#and why it's okay for mediocre representation to exist

[deskraven]

(Below are some personal thoughts on Nightshade and queer representation. OG poster I have nothing against you and this is not an attempt to persuade you into liking Nightshade. Your feelings are valid and I understand where you are coming from.)

Nightshade is an icon to me in Season 1. I always joke about "fox news is not wrong that Nightshade is trans-ing people" - they are a key factor I started using nonbinary pronouns in real life. So sure, my opinion on them is biased - there might be too much insertion and projection involved and I'm looking at them through rose-colored glasses.

So let's start with facts instead:

"The character's very existence is unnecessary" is a very subjective statement. There is a thread on Twitter that asked "(Without saying its woke) What's your reason for disliking Earthspark?" While many pointed out that there are too many Terrans and only 2-3 of them are well developed / interesting, the 2-3 they listed are very diverse among the comments! The following are all direct quotes:

I never found most of the kids/terrans entertaining (except for Nightshade and Jawbreaker)

... only Nightshade and Hashtag are interesting, the rest have the personality of a piece of cardboard.

A few of the Terrans feel underdeveloped, Thrash and Hashtag feel like nothing characters compared to Twitch, Jawbreaker, and Nightshade.

the Terrans don’t really stand out from one another in terms of personalities except for maybe Hashtag and Twitch.

The other terrans that are not twitch and thrash are really boring and lame

All of these are valid statements. I'm not accusing the original poster to be mistaking a subjective feeling as a factual statement - they very well clarified that this is their own personal feelings and acknowledged that Nightshade is a popular character. I just want to use the opportunity to show how diverse people's feelings can be.

I also don't think Nightshade "solely exists to make a statement".

If so, people who didn't even hear their statement should be really confused what the character is even here for. We do have such a group of people - in the Japanese dub, Nightshade's nonbinary identity wasn't revealed until their conversation with Sam. I'm not Japanese so I can't say for sure, but there were a lot of Japanese fanart about them prior to "Home" being aired in Japan. It seems that they are well-liked.

Now my opinions:

Nightshade has a very tasteful introduction and implementation. I see the "came flying in to throw all sorts of people into a tizzy" as part of their personality - which I cherish. I also see the "forced, self righteous, and more than a little annoying at times" as part of their personality, which I cherish even more because it reminds me of many queer neurodivergent friends of mine.

But Nightshade doesn't just appeal to queer people. A friend of mine adores them for a very specific line they said, "You've just proven you don't really know me - because I was never lost!" She's a cishet Chinese woman who doesn't know much about US queer culture, but she remembers saying something similar to her parents.

But even if they really are just a tasteless boring character who exists for the sake of representation, I wouldn't say they shouldn't be there either. I would sure be angry - a year ago I was enraged by the portrayal of Lake Ripple (Elementals) because this nonbinary character really literally serves no purpose. It is frustrating when there's finally a nonbinary character on big screen yet they are just a soulless background cardboard. But most of Lake's cisgender relatives are also background cardboards, yet no one would say they shouldn't exist in the first place. Imagine if all it takes to make a character's mediocracy tolerable is to remove their minority identity - it's unfair.

Anyways I like Nightshade very much they are the second perfect transformer character imo ^ ^ It's a pity they got shafted in S2 and S3 but they will forever live rent free in my heart and I unironically love how you described them as "self righteous and more than a little annoying at times" and "came flying in to throw all sorts of people into a tizzy". These are the reasons I love them and I couldn't have put it any better.

I can never change your dislike for Nightshade. But have you considered that Nick basically reduced their role in the show because of all the controversy? It's harsh to think that they shouldn't be there. This show has studio interference written all over it.

Today is the die I become hated.

Le sigh.

I recognize that studios have their money hungry fingers all over everything, but that does not change what Nightshade, and other similar characters, represent. I think Nightshade's very existence is unnecessary. Even without the controversy, the character is just kind of there for no real reason other than making a statement. For me, Nightshade feels a great deal like the ridiculous arrogance of Elita-One in Transformers One.

Both characters are there to leave a message, one that could be good if done correctly. But due to its implementation, it comes off as forced, self righteous, and more than a little annoying at times. Elita was an attempt to represent girl power that went sideways by making her worse as a person. Nightshade was a studio's shot at reaching more diverse audiences that just came off as out of the blue and tasteless. Nightshade has very little purpose, even before people got upset, my point remains. Additionally, the character is largely there for diversity rather than actual functionality in the show.

For all I care, your character could be named Squishy von Veek and could go by screams of the damned as pronouns, so long as said character is USEFUL to the story and makes sense in the lore. Nightshade sadly does not check any of these boxes for me, at least not in initial implementation. There was no lore groundwork, no tasteful introduction. It just happened and Nightshade came flying in to throw all sorts of people into a tizzy.

I will admit though, the design and name for Nightshade rock.

[nebulouscoffee]

Ok for the series ask game thingy I shall ask you… TNG and Enterprise

Ooh, this should be fun! Thank youuu :D

TNG

Favourite character: ahh this is legitimately hard! I love all the main seven leads so much. Maybe Deanna? I think she's heaps more interesting and complex than she comes across at first glance- I love her difficult relationship to her Human and Betazoid halves, I love her complicated dynamic with her mom, her state of cultural drift, her very nebulous sense of self that she's always just a little too afraid to confront head on, her compassion, her self-awareness, her warmth, and of course her occasional barbs that just never miss

Second favourite character: gosh this is even harder!! I feel like it's either Data or Geordi, but then I remember Worf. I adore Worf... but then there's also Beverly.... Okay, okay, I'm reasonably sure it's Data. I just really love his arc, his multifaceted relationships with the other characters, and the complexity of the questions his existence and chosen life raise. Some of the series' best episodes are centred around him. Not much else to say- I just love the guy! (And I am laughing so hard picturing your face while reading this. Sorry Fancy! Lmao... Unfortunately I am a Data girlie😂)

Least favourite character: uhhh maybe that Okona guy from 'The Outrageous Okona', I haven't actually rewatched that episode in sooo many years and I think he might be why haha (also every single guest character in 'Code of Honour' though that's not so much a case of me hating them as wishing the writers had never come up with them)

The character I'm most like: None of them!! They all joined the space military lmao I would never join the space military!! Also they're all very smart, like top-of-their-fields smart. TNG where is the representation for us mediocre dumbasses. I demand more mediocre dumbasses on the Enterprise! (OKAY if I had to pick, it would probably be Geordi but only when he's goofing off- or Riker when he's rejecting a promotion so that he can remain with his besties)

Favourite pairing: Beverly and her lamp🥰 okay, okay, Troisha from the non-canon ships, Troi/Riker from canon

Least favourite pairing: Deanna/every man she was ever sent to single episode romance hell with, special shoutout to that one dude from 'The Price' for making me watch that looooong as hell foot massage sequence *strained laughter*

Favourite moment: Gonna be a cliche and say that poker scene from the finale. Yup, they actually managed to end the show on... my favourite scene from the whole show. Good job, TNG! (If I'm being honest it's everything from the climax with the three Enterprises working together to Q's line on how exploration is not about conquering or charting territory but discovering new depths of the soul (good stuff👌) and the gang vowing not to let themselves drift apart like they did in that possible future. This is where TNG ended in my heart tbh! Every other appearance is like schrödinger's canon to me; it's canon when I need it to be, and fanfic generally lol

Rating out of 10: Objectively, it's a 7.5/10 from me. Its highs are SO high, but its lows are just so hilariously low- it had a rough start, there's no getting around that, and it's frequently clueless about the inherent imperialism and colonialist undertones of its premise, plus it almost never lets its female characters shine the way they deserve to. However this show also turned my life around so it gets a 100/10 by the power of the blorbolense😌 thank you for existing TNG!

Enterprise

Favourite character: Hoshiiii we love an overworked gifted child prodigy who grew up learning to speak soooo many languages but never had anyone to talk to, only now learning to relax and make friends and figure things out as an adult on the ship of the unhinged

Second favourite character: I mean it's gotta be T'Pol! She is far and away the most interesting character on the show imo, and despite the constant terrible horrible so-bad-it's-funny attempts to objectify her she manages to surpass the material and contain so much depth. She's an alien among humans and a deeply scandalous weirdo and pioneer among her own people, and I love her struggles navigating those two spheres throughout the show <3

Least favourite character: the ever-present air of post-9/11 military propaganda. And if you're going to argue that that's not an actual character on the show, I beg to differ. Straight up had more lines than Travis Mayweather!

The character I'm most like: Maybe Phlox? I'm not much like anyone on this show honestly, but in general he's a chilled out dude just doing his own thing. I feel like that's me right now

Favourite pairing: T'Poshi hell yeah!!! I know the characters barely interact in canon but it really is actually that deep you guys. I love it! For some reason all my favourite ships seem to involve these eager young super smart friendly compassionate officers falling for much older buttoned-up aliens who are obviously culturally isolated, and then connecting in a way that reveals the older alien (who might have a drug problem) is actually a social outcast in their own society whose superiority they won't shut up about and the younger officer actually has a more complicated relationship to their culture than first apparent thanks to an overbearing family, and they are strikingly similar shades of lonely. Hmmm....

Least favourite pairing: I don't think I have one lol! I don't feel strongly enough about any of the canon pairings and fanon ships don't affect me because I don't really engage with that side of Enterprise fandom (not saying this like a snobby thing, I'm sure it's great! I'm just not interested enough in this show that way hehe)

Favourite moment: T'Pol's speech standing up for the crew to the Vulcan High Command stands out in my memory... I'd probably have to rewatch to answer this question properly tbh

Rating out of 10: gonna be generous and overlook the nightmare of its place in history and all the ensuing xenophobia baked into its very premise and give it a solid 6/10. These characters deserved to come into their own, and the show is often good fun!

