#mills opinion

[justadumblee]

《Credits to whoever corresponds!》

Hey there! This the introductory post for this blog (should have done this a long ass while ago)

♡ Name's Mills! Or well, at least the one I use on the internet >w<

♡ I certainly don't mind what pronouns you use for me, but I normally go by She/Her

♡ Part of the SFW tickle community! Lee leaning switch, to be specific.

♡Currently hyperfixated on.. SMG4

♡ Artist and writer :3

IMPORTANT STUFF YOU NEED TO KNOW!!

♤ I'm a minor, so be careful of your words and what your intentions are with me

♤ I am a strictly SFW blog, so for the love of HEAVENS, please be normal

♤ While I am open for RP, don't just randomly send an ask.

♤ Open to meet new people :3!

♤ You know the drill for basic DNI criteria: Homophobics, P3dos, Z0ofilics, that type of stuff

So, uhhhh, enjoy this blog ig!!!

Take care and drink lots of water :3

[philosophybits]

The usefulness of an opinion is itself a matter of opinion.

John Stuart Mill, On Liberty

[necrotic-nephilim]

Before reading the comics, thanks to sladixk fics, i genuinely thought that dick always lost to slade, now I know that most times when he's and adult he beats slade no problem but it got me wondering how you feel about this canon-fanon difference

OHH this is a good question!!

i think sometimes fanon makes Slade a little... too badass. i think something some fanon fans don't understand about Slade in the 80s/90s is that he was like... kind of a loser? like don't get me wrong he was a main villain of the Titans for a while and he was certainly meant to be a formidable villain but this reputation he has in fanon almost supersedes him. (for example with specific plots: the fandom interpretation of the Judas Contract is Slade as the mastermind, but the writers have said that Terra was supposed to be the big villain manipulating everything. which is a ridiculous thing to put on a teenage girl getting groomed but, it does depict the intention of who was supposed to be "at fault" in that story) and don't get me wrong, i definitely love playing up the reputation and aura Slade has, but he really is a general contract killer on the level of like, Deadshot. personally, i wouldn't even put him on Lady Shiva's level, i think she far outranks him.

and to be fair to some fanon, recent comics have... tried to badass-ify Slade. some of his more recent Deathstroke runs are really trying to put him as this guy with legions of men underneath him who's this *deadly* killer who can take on Batman and Superman and all the like. and i just find that... boring? like, do i enjoy him being a smarter-than-average villain with a lot of connections? yes. but i don't think anything in his backstory really lends him to being as formidable as he appears in some fanfiction that puts him on this untouchable level. i would personally go as far to say i think *most* of the Batfamily could beat him in a fight under the right circumstances. bc Slade really is just Some Guy who got a serum from the military and went AWOL. (there's certainly more to his backstory than that, but at a glance, he's really not a trained fighter from birth like other characters are) and whilst i do enjoy Slade being formidable i have to admit, it was sort of fun when he was a loser? and i've gotten a kick out of certain comics that point out he's only a terrifying villain when he's up against teenagers. (Ghost-Maker calling him out on that is one of the funniest things, to me) like could Slade give Batman a serious fight? sure, but i don't see him ever winning unless you *really* nerf Bruce. and i really don't see him ever winning against most of the Batkids once they've got some years under their belt. Slade's scare factor was always tapered by who he was against, and he was a *Teen Titans* villain. so he's a little ridiculous and sometimes just sort of a weird loser. and i say that affectionately.

furthermore, on the flipside, i think... sometimes, we woobify Dick a bit too much to my tastes. or, really any Robin who gets shipped with Slade but of course Dick is the standout in popularity and i find it's more prominent with him. it's really a general slash problem, in which one man must be the Strong Top and then other must be the Weak Bottom. and that manifests in Slade being physically larger than Dick (which in canon, ehhh i think the size difference would be largely negligible) and him being able to beat Dick. bc it makes for more fanfic scenarios where you can put Dick at Slade's mercy for porn, for angst, for whatever you'd like. Slade is a good pick if you want to really put Dick on the weaker side, bc you can play with healing factors and strength enhancements. so on a physical level, Slade will be stronger than Dick. does that mean Slade can beat Dick in a fight? historically, no. i mean, Slade trusted Dick to train his own daughter in the Renegade storyline, so i think this is a fact even Slade is aware of.

