affectionatecorpse

[affectionatecorpse]

Woof mama it's the man Ellie himself

Woah mama my grandfather believes my late dog was you reincarnated, can you confirm or deny this claim?

Woah mama woof woof

[affectionatecorpse]

why the fuck do some of you need to watch the Lilo and Stitch movie at all? like genuinely I'll never understand when one of the indigenous communities asks you to show support to them and not to the capitalistic and colonial machine and you fuckers will STILL go "oh well just make sure to support it in a different way :)"

like Hawaiians have LITERALLY said don't see this movie. don't draw attention to it. here are ways you can draw attention to our plight instead. here is how you can help us. and some of you people will STILL go "just make sure to pirate this moviiiieee :))))"

like I know how little we all mean to people I do I've grown up with it but for fucks sake can't you bother to be better? can't you bother to learn about the lives that are impacted daily by the world we live in? the poverty and the destruction of land and culture and beliefs? the murder and the rape and the stealing of children and the ongoing decimation and genocide of all indigenous peoples all around the world? I would think you'd be happy to literally be handed a very simple act in how you can help right on a silver platter but apparently it's more important to gawk at a shitty DISNEY MOVIE than it is to give a flying fuck about the people around you.

I don't often make these kinds of posts cause I don't feel like they can be very helpful, but to those who are still interested in pirating or seeing the Lilo and Stitch movie I really want you to take a step back and think about why that is more important than giving aid to the people who have quite literally had their home ripped away from them and continue to every time a tourist steps foot on those islands. Genuinely I am asking you to evaluate how you view other people who don't look like you or have different histories than you and how you might need to adjust to get rid of your colonist mindset.

[affectionatecorpse]

Lost Ollie is a marvelous four part movie in the most pay off inducing tears there is. It's Toy Story but in real life, but with its emotional whamminess, sympathetic villain, sorrow, amusement, songs, friendship, love in all its forms. There is a twist that changes everything that Ollie goes through. This is a limited series to be invested in and it's got a pulsing heart.

[affectionatecorpse]

The context that Zozo never finished going through the 5 stages of grief actually adds SO much context to why he is. Like That.

It's autistic ramble time, y'all!

He started off in denial. Denial that Nina was gone forever. He travelled for miles and miles, days on end, just looking for any sign of her, never once considering giving up. His solitude wasn't doing him any favours, so it's lucky he found Rosy.

Rosy was bargaining. He needed SOMEONE. Someone to talk to. Someone to love, if platonically. Someone who understood his struggle. He says himself that she's not Nina, not even close, but that he cherishes having her around. She won't replace his Nina, but she's a good placeholder.

We all know what came next. The poor rhino got the worst of the stage of anger. It became a chore, searching for so long. Going on and on with no end in sight. Being given false hope, led astray, it became exhausting. His heart started slipping away. And while he did catch it, he wasn't fast enough to stop the consequences. He realised what he had done. And it plunged him into depression. A depression so bad, he left Rosy just to protect her from what was happening to him. He stayed in this slump for decades.

Usually, acceptance would be next. But... he never really did reach that stage, did he? We see him still in a depressive state in the flashback, the day he met Ollie.

I think Ollie could've been the stage of acceptance. COULD have been. We weren't being manipulated by Zozo from the start, anyone can see that. He's a bit strict at times, but you can see how much he does care for Ollie and Rosy. Even after he first hears Nina's bell in Ollie's chest, he looks startled, but doesn't snap. He said himself that he suspected something was up, but he didn't actually immediately come to that conclusion. He didn't stop treating Ollie as his own person. He just took it as, the bell sounds similar.

Ollie got him out of the thrift store. Maybe it was the fact the bell sounded the same. It woke up something so full of love in Zozo, snapped him back to his old fun self. The version of him that had a sense of humour, that cared about those around him, that was filled with hope and motivation to keep moving forward. So much so that he snaps at Rosy for being spiteful, because this is his first ray of hope in YEARS. He NEEDS this. Even if he isn't personally connected to Billy, he knows how important he is to Ollie, someone who reminds him of his dear Nina. And seeing Ollie so happy, reuniting him with the person he's looking for, stopping him from facing the same pain Zozo did... well, it's a good motivation.

I really think this could've been acceptance. If he hadn't broken down again. If they had found Billy together. It isn't until Ollie sings the song Billy's momma taught him (which she likely learned from Nina) that Zozo suddenly realises that bell is NOT a coincidence. I love how you can see his behaviour shift. He goes from a warm presence to very very suddenly on edge. You can see the cogs in his head turning even as he pushes onward. You can see him starting to get stressed, especially on the train. He really did not want to talk. He was not happy. But he still put on a brave face and sang for his companions anyway when they pressured him enough.

In my opinion? He went BACKWARDS. He went from depression back up to bargaining. He was using Ollie and Rosy as companionship, as a new glimmer of hope for finding Nina. But he got pushed back up again into anger when the final piece of the puzzle fell into place; Dreamland.

He doesn't turn cold until they reach the troll. He gets mad at Ollie for leaping off the train, but you can feel the stress and worry radiating off him. He has enough in his mind, he doesn't need that. But when Ollie takes them to the troll, which just so happens to be right next to the place where he lost Nina forever? He can't justify it in his head anymore. THAT'S when he turns. And you can really see it. That's the moment he has full confirmation that Ollie is connected to Nina somehow, and that pushes him back to anger.

And it's really saddening. Cause I really can't hate him. What he did was so unreasonably messed up, but he feels so ALIVE as a character. You can feel his pain, his heartbreak, his trauma, his unending stress. I so desperately wanted him to be alright. I wanted him to reach acceptance and heal. I wanted them all to be safe.

