#to be clear i do not want people to stop doing this i do genuinely love to see it. it's jsut funny to me

[firewasabeast]

Fell asleep then woke back up still pissed, because:

Tim was clear when he decided on bi buck, Tommy was chosen on purpose. Someone who fit in with the team already and could fit in Buck’s life. It solved the outsider problem.

They wrote Chimney talking about how cool he was, made him and Eddie friends, had Eddie invite him to a virtual bday party, had Bobby give a huge stamp of approval saying Tommy was good for Buck, that he was good people. Made a big deal of the wedding/coming out scene.

They could have made this an off screen breakup at the beginning of season 8. Honestly, I would have accepted it better. But they brought Tommy back, showed again how he fit with Buck’s world. Showed there was no hostility between him and Eddie. They showed Tommy going above and beyond for Buck, sleeping on a couch with too small of a blanket, doting on him, staring at him with so much love, “breaking the curse,” etc.

I don’t buy Tommy’s lame excuse for breaking it off. That’s such crappy, high school writing. This man is 40 fucking years old, he’s six months into this relationship, and I’m supposed to believe he just suddenly decides he and Buck aren’t made to last? That Buck needs other partners? Please!

It also pisses me off that they had him get Buck basketball game tickets for their anniversary. He has got to know by now that Buck doesn’t actually like basketball. And why even have Abby be part of it at all? That was all part of the red string of fate theory, so it felt like an extra slap in the face to include it in their breakup.

The whole thing was so poorly executed, and it seems wrong that they had Oliver and Lou do a whole ass interview at the end of 7 to just… go nowhere in 8. Then have Lou do two exit interviews when he’s not a main anyway, so it feels worse to actually hear from him (especially when he seems as genuinely confused as we do).

They should have had it be some random guy. They shouldn’t have made the effort to include Tommy as much as they did. They shouldn’t have mentioned wanting bucktommy to be like tarlos. Shouldn’t have mentioned getting Buck off his hamster wheel. They gave fucking Taylor more time than this, and she spent the majority of her screen time using Buck to further her career.

And someone, somewhere down the line could have made a statement to stop fucking harassing Lou, seeing as they’ve known for at least a few months that he was no “threat” to anyone or anything.

[goopgirlie813]

I wanna add another thing now that ive been thinking about it; y'all ever notice how right-wingers like to play the victim? "Reverse racism" "blm wants to oppress white people" "women actually have privilege now, men are the oppressed ones" "gays are trying to force us to all gay marry" etc etc etc.

Yeah, uh, they have a very obvious persecution complex. Its kinda their thing, a defining feature. It has been the backbone of fascist regimes (nazis said "the jews are ruining our society!! Theyre out to hurt your children and fuck up your life!!"). Bullying them only feeds this tendency. It gives them more material to work with.

But if you refuse to be mean while also refusing to budge from your position? They cant weaponize that as easily. They cant dismiss you as easily because you didnt give them the out of victimhood. You robbed them of an opportunity for martyrdom, their strongest propaganda tool.

Facists thrive on meanness, hatred, and anger. Not only does it shape their views of other people, but they thrive in environments where they are hated. It makes them stronger because they know how to flip the script.

But you know what facism isn't equipped to handle? Stubborn kindness. They cant weaponize it. They cant make themselves the victim to gain sympathy. They cant twist it their way and make themselves look powerful. Because bullying in the face of kindness makes a person look bad. It damages reputations.

Being kind without comprimising on your views puts fascists between a rock and a hard place. Because if they keep fighting you they erode their own cause. Because so much right-wing indoctrination relies on them being the victims fighting for a rightous cause. That falls apart if they attack people who are being kind. They need to make the person a villain first or else they expose their own lies. If they cant effectively convince people you're a villain, they lose a lot of their power.

