#rory uphold

[soovermyself]

[sassysophiabush]

[moviesandmania]

SORRY, CHARLIE Horror thriller - reviews and free on Amazon Prime and Tubi

‘He’s quite the gentleman’ Sorry, Charlie is a 2023 American horror thriller film about a remote helpline volunteer who is targeted by a stranger who lures women from their homes with a recording of a crying baby. Produced, directed, edited by and co-starring actor and filmmaker Colton Tran (The Bell Keeper; Snow Falls; Sorry, Charlie; Spook; Raising Kayn) from a screenplay written by executive…

[pyro-les]

Masterpost:

Agatha All Along:

Rio Vidal X reader:

Oneshots:

Jealousy

While on the road some fo the coven take an interest in Reader constantly flirting with her, que a very protective and jealous Rio

One purpose

The story of how Rio and her childhood best friend turned lover became divine beings

To save a life

Personification of life reader and Rio make one exception to the rules of their jobs, they let someone live longer than they should

Series:

Bad omen

Reader has the power to see when people will die,like many witches she was misjudged by humans, her predictions being seen as her condemning them to die. Rio knows what it's like to be blamed for deaths and on a paticularly bad day for reader decides to finally introduce herself to her.

Love in the darkest hour - A 'Bad Omen' tale

Rio comes home to find Y/N sitting on the ground suffering from a guilt induced panic attack, she stays to reasure her that her powers are not something to hate.

Agatha Harkness X reader:

Oneshots:

Covetous longing

Wanda drops off the twins for Agatha and Reader to look after but doesn't actually leave instead staying to flirt with R despite her and Agathas obvious attempts to get her to leave

How the tables turn

Agatha is usually calm and confident but for once the roles have reversed and Y/N is the one taking the lead while Agatha is a fumbling mess of nerves.

Agathario:

Series:

Rescue:

Part 1

After collecting a murdered witches soul Rio spots a small child now left alone and decides to take them in

Part 2

When Billy comes to find Agatha to go down the witches road he finds two more witches with her. At first they are unwilling to go to walk the road but what if they could bring him back?

Oneshots:

A long time coming

Rio's perspective while Agatha was stuck as Agnes and her breaking Agatha free

Hazbin Hotel

Radioapple: request open

Series

A Promise to uphold: ~on AO3~

After Lillith had left Lucifer was left alone with an empty home and broken heart, in search of something to do to fill the time on his own Lucifer meets a certain radio host and vows never to miss a broadcast.

Mean girls:

Regina George X reader: requests closed

Series:

It's a blessing and it's a curse:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Wip list

My Agatha all along Discord server

My AO3 account

About me:

Hi, I'm Rory (she/her). In a nutshell I'm essentially: a quirky drama kid, a nerd, a coffee adict and a writer. I'm in far too many fandoms to count but some of my faves include Marvel, Horizon Zero Dawn, ATLA, Hazbin Hotel and many many more. I also really enjoy reading comics and plays.

Still a somewhat new writer but I enjoy it so please do send in requests because reading ideas really helps:) please note I am at a full time course in college and work on the weekends so updates may not always be super fast but I try my best, so please be patient. If you have any questions or just feel like chatting feel free to send an ask or pm.

[katoska]

Ok, I know shippers are having a ball with the "psychic link" line, but personally, I don't think it's needed to explain Betelgeuse's new smoopyness (+ I don't like magic-induced/fated love, but you do you).

My personal theory is that Lydia subconsciously hit "block" on him so she can pretend he's gone forever. This is imo substantiated by the fact that she can't/won't see Richard - who's body was never found, and whose death was thus deniable as long as she did not see his ghost - either.

And while Richard was ok with not being seen because he was the kind of chill guy who would be satisfied with seeing his family to make sure they were ok, Betelgeuse... is not that kind of guy.

Betelgeuse is a huge drama queen who wants ALL the attention. He wants acknowlegdement. He's the ghost with the most, and you better not forget it.

