#seeing that much blind consumerism is too much

[sammansonn]

tik tok shop is ruining the shred of enjoyment I get from that app

[foodandfolklore]

The Story of Valentine's Day

So what's up with Valentine's Day? Is it just a holiday made up to sell flowers, chocolate, and jewelry? Well...no. Though it is the main reason why it's still exists today. So much so that Valentine's Day is banned in some countries that frown on western customs. Other Countries adopted their own customs inspired by Valentines Day, like in Japan. Women are the ones to give men they like chocolate on February 14. Then, in March, these men are expected to gift them white chocolate in return.

I think many of us who grew up in the west are aware that Valentine's Day is named after the Catholic Saint Valentine. An older name is 'The feast of St Valentine' since before chocolate and flowers, people had a feast to celebrate. But who was this person?

The story goes that Valentine (Could of been a man or woman, we're not sure. There were a lot of Valentines) was spreading the word of the Christian God and Jesus as a Priest. They went against the Emperor's decree, and married soldiers to their loved ones. I'm not entirely clear why the Emperor had an issue with soldiers getting married, but I'm guessing the lead in the pipes were getting to them.

Valentine was found out and arrested, and was sentenced to death. While they awaited their sentencing, they helped take care of the other prisoners. The jailer's daughter, who was blind, was also there (for some reason) and they helped to look after her. They did such a good job, they cured her blindness and fell in love with her. Before being put to death, they gave her a letter simply signed "From your Valentine" thus being the official first Valentine.

The Church later named Valentine a Saint, and degreed a celebration to happen every year on February 14. Which is apparently when they were executed. However, there was also an old Roman celebration that the Church was trying to get rid of called "Lupercalia". Lupercalia was a purifying, fertility celebration to Juno that lasted from February 13 to February 15. Animal sacrifices, naked racing, and a massive feast was held. The church didn't like 2 of these 3 main events, so their new holiday just had a feast.

We get the Romance later when a 14th century poet, Geoffrey Chaucer, writes his poem "Parlement of Foules". It draws a conection between Valentines Day and the start of Bird Mating season, sparking the romantic interest. Many couples followed for years after, sending poems to one another to express affection. Later, during the 1800s, when the printing press became a thing, pre made and pre written poems/rhymes were mass produced as cards. And people bought them.

So, in summery, Valentines Day seems to of been created by the Church to erase a Pagan Celebration. Then, Society decided to associate it with love. Which is kinda Sweet. But now we're in the age of consumerism, and it's another excuse to sell us stuff.

At the end of the day; If you don't want to celebrate Valentines Day, than don't. I've personally never gotten into it, even with Partners. Some people feel like it's a downer cause they're single. Others feel like there's too much pressure to be perfect. And some just can't justify the expense.

That said, if you WANT to celebrate modern Valentines Day, all the power to you! Some people love it, with or without a partner. So if that's your jam, and you can afford to go all out, do it! It makes you happy to get chocolate and flowers, or dress up and go out to eat. For some it's like a hobby. Someone once made the comparison to me like the super bowl. You look forward to it all year, buy a bunch of junk, and then enjoy with people who are also into it. Now, I'm not into sports either, but I understand the mindset. It's like Conventions or dressing up to go see the premier of a movie. Other people may not see the point, but you enjoy it so who cares?

[wellwornwornwell]

You have no taste. How tasteful of you.

Irony is Eden. Warm lagoons, lush with overgrown mangroves of awkward humor, broken up by pristine, uninhabited beaches of detachment. It’s always Island Time. There are dark, troubling clouds in the distance, but they never reach the shoreline. You’re safe. No one *really* knows about this place but you. Kind of like Tulum in 2010.

But much like Tulum in 2010, you need everyone to know you’ve been here. That the waitstaff know your name. That they recognize you for your accomplishments and readily enable your insistence on avoiding reality. They’re always the first to compliment your Minions shirt.

Wait, what the fuck are you wearing? Where does one even purchase blobby red boots so cartoonish they make Mickey Mouse blush? What is going on?

I’ll be the first to admit I am not cool. I’m an upper-middle-class, white, 30-something, born out of suburban comfort and forever bestowed with unearned confidence. I look like a rejected extra from a J. Crew catalog (the one where no one is convincing). My biggest life accomplishment is pretending sending emails constitutes work, for which I make an inordinate amount of money. I get it: I’m the enemy. Oftentimes my own.

But I will be damned if I ever understand why it’s cool to look like an asshole.

People want to make a statement. People want to buy things. People don’t want you to know they’re seriously lost. Enter: Irony.

No one needs to know how deeply self-conscious you are. The examined life is for pussies and the French. Let them have it. You have blind consumerism and an unflinching need to stand out. You’re about to go viral. “Rise and grind,” or so I’m told.

Of course, this is all just a terribly tragic state of affairs. As someone who LOVES avoiding my problems, I can understand the opioidic appeal of irony. It’s just simpler. And snark has become the not-smiling face on the internet’s hard currency. It feels good to keep people at arm’s length and the joke firmly inside. Golden brown. Texture like sun.

But this does not make a substitute for taste. You can’t just decide none of it matters while also insisting upon your elevated station in society. Nihilists make for shitty leaders. Pick a lane.

Look, I own multiple pairs of pastel pants that retail for more than $1,000 a throw. The realtor keeps showing me glass houses and I don’t know how much longer I can hide my pockets full of rocks. But at least there is some nuance in the traditional, tongue-in-cheek manner of dressing. Cheeky emblematic ties, garishly colored pants, not so subtle racism. There used to be principles to this stuff.

I guess this all resolves to an old man yelling at the clouds. The older you get, the closer you get to death – and not just physically but culturally as well. None of this is meant for me and my insistence on “knowing better” only further solidifies me as the first dinosaur to see the meteor. We’re all doomed.

What I’d ask, as you reach for your Raytheon Saudi Arabia embroidered polo shirt, is that you realize that hiding behind obnoxious clothing will not save you. It does not create the individuality you think it does. It is not formal enough to be respectful, not original enough to be endearing. You are simply a fleeting artifact of a hollow society too disgusted with itself to look into a mirror.

Please don’t confuse me for a capital-T Traditionalist or one of those RETVRN weirdos. Fuck those guys. But do know that one day, sometime soon, when you’re looking back at photos of yourself, you will be met with embarrassment. The kind of embarrassment that fuels resentment and questions existence. These are not bellbottoms, parachute pants, or even twinkishly skinny suits. This is late-stage capitalism so bald-faced that it doesn’t even bother to establish utility. You are being played. You are losing.

In quiet moments I envision a world where everyone cares about clothing, and yet no one gets mad about what people wear. Then I re-read this post and get sad. Sad enough to buy a Shirt That Goes Hard. We’re all doomed.

[pretty-little-martyr]

the more I see about the incoming hp show the more I realize that outside of this website people truly do not give a shit about transgender and/or Jewish people. I dont spend much time online actually I'm usually making art irl but the other day I got a notification for a tweet talking about the show and that persons replies were FULL of people either saying "if it doesn't have Daniel Radcliffe it's not MY hp 💅" or (because the op was talking about some racism theyd seen already) saying shit like "I dont care I cant wait to watch it"/"with jk at the helm it's going to be SOOOO amazing she wont have anyone getting in the way of her narrative!!"

as if this wont just be, liek, the most racist antisemitic transphobic garbage possible

I'm really worried that like that trash ass Wednesday netflix show I wont be able to fucking stop hearing about it because people found 2 girls to ship or that snarky #epic dialogue is just ToO cOoL or whatthefuckever. I'm sick of this shit honestly. wheres that "yall cant even boycott chic fil a" tweet. because people truly cant even give a single shit about anything other than blind consumerism.

things are already bad for trans people in the UK. they're getting worse over here in the US too. I cant help but worry if this show hands jk tons of money shes going to lobby even more aggressively. and if the show is downright transphobic and people everywhere are watching it and loving it uncritically or minimally critically ("I know shes transphobic but I just looooove hp!! I cant help it!!" or even those mfs who are like "it's my hyper fixation so I HAVE to watch it!" literally no you dont) then those among everyone who are violently transphobic will probably feel quite emboldened.

this shit is going to suck. it just is. I cant even hold out hope for the show flopping, because I know it wont. christ.

[m00narchives]

social media is taking over the human brain

We've lost touch of what is important. We rely so heavily on digital media that we forget how we got here; through research and education. It really saddens me to see how easily we are influenced and manipulated by ads and the internet. No one does their own research, no one takes advantage of all the readily accessible info online. People buy things because it is trending, not because it is something they took the time to find on their own because they need/want it. It’s scary to me to see others make their decisions... who is making the choice here, you or social media? For example: you see a camera online that everyone is posting about. Do you buy it immediately because that is what seems to be popular or do you research the features of the camera to see if it aligns with your needs? Another example: do you buy this mask because your favorite celebrity is using it or do you research if the ingredients in the product are safe for your specific skin type? There are sites that will literally tell you what is safe and not safe to use and people know that but are still too lazy to use it!! Free knowledge is at our fingertips and yet they are so blinded by consumerism that they would rather be victims. It baffles me. The concept of “knowledge is power” is one that I heavily follow and believe in. We are losing touch with ourselves and our decision making skills. 

These people who just buy to buy scare me. How many products actually serve you? How much money is wasted on those things? I do not mind spending more money on things that I do my research on and that I know will be an environmentally conscious purchase. I try my hardest to keep myself in touch with reality and not what social media presents me with. I think that is why I feel so bad for some people, I see how social media has negatively taken over their ability to live a life for themselves. If you ask them to explain their reason to buying their items I am sure you will not get a proper answer. There is so much fallacy in media representation that you cannot be quick to believe every positive review you see- people do not bother questioning the other side and do not realize the truth behind closed doors. They won’t even question their reliability and end up contributing to horrible institutions. I tried telling a friend recently that he cannot expect people to know why certain things are actually bad that are presented to be good. People romanticize the worse things. Another example would be breast implants- they are NOT FDA approved and have major health risks that women are not aware of or even told. They just trust their doctor that much but do not realize they are actually being taken advantage due to their lack of knowledge. If they were to do some light research it would be made known that this is probably one of the most dangerous procedures you can ever undergo. 

