#just the thought that charlie and mac are the only ones that have always been there for each other

[badn3w]

"you're right, dude, we don't need dads. we're gonna be fine."

<Just Like You : STRFKR>

[theunknownpoetandrewfoster]

I want to take a minute to talk about the books that are in the therapist's office in 'The Gang Gets Analyzed'. Now, I've watched this episode at least ten times, and I never once paid much attention to them, but upon viewing it today, they finally stood out.

The first one that caught my attention was the Child Sexual Abuse book sitting atop the Lesbian Subjects one. I had to pause and rewind, and immediately I couldn't help but think they were referring to Dennis, Charlie and Dee (I've read speculation about her sexuality and it's a definite possibility as we know Glenn stated that all the characters are a little gay).

Let's look a little closer at the other titles - (I can't make out the very first one on the left, no matter how close I zoomed in), but from there we have Soul, Mind, Body, Medicine : A Complete Soul Healing SYSTEM for Optimum Health and Vitality (again, Dennis, anyone?), Psychological Research in Prisons (Mac and his daddy issues?), Power vs. Force (a book that explains how anyone can tap into their inner power to change their lives and the lives of those around them) (Again, this cries Dennis to me), Identity and Anxiety (Mac again), and finally, Listening Perspectives in Psychotherapy, a book that illustrates four distinctly different styles of listening that have emerged in psychoanalysis (Dennis and how he analyzes the other four).

I just found the titles not only interesting, but quite specific to the characters' traits.

Moving on...

Next up, on the top shelf, the first book Medicine Without Menopause felt like a dig at Dee, followed by Adult Children of Alcoholics (Dee, Dennis and Charlie), (And I Can only partially make the next one out) The Handbook of Psychiatric x (I can't make out the part in white but it sounds like something Dennis would've ingested at some point), Sex After Sixty (Frank, no doubt), and lastly Collective Behavior which the very definition of describes the gang to a t - {Excerpt from the book} Collective behavior takes many forms but generally violates societal norms. Collective behavior can be tremendously destructive, as with riots or mob violence, silly, as with fads, or anywhere in between. Collective behavior is always driven by group dynamics, encouraging people to engage in acts they might consider unthinkable under typical social circumstances.

Then we have the other books that are standing - The Human Animal (Charlie and possibly Frank), Adult Bipolar Disorders (Dennis, Mac?), When Life Becomes Precious (a book about taking care of a loved one with a terminal illness i.e. in reference to Charlie's Mom Has Cancer?), Woman Heal Thyself (another dig at Dee), and lastly, How to Live Well on a Shoestring Budget (Frank and Charlie).

This screenshot was taken in the last few minutes of the ep, and look! A new book has been added to the pile - Childhood Socialization. I don't know why I found that one to feel like it was calling out Charlie specifically, but could quite possibly refer to them all as well.

I feel like all of these titles weren't just mere happenstance and that someone picked these out to represent the gang as a whole or individually.

Either way, just thought there were a lot of interesting choices in the mold. Thank you for listening to my ted talk regarding the Gang Gets Analyzed.

[munson-blurbs]

Tui request?? Eddie gains a little weight after the baby is born and Ms heart looks amazing post baby and Eddie becomes sort of self conscious and Mrs sweet heart shows Eddie how much she loves his dad bod

Single Dad!Eddie x Fem!ReaderSeries

Summary: When Eddie starts feeling insecure about his newfound dad bod, you make sure to prove how sexy you think he is.

Warnings: smut (18+ only, minors DNI), oral (m! receiving), p in v, breeding kink, Reader breastfeeds (no lactation kink), mention of weight gain and a "junk food diet"

WC: 1.7k

A/N: Thank you to @jo-harrington for helping me with the pacing and to @corroded-hellfire for help with the dialogue!

Eddie Munson thought you were stunning the night you met at the Hideout. On your wedding day, he surmised that he was marrying the prettiest woman in the world. And when you got pregnant with Hendrix—especially once your bump became more prominent—he’d sworn up and down that you couldn’t possibly get more beautiful if you tried. 

That statement, of course, is easily refuted by his current sight of you with six-month-old Hendrix nestled into your chest. You gently move the rocking chair back and forth as the baby drinks from your breast, your shirt hiked up so he can easily latch onto your nipple. You wince slightly as he suckles, though it isn’t nearly as painful as when you’d first begun nursing him. 

“He’s getting so chunky,” you muse, running your finger over the roll that’s formed on his little wrist. You look at your husband to gauge his reaction, your smile fading when you see his distant expression. “Hey, what’s going on?”

“Nothing.” It’s a blatant lie, and you both know it. 

You sigh, carefully adjusting your position to sit forward a bit. Hendrix is unfazed, too focused on his lunch. “Tell me the truth. You know I always find out, anyway.”

“You’re right,” Eddie agrees with a small laugh. There’s no sense in trying to hide it, not when you can read him like a book. “Guess, um, guess I’ve just been noticing that Hendrix isn’t the only one putting on weight lately.” He looks down at his stomach guiltily.

A delicate frown tugs your lips downward; you notice for the first time that he’s wearing a jacket despite the warm May weather. “So? You’re adjusting to being a father of two. Instead of both of us taking care of only Harris, we now need man-to-man coverage.”

“Yeah, but you’re fuckin’ gorgeous,” he protests. Your pregnancy glow has carried over to a new-mom glow, despite the exhaustion. Christ, you even make sleep deprivation look good. “And you’re the one who had the baby.”

“Eds,” you say softly, the weight of his statement heavy on your shoulders, “you spent my entire pregnancy and this post-partum hell reassuring me that you loved every version of my body. Why wouldn’t I feel the same way about yours?” Hendrix has stopped eating, so you fix your shirt and prop him up to burp him.

He shrugs, cheek pinched between his teeth to stifle emotion. “I dunno, I just…” he exhales long and loud as he searches for the right phrasing. “Your body made life; mine made the decision to eat chicken nuggets and mac ‘n cheese off of Harris’s plate instead of vegetables.”

You offer a hint of a smile at his humor, though his words are laced with true insecurity. “Let me put this little man down for his nap and show you just how incredible that body of yours is.” There’s a mischievous glint in your eyes when you stand, the baby satiated and ready for his midday sleep. Harris is at Charlie’s house for a playdate, which means you and Eddie essentially have the afternoon to yourselves.

Hendrix’s milk-drunk state has him falling asleep quickly, and you take Eddie’s hand and lead him to the bedroom. As soon as the door shuts, your arms are draped over his shoulders, and you press your torso to his. You give his earlobe a little nibble before bringing your lips to his neck.

“You know what I see when I look at you?” you start, letting your hands rest on his biceps. “I see the arms that carry our boys to bed every night.” You leave a delicate kiss on the spot you just mentioned before gently pulling off his shirt. “And your chest is perfect for any of us to rest on.” Another kiss, this one received with a shiver. 

He shakes his head. “‘S not how I used to look,” he responds guiltily. “When I was younger, I lived off of Doritos and Mountain Dew–didn’t gain an ounce. Guess it’s catching up to me now,” he grimaces, giving his belly a little pinch.

You intercept the motion, gently pushing his hands from his stomach. “Did I know I love this tummy most of all?” When he cocks a disbelieving brow, you smile and elaborate. “It reminds me that you don’t have to settle for a junk food diet anymore. We’ve created a little home with safety, love, and delicious food. I mean, you could do some sit-ups, I guess, but…” you shrug, scrunching your nose as you say the words, “I kinda like having a little something extra to hold onto.”

“Really?” He still doesn’t allow himself to fully accept this truth, so you try another method.

“Really,” you affirm, pulling him in for another deep kiss. “I need you,” you growl, your core already flooded with need at the prospect of worshiping him. “Need you so bad.” 

Eddie moans under his breath when you suck a bruise just above his collarbone. His hands grip your hips to tug you even closer, and you can feel him stiffen in his jeans. With a knowing grin, you drop to your knees and leave a hickey right next to his navel. 

“You are,” you mumble against his skin, fingers coaxing open his pants button, “ridiculously sexy. ‘S not fair.” You unzip him, pulling down his jeans and boxers in one swift motion. His erection stands at attention, and you intend to show him plenty of it; but you have one last item on your agenda. “Eds, this ass? God, I could bite it all day.” You giggle as you lean around to sink your teeth into the meat of it, and he yelps in surprise. “Only want you, Eddie,” you say, now looking up into his eyes. “Only ever wanna make you feel good.” 

