#without being like blatant fan service

[ponydanza-in-a-canza]

🚨🚨 U.S.S. DEFIANT MENTIONED 🚨🚨

[nikalaeva]

And yet Feyre is the High Lady?

I already wrote - I don't hate Feyre. In ACOTAR she was a little bit silly and smug, but good character.

If you are reading this, you know Prythian's rules. Not me or you or anyone else, but the author wrote it. Wives/mates of the High Lords have a title Lady of the Court.

Now the question is - if Rhysand is a true feminist, why didn't he change laws for his darling Feyre? Then he could have said to Helion: "It is now the LAW of the Night Court that High Lord's wife is his equal." "Because I love her" is not something to reason your political decisions with. And one more question - why should the other High Lords call Feyre High Lady? Rhysand's decision has no legal force even in the Night Court, much less outside of it.

Why does Feyre need to be a High Lady, for SJM Rhysand's pride? What exactly does Feyre want to do that can't be done without "High Lady" title? Does Feyre want to change some laws or introduce new ones? Does she want to change the social hierarchy, democratize society or, maybe, prepare it for an absolute monarchy? She is not interested (and does not understand anything) in politics at all, but the title is important for politics. I doubt very much people would want a ruler who is only interested in art - not finances, not diplomacy, not domestic and foreign trade.

Charity work is not main duty of ruler.

Being able to read and write is not enough to control the Court's tax system and fight poverty. Feyre's fans would probably agree that people with same level of education would plan the country's budget or, idk, calculate their salaries and pays.

Banning service for fairies of the CoN 'cause you don't like them personally is illegal - they are also citizens of the NC.

Refusing to communicate with one of the High Lords 'cause he is your toxic ex is blatant political illiteracy.

Feyre's feelings don't matter on political arena. And the meeting of the High Lords is such a scandal, which proved - Feyre's title is a "mask" of feminism, just a check mark for "girl boss" trope. There is nothing but incompetence under it.

Update: oh yeah, all of Feyre's achievements after getting title are belong to fighting/war. And while we see the High Lords fighting on the front lines, their main job is to govern and support society, the citizens in peacetime, not only fight villains.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Hello! What do you think about Natalie, her writing and fandom treatment? I find it fascinating that despite all the evil, she has so many fans, and even those who salt on ML and the Agrestes heavily often portray her as cool and/or sympathetic.

Prior to season five, I had mixed feelings about Nathalie. I like badass female villains, but I don't like women being idiots over men. Those were her two defining traits in season three and four, so my attitude was mostly, "can we please switch her motivation so that I can love her? I really want to love her because, if we remove the romance crap, then she reminds me of Shego and the world needs more Shegos!"

Then season five hit....

I utterly despise Nathalie's season five writing and think it makes her look weak, cruel, and ineffectual. I have no idea why so many people adore her and are excited that she's Adrien's new mom. She is not meaningfully better than Gabriel. In fact, season five Nathalie bothers me more than Gabriel. Why? Because Gabriel is the villain. He's allowed to be villainous. When Nathalie was a villain, the same rules applied. But the show claims that she's good now and yet she does nothing meaningful to stop Gabriel even though she could have.

Nathalie lives in the Agreste mansion, knows all of Gabriel's secrets, and has access to his secret lair. We also see her pin Gabriel to a table, undo his senti commands, and boss him around without any retaliation. He just rolls over and takes it. This is not the setup for a weak willed woman who sits idly by crying woe is me because she has no true power, yet that's basically what Nathalie is in season five. The first part of the final even outright confirms that Nathalie knows Gabriel's ultimate plan:

(A Tsurugi Industries pop-up appears on the screen.) Ad voice: After months of research, Tsurugi Labs have found the antidote– Nathalie: (Swipes the pop-up away.)��He's going to finally do it...

So why didn't she find a way to contact the heroes and tell them what was going on? Why did she wait until she was dying to do something? Right after the above line, she grabs her crossbow and goes off to find Gabriel in a moment that made me roll my eyes. It's such blatant pathetic fan service. Only now when Nathalie is too weak to make a difference is she finally allowed to make a token effort to stop the man that she's been babying all season.

If Nathalie was allowed to be the kind of character they wrote her to be, then she would have acted much sooner and to greater effect. For example, imagine if her akumatization was just a ruse to get to the heroes. Once she loses and Gabriel can no longer see what's going on, she calls on the heroes to wait and then tells them everything, offering to help stop Gabriel. That's the kind of shit I'd expect from Nathalie's character.

Instead she just lays around in bed and occasionally pleads with Gabriel to change his mind like in this scene from Intuition:

Nathalie: Gabriel, you may only have a few weeks left like this... and I don't have much more than that. Maybe it's time to stop chasing after the Miraculous and start looking for a solution for Adrien. Make sure he's not alone once we're gone. (Hearing these words, Gabriel's eyes start to fill with sadness. Nathalie places her hands over Gabriel's.) Nathalie: Do it. For Emilie.

Nathalie, you have known this man for literal decades. Why do you expect this to work? Wake up and take charge, woman! Tell Adrien yourself! Help the heroes! Right your wrongs! You are literally dying! What do you have to lose? She honestly comes across pretty hypocritically here because, as she pointed out, they are both actively dying, which will leave Adrien alone, and yet Nathalie also does nothing to prepare Adrien for that. She just wrings her hands and hopes that Gabriel will do the right thing for both of them and I just... GAHHHHH!!!

The only semi-meaningful thing that Nathalie does in season five is undo Gabriel's commands, but that's literally just her maintaining the status quo. It's only there so that the writers don't have to deal with the senti stuff having any real consequences beyond delaying the Adrienette kiss a few episodes. Nathalie isn't trying to free Adrien or get his rings into safe hands before her death. She's just withering away and listening to Adrien talk about Marinette while knowing that he will soon lose everything. It's legitimately upsetting to me.

The anger some people feel about Marinette's actions at the end of the final is how I felt about Nathalie for all of season five and Nathalie is a freaking adult who has known everything for years. Matinette only knows the truth in a context where she can tell Adrien for about two on-screen minutes and that's assuming that Marinette figured out that Adrien is a sentimonster from context clues which she may not have! No one ever explicitly told her the truth and she had a lot of things thrown at her in rapid succession. I would not be stunned if season six reveals that she's still in the dark.

Nathalie is not sympathetic. She has had full agency and knowledge throughout the entire show. She has never been forced to do anything. She is the only peacock wielder to wield it knowing that she would die. She willingly supported Gabriel even when it put Adrien at risk. She outed Adrien's identity in Chat Blanc. She snapped away sentiBug! She's a great villain! She is a piss poor maternal figure.

The final annoying thing about her season five writing is that her "changing sides" makes no sense! She has no idea why the time travel plan failed and her own FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE is that Gabriel will put those he loves before defeating Ladybug (see: Ladybug where Gabriel chose Nathalie over winning). It is such a glaring example of bad writing that it infuriates me! This is the exchange I'm talking about:

Nathalie: (on-call) Gabriel, did it work? Gabriel: No, Ladybug tricked me! She stole the Time Miraculous from me! (Nathalie coughs from her sickness.) You have to help me! Come up with a new plan! Ladybug can’t get away with this! Nathalie: (on-call) You had the Time Miraculous. You could’ve chosen to save Emilie! You could’ve chosen to save me! (coughs) But instead, you chose your obsession with Ladybug and Cat Noir. You're insane, Gabriel!

Please remember that Nathalie has been helping him behind the scenes since the start and is fully aware that every plan he's ever made has failed even though she considered many of those dozens-if-not hundreds-of-plans brilliant.

Gabriel: If it were to fail Nathalie, I could never forgive myself. Nathalie: You made a promise to your wife. You've risked so much for the chance to bring her back. (Hands Gabriel her tablet) Lila has been harboring her rage against Ladybug for months, and today wherever she looks, she'll see the object of her hatred, and as predicted, her anger will reach devastating heights. Your plan is perfect, sir. Gabriel: And you're sure you want to do this? Nathalie: I will always be here for you. We will succeed.

Why is she suddenly so sure that this plan was different? What made her go from encouraging Gabriel to take risks to calling him insane? Why is she suddenly convinced that Gabriel can't possibly win and needs to focus on Adrien when she never said a word during the multiple akumas that directly threatened Adrien's life?

