#i just saw brokeback mountain edit

[lawsanhs]

Guys omg im craving glance.

[chandlermead]

Lmao I’m going to be a bit of a bitch for a min. So just ignore this if that’s not the vibe for today.

But I saw a post that was like 2023 was such a great year for queer film, and it’s was three posters with like predominantly white men. And from what I know of these actors almost all are either straight men or have not openly stated they are queer. Saltburn, Red white and Royal Blue, and All of Us Strangers

There is a lot to unpack 😮‍💨 Firstly using the umbrella term queer, yes I suppose these could fall into that category, but the only three movies the post highlighted are all center around gay men. And once again these are for the most part not openly queer men IRL. They are just actors in a gay for pay role. I want to be clear that there is nothing wrong with enjoying these movies. It’s been almost 20 years since Brokeback Mountain (2005) was released, the impact of these kind of stories doesn’t hold the same weight today. It is okay to be critical of casting, stories, labeling, choices, etc.

With the addition of Red, White and Royal Blue, a romantic comedy, I would venture to say these three weren’t picked on the impact of the story telling and cinematic quality. Again, nothing wrong with romantic comedies, they are enjoyable, light hearted, easy watches, and there have been romcoms that have been highly praised and awarded. The point I suppose I’m trying to get at (if I ramble enough I might make a coherent one 🤞) is these feel like they were selected based on the attractiveness of the men involved. Why not just say something to the effect of “2023 was a great year for Hot Gay Characters 🥵” or “2023 Thirsty Gay Movies 🍿” I do not mean this sarcastically or in any negative way. I think it is more accurate to what the post was trying to convey and I don’t see anything wrong with that. Hot guys acting gay is, well, hot. We know that and enjoy it, and like to see it.

You don’t need to label these as ‘Great Queer Films of 2023’ if that’s not what you’re going for. And it is a bit of a disservice to a lot of other films and movies that can fall into that category if we use the term loosely. I’d say a movie like Bottoms, could fall into this category, it was enjoyable, popular and had queer characters. It was not included, maybe the original poster didn’t like that movie as much, but my gut feeling is, like I said before, that the list was more about hot gay characters.

Anyway, idk, you can choose your words however you like, I’m no authority on the subject. I just think it’s important to remember how and why you use certain words and the implications they have. Those three films do not highlight the breath of vastly diverse characters that embody queer films in 2023. I don’t think that was the intention, so saying those three films are what made 2023 a great year for queer film erases all those other stories and normalizes and reinforces centering queer topics around predominantly white, affluent, gay men.

I added some of my personal highlights from 2023 for Queer films. I even included a hot guy comedy in the mix, that is not sanitized for mass appeal like a hallmark movie. This isn’t an exhaustive list but I think shows some of the diversity in story telling and characters that makes queer movies and queer culture as a whole so exciting.

Edit* Andrew Scott is an openly gay man

[broadway-heere-i-come]

I just saw yet another person complain about the stage production of Brokeback Mountain "casting two straight men" as the leads, so I want to finally issue my very unfriendly reminder that:

As far as everybody I've spoken to about this and I are aware (and I will happily edit this post if it turns out there's something I've missed), Mike Faist has never publicly identified his sexuality. We do not and cannot know if he's straight or not. When we say "Don't assume people's sexual orientations," it shouldn't just mean "Don't assume anybody is gay." Without even getting into the potential dangers and harm already done from requiring artists to out themselves, it's hypocritical and heteronormative to only apply that assumption standard to queerness.

Lucas Hedges is not straight. While he has also never claimed a specific label, he has been open about being attracted to men and women since 2018 and has identified as sexually fluid since he was in the sixth grade. Calling him straight not only erases his own lived experiences and identity, it also disrespects and deligitimizes everyone who is unlabled, fluid, and/or on the multisexual spectrum.

[kawaiibarty]

i haven't opened tik tok properly in so long because i saw the tv glow fucking traumatized me and add it to the dps and brokeback mountain edits that have been doing their rounds these last few weeks.... i choose sanity and happiness thank you. i just know that every single scroll is gonna be like walking into a fucking dagger. oh oH AND THAT ONE FRANCESCA WOLFSTAR EDIT? YEAH FUCK OFF WHAT WAS THAT MAN

[3amnerdzz]

I just saw a comment on a brokeback mountain edit that said “favorite horror movie” I cackled so hard bro

[itsabee]

I just saw an edit of Tim and Brian to that one brokeback mountain scene and now im sad :(

YOU CANT JUST SAY THAT YOU HAVE TO SHOW ME ‼️

[rescue-ram]

6, 11, 18 for the writer asks

6. First fic/pairing you wrote for? (If no pairing, describe the plot)

Kdjfjd. Don't remember the first real proper fic that I wrote, but I think the very first fic I ever posted to the Internet was like. "What if Pippin had a Yokomon." And it immediately got deleted by the mods on FF.net for being ""spam"" kfkdk.

11. Weirdest thing you’ve ever written/thought about writing/etc.?

I got pretty wild with Kinktober this year- I think the wildest thing I published was the Hawnk voodoo doll fic kfkdkd, though Trapper Jesus is probably a v close runner up in terms of deranged premises. I- and I am genuinely mortified about this kvkkfd- almost wrote a vore fantasy fic (aka character fantasizing about vore/cannibalism, not enacted.) I half-started it and then realized no- no matter how convinced I am this character could plausibly do that- I absolutely can't publish that kdkdjkf.

ACTUALLY 18. How old were you when you started writing fanfiction

Like 10 or 11 kfkck

EDIT I'M AN IDIOT AND COPIED THE WRONG QUESTION FROM THE ASK MEME BUT I SPENT TOO LONG ON THIS LVKDKXJCM

18. Favorite Fic By Another Author

I COULDN'T PICK JUST ONE Links and squeeing below the cut.

Your Cowboy Days Are Over by Sam Donne is one of those fics I read a little too young but is so good- it's exploration of memory and trauma and parental love and the trolley problem is woven in with this great sci-fi setting and a resistance story. Absolutely phenomenal. Another fic by Sam Donne- Nebraska, an Iron Man fic- is a fic I read once a year every year for over a decade and made me weep uncontrollably at multiple points every time. It's one of the most intensely psychological fics I've ever read and dealt phenomenally with depression and autism and the nature of consciousness, and it fundamentally shaped my language of grief. It also currently only exists as a print out in a fire proof bag next to my social security card. The thought of losing that fic forever genuinely makes me gnaw on things!

One other SGA shout out: A Farm in Iowa by sheafrotherdon. My best friend and I were completely obsessed with this series in high school. Sweet wholesome AU fluff, absolutely bucolic.

In adjacent Stargate fandom, cleanwhiteroom recently posted a revised version of Force Over Distance to AO3 and is working revising on my personal fave of her stories Mathematique! Incredibly compelling slow-burn of a plot with deliciously ambiguous relationships and consciousness blending that questions the nature of self and other. Extremely concept rich story.

