#ren replies

[sailorsunspot]

I have a theory that you love Sabrina Carpenter because she is closest person in mainstream media to doing what I consider classic/high femme. It's like her me and Dolly left ahaha(Even though we know that being high femme is not playing with gender and expectations at all and is much less cool than moving toward masculinity!)

Oh yeah, I don't even think this is a theory, it's just straight fact.

I've gone on tangents about how her performance of femininity is so deliberate and heightened it's almost the other side of drag. I, obviously, have an INTENSE amount of respect and appreciation for that kind of gender play, so it makes absolute sense why she's really captivated me in ways none of my prior pop favorites have. The way I see it there's three things she's doing:

1. Attention to detail.

Her team has really been meticulous about crafting her image in ways that are distinctive and specifically flattering to her. Instead of following the trends she's chosen to embrace silhouettes and vintage styles that emphasize and play to her strengths, all the while maintaining a specific image. She doesn't care about submitting to the expectations of others around her regarding her style, and in that way she is a trend-setter (CLASSIC CLASSIC high femme behavior).

2. Playing for the girls.

Her music/performance UNDOUBTEDLY centers women as its core audience. I'd almost characterize her songs as a female power fantasy, even though like 90% of her songs are about boys and love and relationships, they're more about her relationship with the concept of love/sex/dating than any partner (even when they are SPECIFICALLY about a specific guy cough Please Please Please).

It's really interesting to see and I don't know if I can do it justice when I try to describe it, but you can see it immediately if you watch her Short and Sweet tour - she's literally running around in lingerie for half of it and even getting into some really explicit sexual positions but it's oriented from the female gaze in a way that while raunchy it doesn't feel like...degrading? It's playful, it's sexually empowering - it's almost burlesque-like except without the stripping.

3. She's so incredibly fucking cute and I am so incredibly fucking gay.

I think the things that really stands out to me is it's such an intentional and deliberate love letter to femininity. Like her style and her music isn't really doing anything new outside of her specific cheeky type of humor, she's deliberately making references to famous actresses and songstress' in the past (for example, multiple references to  Goldie Hawn, the obvious Dolly inspiration in Short and Sweet, etc.). She's really, truly celebrating what it means to be a woman past, present, and future. Even in her sad and more vulnerable songs, she's coming at it almost from a place of solidarity of expressing specific facets of the female universal experience (Lie to Girls, Coincidence).

And as a butch woman, there is literally nothing in the world I love more than women and femininity.

Anyway I think you sent this more as a commentary on high femme and I kinda went off on a Sabrina tangent, but reiterating, I so completely agree, haha. You high femmes are doing the good work and I cannot thank you enough for it. Thank you so much for sending me this ask and allowing me to rant on main about this.

[murdockmeta]

hi, im new here (not to dd just to the tumblr sphere— why does everyone seem to hate zdarsky/checchetto? i really enjoyed the first part of zdarkys run and i adore checchetto’s art + design, so idk what i missed that makes everyone who comicsposts dislike it so much??

hm. this isn't the easiest question to answer. there's a LOT of different reasons as to why people disliked that run.

tbh I'll admit the first 20 or so issues of v6 are kind of okay. not impossible to read. it goes downhill fast after that, tho. very very downhill.

here's this post by @/xycuro-illuminati that does a good job of explaining why so many people disliked the run. here's my post on the ableism in zdarsky's writing. trust me you aren't the first person who's asked this question before

i'll give you a more general answer of my own opinion, tho

zdarsky's writing misses what most consider to be crucial points of Matt and Elektra's characters. with this, he entirely obliterates their characterization and that really pissed a lot of comics fans off.

i would consider volume 6 to be the beginning of the MCU-ification of dd. it is clear that at that point, some higher-ups were pushing for daredevil comics to become more like the show. the show was a MASSIVE hit and they wanted to cash in on that. so, they had the writers start shifting the comics and the characterization around to fit the show better.

this is where the problem lies. it is insulting, honestly, to ignore the past 50 plus years of writing for matt's character to shift it into something that will be more palatable to live actions fans just so marvel can get a good payday.

the most glaringly noticeable part of this is - the catholicism. the live action show makes a big deal out of matt being catholic when this was never really the case in the comics. while matt being religious and catholic are present in matt's background in the comics, it's not even close to being a big part of the character.

