#also those are two different erics and i didn't even meet with one of them

[tea-tuesday]

reflections on my two weeks living in nyc again, feat. 192 books, a really cool bookstore i found in chelsea 💗 i'm still figuring out the trajectory of this blog but once i start work (tomorrow, eep!), this may just turn into a workblr or nyc "travel" tumblr??

[ateez-himari]

hi bb!!!!!!!!!!! I missed you so so so so much you don't even know😭😭 I know you missed me and my annoying questions hehehe(jk you're too cool to miss me)before I ask any questions........I hope you've been resting well,and that you're staying hydrated and eating well(I feel like an Asian mom when I say that) and how have you been lately?and good things happening and did your tattoo fully heal(I don't know anything about tattoos so please spare me😔😔) okay too much emotion now to the actual questions cause I haven't asked you any in like 3 weeks or something

1-ehm ehm(clears throat since I haven't talked in a long time) this is a question I've been meaning to ask for a long time and that is was your first love interest for hima gonna be any other idol than the ones she's dated,like was it going to be someone entirely different or were you always set on these choices?

2- are there any actors who have a crush on hima?like they don't have to say it publicly or something but maybe they've hinted at it? Maybe one of her costars has🫣🫣🫣

3- has hima acted in any dramas this year? And if so did she attend interviews and stuff like that?

4-Was hima invited to the gala🫣🫣if she was I know she'd eat it uppp. And maybe we can get some scoups and Mimi crumbs(as well as Jennie and Mimi)

5-last question I promise😭😭has hima tried to do those silly TikTok trends with mingi?like the ribbon one and those theories and stuff.

I love you so much bb!!!take care of yourself for me💓💓😽

OMG MY SWEET YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW EXCITED I WAS TO SEE THAT LITTLE BLUE '1' NEXT TO MY INBOX 😭 (Ermh excuse me I will NEVER be too cool for you, although I'm VERY VERY cool). I've been very well! Uni ended a bit ago so now I'm just resting and reading up on some upper year textbooks to get ahead. Unfortunately though my left wrist is wrapped up because I fcked it up during work and now it hurts badly 🥲 I'm eating very well! Drinking too! Resting is debatable because I've struggled with sleep lately (I usually do every few months dw). My tattoo actually healed a long time ago but I forget that I have it...I'll turn around before or after a shower, see it in the mirror and it almost scares the crap out of me sometimes. I'M SO EXCITEDDDDDD YOU ALWAYS ASK THE BEST QUESTIONS, TO THE ANSWERS 🩷.🩷

• There was actually so much back and forth when it came to our baby's love interests and while dating Mingyu was always planned in some way, ending up with Mingi was kind of a last minute decision when I launched the blog. Seeing as Hima had barely any friends from school and was not yet social enough to go meet people on her own, at least one of the '97 liners was a logical choice since Jungkook would have had her around them quite often, but I didn't think of her dating Eunwoo at first. So many idols went through my mind like Oneus' Leedo, The Boyz' Eric or Juyeon and even Seventeen's Dino, but eventually Eunwoo made more sense to me (also seeing him in Island was my last straw-). Jungkook crossed my mind for a second but I decided that they were much better off as best friends. In Ateez though Yunho and San were huge contenders before I settled on Mingi

• Hima is somewhat young compared to most people in the acting industry but an actor's hinted at not only meeting with her frequently for work but also having some kind of crush on her [drumroll] Byeon Woo Seok! Yunho MAY have gotten some butterflies in his stomach when the two of them had to film their kissing scene in Where We Fall...but he quickly reminded himself that she's his best friend's girlfriend. Lee Do Hyun stared slightly too long every time they had a scene together, but in truth it was just shocking to see her in person. Hima has a lot of feline features, cat-like eyes, little fangs, even her mouth shape is similar to a cat's (and of course those tiger scars) which don't always make themselves obvious on screens

• SO the only dramas Hima has acted in so far are Hellbound (2021) & Where We Fall (2023), but there's a project that has been in the works for some time involving T.O.P and her as the main -enemies - characters 🫣 (I've written the storyline several times so that it wouldn't fall into the whole cringy mafia plotline hole and am still in the process of reworking that, but I CAN tell you that at some point she gets choked so-). The titles I have in the works so far are 'Bleed For Me' and 'Won't You Die' but they'll very likely change to something more nuanced

• The way reading this question actually shocked me because I was in the middle of brainstorming something for the met gala article I'm writing...ANYWAY aside from your somehow fortune telling brain, Himari is Donatella's baby, her precious tiger cub, the light of her career, her Princess, there was absolutely no way this woman was going to let the Met Gala pass by without her on the carpet. I'm still thinking up some interactions (deciding to send her to the Met was a very last minute decision so I don't have much prepared yet) but I can tell you that even our naturally anxious Mingi feels more relaxed knowing that S.Coups is going to be with her.

Mingi knows they slept together a few times but he doesn't really care because not only does he trust his girlfriend, but he's come around to trusting S.Coups too. The older idol's also been very protective of Hima since the beginning and it's become a habit of his to place his hand on her lower back in case he needs to avoid someone with bad intentions or just to lead her in the right direction - she gets lost easily. The Met is going to be very stimulating noise-wise, so S.Coups is going to play a huge role in anchoring the maknae, which is why they were arranged to arrive in the same car despite being from different groups and brands. S.Coups knew this and prepared well in order to support her fully ; he learned more sign language, learned to work her hearing aid just in case, watched a lot of fan made videos breaking down her body language in noisy environments and even met with Mingi many times to learn how to care for her in these situations. Himari didn't know about this because she'd feel like she was burdening the leader in such an incredible moment, so everyone kept it a secret from her. The last thing I can tell you for their interactions (for now) is that it's the only time that Mingi has agreed to someone holding his girlfriend's hand for so long, because both men figured that not only would it be safer for her, but it would also help her focus on something other than the constant pressure in her non-hearing ear

• Hima has been working a lot this year ; producing for other idols, touring, releasing 'Sungyo' and 'Veil of Tears' with Sleep Token, doing university work along with other side projects so she hasn't really been keeping up with trends. Our mochi couple has also been staying offline lately because they want to spend as much time as possible away from public eyes to finally get a break and be as normal as they can be. Her kids however (BOYNEXTDOOR and Xikers) have been dragging their senior through at least half of their tiktoks because they're not sure when they'll get to spend time with her again, so they want to make the most of it. It's mostly dance challenges but Xikers have managed to make her do the ribbon trend (she in fact did not break it but they still posted it....) and BND dragged her into the 'I make the face, you make the sound'

......

UPDATE ON THE MET GALA ; As I'm writing this I was checking Twitter every few seconds and S.COUPS OH MY GOD FKEWKFJWE SCRUMPTIOUS. SEXINESS OF THE 30S INDEED (he's the second member of my bias line in case it wasn't already obvious...) I NEED ME AN OLDER MAN. HE'S GIVING OFF YAKUZA BOSS VIBES, LIKE...THE WISE, CALM, EXPERIENCED LEADER YOU KNOW?? I CAN'T OMG SOMEONE SEDATE ME. Anyway so in terms of interactions though here's what I can give you real time (ish) ;

Instead of getting into the car right away like the other celebrities he waited near the open door and watched Hima step out and take pictures (right after him). Like the absolute gentleman of a DIL - the voices, sorry - diligent leader that he is, he helped her get into the car and even stepped behind her to cover her back just in case. In the car he put his jacket over her to make sure she was warm

I love you so much more my sweet!!! 🥰🩷 I hope you've been doing well these days and that you're taking very good care of yourself! MWWWAAHHH 😘

[thestupidhelmet]

In what ways do you think the OG gang was written as 70s teenagers (boomers) but the 90s gang seemed like modern teenagers dressed in 90s clothes? I mean I agree with the latter point but in the later seasons of T70S I also felt like the kids (other than being obsessed with teen marriage for some reason) seemed more late 90s/early 00s and not really like boomers. For one they were super accepting of Fez and Kelso's allegedly gay relationship when in season 1 there was a lot of gay panic and jokes about Eric and Buddy, which sadly is more believable for a small town in the 70s.

Hi! 😀

I wasn't a teenager in the '70s (or an adult or a child during that decade 😂), but I know people who were teens and kids back then. I've also read a lot about that time and watched documentaries. So I have knowledge of the era.

People tend to paint all Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials, etc. with the same brush. But the baby boom era refers to people born between 1946 to 1964. Boomers born in the 1960s share a lot in common with Gen Xers born in the same decade. Boomers born in the '40s are quite different than those born in the '60s.

Before I do deep dive into the main question of your ask, I'd like to address the following statement from your ask:

[The characters] were super acceptable of Fez and Kelso's allegedly gay relationship when in season 1 there was a lot of gay panic and jokes about Eric and Buddy ...

In "That '70s Pilot" (1x01), the teen characters meet a gay male couple on the road to the Rundgren concert. The price for Eric et al. getting the Vista Cruiser a new car battery is giving these two men two tickets to the concert. During the concert, Eric realizes the men are in a romantic relationship and tells his friends. Donna casually says, "I'm cool with it," and Eric excitedly says afterward, "We are so cool to be okay with it!"

The Stonewall Riots in 1969 and the subsequent pride marches -- including Wisconsin's first in 1971 -- would have shaped Eric and his friends' view of homosexuality. As depicted from the show's first episode, they're clearly more tolerant than their parents (particularly Red) and even accepting.

In "Eric's Buddy" (1x11), Eric's gay panic is played for laughs. But to be fair to Eric, and the writing, Buddy kisses Eric with no warning. That might be a shock to people in this era if a friend were to kiss them in such a way -- especially and regardless if one's romantic/sexual attraction doesn't include the friend's gender.

Eric's panic in that moment is understandable outside of the fact Buddy is gay and Eric is not. If Hyde kissed Eric on the mouth, Eric would be as freaked out, if not more.

Toward the end of the episode, Fez states that Buddy is "so obviously gay." Fez says this as a matter of fact, not judgment. Jackie's reaction is denial and implied negative judgement. Kelso has an egocentric, ignorant, but not necessarily homophobic denial, believing Buddy can't be gay because Buddy didn't put moves on him.

Once Eric is alone with Donna and Hyde, his friends -- out of curiosity -- want to know if Buddy's gay. Eric says it's not his place to ... [say], and that answer tells Donna and Hyde that Buddy is gay. Their following conversation reaffirms Donna's respect for gay people.

When Eric presents what actually happened between himself and Buddy as a hypothetical situation, Donna recognizes his gay panic. She says, "[Buddy's] not gonna make a move in you if he knows you're straight." Donna is keenly invested in 1970s feminist causes, and her being clear-eyed about homosexuality fits her character.