This is not about holding their hand and making them feel happy. This is not about blaming marginalized groups for their own oppression. This is about ackgnowledging the enemy's weak points and using them to our advantage. We are not pointing fingers or casting blame, we are trying to strategically break the facades of facism.

Thats what people in these comments are failing to understand: kindness is not a reward only given to good people who do good things. Kindess is genuinely the most devastating weapon against fascist propaganda. Meanness on the other hand? That just waters their crops. Being mean to fascists helps them. It reinforces their beliefs, and opens opportunities for them to lure people in by exploiting their empathy for victims.

I am not asking you to be soft and quiet and compromising. I am not asking you to tell fascists "its ok I forgive you." No. I am asking you to observe the reality of the situation and react accordingly. Strategically. I am not saying that you are to blame for the spread of fascist rhetoric, I am telling you how fascists are exploiting your behavior for personal gain so that you can course correct and cut off their propaganda supply lines.

Let me reiterate:

I am not blaming you for your oppression. I am telling you that fascists are taking advantage of you and how to stop it.

Remember that story that went around about the Karen yelling at the cashier and OP putting money in the tip jar every time she yelled, while making eye contact to make it clear what they were doing? Yeah that kind of thing.

You dont have to be kind to the bigots, you just have to refuse to be mean to them. Every time they say something mean, say something kind about their target. Every time they harass someone, do something kind for their target. And do it immediately, publicly, in their face and everyone else's.

Another element is to behave in good faith. Aggressivley assume good intentions. Explain why harmful behaviors are harmful while emphasizing the assumption that they have good intentions. If they, like most people, do just want the best but have misguded views of how to achieve that then this approach can and will make them change their behavior and mindset. If they genuinely do want to cause harm then sticking to the bit even when its absurd becomes a kind of mockery. The only mockery that they cannot weaponize. Their meanness contrasts so starkly with the aggressive positivity that they turn themselves into satirical charicatures if they double down.

Kindness is fascism's most devastating enemy.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

[solxamber]

Good morning/evening/ whenever you're reading this.

May I request Silver, Malleus, and Ace with someone who's like a sheep in wolfs clothing? Basically someone who seems intimidating and scary but is actually nice if that makes sense. Romantic or platonic is fine.

Malleus, Silver, Ace with a Sheep in Wolf's Clothing

hi! thank you for waiting, i hope this is what you wanted <3

Malleus Draconia

At first, Malleus is absolutely enchanted by the way you carry yourself. Your cool exterior, fierce glances, and aura of danger? He’s genuinely impressed. In his eyes, you’re practically royalty, strolling through campus with an air of mysterious authority that rivals his own.

But one evening, when the two of you are alone, he watches as you carefully kneel down to help a tiny creature—a shivering, injured bird, fallen from its nest. He’s speechless as you whisper gently to it, cooing softly as you tuck it into a makeshift cradle from your scarf.

“Ah, so even the fiercest can be kind,” he says, thoroughly charmed.

You look up, cheeks red. “What? No, I mean— I wasn’t… fierce,” you mutter, trying to explain away your rough side.

Malleus lets out a low chuckle, genuinely amused. “There’s no need to pretend with me, Child of Man. I find this side of you… endearing.” And with that, he offers his arm, as if escorting the most dignified person he’s ever met—like of course you’d be kind.

And every time he sees you after, he watches you just a little bit closer, hoping to catch more glimpses of the sweet, gentle heart beneath your “terrifying” façade.

Silver

Silver’s first impression? Oh, you were fierce, alright. With that intense stare and sharp wit, he thought you were the kind of person who could take on a horde of fire-breathing dragons without blinking.

But it doesn’t take him long to notice the little things: how you’re the first to offer help in a quiet, unassuming way. Or how you gave Grim half your lunch when he wouldn’t stop whining about his empty plate.

One day, he finally works up the courage to ask. “You’re… not like most people expect, are you?”

You blink, caught off guard. “Uh… how do you mean?”

