#their own worldview. I’m not saying I’m Right all the time I’m saying that ppl are | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

myrfing · 2 years

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i feel like in the case of fantasy if you want to talk about genocide it has to be about or something adjacent to the need to scapegoat a group of people to elevate “your own” and about having control over land/resources/power moreso than others, because you love your homeland and its people and the outsiders are a threat to your order and stability and peace because they were not born among your chosen people. because then you get a what if the world was made of pudding situation like omg what if mariah carey chose to kill everyone on earth but actually they were reborn as catgirls because the govt was planning to sacrifice 3/4ths of the total world population to create a soul farm for the worldwide magic barrier against the metaphorical despair great filter bird making our intrusive thoughts into real beasts. and by being catgirls we could learn to go hold a bird’s hand. but it was at the cost of so many lifes </3. What if. like that’s not even. you can’t even draw a parallel to a literal real life situation. it’s such an esoteric question it’s meant to be looked at on a nonliteral level. because then you can think about the question “is the past worth sacrificing the future to because it was happier?” and “what does it mean to die For Realsies” and so much more and not just like Well it’s wrong to not just KILL but MURDER everyone. it’s like if you read moby dick and left being like “i would’ve respected him more if he just got a normal job and gave up on the whale”. if you look at this entire thing from the only applicable real world literal moral lens (which is like, killing people is bad and killing More people is worse) it’s just like. IT MEANS FUCKING NOTHING LOL? unless your worldview that dominates all else is killing many people should always mean you are completely amoral and a sociopath no matter hwat in which case the game has been at fault from the beginning for portraying any of its characters in a positive light.

like I see ppl saying oh they woobified venat they should have owned her evilness. ok but like. is this that kind of game where we’re here to just gawk at the spectacle of le twisted evil or is it the kind of game that’s always tried to say something by the characters navigating their choices in their conflicts. like what is the point of them being like muahuahua im venat i trampled 73837383838363736 people under my feet because I’m a bad person. that there is no point because ummm zenos said does the ends justify the means so everything is exactly the same. so what she did was reprehensible and we should have gone with the 3/4ths solution because it was Less people dead in Longer time and we should’ve seen her as an enemy and killed her out of fury and revenge because the ancients were better and more right and deeply wronged by her the original sinner or whatever. what kind of story did you hope to hear or are you just brainpoisoned by online villain discourse where le evilness is automatically more raw and good and deep and interesting and everything is about good and evil as like weird isolated and whole concepts in themselves and it’s a race to see who mixes the most novel gray instead of those colors serving as nothing more than the beginning of or a supplement to a conversation. man i dunno how to say this better i will never get it right

#i guess people just hate that venat was just a guy who made the decision of a god #that she didn’t have a ‘right’ to make and then the story lauds her as overall sympathetic #idk im of the mind that god isnt really a thing and even if they were it’d be pointless to blame them for all the suffering in the world #but i feel like to an audience that struggles against the concept of god more actively #wants anyone and anything that takes even just its veneer or avatar to Be Responsible #and then the thought stops there even though godhood was just a means to an end for a normal person with like #normal desires against incredible circumstances #she spends the entire expac being like i want you to be free and do what you want and i know i have to die to make that happen #like she did not desire divinity any more than your character desired being the wol #she just doesn’t resent it because it serves a purpose and she’s not going to put the burden of that decision on anyone else #which is i guess odd for a community that likes to fight in blood and tears against wolhood becausd they find the responsibility to be like #arrogant and inhuman.

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yea-baiyi · 3 years

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hello again. it is i, the anon who screamed about lwj here to scream about jc now. more than wwx and lwj, jc was really changed in cql to become a much more sympathetic character e.g. we don't see him killing/torturing deviant cultivators, we learn of wax's bisexuality through him (and he's not bigoted about it) and you can see in wzc's expressions that he really loves wwx and shijie, which is absent from the novel. (1/2) bc i have more to say.

anyway, i really hate the way some parts of the fandom ridicule others for not seeing jc as a irredeemable bastard when it's clear that much of that sympathy is derived from cql's jc who is in fact sympathetic. the best example i can think of is eps 11 to 13 where jc clearly wants to keep himself and wwx out of trouble during the indoctrination, whilst wax's priority is helping lwj. his reluctance is clearly out of concern for wwx than selfishness. (2/3) sorry, got more to say. and the part that i find heartbreaking is jc at nightless city. right from the beginning of the ceremony, he's so dead-faced compared to the other characters, like he's a man having to face the idea of his brother being executed and he can't say or do anything to save him without dooming his clan. he doesn't try to attack wwx in the initial assault. like, ppl can hate mdzs!jc if they want, but cql!jc exists too and he's not a stagnant character.

HELLO ANON i’m sorry it took a few days, I was sucked in by the zhang zhehan hyperfixation ghoul, but it has now released me and I can go back to endlessly stewing about my meta theories that should wait until after my exams.

I’ve seen people mention a lot of jc hate in the fandom; i stay away from that kind of thing generally, but i did write a post about some of my cql!jc thoughts in this post here.

But what i do want to add is: cql changes jc’s character by a LOT, to the point of turning him from a vaguely antagonistic side character to a heartbreaking, sympathetic lead in his own right.

More under the cut bc this is legit an ESSAY.

Part of it I can credit to wzc’s HEARTBREAKING and WONDERFUL performance: he added so much with jc’s little fond gazes at his siblings, his sassy younger sibling eyerolls, the sort of grudging, ‘i-love-you-but-i-want-to-fucking-kill-you’ looks that he gives to wwx, they all build up to depict jc as a spiky, short-tempered youth who loves his siblings SO fiercely, his family means the WORLD to him, but would rather dIE than say it to their faces. we’ve all known people like that, if you have siblings you know the feeling.

(look at that smile, this boy loves his brother so much)

But jc was also changed massively by the script. In several ways.

Firstly, adding so much backstory in the flashback section gave them a lot more time to flesh jc out, and they opted to shift the focus of his character. They lightened the emphasis on his sect and his mother’s toxic influence, and gave him more scenes establishing his family dynamic with wwx and jyl.

in this version, while his mother’s constant criticism is upsetting to him, it doesn’t shape his entire worldview and personality like in the novel. in cql, he’s the quick-tempered, competitive, grumpy little brother, the straight man to wwx’s playfulness, a solid part of the yunming trio dynamic.

it shapes jc into a different character – one whose obsession with restoring his sect comes from a misplaced expression of his real desire to reunite his family. one who just wants his brother by his side, who wants to feel secure and whole again. one who lashes out at the people he loves because he doesn’t know how else to show that he cares.

one thing that stands out to me: cql the show, as written, ENTIRELY holds up to the interpretation that jc did not ever intend to kill wwx at nightless city; in fact, he saved him. the combination of 1) driving his sword into the rock instead of killing wwx outright (and never clarifying it with anyone in the cultivation world), 2) IMMEDIATELY conducting the search for wwx’s ‘body’, and 3) "HOW DO YOU KNOW HE REALLY DIED”, naturally leads to the conclusion that jc always intended to save wwx’s life by letting him fall from the cliff. (someone wrote a brilliant post about this, i’ll try and find it)

this version of the character loves his family more than anything, so of course he would do what he could to save his brother.

like you said, anon, in nightless city, he looks DEVASTATED, even before yanli dies. this version of jc has watched his beloved brother slowly slip further and further away, his sister married off and now widowed. this man, who cares about his family more than anything else, lost all the family that he had left in one night.

I am aware that (1) probably came from censorship and 2/3 were from the original novel, but if you put all three together it supports this conclusion completely, and paired with jc’s changed characterisation in the show, it seems obvious that it was intentional.

in comparison, mdzs!jc personally led the siege on the burial mounds – this version of the character GENUINELY places the restoration of his sect over all else. this version of the character is harsher, bitter, and hyper-focused on his sect, to the exclusion of all else. he is influenced by the toxic mindset of his mother constantly comparing him to wwx; he reads selfish intentions into everything wwx does.

the turning point for his character, at the end, is when he finally realises that wwx has sacrificed too much for him, too much for his sect, for his anger to have any ground left to stand on. what’s worse, wwx does not ask for thanks, does not ask for forgiveness. wwx overturns jc’s negative perception of him entirely, leaving him with nothing to hold onto. he HAS to let the grudge go.

i compared this to the arc of zuko in season 1 of ATLA: the story cuts off when he realises that his laser focus was wrong, that he needs to let go of his grudge to work towards his redemption. jiang cheng letting wwx go at the end of mdzs is equivalent to the scene where zuko shaves off his topknot and walks away from the fire nation. at that point, he is a long way from being a hero, or even someone worth rooting for. but it’s the first step on the journey.

so mdzs!jc plays an antagonist role in the book – compared to cql!jc, where he is undoubtedly a sympathetic lead character in his own right. to hate on mdzs!jc for not being the same character is completely overlooking just HOW different these two characters are. cql!jc is meant to be a more likeable character, while it’s less so for mdzs!jc by design. these are different characters – don’t use your preference for one version to dismiss the value of the other.

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zukkacore · 3 years

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Whitewashing in AtlaLok: the Western & Christian Influence on s2 of LoK

Ok, so i’m not a big brained expert on all things indigenous or even all things asian but I do think bryke's christian & western worldview seeps so far into season 2 of LoK that i think out of every season it’s by far the most unsalvageable out of everything they’ve ever done in the Atlaverse and is a very insidious kind of whitewashing. I know that sounds hefty but here’s what I mean

For the record, I’m a mixed filipino person & while there is religious diversity among filipinos, more than i think ppl realize or that the catholic majority is willing to let on, when we were colonized a large percent of the population was indeed forced to convert to catholicism so that’s my background, & i don’t know everything about taoism or the what the tai chi symbol represents but the way Bryke westernize the concept of Yin and Yang is honestly… kinda bewildering. They get so many details about yin & yang wrong?? & Yes, it’s possible they could’ve been trying to create their own lore that differentiates itself from the traditional depictions of Yin & Yang, but in the end i think it doesn’t matter b/c the lore they invent is a very obviously western interpretation of the concept of “balance”.

The most important and honestly worst change they make is that concepts of “light” and “dark” are completely oversimplified and flattened to represent basically “good” and “evil” (which, the light and dark side are a bit more complex than representing just “peace/order vs. Chaos” like the show might imply but we don’t even have time for that, but is funny how they get the genders wrong. Like. Traditionally, light is usually coded masculine and dark is usually coded feminine, but never mind that, that’s just a tangent). This really simplifies the nuance of the s2 conflict and makes it a lot less interesting, not to mention just—misrepresents a very real religious philosophy?

And for the record, a piece of media going out of its way to do "the show, don’t tell" thing of stating in the text that “oh, light and dark are not the same thing as good vs. evil” without actually displaying that difference through the writing is just lip service, and its poor writing. A lot of pieces of media do this, but i think s2 of LoK is particularly egregious. The point of this philosophy of balance is that you aren’t supposed to moralize about which side is “good” or “bad”, or even really which one is “better” or “worse”. Even if the show states the concepts are not interchangeable, if the media in question continually frames one side (and almost always its “chaos/darkness”) as the “evil” side, then the supposed distinction between “light vs. dark” and “good vs. evil” is made moot. And besides the occasional offhand remark that implies more nuance without actually delivering, Vaatu is basically stock evil incarnate.

