#sunnyblr history

[gaydennisreynolds]

Lately I'm seeing tumblr fandom "history" posts about IASIP by emberphantom and sunnyontheside and it's showing a curiosity in me I didn't know I had about this topic. Can you also share about the older Sunny fandom from what you know? I'm only joining since the podcast started so I don't know about the changes. (Sorry if I sound rude, English is not my first lang)

hi anon <3 you don't sound rude don't worry!

I was on sunnyblr the first time around 2014/2015. There were very few active sunnyblr blogs at the time and the show was only up through season 9 so less content to discuss. It was like 10 of us passing around insanity. I remember one of the biggest sunnyblrinas had a url like trashboat and went by the nickname bio or something like that. I can't find their old blog and their fics have been orphaned on a03 so RIP fallen soldier....I've been unsuccessful so far at digging up posts from this time period because all of our old blogs have been deactivated for YEARS (mine included). If anyone has any 2014/2015 sunnyblr era posts please tag me I'd love to see them!

As for what we used to talk about: Mac was known to be gay but it was less salient in our discussions about him (remember he wouldnt come out on the show for several more years at this point) and it was like TABOO to suggest that Dennis might be gay. bisexual, sure. But to "gay Dennis truth" was to be biphobic since he hooks up with women. I'm really glad for that big 180 in thinking because I've always been a gay Dennis truther in my heart.

I don't remember shipping being huge? There were definitely those of us who enjoyed macden and made content for it but most of the blogs just posted like gifs and screen caps with overall less analysis / postulating. I think there was a very real fear of being Cancelled for saying something too nice or pure or w/e about these fucked up characters. I think Tumblr ecosystem is much more accepting and encouraging of "dark" content, which includes exploring amoral characters/subject matter, than it was back then. I don't ever remember CharDee or CharMac being discussed back then either. There was a huge emphasis on Charlie being on the asexual spectrum and it was Discourse Worthy if you wrote him as being sexual in any context. Weirdly enough, I remember Dennis/Dee being more socially acceptable and more frequently discussed. The good old days where incest was fine but speculating about sexuality was NOT (lol /s).

I can't remember any big Discourses or Scandals or hopes for later seasons that we had. Overall, I like this Tumblr better -- it's quiet here, sure, and sometimes we all say wildly OOC things about these insane characters, but i enjoy reading speculation posts and savoring the wide variety of macden content available to me. I like the focus on their fucked up dynamics and trauma backgrounds that we have now. We're all definitely adults and have more coherent thoughts about the content of the show, which is a nice change (I was about 15/16 my first sunnyblr time, as were most of my friends in fandom I think). It's nice to see people pick up on what RCG is trying to do with subtexts and references as opposed to taking things at face value. Older sunnyblr was way more like r/IASIP is today, the more I think about it. Way more rehashing jokes from the show and circle jerking about face value stuff like serial killer Dennis etc.

Glirst was still sooooooo real and all the lesbians have always wanted to fuck him. The one constant for now and for forevermore is that Glenn is sexually attractive and all the sexy ladies woobify his evil character <3

[iasip-enthusiast-2]

I don’t think we appreciate this being on urban dictionary enough

[emberphantom]

how long have you been a fan of iasip and how long on sunnyblr? do you know who here has been around for a long time? how has the fandom developed and changed from your perspective? has it always been so reddit-oriented? what have the main opinions (general consensus kinda shit) been in your eyes? were you into macdennis right from the start? did the fandom always follow rcg so closely or is that only after the podcast? sorry for asking so much, just interested in the history of this space

Step into my office Anon. Let me regale you the tale of Sunnyblr from the days of yore. Or whatever.

Me personally, I started watching Sunny in late summer 2019 (tragically I had just missed the fake MacDennis script panic of July 2019). My friends had it on when I went to their house and we didn't have anything else to do, so we just watched like a shitton of episodes that day and I was like hold fuck on this scratches something in my brain. I didn't start poking around on the Sunny side of tumblr until possibly a week later? I think. Basically in my skipping around Sunny episodes I was starting to pick up the vibes Mac and Dennis were putting down and as a joke I was like hmm what if I just take a look at the ao3 tag ahaha jk unless. And that was the beginning of the end. I'm not sure if I checked out the Sunny tag on tumblr first or the MacDennis tag but literally at that time it didn't matter. Sunnyblr was essentially MacDennisblr. Tumblr didn't get me into MacDennis but it definitely accelerated my hyperfixation with them This was all pre-s14 at this point for reference.

