#i dont... think...... i like who awsten is very much right now and that makes me sad

[randombubblegum]

Thoughts on the newest zach Chang interview? I like the fact he's criticising fandom and the topic behind it!

oh my god that interview was a NIGHTMARE aldjlaks what the hell awstens adhd rly jumped out huh

he really uh. Cant or Wont drop that persona hes got and its.... so awful to watch..... like he starts it out being catty and bitchy about how much worse others bands releases were than greatest hits and then goes on this whole spiel abt how he doesnt take anyones opinions into consideration about anything he does which is weird bc we. all just saw him melt down over gh not doing well......

and then immediately after he says when he makes songs he sends them to his friends (joel and benji, TRAVIS? JOE RAGOSTA..??) for input and if they tell him its good he scraps it?? its only when they explain in detail why they love it and its the best song ever hell believe them...?? but then he ALSO says he only sends it to ppl he knows wont bullshit him but he doesnt trust his friends anyway????? 🤢

also when zach asks when/how geoff and otto get involved in the writing of a song and awsten basically says that... they dont....... he just sends it to them to see what they think the same time he sends it to his friends who arent in the band.... jesus..........

and the whole interview hes like. wtf the persona again where hes namedropping people he works with and its like ok thats fine but how are u gonna act like ur ~above it all~ when ur doing that...... and when zach asks if he really actually thinks gh is the best music hes ever written and neither of them truly actually sound like they believe it 😬 wow trainwreck. i like that he asked about all 3 of awstens nightmare ex gfs almost by name LMAO like yeah humble him a little i guess

[lochnessliv]

as many as you want to do... what's your favorite color? do you prefer aquariums or zoos? what's something small that made you happy today? do you like lemonade? do you like PINK lemonade? how did you discover waterparks? how do you feel about country music? what about rap? who's your fave in waterparks and why? who's your favorite of waterparks' friends? what's a short-term goal you have for yourself? do you like owl city? what do you think about ariana grande? what are you looking forward to?

these are excellent distraction questions thank you so much 🥰

-my favorite color is probably blue or purple. i really gravitate towards cool jewel tones💙💜

-i think i like aquariums better because i prefer being indoors lol. also watching tanks is so soothing i love the water

-ok ok ok so my roommate’s dog who ive been living with for a few months is extremely anxious, especially in cars. he usually works himself into a panic and just hyperventilates for most of the ride. but today i picked him up from doggy daycare and he started to freak out but then he leaned forward and put his head on my shoulder and sighed and calmed down and i FELT SO VALID AAAAA HE CHOSE ME TO TRUST!!!!!! <3 <3 <3

-i really love both lemonade and pink lemonade and i think im gonna go make some :)

-ok so just before double dare came out i was super deep into a hyperfixation on my chemical romance and had consumed like every interview of theirs that exists on youtube. and because mikey played bass on cluster some waterparks interviews popped up in my recommended section. i remember the first one i watched was them playing draw that band where they said otto’s fav band was mcr and told the story of mikey coming into the studio to work with them. their personalities grabbed my attention and i think i clicked on the gloom boys video next, realized i loved their sound and lyrical style and ive been here ever since!

-i actually grew up listening almost exclusively to country music radio and contemporary christian pop if that tells you anything about my family lol. i dipped out for a few years because i really dont enjoy bro country, but as a genre in general i love country music. i could go off about dolly parton for a WHILE

-i dont know a lot about rap but every now and then i get into a specific artist and i always enjoy how innovative the genre is and the commitment to evolution of sound and artistry. right now i really like mgk’s stuff even though i know he’s drifting from rap at the moment

-my favorite member is probably awsten because we honestly know less about the other two lol. but i also really love his writing style, like my favorite thing about music is lyrics and i LOVE the lyrics and poetry in parx. as someone with most of an english degree i keep wanting to go off about awsten’s lyrics and the way he writes them because theyre genuinely so good. their sound is also phenomenal but the lyrics set it off even more

but ALSO i think he’s funny and a very genuine person and i appreciate his work ethic and how much of himself he’s willing to put into his art. also listening to his podcast and longer interviews he’s done......listening to him talk is a constant “is that what im like” experience lol the topic jumping and rambling stories are EXTREMELY relatable like that’s exactly how i think 

-i think my favorite waterparks extended universe (weu) member is travis. similar to my reasoning for awsten i relate to travis a lot and constantly find myself when listening to the podcast saying the exact same things he does like a split second earlier lol i feel like we’d be friends.

