#criticism is 100% allowed but it does make me sad seeing so much of it

[misterbrekker]

I've just been posting on my main because it's kinda hard to keep up with sideblogs now but I will say I loved season 2

[parkminijiminie]

"Everyone's entitled to their own opinions, but it makes me sad that a poor quality video was enough for some to drop JK and call him names."

I’m tired of reading this tbh. Some of us think the video is probably real and we don’t call JK names? I haven’t seen Demini and their anons calling him names, or did I miss something? We just think the video is real and it makes us question our previous opinion about Jikook, which in the end we know nothing about or not even 5% of their lives. Sure, some ppl might call him whatever but I haven’t seen any of that around here? Again, we just think the video is real and JK was with that girl and their privacy was invaded. As for me I have 0 idea if she was a fling or a friend, but it does very much look like JK and its apartment, come on. And the amount of ppl focusing on details like the window bay when we all know angles can trick our minds big time is weird. Remember when the very first taennie pic was leaked? The one in the car? So many armys were trying so hard to debunk it, saying it was an edit using a pic of Tae from in the Soop or whatever… well that aged well. I’m not saying the video is 100% real, who knows, could be a hoax, but honestly.. let’s be real, it looks legit. And JK is more than allowed to bring a woman into his apartment, he’s a grown adult, he does whatever he wants with his own private life and I think we’ve all been pretty clear on this blog that the problem was his privacy being invaded. A lot of us are Jikookers who are trying to consider all possibilities here, and if it turns out JK was involved with that woman then good for him. As for me I see no problem with him dating someone else than Jimin even though I used to be pretty hellbent on them being a thing. Well, now I try to take a step back and look at things as objectively as I can. I’m so disappointed in Jikookers pitting at eo and calling us names because we think the video is real. Stop with the cult like mentality.

Thank you for this. It got so tiring always talking about that video and why it can't or can be real. First was the security system, then the couch, the windows.... like, can we put it to rest, please? I did this post to address the 🪟 because I constantly get asks about it, and this is the last time I will engage in conversations about the videos's authenticity unless some new information comes up.

Yes, I believe this is JK and his apartment. No, I don't know who that woman is and what her deal with JK was. I don't have a problem with JK engaging with women, and I wouldn't call him any names ever over it because it is not my business to judge him. It's completely fine and reasonable to wonder, though, what Jikook's relationship is in light of this new information. I see so many accounts acting like people are idiots for thinking this may be JK or that Jikook were not together then, or maybe were never together to begin with, or trying to make some "conclusions" over the nature of their relationship.

We can't "conclude" anything because we know too little, and shipping is like walking a path blindly. You start in one direction, thinking you will find a meadow because you feel grass underneath your feet, but then you end up in a lake. We can only make assumptions based on clues from the partial information we have. The key is that we should be objective while doing it. I see too many people comfortably showing clear subjectivity in their "analyses" by taking small, unrelated things and turning them into a narrative, and then denying everything that may counterpose it.

To me, these types of people are delusional, have no critical thinking, basic logic, or science understanding. In real life and in science, when you are exploring a hypothesis, your deductions should come from the evidence and information you are presented with and not the other way around. If new information becomes available, some of those deductions may turn out to be incorrect. You accept it and continue with your theory in a way that best explains all the data you have available now. Simple.

[crusherthedoctor]

No listen because I am just SO tired of seeing this.

It's happened with 2012 TMNT and it's happening with Sonic, like in every single form of media Sonic has.

People watch/read something they don't like and spread unnecessary hate/rumors about the media as if it won't affect anyone else. I've been a victim of this for so long and I genuinely don't understand why people just can't decide to stop watching something if they don't like it. The only reason I think this happens is because they WANT to spread hate for the media and that upsets me so much.

I understand criticism. It is necessary when it is necessary. But you can't sit there and say "this isn't my Sonic" and then continue to read the comics and find "your Sonic". There is no one Sonic, and I am sick and tired of people treating him like some. Thing they can just take for themselves.

Sonic is allowed to express emotion. The problem that I have with him is that he doesn't do it often, but this isn't me complaining about it because this was an intentional choice by SEGA/IDW, they have proven and said it many times now. He is not some robot, it wouldn't make any sense for him to get back up from being electrocuted and almost drowned (which is one of his biggest fears, by the way) and be expected to be okay. That exact thing happened in Forces and you all complain about it, but you expect that to happen here??? Istg make up your minds.

What Surge said was a lot. What he went through was a lot. He's going to be tired and angry. It's normal and it's allowed.

I have said this before and I will say it again: If you don't like reading the comics, then stop reading them just to hate on them. And if you can't do that for some reason, then stop posting your hate in the idw Sonic tags, make a anti-idw tag if it appeases you. But stop making it seem like they're ruining Sonic's character when other people are trying to enjoy this new direction.

I already use an anti tag for my more bitter-tasting posts about the comic.

I already stopped buying the comic a long time ago, because I'm not going to waste money on somthing that continues to disappoint me. As for why I continue to acknowledge it, that's because pretending it's not there won't make it go away, especially since it's still ongoing and still influencing the rest of the franchise to an extent. Not to mention the sheer amount of influence that Ian Flynn in particular has been given lately. It's kind of impossible to ignore.

I already limit my thoughts to my own blog and the reblogs of those who share similar opinions. If I'm reblogging a comment of someone who likes the comic, it's usually for the sake of bringing up a valid point rather than going "fuck IDW" and leaving it at that. And I tend to use the aforementioned anti tag on top of that.

I already go out of my way to NOT hunt down IDW fans' blogs just to shit on them and their enjoyment, nor do I wish ill upon them for having a different opinion. You know. Like what they do with me and my friends.

Sonic is allowed to show emotion, yes. Neither me or anyone else who has criticised the comic has ever said that he shouldn't. But different characters express their emotions in different ways, and not every character is going to react with 100% emotion. Sonic is a subtle character despite his simplicity and outward demeanour, and the games - the core and meat of the franchise, whether you like it or not - have consistently shown that when he's feeling particular strong emotions, he does it in his own way. Are you seriously going to tell me with a straight face that he wasn't cold to Erazor and then sympathetic with Shahra in Secret Rings, or sad when he seemingly lost his friends in Lost World, or when Emerl died in Battle? Fans demand for nuance, and yet they refuse to see it when it's there, in favor of shallow drama where everyone calls out their feelings like a Pokemon attack.

Also, Sonic gets back up in the face of adversary all the time. It's one of the most consistent displays of his resolve, with Black Knight being a famous example.

Also-also, while Sonic does have trouble with water, him having an outright fear of water is something that's only true in adaptations and mistranslations.

As for Forces... complaining about what in Forces? I genuinely don't know what you're referring to here. Do you mean the line about torture? Because I don't actually mind that line as much as most fans do, even if was a bit hamfisted in execution.

And spreading hate and rumors? How about you take that complaint to the people who are actually guilty of that? As in, the stans who stalk and send threats to people like myself who don't like the comic, and try to gaslight us? I've never done that once, no matter how passionately I've ranted about my issues with the comic.

But it's always us, isn't it? The people who actually engage in legitimately twisted and dangerous behaviour are allowed to do what they do, but the moment you explain on your own blog why a comic's character decisions don't work, oh no, THAT'S inexcusable.

If you're going to request that I silence my problematic Sonic thoughts like a good little subservient, the least you could do is pay attention to what I actually do and don't do. Your inability to tolerate the mere thought that someone isn't in love with what this comic has been doing with the characters ("stop making it seem like they're ruining Sonic's character") is not my problem.

[odessa-2]

It really bums me out to see how many people pretend to be Sam’s fans but seemingly hate him. The criticism is endless and makes him sound like he’s the worst. What do you think is the best evidence that Sam is actually a decent guy (one who does make mistakes, like anyone; I’m not under any delusions that he’s 100% perfect), not the sleazebag, womanizing, sex addicted, alcoholic, greedy pr*ck that these haters seem so convinced he is? Thanks!

He is definitely not a sleazy, sex addicted alcoholic prick. Anyone with a shred of emotional intelligence would be able to discern that. Unfortunately his PR have done him absolutely NO FAVOURS in constructing a phony image of him. In his recent interview he spoke about struggling with how he comes across and just needing to allow himself to be in the moment . He obviously feels that being himself is not enough for his image which is sad because I think if he could just be himself he would find greater success.

Not one person in the industry has had a bad word to say about Sam. Infact he has only ever recieved excessive compliments on what a decent man he is. I think that pretty much tells the tale. Tobias has always maintained that Sam is a stand up man and so did the director of Bloodshot. Graham spoke of how protective Sam is of his family. Does that sound like a wanker to you?

My personal belief is that he is a good person who has been clawed and gnashed at by greedy fingers in the industry and he has compromised himself in the process unfortunately. A married man and a father that has essentially been gagged and he has accepted those terms for almost a decade. It's unfathomable and so damn stressful.

[fishoutofcamelot]

I think the thing that a lot of people tend to forget about Merlin is that at his core, Merlin's motivations are deeply rooted in utilitarianism. That is, prioritizing the needs of the many over the needs of the few. Now before you say "but Fish, didn't Merlin prioritize Arthur over the entire magic community?", allow me to explain.

