#its fanbase. because like when i do actually watch i get it and can see it and understand why people like it. but its fans. are so shit.

[devilsskettle]

i feel like i’ve been WAITING for the other shoe to drop wrt people’s opinions about watcher for this very reason. not that i think the reaction is completely not understandable but the greater the parasocial relationship, the greater the fallout as soon as public opinion shifts. you don’t have a relationship with these people they’re just content creators, chill

[thedevotionaltour]

i wish i could like garak more than i do when im not seeing him on my television screen because i do think he is actually an interesting and compelling character however i hate his fanbase actually no more than anything i hate gar.as.hir fanbase where then all he becomes is ship fodder and is just. the way they talk about him is so annoying and boring and stupid and shippy that i'm truly convinced i just hate garak until i see him on my screen and go fuuuuuuck he's really neat and i'm fascinated by who he is. but his fans especially those who are like mostly his fan only for shipping and refuse to separate him from julian (i also hate the julian fan side of this too and i think it definitely turned me away from loving julian as much as i did initially which is very sad because he was one of my favorites on the show and now i barely think about him ever when or feel little when i see him on screen) are just so. infuriating. anyways the reason i wrote this out was because i was going to say it is with a heavy heart i must say i think matt would be quite compelled by garak (due to his enjoyment of spy stories as has been mentioned before). and then i got sad about going why do i have to lead up to that with a heavy heart. because see im not doing it with the annoying fondness im doing it with a disappointed shame. which isnt fair bc garak is funny as fuck. anyways

[communistkenobi]

I’m watching FD Signifier’s new video about edgelord white guy movies. He spends a decent amount of time talking about how creators have responded to their edgelord fanbases, using The Joker and The Boys as two examples, where these creators feel uncomfortable with how their art has been received and taken up by “angry white men,” and that in response to this, they have followed up these artistic products with sequels or new seasons of television that are incredibly blunt and obvious about how you shouldn’t think of Homelander as a based chad or Arthur Fleck as a motivational figure in your life. And like he ends the video saying this is insufficient because these audiences won’t care about the messages in these follow-ups (largely bc these are downstream of larger social issues), but his framing of it in terms of “the death of media literacy” is still really frustrating and annoying because it’s buying into the idea that the main problem with people “not getting” art is literacy/education. And its not just his video, this framing is a popular memetic phrase across social media, and he does a better job than most people in talking about it

But like I just straight up do not accept that the audience of these edgelord movies “didn’t get” that they are portraying bad people, that audiences of mass media are “taking the wrong message” of “very obvious” pieces of art. Not because I think they do secretly get what these films are ‘actually saying,’ I don’t care about what’s in their hearts, but because this concern with people ‘not getting it’ feels wildly off-topic. I think it has been demonstrated over and over again that mass media is not an educational tool where people go to “learn lessons” or “take away a particular message.” I think the very fact that we have a consumptive marketised relationship to these artistic products structures and produces a specific set of responses, which is, above all else, “getting my money’s worth.” Who gives a shit what the movie is ‘really’ trying to say! That’s unimportant when faced with the question of did I get what I paid for? And I don’t mean this in an annoying lib “consumerism is making us all stupider” way I mean the economic structure of artistic production is the primary determinant of how commodities on a market are received. The idea that, under these conditions, we can purchase a piece of art that will “teach us” something about the world is laughable, that art-by-itself contains the authority to impart political knowledge. The idea that we can purchase our way into good values, good politics, that we can buy a movie ticket and see the error of our ways is buying into this same exact consumptive framing.

“The death of media literacy” implies a point in recent history where this economic relationship to art was unimportant, that we used to be able to participate in mass standardised artistic production and be unaffected by this arrangement. I think about Adorno & Horkheimer’s argument in The Culture Industry, that the profit motive is itself an object of consumption under capitalism, that advertisements are themselves products & as a result, all mass standardised artistic products are advertisements for their own capitalist production processes and logics. 

I think when people “don’t get” that Starship Troopers is depicting a fascist society, when people “don’t get” that Travis Bickle is a bad, un-admirable person, they aren’t stricken by a sudden deficit of education or literacy, they are responding to the conditions under which these things get made. Being able to get art’s “true message,” no matter how supposedly clear or compellingly-articulated, is to argue that ‘message’ and ‘meaning’ can be made independent of the conditions under which those things are created and presented to people. The industrial capitalist machinery outputting standardised artistic products is itself an authority telling you how to interpret its own products, much the same way a cathedral is presented as evidence of god. There is a material & physical authority in their presence and social arrangement that are themselves arguments. Adorno talks about this with the radio - that this vast industrial infrastructure of radio towers, broadcast stations, systems of wires and cables, and the production of standardised radio receivers (available for purchase, of course) is utterly incomprehensible to most people and amounts to hearing the voice of god when you turn on the radio. The arrangement of artistic production & presentation is itself the structure through which you experience art, and that structure is an authority you can neither comprehend nor alter. And again as A&H say in The Culture Industry, the techniques, narratives, and genres of the culture industry become standardised themselves, cookie-cutters on a production line, and therefore dictate meaning above and beyond any particular semantic meaning injected into an individual film or story. “Romcoms” are a cultural authority above and beyond the sum total of every romcom film ever made, and it is these genres and techniques that transmit the justification for their own continued reproduction. Under this arrangement, the meaning of this film or that television show are rendered marginal - not unnoticeable or irrelevant, certainly, but secondary to the cookie-cutters they were produced from 

Now does this lead to a widespread ignorant, impoverished, reactionary view of art? Of course, but that is not because the guy who likes wearing V for Vendetta masks is illiterate. To place the blame on individual education, discipline, or literacy is to take Hollywood for granted as a natural eternal entity, to take it as just another church. It’s a goofy fucking argument! 

[genericpuff]

Do you have any entry level recommendations for someone looking to learn a bit more about Greek mythology? I’d love to read up on it but I’m not sure how to find reputable sources and avoid Americanisation.

I mean, at the risk of sounding crass, you're likely going to run into Americanization no matter what you do because America itself was built on many cultures, especially that of Greek philosophy and storytelling.

Buuut if you mean you wanna read some actual Greek myth content that AREN'T modern American spins on classic tales, Emily Wilson is a popular choice for many people dipping their toes into translated mythology as her translations are both simplistic and concise in their language choices as well as fun in their structure to read both internally and orally (iirc her translations are done in iambic pentameter which is very familiar to anyone who's ever read Shakespeare). I've been working through her translation of The Odyssey, it's been pretty enjoyable :)

I've also heard great things about both Lattimore and Fitzgerald, the latter of whom I will be reading next after I finish Wilson's translation. That said, I haven't read either of their works yet, so take my recommendation of them with grains of salt! (I hope you enjoy them though if you check 'em out! If you beat me to it, let me know how they went!)