Buuut Lost Ollie isn't exactly known for it's generosity towards it's characters. What breaks my heart is in that last scene, they were so CLOSE. They were so so close to what I wanted. Zozo had stopped fighting. He stopped. He lost his anger and instead, he just sobbed uncontrollably. He cried for the first time in the series. He just sat there and wailed over the fact he finally had an answer to his question; Nina was dead. And while there wasn't any mystery anymore, that doesn't mean that was the answer he wanted.

We were so CLOSE. He was in depression yet again. He lost his rage towards Ollie and instead just felt nothing but crushing sadness over his loss. But... when Ollie spoke up, he unintentionally ruined it all. He told Zozo to kill him and take the bell. He OFFERED his life to him. He really looked at this broken man and decided the right decision was to fulfill his desire in a way he'd think he wants, but that won't actually be enough to fill the hole in his heart long term. It was a very kind gesture, but Ollie himself was not in the position to be making such a choice. Considering he himself had given up, he had lost his trail to Billy, and now had nothing... he wasn't in the right frame of mind. He didn't see why he shouldn't tell Zozo to just take what he thinks will help and let him die.

Knowing what really happened could've eventually let Zozo reach acceptance. We see that in his breakdown. He would've taken a long time to heal, of course, but his search would've finally been over. He could've been reassured properly through photos and stories about how much she was loved. How happy she was in her final days. How she wasn't in pain or danger anymore. And if he had been allowed that time, would he have finally reached that final stage? Would he be able to process his grief, and treasure those he has left?

Well, who the fuck knows! Because again. This is not a merciful series. And in one desperate motion to get even a fragment of Nina, Zozo took Ollie up on his offer, before being promptly stabbed by Rosy. We do have confirmation that dead toys CAN be revived if their wounds are fixed up, regardless of time passing. While Rosy was hurt, they could've fixed her up, waited out the rain in the old house, and been found by Billy together. But we dont get that ending, because not everything is a fairytale.

And to be honest? It doesn't have to be.

Lost Ollie is a tragedy. It just explicitly is. It wants to leave you devastated. It wants to depress and enthrall you with it's dark and beautiful story, and by all means, it definitely succeeds. And if I had the choice? I wouldn't change the ending we got. I would've absolutely LOVED to see a redemption and see the characters heal, but that might just be in it's place outside of canon. It's wishful thinking. The canon ending is sad, but hopeful too. Not everyone got to have their happy ending, but some did. Ollie got his. Billy got his. Unfortunately, not everyone wins at the end of the day.

But I'm still allowed to wonder what could've been, aren't I? I can have my silly little theories about a silly little traumatised found family. In my HEAD they are FINE I am NOT in denial--

[affectionatecorpse]

POV: Zozo in the first episode

[affectionatecorpse]

Rewatching Men in Black last night cause I had to see an actually GOOD live action alien movie (you know what you did, Lilo and Stitch 2025) and I picked up on something new almost immediately, something I never really acknowledged as a kid, since... I was a kid, what'd you expect?

Anyway, I noticed this detail at the very start in Edgar's first scene. Or- rather Kerb's first scene, since that's his actual name. As a kid I was absolutely OBSESSED with this thing, this and Insectosaurus were my ultimate gender envies. But it's very safe to say he is um. Not a GREAT person.

Kerb is very unapologetically a complete psychopath. Being a Bug, which are naturally violent and powerful, he poses a very real threat to everyone who crosses his path. The fact hundreds of aliens flee upon hearing there's a Bug around, even with newborns, just goes to show that they absolutely are not something to mess around with. They're angry, strong, selfish creatures with no hesitancy to kill whatever is in their way. At least that's what K tells us.

Yet... Kerb isn't ACTUALLY that nasty and aggressive, all things considered. From the way K describes Bugs, you'd think they'd have little to no reason to spare literally anyone. But Kerb only ever really goes for people who he actively needs gone, or who ignore his warnings to stay away. Like he's actually very self aware about what he IS.

It's first noticeable in literally that very first scene. When Edgar, an abusive douchebag of a husband, storms out with a gun to confront Kerb head on. Kerb actively warns Edgar to put the weapon away, instead of just. Going for the instant kill and moving on. He gives Edgar that chance to surrender and back off. It's when Edgar cockily states he'll only back down if he's dead that Kerb agrees to those terms. From an alien's perspective, that was a voluntary sacrifice. Kerb needed a disguise, and in his eyes, Edgar essentially just willingly gave him permission to use his skin. Of course, that's not what ACTUALLY happened, but an alien like Kerb who doesn't understand a lot about communication on earth would likely take it as such.

He's also actually surprisingly really nice to Beatrice, Edgar's abused wife. He could easily kill her and take what he needs, but he doesn't. He asks her for sugar water and that's it. Granted, he doesn't use manners, but he doesn't seem to be aware that that's a thing anyway. Not to mention how, in comparison to Mikey from the start, he doesn't take the opportunity to kill her once she realises something isn't right. Mikey was IMMEDIATELY on the hunt upon being spotted outside his disguise, without a second of hesitation.

But when Beatrice points out to Kerb that he looks off, he just tries to fix the issue. In an admittedly absolutely horrifying way, yes, but his instinct isn't to get insecure and kill her. It's to try hearing her criticism and asking her if what he did made it better. Which no, it absolutely didn't, but he still tried to fix the issue. He doesn't even try eating her after she faints! He just kinda stares for a second before willingly leaving, without taking anything else from the house at all. That's... a surprisingly patient reaction, especially when K stated before how Bugs have a MASSIVE inferiority complex. By all means, if that were true, he would've become instantly hostile over her pointing out a flaw in his disguise. But he didn't.

