#related: the anti-romance push

[blackmagictrait]

I hate the modern girl power push for women warriors & girls who fight so fucking much I can't stand it.

you wanna know why there historically weren't many female warriors? because being a warrior is fucking stupid! fighting and murdering people is a stupid caveman ass way to solve problems! you know what's infinitely more important and worthwhile than being good at killing other humans? knowing how to grow and prepare food, knowing how to make clothing, knowing how to build and create and invent, knowing how to make medicine and treat injuries and heal. knowing how to write! one of the first novels was written by a woman! murasaki shikibu, 1000 years ago!

there have been female farmers and seamstresses and inventors and healers for ages but for some reason that doesn't mean anything, y'all want them to have been killers to REALLY have done something worthwhile.

"women can be violent & merciless & bloodthirsty too 🥰" yeah we can but why the fuck would we WANT to be? why should anyone want to be?

[mydairpercabeth]

Being so against shipping that you literally strip characters of who they are is so wild to me. Like you are so mad people see the obvious chemistry between two people that you would take those characters and make them completely unrecognizable. Adding romance or a storyline related to love does not diminish or lessen the story. Making characters who support each other, push each other, rely on each other, then being upset that people enjoy these two characters and want them together is insane. Anti shipping culture feels so misogynistic and anti fan culture as well. Like you want people to be so against a ship that you would rather have character assassination. All this to say:

PUT THE LOVER GIRLS IN THE WRITERS ROOM AGAIN

[devourable]

I know Sterling is the grumpy cat of your OC's and whenever he finds himself sliding into simp mode around his darling he fights tooth and nail against it, but what is he like when he actually gives into his feelings? Let's say after months of being academic rivals and whatever pattern of flirting and fighting they fell into, his darling actually wants to give being in a real relationship with him a try, what kind of boyfriend is he? Does he still try to pretend like his darling isn't the center of his world and try to act aloof, does his attitude depend on if they're in public (ie anti PDA but super affectionate in private), is he clingy, is he still mean or does it become more teasing, is he protective of his darling, etc? I just want to learn more about what dating Sterling (aka everyone's favorite prodigy) looks like!

🪶 sterling x darling relationship headcanons

· let's be absolutely clear — sterling has never been in any form of relationship before you. he's never been kissed, never had sex, he's never even held anyone's hand before. he doesn't think about romance or any of that icky stuff.

· now that you're finally together, he's stuck trying to put together the pieces. he has to teach himself how to be a boyfriend, and you'd get to see him struggle and fail at it since he'd rather die than actually asking anyone he knew for help with it.

· you can tell he's making an effort, but he's so bad at this whole relationship thing that it's almost painful. his idea of a date is a study session for an important exam that he ends up getting too wrapped up in. he mostly gifts you things related to school since he's too scared to ask you about his interests. on top of that he's very, very bad about receiving affection and will push you away from him if you lay it on too thick. but he gets better at not antagonizing you and never picks fights with you anymore.

· despite all that, you do notice the changes in his behavior after its established that you're a couple. he can't deal with real affection like hugs and kissing, but he'll wrap his arm around your waist while you walk together or pull you into his lap while you study — especially if others are watching. expect to be groped occasionally if he feels like someone's coming onto you, too. possessiveness comes much more easily to him than romance does.

· he improves after you consistently spend time with him. he takes note your interests so he knows what to get you, he takes you out on real dates, and he teaches himself to be more capable of giving and receiving affection. he can mimic a semi decent boyfriend once the initial embarrassment fades.

· sterling might always be the rude, stuck up individual that you met when you aced your first exam. but he's yours now, and you're his. even if it's difficult for him to adjust to his relationship with you, he doesn't mind struggling for you — no matter how much he hates admitting it.

[songbirdseung]

love at first sight / choi yeonjun

As you stepped into the building of Big Hit Entertainment, you couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nerves. You were here for a work-related meeting, and the fact that you were about to meet and work with one of their stars, Yeonjun from TXT, was making your heart race. You had heard a lot about him, both as an artist and a person. He was known for his talent, charisma, and personality. Your assignment was to interview him for a feature article, and you were determined to get a unique perspective on this young superstar.

You walked through the hallways of the agency, greeted by the hum of creativity that filled the air. As you approached the designated room, you took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Come in," a voice called out from within. You pushed the door open and stepped inside, your eyes meeting the one and only Yeonjun and his manager. Yeonjun, He was sitting on a couch, engrossed in his phone, scrolling through something.

Yeonjun looked up from his phone, his deep brown eyes studying you for a moment before a polite smile crept onto his face. "You must be Y/N, here for the interview," he said, rising to his feet. He extended his hand, and you shook it, feeling a jolt of warmth at the contact.

"Yes, I'm Y/N," you replied with a friendly smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Yeonjun."

He nodded, gesturing for you to take a seat. "Likewise. Please, have a seat."

As you settled into a chair across from him, you couldn't help but admire the aura he exuded. Yeonjun was remarkably good-looking with his perfectly styled hair, sharp jawline, and that captivating twinkle in his eyes that hinted at a world of stories.

The interview started, and you were amazed at how open and eloquent he was. Yeonjun spoke passionately about his journey in the music industry, sharing insights into his experiences as an idol and his growth as an artist. You were eager to understand the artist behind the fame, and Yeonjun's initial responses had already set the tone for an engaging and insightful conversation.

You noticed the dedication in his eyes as he talked about his musical journey, so you probed further to learn more about the sources of his inspiration. "Yeonjun, could you share some of the artists or musicians who have inspired you the most on your journey? How have they influenced your own music and style?"

Yeonjun's face lit up when discussing his experiences as an idol, so you decided to delve deeper into the challenges he had faced and how he had grown through them.