“Oh, fuck,” Eddie groans, throwing his head back as you flatten your tongue and lick the underside of his shaft. “Thassit; take your time, Sweetheart.”

You take the tip between your lips, swiping at the pre-cum already dripping from it. Slowly, you allow more and more of him in your mouth until your nose brushes his pubic hair. 

“Mhm. Kee-Keep going, mmf, little faster now.” 

You eagerly oblige, swirling your tongue in that way that drives him wild; sure enough, you feel his thigh twitch next to your cheek. You assumed he would finish in your mouth, and you look up at him in confusion when he pulls out of it. 

“I gotta…fuck…gotta be inside that tight pussy of yours.” He grabs himself at the base, eyes begging for you to let him in. 

You shed your clothes and toss them in a heap on the floor, walking towards him and pushing him onto the bed. He grins when you straddle his waist and kiss his lips hungrily. 

“Gonna take care of you tonight, Eds,” you coo, grinding your wet center over the ridges of his cock. “You always make me feel amazing, honey. I wanna return the favor.”

Eddie nods, adjusting his hard-on so you can sink onto it, enveloping him in your warmth. He stretches you perfectly, and you let him know with a pleased moan. 

“Oh, fuck,” he hisses, nails digging into the flesh of your ass. “I’ll never get tired of that feeling.”

“Good,” you smirk, letting him bottom out before you begin moving again. His grip stabilizes you enough to ride him, rolling your hips teasingly. Your lips are beckoned by his chest tattoo, and you plant kisses all over it. “Mine.” You claim him with that one word, and he gives himself to you fully.

You sit back up to bounce on him, his hands reaching for your breasts and gently cupping them. A whine emanates from your throat as he thrusts up into you with more rigor.

“Kiss me?” he pleads, lifting one hand to clasp around the back of your head, bringing your face closer to his. There’s no need to ask twice; you lean in and kiss him passionately, 

As much as you want to take the lead, you can’t deny how incredible it feels when he thrusts upwards. You whine pathetically as he drives his cock deeper within you. 

“Take it so well, Sweetheart,” he grunts, pinning down your thighs. “Got me tempted to knock you up all over again.”

His words have you clenching around him, your breaths shallow. You brace yourself on his chest, moaning out his name. 

“Eddie, your body,” you whimper, unable to complete the sentence. Your mind is too focused on your building orgasm. 

“What about it, honey?”

You take as much of a breath as you can. “Your body makes me feel so fucking good.”

“Prove it,” he growls. “Cum for me. Cum all over my cock.”

Pleasure washes over you, his length brushing against your sweet spot and driving you over the edge. “I-I’m cumming—”

“Mmf, m-me, too—fuck!” Eddie’s eyes roll as he finishes, pumping you full of his release. He pounds into you, draining himself completely. 

You lay on top of him until he whispers in your ear, “Sweetheart? I gotta pull out.” Sure enough, he’s gone completely soft, absolutely spent. 

All you can manage is an mmh, pouting when he withdraws. Eddie laughs kindly and kisses you, one hand cupping your cheek. 

“Have I ever told you that you’re the best wife in the world?” he asks, nose gently nudging yours. “Not just because of all that—which was phenomenal, by the way. Five stars.” You swat at him and he laughs harder. “I feel so…safe when I’m with you.”

Your lips ghost the tip of his nose. “You are safe with me,” you remind him. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he says, holding you as close as he can. He pauses for a beat before speaking again. “Can I ask you something?”

“‘Course.”

Eddie clears his throat. “That thing about liking when there’s something to, um, ‘hold onto,’” he starts, cheeks filling in pink, “did you mean that?”

It’s your turn to kiss him passionately, lips parted, tongue grazing his. You roll your hips again, fingertips brushing the soft side of his torso. It reignites the fire within him; his cock twitches slightly. 

“Does that answer your question?”

--

[unfixablebabyyy]

so i just read You and was obsessed w the perspective and also i just love getting a lil peak into dennis's brain so this is a something i wrote idk (also slightly inspired by that one meme of that anime girl lol)

(nsfw, minors DNI)

Dee's taste in... well, everything is absolutely abhorrent, but her taste in people is especially repugnant, which is why I can't fathom why such a striking creature would ever consider her a friend. What do you see in her? She's annoying and rude and abrasive, but you, you're none of those things. And I knew that the second I met you, but I had to be sure. So for the last week or so I've been doing a bit of research and it turns out, you really are just perfect- kind, smart, fun, absolutely stunning. Your only flaw lies in the fact that you're so incredibly naive. You leave your doors unlocked, your windows open, you always walk around the city with headphones on and your face in your phone. You're such an easy target. Don't you know how sick the world can be? But it's ok, it's not your fault- you're prey. Good thing I've got my eye on you. I'll protect you, even if it means you never go outside off leash again.

And now, as you sit across the bar from me, I can smell your perfume and I just want to drown in it, in you. You're half turned away, joking with Charlie as he throws darts, and from your side profile I can make out the tiny bumps of your nipples under your shirt. The past three nights you've come with Dee to the bar, you haven't worn a bra. You're clever, but not subtle. It's beyond cute. When you turn to me, I make sure my gaze lingers on your chest a second too long. I want you to know that I noticed.

"Hey!" I could never get tired of your voice. I need to know what it sounds like after a long night of crying.

"I.D., please."

You giggle. I've been carding you since the first night you came in, it's become a joke between us. Really, I just love reminding myself how young you are. When you hand it over, I brush my fingers against yours. I pretend to examine it and nod approvingly before handing it back. You grin, and this time, you brush your fingers against mine.

"Alright, what can I get you?"

You bite your lip, "Surprise me." Of course you want me to decide for you. I smile. I could surprise you. I could slip you something and we could have a night full of surprises. But not yet.

"You got it." And I know exactly what I'll make you- I saw the cranberry juice in your fridge and the vodka on your counter while doing my research. You were at work.

"Just don't make it too strong." Don't worry, I won't start making them strong until you're at least three in. Your eyes go wide as the song playing over the jukebox changes from some Dire Straits Mac had put on to Depeche Mode. "Personal Jesus". Kind of on the nose, but you won't notice.

"Oh my god I fucking love this song," you're so bubbly, and I know, I saw the album sitting on your record player. That's why I queued it up when Dee mentioned you'd be stopping by.

"I saw them when I was in middle school," don't forget, I'm old enough to be your daddy. I was in my twenties when you were born. You like that- I can tell by the way your cheeks get a little more pink.

"Ugh you're so lucky, I would love it if they toured again," I slide you your drink and smile.

"Well, if they do, I'll take you." Did your dad ever buy you concert tickets? I bet he did.

"Then it's a date," now you're really blushing, "or whatever." You're so sweet it's making me lightheaded. 'Or whatever'? So submissive. I imagine if I were to take a bite out of you I might get a toothache.

"It can be a date," of course it's a date. You bring your drink to your lips and sip and god I wish I could just reach over and taste you. You smile as you set it down.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think maybe you like me," Like you? Last night I was looking at custom dog bowls for the cage I'm going to put you in. I can't sleep at night without touching myself to the thought of cumming inside of you, marking you, making you mine. I don't like you, I want to cut you open and crawl inside of your ribs and hold your heart in my hands.

"You're adorable," I could rip you apart with my teeth. You cross your legs and readjust in your seat. Again, not subtle. I wonder just how wet you are. I mean Jesus Christ, all I have to do is look at you and I can practically hear that little lamb heart beating in your chest, and I can only wear this wool for so long. Sooner or later you're going to see the teeth and the claws. Maybe they'll scare you, maybe not. Either way, it won't matter when they're making you bleed, and judging by how red your face gets when I speak to you, I think you'll bleed easy. Bruise easy, too.

"Do you flirt with all of your sister's friends?" you're starting to get a little bolder. I lean in so that my face is inches from yours, like I have a secret. Your eyelashes flutter.

"No. Only you," I won't play your games, I want my intensity to bring you to your knees. The last couple of days have been fun- toying with you, making you wonder whether my charming smiles and compliments and gentle touches were platonic or not. But it's time to show you who's in charge. You bite your lip. I swear to god I can smell the pheromones on you.