OH also, I know it's sorta the opposite of what you're likely looking for as it's VERY influenced by modern contexts, but thanks to another anon I recently got into Destripando la Historia which is a super fun animated Youtube series that retells the stories of various different gods from different mythologies. If you're into stuff of the goofy anime variety, you might enjoy them, it's a Spanish series but you can turn on captions to read the translations! It's super beginner-friendly, it covers a lot of different stories and myths without getting into so much detail that it's overwhelming (but gives you a good kickoff point to start with!) and the songs and animations slap, Afrodita is one of my favorites haha

Overall the biggest advice I can give you if you're trying to avoid fanfiction-y / "Americanized" retellings is just to cross-reference. If you find a retelling you really like but aren't completely sure of its legitimacy as a functional retelling, keep reading, watching, and learning more. It's a skill like any other, and the more you read, the more you'll be able to pick out what's a legitimate retelling from studied scholars vs. what's fanfiction that you don't need to take too accurately or seriously LMAO

And honestly, nothing wrong with the fanfiction stuff! Mythology, in its very nature, changes over time, it's an inevitability and many of the myths we still draw from today are often derivative in and of themselves from even older versions that pre-existed them (see: Ovid).

it's okay if your introduction to Greek myth is through derivative fanfic, stuff like Disney's Hercules and even Lore Olympus ARE fun to consume for a lot of people and make for a good entry point into learning more about the myths!

What's frustrating - and what I tend to criticize the most here - is when the fanfiction gets advertised / sold as legitimate retellings; when the fanfiction grossly misrepresents the actual mythology and yet tries to claim it as legitimate anyways which results in fanbases that are running around with completely false information claiming it as fact. If you can give the team behind Hercules credit for one thing, their rendition may not be completely accurate, BUT the folks who made it never bragged about how much smarter they were than other people about Greek myth or call themselves "folklorists" when they didn't even have any formal education/training/etc. in it cough like another creator we know cough 💀 If we want to make a comparison between LO and a Disney film in terms of how it grossly misrepresents the themes and cultural contexts of the original stories it was drawing from... Disney's Pocahontas does exactly that 💅

So if you want to avoid any "grossly" Americanized versions of Greek myth that are borderline disrespectful to the stories they're drawing from... yeah, that's usually a pretty indicative red flag LMAO

But outside of those very specific scenarios, just have fun with it, there really is no "right or wrong" way to engage with the mythology if you're simply just wanting to learn more, the beauty of it being mythology is that it's very diverse in its mediums and thus you don't have to be restricted to learning about it exclusively through academic translations or lectures. Of course, there are cultural intersections with these myths that shouldn't be ignored, we always have to treat it with care when engaging with it so that we aren't overwriting another culture's traditions or beliefs - but if you're simply wanting to learn about and entertain yourself with some amazing stories that have quite literally stood the test of time, do so however you see fit :)

[pinecipitation]

I am once again up at your ass and asking for smiling friends hcs,,,, can I get fucking uhhhh Charlie and Alan with a crush who can't help but infodump their interests?? Talking about sitting then down and forcing them to watch their favorite movie and just rambling. (This is totally not me projecting in the slightest, nuh uh) THANK YOU WIFE I HOPE THIS IS OKAY TO ASK MWAH

SMILING FRIENDS X GN!READER

HELLO WIFE YES THANK YOU FOR THE ASK!! LEAN IN I HAVE A KISS READY FOR YOU

word count: 800+

warnings: none!!

CHARLIE:

- my guy doesn’t know about shit honestly, I feel like just how in the president election episodes he’d be like “idk idc” but in the end he gets an opinion with the more info you talk about

- of course because it’s YOU, he’d listen though

- you’re more into movies and shows and games than he is, so if the moment is ever dull he’d immediately hit you with the “….soooo,, any new recommendations?”

- boy do you have them

- he honestly enjoys the way you light up talking about the media you’re into, even if he isn’t quite retaining the information

- he doesn’t mind asking about it again just to hear your piece

- he thinks it’s sort of sweet that you get so heavy into a piece of media that you’d defend it to the ground, especially if its media that isn’t too widely liked or known or have much of a fanbase. he thinks it’s cool that he’s that person for you, like he’s getting insider information from a reliable source

- he finds himself seeing the media in the wild and immediately thinking about your thoughts on it, if he sees a figure of a character you don’t like or a poster of an arc you loved he’d be sure to point it out to himself

- will find himself going “man, fuck this character” to himself because of you, immediately shaking his head and wondering what was wrong with him. He didn’t even know the character, but he subconsciously has an opinion on them because of you

- back to you though, he would have a hard time physically sitting down to watch or read what you’re into, or try out a hobby you like, but when the moment comes where you offer watching the series with him he will jump on it without a second thought

- you do talk and pause to rewind certain parts in it, which he usually wouldn’t like people doing, but it doesn’t matter to him. it’s not like he’s watching the show anyways, he’s too fixated on you and how close you two are on his couch

ALAN:

- now he would ACTUALLY know what you’re talking about and pay attention to the movies and series

- usually he would just state he’s seen it or doesn’t care for it, but he’s breaking habits if it’s something you’re visibly excited about

- of course he’s happy to rewatch it though

- “no, I don’t know about it, is it good?” he’s seen the movie four times

- alan the type of man to stare at you blankly and resist the urge to add his own opinions and facts, but stays quiet for the plot

- he does genuinely enjoy having you so vocal about a subject you’re so passionate about, you’re somehow one of the only people he doesn’t get too overstimulated around, plus this way he doesn’t have to talk as much

- the day you offered a movie marathon at his place was a turning point, him taking the day off before just so he can clean and make the place acceptable, going the lengths to get usual movie snacks and blankets and such. this, and him hiding his books and dvds so that you wouldn’t stumble on them and find out he’s been pretending this entire time

- for the sake of the plot we’re ignoring alan being a morning person, in this universe he’s a night owl hence the eye bags

- the marathon goes on for later in the night than you both anticipated, after the first several hours and rambles of explaining you find yourself more and more tired and you pause the movies less and less

- it doesn’t take Alan long to notice that you fell asleep just like that, the blanket around the two of you and the bowl of chips discarded beside you

- he doesn’t care about that though, what he does care about is your head centimeters away from his shoulder

- not feeling even a little tired, he pauses the movie and carefully grabs his phone, sure not to move himself or you and writes down the time and place he paused, sure that you’d want to continue in the morning or another day. he’s also sure to write a small summary of where you two left off, now that you both “watched it together” he can talk back in infodump conversations and not give away that he knows the parts you two didn’t watch

- he’s quick to move when you shift in your sleep, him carefully but rapidly moving his hand from between you two and scooping his shoulder right under your head. you didn’t seem to wake or notice, a small lazy smile of success on his face as the two of you spend the rest of the night on the couch, him on his phone and you resting peacefully on his shoulder.

[hannahlovesluca]

Hihihihihi K Anon here :DD

Feel free to do this last or put this one as the last in the row !!