I'm sure we're all familiar with the train-car dilemma at this point. You've got a runaway train, and you can't stop it but you can choose which track it barrels down. The problem is, there are people tied to both tracks. On Track A, there are three people. And on Track B, there is just one person. The question is, which track do you send the train down? Either way someone will die, but it's up to you how many. The utilitarian answer would be to kill the one and save the three, which I'm pretty sure is the answer most people tend to choose.

On the most superficial level of interpreting Merlin's actions, lacking even the barest hint of critical thinking, Merlin's actions seem very much like choosing to kill the three and spare the one. Which is...very much not utilitarian. Time after time, he chooses to harm and even kill magic-users in the interest of saving Arthur's life - Arthur, who oppresses magic users. But again. This interpretation of events deprives the situation of all its nuance and complexity.

So let's go back to the trolley problem. What if the single person on Track B was destined to save a lot of people? Or cure cancer? Or, say, liberate an entire group of people from decades of persecution? What if you had been convinced 100%, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that sparing the person on Track B would end up saving the lives of thousands, as opposed to the three people tied to Track A?

I'm not saying which is the right answer to this, because we're here to talk about stupid kid show logic not debate morality, but whether or not this changes your answer you at least have to admit that the burden of knowledge certainly does make the trolley problem a lot more complicated.

That's kinda what Merlin is going through with Arthur. Protecting Arthur isn't just about defending the life of a loved one (although that is a crucial part of his motivation). Merlin has been told time and again that Arthur's destiny as the Once and Future King is the key to liberating magic. He's been thoroughly convinced that by saving Arthur, he is also securing the eventual freedom of his people, and ensuring that the golden age of Albion will come to pass. Merlin has been forced into an impossible decision, put in a position of choosing who lives and who dies, and he has chosen the utilitarian approach. As Merlin sees it, he has to allow the deaths of a few now with the promise that an even greater amount of people will be saved in the future.

Is he correct in thinking this? Is he being too naive by simply going along with what everyone around him claims to be the machinations of destiny? Perhaps. But that's a debate for another time.

Yes, his love for Arthur was a big motivator for his actions, but to say that it was his main or even his only reason is a bit shallow.

At its best, BBCM is a story about the conflict and consequences of utilitarianism. And it's also partly why the ending is so sad. Not only because Arthur dies, but because Merlin is forced to confront a reality where all the sacrifices, all the lives he was forced to choose between killing and sparing, all of it was for nothing. He had believed he was defending the greater good (and from what we can gather, Camelot did prosper more so under Arthur than it would have under the alternatives), only for everything to fall apart just when his goals were starting to come within reach.

[samwisethewitch]

Cults? In my life? It’s more likely than you think.

In my last post, I talked about how the Law of Attraction and Christian prosperity gospel both use the same thought control techniques as cults. I’ve received several public and private replies to that post: some expressing contempt for “sheeple” who can be lead astray by cults, and others who say my post made them scared that they might be part of a cult without knowing it.

I want to address both of those types of replies in this post. I want to talk about what a cult really looks like, and how you can know if you’re dealing with one.

If you type the word “cult” into Google Images, it will bring up lots of photos of people with long hair, wearing all white, with their hands raised in an expression of ecstasy.

Most modern cults do not look anything like this.

Modern cultists look a lot like everyone else. One of the primary goals of most cults is recruitment, and it’s hard to get people to join your cause if they think you and your group are all Kool-Aid-drinking weirdos. The cults that last are the ones that manage to convince people that they’re just like everyone else — a little weird maybe, but certainly not dangerous.

In the book The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple, author Jeff Guinn says, “In years to come, Jim Jones would frequently be compared to murderous demagogues such as Adolf Hitler and Charles Manson. These comparisons completely misinterpret, and historically misrepresent, the initial appeal of Jim Jones to members of Peoples Temple. Jones attracted followers by appealing to their better instincts.”

You might not know Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple by name, but you’ve probably heard their story. They’re the Kool-Aid drinkers I mentioned earlier. Jones and over 900 of his followers, including children, committed mass suicide by drinking Flavor Aid mixed with cyanide.

In a way, the cartoonish image of cults in popular media has helped real-life cults to stay under the radar and slip through people’s defenses.

In her book Recovering Agency: Lifting the Veil of Mormon Mind Control, Luna Lindsey says: “These groups use a legion of persuasive techniques in unison, techniques that strip away the personality to build up a new group pseudopersonality. New members know very little about the group’s purpose, and most expectations remain unrevealed. People become deeply involved, sacrificing vast amounts of time and money, and investing emotionally, spiritually, psychologically, and socially.”

Let’s address some more common myths about cults:

Myth #1: All cults are Satanic or occult in nature. This mostly comes from conservative Christians, who may believe that all non-Christian religions are inherently cultish in nature and are in league with the Devil. This is not the case — most non-Christians don’t even believe in the Devil, much less want to sign away their souls to him. Many cults use Christian theology to recruit members, and some of these groups (Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc.) have become popular enough to be recognized as legitimate religions. Most cults have nothing to do with magic or the occult.

Myth #2: All cults are religious. This is also false. While some cults do use religion to recruit members or push an agenda, many cults have no religious or spiritual element. Political cults are those founded around a specific political ideology. Author and cult researcher Janja Lalich is a former member of an American political cult founded on the principles of Marxism. There are also “cults of personality” built around political figures and celebrities, such as Adolf Hitler, Chairman Mao, and Donald Trump. In these cases, the cult is built around hero worship of the leader — it doesn’t really matter what the leader believes or does.

Myth #3: All cults are small fringe groups. Cults can be any size. Some cults have only a handful of members — it’s even possible for parents to use thought control techniques on their children, essentially creating a cult that consists of a single family.  There are some cults that have millions of members (see previous note about Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses).

Myth #4: All cults live on isolated compounds away from mainstream society. While it is true that all cults isolate their members from the outside world, very few modern cults use physical isolation. Many cults employ social isolation, which makes members feel separate from mainstream society. Some cults do this by encouraging their followers to be “In the world but not of the world,” or encouraging them to keep themselves “pure.”

Myth #5: Only stupid, gullible, and/or mentally ill people join cults. Actually, according to Luna Lindsey, the average cult member is of above-average intelligence. As cult expert Steven Hassan points out, “Cults intentionally recruit ‘valuable’ people—they go after those who are intelligent, caring, and motivated. Most cults do not want to be burdened by unintelligent people with serious emotional or physical problems.” The idea that only stupid or gullible people fall for thought control is very dangerous, because it reinforces the idea that “it could never happen to me.” This actually prevents intelligent people from thinking critically about the information they’re consuming and the groups they’re associating with, which makes them easier targets for cult recruitment.

So, now that we have a better idea of what a cult actually looks like, how do you know if you or someone you know is in one?

A good rule of thumb is to compare the group’s actions and teachings to Steven Hassan’s BITE Model. Steven Hassan is an expert on cult psychology, and most cult researchers stand by this model. From Hassan’s website, freedomofmind.com: “Based on research and theory by Robert Jay Lifton, Margaret Singer, Edgar Schein, Louis Jolyon West, and others who studied brainwashing in Maoist China as well as cognitive dissonance theory by Leon Festinger, Steven Hassan developed the BITE Model to describe the specific methods that cults use to recruit and maintain control over people. ‘BITE’ stands for Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotional control.”

Behavior Control may include…

Telling you how to behave, and enforcing behavior with rewards and punishments. (Rewards may be nonphysical concepts like “salvation” or “enlightenment,” or social rewards like group acceptance or an elevated status within the group. Punishments may also be nonphysical, like “damnation,” or may be social punishments like judgement from peers or removal from the group.)

Dictating where and with whom you live. (This includes pressure to move closer to other group members, even if you will be living separately.)

Controlling or restricting your sexuality. (Includes enforcing chastity or abstinence and/or coercion into non-consensual sex acts.)

Controlling your clothing or hairstyle. (Even if no one explicitly tells you, you may feel subtle pressure to look like the rest of the group.)

Restricting leisure time and activities. (This includes both demanding participation in frequent group activities and telling you how you should spend your free time.)

Requiring you to seek permission for major decisions. (Again, even if you don’t “need” permission, you may feel pressure to make decisions that will be accepted by the group.)

And more.

Information Control may include…

Withholding or distorting information. (This may manifest as levels of initiation, with only the “inner circle” or upper initiates being taught certain information.)

Forbidding members from speaking with ex-members or other critics.

Discouraging members from trusting any source of information that isn’t approved by the group’s leadership.

Forbidding members from sharing certain details of the group���s beliefs or practice with outsiders.

Using propaganda. (This includes “feel good” media that exists only to enforce the group’s message.)

Using information gained in confession or private conversation against you.

Gaslighting to make members doubt their own memory. (“I never said that,” “You’re remembering that wrong,” “You’re confused,” etc.)

Requiring you to report your thoughts, feelings, and activities to group leaders or superiors.

Encouraging you to spy on other group members and report their “misconduct.”

And more.

Thought Control may include…

Black and White, Us vs. Them, or Good vs. Evil thinking.

Requiring you to change part of your identity or take on a new name. (This includes only using last names, as well as titles like “Brother,” “Sister,” and “Elder.”)