But as the conversation delved into his personal life, you noticed a shift in his demeanor. He became guarded and distant, especially when the topic of romance came up.

"Yeonjun, can you tell us if you've ever experienced love or a romantic relationship?" you asked, trying to tread carefully.

He let out a short laugh, a hint of bitterness in his voice. "Love? Relationships? I've always been too busy for those things. It's not something I ever think about."

You couldn't help but wonder what had caused him to be so anti-romantic. However, you decided not to pry further and switched to a different topic. The interview continued, and as you spoke with him, you noticed how his guard gradually lowered, and he started to share more about himself.

It was during a break in the conversation that you saw a glimpse of a different side of Yeonjun. He was momentarily lost in thought, a wistful expression on his face. It was a fleeting moment, but it intrigued you. You couldn't help but wonder if there was more to the anti-romantic Yeonjun than met the eye.

The interview concluded, and as you were gathering your notes, Yeonjun leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "Y/N, can I ask you something personal?"

Surprised by his sudden interest, you nodded. "Of course, go ahead."

He hesitated for a moment, his eyes fixed on yours, and then he spoke softly. "Have you ever met someone and felt an instant connection? Like, you couldn't explain it, but you just knew that you wanted to get to know them better?"

You blinked, taken aback by his unexpected question. "Yes, I suppose. It's happened to me before."

Yeonjun nodded, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I had that feeling when you walked into this room, Y/N. It's strange, I know, especially for someone like me who's not into all that romantic stuff, but I can't help it. I felt a connection, a curiosity about you from the moment you walked in."

As the interview wrapped up, Yeonjun walked you to the door, and you exchanged contact information. The encounter left a lasting impression on both of you, and as you said your goodbyes, there was an unspoken understanding that this wouldn't be the last time you'd see each other.

Over the following weeks, you found yourself drawn to Yeonjun in ways you hadn't expected. As your conversations continued and your friendship deepened, you couldn't help but wonder if the charismatic young idol might be on the cusp of experiencing something he had sworn off - love, thanks to a chance meeting with you.

[irisbleufic]

There’s something really cozy about how messy and imperfect you let your characters be during sex. I’m not explaining this well but it does stand out to me, and it’s beyond captivating. They don’t push themselves to conform because they think their partner expects something of them, they just. Play things by ear? Let themselves react/adapt? It’s refreshing, thank you for that. It feels real and less rehearsed.

Oof, anon, I’m sorry I missed this! I remember getting an ask expressing a similar sentiment a handful of years ago that must have been in reference to…God, maybe my Good Omens stories (book-based, because I’ve never written show-based; I’ve been in GO fandom since it cropped up on LJ ca. 2004) since it was someone talking about the way I handle my immortals as being more prone to messy, vulnerable human intimacy when so many other writers in fandom decide to lean into the more polished outer limits of what immortality might mean for sex. I’m trying to remember how I answered that through the lens of Aziraphale and Crowley, but I realize that most of the asks I’m getting at the moment are focused on Daniel and Armand.

Actually, now that I’ve paused for a few minutes to make tea and eat something (I just woke up and had to take anti-seizure medication, too; it’s a whole recent to-do that irritates me), the core answer here is very similar. The immortals I write about do tend to be trauma survivors. It’s not always sexual trauma, but the broader umbrella trauma is around a lack of bodily autonomy and a lack of free will. I just don’t feel the need to put constraints or pressure on them. If they have forever, phases of experimentation will probably come and go if they get to a point of feeling like they want to try something different. I’m only looking at one limited window of time in my writing. In the case of Daniel and Armand, there’s an earlier window in which they had a different intimate dynamic already that I’m showing flashes of now and then. I did the same thing when I wrote my long haul with Aziraphale and Crowley. When characters have extensive history and fraught pasts where they’ve hurt each other, where maybe some of their early experimentation and power dynamics didn’t go well, where maybe one partner didn’t tell the other the full extent of their issues on purpose just so they’d be accepted, I tend to really, really say all cards go on the table in the present and the past shit that wasn’t working gets tossed out the window. They’re happy to have each other back above all else.

(There’s also the point that many of the immortals I work with are neurodivergent in some way, or are readable as such, and they don’t have typical, polished notions of romance and intimacy at all. It’s hopelessly charming and relatable to my Autistic ass. No way do I think hundreds or even thousands of years are going to make them too much better at this than most humans, so sue me.)

[love-byers]

Hi!! I binge-read some of your byler analysis, along with other users', and I can't help but STILL feel on the fence about hoping for byler endgame. I guess I just don't want to get my hopes super high only for them to be crushed by whatever CGI fest the düff3rs got in store to "go out with a bang" (while, obvs, sticking to the status quo and what they think the GA wants to see). I've seen so many intelligent people write media criticism pieces and analysis in support of the ship, but I still dread that the writers cry plausible deniability on all the clues they DID lay, that the people behind the N*f1ix social media accs confess that they've willingly posted queerbait to boost their engagement and thus get a bigger paycheck (I wouldn't blame them if they did, obvs; besides, it still means that some higher-up approved those misleading posts) and, worst of all, that this whole thing may end up blowing up negatively like the JohnLock conspiracy or the Voltron shenanigans or, y'know, the Supernatural fandom after Castiel's introduction and up until that lame ass final season. In your opinion, what makes byler different? Is there real hope for a satisfying mlm relationship from a show made by het men that capitalizes on 80s nerd culture nostalgia?