one of the main things that makes matt so compelling as a character is his morality, his integrity. he upholds his moral code relentlessly because he believes it is the right thing to do. he believes everyone deserves a second chance no matter what. in zdarsky's run and in the show, matt's reason for upholding his moral code is tied to his religious beliefs.

here's a good post on the origins of catholicism being related to matt's character and how it differs from the show and why it is such an injustice to tie matt's morality to his religion.

it's really really hard to articulate every single thing that's wrong with zdarsky's run while also giving you a thorough explanation.

i could tell you about how zdarsky's original plot was focused around matt's guilt when he accidentally kills someone but... matt's killed people before. he killed someone in his very first issue. ever. he was chasing after the man who was responsible for his father's murder and scared him so badly the man had a heart attack and died.

all of zdarsky's plots and subplots are all things that have been done over and over, he just writes it worse.

i could tell you about how shitty checchetto's art is. he can't draw women. or fat people (foggy fans deserve reparations). toward the end of the run he gets ESPECIALLY sloppy. he whitewashed kirsten and sam.

i could tell you about how zdarsky wrecked elektra's character. he completely ignored her origins and the character development she's had over the course of decades of writing just to slap some random retconned backstory onto her.

theres so. many. things.

i got into the comics through the show. when I started reading the comics I honestly perceived comics matt and show matt as two entirely different characters because they just felt so incredibly separate from one another. it is not that there are zero similarities, but their reasons for WHY they are the way that they are diverge wildly from each other

i dont know how else to put it except to say this. when I read zdarsky's run, I do not feel like I'm reading about Matt Murdock. it doesn't feel like matt, it doesn't feel like daredevil. it feels like an entirely new character that I do not know.

to fully explain to you why i feel that way would take a damn book. i realize that my answer isn't at all comprehensive and some parts are probably confusing but it is impossible to pick a start and end point. that's just not matt. that's it.

[serenitysilverheart]

Hey! I think Synthesizer is really cool character. As someone who is plural and has alters its really cool to see. But I just wanted to tell you you should probably avoid the term “split personalities” in future writing. Plural or system is more accurate and less stigmatized!

Systems can be just two people like your guys so no worries about not having “enough” alters/headmates/members/etc to be one. If you ever have any questions or want specific resources our DMs are open :-)

Ooh, I'll make sure to keep that in mind for the future, thank you! (Also, edited the previous post! Feel free to DM me if it's still not worded correctly. ^^)

[witchofren]

Hey, not wanting to push you if you’ve already answered this but are there gonna be further updates to Mint Ice-cream and bubblegum kisses?

The writing is fantastic and I’d love to see how it all ends

Hey, Anon! And everyone, really.

I want to finish that story. I really do. About once a week, I open the document and stare at it for an hour and then I just...close it. It's a bit of a writing slump, but there is another reason.

I've talked about my diagnosis with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome on my profile before. At least, I think I have. It might've been on a different blog. My memory is so bad these days.

EDS is a connective tissue disorder that heavily affects the joints. Usually, this is my knees, hips, and lower back. Anything from the waist down.

Early in January last year, I started noticing other places being affected. I was in makeup school at the time and I started to struggle with doing small detail work and repetitive things. I didn't see it as a big deal at the time, considering I was sculpting for eight hours, five days in a row.

About a year ago, I started college as a flute major. I've played flute for nine years by that point. School started September. I was told in early October that, medically, I had to stop playing flute.

It was...difficult, to say the least. Coming to terms with that kind of thing was a grieving process. It really was. And I can talk all day about what that's like and the thought process I had and how my last concert ever as a flutist really was, but I won't here. What this is all culminating to is: I *can't* write like I used to.My hands tire out and cramp up and they just don't work like they used to when I started the story. I have it lined out. I know how it ends. It's just...writing it. And when it comes down to it, at the end of the day, my own body is unreliable. I could type five words, I could type five thousand. I won't know until I start.

TL;DR version: I want to update it in the future, but it's all down to what my body will allow me to do.

[lotus-pear]

looking cool joker !!

[renniferno]

okay i haven't seen ANY of the movies tell me why they suck and why i should or shouldn't see them. be as vague as possible. the central bingo square is 'casting for names and not for ability' which is all modern movies ever anyway.