Using loaded languages and cliches to stop complex thought. (This is the difference between calling someone a “former member” and calling the same person an “apostate” or “covenant breaker.”)

Inducing hypnotic or trance states including prayer, meditation, singing hymns, etc.

Using thought-stopping techniques to prevent critical thinking. (“If you ever find yourself doubting, say a prayer to distract yourself!”)

Allowing only positive thoughts or speech.

Rejecting rational analysis and criticism both from members and from those outside the group.

And more.

Emotional Control may include…

Inducing irrational fears and phobias, especially in connection with leaving the group. (This includes fear of damnation, fear of losing personal value, fear of persecution, etc.)

Labeling some emotions as evil, worldly, sinful, low-vibrational, or wrong.

Teaching techniques to keep yourself from feeling certain emotions like anger or sadness.

Promoting feelings of guilt, shame, and unworthiness. (This is often done by holding group members to impossible standards, such as being spiritually “pure” or being 100% happy all the time.)

Showering members and new recruits with positive attention — this is called “love bombing.” (This can be anything from expensive gifts to sexual favors to simply being really nice to newcomers.)

Shunning members who disobey orders or disbelieve the group’s teachings.

Teaching members that there is no happiness, peace, comfort, etc. outside of the group.

And more.

If a group ticks most or all of the boxes in any one of these categories, you need to do some serious thinking about whether or not that group is good for your mental health. If a group is doing all four of these, you’re definitely dealing with a cult and need to get out as soon as possible.

These techniques can also be used by individual people in one-on-one relationships. A relationship or friendship where someone tries to control your behavior, thoughts, or emotions is not healthy and, again, you need to get out as soon as possible.

Obviously, not all of these things are inherently bad. Meditation and prayer can be helpful on their own, and being nice to new people is common courtesy. The problem is when these acts become part of a bigger pattern, which enforces someone else’s control over your life.

A group that tries to tell you how to think or who to be is bad for your mental health, your personal relationships, and your sense of self. When in doubt, do what you think is best for you — and always be suspicious of people or groups who refuse to be criticized.

[catboyantichrist]

hello! i saw that you were taking requests for headcanons and oneshots! could i ask for some headcanons on either a gn or male MC bringing a brother along to get their first tattoo? as in the MC getting their first tattoo and having the brother come along because they’re secretly nervous lol….. thanks so much! <3

Aaa! Of course! I originally planned to write this as a M!MC but it ended up completely gender neutral. Also this idea is so creative so thank u for asking me to write this ^^

☆ The Brothers Coming With GN!MC to Get Their First Tattoo!  ☆

You finally did it! You gained the courage to finally get your first tattoo. You've been wanting this for awhile, it's just external forces always made it difficult for you to get one. I guess the brothers really helped with your confidence huh? Well the days leading up to the appointment your nervousness started to get the best of you. What if it hurts too much?

Not wanting to cancel the appointment, you decided to ask one of the brothers to come with you! Just for fun y'know... not because your scared or anything.

Lucifer:

-When you walk into Lucifer’s office asking if he’d come with you to get your first tattoo, he was more than happy to accompany you.

-But he also wanted to have a bit of fun.

-When you go to the shop he immediately noticed that you were nervous, and he started lightly teasing you without hesitation. 

-”Are you nervous MC?” He smirks.

-”No! Why would I be?” You were shaking.

-Oh you’re shaking. Maybe toning it down would be a better idea.

-When the artist comes out and actually begins, Lucifer just puts you on his lap. The pure shock from that would just get rid of any pain in that moment.

-While you’re getting the tattoo, Lucifer’s getting work done on his phone. There’s never a bad time to do work after all! Ignore his massive undereye bags.

-You need a distraction? MC why don’t you start on that potions homework from awhile ago?

-Once the tattoo is completed, Lucifer help you with the aftercare. Once it's healed he will begin to lightly graze his hand over it when he’s close to you.

Mammon:

-You wouldn’t even need to go to him to ask, he’s already going to your room to ask if you can hangout. So when you ask if he could come with you to get your first tattoo, he immediately agrees.

-When you go into the tattoo parlor, he’s just as excited as you are. After all, his human has been talking about this for weeks!

-When the tattoo artist comes out to ask some general questions, Mammon begins to notice your anxiousness. When they leave to set up the work area, Mammon leans over and puts his arm around you.

-Don’t worry MC! You’re the strongest human I know! Plus you have the great Mammon to protect ya!

-When the tattoo artist brings out the needle, Mammon is scared FOR you. But, keeping his word he shakily grabs onto one of your hands.

-“Only focus on me ya hear! It’ll be over before ya know it.”

-The only thing that scared Mammon more then the tattoo was the price OF it.

-He’d contemplate+ getting matching tattoo’s with his human, but needs to check if that would get in the way of his modeling career... just kidding. He doesn’t care

-”Oi MC! We’re gonna match one day. Ya got it?”

Leviathan:

-Convincing Leviathan to go outside can be sort of… difficult. Especially to a place he’s never been to before.

-When he sees how fidgety you are when you ask though, he sighs and agrees. “Fine but only because you’re my Henry”

-When you go into the parlor, he immediately goes to see if any of the tattoos are themed after any anime's. If there are, you will have to drag him away from them so that you can actually get the tattoo.

-When he turns away sad, you grin and offer to come back with him to look at the art another time.

-Depending on where you’re getting your tattoo he’d either play games on his phone with you or you’d just watch, so that there’s something to distract you from the pain. 

-If that doesn’t distract you enough you two will just start rambling about whatever anime you’ve watched last.

Satan:

-He was intrigued that you wanted him to come support you out of everyone. This seemed more like a job for Asmo. You’ll just ask Lucifer instead? Well you should’ve asked for him to come sooner!

-Before even going to the tattoo shop, Satan was doing as much research as possible to make sure you were prepared.

-He brought water and pain killers just to be safe. Yes the water was in a cat themed water bottle. I will not take criticism.

-When you go into the parlor Satan will watch the artist with intrigue and possibly even ask questions about being a tattoo artist.

-Satan will sit beside you and probably read with you or to you. If your handling the pain well enough Satan will probably just hold your hand and continue with the previous conversation he was having with the tattoo artist.

-Once the tattoo is finished Satan will research the best possible tattoo aftercare routine (and obviously talk to the artist about it as well)

-He found the whole experience fascinating, and contemplates maybe even getting a tattoo as well one day. Obviously just to spite Lucifer... no other reason. (-Cough- MC’s approval -cough-)

Asmodeus:

-“OoOo MC where are you getting the tattoo 😏”

-Okay jokes aside, of course he’d come with you! He’s supported tons of his friends and admirers when they were getting their first tattoos! These may or may not have been his name and/or face

-I’m not saying he’d do the same and try to convince you to get a tramp stamp of his name but I’m saying that’s exactly what he’d do 

-Although at the end of the day, no matter what you chose he’d love it!

-When the artist starts working Asmo immediately grabs onto your arm (or whichever arm isn’t getting tattooed) and starts talking about whatever gossip that’s going around currently.

-Every time the artist says “5 more minutes” (which is at least 10 times) Asmo puts his hands through your hair and praises you on how well your doing. Damn even the tattoo artist is blushing.

-Once the tattoo is finished he’d be so excited to take pictures of it, and he’d waste no time finding clothing pieces that would show off the tattoo even more! He'd also ask the artist for tips with aftercare and what skin products are okay to put on the tattoo.

Beelzebub: 

-You want Beel to come with you to get a tattoo? 

-“I mean if it makes you happy MC! Can we go to Madame Screams afterwards?”

-You walk into the tattoo shop and decide to look at some of the designs with Beel

-You turn for a second because you saw an amazing design. Although you nearly had a heart attack when you turned back.

-No Beel wait the food designs aren’t actual food!!

-Because of the amount of exercise this man does, and some not so... happy issues. Beel knows some very effective breathing exercises! Before and during the beginning of the tattoo he’d lead you through some breathing exercises to help you through the pain and any possible anxiety.

-He’s already holding your hand (if you allow it) and if the pain gets to be too much he gives you 100% permission for you to squeeze his hand, he’ll barely feel it anyways. Once the tattoo is finished Beel grins at the sight of it.

-”Wow MC it looks great!”. If the tattoo involves food in anyway, you may need to remind him that it’s not real as his stomach growls almost immediately. 

-”Could we go to Madame Screams now?”

Belphegor:

-“Why don’t we just take a nap instead?”

-When he realizes how much you really want this tattoo he begrudgingly agrees. Although he immediately cheers up when you offer to cuddle with him when you both get home.

-You go into the shop and he wants to get it done as fast as possible

-When the tattoo artist begins, Belphie was originally holding your hand.

-Now he’s just found anyway possible to cuddle with you... oh nope now he’s just asleep.

-On the positive side it gives you the opportunity to put your hands through his hair to help calm down. You kind of start drifting off yourself...

-Next thing you know you’ve woken up with the finished tattoo. Belphie eventually wakes up as well and lets out a long yawn.

-”Wow MC... it looks great. Do you wanna go take a nap at the planetarium?”

[hamatoclan76]

Rise Splinter isn´t a very good parent and that´s okay.

