#we did it we did it we did it we made it popular

[cynidae]

I am currently freaking out over the guy in the middle because I didn’t realize he was an internet thing. (As you can tell I am not a very internet person).

Six or so months ago, I was working in the sets department on A Midsummer Night’s Dream. All was well, except for the vandals. The awkward little hallway room my sets department is in has two entrances. (A) through the rest of the green room, from a corner of the school through a locked door and to the room. Or, (B) from the random push door leading out of the most populated and accessible staircase in school into a meager little hallway with two entrances and one exit that leads outside, where you must patiently wait for someone to open the other automatically locking door and let you into the sets room.

After me and another friend got locked in said awkward little hallway minutes before a performance last play and frantically called/texted to be let out, we sets folks taped some cardboard over the locking door/sets entrance so it could no longer lock. Meaning we had a straight shot from the best staircase into our little room, which was super helpful! One thing we forgot to take into account: the class skippers.

turns out that locked-from-the-wrong-side door and awkward little hallway was a popular place to skip class. We had just given the class skippers full access to our room (and the entire green room, but that’s mostly costumes and was their problem bc they’re kinda rude so). And what did these lovely people do? They stole our scissors. Hid our sixteen different lime green box cutters across the room. Someone started sorting our screws, and then someone else messed it up. But one person in particular. Took our giant red sharpie. And went over to our peg wall of tools. And wrote, in huge words, I love sprite cranberry on it. (Also something else in black but I forgot it)

See, those people ruined our nice board. We had nothing against sprite cranberry, but we don’t stand for vandalism. So one of the heads did the only reasonable thing and covered it with blue painter’s tape and drew- you guessed it- the guy in the middle of this photo with the words ‘go sets’ next to it.

He became the ‘go sets guy.’ He was our unofficial mascot. I thought th sets head made him up, because this was the kind of stupid thing that he would draw. We even drew him on the middle of one of the platforms we made during the performance to scare the actors on prank night.

and here I was, scrolling on tumblr, happily reading writing memes, when I found out.

The Go Sets Guy isn’t just the Go Sets Guy.

Three moods when I see my favorite artists/writers

[norrisainz33]

dream job || ls18

summary: you are starting the 2025 season in your dream role, as a f1 journalist and end up meeting a certain aston martin driver who sweeps you off your feet

pairing: lance stroll x journalist!nonfamous!reader

fc & warnings: none & some hate comments

requested: yes! thank you for your patience anon!!

masterlist

ﾟ. ✿ ୨❤︎୧⠀✿ . ﾟ

ynuser has made a post

liked by yourbff, friend1, friend2, friend3, coworker, skysportsf1, yoursibling, and 432 others

ynuser: grwm for the first day of my dream job! so excited to cover f175 with skysportsf1 today 🤍

p.s thanks to friend3 for letting me borrow my outfit and yourbff for the hair and makeup

view all comments

yourbff: thats my best friend!!!! here before you become the most popular journalist in the game

ynuser: an og fan! thank you sm bestie

friend3: outfit looks so good omg 😭

ynuser: thank you 😭😭 i appreciate you so much

friend3: couldn’t let my bestie go out there and not serve tf

friend1: soooo coool!!!!!! [liked by ynuser]

skysportsf1: can't wait to see you there!

ynuser: looking forward to it admin 🫶🏻

friend2: i will be watching the red carpet to try and get a glimpse of you bb

ynuser: if you see me please take a picture 😫

yoursibling: don't blow up and pretend you don't know us no more pls

ynuser: how could i ever?!

ynuser has posted to their story

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yourbff: im trying so hard not to fangirl but is that OLLIE AND ESTIE?! AND LANCE

ynuser: yes!! it is!!!!!! not fangirling was incredibly hard. you'll also NEVER guess what happened

yourbff: screaming already - what happened?!

ynuser: after we stopped recording lance told me that he really liked the questions i asked and that he hopes to see me with the media at the races

yourbff: SHUT UP! GIRL

ynuser: and then ofc i forgot how to be normal and told him that he hasnt seen the last of me and then he said and i quote 'i hope thats true.' and then left

yourbff: if i didnt know any better id say he was flirting?

ynuser: literally no way he was just being nice

yourbff: its ok bestie ill be delulu enough for the both of us

friend3: ollie bearman the man that you areeeeeee

ynuser: he was so goofy silly im such a fan

user1: fire content this is going to do numbers on f1twt

friend1: OMGOGMOGMMfgajfgg

ynuser: same

friend2: I SAW YOUR INTERVIEW WITH LANCE!!!!!! AND LANDO??!!?@?@?@?@??@? A N D THE LEWIS HAMILTON????

ynuser: ahhhh you saw them?!?!

friend2: yes!!! you're all over socials for making lance and lando giggle

ynuser: that would explain all the new followers hahaha but seriously all of the drivers were so kind im so excited for the rest of the season. bahrain can't come soon enough

yourcoworker: never gonna get used to this

ynuser: me neither. definitely going to take time to sink in

user3: loved your interview questions! truly such unique ones and you can tell the drivers really appreciated it!

user33: how the heck did u get this job

lance_stroll has posted to his private story

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estebanocon: why do you need this information mon ami?

lance_stroll: science! research!

estebanocon: mate

chloestroll: ..... care to share w the class what this means?

lance_stroll: nope :)

chloestroll: you know that’s not gonna fly

lance_stroll: 😔

chloestroll: TELL ME!!!!!!

lance_stroll: fine!!!!!

lance_stroll: skysports got a new interviewer and she asked really good questions and was really pretty and we chatted a little and i can’t stop thinking about her ok. let a man live

chloestroll: 👀 trying to be nonchalant about this

lance_stroll: see this is why i didn’t want to tell you

pierregasly: kika says it was y/n y/l/n! that is if you mean the girl that asked the funny but really good questions

lance_stroll: yes thats her! thanks pierre or should is say thanks kika xxoo

pierregasly: she says you’re welcome but that you’re gonna have to spill the beans abt what is going on here next time we hang out

lance_stroll: deal

flavybarla: 🤨

lance_stroll: 🤭

fernandoalo_oficial: ask the social media team they'll know

lance_stroll: i'm scared to bc you know they'd make me do like 2 tikoks in return for the info

fernandoalo_oficial: fair

ynuser has posted to their story

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yourbff: obsessed with the duality of the groutfit from target and the insanely fancy drinks you're drinking in this last slide

ynuser: i felt a bit out of place in the restaurant in my little tj maxx dress but he was so insanely sweet it didn’t matter

yourbff: i’m sure you looked stunning bestie. PLEASE spill the beans about your DATE

ynuser: if you had told me it was a dream i would have believed you! like we’ve been texting for a couple weeks but idk i was worried about how it would be in person but talking to him was so easy it felt like we had know each other for forever

yourbff: 🥹🥹🥹 obsessed. are you going to see him again?

ynuser: he did ask me if we could go out again 😭

yourbff: YESSSSSSSSSSSSS I STAN THIS SO HARD

user33: man didnt know being a journalist meant you could afford 5 star restaurants... must be nice

lance_stroll: thanks for taking a chance on me and coming out tonight

ynuser: thank you for inviting me out! i had a really lovely time getting to know you better

lance_stroll: likewise! i’d really like to keep getting to know you 😅

ynuser: it’s a good thing i feel the same way

friend3: was this the dinner and drinks with you know WHO?!

ynuser: yes and it was incredible 😭

yourcoworker: longest day of my entire life. running from the airport directly to the track is not for the weak

ynuser: no for real. our sleep schedules are going to be crazy but it’s going to be so worth it

user1: looking forward to seeing your interviews!

