#imagine being this worried about whether someone is (or isn't) a fan of an artist

[mrsbakashi]

If you haven't grown out from your Swiftie phase by the age of 27 I'm worried for you honestly.

when you sent the first hateful message, i actually wrote 800+ words explaining what happened, how it happened, listed the most important points, detailed the authorities' reactions, delved into a bit of history on the production of big festivals and concerts, and much more. despite you never asking (just being judgmental and attacking me based on posts that were in my queue since before the first show even happened), i answered whether or not i am still a taylor swift fan.

but then you kept sending these and, honestly, it amused me. is 27 the age limit? i'm just asking for a friend.

why are you so obsessed?

[autistichalsin]

A fic writer's guide to leaving comments

I'm sure you've seen posts from fic writers expressing dismay at the death of feedback culture, and especially lamenting the phenomenon of people making private Discord servers to share fic recs, so that instead of having a chance to stumble on nice comments in the wild on Tumblr, Twitter, etc, fic writers are increasingly less likely to see good comments left about their work.

I also see the comments on those same posts flooded with people with concerns about commenting, so I am writing this as a guide for those new or unsure.

Firstly: some of you are probably asking, "why do fanfic writers need feedback at all? Shouldn't they be writing just for themselves?"

Well... No. Not really. People can and should create things for themself, yes, but that doesn't mean "continue to post content when no one seems to be engaging." Imagine cooking for someone who eats in utter silence and never says a single word about the meal. Imagine putting on a concert and receiving not a single applause, a cheer, nothing at all. It sounds utterly horrifying, doesn't it? Maybe even humiliating?

Writing for oneself means that positive reviews shouldn't be the sole factor in deciding whether to write/post/continue a story, not that a writer should feel obligated to write thousands of words for a story no one really reacts to in any way, especially when the writer sees creators of similar content (edits, fanarts, fanvids, fansongs, etc) get praised effusively for their work without this expectation being placed on them. It is very rare that artists are told they should draw for themselves the way fic writers are.

Further, and this may be a hot take, but I actually don't think it's inherently wrong to make positive reviews the main or even sole reason for writing or making art to begin with. People like being praised for things they do well. It's one of the most basic parts of human psychology. Human beings want to be praised, encouraged, validated, and celebrated sometimes; why do you think we celebrate birthdays? It's not egotistical. It might, perhaps, be setting oneself up for disappointment, but there's nothing inherently wrong with it, anyway.

Basically, all that to say: it's nice to tip your Uber drivers and baristas. It's nice to thank/compliment your spouse when they make you dinner. And it's nice to thank fan artists and fanfic writers when they make arts/fics that you enjoy.

Moving on: I also know some of you have some specific things you worry or are confused about, and those things might be stopping you from leaving feedback. So here is an FAQ of sorts:

Q: What if the story has a lot of chapters/the author has written many stories? Won't it be weird to go and leave so many comments on them?

A: You definitely can review only the latest chapter/fic and future installments if you so choose, but for the record, fanfics aren't like Instagram/Facebook; mass-commenting and kudosing old stories and chapters isn't seen as stalkerish. It's seen as a sign you're enjoying the content we made. Think of it this way: if a new Star Wars came out, and you were new to Star Wars, it would only make sense for you to go and watch (and post about) the previous movies, right?

Q: What if I don't know what to say?

A: That's perfectly okay! I have a guide at the bottom of this post if you need some ideas. But honestly, writers would rather a single ♥️ than nothing at all, so if you really can't think of anything, that's a good last resort.

Q: I'm afraid of saying the wrong thing and upsetting the writer.

A: There is almost no chance that you will say the wrong thing, unless you are giving unasked-for criticism (see below).

Q: What if I don't like the fic? Should I still comment?

A: No, it's definitely better to silently move on when you didn't enjoy it at all.

Note that while in the past, giving criticism was common practice, this has generally become less of something authors enjoy over time (perhaps tied in with the general lack of feedback; getting fewer comments in general can make it far more frustrating to get critical ones). If you are close to the writer, or if the criticism is just a SPAG issue, you can try asking the writer if they'd like to hear it, but otherwise, leave it be unless the author has indicated somewhere they're open to it. But please be nice. Anything you wouldn't say to an artist, don't do to a writer, please.

Q: In the past, I commented and the writer got mad at me.

A: If you weren't leaving unasked-for criticism, then likely the problem was that particular author. Don't let it deter you from commenting on others. Every group of people has assholes, including writers.

Q: I saw an author who requested no comments on their fic/turned off comments on their fic.

A: Not every writer ultimately DOES want comments, though the majority do. Likely that person was having anxiety, or had recently been harassed/received rude comments and didn't want to bother with it.

Q: An author limited comments to registered users only.

A: See above; likely they did this either as a harassment mitigation member or to prevent minors from reading their fics, especially if it was an NSFW work.

Q: I saw a note that a writer had "enabled comment moderation" on their story. Does that mean they don't want me to comment?

A: Not at all! It means they likely have been harassed/received rude comments, or have reason to fear they will (I.E. have recently posted a story dealing controversial themes, or have received such comments on other sites), and are activating a setting where you can comment, but they need to manually approve the comment before it shows up, which will prevent nasty comments from being read. In these cases, a nice comment might actually mean even more to them, because it shows they have support- so by all means, show them some extra love!