Look, before someone starts throwing tomatoes i want to clarify something: I like Splinter from Rottmnt and i really like Rise of the Tmnt. People who have followed me for a while know i enjoy the series and i´m sad about it how was cancelled. I also want to say that i don´t think other Splinters are 100% perfect and they have their own issues too.

What i don´t like is how the Rise of the tmnt fandom often overlooks Rise Splinter´s character flaws and pretends that he is a perfect father figure because this is not something supported by both by the narrative and his character growth.

So, what i´m going to do in this post is to examine his character flaws, his role as parent and character arc in the series. The point of this is to bring up this flaws to light, this is not a ¨character critical¨ or whatever you want to call it. It´s supposed to be character analysis, okay?

Let´s start with the short Turtle Tots short:

Link to the short:

 https://www.facebook.com/teenagemutantninjaturtles/videos/626074331524980/

This short is when the turtle brothers are still very young. We see that Splinter is trying to train them but he keeps watching a show he likes on TV. This short shows Splinter didn´t care about training his sons enough even when they were younger. He also leaves them with very dangerous weapons they don´t know how to use.

Splinter was already quite neglectful and careless since the start. He spend too much time watching TV rather than training his sons. It would more understandable if he was too busy working with something but here he is only watching a TV series. Later in the short he admits he should have paid more attention to the turtles and isn´t a good Sensei.

I have to say i didn´t like this short too much. I didn´t find funny the jokes of how Splinter ignores his sons for the TV series and leaves every 30 seconds. However, it provides some context for the characters and their relationship.

Now let´s talk about his characterization at the start of the series. (Season 1)

Splinter at the start of the series is usually seen watching TV, whatever is his old movies or shows that he likes. He is rarely seen training the turtles or talking to them. Sometimes their interactions are the boys trying to ask him about something while he is watching his series. Splinter either answers them or ignores them.

He is usually so caught up in his own world that he doesn´t seem to be aware of who are the turtles fighting against until it starts biting them back. The boys usually don´t tell him about their adventures on the surface. One could argue that he assumes that they barely get in trouble and they are just playing.

In the episode ¨The Fast and the Furriest¨ Splinter ¨steals¨  Turtle Tank and takes it for a ride without Donatello´s permision. The turtles go through a lot of trouble to get the Turtle Tank back. By the end of the episode its Donatello, his son,is  the one who is putting a punishment on Splinter, who is supposed to be their father, for taking the Tank. 

While Donnie getting angry at Splinter is quite funny,this episode shows that Yoshi can be very inmature at times, if not childish. He doesn´t ask his son to allow him use the tank, puts them in danger and is scolded like a child at the end instead of him being the ¨responsible adult figure¨.

Parents being cocky or careless isn´t something very new. There are parents that act as inmature or worse than Yoshi and would never admit they did something wrong. So, i take this episode as one of the examples that Splinter does this kind of things. He isn´t this selfish and reckless all the time, just sometimes.

Another aspect is that Splinter struggles with remember his sons´ names. He calls them by their color bandana instead of their real names. This sometimes can be funny but on the long run it becomes quite disturing,Imo. There is difference between ¨calling your son with an affectionate nickname¨ and ¨not remembering your sons´ name¨. There is a point that this it becomes sad.

The tmnt wiki describes Rise Splinter´s personality as a ¨Extremely flawed (albeit loved) father figure¨. This means that he has tons of flaws but he cares about his family: One clear example is when he helps Raphael with fighting his fear in ¨Mrs. Cuddles¨. He protects the big turtle a few times from the giant puppet monster and they defeat the monster together.

Splinter cares about April O´Neil like she was part of the family too. In episodes like "Always Be Brownies" he is seen hanging out with her and helping her. He also encourages April to believe more in herself since she has tons of doubts in that episode. (Season 2).

Hamato Yoshi / Splinter´s backstory

Lets say that Yoshi didn´t have the best childhood. His biological father was missing and he is not mentioned in the flashbacks. Splinter´s mother, Atsuko, left Yoshi when he was still a kid so she would be able to perform her family duty as protector in the Hamato family.

This terrible loss made Yoshi grow bitter with his Hamato duties and martial arts. He didn´t want anything to do with his family legacy since it was the reason that his mother was forced to left him. He had an argument with his maternal grandfather and sensei, Sho, and decided to use the skills he learned in during his training to become a superstar.

After many shenanigans involving his crush on Big Mama, a very powerful yokai, and Baron Draxum, Hamato Yoshi mutated into a humanoid rat and adopted the turtles, who were about to be used as soldiers by Draxum, like their own sons.

Splinter´s backstory explains a lot of his behaviour in the series: It´s implied his father died/left him, his own mother also left him to perform her duties and he has a very strained relationship with his grandparent. The reason of why he has so many problems when it comes to being a good father it is because he himself lacked good family support. It makes sense that he doesn´t seem to know what he is doing or why he is messy when he is takeing care of the turtles.

Speaking of that, this explains why he isn´t very involved in his sons´ training. Maybe he just doesn´t want them to carry the same burden that he did as a child or just dislikes the idea of training them because it reminds him of bad memories about his grandfather and his mother.

He also watches his old movies since it reminds him of the time he was living his life at his fullest and was doing something he enjoyed. It implies he has his mind stuck in the past, perhaps wishing he could still be human and live like superstar.

Splinter´s Character growth

Like i mentioned, Yoshi wasn´t very interested in training his sons at the start of the series. He was negletful and spent too much time watching his movies... This aspect of his character isn´t ignored.

When the turtles asked him to train him ¨The Evil League of Mutants" he put Lou-Jitsu films for them to watch, this made their sons think he wasn´t taking them seriously and decided to go out on their own. While Splinter´s intention was to show them the basics by them learning the moves from the movies, he came off as he only cared about watching said films to their sons.

After noticing how his sons lack experience and need his help, he begans training them. Splinter gets more involved with his Hamato destiny and starts being more honest to the boys about his past as human and protector.

One episode that´s really worth of mentioning is ¨Turtle-dega Nights: The Ballad of Rat Man¨: Splinter tricks Donatello and Mikey into going to a demolition center since he missed the old days he used to be a champion in the Battle Nexus. Donnie is very hurt when he finds out about this because he really wanted to spend more time with his father. By seeing this Yoshi realizes how his sons would like to do things together with him like hanging out. He apologizes to Donnie and tellshim that he may have lied but it is truth he wanted to spend time with him.

Along with getting more involved in his sons´s lives by teaching them and spending time with them, he lets Mikey hang out with Draxum because Mikey considers him part of the family too. (Draxum created them). He didn´t trust Draxum due to their mutual past but decides to give him a chance for Mikey´s sake.

In conclusion: In Rise of the tmnt, Splinter starts as somewhat a neglectful parent figure, sometimes acting childish and not being the best role model for their sons. Overtime he begins to understand the consequences of not training his family and gets more involved in their lives. He tries to be a responsible father despite he had tons of issues with his own family growing up. While very flawed, he has good intentions and cares deeply about his sons.

[xaibaugrove]

Everyone in the Krew is Problematic

I was inspired to go on this rant by someone who recently brought up a question in a server I’m in, asking why so many people in the fandom seem to hate Mako and Makorra and why. This wouldn’t be the first time I defend Mako and it most likely won’t be the last, but it might be the first time I tear him and everyone else in the Krew down in the process, only to bring them back up. Hear me out though.

I think I’ve totally accepted that a lot of people in this fandom will always hate Mako and that I will have to perpetually defend him, I understand that this is the relationship I’ve chosen with this world. But what I still will never understand are the reasons why people hate/dislike him because compared to how much they love other characters in the Krew who honestly aren’t that much better than him (in some cases, even worse!), it doesn’t make any sense.

Let me also preface this by saying, I love these characters with all my heart and soul, probably more than I should love fictional characters, but this is the life I live and with that being said, I am going to tear them apart just to prove a point. Okay, here we go.

MAKO

Most of his detractors list the usual criticisms, which are valid when isolated. He cheated on Asami, he lied to Korra, he was a terrible boyfriend and essentially he treated the women he claimed to love or care about horribly. Gee, it’s almost like the man was a teenager with no experience in having long-lasting, healthy relationships and was raised in the streets by gangmembers while doing anything to survive and provide for his younger sibling after seeing his parents killed right in front of him and suddenly being orphaned…

I think Mako has been torn down enough, so I won’t get too deep into the tearing down part for him. It really does baffle me how someone can claim to be woke and not comprehend how someone coming from poverty could possibly be a product of their environment. Like, does everyone think that poor people automatically have hearts of gold and turn out like Little Orphan Annie? Why are people surprised that when someone has a shitty life, they might do shitty things?

Also, sooo many people love Zuko, who actively tried to cause harm to Aang, Katara and Sokka numerous times, and sympathize with his troubled past. But like, sure Zuko had an abusive father and his mother peaced out of his life for whatever reasons but at least he had his uncle. Mako had his parents for maybe 8 years before they were murdered in front of him and then had...no one for the next 10 years? Except for Bolin, sure, but no other parental figure in his life. Dude literally had to become him and his brother’s own parent and joined a gang to survive, and after all that, the worst he does is acts as a bad boyfriend toward Korra and Asami and he is instantly thrown to the wolves. Something doesn’t add up. It’s just...I don’t get it.

