#especially manipulating their audience into pitying them

[hyp3rfixation-h3ll]

I went through That Person's blog and I want to beat the fuck out of them. I can't because i live in the US as well. What a piece of shit.

it is wildly out of character 4 me 2 say this, but yk, I appreciate the sentiment, Nonny, but please don't beat people up <3 you supporting me is very sweet tho, thank you (〃￣︶￣)人(￣︶￣〃)

however, if you see something, say something-- if there's anything of note there, you guys see you can submit it to me and i'll add it 2 the doc and keep your name anonymous, as i don't want others to get openly involved in a situation that should've never involved them to begin with, especially if they're my age or younger.

[prettiest-thing-in-the-morgue]

TIMELESS

summary: what if neglected character was well-loved in our universe despite being so hated in her own?

(spin-off neglected reader x batfam)

DC readers were eating up the comic run, but it really got a big hit when Batman, on one of his infamous runs, met this homeless family , neglected character's family, and offered to raise the neglected character till they were 18 out of false pity.

So this HC is essentially us , the readers; the 4th wall is essentially reading comics , specifically those about the Batfamily.

So the Batfamily comics are released by this huge company called DC , where a man named Bruce Wayne tragically lost his family one night and, filled with rage and vengeance, became Batman.

The comic's continued run continues on, and we, the readers, read how he met every Robin and learn about their pasts ,growths, etc, from Dick's tragic start to Jason's demise. Tim's rather conflicting start and Damian's controversial add-in.

The company hadn't expected so many readers (us) to like this seemingly normal person. I mean, come on, the neglected character can barely tie her own shoelaces properly and is literally so socially awkward.

This, of course, backfires immensely since a lot of DC readers really like neglected character because of how easily relatable they are to the big audience .

Neglected character was originally added to the family as, like, a punchline and for filler purposes, especially for Damian and Jason to appear more vibrant and more in touch with the audience and since they were running out of ideas and thought batman saving neglected character could be a moment.

There was also a whole separate run for Bruce and Tim with neglected character—they were talking about some complex time travel whatnots to explain a sudden time jump in the comics, and poor neglected reader was just there as a punchline because she was too 'dumb' to understand what they weee talking about .This backfired on them, of course—it turned into a massive meme about how 'shit is so confusing even our goat (neglected character) can't understand this shii.

At this point in the actual comics, things were getting frisky in the family. The Batfam literally starts despising neglected character so much. She's literally a nobody who doesn't even try to do anything like saving gotham like them, and they're so much better than her, so why is she getting all the love ?

Like, seriously, why would anyone want to like some lowlife who can't solve cold cases in two days, do crazy backflips, and knows ancient martial arts techniques and ancient languages? Oh! Did they forget to mention they can do anything? Side note: they can !

DC really tried to push the Batfam propaganda for a while, trying to manipulate us readers into liking them, but it's so hard too when we as the general audience can't even relate to them.

Thus, neglected character's fanbase grew exponentially—literally to the point where DC had to make their own solo because of the high demand .

Neglected character whose whole solo run was just them trying to find themselves and distance themselves from how hateful and harmful the Batfam are—especially Jason and Damian. Literally, their run was just them helping people, like a close friend getting over a bad ex, to helping this one grandma open a bottle of ketchup.

Their run made a big hit—loads of readers loved how normal and relatable the neglected character is! Especially how she grows to love herself for being normal and just living for herself, which touched a lot of readers' hearts.

Due to the neglected character's striking popularity , the company literally had to somehow mention her name or her existence everywhere in every run they make in order for it to be successful .

Oh, Tim Drake is getting a solo run? Let's put the neglected character in the background of the cover so people can pick it up to read. Oh, Damian and Batman are going on a duo adventure? Let's add a scene in the trailer where they mention the character's name once so people can flock to theaters to actually watch their movie.

Jason and Nightwing are getting their own animated series? Let's have a short ten-second clip of them discussing a plan and name-walking in the background so people can actually care about the series .

Literally the entire Batfam's popularity and relevancy are dependent on neglected character because whenever DC tries not to mention or include them, readers and viewers, respectively, don't engage with it, and it turns into a huge flop.

There are literally a hundred videos on YouTube where they all discuss who the strongest/best hero in the Batfam is, and the neglected character always wins , despite not even being a vigilante, because 'the goat (neglected character) just needs a bad day and a reason to crash out, and ain't no one in the Batfam can stop them' , ' Give my Goat (neglected character) a bat and a reason to crashout and she'd no-diff the entire villains cast in Gotham' , ' Personally if neglected reader was there , this situation would of never happened ' ,' TRUST NEGLECTED CHARACTER IS GONNA SHOW UP AND COOK JUST WAIT ' , ' NEGLECTED CHARACTER PLEASE SAVE US FROM WHATEVER THIS IS '.

Like, the Batfam is really starting to despise neglected character even more because, seriously, what does she have that they don't? And the neglected character couldn't give a damn because they are on their 20th comic issue where they are going to Spain with their classmates and they somehow save their airplane from crashing by accidentally falling into the cockpit and somehow hitting a random button that stabilizes the plane.

Safe to say DC readers and neglected reader fans are eating this shit up while Batfam seethes.

DC might have accidentally fucked up by making a run where Batfam gets so jealous they go out of their way to hunt neglected character and kill them, but due to leakers leaking the run and fans literally rioting, boycotting, and slandering the company, the company literally had to discard the whole issue and release an apology statement .

People took to the net by storm, even those who never read the comics in their life were leaving comments such as 'Ain't no way they tried killing my goat (neglected character),' Ayo bro, what is this ??,' 'LEAVE NEGLECTED CHARACTER ALONE,' and 'Tis pmo, man.'

It's safe to say DC indirectly created a literal icon of a character, and they can't kill them off or make any drastic changes to her character, or her fans will cook them alive.

Batfam slowly starts realizing their mistake in hating the neglected character and begins obsessing with her , trying to earn her favor, while the neglected character is just genuinely confused because since when do they check up on her?

ty for reading , pls comment , like and share !!

Taglist : @1abi

[chickentendrsanfries]

Misia and Pampinea's relationship is so toxic but I think it's actually the best portrayal of a trauma bond I've ever seen portrayed in media (and I am referring to the actual definition of trauma bond, meaning "a bond formed between an abuser and their victim", not the common usage meaning "people who bond by experiencing the same traumatic event together")

Like you see Misia's love for Pampinea, and worse, you see why she loves Pampinea. Pampinea uses a very common but very underrepresented form of emotional manipulation to make herself look needy, pathetic, and dependent upon Misia's help. The audience genuinely believes the few moments when Pampinea acts loving and kind towards Misia, and I think sometimes Pampinea actually intends to be genuine, but using Misia is so second-nature at this point that she's, either consciously or subconsciously, always doing it.

Pampinea fluctuates constantly between being Misia's loving friend, holding her, stroking her hair, and then being distant and cruel to her, always with a soft, pitying voice and a smile, to punish and manipulate her into doing whatever Pampinea wants. She makes Misia genuinely believe she (Pampinea) needs, loves, and would be lost without Misia, that for Misia to exit this relationship would kill Pampinea, a person Misia loves. Nobody can take care of Pampinea like Misia can, least of all Pampinea herself. You can really see how emotionally dependant Misia is on Pampinea, especially after her girlfriend dies in the first episode. This story takes place during the fucking P L A G U E. Everyone is losing everyone they love constantly, and for a while Pampinea is all Misia has, to throw her love and energy into. You can see that her forming a relationship with Filomena is the first step to breaking free from this emotional dependence, but even that on it's own isn't enough.

I mean for fuck's sake, Pampinea offers Misia to mourn her dead girlfriend together, she does a whole little funeral with her and offers her support, friendship, and comfort as a noble to Misia, a lowly handmaiden, and you almost think "wow, maybe on some level she really does care about Misia" only to realize she only did it to coerce Misia into murdering someone, an act which traumatizes and wreaks psychological havoc on her already fragile mental state.

It's a portrayal of a kind of abuse that isn't often shown in media, which tends to lean towards the angle of "look at this stupid pathetic sad sack, their (always romantic, usually heterosexual) partner beats them up but they still think they love them because they're so manipulated into thinking they're worthless on their own, and I, the narrative, despite portraying this as a bad thing, am also unintentionally corroborating that by giving them no characterization beyond "Battered Victim in need of rescuing by Other (usually male romantic interest) Protagonist."" Misia has a character outside of her relationship to Pampinea, and more importantly you see why she loves her and why she stays. It's like she says, "Love isn't just one dimension. Love has long claws." Her love has ensnared her in Pampinea's grasp.

When I first watched it, I thought Misia murdering Pampinea was overkill and I was shocked and felt it out of character for her to have done that (especially considering how she did it, fucking WOOF) but upon reconsideration, it's a perfect culmination of everything we've seen of their relationship. Pampinea, for years, convinced Misia that she needed her, that she would die without her. So, when Misia finally decides to sever that relationship, it makes sense that she thinks Pampinea couldn't live without her, so she might as well kill her. Additionally, I think there's an implication that Misia would always be tethered to Pampinea if she were alive, that those claws were sunk so deep she could never guarantee her own emotional safety if Pampinea was around. Further, Pampinea at this point tried to make Misia burn an innocent woman to death in order to kidnap her child and lay claim to her estate, so for Misia to burn her to death instead is poetic in a way, a fitting end. And lastly, Pampinea used Misia's trust and love her whole life, and in her last action, Misia flips the script and uses Pampinea's love and trust to end her life.

