#and mike has if he is queer at all just u know not knowing it lol

[reel-fear]

Genuinely so curious who Mike thinks is gonna be buying The Cage or the new DCTL GN bc with the way he tweets as far as he's concerned, it's not gonna be:

The queer people he has actively admitted he will never show any representation of in the games.

2. The POC he has actively fought against representing in his franchise. [Who he also mocked for thinking they would be represented in his franchise]

3. The Bendy fandom which has always been concerned with topics of diversity esp in the sense of queer people since its creation. Who he has responded to really poorly esp in regards to the GN.

4. The fans who critique him. [He blocked me for doing so lol]

5. His fans in general who he tweets about like this currently. [He's being vague about why people were mad at him or sent him 'nasty messages' because if you actually looked into why you'd see he was in the wrong. Either way, a very hateful way to speak abt ur own fanbase.]

Reminder while Mike is trash talking his fans he has always treated them rather poorly. The fans who won the fanart contest for Chapter 5 never got their posters actually in game due to it being rushed. Not only was chapter 5 a big slap to the face story wise, but it was literally so rushed he couldn't be bothered to add in the art his fans gave him for his game FOR FREE. [Meatly blames this on a crazy timeline, reminder him and Mike are the literal ceos of this company. The proposal of future updates here is also pretty cruel considering Mike nowadays happily admits he corrupted Chapter 5's source code and therefore literally can't update it At All currently. Because he is a moron]

At least they got to be in Boris and the dark survival, and by that I mean that was the Only game they got to be in so far, isn't that just treating your fans like you love them? Shoving their hard work into a spin off game almost nobody has played or addresses much. [Hell, who knows if with the Lone Wolf rebrand they'll even stay there. In which case they'll be in None of the games, only in the credits of BATIM]

6. The Bendy fans who just generally disagree with him on stuff. Like the new ink demon design where there is literally a public poll showing people generally prefer the old one.

7. The Bendy fans who can see he is actively lying to them. To their fucking faces.

He says this has always been the case, but screenshots and links to tweets regarding the books being canon prove it was not. Does he really think bendy fans are stupid or something? [Unless he's admitting here he lied to Kress when he told her the books were canon which sounds worse!]

8. Anyone who doesn't like the idea of giving money to a guy who laid off tons of employees then afterwards thought it was a great idea to express his anti-union views! Also brag about how good of an employer he was, according to his employees, he was not!

So in summary; Mike is an awful person who has not learned anything from the awful things he did. I will not be purchasing The Cage because, combined with this and his absolute refusal to take any kind of critique or see any differing interpretation of his franchise, I have no reason to think my problems with the franchise will ever be addressed or fixed. I probably will pirate The Cage along with any future Bendy Products [Including the movie] and will do my best to avoid giving it any kind of monetary support. Unless this changes any time soon, I can't see myself making anymore positive Bendy posts soon.

Mike has just managed to make it so hard to speak positively or optimistically of this franchise when he's so willing to broadcast how little he cares about it or its fans. I'm at the point where I refuse to pull any of my punches with my problems with it. What's the point of trying to play nice with my critique when either way the people creating it don't care?

So with this post, I want to invite anyone who feels similarly about the franchise to tell me, make a post or send an ask talking about how all of this makes you feel. It may not change how things are, but genuinely seeing other people share my feelings of anger makes me feel better. It feels nice to see when other people share our same concerns and worries. I'd also love to know if anyone else thinks they'll be avoiding purchasing Bendy products over this.

I'm not forcing anyone to participate in it nor trying to say anyone who doesn't supports mike but genuinely maybe if we can collectively decide to boycott things like the movie, graphic novel and The Cage... It might at least make the bendy devs acknowledge how much they have destroyed their own fandom's faith and trust in them.

The way Mike tweets about his actions like he had no control over why people were mad at him at least proves to me he takes NONE of it back nor regrets it. If you didn't know about his actions and only went off his tweets, you would be led to believe Mike has been needlessly picked apart by fans over things he couldn't control [or in his own words, had his words twisted and taken out of context]. That is not how you speak about your actions if you have actually learned better from them.

anyway, that has been my bendy dev callout post. This is an open invitation to anyone feeling similarly upset about the way the franchise is going to talk about it. It's genuinely nice to see how people feel about this and the more we talk about the more it's likely the bendy devs are forced to address our concerns. I don't think they will but hey, that's why I'm not gonna support them with my money anymore nor am I gonna be nice to them in any content I make critiquing Bendy. I mean I'm also basically making this post just in case anyone asks me Why I feel this way towards to bendy devs/as a way to respond to anyone who thinks I am too harsh in my critique in the future.

As always, it seems the best part of Bendy isn't actually anything about canon but about what the fan's are creating with the ideas Bendy failed to do anything interesting with.

Also the books, the books slap.

[archive2394934]

trying to make henry homophobic when hes been abused and oppressed his entire life for being noticeably “different” (Which you know, you could actually read as being metaphorical to someone who is openly queer but what does my gay ass know lol) and that is literally the reason hes trying to fight to change the world so people like him who are “different” dont have to suffer under social constructs & systematic oppression, partic if you also hc him as queer, are still and will always be the worst takes on this character and in this fandom and I cant believe I keep having to see them in real time. 

[will80sbyers]

how are u so calm abt this 😭 teach me ur ways bc im consumed by byler doubt like i verbally said “we lost” when i read that leak 😭😭

For now I trust my eyes more than leaks without context! There's really too much stuff inside the show for me to believe it's not intentionally constructing Byler endgame, every single thing I know about television is pointing to that, the parallels don't make any sense if Mike is not queer, the one with Vickie is the most incriminating one because there's no reason for them to parallel Mike specifically to her if not because of byler... If they had only made the parallel between Robin and Will I could have accepted the idea that it was only because of Will having his crush but no they took Mike's dialogue and Vickie's dialogue and paralleled that too

They made countless romantic parallels between Byler and other romantic couples Mlven included in these parallels, why if it's only Will having a crush he's gonna get over with at the end to then date a NPC character??? Makes zero sense.

Plus all the things we found in the background, the queercoding around both Mike and Will, the closets open in the background, the interruption trope used for them, Mike looking at Will with the same exact expression he has when he looks at Eleven in season 1 right before he gets a crush on her...

There's just too much stuff for me to accept that it doesn't mean anything, and then remember when people for years said Will was gay because of the background stuff and the little moments and then it happened!? We are not crazy. They have put all of these things intentionally inside the show, they have written the story in a way that makes sense only if Mike and Will end up together at the end, they have done countless parallels with byler and other couples even outside the show like Byler and Benverly (I made a whole gifset about this, click on the GIFs!) or Laurie X Amy, etc etc

Even just the painting alone.