It doesn't take me long to get you drunk enough to slip out the back door with me while everyone else argues over a game of pool. You really are such a lightweight. As the door swings shut behind us, I cup your little face in my hands and press my lips to yours. I don't want to. What I want to do is rip your clothes off and pull you to the ground and watch as the panic begins to rise when I slap my hand over your pretty mouth to muffle you. But that could be dangerous and I have to control myself. You kiss me back and slip your hands under my t-shirt where they roam across my chest, up my shoulders, down my back. It's giving me goosebumps and making it harder not to hurt you. I decide to test my limits. When I push you up against the rough brick exterior, I shove a little too hard and you yelp. But it only seems to make you want me more. So when I lean in to kiss you again, I bite down on your bottom lip, and you moan. Of course you're one of those girls. You love the abuse.

My hand finds your neck and you gasp even though I don't tighten my grip- I just want you to know I could- I want to. Someday I will- I'll choke you so hard and for so long you'll pass out, and then I'll smack your face until you wake up, just to do it again. I'll make you beg for the privilege of breathing. But not tonight. If I ever want to get to that point, I have to stay focused. Besides, just the feeling of my fingertips on your throat is turning you on- I can feel a wet patch forming on my knee where I shoved my leg between yours.

The heat of your body is making your perfume stronger and I feel like I'm going insane, like I'm on the verge of doing something depraved. You push your hand into the waistband of my jeans, then my boxers, and I can't help but growl when your fingers wrap around my cock. As you start pumping your hand up and down, I lose myself for a moment and dig my fingers into your neck. You whine, and when I release, I notice the dark red crescents my nails left on your soft skin.

It's best if I make my hands busy, so I work on the button of your pants as you continue to play with me. I groan into your neck as you squeeze me hard. Pretty soon I'm going to have to pin your wrists to the wall. When you do it again I bite your neck hard enough to serve as a warning and you quickly soften your grip as your jeans inch down just enough. Good girl.

You shiver as the night air breathes down the alley. I can feel your pulse in your cunt as I touch you over your panties. You're so pathetic, you easy little whore. I haven't even bought you dinner and you're already about to let me fuck you stupid next to a dumpster behind my bar. But I won't. I'm gonna make you beg for it. I want you to be so achy and needy for my cock you'll let me do anything to you. I can't fuck you tonight, you haven't earned it.

I sigh and retract my hand. "You're drunk," I press my lips into the crook of your neck and practically feel you deflate against the wall. "Why don't I take you home?"

"Oh," your voice is so sweet and soft, "ok."

I pull away and brush a loose strand of hair from your face before planting a kiss on your lips. Relax, angel. I'm not done with you. You pull your hand out of my pants and the absence almost hurts.

"My car's just down the street, I'll tell Dee you got sick," I brush my thumb across your cheek and peck your forehead before snaking my arm around your waist and leading you down the alleyway. At the end, before we step onto the sidewalk, you stop.

"Did I do something?" Your eyes are so big.

"Consent is really important," I lie, "I just want you to feel safe with me," it'll be all the more enjoyable for me when you realize you're not. My answer seems to satisfy you.

When we get to my Range Rover, you raise an eyebrow, "Nice car."

"Thanks, Frank bought it for me when I got into Penn," it doesn't matter if it's true, now you think I know how to take care of something for a long time. I've established my ability to commit.

"Jesus, isn't that Ivy League?" And just like that, you see that I belong to an elite community of scholars.

"Yeah."

In the Range, you begin looking through my CD collection, pulling out albums you recognize, asking about ones you don't. You like old music, old cars, old men. You mention that your dad introduced you to Christopher Cross, so of course I slip it into the radio and skip to Sailing and tell you it's my favorite, which is true, but I happen to know it's yours, too.

I pretend to be lost and ask you where to go even though I've made the drive at least 20 times in the last week. When we get to your place, I park the car right outside of the familiar front doors and look up at your dark window.

"Are you sure you don't want to come in?" you spread your legs ever so slightly. So obvious.

"How about I cook you dinner tomorrow night," you'll act like a whore when I say, first I've got to teach you some manners.

"When?" you don't want to leave.

"I'll call you." Get out.

You step out onto the curb and wave.

"Goodnight," I say and you turn and head in. I don't leave until I know you're inside, safe. In fact, I don't really leave at all. I park the Range a block away and walk back. Your light is still off, but even in the darkness, I can see you up there. You really should close your curtains, especially when you're inside, naked and panting, humping your pillow like a bitch in heat.

[destiny-in-the-universe]

more updates! [rc9gn post]

currently working on something for an ask i received and let me just say, this is going to be incredibly chaotic lmao. also why does ao3 have such little tags for RC9GN, give me more i'm begging. it should not be this niche of a fandom!

that show had so much potential- but anyway, here's some more under-the-cut headcanons about our title lead Randy Cunningham!

Randy Cunningham Headcanons

Like mentioned before, this kid has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder- specifically ADHD-C (which just means he has combined inattentiveness and hyperactivity)

Thanks to @mrfartpowered, Randy comes from a rich family! Though both his parents are workaholics and hardly come home which means Randy's left to his own devices

He doesn't fully know how to cook, but he knows enough basics to not completely starve when he's alone at the house- also because he and Howard eat out a lot at like, Charlie Cluckers and PJ McFlubbusters (?)

Randy literally doesn't mind paying for things because his family's kind of fucking loaded!

He has Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) and struggles with not completely giving up in one-go when he fears he's about to be rejected, when he's about to do something wrong- it comes and goes, but there's no way he isn't a little insecure

He's developed a curiosity for law ever since becoming the Ninja. His parents are in awe about it because they think he's wanting to become a lawyer (he doesn't-)

Randy has always been an intense fan of the Ninja as we know from canon. He kept a lot of memorabilia over the years and never parted with it- he wanted to help people, deciding if it wouldn't be the Ninja, he would do other forms of service. Imagine his surprise when he's actually chosen to be the Ninja

He looks up to the First Ninja. Like, a lot

I'm trying to not accidentally spoil anything in the headcanons, but okay this has to be one of my favorites: you can't convince me that Randy wouldn't use more powers he found in the Shadow Warrior's part of the Nomicon

The Ninja Suit can only protect Randy from only some injuries- if anyone read my tengu! Howard fic, the suit will automatically have a defense/safety mechanism built in to heal any severe injuries/wounds- it sort of overrides the user and knocks them out (especially when it comes to near-death experiences)

If there ever was a time when a Ninja had to decommission early (coughs Mac Antfee coughs), someone else would have to be chosen- it's sometimes a hastily chosen decision but this rarely- if ever- happens. Somehow not many notices

Angst Headcanons

There have been times when Howard has needed to patch Randy up after some nasty fights- this one time Randy didn't make it back after a battle and he was found with a nasty gash, barely managing to stay awake and it freaked out Howard a lot

Randy sometimes uses the Nomicon to avoid his problems- it's become an unhealthy habit but he can't quite bring himself to stop

You can't tell me he doesn't dissociate. When Randy isn't actively doing his part in being the Ninja, he tends to space out a lot and he isn't all too present to say the least

This boy does have some scars. You can't convince me otherwise

He doesn't really question his self worth as the Ninja, but the thoughts still come sometimes- wondering if he's doing a good enough job, if the Nomicon hadn't made a mistake choosing him. It eats him up more when his RSD acts up

Randy does his best to impress Finja and feels horrible everytime he feels he's messed up. He doesn't like seeing others' disappointed (gee, I wonder why /lhs)

He feels responsible for others getting hurt-

I don't have much else to add, but let me just say I'll be doing another post soon! I have something kind of fun planned when it comes to the currently unofficial canon for Into the NInjaverse! I'm kind of hyped and all over the place today!