So, imagine how he must have felt the first time Lydia showed up in a house he'd been hired to haunt ...and did not acknowledge him. Did not see him, didn't seem to see the monster he turned into that still had his face, nothing stripey or funny or with any of that personal touch seemed to register. Flying books, rattling cutlery, cold spots, all that boring generic stuff she could see, but nothing Juice-y.

He'd get fucking obsessed with making her notice him.

Which would mean making sure that he's there the next time she investigates another haunting, or luring her in by making a house look spectacularly haunted (coming to see her mere presence as a reward for a job well done in the process). And maybe, anytime a client forgot to banish him (do they even all get told how to do that?), he might have, if he was close enough, managed to drop in on her outside work, try to catch her off-guard. Which would mean getting awareness of her personal problems, again, and feeling empathy for her, again.

Cause I think that's the main emotion he felt for her back when she was a weird and unusual, deeply lonely, overty suicidal teen. I believe that very creepy tone he used when talking about "Edgar Alan Poe's daughter" was there to mask the fact that he was feeling sorry for her and felt a kinship with her because his existence also sucked. Cause, like, he's got a reputation to uphold, he can't be seen caring about some Breather's feelings or be seen relating to them unironically.

Except in this movie, Betelgeuse seemed to be in a far better headspace (while Lydia very much was not), so when he realised he still cared about her feelings, he couldn't put it down to projection. He had to acknowledge that he'd become attached. I headcanon that he figured out just how attached he'd gotten shortly after she started seeing Rory, cause... ok, hands up: Who else here, when watching the movie, had the thought "Wow, Rory sucks! She'd have been better off with Betelgeuse." Like, idc if you ship Beetlebabes or not, it's just objectively true that Betelgeuse would be the better option (even if you only think that's because the bar's in hell). I think that same thought would have crossed B's mind, too, upon which he'd have his "Oh. Oh. Oh shit" moment. He later made sure that Lydia too would become aware just how goddamn shitty Rory was, and he technically did not need to do that because Lydia already did not want to marry Rory, but y'know, it'd make B look better in her eyes if he made her aware of and helped her dodge this particular bullet.

Though actually, maybe this had been strategically unwise. Only if Betelgeuse had really planned on coercing Lydia into marriage ofc, which I don't buy in the first place. But for argument's sake: If Betelgeuse hadn't given Rory that truth serum, Lydia could have used the demon deal as a non-confrontational escape from her engagement. Which would have made her less inclined to pull any tricks to get out of her marriage with B, because even if she escaped him there would still be Rory. Ok yeah, Rory eventually got eaten by a Sandworm, but B couldn't have predicted that. But, speaking as a Code 699 truther (tldr: B knew the contract would be voided but either hoped Lydia would marry him anyway, or the whole song and dance was just about him wanting to declare his feelings), he could have predicted his marriage contract being voided. Though personally, I have doubts that Astrid would have been as quick to speak up if Lydia hadn't broken up with Rory and Rory hadn't got eaten.

[bitterrobin]

rehashing the Damian-Tim-Dick dynamic (as it goes in canon) is soooo tiring but by god i'll do it. I NEED to explore all of those events from Damian's POV, because so many fics out here only portray Tim's side of things. And, not that Damian whump can't be well-written, but sometimes even Damian-centric fic delves too deep into helpless baby-child territory and doesn't explore the actuality of cult-indoctrinated child assassin with inherent issues around parents/legacy/family etc etc. Plus, the bonus of Taxonomy!verse being an AU with things a little tweaked means I can change things and include other characters that weren't in the canon proceedings.

