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poppytheorist · 5 years ago

Text

Me Laughing

must’ve been one hell of a joke

Preamble

So, I was in the middle of writing a piece on [redacted] when Poppy released a 27-minute video of herself laughing. Naturally, that took priority. Sorry for my absence, this post took some time. And by “some time,” I mean “45 hours.”

This may be the best thing I’ve written, but it’s also the most insane thing I’ve written. In fact, I would label this post as ‘maddening.’ It’s possible you won’t be able to look at Poppy the same way again. I know I don’t. You can’t unread this, readers beware, [other dramatic warnings], etc., etc.

Descend when ready.

…

I thought “Concrete” was pretty #wild, but “Me Laughing” takes the cake. This video is pure lunacy, and I mean that somewhat literally since Poppy does laugh at what appears to be nothing for almost half an hour.

Due to the sheer insanity of “Me Laughing,” I’ve put together a handy little collage to help readers follow along. Behold: my barely passable Paint skills!

the pic for Section 4 basically explains everything

Before we begin, I need to address a few things. There’s at least, like, nine people who read this stuff, and while I can’t say that I envy you, I can say that I appreciate you. Thanks for sticking around.

However, there’s a funny thing that happens when you know you’re writing for an audience. You feel pressured to adapt your style. I feel the need to be a little more careful about some of the things I say, but that’s probably for the best. Hopefully this extra care will result in more coherent posts, but I doubt it.

This post will be long. Partially because “Me Laughing” is long, partially because I’ve padded this out with shaky theory about how the world works. Guess that’s no different than my other posts, but still, feel free to tune that out if you’re just here for the Poppy stuff, though maybe you’ll find some of it interesting.

I tend to write authoritatively, which may be misleading because I’m not always confident about what I’m saying. I simply enjoy taking things to their natural conclusions. Typically, there’s something interesting at the end. Or, at least, a premise insane enough to make writing about it enjoyable. See, for example, my post on “Concrete.” This post won’t be much different, maybe just a little crazier.

Now, I’ve got a funny feeling that some people may think I am “reading too much into this” or that Poppy’s work “isn’t that deep.” Hey, I get it. Those objections are completely understandable. I was once there myself, but now I’ve moved away from thinking that way. I’ll do my best to explain why.

From what I’ve seen, aesthetics (roughly: the study of art) is a total battlefield. Nobody agrees on anything, everybody thinks that only they can ‘properly’ understand art and that everyone else is wrong. There’s people who think beauty is objective, there’s people who think “no, that’s stupid, beauty is obviously subjective,” and there’s even the people who outright deny that aesthetics exists. Recently, we also had the pleasure of witnessing the aesthetics debate become another facet of the everlasting culture war. Think a line from “Play Destroy” sums my thoughts about that up: “oh boy!”

Needless to say, it’s a massive shitshow.

Despite my rather war-torn depiction of modern aesthetics, it might be a good thing that we can never ‘understand’ art. I hear that’s, like, part of the point. If art was ever ‘solved,’ well, we’d be faced with the idea that there is nothing ‘special’ about being human, that we’re just sacks of meat bumbling around with no purpose. Then everybody would, like, die or something. Truth hurts, art heals, let’s stay alive.

Anywho, I mention all this because there’s no rigorous way to determine how ‘deep’ a song (or any piece of art) is. You can’t just take a stick, poke it into some art, and say: “yep, this Poppy song is 75 [metres/fathoms/hands/whatever nonsense unit] deep!” Besides, nobody even agrees what ‘artistic depth’ means, and most attempts to define it flounder. If you listen closely, you can just faintly hear Goodhart laughing.

This is also why people who think they can ‘objectively’ analyze art are dogmatic blowhards. Any amount of rigorous thinking reveals that our standards for what make art ‘good’ or ‘bad’ are entirely baseless. No, seriously, it’s a case of channeling your inner Socrates and repeatedly asking ‘why’ until the other person throws their up their arms, leaves, and stops answering your texts.

We don’t even know what art is, so thinking you can ‘understand’ art and judge its ‘depth’ is pure arrogance. At least, until someone finds a way to math that shit. “Sounds solipsism.” Well, ya gotta start somewhere.

Now, does this mean we should also throw up our arms, say: “screw it” and return to binging Netflix and eating foods that you know aren’t good for you but you eat them anyways because they make you feel good and that’s what you need right now? Well, no, actually.

Even if we aren’t 100% sure what art is, or what we should do with it, there are some theories on art that I would call: “pretty not-terrible.” Some people have spent their entire lives thinking about these things and their insights are fascinating. However, I’m not here to talk theory. If you want to learn more, go pick up a book or something, nerd.

Anyway, one time this German guy said: “without music, life would be a mistake.” He also said that looking at things from multiple perspectives is pretty neat, so that’s what we’re here to do. Turns out art is kinda fun and spending a bit more time thinking about it pays dividends.

See, art just wants to be understood and so does Poppy. I want to give her and Titanic the benefit of the doubt and take them seriously as artists. While I don’t think everything they produce is God’s gift to earth (see: [redacted]), I do enjoy the majority of their work. Plus, the abstract and absurd nature of their content means writing about it is a blast.

Whether I truly believe any of the interpretations I come up with is irrelevant. Hell, I’m not even sure half of what I say even remotely resembles what Poppy and Titanic envisioned. But, that’s not the point. Shallow readings are a dime-a-dozen, see: Genius; I’m here to provide something better. To show that Poppy’s work, or any art, really, can be a whole lot more fun if you spend even just a teensy bit of time analyzing it. Hopefully I can also provide some of the tools to do so.

Enough rambling, let’s get into it.

Intro

At first glance, “Me Laughing” seems like Poppy doing cute ASMR for 27(!!) minutes while simultaneously trolling anyone who expected a video titled “Me Laughing” to be about anything different. Sure, but that reading gets a ‘B’ for ‘Basic.’

Yes, Poppy and Titanic often troll their audience. See: “A live Interview with Poppy.” But the trolling is both part of the delivery of their message and part of the message itself. So while “Me Laughing” looks like a simple ASMR troll video, I’m going to argue that it’s not.

Previously, Poppy released videos like “Delete Your Facebook” and “I’m Poppy.” Fun vids, but they’re made of looped clips. Thirty seconds in and you’ve watched the whole thing. Consider: “Me Laughing” is 27 minutes, but no parts are looped, it’s all original. As always, I’m just here to ask: why?

Since “Me Laughing” is not made up of looped clips, but is instead all original content, there is an inherent progression to the events. Each segment is unique, and when considered sequentially, pieces from each section build on each other to produce an artistic whole.

Yes, that’s a fancy way of saying it has a ‘story.’

Also, if you’ve watched the video, you’ll know that something just feels ‘off.’ If “Me Laughing” was ‘just’ Poppy ASMR, why does she constantly focus on a single point in the distance? What’s with Poppy’s frequent stares into the camera? And why the fuck is she wearing latex?

Clearly, something else is going on.

Detailed Summary

Let’s recall what actually happens in “Me Laughing.” Hopefully this recap will convey a sense of what ‘else’ exactly is going on and make the insane claims later on in the analysis a tad easier to swallow.

“Me Laughing” starts off pretty normally. Sections 1 and 2 are mostly Poppy laughing, as promised. Even in these early sections, however, we can still pick out some peculiar things.

In Section 1, and throughout the video, we see Poppy looking upwards as she laughs, as if she was remembering something funny that happened. Or as if she was thinking about something for a while and suddenly found it hilarious. “Maybe Poppy just looks upward when she laughs.” Doubtful. Try doing it right now. Feels weird, right? Whatever, moving on…

Next oddity: there’s a strange transitioning shot at the start of the video and between Sections 1 and 2 where the camera sweeps over Poppy’s latex-ed body. “Well, maybe Titanic just thought it would be cool to do it like that.” Yes, but why did he think it would be cool? Why that transitioning shot, out of all the possible ones? What purpose does it serve?