This depiction of conflict as “defeating a singular representation of total evil” isn’t solely christian, but it is definitely present in christian beliefs. And I think those kinds of stories can be done well, but in this case, in a world filled entirely of asian, Pacific Islander & inuit poc, to me it feels like a form of subtle whitewashing? B/c you’re taking characters that probably wouldn’t have christian beliefs, and imposing a christian worldview onto them. Not to mention removes what could have been an interesting conflict of any nuance and intrigue… and honestly, sucks, because I do think s2 has the bones of an interesting idea, mostly b/c there are potential themes that could’ve been explored—I know this b/c they were already explored in a movie that exists, and it’s name is Princess Mononoke! It has a lot of the same elements—tension between spirits and humanity, destruction of nature in the face of rapid industrialization, moral ambiguity where there are no easy or fast answers and both sides have sympathetic and understandable points of view. (Unsurprising b/c Miyazaki is Japanese & Japanese culture has a lot of influence from Buddhism, Taoism, Shintoism, etc)

Bryke’s western & christian worldview also totally seeps into the characterization of Unalaq, the antagonist of the season which is a real problem. I’m in the middle of rewatching s2 right now and what struck me is that….. Unalaq comes across kinda ecofash AND fundamentalist which is 1) seems like an odd combination but maybe it really isn’t? 2) i think is a really tacky choice considering that the water tribes take the majority of its inspiration from inuit and polynesian indigenous cultures.

I honestly forgot abt this but Unalaq gives this whole lame speech abt how the SWT & humans as a whole suck b/c of their lack of spiritual connection & it was really eerie to me b/c "humans are morally bankrupt and they must be wiped out/punished for their destruction of the environment" is total ecofash logic bc it blames all of humanity for damage caused by those in power—be they capitalists or whoever. It’s a worldview that blames the poor and powerless for something they have no say in, and has real eugenics undertones bc with every implication of culling, there has to be someone who appoints themself the job of culling—of who is and isn’t worthy of death.

This belief also struck me as......... kinda christian in it's logic as well which is WEIRD b/c once again........ their cultural inspirations are DEFINITELY not christian...... The whole "man is inherently evil and must spend their whole lifetime repenting/must face punishment for it’s wickedness" thing and the way that christianity treats humanity as born with original sin or inherently corrupt—as well as above or separate from nature are really stronger undertones in Unalaqs worldview....... which isn't really an indigenous way or thinking.

I'm generalizing of course but from what I have seen from the indigenous people who speak on this is that (feel free to point out or correct me if i’m mostly generalizing abt Native Americans and not other indigenous cultures & there are some differences here) is that while native tribes are not monolithic and do vary wildly, there are a lot of common threads and that reverence and respect toward nature and your surroundings is an important tenant of indigenous beliefs. (I specifically remember the hosts on All My Relations saying essentially that we humans are a part of nature, we are not separate from it, and humans are not superior to animals—I’m paraphrasing but that is the gist of it)

So, yeah, I think it’s just really distasteful to write an indigenous character who is characterized in a way that’s way more in line with a christian fundamentalist & wants to bring about a ragnarok style apocalypse end of the world when that isn’t really a tenant of our beliefs? (btw, the way the end of the world is framed is also kinda fucked up? If i were being charitable, I could say that maybe s2’s storyline is a corruption of the hindu depiction of the end of the world, but even that sounds mildly insulting for reasons I won’t get into b/c i am Not The Expert On Hinduism. I will say that once again, the framing of the concept is all wrong, the show views the idea of apocalypse through a very western lense)

To wrap this up, I think the depiction of Unalaq could *maybe* work b/c he is the antagonist, so someone who strays from the NWT cultural tradition in a way that makes his view of morality more black and white wouldn’t be a *horrible* idea for the bad guy of the season. Especially because the introduction of capitalism to the A:TLA universe could probably cause a substantial shifts to… idk, everything i guess, b/c capitalism is so corrosive. Like. Sometimes people are just traitors. I do think it would be interesting to portray the way capitalism manifests in a society without white christians. Like… I do think there are a lot of ways secular christianity and capitalism are interlinked. But Unalaq is not portrayed as an outsider, he’s portrayed as hyper-traditionalist in a way that’s vilified? I guess rightly so, he does suck, but it’s just hard to conceptualize how a person like Unalaq comes to exist in the first place. In the end, I don’t really think it makes sense, in a world without white people, I don’t really know where this introduction of black and white christian morality would even come from in the avatar world?

TL;DR, Bryke applying western christian morality & world views to non-white characters in a world where white people have NEVER existed to affect our beliefs is a subtle form of white-washing. It imposes simplified “good vs. evil” world-views & cultural beliefs onto its characters. Any attempt to represent or even just integrate our actual beliefs into the A:tla lore are twisted and misrepresented is a way that is disrespectful and saps out any nuance or intrigue from the story, and alienates the people its supposed to represent from recognizing themselves within the final product. And Finally, on a more superficial story level, these writing choices clashe with the already existing world of ATLA--and is honestly just poor world-building.

#shut up Janelle #lok #Atla #lok crit #legend of korra

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gayregis · 3 years

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1/2 ngl i think many western witcher book fans make the series out to be way more progressive than it actually is. part of it is mistranslation ofc, like for example with the 'man was not made for monogamy' bit where the use of singular man is rlly misleading and it should be "a man" or "men aren't" bc originally it's just dandelion being a sexist cheating dick and not some openminded progressive the way ive seen this interpreted sometimes, But

2/2 there's a lot of plainly bad takes out there that i feel are partially an issue of just worldviews and circumstances. like obv its not some Enormous difference and im not saying that "hurr durr westerners Bad and Stupid" or whatever but in regard to stuff like lgbt issues or coding or feminism ive seen so many bonkers horrible takes that like. with my experience as a closeted polish trans homo are truly fucking concerning in how naive they are

(fucking 3/2 bc i can't count) but like. just from the top of my head the godawful girlboss femdom #feminism shit ppl pull with yennefer bc they cant admit shes not all that well written and that shes borderline abusive at times, people trying to make sapkowski out to be pro-lgbt which is fucking baffling with the blatant homophobic storylines/writing, the "GERALT IS CODED X" shit when hes a blatant cishet whiteman power/oppression fantasy rolled up in one like. idk im really tired and its a lot

(4/2 ok i SWEAR im done im sorry) like. i think what im trying to say is that i feel like theres a lot of like. kinda rose-colored-glasses type of naivety and a lack of understanding of how the general reality of life for women, lgbt people etc. is way different in poland and further east than it is in the states or britain or even fucking germany, so people just take very blatant bigotry and uncritically try to twist it to fit their western uwu pseudofeminism and whatnot

no, LITERALLY THIS. i think [mostly western] progressives on tumblr especially want and long to see progressive messages or representation where there simply are not any, or where the messages that are there are largely milquetoast centrist and not actually saying anything radical. (this post i made is more specific to an aspect topic but it voices some of my opinions on it)

i think it’s of course fine to have separate interpretations of the characters / rewritten characters in your mind that you appreciate, but in order to do that you need to engage with the source material and acknowledge the reality of what is written on the page (for instance, what you said about yennefer being a #girlboss when in canon she struggles with characterization at times and especially in the short stories comes off poorly, almost abusive, and her and geralt’s relationship is definitely not some kind of #goals).

i think that there are some redeeming features and it’s not all bad, everything is very grey - for instance, sapkowski wrote yennefer poorly when it came to her first introduction to ciri, but then her training of ciri that immediately follows it is much better. and geralt is a power fantasy in his heterosexuality and protagonist-isms, but spends the saga in turmoil over trying to protect ciri because he’s a good father. everything kind of blends together and does not just mean ONE thing only, because it’s understandable by many people. for instance, geralt being mopey and upset that he’s abnormal can be related to by MANY different types of people.

i think the issue is when people state that characters are definitely “coded” one way or another (not like, actual canon relationships, like saying ciri is gay because she had relations with mistle... that’s a can of sapkowski-worms for another day... i’m saying, for example, arguing that dandelion is intended to be coded as gay because he wears colorful clothes or something like this). i don’t think it’s very valuable at all to look at the content and say “sapkowski intended THIS,” because i don’t find much value in what mr. centrist sells-the-rights-to-netflix had to say. i find value in what you have to say, personally, and what it means to you.

sorry to speak about my minor again for like 0.2 seconds (it’s relevant) but it reminds me a lot of posts on here about ancient greece or rome that are like “ancient greeks and romans were GAY, we have ALWAYS BEEN HERE!!” like you really want to claim kinship with the violent imperialists who practice pedastry...? or posts claiming that X female figure, such as sappho, was a feminist. we call it an anachronistic interpretation: it’s a completely different time period, context, culture, and intention than what we understand in a modern sense. you can’t project your modern and western culture onto ancient greece and rome, because they are ancient societies.

similarly, i don’t think that you can take american feminism from 2020 and apply it to a fantasy series written by a polish man in the 1990s. you may reinterpret the characters how you so choose, of course you will have favorite characters and appreciate specific ones for specific things... but you cannot say that sapkowski’s intentions were specifically this or that as you understand them yourself in your own life, and you cannot do this with very many authors unless you are the author yourself.

specifically for the witcher because as you said, there is a cultural misunderstanding: “[a] type of naivety and a lack of understanding of how the general reality of life for women, lgbt people etc. is way different in poland and further east than it is in the states or britain or even fucking germany.”

i think in the english-speaking progressive social media circles currently for a few years there has been this very big hyperfocus on good representation for people of color, for women, for lgbt people, and in this quest for representation many are willing to overlook blatant bigotry in hopes of claiming another character ‘for the gays’ or whatever. for example dandelion hating on yennefer in a little sacrifice because she is old - i’m pretty sure sapkowski didn’t write this because he intended it to be like dandelion is gay and jealous of her! you can headcanon that if you like, but don’t claim that’s what it is and nothing else, because you need to acknowledge the misogyny present there.

i think it’s dangerous because you end up parading the original content around like it’s fantasic and progressive when it’s really not. i encourage people to have lgbt headcanons if they choose, but you really shouldn’t be saying it was sapkowski’s 100% intention to make this character X or Y because you really must take the writing into context with the author’s biases, life, culture, setting...

#ask #anon #the witcher #sorry for bolding statements but since this is a long post i wanted to bold what i thought were the most important points

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class1akids · 3 years

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(Please feel free to tell me to shut up and stop messaging you if you’re not interested in discussing this anymore, i just like presenting another side of this)

I think the fight with muscular is presented as a bad decision after the fact? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I seem to remember deku himself acknowledging internally that he shouldn’t have engaged, he should’ve grabbed Kota and run back to aizawa and if he had then he wouldn’t have broken his arms and maybe he could’ve saved bakugou. Also, his win in deku vs kacchan doesn’t present him with any sort of high ground, he is technically the winner but nobody praises him for it bc it was foolish and doesn’t teach them anything about real world combat, where you can’t win on a technicality.

Yes, deku is noble and heroic, but he has to be in the context of this story. The main character has to be a character that embodies the most “pure” aspects of heroism and has the empathy to look at a villain and say “you look like you were asking to be saved” and because of the story being told, because the takeaway is meant to be that many so called villains are people that have been failed by society, that approach HAS to be right.