[bisluthq]

Hey! I'm fairly new here and I have a pretty uncommon take on Kaylor. But I just wanna start off by saying I try my best to be as supportive of LGBT people as possible and if they're both bisexual, then I would be 100% okay with that! I'm not trying to "defend their heterosexuality" or anything, I think that's really weird

Okay, so my personal theory is that Kaylor did happen, but that Taylor and Karlie are both straight. I know that might sound contradictory, but I say this based on my own personal experiences based on how I am with my best friend. I think Karlie and Taylor's relationship might have been similar in some ways to ours

Right, so I'm straight and I'm not into women in the gay kind of way (but it's completely cool that some girls are), and I have this roommate who's gorgeous. Really gorgeous, she's like a 10/10 "I would sell my kidney to look like you" kind of girl. She's very attractive, she has like tan skin and long legs and gorgeous brown hair and pretty eyes and nice lips and just like… she's just very good looking. I'm definitely jealous of her body, I won't even pretend I'm not 😪 I lowkey hate her because of it (jk)

We've been living together since not long before COVID started, and we're very good friends. There were three of us before, but our other roommate went back home to stay with her parents until in person classes are back on and we agreed to it and worked something out because she has really bad anxiety so we understood her reasoning for it

Anyway so it's just been us two and because we've been at home a lot during this time instead of out for most of the day like before, we've gotten to know each other a lot better and have become a lot closer. We were already friends from before, but now we're like super close besties, we've been hanging out a lot together and playing board games, watching movies, helping each other with essays, just having long conversations about anything and everything, etc

Like it's been so nice having a best friend that I can be this close to now because I haven't had a best friend since I was a kid

So my friend and I were having like a conversation last year about how hard it's been in quarantine not being able to go on dates and how we miss kissing people, and so we decided to just like, make out for fun you know. I mean, there's not really anything that's inherently romantic or sexual about making out, that's just society that says that. But tbh I think making out with your friends if you want to should be normalized, it's fun and it can even be emotional sometimes. It's not that different from hugging people

After a couple of weeks or so, I think we got bored of just making out with each other and decided to like, fully hook up. It started off because we were modelling lingerie for each other for banter and were pretending we were each other's runway judges and then I think we just decided to hook up with each other as like part of the whole "game". I can't remember who initiated it now, I think it might have been me as a joke lol

Like just in a platonic way for fun, as a kind of substitute until we can go back into society

And tbh I always expected hooking up with a woman to be like mediocre and boring and awkward, but although it was a bit hard to get the hang of at first and there was a learning curve, it's actually very enjoyable. Like I was very surprised actually at how hot it can be, I think I can maybe see why bisexual women and lesbians like doing it

Anyway we both liked it and we just carried on hooking up on the regular and it's been like 8 months now and tbh I just think it's very sweet and heartwarming, like it actually makes me feel a little emotional how we're close enough and care about each other enough that we can even help each other out with the physical intimacy side of things so that we don't get sexually frustrated while we're stuck in lockdown

I just think it's really cool and we even sleep in the same bed most of the time now because tbh what's the point in sleeping alone when you can sleep in the same bed as someone else? It's nicer, like you can cuddle and stuff

Anyway, I think that maybe Kaylor's relationship might have been similar. I think they're both straight but they became really close friends in a short space of time, and that their friendship was so intense that it became physical but in a platonic way

I think lesbians and bisexual women are amazing and I have so much respect for you guys for accepting yourselves in a society that tries to erase you, and I think there definitely needs to be more wlw representation on TV and in movies

But at the same time, I would also like there to be more close female friendships like the one that me and my friend have where you can just talk about everything together and do things that society usually reserves for romantic partners, but in a platonic way. Because female friendship is really important and beautiful, whether that's between straight women like me and my friend who I think is probably straight too, or between queer women because one thing I've learnt during my short time on this blog is how queer women can have very close platonic friendships with other queer women too

I think society just has overly strict ideas of "straight" and "gay". Like for some people, they would hear about two women sleeping together and think "Oh that's gay", but not necessarily because straight women can enjoy sleeping with other women too, like it's normal 🤷‍♀️

I think it's just a result of women being a lot more physically beautiful than men are, like straight women really got the short end of the stick tbh compared to straight men

I also think it's because women are so oversexualized in the media, and obviously straight girls see that too and so we sort of internalize that attraction to women because we're so used to seeing women being presented in a sexual way? Except it's not real attraction with us like how it is for queer girls

Like I'm very much "attracted" to my friend, she's genuinely stunning and just very hot tbh. But I still identify as straight because it's just a case of what I mentioned above, it's a "fake" attraction. And also because men are afraid to compliment other men because it's seen as "gay", but women can be fully confident in their sexuality and still recognize other women's beauty and sex appeal. You see it all the time in instagram comments, and I really love how we're all so supportive of each other like that

Like I can be fully confident in my sexuality and yet still say that some women like my friend are gorgeous as hell and also 100 times better looking than most men I've seen. I'm very much obsessed with some women's appearances but in a platonic way

And I just love the concept of "girl crushes" and I think that from a feminism viewpoint, it's beautiful that we're focusing on other girls and showing love towards other girls too, instead of just to men who, let's be real, don't even fully appreciate it half of the time

I am going to be sad when we all have to return to life as usual and my friend and I won't be able to spend as much time together anymore. I'm dreading it tbh, I don't want it to end yet. And it really sucks that the physical side of our friendship will probably have to stop too once our other roommate comes back because I think she'd definitely misunderstand the situation and think it's something different than it actually is if she ever saw us kissing or something. I really am going to miss it a lot though, I really like how things currently are and it's just really really nice and I don't want it to change :/

Btw I'm sorry if I sounded fetishistic or offensive with any of this, I just get a bit jealous sometimes that you guys get to date girls and we're just stuck with men. Honestly if it wasn't for all of the homophobia and the struggles that you all have to face and the fact that it would feel disrespectful to the LGBT community, I would probably really wish I could change my sexuality to be bisexual or gay instead because I just think women are better. Sometimes I really do wish I was into women in that way because dating girls just sounds so much more appealing to me (in a non fetishizing weird way) but unfortunately I'm stuck with dating men 🤦‍♀️ But I also know I'm lucky and privileged to be straight even though most men are mediocre and kinda gross and I don't mean to be disrespectful because I know you all have to face homophobia and other LGBT difficulties and it really sucks, people are awful. There's nothing wrong with women dating women or men dating men at all, society is just ugly and bigoted

Anyway, does anybody else have a similar sort of take on Kaylor where they think they could have both been straight and just had a very close friendship with a physical side to it? I think it would explain a lot. But like I said, this is just a theory of mine based on my own situation, and I'm also open to the idea that it was an actual relationship and that they're both into women for real, not just fake "into women" like I am.

Also pls feel free to call me out if I accidentally said anything offensive towards LGBT people, I tried my best but if I made a mistake anywhere pls let me know and I'll avoid it next time!

You’re not offensive. Please stop apologizing. And we’re gonna come back to the Kaylor stuff another time because... Honey. You and I need to have a conversation for a bit.

So firstly, I’m not trying to like “diagnose” you and at the end of the day it’s your choice what you want to call yourself but... tbh you might not be straight. Sexuality is fluid not static and exists on a spectrum not in absolutes. It’s not like it’s straight, 50/50 bi, gay and you’re born knowing and there’s no room for anything else. That’s not true. There’s a lot of room in between all of these and labels can change over time. We’re people, not cereal brands, and sometimes we don’t even KNOW the word for what we might be. I’m tagging a tag for you from when we asked people to share their label journeys for you to see. It’s not simple or easy and it’s not just because of external stuff - it’s because figuring this out internally is HARD. If you found yourself having such an intense friendship it became physical, repeatedly, you liked it a lot, you still sleep in the same bed and continue to share all your thoughts and you don’t want any of that to end... I’m not sure you’re Kinsey 0. And I think you might lowkey have a girlfriend dude. 

You can obviously prefer men but like... hun I reaaallly don’t think you’re completely straight.

Also: it’s okay to say “I see myself winding up with a man and this is a situationship for right now!” but that doesn’t make you straight because again, sexuality is a spectrum and you can manifest a particular kind of endgame while experiencing other things along the way.

But here’s where you really got me: “most men are mediocre and kinda gross” and “women being a lot more physically beautiful than men are, like straight women really got the short end of the stick tbh compared to straight men” because that’s the kind of thing I used to say in my Bi 1.0 era before I ID’d as a lesbian for a bit and before Harry Styles (KING 🥺) made me bi for real. Hun, no. Straight women like men. Tbh BI women like men. I genuinely, unironically, find Harry and Timmy and Matt Smith to be sexy beasts and I would do dirty things to the former two but maybe not the latter irl in 2021 but yes also him if I could be on that Spain trip with him and Karen where they got sloshed and which I think of often. These men are genuinely fucking beautiful to me in the same way Taylor is and Di Silvers is (okay she’s prettier than all of them but like same ~vibe) and like Megan Thee Stallion is and Indira Varma in everything but especially GOT and Gillian Anderson and Keira Knightley. Like those women are HOT to me and SO. ARE. THE. MEN. 

Straight women find SO MANY DUDES hot. So many. Starting from objectively pretty options I just cannot personally understand like Chris Evans all the way through to bitches who are outchea simping for wrestlers and Cole Sprouse. Do I understand? No. But like... that’s straight girl culture and ours is not to judge. 

If you’re struggling to find men hot then... you might be gay.

Also, I’m not sure what you mean by “fake attraction”. Like queer women - especially femme women which I assume you very much are - experience the same kinds of feelings straight girls do. We have women we want to be like and look like and find enviable (me and Oenone Forbat) and women we find aesthetically gorgeous (me and Anya Taylor Joy) and we have extremely close female friends who we can spend hours on end spilling our guts to - as you say female friendships are truly special - and without going into personal people that you don’t know, that’s me and Cam and Sim right? I literally talk to them for hours. Like those are not gay feelings. And yes we can chat about those kinds of feelings with straight girls and call them “girl crushes” and not immediately get “caught out” because they experience this exact shit too.

But here’s the thing. They never do and I don’t want in the cases above to fuck these women. It’s not sexual.

The moment I can actually imagine fucking the women in question that’s... gay. 

Like it’s not “fake attraction” it’s literally just gay. That’s how we desire women. We want to fuck them. Not all women. Not always. But sometimes we want to get under or on top of one and just really truly fucking make each other moan with pleasure.

I have no idea if Karlie or Taylor are into women. They could both literally be straight. I have no idea.

But I have a better idea about you.

Hun, you’re fucking your roommate/best friend and don’t want to stop.

You’re not “into women”.

You’re into this woman.

And possibly into women more generally.

So I know it’s weird to have to be the one to tell you this, and if you want to keep chatting via anon or in my DMs or if you want me to try collate resources for you from around the web but...

Like.

Dude.

You’re a whole ass part of the rainbow.

Welcome to the community you thought you weren’t a part of earlier today 🌈 ❤️

It’s nice here, sure there’s homophobia, but at least we get to fuck girls and man is it good.