Sorry for coming off so jaded: I do wish for a byler ending, but it's been hard to keep my hopes aflame against these worries :c

i think everyone has some amount of doubt, which is totally understandable.

lgbt representation has come a long way, but a lot of us fans who are a bit older grew up consuming media that either had no representation or shitty representation. we sought ourselves in the media we loved and never found it, and corporations exploited that. nowadays there's way more representation that isn't left up to interpretation or censored, but a lot of the time that's in shows that are about romance and drama, high school a lot of the time. which is great, but stranger things is a sci fi show with romantic sub plots. it's easy for queer characters to end up being left out of a show like ST, but they haven't been at all.

one of the big messages of ST is embracing weirdness and being different. loving whatever it is you love, unashamed. when a character strays from being their true self or pushes away the things they love, there are consequences for the character. they become less likable to the audience. the entire theme of s4 is living in the truth, not hiding things, embracing love, being misunderstood simply because you're different. all of that is very queer coded. and it happens to be the season where will's love for mike fully comes into light.

there has been so much thought put into stranger things. the duffers have said there are no coincidences. they put thought into everything, thats why it takes so long to make a season, because they care so much. there are endless details i could point out not related to romance. they've also said they've been set on the ending for a while and will not be changing it to please people. i believe they said some people might not like the ending, but they don't care because they're making the story THEY want. which so far has uplifted queer people and promoted being different. so some antis may call be stupid for trusting them, but im choosing to. i believe they'll do these characters justice.

and my favorite quote from them is "The best plot twists don't make the audience say "wow I never saw that coming!", it makes you say "I should have seen that coming."

as a writer and a creative writing major, i definitely look up to the writers of ST. they are all incredibly talented and i hope one day i can put this much thought and love into a project. and, as a writer, i cannot see them throwing mike and will's relationship down the drain.

so, what makes byler different? there's very few shows where this much thought is put into everything. its not debatable that they do that, they've said it and its evident if you watch the show. so i refuse to believe all of these things between mike and will are just coincidences or accidents. there's just no possible way. i definitely had a klance phase and i can confidently say voltron writing is nowhere near the level of ST, and neither is supernatural. supernatural is one of those shows that has a lot of seasons and has gone all over the place in terms of writing and plot. the duffers have known the ending to this story since season 1. and unlike those shows with lots of seasons, ST only has 5. it won't be dragged on and beaten like a dead horse like some shows.

you don't have to completely eliminate your doubt. even i have doubt even after all i've said and posted. there is simply no way to confirm what'll happen before s5 releases, and they want it that way. just hold on until s5 friend

[milekael]

Hi!!! I come bearing big bang asks!

Favorite character/subject/object that was tough to draw?

Favorite and least favorite Royai tropes?

I can’t wait to see your full pieces!!!

HIII getting a bit late to these but hopefully is alright SDFGHJ

Favorite character/subject/object that was tough to draw?

OUGH HONESTLY?? Roy 😭 Idunno why, is just hard for me to make him look good? Or make him look in a way *I* perceive as good?? Other people tell me they like my Roy so idunno LOL

Ngl something that working for the Big Bang (doing 6 consecutive drawings of people) made me realize I am huh. Not very comfortable? Happy? with how I am drawing people and I been practicing in my own time with my OCs trying to see if I can get comfortable again/develop into an style that works

Is also so silly because bodies?? Hands?? those are perfect by me, is the heads and faces that I struggle A Lot to make them look good LOL I think this is the consequences of being a furry artist... 😔

Favorite and least favorite Royai tropes?

Answered some here and here ! I generally have a lot of opinions until someone asks me then I forget everything I have ever liked LOL huuuh I'm going to start with the dislike and then go to the like because they are related DFGH

I am going to be honest. I don't like how much this fandom puts an emphasis in the idea of marriage (Saying their relationship is not fulfilling until they are married or that is less because they have to keep it hidden) or even that they cannot date because of the anti-frat laws.......... LIKE I don't want to be that guy but. This is the queer trans man in me talking. I'm sorry they aren't oppressed LOL

Again is something that really bothers me over like... Idunno, all through history, even straight couples, had situations where they couldn't marry and had to keep relationships lowkey through their entire lives and were happy. It feels weird to me how many fanfics put "Royai is able to get married" as the ultimate goal in life when is like... idunno pal, you CAN be happy just like this......... WHICH LEADS ME TO. THING I LIKE. Man secret relationships are so fun SDFGH IN GENERAL but Royai with all the context going around is just so much fun. Having to sneak around, planning to have moments but also those that surge occasionally.... ough enrichment to my enclosure!! I looove office romances because it involves this and also having to create a separation between the relationship at work and the relationship under the covers

OUGH AND EXPLORING POWER DYNAMICS IS FUN!! I find Royai specially fun because the way it works is interesting. Yea they know each other since childhood so is not as straight forward, but there IS a power dynamic. Roy can try and push Riza around with his orders, Riza can get extremely angry at Roy because work has been going badly. Ough trying to have that difference, trying to act responsibly with each other but feelings are all around. I am eating my chair.

AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE!! this doesn't have to get in the way of them being happy or having a fulfilling relationship. They can't go and dance in public? then they dance together at their apartment. idunno there is something just. Charming, about everyday relationships that I think Royai can capture very well while also deals with two people in a very harsh moral situation....

