steveharringtonsstrugglemeals

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I think the steve harrington stans ought to consider brenton thwaites’s dick grayson. yes because of the rv scene. the young-adult-with-teenaged-children dynamic. the big brown eyes, the moles, the fancy hair —

#brenton thwaites is like if joe keery was a triangle instead of a rectangle #stranger things to titans 2018 pipeline when?

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conformity in stranger things

(as we see it through the characters of steve, dustin and eddie)

dustin meets steve while steve is already heading down his own path — he’s leaving behind ideas about high school and relationships, and figuring out who he is without them.

steve, by season two, had already become disillusioned with the idea of high school, and power struggles, and being the most popular guy in school. which is why he doesn’t react to billy’s taunts.

despite what the fandom may have you believe, steve’s seasons long arc about his struggle with conforming to the person people expect him to be is done.

don’t get me wrong, steve is still hanging onto some ideas in s2, like pretending you don’t care to get girls, and seeing nancy as different to all his other girlfriends (though i personally think that speaks more to steve’s prior relationships than the way he views woman).

and so, dustin and their friendship play a major role in steve fully moving on from the concept of ‘conforming’. steve doesn’t want to change who he is to get people to like him, or love him!

and with dustin, he doesn’t!!!

they make up dorky handshakes, and give each other advice. they talk about girls and steve teaches him how to achieve his signature hairstyle.

their relationship impacts both boys, but neither of them are conforming. it’s pretty much the exact opposite!!! despite what some fans would have you believe steve and dustin have a positive impact on each other!!!

dustin doesn’t change who he is to impress steve! he’s just as dorky as before, and in fact imparts some of that dorkiness onto steve!! steve and dustin help each other to find who they are, and figure themselves out.

on the other hand.

eddie had a negative impact on dustin.

dustin in s3 is dorky. he likes science, and school, and building great big radio towers up hills.

dustin in s4 is failing classes, treating friends like shit, his hubris is at an all time high; all aided by eddie’s high opinion of himself and ideas about conforming.

see. when eddie talks about conforming, he doesn’t really understand what he’s talking about (which is why his fans don’t either).

when he criticised people for ‘conforming’, all he’s really talking about is people being interested in things he doesn’t like. parties. band. science. basketball. he looks down on them all.

he makes snap judgments, and reduces them down to stereotypes. we literally watch him learn this on screen!!!

we literally watch as he verbally recognises that he knew nothing about steve, and yet reduced him down to his interest in basketball.

and here’s where the irony comes in. eddie is literally leading the club on conformity.

everyone in hellfire wears the exact same thing, and he makes fun of the clothes they used to wear. he seats himself on a thrown, and judges anyone that wishes to come before him before he deems them worthy to play a game. he’s not accepting all losers. he’s literally telling them they’re lesser than as he stands on tables in the cafeteria, and then fights against erica playing with them… just because he thinks she has to prove herself to him first.

that’s the point of eddie’s character!! that his whole big speech at the beginning of the season is wrong. and we literally see how he’s wrong scenes later when eddie interacts with chrissy.

people watch eddie learn and grow as a person, and then reduce his character right back down to who he was when he was first introduced.

tl;dr — if one of dustin’s relationships is about conformity, it’s his friendship with eddie, not steve. his brother dynamic with steve is about the complete opposite. about reaching across dumb nerd v jock social divides and finding a family.

in looking up to eddie, dustin has let his other interests fall to the wayside. he’s snarkier, makes fun of steve more (just like he’s been watching eddie mock jocks for months), his friendships with the rest of the party are at an all time low.

and yet. some people would have me believe this is dustin’s truest self? who gets his mormon girlfriend to hack into his school because he’s failing latin. who mocks steve for ���wanting to be a hero’ when just the season before he was prepared to die by steve’s side.

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“hey ladies, it’s me, playboy steve harrington, everything’s gonna be just fine”

a true icon

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(insp)

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i only got this bc the blue neighbourhood album is hurtin me in a stommy way rn

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As a follow up to my "appearances/clothing doesn't make one gay or straight but if you claim Steve 'dresses straight' y'all are crazy" post: here's some Gerard Donelan comics because I swear Steve would fit right in. Trying to say his polos or his hair make him look straight please!!

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trying something new

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i do love me a classical art steddie redraw, as a treat

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King Steve & MADMAX

“How come the only one helping me out is this random girl?”

