mightaswellbecassandra

[mightaswellbecassandra]

where do TV shows get this idea that high school is constant drama, nothing even fucking happened to me in high school

[mightaswellbecassandra]

Enchantress: I turn you into a hideous Beast. What are the names of your servants?

The Prince: Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts -

Enchantress:

[mightaswellbecassandra]

I'm sorry. David Corenswet brought his dog to set in her own Superman costume?

[mightaswellbecassandra]

when someone cuts them off on the freeway

Clark: Aw, come on, man! Well, they probably have somewhere important to get to.

Lois: FUCK! YOU! *lays on the horn*

[mightaswellbecassandra]

Pride and Prejudice is actually hilarious cause Elizabeth goes to the Netherfield Ball with the purpose of finding out what Darcy's closest friends think about Wickham, and when they all tell her Darcy is a really nice guy and Wickham is a liar she literally goes "Mr. Darcy has somehow managed to trick all of his closest friends into thinking he's a good person but I know something about him that they don't (that he sucks)"

[mightaswellbecassandra]

Este vídeo es importante:

[mightaswellbecassandra]

I think Superman Returns and Man of Steel both failed for many of the same reason. Both are overly serious to the point of being dour, eschewing anything that might be seen as fun or campy in the hopes of being seen as deep and respectable, they're both chasing Nolan just as they are chasing Donner. Returns basically remakes the first film as MoS remakes the second. What ultimately sinks them is how they both completely bungle Lois and her relationship with Clark. That is the one crucial element any Superman adaptation needs to get right and neither did.

[mightaswellbecassandra]

When I first met Superman, I didn't know how to feel. He was stronger than us, faster, more powerful, and every single day he went out there... and used that power to help us. People have told you to fear Superman because he's different from us- but we humans are capable of causing hurt and pain too. Because of greed. Because we want to punish those who don't look or act like us. Because of fear. But... we're also capable of greatness. It's what we choose to do that matters. Superman has made his choice. It's our turn, Metropolis.

[mightaswellbecassandra]

#group projects

[mightaswellbecassandra]

I think venus flytraps should be intelligent and ambulatory. I think they should get into the cupboards. I think they should purr when you pet them.

[mightaswellbecassandra]

sometimes people will be like "just lost a follower over my last post" and every time I am baffled by the idea of 1) knowing exactly how many followers you have 2) assuming they unfollowed you for something specific and 3) POSTING about it

[mightaswellbecassandra]

[mightaswellbecassandra]

you can't convince me saying Taylor Swift is the "pinnacle" of capitalism isn't rooted in some sort of misogyny when 1. Taylor Swift pays her workers VERY well and has always been known for doing so throughout her whole career and 2. when men Like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos exist

[mightaswellbecassandra]

I hate how people will look at popular indie artists who had one or two songs go viral on TikTok and start making fun of anybody who listens to them. "Oh you listen to Lemon Demon, Will Wood, Jack Stauber, Glass Animals, and Mother Mother? Tsk, don't you know that is stupid TikTok neurodivergent white transmasc preteen music? It's so mid and bad you should listen to real music–" you are a pit of misery

[mightaswellbecassandra]

Opinions on the John Green bullying thing make an excellent arsehole test. Every time I've seen someone try to justify it or laugh it off or claim it wasn't a big deal or say he deserved it I've thought "huh I bet that person's an arsehole" and when I check their blog I've been proven right every single time.

[mightaswellbecassandra]

After watching Cinderella (the original animated movie, which was my favorite as a child), it strikes me how it solves many common problems people have with this fairy tale. Like:

Why did they try to identify the mystery girl using her shoe size? Because the bullheaded king's only clue to her identity was the shoe the Grand Duke picked up off the steps.

Why didn't the prince recognize her by her face? Because his father wouldn't involve him in the process at all, and wasn't the one going around trying to find her.

Why did the prince want to marry a lady he only met that night? Because his father was going to force him to marry someone, and he genuinely liked this woman.

Why did Cinderella want to marry a man she only met that night? Because marriage was her best and most secure way to freedom. Fucked up, but you can't say it's unrealistic for the setting of a fairy tale. She also genuinely liked him.

If they're using the slipper to find her, wouldn't it be more sensible to search for the person with the other slipper? Yes. The King is purposefully nonsensical and the Duke is purposefully terrified enough of him to carry out his orders to the letter. Furthermore, they end up doing that in the end anyway, because the Duke's glass slipper is shattered, and Cinderella brings out the one she has to prove her identity.

Why didn't the stepmother and stepsisters recognize Cinderella at the ball? Because they were dancing too far away, and then left the party to dance in private, which was possible because the King wanted very badly for his son to hit it off with someone and tried to arrange the best conditions for that to happen.