Hyde teases Eric, saying he's "pretty irresistible," but demonstrates no homophobia. Just a specific-to-him sense of humor. He's also romantically interested in Donna at the time, so his follow-up comment to her about Eric potentially "decid[ing] to dabble in the love that dare not speak its name]" is about no longer having a rival for her affections.

So there's not "a lot of gay panic and jokes about Eric and Buddy" in season 1. There's one scene where Eric is shocked that his new good friend Buddy kissed him romantically, Eric realizing that Buddy is gay, and continuing to be friends with Buddy after the event. Eric both accepts Buddy's sexuality and wonders why Buddy is attracted to him, the latter being subtextually about why Donna might be attracted to him -- as foreshadowed by Eric sharing with Buddy earlier his concerns about how he feels about Donna.

Onto the first part of your statement that "[the characters] were super acceptable of Fez and Kelso's allegedly gay relationship (...)". In season 5, Fez and Kelso develop a close friendship they didn't have previously in the show. Fez is very open about complimenting his male friends' physical attributes (e.g., Hyde's legs, Eric's eyes, etc.) and is particularly vocal about Kelso's attractiveness to women.

In "Your Time Is Gonna Come" (5x13), Hyde's insecurity about Jackie's feelings for him is exacerbated by her reaction to Kelso being romantic with his final summer fling, Annette, in Point Place. Hyde feels reassured for a moment because Jackie seems to have become friends with Annette, but Fez says, "Never count Kelso out. He's got a way about him. When he talks to you, it's like you're the only person in the room."

Fez's words retrigger Hyde's insecurity, and he reacts by saying, "You're, like, half in love with him, aren't you?" Hyde is clearly annoyed that Fez believes Kelso could woo Jackie back. Kelso's been trying since he learned of Hyde's relationship with her. This exchange with Fez is less about Fez's high regard for and awe of Kelso's prowess with women, and his own feelings of platonic attraction to Kelso, than Hyde's fear of losing Jackie.

After Fez has an erotic dream about Kelso in "You Shook Me" (5x22), Fez is scared what the dream means. He doesn't consider himself bisexual or homosexual. This is his canon characterization. He experiences gay panic about himself. Once Kelso learns of the dream, Kelso -- in his illogical way -- panics that Fez's dream means that Kelso himself is gay. Donna and Eric find the situation hilarious, not because of homophobia but because they consider their friends' situation and fears ridiculous.

Later in the episode, Kelso confides in Jackie that he loves Fez but can't return what he believes are Fez's romantic feelings and doesn't want to hurt him. This admission demonstrates Kelso's acceptance of Fez's sexuality (if he is gay) and that it wouldn't change Kelso's platonic feelings for him.

All the misunderstandings between Fez and Kelso are reminiscent of those from Three's Company, a 1970s sitcom where the main character (Jack) has to pretend to be gay to live with his two female roommates; otherwise, the landlord would evict him. In that sitcom, the first landlord (Mr. Roper) makes lightly derogatory gay jokes toward Jack, but Jack can be seen as a defender of gay men's right to be treated with respect through his responses to Mr. Roper's burns.

The second landlord (Mr. Furley) also makes gay jokes at Jack's expense, but his are less biting and more silly. But Mr. Furley grows to view Jack as a son, and in a touching scene between them, Mr. Furley tells Jack if he (Furley) ever did have a son, he'd want him to be exactly like Jack -- gay or not.

To give the full picture, being gay is generally written on that show as being an aberration. Jack admits to Mr. Furley after the moment discussed above that he's not gay and uses the word normal to describe himself. In the series finale, Jack has finally fallen in love with a woman and is going to live with her, and Mr. Furley declares that Jack has been cured [of his homosexuality].

I use Three's Company as an example to illustrate several ways how male homosexuality was portrayed and regarded by certain people in the 1970s. An important fact to note, however, is that Jack is in his early-mid twenties at the start of the show while his landlords are in their fifties. Jack isn't a teenager, but he's able to pose as gay for almost a decade without feeling ashamed or emasculated by it. He's frustrated that he can't be out as his true self -- in a reversal and as a reflection of gay people's experiences of that time.

Today, we have cis-straight allies and cis-straight queerphobes. The same was true in the 1970s, and the T7S teens are generally portrayed as allies who have their points of view shaped by their individual personalities. Small towns can contain a wide variety of and conflicting perspectives on many subjects. I'm close with someone who lives in a small town. They are LGBTQ+ and very involved in that community, yet they have a very conservative, anti-LGBTQ+ Republican neighbor on one side of their house and a progressive ally neighbor in the house across the street.

Although a lot of dogmatic groupthink is happening across the political spectrum, plenty of people haven't fallen prey to it. They maintain their individuality and ability to question any kind of dogmatic belief about any group of people and recognize the humanity in the folks that these dogmatic movements across the political spectrum try to dehumanize with their rhetoric, their exclusionary (or gatekeeping) behavior, their protests, their physical attacks, and their laws.

I speak on the above subject as a reminder that people's perspectives in the 1970s were not monolithic despite that heteronormativity was accepted as "normal" by wider U.S. society. And Point Place isn't that small a town. Canonically, it has a population of 28,111 people (thirty thousand, to round up). That's huge compared to towns with only a few hundred residents.

Below the cut is my answer to your general question.

Your focus is on the teen characters of T7S, but their relationship with the adult characters is vital to understanding them and their connection to 1970s U.S. society. Red and Kitty are born in the late 1920s and early 1930s respectively. They had their children in the late 1950s and in 1960.

Eric in season 1 rebels against his parents' '50s mentality of raising children and gender roles, but he's also a product of it. He straddles the conservatism of the '50s and the counterculture of the mid-to-late '60s. This fact is baked into his character and remains an inextricable part of it throughout the series. Dissecting that aspect from him destroys his character. It's not mere window dressing.

Eric is both someone who is totally fine with people being gay and even thinks it's cool that he is totally fine with it as well as having a regressive idea of his role as the man in a relationship with a woman. Yet he falls in love with Donna, a feminist who fights to have the same freedoms and opportunities as men.

When they're just friends, Eric treats Donna as "one of the guys" -- in other words, as an equal. Once their romantic relationship begins, he feels emasculated by her athletic prowess, her intelligence, and her independence. His idea of their future is her being a stay-at-home housewife who parents their twin infants, but he already knows she's career-minded. He clearly believes that once they start a family, she'd give into the gender role that she would've been assigned in the 1950s. She disabuses him of this idea, but his need to fit the 1950s idea of manhood persists throughout the series -- "because the man is the man" and if she pays for her own engagement ring that's like her "cutting off his [balls]".

Yet Eric doesn't recognize that his dad never has an issue with his mom's nursing career or acknowledge that his mom carries the family financially when his dad is out of a job. This is a failure in the writing. Donna would have pointed out that his mom is a career woman, and this would've helped Eric reckon with his regressive gender essentialism.

Donna's parents reflect the dichotomy and conflict that make up Eric's character. Her dad is the business-owning money maker who actively dissuades and denies her mom of having the same opportunity. Midge takes feminism classes, and they help her recognize how unhappy she is with the limitations Bob's gender essentialism has put on her. Donna grows up in this environment and doesn't want to end up limited like her mom.

Donna's feminism and fight for equal gender rights is a direct result of the micro and macro her upbringing. The micro is her parents. The macro is the 1960s and 1970s view of women's roles in society and how they're evolving. Stripping Donna of this era-specific aspect would destroy her character. It's not mere window dressing. It informs so many of her choices and relationships with her friends, male and female.

Hyde's character is quintessential late '60s and early '70s counterculture. He's a hippie, a punk, a conspiracy theorist, a feminist, a stoner, an agnostic humanist, and a teenager with a lot of trauma whose actions don't always align with his deeper beliefs. His character unravels without the two eras in which he's grown up, the '60s and '70s, and their various social movements.

Jackie is a product of her classist upbringing. In season 1, both her parents have major careers (attorney and multiple business owner father and real-estate agent mother). Her father, despite often being absent because of work, is the only parent we see her interacting with before her mom is retconned in seasons 5 and 6 into a career-less socialite gold digger.

In season 1, Jackie is academically ambitious. She clearly plans on following in her parents' footsteps and wants Kelso to step up in this area. She's also the one who has control in her relationship with Kelso (until he breaks free of it behind her back). She's not a self-declared feminist, but her view that her gender doesn't limit her possibilities reflects 1970s feminism.

Also in season 1, she has unprotected sex with Kelso, resulting in a pregnancy scare. Donna gets herself on the Pill, which became more widely available in the 1970s after feminists questioned/debated whether or not it was a tool of of the patriarchy. Donna supports Jackie through her pregnancy scare and suggests she go on the Pill, and Donna also talks about the Equal Right Amendment.

Later in the show when Jackie's dating Hyde, she believes that she must depend on a man to keep her beyond financially secure but privileged. This character change begins in season 2, but she remains ambitious about her career prospects, and they don't involve Kelso. When she's forced to get a job in season 4, she learns a rudimentary lesson about being financially independent and responsible.

Her stark change in belief from having her own career to needing a man to survive monetarily stems from her dad going to prison, her family going bankrupt, and her mom abandoning her -- resulting in a sixteeen/seventeen-year-old Jackie without an adult guardian and being the one to take responsibility for the very adult aftermath of the family's bankruptcy.

The latter-most part isn't realistic for the '70s or today. But Hyde encourages Jackie to make her own money (and, inferred, to have a successful career). He reminds her of who she is before her family tragedies struck, and the ultimate payoff happens in "On With the Show" (season 7), when she takes a risk and succeeds. She gains confidence in herself, and Hyde leaves his own desires aside so she can enjoy her victory.

Of all the characters, Jackie's personality is the most timeless and could form with the same parents in any era from the 1970s to today. That being said, many specific details of Jackie's personality stem from the '60s and '70s: the nature and content of her fantasies and of her classism, her idiolect (personal dialect) -- for instance, she calls Kelso lover. Teens in the '90s did not do this. The struggles she experiences are also connected to the era she lives in, not separate. Despite her personality generally being universal, her life experience is specific to the times in which she grows up.

Kelso has a striking resemblance in appearance to and, albeit a lesser extent, personality of Vinnie Barbarino from Welcome Back Kotter, a show produced in the 1970s that takes place in the 1970s (I believe the T7S creators purposely sought that out in casting Kelso). Both Vinnie and Kelso lack common sense and aren't academically bright.

Kelso is a self-obsessed 1970s teenage boy, ignorant of the social movements of the time. His character stands in sharp contrast to Eric, Donna, Hyde, and Jackie in many ways -- purposely. Not every teenager today is tuned into what's going on in wider society; they're myopically involved in their social groups and their love/sex lives. In fact, this is quite common for teenagers since the 1950s, when teen culture came into existence. The word myopic isn't meant as an insult but descriptive.

