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cemeterything · 7 months

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im curious about your thoughts, would you talk a little about the theme of gender in the terror? i just enjoy your perspective!

okay i can't promise you the properly formatted essay with footnotes and citations i would love to write given the time and energy, but sure, i'd love to. because the theme of gender is central to the terror, particularly regarding the victorian ideal of masculinity, as a part of the greater overarching narrative theme of social constructions and structures being stripped away, and what and who remains after (crozier even explicitly remarks to fitzjames at the beginning of episode 7 that the remains of their civilization which they're clinging to for a sense of comfort and stability will begin to 'fall and drop away' as they travel further). we see this not just in the case of fitzjames, whose national identity and sense of selfhood we're given some insight into through the lens of gender, both with the iconic dress scene and his subsequent choice to dress as britannia, the feminine symbol of british imperial power, for carnivale - a juxtaposition which emphasizes the contrast between his private and public personas, and between the moment of vulnerability and honest self-expression in the scene where he holds up the dress and smiles at his reflection, and the ironic mask he dons for carnivale as a shield to conceal his doubts and insecurities, and any 'shameful' desires he might have - but also, for example, in the case of collins, who in the same episode seeks out goodsir, whose emotional availability and honesty have earned him the derision of his crewmates in the forms of scornful looks and derogatory comments denouncing his mannerisms as 'womanish' and thus shameful, but which only become increasingly necessary and shared amongst more of the men as they're forced to rely more and more on one another for support, and societal expectations of how they should conduct themselves become increasingly irrelevant, their fragility exposed and found wanting. collins is rebuffed and reprimanded by dr. stanley in episode 6, who dismisses his emotional distress, but in the following episode with goodsir he's encouraged to confide in him and, upon doing so, breaks down in tears and shares a desperate hug with him in full view of their camp; actions which would have been confined to privacy if they were allowed to be expressed at all earlier on. everywhere, cracks are beginning to show in this ideal construct of masculinity that the men were once expected and so proud to uphold.

silna's presence also highlights the themes of gender, and how they intersect with race and ethnicity; she is almost exclusively referred to as a 'girl' by the men of the expedition despite clearly being both a grown women and far more competent at surviving in the arctic than they are. the empire and its subjects' unwillingness to accept that someone who is both a native to the region and a woman could be more knowledgeable and better equipped than they are to deal with the situation leads them to assert their perceived superiority through how they address and refer to her, using the infantilizing language of 'girl', which although i believe the use of was more common in victorian england than it was today, nonetheless carries these implications, particularly when it's almost exclusively the only term they use to describe her. even those men who are more open to accepting the need to rely on the knowledge and support of the indigenous peoples of the region in order to survive there, such as crozier, don't begin to realize this until it's already too late. we also see the weaponization of femininity as a badge of shame of weakness with, as aforementioned, goodsir, and with hickey when he says to gibson that he "was such a good wife to me all these months" in order to get under his skin after gibson declares their relationship to be over.

we also see this victorian ideal of masculinity physically begin to 'fall away' as the men's bodies and minds deteriorate due to the extreme conditions they find themselves in. as sickness and despair set in, the men are no longer physically able to uphold this construction they've been told their whole lives it is vitally important that they strive to maintain in all their undertakings, further compounding the horror of their experience, but also liberating them. hickey again takes advantage of this, too, demonstrating his intelligence and quick, pragmatic thinking when he castrates irving's corpse after murdering him in order to threaten the remaining shreds of the men's masculinity and inflame them into rash, reactive action. and fitzjames comes full circle in his own gender-influenced narrative when he confesses his long-carried shame to crozier, finally unburdening himself of the idea of 'james fitzjames' that he built on the foundations of that masculine ideal the society he lived in values so highly and as a result is able to let himself lean on a fellow man for support and shed tears for the first time (that we see onscreen at least), and when he asks crozier to euthanize him to help him out of his suffering in his final moments - both poison and suicide have traditionally earned a reputation as means used by 'women and cowards' to escape the brutal reality of death, but they allow fitzjames to die with as much dignity and the least amount of suffering as the at that point truly desperate circumstances allow, and far more than the more ideally masculine, imperial british glory he once aspired to of death in combat or without any medical assistance to ease his passing would have.

#WHEW #posts all this then goes back to feminizing that man (james fitzjames) and dressing her in outfits #the terror #long post #suicide mention

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squuote · 10 months

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We know so very little about Mariella, but I think her existence as an entity similar enough to Stanley to be narrated in the same structure is very interesting. A lot of people take a lot of liberties with her when they include her in fanfics/other fanworks, often making her somewhat of a straightman, a force of sensibility and stability (and often emotional intelligence)-- which is great!! I love seeing people have fun with her, and it's often good to have foils to Utter Disaster characterizations of Stanley and Narrator-- but personally I see her as... well, as more of a parallel to Stanley, especially with both of them occupying a "protagonist"/"office worker" role when seen.

TSP/TSPUD is constantly operating on at least five levels of meta simultaneously, so it's hard to discern exactly how reliable any information is, or what level of meta it should be read on. Mariella's described presence is her witnessing the destruction of Stanley in "the real world" and simply being glad that it isn't her before moving on. I think this actually speaks to a distinct LACK of emotional intelligence, or at least self-awareness, perhaps to outright denial/willful ignorance-- within the narrative put forth by the Narrator, Mariella appears to be self-conscious, perhaps even defensive, her first instinct self-protective and self-assuring-- "that isn't me. I'm sane. How fortunate that I am sane. How fortunate that isn't me." The irony of Mariella is, of course, that she is ALSO simply a vessel narrated and controlled by the Narrator, not in the real world but within a story, exactly as Stanley is/was (in this narrative put forth by the Narrator) before he apparently 'realized the inconsistencies of his reality' and spontaneously died.

The interesting contrast to THAT is then that Mariella is outside the control of the player, so she ISNT identical to Stanley, and whether she is within the influence of the Mind Control Facility or not within the Narrative is not entirely clear. She is a character, she is framed like a protagonist by the Narrator, but she is outside the player's reach, and largely outside the visible narrative. Does she have her own player? Does she exist in her own form, or like Stanley (at least Stanley per the Real Person Ending) is she reliant on being puppeted to make choices, somewhere beyond the player's perception? How real is she?

Personally, I think Mariella is a very similar presence to Stanley, but without the influence of a Player/the repetition of the Parable, she has shut out the hints of her nature to survive. She is a foil to Stanley (Stanley-the-Narrator's-character, anyway) because Stanley recognizes his reality and is destroyed by it, and Mariella sees that conclusion and refuses to reckon with her reality honestly.

Conceptualizing her outside of the Parable-as-Game metanarrative, I think of her as someone who was Weird growing up, who was made to feel small and stupid and Incorrect for that weirdness, and learned to self-protect by strongly and determinedly identifying as Just Perfectly Normal, obedient to social norms and a careful expert at navigating her position and role. Someone who learned to be bland, to laugh at people failing to fit in in order to fit in herself, to turn her face from their suffering because she was Normal, she WAS. She is normal, and everyone knows that Weird people get made fun of, because they're Weird. She hasn't grown past that and she fights questioning things around her because she is petrified of being Weird and outcast again. I think as a character she deserves internal torment too (/affectionate) and the opportunity to grow from shitty coping mechanisms, instead of always being the Perfectly Balanced Background Supportive Lesbian. (She IS a lesbian tho. To be clear.) Yes this is a HIGHLY autistic reading of Mariella but that's because I am too autistic to perceive a character as neurotypical.

Ideal fanwork narrative, for me, is her reluctantly befriending Stanley (and/or Timekeeper/Employee 432) where they all work at the Office Where Nothing is Wrong I Promise-- reluctant because she knows they're Weird but befriending because they are genuinely nice to her and despite her best efforts she isn't actually friends with/fully accepted by/comfortable with people who ARENT a little Weird-- and starting out a little shitty and judgemental and then slowly growing out of that and coming to recognize that it's Okay To Be Weird and that she is, and she's been hurting others and herself trying to suppress it for approval she has never and will never truly get. Partially brought about because there is Definitely Something Wrong In This Office and she has to embrace seeming crazy, defiant, and bizarre in order to solve the mystery with Stanley/TK and break free of the office's trap.

*waves hand* obviously that narrative concept also involves a lot of other characters growing too, and is based on how I perceive them, but you were asking about Mariella.