It’s interesting that you compared him to aang as an example of this sort of character done right, when a lot of people actually take issue with aang’s character for the very same reason you seem to with deku’s - he’s never actually wrong in any way that matters. Situations may challenge his worldview, but ultimately he’s always proven right. Aang refuses to kill Ozai despite everyone - friends, past avatars - telling him that was the right thing to do, because it went against his personal beliefs. And so the story handed him an out in the form of a lion turtle. In this story it would actually have made sense for there to be consequences for him choosing to remain rigid in his beliefs bc ozai was a one note power hungry villain. But it works out for him and the matter is not touched again (until the comics at least). Whereas with deku, in a story where the villains are supposed to be seen as victims of the system, it makes more sense to validate this than to discourage it, because deku needs to be able to see someone worth saving in shigaraki.

The point I’m trying to make is that morally, yes, deku is usually right where it matters because he has to be. He’s the driving force for the change that this society needs. If not him, who else is going to present the view that every life is worth reaching a hand out to? So if he can’t be “wrong” morally, the thing done to balance him out is consequences for his reckless, self sacrificial nature. He messed up his arms so badly that he had to develop a whole new fighting style to compensate with his shoot style. Sure, ultimately that was a growth opportunity but that’s the case for every character - failure begets growth.

As for whether I think he will lose use of his arms, I actually believe he will, at least partially. I don’t see why else the possibility would be brought up in the first place, with a very specific limit on the number of times he can take such damage, which he has now passed. And the easy out - Eri - has conveniently been taken out of the equation. And his self sacrificial nature seems to be set up to be addressed as a negative thing, at least by bakugou. I get the impression deku is going to be learning that he shouldn’t try to do everything on his own, the weight of the world doesn’t rest solely on his shoulders, which is in line with the criticism of people relying solely on all might to hold up hero society. Ofc this is speculation and remains to be seen in the upcoming arcs.

I’m personally not a huge fan of ofa being perfectly suited to quirkless ppl and deadly to those with quirks, but I don’t think that’s necessarily a fault with deku’s character, or that it takes anything away from the “anyone average person can be a hero” theme. after all, he was still quirkless when he ran in to save bakugou.

There were issues with Aang’s Book 3 writing and I’m definitely with those who criticize the Lion Turtle deus ex machina - not because I think Aang should have killed Ozai, but because I think he didn’t earn door No. 3.

But that doesn’t take away from the fact that Aang’s character had a lot of tension (between his own wants vs the world’s needs), an initial failure (running away), inherent flaws he had to overcome to learn his elements (like struggling with standing his ground needed for earthbending or his issues with firebending).

Deku’s struggle with OFA seems to be very much a purely physical one, with the power have grown too big for any person to contain. So far, his additional powers were also stuff he learnt pretty fast and they are all quirks that don’t seem to have any particular drawback or any psychological link. (Danger sense may be the exception, and I’m really hoping for that quirk to bring some tension to his character!).

Also, Aang is far from right every time. His attachment to his friends and especially Katara is both a strength and a weakness, and Aang makes mistakes like hiding Hakoda’s letter from his friends or fails to open his last chakra which costs the fall of Ba Sing Se.

This is for example an area Deku’s storyline could definitely explore more - especially in relation to Bakugou. He clearly loses control when it comes to Bakugou several times. For example, when he gets mad in the JTA and Black Whip manifests - but instead of learning how it feels like letting his teammates down, the story gives him a clean win.

Or now in the war arc, after Bakugou’s sacrifice play - Deku loses his mind again when AFO berates Kacchan. But instead of having some sort of consequence - Deku goes into rage-mode (upgrade), unlocks a quirk (upgrade) and gets bailed out by the OFA-holders (consequence averted) and even 100% praised by them.

So I think the opportunities would be there, but so far I’ve felt that Horikoshi was too timid to carry them to their full consequence.

I’m curious how he will handle the broken arms. I think unless it means Deku has to sit out some fights where he could normally have protected his friends and someone will get hurt, it’s not really the right consequence.

Like giving robotic arms that he can use just fine after minimal training or replacing it with Black Whip feels more like an aesthetic change than a consequence unless something gets lost in the process.

#c1a asks #deku aang comparisons #bnha manga spoilers #deku flaws discussion

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seasaltmemories · 4 years

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Persona 5 Royal Review/Analysis

So I didn’t have a ps4 when the original persona 5 came out, so royal was my first experience with the game, as a result, I will be talking about spoilers for both the original content and Royal bc a lot of the additions seem mixed in aside from just the third semester stuff

let’s get the summary

Prepare for an all-new RPG experience in Persona 5 Royal based in the universe of the award-winning series, Persona! Don the mask of Joker and join the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Break free from the chains of modern society and stage grand heists to infiltrate the minds of the corrupt and make them change their ways! Persona 5 Royal is packed with new characters, confidants, story depth, new locations to explore, and a new grappling hook mechanic for stealthy access to new areas.

So one of the things that I picked up really early on into my playthrough was that Persona 5 feels like a very adolescent piece of media, like yeah it is about highschoolers, but more than just its cast and setting, it seemed really fixated on capturing and adolescent mindset, there is this fresh awareness to the injustices of the world and a burning desire to fix it without much understanding of how to even began to tackle those problems, and the fact it stuck so hard to to that worldview made me a lot more forgiving of its flaws then I might have otherwise been, not that there isn’t stuff to critique about the way it tackles controversial issues, but at the same time i just had this mindset of, “well of course they aren’t going to get everything right, what can you expect from teens?”

Anyone who knows me knows I am a pretentious blow-hard, but I think P5 is a perfect example of just how important style is to anything. So much of the pure glee and joy I got when I booted up the game came from the fun presentation and commitment to the phantom thief aesthetic, I have a lot of thoughts on gameplay that seem to be contradictory to the general consensus but to keep things brief, all the “sneaking’ around a palace, grappling from places, ambushing enemies, and performing all out attacks just all gave this sense of being cool and stylish that was great, even if the writing stronger, without those fun flourishes I don’t think I would have enjoyed my experience as much

I also think the more than any other game, persona 5 does a great job of making me thinking “just one more thing” you got a lot of confidants to fill and stats to raise to fill them so there is always something to do, at most during the story sections things sometimes dragged, but i was eager to finish them to get back to finishing my goals, for as long as the game was, this made it feel so much more manageable

Unpacking an entire 110 hour playthrough is kinda an overwhelming task, so instead I’m going to talk about my four favorite characters and hopefully that will cover some good amount of material

1) Goro Akechi- one of the first things I knew about this game was what a controversial character this bastard was and it turns out I fell on the side that loves him bc I think I have a thing for traitor characters, I have to say though for most of the game I wasn’t sure how I felt about him, I knew his true role going in, so it was hard to get attached to Detective Prince Akechi as most of his interactions with Joker felt like an act, however his Rank 8 confidant link, when he not only pulls out a gun on you and challenges you to an one on one fight but also freaking throws a glove to challenge you in a duel I was like “oh so you’re a little bitch boy then!” and never turned back

To me part of what makes him so compelling is just how stubbornly he is set on his path straight to Hell, a lot of ppl were moved by his tragic backstory but honestly it does little for me, I think it is important to consider, but you have to remember he approached Shido about his powers first and basically volunteered to be his personal assassin, still it is hard to ignore that sense of lost potential, in a way I can see how getting to pretend to be a part of a safe and welcoming team environment almost made things worst because he just kept feeling like, “why wasn’t I allowed to have this earlier” and just too tied to his current path of self-destruction to waver from it, like even the fact the Phantom Thieves and he had the same goals regarding Shido in the end, he couldn’t side with bc that would mean acknowledging all the murder he did was for nothing, so they just continued to be another target on his list, made all the more dangerous bc of the affection he held for them

That said I don’t think I would have liked him so much without Royal’s updates, I mentioned Rank 8 being a key moment for me but aside from that, the fight with him in Shido palace had so much going on, it kinda dulled the weight of any one of the numerous revelations, 3rd semester kinda brought in the perfect amount and balance of the different sides of Akechi, the minute he appeared I swear me and my brother cheered in joy, obvious spoilers for the rest of it

I had seen 3rd semester Akechi called “feral” and while he is still as horny for murder as ever, i don’t really think that fits, there is still a sense of restraint to his actions, yet he doesn’t mask his true intentions and feelings so much, what I like is that his rudeness and outbursts come off as very deliberate and planned, as if he enjoys exposing the contrast between his “pleasant” reputation and his true bitterness, and with the reveal that oops he is supposed to be dead, you still have that determined “don’t be a fucking pussy, just pull the trigger,” attitude, I really like the dynamic that forms between a Joker that just wants the best for him and an Akechi that just emphatically refuses to be saved in anyway, he is an easy character to woobify but I love how canon just at every turn doesn’t let you ever see his true vulnerability even if we all know it exists down there, also just something about hearing him curse is always so much fun and delightful

TLDR: I have a lot of feelings about this edgy bastard and may or may not already have a playlist for him

2) Makoto Niijima- another character I had an interesting relationship with, while from the start she seemed like my type, the overwhelming love for her kinda made my hipster side apprehensive, however predictably I was won over and I did romance her in the end (what can I saw my Joker is into brunettes)

Part of what makes her stick out so much to me, is how the game felt much less afraid to show her unlikable in comparison to other characters, i usually don’t complain or really notice this but more than any other game series I’ve played, there is definitely a lot of self-insert fantasy elements involved, ppl rip the newer FE games apart for that, but I never really saw it as the terrible as the cast had dozens of life changing interactions with other characters, the fact most of the interaction we see are through Joker’s eyes, and the fact that he is the catalyst to changing several adults’ lives made this element a lot more noticeable

But not only does Makoto take an antagonistic role at first, but they let her be so smug and annoying that I probably hated her with the same passion as the characters themselves, yet even when she comes over to or sides, her flaws are still pretty open, like when trying to help out Futuba, she definitely had that air of, “neurotypical trying too hard to make you normal” that was understandable but still annoying, and I appreciate it bc it made the contrast between her good points all the sharper

I kinda wanted to roll my eyes at first at her archetype as an honors student, bc yeah i was a nerdy student who didn’t know how to connect with my peers and just kinda subconsciously sucked up to adults bc I didn’t know what else to do, but in comparison to the teeming tragic backstories involved, you can see a stark difference in scale, yet Makoto is just carrying all this familiar teenage girl anger that reminds me a lot of Serena from Arc V, and getting to see her embrace it is very cathartic, I also really enjoyed her confidant which was surprising after seeing everyone tear into it so much, I feel like a lot of ppl’s confidant’s centered around other ppl and it didn’t just start off with the Eiko stuff, you see her Makoto want to change from the sheltered snobbish life she has kinda trapped herself in and rediscover her dream of being a police commissioner, I also found it fitting for her to also kinda figure that out through her own little investigation and to see that exploration of justice explored through her acting with a third party

The fact she is related to Sae also gives her interesting relationships we get to see from a different POV, and a greater investment in arcs outside her own, it just naturally gives her the feeling of being more well-rounded to have it spread out, and while her romance stuff did have the same sort of fantasy elements (that I greatly self-indulged in) overall I never felt like Joker was “saving” her in some way but growing and exploring along sides her

Overall, a great character and while i think best girl debates are dumb, I will not stand for hearing her described as worst girl

3) Ann Takamaki- honestly before I got this game I expected her to be the “main girl” with a lot of popularity and focus so seeing how little love she gets was heartbreaking for me, bc she is part of what made the early phantom thieves so enjoyable

