my-current-hyperfixation

[my-current-hyperfixation]

[my-current-hyperfixation]

The Insider and Outsider Detectives

So there's a lot of discourse about detectives floating around, ever since 2020 shifted a lot of people's Views on the police. Everyone likes a good mystery story, but no one seems to know what to make of a detective protagonist- especially if they're a cop. And everyone who cares about this kind of thing likes to argue over whether detective stories hold up the existing order or subvert it. Are they inherently copaganda? Are they subversive commentary on the uselessness of the police?

I think they can be both. And I think there's a framework we can use to look at individual detectives, and their stories, that illuminates the space between "a show like LAPD straight-up exists to make the cops look good" and "Boy Detective is a gender to me, actually".

So. You can sort most detectives in fiction into two boxes, based on their role in society: the Insider Detective and the Outsider Detective.

The Insider Detective is a part of the society they're investigating in, and has access to at least some of the levers of power in that society. They can throw money at their problems, or call in reinforcements, and if they contact the authorities, those authorities will take them seriously. Even the people they're investigating usually treat them with respect. They're a nice normal person in a nice normal world, thank you very much; they're not particularly eccentric. You could describe them as "sensible". And crime is a threat to that normal world. It's an intrusion that they have to fight off. An Insider Detective solving a crime is restoring the way things ought to be.

Some clear-cut examples of Insider Detectives are the Hardy Boys (and their father Fenton), Soichiro "Light's Dad" Yagami, or Father Brown. Many police procedural detectives are Insider Detectives, though not all.

The Outsider Detective, in contrast, is not a part of the society they're investigating in. They're often a marginalized person- they're neurodivergent, or elderly, or foreign, or a woman in a historical setting, or a child. They don't have access to any of the levers of power in their world- the authorities may not believe them (and might harass them), the people they're investigating think they're a joke (and can often wave them off), and they're unlikely to have access to things like "a forensics lab". The Outsider Detective is not respectable, and not welcome here- and yet they persist and solve the crime anyway. A lot of the time, when an Outsider Detective solves a crime, it's less "restoring the world to its rightful state" and more "exposing the rot in the normal world, and forcing it to change."

Some clear-cut examples of Outsider Detectives are Dirk Gently, Philip Marlowe, Sammy Keyes, or Mello from Death Note.

Now, here's the catch: these aren't immutable categories, and they are almost never clear-cut. The same detective can be an Insider Detective in one setting and an Outsider Detective in another. A good writer will know this, and will balance the two to say something about power and society.

Tumblr's second-favourite detective Benoit Blanc is a great example of this. Theoretically, Mr. Blanc should be an Insider Detective- he's a world-famous detective, he collaborates with the police, he's odd but respectable. But because of the circumstances he's in- investigating the ultra-rich, who live in their own horrid little bubbles- he comes off as the Outsider Detective, exposing the rot and helping everyone get what they deserve. And that's deliberate. There is no world where a nice, slightly eccentric, mildly fruity, fairly privileged guy like Benoit Blanc should be an outsider. But the turbo-rich live in such an insular world, full of so much contempt for anyone who isn't Them, that even Benoit Blanc gets left out in the cold. It's a scathing political statement, if you think about it.

But even a writer who isn't trying to Say Something About The World will still often veer between making their detective an Insider Detective and an Outsider Detective, because you can tell different kinds of stories within those frameworks. Jessica Fletcher from Murder She Wrote is a really good example of this-- she's a respectable older lady, whose runaway success as a mystery novelist gives her access to some social cachet. Key word: some.

Within her hometown of Cabot Cove, Fletcher is an Insider Detective. She's good friends with the local sheriff, she's incredibly familiar with the town's social dynamics, she can call in a favour from basically anyone... but she's still a little old lady. The second she leaves town, she might run into someone who likes her books... but she's just as likely to run into a police officer who thinks she's crazy or a perp who thinks she's an easy target. She has the incredibly tenuous social power that belongs to a little old lady that everyone likes- and when that's gone, she's incredibly vulnerable.

This is also why a lot of Sherlock Holmes adaptations tend to be so... divisive. Holmes is all things to all people, and depending on which stories you choose to focus on, you can get a very different detective. If you focus on the stories where Holmes collaborates with the police, on the stories with that very special kind of Victorian racism, or the stories where Holmes is fighting Moriarty, you've got an Insider Detective. If you focus on the stories where Holmes is consulting for a Nice Young Lady, on the stories where Holmes' neurodivergence is most prominent, or on his addictions, you've got an Outsider Detective.

Finally, a lot of buddy detective stories have an Insider Detective and an Outsider Detective sharing the spotlight. Think Scully and Mulder, or Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. This lets the writer play with both pieces of the thematic puzzle at the same time, without sacrificing the consistency of their detective's character.

Back to my original point: if you like detective fiction, you probably like one kind of story better than the other. I know I personally really prefer Outsider Detective Stories to Insider Detective Stories- and while I can enjoy a good Insider Detective (I'd argue that Brother Cadfael, my beloved, is one most of the time), I seek out detectives who don't quite fit into the world they live in more often than not.