ANON I NEED TO THANK YOU PERSONALLY FOR THIS ASK I have literally been rotating it in my mind since you sent it holy fuck. Everything about this has given me an entire new outlook on how I perceive Mariella and I mean that so genuinely. I love the concept of Mariella forcing away the possible reality of being another vessel for the Narrator to project stories onto. Her need for herself to be normal, for her to be in control in such a contrasting and different way than how Stanley wishes to be in control.

Stanley fully knowing that he has no control over himself vs Mariella who insists that she has control, that she knows what is and isn't real. IT'S SO FUCKING GOOD ANON. SO, SO GOOD. I literally am framing this on my wall, I fucking love this so goddamn much

#asks #anon #the stanley parable #mariella #bookmark #IVE ACTUALLY MADE SOMETHING BASED ON THIS. I JUST FINISHED IT BUT LIKE FUCKING. I GOTTA THANK YOU ANON #this ask is so good and I fucking adore it so much #this flows so well with the ending's dialogue too. i was just relistening to it yesterday #and man it fits so well with this fr. i fucking lovethis so much AAAGHHH #also hell fucking yeah autistic mariella fr

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guardian-angle22 · 7 months

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Nine ten books

thank you to @rmd-writes who tagged me (ages ago) in this... not sure you knew what you were going to unleash when you did that but here we are. 😅

I think the prompt for this is just list nine favorite books, but because I can't be normal about books and my taurus energy is strong today... I'm breaking up these book recs into categories, adding visuals, and also adding a tenth book to make it an even number. Cheers!

Books #1 & #2 (Nonfiction)

Ace by Angela Chen - Hello! Your friendly neighborhood asexual over here recommending that everybody read this book! It's such a good exploration of what it's like to navigate the world as an ace person and also the vast spectrum involved within asexuality.

Yoke by Jessamyn Stanley - Even if you've never done a single yoga pose in your life, I think you can gain something from this book. It's not a how-to yoga guide, but instead essays about her relationship to yoga, cultural appropriation within the community, fatness, colonization, capitalism, etc. It's fantastic and funny!

Books #3 & #4 (Excellent on Audio)

Six Stories by Matt Wesolowski - This fiction book (and the following books in the series) follows an investigative journalist who has a true crime podcast. The audiobook is full cast and it feels like you're following along to an actual podcast, but one you know you'll get a conclusion to. Highly recommend all of the books in this series on audio if you enjoy mystery/thrillers.

Where to Begin by Cleo Wade - The author narrates the audio version of this and her voice is like a balm to the soul. It feels a little bit like she’s a counselor guiding you through a thoughtful meditation. It’s short but it packs a punch.

Books #5 & #6 (Seasonally Appropriate)

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas - This is a YA book following a young trans boy, Yadiel, who wants to prove to his family that he's truly a brujo and attempts to summon the ghost of a murdered family member. Except he accidentally summons a classmate who has no idea how he died. Adventure and mystery ensues!

The Changeling by Victor Lavalle - I've always loved the folklore surrounding changelings, but Lavalle's writing just takes this to another level. This is set in NYC and he somehow managed to make the city feel like a character in itself. Super chilling, creepy read.

Books #7 & 8 (Graphic Novels)

I Hate Fairyland by Skottie Young - This is a 4 volume series about a little girl named Gertrude who is whisked away to Fairyland, where she's told she must go on a quest to find the key to unlock the door back to her world. Turns out she sucks at quests and 30 years pass and she still hasn't found the key. Now she's stuck in the body of a six year old and just murders everything she comes across. The contrast of bright, happy colors vs. the murderous, jaded Gertrude is hilarious and wonderful.

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen - This is a standalone graphic novel following Tien, the son of Vietnamese immigrants, as he navigates how to come out to his parents. The art in this is wonderful and the use of color to define when we're in the past, the present, or a fairy tale was done so beautifully. A gorgeous read!

Books #9 & #10 (Books from Favorite Authors I Will Read Anything From)

A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers - This book/series follows a tea monk who encounters a robot looking for the answer to the question, "what do people need?" It's cozy and comforting. I've read every Becky Chambers book published and will continue to do so. The way she weaves hope into everything she writes is phenomenal.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater - This series owns my soul. I don't even know how to pitch this other than it has a magical forest, a found family, the slowest of slow burn queer love, and Maggie Steifvater's atmospheric writing. Maggie is another author that I will read pretty much anything from (the werewolves weren't my cup of tea so I can't claim to have read all her books).

OPEN TAG to anyone who wants to list off some book recs/fave books. Tag me so I can get some new recs!! also no pressure tagging: @lemonlyman-dotcom @mikibwrites @alrightbuckaroo @reasonandfaithinharmony

#tag game #book recs #book recommendations #i cannot be normal about books dont ask that of me #guardian reads (sometimes)

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whositmcwhatsit · 1 year

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Hi!

Idk if this sent the first time, the wifi i’m using is really bad, but anyway…

I’m not sure if you’ve already done this, but I was wondering if you had any recommendations on books about Elvis? I’ve already read Last Train To Memphis but that’s just about the only one.

I’m a relatively new fan, but he’s so magnetic and interesting — I’d love to learn more about him 🫠🫠

Thank you!! xx

Hi there! So, it's really a case of what you're looking for, because there are lots of different entries into the world of Elvis. Heads up, first of all: Everyone and their elderly third cousin twice removed has written a book about Elvis. They all put themselves at the centre of Elvis' life and decisions to some degree or another. They all talk about his excesses and problems as if they were not just as heavily involved and partaking just as much. Some will quote conversations with Elvis as if they are verbatim. A healthy dose of cynicism is needed throughout. Also, don't bother reading anything by The Stanleys. This is my golden rule. So, I assume you're going to read Careless Love by Peter Guralnick, but I'll recommend it anyway. It's a hard read towards the end, and Guralnick's own feelings kind of color things in contrast with the more 'objective' Last Train. Still, I consider it a must read. If you're looking for more of an overview using more than one voice, I'd recommend Elvis and The Memphis Mafia by Alanna Nash with Billy Smith, Marty Lacker and Lamar Fike. They tell a good story, they are 'characters' in their own right, and they give you a strong idea of the vibe around Elvis. Disclaimer: facts are sometimes less important than a good yarn. Like I said, most of his friends wrote about him at least once. Some are more entertaining and readable than others. Lots of people like Joe Esposito's books, such as Good Rockin' Tonight and Elvis- Straight Up, because he comes across as personable and more respectful. Just remember that he was reporting back to The Colonel and good friends with Priscilla, Lisa and EPE. Same with longtime EPE employee Jerry Schilling's Me and Guy Named Elvis, but I like that he was quite different from the rest of the Memphis Mafia and this colours his stories. I really enjoyed Larry Geller's If I Can Dream. While the man loves the sound of his own voice, he also gives an insight into Elvis' struggles in the mid-60s with losing touch with himself and the life he is living. He saw Elvis in a way that most of the other guys couldn't comprehend because of their backgrounds maybe. Some of his stories also have a weird surreal truly Elvis quality. To get a glimpse into Elvis's upbringing and strongest relationship, Elvis and Gladys by Elaine Dundy is a good one. He makes much more sense when you feel you understand where he came from, at least to me. In terms of the women, Linda Thompson's A Little Thing Called Life is a fun read. She probably got to a more intimate insight into Elvis as a famous boyfriend than any of the other women, including Priscilla, in my opinion. She knows how to spin a tale too. June Juanico's Elvis: In the Twilight of Memory is a swoonworthy dream. She is a great writer, and got to sample some pre-superstar boyfriend Elvis. I also enjoyed Joyce Bova's Don't Ask Forever. It gives a view of how it must have been to be one of his side-chicks- Elvis had a new phone line installed in her apartment just for him and would try and get her to skip work (At Capitol Hill!) because her work was less important than his! If you're interested in any of Elvis's work, I highly, devotedly recommend Ernst Jorgensen's Elvis: A Life in Music. This man is the one who should get all the credit for Elvis's legacy continuing so far. Forget EPE, RCA, Sony, all of them. He is the supreme Elvis historian, has scoured and catalogued the vaults for all Elvis' recorded material. He is involved with the FTD label, which rescued and released all the outtakes, alternate versions, studio banter, concert soundboard recordings, everything. He is my hero. I think everyone has a different version of Elvis that they love, so if anyone else has any other recommendations, please chime in! And remember, we don't read a Stanley. Thank you for reaching out. Let me know what you end up reading next, I love a book discussion!