“He’s insane.”

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I did a thing of slapping a coloring over a video sequence. Please enjoy the entire Steddie Upside Down scene with sound and the lights on. 💡

If you use for screenshots and stuff, I'd appreciate credit.

The coloring varies scene to scene because that's what happens in the original material and it's too much a pain in the ass to adjust it for every camera change the way I usually do for gifs. Sorry if it goes a bit too red at certain points.

PS Beware of Steve's flashlight, it will blind you 😂

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prev post reminded me of a mostly unrelated pet peeve — short hair was in for punks. especially in decades when long hair was the fashion norm for both men and women. punk steve almost definitely would have rejected fashion norms/his old self by cutting his hair

#this is easy to picture bc joe keery also cut his hair post st4 #steve harrington

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this fandom needs to get rid of the idea that queerness looks or acts a certain way. i’m fucking tired of everyone going on about how steve doesn’t look queer enough, and he’s shut out of gay clubs, and no one believes him when he comes out, and the others force him to change everything about himself so he can “fit in”. it’s just biphobia, and also fucking stupid.

like, if you look up gay guys in the 80s, you will find men that look far more like steve than eddie. steve’s little hair routine and nice pressed polos have more of a relationship to 80s queerness then eddie’s denim vest.

80s metal culture was littered with homophobia and racism, and was not associated with queerness. eddie having long hair wouldn’t be something other teens would mock, let alone something that he would get called gay for. it was fucking normal!!! it was fashion!

steve fits more 80s queer stereotypes than eddie. but that’s fucking irrelevant, because queerness doesn’t look a certain way. and it’s time you guys stop letting this homophobia infiltrate your fics. and this goes for robin too! stop reducing gay characters down to what they look like, or act like. it’s fucking gross.

#1) agree agree agree bi!steve definitely tries out a mustache at some point and changes nothing else about his style #2) metal fashion borrowed pretty heavily from queer culture. however they did not borrow awareness or inclusivity #3) the bandana. look. lots of rock/metal artists wear a bandana in their pocket. *might* be one of those things that was borrowed but #i (personally) have not heard anyone in the music scene relate such a bandana to hanky code… #and im def no expert in lgbt history but i got the impression hanky code didn’t really work/look like that? idk #not to say that eddie couldn’t have experienced metal culture through the lens of being queer #but i am saying it feels weird when people apply modern ideas to 80s characters #like not just bc inaccuracy but also bc resistance to acknowledging different queer experiences

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!!!!

interesting factoid for the stranger things fanfic community: the first documented use of the word 'mullet' (describing the hairstyle) wasn't until 1994 in the Beastie Boys song 'Mullet Head.' no clue what they called it before that

#still at a loss for how the term 'mullet' came about #but that's mike d for you ig #also italy why

[steveharringtonsstrugglemeals]

interesting factoid for the stranger things fanfic community: the first documented use of the word 'mullet' (describing the hairstyle) wasn't until 1994 in the Beastie Boys song 'Mullet Head.' no clue what they called it before that

#stranger things #billy hargrove #beastie boys #stranger things fanfiction #1980s

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OKAY

I am sick and tired of slander and libel against Steve’s music taste, so I went through and documented every time music is associated with his character. For the purposes of this – I’m only documenting use of a soundtrack, and not the show’s original score.

I have split this into two sections, DIEGETIC SONGS (songs where Steve is actually listening to the song himself) and NON-DIEGETIC SONGS (songs which are part of the show’s soundtrack and not actually heard by Steve himself.)  

Under the cut because it's long and I'm insane:

SEASON ONE DIEGETIC:

In S1:02, Steve opens the door to his house. Raise a Little Hell – Trooper is playing. This is diegetic, because you hear it quieter when Nancy and Barb are talking outside the house, and it picks up in volume when Steve opens the door, implying it’s the music playing in the house. (EDIT: I initially said this was Raise a Little Hell - Toque. The two songs are very similar - so for playlist purposes you can use either.)

In S1:02 when Nancy, Barb, Tommy, Carol, and Steve are beside his pool I Melt With You – Modern English is playing from Steve’s house. This is diegetic.

In S1:03 when Steve and Nancy have sex, Waiting for a Girl Like You – Foreigner is playing in Steve’s room.

