#watsonian

[bleeding-star-heart]

The more I think about DA:2 's ending and read people's thoughts on it here, the more it changes. I've come to the conclusion that while the Watsonian explanation for what Anders does is okay, I cannot say the same of the Doylist explanation. For those who don't understand what that means, a couple definitions. Watsonian: the in-story justification for why something happens or is. Ex. Luke's aunt and uncle are murdered in A New Hope because the Empire was looking for Luke. Doylist: The author's purpose for having something happen or be in a story. Ex. Luke's aunt and uncle die to move the plot forward and help make sure he leaves Tattoine. In other words: the in-universe reason for the Chantry being blown up is clear, but the writers' reasons aren't. Therefore, we are not discussing Anders's motivation. There's plenty of meta for that if you're curious. Instead, we are discussing the writers' motivation for writing it the way they did. One could simply say, 'they needed a conflict for the finale', and have done with it. But that only explains the most bare-bone plot-related reasons. It says nothing about how that plot point relates to the overall message, or how the writers intended Anders to be viewed by the audience. Specifically, I doubt that the writers meant us to view Anders positively. If that was their intention, they would not have written Anders murdering Elthina in a way that involved massive collateral damage and the death of innocents. Those things don't tend to generate goodwill. It's possible they wanted Anders to be viewed as a villain, but in that case, why doesn't DA2 end with an Anders boss fight? No, I suspect that the writers' intention were in the same situation as Marvel movies with politically progressive villains. Namely, the ones the audience ends up agreeing with to the point they're in danger of losing their status as villains. Only, instead of it being a single character, the writers had this problem with the concept of mage rights as a whole. Namely, modern people are generally against depriving people of their freedoms/rights. They're especially against doing so because of something the person can't control or doing it to a whole group because only some members of that group are bad. Therefore, most players will probably agree with Anders that the Circles are indeed bad. Especially players from real-life marginalized groups. It's the same deal as X-Men, except that X-Men understands and ANTICIPATES that the audience is on the side of the X-Men. DA:2, on the other hand...not so much. So, I suspect Anders blowing up the Chantry was the writers doing what Marvel writers often do: make the left-wing villain inexplicably do something nasty in order to have them retain their villain status. Or, in this case, have the most prominent activist do something bad so that the mage rights cause looks equal to the Templar point of view. And, like in the case of Marvel, it doesn't really work. Anders blowing up the Chantry doesn't make the Templars look right. As a matter of fact, the in-universe explanation explicitly relies upon the fact that it doesn't! And that is why I cannot say the writers' reason to write Anders do what he does makes sense. Mainly because I don't believe the writers had a reason. In other words, I believe Anders was done dirty by the finale.

#dragon age 2 #dragon age meta #dragon age #da 2 #watsonian #doylist #anders

[thegreatzombieartisan]

Rings of Power + Tolkien Fusion Meta

Haladriel, Hair, & Subtle Eroticism

On the Numenorean rescue ship, Halbrand grins at Galadriel eating. Some will insist he’s amused at her ravenous appetite, which is true. Yet this scene is also erotically charged.

Much of it is due to Galadriel’s hair. A golden silver marvel unmatched and drove the boys wild. The very same locks that inspired the creation of the Silmaril jewels stolen by Morgoth and who it is said, marveled at their radiance unblinking for weeks.

Elves especially find long beautiful hair deeply attractive. During sleep, the universal practice for protecting long hair is plaits or otherwise contained. Although Elves sleep much less than Men, often when exhausted from vigorous activity.

To see an Elf awaken with disheveled free-flowing hair is highly suggestive of prior sexual activity. Perhaps protective plaits eschewed in the throes of passion.

In this scene, Galadriel awakens, her lovely mussed gold locks basking under sunlight. Still in that shift once clinging sea-soaked and indelicately to her body. Now dry and offering shadowy curves. Halbrand gazes at her with a knowing grin. For he is treated to a sight reserved for a lover.

To boot, he knows who she is. Finrod Felagund’s only sister. Former enemy of Morgoth. Now his own determined huntress. Unbelievably, here. Unarmed. Trusting. That she is unaware of who he is, likely adds to the wicked thrill of this private voyeurism.