Multiple movies of the ones in the list of S4 had love triangles that were like the willelmike situation...

It would simply go against all logic and whatever happens I need to see it with my eyes, I can't rely on words on the streets, I said it once and I'll say it again the only way I'm giving up on Byler is if the Duffers themselves say it's not happening - no one else! And even if they say it I'll be probably watching the new season low-key hoping they were lying because it just doesn't make sense for byler to not happen in my brain at this point 🌈

[gayofthefae]

"The van scene is just for Will's plotline it doesn't affect Mike" what if I said the opposite was true. What if I said it did not serve as a climax for Will because he had already demonstrated an ability for honesty, vulnerability, and the self-assurance required in his confrontation of Mike in episode 2. What if I said that it only served his story as an inciting incident for the Jonathan coming out scene - a scene which, as I've said before, was the actual climax of his season arc, which was about his queerness, not Mike.

It is a setup for Mike, we know that, but it also doesn't really directly serve Will's arc at all. It is a self sabotage - setup for season 5, but something we already know him to do. It is a transition point for Mike. And it is the straw that breaks the camel's back for Jonathan. Besides that, it speaks directly to the audience at best. But it does not serve Will. He gets nothing truly off his chest because he is not unburdened - if anything worse off because he gave up his hope, he doesn't teach us things we couldn't otherwise deduce, and it moves him no internally closer to closure.

The speech only serves for Mike to react to and Jonathan to witness (and the cinematography reflects that). The following scenes reflect that too. The only scenes of importance in either plot following that are Will's scene with Jonathan and Mike telling El he loves her. Both directly tied to the speech, Mike's more textually, and no independently actionable resolution for Will.

This was the post but I had more thoughts, per usual

Will has a theme of unactionable resolutions. In episode 2 he is honest and from there the ball is in Mike's court. His most actionable plot is the painting, which he has demonstrated the vulnerability for already but the self-prioritization required is not a line he as a character is willing to cross, something that isn't a character flaw in need of resolution given what he logically believes the effects would be. The ball is in Mike's court from the beginning and remains there. And will remain there. Will had no arc necessity to confess because not confessing exposed no character flaws (shoutout to the writers for not presenting choosing to remain in the closet as a character flaw!!!). He was put in a helpless position of heartbreak and sadness and, like all of us wanted for him, wanted to do something about it, wanted to be able to do something about it, so he tried, but ultimately realized that the risk outweighed the reward, and the cost of the reward (El) would outweigh it anyways. That is logical. He is logical. He does everything logically. He is helpless this season. And he wants to believe he isn't, and we want to believe he isn't, but he is. Because the ball is in Mike's court. It was then and it is now. And it has been since the Snow Ball, really.

Because in December, 1984, after Will's perpetual but logical inaction towards a relationship, Mike took action against one. And since, it has been his job to undo, and his job to communicate contradictory to his actions that he wants one. Inaction does not require a solution unless it is representative of a problem to be solved. Will's is not. Mike's problem is he takes protective action impulsively when he gets scared that ultimately traps and harms him and others. Mike's problem is not inaction either. If they had stayed silently pining 13 year olds forever it would not have been a character flaw on either of their parts. But Mike took unnecessary - understandable, but unnecessary - action in the eyes of the plot. One can debate whether he did it in December 1983. Or whether he did it in July 1985. Or whether he did it in March 1986 when he ignored Will, because silence is not inaction if it as an active change. But no matter when it became an unnecessary choice,

The ball is in his court because it was never in anyone else's. The ball is in his court because Will never stepped foot on a court. Will isn't playing the game, he didn't pick up a ball. He sat in the stands and watched. In March 1986, he moved to the bench and Jonathan saw him but still, he never stepped foot on the court. He was never playing the game. (Apologies. This isn't a stupid sports game)/ref.

The ball is in Mike's court because as far as actionable plotlines reflecting internal growth go, Mike and Will's relationship is and always has been Mike's plot. Will's is allowing himself to take up space; he's getting closer, and allowing himself to have Mike will be the ultimate demonstration of that, just not its purpose. But Mike's is Will.

[livsmessydoodles]

honestly i think we moved on too quickly from this

like what do you MEAN they named the track that starts playing during the byler fight RIGHT AFTER MIKE SAYS "we're friends! we're friends" IN THE CLOSET??????? IN??? THE???? CLOSET?????? LIKE HOW BLATANT CAN YOU BE😭😭😭

stranger things has always named their leitmotifs/soundtracks very purposefully and something they love to play around with is titles with double meanings... whenever a track is played in more than one scene they always make sure to put in a name that works for all the contexts its used in

THIS TRACK SPECIFICALLY is used in two continuous scenes: mike and will's fight, and el crying alone in the staff room. they make it clear in the show where el is – they even make a point of showing the little board saying "STAFF ROOM" before going in and showing el alongside the brooms and cleaning material. placing those there DOES give the room the same function as a closet, so it justifies calling it a closet even after explicitly showing us its really not one, giving them plausible deniability

and putting into context how the name fits el's scene, there's really no other explanation to how it fits mike and will's scene other than the queer implications. especially when we consider at what moment the track starts playing in the first place:

right after mike claims he and will are just friends in a weirdly defensive tone.... and we know that a character claiming that their relationship with another character is platonic is a common romantic trope that stranger things itself makes use of frequently.... hmm🤨

and then we get to the most damning part of it all imo, the PARENTHESES

when they put "(At Rink O Mania)" in between parentheses, they're very much implying that bringing up rink o mania is simply an afterthought, and that the main, important part of the title is "In the closet". the part in parentheses is 100% connected to el's scene and used as a small explanation for why it fits her scene, by putting context behind the closet phrase to associate it with the location el is in. but when we consider the main title by itself, the phrase "in the closet" is directly associated with the queer phrase to refer to LGBT people who aren't open about their identity.

when they separate that part of the phrase from the specification of rink o mania, the queer implications are undeniable, especially when its such a popularly known phrase. the decision to name it this was completely conscious, and if they wanted to avoid those implications, they could have gone with a name more fitting, and not using the word "closet" altogether since it wouldnt really fit either scene...... yet they stuck to it😭

"In the closet (At Rink O Mania)" is a name just vague enough that if questioned, they could get away with explaining the name by alluring to el (even though shes not really in a closet) but its also specific enough that its obvious what they were actually referring to..... its a smart way of hiding their true intentions while simultaneously tipping us off. duffer brothers i am onto u

[thefirstlioveyou]

the entire s4 and the build up of byler relationship really convinced me that mike is queer but what bothers me is mike saying he loves el and he can’t lose her again in s3 in front of everyone else what do u think abt that confession scene cuz that scene also convinced me he was indeed in love with el

i feel someone else might be better articulated about this but heres how i feel about that.