#elvis book recs #whositmcwhatsit #asks #you knew it wouldn't be short when you asked right?#i know i've probably forgotten tons #elvis presley

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caesarflickermans · 8 months

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Let's talk about Caesar Flickerman.

What's your opinion about him?

Where do you think Caesar falls onto, supporter of the Capitol or belong to the secret rebel line?

What's your favourite interview moment with Caesar? Why do you like this moment?

What do you think happened with Caesar after the war? Do you think he survived?

How do you like the portrayal in the movies from the books?

Do you like Stanley Tucci performance as Caesar?

Spoiler for TBOSAS :

What do you think the relationship between Lucky and Caesar? Actual blood relative? Or something else?

Thank you :)

@curiousnonny

the bestest ask !! 💜✨💜

What's your opinion about him?

I love him. He's my favourite character in the entire trilogy, I've written him since 2014. I love characters that are a bit of a mystery to the reader and leaving room to explore more about them, and he falls right into that character range. Add a good dose of being dramatic but caring deep down, glitter sparkles and masculine but in a peacock way energy, and you've got Caesar. What's not there to love?

Where do you think Caesar falls onto, supporter of the Capitol or belong to the secret rebel line?

I will say that this is one of my favourite things about Caesar; you can interpret him in one direction and find support within canon. He's a bit more leaning to the supporter-of-the-Capitol line in the movies (alas!).

Personally, I think he's a secret rebel. I've outlined the rebellion timeline here, where I allude to Caesar as well. I see Caesar as having believed in the Capitol's word initially, and went to become a host to entertain, but, akin to Effie in the movies, having a journey of realisation. In contrast to Effie, however, his journey spans a longer timeline and goes much deeper than hers.

As he's the sole person to be close to every single tribute and victor, he makes the perfect person for Plutarch's rebel plan by being naturally in contact with the tributes/victors, and being able to lift up those that have potential for the rebellion, and stay in contact with victors to recruit them/share information with them. (We even see this when he asks Peeta about love--almost as if he's been in contact with Haymitch knowing what to ask, and lets Katniss spin her dress twice! TWICE -- even after he knew what happened the first time around!)

I understand not everyone might see it like this, but that's the beauty of this mysterious side character. There's so many interpretations.

What's your favourite interview moment with Caesar? Why do you like this moment?

THIS moment is the only time we see him off stage. It's the only time he's away from the cameras, and he could act however he'd want to. BUT! He doesn't! He's sweet to Katniss--he hugs her! pats her on the cheek!--and it's a central point to my interpretation of him as a character.

With all we see of him on stage, we could see him as an evil guy who feels nothing about the tributes. But he so clearly doesn't here. He's making sure Katniss is alright, and he's trying his best to calm her down. It's so lovely, and I wish we had gotten to see more of that.

Also, I love his "Nothing you say will be wrong." Katniss mentally follows it up with worry about Snow wanting her dead. But!! Caesar as a rebel, knowing truly nothing she will say can not play into the cards of the rebellion. Him knowing exactly what this moment will deliver.

But if you want an interview-interview moment, it's where he kisses Rue on top of her head in the first script they made for thg.

What do you think happened with Caesar after the war? Do you think he survived?

As I see him as a rebel, he's obviously not gotten into trouble. Still, I think he did not come out of it a happy man due to (redacted for my next longfic).

After the war, Cressida--who worked around the Games prior and knew Caesar personally--gets back in contact with him. They are touring the Districts to show the level of destruction and guide politics in knowing where to spend money for reconstruction. She also wants to aid the Districts in establishing a sense of community. A show that introduces Districts and people to one another via the TV can create that feeling. Cressida needs someone to host the show, and Caesar needs a new purpose following the end of the Games.

He looks markedly different due to (redacted), but that changed appearance does help the people in front of the TVs to see him as a new person, too.

How do you like the portrayal in the movies from the books?/Do you like Stanley Tucci performance as Caesar?

In the movies, Lionsgate went full hardcore Capitol sympathiser with him. This was, in part, supported by Stanley Tucci, and is, among others, the reason why I've distanced myself from the movie version as well as Tucci as a face claim for Caesar.

There are still some cool moments here and there. I love Caesar commenting on the Parade and Games with Claudius. I also love him in Catching Fire. Hugging Katniss and Peeta. But they went downhill in the Mockingjay movies.

That said, the line on Caesar whitening his skin has made me think he might be a person of colour, and that has led me to wondering if he's, at least in part, indigenous. This would bring about a new understanding of how he relates to Katniss, and the Tucci just doesn't reflect that.

Of course though, I enjoyed the way Tucci did some performances. He's playing him very energetic and I love that! I just don't want to dig deeper into this, because then we arrive at the deleted scene with Glimmer, or the actor's antipathy toward Caesar.

What do you think the relationship between Lucky and Caesar? Actual blood relative? Or something else?

This fandom has a tendency to just "accept" some things as canon without it being canon. I just want to preface that Lucky is not confirmed to be Caesar's dad. We do not know, and anyone claiming otherwise is just making up things. I also thought the obsession with the nepo stuff from the fandom was really weird considering we see this literally with everyone else. Crane, Heavensbee, Snow, Flickerman. And ya'll gotta pick up on Flickerman and make up stuff.

On a personal level, Lucky gave me a headache in how I see Caesar's family background. I've read him as coming from a middle to low class background in the Capitol as he exudes new money energy to me.

That idea was one of the reasons as to why he was so empathic with the tributes; it's because he, too, hadn't been in a great place in the Capitol (relatively speaking, of course), and it made it easier to emphasise with the tributes.

Of course, if Lucky is Caesar's dad, that can also mean family pressure in following a family legacy, which would have the chance of giving him empathy here, too.

But the thing is that I've had so many thoughts on who Caesar's father is (a chef working with Avoxes, really low of the low jobs) that it's hard to match up the picture I've had for almost ten years and the one we've gotten in TBOSAS. I've tried with Lucky being Caesar's grandfather/uncle, and having pressured his own sons to follow up without success, and him concentrating on Caesar eventually.

#thg meta #caesar flickerman #thg #the hunger games #curiousnonny #many thanks this was wonderful hehe <3

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jasperathrifteddoll · 2 years

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The werewolf as a symbol in Stephen King's IT, a ramble

A fascinating detail from the book I haven't seen anyone talk about is how the symbol of the werewolf appears not just for Richie, but for Patty Uris.

In her appearance in chapter 3, Patty describes the discrimination she has faced as a Jewish person, the expectations that has been put on her by her parents and herself to be successful and 'Normal,' and how the fear has lingered despite her comparatively happy life.

As a teenager she and her date were barred from attending prom for being Jewish, and the details of this event are seared painfully in her mind. The click of her heels on the ground, the sound of onlookers laughing at her, and the dress her mother said made her look like a "Mermaid."

She thinks of the idea of being a Jewish mermaid as ridiculous. Though i am uncertain if this is due to a contrast between a generally loved fairytale being and the perception of Jewish people, or comparison between this perception and the non-human-ness of mermaids. Regardless, the thematic idea of mermaids is strong: to a be a being caught between two worlds, partly a person, and partly an inhuman creature. In common stories, mermaids appear to sailors only showing their upper halves, and so are able to lure them to grisly ends. Already I would say that the mermaid can be compared to the werewolf in it's connotations.

Stanley, who remembers the most out of the losers (aside from Mike) buys books by Bill Denbrough, aware that they were childhood friends. Patty immediately dislikes the novels, considering them frightening and in bad taste.

Though she points out a particular one with anger: a book about werewolves.

Here Patty uses the werewolf as a symbol for the discrimination and fear she has experienced. She may try desperately to conform to the social standards set for her, to become successful, happy and 'Normal,' but the fear of being targeted always exists. This is expressed through her constant worries that others are gossiping about her and her husband, and that their safety and security will be compromised for being Jewish.

And so she thinks of Bill Denbrough and his book with derision, because in her eyes he is a man with no troubles and at the top of the social hierarchy (a view that is mostly true, Evil Space Clown and Childhood Trauma aside), and could never understand the experience of being a symbolic werewolf. Something seen as dangerous, monstrous and inhuman, and something that must hide and pretend, that lives in constant fear of it's own exposure.

And while I foremost wanted to discuss Patty Uris, I also think this is a useful detail to think about when it comes to Richie's werewolf. As stated before, Stephen King has established the werewolf through Patty as: Something seen as dangerous, monstrous and inhuman, and something that must hide and pretend, that lives in constant fear of it's own exposure. And furthermore connected it with experience of being a minority facing discrimination.