Ultimately, I would like to argue that social media weakens people’s minds. I do not believe that all humans are in charge of their decisions. How did humans become so easily influenced and when did we start relying on social media to be the dictator for our next move?

[rockinmyownboat]

Ads Suck

I always felt that there was something inherently false and dishonest with advertising. Im going along one day minding my own business and all of a sudden i see a product in an ad telling my subconscious that im incomplete without it.

Nevermind the fact that up until that point in my life, id gotten along just fine without it.

If that isnt annoying enough, these days, we can't get away from it. Nowadays, there are no limits. It is a free-for-all business with powerful algorithms designed to crack our psyches open like eggs. If there's one thing anyone can speak to who has taken a giant relation-shit, a person with no boundaries is toxic as hell.

Well now, we've invited the wolf in for supper haven't we?

Tv ads, facebook ads, instagram ads, tiktok ads, twitter ads ... all of these ads everywhere for countless pieces of garbage to waste our money on. I can't even drive down the street without seeing a smiling blue van that reminds me of the bottomless pit of ultimate convenient consumerism that's two thumb taps away. Everything I've ever wanted can be mine for the small price of any future dreams for this one dopamine hit.

I call bullshit.

I can honestly say that at this point in my life, i prefer having less clutter in my physical space. I definitely appreciate less clutter in my head as well.

I used to go to bed thinking about all the junk and trinkets i could buy that would make me a more fascinating person. Dvd walls, badass clothes, Collectibles, guitars, gear, comics, new cars, new stuff ....

....all my stuff that made me more interesting to follow on Facebook. I used to get the "oooh! Im so jealous!" Or "where did you get that??" Comments. Id feel validated. As if other people liking my stuff meant they liked me too.

Looking back, i was blind.

It was all time and attention wasted on miniscule pleasures that ended up accumulating dust in my storage unit. And nobody ACTUALLY cared about any of my stuff.

They were window-shopping.

If i never see a "looking for recommendations" post again, it will be too soon.... for real. People need to adult on their own and stop looking to the peanut gallery out of either their own laziness or desperate quests for approval in the popularity contest.

Trust me when i say, you CAN choose a new truck without 50 comments telling you what truck THEY think you need....

Is this really what the human experience is supposed to be about? Accumulating all this stuff and letting our lives become a free fucking commercial for everything we use?

I don't get paid by any companies. Yet I'm still their commercial and attract customers to their door.

Wheres my slice of that ad money pie?

I don't get any. You know what i do get offers for?

More stuff. And more ads promising me my life will be complete if i buy this thing or that thing.

But it doesn't take away the loneliness.

It doesn't make my life more manageable or easier. In fact it does the opposite. It muddies the water so i now have to ask whether or not someone is really interested in ME as a person ...

Or just my stuff.

Once i refused to be a living caricature of my own life by becoming a walking, talking commercial, a lot of people stopped talking to me. Cause all they wanted were the posts about STUFF.

Heres what ive found out. Take it with a grain of salt.

There's nothing authentic or real about letting your stuff own you. Authenticity is the exact opposite of advertising.

Advertising will not fulfill its own empty promise. It creates a fantasy of false pretense. We get our dopamine hits in the brain. Our own emotions fall prey. We willingly allow ourselves to be coerced although we know deep down, there's going to be no true deep fulfillment. As soon as we buy the thing and get the dopamine hit, that's it. At that point, we are stuck being that much closer to broke with one more useless trinket to clutter, and thus complicate already over-complicated lives.

Authenticity offers no instant reward. There's no dopamine. There's no satisfaction guarantees. There's no pretense. To be authentic means rejecting that which says you are incomplete and accept your incompletion without comparison, or complaint.

We are not perfect. Nor will we ever be. So we should stop trying to be.

Maybe Chuck Palahniuk's "Fight Club" was really onto something. Maybe we should accept that we will never be complete. Maybe that is the first step in being complete.

When you realize you're already enough AS A HUMAN, you can reject anyone that lies to you and says you're not until you buy their product.

Blowing our money on worthless Plastic crap in the name of consumerism isnt freedom. It's slavery to a Matrix-like construct that preys on insecurity for our hard earned money.

Advertising has no place in the authentic life. Real honest authentic people don't have to advertise in order to find fulfillment. They find fulfillment by being alive in all of life's wonders, boredoms, and horrors ....without distraction.

Authenticity just deals with the fact that life isn't perfect. Sometimes it sucks.

Owning more stuff wont change that.

Because of the perverse intensity of ad algorithms over Facebook, i felt it was necessary to take a huge leap back from the platform.

None of these products or ads TRULY care about me. So why should i pretend they do?

Mark Sucker-berg sure doesnt care about me. He's just trying to compile as much information about me in order to pique my interests and get a bigger slice of my income pie.

Jeff Bezos couldn't give a shit about you or me.

So why should we give them the opportunity to strip-mine our bank accounts?

Ill answer that question for me. I can't answer for you.

I won't. Facebook, Amazon, and all of their ad revenue can kiss my ass. Im already a whole person. Im satisfied with the products i use. And if i need something else, i will generate the thought and actions to accumulate the desire myself. I certainly don't need help from vapid billionaire tech giants to spend my own money for me. Stuff is expensive these days

[heavensmortuary]

🍁🍂🍁🍂Alright, since its mid-September, its time for my annual spooky movie reccomedation list! I include ratings, and I can include trigger warnings for any of these films upon request as well! I'm also looking for horror movies to watch myself, so feel free to comment/ask any as well!! So, here we go, in no particular order...🍁🍂🍁🍂

Fantasy/sci-fi horror:

The Thing 1982 [R]: A group of scientists find a shapeshifting alien underneath the ice in Antarctica, and they just survive as it imitates them. Trust no one. The Thing is one of my favorite movies in general. Its scary, retro, and the special effects are insane. It reminds me of classic Lovecraft, but better. Very terrifying. 10/10

Pan's Labyrinth 2006 [R]: During the Spanish Civil War, a young girl named Ofelia enters a world of twisted fantasy while above, her step-father's brutality causes trouble in the midst of a rebellion. Genuinely a beautiful movie. It's like a fairy-tale, and sometimes you forget it's a horror movie. It's simply magical, but frighteningly real. If you love classic fantasy, monsters, history, and horror, you'll love this movie. 10/10

Alien 1979 [R]: A team on a shipping vessel in soace come in contact with a parasitic alien within the clausterphobic confines of the ship. A classic, and it's still absolutely terrifying. Sharp insight on early 80's consumerism (in more than one sense), and a marvel of alien horror. Its very claustrophobic, tense, and 100% worth watching, especially if you love scifi. 10/10.

Aliens 1986 [R]: Continuing the story of Alien, space marines must investigate a distress signal from a colony, and what they find is more horrifying than they could have imagined. Full of retro action, humorous quips, scares, and plenty of bullet spray, it's a terrifying and fun watch. I enjoyed it just as much as the original, and its just awesome, while being scary at times. 10/10

Annihilation 2018 [R]: After the mysterious death of her husband, a Biologist goes into Area X to discover what horrifying cosmic entity his team found there. Not nearly as good, or accurate as the book (I CANT reccomend the Southern Reach trilogy enough), but this movie genuinely frightened me at points and the setting is simply beautiful. Its clever, creepy, and it's a strange watch. 8/10

Signs 2002 [PG-13]: After strange symbols appear in the cornfields on a family's farm, they must protect each other, and their faith, during the invasion. Love this movie, it's just spooky enough, but outside if the monsters, the people in this movie are what really matter. It's compelling, and a beautiful story. Simply excellent. Plus you'll know where the screaming guy in a closet meme comes from after seeing this one. 10/10

A Quiet Place 2018 [PG-13]: Could you survive a world where making a single sound could spell your death? Monsters decend upon the Abbot family, just as a baby is on the way. One of my favorite movies ever. Its beautiful and ABSOLUTELY horrifying. I think I forgot about eating my popcorn while watching this one. Overall, the desperate survival of the Abbots is heartwarming, but oh so stressful. If you can, PLEASE watch the sequel right after this one. 10/10

A Quiet Place 2 2021 [PG-13]: The Abbots face new challenges as they traverse a devestated landscape, and monsters wait around every dark corner for them. An EXCELLENT sequel. I caught myself actually going "NOOO AAAA" at some points, and its totally a worthy sequel to the scares in the first one. Again, great story, great characters, great cinematography, great message. 10/10.

Coraline 2009 [PG]: Coraline Jones, unhappy with moving to a new house, suddenly finds a whimsical world in a little hidden tunnel inside the house, but she learns the sinister truth behind the candy-colored world beyond the wall. Dont let the stop-motion animation confuse you; this movie is terrifying. A classic from my childhood, and its a treat to watch every Halloween. The Beldam has to be on the list of the most horrifying villains ever. 10/10

Zombies, ghosts, ghouls, and everything in between:

The Haunting 1963 [G]: Based on the novel The Haunting of Hill House, a group of people must stay in a supposedly haunted mansion. Eleanor, one of the women, suddenly believes that the house is talking directly to her. One of the many adaptations of the book, it's spooky, and it's very disturbing, while also having a nice theme. Perfect for setting the mood on a October night. 8/10

Night of The Living Dead 1990 [R]: Survivors take shelter in an abandoned farm house while the undead attack. Can they work together, or let their own prejudices get the best of them? I havent seen the original yet, but I love this movie. Very scary, and its directed by Tom Savini, so lots of good ol zombie gore. Not only that, there's a good bit of social commentary here on racism. The classic was the original zombie film. 9/10.