The Heart's Obligations by schemingreader I THOUGHT was lost media but it is found!!!! Augh. The ULTIMATE transformative fic to me- so wildly AU from its source material, Harry Potter, it's practically an original novel and yet the knowledge that this ISN'T original and IS informed by outside context changes the way you read it. Really well written and well researched historical novel with lines that have stuck with me for well over a decade.

For Man from UNCLE, couldn't decide between Wonderland and Partners, both by Pat Foley. Really interesting and realistic take on the canon material and makes great use of the Cold War setting.

Force of Nature by Jenna Hilary Sinclair for Brokeback Mountain is an ABSOLUTELY TRANSCENDENT "What if Jack didn't die" fic that is so so realistic and well written and touching. Not a happily ever after fic, but also not needlessly cruel, but a very compelling story of Jack and Ennis making a real relationship work while staying closeted in rural New Mexico. Incredible characterization, good OCs, plotty and long enough to lose yourself in, incredibly influential on my writing in ways I can't even express, you WOULD NOT BELIEVE MY SQUEE when I saw she was writing a sequel after a ten year hiatus!!!!

Graduation by bat400 takes some of the dark storylines from Star Trek Enterprise and plays them out without giving them a neat resolution an episodic TV show demands. Fully explores the depths of tragedy but still pulls it back up to that Star Trek optimism at the end without undermining what came before at all. There are some annoying formatting issues in the AO3 copy from when it was imported, but the story itself still shines. A really well written story about grief, moral injury, and recovery.

Okay we've officially exhausted my "off the top of my head" all time favorites and I'm now mentally gibbering to myself about what else I should mention because clearly I have many favorites that rotate in the back of my mind the way normal people think about scenes and quotes from real books or poems jfkdn.

We will close with Sins and Virtues by Quordle, because I VIVIDLY REMEMBER the experience of reading this I think in high school. I remember pawing thorough livejournal for TrapHawk fic recs, absolutely QwQ at the dearth, and there was like. A single line in a review for another fic, "inspired by the excellent Hawkeye/Mulcahy fic Sins and Virtues by Jane Carnall" and I was SO COMPLETELY GOBSMACKED by the concept of shipping Mulcahy with anyone but especially Hawkeye, I just had to track down this fic. I eventually found her personal archive and started reading the series like "Okay... Okay... Augh. AAAAAAAUGHHHHHHH." I was seriously getting up to pace multiple times during Such as We. Something that really made the series stand out to me was how DIFFERENT it felt. It didn't follow the usual rhythm of tension and release in shippy fics, used none of the usual tropes or short hands- it felt very original, and I loved how historically grounded it was. Like I'm sure you've already read it but if anyone else reading this hasn't, highly highly recommend!!!

[coveredinsun]

okay here it is. this is completely and utterly arbitrary but i’m confident that it actually makes a lot of sense. there’s probably some more nuance that can be added but frankly i don’t care. slam that “keep reading” button for an explanation

there are 3 main bubbles for toxic (self explanatory but also applies if they’re regularly just sort of mean to each other), doomed (do one/both of them die, or are they just fated by a higher power, aka the narrative, to never be together?) and …… happy???? (either they genuinely do get a happy ending, are endgame/canon-adjacent, or are just content with one another)

the only two couples to be happy??? and nothing else are gimleaf and zukka. i think both of these go without explaining. zukka’s got some in-universe drama probably but it all works itself out, and gimleaf sailed away to valinor together. next.

the two couples in the toxic/happy??? intersection are macdennis and loustat. they represent the varying degrees of toxic (macdennis mistreat each other but they’re not smashing the other through walls and trying to kill each other violently) and they also represent a facet of the happy??? category: they work with no one else but each other. they’re so toxic yet so perfect together as individuals that they couldn’t possibly be with anyone else. hannigram would potentially be here if i watched that show but i have not.

we’re skipping the “toxic and nothing else” category because i truly couldn’t think of anything. i’ll think of it 70 years from now but whatever.

you’ll notice brokeback mountain in the doomed but toxic category…. maybe controversial but i’m sticking to that. they’re tragically toxic. inadvertently and accidentally toxic. toxic because of society at large. i can write a master’s thesis about queerness and repression and class and some more profound ideas if you gave me a single monster can, a brokeback mountain rewatch, and 24 hours

next is the doomed and nothing else category. ineffable husbands count as doomed because no writing is good enough to save them from a 90-minute stand-in for an entire season. cherik are fated by the narrative never to be together, and thorin dies so bagginshield is obviously doomed. in the case of kenstewy (arguablyyyyy toxic, but toxic by normal people standards, not succession character standards) they’re also just fated to never be real because kendall roy has never had, and never will have, a single good day in his life. next

okay jayvik (FROM ARCANE idfk league) in the doomed/happy??? category makes me giggle because like….. yeah. they both die but they do so while locked in a cosmic, world-saving forehead touch. their “affection” almost ended the world and actually did save it. like they’re gone (maybe?) yet they’re as content as they can possibly be because they’re together. bitch that’s going in the happy???? category

and finally. the intersection of them all. hilson. they’re mean to each other, doomed as fuck, yet LITERALLY are meant for no one else but the other. big beautiful brown eyes man and piercing blue “give that thing some brown contacts” man. match made in hell truly. i’ve only watched 2 full seasons of house and i have no idea how it ends but i saw a silver springs edit on tiktok which tells me everything i need to know

all my favorite yaoi pairings fit into a surprisingly neat venn diagram? which i created the other week. let me post it for shits and giggles

[birdsandals]

no fandom is more dedicated to photo edits than the jakeward fandom i don’t take exceptions

[phoenixlionme]

Favorite Anime (Manga)/Movies/TV Series

EDIT: Deleted first one so that I could make the proper and needed changes on this new one.

ANIME (MANGA)

91 Days

Ace of the Diamond

Afro Samurai

Aggretsuko

Akuma no Riddle

All Out!

Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day

Battery

Beastars

Belle (2021 anime movie by Mamoru Hosada)

Bleach

Bongchun Bride - Korean MLM manga

The Boy and the Beast

Canaan

Cells at Work!

Death Note

Detective Conan - second favorite shonen anime of ALL time; favorite mystery anime of ALL time

Digimon franchise - specifically my favorite parts are Digimon Adventure 1 and Digimon Tamers, more so with the latter

Eureka Seven

Eyeshield 21

Flame of Recca

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - favorite shonen series of ALL TIME.

Gakuen Babysitters

Great Pretender

Hajime no Ippo

Honey and Clover

Hunter x Hunter - 2011 anime version

Hyouka

Itazura Na Kiss

Joker Game

Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress

Kare Kano aka His and Her Circumstances - only has one (very bad) anime adaptation. I hope it gets properly adapted. Until then, I HIGHLY recommend reading the manga. My fav shojo series of ALL TIME.