Is it too soon to say sonic 3 was bad.

[isjasz]

[Day 73]

🤫

Manifesting returning and new members in life series season 5 starts NOW🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️

+ a bonus for my replies on twt (I WANTED TO DRAW ANOTHER BATCH BUT NO TIME KSJDAWIJDKL)

[pyjamacryptid]

Quick, Merlin is trending! I'm using it as an excuse to ask you to share a merlin doodle or old sketch or WIP :) anything as silly as you want to celebrate this random day :)

Oh!! Well don’t mind if I do! 💕

Have a Morgana portrait that I lost steam on (but I’m still chipping away at!)

[sailorsunspot]

the point of that post abt queer media isn’t whether you specifically enjoy/dont enjoy smth, it’s the way the internet at large will go out of its way to target queer things for every little mistake and criticize it in a way they wouldn’t for straight media. for example there’s a hundred and one mid ‘cringey’ straight romance webcomics out there that no one cares about, but for some reason the boyfriends webtoon gets such intense and extreme vitriol for seemingly no other reason than…it’s a cutesy slice of life with low stakes? and it’s kinda cringe? people fall over themselves to call it fetishizing and problematic when 1) they have not even read it, and 2) its creator IS a trans man, who has been endlessly harassed and misgendered ever since it became popular to hate on his webcomic

Real talk - I think you and I aren't ever going to agree on this. There's no ill will here, I wish you the best in life etc. etc. That being said, lemme get into it.

Who was the audience of that post? Where was it posted? What motivated that post?

It was posted on tumblr - specifically queer tumblr (although is there any other kind) - so we can make the informed assumption that it was written with a queer tumblr audience in mind. What motivated it? Likely frustration at queer tumblr being critical of queer media, because as I highlighted earlier - that's where the post was written.

So if we can agree on those two assumptions, then let's get to the meat of the complaint which is what I found that post so eye-rolly.

Let's call a spade a spade. This was a classic tumblr callout post, vagueblogging , moral grandstanding, a perfect example of the Tu Quoque fallacy. It's standing on the false premise that because there exists "bad" straight art that isn't criticized, "bad" queer art shouldn't be ever be criticized.

When the reality is, who says the "bad" straight art ISN'T being criticized? Maybe the reason queer tumblr doesn't spend time criticizing mediocre straight romance webcomics is because queer tumblr doesn't consume or care about mediocre straight romance webcomics or whatever.

Conversely, maybe the reason X webtoon gets criticized is because its primary audience wants more from it and actually cares about the subject.

And lets take it a step beyond - so what if straight art isn't criticized? Shouldn't we as people ask for more from what we like? If I criticize something it's because I care about it - it's because I see something within it, some untapped potential that I want to encourage it to rise to.

So yeah. I have no idea what webcomic you're referring to and don't really care to know. I just know that this preciousness regarding queer media is one of the primary reasons that I, a full ass lesbian with a fiance and a life, avoid queer media like the plague until it has been appropriately vetted by several trusted parties. A lot of it isn't good. And that's fine - I think bad art still has a place in the world. I also have my fair share of bad art that I enjoy! There's stuff that I think is just fun, and I don't really engage with critically.

But the constant babying of queer media is such a fucking problem and it's so tiresome, lol. I dunno how other people dont find it patronizing as fuck.

[murdockmeta]

What dd run do you recommend for someone who wants to get to know Matt as a character?

Or better question; what issues?

"get to know Matt as a character" hm. fantastic question. I personally read volumes 3, 4, and 5 first before going back and reading some of the older stuff in volume 1. and it's really only been recently that I'd say I have a good grip on Matt's character.

Important parts of Matt's character are his resilience and integrity, his insistence on fighting for others' fair treatment, his admiration for the value of all life, his compassion for others no matter their situation, and his dedication to those he considers family.

Other important parts of Matt's character are his pride, his impulsivity, his lack of regard for his own safety/well-being, his destructive tendencies, and his poor coping mechanisms (which are plentiful in number; most notably perhaps being how he isolates himself from others).

