#these two love triangles are the EPITOME of he is literally just some guy!

[emily-prentits]

the fact that the cristina/owen/teddy love triangle is the EXACTLY like the addison/derek/meredith love triangle is driving me insane. am i going to obsess over cristina and teddy now as well

[cousinmarcustalkswrestling]

The Best WWE Matches of 2020 - 24-21

Its the end of the year, so you already know it is. LIST TIME BAYBAY!!

Before I start though

*clears throat*

The Special Cousin Award for Cinematic Achievement goes to the Firefly Fun House Match from Wrestlemania 36

I had no idea what to expect from this "match" but what we got completely blew me away. Fiend took Cena through the history of his career using some brilliant set pieces and some of the most subtle storytelling the E has ever produced. From Cena's debut as a robotic babyface to being pushed as the new Hogan to the much demanded heel turn to his star power derailing the progression of the new generation. I don't think I've seen anything so layered and so self-aware from this company. Plus we got this all-time great moment.

24

Becky Lynch vs Asuka - Raw Women’s Title - February 10 Raw

I think I might like Asuka’s chemistry with Becky the most out of the all the Horsewomen. She’s had bangers with Bayley and Sasha, but I like their combination of smooth countering and scrappy brawling. It’s a TV match so it’s starts very mundanely, but they ratchet up the aggression down the stretch. Asuka halts a big Becky run with a knee lift and a codebreaker, but Becky comes back with the disarmher on the apron and a reverse DDT on the apron. There’s a great moment where Becky has to sloooowly lift Asuka up to powerbomb her way out of a Triangle choke. I love how much the crowd is into the match and their investment really boosted that spot. They have a really fun counter sequence where Becky escapes the Asukalock and Becky hits a Rock Bottom out of nowhere for the sudden win. Great natural chemistry between these two that makes Becky handing the Raw title to Asuka that much more cooler.

23

Daniel Bryan vs Drew Gulak - Intercontinental Title Tournament First Round Match - May 15 Smackdown

They had a really good match at Elimination Chamber where Bryan choked Gulak out and then kinda took him over his wing to keep him on his toes. Then Gulak was released and resigned in some weird contract renegotiation situation. Anyway, this match is the high level technical grappling you’d expect from these two. They kick it up a notch from their Chamber match by being more intense from the onset. Their exchanges are all chain wrestling sequences you’ve seen before, but done at a high level of execution and realism. They spend so much time on the mat that their high impact moments seem much more sudden and brutal. A Gulak body slam out of nowhere seems like the most impactful bodyslam since Mania 3 and Bryan kills Gulak with a snap German. Gulak gets Bryan in the Gu-Lock a few times, so Bryan catches him with dragon screws out of nowhere then grabs a leglock for a quick logical tapout win. Seemed like Gulak’s performances were gonna elevate him, but ya know.

22

Seth Rollins vs Rey Mysterio - Eye for an Eye Match - Extreme Rules

This match epitomizes the duality of wrestling as absolutely fucking ridiculous and a beautiful form of storytelling. The goal of the match is to literally remove the other guys fucking eye. I don’t know if theres been a corner cold enough to book yourself into but I’ll be damned if they didn’t find a way to do it. While the booking is ridiculous, Seth and Rey are so good that they play directly into it and have a great match. Rey has never been this intense in his life and they’re trying to kill each other. They bring out weapons and use them much differently than your typical hardcore match. They have screwdrivers and pliers and really grimy nasty stuff. With the intensity and in between those moments, we get the really cool pure wrestling sequences that you’d expect. Rey even gives Rollins the Stomp in a great moment. Of course, the ending is fucking stupid, but they maximized what they could do with the stipulation. Kudos to Seth and Rey is on whatever Mountain you want to put him on by far.

21

Drew McIntyre vs Randy Orton - Ambulance Match - WWE Title - Clash of Champions

Like a lot of things that happen with Randy Orton, this feud was built to slap and then it just kinda fizzled out. Their Summerslam match disappointed because it was your typical Orton match, but this was more of what I wanted from them. From the jump, it wrestled at more of an upbeat McIntyre pace rather than the slovenly Orton pace. Its well-paced and physical which is what I wanted from their matches. Orton actually gets the best of McIntyre throughout the match and has him in a few compromising positions, but one of the legends that he’s assaulted this year would come out of nowhere and save McIntyre. Orton is about to punt Drew, but Big Show comes out of nowhere and chokeslams him through the announce table. Christian pops up and beats his ass in catering and in the best moment, Shawn Michaels superkicks him off the ambulance. Drew Claymores Orton, punts him, then locks him in the ambulance for the win. This was a great brawl with a strong sense of finality, but ….well ya know.

[cheesymovie]

okay so I’m alone in my dorm @ uni and I’m bored as all hell & i’ve has a recent fascination w old movies??? & u reblog stuff about old movies all the time so I’m just wondering if u have any suggestions?? I wanna watch some good/fun ones but I have no idea how to find the ones that don’t suck!! always a sucker for the ones that have gay subtext but like. any suggestions at all would be so appreciated thank u queen

oooooh yes!!!!!!! you came to just the place! im just gonna list some of my faves, hang on cause this is gonna be a LONG one (im not sure what your cutoff for Old is so i just went with 1960)

silent:

wings: really well done visually, also features the first gay kiss in history (ofc the context is different, but it’s there!)

