role)? Just applying as literal child soldiers in a war, that they didn't even start to begin with? And yes, I get it, kunoichis excel in areas that male shinobi struggle with, like silent reconnaisance, charming other men, or sometimes women, to tickle information out of them, being healers, but here is the thing: As the Naruto progressed as a story, this pattern kept repeating, every time a female character got introduced, it would fall back on the following checklist:

Is this woman a healer?

Is she obsessed with looking for a boyfriend / a husband?

Is she lacking in combat-based strength, to the point where she needs protection from either of the male characters?

Because, except for the healer bit, which is more of a specialized field, I just brought it up, because I felt it to be awfully noticeable how often the girls requested to be healers, as if they have to fit into such a mold, or they aren't capable as shinobi, the other two questions get repeatedly answered, for pretty much 98% of all female characters, especially by the end of Shippuden.

And don't get me wrong: This is NOT a negative, per se, that they desire a boyfriend, or someone to spend the rest of their days with, this is not what I am complaining about. In fact, a good chunk of ships in the series are hella cute, and I don't want them to go away. Because to an extent, the romance aspect feels genuine, especially between Naruto and Hinata, or Sasuke and Sakura (yeah, fight me on that, I will defend these two as a ship, until I die), or hell, especially Shikamaru and Temari, which are the GOLD standard, of what a good ship needs.

What I am complaining about though, is that, the series kind of uses this romance aspect as a shield, or excuse, to undermine the female characters, in the long run. Think about it, when was the last time when Sakura, in spite of all the grueling training she had to suffer through to become this strong in the first place, not wanting to be a hindrance to anyone, legitimately kicked ass, after killing Sasori? Not counting the war arc, because this arc is frankly, an inexcuseable mess, and Kishimoto should be ashamed of himself for making it suck this hard for how many asspulls this arc had. Nope, the moment Naruto goes berserk, and Sasuke just... appears... she is reduced to a whimpering mess, who can't stand on her own two feet, and has to be saved by someone. And this happens. ALL. THE. TIME. That's all that happens with her, sure, she heals countless ninjas during the war, but again, healing isn't the only specialty she got:

SHE IS A SHINOBI! SHINOBIS FIGHT! THEY DON'T JUST STAND AROUND LIKE IDIOTS, AND EXPOSING THEMSELVES TO ENEMY FIRE! GET! ON! WITH IT!

I swear, man, this just frustrates me beyond any reason, and the worst part, even someone as awesome as Hinata, who kicked so much ass in Part 1 (especially the filler arcs, don't get smart with me, I watched the anime, suck a small one on that), who had a whole, potential story arc hinted at with Neji, and the issues regarding their entire clan, was reduced to a simple Naruto #1 fangirl for the entire duration of Shippuden, not even the filler could salvage her in any way, and for someone like me, who relates to Hinata on a spiritual level, I find this just so damned pathetic. And whenever I watch The Last, all I could think about was this one coherent thought: You. Had. ONE JOB. Kishimoto. And you failed her. As a standalone character. Causing the entire movie to come off as if you were just shoehorning everything together, as if we only liked Hinata, because of the NaruHina ship. Well, newsflash, it couldn't be further from the truth. So, screw you, and the entire The Last movie.

Plus, I am sure I am speaking on everyone's behalf here: Anko Mitarashi and Tenten were done the MOST dirty by Kishimoto. Nuff' said.

On that note, that brings me to my next point:

2. The angry Karen housewife stereotype

I swear, this meme right here...

And Kushina's entire existence truly proves my point that, Kishimoto is really not doing himself any favors, whenever he says "I don't know how to write women". Oh, but then THIS is your answer? Is this how you see them all, the very second they get married and have kids?

So let me get this straight, the moment a woman, in the Naruto universe, gets married, has kids, and takes care of them, they become:

Aggressive, to the point of physically assaulting their own kids (Kushina definitely would have done so, let's not lie to ourselves, I love her, but this behavior of hers, combined with Sakura's general attitude towards Naruto, would have definitely made him suicidal after a while, if it weren't for the fact, he accepts it in his mom's case, because she doesn't know any better, considering her childhood)

Unpleasant to be around for their husbands (as if, we get guilt-tripped into thinking, the wives are the ones being selfish, wanting their lovers to be home with them, which, by the way, is a serious piece of shit way of thinking, because, they are married for a REASON, and not to stay apart all the time, THEY ARE FAMILY, at least, from how it gets painted as, in Boruto, from what I have seen so far)

Becoming total sociopaths, as if their genuine worries and concerns get painted as something so abnormal and "creepy"

...and this is how you see them all? THIS is your answer? Again, I know, we have ZERO evidence to prove that Kishimoto himself, is sexist in real life, it would be irresponsible of me to put that out there, because I just don't know the guy. I am just saying that, with how the housewives were all written thus far, and how, from Naruto's POV, he began having a fear of angry moms, calling them "scary", and how the females got seriously underrepresented in the course of the story...

...IT DOESN'T DO HIM ANY FAVORS.

I can't even believe I have to say this, because, newsflash, Kishimoto, and I will say it in caps: NOT ALL MOMS IN THE WORLD, ACT LIKE THIS!

They can get mad with us, they are fully in the right to whenever we do something stupid, no matter how old we get, because they will always view us as their babies that they cradled in their arms. But the problem here is: In Boruto, it gets painted as if the moms are the ones in the wrong here, just for being a tiny bit more concerned than others, because again, the world that they live in, is dangerous. And leaving the Otsu*redacted* aside, I can fully sympathize with them, so seeing someone like Boruto himself taking so many liberties being a spoiled, rotten brat, who never suffers serious repurcussions for his behavior (I know, he lost his headband for cheating, but for someone like him, who wished literal DEATH on his own father, just for him not being around enough, needed a way harsher punishment, you just don't say that your parents, dude, this doesn't take a genius to understand, especially since this is Naruto and Hinata we are talking about her), once again, it undermines the females, as if the kids ALWAYS "know better", and they "just suck, because moms are scary". Fuck off. Seriously. This is just disrespectful. No excuses. It shouldn't be written this way. Even more so, because the POV of the mothers gets never tackled, making this seem one-sided.

3. A few romances fall back on tropes, that disrespect not only the girls, but also the guys

OK, I will probably get some flack for saying this, but, regardless of the explainations in one of the Retsuden mangas, the InoSai ship, is perfectly encapsulating to me, how the romance in Naruto isn't without its flaws, and it mostly stems from how some of the characters just never get the privilege of gaining their own story sections about their own individual struggles as standalone characters.

I AM LOOKING RIGHT AT YOU, CHOJI AND KARUI! THEIR ROMANCE IS SO OUT OF LEFT FIELD, IT'S NOT EVEN WORTH JOKING ABOUT, EXCEPT, IT'S LITERALLY A JOKE, DUE TO THEIR NAMES BEING POLAR OPPOSITES TO ONE ANOTHER. HA. HA. HA.

Personally, to me, Sai is not that interesting of a character to me, I was never able to connect with him in any way, despite the importance he had in the story, alluding to the ROOT Anbu under Danzo's leadership.

But his "romance" with Ino, was seriously pushing it to me, not only because, it just regresses Ino's entire character, pushing her back into this mold that she is only interested in brooding, mentally ill edgelords like Sasuke, which paints her a shallow person, but it just paints Sai himself, as a stand-in for Sasuke, too, which undermines his own character, unintentionally. There are so many things wrong with their overall dynamic, I can't even put it properly into words.

And don't think, InoSai are the only exception to this rule. As much as it pains me to say this, NaruHina and SasuSaku are also affected by this, not as severe, but it's still pretty noticeable.

