#thoughts on media

[talekk]

Just stayed up all night watching what I assume is the final season of umbrella academy and while I thought it was good some sections of it felt rushed or too contrived and I wish they'd had maybe two more episodes to work around. I get that there were a lot of spinning plates and they had to get from plot point A to plot point B but this season was only 6 episodes whereas all the others had 10 and I think this one definitely would have benefited from that extra runtime.

[crimsoncold]

Ah yes when authors or creators totally fudge the execution of their story and/or view their character in a way that is not actually supported by the very content they have created...

Complex and flawed characters are often more interesting than ones that are "perfect," whether or not they get the opportunity for growth or change in the story. Anti heroes can be refreshing and more compelling than traditional heroes. Villains themselves can be extremely entertaining, and occasionally are the best part of a piece of media...

But the author and narrative needs to have some coherency in their understanding, treatment, or presentation of their characters.

(When I say this I don't mean an author should be expected to explicitly condemn their character or their character's actions ....that is where one's basic reading comprehension comes in)

But rather I mean that when a creator doesn't understand or has an incredibly inaccurate view of their character or their character's actions- one that is totally unsupported by their actual body of work- it becomes incredibly frustrating as a reader or viewer.

I start to become irritated with the story, suspect the author is incompetent as a storyteller/incapable of engaging with media (even their own) in a thoughtful in depth manner, lose faith in their ability to make an engaging well thought out narrative, and often no longer feel its worth my time to continue to watch or read their story.

Truly I'm fine with a narrative or character that an author purposefully makes and understands is dark/disturbing/monstrous/satirical/misleading or unreliable

... but please, please just give me anything other than an author sincerely (i.e. delusionally) presenting or believing something or someone is virtuous and good when everything in their body of work indicates they are really just awful...

(Being you know a typical reasonable person I posess the ability to analyze and separate the content/actions/words of fictional characters from the opinions and values of the author... and I can appreciate dark stories or character without feeling like it says something bad about my own morals and without requiring the author to justify their choices by either incorporating some sort of moral lesson or explicitly condemning/critiquing something within their work itself... e.g. I am still unapologetically a huge fan of hannibal (series) and hannigram- awesome dark show/dark pairing...)

or on the other end of this same scale (and another pet peeve of mine) when it's not the author or story with a disconnect but rather fans who are interpreting a character in a manner distinctly unlike how the story actually presents them.

Being totally in denial about the flaws/mistakes/darker aspects of a character, badly misinterpreting the author's story, rejecting or outright ignoring all the obvious canon evidence that their favorite character made a mistake/was in the wrong/or is much darker than they are willing to admit, or harassing fans whose interpretation/opinion does not match their own heavily biased one...

(Guys just accept/embrace a character's flaws or even their villainous aspects and enjoy whatever story or character you want to...you can like a fictional character without having to deliberately/inaccurately interpret them as always in the right or perfectly virtuous... you don't have to have/fabricate moral justifications to support you liking a character ... they are fictional characters ... you are free to like/appreciate/critique/dislike/or otherwise engage with characters... but they don't exist and their actions aren't real ...you don't need to purposefully bury your head in the sand or go to other extremes to defend someone/something that doesn't exist)

Here's the thing I keep trying to articulate and possibly failing: I don't actually mind characters who are terrible people. I have enjoyed many. What I mind is characters who are terrible people while the narrative keeps trying to say that they are wonderful, often contradicting what the narrative shows us, with no self awareness

[fanaticalthings]

Bruce Wayne except he texts like an ominous boomer

wdym you can't tell if he's threatening them?

Based on this post by @mysterycitrus :)

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Bonus:

Happy birthday, Tim 🥰

[badolmen]

People against piracy fail to realize that no, I can’t just ‘buy it.’ They stopped making DVDs and Blu-Rays. They’re barely offering digital copies for download. I am not spending money I could use for food or bills to pay for a subscription service just so I can always have access to a beloved piece of media. Especially not when the service will remove media on a whim without concern for how the loss of access to that piece will make its artistic conservation nigh impossible.

For example, I recently learned that Disney+ had an original film called Crater. It’s scifi, family friendly, and seems cool - I would love to buy it as a holiday gift for my little brother! But: it’s exclusive to D+ and THEY REMOVED IT LITERALLY MONTHS AFTER ITS RELEASE.

