#somewhat unpopular opinion i suppose.

[constantineshots]

"john and king shark-" no.

[evermoredeluxe]

a really interesting theme i find in taylor’s work is that of being a fool or fooling someone else. love is looked at from this lens of a thing that you have to tricked into. which is really juxtaposed by her belief of “it is fate.” i think it somewhat comes from how openly and hugely she loves vs her view of herself as something that brings disaster. and also some pretty formative experiences when she was a young girl going into adulthood and how she felt used and unworthy and small. hence, all the trickery to make someone love her and trying to be in control, whether she’s the one starting it or ending it.

in cowboy like me, she talks about how she’s conned all these men, and they’ve all fallen for her. she takes what she wants from then and then she bolts. then in hits different, she sings “i use to switch out these kens, i’d just ghost // rip the bandaid off and skip town like an asshole outlaw” she meets a boy, falls in love, and when they break up, she moves on quickly and goes to another one to not feel distraught, and when this new boy makes her fake promises, she does the same thing to him and moves on with someone else. she’s in control.

and then “i think there’s been a glitch,” and with joe, she thought it was gonna be something casual and they tried that but it turned out to be one of those things that supposed to last. her con finally works. after all these tries, she’s finally masterminded her forever, and she doesn’t even feel bad because he knew. but then, she realizes that she failed yet again, it didn’t work. she didn’t con her way into a sweet forever, but rather forever conned her. fate gave her something, she tried to control it, but she failed.

she tries again. she’s been talking with this boy from her past again, and she thinks that this time, bolting will work and she will find her happy ending. what she though was fate, meant to be, all the pain of her long term relationship and her leaving was supposed to meant something, but turns out that this time the script flips, and he was the conman and he was selling her a get-love-quick scheme (loml). and she doesn’t even get to bolt! he’s the one who leaves her behind (“i’ll never leave, never mind” - loml), and she can’t even complain.

all’s not well because it doesn’t end well because she didn’t end up with anybody. instead of trying herself again, she’s just begging someone to change the prophecy. and the alchemy still implies something not in her hands being a huge factor, and who are they to fight it? they have to abide by it. and ofc she equates love to religion and sees fate as a belief system. she wants it to work out, and it hits her hard whenever it doesn’t. i’ve been thinking about this since the album release and seeing some other posts, and my unpopular opinion is that i think it’s still something she believes in despite *gestures broadly* but after last year, she doesn’t wanna control it anymore. no fooling, she doesn’t wanna mastermind and do all the work, she just want it to be easy and she wants it to be simply good to her.

[howlsofbloodhounds]

might be a controversial/unpopular opinion but i headcanon that any classic variant of sans has some sort of superiority complex going on. maybe not exactly that, but they're some flavor of self-righteous, i guess?

OKAY LISTEN. i'm not saying sans is a bad guy or anything (i love him very much i swear). canon sans is written really well in the sense that he's intentionally very vague and mysterious so we can speculate a lot on his past and intentions throughout the story. idk, maybe my reading is completely off but sans appears to me as a lovable asshole, especially to someone who is a child (frisk). he likes playing around with frisk - yeah it's harmless but still his advice tends to be vague, especially when it comes to battle tips lmao. just imagine in-universe how terrible his advice comes off to a child.

and like, the restaurant scene. sans is intentionally acting all blithe about letting a child die on his watch, under a promise - like i know it's supposed to be a funny off-hand comment to the player, but in-universe again he addresses this to a child. it's just- lmao this guy has some problems for sure.

i think being self-righteous is just tied to his role as a judge as well. he's always 'right' in his judgement, because that's what he is. i think it's just interesting to explore that particular aspect of sans' personality, that he acts in what he thinks is right, and he's always right, isn't he? maybe that's why i tend to enjoy undertale stories where sans somewhat assumes the role of the antagonist - it creates some fantastic dynamic with people around him who it seems like he never really connects well.

~ crowshipping anon

Crow!! Yayy!!

And I honestly kinda vibe with this interpretation honestly. I haven’t completely finished playing all the Undertale games myself (curse my lack of motivation 😭), but I watched a few playthroughs here and there, and it seems like something that could make sense.

Especially when he’s given such an important position like a being a Judge, his opinions and judgements are likely taken seriously by Asgore.

And the thing is, you can also make an argument for this with our most popular classic variants; the Murder Time Trio. Murder justifies what he does as being better that he does it instead of the human, justifies it with that he will eventually stop the human.

Really, he may even argue that his current actions don’t really even go against his job as the Judge; he has judged that the human must be stopped, and he has to do it because he’s the only one who can. I’ve even seen some ideas going around that maybe he views himself as the Angel from the Prophecy, having judged that the Underground will be free by death.

Horror is the entire reason his Underground started eating humans, and he is also the reason that the Core is damaged beyond repair. He didn’t want to sacrifice himself for the Underground, and he survived the event that took his eye, yet he still judged that Undyne and Alphys had to pay for their betrayal—and in doing so he decided that the rest of the Underground would be doomed to starvation or eating people.

He decided to trick Horror Papyrus into eating human meat even though Papyrus very clearly did not want to, and Horror doesn’t seem all too guilty about it—even as Papyrus goes out of his way to prevent Horror from eating humans at his own request.

I’ve even seen around by bigger Horror/Horrortale fans than me that Horror’s reasons for starving himself may not even be entirely selfless—such as for a moral reason or wanting others to have more food than him. But rather because he views it as beneath him and he won’t go “that low.” How canon that is, im not sure, but it’s interesting.

Then meanwhile there’s Killer. He sneers at Swap and threatens to kill him if he ever attempts to compare himself to Killer again, he holds the beliefs and mindsets of his human that were taught to him very closely and looks down on anyone who views things differently with contempt—especially if they attempt to “force” him to view things differently.

Things like mercy or kindness or hesitation are seen as weakness and things to take advantage of in his mind. Even himself is not free from this nihilistic, fatalistic, violence and apathetic driven worldview—-looking down on himself in Stage 1.

He will go out of his way to prove himself and his views right, even if that means doing exactly what Chara did and coercing/provoking someone into killing, attacking, hurting, etc, either themselves, others, or even him.

This is exactly what he was supposed to be, and it’s pointless to try and change or hope for anything more than what he or anyone else deserves. He probably finds Murder’s attempts to justify his genocides absolutely ridiculous. And Horror to be absolutely hypocritical. (Which is why Color’s specific way of approaching Stage 2, wanting to show him a better life—something new—rather than trying to change or fix him, worked so well.)

[littlespoonevan]

what's the unpopular opinion about the diaz parents?

i'm putting this under a cut because i genuinely do not think anyone agrees with me like i have seen NO ONE share this opinion askdjfh

but basically

when i was watching the ep my main thought was 'wow this is pretty much the first time eddie's parents have been somewhat understanding and supportive' and then i came online and all i saw was 'eVIL HELENA LOOKED GLEEFUL TAKING CHRIS AWAY!!!11!!!1' and that was just.............not how i interpreted it At All?????

like okay. should there have been more of a discussion??? absolutely. should there have been a set time frame for chris' trip to texas instead of it being indefinite? 100%. (though i would honestly put that down to tim leaning into the drama as opposed to it being like, a character decision) do i think a part of helena still believe she knows better than eddie when it comes to chris? yes. i'm not disagreeing with any of those facts!!!

