#parasocial bond SEVERED

[storybookstr4nge]

i am seeing all of the criticism of watchertv (and agreeing of course - it's entirely tone deaf and un-conducive among other things) but i feel as though the attitude i am seeing from a lot of people online involve absolving shane entirely, saying things like, "shane blink twice if they made you do this!" "shane "eat the rich" would never allow this!" "he was forced into this!" and redirecting all of the blame unto ryan and steven - mostly steven - saying that steven is the "ned fulmer of watcher" (wild thing to say) and delegating the responsibility of this decision entirely onto the two of them, and i cannot help but feel like there is an undeniable racial undertone to this rather vitrolic pivot. i understand being a fan of shane - i myself was a proud shaniac! - but i plead that we be conscious about woobifying an adult man who - though could have very well opposed the decision - was still one of the three ceos who okayed it! nothing is gained from scapegoating the two asian men and relinquishing the white one for the hate that this business venture is garnering. please, by all means, continue to criticize, but if you are, do it tastefully, and be careful with insinuations - especially without knowing the intricacies of the situation (and even if/when we do know something. criticism should never come from veiled bigotry) ! just because the property itself is shifting rather horribly doesn't mean we as watcherinas need to turn our community toxic <33

[yrwestillhere]

aw yes were finally getting a proper pod episode this week

[autisticshadowthehedgehog]

OK Guys. I get the skepticism esp after the Knuckles disaster, but we also need to keep in mind "this is a trailer that won't spoil literally everything about the movie." ESPECIALLY in regards to GUN. They're not gonna put in the trailer "the military shot a little girl and that's why Shadow is mad so Sonic is going to never work with them ever." That's a great way to get parents to bring their kids to the theater, especially in America. (/s)

It's WAY more effective as a plot twist halfway through, where Sonic thinks that he's finally being accepted onto Earth via working with the government only to find out that they're exploiting him and Shadow the same. I can't guarantee this is gonna happen obviously but it's like a 90% chance just knowing how, like. writing works.

Esp considering the government has not had a good track record in the last two movies, I dunno if they'd do a heel-face turn into "actually they were always right" in the movie where a little girl needs to get shot by the government.

And I'm not gonna say "trust and form a parasocial relationship with a film director" but we should keep in mind that Jeff Fowler got his start working on Shadow's title game and has stated in interviews that he understands how important Shadow's backstory is to his character. Not to mention how the internet has been exploding the last two years with enthusiasm over this story actually getting shown onscreen, enough that a studio would fucking notice at the very least that this is what the people want. I can't guarantee they'll actually listen, but saying that they're absolutely not because "Sonic was in a GUN helicopter in the trailer" is insane. Especially with the fact that GUN is not with Sonic when he goes to Eggman. We just see Team Sonic alone meeting with Stone, and I will bet you it's because there's no way in hell GUN would let them near him, what with the Robotnik connections to the ARK.

Also the Gerald thing is rather worrying, esp with the lack of shit they gave Pachacamac in the miniseries, but honestly I think that was just a marketing push of "Jim Carrey will be playing TWO characters!!!" Considering he's only seen in one trailer scene AT the ARK (where all of Gerald's technology was and, more importantly, where the Eclipse cannon he needs someone to set off is) AND we know from movie 2's credits scene that there was a fifty-year timeskip, I severely doubt that's the real Gerald who's just completely unaffected by his granddaughter being murdered.

And ofc there's things to be concerned about in the trailer. The lack of Rouge for instance– I obviously keep posting my theory that Krysten Ritter's character will be her undercover but the fact we don't know how much time she'd actually have with Shadow, if at ALL, is worrying. The fact that Rouge might not be here period. The weird pacing of the Knuckles show and the fear that could bleed over into the movie. But there's also stuff to get excited about– the epic fight scene choreography, the brief glimpse we got of Maria and Shadow's bond. Reeves's voice actually fits Shadow and at least from what the trailer showed us it looks like the Green Hills storyline is taking a backseat to the action and mystery of Project Shadow.

tl;dr guys calm down for like five minutes. if the movie sucks in december we can riot then. right now let's just band together against mufasa

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

might be an unrelated ask with how things are going on right now, but the only way i ever see traitor ace theory coming into fruition is if he destroys yuu's way back home because of how his feelings will boil over (since he thinks being vulnerable is uncool). i've always tried to convince myself that his silly tsundere moments are yume bait, though i really can't deny the fact that yuu is literally everything that his ex-girlfriend is not. they've watched a horror movie together from idia's lab sr (and sending grim all alone to get snacks???) in playful stage, they ride a roller coaster, and if you tell him you like it, he suggests going again again (just the two of them without grim???) bro is not slick with how attached he is to mc.

I have my own thoughts on Ace traitor theory (which you can read here)! To summarize, I don’t believe in it. If Ace betrays us at all, I think it will be in a trivial capacity (like he does something stupid that the rest of the group disagrees with, like taunting Malleus to attack him) and without malicious intent.

He may think being vulnerable is uncool, but I don’t think he’d take an action as drastic as destroying Yuu’s route home no matter how emotional he got. (That feels more like the stuff I see in angst and/or yandere fan works.) Ace gets mad and acts out, yes—but it tends to be in situations where he feels like being has been wronged, not to hinder the people he cares about. His character and his actions the entire story have done nothing but demonstrate that he values his friends and will be there for them until the bitter end, even if he whines about it the entire time.

And well 💦 when it comes to “is this platonic or romantic”, I always default to “it’s up to individual interpretation”. TWST will never give a “canon” ship for Yuu because that would impede the self-insert mass appeal design of the blank slate character. Not everyone wants to perceive X (in this case, Ace) as a love interest. Not everyone wants to perceive X (again, Ace in this case) as a friend. Therefore, there’s always going to baity lines to feed the yume crowd (Michard voice: give me your ur wallets) but lines are also kept plausibly deniable (framed as “jokes”/nor serious) or ambiguous enough to be interpreted either way.

In Ace’s Suitor Suit vignettes, he says this about his ex: “She said the thrill rides were too scary for her […] She vetoed all the action and horror flicks. Hanging out was just plain boring, so I stopped contacting her as time went on.” And indeed, Ace engages in the activities his ex refused with Yuu. They’re watching a horror movie together in Idia’s Labwear vignettes, as well as riding roller coasters and other thrill rides in Stage in Playful Land. Yes, you can interpret these as romantic since they sent Grim off by himself to get popcorn and want to ride again by themselves.

However, that’s not the only possible interpretation, and nor should it be. It could just as easily be argued that Ace and Yuu were just hanging out as friends in a ���kicking back with your bros” kind of way (regardless of whatever gender Yuu identifies as). Watching horror movies and going on exciting rides are normal things that friends could do together. There is nothing inherently romantic about those acts by themselves. It could also be said that Ace is lazy and constantly trying to get out of work, so of course he’d pass off the job of getting more snacks onto someone else. The ride thing is innocuous too—maybe the others just aren’t feeling another round, while Ace and Yuu are still on that adrenaline high and want another hit of it. And again, it’s probably framed as wanting to do activities with Yuu specifically to help foster that parasocial relationship and create a sense of bonding with the player.

Of course Ace is attached to us and likes to hang out. We’re his friend, and that much has been established since the prologue. We are naturally a lot closer with him by default compared to several of the other guys (with maybe a few exceptions, like Deuce). Whether you see Ace and Yuu’s relationship as anything more than that is up to the individual!

That being said, I’d rather not talk in terms that imply one ship is “better”, “absolute”, or “more supported by canon” than others 😅 Not just for Ace x Yuu, but any ship, really. It unintentionally frames the discussion like a competition and leaves some people out of the talk if they don’t vibe with it or have different preferences, y’know?