Kekkaishi

Kiba

Kill La Kill

Like the Clouds, Like the Wind

Little Witch Academia

Lucky Star

Major

Miss Hokusai

Nana

Naruto - it had its’ flaws, but it holds a special place in my heart

Maid Sama!

One Piece

Pluto

Rurouni Kenshin

Slam Dunk

Strawberry Panic

Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle

Studio Ghibli’s Grave of the Fireflies

Studi Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke - favorite Hayao Miyazaki film of ALL TIME

Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away - second favorite Hayao Miyazaki film of ALL TIME

Studio Ghibli’s The Boy and the Heron

Summer Wars - so far, my favorite film by Mamoru Hosada

Tengen Toppan Gurenn Lagann

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

The Kids on the Slope

The Prince of Tennis

Under the Oak Tree - Korean manhwa

Usagi no Drop - JUST WATCH THE ANIME VERSION.

Yotsuba&!

Your Name

Yu Yu Hakusho

MOVIES

12 Angry Men - ONLY the first one

1917

3:10 to Yuma

300

A Bronx Tale

A Cinderella Story

A Few Good Men

A Quiet Place franchise

A Raisin in the Sun - the very first one with the late Sidney Poitier

A Soldier’s Story

A Walk to Remember

An American Tail franchise

Akeelah and the Bee

All Dogs Go To Heaven franchise

All Quiet on the Western Front 2022

Always Be My Maybe

Ambulance 2022

American History X

Anatasia

Anomalisa

Antwone Fisher

Apollo 13 - possibly my favorite or one of my favorite biopic movie of ALL time

Argo

Atomic Blonde

Baby Driver

Bad Boys franchise

Balto franchise

Batman Under the Red hood

Billy Elliot - starring a young Jamie Bell

Black Jesus

Blue Hill Avenue

Blue Valentine

Boyz N’ The Hood

Brick 2005

Bridge to Terabithia

Brokeback Mountain

Calibre 2018 British movie

Carrie 1976 - fav horror film of ALL TIME; tied favorite Stephen King adaptation with Stand by Me

Cartoon Saloon’s My Father’s Dragon

Cartoon Saloon’s Song of the Sea

Cartoon Saloon’s The Breadwinner

Cats Don’t Dance

Chef - 2014 film

Cinderella (1997) - the one starring Brandi, Whoopi Goldberg, and the late Whitney Houston

Claudine 1976

Coach Carter

Cool Hand Luke

Cool Runnings

Corpse Bride

Crazy Rich Asians

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

DCEU’s Shazam

DCEU’s Wonder Woman

Defiance 2008

Despicable Me franchise - although, I will admit they could do better plot wise

Devil in a Blue Dress - starring Denzel Washington

Dinner with Friends - 2001 TV movie starring Dennis Quaid

Dirty Dancing - starring Patrick Swayze; fav romance and dancing movie of ALL TIME

Disney’s 101 Dalmatians

Disney’s A Goofy Movie

Disney’s Atlantis the Lost Empire - third favorite underappreciated disney film of ALL TIME

Disney’s Encanto

Disney’s Hercules

Disney’s Jungle 2 Jungle

Disney’s Lady and the Tramp movies

Disney’s Lilo and Stitch franchise

Disney’s Meet the Robinsons - second favorite underappreciated disney film of ALL TIME

Disney’s Mulan - possibly my fav disney princess (and disney movie) of ALL TIME.

Disney’s Pinocchio

Disney’s Robin Hood

Disney’s Strange World

Disney’s Tangled

Disney’s Tarzan

Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Disney’s The Lion King trilogy

Disney’s The Little Mermaid trilogy

Disney’s The Princess and the Frog

Disney’s Treasure Planet - favorite underappreciated disney film of ALL TIME

Disney’s Zootopia

Django Unchained

Donnie Brasco - tied favorite Johnny Depp movie, along with Edward Scissorhands and Sleepy Hollow 1999

Dreamworks’ Chicken Run

Dreamworks’ HTTYD Trilogy - favorite movie franchise from Dreamworks of ALL time

Dreamworks’ Kung Fu Panda trilogy

Dreamworks’ Madagascar trilogy

Dreamworks’ Megamind - favorite underappreciated movie from Dreamworks of ALL time

Dreamworks’ Puss in Boots 2011

Dreamworks’ Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Dreamworks’ Rise of the Guardians

Dreamworks’ Shrek franchise - although, the latter two movies could’ve been written better

Dreamworks’ Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron

Dreamworks’ The Bad Guys

Dreamworks’ The Prince of Egypt

Edge of Tomorrow

Edward Scissorhands - tied favorite Johnny Depp movie, along with Sleepy Hollow 1999 and Donnie Brasco

End of Watch

Enter the Dragon - fav Bruce Lee film of ALL TIME

Ethel and Ernest

Everything Everywhere All At Once

Eve’s Bayou

Fantastic Mr. Fox

FernGully: The Last Rainforest

Forrest Gump

Fresh 1994 - favorite hood genre film of ALL TIME.

Girls Trip 2017

Gladiator

Goodfellas - favorite Martin Scorcese movie of ALL time

Gravity - starring Sandra Bullock

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

Hair Love short

Hairspray movie

Hangover - only the first movie

Happy Feet movies

Harlem Nights

Harry Potter franchise - although, I wish it could’ve kept closer to the books

Heathers

Heat (1995) - starring Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino

Hell or High Water

Hidden Figures

Hitch

Hot Fuzz - favortie film starring Simon Pegg movie of ALL time

How the Grinch Stole Christmas - starring Jim Carrey

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

I, Robot

In the Heat of the Night

Inception

Independence Day - just the first one

Inglorious Basterds

It’s A Wonderful Life

Jackie Brown

Jaws - just the first film

JFK

John Wick franchise

Jurassic Park trilogy - although, the very first is my fav

Kill Bill series

Killing Them Softly

Klaus Netflix movie

Knives Out

Laika Studios’ Coraline

Laika Studios’ Kubo and the Two Strings

Laika Studios’ Paranorman

Lens - 2016 Indian movie

Less Than Zero 1987

Life is Beautiful 1997

Like Father Like Son - Japanese movie

Lion - 2016 film starring Dev Patel

Locke - 2003 film starring Tom Hardy

Lord of the Rings trilogy

Marriage Story

Matilda - the one with Mara Wilson as the titled character

MCU’s Black Panther

MCU’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

MCU’s Captain America

MCU’s Captain America: Civil War

MCU’s Captain America: Winter Soldier

MCU’s Endgame

MCU’s Infinity War

MCU’s Shang Chi

MCU’s The Avengers

Mean Girls

Menace II Society

Missing 2023 - sequel to Searching 2018

Monkey Man

Moonlight 2016

Mosaic - 2007 film by Stan Lee

Mowgli 2018

Mystic Pizza

Mystic River

New Jack City

Nimona 2023

No Country for Old Men

Oldboy - 2003 South Korean film

Our Friend Martin 1999 - DTV movie

Pacific Rim - just the first one

Pan’s Labyrinth

Philadelphia

Pixar’s A Bug’s Life

Pixar’s Brave

Pixar’s Coco

Pixar’s Finding Nemo

Pixar’s The Incredibles franchise - favorite franchise from Pixar of ALL time

Pixar’s Toy Story trilogy - while I did like the fourth movie, I personally thought it should’ve ended as a trilogy