Q: Are there any cases where I shouldn't comment?

A: Yes, but these are mostly individual cases, not a hard rule. In addition to the circumstances listed above (author preference or leaving a negative comment), please do not comment if you are a minor and the fic is rated higher than teen (you shouldn't be reading these to begin with, but if you are, please don't make it obvious you did so), or conversely, if you write higher-than-teen-rated fics and the fic is written by a minor. Also, if the author has blocked you on other platforms, do not comment, as this is block evasion.

Q: Is it okay to comment just to ask for an update/to prompt another fic?

A: It depends largely on context, tone, etc. "I hope this updates soon" is 100% fine. Guilt trippy messages, like "it's been two years, I know you have been going through a lot but you have an obligation to your readers" are NEVER okay. Similarly, with prompts, saying "I hope you explore (thing) one day" is fine, especially if you know the author, but if your first comment to them ever is requesting a fic for a completely different scenario, ship, etc than they wrote, with little or nothing about the actual fic you're replying to, it will come across as rude.

Q: Is it okay to ask an author for permission to translate the fic into another language or make another derivative work?

A: Absolutely, but not every author will want this to be done, and you need to be prepared to respect their no if they give one. Think of it like asking a restaurant for one of their recipes. Some will happily give it out, others consider it a personal/guarded secret.

That said, do not even dare ask about feeding the work to an AI. Fanfic writers DO NOT want AI touching their work. Same for artists. Yes, this includes trying to make an ending for an abandoned fic. Do not do it.

Q: The author of this fic has held their story "hostage" by refusing to update until they get a certain number of reviews. What should I do?

A: This is a hard one. Of course, no one owes an author reviews, and this sort of thing is considered cringey, and endlessly mocked, for a reason. However, please try to do some perspective-taking and practicing empathy here. Authors are having to put out PSAs on this site and others just to try and get people to engage with their content. Imagine being a musician, getting on stage, performing song after song, and being met with silence, or maybe a single courtesy golf clap here or there. You'd start to doubt yourself, wouldn't you? You might feel inclined to stop playing unless you start getting an indication people actually care about your music, because performing to utter silence is absolutely humiliating. The manner of doing so is all wrong in this case, but try to show a bit of compassion, and imagine how awful, how utterly crushed the author must have been to do this in the first place.

It is definitely your right to not engage with the fic/author anymore, especially if you had been reviewing before the fic got taken 'hostage' and felt the author wasn't grateful for your comments. But if you wanted to be especially kind, you could take some time to try and lift the author up instead, and show them that even if others are not leaving comments, the fic ultimately does mean something to you. It just might be enough for the author to rethink their position.

Q: Why isn't a kudos enough?

A: It's not that a kudos isn't enough, per se: we all enjoy getting likes. But to continue my metaphor above, well... when you perform music, a cheer does feel very different than a courtesy golf clap, you know? You appreciate the golf claps, they are very kind and always welcome, but cheers, "YEAH!"s, and such are what you really live for. And a standing ovation? That could literally change your entire opinion on your art.

Q: I want to leave a comment, but I'm really scared/don't know how/don't know what to say.

A: That's totally okay. Below, I give some ideas of what to say, but keep in mind that if you really don't know what to say, emoji are totally fine! A ♥️ is still really great and will make us smile. Put some keysmashes! Put in just a ton of exclamation points and nothing else! "AHHH OMG!" Those are all perfectly fine!

BUT, if you want to leave something a little more in-depth, here are some great places to start! Trust me, fanfic writers LOVE all of these and would be delighted to get these comments.

ASK QUESTIONS! "Does this mean x?" or "I'm curious, when x said y, is that a sign that z is at play?"

Tell us how you felt while reading the story/chapter. If we made you cry in a particularly sad scene, PLEASE TELL US FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! WE LOVE THAT!

If you are in a Discord or other space that's talking about the story, tell us what you/your mutuals/your friends are saying about it. This is a great idea for if you don't know what to say! Even just a "we never shut up about this fic in the Discord" is wonderful to hear.

Tell us what drew you in to the fic (did you like the summary? Was it recced somewhere?) and what made you stay.

Say something you found unique/intriguing about the fic. Maybe you liked the characterization, or the author did a really good job of setting the scene. Let them know!

Make a personal connection to the text, especially if the author wrote something that felt very real to your lived experience.

YELL IN ALL CAPS THAT YOU WANT TO HURT THE VILLAIN OR HUG THE SUFFERING WOOBIE OR SMACK THE MAIN PAIRING FOR BEING OBLIVIOUS ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS!

If this story has changed something for you, tell us. If it changed how you see a character, made you ship a ship you never thought of before, changed how you see canon, opened your eyes to a societal issue, gave you a line you think about a lot- please tell us!

Indulgently play along with our cliffhangers. Pretend you don't know that the character will be fine. Pretend that we would actually do it and you're SO SCARED RN for this character.

Wanna know a secret? Wanna know a writer's catnip? Want to know an instant way to make a writer print out your comment for motivation to read later? Quote/paraphrase/reference a bit of text that you loved and tell us your exact thoughts and emotions on it, why you loved it, etc. Quote half the damn chapter back at us in the comments and we will probably propose marriage to you on the spot tbh.

Remember, if you truly can't think of anything to say, just a single emoji still does wonders!!

Hope this guide helps! Happy commenting!