BUT. i do think this was the first time we didn't see helena belittling eddie or criticising his ability as a parent. when ramon repeats what chris told them she literally says 'which obviously isn't true' like she believes eddie!!!! and she only seems sympathetic when eddie shows her the picture of kim rather than angry. when i saw the stills before the ep i expected a huge blowout argument and what we got couldn't have been further from that.

i honestly think their role in this ep was supposed to show that they're trying with eddie. and that while things aren't perfect still, they are improving. it reminded me a lot of the buckleys' during the lightning strike where they were obviously trying to tell us their relationship had improved even if we didn't have much to support that.

but tbh this felt more believable to me just bc of what we've gotten between eddie and ramon since 5x17 and because i have always believed helena and ramon loved eddie beneath all their awfulness (they smothered and stifled him whereas margaret and phillip did the opposite by ignoring and dismissing buck)

overall i just really don't buy that this was some secret evil ploy to take back custody of chris or that they'll fight eddie when chris is ready to come home. i think it was tim minear asking 'what is the most dramatic way eddie could hit rock bottom?' and then taking the idea and running with it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[greenfiend]

my older sister is just watching s4 for the first time when her toddler is put to bed. total GA, not a queer audience member, didn't catch up with anything prior to s4 but remembers enough to understand what's going on.

here are her thoughts before she embarks on the final ep!

she's a massive argyle fan - the way he is just making pizza when they're prepping to fight a demon haha

she's 'scared to watch' the finale: "I am scared of the horrible basketball twat to ruin their plan. Hate him"

"I also now feel like I need to rewatch seasons 1 and 2"

"Also. I know this is probably hella unpopular opinion but I really dislike Millie Bobby brown. She’s not a bad actress at all though"

"I love will"

I'll include our exact convo about this:

Sis: Will is in love with Mike right? It’s so adorable and heartbreaking

me: I KNOW. you wouldnt believe how many people didnt pick up on that and still think will is in love with eleven like wtf

sis: WHAT. no way

me: they’re like ‘there werent gay people in the 80s’

sis: omg stop

then she started talking about the hella other things going on. "There’s actually no characters I don’t like apart from the ones you’re supposed to not like." she said there's so many 'bad dads', she HATES papa lmao ('he's so desperate and cringe. "Approve of me even tho I treat you like shit!")

she started by watching while she works in her studio so probs missed all the mike clues, but she's fully focussed now for the finale, and it sounds like she'll be more than thrilled to find byler is requited as she adores will!

i'll update her thoughts post-finale when they come in :) let's see if she picks up on it!

I absolutely love knowing people’s thoughts when they watch ST for the first time. 😃

I think the majority of people who have paid some attention figured out fairly easily that Will is gay and that he loves Mike! My partner figure out he was gay from the very beginning. But with Mike… I tried to make them guess why Mike couldn’t love El and it took a while but finally they guessed correctly. Lol

When it comes to Mike, the clues are there but El is covering them up so to speak. The mere fact that he has a girlfriend is making most people assume that he’s straight. Especially because El is such a focus in the show.

I remember for me as a GA, the thought of Will/Mike was always somewhat of a possibility in my head- just because they are so emotionally intimate. Even though I didn’t know if the writers were going that direction, I definitely never ruled it out.

Overall, I think most of the GA will be satisfied with Will/Mike, especially if it’s all explained explicitly enough for them!

Thanks for the ask!

[gemsofgreece]

10 best animated movies to watch in Greek

One of the best ways to practice a language is by watching a movie. Even more so, watching an animated movie dubbed in your target language can be really fun and useful, as these movies tend to include jokes (even inside jokes specific to the language) and songs. So, without further ado, here is my personal list of 10 best animated movies to watch in Greek.

10. Shrek 2

The reason I am recommending Shrek 2 instead of Shrek is just because I have the - maybe not standard, but certainly not unpopular - opinion that Sherk 2 is overall a funnier movie than Shrek. The Greek dub maintains successfully all the witty and somewhat adult-oriented humour. The voice casting done for characters like Donkey, Puss in Boots and Gingy is memorable and accurate.

9. Lion King

The voice casting is really good. Adult Simba has a sympathetic voice, Mufasa has a superb kingly radio voice, the hyenas are hysterical, Zazu is funny too, Nala's voice is warm and womanly. I also love Scar's voice. Scar has a sinister voice but it's a weaker, not as “thick” a voice as Mufasa’s, just like Scar relied on the evilness of his mind and not his muscles. Timon and Pumba's dub is iconic. Greek Can you feel the love and Be Prepared are fantastic versions of the songs. And Greek Mufasa just steals every scene vocally, especially those when he appears in Simba's memory.

8. Monsters INC

Another amazing voice casting for all characters but we all (Greeks) know that this is one man's show. Christos Hatzipanayotis just KILLS it as Mike Wazowski. I believe Greek Wazowski is much funnier than the original. Also let's remember "Fovízume yatí sas frondízume" lol the Greek "We scare because we care (for you)"

7. Finding Nemo

This dub did something special with the casting. It casted as Marlin and Dory two actors that had already worked together in a super famous comedy series as a couple. As a result, their chemistry is off the roof and Dimitra Papadopoulou's voice is incredibly accurate for Dory's character. Dory's whale language is hysterical and I also love the incredibly relaxed voice actor they found for that turtle reincarnation of Bob Marley. All other casting is good too, except I want to slap the extremely nasal Nemo.

6. Sleeping Beauty

Although I love this movie dearly and I really like its Greek version, I actually place it that high because I have found it to be really popular with foreign people. Some say they like Aurora's song better in Greek, which I find interesting as I really love the original. It is surely a masterful work though. It is an old movie and the Greek actors speak more elegantly, more sophisticatedly like people tended to, back then. The voices suit properly an aethereal princess and her dreamy prince, the fairies have these warm, elderly, ladylike voices and Maleficent also is imposing and very cold.

5. Aristocats

This is a perfect example where it is clear that both the voice casting directors and the actors worked their asses off. Every actor chosen is simply ideal for their character, including the kittens, Edgar the evil servant, the diva, the super SUPER old lawyer, the tomcats, Lady is so prim and proper, Uncle Waldo and the goose nieces with their Britsh accent Greek lol BUT. I have no idea how it dawned on them to make the dog couple have a comedic Heptanesian island accent but whoever that was, they were a bloody genius. Not only it's impeccably performed, it's twice as hilarious when you see them in an old Parisian environment speaking some really strong Heptanesian out of nowhere. The dogs in the original do not have any particularly heavy accent to my understanding, so if you watch the original after you have watched the Greek, you won't even understand they are supposed to be funny. I love that the Greek directors took the uneventful speech of the dogs and were like "Clearly, we 're gonna make them speak extreme Heptanesian" XD

4. Spirit: The Stallion of the Cimarron

Spirit has mostly narration and songs, it has very few dialogues. Its songs are amazing though and they really make a difference in the movie. In the Greek dub, both the narrating and singing role was given to singer - actor Yannis Savvidakis who is very talented. Not only he performed those songs wonderfully but I liked how well it maintained the feel of rock ballads coming from America, despite being sung in a language from a place that has nothing to do with any of this.

3. The Emperor's New Groove

Okay, we reached the Golden Triad. The Emperor's New Groove is, simply put, the best Disney comedy to date. If we consider that the Greek version is funnier than the original, as I strongly believe, you get a comedy for the ages. The voice casting is PERFECT. Every voice chosen is like it was created for the character, the characters get life and personality through the vocal performances. Kuzco sounds blasé, egocentric, sarcastic and you want to slap him silly, Kronk sounds like a soft dumbass himbo which is what he is, Pacha is your everyday good-hearted peasant, Yzma is killing it as the old ambitious narcissist. The humour is awesome and tranferred ideally into Greek comedy. It just works on every level. I can't explain it more, it's just perfect. While this movie is unfairly obscure and underrated on a global level, in Greece it was a hit and people still remember quotes by heart, exactly beause the dub was so god-tier level.