Yes, the way he treated people was bad, but people can grow? That’s a thing humans can do. And he was a teenager, my god. No, we cannot allow our past to be an excuse for how we treat others, but we have to be aware that there is a growth process to being human. And being human in and of itself, isn’t pretty. You think Mako is problematic? Don’t get me started on your fave.

KORRA

Ok, I love this woman to death but she is ridiculously problematic. She pursued someone in a relationship and essentially forced Mako to cheat on Asami by kissing him against his will, that’s already pretty awful and shows a lack of empathy on her part, also kissing people without their consent is no bueno. But also I just have to say it for the people who might not know this. One of the fundamental reasons why Makorra didn’t work was because KORRA WAS ABUSIVE. Okay? It wasn’t just that Mako was inadequate at relationships and didn’t know how to people, it wasn’t that she was secretly confused and wanting Asami the entire time (biphobia at it’s best) one of the main problems in the pairing was that Korra was crazy abusive towards Mako. Seriously, why don’t I see this more often in those discussions??

If we need examples, I have dozens. Honestly, it’s really easy to see how terrible Korra was to Mako, I’d actually argue that she treated him worse than he treated her. I mean, they were both terrible to one another, but in Korra’s case she went through the motions of being completely infatuated with your first teenage crush, getting with said crush, then crashing and burning once you realize that you have no idea how to treat a romantic partner so after the butterflies wear off you subject them to all the wonderful aspects of your anger issues. Not only did she scream at Mako during every argument they had, she also threatened him with bodily harm if she got really angry. Remember how their relationship crashed and burned in Book 2? Here are the things that Korra did during that time. Let me reiterate, this was not okay.

Mako is visibly shaken by this!

This woman burst into her boyfriend’s place of work and violently kicked his desk out from in front of him with all his coworkers present. That is not normal behavior. That is a red flag. And after she came back, had amnesia or whatever and forgot they broke up after that scene, let’s not forget that Mako was legitimately Afraid to break up with her again. Korra made her partner frightened that they might suffer bodily harm if they upset her. Again, and I can’t stress this enough, this is not okay!

The little scene in Book 3 when Korra is lifting Mako like 100 feet off the ground with airbending while he’s screaming in fear just to make Asami laugh is cute, right? I’ll admit, I loved that little moment too, it’s one of the only instances of Korrasami development that we got, but also, there were sooo many things wrong with that scene lol. Not only does Korra terrify Mako for literally no reason, it’s also sort of just her continuing to exercise some degree of power over him for her own amusement. Almost like a subtle reminder to him saying, “I am stronger than you in every way and I can break your femur like a twig if I wanted to… but I won’t, so look how much fun we’re having!”

Now of course, there are reasons why Korra acts like this. She was isolated for almost her entire life and never learned how to treat people and be around people. The Avatar is human because they must live amongst the people they protect and that helps them develop empathy and cherish life. The White Lotus deprived her of that fundamental aspect of her duty as the Avatar and it showed throughout the beginning of the series. Clearly, she was young, didn’t see how her actions could negatively affect others and hurt the feelings of not just her partner but also friends and family (she was really awful towards a lot of people in her life!). But as the series went on, we see her having less outbursts and learning to control her temper more.

One can only assume that she does not have the same behavior with Asami because for one, I don’t think Asami would play that shit, she seems like she would electrocute a bitch in a heartbeat and not hesitate if needed, but also Korra is not the same shitty partner she used to be as a teenager. Again, kids do stupid things. Adults do stupid things. And we learn and we grow. Korra will probably make some more mistakes in her relationship with Asami. I don't think anyone can have one bad relationship and suddenly learn all the lessons they can from it and have a perfect one the next go around. I can totally picture Korra losing her temper and raising her voice at Asami if she gets frustrated and forgets who she’s dealing with. Managing anger issues is hard, I know this from experience, and it doesn’t magically get easier. Of course, if Korra does pop off, Asami would definitely put her in her place because she’s a bad bitch who doesn’t take anyone’s shit, next character.

ASAMI

You know her, you love her, you fantasize about her and you probably have her on your list of fictional characters you would totally bang if you had the chance (I know I do), yes, even your best girl is problematic. It’s interesting to me that a lot of people sympathize with Asami and very few openly criticize her (so few that I’ve never seen anyone say a bad thing about her). What’s there to criticize though? The poor girl was cheated on by Mako, had her feelings disregarded by Korra, who claimed to be her friend but pursued her then-boyfriend behind her back and then made up for it by simping for her for the rest of her life? Also her mom was murdered when she was just 6 years old, her father threatened to kill her once and physically abused her, then died right after they started repairing their relationship, essentially making her an orphan at the ripe age of 22. Suffice it to say, Asami has been through it.

So, how could she be problematic, you ask? Why, of course, through the classic Bryke technique of romance progression in storylines called Kissing People Without Their Consent

To be honest, I did gloss over this with Korra, simply because there were sooo many other issues with that woman and I just couldn’t go through every single one in as much detail but that doesn’t negate how serious this whole sneak attack kissing thing is. Sure, Asami is very emotional and lonely and sort of desperate too, (it's a little sad, really) but Mako is clearly uncomfortable and completely caught off guard by the kiss. This is also the second time this happens to him in the series! There are a couple factors that might contribute to why Asami does this and acts this way, maybe Korra’s general awfulness rubbed off on her (don’t make a dirty joke) but this is still wrong.

AND that’s...pretty much it. Kissing people without their permission is a big no no, though. Not wanting to gloss over that, but Asami really is a good person who just did a not-so-great thing. Getting burned by Mako twice probably made her a little less inclined to be as forward with anyone though, and it looks like she now takes her time and is patient in her relationship with Korra. It even seems like Asami is the only person Korra is afraid to upset, as Korra does seem more gentle and calm when around her. And who knows? Maybe Asami living a life where a majority of the time she got whatever she wanted when she wanted it might have also influenced her to be more assertive or even imposing within her relationships.

If anything, those three fools getting into relationships with each other just showed how not ready they were to be in relationships in the first place and also how not okay they were.

BOLIN

Originally I titled this as “Everyone in the Krew is problematic (except Bolin)” but then I remembered that Bolin totally kissed a woman without her consent so I deleted the shit out of that!

This asshole looks genuinely pleased with himself after essentially assaulting Ginger. Not a good look.

Sure, Bolin is baby. He will always be baby to me. But that does not erase the fact that he also actively supported a fascist dictator. Not only was the kissing without consent thing bad, but there’s also that. No matter how many times people around him warned him about the fact that he was on the wrong side of things, that he was helping someone who was putting people into concentration camps...Bolin wanted to believe the best of Kuvira. He ignored obvious signs that the woman was a dictator committing human rights violations like crazy and you know, there’s gotta be a reason for that too.

Maybe Bolin wanted to feel like he was doing something good for once. When you think about it, with his role as the comic relief in the Krew, and sort of constantly being infantilized by his older brother, I wouldn’t be surprised if the man developed some insecurity in his ability to do anything good or useful for anyone without screwing it up in some way. In Kuvira’s army, it seemed like he was actually taken seriously, he felt like he was doing something that mattered. Korra had being the Avatar, Asami had her business and mindblowing philanthropy (honestly, her ability to be as charitable as she is profitable is insane) and Mako had his police work (ACAB, tho). Bolin had...the role of being a joke. A superficial actor. A former pro-bending meathead.

Bolin lived his entire life following after his brother that once they were adults and Mako finally decided to live his own life for once, it left Bolin completely lost. And lost young men are perfect recruits for fascists.

So, in conclusion, my whole reasoning behind destroying the integrity of my favorite characters is to prove a huge point. All of these characters are problematic. They have flaws, some bigger than others (looking at you, Korra. Just...wow), but ultimately, even if your fave is problematic... that’s okay. A lot of people, mostly younger people it seems, are really obsessed with being right about everything that they do and stan. And that’s a wonderful thing, so much change has come about by the younger generations calling out people who do fucked up shit, don’t want or try to improve, and get away with it. But it’s also caused a lot of people to be unforgiving and completely unwilling to acknowledge when people do improve and try to be better.

Personally, I love my problematic Krew because having issues that you’re constantly working on internally is human. It’s human to make mistakes, it’s human to grow from those mistakes. And it’s inspiring to me, who is wholly imperfect, to see myself reflected in fictional characters who aren’t perpetuating unrealistic ideals of human nature, characters who are messy, crazy and ultimately human.

As one of my favorite manga artists and queen of impeccable character creation Rumiko Takahashi once said:

“I think that perfect people are not very interesting.”

And I will always wholeheartedly agree.