when he said that, it was coming from a place of trauma.

mike suffers from survivors guilt from the events of season 1. when el faints in the last episode, her power being [almost] used up, mike realizes he messed up. he realizes he had seen her as some sort of tool for him to use. as the season closes off, we see him realize how in danger el is, and how she needs help. mike naturally being caring and responsible for others (hence ‘the heart’ title), feels this overwhelming guilt once el sacrifices herself for her friends and gets taken away, disappearing in front of his eyes.

because of who he is a person, it’s easy for him to connect certain things, thinking if he had treated her differently then maybe she’d be okay. once she finally comes back in s2, and we enter s3, he begins to become controlling over how and when she uses her powers because he still carries unresolved guilt from the ending of s1.

the thing is though, in reality, it wasn’t her passing out that caused her to disappear. it was el who made the choice to sacrifice herself. but because of who mike is as a person, it’s easy for his brain to connect the wrong things. almost like, “oh i worked her too hard, she ended up disappearing and i lost her, it’s my fault. if i hadn’t done that, she would’ve been here.“ in s2, he believed she could’ve been dead. “she wouldn’t be dead if i had just treated her like a normal person.”

guilt can be so strong that it makes you connect things that just aren’t.. connected.

in the scene you are referring to, he is arguing with max, who believes she knows her own limits and has the right to choose when to and when not use her powers - which, honestly, i agree with her for the most part.

however, i still understand mike. he’s coming from a place of guilt. “i can’t lose her again.” he’s suffering trauma. her simply using her powers doesn’t mean she will magically disappear, but due to past events, that is exactly what it means to mike. he just isn’t communicating that and instead projecting it onto max and the others.

so… why does he say “i love her.” ?

remember, s3 is him trying to be as normal as possible, getting a girlfriend and liking girls and pushing away the things that make you happy - because to him that’s what growing up is about (it’s not, he’s just a repressed homosexual).

this is when things get a bit messy, and the part i have a hard time explaining…. so please bare with me 😭

he remains with el because of the guilt - this relationship is what makes her happy and a place where he can make sure she is safe. he almost feels as if he’s obligated to stay from losing her the first time. he wants to be useful, needed - typical for the type of trauma he’s facing.

because of the ‘normal’ and heteronormative small town and era they live in, and the fact this is the first girl that isn’t repulsed by him, it’s easy for him to confuse all these messy feelings for romantic love. he’s quite literally trying to convince himself it is in s3, and realizes this may not be for him in the end of the season.

so essentially, all these things he’s going through are blurring.

despite realizing how he actually feels, he continues forward in the relationship, despite being unhappy and unfulfilled… sounds familar, huh? (the wheelers need therapy). in the s4 monologue scene, this is where he decides to lie in the hole he dug himself in, lying to el saying he loves her.

mike believes lying about this is the best for the both of them - somewhere where they’re most comfortable. el is happy and safe under his supervision, mike stays away from confronting his trauma and accepting his sexuality.

he’s internalized this mindset. this is his s3-self understanding of love.

so when he says “i love her,” it’s coming from a place of unresolved trauma. the trauma, societal expectation, his own parents’ relationship - it’s all so internalized that his brain has confused this hurt for love.

that’s why in the end of the season he explains it was “heat of the moment stuff.” it wasn’t coming from a place of romantic love, it was coming from a place of hurt. but el understood it as otherwise, kissing him as mike stands there conflicted, unable to move, realizing the situation he’s put himself in.

as i said, there’s probably someone wayy more articulated about this. but thank you for the question! i still liked thinking about this anyway! :D

[booksandpaperss]

kind of obsessed with the fact you've slowly gotten more blatant with heartstopper hate lmfao😭 it's like. fine to me it's cute but NOTHING SERIOUS IS EVER GOING ON so I gotta be in a really specific mood for it I still haven't watched s2. definitely couldn't be a fixation. and everyone fucking loves it it's the best thing since sliced bread and I'm like. why tho. and then any critique of it is sorta dumbed down to "oh you just don't like how sweet it is but teenagers deserve sweet romance" like ok but why's it gotta be boring though. and too healthy like beyond normal levels of healthy. like this is missing even the usual human levels of miscommunication. and it gets resolved too easy. sorry this was supposed to cut off 4 sentences ago I'm realizing now in your inbox that I apparently have beef with heartstopper

LKSSJJSJS LISTEN listen. I don’t even hate it. truly. I even genuinely enjoyed myself during the nick and Charlie parts bc that’s the part that thought is actually put into. I just hate how much everyone loves it so blindly

honestly my biggest beef with it is that it’s marketed and treated as the most genuine and diverse groundbreaking queer storyline there is when that’s literally so far from true and it really really shows ppls true colors when they think this bc the sapphics and POC are literal props it’s actually absurd for a show that’s supposed to be a safe space for queer ppl

and god do I hate that part of the reason it’s so popular is bc it portrays these queer teenagers as never having a single, physical thought in their entire life. there was this whole plot centered around one single hickey that Charlie had??? and something abt the physical attraction portion of it all, which they did try to show btw, felt disingenuous to me. and I know that’s why it’s so palatable to a mainstream audience and it pisses me off and again it just doesn’t feel genuine. which is ironically one of the main arguments against heartstopper criticism: “it’s not cringe it’s just earnest” when yeah maybe it’s Trying to be earnest but when u look at it from more than a surface level lens it’s not rlly succeeding

and I know the aroace storyline in season 2 with Isaac resonated with a lot of people and I think that’s wonderful, and I actually do think that was something that was done well, but how can you have a storyline around asexuality when you don’t show the contrast in how it is being an allosexual queer person. there was a whole lot of romantic attraction going on but even more tip toeing around the sexual attraction aspect. and I don’t expect it to be like sex education for example in terms of the focus on sex obv , but the lack of acknowledgment of that aspect of the queer experience paired with how much the uwu wholesomeness of it all is played up rlly rubs me the wrong way. once again: it feels dishonest

I was actually talking about this with one of my mutuals the other day and they pointed out that it is very plain that alice olseman did not consult a single queer man in the writers room. and if someone can prove this wrong be my guest but I rlly don’t think the whole physical attraction component would have been done so badly had an actual queer man been on the team. feels kind of like back in summer 2022 when byler shippers would literally shun and harass anyone who even implied that Will’s feelings for Mike probably included physical attraction meanwhile Noah Schnapp himself was making jokes about it bc he’s an actual gay teenager.

not gonna even get into right now how Tara and darcy felt even more like props this season than in the last one and I didn’t even like watching their scenes bc the writing itself felt performative. that’s a whole other post.