[pseudophan]

different anon but similar feels, also also how do those stuck up people think dnp got where they are? Like do you have any idea how many phuckin millions they've made out of us being unhinged and cringy like I don't go to their fuckin house but I damn well bought the t shirt and read the rpf and drew the whiskers and watched them get more and more famous and like make ALOT of money and attention off us. And that's ok! It happened! We've all come out the other side, literally in most cases

yeah no people reallllly don't like to admit that the shipping and unhinged phandom behaviour played a major part in getting dan and phil to where they are today. it seems like there's this idea that if shipping had anything to do with it that means their content and dnp as people didn't which is just? stupid? several things can be true at the same time. dan and phil make good and engaging content that people love AND all the shipping gave them a boost and helped with people sticking around for as long as a lot of us have. it's not even that the shipping itself is the main contributor (though it is a big part) but everyone snooping into their personal lives desperate for "phan proof" by default strengthened the parasocial bond we have with them and it's that parasocial behaviour that really keeps people around. and dan and phil are so extremely aware of this, they always have been. they are willing to play into their audience's insanity because it's hugely beneficial to their careers. that isn't to say that's the only reason, they're very good at telling us to fuck off if we do cross a line, plus it's evident they find it amusing, but you're incredibly naive if you think dan and phil aren't aware of how much they're benefitting from our fujoshi tendencies lmao. and that's fine! it's good even. it's very much a win/win situation. we get to be unhinged within reason and they get to profit off that within reason

the 'within reason' part is also important though. a lot of creators have tried to mimic that success but they often go too far, they play into it too much and try to capitalise off every single aspect of their relationship and make the audience a little too involved. and then they break up, naturally. dan and phil work cause they put their relationship first and preserve their privacy, while still letting us in Just enough to make us stick around. which again isn't saying no one would stick around without the shipping that would be absurd, but the casual viewer to unhinged stan account ratio would be very different lol

all these things also apply to the fact that they're two conventionally attractive men. definitely not the sole reason they're popular, but it is a contributing factor, and it's kinda silly to pretend otherwise. especially with the amount of thirsting i have to endure on a daily basis good fucking lord you people are annoying. carry on though i suppose, live your truth, i'll live. maybe.

[kitasgloves]

Paparazzi

tracklist

— ♬ "I'm your biggest fan, I'll follow you until you love me"

— ♬ Verlaine Paul x celebrity! Reader, SFW, gender-neutral reader, depictions of stalking, obsessive behavior, and murder, a brief mention of parasocial relationships, Verlaine having anger issues, major character death, 3.3k words, no beta

— ♬ NOTE: I DO NOT CONDONE NOR ROMANTISIZE WHAT IS DEPICTED IN THIS STORY. EVERYTHING IS A WORK OF FICTION. READER'S DESCRETION IS ADVISED.

Verlaine Paul felt different. The fact that he isn't human is one factor, but he thinks he cannot truly connect with others. Although, there are instances that he does succeed in having a connection, it's easily severed in the end. He agrees that humans are complex and require effort to understand but the complexity of humanity makes them appear appealing. Is it acceptable for someone non-human like himself to be interested in a human?

As the King of Assassins, forming bonds with humans isn't essential. It's an inconvenience. It was recommended for him to go alone, and that's what he has always been. Despite being man-made, Verlaine experienced emotions greatly. Even if it didn't display on his features, Verlaine tend to feel deeply. But it's often negative emotions. He felt an array of things from rage to despair.

Verlaine has long accepted that he was created to kill. He must have no room for mercy, empathy, or guilt. How can you kill when you hesitate? How can you carry on if you feel remorse? The assassin had trained himself not to care about his targets' lives. Whether they're privileged or unfortunate, man or woman, bad or good, they must not survive him. He must not create errors.

All of Verlaine's targets never left an impression on him, every face of his victims seemed to blend in together in one blurred and dull memory. However, upon laying eyes on that singular photograph of you, his chest stirred. He blinked and absorbed your features into memory. The length of your lashes, your healthy complexion, your tinted lips, and your dazzling smile. Without a doubt, you were a celebrity, from your face, he could tell you were birthed for fame.

You were a unique target. You were no government official, a politician, or an important figure of the country. And yet, your face was plastered everywhere, from televisions, posters, magazines, and tabloids. It was difficult to mistake you. Verlaine has looked into your background. You were born into a family of musicians, actresses, and models. It was natural for you to become famous. From a young age, the media had their coverage of you. And you always give what they want. An act, a song, or a pose, you gave them everything you could offer. Verlaine's nose scrunched.

Someone wanted you dead for your connection with a family member who happened to be a former actor turned politician. Verlaine found it initially petty but didn't complain. It would be effortless to kill you, he's convinced. He imagined the media going mental about your death and it makes him chuckle. Getting close for the kill would be a hassle considering you're constantly surrounded by cameras, Verlaine thinks that he needs to get closer. He planned to pretend to be a fan of yours, he'll probably try to flatter you enough to get you to be alone with him. Everything will be over with; it has always been that way.

A horde of people surrounded you when you stepped out of your luxurious car. You were adorned from head to toe with glimmering and jumbo jewelry. You flashed everyone with your million-dollar smile and your expensive sunglasses shielded you from the flashing lights. Your bodyguards tried to push everyone away from your path as they screamed and shouted for your attention. However, you seemed unfazed by it all as you walked forward.

Verlaine was impressed by your unshakable demeanor. He figured that you have grown so used to the media's unruliness that you ceased to often take them seriously and feed them what they want. The assassin needed to blend in, he needed to be like one of those annoying photographers yelling for you to face their cameras. Verlaine decided to act differently, so he would stand out. He needed to fit in but be unique if he needed to capture your attention. He squeezes through the crowd and manages to get close enough. Somehow, your head turns to meet his way and Verlaine assumes to position.

"Smile for me, [Name]!"

He exclaims with a perfectly practiced smile as he raises the camera up to his face while he directs it towards you. Verlaine was graced by your brief attention as you struck a pose for the camera. He could feel the rest of the photographers around him seething at him with envy for the opportunity. Verlaine captures a photo of you with the flash on. You paused for a moment to give him a proper look before grinning and entering the hotel. Verlaine can feel his heart skip a beat at that second. Everyone tried to squeeze their way into the hotel but was stopped by hotel security.

The assassin returned to his temporary apartment conflicted. He undoes the braid on his hair and shrugs off his black coat. He hesitates as he stares at the camera on the nightstand before reaching for it. Verlaine looks at the gallery and feels his breath hitch at the one photo he took of you. As he gazed upon it, he couldn't prevent the foreign feeling in his stomach. He could see your eyes through your sunglasses, your smile was wider than the ones you give to others, and you posed as if you were subtly seducing him. Verlaine stared at the photo for hours before deciding to print it out.

The following days were spent with the assassin trying to establish himself to you. He appeared at every major event you were present in. Luck seemed to favor him each time because you always posed for his camera after he only called for you once. Verlaine starts to think you could recognize his voice easily even in the horde of screaming and desperate photographers. A fraction of your attention on him slowly aroused his interest as he captured every photo of you and printed them out after.

It appeared as though you were more than what meets the eye. Despite being well-loved and known by everybody, you seemed to be shrouded in mystery. All Verlaine could find out about you was about your career and family. There was no interesting information he could take in official interviews; it was as if you're deliberately and expertly avoiding giving away too much about your personal self. As clever as it was, Verlaine was annoyed by it. He wanted to know your favorites, your ticks, and your habits. He wanted to witness your raw personality where your smile couldn't hide your flaws.

Eventually, Verlaine has managed to sneak into an award show where you were invited to. This was his chance to get up close to you. However, he was not expecting to be stunned by your beauty at that show. Your appearance oozed elegance, you were decorated with the most expensive jewelry, and your smile was intoxicating. It seemed as though you were crafted by the gods themselves and sent here to be adored and worshiped. Verlaine was frozen, for the first in his life, he was starstruck.

It felt so strange and foreign that Verlaine couldn't find the proper words to explain it. He couldn't peel his eyes away from your figure as you walked on that stage to receive your award, he listened to your sultry voice as you gave your speech before walking off. The assassin finds himself desponded and distracted by you. He had forgotten about his mission when you began to parade around the photographers, giving them mesmerizing poses. Verlaine clumsily snaps out of it as he shakily angles his camera towards you. Before he could call out to you, your eyes had already landed on his.

Fuck, his heart was racing. You were walking towards him! Verlaine starts to sweat which is incredibly unusual. Something about the knowing smile that you sent his way told him that you were expecting him. The assassin gulps. Nobody stopped you as you went closer to him, he lowered his camera and gazed enchantedly at you.