[stuck-in-the-ghost-zone]

MAC HI don't mind me i just finished the genloss founders cut and im putting my ful lreview in ur inbox bc u said u weren't gonna watch it i think but i want 2 share my thoughts with someone who will not rip me to shreds for criticizing it even slightly <3

OK. I'M NOT GONNA LIE. IT KINDA SLAPPED. maybe i just think it was really good in comparison to the original four hours of streams that dragged on. i honestly thought the original streams of genloss were longer but NO all three streams add up to about four hours???? it just felt so much longer when i originally watched it i guess!!! u can understand why i am sure. but the founders cut was like two and a half and oh my goddddd cutting out a lot of it made such a huge difference. holy shit. like i definitely did get bored and skip through a little bit but honestly i didn't skip through much!! every time i got to a part where i was like "oh fuck not THIS bit that goes on for 30-45 minutes god dammit" it ended up being like maybe ten minutes at most which was SUCH A GODSEND. i am delighted to report that they cut the half hour cooking bit in the first episode down to like 7-8 minutes <3 the best surprise ranboo could have given me tbh. like with the way things were cut down and framed differently i actually laughed at a couple points????? WILD. did not think i would find any genuine comedy here. lowkey there were points that were funny. insane

honestly with the unfunny bits being cut down, it actually let the slightly more serious lore bits shine more, and the payoff for when it got to the third episode felt SO much more deserved. like. the original streams i'd probably give a 3/10 collectively and that's being generous but i would unironically say the founder's cut deserves like a 7/10. maybe a 7.5 if i found it in myself to ignore the bad special effects. (there was still plenty of bad comedy ngl i still don't know why charlie slimecicle's face was superimposed on a towel. that scene was nothing. it was literally nothing. they could have removed it and it would change nothing but they kept it in idk why)

ANYWAY. if they had released genloss like this first maybe i would unironically be a fan of it now. tbh. i would still be making fun of the bad comedy and the horror that was barely horror but i think i would actually be like participating in the fandom a lil and i would probably find it in me to find some charm in the bad special effects. all in all Not Bad!! not good, but not like actively bad. ofc im still running on the adrenaline of the ending because episode 3 was objectively the best out of them all so maybe my perception is skewed but. kinda decent. 7/10 👍 anyway i hope ur havin a good day i hope to finish pd season one soon over the next couple days!!!!!

taking the cowards route and putting my thoughts under the cut bc a lot of my mutuals these days really enjoy genloss and i don't want them to be mad at me

(genloss crit/neg/whatever under the cut)

dude this makes me so unironically sad . why the FUCK was genloss what it was the first time around when this was obviously the better route to go from the very beginning. I am still staunchly in my "I don't like genloss" position but. I DID WATCH IT. i sat through ALL of the original streams and it was so miserable for me. im not going 2 watxh the directors cut or whatever bc i dont hate myself enough to sit through all of that again but i trust your opinion!! if only it would've been planned out thought out prerecorded videos from the start I also probably would not hate it as much as I do!!! maybe I even would've liked it !!! (<< not likely bc i do have Other Issues with it than just the fact that it was too long too unfunny too unfocused etc whatever im getting into hater territory sorry. always welcome 2 genloss fans to try to explain to my why its Good Actually so i can recommend them actual horror media)

like . the streams added absolutely NOTHING to it other than that final choice scene or whatever. and even if they wanted to do that still u know what would've been an awesome smart choice??? prerecord and edit the whole thing and then premiere THAT video on twitch- then when it comes time for the final choice you can still have people vote!! then you can have two separate endings prepared based on which way the vote was swaying. like. its that easy. it would've made the whole experience so much more enjoyable . ughhghghg the fucking wasted potential on HOURS of unfunny badly improvved bits is so devastating

personally I still cant excuse the bad effects considering the amount of times ranboo bragged about the genloss budget like. maybe you should've used your resources better and also if it would've just been prerecorded from the start things wouldn't look as rushed as they did but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ what do I know !!

anyway I'm so glad this version was better but for me it will always ALWAYS be tainted by the . misery I felt while watching the streams lmaoooo . I wanted to like genloss so bad. I tried so hard. head in hands !!!!!!!!!!!

[absolutely-not-my-main-blog]

Messy post but if I don’t post now, the season’s gonna be over before my thoughts are out: Charlie (feels like) he’s in a different genre of show than everyone else at the moment, all his scenes and reactions in the first few episodes especially are more sober and serious (to me) compared to everyone else, even if coloured by the absurdity of Sunny, he's taking control of the situation because he can recognize the situation when the others can’t, he’s always seemed more perceptive but now it’s really showing as he’s done with his mom’s shit, he’s done with Jack’s abuse, and all the scenes with Uncle Jack are clearly uncomfortable and (I think) intentionally not really being played for laughs? (unless they really are just making a horrendous writing choice here), but he’s seeing these darker layers, he’s seeing Mac turn down everything he’s ever wanted, raising eyebrows at the cigarette burning, he’s questioning Dennis’ decisions that maybe wouldn’t have him bat much of an eye before (hmm wait, him asking why dennis wouldn’t perform his ex-wife’s dying wish to be buried in the pet cemetery vs Charlie obeying his dad’s dying wish/tradition of his corpse being carried up the mountain 🤔, Charlie and Dennis having similar shared trauma and both being faced with things that could bring those trauma back up this season, perhaps building up to some closure and heart to heart between them in the finale, 🤔 but that's for another post), anyway Charlie’s opening doors, he was the only one who knew what was behind some of the doors, he’s been denied his legacy, he’s starting to notice or show that he’s noticing just how fucked up all their lives actually are, like someone becoming aware of their narrative for the first time, previously living in a comedy, but starting to pull the thread and discovering it's actually interweaved with tragedy... while Frank still sits down for cake and Mac can't/doesn’t want to see what's right in front of him, and Dennis is likely spiralling and etc. etc., he's pulled back the curtain just a tad... while the others are still protected by it, but the curtain’s gonna come down eventually. And it’s not an all at once shift, this has been a long time coming, all happening slowly, nigh imperceptibly, like that post about boiling the frog, if you turn the heat up right away, it realizes what’s happening and jumps out right away, but if you turn the temperature (tragedy) up gradually, it takes a while before it notices, before we notice, and when it does notice, well...

Something about comedy that becomes tragedy the more you think on it. Something about the inherent connection between comedy and tragedy.

Sunny is a comedy. Sunny is a love story. Sunny is a tragedy. All statements true at the same time. But I think the latter might be coming to the forefront (and Charlie might see it coming). (But it’s not a change, not really, it’s same old sunny, because the heat’s always been on, they’re just only starting to really feel it).

[intertexts]

ALSO OOPS I DONT THINK I EVER SENT YOU THE TRIVIA FOR 27?????? UH OH. OUT OF ORDER. this one is a lot shorter though so it's ok

EPISODE 27 TRIVIA:

- bizly opens this one in a baby voice "wewcome to just wolled wiff it!" absolutely insane

- charlie makes excuses for his cracked energy was because he was in the UK and tommy and ranboo were in the other room (TOMMYINNIT JUMPSCARE)

- Jesus is canon yet again. but only in vyncents world

- CONDI THOUGHT HAMSTER DANCE WAS A UNIVERSAL EXPERIENCE AT MIDDLE SCHOOL DANCES. and not just like. a youtube video that everyone knows. they played hamster dance at his middle school dance.

- speaking of which they've been overlorded again because the hamster WAS NOT ORIGINALLY A HAMSTER bizly did that solely because he has never heard hamster dance and wanted to be in on the joke

- charlie gets so worked up over the william short leg thing again and it's REALLY funny. bizly is like "I'll stop bringing it up when you stop having hilarious overreactions to it"

- "why the fuck did william make ice copies of dakotas parents that's so dark man"

"HE DIDNT MEAN IT TO BE !!!!! i think william is not very emotionally intelligent especially when it comes to stuff like this and he wanted to do something sweet for dakota. 'i know. Christmas is a great time for him to see his parents again because it's family and it'll make him happy!' without thinking about the moral implications OR the fact that they would come alive and try to strangle him"

grizzly: "dakota probably doesn't even remember Christmas with his parents"

charlie, REALLY far away from his mic: "WELL FUCK ME THEN"

- that was CONFIRMED mal trying to brwak through the barrier! charlie is TERRIFIED for williams sake especially bc he can't use his powers anymore

- condi: "hes pissed william isn't a planeswalker anymore and thats all he wanted you for"

charlie: "yknow! I dunno if william is a planeswalker anymore! he might not be!"

- WILLIAM WAS ACTUALLY BORN WITH A POWER!!!!! I forgot about this omg. so the one he was born with is called true sight and it means he's always been naturally able to see ghosts and monsters that normal people usually can't. YIPPEE

- he's also still got Kemuri's (smoke guy) powers obv ("that he regrets deeply every day"). they ARE in the spirit world and usually william wouldn't need a guide but since the wisps left him their guide is now master cole! if he were to leave/abandon them or whatever they'd no longer be able to stay in the spirit world. even william

- there are full versions of the colestyle gaming videos hidden somewhere on the patreon. fun fact. they're also talking about now doing one where william plays phasmophobia. or doing one with all 4 of them playing a game and bizly being tide. i don't think they ever actually did that but GOD i would kill for it.