Characters like Kelso have existed and continue to exist in sitcoms, but Kelso's personality is specific to the era he grows up in. His sexism has the flavor of 1960s-1970s sexism (e.g., "Girls don't even enjoy sex," etc.) His similarities to his friends are based on liking the same aspects of 1970s teen culture as they do. Without the math and tech prodigy aspect of his character in season 1, he wouldn't survive today's world (but a discussion of that thesis is beyond the scope of this meta).

Kelso's choices are based both on his upbringing and the era he lives in. If the latter were removed, he would be a different character. Familiar but not T7S's Michael Kelso.

Fez is a foreign exchange student, a typical fish out of water. Unfortunately, T7S portrays six or seven different versions of Fez, so his connection to the 1970s is more difficult to pin down. But he does have one. So much of his character in seasons 1-3 is learning how to assimilate into U.S. 1970s teen culture, with Hyde as his main mentor. A lot of his scenes involve him discovering what 1970s American teens like to do, to watch on TV, how they joke.

Take him out of the '70s and transport him to today, and his experience would be very different. Possibly worse than the relatively mild xenophobia he experiences from Red, Jackie, and Kelso, and the moderate xenophobia from many students at Point Place High.

[regaliasonata]

Ranger Headcanons Batch

-Marah and Dustin, after settling out their differences, have become rather good friends. Mainly like two braincells forming together in unison. She kinda likes to play dress up with him and with attending the academy invites him with Kapri to sleepovers.

-Marah loves Doja Cat, though Cameron had to take away her speakers when she kept blaring music in the Watanabe Estate. She gets music from Conner who in turn gets it from SPD so she has access to future artists.

-The Wild Force zords and animal spirits in JF are the same but have variations. The animarium used to be affiliated with Pai Zhua but split off, WF focuses on sharing wild force powers through their crystals as outside sources while JF utilizes animal spirit powers from the inside.

-Some dimensions share a universal counterpart, Shelby and Scott are counterparts along with their fathers. This may also count with other characters such as Mack and Venjix or Kendall and Dr. K.

-A lot of the older red rangers from MMPR to Time Force do not like the newer reds. For many reasons...One they aren't exactly keen on being respectful just because of bragging rights, Hunter is hated the most by some of them for good reason due to Jason trying to impede on personal business the Bradley's had with their parent's old enemies and the red ranger came back with electric burns on his body. Two the amount of gimmicks and forms kinda show up the older reds, Jayden and Casey jumped Tommy during a forced sparring match. And finally three, Tyler doesn't know who they are and for all we know there could've been different teams in his universe so who the hell is Jason Lee Scott?

-Hunter does actually like TJ, Eric and Andros, Cole is nice but he doesn't like him cause Dustin's got eyes for the fellow lion ranger...it's on sight if Jason comes to Blue Bay Harbor.

-Taylor and Jen despise SPD, Syd and Z's treatment being the reason.

-The first yellow ranger meeting happened during Ninja Storm and Dustin literally became the marshmallow of the group.

-Some teams that are more secluded have reasons mainly due to feeling indifferent about zordon or the increase of mmpr rangers trying to come in a fix everything when they aren't needed.

-while Mystic Force may the the strongest team due to their magic, raw power wise that category goes clearly to Ninja Storm with their non ranger elemental powers and training...if anything if lothor kept them as evil then I feel like it would've been even harder to change them back than in the DT crossover. Jungle Fury might be abel to take care of them if they are lucky.

-Rangers, specifically those with civilian powers, are banned from the Olympics. Or at least until there's a division crested specifically for them.

-The Morphin Grid has a spiral of collective unconscious with ideas, hence why Tarrick and Leanbow share a dort of similarity. The idea is that there might've been some magical aspects on Rafkon giving Tarrick the same appearance armor wise or a dimension where Leanbow was his counterpart.

-Necrolai and RJ had a feud during the Twilight era of media...Vida and Casey were hyping both sides up(mainly supporting their respective partners🩷🖤❤️💜). Luckily this wasn't about the movie and more on which were better, werewolves or vampires.

-Hunter and Blake's willingness to kill Kanoi wasn't by circumstance. They really were down to murder if needed, the Thunder Academy had some rather different ways of training but from being fueled by losing their parents if anything was to happen to the other sibling then it would be lights out for their enemies.

-During the Cosmic Fury invasion the Mystif Force team didn't lose against Zedd but only got caught off guard. He needed a backup plan because he knew he wasn't strong enough to beat them, they roasted the shit out of him from the ranger prisons.

-Majority of the rangers aren't straight.

[sbrown82]

Marianne is a hot mess and a constant liar! She constantly says that her and Mick were “in love” but then go to different interviews saying that he was dirty, she was cheating on him with Spanish Tony (their drug dealer), Keith was the real love of her life, or say she was with him for the money. First she slept with Brian and got with Keith, then when Keith rejected her she goes to Mick and say they “fell in love” during their first trip together. She also said she knew about Bianca and that they were still messing around when he first got with her and that’s when their relationship ended completely. This bitch was delusional and it makes me laugh reading about all the bullshit that was happening surrounding her. Also Bianca is a hot mess too, she also was a compulsive liar! She lied about her age saying she was 21 when she was 25, also lied about her parents background, lied about loosing expensive gifts from Mick and his stupid ass would help her “search” for them until they couldn’t find them which he would buy her more stuff. Their relationship was TOXIC and interesting. It started off with drama because Mick got Marsha pregnant then abandoned her when she didn’t have a boy (which I assumed since he was so attached to Nicholas), made her sign a prenup, cheated with Carly Simon which resulted with his shit ripped up and thrown outside and when he came home she had a revolver pointed him, had groupies calling the house constantly, Anita sending Tony to look into Bianca’s background to make sure she wasn’t a man and when Anita learned that they was writing a song about Angela Davis she tried to find Angela so that she could meet Mick and possibly they would start an affair (as if Angela would go for him), also Bianca was stealing out of his bank account (but he was worried about Marsha 🤔). Marianne and Bianca was one and the same they was both gold diggers but he chased after both of them. Also Jerry was treated like shit for no reason! Her and Marsha was easily the most beautiful and sweet women he had. He put Jerry through HELL. He didn’t even try to hide his affairs when it came down to his marriage with her, he bitched about not having a son because they only had daughters, had a public affair with Carla even though Eric Clapton was dating her at the time and Jerry confronted her face to face calling her a tramp and told her to stay away from her husband and Carla said her husband needed to stay away from her. He’s a bitch at heart with mommy issues and maybe that’s why his momma liked Chris better.

Marianne was a cokehead and a ho, Bianca was a gold digger and b*tch, but explain again how Marsha got those labels from the public when all she ever did was ask Mick to help her. Sis never fucked any one of his friends, never betrayed him, took his money, she didn't even tell people they were dating. She even said it herself, she never once tried to hurt him (even though he deserved it). The motherf*cker probably does have mommy issues. Not sure how or why. Mick seems to come from a nice, middle-class family with two loving parents, yet he grew up to be a sexist and misogynist.

[adultswim2021]

The Young Person’s Guide to History #2: “Part 2” | November 3, 2008 - 12:00AM | S01E02

I damned the first part of this with faint praise, and I was much less enthusiastic about this installment. “Part 2” is comprised of what would have been episodes three and four of the original cut of The Young Person’s Guide to History. The original episode four aired as “The Duel” on April Fools day, and was covered by me already, but I’ll cover it again, briefly, goddamn it. 

The first segment is about Thomas Jefferson fleeing his debtors, leading to a new era of peace and tranquility. Ben Franklin and Alexander Hamilton are having a fishing trip on Emerson Lake in Palmer (get it?). Suddenly Jefferson emerges from the water, now a fishman. He reveals that he’s moved his home to the bottom of the ocean, even though earlier they said it was a lake. There’s a decent bit where Jefferson demonstrates how he can communicate with the fish, as well as explode them with his mind. 

Incredibly, some debt collectors manage to find him. They are played by Tim & Eric. Their whole bit is that they succumb to some sort of mysterious illness and drop in the middle of their performance, requiring a brief fourth-wall break so to clear their bodies from the green screen set. They are eventually replaced by two different actors. This is the only bit of the episode I remembered from this installment. I also don’t really remember how the full version of this episode was different from the as-seen-on-actual-TV version (mentioned elsewhere/reminding you here: the “full versions” of these episodes were online briefly and I watched them in 2008 and haven’t seen them since).

The segment ends with Ben Franklin arranging it so that the US government would purchase Thomas Jefferson’s collection of erotica and detective novels, solving his financial crisis and starting the Library of Congress, paving the way for them to add Shrek to their film registry in 2020. 

Those hoping for a full recap for the final segment should read my write-up for the full version and then come back and read the rest.

The next segment is titled “The Third Vice President of the United States”, and is basically “The Duel” but with the beginning cleaved off. This dispenses with the characters meeting in a house and being murdered except for Thomas Jefferson bit, and jumps straight to Thomas Jefferson asking Benjamin Franklin to create a Vice President for him. This is a fairly elegant way to get this down to size.

Also: the bit at the end where the unseen guy on the little speaker is edited out, so Thomas Jefferson is simply changing the radio station from patriotic fife music to Cheeseburger’s cover of Alice Cooper’s “Elected”. I assume that it’s Cheeseburger, who don’t get a proper song credit but do get a special thanks. Also missing is a brief post-credits scene where George Washington and his “witch” (who briefly appears in part 1 during the Will Forte segment) knock on the white house door and leave when nobody answers. 

Well, that was Young Person’s Guide. It wasn’t very good, but I sorta like some things about it. Hey, sorta like this blog.

EPHEMERA CORNER

This is literally just one bumper from the night this premiered, but they say something about an Election Study Guide by Brad Neely airing, so I wonder if that means his "America Now" series, which was done in 30 second installments. That would make the most sense! That's great, because I didn't really have a date for those. In fact:

EPHEMERA CORNER: PART 2

[erigold13261]

>>:3 enjoy my happy headcanons

1. Mystery man's real name is Martin but Tatiana calls him Marty McFly when the two are alone

2. Sayu crew owns an DDR mashine and Sofa has the highest score out of everyone

3. EX-Jay play D&D together and recently BJ2 joined in

4. You better believe Neon is little spoon! I mean look at his partners prime cuddle material

5. Mayday used a preppy, cheerleader type girl Mama went through a gothic lolita phase and J loved dressing like a Victorian gentleman... Let's just say they don't talk about it a lot today, except J because of course he would

6. West and Eve meet up for Just Dance and chill, it gets intense sometimes with how dedicated these two are

7. Yiruk, Kayne and Dew got into trouble for a prank involving duck tape, mentos and Soda but not in the you think it would

8. Dodo loves Ena! he even did a cosplay once maybe even commission Remi for some of his OC's

9. Yinu watches Samurai jack with Orange! They think it's fun! ( J not so much because of the amount of robot brutally destroyed in the show)

10. Zuke dreamed of having a late night talk show when he was younger, think something similar to Eric Andre

1). I feel like this is a reference that is going over my head. But cool headcanon! Not what I imagine Mystery Man's name to be, but a good one to have! Tatiana being silly my beloved

2). Sofa and Dodo just having dance-offs where Dodo puts too much effort in and ends up just dancing a random dance and not even hitting the right buttons while Sofa is expertly dancing and hitting every button perfectly every time.