"What would I ever do without you?"

"We'll never know, viscontessa."

[starwilt]

A rant about YOU

(where I basically share my thoughts on the ending, and some critiques I disagree with)

I liked the ending, especially because the show is widely considered to be a social commentary. It really makes you reflect on yourself. “Maybe the problem isn’t me, maybe it's you” functions as both a deflection, and an accusation, to us, the readers. Are we really any better than Joe if we enjoy his story? Listen to him, believe him, stay with him, and hope he changes for the better? (Even though he shows us that won’t happen?)

We rationalize his violence by blaming the women, calling them “dumb” or saying they “deserved it”, as if that somehow makes Joe less dangerous. Even despite acknowledging that, we consume his twisted story for entertainment. We root for Joe, praise him for getting away, for being clever, outsmarting others (even when doing horrific things in the process). How we interpret stories and characters like Joe says something about us. Joe isn’t getting away this time, isn’t that what he deserves?

The critique that the ending is bad because Joe got “sloppy” feels shallow. The story was never just about Joe being clever, it's about misogyny. How easily people (especially audiences) can sway, so long as the story is compelling and the narrator is charming. As long as we keep feeding into the version of the story given, we're just as susceptible as Joe's victims, and just as blind.

This season, we finally see Joe for who he really is, and so does the whole world. Not as a misunderstood antihero, but a man who’s unraveled. Like most killers, he’s devolved, sloppy, paranoid, and drunk in the absence of consequences. Joe Goldberg isn’t a genius. He's a delusional, pitiful lunatic. He's not impressive. He's pathetic.

Why are we dismissing an ending where Joe is punished? The women survive and thrive? The narrative finally flips the power dynamic? Why don’t we want that, why don’t we like that? If Joe just kept killing again, it wouldn’t be deep. It’d be lazy. It would be recycling the same arc without growth or consequence. That isn’t edgy, that's stagnant writing disguised as darkness.

Like I agree some things could’ve been done better, (like maybe Kate should’ve stayed dead…), but to say this season sucked? That it shouldn’t have ended that way? Hard disagree. If you believe Joe should've ended up anywhere other than dead, or in jail, you’re still trapped under the guise of his manipulation. I’d rather have a “cringe women empowerment” ending (as some men have stated) than a “omg Joe continues to be a misogynist and kill and traumatize women like he has already been doing for the entire fucking show” ending.

(I just finished the series so prepare for a lot more rants about this show lol)

[vamptarotscam]

TW!!! honestly I just feel disgusted just how low she is to use r**e as an excuse just to make up lies and scam others. at first I thought why is she trauma dumping and saying things like I'll die if don't receive money but then when I saw another post of hers saying she's been se*ually abused I really had tears in my eyes because I have been forcefully gro*ed as well and mo**sted as well a lot and was genuinely wishing to donate to her and you know what I'm glad I waited because waking up to all this was quite a surprise. now I don't know if she really went through all of that or if she's lying as always because if she really did through all those traumatic events she would have at least shown proof or hospital bills after all her frequent hospital visits for which she asks for her innocent followers to donate to. and if she really is lying then I am disgusted because so many of se*ual abuse victims stay silent out of the fear of others claiming us to be liars just to gain sympathy and for someone like her to be lying about all that hurts because those people whose trust or sympathy has been used be afraid of trusting actual victims in need. from the start of her being exposed there has been one question in my mind and that how in the right mind can someone even think of exploiting a very sensitive issue to guilt trip others. vamptarot please be atleast considerate of people actually going through all of that as personally it took me years just to be able to get even a portion of my former self back. don't use such sensitive issues just for your personal gains

Thank you for sharing this, I am so sorry for what you have been through. I want to say this upfront: you absolutely have the right to feel upset, betrayed and disgusted.

What you've experienced is heartbreaking and it's incredibly brave of you to speak up, especially given the sensitivity of the topic. Thank you again for inboxing me. I hope you're doing fine.

It makes complete sense why this situation with @vamptarot would be especially painful and triggering. It’s beyond vile to weaponize trauma (especially something as serious as SA) as a tool to manipulate people into silence, sympathy, and money. Real survivors often suffer in silence, terrified they won’t be believed. So when someone potentially fakes abuse to cover their scams or gain donations, it doesn’t just harm people financially. It deeply damages trust in real victims.

In her case trauma is used as part of her scam or as a reason for not delivering paid services. The ethical line has been crossed multiple times. You do NOT have the right to trauma dump on your clients or your audience, ever. Especially without a trigger warning.

She fabricated story after story about mysterious accidents, injuries (and a LOT more stuff that I will share in my next and truly possibly last post because nobody else came forward so far) not to connect with people or with the community but to guilt trip and manipulate them to silence and pity.

And worse, she made real survivors like you question your own instincts. That’s sick.

To anyone reading this and feeling the same: - You are not “mean” or “cold” for being skeptical - You are not “bad” for being angry - You are not the problem, she is.

We can (and MUST) protect survivors while also calling out those who weaponize survival stories for exploitation. What @vamptarot is doing? It’s emotional fraud and manipulation.

If you're someone who’s been harmed by this, whether emotionally, financially or psychologically please know that you’re not alone, and your anger is valid.

[shysublimecoffee]

I prefer not to sound harsh, but Miraculous has become a fandom where I find more enjoyment in reading fanfics than watching the show. It feels like there's a lack of effort or an attempt to justify and rearrange elements, often ignoring past seasons and assuming the audience won't notice. The handling of Derision is a notable example, with more astute critics than me delving into their dissatisfaction and the evident retcons.

I didn't anticipate the show going to such lengths as portraying Gabriel as someone deserving of a statue, and it left a sour taste in my mouth to see the hero endorsing it. Adrien/ChatNoir's portrayal has become quite pitiful, with a peculiar shift where Ladybug takes on a significant role in the Agreste Saga despite her absence from that narrative. Ladybug, who isn't even part of the Agreste Saga, is the one delivering heartfelt moments. The decision to sideline Adrien and put him out of commission is disappointing. It's his story yet she the one who has to make it about her. She gets to shine along with a cool costume to boot.

There's a palpable bias from Astruc against Chloe, evident in the show's treatment of her character. Despite her being manipulated by Gabriel Agreste, the narrative blames her for becoming mayor, and the absurdity of the situation is magnified when everyone in the story goes along with it. The inclusion of a scene in Revolution where Chloe is crying is perplexing and frustrating, as it seems to perpetuate the negative and irredeemable image the show consistently paints of her. The added layer of her mother being horrid to her intensifies my annoyance, especially when sympathetic scenes are presented in a seemingly contradictory manner.

I mean you want her to be the worst but yet she has scenes like this? Why not go all the way wtf. Why give her depth only to take it away and then make her be so demonized in s5 and act like she was like this from the start. When she's been a joke

I hate to be critical, but seriously, it's hard to ignore how the Miraculous universe is just dripping with untapped potential. Five seasons in, and the movie outshines the show effortlessly. It makes you wonder about the writers' team and their approach—seems like they're just coasting on low effort for profit, and somehow, it's working, thanks to Miraculous inexplicable popularity.

The show's been beating the monster-of-the-week horse for five long seasons, lacking any creativity in crafting interesting villains. Gabriel, honestly, feels like a starter villain, and if they're going to make him the big bad, can we at least get some villains with a bit more pizzazz? You know craft creative interesting villains? KNDS, Original PPG, Totally Spies they got it so why not Miraculous. It's so damn tiring seeing the same old song and dance with Gabriel 24/7 monologuing to his wife and releasing the akuma I thought Mayura would be important but she's barely there.

It's not even an excuse kids do deserve better entertainment so why should Miraculous lower its standards. Marinette is very weird to me as the protagonist because her lovelife is more focused over everything I gauged her well enough to know about her that the rest of the secondary needs more of a spotlight to be cast on them. I like her but am I the only one who just skips when she starts the whining about Adrien and her plan to again get together it was cute at first now I fast forward to the more interesting part of the episode because it irks me i'm tired okay... what other facet of her character do the writers focus on besides her love life? I hope I don't appear to salt on her but Imma tag it just in case. I think she's in neutral treading to dislike because how can I come back from her gaslighting her boyfriends I'm sorry I can't.

You know what I'm afraid of that if Lila gonna be the next big bad they'll just recycle everything from Gabriel onto her. We'll have the same akumatizations same monster of the week formula only this time it's Lila.

I trust more in the fanfic community to come up with a better substantial plot than Miraculous could ever be. I know romance is a big part but the lore is so damn little it's season 5 are they ever going to expand more in the later seasons lol.

I'm tired from writing this long. Imma go to bed now.

[bah-circus]

Hello! We would like to request a brainmade young boy headmate that is a Yandere! You may do this at any level you desire. We understand if you not :) thank you for your time!

Of course dear audience! We have heard your request and have found a suitable performer for you! We hope this performance suits your needs, but you are free to make any adjustments you wish.

❣︎For Our Next Act, Please Welcome,,,❣︎

Yandere Boy!!!

