#we ain't here for that right now

[nautilusopus]

AND ANOTHER THING lily orchard is walking proof that you can be trans and still say incredibly transphobic shit because those are the kind of statements you wind up making when you are dead set on defining One Specific And Correct Way To Experience Gender

i'm not even touching on how having an incredibly myopic worldview manifested in some race shit

[eddiezpaghetti]

It has come to my attention that SOME OF YOU who read my last Byler post remain UNCONVINCED. So I'm gonna tack onto it this:

I'm older than fucking God and air, and I've been out and proud since 2007. Yes, I know what homophobia is, and yes, I know what queerbaiting is. I know about Supernatural and Teen Wolf and Sherlock and blahdyblahdyblah. No new ground is being covered here. I thought I made that clear in the original post, but, clearly, I did not.

I am aware of queerbaiting and homophobia, and I'm still wholeheartedly certain in Byler being canon anyway.

Okay, so there are three types of relationship I want to discuss when it comes to queerbaiting. They're all, like, "queer relationships that could have happened, but didn't".

First off, queer-coding. This isn't really a thing so much anymore, but it still crops up every once in a while. I'd argue it probably happens most with male-male relationships in family shows these days. First example that comes to mind is Mr. Smiley and Mr. Frowny from Steven Universe. You can't make a relationship canon because some shitty overhead bastard overhead said no, so you get as close as you can without compromising the show. Can't make someone gay? Well, now their comedy routine is a blatant allegory for a romantic relationship. Boom-shaka-laka. This is something I don't see being a problem with regards to Stranger Things, but I want it to be there as contrast, a demonstration of one of many things queerbaiting is not. However, one could argue that, thus far, Will Byers is, canonically, queer-coded. It's pretty fucking heavily implied in the show, and the creators have confirmed it, and you're gonna be able to see it if you're not FUCKING BLIND, but word of god is not technically canon which means that interviews don't technically make something canon, blahdyblahdyblahdyblah, technicalities, Robin has been explicitly stated in the text to be queer while Will has, thus far, not, outside of good ol' Show-Don't-Tell. Of course, anyone with two brain cells to rub together can tell that that's going to change by the end of Season 5, but, hey, for what it's worth, I'm throwing this out there.

Alrighty, Thingamajingama Number Two: "Oops, I accidentally made the greatest love story known to man." AKA, a genuine, honest-to-goodness mistake. Unfortunately, we do live in a heteronormative society. Sometimes people who don't think about being gay much write a friendship that's incredibly compelling and don't even consider the possibility that it could have been read as romantic. Something something Top Gun something. This is, again, not queerbaiting. This is Steddie, this is Ronance, this is Elmax, this is your favorite flavor of non-canon ship this week, this is not Byler. The creators know DAMN well what they're doing. They've talked about it. We know this. Nothing new here.

Which brings us to the topic of discussion here. Actual queerbaiting. This usually starts out as an "accidental greatest love story", and then reacts to fan response. And when I say "reacts", I mean like a goddamn chemical reaction. Like bleach and ammonia, bitch. It's noxious and it's gonna kick your fucking ass without mercy. This is when a creator is like, "Hey, let's get our queer audience invested, but we're not actually going to give them what they want because our straight audience isn't here for that/we personally think it's gross/we don't give enough of a shit to want to research a goddamn thing to write a real gay character," blah blah blah whatever excuse they want to come up with this time.

And when you think "queerbaiting", I want you to think "bullying". Because that's what it is. It's lucrative bullying, like beating us up and taking our lunch money, but it's bullying all the same. And it's a real goddamn thing, even if people misuse the word a lot, often when they mean one of the two above, sometimes when they mean "bury your gays", which is another homophobic thing entirely that I'm not going to get into here. Queerbaiting is the thing we're focused on, and it's real, and it's bullying. And here's the reason I want you to think of it as bullying:

They

Think

It's

Funny.

They are actively making fun of us.

That's why Dean had the "Cas, get out of my ass," line in Supernatural. It's why the "Do you like boys?" line happened in Teen Wolf. It's why "Lie with me, Watson," happened in the RDJ Sherlock Holmes movies. Because "It's just a joke, mate." "It was just a prank, bro." "You didn't really think it would happen, did you?" "You should see your face."

So here's probably the biggest reason I don't think it's specifically queerbaiting in this specific instance of Will Byers and Mike Wheeler.

Stranger Things has never, not once, made a gay joke. Ever.

Every single time queerness comes up, it's dead serious.

Lonnie calls Will a fag, and the show is not at all reluctant to show what a goddamn horrible person he is. And when Hopper latches onto that, it's not as "Hahah, is he gay, though?" It's because he's trying to determine a potential motive for Will's disappearance, and even if someone had interpreted it as a joke, Joyce immediately has a line that functions as snapping her fingers in front of the audience's face and yelling "FOCUS" when she says "He's MISSING." Basically outright saying "This isn't funny!"