NaruHina

The fact that, with NaruHina, we needed an entire freaking movie, which, frankly, should have never happened, had they done a better job at utilizing Hinata as her own character, with Naruto present to help her out with her clan, and it all hinged on Naruto himself regressing as a character too, needing to be put in a fucking Genjutsu, just to see how he "truly felt" about Hinata... I am sorry, what is this? I mean, from a writing standpoint, this is just straight-up BAD. It's clichéd, it's painting Hinata as a damsel in distress, needing to be saved by Naruto, and Naruto himself being pardoned with "he is just dense", and overall, you can really tell, this is all just hamfisted into a single movie, because they needed to desperately convince us: Look, this is a thing. They are together now. Now play the emotional music, because that's all it needs.

Listen, I know Naruto never had a clear grasp on his own emotions, but the overall pay-off, to me, is just not there, no matter how hard I try. It just feels hollow, I don't feel happy with this. Because, for this to ship to work, they had to go through all these extra lengths to regress them both first, as individual characters, just so they can shut the lid on the whole thing. Made even worse by how this confession of Hinata during the Pain Invasion arc, was never brought up again to Naruto, until the freaking movie, and I still don't understand why. I know he didn't "ignore" her, but why does he fail to recognize Hinata's love confession, but the moment Sakura drops by to confess to him, too, he immediately calls it BS? Please. Make it make sense.

SasuSaku

Listen, nothing will stop me from loving these two as one, they deserve the peace amongst themselves, but the problem is, like InoSai, it falls back on the trope of, the girl bearing this mindset of "I can fix him", and while Sakura certainly did succeed... hear me out:

This is a purely universal thing now, this isn't just applying to SasuSaku. Otherwise, both ships have a solid foundation, ruined by shit writing. Nothing else to say.

That moment of Ino crying for Sasuke, really made me realize: Kishimoto really is clueless, not just about women, but men, too.

Because, again, for how often some of the girls bore this mindset of "I need me some brooding hunk of meat", essentially, desiring a man that knowingly treats them like crap, just so they can bear the delusion of "I can fix him", while downplaying and belittling the "uncool" guys like Choji, Rock Lee, or hell, even Naruto or Kiba, guys who, for the most part, have a solid grasp on their moral compass and their self-worth, denouncing their advances with "ew, no", is honestly disgusting to me. Like, come on, man, they aren't as cool as the edgelord teammates, but why downplay them so hard in the presence of the girls? Don't they deserve love too? Why belittle them for their eccentricities, it not only paints the girls in a bad light, but it straight up mocks the male "goofball" teammates for being the way they are. In short: NO ONE IS THE WINNER HERE.

Phew, OK, I hope, I made my point, loud and clear now. Because these points have been bothering me for a VERY long time now, and look, correct me if I am wrong. I am never 100% foolproof, so if I left out anything, feel free to correct me.

I needed to vent about this, because I felt so genuinely pissed off for how underpowered and underepresented the girls are, and how unkind and unforgiving the writing was to them, overall.

Peace.

[cassylost-inspace]

The object show community has honestly become so unsafe and toxic. I’ve only been in the community for a year and a half ,but the difference between now and then is honestly drastic. People don’t even enjoy the media anymore, all everyone does is criticise. While criticizing is fine, I don't think a community should be based on that. I have barely seen ANY positive posts about the ii movie, everyone treats it like it's meant to be God tier and I get that everyone thinks they should get what they deserve, but holy shit you guys have nothing good to say. Shipping has also become such a difficult point of discussion in the community, considering that everyone believes that their ship and their ship ONLY is good. Most of the shipping stuff wasn't relevant to me, because I'm a multi-shipper but the fandom takes ship wars to an extreme,honesty speaking. Another point is the fact that people are mad at ii for making canon ships,, again this doesn't bother me,because I have always liked all of the popular ships but it's honestly not that deep. I think I've seen like a million posts about the payjay scene from ii 18,, and people got SO mad over fan service despite the fact that it was like 3 minutes long 😭 Another thing is, I haven't talked about c2bc on here b4, but Cole getting cancelled proved how fast the fandom is willing to act immediately on a show's downfall. "I never really liked the show" that's really not the point here. I feel like people should take the situation of cole being racist more seriously instead of just taking this as a chance to bash the show. Moving on,, I remember seeing a post of someone saying "how could you even cry to object shows,, they're so unserious" why do you care? Genuinely WHO is it hurting.Moreover people saying stuff like only "12 year olds watch object shows" is dumb; because have you ever been in a fandom before??Teenagers literally keep fandoms alive, also who DO you want to be in this community. My last point is how almost everyone acts like object shows are meant to be "amazing works of art",, like they literally started off as terrible. These shows are indie and run by an even amount of people, stop treating the shows like Hollywood. Reminder that these people can do WHATEVER they want with their characters. Animationepic is one of the most listening teams out there, they sacrifice a lot for their fans and I personally think that they're allowed to do anything they want with their characters especially since they put so much effort into what the fans want. As someone who uses object shows and animation in general as a way to escape reality,, it is evident that most of you do the same. So I don't understand why there is just SO MUCH negativity coming from the community,, when os fans are so clearly talented and instead of putting effort into being hateful they can use this energy to make art, amvs, maps and animation memes and help uplift the community and it's overall impact on others.

Ik I normally don't post stuff like this, but the osc is REALLY important to me and I feel like this should be brought to more people's attention.

-Cassy

[synergysilhouette]

Hot takes/unpopular opinions with DC and Marvel Comics (Part 3)

I'm back with another "hot take" post on the aforementioned publishers and their properties. Hope you enjoy!

"Grayson" should've been a Tim Drake series--While I'm not a fan of "Grayson" from the perspective of it feeling like a downgrade for a hero in the main universe to become a spy, I think it would've benefited Tim Drake, given the fact that he needed something new, and it would've been a good way to highlight his reputation as the smartest Robin (which has since been kinda undermined). I also think it could've worked for Damian, but seeing how underrated Tim is, he has my vote.

2. Ric Grayson could've been brought about with the memory crystal--I know hindsight is 20/20, but I do think that Dick Grayson becoming Ric Grayson could've easily been done with the mind control crystal Joker used on him rather than going the cliche amnesia route. At least it would've made Ric's arc a little more likeable. OR we could've had Dick Grayson as a villain while he had amnesia instead of using the memory crystal. Either way, it works.

3. DC really puts the bio kids of SuperBat first--While Nightwing is still popular, I do feel like he's kinda become underrated over the years (not least because of the objectification he's faced in comics and other media), while Red Hood and Tim Drake's Robin definitely feel even moreso. Damian is definitely the face of the Robins now, making it feel like DC prefers Batman with his biological son. A similar thing happened with Superman, with his clone/son Kon-El being kinda forgotten (though I did enjoy him being part of the Titans in "Titans United") and his biological son Jon taking up the Suberboy mantle and getting more space.

4. Damian should've been bi instead of Tim--While stuff like this is gonna get negative attention no matter how you slice and dice it, Damian's youth (both as a person and as a character) would've been less controversial than Tim being bi, especially since DC, definitely showing favoritism to Damian over Tim, would've made sure that Damian's sexuality wasn't all he was, unlike Tim, who only seems to get major attention when it's time for DC Pride. Like, is that all Tim is now? Not the smart Robin, not the heartfelt Robin, but the Robin who's attracted to guys as well as girls? Definitely think Damian would've been treated better--plus IMAGINE if he and Jon started dating. I'm sure that'd make some headlines (plus all of the next-gen Trinity would be bi).