[vasito-de-leche]

Ngl I adore the way you write Dj subatomic

Would you be down to do hcs of him as a dad?

;NSR DJSS - Parent Headcanons

Compilation of headcanons and analysis about DJ Subatomic Supernova as a father and dealing with parenthood.

glad you like it! I'm still working veeeeery slowly on the other love languages posts, but I lost steam halfway thru, so I'm procrastinating those by answering this one lolol

i'll leave the details as to how he becomes a father up to y'all, since i dont rlly care abt those specifics - adoption, biological kids, etc, up to yall!

DJSS never really considered starting a family nor having children.

As someone who priotizes his work first and foremost, having a family - let alone children who require attention 24/7 - just isn't a possibility in his book, DJSS considers it a setback rather than an ideal lifestyle. So fatherhood is something that's thrown at him and catches him by surprise, if that makes sense. I can only see him accepting such responsibility if it's the only option available, if there's absolutely no one and nowhere else the child can go to.

Once again, he's an outlier when compared to the other Megastars. They have themes of unity, bonding with others and different types of families, not just the nuclear family example: the Sayu Gang have each other, Yinu's parents are a huge an important part of her life, 1010 act as a unit and, whether you see Neon J as their parental figure or not, he's still responsible for them in a way. Eve connects with like-minded artists and her fans, Tatiana connects with the megastars, Vinyl City as a whole and Eve herself. Even DK West is here by virtue of being Zuke's brother. DJSS is just there, all alone.

I like to think that the time he spent working as a teacher had a big impact on him, growing disillusioned overtime with not only his passions but the concept of community - the current DJSS doesn't really see a point in nurturing any sort of relationship that isn't transactional nor profitable.

Some characters worry about being good parents and influences, some worry about their economic situations not being enough to support a child, and so on and so forth. DJSS simply doesn't care about any of that, he's got a stable life and is confident in his skills (at the very least, confident in his ability to learn how to care for a child pretty quickly). He just... never considered the idea of being a father.

Whether the kid is a boy or a girl or anything else, he doesn't care. He has no preference. The only opinion he has relates to the amount of kids he'll allow - which is one. The less kids running around, the better.

Treats parenthood like a job, basically. DJSS appears to be a neglectful parent on the outside, but is very attentive to his kid's needs.

There is always a sense of distance and a layer of feigned indifference when it comes to his very scarce relationships, this is no different.

During the first years, DJSS makes a point to treat his role as a father like a job - it's how he tackles things, seeing them as tasks to solve. His approach can be easily read as him being uninterested, maybe even neglectful - at least to outsiders. DJSS has cultivated quite the reputation, being a polarizing figure to the public and all, so the fact that he has a child certainly doesn't sit well with those who exclusively see him for being arrogant and irresponsible.

He's very private about this aspect of his life, ignoring any questions about his child or his struggles as a parent. It's easy to assume he just doesn't care at all.

Those who DO know DJSS are fully aware of his dedication, his work ethics might be unorthodox and only make sense to him but damn if he doesn't get the job done. The reason he can act so casual is because of the work he puts in behind the scenes, multitasking a hundred different things to ensure the kid is fully cared for. After all, the happier this kid is, the less troublesome they'll be.

I imagine that during the first years, he provides for the child without getting himself directly involved. If they show interest in something in particular, like dinosaurs for example, DJSS won't take them to any exhibits but he will buy them encyclopedias and leave documentaries on for them to watch. If they need interaction and friends, he'll set up weekly playdates with Yinu (if she's not too old) - maybe even let the other Megastars babysit his kid. They've all probably pestered him about bringing his kid to work just so they can meet them, finding babysitters isn't a problem.

Once again, distance. DJSS doesn't want his career to end so suddenly just because he has to take care of a human life. Until he finds his footing and comes to term with being a father, DJSS resorts to finding people who are properly equipped to care for the kid when needed, all while he ensures that all of their needs are met without directly stepping in.

He becomes very perceptive to his kid and any changes in their behaviour, being able to tell if they've had a bad day or if they're hiding something from him just from a few glances. DJSS makes sure to be informed about his kid's friends, their passions and hobbies, likes and dislikes... All so he can nudge them in the right direction or give them advice in his own subtle way.

I want to insist that this isn't a case of an unloving father who purposefully ignores his child. It's more so an issue of properly connecting and bonding with each other. DJSS knows them like the back of his hand, but only the things he's been able to gleam and observe - and his child? They wouldn't be able to tell you HIS favorite color. And yet they both care about each other in their own way. It's a very one-sided, complex family dynamic.

Contrary to popular belief, DJSS would not want to be his kid's teacher. But their education is still very important to him.

Does he have a lot of things to say about the current education system? Yes. Does he think he could do a better job than every single teacher in Vinyl City? Absolutely, his ego is big enough for that.

But when it comes to his kid's education, DJSS understands that he's been a little out of touch with the basics. He didn't get a degree to be an elementary or highschool teacher, after all.

While he can't pick them up from school or attend every single parent-teacher meeting, DJSS makes a point of meeting all of his kid's teachers to ensure they're taking their jobs seriously and also keeps up with the curriculum - just in case his kid has any trouble with homework. Part of him does want them to have great grades, as otherwise would reflect poorly on him, but at the end of the day, DJSS would want them to do their best, to learn out of a genuine sense of curiosity.

