vigilantempathy

[vigilantempathy]

IS2G I think of this post at least once a day.

summary of every valoris fic on ao3:

[vigilantempathy]

so, um. Guess who finally watched HBO's Chernobyl miniseries. In the year of somebody's Lord 2024. Because I am a dinosaur. Who lives under a rock. So I guess I'm a fossil? I digress.

It was fantastic.

I was not emotionally prepared for the (fictionalized!) bond between (fictionalized!) Boris Shcherbina and Valery Legasov. Like. Where the fuck did that come from. Why was I not warned. How were they as devastating as the literal nuclear catastrophe.

I'm not crying. YOU'RE crying. Shut up. (Or as Comrade Dyatlov would say, "You can't see my tears because they AREN'T THERE. You're clearly in shock.")

[vigilantempathy]

Ethics of Fandom?

(I'm sorry for the long post, I don't know how to put the "break" in, please feel free to comment with advice/instructions!)

I've been seeing more and more comments/posts related to fandom arguing that, basically, fandom works and fictional works in general need to have positive, non-problematic content in order to be allowed in fandom spaces... or viewed as morally correct.

I'd say I had some thoughts on that, but I'm straight up stealing most of those thoughts from Aristotle. So instead, here's my interpretation of fandom ethics, mostly through the lens of Aristotle's Poetics.

I'm generally a big believer that art in general and fandom in particular exist as avenues of catharsis. I don't think art (or fandom) exists to be positive or morally correct or make a better world. But I believe the act of creating art/fandom is a positive, prosocial way of exploring possibilities, choices, characters, and outcomes that might not necessarily be positive in reality. Some works of art have positive content, or impart moral lessons, or depict a better world, but many of them don't-- and they shouldn't have to.

Essentially, I view art and fandom and their contents (whatever those contents are) as morally neutral, but I see the act of creating art or fandom as morally good.

The more problematic or "immoral" the content, the more firmly I believe that the most positive option available is choosing to create art about it instead of choosing to explore it in real life where there could be real adverse consequences to real people.

I read Aristotle's Poetics in high school and still agree with his idea that societies and the individuals in them create and share art as a safe way of exploring impulses or desires they can't safely explore in real life.

Poetics focuses specifically on the importance of tragedies (and their narrative structures) as a means of letting an audience of everyday people explore how the uglier impulses of mankind can play out and experience emotional gratification of these immoral actions using art rather than having to take these actions themselves in reality to achieve the same emotional gratification.

"Catharsis" is Aristotle's term for the emotional release that occurs when viewing emotionally provocative art.

Fandom especially has made me rethink the necessity of uglier impulses of mankind as a motivator for art. A lot of fandom works exist as "fluff" --content that is purely emotionally positive and conflict-free-- and as "fix-it"-- literally creating a more positive outcome than is offered by canon.

Many fandom works, per comments and notes by their authors/creators, are created as a way of coping, processing, or dealing with the creator's own ongoing real-life challenges or negative past experiences. Like. How many author's notes are about "I should be doing [stressful real life thing] rn but instead I'm working on this fic." Or, "sorry for the delay, I just had [massive major personal misfortune] happen." Or, "sorry if this is triggering to anyone, I'm trying to use these characters to work through [negative past experience]."

I see these varieties of author's notes as demonstration that the act of creating fandom works is positive. The art they create doesn't need to have content that explores the hardest parts of being human in order to help them and their readers deal with the hardest parts of being human. Lots of people write fictional fandom "fluff " to deal with having a hard time in real life, and that's awesome.

But lots of people also create content about the ugliest impulses of mankind ("Major Archive Warnings Apply") in order to deal with the hardest parts of being human, and that's also awesome.

For many people, creating art or fandom about the worst things that can happen to people, or the worst things people can do to each other, is the most positive option for exploring these possibilities... or for dealing with them.

The interactive aspect of posting fandom works can be especially valuable, helpful, positive, and often therapeutic, especially with works where the content focuses on an uglier impulse of mankind, or a harder part of being human. For example, the main AO3 warnings, "major character death", "underage", "rape/noncon", and "graphic violence" are experiences that, when they occur to real people or their loved ones in real life outside of fiction or fandom contexts, can be extremely isolating. The acts of creating art about these topics and sharing it with others help to combat that isolation for people who have actually experienced these things, had proximity to these things... or simply have to deal with the fact that these things happen to others in the world, and the possibility that these things could happen to anyone, including them.

Sharing depictions of these experiences with others, even if those depictions are purely through art/fiction/fandom and not coming from firsthand experience, can help make these experiences feel less isolating for people who do have firsthand experiences with them.