[paramedictk-archive]

it’s hard to put into words how much skam france has disappointed me this year but s6 is finally over and i felt like i needed to kind of... say goodbye to this shitshow and get a few things off my chest.

s3 will always hold a special place in my heart, it came into my life when i really needed it and honestly, it was their only genuinely good season from start to finish. i will always be grateful for s3 and for eliott and lucas and for all those little moments we got to see with the grew in that season as well as in s4 and s5, when they actually acted like teenagers, when they were there for each other, when actions had consequences, when subplots weren’t abandoned just after 2 clips and when they used this show to educate teenagers and give them hope... those very few moments that actually made me feel like i was watching a skam remake.

it’s hard to make peace with the fact that this remake gave us so many good moments but also managed to completely ruin this entire experience for most of us this year. i think if skam france was genuinely, consistently trash from s1 to s6 i wouldn’t be half as angry as i am right now. but truth is, it wasn’t all bad. that’s the worst thing. we’ve seen they can do better, they just chose to be lazy and use the popularity s3 gave them to churn out mediocre and half assed plots time and time again because they knew they had devoted fans who would defend them no matter what.

when s3 was airing i actually felt like they listened to us sometimes and cared about us but something changed after s4. it no longer mattered what we wanted to see or what we thought about a scene, we were simply told what we should be feeling. and that’s a huge red flag. i don’t have to be a scriptwriter or a director to know that good storytelling isn’t about throwing excuses and explanations (and then damage control pictures) at your audience. it’s about them engaging with the content you put out and bringing their own perspective to it. otherwise, what’s the point?

and you know, this isn’t even about what’s ooc and what isn’t. it’s about the people who were supposed to finally get their representation but instead ended up being too triggered by the show to continue watching it. it’s about muslim, deaf/hoh people, people dealing with addictions or self harm or eating disorders speaking out only to be silenced by david and his fans just because their opinions weren’t always supportive and positive. it’s about us saying that they should have never used sexual or domestic abuse for shock value and then being told to shut up because a few pacifists in this fandom seem to think we’re ruining the show for them this way. it’s about david and niels flat out lying to us and promising so many things in order to get us to watch s6. it’s about being disrespected by the creators of your favourite tv show so badly that you end up having to distance yourself from it and the fandom. you obviously can’t please everyone, but the least you can do is listen to the people whose stories you’re trying to tell.

i obviously can’t tell any of this to david even though i wish i could. not because i want to rub it in or prove that i’m right, i just simply want him to know how much his childishness hurt the very people who once fought so hard to get his show renewed for him. i can’t tell him any of this because he would never read my messages since i’m not one of his certified bootlickers singing his praises all the time. because he blocked one of my insta accounts last week for a comment i posted under one of his pictures during s5. because that’s the kind of person he is. someone who would rather hide and ignore constructive criticism and let his little fans fight his battles for him. someone who stayed quiet for weeks while said fans kept sending death threats to people. and yes, you could say he’s not responsible for other people’s actions and that’s true in a way. but when you create such an unhealthy and hostile environment within your own fandom by playing favourites and silencing anyone who has a different opinion than what is considered acceptable, you do encourage that kind of behaviour.

despite all this, i still stayed and tried to put up with all the bad writing because i cared about the grew that much, maybe even more than niels himself, it seems. i don’t have a reason to stay now. the concept of having female showrunners sounds good, sure, but i know francestvslash and i know skam france. it’s the good old bait-and-switch. during the last two seasons, they kept baiting marginalized communities to earn woke points but a season that was supposed to be about arthur’s deafness entirely got turned into some cheating fest and lola’s season was pure misery porn with wlw rep thrown in there as bait. 

david and niels leaving won’t solve this problem. francetvslash needs a reality check too. they used us to renew the show and then turned around and called us obsessive. they blocked my comments under the live because i asked them why wasn’t the sexual assault plot mentioned again. they joked about addictions. they don’t care, okay? not about us, not about giving people representation. the only thing they care about is money. so them suddenly hiring female directors and writers after they saw us complaining about the way this show treats women? bait. the same kind of bait niels and david used when they tried to throw all kinds of rep in s6 because they knew lgbt people want to see themselves represented so badly that they would watch it no matter what. i would love to be proven wrong, obviously. i want to believe the new showrunners have nothing but good intentions but their hands will obviously be tied by francetvslash to some extent. and i’m done being used by them and then being forced to settle for the bare minimum.

all in all, both s5 and s6 fell flat and were extremely disappointing. skamfr under david and niels will always remain a one hit wonder, nothing else. it’s a good thing they are leaving now because at least characters like max or sekou have the chance to be treated with respect by the new writers and directors. and i’m happy for all of you who decided to stay... i wish you guys the best. i honestly hope you guys will get the stories and the representation you’re looking for. i really do. i want to be proven wrong about francetvslash and the showrunners... but i don’t have the energy to dedicate so much of my life to this show again, not after them breaking my heart so many times. 

and i guess i’m a petty person. the grew deserved great stories too, not just lamif. arthur deserved a great season, deaf/hoh people deserved to see themselves represented, instead they were forced to watch niels disrespect noée and camille and then act like they never existed in s6. and after everything wlw have done for this show, we deserved a great season too, not to be baited like this. maya was in 18 clips out of 83 (!!!!). if niels and david didn’t want to give the grew a chance to have a good send-off, then i’m not giving this show a chance again. why would i?

anyway. i’ll stick to rewatching s3 every now and again. and i will miss the way the grew made me feel. thanks for all the good memories and let’s hope we’ll forget the bad ones soon. this is what we’ve come to.

alt er love and all that crap i guess.

[kytcordell]

Why Do I Create?

Compulsion

I cannot stop creating.

In fact, I’ve tried--multiple times. There have been so many occasions on which the frustration and self-loathing associated with creative pursuits was psychologically crippling to the point where I did try and stop. But I never stopped inventing stories in my mind. I never stopped creating characters. I never stopped following artists I liked, basking in distant envy at the skills I believed I could never attain.

It has taken me a lifetime to really distill the true reason behind why I create. As much I would like to say that I’ve “always just loved drawing and expressing myself,” this simply wouldn’t be true nor an accurate representation of the relationship I have with art. At this point, I’m not sure if the word “passion” or “love” quite captures why I create. I would describe it more as a feverish need--a compulsion. I actually don’t even quite see myself as the “owner” of my works or ideas, but rather, as the vessel which serves them. Every ounce effort I put toward creative endeavors is a means of honing myself into a more suitable vehicle for delivering ideas into being.

For most of my life, I had an extremely pathological and maladaptive sense of self that resulted from nearly 26 years of physical and psychological abuse. It took me a long time to even recognize that what happened to me was in fact abuse. I used to shy away from the word because it seemed too self-pitying and dramatic. It still sometimes feels that way, despite the fact I objectively know that if anyone (let alone a parent) ever pulled a knife on me now, I would call the police without a second thought.

I won’t go too much into the details of what happened because it isn’t really worth delving into. But I was essentially raised as if I were an investment fund and not a person. My entire purpose was to be useful so my mother could stop having responsibilities of any kind. I was not raised with own personal well-being and future stability in mind. This meant that a non-lucrative career was unacceptable. My art was ever only appreciated in the context of bragging rights or winning awards. This of course, manifested in my relationship with creative pursuits.

Narcissism

My adolescent motivations for drawing were fueled mostly by pure, unadulterated narcissism.

I drew semi-seriously throughout high school. By that, I mean I quickly figured out what kinds of skills were considered impressive for that age group and did well at shows and competitions. I wanted to feel superior and adored at any cost, and while I embodied the external talking points of “being humble, always learning, etc.” deep down, I clung to the idea that I was better than everyone else. I couldn’t handle critique emotionally, despite acting receptive. I was completely consumed by the idea of being some kind of perfect, “talented” golden child.

I managed to get very good at copying photos and rendering, while neglecting all the skills that contribute to being able to design characters or draw from imagination. I didn’t really pursue art with any real level of personalized focus. I just liked feeling like I was better than people and knew more than the other kids. Honestly, every single aspect of my life revolved around this mentality.

I held onto the idea of “being good” as a trophy because that was the only mode of thought that my psyche could accept. It was easier to embrace narcissism and even just accept being a shallow social climber than to face the far more harrowing truth:

That I was afraid I’d never have the skills to manifest my ideas.

In fact, I talked myself into believing for ages that I didn’t care that much about my ideas. They would never amount to anything. And having self-indulgent, non-utilitarian attachments to my stories and OCs felt like a weakness. I needed to rationalize my own shortcomings with a guise of indifference.

Revererence

I stopped drawing for about seven years after high school. And even during high school, I didn’t do anything that remotely resembles the kind of ‘grind’ that I’ve put myself through the last 2.5 years. Frankly, I’m amazed I got as far as I did even with being a human copy machine that produced lifeless 1:1 images of candles. With each year I passed, I grew increasingly uncomfortable with the fact I always knew deep down--I just wasn’t that good. I mean, I was pretty good for a guy in high school. But my holistic sense of composition, invention, and execution was near non-existent. I went through a few attempts of returning to art, only to be so overwhelmed with my own incompetence that I would just go back to the “I don’t care that much about art” script I had gotten so good at conning myself into.

It was not until I had a complete mental breakdown due to my psychotic cunt of a mother threatening my safety and sanity that my long-con finally broke. I had a moment where I just accepted that I had no fundamentals, my skills were trash, and most of all--I was not okay with them being trash. From that point, I started desperately seeking out resources and practicing to improve. Receiving criticism (while I really appreciated it objectively) was psychologically devastating to me. Every single imperfection was a reminder of “lost time” and the years I had spent lying to myself.

It wasn’t until I discovered Loomis, Hampton, Draw-a-Box, Proko, and many other reputable art resources that I managed to start hitting the pavement and making the kind of gains I wanted. I drew sometimes for 12-16 hours a day even while I was homeless and living on a friend’s couch due to having to flee my home at the time.  Through all of this, I shed all my notions of “being talented” or needing to delude myself into feeling like I was good. No, I was dogshit and I needed to do something about. I think the biggest hurdle people face when trying to get good at anything is accepting that they are bad. You cannot improve until you fully and wholeheartedly accept that you have problems that need fixing.

I went from approaching things from a place of narcissism to a place of reverence. A lot of what instilled this change in me was observing people that I admire. Those that are highly competent (in any craft) tend to be realistic and humble about their shortcomings. The very process of attaining mastery forces you to realize that there is an infinite scale of improvement. This isn’t to say that people who are good can’t also get full of themselves. But at least among the individuals I gravitate towards, there is a general sense of reverence and genuine modesty. On the other hand, people who are mediocre frequently have very large egos. Unfortunately, there is a lot egotistical, irrational, whiny-bitch anti-progress behavior that is prevalent in art circles. I realized just how cancerous conceit and ego could be. It had destroyed my progress for years and I was watching complete hacks insist they were gods atop mount stupid. It was truly the Dunning-Krueger effect in action.

Many of the people I encountered in the art community early on were pretty mediocre and had a terrible sense of fundamentals. Again, this would be fine if they didn’t insist on acting like experts on the topic. (Plenty of people draw for fun and don’t care about being good and there is nothing wrong with purely pursuing something for leisure.) However, I unfortunately ran into quite a few extremely petty people had no idea of how to actually get good at anything, and were annoyed at the fact I had prioritized working on fundamentals. People that I engaged in good faith soon attempted to derail conversations and questions I had about technique and improvement. Crabs in a bucket bullshit, really.

Anyone knows me also knows that I have no tolerance for bullshit or “UwU bitches” making “it’s my style” excuses for being technically incompetent. (Which isn’t to say accuracy is always more important than style, but using “style” or “aesthetic” as an excuse for a lack of skill or competence is extremely common among mediocre artists). Likewise, I also encountered people who manifested narcissism in the opposite direction. The opposite of the “it’s muh style” camp were people who endlessly liked to talk about theoretical technical knowledge. Sometimes they were good at one skillset or another, but generally lack any kind of concept or actual artistic vision. It was like they had lost sight of expression goals in favor of shit talking and dropping advanced art vocabulary.