Personally? I think the reason for that specifically was because Kerb has an issue with the very thing he's accused of living by; an unfair power dynamic. He didn't just see her as something worth getting rid of. This was an abused woman alone in her house in the middle of nowhere, and he had just killed her abuser. He doesn't leave her because he needs her anymore, he leaves her because he sees her the same way he sees insects.

He isnt dumb enough to brush over that detail of her being small and weak compared to the brash and aggressive Edgar. He KNOWS Edgar is hostile; that's an issue he himself just had to deal with. Beatrice is like a bug on earth; at risk of being crushed by the bigger, nastier creatures. THAT'S why he let her go. We already know he has a surprising soft spot for smaller and weaker creatures like bugs. J actively says "the big bad bug has a soft spot" upon confronting Kerb later on. It also explains why he never went back for Beatrice even after she blew his cover by releasing the information of what happened. Yes, she caused a problem for him, but that wasn't enough reason to bother hunting her down.

Moving on, cause I've spoken about Beatrice enough. The exterminator. Yes, what Kerb did was absolutely cruel. The fact he killed an innocent person in such a painful and brutal way just to steal his truck is so messed up. But ALSO... what is one thing we've learned about Kerb by this point?

He isn't opposed to eliminating something he considers hostile.

Edgar barely posed a threat, but he killed him anyway because he challenged him, and Kerb just took what he needed from him. It's the same with the exterminator. He needed a vehicle, and the exterminator, in Kerb's mind, actively brought on the fight. By killing a bunch of cockroaches and belittling them as just annoying pests, Kerb took that as a challenge. He took that as a willingness to battle. So he did the exact same thing he did with Edgar. Killed the guy, and took what he needed. Sure, WE know the exterminator was absolutely not as bad of a person as Edgar was, but Kerb DOESN'T. This guy is essentially a war criminal in his head. That's fair game to a creature like him.

Not all his kills are justifiable though, of course. We can't forget that despite his soft spot, he is still a bad person. He still killed two innocent aliens, one of which being royalty, to steal from them. But I do also love the detail that he spared Orion, the cat. Yes, he grabbed the poor kitty quite hard, but he let him go once he got his collar. He could've very easily killed the little guy and been done with it, maybe eaten him as a snack, but he actively CHOSE to let Orion go. He didn't need him anymore, so didn't really have to consider even hurting him any further than that grab.

And again, the guy in the morgue. Not only does he act quite snappy and hostile towards an on edge animal (how DARE he take the bell, Kerb was enjoying that ):<), but he also actively ignored his warnings. Kerb didn't even just give one warning before snapping. He gave this guy SEVERAL chances to stop killing the bugs in front of him. He told him blatantly to cut it out, and the guy just shrugged him off, around FOUR TIMES. So of COURSE Kerb lost his patience. Again, much like the exterminator, he's taking this as a blatant threat. That'd be like watching someone continue to kill kittens right in front of you after telling them to stop at multiple points.

And Laurel. Okay, yes, absolute dick move kidnapping her and forcing her to drive him to the inactive ships. But I do have to give him credit where it's due, he DOES let her go. He didn't want to at first, stating he needs a snack for himself and to feed his family, but eventually just rolls his eyes and complies with her demands to let her go. He doesn't even just drop her from the height that'd definitely kill her, she gets thrown on the top of a tree and left to climb down on her own. He could've used that extra food, but ultimately just agreed to leave her there and go home.

Finally, the final showdown with J and K. Again, he really doesn't pose that much of a threat to them until they actively confront him head on. He would've saved so much time just killing them and being done with it, but opts not to, only focusing on leaving the planet until they start to use force. He only grabs and eats their guns to prevent being shot, then starts to walk off. He doesn't attack K until K challenges him to fight. K TELLS Kerb to eat him. So he does. Again, like Edgar, he took that as a willing sacrifice. And he never goes for J until J becomes an issue by jumping on him and restricting movement. But he doesn't even just kill him there! He just pushes him aside in frustration and moves on.

It isn't until J stoops to that level that Kerb finally processes him as an issue that needs solving. J willingly crushes cockroaches in full earshot of Kerb, mocking him by asking if they're distant relatives. It's Kerb's soft spot that ends up becoming his downfall, because he abandons his escape plan to stop J and protect the other insects. Even at the very end, when he's been severed in half and is on the brink of death, his priority is to kill J. J isn't even holding Orion's collar by that point! Kerb really just sat there and thought 'if I'm going down, I'm avenging my brethren first'. Thankfully, he didn't succeed, but he definitely went for it, and would've succeeded if he'd never spared Laurel, who shot him just before he could attack J for the last time. Again, his soft spot became his weakness.

Anyway this went on for WAY too long but I have a lot of thoughts on the exact nature of Bugs. I don't think they're heartless monsters like K states they are. Selfish and aggressive, definitely. But they do have SOME level of compassion. Kerb actively cares about weaker species. He cares enough about the little guys enough to be his own worst enemy just to help them. He risks his cover being blown by Beatrice but never even considers going back to put her down for it. He listens to Laurel's pleas to be put down and throws her to a safe spot, and it ends up getting him killed. He could've eaten Orion but never actively desired to and never had a problem with him as a whole. He only ever murdered those who initiated a fight first, or who were in his way. Bugs are more complex than we're told.

This is not my way of justifying what he did by the way. Like by all means he is very much a villain and had to be put down. But no one ever really talks about how complex he is too.