#saurondriel #meta #theory #watsonian #trop meta #halbrand

[miguelinileugim]

So there’s this game called Sunset Overdrive (never played it) where you’re a person doing sword fighting things working for some sort of organization that does fighting stuff. The details aren’t really that important (and I don’t know them anyways) but there’s this one thing that made me really really angry and I finally figured out why. At some point in the game you’re given this unbelievably overpowered sword for some reason. And the protagonist is having a great time with it as it can destroy almost everything in one hit and that’s like her job so they’re really happy about it. Then at the end of the level there’s a cutscene where she plays with it and accidentally almost kills a child. Of course the organization she works for does the sane thing, takes it from her and gives it to someone else, fair and square.

Actually, no. They take her sword and fucking mutilate it, turning it into a useless stubby sword, and then give it back to her. This made me angry to no end, and I finally figured out why.

From the player and developer perspective that sword was, out-universe, just a one-off thing so they could feel crazy overpowered before coming back to normal gameplay. However in-universe that sword was a massive game-changer for her that would’ve turned her from whatever her power level was into the sword fighting equivalent of three promotions and/or winning the lottery. Given that it was all an accident due to her being reckless, permanently taking her sword away is concerning, a temporary punishment would’ve been better than taking her life-changing lottery ticket away from her, burning it and giving her the ashes back after.

To summarize:

1. The punishment was disproportionate: Almost running a kid over is a horrible thing and you should not be allowed to drive for quite a while, depending on how it went a jail sentence might be appropriate. Demoting you to nothing after you’ve been promoted from janitor to regional manager in a single go, or taking away your multimillion dollar lottery ticket, is way out of line. Yes a kid’s life is more important, but we’re not handing out 10 year prison sentences to people who drive a bit recklessly and almost kill someone. Those are usually reserved for those who either tried to and failed or actually killed the kid on an accident. If you disagree that’s fine the other two points are even more damning.

2. The punishment was doubled over: Instead of giving the sword to someone else, which would’ve benefited the organization via their better fighting abilities, they destroyed it. I don’t believe this was a product of incompetence, but meant as part of the punishment, to send a message. Not only would the sword help her directly via dramatically improving her fighting, it would’ve also made her far more valuable to the organization, increasing her status within it among other potential benefits. Even if the sword had been given to someone else, the fact that she found it would’ve meant the organization would at least need to acknowledge her part in finding such an incredible artifact. Even if she hadn’t found it, someone else did and it’s gone as a part of the punishment, and now she’s on the hook for having had such a powerful artifact destroyed as punishment for her actions. She got punished once by having her sword taken away, and now again by having her value and status within the organization plummet as her biggest contribution and/or value is now gone. She almost ran over a kid, now she’s lost her regional manager position and is now back to being a janitor AND ALSO the company she’s so reliant on no longer sees her as a really useful person but, accounting for what she made them do, almost a liability.

3. The punishment was tripled over: They gave her back the sword, now mutilated to a stub, just to drive the point home. Figuratively, they took her new life-changingly nice house away for having almost ran over the kid, burned it, and now she’s got the ruins back. She can live there if she wants to I guess. This degree of pettiness and willingness to hurt her feelings is absolutely fucked if seen from the perspective of a real life situation rather than a game not even their developers took seriousl- fuck

#sunset overdrive #writing #fairness #ethics #morality #philosophy #watsonian #outside xtra #outsidexbox #outside xbox

[sudoscience]

Okay, I feel like this is kind of a long shot, but I'm apparently not good enough at Google to find the answer, so I'm hoping someone here will know what I'm talking about. What are the fancy academic terms that mean like "the in-story cause" and "the IRL cause" for something in fiction?

I remember seeing a post about it here on Tumblr, but it was a few months ago. The example it used was Monty Python and the Holy Grail, specifically the ending scene. The movie ends with the main characters being arrested, and the in-story explanation is that they killed a historian, but the IRL explanation was that the alternate ending (a battle between the Knights of Camelot, the French, and the Killer Rabbit) was too expensive and not as funny. Or, to give a more generic example, "the aliens are green because they evolved to have photosynthesis" vs "the aliens are green so the viewer immediately knows they're aliens".

If it helps, I'm pretty sure they were named after people. Like, the in-story explanation would be something like the Arthurian cause, and the IRL explanation would be something like the Cleeseian cause.