[jostenneil]

Hi, I saw your post (I think) about how Kory and Dick's relationships had problems before they broke up, even when Wolfman was writing them? Do you mind elaborating?

my problems mostly stem from dick's behavior towards kory in the arc where she has to marry karras (we first see foreshadowing of this arc in vol 2, #10, but the arc concretely begins at the end of vol 2, #13). even before the start of the arc we obv know a constant tension between the two of them, despite the fact that they very much love each other, is that dick is averse to kory's "savage" ways and finds it hard to accept her embracing them. and on a surface level, i'm not incensed by that, he has valid reasons for exercising restraint and for worrying what she might do if she goes too far, but i also feel like the marriage arc kind of emphasizes just how unwilling dick is to compromise on. . . a lot of things. kory pleads with him in so many ways to try to understand her position, not just with regards to embracing her cultural upbringing but also with regards to her duty to her people, and he acts like an asshole. like, even if we allow for the fact that he's upset he has to lose the love of his life to a political marriage to someone else, or that he's upset at how kory is being used by her family again, the strain of which i'm absolutely sympathetic to, it's the way that he takes out his anger on her that really sticks out to me, especially since kory tries to placate and plead in comparison. i find it ironic that he criticizes her for being "savage" and reverting to her instincts rather than exercising what he'd refer to as restraint and reason, when the way that he acts with her is arguably unreasonable and drawing on reactionary anger. ntm, to me at least, kory is more than capable of acting reasonably anyway. just bc she's a warrior doesn't mean that she's recklessly violent or cruel or that she doesn't put forethought into her decisions when she does decide to lean on violent ends (i feel like you could even branch off into another argument from here about how writers in general are always trying to contend with kory's "savagery" and whether it can be accepted or not by her friends, when there's so much else about her that could be explored rather than reverting back to the same conflict of establishing something about her as "wrong" that needs to be "fixed")

and like, yes, in the end it does get resolved and dick does apologize to her for not being more understanding but idk i feel like it's a bit shitty that it takes him thinking she was dead (vol 2, #34) for him to be able to admit to how poorly he treated her. and it's a bit sad to read in retrospect of the two prior issues where kory is overjoyed to see him and he just kinda acts standoffish and unmoving bc he's so stuck on the fact that she got married to someone else as if she wasn't begging him repeatedly to understand that he's the only one she loves (admittedly, #32-33 are written by levitz but the foreshadowing of dick's behavior in them was in #31, written by wolfman). in general there seems to be this pattern in their relationship of kory being the one to more openly commit, to put it one way? like it's obv that dick loves her more than anything but i think sometimes he doesn't try to understand what her upbringing entails for how she feels and operates emotionally and so we see this progression wherein she's always putting 100% of herself and more into their relationship and it's not necessarily always met in the same measure. like the way that people write them post-wolfman era is definitely an exaggeration of things to make them breaking up seem more reasonable but at the same time i don't think it's entirely ooc that kory's constantly the one putting herself out there and believing wholeheartedly in their love only to be let down time and time again, and i think a hindrance of wolfman's writing of her in general is he couldn't seem to allow her to grow outside of her relationship with dick and that's reflected on nearly every interpretation of her in the years thereafter where he's allowed to move on (admittedly in really shitty stories) and she isn't

[peppermintbee]

OMORI’s poor writing (Part 2)

Once again, if you are a big fan of OMORI, this review is not for you. Treasure this game, love it, recommend it, make fan art, buy the merch, do what you will with it. I am not here to take OMORI away from anyone. Based on the overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam, I know that my opinion is in the minority.

However, just as the fans have the right to praise the game, I have the right to examine it, criticize it, and explain why it failed to provide a compelling experience. This is second part of my review where I will tackle OMORI’s problematic themes and disrespectful appropriation of mental health.

[ See Part 1: Plot Writing Lies ]

(Note: I use “OMORI” in all-caps for the game title, and “Omori” in title case for the character name.)

Spoilers and criticism below.

Part 2: OMORI’s message is mishandled and distasteful

OMORI provides a warning that it depicts scenes of depression, anxiety, and suicide. Because the game includes these scenes, I assumed these mental health issues are presented in a way that is meaningful and respectful.

However, that is not the case. 

Despite having depictions of such, this game is not really about depression, anxiety, or even suicide. It’s about committing a horrible crime, lying about it, and getting over the guilt.

1. Suicide as a game mechanic

Suicidal thoughts are intrusive, terrifying, and painful. As well as ending the victim's life, suicide wreaks havoc on the lives of those who once knew them. It is often a taboo topic, but discussing such matters is an important step to understanding and preventing it. Video games are a medium well suited to approaching such dark topics.

Unfortunately, OMORI does not handle the topic of suicide well at all.

First, suicide is written as a unavoidable game mechanic that seems to have been included for shallow reasons such as aesthetic and shock value. To leave Sunny’s headspace and wake up, you--as a player--must direct him to stab himself in the stomach. 

But why? It’s not like waking up involves some sort of major sacrifice. In fact, waking up is something that is more or less unavoidable. Reality should be something that snatches Sunny away from his headspace against his will, perhaps as an encroaching darkness that Sunny can run from, but never truly escape. But instead, facing reality is something you are forced to opt into in the most needlessly violent way possible.

Forcing you--as a player--to literally commit suicide just to wake up from a dream is a pointless, distasteful, and disrespectful action that sets a precedent for suicide not being taken seriously in this game. (And it isn’t.)

In the black space, Omori is pressured to kill a cat. In that scene, regardless of your choice, you are forced to kill yourself. However, the act of stabbing yourself has been seen so many times at that point that it has completely lost any impact. Who cares about suicide when it’s been reduced to just a means of travel?

Lastly, if you fail to defeat the final boss, Sunny commits suicide in the real world. However, this is not a cutscene, it is once again something that you--as a player--are forced to do to progress. Putting these actions in the hands of a player is not as meaningful as the writer seems to believe, because there are no other options to progress. Any weight in making that decision is lost to resignation; a frustrated sigh of “Well, okay, fine. I guess I have to click Z here.” You are then rewarded with a SLAPPING pop song and a psychedelic cutscene of Sunny falling to his death. It’s tasteless to its core and appropriates the deaths of every suicidal person as a quirky, shallow “bad end.”

(Seriously, this is how the writer decided to depict a child taking his own life.)

2. Sunny/Omori is a poor presentation of depression

Sunny/Omori does not smile. Even in past photographs before The Incident, he still is not smiling. The contrast between Sunny and his friends stands out like a sore thumb, so I assumed this was the writer’s attempt to show that Sunny is dealing with depression, where he can’t be happy even in happy situations.

Of course, if that were the case it would be inaccurate since depressed people do smile and do hide their true feelings. They are often dismissed with, “You can’t be depressed, I saw you smiling once.” However, I was willing to let Sunny’s chronic frown slide because sometimes you have to oversimplify an idea to get your point across.

Much to my surprise, there is NO evidence of Sunny having depression before The Incident and there is very little indication of him having depression throughout the game either. The evidence of this is that while looking at a family portrait, Sunny comments that he's never liked to smile. Since he's a a baby in this portrait, this goes to show that his not smiling is simply a preference -- a quirky character trait that makes him stand out so that you feel an emotion during the true ending when he finally smiles. 

Everything in the game seems to point to him being pretty happy and well adjusted up until he killed Mari. Then, even after he killed Mari, he pretty much looks and behaves the same way. Wouldn’t it be more jarring and tragic if you saw Sunny was happy in the past, but depressed now?

Which leads me to my next point...

3. Sunny and Basil are not depressed, they’re guilty (and for good reason)

In the book I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t), Brené Brown explains the difference between feeling guilt and shame.

Guilt means: “I did something bad.” Shame means: “I am something bad.”

Guilt, when attributed to bad behavior, is actually a healthy emotion. It means that you have a sense of right and wrong, that you empathize with those you’ve hurt, and it motivates you to make things right.

Shame is an unhealthy emotion. It arrests growth, destroys self-esteem, causes poor decision making, isolates you from your loved ones, and is directly correlated with anxiety and depression.

OMORI should be a game about overcoming shame. All the right set pieces are there. Sunny’s walled himself off, his sister (allegedly) committed suicide, and he seems to be struggling with lifelong depression. However, this all falls apart, when it’s revealed that he killed his sister and staged her death as a suicide to escape blame (with Basil’s help). He DID do something bad. It’s not shame, it’s literally guilt.

All at once, OMORI stops being a game about recovering from grief and depression and becomes a game that demands the player to sympathize with a killer and liar who is hiding from his crimes. Because he and Basil feel bad about what they did, Sunny and Basil are presented as greater victims than their actual victim.

4. OMORI asks you empathize with villains (with ZERO self awareness)

Games where you are playing a character with a guilty conscience has been told before, but where OMORI really fails is that Sunny is not truly held accountable for what he did to others. Instead, the game focuses on HIS pain: since killing his sister he’s been isolated, he’s having nightmares, and he’s suicidal. 

The plot of the game is focused on helping Sunny forgive himself for ruining other people’s lives. The writing barely acknowledges how his friends/family feel about what he did. When his victims’ pain IS addressed, it’s either used to further victimize Sunny (ie: isn’t it sad for him that he made his friends so sad?) or it’s used to reassure the player that Sunny’s victims have forgiven him (or will forgive him). 

In fact, the game holds Mari responsible for her own death, citing that her "perfectionism" must have been what pushed Sunny to attack her. OMORI presents Mari, through headspace, as someone who accepted death gracefully and wants Sunny to live a happy life. She is never given her own voice and nothing in the game suggests she is capable of feeling bitter over her death and postmortem desecration. She plays the role of the Madonna archetype--and the perfect victim--allowing the player to empathize entirely with Sunny while accepting that Mari brought everything on herself.

[Mari suggesting that Sunny acting out his aggression on her was her fault.]