Can i request Luxiem boys(+ Ver cause he's my pathetic boyfailure)'s reactions to finding out that their s/o has a naturally cold body temperature?Like you'd think they'd be warm from their personality but when you touch them it's just freezing cold and they just go (:

Anyways please take care of yourself,drink and eat enough and rest enough !! Your health is important pookie

-K Anon

Luxiem + Ver with S/O Who has a Cold Body Temperature

• before you guys had actually met up irl (met through NIJI) and you told him how cold your hands always were, he lowkey didnt believe you because you just have such a warm personality

• however, when you guys first get together irl, first thing he’s doing is holding your hand because he’s so smitten

• and then his eyes go wide and hes just like??

• even though you don’t actually feel cold, he’ll take both of your hands in his and try to warm them up

• he also lowkey likes it too because he definitely prefers to be cold when sleeping and when you guys are cuddling hes just 🥰🥰

• our boyfailure just loves u sm!!!

• i love ver but i’ll be honest idk too much about him so writing for him is xtra hard 😭😭

• lets say you guys knew each other before niji

• maybe you went to the same high school and started dating then?

• anyway he genuinely worries for you, he does his research and its a pretty big sign for low iron so he’ll probably always ask if theres anything thats bothering you and you have to reassure him that its okay

• im sorry but he DEFINITELY blows on your hands softly to warm them up :((

• hes such a horndog but he can be so so soft and sweet

• and he knows how soft he is with you and isnt afraid to admit that he is!!

• he will NOT hide the fact that he loves you!!

• even if you’re not actually cold your skin just is, he’ll still tuck you in with extra blankets and make sure to cuddle the coldest parts of your body!!

• im sorry but he cracks a few jokes about you being elsa or some shit

• he probably flinches the first time he feels how cold your hand is :((

• he prefers being cozy and warm so it’s a big adjustment for him but he’ll do ANYTHING for you!!!

• definitely teases you about it as long as he knows your comfortable with it, otherwise he wouldnt

• i watch mysta, but again, not one of my oshi’s so its somewhat hard to think of things to add but i swear im trying

• even after knowing about your body temperature, he still probably flinches sometimes :((

• poor baby loves you so much and he wants you to know that and he feels so fucking bad because he doesn’t think hes showing it enough

• apologizes to you repeatedly about it :(

• much like vox, he’ll definitely make sure you’re always covered up even if you’re not actually cold

• “mysta, im having a heat stroke..”

• “too bad.” *sticks tongue out at you*

• GOLDEN RETRIEVER GIVES YOU HIS GLOVES

• “y/n, baby, are you okay? 🥺”

• looks at you exactly like that emoji

• holds your hands in his and probably presses them up against his chest for extra warmth 💟💟

• is the type to make you hot chocolate not only because it tastes good and you like it but because it’ll warm up your body

• hes so thorough with everything he does and remembers everything about you :((

• much like vox, he looks it up and once he sees that it could be something like low iron hes just like :0

• he hadnt even thought about that!!! what kind of a boyfriend was he!!!!

• ^ the best one ever

• HE LOVES TAKING WARM SHOWERS/BATHS WITH YOU

• im brain rotting i want to shower with him

• pls he deserves so much love how has he never had a gf anyone would be so lucky shouldve been me shouldve been me oh my god

• no parasocial

• anyways probably tells the lucubs and your fanbase about how cold you are just naturally and how hes worried, and when the clip gets shown to you youre just like 🥹🥹🥹

• “yeah, chat! Y/N is so cold, it kinda worries me. Apparently it can mean a lot of things and im scared they might have low iron or something..” *with a pout*

• and that was when they realized something was going on between you two

• THE MAN OF SEX HIMSELF

• anyways, much like vox, he definitely blows softly on your hands with warm breath to warm them up im so :(

• he also, like luca, will probably get you gloves (he would lend you his but they wouldn’t fo much)

• he probably reads to you while holding your hand and will look at you now and then just to make sure you’re ACTUALLY not cold

• he worries so much about you and being an overthinker doesnt help his case

• i imagine he’ll probably breathe on your hands whilst singing to you softly and just cradling you in his arms

• the man wants nothing more than for you to be happy and healthy and and and and

• ugh he just wants you to have everything good in life because you deserve it and

• i could rant about this man for ages plz restrain me

• anyway if he catches you wearing the gloves he bought you his heart will explode because he got you those and its just so :))))))))

• yk that Harry Styles song “Falling” thats literally him with you thats him in a relationship i cant explain it i just

• he also has a naturally cold body temp

• so the first time he holds your hands hes just :D

• much like ver, he prefers sleeping somewhat cold so when he cuddles you hes practically in heaven 🥰🥰

• his head buried in your chest while cuddling i cant

• brain is not functioning

• shu is just such a chill guy he wouldnt really have that much of a reaction 😭😭

[luniviravosshipper]

I genuinely hate the TDP subreddit.

“It’s not hate, it’s constructive criticism”.

“The fandom isn’t toxic, no one is attacking anyone”.

Uh, yes you are. You are attacking the creators, you are attacking people who are being even mildly positive towards the show. Literally every post I have seen on there getting any sort of traction can show that. Calling yourselves “fans” but then going on about how much you hate and have always hated this show, it’s purely ironic. There’s nothing constructive about actively tearing down the show, its creators, and fanbase just because you don’t personally like something about the show or its finale. It is not constructive when you are giving the creators nothing to work with from those types of complaints. It’s not constructive when the purpose behind those complaints isn’t to actually help or allow the creators to improve upon the show but to give them reason to stop working on it entirely. You are not being critical, you are being hateful.

I mean, even being someone as critical of the show myself, I cannot fathom being this borderline, no, straight up resentful towards it. The only reason why I’m so critical of this series is because ultimately I love it. I think it is phenomenal yet imperfect and so I’d like to see it live up to its potential. How are the people on there even remotely considering themselves fans? They so clearly aren’t. If you’ve “lost interest in the series”, which is something I saw multiple people say, then just say you’re simply no longer a fan. Don’t feign being one still just to give your unhelpful critiques of the series merit.

Please, do not go on harassing not only the creators but other fans for wanting a third arc just because you no longer have interest in watching a continuation of the show. If you feel the need to prove to other fans who are telling you that you are going too far that you aren’t, I don’t know. Maybe that should encourage you to actually reflect on why other people who are just as critical of the show as you are calling your outrage towards the creators out as inappropriate instead of immediately trying to come up with a retort to justify how it’s really appropriate.

[dokidokitsuna]

Felt like showing off the "redesigns" of the Grand Festival outfits that I did for my most recent Today's Work video. I just wanted to see how they'd look with some colors on 'em...and they are nice. ^^ Of course, if/when I do actual redesigns, they'll be a lot more effortful than this...

I've been enjoying the Grand Festival so far, I think. Walking around the grounds and listening to the concerts is surprisingly mesmerizing; they really nailed the ambiance. ^^ It was fun scrolling Twitter during my lunch break yesterday and watching everyone scream about the merch (that they can't have) and the idols (that they've already seen performing a million times before). ^^;;; If there's one defining feature of Splatoon's fanbase, I'd say it's unbridled joy and enthusiasm~.