nosferatu: the legendary spongebob character’s origin story! the music is wonderful in this, it’s very Artsy, just one of the greatest horror movies ever (it’s a bit slow at times but most silent films are)

the cabinet of dr caligari: REALLY cool from an art perspective, the sets are incredible, i love german expressionism, another great one for when you’re in the mood to get Spooky

steamboat bill, jr: buster keaton is a legend for a reason, this is my personal favorite of his. theres also something very unique and charming about silent film slapstick that i just adore, and this is a wonderful showcase of it!

the gold rush: basically the same reasoning as above, but with charlie chaplin. also this movie has a lot of genuine emotion you dont often get from silent comedies!

sunrise: a song of two humans: a must-see for silent films, it has super intriguing visual effects that really give a dreamlike quality to it, as well as great acting for the limited medium

show people: a really sweet classic romance that also gives you a nice (if not totally accurate) taste of The Movie Biz @ the time

metropolis: one of the first sci fi movies ever. visually STUNNING like nothing ive ever seen, also a bit of a workers of the world unite moment

noir/drama/general Serious Stuff: 

the big sleep: SEXY! the plot is hard to follow but it’s worth it for the characters and also just all i can say is. hot - it’s about a murder or two!

the maltese falcon: actually makes sense and like. Says Stuff abt humanity. gripping plot and nuanced characters -about a bird statue and the knights templar also human nature but also who could forget a murder or two!

sunset boulevard: absolutely enthralling characters, script, plot, performances, all of it! - it’s about a murder!

rebel without a cause: HUGE gay subtext with this one, one of the original Teen Movies

kiss me deadly: interesting!!!!! i was intrigued from start to finish w this one and you probably will be too

strangers on a train: one o those Psychological Thrillers, interesting n well acted - it’s about The Concept of Murder

north by northwest: super fast paced spy action movie that also #makes you think

murder, my sweet: another classic phillip marlowe story with that fast talkin detective dialogue i love so much - it’s about a murder! (my sweet)

double indemnity: the height of Cynicism in noir, not even any detectives in this just bad deeds and Tension -it’s about a murder or two!

key largo: just a hotel full of intriguing characters all At Odds with each other and the concept of heroism

random harvest: kinda cheesy amnesia plot but comes across well with good acting and dialogue

the lady vanishes: about a lady. who vanishes. funny at times and has that Classic hitchcock tension before he really landed on his final style

casablanca: “here’s lookin at you kid” “i think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship” just. one of the most iconic movies of the whole Classic Era and for good reason!

to have and have not: basically casablanca BUT consider this- i love Them (them being humphrey bogart and lauren bacall)

comedy/romance/general Light Stuff:

the thin man series: one of my absolute all time favorites! it’s just a story about two rich people who only love each other and alcohol getting dragged into solving various mysteries. my favorite thing about this is how much you can tell they love each other, like they’ve been married for years and just banter back and forth in a way founded on mutual respect n adoration which is So refreshing to see in classic movies!

it happened one night: i ADORE this movie! it’s a classic road trip comedy with a ton of bizarre side characters and hijinks, and also basically Invented the rom com genre. they’re also genuinely in love in a very cute way! it’s just sweet and fun and one of my fav movies of all time

arsenic and old lace: a dark comedy about old lady serial killers, brothers who think theyre theodore roosevelt and frankenstein (respectively), and Love. it’s super bizarre but a real joy to watch!

it’s a wonderful life: makes me sob every single time and leaves ya with that fuzzy warm feeling inside (recommended for christmas/winter viewing)

duck soup: i mean it’s the most iconic marx brothers movie, what more can i say!

bringing up baby: just a real wacky romp where it’s the lady and the tiger, with a whole lot of silly comedy

my man godfrey: makes fun of rich people n has a big loud ensemble cast (also romance)

the shop around the corner: they fall in love through letters but hate each other in real life! :0! bonus points for jimmy stewart’s voice

abbott and costello meet frankenstein: the title says it all. completely joyfully stupid movies like these are a big reason why i love old movies!

roman holiday: audrey hepburn’s debut movie. really sweet, has an ending that makes me cry

death takes a holiday: super interesting experimental concept not seen often in this era - Death literally takes a holiday and has to deal w life n love n all that

sabrina: a very nice and well acted little romance/cinderalla story w sprinkle of comedy

the philadelphia story: another Classique rom com with a love triangle n some nice fast-paced witty dialogue

musicals:

singin in the rain: one of the first classic movies i ever remember loving. every second of it is just. ah chef kiss

guys and dolls: very fun!!! just emblematic of good ol showtunesy musicals as a whole 

top hat: fred astaire and ginger rogers!! need i say more?

on the town: really fun music n choreography, generally engaging to watch

cabin in the sky: an all black cast with a ton of great songs n talent! 

the great ziegfeld: a really lovely period piece about 20s live shows with stunning costumes/choreography

gentlemen prefer blondes: it’s classic baby!

meet me in st louis: very sweet very fun lots to love

an american in paris: kinda ran out of juice near the end here and realized Musicals is the Same. anyways watch it gene kelly is charming and can click his heels together 

horror/sci fi

dracula: sexy. iconic. what more do you need

frankenstein: really has a Heart unlike a lot of these, also Iconic

bride of frankenstein: made me cry! see above but like, More

just realized im listing all the universal monster movies, so just, watch Any of those for a good and cheesy classic horror time

the day the earth stood still: a real cold war era movie about aliens and morality

plan 9 from outer space: a HILARIOUS so-bad-it’s-good old sci fi movie, highly recommend 

them!: giant radiation ants babey! really good effects for the time n well done suspense

honorable mention: this is past the cut off date but watch santa claus conquers the martians oh my gosh it’s the epitome of old b list sci fi and it never fails to send me n pals into a regular Laugh Riot

[charminglatina]

Riverdale Characters as Tropes (Part I) ⭐️.