I’ve heard the discussions about the issues around her sexualization and I think things on that access come out to be a wash, the developers kinda brush near some interesting ideas about the struggles women face with sex and attraction but don’t really know what to do with that, and so I think trying to trace and overall arch one way or another about her and her body issues is kinda a lesson in futility

in the end though what made her click for me is just how much fun her personality is, like I feel like in other stories her cheerfulness might come off as generic, but the fact that she is introduced so depressed and sullen makes her attitude shift come off as refreshing, like we know she can be serious, but the fact she isn’t being repeatedly sexually harassed by her teacher gives her like plenty of reason to goof off and enjoy herself

Again despite all the criticism I really enjoyed her confidants, the Mika stuff was honestly barely a blip in the thing and most of it alternated between her shooting the breeze and just having fun and still dealing with that lingering guilt and issues surrounding Shiho and just not having been able to save a close friend when she really needed her, I think the contrast is very much needed, especially to keep things from feeling like wallowing, which i felt was a problem with some other confidants

In the end though the main reason i didn’t romance her was bc as much as I liked her as a character, I didn’t want her to be with Joker specifically, i wanted to support her and see her finally confess her feelings to Shiho and the two of them go ride off into the sunset lol, still there’s a reason I reached rank 10 with her first

4) Takuto Maruki- lol so in this section I’m going to basically go into all my 3rd semester thoughts, again the first leg of his confidant was kinda dull, but I was prioritizing him bc of the deadline, once we got into his personal past that is where I got interested

On one hand part of the charm was just getting to see a more adult story, while there are other adult confidants I found the grad school and like academic stuff relatable, plus like the little moment with the steamed glasses was very funny, he’s just a down to earth guy and his kindness is genuine

However when he stepped up as the antagonist in the third semester, that’s when he got interesting, I found the conflict itself of a dream world to be kinda simple, aside from the fact obviously we need to oppose this for a plot to happen, Persona 5 is all about this humanist approach to personal growth and change, most of what I found fascinating about Maruki was the kinda self-martyring narcissism to his approach, like aside from treat the phantom thieves with kid gloves at time and just doing his best to avoid being a bad guy, there is this simmering resentment he masks and tries to replace with his desire to basically save the world, rather than deal with his own drama and baggage he tries to invest his energy into solving other problems

And you can see some of the parallels between him and the phantom thieves that points out some of hypocrisy of themselves, calculating the exact risks and harms of altering ppl through the Metaverse is hard to do due to a variety of factors, personally I don’t even have other Persona games to look to, but in general while it is for the greater good, the phantom thieves basically impose their will onto ppl who didn’t consent to that change, and in the end they decide to oppose Maruki purely based on their desires to not live in it, the game doesn’t do much with it, but I found the contrast more interesting than the Holy Grail one, plus his boss battle was more fun bc you actually got to use the main mechanic of the game, exploiting weaknesses and baton passing

But yeah all this comes to a head at the latter half of the boss fight where he just is so desperate and refuses to lose, it is like abundantly clear that this dream world is much more for himself than it is for anyone else, it is a desire to turn all his trauma into something more meaningful than just pain, and nothing shows that more clearly than the fact he fistfights a high schooler even after he has basically lost and tries to let himself die rather than face the consequences of his lost. All in all I think he was the my favorite antagonist and palace holder

Some last thoughts I couldn’t fit elsewhere: Casino was my favorite palace, while weak story-wise, Okumura was far from my least favorite palace gameplay-wise and his boss fight as frustrating as it was might be my favorite for engaging with the player, if anything my least favorite palace was Futaba’s, my favorite showtimes are probably Morgana/Ann, Makoto/Ryuji, and Joker/Kasumi, Caroline and Justine are a delight and I really miss them, Tycoon is addicting and distracted me from being able to beat the game for a while

I got more hot takes I might elaborate on in length in the future, but in conclusion this is another rec where I can see and understand ppl being disappointed in some of the writing and its quality but at the same time i think there is still value ppl are too quick to dismiss and definitely multiple reasons to still enjoy it, I think this is going to stick with me for longer than I first thought it wound

#persona 5 #my reviews #p5 royal spoilers #mutuals feel free to discuss this with me more #bc those hot takes are real but at the same time i wanted to keep this focused on what I enjoyed #rather than drown ppl in nitpicks

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teaboot · 5 years

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hi i hope its okay to ask about your career? i'm on a crossroads in my life and one of the paths im interested in is fashion but im just so... torn? and i don't think many ppl take it seriously, like, as sth you do in life unles you profit really well... my family certainly doesn't see it as an option an im just very curious about your experience w/ studying and working in the industry

Honestly? I never in my life expected going to college for fashion. He'll, I spent half my childhood topless and barefoot in jean overalls, covered in dirt with a snake in each hand. My best friend from grades 4 through 7 was a sheep. I brought that sheep to a school dance. Seriously, fancy clothing was never for an instant a topic in my mind.

I always figured it was sort of shallow, you know? Fashion was for dumb rich people who paid too much for shoes you couldn't even hike in.

What I DID love, however, was Costume Design. All the cool outfits and armour and prosthetic bits in The Dark Crystal, and Star Wars, and Lord Of The Rings. And the practical effects! Ohhh I could go on. I loved it. I wanted to help create that magic.

And to be a Costume Designer, I had to go to school for Fashion Design.

And I will tell you right now: if someone is in a fashion design course? Good for you. It's hard work. But if you've GRADUATED your fashion design course?

Ho-lee-fuck. You have my immediate respect.

Getting a fashion design degree is a four year commitment, usually. Because I'm an idiot, I decided to finish it in two. And I did! But out of... I believe a starting class of 15-20? Only four of us graduated.

To highlight the worst of it? My family is poor. Pretty much all my classmates were either ludicrously wealthy or at least well-off. I had duct tape holding my sneakers together, and I worked on group projects with people wearing Louis Vuitton who had maids back home. They were nice enough, but the cultural disconnect was more jarring than I'd expected.

And the actual class work is hard. The people coming in with fantasies of becoming the next Kim K with little to no real physical labour or skill involved dropped out pretty quickly.

See, knowing how to draw was part of it, but the whole spectrum of classes involved Fashion History, Color Theory (Which is an ENTIRE course on just colors!), Life drawing, Digital illustration (for both factory instructions AND fashion images), Fashion illustration, Concept design and development, GERBER training (The only digitizing program for making patterns, apparently, which is garbage and makes me cry), Patternmaking, Trends (And how to predict/utilize them), Advertising, Basic web design, textile sciences (where we learned how to make fabric, design fabric, and analyze various materials and weaving/knitting techniques), and then the ACTUAL design and construction classes, where we finally got to learn how to use industrial machines and do a million sample pieces to cover sewing and ironing techniques before moving onto designing and sewing our own ideas.

If it sounds overwhelming, good. It IS overwhelming. I can't speak for others, but my mental and physical health both tanked. I worked 20 hour days and spent weeks at a time on campus without going home, mostly because I couldn't afford the train. If you have the opportunity to use the full four years, DO NOT RUSH LIKE I DID. It will CONSUME YOU. There were so many days where I woke up in a bathtub or under a table and thought, 'I made a mistake. I can't do this. I'm an idiot, I should quit, my life is hell.'

Really, I think the only reason I didn't because the only thing I am more than dumb is stubborn, and I have amazing friends and family who I could call and talk openly to, and I'd already flushed enough money down the campus toilet that quitting now with nothing to show for it would have been a move of eternal regret.

...BUT- and I must insist, BUT- I LEARNED SO MUCH. I had hardass teachers who made me cry, I learned about a system of corporate corruption and greed that starts with a seed and ends in farmers shooting themselves in the field and mothers losing children in villages across the world and the $3 dress you buy off the rack and the laws that make it possible. I learned that there are ways to Fuck that system, and I learned how to change that system. I learned where the problems are. I learned where the lies and misconceptions are. I learned about disability and ableism, fat shaming, diet culture, ageism, social hierarchy, revolution, historical trends that keep coming back and ideas so appealing that they didn't stop until people end up dead.

It's fascinating. It changes your worldview and the way you think. People need to know that fashion isn't just clothing- its everything from the way you hold your body to the food you eat, the color of your skin and hair, your wedding ring, your dog, your living room wall. It encompasses EVERYTHING, and I love that.

That being said, I graduated tired and hungry and went off to work a desk job just to breathe a little for about a year. Then I made fashion flats for factory production for a while, because the pay is good and I know how.

And I have so many opportunities open to me, now. I could work in a high-end boutique. I could be a patternmaker for wedding gowns, prom dresses, suits, costumes, bathing suits. I can and HAVE worked backstage in fashion shows. I can be a tailor, a costume designer, a stylist, a personal shopper, a curator- there are so many directions I can go from here, and for a while I even did small clothing adjustments for people to help ends meet.

It's a collection of skills I will always have that I can always use, no matter my social standing. I could lose my house, my family, my job, my mobility, but so long as I can communicate or hold a pencil I will have a valuable skill.

I'm in the process of applying for the IATSE film union, to be a costume designer. It's been four years since I started. I'm nervous, and excited, and anxious, but worst case scenario I can't get a foot in the door? I can make clothes for my children. I can tailor my own suits. I can do repairs for friends and neighbors. I can go to a store, look around, and say, "That's a bad deal. That's a bad investment. I can get good value out of this instead", and that's good, too.

At the end of the day, though, you know the most important thing I've learned?

My job is not my life. My job is what SUPPORTS my life. Having a job I love would be nice, but it's still only secondary.

Sorry, I ramble. Hope I could help!

#Suicide tw #fashion design

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dainobones · 4 years

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Thoughts about J.K. Rowling?

tbh i’ve thought she’s a pretty terrible person since around the time i started reading interviews she did so i can’t say i’m surprised by her being a transmisogynist, it seems consistent with the very vengeful and small-minded view she has of the world and what all the cultural ‘errors’ (to put it mildly) in HP and HP expanded universe suggest about her willingness to have her base assumptions challenged or to expand her worldview beyond what she already knows / thinks she knows.

and i know it’s something ppl have known for a long time bcuz of her liked tweets, but her openly stating it does change things and ofc i see why it hurts ppl that she’s now being public about it

so i don’t want to waste time thinking abt JKR as a person, i don’t think she’s ever been a person worthy of listening to just because she happened to write a good book series that changed the cultural landscape, i agree HP has always been a series with a lot of boomer energy & offensive details, but i think it’s unfair to get mad at ppl who are hurt by her now being public with her transmisogyny. we should be kind and sympathetic to each other, because it’s not anyone’s fault if HP was formative to them or means a lot to them, and everyone should block JKR and stop giving the things she says attention

and personally i’d rather take my disillusionment & upset and focus that energy on reaching out to my trans friends who need support now, working harder to create more books of my own that value trans rights, and seeing if i can scrape together some money to send to trans charities

#JK Rowling is a terf #transmisogyny discussion cw -/#transphobia discussion cw -/#harry potter -/#Anonymous #q and a with daino

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notesofarichlycolorednight · 5 years

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OBC Hadestown Recording Review by a Non-Professional that you didn’t ask for

Alt. click-bait title: THEMES! THEMES! THEMES!

so i just listened to the Hadestown OBCR

so as practice, i’m going to do this review (i have a lot to say if you hadn’t noticed) like a sandwich--positives, mixed, neutral, negatives, more positives

and yes, I compare it to the NY version. it would be Impossible for me not to, considering that’s all I had for years. but I did listen to it with an open mind and wide-eyed excitement

YAS QUEEN

Amber Grey and Patrick Page, lovely as always

I’m glad they introduced Hades in “Road To Hell” also that Hermes is like...is there another god? oh yeah, ME!