Why didn't Cinderella save herself? Because in real life, abuse victims should not have to shoulder that responsibility, and usually can't. In real life, you need and deserve an external support system. Asking for help, in this kind of situation, is very important. She is saved by others because she is loved. Because she is not alone. Because she has friends who love her, and want her to be happy and safe and free. Because in real life, people who want to help someone who is suffering are like the mice. We can't pull out miracle solutions, but we can provide companionship and if we're in the right place at the right time, we can help the person find a better life.

Why didn't the fairy godmother save Cinderella from her abusive household, or try to help her sooner? Because she's magic, and magic can't solve your problems. Quote: "Like all dreams, well, I'm afraid it can't last forever." This (and Cinderella's dream of going to the ball) is a metaphor for pleasurable things in bad circumstances. An ice cream won't get rid of your depression, but it will provide you with momentary happiness to bolster you, as well as the reminder that happiness in general is still possible for you. Cinderella doesn't want to go to the ball so she can get away from her stepmother and stepsisters, or so she can meet someone to marry and leave with. She wants to go to the ball to remind herself that she can still have things she wants. That her desires matter. This is important because the movie does a very good job of illustrating Lady Tremaine's subtle abuse tactics, all of which invisibly press the message that Cinderella doesn't matter. While going to the ball and fulfilling her dreams may not be a victory in the material sense, it is still a victory against Lady Tremaine's efforts.

Why is Cinderella's choice to be kind and obedient framed as a good thing, when you are not obligated to be kind to your abuser? This one walks a very fine line, but I think the movie still makes it make sense. Lady Tremaine never acknowledges her cruelty. She always frames her punishments of Cinderella as Cinderella's fault. Cinderella is interrupting, Cinderella is shirking her duties, Cinderella is playing vicious practical jokes. Cinderella is still a member of the family, of course she can go to the ball, provided she meet these impossible conditions. Lady Tremaine's tactics are designed to make Cinderella feel like she must always be in the wrong and her stepmother must always be in the right. If Cinderella calls her stepmother out on her cruelty, or attempts to fight back, Lady Tremaine can frame that as Cinderella being ungrateful, cruel, broken, evil, etc. If Cinderella responds to her stepmother's cruelty defiantly (in the way she's justified to), she's not taking control out of Lady Tremaine's hands. Disobedience can be spun back into her stepmother's control. She wants Cinderella to be angry and sad and show how much she's hurting. So since Cinderella is adapting to her situation, she chooses to be kind. Not only because she naturally wants to be and it's part of her personality, but because it is a form of defiance in its own way, and it allows her to keep a reminder of her agency and value. Her choice to be kind is her chance to keep her own narrative alive: she is not obeying because her stepmother wants her to and she has to do what her stepmother does, but because she wants to. It's a small distinction, but one that makes all the difference in terms of keeping her hope and identity. (Fuck, I wrote a whole paragraph about how this doesn't mean you can't be angry at people who hurt you or that you need to be kind to deserve help, and then deleted it by accident. Uh. Try again.) Expressing anger and pain is an important part of regaining autonomy and healing. Although it is commendable to be kind while you are suffering, it is NOT required for you to get help or be worthy of help. If Cinderella's recovery was explored beyond "happily ever after" she would need to let herself be angry and sad to heal. Cinderella is not only kind because it comes naturally to her, but because it's her defense against the abuse she's suffering. Everyone's story and experiences are different, and one does not invalidate the other.

Bonus round for answers that aren't part of the movie:

Why didn't Cinderella run away? Where would she go? Genuinely, in hundreds-of-years-ago France, where would she go if she snuck out of the window with a change of clothes? With her step-family, she's miserable and abused, but she's fed, clothed, and in no danger of dying or being taken advantage of by anyone other than her stepmother and stepsisters. Even if she escapes and manages to find financial security, her stepmother might be able to find her and get her back.

Why didn't Cinderella burn the house down with them inside it/slit their throats in the night/poison their food/etc.? Because that's a revenge fantasy, and this story is a fantasy about being saved. There's nothing wrong with making Cinderella into a revenge fantasy. That's perfectly fine, as long as you acknowledge that the other type of fantasy is also a valid interpretation. (I mean, the original fairy tale features the stepsisters getting their feet mutilated and all three of them getting their eyes pecked out, so go for it.)

Why isn't Cinderella more proactive in general? Because she's a child who has been abused for the back half of her life, who has had to be focused on survival because. you know. she's an abused kid.

How did she dance in glass slippers? Gotta agree with you there man, that's weird.

[mightaswellbecassandra]

Superman isn't woke. You're just so evil that you see a man doing acts of kindness and you think it's a targeted political agenda