Dawn of The Dead 1978 [R]: As the undead rise up, survivors take to a shopping mall in order to survive. I don't know how to describe this movie's vibe. It has this weird retro 70's feel, mixed with uncanny horror. It's campy at times, but it doesn't take away the scariness. Very fun in a weird way, and its an on-the-nose satire of american consumerism. 10/10

Train To Busan 2016 [R]: While the world crumbles around them, a small group of survivors must learn to protect each other on a train headed to Busan. Seriously, please watch this one. It's completely unique to any zombie film I've seen. It's scary, but you genuinely care about the characters, and its VERY intense. Love this one. 10/10

Murder and ect:

Scream 1990 [R]: A masked serial killer stalks high school students in middle class suburbia. Its a parody of the modern horror genre, clever and scary all at once. I enjoyed it as a classic and I liked the commentary on how violence with no essence effects people, especially when glorified with horror films. Definitely not for everyone, but its good never the less. 8/10

Wait Until Dark 1967 [NR (I give it a PG-13)]: A gang of criminals looking for heroin attack the home of a blind woman, and it turns into a horrifying game of back and forth between them, until it can go on no longer. Literally one of the best thriller movies ever. Genuinely scary, and genuinely clever. This was actually the first film I saw Audrey Hepburn act in. Super tense near the end, I was biting my nails the whole time. 10/10

The Village 2004 [PG-13]: A rural community is faced with a hard decision as the monsters in the woods leave bloody warnings around their small town. I watch this one every autumn. Its atmospheric, the score is breathtaking, and its a great story. Its beautiful, gently frightening, and its overall a love story. I love this one a lot, even though I know a lot of people didnt like it. Don't go in expecting a great twist at the end, and you'll enjoy it. 10/10

Jane Eyre 2011 [PG-13]: Jane Eyre becomes the governness to an estate, and find a dark secret there. Not necessarily horror, but its gothic and absolutely beautiful. Its the perfect october movie. I love it lots. Nothing hits different than a rainy october day, a cup of chai tea, and this movie playing. 10/10

TV Series:

Stranger Things 2016- [PG-13]: After a child is taken by a supernatural force, the small town community of Hawkins must search for answers and find him before its too late, but as they search, a horrifying conspiracy comes to life before them. I adore this series. Its a love letter to the 80s. Cant reccomend it enough. 10/10

The Twilight Zone 1959-1964 [PG]: A serialized series featuring many different stories ranging from scifi to horror and everything inbetween. Its genius honestly. Each story is compelling, and thought provoking. A great Halloween watch. 10/10

The Walking Dead 2010- (seasons 1 & 2) [R]: A sheriff wakes up from a coma to find himself in a terrifying world of the undead. Its a decent series, at least in the first two seasons! Its pretty scary. Its great if you like zombie movies! 7/10

Over The Garden Wall 2014 [PG]: Two brothers find themselves lost within the world of the Unknown, a place where time is blended together and reality isn't quite right. Ok, real talk here. Its my favorite series of all time. I could go on and on and on about it. If you haven't seen it, please I beg you. Theres nothing like it. Its literally the BEST autumn show to watch. Clever, funny, lightly disturbing, deep, nostalgic...its fantastic. 11/10

So, there you have it. Huge list of horror movies I've enjoyed and actually reccomend. I have seen quite a few more than this (Halloween, Dawn of the Dead 2004, Nightmare on Elm Street, ect), but I specifically picked out the ones I love the most. Enjoy! And have a great autumn.

[moviethoughtswithkate]

Fight Club (1999)

Everyone is always like "hurr guys that like Fight Club for the fight scenes totally miss the point of Fight Club hurr". I have never actually come across anyone who likes Fight Club for the fight scenes, only people that like Fight Club for the artsy intellectual commentary on consumerism/masculinity. But I guess Fight Club is such an old movie now that the only people still talking about it are the intellectuals. I'm sure that people who only enjoy it for the fight scenes exist somewhere out there.

I thought this movie was okay. I can't honestly say I enjoyed it, save for some of the more overt comedy like the idea of touring support groups. I didn't enjoy the grim tone it starts to take on after half an hour. Everything sucked for everyone in the movie pretty much from start to end. I see Fight Club's intellectual appeal, but it was just so depressing and its metaphors so heavy-handed and lacking clarity that it never made me care about any of it. Before I get too far into criticism I should briefly say I thought Edward Norton and Brad Pitt gave great performances.

I think the film's commentary on society, especially regarding gender, lacked clarity in a way that they probably meant to be artfully ambiguous, but to me just ended up being confused, excessive and hollow. For example, it wasn't clear if it was mocking or critiquing the idea of societal emasculation/feminisation. The character of Paulson ("bitch tits") is a puzzling one. The charitable reading is I think summarised by this quote:

"Without his testicles and with female breasts Bob has become the extreme metaphor for middle-class, male-led panic in the postmodern era."

However, I think is it just as likely that the thought process went more like men with tits = funny. Female features = weird and gross, especially on men. Gender nonconformity (ie emasculation/feminisation) influenced by society = weird and gross. Paulson is depicted as pathetic - he's ready to give up on joining Tyler Durden's army at the first sign of difficulty, except for the protagonist's interference. He's played for jokes - he's more of a comic character than all the other male characters.

I think it's when you combine this critique of emasculation/consumerism with the way women are depicted, or more accurately not depicted in this film, that its social commentary starts to get fuzzy. It's like, okay, consumerism forces men into tight corners and they become insane and hypermasculine and violent. But consumerism also emasculates/feminises men. So masculinity is fractured and fraught. Soooo... it's especially difficult to be a man in this world?

Marla is an object of sex and desire, a quirky and emotionally unstable object played by a talented actress, sure, but nonetheless an object. Sure, she's messed up as hell, but her volatility is not linked to being a victim of consumerism (or anything else) the way the male characters' are. There's no cause and effect. She's just crazy.

Because of this underdeveloped depiction of a female character, the film lacks a cohesive notion of female identity in consumerist society. This is a huge blind spot that is difficult to ignore. The message Fight Club ultimately sends is that consumerist culture is especially hard on men, which I think is patently incorrect. The effects of consumerism on women and on female identity are much more damaging and much more interesting to me as a woman. This is not to say I don't care at all about the detrimental effects of consumerism on men, I think it's definitely possible to make an interesting story out of it, but Fight Club ultimately failed to convince me that that is worth getting too worried about.

[fairymadnessyeah]

Clone High

I rewatched Clone High today, after finishing a fic, and it gave me an idea for a second season, or a reboot season, if it ever happens. Warning: this will have JoanFK shipping in it.

So, in this season, everything is almost the same as the first one. The names of the episodes and what they are about, is all basically the same, except: all the students have a weird sense of deja vu. For example: when the students talk about something that happened last year, they get confused, and they all remember something cold, but they can’t put their finger on it. Mostly they shrug it off. However, feelings don’t disappear, so... Abe is a little more aware of Joan, Cleo wants Abe more, Joan is more hopeless about Abe and developing a weird crush on Kennedy, and JFK the same.

So...

Episode 1

Things go pretty much the same.

The hotline happens, JFK’s ultimatum, and Abe wanting to get Cleo.

But this time, Abe get real alcohol. He vaguely remembers failing to do so before, so he somehow gets real alcohol.

The party goes pretty much the same, and Joan tells Cleo to get with Abe.

But this time, when JFK offers her a drink, she accepts it with the idea to forget this night. She gets a bit tipsy though, and ends up making out with JFK.

The police come, but they take Abe and Gandhi. Joan was nowhere to be seen, since she was making out with JFK at the moment.

Principal Scudworth and Mr. Butlertron crash the party, but only to see what effect would the alcohol make in the clones. 

The fact that the clones lost a year is supposed to be a mystery.

Episode 2

This episode is almost the same.

Except that when Abe takes the sponsor, the brand goes: “Didn’t that kid look familiar? I feel like I have seen him before...”

Joan still goes to JFK, and he is more like: “I uh see you are back for more,”

The episode still continues the same, but at the end, Joan and JFK are seen talking.

“We will never speak about what happend at your party ever again,”

“Why uh not?”

“Because it’s never going to happen again,”

Next scene, both of them come out of a the school with their hair and clothes messed up, and lipstick all over their mouths.

Episode 3

The episode goes the same, but Joan doesn’t end like a speaker.

She instead goes to the Grassy Knol to sorrow in her embarrassment.

Marie Antoinette helps her a little. She tells her that she isn’t confused about her future or her past, but she is confused about her present. 

Also, Scudworth is there to see what the clones remember from the past year. He is happy to find out they don’t remember much.

Episode 4

So, the school film festival, and pretty much is all the same.

Except, Joan’s entry is about her confusion between JFK and Abe.

Lincoln doesn’t get it, but Kennedy does.

Joan, who is tired of Abe’s bullshit, enters a friends with benefits agreements with JFK. He can still be a player, and acts as her stress reliever, or rebound fuck.

Also, Scudworth gets visited by some ministers. They were in charge of the secret board of shadowy figures. They haven’t heard from them in a while, and they are suspicious. Butlertron saves the day, again.

Episode 5

The PJXTs come around and things go like the Episode did.

Except for a moment a moment in which JFK calls Joan ‘Dolphin Tat’. 

Episode 6

So, Joan’s learns about the team not allowing girls or animals on the team by JFK, on one of their meetings. 

She still dotes her incredible disguise, and Cleo still hits on her.

The episode finishes with JFK realizing he is not into guys, he is simply into Joan. He likes her.

Episode 7

Again, the episode goes like the original. But at the end, we see Joan go back to JFK for comfort.

Episode 8

Joan becomes homeless, and moves in with Cleo. They don’t get along, but it’s not as bad, because Joan is moving on from Abe.

Cleo does find out about them, when Joan sneaks out and comes back smelling like JFK’s perfume. She plans on telling the whole school, and things get ugly.

They start fighting, until Joan threatens to publish Cleo’s puberty pictures on the school’s newspaper. They kind of form a truce.

Meanwhile, JFK and Gandhi also fight. Gandhi wants to go spy on the girls, but JFK stops him. Only he get to stare at Joan in a girl on girl action.

Episode 9

This is the episode that completely changes. Not because I don’t like the episode, but because I love it too much to change it.

The episode is still a musical.

Fritz Habers clone (the inventor of the mustard gas) gave out cards that had a mysterius dust in it. It was supposed to be a prank, with the dust making them stink, but something else happened.