2. The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Okay. The dub of dubs. The Dub of Notre Dame. Seriously, this is a masterpiece on every aspect. Again, this is better than the original. Esmeralda has a sensual, really beautiful speaking voice and an outstanding singing one (Alcestis Protopsalti y'all), Frollo has an ideal casting in that he sounds like a bad person but in a totally realistic way (as he is also a very realistic villain) and he sounds so very sophisticated, very elegant. Sinister and elegant, which makes total sense as in the Disney version he is the supreme justice minister of Paris. Quasimodo is voiced by Sakis Rouvas (a sexy singer with a soft voice), who a few found like a somewhat odd pairing but it works perfectly since Disney's Quasimodo is soft, sensitive and considerably sophisticated as well. Clopin's singing is done by tenor Konstantinos Paliatsaras. The songs in the Greek version are in my opinion better performed than in English. Hellfire is quite possibly the most loved villain song in Greece. A small example to understand the level of perfection; the intro song "Bells of Notre Dame" has an extremely difficult ending note that only a few versions globally managed to hit. Even the original singer struggles with the note, he hits it but a little weakly, he is very supported and almost covered by backing vocals. In other versions, even this is not possible at all and singers just skip the note. The Greek version by Paliatsaras is one of the very few where the note is hit correctly, he essentially rips it apart, but I think it is also the only version (unless something escapes me) where the lyrics were different in a way that it made a difference to the singing. All versions I have heard are a variation of the original "bells, bells, bells, bells" which prepares the crescendo / raise of the pitch and then, "of notre DAAAAAME". Greek is the only version I have listened to where a full sentence is delivered effortlessly, without a repetition of "bells". "Ke ihún pandú kambánes stin karthyá tis panaYAAAAAS". It's a full sentence instead of a convenient one-syllable word over and over. Of course, it had to be done because the word for bells in Greek (kambánes) wouldn't work but it still was a harder thing to deliver than the repetition and it was accomplished even better. Okay, in short, Oscar worthy dub. Perfect in every way. I am in love with it, you can tell. The only reason it is not first is because the first spot had to be saved for the obvious one.

1. Hercules

The obvious first spot. Of course, it doesn't take it without deserving it. Greeks really made sure to give this one even more attention to detail. So, it doesn't only feel like it's natural, it also IS the most natural one, as contemporary languages go. All voice casting is once more ideal. Hercules, or Heracles as he is of course in Greek, has a sensitive, warm, sympathetic voice. They did a great thing with Megara when they gave the role to Evridiki who has a more mature, seasoned voice which fits Megara's character and not like a girly, princessy, out-of-place voice. Famous comedian Lakis Lazopoulos steals the show in all his scenes and they are MANY, since he plays Philoktetes and Pain AND Panic, all three of them! But he can't steal the scenes where Hades is in, as Konstantinos Tzoumas is in reality the big star of the movie. First and foremost, you watch this movie for Hades. One more fantastic detail in my opinion is what they did with the Muses. So you know, the original movie Muses are singing a liberal style of American gospel. Instead of ditching it as unfitting and entirely inaccurate, the Greek directors played along with it. Most notably, one of the Muses is voiced by Julie Massino, a vocal coach and singer born and raised in the US (I don't know if she has Greek descent) who lives and works in Greece, so she has a natural and strong American accent in her Greek! I just found this so cool. It is a really cool dub. They knew the stakes were very high and they delivered down to the very last detail.

*We really had to title this: Heracles - Beyond the Myth...!

[chimaerakitten]

hello! will laurence for the character ask? have a good day!!

First impression

Oh cool, I have seen Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) and this guy is obviously basically that guy! I feel like I know him already!

(Sidenote I have since read the first book in that series and I think the differences between what young!Laurence must have been like and young!Aubrey are fucking hilarious. If Laurence ever in his life said even one of the things Aubrey says loudly at parties in that book he would never have met Temeraire because he'd have spontaneously combusted on the spot out of embarrassment.)

Impression now

There is something so wonderfully, horribly compelling about placing a character into a situation which forces them to do the one thing they would never, ever do, and then not only forcing them to live through it, but also completely reconstruct a new sense of self from the shattered pieces. Fucking great arc for a protagonist.

Favorite moment

SO hard to pick. Obviously the treason is up there, and he has some extremely funny comedic introspection (realizing that actually he is Temeraire's purse Chihuahua in crucible of gold) but I think the crown might actually go to him calmly giving orders while one of his own supposed subordinates holds a sword to his throat in LoD, neatly resolving a number of threads in his arc in the process.

Idea for a story

SO many. there's that body horror one I've talked about before, and like, a dozen basic post-canon or missing scenes, and also @elexuscal and I have lost our minds a little and started multiple AUs, of which the blood au is the only one posted so far but probably won't stay that way for long...

Unpopular opinion

While I like all his main ships either because I genuinely ship them or think they are very, very funny, his core relationship is with Temeraire and I am kinda dying for more Laurence & Temeraire gen content. This is possibly why elexuscal and I have started so many AUs.

Favorite relationship

As per the above, Laurence and Tem! (Lol Tumblr autocorrected that to Tim. thats right my fav Laurence relationship is with my OC Tim who I just invented right now) I love their intense codependent somewhat queerplatonic relationship, and all the ways they shape each other throughout the whole series, both when they're in perfect alignment and when they're going through a rough patch where they still love each other but can't help on their own.

Favorite headcanon

I think his life post-retirement turns into a baffling reverse-Austen novel where the single man in possession of a fortune is NOT in want of a wife, thank you very much, and you had best not mention it in his dragon's hearing. I also think he'll probably end up more involved in Temeraire's political career than he necessarily plans, because the man just Cannot let injustice slide, even when he would really rather just be Tharkay's kept man...

[seaofreverie]

Sparkstember Day 4: Propaganda (Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth)

At first I was going to open my Propaganda writeup with something to the same effect of "unPOpULAr oPinIOn!: propaganda > kimono!!!!" but you know what, even something as tame as this (prefering one album over the other, you know) feels wrong to say when we're dealing with two masterpieces (and even then it's probably not that much of an unpopular opinion anyways, lol). And yeah, I'll admit, that as I hinted at yesterday, for the longest time I really did fully stand by my opinion that Propaganda is not just something I like more than KMH, but it's just objectively BETTER. Well, the funny thing about opinions is that they can change everyday and again, I really don't feel about this quite as strongly as I did before! Not to say that Propaganda isn't still my personal favourite out of these two: it very much is, and it's also much more beyond that.

It used to be EXTREMELY rare for me to listen to an album and and get super obsessed with it and listen to it on repeat, I always needed something else to mix it all with, so when it did happen, it was a very big deal. Even bigger the deal gets when such obsession leads to becoming even more obsessed with everything else put out by the band behind the album over many following months, which only happened to me twice so far... And sure enough, with Sparks, that historic entry point was Propaganda.

I think I should call this album simply addicting: that's how it felt in the beginning and honestly still does to this day. It's impossible to listen to it just once. Something about it just grabs you immediately and completely and it just NEVER gets old or overplayed, I could try to figure out what it is exactly but I've no idea, it's just that Sparks magic I suppose! But as for some of the things I can definitely say that make me love this album this much:

It just flows sooooo well. For the longest time I had no clear favourites and least favourites, they all work so amazingly as a whole package and individually too of course. I think it's a perfect album in the way that you don't even think about it when you listen to it: the sequencing and all the different ideas just work so well together, it's kind of, seamless?

