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[aothdan]

We had three fathers in the movie and not a single dad joke

The tragedy

[aothdan]

Why you (probably) didn't like Spider from Avatar TWOW

Social media is ruining the film industry in so many ways I couldn't begin to cover them all. I don't think this is a profound statement, but I want to explore my point in the context of Avatar The Way of Water, specifically with the character, Spider.

A few things that is becoming more apparent, due to social media:

1) General audiences can't tolerate cliff-hangers anymore. They're referred to as "plot holes" now. (Yes, I know lots of movies include actual plot holes, but actual cliff-hangers are getting called plot holes when they're two different things) (and sometimes, the writer of a story will specifically include unanswered questions, because our imaginations can be more intriguing and allows us to play "detective" and discuss, unanswered questions are not inherently bad, sometimes they're quite interesting). This leads to people wanting answers now, right now. We have a question, we search it and can get an answer basically immediately. When we can't find the answer immediately, we get upset.

2) Cancel Culture. - need I say more? (no, but I will anyway). This leads to one giant problem within the context of how social media is changing the film industry. People are actively trying to "cancel" characters, fictional characters or the authors of those characters for not aligning themselves as either a "good" or a "bad" character. Cancel culture is actively morphing our brains to think that if you make a mistake, you can never come back from it. That if you did something wrong, you are "toxic" and irredeemable. I can rant all day about cancel culture, but for now, just think about how it is shaping our tolerance of people. (Also, keep in mind that within the world of literature, film, art, etc. this topic comes up all the time about "morally grey characters" and is never something that is condemned, the only time this is a problem is when it makes its way onto social media sites)

So looking at these two points, we see that audiences don't like unanswered questions and they don't like morally grey characters.

I think Spider from Avatar TWOW is the most perfect example of a morally grey character out of the entire series. At least up to this point.

Everyone, even in the first movie ranges somewhere from either "Good" or "Bad" but, none of them are directly in the middle. I could argue that Mo'at, Norm, Neytiri, and Max are very good. Their intentions are always to be good. Quaritch and Selfridge are very bad. Their intentions are always to be bad. Jake is the most "grey" of all the characters in the original because of his internal conflict between wanting to fit in with the military again by spying on the Na'vi and slowly realizing he loves Pandora and the people and wants to help them. Even though he actively tries to help Quaritch in the beginning, I'd argue that his intentions are always "alright" I don't think he is ever on the "bad" side of the spectrum, although he starts off close to it, by the end, he solidifies himself as "good".

Then we have Spider.

My boy Spider is at the butt of everyone's jokes, all over TikTok and Instagram. The comments section is full of people just absolutely bashing him, hating him, making fun of him calling him a "Tarzan wannabe" and saying that he probably "sheds and smells like a wet dog". People have no sympathy for him, even some of those comments saying how they'll "never forgive him" or simply "hate him".

:Spoilers:

Spider is introduced as this lone human kid on Pandora, who hangs out with Jake and Neytiri's kids and has grown up with them. However, Neytiri has never accepted him. (A lot of people are mad at her about this because they say that he's just like Jake, which I would argue is not entirely correct because Neytiri was going to kill Jake (because she hates and distrusts humans) but Eywa chooses him for some reason and she's compelled to save him).

Spider is absolutely enthralled with the Na'vi culture. He speaks the language perfectly and paints himself with blue stripes. He genuinely loves and cares for the Na'vi despite being human.

Then, he gets captured and meets his dad, Quaritch. While it isn't entirely Quaritch, it is kind of his dad and he only agrees to leave with them on their mission because he doesn't want to be actively tortured by the scientists anymore. (I think that decision is understandable). Then, he gets to be the cultural ambassador of the Na'vi, translator, teacher, and guide as he spends more and more time with the military avatars and gets to be important to them. Then when all hell breaks loose, and he has to translate to a Metkayina village asking for Jake, he is visibly scared and desperately trying to help them and begs for Quaritch to stop terrorizing them. Then they burn down the village and take Spider with them, against his will.

Later, he gets the chance to fight and help in the end battle and he helps to wreck the ship, runs away like twice (?) before being successful thanks to Neteyam. Then is used as a pawn by Neytiri who threatens to kill him if Quaritch doesn't release Kiri. (This whole time, Spider is begging Quaritch to let Kiri go and to not hurt her).