I realized that no amount of shit-talk, posturing, or external validation was going to make me good at art. I always knew that, but watching people descend into the abyss of self-sabotage just reminded me what was at stake. I would rather never “feel” like I was superior than run the risk of delusional overconfidence. Likewise, I broke out of the trap of thinking technical skill could somehow compensate for a lack of good ideas or artistic vision. Nothing matters more than the clarity of expression, and skill is but a conduit for said expression. I would rather feel eternally small and striving for a forlorn dream than run the risk of being 10 years down the road cranking out trashy, vapid content while thinking I’m some kind of omnipotent art god.

I draw because I cannot stop. It’s like being touched by fire that you cannot quell or erase. I work to improve because I want to depict my stories and characters with the finesse, nuance, and artistry that I admire in so many others. I truly feel there is no point in pursuing art seriously if you do not have a voice, a “vision” for why you create. Looking back, the motivation that kept me going through the hardest struggles was the desire to succeed in communicating my stories and concepts. I am but an acolyte eternally striving for even a brief glimpse of an ephemeral muse.

[linipikk]

Anon is kind of missing a thing here, about the outrage about Shiro and is that we, as the viewers, we just want to see a honest story. If the narrative implied Shiro dying in s2, we as an audience could take it as part of the story as along as it is plausible, even knowing Shiro was always a fandom favourite and if you think we weren't outraged by Shiro’s entire arc, you just weren't on that side of the fandom (and also, it was by s3! we still had some faith in their storytelling!)

Now with Adam... Eri made really two good points, about the deniability and the “showing the worst of a relationship”.

From a queer fan pov , the way they treated the one lgbt relationship they were gonna show is... oh boy. and  from a storytelling pov it was actually cheap (the time skip and Adam’s 2.5 lines)

but “from where did we get the idea that vld was gonna give us ... anything?” Voltron had many problems but maybe the biggest was that the showrunners didn't know how to deal with their audience, that’s why they fucked up badly and the fandom went bonkers along them.. that race-gender-lgbt drawing is older than old and we all had some hope, but that’s not all:

In interviews or tweets (lol) 

1.they promised lgbt representation (mistake 1) but they played the audience by never delivering it until last minute, with a deniable relationship most fans that never got to the interview that 20th of July even knew existed

2. They underestimated their audience (mistake 2) and how their own show was being received. I know this one is a gamble, but it was very halfassed from their end (and they had the atla team, they were aware of the kind of fans they were getting, or so you would believe)

and  the worst part, that could have saved the whole issue but fell flat,

3. They were mediocre storytellers (mistake 3) and i say it as a story person in the industry. I understand schedules, i understand producers, but i don’t understand how as a showrunner you start with a story that was flat out very simple, and end it so inconspicuously that your audience is left with only word-of-God to make due because the reason a character make x or y decision is not on the screen. The story is not on the screen. Not to say all of it was bad!, but it leaves this feeling of having bits and pieces of a good show without the show itself. They might have cool fights but the character driven series we started watching didn't deliver.

And that’s what the viewers don’t forgive. Most casual fans stopped watching because the story “got boring”, i would say it was just all over the place... and the fandom fans, we dissected everything BECAUSE they left us with an empty story we wanted to see completed.

Do you think any of us would have batted an eye if killing Shiro were supported completely by the narrative? we could have applauded it! (and I got examples of characters dying in a storywise meaningful way) but  the “Shiro was supposed to die in s2 but DW or whatever didn't let them “ and “Shiro was always our gay rep” is inconsistent AND ... a bit queerbaity.

To this day i can't understand why they were so adamant in giving us information that they weren’t gonna follow through...

but fans wanted a good story with the bits and pieces they let us see of their story and we ran with it.

Bi Lance is supported by ONE drawing from times of s1 that has the same onscreen weight that they telling us that Shiro was a gay man on SDCC 2018? okay then. We know it was never a sure thing , but the bits and pieces of the show lead us to interpret that Lance’s arc was gonna go a certain way...but we were left waiting. And then they slapped us in the face with that picture of a life raft.

(...Sorry for hijacking your post Eri)

Since when has Lance officially been bisexual? That’s never been a thing and the show runners never claimed it was a thing.. where did y’all get that from, because it was never actually canon or meant to be canon.. like at all…

I also love how this fandom uses queerbaiting but then ignore shiro’s entire character and treat Adam as if he was a character that was relevant and important to shiro’s character. In fact, fandom was more outraged at adams death than shiro being sidelined and kicked out of his lion. People were more upset that shiro didn’t get back with his ex that gave him an ultimatum to give up his dreams instead of Shiro not getting an actual family. Can y’all stop saying the show queerbaited you, and then ignore the issues that surrounded the actual Gay character that fandom conveniently ignores because he’s not gay enough for them apparently. Because when y’all say quuebated and then ignore the gay character because he’s not in a relationship, it makes it seem like y’all don’t actually care about the character, you just care about a random out of nowhere ship

I believe the origin of Lance's bisexuality came from this image which was created by one of the showrunners.

I believe fans saw this as a literal sign he was part of the LGBT community (as anyone would), and since in canon Lance was shown as only having interest in women a lot of fans believed something would come up during one of the later seasons that would lead to Lance also showing an interest in men/possibly even coming out as bi.

As for the queerbaiting stuff…

The situation surrounding Adam and Shiro can be seen both ways.

I understand where you are coming from, and I also understand where people who are upset over how their story was handled are coming from.

You do have a valid point that any LGBTQ+ relationship does not need to be solidified with romance or a kiss to be real. LGBTQ+ characters do not need to be shown in those situations to prove to the audience that they are, in fact, part of the community.

On the flip side, there's a way tv shows/movies often handle these types of relationships that fall under the category of plausible deniability. If characters are not shown in any romantic setting (something like a kiss that cannot be misinterpreted), it gives the studio execs and showrunners an "out" for any backlash they receive from groups against LGBTQ+ rights.

And this is where things can feel like queerbaiting to some people, especially if showrunners or any member of the crew says things that can be interpreted as hints toward a queer relationship, just for the sake of keeping the audience interested.

I agree that Shiro shouldn't have to be shown in a relationship to be considered an actual gay character. No one – and no character – should have to prove that they are what they say they are. And especially no one – and no character – should have to depend on someone else to prove that.

But on this same vein, it is not our place to judge what is and is not true for someone else, regardless of how we view it.

We all interpret things differently, and all have our own opinions and feelings toward a situation.

Shiro, as a gay character, does not need a relationship to prove he is gay. But by bringing up Adam at all, and implying that a relationship used to exist – and then only showing a bad part of that relationship before killing him off to avoid any chance of an interaction between the two most likely felt to certain people like they were drowning…and then someone came along and showed them a picture of a life raft and asked "wait, is this not enough?"

[irarelypostanything]

Why are so many millennials depressed?

I read a quote that depression is just another form of narcissism, which I don’t agree with at all.  I think that anyone, especially those of us who experienced the devastation of knowing someone who killed him/herself, will say that the worst thing a depressed person can do is keep feelings locked inside.  I’ve heard it described as a voice in your head that tells you to kill yourself.  If you don’t tell anyone about it, the voice will win.

But there are many degrees of depression.  There are people who have what some refer to as chronic depression.  There are people who feel constant anxiety.  And then there are just those who feel lethargic, who don’t understand the point anymore of the day-to-day, who just kind of go on but don’t know why.

There’s been a lot of literature written on millennials, and how they’ve been adjusting to life at the workplace and/or after college.  It seems like, as a generation, depression is pretty prevalent.  Some say it’s social media, highlighting high points and brushing away the failure.  Some say it’s narcissism, and technology built on instant gratification, and whole organizations of parents who rewarded us for things like participation in a kind of “everyone is a winner” style.  I feel like I’ve prescribed to all of these schools of thought at some point, but now I think the truth might be more complex.  

First of all, simply knowing that another person has achieved great things doesn’t make us less likely to want to achieve great things.  I didn’t stop practicing piano because at some point I found out Beethoven existed.  Most people don’t stop swimming when they first see a clip of Michael Phelps.  Something can be said for social media, but maybe I’m beating a dead horse.  For the time being, I’m done bashing social media.  This is social media.

More interesting articles discuss the question of our instant gratification technology, or rather what our technology provides.  Interestingly, numerous studies have found that children of this decade are actually more likely than their 60s counterparts of displaying the ability to delay gratification.  An article by Wired, in an eloquent paradox, highlights that by wanting to think that impatience is the reason our generation finds so many things difficult is simply putting a very simple label on a much more complicated phenomena.  That’s a form of impatience, is it not?  Wanting to just read some article with some finding to let us know some behavior will lead us to success?  

I think that many of us flaunt our failures as much as we flaunt our successes, as if we expect some external and wise person to convince us that our failures our accepted.  I think that many of us turn to things that we think unify us, when in reality they only divide.  We talk about particular groups that we belong to, and other groups that have persecuted us.  In doing so, we combat stereotypes with other stereotypes.  We discuss things that make us different, that put us at disadvantages, when what we really long for is a world in which these differences can just be.  When racism is just a distant concept, and we don’t even have to talk about it.  When we don’t feel the need to write about different things that set us apart.  When race just is.  When homosexuality just is.  When we don’t have to talk about how it feels to be x, y, or z because we’re simply accepted for who we are.

But there’s a lot of complex factors at play, and I think a lot of them are linked.  I think that we, with all of our technology and awareness of the rest of the world and perfectly packaged video representations of it, are extremely terrified of being mediocre.  In some ways, I think that some people pretend to be far below the curve just to avoid being the most terrifying thing of all:

Ordinary.

The truth is that most of us are ordinary.  The truth is that many of us aren’t brilliant, or extremely special, or destined to become world changers or billionaires.  I don’t want to write this and make any extraordinary people feel like they can settle, but I think some of us are missing the point.  It’s okay to be ordinary.  It’s okay to not be brilliant, or the most talented in the world at anything.

Believe me, I know.

Because what we really want to incite is movements.  We want people to do great things and inspire others, to paradoxically achieve a sort of unspoken leadership in selflessness.  It all starts with the realization that maybe we’re ordinary, maybe we’re not world changers, but if we can just carry out acts that inspire more acts and get others to join us, then together we can do something extraordinary.

But if we keep talking about the things that make us different, and divide us, then we might not get there.  And if we keep focusing on our disadvantages, on our weaknesses, on our bad luck, then we might not get there.

A famous general and philosopher named Iroh once said that pride isn’t the opposite of shame, it’s the source of it.

The true opposite of shame is humility.

[apveng]

Tamasha Ka Tamasha

Note: You know, I thought I had posted this in my blog. But, apparently, I hadn’t.

This is about the Indian movie, Tamasha, so no need to read on if you would rather not.

You know that word called objectification and how a lot of folks associate patriarchy and women with it—the word in the middle with women and patriarchy on either side of the sentence? I saw it happen in an incredibly insidious manner in Tamasha. Or, maybe it isn’t that insidious in the movie itself as much as in how it demonstrates the problematic representation of women in our culture (not just East, but in West as well and perhaps in middle east too and probably everywhere else).