The climax of this game is NOT Sunny telling the truth to his friends. The climax is Sunny defeating his guilt and forgiving himself. We know this because the story does not even show how his friends respond to his confession, because-- once again-- what’s most important thing is resolving Sunny’s pain, not the pain he has caused others. (Though the game does heavily imply that his friends will forgive him.)

[Pictured: the boys shedding their guilt is the true happy ending ]

Imagine, for a moment, if this game was about an abuser, who caused immense pain to someone and got away with it. Then, the whole game was about how they felt bad for the abuse they caused, and-- as a player-- you help them forgive THEMSELF for their past abuse. Then, in the last few seconds of the game, they either apologize to their victim or kill themself. The victim’s response is not shown because it is not important.

This is the plot of OMORI, except with a bunch of excuses thrown on top to make it more palatable. Sunny and Basil are just soooo cute and sad. Killing Mari was an accident. Stringing her body up like a piñata was a juvenile mistake. The boys feel SO BAD that they want to kill themselves. And because suicide is so tragic, you-- as an audience-- are manipulated into empathizing them.

5. In OMORI, suicide is used as a cheap ploy for sympathy

As I mentioned before, suicide is horrible and tragic. People struggling with suicidal ideation need help, support, and respect. That said, let’s make one thing clear: being suicidal does not automatically make someone a good person. There are plenty of examples of criminals who kill themselves to escape the penalty or guilt for something they did. It is so common in the news that I don’t think I have to list out examples.

In bad endings, Sunny and Basil’s suicides are 100% motivated by guilt for their very real crimes. Now, it should be stated, Sunny and Basil do not deserve to die. And because suicide is such an extreme, permanent end for those two boys, we-- as players-- are invested in preventing that tragic end at all costs.

However, the looming threat of suicide is used as leverage to force the audience to dismiss the severity of what Sunny and Basil did. As I’ve said before, the plot of the game is about soothing and alleviating Sunny’s guilt and stopping him from killing himself as opposed to making things right. 

The worst thing is, this tactic actually works. The threat of suicide is so strong, it has distracted many players from the truth that this story is about sympathizing with a boy who has killed his sister, with little regard for those his actions have affected (see point #4).

It’s terrible because suicide is such a serious topic worthy of discussion, but when used as little more than pity-bait, it twists your perception of what the characters did and silences those who try to criticize how this game handles such topics.

6. Mari's suicide being fake is a terrible twist

Lastly, by revealing Mari’s “suicide” as an accidental death, OMORI misses an opportunity to tell a much more powerful story. In the first half of this game, when Mari is thought to have committed suicide at the young age of 15, is a sobering moment. That tragedy is something very real.

If Mari had killed herself as opposed to being killed, Sunny isolating himself after his sister takes her own life is realistic. Mari’s death coming as a surprise is also realistic; how often have we heard people saying that they never knew someone was suffering? That they seemed like such a happy person?

Losing a loved one to suicide does not just cause horrible grief, but crippling shame as well. Those left behind will blame themselves, tormented by thoughts of how they could have saved them, how they would do anything to get them back. That shame can follow you forever, haunting you like a ghost, threatening you with the same fate. Overcoming that grief and shame is no simple task, and I truly thought OMORI was going to be about grappling with grief and letting go of survivor guilt.

Instead, Mari didn’t commit suicide, her life was cut short by her brother. Then, her body was staged as a suicide, forever changing how her family and friends perceived her. Her hanging body did not represent a devastating loss of life and horror of teen depression, but instead is a cheap twist that represents Sunny’s guilt for killing her and tampering with her corpse.

Conclusion:

As I’ve mentioned before OMORI has a lot of potential. The set pieces of a depressed kid who escapes to a dream world to cope with his unresolved trauma is one that had the makings to be very meaningful. However, it fumbles these issues, creating a sloppy plot that results in a problematic message. It’s baffling that this even happened, especially considering the length of time this was in development.

[transsexualhamlet]

001 for bsd 002 for dead apple trio 003 for shibusawa <33

Hihihi!! :3 :3 Ask game

001: BSD

Favorite character: It would be very difficult to come up with a favorite character of all time for bsd theres just SO many blorbos to choose from but um. Fyodor is my top blorbo

Least Favorite character: This is a no brainer but I just cannot stand fukuchi I know there's a lot of points about legitimate political themes but also I'm sorry I cannot take an old man who makes fart jokes seriously about anything

5 favorite ships: Fyogol Fyozai Atsuluaku (I think lucy could fix shin soukoku) dead apple trio and the whole DOA polycule ehehe gay people

Character I find most attractive: chuuya HANDS DOWN. No argument I will not be taking constructive criticism I am on my knees for this man

Character I would marry: ALSO CHUUYA but if i had to choose someone different, Lucy. I love them both so fucking much and I think they are actually good loveable fun and interesting people

Character I would be best friends with: Akutagawa or Fyodor. My type of best friend is wet cat i picked up out of the gutter I would fix them up good I promise

A random thought: God the tik tok fandom of bsd is absolutely rancid and it's really just a wasteland of people fighting each other tooth and nail for chuuya nakahara custody since literally everyone is convinced they're the only one who understands him and then proceeds to give the worst takes ever on him

Unpopular opinion: Mori is in general a good person and he really and truly wants the best for the city and for the world and the world he lives in has forced him to make very bad decisions, he has decided to be the bad guy for the world to function and near anyone else in his position would fucking crumble. He is fair and kind and allows the least amount of suffering possible though he knows that he does not deserve forgiveness for the things he has had to do. Without him the world would go to shit so fast.

Canon otp: I mean, there's not any canon ships in bsd really, but in terms of Most canon I would probably consider fukumori or shin soukoku? I love soukoku too but you know im Picky about it

Non-canon otp: ah yes the these characters have had One (1) interaction but they're fucking. Fyoya and Nikozai and also Sigzai i fucking love them

Most badass character: IM SORRY BRO ITS STILL HANDS DOWN CHUUYA HES TAKING ALL THE AWARDS TONIGHT CHUUYA CAN USE ME AS A FUCKING DOORMAT

Most Epic villain: Nikolai ofc he's 100 percent the most unhinged motherfucker in the cast and I am bonded to him on a molecular level Help

Pairing I am not a fan of: I feel like I've been over this a lot and at this point I just don't wanna make anybody sad bc I know people who ship just about everything sane and normal so you know you do you as long as it's not fucking gross yknow

Character I feel the writers screwed up: Teruko could have been an absolute girlboss if they didn't give her the. I don't know the. The Fukuchi Thing why did they do that seriously what why

Favorite friendship: Yes yes Dazai and Oda very much so Dazai and Oda but hAVE YOU CONSIDERED Chuuya and the flags. I'm all holding them so tightly you don't even fucking understand. They're so important

Character I most identify with: :|. Nikolai and Dazai. I should not be allowed in public spaces

Character I wish I could be: YOU ALREADY KNOW WHO IM GONNA SAYITS FUCKING CHUUYA. There's not many people in bsd whose situations/mental states I really envy tbh. Dazai is crusty and sad and I don't want to ever see the state of his apartment. Fyodor is even sicker than me. Akutagawa's on the brink of death at all times. Being Ranpo would kill me because I would not be able to keep up the illusion of having an ability and I wouldn't be able to handle the thought that I didn't have one and everyone else did. All my kins are so sad and sick and in awful situations except CHUUYA who is being BADASS and MAKING BANK and GETTING BITCHES. Yes, he has obviously had so much tragedy in his life and he has very much suffered but the fact remains that he has gone through it and come out even stronger than before. He's such a guy I want to be him so bad

002: Dead Apple Trio :))

When I started shipping them: Literally the second I met these guys I was like Oh They're Fucking. All thru the first time I watched dead apple it just. More and more. These fuckers gay as shit

My thoughts: I looove them so much and they are so fucking terrible they're awful people and they love terrorism and genocide and being queercoded villains. They're in their big gothic spire doing gay crimes. Everything they do is labeled under 'consensual but not safe or sane'

What makes me happy about them: I love thinking of them all as some flavor of transfem nonbinary and they are so queer and gnc girlbosses that did nothing wrong they're so important to me shibusawa designed their wedding dresses and dead apple is the honeymoon

What makes me sad about them: I mean, I usually just call them girlbosses and call it a day but the thing is, the one thing that really brings them together is their fucking mental illness. Without unmedicated depression, unconventional takes on religion, and several personality disorders each, those three would never even talk to each other. The reason they care so much for each other is because they're the only ones who truly understand each other, they can see through each other's lies and straight to their rotted empty fucking ribcages. They only come together when they're at their absolute worst. They probably met at a sleazy gay bar and if it weren't for all their own grand schemes, at the slightest negative emotion they would just meet up there again and lace all their drinks with cyanide

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: I mean. There's like 20 fanfics in the dead apple trio tag total, and 90 percent of them annoy the shit out of me, but yknow. I don't like it when they treat Dazai like some sort of victim in this situation, like, no he is 100 percent into this. This is normal for him and he signed up to get stabbed. Also people who think Shibusawa tops anyone are dumb as shit look at those acrylic nails sh;drgsfdoig

Things I look for in fanfic: IF IT'S NOT PRETENTIOUS AS SHIT, I'M NOT INTERESTED HSDIFHDS but seriously I think the important thing to realize is that this trio is that they're each other's bad habit. Most of the time they're totally clean of each other but every once and a while they will just fall into that hole again and come together to dig it deeper and deeper. They're awful for each other and nothing can save them. As much as the porn is good I wish there were more fics that had actual plots for them

My wishlist: I mean. Shibusawa is kind of dead for realsies now so it's not like they'll meet again anyway and I don't think I need them to be any more canon than they are, yknow? That's how I feel with most of my ships because like. There's already soo much subtext there for me, but if it was explicit, it would literally just be demonizing queer people and queer relationships and would be taken completely wrong and I think. It's just fine the way it is bc to me it is very clear they're gay sdhighdfs

Who I'd be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: I mean,, I don't know if I can really see a hypothetical Happy Ending for any of these guys. Perhaps there might be one for Dazai, if he can keep his shit together from now on, but not for both. I really do like the idea of both Fyodor and Dazai living and having to attempt to fix each other together, I really do, although I don't think Nikolai would survive in that situation :(, but that's not something that would happen in canon lol. Fyozai will either die together with Nikolai or it'll be Dazai alone. In that case, I think Dazai should be with Kunikida. They would actually be good for each other, I really do think that.