And if that's the vibe you're looking for... you're not going to run into a lot of police stories. It's absolutely possible to make a story where a cop (or, even better, an FBI agent) is an Outsider Detective-- Nick Angel from Hot Fuzz was originally going to be one of my 'clear-cut examples' until I remembered that he is, in fact, legally a cop! But a cop who's an Outsider Detective is going to be spending a lot of time butting heads with local law enforcement, to the point where he doesn't particularly feel like one. He's probably going to get fired at some point, and even if his badge gets reinstated, he's going to struggle with his place in the world. And a lot of Outsider Detective stories where the detective is a cop or an FBI agent are intensely political, and not in a conservative way- they have Things To Say about small towns, clannishness, and the injustice that can happen when a Pillar Of The Community does something wrong and everyone looks the other way. (Think Twin Peaks or The Wicker Man.)

Does this mean Insider Detective Stories are Bad Copaganda and Outsider Detective Stories are Good Revolutionary Stories? No. If you take one thing away from this post, please make it that these categories are morally neutral. There are Outsider Detective stories about cops who are Outsiders because they really, really want an excuse to shoot people. There are Insider Detective stories about little old people who are trying to keep misapplied justice from hurting the kids in their community. Neither of these types of stories are good or bad on their own. They're different kinds of storytelling framework and they serve different purposes.

But, if you find yourself really gravitating to certain kinds of mysteries and really put off by other kinds, and you're trying to express why, this might be a framework that's useful for you. If your gender is Boy Detective, but you absolutely loathe cop stories? This might be why.

(PS: @anim-ttrpgs was posting about their game Eureka again, and that got me to make this post- thank them if you're happy to finally see it. Eureka is designed as an Outsider Detective simulator, and so the rules actively forbid you from playing as a cop- they're trying to make it so that you have limited resources and have to rely on your own competence. It's a fantastic looking game and I can't recommend it enough.)

(PPS: I'm probably going to come back to this once I finish Psycho-Pass with my partner, because they said I'd probably have Thoughts.)

(PPPS: Encyclopedia Brown is an Insider Detective, and that's why no one likes him. This is my most controversial detective take.)

[my-current-hyperfixation]

ok if u want like endless refreshing beverages that are basically free like, just buying a bit of mint and putting it in ice water is truly a game changer.  started doing this yesterday and i feel noticeably more hydrated altho its kinda chicken/egg because im probably drinking more water because it tastes better.  anyhow, i feel like this is a good thing to give guests if you are entertaining guests too.  

also this isn’t my house its an air bnb so don’t judge the decor i would def put floral wallpaper up if i had weird protruding things on my walls like this and i certainly wouldnt waste time and money framing a picture

[my-current-hyperfixation]

gay as fuck to be part of a mystery solving duo. this is your partner? okay homo

[my-current-hyperfixation]

This might be a longshot, but does anyone maybe have a Death Becomes Her boot that they might want to share?

[my-current-hyperfixation]

If anyone has the Death Becomes Her slime tutorial please please please share it with me!

[my-current-hyperfixation]

does anyone have a death becomes her slime tutorial please please please please i just watched the movie yesterday and from the clips ive seen from the musical i need it now

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[my-current-hyperfixation]

Does anyone have any really good captain underpants fanfic recommendations where krupp finds out he's captain underpants or they both turned into two separated people somehow? I really want to read something like that.

[my-current-hyperfixation]

ok so i’m trying to find this fic i read forever ago on ao3- its destiel and dean is a ghost haunting his old house and cas is a relator trying to sell said house. Dean does all he can to keep the house from being bought like slamming doors and stuff and cas can 100% see and hear him. Dean doesnt know that cas can see and hear him so he makes flirty remarks and stuff and then cas confesses that he can see/hear him and then cas buys the house. The ending is that dean isnt really dead and is actually just in a coma. Please help bro i loved that fic!!

[my-current-hyperfixation]

"Hey, can you guys watch my boss for me real quick?"

[my-current-hyperfixation]

who are you... and can you finish this?

[my-current-hyperfixation]

who are you... and can you finish this?

[my-current-hyperfixation]

who are you... and can you finish this?

[my-current-hyperfixation]

So the differences between Innies and Outies seems to be that a lack of understanding of the outside world leads to the innie having a much higher confidence and greater ability to push themselves, though also gives them something of a childlike innocence once isolated by what the world expects of them. In addition, the severed person on the outside seems to often be trapped in a miserable circumstance and gladly looks forward to checking out from his or her own consciousness, often at the expense of their own outside relationships, with large gaps in their memory on both end as a result of the procedure.

With that all in mind, this is a primary example of a severed person:

[my-current-hyperfixation]

who are you... and can you finish this?

[my-current-hyperfixation]

The Mixtape™️ Journey

As some of you may or may not know I have successfully produced a fairly accurate recreation of The Mixtape. I have been blogging about my journey along the way but I wanted to make one post describing my process so that if someone wanted to they could make their own tape. 

I knew when I started this that I wanted to record actual music on to my mixtape.  So one of the first things I did was make a playlist of 13 Led Zepplin songs.  I did a lot of research to make this playlist. You are free to use it on your own tape if you want. If you want to make your own playlist though let me describe my thought process.  