5. Starfire needs another series--Given the success of the "Teen Titans" tv show, I would've thought she'd be a lot more relevant in DC, but she's mostly tied to the Titans now rather than any other property. And even when she gets the spotlight, a lot of it is tied to the tragedy of her homeworld rather than expanding on her culture and Tamaranean history. I don't even remember what Tamaran's current status is, but it'd be nice to explore it in present-day, as well as seeing more of Starfire's family (ie her parents, sister, brother, and cousin), and perhaps retconning Ph'yzzon's death so he can be a love interest to her--even though I do love her with Dick and Roy. Plus I kinda want more diversity in terms of phenotypes; most of them all have the red hair, orange skin, and green eyes going on except for people like Ph'yzzon (perhaps they're different races on Tamaran; IDK, but I'd still want a bit more differentiation within the same race).

6. The O5's return should've been an AU--I stand by this, mainly because they were sent back in time with memories erased later, and their contributions and relationships are short-lived (RIP Storm/Cyclops, Iceman/Romeo, and Angel/X-23). It could've also allowed for more creative storytelling rather than the whole "culture shock" thing with going forward half a century and having to deal with everyone having different feelings about them thanks to their present-day selves. Maybe it's also my desire for a spiritual successor to "X-Men: Evolution."

7. Loki/Scarlet Witch was done dirty--I remember being so frustrated on this. I've only been into comics for half a decade and don't keep track of all of them, but from what I understand, Loki's been making growth from a villain to an antihero. However, Scarlet Witch's comic not only teased us with the possibility with a romance (something I never knew I wanted), but said a romance between them was impossible because Loki wasn't honest with himself and wouldn't change. I feel like that was such a weird slap in the face, telling us that a couple would exist if a character's growth meant anything to the current writers. (Oh, and I'm not making this another bullet point on it's own, but Loki is NOT rocking the black lipstick. Maybe it's just the artists I've seen so far?)

8. Trying to retire Cyclops was stupid--Chris Claremont's desire to retire Cyclops was always weird to me when I found out about it. I know the X-Men face a variety of threats, but at the end of the day, they're superpowered humans who are the next step in evolution, and was made as an allegory to racism. As such, you don't really retire from being the victim of racism; even if Cyclops kept his head down and avoided showing his gift, it felt like going against everything he stood for. Maybe someone can explain Claremont's thought process more for me to understand, but I found it ridiciulous to simply write him as getting married, starting a family, and essentially "forgetting" about the X-Men. It'd be different if he was a mutant with no prior experience in heroism. Plus if we never tried to go that route, maybe Madelyne and Nathan would've gotten better treatment (or maybe they'd never exist at all).

9. Cyclops and Professor X's modern characterization is awful--Okay, my experience as a new(ish) comic reader is definitely showing, as is my exposure to X-Men media. I'm not a fan of hardened Cyclops, and I kinda miss his boy scout personality, as well as a time when Professor X wasn't self-righteous. What are the odds of a soft reboot of them back to their personalities? How easily could they fit that back into the modern Marvel narrative, and how would fans feel about it?

10. Animated theatrical universes should be considered--The DC Universe Animated Original Movies reigned for a long time, but the films were direct-to-video and pretty underrated and had several universes that they took place in. It'd be interesting if a major animation company worked on it--though probably not a big-name, since a cinematic universe would block the development of other films.

[readingtoinfinity]

Jelloapocaylpse and One Piece

So, there's this thought I've been having about gigantic franchises: any criticism against them needs to be taken with two specific grains of salt. First, people who dislike the franchise will be more annoyed by its flaws because of overexposure, and second, reactions to these criticisms will be overblown because there's so many more fans. I'm of the opinion that you shouldn't respond to criticisms of your favorite things if they're enormously popular, meaning I'll be more silent on negative reviews of things like Critical Role, One Piece and Brandon Sanderson's works than I would be for smaller things like Wayward Children, Grimm or The Craft Sequence.

But when these two grains of salt come together? Oh, boy. OOOOOOOH boy.

I love So This is Basically..., and have since I discovered the channel. A good chunk of my humor comes from the jokes in those videos, and even for something like Kingdom Hearts where it's negative, I still enjoy both the video and the franchise, so I've elected to let it be. But in his recent video on One Piece, while it was funny he got so many things seriously wrong about the series that I've struggled with whether or not to say something about it. I think the artistry on display in the video can get drowned out by the negativity being poured into it, and while I don't have much of a platform I can yell into the void like the best of them, and it's bothering me enough that I want to lay some things out.

So, for your discretion: a time-stamped review of Jelloapocaylpse's So This is Basically One Piece. I will endeavor to only time-stamp things I found wrong about the series. I understand jokes aren't meant to be taken seriously, but I think humor is revealing, and if we can dissect the jokes of the anti-woke crowd to find the ugly truth within, we can do the same to ourselves. And if I can shout out a more complicated thought about One Piece from a joke then I will, and even point out moments where Jello is right.

I will not talk about Brendan Blaber's personal life nor his anime work. I am aware of what happened with Lovely★Complex but find it immaterial to the video on his YouTube channel. Perhaps his motivations were dishonest, and that could explain his rampant dislike of the source material; at this time, I don't think it factors in, but if I'm proven wrong I will make an edit with the proper updated information. And, per a beef I have with the video itself, I also want to stress that you should not harass nor send death threats to people you dislike, especially about a piece of media. THIS INCLUDES ASSHOLES.

With that, let's begin. Video is included so you can follow along. There will be spoilers freely discussed; be forewarned. If I am wrong, chime in and correct me; I am not above mistakes.

0:08: This is a fun callback to the 4Kids dub of One Piece, which is widely reviled but for some small moments of genius.

0:11: an out-of-context, raving explanation of the worldbuilding, which is entirely correct.

0:38: Incorrect. The Grand Line is specifically written to be hard to get into and out of unless you have the tech for it. This is a big deal in both the manga and the anime and I don't know why/how he missed this.

0:50: This is a fan theory. I was willing to accept it but googling it turned out it wasn't correct. The following jokes require this to be true, however, so creative license applies.

1:06: Arguably true, and I say that because, while each of these characters technically has a different power, they're all used to manipulate the environment and stone like it's water. That's a thing and a theme in the series; Luffy even gets to fight Charlotte Katakuri, who has a similar Devil Fruit. Call it lazy, call it creative, it's debatable, and funny.

1:11-1:38: the following explanation is also true, but insulting. The boundaries between each Devil Fruit are more fluid than the initial system lets on, true, but as in real life aggressive categorization is usually incorrect and uninteresting.

1:43: The description of the fights applies less to One Piece than Shounen as a whole. You could be uncharitable and say it describes all fights, but I will restrain myself. A lot of fights do have an element of unpredictability to them; sometimes it's the randomness that feels realistic and other times it's Deus Ex Machina. You could argue the fights are more about the philosophical difference between the two (Sanji vs Wanze comes to mind) but it makes for long, drawn-out fights. I think most of the pacing problems come from the anime but I've been annoyed by the manga as well.

1:55: It is true that Robin doesn't get many fights, which is disappointing as a Robin fan. And I won't deny that sexism pervades the writing of One Piece when it runs unchecked. But I don't think the two are related; Robin's fights tend to be brutal and fast, and she deals more with grunts than generals. The exception is Robin vs Black Maria, which was Very Good.

But her focus in the story is less on fighting and more about archeology and history, and in that case she often reshapes the way we see the world with her investigations. Fighting ain't all there is to a Shounen series, and the wise reader remembers this. (this point copied wholesale from Anthony Gramuglia)

Obligatory "Yes One Piece is very long and I hope it ends well".

2:02: The espionage episodes are quite good. But I think this conclusion draws from the dislike of the adventure and action, so you need to agree with the first to reach the second, and I do not.

2:08: I had not realized how many islands were circles in One Piece so that criticism applies even if it doesn't mean anything for the quality of the series. But Punk Hazard isn't about stopping Smiley (who barely features) and I would argue that "natural disaster" doesn't apply to some of the threats the crew faces, and it's definitely not every arc.