and man, wouldn’t it have been so nice if there had actually been people of color in that writers room. On a purely surface level heartstopper has a very diverse cast but once again, peel away even one layer and you realize it’s a bunch of tokenism, which brings me full circle back to my original point: you can’t say it’s peak representation and diversity when it’s whitewashed as hell and doesn’t gaf abt sapphics despite literally being written by one. guess she chose her whiteness over her queerness even when writing a queer story which wowwww sooooo original.

okayyyy anyways did NOT mean to write a whole essay but u discovering ur own beef reminded me of mine lmaooo

all of this was to say that basically I’m not gonna pretend I didn’t enjoy myself during parts of the show, and I don’t wanna shame ppl for liking it that is not at all what I’m trying to do here, it has its own place in queer media and if a show like this came out in like 2010 it would be groundbreaking despite its issues (but again it’s literally 2023 do fucking better) , but I take issue with people treating it like something it’s not and with the amount of love it gets I feel like I have to be really loud about my criticism of it, especially bc usually the criticism of the show that gets any attention isn’t even slandering it for the right reasons and like. if ur gonna hate on something queer and popular do it right

oh and heartstopper writers? maybe try speaking with an actual teenager once in your life before writing their dialogue they do not fucking communicate that well

okay I’m done now finally 🫡

[wewebaggit]

i love how ur bio says safe space for hopper haters bc too many ppl in this fandom are always like “whaaaaat!? but how can u not like jopper 🥺” when he is not only a full grown man who abuses his power and was horrible to Joyce in s3 but also his character itself is literally copaganda

and it’s concerning and so weird (but also unsurprising) that jopper is like… elevated as this god tier ship, even in queer spaces, when in reality it’s pretty mid and also why would I want to ship Joyce byers with a cop

Hey booksandpaperss!

I am a safe space for ALL HATING. But specifically Jim Copper hate simply because he is shown a lot of undeserved grace by the fandom and the writers.

Since it's now in vogue to hate on s3 I'll take this opportunity to escape being called a negative nancy for once and just a hatering hater. Here goes:

My hate for Hopper is not as a result of season 3 but in fact it began with s2. (s1 a wee bit) But truly honestly deeply since season 2.

Hopper in season 2

After giving up Eleven's location in the prior season, Hopper then out of the goodness of his heart (😒) starts leaving Eggos for El in a reverse HansEl and GretEl. The feral El now has a home. But is it a home? Or just another prison? Hopper leaves her alone in the cabin with nothing but a TV. And so El spends her days mindlessly going through all the shit the idiot box has to offer. The only time she's actively interested in the TV is when she wants to use the static to get into the void. Because she has been kept away from the ONE friend she made out of the lab. And let's bffr. It's Mike. She is looking for Mike. And Mike too is the only one thinking about her. Hopper keeping her away from him and lying and being nothing but and angy aggressive cop of a dad is supposed to make the audience feel.....wait what are we supposed to feel? Mad at Hopper? Cuz the end result was people hating on El rebelling against Hopper. And it is all because El's resolution at the end of the Lost Sister episode was......that she needed to go back to Hopper and her friends. However, again it is a point in time when Hopper's at the lab and in mortal danger.

So since we love deep dives and shit and developing lore around characters, would she have been compelled to return to Hopper were he just, idk sitting in his cabin or at the station or whatever. A lot of ST is just about characters deciding to do stuff when someone is in REAL DANGER™️ But specifically with Hopper, he only steps up as dad when El's in danger. Otherwise he's treating her as a pet, something Mike was wrongfully accused of.

The whole entire (almost) year that El was with Hopper we do not see a change in her personality. Her rage has worsened. Her vocabulary is still lacking. In spite of the word of the days. There's no female presence in her life. He neither recruited Joyce nor her aunt (though that would have been sus, agreed n yet would it have been any different seeing as El managed to do it alone.) She's been held hostage for her own good.

Hopper: You put us in danger.

El: You promise. I go. I never leave. Nothing ever happens.

And then he grounds her. Like she was living it up otherwise. (S2E4)

We know it was because this was El's story of rebellion and trying to find her identity and so the story does not have Hopper do these things. But that still means that the story chose for Hopper to not do these things. He is even shown apologising (meh. half assed like his foil Mike, but that's for later) for it towards the end. And yet, that's something that's rarely discussed in fandom circles while talking about Hopper.

Hopper in Season 3

Oh he proves he's a blackhole alright. Sucked Joyce's character development. He's only marginally improved letting Mike see her but beyond that it's still mostly the same. She still is under-socialised. Speaks like that. El herself seeks out Max. Joyce is still too busy being ungrateful (I know not the intent, but the execution nonetheless) she's still not leaving the cabin much and has some curfew. Again which is, well why is it there? Cuz she's been coolly gallivanting with Max at the mall and everywhere else without a problem.

He's a proper asshole to Mike and a bully. Who tf threatens murder to a 13 year old kid? Like between having a chat and threatening homicide, he could come up with ZERO options. He needs emotional laxatives that aren't just anger and bullying.

Hopper in season 3 is an unfunny comic relief. A man baby. A bully who uses his cop privileges. Who treats the woman he supposedly likes like shit. He was so mad about Joyce not meeting up with him despite her telling him the reason. I mean mister you did that with Eleven too and just expected her to understand. The juvenile hUmOUr and the macho man action scenes where he's outwitting trained Russian mercenaries (lmao) is a step down from the basement he was already in. Him treating Alexei like shit when he was the only one who could have helped them. Make it make sense. (Anti-Russia/USSR pro USA copaganda and nothing else)

Also beyond all of this I simply hate Hopper for taking away valuable screentime from the kids that this show is supposedly about but hasn't really been that for some time now. He's a white male war veteran cop who's a Hawkins native and was a popular kid in school too. So he's not even an outsider in terms of being the new man in town, let alone the shit that really matters.

Hopper in Season 4

Not dead enough.

Jopper throughout the show

Mid chemistry. Joyce is already a semi-absent mother but becomes entirely absent after Hopper's message from Russia. She has ZERO clue of what her kids are going through in Cali and then has the fucking audacity to walk out on them without even letting them know that she might not return. She also leaves the only responsible person in that household with the charge as if she ever took it. She is now been relegated to being the comic relief which is neither comical and far from a relief and Hopper's girlfriend. Every season she has proven to be right on the money with her instincts and every season everyone including Hopper question her as if she's the dumb one. Hello. Do you guys clear up your memory after every season? It's annoying and one note. Hopper is a jealous manbaby all of s3 and a fucking liar. "i shOuldn't hAVe seNt yOu the LeTteR" Bitch u did. You wanted out. Dasvidaniya! El's college fund. But you'll only need it if you make it through school 🤷‍♀️. WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN HOMESCHOOL HELLO. Though I do commend the subversion of the found family trope where both the adults are pathetic parents. Do love one of the main couples being failparents! (is that a thing? or are they pioneers?)