Eva Noblezada was AMAZING and I love her Eurydice

Reeve Carney sounds like an wide-eyed, naive, optimistic musician and it’s Wonderful

the overall themes and a more cohesive story--like there were of course themes threaded thru the NY recording, but the themes were much stronger in this version

Hermes being Orpheus’s mentor, rather than just the narrator and occasionally interacting with Orpheus bc he can? the exchange between them reads less like “I’m kind of picking on your bc you’re an artist” and more like “yikes, bro, you messed up. and bc I’m your mentor, and the god of Travelers, I’mma help you out a little”

oh yes, LOVE LOVE LOVE “Wedding Song” and oh, I LOVED that he sang his song in this version (hope to see what happens on stage some day ;_;)

the OBC version of “Livin’ it Up on Top” is still fun as always and I love they included the joke “to hell and back”

Orpheus’s lyrics in “All I’ve Ever Known” are So. Soft. our soft, poor boy Orpheus

Reeve and Eva’s voices fit together really well and I’m cry

“A Gathering Storm” is just Gorgeous storytelling right there, mmhmm. And oh shit, the “It’s not supposed to be like this” damn. And Eurydice’s “bring the world back into tune” Love it.

oh dude, the doubt in “Epic II” mirroring Orpheus’s later doubt poetictheater.jpeg

the lead in from “Epic II” to “Chant” always Great. And oh man, loved more of the storytelling and Eurydice’s lyrics in “Chant” okay but the juxtaposition of Hermes telling Orpheus telling him to look up while the Chorus chants to keep your head low oh jeez. And Eva sounds Great in “Chant” like DAMN

shaken, not stirred

Andre De Shields, sorry bro.

intellectual: I think his performance was great and the way he portrays Hermes fits really well with the style and aesthetic of Hadestown.

emotional: unfortunately, I don’t like his voice. and yes, I’m definitely biased for NY Hermes, but this is like a personal preference type thing. his voice is like the opposite of a stim for me... :\ which is unfortunate, because I did enjoy his performance

“Road To Hell” is before “Any Way The Wind Blows”

intellectual: it definitely fits this version, and I really liked hearing more about Eurydice and understanding her struggles and why falling in love with Orpheus is such a big thing for her

emotional: but I kinda liked the order in the NY version. it kinda felt like a preface to the story itself, and like even tho Hermes is the narrator, beginning with a song the Fates sing, it shows who’s truly in charge (they DO in fact control the speed at which lobsters die)

tho if I’m being honest, “Livin’ it Up on Top” doesn’t quite have that kick the NY version has. idk if instruments or missing or there isn’t enough ppl singing, but there’s just something missing, which takes a little of the fun out of it

It again feels like something is missing from “Way Down Hadestown” :\

intellectual: I guess I understand why they gave Orpheus’s lyrics to the Fates and Hermes (bc like how would he know what it’s like down there, truly?)

emotional: but I also didn’t like it bc as I’ll talk abt a lot in a min, it really takes away from Reeve’s performance

I’m actually super disappointed that Reeve/Orephus wasn’t featured as much as in the NY recording. his voice is almost completely drowned out almost entirely through “Wait For Me.”

intellectual: I quite enjoyed that the rest of the cast acted as the stones echoing back his song, and that it fit with and strengthened the overall themes and plot of the musical. I’m glad that this version has a more cohesive story and stronger themes

emotional: but it was no longer about Orpheus and his journey, and I think they could’ve kept the themes while also featuring Reeve’s voice. esp in such an Iconic song for Orpheus like “Wait For Me”

“If It’s True” I was tempted to put this in the negatives section bc I feel like it really takes away from Orpheus’s story (get ready to here a lot of repetition sorry not sorry fam). but there are some things I liked abt it.

intellectual: I liked that in the OBC version, that it was more abt the theme they’d introduced abt the workers’/chorus’s struggle and Hades’s struggle to keep them nameless, so to speak. I also did like that they show Orpheus’s worldview change. and fucking finally gave Reeve a chance to shine (kinda, with interjections from Hermes and the Chorus)

emotional: but I do think they went abt it the wrong way, bc I liked that it addressed just Orpheus and his feelings of what’s gone on (specifically Eurydice belonging to Hades) in the NY version, and I didn’t like that in the OBC version that it Was more abt the themes. I also felt like it got a little preachy. Like that’s not what I thought the original “If It’s True” was abt yo. I get it fits with the overall theme and message they want to get across, but I don’t think their execution was that Great :\ I also really liked that in the NY version, him just being sad is what moved both Persephone and the Chorus

“Wait For Me (Reprise)” is the same as with “Wait For Me”

intellectual: I’m not saying that the new, stronger themes are bad or anything--like I’ve said, I Loved that they strengthened the themes and made the musical more cohesive overall.

emotional:

(+): Okay but also I really Love Eurydice singing what Orpheus sang in “Wait For me”

(-): Reeve’s voice is often drowned out and it’s no longer about his and Eurydice’s story as much (it’s in the very first song! “brother, thus, begins the tale of ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE”). I really do think they could have gone about it in a way that highlights Reeve as Orpheus AND keeps with the theme and the message they wanted to get across by including the Chorus. I mean look! Look! Reeve stands off to the side or isn’t singing for like ALMOST THE WHOLE SONG DUDE. he gets 36 measly seconds singing in this song, I timed it. it’s a 3 mins and 12 second song. and most of those seconds are spent singing the song with the chorus (I do not, however, really count the times Hermes is speaking bc those lines are Great and when Eurydice is singing at the end, but Still!). like I said, I’m so glad they have Eurydice singing his song back to him, but I Really Do Think they could have composed it so it was still Orpheus’s song (with Hermes, and Eurydice at the end, keep that of course!), but held those stronger themes.

“Doubt Comes In” ...like at this point, are you even surprised?

intellectual: strong themes. great. okay.

emotional:

(+): I Loved Eurydice’s part in this, encouraging Orpheus even tho he can’t hear her. I also did love that they added in Orpheus’s thoughts--pique drama, I LOVED it

(-): third verse, same as the first (and second): Reeve just wasn’t featured as much as I would have liked him to be! the Fates get the lines Orpheus used to sing! when Orpheus sang, “where are you? where are you now?” the first time more steady and sing-song-y, the second time more desperate (but still beautiful holy shit Damon Daunno was Amazing) as he starts to go out of his mind,,, i felt that and i’m incredibly disappointed (and angry lbr) that they took those lines away from Orpheus.

not really a point, but this needs its own bullet point: it just does Reeve a huge disservice, bc he’s a Great Orpheus. I Loved his Orpheus, but the fact that he’s taken out of so much of the story he’s the protagonist in detracts severely from his performance, and it’s a damn shame

I did really liked that they made the “la la la” more complicated in “Epic III” and when Persephone and Hades danced, and how it was softer, but I also liked how powerful the “la la la” crescendo as Hermes, Persephone (I believe) and the Chorus joined in along with the instruments was in the NY version so,,, ¯\_( : \ )_/¯

I don’t think they changed any of the lyrics for “Road To Hell (Reprise)” (they added stuff, sure) but it sounded and felt different, and I’m upset that it wasn’t the same as the NY. it’s in this section tho, bc it was still good (think I like the NY version just slightly better, but I do like the OBC version too, but for different reasons)

neutral(ish)

the change of characters who says/sings lines isn’t my fave, but it’s not bad either and, based on the theme and more cohesive storyline, it makes sense

I’m trying to decide if Patrick Page’s descent from a higher vocal range into a lower one is a stylistic choice, but I don’t feel one particular way about it or another (except for the fact that it didn’t sound like him I questioned if it was at first)...tho the bass drops for “Hey Little Songbird” so maybe it was a stylistic choice and if so, Brilliant! (but it will stay in this spot since I can’t tell if that was intentional)

I’m a little surprised they didn’t give Eurydice her spot light in “Why We Build the Wall” but it’s not like it changes the story much. I think I just liked that she stood out, and with those lyrics, bc it’s dramatic irony--we know her mistake but she doesn’t yet realize that it is a mistake she’s made

“Word to the Wise” it was good. not great. I liked NY version better, but I think I mildly like NY Fates better bc they sang in a very harsh and solid way. like in some parts the OBC Fates do too, but not in the songs where it matters (to me)

the changes made to the Epics. I liked the more story-telling aspect of them, but I also didn’t quite love the changes. but the songs themselves were still p great, so (it’s here, rather in the mixed section) bc I don’t particularly feel as strong one way or another abt the NY Epics compared to the OBC Epics

Once again, I feel like smth is missing from “Word to the Wise” :\ like some kind of instrument to really push it into extraordinary, to hold it up. But the Fates were a little better at being brutal so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ i guess

hard no, babe

that being said, regarding first point in the neutral section, I didn’t like that they took away (even) more of Orpheus’s lines because it then removes (even) more of his voice, when he’s HALF THE FEATURE OF THE STORY. I know it’s really about two love stories (and like I said before, it does strengthen the themes and overall storyline), but the main focus was Orpheus and Eurydice !!!

the sound of the train whistle. mmm, I’ll pass. it’s so dinky. bring back the NY train!

The way Reeve says/sings some of his lines (not all of ‘em tho) could use some work? doesn’t sound great. didn’t love it. idk if it was a stylistic choice on the director’s part or Reeve’s own choices in how he wanted to play Orpheus, but I didn’t agree with them. I think he uses his falsetto a little too much for some lines. And let me tell you, was very afraid they were going to do that three-voice thing (like in the concept album) when Orpheus meets Eurydice. glad they didn’t, but I also didn’t really think they needed it at all

I’m actually uber disappointed they took out the old radio sound for Hermes in “Wait For Me.” I just really liked it man.

ngl, I. was. Heartbroken. when they’d changed the lyrics to Epic III (which is why it’s in this section :\). Esp like I CANNOT BELIEVE THEY CHANGED “where is the man, WITH HIS HAT IN HIS HANDS, who stands in the garden, with nothing to lose” (emphasis mine). like, again, i understand the changes were made to keep with the themes introduced, BUT can you Imagine. holding the whole world in your arms (when Hades gets the girl) compared to holding something so small and insignificant (BEFORE Hades gets the girl). COME ON! it’s like the perfect juxtaposition AND I thought it made Hades much more human AND it still keeps with the themes. (tho I am glad they kept that part at all bc when I realized how much of “Epic III” they changed, I was worried they’d taken that part out too. it’s in this section tho bc the changes are unforgivable overall)

Come Home With Me I and II (Reprise) !!! I’m extremely sad they changed the lyrics so much. Admittedly, I do like the first “Come Home With Me” introducing his song that will bring spring back. But the changes are too unforgivable for me to put it in the mixed section. I really liked Orpheus’s proposal in “Come Home With Me II” in the NY version and that repetition of “say I do, I came all the way just to ask you to” and then the Fates step in and are like, “Mmm, sorry boo, she belongs to Hades now” and the song ending with Eurydice saying “I do” but with a totally different meaning. like okay, the OBC version fits more with the theme, and I’m glad they still kinda included it in “Papers” (I do actually like the way it’s composed in “Papers” if I’m being honest, the “I did. I do.” just,,, hits me) but it’s too unforgivable to put in the mixed section. OH GOD and. esp,,, okay Listen. HOW could they take out “are you always this confident?” // “when I look at you I am” and then later hearing Hades sing, “Orpheus the undersigned SHALL NOT LOOK BEHIND // SHE’S OUT OF SIGHT and he’s out of his mind” LIKE COME ON MAN that was Perfect AND YOU TOOK IT OUT ???