[affectionatecorpse]

I know I'm several months late BUT this 👆👆👆 THIS

It's my personal headcanon that that's WHY the Prototype revealed he was Ollie immediately after Doey's death. Why he kept up the act for so long. He needed to get rid of that threat, he had to get rid of Doey before taking that risk. Revealing his identity would put him in a plain spotlight. They'd know he knows everything. But someone like Doey could get out of that ventilation system FAR easier than Kissy and the player. He could get out, and go for his revenge. And even if the Prototype got away, he'd no longer have access to that very vital information.

He's smart. He knows what he's doing. He heard Poppy was planting the explosives, so he followed and took them back as soon as you left. He knew if Doey was still in Safe Haven when the explosion took place, he'd save as many as the little ones as possible and wouldn't be as unstable. He needed to BREAK Doey. He needed to break him down to his most vulnerable and aggressive state. He needed to tear down those walls and destroy all comfort Doey had set for himself and turn him into a monster driven only by RAGE. He knew the player was smart. He knew they were strong and he knew they knew Doey's weakness. Isn't it one hell of a coincidence that all those nitrogen tanks were around that specific area?

He's a coward. He'd rather dump the load of killing Doey on your shoulders because you're a smaller and faster target. You don't have gears that can get blocked by dough and prevent movement. But the second the REAL threat was out the way? It's over. Everything else is a piece of cake to take care of!

In chapter 4, If Doey lost track of the Prototype, it means the Prototype most likely ran away instead of fighting and k!llin Doey. DOEY IS THE STRONGEST HEAR ME OUT‼️

[affectionatecorpse]

Hi wow it's been a while, sorry about that! It's just that I became hyperfixated on far less niche media and found that all my thoughts on those have pretty much already been talked about. I can't control the hyperfixation unfortunately. But then I realised, y'know what, I'm just gonna ramble anyway.

So Snatcher is a pretty amazing character huh?

Oh my god. Oh m ygod. I love that stupid worm so much. That loud obnoxious cat snake is going to make me explode. Genuinely how does a game go from an adorable quirky adventure to genuinely one of the DARKEST things I think I've ever come across, all in the span of one chapter?

I'm far from the first person to be obsessed with the character of Snatcher, I'm pretty sure he has his own cult at this point, but I really do love overanalyzing his personality, and the toll his trauma took on him. Because yes, he undoubtedly has a TON of trauma.

He really doesn't seem to acknowledge it at all, to be honest. As a person, he doesn't appear like someone who's healed from a traumatic event. He comes across as spiteful and petty, avoidant of his problems. Even when he does acknowledge it, he doesn't spend long addressing it. Rather, instead of accepting what Vanessa did to him was beyond cruel, and growing as a person, he chooses to just stay mad without actually acknowledging it, and instead get his revenge by annoying her personally by stealing her things behind her back.

The difference between the prince he was and who he is now is staggering, too. You can really see in his letters from the past and his body language in the storybook that he was a very compassionate person. He was super sweet! He was so precious! Whereas now, you look at this giant ghost, barely even recognisable anymore, as he sneers at all your efforts to make friends, laughing delightedly as you die repeatedly, running you ragged doing his chores before killing you himself once he has no more use for you, only to surrender the SECOND he feels vulnerable. Instead of facing the problem HE created, once he realises there's a possibility of actually losing, he ends the fight, instead nervously bargaining for you to just leave.

For someone who creates a lot of conflicts, he seems surprisingly nonconfrontational. Instead of fighting a fair battle, he backs down and begs you to just go away and leave him alone, at first keeping up his established attitude, but slowly deteriorating into genuine anxiety as it takes more and more effort to get you to cooperate with his terms. And in the DLC, when he decides it's time to face the music and confront the source of his trauma, he himself is too scared to actually do it, instead he just sends YOU to do it for him.

Because he's afraid. He likes to kid himself that he isn't, but he really really is. He's so afraid, he won't go to the manor Vanessa is trapped in by himself. He can't. He can't go back to that place, not after what happened there. So he doesn't. He just hides, and sends someone else to do it for him. But noticeably, he never actually sends any of his minions to do it.

The residents of Subcon are actually probably one major reason why he WON'T confront his trauma. Because he's their king. He let himself become vulnerable in front of the wrong person, and it not only costed his own life, but the lives of every single person in Subcon. HIS people, the ones he was supposed to protect. He doesn't send them to do the dangerous jobs because he needs to protect them. He needs to be a good leader. He's legally obligated to, you could say. But he isn't obligated to look after any outsiders, so he doesn't.

With the knowledge that his "mistake" caused the entire massacre to happen, it's not really a surprise that he's become so numb and hostile. If he can't protect his people, who even is he? People aren't trustworthy so he won't trust them anymore. The person he loved more than anything tortured and murdered him, and killed so many innocent people out of spite, because he let himself love her. You can really hear it in his opening dialogue to the Vanessa's Curse DLC; he really, really loved her. He loved her so, so much.

When you've gone through what he has, would you really take the time to process your feelings and accept your fate, when you have so many people to watch over and protect from more people like Vanessa? Would you really face your problems head on, or just will them to go away? Would you put in the effort to be so kind and thoughtful, or would you voice your hatred and distrust for everyone around you?

The prince and Snatcher are the same person, but at the same time, they are VERY different characters. One is a hopeful and thoughtful person, who treats the people he loves with a lot of affection. The other is cynical and heartbroken, who has bottled up the pain, the rage, and the sadness inside for hundreds of years, and allowed it to turn him into a monster. Quite literally.

