#it just feels like they’re not respecting us as viewers and fans

[aforceofevilandchaos]

I don’t want to be mean but sad that they’re making us wait so long for episode 2 even though we just got back from the season hiatus :/

[noraigo]

some days ago, i started watching we are the series, since a friend of mine tried to convince me for a long time to tune in. we are isn’t exactly the type of series i would watch. not disregarding its charm, i must admit it’s even endearing, i’m just more keen on the angsty, adult queer love. however, there’s a certain couple that’s been running nonstop in my mind ever since i started the series and, of course, it’s no other than tan and fang.

tan is certainly unique as a whole, because if anything — i think it’s the first time i see such a loud but not annoying character, and that’s hard to portray. his excitement seems genuine all the time and i feel his happiness is shared through the screen. that doesn’t brush off his emotional intelligence and i think people underestimate this trait of his: just because he seems silly and party-loving doesn’t mean that he is insensible. he can be serious if it’s needed and he cares for the people around him. it’s safe to say that cheerful characters are often overlooked because of it and, as viewers, we shouldn’t take it for granted.

fang, on the other side, is the total opposite of him, yet it doesn’t make him less interesting. his background is implied to be unstable, which made both phum and fang be more closed off emotionally speaking. even so, fang is trying his best to be on the same page as tan, though tan adores him when he’s serene and quiet. most of the time, characters like fang are misunderstood and it’s a little saddening. he is kind and tough, but it’s not hard to love him. something tan understood from the very beginning.

their dynamics keep me pushing watching the series. now that fang has been softening more and more, their scenes became even lovelier to watch, if that was ever possible; their kisses, clear eyes of infatuation, playful banters and words of love show it. i’m not a fan of sex scenes, they underwhelm me a little (might be the acespec in me), but tanfang’s was just perfect. not too much, not too little. just enough to show that these two desire each other. possibly, it could be not their first time as a couple, which is refreshing and new in thai queer shows as far as i've seen. (aouboom definitely enjoyed kissing and touching each other a little too much but, didn't the same happen with hidden agenda? just saying.)

people like them could be too much for others, but for each other, they are an absolute match. fang knows tan loves him unconditionally and so does tan. tan tries to push him for the better without overstepping his boundaries whilst fang apologizes if his behavior might be irrational when he’s angry and accidentally lashes out on tan. that’s actual respect and patience in a relationship. none of them are trying to change the other to fit their own personality, they have already changed once they realized they were into each other back then when they were problematic teens. ain’t that sweet?

just look at these sweet two blorbos, just in their own world, happy and in love.

on another note, though, i’ve gotten to know aouboom since viceversa era and i could already smell the cute chemistry between both, yet it’s very sad to know they suffer from secondary couple syndrome. how many series have they starred in as a second or even third couple? very unfair, gmmtv, you better give them a nice series, regardless of its length. as long as they don’t keep acting in college settings, i would give my entire scholarship for a coffee shop or any other ordinary plot. they are just THAT good and i will never get tired of their chemistry. they have a kind of spark i see very rarely and if gmm doesn’t give them a shot, they’re losing a potential gem.

please, give us more tanfang content and especially, an aouboom series. thank you very much.

[bucket-of-f1]

2024 Sao Paulo

Sorry for the late post I didn't have time to watch this weekend BUT

THE

ANGLES

Some of the qualifying camera angles were AMAZING, like look at these fuckers

I absolutely love the gyro-cam.

Showing the main rival at the moment on a small screen on the corner? Also genius.

Even better is the timetables at the bottom of the screen, showing Hamilton’s and Norris’s times (main screen and small screen, respectively) compared to the current top time for that sector. We see Hamilton, in Sector 3, competing with Tsunoda’s time of 1:29.172 (his final time at the end of that sector, also his final lap time) and Norris fighting through Sector 2 against Tsunoda’s 1:10.253. I LOVE this UI graphic (I know its not actually User Interface but that's what it feels like). It’s so useful, it gives viewers an incredibly efficient and interesting way to keep up with the race without cluttering the screen. You can check if you want or care, and if you don’t, you still know what’s going on.

Speaking of Tsunoda:

There is no front row that could make me happier right now. I know Tsunoda didn’t finish quali in 2nd, but oh my god I love that screenshot. Get him out of VCARB and put him in a damn RB. I like Perez but, still, looking at performance? Put Tsunoda in an RB. He deserves it.

(I’m a Tsunoda fan, can you tell)

ALSO can we talk about Williams and their crew?

Like

This is the accident that Albon had, and it is NASTY. I genuinely cringed away from my screen. And we know he’s okay (thank god for current safety restrictions), but this was the interaction between Albon and his Race engineer:

Albon: “Did the brakes fail?”

RE: “We-uh we’re checking- oh- A- Alex a-are you o- are you okay?”

Albon: “Yeah.”

Go watch the recording. The actual concern in the race engineer’s voice is obvious. Albon’s race engineer is James Urwin, and they’ve been working together for two years as Driver/RE. This is the second of what I think was eventually three rebuilds of Williams cars this weekend, and they’re still more concerned about the drivers than anything else. It’ll be a nice change of pace for Sainz next year.

Last thing:

I feel like people are losing their minds about Verstappen, but this is not the first time we’ve seen him pull this off, not even the first time at Sao Paulo. Go watch the 2016 Sao Paulo Highlights. That was an absolutely nasty race in terms of conditions, and Verstappen pulled out magic — back then it seemed like he pulled it out of his ass, but now we know how good he is. That was just early proof. I’m not a massive Verstappen fan, which I’m not gonna get into right now but I will if someone is interested, but I have massive respect for his skill as a driver, and anyone who doesn’t is blind.

[nose-nippin-fun]

Hazbin Hotel Episode 4 Discussion:

I’ve seen a lot of nasty posts floating around today criticizing Vivzie and the show. I’m not here to discredit your feelings, but I think that the darker tone of episode 4 merits some constructive discussion beyond a knee-jerk, pearl-clutching reaction.

From what I’ve seen, the biggest complaint from viewers, myself included, is that this emotional episode with some fairly intense depictions of SA/r*pe was not prefaced with a content warning aside from the usual small text in the top left corner. I truly do believe Amazon should correct this going forward so that viewers can feel better prepared for tone shifts between episodes. That being said, here are my defenses of the show.

Hazbin Hotel has had a huge fan following since the pilot release back in 2019, which set the tone of the show. Between the pilot and Addict music video, people had a pretty clear indication of the adult themes that would be present in the project moving forward. The show is set in Hell, the place where the world’s worst sinners are trapped in the afterlife. This is not an excuse, this is an explanation. There are going to be several characters with tainted morality, some of whom are irredeemable. That’s why they’re in Hell. This show is not meant to glorify sins, but to shine a light on flawed, relatable characters who will grapple with ethics and other struggles and come out changed in the end.

