#i haven't seen the movie yet i'm just getting this information from the wiki and from what my friends have told me

[ball-of-lint-blog]

Ok so I know this isn’t like me but this has been drifting through my head for about like 3 weeks? 

They fucked up every character in Uglydolls.

It’s not even funny.

Usually I look at bad writing and take it as motivation to improve my own.And the writing is usually not too bad, just laughably bad.

But this movie? Whoop de doo.

I feel like Ox was the only character they tried to add depth to. Ox was an original character in the original toy line of Uglydolls (didn’t seem to display many of the traits as the original but whatever), so he had a bit of backstory to go along with him. He had motivations, relationships, and and objective to fulfill most of the time. The others did not get the same treatment.

Moxy is a, or even the, main fucking character. And she felt so one-dimensional, so horribly reliant on her singing and voice actor, that I couldn’t even stand it. I still can’t stand it.

And don’t get me started on the Perfect Dolls.

These background bitches would follow anybody who takes charge of a chaotic situation. Even after Lou explains that he never gets to feel the kind of love that the rest of the dolls will get eventually because he is a prototype, nobody, not even the sickeningly-kind and open-minded Moxy gives a fuck. They all just suggest to rip his fucking organs out. And while people were yelling and crying out to kill Lou, Moxy was thinking. She was contemplating what to do, as if she were taking these suggestions into account. It makes no sense! Had it not been for Nolan, he probably would have been fucking murdered. 

In a kid���s movie.

They have time for violent threats, but no time to write decent character flaws and motivations? Get bent.

I actually got upset at that moment; Lou was clearly masking his unhappiness and loneliness with violence and anger. And nobody cared. That was most likely the reason he is an asshole in the first place. He felt looked up to, not for his personality, but for his looks and nothing else. He sent Ox out as a last-ditch effort to save a friend from the Big World, maybe because he didn’t want Ox to be rejected (and possibly an ounce of jealousy that Ox had the ability to go there as well), and then felt completely alone. He put on a rouse of shit-talking bitch boy, to feel in control of these people and show them “Hey, here’s how it feels to be degraded and alone all the time. Fuck you.”

(Also I just found out that when he said he was a prototype someone said that he wasn’t a real doll because of that. Hm)

I understand that may not be the intention of the writers, since it is a kid’s movie, but I always try to give characters more development. It’s kind of an instinctive thing I do. However I think that they could’ve added at least some depth, some development or something that makes them more human, even though they are dolls.

I don’t hate the movie. The animation is nice and the songs are pretty catchy, but it felt ruined for me because of the lack of character depth. This was long and I’ve been up for 23 hours maybe. Goodnight

[ifandomus]

I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on this article because it's infuriating and I hate suffering alone lol.

https://screenrant.com/peggy-carter-better-captain-america-steve-rogers-reddit/

Thank you for the ask!

First reaction:

(Deep breaths to get through this crap without throwing my phone at a wall)

‘Better Fighter: User Nordenfang suggests that Carter may actually be a better fighter, since she "was a trained agent whereas Steve was just some kid from Brooklyn. So she has a headstart in that department." They do go on to say, however, that they believe the original Captain America made up for that in his leadership skills. It is true that Peggy was perhaps more suited to a life of combat than the pre-serum Steve Rogers was. It would have taken less time for her to adjust to her new body and skill set since they would not be entirely new to her. Her hand-to-hand battles also appear to be one of the fandom's favorite parts of her solo episode, lending credence to the idea that she is a more skilled combatant than Rogers was.’

This could be true, but I don't think they realize that what they are talking about is a huge privilege Peggy had over Steve. Steve's problems weren't just that he was short and skinny; it was the numerous chronic illnesses and disabilities he had. We didn't hear about Peggy having any health problems (until she got older), and after getting the serum, she said that she didn't feel very different from before.

I'm not sure how much training she had previously, but since she started out healthy and fit, she would have had an advantage over when Steve had just received the serum. But the entire reason for that comes down to Peggy having privilege over Steve. And that privilege, like all privilege, is important to keep in mind and talk about.

‘Effects On The People Around Her: In a post following the finale of What If...?, curvysquares points out that, in Captain Carter's timeline, Black Widow was aware of what her father's name was despite not having travelled to Vormir yet: "one of the butterfly effects of Peggy becoming Captain Carter led to Black Widow either always knowing her fathers name, or finding out about it before 2014." This is an interesting detail hidden away in just a few lines of dialogue. It would seem that Captain Carter's presence was enough to cause ripples throughout the timeline, affecting her compatriots in seemingly positive ways. It is unclear what exactly led to Natasha gaining this knowledge, but it would no doubt benefit her to be more in touch with her lost past.’

