#mind boggling how “fans” used to treat him

[nomaptomyowntreasure]

from Jan 2, 2012. he really did say anything back then.

[archduchessgortash]

Unpopular Opinion

An 'evil power couple ruling Toril together' ending for Durge and Gortash is a horrible idea, and I'm glad that it doesn't happen in Baldur's Gate 3. If it ever did, it would not be a happy ending for either of them.

If that's your kink... cool. It's such a popular ask in the fandom that I'm sure someone already wrote it months and months ago.

My kink is redemption, but hardly anyone seems to want that for Gortash, and it makes me sad. I really think it should have been an option.

Here's why I don't want Durge and Gortash ruling Toril:

Durge and Gortash have both been abused, manipulated, and treated like complete shit by their families, their caregivers, and their gods. Bane's treatment of Gortash isn't exactly clear except that he tortures his soul for failure even though Gortash did everything he possibly could to succeed in the Absolute plot. By the time we meet him in-game, Gortash has become as bad, if not worse, than his abusers. Pre-tadpole Durge was a piece of work, too, although Sceleritas does mention that they struggled to stay the course that Bhaal had set them upon even before their lobotomy.

We know that one of the themes in Baldur's Gate 3 revolves around cycles of abuse. Even when the victim-turned-abuser isn't arguably 'as bad' as the one who hurt them, if they choose the same sort of path, they lose everything they were ever really fighting for: themselves.

I know Ascended Astarion stans will stomp their feet and say he hasn't become Cazador 2.0. To them, I say: 'You're right. He hasn't... yet.' However, he has eternity now and a delusional slave of his very own to bring out the worst in him. There's a reason that spawn Astarion mentions how he felt everything he'd learned since meeting his new friend/partner slipping away when he thanks them for stopping his ascension. Because that is what ascension does to him. Astarion loses. Cazador wins. Even dead, he has won. That the fandom doesn't get that boggles my mind.

Some fans like the idea of evil Durge and Gortash taking out Bhaal and Bane, becoming gods themselves. In my opinion, this is so much worse. Killing or torturing their abusers as revenge isn't 'finally showing them' or proving their strength. It is, in fact, a mirror of their abuser's own weakness manifested in their victim. Gortash has already crossed this line. Dravo Flymm is effectively dead, animated only by his tadpole. This is another reason I wish Karlach had the option to forgive Gortash--not for him--but for her.

Gortash intellectualized his own abuse so hard that he actually thinks he was helping Karlach by giving her to Zariel. He has not truly dealt with anything that was done to him. He projects it onto the people around him and makes his own problems into everyone else's. I believe this is why there's no ending in which he survives. That, and running out of time and money to do him and Wyll justice with their storylines.

I don't like Durge and Gortash becoming worse together. A history of abuse does not excuse its continuation. I don't want to watch them be overtaken by their own weakness, to weep as I gaze upon the manifestation of their inescapable cowardice.

I want to see them win, but my definition of winning is not ruling. My definition of winning is choosing to no longer emulate their abusers, to become what tiny glimpses into their back stories show us they once had the potential to be.

The idea of Durge and Gortash enslaving the world and ruling it brings to mind a line from one of my all-time favorite songs: Veteran of the Psychic Wars by Blue Öyster Cult.

'Did I hear you say that THIS is victory?!'

Well... it is. Just not theirs.

Repeating the cycle of abuse is nothing short of ensuring the legacy of the abuser.

Like I said... I want Durge and Gortash to win.

[istherewifiinhell]

okay. heres what were all here for. tell me why the fuck im supposed to suck the dick of these uk comics

[ID: A man holding up an aged looking paper, with a medieval style drawing of a giant metal fire breathing man. He leans forward serious asking his son "... Did it look like this?" END]

marveltf story line, MAN OF IRON, 9-12 in the UK, or.... 33-34 in the us. alright lol do whatever i guess. first published in 1985

new vibe same procedure: Script: Steve Parkouse art: John Ridgeway (9-10) Mike Collins (11-12) Colours: Joise Fermin (9-10) Gina Hart (11-12) Nel Yomtov (US)* Letters: Richard Starkings Editor: Sheila Cranna and these caps are from the UK classics idw book so: Original Series Edits by Shelia Cranna and Ian Rimmer, editorial notes and assistance by James Roberts, Collection Edits by Justin Eisinger and Alonzo Simon, Collection Design by Shawn Lee (<- hey i know his work from turtles!)

*so the uk comics were part in colour and part B&W, to save costs... including the american reissues? printing costs i guess. but when reprinted in collected books, they would get the full colour treatment. whats not clear to me is WHO did those colours, its not listed anywhere i can find. ill simply have to assume its the same artists... and hope im not discrediting anyone....

AND ALSO the last page in this reprint apparently uses the US comic page, and i have a cap of that last page, so. Yomtov's in here too..... tf franchise the way u treat ur sacred texts breaks my turtles fan heart.

and lastly! the keen eyed may notice, we are back to toy accurate art, the character model designs haven't and wont make their way over until much later, I'm told.

well with all that perfectly convoluted business out of the way, lets explore what tfs is like across the pond.

[ID: The same man, Roy, driving as he thinks to himself "What kind of bozo would want to bomb the castle? The Saxon Liberation Front? The mind boggles…" END]

[spluttering laugh] so the humours a little different!

[ID: The boy, Sammy, climbing a tree, hand outstretched reaching for the arrow he lost. Standing, with his in the canopy is Jazz. Sammy yells in fear. END]

OKAY. so the vibes are little different

[ID: Caption Box: And the apparition was fearful, being a Man of Iron of great height and girth, seeming unheedful of quarrel, spear or sword…" The robot from the illustration, clearly transformer, but blockier, more retro scifi, standing in the middle of a medieval battle, men with chain-mail and swords looking at him with trepidation. Caption Box: The Man of Iron forded the stream at Eldric's Cross, making great strides for the abbey… and some brave souls followed, though none dared come too close…" Two of the fighters shown following him, a body shot with an arrow lays at the other side of the river. END]

damn okay. so the vibes are ALOT DIFFERENT

(no 10) sammy dreams

[ID: Sammy stands on a house rooftop, in his PJ's, looking down at the cobble street, where a seeker in alt mode rests. END]

[ID: Dark and moody art, a barely seen figure towers in the shadows over the residential houses. From a higher angle, its shown to be Mirage, he stands taking up the entire street, backlit and casting shadows. END]

WHAT THE FUCK. that is terrifying

(something about beautiful black inked art + toy model makes them so CREATURE)