But, for many viewers the nail in the coffin was when he saves Quaritch from drowning. He has seen the destruction caused by Quaritch, even if he doesn't know Quaritch's full history, he knows he burned down villages, staged the killing of a Tulkun, was willing to kill Lo'ak, Tuk, and Kiri all in an effort to hunt down and kill Jake.

But, I think the key moment was during the stand-off between Quaritch and Neytiri. For the first time in Spider's entire life (keep in mind he's like 16), an adult (a parental figure) stood up for him and showed genuine concern for him. Whether you like it or not, Neytiri has never liked him and Jake has never went out of his way to make him feel welcome. But now, in the heat of the moment, Quaritch, this big bad military man, stops what he's doing for fear of Spider's well-being.

Between the wreckage, Spider and Lo'ak were trying to find Jake. But, Spider happens upon Quaritch, who is at the edge of death. Then this, sixteen-year-old kid, sees this man just went out of his way to save Spider's life a few minutes before and now this man is about to die. Spider had to make a split-second decision and he made it. He saved Quaritch from drowning, then immediately leaves him and joins the Sully's.

I think Spider's intentions change from "I love the Na'vi, I basically am Na'vi" to "This father figure isn't too bad" to "I get to be helpful and important to someone" "oh no, what are you doing?" to "you saved my life, I'll save yours"

I CANNOT, overstate how much I love morally grey characters, they are so much fun to analyze and there's nothing worse than a plain "static" character. Give me a dynamic character with conflicting motivations. The reason I think Jake never went into the "bad" intentions side was because he genuinely was blind to the Na'vi at the beginning, but the more he learns, the more his actions reflect the newfound love and respect. Whereas Spider knows all about the Na'vi, and he loves and looks up to them, he was basically raised by the Sully family. I'm sure he is smart enough to understand that the humans and military avatars are "bad" with bad intentions. So when he starts to give into that side those intentions start to shift and his character becomes more and more grey.

And people on social media simply cannot compute. Cancel him! people cry. Screw him! He's the worst character ever! I can smell him through the screen!

People don't like that he did some bad things so the masses cry out, "bad! Bad! He's a bad character"

I'm not saying that I absolutely loved him, but I did like his character and I think he'll play a bigger role in the next film. He's a conflicted 16 year old, dynamic, character. I'm excited to see where his character goes from here.

But please, stop letting social media trick you into thinking that people are "good" or "bad". Not a single person on this planet can be accurately described as simply "good" or "bad". People are dynamic.

And for the love of everything, just because you don't have all the answers handed to you on a little silver plate, doesn't mean that the story had plot holes and is objectively bad. Unanswered questions and cliff-hangers can be very effective if done well.

People are fighting to not have to think on their own and form their own thoughts and opinions, because what if my opinion isn't a popular one or is the wrong one????

We don't know what is going to happen with Spider, but now, we can theorize and discuss until the next film comes out.

Anyways, I won't tolerate Spider slander anymore unless you can formulate an actual genuine reason to not like him besides, "he's bad", "he sucks", or "I bet he stinks".

[aothdan]

Have you seen his son?

[aothdan]

[aothdan]

I don’t see people discussing Zion’s parents and just how supportive they were prepared to be for him, Ginny, and Georgia. I know they aren’t shown much in the show but for the moments that they are, I was very elated. They literally embraced 15 year old, homeless, Georgia into their family and set up a solid support system with a QUICKNESS!!! And even thought it’s not what Zion or Georgia wanted, their proposal for legal guardian ship was smart and considerate! That way the kids didn’t have to technically give up custody, all 3 of them would have been supported into getting they’re lives on track for a better future and Ginny would’ve grown up in a structured, stable, and loving environment. (And when Zion and Georgia were no longer teenagers and had gotten on their feet then the legal guardianship that Zion’s parents would have had, would have ended!) Even after Zion wanted to go back on the agreed terms of his gap year with his parents, they still pulled through, ready to be there for their son and this poor 15 year old girl and their coming grandchild. Plus it’s very rare to see black family dynamics in media portrayed in a positive light where the family isn’t struggling with poverty or missing one parent or riddled with stereotypes of drugs, abuse, and gangs etc. It’s nice to see a black family doing well for once and literally no one is talking about it.