The people who opened the cards, started acting like love-sick fools. A few were saved. Gandhi, cause Fritz thinks he already smelled bad. Abe, cause his neck is too long and he didn’t get to smell it. And Cleo, cause Fritz thought he might get with her, if he was the only good smelling dude.

The dust works as a watered-down sex-pollen. It might make you horny, but not to the extent of stripping in the middle of a crowd to have sex. And it makes you blind to everything else but that person.

The first song is the group seeing the student under the dust for the first time. Thing of ‘What’s this?’ from Nightmare Before Christmas, but with love themes. 

What’s this? What’s this? There’s smooshing everywhere.

Fritz finds the group that hadn’t been contaminated, and he explains what happened. They search for a way to create an antidote, and they find a journal that might have the answer, but it’s in french.

They start looking for Joan, who Abe knows hasn’t opened the letter yet. Here come the second song. It’s a version of ‘If you seek Amy’ by Britney Spears.

Oh, oh; Tell me, have you seen her?; Cause we, oh, oh; Don’t know how to speak French!

By the end of the song they find her, she is opening the card. There is a whole slow-motion montage as the dust hits her and the others go: NOOO.

Joan blinks for a few seconds, then looks back at the group, and the next song comes. It’s ‘Girlfriend’ by Avril Lavigne, but instead of saying Girlfriend, it says GirlfriendS. And for a while, they think she is singing it to Abe. But when she is in front of him, she pushes Abe aside, and runs to JFK that was behind them.

I also like to think that the rest of the people around are dancing and doing the chorus every time there is a song.

We cut to Principal Scrubworth, who is looking at all of this from his office. He also sings a song, ‘Crazy=Genius’ by P!ATD. 

While he sings, he dances around his matchines.

Then we go back to the crew who are at the Grassy Knol sad, while the other are all around being happy. Then, Marie Antoinette comes and translates the journal.

The next day, the students come into the school. The last song happens, it’s ‘Walking on sunshine’ by Katrina & the Waves. By the end of the song, the fire alarm goes off, and the sprinkles wet everybody with the antidote.

When they snap out of it, Joan and JFK are embracing. She notices how everybody is staring, and decks him, before leaving.

They break off their arrangement, bc everybody knows now.

Also, Fritz is taken to the frezzer by Principal Scrubworth.

Episode 10

We see Ponce trying to cheer up JFK since Joan rejected him, but he still dies.

I would find it funny if this is a recurring joke. That ponce dies every season, and after a while it becomes a thing of, ‘has he died yet? this is the longest he’s gone- oh no, forget it, he died,’

JFK mourns him. Joan has been avoidig him since the dust incident, so he goes to the other perso he once had for comfort, Cleo.

Abe is mad. He is more annoyed at JFK in here, bc he thinks that he took advantage of Joan. He is actually jealous.

The episode continues the same way, except for the end.

When Abe goes to console him, Joan is already there. He starts feeling something in hid chest.

Episode 11

So, Snowflake day comes. Joan doen’t like the holiday, and Abe needs to get an expensive gift for Cleo.

JFK tries to show Joan how good Snowflake day is, and they go all around town doing things.

JFK is trying to win her over, but Joan is still confused. She likes Kennedy, but she also likes Abe.

She understands the meaning of Snowflake day by the end of the episode, with the help of a trashy celebrity. Maybe a Kardashian?

And she also gets a gift from JFK that he made himself. Since she doesn’t like the consumerism of the holiday.

Abe, on that regard, instead of buying Cleo an expensive gift, he buys her a gift with some extra cash he had. The rest of his money went to buy an expensive gift for Joan. He saw it and thought of her.

It’s nice, but Joan likes JFK’s gift more. Cleo is pissed.

Episode 12

Abe is in thin ice. He has to do an extraordinary promposal to Cleo, but he can’t stop thinking about how Joan has nobody to go with.

The only one who asked her was JFK, and she is thinking about accepting.

He tries to help her get a date for prom, one that isn’t Kennedy.

They go through multiple makeovers, but in the end, Cleo takes matters into her own hands.

If she gets Joan to go with somebody else, then she gets her promposal from Abe and she wins. 

She gives her the same makeover from before, and asks Napoleon to take her.

When Abe sees her, he realizes he might have feelings for her. But she is with Napoleon, so he respects that, It’s better than JFK.

Episode 13

Abe makes his Promposal, and Cleo accepts.

JFK tries to asks Joan again, but before he can, Napoleon interrupts.

They go to prom, and Joan is clearly not having a good time. She isn’t acting like a giggly vapid slut in here, but it’s clear she is not happy.

JFK sees her sad, so he goes to talk to her. She tells him that she misses him, and that she would have accepted his invitation.

Abe sees them talking and tries to stop it, but Cloe jumps him, promising sex.

He leaves with her, but the only thing he can see is Joan.

Meanwhile, Joan got rid of her makeover, and is talking with JFK. He compliments her, telling her he doesn’t need a makeover, and the two kiss.

They agree to be boyfriend and girlfriend, and they go to dance.

Abe come looking for her sees them, but becomes dramatic, and gives a speech about locking himself in the frezzer, to forget all about this.

When he goes to do that, however, he unfrezzes the secret board of shadowy figures.

The season ends there

[ohnobjyx]

Why does it snow?

(Yes, I’ll keep using the snow theme, it’s fitting). 

Part 3: Underlying issues 

Okay, so I’ll try to explain in this post why people reacted so strongly to this matter. Let’s keep in mind that, as a country, they underwent an extremely fast technological and economic development. I don’t want to talk about politics, but let’s not forget that it’s a esential part of every society, as it constitutes how it’s governed. 

 Disclaimer: I try to keep things objective (if I include my personal opinion, it’s in cursive and in brackets), but I’m biased because of the XZ friendly content I’m usually exposed to and by my own views of their situation. Open to discussion, but please make sure you’ve enough information to do so. 

So, let’s go! 

For better or for worse, XZ’s fans incident touched issues Chinese netizens have had for years now. People did discuss about this before, and it will probably be discussed in the future.

Let’s keep in mind that I present here a rather negative view of a part of the C- society. That’s because we are placing a magnifying glass on a small part of the fandom, so by no means all C-fans are like this. These are all a minority. 

“Fan quan” culture 

This is a big one. “Fan” in this case is an anglicism, so it means “fan”.  “Quan” means “circle”, as the people who belong to the same group. The best translation for “fan quan” would be “fandom”, but it has more connotations than fandom has.  

So in a fandom there is a lot of people that share a common interest, XZ, in this case. There are groups in w/ibo for people that belong to a certain fandom, and that’s different than following the supertopic of that said interest. 

To enter the group, you have to apply for it, and a moderator has to accept you in the group. Belonging to a group like this is accompanied by some rules, like “be loyal to the celebrity”, “not mentioning other celebrities in the group”, “supporting your celebrity by getting their endorsements” or “defending him”. 

(We are talking about before... after this incident, a lot of groups have “relaxed” in their rules, and now they consist more in “don’t enter in discussions with other fandoms”, “don’t create heated discussions”, “be rational in your pursue”, at least in XZ’s. This however, is second-hand information: I’m not in any group, neither XZ’s nor WYB’s, so I don’t know how they are right now from the inside). 

So a fandom can change a fan. I’m sure there’s a psychological investigation somewhere out there about how these things work. It’s in this kind of environment that “extreme” fans appear. 

These are fans are willing to go to great lengths to show their support for their idol, some of them going to points like sasaengs, invading the idol’s privacy. They act in ways that perturb the normal progression of things, they are very disruptive, and some of them even try to buy votes for their idol. 

(Please remember that these are a minority, but when you have 30 million fans... even a small percentage is a huge number of people. In Western countries, these kind of “fans” also appear from time to time: stalkers that go to great lengths to chase a celebrity). 

The fandom culture has shapen how the entertainment industry works. It’s a symbiotic relationship: 

Celebrities are successful and popular thanks to their fans, who all belong to a fandom with their name. They depend on them, as fans are more likely to watch a film or a drama if their favourite actor/actress appears in it, no matter what genre (that’s why companies also analyse what kind of people conforms their fandom, to target the kind of genre would more likely be watched by the celebrities’ fans). They also depend on them for things like endorsements, as some fans see buying things recommended by their celebrity as an act of “loyalty”. 

However, fans have a large influence on what a celebrity does. The idol is severely criticized if they do something the fandom doesn’t approve of. There has been instances where people drop the fandom if the idol choose a role the fandom doesn’t like (like how WYB lost fans for trying for a BL drama, he wasn’t even casted yet), and an idol can lose their popularity if they choose a partner the fandom isn’t happy with (or if they choose a partner at all, we’ve said that there is a type of fans that fantasize with being said idol’s partner, so if they have a bf/gf or if they marry, these fans’ fantasy is broken). 

So we can see that the extreme fans are a problem, and why celebrities can’t outright reject fandom culture. They can disagree with the most extreme ones (like how WYB and XZ did in May), but they can’t simply say, “let’s dissolve all of the groups”. 

That’s why in recent years, a lot of people has been rejecting the fandom culture. But a big fandom and an influential idol can also serve to positive purposes, like charity and public welfare projects. 

That’s what XZ has been trying to do, to show that fandom can still produce things that are useful for the society, and to avoid people being ashamed of being his fan.

State control 

As we know, the cultural industry in China is subject to state control. However, have you ever wondered why did only ao3 get banned from the country? What about the page that hosted MDZS original novel? And other fanfiction sites? The website that hosted the novel wasn’t an “illegal” one. In fact, it’s very public, and they earn money by people paying subscriptions to their page to access their content, that’s not just limited to BL novels. 

(Heavens know that the novel was very explicit, and that it’s just a drop of water in the ocean: there are thousands of works like this one out there). 

So, why did 2/27 provoke so much anger? Because the accusers took advantage of the power of the government.

Fandom culture gives an important boost to economy. It’s not just about entertainment, with the endorsements, fandom culture promotes consumerism (people buy things not because they need it, but because it’s endorsed by their favourite artist). 

That’s why the government doesn’t only tolerate them, but even promotes secretly this kind of culture by not strictly enforcing laws and regulations. That’s why websites and novels that don’t comply with Chinese censorship laws have been “allowed” to exist until now (take for example the whole “danmei” genre, that MDZS belongs to). As long as no one reports them, the state will turn a blind eye to these kind of websites.

