#because the very first changes that happen either assure or disprove the person's feelings

[bookcrazyace]

Dazai is a Good Person After Leaving the Port Mafia

SPOILERS FOR FINAL SEASON

So I was a firm believer of the whole "Dazai isn't a good person, he just changed affiliations because Oda told him to." for a long time. I haven't rewatched the first couple of seasons of Bungou Stray Dogs in a long time so my examples might not be accurate but I have compiled a couple of scenes that had me convinced he was a bad person even after being in the ADA.

In the whole incident with the Assure Messenger he seemingly purposely lured the boy Kunikida was looking after to the place where Sasaki subsequently shoots him thus leading him to shoot her as his last act in self defense. (I am aware that the anime's coverage of this whole arc was a not true to the source material and I am unaware if the same events happen in the light novel.)

Slapping Atsushi while he's essentially having a panic attack. Seeing how he treats Akutagawa in the flashbacks this seemed like the facade was slipping a little and he reverted back to how he trained Akutagawa.

This is probably the weakest piece of evidence but, when he a Chuuya went to get Q and Dazai held the knife up to their neck. It's unclear whether it was genuine consideration or just a joke. But if the only reason he didn't kill Q was because the ADA didn't do stuff like that then it's not looking too good for Dazai.

But this post is supposed to be me defending his character development so lets start that. It's been the last arc of the anime that made me reconsider my stance on Dazai's character. I will not attempt to disprove any of the examples I made above seeing as I haven't watched that part of the anime in a long time.

So in the final arc the anime seems to draw parallels between Fyodor and Dazai in how they view the world and handle different situations. One good example of this is the god conversation they have while they are in the cells. Another good example is the whole drowning thing where they throw each other in the same trap. It seems like these are very intentional parallels meant to show how similar yet different they both are.

Sigma's entire role in this arc and his relationship with Dazai could really be either or with proving whether or not Dazai changed it all boils down to whether or not Sigma is actually dead and whether or not Dazai intentionally sent him to Fyodor with the intent of sending him to his death. I honestly think that Dazai intended to make good on his promise to get Sigma out alive. The fact that Dazai thinks that Sigma reminds him of Atsushi also adds to my point I feel the fact that Atsushi seems to be someone Dazai genuinely cares about (excluding the whole slapping thing) makes it seem like he would care about Sigma too being that he reminded him so much of Atsushi (I can't help but think that Dazai thinking of Sigma reminds him of Atsushi is similar to Aya reminding Bram of his daughter.) I can't decide whether or not Dazai knew the full extent of Fyodor's plan or not they have the same level of intelligence and are both seemingly shocked when the other does something but sometimes its later proved that they knew all along. In the end Fyodor's death isn't even really because Dazai necessarily outsmarted him it was because of Dazai's willingness to trust people.

Dazai directly stating that Fyodor's problem is that he only trusts himself is another reason that I believe that he is a good person. If Dazai only saw the people in the ADA as pawns there is no real reason for him to put trust in them or at the very least not the extent of trust he did. Also he put his trust in Chuuya, his enemy too and I just feel like that says a lot because regardless of the history between them.

The last thing I want to talk about is his relationship with other characters. If you consider the differences in how Akutagawa and Atsushi view him I think it reveals a lot. Atsushi views him as a positive influence and a mentor while Akutagawa views him as something akin to a god. Ranpo seems to trust him which I feel is all that needs to be said. He also works well with Kunikida as partners which requires some level of trust.

Overall my views of Dazai have changed. I think that instead of him suddenly flipping from being a "bad person" to a "good person" by changing from the Port Mafia to the ADA is unrealistic and likely untrue. What is more plausible in my mind is that throughout Bungou Stray Dogs we have watched Dazai gradually develop into a better person that is willing to put his trust in people in a way he wasn't willing to before.

[iamthestrangerinmoscow]

transition update

My last one was on Halloween, I think, and since then not that much have changed tbh, but I’ll describe it anymore.

So I have come to the point in the “diagnostic process” of F64.0 where all the alternative explanations for me identifying as a man have been ruled out and the only one that remains is that I am, in fact, a man. I’ve done karyotype testing (it’s 46 XX), EEG (normal), brain MRI (normal) and the sexologist/psychiatrist ruled out schizophrenia, personality disorders and body dysmorphic disorder.

(Btw the “diagnostic process” phrasing used to annoy the hell out of me, but now I think about it like about the scientific process. Statistically speaking it is much more likely for a person to be cis, or to be cis and have one of the problems/disorders I was tested for. However, that hypothesis has been disproved, and now we are as close to proving that I am indeed a trans man as we can be. So that makes sense.)

