#<- i guess. but also they'd do this non-romantically too let's be real. but i know what my intention was

[funkyjunkyfangz]

POV you get sold to dethklok!!

original under the cut

the shitty ifunny logo really does it huh

[dangerliesbeforeyou]

ok so now i've had some time to process sanditon series 2, i realise that one of my biggest issues with it (& a lot of other films/tv shows that have come out recently) is the way the characters aren't really treated like individuals, but rather just as ways in which to move the plot forward...

the characters in sandition are irrational in their motivations, which makes for an exhausting watching experience because you're constantly trying to second guess why characters are doing what they're doing... and i think the most annoying example of this is colbourne (charlotte's new love interest after the show hilarious killed off her last one, which i'm not complaining about cos sidney fucking sucked imo). he's an interesting enough character, jaded by the loss of his wife and withdrawn from society. he's also kinda got that 90s film trope of 'working dad who doesn't have time to play with his kids' going on which i actually really liked & thought was handled reasonably well (though, a lot of his development in this happened off screen), but my issues come down to how they write his relationship w/ charlotte...

almost immediately after he's rude to her he realises he made a mistake, apologises, and she becomes a governess for his kids. and then it happens again, and again, and again and... there's no real way of knowing WHY he constantly flip flops between being nice to charlotte and being cruel to her... and i think that fundamentally this comes down to the writers wanting to create drama, but forgetting that it doesn't make sense for any person to act like that...

even characters that have a lot of emotional shit going on have consistency in their motivations, even if that consistency IS inconsistent emotions lol, but there's never a point when you feel like this guy is allowed to have believable emotions because the plot needs him to be aloof again so ... he's aloof again i guess???

and the most annoying this is that charlotte is our main character, but it honestly feels like the writers are determined to just... not give her a happy ending because they'd rather have a dramatic cliff-hanger or something???

and like, colbourne isn't the only one guilty of having just really poorly written character moments... tom parker's whole thing this series is 'he's bad at making decisions, doesn't listen to his brother, lies to his wife and gets them into debt' which, like, is the exact same issues he had in the first series lol. and rather than the writers letting him grow this series, he was forced to be incompetent because that's what the plot called for... and i think this COULD have been interesting, since they set up the whole 'tom doesn't respect arthur's opinion' thing early in the series and it could have lead nicely into a satisfying arc for tom AND arthur... (there are a lot of other examples in this series too, btw, but i think you get the picture lol...)

and it's not like i expect cheesy romantic period dramas to have flawless character studies or whatnot, but given how much jane austen devoted her craft to writing the most memorable and interesting characters that are still beloved today, it's frustrating that the writers of sanditon seem unable to honour this at all...

(a side note, i think that this series also amplifies my problems with recent period dramas (& other romantic dramas) thinking all non-verbal communication like hand brushing, eye contact, dancing, kissing, etc is objectively better than solid communication... this kinda thing only works in CONJUNCTION with characters talking to each other... it's why i really loved esther and babington's story in the first series! there wasn't a whole tonne of it, unfortunately, and it did feel a lil rushed, but the writers made sure to include moments of looks/touches, as well as having both characters talk to each other and laugh with one another, which helps make their whole dynamic more believable...

i kinda wish sanditon followed more of a bridgerton structure (which, yes, i know, the first series of sanditon came out before the first series of bridgerton shhh) in having a different focus character for each series... series 1 would have been perfect as an esther focused series, showcasing her toxic relationship with her brother, her lack of self worth because of that, and allowed for us to have more time with her and babington because they're so CUTE lol!! and i think series 2 would have been good as a charlotte focused series since she really came more into her own this series (as much as the writers let her though smh...)... & this would have lead nicely into series 3 following georgiana as a main character to find her mother & also gain her independence away from dickheads who try to control her... but alas they didn't do this, so we're stuck with a bit of a mess lol...)

[hellomynameisbisexual]

What's biphobia? Isn't that just watered down homophobia? Don't bi people have it slightly easier since they can "pass" as straight if they want to?