Keeping Tim as Robin for a while longer and having him chafe under Batman!Dick provides just a little bit of leeway into Tim's deal with the mantle. He's growing up. Robin will always be his and always be important, but its not allowing him to do the things he feels he needs to do on his own (search for Bruce, intentionally isolate himself etc) And Tim's conflict with Damian doesn't change much anyway because it can pivot a little more into "I don't trust this kid with Robin and I don't think he can uphold the mantle the way it needs to be done" which blends easily into "Damian is not my family" and "I'm worried Dick is going to kill himself taking care of this bomb(child)/I'm terrified I'm not going to be enough this time save him and Bruce" and "screw it I have to save Bruce because only I can do it"

Including characters that aren't popular in wider fandom means fresh perspectives and interactions not previously explored. Bette provides a less grief-laden perspective among the many mourners and a detachment to wider Bat-lore provides an opportunity for her to connect to Damian in a way a character with prior opinions on Bruce/Talia/the League can't. Colin provides a similar-aged perspective on Damian in a sea of adults and teenagers, a view of life from another child just as wounded and yet still cared for in ways Damian wasn't, and a deeper connection to Gotham that Damian doesn't have. Calvin Rose willingly became a Talon, strived for greatness the way Damian once did but he ran and he kept on running - Damian can't leave. Rory Regan teeters on a razor's edge of forgiveness and death, the suit he wears is salvation and damnation, and he has a father's legacy he must uphold even when he questions it (the struggle of religion and the concept of sin). Chris Kent is...so much to explore there that I already made a post lol.

Damian is justified in being angry and bitter. (Not justified in violence towards others before you get me btw) But also Bruce really isn't his father. He didn't raise him. He flits in and out of his life and then he's dead. Theres no connection there besides Bruce yelling at him/ordering him/placing expectations. Talia didn't raise him either. They have a nervous connection that doesn't reach far enough to pull Talia out of her dazed and hurt state. They like (?) each other, but Talia can never look at him and not mourn the boy he isn't. Damian can't look at her and not scream "why did you leave me?" and "if I am so painful, you deserve a life where I don't exist." Bruce is the shadow that haunts Damian's world and Damian is Talia's open bleeding wound and Talia is the haloed mother he can never have.

[eternalsimsstories]

The Pack: Cornelia and Rory

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Cornelia and Rory began their relationship when her father brought her along to a royal event aimed at uniting all the werewolves in Moonwood Mill. Rory leads the Wildfangs, a faction of werewolves that embraces their feral nature. Despite their contrasting backgrounds, Cornelia and Rory connected instantly and have been a couple ever since.

However, during the second semester, Rory became so absorbed in her studies and her relationship with Cornelia that she lost sight of her duties as the leader of the Wildfangs. The wake-up call came when she received an email informing her that she hadn’t been upholding her "Expand and Explore value". It reads: "If this trend continued, you're at risk for losing your position."

She spent the entire break reflecting on this, and it lingered in her thoughts when she returned for the first day of the semester. She still felt uncertain about what to do.

On the first day back, Rory was in her wolf form. Like her roommates, she decided to celebrate the return to school by heading down to the rec room. There, she spotted Cornelia lifting her brother to get a drink from the keg. After that, Cornelia asked Kristofer to lift her up, but when he did, he accidentally let her fall to the floor. Then, Cornelia turned to Rory and asked her to lift her up for a drink, and she agreed. It was Cornelia's first time doing it; she hadn’t wanted to try it last semester, but she had seen others do it, so why not?

After finishing her drink, Cornelia became so tipsy that she stumbled outside and wandered into an auto repair shop, craving a falafel. The rude manager told her : "This is an auto repair shop, not a restaurant. We repair cars. We don't sell food here."

Then she started to yell out loud: "I want falafels! I want falafels! I want falafels!"

The only thing the manager could do was kick her out. Dazed, she made her way to the Britechester town square and drank some water at the fountain, but it did little to ease her intoxication.

Unknowingly, she then wandered into a sketchy bar with flashing neon lights and started dancing to the music. Spotting some tough-looking guys, she drunkenly declared that drinks were on her. When one of the tough guys tried to get closer, she transformed into a drunken werewolf, scaring all the them away. She then stumbled back out into the town square and fell asleep by the fountain.