friend2: what is your life these days... a jet setting super star u have become

ynuser: pleaseeeee i am still just little old me

lance_stroll posted to his story

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user28: you’re really spoiling whoever this is

user18: SOFT LWUXNHEVFOW NG IRNG

user18: sorry let me calm down

chloestroll: looooook it’s my favorite girly

lance_stroll: already trying to steal her from me huh

chloestroll: yes! she’s the sweetest little thing ever 🥹🤍

user19: the miami gp better be good to you this weekend i swear

ynuser: i love loving you

lance_stroll: these past few months have been the best of my life

ynuser: same 😭🤍

user33: did you…… get this girl a birkin?????? gotta be a gold digger im

estebanocon: i’m really happy for you mate

lance_stroll: i appreciate you so much mate. thanks to you and flavy for making her feel so welcome last weekend 🤍

estebanocon: you both are always welcome to visit us when we have time off ❤️

yourbff: who is that cutie

lance_stroll: my girlfriend 😉

yourbff: she was mine first 😔

user21: how will i ever survive knowing you’re off the market

user29: i’m taking bets that this is that journalist from skysports

ynuser has made a post

liked by astonmartinf1, yourbff, user1, skysportsf1, your coworker, lance_stroll, chloestroll and 11,345 others

ynuser: imola - you were a dream. make sure to catch my interviews from the weekend over on skysportsf1!

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user1: you’ve really bewitched me this season i think you’re my new favorite media person [liked by ynuser]

lance_stroll: 😍 [liked by ynuser]

ynuser: ❤️‍🔥

user18: i’d know that lance stroll hair in slide 3 anywhere

yourbff: LOVEEEEE this pretty girl

ynuser: bestieeeeeeee thank you 😘

user33: the glow up you’ve had is interesting….. wonder where all these nice things have come from….. seems like a certain billionaire..

flavy.barla: obsessed actually

ynuser: and i’m obsessed with you 🥹

skysportsf1: catch y/n recaping the weekend over on our page! [liked by ynuser]

user12: need outfit details stat

friend3: there are so many people here not sure how to act normal

ynuser: just be you bbgirl

f1gossip has made a post

liked by user1, user2, user3, user4, user5, user6, user7, user8, user33 and 18,375 others

f1gossip: flavy, alex and y/n have all arrived at the monaco grand prix! y/n y/l/n, sky sports correspondent, is rumored to be the girlfriend of lance stroll and has been spending a lot more time in the paddock and with flavy and alex when she’s not reporting.

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user1: god they’re so beautiful

user2: the ultimate trio

user3: i wish i could be part of their friend group

user33: i s2g this girl is just using lance for his $$$

user1: get a life and leave her be

user99: i have noticed that he’s very clearly giving her stuff. like if you look at her posts before they were together she was not dressing like the rest of the wags and now suddenly she is?

user28: this is the happiest i’ve seen lance in like literal years stfu and stop being mean to her

user33: she just wants the influence.. have you seen how much more traction her interviews get now?

user19: being mean isn’t gonna make lance like you user33 like be so for real rn

user18: omg y/n made the wag page this is huge

user20: pleasseeee someone tell me where alex’s dress is from

user11: they’re all literally glowing wow

lance_stroll has made a post

liked by astonmartinf1, ynuser, estebanocon, chloestroll, fernandoalo_oficial, pierregasly and 523,496 others

lance_stroll: with love from summer break ft my favorite person in the whole world 🤍

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fernandoalo_oficial: looks incredible! hope you two had the best time 💚

lance_stroll: we did! looking forward to seeing you soon mi amigo

user18: looks like the vacation of a life time

ynuser: i love you my handsome man

lance_stroll: i love you gorgeous girl

yourbff: cutie patooties i love you both so much

lance_stroll: we love you so much

ynuser: 🤍🤍

chloestroll: thanks for letting me crash your vacay for a few days

ynuser: seeing you was one of my favorite parts 🤍

lance_stroll: it’s always wonderful spending time with you and scottyjames31

user11: honestly this is my royal family. you two are goals idc what anyone else has to say

user23: i can’t wait to see you back on track

ﾟ. ✿ ୨❤︎୧⠀✿ . ﾟ

a/n: thanks for reading!!! likes and reblogs appreciated🤍

ﾟ. ✿ ୨❤︎୧⠀✿ . ﾟ

disclaimer: pictures are not mine and everything i write is fiction

© norrisainz33 || please do not rewrite, translate, or copy any of my works posted here on to any other platform

[hkthatgffan]

Huge news!! My friend omgthecollector on Discord and a contributor to the Gravity Falls Wiki, managed to get in touch with Wes Dzioba who did the colouring for the original covers of the Gravity Falls Shorts Cinestory comic books in 2017 and he just released to her the original cover art for the books in full HD!!

If you don't remember, these books were part of the Cinestory book line that Disney made in the late 2010s. These books basically were retellings of Gravity Falls episodes in comic book form. The ones for the GF shorts had these original covers with art originally made by James Silvani, with Wes having done the colouring.

And speaking of James Silvani, he did the line art for these covers and with his permission, Wes also was able to release the line art for the books as well!

This is pretty cool as these books, while not super popular among Gravity Falls fans, did have cool cover original art. And back in mid 2017; when it seemed like Gravity Falls was on its way out and Journal 3 Special Edition and the coloring book would be it before Alex announced Lost Legends, this was pretty cool to have made for the show...even if it was for a very small thing.

I'm so glad we now have the original cover art to enjoy.

Oh, and also, getting the line art also has confirmed one other mystery about the Cinestory shorts; this mystery character seen in the cover of the first book was always there and designed like that. It wasn't some messed up Pacifica design as first thought...they were always there!

Hell, I even asked James about this years ago and he had no clue who this is and where this character came from. Are they real? Are they a mystery character lost to time? Who knows. But at least we now know they really were designed like this.

[humaninpogresss77]

I am sorry about this long rant; I know we should be talking about Soobin and Hyeri's interview but I haven't been able to move from this because it really makes me so mad.

Also, I freaking love Thai GLs; they are the only thing I have been watching from the last two years. This is not a complain about them.

Let's make a comparison to try to make sense of what I keep reading in these comments and reviews:

-The Thailand government gave full support and funding to The Loyal Pin, with the only conditions to include cultural aspects of Thailand and not make the royal family bad people.

-The Thailand government also gave full support to Uranus2334, as one of the movies introduce in cannes because they realized that these things bring popularity to the country.

-(the popularity of GLs and BLs are not even the 5% of the effort activist did in Thailand for years to get the equal marriage law) There's was a little push thanks to the popularity that these queer projects are getting. And basically every show made since the law was announce is ending in a wedding because of this.

In contrast:

-The Korean government put in jail the creators of one of the mainstream queer shows made before.

-The Korean government has made an incredible censorship around queer content; taking all this content to the side which has been made for not mainstream Kdramas(listen there's Korean GLs and BLs. We just want Korea to start a mainstream industry like Thailand has done).

With this type of contrast; how some people can expect shows like Friendly Rivalry give the same type of stories and romantic aspects like Thai GLs. Like what type of globalized unified type of world people think that exist and where can I live in it?

Listen I hope everyone gets this. Thai GLs are not the rule; they are the goal.

We got main and famous actress Lee Hyeri kissing another woman for more than 2 seconds and nobody went to jail. This is already huge.

It was a dream? still they kissed. The actresses played the role. We got BTS of the scene where we learned that Hyeri hold Soobin's legs so she didn't slip while they were kissing.

Like Hyeri had to buy from her money a lot accessories Jaeyi used because the show didn't got brand deals.

Because Hyeri has her own show on YouTube we got an interview between them. Nobody besides that one and the photo shoot one is giving them the opportunity to speak(so far).