And so it is interesting to look at the connection between Richie Tozier and his own werewolf. What is the monster he is so afraid others will see him as? Neither Richie or King himself gives us any concrete answers.

Personally I think that Richie's position as a young boy with visible differences/disability, such as his glasses/poor eyesight (something he attempts to hide as an adult) and complicated behaviourial issues, that are likely undiagnosed ADHD, are strong factors. As someone who similarly grew up with undiagnosed ADHD, I can attest to a strong feeling of being "too much" and distinctly abnormal, something that has bordered on monstrous or alien.

Queerness, in terms of being Bisexual/Gay is also a good fit within his story. His relationship with Eddie and how the Werewolf itself ties into the long history between movie monsters and Queerness is well discussed. Bisexuality especially, can be easily matched to the duality of the werewolf and I personally interpret Richie as such.

But regardless, Richie is shown to put facades up in front of most of his genuine emotions, and is described as confusing by many characters, including his own mother. He is a teller of half-truths and of course, a performer at heart. And in some ways, through his concealment of his inner thoughts to the reader, seems almost aware of his status as a book's narrator.

Yeah, so werewolves are a really fun symbol and creature, and I just wanted to blabble (:

There are lots of other great analyses of Richie Tozier's Werewolf on Tumblr, especially ones that delve deeper into queer interpretation, so I recommend you search for them if ya like this sort of thing.

Or just check out any of the posts on @reddieanalysis. Lots of fun stuff for the literary analysis nerd who is also head over heels for those clown fighting boyfriends.

#stephen king's it #it stephen king #it book #it novel #it 1986 #richie tozier #bisexual richie tozier #richie tozier's werewolf #adhd richie tozier #reddie #patty uris #meta #my meta #my stuff #it chapter one #it chapter two

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silverdragon128 · 5 months

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It’s way too late at night for me to be posting something this stupid but I’m also very autistic rn and I need to talk about this. Which means I’m gonna need to make something clear before I say this, my blog is NOT for kids. I know I’ve been posting about Sonic recently because hyperfixation go brrrr but if you’re under, like, 15 I don’t consider my blog safe for you. This is primarily a mental health blog, focused around my bpd. I’m saying this all at the start because… this post is gonna tackle some pro-shipper stuff that I’m definitely thinking about due to my own trauma, and I don’t think this is a good post for a kid who loves Sonic to read.

About Surge and Kit. I see them like Ashley and Andrew from The Coffin Of Andy And Leyley. Deeply fucked up and codependent, to such a degree it becomes incestuous. Yeah, as I said, fucked up. The writers will obviously never confirm this (in fact they’ll vehemently deny it, and for good reason) but the evidence is in the text. Surge and Kit are simultaneously toxic sibling coded AND toxic couple coded. I don’t believe that’s a mistake (much like Rouge gives off some heavily uncomfy vibes in the early days of Flynn’s run on the Archie stuff). And I don’t at all think it’s there to be duplicated in real life. Flynn and Stanley, from what I’ve read from them, seem to have a solid grasp of the line, but that line is older (age-wise) than you might think. Take one look at the Metal Virus Saga and you’ll see what I mean. I think they wanted to depict a horrible toxic and fucked up sibling relationship, much like The Coffin Of Andy And Leyley, and the most powerful way to do that is to cross that relationship into something else. Something darker. And personally, I appreciate it. I think it’s important to show how trauma can twist relationships like this, and it’s particularly important for kids to know what abusive dynamics look like. That’s part of why Tangled is one of my favorite Disney Princess movies (feel free to silently judge me, I’m an emo alt girl who likes Disney, I’m used to it). Plus… it’s an interesting wrinkle on (particularly recent) Sonic and Tails stuff. I’m a firm believer that a big part of the reason Tails was so out of character in Lost World and Forces was there was a SonicxTails shipper on staff. This takes that to its logical extreme, and contrasts it phenomenally. Sonic and Tails are brothers in all but blood, they have a healthy distance, rag on each other a bit, but ultimately are always there for one another. It’s literally the dream sibling experience. Surge and Kit are… Surge is constantly dominating Kit, and Kit is more than willing to serve her however she needs. He has always loved her deeply and wanted the best for her (because of how Starline fucked with their brains), even once he’d learned he’d been brainwashed to feel that way. At first Surge had shown zero care for Kit, but now she seems to love him too. Wanting to actively involve him in her plans to rip apart Sonic and friends. She still constantly demonstrates her dominance over him, but no longer in a hostile way (most of the time). It’s more… loving. It’s fucked as hell but she gives off rough mommy domme vibes for him (as I said, this post is fucked up). I mean, there’s a reason Mimic made the “shared room” joke in the latest issue, it’s not subtle.

Sorry about the hella long posts btw… my ADHD is ADHDing

#sonic the hedgehog #surge the tenrec #sonic idw #kitsunami the fennec #proshipper safe #antishippers dni #15+#srsly #this is a very fucked analysis #adhd hyperfixation #god I’m painting a target on my back

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pbandjesse · 7 months

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We are just leaving Jason and Jackie's wedding! It was such a nice event. I wish we could stay longer but it's a long drive home and James has work in the morning. So we are on the road again.

Today was great. Mostly. It did actually feel like fall which was really nice but I was not prepared for it and froze half to death at the market.

I did sleep a little better. But I woke up at 6 and had to use the bathroom so I stumbled over to the bathroom and was a me to sleep for a little after which was something at least.

I got home for real at 710. I got washed and dressed and wore my yellow shorts romper and a big black Henley shirt. I was like. This will be great. Socks and birks. I am so comfortable.

And I would be for a bit. We got outside and James had already put my market box in the car. And we headed to get bagels.

I always like sam's bagels. But it is always super tough to find somewhere to park. James would go inside and got bagels and we headed to the market.

And I was pretty good at first. We got my table set up. James went to royal farms to get me a drink and themselves some snacks. And they headed inside. But then the wind picked up.

I was fighting for my life at times. Just everything trying to fly off my table. Specifically my stickers. I would ask James to bring me some paperclips and that would help but it was still a struggle the entire morning.

And I was getting cold. Thankfully I keep a jacket in the car now. So I was still cold and pretty uncomfortable but it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Callie was there and I was so happy to see her. She looked great and I had been worried after her break up the other week. She gave me a broken dalia to press. Love when she's at the market.

It was really the highpoint of the market though because it was dead dead. Like really bad. Rosia came by in the morning to say hi and she was my only sale of the day. She got one of my last piggies. And some stickers. She loves the museum designs. She always makes me feel really good about my work.

But that was my only sale. Ah well. I worked on some sewing. But mostly I just talked to Ann and Cj and fought the wind and the rain.

In contrast it was very busy inside. They had a free day at the museum but also had the children's entrepreneur market. That is usually outside but the museum decided it should be inside. Which with the weather was smart but Stanley would come out and tell us how overwhelming it was in there. I would go in to check it out and man it was very very full. But it was cute seeing the kids work.

You could really tell which parents are "helping" and have intense branding and perfect set ups. And then there are the kids that are clearly doing it on their own and have cardboard signs. It was all still very cute.

I would be pretty uncomfortable outside. But I knew it wasn't forever. I tried to just be cozy best I could and be positive. I did give out some business cards and have nice conversations. But it was very cold still and it was hard to not focus on it.

One really cute thing that happened was when a little toddler girl who I have talked to a little before made a beeline for me and gave me a big hug. Just holding onto my leg. I was just like. This is great. And her mom was like I am so sorry! And I'm like no this is the best I have been chosen. But she took her away. But not even a second after she put her back down she ran back across the pavilion and hugged me again! It was so cute!! What a sweety. While this was happening we were also explaining to her slightly older brother that the things I make are for money and he kept pointing at things and saying "this for money. And this for money. Will it still be for money next week?" Such cute kids.

It started pouring. So now it was raining and crazy windy. And basically everyone was like. We should leave early. The market should close early. And it wasn't an all at once but around noon everyone started packing up. I waited until 1215. I would check in with James. They asked me to go get them a coffee for the road. So after I packed up and gave Callie a big hug. And then I drove across the street for coffee.

I got James pumpkin spice and also used pumpkin spice cream. I got bugles for myself and a donut for them. And then back to the museum to wait for James to be done.

We only ended up leaving about 5 minutes later then we had hoped. I drove us home and when we got back to our neighborhood we saw so many bikes! Because it is open doors Baltimore this weekend and you can tour some of the old homes. Which is very neat but I never know when it's happening so I'm always surprised.