That doesn’t mean the process is over and I can do whatever I want. There’s still the observational period of at least six months so he can’t write me an endo referral until around late February. Also I need some tests for the endocrinologists before I can start hormones (ultrasounds, blood tests, etc). But assuming I will have all those results by the time of my first visit and they’re all good, there’s probably no reason why the endo can’t write me a prescription right then.

So assuming everything’s fine and I won’t have to wait for anything more than I need to, I might be on T in March. But I don’t wanna persuade myself of that cause shit might happen and disappointment is the worst feeling ever. Also it would actually be more convenient for me to start T in May cause then the most profound changes will happen during the summer holidays and it won’t be as awkward. But anyway.

In terms of identity, I am finally, thankfully, not questioning. At all. I am now 100% sure that I’m a trans man. Maybe not a totally binary man, but definitely a man. I really relate to how Chase Ross ids (part man, part squiggle). Like I can add a lot of adjectives at the front (queer, genderqueer, bisexual, gender non-conforming) but the operative word is still man. So that’s nice, I guess. I was so tired of questioning tbh.

In terms of my family… eh. We had one meeting with the specialist where they talked about all their concerns and stuff, and they’re all things I’ve addressed multiple times, but they only believed the guy with a medical degree. And I get it, I really do, but I am a bit pissed that they will take the words of an educated stranger over their own kid. And despite what the specialist has said they are absolutely not willing to call me a different name and pronouns. My mum said “maybe when you’ll start growing a beard” which is… ugh. Frustrating.

I am thinking about how I’m gonna come out to my grandparents and god, it’s even more complicated. My mum is saying I should present it as a medical condition, which might be easier to understand, but idk, that might do more harm than good in a sense that they could demand a different treatment for me rather than HRT. So I’m thinking I will do it once the changes are impossible to hide.

All of this is in the future, but I am, weirdly, feeling better. I’m looking forward to male puberty and all that stuff but I’m also feeling more confident in my identity and more able to deal with all the bad stuff. I might be angry at my family but I can also understand them. I might be frustrated with the wait but I also get why it is necessary. And I’m trying to live in the now and appreciate good things in life. So changes might still be far away, but I believe that I can make it.

[ladylofspades]

Headcanon for Piri and Iggy

Now this is my first time to ever make a headcanon for a series I love, so please take it easy on me!

For those interested, please read on :D

Human Name: Mariano Lorenzo Villalobos Balagtas Nickname: Enzo Name Meanings:

Mariano - male equivalent to Maria; 'bitter'; name also means 'Star of the Sea'; named after Mariano Gomez, one of the three priests executed for mutiny (GOMBURZA)

Lorenzo - means laurel in Italian; a symbol of victory, fame, honour or accomplishment; named after Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint and martyr

Villalobos - means 'town of wolves' in Spanish; named after Ruy Lopez de Villalobos, the Spanish explorer who gave Enzo his first name Las Islas Filipinas

Balagtas - means 'to trail blaze' in Tagalog- named after Francisco Balagtas, a prominent Filipino poet during the Spanish occupation; author of Florante at Laura

Personality:

Pre-Colonial - independent, organized, skilled fighter, resourceful, creative, family-oriented, hardworking, hospitable, proud of his heritage, a born leader, a great singer and a believer in the supernatural

Spanish Colonial - he still maintains the same personality as he did in the pre-colonial period, with developing traits of stubbornness, slight laziness (Filipino time), and religiousness. After being kidnapped by Britain for two years (who was a pirate at that time), he became knowledgeable in English. He develops a love-hate relationship with Spain.

American Colonial - bringing all his traits from his pre-colonial and Spanish colonial times, now with a more carefree air. Thanks to Britain years prior, Piri was fluent in English, surprising America. Piri becomes more fluent in the language to the point he made his own English language known as Philippine English -- a combination of both British and American English with a Filipino twist and -- since he was a former colony of Spain -- some Spanish terms.

Japanese Colonial - all above traits, but he became more solemn, more irritable and more stubborn after being told off by Japan right when Piri was about to graduate/gain independence.

Modern Day - he still maintains all his above traits but masked behind a more carefree, sociable, teasing, trendsetting, cheerful personality that everyone has known him for.

Headcanon for Enzo towards Arthur

At first, Enzo found Arthur weird when he spotted the latter sketching among the trees nearby. To Enzo, it's rare to find a blonde person in his home country.