3). Pft, what a bunch of losers /j. I can see Noa being a DM and he regrets it almost immediately as he now has like 3 murder hobos in his campaign.

4). I like the idea that Neon switches but is big spoon most often. Or at least he wants to be, it can't be comfortable to sleep on a metal arm wrapped around you. But same thing with being little spoon, it would be difficult with his head and body. Not to mention DJ is probably not the most touchy person, and even though Mama likes spooning, it is difficult with Neon's metal body.

They try to use blankets or something to soften the metal, but it just leads to Neon getting overheated and very paranoid/feeling trapped. Which is another thing that probably stops him from being little spoon a lot.

Like I LOVE the idea, but unfortunately it has to be a conscious and awake cuddle session for spooning to work, otherwise if any of them try to sleep/nap, it will just end up bad for someone. But Neon switching a lot and being little spoon every so often is a very nice thought that I love1

5). Hmmmm, not how I see them. I like Mama as a flowey, pastel colored skirts and dresses kind of girl. And Mayday I could see going through a goth phase more than a preppy girl phase.

HOWEVER. Mayday trying to fit in and make friends so she pretends to be a preppy cheerleader kind of girl is something I see happening. It didn't make her happy but it got her some friends (who were fake but at least she wasn't alone).

For Mama, I can see her always wanting to try gothic lolita fashion (and for those who don't know lolita is a legit fashion and is different from lolis or lolicons) as it is super pretty and cute, but never having enough money for it growing up and then feeling too old to ever try it once she was an adult. I can see her finally getting to live her dream one day for a Halloween party where she dresses up in lolita fashion (and then does so more regularly every so often for fun).

As for Neon, yeah. I can see him going through a phase like that for fun. Especially if he and Martha were dressing up together. He hasn't dressed up like that for a while until Carna wanted to be a kind of Victorian noble person for Halloween one year which sparked Neon to try and wear more outfits like that at times. Especially if Carna was also dressing up to go out so fea wasn't alone in looking dapper.

6). I'm so sorry but "just dance and chill" made me think of netflix and chill lol! Those two would not be doing THAT hahah. But no, I can see them dancing together for exercise and to just bond.

7). Okay, at first I'm thinking they made a makeshift bomb (by accident, they were not thinking), but you said it's not what I think so hmm..... I can't think of anything other than taping a bunch of mentos into a duct tape ball.

8). Don't know much about ENA, but sure, I can see Dodo liking that media. Maybe even showing Eve since they both have split color designs or something like that.

9). Don't know if Maragold would like Samurai Jack all that much. Not because it was bad, but because Maragold wouldn't really be interested all that much. They would watch it with Yinu to be nice at least, and honestly I actually don't think Maragold would like the robot violence that much too. Carna would love the violence in the show but think some scenes are too slow and get bored with it too (I have seen very little Samurai Jack and it's been years so yeah, memory might be bad).

10). Also don't know anything about Eric Andre, so uh, yeah. I can see Zuke wanting to be a show host one day though! That seems like something Zuke would want to do at some point, but ended up growing out of that dream later down the line.

[blris96]

There needs to be something real between Tim/Lucy, real flirting, a spark or a look. There’s been nada since episode 1. All Tim does is roll his eyes with annoyance which does not bode well and don’t get me started on Romantic False Leads (we hope). 😕 #Chenford #TheRookie

Hi lovely anon!

I partly agree and partly disagree here. This is a new one! As always, all opinions, thoughts etc. will always be respected on my page even if we may disagree on some points.

I agree that there needs to be a bit more and real between Tim and Lucy. A bit. As @starjumpingpanda puts it, there's been a ton of catnip that really hasn't had much substance. Right now, they've given us two heavy moments in both the premiere and the winter finale. In between there, there hasn't been much in terms of real flirting, a spark or a look. I'm hoping 4B is better.

I also however, think that the purpose of 4A was to show them getting very close friendship wise without having the TO/Rookie thing hanging over their heads before they move it forward. If we think about it, they really haven't been in slow burn territory all that long. We essentially started the slow burn process at 3x09 when she was done being his rookie since we knew nothing was going to happen when they were Rookie/TO.

Others may not see it that way and that's okay! Everyone's opinion deserves to be respected.

In terms of the perception that Tim is irritated with Lucy, this is one of those things that people are split on since everyone sees things differently. To me, it reads as fond annoyance, and not irritated annoyance. Tim is fond of Lucy, that's been proven time and time again over the seasons. It's like when you're exasperated with your best friend. It reads like that to me, but to someone else it may not read like that. The eye rolling is generally an behavior used when someone is irritated, so I can easily see where you are coming from!

To me, both Lucy and Tim have seemed a bit off in 4A. I may even go as far as saying they've been a bit OOC. I generally don't like tossing that term around, but it applies here a bit. Tim aside from 4x09 didn't have much grittiness like the days of old. Like the edges were erased a bit if you catch my drift. Or a lot depending on how you feel about it. Lucy was pushed to the side, but she'll have a storyline in 4B. I can see why Tim may be annoyed with Lucy in 4A. But, I also think that is a consequence of the writing. It needs to be better, full stop. 4x09 in my opinion gave us a bit back of the Chenford of old. Do better writing, all of this will improve.

I will always maintain that the plot device love interests are temporary until we see otherwise. Partly because I won't accept it any other way, but also, Chenford is each other's one. The chemistry between Eric and Helena as well as Melissa and Kanoa just isn't there. I think it was designed like that.

Hopefully, we all get the clarity we need coming up in 4B. Also, hopefully, this answer meets your expectations and has treated your opinion with respect.

[key201303]

Hi! Can you write a fluff of tbz hyunjae? that you're his gf but feels so bad because you think you didn't do enough in terms of voting and supporting the groups as much as compared to his fans? Tysm!!❤

Heyy! I have to admit I was willing to receive a request with tbz🙈🥳🤭 these days I’m really into them and I can’t wait for tomorrow to see their comeback 🤭🤩 I hope you enjoy this little story ♥

Words count: 1270 words.

Warnings: None!

You’ve been dating Hyunjae for a year now. Even though everyone might think dating an idol was pretty bad and hard, you were really happy and enjoyed all the time you could be with your boyfriend and the rest of his members. It was hard to coexist with 10 annoying boys whenever you and Hyunjae went out? Hell yes. Did you still love them all like you were part of their big family? Hell yes x2. You really loved the friendship you shared with all of them and being one of the middle aged ones made you even happier. You got to tease the youngest members and ask the oldest ones to buy you things. You felt like Hannah Montana getting the best of both worlds. The hard part of the relationship came whenever they made a comeback.

You were pretty active on social media and you enjoyed talking with deobis and whenever you could you answered all their messages. But when they made a comeback your social media DMs became a massive spam of different websites for voting them. Of course you voted and felt happy when you saw all the love and support deobis gave to your boyfriend and to your best friends but you couldn’t help feeling a bit bad about not doing enough for them. You were supposed to be the one giving them most of the support as the girlfriend of one of them but you hardly ever could make it to go to their concerts and you felt like you were voting too little. Seeing how everyone told you they voted hundred times for them and you only voted about 10 times in a day made you feel pretty bad.

You were getting ready to go out and meet the boys in the studio. They forgot to get some lunch and decided to go out and, of course, Hyunjae asked you if you wanted to join which offer you accepted happily. They also took advantage of the moment to celebrate their upcoming comeback. Once you arrived at their studio, you saw the entire floor filled up with fried chicken boxes. “We ended up deciding to order fried chicken.” Hyunjae said happily for having for lunch his favorite food and kissing your cheek. “It was Eric's idea, you know how obsessed he is with chicken.” Sunwoo said as he entered the studio behind you. “Look who’s talking… Mr. Juice.” Eric answered mocking Sunwoo. You couldn’t help laughing at the youngest members. They really acted like two little kids when they fought. As you ate you all talked about the comeback. You could see how nervous they were about making a comeback after winning Road to Kingdom. They left the expectations really high back then and they had to make an amazing comeback if they wanted to leave fans speechless.

When you all finished eating and you checked your phone you found it was full of notifications on your twitter and instagram. All from deobis voting and sending links to vote for the boys once the MV was released. “What’s all of that? I thought the famous ones were us and not you.” Kevin said laughing. “Your fans always send me the links and how they vote when you guys make a comeback…” You said a bit annoyed. You of course loved to see those support messages but still they made you feel terrible as a girlfriend and as a best friend. A detail that didn’t go unnoticed by Hyunjae.

“What 's wrong?” He said when you were resting all alone in a corner staring at your phone. “There’s nothing wrong.” You said smiling at him trying not to worry him. “(Y/N) come on, I’m your boyfriend, I perfectly recognize that annoyed look you’ve had since we finished lunch. Tell me, what’s wrong?” He said sitting next to you and surrounding you with his arm to pull you closer and placed your head on his shoulder. “Is just I feel a bit bad about not voting enough.” You said a bit sad. Everyone heard you and they stared at you confused and went to sit around you. “What are you talking about?” Younghoon asked you confused. “Yeah, what do you mean with ‘voting enough’?” Juyeon asked confused as well. “Whenever you guys do a comeback I see how thousand fans send me messages telling me they voted for you hundred times so you could win and I vote only 10 times. I feel like I should be the one giving you all that support but it turned out to be I’m the one supporting you the least.” You said sad resting your head on Hyunjae’s shoulder. After hearing those words coming from you Hyunjae also felt bad. Not because of you feeling that way but for not being able to make you feel proud of them and of him. He wasn’t able to show you how grateful he was to you for supporting him as much as you did and he thought that was the reason why you were feeling that way. 

“Why do you think that? Babe don’t you see you’re the most important one for us? You are the one that brings us food when we forget it, you’re the one preparing us soup when we’re sick, you’re the one cheering us up during dance practices. Have you forgotten who was the one making me go up in that thing during Reveal performance in Road to Kingdom? It was you. You’re the one supporting us and being in the front row for all of us when we need someone cheering. And most important, you’re my girlfriend and I feel every single day how proud of me you are whenever I arrive home and I see your good night message saying I did a great job. Even if you vote for us 1, 2 or 10 times you are still the one supporting us the most because you are here with us and there are no deobi in this world that can support us the way you do.” He said making you feel much better and making your heart melt. Hyunjae never opened his heart the way he just did and especially in front of his members. You couldn’t help smiling at him and getting all emotional at his sweet words. 