The meta reason is that the writers needed her to act as if she'd been watching the episode so that she wouldn't blindly support Gabriel anymore, allowing them to do the senti BS without it being meaningful to the story. The in show reason? I've got nothing. It is jarring to watch this while remembering that season four ended with Nathalie being given ownership of Adrien and willingly accepting that task, even going so far as to issue senti commands to "Adrien" to make him obey, which does not instill confidence in her parenting skills.

It's just so freaking infuriating. It would have been so much better if Nathalie was allowed to die and we got Emilie back. Nathalie did absolutely nothing to deserve a magical healing and I've been curious about Emilie since day one.

[c6scaramouche]

If anyone is interested in seeing someone else's message to HYV customer service in order to use or inspire your own, here is mine:

I used parts of Anilyan's template and personalized it to me!

Upon further advice, it would be best to make messages more succinct and to the point!

Dear Genshin Impact Team,

Regarding the skin color discussion started by the reveal of Natlan characters:

We fans understand that the world of Teyvat is fictional, and that the Nations and characters are informed by different real cultures that end up being mixed to create a fictional setting. But it’s also undeniable that some Nations in the world of Genshin are primarily inspired by some cultures more than others, and that character traits tend to reflect the main countries the Nation they inhabit is based on. Nothing in this world is truly without reference and disconnected from some culture, even if it is conglomerated into a fictional setting. 

We see and appreciate all the hard work that has gone into creating and bringing to life such a robust and beautiful game. Thus, it’s a shame that all that effort is being drowned by the obvious racism and colorism reflected in the Sumeru and Natlan designs. It would make sense to have characters with significantly darker skin tones in Natlan and Sumeru, and many fans hoped for that with the new upcoming region.

It is blatant disrespect to ignore the African, SWANA, Rroma, and Indigenous cultures by stealing many aspects of these cultures, such as landscapes, names, music, clothing and fashion styles, without properly representing the skin color and ethnicities of these peoples. 

Please, significantly darken their skin tones. And please properly correct and respect the words and names of these cultures’ deities.

I have played Genshin Impact every single day since I started in version 1.1, and spent roughly thousands of dollars on characters I love and cherish, all in support of your game which brings many people happiness. Unfortunately, me and countless others are no longer willing to monetarily support and play Genshin Impact and other Hoyoverse games because of the clear lack of respect for proper representation of skin color diversity. 

Hoyoverse has proven capable of changing and adjusting their values over time - we still believe you can recognize your mistake and fix it. You are a company that heavily supports fan and fan works, and who constantly invests in things that have a positive impact in society, which is why many people like to support you, and why this is so disappointing to see.

I know myself and many others are eager to see positive changes, because the Natlan characters designs have so much potential. 

Do not let this taint your legacy. Tech otakus were supposed to change the world, remember? And perpetuating colorism is not how you should do it.

I would be immensely grateful if my feedback were forwarded to the appropriate departments- I appreciate all of the customer service workers' hard and dedicated work. 

Thank you for your time and consideration,

[dearweirdme]

https://www.tumblr.com/dearweirdme/757449554999296000/i-think-all-of-bts-sometimes-feed-shippers-i

i meant more that jkkrs are more accepted in the fandom, from what I've observed tkkrs are more their own fandom and they have no problem not being associated with armys, of course this isn't everyone, but from what I've seen jkkrs are generally tolerated more, I think it's cus the fandom built up tkkrs as the big bad shippers when realistically as far as shenanigans go jkkrs and tkkrs are pretty matched and there is a lot of people that bias jkk a lot and they excuse a lot of jkkr bullshit

to me fan service is sharing these moments cus fans love them, it doesn't mean to me that they're always faking it and that they secretly hate each other and play it up for the camera, rather that these are moments meant to be shared with armys and other fans that will then enjoy them, I do believe they all do it, I think even yoongi did it a lot on suwchita, a lot of people feel icky about fanservice as a term, I think it's just a term and says nothing about the closeness of the members, I think they all engage in it, sometimes even subconciously and I think some pairings just have better chemistry on camera than others but all of them are friends, it's a part of their job, not some moral failing

for taekook and specifically the hawaii photos, I go back and forth with what I believe, I think it was fanservice, I do think he did feed shippers cus of the timing of it all, but to me with tae if they indeed are dating, it doesn't come as a desire for attention from taekookers, liek clout for his photobook, but rather him wanting to share how close he is to jk, and not just to tkkrs but everyone, maybe feeding shippers isn't the correct term tho idk, either way fanservice and feeding shippers when it comes from idols themselves I don't mind much, it is part of their job and sometimes I do think they do it without even realizing it, and sometimes it's clearly the company either putting them in units the fans want to see and doing content with the ship they usually push and know people like and will want to see, I think the difference tho is when the members do it and when the company pushes narratives, that's when it starts to get icky to me, cus they're always so blatant about it, especially these recent articles

sorry this is a long ass rant again, I feel like I keep repeating myself🙈 anyway imo vminkook are all good friends and they like to show that to armys, and I believe taekook may or may not be together and that they also occasionally do fanservice cus they like to show they're close to armys and now armys and obviously tkkrs will like it

Hi anon!

I think in broad terms fanservice is the things they do to excite army. It’s stuff that has entertainment value.That can be several things, like engaging in funny behavior during a show, posting group pics, posting pics with members, mentioning each other, taping certain content, honestly a really long list of things. As you mentioned, I also think fanservice is aimed around army as a whole.

The existence of fanservice does not however mean that they never do or say things that are for themselves though. They are human, they want to share certain things because they want us to know or understand a certain part of them. I mean, they talk about hard stuff at times and share how that makes them feel.. that’s hardly fanservice, so if we accept that their negative emotions are a factor in what they share, why is it hard to accept that their positive emotions can also be shared because of a wish to be honest. I think sometimes something is fanservice and other times it is not 🤷🏻‍♀️. That does mean there’s always gonna be fandom discussion about which moments are and which aren’t though 😫.

Yes absolutely, Vminkook are the best of friends! No but seriously.. that Vmin hug when Jin got released healed parts of my heart I did not know were broken. These men have gone through a lifetime of memories together. I think it is very possible they agreed to not let shippers come between them.

[anthonybialy]

No Confusion Over Who Runs Biden White House

Divided sects are split under Joe Biden.  Making fractions even smaller is his specialty.  You already knew such if you’ve checked your bank account and grocery receipt.

It’s not just the country as a whole that’s feuding.  Fighting within a party is particularly amusing for the allegedly peace-loving one in question.  The inability to find consensus is one way to flaunt diversity.

Democrats argue amongst themselves about whether Joe Biden is too addled to pass their agenda.  Who wins?  The nation.  The only time the incumbent embarrassed himself more than during his present bout with clarity was when he was thinking at his fullest.

The Jill Biden/Barack Obama presidency seeks its first full faux term after their semi-victory.  If this seems shady, you’re familiar with their work.  Two all-time manipulators head a shady cast of bumbling interdictors who see the befuddled patriarch’s sad condition as an opportunity.  Remember: they’re the selfless ones.

The same signature-forgers who cornered Joe in the Oval Office early after his election want to selflessly serve as head of state while their addled potato holds the titled.  Their marionette skills have grown more blatant.  The strings become more visible as they get more practice.  Choosing between fibbing to conceal their intentions and being forced to admit their putzing schemes makes them perfect Democrats.

Trying to remove Biden because he wouldn’t be able to pass their agenda shows how much Democrats care.  It’s not about a person.  Telling everyone else what to do even though they’re demonstrably awful at it is their guiding passion.  Elder abuse isn’t a qualm nagging at designers of a new country and humanity who simply need office access.  Class warfare bullies figure heartless tycoons are just as amorally calculating.  The lack of empathy is thorough.

This presidency growing even faker would at least keeping them from inflicting more claptrap.  The political power his faction craves disappears alongside memories of what his name is.

What fortunes could escape squandering thanks to an executive who can’t muster authority on account of still wearing his bathrobe?  Without a quasi-coherent Biden, college enrollees might have to pay for what they use, which is the most important lesson they can learn.  Discovering billing for services is way more useful than whatever’s presented in sociology classes.

An uncivil civil war features lots of hair-pulling.  The cause is as funny as the action.  Conflict originated in debating if their leader is too torpid to screw up the economy more.  Intramural anger at least keeps them from focusing on their ultimate daft goal.

Facing a propped-up established failure seems like the easiest election to win.  But you underestimate the ability of Republicans to embarrass clowns with comparisons that go too far against relatively dignified circuses.  A foe that’s forgotten what conservatism is advocates for equality by not nominating someone who’d embarrass the incumbent with a certain win.  You must want a competitive election unless you loathe democracy.