Also: Section 1 was a very steady shot, probably filmed using a tripod, or whatever fancy word camera-people use. However, the shot for Section 2 is shaky. Like, weirdly shaky. Maybe even too shaky. And this isn’t the only section filmed this way, half of “Me Laughing” is too. “Well, maybe Titanic can’t hold a camera steady.” No, that doesn’t seem right. We know Titanic can, in fact, hold a camera steady, or, at the very least, he possesses the means to take a steady shot. See: literally all Poppy videos. No, the shaky-cam is intentional. Again, I’m just here to ask: why?

Now, I don’t mean to tip my hand too much here, but to me, the camera’s sway resembles the unsteady gaze of a curious observer. Perhaps one who is timidly stepping around the beheld, drinking in all the angles. Recall my post on “Touch Poppy.” With steady camera shots, it’s easy to forget someone is on the other side, but with unsteady shots, it’s downright impossible to ignore, e.g., “wow, that shaky-cam is really noticeable. What is this, a shitty sequel to the Blair Witch Project?” Perhaps these sections were filmed this way to emphasize the presence of an observer. As for why such a thing would be emphasized—well, we’ll get to that.

Around the 3:30 mark, Poppy shakes her head and clearly utters a, “m-mm,” as in, “nuh-uh, no way.” This gesture is repeated throughout the video. I’ll let you think about that one.

The video continues, and at 3:52 the camera lazily pans down, focusing on Poppy’s body and cutting her head out of the shot for several seconds, similar to the transition shot from Section 1 to 2. Thirty seconds later, the same thing happens. Guess this isn’t just Titanic diversifying the shot composition. It’s also about this point where attempts to pass “Me Laughing” off as anything resembling a ‘normal’ video start to fall apart.

Poppy’s sitting position in Section 3 is both clever and hilarious. It shows her whole get-up, highlighting how absurdly tall her platform shoes are. She also flip-flops her feet back and forth several times as if to further emphasize her mega-shoes. Why would she wear such crazy shoes for a simple video of herself laughing?

That’s not all that’s ‘off’ about Section 3—this is also the first section where Poppy stares at a spot in the distance for a prolonged period of time. In several instances, she quizzically tilts her head to the side, not unlike a faithful dog trying to decipher commands from her master. At 6:23 we also get a clear “huh,” a noise of acknowledgement, of understanding. Further, Section 3 has several stretches of silence where Poppy is no longer laughing. She just sits there while you watch. It’s… unsettling.

Section 4 is shot in a similarly shaky-style to Section 2, but this time with Poppy sitting down. Also, we see instances of Poppy focusing on something off in the distance both when she is laughing and when she is not, as was the case in the previous sections. However, there are some weird things about Section 4 that set it apart from the others and further develop the video.

Around the 8:38 mark, Poppy utters a “mm-mm-mm” sound while shaking her head and staring off into the distance. It’s fairly clear that she is communicating with something off-screen. Perhaps entities that are invisible to us. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say these off-screen entities are the things making her laugh.

We will see more evidence of Poppy supposedly communicating with invisible beings later, however, this is bordering on fetishizing Poppy’s lore as opposed to analyzing her artistic message. If you’re half-learned on Poppy lore (which, you better be, considering the fact that you’re reading this), this would be like focusing on the identity of ‘They’ instead of the significance of ‘They.’ Another example would be focusing on the ‘origin’ of Poppy, e.g., is she an android? Who is her creator? Etc., instead of asking why someone would create the artistic work of Poppy in the first place and/or considering the implications of said work.

If you’ve read anything else I’ve written, perhaps you’ve noticed that I try and stay away from acknowledging that Poppy even has lore. I want to take Poppy seriously, not literally. Or, in “pretentious asshole” terms, to consider her work artistically, not canonically. There are many reasons for this and I didn’t just get here randomly overnight, but that’s for another post.

Edgy ranting aside, there’s another part of Section 4 that I’d like to point out. Before this section, there was only a single instance of Poppy looking into the camera (happened in Section 2), but in Section 4, she frequently looks into the lens, acknowledging that an observer is present. She shoots this observer a flurry of dark and mischievous glances. Then she laughs.

Section 5 features more head shaking, distant staring, etc., but it is also a relatively sad section. Poppy laughs very little, and frequently looks down. Yes, a pun. Poppy has been laughing for most of the video, so why, all of a sudden, does she seem so sad?

Section 6 is shot shakily and close-up. I mean, really close-up. Like, right-in-her-face close-up. To the point where the camera is often out of focus. We’re also given a blatantly voyeuristic sweep over Poppy’s chest as the camera shifts position around her. Further, there are several instances where Poppy looks deep into the camera, with what I refer to as a “model pout,” where she slightly parts her lips and opens her eyes wide. Recall my post on “Computer Boy” where I talked about the fan-idol relationship. That lustful look? It’s for you, except everybody knows it’s not.

Quick note: I will elaborate on this when I talk about “You’re Too Close,” but it’s important to stay mindful and know that despite some uncomfortably voyeuristic shots in “Me Laughing,” it doesn’t necessarily mean that the video, or anyone who worked on it, is, y’know, perverted or something. Depicting the voyeuristic nature of idolism is how we talk about the voyeuristic nature of idolism, the same way that depicting racism is how we talk about racism.

The problem is that nowadays, we are trained to think quickly, not critically. Your initial response (also called your ‘knee-jerk’ response) to Poppy’s work shouldn’t be your final response to it. It’s important to consider context and think carefully. Ask yourself: why would Poppy choose to show you this? What does she want you to think about? What is she trying to tell you?

Section 7 is where things start to get really fucking weird.

Previously, I said that there was something darker lurking in “Me Laughing,” and Section 7 is where this darkness begins to manifest. The segment starts with Poppy having another one of her imaginary conversations with demons or whatever where she nods her head and gives some “mm-hmms” in agreement. Shortly after, she looks right at the camera and laughs in your face. Not only is her laugh absolutely maniacal, but it seems completely sincere too. This section really relates the feeling that you are not in on the ‘joke’—maybe the joke’s about you.

Section 7 also provides a sense of violent foreboding: a creeping feeling that something is going to happen to you, but you don’t know what that ‘something’ is, and you have absolutely no power to stop it. What really drives this sense of helplessness home is the way the scene is shot. At one point, the camera spends a few seconds just looking at Poppy’s hand. This emphasizes your lack of control. You are completely at the mercy of the camera’s whims. You only see what is shown to you. Then, as the scene closes, the camera is put down in front of Poppy, and, after a few tense seconds, she slowly reorients her body and starts crawling towards you. Luckily, the camera is picked up before she reaches it—you were saved, but what if you hadn’t been?

Oh, right, I forgot to mention: Poppy didn’t laugh much in this section.

Section 8 is a more amped-up version of Section 6. We get Poppy staring deep into the camera for almost the entire scene’s duration. Her lustful gaze relates a feeling of vulnerability, like you are spying on a defenseless little girl, but at the same time, it feels like she is giving you one last dose of what you want before she brutally murders you.

Section 9 is fairly straightforward. We have Poppy staring at a fixed point in the distance as if she is receiving orders from her alien overlord. We also get several rapid glances toward the camera, as if her orders somehow involve you, or as if she and someone else are sharing gossip about you right in front of your face.

…

…And then Section 10 happens.

Poppy says: “goodbye.”