I'm not sure when they decided that information about Natasha, but since only the name Ivan was from the comics*, it probably wasn't until they started writing Black Widow. According to Wikipedia (so it might not be entirely accurate, but they did provide sources for all of it), Black Widow was written in late 2017 and then rewritten in February 2019. I'm not sure when endgame was written, but they started filming in August 2017. So, in short, that information about Natasha was probably written after endgame, which was Steves last movie (although he was very out of character in it) was written. And knowing information that hasn't been written yet is, as far as we know, still impossible.

*(My knowledge about the comics comes entirely from random fun facts that I randomly find online. But after checking the comics wiki page on her, it looks like she had a foster father named Ivan Petrovitch and that Alexei Shostakov was actually her husband. So I'm pretty sure that they did not base it closely on the comics version)

Also, they clearly haven't seen any of the scenes where Steve clearly shows that he has a huge influence. I mean, just rewatch ca:tws, and especially the effect his speech had on the non-hydra shield employees.

‘She May Be Stronger: Not only might Captain Carter be a more skilled fighter than Captain Rogers, but, according to Soggy-Essay, she may actually be physically stronger than him too: "Since she was already in her physical prime before being enhanced, she benefited from the serum more than Steve." This theory looks back on the idea that the super soldier serum enhances everything about its subject. Since Steve Rogers was just a skinny kid from Brooklyn when he received his dose, perhaps Peggy Carter's already cultivated physique would benefit more from the transformation than he would, making for a more imposing force in the process.’

Is there any evidence that the supersoldier serum works better for people who are already physically fit and healthy?

Dr. Erskine picked Steve specifically, and while fully knowing about all of Steve's disabilities and health problems, but he never indicated that any of that would hinder the serum in any way. And in fact, anyone who thought so, like colonel Phillips, was clearly proven wrong in ca:tfa.

Also, Steve is the only one we see grow that much from becoming a supersoldier. Peggy didn't become much bigger, nor did any of the other supersoldiers we have seen.

However, all of this is once again ignoring Peggy’s privilege over Steve and that Steve was disabled.

‘She's More Aggressive: Redditor conorthearchitect, in a post detailing different matchups that the two Captains could face each other in, points out that Captain Carter is the "more aggressive" of the two, and probably better in a one-versus-one scenario. They nod to Carter's "ferocity" on the battlefield as well. Captain Carter is indeed shown to be more aggressive in battle than Steve Rogers at times. She is seen striking fear into the Hydra soldiers often, who rarely have any chance in a battle against her. While Steve was alway victorious against the enemy grunts, they were never shown getting demolished in the way that What If...? depicts with its own multiversal Captain, indicating that she may indeed be the better Captain America of the two.’

How is being more aggressive a good thing?! I have a lot of issues with tfatws, but one thing they got right was focusing Captain America more on de-escalation and communication. In civil war, we also saw some of this clearly with Steve trying to reason with Tony several times. Isn't that better?

Plus, as much as I despise Zola, Peggy torturing him is still a war crime.

‘Her Sword: One would be remiss to talk about Captain Carter without bringing up a major difference between her combat style and Steve's: that epic sword. In a post calling for fans to "Respect Captain Carter"��corvette1710 lists several of Peggy's impressive feats with her weapon, including, "cutting through tentacles" and "stabbing her sword into stone to stop herself from being pulled by tentacles." Peggy really does make good use of her additional weapon, battling the interdimensional squid monster like a pro. Though she hangs on to the signature shield, she is not afraid to add to her arsenal if it means keeping the world safer. And no one could deny that wielding both a sword and a shield makes anyone look cooler.’

There is a reason why Captain America's main weapon is a shield, and it's not the aesthetic.

‘She May Be Faster Than A Speeding Bullet: Discussing a scene in which Captain Carter turns on a dime to use her shield to deflect a shell from a tank, OoFGangOnCok comments: "Captain Carter is probably the only character who has a legit bullet timing feat in the entire MCU," suggesting that her speed and agility exceed those of even the original Captain America. It is no doubt that Captain Carter has surprisingly fast reflexes and reaction times, though she certainly isn't the fastest character in the MCU. If even a speeding bullet cannot catch her off guard, it is hard to imagine that anyone would be able to get the jump on so agile a Captain as she.’

I guess this is another way to say that they haven't seen a lot of Steve’s (or a lot of other characters) fight scenes. I mean, the only one who has ever successfully shot Steve was Bucky (while under mind-control), who is also a supersoldier.

‘She's Morally Grey: "I think she's less of the goody two shoes that Steve was," writes MarchMadnessisMe, later adding that "she'd be more willing to go along with Fury and Natasha as far as blurring the lines of following the rules, if it were for the right reason." They point out that Steve was at times too pristine to do what needed to be done, whereas Carter always seemed prepared to take the necessary steps toward saving the day. It is true that Steve's steadfastness often proved to be troublesome for him. His strength of character was far from a legitimate weakness, but it did often create a blindspot. However, it is also true that this moral fortitude served him well at times, including when he felt that S.H.I.E.L.D. had gone too far with Project Insight, causing him to uncover Hydra's total infiltration of the department.’