The next morning, Rory searched for Cornelia and discovered her dozing at the base of the fountain. She gently shook her partner awake, and Cornelia slowly opened her eyes, clearly battling a nasty hangover. She promised herself she would never drink from a keg again.

To Be Continued...

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[insistonyourcupofstars]

Look, can we all agree that Gilmore Girls is not to be upheld as a literal interpretation of real life, and is just a cozy show that was made in the early 2000s?? I mean, I get being skeptical of certain technicalities or politics that don't uphold today, but so help me god, if I see one more YouTube video about the unrealistic finances or "Rory is so gosh-darn annoying," I will blow a gasket. It's a show! It's silly and dramatic; let it be just that!!

[lafemmedelettres]

I am watching Gilmore Girls for the 3rd time and I am surprised to see a new perspective of these characters all over again.

The first time it was a cute show about a mother-daughter relationship I wished I could have had with my mother. The second time I jumped on the hate train for Rory and sometimes Lorelai and related to Emily the most. Now, after countless post about how Rory is the villain and she is an awful person (especially in her yale era), I started to relate to her as a former gifted kid that experienced burnout syndrome in college.

Think of it this way. All of your life you were this wunderkid that excelled at everything (mostly academic stuff in Rory's case) and you are the golden child of your family. Rory was Lorelai's redemption to her parents and to herself. There is an episode in season 2 when Rory fights with her grandfather because of Dean and Lorelai is telling her that Richard got so mad just because she is the only hope of the Gilmore family. It was just a small scene, but I recognised that feeling very well, and even though Rory is a fictional character I could imagine that something like that would have stuck with her.

Imagine you are 16 and you have all the hopes of your family on your shoulders. You also have high expectations of yourself, but as a teenager you enter that hubris state that tells you you are capable of achieving all of your dreams and can do it all. And then college starts and you become an adult and there are all these other expectations that pile up... combine that with an over-achieving personality and you are doomed to crash.

It's true that if one bad comment managed to make Rory give up on Yale and all of her dreams it would be hard for her to survive in a tough environment like journalism, but that was her first crash with adversity . After all she is like 20, her front lobe wasn't even developed yet, of course she took it hard. She started spiralling into this hole of bad decision after another, because now that her only purpose that made her the "Golden Child" of the family is gone, there is no purpose in continuing to uphold other expectations.

I was glad that in the end she managed to find her passion again, but as I said all of the hate towards her was unnecessary. After all, she is now part of the "you want a complex female character? You couldn't even handle her" category.

[sobeksewerrat]

Okay so- if you saw my aroace chr headcannon list, you probably saw Adam from Hazbin Hotel on there! It's been a while since I have written an essay, but honestly I really wanted to expand on my asexual Adam thought and @kiichu asked me to so here we go ;)

[ Just. Don't expect any actual thoughtful analysis. I am mostly just grasping at straws and projecting because I kin the dude ]

[ Oh yeah and I will reference the Trans Genesis AU a lot. Nope, Stanley and I did not abandon it. Sorry not sorry ]

First things first, let's look at his first appearance in episode 1.

Needless to say, he was a bit of an asshole. But something really stuck out to me.

In one of the scenes, he was recounting a date/one-night-stand he had to Charlie (because of course he was).

He clearly seemed to be describing the dinner date itself in detail, but he literally just caps it off with "and then we fucked, and it was awesome".

This line can be read in a few different ways, depending on your view.

1. They didn't actually fuck, the woman ditched him or didn't exist to begin with and he's lying to seem cooler.

2. It wasn't awesome (*at least for him, but yk could go both ways) and he wasn't about to go into detail about his less-than-stellar sexual encounter (I feel. Really uncomfortable writing this, I am too ace for this shit).

3. The logical explanation of the writers not wanting to include it for rating reasons and because of the episode's already short run time and also because we as the audience don't really need to know that. Though I think that if that were just that, a better alternative would've been that Adam either continues describing the date or starts describing the sex and either Lute or Charlie (or both) stop him.