[ID: Roy speaks to a man in army uniform. Roy: How large? Soldier: Well… ahh…at a rough estimate? About the size of an ocean-going liner. Roy: Whaat? Roy with a hand to his head in dismay: Well, for god's sake what is it? Solider: We don't know. I've called in extra men and we're going to excavate… END]

somethings! buried under the castle... gee well one wonders what it might be

[ID: Close on Jazz's alt mode dashboard, its filled with lights and screen of alien language. Hes saying: But I'm not a stranger, Sammy. Deep down, you know… don't you? You've been wanting an adventure all your life… Besides. I have something to tell you. Sammy looking doubtful. Jazz continues: Something really important. Sammy has a hand on Jazz's open door: Why not just sit for a while in the front seat? Just pretend you're driving… END]

JAZZ THATS KIDNAPPING BUD....

really get a kick outta this note in the printed version

[ID: REMEMBER: NEVER ACCEPT LIFTS FROM STRANGERS! TO BE CONTINUED! END]

(no 11)

[ID: Jazz speaks to Sammy on the road, a blue and white F1 car pulling up. "My name is unpronounceable in your language… so just call me Jazz! And that's Mirage right behind us!" Jazz takes a exit to a low road, a black camper truck driving alongside. "This is where we rendezvous with Trailbreaker. All set Sammy?" All three driving along, Sammy responds "Sure thing Jazz!" END]

[guitar riff] THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN. im so glad all my good friends are here.

[ID: An fiery explosion engulfing Trailbreaker with a "Whaamf!". Wheels coming off, glass shattering, the truck top blowing to bits. Trailbreaker veering off road, a trail of fire and parts behind him calls out "Jazz! I'm hit... I'm hit BAD! END]

TRAILBREAKER NOOOO. who could have seen this coming...

[ID: Jazz narrowing swerving a missile. Exploding behind him, and speedlines trail him, and a wreath in flame around him. The colours are almost delicate, and a reflective glow in his paint. END]

wha. this just looks so cool.... what the hell....

[ID: Bluesteak, smiling speaking to comms "Autobot Bluestreak to patrol leader +++ Just brushed something off your tail, Jazz+++ try to be more careful in future, hmmm? Bluestreak out+" END]

being a cunt in the work slack. king

[ID: Jazz in profile, lit under the starry night sky, soft line-less colours defining the planes of his head in blue greys, and pitch black. To Sammy he says "Not really. It's a shuttlecraft… now stand back…" To comms "Autobot Jazz To Autobot leader+++ Approaching shuttle with Surveillance Subject+++ Request permission to board+++" END]

Wuh. Huh. Jazz u look so fucking cool right now?? And handsome.....

okay whats going on back at the castle (no 12)

[ID: The army soldier half sitting on a desk, holding a phone to his ear, the rotary cradle held resting on his leg. He's saying "IT's not just a question of scale, sir. We simply cannot identify it. END]

whys he kinda... apparently this style of uniform is called temperate barrack dress?? that answers none of my questions im just kinda... whyd u draw him like that tho...

[ID: A seeker, drawn in blues, walking between the ruins of the castle. Off panel someone says "It just seemed to appear from nowhere!" END]

bigfooting it up... AT A CASTLE. oh lads. im done for [blah blah he telePORTS and thats skywarps power but hes blue so WHO is it. dont worry abt it man. dont matter. they apparently change in the various times its been coloured, which is objectively funny imho. keep em guessing]

[ID: Moody and still illustrations of a robot identical to the Man of Iron in stasis, plugged into a bed of sorts. The ship around him is dark but for strips of coloured computer like lights in the walls and floor. Caption boxes narrate: Deep beneath the Autobots feet, in a sealed chamber, a special Autobot lay waiting… He was navigator, warrior and guardian of Autobot destiny… In his long, slow, machine world, a million years were as fleeting seconds. Human history had passed over him. Small inter panels. Mid on the Guardian: Locked in his dormant brain was the location of the planet Cybertron. He waited only to be re-activated, re-integrated with his mission… Restored to life. Close on the Guardian: His attendant was no more, the link between them severed. Laying in profile, just barely defined in the pitch black: Alone in the darkness he patiently beamed his signal. The same pattern of impulses… Waiting. END]

What the actual fuck (its even more somberly dramatic than just that)

[ID: Sammy, from a distance, staring at the castle. Caption Box: Autumn came, leaves fell. Sammy was a year older and a year wiser. He never saw Jazz again… Sammy asleep in bed, moonlight pouring through his paneled window. "But on clear, sharp nights, when stars glittered like needles and the night winds rattled his window… Then he slept a fitful, fearful sleep…" Sammy sleeping, with his dreams projected above him. "And the Man of Iron walked once more through his dreams." The End]

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK

um well. okay! thats. fucking crazy. and this is the only tf comic this dude ever did. okay... can u tell he was from the dr who comics...... it ALSO means this doesnt actually speak at all for what the rest of tfuk will be like. which is damn funny. LIKE WOW! THAT WAS CRAZY. anyways.

[sapphic-agent]

I think the biggest thing I've learnt from the more critical side of MHA is: don't let your favoritism affect your story. I think it's natural that you're gonna like more characters than others. But if it's like noticeable to a point where the audience sees it, it's a big problem. Or if the character is a fan favorite, they'll praise it to sky heaven. The fact that Izuku VS Shigaraki has been oddly side lined so much in favor of Bakugo VS OFA or him rescuing All Might is... weird to me. Like, I get it. He was dead for a year in our time. But... this IS Izuku's story not Bakugo's. Even if Bakugo is a deuteragonist, he's still not the MAIN protagonist. Shouldn't we be shifting more or less to Izuku VS Shigaraki? MHA has been building up their final fight for 8-9 years, and we're oddly all focused on AFO and Bakugo? And for AFO's backstory, I care less for the potato man. Shigaraki is the villain of MHA, not potato man. Such as Izuku is the protagonist of the story, Bakugo isn't. And it's so baffling to me to see MHA twt praise this series to high heaven and just don't oddily notice that Izuku is just oddily fucking quiet through out this fight?? I know he's focused on stopping Shigaraki, but nothing???? Like the Toga and Uraraka and Todoroki Family arcs got all the attention they deserved, so why tf isn't Izuku and Shigaraki?? I understand they were gonna be last, it IS the final battle after all, but it just seems it's gonna go downhill from there.

Plus, how tf is Izuku gonna be able to save Shigaraki?? Izuku is at his witt's end, and Bakugo said he would take care of AFO. Because if it's ACTUALLY Bakugo & Izuku VS Shigaraki. I'll just- I'll be so done. I get the whole "Izuku doesn't have to do everything on his own" but like- Shigaraki literally KILLED Bakugo and got revived from his goddamn blood exploding. (That shit is still funny to me.) like good Lord, can Izuku just have HIS moment??? If all of the cool power ups and cool moments go to Bakugo instead of Izuku, and Bakugo somehow saves the day.

