#i love queer allegories so much

[laurastatice]

the show is over

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

:( :( :(

[autistic-sidestep]

someone remind me to write up my fh disability theory reading meta at some point

[jamiesfootball]

I’ve been twirling it around in my head how Ted and Jamie had similar but opposite movies assigned to them, both revolving around the concepts of dreaming and waking up, but which are very very different in execution. Like literally so different, that that’s the only common thread they have.

Ted, son of Dorothy, with the Wizard of Oz. Leaving the tornado back home in Kansas and traveling to another world where he builds relationships with people trying to discover the magic in themselves. Something about a road (but also something about quoting Robert Frost’s ‘the road not taken’). Crossing through the Dark Forest. Making his way to the Emerald (Man) City. And we know the point of Oz is that eventually you can not stay in the dream. The shoes you’ve found and worn will carry you back home - you’ve had the power within you this whole time. But it also begs the question: has Ted met the man behind the curtain yet? Or is that man meant to be the reflection of himself, the person - the dad and husband - he always assumed he’d be? Wizard of Oz is ostensibly a story about growth and questioning your belief in the role you’ve been assigned and when you’re ready, seeing who you really are and what the world really is. You had the power all along. The dream is a wonderful place, but it’s closing time and you want to go home. You want to go home.

“There’s no place like home.”

In Nightmare on Elm Street you are never safe in your home. Freddy Krueger hurt and sexually abused kids when he was alive (in the waking world), and after he died preyed on kids when they were asleep (in the dream world). And even when they were awake, the kids were always afraid that Freddy was after them. Jamie is literally afraid of his own Freddy Krueger. There are no magic shoes. There is no exploration of self, no growth, no learning - there is just constant, exhausting vigilance. The only way to kill Freddy Krueger is with fire, and even then he keeps coming back. And that’s the note that every Freddy Krueger movie leaves on. The idea and hope that maybe you’re safe. Maybe this time. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. So you try to enjoy that possibility as hard as you can, as much you can, but it’s forced, because you know deep inside that you can’t truly know that if you’re safe ever again. Because it’s the hope that kills you.

So Ted. Sweet Ted. Amazing Ted with his red heels and his beloved witches and his strange but wonderful companions and his flying monkeys. Ted probably feels like he is wrapping up in Oz, ready to face the wreckage of the tornado head on. He’s ready to leave the dream. And he thinks as he’s talking to a Jamie from his world, a Jamie that has grown so much and who’s so strong and smart and kind, a kid who’s so so brave. Because that’s what Ted has seen. That’s the role he’s played. From his viewpoint, this is how the movie goes.

But that’s not Jamie’s viewpoint. Jamie may have wandered into Ted’s play, but to him if he ever fit in, it was only because he was pretending. Because he was stopping himself from being a prick. Everyone else is great and does great things - it’s Jamie who needs to try harder. Ted’s dream was a great place to hide for a while, but Jamie was never waiting for the slippers; he was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. One, two, Freddy’s coming for you. You can’t hide from him. You can’t escape him. And he can even get you in your dreams.

Which is why there’s a point in every Freddy Krueger movie when the victim says they’ve had enough of hiding, and they take some sleeping pills, and they decide to face him head on.

So Ted thinks he’s ready to leave Oz behind and that everyone in Oz will be fine once he’s gone, when actually what he’s accidentally done is given Jamie an idea: to wade into the Dark Forest and confront Freddy Krueger head on. Jamie doesn’t h

Ted and Jamie are talking, but they’re not in the same movie. They’re not in the same genre. They’re both at the end of their movies, ready to face the bad guy, so they think they’re having the same conversation. But they’re not.

And once again I’ve typed so far that I’m not sure where I’m going with this, but there’s definitely. More story there. A climax that hasn’t happened. Another story to explore. Because what becomes of the companions after Dorothy leaves Oz? Even if Jamie defeats Freddy, will he survive to the end of his own movie? Does he make it to the sequel?

Will Roy Kent get to fight his dad like Jason Vorhees? Does he already own a machete, and does he borrow the hockey mask from Van Damme?