For my interpretation of the ace Adam, we'll go with the second interpretation.

Allos love pointing out how "asexuals can still date/have sex" but they always neglect one thing: that's not exactly how sex-favourable and sex-neutral aces work.

I can't speak for everybody on the spectrum (especially since I am mostly repulsed), but wanting to have sex doesn't mean you feel sexual attraction.

So yeah this doesn't disprove him being asexual, though I am aiming for a very different interpretation.

Sex-repulsed Adam.

NOW, PLEASE HEAR ME OUT I KNOW I SOUND CRAZY!!

Ace men rarely get any representation, and a lot of men (especially cis men, but trans men too) don't realize they're ace or are actively in denial about it because of this thing called ✨toxic masculinity✨

I don't think it's too much of a hot take to say that Adam clearly falls into a lot of toxic masculinity stuff.

Being literally the first man, the original dick (or the original pussy if we're talking about the tgau), he is probably expected to uphold these harmful beliefs of masculinity or at least thinks he has to to be taken seriously (or be percieved as cis at least-).

Therefore, he's probably is in deep, deep denial of his asexuality and tries to cover it up by, well, sleeping around I guess (*hopefully not with human souls because i don't need any of the implications that come with that).

But that doesn't necessarily mean he enjoyed it, you know.

Now I don't wanna go too deep into this honestly quite depressing line of thought, so to keep it brief that's probably why he wouldn't go into detail about that one night stand- even though he totally seems like the type of guy who would talk about this stuff in excessive and unnecessary detail (can you tell I love torturing this guy. I mean if yk the TGAU you probably already know but shush).

That or because a lot of aces literally cannot talk about sex seriously. It has to be a joke or about an ao3 smut fic.

*ahem* Moving on-

The infamous "Now, I'm going to FUCK you" scene that every Adamsapple shippers love (no hate to Adamsapple shippers btw, except @roryheart fuck you Rory /lh silly (I love you buddy don't take this seriously)).

Just. Just look at his face when Lucifer says it.

It could just be pure confusion, which is quite understandable tbh.

Or we could go with the funny interpretation of Adam being so autistic and ace, he thought for a second that Lucifer was actually hitting on him this whole time and he just didn't notice. Purely because this has actually happened to me before and I wanna project-

Moreover, he looks lowkey disgusted by it and just attacks Lucifer immediately.

Whatever, now we get to the ✨angst potential✨ of ace Adam.

Elaborating on the bit of toxic masculinity from earlier, maybe he thinks that his aversion to stuff like is why both Lilith (and presumably Eve) cheated on him with Lucifer, because he wasn't a real man.

And if we wanna get really depressing, all we have to do is just remember that his only purpose was to have as many children with Eve (and previously Lilith) as possible to populate the Earth.

Yeah, sounds like a total nightmare scenario.

I have a few other ideas, but they're really half baked and not really well put together and stuff- idk I just think ace Adam is a cool idea.

Sorry if this wasn't exactly the essay any of you were looking for but I genuinely just think it'd be fun and kinda interesting to explore really.

Btw gonna make "sobek rants" exclusively for angry rants and gonna repurpose "brainingsewer" for essays and analysis and stuff. Not that anybody really cares about my tagging system.

[soovermyself]

Smokeshow 🔥

[sassysophiabush]

[moviesandmania]

SORRY, CHARLIE (2023) Reviews of horror thriller

‘He’s quite the gentleman’ Sorry, Charlie is a 2023 American horror thriller film about a remote helpline volunteer who is targeted by a stranger who lures women from their homes with a recording of a crying baby. Produced, directed, edited by and co-starring Colton Tran from a screenplay written by executive producer Luke Genton. The movie also stars Kathleen Kenny, Maria Olsen, Marisa Brown,…

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 3/5

Book Blurb: One of Us Is Lying meets A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder in this don’t-dare-to-look-away dark academia thriller that explores how secrets can rot an institution—and the people who uphold it—from the inside out.

