shangyang

[shangyang]

would you let him in

[shangyang]

anti montage theory where each shot has no relation to the shots preceding or after and the cutaway is just kinda a coincidence

[shangyang]

Your panel was really good!

thank you so much!!! i’m so glad you came!

[shangyang]

i had two perverts advising me at all times

[shangyang]

hello writers.

[shangyang]

let's talk about fic

buckle up boyos, this one's long AND rambly. there's a TLDR at the very end for those of you who don't wanna read all this, but still wanna get my main point. you can scroll to that.

i feel compelled to talk about this, if only because my timeline has been an insane back and forth whiplash between people (rightfully!) lauding and praising a piece of fanfiction, and the ongoing discourse in fandom regarding the complete and total lack of respect fic and fic authors are given (which has been amplified, seemingly, as of late.)

WRITING IS ART. WRITING-IS-FUCKING-ART. writing is a craft honed over years. some people are more naturally skilled, others must work a bit harder at it. some people have no skill with it, but continue to do it nonetheless. but regardless, writing is an art because what writing seeks to do is connect people on an emotional level. can we acknowledge that? that writing is art? in the "real world" (as in, not the online, fan-run spaces), writing is so much of an artform that there are innumerable different internationally recognized awards for it: the Hugo awards. the Nobel prizes. booker awards. Pulitzer prizes. the list goes on and on and on.

the ability to write is a skill - just like the ability to draw. both are ones that are honed more by the intake of other works of art, and ones that are honed through a sort of stylistic cannibalism. i cannot name an artist or writer whose style is not, in some way, inspired by hundreds of other artists and writers that drew and wrote before them. when you look at a renaissance painting in a museum, you are looking at a life's worth of blood, sweat, tears, and study. when you pick up a copy of that latest, greatest many-times-over acclaimed novel, you are ALSO looking at a life's worth of blood, sweat, tears, and study. rome wasn't built in a day. and the parable of the sower certainly didn't spring, fully formed, from Octavia Butler's head one day. that's just not how these things work.

but let's move away from the art definition. i don't believe that anyone reading this would deny that the examples I've listed - those legitimized by their status as published and acclaimed works in their respective artistries - cannot be considered works of art worthy of both respect and praise. but let's talk about fanworks, instead.

i think there's a kind of disrespect baked in to the idea of being a fan artist and fan writer: ultimately, in the "real world" fanworks are always disrespected once they breach containment, so to speak. it's in both the little and big ways: the ways actors and writers attached to a beloved IP might react when confronted with fanfiction written about them (looking at YOU, Jensen Ackles), or even the way your parents might have reacted when they found out that, in fact, you were reading and writing fanfiction on the family computer instead of doing the Kumon exercises you were supposed to be doing. there's a de-legitimacy assigned to the simple act of playing in a sandbox that's not yours, and a kind of ridicule heaped upon you for daring to step into it. i know we all understand it - if you create OR consume fanworks, you have lived through this experience before.

but make no mistake: there is a difference in the way fanfic and fanart is treated in fandom, especially today. i really can't speak to why - i can only make my own, biased guesses: art is viewed as something people either can or can't do - so it becomes almost divinely ordained, in a way - meanwhile a lot of people look at a piece of fanfiction and think "WELL, I CAN DO THAT TOO," since in some paradoxical sense, writing is viewed as the easier of the artforms, not instead as an equally as challenging one. but i also think the legitimacy conferred to fanart in fan spaces has as much to do with all that as it does the fact that fanart is PROFITABLE, and fanfiction is…not so much. or, at least, when fanfiction DOES become profitable, it does so at the risk of turning the writer into an object of ridicule both within fan communities and outside of them, in the "real world." that containment breach is nothing to laugh at, folks.

when i say this, i think a lot about conventions, commissions, and portfolios. you can get a job as a concept artist, a storyboarder, and any other number of art-related jobs within the creative field by drawing fan art. storyboarders who create fan animatics prove that they have a keen eye for movement and dynamic shot composition. fanartists with enough skill can be hired to do splashes and spreads for gacha games, comic book covers, or even social media advertising posts. and most of all, fan artists have the ability to commercialize their fanart through the creation of merch: prints, charms - the whole shebang. it's an awesome way for artists to capitalize off a skill they've spent decades honing, while also getting to create more art for the shows, books, and comics that they love. i LOVE conventions. i love seeing fanmerch for my favorite shows. i love getting to see how happy artists are to make those kinds of connections - but i also think that ability to profit and profit without severe risk of judgement from outsiders (so to speak; and this is not to erase the fact that anime conventions and other "nerdy" fan gatherings are still the subject of ridicule outside of those who enjoy them) has a tendency to legitimize fanart and fanartists more than fanfiction writers. there is a clear value to the time that artists spend on their fanworks. no such clear value assignment exists for fic writers, who live and die instead by the attention economy, and the often quite fickle whims of the readers who fuel it.

if a fanfic is written, it is done for free. and often only in the writer's free time. there is very little chance that a fic writer can capitalize off of their love of a fandom - even slimmer of a chance that they can make a career of it. while the creation of fanart can also sometimes toe the murky line of legality, the creation of fanworks explicitly for profit is much more of a risky endeavor. look up the anne rice lawsuits, and read up on AO3's reasons for creation, as well as what the site's parent org, Organization for Transformative Works does - all 3 searches should give you a decent idea as to why the idea of profiting off of fanfiction is taboo, and often akin to courting some kind of lawsuit. not to mention, to profit off of your fanfiction can often mean losing the ability to post on ao3 at all, as the archive's TOS forbids conducting "any commercial activity" on the website. selling of fanfiction published on it included.