Troy calls him a fairy, along with targeting Lucas and Dustin for their skin color and disability respectively, and Mike gets damn near murderous. Troy is portrayed as a goddamn monster and the show portrays it as justice when El makes him piss his pants and later breaks his arm.

Steve calls Jonathan "queer" as a slur and gets the shit beat out of him for it.

Billy's father is revealed to be homophobic and abusive in the same breath.

Mike says "It's not my fault you don't like girls!" and we're shown how devastated Will is and Mike immediately follows him to beg for forgiveness.

There is a joke in Robin's coming-out scene, but it's not at Robin's expense. It's at Steve's. Specifically for being heteronormative.

Jonathan has multiple scenes where he's trying so hard to tell Will that he's always going to love him as he is, whether he's gay or not, without pressuring him to come out before he's ready.

Even when there's a little bit of ribbing at Robin's expense, it's always because she's an awkward nerd who's nervous around pretty girls, just the same as Lucas and Dustin are teased when they both first develop crushes on Max, and even then, even then, it always comes as a package deal where they make fun of Steve's girl problems at the same time.

Stranger Things is an emphatically pro-gay show. It may not be the core point of the show the way it is in, say, Our Flag Means Death, but there is nothing less than respect for its queer characters. Its queer characters are always taken completely seriously. No one is making fun of us. They never have. That's why I have serious doubts that this is queerbaiting. It would come completely out of left field for the bullying to start in Stranger Things' final season.

So it's not at all likely to be queerbaiting because queerness is taken completely seriously. The creators have talked about Will's queerness, at least, so it's not an accident. And queer-coding would be silly to expect from this show when it's already on its final season. Like, what is Netflix gonna do? Cancel it? Not to mention all the explicit queerness that's in there already. And no one's gonna "What about the children?" a show that's had sex scenes in it since the first season.

There's no fakeout here. It's gonna happen. Breathe.

[vaguely-concerned]

I don't know what I love more, the fact that as rook you can make a statement in NO uncertain terms that you are NOT responsible one way or the other for the theological implications of the shit you're discovering in the 'regrets of the dread wolf' memories. not my jurisdiction. quite simply none of my business. not my chantry circus not my chantry monkeys. irrelevant to the matter at hand here we'll kill that god if we get to him he can get in line. or if the best thing about it is seeing the lone little 'lucanis approves' that pops up right after choosing it. corvid with a knife about to commit deicide keeping it real and sensibly, pragmatically, wilfully agnostic with me here in this magical lighthouse today

[this-is-my-main-i-follow-from]

Me to Google: I think my new hyperfixation isn't a new tv show or book, but A Literal Person

My phone: *notification pops up* Get Help

[hopeinthebox]

tagged by the exceptional @cordiallyfuturedwight and @cosmicdreamgrl thanks ever so much my loves <33

now tagging some heroes @aprylynn @thvinyl @visionsofgideontheninth @hoseeok @btscontentenjoyer @jihopesjoint @monismochi @raplinenthusiasts <333 and everyone else

[mickules]

I had surgery again

I'm fine! Again. Just another procedure following the last one, and barring any complications the surgeon is pretty convinced that this ought to be the last procedure I'll need! 🎉

This time however I'm far less mobile, and haven't been able to use my laptop without the onscreen accessibility keyboard, so no graphics tablet for me for a while.

I've got some old posts and asks and the like languishing in my drafts so this might be a good time to dust them off...

This is just a quick update on my disappearing trick; Hopefully I'll be back to up to my no good antics sooner rather than later!

[msmc-796-official]

Hey Phoenix! Hey 796!

It’s been a minute since I got in contact with y’all, I’ve been busy, but I saw your chatlogs again (do NOT ask how I keep getting these, it’s not important :3 ) and I have something y’all might enjoy.

…get these to the right person. You might find some evidence you’d enjoy seeing. And don’t tell anybody you got it from me!

—the Intern

Attachments:

IPS_Northstar_LRim_ledger2_unmodified(1).omif

// Nice to hear from you again, Intern! Glad to hear they've not fired you just yet. And don't worry too much about hacking our chatlogs, I'm pretty sure Slipshod went in and tampered with our firewalls specifically to let you poke around in there. (Maybe don't tell Upper Management about that, though.) Now, what's all this abou-

// ...!

oh? did our friend at IPS-N send a present?

// ...something like that, yes. Take a look; I've got your six in case Kennedi comes barging in.

...holy RA above and below. I don't know how many people they blackmailed to get access to this kinda information, but these files are legit. heavily encrypted, mind you - I'd recognize that encryption software signature anywhere - but entirely legit. christ-the-buddha almighty, intern, what kinda privileges are they giving you?