Again, how is this a good thing?! And with the “blurring the lines” and going with Fury and Natasha, wouldn't hydra have succeeded?

I do think that more morally gray characters can be more interesting. But I can't see how that makes the morally gray character better.

However, this doesn't really matter because Peggy isn't presented as a morally gray character by the narrative. She is presented as an entirely good person like Steve, which is one of the reasons why I am so annoyed by her. Because she is an ethically darker character, but no one actually acknowledges that. We are still supposed to see her as entirely good and just ignore her flaws like the narrative does.

‘She Solves Problems: Reddit user andromon11 points out that the episode featuring Captain Carter saw many of Captain America: The First Avenger's problems "become non-issues" much easier than in the original movie. They attribute this to Carter's "competency" in her role as a leader. The episode does seem to solve several of the problems that were unresolved by Rogers's first outing as Captain America. For instance, Red Skull was permanently killed at the end of the episode, whereas he remains a mysterious entity at large in the Sacred Timeline. There also seems to be no Winter Soldier in Captain Carter's universe, though What If...? episode 9's post-credit scene might beg to differ.’

All those problems are solved because What If? was written more like bad AU fanfiction by a very inexperienced writer.

And anyone who has actually paid attention to Steve (I'm sensing a theme here) knows that he solves many problems.

‘She's More Fun: Redditor Someoneoverthere42 remarks that they "loved the fact that Captain Carter was clearly just enjoying being a super soldier... Steve was often dead serious." They also point out that it seemed like Carter was quite thrilled with her enemies' misfortune of meeting her on the battlefield. Steve Rogers was certainly not the "life of the party" in the MCU. He was often the stoic leader, letting other Avengers like Tony Stark and Rocket Raccoon have all the fun. Captain Carter, on the other hand, seemed more willing to enjoy her time as a superhero, making for a very different kind of Captain indeed.’

Once again, they have clearly not paid much attention to Steve, or they would have known about his sense of humor.

Yes, god forbid anyone takes the destruction of Earth, the deaths of half the universe, or nazis taking over the world seriously. That last one is especially huge considering that Steve comes from one of the groups of people the nazis wanted to eradicate (disabled people). And he is probably way more conscious of the eugenics parts of the supersoldier serum, considering that he grew up as a target of the eugenics movement, which Peggy wasn't. He doesn't just “enjoy being a supersoldier” because he knows what it means and how serious it is. Peggy hasn't faced any of that. And judging by how she talks about it, she either isn't aware of it, or she is aware, and either doesn't care or approves.

Yes, he is usually a bit more serious when facing serious threats. But how is that a bad thing? If I were a civilian who needed saving in the MCU, I would definitely feel safer with someone like Steve than someone like Tony.

This all sounds like it was written by people who have never actually paid any attention to Steve and just think of him more like the pre-civil war government propaganda version of him.

There was a reason why Dr. Erskine chose Steve and why Steve is the only one who chose to take the serum and didn't become bad (Bucky and Isaiah also didn't become bad, but they had the serum forced on them). And the reason was Steves moral code and how intensely he sticks to it. That is also the reason why he gave the shield to Sam (although the way he did it wasn't exactly great, but that is just because he was so out of character in endgame). He recognized Sam’s good qualities just like Dr. Erskine recognized Steve’s. And those good qualities are the most important part of being captain America. I'm pretty sure that John Walker is clear enough evidence of that.

[asgardian--angels]

Hello! Earlier today I saw your post about LOTRO and on a whim downloaded it. I'm gonna be honest and say I don't really know much about the whole LOTR universe outside of like, the movies, but the way you wrote about it was really passionate and interesting. I haven't played yet since it's 3AM but I was wondering if you had any tips or anything?

Hi there! Wow, I’m honored that you liked my post enough to download the game! I really hope you like it. I’m not sure if you mean that you have or have not seen the movies, but honestly just that alone is enough to comprehend the game. They do an excellent job of keeping things coherent for any potential audience they may get as players. For those who are superfans, there’s a LOT of easter eggs and thoughtful, witty references to the deep lore (doing, of course, what they can with limited copyrights, aka. they can’t use Silmarillion material that wasn’t referenced in LOTR). Having an in-depth knowledge of background history and culture of Middle-earth regions and races always makes the experience richer (because they are very accurate and I get excited about that). But for those who aren’t long-time fans, so long as you have heard of Middle-earth and know about the general plot then you should be good to go! 