In S1:05, Steve sings Old Time Rock & Roll – Bob Seger to Nancy. Obviously, this is diegetic.

In S1:06, when Steve, Tommy, and Carol are driving over to Nancy’s house, Sunglasses at Night – Corey Hart is playing through Steve’s car speakers.

SEASON ONE NON-DIEGETIC:

In S1:01, Steve and Nancy make out on her bed. During this, Africa - Toto plays. This is non-diegetic.

In S1:02 when he and Nancy are making out in his room, Hazy Shade of Winter – Bangles plays. This is non-diegetic, as it transfers into the closing credits song. It is an anachronism. The Bangles didn’t cover this song live until 1983, and it wasn’t released as a recording until 1987.

In S1:06 when Steve and Jonathan fight in the alley Exit – Tangerine Dream plays. This is a soundtrack song and non-diegetic.

SEASON TWO DIEGETIC:  

I debated whether to include this, but In S2:01, Steve and Nancy watch Billy and Max arrive at the school parking lot. Billy is playing Rock You Like a Hurricane – Scorpions at a very loud volume, so Steve would have heard this. It’s diegetic.

In S2:02, the scene where Tommy H mocks Steve about Billy beating his keg stand record at Tina’s party Shout at the Devil – Mötley Cruë is playing throughout Tina’s house. This is diegetic. (This song failed to chart high in the US charts – reaching only 30 on the rock charts. The fact it’s playing at a popular house party, and people are singing along and dancing, implies there’s a relatively big metal scene in Hawkins? I feel like this is supported by Eddie’s band having a venue to play in at all. So, can we please stop pretending Steve would be allergic to metal music lol.)   

In S2:02, when Jonathan arrives at Tina’s party Girls on Film – Duran Duran is playing. This song is diegetic, Steve dances to it. This song continues to play through his breakup with Nancy in the bathroom, and it is still playing when he leaves the party.

In S2:05, while Steve and Dustin are driving to search for D’art, Steve is playing Hammer to Fall – Queen through his car speakers. This is diegetic. (I also want to highlight that this song is categorised as hard rock/heavy metal. Again, please stop saying Steve doesn’t listen to heavy metal.)

In S2:09, when Steve drives Dustin to the Snowball Love is a Battlefield – Pat Benatar is playing.The sound mixing in this whole scene is a little weird, but I believe this is diegetic, and playing through Steve’s car speakers.  

In S2:09, when Steve drives off after looking at Nancy through the Snowball window, Twist of Fate – Olivia Newton-John is playing inside the Snowball. Steve probably could have heard this, and it’s diegetic.

SEASON TWO NON-DIEGETIC:

In S2:01, the scene cuts to Steve and Nancy sitting in his car discussing Steve’s college application letter. Over the top Talking in Your Sleep – The Romantics is playing. This is a soundtrack song and non-diegetic.

In S2:03, when Steve and Billy play basketball together, Go! – Tones on Tail is playing. This is a non-diegetic song.

In S2:04, when Steve and Billy are on the basketball pitch together (again), Scarface (Push it to the Limit) – Paul Engemann is playing. This is a non-diegetic song.

SEASON THREE DIEGETIC:

In S3:01, Steve is in Scoops while Sailor’s Hornpipe – Brian Gulland and Richard Garvey plays. This plays during two separate Scoops Ahoy scenes. It is diegetic.

In S3:01 when we’re introduced to the You Rule/You Suck board, the music shifts from the prev song into Half O’Shanty – Ronald Aspery. This is also diegetic; Scoops Ahoy has a soundtrack of like, jaunty sea music.

In S3:02, Steve and Dustin reunite in Scoops. There is another jaunty, nautical tune playing. I couldn’t find info for the specific song, but this is diegetic. (This happens several other times throughout the series. Scoops has jaunty sea music playing at all times.)

In S3:02, Dustin plays the Russian recording and Daisy Bell (instrumental) - Harry Dacre can be heard in the background. Steve recognises it. Later in the same episode, Steve plays the mechanical horse ride in Starcourt mall, and it plays the same song. These are both diegetic.

In S3:02, Dustin and Steve follow someone who they think is a Russian spy. However, it turns out to be a Jazzercize instructor who plays Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go – Wham! from his boombox. This is diegetic.