2:24: only Punk Hazard was (half) on fire. Fires do happen a lot as a way to push tension but the arcs were flattened to make this point.

2:30: "from the jungle" is the best joke in this episode.

2:37: "Hit 'em with the poison that doesn't work!" happens a lot as well. It is often because the characters have to figure out a way around it, like other protagonists do during Good Fights.

2:46: This is a weird take. I know Zoro is an asshole but sexism was something he hated in his childhood and that disdain forms a big part of his personality. You could also call him Minority Hunter like the fanbase does, given he fights mostly black people.

2:52: Nami's not gay in the series, not explicitly, anyways. Alas.

2:56: God, to be a Sanji fan is to suffer. He has some of the best and worst moments in the series and the live-action series made him a bajillion times better.

3:15: good follow-up on a joke with a bad setup.

3:16: I'm annoyed Franky was removed from this. He's a lot of fun. And I'm also annoyed that you talk about Sanji's perversions but don't bring up Brook who is arguably worse in every way. These as well as Chopper and Jinbe get flattened for the sake of this video, and considering Chopper is my favorite Straw Hat this very much annoys me.

But he does make a point about these characters: Robin through Franky don't get to do as much throughout the series. They're often rendered as side characters who react to things instead of having their own arcs. For all that Thriller Bark was Not Great, Chopper was given an arc that ties very directly into who he is, and I'm saddened we didn't get something like that again until Wano.

3:21: The characters have personality, it is just now shown in this video. Usopp is not given a description and Nami is summarized as "lesbian" with nothing else of their character depths.

3:26: again, the best joke is the jungle joke.

3:39: I am not certain we're supposed to like Aokiji. He does some pretty heinous things throughout the series. Garp is a more-interesting case, in that his loyalty to the World Government is treated as his greatest flaw, but he's also an asshole. It's almost like he's a very complicated character or something.

3:47: This is the part that I kept coming back to, the part that's most insulting. I am bad with names so I admit I had to google this fish-man's name, but his name is Macro, he was a member of the Sun Pirates and he didn't keep slaves. The Sun Pirates especially freed any and all slaves they came across because they were also enslaved. Arlong did keep slaves but he was not enslaved himself, and the continuing stain of racism and slavery washes out over the rest of the series itself almost as if it were good or something. Out of all the things to get wrong, this one was the most egregious.

4:00: The Marineford arc was VERY LONG. A lot of stuff happened and it affected the pace quite a bit. The dig at the author is unwarranted.

4:07: FROM THE JUNGLE BA-

4:15: I'm torn on this complaint. On the one hand, subtle foreshadowing is usually the way to go when it comes to announcing what is going to happen. On the other hand, you can easily forget a lot of things that happen in a single narrative so sometimes twists come out of nowhere.

However! This complaint is mitigated by the fact that the series will readily bring you up to speed on context whenever it's necessary. Take that as you will.

4:20: Localization is a Thing™ that happens and translation hasn't always been the best. I first learned the word "nakama" from Japanese because of a fansub of this series that insisted it wasn't just "family". I am also annoyed by newer chapters that insist on calling the swordsman "Zolo", and these issues extend to the fan wikis. This has nothing to do with the show or manga, however.

4:33: There are a LOT of characters, true. Whether or not that is too much is debatable; they are drip fed to the reader over the course of all the chapters, and even if there are twice as many characters as chapters (there are not) that's two characters per chapter to introduce. That's not a lot for an audience to read; if you've gotten through Wheel of Time you will be fine, but this ties into a latter issue I'm about to bring up.

4:47: I'm almost certain these characters were chosen at random. On a whim, I decided to return the favor and pick a character at random to defend its inclusion. That turned out to be Pekoms.

Pekoms is a character in Big Mom's crew, loyal but deathly afraid of her. He's defined both by this bond to Big Mom as well as to his Mink heritage, and he takes pride in both. It's only when he learns of the Straw Hats' defense and salvation of the Mink Tribe that his courage starts to grow to outweigh his fear, and he eventually turns on her in response to the sacrifice of a friend of his, demonstrating the themes of the Whole Cake Island arc: a family bound through fear is a temporary measure, and it will fall apart when something better comes along.

I bet you could make a defense of just about any character he removed, even characters that are bit players. That's the thing, too: complaining about "too many characters" ignores the fact that sometimes, the guy who gets one line also gets a name. A stage play should be stripped down to pure essentials, not so much with mediums you can edit.

And fuck, he cuts out Yamato?! The best guy around?!!

5:07: It's very strange that he says the Straw Hats don't have any meaningful dynamic with each other when the #1 thing people keep asking for is downtime so these characters can hang out and interact almost as if their dynamics are what carry them through the arcs. I mean, it has been a while since some characters interacted, true, but remember: there are 10 Straw Hats on the crew. That's 45 different interactions that are possible. There's, sadly, not gonna be enough time for Robin and Jinbe to sit down to tea with everything else going on.

(Also I know that in Wheel of Time (the closest approximation in length) Rand, Mat and Perrin have a wonderful dynamic and then don't talk for several books. Sometimes the plot happens, but I don't know if people hate this part of the series so this might just be me; I stopped reading during The Path of Daggers or The Winter's Heart, I'm not certain. I remember being annoyed by Tuon a lot)

5:26: I'm going to divide this between the two questions people asked on SBS. None of what happens with Fuckass Joe in this question is relevant to One Piece as a whole because it doesn't happen in the story proper. But the way the video frames Oda's relationship with his editors is weird.

5:47: I'm gonna be honest this is a really weird question to include in SBS. Whoever sent it in definitely has some things going on, and while Oda wasn't responsible for it (and he answers the question with annoyance and confusion) the fact it was included at all speaks to the priorities of the people writing it. Again, this is about SBS and not really relevant to the manga as a whole but I think you can absolutely be critical of this with Oda.

5:54: There's three complaints in here in rapid succession, so I'm going to go through each:

"Breasts grow larger": absolutely a thing that happens. It's a well-documented annoyance in the fandom at this point, and hard to miss.

"Negative space grows rarer": I'll be honest, I didn't notice this as a problem. So I went back to the manga and re-read chapter 1, chapter 1133 and chapter 566 (about halfway through). In the first chapter, there is a lot more negative space in the panels so you focus more on the characters, and there's a lot more characters and background details in the latter chapters, but it's not hard to follow even still. So I'm not certain this is an issue, but it could be an eyesore; adding detail is not always to the good.

"Oda doesn't credit his assistants" I didn't find the names of his assistants through Google. The fact it is hard to find is telling, either for Oda or search engine optimization. In either case it's nothing to do with the manga. It should definitely be easier to find these names.

6:07: The sketchy art had a purpose in a flashback, showing someone losing memories (and on a more-meta level I think Oda had a health emergency... correct me if I'm wrong). I don't think the artwork has changed overmuch from the beginning, and there's a conversation to be had about the changing amount and quality of the details, but given it is shown that they're specifically referencing that kind of art I wanted to respond to that directly.

And the pot-shot at the anime is more deserved. The fact it's weekly means quality can vary wildly and characters are often drawn off-model in a way that's meant to be sexy but doesn't look very good. (I couldn't find it, but there's a specific part where Nami gets injured and scuffed up, and the anime adapted it more sexually than the manga made it. Not that it was nonexistent, mind you. This part is a "trust me bro" more than the others so please keep that in mind).

6:17: The pacing in the anime can be quite bad. The joke with the water slowly turning yellow is also quite funny.

6:38: This is debatable. The story has happy and sad moments like most good stories and it's an adventure story, with a focus on fun. But the story is also willing to leave you with strong negative emotions and just deal with them, the backstories being the most notable examples of characters dealing with trauma.