He tilts his head thoughtfully. “You seem… gentle. Like someone who cares more than they show.” He says it simply, but with a warm smile.

“Oh! I—well, I guess…” You clear your throat, trying not to look too pleased. “Yeah, I try to be. Is that… weird?”

Silver chuckles softly, shaking his head. “Not at all. I think it’s admirable.” And with that, he goes back to his usual quiet self, though you notice he hangs around a bit more often, maybe just to keep an eye on you—or to be near you, enjoying the company of the sweetest “wolf” he’s ever met.

Ace Trappola

Ace was 100% convinced you were bad news when he first saw you. The way you stood, arms crossed and serious, maybe even a little cold, he thought for sure you were a total menace. So when he finds you one day, crouched down and helping a stray cat drink from a cup you’d brought, he actually does a double-take.

“You… feed stray animals?”

You look up, blushing furiously. “Uh… yeah? Why wouldn’t I?”

He bursts out laughing, clapping his hands. “Oh man, and here I thought you’d, like, fight a cat if it came too close!”

You roll your eyes, trying to act annoyed, but you can’t help but laugh, too. “Yeah, yeah, real funny.”

After that, Ace doesn’t let you live it down. He’ll pull you along when he sees a lost animal just to watch you fuss over it, teasing you the whole time. “Oh no, don’t let the fearsome ‘tough guy’ break out the baby voice again!”

But despite the endless teasing, he genuinely loves seeing you drop the act and show your soft side. And even if he won’t say it out loud, he thinks it’s pretty awesome having a friend as kind—and surprisingly tender—as you.

Masterlist

[jennamoran]

The World Became as Glass

I don't know what the noise at the very beginning is. I don't even know if it was me and not the computer being weird. I kept having recordings start with clicks and then break into actual voice midword so this time, this take, I waited around and made random noises to get the microphone live before starting this time.

(original script that I was recording from follows)

Let’s tell stories.

Last night, I was doing pretty well, to be honest. I knew things could be bad, but I thought they could be good. Sometime after dinner, I made the mistake of checking the news. It wasn’t even settled then.

And it was like the world was made of glass.

Like the world was made of glass, and behind it was a wind of malignancy and rot, a thing like the sludge you find if you leave vegetables alone too long.

I don’t know if that’s how it was for you.

And like, if a story starts with the world becoming as glass, that has to be the answer, too. I think. The story begins with the state of things, and ends with how it wants you to feel.

You don’t have to think about last night if you don’t want to. You can think about some other time. Some other story. Do tell me that story, though.

For me, the world became as glass; and so it ends, because the world is glass.

But I like to believe in hope, right?

What’s hope in your story?

In mine, it’s ... fire. It’s a fire that can burn the gunk away. And its secret comes from the way the world becomes as glass.

And like my first thought as to that secret—what’s yours, by the way?

My first thought as to that secret is that, like, we’re looking for the last glassbreaker in the world. That you can break the glass and … the malignancy behind it somehow fades.

I’m too angry for that tonight, though.

It’s a beautiful little story, to imagine that if you break the glass, the horror goes away; and if you have anxiety, if you have fear, then that’s a story that should speak to you, you know? But this wasn’t anxiety or fear from daily life. This was anxiety or fear from a horror that only comes once or twice a decade.

I don’t want to exaggerate it. To be clear. I don’t want to tell you that we’re all doomed. We’re not. But it’s also genuinely bad.

So let’s find a different story. Do you need to?

Here’s another way to tell the story of the horror, and have the answer be as glass.

That somewhere in the world is the last fire of goodness. Break the glass and set it free.

My brain, because it’s my brain, immediately says: it’s a tourist attraction. People come and look at the fire. They ooh and ahh. Because you want something ridiculous in your story, right? Something ridiculous and true.

Something that hurts but makes you laugh.

I draw on pop culture for that a lot. I think about Coney Island. I don’t even really know what that is, the name just stuck in my brain for the kind of thing I want.