Pixar’s Turning Red

Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy

Platoon

Precious

Primal Fear (1996)

Pulp Fiction

Raising Victor Vargaras

Reservoir Dogs

Revolutionary Road

Rhymes for Young Ghouls

Road to Perdition

Roll Bounce

Rush Hour trilogy

Rustin 2023 Netflix movie

Saving Private Ryan

Scary Godmother

Schindler’s List

School Ties

Se7en

Searching 2018

See You Yesterday

Selma

Selma, Lord, Selma

Shutter Island

Sicario

Sin City

Sleepy Hollow 1999 - tied favorite Johnny Depp movie, along with Edward Scissorhands and Donnie Brasco

Slumdog Millionaire

Snowpiercer

Soul Food

Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse

Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse

Spike Lee’s Blackkklansman

Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods

Spike Lee’s Get on the Bus

Spike Lee’s He Got Game

Spike Lee’s Malcolm X

Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It

Spy 2015

Stand by Me - fav coming of age film of ALL TIME; tied favorite Stephen King adaptation with Carrie 1976

Steel Magnolias 1989

Swing Kids

Tammy 2014

The Big Short

The Book of Life

The Boys in the Band 2020 

The Condor - 2007 film by Stan Lee

The Craft 1996

The Departed

The Devil in a Blue Dress -starring Denzel Washington

The Equalizer

The Exorcist

The Foreigner

The Gift 2015

The Godfather movies - just the first two

The Great Debaters 2007

The Half of It

The Heat (2013) - starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy

The Iron Giant

The Killing of a Sacred Deer

The Land Before Time franchise

The Lincoln Lawyer

The Loft 2014 - starring Eric Stonestreet and Karl Urban

The Lost Boys

The Mitchells vs the Machines

The Nice Guys 2016

The Northman

The Old Guard

The Outpost 2020

The Place Beyond The Pines

The Raid

The Revenant

Scream franchise - so far, just the first three

The Secret of NIMH

The Siege of Jadotville

The Silence of the Lambs

The Simpsons Movies

The Squid and the Whale

The Usual Suspects

The Wicker Man 1973

The Wind That Shakes the Barley

The Witches 1990

Thirteen 2003

This House - 2022 Horror anthology film

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

TMNT 90s film trilogy - they have a special place in my heart

To All the Boys I’ve Ever Loved Before trilogy

Tom Sawyer (1999) - the movie with the singing animals

Trainspotting

Tremors - only the first one

Two Brothers - 2004 French British film

Unfriended 2014

V for Vendetta

Vera Drake

Watership Down 1978

Wendell and Wild

What Maisie Knew

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?

What’s Love Got to Do With It?

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Wild Things 1998

TV SHOWS

Abbott Elementary

Adam Ruins Everything

All Of Us Are Dead (Korean TV series)

American Dad

Arcane 2021

As Told by Ginger

Avatar the Last Airbender - favorite tv series of ALL TIME. I did like the sequel though

Avatar: The Legend of Korra - could’ve been better but I still liked it.

Band of Brothers - HBO miniseries

Big Mouth

Bless the Harts

Bob’s Burgers - favorite adult animated cartoon

BoJack Horseman

Boy Meets World

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Burn Notice

Carmen Sandiego 2019

Castlevania 2017 series

Castlevania Nocturne - sequel to the 2017 series

Close Enough

Codename: Kids Next Door

Cold Case

Columbo

Craig of the Creek

Criminal anthology series - from Netflix

Danny Phantom - fav Butch Hartman cartoon of ALL TIME

Dark Winds

Dexter - the ending sucked though

DC’s Batman Beyond

DC’s Teen Titans - the ORIGINAL TV series

Disenchantment

Disney’s American Dragon: Jake Long

Disney’s Amphibia

Disney’s Ducktales 2017 reboot

Disney’s Filmore

Disney’s Gargoyles

Disney’s Gravity Falls

Disney’s Kim Possible

Disney’s Lilo and Stitch TV series

Disney’s Recess

Disney’s Sister,Sister

Disney’s That’s so Raven

Disney’s The Owl House - and again, fuck disney for shortening the third season for bullshit reasons

Disney’s The Proud Family

Disney’s The Weekenders

Disney’s W.I.T.C.H.

DOTA: Dragon’s Blood

Dreamworks’ HTTYD: Race to the Edge

Dreamworks’  Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts

Dreamworks’ She Ra and the Princesses of Power

Ed, Edd, n’ Eddy - fav 90s and early 2000s Cartoon Network show of ALL TIME

Everybody Hates Chris

Family Guy - guilty pleasure show

Fugget About It

Glitch Techs

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

Green Eggs and Ham - Netflix animated series

Green Lantern the Animated Series

Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child

Hey Arnold

Hulu’s A Murder at the End of the World

Hulu’s Culprits 2023

Hulu’s Reservation Dogs

Hulu’s Under the Bridge

Human Resources (2022) - sequel series to Big Mouth

Law and Order franchise

Love, Death, and Robots

Maya and the Three

Midnight Gospel

Midsummer Murders

Modern Family

Monk

My Life as a Teenage Robot

Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide - my fav live action Nick show of ALL TIME

Poirot TV series

Primal 2019

Reba

Regular Show

Rick and Morty

Rogue Diamonds 2023

Roseanne

Samurai Jack

School Spirits 2023

Seis Manos

Southside

Star Wars Rebels

Star Wars the Clone Wars

Steven Universe

Stranger Things

Sym Bionic Titan

The Amazing World of Gumball

The Boondocks

The Cleveland Show

The Dragon Prince

The Fall of the House of Usher 2023

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air favorite 90s sitcom of ALL time

The Golden Girls - favorite 80s sitcom of ALL time

The Haunting of House Hill 2018

The Life and Times of Juniper Lee

The Nanny (sitcom)

The Powerpuff Girls

The Secret Saturdays

The Wire

Todd McFarlane’s Spawn

Totally Spies

Tuca and Bertie

Twilight of the Gods

Two Sentence Horror Stories

Vivziepop’s Hazbin Hotel

Vivziepop’s Helluva Boss

X-Men: Evolution

Young Justice

SHORTS

Aikane by them

Alleycats by Blow Studio

Aquarium by Yonatan Tal

Crayon Dragon by MoonShadeOsu

Disney’s Far from the Tree 

Disney’s Feast

Disney’s John Henry 2002 

Disney’s Paperman

Dreamworks’ Bilby - it was originally supposed to be a film but was stupidly scrapped. I hope it gets a second chance.

