#sh critical

[faejilly]

a while ago i watched someone react to 1.03 and were praising izzy for being an ally and like i love izzy but almost every time she brought up alec’s sexuality it made me super uncomfortable bc who would really want to be constantly in fear that your sibling is going to out you in a very homophobic society while trying to be supportive? and like there’s no way that izzy doesn’t know that the clave is homophobic and she still brings up it up all the time, it just seems weird that she can understand that the clave is racist but can’t comprehend that it is also homophobic, and she never really dropped the topic despite alec being uncomfortable with it

#mood

HOWEVER

The question arises... was Alec uncomfortable, or were pretty much all the queer viewers uncomfortable?

There's a thing with most media, but TV shows & movies especially, which have so many people involved in making them, and so many constraints behind the scenes that we the viewers may or may not know anything about, that sometimes the way a scene appears to the viewer is NOT the way it was intended/the way the characters take it.

Shadowhunters is a particularly egregious example of this, being a (relatively) cheap YA melodrama on a third-rate network whose entire production staff got swapped out between seasons 1 and 2, so 'lol what is consistency or planning?!?' is visible everywhere.

SO.

Is Izzy in-universe actually clueless/dangerous Straight People™️or were the writers/showrunners clueless Straight/White People™️who had no idea that half of their 'rule of cool' / 'quick banter' / etc. came across as micro-aggressions to the audience?

You can go either way, it's all a question of which you think is more fun/interesting/necessary for your own peace of mind/enjoyment of canon. (Fandom is supposed to be fun after all.)

A lot of people settle on 'they are that bad in canon' and write a lot of fix-it fic or 'nephilim have to deal with CONSEQUENCES!' fanworks, and those are great! A lot of other people go with "clearly everyone else in canon acts like they have positive relationships, so this is a failure of execution and I'm going to write fic/make art assuming that these people are who they SAY they are, and figure out what that looks like to me" and those are also great!

Just decide which one you're doing when you start, because combining both in one fic gets... a little weird? Hard to follow, at least. 🤣

SO: Is Alec uncomfortable? How does he deal with that, what does that say about his relationship with Izzy, with other nephilim, with the Clave & Council & Alicante? How does that contrast with how he feels interacting with the downworld, which is canonically a lot more self-aware and accepting of queer people and minorities?

If Alec isn't uncomfortable with Izzy's behavior, if no one else seems to pick up on it, why? Do we go with other people's reactions in canon and assume that she is in fact very careful with what she says where and it seems overt to us the viewers because we're allowed to see it? (Much like inter-party banter over comms in heist movies or tv shows; no one else ever hears it or sees it, so we can see and hear it for storytelling purposes, not for 'reality' purposes.)

If that's the case, what does their relationship look like to people in public? How different are public-facing Alec & Jace & Isabelle from what we the viewers see of their private relationships to each other?

Do you want to assume some mish-mash of both? It's more subtle in the setting than it seems so we can see it, and also Alec knows she means well even if we don't? OR SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY?

IDK, I have no conclusions here. I mostly assume that the show is a disaster, and these people all seem to like each other, so how can I write them that fits the results rather than all the dumb-ass details? (I like a lot of authors/artists who go the other way though.) This is encouraged by the fact that the technical/magical worldbuilding is nonsense so I'm making up shit all the time anyway, might as well add characterization to that too! 🤣🤣🤣

[takaraphoenix]

There is something that feels inexplicably... straight... in a way that’s uncomfortable, stiff and also just unenjoyable for me, personally, about the narrative of “bravery and inspiration” when it comes to coming outs.

We all - who we have been there and come out - do know that there is an angle of feeling inspired. Sure. Of course. Knowing there’s others like us out there gives us strength. That can come from a place of fiction, when you see yourself represented in media for the very first time. That can come from a place of connection, when you get to interact with another queer person for the first time.

The arc of having The Gay One Of The Main Characters have their coming out and then, down the road, have other, minor characters come out too, and have them express that they felt inspired by the bravery of the Gay Main. I hate that. I hate that so much. Urgh, that just tastes icky to me.

It tastes straight to me. Because straight people love to imagine us as brave, because they often struggle to imagine us as just existing. Our existence must be brave. Our existence must be hardships. And they are, obviously do we face those things. But this framework feels so reductive.

It reduces the coming out to bravery, when a coming out story can be about so much more. Should be about so much more. We deserve to have stories told about so much more than just our hardships and struggles, we deserve to be more than just brave.

Why do the minor queer characters need to be inspired to come out? Why do they need to be so desperately closeted, so incredibly afraid to be themselves that it takes this act of bravery? Why did the author feel the need to create a fictional world that is so oppressive, so harmful and constrictive? That’s a deliberate choice that’s being made.

And sometimes, it’s a choice that makes me feel tired, to be honest. I mean, we can accept werewolves and witches being real and all of that, and bend reality, but let’s not get too unreal, we should definitely keep the homophobia.

Even in a world where we do keep the homophobia, the act of bravery of one singular queer character... ain’t gonna actually change that. Honestly, your choice here is worse than if you just... decided to write about a world where there isn’t any homophobia?