It was true that you might not vote for them as much as their fans but you were the one seeing them everyday and cheering them in the group chat every night when you knew they finished their work. You were the one seeing how hard they worked and you were the one feeling proud of them growing as idols and as people. You were surrounded by amazing boys with big hearts and you couldn’t feel more happy and grateful for having them by your side. And most importantly, having Hyunjae by your side. He always cared about you since the day you met in the cafeteria you worked and you served him an Iced Americano and he showed you his ‘hidden talent’ of spinning a book. Having him by your side was like having a cheerleader 24/7.

“Never ever think again you’re less than our fans. You’ll always be my favorite fan” Hyunjae said cupping your cheeks and kissing you softly not minding his members to watch. You felt your cheeks burning because of the rest of the boys comments about the kiss but you still lowkey liked their teasing during the rest of the day. It made you feel beloved and like you were Home even though you were in a dance studio.

[imaginary-ghoulfriend]

The Platonic Man and Woman Frindships on Sex Education:

In my last post, somebody asked about a men and a woman platonic friendship representation (since I talked about how Jackson and Viv relationship shouldn't just remain as platonic), and as I was about to respond their reply I decided it would be nice doing a post about it.

Sooooo.... Let's Star!!

It's true that there's an issue in society nowadays with men and women platonic relationships not being well represented in media. Maybe this happens because we are so used to see and portrait romance everywhere, that sometimes we kinda ignore the possibility of two people just being friends. But, this also happens because since we were born people have shove down our throats that men and women can't be just friends without a second intention behind it.

In a show where most things are about intimacy between people, is obvious that it'll have a bigger focus on couples. However, we shouldn't leave this issue behind us.

Adam and Ola

Let's start with the obvious one before going to the more complex discussions.

In the end of season 2, we were surprised with such an unconventional pair. Even tho we don't see much of their development during the season, this two gave us alot of good moments with their small conversations at work space.

The one thing that I like the most about this two is that they spontaneously became friends. No one forced them to be friends, or they were presented to one another by a third character, they just bounded together while working at the same place.

Another good part of them is that they somehow are so different from eachother, but at the same time really similar in some aspects. They are both learning and discovering who they are, and getting confused with their feelings along the way. And as one is learning what being a pansexual is, and the other is discovering what is like being bisexual, they kinda end up meeting eachother in the middle of the way.

Adam and Ola friendship is a good representation of platonic man and woman friendship, because there is zero to none romantic interest between the two of them- as we already know what are their pairs in the show. I really hope that in season 3 we are able to see more of their interactions, and maybe even more platonic intimacy coming from them. This friends have a lot of development to come, and I'm 100% here for it.

Maeve and Jackson

Ok, here me out first.

I know they are ex boyfriend and ex girlfriend, BUT that's perfect for another reason.

There is this thing in society where is absurd for somebody to keep being friends with their ex, even if they end up in good terms. Where I live there is even this quote that goes "A good Ex boy/girlfriend, is a dead Ex boy/girlfriend".

I know, Jackson and Maeve didn't end up well, and it was a hard time for sure. But the two of them are very mature, so much that I'm sure they will come around eventually.

This two developing a platonic relationship after a bad break up would actually be really flash forward for this serie. It would show that it's okay to keep in touch with someone you used to like romantically, and it's also okay to be mad at someone and talk it out.

Feelings change, the way we love people changes, and it's okay. If people can go from platonic to romantic than why can't someone go from romantic to platonic?

I really hope this show will not put this friendship in waste, because this pair have a bunch of platonic chemistry to give.

Otis and Ola

Same thing with this two, Exs that became friends. The difference is that this two actually ended in much better terms than the previous one. However, there is still a lot of field to cross till they arrive in friendship land.

Since they are not as mature and experienced in the romantic area as the other two were- or at least Otis isn't- there is still much awkwardness in their after break up interaction. But I'm sure that eventually they will learn to pass over it and come through with their feelings -principally with their parents being kinda of a thing, and this hole plot twist of Jean being pregnant.

As what I'm able to see, Otis is a character that needs much more development, in terms of being a better man, and I thing that for him having Ola around as a female friend would actually be really good for that. They can learn alot from eachother's experiences, and maybe grow even closer as friends than how they were as a couple. I'm exicited to see what the future will give to us in therms of this pair, but for now what is left for us to do is wait.

Some final thoughts:

This show is something that can be really amazing in therms of representation, and even tho I just pointed out three platonic friendships, I'm sure there is much more to come. I put in here the three that I thing right now is important for us to keep an eye on, but we so also have other relationships that deserve a little mentioning: Maeves and Eric, Otis and Ruby.

I'm happy that we are able to have a show that can make us debate about all the issues that we constantly pass through in our lifes and we don't even notice. It's important for us to have those representations, as much as it's important to have this discussions.

When I said Jackson and Viv should be together, I said it because there is so many more issues to be discussed in their relationship than just a boy and girl friendship. I pretend to eventually make a post about the issues with how woman is often being portrait in romance so you guys can also understand why Viv and Jackson developing a romance is so important. For now I hope I have helped you guys to at least understanded that we are not being left out in representation.

So even tho Jackson and Viv end up together, there is still other people to cover that spot for them of having a boy and girl platonic relationship, you don't need to worry about that.

Thanks for reading, I'm done for today.

[elmidol]

PSA: Being Damaged Doesn’t Excuse Hurting Others

For the longest time I said nothing at all in regards to the harassment and stalking I received by an author I met in person. To my knowledge they have left the fandom, however maybe they just changed their penname. Seeing the post by @wayward-rose​ and the rest who were wronged by Mrs. Z and the reactions from others who have been uncomfortable with her behavior, it sort of made me reevaluate things. Not only the behavior of the author who wronged me, but my own actions subsequent to this. The excuse given by Mrs. Z in regards to multiple hate asks and such have led to her reactions… I get it but I do not condone it. For so long I did not name the author save to a few friends. Some know the author’s name solely because I have since admitted that it was the former co-author of the “This Isn’t In My Programming” fic that was discontinued. I’ve been asked even recently for the author’s name as well as what exactly happened.

This may be long-winded, I don’t know. I am not excusing negative behavior from my end on here that I will be disclosing. This is, in a way, something I should have spoken about much sooner. When certain readers at the time could tell there was an extreme difference in my attitude. Where I became very intolerant of some things. This is how I was not completely the victim, but at times the one in the wrong. And it is due to my experience that I can understand some of Mrs. Z’s bitterness but not her acceptance of it and the argument that she is in the right. This is not making it about me either. This is at last coming forward after having been asked to do so for close to two years.

 The author, MeganD1, and I met in person a few times. We had connected over instagram, and after she learned we lived in neighboring states she had said it would be cool to meet. I agreed but was not quite ready. She persisted. Pushed. I agreed. Upon agreeing, she had posted on her fandom instagram that she was meeting me along with the location of where I lived. I told her I was NOT okay with that. She deleted, apologized, but also said she did not know why it was a big deal. I let that slide since she had deleted it. During that first meeting, we had a great time. I told her how one of my favorite Lucasfilm artists, Eric Maell, had reached out to me one time when I was going through a very rough period. It had meant the world. I told Megan of my dream to meet him one day at a convention. She hadn’t known the artists aside from one piece he had done. She had had no interest in him.

 While together, we went shopping at a mall and talked. She did admit to contacting me to begin with because I had been one of the bigger author names for Kylo/Reader and Hux/Reader fics at the time. She also admitted to talking shit about me with another author. And I regret not listening to those warning bells. Megan and I discussed triggers and tropes in fanfics (which we did again on our second meeting). We had fun.

 The second time she visited, I had invited her and she stayed a few days at my house. We again went shopping and also sat down at a restaurant to talk. I opened up about my sexual assault to her. It was the first time I had spoken about details to someone in person like that. I kept having to look away from her face. I felt ashamed. I was shaking a bit. Trying to not panic. I thought it was a relief, believed she was understanding.

 We went to my house afterwards. On the way, Megan told me some plans she had for a fic of hers that she was writing and I was reading. I mentioned having triggers with those issues. So she elaborated on it, explained it differently. There was 0 way I'd have known that it was going to trigger me as it did. I'd NEVER been triggered like that. this was after she had gone back home. That’s what I’ll touch upon in a minute. We watched The Office together. Pitched the idea to co-write a story, and that is how This Isn’t In My Programming was born. Side note that during her visiting, I have endometriosis so have issues with that. I was doubled over the entire time but learned later it was due to having colitis; she did not help at all, so I essentially took out all her trash, took all her dishes, had to cook for her..which some of this is fine. I'm willing to do it. But being literally doubled over....it was a sore thing that I didn't address with her until later

 Fast forward to her returning home, writing the chapter, and posting it. Okay so I was triggered by the scene, privately told her on chat in instagram that she needed to include a trigger warning because it was a pretty intense scene and also told her that I couldn't read the fic anymore. Which I didn't think was an issue since she had stopped reading mine for similar reasons or else because she just didn't like them. She reacted by posting an a/n on her fic stating how she never meant to offend anyone, how she should give up writing. She didn't mention my name but basically got a ton of the readers to shittalk me for being triggered. It was one of the most hurtful and fucked up things for me. To read those comments from people who read my fics, who chatted with me. Talking about me like that; and me wondering if they would still believe that if they knew all the details. So here is where some bitterness and resentment started in me. Why some of my notes became venomous and hard.

 It was not okay for me to say certain things, to bash others. It was hypocritical. So this is where I understand Mrs. Z when she says that about the hate comments. But we’re adults and should take that step back. I regret many of the things I said. Which, again, I will get to in a bit.

 Megan posted on her fandom ig and personal ig how she was going to delete her ig. Told me in chat how she was going to give up writing. Where I was begging her to not, telling her I did love her writing, I just couldn't read this specific fic. Mind you, during the panic attack I was in the bathroom on the floor with a towel shoved into my mouth and screaming and crying. Struggling to breathe. I had my phone with me and was chatting with Juulna between breaths when I could. She was trying to help me calm, to get me through it. I didn’t share that with Megan because I had not wanted her to feel so bad. I did not give her the details of my panic attack, but she still reacted so severely.

 When she calmed down, I tried to get her to understand why that had hurt me. She couldn't understand so I said that we should end communications. She said she was open to discussing things if I felt differently. So I thought on it and wrote up an email explaining how she had hurt me and also my part in having let a few emotions fester such as not addressing her behavior when I was doubled over in pain.  I am going to show the email. There is a name of another author that will be omitted. First I have to speak of another thing, how MeganD1 would tell me in chat how she wished she had endometriosis or something else to better understand others. I did not know at the time that she was asking Juulna for information on my health conditions and playing it off as someone else. This Juulna and I pieced together after the post-stalking fic got put on ao3 by putting together portions of conversation with keywords/phrases/situations. So this alone was a violation to me. Especially with how open I am about my conditions because I want to spread awareness. I’m mentioning this behavior since it is addressed in the email.