But we quickly headed upstairs to get ready. James wasn't going to get changed until we got there so they wouldn't be to wrinkly. But I washed my face and did my makeup and got dressed and I felt so hot. Like wildly attractive. Which felt super good. Like I haven't been doing much makeup lately and that was nice to see and then the dress just fits me so well and I come out of our room and James is like

Woah you look hot. And I'm like you are so lucky to be married to me and we had a nice laugh.

James made me a grilled cheese because my hands had started shaking. And once I finished eating that we said goodbye to Sweetp and got back on the road.

We were in the car by 150. And were scheduled to get there at 4. With the wedding starting at 430.

And at first everything was great. The first hour went smoothly. Besides James being dramatic listening to the baseball game, it was a smooth ride. I was listening a YouTube video doc and watching the world go by. But after that first hour all of a sudden almost 30 minutes were added to our trip?? So then we were like. Okay Google please give us an alternate. And it did but everyone else was trying to take the exit and being very unsafe. But our new eta got us at the venue at 415. Only adding 10 minutes. We had to make a stop to get gas. But we handled it well and got to the venue. Where James found someone in the wedding party they recognized and they were able to tell us where to park.

But this also lead to a rumor that James was wearing a t-shirt and shorts. But once we parked they quickly changed and looked so handsome.

I was a little teetery on my heels but I was feeling super cute. I'm really glad I brought my little jacket because it was chilly. But we were in our seats at 428.

And it was a lovely wedding. I really do love seeing wedding and seeing what people do or chose not to do. This couple had a lot of like nerdy movie and show references. They had a friend read a lovely poem about how love is like having a puppy. It was very sweet.

I felt a little weird at cocktail hour. There wasn't really any nonalcoholic options I wanted. Only ginger beer? Which as gross to me but whatever. I spent most of the hour talking to the few people we knew there. Diaz, Joselyn, Xavier, Kaitlyn, and Yona. It was fun hanging out with them and having a little crew. But at time I needed to just not be around everyone

And went to explore the flowers. And there were some really excellent flowers. They had a pollinator garden and a medicinal garden and I had fun taking pictures and checking those out. Then returning to the group to show them the pictures I took. Made my own fun.

Me and James took pictures but I was struggling to find something to prop my phone on plus there were a lot of lighting issues so I didn't get as many pictures that I loved as I hoped. But it's all good. I still got a few.

There was slight drama when we found out one of the guys that was supposed to be there wasn't because him and his girlfriend broke up in a very explosive way and he was just super shocking because not an hour before we were talking about his relationship and how he has basically become a step dad and it was just super surprising how quickly it changed.

We all walked to the reception after that. The couple looked so nice. I was really happy for them. Their were slight hiccups. But mostly it was great. The groomsmen came in like secret agents and the bridesmaids had a whole dance to Shania Twain. It was all very silly but I liked it.

The food was excellent. They had a pizza truck and it was wood fire and really good. We also had some pasta and salad. I was really enjoying the chatting and the being silly. Diaz had a baseball game on and I was ragging on him for being to loud but it was all in good fun.

We would dance and that was fun. I always like dancing with James. Me and Kaitlyn and Joselyn realized pretty quickly we sent the guys away to take their group picture at the wrong time because it was the first slow song but that's fine. There are worse things to miss. It was very cute to see them doing a big group hug with all the guys from the fraternity. They are so sweet.

I saw people at the dessert table and was like. Yes. It is time for cake pops. And because they had little baggies I got two of every flavor to share with James. Which was go many cake. All's but it was so fun and silly so it didn't matter. I made James laugh with all of them.

Me and Joselyn conspired to take our cups with us. And I spent some time just dancing by myself while James went to give goodbye hugs. But around 830 we were out.

We wandered in the dark to the car. I enjoyed seeing the stars. James got changed again and I was happy to take my heels off. I had fallen out of them while we were getting dinner and hurt my ankle again so I was happy to be bare foot.

And that's where I am not. I am enjoying the ride but I am also really looking forward to being home and going to sleep. I have been texting my brother and Jess and enjoying the podcast James picked. I feel full of love and really happy. I just feel lucky to have the life I have with James. I am so happy for the new couple. I hope they have a great night.

We will be home in an hour or so. And quickly to bed after that. I don't know what tomorrow will hold but I hope it's a good day.

Sleep well everyone. Be safe out there.

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collymore · 3 months

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Self-evidently, your Kate Middleton is having her plumbing removed; lol!

By Stanley Collymore

Look at the vast number of police officers they have guarding the door of what's undoubtedly a rather posh private hospital! Shouldn't such hospitals have their own security? So, quite sensibly, why essentially then are us, the quite average UK taxpayers literally and distinctly crucially footing the actual full bill obviously for all this when undeniably, significant numbers of us are very reasonably, and literally basically afraid to walk on the streets of Britain, even in truly broad daylight in plenty neighbourhoods these days, and evidently without a single bloody police car basically on patrol far less so, any coppers distinctively in sight!

Author's Remarks: Didn't the Metropolitan Police effectively quite arrogantly state in court documents relative to the Harry Windsor case relative to his personal security that they're simply and essentially not for hire? So how come, and why the fuck, are they so categorically providing that said service for a distinctly rather expensive posh hospital which most Britons obviously simply couldn't afford to be a patient at, yet the Metropolitan Police whose salaries they pay are the distinctive ones providing that same service literally, that Harry allegedly wasn't eligible for!

Welcome to still undeniably deeply Feudal Britain asininely ensconced in this the 21st Century and suitably infested with its sick, vile, toxically verminous, and undoubtedly, likewise unquestionably surfeit of actually sycophantic, monarchical serfs! Much too stupid to redeem their own pathetic state of affairs!

The rampant, and I'll even employ the apt terminology rabid kerfuffle as well clearly attendant with its wilfully contrived and purported mystery to very essentially milk maximum public sympathy while evidently purposely disclosing bugger all relative to this Stepford mother's obvious admission into hospital, stems undoubtedly so from a very embarrassing state of affairs which is essentially syphilis, and the urgent, and as well all appropriate measures to effectively deal with it!

Philip Schofield personally quite publicly admitted in later years after being clearly married for quite some time when he did come out, that he knew he was distinctly homosexual when he got married, later had two biological daughters that he very naturally sired by his wife but all the same, nevertheless carried on with is very secret homosexual passion. The Windsor family and their palace environment are littered with Queers and Dykes - a terminology I use only for those I utterly and evidently thoroughly despise, and not the likes of Phillip Schofield and other decent Gays and Lesbians worthy of respect; a state of affairs the Windsors and their lot rather markedly aren't worthy or will never be every worthy of. So it was altogether in my estimation very commendable of Philip Schofield and likewise courageous to do what he did; but most significantly as well confiding in and being honest with both his wife and daughters, who appreciated his honesty and have continued loving him. A marked contrast I assure you as would be the case with the plethora of Queers and Dykes in the Windsor family and their also equally debauched households where the likes of Jimmy Savile, Jeffrey Epstein, Bishop Peter Ball and Rolf Harris along with Ghislaine Maxwell had full sway and established relationships with the utterly sick and odious vile Windsor lot that you purblind cunts so grandiosely worship.

Not however a Philip Schofield situation with the Windsors and specifically so the current principal Stepford wife and also self-evidently very redundant mother and spouse. The body language, for all the sycophantic Daily Mail and its illiterate hacks hype, between gold digger stalker and her succumbed bi-Queer, makes what transpired between Diana and Charles look rather mild and tame stuff by comparison. A man who is distinctly bisexual but more so, as Philip Schofield was, evidently quite homosexual, and with a distinctly marked preference for homosexuality, but clearly without the balls or integrity of Philip to state what he actually is!

Likewise, he has also markedly turned off this rabid social climbing, stalker and gold digger slut that he was told to marry by his grandmother, who saw her as the quite apt Stepford wife and brood mare as she also perceived Diana to be. Categorically that old, thankfully now dead, cunt has a lot to answer for that's still plaguing Britain. But for this stalker to do a Diana and publicly complain is out, as both this stalker and her own mum have invested far too much in terms of controlled enterprise to simply give up now because their undeniably very successfully target has eventually come to what limited senses he has. Which are so very minor I assure you.

