#welp it all kinda sucks but I’m still glad I discovered this now

[irkimatsu]

Okay, after way too much delay - it's my Eurovision 2021 Final Ranking! This took me a while for a lot of factors - took extra hours at work to make sure I could get time off this week, some recent family events... and most relevantly, the fact that this year is so damn good that no matter what, I knew someone was going to get ripped off by ending up somewhere in the bottom half. Just know that being toward the bottom of the list doesn't necessarily mean I dislike it, especially this year - it just means I like other things more. This year is going to be an absolute bloodbath. I am both excited and terrified.

Try not to take my ranking too seriously, by the way - I'm an American who unironically listens to stuff like Scooch and Dolly Style. I'm not exactly a seasoned music critic. I just know what sort of music makes the happiness center of my brain light up, what the hell is music theory

Ranking made with the sorter at http://esc.gerbear.com/sorter2021.htm, then slightly adjusted when it put some songs concerningly low on the list. Okay, so I cheated a little

Firstly, in the interest in completion - if Belarus didn't get disqualified, they'd be in the big fat 40 rank, with a big bold "Hate" right above. Fuck that song. I've only listened to it once and am so glad I have no obligation to acknowledge it any further. Those fucking lyrics. Mother of Christ. Fuck you guys.

I also offer my condolences to Armenia for their having to bow out this year. I'm sure whatever you guys sent, it couldn't have possibly been worse than "Chains On You".

Now, for the songs that actually matter:

Indifferent:

39 – Spain - “Voy a quedarme” by Blas Cantó: Welp, already I’m gonna get shot. I can’t remember how this song sounds at all. I know it’s tender and genuine and sweet and everything… I just… kinda don’t care. Nothing to say. I liked his entry last year even more, and even that was pretty damn dull. Just not destined to be a Blas Cantó fan, I guess!

38 - North Macedonia – “Here I Stand” by Vasil: I’m with most other rankings I’ve seen; what the hell is this? I at least kinda remember it, which is more than I can say for poor Spain, but oh my god it’s so boring. I really liked “You” last year! What the hell happened, Vasil?

37 – Albania - “Karma” by Anxhela Peristeri: Another “oops” from me, huh. It’s another one I immediately forget about the instant it ends. I at least don’t remember it boring the crap out of me, hence it placing higher than Spain and Macedonia, but I still can’t say anything nice about it – or anything at all, really – so I’ll leave it this low. I acknowledge that I’m in the minority, I won’t protest if it qualifies, but personally, it’s not my pick.

36 – Georgia – “You” by Tornike Kipiani: Give him points for passion, I suppose! At least I’m not laughing at him like I was last year. On the other hand, less ridiculous also means more boring. Points for earnestness, but this is just another song that goes right over my head.

35 – Portugal – “Love Is On My Side” by The Black Mamba: An English song from Portugal? That’s new. Too bad it hasn’t rescued the song from the darkest depths of Boring. I will confess that I spice it up a little by associating it with Homura from Osomatsu-san, thus rescuing it from the deepest pits of my ranking list… but it’s still stuck down here. Portugal and I have never gotten along well Eurovision-wise. I’ve come to accept that.

34 – Slovenia – “Amen” by Ana Soklič: I’m gonna call this a song that I respect more than I like. She’s got a great voice, I can’t deny that… but when I’m ranking this purely based on what I’d go out of my way to listen to, this one falls flat. I warned you at the beginning that I have no taste! I’m not normally into straightforward ballads, the religious connotations are lost on me… this isn’t the song for me.

33 – Austria – “Amen” by Vincent Bueno: Back to back “Amen”s! Tip for getting me to like your Eurovision entry, apparently, is “don’t call your song Amen”. It’s a ballad, earnest and trying but overall not my type of music. I’m running out of ways to say that. Breakup song, a tad bitter, we’ve all heard this sort of song so many times before. It doesn’t stand out, and I think it’d be a waste of a spot in the final.

At least, I thought this was a breakup song when I first wrote this, but apparently it’s about the death of a loved one…? I would say that makes me hate the bitterness, but… given how I’m handling a death in my own family right now… god, I don’t know. I just can’t handle this song, not at any time but especially not now. It doesn’t even provide catharsis like a song later on in the list. It stays this low regardless of its meaning, I just don’t like it, I’m sorry, moving on.