The fucking ending is gonna be ruined by favoritism. Again, this is just an IF. But I felt crazy reading twt's and no one noticing Izuku hasn't said anything of a) Bakugo being brought back to life b) or just reacting to anything. It just seems like Izuku is just there as a device to carry us towards the ending, at this point.

You're right and you should say it.

Mind-boggling how people will look at this shit and still say Horikoshi doesn't favor Bakugou. Like, what? He is 1-v-1-ing the big bad of the series. The villain who killed almost every past OFA user (would also like to add that these are the same users he insulted and looked down on, so if he is the one to finish AFO, that's a slap in the face to every single one of them). The man who incapacitated All Might. The Demon King who's ruled the underbelly of Japan for the past 200 years.

And you mean to tell me that Katsuki Bakugou of all people is his final boss? That's just embarrassing for AFO tbh.

But the fact of the matter is, yeah Izuku's fight with Shigaraki should have been the main event. Instead, it's being treated as a side quest. Hell, it's being treated as less than a side quest as both Uraraka & Toga and the Todorokis & Dabi were given more attention.

It's sad, not only for Izuku but for Shigaraki too. Horikoshi was so close to making him a complex villain, only for all of his character progression from Deika to go down the toilet. He can't be saved because he's been written to be so completely detached from his humanity.

In general, Izuku and Shigaraki should have had more moments together throughout the series. This interaction between them is meaningless because Izuku doesn't understand Shigaraki enough to save him. It's why he's getting frustrated because there's really no feasible way for him to save Tomura. He isn't Eri or Kota who were just kids in danger and who wanted to be rescued.

I hate to say it, but Izuku hasn't had enough development to be able to save Shigaraki. It's not his fault (it's Hori's), but it's true. For him to understand Tomura, he needed to broaden his worldview and Horikoshi hasn't allowed him to do that.

It's an utter disservice to both characters

[coralcatsea]

CARDVERSE USUKUS

REC LIST

I'm a little picky about Cardverse fics, but here are some I've enjoyed! I wrote my own descriptions here, so if you want more info you can also click the link for the author's summary.

Weighing Pride Between Scales

by @demonicpiano

The Kingdom of Spades does not know how to handle the discovery that their queen is a literal beast. It turns out, though, that the king adapts quickly.

Link

A Little Wicked

by DemonicPiano

Queen Arthur tries to work up the nerve to assassinate the King, but it turns out the King isn't what he expected.

Link

Come Into My World

by DemonicPiano

England (the country) and Arthur (Queen of Spades) become acquainted thanks to mirror portals and decide to switch places for a little while. In the process, they meet each other's version of Alfred/America, and upon learning England and America are not romantically involved, Arthur resolves to fix this.

Link

Only a Matter of Time (and Waiting)

by DemonicPiano

Mechanic Arthur is tasked to work on a carriage for King Alfred, who supposedly cannot be looked in the eye because of mind boggling magic.

Link

Up in Each Other's Ropes

by DemonicPiano

Captain Kirkland does NOT want to be Queen. He employs various tactics to make the prince leave him alone, but none seem to faze him. Prince Alfred is still set on insisting they're meant to be, so the pirate forms a new plan to scare him out of the idea. Unfortunately, he's grown somewhat fond of the prince and can't make the threat very convincing, it backfires, and Alfred ends up enjoying himself.

Link

Treating a King Right

by DemonicPiano

Alfred has to do a queen-choosing party, but most people don't appreciate him as a person so he wears something unexpected to test them. His childhood friend, Arthur, is not deterred.

Link

Blind Trust

by ehcanuck

During the wedding ceremony and wedding night, the King is expected to wear a blindfold and stay silent, as is Spadian tradition. He doesn't get to see or speak to his fiance/husband until the next morning, and he's never met him before. Or has he?

Link

Queen of the Company

by @ixbranna16

Magical Strike and Cardverse hybrid in which Alfred inherits Spades Company and wants Arthur to rule by his side as Queen of Spades. Arthur agrees and uses this position to his advantage.

Link

Rock 'n' Royal

by @charlotte--kensington

Modern Cardverse with punk band member Arthur and Prince Alfred, who are both big fans of each other. One day Arthur discovers he has the Queen's mark, which leads to conflicting feelings. He doesn't want to leave everything he's worked for behind, but it's hard to be upset at the man he has a big celebrity crush on.

Link

[smosh-fessions]

I cannot stand Smoshtwt. This is coming from somebody who’s active there as well as Smoshblr and even the Smosh reddit. That side of the fandom just makes me miserable every time I interact with it, although that could also just be a Twitter thing (which I haven’t used altogether as much anyway). All 3 sides of this fandom have heavy parasocialness regardless but I think it’s the most evident on Smoshtwt. They are very hypocritical when it comes to that topic especially. Many of them talk about, idolize and ostracize the cast like they’re not human beings. As if they’re characters. Smoshblr has this issue as well, but I think it’s much more excessive and disrespectful on Smoshtwt.

My basic, tired example is the way people talk about Damien, considering the fandom is often divided on their stance with him there. personally I don’t have strong feelings towards Damien whatsoever but I audibly GROAN when somebody says something rude about him for the millionth time. And when somebody wants to defend or even show liking toward him as a cast member, they’re the ones accused of being parasocial or something. It’s genuinely ridiculous because you know the same people accusing would start frothing at the mouth for someone “criticizing” their favorite members like Angela or Spencer. It just boggles my mind how openly disrespectful they can be to these real people.

I feel like this behavior only got worse in the last few years so I admittedly think a chunk of newer fans are partially responsible and mostly have that Stan cult mindset that older fans don’t exactly share, not to the same extent. Because the difference in how fans used to talk about Smosh is much different to barely three years ago. I’m sure that’s a reason the entire cast stopped using Twitter and interacting with that side of the audience altogether…

I 100000% think that the rise in how awful Stan culture is correlated to lockdowns and I think that's where a lot of the younger, intensely disrespectful people came in because it became their comfort so hard and so fast in such a weird, weird scary time that it's honestly fucked them up a little. That doesn't mean I condone it in any way, but it's why I think the huge surge happened because pre-2020, I've never seen fandoms this bad except for some very select ones. People used to be kind of bothered to be called Stans, and people of a certain age definitely don't know that it literally comes from an Eminem song about a stalker fan who signed his letters Stan. A lot of people took the meaning of it a little too much to heart, honestly.