But the more Arthur visited the area, the more fonder and more curious Enzo became towards him.

It was through Arthur that Enzo got a chance to see what magic is like, and is always enamored by it since then.

Whenever Arthur visits, Enzo always readies food and drinks for them. But whenever he doesn't show up and Antonio is around, Enzo would give them to his foster brother. Though he loved Antonio, the boy was still sad that his newfound friend didn't come to visit.

Enzo loved watching magic either for Arthur to him stories, or to be lulled to sleep.

Enzo felt betrayed when he found out that Arthur was a pirate. But after being assured that he was anything but in danger, Enzo relaxed, and even decided to stay with him for two years.

Enzo had a hard time speaking in a British accent; but apparently got to speak the language and learned it quickly. Of all the times he spent with Arthur, Enzo loved it when the Brit would test his vocabulary and then treat him to something sweet.

During his time with Arthur, Enzo gets to express himself more about his feelings and thoughts towards Antonio -- both good and bad.

Because of the admiration he had towards the Brit, Enzo was saddened when Arthur returned the boy to the archipelago.

When he was placed under Alfred's care, Enzo would write letters to Arthur on how he gets annoyed with the American, and openly complains about him.

To Enzo, he feared that by learning the American English, it would replace what he learned so far from Arthur. To prevent that from happening, he decided to make his own English form known as the Philippine English -- a mix of American and British English with Spanish terms. It was heavily influenced by American English, but some British terms and grammar were retained in it.

Of all the Allies, Enzo is very close towards Alfred and Arthur -- with Alfred who had watched over him until the night of independence; and with Arthur, who he had a history that dated back to when Enzo was a boy.

Headcanon for Arthur Kirkland towards Enzo

He is very much like how he was portrayed in the series, but has a soft spot for children and cute creatures.

To Arthur, Enzo was a boy whose future was taken away by Antonio. And believes that, even though Antonio meant well to keep the boy safe, Enzo would have to leave his foster brother and live on his own.

Even though he had the means to take him in, Arthur decided to not do so. But it didn't change the fact that he genuinely cared for the boy. He would watch over the boy, even if it means from afar.

Since he and Antonio are rivals, Arthur was the one who encouraged Enzo to rebel against the Spaniard. This was done not only because of the rivalry, but because he truly believed that Enzo is more than capable to fend for himself.

Though implied, even Arthur was saddened that he had to return Enzo after being called back to England.

When he found that Antonio was going to let Enzo go, Arthur immediately pushed Alfred to take care of him.

Arthur disproves of the skit plan, after finding that out from Alfred in one of the latter's visits to England.

Even after Antonio left the teen, Arthur made absolutely sure that Enzo is protected at all costs, even if it meant having Alfred taking care of him.

Whenever Alfred had problems in taking care of Enzo, Arthur would advise him on how he could take care of the teen. Having known the boy for a long time, Arthur knew how the boy acted, felt and thought. He was genuinely dismayed when Alfred decided to do things his way, and wasn't surprised when things went from bad to worse for the American; but he warned Alfred that the American doesn't do anything funny towards Enzo OR ELSE.

When the teen was finally able to live on his own, Arthur treated Enzo out to dinner celebrating his first night of independence. On that same night, Arthur says, "Let's make it official," letting out a hand for Enzo to take. They shook hands as a sign that Arthur now sees Enzo as an equal, and no longer someone else's foster child or ward; but as a person of his own.

== My Headcanon between Modern Day Enzo and Arthur ==

Since Enzo is old enough to drink, he gets to go to drinking parties with Arthur. And if there are any karaoke machines in the venue, the two would either sing together or have a singing showdown, hoarding the microphones until either both of them passed out, or sing until closing time.

Whenever Arthur gets tired to sing, Enzo continues to sing songs until he plops onto his seat.

When both are drunk, it was Alfred who drags them both to a friend's residence depending on the country they're in. If it's in Enzo's home country or region, Indo would be the one to carry them both home.

During Halloween, it became routine for Enzo to help Arthur come up with ideas in the scaring contest with Alfred.

Whenever he's bored, or when they were not occupied, Enzo would call up Arthur and invite him to a ghost hunt or a paranormal investigation.

Once they went to every haunted place in both countries, they would save up money for travel to other haunted places in the world.

Whenever they have a sleepover in England, Enzo was saddened that his Diwata couldn't come along since England was far away -- with hopes that he could introduce his fairy to Arthur's. To make him feel better, Arthur would invite Ms. Fairy, Unicorn, Brownie, Flying Mint Bunny and Captain Hook. Seeing Enzo interact with his companions was heartwarming for Arthur.