I knew nothing about mixtapes before starting this project. So I did a lot of research about mixtapes and learned a few things.  One the songs should fill the entire tape with little to no blank space. This is a lot harder then it sounds. I found it especially frustrating with Led Zepplin songs because many of their songs are quite long. I also had decided to use a 60 min tape because they hold up to wear longer than a 90 min tape. Meaning if Dean wanted this tape to last he probably used a 60 min tape. Also, a 90 min tape is a little long to hold only 13 songs.  Two the order of the songs is very important. I looked at songs that were known to be Deans favorites and songs that had been mentioned on the show first. Then I looked up several lists of what are considered the best Led Zepplin songs. I tried to pick songs both with the meaning I wanted to convey and what I thought Dean might consider his “top 13 Zepp Traxx)  Then it was a lot of trial and error to get the songs to flow and get the time just right to fit on a tape. Remeber a tape has two sides so it’s a little like making two playlists. Side A of my tape is about Dean telling Cas some things about himself. Side B is about what Dean wants to have with Cas. 

dean s top 13 zepp tra xx

Side A

Good Times Bad Times - 2:46 -“In the days of my youth, I was told what it was to be a man”- Dean was told to only look for love in certain places. Now that he is older he realizes that that isn’t going to work for him.

Rock And Roll - 3:40 -“I can’t count the tears of a life with no love” - Life has been hard for Dean. Especially without someone to share it with.

Going To California - 3:32 - “Telling myself it’s not as hard, hard, hard as it seems” - 

Ramble On - 4:23 - Dean’s Favorite - “I gotta keep-a-searchin’ for my baby” “Oh, I can’t find my blue bird” - Keep looking for that special someone.

Nobody’s Fault But Mine - 6:28 - Mentioned by Dean in episode 4.14 - “Gonna change my ways tonight, Nobody’s fault but mine” - If Dean doesn’t change and grow he will always be alone.

Friends - 3:52 - “So anytime somebody needs you, don’t let them down, although it grieves you, Someday you’ll need someone like they do, looking for what you knew.”- Plant describes this song as a “Massive Argument” with a friend. Let’s call it season 4 or the early days of Dean and Castiel’s friendship.

Over the Hills and Far Away - 4:50 - “Many times I’ve lied, and many times I’ve listened; Many times I’ve wondered how much there is to know” - Dean is ready to move on from his romantic past.

Side B

Houses of The Holy - 4:02 - The title of episode 2.13 - “There’s an angel on my shoulder, in my hand a sword of gold; Let me wander in your garden and the seeds of love I’ll sow you know” - There is an angel on Dean’s shoulder that has a garden Dean wants to wander in.

Kashmir - 8:28 - “Let me take you there; Come on, oh let me take you there” - Dean wants Cas to join him on hunts, in his travels, and just be a part of his life.

Travelling Riverside Blues - 5:11 - Dean’s Favorite - “I’m goin’ to Rosedale, Take my rider by side” - Dean want’s Cas to stay by his side and join him in bed.

D’yer Mak’er - 4:21 - “You hurt me to my soul oh, oh Darling please don’t go” -Dean is frustrated by Cas leaving all the time and not staying.

Communication Breakdown - 2:28 - “Communication Breakdown, It’s always the same, I’m having a nervous breakdown, Drive me Insane!” - Most of Dean and Castiel’s problems are due to miscommunication.

Whole Lotta Love - 5:33 - “I’m gonna give ya every inch of my love” - Dean wants to give Cas every inch of his *cough* love.

Total: 59:56

The next thing I did for this project was order tapes off of ebay. Basically, the tape that Dean chooses to use is a tape that was produced in the 80s and isn’t made anymore. So if you want a tape that looks the same you have to order new/old stock off of ebay. This ran me about $7-$10 per tape. The two main tapes that I found that look like the mixtape are  BASF 60 Ferro Extra I and BASF 60 CR-E II. One is a type one tape and one is a type two tape. You can read more about this here.  Basically the type I is a little easier to record on but the type II, if it works with your recorder, has a higher sound quality.  

After my tapes arrived I had to clean off the original labels so I could put on my own. 

I did this by soaking strips of paper towel in white vinegar and carefully soak the labels off. I had to repeat to repeat this several times to get all of the old glue and paper off. I also used a credit card to scrape off some of the leftover glue.

I recorded music on my tapes by purchasing a tape recorder off of amazon. I used this one.  And a male to male stereo cable. This way I could plug one end into my computer’s audio port and the other end into the tape recorder’s microphone port so that I could record music off of my computer on to the tapes. I used Spotify. I know this is not how Dean did this but I do not have his level of experience with tapes to be able to do this the way Dean probably did. (which is much harder) 

The labels I made by tracing. Since I had the actual tapes I knew how big the labels should be so taking a screenshot of The Mixtape I adjusted the label to life size and adjusted the perspective. I printed this out and use it to trace Deans handwriting and transferred it on to sticker paper that I used to make labels. I could not find any blank cassette labels online so I made them completely from scratch. The label on The Mixtape is about 3.4″x 0.5″. 

The finished product: