#just like you are

[artist-issues]

With all due friendliness, @queenofhearts7378…

There is nothing prideful about the rightful heiress to an estate giving up her father, her home, time, effort, and dignity to the people who aren’t worthy of it. If you’re implying she was prideful to stay in a home where she was mistreated and could’ve left any time she wanted, you’re turning a blind eye to carefully-placed scenes like the one where a former staff member asks, “why do you stay there when they treat you so?” And Ella replies, “for my parents. They loved our house, and now that they’re gone I love it for them.”

Until she has the Prince, her only remaining sources of love, which are her parents, are in that house. The movie dedicates s great deal of time to building up who Ella is: she is taught by her parents to associate that house with their presence, and a queenly responsibility to watch over it. She doesn’t stay in a hard situation out of pride. She stays out of love and responsibility. And there’s an additional, very self-sacrificial hint that Ella wants to appeal to her new family members’ better natures, make their farmhouse life easier, and even feels pity for them.

“Pity? Self-sacrifice? Oh please,” you might be thinking, “She should not be pitying her abusers.” But here’s the truth. The Cinderella in Cinderella 2015 is a deep character because she knows who she is, and what is important in life. It might be hard for us, who see that the Stepmother and Stepsisters spend most of the movie getting their own way, demeaning someone so much worthier than them, and manipulating everyone they can for their own selfish gains, to feel pity. But it is not as hard for their victim, Cinderella. Because this Ella very clearly knows that power, which the stepmother and stepsisters have over her, is not nearly as valuable as love, which they can never have because they ruin it for themselves and one another.

That’s this Cinderella’s superpower—and it’s truer to the original fairy tale than the Animated Cinderella’s traits were—and it’s higher and better than “doing everything in her power to free herself.”

When are you and others ever going to get it into your head? How many centuries of Cinderella-like stories have to be told? It is not all that great to rescue yourself. It is actually truer and better and deeper to recognize that you can give up your own self-interests for others—and that superpower, known as kindness, is so much more valuable than providing for your own interests.

Also, what, Ella does not twirl in her tower “waiting to be rescued.” The narration specifically fills in the gaps, “Though Ella was sad, her spirit was not broken. She knew that the ball, and her time with the prince, would become beautiful, distant memories, like those of her mother and father and her golden childhood.” She’s not looking for a rescue. She’s never needed a rescue in this movie. She’s always found courage in things that are deeper than just “what situation do I live in and are people nice to me.” She just keeps on doing that even after the Stepmother smashes her glass slipper.

The only point you made that makes any sense with what values Cinderella’s story is supposed to communicate is: “og Cinderella was given the gift freely and COMFORTED at her lowest moment.” Well yeah, free love and comfort in a time of sadness is beautiful.

And it would have made sense, in the Live Action Cinderella, if the movie were not about Cinderella and her Superpower of Kindness. If the movie were about the Fairy Godmother, then sure, have her comfort Ella. That would show off how compassionate and timely and loving the character of the Fairy Godmother is.

But the movie’s not about the Fairy Godmother. The movie’s about Cinderella and her Superpower. The test was to prove to the audience that going to the ball was a direct result of Cinderella’s Superpower—and by the way, that actually makes her much more an agent of her own rescue than screaming at some mice.

While we’re on the topic, the “og Cinderella’s” Fairy Godmother did NOT just appear to give Cinderella comfort and a pretty dress just because she was sad and needed a pat on the head, which is what your tag implies. The OG Fairy Godmother’s very first words as she appears on screen are, ‘Nothing, my dear? Oh, now, you don’t really mean that. Nonsense, child! If you’d lost all your faith, I couldn’t be here; and here I am!”

My point is that even the OG Fairy Godmother appeared to remind Cinderella, and the audience themselves, of the movie’s main point and value: “Have courage and be kind and your dreams will come true.” That’s faith; acting on what you know is true regardless of circumstances, because a good result is promised. OG Cinderella and Live Action Cinderella exemplify that in the scenes where the Fairy Godmother come in; one through a line of explanation wrapped up in comfort, another through a hidden test.

Please come up with something more than a tired, old, broke understanding of Cinderella where you think she was helpless and her strength was in simply wanting to be free of her abusers, and jumping at the chances that she was given. That’s not how the story goes. The story goes, she was self-sacrificial and kind and brave even when she could have escaped OR made life worse for her abusers. And thanks to those values of self-sacrifice and kindness, she was saved.

It’s kindness and self-sacrifice, which take courage, that save Cinderella. That’s the story.

[queer-reader-07]

i understand getting really deeply and personally attached to fictional characters (i do it all the time) but i think too many people fall into the trap of interpreting criticism (or honestly just differing opinions that aren’t even necessarily negative) of characters they love as personal attacks.

not every character or every piece of media is for everyone. some people are not going to like your Favorite Thing. and that is OK. it’s ok if you’re a little hurt by people saying they didn’t like your favorite character.

but what isn’t ok is taking that hurt out on the person who you disagree with. you don’t get to tell someone they’re a bad person for not liking your favorite show or for having a different favorite character.

don’t make me tap the sign.

yes, some people are just assholes and will call others dumb for liking a certain character. but if someone isn’t saying that? if they’re just sharing an opinion on the public opinion sharing website? maybe don’t go into their replies and tell them why they’re wrong for not having the same opinion as you. maybe you don’t need to tell them why they’re a terrible human being. maybe don’t put words in their mouth and interpret everything they say in poor faith.

maybe, just maybe, you can keep scrolling. if what the other person is saying is Just An Opinion and not spreading hate, maybe you don’t need to tell them every reason why they’re wrong.

sometimes people have different opinions than you. and most of the time, neither of you are right or wrong. most things we all have opinions on are not dichotomous, so we’re all bound to have varied thoughts on whatever the Thing at hand is. that’s just how it goes.