°·⊱ Name: Ruri, Yui, Amane, Ollie, Kylan

°·⊱ Age: 12

°·⊱ Race/Species: Human

°·⊱ Source: Brainmade / Bahtroject

°·⊱ Role: Obsession Keeper, Obsessor

────── · · · · ──────

°·⊱ Sex: Male

°·⊱ Gender: Yanderecatgender, Woundedpatheticboy, Patheticboy, Yanderecoric, Yanderechild, Loverboymurderer

°·⊱ Pronouns: Lo/Love; He/Him; Ero/Eros; Gur/Guro; Am/Amor; 🔪/🔪s, 💕/💕s, Hx/Hxm, it/its

°·⊱ Sexuality:  Bisexual (Female preference)

────── · · · · ──────

°·⊱ Nicknames/Titles: Ruru, (prn) With An Obsession, (prn) Who Craves Love

°·⊱ Personality: Hx is actually quite clumsy, despite being willing to do anything for loves obsession/partner. Lo is also totally devoted to whoever he’s dating/obsessed with, wanting to be a perfect househusband for them. At times gur is ditsy and forgetful, but it’s hard to tell whether it’s an act or not. It will manipulate situations by lying to garner pity, acting like 💕 is pathetic and harmless to get out of problems or lower someone's guard.

°·⊱ Likes: Colorful Bandages, Valentine’s Day, Snow Leopards / Cats, loves partner/obsession, pretty knives, candy (chocolate especially), baking, cooking

°·⊱ Dislikes: Guns, not knowing where his partner is, hxs parents,

°·⊱ Emoji Sign-Off: 🩹🔪🩸🫀💌🌷

°·⊱ Typing Quirk: Surrounds whatever lo types with ❤️‍🩹🔪 on either side, and types fully in italics. (ex. ❤️‍🩹🔪 Like this! 🔪❤️‍🩹 )

°·⊱ Faceclaim: 1 | 2

[psrinklers]

this initially might seem weird if you haven’t read the play but the magnus archives is very comparable to sophocles’ oedipus the king.

jon is obviously oedipus, the detective of the horrific happenings and unaware he is the true victim and cause of suffering. both become cruel and even tyrannical in their paranoia that they’re being plotted against but the audience mostly feels pity. they both find out that they’re being controlled by higher powers and fates, manipulating them all along for their own purpose, which they might have escaped once but played into due to their ignorance. the major themes in common can be seen as sight/knowledge, especially obvious as they learn about themselves and are heavily associated with eyes. the theban plague is the apocalypse and both can be reversed with the downfall of the protagonist.

[forest-of-stories]

Throwback Thursday, Fandom Edition: For The Uninitiated

A 1999 Time Magazine article called “Wild About Harry Potter,” which I remember reading in paper form when it was first published, begins as follows:

First of all, for the uninitiated, here are three surefire, clinically tested signs that you are a Muggle: 1) You spot a boy or girl whose forehead is emblazoned with a paste-on tattoo in the shape of a purple lightning bolt and have no idea what you are seeing. 2) You still believe reading is a lost art, especially among the young, and books have been rendered obsolete in our electronic, hot-wired age. 3) You don’t know what a Muggle is.

That introduction brought the world-building of a still relatively new publishing phenomenon into the world of its audience, drawing a line between the Initiated and the Ignorant Non-Special Masses.  Some existing fans of the Harry Potter series might have been reassured or even gleeful that they were firmly positioned in the former category.  From time to time, I might have been one of them.

A couple of weeks ago, as I was planning this Throwback Thursday entry, I asked some fandom friends and acquaintances, whom I thought might be more familiar with TV Tropes than I, "Is there a trope name for the condescension that people with magical or superhuman powers (or technology, or conspiracy knowledge) have for the 'mundane' outgroup, in urban fantasy, superhero stories, sci fi, etc.? Not The Masquerade, though it can involve that."  The resulting search reminded me of how far the label "Muggle" had extended beyond the text in which it originated to become, at least in that corner of the Internet, the catchall term for characters in any narrative who "are not special, like the favored of the plot…the ones whom The Masquerade is used to hide from… who are subject to memory wipes simply so the more enlightened can retain their secret status," and, even in worlds where the Masquerade isn’t in place, "are to be protected, avoided, manipulated, or abused (in any combination) by the characters or the plot."

When I made my inquiry, somebody also referenced the "Young Adult Protagonist" comic, which pokes fun at Chosen Ones and at fantasy worlds “divided between two classes: the beautiful Specials, who possess magical and wondrous abilities… and the dumb Poo People, who can’t do anything.”  That strip also neatly sums up the collection of tropes that, by the time I myself was a Young Adult, I recognized across different forms of media and felt were deeply frustrating.  But on some level, I probably enjoyed complaining about them, because I wrote little profiles of all the examples that I could find, likely between 1999 and 2001. I am sharing the following examples in the order that I wrote them.

I think that the early Harry Potter books –  and Chosen One stories in general – tap into a very understandable fantasy that a lot of my fellow awkward, imaginative kids probably shared: "I might feel out of place among my peers, but that’s because I am meant for a secret, extraordinary world that they will never understand."  I understood it then, and I get it now. But I never yearned to receive my Hogwarts letter, or entirely bought into the idea that anybody who experienced the Wizarding world would prefer to abandon their old life and stay there forever, and maybe that contributed to my discomfort with how nearly everyone in that world seemed to view people outside of it.  Even when only three books had been published, before we were asked to pity and even laugh at a walk-on-character who needed repeated mind-wipes to “keep him happy” and whose sanity appeared to suffer as a result, before one of our heroes rewrote her parents’ entire identities “for their own good,” before the mistreatment of Muggles became part of Rowling’s troubled metaphor for real-world injustice… I cared about them a lot more than the text seemed to.     

Given the recent re-evaluation of the HP franchise, in light of its creator’s vile bigotry, I’ve struggled with the question of whether, and how much, to spotlight her work in my Fandom Throwback Thursday project, even though I’ve saved enough of my early fanfiction and journal entries to fuel at least a year’s worth of posts.  Because lest anyone think that I "disliked HP before it was cool to do so," I bought and read each new book as it was released, and I loved following the series alongside other fans.   I just didn’t love this part of it. 

I had also recently been overly invested in another fictional universe that placed people like me a lot more decisively among the Ignorant Non-Special Masses.

A few years ago, I wrote a very long post about how Men in Black introduced me to the idea of the Masquerade, and the specific anxiety buttons that the trope pushed (as I wrote at the time, "What if the only way that I could have peace of mind was if somebody or something else edited my thoughts and memories without my knowledge or consent?") before I even recognized it as a trope.  That movie was probably the reason why I responded to the memory erasure in Harry Potter the way that I did, and helped to focus a lot of the Mind Control Feelings that I’m still hashing out to this day.

This one’s a little more complicated, because of the enduring and extremely valid interpretation of mutants as a metaphor for oppressed groups.  I wasn’t unaware of that aspect of the narrative when I first encountered it, but it seems that, at the time, I was more interested in trying to prove that it was functionally the same as those other narratives that dismissed the Ignorant Non-Special Masses in ways that annoyed or angered me.  Nowadays, I don’t think that X-Men (2000) is a "bad movie," and I can’t even say, with any confidence, that I disliked it when I first watched it… but it made me Feel A Lot Of Feelings and I probably disliked that, which might have been why I wrote about it the way that I did.

I am surely not the first person to point out that, although it’s not exactly the same story as the HP books, most versions of X-Men offer a similar message of wish-fulfillment to young audiences who might have felt like they didn’t fit in with the world around them: "You’re not a freak, you’re not broken, and there is a community that will accept and appreciate you and give you purpose."  The philosophical and political nuances of this message are the subject of another discussion altogether, but I understood its appeal on a visceral level almost from my very first exposure, even when I was more interested in the paranoia that might arise when the man who was offering acceptance and sanctuary to vulnerable super-powered kids could literally make them do anything that he wanted.

Although I didn’t know this at the time, Charles Xavier regularly erased memories from enemies, allies, and bystanders in the early comics, and X-Men: Evolution relied a lot more on the Masquerade than the comics or the movieverse, especially in the first two seasons when mutants were a secret from the world. I eventually got a lot of creative mileage out of the undeniable creepiness of Xavier mind-wiping the teenage X-Men’s non-mutant classmates.

The above entry references books that I’m not sure whether I’ve actually read, though I remember a few Xanth paperbacks in my house and my high school bestie’s house, so perhaps I skimmed them or asked her for details.  Piers Anthony was the first writers that I encountered who used the term "Mundanes" to describe non-magical people, whether he originated it or not, and plenty of authors have included it in the years since his series became popular.

The Keeper’s Chronicles are a comedic fantasy series by Tanya Huff, which frequently poke fun at genre conventions even when the threat of evil – which the titular Keepers are dedicated to fighting – is very serious.  The closest that any character comes to questioning the status quo of ignorant and mind-wiped capital-B Bystanders is when Claire decides to keep her non-magical love interest Dean in her life in the second volume, which is a refreshing gender inversion of the common dynamic between the lone-wolf hero and the civilian damsel whom he tries to push away for her own safety.  (I suspect that Good Omens fans would enjoy that particular book, in which an angel and demon are incarnated as teenagers on Earth.  Also, a supporting character’s queerness is treated matter-of-factly by the text, which I think is pretty noteworthy for a mainstream-published genre series in the early 2000s, and the talking cats are a delight throughout the series.)