Something about it feels very modern to me once again, and I must say that I still do think that it's a clear improvement over KMH in many ways: more variety, more interesting turns and twists, more energy for sure too (and I have a very big bias for high energy and "intense" music, so I can't pretend that this isn't something that matters to me a lot). And even then we have some slower tracks that don't break the flow at all, I mean, ok, maybe only one such track really, but still, that applies even moreso in that case

So all in all, yes, this is definitely one of my favourite albums in existence. It continues what KMH started while bringing in even more of that special Sparks flavor that feels completely unimitable. And it has lots of cool keyboard lines, as do... most Sparks albums, but maybe it feels more prominent for me on Propaganda since it was the first Sparks thing I listened to on repeat for hours and days on end, so that was also definitely a big part of what drew me in initially. I guess I could really just try to figure out what makes this album as freaking good as it is for hours on end but it feels like I'm already running in circles a bit here so let's give this a rest for now.

Favourite songs (and other highlights):

Propaganda: he-LLO SOLDIER BOY! perfect opener and lead in into the next track. I'm a HUGE fan of when Sparks do these kind of intros (gratsax.... EXOTIC CREATURES...)

At Home, At Work, At Play: not an EARLY fav but I truly think this is one of the best Sparks songs. Peak intense energy and everything else, very special all in all

Reinforcements: another very early big Sparks fav so I'm pretty partial to it and also somewhat nostalgic about it for that reason

Thanks But No Thanks: love the keyboard line especially....

Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth: the bridge especially is peak, and is that a mellotron I hear here? Or something very similar, either way, that's another certified Iconic moment

Achoo: this song makes me SO nostalgic, I don't know if it's the chord progression or something else but listening to it makes me seriously so unexplainably happy and I love the bridge here an absurd amount too. The baseline is so good also

Bon Voyage: this and Never Turn Your Back are a bit of a duo to me, both more grand in sound than the rest here perhaps, and absolutely showstopping live too

[asukaskerian]

for the the thing Gil Tarvek and Agatha!

:D this meme !

Ship It

What made you ship it? come ON. D: ok it was the backstory reveal between gil and tarvek during castle arc (they are massively important to each other totally outside of them being love rivals for agatha AND it hits me right where the enemies to lovers lives) and then the whole EVERYTHING during castle arc with the allying to save each other and putting themselves at risk and agatha briefly ascending to godhood and spending the godhood on fixing her boys. *vibrates into the next dimension*

What are your favorite things about the ship? how cool and badass they are together AND separately, how much admiration they all have for each other, the political messes they will have to deal with BECAUSE they want to be together (tarvek's whole life plan! is to defeat gil! and use marrying agatha for the legitimacy it brings him!! BUT NO HE JUST WANTS TO KEEP THEM BOTH. gil!!! being just SO HAPPY that there's finally people on his level NO DAD I WILL NOT TAKE THE EASY WAY "FOR THE SAFETY OF THE EMPIRE"!!!! agatha just "yeah i'm kinda busy with other things but i don't see a problem with me liking both? i'm the heterodyne. bye."

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship? idk if unpopular but. kinda hate how little agatha => her boys we have in the comic itself even though it was somewhat justified with "brain lu feeds on lust and could have manipulated agatha easier if she dwelled on it too much", more hate how many romantic and plot relevant scenes gil gets as a love interest compared to tarvek. you can really feel how tarvek wasn't supposed to outlive his first arc or become a core cast member there. :(

[s10127470]

The Flanderization(?) of Peter Parker

So for the past few weeks, I’ve been scrolling on Twitter (and before I get 20 comments telling me that was a mistake) and there, I’ve been seeing an interesting series of posts.

Essentially, these posts have shared what many people’s ideal version Spider-Man (Peter Parker) should be like.

And at first, it didn’t seem so bad at first.

But after looking into these posts some more, it gave me the urge to swim in a pond full of hungry alligators.

A lot of the takes on these posts are not only pretty bad, but even miss the appeal and point of the character.

So today, I wanted to discuss lot of the points I've been seeing in these posts, as I feel like Peter is suffering from a case of......maybe not exactly flanderization, but something similar to that.

So without further ado, let's get this started!

-Peter should constantly be angry and angsty:

I already talked about this point in my Spectacular Spider-Man post, but I figured I should bring it up again here for cohesion sakes.

It's pretty well known that for decent chunk of his existence pre-2000s, Peter was known for having a bit of a temper.

Especially during the Lee and Ditko-era, given how unhinged he was.

And honestly, I don't like this point.

Unpopular opinion: but unless they're played in a comedic sense or we actually see them grow out of this, I really don't like angry characters.

I tend to find them somewhat shallow and they can real old, real quick.

But fans believe that this is how Peter should be like 24/7.

And to that I must say.....

Like, I'm not the biggest fan of Lee/Ditko Peter or OG Ultimate Peter, but them being constantly angry and angsty at least made some sense with the fact that they were teenagers.

But fans are saying the current Peter Parker, who may I remind you, is literally pushing 30, should be like this all the time.

Like dude. If Peter was like this, he would come off as more of an emotionally-stunned man-child than he already does!

And fans HATE Peter being a man-child!

I also mentioned this in my Spectacular post, but I feel like the reason fans have been wanting a Peter like this is because of how a lot of recent Spidey media has portrayed the dude as being kind of a punk and a pushover.

So basically they're trying to overcompensate.

And even then, let's be honest, having Peter constantly being angry and angsty is gonna get really old and annoying.

Like after a while, you're just gonna have to ask him.......

Like, I get his life isn't easy. But MY GOD. He is really trying to say that nothing good ever happened to him, at all?

Not ONE good thing?

-Peter should be an asshole to just about everyone:

Now this point I really hate.

This ties into the whole overcompensating problem I just mentioned.

As of a result of this, I've been seeing people recently gassing up Lee/Ditko Peter.

For those who aren't in the know, Lee/Ditko Peter was a massive asshole.

This dude was the personification of "no chill".

Being needlessly spiteful and rude to just about everyone except for Aunt May, and a total smart-ass.

Plus, he was a total incel.

Like, I get it.

Fans want to see a Peter again that actually has some backbone.

I do too.

But they've taken it too far.

Where they believe that in order to showcase this, Peter needs to be an insufferable asshole who treats everyone around like shit.

Even if they don't deserve it.

You know he's suppose to be The Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, right?

Like, who wants to follow a Peter who's just a flat-out jerk?

I ain't gonna feel sorry for him if anything bad happens to him.

Because.....

Also, who the hell would want to see a Peter like this being a married man with a child?

Are there legitimately some fans who are just like.....?

"Yeah! In addition to being a piece of shit to everyone around him, I love seeing Peter being a horrible (and possibly abusive) husband and father! That's what he's suppose to be like!"

-Peter should love being Spider-Man so he has an outlet to take his anger out on everything:

As I mentioned before, you know he's suppose to The Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, right?

Peter loves being Spider-Man because he gets to help people in need and protect them from danger.

Having Peter love being Spider-Man just so he can take his anger out on everything not only makes him look like an asshole, but also makes him look like a psychopath.

Like, Peter apparently should actually love beating the shit out of the people.

-Peter should only show kindness and friendliness on occasions:

I hate this fucking point.

Peter is suppose to be one of the kindest and most selfless heroes in the Marvel Universe.

As I've already mentioned twice, "Friendly" is in his name!

Though apparently, some fans believe that it's bad for heroes to be kind and friendly?

Exactly!

I'm guessing it's because as I'm sure many of you know, there's been this long-standing, toxic mindset of that showing kindness and friendliness makes you weak.

And as I mentioned before, Peter has had an issue in recent years of being seen as a pushover.

So you can kinda see where I'm coming from with this.

-Peter should be the strongest hero there is. Nobody can beat him!:

While I don't hate this point like some of the other ones, this one still really grinds my gears.

It's a known fact that Peter is a lot stronger than he lets on.

He himself has even said that he always pulls his punches to ensure he doesn't kill anyone.

There's also the fact that he's famously taken down various superhero teams all on his own.

