cinnaspec

[cinnaspec]

Substance use in Hazbin hotel VS. Trailer Park Boys. How is it portrayed?

Tw/Cw: substance use, alcohol, alcoholism, enabling, hard drugs, victim blaming, Overdose.

How substance use and substance use disorder (addiction) are portrayed in Hazbin Hotel is shallow and careless. It is often reduced to a quirky personality trait in the characters instead of a real life issue that people struggle with everyday that has also cost people their lives.

Trailer Park Boys is a better example of how to write substance use disorder (SUD.) For example, Hazbin Hotel season one didn't show how one's relationships could be affected by SUD but, in the first episode of trailer park boys, Ricky came home from jail and he felt like he couldn't see his dad because he knew he was drunk. He would rather sleep outside than at his father's trailer and ended up begging his friend to allow him to sleep in his car, even though they were having a big disagreement at the time and they decided to stop talking to eachother earlier in the episode.

Mr. Lahey's alcoholism was genuinely disturbing at times and it was never glamourized. His relationships with his partners throughout the show were always suffering because of it. he was shown being unable to function properly, falling down because he could not walk, pissing himself, not being able to talk properly and in one of the later seasons, not being able to talk at all because he was so close to dying from alcohol poisoning. But he was also portrayed as someone with an disorder who needed help and deserve kindness and empathy.

in Hazbin, there were a couple of moments of complexity around SUD where you could tell the writers were really trying to portray SUD as something serious, though they did miss the mark every time. But this particular moment was immediately tarnished by Angel's sexual harassment because viv couldn't go one second talking about something serious without someone getting sexually harassed or a dumb sex joke.

The Hazbin writers tried to explore the topic of enabling with cherri bomb in episode 6 (welcome to heaven) but I don't think any care was put into it.

Cherri bomb being someone who does not care about Angel or his well being lacks well-needed complexity and is very unrealistic. She was not shown once as someone who cared for Angel. She made fun of him for his choice of friends, she told him to stop talking about work and his boss when a friend would have listened to him and comforted him. It's shown as "person is doing something harmful or bad, must be a bad person" which in real life is not the case most of the time, especially with enablers.

Enablers oftentimes are people that care about the person with substance use disorder. They think they're helping, or they want to feel needed, especially since codependency is common in relationships where one is struggling with substance use.

In trailer park boys, Randy, Mr. Lahey's partner was enabling him in an episode. I unfortunately can't find any transcripts online so this is off my memory. But, Mr. Lahey was telling Randy that if he kept his blood alcohol under a certain amount, he could still function and feel good without needing to be sober. He was really excited about it and he was telling his partner, but he was clearly still very inhebriated with slurred speech. And his excitement made me feel bad for both of them. Mr. Lahey thought he found a way for him to live with his condition that was attainable, especially since he tried to give up drinking entirely many times in the series to no avail.

Randy was clearly uncomfortable and uneasy about the idea but he wanted to trust his partner. he did try to talk him out of it IIRC but he ended up going along with it.

Randy is not a bad person. It was really clear in the show that he loved his partner and always wanted to do what was best for him. they broke up a few times within the series because Randy didn't want to enable him and he was tired of having his trust broken.

you can tell that vivziepop has no empathy for people with substance use disorder. Angel is constantly being made fun of. He's called names, even by the person who is supposed to be empathetic towards his situation which I found really gross. Here are some examples of this:

The oversimplification of SUD in these instances might cause the audience to see angels substance use as a joke, or an example of a "quirky personality trait" when it's really an issue that should be treated with care and respect. I think it definitely undermines Angels Struggles as well as it reinforcing a harmful gay stereotype.

Another example of SUD being used as a quirky personality trait with no depth. I wish instead of him just stating he's "too sober" he was shown to have withdrawls. Or even that his SUD negatively affects the way he acts and feels.

Charlie giving him a role that makes fun of him and his situation is really gross. She's supposed to help him and be empathetic towards his situation. I can see how this can be explored, Charlie being really ignorant even though she has good intentions. Maybe because There is no empathy for those with SUD in hell which is a topic that could be explored with complexity and also in a light where Angel isn't a bad person for having SUD. Like, if Charlie educates herself and then apologizes to Angel.

I understand that Valentino and Lute aren't supposed to be good people who are empathetic to angels situation but when everyone treats him this way, it's super problematic.

Also this lyric implies that Angel having substance use disorder makes him a bad person, which is just not true and also extremely harmful.

The name Angel Dust is actually another name for PCP. this is extremely distasteful given everything else surrounding his character. It doesn't only feed into the harmful gay stereotype but it also undermines him as a person. I feel like the name could work if the topic of it was explored. If he talked about how it felt to be reduced to his SUD and to be treated so poorly that he is called the very name of the drug he overdosed on (according to the wiki.) Not to mention that real people have died from PCP overdoses and are struggling with being addicted to the substance.

Why is good representation important?