Consequently, they would both have very separate lives: Liz and Philip did, Charles and Camilla do, and the list goes on with this lot. In other words whenever Queer boy wished to prove his rather miniscule heterosexuality he would have some real fanny, generally with his long associated mistress and next door neighbour with whom they jointly have a bastard daughter but as transpires in such cases the wife is always married so the cuckolded husband quite automatically becomes the Dad! But we now thankfully live in the era of the DNA so knowing you're in the wrong yet making legal threats of defamation of character doesn't any longer work! Eh Baldy!?

Anyway, somewhere in this equation the dreaded lurgy of syphilis was contracted, possibly by him, but I think unlikely, and more likely by her given her known school days behaviour and recent indiscretions. But as the saying goes, you ultimately do reap what you sow. And from this clearly mentally liberated and discernibly proud Bajan/Briton what's happening to this vile, racist Karen woman and her still legally connected KKK aficionado husband just couldn't happen to two better persons. Lol!

#hate #greed #self-entitlement

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myprofessormadememakethis · 5 months

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Should Love Be Passionate?

“Study of a Girl in a Japanese Dress” c. 1895. William Merritt Chase

I have many critiques of the Story of One Woman Who Married a Chinese, but I am brushing them aside for now in favor of a question I have been contemplating for awhile now: Should love be passionate?

Throughout the story, the protagonist contrasts her husband with the man she eventually marries—Liu Kanghi. Her ex-husband is passionate, but abusive, whereas her current husband is quiet and loving. Practicality undergirds Liu and Minnie’s relationship. He meets her and invites her into his life to take advantage of her sewing skills, and she eventually agrees to the proposal he makes after spending some time with her when it becomes evident that her relationship with her husband will not sustain. Despite all this, she lives a long happy life with her current spouse, which begs the question once more: Is real love only passionate?

I think this answer is somewhat found in the text. There is a clear cultural contrast between how Minnie approaches relationships versus Liu. This contrast comes from a European perspective influenced by the romantic movement, whereas Liu operates from a Chinese one. This means that our ideas of what love should be or what it should look like are culturally constructed. This story knocks on our heads and asks us to reconsider passionless love as devoid and worthless.

A Streetcar Named Desire comes to mind the more I think about this. Stanley, much like Minnie’s husband, is abusive, but Stella remains with him because she is obssessed with the heightened emotions their relationship brings. As I consider what makes passion, I realize that, in the American literary tradition, intense love tends to be characterized by abusive power dynamics. Sexy men riddle the pages of romantic fiction, adorning brooding attitudes and lashing out at a moment’s notice. Possession drips all over these men’s love, causing them to perform regrettable acts like smashing windows in pure rage (ex. Chuck from Gossip Girl). In more extreme cases, these men forgo the sexual boundaries of their love interest, but all of it is a symbol of their uncontrollable passion…or is it?

The toxic masculine fantasy that somehow also fills the feminine fantasy of being weak and relentless is almost mind-boggling, but if passion as constructed in literature is an extension of male domination, maybe these perspectives on love are symptomatic of a deeper discourse about gender ideals under patriarchy. In a strange way, women build their sense of femininity around men. This manifests in the desire to be subjugated because that is the socially constructed role for feminine individuals.

Maybe, then, we should throw out these ideas about love. Maybe love can be calm. Maybe love should lull like the sea.

youtube

- Ysabella Porche

#Youtube

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mountainscouts · 2 years

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yr top ten fav sp characters GO!!!

*panicking like theres a gun pointed to my head*

OKAY OKAY, fair warning i like to latch onto characters who don't ever appear or speak ever again because im fucked in the head!

let's start from the bottom!

10) pip

i like pip for all the different reasons compared the usual ones. I love characters getting ripped on for their passiveness/kindness in this show and it only makes the town consensus that everyones and asshole even funnier. i think his voice is a little annoying but i actually enjoy it at the same time. "pip" is one of my favorite episodes because of how absurd it can get and is a great start to making more spin off episodes. i really like this stupid british kid, rip pip!

9) jimmy

JIMMY THAT FUNKY LITTLE COMEDIAN!!! i love him, he's legit really funny and i love all of his episodes. even with his speech impediment being the reason why you're supposed to think hes funny, he's genuinely funny on his own with his personality and snarkiness. beloved little man. also his debut episode also includes my blog's namesake. bring back the scouts!!

8) heidi

she's smart and funny

ok no shes SO SWEET. i care her so bad, i genuinely love her character and she is probably the saving grace about season 20. i actually was invested in seeing her grow and seeing her on screen just made me happy especially if her overt kindness was the butt of a joke. i don't like heiman but they were so entertaining together, maybe it was just how horrible they were when eachothers presence that I liked. god I miss her so much

7) craig

poor craig has been a victim of so much bad characterization but my love for his actual character in the show is so good. i love the pandemic trilogy so much, craig definitely shines there with his aloof attitude and disdain for the boys. i miss when he'd always be known for flipping people off, getting in trouble, and just not giving a fuck. but also he's still very much so a kid with kid interests!

6) henrietta/the goth kids

i feel like the goth kids are a full package, but since henrietta is probably considered "the face" of the group ill say she's my favorite. i love her specific dialogue the most she contrasts so well with her family and it doesnt fail to make me laugh. also, shes genuinely really cool along with the rest of the goths. like why do their outfits pop off.. and for what. also the goth storylines are also so fucking hilarious, i love goth kids 3 so much its probably a top 5 ep for me.

5) david

hes beaner.. jus like me🥺 NO, GENUINELY THERE IS A BIAS WHEN IT COMES TO HIM BUT I DONT CARE. david, like most of everyone in my top 5 has so much nostalgic value to me. i remember watching you're not yelping for the first time and being completely enamored with him right when he showed up on screen with his familia<3. i do genuinely love the role he plays in that episode and even the minor specs of him in season 19, seeing him makes me so happy. also i love the fact he was just so ready to kick cartman's shit in, what a king.

4) tweek

tweek is so funny. his delivery. his dialogue. his body language. god i love that little meth head. he also suffers from mischaracterization but my love for him surpasses any shitty fandom interpretation. free hat is one of my favorite episodes and his arc in that ep is PRICELESS. only tweek would respond to "what do you see as a positive about toddler murder" with "its easy" absolutely iconic, pinnacle of humor, it makes me collapse every time. also hes pretty unpredictable and i love his spontaneous nature.

3) stan

stan definitely is one of the fandom favorites for so many reasons but i just know that ive genuinely really liked him since forever. one of my favorite episodes (and possibly underrated stan episodes) is stanley's cup, it's just such a good episode and observation of his character along the lines of ygo/ab. i like the place he as as the most sensitive out of the main four while still having an intense passion for things he feels strongly about too amongst other traits.

2) rebecca

rebecca is probably one of the first, if not the first one shot character i grew attached to. at the ripe age of 8 fucking years old I remember watching homp and thinking she was the cutest thing ever. i also really loved her romance with kyle (kybecca 4lyfe) so that also pushed me to REALLLLLY like her. she's also genuinely really interesting with her speech delivery and (once) sheltered view on life. i know we will probably never see her again but i pine for the day that we do even if its just a mention or cameo. i love her so much oh my god.

and to no one's surprise:

1) gary

hes nice

#south park #ask

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talesandfluff · 3 years

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I really really love that they included that bit where Tom raises his voice at Becky and apologizes immediately when he sees she's shocked and upset by it

it shows he's attentive to her reactions. he's not just doing his own selfish thing, she's here with him and he doesn't want to hurt her. at once he knows he has and at once he apologizes for it without arguing it.

though in contrast, it also shows how on the edge he is and quick to lash out, and it shows he's working on it.

it happens before Tom knows anything about Stanley, which shows that him recognizing her being upset is something that comes instinctively without knowing the reason why, and that he will apologize for it because he respects her inherently even without the details of the trauma that led her to being more prone to fearing a man raising his voice than others.

it gives a more nuanced view of their dynamics than if there was never any stumbling. they're both deeply traumatized individuals and there's bond to have frictions occasionally because they're fragile and it shows how tom is aware of when he messes up and learns from it.

I think it's an excellent moment and I'm glad the YouTube video zoomed in on Becky for her reaction because it really says a lot about the both of them.

#starkid #barneston #black friday #becky barnes #tom houston

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nissakii · 3 years

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Significance of “Madness” in anime

We’ve already established in other posts about significant emotions and concepts in anime or specific media before. The Significance of losing or the one of visuals and metaphors in Haikyuu!! are some of those I would love to mention here, but today we shall delve into a broader topic that goes more along the lines of Makii’s thrilling post about Danganronpa and the Significance of Despair.

Today, our topic of interest is madness.