“I can’t believe Angel doesn’t leave his situation and stays stagnant.” Have you ever lived through/witnessed abuse? It is never this easy to sever ties with an abuser. They position themselves in power to control and manipulate, and many times, it’s not physically safe to get away from them. Also, this has been ONE EPISODE, you cannot expect a character with deep trauma to be totally different after a 20-30 minute episode. Angel’s character arc will take time, but his interaction with Husk at the end is an important first step in that direction.

“So Angel is supposed to just get over his trauma because he and Husk sang a song about it?” No. If that was your takeaway, I’m truly sorry you missed the point. Husk is the only person who’s been raw and blunt with Angel (on screen) about dropping the Angel Dust persona and being Anthony. Angel is used to having to put on a flawless, sexy act at all times, so much so that that’s how people really believe he is at all times. Husk sees through this mask Angel developed to protect himself and tell him through their song that imperfect and broken as he feels, Angel isn’t alone in struggling with feelings of powerlessness and addiction. He’s not comparing his loss of overlord status to Angel’s horrible SA, he’s finding common ground and empathizing (the best way a Hellbound soul can). This song wasn’t a solution, it was a gateway to vulnerability and the beginning of change for both characters.

“We’re expected to just ship Huskerdust after Angel has done nothing but sexually harass and push Husk’s boundaries?” No. That’s absolutely the wrong reason to ship anything. While it’s true that in the first three episodes, Angel sees Husk as eye candy who might be able to distract him from his suffering, episode 4 brings a necessary shift in their dynamic. Angel is used to everyone around him wanting Angel Dust, the pornstar. But for the first time, someone doesn’t want that coveted persona, and he can’t comprehend this. Angel has no control over anything except the act he keeps up, so he clings to it as a false sense of power. It’s only after Husk tells him that he likes Angel for everything he is off camera that Angel starts to treat Husk with respect, which will pave the way for any future Huskerdust shipping.

You don’t have to agree with what I’ve written, and I absolutely don’t blame you if you’ve realized this show is not content you can comfortably consume, but please understand that depicting difficult material is not the same as glorifying or excusing it. This episode was hard for me too, because I care about Angel Dust, and I am so eager to watch his growth as the show continues. My heart goes out to anyone struggling from triggering this episode caused. I hope you’re able to safely navigate away from this show while respecting the viewers who continue to watch.

[lulu2992]

So I watched the Director’s Cut versions of Rebel Moon Part One & Two, respectively renamed Chalice of Blood and Curse of Forgiveness, exactly one week ago, the day they were released.

As a person who generally doesn’t enjoy the idea of watching films that are over 2.5 hours, really isn’t a fan of gore, and thinks sex scenes are uncomfortable and unnecessary 95% of the time, I was rather apprehensive, to say the least, since those three things are precisely what the two movies promised. Still, I managed to watch them on the same day even though the fact it was hot outside and consequently almost 30°C in my room probably didn’t help me not to feel unwell for a good portion of my viewing experience :’)

However, there’s a fourth thing the new version of the films promised, and this, on the contrary, is exactly what I love and probably what kept me going: more lore. I won’t go into too much detail so as not to spoil major plot points here, but I think Chalice of Blood and Curse of Forgiveness kept all their promises.

Some characters get a proper introduction (notably Aris and Nemesis), or more screen time so we understand them and what they do (mostly the Priests, Hawkshaws, and Jimmy), or a better, more satisfying, sometimes more emotional ending. We also get completely new scenes and characters, and that too greatly helps the narrative, whether it’s by adding more backstory, taking the time to explain someone’s motivations more clearly, revealing how some people reacted to certain events, or detailing how something works.

Also, some of the “mistakes” viewers complained about, for example the spaceship being powered with coal or somebody not missing any teeth after we clearly see them get knocked out, are fixed in the Director’s Cut. It turns out those things were not illogical, they were just censored for the PG-13 version…

As for the sex scenes, while they weren’t indispensable, I have to admit they do serve a purpose. The two “main” ones have a character in common, so we can see how different that person feels and acts with each of their two partners. The scenes need to exist together because they’re only really interesting when you compare them, but that’s how they tell a story. Never in my life had I been so happy to see someone successfully remove a bra, haha! There’s also, of course, the one that involves tentacles, which was–thankfully–milder than I thought it would be, and another unexpected one that happens off-screen but was a rather nice and cute surprise, in my opinion.

And, yes, aside from giving us more blood and more sex, we also get… more wheat! I really don’t mind, though. In fact, this is probably an unpopular opinion, but I’d watch one hour of the cast (actually) harvesting crops in slow motion over just one minute of heads exploding any day :’)

While they’re still not perfect, I think Chalice of Blood and Curse of Forgiveness are improved versions of A Child of Fire and The Scargiver. I still like Part Two better than Part One, but overall, as promised, we get more information about the world, the characters, and their stories in the Director’s Cut. Sometimes, it’s just a new line of dialog or a short interaction that’s added here and there, but it really does a service to the films and makes them, although they’re much longer (especially the first one), feel more coherent, more compelling, and less rushed.

At the end of the day, I think what I most appreciate about Rebel Moon is still that it was brought to life with a lot of care and passion. The two art books, Wolf: Ex Nihilo: Cosmology & Technology and Wurm: Ex Materia: Heroes & Monsters, confirm how painstakingly made and well-thought-out everything was, and I will always love and respect this about this project.

[daisyychainssj]

I’m seeing a lot of people talk about the whole Team Bolas thing with very different opinions and like that’s fine as long as you’re being respectful! share your opinions all you want but I think it’s being turned into more of an issue than it actually is? Like yeah when creators who are going into Purgatory 2 are talking about the previous purgatory a lot of their chats recommend watching bolas clips etc but people seem to be ignoring that a lot of the ccs either know they won or ask which team won and THEN proceed to watch their pov. Loads of the new ccs are doing so because they want to see what the winning team did to win (which I do think probably isn’t going to help them a lot as there’s so many difference between both events I feel like the only useful things they’ll learn is to drink tea and what to do for the natural disasters but even so) and even when watching bolas compilations or povs they’re praising blue and green team plays.