When Arthur became terribly ill to the point of being hospitalised, Enzo would always be by his side. A trained nurse himself, Enzo saw through Arthur's stay until the Brit's full recovery.

When Enzo falls ill, he would usually not tell Arthur so as not to trouble him. But was surprised to learn that Arthur found out about his sickness anyway, and cared for him until he got better.

Arthur and Enzo would cook together whenever they hang out in either residence.

Enzo would usually ask Arthur to take a selfie with him, the latter not minding at all. And whenever Alfred photobombs the selfie, Arthur would chase after him, while Enzo keeps snapping photos of himself with the two running in the background.

Enzo was the fourth person to follow Arthur in Twitter (Alfred, Francis and Matthew being the first, second and third respectively) and third to follow the Brit in Instagram; whereas Arthur was the seventh to follow Enzo in Twitter (the first six being the SEA family) and in Instagram.

Arthur is well-aware that Enzo's family was protective of the latter, and keeps a safe distance.

Ever since Arthur ran away from his group in Europe, he decided to stay with the SEA family. Enzo was more than delighted to volunteer to let Arthur stay in his house.

In contrast to Alfred, Pien grew friendly towards Arthur because of how delicately the Brit treats him. As a response, Pien would climb either on top of Arthur's head or rest on the shoulder, much to Enzo's delight.

Horror and fantasy are must-watch movie themes for Arthur and Piri during movie nights.

Whenever he finds the time, Arthur would help Enzo recap some British terms. BUT without telling Alfred unless the American asked for it.

Arthur still sketches birds from time to time, and would sometimes sketch Enzo with birds on his arms, shoulders and on top of his head, much to Arthur's amusement.

This is all I have so far for their headcanon! But for a more detailed (or nitty-gritty) story behind the headcanon, check this link out!

[theteablogger]

Andy writ large

Several people have sent me links to the New Yorker article in which Ian Parker exposes author/editor Dan Mallory as having lied, gaslighted people, and engaged in other manipulative behaviors for many years in order to further his career. When confronted, Mallory tried to blame it all on mental illness. Anons have been discussing this on tf-talk and FFA, noting that Mallory sounds a lot like "the prestige drama version of Thanfiction", and I have to agree. I've written several times in the past about people who reminded me and others of Andy (Aiden Sinclair/Richard Outhier, Travis Aaron Wade, Kevin Spacey, Teri Hoffman and Tyler Deaton), and the similarities in this case are even more striking than any of those. So here are the things that stood out to me in Parker's article. This is a pretty long list, so I've broken it down into several sections for readability.

Generally manipulative behavior:

Tom Scott described Mallory, at their first meeting, as being self-assured and nonchalant in a way that (to me, as a reader) seemed studied. He also said that Mallory casually bragged about his success in a way that left him feeling charmed rather than nonplussed or annoyed. This matches up with several accounts I've read of people’s first impressions of Andy when he was in the LotR fandom.

Both Andy and Dan Mallory tend to get personal with strangers quickly and to overshare – e.g., the "lighthearted debate" at a festival in which Mallory abruptly got serious and spoke frankly (lying) about his alleged history of ECT. This kind of oversharing tends to elicit sympathy from listeners and to make them feel that this person is being genuine and vulnerable with them, which makes them more inclined to open up in turn. This is something that Andy was doing as recently as last year, but he misjudged his audience some of the time and they just found it off-putting.

They frequently engage in self-deprecating humor, which is endearing and encourages others to let down their guard. These days, Andy incorporates glib, jokey references to his past into this part of his shtick (e.g., "someday over a glass of wine, I'll tell you about the time I accidentally started a hobbit cult"), so it also serves to inoculate listeners against anything negative they might hear about him from other people.

Both tend to zero in on and exploit good-natured people who give others the benefit of the doubt.

Both pride themselves on (and brag about) using charisma and "wit" to talk their way into places/situations for which they are underqualified, that they can't afford, etc. See Andy’s remarks about getting "gorgeous service" at high-end boutiques based on charisma alone, and the commencement speech in which Mallory bragged about talking his way into a thesis program without doing the qualifying work.

These men hate to be in anything that could be construed as a subordinate role, although this is one area in which Andy is arguably more subtle than Dan Mallory.

Both enjoy hiding in plain sight—in Mallory’s case, through his novel.

Both have long histories of engaging in gaslighting, lying, and manipulation for their own benefit and/or entertainment.