For a Fistful of Toffees by ESMA

Forgive Us Our Trespasses - 2022 Netflix short film

GOBELINS’ COLZA

GOBELINS’ GOLDEN HOUR

GOBELINS’ KAKOMANDO

GOBELINS’ One Day

GOBELINS’ Thermostat 6

Hair Love

If Anything Happens I Love You - 2020 Netflix animated short film

In A Heartbeat

Pacemaker | A Trans Positive Musical

Pixar’s Bao

Pixar’s Lou

Pixar’s Luna 

Pixar’s Purl

Pixar’s Riley’s First Date?

Pixar’s Sanjay’s Super Team

Pixar’s Wind 

Ramshackle

Sitara: Let Girls Dream

Taiko Studios’ One Small Step

Taiko Studios’ Pangu

The Amazing Digital Circus

The Brave Locomotive by Andrew Chesworth

The Greatest Gift Short by Malcolm Hadley

There's a Man in the Woods by Jacob Streilein

Welcome to by Life - Cartoon Network Studio Short

[nopefer-art-tu]

I posted 45 times in 2022

37 posts created (82%)

8 posts reblogged (18%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@nopefer-art-tu

@nopeferatu

@ulliamothy

@fishfingersandscarves

I tagged 43 of my posts in 2022

Only 4% of my posts had no tags

#my art - 24 posts

#hetalia - 13 posts

#hetalia world series - 13 posts

#hetalia the beautiful world - 13 posts

#hetalia world twinkle - 13 posts

#axis powers hetalia - 13 posts

#hetalia world stars - 13 posts

#hws - 13 posts

#aph - 13 posts

#brokeback mountain - 12 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#everytime i remember that focus features did a limited rerelease of it this past april as a celebration of the studios 20th anniversary and

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Tumblr kids make rly cool pride flag color hue edits and i saw one that slapped recently so i had to draw something as a reminder that Alfred F. Jones is transmasc and sexy

667 notes - Posted January 30, 2022

#4

I havent been in the groove of drawing lately so i decided to do a screenshot redraw of one of my favorite musicals ever <3

778 notes - Posted July 19, 2022

#3

Theyre in love

784 notes - Posted September 22, 2022

#2

She is my insane bisexual wife and i love her!!!

844 notes - Posted September 20, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Just now realizing i may never have actually posted this?? my literal favorite piece of art ive done?? Lol...

Anyways this is super old but i still think its like me when i peaked

1,531 notes - Posted April 28, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[ntamain]

Is my (24F) neighbour (27F) into me or is she just being friendly? How do I know if she's gay?

another gay gem from the r/relationship reddit

Update:

Image ID under the cut, please let me know if I did it wrong!

[Image ID: four screenshots of a post from the relationship subreddit by tumblr user nta-main. The title reads “Is my (24F) neighbour (27F) into me or is she just being friendly? How do I know if she’s gay?”

The text reads “Update post is now locked, I cant believe so many people were interested in us!! Thank you again for your support, comments and messages.

Hi all, I can't believe I'm asking for advice from a bunch of strangers on the internet but I don't really have anyone I can talk to about this. Sorry for the incoming essay but I guess I need to give history. I bought my first house in September last year, It was an odd time but everything just fell into place. It's quite a small village and everyone is really friendly so I got to know my neighbours soon after moving in - yes, socially distanced. Then I met my over-the-road neighbour, let's call her Elle. I can't describe it but it's the first time I've ever met someone and been lost for words and my heart was racing and just thought "omg", y'know?? So after I blushed my way through a welcome to the village type convo we only saw each other for a wave and hello for a few days.

To help kinda settle in I had my dog (Bea) with me for the first few weeks. During this time there was a massive increase in dog thefts in a nearby town, not just from gardens but literally wrestled away from people. If I'd have been working (furloughed off and on since March) then I would've taken Bea back to mum's but since I was home with her all day she stayed. So the local police advised to not walk dogs alone but we go out twice a day, a 10k run in the morning and a few miles walk in the evening. So obvs this scares me, but at the same time she is honestly a pain in the arse and gets upset if she doesn't go for a run and needs to be tired out so I'm kind of stuck at this point. Then along comes Elle. She knocked on the door and offered to come with us as she'd seen Bea and me in the evenings and everything kind of spiralled from there. I told her about my morning runs but she didn't really bite so I thought nothing of it. Then a few days later I bumped into her on a run, so she started joining us on those too.

A few months later and we are spending more and more time together everyday. It has now progressed to a run early morning, afternoon coffee, dinner most evenings and then the evening walk. It just seemed to happen without me really noticing. I didn't read into things that much as I don't want to get my hopes up and ruin anything until another neighbour commented about how much time we spend together and how "it's nice to see you young gals getting on" and winked. She actually winked at me. I asked her what she meant but she just laughed and said "you know what I mean". So now I'm looking back on things and wondering if she could like me too?

Here's some reasons why she might like me:

I went running along the same route at the same time for nearly 2 weeks before I happened to run into her a few days after I told her this?

I make her a coffee every afternoon (Elle is WFH) and take it over in her fave mug. She says I make good coffee but I'm pretty sure I saw a fancy coffee machine the first time I went round (it's not there now?).

Elle carried on running and walking with me even after Bea went home. I told her she was going back to mum's and she said well "I'll have to make another excuse to join you" and then we just carried on everyday.

She has tried really hard to bond with Bea. Bea is a very anxious dog and is scared of everyone except me and mum. Elle bought special treats to give her everyday and has been so amazing with her and never tried to force anything. When I asked her she said "it's important to me that she likes me and is comfortable". Bea actually fell asleep between us on the sofa yesterday and It just makes my heart skip a beat guys.

She invited me to the zoom quiz she does with her friends every fortnight or so and they were all like "oh so this is who we've heard so much about "

We realised we had become each other's support bubble. Elle asked if I was meeting anyone else and I said no, she said she was glad she had me all to herself (!!)

We gave each other quite personal xmas presents. Like, it actually made me tear up it meant so much to me. And she bought stuff for Bea!!

Reasons why she might not like me:

All the reasons above, but that she's just doing them because she's a fucking great person and we're friends?

It might sound dumb but idk I need your help guys. She is the just the most incredible person I have ever met and I really really like her but if she isn't gay or doesn't feel the same I don't want to lose her friendship as she has become such a huge part of my life. I genuinely have no experience with these kind of things as I went to quite a strict all girls school, so it's not as if there were any relationships around me as a teen and then I went to a very small uni (8 of us on my course). I guess another reason is that I've struggled with anxiety and depression for the past 10 years, as well as my weight and working on my self confidence, but I can say that right now I am the happiest and healthiest (both mentally and physically) I have ever been. I've only just really become comfortable with the fact that I'm gay and I have never really told anyone in real life, but I don't think people would be too surprised lol. I don't have any close friends as no one stuck around when I was really struggling with my MH a few years ago so I can't discuss this with anyone irl.

