#when the cocreators expect us to simply Understand that people on the show have a superior level of Smartness; for one....ruh roh

[unproduciblesmackdown]

billions figuring winston shouldn't just also still be there in the end with the guys we accept so he needs to be sent out, which, it's also remarkable to recall like "okay does he still technically, partially work at/for axe global then? it's a 'maybe' but what matters is that he's not There even if so"....the way that even if we infer he did get to finally be sick of waiting on better, we weren't even given so much of an arc of a couple episode's leadup showing him markedly being more frustrated / fed up with The Usual bullshit or anything like that, the way it went with one ep to spare "oh right winston's catchphrases! we all know & loathe them" like don't strain yourselves....that even in giving up on things, winston still has to be further let down by everyone even after quitting, like well that's probably ultimately helpful for him but it was (a) forced on him and (b) not sure i'd give billions the credit for anything sympathetic towards winston versus "well the only thing to be done with winston material is have fun while epic winners shit on him however they want," the wags plotline had no point just like the later one that could've been scrapped & transformed into "how about taylor gets any dialogue this episode"....the way that billions may imagine like hmm what to do with winston? all that can Ultimately happen with him is he has to go away and die, for him it's [out of sight out of mind out of Existence], just as has been the show's approach for the consequences of him being shitted on all th time for years before this: there are none, b/c we're not looking at them, and winston is never not completely [othered] including right now, and if it helps for some reason we'll talk about how we might be fine if he literally dies. and so we're graced with a "who knows or cares, he's just gone, finally. after being kept around b/c it's so fun seeing winners torment him" ending as the only one they find imaginable for winston

#uptick in annoyance about it on this day.... #fundamentally at odds w/billions thanks in no small part to a pretty guaranteed inherent [this is a meritocracy] approach #when the cocreators expect us to simply Understand that people on the show have a superior level of Smartness; for one....ruh roh #and where then everything abt being Critical & Questioning is like....abt possible Exceptions or small adjustments to The Rules.... #would not be surprised if winston is such ''proof'' like ''see; someone like him shouldn't be able to be here'' #at least there's the checks & balances of being ignored; dispreferred; bullied; to the point of eventually driving him out! #rian only being ''wrong'' to have made herself his personal bully b/c what would've been more correct would be ignoring him more often #whilest again like can't suppose based on anything that billions asks us to Reflect on winston leaving. it's just good #so too is Corrective(tm) bullying / interpersonal abuse. would've had wendy push aba if they did consider winston to be autistic.... #but instead kept it informal.... #winston billions #billions world: where yeah autistic ppl just have to go away i guess #where they cease to exist b/c they aren't real people like us. just as winston's feelings this whole time never Had to be relevant.... #they barely existed & were surely just incorrect when they did. kind of like him overall #and in the meantime didn't we all enjoy going ''god i wish that were me'' at bullying assaulting abusing the autistic guy #bit charitable of us if anything! guiding them towards the light like that. cue ''wow rian aren't you just Too pityingly nice to him*'' #(*the being more godawful to him than anyone since she showed up; including being just as bad if not as usual worse right now) #anyways like nodding dehumanizing the autistic person start to finish. who must Stop Being Here

[red5blog-blog]

Rick and Morty: The Dark Side Of Fandom

Before you break out the torches and pitchforks, let me assure you that I am indeed a fan of the animated sci-fi/comedy series Rick and Morty. I was as thrilled as anyone with the recent announcement that series creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland have come to terms with Adult Swim to bring the show back for at least seventy more episodes. To my knowledge, an episode order of this size is unprecedented in the history of television. Given the nearly three year gap between seasons two and three, it will likely be a long and agonizing wait for new episodes. Not that I'm complaining. The creators should take as long as they need to produce the same level of excellence we have come to expect from the first three seasons.