Everyone wants to be a Lily.

At Archwell Academy, it’s the ticket to a successful future. But like every secret society, there is something much darker beneath the surface … sometimes girls disappear.

When four Archwell students find themselves trapped in a time loop, they must relive their worst memories, untangling the Lilies’ moldering roots and unraveling the secrets at the core of their school … before they destroy their futures forever.

Review:

Four students from the prestigious Archwell academy find themselves stuck in a time loop, reliving their worst memories... and being forced to unravel their school's secret society's secret and the disappearance of one girl...can they figure it out in time to escape or will they be trapped forever? Archwell Academy is a prestigious all-girls school, it's a school that guarantees a successful future. But beneath it's pretty cover lies a secret society known as the Lilies, a group of students where girls disappear....The story is told from four point of views:

Rory Archwell- president of the senior class and daughter of Chancellor Archwell. She wants to do whatever it takes to be on top... even if it means breaking up with her girlfriend Blythe Harris. Rory is determined to please her mother, even if it means destroying people to get her way.

Blythe Harris- She wants to beat Rory's academic record and become the first Black valedictorian in Archwell's history. She's a tech genius with a tendency to break into people's emails and snoop. Blythe wants to do anything possible that would give her an advantage.

Drew Simmons- Was forced to go to Archwell as their grandmother's one condition to get the inheritance. Drew wants to fly under the radar especially since they are being forced to go to an all girl's school when they do not identify as such. They keep everyone at arm's length... but when their roommate Charlotte, begins to discover some of their secrets and begins to go missing... Drew will do anything to hide their secrets.

Vero Martin- wants nothing more than to be an artist, she's been forced to go keep her secret artist identity under wraps as her father is running for office and this is her last chance before he sends her away. Her controversial art sets off a chain of events and brings unwanted attention... and now she has to face the consequences of her work and the damage it has created.

These four students are all connected to the Lillies secret society and the missing girl Charlotte... and when they end up in a time loop facing their worst memories, they'll have to work past it all and together to uncover the secrets that would finally let them be free. This book is a queer dark academia mystery with tons of representation. I absolutely will give this book bonus points for the representation. The book is definitely unique and I think it would make a fun read for dark academia and mystery fans. Personally, this one just felt like a bit of a miss and the overall plot felt meh at best to me. I was hoping for something a bit more, but the timeline thing just wasn't for me and I just didn't like the characters all that much. Overall it was an okay book for me but I think others will still have fun with it.

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperTeen for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[i-mode]

i find the mt town cave scene with rory and claudio really interesting and also so so weird because 1. rory is like. unusually mean and rude in this scene?? for seemingly no reason?? like i cant deny he can be a dick at times but from everything we've seen at that point in the game it never went to the extent of asking someone about their interests and then instantly shutting them down and insulting said interests and 2. why does he have to constantly remind him that its a Girl's Shirt and its a Girl's Anime. im unsure how to properly put it but it honestly feels like a weird attempt to uphold the masculine role??? like hes unable to comprehend that someone can enjoy a Girl's Thing and show it off and be proud of it??

anyways all im saying here is that Rory may come to find out something about himself later down the line and i wish her luck

[cleverhottubmiracle]