There’s the last flame of goodness in the world, and it’s a tourist attraction. People walk by, eating cotton candy. They laugh at clowns. Sometimes the cotton candy gets away, it drops to the floor, and they wistfully stare after it thinking about the fading of the goodness of the world.

I like a light touch. I like the kind of melancholy you can laugh at. It’s the same as the melancholy that makes you weep, but it doesn’t hurt until you’re ready to unbox it.

Maybe there’s some seagulls?

I don’t know. You have to come back to this part after you write the end.

The end, of course, is that the fire gets set free. Everyone tried to stop this. They warned and warned the protagonist. Which I guess metaphorically means, don’t hope, but also, like, people get upset if you try to break the glass in—-

Ooh, break the glass in case of fire. Break the glass if you need fire. Yeah.

The fire gets free.

And the malignancy, I think, is like oil, right? It’s like an oil slick, spreading on the sea that is our lives. That’s part of the real evil that’s been unleashed today, although only the smallest and most already-present part. But it’s there.

And so the fire catches on that, and it burns. It’s still burning now.

I’m still looking for your story, to be clear. I’m still looking for how you processed the night, or some other night. I’m still looking for how you take that and turn it around and find the answer.

I want to hear your little bits of melancholy humor. I want to see that in the replies.

But that’s the story, right?

The rest is a bunch of editing. I like to write really short stories and really long stories. So for me, it can be just a few paragraphs, you know?

Say it with me: once upon a time …

Once upon a time, for Jane, the world became as glass. And behind that glass, pressed up against it like a starving kid against the windows of the world, a sea of rot.

…

So I do think there’s rot in the world, but I also think you have to be really careful with it in fiction. Everybody puts themselves on the side of the angels, you know? The more words for evil we have, the more people turn it into weapons for themselves. Usually against the best and most vulnerable of us.

So let’s try this again.

Once upon a time, Jane saw the world become as glass, and behind it was ...

Hm, step back a bit. Once upon a time, goodness rained down upon the world like candy. It fell in drifts and piles, like the snow, and it was sweet.

But we did not pick it up.

It was on the other side of the glass from us, a glass we let be hidden from us, and so it moldered on the hills and dales of the world, feast-grounds for the harvest-men alone.

They kept it for themselves, but they could not process it, and it began to rot.

One day, for Jane, the world became as glass; she saw through that veil of the world, but there was not goodness there but rather rot, a sea of rot, pressed up aginst the glass that was the world like a hungry child at the window. A sea of rot that had been goodness but was still desperate to get in.

“Wow,” she said. “That’s not up to code!”

I figure, the way it happened, after all, was that some regulations or other got slashed. You know. The ones that say you have to share the goodness. The ones that say you have to have drainage set up for a sea of goodness turned to rot. You’re not supposed to just pile glass haphazardly this way and that and leave candy out to rot behind.

I’m pretty sure.

I haven’t actually read most of the rules that have been cut.

There was still one bit of goodness, though, that didn’t end. One bit of goodness that burned on and on. A kind of love, a kind of hope, that was not candy but rather fire.

It burned, behind the veil of the world, and people came to look at it. They pointed at it and laughed, or showed their kids.

“This is what we could have been.”

They built a great park around it, and candy—processed, preserved, and resold by the harvest-men—well, they carried it around, and chatted, and did not think for a time about the great sea of rot behind the glass.

They warmed themselves by the light of the fire, and told themselves, this is something small.

This is something trivial and laughable and covered in the lime of passing birds.

(Birds don’t like the fire of goodness. Only a fire of world-ending wickedness burns within their hearts. But love them for it, do love them for it, for it’s still a flame.)

Jane let the long years pass before she went to see it. It was just a carnival attraction after all. And living in a world of glass and rot is tiring. She kept cutting herself on the edges of the glass wheresoever she would walk.

And when she saw it, she stopped, and stared; and her heart was in her throat, and she said, “Oh.”