"Aren't you that one handsome photographer I saw outside my hotel?"

You asked and Verlaine finds himself struggling to speak. He nods and you grin. You looked so enticing up close, it's bewildering that he has the privilege to admire you in closer detail. The charming look in your eye, the smell of your expensive perfume, and that amused grin on your face made his head spin.

"Go on, take a picture, handsome"

Verlaine blinked several times when he saw your wink. He stammers for a moment and takes several shots of you with his camera. It feels as though he's in a dream with how unreal it felt. Before you can smile at him and leave, Verlaine reaches out to you.

"Can we take a picture before you go?"

He asks and that grin on your smile widened as you nodded. From the moment that you've obliged him, he believes he's your favorite photographer. Verlaine retired in his apartment that evening with an unfaltering smile on his face as he stared at a photo of you and him in his hand. He continued to pursue you for personal reasons. His camera was being filled to the brim with your photos in various places to be later plastered on his wall. Verlaine was beginning to understand why those pesky photographers kept following you around in public and yelling for your attention. He was slowly becoming one of them.

He thinks 'we are the crowd, we're coming out'. He's got his flash on, it's true. He needs that picture of you, it's so magical. You'd be so fantastico. You're in that leather and jeans, garage glamorous. He's not sure what it means. But this photo of you and him don't have a price. He knows you're ready for those flashing lights. He knows what he is now.

He's your biggest fan, he'll follow you until you love him. Like the paparazzi. There's no other superstar he knows that you'll be. Like the paparazzi. He promises he'll be kind, but he won't stop until you're his. He'll be famous, chase you down until you love him. Like the paparazzi.

Verlaine was passionate in his pursuit to get closer to you. After everything, it seemed as though you were untouchable. No matter what he did, he couldn't get close enough to know you. But he never took it as a sign to stop. He'll get to you no matter what. He disguises himself to one of your shows where you'll perform. He's got his rockstar getup and makeup and ready to watch you.

He sneaks into the venue and swoons at your alluring performance. Such talent was a feast for his eyes. All Verlaine thought about was his yearning to get close to you, to touch you, to hold you, and to have you for himself. After the show, he creeps to the backstage. There he searches for you and avoids detection. He'll be your man backstage at your show, velvet ropes and guitars. Because you're his rockstar in between the sets, eyeliner, and cigarettes.

"Excuse me, but who are you?"

With the sweet sound of your voice, Verlaine turns his head. He couldn't hold back a smile from erupting in his face when he sees you unaccompanied. He walks towards you, but you take a step back. There was a cautious look on your features as your eyes darted on him and at the exit. Swiftly, he rushes toward you and grabs your wrists. There was a startled gasp from your lips.

"Please, can I talk to you?"

Verlaine looks desperately at you, but you return it with a frightened stare. You began to struggle but he has effectively kept you in place.

"Le—Let me go!"

"No, wait! Please let me speak—"

"Security!"

You yelled out. Verlaine frowned as he released your wrists. He felt a pang of ache as you gazed at him as if he had done something wrong to you. All he wanted was to talk to you! He needed you to know how he felt, but to see you push him away makes his blood run hot. He hears the sound of frantic footsteps and he takes it as his cue to escape. Not before he sends you a shuddering glare. Shadow is burnt, yellow dance, and he turns. His lashes are dry. Purple teardrop he cry, it don't have a price. Verlaine chuckles to himself, loving you is cherry pie. As much as he disliked the sweetness, he couldn't help but ask for more.

Because he's your biggest fan, he'll follow you until you love him. Like the paparazzi. There's no other superstar he knows that you'll be. Like the paparazzi. He promises he'll be kind, but he won't stop until you're his. He'll be famous, chase you down until you love him. Like the paparazzi.

Verlaine has shut himself in his apartment for weeks, browsing the internet for updates about you. Burning envy fills him as he sees your pictures with other people. He couldn't comprehend why you pushed him away and didn't let him speak that day. Was it wrong to get close to you? Was he not worthy to yearn for a connection? Was it because he's not human? In a fit of anger, he tears every photograph of you he plastered on his wall. He banged his fists in anger before sinking to his knees overwhelmed with emotion.

How dare you give him that smile whenever his camera would face you. Was that smile for the camera and not for him? But how about when you approached him and deemed him handsome, was that only a form of flattery? What was the reason behind that? Your actions complicate him so much that it only sends him into intense fits of anger. How cruel you were to give him an act knowing he hasn't read the script.

Verlaine catches the glimpse of the photo of you and him together and it momentarily soothes his rage. Maybe he needs to show you how he feels rather than tell you. Yes, that's it. With that, he believes you will be convinced.

You yawned as you finished your work at the studio. You've been bothered lately by the news; it was filled with reports of dead celebrities and famous people that you've either known or have been associated with. Something about the deaths seemed so eerie. It was suspected that it was done by one person. You shuddered at the gruesome details of their deaths. They were either strangled, beaten to death, mutilated, dismembered, burned, tortured, and the horrendous list goes on. You were being extra careful lately, making sure you have someone with you at all times, double checking on locked doors, and paying attention to your surroundings. You believed you were developing some sort of paranoia.

You let out a sigh and relaxed on one of the chairs, everyone has decided to grant you a brief moment of privacy. You've been gaining stress with shows, interviews, and photoshoots to attend to. Making sure your image remains pristine was hard work because of your untainted reputation. To add to that, the paparazzi seemed to be multiplying. You swear that you're so close to going apeshit and attacking one of those stupid fucking photographers shoving their cameras on your face.

When you were checking your phone, you heard the door open and close from behind. You assumed it was your producer and that he had returned to continue the recording, but the air turned cold when you felt an unfamiliar presence behind you. Suddenly, you went rigid, your heartbeat skipped several beats as you tried to think of what to do. There was a long and torturous moment of silence. Calculated footsteps approached you and you couldn't help but whip your head around.

Verlaine gazed casually at your panicked state. There were splatters of blood on his clothes after taking care of the people blocking the way towards the studio. Somehow, his exhaustion dissipates when he sees you. He hoped you were watching the news after he got rid of every single person you were photographed with. Killing them was easy, but trying to understand you? Not so much. That's why he needed to get closer so that he'll understand why you're doing this to him.

"You're one complicated human, [Name] [Surname]"

"Wh—What do you want from me?"

You stuttered as your phone slips out of your grasp in a panic. Verlaine gives you a tight smile as he slowly corners you.

"I want to understand you better, mon amour"

"Wait...you're that one photographer!"

You pointed a finger at him in recognition, and he scoffs in response. Unable to contain himself, he lunges forward and grabs your hands. You stumbled as he started to twirl you around in a clumsy dance as he went to play your recently recorded song. Real good, he's dancing with you at the studio. Snap, snap to that shit on the radio. He won't stop for anyone. You and he are plastic, but he still had fun.

Midway through the song, you managed to push Verlaine away as you stumbled back and accidentally stopped the music. Your chest frantically rose and sank with each heavy breath. This strange blonde man is scaring the fuck out of you. Those articles you read about obsessed fans and unhealthy parasocial relationships flooded your head. You regained your footing and carefully faced him.

"Look, I know you want something from me but...but I can't give it to you"

Verlaine's eyes narrowed as he cocks his head to the side in confusion by your statement.

"Why not?"

"What you're doing isn't right"

"What am I supposed to do then?"

You swallowed when Verlaine raised his voice. The blonde clears his throat as he keeps his rising anger in check.

"All I want is you, [Name]"

"...Why?"

Verlaine smiles widely causing you to shudder. He towers over you as you shrank under his chilling presence.

"I'm your biggest fan, I'll follow you until you love me"

He says and gently reaches for your cheek as he leans down. He sees the tears building up in your lash line as you look up at him.

"Baby, there's no other superstar I know that you'll be"

You felt the tears trail down your face as you trembled under his touch. But Verlaine doesn't pull away.

"Promise I'll be kind, but I won't stop until you're all mine"

He watches you sob uncontrollably in pure terror, and he frowns. He knows that he'll be famous as he chases you down until you love him. Like the paparazzi. 