[This has been in my drafts since November 2020. The terms I was looking for were Watsonian (for in-universe) and Doylist (for meta), as in Sherlock Holmes.]

#my post #cleaning out my drafts #i could just delete this but what if someone else is wondering the same thing? #literary analysis #watsonian #doylist #watsonian and doylist #idk how else to tag this #i mean. if you're searching the tags for watsonian and doylist then you're obviously already familiar with the terms #tip of my tongue #?

[nuttersincorporated]

Did we ever find out if the buttons Stanley pushed – before all his co-workers disappeared – did anything? I know the Doylist explanation; that the buttons were pointless and it’s all part of the meta commentary on video games. However, I’m interested in what the Watsonian explanation would be.

Was there only point to test the effectiveness on the mind control machine or did they actually do something? Maybe, Stanley was slowly coding something but kept in the dark about what it was. Perhaps, it was something like a numbers station and the buttons were some sort of secret message to someone.

#the stanley parable #the stanley parable: ultra deluxe #Doylist #Watsonian #No really #Why button pressing? #432 was given pencil sharpeners but no pencils to see how they’d react #Stanley was given buttons to press and made to love it #But did the buttons DO anything?

[who-canceled-roger-rabbit]

Ever since I saw smol Jennifer Connelly in Labyrinth, my go-to Watsonian explanation for awkward acting has been "the character is autistic"

#this could also apply to tarantino's cameo in pulp fiction even if he's not exactly POSITIVE rep #actuallyautistic #autistic headcanon #autistic headcanons #watsonian #doylist #labyrinth #jim henson #jennifer connelly #sarah williams #acting

[kgaarnes]

1995 Moto Guzzi California II with Watsonian Squire sidecar. The photos were taken at Gotland in Sweden

#motoguzzi #guzzi #motoguzzicalifornia #sidecar #watsonian #gotland

[sbknews]

Ace Alpine Barista Sidecar

The Ace Cafe in Switzerland provides a side order of coffee on wheels with this custom-built Royal Enfield/Watsonian outfit. Danny Kunz, owner of the Ace Café in Luzern, Switzerland, wanted to blend his twin passions of good coffee and motorcycles. The idea for ‘Ace Sidecar Caffeine’ was spawned on a quiet Monday morning and the radical concept started with a custom-built Interceptor 650 scrambler, crafted by Auer Power Moto, a Royal Enfield dealer and bike builder based in the nearby province of Obwalden. Danny then approached British manufacturer Watsonian with a request to provide a sidecar suitable for use as a mobile coffee bar. They supplied a Grand Prix sidecar, which complements the bike's classic style and is attached via a sturdy sub-frame that bolts to existing mounting points on either side of the motorcycle, for a secure fit and stable handling. The Grand Prix has a tubular steel perimeter frame that is welded for strength and durability, providing a robust and convenient mounting point for the rack that carries the coffee grinder and ECM Espresso machine. Ready to serve bean-to-cup coffee wherever it’s parked, the outfit can also dispense Guinness 0.0 non-alcoholic beer. Watsonian MD Ben Matthews is no stranger to unusual sidecar projects: “As a company we've 111 years experience making sidecars, so we're the go-to guys when it comes to building outfits for TV, film and specialist use. In 2020 we designed a sidecar for a Cornish chef to serve Asian street food from and prior to that we made an outfit for a London beekeeper! We'll also be revealing something with an Italian flavour later this year!” For information on the range of Watsonian sidecars call 01386 700907 or visit www.watsonian-squire.com. To find out more about the Ace Cafe Luzern go to www.acecafeluzern.ch

Read the full article

#AceCafe #RoyalEnfield #Watsonian

[qprstobin]

The fact people act like Steve wouldn't notice if a guy/Eddie was flirting with him at all, when part of the hilarity behind the big boy flirtation scene is that Steve CLEARLY knows something about the comment is off lol. That's why he looks so baffled. Steve can be oblivious about other things but come on Casanova over there is going to notice when someone is flirting with him even if it is a guy

#now whether he knows the flirtation is serious or not is another discussion #but personally i think steve knows when someone is into him #hes picking up with whatever the other person is putting dowb #idk just thought of this when complaining about oblivious steve like wait #everyones fave scene literally has him noticing hes being flirted with #steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #steve #eddie #fandom wank #also yes im aure some of his confusion was joe keery being confused bc the line was ad libbed #but this is a watsonian post not a doylistic post

[dabblingreturns]

Not a watsonisn explanation or a doyalist explanation but a secret third thing.