So I need your advice : how do I find out if she is gay? And no, I don't have the confidence to just ask!! What if she says no and I ruin everything? She has never mentioned anything about past relationships and I'm pretty tactless so not sure how I could naturally slip it into the convo. Like, "hey tell me have you ever had a girlfriend? Do you want one now?" Lol. And how can I make a move without really making a move so I don't ruin things??

tl;dr : Don't know whether my neighbour is gay and into me or is just really friendly. How can I make a move without ruining our friendship?

Edit: Ok guys, thank you so so much for all your support and encouragement. You've all given me a lot to think about. I think I'm going to casually slip some gay stuff into conversation and see how she reacts. Then bring up the neighbours comment like some of you suggested, seeing as tho the neighbour was heavily implying that we're gay. I'll do it tonight otherwise I'll talk myself out of it again. I will post an update to let you know what happens (eek). If you never hear from me again assume it went badly and I am consoling myself with cake and watching brokeback mountain in floods of tears.

Hi reddit, yes it's me the useless lesbian. First off I want to thank you all for your support, encouragement and advice - and the undeserved awards! I never expected this many of you to take the time to comment and that so many of you were rooting for us.

So I had the plan to drop these gay hints into convo like you guys suggested but honestly it all went out the window. Elle was kinda stressed friday after a shitty work zoom and just needed to vent so it wasnt the right time to start anything. Though I guess I must have been a bit off thanks to spending all day overthinking things on here, as Elle turned up Saturday morning rambling about stressing me out and apologised (!!) for ruining dinner. Obvs I said "what are you talking about you can talk to me about anything", and she said "anything?" and I said "anything" back. And guys the tension was unreal, staring at each other and hoping our lesbian mind reading powers would kick in.

Then there was some loud noise like a car backfiring or something and the moment went. So I went to make coffee and then Elle asked me why I was a bit quiet the night before and I said something about overthinking stuff and she said "what stuff" and idk you guys I wasnt prepared to be put on the spot my casual gay pop culture references were useless in this moment. My mind just went completely blank and I forgot every single thing you guys suggested and my heart was pounding and I just blurted out you know I like you, right?.

...And then she kissed me. Kissed me. We straight up just snogged in the kitchen and it was fucking great. So...you were right. You were all fucking right. She's gay, she likes me and has been trying to drop hints for nearly 5 months. sigh

We were both just too scared to make a move or ruin anything. Turns out she's been burned by straight girls in the past, so she's pretty wary and was hoping I'd straight up say I'm a lesbian so she'd know for sure - maybe the I'm a lesbian wall hanging would've been a good idea after all? Her friends have been helping her drop hints, she showed me the group chat and guys their suggestions ranged from flirting more to just turning up in a trenchcoat and nothing else lol. Also, the winking neighbour has been making comments to her as well, so shout out to her for trying to make this happen too.

So no cake and cry watching brokeback mountain, just 5 months of dating to catch up on. As for worrying about how our current schedule could be more date like during lockdown, you were right it's kinda irrelevant when you've essentially been dating the whole time. Though we never made it to our morning run yesterday, in fact we didn't leave the house at all, ha.

Thank you guys for giving me hope, even if all your suggestions completely disappeared in the moment. Maybe I'll show her the post later and ask if any of the suggestions would have worked.

tl;dr: she's gay, into me and I'm an idiot”

End image ID]

[msclaritea]

The novel The Power of the Dog had been percolating for some time in the back of the brain of filmmaker Jane Campion, previously an Academy Award winner for writing the screenplay for The Piano. Eventually, she felt compelled to adapt it for the screen.

“It intrigued me for many reasons: I couldn’t guess what was going to happen, it was incredibly detailed, and I felt that the person writing the story had lived this experience,” says Campion. “It’s not just a cowboy story from 1925 of ranch life. This is a lived experience, and I think because of that I felt a real trust for the story. I loved how deeply it explores masculinity and that it’s also about a hidden love.”

At the center of The Power of the Dog is Montana rancher Phil Burbank (played in the film by Benedict Cumberbatch), a charismatic but unflinchingly cruel figure that dominates his ranch hands. When his gentler brother George (Jesse Plemons) marries, Phil levels his brutal, bullying sights on George’s wife Rose (Kirsten Dunst) and her sensitive son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee). But Phil’s toxic barrage disguises an agonizing inner struggle, which once exposed, could be his undoing.

“He’s so complicated and cruel but, as mean and unkind as he often is, he’s also the tormented lonely lover safe only by treasuring feelings from a long gone past,” says Campion. “He is in an impossible situation of being an alpha male who is homophobic and also homosexual. It’s incredibly painful and complicated. I found Phil moving and I found the mysterious relationship between him and the boy exciting and satisfying.”

“I saw the potential of this as material for Jane,” says producer Tanya Seghatchian, a frequent Campion collaborator. “It’s a rich psychodrama with extraordinary roles for the central characters, has an incredibly cinematic landscape, and a chilling and surprising ending that really works.”

Our approach to the adaptation was to boldly fillet the book to make it tighter and more propelling for film, whilst honoring Thomas Savage’s vision, of course,” says Seghatchian. “Jane has an instinct for finding hidden notes and knowing how to intensify sensuality. One of her real gifts is making invisible emotions visible. We pinpointed themes and emotional gaps to explore more deeply and Jane crafted scenes only partially described in the book in a visual language. Jane is a master at highlighting desire and making it come alive cinematically.”

In an attempt to capture as much of the flavor and spirit of Savage’s work, the New Zealand-based Campion made a foray to Montana to gain a deeper perspective on the region. While there, she visited the Savage family ranch and soaked in as many details about the author’s life and lore from his descendants, further informing her take on the source material.

She also consulted with novelist Annie Proulx, who authored the short story Brokeback Mountain and penned an afterword to a 2001 edition of Savage’s book, discussing the iconography of the American West and Savage’s intensely masculine tale from the perspective of a female writer.

“I really do honor other people’s work, and I wanted to honor Thomas Savage with this film,” says Campion. “When I read a book like this, I don’t take the adaptation lightly. I want it to be as good as it can be. I wouldn’t say I’m a perfectionist, but I do like to do things really thoroughly!”

Click below to read the script for the pic from Netflix, which released Dog in theaters around Thanksgiving and launched it on the streaming site December 1. It has been one of the buzziest titles on this season’s awards circuit since its Venice Film Festival debut, where Campion won the Best Director award. It was named one of the films of the year by AFI among a slew of critics group honors, and took the Golden Globes’ Best Picture – Drama award. It has 10 Critics Choice nominations to go along with numerous acting noms for Cumberbatch, Dunst and Smit-McPhee, and directing and writing honors for Campion (though notably the screenplay is not eligible for the WGA Award)

[variousqueerthings]

The Outsiders First Feelings

So I’ve watched the extended movie, but not the theatrical version or read the book (plan on doing both)

spoilers:

Just want to be clear that there is critique of specifically the extended/director’s cut, but overall I am heartbroken at how powerful this story is. So that’s the TL;DR of it.