Another thing people are upset with is the lack of animatics and things being watched for blue and green team. It’s sad to say but there just genuinely isn’t many out there compared to the amount that there is for red team so creators are inevitably going to end up watching more of red team but how is that anyone’s fault? Why be upset about people creating artwork of something THEY personally enjoyed? It wasn’t done out of hate towards the other teams like some people seem to want to imply? At that point you’re just beefing with artists because they decided to draw/animate something else than what you wanted to see? Everyone is free to create the artwork they want to see. Nobody is stopping anyone from creating fan work for the other teams and recommending it to the new ccs participating in Purgatory 2.

Something that I’m seeing a lot which is starting to irritate me is seeing people be like “NOBODY is watching anything to do with Blue or Green team” No, the bigger creators who pull more viewers or the creators that YOU personally watch might not be but plenty of the smaller creators have been looking into all of the teams. Seapeekay (who’s said himself that he’s a bit nervous about the fact he is going to be one of the less well known creators in the event) is literally right now as a type this watching the flag event from Tubbo’s pov (again because they won that event!!! It makes sense to watch the winner POVs when you’re trying to prepare for a competition) so maybe let’s not pretend that nobody out of the 40+ people involved are paying any attention to any team other than bolas when that is incorrect.

I watched as much as I could of all the teams (yes I watched more of bolas because foolish is my main pov) but all of the teams worked hard and tried their best and were fun to watch! You’re free to create any artwork you want of any team and if you didn’t enjoy watching red team and you don’t want to watch other creators watch them then just chill on a different stream in the meantime until they watch or do something you do want to see and when Purgatory 2 begins I’m sure some other type of discourse will inevitably begin and we can all just put this shit to rest.

[danrifics]

I know that this makes me sound like a delulu fangirl but I genuinely think our parasocial relationship with dnp is so incredibly unique, it’s almost incomprehensible to people who are not actively part of the fandom. Especially those of us who have been here for a while, we know exactly what they used to behave like towards us before, and how much that has changed now.

They genuinely seem to love and appreciate us, and not just in a “we like that you give us money and make things for us” way, but they really respect our community and it’s clear that a big part of of their careers on YouTube have been about that community. There’s a reason they were pioneers in touring, the radio show, and just generally allowing the general public to understand the profitability of YouTube. And it’s because we have always been an incredibly close and loyal community, and because they have always encouraged that. (Maybe not during the 2012 era but I definitely think this is true during the Dan and Phil™️ era). Dan has told us several times that if he didn’t have the community support of the phandom he would probably still be in the closet, so they don’t just see us as their fans we are actually a very important part of their lives. (The ever-present ominous “they”)

And now post-hiatus they have become more parasocial towards us than ever. The we know you know sentiment is strengthening so much. They’ve let us know in so many ways that they’re aware of our spaces, the things we say, do, post, even if they try to be respectful of fandom spaces, they’re incredibly aware of the lore. So there’s no way they don’t know how we talk about them and their relationship. And they could deny it, it would be very easy. And if they weren’t dating I feel like they would’ve done that by now because they don’t give a fuck anymore and they would just call us the fuck out. Instead, they’re leaning into it, but they’re doing to so subtly that it’s very hard for the average person to really pick up on it. Except for us. Those of us who know them. Those of us who they know. They know exactly how we watch their content, the things we talk about, the things we notice. We know how they used to act before, and how that’s changed now. Small things, minuscule things, that they are choosing to leave in videos when they could’ve cut them out. The bedroom thing is an excellent example of this, the usage of “all bedrooms” is very subtle, and entirely useless to the average viewer. But we know. And then of course the random cryptic 4 words in an email that only goes out to people who care about them enough to subscribe to a mailing list.

Anyway our parasocial relationship is nothing like any other parasocial relationship, if you don’t get it that’s a you problem. They love us.

Thank you for reading my essay

thank you for writing this essay I give you an A* very well said!

[lostintheuniverseslies]

My Reflections on the BuckTommy Breakup:

I’ve been a long time viewer of this show. Honestly from the first episode of the first season, I was loving it and the characters they created. With Buck being my favorite one. Especially after they delved deeper into his character in season 4. 

“I have walked through fire every single day of my life because of you” is a quote I have memorized by heart and one I sympathize with greatly. 

So over the years, as each season passed, and each failed relationship, I wondered, when was Buck going to get his happiness? 

I stumbled into the world of “shipping” and fanfics too late in my adult life. Growing up, my main interest was K-Pop, so I didn’t get into fandoms beyond watching or listening. But after discovering a book series, I finally dipped my toes into fanfiction and eventually reached Buddie fics, which opened up a whole new level of love for the show. 

I, like many who have been in the fandom for a while, have loved the idea of these two being together. I remember vividly watching 4x13 and yelling at Buck to “go get your boy!”. 

But as the seasons progressed, I figured there was no hope for Buddie. They had them strictly as straight best friends. So I enjoyed reading Buddie in fanfiction and made my peace with it. 

Then season 7 came, and that kiss with Tommy upturned everything. I thought, holy shit, they made him bi. They actually did it. And I, like many others, wondered if Buddie could actually happen? But then we saw more of Buck and Tommy together and Tommy treated him with a sweetness I don’t feel like we really got much of from other partners. 

Abby showed it until things burned there. Ali feels like a footnote to be honest. Taylor - god I wish they remained friends. They were better as friends than a couple. Then Natalia felt like another footnote. 

But with Tommy, Buck seemed genuinely happy especially with all those heart eyes, and I thought, Finally, my comfort character is going to get his happiness. 

I tried not to hope for too much. Especially with what little we got in season 7 (understandably so). But then they gave us that scene in 8x01, then so much more in 8x05. I thought, holy shit, they’ve included him in so much, perhaps it's okay to hope. 

Then came episode 8x06. And my heart broke. 

I know it’s “just a show”, but I rarely love anything in the media as much as I have loved 9-1-1 and that book series. 

I thought maybe the breakup would just be a hurdle but then I went to Instagram and saw Lou’s post about “what’s next” and it confirmed it - BuckTommy was over. And that hit me hard. 

I think what stings the most is how they’d built Buck up, saying last season how they’ve finally taken him “off the hamster wheel,” only to put him back on it in season 8. What was the point of involving Tommy so much this season just to end it like that? 

Now, people are talking about Buck “finally experimenting” then he can be with Eddie, but will he? And what message does that send? That you need to “experiment” to be fully bi or gay or whatever? 

How many times have they shoved down our throats that Eddie is straight? And then what, they’re going to make him gay just to appease some fans? It will feel forced and lackluster. Not to mention if they went that route, that Buck would be Eddie’s (assumingly) first queer relationship with the reminder of Tommy saying the first is never typically the last.