…” 'Cause it all feels like you didn't even try to save us, all this time wasted on a lie”… ugh, my personal problems…

32 – Switzerland – “Tout l'Univers” by Gjon’s Tears: Another one I respect more than I like, and another opinion I’m gonna get my ass beaten for, I’m sure. I respect the artistry, but this is so far removed from anything I’d ever listen to on purpose. It might have landed even lower if I wasn’t afraid of pissing people off. I’ll understand if it wins, but I’ll also be hoping for most anything else.

31 – Russia – “Russian Woman” by Manizha: I don’t get it. Sometimes it’s pleasant enough to listen to, but overall I don’t get it. It’s unique, I’ll give it that! I understand why it won its national final, and why so many people enjoy it! But for me, it doesn’t quite cross that line between “interesting” and “enjoyable”. I'm not Russian - this isn't for me, and it wasn't supposed to be. Though I will confess that there may be some bias at play here. God, I miss Little Big…

Okay:

30 – Estonia – “The Lucky One” by Uku Suviste: The voice is okay, the music is okay, I like how the bitterness is handled here more than in Austria’s… but this is still as high as I can go on this one. It’s serviceable, but this year has so much better to offer.

29 – Sweden – “Voices” by Tusse: Sweden really does like sending the same song over and over again, huh? I don’t hate it, but it does strike me as a lesser “Too Late For Love”, sound wise. Sweden almost never takes risks, and it’s causing me to look over them more and more with every year. I respect it too much to put it in the “Indifferent” category, but given how the rest of my ranking played out, this the best I can do for it. (But again, do not trust the opinions of someone who teethed on cheesy Europop and fondly remembers when Sweden was flooded with the stuff…)

28 – Belgium – “The Wrong Place” by Hooverphonic: Once again, Hooverphonic help Belgium fill the role of Eurovision’s “Most Likely To Appear In A Bond Movie” song. It’s fine. It’s a song! I don’t know what else to say about it! It does its job well enough, it’s just not really a job I care for that much.

27 – Ireland – “Maps” by Lesley Roy: It’s cute enough! A cute little radio tune. It’s no “Story Of My Life”, though. If “22” couldn’t qualify then this probably won’t, either, and I can’t say I’ll miss it all that much. Still pleasant enough when it comes up on the shuffle.

26 – Bulgaria – “Growing Up Is Getting Old” by Victoria: I admit it, this ranks as high as it does because of anime and that’s basically it. If I was still doing plain category sortings this would have landed straight in “Biased”. My favorite anime is about a bunch of 20-somethings learning that growing up sucks and trying as hard as possible to avoid it, and I first heard this song around the same time that I watched that show’s relatively melancholy season finale, so it ended up sticking with me on that note. Don’t have much to say about it musically, just that it makes me picture sextuplets crying and that’s one of my hobbies, so I’ll grant it an “Okay”. (It may also worth noting that if I heard this song before 2019, in the state my life was in before then it would have probably left me too inconsolable to listen to it more than once. Growing up is growing old indeed!

…it’s also worth noting that after I wrote this blurb, a major event happened that really enforced that growing up is getting old, so I listened to this quite a bit for a few days, among some other non-Eurovision songs. I’m probably gonna have an emotional breakdown on Thursday when this one starts. So, um, look out for that, guess. Between this one and Austria’s, I swear to god…)

25 – Italy – “Zitti e buoni” by Måneskin: I’ve been trying to get this one to rank higher, I really have, but its inability to crack the top 20 just says a lot about how damn good this year is. It sounds great, it’s very well done, and I wouldn’t hate to see it win! It’s earned its popularity. Everything holding it back in my own personal ranking is just that, personal – I do lose something when I can’t sing along or understand the lyrics, and there’s another rock song this year that I like way better. Still wishing you guys the best!

24 – Netherlands – “Birth Of A New Age” by Jeangu Macrooy: This song has a great style that I respect a lot. The message, the vibe – even if it’s not a culture I’m a part of, I feel and appreciate the hell out of it, and I really hope it does well. I don’t understand why so many people seem to think it’s not interesting! It may not be the sort of thing I’d go out of my way to listen to, but I’m glad it’s here. Catch me singing out “Yu no man broko mi” on Saturday! It’s been a while since I’ve given a shit about a host country’s entry, so I’m really glad for this one.