The hatred for Damien on twitter especially is confusing to me. The way that all three separate sites treat the same group of people is also wild. On Reddit, they clearly aren't fans of Ian and Anthony. On Twitter they're absolutely awful about Damien, and here they treat him with kid gloves and half of the people seem to absolutely LOVE Ian and Anthony and the other half are either apathetic or do not care. Unfortunately, the vitriol on here seems to be more hidden in things like replies and tags so it ends up missed by the majority of people since it's not out in the open like a tweet.

I've always said it's a great idea to curate the hell out of your internet experience because of how divided stuff like this gets. I know some people feel bad for blocking people for what they feel like is an 'illegitimate' reason, but it's just a simple "I do not want to talk to you. Now or ever. Goodbye." and you are always allowed to do that. Block liberally. My main account on here has probably 800 people or so blocked and I can assure you 80% of them are from fandoms I had been in. There are shit people in every fandom and they're typically the minority, but they all have supersonic megaphones, I swear.

[thelonesomequeen]

I have been a fan of this blog since MK fall pap walks were a thing and this whole AB thing makes me realize how not crazy yall have been. Some of these people and blogs make me worry about their mental health if they truly believe what they are saying. It makes me think of all the stuff Benedict C and his wife and eventually kids went through its scary. The saying they are aren't really together and hounding them. The actual death treats and believing they have actual inside information but being wrong at every turn. I don't think what ce and ab are experiencing is quite as bad but its getting there especially if they do announce and engagement or get married it might send some off the edge. It boggles my mind that some take it to such extremes and have others believing the same thing. I still don't understand how they think AB has the power to force him into a relationship but at the same time needs him to help her out in Hollywood. I kinda get trying to figure out why he would be with someone seemingly different then he's used to but I don't think she is holding him hostage. All that to say thanks to mods for not being crazy and knowing when a break is needed. I think we need to bring back Man Crush Monday and Woman Crush Wednesday to palate cleanse. Maybe a Thot Thursday? Hope yall have a good day.

We’ve worried about that too (the comparison to Benedict and his family). Things aren’t quite that bad yet, but what I’m concerned with is that we’re only seeing stages of what will eventually be something similar. I hope not, but those hopes aren’t high with the kind of fan behavior we’re seeing lately.

Also, I miss bae of the day! Mrs. Potts was always so good at organizing that! 🦎

[travllingbunny]

People who say that the siblings could never run the company (leaving aside the question of, should they even want to, when there are so many better things they could try doing with their lives) because they're not competent enough are so funny because even if that were true, since when is competence the precondition for running Waystar Royco for a long time and being perceived as a success? Since the person who demonstrated their incompetence as CEO the most on the show is Logan.

And it's blatantly on display since the pilot. From always changing the succession plans on a whim (basically whenever he felt threatened by the idea giving up control to someone); firing people (in the pilot he fires Frank just to placate Roman because he's trying to get him back into the company - he rehires him 3 episodes later) and giving jobs for personal reasons (that's also how Tom gets a job, as a part of Logan placating Shiv and trying to get her to come back, and Greg gets a job is all about Logan's issues with Ewan; this man is consistently using the company as a way to boost his ego and try to control/force or manipulate the people he feels most strongly about to love him) and destabilizing the company...and that's before we find out he put the company in a 3 billion dollar debt secured against Waystar stock in 1985 and came up with no solution whatsoever for 35 years, and also enabled serial rapists and murderers and marred the company in horrific scandals. Both things that he left his children to resolve (and then berated them for it).

When people say the siblings are incompetent because they're immature and unserious people, I agree but if it comes with the admission that they get that from their father, who was extremely unserious, because he was defined by his unresolved personal issues stemming from his abusive childhood, his huge and fragile ego and the dysfunctional relationships he had with everyone. And that's the siblings' problem too, stemming from how he raised and abused them. This is why fight each other instead of working together (except for a short time when they had their Dad to unite against) and make big business decisions based on personal issues ans grudges. It's not the lack of skills, it's the emotional instability.

One last thing: the fandom's treatment "you're not a killer" line is so funny because the whole point of it was to set up the twist at the end of that same episode that proves it wrong. They couldn't have been more obvious, they even scored the final scene with Kendall's press conference with the track named You Have to Be a Killer. But a ton of fans and journalists missed the point and latched onto the "you're not a killer" line like it's some timeless overall statement on Kendall's personality and repeating it ad nauseum... I'm sorry everyone, but I really don't understand how you can watch all 4 seasons and come off with the conclusion "Kendall's problem is that he's just not ruthless enough". He has a lot of issues, but that's not one of them. But I do agree with you it would have been better if Kendall didn't have to be "a killer" and acted like a normal person who can cooperate with others and treat them as equals instead of being pushed and molded by Logan's psycho treatment of him into these increasingly more aggressive and ruthless modes of behavior.

TL;DR People who drank Kool Aid and convinced themselves that Logan was a great businessman to be admired are silly, and when those same people mock his kids, it drives me crazy because they're basically admiring someone for being a terrible father and abusing his children, and mocking and blaming the children for being affected by abuse. It is mind boggling they don't acknowledge the simple fact that, if they are that awful, that's on him as their father and the person who shaped their personalities.

OK IM GOING TO POST A HOT TAKE NOW!!! i think the sibs were actually perfectly capable of inheriting the company. and i think a lot of you guys give logan’s shitty rhetoric with regard to his children being unqualified, like, way more credit than it deserves.

“roman is a moron” “there is something wrong with roman” well, actually, no and no. if asgarov and matsson taught us anything it’s that roman is actually quite politically capable. also, he’s great at delegating and managing people (see jamie laird and even gerri). the second criticism also is literally just very thinly veiled homophobia, it’s genuine nonsense. it’s a reason for logan not to choose roman, not a reason why roman isn’t capable.

“kendall isn’t made for the world” or any variation of “kendall wouldn’t be good at the CEO job” is once again patently false. whenever kendall is tasked with managing waystar it is usually to great success. his alliance with stewy in lifeboats. living+. vaulter when he acquired it and when he gutted it. his friendship with naomi pierce which watered the ground for both PGN deals. there is little evidence that kendall would be fine if not great at CEO, and the fact that he’s “not a killer” is arguably a benefit and not a loss.

even something like “shiv being a woman is a minus” is just a complete lie. it is not a minus for a rich and palatable white woman to run a company like waystar. logan says this to her and then promptly spends the rest of the season begging her desperately to lend her estrogen to his cause, because PGN want a woman CEO, or because waystar is entrenched in a sexual abuse scandal! there is a solid patch of the show where roman and kendall’s favorite shot at shiv is to say that she’s only being considered because of her gender! after season 1 there is almost unanimous agreement that her womanhood is actually a plus.

it baffles me that some people take these criticisms for granted when logan is the father in the Watch These Kids Get Abused By Their Father! show. almost every “reason” he names for why his children can’t lead the company is just a tactic to belittle and hurt them. it is so fucking hurtful to label roman a freak because of his sexual preferences, just like it’s hurtful to say that kendall is incapable after he’s spent his whole life training to be capable, or to reduce siobhan to her sex. “well, the siblings are all incompetent, it never could have been them—” bullshit! the only person who told us that is the person who was determined to keep it from the second they started to want it!