I think it also goes to show that building an intricate, believable 3D environment can do a lot to make players feel immersed and included, even if they can't really interact with anything. The "Cheer" and "Bounce" etc. options are also great examples of 'a little goes a long way'; they're extremely cute. ^^ I wish we had them for earlier Splatfests...

There's just one little detail of this celebration that nags at me though, to be honest...Splatoon composers, blink twice if you need help. (⊙_⊙;;;)

When I realized that they did new arrangements for the concert performances, AND some of the in-game music, AND the victory and loss music...I began to feel something I call 'consumer's guilt'. :/

Like, of course we should get lots of special music for the Special final Splatfest, but it's been like this for the whole 2 years...special music for every holiday Splatfest, special music from the splatbands for the new seasons, random single drops from the idols throughout the year, dozens of tracks just for Side Order...considering the amount of time and effort that goes into composing and producing just one song it's hard for me to believe that they've had any time to rest, or even to just work at a reasonable pace.

It's only natural for this constant demand for content to take a toll on the quality of their work, and I feel that it has...interestingly, though, I feel the lowest-quality tracks are the earliest ones. '_' Like, splatoonwiki.org has a music page, where the music for each game is separated into sections...and the Multiplayer section for Splatoon 3 is the only one that I have no interest in opening. That is to say, the music we hear most often, while playing the main attraction of the game itself, is in my opinion 90% forgettable slop.

Back when the unofficial soundtrack first came out and I listened to the first 2 hours during a long commute, I remember being really disappointed that not even one C-Side song resonated with me...and the rest to follow weren't much better. To this day, every time some Splatoon battle music gets stuck in my head, it's always something from 1 or 2 (i.e. the games I never played ^^;) I can't even recall what 3's battle music sounds like on command...I hear it every day, and yet it all just slides right off my brain. Even the tracks from established splatbands...none of their 'new' stuff hits the same.

If I had to guess, the composers knew very far ahead of time all the stuff they would have to do, and decided to rush through the generic squid-rock to focus on the interesting stuff. If I had both Deep Cut's and C-Side's music on my schedule, I know which one I would want to devote the most time to. And if I had to develop a totally new sound for Free Association (the entity responsible for the music in Side Order, reflecting its surreal techno-industrial vibes) and H2Whoa (a random new splatband that only exists to ring in Drizzle Season 2023) I know which project would be more interesting to me, and inspire more creative choices.

...In a perfect world, though, ALL the music could be of similar quality and creativity, because they wouldn't have to make so much so often! >_< I mean, I know music is central to Splatoon's identity (it's what got me into the series in the first place) but I feel like things are getting out of hand...something about this constant deluge of new music doesn't feel sustainable. I've seen composer burnout before, and because music is so important to this franchise, I'd hate to see it happen here...

[pleasantspark]

True Critical Post

Why do we have to rely on Fan Theories as our main source of content? Why do we have to have talented people waste all their energy explaining away the plotholes that SHOULD be solved as we go?

Why do we as respective people have to lower our respect to a bunch of preteens and teens that will probably get criticized themselves if they do decide to pursue what VivziePop is doing?

Why do WE as part as the marginalized people who are portrayed in this show as completely wrong have to explain WHY it's wrong only to get ableism, racism and lgbtqphobic shit at us?

Why do WE have to explain what is criticism and what is not when it's clear as day we felt like this isn't what we stand for?

You want a real true critical post? Well you got it.

Hellaverse is trying to tell a story but it can't find out which identity it wants to be, one minute its Steven Universe, the next minute its South Park.

"But South Park is edgy and has ser-"

It's because it's handled in a respectful manner, South Park handled toxic relationships better than Hazbin, who refuses to let go of a toxic ship.

Cartman and Heidi's relationship was truly the toxicity of that day.

"It's not serious!"

Okay, so by that logic, that means Angel Dust and whatever shit we see is also not serious, good to know SA and depression isn't serious because it's for a show in Hell. You think we critics sit here all day and fluff shit out just because we hate Viv?

You know I don't hate her that's too strong of a word, I LOATHE HER and the fanbase for speaking over victims and actual members of the LGBTQ+ and POC!

Our problems are not taken seriously at all, it's some major spectacle for you all to fetishize and laugh at, wow, I thought SuperMarioLogan's fanbase was toxic, but damn. I was wrong.

If you can't see what the fucks wrong with your opinions, when the people who they are affecting speaks up. Then I pray that whenever you feel the pain we felt, you can change your mind.

It's always the picrew profiles that aren't even POC or victims that speak over us.

STOP

NORMALIZING

THIS.

I shouldn't have to tell you why Lucifer's character is harmful.

or why Angel Dust's is harmful.

You should at least have half a brain to understand.

BUT NO, THE FUCKING TEAM CONDONES CHILDREN TO WATCH THIS WITH THEIR PARENTS.

I can never find a adult space that I can share without children infiltrating it.

This post is far more aggressive because the handwaving and constant dismissive behavior, so MAYBE if we were more aggressive you'll get it. I am trying to be nice but I can't when all I am is a joke for the writers to exploit.

[dr-spectre]

So brainwashed Callie in official content is cringe. Do you feel the same about it in Fanfiction? Have there been any takes on Hypno Callie that you enjoyed?

Honestly? I don't feel the same way about it in fanfiction. There's a lot of information and different takes floating around about certain things in the franchise so I dont necessarily blame people for using the word "brainwashed" for Callie in their fanfiction. The English localisation of Splatoon has said she was brainwashed despite other languages and the original Japanese version not using the word. At least from my own knowledge. So I get why most fans would take that information and immediately believe it's true.

Plus there's more people talking about what actually happened to Callie on twitter and tumblr which is really incredible to see!!! Im so happy to see Callie being treated with more respect!!!!! It is a night and day difference compared to the treatment in 2017 to 2020.

Surprisingly enough I don't actually consume a lot of fanfiction. I can read my own writing easily but I can't read others that well and... I feel really bad about it... but I have read a bit of this one fanfiction that got Hypno Callie 99% right. I fucking forgot the name but i was recommended it by someone in the past, it had "dome" in the name? It was about DJ Octavio and the Octarian domes.

The way they explained the shades was actually really interesting and unique! It's basically shades that play catchy music and that's how Callie got hypnotised. It fits in line with DJ Octavio too as he's well... a DJ. Plus daydreaming and listening to music goes hand in hand so it has some basis in reality too. Everyone at some point has been put into a daydream state when vibing out to music.

Although I say 99% because there's this one line that Callie says, "Are these shades brainwashing me?" And it was so clunky I'm sorry LOL. And there's this implication that its also doing something further to Callie's brain but it's not that explained well, which i really dont like. Other than that, my Hypno Callie content is mainly fanart and 99% of that has been phenomenonal and powerful stuff.

However.... my biggest fucking gripe in "fan content" if you wanna call it that is... timeline videos and people going over plot details and stuff like that.