23 – Romania - “Amnesia” by Roxen: I’ll admit something else unpopular – I hated “Alcohol You” last year. Didn’t see what the big deal was at all. It sounded okay, I guess, but the lyrics were so pretentious and awful, and I’ve never liked the topic of “I love you even though you have no redeeming qualities whatsoever and you make me feel like shit”. But it seems like in that year, Roxen has discovered that self-love is important, actually, and it’s not worth it spending your time on some shitbag who consistently disappoints you. I appreciate it for that alone. Character growth! Plus, I feel the whole thing of “forgetting how to love yourself because everyone around you sucks”. It’s not the perfect song, not by a long shot, but it has a nice melody, and Roxen has a nice voice. It’s good to hear her using that voice on something I don’t find obnoxious.

22 – Norway – “Fallen Angel” by TIX: Okay, I’ll admit it, this is one where I watched the live video the first time I heard the song, and I was too busy laughing at his outfit to take the song seriously. Jesus Christ, dude, what the hell. Well, that’s Eurovision for you, and the more I listened to it, the more I admitted to myself that I’m a sucker for “I love you but letting you go for your own good, not sure what I ever offered you in the first place” type songs. Knowing the song is inspired by his own disability and self-loathing really twists that knife, to the point where I feel bad that I almost threw this at an anime character. I know I’m usually cold on songs that try to evoke emotions about the singer’s personal problems – Germany 2018, and this year’s Austrian entry – but this one really works for me. Only reason it’s in “Okay” tier is because of its competition – it’d rank way higher in a weaker year.

21 – France – “Voila” by Barbara Pravi: I like a good waltz, I guess! It’s a unique number, and the French language sounds nice, especially with the music. It’s yet another example of how this year is filled with so many interesting entries that I appreciate the hell out of. God bless this diverse year! (Or maybe everything just sounds so good to me because last year’s cancellation left me in withdrawal.) I expect a really nice performance for this one – this song isn’t one you can perform while just standing there, especially not during that speedup toward the end.

20 – Australia – “Technicolour” by Montaigne: That song that sounds like it’s about stripping if you don’t know that she’s saying cloaks. (Guilty as charged.) It’s catchy and fun, and I really love it when it first starts… but unfortunately, it does wear out its welcome toward the end of things. It’s a good party song, just a little repetitive. I still like it just fine, and wouldn’t mind seeing her in the final this year! Hope the performance is colorful and sparkly, it’d suit the song well

Like:

19 – Germany – “I Don’t Feel Hate” by Jendrik: I know stereotyping is bad but I was not remotely surprised to find out that Jendrik is gay. This song is pure gay sass, and god, I love every minute of it. I fully expect it to fall on its ass – this wouldn’t make it to the final if it wasn’t an automatic qualifier – but I’ll have a grand old time watching it! The sarcastic lyrics, the cheerful little ukulele, the middle finger costume… this song is a delight. Only thing that I think really brings it down is that weird spoken bit that interrupts the song. That’s so annoying, brings me right out of it. And I did purposely rank it below songs that aren’t complete shitposts. But thank you for your existence, Jendrik, your contribution to Eurovision is much appreciated.

18 – Israel – “Set Me Free” by Eden Alene: I said it this year and I’ll say it again this year, Eden Alene is a goddess of a woman. Absolutely gorgeous. Appreciation for pretty women aside, it’s a fun party song in a sea of fun party songs! I really do like it, I like her voice, but there’s so much else this year that drowns it out – not much stands out here compared to later entries on the list. Still a good song, though.

…and I do not expect for an instant that this is going to make it to the final. …my personal ranking is based on how the song sounds, okay? Just the song. Just the song. Nothing else. Just the song. Anyway…

17 – United Kingdom – “Embers” by James Newman: What’s this? A UK entry I don’t find bland as off-white paint? That doesn’t happen often! I didn’t like his entry last year, romantic ballad bla bla bla whee, but I’m always down for a good party song. It’s a little generic and radio friendly, sure, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun as hell to sing along with!