For example: the locked tomb aviator glasses

Doyalist: tamsyn muir is a known homestuck who sprinkles memes and literary allusions into her work the same way that a good chefs use salt.

Watsonisn explanation: Gideon got the aviator glasses from her mother's niche. Wake in turn stole the glasses of off G1deon's face. G1deon kept the glasses as a memento of pyrrha. Pyrrha had the aviator glasses as a last remain item that belonged to P-. P- had the aviator glasses because she was a cop, and aviators are stereotypical cop glasses all over the world. Aviator glasses are stereotypical cop glasses in New Zealand because they are stereotypical American cop glasses and American culture has a wide reaching effect all over the world. And aviator glasses are a stereotypical American cop glasses because of how enmeshed the American cop culture is with military culture. And aviator glasses were created for the US military in 1929 to reduce glare from the blue light of the sky for pilots ( according to Wikipedia) which sort of connects back to the blue light in the sky of Varun, but also is completely appropriate eye protection for a girl who grew up on pluto

Third secret thing: aviator glasses look cool.

#the locked tomb #nona the ninth #gideon the ninth #tlt #harrow the ninth #gideon nav #pyrrha dve #aviator sunglasses #watsonian explanation #doyalist #rule of cool

[zeldahime]

Firm believer in Aziraphale both being A Gay and being technically asexual and agender. Mostly because I am asexual and agender but am still A Gay, and I know what that looks like. He looks like a gay man and talks like a gay man and joined a gay men’s club and hangs out with the gays in London’s main gayborhood. He’s gay-gay. His gender is still angel and he’s still sexless unless he really wants to make an effort. He’s gay as a social category. He’s gay because he more or less chooses to be. And I think that’s incredibly based of him.

#this is all watsonian of course #unlike angels and demons i don’t get as much choice in the matter of course #but I could decide to be a woman if I wanted. I’d be unhappy but I could make that choice. #I could choose to stealth much more enthusiastically than I do #but every day I wake up and choose to be queer on purpose #and so does Aziraphale #God’s specialest princess and favorite child; Angel of the Eastern Gate #Aziraphale #good omens

[thegreatzombieartisan]

Nope Fuckity Bye: Two Theories on Why Sauron Skipped Seeking Pardon

“Sauron … did obeisance to Eönwë, the herald of Manwë, and abjured all his evil deeds…”

*

Before diving in, some givens and inferences:

Tolkien’s work is fundamentally Catholic work. To understand his POV, use this lens.

Maiar share a similar psychological landscape to Elves and Men. Men and Elves can procreate. Elves and embodied Maiar can too. Do the math.

Ecclesiastical language is telling. So, let’s clear up the oft misuse of “repentant.” Repentant = contrite (sincere sorrow for offense) vs. Penitent = contrite + actively seeking reconciliation.

*

Recognize the Sacrament of Penance reflected throughout legendarium

Per his faith, Tolkien believed redemption was ever an option. Thus, a penitent sinner like Sauron would need to satisfy conditions (sacraments) to absolve offense (sin) and reconcile with Eru Illuvatar (God).

All sin can be absolved, no matter how great.

Contrition or sincere sorrow for one’s offenses

Reconciliation aka “confession” aloud to a “priest” for accountability and absolution of sin

Repentance is assigned reparations for amends.

Theory One. Sauron couldn’t bear facing the Valar, but ecclesiastical language in text strongly suggests pardon meant facing his victims too

*

Sauron put on his fair hue again and did obeisance Eönwë, the herald of Manwë, and abjured all his evil deeds….

Abjure: to solemnly deny, disavow, or renunciate.

Tolkien might’ve chosen: “disavow”, “renounce”, or “repudiate.” But he chose abjure. As ecclesiastical language, it can be interpreted as holding significance.

For in ye olde Roman Catholicism, “abjuring” occurred in an abjuration - or a formal, timely, voluntary, and public ceremony to renunciate heresy

Rather than a civil criminal trial, it’s suggested, that as a heretic, Sauron would have faced judgment in something closer to this.