Because empathy for those with substance use disorder is already very low. Hazbin Hotel's popularity, especially with impressionable teens, can be seriously harmful and make people less empathetic to those who are struggling. Portraying substance use as a moral fault is not going to help anyone. Especially if someone who has substance use internalizes How angel is treated and they start to see themselves as a bad person who does not deserve help.

Treating enabling as something that only bad people, like Cherri bomb do, can seriously deter people from seeing the real problem. They might see a loved one being an enabler and think that there's no way they are actually enabling because enabling is something that comes from cruelty, not love, or worry.

Contrary to what Vivienne has stated. Media does affect reality. And media, like Hazbin can either teach empathy or it can teach intolerance.

[cinnaspec]

Am I the only one who thinks people saying that vivziepop identifying as bisexual is so she gets a pass on the LGBTQ rep (or lack there of) by her fans is kinda a gross and biphobic sentiment? Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm not bisexual myself and I'm bad at articulating my thoughts but something about that makes me really uncomfy.

[cinnaspec]

you people are vile towards transmasc & ftm teens, everything we do is cringe, shameful and embarassing in your eyes, you do not give us the same grace and room to grow and learn the way you do other trans & cis teens, we're all seen as cringey "lemon demon uwu soft boi steven universe flower crown cavetown" fakeboy freaks to you, you mock transmasc/ftm musicians and harass transmasc/ftm teens until we either detransition or force ourselves to be hyper feminine so you'll leave us the fuck alone and stop treating us like shit on your shoe.

its all "cringe culture is dead! support trans teens!" until it's a trans boy or transmasc, eh?

[cinnaspec]

You guys hate nuance

[cinnaspec]

A lot of people forget that a DNI goes both ways and you shouldn't interact with people on your list. Also I've seen people with massive dni liars and I feel rude saying this but there's no way I'm taking the time to read it all if I don't know you 😭

I can't find the original post at all but this right here.

[cinnaspec]

when i see (mostly cis) progressives talk about abortion rights, they'll sometimes mention trans men (or anyone who isn't a cis perisex woman) in passing but then IMMEDIATELY go back to using language doesn't include anyone who isn't a cis perisex woman. this is not good enough. you *need* to change your language around abortion rights (and anything considered womens health in general.). don't just mention us once in a while. your exclusion of us in your advocacy *literally* kills.

[cinnaspec]

⋆ ˚｡🤎🩷🤍Neapolitan Stamps🤎🩷🤍⋆౨ৎ˚

❤︎‬ Like + Reblog if use ⊹ Template

❤︎ “As long as we're together, honey, I don't care”

[cinnaspec]

I'll straight-up come out and say it; rape with subsequential forced impregnation is the worst thing that could happen to a person. It is life-ruining and traumatising in so many different ways. I can't believe this is even a point of contention anymore.

If you see a trans man talking about his fear of being forced into pregnancy and your response is "b-but muh feelings!" you should genuinely just throw yourself off the nearest bridge because you are an actual waste of oxygen.

It is absolutely not bigoted to discuss the fear of something like that happening, and if you consider it to be, then you clearly don't care about any rape victims at all and have no place calling yourself a feminist.

[cinnaspec]

It's so weird that these people are using serious words to describe things that they shouldnt use in those contexts. Hate crimes and slurs should not be compared something so trivial when people actually have to live through their day to lives in fear of experiencing hate crimes or discrimination. It's actually extremely insensitive and tonedef and it's almost entitled if that's the right word. Like if you are privileged enough that the way you view discrimination is through people critiquing something you like, then please educate yourself.

I will say this once, any stan that claims they've been "Fandom Hatecrimed" because antis hate their show, please look up the following terms:

"Hatecrime", "Media Literacy" and "Self Awareness."

There's no such thing as being "fandom hatecrimed" a Fandom is not a singular entity. Although you CAN argue it's an entity with a classification in the SCP Foundation but it's not a person you can discriminate. If that were the case then we'd be all be arrested.

The fact that I have to explain what a Fandom is, really is stupid.

The fandom also spouts out Media Illiteracy which... The funny thing is, they too lack the same thing they are calling us. They always cherry pick or throw statements out that doesn't make a single lick of sense but when you call them out for it, they automatically say you're illeriate which is silly.

If you can't see what the fuck I am saying then don't bother. The fandom has a LOT to learn about things and it's really gonna suck when the country can't even teach youth basic shit.

Just this week I saw a video that basically proved that HH/HB Stans are really dumb. One basically said they didn't remember women could get pregnant or something and called it "mpreg" or some shit.

The poster of the video basically said "People think we're all like this!"

Bro, because you all are like this! Anytime people harass or complain about rightful criticism you whine and crash out, there is A LACK and I don't mean this lightly, a SEVERE lack of chill stans in your own community, how can you claim your fandom is "chill" or "welcoming" when some of your fandom harasses people with concerns that are PART of the shit that is their right to complain about, media illiteracy my ass.

[cinnaspec]

I've never really written fanfiction before but I'm really tempted to write a hazbin hotel fanfic where sexual harassment panda from SouthPark goes to the hotel 😭 should I give it a go?