The ONLY way I can directly access this film is through piracy. The ONLY available ‘copies’ of this film are hosted on piracy websites. Disney will NEVER release it in theaters, or as something to buy, and it may NEVER return to the streaming service. It will be LOST because we aren’t allowed to purchase it for personal viewing. If I can’t pay to own it, I won’t pay for the privilege of losing it when corporate decides to put it in a vault.

So yes, I’m going to pirate and support piracy.

Edit: if you are able, use $5 you would otherwise use for a streaming subscription to donate to a GazaFunds campaign.

[noodles-and-tea]

Our hextech dream….

[captaingimpy]

Roko’s Basilisk and the Broader AI Conversation: A Reflection on Fear, Control, and Human Nature

Hey everybody! Recently, I watched a very long YouTube video, on the thought experiment “Roko’s Basilisk” merchandising posted to a YouTube channel called Aperture. For your convenience, I will include the video here. And if you guys wanna watch and discuss, I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments. Recently, I watched a video that expanded on the infamous thought experiment,…

[mroddmod]

they are like puppies. 2 me

[sharks3ye]

Oh i didnt post this here yet?? Hi

[nekhcore]

HEY YOU!

Yeah, you! Are you trans? Do you like reading books? Or watching movies?

Do you like media about trans men/transmasculine characters but don't know where to find it?

That's sooo crazy because I have this little spreadsheet I'm working on where I'm trying to document all media with protagonists/major characters who are FTM or transmasculine.

The spreadsheet currently has 400+ entries spread across the following categories:

Books

Manga

Memoirs and non-fiction

Movies

TV Shows

Graphic novels / Comics

Webcomics

Audio dramas

Books and movies are also sorted by:

Which character is trans (MC, love interest, antagonist, etc)

If the trans character is POC

The trans character's sexuality (Because I saw lots of transhet guys sad about only being able to find gay romances)

If the author/actor is also trans (if we know for sure)

It's free to use, and free to add to as well! Editing permissions are on, and I check on the spreadsheet every now and then to make sure everything is in order and to clean up.

If you know something that isn't on the list, please add it! You don't have to fill in every single column, but fill it to the best of your abilities.

If you don't want to use the big ass long link below, you can also use: bit.ly/FTM-protags

I made this because I want it to be a community resource. So even if you're not a trans guy or transmasculine person, please reblog!

[forecast0ctopus]

i get it now these guys are cool

[composeregg]

edit (10/23/2024) now that the poll is over: Original version, with 10 questions, from April 2023 here

And, given that the original is from April 2023, that means I can very easily say:

No, this was not an ISAT reference!

Just because I use parentheses and 2nd person pov and love the same concepts of what a time loop can do to a person doesn't mean it's ISAT

(Yes, I like ISAT, the original poll is why I was recommended the game! But if you look at the original, you can see all the origins of the options to choose from, including what spurred me on with the moss option from the replies)

If I were going to make something for ISAT, I would never be so vague, you can simply look at my ao3 for proof of that

[grrlterrier]

Lesbians should start using the battle axe, or “Labrys” as a symbol of empowerment again

[angel-cryptid]

Tumblr needs a pink mode

[stuckinapril]

I love Tumblr because nothing matters here truly. There are no influencers. Having followers doesn’t mean anything. It’s just a site where people post their sporadic thoughts and rb pretty pictures. Anyone who thinks any of this matters is woefully missing the point

[flwrstqr]

𝒥 : ENHYPEN WHEN THEY PULL YOU ON THEIR LAP

✷ bf!enhypen x f ! r 🎀 tw: skinship petnames && 782wc. — fluff ★ dani's notes: wahhh hai gals ! may perhaps active era

𝐋𝐄𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐔𝐍𝐆

heeseung’s hand finds yours, pulling you closer until you’re suddenly perched on his lap, his arms snug around your waist. “stay right here,” he murmurs, a playful glint in his eyes as he gently brushes a loose strand of hair from your face. he leans in, voice barely above a whisper, “i’ve missed my pretty girl.” you smile, cheeks heating up, and rest your forehead against his. heeseung chuckles at your flustered reaction, thumb grazing your cheek. “what’s got you so shy, hmm?” he teases, pressing a light kiss on your nose. "just me," you reply softly, and he grins, pulling you even closer. "always just you."