Everything up to this point has felt very disingenuous. It doesn’t respect Buck’s character, the BuckTommy fans, or the queer fans in the fandom. I understand if they wanted Buck and Tommy to break up, but the way they did it felt like a gut punch. Buck was the happiest we’d ever seen him, and then they tore that away, abruptly and harshly. 

It’s painful to admit, but I think my love for 9-1-1 might have faded. They’ve shown that Buck’s happiness is something they’ll keep pulling out of reach, and who knows how many seasons are left? They could have let him find happiness now, leaving room for Eddie’s journey. But instead, they ripped it all away. 

I still hope Buck finds his happiness, even if I’m no longer watching. I’ll keep an eye on the rest of the season, but honestly, my interest has waned. 

Anyway, I know these thoughts might not be of great importance, but I needed to get it off my chest. If you read this and feel the same, let’s talk. My heart is with anyone who may be feeling the same. 💕

[rey-jake-therapist]

i kinda dislike how the rop fandom is slowly refusing any sort of criticism. and i get it, after 2 years of nonstop harassment from dudebros they’re bound to be more protective of the show. but a lot of the discussion surrounding the last few eps are valid imo and it’s sad to see it be watered down to “you just don’t like it because it didn’t go your way”

eg galadriel’s character arc, how they wrote dialogue for the fight, the marvel-fication type ending on top of the cliff, the pacing of the southern plotline … i think those are fair criticisms tbh.

funnily enough i thought s1 had a bigger enjoyment rate for me than s2 which could be because they took some notes through reddit (crazy to think about) but i think the main problem is that the writers have good concepts but not execution (eg how they envision the dynamics between saurondriel vs what they translated on screen)

I agree with everything you wrote anon. I love TROP but I think it's important to feel allowed to express constructive criticism.

There's a big difference between what the lore-bros do, aka pile on the show without even watching it, calling it "utter shit" and insulting the creators, and looking objectively at season 2, its finale in particular, and point its glaring flaws while remaining respectful towards the director and the writers.

I feel like most viewers actually liked S2 more than S1 tbh. I myself think it's overall better, because there were many moments in S1 that took me out. The Celebrimbor/Annatar arc was incredible, and I didn't even mind that Galadriel and Sauron were separated because it made sense within the story : there was no way for Galadriel and Sauron to share more scenes, they couldn't be physically at the same place, at the same time ! So I really didn't mind it.

But they should have known that after 7 episodes, after showing Galadriel and Sauron being obsessed with each other, their reunion should have been epic. On that point, they simply failed to deliver, and it's not being a "bad fan", or "siding with lore-bros" to point that out.

Also I'm still angry for the way they treated Galadriel all this season. She was not only sidelined but put in positions where she had to be saved repeatedly, she was given shitty lines while the male characters got all the best lines, and the one moment she should have showed a little of bit of vulnerability was the one the writers chose to tell us, "oh look at our heroin who resists so well Sauron's temptation ! She's so badass !" I would have rather seen her be badass and not deprived of her agency through all the season, than seeing her toss away her feelings, and "shut the door", in less than 2 seconds because the writers remembered at the end that she was originally written as a the protagonist and as a feminist character.

[ok-boomerang]

what casual viewers take away from ATLA

My partner finally watched ATLA with me, and I kept mum about my Zutara shipping until the very end because I wanted to see his reaction.

When Zuko saved Katara from being crushed by rocks, he said, “I think they’re gonna get together” (because we’re soulmates 😭❤️).

Then, when Zuko and Mai hugged during the finale, he was legitimately mad. He went off about how the narrative set them up to be terrible for each other and how them getting together made no sense, and how Mai was mean while the whole point of Zuko’s redemption was that he was not. Please know that he didn’t remember Mai’s name and was just calling her “the bored girl.”

And when the KA happened during the finale, he was really confused. (“She clearly didn’t like Aang back!”) But mostly he was still mad about Mai.ko, because he felt it undermined Zuko’s redemption—a redemption he had called since s1, as the narrative made clear even to casual viewers that there was more to Zuko than being a bad guy. This was pretty interesting to me, because at the time KA made me angrier than MZ, because Katara was my priority. But my partner was frustrated that the show had gone to such lengths to show us that Zuko and Mai were wrong for each other and then ended with them together. It’s lazy writing; it’s insulting to your viewers.

I love hearing reactions of the ATLA finale from casual viewers (at least those that I respect lol). It’s one thing for us big fans and shippers to analyze the scenes and storylines but it’s another entirely to see what a casual viewer notices, someone who’ll forget the names of the main characters in a couple weeks but won’t forget how the ending left them unsatisfied, even if they don’t have the words like meta writers do to explain why the canon ships don’t work. What casual viewers do have are understandings of the implicit themes of the show, the major characterizations, the big plot moments—you can’t let the casual viewer be surprised—you can’t merely rely on major fans to pan the show for crumbs, like what one would have to do for any evidence that Katara returned Aang’s feelings. To my partner, Mai was "the bored girl"—that's what stuck out to him from her characterization. But Zuko is anything but indifferent—he is defined by his passion, whether we're talking about s1 Zuko searching for the Avatar or s3 Zuko joining Team Avatar.

Meanwhile, Zuko and Katara’s relationship arc fits the big themes of the show (e.g., harmony and balance between things that seem to be opposites but have much more in common than we realize) so their relationship development is not surprising. It makes narrative sense—it’s natural. It would have made sense to the casual viewer.

This post was inspired by this beautifully titled post, THE DUMPSTER FIRE OF MAI.KO, by @burst-of-iridescent

[chirpingfromthebox]

If you thought that the Jocks In Jills podcast could give my MVP Lee Stecklein a shout-out without me making record of it, then you thought wrong, my friends!

from the Jock In Jills Podcast, SE01-EP19, starting at 32:34

talking about what happened after the end of Game 4 of the Finals

TESSA BONHOMME:

I do have to point this out too though. After the game we usually quickly turn our chairs around to get ready for our post-game stuff to close out the show and everything and send viewers onto whatever it is they have to watch after us, after our broadcast.

Minnesota stood there at center ice, tapped their sticks, saluted their fans, and thanked them for coming. Because after all this is the last game of the season that they’re doing here. They all went in the middle to hug—Cassie Campbell-Pascall actually pointed this out to me after—and I had noticed, who’s gonna be the one talking if anyone’s talking?

And Lee Stecklein addressed the team at center ice.