(Many of you may be asking, if a novel is “allowed”, why censor the tv drama? Well... the cover of the book wasn’t even remotely explicit, but videos and images of two men kissing each other, that’d definitely be banned by the government. Text is subtler that a picture, I suppose). 

In words of a former worker of the state regulation department, if there exists such a content, it needs to be censored. However, this places the regulation department in a tight spot, because it subjects them to rejection from the people and the anger of the commercial companies. 

Usually what if there’s no report, the department won’t investigate even if they’ve heard that the content is questionable, but if it’s reported, they must look into it. 

So the fans didn’t just report it, they announced loudly and widely that they were reporting it, so the department could only investigate, there was no other option. By that time, the matter had originated great conflict and discussion, and, after arising so much controversy, and with people knowing what kind of content had been reported, ao3 could only be banned if they didn’t want to people stop taking the government seriously.  

Thus, in this case, the regulation department has been used as a weapon in this fan war. This is not to say that the government is “innocent”, it’s to say that the accusers had reported the work and announced it knowing exactly what would happen.  

This has been a phenomenon in the last years: the “report culture”. People use this as a weapon: they know that if they report, your content is going to be banned. So it can be used as a threat, leaving the other party defenceless if their content is really not approved by the country. 

However, this kind of behaviour has enacted the rejection from the general public, as it’s seen as a cowardly behaviour: you don’t like their content, so you report them, knowing full well what’s going to happen. 

(To put it simply: there’s a guardian, a keeper, in the playground, that it’s in charge of the children in the playground. This keeper has set rules that the children must follow, but there are too many children, so he can’t keep an eye on every single one. However, he will listen if a child goes to him and tells him that another has broken a rule. He’ll go and teach them a lesson. But the keeper is busy, and sometimes likes the things the children do, even if they are breaking the rules, so he turns a blind eye on them. But if he ignores the children who tell on their mates, and doesn’t punish the wrongdoer, other children will start to do as they please, so he has no other option than to punish them.  Other children realize this, and soon, calling the keeper is made into a very effective threat against other children.)

This brings us to a point that’s very important...

We have to take into account that all industries have to show their loyalty to the government, no matter who they are. So the celebrities and the companies behind them, no matter what they think, have to express their loyalty and nationalism, especially since they are in such a visible spot. Even if they don’t have such feelings, they must pretend at least (but the majority are very patriotic, since it goes into the younger generations’ education). 

So before considering to criticize their government, we must be aware that both WYB and XZ, as well as any other Chinese idol you might like, live in there. Expressing very anti-governmental opinions identifying as their fans might actually hurt them rather than help them (this was a problem from twitter a few months ago, from what I know. So please, don’t do that). 

Some haters actually spread rumours of celebrities being unpatriotic quite frequently, to make the government look into it. These kind of rumours are the deadliest for them, and can actually retire them, so please, be careful with what you say while saying that you are their fan.

That’s also why XZ can’t say anything about ao3 being banned from the country, no matter what he thinks. Better not to enter that place. 

“Xiao xianrou” 

In recent years, more and more new celebrities are very good looking. So much that it’s more than just a suspicion that they get their jobs because of their looks rather than actual talent. They also get numerous fans because of their beauty. These young idols receive the name of “xiao xianrou”. It’s very noticeable when you compare them to the older generation of artists, who don’t have a face that would stop a crowd, but have a lot of talent. 

Being a xiao xianrou doesn’t mean that they don’t have talents (XZ is considered one too), it’s just a name that these new celebrities receive. However, people feel that new celebrities nowadays are very good looking, but have no skills. 

(This is just an example of what it’s called xiao xianrou. Remember, it doesn’t mean that they are talentless!)

Of course, not every good looking artist nowadays must be completely useless in anything else (we can all think of 2 good examples). In fact, people who get into the industry, and manage to stay there and continue working after, let’s say, 5 years, definitely has something more than just good looks. But people also feel that to stay in the industry when one isn’t so handsome must be purely because of their abilities with acting/singing/dancing. 

However, it’s also a fact that some of the new dazzlingly beautiful idols have singing or dancing abilities that aren’t so outstanding. A lot of good plots and dramas have been ruined by actors who are handsome and beautiful, but don’t know how to act to save their life. 

So for people who are very upset with this, when they saw the news about XZ and the comments of the antis saying that he had no acting skills, they thought that this was just another one of them, and jumped on the train of criticizing without actually knowing how his acting skills are or what happened. It was just a way of venting their displeasure with a whole other issue that has actually nothing to do with XZ.

W/ibo (W/)

This platform is a part of the problem. To start with, w/ earns money the same way twitter and instagram do, so for them it’s essential that people spend a lot of time in their website/app. 

While positive people spend time on their platform, another group that do that is haters and antis. 

W/ is full of netizens spreading hate, insults and cyber-bullying other people, but the platform itself doesn’t do anything to change this. And this happens because W/ profits from it. The more time a hater and a anti spend in W/, the more W/ profits from it. Sometimes, it’s W/ who sets marketing accounts that attack a certain idol. 

Moreover, an account with lots of followers will get more money from the platform (like youtube). That’s why people that have no particular reason to hate xz turn into antis and dedicate themselves to spreading hate, gaining followers from people who resent him from 2/27 or fans that hate him for any other reason. And that’s also why haters accounts appear and spread, and why W/ doesn’t always block them.

This is why when a celebrity or any other people who got insulted or has been systematically attacked on Internet, they can only report it to the police and let lawyers handle the issue. However, legal processes are long and take time and money, so many people don’t do it (especially idols, who can have a lot of antis).   

Seeing that people are starting to realize this, and protesting about being left defenceless on the Internet, W/ started recently a project to stop malicious content and hate (looks like just playing the part to me, tbh). 

Another problem this platform has is the privacy inside the communities and the false accounts. 

This platform holds communities where people can talk and share things they like. However, in groups of fans of a certain idol, there are also “spies” that sell information about the characteristics of the group or antis that disguise themselves as fans to continue spreading rumours and false news from inside the group. 

This is what happened a little earlier in February, before 2/27: an anti got into a bjyx group, but all of his comments were to belittle XZ and praise WYB. Even if people know that this is not true, after seeing it for a while, it’s bound to affect their image of the idol.

And last... 

This is not exactly a “problem”, but I couldn’t include it anywhere else. 

The economy and money is why XZ’s company haven’t given him up yet. For one, XZ has signed many contracts with several companies, so he can’t leave even if he wanted to, because he’d end up with a debt in the millions. For another one, the companies don’t want to give up on him yet, because he himself hasn’t committed any grave mistake (like, none, in fact). 

If it comes to it, they’ll “kill the hen and get the eggs” (meaning they’ll get what they can and discard XZ) but for now XZ is still very popular and he’s earning a lot of money for the company. So, right now, XZ isn’t a failed investment, just a very dangerous one (in case his reputation deteriorates again), but companies have put too much money on him to give up at the first sight of problem. That’s why XZ’s Studio is valiantly trying to separate XZ from those crazed fans, and declaring them from being independent of XZ.

Actually, one of the companies he signed with was on the verge of bankruptcy when they signed the contract (before CQL, I think). After the boom last year, they were actually counting on him to reverse their situation with the new dramas, but they didn’t expect 2/27. So now, they are one of the most interested in getting XZ back to work, and to air his dramas successfully. It’s for selfish reasons, but it serves XZ’s interests.  

However, companies do and will dare to “lick the blood from the knife” (it’s a continuation of the previous idiom, to lick the blood of the hen and it means to get even the last drop of profit). 

If XZ doesn’t enter the government’s black list of celebrities, they’ll continue to get the earnings from his fans’ “offerings” (the crazed fans who buys his every endorsement + rational fans buying their favourite artist’s endorsements they actually like). 

The future of the entertainment industry is uncertain, from both economic and social (epidemic) points of view, so this is to be taken into account when considering this problem.

←Part 2: A sudden snowstorm | Part 4: Plum blossoms in the snow (I) →

[ryttu3k]

Thoughts on His Dark Materials 2.05, spoilers for the whole trilogy!

jfc you ever see a character so magnetic... If Ruth Wilson doesn’t get an Emmy and/or a BAFTA I’m gonna riot (and unfortunately, that’s likely since SFF rarely gets big results in the award shows). Like how are you literally making me sympathise for Mrs Coulter. How. Because, yeah, she loves Lyra. She loves her so much that it informs every one of her actions in Amber Spyglass, including that one. But god if Lyra had accepted...

Also found it fascinating how Mrs Coulter was given three foils in this episode. Three direct comparisons! With Lyra - she even openly says how alike they are, with Lyra later denying that they’re anything like that - that she had not liked herself when she had Pan attack the Golden Monkey (subtitles used the non-canon Ozymandias name for him from the... stage show, I want to say? Or radio play? One of those. Pullman didn’t like it much, I believe, and I agree - I like that he doesn’t actually have a name, and someone in the sub pointed out it basically meant Mrs Coulter isn’t on speaking terms with her own soul).

Regarding Lyra: really enjoyed saying she’d rather be like Ma Costa or Lee. I just had this great image of her going, “I’d rather be like Ma Costa... or Lee Scoresby... or Iorek... or Mary Malone... wow, what the fuck am I bothering with biological parents for?”

Second foil - Mary. The sheer fascination mixed with absolute envy that Mary had these opportunities that she was denied. Like damn, what kind of a visionary would she have been in our world? ...Probably terrifying since she’s an Objectively Shit Person (how was it phrased? ‘Cess-pit of moral filth’? I doubt that’s just due to the world she’s from!), but still! And their reasons for wanting to help Lyra - Mary’s from curiosity and fascination and wonder, Mrs Coulter’s from... I guess possessive love.

Copypasting an entire comment here by GunstarHeroine from the subreddit:

SO MANY THINGS stood out in tonight’s belter of an episode, but Marisa Coulter’s meeting with Mary Malone and her subsequent Blue Screen Of Death on realising the reality of the patriarchy was something I will not forget.