Here is a list of the most notable Riverdale characters and their tropes that best describe their character archetypes and personalities. I used tropes from TVTropes.org. Have fun reading!

#1. Archie Andrews (Main Trope: Big Man On Campus AKA BMOC; Secondary Tropes: Chick Magnet, Betty and Veronica, The Ace, Mr. Fanservice, The Hero, Lovable Jock, All-Loving Hero, Action Hero, Nice Guy, All Guys Want Cheerleaders)

Big Man On Campus (BMOC)

Guys want to be him, gals want to be with him. Maybe Even the Guys Want Him. The Big Man on Campus is the most popular guy in the High School. He is handsome, charming, a superb athlete and usually pretty smart and an A student. Unlike his peers Alpha Bitch (who is usually his girlfriend until he realizes how awful she is) and the Jerk Jock (usually his friend until he realizes how awful he is) the Big Man on Campus never bullies anyone: he rules through charisma and general awesomeness rather than fear and manipulation. But like the Lovable Jock (with whom he is often close, if not one and the same), woe to anyone who trifles with him. He'll probably grow up to become The Ace. Sometimes Truth in Television. The Big Man on Campus is very popular in Prep school fiction, as a well-read, handsome, athletic, affable, and articulate man is the epitome of prep. The High School Hustler is occasionally a Big Man, but more often lower on the totem pole. Generally this character is either the protagonist himself, or is the chief love interest in a story about a Cool Loser heroine. He rarely turns up if the story is about male outcasts (as the existence of a benign popular kid makes it harder to use jocks as villains) or about a popular girl (as those sort of stories usually give her an outsider love interest). The Big Man on Campus is Always Male. For a "popular but good hearted" High School female equivalent Spoiled Sweet is the trope of choice. Compare School Idol and Lovable Jock . For settings outside of High School, compare it to Magnetic Hero.

#2. Betty Cooper (Main Trope: Girl Next Door; Secondary Tropes: Tomboy With A Girly Streak, Ambiguous Disorder,  Amateur Sleuth, Beware The Nice Ones, Cute and Psycho, The Smart Girl, Tomboyish Ponytail, Wrench Wench)

Girl Next Door

A Girl Next Door is a character who, it is implied, an "ordinary guy" male protagonist might have known when growing up, and whom he might like without feeling intimidated. She may literally be from the same neighborhood as the hero, or she may just remind him of girls he knew back home. In simpler terms: the feminine equivalent of an "average Joe", in terms of looks and personality. An Average Josephine, if you will. They'll usually embody a "wholesome" sort of femininity, so they're rarely the promiscuous sort, though she might act as a foil to a woman who is. Since the trope is more about her personality, some can be considered knock-outs. In which case, they're likely the local beauty in the neighborhood, or a small town; especially if she's someone like the sassy, hot waitress from the local diner, or the Farmer's Daughter. Among their friends, they're easy to talk to and usually good listeners. But they also tend to be frank about how they see things and expect the same in return. In a Betty and Veronica duo, she's the "Betty". As such, her disposition ranges from even-tempered, to boisterous and, if she's a looker, she usually doesn't flaunt it. That isn't to say, she's incapable of passion; she's just unlikely to be extroverted about it. Girls of this nature will often appear in Harems, usually as the inevitably Unlucky Childhood Friend of the protagonist, or as said above, the "Betty" in a Love Triangle. In non-romantic stories, she'll either be best friends with one of the others, or she may be the Cool Big Sis. The Spear Counterpart, Boy Next Door, is the same, only—you know—male. Often overlaps with One of the Boys. Contrast with Hello, Nurse! and Peerless Love Interest. Also compare The All-American Boy, who might well be her High School Sweetheart.

#3. Veronica Lodge (Main Trope: Tsundere; Secondary Tropes: Lovable Alpha Bitch, Daddys Girl, Girly Girl,  The Beautiful Elite, Spirited Young Lady, Spoiled Sweet, Defrosting Ice Queen, Aloof Dark-Haired Girl, Mafia Princess, Uncle Pennybags, Antagonistic Offspring, The Fashionista, Fallen Princess, The Atoner)

Tsundere

The Japanese term tsundere refers to an outwardly violent character who "runs hot and cold", alternating between two distinct moods: tsuntsun (aloof or irritable) and deredere (lovestruck). The term was originally used to describe characters who began with a harsh outgoing personality, but slowly revealed a soft and vulnerable interior over time, which made this a plot trope as much as it is a character trope. Over the years the character archetype has become flanderized, and is now generically associated with a character who flips between the two emotional states at the slightest provocation, and usually at a specific person rather than a general sociability problem. The former is usually referred as Classic Tsundere and the latter as Modern Tsundere. A tsundere, especially a classic one, is usually a Tomboy with a Girly Streak. Tsunderes are mostly tomboys with hidden girly sides. The tsuntsun can range from the cold "silent treatment" to the hotheaded "kindergartener who pushes you into the sandbox." The reasons behind a Tsundere's behavior vary widely, but usually boil down to the conflict between their feelings of affection towards a love interest, and their reaction to having those feelings. The Tsundere stock characterization is very popular with writers of Romantic Comedy because the conflicts between the two personality facets can be easily utilized to generate both drama and comedy. It also acts as a source of Wish Fulfillment: specifically, the idea that every independent, hardened and just plain jerkish love interest (male or female) has a squishy emotional centre that will embrace you after you crack the outer shell.