i don't think it's a bad thing fanfiction likes its big top/small bottom tropes. if you want to make Dick a submissive, pliant bottom who is going to lose in a fight to Slade for your dead dove porn, get it. i've probably written or will write the same. it's appealing and it's a very common trope for Dick. but it becoming the fandom norm does sort of nerf Dick, occasionally. i think some fans don't fully comprehend the actual level Dick is on, where he's very close to being an equal to Bruce, if not already Bruce's equal. in fandom Dick is sort of trapped in this "post-adolescence but not full adulthood" state that does not acknowledge he has been an adult running superhero teams for years. he was filling in for Bruce in the Batman mantle all the way back in the 90s. he can defeat villains like Slade, and usually without a lot of difficulty. to me the only time you can realistically make Dick lose and it be "in character" is either 1, to have Dick *very* early on in his Robin years (i think if he's past 16, he can beat Slade) or 2, very deeply wound Dick/have him in a psychologically altered state via drugs or something. otherwise yeah, i think Dick wins 99% of the time.

but fanfiction is fanfiction, and it doesn't *have* to be canon. esp if Dick losing to Slade is just a sexy prerequisite to porn. do i wish more fanon explored Slade as kind of a loser? absolutely. do i think Slade is *too* cool in most fanon? also absolutely. but those are my tastes and i don't begrudge anyone who just wants a strong, mean man to whump the shit out of their blorbos, which usually, is the purpose of Slade. i find most fanfic with Slade tends not to be exploring Slade's character. they're simply using him as an easy stand-in for a metahuman who's morally grey and very mean but has a nuanced history with Dick, or whoever else. which, very valid. not all fanfic needs to be a character study, but i do think it'd be cool to see more Slade-centric fics that *do* want to be character studies.

[manchblack]

whenever people talk about shows that they wish would've come out now instead of when they did, once upon a time is always on the top of my list. not because i want it to be better written but because the fandom would be batshit insane and it would be SO funny

[niobiumao3]

Claims of 'it's forced' every time a black woman is in proximity to a white/light skinned blorbo in canon when nothing has even fucking happened yet is my villain origin story.

[cyarskj1899]

she was right and you punished her unjustly for it.

unforgivable

The most disgusting thing about this documentary was Megan saying that Tory had the balls to text her and say she looked sad, and then not too long after make a whole album and release a video of him cutting up horse legs.. that is sick asf!!!! Deport HIM

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

"The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race... If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error." -- John Stuart Mill

[grtmnick]

I recently stumbled onto the linked conversation above regarding whether or not the writing for Emma Swan's character suffered a decrease in quality after season 1 of Once Upon a Time.

This is an intriguing question that I believe the SwanQueen fandom on Tumblr would be interested in discussing, so I have shared it here.

As for my own thoughts, I must admit my own bias in thinking of season 1 as the highlight of the series, at least for me. A close second being season 3a.

Season 1 Emma gave the impression as being written to be a more capable and competent person than what we sometimes see later in the series. Also, it is worth noting that her skills as investigator, developed as a result of her experiences as a troubled youth and improved upon during her time as a bail-bonds person, give her a sense of agency that she then loses in future seasons, despite how much those skills would have gave her an edge against future antagonists.

Food for thought thusly served.

[irhabiya]

why am i getting videos like this recommended to me now all of a sudden lol since when do any of you give a shit

[themattress]

Just putting this out there.

Whoever voice-directed this thing, I am disappointed in you.

[singingboysdontcry]

byler is one of the prettiest ship names ever

[oofuri2003]

Another Naoni <3 this time with a personal focus on emphasizing his more creature-like features!

[philosophybits]

To think that because those who wield power in society wield in the end that of government, therefore it is of no use to attempt to influence the constitution of the government by acting on opinion, is to forget that opinion is itself one of the greatest active social forces. One person with a belief is a social power equal to ninety-nine who have only interests.

John Stuart Mill, On Representative Government

[laurolive]

A Retro Moment

For mercy’s sake, Paul, dedicate this one to Linda. 🎵 🎶

After the premiere of his classical composition Ecce Cor Meum (Behold My Heart) at the Royal Albert Hall on 3 Nov. 2006, McCartney gave an interview the next day for BBC Radio 4's Today programme, which was reported by The Daily Mail [link].

From the interview:

“He said Ecce Cor Meum was inspired by his first wife Linda, who died from breast cancer in 1998. She was with him when he was first asked to write the piece 10 years ago and after her death he stopped working on it due to his grief.

"’When Linda died, that was obviously a huge shock and a very difficult time for the family and it stopped me writing anything,’ he said. ‘It was a year and a half after that when I started to creep back into the studio and see if I could do anything.’ Sir Paul said the Interlude part of the composition was particularly sad and his ‘cathartic’ way of getting back into music.

“But the musician said he had not dedicated the piece to Linda because by the time it was finished he had a new love interest. ‘I had found a new woman in Heather and it wasn't really appropriate to dedicate it to Linda,’ he said.”