This has led many fans to believe that Peter is one of the most powerful characters and could actually beat anybody in the Marvel Universe.

You remember in my X-Men Hot Takes post when I mentioned that Cyclops has essentially the same problem as Batman.

You know what, I take it back.

It's Peter who has that issue.

Don't get me wrong, Peter is a very strong character.

But, I don't think he's as strong as some make him out to be.

In addition to that, saying he can beat literally anyone in the Marvel Universe is really fucking pushing it.

I mentioned before that people tend to use his victories against those superhero teams as a main example for why he's the strongest hero around.

However, people tend to leave out the fact that when Peter fought those teams, they weren't exactly attacking him nor were they in the mindset of doing so.

Because if they were, I legitimately feel like they actually would decimate him.

There's also the fact that people tend to often ignore what each of those heroes capable of and even ignore THEIR feats.

As I mentioned before, Peter's tough, but he's not THAT tough.

He ain't gonna be throwing hands evenly with Superman.

Or making Saitama quake in his boots.

Also, we all know DAMN well he ain't gonna be beating.....

-Peter should be the purest definition of an alpha male:

So a while back, I saw a post that stated a theme of Spider-Man that isn't often talked about is that of what it means to be a man.

It was a pretty interesting read, and looking back at a lot of issues from the past, I can definitely see it.

So why am I bringing this up.

Well, from how a lot of fans want Peter to act, they're essentially say he needs to be like, the true definition of an alpha male.

Basically take every trait of toxic masculinity you can think of, put it in a blender, and then force-feed it to Peter like how Weird Al Yankovic's mom force-fed him sauerkraut until he was 26 1/2 years old.

(Bonus points for anyone who gets that reference)

I thought that we as a society all agreed that alpha males are cringe and shouldn't be something to aspire to.

But to the Spider-Man fandom, apparently not.

Though I will admit, it is funny to imagine Peter being absolutely obsessed and looking up to Andrew Tate of all people.

"SHOCKER! What color is your Bugatti!?"

-Peter should be cucking everyone and should have a harem:

This is unfortunately another case of the overcompensation.

It's no surprise that Peter has gained a reputation of being seen as a cuck, due to him losing Mary Jane to.....

HIM.

Despite the fact that famously for decades, Peter had been portrayed as being quite the chick magnet.

Attracting the attention of several women.

However, due to Peter's recent reputation as a Cuck Berry, fans have been clamoring for him to be a chick magnet again so HE can be the one doing the cucking!

And I don't like that.

This made even worse with the fact that there's the consideration of having Peter essentially be a harem protagonist!

And I know most people tend to use this as a joke, but I've seen a good chunk of fans unironically saying that Peter should have a harem.

Everytime I see this image, a part of me dies inside.....

-Peter should be the one and only Spider-Man:

One of all the points here, this is the one I HATE the most.

And for those who aren't terminally online, you do too.

Ever since like the 1970s, we have seen other versions of Spider-Man (many of which are alternate versions of Peter).

Mainly set in alternate universes like Spider-Ham, Spider-Man 2099, Spider-Man Noir, Ultimate Spider-Man, and Spider-Punk.

But also in the 70s, we would actually see that were other Spidery superheroes besides Peter in the mainline Marvel Universe, starting with introduction of Jessica Drew.

And over the decades, we would be introduced to more like Ben Reilly, Kaine, and Silk.

Though you're probably wondering what do these guys have to do with this point.

Well, ever since the film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, there's been a notable rise in the featuring of other Spider-People.

And unfortunately, many people (myself included) have gotten a little tired of it.

However, there are good chunk of fans who believe that Peter should be the only and one Spider-person and that there shouldn't be any others.

And while I can see where they're coming from, I wouldn't go that far.

However, the other Spider people of the 616-verse tend to get a free pass on this.....

Except for one.....

You may have noticed that I left one major Spider-Person.

Undoubtedly the biggest one behind Peter himself.

And that's none other than...

Miles....Miles.....Miles.

Although a more recent addition to the Spider-Man mythos, he's quickly gone on to become an immediate mainstay.

And while most of the fanbase loves the guy, there's also a good chunk of it who ABSOLUTELY hates him.

And the main reason for that is the fact that he's the only Spider-Person in the 616-Verse who has taken on the title of "Spider-Man".

And when this happened, this caused quite the stir.

To put it lightly.

I'm sure many of you know by now that Miles was originally from The OG Ultimate Universe.

And was one of the few things in that trainwreck of a universe that wasn't shit.

But following the events of the 2015 Secret Wars, Miles would be relocated to the 616 Universe.

And it was quite controversial when it happened.

While some were cool with it, others were not, as they felt that having 2 Spider-Men in the same universe would be a problem.

However, it really isn't, especially since these two hardly interact.

Yeah, it's funny to think about how Peter and Miles are pretty distanced from one another whereas as every other iteration featuring the duo portray them as incredibly close.

But in spite of that, many fans beg to differ.

I'm sure just about all of you have heard of the infamous phrase.

"Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Miles Morales is Miles Morales"

And although the line is seen as a total joke, it does emphasize how there's a lot of fans who refuse to accept Miles as Spider-Man or even as a worthy successor to the name.

I think the main reason is because Peter himself is still Spidey.

And alive.

So it makes Miles being Spider-Man kinda redundant.

But if that's the case, what about the Hawkeyes?

Kate Bishop became the successor to Clint Barton, despite still being alive and active.

So how come they don't get any flack for this?

I also feel like another reason why Miles is hated is because of how he's been doing.

It's no surprise to many that while he's had his fair share of struggles, his life is NOWHERE near to the same level of misery porn as Peter's.

And given that Spidey fans are sick of Peter's life being absolute shit, I feel like there's a sense of envy at play here.

Also, yes, there are definitely those fans who hate Miles being the successor to Peter just because he's half-black and half-Puerto-Rican.

How much you wanna bet those dipshits are fans of this even bigger dipshit?

-Peter should always be a little selfish:

Now we've come to the second worst point on this list.

Anyone who says Peter needs to be selfish undoubtedly misses the point of the character.

One of Peter's most defining traits is his selflessness.

He always goes out of his way to protect and help those in need, even if he doesn't get anything in reward or ends up suffering for it in a way.

Because it's the right thing to do!

But as I've mentioned several times in this post, Spidey fans have a problem with Peter being selfless as it apparently makes him look like a pushover.

And even then.....have these fans just forgot that Peter being selfish resulted in the tragedy that has defined him since the very beginning?!

That being the DEATH OF UNCLE BEN!

And even then, Peter himself has refused to be selfish, because he knows that if he was, someone else could suffer the same tragedy he did!

And he would never want that to happen to anyone!

-Other heroes should hate Peter because of how great he is and better than all of them he is!:

To wrap this up, we'll be looking at one of the least bad points on this encursed list.

On Twitter, I've seen people gassing up the issue where Peter harassed The Avengers.

And many fans have been clamoring, saying that this how all of Peter's interactions with other heroes should be like.

Being that they should despise him (and maybe even be deeply jealous of him because of how great he is).....

Apart from the fact that this would make Peter look like a bully and a nuisance, I really don't like this approach.

Like many, I've grown tired of the concept of heroes just hating each other.

Largely thanks to the hero vs. hero craze that overtook the mid-to-late 2000s and the early-to-mid-2010s.

Seeing heroes being on negative terms with each other isn't interesting anymore, because it's been ran into the goddamn ground.

I like seeing heroes on positive terms with each other, because it's more interesting and could even led all kinds of dynamics.

Having the heroes just hate each other is so damn easy and lazy.

Hell, some of Peter's most interesting relationships are positive ones with one heroes.

Definitely the greatest would have to be with The Fantastic Four.