[inonetoomanyfandoms]

Our skyy 2 overall mini ratings

This is just me giving my unneeded opinions. This is all relatively at face value btw.

NLMG: 7/10

Would never expect anything else from the doomed delusional lovers. I honestly really loved Palm in particular in this. Would’ve loved more context for background characters (aka why the fuck is Marc there) but I liked watching them work together a helping others again. Otherwise was good.

SIMM: 4/10

They dragged it too much for my liking. Cute but highly annoying by the time we reached like the end of ep 1. Would’ve been better with just one ep or if they also did sky in your heart. It would’ve been nice to see Prince and Fah again. Also robbed of Sean and Maitee

The Eclipse: 6/10

I think khaofirst’s chemistry saved this. I loved seeing them all together but AkkAyan’s emotional constipation is showing and isn’t solving idk. I also would like to know why they uncomfortably suggested a relationship between Wat and Teacher Sani. Like I know they’re out of school but still. Neo is still gorgeous as ever and Thua still gets on my nerves.

Vice Versa: 7/10

I think the main reason I liked this a lot was cause the lack of product placement. I thought it was actually super cute and I loved Puen and Talay taking care of a child together. I don’t think that would be legal though but yknow. Also I’d love to understand the thought process of giving your nephew to your friends to solve their marriage problems. But apart from that honestly I actually enjoyed it.

MSP: 8/10

I’m too biased to make a legitimate opinion on this so I’ll save my breath. I thought it was a great a idea to swap and I really think they delivered tbh. I just think though that the original series nailed the casting cause as much as I love fourth playing Tinn he just couldn’t nail it like Gemini. This applies the other way around although I do think Gemini did a slightly better job at playing Gun. Literally only problem I have was that it was little awkward.

That and that fucking bullfrog song getting stuck in my head at worst possible times.

ABAAB: 7/10

I understand the timing of it airing but that was cruel to put it in between MSP and BB like cmon. Because a boss and a babe is great and actually the our skyy was pretty damn good considering everything. Gun needs to chill though this man. Also I don’t think I’ll ever get over how cute Zo is. Like if I was Thi I would also treat him the same way he’s so cute. But it really did feel like a nice little special (two) episode, it was nice.

Bad Buddy and ATOTS: 8/10

I am also too biased here to give a stable opinion. This fed all my dreams and more. I loved the parallels both to themselves and also across shows. I understand how phupha and tian are a lot more emotionally constipated than patpran my gosh. But honestly I really loved it despite its rush. They did however spend way too long lost. Like they could’ve fit a bit more character development in those times but I guess you gotta make up the budget so.

Overall thoughts:

giving many 7/10 but honestly most of these were just simply good. Not mind boggling great but I wasn’t disappointed.

Obviously pretty much all of these were rushed and half baked in some sort of way but that was expected considering it’s only two episodes and they’re trying to cater to headcanons and fan service at the end of the day. The callbacks and domesticity of the shows is pretty evident of that.

Overall it was fine to be honest. It was relatively true the way the characters are and it gave us just that extra bit people would like. I can’t complain about being given exactly what I was expecting.

I can’t wait to see all of the actors again!!!

(especially baby Ohm I love him so much)

[captainshadowgirllostfan]

Look no offense to the Jean fans and who say Jean can beat Wanda. Maybe she can, but if there’s anyone I prefer to be the strongest, it’s Wanda.

Wanna know why?

Wanda’s weakness is the people she loves.

It’s not herself. Not really. She does have a moment where she is afraid of her powers but she conquers it. And the strength of Wanda’s powers, and I admit I’m basing what I see in the movies but even what I’ve read of her, seems to lie in the people she love.

When she loses people, her grief strengthens her.

She’s a lot like Magneto in that way which is why I refuse to accept the retcon of her NOT being Magneto’s daughter because it’s this aspect that makes Wanda compelling and tragic. If you want an all-powerful character, you want one whose weakness AND strength lies in the heart.

But Jean?

I’m basing this ALL in the movies but it baffles me how this girl can turn against the people she loved even the ones who’ve raised her since a child.

I get Charles lied to her and she’s confused. Perhaps she believes Charles manipulated and used her. Most likely yes. But to cruelly treat Charles the way she does in Dark Phoenix by forcing him to walk what with his legs not being able to have any feeling letting his entire weight break his bones because of the lack of muscle and nerve movement, the lack of connection he has from his brain to his legs. And then breaking his wheelchair.

Okay I get it, she was twisted by the evil alien but that evil alien comes after. It wasn’t like someone was slowly turning her against the Professor who is probably the closest thing to a dad she has.

Just mind-boggling to me the personality change.

A timid girl who goes from being scared to kill and hurt people to killing and hurting people like nothing in a span of minutes all because she absorbed a cosmic entity that broke the walls the Professor put up in order to protect her from her own trauma...

She goes on saying she doesn’t want to hurt people and she’s scared to... and then she does it. And then she questions why people are afraid of her?

I just don’t understand Jean Grey and maybe that’s why I find it hard in me to sympathize or even LIKE her. I really don’t. She’s a boring character to me, whose badly written... at least in the movies. The only thing that seems to stand out for me is that she’s a pretty redhead who Scott has the hots for (and in the original X-Men movies, Logan has the hots for though tbh I didn’t mind her in X-Men 1 and 2. I thought her character growth was great there until X-Men 3 came around) and everyone is scared of her.

I like X-Men Evolution Jean Grey best tbh. She was my favourite character. 

[janethepegasus]

Random Riddle Headcanon

I think he would be a fan of My Little Pony, he would just like the show though, he’s not gonna dedicate his life and allowance to buying the toys. 

MC/Yuu would introduce him to the show all because he’s in the Equestrian Club, surely he would like a show that stars little horses, right? He sits through the Season 1 two-parter and is like “...Okay maybe one more episode” and soon he watched through the entirety of Season 1 and has been hooked ever since.

His favorite seasons are 1-4.

He likes the fact the show teaches lessons about friendship, it’s sort of educational in a way, which he appreciates.

Favorite Mane 6? Twilight Sparkle. He relates to her in some ways, though he doesn’t like the fact Twilight slowly turned into a friendship preaching saint as the seasons go on.