Oh the show disappoint you,is not what you expected it and you want more things like GLs? Sure go watch those. There's hundreds and more coming. Just ignore these show and not leave bad reviews and comments.

Because these projections tend to bring a lot of problems to the creators in a place where censorship is huge; the audience support is extremely important so people decided to do more. Why risking that much if people are gonna hate what you make?

Either way, the homophobes are gonna give bad reviews and are gonna boycott the show.

And in a situation like this; a reviews counts a lot. Is like leaving a bad review to a franchise restaurant that is extremely big compared to leaving a bad review to a small restaurant. Is gonna affected more the small one.

[annecoulmanross]

You should still vote for Éowyn over the Conspirators (four wins vs. two ties is still a sweep; I voted for our Nazgulicide heroine), but I'm so sorry—I have to fact-check a few things:

The killing of Caesar absolutely was depicted as the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy, or at least an event with strong mythic precedent. Marcus Junius Brutus (our Brutus) was the decedent of a mythical "Lucius Junius Brutus" who had ended the line of kings in Rome by overthrowing the tyrant Tarquinius Superbus, thereby laying the foundations for the Roman Republic. This earlier Brutus is referenced in Shakespeare's Caesar, Act 1, Scene 2, when Cassius says to Brutus, "O, you and I have heard our fathers say, / There was a Brutus once that would have brookt / Th'eternal devil to keep his state in Rome / As easily as a king," and Shakespeare's main source, Plutarch's Parallel Lives, opens the "Life of Brutus" with this genealogy: "Marcus Brutus was a descendant of that Junius Brutus whose bronze statue, with a drawn sword in its hand, was erected by the ancient Romans on the Capitol among those of the kings, in token that he was most resolute in dethroning the Tarquins." (Plut. Brut. 1.1, trans. Bernadotte Perrin) Plutarch, writing in Greek a few generations after the death of Caesar, also tells us that, "as to the lineage of Brutus by his father's side, those who display great hatred and malevolence towards him because of the murder of Caesar deny that it goes back to that Brutus who expelled the Tarquins," (Plut. Brut. 1.6) sketching in shadow the more popular opinion against which "those who display great hatred" were arguing: those who were pro-Brutus and anti-Caesar, we can conclude, justified Brutus's actions through his connection to his legendary tyrannicide ancestor.

According to my dear beloved Cicero, Brutus did also have an iconic line as he killed Caesar. Cicero reports, in his Second Philippic, that Marc Antony attempted to accuse Cicero of collusion with the Conspirators on the grounds that Brutus's "I Am No Man" one-liner was something along the lines of Hoc in Nomine Ciceronis Facio "This I Do in the Name of Cicero." (The exact quote from Antony is Caesare interfecto [...] statim cruentum alte extollens Brutus pugionem Ciceronem nominatim exclamavit atque ei recuperatam libertatem est gratulatus, or "When Caesar had been killed, Brutus—lifting up his bloody dagger—immediately shouted to Cicero by name, and gave thanks to him that liberty had been restored.") Also, of course, there's the American Latinism Sic Semper Tyrannis (which is not attested in any ancient source), if you're into that sort of thing. (Brutus is a good exemplum for "the time that is given us." Certain other political assassins who made use of the same phrase are not; please do not glorify John Wilkes Booth—I will desecrate his grave if I must.)

I'm just saying

(my contribution to this poll (in which you should totally vote for Éowyn by the way 🙏))

[pluckyredhead]

Barry Allen for the unpopular opinion meme?

The greatest disservice DC ever did for him was bringing him back from the dead.

The thing is, Barry Allen before he died was kind of a sweet nerd, and then while he was dead he came to represent a past era in a really lovely, inspirational way - nostalgia in its purest, most positive form, especially as an inspiration for Wally.

And then they brought him back...why? Because it had made money when they did it for Hal, and because Fans of a Certain Age wanted their Flash back. Nostalgia in its worst form. (We won't get into how Wally's maturing into the role of the Flash is one of the greatest long games in comics history, or that DC inexplicably decided to replace a character who was wildly popular in both comics and TV with a guy who'd been gone for a quarter of a century.)

But they definitely didn't bring him back because they had a good idea what to do for him next. Because they absolutely didn't.

In fact, it's pretty clear they had absolutely no idea how to update the character's personality to feel believable in the 21st century (which is funny because the TV show did it beautifully). Which means that basically all Barry appearances since 2009 have fallen into three categories:

Asshole with a side of aggressive copaganda.

A cardboard cutout has more personality.

That's just Wally. You're just writing Wally. STOP STEALING WALLY'S PERSONALITY. BITING BITING BITING I AM BITING YOU -

Also, his whole thing now revolves around fridging. He didn't have a Tragic Dead Mom before 2009 but you'd better believe you are going to have to hear about it AT LENGTH across comics, film, and television forever now!

He's a perfect example of Came Back Worse except instead of coming back with weirdly reflective eyes and a taste for human flesh, he just sucks now, with the bonus consequence of sidelining Wally. And I know Barry fans are probably mad at me now, but I firmly believe you deserve a version of the character who doesn't suck, and I'm sorry but that version died in 1986 and no one at DC has managed to resurrect him since.

[justn0t]

okay I did the beastancient tierlist thing yap under cut. I also only really did the popular ones

- sv is peak no commenr 100000/10

- bc is great cycle of life and death also religious romantic connotations 10/10

- mc is much more interesting to me when mf can't or refuses to like him back and dc hates himself for feeling how he does. more comical suffering for dc as he fantasises about the only person who could truly give him a break from it all who he can never have. everyone he loves is always out of reach. do u see the vision.

-i like and support purelily, shocking I know.. but I feel as though most of the content of it misrepresents their relationship. pv depends on her an unhealthy amount, and she doesn't love him as much as he loves her. they also explicitly say they can't be together like twice in beastyeast. I like it only in a tragic way that will never work out

- pc is valid,, they have lots of very cute moments and I see the vision

- gl good doomed yuri creates amazing fics and art. their kingdom interaction kills me oh they're so tragic

- yellow tier -> very excited but I can't give that much comment about characters we don't know yet.

- light orange tier -> I don't care about these moving on

- I understand shipping characters that don't like eachother but wl and sm viscerally hate eachother for very important reasons and I feel like the only way this works is if they magically get over those. sm hates wl for being the guardian whose life mission is to imprison him and for helping pv escape his mind games in ch1 beastyeast. wl hates sm for indirectly killing elder faerie, putting her kingdom in chaos and tormenting pv. it doesn't work in any context sorry

-i was originally going to put burningmilk in light orange tier but then I realised I respect cacaolily a lot more and they shouldn't be on the same tier. feel like there is little reason to ship them other than size diff fetish and everyone I've seen explaining it hasn't worked for me sorry

- I don't like bs and dc for reasons similar to burningmilk

- observant people may have noticed that purespice is in a separate bottom tier. This is because i hate it a lot. I don't see a reason to like it other than pornagraphic size difference yaoi garbage. they haven't met, bs hates soft and nurturing people, and pv helps the injured. they are literally only put next to each other for yaoi reasons. both are well written characters that deserve to be explored beyond yalls fetishes. it isnt "hes only soft around pv...." omfg would it kill you to not completely change and misrepresent a character so you can shove them into a stupid fandom made mold.

[jaikoyaki]

ꜱᴛᴀʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴇ

//Kang Haerin x Reader//univ!AU//short oneshot//

ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴇx ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜꜱ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀɴ. ꜰᴀʟʟɪɴɢ ꜰᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ ᴡᴀꜱɴ’ᴛ.

SYPNOSIS ! You’ve never missed a party. But when Kang Haerin—your best friend/fake girlfriend, and a total loser—cups your face and asks you to stay, how could you possibly say no????