Anyway teehee wahoo yippee I love the silly fluffy snake man very much I want to nuzzle his neck fluff very much--

[affectionatecorpse]

Okay look I'm not a Christian, I'm a Buddhist, but I genuinely do wish Pope Francis a good afterlife. He was a good guy, I liked him. I hope he got into heaven (let's be real he did).

Although considering he died on Easter, maybe he'll be back in 3 days--

[affectionatecorpse]

It's 7:37am and I'm waiting for melatonin to kick in, so until then, my delirious self is gonna say which Mario Kart characters I think the Sherlock Gnomes cast would play as. No, I'm not okay. I can barely remember the taste of sanity.

Sherlock: Mario or Mii. I'm sorry but he does NOT strike me as the type to enjoy this game. He would probably call it "a fruitless endeavour invented by humans for those without jobs". He would only play it through peer pressure. So he'd probably just pick Mario, because he's the main character. Either that, or a Sherlock Holmes Mii. He's not a gaming kinda guy, methinks

Watson: Toad. Watson is such a Toad player I'm sorry he just is. He's the unappreciated sidekick with a good heart and I feel like sometimes he just wants to be able to be a lil guy. As a treat

Juliet: Bowser. I'm sorry, you thought the token girl was gonna be Peach? HA! Yeah no. That is a joke by the way I'm sure no one expected that of her. No, she'd be the big bad. She is not a damsel in distress, she is GOING to play the giant fire spitting demon and she'll be absolutely amazing at it. She is 100% the one who wins the most races and then gloats about it, but not in an annoying way, moreso a charming eye rolling kinda way

Gnomeo: Yoshi. I dunno what it is, he just strikes me as a Yoshi player. He's a tough guy, but he's not a TOUGH GUY, y'know? He can hold his own in a fight but he sees a little baby dinosaur and he immediately picks it. He'd probably also play as Toad whenever Watson isn't hogging him, because Toad reminds him of Shroom

Moriarty: King Boo. Moriarty is such a King Boo girly. Most people would say he'd play Bowser cause that's the big bad, but Bowser would be too soft for Moriarty's taste. See, Bowser's evil, but he's a loving father, and he canonically just has fun hanging out with the protagonists outside of business. King Boo is evil for the sake of it. He doesn't have any cute details like being a good dad or leader, he's just a jerk, but a loveable one. That has Moriarty written ALL over it. Also, we love mischievous gay coded plus size villains in this household

Irene: Rosalina. Enough said. She's a gorgeous woman and also literally god. Irene is calling dibs on this character immediately

Reggie: Dry Bowser. A basic choice, yeah, but much like Sherlock, he doesn't strike me as the type to care about the game. He'd probably say it's too cartoony and babyish, and quit after one round. He doesn't really feel like someone who'd love sitting down playing computer games with some mates

Ronnie: Dry Bones or Daisy. Ronnie definitely feels like she'd enjoy the game more than Reggie. He'd bully her for it if she played in front of him, but she'd absolutely play it in secret. I don't think she'd be very good at it against literally anyone but easy mode CPU, but she's having a great time and I love that for her. I think she'd play as Dry Bones in front of Reggie, being a gothic minion to Dry Bowser, but the second he's gone, she's playing as Daisy. Peach is too common of a choice. She'd give Daisy the attention that queen DESERVES

Okay thank you for coming to my TED talk I'm gonna go sleep now.

[affectionatecorpse]

"Peak gender is this" "peak gender is that" WRONG peak gender is Insectosaurus from Monsters VS Aliens. It literally does not get any more gender than a fluffy insect kaiju that transforms into a flying drag queen and eats literally everything in sight

[affectionatecorpse]

In one of the earlier scenes of The Bad Guys, during the first heist, you can hear in Professor Marmalade's speech that he claims to feel a wag in his tiny tail when he does something good. This I found very interesting, as in reality, unlike something like a hamster, guinea pigs don't actually HAVE tails.

This is very subtle foreshadowing to the fact that he is a lyING BITC--

[affectionatecorpse]

SO WAS ANYONE GOING TO TELL ME MARMALADE IS AN ALIEN IN THE BOOKS OR WAS I JUST SUPPOSED TO FIND THAT OUT BY BROWSING TUMBLR FANART???

[affectionatecorpse]

Well well well. If it isn't my old friend, back for round two. It's been a while... The Bad Guys.

So yeah my hyperfixation on The Bad Guys came back. I've had many thoughts about this film since it first came out, but I never really had an audience to share them with. However! With my new analysis posts taking wing, I've decided to spend round two being autistic about the silly criminal furry movie.

If my obsession with Moriarty wasn't enough of a sign of my questionable taste, I'm very obsessed with villains, actually. I like to make them more complicated. I like to analyse their every weakness and put them on full blast, without justifying them. I want to clarify that. I am not a villain apologist. I simply like to make them far deeper than their (usually very) surface level characters are.

Now that that's out of the way, here's my essay on why I feel like Marmalade was wasted potential as a villain.

I really like this film. It's characters are deep and sympathetic, and you can really see the pain they go through. But quite often, I see people complaining about how it should've been deeper, only to be met with retorts that this isn't Zootopia, and that it doesn't have to be deep. But I actually think it kind of DOES-? Okay, yes, not every film about animals HAS to be about bigotry. But when your film is actively tackling the subject of how harmful stereotypes can be, how people are quick to judge what they don't understand, and how some people just give in to the pressure, it is kind of expected. To say it doesn't have to be Zootopia is to say it doesn't set up any REASON to. But it does.