I can see DJSS and his kid having study sessions, in which he casually complains about all the new things that he "should know about" like the old man he is, but feeling a surge of pride whenever his kid corrects him - something about seeing himself in them and whatnot. If they end up becoming interested in his own field of work, he'll be SO smug and happy about it.

Let's be honest, his kid is bound to have at least some interest in something space-adjacent given... Well, their father being a literal black hole and astrophysicist. It would be suuuuper funny to me if his kid became interested in astrology instead during their rebellious teens, just to spite him. Either way, if they choose something else entirely, he'll support them (after some nagging like "are you SURE that's what you want?" etc).

Maybe this is the way he could properly bond with his kid, while also rekindling his love for teaching and letting go of some bitter old habits and views.

DJSS is the type of parent who really starts to connect with his kid once they grow up, when the passage of time hits him all at once and he worries about them not being close.

Somehow, it's easier to DJSS to deal with a rebellious teenager or a struggling young adult than dealing with a child or toddler.

Probably one of the very few characters who can stand having a sassy kid who talks back or drops the most devastating comebacks ever - he can't complain there, they picked up that attitude directly from HIM, he can tell. They've absolutely heard him talk down to NSR staff and anyone who pisses him off.

I get the feeling he and his kid would banter a lot, growing closer while struggling to find ways of being vulnerable around each other - because another thing that his kid gets from him is that lingering distance. They're probably used to independence, to doing things on their own and not ask for help unless strictly necessary because that's exactly DJSS' own modus operandi.

So it's all awkward, baby steps towards progress. But the second DJSS and his kid become besties, it's absolutely OVER for everyone else. Everyone in NSR knows better than to try and out-sass them when they're together.

Expect a lot of debates, just a lot of them about anything and everything. Either for shits and giggles, to discuss theories or really in-depth stuff. People often assume they're arguments because of how seriously he and his kid seem to take it, but it's all in good fun.

Personally, as combative and defensive DJSS can be when it comes to subjects he's passionate about (or because of his pettiness), I don't see him being the type to ever argue with his kid. At this point, he's fully come to terms with his role as their dad. If there's anyone worth listening to on this side of the universe is his kid. Had it been anyone else, he would've just walked out the door and ignored them, but that's his kid. Their opinion is important to him.

And here's a random assortment of headcanons I don't have enough to expand on!

DJSS is absolutely the type of parent who gloats and brags about anything his kid achieves to every single other parents in the vicinity. He might have a hard time being verbally and physically affectionate with his kid, but damn if he doesn't love talking everyone's ears off about their achievements.

He doesn't take many photos nor have any dedicated albums to them as a family, but he 100% saves all of their tests and essays and homework and drawings.

Has a lot of small tapes recorded throughout the years for his kid. These range from sneaky recordings of them as a kid babbling about silly things, him reading bedtime stories to them when they were young, heartfelt apologies or speeches that he never got the courage to say outloud, retellings of specific events like their first failed exam, their first broken bone, their first trip somewhere... Or very domestic things like grocery shopping lists, etc etc. He's dramatic and extra like that.

Least likely to threaten his kid's romantic partner to treat them right or else. DJSS trusts their judgement. However, expect to be blacklisted from any NSR-owned facility and store within Cast Tech should you break his kid's heart.

I like to think that his kid calls Eve "Auntie" and that she's the only one within NSR to get that special treatment, since I HC DJSS and Eve as besties <3. She's also the one to save them from DJSS' fashion sense cause he thinks it's perfectly fine to wear shorts in the middle of winter.

DJSS is entirely indifferent about their preference for EDM or Rock, that's their business. But he would love to be involved when/if his kid starts to dabble in music.

DJSS does have space-themed nicknames for his kid, but he's worried about being cringe so he only uses them whenever his kid isn't within earshot. He couldn't care less about random people hearing him use these nicknames and whatnot, but as much as he denies it, he wants his kid to think he's cool.

[statementlou]

I'm not gonna lie, Louis referring to his queer fans or the fact the he has them as "weird" would be pretty disheartening. one thing was to do that in 2014 around the great gay war, with so many indicators that they were actively fighting. another is to do this now, in 2023. and even a straight artist not for one second to consider his lyrics could resonate with queer fans regardless of larry would be a bit shitty. I'm just saying that whatever he says is gonna be VERY hard to believe he was forced to. And if he openly shits on Harry it's safe to say his career - as the chance of 1D ever reunite even for a quick photo - is over.

well I absolutely agree that he will not have been 'forced' to say anything that he says in this movie. And I hear where you are coming from, but I just think the catastrophizing is unnecessary. First of all, we have ONE (1) almost certainly made up and definitely purposefully shit stirring anon (and a slow news day) to thank for all this discourse, we have no idea yet what will be in the movie, and it is always weird to me that people are so ready to believe the worst when I, personally, feel like Louis always comes through for me and gives me the BEST. Have FAITH in LOUIS!! WHEN does he let us down like literally WHEN???? (Unless all you care about is him coming out/ ending it/ confirming larry, in which case, IDK, get your priorities right and appreciate what's in front of you? Cause those things are not happening.) But anyway...