And for those who don’t understand or appreciate or know who Lee Stecklein is: that girl, let me tell you, her voice carries some serious weight. I have mad respect for her and I am long gone retired—not only as a person but as a player—and I can only tell you that whatever was said out on the ice there will be carried over in three days when they are in Boston. And I don’t know what was said, but I’m very thankful and glad that she did. Because that team was torn apart and beaten down and battered and, like, distraught after that game. And I feel like she did her due diligence there in making sure that that team was picked right back up.

CHERYL POUNDER:

You know, Kenzie [LaLonde] and I and you Tessa, have been fortunate to be in the game for a long time, and it’s interesting, you talk to different coaches, different coaches come in and out of programs, different players come in and out of programs, but anytime you ask anyone, any coach, anyone about Lee Stecklein, the word that they use is “Natural-born Leader.”

And it’s interesting because we’ve watched her be placed on the National team where they tried to get her out of retirement with someone like a Caroline Harvey. Right? And then you all of a sudden see Caroline Harvey’s game elevate. In this situation you see her aligned at the beginning when Sophie Jaques comes over. And that is a strategic coaching decision, because coaches know that she plays for others. That she plays the right way, she plays hard, she loves the game, she’s passionate, but also she’s just that leader that knows how to elevate and lifts you up.

And so a perfect voice, I would think, leading into a game 5 after a situation like that.

KENZIE LALONDE:

I've asked Ken Klee before, I did say, in the room if there needs something to be said, if a word is said, if it’s a quiet locker room and someone’s saying something, who is it?

And he just kinda said, It’s Lee. Without a doubt. Like she will always be the one to vocalize something. The room listens when Lee speaks.

And we’ll never know what was said, it’ll probably stay amongst them, but what better person to lead them through what will be one of the most challenging moments in their hockey careers.

[magnorious]

On so-called "ace-erasure" in the Hazbin Fandom

I feel compelled to say something, as a proud ace, regarding the maelstrom of hate and bullying surrounding a fandom I just dipped my toe into, but it concerns the broader concept of fanfic and fanart as a whole.

Y’all. It’s a cartoon. They’re not real people, they’re not based on real people, they exist to be entertainment and to make you smile and sing along and root for their success.

It’s funny how you can look at any straight, cis male in a movie or TV show – whether he be in a happy, healthy straight relationship or otherwise, and the fandom drags his sexuality through the woodchipper in the name of fanfiction.

Oh but there’s queerbating, they’re totally gay even if the writers refuse to admit it. Oh but it’s just for fun. Oh but it’s just wish-fulfillment, it’s not doing any harm. They’re just fictional characters.

Excuse after excuse after excuse for raunchy art and sordid storytelling that can boil over into hating on not only the female characters in these men’s lives, but their female actors.

And yet.

God forbid you drag an ace’s sexuality through the mud for the same exact harmless, wish-fulfilling reasons. Or anyone who isn’t cisgender and straight.

Oh but it’s queer-erasure. It's different because there's already not enough of us and we have to fight for what we have.

No. It’s not. Because you’re not the writer. It’s not your show. So long as the person who made the character proudly defends them and respectfully depicts them, then it’s not erasing anything. Otherwise the thousands upon thousands of wailing fans would have turned some of the most iconic men of fiction into proud gay icons simply by wishing it so.

The whole point of fanfic is being able to see situations, circumstances, and relationships in a what-if scenario. Yes we know this character is straight, or gay, or bi, or pan, or ace or aro, but what if they weren’t for just a few thousand words? Yes we know this is how it happened on screen, but what if it happened a little differently?

It’s supposed to be fun.

I love ace representation. There’s not enough of it and there needs to be more. I want to be able to say See! We exist! Look at us go! with the rest of you.

I also respect shippers doing whatever they damn well please because no matter what they say or do, I can re-watch the show and still see my ace on screen unblemished (as can all the straight viewers who cling to their straight heroes).

Is the motto of fanfic not “don’t like, don’t read?” The amount of nasty comments on incredible art is insane. Don’t like? Don’t look. You’re the one with egg on your face wasting your time and effort typing out and posting that nasty comment. You don’t like it? Scroll on past. Ignore the art and deprive it of the attention the artist posted it for because it’s fanart of fictional characters.

Is this post going to make a difference? No. Am I inviting my own slew of nasty time-wasting comments? Yes. But as an ace who saw an ace and does actually appreciate (if not agree with) the potential in all these what-if scenarios in the right, specific circumstances, I’m fervently siding with those artists who just wanted to draw something pretty and share it with the world.

It’s entertainment. It’s just for fun. Do you really, seriously want this fandom to be looked on from a distance as “oh yeah the violent, bullying nerds that take a cartoon musical way too seriously”? Instead of, I don’t know, “Hey, I want to watch this cool show and peruse some awesome fan content because I can’t get enough of what little we were given, look at how many wonderful options there are.”

[thebroccolination]

Listen, Between Us is my child. My joy. My raison d’être.

But I do kind of have separate ratings for the series as a whole vs. WinTeam’s part in it. WinTeam Rating: 12/10, perfect my babies miraculous string music. The series…has a different rating. Undisclosed. Unimportant. New and Sheep did their best under extraordinary circumstances and I will defend their series to my last breath.

That said, I want to make a WinTeam supercut for myself.

‘Cos as far as I know, New didn’t just direct the series—he edited it as well, and I understand that he had a lot on his plate. But I do…kind of wish he’d delegated the editing to someone else. The mic noises, the music crowding some scenes, the flashbacks that go on for a really long time—much longer than they had to—presumably to pad out an episode, etc. Plus, well. BeePrince should have had their own series. Bee is already a side character, and Prince only has Bee and his manager to flesh him out. I think Tae did a fantastic job as Bee, but Benz as Prince never really grabbed me emotionally. Their plot felt sort of sped-run to me, and I started fast-forwarding past them in later episodes. I don’t dislike them, to be clear, I just didn’t feel much of anything in any direction. Love Bee, neutral on BeePrince.

I wish I could fix all the muffled noises from the actors squishing their body mics during hugs and oh my god New kept playing the instrumental version of Prem’s song in a painfully sharp/high-pitched key that felt more like a horror soundtrack than the uplifting/happy instrumental they played in the locker room scene of episode two. But I can’t fix those issues because I’d probably need the original high quality dialogue tracks in order to isolate and remove parts of them. And aaahh, more than anything I wish I could remove the music from some scenes—the late-night “if I asked you, would you have an answer for me” conversation has, like, four or five music cues in it and it’s ONE SCENE, NEW. I’m a huge champion of sound engineering as an art form that should be respected, and so a lot of scenes genuinely felt to me like wasted opportunities. Sound and music aren’t supposed to hammer viewers in the face with the mood of a scene. And BounPrem were at top form in this series, so I wish they had had more scenes where they aren’t interrupted by a song in the middle. Where they just got to have quiet and New let their acting carry the scene.