16 – Greece – “Last Dance” by Stefania: I really liked last year’s “Supergirl”, but figured it didn’t have too much of a chance because it struck me as being a little too teen poppy to be taken entirely seriously. It seems like Greece thought so, too, because they’ve ramped it up with this year’s entry. They’re not playing around anymore, sending a grand, powerful song that, like “Embers”, is fun as hell to belt. This is another one I’m really looking forward to the live performance for – the music video is gorgeous, and I hope they capture that same majesty on stage!

15 – Moldova – “Sugar” by Natalia Gordienko: Oh, Moldova, I’m so glad you guys decided to be completely batshit again this year. I’ve missed your nonsense so much. Dancing ice cream cones. Cake men. This video is glorious. And the song goes well with the insanity! A catchy dance tune that can only be improved with downright insane staging. Please let the dancing ice cream cones be on stage, I’m begging you

14 – Latvia – “The Moon Is Rising” by Samanta Tina: A unique electronica number backed with a powerful as hell voice. I can see where all the wubbing would get on people’s nerves, but personally, I love it! I love the voice, I love the attitude, Samanta just oozes confidence, and if she doesn’t make it to the final it’s not gonna be because she didn’t give it her goddamn all.

13 – Poland – “The Ride” by RAFAL: Why is this one so unpopular? You people don’t know how to have fun. Yeah, yeah, last year’s “Empires” was a powerful song… but I like my club nonsense much more, so I’m favoring this one. Yet another song that gets me pumped – this whole Contest is gonna leave me with a smile on my face, there’s so much good party music

12 – Azerbaijan – “Mata Hari” by Efendi: Yeah, they’re basically just sending “Cleopatra” again, but “Cleopatra” was so goddamn good that I can’t even blame them for it. This song needed a chance to compete, and I’m glad it’s getting it again this year. I like it so much that I can even forgive the line about being a “godless”. Oh, Europop, don’t you ever change.

11 – Cyprus – “El Diablo” by Elena Tsagrinou: Huh, I didn’t know Cyprus had perfected their Lady Gaga cloning technology. Neat. More seriously, the early 2010’s club vibe of this song is exactly my jam, enough that I can forgive the “I’m in love with a horrible person” theme. (I think I forgive that theme a lot more from catchy party songs than heartfelt ballads I’m actually supposed to feel for.) Hell, I even like the creepy chanting! Sure, it’s a little cheesy, but cheese is always a good ingredient when used in moderation.

(How many songs are we going to get this year, not just in Eurovision, about wanting to fuck devils? I mean, not that I don’t get it… mmm, Akuma Ichimatsu… um. Anyway.)

10 – Czech Republic – “Omaga” by Benny Cristo: And here we enter the top ten of a strong year, where I’d love to see any of them win! Benny, what is with that title. Why. Ah well, like I said earlier, I do like moderate amounts of cheese, and this song is more than fun enough to have earned itself a ridiculous lyric or two. It’s unique, I’ll give it that! The song is just so bouncy and fun that I manage to ignore how pushy the singer is. Another one I expect big things from the staging for.

9 – Lithuania – “Discoteque” by The Roop: Ignoring the current events that surely inspired the song, I do love the more generic “party song for introverts” read on it – if only you knew how many one-person dance parties I’d had in my own house. This song speaks to me deeply. I can’t even begin to call it a joke song; I think it’s doing exactly what it set out to do, and it’s doing it oh so well. God, those synths. Totally okay with dancing alone!

8 – Iceland – “10 Years” by Daði og Gagnamagnið: I want Daði Freyr to adopt me. I don’t even care that he’s younger than me. He’s just such an earnest, fun guy, and I love his 8-bit aesthetic! And come on, he submitted a song about how much he loves his wife! If I ever stop loving this song it’s because my heart shriveled and died. Love isn’t dead, it’s just in chiptune now. I will throw things if this doesn’t make it into the final, do you all have no souls, this is too damn cute

7 – Serbia – “Loco Loco” by Hurricane: Another group I am so excited to see return, because I adored “Hasta La Vista”. I don’t know if I like this one quite as much, but it’s still catchy as hell! I love trying to sing along with it despite not knowing a word of Serbian.

6 – Croatia – “Tick-Tock” by Albina: Another catchy-ass club song! What more can I say? I love how much of this stuff we got this year. I will absolutely be screaming “Don’t go, don’t go, don’t go!” Oh god that was cheesy… I’ve been working on this ranking for too long. Don’t know what else to say about this one, just that I adore it. Just barely missed the top 5.