I can completely imagine a scenario in which Louis says he thinks it's weird that so many queers feel inspired by him and it makes me want to hug him forever- because I think he does find it weird and remarkable. It makes me think of that one 1D days receipt where someone said they met him on the street and told him he inspired them as a gay and he was like "I don't see how with the way things are but that means a lot." I think that was probably made up, but also it rings true to me, I feel like he does find it wild that with the public face of everything we still are here and love him so much and see what we do in him and think he's brave. As for the Harry thing, anything he says about him will be taken wrong and distorted and picked on by everyone, if he says anything at all less than "he's my husband and has never done anything wrong in his entire life he is perfect" people will say he's "shitting on Harry"; but that said, Louis is an intelligent media trained person, why are people seriously debating whether he's gonna get on screen and talk shit about Harry Styles?! also literally when in Louis' entire life has he ever said one single bad thing about Harry come on It's not fucking realistic and that alone should tell you that that anon either made all that up or it's just a really bad interpretation of whatever was actually said because the person, like everyone else around here, was so busy expecting the worst that they couldn't just chill and listen to Louis. Like, worst case scenario, let's say he does say that Harry was being offered some really incredible opportunities and he wanted to take them and Louis hadn't really thought about what he would do after the band and so when that happened he felt blindsided and adrift by suddenly not having his ever waking moment scheduled and accounted for (as Liam has also talked about experiencing), would that be so horrible??? That sounds like real life stuff and I don't personally think anyone is the bad guy there or it's horrible to say, but also I BET HE DOESN'T SAY THAT. IDK man, I just think we should all calm down and wait and see, but I'm REALLY not worried that the bombshell of this movie will be Louis coming out as being against Harry or talking shit about his fans, you know?! Come ON. I expect that with the premieres before the release we're going to get a whole lot more overwrought interpretations of things but I don't buy it; I look forward to hearing what Louis has to say and I will be real surprised if it isn't reasonable and interesting and probably mostly NOT THAT BIG A DEAL

[inspiteallthedanger]

I’m not the crazy anon and I very much don’t think Yoko killed John. But with all the chatter about her at the moment, I wondered if you thought she was an overall good thing for John or not? What are your thoughts on her outside of the end of John’s life and the estates handling of things?

Gosh, big questions here today. Going under the cut to spare you all...

This is a tough one, because sometimes when we look at this issue, it's so easy to analyse it in a vacuum. Like, if Yoko hadn't arrived on the scene none of the rest of the things that she and John did together would have happened. But, I don't think that's true. John isn't always given agency/the blame in a way I think isn't fair to him or Yoko.

John was an addict before he met her. John was looking for a boat to 'get him away from the Paul boat'. He was restless and depressed and searching for something new. He was worried about his weight. He was frustrated with the direction of The Beatles. He was an absent father and terrible at keeping in contact with his his friends. He was a codependent person that liked someone that was willing to give themselves up entire to be with him.

All of which means a lot of the hugely negative stuff we associate with her was already going to happen. It’s also impossible to say if it would have been better or worse without her. Magic Alex wasn’t a better influence, and it’s not like Paul was an option.

So then we're left to look at what she did for some things we might be able to pull apart and be sure of what she did influence. Like his art.

She was pushing him in a few directions, there. And really, it's subjective on whether you like them. Firstly, the raw honesty that John was always into she encouraged more and more. He’d written Julia before they were together, but would he have recorded it? She also pushed the idea of the artist as the art. So that's where we get things like Sometime in New York City, but we also get Ballad of John and Yoko. Obviously New Virgins/The wedding album doesn’t happen. Although, again, John was not into being weird and out there, so I can’t imagine whatever he decided to do, wouldn’t have been slightly controversial because that’s who he is.

On a personal level, I like a lot of what they got up to. The acorns and the bed ins. But I'm really not a fan of the way she had a tendency to put down John's work before her as 'selling-out'. It clearly didn't help with John wanting to break free from the band and it also... isn't true and I just find that whole vibe annoying and snobbish. That said, then arguing in interviews about it is very funny to me.

As to their relationship more broadly; she was clearly just as co-depent as John. So, them doing drugs together and also wanting to completely subsume themselves into one person was a joint decision. This isn't, obviously, healthy. But it was a decision they came to together and were just as bad as each other. But it's hard to say it's 'good' or positive. Even though I think that’s exactly why John went to her at his lowest. She did give him the security to get back into the swing of things. Coping mechanisms aren’t inherently bad until they start impacting the rest of your life negatively (and it obviously did).

As for: did she cut him off from everyone he loved or save his life? I mean, this is virtually impossible to answer. We know for a fact that she kept Paul and others from getting through to him at certain times. We also know that when she was with him, Julian was cut out. Again, is this entirely her? It can't be. John could have fought to see his son. He didn't. Would you generally hope your partner encourages your good behaviours and discourages the bad? Sure, that's a fair assessment. But we don’t know how much John was doing the same to her.

But, I've said before that I think John needed a break from the business. It gave him a perspective on things he probably needed and I believe he loved being a dad and with Sean. Again, there are ways that he could have done this that would have been healthier. We also only have a very limited number of sources for the Dekota years and none of them are reliable. So, I’m left to assume that it was somewhere down the middle. He was sometimes deeply depressed because that was John’s personality but he was also sometimes happy and content. Again, there are ways that she could have encouraged more healthy behaviour during that time, but I don’t know how much that should fall on someone’s spouse.