She countered by saying she could never put herself in my shoes for being triggered because she is an only child, doesn't have to "wait to buy things when they're on sale" (due to my medical conditions, I live with my parents and can't hold a job). Threw my family dynamics at me. Then started to go through how she was bullied since a young age. And it isn't like I didn't empathize. I thanked her for being honest with me. I’m going to show a small portion here that does not include her personal information or anything like that.

So a disclaimer that the only people I have directly told I cannot continue reading their fic are friends with whom I chat with off of ao3 and largely due to them asking me what I think of the latest chapter. Otherwise I wouldn’t say a thing. They, likewise, have done the same with me. I thought it was so we could respect boundaries/triggers and support one another with other fics we could read. Cheering them on with those we can’t. I have worked on this since everything happened. I’m not perfect. Back to the issue...

After this email and taking time to digest it, I restated my position that we were parting ways.

Not long later I went onto the Kylo/Reader page and a summary of a new fic caught my eye. That was my hometown. That was not a Star Wars planet being named. Those tags were all my triggers and some of them were things she had openly bashed to my face. I had another panic attack, this one where I called up Juulna to talk in with voice. She couldn’t even understand me.Nor could my mother, who had heard me from downstairs and came up to check on me. I couldn’t stop crying, couldn’t stop feeling so violated and like the biggest fucking idiot for ever trusting her. I opened the fic because I was in doubt. But it was there. Details that others wouldn’t catch but that I did. She has since deleted the fic and even admitted that she did it to spite me. But this was the fic that changed so much. That made it to where I could not go onto the Kylo/Reader page for years.

This was the fic that prompted me to make a note on instagram a few times bashing people who romanticize rape and other triggering content. Where I stated if someone read those fics they were disgusting and I didn’t want them near me. So can I understand Mrs. Z being harsh? I fucking can, but it does not make it right just like my notes were not right and I deleted them. I reached out to a few people and apologized for them too.

This is the fic where when @kylosbrickhousebody​ mentioned I inspired them with Three Blind Tooke to write Mercurial...this is the fic that made me think it was a sick joke that they mentioned me. Why I thought it was malicious. I hadn’t known her, and I did apologize to her for my accusations. She understood where I was coming from when I told her why I thought that. Understood but equally held me accountable for my reaction. That I lashed out instead of coming to her. Because, at the end of the day, I AM accountable for MY actions. Even if we can empathize with them, it does NOT make them right.

I’ve been asked why I didn’t report the fic by MeganD1 to ao3. I was fucking terrified. I was scared to admit that this was me, that that was my home. I was scared they wouldn’t believe me. I was dealing with my sexual assault, dealing with the fact that I was in denial over it in part because I’d been told to “get over it”. Dealing with the colitis and an impending hysterectomy. My Grammy’s recently diagnosed breast cancer. I was so broken down with hurt and fear. I just watched the comments and kudos roll in for a fic that violated me to the core. I let the resentment build. And how was that fair to any of the individuals who would have avoided it if they had known what the fuck it was about?

While she was updating the fic, MeganD1 was also cyberstalking me on instagram, possibly tumblr as well. I privated my personal account from her. My fandom account I knew she was stalking with hers because she accidentally liked then unliked things. She had multiple accounts. Then she would view my story posts. I am guilty of checking on her fandom account once or twice, and she had made vague references to me in her captions. I deleted that fandom account. Made a new one. Followed my favorite Lucasfilm artist. Suddenly she was commenting on his posts. Talking about how much fun she had meeting him at a convention. My fucking dream that she stole with an artist she didn’t care about until I had mentioned him. I’ve never been able to go onto his page since. She found me though. Found that new account...so after months of not being stalked it started up. I deleted that fandom account. I stopped participating much at all.

The point is that throughout all of this, I was still and am still accountable for my own actions, for how I respond to others. I still get hate comments on fics. Do i want to lash out? Yeah. But I don’t. Sometimes I can take that step back and just ignore it. Other times I reach out to a friend for advice. Because no matter what, no matter just how bad things are, there are behaviors that are absolutely inexcusable. It doesn’t matter how hurt or broken we are. Saying something that hurts and possibly breaks someone else doesn’t fix anything. It creates more chaos. And I know that I hurt some readers I no longer interact with. Some who didn’t and don’t know any of this behind the scenes stuff. My hurt, however, does not justify hurting them.

So with the bravery of @wayward-rose​ and @callmehopeless​ and so many others, and with those who reached out and asked to hear what happened to me... I’m answering what happened to the best of my ability. While also, I hope, showing that those who empathize with Mrs. Z, it’s not bad to work to understand her hurt at times when she receives shit in her inbox. But that cannot and should not ever justify her hurting others. Especially when she then sits back and is PROUD of doing that.

[felestina-stilton]

Cartoon Analysis: "Pinky Malinky" Explained

DISCLAIMER! Yes, I do watched all 60 episodes of this show and cheked everything I possibly could about it (the show itself, two pilots, wikipedia and "nick animation podcast #48") before diving into this. So yeah, I know what I'm talking about, and yeah, this post got some heavy spoilers, so go away if you don't wanna see them.

First of all, I must say that this show is 50/50 thing. Some people like it and some people don't, it's fine and I totally get it. I just don't wanna hear any hate under this post. Let's all be respectful and kind 🐱

So, yesterday somebody asked me if "Pinky Malinky" has any plot. And I told that yes, yes it is. But of course "yes" isn't good enough if you here for the information, so let's discuss the whole thing in this long post. This series plot divided into three main arcs (there are some other arcs but they're not really important for the plot tho), which of course, lead into the bigger plotline. Today, I'm gonna fold all pieces of this plot puzzle and tell what this show basically is about

The beginning: Sackenhack and Mayor Happ arc

For those of you who don't know - Sackenhack is a town, where most of this show characters live. This is basically the most important thing to know, so let's start off with it. I found all this information in episodes "Hater" and "Pinky". The old Mayor of the town, Mayor Happ wanted to make this town as precious as possible. He started "Snow Games" (kinda on Olympic-game-thing in this universe) and also began a plan of building a lot of different constructions. Everything was good, until everyone realised that Sackenhack is a desert town. There NEVER was any snow or what so ever. The "Snow Games" were cancelled, many buildings and other structures were left unfinished, and the town fell into decay. Understanding his fault in all this mess, Mayor Happ vanished. Living nowadays in forest as a hermit, he once had a chance to meet Pinky in the episode "Hater". At first, he was pretending to be a Sackenhack hater called Mr. Sackenwack, which seemed very mean for Pinky, since he really likes his own town. Later, with the help of JJ's "creep app" they found his location. After a big reveal, Pinky finally realised that Mayor Happ and Mr. Sackenwack is the same person, and that he's beloved hero is also his hater. Some events after, the group was sitting in silence, until Happ said only one thing to Pinky: "I used to have such big dreams for this town. Now everything about it just reminds me of my failure...That's why I wanted you to delete your account. Everytime you posted something happy about Sackenhack it just made me... Sacken-Sad. So, what it's like to find out that your hero...is just some lame internet hater?" with a reply "Well, you're not what I expected, but, you're still really inspiring to me. I've got a lot of big ideas and not a lot of people understand them...I think I might run out of this town someday too)" Pinky goes home with his friends, and that's the end of Sackenhack/Mayor Happ ark.

Moving on to: Malinky's family arc

So, I guess, the first question you ask yourself when it comes to this particular show - why is Pinky a hotdog while both of his parents are just regular humans? Well, diving into this theme, let's discuss Malinky's family arc in general. We got most information about it in episodes "Pinky" and "Dreams", but there are also many cute facts about them in other episodes (which I'm not gonna discuss here because that's leads pretty much nowhere). So, before becoming a couple, Eric and Valerie were singers. They've done some singles and merchandise and were dreaming about a starry career. However, after some time they decided to become a family and raise a kid. The awful truth was then revealed - one of the members of Malinky's family, called Sasagio was an antro sausage, and Eric'c and Valerie's child probably gonna have the same mutation. This was a clearly hard thing to accept, but Valerie and Eric still wanted to have a kid and this didn't stopped them. Well, now they do have a son, but it's definitely not a regular kid. Raising the child in one, but raising a mutant-shapeshifter wiener is completely another. That's why they had to abandon their singers career. After founding all this information out on the old cassets left in the attic of Malinky's house in the episode "Dreams" Pinky realises - he literally crashed his parents dreams. Feeling guilty, he tries to bring them back to business, but only makes a bigger mess. Feeling even more sad and guilty, Pinky says to his parents that it's all his fault and no matter how, he'll do everything to fix the mess he made and make them singers, just as they dreamed. Eric and Valerie then just tell him that the real dream the've ever had - is to become a family, and raise the most sweet, cute and precious child, and that they love him no matter what. This brings an end to the Malinky's arc.

Finally, about main character: Pinky Malinky's arc

So, as you now know - Pinky was born an antropomorphic wiener. However - it doesn't bother him though. He thinks that being different is cool, and allways sees a better side in everything, literally spreading positivity and happiness. With the help of his two human friends, Babs and JJ, he tries to climb up to the career ladder. Anyways, something that weird and interesting still brings other people's attention, and one day Pinky being asked by some group of people (who allways being called just "camera guys") if they can make a documentary about him. Pinky agrees, and that's technically is a beginning of the series (which however was showed only in the last episode of season two, "Pinky"). In this episode also reveals how he became the new mascout and raised new "Snow Games". So, basically Pinky want's to organise "Snow Games" again, just like in old good times. But for this, also needs a mascout - The Snowball. That's why he starts a some kind of "vote for me as a mascout thing"...which fails. Sad Pinky goes to his schools principal to ask why everything failed. She tells him that that's because there never snowed in Sackenhack. Pinky says that he'll make it snow tonight, to become a mascout. Which of corse, wasn't for serious, but by accident, everyone in school heard that. Now Pinky really HAS to make it snow but the thing is he don't know how. With the help of JJ, Babs and Bob he tries to do this...and fails again. But then the truck with popcorn (JJ got him for sponsoring some company) blows up and...yeah, popcorn kinda looks like snow so technically Pinky becomes a new mascout. At the end of season three, in the episode "Wiener" goes a big reveal - the camera crew filmed him just to know enough information about him because he was going to participate in UMC (Ultimate. Mascout. Championship). However, Helga Hilltop from UMC says that he CAN'T participate. Competitions are only for human boys and girls, and Pinky clearly isn't one of them. He's a twisting, bending, shapeshifter sausage. Pinky says that if he can't participate because of his powers, he'll just try not to use them. At first, everything goes under the controll, but then Pinky fails miserably. After calling him a "filthy wiener" Helga disqualifys him. Sad and humilated, Pinky starts crying and thinking that he really doesn't belong anywhere and probably everything would be better off without someone not normal like him. But then some students along with JJ, Babs and Principal Phan are telling him that it's a complete nonsence, and who the hell decides who is and not normal. Besides, it's what on the inside that counts. After this, Pinky came up with the idea - that's really in the rules of the UMC that's what in the inside that counts. He comes back to the stage and perform as good as he can, not holding himself back anymore. After this, he lies that he was just the costume, and Babs and JJ are the ones who were the real mascouts. Helga says that it doesn't counts and no matter what other jujes think, he didn't won anything. But then everyone just disqualifys Helga because hell yeah, everything she said today sounded like a clear rasism, what the actual hell. Then Principal Phan says that now Pinky is an official mascout. Not the Snowball, just him themself, since he's the most inspiring person in the whole Sackenhack. This leads an end to the Pinky's arc and the series themself.

