#i feel they were crazier back then now they gatekeep a lot

[sapybara]

Sometimes I watch the unedited version of The Quiz to feel something

[thecoolerliauditore]

I remember last year finally watching Pearl and Scott's last life and. I think I experienced... the same thing that people who dislike FH did in 3L but with Pearl? I was encouraged to watch it by a friend because they said that gaslight gatekeep girlboss was super wholesome and loyal to each other, and that Scott even turned red rather than hurt either of them. But when I watched it, idk it wasn't as bad as I've seen some people describe FH but I was just struck by how often Scott calls Pearl insane or crazy or unhinged just for... existing? Playing the game? Being just a little bit silly sometimes no more than anyone else? He acted like she was a wild animal he had to reign in even though she didn't do anything crazier than what he did. Sometimes he would just randomly call her insane it felt like. It made me finally understand what people meant by those words being ableist with how often he threw them around! It got really uncomfortable!

I got sold GGG as a very cute wholesome winners POV, and I guess compared to everyone else in LL it was, but only if you compare it to other LL teams. People said he was suddenly mean to Pearl in DL, but he mostly repeated a lot of the things he already said about her in LL! I was expecting there to be some shift in how he treated her. Makes me scared to watch Jimmy and Scott's 3L POV if this is what people consider Scott being wholesome!

FASCINATING. this might be my cue to go rewatch GGG Last Life.

I'll be very open and say it's been a fair amount of time since I've sat down to rewatch LL, so I might be looking back at Scott and Pearls relationship with rose tinted glasses -- I spoke a little bit on the soft manipulation that existed between them still, like when Scott yelled at Pearl to kill Joel, but my impression of them is fairly wholesome. Then again I watched LL first and didn't have the context from 3L so the first time I watched their POV it was just. Haha funny blue man cute accent.

So take the rest of this with a grain of salt, at this point I'm fully prepared to say something like "Scott never hit Pearl" and someone will link me their equivalent of the sugar cane scene from 3L lmao.

So I can offer up some semblance of an explanation, if that helps at all to explain the perception gap. One thing is like you said, they were wholesome in comparison to the rest of the teams in LL, which I'd argue were the most disastrous in the series with the damage the "reds can't team with non-reds" rule did to them.

3L teams were also pretty bad, but when you went to compare FH to other teams you had other duos like DD and Renchantyn that had their own issues but served as a very solid point of reference for how they seemed to genuinely respect their partners. Thinking about the clip where Grian and Scott leave Scar and Jimmy to pull the lever on exploding Monopoly Mountain and Grian is trying his best to say he's worried for Scar through gritted teeth because he's Grian and Scotts just like. Well Jimmys probably gonna screw this one up 🙄 A very one to one comparison point presented directly for the viewer.

Scott and Pearl, on the other hand, were the only duo in LL amongst a bunch of massive teams that were falling apart all around them. It gave them this "us against the world" feeling, so to speak.

Maybe if Team BEST was more honest about being Teams BE and ST then we would've had a better comparison point and Scott and Pearl would've seemed way more insane, but then again I've had people vague to me that LL Ethubs is their 3L FH so I'm biting my tongue on this one.

Another thing that I think is more poignant is the factor of hindsight. Scott calling Pearl insane Now is horrifying because of what he did in DL and his calling her that being very much more serious.

In LL Pearl really didn't have any baggage attached to the word "insane" afaik? Unless she got upset at him and I've just forgotten cus it's been too long which is a very likely possibility.

So at the time it just seemed like. Pearl being Pearl and Scott gripping his head in stress and going aughhhhhhhhh ahhhhhh. Which is like. Fine at least to me. Her antics made his blood pressure go but he still went along with them more often than not and stuck by her side.

"She didn't do anything crazier than he did" is SUPER true btw LL Scott is a menace but I also must point out this is a point in hypocrisy but also a point in Pearls personality rubbing off on Scott that season. He was always a crazy arsonist but now he's a crazy arsonist without the angst.

Like the POV is haunting to me now that I have the context of DL and beyond and Scott being serious about the "insane" thing but before I got that context it really did just look like. Pearl being some sort of animal that has wandered into Scott's base and started gnawing at the curtains and Scott trying to scare her away with a broom yelling at the top of his lungs YOURE INSANE. YOURE INSANE. But also the creature if it leaves will Take All of His Lives Away so he has to learn to live with her and through her learn to be a little more chill. Which is the main appeal of that POV, to me at least.

compare say. The part in LL where Pearl steals one of Scars crystals and is genuinely being silly and antagonistic by running around giggling. And Scott's thrown his hands up and going "I DONT APPROVE THIS BUT IM NOT HER BOSS DONT LOOK AT ME". To Episode 2 of WL where Pearl is like? A little bit cheeky to Gem and Gem literally scolds Scott for not "controlling" her well enough and Scott apologises and promises he'll do better. <- ?????? Everything I type out this interaction I have to remind myself it's real btw like what.

and I must say they do have a lot of really genuinely cute moments that season that might be blinding me shoujo sparkle style to the horrors. Like their staring into each others eyes ritual thing for boogeyman assignments, for example. Compare that to the um. Axe crits.