Tsundere can be divided into two main categories, depending on their default mood:

Harsh (or Tsun): These Tsundere have tsuntsun as their default mood. It takes someone special to trigger their deredere side. The intensity of the tsuntsun can range from simple grumpy pessimism (Kagami of Lucky Star) to "I must glare and fight my way through life" (Louise of The Familiar of Zero). It's about which part of the tsundere personality is the public face and which the hidden. If the Tsundere is The Rival, she is more likely to be Harsh. Helping a rival out is usually accompanied by a line like "Don't get me wrong, I'm not doing this for you." Harsh types can overlap with a Jerk with a Heart of Gold, but usually not. The moods of a Tsundere tend to switch in reaction to the actions of select people or adverse scenarios; the deredere side usually only comes out when someone has acted in a way to trigger it. A Jerk with a Heart of Gold is jerkish in general regardless of whether the other person is mean or nice, and shows their Hidden Heart of Gold only when the situation warrants, regardless of how the other person had been acting. Male characters in particular should be considered for Jerk with a Heart of Gold status, as arguably because of Double Standards, men are generally that instead of tsundere, although the kuudere subtype is more equally split in gender. Oranyan is sometimes used to refer to a male tsundere character—incorrectly since it means the complete opposite.

Sweet (or Dere): These Tsundere have deredere as their default mood. They are sweet, kind and generous, but just happen to have a hidden violent side as well. Don't confuse the sweet tsundere with Bitch in Sheep's Clothing because in this case, they have a temper almost always triggered by someone or something else, usually a Love Interest. Either they have Belligerent Sexual Tension, are an Accidental Pervert, or just have no idea how to handle feelings of love and attraction. In some cases, an Armoured Closet Gay character may act like a Tsundere to mask their feelings for the object of their same-sex affection. May also overlap with Violently Protective Girlfriend if her Love Interest is threatened or in danger. Sweet types should not be confused with a Yandere. If a Sweet Tsundere were really convinced that their Love Interest didn't want them, they would revert back to the deredere side and probably enter an I Want My Beloved to Be Happy phase, while Yanderes are Not Good with Rejection at all and have been known to get downright murderous under such circumstances.

See also the Analysis page for more detailed information on common "strategies" employed by Tsunderecharacters, and other, related topics. This site has an explanation on the appeal of the Tsundere character. A common way of showing that a Tsundere has mellowed or has had her heart won over by the Love Interestis to have her shift from Harsh to Sweet. If her motivations are inquired, she will often engage in a Suspiciously Specific Denial, complete with a Luminescent Blush and total evasion of eye contact (cue the squeaks of Moe). When paired with a Jerk with a Heart of Gold, together they produce Belligerent Sexual Tension. If done poorly, the result is an Unintentionally Unsympathetic Jerk Sue. Compare with Well, Excuse Me, Princess!, Jerkass, and Jerk with a Heart of Gold. Contrast with Sour Outside, Sad Inside, which shares the spiky exterior but has depression and self-doubt rather than kindness hiding underneath. When Flanderized tends to overlap with Mood-Swinger. Also see Don't You Dare Pity Me! and Anger Born of Worry; both of them likely actions with this character type. Aloof Ally may show the same hot-and-cold behavior but for differing reasons. Shana Clone is a specific subtrope with a particular set of characteristics. Because of their low tolerance for stupidity, they are always Enraged by Idiocy. Please do not confuse this trope with a Mood-Swinger, who flips between all the emotional states (not just tsuntsun and deredere) and is more of an inherent mental problem encompassing more than just their romantic life. Also don't confuse with Playing Hard to Get, where a love interest deliberately chooses not to reciprocate her pursuer's interest until she's sure he's hooked. Psychologically, tsundere-like behavior could be an example of "splitting", a maladaptive coping mechanism wherein a person alternately idealizes and undervalues others, including potential romantic partners. This trope is Older Than Dirt, dating back to at least ancient Mesopotamia.

#4. Jughead Jones III (Main Trope: Jerk With A Heart Of Gold; Secondary Tropes: Big Eater, Beware The Quiet Ones, The Cynic, Byronic Hero, Deadpan Snarker, Good Is Not Nice, Good Is Not Soft, Cool Crown Hat, Loners Are Freaks, Wrong Side Of The Tracks, Lower Class Lout, Face Of A Thug)

Jerk With A Heart Of Gold (JWAHOG)