These people actually do RESEARCH and spend a lot of time analysing the story of Splatoon and trying to put the pieces together. Yet for Callie it feels like they just do a quick read through of Inkipedia and that's it because they dont give a flying fuck about her character. It drives me fucking psychotic and i cant be safe watching Splatoon videos anymore. How hard is it to say hypnotised? HOW HARD IS IT?!?!?! JUST USE THAT WORD!!! THATS ALL YOU HAVE TO DO!!! GOD DAMN!!!! DO YOU EVEN KNOW THE MEANING OF THE WORD BRAINWASHED AT ALL?!?!?!

It's really disappointing to me that this outdated timeline video is the ONLY VIDEO to say Callie was hypnotised and not "brainwashed." And that... makes me kinda pissed off.

YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THE CHOSEN ONE!!!!

YOU TOO!!!!

I can't even watch these videos anymore man. I'm sad. I'm not even trying to send hate over to them, they put in a lot of work... except for a character I really care about....

Imagine you like a particular character and you feel really strongly about them. Now Imagine people saying wrong or yucky things about that character and treating it as fact despite you knowing "Hey something is not right here. I think there's more here than people realise." And all the most popular and well liked content is spreading that kind of information around about your favourite character. It would drive you crazy yeah? I'm sure everyone has that one character in every fanbase.

Anyways, thanks for the ask! Sorry if it was long... I tend to ramble about Hypno Callie LOL! (Autism)

[autism-alley]

augh found my old post abt pjo and disability from before the show came out but it was on ye olde blog so i’m literally just gonna copy and paste, 3, 2, 1—

ok now that i’ve got it on the brain, i want to talk about disability in pjo and specifically how calling percy jackson dumb or treating him as such is not only a mischaracterization, but ableism. as a quick note, i’m keeping this to just percy to avoid having this already long post be even longer, but there are other disabled characters in pjo worthy of discussion, though i hit many of the same points in this post. i bring up percy specifically because he is mostly the character i have seen people treat as stupid.

percy is a dyslexic teen with ADHD who comes from a low-income family, raised by a single mother, and deals with an abusive step-father. i cannot stress enough how much of his character is shaped by that experience, but as hard as it is to single out any one part, i am going to focus on his ADHD and dyslexia. this kid has nightmares of being forced to take tests in a straightjacket as teachers ask him if he’s stupid and withhold him from recess with his peers. he is constantly labelled as “troubled” and blamed for things he didn’t do or aren’t his fault. he is told, over and over again, even from trusted adults, that he is “not normal” (othering him). he bounces between schools. he struggles to make friends. he deals with bullying. he has difficulty studying and reading, even when invested. teachers struggle to connect with him and tend to just give up on him. these are real disabled experiences, and rick does a good job at presenting them in the pjo books. sometimes, it feels like everything is a struggle. you are living inside a system that not only is restricting, but actively works against and punishes you.

in contrast, CHB is a great example of how when environments meet the needs of disabled people, it hugely changes how disabled we are in that environment. demigod brains are hard-wired for ancient greek, not english, and they’re born impulsive, with high energy levels that help them survive battle—but aren’t very good for a classroom setting. but by having them read books in ancient greek, regularly do lots of training/physical activities, and have genuine opportunities to express themselves...they function pretty damn well. percy discovers that while he struggles academically, he is brilliant in combat and capable of saving the world numerous times—he is a hero. do you know how important that message is for disabled children? disabled adults, too? that we can be heroes?

it is here, in camp half-blood, that percy finds a place he belongs, that shows him his worth—finally, somewhere is built to not only include him, but to nurture and genuinely prepare him for the world outside its boarders. however, i think people forget that just because percy functions in the world of CHB and the gods, that does not mean he doesn’t face ableism in the mortal world—and that there is an entire group of people who see ourselves reflected in his character.

i could talk on for hours about how much being disabled shapes percy’s identity and how he interacts with the world—like how percy’s humor revolves around coping with his environment and actually displays a very low self esteem after being looked down upon his entire life. this kid doesn’t even have to say anything and he screams i had a neurodivergent childhood. but about 5-6 years ago, when i was more regularly tuned into the fandom, every time i saw someone call percy jackson dumb or an idiot, even jokingly, i raised an eyebrow, and now that the series is getting fresh coverage from disney+, i have wanted to make this post. so much of this kid’s life and personality comes from being treated like he’s dumb or incapable, so it’s troubling to watch part of the fanbase reflect the harmful parts of this character’s upbringing. i truly hope it does not become common again. it’s also one thing coming from a neurodivergent/disabled person with similar experiences (and even then i personally find it a little uncomfortable), it’s another to be said by a neurotypical/able bodied person.

percy jackson’s experiences make for very important representation, and for people to characterize him as just a goofy, unintelligent guy is not only an insult to his character as a kid who is intelligent, but previously lacked the environment to show it, but also ableist. so in the dawn of the new tv series era, i ask that we cut that shit out. rick riordan did not create rep for neurodivergent and disabled kids for them to be called stupid by the fanbase. even jokingly.

[feraltvman]

Headcannons I use for BS!Puzzles

Ramble✨✨✨✨✨

•His Shows and Movies

In the SMG4 universe media thrives and holds grand power for those who are directly connected to it

Example: SMG4 has very strong Meme powers and Mario also benefits from this popularity being the Avatar of the planet/being connected to Four and Three.

Memes seem to be the main source of EVERYTHING media related in the SMG4 universe....

Mr.Puzzles shows and movies- Are actually good in this AU. Like REALLY GOOD. He actually deserves to be in the box office 24/7 with his masterpieces.

He doesn't understand memes or why they're funny, thus most of the time when he does a Meme- it's by sheer luck. It flowed naturally into his script and it adds in humor how he would want it, without forcing it in like Four does.... Unfortunately for him this means that nobody in this universe will watch his content, because there are not enough Memes.

His "movie parodies" are his way of trying his best to embrace the wacky nature of this universe. Insert himself into their media and draw people to his works, so he can still write something good but it'll have more Natural Meme Flow. While he doesn't understand the meme flow.... He acknowledges that it is there because of the audience giving him Stars. If he doesn't get a star, he doesn't understand what he did wrong and tries again.

•His Ratings

Using MORE OR LESS the same headcannon as @icedbeverageenjoyer , Mr.Puzzles has an audience who isn't from the SMG4 universe and they have the same taste HE does. Where they do not like the mass amount of memes, enjoy the quality and set being as pristine as possible....

However, they cannot SEE his movies and shows without the people of the SMG4 universe giving their own ratings.

Let me try my best to explain.... SO 👏

Mr.Puzzles makes these shows and movies pouring his heart and soul into them, but his Shadow Audience is hard to reach.... They are constantly indulged in media and go after the things with the Highest Ratings- their attention needs to be grabbed in order for Puzzles to gain more stars

So he needs the SMG4 universe to Rate his Films in order to grab their attention again, the more stars he has. The bigger the Butterfly Effect will be.