Love:

5 – Malta – “Je Me Casse” by Destiny: This girl’s got pipes– not surprised to hear she won the Junior contest before! I get major “Toy” vibes from this song, and you all know just how much I adored that one. Aaa, those horns! Expecting big things from you, Destiny! We may have our winner!

4 – San Marino – “Adrenalina” by Senhit – As much of a soft spot I had for last year’s “Freaky”, I don’t think it was gonna make it into the final, unless Senhit had the blessing of the same angels who were looking out for Serhat in 2019. This one, though? San Marino tasted the final two years ago and they are never giving it up again! This song goes hard! Love the song, love the video’s aesthetic, I even kinda like Flo Rida’s rap, even though I’m still baffled by the idea that I have been regularly listening to a song featuring Flo Rida on purpose. I don’t know what he’s doing here but I’m glad he is. Please, please make it to the final, San Marino! You clearly want the hell out of it this year! Favorite club song in a year of amazing club songs.

3 – Finland – “Dark Side” by Blind Channel: After spending about five seconds disappointed that Finland wouldn’t be sending Pandora this year, I gave this song a shot, and was not expecting what it gave me. I feel like an angsty middle schooler again, and it is bliss. This is everything Hatari wanted to be, but unlike Hatari who just confused me, I absolutely love the hell out of this song. …some of those lyrics, though. “27 Club, headshot, we don’t wanna grow up”? Yikes. But as dark and questionable as it might be, I can’t help but get pumped when I hear it. Definitely my favorite rock song of the year – sorry, Italy!

2 – Denmark – “Øve os på hinanden” by Fyr & Flamme: I love you, 1983. I don’t care how dated it is when my entire soul consists of a disco ball. The song’s so damn cute! This is the one member of my top 5 that I’m most terrified of losing – I know it’s not popular, with everyone calling it dated, but my top 5 always has that dated song that I love the hell out of becauseit sounds so classic. The translated lyrics are adorable, too. Even if you guys flame out in the semi, you’ll live on in the disco in my heart.

Favorite:

1 – Ukraine – “Shum” by Go_A: Holy fucking shit. There’s something about the blending of traditional and electronic that gets me hyped – see KEiiNO – and this one does not disappoint. The last minute of this is the best minute of Eurovision this year, and god, the buildup! I don’t even know Ukrainian but I am trying my damnedest to get the lyrics down, phonetically, at least. You know that “dancing goths” meme video? That’s me whenever this song comes on, especially during that speed up. Love the hell out of it. Could Ukraine be on its way to another victory already? I sure hope so, because this song fucking rules. Definitely checking out the rest of the discography someday, if all of their songs are in this folktronica style then they’ve gotta be a treat to listen to. Go Ukraine!

Ideal Qualifiers (favorite of each semi in bold):

Semi 1

Australia

Azerbaijan

Croatia

Cyprus

Israel

Lithuania

Malta

Norway

Romania

Ukraine Semi 2:

Czech Republic

Denmark

Finland

Greece

Iceland

Latvia

Moldova

Poland

San Marino

Serbia

This is definitely not what's going to happen - there is no universe where Switzerland and Sweden don't make it - but it'll be interesting to compare the reality to my hopes.

Let's go, Eurovision 2021

[celtichobbit]

Putting my receipts out here now...

Apparently my comments on the fic ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ by danimydear here on tumblr (daniellemydear on Ao3) weren’t taken well.

Here are my two reviews, her response to the first one, the tumblr post she made afterwards, my note on that, and the second tumblr post made shortly after the note I left, or possibly while I was writing it.

At no point did I tell @danimydear that she ‘sucks’. I can understand frustration at constructive criticism. Sometimes it seems designed to trip you. That was not my intention and I think my words speak for themselves, just as her social media response speaks for her.

The comment that started it all:

I don't understand why an abortion isn't on the table? Darcy is a young, liberal woman who clearly doesn't want a baby or feels prepared for one.

I'm glad PP got a mention, it so rarely appears as an option in baby fic without being immediately demonised, but it's so hard to read this sequel because the whole 'welp, I guess I'm having a baby' thing feels really forced. More importantly Darcy feels forced. What is her motivation to keep the baby?