Acquaintances have described both men's behavior as performative and calculating.

Neither could let go of their former victims, but instead kept contacting them to try and draw them back in—Andy did this with Abbey after she left him in Virginia, and Mallory did this with his former colleagues in London.

Lying liars who lie:

Both men have lied repeatedly and extensively about their physical and mental health histories, and can't be bothered to keep their stories straight. In Andy’s case, this has included claiming various psychiatric diagnoses with symptoms corresponding to their Hollywood portrayals, telling stories about allergic reactions and injuries that were wildly exaggerated at best, and more. Mallory told ever-changing stories of psychiatric treatments that worked either very well or not at all, blamed his chronic lying on Bipolar II (a claim that would be ludicrous if it weren't so offensive), repeatedly claimed to have brain tumors and/or cancer, and told a variety of lies over the years about family members' illnesses and deaths that never happened.

Both have lied about having mysterious, incurable ailments that would definitely kill them within a set number of years—which was prone to change—but that conveniently didn't stop Mallory from working when he felt like it, or Andy from traveling anywhere his friends would pay for.

Each of them has told a multitude of easily disprovable lies about his education, his family, and his personal history.

Both claimed to have been abused as children, though Andy told long, graphically detailed stories about it and Mallory doesn’t seem to have gone further than making an implication.

Each has lied about a younger sibling's identity: Mallory impersonated his brother in a long series of emails to former colleagues about his alleged ill health, and Andy told his friends that his sister was responsible for everything he'd done to people as Amy Player.

Both have inadvertently revealed themselves via verbal, syntactical, or spelling idiosyncrasies when impersonating others online.

Both impersonated other people to chronicle their fake or severely exaggerated illnesses and to describe their plucky/humorous behavior during alleged hospital stays.

Both faked accents—Andy was "Irish" and Mallory was "British".

Both have claimed, directly and by implication, to have connections and insider knowledge of Hollywood, the film industry, and/or screenwriting.

Aside from all the outright lies they've told, both men have engaged in lies of omission, deliberately not correcting others' misunderstandings or misperceptions about them.

When their lies were exposed, both claimed that their accusers were lying because they were sexually attracted to them and had either been rejected (as Mallory said of the CEO of a publishing house), or were disturbed by the attraction (as Andy said of Turimel).

Both tend to double down when confronted about an obvious lie, and then try to steer the conversation to other topics.

Miscellany:

Each is the eldest son of affluent parents.

Mallory's fascination with Tom Ripley is reminiscent of Andy's admiration of Frank Abagnale.

Both were involved in their college theatre departments. For Andy, this is true of his attendance at VCU, at Thomas Nelson Community College, and at Christopher Newport University almost twenty years ago. (I’m not sure what he did at George Mason. He wasn't there for long.)

The work of both men is, shall we say, "derivative". In Andy's case, this applies more to his art. I am not familiar with Mallory's work other than The Woman in the Window and a handful of quotations from essays and e-mails he's written, but it appears that in TWW, he may have ripped off a novel by Sarah A. Denzil that was published six months before he started trying to sell his book, and has almost certainly ripped off "Copycat", a movie from 1995 (see New Yorker article).

Mallory’s focus on process and strategy in writing, the way his own voice overwhelms that of the narrator, and Parker's description of TWW as "a thriller excited about getting away with writing a thriller" all reminded me of the experience of reading DAYD and the way Andy has often talked about writing and storycraft.

Many former associates of each man were at least somewhat aware of how sketchy they were, but were unable or unwilling to call them out.

A surprising number of people, despite knowing they've been lied to repeatedly and at great length, still like both of them quite a lot.

Both Andy's and Dan Mallory's parents seem like kind, decent people who love their sons and want to believe the best of them.

Specific lines from the "New Yorker" article that made me think of Andy:

A former colleague on Mallory: "'If there was something that he wanted and there was a way he could position himself to get it, he would. If there was a story to tell that would help him, he would tell it.'"

"He’d begin with rapturous flattery…and then shift to self-regard. He wittily skewered acquaintances and seemed always conscious of his physical allure."

Author Sophie Hannah: "Mallory 'renewed my creative energy,' she said. He had a knack for 'giving feedback in the form of praise for exactly the things I’m proud of.'"

"Speaking in Colorado last January, Mallory quoted a passage from Kay Redfield Jamison’s memoir, 'An Unquiet Mind,' in which she describes repeatedly confronting the social wreckage caused by her bipolar episodes—knowing that she had 'apologies to make.' … In more recent public appearances, Mallory seems to have dropped this reference to wreckage. Instead, he has accepted credit for his courage in bringing up his mental suffering, and he has foregrounded his virtues."