So this what it all is about. I hope I made everything in this post clear enough)

[whythewords]

Expedition

Goodness me, it's been a weird few weeks. But it actually hasn't. I think I'm using that as a turn of phrase to identify that in the intervening weeks since that last post, I've had a few deeply sad and lonely days amidst an otherwise "normal" time. Maybe pepper in a few revelations about what I want out of life and how soon I want it. But technically this is all "normal" ain't it? We go about living our lives in between the milestones of total befuddlement as to how in the hell we got where we are, for better or for worse.

I went to check out a concert last Friday. It was a mostly acoustic show in a tiny little venue, a little tavern/restaurant in Toronto. I remember a time when I was so staunchly anti-city, and that sentiment returned when I was only working out there and still living in Mississauga, but at some point in between then and when I was actually living there (or much closer to it) I romanticized the hell out of it. It was also for the two years that I was single between my first and second stints dating my now ex-wife. I'm starting to think it wasn't the city I was romanticizing, it was the concept of discovering it on my own. Going out mid-week, doing more open mics, getting drunk on a Tuesday and stumbling onto the subway to get home. In a weird way, I romanticized my single-hood at the time, but I also recall it took me so long to get to that place. I remember those times vividly, and for most of them I was miserable.

Part of me feels as if I'm clawing my way back to that sense of wonder and self-discovery, but that misery hits at the exact same time. This show on Friday was the second solo concert I'd been to in the last couple of months, and the feelings were the same each time... Realizing now that I didn't even talk about the first one though it was in March: It was a John Mayer solo acoustic show at ScotiaBank Arena. As I sat alone in my seat with strangers on either side of me waiting for the show to start, I felt that profound loneliness that I thought was reserved for the darkened room in my folks' apartment, in the wee hours of the morning with my face lit up by the glow of my phone. It was there in full force and it was all I could do not to think about how I was the "weird guy all alone at the concert." It's moments like these I feel fortunate that I'm a music guy. The show started, the music took a hold and I settled into it and forgot about those feelings and enjoyed the show. Ironically, my ex happened to be at that show too and I met with her briefly after to "say hi." And it was fine, we were good and amiable but I'd be lying if I said it didn't feel weird. Concerts were an activity we enjoyed together a fair bit when we were, well, together.

So that was the arena show. Flash forward to this past Friday at a tiny little venue, Eric Hutchinson at the Dakota Tavern. I was sitting at some tables with strangers and there's that same familiar feeling, now with the added bonus of this weird pressure I've put on myself to be more outgoing and chatty because "maybe I'll meet someone." The lonely feelings lingered into the opening few numbers of the set and it was a little while before I settled into the distraction, and I don't even know that I fully settled in. It took until after the entire set was over and I was milling around the bar waiting to meet the Eric (he came out afterward to take pictures and chat with fans) that I actually made an attempt to strike up a conversation with a stranger. It was fine, friendly, and I kicked myself for not saying something sooner, but by this point many of us (myself included) were looking to get our photo and chat with Eric and then head out.

I got on the subway home and reflected on the lonely feeling and thought about what I could have done differently....all of these thoughts swirled around instead of me reflecting on the show and that I got to chat with an artist I admired and get a photo with him. I meandered from Kipling to one of my new favourite shawarma joints that was in the area for a late night pick-me-up, still got home early enough to properly wind down for the night. I mean, fuck, it was a pretty great night all in all, both of those shows were...but that feeling man, it's been chasing me. And I'm not even all about the dating thing right now. I threw the apps back on my phone and I can barely stand to look at them, don't even know why they're there.

To get deeper into the thought process, my plan for battling these feelings was to keep my head down and keep working on myself until I get to that inevitable "reinvnention." "It'll be different man. When I have my own place, and a new job in a new town...like Halifax perhaps." Yep, that idea is still on my mind. And It's getting harder and harder to contend with the fact that I'm not there yet now that pretty much everything else has fallen into place. I have all of my independence except for that one key, very important part of it...that accounts for like 98% of it. All of the rare moments when my folks have left the apartment for a night, hell even for an afternoon, are the most joyful and peaceful moments of my entire week or month. I need that feeling. I need to get out. I need to exact and execute the plan of working for a year or a year and a half and then trekking out east to (overdramatic as it fucking sounds): "build a new life." But even that job man...I mean it's going fine, but a year? Year and a half? I don't think I can wait that long anymore. I don't know how much better real estate prices are going to get over here, or how much shittier they're going to get over there over the course of a year.

I'm thinking a lot. Not the first time I've pointed it out, but I know this desire for solitude as well as this profound loneliness are completely at odds...but solitude fucking wins out. I need to get there, to get my head right and be with myself for a while so that I can be ready and willing to be with someone else. I think that's what the hesitance and timidness boil down to, a lack of readiness. But the last piece of the puzzle to get where I need to go emotionally and mentally, is to get the fuck away from everything else physically. The moving away thing. Just like the Japan trip, it started out as kind of a pipe dream, and as time went on it seemed like more and more of a potential reality...or a necessity. I think I gotta do it. I think that I NEED it. And I think I gotta expedite the process. I'm heading out there on vacation in July. Maybe that ought to be more than a vacation. Maybe I ought to start scouting things out, looking for a plot of land to finally finish rebuilding this fucking machine.

It's almost fully operational...almost.

[kitliveblogs]

so this is basically a long-ass rant disguised as a review of Little Mermaid II that I originally posted on a different blog. maybe someday I'll actually get back to that blog, but for right now the theme is broken and I can't read anything on it anymore.

so for now, this will live right here instead c:

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Everyone's already taken their shots at the notoriously bad Disney sequels made in the late 90s and early 2000s. They're basically a walking punch line just by existing. But really, not all of them are completely worthless, and a couple of them are even pretty enjoyable, in a hilarious "I can't believe they actually made this" sort of way.

But I'm here to talk about only the most heinous of cinematic disasters. And let me make one thing perfectly clear: this isn't just Kit being a bitter and cranky old fogy with a chip on her shoulder because the shitty sequel ruined her childhood. I mean, I am bitter and cranky, but The Little Mermaid II couldn't possibly lower my opinion of the original -- there's not really anything lower than rock bottom. (yeah I hate The Little Mermaid fight me)

This movie is just flat out that bad.

word count: 3070

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I'm just gonna get one thing out of the way right now: nothing about this movie frustrates me more than the cast. This cast is made up of particularly well-known voice actors, and it's heartbreaking that they all got wrangled into doing this shit. Jodi Benson (Ariel), Samuel E. Wright (Sebastian), Kenneth Mars (King Triton), and Buddy Hackett (Scuttle) all return to reprise their roles from the first movie, and Pat Carroll who played Ursula is here to play Morgana, the main villain and Ursula's conveniently-never-before-mentioned sister. Yeah. They're doing that. And on top of getting so much of the original cast, they also roped in:

Rob Paulsen (Eric)

Tara Strong (Melody)

Clancy Brown (Undertow)

Cam Clarke (Flounder)

Rene freaking Auberjonois as Chef Louis

and one my favorite VAs Stephen Furst as Dash, one half of the Timon and Pumbaa knock-offs for the film.

When just looking at the cast list pisses me off this much... I don't think this is going to be much fun.

A quick recap for those who have been living under a rock since the late 70s: The Little Mermaid is the story of Ariel, daughter of the ruler of Atlantica, who at the completely world-wise age of 16 decides she's had enough of life under the sea and wants to live with the humans on land. She turns to the sea-witch Ursula for help, and in exchange for her voice is given a pair of legs and a deadline: kiss the man of her dreams within three days or join the shriveled legion of Ursula's previous victims. Naturally the witch doesn't play fair and Ariel fails, and King Triton offers himself in exchange for his daughter, thus sacrificing his washboard abs and obscenely powerful trident to Ursula. One climactic battle later, Ursula's dead, Triton turns Ariel into a human, and she and Prince Eric live happily ever after.

Until the sequel, of course, where Ariel and Eric have a baby girl, Melody, which makes me question the exact biology of this bizarre offspring. I mean just look at this thing:

She was just born but she's got a full head of hair and disturbingly large blue eyes. It's freakish. But anyway, this is where movie number 2 begins.

And we're off to a good start: smacked in the face with a terrible music number. I would say get used to those, but there aren't really enough in the movie to warrant it -- which is pretty bad when you consider this is supposed to be a musical. Also, "listen to Ariel's Melody"? That's... wow. I can't even say that's cute in a sarcastic way that's just terrible.

But oh no! The party is interrupted by Morgana, who is, as Sebastian so eloquently puts it:

Oh good. I can see we'll be dealing with truly ingenious writing here.

So after stealing the baby Melody, ranting and raving about being better than her sister Ursula, and attempting to feed the baby to a shark (all while Ariel, Eric, and Triton stand there doing absolutely nothing), Morgana flees to the arctic. Wait, the arctic? Well, alright, you need to escape pursuit to a barren wasteland, that's fair. I won't linger on this for now, as the geography problems will get a lot worse later.

One of the main MacGuffins of the movie is a gold locket with Melody's name inscribed on it, that projects an image of Atlantica and plays a lullaby when opened. King Triton was giving it to the baby before Morgana came onto the scene, and after failing to find her in a massive search of the sea, Triton drops it in the water and leaves. This strikes me as odd. Wouldn't you want to hang onto it? As a keepsake of your family? Or at the very least dispose of it more properly, just in case Melody might one day, oh I dunno, find it and realize her mother and father had been lying to her her entire life? Nah, I'm sure it'll be fine.

Fast forward 12 years. A giant wall has been built on the shore to keep Melody and the ocean apart, but being a tenacious kid she naturally figured out a way around it. Or rather, under it. Which raises the question: if this child could figure out a way out, why couldn't Morgana figure a way in? It would have been a simple matter to slip under the wall, scale the outside of the tower with her suction cup-riddled tentacles, and kidnap the baby to hold for ransom. Why was it so imperative to wait until Melody found the locket before enacting her plan to steal the trident?