In Section 10 we have a bit of a climax. No, not that kind of climax. Well, unless this essay is really doing it for you.

The first interpretation of Section 10 is fairly basic, Poppy is waving goodbye because you’re about to die. Obviously, whatever scheme she and her invisible monster friends cooked up is going to be carried out, and it’s probably going to result in the destruction of everything, yourself included. This is sad, probably, but she seems to find it highly amusing. Again, I’m not a fan of obsessing over canon or lore, so I’ll tackle this one slightly differently in the analysis, but I do think this reading of “Me Laughing” is at least semi-faithful to Poppy and Titanic’s vision. This interpretation also serves as a very nice teaser for P3. I mean, if “Do you disagree?” has told us anything, P3 will have a lot of destroying.

The next reading of Section 10 involves the objectifying nature of idolism. Yes, the $5 words are starting to come out, brace yourself. Anyway, in this section, Poppy giggles as she waggles her hands around, back and forth then forth and back, as though she is using her hands for the first time. Almost like a shiny, new automaton discovering its motor functions. It’s cute, but silly. And by silly, I mean overly silly. You have to remember that Poppy is played by a woman in her mid-20s. Reminds me of some lines from “Hard Feelings”: “my arms and my legs are so stiff / Is that the way you wanted it?” Or, rather, is this how you want her to act?

At the end of the section, the camera moves right up to Poppy’s face and she looks at you and just… stares.

…

And stares…

…

And stares…

…

She knows.

Finally, we get to Section 11, which would be my main argument against the totally boring ‘Poppy communicating with demons’ reading. Poppy is seated, again, with her arms wrapped around her thighs. Note again the sense of her smallness and vulnerability transmitted by her sitting position. Also note the way the shot is filmed, with the camera looking down on Poppy and frequently swooping in for close passes.

And then, in the last two seconds, something really bizarre happens. For a brief moment, some foreign object enters the shot, just in the very corner. Now, I’m about to make a weird argument, be wary of it. Other than the random piece of equipment entering the shot, “Me Laughing” does not end off on a noteworthy moment. Just Poppy sitting there, looking up at the camera. Plenty of instances of that. The video could have easily been trimmed by 2 seconds and nothing would have changed. We can also (probably) assume that somebody carefully reviewed this video before it was uploaded.

We’re left the possibility that those last two seconds were left in the video for a reason. And that reason is—

Hey, wait a minute, was that a mirror?

Analysis

“Me Laughing” is a really interesting video, and you can have a lot of fun if you spend some time looking into it, so that’s exactly what we’re going to do. We’ll tackle it from several different angles, watch for the switches.

Quick words of warning here: I’m about to use the words ‘parody,’ ‘satire,’ and ‘sarcasm’ interchangeably, a practice some would refer to as: “really fucking lazy.” Frankly, I don’t give a damn, I’m not a professional, I’m going to type my silly words anyway and you can’t stop me.

As content loses any sense of shame in attempting to draw your attention, nuance withers away and it becomes harder and harder to differentiate parody from parodied. For example, is “Old Town Road” criticizing the state of the music industry or embracing it? Now, I’m positive that Lil Nas X has the self-awareness of my pug when he’s lapping up his own boogers, yet I personally couldn’t write a song that so perfectly encapsulates everything wrong with modern music. So, is “Old Town Road” a parody or not?

This is where someone ripping off Westworld would say: “if you can’t tell, does it matter?” to which I would answer: “yes, yes it does.”

Context may be fleeting, unreliable, and arguably nonexistent, but I still believe it’s possible to differentiate parody from parodied, it just takes a little more effort. See, I think “Me Laughing” is satirical as hell, especially considering its context within Poppy’s body of work and how it compares to mainstream internet content.

First, consider that the frankly-titled video “Me Laughing” was hyped up for three days before it ‘premiered’ on YouTube. Hilarious, but also incisive. Who waits three days to see someone laugh? “Well, I did.” Ah.

The sarcastic nature of the video also shines through in the description, which reads: “A motion picture starring Poppy.” There’s a tired, yet necessary, statement here on the continuing degradation of internet content. What won’t people eat up?

We all know Poppy’s no stranger to sarcasm. See: “Bleach Blonde Baby” or “Poppy loves Politics.” She will often refer to her videos as “high quality internet content,” while uploading videos of herself eating cotton candy or ‘ooo-ing’ at things. With “Me Laughing,” a video where she laughs for 27 minutes, Poppy further questions where the line is regarding what content people will happily consume.

Fun story: I’ve seen people call “Me Laughing” ASMR. In fact, I think I did, at some point. Huh, I should probably change that. This isn’t totally wrong, but know that “Me Laughing” takes so many shots at ASMR you’d think the video shared a set with Sicario. And, if that’s the case, they could have saved some money and just filmed the video in my neighborhood haha… hah… ha… (seriously though I’m in danger)

Considering “Me Laughing” as a genuine ASMR video would obviously be antithetical to Poppy’s entire body of work. Recall lyrics like: “Poppy is an object.” No, “Me Laughing” is much more than simply Poppy recording cute ASMR.

Poppy has been questioning the nature of people’s ASMR obsession since her first YouTube video, “Poppy Eats Cotton Candy,” where she had the mic uncomfortably close to her throat so her little gulps and coos were clearly audible. What leads to people wanting to hear these things?

Zoom out: many of Poppy’s videos are about obsession. Forget that and the point will fly right over your head. Let’s now reframe the question: why would people want to hear such intimate sounds from Poppy? Answer that and “Me Laughing” will make a lot more sense.

What I’m about to say next will be very dense because it will outline the thesis of a large part of Poppy’s work. Sorry, hopefully it’s still readable. I’m still developing my interpretations of her work, and I promise to expand and explain them more in the future.

I’m also sure some fans will want to stab me in the neck with a rusty spoon for this post because it’ll appear like I am directly criticizing them. In reality, I am actually insinuating that Poppy is criticizing them, but nuance is dead, knee-jerk reactions reign supreme. Whatever. If you react that way, it means you’re so eyeballs deep in obsession that you fail to realize why Poppy courts your obsession in the first place. Poppy’s work entices fans to obsess over her, but it also berates those who do so.

Note that this is all as a means of criticizing the status-quo. And guess what: fans are part of the status-quo. It stings when you realize your idol’s criticisms are actually about you, but I’m not convinced Poppy is malicious. She wants you to be a better person.

This is my best estimate of her thesis: the nature of the objectification of celebrities is rooted in a sexual obsession—that is, a desire for their bodies. Pun intended. Objectification stems from fantasizing over what the celebrity shows you, which is almost always physical, or at least results in the fantasy manifesting itself as a physical representation.

In other words: “everybody wants to be Poppy.”

Poppy recognizes the inherently sexual obsession with figures in the ASMR community. She wears latex in “Me Laughing” to draw attention to this. It’s as if she was saying: “this is what you’re here for, right?”

Note that obsession is inherently progressive. It grows and grows, eventually leading to fans voyeuristically observing the objectified person’s intimate bodily functions. This culminates in “Me Laughing.” Poppy knows what you want, but as payment, she’s going to leave a nagging feeling in your brain that somehow you have done something wrong. That you shouldn’t really be watching this video, but she knows you are.

Recall Titanic’s comments about making people slightly uncomfortable. Consuming is harder with a lump in your throat. The key to understanding Poppy’s work is to ask why she wants you to feel uncomfortable. What about your behavior does she want you to realize?

Earlier in the post, I mentioned that I’m not a huge fan of the whole ‘Poppy talking to demons about destroying the world’ reading because it comes dangerously close to obsessing over her lore. Lore is like history without the usefulness, so I’m going to ignore it. Regardless, I said I would use that interpretation for something more interesting, so I’d like to ask:

What makes someone want to destroy the world?