On Yoko herself, I enjoy her music, I think her Plastic Ono Band album is really interesting and has some really fascinating things going on. I probably prefer her Double Fanstsy stuff, once she'd got a little more commercial. I can't really comment on her art, because it's not an area I know a lot about. But, that said, she was really, really well respected. She was a big deal in the art world well before John, and I do think sometimes that's overlooked.

For what it's worth, I get John's attraction to Yoko. She's hot, she's smart, funny and intensely intelligent. Her whole thing works on me, so, I've never understood the hate really. I don’t like the suggestion that she���s this dower, humourless bitch. Like. Why on Earth would John be with her, were that the case?

While I don't buy into the myth that the Lennon Estate puts out about their relationship and how perfect it was. I believe they wouldn't have stayed together. But, they did love one another fiercely. Yoko made John a lot of money. She gave him the confidence to create some beautiful art. She also brought out some of his worst qualities and made a lot of them worse.

I'm also, fwitw, not a fan of the estate's view of who John was. But, I sort of get why she went the root she did.

So there we have it. There’s obviously books you could write about her. But that’s the brief overview of my thoughts about her.

[chili-aux]

*whispers* okay heres the tea. some big er/uri account got into a fight with a lvhn shipper under that zodiac official art post cuz they said that the latter has more basis than ruri so the big account asked them to pm as to why they think that and they messaged them a thread by our resident god levihantrash covering crumbs from manga to the spinoffs, interviews etc. the big account posted screenshots of those on their main(typical ruri behaviour im sorry ahah) and now they are all like "imagine having to consider unofficial stuff and all just to get crumbs for your hc ship" "hange filthy, why do you romanticize levi bathing them" and all that shit they always they say. Its funny cuz they are currently celebrating their ship being canon bcuz an old artist has a song called midnight sun in their new ep(which has nthng to do with aot btw) describing ruri’s bond apparently and we are ones grasping for crumbs lmfao. i hope this isn’t too controversial haha, that ship is cool and all but the shippers are wack. Thanks for letting me ramble lol<3

no worries about rambling anon!!! you can ramble as much as you want ^_^

i will try to be objective as possible.

I'm all for being a respectful shipper, staying on the ships' respective lanes, and just hyping the ship and the contents it has - doesn't matter if it is canon or fanon.

in my perspective, both sides are in the wrong. there's this sentence saying "shut up" and honestly, we all need to practice that. i'm not really a fan of ship wars, even though i sometimes engaged in one. they're just draining and i don't have enough energy to deal with it continuously. however, there are just many points that I want to debunk here.

first things first, I honestly don't like eruri. i just can't see the romantic side of erwin and levi's relationship but I still respect it. as a levihan shipper though who has hange's guts in her veins, I wouldn't explicitly say to a public platform that "hey levihan has more basis than this ship" but in a more subtle form of "Levihan Canon As Fuck" and if someone replied, I will just ignore and block them. in my opinion, that's more respectful.

In short, the wrong thing that that levihan shipper did was mentioning another ship besides levihan - furthermore, in a negative manner. it will really attract ship wars, whether we like it or not.

As for that eruri who replied, ya know, if someone dmed me about a topic that is so 'controversial in both fandoms - a topic that always incites ship wars such as what ship is really canon or not - it's time for a healthy discussion. however, I know that I'm in no position to talk cuz I'm not even the one who got involved. but the thing is, dm means direct message - both of you can talk in a civil manner, discuss each other's part of the argument in a healthier way without anyone interfering. but it seems like that didn't happen in this case.

why did that eruri post the convo with that levihan shipper? that's so fucked up - especially with that caption lol.

before you proceed, I'm afraid to tell yall that my shipping goggles are on, and being objective was thrown away cuz I'm just pissed by this part.

"imagine having to consider unofficial stuff and all just to get crumbs for your hc ship"

what did you all call all of these then? fanarts? guess we have to thank isayama for being the greatest and biggest levihan fanartist out there then.

and even if both are from spin-offs, they wouldn't be there if isayama wasn't consulted.

and in the anime...

Yeah, we're grasping in plentiful contents :D

"hange filthy, why do you romanticize levi bathing them"

man... why are you turning levi into a balloon then? /hj /lh

anyway, it's the first time I heard about that song and that topic so I don't have much say on it. but if it really doesn't have a connection on aot, then why? I'm genuinely asking why do these shippers relate their ship to something that isn't even related to the canon material? and we're grasping for straws? for crumbs? it... doesn't make sense.

The bottom line tho, be respectful. don't fuel ship wars or engage in ship wars cuz, in all honesty, they're all pathetic af. I'm saying this unironically cuz this post might fuel one and I might get hate on this again lol. but go off, idc.

btw, thank you for the ask anon. ramble as much as you want. i won't mind!!