There are moments in the show he’s...VERY vocal about, and not in a good way. 

First being the whole Alicorn Twilight situation; he was confused at first but assumed she would get her own kingdom just like Cadence did in Season 3. He was VERY disappointed and confused when all she got in Season 4 was a castle, not even ruling Ponyville as her kingdom. Then in Season 9 when Celestia and Luna were retiring and decide to lend their leadership to Twilight, Riddle outright screamed, “THEN WHAT WAS THE FUCKING POINT OF GIVING HER A CASTLE?!”

Then there’s Starlight...oooooh how he HATES how Starlight is treated in the show. Firstly, he HIGHLY disagrees with how The Cutie Map ended, saying that Twilight and her friends should’ve talked to her and make her change her ways instead of chasing her out of town, speaking of that town, he has SOOOO many questions on how Starlight did it; was it an abandoned town before Starlight took over? Where did she get these ponies? Did she kidnap them and their friends and family have no idea where they are? etc. Then comes The Cutie Remark...oh his face was as red as blood in the final act. After he heard Starlight’s backstory (basically her friend got a cutie mark and went away, that’s why she hates cutie marks), he paused the episode and went on a whole rant about it. He went on an even LONGER rant when Starlight got no punishment for anything she done and just becomes part of the main cast

(try to imagine Riddle screaming on the top of his lungs about how Starlight should’ve been punished for her crimes against Equestria and possibly ban her from using magic ever again while Friends Are Always There For You plays in the background)

Even the whole thing with Stygian/Pony of Shadows made Riddle upset, saying he should’ve been locked away in limbo regardless if it means the Elements of Harmony are destroyed in the process.

The whole School of Friendship thing confuses the hell out of him. Like...do they JUST learn about friendship? Do they have lessons in magic or other curriculums? Would any graduates go anywhere in their lives due to their school going against the rules of forming a school? Does Twilight have any plans to allow other transfer students aside from those five kids? His mind is just...boggled.

But aside from those things, he genuinely loves the show. ...Don’t introduce him to G5 or Pony Life, he’ll either be confused as hell or frustrated by everything.

[epickiya722]

LIKE VILLAINS? THE HEROES? DOES IT MATTER?!

So I was thinking back to an ask I got a while back and before I go into what I'm about to go into... Anon, if you read this, I hope you're doing okay! I sincerely hope you do!

Now, to my thoughts! Warning, long post and honestly it's just me ranting. It's not like some meta post or whatever. Just me talking, feel free to skip.

Okay, so thinking about this ask I came to realize just how much a lot of this fandom looks to others without realizing that like the BNHA characters and the plot, fans are just as complex.

Now, I don't mind the villains, some I like just a little more than others (Kurogiri will always be my favorite). Again, I need people to understand just because someone is a fan of a villain character or a jerkish character doesn't mean that they condone their actions.

That person may find that character compelling and what's to study them under a microscope. Shoot, might find them physically attractive. To me, if someone likes a character, they like them. They don't have to tell me their reasons unless they want to. At the end of the day, it's just entertainment and it should be treated as such.

New challenge, let people like the characters they like without giving you a reason. You're not their parent, their teacher, or whatever.

On that note, villain fans, just because someone prefers hero characters more doesn't mean they lack sympathy for the villains, or they're pro-police (honestly that is just fucking stupid, there are actual cops in the series), or they want the villains to die, whatever the reason.

They can like the hero characters for the same reasons as you. They find that character compelling, attractive, etc. It does not mean right off they like hero characters because they're "holier than thou" or "righteous".

It really does kill me that "You like the villains? Oh you must condone murder" or "You like the heroes? You must lack sympathy" are actually statements people go by because everything got to this or that, black or white. Why can't it just be... just because? Just leave it at that? Why can't just be an open space of many, many interpretations and not just "this is the only right one, and this is wrong"?

I understood where that Anon was coming from because it happened to me. Believe it or not, at one point I did wonder what Shigaraki's fate would be, but now I could care less or just not as much as I used to. I don't hate him or don't see him as a victim. I still do like his character. I still hate Tomura's dad with a passion like you wouldn't believe. (Seriously, what's up with all these crap dads??) No child should be neglected or abused. However, I stopped caring for his fate for the simple fact that some (NOT ALL) of their fans don't have a chill button.

I have mutuals that like him and are cool people, so it boggles my mind when I got messages about how Miruko "deserved what she got" and "she attacked him first".

*inhales* I need people to stop *exhales* with the harassment. And understand the story.

I really think some of you can't grasp this one detail that all these characters share... THEY DON'T KNOW EACH OTHER'S BACKSTORIES.

I said it once and I'll say it again. It is time for me to get into my Miruko Fangirl state, she is my favorite so yeah I can get defensive.

Miruko is a Pro Hero who is just doing her damn job. She was not there when Shigaraki's family mistreated him, she wasn't let it on his trauma. Miruko was a CHILD herself when Shigaraki was abandoned on the streets. So guess what?! She is a hero who just sees a villain who is on a destructive path and she's just trying to stop him. No one pulled her aside and said "Hey, Miruko, go easy on him. He's had a hard life. His father was a total ass to him and..."

On the reverse, Shigaraki attacking Miruko? He's a villain, she's a hero. It's going to happen! Shoot, he's fighting everybody!

One thing about this series is that everyone's hands are rated E for EVERYONE, gender and age be damned.

Truth be told, the most I want is Miruko getting her well-deserved vacation and acknowledgement. (And her to be on the popularity poll, but that may be asking for too much.)

With that said, if I get one more message about how "she deserves it" because some of you can't seem to grasp that in-universe these characters are viewing others differently, I swear I will lose it. Fucking stop.

An issue for me is, as someone who likes both hero and villain characters, I find it a little harder to find others who like the villains and actually act decent. Like what if that person realizes I like hero characters and decides to bitch at me about it? Same thing for people with hero blogs. What if they realize I like the villains and again bitch at me about it?

For crying out loud, why do people have to choose sides and have reasons?

I'll say this right now. People who go into people's inboxes with "this character should die, ha ha" are idiots to me and are bored with themselves. You get little respect from me because you did not care for that person's well being at all. Why even care if that person likes a hero or a villain?!

[theangryjikooker]

Do you think if Taekook know the hate Jimin gets from Taekookers but still continue to show Taekook in a fanservice-y manner then it means Taekook are not good people as they would rather hurt their friend than lose their popularity or whatever they gain by doing fanservice?I try to understand Taekook's stance on this and always find no reason to excuse their "ignorance".

Especially when JK said he monitors everything.And Tae is Jimin's "soulmate".