"Please...stop..."

You sobbed. All the trace of tenderness vanishes in Verlaine as he realizes the reality of the situation. With that petrified look on your face, there was no chance he'd get you to love him. And that fact delivers an aching stab to his chest. He will never form a connection much less fall in love. As much as he longed to understand you, he is cursed to experience tragedy.

Verlaine casts a sympathetic look on his face, and you believe that he has changed his mind and decided to spare you from his atrocious plan. All of a sudden, his face drops as he expertly takes a grasp of your chin and the top of your head before twisting, all of a sudden, the world goes black.

In one of the diners in town, Verlaine takes a sip of his coffee with a cigarette dangling between his fingers. His eyes looked up at the old television displaying the news with a blank expression.

"Famous and beloved star [Name] [Surname] was discovered dead at their studio yesterday. They were found with their neck twisted and killed. Investigators linked their death to the rest of the dead celebrities found previously..."

He took a drag as he heard the reporter. With a scoff, Verlaine turns away.

"... [Name]'s death was discovered by an unknown emergency call made in the studio. The operator told authorities that they heard a male voice in the other line saying: 'Je viens de tuer mon amour' before hanging up. Investigators are unable to discover who made the call and who killed [Name]"

©kitasgloves (do not steal or copy)

[ready-2-run]

I contemplated writing this post but I had to get this off my chest.

The death of Liam Payne from One Direction is something that has brought on complex, conflicting, and confusing emotions. And after three days of watching the world process and respond the last 3 days over Twitter, Tumblr, and TikTok, I'm not alone in this feeling. And that other's share the same confused feeling of grief, loss, and balancing the facts that have come to light of Liam's actions and behavior. Which is why those of us who were Directioners feel these indescribable clashes of emotions and morality.

I was 10 going on 11 when 1D formed in 2010, and I discovered them in 2011. They became my life, to say the least, and like millions of people who were Directioners, I was fully immersed in a parasocial relationship with each of the members. Several friendships I had in middle and high school were formed and bonded through our shared love for the band. They were my first concert. I became a fangirl because of them. And when I was deeply depressed at 14, One Direction was the spark of happiness, and I credit their music for pulling them out of this dark time.

Like the rest of the fandom, Zayn departing devastated me and then I was saddened by the announcement of the band's hiatus. I continued to support the solo careers of each of the members, but by the time I left for college in 2017, I sort of fell off. I no longer kept up to date with everything. I enjoyed their solo music when it came on the radio, but I didn't anticipate their next release or spend money like I once did on One Direction. I moved on from them, but held on to that joy they brought me as a pre-teen and young teenager--and looked forward to the day they may reunite as a group. Then when I was again battling a bad depressive episode in 2020, they were part of the light that brought me out of the darkness.

Liam's sudden death, and the feelings it has brought where I am instantly transported back to my teenage self who adored One Direction and feel like a piece of my adolescence is gone while acknowledging his wrong doings and harboring resentment for who he became, reminded me of something I learned in college.

I got my Bachelor's in Psychology and during my sophomore year I took Developmental Psychology, Psychology of Aging, and Psychology of Adolescence. In all three classes, there was a unit dedicated to Erikson's 8 Stages of Development. Touched on in Development and Aging, but emphasized in Psych of Adolescence, Stage 5 is Identity vs. Confusion which takes place during the ages of 12 to 18. This stage of development is integral, as it is the period we as humans navigate our identity and find a sense of self. When we are unable to explore identity, this leads to confusion where we feel lost. Social relationships are important at this stage, where we want a sense of belonging. What happens in this stage, and the identity we find in ourselves, ultimately influences us in adulthood.

Idolizing One Direction, becoming a fangirl through them, shaped my identity. It was my identity. The Directioner fandom brought me a sense of belonging because it was a community where we all loved this band to the point it was our life. That I felt, and still feel about 1D, is the same reason I am so attached to other things associated to my adolescence like Twilight, Hunger Games, Harry Potter, etc. Why I smile or think fondly of memories when 1D plays on shuffle. It's me hanging onto that piece of the girl I once was before life got serious. In simplest terms, it's nostalgia.

One Direction shaped an entire generation of fangirls. They shaped their identity. It is not weird you are experiencing these complex and kind of unexplainable emotions where it's hard to put into words and you simply feel. And it is possible for multiple things to be true. It is possible to hold someone accountable and extend empathy to the people in Liam's life. His parents, his sisters, his son, his girlfriend, his friends, his former bandmates, his exes, and the people he hurt who are now dealing with a new reality.

No one is responsible for his death. Not Maya, not Kate, not anyone. They do not deserve the hate being sent to them following this news. To comment heinous things on Maya's, Kate's, and even Niall's social media because he was the last of the 1D members to see him is disgusting. Anyone who has done this needs to really reconsider their morals and values.

That's all I have to say. If you relate to anything I said above, just know you're not alone in this feeling.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

What's your opinion on parasocial relationships

From: "I don't think we should be able to see fictional characters have sex because they haven't consented"

To: "Blatantly and overtly objectifies -insert celebrity here-"

There seems to be wild swinging from one end to the other 🤔🤔🤔

okay so this is uuuh a Large question and I need to start by saying flat out that "parasocial relationship" is a pretty value neutral term that's only very recently taken on a distinctly negative connotation. the term was invented in the 1950s in response to increasing television viewership in America, to describe the one-sided attachments that viewers formed with fictional characters and media personalities. while Horton and Wolh, who coined the term, did express concerns that some people might be prone to substituting parasocial relationships for real, reciprocal human connections, it wasn't intended to be a condemnation of the practice. parasociality in small amounts is essentially necessary to have any sort of stake in fictional characters or celebrities who can't love us back, and its worth noting that parasocial relationships significantly predate the terminology - humans have felt strongly about rulers who don't know them and characters from myths and stories for centuries. this sort of connection-making is fueled by the same extremely social nature that let us bond with dogs and other domesticated animals.

so the tl;dr there is that my feeling on parasocial relationships is that it largely depends on whether we're talking about, like, people having harmless crushes on attractive and charismatic actors or, like, twitter stans sending each other death threats over musicians who don't know they exist. like most things, it's harmless in moderations and is mostly down to individuals to use their grown-up brains to not make it weird and harmful.

now, onto the example you gave of people objecting to depictions of fictional characters having sex because they can't consent. I don't know that parasociality is the main issue at play here, although as we've noted a degree of it is certainly necessary to care that much about a fictional character in the first place. that particular ideological clusterfuck is a result of several things colliding, I think namely:

a.) an increasingly prevalent and normalized streak of extreme sexual conservatism amongst people who broadly consider themselves progressive. if you've spent much of the last decade online and especially in fandom spaces, you've probably seen this mindset becoming more and more pronounced via a bunch of horse-assed debates about the morality of depicting #problematic things in fiction and fanworks. sincere arguments that sex scenes are bad because made up people who don't exist can't consent to being featured in them is pretty much always where that particular line of thinking was heading.

b.) an absolutely tragic conflation of media consumption with activism and political beliefs. this overlaps heavily with point a (with a lot of assumption that if you're a Good person you must take great pains not only to not consume Bad fiction but also to call it out at every opportunity for being Bad, lest you be accused of having Wrong opinions) and also generates a lot of very stupid takes like treating Captain Marvel as a #girlboss #feminism movie despite being sponsored by the US Air Force and holding creators from historically oppressed identities to impossibly high standards of Good Representation, a thing that doesn't exist and no one agrees on. (read Elaine Castillo's excellent essay collection How to Read Now for way more eloquent thoughts on that.) the point being that people's so-called hot takes about popular media are almost conflated with their politics, whichever way they may lean. this also related to point c, which is"

c.) the internet and its many insufferable algorithms encourage outrage and conflict at every opportunity, so nobody can just say some normal shit like "I don't like seeing sex scenes on tv, it feels uncomfortable :/," because people will start crawling down their throat screaming about how it's actually very sex negative and queerphobic and problematic to dislike watching sex scenes and that the person who posted that is somehow personally oppressing people with sexual trauma who are reclaiming their relationship with their sexuality and were greatly helped by [insert sex scene here]. so you have to pre-empt those replies by acting like you're teeing up a fucking tedtalk and also are ready to throw down in defense of your lukewarm opinion, and that's a lot easier to do if you've figured out how to use language affiliated with social justice to bolster your point.

anyway. that's my opinion on that.