[jaymari-lyn]

I wanted to share some artists that I think really match up to my favorite Stranger Things ships

I did this a while ago, but looking back I definitely don't agree with a lot of the artists I chose, so I wanted to share my new pairings.

Byler- I think Conan Gray really encompasses the struggles of loving from afar and the pain that comes with queer, "unrequited" love. The entirety of his album, Found Heaven (which literally has an 80s synth pop vibe) screams byler, as well as other songs like Heather, Family Line, Summer Child, The Exit, The Cut That Always Bleeds, Fight Or Flight, Can We Be Friends?, Little League, Idle Town, and Crush Culture. I just think his music really represents Mike and Will's story-both the good and the bad.

Steddie- For them I have to say the Arctic Monkeys. I think they're music genre is a good mash up between Eddie's death metal and Steve's overall style (we're never really told what kind of music he likes, but I like to assume some sort of pop). I Wanna Be Yours, You Get Me So High, Do I Wanna Know, R U Mine, 505, and No. 1 Party Anthem all give me steddie vibes.

Ronance- girl in red is definitely so ronance. I wanna be your girlfriend, girls, You Stupid Bitch, hornylovesickmess, we fell in love in october, i'll die anyway., Too Much, and bad idea are great examples of songs that fit Nancy and Robin.

Lumax- I was having a hard time thinking of one for lumax, but Benson Boone honestly really fits them. He sings really passionate music, and I think one of the key parts of their dynamic is the fact that they'reboth very passionate, just in different ways. Max is fierce and fiery and Lucas is drawn to that flame, while also kindling it with his own loving personality and encouraging her, no matter what. I think Beautiful Things, Work Of Art, In the Stars, Cry, Ghost Town, and Slow it Down represent them well.

Elmax- Katy Perry gives me major elmax vibes, specifically One Of The Boys and Teenage Dream. They're both really fun, feminine, pop teen romance albums that feel like embodiments of El and Max during season 3. I Kissed A Girl, Teenage Dream, Part Of Me, Dark Horse, E.T, Firework, and The One That Got Away are the songs the remind me of them the most.

Rovickie- Chappell Roan is the first artist to come to mind when I think of Robin and Vickie. Good Luck, Babe! Literally feels like it was written from Robin POV, plus Casual, Picture You, Kaleidoscope, Red Wine Supernova, and Pink Pony Club are some other songs that I think fit the ship.

[strangerthanyou011]

to me a big byler proof is the fact that in order to ship milkvan u have to almost willfully misunderstand so many aspects of the plot😭 like the characters’ feelings and arcs have to be misconstrued so much in order to justify mike and el being together and believe there’s any kind of hope for a healthy relationship between them. if you actually look at the arcs of the characters, byler is what makes sense!

el has always been somebody’s lab rat, pet, superhero, etc. she has never been given the space to live for herself by anyone other than max, which is why their friendship is so special despite how brief it was. el needs to be single so she can properly learn who she is in the real world, and what she wants and needs. el’s arc will end with her not dating mike, or anyone else. her story is about freedom and independence.

will knows he’s capable of love, knows what he wants and how wonderful it would be to have it, but he doesn’t believe he’ll ever be able to have it. growing up gay in a conservative place without any other queer people to relate to is so isolating, and so naturally will has accepted he will never be able to be loved back. i think robin will be an important part of his arc in season 5, helping him to see that he’s not alone and there is hope for him. it’s possible that robin and vickie getting together will actually be a catalyst for will and mike doing the same once they see that the people in their life would be completely accepting and they don’t have to hide who they are anymore. of course, will could learn that he can have what he wants by dating another boy, but that wouldn’t be a very satisfying conclusion to his story. who could understand what he’s gone through the way mike does? who’s stood by his side through all of his trauma, made him feel safe, cared for, and better for being different? will and mike’s devotion for and compatibility with each other have been built up since season 1, it would be horrible writing to throw that out for will to date some rando. i think it’s possible another guy could come into the picture to further show will that he’s not alone and he has options, which would also make mike jealous and force him to face his feelings head on, but whatever would go on between will and this other guy (my bet’s on mikhail) wouldn’t last long, because being gay doesn’t mean you’ll just date any guy. he wants mike, he loves mike. will’s story is about learning you can have happiness in a world that wants to oppress you, and mike is that happiness will wants.

all of their stories are about rising above your conditioning, what you’ve been told about yourself and your life and your worth, and taking your life into your own hands and living for yourself. the lead female character ending up alone, and the two male leads ending up together? crazy, but stranger things have happened!

[roachemoji]

Stranger Things S2 01

this is just me live blogging watching ST none of my thoughts are v coherent enjoy <3

STARTING OFF REAL INTERESTING BUT REAL TALK when you have like a cool haircut how do you expect not to be found if u do a crime???? LIKE I LOVE YOUR MOHAWK AND I GET IT U DONT WANT TO COVER IT BC OBVIOUSLY BUT!!!!

this is NOT the focus obviously its about the fact theres other kids from the lab BUT AKSHDAKSJDKH

DUSTINNNN!!!!!!!!! I LOVE HIM SO MUCH IM SO GLAD WE'RE STARTING ON HIM KISS KISS KISS

not the reagan sign STOP STOP ITS BEEN 2 SECONDS I HATE TED THATS HIS NAME RIGHT FIGHT KILL DESTROY BITE BITE BITE BITE

also the boys have grown SO MUCH !!!!!!! i forget there was actual real time between when these were filmed KSJHD im so excited to see Will and his perpetual bowl cut

JOYCE MY MOM!!!!!!!!!! SHES SO PRETTY AND SO CONCERNED I JUST LOVE HER

THE CHIP EATING DUDE FUCKING !!!! REMINDS ME OF THAT FUCKER FROM MONSTER HOUSE???????

THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE REMINDS ME OF THIS ASKJDHASKJHDKAJSH

Will is so tiny ..... and little? oh hes being teleported into the fucking upside down again baby boy im so fucking sorry also ilu but why would you just walk outside away from wher eyour friends WERE to look at the horrifying shit world you were trapped and almost died in ????? aSDKJH

Im gonna have to DM you on discord or something so i can properly save all the things you have to say about the timelines and how the Russian shit plays into that because was anyone calling El (im assuming he's referring to her) is Russian??? IK this is possibly the third (?) timeline we've seen (genuinely let me know if i can do that its ok if not i forget tumblr has Dms)

ALSO WHO IS THIS GUY IM CRYING HES!!! WHAT A PI??? WHO ARE YOU

NANCY AND STEVE ALSO BESTIES IM CRYING STEVE IS hes trying so hard are they dating my brain is so full of queer shit that im so deadset on platonic hetero relationships - i paused for one second and unpaused and they kissed SO THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTION

idk what relationships to pay more attention to bc the dynamic between Mike and El interests me the most because of how compulsory everything feels and how El is going to navigate a completetly new environment and how Mike will cope with that? (im assuming its not well)

OH is this the !!! the guy that i see people talk about all the time YEAHHH THE BLOND MULLET MAN AND MAX what the fuck is his name Billy??? He looks trans

CRYING AT CHECKING OUT H IS ASS GIRL WAHT ASS HES FLAT HE HAS NOTH ING AKDSHASKHDKAJSH and those jeans are supposed to be supporting cheeks

I love Mr Clark so much and everyone who looks bored in his class just doesnt GET IT

BUT ALSO MAX I GET IT QUEEN the boys all staring are so good I FORGET THEY GO AS THE GHOST BUSTERS FOR HALLOWEEN

JOYCE MY MOM WHO IS THIS GUY HES??? GOOFY AND SHES SO HAPPY ??? BOB !!! i have no initial bad opinions of him bc hes silly and goofy and he makes Joyce so happy and she deserves to be SO SOSOS OS HAPPY and nothing but happy

IF i have to endure another god damn Hopper flash back im gonna throw up and scream and cry and lose my mind and I won't recover and I'll never come back

Im in call while I watch this episode because i really wanted to get through while and actually use my brain bc i don't that often - but my roommates bird is sitting next to her mic and farting really really softly into it and its making me lose my fucking mind

CORN MAZES WHEN YOURE TALL LOOK SO EASY AND LESS SCARY WHENEVER IM IN A FUCKING CORN MAZE ITS TERRIFYING AND I CANT SEE SHIT BC IM LIKE 2 FEET TALL

NANCCYCYY AND JOHNANATHANANSDNSAKDJ BESTIES BESTIES BESTIES BEST FRIENDS IM MAKING THEM A FRIENDSHIP BRACELET ITS THEIR FAVORITE COLOURS AND THEY NEVER TAKE THEM OFF

ADN STEVE TOO!!! IM SORRY YOURE A THIRD WHEEL BUT its the start of season 2 how do we feel about polyam relationships between them where the audience for that point me in the correct direction

DUSTIN IS RIGHT ALSO I LOVE HIM i love his little hats - MAX IS ALSO RIGHT

God i feel so ba for Will like to be??? singled out like that especially in elementary school? hell.

WHERE ARE THEY GOING TOGETHER WHAT IS HAPPENING ISNT THIS THE LAB ??? ougHHH THAt needle sound was unecessary

REALLY starting to see how this might be a different timelinei have no idea how ???? Joyce would.... trust them??? UNLESS THIS IS A HOSPITAL no its not ho films ina fucking hospital like this

also theyre mentioning the upside down

I understand needing to go back to the only place that fully understands that it exists and you need a place to talk to someone and also monitor him physically without being dismissed as insane - but i dont understand how Joyce OR Hopper would trust the Lab again after everything happened??????

I'm glad that he's actually getting help, and im glad that Joyce and Hopper are there to make him feel safe and support him given everything but !!!!!

this iS THE. He has PTSD. when did they get the word to describe that akjhaskjdh NVM HE JUST SAID IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ALSO IS PRETENDING LIKE EVERYTHING IS NORMAL HELPFUL BC IT SURE THE FUCK IS N OT FOR ME ????????? also who is this DR hes kinder but "i need you to trust me" to JOYCE AFTER THE BRENNER SHIT ???

also them NOT MENTIONING IT WHEN THEY LEAVE BUT JOYCE UPSET ABOUT THE WHOLE "i need you to trust me" THING B UT NOT BRINIGN UP BRENNER?????? susususususus timeline shit anyway EM @ me tell me wahts up kiss kiss mwuah mwuah

OH they've upped their guinea pig game on entering the upside down and the gatelooks fucking uglier and uglier LOVE THE TORCH glad it works but no wonder the gate looks angry???

DUSTINNN I LOVE H IM I LOVE HIM SO MUCH

ough i have a feeling her older brother is gonna ..... trigger me a lil but we'll get through it

THEM BOTH HAVING A CRUSH ON HER!!!!!

If YouR fRiEnD jUmPs OfF a ClIfF 🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪

THEYRE GOING OVER TO HAVE DINNER WITH BARBS FAMILY STOP STOP STO PST OPST OPST IM GONNA CRY Oh they hired a P.I okay yeah the bald guy he..... HIS CARD STOPPPPP

realizing they defenitely can't tell her parent's what actually happened to her an di hate that im gonna oaufkahd girl im so sorry im so sorry im so osrry UPSET BC SHE AS A CHARACTER DID NOT DESERVE TO DIE I WISH THEY HADN'T DONE HER DIRTY LIKE THAT

all the photos of her would make me so ill to look at like god NANCYYY THE GUILT AND B LAME GIRLIEEEE

also Mike rebelling after experiencing that kind of trauma and losing Will and El even though Will came back he's not the same of corse he's struggling - calling it with the !!!! WALKIE TALKIEEEE girl i miss her too

YEAHHH ITS dustiNNNN BUT HE AKSHDKAJSH

DUSTINNN IM KAHSDKJH I LOVE HIM I LOVE HIM SO MUCH HES SO SILLY !!!!!!!!!!!!! HES THE SILLY IN MY HEART

HONESTLY props to him again for not like invesigating something that was probably gonna be HORRIBLE he'd survive a horror movie

JOYCEEEEE IN MY FAV SHIRT SHES SO KISS KISS KISS KISS

Johnathan is such a good brother bro BUT ALSO WILL IS SO RIGHT I GET IT I GET IT I UNDERSTAND TREATING IT LIKE ITS NORMAL MAKES IT WORSE !!!! SOMETHING HAPPENED PLEASE ACKNOWLEGE THAT and JOHANATHANNN HES THE FREAK AND A WEIRDO

STOPA SDADKSHJ iT S THAT WHY YOU DONT HAVE ANY FRINEDS SHUT UP STOP STOP /POS

BOB i love you so far and ik that being a step parent in these situation (even tho hes only dating Joyce its the same) is so hard especially when there are kids involved BUT YOURE DOING SUCH A GOOD JOB

AND THEYRE ALL WATCHING THE MOVIE TOGETHER AHHH

ew the phone the trigger GIRL YOU GOT THIS ITS OKAY ITS OKAY BUT ALSO THATS SUCH A HORRENDOUS RINGTONE WHAT THE FUCK

love me a tech who accidentally ignores the alarms going off (i couldnt hear the song playing it feels important - unintentially placing importance on all the music in this show now thank u em)