Throughout “Me Laughing,” Poppy shoots dark glares at the camera. There’s something sinister in her eyes, something genuinely evil lurking in her gaze. We know she obviously has an immense disdain for the status-quo. What else would lead to lyrics like: “down, let it all burn down / burn it to the ground”?

Preceding any cries of “viva la revolución!” or “apocalypse, now!” is an implicit judgement that what is left of the world is either not able to be saved, or not worth saving. That tearing everything down and beginning anew is preferable to salvaging what remains. To reach such a mindset, one would need to see modern society with such disgust and be so disenchanted with our current world that it no longer appears worth preserving. One would also need to have given up hope on the ability for people to come together and solve their problems. To have lost hope in humanity’s ability to adapt and overcome. To think that perhaps our problems have become too big for us to solve, that perhaps we have finally dug too deep a hole to climb out of.

Again, people don’t reach a hopeless mindset overnight; it takes many steps to descend into the darkness. But, the numpties on r/GetMotivated tell me, “every journey begins with a single step,” so let’s take one together.

In a tweet, I mentioned that “Me Laughing” was also about absurdism. No, that wasn’t a typo for ‘absurdity.’ I may write ridiculously deep-dives into Poppy lyrics and lore, but I try not to waste words.

Anyway, let’s play a game. I call it the “imagine something real quick because I need to prove a point” game.

Imagine being stuck in a system. Yes, it’s cliché to use the word ‘system,’ and any time you do, it carries the connotation that you are some conspiracy nut, e.g., “you can’t trust the system man!” I understand all this, please just bear with me and let me use the word, it’s useful. Anyway, you don’t like the system because a lot of the system is bad and it’s slowly, but surely, getting worse. The cracks are starting to show and the whole thing is poised to come crumbling down. Okay, that’s not good, you want to tell people about this. To warn them. However, in order to obtain a sizable audience for your message, you need to first succeed within the system, and to do that, you need to play by the system’s rules.

Okay, no sweat, you release some pop songs. There’s a couple of them that people really dig. Unfortunately, the songs people like don’t contain much of your message. They have a watered-down version of it at best. That’s a little sad, but oh well, at least you’re getting some sort of message out there. Hey, maybe if you make the music video really weird, people will realize there’s something more going on! Hm, that didn’t seem to work either.

So you release some YouTube videos too. Some of them are pretty biting, especially that one on politics. Should get people thinking, right? Hah, no, wrong. People like them, yes, but not for the reasons you want. They like them because they’re “weird” and “addictive” e.g., “its 3 AM on a school night and I’m still watching Poppy videos why can’t I stop lolol.” Imagining that the videos contain some sort of Illuminati-esque hidden message to decode is preferable to examining the real-world implications of the work. Plus, like, there’s experts for that, right?

Anyway, a couple albums and hundreds of videos later, you have a sizable following, sweet, now you can transition to doing what you’ve always wanted to. Change the persona to something a little truer to yourself. Make your message a little clearer. Finally, you have the power to change the world like you always promised you would.

Uh-oh, Houston, we’ve got a problem. Your audience listened to you for X, but now you’re giving them Y. It’s not a total loss, though. You have a lot of loyal members in your audience, and they like your new stuff too. Doesn’t matter what you make, they’re loyal, they’ll watch/listen/whatever to it. Their dedication has become investment which has become even more dedication. In fact, they’ve been following you since the start, when you were first trying to get big. “Yes, but I was trying to get big because I wanted to spread a message and to do that I had to make compromises to grow an audience so people would liste—“

They also have their own ideas of what you’re saying, plus, like, they make neat art, here, check this out, please give this a listen, look at this, read this, please, please? “Hey, nice article. Wait, the next one is how many words?!” And you keep every piece of fan art because it really does mean a lot to you. “Wow, I appreciate it, that’s beautiful, thank you. Oh, what? There’s even more?” Hey, if you have spare minute, could you give a shout-out to my friend? It’s her birthday. “Sure, hold on…” It’s also my birthday tomorrow, could you give this post a like? “Um, okay, just give me a minut—“ Also, could you answer my DM on Instagram? It’s important. And after that there’s only 100 more to answer! kk thanks! “Wait… one second… whoa!”

Now you’re releasing Z, hopefully that will get your message across…

…

Wait—what was your message again?

…

Oh no.

…

Somewhere along the way, probably between performing [this] and signing [that], the essence of your message was lost. Whatever remains has been drowned out by the noise of the system. If we’re talking decibels, notifications are loud, problems are whispers, and these days everyone’s got ear plugs.

Thinking about problems is hard, thinking about them for too long is sad, being sad is uncomfortable, hey, look, Taylor Swift just dropped a new album, that “Lover” song is dope, let’s look at memes.

So, you want to change the system. But to change the system you need power. To get power, you need an audience. But the only way to get an audience is to make content that gets rewarded by the system. And the content that gets rewarded by the system is that which is easily digestible for a large audience, i.e., devoid of substance. I mean, I don’t know about you, but I don’t think “Turn Down for What” resulted in much positive social change. “Well, maybe the system should reward content that is creative, challenging, and conscientious instead!” Ah, yes, I see what you mean. So, you want to change the system…

Pass the mic, Camus, I’ve got a real knee-slapper for ya. Oh, right, guess I’ll just grab it myself.

These days, we’re faced with a new kind of absurdism, one which involves recognizing that societal systems are getting worse and need changing, while simultaneously recognizing that you are chained by said systems, and thus, powerless to change them.

This new absurdism describes the maddening exercise in doublethink where people wrestle with the knowledge that they should be Making The World A Better Place but also the knowledge that they cannot possibly live in a way that satisfies such capitalized phrases. The end result is a mental tearing fueled by impossible societal expectations and the inevitable guilt of failing to live up to them.

After a while, people stop fighting. They give up. They give in. When enough people throw in the towel, all that’s left is to hold on tight and enjoy the ride, e.g., the trajectory is set, all aboard, no, there aren’t enough seat belts for everyone, must have been one of those damn cost-saving initiatives.

“Yeah, that definitely sounds absurd. So… what do we do about it?”

Well, sometimes all you can do is laugh.

#poppy #me laughing

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usemeasabadexample · 6 years ago

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Bechloe Fic: The Kraken Has Been Unleashed

Chloe has a way with her. That’s for sure. And, as uncomfortable as it might make her to think about it in this very moment, Beca’s starting to wonder just what that really means.

Set at the beginning of Pitch Perfect 2. Kind of cannon, kind of...not cannon. Mostly fluff and fun and maybe some very MILD angst at best. Nothing too stressful. We've been through enough of that!

Read the rest on A03

Chapter 7

Beca isn’t sure why she doesn’t care for movies. Even when she was younger, she didn’t go crazy over certain Disney movies or characters like most other kids her age. She didn’t want princess themed birthday parties or loads of cartoon toys. None of those things seemed to hold her interest.

She may have had a brief obsession with a certain Disney princess but that’s beside the point. It’s an embarrassing memory that Beca would prefer never resurfaces.

She was into technology and libraries and music stores. Her parents bought her a computer when she was around ten and she’d play educational games for hours on end. Sometimes, her dad would even let her eat dinner at the computer so she didn’t have to press pause. He’d take her to the library and her favorite music shop every weekend to stock up on new books and CDs. Before he left. Dick.

She remembers creating “soundtracks” to her favorite books by putting together a list of songs that seemed to fit the story. Made mixed CDs full of tracks that blended together effortlessly.