Now I’ll just pivot down a different somewhat related path (road):

Shoes.

Isaac literally told Keeley he just wanted to do something with shoes. Something about the shoes. Something about Jamie burning the shoes his mum got him. Something about all the football lads fighting over what kind of shoes they’re allowed to wear, and Dani hating mourning shoes and stealing Rebecca’s soft bright cozy ones that she never wears. Jamie being stuck in his socks at the locker room at Wembley. Roy wearing his colorful socks with the yoga mums. Keeley wearing shoes that out her on eye level with everyone else. Trent’s leopard shoes. All these people in Oz with their fucking shoes or lack thereof.

Dreams!

And shoes!

[funscarypdr]

"I don't know if I want to save Gods that don't love me"

[arsenicflame]

i lure you in with my incredible izzy hands takes and then i strike by spamming your dash with lesbians youve never heard of

[imminent-danger-came]

Nimoma has good emotional payoff and animation but nothing else to really write home about TBH

It's very SPOP in that way, where the arcs and scenes are solid when viewed outside of the media in gifset or clip form but don't work as well when actually watching what they're from

For sure! I think that's a problem she-ra and toh both share with Nimona—they struggle with setup but then go ham on the payoff, which leaves everything feeling somewhat unearned.

The end of the movie bugged me in particular—Ballister's 180 with calling Nimona a monster (something he KNOWS pushes her to the brink) after one conversation with his ex-boyfriend was...I think out of place?

Normally if you have a character make a wrong choice like that you, as the audience, would be questioning the whole movie if they had ever REALLY changed. Was Ballister's loyalty truly to Nimona or to the Institute/Goldenloin? But, by that point in the movie they had really sold me on Ballister's complete acceptance of Nimona and disregard of the institute, so....why would he turn on Nimona then? I'm surprised they didn't do this plot the other way, which would instead have only made it seem like Ballister betrayed Nimona, you know? Like they did in Tangled. That way you don't undo Ballister's movie long arc with one scene, but you can still have Nimona go berserk and make her way into the heart of the city.

There were also a couple of other things that felt kinda dropped by the end. Ballister being the first commoner to become a knight? The Queen's important role in this society? This kingdom's prejudice going SO deep that not even a child would give Nimona a chance after saving their life, yet blowing up the wall changed everyone's minds in the end?

There were a lot of good pieces, but they weren't quite put together in the right ways.

[the-woman-upstairs]

“I’ll take butch/femme dynamics in 2022 horror movie romances for $400, Alex.”

[potatoes-tomatoes]

I’ve been goin thru a steven universe rewatch since last week and… wow. Wow this show is revolutionary for queer voices. It was eye opening seeing everything unfold again.

It’s been wonderful experiencing the show with fresh eyes. I started the show, saw the premiere of the show, followed it and finished it while I was still closeted and bigoted. I saw the reveal of Garnet being a fusion, being love, and was initially disgusted and disappointed because I was TAUGHT to be disgusted and disappointed.

The residual bigotry flares up at times… but it’s not me anymore. Well it is, but it’s like.. the MEMORY of me seeing that moment through my old eyes. I do my best to not feel shame, but to understand and forgive myself and enjoy creating a new experience watching SU.

now that I’m (somewhat) open, I’ve been able to enjoy the show and appreciate how much it’s done for queer voices since. I… saw Ruby and Sapphire’s wedding for the first time, I saw it— not with my hands barely covering my eyes. What a triumph that this show inspired others to let queer ppl share their stories, experiences, hopes, fears, love, without shame! Steven Universe isn’t perfection— it’s flawed, beautifully flawed, like the people who made it, the people who watch it, and the characters in it. If the road it paved wasn’t perfect, then all the better for newer voices, newer stories to be like, that limestone thingy in roman rock to reinforce it. To make it better. to make like, longer gay roads! pff shit I think I was trying to be poetic and metaphorical or something, but I hope my point came across. I just have big feelings right now. I didn’t realize what SU did for this lil baby queer. It’s so inspiring

[kermiethefroog]

Obsessed with finding queerness in monstrosity

Taking the idea of a creature so abhorred and finding connection in the inhumanity, in the otherness, in the feared and reclaiming it as your own

Monsters are queer!!! vampires, werewolves, zombies, and many creatures of popular fiction are queer in their transformative and transgressive natures!!!