To ease your mind, in this post we will be talking about the representation of insanity and madness in some anime characters and how that reflects on the story and ourselves as an audience.To make one thing clear, a lot of the times we see overexaggerated versions of unstable characteristics in anime that aren’t realistic.

This is in no way a discussion about actual mental illnesses and not a professional approach to analysing them to our real life standards, but maybe a start to an interesting discussion about how we portray and handle what one may colloquially call “craziness”.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s start!

Artists, and no matter for example if they write or draw, use their platforms to deliver messages in cryptic ways. As humans, we have the innate ability to look at something and consume the facts through entertainment which makes us crave new media to follow and analyse.

We love to question things instead of just taking them as they are, and that is why most writers out there will play around with the perception of their audience.

You may be familiar with the common question that ghosts through your head as you enjoy the latest episode of your favorite anime.

Why did he do that? Is she a traitor? What makes them think that way?

Although one might always do it consciously, we most definitely analyse whatever media we consume and decide for ourselves if it is important enough to keep in mind for future reference.

What the writer or founder of the anime ultimately wants from the reader is a reaction.

No matter what they intend to do with it, if they enjoy the viewer getting excited or traumatised is not of importance, but a reaction is evidently one of the goals.

And as strong emotions always evoke an even stronger reaction, anime characters are often very idealized and have ideologies that make them want to do one particular thing.

Be it save the world or destroy it, we focus and look at these characters and root for them if they give us a reason to do so.

Both sides of good and bad can have deeply rooted admiration drawn out of us, and it sometimes doesn’t even matter because the more interesting part is the lovely grey area in between.

We need a balance of good and bad to enjoy both.

Empathy makes us viewers want to relate to the characters, and if the author gives us the possibility to learn why someone does something, it gets harder and harder to dislike them. That’s why tragic backstories and flashbacks are such an overused tool in anime, because with the extreme behaviour some characters show they also need equal amounts of redemption.

We attach ourselves emotionally to characters depending on our personal tastes as well.

If someone likes and relates to a strong and independent protagonist who would drop anything for the sake of justice, you will find a lot of resembling characters in shounen for example.

On the other hand, if a darker or more obsessive character manages to take over a special place in a viewer’s heart, putting them on a pedestal gets more and more interesting, because you’re not supposed to.

Contrary to that, characters with insane or dark personality traits are often very popular, again tracing this back to human instinct of emphasising with wronged characters and curiously inspecting the fully deranged ones.

As this isn't something that should be put into vague concepts, we’re instead going to look at examples of characters and entities that are seen as ‘mad’ and how they’re interpreted.

It’s not just about villains being unreasonably immoral in this post, as we look into what madness entails and how it's shown, we also have some examples of corruption to look at.

So of course there are the typical evil-thinking evil-doing villains out there.

Some of them have an actual backstory to make them more realistic and believable, some others are just pure evil. While they are often called mad for their actions to achieve their goal, the reason why they are put into that light is the stark contrast between the protagonist and the villain.

If the protagonist loves to save people and always has a smile on his face, of course he will differ from his counterpart when he finds out that his methods are a bit more vicious.

The protagonist perceives the villain as insane most of the time, but what does the viewer think?

We seek to look not only at characters that are enjoyable to watch, but also try to find similarities between us and them or draw lines in their behavior to understand them better. As mentioned before, empathy plays a huge role here as well, since whatever happens in anime doesn't have actual repercussions, we can forgive characters more easily.

For example when they are taken by Insanity as a side effect rather than being insane due to trauma, we often get an 'ally turned traitor' trope through hypnosis or brainwashing, which is just as interesting to look at.

If a person did something horrible under the influence of something they had no control over, are they still to blame?

Does Insanity only involve a separate entity that comes from evil, or are we also looking at the gradual descent into darkness when life just isn't the same anymore?

Insane and with no fear: Soul Eater

A great example of how insanity plays with characters be they good or bad is Soul Eater.

With a premise that one needs a sound mind and body to inhibit a sound soul, we obviously know that people close to becoming Kishin-eggs will have a rotten soul drenched in bad deeds, but what about the good guys?

In this instance we have a lot of different types of madness and insanity that touches multiple characters at different times, and by far the most drastic would be the black blood.

The black blood being a synthesized weapon form of blood that can change form and harden into shape, is a weapon made by Medusa and introduced for the first time with Crona. He was melded together with Ragnarök as a weapon and used the black blood in his proficient fighting style.

Soul Eater as well as Maka and other characters later come into contact with the black blood, and the consequence of the immense strength that comes with it is debilitating madness.

As explained in the anime, the madness makes one deny the soul of oneself and others and takes away your fear. Now with no fear present, the person exhibits extremely erratic behavior and is not scared to hurt others or themselves.

This is an insanity that shows how essential a person's fear is, shown by Maka in one of the latest episodes when she fights Asura. The fact that she learned how to accept her own fear and realise that humans need it to survive is why insanity in Soul Eater is merely a concept to differentiate between what is human and what is Kishin.

A Kishin kills and murders with no fear of anything.

A human protects and masters one's own fear.

The power hungry insanity: Hunter x Hunter

In Hunter x Hunter we have a lot of characters that don't exactly fit the norm of human action.

With people like Chrollo, Illumi and even Chimera Ants there is enough crazy to go around.

Still, the character we shall delve into to look at a different kind of instability is none other than Hisoka Morow.

Yes, in comparison to black blood madness Hisoka is an actual human being with no known influence outside of his own intellect. The contrary to another weapon or entity making someone insane is being shown in this anime.

Hisoka is just insane.

We have no means to see if there is anything that might have caused Hisoka to be the way that he is, but what we do know is that his character is almost too nonchalant for his own good.

His goal is to accumulate power and fight others that he seems worthy, as that is what attracts him. No person is spared if he believes he found a worthy opponent he will make that clear to them and pursue them passionately.

We could rule that the clown is just eccentric, but with the given information from the anime he definitely had some sort of mental difference next to his peers. Harming himself holds no problem to him, and his behavior is deeply rooted only to suit himself. He has no self-preservation except for when he needs to accomplish something, and he even enters the spiders just to get close to Chrollo.

Now we see a single person carry themselves throughout a story only to achieve one thing: a good fight.

After having looked at these two examples of insanity in anime, let's look at how that insanity can be portrayed visually.

A famous way to show someone's psychosis is the “Kubrick stare”. A directorial technique that got named after the director Stanley Kubrick who used a forward tilt of the head with eyes locked onto the camera to show the actors of his movies at their peak of madness. It became a very popular stylistic device and is used still very often in modern movies.

The character is supposed to look menacing, evil-plotting and absolutely unhinged.

Such devices, if used often enough, automatically invoke the message to the viewer.

If you’ve seen the Kubrick stare once in a psychotic character, you will definitely associate it with the same derangement again.

In anime we have a similar thing, and you might be aware of this already.

Familiar with the ‘eye angle just before a character goes insane’ meme?

It’s a running gag that shows multiple characters such as Asura from Soul Eater, Pain from Naruto, Light from Deathnote and Jason from Tokyo Ghoul in a frame where you can only see their eyes and it somehow looks extremely grotesque as if they were looking into different directions with their eyes.

As much as it is a joke, it is a perfect example of something extremely similar to the Kubrick stare used in anime culture. It goes so far that if any anime watcher would see a new character look like in a frame, one would assume they were about to go crazy.

Even Oikawa Tooru from Haikyuu!! was shown with a Kubrick stare in the last moments of the second Seijoh vs. Karasuno game, when his desire to win overtook him with incredible force.

Without loss there naturally can’t be any wins, and without sadness there will be no joy in laughter.

We need the different depictions of what one might call madness, to fill our stories with nuance that relies on our reality.

Be it an unknown entity, hunger for power, lack of fear or the good old fashioned thrive for world domination.

Madness is just another part of what we call life, and to be honest in healthy doses and for effect why not enjoy it in anime?

Now, do you guys know any other characters or concepts in anime that would be worth mentioning? I would love to see them in the comments!

Until then, stay sane!