WORD COUNT ! 2k TAGS ! Fake Dating, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Fluff & Tension, Light Angst, Nerd/Loser (idfk)!Haerin, Popular!reader, Subtle Jealousy. friends with benefits???, univ!au, fem!reader ofc, CUDDLESSS WARNINGS ! Mild suggestiveness, gay ahhahahah, idk how to write kissing stuff, kinda rushed but idc, Mentions of alcohol/partying,

AUTHOR'S NOTE ! ohmygoff guys i tried a different header style and i don’t like it but i’m too lazy to fix it 😭 anyway i got this idea from a tt i saw like a year ago lol

You’re sitting cross-legged in front of your vanity, lip gloss uncapped in one hand and your phone in the other. A stream of notifications rolls across the screen—texts from your friends about tonight’s party, someone asking if you’re bringing Haerin, and a single message from your ex that you’ve been ignoring all day.  

The girl behind you shifts on the bed, the soft glow from your LED lights casting faint shadows across her face. She’s still in her oversized sweater, the sleeves bunched over her hands, and her glasses are slipping down the bridge of her nose. Loose strands of hair frame her face as she watches you apply your makeup.  

“You’re really going?” Haerin’s voice is soft, almost hesitant. 

You meet her gaze through the mirror, “Yeah. Why, you gonna miss me?”  you joked

Haerin’s eyes drop to her lap, fingers tugging at the frayed hem of her sweater. “No.”  

You roll your eyes. “Liar.”  

She doesn’t answer, but you catch the way her lips press together.

Most people wouldn’t dare accuse Haerin of lying. Half the school is either intimidated by her or obsessed with her—the whole mysterious, nonchalant dreadhead vibe only adds to the appeal. She’s smart, always at the top of her class, but not in a try-hard way. It’s effortless for her.

At least, that’s what everyone else thinks.

You know better.

“awhh, you’re really not gonna miss me?” you tease, tilting your head.

Haerin’s mouth twitches, almost like she’s fighting a smile. She pushes her glasses up her nose with the edge of her sleeve. “Obviously not.”

Yeah. Sure.

The thing about Haerin is that she’s impossible to read—cold and quiet to most, yet with you, she’s something else entirely. A complete loser, really.

She’s obsessed with frogs. Like, weirdly obsessed. She has a whole album of frog pictures on her phone and once made you sit through a 20-minute Ted Talk about how they absorb water through their skin. And don’t even get started on the fish facts—Haerin has this habit of dropping random, useless knowledge on you at the worst times. (“Did you know some fish can change genders?” she once whispered during a math test.)  

And honestly—You find it kind of cute.

You twist around in your seat, setting your lip gloss down and leaning back on your hands. Haerin’s still looking down, her glasses sliding lower on her nose as she worries the edge of her sweater between her fingers.  

“You could come with me, you know.”  

Haerin scoffs, adjusting her glasses. “Why would I do that?”  

“Because,” you shrug, “it would make sense for my girlfriend to be there.”  

Haerin’s head snaps up, eyes rolling behind her lenses. “You’re really still going through with that?”  

You grin. “We already agreed, didn’t we?”  

“You agreed.”  

“Hey! You agreed too,” you remind her. “You were the one who said it’d be a good idea.”  

Haerin huffs, standing up and heading toward your closet.

The whole fake dating thing had been your idea. After your ex moved on a little too fast, you figured making her jealous was the obvious solution. And who better to rope into your ridiculous plan than your own best friend?

It worked maybe a little too well. Your ex definitely noticed, and Haerin played the part better than you expected. Too good, even. The way she held your hand, the way she looked at you like you were the only person in the room—it felt real.

Then your ex texted you she said she wanted to talk, maybe even try again. But you turned her down without hesitation and never mentioned it to Haerin.

And somehow, instead of ending the whole thing right there… you just kept going.

“Great.” You hum to yourself, picking up your brush again.

You hear Haerin rummaging through your closet, followed by the shuffle of fabric. When you glance back, you see her pulling on a blue flannel—and then… a baseball cap.

She adjusts the brim low over her face as she sits back down on the bed.

“You are not wearing a baseball cap to the party,” you arch a brow, grabbing your phone and a handful of makeup products as you walk toward her.

The girl on your bed leans back, tipping the brim upward slightly. “What’s wrong with baseball caps?”

“At a party? Everything.”

You toss the cap behind you and slide into her lap without thinking—an easy, familiar motion, like slipping into your favourite seat. Her hands instinctively hover at your waist, hesitating just for a moment before resting there, light but sure, as if they’ve done it a hundred times before.

“Let me do your makeup,” you say, grinning as you hold her chin between your fingers.

“What?” Haerin blinks, pushing her glasses up with her knuckle.

“You’ll look cute.”

“No.”

“Please?”

Silence. Which is basically a yes to her.

“Yay”

Her breath hitches when you push her glasses up onto her head. Her hands tighten on your waist—just slightly, just enough for you to notice.

You pretend not to.

She watches as you put blush onto her cheeks, her lashes fluttering when you swipe a soft stroke across her nose. When you lean in to do her eyeliner, your thumb resting lightly beneath her jaw, you feel it—the faintest tremor beneath your fingers.

“Sit still,” you murmur, leaning in to draw her eyeliner. Your left hand steadies her head, thumb resting just beneath her jaw.

Her gaze flickers up—not toward the mirror, but directly at you.

And now you’re close enough to see the gold flecks in her irises, the way her breath subtly hitches in her throat.

How is she supposed to stay still when you’re this close?

“There.” You smile, brushing your thumb lightly over the curve of her cheek. “Pretty.”

Though, you could’ve sworn you didn’t put that much blush on her…

Haerin avoids your gaze instead flicking toward the corner of the room

“Hm…wait.” You squint, studying her face. “You’re missing something.”

“Ah!...lipstick.”

Her gaze drops immediately to your lips.

You hum to yourself, twisting slightly as you glance toward the side of the couch, brushing your hand along the cushion in search of the tube. “Damn… I forgot to bring it over.”

You start to push yourself up — but before you can move, Haerin’s hands shift at your sides, her fingers brushing lightly over your waist like she’s steadying you.

You blink. “Haerin?”

Her cheeks are bright pink, her breath shaky. For a moment, it feels like time slows. The warmth of her hands bleeds through your shirt, and you’re close enough to see the quick rise and fall of her chest.

And then her hands slide up, cupping your face, her thumbs skimming over your skin.

Your breath stutters.

She hesitates, eyes flicking down to your mouth, then back up—like she’s waiting for you to stop her.

You don’t.

And then, softly (almost shyly) Haerin kisses you.

Your breath stutters as her mouth moves hesitantly at first—like she’s bracing for you to pull away. But you don’t. Your hands curl into the fabric of her flannel as she leans in deeper, her thumb brushing over your cheekbone.

“Problem solved,” she whispers.

-

You’ve always gone to the parties.

Seriously—always. If there’s a party happening, your name is on the guest. People expect you to be there. You have a reputation for it, being the life of the party, the one who knows exactly where the good drinks are, who’s sneaking into the pool after midnight, and which couple is probably going to break up by the end of the night.

Skipping a party? That’s not really your thing.

So when Haerin asks, “You’re really going?” it’s not a weird question. Of course you’re going.

Or… you were.

Your lips are still tingling when Haerin pulls back, just barely, her face hovering so close that you can feel her breath against your skin. Her glasses have slipped down her nose again, and her hands are still cradling your face like she’s afraid to let go.

Your heart is pounding. Actually, pounding might be an understatement —it’s doing backflips and somersaults and possibly breaking Olympic records right now.