Look at her. Look at her eyes, listen the words she uses. Marisa is absolutely fucking full of blinding rage at the truth she’s suddenly been hit in the face with. All her life she has been better, clever, smarter, and stronger than the men who dominate her society. And she has been forced to kowtow to these pissants, these simpering dull crude oppressors, slaving constantly in labour and cunning to secure the meagrest of breadcrumbs of respect and recognition in her academic and political fields. She has been forced to swallow the bitter pill of being ineligible for a doctorate, despite the undeniable superiority of her work. She has had to submit to her papers being published under the names of male peers and them taking her rightful credit. She has had to smile and simper and be agreeable and claw her way to power and respect through the utmost ruthlessness and cunning - and even though those things were always in her nature, the mental and emotional toll it’s taken on her is crystal fucking clear. She’s destroyed her own soul to rise to her rightful place.

And then she steps into another world and meets Mary. A doctor in her own right, with academic research in her own right, with her own brilliance in her own right. No fuss. No compromise. Just recognition on the basis of merit. And she realises, in that moment, what has been kept from her all her life, and how incandescently fucking furious she is.

Marisa Coulter is one of the greyest characters I've ever seen, and her handling in this adaptation is masterful. The way you can simultaneously despise her cruelty and feel desperately furious at what she's been forced to endure. Amazing.

And third foil, Boreal. Just flat-out calling him out on his greed. ngl I laughed when Will sliced the statue in half. Also his opening monologue about how there’s too little faith and too much consumerism... he says, from his Tesla, before they go to his mansion full of expensive items.

lmao god I can’t wait for *** ******* ** **** ***.

Speaking of Mary - she’s been told her role! I wonder if non-book readers have worked out who Lyra is yet, if Mary is the serpent? I want to say that’ll be in episode 7, not 6, since it’s just before the camp is attacked.

Also thinking that episode 6 will have Mary encounter the Spectres while passing through Cittagazze - in the book, it just says ‘you will be protected’, so it’ll be really cool if it confirms either of the two main theories, which is either a) the angels are protecting her (which would also be a fantastic way to introduce the angels in general, especially Balthamos and Baruch!), or b) the spectres recognising her as the Serpent and being fucking terrified.

Saw a preview image of Mrs Coulter surrounded by spectres and that’s gonna be a sight.

Want to kick Boreal somewhere uncomfortable after he hurt Will. Pretty sure Lyra did too. Leave him alone you bully!!

Side note, I am so amused they’ve made Pan’s new battle form a wolverine. And it’s still completely narratively appropriate! Like, yeah, it’s a reference specifically to Dafne Keen’s last major role, but also, the wolverine is the largest and strongest member of the mustelid family! It’s completely in character for Pan to use it!

Mrs Coulter and the Golden Monkey - li’l seatbelt was cute as hell. Rest was depressing as fuck. Daemons are souls, they reflect the human they’re attached to, and goddamn but you can learn so much about her by looking at him. The self-loathing - off the charts. The silence - she’s completely shutting herself off. If her daemon speaking reveals anything about her, then she has to cut herself off at all costs. Physically hurting him is literal self-harm. Just. Ouch.

The preview for next week showing Lee and John is giving me a heckin’ frighten. I’m sure they’re going to save Alamo Gulch for episode seven but I don’t want it to happen ;_;

Finally, on a meta note, it’s really fun watching all this come together for the non-book readers! Like someone on the sub was excitedly talking about a part in the opening credits where you see angel wings coalesce out of Dust. And that was a beautifully subtle note from the very start of season 1 that book readers picked up straight away, but now it’s all coming together for the non-book readers, and they’re going, “Wait, that’s not just cool imagery, that’s actually a depiction of canon!” Because yeah I do know the books, so I’m having quite a different experience to those who haven’t read them, and it’s just really cool seeing the non-book readers have these pieces falling together.

[yandere-society]

Day 11 | Santa Tell Me

Synopsis: You’ve always been strangely scared of Santa as a child. The thought of a stranger in heavy boots breaking into your home and rummaging through your stuff has always terrified you. And you felt that terror right now, in this instant, as you laid there with two men in bright green suits hovering over your pretend-sleeping form.

The 12 Days of Black Christmas Event Masterlist

Pairing: Vmin x Female Reader

Admin: @roses-ruby​​

Trigger warnings: Yandere themes, bad crack, attempted kidnapping, stalking, stupid jokes, joke about religion, swearing, bad mouthing Santa 

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰

You really hated Christmas.

You hated everything that had to do with Christmas. All the sugary deserts, the unhealthy binging, the fake family bonding and seasonal depression longing. The freezing weather that froze your toes and pipes, the blinding red and greens, otherwise known as holiday delights. The overzealous consumerism around every corner, the empty materialism that gave everyone boners. The deforestation and self-righteousness, the ugly sweaters and proud religious mess. You hated Christmas and its warping spider’s net and all the very, merry, happy, holy, holly, jolly shit that went along with it.  

It wasn’t like you ever had a good Christmas to change your mind. When you were six, every girl at school had the brand-new light up Princess Dolly sneakers for Christmas but thanks to your skinflint of a dad, you got the direct knock off; Princess Polly sneakers. Polly with a PUH. They didn’t even fucking light up. To this day you get nightmares from the bullying. At 15, you got typhoid fever before the big ski vacation and while everyone else got to go have the time of their life, you were stuck rotting at home with your weird cousin Sigil who collected the dead skins from snake sheds. And just last year, at an unbearably boring office party, your ex best friend and crush made out under the mistletoe for 15. Whole. Minutes. Last you heard of them, they were engaged.

Let’s not even start about your irrational fear of Santa Claus. Every bad Christmas could be traced back to him. You cried the first time you heard your dad describe the bearded old man. Your reaction confused the hell out of him but to you, he was the strange one. What kind of parent allows an overgrown, capitalist bear man who dresses in red and brainwashes elf and reindeer to come into their home using the chimney and spy on their kids throughout the whole year? Was he a sadist? When you were younger, you would wet the bed just thinking of him stomping around your house in the dark. Safe to say, you never left him any cookies. Now, you’re just glad you grew out of the phase of believing in such a horrid creature like Santa Claus. Finally, you could sleep happy knowing that no one would sneak into your house in the middle of the night.

So, while we’re on that topic…who exactly were the two men whispering in the dark inside your room if it’s definitely not Santa?

“We have to quickly get back before he notices we’re missing. QUICKLY, Taehyung.”

“I know, I know. Let me just untangle this rope, Jimin.”

Who the fuck were Taeyoong and Jimmy and what the fuck were they doing in your house? That’s what you were thinking as you laid on your bed pretending to be asleep, absolutely still in the complete dark. Of course, you had a break in on the night of Christmas because why the fuck not. What made you think this one year, your Christmas day would turn out okay?

You were stuck even further because you lost the window of opportunity to wake up and startle the intruders and perhaps scream for help because since the moment they snuck in (3 minutes ago) you did nothing but lay there listening to their banter like the idiot you are. Maybe you could pretend all their ‘noise’ woke you up, but then again you weren’t too fond of your acting skills.

But honestly, who were they? What did they want? Why did they keep mentioning returning before this ‘he’ found out they were gone?

As you were pondering your crisis, someone blew straight into your ear. You shot up from the bed with a scream and immediately turned on the lamp beside you. Two men in strange green tunics and stockings, pointy ears, and tall hats with a bell stare back at you with an equally horrified expression.

They were dressed up as…elves?

“See, I told you she was awake.” The one on your right, resembling a small animal, possibly the bastard who blew in your ear, chirps.

“Wow, you really do have night vision, Jiminie.” The taller one behind the edge of your bed, the one holding a rope says, while staring at you in a daze.

“Who the fuck are you both? How did you get in? What do you want?” You shout, bringing your comforter to your chest.

All they do is stare at you with lovesick eyes to which you scowl. Hold on, why were your potential murderers so hot?

“_-___,” The one on the right calls you carefully. He had round and soft features with a sharp jaw. Slender eyes and bright pink hair matching his rosy cheeks on his otherwise cute pale face. “It’s an honor to finally meet you…my name is J-Jimin.”

“I’m Taehyung.” You turn to the man with the rope. His features were extremely well proportioned and downright lethal. A devilishly handsome face, beautiful golden skin and dark brown mopy hair. He appeared and sounded like a mature sugar daddy but stared at you like a 12-year-old pervert.

You sat silent after the two men’s greetings. What were you supposed to say after intruders introduced themselves? Nice to meet you? And how did they know your name?

“…O-Okay…Jimin, Taehyung…why are you in my house.”

“We’re here to kidnap you.” Jimin smiles, his eyes turning into crescents.

“E…Excuse me?”

“Yeah! We’re here because we love you and we want you for ourselves, so we have to take you from your home.” Taehyung says, stretching the rope in his hands.

“WHAT?” You couldn’t believe your ears. Did you perhaps start hallucinating after your edible once again? Because that would explain this crazy ass dream you were having right now. Since when did you have an elf kink though?

“So you see,” Jimin begins walking to stand beside Taehyung so now they were both in front of you, “We’re Santa’s elves. We were the ones assigned to watch over you, see if you were naughty or nice.”

“Pfft, you’re very naughty~” Taehyung giggles, blushing like crazy. You raise an eyebrow at him.

“And over the years,” Jimin continues, “We came to fall in love with you to the point of obsession. So now we want to kidnap you and take you to the north pole where we three will live in a polyamorous relationship and only me and Taehyung will get to be with you.”

“We’ll fuck every day.” Taehyung chimes in proudly, earning a smack to the back of his head from Jimin who mutters ‘not yet.’

“Ahahaha, what Taehyung meant was…of course any sexual relationship would be consensual. No means no, after all.” Jimin winks awkwardly

You just sat there, mouth wide open as your brain refused to process all the information that was just presented to you. So not only were your intruders dressed up as elves, but they were also clinically insane.

“I’m calling the cops.”

“W-wait! We can prove it to you!” Jimin jumps, rushing back to your side. “When you were 10, you really wanted a MayaMaya doll collection set didn’t you? You didn’t tell your dad about it because you thought he would get you the knock off; the Papaya doll collection. It was the first and only time you were okay with Santa coming into your house, so you didn’t even set the bear trap in the fireplace like you did every year.”