Oh, she said, and knew that we were beautiful.

The sign beneath it read, “In case of fire, DO NOT BREAK GLASS.”

This is incidentally reasonable, because if there is a fire, you don’t want broken glass there too. Remember only to break the special glass that is there to break in fires rather than like any glass you want.

But Jane didn’t remember that.

She saw the sign, and scoffed, because everyone knows that’s not what it’s meant to say.

So she reached out, and took the hammer. (There was a hammer, even though nobody was supposed to break the glass. IT’s like I said, a bunch of regulations had been slashed.)

“No,” yelled the guy who owned the park. “No! My passive income!”

“No!” yelled the children passing by. “It says DO NOT BREAK GLASS!”

The birds screeched, too, but in their hearts I think that they were glad.

And she took the hammer, and struggled through the field of arms that tried to hold her back—

There was a field of arms. It was one of the other attractions. Some kind of lingering bodily autonomy sort of thing, I guess?

And struck; and raged the fire free.

And in that moment she understood that she had always seen herself on the wrong side of the glass. In that moment she understood that the fields of rot were not sealed away, but rather ever-present, a reflection, and it walked beside her.

She grasped this in that moment, as the fields of rot took flame.

She grasped this, as that pyre of goodness rose to seize the world; and was exalted in the flame;

And if it has stopped, that fire burns right to this day.

... I could do better, do more editing, smooth it into shape; but not today.

[ghost-bard]

I feel like every time i hear about solavellan its talking about like “oh when they reunite and solas and ooooo” or like. Something angsty like one of them dying or something.

Anyone elses lavellan wanna just kill him like straight up

And i dont mean this in a hating solas way (irl) but at least in my lavellans case they went through hell and back in inquisition, and finding out solas wants to tear down the veil, effectively destroying the world as they know it, was the final straw. As in they were barely keeping it together before, and this caused them to spiral. Like a mental break happened. And that manifested in a very uh. Violent and hunting down solas at all costs kinda way.

[guhamun]

THE WAY THAT WAS said… Well…they weren’t wrong. He probably would be holed up avoiding civilization. And if he wasn’t, then he was probably out in the wild; camping, fighting TD, eating rations… It was eerie how well Jiyan knew him in this regard. You’d almost think that he was a regular at the Ghost Hound Headquarters speaking like this. ❝Bingo night? Ahaha, that sounds like something some old, retired soldier might say.❞ He could not help but laugh softly at that thought. The elders would certainly welcome Jiyan’s visits with open arms if he decided to become some bingo master. The whole thought was absolutely ridiculous. However, there was some fondness at the thought. Even if the world did become more ‘peaceful’ at the defeat of the Lament, humans would still human. In other words, he would still be paid to do the jobs that others would not. At least, he supposed, one would no longer need to worry about TD Outbreaks. Those would be a distant memory of the past to be spoken about to younger mercenaries who would look upon you as if you were speaking gibberish talking about what would eventually become fantastical.

     ❝You laugh now, but you’d be surprised what people come up with. In the New Federation, in the Lawless Zone, a gang could frighten people into playing along with a ruse. It was one of the ways some recruited. Of course…Jinzhou is different. The people didn’t seem uneasy, or afraid to meet my gaze for too long. Their actions seemed…genuine…which in turn threw me off.❞ He felt their curiosity more than anything else considering foreigners were not an everyday sight to many. ❝But you are right. I could have asked for more, and I knew you would have no choice but to give it. It was clear by the rumors I heard, that your homeland was in dire straits. Any other mercenary group would have tried to milk you all for all you were worth.❞ But that was not how Calcharo did things. He believed that one could work better together if there was a sense of fairness in place. Asking for more than he needed would only create issues in the future with the Midnight Rangers. The best way to deal with that situation was…

     He paused in his train of thoughts.

     ‘Mesmerizing and beautiful man.’