Darcy effectively woke up from a coma to discover she was pregnant and instead of marching herself to a PP and possibly a psychiatrist, she's coming up with baby names. I wouldn't mind if she had residual memories or religious concerns but come on!

Does Darcy want this child or not? Dialogue says no but I know where the narrative is going anyway. Without a reason this series has turned from something I read when I'm sad to body horror.

Posted: 2017-11-07 22:09:57 -0500

Her response:

Wow... body horror huh? that's kinda harsh...  

Okay, first of all no one said that abortion is off the table at this point... Darcy herself said that its just not a choice you make without considering seriously first which is something I personally firmly believe... She's literally had about 3 hours to process all of this since she woke up in chapter one... like Tony told her, she's had enough life changing information dumped on her lap in a matter of minutes that maybe that night isn't the time to make any huge decisions... there is no motivation to keep the baby one way or the other this point because Darcy isn't done freaking out about it yet... even she doesn't know how she feels about it yet so give her a minute to process...

Also she wasn't coming up with baby names seriously... like she would really name a kid after back to the future characters or bill and teds excellent adventure?? like so many people do, Darcy uses humor as a coping mechanism, that's all that conversation was about...

And frankly there's a reason I keep having the characters reiterate that past Darcy and current Darcy are the same person. And since like I said its literally only been three hours since chapter began there hasn't been any time to explore any residual memories Darcy may or may not have. There are reasons for why this is written the way its been written.. frankly there are details I wrote in V specifically for shit that's gonna go down in this story... I already know how this story ends and how they get there, I'm not making up the plot as I go along, in fact a good portion of the last chapter is already written...

But I'll tell you now though that if you're really against a baby fic, then maybe this story isn't for you. Maybe just stick to V is for Victory and pretend that Darcy knew who Steve was when she woke up and they lived happily ever after...

Wed 08    Nov 2017   09:43AM EST                                        

My follow-up (Ao3 doesn’t allow rich text, hence the all caps):

I disagree, you may have something else in mind when writing this but your narrative and word choice does not support 'she's just thinking about it' with equal consideration to both her choices.

"You thought she was dead. She's not. This is your second chance, Steve!" Jane exclaimed. "So take it! You owe it to yourself, to Darcy, AND TO THE BABY SHE'S CARRYING." - Jane decides to comfort Steve (man she barely knows) instead of going after Darcy (her friend who is clearly distraught enough to run outside without shoes on- no reason except plot convenience); clearly she assumes Darcy will keep the baby.

"I can't believe I'M GOING TO HAVE A BABY!" she exclaimed, eyes wide, as it hit her all over again. "I can't keep a houseplant alive! I can't be responsible for a human being!" - Not 'I can't believe I'm pregnant, she's already made up her mind even as she bemoans the fact that she is is utterly unsuited for the task.

"YOU'RE HAVING CAPTAIN AMERICA'S BABY," Tony pointed out. "I'm sure that qualifies you to be on SHIELD's health plan." -Again, not 'you're pregnant with Captain America's baby' but you're having it. Done deal.

Language matters. I don't see any real evidence of Darcy sitting on the fence about having the baby or not, just her shock as she tries to absorb the information: the decision has already been made. The closest we see to 'both sides' is the conversation with Tony but it is heavily skewed. The whole exchange goes from suggestion > shut down > emotional support > baby.

"So I take it that naming your time-traveling fetus means that you're going to skip Planned Parenthood tomorrow?" Tony asked, calling her out on her earlier statement. SUGGESTION That made her smile drop. "I shouldn't have said that." Darcy sighed deeply. "That's not something you just blurt out without a lot of forethought." SHUT DOWN (this line is a bit ambiguous but from your response I see it's meant to indicate 'I have to deliberate very carefully about having an abortion', except shoudn't there be just as much deliberation over HAVING the baby in the first place? She can joke about names and say out loud she's having a baby but not hear references to 'abortion' without shutting down that line of thought, if only for the time being?) When Tony didn't reply right away, Darcy looked over at him, grateful to see a complete lack of judgement. "If there was ever a situation that could excuse a rash statement or two, I think this qualifies," Tony said finally. "And whatever you decide to do, I've got your back." EMOTIONAL SUPPORT Darcy couldn't even process the fact that she'd just gotten Iron Man's support in her woman's right to choose – which she did in actually appreciate a great deal – when she was still trying to come to terms with the fact that she was pregnant in the first place. Speaking of which… "I can't believe I'm going to have a baby!" she exclaimed, eyes wide, as it hit her all over again. "I can't keep a houseplant alive! I can't be responsible for a human being!" BABY. Like it's the obvious conclusion.