I’ve read The Dark is Rising, Greenwitch, and The Grey King.  I have not read Silver On The Tree, the last book in the sequence, but I know that at the end, the human Drew siblings, who helped the immortal Old Ones to save the world, had their memory of the experience taken away, as the Old Ones had done to other human characters in previous volumes.

I took a class in children’s fantasy literature during my first year of college.  The Dark Is Rising wasn’t among our assigned texts, but it came up in one of our discussions.  Our professor referenced the end of the series directly, and suggested that the author’s decision might have been for the benefit of the readers: that they might find it exciting and empowering to believe that they played a pivotal role in a battle between good and evil, even if they didn’t consciously remember it.  "Your actions have had a greater positive impact than you will ever know" is not necessarily a bad message, and if any readers do find meaning in that narrative, then I am genuinely happy for them.

But I, who had been chewing on the implications of memory erasure in fiction for the last several years, raised my hand and asked, "Why would that be a good thing?"  I tried to explain that "other people, including friends and family members whom I trust, can decide what I am and am not 'allowed' to remember" didn’t feel like a power fantasy to me.  It felt like a horror story.

And in some ways, it still does, even when I otherwise enjoy fiction and media that uses the trope of the Ignorant Masses, or even asks the audience to sympathize with a character who keeps the Muggles (or equivalent) ignorant by changing their memories.  And whenever characters without powers are given agency or a useful role in any narrative, I always take notice.

As teenage Nevanna kept a log of storytelling tropes that troubled her, she had also started to address them – to both celebrate and criticize other people’s fictional worlds – by writing her own stories about those worlds.  She might even have used her family’s very new Internet connection to seek out websites by other Harry Potter fans, through which she discovered that there was a name for what she was creating: "fanfiction."   In some ways, my magical escape from the challenges and annoyances of my everyday life turned out to be… fandom itself.  But it never felt right to refer to people who didn’t share my obsession with these or any other fantasy books as "Muggles" or "Mundanes." That is not a line that I want to draw.

[im-out-of-it]

omg im glad to see an anti cc blog lol. you are so based about everything btw. especially abt clace's insufferableness in the books. like clare desperately wants the reader to like them that its kinda pitiful lmao. i remember reading tda and every scene with clary/jace (but esp clary) will have emma think about wHaT A HeRO the great clary is and how strong she is blah blah blah as if we weren't treated to six books of them being absolutely self absorbed and awful. and its insane how she's praised for "representation" when all of her books (bar TLH) mains are some iteration of a an earth shattering forbidden love™ couple (nvm that they are all straight white and conventionally attractive lmao). and speaking of tlh, did she even try with that series? ig she knows that all she needed was to create another tortured herondale boy and her hardcore fans will eat it up just the same lol. dont even get me started on her treatment of lgbtq and poc characters srry for the long rant

PSA: LONG RANT COMING UP BECAUSE NOW YOU GOT ME HEATED LMAO

NO PLEASE RANT I LOVE WHEN PEOPLE RANT TO ME IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY THIS IS A SAFE PLACE I PROMISE

it’s funny when ill accidentally see a post about people praising representation and acting like CC can’t do no wrong. she’s so problematic as a person and a writer too. she has incest in literally all of her books. I think it’s the worst in TMI for sure because not only does she make clary and jace be attracted to each other and then says hahahaha just kidding, they’re not actually related but she takes it a step further and says “well just to show how evil jonathon is, let’s have him try to get with clary” was that really necessary???? NO IT FUCKING WASNT. we know he’s evil. she can’t ever show anything either, she has to have someone say it. “oh he’s good” about Alec being consul. WE KNOW THAT BUT NOW YOU RUINED IT.

she doesn’t know how to write trauma. everything that clary goes through, she should be able to process that. but does she get that? no she has to make everything about how jace feels. it’s really uncomfortable how obsessed she is with Jace and how clary is her self insert. James literally gets abused by grace and he’s not allowed to really process that. Alastair has a toxic shit deadbeat daddy but does he get to process that? no because Alastair doesn’t get to process anything. don’t worry if his ex treated him like shit because if Charles almost dies, Alastair gets manipulated into taking care of said abusive ex

ma’am you are 50+ years of age and you’re writing about teens having sex, being abused, misrepresenting lgbtq+ characters, treating POC characters as if they’re nothing, oversexualizing teen girls, like please go seek some help. it amazes me that these books are targeted for the young audience. the way she sexualizes Cordelia is INSANE. MA’AM SHE IS A TEEN AND YOU ARE WRITING ABOUT HER BREASTS EACH TIME YOU GET. PLEASE SEEK THERAPY

TDA could have been good but she makes this whole forbidden love way over the top. we had six books of clace, we don’t need another. Julian and Emma are just as insufferable as jace and clary. CC uses any excuse to include clace as if we didn’t suffer enough from them. she could’ve made it interesting and made it about the new generation but instead she has to have Emma be obsessed with clary, calling her a hero.

JACE AND CLARY WOULD BE DEAD IF IT WERENT FOR ALEC IZZY MAGNUS ETC. Alec never gets any appreciation and I’m about to end this rant because book Alec is another thing I could go off about. he always has to think about jace and no way can Alec ever have his own life or thoughts because everyone has to be obsessed with Jace. CC tries so hard to make everything about jace and to show us hey he’s actually really cool and hot and I love him so you guys have to love him too. honestly TDA is so messy. I don’t even like Robert but he didn’t deserve that. the last thing we needed was another jace. we could’ve had a cool AU storyline but once again, CC wants to make us all suffer another version of a jace because the first one didn’t get to stay long enough

and her way of having downworlders be evil but trying to praise shadowhunters is really weird. they all have to be punished but shadowhunters like jace can come and attack wolves and pay zero consequences for everything he does. Will treats everyone like shit but gets a label fake curse put on him and it’s accepted. if a downworlder does something bad, they must be punished but I don’t ever see shadowhunters being punished as severely. the whole incest thing has to be praised and she has a villain say oh gross clace tried to fuck while they thought they were siblings just to have Emma defend it

TLH: CC did not give a flying fuck about TLH and no one can convince me otherwise. she did not care about it. while Malec does get a very shitty treatment in all her books (yes even TDA) thomastair does get treated slightly better but there’s still improvement to be made. every single book CC writes about shadowhunters, it’s always focused on a herondale. some are blackthorns but they all have the same traits too: bringing people from the dead as if that’s all they’re good for. herondales: they all have traits of jace. I would say James and Kit aren’t as bad as the rest, but they’re still pretty insufferable and I’m sure she will make Kit just as bad. she will destroy him, I know for sure she will. and I’m sure she will make jace some hero to Kit.

but anyways TLH could have been great. it had the potential. Thomas, Alastair, Matthew, Christopher, Anna, Ari are all very complex characters. they’re all great but CC turned this into very lazy writing. there’s too much miscommunication. too much of it is focused on James and Cordelia. Alastair literally gets one pov and it’s just one page. JUST ONE PAGE. Cordelia spies, treats Alastair badly and it’s never not once mentioned. Cordelia and Lucie had no right to be parabatai if they couldn’t be friends. people can be racist towards Alastair (cough cough Matthew- I love him at times but come on, he was racist towards Alastair)

Thomas’s pov are mostly focused on James. HOW DARE SOMETHING NOT BE ABOUT A HERONDALE. I will say thomastair is treated better than book Malec but there is still mistreatment when it comes to them. Matthew never apologizes to Alastair or I don’t remember it that way but Alastair has to make all these amends. it’s crazy how shitty Alastair is treated. I won’t excuse what he’s done but why does he have to be the one who puts all the effort in??????