(This is something New also did in UWMA. Like, as much as I enjoy the cabin scene and the dorm room scene, neither of them needed that song blasted over them. Let the actors carry the scene!!!)

Basically, my only major issues with Between Us were editing-based. Hence why I wish New had let someone else do it. Maybe he didn’t have the money to spare. Maybe he just didn’t want to. No idea.

But that’s why I want to make my own WinTeam cut so I can binge their storyline when I’m having a rough day and I don’t want to fast-forward to get to them. (That’s not to say I didn’t like everyone else! I did! But y’know. WinTeam. My babies.) I’ll include some of the other pairings when their scenes are relevant to WinTeam’s story, but mostly I just want to zero in on WinTeam. (I’ll keep all of WanTul since they’re the pairing with the closest storyline to WinTeam, and the two pairs converge later in the series, but I’m tempted to play with the timeline and see if I can’t blend them in elsewhere.)

I know why BeePrince didn’t have their own series. Side pairings are a profitable and inevitable marketing element of the BL industry, and I don’t begrudge New for trying to advertise some of his actor stable in a highly anticipated series that was guaranteed to have thousands of potential fans watching it. It’s tough out there, and New’s got a purebred cat family to feed and Boun’s salary to provide. Sell what you gotta sell, babe.

(I’m actually a little tempted to do this same thing for SOTUS S because HOO boy do I not care about the side couples in Arthit’s office. KongArt + TewDae + seven seconds of sapphics is all I want.)

Anyway! I’m gonna make this my li’l project. I’m not sure I’ll post it publicly because I don’t want to step on the official versions, but I’ll probably post some isolated scenes while I experiment with editing. For my first step I’ll try to cut down some of those flashback scenes. Like Win in the shower remembering his entire conversation with Dean and Pruk? For multiple minutes? Win might have relived the entire thing, but we shouldn’t. The series is only twelve episodes, New, and that conversation wasn’t that long ago even for those of us who watched it live. We remember. We got it.

If New needed more footage to pad out the episode, just have Boun do his hair and skin care routines. Literally who would complain? “Look, a beautiful human being. Stare.” WITH PLEASURE.

“Oh no the episode is short. Prem, pout for thirty seconds.” I WILL TAKE A THOUSAND SCREENSHOTS.

“Ohm, do some push-ups.” I’m sure he does those!

“Prem, Sammy, ad-lib an argument.” More Team and Manaow bickering! Grand!

“Fluke, be perfect.” PHARM’S APPEARANCES IN THIS SERIES WERE FLAWLESS I HOPE HE GETS THE RESPECT HE DESERVED THE FIRST TIME AROUND.

So you see, there are workarounds when you need to pad out time. No need to show us the same scenes again.

Anyway, in addition to writing fic, this is how I’m coping with our collective loss.

[emotionallychargedtowel]

Utsukushii Kare S2E1 thoughts

I’ve never watched a BL that was still on the air, unless it was almost finished when I started. I just hate waiting between episodes, especially in a genre where episodes are often super short. But I can’t wait four weeks to see Utsukushii Kare season two (anyway, I’d get so many spoilers on here, it would be useless). I’ve also never posted about a BL episode by episode, since I never watched one that way. But I’m going to try doing it this time.

There is such a marked difference between season 2 and season 1. Season 1 was so packed with voice-over narration, but didn’t have that much dialogue. There’s still quite a bit of voice-over stuff in season 2 but the dialogue has increased by leaps and bounds. Since I was fascinated by the ways in which Hira’s and Kiyoi’s weirdnesses interacted with one another in the first season, all of this direct interaction gave me so much more to work with in my conceptualization of the characters. Not to mention so much more being communicated nonverbally.

There’s a sense in which the viewer gets to have their cake and eat it too with season 2, and that is that in many respects we get to enjoy Hira and Kiyoi finally being together, but they’re also still struggling with a lot of the same issues they did in season 1, so that engine that drove the story is still in operation. So far, if this season was a fanfic, it would be labeled as both “angst” and “fluff.” And fluffy angst is really enjoyable! From another angle, this combination is the worst of both worlds. Every sweet moment between these characters is suspended from this tenuous thread of their relationship. Both of them fear losing that relationship so intensely, despite the other wanting so badly to hold on, but it’s that very insecurity that threatens it the most. And it’s always in the background, undercutting all of cute stuff that would feel like rank fan service otherwise (heaven forbid!).

There were a few particular highlights for me.

1) Kiyoi’s new habit of giving Hira a significant look while opening his mouth, which is Hira’s cue to feed him. The fact that this happened on two different occasions in just one short episode? What a weird combination of demanding and endearing.

2) The scene where Kiyoi walks in on Hira being hit on by a girl. I particularly enjoyed this as a kabedon appreciator. She backs him into a door with one arm out in a very kabedon-like way (she doesn’t whack it, though), and then when Kiyoi arrives he does a full kabedon on Hira out of jealousy (but without the usual confession and/or kiss). There’s also an interesting role reversal happening here. And it’s a great illustration of how naive and dense Hira really is.

3) The exchange about “doing it.” This, to me, is a really good illustration of the lovable weirdness of these characters. Well, lovable to some of us. I expect that some people might find it off-putting or icky. It’s definitely not entirely healthy. It seems like the way things go in this scene is typical for them. Basically, intimacy happens when Kiyoi decides it will, and it’s just assumed that of course Hira will be down for it. It isn’t even presented as a question, more as an announcement: “we’re going to do it today.” Which isn’t the best consent practice ever, but it seemingly works because apparently (in a way that’s very consistent for the character), Hira really is always interested in “doing it” with Kiyoi. The fact that this only happens when Kiyoi chooses is also very consistent with his guardedness. But a more surprising aspect is Kiyoi’s shyness. He’s tentative, even bashful here. Not that he was ever portrayed as particularly assertive sexually, far from it, but he’s so assertive, even domineering, in other areas of his life, particularly with Hira, that this almost demure quality is really striking. In the end it seems these two deeply weird people have come up with a system that basically works for them and, particularly after all of the pining in season 1, it’s kind of adorable seeing them navigate it.

4) The acknowledgement that Hira is actually pretty attractive. One jarring thing about season 1 is that it’s often treated as a foregone conclusion that Hira is repulsive (possibly because we spend so much time inside his head) but Hagiwara Riku is, of course, quite nice-looking (even with Hira’s unflattering hairdo). It also doesn’t add up that Kiyoi would be so attracted to Hira if he was really as unappealing as he thinks. So it was nice to have that acknowledged and played around with in an interesting way.