[olderthannetfic]

https://www.tumblr.com/olderthannetfic/732112938662494209/its-always-been-kind-of-weird-to-me-that-incest

100% agree. I think the appeal of incest as a taboo in fiction is pretty obvious: people are attracted to the boundary-pushing, taboo nature of it, but they don't ACTUALLY want to fuck their relatives, they're still grossed out by that. but it's fun to watch someone else, someone fictional who is not their relative, transgress that particular taboo with someone else who is also not the reader's/viewer's relative (but is the character's relative). and by definition, there is an existing and likely complicated relationship between these characters that they can build on to create an interesting sexual/romantic relationship. the family relationship means the other person often knows and understands them intimately. there's often some degree of power imbalance. it just trips a lot of wires of things that people find exciting in romantic and smutty fiction.

it's also a particularly ridiculous thing to fixate on in terms of the supposed "real world" effects of reading idealized fiction about it. like, let's put aside the fact that we all know here that antis are wrong about what you get off to in fiction being what you're into irl, and the way they distort "representation matters" to mean that fiction always has a perfect 1:1 effect on how it influences people who consume it. for starters, incest is literally not something that an unrelated stranger can "groom you into," lol. because if they're not related to you it's not incest. and if they don't know anyone in your irl family... how would they be able to groom you that way? second, even if there were some potential that reading that would make you more interested in incestuous relationships more generally, that's only going to be a danger if there's someone else in your family who is already interested in and looking for opportunities to abuse that way.

(which, as a previous ask pointed out, is the only real "danger" of problematic fiction. yes, an abusive adult who wants to convince a teen that it's totally normal for them to have sex with that teen can probably use some fictional adult/teen romance they both like to make that seem more okay, but if they didn't have that they'd use something else. if they didn't have an adult/teen relationship, they'd use an age gap between adults - i've seen people use "well my parents were 10 years apart when they got married [as adults]" to excuse those kinds of relationships between adults and teenagers even though they're obviously different - and if they didn't have that, they'd find some other relationship that involved the characters having something in common with them. "age-gap relationships" are not inherently dangerous. abusers are dangerous, and abusers are opportunistic. shipping a certain dynamic does not make you an abuser. and honestly, probably the best people to put a stop to that are other people in that shipping community who can explain why enjoying this dynamic in fiction doesn't make it ok irl and how their feelings about the fictional vs. irl versions differ. but i digress)

honestly, i suspect that a lot of antis don't really understand what is the real "problem" with incest. they get overly fixated on blood quantum stuff, act like it's purely about the potential for birth defects and then project that same stuff on to couples where that isn't an issue (like same-sex couples, or distant cousins where the potential is significantly reduced). but the real issue is the potential for abuse. and most fictional incest either is an idealized version where that potential for abuse is not there OR if it's fucked-up, that is the POINT. no one was into shipping cersei/jaime in game of thrones because they were under the impression that the twins were NOT dangerously codependent. that was the appeal! it's the taboo of it all! it's that sometimes it's fun to watch people do things that they know are bad for them! it scratches the itch that makes you want to make bad choices yourself!

--

[mariacallous]

A wave of proposed legislation pushed by Republicans across the US at the state level is aimed at outlawing aspects of sexuality that could have a huge impact on Americans’ private lives and businesses.

Opponents to the laws before legislatures in various states say the planned new legislation could spawn prosecution of breast-pump companies in Texas for nipples on advertising, or a bookstore might be banned from selling romance novels in West Virginia, or South Carolina could imprison standup comics if a risque joke is heard by a young person.

The bills are part of a post-Roe nationwide strategy by the religious wing of the Republican party, now that federal abortion rights have fallen. They range from banning all businesses that sell sex-related goods to anti-drag queen bills. Tyler Dees, an Arkansas state senator who wrote an anti-porn bill said: “I would love to outlaw it all,” referring to porn.

The most prevalent bills relate to age verification of sex-related websites. Seventeen states drafted porn age-verification bills, many inspired by Louisiana’s law that went into effect in January. Louisiana’s law requires websites featuring 33.33% or more pornographic content to check government-issued ID to verify users are 18 and older. Websites that don’t comply face civil penalties. Parents can sue the site if kids access it.

In Texas, a new bill requiring age verification on websites with pornographic content defines images of the female breast “below the top of the areola” as porn, potentially hitting at business advertisements. In West Virginia, a bill outlawing all sexually oriented businesses is on the docket, with a definition that includes art studios with nude models and wrestling arenas. In South Carolina a bill would criminalize using “profane language” related to “sexual or excretory organs or activities” in front of minors during performances. The punishment? Up to a decade in prison.

Some bills define porn so broadly that anatomy textbooks or sex education websites would meet them.

“I don’t think such laws for the internet are constitutional,” said Eugene Volokh, a professor of Law at UCLA.

Laurie Schlegel, a Republican state senator who drafted the Louisiana law, is a sex-addiction therapist educated at Baptist seminary, who opposed transgender students from being on sports teams that align with their gender. Schlegel’s anti-LGBTQ+ views fit with the broader goal of the laws, according to Carolyn Bronstein, a professor of media studies at DePaul University.

“These laws are really not about controlling minors’ access to violent pornography … In the conservative world view, pornography is information about LGBTQ identity, abortion, gay marriage,” said Bronstein.

Eight states have justified their actions by saying that porn is “creating a public health crisis”. Louisiana’s bill claims that pornography “may lead to low self-esteem, body image disorders, an increase in problematic sexual activity at younger ages … impact brain development … shape deviant sexual arousal, and lead to difficulty in forming or maintaining positive, intimate relationships, as well as promoting problematic or harmful sexual behaviors and addiction.”

Historian Whitney Strub, an associate professor of history at Rutgers University, doesn’t think these ideas are well-founded. “Framing pornography as a public health crisis is not driven by serious engagement with the social scientific literature,” he said. “They’ve even got fake peer-reviewed journals that give the imprimatur of scholarship … It’s been a very smart rebranding of evangelical Christian conservatism.”

Why are all these bills being proposed now? Strub thinks it’s partly because of the overturning of Roe v Wade. “Abortion gave a certain coherence to conservative politics in the United States. And it certainly still does … but they’re in the position of Ahab if he slayed the white whale … I mean, there’s no more Moby-Dick.”