“Now, Stay,” Haerin whispers.

Your eyes widen. “Wha—”

She leans in again, a soft kiss against the corner of your mouth this time. So soft you barely feel it, but it sends a hot spark shooting down your spine.

“Stay,” she says again.

You’re starting to feel dizzy. “Haerin—”

Another kiss—this time against your jaw. Her lips linger there for a second longer than they should, and you swear you feel her breath hitch against your skin.

In Haerin’s head, everything’s loud and quiet at the same time.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. It wasn’t real. Just a dumb plan to make your ex jealous. That’s what Haerin had told herself, over and over, every time you held her hand in public, every time you leaned into her side, every time someone called her your girlfriend. It was supposed to be harmless.

But somewhere between the ice cream dates and the way you smiled at her, it stopped feeling fake.

She should pull away. She should stop.

But she can’t.

Because the truth is, Haerin doesn’t want it to be fake anymore.

“Stay.”

Your brain is short-circuiting. Haerin’s hands slide from your cheeks to the back of your neck, her fingertips pressing lightly into your skin.

What the hell is happening right now??

Her lips brush the tip of your nose next —so soft it almost makes you laugh if you weren’t so busy trying not to combust.

“Stay.”

Her voice is steadier this time — more sure of itself.

You can’t breathe. Your hands are gripping the front of her flannel now, your knuckles white from how hard you’re holding on.

Her lips press lightly to the side of your neck next, just below your ear. Warm. Careful. She pulls away slowly, like she’s testing the reaction—and oh god, if your face gets any hotter you’re going to actually catch fire.

You can’t move. Can’t think. Can’t do anything except sit there, wide-eyed and very much on the verge of collapse.

Haerin tilts her head, brushing her lips over yours one more time—so soft and slow that it feels almost dreamlike. And when she pulls back, her eyes are dark behind her glasses, her cheeks flushed.

“Stay,” she whispers.

And then-

“...Please?”

Your whole body jolts like someone just hit you with a defibrillator. Haerin’s hands are still cupping the back of your neck, her forehead pressed against yours. Her lips are parted, her breath coming out as shaky.

Your mouth opens and nothing comes out. Your heart is beating so loud you can’t even hear yourself think.

“Uh—”

Haerin’s eyes flick to your lips again— and for a second, you think she’s going to kiss you again 

“Okay,” you breathe.

You don’t even know if you said it out loud or just thought it, but Haerin’s face relaxes, the corners of her mouth twitching upward.

And just like that

This was the first time you didn’t attend a party.

_______________

Your phone buzzes from where it’s balanced on the edge of the couch. You reach for it, trying not to disturb Haerin—who is currently asleep on top of you, her face buried in the crook of your neck, her arms lazily draped around your waist.

You squint at the screen. Hanni.

You sigh and swipe to answer the call, careful to keep your voice low.

“Hello?” you whisper.

“DUDE, WHERE ARE YOU?” Hanni’s voice is practically vibrating through the phone, loud enough to make you wince. You can barely hear her over the sound of music thumping in the background.

“I’m… not coming,” you murmur.

“What?!” Hanni’s voice sharpens. “What do you mean you’re not coming? Are you sick???”

You open your mouth to respond, but then Haerin shifts, her arms tightening slightly around your waist as she nuzzles closer. A soft hum escapes her lips.

And suddenly, you can't think of a single reason to leave.

“…I just don’t feel like it,” you say, your voice barely above a breath.

“You don’t feel like it?” Hanni scoffs. “Girl, Since when?”

You hesitate, shifting your phone to your other hand. Haerin shifts too, her breath warm against your neck. You don’t dare move, the same way you’d stay still if a cat had settled in your lap.

That’s when Hanni’s gaze sharpens. Her eyes narrow as she squints at the screen.

“Wait… why are you whispering?”

“I—”

Her gaze drops. Her eyes widen.

“Wait.” Hanni leans closer to the camera, her brows furrowing. “Are those—”

You frown. “What?”

“Y/N.”

“What??” you panic.

“Are those lipstick marks?”

Hanni’s eyes nearly pop out of her head. “IS THAT HAE—”

You hang up.

______________________________

hey guys...i may have a dani version of this if anyone’s interested😈😈

taglist: @arihiu @fruityg0rl @keiji-jin @hazel-tanthamore22 @yjiminswallet @idkwhatim-doinghere101 @gtfoiydlyj @loliue @Mj.Db @jkwsel @saysirhc @peranoo @syronns @angiisss @hwonnrinji @nnewjeansstuff @popasi @greenniee @imsogay504 @wintersgff @kki1ooo @sh1ba100 @tashasmywife

[andromedicasphyxiate]

Ok we are going to TALK about this honey because I have a LOT to say (Legally Blonde is one of my FAV movies and is 2000's cinematic GOLD, fight me if u dare 😭😭😭)

what's REALLY cool about Elle is that:

1. she straight up just went for what she wanted and she excelled at it

In the beginning of the movie (which is when she is in college) she was simply into beauty and fashion and having fun and being in a sorority and having a great/hot boyfriend, and she made it all happen for herself!! She built her dream body, her dream aesthetic and wardrobe, got a 4.0 GPA in her fashion major (and wouldnt let the high fashion shop girls fool her about fabrics lol (because she really knew her stuff)), was dating the guy of her dreams, AND was super popular in her sorority (because she was so sweet and kind and helpful to everyone too)

2. she didnt give up, she believed in herself, she had a crazy strong work ethic and her priorities were set

In the next part of the movie (kind of still in the beginning), she decided that she wanted to marry her boyfriend, so she did her best to ensure that the proposal would go well (aside from having been a great girlfriend all through college, of course). And although she was down and out when he dumped her, she didn't give up and worked really hard to follow him to freaking *HARVARD*, ok?! Everyone told her it wasn't meant for her, and she couldn't and shouldn't do it, but she had her sights set on it and went for it anyway.

It was very difficult, she had to stop being a fun, party girl and trade in her current likes and life for her future self (which meant books and practice exams, ew 😭😭) but she did it in a heartbeat, and...SHE MADE IT!! 😍😍😍

3. she wasn't afraid to change her priorities and learn from life, and she had a really strong character too

When her loser boyfriend still wouldn't accept her as marriage worthy, although she now fit the bill academically, she didn't hesitate to ditch the idea of being with him and dedicated herself to a more worthy cause--investing in herself, her grades, getting the prestigious internship at Callahan's law firm, and also doing extremely well at it. Also, she didn't give away her client's alibi just to continue being trustworthy, even though she had so much to lose by doing that. And she didn't hesitate to brush Callahan off when she could have taken the opportunity to sleep her way to the top. She wanted her merit to be the cornerstone of her career and not her beauty.

Overall, I love Elle because she was a lovely person who did her best to be kind to everyone, including her ex's fiance. She was super authentic and wasn't afraid to be in her feminine energy and be cute and have fun and just flow with life, but she also wasn't afraid to exert her masculine energies and get in the warzone in her daily life, pull on what she wanted and push back on what she didn't think was right. She just was who she was, and didn't let anybody dictate the outcomes of her life.

And that to me is feminism at its core--the choice to embody any kind of energy you want, anywhere between the traditionally feminine end of the spectrum and the traditionally masculine, and to never forget that your gender doesnt have to play into what your life should look like or whom you should be. And that both masculine and feminine energies, although different, are equal and just as important for individuals and also society at large, to have a happy, successful, well balanced and fulfilling life!!