I also want to mention how the lightwoods are treated. SHE KILLS LITERALLY A LIGHTWOOD IN EVERY GENERATION. Benedict dies (which he deserves it), Barbara (Gideon and Gabriel’s mother) dies, Barbara (Thomas’s sister) dies, Tatiana dies (deserves it but Cordelia should not have been the one to kill her and I will die on this hill), Robert dies, little Alexander almost dies but gets tortured, Christopher dies (and I’m still angry about how that is handled), literally at least one Lightwood in every generation dies. you don’t see a herondale every die and if the do, it’s omg they didn’t deserve that. I’m 100% certain she will have Alec and Magnus adopt another kid just to kill one of them off. there is a pattern of how she treats the lightwoods.

and what is with the mistreatment of the lightwoods? Will Herodnale is allowed to bully Gabriel and start a feud with him but how dare Gabriel fight back. Christopher literally dies and it’s focused on Will and Tessa and how James is in Hell. because how dare people actually grieve Christopher. you cannot convince me that CC has something against that family because she does. she hates all of the lightwoods. you don’t fucking kill off most of that family for no reason.

also why can’t anyone be a POC without being evil? if you’ve read TEC you know exactly what I mean. they can’t be fully POC without either being evil, or they have to be half English. it’s crazy how all of her main characters are all straight white males who have to be tortured miserable souls, who get to treat people however they want and it’s just accepted

the parabatai bonds are a bloody joke. Jace can treat Alec however he wants and Alec has to accept it. Will is insufferable and if Jem wasn’t there protecting his ass and saving him, he would be nothing. Matthew has to apologize for liking Cordelia and accepting that she’s with James now. Matthews growth is a joke too. all of the parabatai bonds are one sided and Emma and Julian is too draining to get into. there is so much wrong with her writing. and each time she writes about trauma or tries to show “hey I’m actually an ally for the lgbtq+ community” NO BITCH YOU ARE NOT. if that’s how you think lgbtq+ deserve to be treated, you are not an ally. if you think Alec deserves to be jaces slave and be made to feel he has to come out, you have no idea what an ally means. she doesn’t know shit about writing trauma, disabilities, orphans, being adopted, POC, etc. SHE DOES NOT KNOW SHIT ABOUT IT

TID- it’s insane how anyone likes that love triangle. Will basically calls Tessa a whore and acts like that’s the only thing she’s good for. then hands Tessa to Jem and basically acts: well he’s got to die anyway so I’ll have Tessa when he’s gone. literally the second they both know Jem is gone, they have to have sex. anytime something bad happens aka someone being murdered, stop the presses because Tessa and will need to have sex this instant. it’s really cringe and weird and gross. how Will treats Cecily and Gabriel also goes unnoticed. I’m sorry but if I’m married to someone and my brother keeps treating my husband like shit and isn’t there for me when my son dies, I’m saying something and it won’t be pretty

(cc could never bring this much magic into her books and it’s why she will always remain petty that Malec are the stars of the show) (remain petty and childish CC) (while the show has its issues, at least they aren’t the books)

(also how book Malec is written is a crime. you can call the show cringe but at least they didn’t have Alec being biphobic) (and at least Magnus shuts down the stereotypes of being bisexual) (also wild how CC later tried saying Magnus is pan)

literally any problematic behavior a herondale does is accepted by CC. they don’t have to ever apologize and if you do get mad at them, then you should feel guilty about that.

man I’m sorry about my long rant but my hatred for these books just made me go off so hard lmao I only got these books because of my love for show Malec. that’s the only thing I like about this universe. I thought the books would be like the show and holy hell, I was wrong. but thanks for the rant.

please continue to bitch. this is a safe place and you’re allowed to not like the books without some book fans trying to say that you’re wrong to feel that way. it’s okay to not like it. it’s okay to hate the show too. thank you again for letting me go off, I live for this shit (posting this Magnus one- because the vibe is me and I’m here for it)

[artbychelcie]

Murder on the Dancefloor: The Chokehold of Oliver Quick

'Saltburn' has catapulted leading actor Barry Keoghan into our daydreams, revitalised music careers stagnant since 2007, and ensured we never look at a bathtub the same way ever again. It's delicious darkness has amassed a huge audience, some revelling in its lurid glory and others questioning what the f*** they just watched. There’s so much to say about this film, so many parallels and Easter eggs that tickle the brain notice - for today, I’m focusing on why Oliver Quick intrigued me the most.

As a devoted horror fan, some of the more controversial scenes served to stimulate rather than disturb… The vampire scene? That's just an average Tuesday night for some. The grave scene? Nothing compared to the visual impact Patrick Bateman’s hobbies. But what did succeed to unnerve me was the turning point of the film, when Felix suprised Oliver with a trip home for his birthday. You watch with stunned panic as she says his dad has been pacing all day waiting for him - in real time the web was unravelled and Oliver's traumatic background was quickly proven to be a façade. For me this scene positioned the 'real' Oliver to the audience, realising the person we thought we knew isn’t real at the same time his friend does. And this is where my interest peaked. For me, this film suddenly turned from a critique of the upper class, to a mythological study of a sociopath, and the subsequent events demonstrate how someone with an apathetic disposition could easily infiltrate and dominate a household of such wealth and status.

On a second watch, I couldn't help but laugh at Felix's naiveity as he pulled into the driveway of this enormous house, and noted that it looked as though his mother 'had really turned things around'. Anyone watching this would immediately question how someone allegedly suffering with severe mental illness and drug abuse issues manages to, in the space of less than 6 months, become the owner of a property of that scale. This small observation highlights just how out of touch Felix is anyone outside of his social class, and how Felix's pity towards Oliver, be it through kindness or ego or a convenient blend of the two, blinded him to the manipulation.

Another incredibly successful aspect of the film is the iconic soundtrack. It has brought some early 2000 musical classics back into the spotlight (we all know the best one) and I can admit I have listened to 'Loneliness' more times in the past two weeks than ever in my 26 years of life. The soubdtrack embodies the nostalgic and romanticised qualities of the film, set in 2006 before smartphones dictated every aspect of daily life, especially as a fresher. I may have been only 10 when Oliver Quick started university, it still made me long for the simplicity of this era of my life, when getting to know another person was fundamentally down to face to face interaction.

The choice to turn back time to the mid 2000s contributes to maintaining the mystery of Oliver's identity, depriving the characters of the ability stalk his social media profiles and forcing them to take his personality at face value. His manipulation, and eventual dismantling of the Catton family, was arguably possible through his ability to present himself without the hinderance of a digital footprint. There was no evidence available to anyone in Oliver's immediate circle of the sisters we found out he had, of the father that had infact not died, nor been an alcoholic drug dealer. So why did he lie?

In analysis I've seen online, many people contribute his deception to a need to be noticed by Felix, or in Oliver's own words, to 'perform' for his attention and friendship.

Revisiting the film, I picked up on certain phrases Oliver used to describe his home life, describing it as 'dirty' and proclaiming he could 'never go back'. To us, this sounds like the way you would describe his chaotic home life he described. But when the reveal comes, you can’t help but question why he’s adamant to distance himself from a seemingly stable, and privileged background.

During the scene, his parents also mention how he is the top scholar at Oxford, a member of the rowing team, participating in the school play... his chronic deception extends beyond the Catton family to his own. They also share with Felix that he was 'such a loner' and was 'so clever' that he struggled to make friends, both earmark characteristics of someone with sociopathic tendencies. This illustrates an individual who has never been satisfied, who always saw himself as superior, and who's fixation with Felix was just a desire to climb up and out of all the menial and average and into a position of absolute control.

The grandiose and self-absorbed lifestyle of the Saltburn estate allowed for someone like Oliver, whatever his original or developed intentions, to blend in without being truly seen until, both before and after death came knocking. The need to stifle emotional expression (We don't want to hear your American feelings, Farleigh!) and the uncomfortable obligation to uphold the British sentiment to 'Keep Calm and Carry On' gave him an invisibility cloak, blending in with his surroundings. It reframed Oliver's awkward disposition as one of politeness, and his manipulative sexual deviancy was guarded by members of the household behind a wall of upper class social etiquette.

I can safely say I have fallen into the deliciously depraved world of Saltburn, so much so I’ve felt like I had to write this. I love experiencing and analysing media, but this one really had me captivated. This is a maze will happily lose myself for weeks to come, especially when it comes to the complex and captivating portrayal of Oliver Quick - I would definetly sign my estate over to that beautiful crazy bastard.

[defensivelee]

James before Anne exposed him:

James after Anne exposed him:

The thing about James is I worry that I write him too inconsistently, but in my experience, that's what people like him tend to be-- inconsistent, especially when it comes to their manipulation tactics and abuse. At some point I might be able to recognize a pattern to keep them happy, but you never know when it'll switch up on you. It's very hard to be around.

That being said, it's hard to figure out when they're being genuine! Thankfully, since I wrote James, I can tell you :3

So, he's not technically lying before, he didn't kill Charles, and it's later implied by Mary that he genuinely could not do it, for whatever reason, which is why he had sent her to do it instead.

His grief and guilt are real, but ironically, he's offended that anyone would actually dare think that he killed Charles. He knows that people fear him enough to know that he isn't above doing it, which irritates him to no end, even though they're right. It should come as no surprise at this point that he hates being called out on his bullshit, so he will find any little loophole to make sure you're wrong-- and you know what, everyone kind of was. He wasn't lying, he'll tell you, he just didn't give you the whole truth!

"Which you're definitely not entitled to, by the way, I mean, do you mind giving me some privacy? It's quite a sensitive topic, you know."

Once he's found out, however, he's actually quite frightened, which you can tell by his little nosebleed, so he switches up to make it look like hey, actually, I'm owning this now! It was kind of slay of me! Don't you guys think I'm actually such a good leader for getting rid of the other one who was too much of a pussy to do anything? Aren't I so much more efficient? By the way, minor detail, I can kill you if you disagree. He acts reassured enough to make everyone believe him, that yes, this is in fact the best path after all, and through a religious angle... he has his six lives for a reason. Their Overlifer can't be wrong now, can he?

You will notice that he doesn't bring up anything about his grief over losing Charles, and that's because he is grieving-- but that hardly fits in with how confident he sounds, does it? He still doesn't want to come off as completely heartless, though, so he simply doesn't bring it up. In any case, it leaves most people deciding that his pride over his newfound power outweighs any grief or remorse he might have felt initially.