There is hypocrisy on display also.

In many of the states where the anti-porn bills are being put forth, minors can legally have sex and get married. “In Louisiana, you can have sex when you’re 17 with a person in their 30s, but you can’t watch porn,” said Jason Kelley, associate director of digital strategy for the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

In Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana, the age of consent is 16. With parental permission, Mississippi allows 15-year-olds to marry, Louisiana 16-year-olds, Arkansas 17-year-olds, and West Virginia kids of any age.

Dees, who wrote Arkansas’s age verification bill, a copycat of Louisiana’s, said porn causes depression and anxiety, divorce and “permissive sexual attitudes” and infidelity. “When I think about the children … I want to protect their innocence,” Dees said.

Strub said this is an old trope: “The political figure of the innocent and imperiled child just has a never-ending purchase on American politics … [it] essentially shuts down debate because it immediately creates a binary in which anybody who disagrees with you is [a] perverted groomer.”

Dees is also the co-author of anti-drag queen legislation in Arkansas, that classifies drag performances as the same category as pornography. “It’s not really a meaningful distinction to [conservatives]. They’re both sexual degeneracy in its different guises,” Strub said.

Dees claimed that his porn verification law “doesn’t have anything to do with any political messaging. It has to do with exposure to material that is harmful, period … There’s a clear enemy in the smut-peddling garbage that’s online.”

But measures already exist to prevent children accessing porn. “There’s a really easy way to keep kids from accessing adult content. And that’s a device-level filter” on mobile phones that block adult websites that are registered as Restricted to Adults, said Mike Stabile of the Free Speech Coalition, which advocates for the rights of sex workers.

These laws, according to Stabile, aren’t going to stop kids from looking at porn. “Even if they were to block all sites, you’re still going to have adult content on Twitter and Reddit … kids will get VPNs,” he said.

Stabile thinks we’ll see up to two dozen age-verification bills introduced by the end of the year.

Dees hopes he is right and has eyes beyond the state level eventually. “My prayer is that enough states continue to push for this measure, and that we send a loud enough message where federal law can be put into place,” he said.

[ca-suffit]

Sorry this is long. I'm working through the thought as I write this.

There's a post with kinda a lot of notes going around that idk how jokey it is and it's like here's what you need to have read/seen before watching IWTV so you understand the abusive patriach.

And well, I feel like it's part of the pattern of ppl pushing the show's critique of the abuse family structures enable in a way where they won't have to talk about race. How does Revolutionary Girl Utena relate to IWTV? How does Succession? I've never seen Succession, but their cast is almost completely white, which is racial commentary all its own... In Utena neither race nor colorism ever figures into the narrative iirc. I haven't read the Cairo trilogy since uni but I don't remember race factoring into it either??

Like Lestat was the abusive patriach of their family bcuz he's white! His power is gendered bcuz race is gendered (becuz power is gendered and so on). I think the show is in greater dialogue with James Baldwin and bell hooks than Yoji Enokido and Jesse Armstrong! Baldwin outright, didn't Rolin Jones say in an interview once that Giovanni's Room was a direct inspiration?

It just bothers me. The omission of art by Black creators was so striking I felt like someone slapped me. And maybe if then the tone wasn't so condescending and the idea that you have to have read The Oresteia to understand patriarchal violence so classist, maybe I could shrug it off. But you couple both and I'm like damn we squeezed the Greek and the Japanese in but don't mention even one Black person. I'm not saying the OP did it on purpose cuz I don't know the OP, but it felt so so glaring to me the times I've seen the post. Especially ppl sharing it going yeah exactly!! 😐

Lestat As Patriach to me is just more about white supremacy than the cisheteropatriarchy, and how despite Lestat's promises to Louis (be all the beautiful things you are etc) vampirism could not and does not free Louis (+ Claudia) from anti-Blackness. Altho patriarchy and white supremacy are closely related and both relevant to the show, obvs, it just rubs me wrong when one is ignored in favour of the other. And of course it's always the critique of whiteness that ends up ignored 🤔

Why is everyone so scared of mentioning that Louis is Black? Ugh. Sorry. I'd like your thoughts this fandom makes me feel like I'm off my meds. - 🦁

sry it took me a min to get to this, I wanted to track down the post itself for context. I can't find OP's username now but I remember seeing it before and it not being familiar. so idk otherwise what they've said about this post for the tone and intention.

I can say tho that utena and succession have made rounds here in comparison to iwtv from black fans sometimes. but I've also seen this post otherwise criticized before this ask for not having any black references on it. I tried to find that rolin quote about giovanni's room too, cuz I remember it, but idk where it is or what the whole context was anymore.

from being around the tumblr fandom, what I can say about this kind of stuff is that....from the book ppl to show fandom, both sides usually want to "prove" they're rly smart? it's for diff reasons but sometimes the same references. fandom in general keeps moving towards if u can make ur argument about whatever thing sound deep then that means it is and more ppl will support it. there's a lot of constant misuse of social justice and psychological terms as well as connections to art and literature. look how often ppl never talk about anything critically bcuz "it's gothic romance, sweetie" or "stop looking for morality in stories about vampires" (that was anne rice's whole point tho?? but ok lol). it's a lot of words to say nothing.

ppl will basically always jump thru more hoops than is necessary to look smart in ways that ppl have a broad connection to. a lot of black creators aren't well known to ppl in the first place and mostly only prbly by black ppl too, so referencing anything doesn't get u the points that greek "classics" or pop references get. it also depends on the age range of where anything is posted. this fandom tends to be 20s to 40s but with more emphasis on 20s now, prbly, so lots of focus on proving ur worth and intelligence in the world. this post feeds that type of thing. it's kind of a pat on the head that ur engaging with "smart" stuff.

idk if the post *was* meant as a joke or not bcuz this is the kind of stuff the fandom *will* weaponize in defense of white fandom shit in rly racist ways, so. like u said, it's always kind of about all these other things except the most obvious.....which doesn't take much book smarts to see, u just look at the world around u on any given day. but I've noticed ppl tend to avoid topics that hit too close to home, so this is a way to give distance to things too, I think. If it's all fictional then it can't hurt u fr and also u don't have to care about being vocal about anything or doing any work otherwise.

