spikylotuscosplay - Tumblr blog

[spikylotuscosplay]

I’ll tell you what, I’ll be here in 100 133 years’ time. If you’re here then too, it’ll be because we’re friends. No other reason, right?

[spikylotuscosplay]

Heartstopper is different because it takes pleasure seriously

Since I watched Heartstopper, I've been trying to figure out what about it made it feel so different from other stories similar to it. When you just describe the plot of it, it sounds like something straight (har har) out of Glee or Sex Education or Elite or SKAM or Skins or Degrassi, or...you get my point.

But it felt so different to me, and I realized yesterday what it was. Hearstopper takes the pleasures of queer romance and eroticism as seriously as it takes the pains of it. By which I mean, it gives an incredible amount of screen time to the excitement of it, the thrill of it, the visceral good feelings of it. Pleasure drives Heartstopper, in a way that is still incredibly unusual in mainstream queer media.

In most other stories like this, the pain and the angst and the ambivalence and the negative social ramifications of the premise take up like 90-95% of the screen time. The pleasure aspect typically exists as minimally as possible to catalyze all the negative or difficult parts that are the 'real' story. And while Heartstopper doesn't shy away from those things, it gives a roughly equal amount of narrative and screen time to the two leads getting a lot of pleasure out of their relationship, too. The amount of time the show invests in showing Nick and Charlie enjoying each other romantically -- throughout the story, not just at the very end -- is just absolutely decadent (and I mean that 100% positively).

The first kiss is a perfect example. In any other TV version of this story, the boys would have kissed that first time for less than 2 seconds, and then IMMEDIATELY been interrupted by the other boys. Instead, Heartstopper lets them kiss once, take a breath, and then have a second, very extended kiss enhanced by animated embellishments designed to emphasize just how incredibly enjoyable this is for them...before finally disrupting it again with Plot™.

And the amazing thing is, from a pure narrative standpoint, you don't need the second kiss. It's completely unnecessary to the plot. You could completely eliminate it and the plot would hold together exactly the same. The second kiss is there exclusively to emphasize the intense pleasure of this experience for them. That's all it does.

Heartstopper is serious about foregrounding pleasure, and how important pleasure is in all of this. Which frankly, is a thing you usually only ever see in romance novels and fanfic.

***

One of the reasons I was hesitant to watch this show initially is because I have limited tolerance for coming out stories that are so focused on the unappealing parts of the experience. It's not that those things don't MATTER. But there is such a cultural allergy to making the pleasures of the experience a serious focus, particularly (yes I'm going to say it) the sexual pleasures of it.

Hearstopper, blissfully, refuses to shy away from pleasure, and from making it important.

It's not just that my tolerance for queer pain in media is limited (although admittedly that's true). I also grow so weary of popular culture treating queerness as mostly a political identity upon which we simply moralize about tolerance, and engage in self congratulatory yarns about ~being yourself~ and loving yourself. It's not that I think any of those things is BAD. But a) I've seen that story many times before and b) there's an ENORMOUS piece of this experience that we're still mostly skirting around the edges of because we're still very chickenshit about it, to be perfectly frank.

We, as a culture, are still scared as fuck to really say, very bluntly: queerness feels fucking good.

In the midst of this, Heartstopper does something wondrous. It says to the audience, in no uncertain terms: Queerness feels fucking good...so, let's spend some time actually talking about THAT for a while.

[spikylotuscosplay]

covered in the colours of youuuu <3 <3

quick Nick and Charlie bc heartstopper brainrot @chronicintrovert

[spikylotuscosplay]

Shout out to Charlie Spring for being gay and good at math like fuck yeah babes do the impossible

[spikylotuscosplay]

#tori “the sneak” spring

[spikylotuscosplay]

#nick’s bisexual journey

[spikylotuscosplay]

me checking in on my mutuals every day:

[spikylotuscosplay]

female awesome meme: [5/10] LGBTQ+ characters → Elle Argent

I was really scared no one would like me, so… I didn’t even try talking to people at first. But then I realized I actually needed to put myself out there or I’d just be alone.

[spikylotuscosplay]

HEARTSTOPPER S1 | NICK & CHARLIE

[spikylotuscosplay]

What are you doing?

Recharging.

[spikylotuscosplay]

the photobooth photos ♡

[spikylotuscosplay]

The horror elements will return soon. I just wanted to properly establish their relationship before stuff really start happening. No manipulation, no fear.

Every time music is involved someone always asks what they’re listening to. I can’t tell you exactly what Hank is dancing to, but he likes old school rock (and things that sound like it) and country. I always make a playlist for my different stories that put me in the right mood and that’s all that’s on there.

Also, if you’re only here for Red Prism I reblog all the posts here Link

And as always, if you like this comic please like, reblog or tell me your thoughts. It motivates me a lot.

[spikylotuscosplay]

Just a bit of fun this time. Traveling with a vampire isn’t all doom, gloom and murder. Sometimes it’s a threesome that ends in young people questioning reality and their own senses.

If you’re wondering why she keeps her bra on it’s because illegal nipples. I do have the original uncensored version though in case I turn it into a book some day.

You can read all the chapters in this series here LINK

[spikylotuscosplay]

May 16 1919 Invalides - Court of Honour, The military medal is awarded to the 1st Senegalese Tirailleurs Regiment (1er RTS)

16/5/19, remise de la fourragère au 1er Sénégalais [aux Invalides] : [photographie de presse] / [Agence Rol]

16/5/19, aux Invalides, M. [Henry] Simon [ministre des Colonies] remet la fourragère au drapeau du 1er Sénégalais : [photographie de presse] / [Agence Rol]

Colourized by Memento

107296, 128756, more images

[spikylotuscosplay]

[spikylotuscosplay]

Hello everyone, sorry for the nonexistent #post. Here is a late #Halloween post of my latest #dress as well as some of the the #accessories of which I #altered. I may have used the dress as a #costume. This #picture is in no way a #comment on #lolitafashion vs costume. I will have a #proper #coord as soon as I get the right accessories. Photo credit for full length picture: @jayde_nicole_ Tags: #gayartist #gaydesigner #witch #cats https://www.instagram.com/p/CHRpt9FlcKJ/?igshid=16ckexe2rno2a