This is the kind of narrative that truly boggles my mind.

The relationships between all seven, and any of the configurations between them, are not fan service. Do they act up and lean into playfulness at times? Sure, but we all do it. We all do it. If you have friends at all, you are as equally guilty as BTS are in the way they treat each other.

If you and a close friend were idols–if you and your friend were a blank slate for millions of strangers–a fraction of those people are going to ship you.

Projecting is as natural and subconscious to us as breathing. But the severity of those projections are subjective.

It's not their responsibility to fix the ugliness and crude obsessions of other people (arguably not real fans). Doing so would just generate even more negative fervor but of a different kind, so it's a lose-lose situation. It doesn't take a genius to see how delusional shippers move and what their reactions are going to be. Do you honestly believe it would stop if Taekook ceased to act like anything? I would bet all my investments that if Taekook were to tell "fans" to quit their weird shit or if they were to stop acting like the close friends they are, said "fans" would merely double down and blame it all on Jimin. He's unfortunately going to continue to receive it for as long as any of them are alive, and for as long as those "fans" have a vested interest in how Taekook plays out. (Some of them are going to continue shipping them long after if any of them marries, I'd bet my life on it. This goes for shippers of other ships as well.)

I don't say "delusional shippers" lightly. I'm saying there's something mentally unsound with anyone who engages in this kind of fanatical obsession. Their behavior is completely irrational, and there's no fixing it or making it better without getting to the root cause, which has more to do with themselves than anything else.

And frankly, once again, shippers are the minority in this fandom. Sure, Tkkrs overwhelm the rest of other shippers in the community, but they're a drop in the ocean within the fandom at large. From a business perspective, the negative aspects are an unfortunate part of the experience, but I imagine that if the toxic fans escalate to threatening serious, physical harm, it'll be addressed appropriately.

I've said this before, and I still stand by it: the feminization of Jimin in this fandom is a huge problem. He often gets treated like women too often are in society, and the hate directed at his individual person is more of a byproduct of the overall perception of him and how he represents a kind of "competition." If anyone were to go into this group blindly with no context of the relationships or personalities, Jimin is objectively talented and pretty (with regards to beauty, to what end is inconclusive because as we all know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but he does have pretty features even if he may not necessarily be your brand of pretty). You don't have to dive deeply into it or even be a personal fan of his to think so. And even describing him as "pretty" can cause an uproar in those antis, but the fact of the matter is that Jimin can be as pretty as he is handsome. He's quite androgynous, and I do think that characteristic subconsciously gets under people's skin when coupled with the fact that he does get doted on by the other members, who are all debatably more masculine in appearance. Remember that the BTS fandom is dominated by females and the idea behind idols is to present a fantasy, often in the form of self-inserts (and sometimes inserting themselves into the position of a favored member, for instance). To some of these people, Jimin dismantles that fantasy.

If you ever pay attention to what antis say about Jimin (or any of the other members), a lot of what they're saying has no real foundation. If it doesn't stem from insecurity (which most of them are), then the antis are just trolling and saying things because they know what to say that'll get them a reaction. Supporters of the members will always stand up for their favored member, but each type of supporter has unique pressure points. I'm not going to specify what those are, but it's actually quite easy to tell. My point being, if you have an intense bias towards any one member, you're automatically a target.

All of this said, the ships themselves tend to be the catalyst for the hate some members receive (more than others, anyway), but it is nonsensical to think that the boys themselves have any control over how a niche portion of the fandom behaves. I mean, Taehyung has already implied (more or less) that he isn't all that enthused with being shipped*, but do you think toxic shippers care what he thinks to this day? No.

* It's my personal opinion that Taehyung doesn't like being shipped with any of his members. It's one thing to be perceived as having close relationships with his members, but that changes with romantic connotations.

[unofficialadamtaurus]

Personally i hate the whole like.. question about adam u got like.. U KNOW.. that one. The “white saviour” one. Because rwby’s faunus stuff is NOT comparable to IRL issues. Coming from a native person. It’s not a good place to speak on.

Especially if you’re white. Anything you say about it will look fucked because you’re trying to use the comparison. The white fang stuff? It is Fictional. When you say it’s like a real thing it feels like the actual non-fiction stuff gets dulled down in reality.

They hit some points, personally, with the faunus stuff. I understand how it is, but the story is still really messy around there by default. But it’s not IRL issues.

Adam is a faunus, yes, he has power in the white fang, yes. That’s base thing. But you cannot compare it to IRL issues because that’s fucked within itself. IT’S STICKY.

I see people use it as a joke, I have never seen someone call him that legitimately. This whole thing just hurts my brain. He is not comparable.

I hope this is understandable enough. I don’t like getting into RWDE stuff and I don’t like debating the faunus allegory, because it’s a mess in certain spots.

Like. Obviously. Look at me.

I think people just need to stop comparing it to IRL issues because it’s harmful. It’s a completely different area. What.

-⭐️

I have seen the white savior take in the wild, but it was months ago and I blocked the person who said it immediately so there's zero chance I can dig it up. This is not a case of rwde posters making up a bad take to clown on it, much as I wish it were.

I'm going to disagree with most of what you said in your ask, but the tl;dr of my position is this: tackle serious topics, expect serious critique.

I don't want to discount your experience as a native person since I am whiter than milk. However, I think the stance that nobody can analyze a work of fiction through the lens of real events is a bad one that flattens the landscape of discussion regardless of the race or ethnicity of the author/critic.

Speaking as a white person who grew up in the United States and is critiquing the work of other white people who grew up in the United States, I think it's fair for me to point out where I personally believe RWBY's portrayal lacks nuance so long as I do not seek to drown out POC voices in the process.

My biggest point of contention with your ask is the idea that because RWBY is fictional, it cannot be compared to reality. To be honest, that stance is somewhat mind-boggling to me. When you say RWBY's racism isn't comparable to racism in reality...why not? Purely because it's fictional? I need a more compelling reason to understand why you're stating this like it's inarguable. Furthermore...what else are we supposed to compare it to? Nothing? Should we treat any instances of fictional works presenting experiences also found in reality as untouchable? Or should all fictional works only be compared to other fictional works? I personally believe the answers to these questions should all be a firm no.

Reality is, whether I like it or not, where we live. It informs our experiences and particularly the art we create. This includes web cartoons founded on the Rule of Cool that decide to add racism to their world building.

To explain my side in more depth, commentary on how RWBY portrays racism is inherently comparing it to reality because that is the single source of truth we have for how racism presents itself outside of fiction. (Outside of comparisons to other fictional media.)