[fountainpenguin]

130 Reasons Why I'm Fairy Trash

💜 Lavender Train Arc

(July 2016 - Ongoing)

"Cripes, it's been years. Centuries? I dunno; I've been high for most of it... But it's easy. When I'm on peppermint, I can forget about what's bothering me. S-see, the thing is, I just can't stop thinking about Foop and Anti-Goldie... "I don't wanna make them do anything they don't want to. That's not fair to them. I wouldn't want Foop to do anything like that to my life if I had to be the one to copy him, so why should I be controlling his life like this? It should be his choice, you know? He sh-shouldn't have to be forced if he doesn't want to..."

- Drama, Romance, Angst, & Fluff

- Prompts related to the celebrity kids and friends: Poof, Foop, Goldie, Anti-Marigold, Sammy, Finley, Hiccup (Foop's alt personality), and Cavatina (Sanderson's son)

Summary

Spellementary School. Alberich Middle. Carl Poofypants High. Welcome to the best years of the rest of your life. Poof is no stranger to being strong or popular, but discovering he's a gyne - a "queen bee" among fairies - comes with its own challenges. That whole "fighting for dominance" and "driven to kill each other" thing certainly add stress that'll never go away... even if he wasn't incredibly anxious about his on-and-off poly girlfriend (Goldie) or H.P.'s eternal push to hire him at Pixies Inc. Foop's spent his life fighting for every scrap of respect his Fairy classmates see fit to give him. Exhausted by the complex dance of supporting his mother through a war, juggling his mistress with his actual betrothed, and struggling to restrain an alternate personality growing ever more protective and bitter, you have to wonder... is chasing universal domination even worth it anymore?

Rated Gen and T

Read on FFN | Read this arc on AO3

130 Sums | Full 130 Prompts Series (AO3) | Other Arcs

Cloudlands AU - Detailed warnings & other AU info

#130 arc guides - More posts like this

More Fairly OddParents 'fics

Highlights of this arc:

- Crocker starts long-term work at Spellementary School. Poof and Foop teach him the basics of magic. - The kiddos spend spring break with their grandparents. Well... I guess Finley's with his....... Head Pixie. - Poof and Foop each welcome a younger sibling into their life... in their own way. - With Anti-Cosmo missing in action, Foop struggles to support his mother through an interspecies war. - Hiccup (Foop's alternate personality) takes his mum to lunch. - Foop faces microaggressions while struggling to get a job in Fairy World. - Foop finally settles on a betrothed. Ugh... She's clever and nice, but it's a good thing romance is optional. Can you imagine flirting with your ruling partner? - Hiccup is very normal about his crush on Sammy Sweetsparkle. Uh-oh... - As things get serious with his betrothed (Anti-Coriander), Foop tells his girlfriend (Anti-Marigold) he'd like her to be his mistress. Yeah... That talk goes great. - Poof buries his incredible amounts of trauma beneath his peppermint addiction. Foop quietly helps him through school. - Poof and Foop team up when they find themselves the targets of an assassination plot. Wait, what?

Read on FFN | Read this arc on AO3

"We have to think of... celebrated heads of state or especially great communicators! Did they have brains or knowledge? Don't make me laugh! They were popular! Please..." (x)

[cosmicwishingwell]

## A Deeper Look: The Anti-Starboy Movement in Disney's Wish

The revelation of concept art featuring Starboy, a scrapped character from Disney's Wish, ignited an unexpected phenomenon: a wave of anti-Starboy sentiment among fans. This analysis delves into the motivations behind this movement and its broader implications for Disney's storytelling strategies, focusing on why Starboy's inclusion might not have resonated well with the audience.

**Why Starboy Wouldn't Have Worked:**

* **Narrative Dilution:** Introducing Starboy as a potential love interest for Asha could have easily overshadowed the core narrative of the film. A complex character like Starboy, with his shapeshifting abilities and likely backstory, would have demanded significant screen time to be developed effectively. This could have diverted focus from Asha's individual journey and the central themes of the film, such as the power of wishes and self-belief.

* **Character Arc Complexity:** A romantic subplot involving Starboy could have simplified Asha's character arc. Her growth and development might have become intertwined with the relationship, making her achievements feel dependent on external validation. By focusing on Asha's solo quest, the film allows her to overcome challenges and experience personal growth on her own terms, creating a more empowering and relatable narrative.

* **Thematic Cohesiveness:** A fantastical love interest like Starboy could have introduced a layer of dissonance to the film's thematic core. Wish, as evidenced by the final product, seems to prioritize themes of self-exploration, personal empowerment, and the importance of genuine connections. Starboy, with his potentially fantastical origins and abilities, might have clashed with this focus on grounded, relatable themes, creating a sense of thematic confusion for the audience.

* **Genre Expectations:** Disney's "Wish" falls under the genre of fantasy adventure. While romance can certainly be a part of this genre, introducing a shapeshifting space creature as a love interest might have pushed the boundaries of what the audience expected from the film. Fans, perhaps, were looking for a more traditional adventure story focused on Asha's personal growth and the fantastical elements directly related to the wishing magic.