Second seasons of BLs are inherently risky. And it’s still rather early to assume this one will avoid the potential risks. But so far I think it shows a lot of potential to be as worthwhile as the first season. Honestly, I could imagine liking it even more. I guess we’ll see.

[tayfabe75]

Love your theories, but one thing gives me pause right now. Would they really spend important holidays away from each other, kissing different partners for New Years Eve for example, just to prove some sort of point? We know they’re both romantics and I just can’t see them faking it for such important occasions.

Hi anon! First and foremost, nothing at all wrong with having pause. If everything seems normal to you and nothing feels a bit off or amiss, then there's absolutely no reason to engage with theories or even humor them. We all have our own sense of intuition. And regardless of what I say, or what Twitter says, you should trust your own instincts!

That said, my own instincts tell me that something is "off". Personally, I could not reconcile the breakup based on Taylor and Matty's words and actions. I could not reconcile Taylor Ssswift 🐍 bowing to a hate mob similar to the one that tried to take her down in 2016, or turning her love life into a spectator sport.

And wouldn't you know it? The more I dug in, the more history I found between the pair. The more their respective discographies started to sound like a dialogue, two halves of the same story. And then the coincidences! Everyone has a threshold of how many coincidences are too many before it becomes impossible that they are coincidental. For me, I think that number is just lower than for most. But as someone who loves mysteries, my brain is primed to see patterns in a way that maybe most don't (for better or for worse).

As a proud non-conformist, I wouldn't give the media or the internet the satisfaction of baselessly hating Matty Healy. I often say I learned about him out of spite! (Turns out the world cannot identify a man of outstanding moral character when it's staring them right in the face, and trust me, this is so much tangibly worse than the jokes he laughed at)

I became so fascinated by Matty's character that I started obsessively listening to all of his interviews. Turns out that he can't shut up about Brad Troemel, the guy who created the Taylor Swift Fan Union (and probably The 1975FU) and who has been working literally over Matty's shoulder throughout this year, and has suggested he might be working with Taylor, too.

Now, I bet you're scared to theorize because you're scared to be compared with a subculture of Taylor fans who have theorized about say, a hidden relationship or sexuality, perhaps? Here's what I'll say about that: for their theories to work, they had to completely ignore Matty's existence at his own fucking show on December 4, 2014, aka ground zero. I believe Taylor and Matty once benefitted from these theories - they were somehow so close yet so far off the mark that they were 'safe' being underground without raising suspicion. Why go underground? Well, Matty told us exactly why (and was crucified for it)! However, ignoring this subculture for so long turned it into a Frankenstein's monster. So, since they knew this monster was going to try to destroy Matty at all costs anyway, they had to come up with a plan. I think they did two main things to address it:

1) Orchestrated Matty's cancellation 2) Hired Brad Troemel to do it

So, how can I believe Taylor and Matty are still together despite spending holidays apart and kissing separate partners?

Kayfabe.

Now this is a wrestling term, so you're going to have to think a little outside the box to apply it to celebrity culture instead, all right? I'll start by quoting the man, himself, Brad Troemel:

"The term 'Kayfabe' was invented to describe all the different measures taken to ensure viewers' suspension of disbelief was upheld. Kayfabe includes everything from the matches' predetermined outcome, the scripted moves wrestlers use, their stage personas, their promotional interviews, the feuds between competitors, their ongoing love interests, the storylines that weave feuds together, the belts wrestlers win, the media coverage surrounding wrestling. All of it! Kayfabe is the entire massively collaborative theatrical universe created to maintain wrestling's believability. It's the never-ending commitment to the bit. One of the most important parts of Kayfabe, developed in the 1930s, was the idea that all wrestlers could be sorted into two camps. On one side, there'd be the good guys, known as babyfaces - who follow the rules, take their vitamins, and say their prayers. Then on the other side, there'd be the bad guys, known as heels - who play dirty tricks and would do anything to win. The job of the heel was to generate heat among the audience. This meant goading the crowd into belligerent anger by breaking the rules whenever possible, and cowardly hiding behind the rules whenever convenient. Once a wrestler's persona was established, it extended into every aspect of their life. Wrestlers were expected to maintain kayfabe both inside and outside the ring whenever a fan was present. This meant that if your wife at home was different from your in-ring lover, then you were expected to keep your marriage secret."

Then you have quotes from Taylor like this one:

"Having journalists write in-depth, oftentimes critical, pieces about who they perceive me to be made me feel like I was living in some weird simulation, but it also made me look inward to learn about who I actually am. Having the world treat my love life like a spectator sport in which I lose every single game was not a great way to date in my teens and twenties, but it taught me to protect my private life fiercely. Being publicly humiliated over and over again at a young age was excruciatingly painful but it forced me to devalue the ridiculous notion of minute-by-minute, ever-fluctuating social relevance and likability. Getting canceled on the internet and nearly losing my career gave me an excellent knowledge of all the types of wine."

Because everyone tends to speculate the worst in others, the narrative quickly turned into: "Taylor always wanted to be in the spotlight having people spectate her love life, it was her mean ex who kept her trapped indoors!" Okay well, now we know thanks to Jack that the "mean bad ex" was probably out of the picture by the time she made this speech. For a woman who proudly easter eggs her clothing, the fact she wore the NYU sweatshirt when she was seen with Matty was… a choice.

Now, let's think about Matty's quote about how he struggled to distinguish reality as a kid because his parents were both actors and celebrities:

"I'd be a child, and something would happen in my real life, and then I'd see that thing on a newspaper, and I'd think, That's not what happened, but that's my mum saying a version of what happened, and I know Mum's at home and she's O.K." He came to understand that a person's life was "a balance between what is real, what is said, what happens, what people believe, what people project, and what is true."

Pair this with not just his desire to make a name for himself and his band completely outside of the shadow of Taylor Swift, but the recent prediction that The 1975 will become the most important band of the decade (and just before hiatus!) At this point, I would say there's a pretty striking case for motive. The Reputation prologue is another great read for anyone who presumes they know a damned thing about Taylor Swift (oh, definitely including myself!):

"We think we know someone, but the truth is that we only know the version of them they have chosen to show us."