She’d make CDs for her close friends and she even made one for her high school art teacher once. The woman was an actual hippie and when she caught Beca handing a CD over to a friend one day, instead of reprimanding them, which was definitely what Beca thought would happen, she asked for a copy instead. Beca shrugged and brought it in the next day.

She liked the art teacher. She even sort of liked art class itself. It was a chance to work independently and create something new.

She loves creating. Always has.

And really, maybe that’s where her dislike for movies comes from. Watching a movie requires you to be a spectator. To sit on the sidelines and watch someone else’s creation play out in front of you. You can’t change or manipulate a movie. You can’t bend it to your will and force a different outcome, and Beca prefers to be the one in control when it comes to creating. She doesn’t want to watch or listen to someone else’s tired old story playing over and over again. She wants to make something new and completely different.

It’s been that way for as long as she can remember and she doesn’t think that’s ever going to change.

That’s not to say that she can’t make a few exceptions here and there. Movies seem to have become almost an inevitable part of her life thanks to the Bellas. And, of course, Jesse. She’s okay with that. Learned to cope quite nicely she thinks. Even able to enjoy it at times.

Especially at times like this.

They’ve been watching the movie for almost an hour now but Beca hasn’t really been able to concentrate on the story playing out on the screen in front of her. Not that she needs to pay attention to understand the film. She’s seen this movie several times. Knows it well.

It’s the slowly evolving real life story that’s currently absorbing all of her attention. There’s something developing. Something changing. Whether she wants to acknowledge it or not and usually, Beca’s inclined to ignore feelings that she doesn’t understand, just completely toss them aside and never revisit them, but this is different.

This is Chloe .

Chloe. Who squeezes her hand every time one of Beca’s favorite parts comes up on the screen. Who giggles every time something even remotely funny happens even though she’s probably seen this movie a hundred times. Who quotes her favorite parts and looks over at Beca expecting her to do the same. And if it were anyone else, Beca would probably be so annoyed that she’d storm out and refuse to watch another movie ever again.

But this is Chloe.

Instead of being irritated, Beca finds it endearing. Charming even. And it makes her wonder. How and when did Chloe captivate her so completely? What sets this woman apart from everyone else? Why is everything so different when it comes to her best friend?

“Bec.” She breaks from her reverie and turns to look at Chloe, who is grinning so wide Beca thinks she might be blinded pretty soon. She gets lost staring at Chloe’s sparkling white teeth and it must take her too long to snap out of it because it isn’t until the redhead nods toward the television that Beca looks back in the same direction, noticing that her favorite scene is about to play out.

On screen, the bus driver picks up a handful of dirt and throws it into the team chaperone’s face. It makes Beca laugh out loud, almost hysterically.

She hears Chloe laughing beside her. Feels the redhead’s hand squeeze her own a little tighter. It makes her arm tingle all the way up to her shoulder and she looks back over at Chloe, instantly drawn in yet again by a perfect smile.

Chloe giggles. “Why is that your favorite part?”

“Dude. He just like, randomly picks up a handful of dirt and throws it in this woman’s face.” She's still laughing. “It’s hilarious.”

“It’s awful!” Chloe laughs too despite her claim and brings their joined hands into her lap.

Beca feels the smooth, warm skin of Chloe's bare thigh glide against the back of her hand as the redhead pulls her closer, and she has to stop herself from making any type of audible sound as the wind rushes out of her lungs and her heartbeat picks up speed.

It’s not like she hasn’t had her hands on Chloe before. She obviously has. In a variety of places as a matter-of-fact. But bare skin...that’s a new addition. One that Beca isn’t sure they should be adding to the equation because it gives her that shaky, overwhelming feeling. The feeling you get when you touch someone new for the first time. Her stomach twists and her skin tingles and she feels like she can’t breathe properly.

“You okay?” Chloe sounds so innocent.

“What?” Beca blinks rapidly as she looks away from their hands. “Oh yeah. I’m totally...yeah, I’m good.”

“Are you sure? Your face looks red.” Chloe reaches out with her free hand and presses it to Beca’s cheek. “Are you feeling sick?”

The movement forces Chloe closer and she takes a deep breath because jesus christ . This is sensory overload. “No I’m. I’m fine. I promise.”

“If you say so.” Chloe shrugs and pats her cheek a few times before retracting her hand. It’s a little harder than Beca thinks is absolutely necessary but she knows it’s playful.

She leans away and gives a warning look. “Was the slapping really necessary?”

Chloe shrugs. “Love taps.”

“Gross.” She’s surprised she's able to get the word out because hearing Chloe mention the word love in relation to her...it's a little overwhelming at the moment. And it's weird because Chloe’s always making declarations of love. She loves the Bellas and bonding nights and those sad animal commercials that devastate most people - because Beca, those poor animals were saved!- She loves college and singing and her family and pushing boundaries. Usually physical ones. She loves smiling and laughing and dancing and good lord . Chloe loves a lot of things but Beca knows it's all genuine because Chloe doesn't take love lightly. If she says she loves something, she means it. So it's not unusual to hear Chloe mention love, what is unusual is the way it's making her feel.

She turns back to the movie but she isn't really paying attention. Can't. Because Chloe's attention remains focused on her and it feels like the redhead's stare is burning a hole through the side of her head, “You're missing the movie you insisted we watch.”

Chloe ignores her. “Didn't you ever have a favorite movie?”

“Nope.” Beca still doesn't turn her attention away from the television.

Chloe scoffs doubtfully. “You're lying.”

Beca whips her head to the side. Eyes lasered in on light blue ones. “Um, what?”

She knows that Chloe can be a bit of a spitfire at times but it's still always a little shocking when it happens. She's not sure why though because Chloe has never really been afraid to call her on her shit.

The redhead turns to face Beca, criss-crossing her legs so that one knee is pushing into the back of the sofa and the other is almost hanging off the edge. “I think I know you well enough to know when you're fibbing.”

“Fibbing? Who says that?” Beca turns too, bending her leg so that she can face her best friend more easily and her knee lands in Chloe's lap.

Their bare legs touch for the first time ever and Beca can't believe this hasn't happened before because hello , this is Chloe. The woman is all hands and legs and has no qualms about using said appendages to latch onto her at anytime. So it's odd, that they haven't touched this way before. She knows she’d remember if they had because the way it's making her feel is…well, she'd remember, okay?

“Don't change the subject. Answer the question.”

“What question?” She plays dumb.

“Beca.” Chloe narrows her eyes.

“Alright.” She rubs a knuckle over the tip of her nose. “I didn't really have a favorite movie but…”

Chloe looks like she's on the verge of bursting her eyes are so wide. Beca wants to laugh but then she remembers that she's about to divulge this embarrassing information. She makes a whining sound and leans her head back onto the sofa.

“It cannot be that bad.” Chloe bounces up and down a few times. “Tell me!”

“Fine. I...oh my god…okay.” Beca closes her eyes and blows out a breath. “I liked the Little Mermaid.” The last part of her sentence is mumbled quietly enough that she thinks - hopes - that maybe Chloe couldn’t understand her.

There's a lack in response which is both a relief and cause for alarm. Because maybe Chloe didn’t actually hear this mortifying fact and Beca can just deflect and move on. Pretend like she never said anything. Or...maybe Chloe did hear her and is just waiting for Beca to look up again so that the teasing can commence.

She winces and squints up at Chloe. Like she’s afraid of what’s waiting for her. “Okay. Hit me with it Beale.”

“What?” She feels Chloe flip their adjoined hands so that Beca’s is on top now and the redhead’s free hand moves to rest atop them both, effectively trapping Beca’s hand between both of her own. “Beca.”