(also, I've written the last paragraph from the standpoint of moderate traditional gender roles, which is what I happen to believe in; but if that's not your cup of tea I completely understand and respect that xoxo 🩷🩷🩷, so please feel free to skip the last paragraph or adapt it to what you see fit 🥰🥰🥰)

The bimbo feminism girls who love Legally Blonde really missed like the whole point of the movie. The point is that she's not a brainless bimbo. She saves the day with her knowledge of haircare, sure, but she got in the room by going to law school. You cannot reduce that movie down to "Girl knowledge saves the day!" because the perm wouldn't have mattered if she hadn't spent the entire rest of the movie working her ass off in an unrelated field. The feminist angle is that she can have girly interests and also be smart, not that having girly interests is feminist in itself

[lilyvalerieorchard]

Look, Mikalia

I know it's hard considering either Lily incest-poisoned your brain so much or that you are being pressured into seeing incest so that you don't anger your beloved, there's something you need to know:

CATRA. AND. ADORA. ARE. NOT. AND. NEVER. HAVE. BEEN. "SISTERS!"

Firstly, that page from the "show bible" calling them "sisters" was made by NBC/DreamWorks/Netflix without ND Stevenson or any of the other creatives, way before the show entered production; before Stevenson and the crew ultimately made Catra and Adora childhood friends, NOT "sisters."

Secondly, like many authors commissioned to write tie-in books to popular kids media, Tracey West was completely unfamiliar with She-Ra, meaning she KNEW NOTHING about the plot or the characters. So DreamWorks (in collaboration with Schoolastic), without any input from Stevenson or the show staff, gave her information sheets that would give a simplified run-down of the show's premise and characters. And, of course, they would contain the faulty, outdated information referring to Catra and Adora as "sisters." Also meaning that these tie-in books were planned before the show was even made, before any of the creative decisions made by Stevenson and the staff. How do I know this? Because this a very common practice for companies. Getting third-party writers to write tie-in material for their media without any of the original creatives involved. If Lily or Mikalia knew anything about show-production and franchising, they would know this sort of thing happens all the time.

Mikalia, it seems like you and Lily so desperately want them to be sisters because (as I've said before) if they were, you two would constantly ship them like you do with Jinx and Vi, Tai and Kari, Zuko and Azula and Gorion's Ward and Imoen. If you're not being being pressured into Lily's incest-fantasies then just admit you have an incest-fetish, admit you are turned on by sibling x sibling love; admit you are proud pro-shipper. We won't judge. Buuuuuut if you did all of that, that would also mean knowing all about Lily's sexual abuse of Courtney, her sister.

[cancereye]

bharani & eve

i’m sure others have made this connection. when i googled it, i didn’t see anything though. so i’m putting my thoughts here.

i’m wondering if eve is represented by bharani, as being “the one who bears.” eve is the “mother of mothers.” this can of course be debated, since in some christian myth, there were other women. but as far as the most popular christian belief, eve was the first, and thus, the one who carried all human life by being the birth giver of all human life.

it’s also because of the connection she has to serpents and the way she’s blamed for the fall of man for her “deceit” and “betrayal.” i read the myth of adam and eve not in the christian way, though. i believe eve traded her life for true sovereignty over her life - whether she did “good” or “evil”, was her volition. but she gets demonized (bharani is demon!) even though adam also ate. but he gets treated almost like a child who didn’t know any better, whereas eve is a cunning seductress who manipulated him.

and this is of course due to misogyny, lol. for bharani, serpent’s mouth is compared to the vagina/vulva. and this is another reason i feel like eve is treated as a seductress: the same way the mouth of the serpent convinced eve, is how her coochie convinced adam. (serpent mouth = yoni)

but i feel like the serpent honestly didn’t “trick” eve. i think the serpent reflected a deep desire for freedom within eve, or that the serpent wasn’t even physically there. a representation of kundalini or something. if kundalini is associated with serpents and serpents are associated to vulvas…? idk. i’m not christian, i’m trying to make sense of it with the vedas.

femininity & women are astrologically represented by the moon, who represents change and fluidity. by water and waves, which can change form (liquid, solid, gas) as well as move freely in it regular state. so this why i think the astrological nature of women is change & freedom. probably why jupiter exalts in cancer. i’m getting off topic

side note…

i think our bodies are temporary containments for something that transverses gender and sex (as the limitless god is with neither gender nor sex). i don’t think kundalini, femininity, mothering, or womanhood are innate to having a uterus.

i’d be a liar to say i don’t think the uterus has dense creative ability for the simple fact of how significant it is for reproduction - aka, one of the most draining and involved forms of manifestation.

but u know - i think all of our bodies are special in their abilities and we define our bodies. our body doesn’t define us. penis or vulva or both.

i’m genderless so i feel like my understanding of my uterus is different than other people’s. there’s power in it, but it’s not because my uterus defines me. it’s because i define it.

i am discussing very ancient practices that tend to not be as expansive about gender and sex. but personally i think anyone can free themselves from the confines of sex-based roles & become masters of creation and manifesting. i see trans girls do it all the time. :p and that’s very bharani to me too.

[brw]

Again, I just think we should not give Johnathan Hickman or Benjamin Percy credit for something that they did not do. Acting like Marvel is considering Logan a bisexual character the way they consider Betsy Braddock or David Alleyne or whoever else to be bisexual characters is just objectively incorrect and I think it is important to acknowledge these distinctions. You can of course consider Logan bisexual in your own personal reading and interpretation of these moments in comics, but there is an objective way that comics treats and presents their queer characters, and that is not the way that Marvel treats and presents Wolverine. While ambiguity is not an invalid way to show queerness, when it comes to one of Marvel's biggest and most popular characters of all time, arguably only second or third to Spider-Man and the Hulk, it needs to be made clear and be made explicit and that is not what we have been given with Logan in comics or in movies.

[ultramaga]

I'm pretty sure the spanking ad is a modern fake. But what it looks like to me is pearl clutching over two tongue in cheek ads, and one modern bdsm joke. I have to wonder - are they not aware that adult humans like that stuff?

Hell, it could be argued that Leftism is a kink movement - loads of men obsessing with sissification. They say they want to be women, but dress and act like hypersexualised caricatures.

This is how real people look.

Notice that the women and men really aren't that different. Women use a bit of makeup, and maybe the style is a little more ornate, but for most people, unless they are going out, the clothing is almost unisex. Leftists are clowns, let's face it, but perverted clowns - the sort who try to bundle the kiddies into an ice-cream truck that plays every note as if the tape was stretched.

I remember decades ago when feminists were still around, and they were bitching about these ads, and it turned out ad companies did the gender reversed ones as well, because the ad companies want money and don't care about feminist theory, and we would point out that feminists don't object to the reversal, and they would reee until they passed out. Good times. But I never did get an answer. What is wrong with an ad with the fantasy of a dominant man when women's erotica and romance novels are totally one sided with submissive woman and dominant man - including hyperdominance, where the woman is pack-raped and eaten. I mean, where was the feminist outrage that women were creating fictions where women were oppressed, and other women were paying money and getting off on it? And now communists are trying to be offended on their behalf?? The same communists who cheer as China rapes Uyghur women as a part of their push to genocide non-Han peoples?

Fvck Communism. It is an actual rape culture carrying out actual genocide, and the pathetic thing is that the feminists and the left wing keep making excuses for it.

Dominant man holds woman, who submits. The scandal, indeed!

This is the most popular genre in the world at the moment.

Have you ever noticed feminists never made a successful gender reversed version? Submissive men, dominant women? It just doesn't sell. They do exist but not in such numbers, and there tends to be a different aspect to it. In fact, the male equivalent is more ...

Dominant woman, but softly dominant.

Which is why "sexy nurse" survived long after anything sexy was removed from nursing.

There was a very popular number of films which had nurses in them - both as romantic and sexual idealised figures.

Long lost now, of course.

Even the parodies are forgotten.