That was me trying to keep it brief, but I'd say that's a good "101" of the basics, at least! 🤼‍♂️

[weaselbeaselpants]

The Eight Rings of Bad Internet Reviewer Hell

-Ring One: Listicle-Fever-

A source that’s better at cataloging content worth the viewer’s interest gets it into their head that they are a decent source of information and critical opinion. Bonus points: +the source is user generated and voted for without moderation, so it’s really no one’s actual opinion +article sites quote each other as a source

Examples: WatchMojo, Cracked.com, Listverse

Exceptions: PanPizza and CR

-Ring 2: Funnyman thinks he’s a Reviewer "oh god"-

While everyone's a critic, not everyone is a reviewer. This bad faith + bad take combo comes from a person who’s better at making observational jokes (riffs) at something, but then thinks said jokes are meaningful analysis simply because they occasionally point out actual problems in the material. Bonus points: +jokes are offensive and not funny +they’re actively ignoring the actual text to make jokes +deflects their own critics by calling everyone who doesn’t buy into their jokes “butthurt fans”

Examples: CinemaSins, Cracked.com, post Demo-Reel Doug Walker, ScreenJunkies

Exceptions: Rifftrax/MST3K, Retsupurae (rip), ABrandontoThePast, penguinz0 

-Ring 3: “Let’s go through the movie together :D”-

A standard retrospective-based review format; best used on contained 3-act structures. The reviewer obviously has the foresight of having watched something before they discuss it to the audience. At their best, these kinds of reviews are fun. At their worst, these videos are just validation farms designed to rip on something sillystupid. Bonus points: +performatively angry and over the top +reviewer takes the subject too seriously in a way that feels unpleasant or a chore to sit through as an audience +alternatively, they have the same trouble as the ‘Funnyman’ and holds no interest in what they’re talking about

Examples: Irate Gamer, MysteriousMr.Enter, ConfusedMathew, Doug Walker again

Exceptions: PeanutButterGamer, Jenny Nicholson, Phelous and Allison Pregler, Bad Princess Movie Podcast, Double Toasted, YourMovieSucks, ToddintheShadows

-Ring 4: Super-Fan-Fail-Theorist-

Bi-monthly theorizing about what a new plot development for a show is, or after-the-fact musing on a what ‘something’ nebulously ‘means’. Very often transforms into fan theorizing and analyzing media for conclusion’s sake. Prone to A LOT of bias of the fan reviewer’s absolutist-take. Obsessed with a product’s fringe and ultimately deeply invested in what is a shallow-insight. Bonus points: +reviewer won't parse the difference between their theory and the text +reviewer is defensive and won’t share the fandom with people who don’t share their take

Examples: Game Theory, Wisecrack

Exceptions: CinemaCartography, Jacob Geller, Sarah Zed and Lady Emily

-Ring 5: Wannabe Breadtube Retrospecterer-

Reviewer wants to be a researched, respected, ‘enlightened’ 2-hour vid maker but is really just an annoyed fan who’s lengthy reviews aren’t structured. Criticism might be valid, but is usually more about what the reviewer doesn't ‘like’ than what's actually wrong with something. Feels more like a lecture and a take-down than it is an enlightening hot take, at best. Also, it's your fault if you disagree with them and they live rent free in their critics heads- totally not the other way around! Bonus points: +incorrect, ludicrous, needless accusations tossed around at ppl they dislike +sounds like they're telling the audience how to feel, not why they feel think something is "awful and here’s why” +reviewer refuses to apologize or correct themselves if they get their facts wrong

Examples: Lily Orchard, Mysterious Mr. Enter again, half of the alt-light douchbags with hour long rants about Star Wars who ironically are all out to counter leftBreadtubers

Exceptions: Accented Cinema, Shaun, Folding Ideas, Xiran Jay Zhao, Princess Weekes, Lindsay Ellis, Lady Emily again, BenettetheSage's newest vids, Cheyenne Lin, and Sideways

-Ring 6: DNI-Danny -

Otherwise known as the “Anti". Jaded by years of abusive standom, they cling to good takes and criticism when it’s convenient for them but otherwise see fandom and critical analysis as a battlefield THEY MUST win. Very judgemental of people who don’t share their (sometimes exact) opinions; quick to gaslight/block/smear people just for association. Absolutist as a means of keeping oneself ‘safe’. Bonus points: +apologizing is NEVER AN OPTION +genuinely treats fandom takes as tho they’re comparable to politics and real morality +DNI list consists of MAPS, bigots, republicans and ppl who ship that toxic ship they don’t like +"no I didn't even watch the video, I don't have to!!" +"cancel culture doesn't exist"

Examples: Lily Orchard again and also prolly some tumblr user you know

-Ring 7: Choked on the Reddit-Pill-

Caught in a toxic dance of death with the DNI-Danny. May be the reason the former exists, but absolutely exists to counter the DNI-Danny at their bs by functioning more bs. So obsessed with being a counter argument and fighting for “actual social justice” (whatever that means) that they don’t recognize their own absolutism, centricism, or selfishness for what it is. Where the Anti counters with “think of the marginalized” the Reddit-Pill is obsessed with “well I’m not [worst case scenario] so why it is my problem that [worst case scenario] exists, HMMM???!” Bonus points if: +really love the term ‘moral guardians’ unironically +“fiction never reflects reality” +"cancel culture doesn't exist" +"some of us can tell the difference between fiction and reality"

Examples: Bad Webcomics Wiki, 4chan, half of the complacent "not me"-base that is KiwiFarms

-Ring 8: Actual Moral Guardians-

Not a jaded or concerned fan fighting for the rights of the marginalized, or for other people, at all. Not even a critic. Legit cult member working in ACTUAL bad faith. 100% unironically believes that liking (or even watching) something means you are being brainwashed/going to hell. Ostensibly has a skewed understanding of how media actually affects people (because they legit think it happens thru mind control and not emotional connections.

Never have good takes or good faith-basis of their own. They can only ever parrot criticisms from other people to fit their usually conservative-minded beliefs. Legit witchhunt. 

Examples: Jordan Peterson, The Satanic Panic, Ben Shapiro, QAnon, Breitbart

inb4: "DID YOU KNOW that the reviewer you rec actually did-"/"they don't like that other reviewer you rec"/"they won't fuck you stop promoing them"

>I'm not here to tell you the ppl I recommended in the links are saints, good people, or even the best reviewers with the one take to rule them all. I don't know them. I'm recommending them on the basis of how to see this kind of reviewing done right.

>I'm not these reviewer's moms. I don't know them. I'm pretty sure some of these people dislike some of these other people- I don't even watch every person I recommended here- but why or how is none of my business. I'm recommending ppl as a viewer.

>I'm aroace and a lot of these people are married or taken. I HOPE they won't fuck me, tbh.

If your favoritist reviewer-person ever is on the example list, barring the final rings, it's none of my business Jan. I still like ScreenJunkies tbh.