•Simulations

5 stars is the equivalent of his audience going to old movies he made and rewatching them to rate them again because they're so invested in his content. His fanbase being so absorbed in him, watching over and over and over. When he releases something new they wouldn't have to pull their attention from something else because he already has them between his fingers. Its constant Media Consuming thus giving TREMENDOUS power for the TV man

•Adware

BS! Puzzles has an AWARENESS about him that works in a really funky way...

No matter where you are in comparison to him, no matter how secretive you are- if you point a camera in his direction and start Filming or Taking Pictures. He WILL know.

It's an odd sensation of Being Watched- he knows when eyes are on him and he can tell the difference between his Shadow Audience or some rando on the street recording him because if his ratings Dont Move- then its clearly not anything he is profiting off of.

To combat this- Mr.Puzzles has an Automatic AD built into his system that will infiltrate any device capturing his likeness and inquire them to participate in rating him 5 Stars. Mr.Puzzles DOES NOT- know who is recording him or where they are however the longer someone records him and don't interact with his AD, he will slowly gain awareness of where they are and track them down.

Obviously if they interact with the ADware he will gain awareness of their location immediately but he'll only do something with that information if you give him bad ratings ^u^

Mr.Puzzles is 100% robotic in this AU. It started off with just his head but quickly spiraled into transforming himself into his own Mascot Character

It wasn't long before he began to miss certain aspects of being a human however, tasting his favorite snacks... Relaxing his nerves with tobacco though he didn't miss the coughing or slowly dying, the texture of different foods, his favorite smells..... He couldn't feel it anymore and went to work on fixing it.

It took a very long time for him to pull it off, but he eventually got what he wanted. Putting something like a Cake into his pocket dimension through the screen, he can Analyze it with a scanner to identify the ingredients then make rational simulations of how the thing would taste. Giving him the full ability to enjoy the flavour of the cake again, though he does not eat nor NEED too... Any food he stores in his Pocket Dimension either gets saved for prisoners of his mind, or himself for the sensation of taste later.

Same thing for tobacco, he analyzes it and its ingredients. How it would scientifically affect the body and Simulates it in himself while deleting any UNWANTED feelings- like coughing a bunch or killing his throat. He can just get the effect he wants

He doesn't actually have a working mouth. Its all a simulation of feelings that he programmed into himself

-When he 'bites' someone, all he needs to do is put the limb he is 'biting' into his screen and then simulating a bunch of sharp objects going into their body. Even though its a simulation- the objects are physically there and very much cause real life pain just like how he hurts the SMG4 crew while they're trapped in his shows.

The pain is 100% genuine. But he can Harm or Heal anyone he wants in his head, all he has to do is reverse the effects after all. or simulate their wound being healed. His Head his Rules after all.

The only downside of this is that after fixing himself to be able to simulate taste, other feelings naturally programmed themselves in due to his natural thinking... Such as his OWN pain. He feels it when Mario cracks his screen, when he gets bitten, and extra. All because of his natural thinking and the upgrades he gave himself just- inserting them.

Hes annoyed by it but at the end of the day it helps him be able to tell what needs repaired on his body

•Recording his films

In his pocket dimension of TVs and shows there is always something in the works.... Be it an episodic show or a movie Mr.Puzzles obsession with creating never ends, and a lot of the time he uses these projects to practice scenes he wants in the future. He'll use mannequins and fake props tossing them around and getting the Script he wants out of it, what actions he wants to happen when and why, the setting... Each of his shows are Pre-Planned and built for hours on end within his headspace, so when he finally gets some actors to fill the roles. He can get to work immediately on molding them into their act and not have to worry about anything else.

He rarely improvises his shows on the spot, but if he really wants to torment somebody he'll build a scenario in 5 seconds and build on it later.

He's not the best at multi-tasking making films and actively moving around so it's pretty easy to tell when he is making something, cus he'll be in his headspace.

He will record in the real world but he wont enjoy it as much as his head where he can have full control over everything.

•Where does Mr.Puzzles come from

Mr.Puzzles was born and raised in the SMG4 universe as a completely regular human boy that went to college for engineering to fulfill his dream of building his Mascot and Film Making for the obvious. When approaching 20 years old he was almost finished with the mascot Mr.Puzzles and was holding the Television sitting on the table with a deep longing.... 'what I wouldn't do to be my own mascot' he thought to himself...... The fame, power, and abilities of this robot he was crafting.... He wanted them..... He didn't want the robot to take HIS spotlight, he didn't want to just be known as the creator of Mr.Puzzles and worked to BECOME Mr.Puzzles instead.....

Through various means of rituals and study.... He found the perfect source to connect himself too and got to work.

He doesn't regret it at all. But.... He doesn't remember.....

What he offered this source in return for his new body or who the source was

(inspired off @astro-vision-au 's own take on Mr.Puzzles having made a deal with a demon in order to survive swapping his head for a TV)

[cacw]

what don't you like about frostpaw/dawn? no hate, just curious :)

thanks ive been waiting for someone to ask

theres a lot i could say about her because shes been around for long enough and now that this arc is 100% done i can safely voice my opinions which will never have any future opportunity to change. this is 3 years (and particularly the last 3 months) worth of angry impassioned and disillusioned thoughts but its still not everything. and maybe someday ill better describe what i actually wanted from her

i dont like frostpaw because everything about her and her story was pathetic and horrible. frostpaw had every chance to be a great character but unfortunately she was born into a corrupt fictional world and raised under a broken system and she never stood a chance to bring about any real change (i knew this all along and i hate to whinge but really i did. nothing ever changes! meditating isnt going to solve anyones problems no matter how nice and agreeable a concept it sounds). frostpaws story is one full of couldves shouldves and wouldves

everything about this arc bothered me and there wasnt a single chapter i couldnt find something to complain about. i know this makes me sound like a total bitch. but somehow she still managed to be the better protagonist even when the bar was set incredibly low which is a feat in and of itself

i could be pedantic here and bring up smaller scale things about her story that bother me like the way she would have made more sense as an only child (for the exact same reasons as shadowsight), or the age retcon at the beginning of the arc and how she should have just trained as a warrior first, or i could rave about the way her friendship with splashtail hardly had any spotlight which ultimately made the dynamic difficult to enjoy for anyone who isnt named cheyeh. maybe im just sick of light-haired girls with blue eyes. but those are for another day. they add up quick though. my biggest gripe is probably her relationship with her mother (and by extension starclan) and the way both of them were treated over the last three years. i wouldnt feel so negatively toward frostpaw if she hadnt been so quick to turn on the one who raised her and kissed her skinned knees and made her hot chocolate after school. she agonizes over the realization of what her mother has done, but she is incredibly quick to toss out all sentimentality and claim that curlfeather deserved her fate and worse. theres not much heart here (and thank god that wasnt her suffix). its poor writing, its incredibly angering boring and disappointing and its something ive been meaning to write about for a long time

actually i might as well bring up the splashtail problem now because i know im never going to get around to making a big post about them