Longterm benefits come accidentally when the two options fight to lose.  Republicans would end up in better shape than after another Trump presidency.  We just have to endure another term dedicated to a slightly different kind of suffering.  Anyone realistic enough to know that’s what life’s about is already braced for woe unlike liberals who inflict it unnecessarily and excessively by striving to eliminate it.

An unfathomable re-election would be like hurricane preparation for the nation.  Stormy conditions have been so constant that homeowners can put up plywood via muscle memory.  Wiser Supreme Court justices holding on through the gusts would prove their resilience on top of constitutional fidelity.  Liberty fans hate to make the same calculation about valuing people based on how useful they are politically.  But Democrats surely respect others playing their game.

Ditching Biden is a bipartisan dream.  Entrenched fossilization keeps everyone in the current era from happiness.  Saddling themselves with an extinct dodo is the closest Democrats come to restraining government.  Dodging implementation is based in their ineptness, so everything works out.

Anyone looking at the current president who says they want him serving into 2029 can’t credibly claim anything they believe works.  Biden’s minions are trying to commit insurance fraud regarding a policy they took out on America.  The grasshopper grifters of the sensei grow increasingly less convincing that they’re out to help.

Grandpa refusing to switch the locks shows the benefits of limiting how much of an influence people like him have in our lives.  His sole worthwhile contribution takes the form of a bad example, which doesn’t surprise anyone who heard him speak decades ago.

It took a tremendous amount of agony to learn why getting rich without working makes everyone poor.  Everyone promise to remember this time.  We’ve endured obvious scams for a couple centuries.  The present White House is limited by more than painful actuality.  

The promise of fecklessness from idiots is ironically their best chance of winning besides running against a Trump.  A Silver Alert for Biden while he’s standing right there shows the joy of absence.  I’d feel guilty if his friends and family cared.  Not having government invade your life to make it even worse is the upside of a president who no longer possesses the vigor to annoy.

Biden is a bad idea because of his bad ideas.  The crafty elder is limited by his inability to read sentences a sentient human wrote for him, much less form them on his own.  The presidential office is without the president, who is busy with his slot car tournament.  He’s the only entrant.  The best hope for everyone not competing is that he’s too feeble to ruin other races.  Refusing to let him sit on a porch and try to chase birds could save the republic.

[regarding-stories]

The Dangers in my Heart

A few months ago I got a manga promotion for "The Dangers in my Heart", the series going on sale in anticipation of the upcoming anime adaptation. I tried a sample and was put off and didn't look any further.

You see, the series starts out with a weird setup. Kyotaro Ichikawa is a middle school kid and loner entertaining delusional revenge fantasies, something very similar to the so-called "8th grade syndrome" where kids of that age indulge in fantasies of being powerful like their anime and manga heroes. Except Ichikawa conjures up images of murdering popular kids and keeps his books in wrappers with titles like "Murder Encyclopedia".

Anticipating that this series would involve more cringe and delve deeper into that mindset than it actually does, I did not dig further.

What really happens is that the rather short Kyotaru actually keeps having run-ins with the popular Anna - who is nothing like what he imagined her to be. Even late in the series he imagines her to be making fun of him, when in reality she is mostly a ditz that obsesses about food and has a kind disposition.

(Anna) Yamada is modeling as a part-time job and is already a head taller than Ichikawa. Her 172 cm height and mature figure certainly make her the focus of attention of most male classmates, and the school's "pickup artist" keeps pressuring her for her LINE contact.

Ichikawa, however, gets to know the real Yamada. A girl who hides in the library to be by herself and snack to her heart's content. Who never had a boyfriend and lets her best friend ward off guys pursuing her. And in spite of Kyotaro's paranoid expectations, she doesn't really judge anyone or behave like a snob, but is kind and also quite naive.

As these shows go, the both of them fall in love, but the setup guarantees some complications. Kyotaro has to gradually realize that he thinks about her so often not out of "taking her down" but that he is actually crushing on her. But even when he does, he completely dismisses any and all of the plentiful hints that she is interested in him. Unsurprisingly he has an inferiority complex.

What makes the series work are the wonderful main characters and how the story unfolds. Kyotaro is actually quite bashful but right from the start tries to channel his feelings into keeping Yamada from being put into a bad spot, playing the white knight while jumping through mental hoops in his own logic. Yamada figures out her interest in Ichikawa quite early and becomes a driving force, and her advances are sweet and ensure that the story goes forward.

What the story does without is people randomly falling on each other or on each other's face. If there are "getting close incidents" they are carefully manufactured out of the characters' actions, and often quite charming - like walking home hand in hand.

Yes, there will be some pubescent boy stuff, but most of the time it's adding realism - a growing up boy's mind is a strange place - instead of trying to do blatant fan service. And our protagonist at least tries to keep his motives pure - which makes him the sole boy doing so appearing on screen.

While sometimes naive, Anna is not an idiot. She knows what she wants and goes for it, the author doesn't resort to creating stand-off conditions that will go on and on. Instead there is a steady and well-executed pacing, and also a lot of humor in the story, and the cringe is kept to a necessary minimum. Love it!

[theromanticscrooge]

Note: This is an unfinished draft that’s been slightly edited and sitting in my Drafts for months. I’m sharing what I have so far because I feel like it.

"Is Reigen sexy?" starts arguments. It's a question that enters Poe's Law territory.

Reigen has a “just a guy” character design that veers towards ugly or grotesque for comedic effect in the manga. Most of ONE’s characters could be considered average-looking, everyday people. There’s few exceptions and these characters are usually described as attractive by other characters or through dialogue and context clues. Serizawa has a thought bubble about Reigen being popular with lady clients. Going off of that line, Reigen could be considered physically attractive. Or perhaps his charisma bumps him up a little higher than he would be considered otherwise? Another argument in favor of “Reigen is sexy” is the idea his looks would win him more clients and jobs than he might get otherwise. The counter is that he charges bargain-bin rates, has a weird array of “jack of all trades” skills, and grade A salesman skills. There’s a laundry list of reasons for Reigen’s success that have nothing to do with looks. In short, there’s no direct confirmation in the manga that Reigen is attractive.

Before the anime adaptation came out, a joke in the manga expressed Reigen's desire to be seen as an attractive, bishounen-esque character in the anime adaptation. Studio Bones' response is that Reigen has scenes where the camera full-on ogles and objectifies him. He wipes sweat out of his face with the effortless grace of a L'oreal model. When he pulls off his clothes and takes a shower, his neck, back, and overall movement are choreographed in a very specific, carefully curated, fan service-y manner. It's set up like stereotypical shots in other anime that draw attention to jiggling boobs, six pack abs, skirts moving just so around the thighs. It's both a subversion on and deliberate recreation of the pandering male gaze shots that litter so many other anime.

The L’oreal model scenes are complemented by how often Reigen looks gross or ghoulish. Look at the burger-devouring scene right before Reigen delivers the iconic “You are the protagonist of your own life” line. Reigen is getting crumbs everywhere and his mouth stretches as wide as the animators can manage. Another fantastic example is the sequence where Reigen insists to Dimple he’s doing fine without Mob and describes Mob as a “snot-nosed middle schooler.” 

There’s a frantic desperation in his movements; an extra dimension of obnoxiousness and snark than usual. In most scenes, his face, mannerisms, gestures, and all get extra flourishes and exaggeration. He only looks as good as the framing and context of a scene dictate. He gets special treatment the same way Bugs Bunny gets a win by cartoon logic. If Studio Bones wants sexy Reigen or ghoulish Reigen, the visuals will morph and warp to that specific vision as much as they need to.

Arguably, most characters that get so openly objectified have at least one blatant sex appeal quality to them. For example, and probably the closest relevant one, look at Satoru Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen. In Gojo’s case, he has an attractive design in both the manga and anime. He has an air of mystery and angst to him. The mangaka has openly advised against picking Gojo as a romantic partner due to his flippant attitude towards romantic relationships. But that still makes Gojo appealing in that “unavailable asshole” way. I’m not condoning that behavior; more acknowledging that it’s a thing some people find appealing. In short, Gojo’s design and character make him an obvious, albeit unconventional, choice for getting objectified.