[sophclouds]

just finished watching nimona, i may or may not have sobbed

[spacebug7]

just rewatched luca. i miss my silly little fish guys :(

[mccoalminer]

Imagine being so far down a bigotry rabbit hole that you think people hating you must be because you're Not Part Of A Minority Group. Imagine being too self absorbed to consider the much more simple and plausible possibility that people hate you because you're... yknow... being an asshole. voldemort deluding himself into believing everyone hates him because he's straight and not because he's a white supremacist, mass murderer, literal personification of evil, etc

Girl help I'm being demonised and dehumanised for *checks notes* not being trans. Nothing to do with the hate and vitriol I'm spouting ahaha

She ain't even subtle anymore lmao

[polaris-likethestar]

dont think about how agatha all along could be considered as a queer allegory. dont think about how agathas mom telling her shes born evil is the exact same thing so many parents have told their children after they came out. dont think about how lilia hating the witch stereotypes is the same way queer people who dont fit typical lgbtq stereotypes feel. dont think about how when lilia said i loved being a witch after so much time spent hating it is how queer people feel when they can finally appreciate and accept and love who they are.

[pankomako]

dude not me thinking about post-gang war arc gang's bay aughghgh the character design ideas i have are so GOOOODDD

[tiktaalic]

gay! taylor swift just released a new song, and she's COMING. OUT. as a lesbian? yes as a lesbian! okay. which she's always been! okay alright jesus. it's called rainbow dress. hot summer june. sleepless afternoons. june. wearing my rainbow dress. is this taylor? she sounds bad. so full of pride. listen! what's hidden inside. like the vocals sound bad. jonathan van ness. jonathan van ness! okay. yeah he's gay. her best friend. i wanna have straight sex. she wants to have straight sex? at the gay pride parade. that's not so gay is it? this doesn't sound that gay. just normal sex. she's at the gay pride parade. nothing too weird. it's very confusing this song. yeah. a regular hunk with a beard. i wish there was straight pride. come on. at the gay pride parade. it's like a right wing talking point. if you guys aren't gonna listen? no no no. i'm gonna stop playing it. alright we'll listen we'll listen. we're gonna listen. she's talking about being at the gay pride parade. if this is supposed to be her song where she's coming out like why does she talk so much about straight pride? you have such a limited view of gender. oh yeah. you sniveling fuck. listen to the next verse. the second verse is gayer. i - you guys are gonna like it. who produced this? i think it was jack antonoff. i dream about your sweat. it sounds really bad. dripping down your balls. a sparkling chandelier. does she like this? she's really good at allegory. inside your shorts. julia are you okay? it's an ALLEGORY for QUEER LOVE. the balls line? i'm lost without a compass when i can't smell your balls. jesus ew that's like digusting. your balls are like a compass to my nose. what is this? pause - pause this. julia. what the fuck is this. are you guys gonna talk the whole time? i dont get it! i dont get what you're trying to do with this! where is she jt in the song. ... she's at the gay pride parade. alright yeah let's listen to it. it's fucking gay this next part? okay you're gonna love this part. i hate all vaginas. aaaaalright. it's an allegory! it's not gay at all! this was written by a maniac! no it's gay. even the one i got. dudes go down on me then they wanna kiss. this seems really like gender essentialist and hateful. that's disgusting gay shit. she has internalized homophobia. i am heterosexual. how are we supposed to interpret that? you guys are fucking assholes. yeah you know what we are being a little bit negative. i agree. she's gay. uhhh. you know. maybe she just wasn't like that outward about it with this one song.julia? julia? julia? she's gay! i'm sorry! i'm sorry! i'll kill you!