A person you would expect to be a big Jerkass has some redeeming qualities behind their tough demeanor. Occasionally, they'll try to make it a Hidden Heart of Gold. In a romance series, a female character filling this role is usually a Tsundere instead (occasionally she's both). A male version is usually Troubled, but Cute, and his heart of gold should never outweigh his inner jerk because All Girls Want Bad Boys, though it can if Single Woman Seeks Good Man. If his jerkishness threatens to overshadow his good qualities, he's likely to attract a Love Martyr. Sometimes Truth in Television, though you can expect Real Life examples of this to be far more subtle than fictional ones. Often this is Played for Laughs, but not always. They are just as common in drama, suspense, horror and other genres as they are in comedy. One reason for this is that they make an convenient Plot Device. After all, the supposed jerkass turning out to save the family from their real stalker, instead of being said stalker, can be a source of Heartwarming Moments when done right. If he's a manly-man who pursues an unexpectedly delicate hobby, it may be a case of Real Men Wear Pink. Audiences may also sympathize more with the JWAHOG if he's shown to frequently have a good reason to act angry or annoyed. Even the most patient of souls can only endure being the Only Sane Man when they're Surrounded by Idiots for so long, after all. One or two Pet the Dog moments scattered around for character depth does not grant a heart of gold. A true JWAHOG has many Pet the Dog moments. Or maybe those moments are rare, but powerful. Or maybe they skew more toward the "Jerk" part but start making a point of showing the "Heart of Gold" part following a Jerkass Realization. Either way, ultimately they manage to balance out the jerk in them. If it doesn't balance out, they're just a regular jerkass, or worse, a Jerk with a Heart of Jerk. Not to be confused with a certain jerk whose spaceship is named "The Heart of Gold." Even if he is an example. Or a group of people who helped defend the Heart of Gold, even though — again — they include at least two examples. Compare/contrast with Hidden Heart of Gold, Bitch in Sheep's Clothing, Noble Demon, Bruiser with a Soft Center, Hero with an F in Good, Innocently Insensitive, Aww, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other, and Sour Outside, Sad Inside. Sometimes subverted as Jerk with a Heart of Jerk. The Lovable Alpha Bitch is a frequent Distaff Counterpart of the frequently male Jerk with a Heart of Gold. Any Nice Guy have a complete heart of gold while the trope on this page tends to vary between this trope and the former troupe. The Lancer and Loveable Rogue are often, but not always, portrayed in this light. One half of the Belligerent Sexual Tension couple. Also compare Good Is Not Nice. Truth in Television: Most of the jerks you'll meet in your life will have some redeeming qualities to them. Few people are such jerks that they don't care about anyone, and cynical people tend to handle bad situations better, so having one as a friend can be useful when things go downhill.

#5. Cheryl Blossom (Main Trope: Alpha Bitch; Secondary Tropes: Academic Alpha Bitch, Rich Bitch, Spoiled Brat, The Cheerleader, Bratty Teenage Daughter, Clingy Jealous Girl, Lipstick Lesbian, Pet The Dog, Lady In Red)

Alpha Bitch

Take your typical setting involving teenagers—say, a High School—wait an establishing scene or two or three, and there she is. See that attractive blonde cheerleader looking down her nose (often literally) and sneering at the frumpy girl in glasses? That's her. Often times, she is the authority of the cheerleading squad and decides who's on and off the squad. After all, who needs a coach? The villainess of many a Teen Drama, the Alpha Bitch is the Distaff Counterpart to the Jerk Jock, and usually his girlfriend;note what he does with his fists, she does with a sharp tongue and sharper manipulation. She is often surrounded by a fawning Girl Posse who suck up to her and act as her faithful minions. She's very likely to be a Narcissist, a Drama Queen, a fashionista, a Valley Girl, a Bratty Teenage Daughter, a Daddy's Girl, an Attention Whore, and/or a Proud Beauty. She's also usually the scion of a wealthy and influential family, the star of the school or head sister of the influential college sorority house, thus providing her a network of local celebrity, influence and wealth to exploit. She's also quite the seductress, and consequently, all the boys fight amongst themselves—sometimes literally—to be her oppressed boyfriend. And to top it off, she's also very good-looking. All this leaves her with the belief that she can do whatever she likes without consequences. Unfortunately, she's often right; the Powers That Be are not immune to her family's wealth, connections, and influence, and they can and will be corrupted or coerced into overlooking her bad behavior. Her natural enemy is the Cool Loser heroine. Whenever their eternal, jealousy-fueled struggle over possessions, boyfriends, and status is sparked anew, quarter will neither be asked for nor given. Usually the Veronica in a Betty and Veronica situation, if she's even presented as a love interest at all. Frequently on the Snob end of Slobs vs. Snobs. It's a Costume Party, I Swear!, the Prank Date, and the Party Scheduling Gambit are just some of the many nasty tricks she plays. Often receives her comeuppance at the hands of a member of her own Girl Posse in a Backstabbing the Alpha Bitch moment, or when the Cool Loser fights back (sometimes with an Engineered Public Confession). Normally joined by a Beta Bitch who assists her in her various cruel deeds. If given some Character Development, she will become a Defrosting Ice Queen and grow into a Spoiled Sweet, or a Lovable Alpha Bitch. This trope is probably so common because everyone who wasn't homeschooled knew someone like this... or was one. It self-perpetuates because girls who want to be popular will copy what works on TV. They might even become the mask.

Most examples fall into one of two types:

Aggressive: Despite being a not-too-bright, outwardly rude, bullying, mean-spirited excuse for a human, she will somehow still be the most popular girl in school, making her a weird mix of Card-Carrying Villainand Villain with Good Publicity. She may be manipulative from time to time, but the way she acts, it's a wonder people fall for her tricks. Usually, she will have a 0% Approval Rating, but even that won't be enough to stop her. Done poorly, she can break the Willing Suspension of Disbelief, but done well she can be used to show how masochistic teenagers can be, out of a need for acceptance and attraction towards people they perceive as powerful. Unlikely to be a Fille Fatale, she's too outwardly mean for that. But who knows, if All Men Are Perverts, they might overlook her personality in favor of looks. Common in Kid Comsand shows with Black and White Morality because she's a rather unambiguous character. This does not mean she is necessarily a Flat Character. She may in fact be Sour Outside, Sad Inside. Compare The Bully and The Lad-ette.