1.

First thoughts: Man they did well on this casting. Apparently they did group casting to make sure the ensemble worked (also Ralph Macchio remembers how they had to read for all the parts, but he was very insistent that he was auditioning for Johnny and tbh, if I’d been Coppola I’d’ve taken one look at him and gone “yes”)

Anyway this movie works on the strength of the cast more than anything for me. I care about the greasers (have to confess “Sherri” ended up being a non-entity, but that’s not Diane Lane’s fault, the character doesn’t have depth or connection to the others, since her life isn’t explored) because every one of them cares so much about each other.

2.

Second, I don’t know the context behind Hinton’s dislike of a queer reading of the text, but queer reads exist because queer canon has historically been rare/deliberately pushed into allegory and metaphor. All this to say that - however unknowing - she wrote a text that was absolutely filled with that queer subtext that a queer reader would immediately notice (and from the sounds of it a lot of non-queer readers too). Not knowing you did it doesn’t mean it’s not there. And the movie just adds the visuals that belong to that queer-coding.

And wow was this a story about the closeness and homosocial relationships between boys on the cusp of growing up. That shit is queer even before you get to the found family, the loneliness of being shunned just for existing, and the non-normativity of their status in society (class-based, but depicted through their finicky approach to their appearances, also interesting).

And of course. Ponyboy. And Dally. All of them to be honest. So very queercoded. And Johnny… I would be biased about Johnny even if he wasn’t being played by Ralph Macchio – smaller and more delicate in stature, abused at home, unable to form an identity because of how traumatized he is until he runs away for a week with his best friend and creates a domestic house inside a church with him, where they play poker, cut each other’s hair, read gone with the wind, and quote poetry? Okay. Okay alright. 

(sidenote: think director’s should’ve been knocking down the door trying to get Macchio after this and Karate Kid - crafted two wonderfully different characters that’re both considered iconic performances a year after one another)

I initially wasn’t sure who Dally was as a character to Johnny - wasn’t sure if he’d be the one to fuck things up for him for whatever reason, but actually he genuinely wants what’s best for him and functions as that after-image of what Johnny might*ve become if he goes away for the crime, making his motivation that much clearer. He really needed Johnny to live, to pull through, because Johnny was someone to fight for, to be better for...

Johnny had so many people who loved him....... ...................

3.

ANYWAY without having read the book yet, some critique on the movie: 

I think straight book-to-film adaptations are a bad idea 99% of the time and IMO this movie suffered for it. The pacing was just straight-up weird at times. I had a feeling that someone would die and that it’d likely be Johnny or Dally (oh sweet summer child), but while I could see the beats which likely work very well in the book, they didn’t always (sometimes they did) land at the right moments for a film. When Johnny died I went – oh, okay, that happens now, like this? If it hadn’t been for the acting I’d’ve been really annoyed, because of how it was built up and placed, it felt like it didn’t do the characters’ journeys justice.

Also in the extended edition – I was very confused about the music and read afterwards that Coppola straight up yanked out the original score and replaced it with generic 60s bops and why? Do? That? Whole scenes that would’ve been miles better with something else or entirely without music were disrupted (two big ones that stick with me: when they save the kids in the church and when they meet with Sherri before the rumble, but there were more).

That’s two of the main reasons I’m interested in watching the theatrical cut – third is that apparently he took out three scenes from the church for the extended edition and doubly why??? the church sequence depicts Johnny’s first (and only) taste at life. It’s vital to understanding his tragedy!!! whyyy??? cut it????

4.

I wonder how much of this movie acted as a precursor to Stand By Me (probably lots of people talk about this, but idk), just because of the obvious similarities, but Stand By Me did so much better at keeping it on-point and pushing the narrative forward in the right direction. Easier to adapt a short story (also Brokeback Mountain springs to mind) than a whole book, but that’s why I’m interested in the theatrical cut. Also… the music… (whispers, why).

That sounds really critical, but my feeling is mostly positive (well, sad, because everything hurts) – I get frustrated with movies where I can see how they would work with some more focus, because all the pieces are there: Arguably perfect cast, perfect story already provided, some strong cinematography (and maybe also a good score, can’t say until the theatrical), but then it isn’t brought together properly for whatever reason.

5.

Ponyboy and Johnny sure do stand outside and watch the dawn while quoting poetry and Johnny was gold even if he never saw it himself, he really was, urgh that hit my heart. The acting and images are gonna sit with me for awhile – and the tragedy of it all lingered because of the strength of the story and the acting, even if the handling of it onscreen was ultimately a bit clumsy.

Final thoughts:

There’s a deleted scene/rehearsal scene idk, but Ponyboy reads the letter Johnny wrote before he died and it’s just the VO, no visuals other than Ponyboy reading, no music. Just the stillness of that moment. 

So. Much. More. Powerful. I cried watching that. I’m very sad thinking about it.

Johnny is a gender.

[ouyangzizhensdad]

i meant white/western audiences are slow to understanding the subtext rather than asian fandoms, when i was a kid i remember most asian countries didnt even have "kiss scenes" in movies or dramas, for us the "subtext" was normal for straight couples too (I've seen a few white folks think cql is a story abt 2 straight friends). the issues with the poor production and it has shit production coz of the budget but the drama wasnt supposed to be a big hit. also like how u just made it the "idol drama"  as if most kdramas and cdramas arent full of idols. I mostly agree with ur cql fandom hate too but to me it seems like u sometimes just want to prove that cql is worse than it is just coz the fans it brought in. I dont blame u either, I've seen some shit metas and the cql fans who hate the novel and call the writer homophobic are also funny. What makes me irritated is that the amount of hate cql gets on here is equal to the amount of hate novel gets, when the drama made alot of things possible for asian LGBTQ audiences. This is the first drama that my gay asian friend (who isnt out) watched with his parents and got them to fall for all the ppl and support the couple. Novels have our imagination in them but dramas need to make a lot of ppl happy and also keep censorship at bay. for me personally cql seems like it made it possible for alot of closeted kids be comfortable talking abt a gay couple with their parents, as novels are limited to a fandom. (Like I've not read a single harry potter book but I've watched 4 of the movies 😚)

I'm not trying to attack u but I'm trying to tell u that just coz the drama brought in a shit ton of weirdos in the fandom it still helped alot more ppl than u can imagine...