the Fates in their “Way Down Hadestown (Reprise)” I Loved the NY bc they Tore into Eurydice (I love my girl, but that song is a Bop and they are Ruthless). the way they sang, it was harsh and cutting. in the OBCR...not so much. It’s too sing-songy and embellished (is the best way I can explain it), and I was disappointed bc it was one of my fave songs in the NY version. not to mention, I Did Not Like Eurydice’s lyric changes. and I know that it strengthens the themes, and I did actually like that they showed Eurydice losing herself as she worked (esp bc it adds more to “Flowers” and again strengthens the thread linking the songs), but I disliked it as a whole enough that it can’t be saved to be moved into the mixed section

OH NO I. CANNOT. BELIEVE. THEY CHANGED “YOU’RE EARLY” // “I MISSED YOU” TO “IT’S YOU” // “IT’S ME” // “ORPHEUS” // “EURYDICE” FUCK YOUR THEMES but for real, I think keeping “you’re early” // “I missed you” would’ve have kept with the theme way more than what they changed it to bc 1) they’re referencing smth the two litchrally just said to each other. and 2) THAT’S WHAT PERSEPHONE AND HADES SAID TO EACH OTHER WHEN HE CAME TO GET HER FROM HADESTOWN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SHOW. it’s a theme that’s introduced in the beginning of the musical--“it’s a tale from long ago”--bc Persephone and Hades’s relationship was SUPPOSED to mirror Orpheus and Eurydice right? there’s the fact that Orpheus’s song is what Hades heard long ago like ??? a HUGE Point of Orpheus and Eurydice’s love story was to remind Persephone and Hades about the love they shared when they first met (“wait for me?” // “I will”). and gosh darn it, it still would’ve fit the themes if they had stuck with “you’re early” // “I missed you” bc of that!

SPEAKING OF I CAN’T BELIEVE THEY TOOK OUT PERSEPHONE’S LYRICS IN “CHANT (REPRISE)” LIKE WHAT like it worked so well !!! (esp bc I’ve read reviews of the show, with Hades and Persephone circling Orpheus and Eurydice as they’re dueling and switching the direction they walk when the chorus makes that “kch” noise like poetictheater.jpeg) it was such a good juxtaposition between what Hades thinks Persephone wants and what Persephone actually wants (I do like that “Chant (Reprise)” is more complicated composition-wise, but not enough to move it into the mixed section). ALSO “He said we’d build ‘em up // And then the walls would set us free” // “Is it true, what he said?” // “He said we’d soldier on // And then the war would bring us peace.” I thought that got across the message quite well in the NY version, esp since they were echoing Orpheus’s “if it’s true.” they’re also just Great lines and I Cannot Believe they took them out

YAS QUEEN

I’m a HOE for singing in the round, and the beauty of Orpheus’s “la la la la” joined in by the chorus in “Wait For Me” got me like. OKAY AND THE LYRIC ADDITIONS I LITERALLY CANNOT IT’S SO BEAUTIFUL AND POETIC AND GOOD WHEN ORPHEUS SANG “I HEAR THE ROCKS AND STONE, ECHOING MY SONG, I’M COMING”

I mean,,, how can you Not like “Our Lady of the Underground.” I also really enjoyed the more jazzy feel. Like it was already jazzy, but it’s even more jazzy in this version, to me

if you couldn’t tell, I loved Reeve and his Orpheus

“Papers” is Great and idk why but I Love “everything and everyone in Hadestown, I own.”

oh shit dude, Orpheus’s song being something from long ago that he like picked up on bc Greek mythology be like that and then HADES RECOGNIZING THE SONG. THAT. WAS. BRILLIANT.

“Flowers” felt like it fit much better in this version, with the themes being stronger and all that. also could actually hear it clearly, so that could be why bc I’m pretty sure they didn’t change a single lyric lol. still Loved it

the lyric additions to “Wait For Me” I’M SCREAM SO GOOD (even tho I’ve mentioned this before lmao)

“How Long” was. so. good. I just really enjoyed the exchange between Persephone and Hades in this song

DUDE I JUST REALIZED “NOW I SING A DIFFERENT SONG” FROM THE ONE ORPHEUS REMINDS HADES OF BRILLIANT

“Oh, it’s about me?” that made me laugh out loud. Oh god Also the repetition of lyrics in “All I’ve Ever Known” in “Epic III” to show that Orpheus and Eurydice’s love mirrors Persephone and Hades’s? poetictheater.jpeg

“Promises” omg. I actually liked this one better than NY “Promises” sorry not sorry. don’t get me wrong, Eurydice has every right to tell Orpheus off since he made all those promises he couldn’t keep in the NY “Promises” but in OBC “Promises” it feels more mutual. it feels softer. rather than Eurydice going, “you done messed up A-A-Ron” it’s more like Orpheus going, “I done fucked up and I’m sorry.” Orpheus is more self-aware and I liked that.

dudes, I’m extremely happy they added Eurydice back in for “We Raise Our Cups” it really rounds everything out. And it’s just a really good epilogue song. (I’m curious to see if Reeve is out on stage for this or if he stays backstage)

Final thoughts: the stronger themes were Great. don’t get me wrong. okay. I liked that about this version. but I feel like by trying to be too In With The Times(TM) they lost some of the heart of the story, which ultimately detracted from Reeve’s performance as Orpheus.

sometimes I really think a story can be just a story about two people (or two love stories), and the themes and messages will find their way in naturally. it doesn’t need to be this big thing about everyone all of a sudden. at the very least, bc it’s obvious the themes and messages are stronger in the OBC version, it does take some work and planning, but I felt like they were trying just a tad too hard and ended up being too heavy-handed.

I thought the themes and message they were originally trying to get across got across just find in the NY composition (specifically for “Wait For Me (Reprise)” bc the themes are definitely stronger throughout the overall musical in the OBCR composition)

now, I’m not saying don’t include messages in your art, that’s what art is for! But I think they could have either kept it about how it was in the NY version, because there were still messages (just a little more lucid and not as strong) OR they could have composed it some way that kept the stronger themes and messages AND kept the importance and presence of Orpheus’s role, and Orpheus and Eurydice’s story.

for me, Orpheus, esp OBC and Reeve’s Orpheus, doesn’t strike me as the guy to start a revolution and lead the Chorus thru hell. Like when the Fates say, “who are you to think that you can hold your head up higher than your fellow man?” I honestly get confused bc,,, he... doesn’t think that though? He just loves Eurydice and wants to save her from Hadestown. and maybe that’s actually the point? that Orpheus wasn’t ready for the pressure suddenly put on him to not just lead Eurydice out but also all of Hades’s workers, so doubt came in. but then what was with “If It’s True?” which, as I said, did start to sound pretty preachy? not to mention, the one time their themes and messages aren’t clear

anyway, long story long, the way I see Orpheus is his voice just does That. it doesn’t have to have some secret, overarching message for his songs to influence and move people. in the original “If It’s True” he sang about his loss and it was emotional enough to move Hades’s workers. to me Orpheus’s gift, his music, his voice is about emotion. and I think of Coco in that respect: “de la Cruz was a nobody, but when he sang, people listened” paired with, “I didn’t write it for the world, I wrote it for Coco” yet “Remember Me” (and all his songs) still resonated and moved people

so anyway, here’s my Hadestown hot take: Reeve wasn’t nominated for a Tony because the new composition underutilized him as Orpheus

no i don’t take criticism

#hadestown #obc hadestown #obcr hadestown #nytw hadestown #long post #i had so much to say #cheep cheep cheep #washingdad reviews

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freedom-of-fanfic · 6 years

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how radfem lite rhetoric echoes the social effects of misogyny

@rainbowloliofjustice wrote a quality post about absurd and condescending it is to judge women for their life choices, as if they didn’t actually choose those things for themselves. and it struck me that the things they described shared a consistent message.

(vocabulary note:

‘women’ means ‘women’ - trans, cis, intersex, or otherwise

‘(perceived) women’ encompasses (1) women, trans, cis, intersex, or otherwise, and (2) anyone that others - radfems, etc - mistakenly perceive as women (nb afab, sometimes trans men, etc)

‘women and/or people presenting as women’ encompasses (1) women, trans, cis, intersex, or otherwise, and (2) anyone of any gender who chooses to present as a woman for whatever reason, not limited to genital arrangement.)

so ….

you know how I’m always on about radfem lite rhetoric? as in: people who don’t even like non-intersectional radfems, much less their subgroups (terfs & swerfs), will say this stuff without understanding the buried connection to radfem thinking?

the examples rainbowloli used are all that kind of rhetoric - or closely tied to it.

‘f-o-f, you’re trying too hard. it’s women looking down on other women for their choices because of internalized misogyny.’

well the funny thing is, nonintersectional radical feminism totally encourages (perceived) women to look down on other (perceived) women for their choices. The difference is only that:

radfem rhetoric judges (perceived) women for what they see as ‘catering to men’/’the patriarchy’ too much*

misogyny judges (perceived) women for not catering to the patriarchy enough(or not doing it ‘the right way’).

(*’catering … too much’ should be read as ‘doing something that might conceivably please men, even if it also pleases the (perceived) woman doing it.’)

In short: both radfems & patriarchal social structures try to control and police the behavior of (perceived) women.

That’s why radfem rhetoric can easily flourish among the unaware: the behavior it encourages replicates the behavior encouraged by patriarchal/misogynistic social structures. It’s only the reasoning that’s changed.

Let me demonstrate:

“Wow, I feel so sorry for women dating ugly dudes like girl you can do so much better.”

this is closest to internalized misogyny. In general, when a woman is seen as significantly more beautiful than her partner we assume the guy is somehow buying her affection, and we judge her for being bought off. that’s internalized misogyny.

But lop off the ‘ugly’ in the middle of that sentence and you’ve got word-for-word radfem rhetoric. ‘I feel sorry for women dating dudes like girl you can do so much better.’ because dudes are always hopeless, self-centered trash and women are always attentive, woke angels. That poor silly woman. she needs to find a good wife who will make her happy. Dating men is an act of catering to the patriarchy.

and no: neither misogynists nor radfems consider that maybe the woman is happy with the man she’s dating, nor are they willing to respect her choice to date whomever she likes, for whatever reason she chooses.

“I feel so sorry for girls who spend hours doing their makeup and they can’t catch a break from the patriarchy.”

as is often the case, there’s a grain of truth in here. Dress codes & appearance standards for (perceived) women in client-facing jobs are often more strict than those for (perceived) men, and certainly more expensive to maintain (jobs that require women and/or people who present as women to wear makeup should have to pay for it. just saying). Plus, those standards are often set by (cis) men who are in positions empowered to make those calls. There’s also plenty of internalized misogyny involved in the social perception that anyone who is and/or presents as a woman must maintain their appearance at a certain standard to attract a (male) mate, whereas men are seen as capable of attracting a woman via qualities other than appearance.

But the idea that all people who present as &/or are women are forced or brainwashed into a makeup & beauty regimen purely at the behest of men/patriarchy is both an insult to free will and too narrow a look at daily primping. Plenty has been written by others about how applying makeup often isn’t about men/attracting men at all. and men and/or male-presenting people are also under social pressure to meet certain beauty standards to be seen as attractive (though perhaps not to the same degree).

