#and it's impact on thai bl since it came out 3 years ago | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

whyamistillwatchingtheseshows · 4 years

Note

Do you think TharnType is as popular as it is more-so because of the series itself or MewGulf? As someone who hates shipping people they make it hard not to ship them and I wonder that if they weren't so obviously "close" would the series have a different impact on people. I think they have some of the best chemistry in all of the bl series and I'm actually worried for my sanity for what we will see in the next one. I'm asking several people this for different perspectives.

I do think Mew and Gulf’s chemistry has a lot to do with it, but it’s also a market in Thailand. It’s a brand. The whole shipping in real life thing. I like how Mel @graveformydarling once said it. Schrodingers Gays. It’s that whole is the cat in the box or not? Or the classic will they won’t they? I can’t say is never a possibility because hello gay people are invested in these shows and I ain’t ever gonna say all these boys are straight (pssh). That’s to say it’s not our business or job to police who these boys should be dating. That’s up to them. All I want to do is say thank you for the acting because we know both of them worked hard to make Tharn and Type come to life. Do I think this show could’ve been a catalyst for change ? Yes, I do. If we could’ve handled Type’s trauma correctly and also negate the idea that all gay men are pushy and predatory then there’d be much more praise rather than backlash. What makes authors, producers etc think we want non-consent bullshit or that gay men/people won’t take no for answer, (so if the story is that Type doesn’t fall for Tharn then what we have a whole show of Tharn being a non-consent prick?) The author’s question should be how does Type “I hate gays” fall for him? I’ve said it before, Tharn’s character seemed a byproduct, if not equivalent to the one who molested Type and just because your character (Type) thinks like so does not make your gay character the same predatory man. That’s entirely different and if we could’ve had the show questioning that a little more then I think it’d be popular outside of shipping MewGulf. Questioning or working through a trauma like Type’s, and sure he grew out of some violent tendencies, his brain managed to stop thinking all gay men are like the man who molested him but I don’t think he’d still be without triggering moments. Type never figured out a sexuality (don’t ever think he will label himself at all), but through a learned intimacy he did come to terms with how much he loves Tharn. It also turns out that Tharn needed Type more than the other way around, if you think about it. How drawn out would everything be if Llhong kept doing his bullshit? Tharn learned from Type that maybe you can’t always wear your heart on your sleeve. Type is a defender, if he’s latched onto to you/cares so deeply, he will defend you to the death tbh. And truthfully, it’s all partly for Tar because Type knows how he feels. By exposing Lhong, Type rescued two people, if not partly himself in the process.

I digress because I love these characters, but I do think the show never established itself as anything but two college roomies, enemies to (extremely jealous) lovers trope. One a raging homophobic character but wait! He has a past repressed trauma that fuels his anger...and then a gay roommate enters his life what now? He’s gonna be a dick but the gay character is so pushy (ep 1-3) that eventually he falls for him because that’s how you get a straight raging homophobe to like you. Or that’s how you get anyone to like you if you’re gay, be pushy they’ll eventually give in with a little force.

Let’s redo the show (first 3 eps) to put everything Type’s head. He imagines it all and we get his inner monologue to explain how he’s parsing through his feelings. Or at first the sexual attraction. I mean the water bottle scene could very well be in his imagination and it partly is...who stares like that at someone’s throat if you’re not attracted/turned on? He’s caught staring so Tharn flirts. Duh. Tharn if anything is a confident flirt. Type tells himself (in his head) it’s because he hasn’t got laid in awhile that’s why he finds it hot or basically wants his dick sucked...well, he learns after (ep 4 onward) three times he can’t seem to stop, something else is happening...

Anon, this show could be a solid 5 seasons of well planned characterization to stress that Type is a character worthy of change, growth and sympathy. Tharn is a gay character who is not equivalent to a pedophile but he too might have trauma because I am still on the fence about his first time (at 14 😬) with P’San. I might be crazy and perhaps the author never thought this but by the actions given to Tharn in ep 1-3 it seems pretty clear that he kept trying in a forcible way to make Type like him back becoming even more so the very thing Type hates. Should’ve seen reciprocated attraction from Type that takes place over time and at his pace, after all the pushiness triggers him.

I need to stop but I do still love this show. Love how much Mew and Gulf love their characters too which also makes it awesome. Recenly, I saw they had such professional answers to some questions that simply explain (and I paraphrase) we (MG) have to make you believe these characters are in love for 7 years (s2) and that’s what they’ll do no doubt.

Ooh..wait one more thing. I do think none of these BL series could be executed properly if the main couple or side couples didn’t have chemistry. If the boys absolutely hated each other for some reason and couldn’t get along then I don’t know how you could even act intimate scenes. If you find someone repulsive even acting is out of the question. Look at how a couple years ago Hollywood was being called out for rampant sexual harassment (still is) against actresses and even actors came forward too. The experiences are basically sexual assault and then threaten the job when they refuse; why do I have to be topless in this scene? No reason says the director. Oh well, then I’m going to keep my top on. Are you sure about that I can ruin your career if you don’t...

None of that has came forward in real life circumstances as far as I know for the actors of Thai BL series, (well there was Saint’s issues from LBC set...) but other than that it’s just a problem within the source material/entertaining they’re creating. It’s spreading lessons that it’s okay for non-consent, we’re all straight but gay for one guy, we absolutely think it is okay to be possessive and take what we want because they’re the wifey (😡grr), says the hubby. There is a YouTube channel that has a few videos to talk about Thai culture aspects that may be disconcerting but truthfully not all that unsurprising to see since it’s also in mainstream American television/film.

#mewgulf #tharntype #tharntype the series

18 notes · View notes