Even if use of these tough topics are just to explore storytelling around the major archive warnings ("major character death", "underage", "rape/noncon", and "graphic violence"), that's still probably the safest way, for the author and for the rest of society, to get to explore these ideas.

Or, for the sake of argument, let's say somebody is writing stories about death and violence and SA out of a genuine interest or proclivity towards these things: wouldn't you rather they were writing stories about it than out in the world doing it?

If creating art about really vicious, cruel, awful actions can help the artist explore the possibilities or outcomes and achieve the catharsis they seek in those actions without actually having to do any of those things, wouldn't we prefer they keep making art?

Especially if being able to create art and post it in a socially interactive way lets them use their more problematic impulses as a way to engage with other human beings? Nothing fosters compassion like having to actually interact with others. Especially in the context of a shared interest like fandom, where they have common ground with their audience and might be inclined to feel kinship, commonality, or empathy with the others they interact with in fandom contexts.

You know how the uglier impulses of mankind turn into the uglier actions of mankind? When those impulses are kept in isolation, without context, perspective, or feedback from others. When the person experiencing those impulses lacks the social engagement to develop compassion for others that might discourage them from acting harmfully. When those impulses have no outlet where they can be explored without coming to fruition in actuality.

Writers killing their fictional characters and artists depicting murders can help save real lives. Experiencing catharsis through art and fandom can help people deal with the worst aspects of reality.

The author who has to apply all the major archive warnings didn't do all the major archives warnings; the author chose to write. They chose to create art about the ugliest parts of the human experience and share that art with others, and that's really rather beautiful of them.

And also a hell of a lot better than pretty much any other outcome where murder is involved.

Keep sharing your work. Keep the catharsis and compassion coming. Keep making this world better in the act of creating other worlds.

Fandom saves.

[vigilantempathy]

Ravenous puts the "sub" in homoerotic subtext!

If you're a fan of media featuring homoerotic stabbing or murder as a love language, please go watch the 1999 film Ravenous. It's a peak example of a ship between a jaunty murderer living his best life and the twink whose morality conflicts with his desires.

As added bonuses, it features dark humor, cannibalism puns, anti-colonialism, and an extended metaphor about the evils of capitalist greed. Also, in the context of homoerotic temptation, this happens:

SO GO WATCH RAVENOUS!

(Seriously, it is a fantastic film.)

[vigilantempathy]

Hindsight is 20/20

Reposted my Angsty Edizzy Autumn fics as a series of oneshots (instead of a single fic with individual oneshot chapters). Thanks again, @edizzyevents for setting this up! Still having fun with these and have started a few other ideas for the prompts, including one for "Broken Trust" that got long enough that I realized I should separate the chapters into a series, but unfortunately didn't have much time as the event was going on. Planning to keep it going and just gradually update the series as I have more. I'd love to write something for each of the prompts, even if it winds up carrying me into next autumn.

Sneak Peak: "Broken Trust", still in process but hopefully out this week, wound up including Stizzy/Gentlehands and implied Steddyhands. Cause the author apparently couldn't stick to either the Angst or the Edizzy or the Autumn components of Angsty Edizzy Autumn.

[vigilantempathy]

Dear Fellow Trans Folks who don’t feel safe rn,

We’re stronger than the people who hate us; their hate made us have to be strong.

We will survive. We’ve fought too hard for the right to exist to let anyone take that away from us.

You are never alone. As a community, we will always defend each other, support each other, and protect each other. We are fucking powerful.

Nothing and no one can stop us from building community, taking care of each other, being happy, and living fucking awesome lives. We have always been here and always will be. We have always found ways to make our world better and we always will.

Fuck ‘em all. Our lives are worth living. We’re gonna live.

[vigilantempathy]

Angsty Edizzy Autumn...into winter?

@edizzyevents I'm having a lot of fun writing Angsty Edizzy Autumn fics and have a ton of ideas but also have a ton of life stuff going on rn. I'd love to write something for each prompt but won't have them done in the event timeframe. Anyone mind if I keep slowly posting Angsty Edizzy Autumn stuff into the winter?

[vigilantempathy]

Chapter 3 Posted for Angsty Edizzy Autumn!

(https://archiveofourown.org/works/59538727/chapters/152592172)

Chapter 3 Preview ("Amputation"): Hell isn’t endless suffering; it’s getting a glimpse of Heaven every night only to have it taken away, over and over, forever and forever. A-fucking-men.

I keep having these dreams where you kill me. I call them dreams, but they’re definitely nightmares. They’re these uniquely cruel nightmares where I get these glimpses of us back when things were still good, before all the years of fuck-ups and failures and apathy it took to ruin what we had. You always shoot me, and then I wake up trapped in the life I made.

I’ve been trying to push you there, one amputation at a time.