     Sometimes he wanted to reach out and cover the other’s mouth so they would simply stop talking. He had acknowledged Jiyan’s good looks back then as well (a little), but he primarily took in the fact that he was so young. A general who looked like they hadn’t seen battles to the extent of any of the older, hardened soldiers… He might as well have been akin to a fresh-faced babe. Surely it would have been better for Jiyan to focus more on how to strategically work with the Ghost Hounds and make the most of them rather than gawking at their leader…

     ❝There are times you say just a little too much.❞ He huffed, slipping his things into a small bag and zipping it loudly before slinging over his shoulder and following after the other as they left. Falling quiet as he awaited the ‘punishment’ that would befall him, he was taken aback by the other wrapping their arms around his own. It was such an unexpected gesture that it took a moment for his brain to catch up to what had just transpired, the other’s words ringing in his head: ‘you told me about reaching out for what I want.’

     This was what he wanted?

     But why?

     Despite being…thoroughly confused by all of this, he gave no complaints. After all, he had told Jiyan to reach out for what he wanted, and though he couldn’t quite understand why he’d want this in particular, it was a good thing for him. ❝I can’t figure out why you’d…desire this of all things. Still…very well. You can borrow my shoulder. See? Taking what you want isn’t as difficult as you thought.❞ On this cold night, Jiyan felt quite warm against him like this. His presence blocked out cold in that particular direction, what small breeze kept at bay.

It indeed was difficult to imagine that there would be a day in which he would have so much time in his hands that he wouldn't know what to do with it. It was a near impossible, but... very pleasant dream. One he looked forward to but, at the same time, tried to not think of too much. "...Special visiting privileges?" Thin eyebrows lifted then, amusement clear in his tone. "That wording makes it sound like you'll be holed up in your headquarters or avoiding civilization. Hm, it appears that you will keep me busy after I retire. You leave me no option but to drag you to bingo night. But, it's fine, I'm certain the future additions to the group will thank me for taking care of their stubborn boss." Heh, they might even call him to convince the 'old wolf' to take some sun and enjoy other activities that aren't related to their work. He... really looked forward to those peaceful days.

Jiyan couldn't help it but laugh at the rather unbelievable theory. "A never seen before large-scale collaborative effort to deceive the leader of an international mercenary group." Now, that seemed like something one would find in psychological horror movies. Terrifying, but quite impressive too. But he could see why the mercenary leader would think that after seeing everyone acting 'strange'. "But I believe you're the one who has it backwards. Most people in your position would've asked for far more, as we weren't in a good position for fair negotiation." They could ask for the most senseless things and, if it didn't bring harm to the citizens of Jinzhou, the young general would've had no option but to accept the terms. "I'll admit that I was fairly nervous during our first meeting. I knew that the Ghost Hounds didn't take more than what was fair, but plenty of captains told me to be prepared for the worst. It also caught me off guard how handsome you were. The rumors forgot to mention that the leader of the organization was a mesmerizing and beautiful man." Perhaps it would've been better if he didn't say that last part out loud, but it already was a little too late for that.

His smile only widened when he was asked about the 'punishment' he had in mind. "I'll admit that, at first, I was thinking of something that would make me laugh, like watching make your best imitation of Aalto and Encore. But after what you told me about reaching out for what I want..." It was then that he scooted closer to the other man and wrapped his arms around one of theirs, and soon his head rested on their shoulder as they walked. It wasn't a particularly comfortable position, but it made Jiyan feel giddy and warm. "You'll have to let me stay like this until we reach the inn. I'll consider returning this shoulder to its original owner then." Plenty of people had already confused them for a couple, and they weren't even wearing their respective uniforms anymore. They really would look no different from any other couple at Mt. Firmament if they continued like this, but Jiyan didn't mind, and Calcharo said he didn't mind as much either. So... it should be fine, right?