In the film, we can actively see the stereotyping and hatred our main characters feel simply for their species. A wolf, a snake, a tarantula, a piranha, and a shark. These are all vastly unappreciated animals. They're often completely mischaracterised both in reality and in film. Snake himself brings up the very real point that no one would ever come to his birthday parties as a kid, because he was 'just a gross snake'. Or how Diane grew up being called a tricky fox to the point where it took over her life. Years of being shoved under a certain image just weighed on them. It prevented them from ever believing they COULD be good. Which is exactly the motivation of a character in Zootopia, a film directly about the horrific consequences bigotry can have on society. When these aspects are a core focus of a film, you have to be prepared to show each side of the coin.

Buuut I'm far from the first person to talk about that part, so I won't bore you with repetition. Because I'm not here to compare those stories. I'm here to talk about Marmalade.

Marmalade is, from the very beginning, perceived as a pure little soul. I mean, he's a guinea pig! A guinea pig could do no wrong! As opposed to something like a bloodthirsty wolf! But he ISN'T. He's not a cute, innocent little angel. He's a selfish, spiteful monster who isn't happy with everything he has. And he himself plays to this stereotype, using it to his advantage to get away with his crimes.

But it's also important to remember that he, himself, IS a minority. Because it's the animals that are presented with these accusations of crimes. They never explain the world-building, respectfully, but everything we've seen of this world consists of humans vs animals. The human cops vs the animal criminals. It's always the animals that are gawked at and stereotyped. You won't see many animals in fancy parties at all, only the few "good" ones. Which is a very real and painful title to be given. Being considered "one of the good ones" is an alienation technique that really does cause self hating bigotry, in all minority groups. In this situation, it's in the animal society.

While the Bad Guys are naturally stereotyped as BAD, things that the humans find cute are the opposite. The humans actively find Marmalade very small and adorable. Because he's a guinea pig. He's constantly viewed under this light where he can do no wrong. How even though he's an animal, he's cute, so it's fine. Which yeah, cool, that's great for him. But at the same time, it's not. It's really, really not. Because you can't just pick and choose who to show respect to based on their appearance alone. People are very different. And to only allow a minority into your space solely because it's convenient for YOU, is very hurtful. To only give someone respect if they fit into your ideals is incredibly nasty.

I'm... looking way too much into this, aren't I?

Animals aren't in these big events. Only 'important' ones. Ones who feed into this idea of how the world works. Yes, the governor is a fox. But she's one that's still been bullied and belittled all her life. And one who is actively teaming up AGAINST people like the Bad Guys. While she's very open about voicing their insecurities on live TV instead of just saying "ah, typical of these species", she's still feeding into the fact that they're bad. That they should be in jail. Which yes, fair. But in the eyes of someone who sees these people as nothing but criminals, they're going to call out the governor as a "good one". Someone who's still advocating for them to be judged and arrested. Regardless of species.

Meanwhile, Marmalade has never experienced that kind of hatred. People automatically adore and copy him. They shower him in praise and affection. Would they really do that if he was anything other than a guinea pig? Would people have been so keen to follow him blindly if he was anything else? Or is that what they expect HIM to do? To blindly follow the rules like a lemming? So keen to walk off that cliff just to keep that affection? Because his experiment was very very REAL danger. He had no security or bodyguards to ensure his safety. No one could guarantee he'd be safe. He stood there on the edge of that cliff, and the way to praise led down to the bottom. If the Bad Guys were really aggressive, wouldn't they actively be watched around Marmalade? Or would Marmalade's death be nothing more than another reason to hate them?

I would've wanted to see that. The Marmalade we got was a selfish brute who felt nothing but joy doing what he wanted. His only criminal motivation was "he wants to". And I can't help but feel like it was a bit of wasted potential.

The film could've shown the other side to stereotypes. How constantly expecting the best out of someone can be exhausting and scary. Because when people just assume you're bad, they're less likely to see your mistakes. They'll just chalk it up to that being typical of you. But when you're supposed to fit into this box they've made for you, with all eyes on you to do the absolute perfect thing, covered in spotlights and expectations... your mistakes will also be on that stage. Every tiny accident or mistake gets broadcasted as YOUR FAILURE. And it's incredibly stressful. It could've shown us how that constant pressure to do everything perfectly at the threat of losing EVERYTHING and endangering yourself is genuinely maddening. How sometimes you just want to snap and destroy this image, just so you can finally be free to mess up. How respect shouldn't have to take so many sacrifices to keep, how it should be a bare minimum.

I want to see a villain like that. One who genuinely wants to do good things, until good things become a chore. Until they grow tired of feeding into this image that's been thrusted onto them. How sometimes they just want to purposely do something wrong, just to feel that relief. As opposed to just... "I like to do bad things and also I'm a guinea pig".

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love Marmalade. And this movie in general. It's so genuinely good and fun! I just can't help but think about how much darker it could've gotten. How it had so much to say, but didn't say it all. It said a lot, but not everything it COULD have. How instead of a twist villain, we could've got something profound and sympathetic. Instead of just another predictable twist, we could've watched the deterioration of a previously good person as they crumble in their attempts to please those who oppose their kind, only to become the very thing those people hate, just to stop being watched with expectation all the time.

I dunno. I'm tired. I overthink a lot. It's a quirk, indulge me! Or don't- y'know- I make these posts for me-

[affectionatecorpse]

Okay fine I'll write the post that's been on my mind for days now.

Okay so I talk a lot about how Sherlock and Watson's story arc follows the EXACT same beats as the literal most romantic couple known to mankind. Or- at least the gnome versions. But it counts. Point is, the fact their story is in exact parallel to the greatest love story ever told (in most people's opinion) is gay as hell and I'm so very happy for them.