-a short term goal i have is to get a job 🙃 no but for real all these business locking down RIGHT after i quit my job and moved is not going well ahaha send help😥

-i LOVE owl city i am literally currently in a discord server geeking out with someone about awsten and adam simultaneously. owl city was the soundtrack to my age appropriate emo phase when i was like 12-16 and very sad but my parents wouldnt allow heavy music lol. i adore the imagery and vibe of owl city music and it takes me back to being in 7th grade and listening to saltwater room and feeling safe. actually i havent listened to it in a while so im gonna go do that

-i think ariana grande has an incredible voice and talent but i dont know much about her other than that

-i am looking forward to live music coming back 😭😭😭

[randombubblegum]

From awstens prespective, why do you think hes being like this?

thats a difficult question but i think ive spent so much time watching him and trying to get into his head i can take a stab at it.

i think he puts “succeeding” above all else and always has, and to him that means making the band popular through any means necessary. he wants to go tiktok viral SO bad because he thinks thats what will finally do it and he doesnt care if hes being obnoxious about it. i also think the last 3 years of being in the “online funnyman space” as well as mixing almsot exclusively with LA influencers and/or tiktok “musicians” has left him devoid of common sense lmao. in those circles its perfectly normal to use people and only befriend those you think can boost you and make you popular/relevant AND its the norm to be shamelessly cloutchasing online. its literally their job.

awsten is willing to compromise on artistic integrity and the quality of his own lyrics if it means getting popular or going viral, and this was thrown into motion even more by gh absolutely tanking. i think he feels SUPER fucking desperate right now, bc he knows if he flops again its over so hes like clawing at anything he can to get any notoriety online to get more people listening to his music. they are like hemorrhaging fans since the fandom era too. hes also 30 and theres very much a limit on how long you can be a boyband type who appeals to middle schoolers before it comes off as “hello fellow kids” and he knows hes almost up.

what he FAILS to realize is that the influx of fans they got during dd and ent werent because he was idk going viral online or whatever, it was because he was charming and charismatic and funny and SO easy to root for. he was genuinely thrilled at every new milestone they reached and his joy and passion showed. he was funny and goofy and he LOVED his friends and he was excited to be doing what he did. now he feels (or at least comes off as) entitled to success and attention and when he doesnt get as much as he thinks he deserves, he gets angry and he lashes out. this is probably also a function of the crowd he keeps where attention = everything and puts food on the table.

he also cannot CANNOT stand any criticism even when its genuinely well-meaning or comes from people who love him (whether thats creative friends or fans who like him) and will react with anger and frustration. he literally seeks it out for some fucking reason to get mad at it?? he comes on tumblr, the site many if not most of us use bc hes NOT here, and gets mad that were not constantly sucking his dick over every new thing he drops like they do on twitter lmao. he also has absolutely zero concept of whats a healthy fan/creator relationship or any boundaries but thats a whole other issue.

in summary i think it just boils down to: he wants to be popular bc thats what success is to him. he feels desperate and stressed because he feels his popularity waning. he is willing to do anything to get it back even if its obnoxious or cruel or just plain annoying to try and stay relevant which paradoxically drives people away, leaving only the most annoying and toxic fans who dont mind when people they like act consistently like assholes

[randombubblegum]

idk awstens kind of diva personality worries me because it’s like what if he’s really kind of mean irl ?? like he is honestly someone i admire so much (and have extreme gender envy for , which makes me have this weird connection to him , obviously ik it’s one sided but still) and i plan to meet the band when it’s possible. so like idk i don’t want to leave the meet and greet thinking he hates me or something because i just feel like he kind of dislikes his fans ?? because i definitely want to tell each of them how much they mean to me and try to ask them all questions and make conversation with them. i even want to get a waterparks tattoo for them to write. i mean i haven’t heard any stories about him being rude while meeting anyone so idk ? ive just been disappointed by a lot of people i admire in life and if awsten really is Not That Great then that’ll just , really suck. idk i feel like maybe i read too much into all this , maybe we all do. but it’s also like , the “jokes” about hating us get too real sometimes. but ig the truth is we’ll really never -know- him so it’s hard to say anything. idk sorry if it’s weird to vent about this lol

now, i dont know him either, so i cant offer any verifiable perspective on this, but i definitely DEFINITELY dont think he hates his fans. i think hes just frustrated and tired by how people act to him online, yknow? hes said before that the people who are mean and overfamiliarly aggressive with him online are the sweetest quietest people irl lol.... and by all accounts from everyone ive ever heard since literally the beginning of the band awstens been super nice and grateful to fans he meets and genuinely appreciates them!!! ive heard a ton of stories about him being awesome to meet and talk to and honestly, from everything i personally have seen i believe it. like even fans who are kind of dicks to him irl he treats nicely so!! youll be fine if you ever meet them, im sure theyll all be very kind and friendly :)

on a personal note im like, super picky about people i admire and tend to look into them for shitty stuff theyve done etc etc but i really do think awstens a genuinely good dude....... again i dont know him, its just what people have said and how hes acted for the pat 10 years, but i do genuinely think hes a kind and compassionate person who acts without malice. i think hes a good guy!! i think the jokes about hating fans are directed to a whole different kind of fan than you or me, assuming u also dont harass him on twitter or push his boundaries or spread lies that ur dating him or whatever else batshittery fans pull with him LOL

i know weve been airing some (rightful) grievances about how he acts sometimes, but i truly do believe hes a kind person worthy of looking up to if thats ur jam. the evidence supporting that from fans and people who know him alike FAR far outweighs anything ive ever heard to the contrary!!