[curseofpower]

im just going to send this as an ask to u instead its own post, but i definitely believe nintendo just does not like ganondorf like...in the slightest. not a conspiracy theorist i swear but from how they added him last minute to ssb and copy pasted another characters moveset to him and then added him last minute AGAIN to tp for fan service (totk also but...more blatant) they dont like him but they really like using him to boost sales... 😐😐 i feel like his characterization is far too...out of nintendos scope of writing and they dont know how to proceed without going too dark. sorry for the long ask 🫥

I'm not entirely sure that's the case, since there was clearly SOMEONE on the team who loved Ganondorf. We already knew that from the start. I'm sure there are others. I just think the whole 'we NEED the player to HATE this guy' took precedence over… literally everything else in the end at least in totk's case. I'm not entirely sure about ssb when it comes to its meta or anything, though, I've heard he's a hard character to play but people still do main him and win. It's a good way to put people in their place. lol. As a fan, I don't think I'd mind too much if they kept fan servicing me. I just hope they're less blatant on the in-world hate next time around. It … really made me sad. :/

Like making the gerudo people literally repent for his existence was a bit… much. I get it… he became a demon because he succumbed to the corruption of the gloom/malice from the depths (either from having gone down there to investigate himself or from the water supply being poisoned, either option can be a certainty since the gerudo were the only race in ancient times to investigate the Zonai's mining operations that were otherwise covered up by said race before they fucked off)... but god damn, who was he before that? We know he couldn't have been a bad leader or even a bad guy necessarily. None of that is mentioned, but I'm sure it was written. Just cut out and I'm pretty sure we the fans weren't the only ones kinda bummed about that. If the trailer was anything to go by.

It's easy to lose hope when you're surrounded by haters. It's why I don't use twitter. The algorithm literally wants you to see that shit. (The shit you disagree with I mean) because it generates engagement. And really, idiots are easy to ignore when you limit your social media and curate your own experiences. I write Ganondorf as sympathetic and know other people do as well, and really that's all we as fans can do to help the situation. Just keep making the content you want to see and you'll notice just how many other people want it, too.

[cipher-fresh]

[ID: Tags reading "#sorry but prev tags#i love ethan peck spock but he doesnt feel like spock#they are trying to have character development for a character that doesnt develop for another 10 years#like you cant have a character try to accept their emotions when that character 12 years later#is ashamed to feel friendship#also i love tpring as much as the next dyke#but spock is supposed to be neutral about her#what he likes about her is the conformity" and "#star trek#star trek original series#SNW is a prequel that HATES being a prequel#that's one of its main problems#it hates having to lead up to TOS#which like I can understand if people don't like TOS#they're wrong but I get it and it's fine#but the SNW writers want to use the nostalgia and environment of TOS without having to acknowledge where they're going#SNW would be 1000% better if they just didn't make it a prequel to TOS#we don't need clunky hands turning Spock into their white straight white wish fulfillment puppet#and I wouldn't be so mad at the blatant disregard for lore and themes and all the good star trek stuff if it wasn't a story with characters#that have been around for 60 years! Like I know these dudes everyone knows these dudes why are doing this to them#It's a TOS prequel written by people who haven't watched TOS in 20 years and are uninterested in anything TOS can give them writing wise#other than cheap fan service and the ability to graft good character onto their new versions#WHATEVER#I'm normal it's fine" /End ID]

star trek writers need to accept that they are Never beating the gay spock allegations

[superduperkas]

It's so funny to me, the reasoning people have for straight up hating on The Legend of Korra because none of it really makes any sense to me:

"She's a Mary Sue/she loses all the time" First, pick a lane. Second, she can't be Mary Sue because she's literally the Avatar. Third, in general, even the most skilled people in their area lose and lose a lot. Importantly, she always gets back up even when she's had her ass beat. There is truly no such thing as an overnight sensation.

"Aang would've..." KORRA. IS. NOT. AANG. Which is the point of following her journey (a different person) and not his

"Korra's personality and personability are awful" All of these reasons are super reductive and wreak of misogyny but this does the most. She was literally raised in captivity by soldiers and without others her age until she was almost an adult and had figure everything out for herself once she was in the general populace. As for her being brash and hard headed, sorry to inform you but lots of women like this exist. Just because Aang was chill and patient guy doesn't mean all the Avatars are gonna be like him. Actually, it's canonically almost the opposite. The one who was closest to him in personality died in his 30s

"They ruined ATLA characters" They did not ruin them, they further developed them into their adult selves. Their adults selves wouldn't be the same as their pre-teen and teenage selves. A lot of growth and change happened with them before Korra was Avatar. And on that topic...

"Aang wouldn't have been a bad father" Y'all jumped to this conclusion yourselves based upon small aspects of how his kids viewed him. He wasn't a bad father, he was just a father. All parents are people and therefore flawed and fallible. Aang isn't immune to this just because he's him; he's still human

"Korrasami is fan service" Sigh. The signs are there throughout Seasons 3 & 4. Of course they aren't blatant because it's a queer relationship on a network for children and the show had already been pulled from airing on live TV for mature themes

I could say more but I'll leave it at this, ATLA and TLOK were made by the same visionaries wanting to tell different stories set in the same universe, just because their vision doesn't align with what your headcanon is doesn't make it trash.

If you don't like it, you could just be quiet.

[strangersinwinter]

All the love to Severitus fans but personally I always took Harry and Snape’s relationship to be more like brothers than that of a child and parent. Two brothers caught up in the machinations of their well respected but undoubtedly eccentric father. 

Snape complaining to Dumbledore about how he trusts Harry and not him even though he is the one who has been working his tail off for him, begrudging how heavily Dumbledore relies on him when he repays him by being stingy with the truth and refusing him comfort when he needs it just screams older sibling to me. He’s almost jealous of how Dumbledore pays special attention to Harry, how he trusts Harry with information that he does not trust with Severus and this is so like an eldest brother who suffered through his father’s rough handling as a child only to see how those hands have turned soft when it comes to the younger brother. Where was all this emotional intelligence and competence when I was a kid, old man? Look how easily affectionate words roll off the tongue when it comes to Harry: he tells Harry that he loves him, he apologises when he has wronged him, he comforts Harry when he is experiencing emotional upheaval. Yet he treats Severus with a cold contempt, taking his service for granted while dismissing him when he is practically pleading for reassurance or validation.

Did Dumbledore ever apologise to Severus? He was certainly entitled to an apology, many times I’d say, over the course of their relationship. Obviously the series is from Harry’s point of view so we will never get the full story but judging from the frosty tone of their conversations I somehow doubt that he has ever been as tender to Severus as he is to Harry. Some of that has to do with age I suppose, Harry is a child after all and should be treated delicately as such. But Severus was once a child too. Do you think Dumbledore would have treated Harry the way he did Severus when he was a child? Would he have covered for Harry’s bullies the way he did Severus’s? Would he have silenced Harry from speaking out against them when he nearly lost his life because of their cruelty and his indifference the way he silenced Severus? You can’t tell me that event didn’t galvanise Severus into turning away from Dumbledore and his side so it’s laughable to me that he dares to judge Severus for his mistakes. He uses Severus’s past as a leash to control and sedate him (You owe me) without so much as a thought to the part he played in pushing him toward the wrong direction. Seems awfully familiar, neglectful parent throws their son’s mistakes in his face to guilt him into helping them out without acknowledging how their own failings had a hand in him making those mistakes. 

And the way Severus damn near begs for Dumbledore’s affection/validation at times makes me cringe. You trust him and not me? What of my soul, mine? You haven’t forgotten how he tried to kill me, have you? He’s practically screaming at him look at me! What about me! I’m a person too! I’m important too! And to see him denied every single time is just too much. The extent of Dumbledore’s validation to Severus is affirming his usefulness: You’ve done well, Severus. I’m fortunate to have you, Severus. Thank you, Severus. The fact that he is stricken by a throwaway comment that perhaps they Sort too soon is just blatant evidence of how starved for affection this poor bastard is. 

Maybe a part of the reason he hated Harry so much stemmed from being envious of how easily he received love and validation from Dumbledore when he had to earn his with blood. Harry begins to see how similar they are toward the end of DH, how they were on parallel journeys, how he sat where Snape sat, stood where Snape stood and vice versa. Perhaps if Snape had lived they could have reconciled as siblings often do once they have spent sufficient years away from the childhood home and memories. But we’ll never really know for sure. 