As a bi person who writes about bi issues, I get this question a lot. The answer, in short, is no. Biphobia is not just "watered down homophobia". To say so is... you guessed it... biphobic.

Biphobia is related to the term homophobia, in the sense that both refer to fear-based bigotry toward non-straight people, but they are not synonyms. Homophobia, in modern usage, has come to refer not only to stigma against gay people but against same sex relationships in general (which does include bi people). Bi people, who often are in same sex relationships, are thus victims of homophobic bigotry all the time. Biphobia, however, is a term that was coined by bisexual activists to describe specific kinds of bigotry unique to the bisexual experience.

This means bi people can be victims of homophobia AND biphobia. Bi folks experience the same homophobic insults and attacks, the same risk of being disowned by our parents, fired from our jobs, or even threatened with violence for not being expressing our attraction to the same gender. In addition to all of this, society also subjects us to additional stigmas that are unique to bisexuality. Here are a few;

Bi people can experience discrimination from WITHIN the LGBT community.

When gay people come out, they can at least seek the safe space of LGBT circles, but bi people are often ridiculed and made to feel unwelcome even within LGBT spaces. This is due to biphobic attitudes held, unfortunately, even by some gay people. It's a very common (and sad) story. Bi people reach out to "Lesbian and Gay centers" or to "Gay/ Straight alliances", only to be told they don't "qualify" or worse yet - that they are in denial or lying about their sexuality. Stop to think for a minute how devastating it could be for a person to finally get up the courage to come out and be honest about their sexual orientation - only to be rejected by the very communities that claim to be safe spaces for such people.

Bi people can be rejected by potential partners SIMPLY due to our sexual orientation.

Straight and gay people, of course, experience romantic rejection as well. But straight people aren't turned down by potential partners of the opposite sex simply for being straight. Similarly, gay people aren't turned down by partners of the same sex simply for being gay. It is all too common for bi people to be rejected by partners of either sex simply because we are bi. For a lot of people, bisexuality is a deal breaker when it comes to dating. This can be due to false and unfair stereotypes about bi people being confused or disloyal, or it can even be because some claim to find bi people "gross".

I myself have had both men and women turn me down as a potential mate simply because they were icked out by the thought of me having had sexual relations with one or another sex in the past. That is so ridiculous. I mean, even if women aren't you thing, guys, it's not like I haven't showered since. And ladies, just the fact that I've been with fellas doesn't mean I'm any "less of a man". Statements like this, made bluntly to a first date's face, are beyond the pale. If someone is truly this bigoted, I sure wish they'd be polite, keep it to themselves, and do the fade away like a normal civilized person.

Bi people have to come out over and over and OVER again, throughout our entire lives.

This is another problem unique to biphobia, one to which gay folks cannot relate. When a bi person comes out, society still doubts us. Or worse, ignores us. We are treated as if we are still in the closet, and as if we are just waiting to get up the courage to come out "all the way". When I date a girl, people ask me why I'm straight again. When I date a guy, people ask me if this means I'm gay now. Let me save everyone some time: sexuality doesn't work that way. I'm still bi no matter whom I'm dating, or even if I'm single. Bi. Still bi. Always bi. Simple as that.

So, what can you do to be more supportive of bi people? Simple. If you ever see a bi person being ridiculed or excluded in an LGBT center or community, please speak up in defense of the bi person. This includes being teased or pushed to finally admit that they are gay. Even the kind words of one person can make a huge difference.

Also, if you ever go on a date with a bi person, please don't assume that our sexual orientation disqualifies us. Take the time to get to know us; you might like us.

And lastly - if a friend or family member comes out as bi, please don't force them back in the closet every other week with assumptions about their "true" sexuality. It's true that some people are confused, but that doesn't mean every bi person is confused. And with that kind of pressure, no wonder so many bi folks give up and accept the monosexual labels straight or gay. Basically, just understand that bisexuality is a real orientation and that bi people are a diverse group who deserve to be judged for their character - not for their orientation - just like everyone else.