[dearweirdme]

Hello! I was looking for some chill Taekook blogs and I stumbled upon yours. I saw your response too an ask about Taennie and found your response very mature, well spoken and open to different opinions. Then read through your blog and really liked the chill vibe you got.

Tbh I'm not sold on Taennie either lol Not because it gets in the way of my ship (I'm a jikooker, it literally can't get in the way), neither because I'm a parasocial Tae biased fan who can't accept him being taken (my bias is actually Hobi and I would be thrilled to find out he is happy and in love), I just find the whole thing weird and suspicious.

Anyways, the reason why I came here is because I love maknae line's bond! But I think the whole Taekook vs Jikook war made both sides very bitter about the other ship's interaction and consequently created a lot of unnecessary hate toward Taehyung and Jimin. I'm mostly on the Jikook side of the internet so I can't speak for Taekook, but I often find Jikookers having a hard time appreciating sweet Taekook moments because they're afraid of toxic Taekookers invading their space with hate, so they just don't talk about it and some even grow a bitter taste with Taekook's bond. So I imagine Taekookers might go through the same because of toxic Jikookers.

And I really hate that.

I love Taekook's bond, they clearly love and care for each other so much, and they have so many cute and funny moments together. And since it's such a popular ship I wanna know more about them and understand different perspectives. So I came here because I'm genuinely curious and open to hear your opinion on Taekook!

What are moments that made you go "Huh? There's no hetero explanation for this"?

If Jikook is just fanservice what makes Taekook moments different?

Please don't take this as a toxic Jikooker invading your space, I am genuinely curious. I fully respect Taekookers opinion!

Borahae 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Hi anon! You are very welcome here, I don't mind different opinions, I think they are valuable. What's important to me is that someone comes to me in a polite way, and you are doing just that. You will at times read some snippy comments about Jkkrs on my blog I'm afraid. Some do come to me with less polite manners, and well.. my patience only goes this far. I think you and I are a bit alike, only from different sides. I also really enjoy Jimin and Jk interactions, and vminkook all the more. It is definitely sad that with those interactions automatically comes a sense of dread, because these days I just know when to expect drama in my inbox... and it's very often TKkrs in distress whenever something Jkk happens, or Jkkrs angry or gloating whenever something Tkk or Jkk happens. It's a wild situation. I wish it weres different, but at the same time... I know not to expect change.

I think many can see Taennie is not real, or at least sus. You don't even need to be part of any ship to see that. It's so obviously used for promotional purposes and severely lacking on the 'real relationship' side. My tag for it is Taennope or Taennie, and you might want to look at Gurumi as well if you are interested.

We are on actual opposing sides. If my ship is true yours cannot be, and vice versa. There's no compromising to be done. The most we can do is stay on our own sides a bit. While you are very nice, I also know we are not going to agree, but it's a nice change to see a Jkkr with a good opinion of Tae and who at least sees Tae and Jk are close. While Jkkrs often say Tkkrs hate Jimin (and to be fair there are definitely Tkkrs who talk about him wrongly) I feel this goes both ways.

To me it is not an either/or situation. If it ever turns out that Jk and Tae are not together, I wont believe Jimin and Jk are. That is just not how I see them. I understand why Jkkrs do, but... I just think you are mistaken in how you view their interactions. To me Jk and Jimin are just best friends. Super close, very playfull, flirty at times sure, but definitely platonic. If I were to compare the two. I feel with Jk and Jimin there's always a definite moment where they are "done" with each other. Like, they'll be playfull and bantery and touchy, but it's always just a moment with the purpuse of being funny, comforting, or friendly. It's not an underlying connection like Tae and JK have. Those two are constantly aware of each other, and that is not true for Jimin and Jk. You'll see many times where Jk and Jimin just don;t care what the other is up to, completely unaware.. and that is different with Tae and Jk. My taekook tag is way too full to go through, but I'll link some specific posts that contain most of my thoughts on Tae and Jk's bond at the end of this post.

I think one very important thing to be able to understand Tkkrs is that you have to be able to see that Tae and Jk never grew apart, like so many believe. It is such an accepted view throughout fandom that they grew apart somewhere inbetweeen 2016 and 2020 and that they became awkward. I absolutely do not think that is true. There is definitely less footage of them during a part of that time, and sure some awkward moments, but when you actually look at the footage that does exist, you can see a bond and a comfort that has not changed. If you are able to see that, you will also be able to see how Tae and Jk have been deliberately separated, even visibly on footage. Moments where they were close and touchy, they notice something off camera, they separate, and there's an emotional reaction to it. That does not happen with any of the other members, inculding Jk and Jimin. This is a post I made about the 2016-2020 period.

This post contains some thoughts I have on Taekook in general:

You can also find a lot of my thoughts on both Jikook and Taekook in these tags: Taekook analysis Ship analysis and there's my straws tag, but that one might also contain some snippy comments, so you might not enjoy 😶.

Thoughts on Jk and thoughts on Tae .

In general I don't think Jk and Jimin's interactions are fanservice. I think they have a genuine strong bond. Do they at times play it up for the camera's, Yes. But all members do that. While Jk and Jimin's interactions have never been avoided in official footage, Jk and Tae's have... and that's where imo the screwed vision of respective bonds comes from.

I've given much to go through, but it's too complicated for me to explain in just one post (though I have tried before 🙈).

[boblittlepage-blog]

I'm Confused About Something...

A brief update for the uninitiated, which probably means everyone. Sometime back, I attempted to strike up a friendship with noted online semicelebritytype Indigo White, who you may know from her many productions of video entertainment not intended for younger viewers (do the math). Yes, I first came across her the same way most guys do (let's just say my prostate has never been healthier), but then I started watching her YouTube videos, and was very impressed with her intelligence, sense of humor, and levelheadedness. I'm very drawn to intelligence, and decided this is someone I'd actually like to know. And through chats during live streams and interactions on Twitter and Fansly, things seemed to be proceeding nicely. I'd like to think that I made it clear that I wasn't just another dweeb who'd parasocially bonded to some e-girl, that this was genuine affection for her as a person. Seeing that in writing makes it sound weird, but so be it, let's move on.

Some time ago, Indigo came out as trans, and was now a boy. Despite the change in personal pronouns to he/him, and now sporting shorter, Beatle-ish hair, nothing much was going to change content-wise, no plans for surgery or hormones (which begs the question of just how trans was Indy actually, but we'll not deal with that here, or anywhere else for now, it's largely irrelevant).

Okay, fine, I'll play along, so long Indy didn't feel the need to undergo anything permanent, (again, usually an indicator that something else is going on, not gender dysphoria), so no harm no foul.

In the meantime, I've gotten to know several detransitioners online, and heard their horror stories about how they'd been suckered into the whole gender ideology thing (which, by the way, is the creation of a very sick man, John Money, a pedophile who should be listed right alongside Joseph Mengele for the work he did directly with a couple of twin boys, both ending in suicide, but also for his sham "work" being baked into the psychiatric and medical industries before the true horror of his acts were finally made public. The result is that actual gender dysphoria, the kind where major gender reassignment surgery is the only workable treatment, has largely been pushed aside for people who are suffering from other, less serious issues, generally from some childhood trauma, like puberty in general, and turning garden variety identity crises into reasons for these sufferers, largely teenagers, who we must remember are still highly impressionable are generally stupid, to permanently wreck their biochemistry and mutilate their bodies).