OohuaAHDAKJH OH WILL IS GONNA get ,,,,, yoinked back again isn't he ouguhadhAKHDJS interesting that it really only affects the *outside* like doors are now portals in a way ? i cant remember if it affected the inside of the arcade immediately or not

OH MIST LOOKING MOTHER FUCKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wood Waffle Hours !!!!!!!!!! OH NO CABIN HOURS??? IS SHE. IS SHE. BIG EYE BALL EMOJIS LET ME SEE MY GIRL LET ME SEE THE BABY GIRL !!!! this entire scene makes it seem like shes a fucking AKSJDHA freak ass creature

HER HAIRRRRR SHES SO CUTE STOPPPP HOPPERS LITTLE SMILE IM TEARING UP AND CRYING ACTUALLY LOOK AT THEM LOOK AT THEM LOOKA T THEM OUGHHAHAHHHHHHHH IM HEAVING

thank u for reading these were my thoughts

[will80sbyers]

What scene do u really want to see byler have in s5. CAN U WRITE IN DETAIL I NEED IDEAS FOR A FIC

Personally I really would love to see a scene in the finale where Will needs to talk Mike out of a possession with a love confession monologue!

Will just talks about everything he kept for himself all these years and how much he loves Mike, he tells him that he made the painting because he wanted to confess his love even if Mike couldn't ever reciprocate... he was too scared before to tell him... But he just needed Mike to know how much he was loved so he used El to send that message and talk about how much Mike helped Will to feel brave and go on against all the shame he has inside for what he desires

I want Will to talk about how difficult it was to accept that he was different from his friends growing up and he wasn't ever going to bond with them about girls... and would have never have the same experience of having a girlfriend like them, he thought he will never experience that type of relationship in general and was jealous... I want him to talk about how lonely and ashamed he felt for that and because of what the kids at school kept saying to him about being a "fairy" and because of what his father said about gay people

I want him to talk about something that happen the night his father left, when Joyce told him to leave because he pushed Will while telling him to stop being queer... I want Will to talk about how he thought that he could never tell anyone that his father was right because it was his fault that he left them

then I want him to talk about how Jonathan and Mike helped him start to see that his father is an asshole and maybe being different is not the worst thing that can happen to someone... and how loving Mike teached him that it can't be something wrong because it's impossible not being in love with someone as brave and inspiring and loyal as he is ... it could never be something he's ashamed of!!!

And Mike feels so much love because of this confession that it breaks him free from Vecna's torture saving his life 😭

If you want other byler scenarios I made a post of different ideas of how it could happen in the show

[apatheticlexicographer]

BYLER FIC REC WEEK 2023 DAY 5: FULL AU recs

breathe (in the air) by clearskiies

mike-centric; no plot. 1970s AU, the party are in their 20s. mike and will’s friend groups meet at a music festival and they spend the whole time attached at the hip. there’s a lot of internalized homophobia angs,tbut mike doesn’t lash out at will over it and their flirting is sweet. elumax are going through their own shit in the background too. multichapter, ongoing

wheeler news by solarhazard

will-centric; some plot. social media fic where mike is a famous musician and will runs a stan twt account for him. his world gets flipped upside down when mike notices him and they start becoming friends. it’s so dumb but so fun. multichapter, hasn't updated in a while but it hasn’t been officially discontinued to my knowledge

Nocturne by lilacline

mike-centric; plot. mike rescues a small brown bat from a weirdly evil plant and nurses it back to health, befriending it in the process. side note: bats aren’t supposed to understand human speech, mike. that’s not normal. that’s not a normal bat you have there, mike. considering it’s tagged as a vampire AU, i’m sure u can see where this is going. mike is a mess (affectionate) and he’s filled with Queer Terror. will has only just appeared as a character (...officially) but he’s already melting all 3 of mike’s braincells. mike is actually the best brother ever to holly and i would die for her. multichapter, ongoing

A New Fight by Tea_For_One_Please, and both of its sequels

alternates between mike-centric and will-centric; plot. a star wars fusion AU where will is a stormtrooper who defects to the rebellion and becomes a member of mike’s crew. el escaped the jedi massacre and teaches him to wield the force. the first fic takes place about a year before episode IV, the second concludes directly before episode IV, and the third is set in the gap between episodes VI and VII. since this is a fusion AU the canon events of the star wars timeline happen as usual, with the party’s story taking place in the background. you could probably read this without having seen star wars, but it wouldn’t make much sense. i was so engrossed that i read all three 30k~ long fics in one sitting. multichapter, all entries complete

with honor, we hound by hiscleric

mike-centric (so far, may have will POV); plot. as of now there’s only been one proper chapter of this, not including the prologue, but i can already tell it’s gonna be sooo good. it’s a fantasy/cleradin AU which is always a win, and the writing is lyrical. will was the youngest prince of the kingdom, who mysteriously vanished one day. mike is a knight and the heir to a noble family, but secretly wished to be a scholar. there’s a prophecy, a quest, and what seems like it’s gonna be a secret identity plot with will. literally what more could you want??? multichapter, ongoing

ground control to major tom (your circuit’s dead, there’s something wrong) by andthentheybow

alternates between mike-centric and will-centric; plot. another star wars AU!!! there’s only one chapter out so far, but it’s the setup for a heist story so i just know it’s gonna slay. this one is set several centuries after episode IX, rather than in tandem with star wars canon. mike is a bounty hunter and will is very… mysterious ;))) i can’t wait to see what comes of it!!! multichapter, ongoing

A Flower That Resembles You by perexcri

will-centric; plot. a byler fantasy AU that’s not cleradin??? gasssp :000 i won’t spoil to much but it’s got childhood friends to strangers to friends to lovers, really pretty depictions of magic, hella quantities of angst and yearning so sweet and tender it makes even my aro heart ache. the mortifying ordeal of allowing yourself to love and be loved… effervescent. multichapter, complete

Ley Lines and Shadows by Aabh

will-centric; plot. fantasy AU! will is a baker who lives in a tiny town. the town was cursed years ago by a now-dead witch. he helps a stray cat after it gets attacked, but as he spends more time around it it becomes clear that it's not a normal animal. the ominous dreams that plague will's sleep only add to the feeling that something is…off. the writing is flowery and fits the fairytale setting nicely. there's a mild sexual content tag on the fic, but i believe that refers to a single paragraph. there's nothing explicit and they're adults. multichapter, complete

another one bites the dust by losingcontrolnow

will-centric; not really plot. high quality zombie apocalypse content!!! i like more hardcore apocalypse stories than the stuff you usually get in s5 speculative fics, so this AU makes me very happy. the contents of the fic itself don't make me happy because, duh, it's a zombie apocalypse AU, but it's soooo good. oneshot, complete

didn't i (blow your mind this time) also by losingcontrolnow

mike-centric; no plot. you know spiderwill, you love spiderwill, but for your humble consideration: spidermike!!! featuring yearning (both), pining (both), oblivious idiots (both), and sudden onset superpowers (just mike). mike is exactly as much of a mess about, well, everything as you would hope and he is so so dear to me. longshot, complete