frostpaw and splashtail were supposed to be important to each other at some point early on in their lives, but we are never properly shown this and so the general fanbase was put off by her sudden crush on him. and i undersand that. i know were all sick of the same thing over and over. but frostpaws feelings for him were completely reasonable, and if either of them were written even a little better i know it would have made a lot more sense. and yet instead of the writers trying for anything remotely interesting, frostpaw becomes obsessed with marrying him and having his children. she says shed like to name one after her mother. because this is what all women are meant to do with their lives and this is what being a warrior is all about. she cannot just have a best friend and be done with it; she needs to want this and he needs to give it to her because its what they do. this is all very fucking stupid and it almost ruined both of them for me

we dont see inside splashtails head at all so we have no idea why hes doing all this or why he cant bring himself to care about her as a person anymore, and we are left to watch frostpaw mourn the relationship with her best friend that never came to be. and once again, although she didnt want to admit it for a while, she simply accepts the fact that, like curlfeather, he is just evil and theres nothing to be done but get rid of him. that sounds like a major oversimplification but it really isnt. she doesnt examine this in any way that matters and neither does anyone else. and no one else was ever going to! that should have been her job as the protagonist! she is supposed to think differently. its not so much a frostpaw problem as it is just flawed writing overall. curlfeather and splashtail were just a few bad apples and we dont need to think about the rest of the bunch because now that theyre both dead and in hell well never have to consider the possibility that something like this could ever happen again. thanks for getting rid of the problem for us frostpaw. no one will ever know just how much this hurt you because they never knew him like you did but since they didnt you can just spend the rest of your life pretending those feelings arent there

im also very put off by the fandoms interpretations of her character, and while this doesnt affect her canon characterization its still something that drives me completely insane. theres a pattern ive noticed over the years where people try to paint every medicine cat protagonist as wimpier than they actually are and will act like they need to be protected by the other two (and most recently, inferior) protagonists. i shouldnt have to explain why this is annoying and sort of ruins any enjoyment i could ever possibly get from fanart. i dont want to sound mean but i dont find anything sweet or cathartic about her ending and i think art celebrating it is lame and makes me feel absolutely nothing

ive said it before but frostpaw can be very angry and defensive and i wish people utilized this aspect of her personality without making her look like some naive idiotic crybaby! (and without having her direct ALL OF IT toward her mother. she has more to be angry about) its one of my favorite things about her. i love how ugly she can get. i wish she had been angrier about a lot more. another common occurrence over the years involves characters getting angry at starclan for using them or lying to them or refusing to leave them alone, but in the end the protagonist always ends up forgiving and accepting their ways because they are holy and righteous and good. starclans overwhelming significance to the story isnt the problem here; its the way no one ever seems to learn anything of value and instead come out of their arcs wearing the same black and white colored glasses. frostpaw fought the whole way until she couldnt anymore. her arc went nowhere and she drowned in a deep dark puddle of erin hunters pen ink

i will say i do genuinely enjoy frostpaw for what she could have been, and i always have. unfortunately this version doesnt fully exist. but she was still the best protagonist and her chapters were all i ever cared about. ive enjoyed her more than any other protagonist in the last 10+ years (aside from shadowsight, but even his ending disappointed me). she was fun and fresh for a while but at her core shes just another soldier and she was always going to end up exactly like everyone else in the end. which of course i mean dull and indistinguishable and a stickler to the status quo (which is ironic considering the themes of the last two arcs, let alone her own story and personal goals). i care about her a lot. i would even go as far as to say i love her truly and deeply, but she is terrible. im not joking when i say that she sucks. but shes better than most and somehow thats what matters here. she isnt my favorite. but she probably is in her own special way

i do not dislike frostpaw for the reasons other people have bashed her for over the years; she got a lot of hate when the arc was just beginning, and i never agreed with any of it. she was never just a camera, she was never a whiny bitch, and she wasnt just a lovestruck schoolgirl down on her luck. frostpaw is smart. frostpaw is kind and brave. frostpaw is not a child and she hasnt been one for a long time. its not frostpaws fault she exists in an arc from a series so overtaken with a deep-running hatred for women spanning 20+ years with a fanbase that has never known how to act right, but she also isnt real. so whatever. i hope she enjoys her future of irrelevancy and lack of any real and true relationships and the occasional outlandish and/or ooc remark shell spit out that makes the next medicine cat protagonist look sympathetic in comparison. i hope she enjoys knowing shell never see her two favorite people again. thats what she wanted all along!

and her name is stupid

[genericpuff]

I think praising someone (Mongie) considering her incredibly racist comments and disrespectful behavior towards nonwhite fans, simply because she isn’t Rachel, is a bit gross

? I mean, yeah I agree with you, she's acted very immaturely and cruel towards her nonwhite fans. I'm assuming this has to do with my post talking about mongie's announcements at NYCC with her getting an anime? (if not please link me to the specific post for context). I don't really see any of that as 'praising her', more so just acknowledging the fact that she at least had the balls to step away from WT when she knew it wasn't working for her anymore, and the fact that she's managed to succeed separate from WT thus proving that it is, in fact, possible to succeed in this industry without relying on one single platform. The comparison to Rachel was more so just to prove a point that LO is in development hell lmao

I was more so just trying to praise the action in and of itself, not praising mongie for being a good person. I'm very aware of and have talked about her issues involving her racist opinions (the Vicky incident especially), I don't think her not being Rachel makes her a good person or good creator by default and that's not the point I was trying to get across. I'm not interested in continuing to read her work (like with LO I used to be a huge fan of Let's Play until it fell tf off in S3, then I found out about all the racism) but I can acknowledge the fact that she found a way to break out of the mould of Webtoons because I think that's something that should be talked about so that others can see it is possible to survive outside of Webtoons (not just for the aspiring creators, but also for the Originals creators who have spoken up about feeling 'stuck' with Webtoons because they don't feel like they can succeed without WT). It's just a shame it was, y'know, the person who has treated her fanbase like shit and acted out over very valid criticisms of her depictions of nonwhite characters. That's pretty much all I was trying to get across, it's not much more complicated than that lmao Weird analogy but it's like when you smell something cooking that smells really good and then you find out that it involves ingredients you can't stand LOL

But hey, you do raise a good point that highlighting the success of someone who's shitty towards their readers and how they write nonwhite characters is just giving them more press and recognition, so let's use this opportunity to highlight a not problematic creator who also found success in this industry while never once being an Originals creator - Alice Oseman! Heartstopper is wonderful and beautifully written especially in its characterizations and depictions of queer relationships and identities, the Netflix adaption is very warm and comforting to watch, and Alice herself seems like someone who I'd love to have coffee with if I ever had the chance. Go read/watch Heartstopper y'all , and remember to include non-Originals creators in your search for good comics to read <3 I'll probably make an actual post about Heartstopper sometime because I still need to watch the second season of the show and I'm sure I'll have plenty to gush about after I watch it just like I did with the first :' )

[upward-centrifuge]

the seadweller post, aka the first and last time i will give this much of a shit about homestuck fish.