[attemptsonherlifepdf]

bojack horseman and bo burnham: the art of acting like you’re acting and the comedy of misery

at the core of bojack horseman, raphael bob-waksberg’s 2014 comedy, is a story about the relationship between performance and depression. the protagonist of this renowned tragicomedy is best described as a sympathetic villain; he is shown to clearly be in the wrong across various events of the show, and is explicitly referred to as a bad person, but the audience is granted deep access to his personal struggles, resulting in some portions of the audience finding themselves on bojack’s side. the duality of his character is complex, but can be broken down into some core components, that all stem from the impacts of stardom and performance. the standup comedy of bo burnham arguably echoes this sentiment in real time. having been a performer from a young age, burnham creates work that serves as a satirical commentary on the life of entertainers. he uses original songs to explore the reliance upon and resentment for his performative nature both onstage and within his personal life. both the comedian and the netflix show are widely understood to be thinly veiling their critiques of the entertainment industry behind a particular brand of witty and absurd humour.

both bojack and burnham’s content openly criticises their audiences and explicitly states the manufactured nature of the narrative the audience is fed. in the fifth season of bojack horseman, the show satirises itself by having bojack star in a police procedural drama, parts of which are actively written by other characters to reflect events of bojack’s life. the titular character he plays, philbert, is the epitome of selfish male angst, and an example of what bob-waksberg’s show could have been; another story about a sad and angry man whose guilt supposedly makes up for the people he has hurt. according to bojack, philbert teaches us ‘we’re all terrible, so we’re all okay’, an interpretation that is harshly disputed by diane: ‘that’s not the point of philbert, for guys to watch it and feel okay. i dont want you, or anyone else, justifying their shitty behaviour because of the show.’ this moment is a direct reaction to some of the online reception bojack horseman has received. various circles of the show’s fanbase have found themselves relating to the protagonist to the point of defending his untoward behaviour, a response not intentioned by the show’s creators. this is not the only example of bob-waksberg’s ability to make his work self-evaluative. in season six’s exposure of bojack and sarah lynn’s problematic relationship, characters question their sexual encounter from the first season. the writers use this as a way of examining their own choices, and the harmful tropes they played into when using this exploitative sexual encounter as a gag. this self-evaluative quality is what sets bojack apart as a show that assesses the performance it participates in, much like the comedy of bo burnham.

bo burnham is known for directly addressing his audience, particularly in terms of discouraging idolisation and parasocial relationships. some examples of this manifest as responses to hecklers rather than a planned bit in the show, for instance:

heckler: i love you!

bo: no you don’t

heckler: i love the IDEA of you!

bo: stop participating!

he actively addresses the issues posed by being an entertainer, and encourages the audience to understand and recognise that his onstage persona is just that: an exaggerated persona. not once does burnham claim to be fully authentic onstage, and even moments of authenticity we see in his latest special, inside, are staged. we make the assumption that having the physical setting of a stage stripped away grants us a more personal look at the entertainer’s life, but he makes it clear that even in his own home we still see the aspects he has carefully constructed rather than the full truth. arguably though, parts of the show really are authentic; in his monologue during make happy, bo deconstructs his own show in a way that is similar to bojack horseman’s later seasons, admitting that all he knows is performing and thus making a show about the more mundane and relatable aspects of life would feel ‘incredibly disingenuous.’ in his attempts to separate himself from this onstage persona he actually manages to blur the lines between what is acting and what is now part of his nature as a result of his job. this notion is echoed in bojack horseman as bojack’s attention seeking nature is attributed to his years acting in front of a camera every day.

bo suggests that the era of social media has created a space in which children’s identities mimic that of an entertainer like himself, describing the phenomenon as ‘performer and audience melded together.’ in this observation he criticises the phenomenon. bo attempts to force the audience to recognise the ways in which their lives are becoming shaped by the presence of an audience and to some extent uses his own life as a warning tale against this. he points out the way in which the ‘tortured artist trope’ means that your cries for help or roundabout attempts of addressing mature themes such as substance abuse, mental illness and trauma become part of that on stage persona and therefore become part of the joke. both bo and bojack address these topics in more discrete manners earlier in their careers, but this eventually becomes expected, and thus they are forced to explicitly detail their struggles with these topics in order to be taken seriously. even then, portions of the audience are inclined to see it as part of the persona or as something that fuels the creators creativity and thus does not need to be addressed as a legitimate issue. the emphasis on creating a character or persona promotes the commodification of mental illness: any struggle must be made into a song or a joke or a bit, must be turned into part of the act in order to have value. this actually serves to delegitimise these emotions and create a disconnect between the feeling and the person, as it becomes near impossible to exist without feeling as though you are acting. even when an artist’s cries for help become blatant, they continue to go ignored because now they serve the purpose of creating content that criticises the industry they stem from. online audiences can be seen as treating bo burnham and his insightful work as existing to demonstrate the negative effects entertaining can have, and because this insight is useful or thought-provoking to audiences, he is almost demanded to keep entertaining and creating. in response to this demand, his work becomes more meta and his messages become clearer, and the more obvious his messages, the more people he reaches. this increases audience demands and traps entertainers in a cycle fraught with internal conflict.

during bojack’s second season, bojack’s date asks him, ‘come on, do that bojack thing where you make a big deal and everyone laughs, but at the same time we relate, because you're saying the things polite society won't.’ this moment exemplifies how aspects of his genuine personality have now become a part of his persona and this is demanded of him in genuine and serious situations, undermining the validity of his emotional reactions. he immediately makes a rude comment to the waitress at the restaurant they’re in and satisfies his date by performing that character he has set himself out to be. some circles of the fan base have argued that bojack is written as a depiction of somebody with borderline personality disorder, offering a psychoanalytical lens through which to view this notion of performance. a defining symptom of borderline personality disorder is a fluctuating sense of self; having grown up on camera, being demanded to perform to others as young as six years old, bojack’s sense of self will have been primarily dictated by the need to act.  whether this acting is for the sake of comedy, or as a representation of masking his mental illness, when they need to act is taken away bojack entirely loses his sense of self and relapses into his addictions: ‘i felt like a xerox of a xerox of a person.’ burnham’s depictions of depression run along a similar vein; in his new special he poses the idea that his comedy no longer serves the same personal purpose it once did for him. he questions ‘shit should I be joking at a time like this?’ and satirises the idea that arts have enough value to change or impact the current global issues that we are facing. burnham’s ‘possible ending song’ to his latest special, he asks ‘does anybody want to joke when no-one’s laughing in the background? so this is how it is.’ implicit in this question is the idea that when the audience is taken away and there is nobody to perform his pain to, he is left with his pain. instead of being able to turn his musings and thoughts into a product to sell to the public, he is forced to just think about them in isolation and actually face them, an abrupt and distressing experience.

the value of performance and art is questioned by both bojack and burnham, particularly during the later years of their respective content. burnham’s infamous song, art is dead, appears to be a direct response to the question ‘what is the worth of art?’ he posits that performing is the result of a need for attention (‘my drug’s attention, i am an addict, but i get paid to indulge in my habit’) and repeatedly jokes throughout his career that the entertainment industry receives more respect that it deserves (‘i’m the same as you, im still doing a job or a service, i’m just massively overpaid’). his revelations regarding the inherent desire for attention that runs through all entertainers is frequently satirised in bojack horseman. bojack is comically, hyperbolically attention hungry and self-obsessed, and the show has a running gag in which he uses phrases along the lines of ‘hello, why is nobody paying attention to me, the famous movie star, instead of these other boring people.’ his constant attempts to direct the focus of others towards himself result in bojack feeling like ‘everybody loves you, but nobody likes you.’ his peers buy into his act and adore the comical, exaggerated, laughable aspects of his character, but find very little room to respond to him on a genuinely personal level because of this. interestingly, bojack appears to enjoy catering to his audience and the instant gratification it produces, whereas bo burnham becomes increasingly candid about his mixed feeling towards his audience. ‘i wanna please you, but i wanna stay true to myself, i wanna give you the night out that you deserve, but i wanna say what i think and not care what you think about it.’ he admits to catering to what audiences want from him, but resents both the audience and himself in the process as it reveals to himself which parts of his character are solely for the sake of people watching him.

within bojack horseman, this concept is applicable not only to the protagonist, but to the various forms of performer demonstrated in the plot. towards the show’s end, sarah lynn asks ‘what does being authentic have to do with anything?’ to which herb kazzaz responds, ‘when i finally stopped hiding behind a facade i could be at peace.’ this highlights the fact that because entertainers are demanded to continue the facade, they do not receive the opportunity to find ‘peace.’ this sentiment is scattered throughout the show, through a musical motif, the song ‘don’t stop dancing.’ the song stems from a life lesson bojack imparted to sarah lynn at a young age, and becomes more frequently used as the show progresses and bojack’s situation worsens.