[pholiabanna]

By romanticizing Reagan, I mean it’s clear that ST is the kind of the show for the boys in class who wear ironic Reagan/Bush sweaters. Y’all interpret it progressively but that’s confirmation bias. To lots of the audience, stuff like the Reagan/Bush sign increases the show’s coolness factor! Reagan is popular! A lot of people wish they could live in the 80s for that reason. Mileven is literally the show, the main relationship of the show actually. But y’all think the duffels are writing Byler as some top-secret queer plot twist, when the brothers just wanna make money and create a fun nostalgic show like the movies they grew up on. Will has the least amount of lines of any “main character” too. I love ST and don’t think it’s bad. I think it’s a super fun show but it’s not meant to be subversive. It’s meant to boost eggo waffle sales and shoot Kate Bush up the charts. Mike is literally an all-American straight boy. That’s it. That’s what his character is. He’s not “secretly gay.” Major shows don’t write secret queer relationships in tea leaves and snack signs. Don’t cry when Byler isn’t real

Oh, yeah

Come on

You get the limo out front (oh-whoa)

Hottest styles, every shoe, every color

Yeah, when you're famous it can be kinda fun

It's really you, but no one ever discovers

In some ways, you're just like all your friends

But on stage, you're a star

u get the best of both worlds Chill it out, take it slow Then you rock out the show You get the best of both worlds Mix it all together And you know that it's the best of both worlds The best of both worlds, yeah

You go to movie premiers (is that Orlando Bloom?) Hear your songs on the radio (oh-whoa) Livin' two lives is a little weird, yeah But school's cool 'cause nobody knows Yeah, you get to be a small town girl But big time when you play your guitar

You get the best of both worlds Chill it out, take it slow Then you rock out the show You get the best of both worlds Mix it all together And you know that it's the best of both You know the best of both worlds

Pictures and autographs You get your face in all the magazines The best part is that You get to be whoever you wanna be

Yeah, the the best of both (Best, best) You got the best of both (Best, best) Come on, the best of both

Who would've thought that a girl like me Would double as a super star?

You get the best of both worlds Chill it out, take it slow Then you rock out the show You get the best of both worlds Mix it all together And you know that it's the best

You get the best of both worlds Without the shades and the hair You can go anywhere You get the best of both girls Mix it all together, oh yeah It's so much better 'Cause you know you got The best of both worlds

[bylerconfessions]

people in the byler tag are up in flames about whether or not byler should have a sex scene in s5 and it's like... we don't even know 100% if they're gonna end up together. i think everyone is seriously jumping the gun on this one. we'll all be grateful if they even get a KISS. remember m*leven still has to come to an official ending, and mike needs time to focus on himself before he gets with will (which is why i think the kiss won't happen until the last episode). (also, depending on the timeline of the season, i really don't think they'd immediately jump to having sex right after admitting feelings for each other. neither of them has experience in that area, so i'd say it'd be a while before either of them makes a move.)

and just being realistic -- think about the type of show stranger things is. they've had sex scenes in the past, but remember those were straight sex scenes. i think we're all deluded if we actually believe the duffers would do something as bold as have a gay sex scene (implied or otherwise) on such an internationally acclaimed show as ST. i would love to be proven wrong, but i think they're pushing the envelope enough with the general audience by having their two same-sex main characters get together at all. i think the majority of the GA would be fine with a byler kiss, but a byler sex scene would be seen as "too much" and "shoving it in our faces" (which is unfortunate but i think it's the reality)

i feel that people lean too much on this idea that the duffers are these revolutionaries in creating queer media, but i dont have that much trust in them. that's also why i don't really believe in big theories that use small details. and the duffers probably care about public perception a lot. like u said, anon, stranger things is globally popular and i don't think the duffers would risk it all

[mileven11forever]

hi! ive been seeing ur posts around a bit and just wanted to ask you a question which honestly isnt related to the show plot because even though i do ship byler i believe mileven is gonna be cannon because a suger mega mainstream show isnt likely to throw away their main ship for an unexpected gay ship which imo would make sense with all the queercoding and would just be sumn new but yknow its unlikely. so my wish for s5 is some serious and good growth for mileven as a couple but back to my question as i mentioned earlier there is quite a bit of queercoding and ig what u could call 'proof' and while i agree some of the byler proof thrown around are stretches and reaches most of it seems pretty plausible which does mean there is a chance that the people working on that show purposely put in those aspects and parallels but for what? (possible queerbait which ick!) and another thing with will and his love arc it seems kinda unfair ik its the 80s and in reality it wouldve matched wills situation but in the end it is a super popular fiction show in 2020s and it does have the liberty to provide some sort of solace to will like everyone else in the show gets some kind of romance but the tortured gay guy should be happy with the acceptance? kinda ouch and on topic of queer characters i personally think robin has one of the most beautiful coming out scenes in tv history but with vickie they did bad to her character like they have barely 5 mins of screen time tgther and theyre basically the same person w the brain and mouth parallel so impo the writers and show producers have sort of messed up with the queer characters(s5 could redeem everything but i have a feeling it rlly wont) plus i mean making will love mike was such a choice like he couldve like anyone else the show has time and time again had clear chances to just either not make will have a thing for mike or get him to confess and or move on and introduce a new guy for him and have a chance of a happy ending but they had to employ the overused gay guy loves his straight best friend trope and drag onto the last season where theres already the battle to the death going on so even if they do get a new guy there will be no satisfying development to their bond. and then practically use his feelings to encourage mike which is just cruel and is kinda harmful for many queer people like i remember just sobbing in my grandmas living room because how horrible that scene made me feel so i just want ur opnions on this as u seem like some1 passionate about the show and an ally. (sorry if its kinda long this my first time ever interacting w anyone on tumblr im rlly unsure how to go about these things)

Yeah, definitely, I think I understand what you mean. Queerbaiting sucks, but I don't personally think that's what this show is doing. I think a lot of the hints people are claiming as Byler evidence is just based on their interpretation, and not what the creators intended it to be seen as. We honestly can't know what they intended without them confirming it, so it's hard to know one way or the other. I don't believe a lot of the evidence for Byler personally, and it just doesn't make sense narratively for the show like you mentioned. I don't know, it's complicated. If anyone else wants to share their thoughts on this, feel free to leave them in the comments. :)