6:46: This criticism is overblown but not incorrect. Pell should have died from that explosion and I stand by that, but no consequences to anything? There are whole chapters where the balance of the powers of the worlds are shifting and these consequences play out. Whole arcs are built from the consequences of of the death of Whitebeard alone and, as Anthony Gramuglia pointed out in his stream (I'm still watching it to conclude its accuracy) if the manga has intense foreshadowing and knows where it's going that goes against the "no consequences" criticism. (again, thank you Anthony Gramuglia for this note)

6:54: Uta is from a movie that is non-canon, even if she exists in-story. It would be unreasonable to note any criticism of the story from One Piece: Film Red because it's unreliable as a foundation.

Yasopp leaving Usopp is something the fans have complained about for some time now. At this moment we don't know if he had a good reason for leaving beyond heeding the call to adventure, but I know I, personally, think it was a dick move.

7:03: I find this next part disingenuous, for all the potshots Jello takes against Oda before and after. It's also unrelated to the story as a whole (mostly) so I'll be skipping through it.

7:26: I think this criticism stands. Oda is very weird about women in the story and tends to draw them a specific way (thin waist, large bust, tall and lithe). This doesn't stop almost all of them from being interesting characters, mind you, but it's something to keep in mind as you read the story.

Also, if you were going to criticize Oda for Ephebophilia (sexual interest in mid-to-late adolescents, according to le Wikipedia) in his story, that's great, but if you're going to take potshots at him why don't you also mention his friendship and defense of Nobuhiro Watsuki, writer of Rurouni Kenshin and most-known for possession of child pornography? Why drag the family into this when they have nothing to do with Oda's behavior or predilections?

And that's that. I won't be doing this too often (I am a writer and a critic, not a drama channel) but that specifically left a bad taste in my mouth I wanted to get out. Again, if there are any mistakes I will be calling them out in the edit.

One Piece means a lot to me. I've been following it since I was a tween, and it was the first series I read without my parents' permission (oddly enough, my very conservative mother also though the women were too sexualized... on episode 92, before it got so much worse) because I loved it so much. And even now as an adult I find it an old reliable that makes me happy. I try not to be blind to its flaws; I can see the sexism for female characters and character design, the way Oda writes gay people has improved but isn't perfect, and his examination of racism is hampered by not having stories to draw from about it. But it's a long, wonderful series that I can heartily recommend to anyone who enjoys adventures and themes of freedom, family and fun.

So This is Basically... is a series that always manages to make me laugh, even in episodes I dislike. I say "Sora, become a beekeeper!" to myself all the time, and the specific way Jello says "garbage" in the RWBY video sticks with me. But if you engage with the media he talks about you can see the cracks; it's the CinemaSins problem, disguising criticism as jokes and jokes as criticism, never taking a firm stand on either.

I hope both these series improve. I hope we look back on this video as a fluke rather than the standard. I'd like to continue to enjoy Jelloapocalypse in its purest form. But this whole thing has been uncomfortably revelatory to me, and I will keep my eyes open and my mind sharp.

EDIT: I finished watching Anthony Gramuglia's video on the subject. I don't 100% agree with his takes (in particular the speakers' disdain the humor, which I enjoy quite a bit) but he and his guests go into more analysis than I do, at times coming up with ideas I hadn't considered (as mentioned in my previous notes) and at times reaching a bit. I still think it's quality analysis on why Jello is a terrible reviewer in a number of key ways.

EDIT2: I did eventually get a look into what all happened with Lovely★Complex, but in the process I also found a video that more formally breaks down the flaws of Jello's arguments, even before his video was controversially-received. I'm including it here for anyone who only has 30 minutes for this kind of thing.

[quartztwst]

The strong hate for transfem Vil is so strange to me because where is all of this for the people who hc Riddle or Lilia as transfem as they also have dressed feminine.

I do understand that clothes doesn't make your gender and that clothes are unlabeled but like if the focus is just on the clothes and make up, then why isn't there a strong opposition for these two?

Is it because their character doesn't break gender norms enough? Because they look too feminine so they don't count? I need to know 😭

It's also strange how the only character who addresses themselves with female pronouns is who people believe shouldn't be transfem because it's breaks their character when we have like other 2 that go by male pronouns and they literally have NEARLY crossed dressed multiple times with one outfit being worn EVERYDAY (dorm uniform outfit).

(Sources from @/yuurei20)

I'm not trans myself so I have NO IDEA what it's like to struggle with your identity but I've heard a lot from people that Vil being transfem is fine because it can also enhance his story and his character.

A lot of transfem representation in media is negative and even offensive and disgusting, picturing them as predators, jokes, or antagonists. Someone had explained to me why this could be the reason why Vil is casted in villain/antagonist roles because he presented himself more feminine/or transfem.

(Plus its also kinda really hard to relate to Vil if you know what I mean -> 🙎🏼‍♀️)

If Vil is all about "beauty is regardless of gender" then Vil being transfem shouldn't be a problem because it is REGARDLESS of gender. Also I don't think he gives a fuck either 🤷‍♀️

I used to dislike transfem Vil hcs because I thought that Vil being transfem also created a negative expectation or enforced gender norms for people because his character is about breaking gender norms, with him wearing feminine clothing and styles.

But if the whole point is the break gender norms, then why should he be a guy being feminine? Why can't he be transfem?

I understand that "fem" implies being "a woman" which is a gender norm but I think a person who society percieves as a “male” who actually identifies as a woman IS breaking these norms if you think about it. (<- changed to sound less weird)

like tranfems who are uncomfortable with presenting as a cis male rather with what they actually identify with (<- changed to sound less weird im sorry)

Btw I don't hate gendernorm breaking male Vil HECK im literally using he/him pronouns

But I hate the close mindedness of people who hate transfem vil because they believe people who have these headcanons are transphobic or pushing gendernormality when they're people who actually enjoy his character and want to explore more with the HC.

I do believe that both sides have certain flaws to them but they explore different and complex sides about identity and Vil. I think the thing people are getting wrong is that Vil doesn't care about his gender and we keep putting him in labels and groups where no matter what, it makes sense bc he doesn't care. GNC Vil is awesome as transfem Vil.

We keep forgetting the complexities of gender and identity especially when it comes to Vil who doesn't care as long as he is beautiful.

ALSO this isnt made to attack but defend people who do hc Vil as transfem bc some of the hate becomes so weird to the point it's transmisogynistic

(If what i said is offensive or absolutely wrong, lmk bc im not trans myself but I do understand why people would hate or love transfem vil)

[simplynims]

I remember awhile ago an anon over on audio roleplay confessions mentioned how in audio roleplays the audience seems to forget the 'roleplay' aspect of this type of media. As in you're playing a 'role' of a character in whatever series you're listening to and people tend to forget that when said listener character does something they deem as out of character for themselves.

It got me thinking and I've noticed that I really enjoy it when the listener characters have more defining personality traits and a bit of backstory! It's a much more engaging experience to listen to, especially if the listener character has a lot of their own flaws shown in the writing. I've also noticed that in this specific genre of content, a lot of creators are very hesitant to give any negative traits to the listener character other than faint sweetness and a blank slate that the audience can project their own characters on to.

I'm not going to bash anyone who likes this style of writing with what's supposed to be a self insert, but at some point it does get boring when their default actions in every other video falls back onto those same characteristics. I know it can be limiting especially since the listener is basically the y/n of audios and they want to be inclusive. But when creators realize that they don't need to confine themselves creatively with this, it's a much more fun experience for them AND the audience.