However. Sherlock is in direct parallel to another character. Outside of Watson, he also follows very similar story beats to Moriarty. Namely in how they're both so, so desperate for attention from the people around them.

Moriarty's thirst for attention comes from solitude. He's lonely by design as a truck decoration and he absolutely needs attention to thrive. He'll do absolutely anything to steal the spotlight and have all eyes on him, from petty little pranks to actual murder. Whatever works at the time. I also wonder if it comes from who he actually IS. Sherlock Holmes is a real thing in this universe, and thus, so is James Moriarty. A common criticism in real life is the appearance and personality of OUR Moriarty, and I do wonder if Moriarty knows that. Does he act the way he does because that's just who he is, or is he purposely taking inspiration from who he was named after? I actually REALLY don't think so. His personality comes very naturally to him, and I don't think he's copying it from media.

Unlike, however, our dear Sherlock.

Sherlock's need for attention doesn't come from solitude. It comes from pressure. He knows for a fact who he's based on. He knows how great a detective he has to be. And he knows how difficult that is in a world where he can be destroyed by a single wrong move, a world where he can't let anyone see him. His intellect comes very naturally to him, in turn, but it doesn't stop him from being ignorant. Everything he does is for the attention of others. He wants to be a hero. He wants to live up to his name. He wants praise and recognition.

Even in the art book, when talking about Moriarty, he doesn't even mention the fact Moriarty is a serial killer. That doesn't even seem to be what bothers him. What bugs him most is how Moriarty is equally as clever as him. He can't STAND how they're on the exact same level of intellect.

While Moriarty finds genuine love in what he does, Sherlock does it to prove a point. Hypothetically, ceramic ornaments are at the bottom of this 'food chain'. They're the weakest, and most underestimated ornaments. Considering that, and the fact Sherlock is supposed to be this grand main hero, I'm not surprised he feels so pressured to constantly impress everyone around him, to the point where he forgets other people exist too. He has main character syndrome, blatantly, because he IS technically the main character of a story. But he fails to realise being a main character doesn't mean being perfect.

There's so many points where he's obviously looking for a reaction and is mad when he doesn't get the one he wants. When he's first investigating the empty garden, for example. He seems kinda peeved when Watson isn't impressed by his deduction. Or in the sewer, when he neglects to acknowledge the fact he slipped and had to be saved, not even thanking Watson or the other two for helping get them to safety. It's like he's mad he wasn't the one who got them out of it. Also, in the art gallery, when he just forces himself to continue with the case instead of acknowledging Watson's death, only to immediately break and allow his emotions to flow the second Juliet leaves, as though he didn't want her to see him, this great detective, show genuine remorse and grief over what just happened thanks to HIS case.

He shows blatant expectation for awe in the park, after escaping Toby the dog. The way he just suddenly starts to demonstrate to Juliet what to do, then the dramatic way he says "Very well. If he wants to dance, then dance we shall!". You can actually SEE him look to Juliet for her reaction to that dramatic little act, and he looks genuinely wounded when she doesn't care. And final example, because otherwise this'll go on forever, but when Juliet was allowed back into the dollhouse, and he wasn't. He looks like a wounded puppy, the way he just goes "... oh..." and looks around awkwardly, like he's not sure what to do or what to think about the fact she got in, and he didn't. This is immediately acknowledged by Juliet herself telling Irene how little she cares about Sherlock or what he thinks, because while he wants to be the hero everyone looks up to, she sees behind the scenes. Much like Watson, she's not impressed, because she can see he's not some immortal champion, he's a pathetic, anxious mess of an attention whore.

Much like his own arch nemesis.

It's not until Sherlock is finally knocked off his pedestal that he realises the far bigger picture. His negligence caused Watson to rebel against him, and beat him. Watson expresses in great detail how NO, he's NOT the main character, and he WON'T win every battle. He's not better than everyone else and he never will be. He will make mistakes, but time will carry on. Instead of trying so hard to be a perfectionist, he should actually try caring more about the case itself, not the end result where he gets rewarded, as well as caring about the people around him, who don't see him as the famous king of detectives, but for who HE really is; a desperate man who never stops seeking approval.

And this defeat rattles him. He doesn't know what else to do. So he just stands there. Silently. Awkwardly. Because the real Sherlock would never let himself be so easily fooled by WATSON of all people. With no script to follow, what will he do?

It also makes me wonder if Watson himself wasn't even brought aboard because Sherlock liked him as a person, but because he's Watson. Sherlock needs to be a detective, and he needs his assistant. Who better than Watson? But Watson's rebellion finally snaps him back into the reality that he's not a prop, he's his own separate person who won't follow the script Sherlock made for him, and that Sherlock messed up by expecting as such. It's not until Sherlock acknowledges Watson as a separate person with real emotions that Watson gives Sherlock the affection he so desperately craves. Because respect is a two way street. Which is why Watson looks so genuinely stunned and flattered when Sherlock tells HIM to save the gnomes. He's prioritising their safety over his reputation as the hero.

You can even see this reflection in Sherlock's final battle with Moriarty. Moriarty KNOWS Sherlock. He knows how desperate he is to win. How he needs to be that knight in shining armour. Which is why he teases him, saying he doesn't matter, that Moriarty has plenty of people who want him as an arch nemesis. Of course, this directly parallels my other theory that Moriarty is terrified of death and being forgotten or replaced. It feels like projection. But he's right. Sherlock and him have the same fear, and that's why Sherlock is says "you know, you're very needy for a villain..." so hesitantly, instead of spitting it like a venomous insult. Because it's more of an observation, and a reflection on how he himself acted exactly like this.