These all tend to feed into one another. I'm going to try and suggest what I think showcases these parts of him.

fair warning: I definitely haven't read everything, namely volume 2 and a large bit of Miller's run, which most people consider very important.

if you're looking for a specific volume that's beginner-friendly, I'd say volume 3 is a good place to start, but if you want (in no particular order) a list of specific issues--

Daredevil Volume 1 issue 1 (Lee) - this one I have to rec out of pure respect. it gives you Matt's origin story and shows you a lot of his values that are still present in the modern-day character. though, if you're really not into older comics, I could say it's probably safe to skip until you feel more comfortable with the character

Daredevil: The Man Without Fear #1-5 (Miller) - this is probably considered the most iconic daredevil arc ever written, and for good reason. as many issues as I have with miller, he's a fantastic writer, and this retelling of matt's origin is gold.

Daredevil Volume 3, issues 28-36 (Waid) - waid just really Gets matts character, we get to see matt beat up bigots and really show off his positive traits while combating the more negative ones

Daredevil Volume 1, issues 301-306 (Chichester) - Re-introduction of the owl in a compelling way, slice of life interactions, spider-man crossover. what's not to like. chichester is excellent at highlighting matt's endless compassion and value for life while also remembering matt's destructive tendencies

Daredevil Volume 4 issue 000.1 (Waid) - showcase of matt's compassion and impulsivity; probably one of the best attempts by ANY writer to capture what matt's radar sense is like

Spider-Man: Daredevil (Matthews) - kinda shows off the inherent Weirdness that comes with matts abilities, I love how this issue gives you a good glimpse at Matt and Ben Urich's relationship, and it really just hits the nail on the head for matts characterization while giving you enjoyable slice of life moments

Daredevil Volume 4 issues 11-12 (Waid) - again, shows off matt's compassion (that's his most admirable quality imo), shows him combating his pride so he can help others, and displays how his willingness to see the good in people can be used against him

Daredevil Volume 1 issues 609-612 (Soule) - imo the best dd arc ever written, right next to miller's tmwf. just. perfect, no notes. i tear up and get chills every time I read it. Ill cry thinking about it right now. it sums up everything matt is and represents as a character, the good and the bad, and i could gush about it all day

If I had to suggest any kind of reading order, save v1 #609-612 for last. it's called "the death of daredevil" for a reason. it's not gonna have nearly as much impact if you don't already know something about the character.

thank you so much for the ask!! I really enjoyed replying to it and I hope this was helpful :)

[doublxpresso]

what if the white hair is a result of diving too many times/staying in a timeline for too long lmaooo hahaha just kidding!! wouldnt that be silly!!! 🤪

[serenitysilverheart]

i don't know if you own montague still but i think someone stole him again

I do still own him so please feel free to dm me with further details!

[witchofren]

Hey! I used to follow you, but ended up deleting my acount. Now after a few months I made a new one and was just wondering if you still write and post stuff. Lots of love and have a good day!

Hi!

It’s sweet you came back :)

I still write a little bit but have not posted a lot recently. I have been struggling with writer’s block, but I’m hoping to at least finish the Bucky story at some point. I won’t let it go unfinished but it’s finding motivation

If you want to see if I have any writing you haven’t seen yet, check my AO3!

If I post anything I’ve written, it’s usually on AO3 and I don’t cross post a lot anymore.

[pinkrose05]

Soooooo very normal about this skit btw

[fizzypinkblooded]

How about your take on a reverse au?

Either Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi with switch personalities or switched powers? Or even Cheng Xiaoshi being the one traveling to the past to save Lu Guang?

this would be something i'd have to make a full long winded AU on to really do justice to myself over tbh. i decided to go with the second part of this with cheng xiaoshi being the one timelooping himself, if only because the way their powers work with their personalities from a character analysis pov is Very deeply rooted to me and i would have to be a lot of thought into how it would work and effect them as people in a way that i just don't think is what anyones asking for here LMAO

i also think its interesting to put cheng xiaoshi into this situation. cxs doesn't loop in canon when he believes lg died- so, what would drive him to do that ?

anyway, i think if cxs was the one looping he would have a lot harder time pretending to be normal than lg does, considering lg already slips up quite a bit.

[whatajahwouldtheybe]

tbh....some of these i'm like. 'they'd swear to the dark and transfer from their first ajah to the black ajah actually'

There is no war in Ba Sing Se.

There are no Darkfriends in the White Tower. That is a vile slander made up by the Tower's enemies. 😌