A great example of this type of listener character is Dennys from Escaped Audios. What I really liked about her is that she's a bit of a hot mess, an alcoholic, implusive, has lowkey anger issues, the type of girl that could absolutely give you a mean left hook and overall a character that 'says' and does INTERESTING! THINGS!! You don't know much about her but that's where you, the audience, can insert your own details in because you have the bases of her personality shown through out the My Greasefire Life series to use to blossom your own creativity!

Another example of this is Darlin' from Redacted Audios, you can tell right off the bat through the first few episodes what kind of person they are. They're hard headed, stubborn, distant, a fighter who cares heavily for the very few people they trust and love. Not only that, we're given a bit of backstory of WHY they're like this but it's vauge enough so that the audience can still put themselves in the shoes of Darlin'. It suits so well with the story line because they have depth!

A few more honorable mentions I'd like to also add in is Faithful from Good Boy Audios, Casper from YuuriVoice, the villain listener in Fall of Titans from Pebbles ASMR, etc etc. I know it can be difficult to pull this off without someone complaining that it's not immersive, but people are always going to have something to say whether that be negative or positive. Have fun with it and explore those options!

[vladdyissues]

Lately Ive seen some awful things about antis and haters making threats and getting artists banned from Tumblr and X. Im new to the Phandom and love pompep but Im scared i'll be targeted if I write and share pompep fics. How do you manage sharing your work so bravely?

Firstly, welcome to the Phandom—and especially Pompous Pep! I have a simple protocol for enjoying a drama-free Tumblr experience:

Preventative Action

1. Find your community. Follow other Pompep fans and supporters and reblog their things. Don't be afraid to leave nice tags; we love and welcome interactions :) You can also join the Pompep Discord server if you enjoy chatting (DM me for details).

2. Turn off anon asks. This will solve 99% of all potential problems, and you can turn it back on whenever you want. Antis are cowards who prefer to hide behind the mask of anonymity. They seldom have the courage to say something with their whole username.

3. Block the obvious haters. This is a big fandom, and at some point you're likely to come across people openly hating on pompep, either on their bio, pinned posts, or comments. Block them. For an added layer of protection, add their username to your Filtering Options.

4. Tag your work appropriately. When posting, make sure your work is tagged correctly (the #pompous pep tag is especially important) so people who like pompep can find it and those who want to avoid it can block the tag. Use Content Labels when applicable.

5. Try to avoid using the platonic tag (#badger cereal) and the romantic tag (#pompous pep) at the same time. Some fans are really touchy about this. I'm not, and I think there are legitimate cases where use of both is applicable, but if you want to minimize friction, just stick with one tag or the other.

If you're not sure which tag to use, ask yourself what your intentions are with your art or fic. Is the goal a romantic relationship? If so, use the pompep tag. If it's truly ambiguous and could be seen either way, use the platonic tag first. You can always add another tag like "okay to tag as pompep", just to let people know they can interpret it however they please.

Responsive Action

If the above guidelines aren't 100% effective, here's what you do:

1. Don't feed the trolls. If you receive any negative asks in your inbox, it's important to NOT engage with them. Delete them, ignore them, don't let them get to you. Antis thrive on attention, so let them starve. Eventually they'll move on when they realize they're not going to get a rise out of you.

The same goes for any negative comment left on your work. Just delete it, block the person who left it, and pretend it never happened.

These asks and comments may come in the form of questions. Example: "How can you ship Danny with Vlad? That's [insert gross accusation here]" Resist the urge to answer these questions. They are not made in good faith. This person just wants to start an argument.

2. Report any harassment. If by some chance you receive a seriously hateful ask, like threats of violence or abuse, take a screenshot for proof/safekeeping, then report the message and the user if they're not anonymous. If the ask is anonymous, use the meatball menu (•••) at the top right to report the message and block the anon.

Final Words

It takes time to develop a thick skin and Don't Give A Fuck attitude, but it can be done. You are a phan. You have every right to be here and enjoy this fandom in peace, just like everyone else. Anyone who believes in harassing others over silly things like which cartoon characters should be allowed to kiss clearly has nothing better to do with their life. The sooner you shut them out, the happier you'll be.

Regarding media: Artists attract a lot more negative attention than writers for reasons I won't get into right now, but if you're mainly a writer, you will enjoy a much quieter fandom experience. Wherever you post your stories—I recommend AO3; DM me if you need an invite—follow the same advice there as I've given here: make sure your work is tagged correctly; support your fellow Pompep fans by reading and commenting on their works, building that community; moderate comments if you're concerned about negativity; block and mute users if they give you any trouble, and you'll enjoy a much more positive fandom experience.

There is strength in community. When you start making new fandom friends, you'll feel a lot less lonely, and that will give you the confidence you need to really have a good time here.

Wishing you the best, anon!

[wenellyb]

Some observations about the Buddie and Bucktommy fandom

Bucktommy is a cute ship.

Buddie is a cute ship.

The behavior of some people in the Buddie fandom is what I have a problem with.

Another bigger problem is that the Bucktommy fandom is starting to stoop to their level.

That being said, it's crazy that some people are trying to pretend that one fandom is as bad as the other...

"Both sides are bad" Yeah well, only one of these fandom drove Oliver Stark to quit Twitter and log off his social media for a while, and it's not the Bucktommy fandom.

Bucktommy shippers started becoming nasty as a defense mechanism. But then we started caring more about what Buddie shippers are saying about the Bucktommy ship than we care about what's happening on screen. I think it's time to stop this and go back to regular shipping.

It's ok that some 911 fans hate Tommy, I won't pretend I don't understand why someone would hate a character with his background, especially after the way he treated Hen and Chimney. Whenever someone tries to call him out for his racist behavior, some BT shippers will label them a "hating Buddie shipper", but it's such a harmful way to respond. Just because the writers decided Tommy is good with Hen and Chimney now, doesn't mean the fans have to do the same if they don't want to.

All Bucktommy shippers been all asking is not to sh*t on the current canon ship or if you want to, tag it properly with the anti tag so people can filter it and we can all enjoy the ships we like in peace.

Buddie is the biggest ship and has been around for a long time, it's understandable that you guys would want to keep rooting your ship, that's perfectly normal.

Bucktommy used to be such a fun fandom but we let Buddies get in our head and now we have to filter through the negativity in our own fandom on top of the negativity outside the fandom.

[whateverisbeautiful]

Now that TOWL is over, what do you say is your top five favorite moments from the show and your not favorite top five moments from the show? From the start of their relationship, people were against this coupling, and some still are what do you have to say about that? Did TOWL exceed your expectations of what the show was going to be about, and what pulled you into liking this couple? Sorry for so many questions, and I love your breakdowns. I started to reread them all from the beginning. 😍💓

Hi! Thank you! I always enjoy answering so thanks for asking these questions and for rereading the breakdowns. 😊 I wrote out what drew me to this couple here. And for the rest of the questions I wrote out my response below. ⬇️💗

#1: Did TOWL exceed my expectations of what the show was going to be about?

TOWL for sure exceeded my expectations with the love story they promised. When they announced it was going to be a love story I figured we were going to get some pretty heartfelt scenes between them. What I didn't realize is that every scene of the show was going to be rooted in Richonne's love because their love was going to be central to each aspect of the plot. That was great and refreshing to see.

I appreciate how TOWL solidified that Rick and Michonne and the family they created are the most important in the world to them. Richonne's love and relationship have long been such a powerful thing and a massive motivator for these two characters and I love that TOWL didn't hold back in depicting how vital they are to each other. The passion and love displayed in TOWL felt very true to the characters. And allowing Rick and Michonne's relationship to take centerstage gave room to really explore the character's humanity in fresh and focused ways.

#2: Thoughts on people being against this coupling?