Like, they're so close to each other and genuinely care about each other so much, that they even consider Peter a part of their family!

But apparently that's not interesting anymore.....

This was probably one of the hardest posts I've ever done.

Not just because I wanted to make sure I got my thoughts on all these points across as clear as possible, but also just trying to make sense out of them in order to see why so many fans have been saying them so much.

But anyway, that's all I have for now.

Let me know what you think about these.

Also, let me know if there's any other commonly mentioned points I that missed.

But just like Michigan J. Frog said, I'm gonna get a drink.

Peace.

[poggersbathwater]

Unpopular opinion but I hate the writing of Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss (more hazbin Hotel than anything but Helluva is also roped in because same universe).

(Random disclaimerrrr: Hey. These are my opinions. Also I am not a fan, i just watched the show out of curiosity)

1. The lore sucks. Like, in terms of world building, it sucks. Why do the exterminators exist??? And why would Adam be leading them? Wouldn't he be an archangel or just a regular angel? Maybe even a principality? The exterminators aren't actually a type of angel, bibically. You could've made the Powers do the extermination work, because those are actually a type of angel who also, happen to be warriors! That would've opened the possibility of the other choirs of angels. It also would have been really fun to worldbuild. Also, about the whole god thing, where is he?? Like, I know HH is in its first season, and God could totally just be an unseen force, but shouldn't God have been mentioned in this case? I get it, this is technically Viv's own world and its not going to be accurate, but if you're going to have Saint Peter, Adam, Lucifer, and the Seraphim, then why would God not be in it too? And, if you think about it, it would've been a good message if God was in the show and he had perhaps sided with Charlie, somewhat. Maybe not about redemption, but perhaps about adding rules and making it easier for people to enter Heaven. Because if Viv wanted to cover the idea of hypocritical and selfish christian ideologies (dont even get me started on how many themes are in this show my god), at least show people what Christianity actually is as comparison. It'd make the writing stronger. It feels like the removal of God is a precaution so Christians don't cause controversy. Like, it's trying to do what MONTERO did but it ultimately fails.

2. Charlie is worried about the wrong thing! She shouldn't be worried about the sinners not being redeemed, because technically, heaven is right. If angels can do whatever they want and be in heaven, then it's ALSO fair that sinners can do whatever they want but still be in hell. What she SHOULD be worried about is the fact that there's no rules that say what gets you where. And yes, that is heavens fault, because Hell gets more powerful the more people are in there, and establishing actual rules that tell you what gets you in there would BENEFIT THEM, but it's also just bad writing. (Speaking of which, in Helluva Boss, there is a mention of the rule to not say gods name in vain (episode 4) which I find very contradictory to the fact that there are "no rules".). Anyway, Isn't one of the biggest staples of religion to have some rules to follow for salvation? And I know that technically would work for the case that heaven is hypocritical, but it would've been stronger if heaven had actual rules that just weren't easy to follow (or perhaps had TOO MANY RULES) in order to show how self-righteous they are. She's focused on the wrong problem entirely.

3. Alright, let's get to the writing of female characters. Look, I know I've made a bad take on female characters before (my mutuals remember, and in my defense, my brain does not bake ideas all the way), but even the best chefs burn their food once in a while. Let this be my redemption arc. Viv does NOT know how to write female characters and she makes excuses for it. I can completely understand it in Helluva Boss's case, as it is more led by male characters, but when Fizzarolli, who is a side character, gets more screen time than MILLIE, who is supposed to be a main character, I think there's a problem. (That is not me saying Fizz doesn't deserve screen time- but millie doesn't even have a full episode dedicated just to her, and Fizz has at least one or two). It just- I dunno it bugs me. However, HB did announce some new things coming up and did make a short about Sally Mae and Millie, plus season two of HH is being worked on, so there is a chance for this opinion to age like milk. This is the one time I'd love to be proven wrong.

Anyway, this is in no way me trying to be hateful to Vivziepop (though she is such a shit person). I want to give her some benefit of the doubt because not only were there 10 writers working on the show (that is INCREDIBLY TOO MANY- the most you should need is four imo) but also creators practically lose all creative rights when their show gets handed to a company.

Anyway rant over

[cosmics-beings]

Thoughts on cygate (cyclonus x tailgate) ?

Cygate is one i love but i have complicated feelings toward.

tw somewhat unpopular opinion and these are myyy opinions so if it's not yours that's fine !!r

I really like it but i think the way the fandom portrays it, specifically the portrayal of tailgate makes me hella uncomfortable. it's like a lot of his personality is wiped to make him seem incompetent.

another thing i don't like both fandom wise and somewhat canon is that there is a huge emphasis on cyclonus having to change and be better for tailgate, while his own trauma isn't really addressed and focused on. he never actually gets to heal for himself, a lot of it is about tailgate. like cyclonus was a victim of years of abuse, grooming and manipulation and that isn't focused on during his redemption, a lot of it is tied to tailgate.

there's always this, he's dangerous, or he's not good enough idea pushed in the narrative and he has to prove himself in many ways. and i don't really see him getting to i guess, be cared for and loved the same way tailgate is. there is a huge emphasis on him being the one to care for and protect tailgate and it's hard to see it the other way around. no, i don't mean tailgate protecting cyclonus, but to ME a lot of it seemed somewhat one-sided and that tailgate isn't really meant to or supposed to put in the same work cyclonus is. the whole relationships is concurrent around cyclonus wanting and pining after tailgate and not really getting that admiration back until much later.

i also hate it because cyclonus himself is a victim of abuse and grooming, and his insecurities in fandom aren't really focused on as much as tailgates to me. a lot of his insecurities outside tailgate aren't really ever explored in depth but the last person he was close to abused and controlled him. and groomed him. tailgate is often times, rightfully pointed out as a victim of grooming from getaway, but you know i realized cyclonus's own history of grooming isn't brought up.

I like the ship overall, i just haven't really seen it ever portrayed as being equal emotionally if that makes sense! i feel that a lot of depth and characterization for cyclonus isn't him focused, it's more tailgate focused. and i don't feel like tailgate is ever seen or even has to have the responsibility of emotionally being there for cyclonus, helping him through his trauma or being there to validate him. it's always the other way around.

on one hand that's because tailgate himself is also going through forms of trauma, insecurity and a lot of self discovery. but at the same time so is cyclonus, he just got out of a very abusive relationship, and i wish that as a victim that was focused on,.

again these are my opinions, and just some personal gripes with the ship. cygate is one of my otps i just am picky about how i portray it. i don't really read many cygate fics because i haven't really seen any difference in portrayals.

[where-theres-smoak-2]

This might be an unpopular opinion but I keep seeing posts talking about how Sylvie isn't taking responsibility for the problems the TVA is facing with the loom right now and how everything that is currently happening is all Sylvie's fault. Like I kind of get why some people have this opinion its easy to say that Sylvie killing HWR was the catalyst for the loom being overloaded.

But having thought about it some more I honestly, wholeheartedly disagree with the opinion that its all Sylvie's fault or that she hasn't taken any responsibility for the consequences of killing HWR.

First I want to talk about Sylvie taking responsibility for the consequences of killing HWR. So if we look at it from Sylvie's pov we have to remember that she wasn't warned that the loom would meltdown and that would put the branches in danger. She was told that the consequence of killing HWR would be that his variants would show up and start another multiverse war. Sylvie tells Loki if HWR variants show up she will kill them too. So as far as Sylvie is concerned because she has killed HWR its her responsibility to stop/kill any of his variants that show up. Which is what she planned to do when Victor Timely showed up. It's why she tells Loki she can't let Victor live, because she considers it her responsibility to protect the branches from HWR and his variants.