So, during one live stream, I get wind of Indy trying to work up the courage to get what is euphemistically referred to as "top surgery", i.e., a double mastectomy, for no other reason than a long time hatred of them. Turns out Indy got those DD tiddies pretty much full force, virtually overnight, and besides being literally painful, anybody who's been to school between the ages of 9 to 15 can fill in the blanks of what the reaction of the other kids was. Also keep in mind that the amygdala, the lizard part of the brain that handles trauma and triggers the ol' fight-or-flight response, doesn't differentiate between actually life threatening situations and a snide comment from a 4th grade teacher at the wrong time, trauma is trauma, and can have life altering effects, especially in kids. We're generally not even aware of this happening until pointed out to us. Digging through Indy's Tumblr, apparently there's some additional trauma back there, that is triggering enough that I'm not going to even try and ask about it, but we're still talking a response to trauma. One day, it'll have to be dealt with, not just painted over with a big ol' "Congrats! You're Trans!" label. That's not therapy, that checking a box so somebody can make a boat payment. Since lives are at stake with this nonsense, I get very pissed off.

Anyway.

Back to the case at hand. I, hoping to spare Indy the kind of life wrecking pain I've seen others going through, began pushing for the alternative of breast reduction. Less invasive, faster recovery, and coming to the conclusion that, yes, Indy's tits WERE too big (5'4", 110 lbs, shouldn't be any bigger than a B, maybe closer to an A).

Enter the Affirmation Brigade, standing by and cheering Indy forward to go forth and be sliced up like a Sunday roast, to advance the cause of TRANS RIGHTS! Which I see as an attempt to validate their own sorry existences at the expense of someone else's health and well being. Well, during an engagement with one of these ghouls, things got rather heated, and more than a little ugly. I don't particularly regret anything I said, I would've preferred it didn't have to be in the form of calling out the other person as a butcher. Not because it was inaccurate (it wasn't), but because it was somewhat undignified.

Cue another set of angry DMs with Indy, demanding that I knock it off or get banned. I'd said everything I felt needed saying, so feeling no need to press the issue any further, certainly not publicly, I agreed. And things got more or less back to normal.

However, I reached out to a noted doctor who deals with the whole trans issue, and, with a couple of links, one to Indy's Twitter profile, the second to the coming-out video on YouTube, and asked for a professional opinion. Mainly, I wanted some guidance on whether I was doing the right thing by trying to be the lone voice against the affirmation chorus, trying to make the point that major invasive surgery over a personality issue is probably a very, very bad idea. Had I pushed too far, or should I stand my ground? One of the recurring themes I'd been hearing from detransitioners was that nobody ever challenged them, made them stop and think it out, WHY did they think they were trans? Could it be something else? Let's figure this out BEFORE we start lopping off perfectly healthy body parts, and see if we can find a less bloody and traumatizing solution. We live in a world where unless you blindly affirm the choice, you're a (fill in the blank). Well, sorry, but if the Emporer is walking down Broadway bloody starkers, I'm gonna say something.

Fast forward to a couple days later, this has gotten back to Indy, and the response in DM was thermonuclear. What right did I have to do this, I'm insane, etc., etc., and that was it, I'd been given too many chances already, I was banned, with the final shot being, and I quote, "Unblocking you to say one final thing. If I didn’t have the support i have and live where i do, what you did could have gotten me killed. Think about that. Fuck you."

Okay, back that up a little.

I posted a link to a PUBLIC Twitter page, with a link to a PUBLIC YouTube video (which Indy posted herself/himself TWICE, and has pinned to various other social media sites), disclosed no information, and only asked for "a professional opinion." (For the record, the only response I got back from the doctor was "Nope.") How in this, or any other reality could that endanger anybody? Did I overstep? Okay, I'll grant that. Wasn't the first time, pretty sure it won't be the last. But possibly getting Indy killed? Sorry, but I need to hear the twisted logic that comes to that conclusion, because I ain't seeing it, and I took Logic in college, I know a thing or two about false premises and the strange places they lead.

I would like to rebuild this relationship, if possible, but I'm not holding my breath. Clearly what I did incensed Indy, and it's not likely it'll be easy to walk that back. I would still like to have that explanation, though. If you're gonna throw down something like my being responsible for possible manslaughter, I think I'm at least owed that much.

Again, Indy (if you've read this far), my DMs are open, and I did give you my phone number, provided you haven't deleted the DM (doesn't seem like it, because I've still got 'em on my end). I'm ready for peace when you are.

[stackslip]

i'm screenshotting this post not bc i want to mock it or anything, like i completely disagree but also the rest of the post's tone was pretty personal so i didn't want to reblog with my own digressions and derail the op's intentions; genuinely much love to them. it's just that this kinda jumpstarted some thoughts along with that series of panels i collected in my last post.

i don't think fujimoto is making fun of fans, or of parasocial relationships in part 2. i think the hypercommodification of chainsaw man as a brand and celebrity in-universe IS meant to be ironic and cynical (as they quite literally consume pochita from inside out and weaken him), but i don't think fujimoto is making fun of the people themselves.

so far in part 2 there are several main themes standing out to me--lost/blurred identity is one, and i have many thoughts on that one, but so far the strongest theme has been alienation under the current system and how people cope with extreme isolation and with their longing/struggle to forge an intimate relationship and maintain it. the school setting is a play on some shoujo tropes, but it's also the greatest stage for this theme to play out because schools are inherently alienating spaces, particularly for kids who don't fit the norm in a certain way. fujimoto has commented on adultism and the structural struggles of children/teenagers before, especially re denji's lack of autonomy vs the adults in his life. the previous setting WAS an adult setting, an actual workplace and office with a uniform and all.

the current school setting is all teenagers--the only adult we've seen at the school so far was the teacher in chapter 98, and said teacher didn't even seem to be teaching properly, but rather using his friendliness as a way to groom female students. so far the school hasn't been a place of learning or even companionship, but a place of bullying and of kids being shaped into being the next devil hunters--and we've seen what devil hunting is as a job! it's a nightmare of exploitation and dehumanization! yet the devil hunter club seems to run the school council and practically the school itself, luring in orphans who want revenge on devils and kids who are not allowed a part-time job and need any way to make money to survive under the current system. and again, add to that the bullying asa and yuko endure with no outside intervention, the fact that students ARE clearly starving or struggling to survive, the fact that the only social circle seems to be, again, the fucking devil hunting club....

what i'm trying to get to here is that the characters in part 2 are deeply fucking lonely, in part due to teenage years woes, in part due to the way the current system and in particular the school system is set up. the bullying yuko endures is so severe that she considers that the only way to stop it is not only to kill the bullies, but raze the school itself. she tries to connect to asa through the only way she can think of--making a contract with a fucking devil. the fact that this is her first option says a lot about just how lonely and hurt she's been. yuko focuses on chainsaw man as a symbol of justice, an idealized figure who'd do her right, unlike any adult or even other teenage figure in her life who just let her and her newfound friend suffer.

we don't know much about harumi yet, but it feels like the devil hunting club is also an unofficial chainsaw man fanclub, which is partially how he became president. chainsaw man as a subject is a way for a lot of these kids to socialize, to form bonds through their admiration for him and through the shared culture and games around him. again we don't know shit about him but he clearly also struggles with wanting to be well regarded and forge connections, and his way of doing so is emulating an idealized superhero to the point of getting fucking surgery to be closer to him!

it's like. fujimoto is not making fun of "ridiculous fans", he's commenting on how HARD it is for people to form intimate relationships, and how they use parasocial relationships as a way to do so with others, or to emulate the sentiment. yoshida actually verbalizes it in the new chapter:

why even try anymore if you're just going to get hurt or lonely again? why not project onto this perfect stranger whose image becomes a mirror to whatever your fears and desires are?

and then there's denji, who IS chainsaw man and who can't imagine being loved as himself at all, so he doesn't try! he thinks exactly like all these other kids--no-one could like me for myself. so either i remain alone forever, or i forge a relationship through this dominant cultural and political figure that can be whoever and whatever people want: a hot celebrity, a monstrous force of chaos, a prince charming who'll rescue you from abuse and a terrible face, a justice dispensing warrior, an american spy.....

(also there's no doubt in my mind that's asa's own vocal distaste for chainsaw man plays a role in why she was alienated from her peers in the first place. the class president's first attempt to befriend her is by bringing up chainsaw man and then she just stands there awkwardly as asa tells her she can't stand him! chainsaw man has become such a cultural staple that by refusing to participate in said cultural staple, asa has further been estranged from her teen classmates.)