Have I personally experienced racism? Of course not. Can I usually recognize when someone or something is racist? I sure fucking hope so. In this case, I can look at RWBY's portrayal and explain why I believe that, compared to what I have seen of racism in the real world and based on other opinions from fans and critics of color, it falls flat.

Basically, I don't critique RWBY as though it is trying to do a 1:1 retelling of racism in reality. I critique it as though it is a show written by white American men that tried to translate aspects of real-world racism into a cartoon and did not do so in a way I find satisfactory. Tackle serious topics, expect serious critique.

With all that out of the way, I do agree with the idea that discussing serious real-world topics like racism through the lens of fictional media can be problematic. We all saw that disgusting Ironwood = Putin post and I personally cringed my way through some Marvel fans trying to reconcile the events of January 6 with their favorite spandex-clad superheroes. That shit is bad; it displays, on some level, an inability to engage with reality on its own terms.

That is, however, not what we're doing here. In the simplest possible terms: RWBY translated racism to a fictional medium. Critics critiqued that translation. This is very, very normal. I don't know how else to say that your discomfort with this behavior in rwde indicates a discomfort with how a significant body of academic work engages with fictional media.

[glorytoukraine2022]

I love all your comments here, @th3p0rtalmaker! And I agree. Watching Rapunzel throughout the series and is very frustrating. Especially when it comes to this conflict. Like you, I never got the impression that Rapunzel actually cared about Varian.

She never treated him as “one of her friends” until season 3. The saying “actions speak louder than words” perfectly describe Rapunzel regarding her conflict with Varian. Like you, I’m not convinced that Rapunzel looked for Varian after the storm just because she asked him where he was in “The Alchemist Returns.” Rapunzel knew that he lived in Old Corona, so naturally would have gone there. And even if she didn’t know where Varian was, she would have found out about the destruction of Old Corona and seen Quirin in the amber. But she didn’t know about any of that until Varian sent her a letter asking for help, so there is no reason to believe that she actively looked for Varian.

Rapunzel failed. As a princess, an adult, and as a decent human being. And I find it mind boggling that Rapunzel fans feel the need to grasp at straws just to excuse her actions (or lack thereof). Rapunzel’s trauma is an understandable reason for her failings and mistakes, but they aren’t an excuse. There is nothing wrong with your favorite character doing things that are morally wrong, as long as the narrative (and other characters) call them out.

The fact that the narrative did not call Rapunzel out on her mistakes throughout the series is the ultimate failure of the show. And I think that it is also the reason why Rapunzel fans feel a need to excuse her. The show depicts Rapunzel as this perfect, sunshine princess who can do no wrong. As a strong ruler that loves her friends and people and would do anything to protect them. But her actions throughout the show contradict this depiction of her.

Rapunzel isn’t compassionate to her friends, and even treats Varian as “lesser” compared to her other friends, as I mentioned previously. The show wants us to see her as this unfettered savior like figure for Cassandra in season 3. As somebody who never gives up on her friends and sees the good in everyone…yet we see her give up on Varian the moment he steals the sundrop flower. Yet, simply because the show depicts her as “the good guy” and in the right, we, the audience should take it at face value. For Rapunzel fans, it’s even easier to accept this narrative because a lot of her fans’ love stems from the original movie. They want to believe that Rapunzel is kind and compassionate as the show insists, because those are the traits that they associate with Rapunzel.

Movie!Rapunzel would never abandon her friends like how she abandoned Varian in the show. So it’s easier for them to believe that she is not in the wrong. But at the end of the day, it is more important to stay true to our moral values than to make excuses for fictional characters. As awful is it is to think about, TTS!Rapunzel was written by an ultra right winger. By one of the very same people who want to throw the United States of America into an autocracy.

By supporting the awful things that Rapunzel does throughout the series, you are supporting the warped mindset of the far right. So please, stop excusing Rapunzel. Instead, try your best to separate your love for movie!Rapunzel from her depiction in the series and condemn the way that TTS!Rapunzel behaves and mistreats people in the show. There is nothing wrong with loving Rapunzel, but there is something wrong with supporting her immoral behavior throughout the series.

My apologies if I got off track😅

varian during qfad: help me please, my dad is dying, you're the only one that can help! *gets kicked out of the castle*

rapunzel: oh my god oh my god oh my god i just turned my back on a desperate friend in need...

rapunzel like one episode later:

[yandere-daze]

This isn’t even about idol games but real idols and since BP (kpop group, I don’t wanna spell their name but I’m talking about the group, not the Enstars BP) came back I’ve been seeing them on my time line a lot

I listened to kpop a lot when I was younger but as I got older I listened to it less and less, and part of it was about the fan culture, and some people say you shouldn’t let fans color how you treat the genre, but they do make it hard to stick with it. I only listen to it now when it happens to come on around me, but I never follow idols anymore.

And part of the really terrible, unbelievably frustrating thing that pushed me out of kpop is what I’m seeing right now, because there’s a member in BP who’s infamous for cultural appropriation. Her use of AAVE and braids in particular are point for contention but some fans go so far to defend this, not just for BP but for idols in general.

Legitimately, have you ever seen someone say that braids aren’t pieces of black culture? Have you ever seen someone say that? Because I’ve seen it. Sure the standard three-strand braid and fishtail braids aren’t specific to black culture, but the braids that sensible fans point out as problematic ARE. It’s not just braids in general that are the problem, but specific styles of braiding. They’re hugely symbolic in the history of black America, yet, in this example, this very same person, in the same breath, even said that cultural appropriation isn’t even real. It’s just something made up in the US.

To defend a kpop idol, someone said cultural appropriation isn’t real.

And it’s just so mind boggling to see this delusion all over again that I’m reminded of why I’ll only listen in passing, but I’ll never step back into kpop.

Hm, I feel like I´m not the right person to say anything about this either way because I´m white but I do definitely understand the frustration and especially the comment that "cultural appropriation isn´t real" is infuriating and it´s just maddening what lengths some of these stans would go to to defend their faves until the end. It´s a worrying trend that just keeps getting worse.

It feels like no matter what their idol might have done, they´ll still stick around and defend them while attacking the ones that point out the problematic elements. It´s like they see concerns regarding their idols as some sort of personal attack against them and immediately jump to attack right back.

Not to veer off the original topic too much but just look at the situation with dre*m. There have been so many bad situations with him and yet the fanbase still jumps to defend him and "forgive him" ( when it´s not even their place to do so? Like why are you the ones forgiving him when you aren´t the affected audience?) and instead start verbally abusing anyone that comes out about shit that Dre*m has said or done. It´s actually terrifying to think about!

I really don´t blame you for wanting to stay away from the kpop community when many stans are like...that. It´s one of the reasons why I haven´t dared to go there either