This Women's History Month, we look back at some political propaganda posters, which serve as mirrors for the ideologies of societies. While communist forces promote women’s liberation, vintage US posters leave us speechless. Here are some stunning comparisons.

[stolentrekblr]

Trekblr Community Reaction

I have wanted to compile reactions from the community for a while now, and today I finally made it happen. I have not editorialized anything, doing my best to copy reactions as written. Without further ado:

i love accs like this and the people behind them. the dedication to search for stuff like this and bring it home. sounds absolutely maddening and i salute them. to sift through garbage theft accs… doing the lords work

idk if i should feel honored or not, at least my username is there lol. this is very funny to me. like i dont even use facebook anymore

Omg they erased the last sentence. Lmao. I mean if you’re gonna steal my posts at least include the entire thing. It’s literally the least you could do

chat should we kill them?

OMGOD IVE MADE IT!!! this is crazy because i feel like my dad might actually see my star trek posts LMFAO. he's always on there. this is a big moment

I don't have a problem with reposts of my stuff if the watermark/username is included, but I appreciate the spirit of what you're doing

Nice sentiment but i really don't want people on facebook to have a link to my tumblr blog. thank god it's uncredited... been around a while my posts are always being stolen

The person Im thinking of flat out took OC memes from me and passed off my captions as his own. He gave me credit once from what I've seen and then the other times it looks like he made it up himself. I'm all for tossing memes out there and letting them be wild and free, but this guy twists it and uses it to beg for money on his page. He's got the lobes.

Why did they censor my pfp but not my username WHAT

damn. ig im famous now. better start lining up for autographs

People are posting me to Facebook???????

Damn... I'm not even mad about this tbh... someone thought my stupid post was good enough to steal and put on a facebook group 🤣🤣

disgusting

?!?!??!??!??!??!?!!!??!?

You know what I'm ok with Facebook enjoying this one I appreciate it being edited over them

This has never happened to me before

I honestly don’t mind seeing screen shots of my posts showing up elsewhere, it’s inevitable, but the nature of a screenshot shows the source of the post as well as the OP. But this crap is blatant plagiarism. Obviously this person is on tumblr, so I hope they see this. Please do better and have a smidgeon of integrity. Just give credit? It’s really not difficult? Thanks @stolentrekblr for the effort here.

Yooooo this is wild! Glad people like it I guess

This one ALMOST gives credit. But not quite. Could’ve just typed my handle in the post 🤷‍♀️ super easy, barely an inconvenience.

Come on... Just type "credit: *tumblr handle of the OP*" It's so easy not to be a spineless thief.

The watermark 🙄🙄

keep doing your thing op. you're like an archeologist but instead of screaming about how it belongs in a museum you are adamantly making sure people know where these things came from. i can't even fucking imagine the searching you have to do to find these posts. earlier today i couldn't find a post i had seen yesterday. keep it up!

I tracked down a post of mine that you found reposted on the data FB page, and left them a comment. "Hey look, its my post! didn't even crop out my tumblr url lmao. it was much more popular on my blog tho (1,817. notes)" They did not respond. 😒 It only got 344 reactions and 6 comments on the data page though... that page has like 38k followers... at least my posts do well when I post them myself on the Star Trek Shitposting page 🤣

I've made it. I have arrived. I got my 5 second shitpost lifted and put on another social media site, complete with a hazy photo overlay. I have won at Tumblr. I can rest now. I can rest.

Ohh yeah, this guy's a real loser. It's the WATERMARK for me 🙄

The HUBRIS!

ahh wow Ive never had a post escape containment before!! did they at least link back?

I am touched ^-^

plagiarism is the real problem. it gets worse when you see someone profit off the passions of other people in a fandom

well damn. and i'm here looking for employment...

sad to see someone else repost on fb and even watermark it. seriously what is up with the watermark over a screenshot of a tumblr post

Yeah. I think you're doing good work. I think exploitation is so baked into society that some people don't even realize when they are using the free labor of others for their own gain.

[synergysilhouette]

Hot takes/unpopular opinions with DC and Marvel Comics (Part 3)

I'm back with another "hot take" post on the aforementioned publishers and their properties. Hope you enjoy!

"Grayson" should've been a Tim Drake series--While I'm not a fan of "Grayson" from the perspective of it feeling like a downgrade for a hero in the main universe to become a spy, I think it would've benefited Tim Drake, given the fact that he needed something new, and it would've been a good way to highlight his reputation as the smartest Robin (which has since been kinda undermined). I also think it could've worked for Damian, but seeing how underrated Tim is, he has my vote.

2. Ric Grayson could've been brought about with the memory crystal--I know hindsight is 20/20, but I do think that Dick Grayson becoming Ric Grayson could've easily been done with the mind control crystal Joker used on him rather than going the cliche amnesia route. At least it would've made Ric's arc a little more likeable. OR we could've had Dick Grayson as a villain while he had amnesia instead of using the memory crystal. Either way, it works.

3. DC really puts the bio kids of SuperBat first--While Nightwing is still popular, I do feel like he's kinda become underrated over the years (not least because of the objectification he's faced in comics and other media), while Red Hood and Tim Drake's Robin definitely feel even moreso. Damian is definitely the face of the Robins now, making it feel like DC prefers Batman with his biological son. A similar thing happened with Superman, with his clone/son Kon-El being kinda forgotten (though I did enjoy him being part of the Titans in "Titans United") and his biological son Jon taking up the Suberboy mantle and getting more space.

4. Damian should've been bi instead of Tim--While stuff like this is gonna get negative attention no matter how you slice and dice it, Damian's youth (both as a person and as a character) would've been less controversial than Tim being bi, especially since DC, definitely showing favoritism to Damian over Tim, would've made sure that Damian's sexuality wasn't all he was, unlike Tim, who only seems to get major attention when it's time for DC Pride. Like, is that all Tim is now? Not the smart Robin, not the heartfelt Robin, but the Robin who's attracted to guys as well as girls? Definitely think Damian would've been treated better--plus IMAGINE if he and Jon started dating. I'm sure that'd make some headlines (plus all of the next-gen Trinity would be bi).

5. Starfire needs another series--Given the success of the "Teen Titans" tv show, I would've thought she'd be a lot more relevant in DC, but she's mostly tied to the Titans now rather than any other property. And even when she gets the spotlight, a lot of it is tied to the tragedy of her homeworld rather than expanding on her culture and Tamaranean history. I don't even remember what Tamaran's current status is, but it'd be nice to explore it in present-day, as well as seeing more of Starfire's family (ie her parents, sister, brother, and cousin), and perhaps retconning Ph'yzzon's death so he can be a love interest to her--even though I do love her with Dick and Roy. Plus I kinda want more diversity in terms of phenotypes; most of them all have the red hair, orange skin, and green eyes going on except for people like Ph'yzzon (perhaps they're different races on Tamaran; IDK, but I'd still want a bit more differentiation within the same race).

6. The O5's return should've been an AU--I stand by this, mainly because they were sent back in time with memories erased later, and their contributions and relationships are short-lived (RIP Storm/Cyclops, Iceman/Romeo, and Angel/X-23). It could've also allowed for more creative storytelling rather than the whole "culture shock" thing with going forward half a century and having to deal with everyone having different feelings about them thanks to their present-day selves. Maybe it's also my desire for a spiritual successor to "X-Men: Evolution."

7. Loki/Scarlet Witch was done dirty--I remember being so frustrated on this. I've only been into comics for half a decade and don't keep track of all of them, but from what I understand, Loki's been making growth from a villain to an antihero. However, Scarlet Witch's comic not only teased us with the possibility with a romance (something I never knew I wanted), but said a romance between them was impossible because Loki wasn't honest with himself and wouldn't change. I feel like that was such a weird slap in the face, telling us that a couple would exist if a character's growth meant anything to the current writers. (Oh, and I'm not making this another bullet point on it's own, but Loki is NOT rocking the black lipstick. Maybe it's just the artists I've seen so far?)