What nonsense did I just read?

It was inspired by Linda; the interlude expressed his tentative emergence from grief after Linda’s death. BUT he couldn’t dedicate it to Linda because there was a wife no. 2 on the scene?

Paul McCartney, sometimes you make no sense, and this was one of those times.

Why would it be inappropriate to dedicate it to Linda regardless of whom he is married to? She was an important figure in his life for three decades, who joined him in his love of music, and with whom he raised four children who gave him (and her) much joy. If he had written a piece inspired by his friend and collaborator John Lennon, he would (rightfully) have no issue dedicating it to John regardless of whom he is friends and collaborators with now. Why should it be any different with Linda?

Paul himself said of Linda in an interview with The Times [link] in June 2011:

“She is a very powerful memory because I was married to her for nearly 30 years. Now, in my relationship with my new girlfriend, Linda is a powerful presence…”

At least Paul was of sound mind at that time. Where was this sentiment in 2006?

_________________________

Paul married Heather Mills in 2002 over the protests of his children, who deeply disliked and distrusted her. She likewise disliked his children; but not only that, she had no respect for the memory of their mother. Mills was jealous of Linda and could barely abide her name being mentioned.

Paul, who was by all accounts a devoted family man, has stated that he loves being a dad and that his children are his proudest achievement. In an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1997, he stated that the greatest gift he and Linda gave each other were their kids. (I would post a link, but that segment doesn’t appear to be on youtube anymore.)

How Inexplicable

How inexplicable then, that he chose for his life partner someone who positively bristled against his children, for whom the loss of their mother was still fresh.

💔

Maybe it’s poetic justice for being so inconsiderate of his children’s feelings that McCartney sounds like such a fool when looking back, as this passage from The Guardian (2008) shows:

“… on their engagement, he [McCartney] commented that "being in love with her makes me want to write songs." and one composition inspired by her was used as the bridal march at their wedding. (Among the lyrics prompted by their love was the deadweight ‘She makes me feel glad/I want her so bad.’) 🙄

“But even as muse, Mills annoyed some members of the public — after all, hadn't that always been Linda's role, wasn't she usurping that perfect first wife?”

_________________________

As for Heather (and Nancy ❤️)

As for Mills, she presented as self-centred and craving recognition. Despite her charitable campaigns that raised millions for amputees, her affinity for the ulterior benefits of charity — the media attention, the praise from dignitaries, etc. — tainted her contributions in the public eye, rightly or wrongly. This was in contrast to Linda, whose sole concern in her vegetarian projects really was strictly for the animals, as she didn’t expect to gain any praise at all [link, p. 617].

This quote from The Guardian in 2008 suggests what might have been Heather Mills’ primary attraction to Paul McCartney:

"Mills is very much a product of our society, a person in love with fame and celebrity, and that dazzled her."

Even if it wasn’t exactly a love match on Mills’ part, she still rankled if she wasn’t the centre of the relationship. She certainly had her issues, as is evident in this fascinating article from 2009. She did not seem to grasp that Paul’s marriage to Linda was not severed by alienation or breakdown, but that he lost her while he still very much loved her. That love doesn’t turn off like a tap; he will always have a strong spiritual and memorative link to her. If Mills couldn’t handle that, she shouldn’t have married him.

Thank goodness for Nancy, who has the generosity of spirit to understand that Paul can’t simply sweep Linda out of his memory. She knows that he has room in his heart for both of them.

_________________________

So let us return to where we began:

“But the musician said he had not dedicated the piece to Linda because by the time it was finished he had a new love interest. ‘I had found a new woman in Heather and it wasn't really appropriate to dedicate it to Linda,’ he said.”

Um … how about because your children would like to see it dedicated to their mother?

Honestly, what kind of brain fog was McCartney under during his marriage to Mills that made him forget he had children with Linda, and that these children had feelings? SMH. 🤦‍♀️ Why tiptoe so gingerly around Mills’ feelings? This was late 2006; he had already filed for divorce months earlier.

Come on Paul, do the right thing next time. If it was inspired by Linda, originated with Linda, and evokes Linda, then dedicate it to Linda.

________________________________________

©️ laurolive, laurolive.tumblr.com, www.tumblr.com/laurolive, www.tumblr.com/blog/laurolive, 2024

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[astrangergivingthestrangewelcome]

Love how John Thornton is like " ugh Margaret's the fucking worst let me just be near her and converse constantly even to argue just bc you know it's nice to hear her talk" and meanwhile Margaret just fully is like "everytime you are in my presence I get a headache." I mean it's obvious that she'll come around but from the get-go with him there's a strange attraction and I do not think Margaret feels the slightest attraction at first.