C'mon, Izzy, make my dreams come true.

[vigilantempathy]

SUCCESSFUL TIT REMOVAL!

Guess who got his tits removed today? This guy!!! Gender-affirming top surgery, it turns out, is really fucking affirming! The gender euphoria on Day One alone has already been worth it. I finally get to look like the man I already was.

[vigilantempathy]

One of my all-time favorite out of context stills from Hannibal. Like, “IS2G guys, I can explain, it totally makes sense, it’s a good show, I promise…”

[vigilantempathy]

MORE ANGSTY EDIZZY AUTUMN!!!!! Thanks again, @edizzyevents! Still having a grand old time making my favorite pirates miserable!

CHAPTER 2 PREVIEW:

We were never married. Not really. Not like people on land do it, with vows and rings and cake and one man and one woman, and God judging the whole thing.

I mean. There were vows, I guess. Blood oaths. Matelotage promises, inheritance, all of that. And there were rings, eventually. You wore mine around your neck until the day you died, Iz. I couldn’t bury it with you.

I still wear your ring.

[vigilantempathy]

Hi 👋, My name is Mohammad, and I’m reaching out in a moment of desperate need. I’m a father of three young children living in Gaza, and we are caught in the midst of a catastrophic war. Our home is no longer a safe haven, and the future here seems increasingly uncertain. 💔

I’ve launched a fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $60,000 to relocate my family to a safer place where my children can grow up in peace and have a chance at a brighter future.

Unfortunately, my previous fundraising efforts were abruptly halted when my account was terminated without explanation. However, I remain determined to keep fighting for my family’s safety and well-being. 🫶

If you could take a moment to read our story, consider donating, or simply share our campaign with others, it would make an incredible difference. Every act of kindness, no matter how small, brings us one step closer to safety and a new beginning. 🙏

Thank you for your time, compassion, and support. ❤️‍🩹

https://gofund.me/fd1faea2 🔗

Hi Mohammad!

You and your wife and children deserve safety and peace, and I hope your GoFundMe continues to get the reach it needs to help you with your new beginning! I posted the link on my social media and I've saved it so I can donate as soon as I'm able.

I've lived in dangerous situations as well, though nothing like you're surviving right now, and know what a struggle it is to give up your home and the life you know in order to try to reach a safe place. After everything you've already survived, starting again somewhere new must sound daunting. But you've survived so much, and I trust that you and your family will come through this as well.

The effort you're making matters. Your lives matter. You're a father and a husband and an educator and a human being and you and your family deserve safety and peace.

You're going to make it out. We're with you from the other side.

(Posted on tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/vigilantempathy/763843929042026496/relaying-a-gofundme-from-inbox?source=share)

[vigilantempathy]

Relaying a GoFundMe from Inbox!

Another tumblr user reached out seeking support for this GoFundMe to help him, his wife, and his three young children leave Gaza for safety abroad. The family had been struggling for survival before the war, but now their home is left without water or electricity after a targeted strike nearby. If you aren't able to donate, please consider sharing your support by reblogging/posting the link on your socials. Help this family reach the place of safety and stability they deserve after everything they've done to survive together this far.

[vigilantempathy]

Angsty Edizzy Autumn Fic!

The "Angsty Edizzy Autumn" prompts have given me the kick in the pants I needed to actually post. @edizzyevents: Hyped about the event! Thanks for setting this up!!!!! Thanks for making me post instead of lurk/endlessly brainstorm! Appreciate you!

Fic on AO3, will be updated throughout event.

Oct. 6 Prompt "Punishment" preview: You only love the worst of me, and it’s enough. I tell myself it’s enough. Not like you could love me any other way. Not like there’s anything better in here to choose from. You only love the worst of me, so I give you my worst. It’s not what you deserve, but it’s what you want, and I love you enough to try to give you what you want.

I give you my worst, but I feel like I’m the one being punished.

[vigilantempathy]

This broke my heart so good. These details are INCREDIBLE! 😭

In which Izzy Hands got the boy, but then lost him.

[vigilantempathy]

Unlicensed boxing ring promoter/slot machine arcade owner/accidental diamond thief/partner to a proud dog dad

Wtf do you mean “cursed” this job is awesome

[vigilantempathy]

ModernAU where Izzy is a defense attorney and basically Ed’s personal lawyer to keep him from ever facing consequences for The Crimes. But also creates a monster by preventing Ed from ever facing consequences. Izzy leverages that he knows all of Ed’s filthy secrets; Ed leverages that Izzy perjured himself hiding all of Ed’s filthy secrets. Also they are in love

modern!izzy's the kinda guy to have an encyclopedic knowledge of law and order I think. he's got that hyperfixation on procedural cop shows. he's not a cop himself but you know.