sodapopper

[sodapopper]

An actual picture of me describing The Outsiders:

I fear my perception of the overall plot of The Outsiders is drastically skewed by the fact that I’m convinced Darry and Soda are the main characters. Like, all that “stay gold” church stuff? Not important. The part where they reunite in the hospital? That’s the story

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Happy Father’s Day, Darry Curtis

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Curtis brothers art for the love of my life @too-damn-good-for-growing-old 🥰

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I’m not exclusive, since I do enjoy the musical as a beautiful and quality piece of artistry, and I adore the friends I’ve made in that community. But to me personally, I definitely think the book is the best iteration of the story and the only canon I have much interest in exploring.

speaking of avoiding the musical !!! can you recommend some blogs on here who post about the book/movie only?

Oh god that’s hard, especially because one

1. Current level of activity

2. Most of the others I know lean heavy book/movie but aren’t exclusive

Really I need to reach out and talk more but I feel like there’s at least 4 group chats and I’m in none of them lmao. Also please don’t take this as hate! I know a lot of people who read my stuff enjoy both and I don’t want to alienate those who do! But if you lean heavy book/ movie and I didn’t tag you do rb or comment so more people can find you! And if you are tagged and don’t want to be let me know 😅

Those who lean off the top of my head :

@your-unfriendlyghost

@curtis-brothers-hug

@tuff-ponyboy

@veggiesforpresident

@sodapopper

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pony who cannot park for SHIT n everytime he drives with Soda he forces him to get out n switch places so he can park instead. however. pony is literally the only person who thinks soda can park.

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Sodapop!!

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Thinking about that Brody interview where he talked about Ponyboy in That Was Then This is Now and also that Jason interview where he quoted the infamous “stayers and goers” line from Tex and how it informs his performance. Thinking about how cool it is that they didn’t just read the source material but Hinton’s other works too. Thinking about how since THEY did it YOU SHOULD TOO

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I love your outsiders art!! Leather jacket Darry is soooo good, he looks exactly how i imagine! Do you do commissions?

Hey lovely!! You’re making me blush ☺️🫶 My art is driven almost entirely by whim, so I rarely do commissions, but you’re still welcome to make art requests! One of them might strike my fancy, who knows ✨

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I’m a firm believer that Darry owns a leather jacket.

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I love you outsiders fandom. I love you artists who draw the musical cast so beautifully and capture the joy they radiate. I love you artists who draw book accurate characters and remind me how dorky dally truly is. I love you writers who write those fics that break my heart. I love you writers who write those fics I keep going back to when I need a pick me up. I love you update accounts that tell me all the fun tidbits about the musical I'll never get to see. I love you musical fans who come out of the show covered in gravel and blood like you just rumbled yourself. I love you book fans who underline the text and have quotes written on your walls. I love you movie fans who fell in love with a silly little movie and all its 80s glory. I love you tv show fans who suffer through the VHS copy uploaded on youtube.

I love you fans who were forced to read the book over a decade ago, only to discover a character that made you feel understood in a way you didn't know was possible. I love you fans who stumbled upon a musical that had lyrics that spoke to a part of you that you thought life had snuffed out. I love this book that has been around longer than most of us have been alive, and yet we get to exist in this space together, writing stories and creating art and analyzing lyrics and watching performances that make us cry. I love being here with all of you.

I love you, outsiders fandom.

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Actually, I wouldn’t call them a found family. And considering 3/7 are literal family too, but I think in the very traditional sense they sort of are but the word’s been used so much it’s lost in meaning.

The perfect term is used by Ponyboy himself in the very first chapter, they’re a gang. Not a traditional one, even by Tulsa standards, it’s always been a group of good buddies more than anything organized. They’re a tight knit friend group that grew up together and depends on each other and I don’t think we should take away from that or try to re-name it.

I think the coining of ‘found family’ has inadvertently taken away from the power of friendship— it sounds cheesy but there are deep, lifelong bonds from simply a childhood friend/friend group. Added to the fact that ‘found family’ is so often misused and misinterpreted to add actual family dynamics or anti dating sentiment when that is not what it is about.

Besides being a gang another way Pony expresses the gang is ‘like brothers’. This is a term to refer to male friendships that are incredibly close and typically life long, the kind of relationship that can weather and fare far more than a typical friendship. (Like how siblings ‘have’ to forgive or work things out). Like found family people have been misinterpreting this to be much more literal and again weirdly anti dating— instead of its actual use to express closeness.

The thing about the gang is how close they are, how they aren’t even the primary people they’ll hang out with. The boys have lives of their own and more friends and family beyond each other but are always there and pick up where they left off. It’s not spoken but understood, you stick together… not to mention the views of loyalty half the gang hold. Ough

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Okay. Hmm. I hear you with the “Soda and addiction” headcanons because on a surface level, I get where folks are coming from. He’s an adrenaline junkie, the world is loud and overwhelming, he finds ways to drown it out. I see what’s happening with those headcanons. I sort of get the vision.

But I feel like everything we learn about him in canon directly contradicts the idea of an addictive Soda.

He doesn’t drink. (I know people theorize Ponyboy is wrong about this, but listen, we have to believe the kid sometimes or the entire concept of canon becomes a joke.) He rarely ever smokes. He stays out of fights to protect Darry’s custody. He keeps a steady job. He’s faithful to his girlfriend and has a longterm goal to settle down with her—and canon implies they were having little, if any, sex.

For being flighty and easily distracted, Soda actually seems comparatively responsible, at least when paired against most of the guys in his circle—and if you’re not willing to believe Ponyboy’s narration, I think Darry’s trust in Soda is the biggest proof of this. These guys “know the score” and living recklessly isn’t just a matter of personal lifestyle, it’s something that directly affects their family. Soda is aware of this and the repercussions his actions have on Darry’s custody, and I simply can’t believe he’s out there living the Two-Bit life behind his brothers’ backs.

NOT TO SAY he’s living responsibly, because, well, he’s still Soda. But there’s a measure of awareness and self control that I don’t think we give him credit for having.

Pinning Soda as the addictive brother is ironic to me when PONYBOY MICHAEL CURTIS IS RIGHT THERE. The kid who eats handfuls of aspirin. Who can’t live without pepsi. Who chainsmokes at 14.

One of the Curtis boys has an addictive personality, and it ain’t Soda.

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Someone reunite that boy with his horse asap

Reference below the cut!

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Sweet dreams, Darry Curtis

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Soda and Sandy are that one blond couple that everyone awkwardly mistakes for siblings

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Stoppp that’s so kind, thank you for the shoutout 🥹

(Ornery Pony for those interested!)

I'm crying at 9am over the McCormick brothers again guys I'm BEGGING YOU to go read Ornery Pony by @sodapopper right neowwww

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POV: You’re Ponyboy Curtis and your big brothers are judging your choice in friends

Curly and Mark never stood a chance. Meanwhile on the other side of town, Steve Randle feels the hair on the back of his neck prickle.