(How does an abjuration work? A more robust, public version of the private typical reconciliation process. Moreover, in place of a priest, a higher authority like a bishop is required to oversee it.)

*

For Sauron hath done much naughty

You shall have no other gods before me. (Ex. 20:2–3).

Heresy is sin deemed especially egregious. And Sauron committed the greatest sin of all: idolatry. For to follow Morgoth was to place a “god” before Eru Illuvatar (God).

Moreover, as a principal perpetrator or accessory, much of Sauron’s alleged* sins are largely war crimes:

murder, torture, slavery, terrorism, breeding corruption/mutilation, spiritual corruption, conspiracy, theft, attempted sex trafficking, propaganda, etc.

Let’s not forget Sauron’s sick lyrical game.

* Sauron is only known through narrative bias of incomplete history. His actual sins could be more or less.

Applying the Sacrament of Penance to Sauron seeking pardon from Eönwë

*

Sauron = penitent heretic

Eönwë (representative to Manwë) = priest

Manwë (Valar chief + representative to Eru) = bishop

Eru Iluvatar = God

Sauron (penitent sinner) sought out Eönwë (priest) and confessed his evil deeds (sins) to reconcile with Eru (God). But Eönwë realized Sauron’s sun was in fact heresy, thus requiring the higher authority of Manwë (bishop) to reconcile.

Thus, Eönwë commanded Sauron (now penitent heretic) to seek pardon (reconciliation) with Manwë, who would instigate an abjuration (public renunciation of heresy) and determine a sentence (repentance).

Sauron says NOPE, moving from a penitent heretic to a repentant heretic.

*

Then Sauron was ashamed, and he was unwilling to return in humiliation and to receive from the Valar a sentence

And an abjuration would be even more excruciating.

Besides the Valar, also present would be Elves who Sauron/Morgoth had victimized. Plus, other Maiar who once befriended him, sought his wisdom, and praised his talents. All who knew Mairon “the admirable.” Now the abhorred, defeated, disgraced.

Before all, Sauron would renunciate his evil deeds that led to ruin and suffering. Perhaps to be met with jeers, curses, and woeful sobs. But also, silent dismay. Fear. Disappointment.

Ultimately, Sauron chose his pride, peaced out, and the rest is history.

*

He lingers in Middle-earth. Very slowly, beginning with fair motives: the reorganising and rehabilitation of the ruin of Middle-earth

Where exactly? Who benefited? What were the outcomes? Like what, did Sauron open a cat rescue or build playgrounds for disenfranchised youth? It remains unclear. Just another one of Tolkien’s vague passages that deny Readers’ ability to judge for themselves.

Therefore when Eonwe departed he hid himself in Middle-earth; and he fell back into evil, for the bonds that Morgoth had laid upon him were very strong."

That is, Sauron was trauma-bonded to Morgoth. He also had to be low-key terrified of him. Because at some point, it would’ve became clear that Morgoth’s means didn’t further Sauron’s goals. For what other reason would someone who strives for efficiency continue serving a counterproductive cause?

But Sauron was always vulnerable to corruption. It’s even theorized that Even as Mairon, he had paternalistic entitlement to desired outcomes on Middle-Earth. For lack of boldness or pragmatism, it made him susceptible / a target for Melkor’s Vala power, Eru-may-care audacity, and corruption.

Fast-forward. In forsaking pardon yet engaging in “fair” works, Sauron continues his heresy, his idolatry. But instead of Melkor, he now places himself above Eru.

By skipping abjuration, Sauron robbed himself of humility and thus, true reflection on his evil deeds. Not insignificantly, he robs justice for victims.

By skipping reconciliation, Sauron forgoes support and belonging. One can’t heal in an echo chamber. The “bonds of Morgoth” were heavy and he’d need help breaking free of them.

By skipping repentance, Sauron’s self-assigned “fair works” were likely inappropriate. Nope - perpetrators don’t get to fuck up then decide how to make amends. Victims do.

Theory Two. Sauron feared being unfairly judged for the evil deeds of Morgoth’s other servants

*

“Then Sauron was ashamed, and he was unwilling to return in humiliation and to receive from the Valar a sentence, it might be, of long servitude in proof of his good faith; for under Morgoth his power had been great.