Oh, yeah, that thing I mentioned before about her finding it? Lo and behold, she discovered the damn thing on one of her jaunts to collect seashells (which are comically huge by the way). If only Triton had done literally anything else with it, this whole mess might have been avoided.

But no time to worry about that now; there's a birthday party to attend!

Through a convoluted mess of trying to hide her seashells and pretend she'd been in her room the entire time, Melody accidentally ties Sebastian into the dorky bow on the back of her party dress. I'm sure this will have no consequences down the line at all--

Huh. Didn't see that one coming. This leads to a ridiculous scene of Chef Louis chasing Sebastian around the ballroom like some sort of crazed lunatic. I know this was a thing from the first movie, but this guy is out of his fucking gourd; why do they keep him around? Ultimately, Melody runs off to her room out of embarrassment.

I really don't want to linger on anything for too long since this movie doesn't deserve that much energy, but there's two things about this scene I need to address. One: so basically if Sebastian had just remained calm and waited it out... none of this would have happened? I think the blame for this one falls on him. And two: why the hell are all these other children making fun of Melody? I know she's ~weird~ and all, but she's the freaking princess. Don't you think they'd know better than exclude the princess of the entire kingdom? I would want to stay on her good side is all I'm saying.

Anyway. Melody finally takes a good look at the locket and realizes something's up, confronting her mother about Atlantica. Okay, Ariel, here's your chance. If you just explain the situation, she'll understand and maybe you could even take her to Atlantica under heavy guard or something so she can finally meet her damn grandfather.

Or you could just get mad. Getting mad is good too.

Naturally after that Melody decides to take off, rowing a rather conveniently placed boat out to sea to try and figure it all out for herself. While she meets Undertow and agrees to follow him to Morgana, Sebastian is back at the castle psyching himself up to tell Ariel that Melody ran away.

WAIT. YOU DIDN'T KNOW? IT'S BEEN TWELVE YEARS AND YOU HAD NO IDEA SEBASTIAN WAS KEEPING AN EYE ON MELODY??

So in the end, a) Ariel is the least observant person in the world, b) Sebastian never once told her about Melody's excursions beyond the wall (remember that for later), and c) Triton didn't bother to let Ariel know he'd assigned Sebastian the job, continuing the family cycle of not communicating with each other. In hindsight all this bullshit family drama isn't that surprising.

Back to Melody and Morgana (yes, somehow Undertow and the manta ray minions hauled the boat to the arctic in just a couple of hours), Morgana is doing what she does best: whining about Ursula. Honey, I don't think your mother favored her because she was the oldest; I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the fact that Ursula was actually competent and managed to accomplish her goals. Plus her magic is clearly more powerful than yours, since you have to use one of her potions to turn Melody into a mermaid.

OH MY GOD A SONG. I forgot this movie was supposed to have those. It's an upbeat little tune about learning to swim with her new tail, which quickly evolves into a duet with her mother and finding their "worlds:" Melody finding a place she belongs underwater, and Ariel keeping Melody safe. It's boring, but at least Tara Strong can sing well, and Jodi Benson can still belt it out like she could twenty years ago.

Morgana tells Melody that the spell will only last for two days, and that in order to make it permanent, she'll need the "powerful trident that was stolen from her." I'm sure you're as shocked as I was when it was revealed that she didn't just want a puppy and someone to make her pie. So off Melody goes with naught but determination and a map carved into a block of ice. Wait. That seems... poorly designed.

There aren't even words on it. Now I'm no cartographer, but that seems like a pretty major flaw for a map.

Meanwhile, Ariel has joined the search for Melody as a mermaid again, because apparently, according to Eric, "You should go. You know these waters -- and you know our daughter." Um. I'm not even sure where to begin with that one. Let's just say I agree with half that statement; I'll give you one guess which half.

Back in the arctic-- Stop. Okay look. I liked Timon and Pumbaa well enough. Timon had his moments of obnoxiousness, but Nathan Lane was likable enough to always bring it back, and Pumbaa is still my favorite character from The Lion King. But lemme tell ya, I HATE what Timon and Pumbaa did to Disney for a while. They wanted quirky, amiable sidekicks that would keep the kids entertained and distract from the lion sex happening in the background. I can understand that. But when every kid walked away singing Hakuna Matata and the Disney execs realized what they'd stumbled on, every movie afterward that was bound to fail miserably tried to shoehorn in a pair that would have the same appeal to sell more merch. Timon and Pumbaa themselves wound up with their own movie and a SATURDAY MORNING CARTOON SHOW. YEAH. THAT REALLY HAPPENED.

Why do I bring it up? Do you really have to ask?

Meet Tip and Dash, your knock-offs for the evening.

They are, as they put it, "adventurers slash explorers." That might have actually been a good way of setting them apart from the lackadaisical Timon and Pumbaa -- except that in their very first scene they attempt to save a baby penguin from a shark and completely botch the whole thing by being complete cowards. And then when the penguin family gets upset and berates them for their piss-poor job, the movie has the audacity to frame this like we should feel sorry for them. Movie, I refuse to sympathize with them when all the criticism against them is CORRECT. Also sharks don't live in the arctic. Neither do walruses. Just throwing that out there.

From there they bump into Melody, and she convinces them to take her to Atlantica, since Morgana was an idiot for carving the map into an easily-breakable piece of ice. By the way, for the record, Dash is the only likable character in this entire movie, but even then that's not saying much when you consider I'm biased because of his VA. He's the one that actually agrees to help Melody because she's "a damsel in distress," and doesn't care that she's actually a human-turned-mermaid. Come to think of it, this could have been a really good analogy for trans youth, but that probably would have been way too complicated a subject for a shitty Disney sequel.

Also I was gonna skip this part but it's stuck in my head so I'd like to introduce you to the CATCHIEST AND MOST OBNOXIOUS SONG IN ANY MOVIE EVER. Like damn! That would be an accomplishment if it wasn't so terrible. And I'm not exaggerating; I'm completely immune to It's A Small World, but THIS? This garbage sticks to me like glue. (and if you decided to skip the song you now have It's A Small World in your head so either way you have to SUFFER WITH ME)

Ahem. Moving on.

The Three Stooges here finally make it to Atlantica, just barely missing Ariel, Triton, and Flounder going the other way. Flounder, in the past twelve years, has had about five annoying kids and developed a dad belly. It's not really relevant to anything but it's just hilarious to me that even fish can have dad bellies. But there's only a half hour of this turd left, so let's keep chugging along.

On their way into the palace they bump into a piece of-- what? Fish jailbait? Jail fish bait? Eh, whatever. THEY BUMP INTO THIS KID:

Yes, as a matter of fact it was. Even though Atlantica is clearly in tropical waters. Starfish, sea urchins, and crabs all live in tropical waters, whereas penguins live in colder climates. This geography is seriously messed up. I don't think anyone on the creative team even bothered to so much as glance at a map while making this -- which would also explain the terrible ice map, I suppose.

Melody swipes the trident and heads back to Morgana's lair. Cloak and Dagger, the two manta ray minions (I know, subtle), follow behind, and Ariel catches sight of them. She and Flounder in turn follow them, discovering the witch's hiding place in the arctic. Personally my first thought was "So, we've looked everywhere actually means except there because it's cold as balls and nobody wanted to?" but Ariel's a bit more focused than I was by this point.

Ariel tries to send Flounder back, to let Triton know where they are, but Flounder, being an idiot, says he won't let her go in there alone. DUDE. GO GET HELP. Who does, in fact, go to get help? Why Scuttle, of course!

And it's all your fault, bro.

Ariel rushes in in the nick of time to stop Melody from handing over the trident, but naturally the two of them get into the argument that puts the final nail in coffin. Melody actually says "You knew how much I loved the sea!" but I'd like to refer you back to the facts. Melody and Ariel never had an honest and open conversation about, well, anything. The closest evidence we have to support this statement is that Melody thought Atlantica was just an old fish tale, which means at some point Ariel told her stories about it and the mermaids. Otherwise there's just genetics: your mother's a mermaid so you must love the sea too. That's an awfully big leap. And there's the fact that Sebastian never told Ariel about Melody's adventures outside the wall. She had zero idea about any of it. So how could she have possibly known how much Melody loved the ocean, outside of sheer guesswork?

Oh, but "you know our daughter." Well if you SAY it it MUST be true!

By the by, Melody's little realization here of "I have made a horrible mistake" when she gives Morgana the trident is just priceless.

De-licious.

Finally we've reached the big battle. Morgana builds herself a big fuck-off tower of ice, and we're ready for action.

Scuttle, in a rare moment of non-stupidity, comes soaring in, tailed by Prince Eric's ship. Before blasting it to pieces Morgana asks, "Come to join the party?" and I have to agree; where the hell have you been for the last 40 minutes, anyway, Eric? ALSO

And I present you the only funny line in the movie:

...If it feels like I'm rushing through this it's only because I am.

After getting the trident, Morgana had sealed Melody and Flounder into an ice cavern. Unfortunately for her, Melody's two days are now up, and she turns back into a human in a chamber full of water. Tip and Dash rush in to save her, and come face-to-face with a full-sized Undertow. Through a not-at-all suspenseful sequence of the shark chasing them around, they manage to trick him into ramming the ice wall trapping Melody and Flounder, and get her back up to the surface. Where she just. wakes up. No coughing water or dizziness or trouble breathing. NOPE. Her eyes open as soon as she hits air and she's good to go.

Disney: showing the lighter side of almost drowning.

As Morgana fulfills her power fantasy of getting everyone to bow down to her and shrieking "WHO'S YOUR FAVORITE NOW, MA" (yeah I'm pretty sure it's still Ursula), Melody scales the ice tower in an attempt to retrieve the trident. If nothing else, this movie shows a very inaccurate portrayal of trying to walk on ice. Unsurprisingly, Melody succeeds and tosses the trident back to Triton, who seals Morgana in a block of ice to rest forever at the bottom of the sea.

So Ursula was literally stabbed through the chest with an entire boat and died but Morgana gets punked out in a block of ice? Weak.

The family reconciles, Melody takes the whole "grandfather" thing a little too well, and the movie ends with them tearing down the wall so the humans and merpeople can interact freely from now on.

I only have two questions before I finally shut up about this stupid stupid movie:

1. So does the whole kingdom just sort of take it in stride that a) merpeople exist and b) the prince married one? 2. How can a movie that's only an hour and ten minutes long sans credits feel SO MUCH LONGER

This whole thing was ridiculous from the jump. Who was demanding a sequel to the Little Mermaid of all freaking things? Who really wanted to see sequels to any of the movies from the Disney Renaissance? And there are quite a few of them. Like I said, some of them can be pretty enjoyable if you like cheesiness. But most of them are just terrible like this one, and if you're wondering whether you'll be seeing more of the Dark Age of Disney, don't worry. Their days will come.