Passive-Aggressive: A smarter, more adroit version of the first type, she is often adept at putting on a friendly facade, all the better for her to lull the unwary into letting their guard down. Though sometimes Book Dumb out of a lack of interest in academics, she is usually of about average or greater intelligence, because maintaining her status requires some level of cleverness. Her beta is usually a good-naturedDumb Blonde, Brainless Beauty, or Asian Airhead for contrast. Very often a Fille Fatale, or if she's older, a Femme Fatale. Often, even she is just as oblivious to her inner nature as everyone else is, and thinks of herself as much like the way she presents herself to others. A Heel Realization may cause her to change her ways. Or she might be knowingly and unrepentantly evil and just knows how to hide it from others.

If she's not the cheerleader type with the fake smile, but is the (usually) unglamorous girl who will fight to be the best in her class, she's the Academic Alpha Bitch. Though almost always a she, rare male Alpha Bitches (called Alpha Bastards) do exist, but they're just that — rare. They're distinct from the Jerk Jock in that they're mainly catty and manipulative, rather than physically threatening. Not to be confused with the Prison Alpha Bitch, found exclusively in women's jail, whose methods of bullying are much more brutal and whose goal isn't social status but outright dominance. The reason this character type is hated more than other Jerkass characters may have to do with her privelege and looks, see also Jerk Sue. Contrast Unpopular Popular Character.

#6. Kevin Keller (Main Trope: Gay Best Friend; Secondary Tropes: Camp Gay, Adorkable, All Gays Love Theater, All Gays Are Promiscuous, Gay Guy Seeks Popular Jock)

Gay Best Friend

The Gay Best Friend exists mostly to add variety, funny mannerisms and cheap laughs to an otherwise all-straight story and sometimes shows of political correctness. The GBF may talk about sex a lot, but is seldom depicted as having any, because too many viewers would find that disturbing. Either he has no love life to speak of (which never seems to bother him), or it's forever offscreen, only discussed with the heroine over brunch at some pretentious cafe. As modern society grows increasingly comfortable with gay people, fiction is slowly seeing more well-rounded gay supporting characters with onscreen love lives, whose sexuality is incidental to the character. In fiction the most common use of this trope is a male GBF to a straight female protagonist but other permutations are very slowly beginning to appear.

#7. Toni Topaz (Main Trope: Biker Babe; Secondary Tropes: Bi The Way, You Gotta Have Blue Hair, The Ladette, Butch Lesbian, But Not Too Black, Twofer Token Minority, Tank-Top Tomboy, One Of The Boys)

Biker Babe

Women who operate fast vehicles are apparently attractive. Maybe it's the Action Girl in the tight leather. Also includes car drivers and female pilots. Compare and contrast Hood-Ornament Hottie. The two are similar, but a Biker Babe actually rides the bike and often wears outfits which are a little more conducive to road safety. (Although the page image is an exception.) May deliver a "Samus Is a Girl" reveal, if she wears a full helmet and doesn't wear her leathers skintight. Essentially the Distaff Counterpart to Badass Biker, in that she won't be a pushover if things get messy, although she may be less aggressively badass than he is. Will likely induce a Hello, Nurse! effect on nearby males, and maybe some Stupid Sexy Flanders from a nearby female. See also Badass Driver. If you have a team composed entirely of Biker Babes, you get Amazon Brigade.

#8. Josie McCoy (Main Trope: Idol Singer; Secondary Tropes: The Prima Donna, Sassy Black Woman, Quirky Curls, Face Of The Band, Black Best Friend)

Idol Singer

A wildly popular trope in fiction about Japanese Pop Music is the "Idol Singer" — a teenage or early twenty-something (NEVER over 25) female performer, chosen for her cute and attractive image and sunny personality more than for her actual singing ability (though having actual talent underneath is not completely out of the rule). Idol Singers are recruited by multi-level audition processes, manufactured and managed by Japanese media companies, and ruthlessly discarded after a few years of cranking out formulaic hits. Over the past decade there has been a shift towards "mega-groups" that can have over one hundred members, with the lead spots on songs and choreography going to the most popular performers. Sometimes, Idol singers don't actually sing (like Milli Vanilli). Most are tightly controlled by their producers and expected to maintain a public image of purity and innocence: for example, their contracts may include an article of her not being allowed to engage in anyintimate activities. While this level of control has loosened somewhat with the growing impact of social media, which allows idols to interact with fans more casually, as well as a Japanese court decision that effectively rendered the "No Dating" clauses of Idol contracts unenforceable (it's still very in-force in Korea, however), the industry has been slow to overturn its most problematic and exploitative elements. Naturally, every Japanese schoolgirl dreams of becoming one. Those who used to be one are often Broken Birds. Thanks to the Disney Channel, American Idol, and The X Factor, this trope is also prevalent in the West, where it often overlaps with the Teen Idol. If she's a villain in a Superhero or Magic Idol Singer show, she's an Evil Diva.

Look for Part II!

[gingerwerk]

WIP Meme

Rules: List all the things you’re currently working on in as much or little detail as you’d like, then tag some friends to see what they’re working on.

This can be writing, art, vids, gifsets - anything at all!