- charlie was being annoying and grizzly responded with "I hope william stays alive *forever*" which sounds like it should be a nice thing to say but the way he said it was so absolutely scathing . brutal.

- quick mac detour theyre back to the game thing charlie says he wants to do a video playing elden ring as gillion and i NEED THAT SOOOO BAD. I miss gillion so much :(

- speaking of gillion idk why there's so much gillion trivia rn but charlie says the inspiration for his voice was "a combination of the spongebob narrator and my himbo fantasy" hello?

HOW HAS BIZLY NEVER HEARD HAMSTER DANCE??????????? yes this is what i'm taking from this. hello. how.

im so delighted w/ william thinking it's a great idea to make ice copies of his friends dead parents. god. NONE of the fucking prime defenders are emotionally intelligent they all have so many problems. prime traumatic stress defenders!!

ive said it like a billion times but i'm so fucking excited for the mal shit!!! i can't waittt!!!!! shaking him back n forth!!! wiwi torment nexus now!!!! also him being born with true sight is REALLY cool actually i feel like. this has been referenced on n off but i didn't realize it was actually a thing.. huh. i wonder if that's why the wisps targeted him. except their entire thing Is being seen so i dunno.!! cool... god. wiwi i love u wiwi... i want to go to deadwood i have so many fucking questions!!! why is the trickster there!! rift between worlds thats just coincidentally in his hometown!!! also i was just thinking ab kemuri's smoke powers im so glad he still feels awful using them :]] "i hope william stays alive forever" MEAN TO HIM!!! holy shit!!! wheezing!!

im gonna have a great time w gillion whenever i get around 2 riptide btw thats so funny. help. spogebob narrator himbo fantasy........

[thebigskoot]

shitty little essay i wrote about the always sunny cookbook

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, also known as It’s Always Sunny or just Sunny, is a show that sometimes makes you lose your appetite. This is intentional; it is a show about disgusting people doing disgusting, cruel things to each other. Equally disgusting is the food that the characters discuss and consume: a couple examples of dishes featured on the show are rum ham, meat cube, milk steak (with jelly beans on the side (“raw”)), and riot punch. After hearing these names, a watcher likely does not want to take a bite of whatever a milk steak might be (we never do find out what Charlie means by this). Despite this, FX, the television channel that hosts Sunny, recently decided to make a cookbook based on the foods featured in this show. I believe that this book is nothing but a gag gift for fans, as it is neither funny nor educational enough to be a good read or a good cookbook.

The cookbook, titled Paddy's Pub: The Worst Bar in Philadelphia: An It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Cookbook, is split up into sections based on characters from the show, each featuring an introduction written in the voice of a character followed by several recipes from said character. The first red flag of this cookbook is that it is not written by the creators of the show. Glenn Howerton, Rob MacElhenny, and Charlie Day are the creators of It’s Always Sunny and have been writing, producing, and playing the characters Dennis, Mac and Charlie since the show’s conception in 2005. Their respective characters were originally based on them - Dennis’s vanity, Mac’s hard-headedness and Charlie’s stupidity mirror the worst parts of the actors’ real-life personalities. Because of this, writing from these characters’ point of view has to be thoughtful and well-crafted in order to feel genuine and authentic to these deeply personal characters.

Unlike in the series’ official self help book, The 7 Secrets of Awakening the Highly Effective Four-Hour Giant, Today, which is written by the writers in their characters’ voices, this cookbook is written by a third-party writer. This makes the first-person introductions to each section of the cookbook full of cheap references to popular gags in the show, as opposed to any new information about the character. For instance, in Charlie’s introduction, he rambles about his iconic sleeping outfit of a black horse t-shirt and white long johns. This is something that never comes up verbally in the show, and is told only through wardrobe. However, the writer decided to bring this up to remind the reader that, yes, this is your favorite character Charlie speaking. Instead of references to the character’s wardrobe, something that may have been more relevant to a cookbook is something about Charlie’s relationship with food. For example, I would have appreciated it if the writer had given us Charlie’s take on his strange diet, which often consists of things not meant for human consumption, such as paint and cat food. How did he start eating these foods? How does he feel about his health as a result of his diet? If Charlie Day had written this from his character’s point of view, I think he would have expanded on what we already know about the character’s relationship with food as opposed to reminding us of what we already do know about his character’s pajamas.

Cat food, which Charlie eats every night along with a beer and a huff of glue, is a recipe in this cookbook. The writers could have gone the comedic route for this book and given this recipe one ingredient: One Can of Cat Food. This could have been done with many recipes in this book; as I mentioned, most of the food in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is nearly inedible. However, instead of keeping the recipes accurate to the show (and thus inedible), the writers opted to feature basic, easy-to-make recipes that only resemble the foods from the show. This takes the reader out of the illusion that the recipes were provided by the characters; if Charlie knew how to make tuna salad, he wouldn’t be eating Fancy Feast. Unfortunately, these character-breaking choices were made in the name of interactivation.

The simplicity of these recipes, I think, is an attempt at reaching the target audience of Sunny: college-aged adults. However, I think that two other options would have worked better as opposed to this approach: the aforementioned inedible approach, and, on the other side of the spectrum, the way-too-fancy-for-this-show approach. The inedible approach would render the book useless as an interactive cookbook, but make it a purely comedic gag book: something completely different and more consistent with the show’s brand. On the other hand, the writers could have chosen the way-too-fancy approach, in which the recipes are not described as being written by the characters but instead interpreted by professional chefs. This would give the book more of a purpose, of which it currently does not have: college kids can look up these basic recipes without buying a book based on their favorite sitcom.

A couple of summers ago, when I was in the depths of my It’s Always Sunny hyperfixation, I was living in a subletted apartment with my friend, Isaac. Almost every free moment we had, we were watching Sunny: before work, after work, while we were eating, and even during the one time we each picked up one dumbbell from my set of two and pretended to exercise. Sometime before the summer, I saw a two-part series from the YouTube channel Babish Culinary Universe in which Babish recreates the foods from It’s Always Sunny in two ways: one exactly the show describes (or how he thought the characters would make it), and one in a fancy, over-the-top way. For example, he makes a Grilled Charlie exactly how Charlie instructs Frank to make one on his hot plate: “Peanut butter outside, chocolate inside, butter inside, cheese outside.” Of course, this was an inedible mess, so he proposed a new and improved Grilled Charlie consisting of brie cheese, dark, high-quality chocolate, brioche, and chunky peanut butter. Although still a strange flavor combination, when Isaac and I had nothing to eat for dinner, we cooked and ate these fancy Grilled Charlies while watching our favorite show at the dinner table. Babish’s recipe was much more thoughtful and authentic than Grilled Charlie in the cookbook, which trades cheese for cream cheese frosting, which, like the tuna salad “cat food,” makes it a completely different (and boring) dish from the one featured in the show.

In conclusion, Paddy's Pub: The Worst Bar in Philadelphia: An It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Cookbook is a bad attempt at an It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia cookbook in that it is not funny, authentic-feeling, or good enough as a cookbook to be worth buying even for a die-hard fan like me or Isaac.

References

Rea, A. (2017, February 20). Binging with babish: It’s Always sunny in Philadelphia special. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2ezpExQ_k0&t=46s

FX. (2006, June 29). The Gang Goes Jihad. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Episode.

Randolph, L., & Fecks, N. (2023). Paddy’s Pub: The Worst Bar in Philadelphia: An it’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Cookbook. Hyperion Avenue. February 12, 2024, https://dayton.overdrive.com/media/10136164?cid=28073

Note: I was only able to access a sample of the book, hence why I focus so heavily on Charlie's introduction and recipes in this essay.

Wolf, M. J. P. (2014). Building imaginary worlds the theory and history of subcreation. Taylor and Francis.

[shipcestuous]

It's Always Sunny

I had told myself in the past that I was going to post Dennis/Dee commentary after every episode and not hoard it in my head thinking I'll post it later, meanwhile forgetting all of it bit by bit.

It seems like a lot of my fellow D/D fans have departed Tumblr since the era when this community was at its most active talking about them. Pity! But I'll do it anyway.