Having said all of that, it is a widely held opinion that many (not all) fans of the series have come to represent the worst of fandom. Call it the "dark side" of fandom if you will. The most obvious example of this is the infamous Szechuan sauce incident which occurred last October. For those unfamiliar, McDonald's offered a unique dipping sauce, dubbed "Szechuan Sauce", to promote the release of the 1998 Disney film, Mulan. In the season three premiere episode of Rick and Morty, titled "The Rickshank Rickdemption", a subplot involves Rick devising a way to obtain the long discontinued sauce he so fondly remembers. Recognizing an opportunity to capitalize on the popularity of the hit series, McDonald's announced a promotion wherein select locations would offer a limited supply of the sauce for one day only. As it turned out, the fast food chain dramatically underestimated the demand generated by the rabid fan base. The sauce quickly sold out leading to throngs of angry fans verbally abusing McDonald's employees and disrupting business to the point where, in several instances, police were called in to disperse the unhappy customers. 

This embarrassing display is not an isolated incident but part of a pattern of juvenile and toxic behavior on the part of the fan base. Any opinion regarding the series that could be interpreted as even remotely negative will likely be met with a barrage of insults aimed at an individuals' perceived intelligence. The general consensus among fans seems to be that anyone who is not immediately entranced by the show's manic delivery and high concept ideas is simply too stupid to understand it. "You just don't get it." "That reference probably went right over your head." "Just go watch the Kardashians. That seems like more your speed." Comments like this are common refrains found on forums discussing Rick and Morty. Again, I love this series as much as anyone, but the fan community has more than earned its reputation. Even series cocreator Dan Harmon has weighed in on the issue, saying in an Entertainment Weekly interview, " the only thing I can say is if you’re lucky enough to make a show that is really good that people like, that means some bad people are going to like it too.”

How did this happen? Why does the enjoyment of an animated comedy series give so many people a sense of intellectual superiority? I believe all of this stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of the series, and specifically its "protagonist", Rick Sanchez. The mad scientist character loosely inspired by Back To The Future's Doc Brown is the pinnacle of ingenuity and intellect. He is also an alcoholic, self-loathing narcissist who consistently and remorselessly hurts the people around him. That he happens to be and do all of these things in the most witty and hilarious ways imaginable is where the character derives his dual interpretations. It seems that many fans erroneously view Rick as the "hero"of the piece. As a result they appear to be, at the very least, subconsciously appropriating his antagonistic and hostile nature in their interactions. Anyone who has watched the series will immediately recognize Rick's unique brand of condescension reflected in the fan base. (Again, I AM a fan. No, not all of us are this way.)

These people have grossly misinterpreted the purpose of the character. He is a bitter and miserable person who hates everything and everyone, including and perhaps most of all, himself. The lives of his family members have been destroyed by his selfish ambition and, in one disturbing scene, he was even shown attempting suicide. This is not an aspirational figure that people should be modeling their behavior on and the fact that so many people fail to see that is a symptom of a larger problem.

When a television series, film, or any other piece of media is created for "mature audiences", we tend to assume it is due to said media containing violence, sex, language, and other material considered inappropriate for younger audiences. This is almost always true, and is especially true in the case of Rick and Morty. However, one aspect of "maturity" that is rarely considered is whether or not someone is mature enough to recognize when a narrative element is being used as an example of what not to do along with the destructive consequences. I don't presume to know the average age of a Rick and Morty fan, nor is that relevant. But I think we can safely assume the people in question lack the maturity to recognize that Rick is not a person they should aspire to be.

I don't know that there is an easy solution to this problem. It is not a matter of "blaming the parents" because most of these people should be old enough to where that is not a factor. All we can ask is that this particular segment of the fan community really try to look at the character and realize that he may actually be the villain.

"IF IT TAKES NINE SEASONS, I WANT MY MCNUGGET DIPPING SAUCE, SZECHUAN SAUCE, MORTY!"

#rick and morty #rick sanchez #morty smith #dan harmon #justin roiland #adult swim #szechuansauce #rick and morty fandom #rick and morty fanbase

[massistocchifontana]

The struggle to give your partner what she needs when you are hurting as a man

The struggle to give your partner what she needs when you are hurting as a man

I get a lot of feedback, ironically from women defending men when I am harder on men in view of stepping up and taking ownership of situations. I agree that many men are trying to change and correct the collective of past male atrocities, so it is not all men this is speaking to, but a large majority. In part I am hard on myself because I wish I had been challenged in the past when I should’ve been stepping up. It was in these moments that I needed someone there pushing me to strive and really challenge myself. The ideal would’ve been a man who I could confide in because it wasn’t nurturing I needed, I needed someone to cut through my bullshit and call me out.