ANYWAY. fascinating insight. To rewatch Pearls POV I go (<- clown makeup is locked and loaded)

[firelightfoxes]

Why did you go with mudi for a breed choice? I’ve been interested in them but so far what I’ve read on some sites was neurotic, independent and very high energy...(I’d love a high energy+ off switch dog thats medium sized,lower maintenance grooming wise and very affectionate/cuddly herding breed cos I vibe with them better lol, and I’m hoping a mudi fits this). Good luck with lichen❤️

hi!! sorry in advance for this ESSAY i'm about to write. i deliberated for a long time on my next breed. i actually wasn't planning to add in another dog for much longer (until Ava started slowing down due to age) but Ava's DLSS diagnosis made it so that i could no longer do most of the dog hobby things i enjoyed, so i moved up my timeline.

i'd been interested in mudi for a while but there was some intense gatekeeping around them the first time i looked into them - some people calling them crazier border collies or mini malinois. i was seriously considering aussies for a while (i grew up with them and i love them) but i didn't love the coat and their appearance isn't usually what i go for (i prefer pointy). in addition, a huge consideration for me was that my next dog could not have any chance of being bigger than Ava (she's 45lbs), because she absolutely cannot have other dogs jumping on her back, or having enough force/strength to bowl her over.

so i looked more into mudi and learned more about them on my own. they're a great size, usually 20-35lbs with females being generally smaller, their coat is wash-and-wear and they do shed but typically less than many other shedding breeds like ACDs and shepherds. their temperament is quite unique for a herding breed but they still definitely are a herding breed. i would say they act a bit more primitive than say a border collie or an aussie. they're only recently gaining popularity, so they aren't as far-removed from their original breed purpose as a lot of other herding breeds, which means their instincts are quite strong - and being bred as farm dogs, they alert at strangers/strange dogs, can be busy, prefer to have a "job". removing a mudi from the farm life, this can manifest as being LOUD AS FUCK, reactivity, noise sensitivity, and problem behaviors when bored. they were also mainly working stock no larger than sheep, so they are not bred to be hard, and are quite sensitive, their feelings get hurt easily and they do get offended and they will make this very apparent. they are also notorious for disliking repetition, so they're the type of breed that will tell you what they like and you'll just have to go with that. i would highly caution against getting a mudi solely as a sport prospect because they might not like the sport. there are, in my opinion, better breeds for that. these are the sort of disclaimers i would give to anyone who is interested in the breed because they are a bit unique if you're comparing them to other herders. they're not necessarily more difficult depending on the trainer, but again, they're just different from what many might expect.

now for the positive! mudi are suuuper intelligent and very intuitive. they bond super quickly to their family. i know everyone says that adding a [insert breed] is like adding a family member, but this breed is Really That. for example, Lichen needs hugs and kissies in the morning or else she'll be sad for the whole day. i personally hate repetition, so i love that she can pick things up super quickly and we don't have to "drill". she's an absolute sweetheart and she loves me, loves hanging out and cuddling with me. she learned really quickly how to differentiate between her toys/not her toys. this doesn't go for all mudi, but she legitimately doesn't have a naughty bone in her body. she just wants to please me but not in an annoying or busy way. she's also HILARIOUS, very spunky, makes her own games to entertain herself. gets along fabulously with Ava. other mudi owners generally consider their dogs a "do-everything-with-me" type of dog who can go hiking/camping, do sports, and then cuddle/chill on the couch. most mudi i think have a pretty good off-switch.

neuroses does happen in the breed but this is something i think you can avoid by talking to breeders and learning about their lines. in addition, i definitely would NOT consider them to be independent. they love their human(s) and always want to be with them. they can have some prey drive but other than that can be expected to have an easily-trainable recall. and energy levels can depend on lines. if you go with a more sporty litter of course you're more likely to get a super high energy puppy. but again, i would recommend finding a breeder near you and talking to them about their dogs. in addition, if you have facebook, there are several mudi groups that have tons of info and lots of helpful people. they can also help you connect with someone local to meet a mudi in person. i would highly recommend meeting them in person because to me, they're so unique and it's much easier to get a true feel for them after meeting one or two. after i met my breeder's dogs i fell head-over-heels for the breed and was absolutely committed to getting one. there isn't an exact breed-split (although one is forming), but if you get a show-prospect from less intense parents, you might have a higher chance of getting what you want and avoiding chances of neuroses/business/super high energy.

i hope this helped!!! sorry again for the dissertation but i love this breed lol feel free to let me know if you have any other questions or you can always PM me if you need breeder recommendations/info :)