Of course Dennis totally disregarded Dee for most of 16x01. But he tends to do that with whoever is not part of his ongoing project. But once Charlie pitches bringing the whole gang in on his investment, he looks over at Dee to see what she thinks:

In the following scene, when Charlie comes up to them and reveals what the investment really was, you can see that Dee and Dennis are sitting right next to each other at a very small table.

It's like they chose the spot in the bar that would allow them the least amount of space...

16x02 was nice because it was a Dee/Dennis team-up. They take Frank out to dinner and naturally it reminded me of when they did that before, and Frank thought they were going to confess that they were in a sexual relationship with each other. I really wish it had been the same restaurant, that would have been amazing.

Dennis and Dee spend this episode on the same page. I can't remember them arguing or insulting each other even once. Their goal at first is to make sure Frank is including them in his will, and then their goal shifts to giving him a great day before they take away his gun, so it was very Reynolds-family focused. I have to wonder if these two get along better in that kind of context. We've seen them fight plenty when they're alone, just the two of them, but I think it general they fall into partnership-mode (even with some bickering) when Mac and Charlie aren't there pushing Dee's ostracization.

Then Frank accidentally shoots them. Twins getting hit by the same bullet, it's so poetic. Of course at the end of the episode Frank accidentally fires again and the bullet ricochets around the bar eventually hitting Mac and Charlie both, but there was no bouncing around here.

They're like parents to Frank in this episode, it's kind of adorable. I know the analogy is supposed to be to a dog but it's also like a child.

The highlight of this episode for me was actually meeting Charlie's sisters. Mac made a meta joke about forgetting that Charlie had sisters but I actually always remembered that he mentioned having a sister. It only happened one time - in Charlie Got Molested, in season 1. (I'm not going to forget that someone has a sibling!) I assumed they decided to effectively retcon it because it didn't fit with their vision of Charlie's family as the show moved forward, or maybe they just totally forgot, so I loved that they brought that back fifteen years later.

We don't find out his sisters' originals names, but they go by Candy and Bunny now and they make a killing doing topless ASMR on OnlyFans. (They're played by real life sisters.) They seem to be significantly younger than Charlie, at least 15 years, maybe more like 20 years younger. They hate Charlie and Charlie hates them and I enjoyed every second of their interaction. He might be a lot older but they certainly repartee on equal terms.

They call him "dirt grub" which I think is kind of adorable and a very accurate nickname.

They seem to know Mac very well so they've been around.

Anyway, now I'm picturing Charlie checking out their OnlyFans out of disdainful curiosity, or maybe just to see his beloved jar of teeth, and then becoming addicted to it.

[flying-ham]

thinking thoughts about a sunny superpowers au instead of working so here have some word vomit

Dennis -> low level mind control

able to influence peoples thoughts and emotions, make them more susceptible to persuasion

inherited from Barbara, one of the reasons she favors him over dee

NOT complete mind control, only works on people who don’t know about it/ have weaker minds

uses powers to get women to sleep with him probably

effects wear off if he isn’t around to reinforce them, one of the reasons why dens hookups think he’s a creep after the fact

Dee -> strength

didn’t have any powers manifest until summer before high school when she started getting chronic pain

turns out her bones were changing, getting stronger but causing intense pain

forced to wear the brace to keep her bones in alignment, had to tell everyone it was scoliosis to keep her secret

once transformation finishes, dee is basically indestructible, able to take intense damage without being hurt (ei all the times she fucking runs into walls and falls off shit lol)

also got stronger, why the gang talks about her giant man hands and feet

inherited her physically based powers from bruce, one of the many reasons barbara doesn’t favor her

Charlie -> survival/adaptability

originally wanted to say poison immunity but gonna go for overall adaptability

can survive in the most insane circumstances, inhales bleach for funsies, lives off energy balls when he’s broke

no physical changes (like that one dude from x men) but just generally able to thrive in the worst circumstances imaginable

once kids at school figured it out they started making him eat gross shit since it wouldn’t make him sick (dirtgrub my beloved)

Mac -> aura reading

always expected to get physical powers like his parents (mrs mac is a pyro and Luther has super strength)

didn’t realize other kids don’t see colors when they look at people until he met charlie

extremely ashamed of his “pussy” power and a disappointment to luther, so he never really honed or practiced understanding what the auras mean

uses his powers to do ocular patdowns but is H O R R I B L E at interpreting them, so he’s basically useless

once he comes out and starts accepting himself more, he starts learning more about his powers and actually using them properly

Frank -> no powers

should have been one of the tipoffs that dennis and dee aren’t his kids

part of the 90% of the popular that doesn’t have powers

[suite-dee-reynolds]

Wait, you've been a Sunny fan for 8 years?! You've got to tell us how it's been in that time!!! What's the vibe been like here in that time and how has it changed? What were the big fan theories? Was r/iasip always such a hellhole dumpsterfire? What are the big things from the fandom back in the day that we don't know about but should?

Ooooh lets see what I remember-

Charlie reigned supreme- like really and truly so many blogs and so, so much content was Charlie Charlie Charlie, everyday, all the time and I mean he still is insanely popular but definitely back in the day Charlie in the show and of the cast was easily the most popular, like it felt like 7/10 posts were about him. Glenn was next in line but I do distinctly remember Kaitlin and Rob didn't have as much content about them, at a certain point I kinda was the Kaitlin Olson tag, that's not me being up myself I just used to be in her tag constantly and it'd be a lot of posts in a row of just me- the girls of the series def didnt always get the love they should and I'm not really sure that's changed much ☠ But yeah this was also around the time that everyone was also going gaga about Pacific Rim so that def made Charlie even more popular too.

Macdennis has always, always been a popular pairing but their popularity 100% has skyrocketed the past few years, and I mean SKYROCKETED. Like they're on par with some wildly popular mlm ships nowadays and it's lowkey so funny to see em in the ring with like. destiel 😂 now when I go in the tag it seems half the posts feature mac and dennis, which is notable to me bc Mac especially was kinda... Unloved is not the right way to phrase it bc fans have always loved him but Rob/Mac def didn't get /as/ much love back in the day. Like people often spoke of him as the weakest character but after season 13 I think he's gained more appreciation.

Fans have def gotten much bigger on theories and stuff these days, I'm sure they had em back then too but it wasn't as prevalent and none particularly stand out, it was usually just the "X characters are secretly sleeping together" type beat. I also remember a popular theory that everyone was going to die in the inevitable series finale but then the show never got cancelled and I dont know what that was about?

Reddit has always been messy and there def was a pretty big us vs them type vibe between sunny fans back then- though it was less reddit vs tumblr and more "straight dude bros" vs everyone else like I remember so many posts being like "Ugh straight dude bros don't get the show" I probably made some of those posts 😂 Lots of "Mac isn't actually gay" too which is very, very funny in hindsight- No one ever thought they'd canonize his sexuality.

Ummm... Probably the most notable thing to me tho is seeing how popular the cast has become, like 8 years ago Danny was the only "Big name" Like the media absolutely spoke of the show as these no name people and Danny Devito. I mean that was not totally the case for Charlie, he was becoming more and more popular and gaining traction in the mainstream with pacific rim and the likes but with Glenn, Kaitlin and Rob they were definitely not super well known outside Big always sunny fans so seeing them go from that to Rob being besties with Ryan Reynolds and stuff has honestly been super interesting and funny. Like I remember posting rob and kaitlins wedding pictures and getting so many people going WAIT THEYRE MARRIED?? it was hilarious to see the transition.