As for the loom I would argue that Sylvie does take some responsibility here too. Its a classic case of what a character says being very different from what they do. I think because Sylvie is constantly saying that she doesn't care about the TVA and that she's given everyone freewill and is now walking away, that she's made a life and she wants to live it, well yeah it does come across like she is just brushing off any responsibility.

But if you look at her actions she does actually help, she helps them fight against Dox, she helps them solve the problem with the loom in ep 4, when the branches begin disappearing in ep 5 she goes to Loki and says there must be something they can do. I know some people feel like she only went to him because her reality was at risk but I just think its a case of she thought everything was fine, the loom exploding didn't kill everyone like they thought it would, everyone was back where they were supposed to be before the TVA took them and its all fine and dandy. When she realises actually the loom exploding has caused a major problem it just wasn't immediately obvious, she wants to help fix it.

So really when you think about it, whilst she might have been vocal about much she wished the problem with loom wasn't her problem she does still take responsibility through her actions and tries, even if it is somewhat reluctantly, to help solve the issue.

Moving on to the topic of what's going on with the loom and all the TVA's woes right now being Sylvie's fault. I was at one point like well it was Sylvie killing HWR that caused the timelines to branch and therefore the loom to meltdown and the branches to spaghettify, so you could say it was her actions that was the catalyst. But just because her actions was the spark that set this chain of events off, doesn't necessarily mean that its her fault.

Having sat and thought about, really I think the fault lies entirely with HWR and his variants. It was HWR that worked out how to travel between the different worlds and meet other versions of himself, it was HWR and his variants that started the multiversal war because they wanted to conquer each other's worlds. It was HWR who then created the loom and the TVA to control one set timeline and who commanded all other timelines and variants to be sent to the void to be eaten by Alioth. So actually the truer statement is that none of this would have happened if it weren't for HWR messing with things in the first place so therefore everything that is happening now is his fault, not Sylvie's.

That's not to say though that I think every decision Sylvie makes is right, I'm not the kind of fan that thinks their fave can do no wrong ever, I actually think the squeaky clean characters who never do wrong are kind of boring. I do think Sylvie acted rashly when she killed HWR but I also understand why she did, this was the man who ruined her life and the consequence she was told would be more versions of him showing up and I think she just thinks, ok killing him means I might have to kill many versions of the man who ruined my life, no biggy, I think that was a consequence she was willing to accept and willing to take responsibility for. If she knew at the time what it would mean for the loom and therefore the branches she may have thought twice about it, who knows.

But the situation to me seemed like a bit of a lose/lose choice. Letting HWR live would mean continuing to prune branches and variants which would be wrong, but killing him as we've seen brings its own set of problems. Really, ideally it would have been better if Sylvie had listened to Loki and stopped to think about it. If they had decided to go for the long con, pretended to accept HWR's offer and then worked behind the scenes at the TVA to prepare for overthrowing him, who knows maybe Loki can still go back and do that.

Anyway to wrap up, I personally don't think that it's all Sylvie's fault or that she needs to take more responsibility, but hey that's just this gal's opinion.

[profoundlyfaded]

I’ve really found your head canons interesting and wondered where you stood in the ‘Gale as a father’ arena - does your Tav, Ayressa, and Gale have kids eventually? I know you have other Tavs that are romanced to Gale and is it different?

Eeek - I feel like this question is the big minefield in the Galemancer community, and one I’ve been avoiding. But to answer your question, I’m neither one way or another - I think it works in some scenarios, and not in others. It depends on the character romancing him be it another Origin, A Tav or Durge. I think when he says he doesn’t consider himself father material, I think that’s open to change; plenty of people change their minds about having kids when their circumstances change, plenty of people don’t change their mind. I do think that people should tag their work however, so the audience is informed and can avoid a fic if it’s not for them.

So, specifically onto my Tavs - Ayressa and Gale do not have children. While I recognise this is an unpopular opinion, Gale becomes Chosen of Mystra again, thus making him somewhat immortal and Ayressa is a High Elf and later becomes Chosen of Jergal, making her also, somewhat immortal… but their children wouldn’t be and I just couldn’t imagine having them witness their children grow old and die. Over the course of their long life, yes, they act as guardians and mentors to young people and they enjoy it while maintaining an element of separation. They go through periods where they do want kids but ultimately decide against it.

Esme is my human ranger romanced to Gale, and they probably would have kids, perhaps a few years later after Gale’s fully established his career and has time to juggle work and parenthood. He doesn’t become Chosen in this iteration again, and so with a more natural lifespan, I’m happier to allow for parenthood.

Zenarei is my teifling wild magic sorcerer - she ascends with Gale and they don’t have kids although I suppose there is nothing stopping them having little divine offspring but they don’t.

[gemsofgreece]

What do you think of this video? It's good criticism i think but i'm asking beyond it's USA pov, what do you think specifically in regard to the "adaptations/americanizations of Greek Mythology" and these combative & arrogant attitudes & tactics towards not just their domestic audience disagreeing on some things from their USA perspective, but towards the people from whose civilization they stole, in order to "fix" it [insert clown face]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ngqO9Hp19_4

ANSWER

It is the exact same principle. Movie making these days is rarely done with passion and love for storytelling. Movies are mass produced to fan-bait audiences - especially late teens and 20somethings whom the movie industry is most dependent on right now. Just like superhero and fantasy movies have become pathetic in their majority, so has the Greek mythology-inspired content, which generally belongs to the same genre. It used to be portrayed more through sword-and-sandal films but not anymore. Now Norse and Greek gods are just some comical superheroes.

Nobody in the filmmaking industry can convince (or would even try to) that they do care about foreign cultures’ mythologies. It is just more content to exploit in order to excuse their lack of creativity and interest in making original characters. So they mass produce movies with well known characters who they don’t give a shit for. All they want is a field to apply all the qualities they need to check in the trending box, so that the "usual suspects" among young American fans will “clock in”.

That’s all there is to it really. Almost no moviemaker or retelling writer truly cares about the mythology or the culture. Not even to truly reshape it and manifest something through this - problematic as it may be - I doubt that even these excuses are any genuine. But this type of stuff sells somewhat (actually less than all these people are always confident it will though, as proven by the box office) and everyone wants a piece from the pie.

In short, entertainment industry nowadays is a few (ironically, often middle aged white) people sitting around a table and wondering: what is another field on which we can produce a dozen movies with no plot and originality and throw in the dog-whistles that will get us the viewers’ money with the minimum amount of effort needed? That is all it takes.

The combative attitude is what keeps them and their small groups of impassioned supporters going. When you hit them with accusations that are objectively true (ie inaccuracy, appropriation, bad plot, lack of talent, unsuitable cast), it’s hard for them to defend themselves against these so the combative attitude (oh you must be a racist, sexist, mythology gatekeeping nationalist etc) is their only way of reacting without admitting their shortcomings.

Having said that, I agree generally with the video and personally yes I didn’t like the remake of Ghostbusters and the new Star Wars but the thing is, at the risk of Bill Murray knocking down my door and humiliating me if he ever sees this, I don’t like the original Ghostbusters and the original Star Wars either. Unpopular I know! (I can still see the superior quality though.) Also I disagree about Black Panther, one of the last good superhero movies in my opinion. But I totally agree about the embarrassment the Rings of Power are and how much lack of self-respect you must have to produce this after Jackson’s Colossal Trilogy. All these are irrelevant to Greek matters but I felt like mentioning them since I watched the video after all.