Genuinely. I’d much rather read about a world where we say acceptance is the norm from the get-go, rather than “and all the queers lived in fear, until The Chosen Queer One finally found the bravery to come out of the closet, and every other queer character followed them out of the closet, inspired by their bravery, and... everything was just dandy, actually”.

Because - because - there isn’t any homophobia here, in the end. Everything was just fine, in the end. Nobody faced any homophobia. You just needed the queers to be afraid until the Queer Main was “brave”, so they could all come out and realize that all the straights are actually really nice.

And that’s what makes it taste real straight.

Because the straights aren’t a threat. The straights are actually real nice! There is nothing bad happening here. The queers are being oh-so brave, but they have nothing to fear from us, we’re the good straights. We wouldn’t want to write about uncomfy things like actually bad straight people and actual homophobia. No, that’s going too far, we wouldn’t want to do that.

And I’m just kind of... tired, that just existing is enough to be seen as brave, and that the straight authors still need to feel comfy enough in their little worlds to not go too far, and that we do ridiculous shit like pretending nobody was ever out before the Queer Main. I’m just tired.

[ragingtrees]

my friend dimple

[cillsmurph]

Cillian Murphy arriving at the Critics Choice Awards (Jan. 14th, 2024)

[theoddest1]

Love how she says this, and 8 years later, proceeds to outsource and have shit working conditions. Fanbase sure likes ignoring shit like this, tho.

But sure, she's an amazing boss and an amazing person, surely. 😃

[almacambiondaughterofsaleos]

Good Summary Of Catra And Stolas

Both are basically one side of the same coin.

[galedekarios]

it’s still so... hm. i'm not sure what words to use here tbh.

but to give the one character that has received such preferential treatment through early access development and full release even more new content + new lines even though he already has a wealth of scenes, detailed animations, incredible world responsiveness, that about totals to having a third more content than everyone else...

all the while the other characters, their romances, their stories and the way the world they're in reacts to them are still either a barren wasteland or bugged to the point they can’t be triggered.

[moistrodent]

Making an un trigger warned episode that shows graphic depictions of SA and drug use is okay because viv lied about the story boarder being an SA survivor. That’s not a coping mechanism that’s just gross to do. Toxic coping mechanisms exist. My cutting, starving, and binge eating were all coping mechanisms. That doesn’t mean they were good for me. Use your fucking brain please, I’m so tired of hearing people say that. It hurts me as someone who has done so many horrible coping mechanisms to hear “it’s a coping mechanism so it’s okay.” Episode four gave me a panic attack.

[writeouswriter]

People out here like oooh I shouldn't be relating to this villainous character, this character who does bad things, this character who has questionable morals; yes, you should be! You should be looking at the warped funhouse mirror and analyzing what you see there! That is not an accident! The world is not black and white, good and bad, us and them; if you start thinking there's a clear dividing line, that you could never possibly relate or end up like them or they could never have ended up like you, that's how they get you!

You and the rest of humanity are a swirling pool of grey and these characters are, in many instances, a way to reflect on yourself... because recognizing the self through the other not only gives valuable insight into you and those around you in general, but also lets you see how you can avoid making the same mistakes or how you could, given differing and worse circumstances, see exactly where they're coming from and become just like them if the tables were turned, making you more mindful, more empathetic, more open to questioning or accepting your own flaws, and just... so much more.

That's inevitably worded fuzzily, and I've said it before, but the point is, it's not a bad thing to relate to these characters, it's an (often) *intended* and invariably human thing because humans are messy and complex and shaped by all kinds of simultaneously unique and yet universal shared experiences, and in the end, people are people are people, bound by the laws of chaos.

And yes, there may be some exceptions in how you may approach this, but not without nuance.

[sherlock-and-co-incorrect-quotes]

John: I might be short, but I'm knowing

Mariana: You aren't 'knowing' what the top shelf looks like

John:

[lifea16]

Vivziepop has claimed Stolas will eventually face consequences, but how ?

Every single time Stolas has been called out, the person who has is framed to be in the wrong, either being a full antagonist (Stella, Striker) or wrong in the moment (Blitz, Octavia), so how will Stolas get his head out of his own ass if anyone who tells him to gets kicked out of the f**king house

[cobaltsoulsearcher]

The rest of the Nein move on, indistinguishable from before. For Yasha, this makes penance difficult. It’s better not to make a scene. The fighting pit may be public, but she can guarantee it will hurt her, not the Nein. She can choose not to hurt anyone.

She doesn’t enjoys being beat up, but the disconnect of a ringing head and tender, throbbing skin is a necessary reminder of what she’s done. She bottles her rage and takes the hits. It’s not an unhealthy habit, she keeps telling herself, not like Nott’s drinking. It’s just making things right, her way.

@thedrabblecollective ‘s day three, unhealthy. A Drabble about Yasha in the fighting pit ~episode 89 or so.