Now, when he speaks of an act of love, he means that it was love for Charles, not for the Disciples, which is how it was generally interpreted by his audience. With this you'll see that he's still not entirely condemning Charles through the few words he does speak of him-- he admits that he believes Charles had to die, yes, for reasons that will make more sense later, but there is more pity in his little statement on Charles in the third paragraph than there is triumph. "I freed him," he says so flippantly, which means that he believes Charles needed freeing in the first place! Something was seriously wrong, but he doesn't go into it. His little speech here was more focused on his own power in the present rather than why he made this decision in the past. Again, completely intentional on his part.

The fact of the matter is that he still feels the same way throughout all of this, no matter what he does or doesn't say. If anything, I will say he was being more honest about it before the truth was revealed; he wasn't lying when he said he wanted Charles back. Now that he's been exposed, he feels the grief sting even more, as if he had just found out along with everyone else, as if Charles had just died all over again. I've already spoken on why he decides he suddenly has to hide this now, but even so, he knows that everyone must surely remember how he acted about it before. So he will do what he always does when faced with his own inconsistent behavior-- ignore it, like it never mattered at all, and with time, he knows everyone else will, too. Just a tiiiny bit of gaslighting for the soul!

((I must add that it is unrealistic to expect every person to act consistently in all the time you will have known them, but what I mean to say here is that James' behaviors and dialogue don't make sense to the people around him because his abuse and manipulation are inherently illogical, as is anything he tries to justify it with. When I say inconsistent, I don't mean the growing and changing of a person, I mean the ways he constantly switches up to (knowingly or not) deceive other people and shift the blame on them. I repeat what I said in the beginning, abusers make absolutely no sense, and it's hard to get this across in writing because you want it to make sense. But I hope I did alright!))

[04dissection]

hi, for ask game~ 1, 3, 4, 11, 16 for Muu and 2, 5, 7, 8 for Fuuta, please 💖

HI ANON!!!!! Thank you so much for the question! This gets hilariously long so under the read more it goes.

Content Warnings: Discussions of suicide

Muu Kusunoki

1. favorite song lyrics?

I think it'd probably be these lines from After Pain.

"If you're going to make me the villain / It's okay to ignore me / If it's endurance, I'm used to it / It's just having another taste of it."

With the added context of It's Not My Fault, and with After Pain being very solidly about events after It's Not My Fault, I suppose you can say this is a part of Muu's difficulties with ascribing fault to herself- actually, since you asked me about both of them, I find it so intriguing T2 seems to exemplify a sort of contrast of fault and guilt that 0304 as a duo has. Muu doesn't feel guilty nor at fault, Rei deserved it because of what she did to her, while Futa does feel guilty and admits fault(or at least seems to), and, in a way, you can make their motives similar: they did what they believed was right. Sorry, tangent over, continuing on.

I just personally love this line because of how it's sung and how it somewhat subverts us expecting to her to hit a higher note(it's been forever since I've actually done any music theory, so I don't know the terms).

To include a line from It's Not My Fault, I really like this one! (Using the translation from Fandom as much as I... dislike using it since I couldn't find who made the translation originally and as we know It's Not My Fault's official translation is... rough).

"Don’t ever hate me, and don’t look for what lies “after and from” the pain. / Wait, wait, it’s not my fault! / You get it, right? It’s you, after all. / What a relief. Can’t be helped. Since I’m always meant to be pitied-"

I adored her referencing After Pain here, and telling us not to look into it- literally telling the audience 'don't look into me <3 you said you don't hate me! so you don't have to look into me!' I specifically always like 'I'm always meant to be pitied.' This line really says a lot about Muu, and especially of how she acted in T1- though that was also partially and probably mostly from fear.

I need to mention, though, Muu's not a manipulator. Even if she tries to, her personality will get in the way of it. The thing with her is that she sees relationships as purely transactional and that the right thing to do is just to let people get their way. It's not that she doesn't care about Haruka, it's that to her, his threat was what he wanted to do, so why should she get in the way?

She wants us to pity her because we, the audience, made pity mean forgiveness- so if we fit that into her framework of relationships, wouldn't that mean that the transaction is her making us feel bad for her in exchange for being voten forgiven? I hope that's something that will come up in T3.

3. favorite non-mv official illustration?

I can just say the cake art, but I actually really like the third anniversary art- which is my profile picture.

But I adore it. It's a very unsettling piece, what this the spotlight lighting and all, and her expression is so wonderfully creepy. I love this art set a lot, it's great.

4. favorite minigram episode/moment?

Episode 22! Specifically the third panel on this page: (x)

It's such a funny little minigram and I adore this single frame of Muu holding Jackalope so much. I like to imagine that she had wanted to hold him since he popped up in the interrogation room during her first voice drama. And I can agree, rabbits are really nice to hold on your lap as long as you aren't stressing them out too much.

Fun fact, actually- the minigrams associating Muu with plaid(31 and 38) is actually the reason why I have the my blog background as the squares. They made me associate her with those square patterns.

11. what are your favorite points about their story and the narrative surrounding them?

Definitely how both her and Rei caused the downfall of the other, in a way. Both repaid aggression with aggression, with one case leading to months of intense bullying and the other leading to a murder. I'm not saying that these are equal, but that doesn't make either good things to do. Muu and Rei both turned that hourglass on the other.

I don't know, it gets to me how much they seem to have torn into each other and the length of time they did. Rei wasn't some completely innocent girl, and neither was Muu- They're both messy with ugly emotions and ugly truths and ugly actions. In the end, both were hurt and more than likely both dead because of the abuse they suffered at the hands of both each other and their peers.

16. how do you think they actually sing in regular life?

I haven't seen what she says on the karaoke cards so if I'm wrong I'm wrong- but I think Muu is an alright singer at best. Her range is.... abysmal to put it nicely and her voice can be rather squeaky at times. If she is able to stay in her range though, she has a rather pleasant singing voice. I imagine she used to sing more and used to have a better voice, but once she began to get bullied she slowly just stopped.

Fuuta Kajiyama

2. favorite mv moment/frame?

Something really gets me about this moment in Backdraft. Something about watching yourself repeat your mistakes, and remembering how gleeful you were doing it- you really just become sick from the joy you derived from awful things. At least that's my interpretation of it.

...As a weird aside, I ended up spending like, half an hour trying to see if there was a word in psychology for what I meant. I'm still figuring out a new search engine over google(playing with a bunch of different ones) so my results are definitely different feeling. But it did remind me of flashbulb memories, so I guess it wasn't for nothing.

I also should mention I love the fact that Bring It On is 4:04 minutes long. As you probably know, that's an error code!

"The server cannot find the requested resource. In the browser, this means the URL is not recognized. In an API, this can also mean that the endpoint is valid but the resource itself does not exist." (x)

5. favorite voice drama line/moment?

Braze You! at the start is just 4 minutes of Es tearing into Fuuta and it's beautiful. I think it's just nice to see Es having a good time, even if that's from harassing Fuuta.

But that's not my favorite moment- Braze You! is definitely very fun to watch, but Baptism of Fire is absolutely one of the best VDs we've gotten so far- with Fuuta calling Es out on the hypocrisy of our previous votes- why WAS Kotoko innocent and him not? While personally, I'd argue that it was dependent on how both were framed in their videos, Fuuta doesn't know about those. And anyways, he's right. We ARE doing this all for fun. Even if he got entertainment out of cancelling people, we're still not that much better than him- in his perspective at least. At the end of this day, Milgram is a work of fiction. There's a degree of separation from the events we can give ourselves, even if the characters attack the fourth wall with all their might.

7. favorite relationships with another character if they weren't in milgram, the way you'd imagine or would like them to be?

Oh this is a difficult one for me... I'll go with Fuuta and and Yuno. She likes messing with people a lot and I think it'd be funny. I adore when characters mess with other characters in a playful way. Yeah this is short, but Fuuta doesn't exactly give me a lot of lee-way with how he talks about everyone.

8. what is your theory for their crime? if there is general consensus on it in the fandom, do you have any other, not-so-widely-accepted thoughts on it?

I generally do believe in the consensus that Fuuta was part of some sort of online 'purist' group- named 'the dark triad,' very ironic name you guys- and seemed to start a campaign on Killcheroy that led to her death- with him doxxing her at some point due to how close she lived to him. I'm not entirely sure on the importance of Rumerie as of now, but I can say for certain that he is important- I mean, the graffiti in Backdraft is literally both Fuuta and Rumerie's online names intertwined- but he's important in some aspect that I just haven't figured out yet.

...While I don't have much evidence for it, I think my major divergence from common consensus is that Killcheroy did not commit suicide. If there's anything that's been obvious symbolism in this series, it's that it uses the practice of taking off your shoes before committing suicide to convey the action- please note that with Mahiru's boyfriend, Hinako, and Muu(Haruka does not participate in this, but he does have his atrocities against shoes). But notably, in Undercover:

Killcheroy Es has both their shoes on.

Undercover is a music video that definitely needs more examination(There originally was a Mikoto derailment here, but that's a different post), and this is one of those things- because Undercover doesn't lie- it might dramatize, such as showing Mahiru strangling Es while they stand in for her boyfriend, but that's in a way, right- Mahiru is here for the fact she directly led to her boyfriend's suicide. While you could argue and say that Fuuta has no idea what happened- and as such doesn't know if she committed suicide or not, as he says in Baptism of Fire:

I believe this is jumping to conclusions. We have to remember: Undercover is not Fuuta's song. It isn't even Es' song, they're just the conduit. This is the song of Milgram itself, I believe. And Milgram definitely is not restrained by real world law and theory. So far, all the bodies of Es as the victims roughly match to what happened- even Mikoto's, who is just plain unable to access the memory. So why would Fuuta's be different?