[bitchthefuck1]

you know what, I actually will talk about this because it's bothering me. The issue with focussing so heavily on syd and carmy's potential for a romantic relationship isn't that there's something inherently unintellectual about romance or whatever, it's that a lot of people seem incapable of doing that without immediately flattening the story and ignoring or intentionally misreading any and all nuance for the sake of that romance. Every scene suddenly becomes about how it impacts their relationship, every analysis is done through a romantic lens, every frame or line of dialogue becomes about finding some easter egg or hint that "proves" these people should start dating. Their dynamic is absolutely a fundamental part of this show, but if you can only see it as a will-they-won't-they, you miss so much of what the story is actually trying to say with these two.

There are good versions of this story where their relationship is romantic and there are good versions of this story where it isn't, but as soon as you decide them being together is "the point," you lose the ability to actually judge the story for what it is, not what you want it to be.

[baaad-omens]

now don't get me wrong i love fanart of jon with the fabulous outfits lots of accessories and long luscious hair as much as the next tma fan but the jon in my brain is far too pathetic for anything but years old stained and torn up jeans. and hair that hasn't been cut in years and looks like it hasn't been washed in about as much time. i enjoy the vision though

[orcelito]

Sasuke is Out! Sasuke is Doing things! What will Sasuke do?! I have no idea!!! I've never gotten this far in the story before, so I have no idea how things are going from here!!!! But Sasuke is Loose!!!!!!

Quoting this post to myself as I see Sasuke walking around and doing things. I haven't seen this guy do anything in like a hundred episodes. It's so exciting

[ionlycareaboutyou]

it's so funny i can have a relatively good week and be in a good mood but then i start thinking about food too hard and i'm like well time to end it all

[mydollsaregay]

i’ve seen a bit of talk around the community about AG making less quality dolls and cutting corners. and like - you’re not imagining things, they absolutely are doing that. but there is a piece of this conversation that I think gets brushed over a lot, and i think it’s important: american girl dolls are cheaper then they used to be.

before you start telling me i’ve lost my mind, let’s look at some numbers. the original pleasant company dolls were manufactured in Germany and released in 1986; for a doll with her softcover book, the price was $68. “WAIT,” i hear you cry, “that’s less expensive!” however:

it’s actually pretty significantly MORE expensive.

even looking at the prices i remember from my own childhood:

not as much, but that’s still a bit more expensive that the ag dolls of today.

now, quite a few things have made this drop in cost possible. ag dolls are now produced in countries where labor markets are less regulated and therefore labor costs are cheaper (aka workers are able to be exploited for greater profits), modern tech has made some production processes faster and automated, and some materials are cheaper to acquire. however, ag has still absolutely lowered production quality as well. it’s hard to tell if they HAD to, but I would assume they did at least a bit, in order to keep the profit per doll at the same amount or increasing (which would be necessary to please investors, not have to do layoffs, etc.).

does that mean we should stop pointing out the flaws with newer dolls? no, absolutely not! what it DOES mean is that when we have discussions about ag’s decrease in quality, we ought to put those discussions in context.

this was prompted by a video on youtube that I just watched about ag’s quality control issues, which claimed the dolls are more expensive now than ever, and they are simply not. yes, they cost more United States Dollars than ever before, but the usd is worth less than what it used to be worth. even with the recent price increase, ag dolls are actually selling for less than they have for most of the brand’s history!

the reality is - ag can increase the price and make better quality dolls, or they can hold steady on the price and make lower quality dolls. they really do have to pick. and like. with the way people reacted when they increased the price recently, I’m pretty sure they’re going to be sticking with shrinkflation for a good few years coming up, whether you and I like it or not.

that does not, of course, mean they should not face criticism! they, like every other company choosing to lower quality rather than increase prices, are likely to try and get away with some nonsense. it is very tempting for companies to try and push lowered production costs as far as they can, but these dolls still cost $115! they should certainly still be high quality!