Oh, cry Finrod Felagund a river.

But Tolkien overlooked a glaring motive for Sauron fear of a long sentence. Of all of Morgoth’s Maiar servants, Sauron is the only one known to have attempted to seek pardon.

For gravitas, imagine being the only high-ranking member of a fallen fascist regime on public trial. What would you fear? Receiving a sentence disproportionate to your crimes because you’d be the sole focal point of blame and penance. Sauron would be no different.

Sauron’s fear was legit but how likely was it?

Morgoth was hunted down and chained before being thrown unceremoniously into the Void. A fate that certainly would’ve terrified Sauron.

Yet in stark contrast, even after his confession of evil, Eönwë merely commanded Sauron to seek pardon from Manwë. That he wasn’t apprehend or escorted can be interpreted that Eönwë believed his penitence to be true and thus, he’d do as told. Or perhaps Eönwë simply relayed his master’s orders to let Sauron choose to reconcile.

In any event, Eönwë’s response to Sauron reflects Manwë’s benevolence. For the Vala would understand that a servant of evil must first be it’s victim. More likely than not, Sauron would’ve received mercy.

But he instead chose to thro w redemption away with both hands.

Thank you for reading!

Your likesand tagged reblogs are appreciated. Got feedback?

What did you like? Got theories or insights to share?

Disagree? I love good faith debate and sparring!

Spot an inaccuracy? Hey, Tolkien's work is complex. Drop it in comments or DM.

#Sauron hath done much naughty #rings of power #watsonian #theory #tolkien #theological #Sauron

[eudaemon-m]

why is fu hua just walking around in garuda form in the event.....

#ik the meta explanation is that they gotta sell the battlesuit #but whats the watsonian one? #honkai impact #herrscher of sentience #fu hua

[sunforgrace]

cas pulling sam out of the pit. game notification pops up would you like to select leave a handprint mark. cas goes no i don’t think so

#again. watsonian versus doylist they had to suspend the reveal and cas was hiding it. but it begs the question #if it’s in his control to do or not do. why. with dean in the first place #and if it isn’t in his control it still begs the question.

[tardis-stowaway]

The Doctor: He [Isaac Newton] was, wasn't he? He was so hot. Oh, is that who I am now?

So what personality trait of his new regeneration is the Doctor mildly surprised by here? He doesn't sound shocked, but it seems to be enough of a difference to mention out loud. A lot of people seem to be interpreting the that as referring to being into guys. To be fair, I think that's how Donna understands it in her next line.

My understanding of the line is slightly different. Feeling attraction to men (along with other genders) is nothing new to the Doctor. Nine and Captain Jack Harkness kissed full on the lips onscreen! Look at any interactions between Ten and the Master. Consider that changing gender presentation is something that any Time Lord might do at any regeneration, so treating gender as a limiting factor in attraction wouldn't make sense for the Doctor.

No, what has changed is that Fourteen is the sort of person who will directly admit when he finds someone hot while gossiping with his BFF. Not brilliant, or fascinating, or even beautiful, but hot. That's what's new.

#doctor who spoilers #dw spoilers #wild blue yonder #doctor who #of course from a doylist perspective that line does point out to the audience #that the doctor is going to be SUPER QUEER henceforth #absolutely no more deniability #but from a watsonian perspective on what the Doctor means #i think they're just not used to being able to admit to these sort of feelings so easily and casually #i have found a new hill and i will die on it #tardis-stowaway's writing & stuff #fourteenth doctor

[jeannemarythefourth]

idk man i just think lucy, as narrator and protagonist, convinces the audience that l&co is a teen supernatural adventure story with hints of romance, but that is true for her and only her. for george it’s a criminal minds/house md case of the week narrative where he solves ghost mysteries with his sword carrying sidekicks. for inspector barnes it’s a political drama about the inner workings of the british bureaucracy. for flo bones it’s a sitcom. and to lockwood, life is a romantic comedy in which he is the star

#mine #lockwood and co #from a a watsonian perspective the Problem is so entrenched in young people’s lives that Lockwood can’t conceive of a romcom w/out ghosts #but from a funny perspective: he wakes up every morning and chooses to ignore the ghosts in order to think only about his love life #which btw is nonexistent. mans has no game #quill kipps is in a sports anime but the sport is ghost hunting