So, here’s the thing. When you have a guy and a girl in a story (because mostly, you don’t see a guy and a guy and, you know, a girl and a girl is even less likely ;-)), which has somewhere in its scheme of things a love affair between the two, you would expect to at least find out something about both these characters through the course of the movie, don’t you? For example, in Ice Princess, which is about the growth of a girl, you know the guy she meets (who isn’t all that important except may be in increasing her self-confidence) is her coach’s son and drives the ice resurfacer. Likewise, I am pretty sure you would be able to tell, if you were to watch the movie again, something about Shreyas Talpade, Nagesh Kuknoor or the never featuring husbands in the movie Dor.

In Tamasha, even by the end of the movie, I was not sure what Deepika Padukone’s character, Tara does for a living. I didn’t know if she had a family, I didn’t know why she ends anywhere she does except in the place where a lot of the second half takes place. I didn’t even understand what she found in Ranbir’s character Ved or why she goes with him in the first place. Her character’s motivations are a mystery most of the time. Even more baffling is why Ved likes her. Is it a given, as Ved says initially, that when a boy meets girl a love story should develop*? How about friendship, antagonism and or fear? Or, indifference?

You might say it does not matter because most love stories are quite incomprehensible anyways (at least to me, they are; most of the time, I never see why they fall in love). Or, if you know about the premise of the movie, you might say that it does not matter because it’s the story of how Ved got stuck in the rat race** and then, finds himself and his passion.

I would not agree with you. And not just because I am a frothing in the mouth, judgmental feminist. ;-)

I would not agree with you because the story’s premise is also apparently love shows you yourself—connects you to your inner self***. And yet, throughout the movie, Tara is a mirage or an ideal, a trophy to be won or a goddess who shows you the mirror, not an actual person you can come to like and love. The only purpose of Tara in that story is to act as a catalyst to Ved’s growth. Anybody, really, could have been Tara.

I know, in most stories of this type, where it’s about the growth of an individual, secondary characters, even those who are as prominent as the love, gets side-lined in the story telling. However, (yep, as the judge says in Evelyn, there is a however), isn’t there a difference between not giving enough screen space to a woman and her struggles because the story is about the guy’s growth and your narrative doesn’t have scope for it, and, not giving her any character at all but as a foil to the guy? I have seen it in the late 1990s and early 2000s Malayalam movies but not so much in Hindi movies (or may be, I have just started noticing).

I would not agree with you even if Love was not that important to the story because this whole idea of women having no life or soul of their own except in how they relate to the men is problematic even when your story’s protagonist is a man and hence, the story is supposed to revolve around him.

I cannot pick out a women-centred movie off the top of my mind except the ones I already mentioned, so I can’t compare.  For a guy-centred movie: In Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander, Amir’s brother is the catalyst for his growth (as much as the girl who rejects him because he is poor) and you do come to know a lot about the brother as well as the villains (who serve as another catalyst). As a matter of fact, you even find out something about Ayesha Jhulka and her character. None of them are caricatures (well except the villains and Pooja Bedi). Ditto for Wake up Sid and Yeh Jawani Hai Diwani. I am sure there are more examples, but I cannot remember any. Anyways, you got the point. Side characters and loves can have their own life.

I know, it might seem like it’s just one movie, so what’s the big deal? Bad movies come out all the time. The reason why I am so uncomfortable is not because of this one movie (although, I am mad that it’s doing well), but because this phenomenon features highly in the entire thinking of the world. Most of our Purana’s and Itihasas feature women as catalysts, not folks in their own right. Even Devi Bhagavada is mostly about the male devotees of the Devi (and her own incarnations). As someone said in an article I read, if you read the histories and mythologies (even), you get the idea that it’s a long series of men going out and doing wonderful things (and changing the world) while women just stood around and did nothing (except for exceptional folks like Florence Nightingale of course).

And the insidious nature of the movie’s portrayal is that Tara is not portrayed badly (neither are many of the women in the Puranas or Arabian Nights as long they obey their husbands, their fathers or their gods). In fact, she is idolised by both Ved and the film itself. This gives a lot of people the perfect excuse because they keep pointing out these examples saying the complete opposite—look how highly we treat women, how we respect them. Nobody raises the fact that hey! No matter how you treat her, even if you ignore her, is indifferent to her, she is there; she exists and is her own person.

In Tamasha, she looks like an empty idol with no drive. A tool or an instrument. Which is how most of history, mythology and philosophy seems to see women (whether they actually portray that or not).

 So, yeah, objectification!

 And yet, apparently, it’s the women’s world! And Patriarchy is dead!

 *As per Ved, that is every story in humanity: boy meets girl and falls in love; never mind the erasure of 10% of folks who happen to be in the higher end of Kinsey scale or even the 1% who are aromantic and asexual (I got caught up in that detail for a bit, sorryJ). Not to mention all the other stories that are not romantic love stories. J

**I have my issues with the portrayal of the rat race and mediocrity as well (huge issues) and I mean to dwell on that in another post.

***I didn’t figure out the central scheme of love’s effect in the movie until I read a review by someone; that tells you something about the movie’s effectiveness). 

PS: I know this revelation is not new; but, I was just seeing it in action for the first time. And thought, okay, I’d register my objection. And let everyone (in my tiny sphere of a heart) know that hey, I just realised this. ;-) t

[coloringthegreyscale]

Okay. So clearly I set myself up for a minefield of rage that I really should have been expecting with how I tagged this. That’s on me. It was actually a response to some of the takes I’ve seen on Twitter coupled with an ask I saw someone else get on here that was essentially predicting the demise of Neylan’s writing career simply because his debut episode was not received well.

We’re obviously tangoing with different crowds of critics here and I was addressing one that has been bopping around here and there. I should have tried to put a disclaimer on here to let you know that I acknowledge your existence and I didn’t. 

So, let me try again, break this down, sort a few things out and maybe clarify as best I can right now:

You’re a queer person who has justifiable reason to find problems with the show and it’s universe as a whole that can range from something as simple as you just not liking it to something more complex like finding specific issues such as lack of representation or misrepresentation that you don’t like. I can respect that.

But that is not my perspective and so I view the show with a different lens as an older queer person who can find solace is some of the representation of trauma that the show has spotlighted that I find to be uncommon.

So you’re saying that in your opinion the show fetishizes and mishandles lesser queer representation and I’m saying that in my opinion, I resonate with certain storylines as a lesser represented queer.

It’s all a matter of perspective and that’s fine. You’re gonna hate the show for the reasons you’re gonna hate the show and I’m gonna like the show for the reasons that I’m gonna like the show. Nothing that I’m going to say is going to suddenly change your mind.

But you’ve decided to take such passionate hatred to my take to make this about the show as a whole, let me go ahead and expand on it - knowing that no matter what, you’re probably just going to view me as some narrow minded asshole because that’s up to you.

In my opinion, Seeing Stars was just an okay episode. It was mediocre but it’s good points were good enough that I don’t completely want to wipe it away from existence. It has some really awkward pacing issues, I think a Via song would have been more helpful to the story than another throw away Moxxie and Millie song, (since the episode was supposed to focus on her anyway), and I think some of the Stolitz gags could have been chucked away in favor towards establishing WHY they couldn’t leave and WHY they needed to keep a low profile and more “holy shit, Blitz I really need you to fucking *focus* so we can get out here”. That kind of thing.

I have my own theory on what might have happened as the script was being developed based off of some comments Neylan had made at a panel but that ultimately doesn’t matter.

The episode itself takes a beating in two ways because it was going to automatically be received badly by those that hated The Circus because they’re expecting the worse regardless, and since it was obviously meant to be a more light-hearted filler episode that didn’t immediately address Ozzie’s, which is something people are chomping at the bit to see resolved (and we aren’t going to soon but that’s neither here nor there at this point), it misses with that crowd as well. It suffers from both being in the wrong spot but also being unable to be anywhere else in the episode lineup.

As for my remark about bad faith takes - you’re a queer person who has clearly done the legwork in breaking down exactly why you hate the show so I wasn’t addressing you. I’m sorry if you felt like I was erasing your existence. I know you’re out there.  Again: This was a quick summarized response based off of some of the things I’ve seen crop up here but also (and probably mostly) on Twitter. Sorry if you felt attacked.

Hot take but Seeing Stars isn't absolutely 100% the worst episode of anything ever.

It's probably not even the worst episode of the show? But that's subjective in the end.

Y'all are out here ready to crucify Neylan's entire career on a mid tier episode that still managed to deliver some decent material and for what? On one end, because The Circus made everything irreversibly queer. One the other end, because we hadn't had a filler episode since episode 4 dropped. What?

And those with bad faith takes are just showing how much you AREN'T paying attention already, but at the end of the day you're going around in circles complaining that a show with queer writers reflects on queer experiences and how you're surprised about it when you've spent over a year ignoring queer fans trying to give you a heads-up.

Cool.

[techouspeaks]

Precuruary: Mahou Tsukai Precure

Finally, I review the series that seems to be the most hated Precure series, even more so than Doki Doki and Happiness Charge! I also reveal why I actually kinda like it....

“Asahina Mirai, a soon-to-be student in junior high, witnesses an object fall from the sky one night during spring break. Excitedly exclaiming that it could be a witch, Mirai sets off the next morning with her beloved toy teddy bear Mofurun to search the park. At the park, Mirai witnesses a girl soaring through the air on a broom. Excited and curious, Mirai barrages the girl with questions. The young witch introduces herself as Riko and explains that she's come to the "No Magic" World to search for certain objects. The two girls notice that they're wearing similar pendants. Meanwhile, Batty, a companion of Dokurokushe the Wizard of Darkness, appears in front of Mirai and Riko! Batty demands that Riko hand over the "Linkle Stone Emerald", which Riko herself had been looking for. To make things worse, Batty uses dark magic to create a monster known as a Yokubaru! Mirai, Riko, and Mofurun join hands. With the magic words "Cure Up RaPaPa!", their pendants shines a magical light over them! The legendary witches "Pretty Cure" are born!”

So, why does everyone seem to despise this series so much? Well, the main issue with this series is it’s writing and execution. The plot tends to throw some immature or just plain weird scenes at random and it seems like the writers just didn’t know what to do, so they just put whatever they thought was a good idea at the time. The plot is also a bit rushed and sadly, the characters suffer a lack of proper development. Put it short, the plot and the development is just a big mess. I heard it was because the writer and director kept clashing, like one wanted to something real dark and epic like Go! Princess and the other wanted it to stay cutesy and safe. I really wished they had stuck with the more darker route. I mean it’s a series about witches.Dark and witches go hand in hand together. The cutesy parts can get a little boring too for some folks, I didn’t mind it too much. 

So, despite all that, why do I actually like it and even get a little defensive for it? Shouldn’t I hate it like I do Doki Doki and Happiness Charge? Well I’ll list my reasons in so is to be consistent, unlike the plot of Maho Tsukai.

1.) Kinda likable characters.

I will admit, while they’re not the most deepest or complex of characters, most of the MTP characters are pretty likable. 

(Well okay, I said MOST, not all.)

I really do like Riko. Yeah, she can be snobby but this melts away rather fast and the way she does it, is very appropriate for her age. She’s a kid that wants to be more grown up, so she tries to look impressive. She’s has a lot of insecurities that come natural for someone her age and she acts a lot like how I expect a kid would act.