Mallory: "It's been horrific, not least because, in my distress, I did or said or believed things I would never ordinarily say, or do, or believe—things of which, in many instances, I have absolutely no recollection."

[theartofmedia]

Game Theory and the Art of Persuasion

Full disclosure from the start: I don’t like Game Theory. (I enjoy MatPat when he’s in other things (like the Random Encounters musicals, I think he’s wonderful there), but just not Game Theory.) I’ve heard a lot of other people not like Game Theory either, both personal friends and strangers on the internet, for a variety of different reasons--namely, inaccurate research, twisting of facts, and allegations of art-stealing (but we’re not going to talk about that last one for the sake of staying on topic).

Yet, it remains incredibly successful, and its fans are loyal. Many people believe the theories, or at least parts of them. Even when the top comments of the videos are critical (or even hateful) in nature, the videos still do well.

So, why?

Well, there’s no denying that a good portion of GT’s audience is young. I think we’ve all had that one creator or piece of media that we wanted to defend because we loved it, only to realize later that it wasn’t that good. (And many people still enjoy these things and recognize that they aren’t good.) Younger teens have a strong need to defend what’s important to them, regardless of however valid the criticism is--in fact, giving any negative criticism at all often just spurs them on further. Young teens just don’t have that reasoning ability (and let’s face it, we were all like this when we were that young, whether we like to admit it or not). GT is going to be successful as long as that loyal fanbase continues to thrive.

So why do people believe the theories?

I believe I have my own little “theory”--MatPat, to some, is very persuasive.

Not with well-structured arguments, but with his rhetoric. It’s in what language he uses, the visuals he puts up, his tone of voice, and how he subtly tweaks the facts in order to slant the information in favor of his argument.

(Note: I am aware that MatPat not only has editors but script-writers as well, but he has to approve all of it and read out the script. So while I’ll use GT and MatPat himself as sort of umbrella term, I do know that he is not responsible for everything.)

Let’s use the video “Game Theory: Kirby...Dream Land’s Biggest THREAT! pt.1″ and break down some of the major points. (I’ll be putting timestamps so you can check for yourself or follow along.)

Whether intentional or not, MatPat uses a lot of strong, slanted language in his arguments. At 2:14, he states “So what is Kirby? Is he hero of Popstar, or world-consuming villain? A pink puffball for good, or a fiery god of evil?” This sets up a dichotomy--good and evil, right and wrong. People are naturally drawn to definitive, clean choices. They’re easier to understand and easier to grasp. Setting up this dichotomy sets up two sides: Kirby is good, or Kirby is evil. No room for other nuances and small details that add depth, or room for any explanations of the circumstances that could lead Kirby to act the way he does.

2:22--”Surprisingly, Kirby lore does have an answer.”

2:25-2:29--”The Kirby games have slowly been revealing more and more of what the true nature of Kirby is.”

3:09--”... what the designers are intending to do with his character.”

These three statements encapsulate a common criticism of GT: MatPat exerts his theories as truth. “Have an answer,” “true nature,” and “intending to do” are all statements that present his argument as factual, as truth. He even pushes that onto the Kirby writers, saying that it’s what they were ‘intending to do’ with Kirby’s character. Now one could make the argument of him just making blanket statements and that these aren’t all calculated instances, and you’re probably right--however, regardless if intentional or not, it still plants a sort of subliminal idea in the viewer’s head that ‘what I’m going to tell you is accurate and true.’

(Also, at 3:09, he shows a visual of “kirby lore” books connected by a pentagram. Very subtle use of imagery to send a message, which once more ties back to the binary he set up earlier. It’s pretty clear what he wants you to believe.)

2:30--”And the answers they’re starting to give are shocking.”

3:16--”... after this two-part theory, I don’t think you’ll be able to look at Kirby the same way again.”

This, along with the Satanic visuals presented previously, are priming the viewer to think that Kirby is evil. It’s setting up for that assertion, easing the viewer into it so that it’s easier for them to think “oh yeah that makes sense.”

And that’s just at the beginning of the video!

Now probably the biggest criticism of GT is that he spins the facts and intentionally leaves out information, inadvertently giving inaccurate information in order to support his argument. Well--he’s basically flat-out admitted to doing so in his emails to potential script writers (as shown by this video from Inside A Mind (timestamped for convenience), where MatPat actually commented on it and talked about the incident that IAM was referring to and never outright stating that the contents of those guidelines for script writing were false.)