ALSO and this bit is specifically for the good omens fans in the audience: for the love of all that is holy do not go into Neil’s asks trying to get him to justify why your specific opinion or interpretation is “correct” and other people’s are “wrong.” i mean no one should be doing it with any creator but some of y’all are way too comfortable in Neil’s ask box.

YOU ARE TALKING TO REAL HUMAN PEOPLE.

[jamiewintons]

People who are so vehemently against reader insert fics are so funny to me, because they get so up in arms about something that’s effectively harmless.

If anything, it’s been super helpful for my self-esteem, because it allows me to imagine someone loving me/finding me attractive. I seriously feel so much better about myself now than I did before I started reading/writing them! But it doesn’t matter how much it can help people apparently, because it’s “cringy”.

Stop acting like you’re some kind of intellectual for not wanting to imagine yourself in a story interacting with the characters that you love. Some of us just want to fuck fictional characters smh

[koobiie]

shoutout to everyone who wants to infodump but cant string together coherent thoughts to form sentences and instead just look at you like this

[inkskinned]

please i love you i'm begging you bring back suspension of disbelief bring back trusting the audience like. i cannot handle any more dialogue that sounds like a legal document. "hello, i am here to talk to you about the incident from a few minutes ago, because i feel you might be unwell, and i am invested in your personal wellbeing." "thank you, i am unwell because the incident was hurtful to me due to my childhood, which was bad." I CANT!!!!

do you know how many people are mad that authors use "growled" as a word for "said"? it's just poetics! they do not literally mean "growled," it's just a common replacement for "said with force but in a low tone." it's normal! do you hear me!! help me i love you please let me out of here!!!

[ilona-mushroom]

Not socialist in a “I won’t have to work” type of way but socialist in a “I’ll still be working but I won’t be worried I won’t make the rent” type of way. In a “billions won’t be hoarded by one person” type of way. In a “janitors, fast-food workers, child care workers, preschool teachers, hotel clerks, personal care and home health aides, and grocery store cashiers, will live comfortably” type of way. In a “the sick and elderly will be cared for” type of way. In a “no child should work” type of way.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Knowledge Revenge.

[vamprisms]

i feel like a lot of the 'i hate kids' crowd would be more tolerant if they understood that due to a kid's limited experience of the world that 4 hour flight might just be the longest they've ever had to sit still for or that trapped finger might literally be the most pain they've ever felt in their short life or they might not have ever seen a person with pink hair ever so of course they want to touch it or nobody's told them yet that they can't run around the museum and they only just learned cheetahs are the fastest animals so of course they want to put that to the test. how were they supposed to know etc etc.

[kochei0]

I turn to Ares.

Thanks to Tyler Miles Lockett who allowed me to draw inspiration from his ARES piece for page 2! Look at his etsy page it's SICK

⚔️ If you want to read some queer retelling of arturian legends have a look at my webtoon

[mythtakens]

“these characters should be mentally healthy before they get together 😌” ummm no I actually think we should smash their mental illnesses together like clumps of play-doh and see what colors it makes

[butchfalin]

the funniest meltdown ive ever had was in college when i got so overstimulated that i could Not speak, including over text. one of my friends was trying to talk me through it but i was solely using emojis because they were easier than trying to come up with words so he started using primarily emojis as well just to make things feel balanced. this was not the Most effective strategy... until. he tried to ask me "you okay?" but the way he chose to do that was by sending "👉🏼👌🏼❓" and i was so shocked by suddenly being asked if i was dtf that i was like WHAT???? WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME?????????? and thus was verbal again

[swan2swan]

Whoever conceived and animated this moment, I hope they're doing well and thriving. This is S-rank romance stuff here.

[eggsistential-breakdown]

Okay, but hear me out -- what if his parents weren't usually red and blue?

[elbiotipo]

Usamericans should be more anti-war actually. They should be straight up insulting marines and shutting down weapon factories, 60s anti-war protests kind of shit. I'm sorry for pontificating from down here but the US military-industrial complex is currently supplying a genocide, and this is not a new thing, the US has sold weapons to Saudi Arabia to starve millions of Yemenis, the Iraq war, the Afghanistan war, these are within memory. And though some people think it's not the point, it Is also true that there are trillions upon trillions of dollars that could be spent in anything else that go to the black hole of corruption (and call it for what it is, corruption) that is the Pentagon. Any of those resources could be destined to literally any other activity and be better spent.

I'm talking full contempt here. You should outright be HATING the military. Instead of lining up to watch Top Gun you should see it as a glorification of a fucking killing machine that serves imperial interests, enriches megacorporations and supports genocides. For the love of God be more angry about it. Goddamn.

[a-drama-addict]

not caring too much about a fandom’s favourite guy is the worst. you’ll think “oh i’ll look into the tag see if anything new and cool’s there” and it’s just that fucking guy again