// No idea. Can you decode them?

oh, easy - not the first time I've dealt with IPS-N corporate files, won't be the last. should be a higher-difficulty variant on their standard encryption if the pattern follows; I'll have the full document to you in like an hour, tops - maybe two if they've updated their encryption software since last time, which I highly doubt

// Your skill with hacking never ceases to amaze me, Slipshod. How the hell did HORUS let you go so easy?

look, when a HORUS cell splinters, it leaks a lot of incredibly talented people into the ether. it's just a matter of knowing which (if any) of those people have some actual merit, or if they're all useless dipshits who can't function outside of their gamer rig. if none of the other nearby cells are smart enough to ask you to stick around, that's their loss. you're lucky I wound up here at MSMC, instead of with one of the other big 4 members. (they certainly wouldn't have such outdated encryption software anymore, in any case)

// Fair enough, I guess. Thanks a lot for this, Intern - we've got some serious thinking to do.

-- Angel & Slipshod

[akagamiko]

Here are my political thoughts. I'm not putting it under a read more and I'm not tagging it!! I know a lot of people come here to give themselves a break from real world stuff but sometimes you gotta deal with it (like right now)

Or just scroll by/block if you want idgaf baby!!!

To those in the US: I hope you are okay, get resources for your mental health if needed. Be scared, be pissed off. Don't let anyone tell you your feelings aren't valid because anyone that is queer or disabled or a poc is in for an even bumpier ride than usual.

If you are able: I hope you are involved and engaged in your community because there is no getting progressives into the White House without getting them in at the local level first and that's where you can make the biggest changes. Volunteer with youth or a campaign you feel good about. The DSA have a lot of different chapters in different states if that's your jam.

Remember that progress takes time and does not happen overnight or even over a few years. It is slow as hell and I know that sucks, but we have to be in this for the long haul and for future generations.

The rest of the world: we fucked up for real (again). Sorry for the fallout your countries will inevitably face.

If you voted for Tr*mp: get off my blog before I shoot you with my laser eyes. I do NOT tolerate intolerance. I come from a rural community who are completely brainwashed and!! newsflash!! His 2017 legislation hurt farmers and his tariff plan on John Deere is gonna hurt you again!!!

If you don't "do" politics: well, politics is gonna do you, babydoll, so you might as well!

[kuromi-hoemie]

feeling v proud of myself for eyeing something and thinking “that seems like it's 70 inches” then it was 😌

[herrmit]

not to start shit but. tell me you didn't understand princess jellyfish without telling me you didn't understand princess jellyfish

[mirai-desu]

Them retooling Miss Scarlet & The Duke to cut out the Duke has hit me really hard and not just because of them splitting up the ship--it's also because deep and rich a character William really is. And there was so much more to explore. He really was half the show. It's right there in the title.

In fact, he was a linch pin between the worlds of the show, uniting Eliza and Scotland Yard. But also there's the connection with her father and his mentorship of William, and then in turn William's mentorship of Fitzroy. The opening and closing scenes in 2x05 proved how much he was a part of the community, and looked out for those less fortunate, given his upbringing in the workhouse and living on the streets as a teen. He gave back, just as Henry did to help him. He's responsible and looks after the people he supervises. Ivy is right: William is a good man.

Yes, at first William did write off Eliza's desires to be a detective, as most men would in the 1880s. But then he grew to accept it, and then not only that, but encourages her. He does grow to view her as an equal, giving her cases, and feeling bad when he cannot. He respects her opinion (even though don't they didn't always see eye to eye), and defends her when other men do not. He supports her and tells her what a good detective she is, and that she can always make it work because she always does. And it's these words that she remembers when she decides she has to reopen her agency.

So many times he put Eliza before himself, and often at the detriment of his own career. In fact, where we left off, things were him poised for him to give it up in order to be with her. Because he loves her. It's a shame that we won't continue what what was set up, and it's a shame that that they've chosen to abandon the original premise for whatever the real reason for this mess is.

[danwhobrowses]

Okay cool so this is was me all of this and last week fretting years off my life about the episode and I guess it's gonna be me next week fretting years off my life about next episode coolcoolcoolcool

[ereborne]

Song of the Day: March 27

"Long Time Gone" by The Chicks

[derpinette]

english used to be the normie filter & how you could tell someone was a Trve Internethead but after the DAMNED 2020 quarantine for obvious reasons EveryBody & They Momma is acceptably fluent so now i have to learn swedish or something. -_-

[lexidius]

I WISH I WASN'T AUTISTIC

[thereareeyesinsidethetrees]

more songs we've added to our ford playlist recently with no context (except for the last one, check the tags)

999999999 in a dream by ada rook (added back after being removed for over a year yippie)

the moon doesn't mind by lord huron

the wolf by fever ray

under my skin by jukebox the ghost