Hi anon, 

One thing where we seem to be of a different opinion is that criticising cql as a work of fiction, or highlighting the political economic context surrounding it, in no way negates what it can mean for people. I personally consider that these are completely different matters. These things often have nothing to do with the inherent quality of a thing, or even how good “queer rep” it is--they are relative to people’s specific and personal experiences, or a particular moment in the media landscape. All the things she said holds special meaning to me because it was the first time I got to see two women kiss on tv and it felt revelatory. I vividly remember sitting cross-legged right in front of the tv and refusing to come eat until the end of the music videos--at a time when I could not articulate why I was so fascinated by it. I know that this song is still meaningful for a lot of queer people my age, even if many people hate it for being a straight gaze fantasy. Regardless of what it personally means to me, I’m not going to argue that the music video is a masterpiece, or be blind to the reason why the kiss was included in that music video. CQL is very meaningful to your gay closeted friend, and allowed him to discuss wangxian as a gay couple with his parents, and that’s absolutely great. But I personally think it’s a little bit far-fetched to suppose that the same couldn’t have been said of any other live adaptations of a danmei novel who didn’t shoehorn in a het romance: if the timing had been different, perhaps the first drama with romantic subtext between two male characters he would have seen with his parents would have been Guardians, or the incoming adaptation of TGCF. Hell, H2O was so popular that they might have just watched that one together as well, even if the subtext “romance” is between two side characters. 

Let me be clear as well that I am not trying to argue that MDZS is this groundbreaking piece of fiction wrt “gay rights” or queer representation in China that changes minds and sways public opinion. It’s one of many danmei novels--it just is one that has a lot of literary merit. I simply think it’s disingenuous when people in the western fandom claim that a subtext romance is better “representation” than a canon gay couple who get their happily ever after. CQL is more impactful because it is mainstream, but it does not mean the representation it offers is inherently better. It is also ridiculous sometimes because the hurdles faced by a danmei authors vs the government-backed media giants who benefit financially from putting out censored version of their stories is just..... not something that should be ignored in my opinion.

Asian audiences being more used to romance depicted through subtext does not, at least in my opinion, negate the power of heteronormativity or compulsory heteronormativity to influence readings of that subtext by a portion of the audience. Chinese people are absolutely creative and innovative in the ways in which they manage to circumvent censorship, but a webseries financed by a media giant is not going to be a transgressive attempt to pull the wool over the censors’ eyes--at the end of the day it needs to be a safe investment. 

You seem to suggest that I am hard on CQL for being an idol drama but do not bring the same criticisms to other idol dramas. I find this weird because it’s not like I’ve ever praised an idol drama, and I know I haven’t because I simply don’t think they are competent works of fiction (although sometimes the camera work and editing is at least competent, compared to cql where the production quality is kind of poor). The closest I’ve come to doing that is praising My Mister, which is not in any way an idol drama, but which I suppose features an idol (IU) in the cast. When I said the first jdrama I watched was Hana Yori Dango, that was not an endorsement of how good it was--because honestly it’s one hot mess barely held together by the chemistry between the two leads--it was just a statement of fact. 

I am very critical and judgemental, I’ll give you that, but I don’t think that equates to “hate”. Yes, most of my discussions of CQL sprout from existing discussions within the fandom. But most of my posts indirectly reference or respond to something I saw. What’s the difference between me addressing a common novel fanon and me addressing a common opinion on cql’s virtues? 

TLDR; a work of fiction being significant to people is something to recognise but it should not preclude being able to discuss that work critically, especially wrt how it executes its story since the inherent quality of the work as art has no direct correlation with its impact, be it on individuals or on a specific media landscape. Moreover, the impact of a work on queer people or on the social perception of queer people is not inherently proportional to how “good queer rep” it is: it has usually more to do with the context (ie people don’t remember Brokeback Mountain because it was the best movie with a gay love story ever made until then--there was more at play). 

[surrealsunday]

What are some of your favorite lgbtq+/gay movies? I feel like you might have some good recommendations 😩

Oohhhh pickings are slim, my friend, slim! At least for one’s I’d recommend. And like... so many have sad or bittersweet endings but ok ok I’ll give this a shot... I apologize if many of these are sort of obvious but I gotta mention them... 

The more serious dramas: 

- And Then We Danced - I only recently watched this and I love it sooooo much; subtitles (unless you speak Georgian); bittersweet ending

- God’s Own Country - Very good; angsty and a little tortured but happy ending

- Moonlight - This is a beautiful film, again not the easiest watch; The ending is... open-ended... I honestly wasn’t a huge fan of how it ended but it’s not a sad ending per-say

- Brokeback Mountain - Ok it’s obvious and you’ve probably seen it but it’s forever a beautiful movie to me but.. oh so heartbreaking

- The Handmaiden - I sort of rec this one with reservation. It is weird as fuck. Like that doesn’t even cover it lol. But it is a fascinating film and so freaking different from anything I ever watched. It’s truly beautiful but in SUCH a different way. Be warned it is explicit (like explict). Happy ending.

- Esteros - I loved this one A LOT. It’s a childhood friends to lovers romance. Requires subtitles (unless you speak Spanish/ Portuguese). Happy ending. 

- Weekend - this one is a bit of an oddball and I was actually asking myself ‘Would I rec it?’ but I think I would. It’s a unique way to tell a sort-of love story. Bittersweet ending. 

The more fun/ easy-going:

- The Half of It - Finally one that’s actually super easy and fun to watch; not heart-wrenching, just a silly, fun watch; I will admit I actually think the core relationship that makes this film worth watching is the lesbian/ himbo dynamic between the straight guy and gay girl characters 

- Alex Strangelove - I know everyone always says ‘Love, Simon’ as their go-to rec in this genre but I prefer Alex Strangelove. It’s no doubt pretty weird and hilarious, but the romantic leads have mad chemistry and I just found the whole experience so enjoyable to watch. Another easy, fun, not heart-wrenching watch. Happy ending. 

- Booksmart - Not so much about the romance, or even really the fact that one of the characters is gay but I think it belongs here. Such a fun, ridiculous film that at its core is really about the friendship between the girls. 

- The Way He Looks - This is a truly sweet, gentle romance. Like ‘sweet’ is the main word I’d use to describe it and I really enjoyed it. Subtitles unless you speak Portuguese. Happy ending. 

- The Old Guard (thanks to @veronicasummersfelton for reminding me of this one) - an action movie with a gay couple! Finally. (*whispers* Oh and I’m believing Charlize Theron’s character ain’t straight until proven otherwise). There seriously needs to be more of this. I loved it soooooo much. Happy ending (I guess? It’s an action movie so it’s not exactly a typical happy ending). Hopefully there will be sequels. 

Both heart-wrenching and fun: 

- Pride - This film doesn’t really belong in either category as it’s both. I saw it at a film festival and absolutely adored it. It’s not about one core romantic story. It’s about a group of lesbian and gay activists. It for sure deals with some very tough themes and prejudice, but overall I found it a very feel-good watch. 

I’m sure there are many others I haven’t seen or wouldn’t rank as highly as other people but these are definitely the films that came to mind for me. Hopefully I’m not missing any - I’ll edit later if I remember something! 

Oh and as a side note, I haven’t seen ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ yet (for real... anytime now Netflix) but I am like 99% certain I would rec it as one of the heart-wrenching choices when I do. 

I hope that gave you some new ones! I’m flattered and nervous that you’d think I have good recs lol. 💖💖💖💖