-Nissa

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sepublic · 3 years

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Eda and Lilith, Anna and Elsa

I know a lot of people compare Eda and Lilith to Stanley and Stanford, but in all honesty… I think in a lot of ways, they’re more like Elsa and Anna? With Eda as Anna, and Lilith as Elsa…

I mean, you have the estranged sisters who clearly crave one another’s company, but for various reasons and secrets, they can’t- Elsa is hiding her powers from Anna, and Lilith is hiding the fact that she cursed Eda. Elsa and Lilith hurt their younger sisters by accident- Elsa tried to save Anne from a fall and accidentally struck her with ice, while Lilith only intended for Eda’s magic to be weakened for a day, and then was trapped with the dilemma of her sister periodically turning into a beast for the rest of her life. Both incidents of hurting their younger sibling clearly haunted Elsa and Lilith- And yet despite this, they ended up harming their sibling AGAIN… Elsa struck Anna in the heart, and Lilith made Eda use up her magic, under the belief that Belos would cure Eda of the curse and restore that magic anyway.

Elsa and Lilith are also genuine messes with blue color schemes, and socially isolated as-is, even resorting to it willingly; Elsa hides away in her ice castle, Lilith stays within the Emperor’s Coven. Elsa and Lilith don’t reach out to their sisters for help, for a variety of reasons, and are stricken with obvious self-loathing that they try to initially hide under a façade of being more dignified and mature- And this ties into both of their initial positions in society, with Elsa as Queen of Arendelle, and Lilith as Head of the Emperor’s Coven. The two definitely come across as a lot more aloof than their sister, hesitant, as well as insecure deep-down.

Eda and Anna are the younger siblings. They’re outgoing, reckless, and have little concern for upholding social barriers- Anna doesn’t let her status as royalty prevent her from goofing around and interacting with just about anyone she meets, and Eda proclaims herself as the strongest witch in the Boiling Isles (not without reason), but otherwise lacks judgment and is very open-minded. Both had to deal with an affliction cast by their older sister that made their hair begin to turn gray, and even after all of the pain and conflict, when that sibling was threatened- Eda and Anna took the blow… Anna was literally frozen, while Eda was partially petrified. Both were saved by the mundane strangers they’d met, as well as their sisters working to undo the effects of whatever transformed them.

Eda and Anna have a debilitating loneliness, rightfully feeling like their older sister basically left them behind- Elsa isolated herself, Lilith went to the Emperor’s Coven and didn’t help Eda cope with the curse much, if at all. There’s some frustration and resentment towards their older sibling, as Eda and Anne feel like their sisters are judging and looking down on them and their decisions- Elsa’s criticisms being more valid than Lilith’s in this scenario, but still. And while Eda and Anna aren’t as good with their feelings as they’d like to be, they’re still much more well-adjusted than their siblings, and able to make new friends because of this.

Superficially they seem to be the more immature and troublemaking of the sisters- But when it gets down to it, Eda and Anna are actually the most developed and responsible siblings. Of course, Elsa and Lilith aren’t entirely to blame, either- They were encouraged to hide who they were and bottle it up for a ‘greater good’ by Agnarr/Belos respectively. And Agnarr and Belos were both involved in some imperialism, albeit Agnarr was a kid who didn’t know what his father did and was just defending himself, while Belos willingly and knowingly did a LOT of things that are going into my cringe compilation.

And going back to Eda and Anna, even after being hurt by their sisters under the pretense of doing what’s best for them (Elsa wanting to protect Anna from her powers, Lilith wanting to cure Eda by bringing her to the Emperor’s Coven), and overall being forsaken for an incredibly long period of time… Eda and Anna still have it in their hearts to care for their older sibling and look out for them, maybe even forgive! Or at least work to mend a broken bridge. Eda and Anna both rescue their older sister from the metaphorical pit of despair they dug themselves into, with the help of a recent, relatively mundane stranger in their life who is also outgoing, and overwhelming in a lot of ways- And Luz and Kristoff are accompanied by King and Sven… Obviously King knew Eda well before Luz, but still.

Now, considering Elsa’s arc in Frozen 2, and Lilith’s obvious guilt and reservations over what she’s done, and a likely feeling of not deserving Eda’s forgiveness and love; I can definitely see Lilith doing an Elsa, and initially trying to run away and isolate herself… Potentially handle a later problem all on her own, and not with her sister like initially promised. Lilith could also try to pull something similar to what Elsa did at the end of Frozen 2, with Lilith going off on her own to make her own home and place; However, I definitely see Lilith’s ‘new home’ being isolating, in contrast to Elsa’s, which has the Northuldra to interact with. So while Lilith may initially try to go her own way, the end result might not be super healthy… We’ll just have to wait and see what happens, and how she handles things- Whether a journey of soul-searching will lead Lilith to make her own connections, or just isolate herself further in self-loathing. Like Elsa, I imagine Lilith will realize that whatever happens, she has the support of her sister and additional found family- And if she ever wants to go back, she’ll always be welcomed.

#the owl house #toh #frozen #the owl house eda #edalyn clawthorne #the owl house lilith #lilith clawthorne #elsa #anna

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johnnys-green-pen · 3 years

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Random E! Thoughts: S4E12 - Details

That sweet look at Johnny and Roy’s friendship outside of the station.

Johnny having a little… what, quarter-life crisis? I mean, that’s wildly relatable, but I’m still endlessly amused by Johnny thinking he’s getting old.

Also, this is the one episode that kinda fixes the upper bound for Johnny’s canon age: if we take “a few more years” to mean at least two, he can’t be older than 28 at this point, which would make him about 24-ish in the first season. Which is the upper bound.

The thing that makes Johnny not absolutely insufferable despite his dating woes is his staunch professionalism when dealing with female victims. I love the contrast between him checking Valerie for injuries and him turning into a complete doofus the second she shows some interest in him later on.

Also, the house fire! So many great things we don’t get to see much! The engine crew having to render first aid, Captain Stanley being awesome and captain-ly, Marco getting some actual screentime for once (and in Spanish! I think y’all know by now how much I love the casual use of non-English languages in E!)…

The same language thing also applies to Nurse Juanita, of course.

(And, heh, props to Doc Early for the attempt, I guess)

Valerie and her age! Oh boy! 23 is damned young to have three kids. Especially because, how old is the oldest kid - definitely not younger than six, right? I mean, actually I’d guess something around eight or nine or so, but with E!’s tendency to age people down… Point is, 23 minus 6 is still only 17.

Johnny fumbling through that conversation with Valerie gives me the worst second-hand embarrassment.

Roy’s reaction though

Also, everybody’s reactions in the locker room, including Roy hovering somewhere between shocked and distinctly not amused.

Joe and Kel and the guy who watched that medical show, and the two docs comfortably snarking back and forth

Chet and Marco needling Johnny in the kitchen, and Johnny’s beautiful “you’re lucky (:” when he gets interrupted by the tones

Small details I love: sometimes a run gets cancelled without any specific narrative reason, just because runs get cancelled sometimes.

The ex-stripper/current belly dancer is awesome. I love how she’s consistently portrayed positively and as deserving of respect.

This is the episode where the whole “Roy and Joanne knew each other as kids” thing comes from - they met when Roy was in the 4th grade and got married 12 years later.

Johnny clearly expecting more of a push-back than “well, then I’m happy for ya” and being mildly perturbed by that

Dix’ amusement at Joe being completely unable to cope with some flirting

also, “you must’ve something we’ve been overlooking here”. DIX!

How on earth does somebody even bite a dog

Johnny not being above threatening children when it comes to animals being harmed.

I gotta say, I have pretty much zero sympathy for Johnny here. THAT’s what you get for not properly getting to know the people you’re dating!

Also how the fuck does Valerie manage three kids on her own plus a job plus a social life plus looking so well-groomed.

OKAY SO these posts usually end up me pointing out things I noticed instead of really drawing connections myself (partially because it’s hard enough to keep the shipping goggles off as it is), BUT. Back when I wrote that Johnny insomnia fic, I hinted at Johnny’s sleep issues not having been a one-time thing. I thought that was purely conjecture going off the adhd headcanon, but between Johnny’s “I haven’t slept since last shift” in this episode, him semi-accidentally pulling an all-nighter in “all night long”, and one of the first lines of dialogue in one of the movies being about Johnny falling asleep in a meeting, I might actually be onto something.

Johnny and Roy talking in the locker room in general. The mixture of him being snarky and his soft tone is just so damn perfect.

Also, I will never not cackle at Roy needing a moment to parse “are we still engaged?” correctly.

The helmets in that store fire are a continuity disaster. So Roy’s not wearing a helmet inside the building. He IS wearing one out on the windowsill. You can then see him toss it into the window in the wide shot after they’re setting up the life net, together with Johnny... but in the next shot he’s wearing a helmet again. It vanishes AGAIN in the next shot.

The way Johnny looks over to Roy before jumping.

#emergency!#e!analysis #s4e12

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