[galactic-glamour-girl-posts]

A totally random compilation

("Knockout" can mean an extremely attractive person for those who don't get it)

(Honestly, just pretend I uploaded the entire segment the following screencap is from):

(For context, in the segment where the screenshot below is from, Nickelwise is trying to scare Dot by using her vanity against her, claiming that "cuteness fades"):

(Like with The Cutening, pretend I uploaded this entire segment):

(She literally says "Alright Dot, kill her with cuteness" here):

(And this is a direct reference to the Animaniacs Sega Genesis game where she uses her cuteness/heart projectiles as an attack):

[embrace-your-inner-kid]

People in fandom acting like psychiatrists and moral police are the most exhausting part of fandom. I'm trying to block and/or mute the worst offenders, but f**k it's so wide spread.

Can no one just enjoy the sh*t they like? Why do so many of you fall into becoming full-time haters? You sound like the most miserable people. I hope you can learn how to find joy in something rather than spiral into a bad case of hater mental gymnastics. Your life sounds unfulfilled, and ultimately, it's up to you to try and find happiness or continue to stew in misery.

From personal experience, I know how easy it is to get stuck in negativity, but I also know it's possible to pull yourself out and adjust your mindset. The big question to ask yourself first is if you want to be miserable and a buzzkill forever, or learn how to find pockets of happiness in a sometimes brutal world? It's up to you.

** And I'm not talking about fair analysis and criticism of media and/or fictional relationship dynamics, I have no problem with that. I'm talking about the people who constantly hate just to hate and can't critically think to save their lives because of the hate that has a strangle hold on them. **

[omegansamurai]

Okay, as a new Silent Hill fan...

...some of y'all got to calm down.

I hear people complain about the trailer and the gameplay trailer from the SH Transmission of Silent Hill 2, and it's like...why are y'all complaining? I may not be a video game developer expert, but I enjoy video games because they are fun and engaging. And if it has a good story, then I'm all for it. But I see people giving out videos on YT saying that Angela's face looks wrong, or the jank that the framerate goes to, or the hitting animation is all weird. There was even one person saying that the first enemy that James encounters was 'staged' and it worried him...it's like...what? People, it's okay, I welcome any change. It doesn't have to be a big one, but they're blowing things out of proportion on what they saw, and it's like...I never noticed any of that? I mean, I thought it looked great! And this whole remake looks interesting, and believe it or not, as one who doesn't do horror games, I actually PRE-ORDERED the physical copy of the game! Cause I wanted to experience this story again they're telling, with me as a new player for this series. Come on, people, they'll keep the story intact, it'll still be SH2. I think the remake looks fantastic, and I welcome any minor change in this, even the storytelling aspects of the characters. Not the story, but the CHARACTERS, just to be clear.

I mean, sure, Angela's face is the only thing that looks odd, but even then...it's not a big deal. She's a girl in her late teens, 19, and here in this remake, she looks...young. I feel like people forgot that? And Maria looks great as well!

It's like the live-action Netflix Avatar The Last Airbender show all over again. You get the people complaining and whining about how they handled the show in live-action form, which I think was actually pretty well-handled, and you get the SH fans whining about how the SH2 Remake looks...I don't know, good? Seriously, I feel like Bloober Team will really do a great job here. They sound passionate in the SH Transmission, and I admire that. I mean, can't you just be happy that you got a SH game after all these years? You'll make yourself miserable if you nitpick every single thing. I just can't wait for when the game comes out in October. And I'll be ready to play it too...when I see playthroughs beforehand...or something...I mean, I'll get through the first bit of it, but...look, I haven't played a horror game at all, especially a survivor horror game, so it'll be different for me, okay? XP

Listen, I really think Konami is trying their best to win us back, and yes, sometimes they made the most stupidest decisions, but...well, it's been years, and I feel like this group is trying to find a layout for Silent Hill. I feel like they're going on the right track, I would say.

Look, I'm excited, and I'm glad some people are excited for this game. I think it'll do really well. I just don't want these so-called 'fans' to just gripe and moan about every small, tiny, little, insignificant detail about this Silent Hill 2 Remake. It's just a game. Yes, it's an important game, but I feel like this game is in the right hands from the right people. Just relax. I bet it'll be fun and meaningful all over again.

I'm excited. So please don't ruin that excitement for me. Seriously, this will be my first horror game that I pre-ordered and purchased. And I want to walk through James' shoes into the town of Silent Hill and experience the story all over again. I wasn't even hesitant to buy it until I got a proper release date, and now that I do, I was ready to buy it. And I did buy it...soon it'll ship to my house on October 8th, and I will experience the psychological masterpiece that is Silent Hill 2. As James said in the remake reveal trailer...

I'm ready.

(By the way, if you all want to read my SH crossovers of different franchises, go to my AO3 page! :D Search 'The_Samurai_Prince' and choose which one you want to read! Tell me what you all think! :) )

[sonicskullsalt]

A Duergar has just fallen down next to a lava pool and Keyleth runs up to push him in.

Keyleth: This is the meanest thing I've ever done!

Vex: No, no, remember you killed that kid one time.