I think one of the great things about being a Richonne fan is that we really don't have to make anything up. The content speaks for itself. So while I have my thoughts on the people who hate on this couple and who have commented negative things about them for literal years, I feel like the TWD/TOWL content always ends up affirming what we know to be true and proving all the Richonne slander false.

People who are against this pairing can comment for years that Richonne came out of nowhere but there are seasons worth of pre-canon scenes that confirm the seeds of Rick and Michonne's attraction and love were planted long ago. They can say Richonne feels forced or like fan service but Gimple has said he was seeing the potential for Richonne when he was a writer crafting Clear long before any fan had even seen Rick and Michonne together on screen.

They can try to say that Rick's relationship with so many other characters is more important but TOWL especially set the record all the way straight on the person Rick prioritizes and loves most. They can try to knock the chemistry and say they just don't see it "for some reason," meanwhile it's on record that part of why the writers kept writing so many scenes for Rick and Michonne is because of their undeniable chemistry.

And especially after TOWL, which is Andy and Danai taking their chemistry to another level for six straight episodes, still not seeing the chemistry is certainly a choice. There's a reason many viewers said they tuned in to TOWL just from seeing the chemistry between these two actors and characters. What those two have is unparalleled and magnetic.

People don't have to like Richonne. We're all entitled to our opinions. But I have yet to see any substantial critique of the pairing, as people tend to just say they don't like it or buy it but never seem to pinpoint specifically why. (Although for many (not all) but many, we know why they don't see or like it.) The negative things said about Richonne are often either purely biased opinions or easily disproved. But again, it doesn't even have to be argued because the actual media shows, and has always shown, that Richonne is a beloved fact within fiction.

With 7 seasons of Richonne content on TWD and their closing TOWL chapter being heavily focused on the love they found with each other, it's clear that everyone behind these characters understands the absolute importance and value of Richonne. All these years later and Richonne being something special and meant to be is still proven true every time.

#3: TOP 5 Least Favorite Moments In TOWL

1. Jadis & Father Gabriel Scenes (1.05)

These are the most skippable scenes in TOWL to me. And I think there were a bit too many cuts back to their scenes which weakened the episode's pacing.

2. “If We Don’t Who Will?” “No One.” (1.06)

I was really not a fan of the writing for those two lines. 😅 It just didn't feel like how those two characters or any people would naturally speak. The visuals were beautiful tho.

3. Museum Scene & The Bumbling Trio in General (1.05)

There were a few decent moments in the museum scene but some of it felt a bit like clunky shenanigans. I also wasn't crazy about the bumbling trio of siblings in general. TOWL had done such a good job of making even small characters feel real and lived-in but those three siblings felt more like walking plot devices.

4. Final Fight Scene Dialogue (1.06)

This is another time where I didn't like the heavy-handed dialogue. It felt like they were saying things that should have just been left on a poster, like "In a dead world love is dead" and "love doesn't die."

5. More of an alternative opinion: Okafor should have lived & took Beale's place

It was sorta hard to think of a 5th thing I disliked since I loved so much of this show. So instead I figured I'd just say a personal change I would have been interested in seeing.

I think Terry O'Quinn is a great actor but he didn't really get screentime in TOWL. And so since they didn't give him more of an opportunity to show off his chops, I would have rather seen Beale be the one who dies in the helicopter with Rick in episode one and then have Okafor be TOWL's main antagonist.

Okafor was one of the most compelling characters to be added to the franchise in years and he played off Rick so well. They were great foils to each other. I think Okafor being the one left alive would have complicated things in a really interesting way both for Rick & Michonne and the CRM. Especially if they added some more layered villainous motives to his agenda, Okafor would have made a great and perhaps even stronger series antagonist.

#4: Top 5 Favorite TOWL Moments

Now this one is tough because there are so many scenes I love. Every episode of TOWL has some Top 10 worthy moments. One day I think I just might sit down and really try and see how I'd rank my favorite TOWL moments because I still don't know just yet where I'd rank certain scenes. Which is a great problem to have since it shows TOWL really did give us an abundance of riches. But until I have time to figure it out and elaborate on my top five, one thing I always know for sure is that the masterpiece Episode 4 features my favorite Richonne content of all time. 👌🏽

Thanks again for asking these questions and for your patience with me answering @theoneswholive32! 🫶🏽 I'd love to know yours and other people's least and most favorite moments from TOWL if any want to share! 😊

[nickjunesource]

Can I just say that after rewatching the show and the trailer for the final season, smh I'm not that confident about how they're gonna handle OsBlaine relationship? Like I know Nick will never move on from her one way or the other but, as of now I don't think him and June are on the same page anymore(?) and ofc with Luke always in the picture......yeah I guess that I might already have an idea about how it's gonna end-

I really hope I'm wrong but I'll always cherish their story and possibly whatever they will throw at us :') *finger crossed*

We do not blame you for feeling that way. The show has treated Nick and Osblaine pretty poorly since 3x01, with a few small exceptions in the fourth season. And the writing quality as a whole has taken a hit beginning in the second season in small bits but really taking off in the third season. So it's good to enter into any season of this show with a degree of skepticism about the ability of the writers to do a good job. They're more interested in shock value than in consistent characterizations, growth, and proper story arcs. Alas season four appears to have been an aberration of improved quality and that has set a lot of our expectations a bit higher than they should have been since the disastrous season three.

We don't really have any information about the final two or possibly three episodes when it comes to Nick and Osblaine- the press release seemed to only cover the first seven episodes for Nick and June up to when June finds out whatever it is Nick did and is left spiralling. (Other characters seem to have had a bit more, with Tuello, Lawrence, and Serena getting mentions that cover episode ten, while Moira was never even mentioned at all!) So it's likely that both Nick and June seem to spend part of the season on different pages, with Nick focusing more on what he can do within the Gilead structure and his powerful connection to Wharton while June is about violently burning it all down, and then they'll end up on the same page. (Though we see Nick having to meet June's goals and plans more than her meeting his, and we wish this was a more of meeting in the middle thing as June's harebrained plans always get people killed or hurt and so Nick's more measured responses do have value too.)

We do appreciate that the one steady thing in all of this is Nick's love for June. And we're excited that June's selfishness towards him seems to be addressed with Nick feeling like he's starting to run on fumes and things beginning to fray a little after him giving so much and receiving so little, especially so with June seeming unable to give up Luke despite them no longer being in love. It'd be great for June to recognize that and be more emotionally supportive toward Nick. He really needs that.

Honestly we're not really that concerned with Luke anymore? We might be speaking too soon, but the information we have makes it seem that that is finally, finally, finally fizzling out as they seem to be focusing on Hannah (great!), acknowledging how they're not in love anymore (also great!), and having Luke see what June and Nick have together (another great thing!). Very few fans like June and Luke together. When you look at fanfiction, fanart, fanvids, and posts on social media, Osblaine gets significantly more attention than Juke ever does. Hell, June and Serena get more positive attention, and that is a victim/abuser relationship that many fans hate. If that doesn't say how little people care for Juke, we don't know what does. If the show is making this season about the fans, that's not the relationship to do it with.

It's certainly the healthiest position to approach this with a mix of trepidation and hope. One doesn't want to be too positive or they run the risk of being hurt (as we all have been with fandom meltdown #394), but one doesn't want to be too negative either or they'll struggle to enjoy the good bits that we will get. And we're in for a lot of good! It seems like the most Nick and Osblaine content since the second season! That itself is very exciting, even if it's not what we've expected and hoped for over this long break.

Buckle up, Osblaines! We're in for a much bumpier ride than anticipated.

[mumuscae]

SPOILERS!!! SPOILERS!!!

Rant on Storytaco's bad writing of dark skinned characters. Specifically Sirius.