[swampflix]

Destroy All Neighbors (2024)

I have developed parasocial relationships with several of the key collaborators behind the retro splatstick comedy Destroy All Neighbors, which has me rooting for its success.  I met one of the film’s writers, Charles Pieper, at a local horror festival a few years ago, and we established one of the most sacred bonds two people can share: social media mutuals.  The film’s score was also…

[werewolfwebsite]

OK I don't really do discourse anymore bc I'm an Adult and I know it stresses people out but the youtuber dream and the fans he has formed the most intense parasocial bonds with r sooo fascinating to me in the most horrifying way.

and the way said fans (im not using the word stan it's fucking stupid, and at this point the only fans of dream are either extremely casual and don't know shit or are have pledged their undying loyalty) treat ANYONE who distances themselves from him is. fucking crazy.

like they act as if every person who joined the dsmp owes their entire career to him when in reality, they all were already having growing online presences. I've seen people go after boo which is especially crazy to me bc their meteoric growth was already happening by the time they joined dsmp, and calling a person w severe dysmorphoa ugly & saying they would be working a minimum wage job if not for dream (which like. come on man. the people saying this shit are the most unemployed of all time) is just cruel.

I've gotten off track but my main point is that most if not all of these creators were actually more materially and directly helped and supported by each other and ESPECIALLY philza minecraft (especially with his tech support, genuinely I think most ccs in this sphere would not have as high framerates while playing games if not for him). and philza was the first person to tell dream to fuck off when he was "joking" about making tommy's career a couple years ago.

dream is literally the reason why I didn't get into the dsmp until last year, bc I thought it heavily included him and I really did not want to support him bc the way he acts w his fans & other rumours I had heard from being in the hermit side of mcyt. I'm glad I learned that literally the only thing he contributed that much was his name because the more I learn about this guy the fucking crazier it gets. idk how he even has fans like granted I've only seen him when he's been on other people's streams but he's straight up not entertaining.

[opinated-user]

apologies in advance for an absolute essay about the "fusion is sex" thing in your inbox;; theres a tldr paragraph at the bottom but i encourage you and anyone else to read through the whole thing

if we can all agree that, despite what lily claims, the violate arc in pokemadhouse is an allegorical rape (a severe breaching of privacy and boundaries for the sake of creating a "mating bond," a concept in the comics universe that isnt necessarily a sexual relationship but that brings that idea to mind outside of the comics universe based on the name/context), then cant we agree that the sardonyx arc in steven universe is an allegorical rape? i think that were hesitant to call it that because its such a strong word and a harsh concept for a show like steven universe, and we want to call out lily for being wrong or inappropriate at any opportunity, but the fact is: pearl violated garnets trust and her boundaries to fuse, with fusion as a whole being a representation of romantic/intimate relationships, among others (garnets is romantic love, malachites is unhealthy/toxic/abusive relationships, id argue smoky quartz is like a sibling relationship—and along those lines, we see steven fuse with ALL of the crystal gems, his surrogate mothers/sisters, and his own dad, so its safe to say at least that fusion is not ONLY an allegory for romantic/intimate relationships)

i think that lilys language when describing it ("pearl rapes garnet and excuses it by saying garnet is just so stoic and she wanted her to step on her," paraphrased) is pretty reductive and insensitive, but based on the actual content of the arc and what other analysts, particularly black ones, have said about it, i think its a perfectly justifiable way to describe that arc

pearl, a character with no strong racial coding in any direction but who can be seen as white based on that fact plus her white skin, violated a character with strong and intentional black coding, for the sake of her own ego. she used a black woman, with little regards for that black womans feelings and boundaries regarding fusion (a deeply personal and intimate thing for that black woman, whether we see it as explicitly a sex allegory or not), for her own gain. to a lot of people, this speaks way too strongly to the idea of a white woman using a black woman for sexual and personal satisfaction while not recognizing or ignoring the black womans personhood and ability to consent (pearl lied to garnet about needing to fuse to form sardonyx to "stop peridot," even though pearl was the one committing the acts she blamed on peridot). i think its the lying part that pushes it into a rape allegory more than not, since pearl was withholding information about why she wanted to fuse and garnet could not meaningfully consent to the fusion because she was deliberately not given all of the information. garnet herself says pearl tricked her, so it wasnt the act of fusion that bothered garnet, it was pearl lying about why they were fusing and garnet feeling betrayed that pearl gave her false pretenses

i think lily is wrong about A LOT of things—i rewatched the steven universe is garbage video the other day and so much of it is just so… wrong, or blatantly misunderstood and under-researched and charged by a personal parasocial hatred of rebecca sugar—but i dont think shes wrong in the conclusion she draws about the sardonyx arc. mostly because i personally think shes just parroting black analysts talking points about it again, like she did in the original video, only this time shes being more careful to not explicitly steal racially charged words from black analysts (unironically calling sugilite a brute and "ape-like" in the original video because she maybe saw black analysts describe her that way… yikes)—she even says in the original video that she depends on other people to explain a characters coding to her because she just doesnt see it, so id be completely unsurprised if we learned she didnt think the sardonyx arc was a white woman raping a black woman until she saw black analysts critiquing it through that lens, because SOMEHOW she just. didnt see garnet as black. until someone told her. which is pretty fucking stupid and unobservant of her imo

tldr: i dont think fusion is sex in a 1:1 way, and i dont think we can say lily does either just because she talked about one instance where fusion can be read that way. lily DOES have an issue with oversexualizing things and projecting sex onto stuff that doesnt have it, but in this particular case, i dont think thats whats happening: i think shes just parroting what black analysts have said/felt about this arc. black viewers felt betrayed by this arc because a black woman is shown to suffer at the hands of a white womans insecurity, and the black woman is forced by the narrative to not only accept the white womans white tears as justification for being violated, but also forced to commit the intimate act again under the threat of death (forming sardonyx to escape a shrinking room). pearl and the narrative stripped garnet of her emotional agency and ability to consent to an intimate act, twice, and its a MAJOR violation whether we choose to see fusion as sex or not

i feel like this is still kinda reductive of both narratives.

on pokemadhouse G formed a mating bond with a sleeping underage CLO, who she knew had a crush on her at the time, to get what she wanted. but what was what she wanted? to avoid death, which means that the author really sat down to think about a excuse in which this violation, this metaphorical rape, was actually a perfectly understandable and justifiable decision for G to take.

to drive this point further, LO later writes her own fiancee at the time to tell her to go forgive her abuser or else she'll become the same as her abuser, who in multiple other ocassions is described as a monster who almost destroyed LO. regardless of what you think about LIzzy and how truthful LO is about her retelling of the events, that is the story we're meant to take as true for this fictional universe. after CLO is confronted with this abuse apologist rethoric, she agrees completely with it and tells G that they'll be fine. from that moment forward no one talks again about the metaphorical rape. you could miss the entire arc entirely and nothing of value would be lost, because nothing of weight changed because of it.

take into considering that this whole thing of life spans, bonds and everything else are things that LO completely made up. she made them up to force this situation to happen and then refused to deal with it's consequences.

it's not just about a "violation of trust", it's the whole situation, it's the way that it's written to try to reframe this "violation" as a necesary thing that had to happen or at least a reasonable decision to make, to then later framme the victimas an actual monster for rightfully wanting some space from her rapist.

there's no real way in which you can argue that this isn't a rape metaphor, since mating is already a pretty explicitely sexual term, a term that LO deliberately choose to use, and G deliberately took advantage of a kid she knew had a crush on her during a time where she couldn't consent at all. at some point G actually explains that the mating couldn't have worked at all if CLO didn't had this crush, which just pushes further the rape apologia with the old excuse that "she wanted it all along"...

after all of this, G then continues to keep pushing her romantic feelings onto CLO, no matter how many times she says no. the narrative keeps pushing this romance situation between a rapist and her victim, to later have a brief moment where CLO admits she does still love her rapist but can't have a relationship because it's illegal... rather than because that was the creature that raped her as a kid and permanently modified her mind for the rest of her life, so she never has any privacy on her own head or can be free from G.

the narrative tell us that CLO, the child on this situation, would have agreed to that mating bond (a life changing permanent change she could never take back without killing someone) if only she had known about it.