I really wanna see these two characters interact

[cinnaspec]

HH ships in a nutshell

[cinnaspec]

this might be a controversial take, but I don't think "trans women need more help than trans men" right now.

we are ALL being targeted, just bc trans women are more visible doesn't mean trans men/mascs aren't fucking suffering too.

forced pregnancy.

corrective rape.

Familial & partner abuse

50% of trans mascs have been sexually assaulted.

"T slur voice"

"confused girls"

the problem isn't just about trans women, yall need to open your fucking eyes and see we (trans men/mascs) as a community are hurting!

ETA: I'm not ignoring what trans women go through, so don't even try that.

[cinnaspec]

This is genuinely disgusting.

He is not a silly little guy, he's a rapist.

[cinnaspec]

Cw: SA mentions

Verosika is a sexual predator and SAd Moxxie. I don't think she's overhated but the things the fandom has said about her is really telling about how sexist the vivizepop community is. Very sexist to call a woman character a bitch, a slut or a whore in any circumstance.

Octavia and Verosika did NOTHING wrong. Octavia has the right to not like her dad who ignored and neglected her in order for his one-sided affair. Verosika has the right to hate Blitzo (to quote my queen Veroska) maxed out her credit card on shitty horse riding lessons and left her to pay for the hotel. Octavia got called a COCK BLOCKING SLUT by one of the CREATORS OF HELLUVA BOSS! And Verosika constantly gets called a bitch, slut, or whore. I love Octavia and Verosika, they have done no wrong and I am taking them from Vivziepop.

Also Verosika looks so good in the outfits the Helluva Boss team puts her in and I’m supposed to hate her? No fuck that I love her so much and she has probably one of the best or the best design out of all the Helluva Boss characters.

Octavia also deserves a better dad. She’s also got an actually pretty cool design, she’s just a little silly who has also has a great voice actor!

Also baby Octavia! She’s so cute :). I love her so much and she deserves so much more than Stolas. AND THEN SHE GETS CALLED A COCK BLOCKING SLUT. SHE’S FUCKING 17. Overall I love them, Octavia is just a little silly and Verosika is my queen.

[cinnaspec]

Humanitarian Appeal

‼️She will die at any time‼️😭Emergency, read my story and help me 🚨

"One moment can change everything

My daughter suffers from kidney failure and autism

due to the devastating consequences of war and malnutrition. He urgently needs donations for his ongoing treatment and a life-saving kidney transplant help to cover the high costs of his medical care and surgery, which could save his life and improve his health.

We kindly appeal to compassionate individuals to donate and support us during this difficult time.

Thank you for your cooperation and generosity.

I am asking for $25 or 50$ , which will make a significant difference in my life and my family’s🙏🏻💔

🔴My child extends her hands to you. Do not leave her facing death. If you can, your support is a lifeline for her. No one helps me or cares about her illness. Please, from a humanitarian standpoint.

https://gofund.me/8dce001c

I don't have a job or much money but I'll see what I can do to

[cinnaspec]

❗️❗️Hello! This is just an information post about the Hellsite!au❗️❗️

Let me go over a few little things:

What is this au?

This au is essentially like a little rewrite of the Hellaverse, similar to the Instagram!au if anyone knows what I’m talking about. But this is additionally critical to the shows.

HOWEVER, this is not like the previous au we did, which was the Selfaware!au, in which multiple characters gained self awareness and began criticising the show. This au does not include self awareness, rather people’s takes/rewrites of characters, but they can still be critical of situations in the show, essentially the characters are a bit more realistic.

How do you join?

You can just dm this account for any info!

Alternatively if you want to join, make an account and join the community! But make sure the character isn’t taken!

If you wish to join our discord server for this au, join the discord server here , this is where a lot of the planning for everything goes down, as well as just interacting with everyone else!

Characters that are taken

Currently the characters that are taken are:

-Angel Dust @angiefuzzyboots

-Arakniss/Emilio @absurdplague

-Husk @bar-cat71

-Moxxie @simply-moxxie

-Verosika @reallysweatyqueen

-Asmodeus @gay-ass-lord

-Ren @renner-may-blog

-Leviathan @leviathanoffical @levoproductsofficial

(OC’S ARE PERFECTLY FINE WITHIN THIS AU!)

Just some basic rules for this AU

•Do not harass others

•Be respectful

•Do not make a blog of a character if someone has already claimed said character

•If you wish to include certain topics or subjects within your rewrite, make sure to use TW’s or CW’s.

•Do not bring any drama into this community, we just want to enjoy this fun experience.

Some characters are off limits

By that, for now there are some characters we don’t want to include in the au, this may change with time but for now, characters that are off the list:

•Valentino

•Stolas

Join the hellsite!au community on Tumblr!

[cinnaspec]

"i think everyone is bashing angel dust as a character for the wrong reason. hes not bad rep because he's hypersexual, hypersexuality in itself is a trauma response to sexual abuse. hes bad rep because the show doesnt actually take said sexual abuse seriously and makes him out to be a dirty whore for said coping mechanisms"

Submitted by @abagoflaysclassic