I was tagged by the lovely @ackackh :) thanks my dude

(so like, i am actually not on my bullshit for once and i haven’t actually started cooking up some new au in like, a year or two at this point. im actually just going through my idea folder and finally flushing out ideas from years ago now so like. ive probably mentioned all of these aus at some point recently but i still love them all so whatever)

1. ‘lest we fall into the dark’ aka my flowers and tattoos au

my current wip (you can read the first 8 chapters rn on ao3)

a pacific sledgefu fic. I’ve talked about it plenty on here but basically tattoo parlor/flower shop au where bill and eugene run a quiet little flowershop and one day that quiet is shattered when a bunch of loud, crazy people (snafu, burgie, jay, and flo) move into the vacant shop next door and start up a tattoo parlor. the story also focuses heavily on mental illness and military themes and personal growth and found families. also there’s a bunch of cute burgie and flo being the perfect couple so check it out

you can follow my weird vague posts about it here

2. DILF au

modern au winnix fic

ive been trying to get this fic up and running for real for lit years now but the timings never been quite right, but hopefully one day soon it’ll happen (almost did this one for the bob big bang last year...)

so the story follows the courtship of dick, your regular guy in his midtwenties just trying to figure out life, and nix, a single dad disaster whose honestly trying his best to take care of his son after years of hardcore fucking up. also key players in this story are harry, dick’s best friend whose constantly pestering him about his love life in between panicking about his soon to be born child, kitty, harry’s wife and calm presence dick desperately needs in his life, nix’s ex kathy, who after years of dealing with nix’s fuck ups (understandably) isn’t too fond of the idea of nix spending tons of time with their son, and james, nix’s little boy :) 

just some classic mid-twenties life stuggles and family drama with tons of dick bonding with a six year old

3. pre-series Tim solo fic

canon verse tim gutterson standalone fic

yet another fic ive been working on for lit years at this point.... 

a story about tim after the rangers but before the marshals and how he found his way to the marshals

literally this fic has become bigger than anything i ever expected to and now its this massive oneshot thats slowly but surely coming to an end (lmao maybe ill actually get it up sometime this year....)

4. my shitty high school au

justified modern hs au

literally the title sums it up. i started it as a joke idea and now im actually fully for it and i love it so much

focuses mostly on tim and rachel, who are best friends trying their best to get through all the insane bullshit everetts hs and harlan has to throw at them. they gotta deal their insane families, their relationships (or lack there of in tims case...) and the fact that they somehow got sucked into the epitome of harlan bullshit aka the givens-crowder-randolph love triangle and now have to wade their way through that swamp on top of everything else they were already dealing with.

focuses a lot on friendship and family issues 

sometimes i post exerts and weird bits in my tag here

tagging @cajunroe, @ingoldenlight, and @antiquecompass :)

also if anyone wants me to post more exerts or give more info on any of these fics feel free to hmu id be happy to share

[thepunisher]

Why I think Supergirl season 2 is better than season 1

There’s a discourse™ going on since this season started and while some are raising excellent points, other things being said make me think that a season 1 rewatch wouldn’t be a bad idea, since a lot of people seem to have forgotten what actually happened last year on the show.

Supergirl is by no means perfect. It has a lot of faults and it could definitely improve in many ways. That said, I do believe season 2 is actually doing better than season 1 in several regards:

In season 1 everyone seemed to suffer from the draco malfoy syndrome. What is that, you ask? Simple. Kara was at the center of the universe, and everyone’s lives revolved sorely around her. No one had any other purpose than being tied one way or another to her. They only existed to move around Kara and forward the plot. There’s only a couple of episodes who are an exception to that.

This season on the other hand, we’re experiencing the exact opposite. Now that the characters are established, each and everyone of them have their own personal arc that is completely separate from Kara’s. And I personally think that’s great and it’s an improvement. Yes, this is Supergirl and Kara is the protagonist. But nothing screams bi-dimensional characters more than having them all only revolve around one focal point. This year they still intersect in the middle, but everyone is moving forward on their own.

This season Alex is more than a sister who’s trying to prove her worth beyond that fact, Winn is more than the typical loser in love with his bff, Jimmy is more than someone who can’t decide which girl he loves. 

You may not like where some of these arcs are headed, which is totally fine, obviously, but how can you deny that having separate arcs at all is a good thing?

In season 1 we were reminded every two minutes of how Supergirl was not Superman.

I for one am really really happy that they stopped doing that. I liked that they wanted to emphasize that she was not his cousin and that being a woman made a lot of things different/harder, including hero-ing, but the constant reminder that this was a supergirl show was getting on my nerves. The first 4 episodes (if I remember correctly) were especially full of that. While not being there at all, superman was a huge shadow over Kara in season 1. I really love that despite Clark having appeared on the show, this time around he’s not so predominant in the narrative, and we get to enjoy Kara as she is, without being constantly reminded that a. she’s a woman, b. she’s not superman.

I’m also really happy that we’re getting to see more of Kara as a woman and what it means to be both hero and woman, than simply what it means to be supergirl.

People are complaining that this season is too focused on Kara’s love life/Kara’s potential love interest.

Uhm, excuse you? Are y’all suddenly collectively forgetting that the entire season 1 plot half revolved on a love triangle shoved down our throat? (Which is dc tv’s favourite troupe btw) Literally each episode was focused on whether Kara was going to do something about either Winn or Jimmy, or whether Jimmy was going to pick Kara or Lucy. Every.Single.One.Of.Them. (with the only exception being the episode in which Kara dated ms Grant’s son.)

So, last year it was fine but this year it’s.. not?

Winn’s purpose other than being the comic relief and the convenient IT genius that every DC show needs was to have unrequited feelings for Kara.

Jimmy’s purpose was to share some Superman related wisdom and pine over Kara or Lucy.

This season BOTH of them have a purpose that goes beyond Kara. Both of them have actual lives. Winn realized that he can be more than an IT guy and that he can be a hero in his own way, make a difference even when he’s afraid and doesn’t have the courage that all his friends seem to be showing. (Let’s talk about what big improvement it is for a character who said “You must be a lesbian, that’s why you don’t like me romantically!” back on his first appearance in ep1 s1.)