Buying an Hermès Birkin bag, the leather, top-handle tote inspired by the late Jane Birkin, is a rarified experience by design. Birkin ownership is one of fashion's most elite clubs on account of its price (starting in the five figures) and its scarcity (bags are only accessible to longstanding clients). To put it in celebrity terms: Jennifer Lopez's extensive collection is an exception, not a rule. But a look-alike, so-called "Walmart Birkin" bag's overnight popularity has the internet debating what it means to buy an It-bag.In December, Walmart listed a $78-dollar bag imitating the Birkin's top handles, lock detail, and square compartment. It didn't take long for shoppers to clock the resemblance to the real deal—and for some to declare buying one a chance to reassess the definition of luxury. Over the holidays, over one thousand TikTok videos of creators unboxing their Walmart Birkins have amassed millions of views. Satisfied shoppers said that their purchases telegraphed wealth on a tight budget. Some even bought more than one. Meanwhile, fashion historians and critics noted how the materials, production processes, and overall feel weren't similar to a real Birkin at all—and that buying a copy underscores the impact of the original.Yet, for many shoppers, the debate is part of the fun. "The bags are super cute, and the fact that they are making people so mad is an added bonus," one user commented on a Walmart Birkin reveal with more than 24,000 likes. @courtneyzanee24 ♬ original sound - Frankie Bleau @lastinglooks ♬ original sound - Lasting Looks with Jules All the back-and-forth, in part, emphasizes how great of an impact Hermès's tote had on the luxury market to begin with. The Birkin wasn't immediately a status item when it was released in 1984 on Jane Birkin's request for a stylish diaper bag. Over time, it steadily gained a cult following through scarcity marketing tactics (Birkins are produced by hand in extremely limited quantities), celebrity street style, and pointed references in pop culture. One early episode of Sex and the City has an entire plot revolving around Samantha's quest to get on the Birkin list, for example.The Birkin bag has had many imitators over the years. Just take a walk down New York City's Canal St. or head to DH-Gate or Temu for proof. But few have been as readily available and blatantly similar as the "Wirkin," shoppable for less than $100 with instant shipping. This phenomenon has sparked online discussions about whether a copycat bag can match the appeal of the original, particularly given the strong demand for the Walmart version, which has reportedly sold out in several markets.Jane Birkin carrying her namesake bag in 2013.(Image credit: Getty Images)One thing's for sure: Unpacking the Walmart Birkin controversy isn't as simple as a "What's in My Bag" tour. But the following is a start.What Is the Walmart Birkin? Whether you're carrying one or not, the "Wirkin" isn't going to trick the trained eye. In no way affiliated with the original designer, the bag comes from four third-party sellers listed within Walmart's online store, including Judy, Kamugo, Bestspr, and Ymtq. The under-$100 top-handle style is sold in several colors and purports to be made from genuine leather. Some versions are matched with a coordinating scarf wrapped around the handle. Listing details for the bags don't reference Hermès directly, but the inspiration is evident in the shape, size, and lock clasp.Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.The Birkin isn't the only bag with a third-party dupe on the retailer. Imitation versions of the Kelly bag and Bottega Veneta woven bags are also available. @roryuphold ♬ original sound - Rory Uphold The Birkin, however, has gone viral because of shoppers who've purchased a Walmart Birkin and instructed other shoppers to join the trend. They have a few reasons for touting what fashion critics call a dupe. First, they say it's making luxury more accessible by translating an exclusive status symbol into a mass-produced accessory for a tiny percentage of the original cost. Second, they categorize the move as taking power back from big brands. In their eyes, the Wirkin is indistinguishable from the original—diluting the first bag's storied reputation and eye-watering prices. Third, a few purchasers have joked that the trend is a form of collector's item—their way of remembering 2025 culture decades from now.Fashion critics, legal scholars, and general TikTok users have all debated these points at length. Wirkin shoppers have hit back that even criticizing the bag is a form of classism. @jermaingarcia8 ♬ La vie en rose (Cover Edith Piaf) - 田东昱 Why Is the Walmart Birkin Controversial?The great Wirkin debate touches on several bigger questions plaguing the fashion industry right now. First, there is the distance between a brand's perceived power and the prices its products command. Second, and