And in the end, Sherlock finally did something selfless. Something he wouldn't get praise for. He was willing to give his LIFE for Watson, and he can't be praised if he ceases to exist. Instead, Watson would get that attention and pity. He could've easily taken Moriarty down after Watson fell, and gotten praise and sympathy just like earlier. But he's past that point now. He no longer cares about the attention, he instead prioritises Watson as a person and his friend, risking his own life just to save him. That is the difference between him and Moriarty. Sherlock learns to see gnomes as people. While Moriarty just sees them as an accessory to his game. Something to break when he's bored. And that's why he has no one to accompany him or save him when he falls.

In the last scene, we finally see the extent of Sherlock's arc. Where before he would take very visible offence to any slight bit of criticism, when Irene insults him, he just chuckles, and admits that yeah, he deserves that. He doesn't try defending himself or trying to win her affection, he just accepts that she doesn't like him, and probably won't ever again. And the way he asks for Watson's input on the relationship between Gnomeo and Juliet, instead of just stating his thoughts, shows he's actively trying to partake in conversation. It even shows visually, the way he needs to physically lean on Watson now, but even then, still offered to let him go first, which just shows how far he's come.

Sherlock has such a genuinely nice character arc. I see a ton of people criticising the film because he's a jerk, but that's kinda the point. It's a story about people in the purest way. A story about respect and empathy towards others, and how you shouldn't put others down to push yourself up to the top, because otherwise, you'll fall back down twice as hard when they disappear. We need more characters like this in media. Characters who are genuinely in the wrong, but their wrongs are acknowledged and criticized until they're forced to change for the better. It adds depth to their personality and makes it that much more satisfying to watch them grow, as opposed to watching someone who can do no wrong.

[affectionatecorpse]

How often do you think Moriarty gets sent off for repairs? Like- plastic is definitely WAY more durable than like. Ceramic. But it's definitely still breakable. I mean, he lost a piece of his head in the film. How long has he been fighting Sherlock? Has he received any minor damage before?

I still very much think this was his closest brush with death, but I definitely wouldn't be surprised if he'd damaged an arm or a leg in their scuffles before. Especially since broken ceramic can very easily pierce plastic.

So do the folks at Moriarty's Pies just sit there like- "Oh for crying out loud what happened to the statue this time???" cause they all got to work in the morning and just found Moriarty randomly missing an arm?? Without context??? And then the SECOND he gets back from repairs, since plastic is easy to mend, do they have to send him off to get fixed again in the next 24 hours because he's a little menace who can't sit still to save his life? Because that's hilarious.

Better question, imagine if there was more than one van. Wouldn't that mean more Moriarty's? Would they all have the same personality or no? I wouldn't think so. Watson does state that OUR Moriarty was made... wrong. Sometimes making ornaments goes wrong, and we get evil ornaments as a result. Plus, Moriarty's actual personality itself outside of the murder does seem very different from the character he represents. Moriarty the character appears to be very innocent and sweet, while Moriarty the statue is... well, the complete opposite.

So would each one have a different personality? If ornaments weren't tethered to the personality of whoever they represent? Would there just be like 50 Moriarty's and all of them are chill except this ONE?

"Oh yeah that's number 43. He's a bit of a douche, we kinda just leave him out of things. It gets awkward when he's around, he never stops talking about murder :/"

Would that also mean they have different disorders? Or would all of them be extremely obviously ADHD and/or bipolar in varying levels?

Even better question. Would that mean they'd also have different sexualities- would there be like- one token straight Moriarty who everyone refers to as Mike to avoid confusion-- I'm getting carried away. I don't actually think there would be more than one considering we see the van in the background several times, but he's never on top because. Y'know. The pretending to be dead thing. If that wasn't the only van in the city, there's bound to be a different statue in at least one background shot.

Still absolutely hilarious to think about though.

[affectionatecorpse]

WHAT ARE YOU SERIOUS

I mean- I get it if the person who's self shipping is being weird about it? Like self shipping with a child or an animal or something. But again, much like objectums, that is not mutually exclusive. Those things can coexist but they don't automatically coexist, y'know?

Anyway self shippers are also completely valid as long as they aren't being weird about it, let's give self shippers some love too, folks!

Okay I can't believe I need to explain this but after a bizarre amount of anti-objectum comments, I wanna say something here.

Objectums are not inherently proship!!!

I am not an objectum. I am not a proshipper. I have many objectum friends and many proshipper enemies. I can tell you now that these are NOT linked.

Proshipping actively supports and encourages incredibly harmful "relationships", and exist as a blatant excuse for pedophilia, zoophilia, incest, abuse, and the like. This is NOT okay.

Objectums are in love/lust with objects. Things such as plushies, computers, etc. But this is completely okay. Because no one is being hurt in these relationships. If they're attracted to inanimate objects, why does that matter? How the hell is that the equivalent to someone supporting the sexual abuse of a child or animal?

Again, I'm not an objectum. I think. I definitely love my fair share of machinery, but I don't think I quite qualify on their level. But I have many friends who ARE. And they're so, so kind, and sweet, and they are truly in love with these beings. No one is being hurt, so who am I to belittle that right?

Of course, objectums CAN be proshippers. But these things are NOT mutually exclusive. They can coexist, but do not coexist automatically. They are separate things. And I'm tired of people saying objectum support is proshipper support. Because it's not.

TL;DR: objectums are valid and can love what they want, while proshippers, MAPs, zoophiles and incest lovers can absolutely NOT.