I wanna start this out with saying, I do not hate Sirius as a character. He's one of my favorites and I feel like he had wasted potential being in the hands of Storytaco. I don't think there's anything wrong with enjoying Sirius as a character either! I believe however that we can enjoy media, and look at it from a critical lense. There are good things about his character and I enjoy a lot of how he was written lore wise!!! Otherwise I wouldn't be so violently obsessed with him since the age of 15 lol. But again. There are a combination of things that I can't really see as a coincidence.

If you have anything to add, or disagree with any of my points, please do not be afraid to say so! I wanna have an actual discussion about this. please I do not bite. I stand pretty firm on my points at this very moment, but I'm entirely willing to listen and change.

Uh. Apologies if my points come across poorly or if my writing is incoherent. There's a reason why I did bad in school lol.

My criticisms are below here. Have fun

Anyways.

Fuck Storytaco?

Uh. This is 100% inspired by recent discussion on the fandoms treatment of Sirius. But I'd like to discuss why this treatment is actively perpetuated by the developers of Arcana Twilight. Which is much more disturbing to think about when you consider their games are often marketed towards minors.(There are other issues with storytaco marketing towards minors too. Uh, idk if those are relevant for this post though. Maybe later cuz it's high key disturbing!!! 😃)

Sirius was written very inconsiderately. Like I know he's a villainous/morally gray character. However I feel like there needs to be a lot more tact when your only dark skinned character is written to be not a good person. Especially in comparison to the light skinned characters. I feel like they just applied every negative trait on earth to him, then turned around and went "jk guys! He's not actually bad. Hes like this cuz he's an orphan." 😭 Like some of these traits would be fine in their own if balanced out with other things, but there's so many combined together that I can't help but feel suspicious of their intentions and bias.

He's the most provocative out of all the love interests. He's consistently initiating suggestive situations, is labeled the "sexyman", and is constantly making innuendos. The game has a lot of fan service in general (even though it's rated E), but Sirius is disproportionately portrayed this way and is just constantly going "hehe sex 😁" Which making him the provocative one is both an issue with him being queer coded and dark skinned..double whammy 😟

He's the dangerous, unpredictable and violent one. He SHOT!!! SHOT the mc within the first few floors. And like. There wasn't even a good reason behind why they decided to write that in other than to make us think he's violent/dangerous/untrustworthy. There are times when it's portrayed that he can't even be trusted alone in a room with the mc, even prior to the villain arc. 😐

He's a pretty much a domestic terrorist.... 😐

He was a wanted criminal for half of the story. Idk if I need to explain what's wrong with that either 😐

He's potentially the only one killed off at the ending depending on your interpretation.

In the clan equivalent of Americans (cough. Guns + eagles + the lazy unlikable rebellious group that just gets into trouble) which is just. Silly. 😭😒

Again he's the "untrustworthy one that nobody wants to be around." This is a point constantly driven in by the characters he's surrounded with. they drill that into the viewers head so so so much.

He's the "party animal" of the group??? Which isn't really portrayed beyond him drinking a lot but was definitely advertised as such.

He's 100% queer coded you cannot convince me otherwise. Which. Now we're falling into queer coded poc villain territory. Double whammy again! Disney is that you?

Going off the queer coded point, he's falling into "predatory gay man" territory. Hes shipped with basically every man in the game by storytaco for promotional and bait reasons. But it's always displayed as Sirius making the other party uncomfortable and getting in their personal space. Making unwanted advances. Like... Y'all don't got a do that

Ok this is possibly nitpicky but deadass why'd they make him a basketball player in the highschool au thingy. He's a theater kid. Nothing about him reads as liking sports. Please do not wear dangly earrings while playing sports??? It bothers me so much 💀

Okay so the sassy, violent, deranged, perverted terrorist... is the only romance-able dark skinned man in the game. ??? NONONO just think about that for a good moment

HE HAS OTHER THINGS IN HIS CHARACTER. THERE ARE GOOD PARTS ABOUT HIS CHARACTER!!! I LOVE SIRIUS SO MUCH. HES VERY COMPLEX AND INTERESTING.. but this is such a horrible combination of very specific negative tropes that it's hard to ignore. Especially when thinking about how this game is advertised to minors who, more often than not, are easily subjected to subconscious bias in media and are easily influenced due to our lack of ability to critically analyze media we're haphazardly consuming. (Sorry fellow minors. As a senior minor aka 17 yo it's the hard truth y'all gotta accept. we've all been there and we've been influenced by media whether we're aware of it or not. I'm not mad at y'all or belittling. Keep having ur funsies with ur silly star men I'm not stopping you lol? This is legitimate concern and criticism towards a company that is promoting weird stereotypes to us)

And I don't think Sirius is just a one off weirdly written dark skinned character from Storytaco. Thuban (WHO IS GREEEEEY. Big issue on its own 😰😭) is depicted as lazy and rude.???? Like he has a single redeeming moment but again. Just reads as "domineering rowdy black man." Especially when you look at the whole great hero trio .. he's supposed to fall within the fantasy "Fighter" archetype with his big ass mace. Compared to Polaris who is like a Cleric and the Wizard/Ranger Schedar.

Also shout out to storytacos other grey men.....???????? I was only able to find four dark skinned men (not just tanned a bit) including Sirius when I went thru Storytacos game catalogue. Two of them are grey. 😐

Anyways Sirius was a huge motivating factor in why I wanted to make Extraterrestrial... Fucked up potential of a character. There are 100% biases showing through how he was written. These were all conscious decisions made on the writers part and I don't think it can be kept behind "he's a morally gray character who's going thru it" because there were so many good ways to show that and his grief without going to every. single. extreme.

--

[sonamytrash]

People may relate to and find comfort in a character for a plethora of reasons that they don't necessarily feel comfortable sharing.

Just because you perceive their fondness for a character as shallow is your own opinion. I've seen so much negativity directed at Levi fans and self shippers recently, which is a real shame when for some of us the tag is a safe little space for us to enjoy our fics and headcanons. I see a lot of content I don't like or agree with related to characters I'm a fan of, but I just leave people well alone to enjoy what they enjoy. I don't know, maybe that comes with age and maturity.

People (commonly anons) may assume self shippers only like a character like Levi as an example because we see him as a sex object. Which is entirely false for so many reasons and not true for many of us. I couldn't tell you how much money and time I've invested into the AOT franchise over the past 14 years. I've also never seen so much love and appreciation for a character as I have within the Levi fanbase and particularly from self shippers.

Just because I (or someone) may write 18+ content doesn't mean that's all they associate with a character. Personally, I just enjoy writing it, and I want to create something for others to enjoy and visualise. It's statistically proven that women, for example, may find reading more stimulating compared to visual p×rnography. I started writing for myself as a creative outlet and was thrilled to see people enjoying it. Even if Levi or any character is just an object for someone to sexualise, who cares? He's fictional.

On a personal note, I had a very lonely and abusive childhood. For the longest time, many fandoms and characters have been a source of comfort and escape for me. I very quickly relate to many characters who have experienced hardship and pain. But I've been fortunate enough to come through the other end and build a life for myself. It just so happens that my writing strengths are of a more mature content. But it doesn't take away from my love and appreciation of complex characters. You can't assume you know everything about a person based on this small segment of their lives on a blog or social media platform. Judging people who self ship, especially some of us more placid ones that people want to attack, belittle and slut shame is just getting a bit stale.

Enjoy your characters and your ships, and heck, keep coming at us with your false assumptions because it isn't going to stop us, and you're only making yourselves look petty, cruel, and immature. You don't know a single thing about why people choose the characters that they do to enjoy.

And to all of the self shippers, keep posting your fantastic content. Your fics, your bots, your artwork. Keep enjoying what makes you happy. There's so many more of us who want to be supportive and create safe spaces and communities than there are negative individuals.