8. Trying to retire Cyclops was stupid--Chris Claremont's desire to retire Cyclops was always weird to me when I found out about it. I know the X-Men face a variety of threats, but at the end of the day, they're superpowered humans who are the next step in evolution, and was made as an allegory to racism. As such, you don't really retire from being the victim of racism; even if Cyclops kept his head down and avoided showing his gift, it felt like going against everything he stood for. Maybe someone can explain Claremont's thought process more for me to understand, but I found it ridiciulous to simply write him as getting married, starting a family, and essentially "forgetting" about the X-Men. It'd be different if he was a mutant with no prior experience in heroism. Plus if we never tried to go that route, maybe Madelyne and Nathan would've gotten better treatment (or maybe they'd never exist at all).

9. Cyclops and Professor X's modern characterization is awful--Okay, my experience as a new(ish) comic reader is definitely showing, as is my exposure to X-Men media. I'm not a fan of hardened Cyclops, and I kinda miss his boy scout personality, as well as a time when Professor X wasn't self-righteous. What are the odds of a soft reboot of them back to their personalities? How easily could they fit that back into the modern Marvel narrative, and how would fans feel about it?

10. Animated theatrical universes should be considered--The DC Universe Animated Original Movies reigned for a long time, but the films were direct-to-video and pretty underrated and had several universes that they took place in. It'd be interesting if a major animation company worked on it--though probably not a big-name, since a cinematic universe would block the development of other films.

[eretzyisrael]

by Chaim Lax

A famous man once said, “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.”

When it comes to discussions about Israel and Zionism, the Jewish people’s liberation movement, this statement could not be more accurate. Many times, both journalists and social media influencers will share famous quotes about Israel that are either outright fabrications or deceptive misquotes. However, by the time the truth about these quotes is revealed, they have already been shared thousands of times and viewed by hundreds of thousands of people.

The following is a list of some of the most popular false quotes or misquotes about Israel that are still shared by both reputed news outlets and online celebrities:

1.  “We must expel the Arabs and take their places” — David Ben-Gurion

Cited in such reputable news sources as The Economist, The Independent, and The Baltimore Sun, this quote from a 1937 letter by the future first prime minister of Israel has been the subject of controversy for some time.

According to Israeli historian Benny Morris, who helped popularize this quote by citing it in his 1985 tome “The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem, 1947 – 1949,” the problem with this quote is that in the original letter, the words written before it are crossed out. If those words are included and the context is taken into account, Ben-Gurion’s words then take on the opposite meaning from that which is commonly quoted.

Morris further claims that, based on the evidence, those words were not crossed out by Ben-Gurion but by someone else at a later time. For these reasons, Morris’ later works either do not reference this quote or he includes the letter’s original words, not the spliced quote that is commonly cited.

2. “The Palestinians are two-legged animals” / “The Palestinians are beasts on two legs” — Menachem Begin

Referenced by Robert Fisk in a 2014 piece for The Independent, and continuously cited on both alternative news sites and online platforms, this misquote of Israel’s sixth prime minister is used to portray Israelis as racists who view Palestinians as less than human. However, this is not at all the meaning of the actual quote.

Menachem Begin’s words come from a June 1982 Knesset debate over a vote of no-confidence in Begin’s ruling coalition government. During his speech before the plenum, Begin spoke about the need to protect Israeli civilians from attacks and said, “We shall protect our children. If the hand of a two-legged animal shall be raised against them, that hand shall be cut off and our children will grow up happily in their parent’s homes.”

Thus, contrary to what is often quoted, Menachem Begin was only referring to terrorists who target children as “two-legged animals.”

3. “It would be my greatest sadness to see Zionists do to Palestinian Arabs much of what Nazis did to Jews” — Albert Einstein

Shared online by such distinct personalities as real estate mogul and celebrity father Mohamed Hadid, British Labour MP John McDonnell, and former basketball player Etan Thomas, this alleged quote is falsely attributed to Albert Einstein. While Einstein was critical of certain aspects of Israeli politics, there is no evidence that he ever said the above-cited quote.

In fact, as a Zionist, Einstein was once offered the position of president of the State of Israel, helped fundraise for the World Zionist Organization, and spent his last days crafting a speech in honor of Israel’s seventh anniversary.

4. “The Palestinians must be made to understand in the deepest recesses of their consciousness that they are a defeated people” — Moshe Ya’alon

Referenced by such major newspapers as The Guardian, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and The Boston Globe, this oft-cited quote by the former IDF chief of staff is actually a gross misrepresentation of what he actually said.

As explained by Commentary Magazine, this quote is based on statements made by Ya’alon at the height of the Second Intifada. During a 2002 interview with the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz, Ya’alon responded to a question about what his definition of victory was by describing it as “the very deep internalization by the Palestinians that terrorism and violence will not defeat us, will not make us fold.”

Later on, Ya’alon continued, “If we end the confrontation in a way that makes it clear to every Palestinian that terrorism does not lead to agreements, that will improve our strategic position. On the other hand, if their feeling at the end of the confrontation is that they can defeat us by means of terrorism, our situation will become more and more difficult.”

In a similar vein, Ya’alon was quoted that same week by the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot as saying, “It is imperative that we win this conflict in such a way that the Palestinian side will burn into its consciousness that there is no chance of achieving goals by means of terror.”

Thus, in a distortion of reality, Ya’alon was not saying that the Palestinians must realize that they are a defeated people but was rather saying that the Palestinians must realize that the Israelis will not be defeated by terrorism.

5. “I’ve killed a lot of Arabs in my life and there’s no problem with that” — Naftali Bennett

Upon Naftali Bennett’s ascension to the prime minister’s seat in June 2021, both reputable news sites and social media observers dug up the above quote as a way to discredit Israel’s new leader and portray him as a bloodthirsty racist. However, as Bennett explained when this quote was brought up by former MK Haneen Zoabi during a 2015 session of the Knesset plenum, the quote was said in reference to his army service, when he killed terrorists during military operations.

6. “I am not aware of any animal that is so cruel as the Israelis – not even crocodiles. They bomb schools, hospitals, refugee camps, orphanages, UN feeding stations, water works, power plants, ambulances, kids playing on the beach” — David Attenborough

The above is part of a larger quote that has been circulating on the web since 2014, especially during times of heightened tensions. Attributed to famed British naturalist David Attenborough, this quote originated as a comment on an article posted on the Iranian state media organ, Press TV. Since then, it has been shared both on social media and on news sites.

Both the reputed US fact-checking site Snopes and the news agency Reuters have found that there is no evidence that David Attenborough ever said this.

7. “As a UNICEF ambassador, I cannot play against people who kill innocent Palestinian children. We had to cancel the game because we are humans before footballers” — Lionel Messi

The above quote has been circulating online since 2018, when Argentina backed out of a World Cup warm-up match against Israel after the game was moved from Haifa to Jerusalem. At the time, it was alleged that Messi had given the above quote as a reason for the canceling of the game. Even though the quote was almost immediately proven to be a fake by Argentinian media (and Messi played in Israel in 2019), it continues to be spread on social media, especially during times of increased conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

As can be seen from the above, it is not uncommon for false statements or misquotes about Israel to be spread both on social media and by news sources. Therefore, it is important that when reporting on Israel or sharing information about it online, both journalists and civilians alike need to ensure that what they are sharing is true and not a fabrication that is meant to defame the Jewish state, its leaders, and those who support it.