I feel like we don’t talk about this enough: the Game Theory script writers are actually told to omit information that contradicts the theory. Now this makes sense on the surface--omitting information that would weaken your argument--but thinking about it even a bit makes it confusing and even a bit shady. GT frames its theories as though they were scientific theories, and intentionally leaving out information that contradicts what you’re trying to say isn’t how you make a scientific theory, especially if it heavily disproves what you are trying to prove. You would acknowledge that there is contradictory information and either try to provide a counterargument, or just admit ‘yeah this exists and we don’t have an explanation for it.’ It’s okay to have holes in your argument, no argument is perfect! However, GT flat-out ignores this contradictory information, and in doing so, it actually twists the facts. (Honestly, in my opinion, him acknowledging the contradictory information would make his theories more credible.)

For example, in the Kirby video, he discusses Milky Way Wishes in Kirby Super Star/Super Star Ultra, and how the main objective is to stop the sun and moon from fighting by summoning Nova, who can grant wishes, with the help of a jester named Marx. Marx, however, betrays Kirby to get his own wish granted because he wants to take over Popstar. Kirby has to destroy Nova in order to save Popstar and possibly the rest of the universe.

Now the way MatPat explains it...

(starting at) 6:19--“When the sun and moon are fighting up in the sky, one civilian speaks up with a solution: Marx. His proposed answer to this literal star war is to summon Nova, a giant space watch that grants wishes. [something something dragonball joke] Kirby travels planet to planet to harness each one’s star power, making him quite literally an alien invading army to the locals of that area. After decimating seven planets’ worth of creatures [something something metroid joke], Kirby successfully summons Nova. But before he can make his wish and justify all the damage he just caused across the galaxy, he is betrayed by Marx, who wishes to take over Popstar. [...] Kirby goes on to defeat Marx, but also has to destroy Nova in the process, leaving the universe one step back from where this quest first started, and ultimately invalidating all the bloodshed from all the planets he just visited.”

... he frames it as though nothing was accomplished, planets were destroyed, and everything was ultimately for naught.

Conveniently leaving out that the sun and moon stopped fighting--you know, what caused all of this in the first place--in order to work together and help Kirby stop Nova. And again, his wording frames Kirby as this monster, while also conveniently forgetting about player choice. One can choose to not hurt the enemies--and the enemies are enemies for a reason, because they hurt Kirby.

So in the end, while Marx was stopped and Nova was unfortunately destroyed, the problem that Kirby set out to solve was, in fact, solved, and peace was restored. Putting back these facts completely changes the meaning of what MatPat is trying to say, and omitting them makes them inaccurate information. He does this frequently in order to support his arguments--and the very fact that he has to twist the narrative in order to make it fit how he wants to at all implies that said arguments don’t have much to stand on to begin with.

However, if you didn’t play the game or didn’t just do a quick google search like I did it sounds plausible, because there aren’t many missing pieces there (unless you think about ‘what happened to the sun and moon?’). It seems that GT is trying to reach the people who don’t know about these games, as they would be the ones who would most readily believe it. Kirby fans would be skeptical or outright against what the theory says, but if you didn’t know about what the games actually were, then it would make perfect sense.

(I’d also like to mention how he says that Kirby’s Avalanche isn’t canon and then uses it for a full minute to support his argument it’s not entirely relevant to this but it just Grinds My Gears)

15:51--”And again, if you think all of this is a stretch, and I’m reading too much into these details, I’m not.” 

And at the very end, he once again asserts the idea that the information he just presented you with is true. It’s repetition; many times if you repeat something enough, people will start to believe it. It’s similar to repeating the thesis statement at the end of an essay so that it all ties together nicely.

To the average viewer, the Game Theory videos may sound very persuasive, especially with MatPat’s charismatic voice and assured tone, the editors very snappy and visually interesting editing, and the enticing words and phrases he uses in order to grab attention and prime the viewer for what he’s about to say. However, knowing even a little bit about the source material of what he’s talking about can make the theory videos fall apart, because in all honesty, the videos don’t have much actual substance. It’s like a house of cards; one light breeze and the whole thing topples.

Despite all of this, I still have hope that, someday, Game Theory’s content will improve, and these types of criticisms will be addressed. Until then, we can only wait.

[grizbehr]

Girl Meets Sweet 16

Here is my review, putting under the cut to prevent spoilers and because of the length.