Which speaking of which, I feel like the three main trio are actually suppose to be in Elementary School, but they felt they needed to have them be in junior high. They don’t even look 13! They look more so 10 years old at the oldest but decided to changed it to 13 so is to fit with the other precure franchise. Come on, Toei! This franchise is aimed at elementary school kids anyway, we wouldn’t mind if you made them younger. Look at Cardcaptor Sakura and some of the older magical girls series. Some of the main cast in those are 10!

Anyway, I also like Ha-chan. Yes, she can be annoying at times, but I thought she was pretty cute and I really like her design as Cure Felice. She’s absolutely gorgeous in this form. 

I also really enjoy some of the kids, teachers and staff members at the Magic School, especially Kochou. At long last we get a handsome male supporting character that is both useful, interesting, likable and not look like a creeper (Such as Joe from Doki Doki)! His relationship with Kushy is very sweet. Some question whether or not it’s gay. I kinda wonder myself. I would be lying if I said I didn’t see this, that’s for sure. It could be just a real firm friendship but well, you ship who you want.

Bad ass design too! Though I really question on why he’s wearing a lampshade for a hat....

Mofurun can be a little unsettling to me at times and get a little annoying with that baby like voice, but they did grew on me. (Yes, I see Mofurun as non binary because well, teddy bears don’t have reproduction organs) I like how Mofurun is useful in many other ways besides being the transformation device. Most fairies that aid with transformation, tend to fall flat when it comes to being useful in other ways. Mofurun can sense linkle stones and was willing to risk their life to protect the stones from getting in the wrong hands. That’s pretty solid for me. Go teddy!

Not to mention, but Mofurun as Cure Mofurun is just adorable! I wish that Mofurun was actually a witch doll with Cure Mofurun’s design. It would have been way cuter and well...None of the Cure Mofurun plushies would be over 40 bucks! (US dollars). Speaking of which...

2.) The Relationship Between Mirai and Mofurun

As someone that was really close to her stuffed animals, I kinda understand Mirai’s feelings towards Mofurun. In fact, I think most kids get the connection. It’s common for kids to love their toys, especially a toy given to them by someone really close to them. The belief of it gaining a personality is also a common thing kids like to do and also a belief in Japanese culture. The belief goes if you love something such as a toy or even an accessory so much, that object will gain a soul and that soul will protect you for loving it so much. (Same if you treat an object badly and the object hates you). It’s kinda silly but this is a nice touch to the culture and to childhood. Well Mirai is certainly not my favorite, she’s really bland on her own, the relationship with Mofurun is pretty cute and again, I can see a young kid having a close bond with their stuffed animal. When I was a kid, I use to pretend my stuffed animals had personalities too and especially loved this tiger plush, given to me by my grandma.

3.) This is short but the nods to old Precure series and designs.

The whole holding hands and use of attacks, even the speeches before the power up, are actually nods to old Precure series that also did this. It’s kinda nice of them contributing to older series. 

The designs of the outfits, especially Sapphire and Over the Rainbow are really well done and the transformations are fun to watch. The animation can be a little mediocre but beautiful in the transformations and I’m glad they decided to just do mostly 2D animation this time, with only resorting to 3D in the endings.

4.) The Witch World and How They Convey Witches As A Whole.

This is what I think MTP does a lot better than Ojamajo Doremi. How they convey witches. Well they use the same similar tropes such as the pointy hats and the broom flying, the way they convey witches is kinda surprising and kinda respectful. Believe it or not, witches do exist in a way. They don’t fly on brooms and the magic isn’t as instant as shown in this series. I’m mainly talking about witches and connection towards nature, as well as some of the lore tied in.

In the Magical World, nature seems to be a major key element to the magic of witches, which is true to actual witch beliefs. From their wands coming from trees, to taking care of mystical animals and right down to how the Magical World is made, is direct tie in with the belief of witches. 

 In some lore, mainly Wiccan, there is a belief that there is a Goddess and horned king in charge of taking care of the world.  Mother Rapapa and the Deustmas generals kinda seem to be a representation of that belief. I dunno if that was their main intention, but kudo points for adding in anyway, especially if it was.

I also like how witches in this world are just ordinary people that just happen to use magic as a passionate subject. That’s what I found inconsistent in Ojamajo Doremi. In Doremi, it seems like witches are not human. There’s not even wizards in their world. They’re in another one. They’re like some sort of weird creature not connected with people at all, since they can’t be found out by humans thus turn into frogs. Yet, somehow humans can become witches when given these magic jelly bean looking things.

Plus the designs of the witches in Doremi I found disrespectful and lazy! At least in Mahou Tsukai, witches and wizards are treated like their own person, with their own style. Yeah, they have the typical hats and such but they at least try to make them interesting. I also didn’t like how magic was given so easily in Doremi. With Mirai, she had to kinda prove herself that she was willing to put in effort to do magic. Yeah, it consisted of saying the magic words over and over, but at least it just wasn’t given to her like “Here some magic jelly bean things. Now you can do magic!” Part of the belief in witches is putting spiritual effort into the thing you desire. Doremi it seemed more like the magic was coming from the seeds, then themselves. As for Reiko, well, she comes from a line of strong witches so magic is born in her and she doesn’t get good in her magic until later.

5.) Deusmast Villains

Oh, come on, you knew this was coming! Deustmast generals are the best in the series. There the ones that caused some people to come back and watch this series again, especially Orba! They’re threatening, they’re smarter and they have great designs! 

Fun fact is not only are these guys really cool but also may have from different beliefs, including from witches. Not only can they presumably be based on the horned king of Wiccan and possibly (though more obvious) the Muslim belief of Jin/genies, but also the belief that help create Halloween. In ancient times before people started really getting into religious beliefs, people turned to witches to help  fight off monsters and demons that were said to appear mostly during Halloween. The witches would dress kids up in costumes, to confuse the monsters into thinking the kids are one of their own demon brethren. They would also use spells and incantations to fight them off.

I heard they were too scary for kids. Too scary my butt! DysDark villains were far from “cute” and went all out dastardly at times! If Precure starts getting lame villains because of that notion, it will be forever before we have a good series like Go! Princess! Threatening villains help create intensity, making you feel there’s more at stake for our heroes!

Either way, the Deusmast generals were certainly a lot better than the Idiot Trio. No, I refuse to call them “Dark Magicians”. That’s an insult to Dark Magician from Yugioh and I refuse to stoop that level!

Plus, come on. Orba is like the hottest character to come out of a magical girl series! He’s a package! He’s a book worm, he’s a hot without his glasses and when he powers up, he’s a hunk! It’s like 3 hot dudes in one! Who knew you could get such in a show aimed at kids! Plus, it’s said he’s based on the one wing angel and fallen angels. I believe that because he certainly looks like one. I always said his face is angelic and it is!

So, yeah, there’s a bit to like and appreciate from this series. Some people may disagree and if you’re one of them that’s fine. I can understand it. I’m a big fan of anything witch related as you can probably tell, so I’m usually forgiving. The only witch series I don’t like is The Familiar of Zero, mainly because I hated the main character and to some extend Doremi. I do like the idea of musical witches and they did convey what childhood is like real well, but the characters were annoying to me and again, I just didn’t like how the witches are represented in that series. 

So, I do like Mahou Tsukai a bit actually. In fact, it’s become my second favorite series. I like it not as a good series but as a guilty pleasure. I appreciate what it was trying to do, quite a few characters are likable, just a bit under developed and the ideas put in it, is pretty interesting. Sadly, I have to judge this as a whole so I’m gonna have to rate it a bit low.

I give Mahou Tsukai Precure 4 and a half stars out of 10. My recommendation is for anyone that can enjoy a series that’s cute, with some nice ideas thrown in there and don’t mind that the plot can be a bit messy. Put it short, if you like cute guilty pleasures, you’ll like this fine. Some of the bad moments can be laughable especially some of the dialog. Just whatever you do, don’t watch episode 50. It’s pointless and this is coming from a fan. I rather like to believe that episode just didn’t exist.

If you’re looking for a series that is intense with a good story line, you’re better off skipping this whole series, but I do recommend it more than Doki Doki or Happiness Charge. At least it tries to stand out with some interesting characters and ideas. Those two series are just horrible and the only good idea of Happiness Charge was different precure from other countries. 

**** /

Level: “It’s okay.”

[bresmoviereviews-blog]

All 19 Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies, Ranked

If you’re a massive comic book fan like me, the surprise announcement of a cinematic universe based on Marvel characters back in 2008 had you elated. Now, 10 years later, after the release of Avengers: Infinity War, we all need a refreshing look back on how far we’ve come by re-visiting all 19 (!) Marvel Cinematic Universe movies.

Eighteen: Iron Man 2 -- ‘Is that Mickey Rourke?’ was my only thought throughout this whole movie. Rourke as Whiplash makes you question what direction the production wanted to go in. It’s a muddled storyline, but the charm of the MCU saves it from being a complete flop.

Seventeen: The Incredible Hulk -- They literally wanted to erase this one from history. Edward Norton is criminally underwritten as Bruce Banner, being able to showcase his immense talent and range by doing nothing but make silent, weird faces throughout the movie. The Hulk has so much potential, we’ve seen him shine with the Avengers and Thor, that I think it’s time that we revisit a solo Hulk movie.

Sixteen: Doctor Strange -- Marvel has perfected their movie-making process in the past couple years, fixing what used to be their generic storylines into further-developed ideas, but that wasn’t the case with this Benedict Cumberbatch-starring blockbuster. The Sorcerer Supreme has such an immense realm of powers that it’s almost hard to capture, but I think that’s where this movie goes above and beyond. The visuals are amazing, but the story doesn’t have much substance outside of it.

Fifteen: Thor: The Dark World -- I think this movie is the best showcase of the overused thread for comic book movies (a problem that especially plagues Marvel) with a bland and forgettable villain and little to no substance weighing the film down. However, the cast has such fun chemistry together that it keeps this movie from falling further down the list.

Fourteen: Ant-Man -- I’ll be honest, I was really hoping Edgar Wright was going to direct this movie as planned. Instead, I was left wondering what could have been. Paul Rudd gets utilized to the best of his abilities and Evangeline Lilly really saves her character from being just another love interest, however, I just wish that we could have gotten that trademark Wright quirky feel, it really could have taken this movie to another level. Fingers crossed that Ant-Man and the Wasp fares better treatment.

Thirteen: Thor -- This one really gets a bad rep. I still feel that new, innocent feeling of when the MCU was first introduced when I rewatch it, and I would recommend you do, too. The acting is incredible, especially the relationships between Anthony Hopkins’ Odin, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki. It borders on Shakespearean, however, and it doesn’t always fit into the traditional summer blockbuster picture. They opened the mold just wide enough for this movie to fit inside, and I think it really works, bringing a new concept into a franchise that could have easily run into the ground by that time.