‘women are forced to do [thing] by the patriarchy/the only reason women do [thing] is because of patriarchy,’ where [thing] is something that women and/or female-presenting people choose to do for many reasons, is a radfem dog whistle.

The underlying assumption is that any (perceived) woman who says they do [thing] for a reason other than ‘i’m forced to do it for the pleasure of men’ must be a brainwashed victim of internalized misogyny; the only way to truly free oneself of patriarchal brainwashing is to submit oneself entirely to a husban– I mean, the radfem worldview.

And the third statement has the same energy:

“I feel sorry for women who enjoy [insert thing] because they’ve been socialized to enjoy it.”

Here’s another statement that presumes that women only do [thing] because they were tricked or brainwashed into it. Here, the word ‘socialized’ stands for ‘taught by patriarchal society’ - i.e. (perceived) women only enjoy [thing] because men & misogyny taught them to enjoy it.

and hey: our society is patriarchal. and hey: that totally does influence how women are socialized and how women think about themselves and others in negative ways. but this statement once again takes it too far: it posits that women functionally have no free will and are more or less mind-controlled by the influence of patriarchy into all their likes and dislikes.

If you’re having a hard time seeing the radfem influence, insert ‘giving head’ for ‘[insert thing]’, and ‘taught by men’ for ‘socialized’: ‘I feel sorry for women who enjoy giving head because they’ve been taught by men to enjoy it.’ because to a radfem, (perceived) women doing anything that gives pleasure to a (cis) man cannot possibly be a pleasure to herself as well. It’s impossible for a (perceived) woman to choose such a thing of her own free will.

And no: radfems do not respect that some people they see as women enjoy things that they find reprehensible or disgusting. instead, they see that perceived woman’s enjoyment of what they hate as traitorous to the cause of womanhood. These traitors - who are also victims - must be rescued from their own desires, even if that means screaming at them daily about how terrible they are and how they’re hurting and betraying their fellow women and how they’re harming themselves. (because screaming at (perceived) women about how terrible they are isn’t at all a carbon copy of the behavior of misogynists towards women.)

The takeaway is this:

When you see a blanket statement about how women* are forced, tricked, coerced, trapped, etc by patriarchy, men, or misogyny to do [thing], please consider whether or not it respects autonomy/free will before resharing or agreeing with it.

It’s true that patriarchy influences the lives of people of all genders, and that much of that influence isn’t for the better. it’s true that it particularly harms anybody who isn’t a cis man (and even cis men, if they don’t perform masculinity to satisfaction). but arguing that patriarchy robs people, particularly (perceived) women, of all their free will is a step towards trying to control the actions of those (perceived women) for their own good - and that’s gateway radical feminism in a nutshell.

*in this context, ‘women’ often means ‘afab’ (as in, exclusionary of trans women + erasing trans men/afab people off the binary). Sometimes it means ‘afab people & trans women’ (erasing trans men & afab ppl off the binary. radfems usually consider trans men as sharing the disadvantages of women b/c of presumed genital configuration & afab nb people to be misguided GNC women.)

if this sounds transphobic & gender essentialist ... that’s because it is. b/c radfem ideology naturally points towards becoming a transphobic exclusionist.

#transphobia #radical feminism points towards transphobia #radfems again #radfem lite series #misogyny #transmisogyny #gender essentialism

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swiftbell · 6 years

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11 questions + 11 questions

I was tagged by the magnificent @misplaced-padawan

Rules: Always post the rules. answer 11 random questions posted for you, create 11 new ones and tag 11 people. Let the person who tagged you know that you answered.

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2018? Ooooh that’s a hard one, but I think Redwall by Brian Jacques. It’s one of the first books I bought with my own money, and I adore a lot about his writing in the Redwall series, and reading it now in English for the first time really puts another perspective on certain things. Also it’s great to sometimes just read a book of good vs. evil, with bravery, friendship and heroic deeds written in a fairy tale like language.

2. Favorite performance by your favorite actor? Oh gods am I gonna have to decide a favourite actor now While perhaps not my favourite actor, I’ve always greatly enjoyed seeing David Suchet playing Poirot. The expressions, body language and the way he talks just seem so right for the detective, and I can’t help but love it.

3. One thing you’ve done that you’d like to do again sometime? I would actually really enjoy going shooting with an air rifle again, but this time I’d like to have my music with me, or some podcast. It’s actually quite relaxing and fun to do! That or go to another medieval market where they also have a tournament, it’s so much fun there, and the tournaments (ppl on horseback with medieval armor and weapons) are usually a lot of fun with rock music, funny commentator, people loving what they’re doing, good break entertainment etc etc

4. Worst episode of your fave show? I’m gonna put Firefly as my favourite show here because 1. I like it and 2. not many episodes to choose from. But I think it might be Jaynestown actually, I know people find it funny, but I’m not overly fond of Jayne, and I really don’t like misinformation, so while I do like the song they sing, I’m not comfortable with the way they use that misinformation to their advantage. Also I just get secondhand embarrassment from making a statue, song and celebrating real people like that, I’m not particularly comfortable with that either.

5. Thoughts on the latest movie you saw? Not entirely sure if my latest movie was Black Panther or Mirror Mirror so I’ll do both: Black Panther is one of the best movies I have seen in years and years, the characters were all so unique and memorable, the villain was the best I’ve seen in an action movie, the writing was beautiful, as was the scenery, clothing, makeup, and overall aesthetic. I loved the discussions that come out of this movie, as in what is the right thing to do when it comes to your country’s need vs the world’s need, the difference in worldview and experience for somebody born African and somebody with African-American descent (and how it just takes a step back from having only a North-American point of view regarding everything). And then we have all the character relationships, how natural they feel, and how we finally get a superhero origin movie that does not have to deal with the superhero having to learn responsibility! I mean, thank you gods! The amount of female characters as well, and their individual story arcs! I loved so much about this movie. Mirror Mirror I have to say is one of my favourite screen versions of Snow White. The main character has a very thought-out character arc, the characterisation of the queen feels very refreshing and interesting, and while I think they could have put some more focus on the dwarves (because that is a story very much worth telling), and the prince could have been a bit less of a douche (there was occasional potential, but he felt overall a bit too done-before as a character), it is an interesting re-telling of the story and something you can watch when you just want something to pass the time. I also love the song at the end and you can fight me about this.

6. If you could see any band (past or present) in concert which one would it be? Possibly Panic! at the Disco or Nightwish, both bands have songs well-suited for the stage, and Nightwish is one of the few band concerts I’ve been to before. That being said, I would not say no to a Queen concert.

7. A smell that reminds you of your childhood There’s a library near my mum called Kåken (the Slammer), because they decided to put two smaller libraries together and opened the new building on old prison grounds (I love Gothenburg’s naming sense). It opened when I was about 12 years old, which is around the time I started going to the library by myself to borrow books. The certain smell in their always puts me at ease.

8. Favorite anecdote from your DND party/parties? That time our party Druid turned into a giant lizard, accidentally woke the sentient armor when trying to get a key, and after defeating it and used the key to open the big gates we found that Fantasy Chernobyl was now looking suspiciously idyllic.

9. Say something nice about a character you don’t like Uuuuuuh…Mori (Bungou Stray Dogs) has a nice outfit. But he could also go to hell please.

10. Recommend me 4 songs! Alrighty: Follow You by Bring Me the Horizon Shape of You by Ed Sheeran The Other Side from The Greatest Showman Deliver Us from Prince of Egypt, cover by Caleb Hyles and Jonathan Young

11. Favorite superhero? Why so many difficult questions? But I’m probably gonna say Nightcrawler, he’s such a joy and very interesting.

My questions:

1. What is one of your favourite movies from childhood?

2. Is there any place you would like to explore?

3. Which era, in which country has the best aesthetic?

4. What book/manga/comic/series can you read over and over again?

5. What is your favourite mythological or folklore creature, and why?

6. Is there any type of dancing that you prefer to dance or watch?

7. Describe your ideal home.

8. I love to see what kind of music people listen to, can you recommend me 5 songs?

9. Which is your favourite fairy tale?

10. What’s your favourite D&D experience (that you’ve experienced, heard about or witnessed)?

11. Tell me about a dream you enjoyed.

I tag @niwwwi, @protectoroffaeries, @space-pastels, @makeroomforlaferry, @misplaced-padawan (who says I can’t tag the one that tagged me?), @paranoiajustified, @mistatdawn, and anyone who wants to do it but is never tagged!

#bibbly bobbly talkey talkey stuff #tagged #me #11 questions + 11 questions #hahaha this took a while to do #it's still fun though #and my cat has been sleeping on me the entire time #he's the cutest

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antthonystark · 7 years

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honestly people who are saying shit like "alec is the worst and mistreated poor helpless magnus so bad because he just came over and asked for his help right away after a simple kiss" just baffle me because ?!?! what do you actually expect? should alec have some tea/drinks with magnus while his sister is in the hands of a greater demon and in danger? should they sit down and small talk about their days first before alec gets on his knees and begs magnus for help? lmao this fandom is2g

(response to this lol which i didn’t think would get that much attention but hello i would have been less crass and more articulate but there we go)

lol this made me giggle not gonna lie because honestly if people saw that on their tv, they wouldn’t be like “what kind of weird shit is”, they’d literally be like ‘ah yes, this is the treatment that magnus deserves, finally” and if that doesn’t show how utterly fucked in the head people are then i do not know what will

honestly, i’m not surprised at the fandom at all in response to 2x11, and whoever is is probably complicit in keeping these bizarre and twisted mentalities about magnus (and alec) alive in the fandom discourse. like, it would make me laugh, if it weren’t so tragically stupid, that people who have been instrumental in creating these increasingly bizarrely twisted exalted characterizations of magnus are now scratching their heads now that people have taken it to its natural, albeit yet more increasingly bizarre, extreme culmination (fuck me i hope it’s a culmination lmao otherwise where do we even go from here).

like for months and months i’ve had to sit here and watch people baby magnus while shitting giant turds on every other character (lol sorry so much for being less crass), stripping him of his agency in the narrative while simultaneously somehow exalting him above all else in the show. i mean, when you have people relentlessly pitting magnus against his friends for asking him for help occasionally when their lives are in danger, it’s only natural that people are going to start coming after alec for stupid shit like this because when a demon was screaming into his brain, he didn’t say “oh, magnus, would you be so kind as to maybe try and put a stop to this, please and thank you so much, you’re so kind?” lmao like, people have been treating magnus like glass this whole time but only now that it’s about fan-fave alec (no shade lol, he’s my fave too which is why i’m finally putting my foot down), as opposed to the demon children clary and jace, that people are realizing how utterly stupid it is tbh

but more insidiously, people have projected their own shitty, shitty personalities and worldviews onto magnus, wherein he should hate the characters that they hate (esp. wrt the dumb-ass “lol shadowhunters = yt ppl fuck them all lol!!11!” fucking mentality lmao but that’s a story for another day), when that’s not at all true in the narrative, so then every single thing that magnus does that relates to the protagonists and the main character arc is because someone’s been forcing his hand, because people don’t want to acknowledge that there is a relationship of at the very least fondness or trust between their fave and the characters they hate. and then what this does is in painting this picture of magnus as a reluctant helper and absolutely nothing else is completely erase his own character and motivations from the central plot/narrative/whatever, because there’s no way magnus would want to help in the fight against the downworlder-racist genocidal megalomaniac without being forcibly dragged into it by people he doesn’t like, right? which people have been doing for fucking months tbqh like i said before, and in this way fandom!magnus becomes this twisted reflection of his (awful) fans instead of who the character actually is just.....tbqh.... so then when it comes to alec, instead of acknowledging that people can (gasp) help...the people they love......instead, alec becomes the bad guy, because of course!! and if you defend alec (without even mentioning magnus usually lol) then boy oh boy you racist asshole why do you hate asians

and if anyone wants to rebuttal, read the link i linked at the top because likely whatever flimsy argument you’re going to present has been addressed there already lol but tldr i’m not saying shadowhunters aren’t bad towards downworlders + magnus’s compassion -> people have taken advantage of him in the past etc etc etc etc and for a slightly more articulate post on that issue specifically, read this, and then you may fight me