Hearing the gentle way Chloe says her name prompts her to fully open her eyes again and the sight that greets her becomes overwhelming very quickly. Chloe is looking at her like she’s an undernourished stray puppy and Beca doesn’t know what to say because she was pretty sure Chloe was just going to tease her about liking some damn cartoon mermaid. She’d die of embarrassment and they’d move on.

She should have known better though. This is Chloe afterall.

“Yes?” Beca grins all teeth and awkwardness.

“I loved that movie too. I still do.” Chloe’s smile is gentle. Comforting.

Beca can’t help but return it. “Yeah?”

Chloe nods eagerly. “Oh yeah. Ariel was totes willing to do whatever it took to be free. To live a life that made her happy. She didn’t need anyone’s approval.”

Chloe never ceases to amaze her. “Wow. That’s...yeah. I didn’t think about it that way.”

“And in the end, she won. Her father even willingly changed her into a human so she could be with the prince. Although,” Chloe pauses and tilts her head to the side like she’s seriously thinking about this, “I like to think it was Ariel’s dream to be human long before she saw the prince. Like, it wasn’t just for him, you know?” And the thing is, Beca knows Chloe is serious about this. She can tell by the way the redhead is looking at her expectantly. Like, do you understand what I mean?

And yeah, she does understand, actually. She knows what Chloe means.

She also knows that there is absolutely no one else on this planet that she could have this conversation with. No one else in the world that would draw such heartfelt meaning from such a silly Disney movie. If she had mentioned liking some animated mermaid movie to literally anyone else in the world, it would have ended with an attack of teasing so severe that she never would have heard the end of it.

But this is Chloe.

“Yeah, no. That’s really nice Chlo. Maybe that’s why I liked the movie so much.” Beca laughs, it’s a little dejected though. “Your version sounds...very relatable.” Chloe must understand what Beca is getting at because she smiles gently and nods knowingly.

They’ve had this conversation before. About Beca’s history with her family. With her father. The ups and downs they went through to get where they are today.

The two hands surrounding her own squeeze tightly and Chloe looks at her with so much sincerity that Beca can barely stand to look back. She shifts her eyes around and hopes Chloe doesn’t pick up on her nervousness because it feels unnecessary but she can’t help it.

Chloe can be so overwhelming sometimes.

Not in a bad way, of course.

She clears her throat and tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear, hoping the break in their gaze will be enough to help her compose herself.

It isn't so she tries a change in tactic. Tries steering the conversation to a more playful place. “You know...I actually always thought Ursula was kind of awesome. She was also very relatable to me as a child.”

Chloe looks at her disapprovingly but she can't hold onto it for long because her smile is almost immediately breaking through. “Is that right?” She sounds like she's not totally convinced but she's playing along.

“Oh yeah. You know I've basically like, been a badass since I was born so, totally relatable. We’re pretty much like, one in the same.” Chloe laughs like it's the silliest thing she's ever heard and Beca briefly pretends to be offended because what the hell? She's totally badass. “Well,” she shrugs, pointing her nose to the ceiling, “it's true.”

“Mhmm.” Chloe is still giggling but it slowly subsides. She leans in closer and her look changes from playful to predatory in the blink of an eye.

Beca has to fight the instinct to back up because she doesn't mind being close to Chloe but look the older girl is leveling her with is a bit intimidating. Unnerving.

Something !

“Are you sure it has nothing to do with the fact that Ariel is a redhead?” Chloe is almost whispering into her ear at this point and Beca has to consciously remind herself to breath normally. “Because I think,” she squirms as Chloe's breath actually reaches her ear now, “you might have a thing for redheads.”

Beca swallows audibly and Chloe rests her chin on the brunette's shoulder. It doesn't seem like she's going to move away any time soon so Beca figures she better get her shit together.

And soon.

She doesn't know what will happen if she doesn't.

She turns her head slightly, their noses almost touching. “Hm...good point.” She nods, pretending to be in deep thought. “Maybe so.” She finishes with a wink and nod of her head. Chloe's laughter fills the room, effectively breaking the tension and Beca laughs with her. “You're insane.”

“Yeah.” Chloe nods. “Maybe so.” She throws in her own wink, mimicking Beca's previous reply.

Beca shakes her head and throws in an eye roll for good measure as Chloe wraps both of her arms around one of Beca's and cuddles back in.

They settle down and Beca yawns and rests her head back against the sofa again.

“Sleepy?”

“Yeah.” She yawns again. “You're exhausting.” It earns her a punch to the shoulder and she laughs lethargically.

“Wanna take a nap?” Chloe sounds sleepy too.

“Do you really even have to ask?” Beca leans her head to the side to look at Chloe but the redhead is already scrambling to grab a blanket and Beca lets her body fall to the side without Chloe's there to support her. She tucks her hands under one of the huge throw pillows and lies down, settling comfortably against the back of the sofa.

The cushions dip and suddenly Chloe is scooting in next to her before she can move or react to this new development. “What are you doing?” Her eyes are wide and she feels like all the oxygen has left the room.

“Napping.” Chloe deadpans like she's stating the obvious and Beca guesses that was well deserved because duh .

She does feel like her surprise is warranted though. It’s not like they do this on the regular.

“Right.” Rationally, she knows this shouldn’t be a big deal. They’ve had plenty of sleepovers. But they’re usually in separate beds in some hotel room. Or in some communal room with the rest of the Bellas wreaking havoc somewhere. Places with plenty of space. And yes, they sometimes share a blanket on movie night and yes, she’s slept under the same blankets as Chloe in the redhead’s bed before but it’s a queen-sized bed so there’s never been any reason for them to be pressed up against one another.

This is different.

This is a confined space under the same blanket and Chloe is wearing those tiny shorts and she smells really fucking good and what the fuck ?

Her thoughts are rapidly escalating but Chloe seems unphased, like this is the norm, and she scoots into the sliver of space next to Beca, covering them both with the oversized quilt Stacie was given by some random man at a craft show.

Which sounds really odd but that’s a thought for another day because Chloe’s head lands on the pillow next to hers and Beca has to fight the urge to press herself back into the sofa to put a bit of distance between them. She doesn’t want to make Chloe feel weird or uncomfortable by moving away because honestly, Beca doesn’t feel either of those things herself.

She does feel a little lightheaded. A little like her stomach has skyrocketed into her throat. It's the same feeling you get after the first drop of some crazy roller coaster ride.

It's exhilarating but also a little nauseating and a little scary at the same time.

A gentle touch lands on her shoulder, stopping all thoughts of amusement park rides and she looks over at her best friend. Chloe doesn't looked alarmed at all. She looks content and it makes something inside of Beca click into place.

Settles her and winds her up all at once.

“Sleep tight.” Chloe mumbles and closes her eyes. Her hand doesn't leave Beca's shoulder and she takes a deep breath to steady herself.

“You too, Chlo.”

The last thing she remembers before falling asleep is Chloe's hand slipping to the curve of her neck. It makes her smile and she dozes off feeling more content than she can ever remember.

-----

“I’m coming, I'm coming! Keep your pants on!” Stacie mumbles. Completely uninterested as she ambles to the front door.

Someone has been knocking incessantly for the last five minutes and no one has answered, forcing her to stop her manicure mid-file to tend to the situation herself.

Although, Cynthia Rose isn't very far behind. “Did you just tell someone to keep their pants on? Damn girl.”

“Uhh you're right. Why did I say that? No need to keep your pants--” she stops when the door opens and she sees who's on the other side. “--Jesse. Hey.” Stacie leans against the door as he steps into the entryway.

“Hi Stacie.” He quickly bounces his head up and down as he greets her. It's a gesture equivalent to that of someone tipping his hat.