[aothdan]

#scam soulmates

[aothdan]

I've got a lot of demons. A lot of nightmares in my past. And I had a choice. I could live in the past, drown in it, feel it every day, be there.

Brianne Howey as Georgia Miller in Ginny & Georgia 2.03 ‘What Are You Playing at, Little Girl?’

[aothdan]

Katie Douglas as Abigail ’Abby’ Littman in Ginny & Georgia (season 2)

[aothdan]

Neytiri really mated with Jake then walked up into Hometree holding his hand like no big deal. Sis really did not give a singular fuck

[aothdan]

AVATAR 2 SPOILER

Currently thinking about how Lo’ak is fourteen. He fought a battle. Held is dying brother in his arms. Had his brother’s blood coat his hands. And then his father told him, “you’ve done enough.” HE’S FOURTEEN. I’m gonna cry

[aothdan]

henry cavill fans trying to process the fact that season 3 of the witcher will be his last

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[aothdan]

The notes are broken. This is what tumblr is all about apparently.

[aothdan]

Rewatched Avatar in theaters and I know people have made comments about it being dumb that Jake is a chosen one by being Toruk Makto

But Toruk didn’t choose Jake, Jake just said fuck it and dive bombed onto a dragon hoping for the best. His whole theory was “Why would a flying apex predator look up”

My theory is anyone could be the rider of the last shadow they just have to be brave and stupid enough to try

Hell the whole reason in the story for Jake being chosen over the scientists is he pitches himself as a strong idiot and everyone is like yeah that checks out

[aothdan]

“The military and corporation in Avatar are cartoonish and unrealistic for killing people without remorse over a mineral” My good babe that exact thing has happened multiple times

[aothdan]

Edit - gotta walk myself back here. Apparently there are multiple versions. What I saw in theaters over a decade ago must have been the extended edition, which was distributed globally for theatrical release in 2010. So that explains the discrepancy I noticed, since what's out now is the original theatrical release. Not censorship, just different cuts. Given all the talk of banning books these days and editing out blink-and-you miss LGBT mentions in Marvel movies for markets that would get angry about it, my initial interpretation seemed likely. I'm glad I was wrong!

So I saw the re-release of James Cameron's Avatar from 2009 yesterday. I still love it. It still makes me cry for the beauty and the destruction in both that world and our own. (And the amount of inspiration the design team took from New Zealand's old growth forests makes me so so happy - they were running around on ratas, Home Tree is a rimu, ferns and tree ferns and epiphytes are everywhere, and korimako (bell bird) calls figure in the sound design).

BUT - they removed an important element of a pivotal scene, and this REALLY bothers me. I could swear I remember Jake and Neytiri making the link (tsaheylu) in their love scene, right when she says "we are mated for life". This is so so important, both for the world-building (the significance of that connection to all life on Pandora) and for the dramatic stakes (it makes Jake's betrayal, and Neytiri's devastation, so much worse, for both of them). And it was cut from this re-release (at least in my region). The scene ends abruptly before it happens, and Neytiri's line is part of a fade-out instead of situated as part of the moment of connection.

Why was it cut? My first thoughts are a. "whoa too sexual for the kiddos" or b. "can't be making the same link between horses and people - that's bestiality".

But a. since when was Avatar a kids movie? It was an everyone movie in 2009. Don't insult it like that. Also, Neytiri climbing Jake like a tree once they start kissing is already pretty damn sexual. And she runs around without a shirt on the entire movie (those feathers don't cover much). Was the intensity of that emotional connection considered "too much?" If yes, then the message is "sex is ok, deep emotional connection is not". Which is pretty fucking depressing and very Brave New World.

And b. Pandora is not Earth, the Na'vi are not Christian, the link is not sex, and the whole POINT of the movie is that everything is connected and all life is sacred and nothing is above anything else.

I'll admit - it did feel a little edgey. That's what made it so impactful. That's why I remember it.

In short, this feels like Christian/conservative censorship and I do not like it. It's gaslightey and disrespectful to the audience and to the art.

[aothdan]

WARFRAME - Khora Prime “A harmony of mistress and monster.”