perhaps most tellingly, is the question of who can (and should) have access to luxury goods.Let's start with prices. Wirkin supporters say their discount find undermines the sky-high prices of the original Birkin. Other fashion voices, like critic and stylist @jesicaelise, disagree. Hermès's products are what economists call Veblen goods: Items that experience an increase in demand as their prices rise. Shoppers are more willing to pursue them explicitly because they're exclusive.For Hermès, what the bag stands for is as important as the bag itself: Birkin bags are handmade in France and created for a hyper-specific client living at the upper-upper echelons of Hollywood, business, and media. Each bag is crafted by artisans who spend several years in training; they're meant to be cherished. The Wirkin, meanwhile, is mass-produced and not necessarily from traceable materials; it's made for someone who wants to dip into the feeling of carrying a Birkin à la J.Lo without living the actual lifestyle. The Wirkin, in other words, is repackaging a fraction of what the Birkin actually offers—hence the extreme difference in cost. (Or, as one TikTok commenter wrote under an unboxing video: "We all broke but we still deserve to look cute too.")Jennifer Lopez carries an authentic Birkin bag in New York City.(Image credit: Getty Images)Further, critics point out that a Wirkin is, actually, quite easy to ID. Shoppers might be telling on themselves for carrying a counterfeit based on the rest of their outfit's styling, the place they're carrying the bag, or how the bag holds up over time.This point gestures at the bigger issue at play: the complex relationship between luxury and accessibility. Desire for a well-crafted, competent handbag isn't dependent on tax bracket. But the Hermès Birkin (and its sister bag, the Kelly) is purposefully exclusive. This rankles people who believe all fashion should be available to everyone; but luxury, as a business, requires a high barrier to entry. Part of the appeal is that not everyone has it.As such, TikTok claims that the Wirkin will ultimately make the original bag "irrelevant" are overblown. There might be a run on the Walmart version because it's a conversational point now. Check back on the dupe in a few years: Will the materials last as well as a true leather Birkin, or age as gracefully? Probably not. But the original Birkin, like styles from Louis Vuitton and Chanel, has held its value for decades. Even if there's a dip in pop culture popularity, it's not completely going away—because it was leagues ahead of any knock-offs to begin with. @duhmaame ♬ original sound - Maame A model carries an authentic Hermès Kelly variation at the label's recent runway show in New York City.(Image credit: Getty Images) @jesicaelise they’ll say i’m elitist instead of elucidating, but whatever. the rue de sèvres boutique is breathtaking. ♬ original sound - MusicRadar🎶🎶🎧 So far, Hermès hasn't acknowledged its superstore counterpart in any official capacity. If it does, it might be through its lawyers. WWD reports that there are substantive grounds for the luxury house to seek legal action against Walmart for infringing on its copyright. “To the extent Walmart is promoting the bag as the equivalent of, or an alternative to, the Birkin bag, it would be hard for them to deny that intentional copying,” fashion lawyer Douglas Hand told the outlet.Where Are Real Birkin Bags Sold? Kim Kardashian carrying a suede Birkin bag in New York City.(Image credit: Getty Images)Purchasing a genuine, freshly-stitched Birkin bag is not so easy as logging on to a major retailer's website. Nor is it as simple as walking into an Hermès boutique: The bags aren't even displayed in the stores.Instead, given that Birkin (and Kelly) bags are made in limited quantities, Hermès sales associates often invite long-time clients to purchase new bags. In many situations, clients do not pick the exact shade of leather or hardware finish; the brand offers it to them to purchase. Many lucky shoppers have documented the process on TikTok—a glimpse behind the luxury curtain that's come all the way back to the Walmart Birkin discourse. @aeonkobra ♬ original sound - Amazon Freevee Shopping for a gently used Birkin bag is a different story. Luxury consignors have benefitted from the lore around "beat-up Birkins"—that is, bags whose leather has developed a patina. Sites including eBay, Fashionphile, The RealReal, FWRD, and Vestiaire Collective have authenticators dedicated to sourcing authentic Birkin bags in need of a second home. These listings typically retain their value, selling for just as much as (if not more than) a fresh handbag.There's another place to track down a previously loved Birkin bag if you're up for it: Walmart itself. The retailer has quietly listed pre-owned luxury items in a special section of its site, just a few clicks away from its controversial Wirkins. Source link