If he were wearing one.

“Sup?” Cynthia Rose pops out from behind Stacie.

“Oh. Hey. Didn't know you were back there.” Jesse pauses and Stacie takes the opportunity to rib her fellow Bella.

“Yeah she's always hiding. Behind doors. In closets...”

“Bitch.” Cynthia Rose shoulder bumps the brunette before stomping back upstairs.

Jesse quirks an eyebrow and points up to where Cynthia stormed off but Stacie just waves him off. “She's fine. What's up lover boy?”

He shakes his head to clear it. “Is Beca around? I keep texting but I can't get a response. I haven't talked to her since last night. I just want to make sure she's okay.”

Stacie nods towards the living room and shuts the door, following Jesse to where she knows her co-captains were lounging earlier.

They stop in the doorway, looking in to where Beca and Chloe are napping on the sofa. Chloe's hand is still resting on Beca’s neck and Stacie rolls her eyes. “They've been there all day. Good luck!” She blows an air kiss as she departs for the stairs.

“Thanks.” He briefly considers waking Beca but quickly decides against it. He would prefer to survive the day. The thought makes him laugh to himself and he shakes his head as he leaves the room to head back to the Treble’s house.

He’ll see Beca tomorrow. After all, they've got all the time in the world.

#bechloe #bechloe fanfiction #bechloe fanfic #pitch perfect #pitch perfect fanfiction #beca mitchell #chloe beale #the kraken has been unleashed #pitch perfect 2

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it-refused · 7 years ago

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@happyanon-spreadlovenothate said to it-refused:

For the requests, how about Sans and Grillby curled up together after a particularly long day swapping puns and stories and just reminiscing in general. Just talking and enjoying each others company as the stories fade into comfortable silence as they drift off to sleep.

This didn’t end up exactly what you asked for, but I hope you like it!

"A game show?" Grillby's voice dripped with scorn.

"no, trust me," Sans said. "it's hilarious."

The two of them were stretched out on their bed. Sans normally didn't care what was on, but he had snatched the remote before Grillby could get to it, that night.

"Human trivia." Grillby sighed. He wasn't going to have any idea what was going on. Sans probably just thought the host had weird shoes.

"yup." He yawned.

Grillby decided to let it go and just take the remote once Sans fell asleep.

"see, the-" Sans started to gesture at the screen, but the remote dropped out of his hand and landed on his leg. He gave the remote an irritated look and held up his hand. "knock it off."

"Still bothering you?"

"eh. it doesn't hurt at least."

Papyrus' children loved Halloween, and had come up with an elaborate group costume idea for the two of them, a couple of their little friends, and Papyrus. Sans' brother had done most of the legwork: running to stores to pick up materials, figuring out what parts they couldn't find already made in stores, running to even more stores for cloth, and so on. Grillby did not envy him.

Soozen's job had been to carefully cut out the pieces of the patterns. She had gotten a kick out of it for quite a while, pretending the cloth was a dire enemy in some imaginary war she was waging. Papyrus took over after she got bored. Angel's job was to get everyone snacks when they were working, and they also helped make sure Papyrus bought the right colors when they were at the craft store getting cloth.

Sans had done all of the sewing. He had said it was "no big deal" at the time, but the next day he woke up and his hands wouldn't close properly. It was working itself out, but every now and then something would fall and Grillby would be reminded that it must still be bothering him.

"...I hear that Angel learned a new word," Grillby said.

Sans snorted. "yeah. bro had a lot to say about that."

Angel couldn't pronounce the word Sans had accidentally said in front of them perfectly, but it was just close enough that everyone who heard the small slime child had a pretty good idea what they were trying to say.

Grillby laughed.

"no, no, save that for the show," Sans said.

"Fine." He watched for a minute, but didn't get what Sans thought was funny. Sans kept chuckling to himself and then not bothering to explain what he was laughing at.

Grillby gave up and took Sans' hand, to distract himself. Sans glanced over, but didn't seem bothered when Grillby gently rubbed heat down his fingers.

"thanks, but you have to pay attention. this is the best part," Sans said, gesturing at the screen with his other hand.

He watched, silent. He knew the moment when the 'best part' happened, because Sans started laughing so hard there were tears in his eye sockets. "Is this taped?" he asked.

"what? nope. just psychic for gameshows."

"We should be millionaires."

"only on tv, though. if i ever went into a studio, it'd be gone." Sans' hand twitched and Grillby started to let go, but Sans picked up the remote with his free hand and didn't try to pull away. He rewound the gameshow back to before the best part.

"Are you going to explain it, this time?"

"eh, that'd ruin it," Sans said.

Grillby kissed Sans' palm.

"starting to think you aren't really into the show."

"I'm stealing the remote when you fall asleep."

"look, you're gambling here. for all you know, i'm staying awake forever. i've spent the last few years..." Sans considered, "...couple decades sleeping, just so i'd hit the point where i didn't have to anymore. and that starts right now."

"I give you five minutes." Grillby cheated a tiny bit, upping the temperature in the room a few degrees.

Sans laughed. "where's the trust? i give you my hand, and you call me a liar?"

"You can have it back." He pressed heat into Sans' wrist, where he knew it ached sometimes.

"nah. keep it." He closed his eyes. "that feels kinda nice."

"Give me your other hand."

Sans rolled onto his side. "i guess i'll 'hand' it over."

"Shhhh." Sans' hand was cold and solid, intricate in shape compared to his own. This wasn't the first time Sans had trouble moving it. Did that have something to do with him getting older? Grillby didn't know enough about skeletons to guess.

"you're pretty 'handy' at that."

"...didn't you have a show you were watching?"

"i got a lotta shows i'll be watching all the way through now that i'm done with naps." He yawned.

"We'll marathon something." Grillby had always wanted to watch all the Fast and the Furious movies with Sans, without him sleeping through them.

"sounds good. you can pick, since i picked this one." His eye sockets were completely closed. Grillby moved closer so that Sans' skull was pressing against his chest. "done with the hand massage thing?" Sans mumbled.

"Good night."

"who's sleeping?" A minute later, he was snoring.

Grillby reached over him and took the remote.

#sansby #my fic #fanfic #prompts #happyanon-spreadlovenothate

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evilelitest2 · 8 years ago

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100 Days of Trump Day 47: The Jimquisition

Welcome back to 100 Days of Trump, where I try to use 100 works to understand WTF happened in 2016. And at first glance a lot of you are going to be confused by my choice, cause i’m recommending a video game channel that talks primarily about video games....how does that relate to Trump? Well I’ve always said that the way to understand Trump is to look at the gaming industry, because a lot of what happens there applies to the larger political world, specifically in regards to corporations. We live in a corporate dominated world, they wield a tremendous amount of influence over every aspect of our lives and there isn’t really a clear guideline to how to respond to it. Everywhere we look we see corporate narratives justifying or advocating its own interests, and far more than governments, these massive private organizations can seem really hard to understand, after all we mostly relate too them in term of products, so how can we get into their head space, particularly when they are so involved in politics so their head space is vitally important to us.