sarah lynn is also used to explore the value of entertainers; in the show’s penultimate episode, she directly compares her work as a pop icon to the charity work of herb, arguing that if she suffered in order to produce her work. it has to mean something. she lists the struggles she faced when on tour: ‘i gave my whole life...my manager leaked my nudes to get more tour dates added, my mom pointed out every carb i ate, it was hell. but it gave millions of fans a show they will never forget and that has to mean something.’ implicit in this notion is the idea that entertainment is the epitome of self-sacrifice. there is a surplus of mentally ill individuals within the industry, largely due to the nature of the industry itself, but some may argue that the cultural grip the industry has, and the vast amounts of respect and money it generates annually, gives the suffering of these prolific individuals meaning.

the juxtaposing responses entertainers feel towards their audiences manifest as two forms of desperation: the desperation to be an individual who is held accountable, and the desperation to be loved and validated. we see both bojack and bo depict how they oscillate between  ‘this is all a lie’ and ‘my affection for my audience is genuine’, or between ‘do not become infatuated with me im a character’ and ‘please fucking love my character i do not know how to be loved on a personal level.’ bojack explicitly asks diane to write a slam piece on him and ‘hold him accountable’, similar to bo’s song ‘problematic’ in which the hook includes the phrase ‘isn’t anybody gonna hold me accountable?’ for his insensitive jokes as a late teenager. their self-awareness is what enables their self-evaluative qualities, but self-awareness is its own issue. bojack grapples with a narcissistic view of his own recognition of his behaviour before settling on a more nuanced, albeit depressing take. originally he makes the assumption that in recognising the negative aspects of himself, he is superior to those who behave similarly: ‘but i know im a piece of shit. that makes me better than all the pieces of shit that don’t know theyre pieces of shit.’ eventually, during his time at rehab he is forced to reconcile with the fact that self awareness does not, to put it bluntly, make you the superior asshole, it just makes you the more miserable one. the show does, however, make a point to recognise how the entertainment industry protects ‘pieces of shit’, prioritising their productive value over how much they deserve to be held accountable, demonstrated using characters like hank hippopoalus. the show itself obviously stems from the entertainment industry, as it is a form of media produced by netflix, one of the most popular streaming platforms available. bojack horseman and bo burnham represent the small corner of the industry that is reflective enough to showcase the damage it inflicts. this is powerful in terms of education and awareness, and urges audiences to question their own motives and versions of performance, but the reflection alone is not powerful enough to help the artists in question. burnham’s candid conversations surrounding his mental health continue to reveal a plethora of issues somewhat caused or sustained by the nature of his career. within bojack horseman, bojack is only able to stop hurting other characters when those characters construct a situation that forces him to face consequence, his introspection alone is not enough. while bojack ends on a message of hope, suggesting to the audience that reverting back to the status quo is not the only acceptable way for events to end, it leaves stinging lessons and social commentary with the audience regarding the unnatural and damaging narrative that performers live through. on a similar but markedly different note, bo burnham’s work and personal progression is playing out in real time, and not in a way that is as raw and genuine as it appears. each bit is planned, even the most vulnerable moments that appear unplanned and painful. his latest special is not entirely devoid of hope, but does translate to audiences as a somewhat exaggerated look around the era of social media and the development of performance, using himself as an example.

the absurdist humour that often acts as a vehicle for poignant statements or emotionally provocative questions is very specific to each media creator. bob-waksberg’s use of puns, tongue twisters and entirely ridiculous circumstances served to simultaneously characterise his points as an expected part of the show’s style of humour, similar to bojack’s emotional instability, but also to make them appear gut-punching in comparison to the humour. burnham’s work is similar in that poignant but blunt statements are often sandwiched between absurd and exaggerated jokes, making them stand out via contrast but not giving the audience too much time to dwell upon them as they are said. performance art is second nature to entertainers, and is presented a an issue that is infiltrating the general population via social media rather than solely affecting the ‘elites’. bojack horseman and bo burnham present the duality of artists simultaneously attempting to level the playing field and increase their chances of survival in the industry, and encourage audiences to know that everyone is bluffing and you’ll never have the right cards anyway.

i.k.b

[fuckzachariah]

Zach, momentarily disengaged from his surroundings, stared at the food on his fork for a reluctant second. He pushed the prongs between his teeth, pulling the noodles from the utensil, letting the cooling pasta sit flat on his tongue as he decided whether or not to commit to the bite. Breathing through his nose, he swallowed mostly without chewing, then blinked into the present. Okay, he thought, I can do that a couple more times. As was his routine in situations he felt uprooted within, he found it difficult to eat anything; flavors he otherwise found delicious tested bland upon his tongue, textures became too aggressive, temperatures too off-putting. His appetite would visit him much later, like a haunting in the night - he knew his routine by now. He would be roused from sleep with a hunger-incited stomach cramp and be forced to traverse the darkened hotel so as not to wake his sleeping girlfriend, then pick through their lunch leftovers in the fridge, maybe even whisper his 24 hour room service order into the phone. The thought of Alex’s phone in his pocket kept peace safely at bay. His attention was then wrangled by Andrew, promising his time was on the horizon. Zach raised his eyebrows, the corners of his lips struggling not to upturn. This, he thought, was obvious. His ego was a confusing cocktail of over-inflated and permanently destroyed; but, when it came to his career, Zach felt almost untouchable. His fanbase not only seemed to survive through his scandals and long stretches of absence, but exponentially grow. For some reason, the more elusive and distant he became, the more the public seemed to reel and yearn for his return. Even if he tried to fade into obscurity, it would be a difficult task to keep him there. Not when the fans' hunger for him was insatiable. He suspected this was why Kylie was accepted so eagerly by them, despite his former management’s reluctance to allow him a public relationship. She offered them glimpses of him, she brought him out of the house and in front of cameras. So she was welcomed. “Fretting rescinded,” he answered, a little wry.

Kylie was reliably chatty; this trait frequently allowed him to slink unnoticed into silence, and he was usually happy there. Without the drugs, he found his penchant for being central to a groups’ attention had waned almost entirely. Observant by nature, he was far more content as a watcher, only piping up when called upon. Kylie happily afforded him this luxury, understanding intuitively when he did and didn’t want to be involved. However, his attention was piqued as she harped upon a conversation between herself and Alex he had not been present for. He turned to look at Alex, her brutally exquisite face tilted just-so. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, chest inflating. Her dancing; it had waned when she was with him, her time and energy consumed by his unpredictability, by his violent demands to love and be loved. Though he felt guilty for this, he was pleased that his suspicion had been correct; the smooth carving of her thighs, arms, the cut of her waist. They were different, tailored into a new shape by her dancing. He blinked, looking away, willing himself not to imagine what differences he might find under her clothes. In his aversion, he caught Kylie’s face, which for a moment flickered at the mention of dancing. He remembered vaguely indicating to her that his ex had been a dancer. He swallowed, stabbing at another mouthful of pasta to appear busy. As he chewed slowly, he devised a new lie; if she were to ask, Alice would be a professionally working contemporary dancer. Never seen a pointe shoe in her life. Zach smiled to himself, happy for Alex. 

Andrew indicated he had tried to bring Alex onboard the Label. Zach looked at her, deducing in a second that her reasons for declining were blatant; not only would she be actively avoiding himself and Kylie, but he couldn’t imagine working for her partner for a second time was something she’d like to repeat, after the cataclysmic failure of the first. She had never taken her father up on his job offers, never enjoyed being under the thumb of anyone she was personally involved with; not even a gentle, loving thumb, such as Andrew’s. He could not fend off his vague smirk upon hearing Andrew’s assurance he would convince her in the end. Of course he couldn’t. Still, it didn’t mean Zach wouldn’t like to toy with the idea. Kylie preened. “Teaching classes is impressive in and of itself. You can’t teach if you’re no good,” she touted her fork in Alex’s direction. “What kind of dancing, anyway? I know you told Andrew no-” Andrew politely interrupted. “Drew,” he reminded her. She nodded, laughing. “Right. Drew. Sorry. But I had this idea for a music video with ballet dancers - you don’t have to be in it, obviously, even though I’d love for you to. But we would need a choreographer.” Drew politely shook his head, laughing it off as a passing comment, and Kylie took the hint. “Let’s record the song first, Kylie,” he reigned her in. Zach eyed him, not particularly fond of his parental tone or verbiage. He sat up a little straighter, pushing his champagne flute away. “She recorded it already. At my home studio. So if it’s recording rights you’re worried about, don’t,” he flashed a smile, “it’s only me.” Leaning his elbows onto the table, he turned his sharklike attention to Alex, aglow in her emitted wash of pearlescent light. “Do you do ballet, Alex?”