however, if you want the new dolls to be as high quality as the older dolls, you will likely be disappointed. I can’t think of any company that has willingly reversed course to have LESS of a profit margin without major pushback that would have eaten into their bottom line otherwise (stuff like perma panties).

this is a difficult conversation because the reality is, even with the cost dropping as inflation catches up, AG dolls are still quite expensive, and very inaccessible to most kids, and many adult collectors as well. i personally am happy that they’re slightly more accessible these days to the kids and collectors who love them (though wealth disparities in the us continue to increase, so are they actually accessible to any more people than they were back in the day when they were more expensive? idk), but im also stuck wishing they were a bit higher cost and higher quality, for my own personal enjoyment and collection.

sadly, there is no simple conclusion here. life is complicated. so are economies and the companies that participate in them. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ nonetheless, may you go forth and continue to write well-deserved criticisms with just a bit more context behind you.

[goldensunset]

the sibs and i have been having a gossip session about our parents while we’re all in the car together and while i’m also part of the conversation i’m just trying to talk openly and honestly about my feelings and observations without being overly cruel and malicious but my siblings don’t care they’re just trying to be as nasty as possible and i feel like i’m working overtime trying to rein it in and to be fair to our parents and i am socially and spiritually exhausted

[whimsyprinx]

it’s admittedly very pathetic that my more recent reoccurring dreams are ones where people just want me around and want to talk to me, my plans don’t fall through and i haven’t like become entirely unlikeable

[bendgineer]

I think one of the reasons the Harris / Walz ticket has so much momentum is because the campaign is genuinely trying to put out this vibe of fun. Like that's all the "brat" thing is, the coconut jokes, just being kind of silly and fun.

And I think it's working, because let's be real, we are all exhausted. It's been all about preserving democracy, defeating fascism, the past eight years. The message has been "vote for us because the country is literally on the line". The vibes are not good when we are stuck back at that fight, and not even discussing trying to make progress on things like housing, healthcare, education, etc. And the fight to just stop fascism? All still true. Project 2025 is real and is extremely scary. We can't let that man back into office.

But the vibe was "vote for us otherwise we're all fucked :(" and now has shifted to "get in, we're making popcorn and then bullying fascists." Like a lot of the issues conservatives bring up, the Harris / Walz is just not engaging them in good faith, as they shouldn't. Republicans bring up abortion, and the Dems are just like, "you want 14 year old to give birth? Weirdo" and just leave it at that. Like YES, that's what you should do. Because it SHOULDNT be a debate. And it's working. This is how you defeat the identify politics thing Republicans have been trying to push for a while. Just mocking them for the stupidity of it all. "Like seriously? You think a book can make someone gay??? Hahaha." None of the Republicans are reacting well. They can't stand it. Vance even complained about bullying!!! Like do you KNOW who picked you as vp??? It's actually laughable, because they have no room to stand on when it comes to bullying.

And a huge part of the mocking and dismissing of Republicans is that the message is clear - were done debating all this stupid stuff. We've won the last two elections' popular vote - most Americans do NOT want christo-facism. It's time to move on. And that's what gives me hope, and the feeling of hope I think a lot of people have picked up on. It's time to address all the issues we've all wished we've been addressing the past decade. It's important we move onto that, and that's the message I'm getting from this campaign (We're not going back). I think it will resonate with a lot of people, because plainly, we're all just sick of this same old news cycle and fake rage bait over things like "should women have rights?", "Should gay people be allowed to exist?" The general populace have answered YES to both these multiple times, and it is time to move on. Maybe I'm being naive, but I am genuinely excited at the idea of putting to bed these debates (it's exhausting trying to fend your very existence) and moving on to actual economic and social policies that could fix a lot of deterioration over the last 2 decades.

[lilgynt]

maybe i’m just finding any issue with situationship guy before we have sex bc i’m feeling weird about sex but also maybe he wasn’t wrong when he said he was clingy and i do not care for it