Honestly, not many people remain from that time or even before. I remember some folks I had followed reminiscing about post-s12, wondering if Dennis was coming back, or if he turned into the bar. Idk man I'm so glad I didn't have to deal with not knowing if Dennis was coming back like that would've been too much for me.

But 2019 Sunnyblr, and this may just be the nostalgia talking, but man it was magical. The gif sets, the meta breakdowns of episodes, the macdennis posts--god we were eating GOOD. It felt like one giant group chat in the best way. And then The Gang Gets Romantic happens an we were absolutely FERAL. Okay? Like picture Nov 5th but on a way smaller scale. But that was the energy, okay?

But then, tragedy struck in the form of Dee Day. That, for me was kinda the beginning of the end of that version of Sunnyblr. A lot of people were pissed. The glass shelves we had propped RCG and Megan Ganz up on had shattered. A decent amount of people left right then and there. But those who stayed were holding out for something -- a better apology from them regarding the brownface for one. And that...didn't happen (I don't want to speak more on this bc like...look I'll be real with you, I stuck my head in the sand on this one. But people had a right to be hurt by that episode and to this day I haven't rewatched it since it aired). But we trudged along. Bc it's "satire" and these are "bad people" and we are DEF getting canon MacDennis okay they are going to KISS on the MOUTH in BIG MO.

....and then they didn't. Clown shoes squeaking.

Okay trying to get this back on track...

As far as reddit goes, that's always just been the "dudebro" place for Sunny. Sometimes they make valid points and our braincells align and that warrants someone posting it here to discuss.

I feel like the general opinions kinda feel the same to me? Mac and Dennis are endgame, Archie. Dennis is bastardman but also baby. Charlie poor little meow meow. I do have to say...I feel like some stuff used to feel a bit more...grounded than it does now?? If that makes sense? Like idk man people were out here writing academic prose to describe the meta in Clip Show. And I do feel like that vibe's kinda gone. But it's not a bad thing. It's just different. Like it's more unhinged but hey we're still having fun so who cares?

Uh what else? Oh yeah so the RCG stuff. Like I said before, there was a point where Sunnyblr propped them up and we got reality checked real quick, okay? They went from being UnProblematic Kings ™ to Rob posting copaganda on his IG at the height of the George Floyd protests in June of 2020. That happening after all the shit with Dee Day was basically a powder keg. And that's honestly when Sunnyblr as I knew it, really died.

I think the podcast has def shoved them back into a more favorable light in the fandom's eyes. Speaking for myself, I never stopped stanning Glenn but Rob and Charlie and Kait were on thin fucking ice (maybe not Charlie so much but def Rob and Kait--actually mostly Rob). I think RCG have to be prevalent in the fandom as much as the characters do bc they're so close to them and the show like this IS their show y'know?

That's...all I can really think of. Like I said, not many people remain from those days. I can think of maybe a handful off the top of my head but I wouldn't consider them nearly as active as they were regarding Sunny when I joined. We're still moots but that's bc we like each other beyond the MacDennis of it all.

Sorry this is so long too lmfao. Like Sunnyblr was such a huge part of my life during that time so I guess I got shit to say. I also for real in no way consider myself the end all be all expert on this either. Like in no way am I the sole authority on Sunnyblr history. This is based on stuff I experienced and picked up on from other's posts from before my time. Anybody can chime in with their own opinions and shit. Correct me too. Idc.

Uh yeah. So I guess that's what you missed on Glee. Or Sunnyblr. The end? I hope that helped (for real).

[mitch0id]

Sunnyblr discovering robs fucking horse is like a historical moment for the history books

[nightcrawlerzincorporated]

thank u for being tbe sunnyblr Poll Pioneer now people are out here in the trenches gathering data every single day. ur thirst polls ran so my polls could crawl. we will become the most researched fandom in history thanks to your #impact. also make more polls whenever you have the inclination they're always fun and I love how u post the data afterwards ♥️

-patheticboydennis main

This is so sweet ahhhh! I thought only a handful of people would take the first poll when I made it—it’s so crazy to me that it’s at almost 200 responses and now other people are making polls about sunny fandom stuff they’re curious about too! It makes me so happy that I was able to spread some joy and creativity 💖

Since the gang fucker poll is at 192 right now my soonest plan involving polls is to make data update/write-in answers 2 posts once that reaches 200. So if anyone hasn’t done it yet there’s a bit more time! After that I’m not really sure—I’ve been kicking around the idea of favorite character and favorite ship vs opinions on popular headcanons. Would that be interesting to anyone else?