That argument aside, while I currently don't have a lot of basis for it as I'm still figuring out a lot of the details in Fuuta's case, I believe Killcheroy died from health complications exacerbated from stress- presumably a heart condition, as a lot of the blood in the Undercover art looks like it came from approximately the chest area. My evidence right now is that I made it the fuck up, sorry, but it's the main one I can think of since I really don't think she committed suicide.

[stephsageek]

Long tua meta coming up:

Something just occurred to me about this introductory sequence for the Umbrella kids versus the Sparrows that I don't think I've seen anywhere.

The Umbrella Academy is introduced with their numbers first, and their chosen names quoted. This implies that this isn't their "true" names or at the least not their "official" names but ones that are instead aliases.

The Sparrows, by contrast, are shown with their names first and their numbers as their aliases.

Doing this illustrates the contrast between the two sets of children immediately to the audience. That they are different, apart from one another.

What that difference is comes down to not only their identities but how they were raised.

Sir Reginald made sure to raise the Umbrellas so that their sense of selves were marred. A number conveys a lack of identity, but because they are all numbered, also a sense of cohesion. Like they are all a part of the same experiment: "things," but they are at least "things" together.

This is especially interesting when you consider the fact that Five never renounced his numbered status, keeping his identity, both forever linked to his childhood awareness of his siblings, yet also separate from them once they chose names. In season 3, it is even implied in promotional materials that he drops his last name of "Hargreeves" as well.

The Sparrows were seemingly never brought up this way, or at least the way the names are shown and other hints imply this, and may have been given their names before their numerical order. Another plausible explanation is that the order is never concrete the way it is with the Umbrellas. Luther is seemingly always "Number One," no matter how much Diego wants that position for himself. But for the Sparrows, this is different. They CAN change their spot. This is supported by Sparrow Ben taking upon the role of "Number One" once Marcus goes missing.

In both cases the numbers are meant to manipulate Reginald's children, through status, but its only in the Sparrow timeline that the children seem "strong" enough to break or change it, not only their status, (their identity) via Reginald's control over them with the help of Pogo, but to essentially overthrow him altogether.

Here's where I get to my point: was it Pogo and Grace that were the deciding difference between the two?

In the Sparrow timeline Reginald has seemingly taken away Grace's sense of maternal role to the children, treating them less like kids and more like work associates, as their servant, yet they seemingly have a greater sense of self than the Umbrellas for it. Yet, Pogo seemingly becomes more protective of the children in this timeline, filing that parent role, but not in a maternal sense emphasizing care, affection, but in a paternal role, emphasizing self-sufficiency and strength.

For the Umbrellas, though, he obviously cares about the children, in that timeline, his loyalty to Reginald is greater. His familial role is different, less direct. In that timeline, he seems to love them, but has also kept himself a bit more distant.

Why? What changed?

Did giving them names, identities make them more like people, individuals to Pogo? Did he pity them more because they were denied a mother-figure that he got to enjoy?

And were the Sparrows never a cohesive group because of the number system being unobserved? And yet less able to emphasize with others?

You got theories, I'd love to hear them.

The Umbrella Academy’s introduction montage (1x01) | The Sparrow Academy’s introduction montage (3x01)

[christer22]

 Week 5: Digital Community and Fandom

Welcome to my first blog for MDA20009. This week, we looked at digital fandoms through the lens of reality TV. Wow, it really made me rethink how these shows function. They're not just something people watch passively anymore. Instead, they’ve become interactive experiences where fans don’t just react, they participate, shape conversations, and sometimes even influence what happens next. Thanks to social media, reality TV now lives in two places: on screen and online.

Let’s talk about Love Island. If you’ve ever been on Twitter during an episode, you’ll know what I mean. It’s like a second show, live reactions, memes, debates, and full-on emotional rollercoasters happening in real time. When Faye Winter had her big emotional outburst in the 2021 season, Twitter absolutely exploded. People weren’t just judging her, they were unpacking issues around mental health, emotional manipulation, and even the producers’ role in pushing contestants to their limits. Fans weren’t just reacting, they were calling for accountability. It really shows what Jenkins (2006) meant by participatory culture. The audience isn't just there to watch, they're part of the narrative now.

Faye and Teddy's row sparks record 25,000 of complaints

When Faye Was Told About The 25,000 Ofcom COMPLAINTS Filed Against Her...

Then there’s Too Hot To Handle, the Netflix show that blew up on TikTok. It’s wild how quickly people took clips from the show and turned them into memes, reaction videos, and viral content. I kept seeing people remixing moments from the show into relatable, funny edits, almost giving it a second life online. It’s not just marketing; it’s the fandom doing the work. Andrejevic (2008) would probably call this “the work of being watched”, fans are literally promoting the show while entertaining each other. And because it’s Netflix, everything drops at once, so the online reaction becomes part of the viewing experience. You binge it, then you dive into TikTok or Reddit to see what everyone else thought.

What I’m realising is that reality TV fandoms aren't just about liking a show, they’re about belonging. They offer a sense of connection, shared language like “bombshell” or “it is what it is”, and a way to express opinions, feelings, and creativity. But they also come with responsibility especially when fan commentary can impact real people’s lives. Fandom today is powerful, and reality TV gives it the perfect platform to thrive, for better or worse.

At the end of the day, reality TV isn’t just a guilty pleasure, it’s a space where digital communities come alive. Shows like Love Island and Too Hot To Handle have evolved into interactive experiences, where fans shape the narrative as much as the producers do. Through memes, live tweets, and viral edits, fandoms are building their own versions of the story, finding connection, identity, and even activism along the way. It’s messy, fun, and sometimes problematic, but it shows just how powerful participatory culture has become in the digital age.

References:

Andrejevic, M 2008, Watching television without pity: The productivity of online fans, Television & New Media, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 24–46.

BBC 2021, ‘Love Island: Faye and Teddy’s row sparks record 25,000 Ofcom complaints’, viewed 15 May, <https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-58162817>.

Fancy a Chat? 2022, When Faye Was Told About The 25,000 Ofcom COMPLAINTS Filed Against Her..., YouTube, viewed 15 May 2025, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akp5sTZTsc0>.

Jenkins, H 2006, Fans, bloggers, and gamers: Exploring participatory culture, NYU Press, New York.

[richardratcz]

Unnamed Hazbin Hotel AU - Episode 3 - Commercial Cacophony

We are back in Hell, as pitiful as ever. Charlie and Vaggie are sitting in the hotel lobby, talking about the further promotion of the Hotel. 

Charlie: How about we try a commercial-

Vaggie: We already talked about this and you know well how we ended up on the screens the last time. I say we try posters.

Charlie: That could work. But I'm afraid that it won't be enough. You know, we need to get something big and low-cost, but I can't think of anything! Charlie groans angrily

Vaggie: We just have to keep trying. I just know there is something that we didn't think of yet.

A formless shadow slides across the floor under the sofa the two ladies are sitting on and a silent “swoosh” with a static effect sounds as Alastor suddenly emerges from behind the sofa

Alastor: I propose I may or may not be able to offer a solution to this problem.

Vaggie: Mildly irritated What do you want, Alastor?

Alastor: I just wanted to offer my radio broadcast for your cause.

Charlie: You would do that for me?

Alastor: Of course! As long as I am in charge of the talking.

Vaggie: How about you make a video commercial?

Alastors smile froze a little

Charlie: That would be amazing!!

Alastor regains a bit of his composure

Alastor: Excuse me?

Charlie: Picture it! Squeak I know you're great at getting under people's skin, Alastor chuckles a little and his bright yellow teeth shine slightly brighter when Charlie says this

Alastor: I indeed am, dear.

Charlie: continue her previous sentence you are a natural talent! You affected a large audience, and moved soooooooo many people to your side before!

Alastor: lost his composure a bit I'm sure you can-

Charlie: Oh thank you thank you thank yoooouuu!! It's awesome to have you here, Alastor!

Alastor was cut off and let's say a bit flustered, but before he could regain his composure, Charlie had already stood up and left the couch and walked the stairs up, probably to her room. This was the thing that fascinated the Radio Demon. Normally he wouldn't let things like this not only slip but happen in the first place. The princess was, like he liked to call it, a cinnamon roll all the way through on the first glance, but… That was it. When he watched her work with people, he noticed she isn't completely blank. He was a skilled manipulator with over a century of existence, he knew when someone is more than they show. And this Charlotte Morningstar was especially good at confusing him, to some degree. She was sweet, joyful, honest and welcoming to basically everyone, but upon further inspection he found himself noticing some things indicating she has some very competent abilities to get people to her side. Or was he just being paranoid? In many years of his after-living in Hell, he wasn't sure. And this made him more interested in staying here. The longer he stayed, the more he wanted to figure this young demoness out. 