all of this should be the worst nightmare of any victim. to reduce all of this to simply a mating bond done without consent and not look all the other narrative elements that actively push for a rape apologist conclusion is a disservice.

if we want to add a race perspective... how does it look if we take into account that CLO is supposed to be a indigenous child while this was happening to her and G could be codified as white, precisely because of her lack of any other racial coding?

as for SU, i feel like this conclusion "the black woman is forced by the narrative to not only accept the white womans white tears as justification for being violated, but also forced to commit the intimate act again under the threat of death (forming sardonyx to escape a shrinking room). pearl and the narrative stripped garnet of her emotional agency and ability to consent to an intimate act, twice, and its a MAJOR violation whether we choose to see fusion as sex or not" it's not entirely accurate to the situation. this is my own personal reading of the show so i'm not claiming any of this to be objective or the entire true. i absolutely see what you mean, anon, and i understand what those analysts go for... but if we're going to make a direct comparison between that episode and the arc violate, we have to first see that they're not actually comparable at all.

violate's ultimate message is "an author wrote a situation where a full grown adult had to take advantage of a child for the sake of saving her own life and ultimately this was for the better because the rapist and the child became best friends, so the child now grown up has to forgive her rapist because else she's going to be a hateful monster. the rapist only did what she needed to do and any accountability is cruelty towards her."

the message of that arc is "pearl did a horrible thing that really hurt garnet, no matter if her own inferiority complex (born from being created to be a literal slave) got the best of her, there's no excuse for it, and she has to learn to do better" (a message that it's literally brought back again by having jasper wishing to fuse with lapiz so she could feel greater than herself). there's at least three more episodes that deal with the aftermath of it. in one of them garnet actually unfuses because the two part of her can't decide how to even feel about the situation: Ruby rightfully wants to be angry, while Sapphire chooses to numb herself because it's easier than deal with the pain. then on the episode where pearl and garnet fuse again, that happens three episodes later, the fusion is undone just as quickly because it was made for practical reasons... as actual fusion are treated as in homeworld and they both grow up understanding it, so they're both familiarized with the idea. it's not an intimate act, nobody treats it like that, but done purely for survival and mutual agreement.

before that we have multiple characters commenting on how tense the situation is at home, so we can infer clearly that garnet absolutely is allowed to still be upset during this period of time and nobody tries to convince her to let it go any faster, especially not for Pearl's sake. garnet explicitely tells pearl "i can't forgive you, there are consequences for your actions" and they both agree that what Pearl needs to do is to stop trying to make everything right immediately, and just let things keep their course. they'll be fine but not now and not because pearl is sad about it.

even when sapphire says to ruby that they have to forgive pearl, the story still makes a point for Sapphire have a moment to realize that's not correct, that Ruby is allowed to be angry and upset now if she feels like it, and it was bad from her to expect her to get over it quickier.

i already saw a story where all of those things actually do happens and it was on pokemadhouse, written by the same woman who claims to care about this while having multiple allegations of people having their consent and boundaries disregarded by her.

i have my own issues with SU, and problems with this arc as well, but that doesn't matter because whatever Sugar did on the show, including this, is still miles better handled that the mess that LO wrote in pokemadhouse and she defends to this day.

[the-invisible-queer]

psych experts have definitely been studying parasocial interactions and relationships for a while! it’s been one of the most fascinating subjects i’ve learned about so far, how our social creature monkey brains are just so hardwired to form bonds that we’ll even develop them with people we don’t know. if you’re interested this is a pretty good layperson article about it, laying out some of the ways parasocial relationships can be positive or rewarding in addition to how they can be negative: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/parasocial-relationships

if you’re not happy in your parasocial relationship it also has some good tips to lower its intensity in your life, like talking to a therapist about it and prioritizing real life friendships and hobbies. (candidly i do NOT think you would benefit from a full ‘parasocial breakup’ or the article’s advice to cut off your online access to the celebrity, at least not until your mental health is more stable and you no longer feel like it’s your only or most fulfilling interest, but again idk i’m not your therapist.) keep in mind that lotsssss of people have slightly unhealthy parasocial relationships with their favorite celebrity and still live happy fulfilled lives, so as long as you stay firmly in touch with reality it’s definitely possible to get to a place where you can enjoy the positive aspects of a one-sided relationship without the negative aspects intruding too much into your life.

Thanks bestie!

Will DEFINITELY check out that article this week coming up

I'm very interested in the study of parasocial relationships

The yearning for a stranger just sucks

But I'll be real the whole delusional "I wanna marry/be with Joe" is mostly for shits and giggles

Logically I know that's unlikely because I think we have too many differences to have an actual healthy relationship IF I were to ever meet him and click

So I'm perfectly fine keeping delusions and reality seperate

I love him in theory but I think in practice I'd want to strangle him tbfh 🤣

I've become better since being on medication

He's not consuming my life as much as he did previously

And I DEFINITELY will be talking to a therapist about it

I have no desire to end this parasocial relationship unless he commits some heinous crime

I still need him but not as severely as before I went into the hospital

Before he was literally holding me up constantly

Now he's just holding my hand as I get my shit together

[alarrytale]

"I’m really happy for you, that you are satisfied with the minimum" > That is not the minimum, it is the HEALTHIEST relationship between an artist and people who like their art (usually that's what fans are, if you don't like his art what do you like him for? Being a puppet who does everything you want him to do EXCEPT being the artist he wants to be?) but are absolute strangers to them.

Artists don’t owe you a lot more than their music. When social media exploded, parasocial relationships became essentially a part of the artist’s marketing and a way to create a dedicated fanbase that will buy anything you put out. But now that there’s more awareness on the subject some people are starting to reel back on how much of themselves they want to truly share with the public and imo it’s for the better for both the artist and the audience’s mental health.

Hi, anon(s)!

I've talked about this before, but it bears repeating. It's not about anyone "owing" anything to anyone. Nobody ows anyone anything. It's about the relationship between artist and fan being a symbiotic relationship. Fans want artists to entertain them and artists needs fans to entertain to have a career. In order to have a career, artist needs to balance between having artistic integrity and freedom and catering to their fanbase. If you as an artist do what the fuck you want to your own taste, and not with fans and their wants in mind, you'll loose fans. If you only do what the fans want you will have no artistic freedom and you'll probably be very unhappy. So you need to find a middle ground.

There are hundreds of artists fighting for the same target groups and pool of fans. The artists who manage to build a fanbase, a fandom and a bond between the artist and fans will prevail. There are several ways to build a bond and between artist and fans. In order to stand out and to be able to draw attention and engage fans you need a unique selling point and you need to connect with fans. Releasing an album, going on stage and then going home won't make people want to be a fan, spend time on you, promote you, engage in your other ventures or stan you. You need to sell yourself, offer something of yourself and do fan service. There are too many artists who do fan service and do it well, who fans would love to ditch you for if you didn’t give them the time of day.

The only one's who can afford to release an album, go on tour and go home is established superstar artists, icons and legends who use years to craft a hit album. Even they would benefit from doing fan service. Beyoncé did a signing event for her fans in Japan.

I do see your point about creating a healthy relationship between fans and an artist, but that's only how it works in theory and not how it really is. As the second anon points out, the artist don't just want your money as an artist, they want the sponsor money from a company who's brand they plug to their fanbase, they want your loyalty and dedication as a fan, and our attention on them, the whole year around, not only when they've got an album out. Because they know as soon as they disappear from the tabloid headlines or from social media, fans attention will be elsewhere on someone else. They loose streams and money, and when they're ready to return to public view, their fanbase might have already moved on.

An artist may choose to do the bare minimum, but hardly anyone can afford it these days. Loyalty is hard to buy and people's attention span is short. If fans feel like their artist isn't appreciating their time, effort or attention properly, and they feel like the artist is trying to milk their last cent out of them without anything in return (an album every two or three years and a tour, but merch and products drop every few months), then fans will leave and stan someone more engaging and appriciative. If fans get discontent with the treatment they're recieving from the artist, or an artists dismissive behaviour (saying no to photos or not greeting fans), the voices of discontent will grow and you'll be on the outs. The artist can't afford that. So it's all in the balance.