Let me start by saying, I loved how the show opened. Riley being Riley will always get a thumbs up from me. All she wants is a party to celebrate a milestone in her life letting her know that she's grown up now. And Maya is supportive of her friend, which has been lacking.

Then we get to class and what is it again Cory teaches? History? Civics? Sociology? At this point I'm concerned how these kids are going to do on their tests. Whatever class, the lesson is how do the "landmarks" of your life prepare you for the future. Maya comments on how old Lucas is which we haven't seen since before the triangle, so yay.

Topanga's and Riley knows she and Maya are forever, but hopes she and Lucas will last. For those who don't like that pairing here's proof they won't be together. Then Smackle makes her observation…maybe it's because this is new and we don't understand it yet. Riley and Maya (and Farkle) have been together since they were 7 and have gone through trials and tribulations and weathered the time, so of course they're confident in their friendship. Riley and Lucas are new, so there's not that certainty. This blows the "their relationship is a fairytale" theory out the window and is one of the most mature approaches to a relationship seen in "kids" TV.

Smackle freaks out about failing because you can't quantify feelings and shuts down. Zay playing with a catatonic Smackle was cute. Farkle takes this opportunity to take Lucas outside to talk…but I am curious about what they talked about the entire time Riley and Maya were talking because it seems they didn't start talking until the two girls had their own shut down after realizing they might not be together after high school.

Farkle and Lucas' talk was just okay. Two things irritated me about it. First, how did Farkle take away from the Riley stepping back that it was the right thing to do? Did he not see the pain everyone was in during the non-triangle. Second, once again Lucas' feelings are completely disregarded (in the conversation). All it took was for Lucas to be able to say "I don't like Smackle like that. I like Riley and am with Riley." But at least we got to see Farkle's concern and insecurity when it came to Smackle flirting with Lucas.

Riley and Maya go to talk to Topanga and I love love love Riley calling out her mother about Yale. Topanga realizing that she loves her life and the choices she made led her there was well done. I also like the throwback for Maya…I only got the 1 A in Spanish.

Back to Topanga's and we find Lucas "flirting" with Smackle when Farkle is not around. We get the explanation we wanted for why she flirts with him in front of Farkle and Farkle declares he "more than likes" her. I was expecting a brief freak out from Riley when she saw Lucas and Smackle alone together…maybe it was there and I just missed it…but her "awwww" when Smackle talked about Farkle placed her once again as the captain of the Smarkle ship (and disproving again the idea that she's secretly in love with Farkle.)

Then they start talking about what will happen after High School and Riley freaks out about things changing and orders everyone to stop and stay. This is where I have a big problem. The very next scene they are in the class and Riley has somehow learned the lesson that it's important to appreciate what you have for now and enjoy life, regardless of what the future may hold. How? When? Where? It's like I got a sandwich without any meat in it. This would have been a perfect place for them to go back to Topanga and talk to her about their fears. Topanga could have told them that she and Angela were best friends in High School and College…maybe not as close as Cory and Shawn, but how important she was to her. And that even though life got in the way and they don't talk or see each other often Topanga still considers Angela one of her best friends and that she wouldn't trade that experience for anything.

The ending I think went on too long and could have been cut down. It should have ended after Topanga tells them about getting the Head of the London Office and Riley turning to Maya and saying "Surprise." Then "To Be Continued." Cory being funny about the money, Auggie saying he's not moving, and Riley and Maya crying in each other's arms was unnecessary for this episode. There will be plenty of tears next episode and Auggie could have declared his intentions then as well. For me, it didn't feel like it belonged and was just put in for the laugh from Cory and the tears from the kids instead of furthering the story.

Overall, I liked the episode, I just felt like it was incomplete…and not because it was a cliff hanger. The lesson was just there…we have a problem 1 minutes, next it's solved with no showing how they got there.

Personal note: In Girl Meets Sand and Surf and Second Chances, I brought up the Yale/Penbrook decision…although I used Riley and Lucas, not Riley and Maya. In Sand and Surf, Riley thinks Topanga may have regretted that she didn't go to Yale and Lucas assures her that he doesn't think her mother has any regrets about her life which is what Topanga recognized in Sweet 16. In Second Chances the reason Lucas broke up with Riley is because he thought she was going to give up her future to follow him to Texas, which is what Riley said she was going to do in Sweet 16. Then in Worries, Riley is worried about what will happen to her and her friends when they head out on their own, which was a large part of this episode. What I'm saying is I either have a much stronger grasp of these characters than I thought or MJ and the Writers have been reading my stuff. If it's the former…cool. If it's the later…where are my royalties?