[the-good-bad-truth]

I want to dive deeper into the toxicity of rock genre. There is nothing wrong with liking 1 genre or even having an opinion. However, there is a line b/w having music preferences and constantly hating an artist(s) or genre just because it's not what u listen to. There's been fans or even bands themselves who will hate on someone for wearing band merch. I can understand why their defensive especially if the person wearing it doesn't know the band and wearing it cuz it looks cool but is it a bad thing. The artist, Yungblud, who I think is actually underrated gets hated cause he paints his nails, is open about his sexuality and wears skirts. I guess it has to do with the misogyny, homophobia and toxic masculinity within this genre. In the 80s, most of the men would wear makeup, fishnets and also paint their nails but we're seen as hot. The big names in rock also like to play the blame game. I think it was Gene Simmons who said rock was dead cuz of fans. He is right that people can found ways to listen to music w/out paying. But does he expect his fans who most likely need to pay bills to pay for $200+ tickets/merch or another remastered greatest hits album. Is it the fans fault for artists getting paid less or the labels/streaming services that cheat the artist. Its also like he and many already popular rock bands aren't really suffering financially from streaming cuz they already rich. If anything it's smaller artist that have to find new ways of promoting and building a strong fanbase. I think this is what bands can learn from younger bands cuz I don't think older bands were able to build a close bond with fans like the newer artist have. I saw a comment saying if anyone actually liked mgk music then there losers or something like that. So ur saying that a 15 yr old who is struggling with anxiety or a 30 year old who got sober with the help of mgks music is a loser. Corey Taylor is known as Slipknots frontman but to rock media he is the guy whose opinion is seen as "law" in rock. I've seen videos where he talked about how he hates or made "jokes" about pop/ hip hop music, mgk, to cd cases to comparing imagine dragons to the new Nickelback. I think it's weird and maybe he's not totally to blame but it's like u really want to be known as the guy who hates everything and complains that rock is not original but won't allow artist to be original because then their try hard or posers. He's not the only one that does this, there are many others who criticize new artists. In stranger things, they used "Master of puppets" by Metallica and ST fans used it in TikToks but Metallica fans were upset. I didn't see what the issue was because doesn't it help the band. I think that new alternative music is original cuz artists are blending genres or adding their own twist on the older rock. You have Post Malone, mgk, juice wrld, Yungblud who combined Linkin park, blink 182, and rap/hip hop together. You also have more female artists like Halsey, siickbrain, Nessa, Billie eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Halestorm. They call new rock not real music or that it's just cheesy lyrics but wasn't a majority of 80s bands like Poison, Kiss, Motley crue songs about girls, sex and parties. Those lyrics weren't exactly relatable but they were great because those fans wanted music to have fun to and the bands provided the larger then life, crazy, fast paced lifestyle their fans dreamed of. You can take every genre and see why people would gravitate towards it whether it's cuz of the vibe or energy it creates, relatable lyrics, or it just sounds good. That's why this new music is perfect cuz it isn't really about who can wear merch or who slept with the most girls or parties the hardest but instead it's about being who you want to be w/out being judged, having a good time even when your having a bad time in your mind. In a way, rock is still an escape for people who wanted to take a breather from their problems and worries and just enjoy music.

[lesbiancarat]

Haha its fine! Im book anon for a reason so take all the time you need! Before I start, I wanna apologize for the possible asks you got about the merch and hybe in general. I didn't intend to cause stress and need to be careful bdjahdsj so slap me with a fish!

Onto the ask! But agreed, I mean before the big kpop boom we saw, this was very common. Build a decent fanbase and then move to Japan or China. (Of course sometimes you see INSTANT movement in other countries but that depends on the company and such but you know what I mean) but since we do have the more global kpop era, we may see more companies do America which isn't a bad thing. It makes sense buisness wise so they will jump on it after debut or something. Thus I don't see it a bad thing for kpop groups to promote in America because hey, if in Korea they do sell western artist music who also tour there, kpop groups can also do the same ya know?

Now onto the hybe comment, I will try not to speak too much on it so I will try to summarize. I think my theory is due with merch from their main artist, they think maybe it could work with svt which maybe could but svt has a different fanbase so throwing on random merch won't make fans really want to buy (not saying some won't which kudos to you! As a fan you are allowed to consume what you please except not be a bad apple about it) so thus like the infamous water bottles which was done for bts, they thought why not do it for svt because bts fans sold it out apparently for a 2nd wave of it being sold again. (Which to this day idk why someone in the hybe team thought this was smart. Like...this is just in bad taste imo) I do wanna agree that it appears that hybe doesn't seem to have a proper art team for svt because while sometimes wild, I do know for their main artist they do have thoughtful merch based around say an album concept I recall. Kf course they will make mistakes i.e. the water bottles. I do wish it can improve because even though it is capitalism, I think fans do want decent merch. We have seen interesting ideas like svt making their own magazine and selling it lol. Of course it is hard to please because some fans want subtle merch ideas while others don't mind the vibrant pastel colors we got or some want wild ideas like svt figurines or something. Overall I hope I didn't drag this too much as I just wanted to respond back to you, I agree with many points you said so yeah cx I say let's also wait as this is barely what, a year or even less of svt being under hybe properly. Especially when hybe had its rebranding and expanding so things are being changed, I know fans are worried about this which is valid but let's not panic just yet. Let's come back in a year to this and see what has improved and what hasn't. (OK but peldis sold the boys rings!? :o since when!? I haven't heard of this actually, when did this happen if I may ask?)

Oof yeah sadly with streaming, many view "oh you don't stream it means you aren't a fan" when isn't the case (which is why I personally don't like when certain companies also do "listening parties" which seems a bit ???) I do remember this popped up big in 2017 but many fans called it out so it quiet down a bit. Like we didn't see it so often where fans were causing problems over it so idk why this returned nor what the cause of it was.