The game takes place during the time of LOTR, and runs parallel to the book/movie events of the Fellowship of the Ring undertaking the journey to Mount Doom and Sauron waging war on the Free Peoples for control of the One Ring. You start out as a small person in a wide world, and eventually grow in prominence as a hero so that you are known throughout Middle-earth and travel to far-flung lands to help the Free Peoples. Sometimes you interact with the protagonists (Frodo, Legolas, Aragorn, etc) and directly move the plot along, but often you are doing the deeds that the great lords can’t afford to - staving off the darkness that tries to take hold under the noses of kings and armies. You save lives, reunite families, hold off invasions, and bring peace wherever you go. You end up being the front line against evil that creeps in from all sides, while the Fellowship undertake their appointed tasks far away. 

That’s basically the gist of it. You’ll start off in tamer, more familiar regions - the Shire, Bree-land, Thorin’s Halls, and work your way to the plains of Rohan, the walls of Minas Tirith, and to Mordor itself. It’s an incredible journey, and you make countless friends along the way. Those relationships are one of LOTRO’s best features - people you help will come back to help you, paths cross again in unexpected ways, and your actions have lasting influences. 

As for advice for a new player, hmmm…. I would recommend lotro-wiki  as a primary resource for learning aspects of the game, reading relevant lore, helping you find things or places you need, etc. You’ll start off the game in a closed-world intro until level 6 or so, where you’re taught the ropes - how to attack, interact, use the UI, and so on. But once you’re let loose, I say don’t feel the need to rush. Explore the world a bit - well, the parts where you’re on-level otherwise you’ll be DOA. But there’s a LOT to discover, and just wandering around your starter region, seeing what different NPCs do, can help you get your bearings. Turn off world chat lmao. You’ll be bombarded with stuff you don’t want, and it will clutter your gameplay (this is an option in your chat box, under filters, if you right click the general tab). Then you can actually hear yourself think! Follow the tutorials, some of the information can be difficult to find again if you skip it. Know also that there’s a lot of things you can do that isn’t given in tutorials. Emotes, dances, cosmetic clothing, pets, kinships, and much more, are things that you find in time, but if you know it sooner, you can get tricked out from an early level ;D If you are confused or don’t know how to do something, just ask. People will help! Additionally, I will say that for a first time player, hunter class may be a good idea (*boos from the crowd*). It’s generally regarded as an easy class, as it is ranged with high damage, and you will have teleport abilities and run speeds unmatched by any other class. However, choose what you want, and know that you’ll have a chance to play multiple classes with more characters!

Knowledge of the lore isn’t necessary for almost anything in the game - even if you RP, it rarely delves into serious Middle-Earth history lessons. Most people know something of ~generic fantasy worlds~ with elves, orcs, halflings, etc, at this point, since they’re all based off Tolkien. And I am sure for an unfamiliar player, the dialogue/plot will be even more interesting and exciting cause you will be learning about Middle-Earth - some of the best parts too, the little things, the day-to-day lives, the thoughts and feelings, hopes and apprehensions, of a world living in an age of war and uncertainty for the future of their existence, one with beings both young and very very old, all with different perspectives. Read NPC dialogue. It’s all incredibly well-written and enjoyable, and I’ve cried so many times at touching words. They’re not all happy endings, but they’re good stories. Knowing you have the power to make a difference fills you with such hope and strength!

Most of all, feel free to contact me in the game (or here) if you would like help, a tutorial or tour, or just someone to hang out with! Folks are very friendly. I hope you decide to join the Landroval server, which is where I am! It’s known as a social/laid-back roleplaying server that has a solid reputation for hospitality. There is also a chat channel - advice, I think - where you can ask your questions to the server world. Attend concerts, listen in on roleplaying (the Prancing Pony is best for that), participate in annual events like festivals or treasure hunts. Get the quadpack (contains major regions like Moria that you will need when you hit around level 50) during the Christmas sale. Buy other regions in-game with lotro points! 

You’ll form a lasting bond with Middle-Earth and your place in it. Let me know how you’re liking it once you get settled! If you’d like to find me in-game, my most played characters are Namadith, Gorthauron, and Farrokhbulsara. Just send me a message using your mailbox, or add me as a Friend in your social panel, which will then alert you when I am online. You can then invite me to a fellowship or send me a tell (a DM). And after a while, if you find that you’d like to have company, you can join a kinship and be part of a community (maybe even ours, Dwarrowdam!). 

look at the fun you will have

lava t-posing

romantic sunsets

t h e o r b

or just gazing mysteriously into the fire as its flickering light dances in your eyes, taking you back to days long past when the world was young and you had everything to gain and nothing to lose, before your reckless abandon cost you that which you held most dear, setting you on a vendetta that would take you across seas and over mountains, to avenge th