Enter Jim Sterling or Jim Fucking Sterling Son to his friends, a neurotic, egotistical, kitch addicted video game vlogger with terrible taste in games. Let me make something clear first, I think Jim Sterling is a really shitty Game reviewer, generally speaking if he likes a game, there is a 50% chance it will be awful, and he is the most tacky human being on the planet. He also insists on filling his reviews with a bunch of nonsense stories and narratives in his videos (generally speaking if you want to avoid them skip until the gaming footage begins). He is also an absolute goddamn genius when it comes to the economic side of gaming and how to get properly respond in a corporate world. See, gaming as an industry is like a microcosm for America, the massive publishers corporations wield almost all of the power, the insider information about games is strictly guarded, the news organization around games are almost entirely subordinate to publishers, and the gaming community as a whole is constantly being shamed for having any degree of consumer advocacy. A sensation that most gamers have and I imagine this applies to most of us, is this sense of niggling guilt for not wanting to give extra money to a company because you happen to like the product they provide. That is where Jim Sterling comes in

Basically his show just looks at various business practices done by companies and calls them out on being greedy bastards who treat the consumers like cattle. And if the show was just that, it would in my view be enough because we need more people coming to say that consumers have a right to be protected, but it gets more interesting. Because over time, Jim kinda comes to understand the companies psychology, he is like a corporation whisperer. And (stop me if this sounds familiar) he also keeps running into issues with gamers furious at the way they are treating, but so utterly docicle to the corporate gaming machine that they can’t bring themselves to condem the companies, finding excuses for every example of bad behavior, usually directed at feminists or minorities as a scapegoat. Because its much easier to attack women for the problems in gaming, they can’t fight back as well as EA or Activation could. Sort of like how...working class whites are blaming refugees rather than the wealthy for their worsening economic conditions? I’ve said it before, understanding Gamergate is necessary for understanding Trump, and Gamergate is only possible in the toxic corporate atmosphere that was already part of gaming. There is an old joke about Gamers being pissed off all the time but a large part of that is that they are constantly under attack in their own hobby by the people make it, but because you know.....Nerd culture, they take that misdirected rage and turn it on much weaker targets, rather than target the people actually responsible, because fan loyalty is breed into these people.

Now i know what a lot of you are thinking “EE, this guy is a buffoon, he is a clown, why should I take anything he says seriously”? Well ladies and gentlemen, let me present his most brilliant contribution to our world, the copyright deadlock, which anybody who was worked with youtube should understand the genius of this.

youtube

Now this Jim updates once a week and there are hundreds of episodes, and since tumblr only allows me to embed 5 videos cause bullshit, so I am going to just show off five videos that highlight some of the topics he talks about which apply to the America that made Trump possibly

Number One:Corporate Apologists

Let me give an example, we have all heard corporate stooges go “Oh well companies exist to make money” as a way to excuse shitty behavior, here is an excellent rebuttal that works both in the gaming world and outside. Skip to 0:46 to get the actual content, it starts with an inside joke about pooping.

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Number Two: Sexism in the Games industry

If you are remotely aware of the discourse towards feminism on the internet particularly in regards to media, you must have heard the old refrain about how “Well men in media are all musclebound and shit, so why do women bitch when they are all in skimpy outfits?” Well here is one of the best response videos explaining the difference

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Follow up videos

How Gamers don’t understand that you can like something and still recognize problematic elements.

Gamers really think if you say something is sexist, that means you are going to take their game away and how totally anise that attitude is. That inability to think complexity, that inability to say “Wow, I really like The Wire but it doesn’t treat its female characters all that well” is a huge problem here, because they take any criticism as invalidating the whole game.

How having a discussion about diversity in Games isn’t the end of the world

A huge part of the reactionary movement currently gripping the country is the sense that we shouldn’t be even talking about sexism, racism, homophobia, classism, xenophobia, and ablism (which I put last because nobody wants to have a discussion about that), that even acknowledging the discussion is admitting a defeat to them, because its like what was discussed in the Angry Jack Videos, it is psychologically important to them that their isn’t a problem, otherwise they have to admit to being complicit at least in their minds.

Why corporation’s own self fulfilling prophesies lead to less female characters

You’ve likely heard the claim that female protagonists make less money than male ones so we can’t blame companies for not including them, but if you take a closer look, that just isn’t true. When ever video game designers try to make a female protagonists, they are just told “you can’t have a female protagonist” but there isn’t any actual data to support this choice, everybody just believes it blindly. Bioshock Infinite is pretty sexist and shit though

The bizarre “Fake Nerd Girl” myth and how self serving it is

Jim Sterling assumes for the sake of argument that Fake Nerd Girls actually exists, and then asks “So what?”

The fanbase’s weird response to the inclusion of GSM relationships

Jim is either Bi or Pansexual and he talks about how when any GSM relationship is included into a game there is some segment of the fanbase who freak the fuck out...over an optional bit of content they don't have to play that doesn’t effect them. This should sound familiar.

The total insanity of Gamer’s response to Anita Sarkeesian

Just his take on the whole affair and how completely over the top the response to Anita is, particularly how any legitimate criticism you might have of her is drowned out among all the insanity and rape threats.

Why the Default Straight Male Protagonist is easily avoidable

Diversity isn’t just nice, it is also actually good for the industry as a whole.

How companies will excuse lack of female protagonists in Bullshit Ways

When ever companies say “We can’t include women in our games cause money” it is lying. Follow up here

Manufactured Controversies

This should sound familiar to all of us by now.

Number 3: Liking the Product, Hating the Company

Link here

There is a problem in gaming, and otherwise where you really like a product provided by a company (Games, movies, food etc), but hate other things about the company, and you are constantly being told that if you condemn the companice’s practices, you are also hurting the thing you love. In particular, the notion of people Whining or are entitled for wanting some basic respect should sound very familiar to people.

Follow Up Videos

How Publishers really do put their interest before that of the players

This episode is interesting because Gamergate totally co-opted his rhetoric here and aimed it at...feminists of all people

How because of the corporate structure itself means even good ideas will be ruined

Jim Sterling liked the notion of DLC and Free to Play as a new business model, but because of the entire way corporations work, the whole idea is destroyed.

Why a blindly pro corporate policy actually hurts the market as a whole

I find it hilarious how so called capitalists get behind monopolies, aka the very thing capitalism was invented to oppose.

If you care about the the medium, you should be mad at the companies

Number 4: Why corporations aren’t actually all that bright.

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We like to imagine corporations as these brilliant evil geniuses, but they are in fact mostly just incompetent, not so much captains of industry, but instead utter morons. And their desire to make all of their products as safe as possible isn’t just horrible for the consumer, its bad for us as well.

Why Polls aren’t absolute

This also applies to Hillary Clinton, polls aren’t objective fact.

The Games Industry love of Secrecy backfires on it

Even if something isn’t racist, the game’s industry reluctance to give out information makes it perfectly reasonable for people to assume so.

Market Stagnation is the inevitable result of corporation leadership structure

Number 5: Don’t fall for their Tricks

Same behavior, different label.

A company will often realize that people are angry at something so just rename it but keep it the same

Never believe a companies apology Part 1 and Part 2

Companies lose nothing by an apology, if they don’t change their behavior don’t give it any value (also applies to politicians)

Companies don’t understand how Prices work

Companies are so greedy and cowardly, they actually screw themselves over.

Hype Culture is inevitably bad

Hype Culture always backfires because when you build up the hype, people get disappointed, but of course it also makes money, so companies try to direct that rage at an easier target.

Also I want to leave on a last note here, because Jim Sterling actually does talk about corruption in Games Journalism....and isn’t a sexist. If Gamergate was actually about journalism, then Sterling would be leading the charge, not dismissing it Part 1 Part 2

Basically what i’m saying here is, Jim Sterling 2020

Finally I will leave you on this, how you should get angry at a company and how you shouldn’t. So much of the Trump/Brexit movement was people legitimately pissed off at something aiming it at people who weren’t responsible.

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#100 Days of Trump #jimquisition #jim sterling #jim fucking sterling son #EA #Video Games #Customer advocate #activision #electronics arts #ubisoft #Thank god for me #Gamergate #DRM #Always online #Day one DLC #microtransactions

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