But thank you!! It really was a nice closing chapter, I think when I have personal stuff settled I will try maybe get a new bunny? And oohh congrats on the album! (Note to hybe or pledis. Please make the us store a more common thing, it makes things so much easier! Am happy it was at your place quick so kudos to the us store. Oohh wonderful choices! I think for many fans anyone or heaven's cloud seems to be the popular picks? For me, I may have to say game boi or heaven's cloud as well! Those songs make me just so happy? Like game boy is just so creative with the way it was made. As a video game nerd, it is perfection. I could make an essay about this song lol and heaven's cloud is just...wow. I feel so at ease with the song, comfortable and soothed. Like you are on a cloud lol. Also that is totally fine! Rtl was a grower for me (I blame the mv, it didn't do the song jusitice) but it is a bop and can't stop humming the chorus at random moments. Overall a great summer album. Just imagine any of these songs performed live ndjansns

lol don't feel too bad about it! honestly they weren't that bad + i can always delete asks if i really don't want to answer them, i just always get a bit paranoid that things will get out of hand so i may end up getting more serious in those situations OTL

and yeah i agree! i don't think it's a bad thing for groups to promote in the US, as you said, it's similar to groups expanding their fanbase by promoting in china or Japan or other asian counties, it makes sense from a business standpoint and there's nothing wrong with promoting in different countries. i just wish that some kpop stans understood that western and/or global popularity is a bonus and not a requirement for success. while they do have a global appeal, at the end of the day kpop's main audience is korea, and groups that achieve popularity in Korea have already achieved what they set out to do. but there's unfortunately a decent chunk of international fans that prioritize western popularity over anything and can't fathom that a group can be successful without being popular in the US. or they just talk as if their groups western achievements are more valuable than their Korean ones and to me that starts to look like xenophobia... (sorry if I'm repeating anything i said before in regards to this, i feel like i am but I'm too lazy to go back and check OTL)

since you sent this ask hybe released the caratland merch which was actually really nice, and today they also announced that there will be birthday merch for cheol (and presumably all members from here on out). we don't know what the bday merch is yet but some carats are already a bit miffed that hybe is even thinking to capitalize off the boys' birthdays... i bring both of these up bc i feel like the caratland merch proves your point that hybe is capable of designing good and thoughtful merch, and honestly this does reassure me a bit. but on the other hand them trying to capitalize off the boys' birthdays also proves that they still don't fully understand carats wants and priorities as a fanbase. which, if the future of seventeens merch is gonna be quality merch with some shitty cash grabs in between, i can live with that. I'm not gonna like the shitty cash grabs and i think it would be in our best interest as a fandom to not go crazy buying those shitty cash grabs, because if we don't then hybe will hopefully stop wasting their time and put more effort into /quality/. but if we get quality merch for important events like concerts and fanmeetings, i can live with it. as you said too, it can take time for these things to change, and we should all recognize that. but at the same time merch specifically is market driven, so i don't think it's a bad thing if people like @ hybe on twt about any bad merch that comes out in order to drive that change dhfkfj

but also on a maybe more fun note in regards to the merch... with some carats being upset about the bday merch i was thinking about what hybe could do for merch instead that would fill the niche of being at intervals throughout the year that could still be limited time drops but that carats wouldn't be mad at them capitalizing on and then i was like duh! they could literally just make merch off of going seventeen! honestly I'm surprised they haven't yet. maybe not merch for every episode, but they could have a line of permanent gose merch w a basic logo or something and then release limited time merch themed around some of the more popular episodes at various points during the year. I'm actually kind of obsessed with this idea now and for once I'm like hybe/pledis please capitalize off of this!! dhfkgjg

they never actually sold them, but for seventeens 3rd anniversary, pledis planned to sell replicas of seventeens rings. after it was announced carats were understandably upset since the boys worked so hard for those. luckily pledis heard carats concerns and put out an apology and didn't manufacture them in the end. I'm glad that at least they listened to carats even though it would have been better if they had never considered the idea in the first place :(

oh yeah listening parties are definitely just another marketing technique to boost streams. i think like with a lot of marketing techniques, it just depends on the execution. imo if they're done well it can be a good way for fans to connect while listening to an artists music, which is mutually beneficial for the company, but i can totally see a situation where companies get greedy and push it too hard. i don't know anything about what happened with them back in the day, but if you're curious why SVT had listening parties leading up to your choice, they were set up by UMG, the American distributor that SVT worked with for this cb. in this case the listening parties weren't just for boosting streams, but also likely for UMG to gauge interest. SVT isn't officially signed to a US label yet, but UMG's data from the listening parties could be used to show US labels whether or not there's enough interest for them to be signed. which if that happens we'd almost definitely see a more permanent US shop!

ahh yes, once you're ready I'm sure it would be great to have another bunny companion 🥺

yes! heavens cloud and gam3 bo1 are both such feel good songs! my sister actually added heavens cloud to their Spotify after i made them listen to the album in the car dhfkf it's now one of 6 kpop songs they have saved (4 of which are SVT... my influence 💅 DHFJFH) I'm certain we'll see some of the songs from your choice at caratland this year, hopefully it's all of them but I'd especially like to see heavens cloud and wave 👀 I'm also still crossing my fingers for an i wish live performance bc i can't believe my favorite SVT b-side is one of the TWO tracks they haven't performed live not including the new album (the other one being network love, which i would also like to see live!)