Twelve: Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 -- Last summer’s sequel to the surprise smash hit that was the original Guardians, Vol. 2 has the same basic story as before, but the newly introduced stuff isn’t as enjoyable (how do you waste Kurt Russell, of all people?). The third act especially gets muddled, and the source material is a little out-there for casual fans to catch on to. We’ll see what James Gunn comes up with for Vol. 3, I guess.

Eleven: Thor: Ragnarok -- Taika Waititi’s inventive, bubbly spirit is everywhere in this movie, and considering how the last two Thor movies were received, it was a welcome addition to a franchise bursting with possibility. Who knew that Thor had such sharp comedy chops?

Ten: Iron Man 3 -- This movie is so much heavier than what was advertised. A superhero struggling with PTSD? Yes, please! It makes for a much more interesting story than usual, especially for Marvel’s first three-quel. Considering they still touch on the ideas introduced in this movie, I would definitely suggest a re-watch.

Nine: Avengers: Age of Ultron -- Another underrated movie, Ultron flew under the radar for most. It was a little underwhelming as a sequel compared to The Avengers, but it still has great comedy and introduced the gut-punching emotional moments we’ve all come to know as a part of the MCU. The storyline definitely peaks interest, but it can sometimes get buried underneath the subplots that are treated as equal (especially when they can get a little problematic). Nonetheless, a worthy addition to the Marvel canon.

Eight: Guardians of the Galaxy -- The first trek into space, Guardians blew everyone’s expectations out of the water. What was expected to be a subtle sidekick movie to the main Avengers flicks, instead delivered a fun, musical ride alongside the team that no one knew existed. An amazing feat, especially considering James Gunn didn’t have many directing credits to his name before signing his contract.

Seven: Captain America: The First Avenger -- Another one of my favorites, this movie introduced the Star-Spangled man with a plan, a fan-favorite throughout history. It could have easily been a kitschy patriotic tale, but instead had some surprising gravitas to it with the addition of pal Bucky Barnes and solemn setting of World War II. It also gave us the best love interest in the Marvel universe, with Hayley Atwell’s Agent Peggy Carter (I definitely recommend seeing her spin-off TV series if you haven’t). An all-around crowd pleaser.

Six: Iron Man -- The first movie in the than-unannounced cinematic universe, this movie hit the motherload in charisma with star Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man and Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane. The world-building is nuanced, as it had to be, but the surprise post-credits scene (another soon-to-be staple of MCU films) had hardcore comic fans rolling in theater aisles with excitement. A great kickoff to an unforgettable franchise.

Five: Captain America: Civil War -- A more somber option, Civil War brought together all of your favorite heroes (and then some more) to duke it out over their philosophical principles regarding their jobs. It might sound a little heavy for the MCU, but it culminates in a 15-minute fight scene, so nothing too far from normal. The only reason it isn’t higher on the list is because the source material, Mark Millar’s 2006 series, is treated with such hard-hitting tonal brutality that doesn’t translate so well to the screen adaptation. For such a great comic series, the movie becomes underwhelming and doesn’t have any real consequences. It’s still a winner in my book, though.

Four: Spiderman: Homecoming -- After being introduced in Civil War, Spider-Man set out on his own solo (sort of) adventure in this 2017 blockbuster. Starring newcomer Tom Holland, this was the first Spider-Man film to employ an actual teenaged actor, and it shows. Peter Parker discovering his abilities within the pressure of a much-larger MCU world made for a charismatic, heartwarming portrayal of a relatable character.

Three: Black Panther -- The box-office smash of February, Chadwick Boseman wore his claws with such ferocity and style that it was hard to remember that this was a Marvel movie. Add to that a scene-stealing supporting cast, an amazing soundtrack, and the power of representation, you’ve got the recipe for a classic.

Two: Captain America: The Winter Soldier -- This movie changed the game at a time when the superhero formula was growing tired. A sleek spy thriller brought a fresh take to the first Avenger, especially considering the weight that this movie carried in terms of world-building. There’s a reason directors Joe and Anthony Russo keep getting asked back.

Honorable Mention: Avengers: Infinity War (SPOILER ALERT!) -- The most recent MCU movie, I really, desperately need you to go see this without any context before you read on. Okay, if you have seen this one, you understand why I was nothing but a sobbing, stressed-out mess throughout the whole two hours and 40 minute run time. They promised us heartbreak, and boy, did they deliver. All of your favorite characters are dead (it was only a matter of time, I guess). I can’t wait to see how they continue the story in the subsequent Avengers movie and the coming standalone films.

One: The Avengers -- There was a time where I was able to quote this movie word-for-word from beginning to end (no joke) from watching it so many times. This movie had so much going for it, it would have been so much easier to make a mediocre movie that satisfied fans’ lowest expectations and nothing more. Instead, we got this, the culmination of four years of carefully escalating storytelling and meticulous character building. This was the first time we got to see Marvel’s gift in ensemble pieces, somehow being able to establish every character equally, introduce new ones, and create coherent stories that keep our interest. I still don’t know how they’re able to pull all of this off, but I’ll keep rushing to the theater as long as they’re still doing it.

[erp1080160-blog]

Gold ring Marriage, what does that mean in the coloured community? I have to compare and contrast marriage way back when and marriage in the more present times we are living in. But, let me paint you a picture of the "why back when" first. Coloured boy meets coloured girl Coloured girls plays hard to get Coloured boy makes friends with the boys of the coloured girl's neighbors Coloured girl sees coloured boy's interested in her friends Coloured boy and coloured girl goes to the same church Coloured boy and coloured girl go to the same discos Coloured boy makes effort to get her attention by playing Earth Wind and Fire - September Coloured girl loves this song, they have something in common Coloured boy takes coloured girl to the roadhouse Coloured boy makes the first move Coloured boy takes her out on a few more dates Coloured boy makes coloured girl - his girl Coloured boy meets coloured girls parents Coloured boy asked for blessing of relationship, and marriage Coloured boy and coloured girl gets married Coloured boy and coloured girl starts a family Pretty idealistic if you ask me, this is so indicative of the relationship my grandparents had which is also evident with my parents. These stories that have been described by grandmother, has really established or developed my sense of love and the importance of marriage not only within the coloured context but as to what I want if my race was retatched. My grandparents marriage saw 9 children of which they raised under an oppressive state. That the love they had for each other did not succumb to the formalities of what was happening within the surroundings. But if I were to consider the representation or the meaningful ideal of marriage in today's society, especially among the coloured community there is no value, marriage has so substance and the likelihood of your marriage failing is extremely high. The picture of marriage in the coloured community that it is okay to have a children out of wedlock, that it is okay if the father of my children abandoned me. It is okay if I am consumed by substance abuse. It is okay if I don't have a qualifications and that I work a mediocre job that barely covers my expenses. Its okay to have multiple lovers, it is okay to not settle down and establish life long goals I've really just idealised very stereotypically yet very popular way of marriage in the coloured community, the second ideal of marriage never existed by back when. What Ive been exposed to and what I have come to know of marriage in the coloured community is that I want the marriage of the way back when but we are caught up in the present day representation of marriage. How sad?

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 28th January 2018

This week was very, very busy so I’m going to get straight to the point here and look at our top ten, which has changed quite a bit to say the least.

Top 10

I suppose we won’t be having Eminem topping the chart for much longer, not even with Ed Sheeran’s help, as Drake’s most recent snoozefest has, in the first time in Reviewing the Charts history, debuted at number-one. All I have to say about this is... really? I’d rather have Lil Pump top the charts, at least he’s relatively interesting.

“Barking” by Ramz stays at number-two in the runner-up position as I just keep on losing interest in this dude.

At number-three, we have last week’s chart-topping “River” by Eminem featuring Ed Sheeran, and I’m not bothered, really, it’s okay, not amazing.

“IDGAF” by Dua Lipa is up by 10 spots all the way to number-four, and that’s just all for the best, this song is amazing.

“Tip Toe” by Jason Derulo featuring French Montana has made the top five, because the UK charts love me today, and decided this should go up three spaces.

The new arrivals are really messing up whatever traction Cardi B’s remix of “Finesse” by Bruno Mars ever had, now it’s down to number-six, but I do hope it makes a rebound soon.

“Perfect” by Ed Sheeran – now just Ed, without Beyoncé for some reason – is down four spots to number-seven, which means the UK is taking baby steps towards no longer caring about Ed Sheeran. Thank God.

We have another new entry into the top ten, with “This is Me” by Keala Settle and The Greatest Showman Ensemble up five spots to number-eight.

Our final new entry into the top ten is “Breathe” by Jax Jones featuring Ina Wroldsen three spaces up to nine.

To finish off our top ten, once again, is the non-mover “I Know You” by Craig David and Bastille.

Climbers

Other than the top ten having some major change-ups, we also have quite a few climbers and fallers, with the biggest climber being “Strangers” by Sigrid going up a massive 12 spaces to #14. “Feel it Still” by Portugal. The Man also hits the top 20 incredibly late, going up five spaces to #20 – seriously, why now? Is this all because of that advert? Not that I’m upset, this is a great track. “Him & I” by G-Eazy and Halsey also went up five spaces to #27, but if you care about that song at all, I don’t know what to say to you.

Other minor climbers include “Bad” by Steel Banglez featuring Yungen, MoStack, Mr. Eazi and Not3s up to #30 and “Bouff Daddy” by J Hus up to #26.

Fallers

Jesus. The amount of fallers this week is unbelievable, but not many of them are very large. The top twenty contains most of the major drops, with “I Miss You” by Clean Bandit and Julia Michaels dropping seven spaces, “Anywhere” by Rita Ora dropping six spaces, “Let You Down” by NF dropping four spaces, “Never be the Same” by Camila Cabello dropping eight spaces, “17” by MK dropping five spaces and "Decline" by RAYE and Mr. Eazi down three spaces to #11, #12, #13, #15, #16 and #18 respectively. "Havana" by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug is also down six spaces to #22, unfortunately, as is "Naked" by James Arthur, fortunately. "For You (Fifty Shades Freed)" is proving itself as a flop, with the Liam Payne and Rita Ora debut dropping eight spaces to #29. Justin Timberlake jumped down a 10-spot bridge down to #38 with "Filthy" with me as the cackling overseer.

Other minor falls include "No Words" by Dave featuring MoStack down to #24, "Wolves" by Selena Gomez and Marshmello down to #25, "rockstar" by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage down to #31, "New Rules" by Dua Lipa down to #34, "Dimelo" by Rak-Su featuring Naughty Boy and Wyclef Jean down to #35, "Let Me Down" by Jorja Smith featuring Stormzy down to #36, "All the Stars" by Kendrick Lamar and SZA down to #37 and "Silence" by Marshmello featuring Khalid down to #39.

​Dropouts

Maybe my theory is correct. The UK is getting tired of Ed Sheeran, and it's a damn good sight to see "Shape of You" finally drop out the top 40 from #39. Sure, it's still in the top 100, but who cares about the other 60 songs? Let's be fair here. "Man's Not Hot" by Big Shaq finally realises its status as a meme deep into the grave, and drops out from #18 to my glee. Stormzy and MNEK also drop out with "Blinded by Your Grace, Pt. 2" from #37, as does "My My My!" by Troye Sivan from #38 after its first week (​flop alert​). We haven't talked about the new arrivals yet, but I'm sure this is gonna be a good week looking at these dropouts, fallers and climbers. 