In S3:07 Dustin, Erica, Robin and Steve sneak into the Back to the Future screening, Einstein Disintegrated – Alan Silvestri is playing on the screen as part of the movie’s score. This is diegetic.

In S3:07, Robin confesses her feelings for Tammy Thompson to Steve, and Steve sings Total Eclipse of the Heart – Bonnie Tyler to mock Tammy’s singing voice. This is diegetic.

In S3:08, Steve, Erica, Dustin, and Robin are driving to Weathertop. (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher – Jackie Wilson plays through the car speakers. This is diegetic.

In S3:08, Dustin and Suzie sing NeverEnding Story – Limahl together. Steve hears. This is diegetic.

SEASON THREE NON-DIEGETIC:

In S3:03 when Dustin and Steve are spying on people in Starcourt, Things Can Only Get Better – Howard Jones plays. I believe this is non-diegetic, however an argument could be made that it’s playing as music throughout the mall.  

In S3:08, Steve, Erica, Dustin, and Robin start to drive to Weathertop, Goldrush – Yello starts playing. I think this is non-diegetic, but it could be argued that it’s playing through TODFTHR’s speakers.

In S3:08, when Robin and Steve are in Family Video asking Keith for a job, When You See Me – Hurricane Express plays in the scene. This is non-diegetic.

SEASON FOUR DIEGETIC:

In S4:01, when Steve drives Robin to Hawkins High Object of My Desire – Starpoint is playing through his car speakers. This is diegetic.

In S4:01, at the pep rally there’s a performance of The Star-Spangled Banner – Tammy Thompson. Both Steve and Robin say she sounds like a muppet. This is diegetic.

In S4:04, while Steve, Lucas, Dustin and Max drive to the cemetery, Hard Feelings – Al Kerbey is playing through Steve’s car speakers. This is diegetic because it cuts off when Steve kills the engine. BUT! IT IS ANOTHER ANACHRONISM! This song didn’t get released until 2017!

In S4:04, Lucas, Dustin and Steve play Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) – Kate Bush to save Max from her Vecna-vision. This is diegetic.

In S4:07, Eddie hotwires the RV and Up Around the Bend – Credence Clearwater Revival starts playing instantly. This could (arguably) be non-diegetic, but I believe it was playing through the RV’s speakers as a diegetic song.

In S4:07, Steve is driving the RV and talking to Nancy. Fire and Rain – James Taylor is playing through the RV’s speakers. This is diegetic.  

In S4:08, Eddie plays Master of Puppets – Metallica on his guitar in the Upside Down. Steve hears it. This is diegetic.

SEASON FOUR NON-DIEGETIC

In S4:01, when Dustin calls Steve to ask him to play in the Hellfire campaign, Play With Me – Extreme is playing. This is non-diegetic.

In S4:02, while Robin, Max, and Dustin are calling asking after Eddie and Steve is recommending films to customers, Psycho Killer – Talking Heads is playing. This is non-diegetic.

In 4:07, Steve walks into the War Zone. Rock and Roll, Hoochie Hoo – Rick Derringer is playing. This is non-diegetic.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

It surprised me how much more Steve is shown to listen to music in the earlier series. The latter series seem to feature much more OST, rather than using a pre-existing soundtrack.

Overall, when Steve is in control of the music he’s listening to, it’s typically some sub-genre of rock or new-wave. The exception to this is Starpoint’s “Object of My Desire” which is a funk song. He canonically listens to music very frequently; he is almost always shown driving with music playing (I think there’s only one exception to this, and it’s in S4), he’s also shown to have sex with music playing. Although most of the songs he listens to did place in the Billboard charts, none of them topped it – so there’s something to be said for Steve actively seeking the songs themselves out. Furthermore, you never see him play the same song twice, so it can be assumed he has a wide selection of tapes.

He seems to have the remarkable ability to listen to songs beyond his time period – maybe going near (or in) the Upside Down so many times granted him some musical time-travel privileges?

#!!!!! #the whole ‘Steve only listens to bubblegum pop’ thing is such bullshit

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Season 5 concept: argyle meets steve in Hawkins and the moment he lays eyes on steve it’s just like another Eden

Cut to Will opening up the van back door to get something out and stumbling upon steve and argyle high and making out in the back of the van

No plot relevance I just think it would be neat

#PLEASE #stargyle

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They were my favourite parts of season three, especially their outfits

Click for full res!