 I accept external challenge gracefully because I know that men are resilient. I know men are strong mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. I know men have an immensity of potential and we often overlook this potential simply because we are complacent in the areas that need work. But if you look at the world we have built collectively, it has been on the backs of hard work, resilience, sheer determination, collective unitedness and being inspired to be creative and fluid. This for me is the true essence of man. The essence of being the foundational strength so people can flourish together.

 So why with everything we have accomplished in life do we shy away from the moment that I believe to be pivotal in our overall success? What I mean by this is that we choose a woman to be at our side. We do everything in our power to woo her and get her to see the value in us. We get her to choose us over every other man. We show determination, we show desire and drive, we show our worth, but when we “get the girl” once again complacency and justifications kick in preventing us relating deeper. This is particularly focused on the partner we choose.

 Being completely blunt… you do all the hard work to get the girl and fuck it up by not continuing to do the work! This never made sense to me when in hindsight could’ve done more and it still baffles me when I see most men doing this today.

 What do we expect as men? That women are simply going to be waiting around for us forever the way we are if we don’t step up and actually do the work? do we honestly think that we are fine the way we are? Do we honestly believe that there is an end point to development? Do we honestly think that we can coast along and not experience the feminine challenging us to grow and constantly be that emotional vessel that she needs? 

 I believe that most of us need a reality check and this doesn’t have to be in a manner that’s harsh and I am fully aware that we all struggle with our emotional selves at times. This being an inevitability being human, but there has to come a point where we cut the nonsense and actually do what every woman does… Step up to the plate and do the work!

 This work can come in so many different forms, and some men have to do more work than others but it is still work. The moment we can be honest with ourselves and reflect on the man we want to be and truly be honest in the manner in which we are relating to our partner is the moment we have to change. This is where much like AA and NA, the first step needed is acknowledging that there is a problem. 

 The problem being that we need to be awakened enough to know that we should expect more from ourselves as a collective masculinity. I am by no means suggesting that we have to be militant about progression and development, but I do mean that we should be reinforcing and developing within the framework of our masculine and feminine. Whichever partner we choose, whichever ecosystem we have co-constructed, we need to be responsible for our progression within that frame.

 This is not about being like every other man or comparing yourself to any other man, but it is about being the type of man who can recognise that their defensiveness is highlighting a need for growth. How you define this growth is entirely up to you, but when it comes to relationships, your partner is always going to be a reflection of what you bring to the table. If there is conflict assume that you have a part to play and it is your responsibility not only for the relationship but especially to yourself to understand the inner workings of this ecosystem you have created.

 If we are basing this principle on simple transactional analysis, you’re striving for an adult position, not a parent or child position. Within this framework you are not rescuing, persecuting or feeling like a victim, but instead growing towards becoming more non-attached (present and completely immersed in the experience but not plagued by the emotional or cognitive content) in the manner in which you relate to your partner and the different situations you find yourself in.

 If you need emotional healing then why wait for your partner to step into the rescuer role? Go and get a therapist, join a men’s group, find a coach, do something that is going to help you digest the emotional content and triggers preventing you from experiencing a deeper connection to yourself and your partner. By doing this, it does not mean that your masculinity is going to be dented or diminished, instead it is going to give you insight into knowing how to manage yourself when in the feminine and masculine and truly understand what makes you you. Not only is this process going to be empowering for you, your partner is going to respect the intentionality behind going and doing something about the problem which intron will instil a level of deeper trust in the relationship. Don’t want for her to point this out!

 I believe we have a collective responsibility as men to cocreate a different kind of man. For every action we take towards bettering ourselves on an individual level, we take five more steps forward in being able to challenge the negative behaviours and archaic mindsets that present themselves in the future. We can collectively readjust the narrative around masculinity and develop a different style of relating. This process allows for any lower level emotions to be eradicated and provide us the opportunity to live from a position of courage, compassion, and awareness whereby as men we can truly provide, protect and penetrate the world well. 

#masculine development #massimo.love #toxic masculine