* **Character Redundancy:** The concept art for Starboy depicts a young, androgynous figure. Disney already has a rich history of fantastical creatures serving as companions or guides in their animated films. Introducing Starboy might have felt repetitive, lacking the unique qualities needed to stand out from past characters and truly complement Asha's narrative.

**Conclusion:**

The anti-Starboy movement highlights the audience's desire for stories that prioritize strong individual narratives and avoid predictable tropes. While Starboy might have offered a fantastical element, his inclusion could have diluted the film's core themes and overshadowed Asha's journey. By removing him, the film maintains focus on its central message, allowing for a more cohesive and impactful story that resonates with modern audiences seeking empowering narratives.

[moralesmilesanhour]

That previous anon post was about gwen was spot on and it has me thinking things

I really hate how people think Miles and Gwen have to get together in btsv. Like they just need to be together romantically, like that's the only satisfying way to tie the story together and its not. Like yeah we know they'll reconcile and everything but even then, I feel like them rebuilding their friendship just being friends and working towards building trust would be more powerful and realistic, maybe that's the aromantic (and anti this ship lol) in me talking but it's not necessary to just throw them together cause they're the main boy main girl, or "the build up" (which wasnt that much I feel?) or like Miles is some prize for Gwen to win after she 'saves him and makes it up somehow. Plus, Miles doesn't need to be so dependent/obsessive on her because he has new spider friends! Hobie Margo Pavitr who are spider people his age and who he can bond with as well! It doesn't have to just be about Gwen anymore (I'm seriously begging the writers to build his relationships with the other spiderteens and give focus to them and not just center Gwen, because centering and pushing the white girl over the black/poc characters will always rub me wrong)

Sorry for dumping this on you, I just had some thoughts xD

Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

For one, I also think that it's kinda odd how many people feel that romance would be the only satisfying way to end their arc. Friendships being explored in a story have always held more weight to me than romance, especially if the romance in question feels unearned or contrived (which, let's be real, is the case for most het canon ships 🥴)

I think spiderverse is going to have to deal with the fact that Gwen is no longer the only person that Miles can possibly relate to or form bonds with. I would have an extremely difficult time believing that Miles' crush on her would be more valuable at this point in the story than his relationship with the characters who were actually there for him when it mattered. Them suddenly jumping back into a romance would feel odd.

It's no hate to Gwiles shippers though (at least the ones that are normal about it). I just don't feel inclined to be emotionally invested in their romantic potential 😭 I think rebuilding their friendship would be a much more realistic goal to work towards story-wise bc spiderverse already has so much going on

[praeteritus-memories]

ɢᴇᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴜɴ

ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘɪᴄᴋ ᴜᴘ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛ ᴍᴜꜱᴇ(ꜱ) ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ?

Some of them it's hard to really pinpoint an exact reason why I pick up some muses, mainly I just get an itch to write a specific archetype or character, but usually it's because something about that character resonated with me! An example being that I really relate to Noriaki Kakyoin or with Alastor/Alucard, I just really wanted to write a sort of villain or character with some fucked up morals. It's fun and it challenges my writing a lot! I guess mainly, I like characters I feel I understand well or characters that push me out of my comfort zone.

ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ?

Anything to do with SA, it's an absolute NO from me but I would think that's obvious that writing SA is kinda gross for roleplay? There's other stuff too, I really don't like ABO AU's, I just think the whole "alpha" and "beta" thing is just really weird and not my thing. Finally is just weird fetished, man. I'm not gonna RP a character getting blown up like a balloon or anything like that, no offence but it makes me EXTREMELY uncomfortable.

ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ?

I love writing angst, romance, fluff, slice of life or even action!!! Those are all really fun genres to RP for me, especially angst because I'm a sadistic son of a bitch, so I get super hyped to RP messing with my muses!

ʜᴏᴡ ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇᴀᴅᴄᴀɴᴏɴꜱ?

I'm usually inspired by music or fan art. Sometimes it's just me making a general observation and running with it or basing a headcanon off of life experiences!

ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ɪɴ ꜱɪʟᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴏʀ ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴍᴜꜱɪᴄ?

Music, absolutely. When I'm having trouble writing a muse, I listen to a song from a private muse playlist I made on Spotify that I associate with that muse and it REALLY helps me get more into character.

ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘʟᴀɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʀᴇᴘʟɪᴇꜱ ᴏʀ ᴡɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇᴍ?

Heavily depends on the RP! If it's a plotted RP, I do plan my replies for the most part but if it's one where I don't 100% know where it's going, I just wing it and hope for the best lol

ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ ꜱʜɪᴘᴘɪɴɢ?

YYEEESSSSS

ᴡʜᴀᴛ'ꜱ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴀʟɪᴀꜱ/ɴᴀᴍᴇ?

Lu!

ᴀɢᴇ?

26

ʙɪʀᴛʜᴅᴀʏ?

November 17th

ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ(ꜱ)?

Black, purple and pink!

ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ꜱᴏɴɢ(ꜱ)?

UGH THAT'S HARD. In Iolite by GHOST-P Ft Prinz, World Behind my wall by Tokio Hotel, Beautiful Times by Owl City, Patches by CircusP Ft KAITO and DEX and The Prayer Song For Rain by HitoshizukuPxYama Ft Rin/Len Kagamine

ʟᴀꜱᴛ ᴍᴏᴠɪᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜᴇᴅ?

Dune 2. I got roped into seeing it and I didn't see the first one. It's good, I mean the costuming and design is incredible, but eehhhh I'm not a huge sci-fi person. I do like the anti-chosen one message though!

ʟᴀꜱᴛ ꜱʜᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜᴇᴅ?

The Tudors, I'm almost done with season one!!!

ʟᴀꜱᴛ ꜱᴏɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪꜱᴛᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ?