#i post that angry rant and then immediately leave my house #came back to a lot of messages lol #listen this fandom needs a few slaps upside the head #if i'm the only one willing to administer them then so be it and so help me god #lmao i've got no more fucks to give so yeah #and yep sending me anons now involves required readings #cause im sick of adding disclaimers to all my magnus related posts #discourse //#sh spoilers #shadowhunters #don't worry this isn't about to become the norm im not gonna flood ur dashes with discourse don't leaaave me #Anonymous #mavra answers

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swanlakebybelalugosi · 7 years

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so ace or aro gays/lesbians aren't gay or lesbian? ace or aro bi ppl aren't bi? if you think someone needs to be heteroromantic heterosexual to be straight that's how it has to work, right? y'all are so ready to shout "ace/aro lgb people are ace/aro gays/lesbians/bis and valid" but when someone says "ace/aro het people are ace/aro hets" you cry wolf and pretend like that logic suddenly doesn't apply and it's so ugly

How cute. You misinterpreted my response, however intentional. The point of the response was to say that we should allow aromantic heterosexuals and heteroromantic asexuals into our safe spaces as they aren’t straight. They still have LGBT+ oriented issues just like the rest of us. The thing is, I never said they weren’t het on some level, I said they weren’t straight. It was up to you how you chose to interpret it, love. But in order to be considered *straight,* you’ve got to be both heteroromantic and heterosexual. There are no such requirements for others.

Let’s be clear, my best friend is a homoromantic asexual, or she uses the term “lesbian ace” or just “lesbian” whenever she feels the situation calls for it. Much easier than getting into the entirety of her sexual and romantic orientation, especially as it is just as much a struggle as it is an allosexual lesbian. Only moreso because there are times when people dumped her for the very reason as she was not interested in sex, but still felt *romantic* attraction to women. I’m not saying lesbian aces aren’t lesbian. I’m saying hetero aces/aros aren’t straight. Honestly, I do not damn the people into oblivion by their identity.

Sexuality is so much more complex than just saying. The term straight means heteroromantic heterosexual. Bi doesn’t inherently mean biromantic bisexual, but mostly and there are connotations to identifying as bi. I identify as panromantic asexual, I’m pan, just not pansexual. I’m still queer as all hell, and so are hetero aces and aros. They are still LGBTQ+ because they deviate from the societal norm. Make sense?

Again, they still belong in the community because you assume they are cis. Can someone be straight and trans? Obviously. Cisheteronormativity has affected our worldview of how things should work, even in our own community. Shame. Straight is just reference to sexuality and romantic orientation. They are separate from your gender, thus, a straight person can still be allowed in the community be it that they’re trans.

A cis heteroromantic heterosexual, or a cis straight, or more commonly known as cishets are only allies. I should clarify because people like you try to undermine wording, cishets in terms of both heteroromantic and heterosexual. That said, cis heteromantic asexuals and cis heterosexual aromantics are still LGBTQ+. Just because our issues are not the same as theirs does not mean they do not still suffer from the issues.

It is not us that pretend logic doesn’t exist, rather the ignorant fools you lot think you are. You want to damn everyone who doesn’t fit specifically to your expectation of what is and what isn’t LGBTQ+ whereas this community should be for all who deviate from the patriarchal societal norm, which is: cis gender, heteroromantic, heterosexual. Typically male as I did bring up patriarchy, but women are no less guilty of taking their position and abusing it.

While you are over there, shitting on heteroromantic asexuals and aromantic heterosexuals, I gladly welcome our peers. Just because you are not yet educated enough to accept them does not mean they are not allowed in this community. I stand by Thomas (@thatsthat24) in that we should not be playing this community up to see who is more oppressed, rather, who needs to feel at home. I needed this acceptance when I was younger, from both myself and others. It took me a long time to realize and accept and love myself for being queer, in whatever way. I think we should extend that same nicety to others, no? I accept all queer individuals, regardless of how they identify.

Anyways, it’s pride month. So what if the heteroromantic aces and aromantic heterosexuals benefit a little from their privilege? White gays and lesbians benefit from being white. Cis folks benefit from being cis. Almost anyone can have a certain type of societal privilege. Especially in this group. So, happy pride month, guys. To you too, aromantic heterosexuals and heteroromantic asexual.

#discourse #ace discourse #aro discourse #lgbtqia #lgbtqipa #had to edit #slight bit of commaitis #had to tag Thomas too #and add a sentence

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starlightbarbie · 7 years

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(don’t reblog this post if you’re not one of my friends talking to me)

okay, you know, i changed my mind? i’m cleaning house today, airing out laundry, so why not do the same emotionally?

it’s been weighing on me too long and making me feel like a bad person but i’ve been so terrified of burning bridges that i never want to admit when i have a different opinion social-justice/spiritual-wise than my friends on here.

bc a lot of people seem to have the attitude that having a different political opinion than someone means you literally can’t interact with them again or continue being friends.

which i understand, it’s an online safe space and you want to surround yourself with like-minded people so you can enjoy your time away from the real-life people whose opinions you’re stuck around. tumblr is kind of the only place you CAN talk to ppl about lgbt, race, gender, etc issues and avoid other types of ppl.

but it just seems so, in a way, divisive and un-productive to alienate people who you enjoy talking to and being friends with, who share all of your political, social justice beliefs except ONE or TWO....just because their ideology doesn’t match perfectly with yours.

especially when they’ve been respecting your opinions the entire friendship and there’s no reason you wouldn’t be able to continue talking just without discussing those topics you’ve never discussed in the first place because they’ve been silent about them...

so maybe i’m afraid of all my friends finally learning my two differing opinions and immediately going “wow youre a bigot we cant be friends” and maybe thats presumptive and wrong but i can’t help my instinctual worries, you know? am i putting up too much self-defense here??

i hope i dont sound attack-y which i’m worried i might because whenever i get ranty....but whatever, this is all just MY opinion and if you read it i hope you can understand where im coming from and then, take from it what you will.

.hhmm. enough stalling...

ive never been “anti” otherkin--as i understand it’s a spiritual belief for some and a coping mechanism for others, and there’s no reason for me to bash that or find any fault with people who just feel a connection to a certain animal or whatever. that’s been happening for all of human existence, there are religions which believe in reincarnation, and i’m agnostic anyways.

i wasn’t raised religious, tho my mom was raised catholic--she wanted my sister and i to come to god on our own terms in our own time instead of being brainwashed by a church since babyhood. so far it just made us very secular. but i’ve had jewish, christian, muslim friends, and never disrespect anyone’s spiritual beliefs. i do preach separation of church and state and hold the political views that come with that, but i believe in freedom to express religion as long as it doesn’t infringe on another human’s rights.

but when it goes past otherkin...people identifying as animals, plants, and galaxies, that doesn’t harm anything--but when it comes to fictionkin and factkin it makes me very uncomfortable.

it feels extremely like theft of intellectual property and theft of identity. factkin, i have never actually seen a person identifying as, just people having “discourse” over, so i dont know if its even real but if it is...i dont even know if i have to argue against it, it’s literally pretending to be another person who is alive?? and is themselves. it’s way beyond wrong to pretend to actually be a famous person, and it is NOT a healthy coping mechanism. it could actually really scare or harm that person they’re pretending to be.

fictionkin is something i have seen a LOT and have friends who id that way, so that’s i guess the big topic here. no problem with otherkin, no one i know is factkin, but fictionkin....

i understand where it would come in as a coping mechanism, i really do. i can relate. i have characters that i’m very attached to, that i relate to very much, that i look up to and want to emulate. some of them i even feel unreasonably possessive over, like “well that’s my favorite character, they can’t be your favorite character if they’re already mine” which probably comes in to play with fictionkin feeling like they ARE the character so nobody else can be the character.

but the thing is, i can’t help but to feel like it’s intellectual property being stolen. it’s one thing to roleplay, to say “hey i know i dont own this character but i’m gonna pretend to be them and explore different scenarios.” the same for cosplaying or writing fanfiction and making fan art. using characters somebody else created to INSPIRE your own art is all fun and games as long as you dont claim to own any of the copyrighted materials.

claiming to BE the fictional character is totally claiming to own it. not legally obviously, i don’t think any fictionkin think they legally have rights to their kin, but definitely a huge mark of ownership to say “This is Me.”

they didn’t create that character. they didn’t spend hours, days, months, pouring their heart soul sweat blood and tears into bringing that character to life. the writer/artist did. when you write, you put literally all of yourself into your characters. every bit of it comes from your thoughts, your unique worldview, the things you’ve seen and learned all mixed together and spat out in a new form. it all comes from the mind of the character’s creator. in a way, their characters are each, them, or have their blood running through their metaphorical veins.

i am PASSIONATE about writing.

claiming to BE that character, that a writer put so much of themselves into, is almost like claiming to be that writer too. at least like carving out a piece of their mind and saying “this is mine, it came from my life in another universe. it doesn’t belong to you. it’s not a unique pattern of emotions and ideas and creativity that you spent years developing. it’s just me from another universe, what a coincidence, right?”

it’s so offensive to steal another person’s hard work like that. and tumblr--tumblr--is supposed to be this place where people care about art theft and crediting the owners matters? and that makes me very, very uncomfortable as an aspiring writer who has my own original characters developing in my head.

important side note: i dont think you can say that fictionkin doesnt actually hurt anyone the way factkin obviously would. i have seen personal accounts from people on tumblr that said people were tagging their ocs/self portraits as kin, or telling them that they were kin with their ocs and they were writing the story wrong in some way, and they were very distressed by it.

so. i have never said anything because i dont want to hurt anyones feelings and i dont want to lose friends, but i also have to be honest and say what i believe if i want to respect myself as a person. so that’s what i believe.

and i don’t think it’s a necessary course of action to cut off ties with someone because they dont believe in fictionkin. its like stopping being friends with someone because they have a different religion than you. i’ve had christian, jewish and muslim friends and as i said, i’m non-religious.

i understand that maybe identifying as a character is more tied with your personal identity than your religious identity, so it’s natural you would feel like people should accept that that character is part of your personality--but please understand that i can accept that there are aspects of all those characters in you and that you relate to them, without expecting me to believe that infinite universes AND reincarnation across those universes exist, which is more than any of my religious friends have asked of me. (ie no one has tried to convert me to their personal spiritual beliefs)

so that said, idk if anyone read all of this, but if you want to stop being my friend over it i wont try to make you change your mind. if youre uncomfortable talking to me after this, its fine and i wont push it. i gave my reasoning for why im willing to stay friends and put our different beliefs aside so know that youre always welcome in my life if you want to be, but i wont force you if you dont.

the next one is worse. stay tuned.

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