I also totally agree about Mulan and I am going to talk about this a little here despite it being irrelevant to the blog’s theme. The live-action version of Mulan was supposed to be another addition to the feminist film pool. When I watched this movie, I felt offended. OFFENDED. They changed the plot in order to make Mulan have a “chi” gift by birth, or whatever it was called, which was making humans born with it have some superhuman abilities that were making them great warriors. The point those megamind film creators were obviously trying to make was “oh look a woman is born with the chi so women are equal to men yeah feminism uwu give us our woke money now”. I cannot explain how livid I was when I saw this. You see, in the real world women are not born with a chi and neither are men. Those shitheads tried to promote feminism by writing that at some point in a fantastical China a woman was born with a supernatural gift WHEN IN THE 90s ANIMATED “BACKWARDS” MOVIE Mulan was a regular everyday girl with no supernatural talents that managed to distinguish herself as the best soldier of China through insistence, perseverance, strenuous work, strategic intelligence and a sacrificial spirit for the sake of her family. Qualities that can actually be found and be further developed in real human beings. Do we all realise how regressive the live action movie is??? To me this was the opposite of feminist, despite knowing their intentions were the exact opposite and that is what often makes such movies so pathetic. This is why I often call such and other similar content counter-productive. The woke people being all aggressive and combative in supporting those movies or the modern retellings do not realise how horrible and dangerous they often unknowingly are to all these causes. And by changing gods and mythological characters and making the female ones girlbosses by default and the male ones convicted feloners or something, what exactly do they think they achieve in the long-term??? Will the world's poc's rights be respected or will the femicides decrease if, say, Circe is a wronged girlboss and Odysseus is written as an asshole? They will achieve exactly nothing, the consumers will eventually turn their backs on them anyway sooner or later. They are only earning more and more contempt from the people of these cultures they play with so carelessly. Well done, I guess????

[addictedtostorytelling]

Hi aj! I’m the rewatch anon and I just got started on the miniature case (my first time actually rewatching those as I only rewatched dead/living doll) and I just love how both Grissom and Sara are the leads on the first case, def foreshadowing. ANYWAY despite the angst that I know it’s coming with the sabbatical, I just love how lovey dovey and cute they are with each other for the first few eps. Do you suppose at this point they’re more sure of what their relationship is? I mean S6 felt slightly off balance for them at times but S7 just gives us a sense that they’re very happy together and sure of their relationship. What do you think?

hi, rewatch anon!

good to hear from you again!

so my answer to your question is kind of a roundabout one.

i'll start by saying: mine is an unpopular opinion, but i don't actually think s6 is as volatile a period in grissom and sara's relationship as many other fans do.

while a lot of folks suppose grissom and sara spend much of s6 fighting, only to get their shit figured out come s7, i'm not convinced that there is any legitimate/protracted conflict happening between them early on.

i have a couple of longer posts explaining my stance—and specifically my takes on the two episodes most fans would point to as being potential evidence that all is not right in gsrland during that time (i.e., episodes 06x03 "bite me" and 06x12 "daddy's little girl")—here and here, if you're interested.

but the tl;dr version is that i think that from the moment grissom and sara first get together in late s5 or early s6, they both realize the significance of what they're doing for themselves.

the risk that becoming a couple poses—not just to their careers but to their very hearts—is high enough that neither one of them undertakes the decision at all lightly; both of them know, from the get-go, that they are making a life-changing move and, moreover, consider their romance to be a "for life" kind of thing.

as i've talked about here, i believe they both are aware very early on that they want to marry each other.

that said, i also think that early on they both are somewhat worried that the other person may not be as "all in" as they are themselves, and that uncertainty is a source of insecurity for them, especially on sara's side of things.

consequently, i imagine that in the immediate aftermath of them getting together, there is some tentativeness on both sides—a kind of nervousness about trying on new labels and suggesting further changes to their situation (such as possibly moving in together), with both of them trying to hold back so as not to "come on too strong too fast" and freak the other person out.

some of this anxiety, of course, is internal: they both have fairly poor self-esteems and doubt their own lovability in the long term.

however, some is also part and parcel of their situation: the fact that their relationship is and must remain a secret from everyone who matters to them complicates what they're doing together and (especially for sara) raises questions about what to expect in their future.

how can they ever take things to "the next level" if they constantly have to hide the very fact that they're together?

to my mind, that's the only real source of disequilibrium for them during s6—not any actual tension or fighting, but just a kind of diffident, unspoken wondering of "does s/he feel as strongly as i do? is s/he in this for life like i am?"

otherwise, their early relationship is very happy and that they both generally feel very safe and secure with each other.

from that perspective, my take is that what changes for them between s6 and s7 isn't anything having to do with them figuring out their feelings for each other; as stated, to my mind, they've both known, from the beginning, that theirs was a "till death do us part" kind of bond.

in fact, i would go as far as to say: i don't think they would have ever even gotten together had they not both individually felt that level of commitment from the beginning. it was a "this risk is only worth it because you are my one true love and i want to be with you forever" sort of deal.

rather, the shift has more to do with them becoming more confident in the other person's feelings and comfortable in their particular circumstances, navigating their secret romance.

while there are still some question marks, especially for sara, with regards to the whole "does the other person really want to be with me forever?" deal, by and large, the longer grissom and sara are together, the more secure they become in their bond.

grissom starts to get it through his head that despite what he had always feared prior to them getting together, sara isn't going to up and leave him the second he shows any signs of weakness. he learns to trust in her devotion and constancy.

likewise, sara comes to understand that (unlike everyone else she's ever known) grissom isn't about to bounce the second her jagged edges come out. he knows her past, he is cognizant of her issues, and he still loves her all the same. she doesn't have to worry about being too much for him to handle.

though for as long as their relationship must remain a secret to everyone else in the wider world, there is still some uncertainty, particularly on sara's end of things, regarding what their endgame might be, by s7, they've gotten over that initial "if i show too much of my heart, the other person is going to leave me" hang-ups.

—and especially because, by this point, they've really carved out a life together that works for them.

early on, when they first begin seeing each other in vegas, the precarity of their situation definitely contributes to their trepidations regarding the long-term viability of their relationship.

"secret dating"—and hiding their relationship from their trained observer coworkers—is hard work, and it plays into those "what if things get too hard? will s/he leave me?" fears they both have to start out with.

but, again: the longer they stay together and the more they get the hang of balancing their home and work lives, the more at ease they become. after two years of being together, they've figured out a functional system; learned how to keep their thing on the dl. they don't feel that same imminent threat of being discovered that they did in the nascent days of their relationship—not necessarily because the threat itself has actually diminished but rather because they've become so expert in avoiding detection.

by early s7, they're at a point where they feel like they can really have it all: they can maintain the same arrangements that they've always had at work, with grissom being sara's boss and both of them working together (even frequently as partners), while also, after hours, living in the same condo and having a dog and sleeping wrapped up together in the same bed. it's the best of both worlds.

they're supremely comfortable.

the only thing that at all is disquieting to them at this point is their mounting dissatisfaction with having to keep their whole relationship a secret.

however, even though that concern looms, they're not yet ready to broach the topic aloud with each other, as neither one of them wants to upset the delicate balance they've struck.

they both try (instead) to just live in the moment and not worry overmuch about the future.

—and, to my mind, they're largely successful.

like you say, early s7 is a pretty blissful time for them.

jorja fox has talked about how she literally played those episodes as if she were acting in a romcom, and her approach definitely shows.

grissom and sara both just seem happy and well, especially around each other. while eventually some professional burnout will start to sneak in on grissom's side, early on in the miniature case, at least, they are both invigorated and clearly enjoying life.

though they both secretly yearn for more—again, grissom very much has marrying sara on his mind, long before he proposes to her in s8—they're also very satisfied with what they currently have.

like sara will later say in her letter from episode 08x07 "goodbye & good luck," their life together has become a home, and they are both settled and happy.

as a fan, it's very fun to watch—especially before things become more chaotic at the end of s7.

thanks for the question! please feel welcome to send another any time.