Yeah those are probably the biggest changes I can think of- it's gotten more popular which explains most of it, shipping has def become a much bigger thing as well, ships were pretty chill back then, there wasn't too much fic or art so thats different now :)

OH BUT ART! There's always been wonderful fan artists but nowadays wowee!! some amazing art for the series, like much more abundant! That's the gist of it :)

[badnew2005]

rehashing this post from right before s15 like. hm !!!!! first half of the post died like hoodie gate and dennis in macs room turned to be Nothing. i’m still maintaining they fucked over quarantine (SINGING HAPPY SILLY LITTLE COUNTRY LOVE SONGS ?????? country mac vs mac) but. dennis is still emotionally in north dakota. he’s still fight or flight. he’s learnt he can’t survive without mac without the gang and still had to come crawling back to philly But he’s not emotionally back. he’s not accepted he’s back and this is Who He Is. that he couldn’t survive as someone else once again. he’s terrified mac and the gang can see through him. he still wants to run. the gang go on holiday. go where PURPLE ??? that’s not a place !!! vocal stim of all time. they go to ireland back to their Roots. they’re an Irish bar. macs so aggressively american irish. let’s tell him he’s dutch. to shut him up. need to confuse him, spin him around, give him a different focus other than Me.

mac and dennis barely interact in ireland. dennis’ obsession with authenticity almost killing him. he’s trying so hard to be Real to be a Real Person. not Himself of course. someone real here. s14 health scare dennis NOT vigilant about covid ???? REFUSING to admit he had it. because it wasn’t authentic. wasn’t Real. because he spent 2020 hiding away with mac, slowly falling back into old routines, back in love back to being see through. fuck. that’s Not what ireland was for. dennis being the one to point out charlie’s dad died from covid. weird washy vision. dennis the “Only One” who didn’t get vaccinated. s14 health freak out dennis more about mac than anything else. he wanted Everything to be The Same back to when they could read eachother BUT he’s terrified of being Seen by mac. by mac who can Now see himself as gay, what the fuck is he finally going to be able to see in dennis. macs been spun around by dennis so he just goes to i’ll look after dennis Directly when he asks. i don’t want him running away from me again. also pizza poisoning. building back up that codependency. dennis needing anything else than Mac to blame all his mac problems on. Macs priest journey he’s thinking about Himself he’s Looking After Himself. not dennis. big mo should we quit the game. if you’re not having fun anymore. he’s not. everything with dennis is more Pain than anything else. being suffocated by his own love. sorry about the delusional maccricket hopes. mac and cricket ex boyfriends i’ll never stop believing in you though. macden using cricket as a middle man instead of just fucking eachother. den and charlie trying to spin him around confuse him saying he’s not irish. okay. next aspect of my identity is catholic. i’ll just go Full into that. the wars over. the storm has stopped raging. maybe. it’s complex. but it’s easier than dennis. feeling unfulfilled by the church though. this isn’t what i wanted this isn’t filling my dennis shaped hole. coming back together on the mountain. to help charlie. finding the truth. they lied to me told me i wasn’t irish just because they thought i was annoying? heartbreaking. DEVASTATING honestly. fuck you im leaving. i don’t have to help you. you’ll never help me. all i’ve been DOING is trying to Look After Myself so you wouldn’t have to. macs whole LIFE trying so desperately for someone to Love him. fuck man.

but back in the pub. mirror of paddys. we’re never escaping paddys. but why would i want to. we’re always running out into the world looking for treasures when everything we need is right here in the bar. their own ecosystem. and we carry out country (us. giggling like yeah the United States US and just. Us as a relationship) with us wherever we go! BECAUSE WE LOVE HER! and when you love someone , you can’t BEAR TO LEAVE EM BEHIND” watch dennis. face journey. he realises before mac. he loves philly he loves paddys he loves the gang he loves mac. HE CANT KEEP RUNNING AWAY. it’s okay to stop and be stationary. it’s okay to be who you are. “not ever” he’s ran away so many times. even this holiday with the gang he’s running from them. mac looks at him. mac knows. it’s okay that mac can read me that he can see through me like this. it’s good. i missed it. i’m weak and tired of running and I’m Sorry. everything i’ve done to you because i hated myself because i was scared of myself. they go to charlie. it’s the big game. they’ve embraced who they are (american) (Who They Are) and that’s when you WIN. dennis was in north dakota during the big game. wasn’t part of it. was still running. i’ve said it a thousand times sure he’s physically back in philly for years but emotionally he was still running. he’s stopped. laid down to rest.

i don’t want to hypothesise about s16 too much but after the first two eps are out i feel confident saying. the cat is poking his head out of the wall. he’s missing mac. i’ve said before end of clip show SINISTER “we’re back to normal” it’s dennis’ fantasy he wants so badly to become reality. he’s the best at monitoring reality and pulling one over on the gang. because that’s all he Ever does. that’s all he’s been doing. they’ve only just caught on or directly challenged him or tried to live in their own fantasies. i don’t know if dee’s cat is fully coming out of the wall but he’s poking his head. barely saw macden apartment last season because they were running away from her. sterile. in the season Opener we saw Her Insides. the fridge. casual domesticity. throwing out all of their furniture and sleeping on a blow up bed together. he’s stopped running. when you embrace who you are then you WIN. but. macs moving on. it’s been too long. took dennis too long to adjust. that happens. i’m so scared to tinhat about johnny but. i’m still your leading man. macs got another leading man. he’s being replaced maybe. it’s me it was always me. i think we’re gonna see more of that. i have always trusted the structure. i don’t think it’s going to be fruitless. yeah i think i’m out now. he’s BACK from north dakota he’s working on himself. macden doorway in inflates mirroring macdenbreakup. we don’t need to tell you our business. he’s protecting himself protecting their relationship. he’s not getting angry anymore. working to be a person. not letting small things blow up anymore. but it’s not going to be enough. he needs to Show Mac he cares More. it’s going to be difficult but. i trust the structure

[nightcrawlerzincorporated]

i hate times up me and all my homies hate times up

also gonna throw the janitor always mops twice in here cuz i wanna hear u talk abt it. disappointment central right there

Oh boy. Disagree. I like BOTH those episodes. Sorry, I know you wanted hate but I can only give love.

I will explain myself.

Times Up: I actually in my drafts have a huge essay about Times Up half finished that I hope to finish some day soon because I have so many thoughts about it but for this post I will try and keep it brief. Key word being TRY as I could talk for days about Times Up haha.

I get a lot of people hate it for shipping reasons but if you take a step back from that it's a really good episode about sexual assault imo. (tw for discussions about fictional sexual assault and how the episode comments on real assault ahead)

The fact that the episode takes place in a sexual assault seminar about workplace sexual harassment highlights the fact that the gang are all coworkers, reminding the audience that that adds a specific dynamic to the ways the gang treat one another, even as lifelong friends. Now, I will talk about the shipping more in that essay I'm writing, but for now I want to talk about the episode outside of that. Each character represents a different version of sexual harassment/assault.

Mac is careless, doing things like lifting Dee into the air by her crotch or trying to kiss Dennis not because he wants to harm either of them, but because he does things without thinking a lot of the time and is very impulsive (which is very in character for him imo!). But regardless of his motivation, those two things are still both sexual harassment.

Charlie thinks he stalked (is it actually canon that he stopped stalking her after they slept together or does he still do it? that was always unclear to me) The Waitress as a sign of love, as a lot of stalkers do. Again, something that's been very consistent with his character. But just like with Mac, his motivation doesn't matter, his actions do.

Frank is of course our stereotypical Quid Pro Quo case, more obviously in your face about the way he harmed women who worked under him at his old company. I get why some wouldn't find the way they use that for comic relief funny, but I personally like the way they handle it--there's never a doubt in anyone's mind that Frank hurt those women, and the joke is always on Frank finally feeling the heat he deserves for what he did to them and not on the victims. It doesn't matter that that was "what the times were like back that", Frank deserves to at the very least feel shitty for what he did. His part also highlights exactly why some states want to get rid of statute of limitation laws--which yeah! They should get rid of them! Because of the exact reason the episode shows--just because it happened years ago doesn't mean it didn't happen.

Dee spends the whole episode on her high horse because she sees the issue as a women vs men issue (as a lot of people do!) and doesn't think that she could ever possibly be persecuted since she's a woman. But that doesn't matter--she's still canonically assaulted multiple men! And I know some people don't like that they had it be that she raped Charlie specifically but I think it was a good writing decision. Here me out. The vast majority of rape is perpetrated by family members or close friends, because those are most often the people who are close enough to us to cause that kind of harm and manipulate victims into staying quiet. The reveal that Dee raped Charlie is another hard hitting point the episode is making about SA--that you can be friends with someone, even have romantic chemistry with them, but that doesn't excuse raping them. Even if, as in Dee's case, she didn't really think about what she was doing or conceptualize it as rape until it was pointed out to her. The point is that none of the characters THINK they are perpetrators, that they all have reasons and excuses that justify the things they do (just like real life perpetrators always have some sort of internal reason justifying their actions), but that doesn't change the facts of what they did. If the fact that all the characters are perpetrators to some degree makes you comfortable--good! It should! It's trying to challenge perceptions about assault, challenge the idea of what a victim looks like, what a perpetrator looks like, how the same person can be both a victim and a perpetrator, and to show how normalized assault is in the gang's lives and in society in general.