Jimmy’s arc is what I’m liking even more, cause sure, arguably it’s a little rushed (a lot of things are this season, including sanvers, but the number of episodes is limited and tbh I’ve seen worse on tv to complain) but it’s beautiful and it’s finally doing the character justice. He’s beyond just a love interest now, he has his own arc, he has found purpose in life beyond making up his mind about who he wants to date and he’s trying to leave a mark even without having super powers. He’s also no longer just a photographer, he’s a black man in a position of power and he’s learning what it’s like to stand his ground and be a leader. The only thing that would make this better would be more screentime.  (I would die if we had something similar over at the flash, where three seasons later Iris West is still only treated as Barry’s love interest and has no life nor purpose other than being Barry’s lover.)

When it comes to Alex, I do agree that her relationship with Maggie was a little rushed as well and we’re seeing a lot of their romance rather than Alex’s usual badass self we got used to last season. But the two things are not mutually exclusive and we still have a few episodes left to go in which Alex can be both (as she’s already shown). Also, as a queer person myself, I can’t help but being really happy with how Alex’s coming out story was handled and everyone’s reactions to it (including words like “you haven’t dated much lately.” “this is real, it’s not a phase.” “this is not cause I haven’t found the right man.”) 

Again, all these arcs may not be perfect, but I’m liking a lot how they’re taking these characters to the next level and towards different directions, rather than still have all of them only attached to Kara.

On karamel and Mon el in particular, I have a lot to say, especially cause a lot of people in the fandom have gone crazy over it, have started harassing fans and have forgotten the basic decency of tagging their hate. (Also, a lot of these people insulted Chris Wood appearance as a reason to hate on the character.... like, wow, a++ argument there buddy, now I’m definitely going to take your very serious argument seriously.)

I do agree that having Kara do a 180 when it comes to her relationship with Jimmy was really weird and poorly executed (especially since season 2 takes place the day after season 1.) That was bad writing on the authors part, especially since they really went overboard with the pining last year, so have her suddenly not being interested felt really odd. I did not ship Jimmy/Kara (I have a hard time liking ships that are presented as triangles and I really hate when a man makes two women suffer cause he can’t decide what the fuck he wants) but I can understand the shippers frustrations at that predicament and I understand that part of that anger is based on the fact that it seems like a black man has been replaced by a white one. What I don’t understand is the collective hate towards Mon el as a character rather than take offence with the authors, and the use of the word “abusive” when it comes to describing Mon el/Kara’s relationship. (People like to throw that word around, apparently.)

In what universe is that ship abusive or Mon el a manipulator?

I think the introduction of his character was actually very well constructed. It’s really telling that they decided to bring him in as he is in a season where they finally introduced Clark Kent. We have on one side the epitome of the perfect man and perfect hero by anyone’s standard. And on the other hand we have a seemingly dudebro who comes from a planet of fratboys and is adjusting to a life in which he's learning that he can be more than what he’s used to be cause he meets a woman.

I’ve seen a lot of discourse™ going around and people mad that Mon el seems to be interested in the hero-ing business only cause of Kara (as if there’s something wrong with that). If you look closely and if you look at the bigger picture, you’re going to notice how the whole season is build around “being a hero” and “doing the right thing” and why. Kara’s reasons are not M’gann’s, are not Winn’s, are not Jimmy’s, are not Mon el’s. They’re all trying in their own way and they all have different reasons on why they do what they do, did what they did. No two reasons are the same. And yet we do not question them when it comes to other characters. 

I especially like the comparison between M’gann and Mon el, cause they both come from people who are often described as “bad” (obviously for very different reasons) and the show is clearly trying to say that where you come from and who you’re supposed to be cause of that should not define you and what you can become. M’gann did that already back on Mars and J’onn accepted it after some reluctance and has seen past his prejudice. Mon el is getting there (and I think we’ll have more of that to see, since they’re clearly building up towards the big reveal of him being the prince of Daxam.)

I don’t really see what’s wrong with Mon el deciding he wants to be a hero cause he met a woman that showed him he can be more. I’ve seen a lot of complaining on how Kara is being “used to forwards a man’s growth” and I’m ???Jimmy and Winn are doing the exact same thing and I’m sorry people, but where do you actually live that you don’t get inspired to do/be better by the people that are in your lives? I mean, if that doesn’t happen to you, if you don’t have those kind of friends or significant others that just by their presence inspire you to be better, you should get out more and meet more people. Kara has inspired a LOT of people since season 1, same as Cat Grant and her cousin inspired her. 

The most beautiful relationships (and I don’t only mean this only romantically) are built on becoming better cause someone showed us that we can be more.

Also, again, this season shows the different reasons behind why being a hero and not everyone does it for the same reasons as Kara or Captain America. Are any other reasons any less valid?

That said, I really like criticizing the media that I consume, so I can really understand people doing the same. What I don’t get is why some people who ended up clearly hating the show are still watching it. Been there, done that, it’s pointless and only lead to bitterness. And just cause you don’t like a character or a ship, accusing a show of promoting abusive relationships (seriously?!) is beyond ridiculous when you present absurd facts at a base of your hate.  You’re perfectly entitled to hate whatever you want, but when you start spitting lies to justify your dislike and accusing fans of liking twisted things, that pisses me off.

If you’re no longer into where this show is going, you should maybe consider moving on. Or, you know, stop attacking people for still liking it. Or better yet, start tagging your wank, so we can all block it. 

Like what you like and hate what you hate, but leave people be, leave them free to enjoy what they want. You’re not better cause you criticize something that other people like.