Rabbit Hole by Deco*27 Ft Miku Hatsune

ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ꜰᴏᴏᴅ?

That's so hard when I'm honestly such a foodie lol It's a solid tie between papusas and alfredo pasta, gosh they're so damn good!

ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ꜱᴇᴀꜱᴏɴ?

Fall! I love weather that's nice, cold and breezey so I can take walks and open windows!

ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴛᴜᴍʙʟʀ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ?

Absolutely! @solartomes and @solacanis are some of my best friends on this site! I adore the both of them with my whole heart and they've been there for me through some pretty rough times in my life. My other best friends don't RP on Tumblr anymore, but we've all been one big group that I love to death!

Tagged by: @origami-assassin , another friend!!!! Tagging: @sncwlight , @featherchan , @waywardsculs , @hcttrick , @sacredpit , @swordsxandxsakuras and @gctchell !

[shadowqueenjude]

The fandom is so lucky to have you! We appreciate having you here and all that you contribute to it ❤️❤️

1. What brought you into the fandom?

2. What character(s) do you feel the most connected to and why?

3. Out of all of SJM’s books, which one means the most to you and why?

4. Out of all of the SJM couples (fanon, canon, endgame, etc) which one means the most to you and why?

Keep doing you ❤️

This is so sweet! It made my day🥹

1. I finished the ACOTAR series late 2023 and I was devastated to find out that it wasn’t completed! It’s soooooo hard waiting for the next installment in a series. I went through this with The Land of Stories and The Trials of Apollo too 😭😭😭. So yeah I searched online for Elucien/pro Lucien/anti IC content and I couldn’t find shit ANYWHERE. The only place I even saw some decent content was on Tumblr, so I started posting my analyses and rants and writing about ACOTAR and it turned out many people agreed with me! It was such a relief to finally find Lucien stans who also saw holes in SJM’s writing!

2. I resonate with Nesta the most. She’s just so relatable and human to me. First with the parental trauma (real), second with feeling like they’ve disappointed everybody because they weren’t able to do things that no teen girl should have to do, pushing people away because she’s afraid they’ll leave, spitting facts and everybody getting mad at you for it. And Nesta’s modesty: damned if you do, damned if you don’t. I’ll never forgive SJM for robbing her of her modesty, but it’s honestly reflective of how women like her are treated irl. My own family wants me to be more modest (i’m already pretty damn modest) while the outside world wants me to be less modest, and it’s really frustrating being put in a box like that and not being able to be yourself. Nesta’s hard shell soft interior is me-core.

3. I think by far SJM’s best book is Tower of Dawn. The worldbuilding, the romance, the plot, the chemistry between Chaol and Yrene (and Nesryn and Sartaq) was perfection. And Chaol being a genuinely flawed and human character in a world full of Fae feeling useless and learning to grapple with himself and find his purpose and a man who had always prided himself on his body learning to see that he is so much more than that, that he is as much a man with his wheelchair as he is without it, and Yrene, a character who rules by peace and healing, not violence and destruction, showing everybody how strong she is…well, it’s unlike so many of SJM’s books and she didn’t write it to be popular and tropey (Chaol is wildly unpopular in the TOG fandom) which is why it’s so good.

4. My favorite SJM couple that is already confirmed endgame is Elide and Lorcan from Throne of Glass. God, I love them. Elide, the cunning little witch with a limp and innocent eyes, showing just how strong she can be, wielding Lorcan’s axe (😍) and saving him on the battlefield. Manipulating everybody with a few choice words and a flutter of her eyes. Lorcan being utterly mesmerized from the start. Being a menstruation king and taking such good care of her during her periods. Washing her clothes, bringing her dinner…i mean he is so malewife. Elide being a canon ace queen who only engaged in sexual activities after she trusted and loved Lorcan so deeply that she would allow herself to be vulnerable with him. Elide being sassy as hell and Lorcan being into it. Another human, very real character who is a survivor and quite unlike any other character in the SJM-verse.

Aside from that, Ruhnlidia is 🔥 and amongst those which aren’t technically canon endgame yet, Elucien. The political couple. The fashion-forward couple. The charming couple. The regency couple. The brown-eyed couple. The nonviolent couple. They’re the only two who know they’re mates from the start. Arranged marriage forced proximity trope. The tension, the yearning, Lucien as a fucking male lead…gahhhhhhhwodnwksnaklahiknj

Anyway thanks for the ask!

[just-antithings]

Trigun Stampede is the funniest fandom to be in. It got everything problematic that antis hate and just refuse to acknowledge.

Spoilers for the new anime.

Wolfwood/Vash Shippers? Age Gap. Wolfwood is a 12 year shota in a man body due to unethical, genetic experiments that aged him and gave him regenerative powers. Vash is like pushing 150.

Meryl/Vash - Age gap. Meryl is deemed problematic because some consider her a loli cuz she is not only short but very young looking despite being an adult.

Any human relationship with Vash is problematic due to the fact he is not only immortal but one of the reason the humans are on the planet in the first place.

Vash/Nai - Plantcest. They are siblings. On top of that Nai is an abusive sibling who is obsessed with his twin Vash. He is a yandere to a T. All the atrocities he commits to to keep his dear brother safe from the horrible humans who he desires to genocide.

Vash/Nai/All the plants he got pregnant- All plants are genetically cloned. They are cloned from a single organism, thus all plants are related. Vash and Nai are Independent plants born from one of the original clones. Thus any plant Vash or Nai impregnated or romance is incest no matter what.

No ship is safe here. No ship has the high ground here. It’s the funniest to see people in this fandom complain only to be easily rebutted when their ship is found out.

I love it. I don’t even ship incest. But if I am in the circus might as well go full clown.

hell yeah