No clue how to introduce this, so I'm just going to tell you what is true about seadwellers canonically. Seadwellers are completely distinct from everyone else on the hemospectrum, including other highbloods, in a way that isn't dissimilar to the aristocracy. Only the fuschias are actually rulers, but the violets are still royalty. Like, explicitly they are royalty. The seadwellers live in their own little world that is separate from everyone else, and they are ALL royalty. They don't have to worry about culling, they don't have to worry about money, and yet they are still people in an unjust system and this does have consequences.

In fragments, for this reason, I portray seadweller society very blatantly as an aristocracy. And the thing about an aristocracy is that it is its own tiny society where the stakes are different, the rules are different, and there are countless eyes on you at all times.

Don't get me wrong, these people are immensely privileged. They experience almost none of the risks and dangers the average Alternian faces. However, they are locked constantly in a risky social game. One in which other people are often the pawns.

They live in a world of constant power struggle, turmoil, and subterfuge, where every single action means something. This is what compels people about period dramas that focus on royalty and rich people. The aristocracy suffers no real threats, so they play convoluted power games that can be much more fun to watch.

Now, I don't focus on all this much in fragments, because one, that's a lot of screen time to spend on something ultimately more or less irrelevant to the story; and two, I don't actually find this kind of subtle power play all that compelling. It's nice sometimes, as a little treat, but you're not gonna find me watching Downton Abbey. lol.

Why I bring this all up is again, to reiterate: the seadweller aristocracy is Like That because they are at the very top. They suffer no real threats, so they have to create their own hostile little society. This goes for the hemospectrum, too. When everyone in your little society-within-a-society is at the very top of the food chain, you can't use normal hierarchy as a quick way of controlling people. So you create your own heirarcies. Seadweller society in fragments is hyper-aware of physical differences. Ethnic and regional features that are just considered "people look different depending on where they're from, big surprise" by other castes become distinct ethnic groups in the eyes of seadwellers, and it's how they form their pecking order.

In the eyes of your average Alternian, if you put a member of their caste from somewhere cold and a member of their caste from somewhere hot next to each other and then asked them to tell you the difference, they might identify ethnic traits, like one of them being fatter, but they're just as likely to point out those traits as any other traits, like the two being different genders. They're also most likely not going to attribute those physical differences to anything other than random chance.

Meanwhile, if you asked your average seadweller to do the same, they'd immediately be able to identify one as a larger-than-life, brightly colored tropic-dweller, and the other as a hardy, blubbery icefish. This shit is a big deal to them, and they're pretty racist about it.

This is why I mentioned my seadweller hierarchy as something I think a larger fanbase would love to misinterpet. I fear that the collective tumblr fandom hivemind would see that and decide that rich people are oppressed on my version of Alternia. In fact, what I am actually trying to portray is the subtle power dynamics that the obscenely rich and powerful create amongst themselves, and those dynamics do frequently involve race and ethnicity. Turn away from the British/European upper class, look at Robber Barons in America or the games that politicians play amongst themselves. Hell, look at the American middle class. There's a lot to observe.

[pastelalleycat]

Like its predecessor, the Illumination movie Sing 2 features sideplots with its deurotagonists that revolve around and eventually assimilate into the central story (putting on the in-movie musical Out of This World). Now, I love Sing 2. Despite a shaky first act, it has an incredible finale that hits almost every chord right. But there's a part of the movie I haven't seen anyone complain about (besides me, in YouTube comment sections) and I really think it needs to be addressed. It hasn't left my head since the movie came out and it still really rubs me the wrong way.

...that part is Darius, okay? I hate Darius.

Please hear me out.

In Meena's sideplot she has to kiss someone on stage for her song, but not having had her first kiss yet, she feels incredibly nervous about it. Buster Moon tells her not to worry, because he thinks he's got the perfect guy to pair with her. In comes the new hire, an acclaimed Broadway-equivalent actor sure to sweep her off her feet.

Darius is a girl's stereotypical first date: charismatic, moody, a little ditzy, very romantic. He doesn't make the best impression with either Meena or Buster, but especially with Meena; he gloats about the success of his previous show, only after doing so addressing he's been told about Meena's nerves- forgetting her name in the process.

When Meena tries to correct Darius ("it's Meena, not Gina"), he asks her not to interrupt him in the future instead of accepting the criticism. Meena's ears are pulled close to her face, a behavior carried over from the first film that she does when feeling very shy and guarded.

Their initial rehearsal doesn't go well, with Darius initiating unwanted physical contact with Meena. The chemistry is very clearly not working, and everyone can see it, but they assume it's just a rocky start.

This is where the problems really begin.

A phrase that's frequently thrown around with Darius and Meena is "find the feeling". Miss Crawly says it (in essence, at least) over her megaphone to try to get the co-stars in line, but Darius is by far the one who uses it the most. It's not a comforting statement, it's not a "let's work this out", it's a demand- because if the chemistry isn't there when the curtains go up, Darius's reputation could be affected. (Meena's as well, but he's not concerned about that.)

Meena runs outside to get some fresh air and meets Alphonso- voiced rather impressively by Pharrell Williams, as a sidenote- and it's not only love at first sight, perhaps her first real crush even, but the antithesis of everything Darius is. Sweet, non-judgemental, genuinely appreciative.

It was at this point, watching the movie for the first time, that I guessed how Meena's story would wrap up. She'd tell Buster she was uncomfortable, Darius would get kicked to the curb, and they'd hire Alfonso to star alongside her. Happy ending. (If only Alfonso could sing, but we never get any indication he has talent or experience, just that Meena imagines so.)

Well, Meena tells Buster no less than twice through the subplot that she's uncomfortable with Darius. Instead of letting her explain and listening to her concerns, he quickly tells her she has to stay with him for the act. The anxiety and stress and Darius's smartassery just keep building until the actual performance.

Darius asks her one last time, desperately, still calling her Gina, to "find the feeling".

She imagines Alphonso.

And she does it.

And that's, apparently, the victory the story was looking for. Darius goes with the rest of the cast on the big tour, Meena gets Alphonso's number so she can FaceTime him every now and then, and everyone's okay with how the stars aligned.

But me? God, I'm not. The fact that Darius recieved zero backlash (as far as I know), that his stuck-up behavior was treated as cute and quirky by the fanbase, infuriates me. I rarely get infuriated by cartoons, but this, as an AFAB person who was groomed online, is something I absolutely can't stand. Darius is treated as a comedic figure, and yes, it's "just" a kiss, but his behavior is far from funny, and a first kiss that goes anything like this is far from inconsequential.

Meena should never have been pushed to the point of needing to imagine someone in Darius's place in order to play her role. She should never have been forced to act with, much less kiss, him at all. It reminds me, tragically, of how people in situations of continued distress will imagine themselves in a better place to help them get through it. How a young girl, if she's attracted to boys or raised to assume such, may assume she must always be willing to please her boyfriend before taking her own needs into account.

Meena deserved so much better in Sing 2. She needed Buster to listen to her, Rosita to give her candy from her purse, Johnny to give her a hug, Günter to make her laugh. She needed a community. The kids watching her did, too. And the film didn't give them that dignity.