And yes, I was prepared and even looking forward to a baby fic but the memory loss is one thing, it can be manoeuvred by the narrative, but Darcy's complete lack of agency is what's making me uncomfortable. Characters should lead the narrative, not the other way around. There is no anticipation because the decision is already made, by the characters who should be more nuanced than this. Why is she not seriously considering an abortion at least as much as keeping the baby? There is nothing in her character or (remembered) experiences to put her so firmly within the 'keep the baby' camp within three hours of finding out she's pregnant. It takes much less commitment to have a safe, non-invasive procedure than raise a child for the minimum of 18 years; if anything she should be leaning towards that end right now.

This problem could be fixed with a few edits to at least some of the extracts listed above. Or not. It's your story.

 Posted: 2017-11-08 11:02:32 -0500

Her tumblr post (link: here):

that feeling when someone writes you a novel telling you why you suck…

Originally posted by bullshhhh

I do not have the energy for this this early in the morning…

08th Nov

♥ 2

seriously though;

i'm going back to bed;

i'll deal with it later;

or not;

who fucking knows;

My comment on the above:

celtichobbit said:                                                                                                                            If this is concerning the comments I left on Keep Calm and Carry On, I’m sorry if I gave you the impression that ‘you suck’. My criticism was designed to help you plug what I see as an emotional dissonance between what you are trying to write and what you were actually communicating. If you want to delete the comments and pretend they never happened, go ahead. It is hard to leave a balanced response that is actually helpful (+quotations) within char limits.             

Another comment + danimydear’s response to them (no time stamp but counting-dollars-counting-stars commented a few minutes before I did, link: here):

counting-dollars-counting-stars

replied to your

post

:

                   that feeling when someone writes you a novel…                

   …… Okay A : No, B : Is there an option to delete - cause just fucking delete it,  C : you’re lovely and they obviously have issues. because who the f’ wastes that much time to do that has nothing better to do and that in itself is pretty sad    

Aww thanks hun! I shouldn’t have bothered to reply the first time but I was just so annoyed I couldn’t help myself… but I’m fandom old enough to really know better but i still fell into the trap :/

oh well…. there’s a reason this one’s called keep calm and carry on right?? I should take my own title’s advice LOL

seriously though its kinda impressive they wrote a fucking book report on why everything is terrible… like I used to work in the writing center as a tutor in college and I saw less detailed deconstructions by grad students…  

08th Nov

counting-dollars-counting-stars;

Edit: Now with response

celtichobbit

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                   that feeling when someone writes you a novel…                

   If this is concerning the comments I left on Keep Calm and Carry On, I’m sorry if I gave you the impression that ‘you suck’. My criticism was designed to help you plug what I see as an emotional dissonance between what you are trying to write and what you were actually communicating. If you want to delete the comments and pretend they never happened, go ahead. It is hard to leave a balanced response that is actually helpful (+quotations) within char limits.    

You’re 100% entitled to your opinion. Obviously my intentions weren’t clear enough in my writing if that’s the way you felt after reading the chapter… It just wasn’t what I really wanted to wake up to after only getting a couple hours sleep after staying up late giving replies to everyone else… not a great way to start the day tbh…  

But that said, I’m over it.  I cant please everyone and I know that… the story is what the story is. I’m just trying to have a good time and make some people happy while I do it…   Its just fic, I’m not over here trying to write the next great american novel  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ c'est la vie…

And (hopefully finally) my response: celtichobbit said:                                                                                                                            I will refrain from commenting on any of your stories in the future then, since clearly I’m too critical for you. However, I really don’t appreciate you running to your followers and treating me like a troll, potentially putting me in the firing line. I’ve compiled our correspondence into a tumblr post and tagged you. Not that anyone angry on your behalf will bother to read it. I hope you understand my concrit was intended to help rather than hinder.