Kylie’s voice resonated with a delicate sweetness, much like the gentle touch of fingers grazing against the neck. At first glance, she appeared as charming as a doll, yet Alex could not shake the suspicion that hidden beneath her pleasant façade were a set of concealed talons. This arose the moment she assertively intertwined her fingers with Zach’s, dragging him through the tour of Andrew’s luxe penthouse apartment. Kylie, seemingly perturbed and watchful of her boyfriend’s wandering gaze, was determined not to leave them alone. Initially interpreted as a display of possessiveness for her, Alex now wondered if it were instead a subtle warning to Zach. To the best of her knowledge, he had never betrayed her by being unfaithful. While their relationship had seen its share of trust issues, those instances occurred during different phases but never when they were actively together. Yet, she couldn’t ignore the fact that she had only known him in the context of their relationship. Considering his unwavering commitment to self-improvement, as he suggested, it seemed unlikely that he would jeopardize it by engaging in any form of infidelity. The principle of being a better person and straying from one’s partner seemed incompatible. So, why was she allowing her insecurities to overshadow her trust in him? Alex’s connection with Andrew was solid, and she thought their actions communicated as much. Was there something that might have given her the impression that Alex was interested in reciprocating?

Regardless, Kylie seemed content with the offered apology. Whatever weight she carried on her shoulders appeared to have been momentarily lifted. Perhaps this was an opportunity to start fresh. Alex’s laughter bubbled into her glass of champagne at Kylie’s admission, finding it cute the importance placed on her meeting with Andrew. However, Alex could not personally relate to such sentiments. She had always been aware of her own value, a quality that seemed to attract those seeking her affection. Confident in who she was and what she brought to the table, the question was never about her worthiness to someone else. They either embraced her as she was or let their sordid fantasies about her fade away. The shade of pink Kylie wore wouldn’t have mattered to Andrew; he had never expressed any interest or concern in her appearance, acknowledging only the obvious fact that she was as beautiful as her voice. This sparked curiosity in Alex about her potential longevity in the industry and her relationship with Zach. Both endeavors demanded confidence. Alex considered that Kylie might have only known Zach in his retired state and pondered how things might change once he reentered the limelight. He would undoubtedly garner attention, and the challenges from admirers might be more relentless than anything Alex was capable of. If Kylie aimed to make it, she would need to toughen up quickly. Andrew’s plans for Zach were rapidly taking shape, and it was only a matter of time being he embarked on a massive sweep of the industry.

Alex interjected, “You were worried about him? He’s the gentlest soul you’ll ever meet. Don’t let the title fool you.” She playfully nudged Andrew, who responded by raising his champagne glass toward his lips. His brow arched as he took a sip, “Sure, sure,” he admitted. He was well aware of his amiable demeanor, but also understood the art of switching gears, easily transitioning into a determined force when navigating more challenging situations. Like a shark in deep water, he knew when to reveal his more assertive side and when to gracefully retreat into his softer nature, adapting to the needs of his audience. Kylie continued, expressing her gratitude for their willingness to accommodate Zach’s preference for non-alcoholic beverages. Even without Kylie finishing her statement, she understood the underlying implication. It did strike her as odd that Andrew was in such a hurry for more champagne earlier, especially with an abundance of bottles around. The realization dawned her only now that Zach’s need for something different was the reason for this urgency. Her lips pressed together, contemplating this change. It could either signify his triumphant journey toward sobriety after years’ long struggles, or perhaps Kylie was attempting to steer him towards healthier choices, hoping he would embrace a positive change in his lifestyle. In either case, she found herself feeling proud of him for accomplishing something he desperately needed.

Zach’s footsteps echoed behind her, and she stole a brief glance over her shoulder at him. A lingering gaze would only add to the awkwardness, a lesson she had just learned through experience. As he circled around the table, it was evident that he had picked on the fact that they had been discussing him, or at least someone had been. Kylie quickly shifted, immersing herself once again in the effusive praise that Andrew lavished upon her. He nodded in agreement, playing along with Kylie’s taunts directed toward Zach. It was clear that Andrew possessed a keen sense of navigating these situations. He made sure not to make Kylie uncomfortable, especially in meetings tailored for her. Maybe he understood the potential for animosity between the two stars, despite their underlying love for each other. What intrigued her even more was the recent change in Andrew’s focus, talking about Zach more than Kylie now. Though he was eager to get Zach alone to discuss the revamping of his career, he remained respectful, striking a balance between his ambitions and consideration for Kylie. He chuckled at Zach’s response, offering a reassuring reminder, “Your time is coming Zach. No need to fret,” though he was certain Zach was not overly concerned.

Alex continued to nurse her champagne, tapping her manicured nails gently against the glass. She was surprised to hear Kylie address her again, sensing a newfound ease in their interaction. She turned toward her, her brow arching with intrigue as Kylie probed for more information about her. “Dance recitals. I started teaching this past year at a studio here. That’s usually what I’m doing with my free time these days if I’m not chasing him around the world.” Andrew cleared his throat, adjusting in his chair to playfully correct her, “I could be the one chasing you if you would consider taking it more seriously, but you don’t want to work for the Label. I get it. I hear their CEO is a real pain in the ass anyways.” Her eyes rolled softly, delicate dimples appearing at the corners of her lips as she smiled, “Yeah, he is. And he gives me way too much credit.” He shrugged his shoulders, savoring the last sip of his champagne with a smack of his lips, “One day I’ll get you. I always do,” he asserted confidently. Despite his assurance, there was no way she would agree now. Even with his most tempting offer, the prospect of working regularly and intimately with either Zach or Kylie made it an immediate decline out of fear. Alex shook her head dismissing the topic, “Anyways. It’s a new thing. I haven’t been this active since I was like…sixteen. It’s not as impressive as he’s make it seem.”

[mmmmalo]

For anyone still under the impression that June Egbert is just a product of the Toblerone wishes with no particular relevance to Homestuck proper, here's an argument to the contrary: that June (or whatever you like to call her) was already here, woven into John's relationship with the idea of Dad.

Act 1 has a certain preoccupation with the ideal forms of things, John having multiple instances of saying X isn't a REAL X unless it has this or that characteristic. "A fire BELONGS in a fireplace, categorically." One of those outbursts touches upon masculinity, with John saying a gentleman without a monocle is a piss-poor excuse for such. Along such a paradigm, you might gather that something like John saying the beaglepuss sucks as a disguise or trying (and failing) to integrate Dad's pipe into the façade communicates that John is kind of grasping at this ideal of masculinity exemplified by Dad and getting frustrated that he can't seem to measure up to it (or that masculinity feels "fake" on him).

This sort of dynamic is more blatant with Dave, who talks openly about how he isn't a "hero", not really, measuring himself against the impossible standards set by his Bro. But as much was already implicit in Act 1.

Later it gets established that John has some kind of fear of heights: the first ogres appear after John experiences vertigo from almost falling off the stairs, and again after getting launched by the pogo hammer. (Just as Karkat suspected he was given a planet covered in his own blood as a form of harassment, Sburb placed John's house on that needle plateau because of this fear of heights; the game generally manifests adversaries in response to fear). The phobia becomes relevant to Dad stuff after the ogre fight is over, when John is hesitating to jump down into Dad's room: it isn't just that John's nervous about entering the room for the first time, the descent itself makes John anxious. Furthermore, this juxtaposition serves to establish that the fear of heights and anxieties around Dad are related somehow, if not outright synonymous. The two are associated again at the beginning of Act 5 Act 2, when dream!John tries to jump over a canyon to reach Dad, but awakens mid-leap. The formal reason John awakens is Vriska of course, but if we ignore her we're left with John approaching Dad and immediately experiencing vertigo. (The name "June" comes from Vriska contacting John shortly after this dream, incidentally)

This comes up again when John finds Dad's wallet and gets overwhelmed by the prospect of Manhood and the responsibilities it entails -- next thing you know John is flying around in Dad's car, having fun... and after the scene is interrupted by Seek the Highblood, we return to find John crashing the car (another fall from the sky!) and talking with Vriska about dread surrounding societal expectations, and the possibility of rejecting them to pursue something different for yourself. John came into the scene worried (if quietly) about the expectations surrounding manhood, so the Vriska conversation serves to makes those kind of concerns more vivid.