The fact he let her play with him like this, was another thing he didn't quite understand. In his entire life, there were 2 people who he would let do this to him, one of which being his mother. As far as he was concerned neither of them could be in touch with him for the last 100 and 90 years. Maybe she reminded him of them. Maybe…

Around the bar Angel Dust and Husk have their usual annoying-annoyed conversation while Niffty is furiously getting rid of the cobwebs in the alcohol-filled shelves.

Charlie comes down from the stairs to the middle of the lobby, clearly extra excited about… Something.

Charlie: Alright everybody, please, I have a BIG announcement!! We are going to be making… A commercial! Squeak

Vaggie just made her way down the last step of the stairs, looking a little out of breath, but quickly regaining her stoic composure, giving the staff and the single resident her usual “you better stay in line” glare.

The room wasn't particularly excited by her announcement. In fact, Husk just started to clean the glasses like it doesn't concern him at all. Angel had a bored look on his face, looking at her like he expected something “grand”. Charlie started to realise this didn't work out and continued.

Charlie: Come oooon It's gonna be fun! Besides, I think we haven't done any activity in a while… So, I suggest we start working on it!

Angel Dust raised his hand and gave himself the permission to speak

Angel Dust: And where exactly do you want us to start, princess?

Charlie: Well, I'm glad you asked! That's exactly where I was going to… something got to her. Right. She didn't know herself. She got Alastor to help her with it, but forgot that she didn't even know how to start. Well, this is going to be harder than she thought.

Charlie: Umm… That-That's going to be today's activity! You'll do work yourself and at the end of the day well put it together! And we are starting NOW!

Charlie decides it's time to retreat until she figures out what to do next. She swifty vanished upstairs to her room again.

Vaggie stayed downstairs, observing the residents and staff working out their ideas, each on their own. Except the Radio demon, who sat in an armchair in the corner of the hotel lobby and smiled. He should've seen this happen. Now is his chance. And when the dog is not watching, the deer can have his master's garden. Alastors colours dimmed and blackened, his silhouette blurred and the shadow soaked to the ground, crawling like a snake up the walls, over the ceiling, through the hallways. Unnoticed.

Meanwhile, Husk started to arrange his bar, frowning like usual, while humming some old melody mixed with complaints. Angel went to his room, in his words to “make himself look good for the cam”. Niffty collected the dead bugs and attached strings to their limbs. And Vaggie felt miserable.

Vaggie: Niffty, what are you doing? She asked, so done with this realm once again.

Niffty: It's gonna be a puppet show! The actors are almost ready. an mildly deranged series of giggles followed

Vaggie rather didn't want to intervene further, and decided to move to the bar.

Vaggie: And what about you? Are you going to be finished with this on time?

Husk: I'll be finished when I'm finished. And I suggest you go and check on the princess, instead of trying to make everyone's day a bit worse in this room, how bout that?

Both glared at each other for a bit, Vaggie wasn't trying to hide her anger, while Husk kept his stone-cold eyes drilling into hers with the same message, after that, Vaggie stormed upstairs.

In the meantime, the shadow flowed under the doors that led Charlies and Vaggies quarters. The notice boards were put into the centre of the room, covered in a mess of papers connected by an incoherent web of strings of various colours. The princess herself was sitting at her working table, talking to herself while writing on arches of paper she suddenly crumpled and tossed to the bin, which was already overflowing with the discarded ideas.

The shadow stopped a few metres behind Charlie's chair, pumping itself up from the ground, shaping itself back to its original form of the Radio demon, colours appeared again and with a quiet “poof”, Alastor was restored, all in the matter of seconds. Alastor looked around, looking slightly amused by the spacious and fancy interior of the princesses room. He glanced over the boards and papers, but turned his attention back to the Morningstar.

Alastor: Well, well, well, I see the commercial plans are going well?

Charlie flinched at the words, clearly not expecting anyone to come here, especially not HIM.

Charlie: Ugh, yeah, marvellously. I can't even put a script together! What did I think, nobody would even want that on their channel.

Alastor: Good point. However, you asked me for my aid previously, so let me do the aiding, or am I mistaken?

Charlie: I… guess you're right…? 

She could tell there was more to it, as he expected her to. So far he's not mistaken indeed.

Alastor: Excellent! Where should I start? Dialogues? Costumes? Lighting? Recording? Just say, after all, I'm doing this for my entertainment as well.

Charlie: No. You are doing this only for your own fun. And Don't expect me to join anytime soon.

Good. If this pace keeps up, in a few months he will know more than he needs…

Alastor: Alright. So, where is the struggle, dear? I'm seriously going to need more details if you want my help.

Charlie: Well, script isn't that big of an issue. It's just that- uh!- nothing seems to capture the idea right! I guess if you could just… look at it-?

Alastor: Hah, of course!

Alastor made his way to the work table in the fast, long steps and bent over to have a closer look over some of the sketches and ideas Charlie kept as core. It was mostly some things from her speech on 666 NEWS, and some… children drawings? The sketchy little pictures depicted simplistic figures with horns getting slaughtered by similar but winged figures, the horned figures coming to a building with a big “Happy Hotel” written on it. There was a big clock drawing, showing the horned figures doing various nonsense, from cooking, braiding hair, sitting in a circle, to hugging each other and playing board games. Alastor came to the conclusion that these must be the “exercises” and “activities” Princess kept on talking about for the past days. When the clock hand was about to go full circle, there was something that caught the deer demon's eye in particular. The horned figures came to a golden gate in the clouds, greeted by winged figures, with a rainbow above their heads. Everyone seemed to be smiling and happy. Redemption and Heaven. 

Charlie actually thought she could make it happen, and that being through games of Man Don't Be Mad and hugs. Just as cute and funny as it was pathetic, mainly when he considered that the person she wanted to put as an example was THE sex icon for the past 14 years… 14 years… …

Charlie: Alastor? Everything alright? You've been just staring at it for the past minute.

Alastor: Yes, my dear, everything is just fine! I was just… thinking it through. Now, we have to get to business!

Alastor snapped his fingers, and Charlie was once again blown away.

Vaggie was walking through the halls, but then something popped to her mind as she passed one door. The door into Angel Dust's apartment. Mainly because of the sounds coming from the inside. Music, and sometimes laugh, with some OTHER particular noises.

She knocked on the door indignantly. The next part shall be observed from the outside of the room, to avoid public scandal. To summarise, there was a lot of shouting, excuses, and also some beating.

After about 2 hours, Charlie, how else than excitedly, appears at the gallery of the hotel lobby, with Alastor. Popping out of the shadow from a few steps behind her, with a particularly wide grin on his face. Charlie is waving with a stack of papers in her hand like a flag, laughing happily.

Her joy has a short lasting though, when she sees the state of the sinners before her eyes. Each one sat at a different part of the room, exchanging hateful stares. The only one who didn't seem much invested was Niffty, but she still cleaned only one part of the lobby and didn't seem like she was going to come closer to any of the other residents. Vaggie and Angel seemed particularly pissed.

Charlie's smile faded completely, as she tried to put some things together. After a few moments she spoke.

Charlie: Wha-what the hell even happened here?

Another exchange of mean looks, but eventually Vaggie showed a regretful face.

Vaggie: It's just… uh… Let's say that a certain someone won't understand we are not going to make a pornographic commercial. She said with an irritated voice

Angel, who sat a few sofas and armchairs over scoffed. Another exchange of angry glares.

Angel: I just know what people like. I told you before and I'll say it again, Sex Sell, whether you like it or not.

Vaggie: And I told you that we are NOT doing that, and we will see if it works regardless.

Angel laughs sarcastically

Angel: Yeah? But when you waste your last cents on this and no-one comes, we will all know who was right.

Vaggie takes a deep breath and prepares to say something but Charlie stops her.

Charlie: I know, Vaggie, I know. Angel, I know you believe this is the best way to do things but understand, we don't want to get sinners here because of you and your uhm… services but because of what we're trying to achieve. And this isn't the way to do it.

Angel just watches her for a moment and then gives in.

Angel: Fine, do it your way.

Charlie: Great. Now, what I wanted to say is that I, with Alastors help, finished the script!

I know it's been a long day just… Give it a chance. Please.

Music starts playing and Charlie starts singing a tune similar to “The show must go on” from the canon show. As the others join in one by one they set up the “stage”, lighting, learn the script and afterwards perform and record the final commercial material.

As the song ends Charlie sits back on the sofa, Vaggie joins her by her left.

Charlie sighs, tired, but satisfied with the work. 

Charlie: You know, I thought it would be worse!

Vaggie: Yeah, me too.

Charlie: I'm sure we will get at least someone after we push it through to the news.

Vaggie: Agreed. Lets just hope it won't be because of Angel Dust.

They both laugh but then Charlie's phone rings. She pulls it out of her pocket and her mood shifts. She gets up and goes to the hallway to have some privacy. Vaggie waited by the start of the hallway and watched as Charlie spoke to the phone.

Charlie: … Yeah… Mhm… Really?... Couldn't Con take it?... With what?... Fine.... Ok… Yes… Yes… Mhm… Bye…

Vaggie: Who was that, babe?

Charlie: That was… dad…

Vaggie: What did he want?

Charlie stays silent for a bit before facing her

Charlie: He said I have to go to a meeting. With Heaven…

They both look at each other, equally flabbergasted. Whatever will come out of this, it will certainly not be small…