​​NEW ARRIVALS

​Let's see if this really is a good week by looking at our new arrivals. 

​#40 - "Sick Boy" - The Chainsmokers

Andrew Taggart can’t sing but he does his best here, I suppose, with his slightly nasal multi-tracked vocals over the oddly dark pop ballad, with simple piano melodies played over drums that are not trap snares or rattling hi-hats or steel pans, a first for Reviewing the Charts – yes, seriously. The synths in the bridge are pretty intense as well, making this a pretty powerful alternative rock song, which I can call an ironic anthem for sick boys, I suppose. They say that he’s the sick boy, and his singing voice proves their point massively. It’s not a bad song though, with a better vocalist and maybe, you know, not being completely all over the place in terms of structure, this could have easily been best of the week. We need more upbeat rock in the top 40, even if, yes, it is from the Chainsmokers.

​#33 - "These Days" - Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore and Dan Caplen

Four artists, all of which are hit-and-miss (excluding the complete nobody Dan Caplen), collaborate for something that’s completely out of all their leagues: a largely acoustic yet also largely electronic pop nostalgia ballad, with gospel choir vocals assisting Jess Glynne on the chorus and Dan Caplen channelling his inner Ed Sheeran. It’s actually pretty excellent for a generic pop song, in fact, I’d call it perfect. The vocaloid drop sounds so much like an electric guitar that I can pass it off as a guitar solo, and there’s some creative manipulation of the vocals here to create trumpet-like blares in the post-chorus. Macklemore’s slightly autotuned rap verse isn’t bad, but he doesn’t make much of an impression, especially at the end of his section where he’s overwhelmed by both Caplen and Glynne’s vocals as well as the elegant synths and (real) trumpets. This is essentially a representation of British popular music in 2017, but made so much more natural. Check this out, even if the Bon Jovi song of the same title is much better, just saying.

​#32 - "Fine Line" - Mabel featuring Not3s

We’ve had pop and rock so it’s about time for some boring reggae-rap, right? Nope! Mabel switches things up with a dancehall-influenced tropical R&B jam with a twinkly synth lead and cluttered percussion that could have been cleaned up to match the smoothness of the production and Mabel’s vocals, which make her sound better than she ever has, seriously, she sounds amazing on this track, for the most part. When she doesn’t sound amazing, she’s forcing Jamaican inflections that are so obnoxiously forced it’s borderline racist. Not3s can’t sing, so he decides to mumble back in the mix with Mabel bringing some liveliness to his verse, while he switches up his flow that combines rapping and singing into a weird mush of Future-like nonsense except much more audible. The one thing bringing these two songs down is the guest rapper, but again, their involvement is not noticeable enough to really make them bad songs, or even mediocre. This is pretty nice, and I hope when Mabel’s album comes around, this track is replaced with one without Not3s. Not3s’ name is fitting because his verses are comparable to leet-speak: they’re wastes of time and I’m sick of them.

​#21 - "Diplomatic Immunity" - Drake

I despise Drake to my very core because of his complete lack of interesting qualities, but when he really starts spitting, you have a really good song on your hands. This is no exception, with the orchestral intro leading into a chilled trap beat where Drake can just freestyle bars about, yes, bragging of course, but he pulls it off, with more enthusiasm than he usually has, and some really funny punchlines. While I wish the bass wasn’t as high in the mix as it is, it doesn’t affect the song that much. The several vocal samples of a female voice throughout the track had some soulful smoothness to an otherwise trap beat, making a beautiful contrast between the grittiness of the hi-hats as well as Drake himself (who now listens to heavy metal for meditation; thanks for that update, Aubrey) and the orchestral instruments, which break down into an intense outro which is probably one of the best and most interesting moments in Drake’s career. It’s not that hard, to be fair, but this is taking the cake. If the bass wasn’t as prominent as it was and Drake’s rhymes were tighter, this could have taken best of the week.

​#1 - “God’s Plan” - Drake

So, this is the big debut from Drake, and is it any interesting? No. Oh, you want me to talk about it? Too bad. Drake doesn’t deserve any more of my interest, and he doesn’t deserve any more of yours. The keys in the background make this a really hard listen, with the autotuned Drake crooning not helping, and when he’s not singing, he’s rapping, but the length of these verses are so short I can just ignore their existence. This is background music, and Drake is a background person who is unfairly pushed into the forefront. Drake has talent, but the sheer oversaturation of him on the charts and in the public conscience is too much for me to handle, and I’m sure it’s too much for Drake to handle. In this case, I understand why his music is so full of dread and reeks of laziness; he can’t truly make what he wants to make and what he has a passion for simply because he is afraid of his relevancy slowly fading away, and I can’t blame him in the world of one-hit wonders and stream-hungry Soundcloud rappers making undeserved waves in the mainstream because at this point, anyone can have a hit, and Drake is one of the very few true pop stars in the game right now. Does this sound familiar? Well, that’s because a similar situation happened between Lil Wayne and Birdman. The apple doesn’t fall too far from the Young Money tree, huh. This is still a bore of a song, though, and totally did not deserve to break all-time streaming numbers.

Conclusion

So, we ended this week on a slightly depressing note, but overall, this week is awesome, and I don’t think I can even give a worst of the week or a dishonourable mention because the only reason “God’s Plan” fails is because of its drab production and unenthusiastic vocals. Surprise, surprise! That’s Drake for you. Honourable mentions go to “Diplomatic Immunity” and “Sick Boy” by the Chainsmokers for being awesome anthems for the OVO label and... ironic sick boys...? The best of the week goes to pop perfection, as it probably will until I grow sick of the “so-perfect-it’s-boring” trend of songs that seem to be more popular in the UK than the US by a landslide, “These Days” by Rudimental featuring Jess Glynne, Macklemore and Dan Caplen. I’d make predictions but I don’t know what to expect, maybe a Fall Out Boy song or something? God knows. See ya next time on Reviewing the Charts!

[bitterdrake]

Big Boy Rant

guilty pleasures shouldn't exist. u should be able to love whatever u want without feeling guilty about it. however that doesnt mean u shouldnt call out the bullshit that comes along with it. for example i LOVE the vampire diaries. yet i can still acknowledge its unoriginality, mary/gary sue characters, repetitive plots, and how it jumped the shark by like the third episode without getting all butthurt. i know it has little to no real quality. i hardly gain anything from watching it. but bitch i still like it! YET IM AWARE! what i'm really sick of is the glorification of all these mediocre and bland shows that get off the charts ratings just because people are so obsessive with so obnoxiously fake characters. i'm talking about shows like pretty little liars (great plot at the beginning but do not try to tell me it didnt go downhill after the second season), riverdale (i love this show but there is not one even slightly original thing about it), thirteen reasons why (great actors, horrible everything else), orange is the new black (amazing characters, amazing plot, but the writers absolutely slaughtered everything that was good about it by the end of the third season), etc. etc. etc. then you have, like, second tier shows that are written brilliantly like shameless (hyper realistic dialogue, imperfect, relatable, original characters, representation of a ton of communities, call-outs on gentrification and aristocracy), SKAM (realistic representation of modern youth, somewhat typical yet interesting characters, pretty good representation of the gay community also im norwegian so im biased), game of thrones (aint even gonna explain its very well done) that are new and classic but with primarily white characters (before u come at me: shameless has two black main characters, one of which has like two lines total in seven seasons. skam has one muslim actress. everybody is white in game of thrones except for the tribe of people known to be savages and the other kingdom of people made out to be "middle eastern"). while thats pretty typical of western television, it lacks the ambition and fails to demand critical thought from its massive audience. all of the shows mentioned above flourish because of plot twists and like able characters. not strictly unworthy of watching, but not incredibly impressive nor thought-provoking, either. but they're super successful so they don't need to worry about shit that won't make them money. then you have god-tier shows that are cancelled after the second season. lemme just talk up the get down real fast. it's directed by baz fucking lurhmann. love him or hate him, he's super artistic and completely revolutionizes the way certain scenes are filmed. you have actors like jaden smith, justice smith (up and coming actor who was in paper towns and is hot ASF), herizen guardiola (first time actress who is just as amazing acting as she is at singing), jimmy smits (from the west wing, sons of anarchy, and dexter), and giancarlo esposito (gustavo from breaking bad!!). all of the main characters are refreshingly people of color representing both the ghetto and the middle class of the bronx in the 1970s. the plot line is super complex yet easy to follow. the dialogue is equally hilarious as it is heartbreaking. BROTHER U GOT FUCKING MUSIC! this show centers around disco and the very start of rap and hip hop. jaden smith is a closeted gay poet/artist whose story line does not revolve around being gay(!!!!). justice smith plays a young teen named zeke who is a mf good will hunting genius in the making who unapologetically writes honest poetry. the love interest mylene cruz is gorgeous, talented, yet painfully imperfect. her story does not revolved around zeke at all- she focuses on her career as an up and coming disco star and the struggle between fulfilling her dreams and pleasing her abusive, uber christian father. the "mentor", shaolin fantastic, is a drug dealing DJ and graffiti poet who recruits a bunch of high school sophomores (zeke and company) to be word smiths (rappers) for his spinning (DJing, otherwise know as The Get Down!!!). shaolin, peppered in hilariously cheesy bruce lee references, struggles with living authentically and obtaining money via coke dealers. the writing is fresh. its funny. its heart wrenching. its relevant, even though the show takes place in the 70s. just from watching this show i know who tf edward koch is who was actually a huge part of the history of new york and a big reason why racism is pressed into the art of graffiti, thus emphasizing the importance of expression within the black community. that being said, this show isn't anti-white or whatever the fuck u "reverse racists" try to pin it as. there are white graffiti artists, white businessmen who play a huge part in zeke's life, and white helpers of the puerto rican uncle trying to make a difference in the bronx. the issues of classism, racism, censorship, and familial struggles are addressed without being one-sided. this show educates you. it makes you laugh, cry, and most importantly makes you think. and it got cancelled cause yall motherfuckers are too busy losing ur shit over stupid drama and okay looking white actors (cole sprouse aint got shit on justice smith and thats the mf tea on that!) don't get me wrong: like whatever u wanna like. but u simply cannot deny the blandness of popular television when there are a variety of amazing, less popular shows that you can actually get something out of. with great power comes great responsibility !! when your audience is that huge, you have the opportunity to spread deep and worthwhile messages to the masses. i'm not saying make all shows political or whatever. i feel like the main message (that is often took for the opposite due to its romanticization of gossip) of pretty little liars is to not be a fake bitch!! idk what the FUCK riverdale is trying to say, and dont u dare come to me saying 13 reasons why is trying to bring awareness to depression bc that is some neurotypical bullshit, and yes not all shows need to have some higher meaning but isnt that the appeal of story telling? the bible? cant stop yall from having bad taste and like you do you but i want you to know that im fucking pissed the get down got cancelled and thirteen fuckers why is getting a second season that is all goodbye