He was right. What the fuck.

“W…how did you know that?”

“We saw you.” Jimin says, eyes soft and smile tender, “You were wishing so earnestly that Christmas Eve, it almost made me cry.”

“W…wait so…Santa is real?”

“Of course.” They sang in unison

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, time out.” You huff, “He’s been real this whole time, yet he’s never gotten me what I wanted for Christmas?”

“Oh, my love.” Taehyung strides up and sits on your side of the bed, taking your hand in his. “It was out of our hands…we tried to get you on the nice list, but he could sense your bad vibes…also I’m pretty sure he was salty you never left him cookies. He is sort of petty.”

“So you’re telling me that hippy bitch Claire really did deserved that large purple dollhouse more than me?”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, she hasn’t been on the nice list for a long time now…all she asks for are sex toys.” Taehyung stares off into the distance.

“How long have ya’ll been watching me?”

“We are supposed to stop once a kid doesn’t believe in Santa anymore...but we were just always rooting for you. Before we knew it, we were watching you way into adulthood...and then slowly we started falling in love with you.” Jimin blushes

“...Have ya’ll seen me-”

“Naked? No...but we really want to.” Taehyung bites his bottom lip.

“I can’t believe this…” You groan, placing a palm over your forehead.

“Hey now, Jesus didn’t die today for you to be full of despair.” The taller elf rubs your hand with his thumb

“No, you idiot. He was born today…I think.” Jimin tsks

“Oh…well the point still stands. Don’t be sad my love. We never want you to have a bad Christmas again.”

“Anyway, we should hurry before Santa notices we abandoned him. That ass-kisser Jin also tagged along so we don’t have to worry too much about our portion of the presents since he would love to show off how competent he is to Santa all by himself. We can just say we ran a bit late because some kid almost woke up.” Jimin tells Taehyung to which he nods, getting his rope ready.

Oh right, this was a kidnapping. You forgot.

“___, just stay perfectly still and we’ll easily load you into the bottom of Santa’s gift sack. That thing is huge, no one will notice but us.”

“Guys, wait.” You say to which they freeze. “Let me think about this.”

They look at you with pleading puppy dog eyes and you start to contemplate it. Should you go with the two elves that barged into your house and tried to kidnap you and possibly turn you into a sex slave?

…

What were the pros and cons?

If you go to the North Pole, you’d basically be stuck with everything you hate about Christmas all year round. But could it be that bad seeing how smoking these two elves were? They could easily keep you warm. Were all elves this hot? Wait…could Santa possibly be hot? Your mouth watered thinking about it. Is this an enemies to lovers AU after all?

Whatever it was, it was interesting and more importantly you had a lot of unfinished business with the man in red. You could see it now, forming a mutiny with all the elves. Killing Claus and taking over his empire. Then it would be you who rules Christmas and boy, do you have a few changes you wanted to make like the beginning of this story states. Finally, all your wishes will come true. This time you WILL get the light up Princess Dolly sneakers and MayaMaya doll collection set.

And so, with a sinister plot forming in your head, you smile at the two eager elves in front of you.

“Alright boys, let’s go.”

Maybe this Christmas won’t be so bad after all.

[virtualcarrot]

Introductions

Hello, new wave of followers ! Have a seat, make yourselves at home. I don’t remember having had opinions recently that I can think of, and that usually send my followers count bleeding, so I’d like to make it clear that I hold “controversial” opinions. Which you may find here. So that you can make an informed choice or something.

-I’m pro-animal rights and EXTREMELY CRITICAL of people who take up arms to mock animal rights activists and ridicule the whole cause. There’s a difference between thoughtful criticism and the nonsense I see abounding.

-By extension: veg* friendly

-I’m (very tentatively, I’m not throwing stones) anti-consumerism. I really, really, really dislike merch. This one I haven’t voiced too much yet because I’m still sorting through stuff and arguments in my head so I’ll just say that the ethical implications of printing stuff on crap shirts/mugs/[insert support] produced on the other side of the world in abysmal environmental and human conditions, trouble me immensely. I’m absolutely not blind or unsympathetic to the plight of struggling creators. This is a gordian knot without true solution. But this is a subject I have yet to see raised in my admittedly limited experience of social media and I find it... Troublesome.

-Also, very critical of the absolute lack of nuance in leftist discourse on this website, which drives me absolutely insane because it’s purely performative and helps no one. The subject may come up.

-Just, I can’t be bothered with moral performativity in general, tbh. Which one might argue is what I’m doing in this post and yeah, the duality of humans I suppose. Strokes the ego, I guess.

-Fandomwise, I tend to side-eye any worshiping of TPTB. I’m also extremely wary (and weary) of queer-baiting advertisement and of fandom mistaking established canon for the wishful stretches we’re tempted to pull it to.

-the rest is classic stuff: I’m an anti-capitalist queer-friendly leftist fandom person. The blog is open for anyone to follow, even people I strongly politically disagree with because how else are, say, exclusionary-leaning people gonna be exposed to non-exclusionary ideas if I start performatively sending them away all for the sake of publicly aligning myself with the Good People, as opposed to the Evil Ones.

(That being said, don’t @ me with TERF content, I’ll just scream about it with my best friend on discord as a way of catharsis and nothing of it will show up here)

Basically, I live in a glass house where I sometimes throw pebbles, I have no true impact upon the world other than my ever growing carbon print and I keep a blog so I can spread stuff that brings me joy while also contributing to the world’s ever-increasing pollution by filling up internet servers.

And, sometimes, I scream to bring awareness to that. Cheers!

[foulobjectarbiter]

Save The Earth: Seven Things You Can Do To Help the Planet and Protect Endangered Species

If there is anything that humans fail at, it is seeing the big picture. 

With most of us blind to see the interconnectedness of life, we are rendered unaware of how even the tiniest microorganisms can play a significant role in our survival. Keep in mind that life is a complicated web of interdependent beings. The survival of each often depends on the survival of another. 

Some of us are only beginning to understand its implications and realize that the food chain—from the tiniest creatures to the largest beings on earth—keeps us alive. 

We all know that there are plenty of endangered species on earth. But, unfortunately, we are too absorbed with our own lives to realize that we are the ones causing it. That said, we are also the ones who can save it. 

Now, it is our time to give back. We should do our part in keeping them going extinct, not only for our survival but also for theirs. After all, this endeavor will play a pivotal role in the bigger picture: saving and protecting the ecosystem. So, if you wish to make a positive impact on the earth, be a responsible citizen and act on behalf of these threatened species and endangered wildlife—plants, animals, and the places they call their home. 

Below is a list of extraordinary things you, your family, and friends can do to help protect them. 

1.) Be Aware of the Endangered Species in Your Area

The first step to protecting and saving endangered species is making yourself aware of these species and sharing this information with others. More often than not, we tend to think of endangered species from other areas when there are some of them in your general vicinity. Educate your family and friends about the wildlife surrounding you, including the plants and animals that live near you. Awareness of these species is a critical step as it will help you and others to act in a way that would not put these species in danger. 

2.) Grow Native Plants

Local species rely on native plants, so it is only right to plant more of them. Also, you may want to grow more Philippine endangered trees, such as Narra and Kamagong. In this way, not only are you providing food and shelter for local wildlife, but you can attract native insects such as bees and butterflies to help pollinate your plants as well. Conversely, foreign species compete with native species for resources and habitat, which thereby threatens biodiversity. In fact, they have been known to prey on native species directly, which can cause native species to go extinct. 

3.) Buy Sustainable Products

Today, more and more of the natural world is plundered to satisfy consumerism. Unfortunately, this threatens local wildlife, and if we constantly raze our forests for the production of new goods, local wildlife may soon find themselves without a home. That said, you should never buy furniture made from endangered trees or wood from rainforests. Similarly, you should refrain from using palm oil as forests are constantly being cut down to make room for palm plantations. 

4.) Recycle and Buy Reusable Products 

To many people, recycling may be a tired cliche, but it is doing our environment a world of good. The simple act of recycling and buying eco-friendly products can already go a long way to help the ecosystem. With that in mind, consider every product you purchase and know what the consequences are should you purchase them. Keep in mind that there are products that cause harm to the homes of endangered species and even to the endangered species themselves. All that considered, do your research first and know what impact a product will make on the environment before buying it. 

5.) Reduce Your Carbon Footprint 

Endeavor to reduce your personal footprint and look for alternatives to the modern conveniences you are used to. It may be a little difficult at first, but it goes a long way in saving endangered species and the environment. That said, drive less and walk more. Leave your car home, commute and take the public transport. Similarly, you may also opt to buy food from your farmer’s market in lieu of shopping for them in big grocery chains. 

6.) Avoid Buying Plastic Products 

Do not forget to take your bags with you if you intend to go shopping. Similarly, reuse plastic containers instead of throwing them away. Also, plastic products end up in the ocean and maybe ingested by small fish. So, be sure to dispose of them properly. 

7.) Donate to organizations that are working to help endangered species 

Your donation can go a long way, and it does not take much of your time nor your money. Even the smallest amount can already be a big help. If you wish to put your money into a good cause, donating it to organizations such as One to Tree and the World Wildlife Fund can go a long way in ensuring endangered trees and animals are protected. 

https://onetotree.org/news/save-the-trees-five-endangered-tree-plants-in-the-philippines/

[pallas-cat]

something my prof said a week ago stuck to me tho re: that personal responsibility post that is very true

is that the biggest issue with like, mainstream environmental activism is that so much is based on very vague “awareness-raising” and it’s where most funding for mainstream environmental NGOs go: pamphlets yelling at people that whatever action they take is ruining the planet

and the thing is that this individuality and consumerism-based way of seeing how you impact the environment is precisely what corporations want!! because it does two things in their favor:

- either blind you into thinking that minimal consumerism-based changes will save the planet (mostly if you’re privileged)

- give you a feeling of powerlessness because you can’t either financially afford these alternatives or think that whatever action you even try to do is a drop in the ocean compared to the magnitude of disasters (esp if you’re marginalized) and that challenging it, challenging THEM is impossible. and what consumer-based activism does too is exhaust activists cause over-scrutinizing the shit you buy is tiring as fuck!

and this is why environmental efforts and activism should be way more based on empowerment, governance and making the environment political, something to talk about and actively challenge instances with. it should be initiative-based, protest-based and science-based. and initiative-based should be shit like fun shoreline cleanups or group purchases of accessible local food, not buying Kraft’s newest organic paper straw. 