The car crash is itself kind of a metaphor for that conversation's trajectory... in Act 6 we see something analogous play out among the Dersites who have gotten into dapper-wear: one Dersite sits on a hat, panics about ruining it, and then begins to wonder if perhaps a crumpled hat could have a value of its own, aesthetically. (Dirk expresses this sort of counter-assessment more bombastically: "...the next best thing. By which you mean, the vastly superior thing.") Dad Crocker swoops in to condemn the crumpled hat, but the Dersite's tentative revaluation of an apparent failure mode is something the scene shares with Vriska, who initially regards her ambivalence towards murder as a symptom of personal failure, unbefitting her caste. John enters that conversation with a crumpled car, and from context we can guess John's revaluation concerns "failing" to be a man in the way Dad is, and how maybe that doesn't need to be considered a failure.

As laid out so far, I guess none of this quite necessitates trans-Egbert, since people can come at "anxiety and reservations at the prospect of embodying masculine ideals" from a number of angles... but there are other considerations which make me think wrestling with self-deprecating thoughts like "I'm a failed man" are maybe comorbid with a budding sense of being a girl, in Egbert's case.

Foremost, I think it helps to recognize that Dad's car can function as a symbol of John's body. To sketch a case for that:

1a. Death often means transformation: the trolls die in questcocoons to reach the godtiers, suggesting that death stands between the caterpillar and the butterfly, their too solid flesh dissolved into a goo.

1b. A command in Act 1 implores John to "retrieve arms from MAGIC CHEST". John complies twofold: we see some fake arms retrieved from the toy chest, held up by John's real arms which have been "retrieved" from John's ostensibly armless torso.

2. This dual usage of chest is deployed in part 3 of Openbound, in service of building a dysphoria metaphor (among other things). The segment reintroduces us to Fiduspawn, a game in which one creature hatches from another, a host creature, killing the host in the process (fans of the Alien films may recognize this as derivative of the "chestburster", fans of Homestuck may recognize this as analogous to godtiering). Damara (who Rufioh refers to as "doll") becomes the host plush, who is accused of locking away Rufioh's "happy thought" (Tinkerbull) in her "chest". Rufioh's beef with Damara serves to illustrate an adversarial relationship with one's own body, the ways in which the body itself seems to function as a barrier to some happiness. The carnal imprisonment of euphoria (the "happy thought") represents dysphoria. The conversation between Kanaya and Porrim which follows has analogous content and offers a potential resolution to such a conflict, with Kanaya coming to distinguish her body from the reproductive duties assigned to her body by her caste's place in society, and knowing that she is not "bound" to the Matriorb by any will but her own...

3. But the paradigm of Fiduspawn reminds us that the act of actually ripping the happy thought out of your chest has suicidal overtones, when taken literally. And Aradiabot notwithstanding, the inner ghosts the kids give up are often green: Dirkbot tears out his uranium heart and explodes, Rose peels pink bricks off the green core of an island and wonders aloud if her existence is a mistake, and (returning to our main topic!) John tries to retrieve the green package from Dad's car. The retrieval of the box comes to represents the birth of the self from its shell, the now broken body, a gesture which overlaps with the pursuit of death.

So we can infer that Dad is akin to Damara here, having locked the desired object (the box, the "happy thought") within a container that we can identify with John's own body. Thus Vriska's talk of perhaps rejecting her assigned role in society proceeds naturally from the wreckage of Dad's car: insofar as the car functions as an emblem of the masculine expectations imposed upon John, the car's wreckage suggests the possibility of liberation from those expectations, liberation from your own body. John is "sick to death of cake" -- cake is a Life symbol imposed by Dad, in visceral excess, accumulating as every birthday marches John towards Manhood. The possibility of living as a girl does not seem to have occurred to John yet, life and masculinity seem inextricable and absolute. The first time John sees Dad's car totaled (after Rose drops it), the symbol of self-as-corpse is surrounded by yellow bands of caution tape. The Authority Regulator who placed the tape will later declare himself to be THE LAW, and we should take his word for it: the scene's function is to declare that the crumpled car, the "dead" and therefore feminized body, is forbidden to John. No surprise then that as John marches to her death, in defiance of the Law's prohibition, she-whose-name-does-not-yet-suit-her is met with impressions of several maps that actually align with their territories: troll movies whose titles are their contents in full, a rocket encoded by the sound PCHOOOOO. John wants that for herself, I think. And as @lscholar once pointed out, it’s worth noting that John's pursuit of this unity (this pursuit of "death") is interrupted by Dave, who in saving John's life repeatedly emphasizes their status as "bros" -- masculinity being, again, inextricable from life within John’s symbol system.

...and that's the short of it. A more detailed account might get into the association of Vriska and other blue girls with the feminized corpse, or read into Equius self-consciously roleplaying as a cat girl between John’s joyride and crash, or perhaps try to apply this car-body framework to the appearances of Dad's car in the Epilogues. And I haven’t even touched upon clowns...but I'll call it here for now.

[polishtamales]

Magic 30th Anniversary Failed

“The 30th Anniversary Edition sale has concluded, and the product is currently unavailable for purchase. Thanks to everyone who joined us today!”

@wizards_magic

While most people ignored WotC’s biggest cash grab in 30 years, the remaining curious parts of the community were rewarded with what has to be one of the biggest conspiracy theory:

Did Wizards of the Coast purposely cut the release window of Magic 30th Anniversary to save face? Much less create more artificial scarcity to an already artificial product?

In my mind, they absolutely did. Totally and without any remorse. 

Not just for customer “goodwill” for the brand, but also to save the “collectable” aspect of their printed products. WotC has more to lose if Magic 30th Anniversary “sold out” in a few day than a few hours. Since the vast majority of orders occurred within the first few minutes of the product’s launch window (as do all their products online); WotC most likely saw next to little actual activity after the first 10 minutes. Sure, there were probably a few hundred bots set up to mess with cart and waiting queues, but nothing catastrophic like a DDOS attack.

You have to remember folks, Wizards of the Coast is under a lot of pressure after Bank of America gave a scathing evaluation of Hasbro’s stock. Not just for funny business for cooking their books, but the fact that WotC is sitting on millions and millions of dollars of unsold inventory of cards/merchandise. It’s not like these cards can be shipped and sold to down to other lesser chain stores, like ROSS or Five Below. Magic 30th Anniversary was their Hail Mary for quarter 4 earnings. It was suppose to stabilize what was already considered a bad year for Magic the Gathering. 

So what happens now?

It really is up to you, the player base. You already have WotC employees telling every single customer to not buy every product to avoid burn out. To be more selective of what products you engage with. Obviously, very poorly worded in business to accuse your customers to be so dumb that they keep buying everything...

Which doesn’t surprise me how they’ve been focusing so hard to market their products to mentally ill/challenged parts of the community. It’s not even an open secret anymore that a lot of video games and mobile services solely focus sales to whales and/or create an ecosystem of their products to be addictive as possible. A lifestyle some would say in corporate pitch meetings. This is why Secret Lairs have been so successful. Not just by the fear of missing out in small windows of availability, but also the elite status of being a MTG mega fan! The sunk cost of your commander/EDH alone is nothing compared to another $40 upgrade of foils next paycheck... 

For me, I hate to say it, but I’ve been done with the game since Modern Horizons 2. I used to love playing Modern/Legacy, where old cards can find new life after rotation. Where you didn’t have to constantly spend money every set just to stay relevant. Who doesn’t like owning a deck and keep in their closet for a few months or years, knowing they can just dust it off to a big Magic event or some old friends dropping by? 

Instead, these old non-rotating formats did get rotated and through blunt force of power-creep no less. You can’t really have the same experiences like you did when cards are created solely to sell you new boxes/cases of cards. It was not like this before in non-rotating formats; good cards trickled in the format, not by power creeping everything around it. It’s really insulting to downright malicious towards it’s own customers when these boxes/cases are almost quadruple than their old counterparts. 

I don’t really see Wizards of the Coast or Hasbro correcting any courses... maybe adjust lower print runs and make actual collector products collectable again... without artificially pricing them at stupid prices. One thing is for sure though. We won’t be seeing anymore blatant cash grabs of $1,000 official proxies anytime soon.