Now, savvy readers may have noticed I haven't mentioned Dennis yet. And that's because I think a lot of people misunderstand the way Dennis is being used in this episode, so I wanted to lay the groundwork for his section first. A lot of people dislike that Dennis is the one to point out the flaws of the others and the fact that Dennis is the one who set up the seminar when he's the worst of them all but--that's kind of the point. Dennis commits serial sexual assault and is able to get away with it because he cloaks himself in the progressive language of the MeToo movement and falsifies evidence. Dennis is the most dangerous of all because unlike the others, he DOES understand consent, he is FULLY AWARE that what he's doing is assault and therefor knows exactly what he needs to do to legally hide it. Dennis is NOT supposed to be in the right here. Like the audience surrogates (the people hired to teach the seminar), we are supposed to think Dennis is an idiot and kind of terrifying, not agree with everything he says just because he knows which words to use.

A lot of people call this episode "wildly out of character" but I don't understand that at all--it follows up on things which have been previously established with each character. The whole point is that the world is changing, they can't keep treating people and each other the way they do and keep expecting to get away with it. Even for someone like Dennis who has a whole system of manipulation and all these practiced ways not to get caught Time. Is. UP! The point is that, while Dennis may be better at getting away with shit than the others, that doesn't mean he's safe and that's a good thing. It feels very hopeful to me. And yeah I think it's funny. I know that's very subjective so I don't really know how to explain beyond "it makes me hahaha".

Mops Twice: I'm not sure why this episode would be considered "disappointing" (I'd love to know why you describe it that way!) because I think it's super fun. I love the references to the way old films were edited and shot, I love the whole grey-scale with red thing the episode has going on--it gives it a very unique flavor. I love the costumes, I love the way Charlie's narration is written like he's a detective in an old serial. I love the twist that The Waitress is running things and poisoning people It's so girlboss of her and one of the most fun things they've done with her character imo. I know people don't like that The Waitress is flirty with Charlie, but that's because the episode is from Charlie's perspective, it's how he interprets their probably not at all actually flirty interactions. Plus this episode is just really funny to me. My wife and I quote "bleach, the universal poison antidote" at each other all the time. I love Charlie focused episodes and this is no exception. And I love when they do new and more out there things like this too. I think it's part of what gives the series it's personality and I love it.

[gaydennisreynolds]

Lately I'm seeing tumblr fandom "history" posts about IASIP by emberphantom and sunnyontheside and it's showing a curiosity in me I didn't know I had about this topic. Can you also share about the older Sunny fandom from what you know? I'm only joining since the podcast started so I don't know about the changes. (Sorry if I sound rude, English is not my first lang)

hi anon <3 you don't sound rude don't worry!

I was on sunnyblr the first time around 2014/2015. There were very few active sunnyblr blogs at the time and the show was only up through season 9 so less content to discuss. It was like 10 of us passing around insanity. I remember one of the biggest sunnyblrinas had a url like trashboat and went by the nickname bio or something like that. I can't find their old blog and their fics have been orphaned on a03 so RIP fallen soldier....I've been unsuccessful so far at digging up posts from this time period because all of our old blogs have been deactivated for YEARS (mine included). If anyone has any 2014/2015 sunnyblr era posts please tag me I'd love to see them!

As for what we used to talk about: Mac was known to be gay but it was less salient in our discussions about him (remember he wouldnt come out on the show for several more years at this point) and it was like TABOO to suggest that Dennis might be gay. bisexual, sure. But to "gay Dennis truth" was to be biphobic since he hooks up with women. I'm really glad for that big 180 in thinking because I've always been a gay Dennis truther in my heart.

I don't remember shipping being huge? There were definitely those of us who enjoyed macden and made content for it but most of the blogs just posted like gifs and screen caps with overall less analysis / postulating. I think there was a very real fear of being Cancelled for saying something too nice or pure or w/e about these fucked up characters. I think Tumblr ecosystem is much more accepting and encouraging of "dark" content, which includes exploring amoral characters/subject matter, than it was back then. I don't ever remember CharDee or CharMac being discussed back then either. There was a huge emphasis on Charlie being on the asexual spectrum and it was Discourse Worthy if you wrote him as being sexual in any context. Weirdly enough, I remember Dennis/Dee being more socially acceptable and more frequently discussed. The good old days where incest was fine but speculating about sexuality was NOT (lol /s).

I can't remember any big Discourses or Scandals or hopes for later seasons that we had. Overall, I like this Tumblr better -- it's quiet here, sure, and sometimes we all say wildly OOC things about these insane characters, but i enjoy reading speculation posts and savoring the wide variety of macden content available to me. I like the focus on their fucked up dynamics and trauma backgrounds that we have now. We're all definitely adults and have more coherent thoughts about the content of the show, which is a nice change (I was about 15/16 my first sunnyblr time, as were most of my friends in fandom I think). It's nice to see people pick up on what RCG is trying to do with subtexts and references as opposed to taking things at face value. Older sunnyblr was way more like r/IASIP is today, the more I think about it. Way more rehashing jokes from the show and circle jerking about face value stuff like serial killer Dennis etc.

Glirst was still sooooooo real and all the lesbians have always wanted to fuck him. The one constant for now and for forevermore is that Glenn is sexually attractive and all the sexy ladies woobify his evil character <3

[moonlightmile12]

Good-Bye Britain Tour - March 1971

"While by all rights any account of the Rolling Stones on tour should begin with a detailed description of the whereabouts of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the two central figures of this tale, both of them, as well as guitarist Mick Taylor, have missed the train.

Although the Stones cannot possibly go onstage tonight without them, no one seems particularly concerned about their absence. As it turns out, the two Micks will catch a later train and arrive in plenty of time for the show.

Mick Taylor on this tour still seemed incredibly shy and unsure of himself except when he was performing onstage.

Getting to her feet in the far corner of the room, a striking-looking young woman with a sharp-boned face, long red hair, glittering eyes, and pale, lightly freckled skin begins making her way toward the bar. Having given birth to Mick Taylor’s daughter Chloe just two months ago, she seems far more direct and outgoing than the newest member of the Rolling Stones as well as very much at home in the company of rock stars.

Though I knew none of this at the time, Rose Millar (whom everyone always called Rose Taylor even though she and Mick Taylor were not yet married) was also on her first tour with the Rolling Stones. Described by her younger brother Robin, who in time would himself become a well-known record producer, as having “always been wild from the age of fifteen” as well as “car-stoppingly gorgeous,” Rose had been expelled from the exclusive St. Paul’s Girls’ School in London. She had then gone to work in the editorial department of an advertising magazine while hanging out with rock stars like Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac, Georgie Fame, Long John Baldry, and Rod Stewart.

Giving up her job at Mick Taylor’s request after they had begun living together, Rose had met the Stones for the first time while they were recording Sticky Fingers. As she would later say, “I began going to the sessions at Olympic Studios and I couldn’t believe how rude they all were. To each other, really. I was used to bands who all got on well with one another but these people didn’t have the same camaraderie and would turn up whenever they felt like it. Mick Taylor seemed to be there all the time as did Charlie and Bill but they were all absolutely always waiting for Mick or Keith.”

While being out on the road with the Stones seemed, as Rose would later say, “a bit more exciting and better than the slog of the studio, the tour wasn’t really fun because even at that point I think Mick Taylor realized he had made a mistake by joining them. Even then. Because he could have done other things. He could have gone and joined Paul Butterfield. He could have done music he was more interested in than rock ’n’ roll. He could have played the blues. And jazz. He was also taking classical guitar lessons. His music interests were very wide and if he had done something that he had been the boss of, it would have been better for him than taking this job which of course everyone said, ‘Oh, you have to do this. It’s so wonderful.’

In all the time he did it, he never ever thought it was wonderful. Ever. If he played well, it was okay except that Keith would turn his amp down. Or he would only have the time of his solo to play well and that was that. If he played badly, they applauded anyway so he felt there was no discernment on the part of the audience. He didn’t feel he was making any contribution that was really important. He was so sensitive. And he was never satisfied with what he did with them, really.”

Since Mick Taylor rarely said anything at all on this tour and seemed to be playing at the height of his powers on a nightly basis, no one had any idea how he was really feeling. Never shy about expressing herself, the same could not be said about Rose."

Robert Greenfield