all of this is a long winded way of getting to the main point: if you enjoy fandom, if you love it and you love participating in it, actively and passively, you had better SHUT UP about fanfiction writers. fanfic writers are the backbone of a community - one of the oldest recorded fandoms, the Trekkies, organized and brought fanworks to the modern age through the creation of handmade zines - many of which contained primarily fanfiction about kirk and spock. (thank you trek grannies) but more than that, regardless of skill level, competence, or even general coherence of plot, you ought to respect the fact that fanfiction is created - for free - as a labor of love, same as we do for fan artists.

i understand the kneejerk reaction to paint fanfiction as "junk food," and something unrefined and sloppy. but the thing is, that's not the case for all fanfiction. there is fanfiction that people have plotted and carefully planned, written with more eloquence and skill than authors legitimately published today. but there are also hobbyists who just throw words on the doc and call it a day. both are legitimate. but we don't see people calling hobbyist fanartists work "junk food" and "slop." we respect that the artists do this for fun, and in their own free time. why is fanfiction and the writers behind it not afforded the same, basic dignity and understanding?

if you want to exist in a fandom where no writing is created, fine. keep talking the way you do - keep pushing writers away, and discouraging new, young fans from dipping their toes into fanfiction writing. but in doing so, you cut fandom off at the knees. there's some saying about bridges, and how they can't stand while halved and, well, it applies here. you can't have fandom with just artists. and you sure as hell can't have fandom that's just made up of sour-mouthed assholes who have no other contributions to the community other than lip service and other, worthless bullshit. fandom exists because writers, artists, and observers come together to create it.

a tldr for those of you who don't want to read all that: unless you wanna start making your own damn food, shut the fuck up and get out of the kitchen. for all that you mouth off about how bad fic is, i don't see you writing it! so either do it yourself, or shut up, exit the page, and find something better to do with your clear overabundance of time. maybe get a job. or touch grass. i don't know. but stop making your lack of creativity fanfic writers' problems.

[shangyang]

sickens me to my stomach. how dare this guy get to live my dream.

[shangyang]

great minds think of dykes

[shangyang]

[shangyang]

the one who understands full version

[shangyang]

Help a Family in Need

I am reaching out on behalf of my dear friend, Mohamad S., who is facing one of the most challenging times of his life. Mohamad is 37 years old and left his homeland in 2015 in search of a safer and better future. He’s a kind, hardworking man, and his small family has always been his greatest priority.

Living abroad, Mohamad has recently endured unimaginable loss and financial strain. Amidst the ongoing conflict in his homeland, his mother passed away, leaving behind his sister and her five young children—the last remaining members of his immediate family.

As the situation worsened, Mohamad managed to help his sister and her children escape to safety in Egypt, covering their immediate needs and securing a temporary refuge for them. Since then, he has been fully responsible for providing everything they need to survive during this transition.

In his efforts to support his family and cope with this devastating loss, Mohamad has found himself deeply in debt. To make matters even more difficult, he recently underwent knee surgery, which limits his ability to return to work for the foreseeable future. This has made it even harder for him to manage his financial responsibilities and the pressing need to provide his family with a stable future.

Mohamad is now working to bring his sister and her five children to join him in Belgium, where he hopes they can find stability and opportunity after all they’ve endured. This transition, however, requires significant resources that he is currently unable to meet alone.

For privacy reasons, we are not sharing Mohamad’s full name, as he has chosen to keep his identity discreet. While he initially refused the idea of asking for help, I couldn’t stand by and watch him struggle alone. I insisted on doing this for him because he deserves a chance to overcome these challenges.

Your contribution will help Mohamad repay the debt incurred during this difficult time, cover ongoing living expenses for his family, and assist with the costs involved in bringing them safely to Belgium.

Mohamad has been a good friend of mine for years, and I’ve always admired his resilience and generosity. Any support, no matter the size, will make an incredible difference in helping Mohamad and his family rebuild their lives after these painful experiences.

Thank you for reading his story and considering helping a man who has always done everything he can for his loved ones.

Adam

✅ Vetted by Association: @bilal-salah0

Donate & share: Donation Link

[shangyang]

[shangyang]

USA people! Buy NOTHING Feb 28 2025. Not anything. 24 hours. No spending. Buy the day before or after but nothing. NOTHING. February 28 2025. Not gas. Not milk. Not something on a gaming app. Not a penny spent. (Only option in a crisis is local small mom and pop. Nothing. Else.) Promise me. Commit. 1 day. 1 day to scare the shit out of them that they don't get to follow the bullshit executive orders. They don't get to be cowards. If they do, it costs. It costs.

Then, if you can join me for Phase 2. March 7 2025 thtough March 14 2025? No Amazon. None. 1 week. No orders. Not a single item. Not one ebook. Nothing. 1 week. Just 1.

If you live outside the USA boycott US products on February 28 2025 and stand in solidarity with us and also join us for the week of no Amazon.

Are you with me?

Spread the word.

[shangyang]

to the one anon who asked me to talk about academic elitism/how elitism manifests in jayce and viktor's arcs in arcane - i am so sorry its taking me literally 3 months to give you an answer. but unfortunately for us all. when you get me going i don't stop. and so the post is getting insanely long. that's why it's taking me a while.

[shangyang]

CHAPPEL ROAN accepting her Best New Artist, at the 67th GRAMMY Awards

"I told myself if I ever won a Grammy and I got to stand here in front of the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels in the industry, profiting millions of dollars off of artists is: if you would offer a livable wage and health care, ESPECIALLY to developing artists."

[shangyang]

OH TO BE ALIVE IN CHAPPELL ROAN’S ERA!!! MY GIRL!!! SHE WON!!

[shangyang]

grips them so hard they explode into a quadrillion atoms again