[sunnytastic]

heyy, I'm new to sunnyblr, you seem like an intelligent person and I learned my lesson with previous fandoms so...: what should one know about the cast doing/saying things that's like very problematic (besides the very obvious stuff in the show)? (It's alright if you don't want to answer or spread negativity <3)

welcome to sunnyblr anon!!! we are happy to have you! as someone put it recently, sunnyblr is just a big group chat so you'll see a lot of the same faces pop up

admittedly, i'm pretty new to sunny and sunnyblr too (I started the show and joined in june) so I'm definitely not the person to go to for sunny cast history but there are plenty of other blogs that have been around for a while that can answer your question better than I can

that being said, the largest controversy around the sunny cast is the creators defense of the blackface episodes. idk how much you know about sunny so forgive me if I sound patronizing but sunny was created by rob mcelhenny, glenn howerton, and charlie day (who play mac, dennis, and charlie respectively). despite several people criticizing their use of blackface (and other racial caricatures) due to its overt racism, rcg jump up and down defending it by saying that it was satirical

but beyond the fact that three white men could never do a satire of blackface correctly and should not have even attempted to, the problem with satire is that it's hard to do right but very easy to hide behind. there is a famous quote that goes "satire requires clarity of purpose and target lest it be mistaken for and contribute to that which it intends to criticize." and unfortunately, rcg fall right into this trap.

i don't necessarily think it's a wrong to satirize blackface. satire, when done effectively, is one of the best tools for highlighting inconsistencies and hypocrisy in social issues. however, the only people satirizing blackface should be black people. unless you are black, you will not have the perspective that is needed to create a satire of blackface that captures the nuances of the history of black people's portrayal in films, television, and live productions and its influence on how black people are treated in real life.

additionally, even if rcg were genuine in their attempt to satirize blackface, they should have stopped after receiving backlash on the first episode. instead, they just doubled down on their excuse and then continued making more episodes with blackface.

not to mention, the episodes aren't even satirical. rcg says that viewers are supposed to be laughing at the wrongness of the characters doing blackface instead of finding blackface itself funny but if you have to tell your viewers how they are supposed to look at your content, you completely failed at your objective. again, satire requires CLARITY.

in the gang makes lethal weapon 7, they make a satire of the controversy but completely fail to realize why the controversy was warranted. in just the previous season, they had an episode that needed to be removed from streaming services because of brown and yellowface. and the entirety of lethal weapon 7 just reeks of disingenuine apologies as they claim they didn't know any better at time as if they weren't old enough or living in a century where they knew blackface was wrong. especially when on the podcast episode for america's next top paddy's billboard model, they were very dismissive of its criticism.

rcg are not alone in this blame. FX had every opportunity to reject the episodes and yet they were aired. unfortunately, this is another example where white people are a part of the problem they claim to be against. it does not matter how woke you claim to be if you do not listen to the voices of marginalized people. you will simply perpetuate a system that excuses the mistakes of those in power because they claimed they had good intentions. as funny as they are, rcg have lost my respect for their defense of blackface.

sorry, this is definitely a much longer answer than you were looking for but I have meaning to share my perspective on the blackface episodes and this was the perfect segue. though, I am a white woman and my perspective on this topic is limited by my lack of lived experiences as a person of color. however, I hope I was able to provide a genuine critique of the situation. I'm sure this topic has been discussed on sunnyblr before but I am interested in hearing other people's thoughts on it.

side note: while i primarily use the term blackface, it is intended to encompass all the racial caricatures seen in the show, which include black, brown, yellow, and redface

[hellshandbasket]

I hope you know that I still consider your post about Dennis not wanting to acknowledge his pain to be the most genius-level take I have ever seen. It just replays constantly in my brain every single time I have a singular thought about macdennis. I read that post to my friends who don’t even watch Sunny because I love it so much. That concept unlocked new layers of macdennis that I have never considered before, and it feels like the missing puzzle piece that always eluded me whenever I analyzed their dynamic. I cant speak for everyone on Sunnyblr, but I think that post needs to go down in history as a staple of the community.

~glenn-howerton-ships-macdennis

don’t gas up my deranged rants like this, it will go to my head and i will never stop!!! but legitimately i am glad you have resonated with what spewed out of me that day because it had been brewing and brewing inside me ever since i got bit by the macdennis bug. did i need to write an essay?probably not. was it imperative i get it out of my system no matter what? yes oh god. shoutout to glenn julliard howerton for the way that he screamed “and it hurts” in tends bar because it knocked something loose in my brain and made me fixate on the way dennis processes pain <3 macdennis being both the cause and the balm to each other’s wounds is something that can be so personal. i could talk about it forever and am thrilled someone else feels similarly. literally anyone hit me up about macdennis + pain at any time. i have never seen a fandom so saturated with incredible hot takers as sunnyblr is.

[headgehug]

idk what powers charlie day possesses but he was able to singlehandedly convince me 100% that the acapulco stache look was capital-h Hot

the fact that you incorporate this look into the st paddys day episode (easily one of the hottest charlies in iasip history) in your fic is just......... overwhelming (/pos) for my feeble mind, my god do not stop writing charlie/reader fics please

can't wait for monday's podcast episode, especially your screenshots and gubler-garbage's gifs (let there be many) (please oh god i hope there's many)

omg yes! before watching hotel artemis I was like, meh! I'm not a fan of that look on him. but like, seeing him in action.. well now every sleazy mustache look from anyone else makes me go insane too. if you haven't see the pics of him growing his acapulco mustache out you need to. the way we're going to see that again is like christmas to me. <3

gosh you anons are so sweet always 😭 I have a big list of wishlist fics to write that I can't leave sunnyblr till I finish and I usually add more than I complete <3 so don't worry lol. to be included with the likes of the legendary gifmaster gubler-garbage... wow.... :0 tysm <3

[gaydennisreynolds]

I'm so glad it's not 2014 anymore... who else remembers all of the Discourse about being a Dennis apologist and how it meant you didn't care about sexual assault victims or women and were pro murder and violence and evil. but now we have trauma informed posting and fully developed prefrontal cortexts. so we can call him babygirl all we want

[gaydennisreynolds]

Gather round boys (gn)!!! I accidentally stumbled on to a sunnyblr blog from ye olde days of 2013/2014!!! Check out the tag "#iasip babble" on nickigrants! It's full of essays, asks, musings and meta mainly on dennis and the macdennis relationship, but also some on dennis/dee as trash siblings without healthy boundaries, and a bit on the chardee and charden dynamics, with the context of sunny S1-S8 or S9 — discussions that wouldn't be out of place with a lot of the puff-puff-pass convos we have here these days!

Here's some examples: https://nickigrants.tumblr.com/post/68863941866/somehow-i-wrote-a-giant-macdennis-shipping-manifesto https://nickigrants.tumblr.com/post/68303993260/what-are-your-favorite-character-traits-of-everyone-in https://nickigrants.tumblr.com/post/66381970470/dennis-and-dees-interactions-were-giving-me-incestual

Man, I wonder if they still watch sunny and what they think of the characters now!

ANON U ARE A SCHOLAR A RESEARCHER A HISTORIAN! this is so fucking cool to see, thank you. I don't remember that blog so I must've never crossed paths with them, but the stuff they are saying is Foundational Sunny Fandom Knowledge. and it makes me wonder, like....did they say it first? was nickigrants THEE meat analysis originator?

so cool I'm gonna have a blast thumbing through these. thank you so much!

[emberphantom]

Lmao it really makes me laugh that people are like woooow sunnyblr history when you're discussing a snippet of time in fandom a mere 3 years ago, on a site that's been around since 2007 and about a show that's been around since 2005.

AKSKDKDJF I mean yeah you have a point dude.

Idk what the Sunny fandom really looked like before like my time in it. Hell I feel like I was kinda surprised to learn it even had a fandom in the traditional sense when I got into MacDennis. Before that I thought Sunny was just the show some dudes showed me a clip of in college of a cat wearing socks and also all those memes.

To be fair, I've been on this stupid website since 2011 and I have seen all types of fandoms cross my dash for media that I have never had any part in. I really dont think the Sunny fandom was super active then. But yeah man "History"and "2019" being in the same thought does sound ridiculous lol.

But it also does feel like 10 years ago so who's to say.