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐉𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐒𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐆

“c’mere, baby,” jay murmurs, reaching for you with that familiar, lazy grin. his hands find your waist, guiding you gently until you’re sitting on his lap. you can’t help but giggle, letting your arms drape around his neck as he tucks a strand of hair behind your ear, his touch feather-light. “better?” he asks, voice soft, eyes tracing over your face with such warmth it makes you blush. you nod, biting back a smile, and he chuckles, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead. “good, ‘cause you’re staying right here,” jay murmurs, squeezing your waist

𝐒𝐈𝐌 𝐉𝐀𝐄𝐘𝐔𝐍

“hey, gorgeous, what’re you doing all the way over there?” jake teases, reaching out to tug you closer until you’re on his lap, legs draped over his. his hands settle around your waist, thumbs brushing gentle circles that send a thrill up your spine. “better, right?” he grins, eyes sparkling with that familiar playful glint as you try to hide your smile. “yeah, yeah,” you mumble, but he just laughs, brushing his nose against yours. “admit it, you missed me,” he whispers, his voice dropping lower, and you feel your cheeks heat up under his gaze. you roll your eyes, but he catches the shy smile tugging at your lips. “see, i knew it,” he smirks, leaning in to press a quick, cheeky kiss to your lips. “you’re not going anywhere now, pretty.”

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐍

you’re scrolling through your phone on the couch when sunghoon casually reaches over, wraps an arm around your waist, and pulls you right onto his lap. his hands finding your hips to hold you steady. “what’re you doing, my angel?” he asks, his voice low and soft, a smirk tugging at his lips. he leans his forehead against yours, his eyes warm as they lock onto yours, filled with a playful glint. you roll your eyes, trying to look unimpressed, but you can’t help the grin that sneaks onto your face. “just checking my phone,” you say, pretending to be nonchalant. he chuckles, brushing his thumb gently over your side. “yeah? well, i missed you,” he murmurs, pressing a soft kiss to your cheek. “so maybe the phone can wait, hmm?” his arms tighten around you, holding you close

𝐊𝐈𝐌 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐎𝐎

"hey, c’mere," sunoo says softly, pulling you closer, his arms wrapping around your waist as he guides you to sit on his lap. you can feel his warmth immediately, the steady beat of his heart calming any lingering nerves. "you look way too comfortable over there," he teases, his fingers tracing gentle patterns along your back. his gaze is soft, filled with a kind of tenderness that makes your cheeks heat up. "i mean, do i not look comfy to you?" you joke, and he chuckles, resting his chin on your shoulder. "nah, i just wanted you here with me," he murmurs

𝐘𝐀𝐍𝐆 𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐖𝐎𝐍

you barely have time to react before jungwon pulls you onto his lap, arms wrapping around you as he settles you against him. “what?” you ask, feigning surprise, though the smile creeping onto your lips gives you away. “can’t i just want my favorite person close?” he murmurs, his voice soft as he nuzzles his head against your shoulder, his cheek warm against yours. you feel his fingers tracing little patterns on your arm, gentle and soothing, and it makes you melt just a bit more. “since when are you this clingy?” you tease, leaning back to look at him. he chuckles, his gaze soft but playful. “since now,”

𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐌𝐔𝐑𝐀 𝐑𝐈𝐊𝐈

"missed me that much, huh?" riki smirks, his voice dripping with mischief as he pulls you onto his lap, arms wrapping snugly around your waist. his hands settle on your hips, fingers tracing lazy circles that send a shiver down your spine. "someone's being clingy," he teases, tilting his head, his face mere inches from yours. "can't go a second without me?" you roll your eyes, crossing your arms defiantly, but the warmth spreading across your cheeks betrays you. "oh, please," you retort, trying to sound unaffected. "you’re the one who pulled me here." he raises a brow, clearly amused, and leans in close, his breath ghosting over your skin. "yeah, well," he murmurs, a smirk playing on his lips, "doesn’t look like you’re complaining, babe."

[theriverbeyond]

tbh I can't stop thinking about how i went into Hadestown being like "this is a tragic love story based on a greek myth I enjoy :)" and I came out the other side covered in blood being like "this is a thesis about how capitalism inevitably leads to both personal and global ruin, and so we are duty bound to resist it even as we lose, again and again and again. no matter how impossible it feels or how many times we fail and hit a wall and fall, we try again"