[venusmages]

Cyberpunk 2077 non-spoiler review

Anyways here’s my writeup about my least favorite parts of 2077 for people who are interested in seeing if it’s for them. Both going to talk about content as well as gameplay. This is for PC version, too, because I know last gen consoles are suffering terribly rn and I wouldn’t recommend the game if you’re not going to be playing on PC. At least not until it’s on sale or the issues have been resolved. It really, really shouldn’t have been released on last gen consoles at all in my opinion - or at least should’ve been released on consoles LATER.

If you like Saints Row, GTA, Mass Effect, Shadowrun, or the Cyberpunk genre in general - I definitely think this is something you might want to take a peek at! I wasn’t anticipating the game until about a month or two before release - so maybe that’s why I’m having a blast - but It’s one of my favorite stories from the past decade as far as sci-fi goes. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it, and It’s really impressed me. I can’t even go into detail about all the things I LOVE because I really want folks to experience it themselves. Just know there’s a very intricately detailed world, all the characters are memorable and insanely well realized and complex, and the story is great fun. Also made me cry like 5 times. It’s become one of my FAVORITE games very quickly.

I’d also recommend Neon Arcade if you want someone who’s been covering the game for quite a while, including the technical and game industry aspect. He does well to go into some detail and even though he’s a fan, I’ve found him to be largely unbiased. I’m not going to go into industry politics here because I feel that’s up for everyone to decide on their own terms.

No spoilers, things to keep in mind, content warnings, etc. below!

CONTENT WARNINGS and issues with plot/story

this setting is dark. very dark. if you struggle stomaching things like dystopian landscapes, body horror, physical, mental and sexual abuse, corporate and gang violence, abuse of children, harsh language, and concepts that mess with the perception of reality - this game might not be for you. It’s a very mature setting, and I don’t mean that in the Adult Swim kind of way. I mean it in the ‘oh shit, it went there’ way. In my opinion I haven’t run across anything in it that was handled distastefully when it dipped into the depressing, but dark and gritty isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and I wanted to give a disclaimer.

The game’s universe in advertising and working for the lower class also exploits sex/sex work quite a bit. This is part of the lore itself because in this universe everyone’s become desensitized to sex and violence to the point that marketing embraces it and makes it ridiculous. I feel it’s very obvious that it doesn’t condone this message and is instead a commentary on consumerism - but people still might be uncomfortable seeing a lot of suggestive stuff all over the place regardless. 

Women in game are naked more often than men - even though there is nudity for both. This is likely a mix of appealing to the Gamer Boy demographic (even though the story does NOT actually), or the fact that media is way more cool with seeing naked women than seeing full frontal nudity on men. They probably had to tone some of it down to avoid going above an M rating. 

The story is amazing, but sometimes it dumps a lot onto you at once. It’s one of those sci-fi stories that you have to really be following the names, faces, and concepts continually to get it all down. There’s a lot of betrayal, background players, etc. I think by the mid-way point I’d mostly had it, but It’s pretty dense. However it’s still amazing. You might just need two playthroughs before every tiny detail clicks - because there’s a LOT of details. 

Honestly I think it would help to read up on the lore first so you’re not going ‘what’ constantly. But people have seemed to manage fine without that also! Neon Arcade has a really nice series of videos (like 2 or 3) that get you up to speed with the universe. It also helps you decide if the tone is right for you. 

I think the main story should’ve been longer, also. I don’t mind a 20 hr story, especially in a massive RPG, but It feels like they really struggled to cram as much into that time frame as possible. It skirts the edge of being nice and concise, snappy, and tight - and needing just a few more moments to take a breath and wait a second. This is helped if you do a lot of side quests.

The straight male romance option, River, is INCREDIBLY well written but he doesn’t tie into the main plot in any way whatsoever. It’s very strange and feels like they either ran out of time with him, or slapped together a romance with him at the last second. All the other romances at least know what’s going on with V’s story - meanwhile River has no idea, and you can never tell him. He’s an amazing guy though and I highly recommend his questline. He appears in ACT 2.

In general I’d say not to bother with the romances. There are only 4 total, and while the romancible characters on their own are really well written, the romances themselves are just kinda meh. One romance you don’t even meet until act 3. I don’t think they should’ve been included in the game at all, because they definitely don’t feel as fleshed out as everything else. 

CDPR also sometimes forget that women players or gay men exist. Panam and Judy have a lot more content than River and Kerry for example. I don’t think this is intentional, they just have a large fanbase of dudebros. It only shows in the romance content and the nudity thing though.

Johnny, Takemura, and Claire should’ve been romances and I will fight to the death on that. 

There are gay and trans characters in the game and their stories don’t revolve around their sexualities. It’s very Fallout: New Vegas in it’s approach to characters: IE. you’re going to love them. All of them. 

V’s gender isn’t locked to their body type or their genitals- but to to their voice. I don’t think it’s the best solution they could’ve used but given how the game is heavily voice acted I assume that was what they had to work with. 

Some of the romances are locked to both cis voices AND body types (not genitals if I recall but body shapes). That’s disappointing but I assume it was because of scripted scene issues and/or ignorance on the dev’s part considering the LGBT NPCS are so AMAZINGLY done. There’s no homophobic or transphobic language in the game - though there are gendered curse words and insults if that bothers you. 

Some characters MAY suffer from ‘bilingual people don’t talk like that’ syndrome. But it can be hard to say for sure given that translators exist in this universe and the way they operate aren’t fully described. It’s only momentarily distracting, not enough to take away from how charming the NPCs are.

The endings are really good don’t get me wrong but I want fix it fic :(. All of the endings out of like 6 (?) in the game are bittersweet. 

Both gender V’s are very good but female V’s voice acting is out of this world. If you don’t know what voice to go with/are neutral I’d highly recommend female V. Male V is charming and good but he feels much more monotone compared to female V. 

V has their own personality. To some this won’t be a detractor - but a lot of people thought they’d be making absolutely everything from the ground up. V is more of a commander shepard or geralt than a skyrim or d&d pc, if that makes sense. You can customize and influence them to a HUGE degree, some aspects of V will always be the same.

Streetkid is the most boring background - at least for it’s introduction/prologue.

GAMEPLAY/TECHNICAL

If you can run your game on ultra, don’t. It actually looks best with a mix of high and medium settings. Unless you have a beast that has ray-tracing - then by all means use ray tracing and see how absolutely insanely good it looks.

There are color blind modes for the UI, but not for some of the AI/Netrunning segments in cutscenes. Idk how much this will effect folks with colorblindness but those segments are thankfully short. 

There was an issue with braindances being an epilepsy trigger because for some reason they decided to mirror the flashing pattern after real epilepsy tests - probably because it ‘looks cool’. I don’t have epilepsy but it even hurt my eyes and gave me a headache. Massive oversight and really goddamn weird. Thankfully this was fixed.

There is no driving AI. Like at all. If you leave your car in the street the traffic is just going to pile up behind it. It’s one of the very few immersion breaking things I’ve encountered.

Sometimes when an NPC is driving with you in the car, they’ll drive on the curb and/or run into people. It’s kind of funny but can occasionally result in something weird. Feels very GTA  - but nothing excruciating. 

The camera angle feels a little too low in first person mode when driving on cars. You get used to it though. 

The police in this game feel slapped on and I hope they improve it. Right now if you commit a crime, you can never tell what will actually trigger it. And if you just run away a few blocks the police forget about it. 

Bikes are just way more fun to ride than the cars are. 

You CANNOT respec your character after you make them. Ever. it sucks. Go in with an idea ahead of time what you wanna do - it’s better than being a jack of all trades.

as of now you also CANNOT change their appearance after you exit the character creator. This, also, sucks. Make sure you REALLY like your V or you’re gonna be replaying the openings over and over like I did. 

Photomode on PC is the N key. Had to look it up. The mode itself is great though

Shooting and Mele fighting feel pretty standard. I don’t have a lot of shooter experience besides Bethesda games so anything feels better than that to me. So far I’ve enjoyed stealth and mele the best, but that’s just my own taste! The combat and driving aren’t groundbreaking by any means, but they’re still very fun. I look forward to running at people with swords or mantis blades, and zipping around the city on a motorcycle to see the sights. The story, lore, and interesting quests and characters are the real draw here.

I haven’t encountered any game breaking bugs in 80-ish hours of play time. One or two T-poses, a few overlays not loading or floating objects - but nothing terrible. Again, my experience is with Bethesda games. This is all usually fixed by either opening your inventory and closing it again, or exiting out and reloading your save. 

The C button is mapped for crouching AND skipping dialogue by default. That’s terrible. Change it in the settings to be HOLDING C skips dialogue and you’ll be gucci.

There’s apparently a crafting system. I have never been inclined to touch it. But I also play on easy like a pleb so IDK how it all scales otherwise.

The mirror reflections can be a little bit weird, at least on my end. They always end up a teeny bit grainy despite my computer being able to run everything on Ultra Max. You can still get good screens out of it though!

So many people text me to sell me cars and I want them to stop. Please. also the texting menu is abysmal. The rest is ok tho

It’s pretty clear when you’re going to go into a ‘cutscene’. all cutscenes are rendered in-engine BUT you often will be talking to other characters at a specific angle or setting. The game locks you into this usually by having you sit down. It works for me - after all we do a lot of sitting- but it IS very obvious that it’s a way for the game to get you in the frame it wants to display.

That’s all I can think of rn! If you’re interested but wanted to get a slightly better idea of whats going on, I hope this helps. I’m really enjoying it and despite my issues it’s exceeding my expectations. I’m going to be thinking about and replaying this game for quite a while.