My happily ever after for them: There is NO happily ever after for the dead apple trio, as much as it's sad to say, there really and truly isn't. They're not good for each other, they're not a sustainable polycule as much as they love each other. Fyozai could hypothetically move on together and mourn Shibusawa, but there's no way they'd be good with him alive, there just isn't.

003 Shibusawa !!! Ok this is hard he interacts with like 3 people

How I feel about this character: Shibusawa sucks and I love him. He's a pillow princess. He's my wife. He tortures children but he would be a good mom I swear. He wants an e-z bake oven. He is an international terrorist but he is also a crazy cat lady. He walked into yokohama to start the apocalypse dressed like a cottagecore grandma with a million dollars of stolen jewelry in his purse and got called the t slur ten seconds before the fog came. I hate him hes my favorite he uses his science skills to create estrogen laced cupcakes

Any/all people I ship romantically with this character: Obviously Fyodor and Dazai but also Ivan. Shibusawa needed like a body double for some plot and Fyodor was like "I've got this crazy weirdo with long white hair who looks a lot like you, I can rent him out for five dollars an hour" and they hit it off like nobody's business. Now Shibusawa uses him as a crazy gay test subject for his unethical experiments and they kiss and Ivan is madly in love with him

My unpopular opinion about this character: I don't know why people hate Shibusawa so much. On international women's day week too?? Im sorry women can do anything. I'm all for awful evil women, Shibusawa included. Genuinely I don't get how anyone could think Shibusawa is like. A man. One thing you have to understand about me. Is that Shibusawa is my wife

One thing I wish would happen/had happened with this character in canon: I WANT HIM TO WEAR A DRESS. BIG DRESS. POOFY FANCY DRESS. VICTORIAN BALLGOWN. HE DESERVES IT. HE WOULD LOVE IT

Favorite friendship for this character: I think that Shibusawa and Nikolai would be good friends. They gush about Fyodor and Nikolai is Shibusawa's crazy friend who gives him all his awful ideas and Shibusawa encourages everything. Also there's my and my friend's ocs Fran and Kafu who are both. Around Shibusawa ™ but that's a whole nother story. Fran is his younger cousin who helps him exist and Kafu is this absolutely insane fucking creature who's deeply in love with him and is in his walls

Crossover ship: I have never thought about this ever before but after some consideration. Albert Moriarty. I think they would get along well. I really do think they would get absolutely fucking wasted and Shibusawa would get fucking railed after they talked about how much they hated rich people and killing rich people and stealing rich people's money to kill more people and how fucked up the world is and how they wanna die

[duggardata]

Were Jed + Katey “Betrothed”?

There’s a bit of a rumor going around Fundie Tumblr, saying that Jed Duggar + Katey Nakatsu’s Relationship followed a procedure known as ‘betrothal,’ rather than the Duggar–typical ‘courtship.’  Ultimately, I think the distinction is more–or–less meaningless...  Either way, it’s a parent–supervised, chaste, patriarchal method of ‘dating,’ as much as the Duggars despise that word.  But, honestly, I’m intrigued by the Duggars’, etc., odd relationship practices—and, I’d like to discuss the possibility that Jed + Katey were, indeed, ‘betrothed.”

After the jump...

First of all...

What is Courtship?

As Duggar Snarkers, we’re probably all familiar with the concept of ‘courtship.’  The Duggars (and Bateses, etc.) often discuss it.  Basically, they like to say it’s ‘dating with a purpose.’  You don’t date for the sake of dating; you only date if you’re ready for marriage and believe your partner is your intended spouse.  A Duggar–style courtship also differs from ‘secular dating’ in that there is a lot of parental involvement:  The man pursues the woman only after getting consent from her father, and both partners are expected to seek their parents’ counsel as the relationship progresses to determine if marriage is appropriate.  There’s also a slew of rules, which vary somewhat, but often include—

Strict Limitations on Physical Contact   Sex is always off–limits, as is kissing in most cases.  Certain types of hugs might be banned.  Hand–holding might be banned.  ‘No Touch’ courtships aren’t unheard of.

Constant Supervision / Chaperoning   Usually, the couple isn’t alone together, ever, until marriage.  Chaperones tend to be ‘provided’ by the woman’s family.  Sometimes phone calls and texts are monitored.

Entrenched Gender Roles   Generally, the man is in control.  He asks the woman to court, decides when they get engaged, etc.  His partner begins a sad transformation, wherein she starts looking to the male as her absolute ‘headship’ and leader....  It’s creepy.

Lots of Praying  Everyone involved prays a lot and tries to figure out if the pairing is ‘God’s will,’ or not.

Courtship is a commitment, but it is not unbreakable.  Sometimes courtships fail, and that’s by design...  The whole point is to figure out if you’re meant to marry one another.  You haven’t decided yet.  You’re trying to decide.

What is Betrothal?

So...  How does ‘betrothal’ compare?  First of all, I need to say:  There isn’t a 100% agreed upon definition of ‘betrothal,’ here, since the Duggars have not ever publicly discussed it or publicly engaged in the practice.  With that said, I’ve done some research about ‘betrothal’ in Duggar–y circles, and here’s the gist...

With betrothal, there’s no trial period.  From the start, the couple vows—often literally—to eventually marry their partner.  There’s no backing out.  (If you do, you’re breaking your vow to God.)  Basically...  You go from zero to engaged.  (And, really, it’s more than engaged.  With a typical engagement, there isn’t a solemn vow before God; with betrothal, there is.)  After the betrothal, the new couple spends a period of time getting acquainted and planning the wedding, and then they get married.  As with courtship, the rules of betrothal vary a lot; however, in my research, I did see some trends.  Here are the ways that, IMO, betrothal notably varies from courtship—

Solemn Vow to Marry w/ Little to No Trial Period   See Above.

Ceremony / Ritual Aspect   Often, the betrothal itself occurs at some sort of ceremony.  It’s solemnized.  Often, there’s a literal exchange of vows, similar to a wedding ceremony.  Contracts aren’t unheard of.

More Extreme Parental Involvement   Often, the parents—the father, specifically—is even more involved than is typical in a ‘courtship.’  He often takes on essentially the entire responsibility of vetting the young suitor for his daughter, since there’s no ‘trial period’ where she gets to know him before being betrothed.  Basically, the father picked out his daughter’s husband for her.  That’s the whole point.

“Arranged” Feeling   See Above.  It’s not unheard of for the man and woman to meet for the first time on the date of their betrothal.

(Note—I’m talking about fundie–style betrothal, here.  Betrothal is actually a long–standing practice of various groups.  Notably, it’s part of Judaism, and discussed in the Torah.  We’re not talking about that sort of betrothal or any other sort of betrothal, here.  I’m strictly talking about the bizarre concept of betrothal occasionally practiced on the fringes of the Duggars’ circle.)

More About Fundie Betrothal

What’s clear, at least to me, is that fundie ‘betrothal’ is a way to ‘one–up’ the more typical practice of ‘courtship.’  Apparently, rejecting dating isn’t enough for some families.  They’re not satisfied just to ‘court,’ like everyone else.  So, they take things one step further with ‘betrothal,’ which they claim is better—more biblical, etc.—than mere ‘courtship.’

Digging into this, Duggar Data learned that a few fringe fundies really pushed this ‘betrothal’ concept.  One was Vaughn Ohlman.  Ohlman previously ran a website called ‘Let Them Marry,’ which creepily encouraged young marriage.  Basically, Ohlman’s whole schtick—which he sums up in “True Love Doesn’t Wait,” an article that is basically his manifesto—is that young fundies should marry as soon as possible, since supposedly the Bible says so, and God.  In pushing this strange agenda, Ohlman naturally got to the topic of the proper way to select a spouse...  His answer was ‘betrothal.’  (See Also.)  Eventually, Ohlman traveled the country, teaching about betrothal and how it’s the ‘right’ way to find a mate.  Courtship is ungodly and unbiblical, yada yada yada.  (If you’re wondering...  Yes, he was nuts.  Absolutely nuts.  Thankfully, he ended up shutting down his ministry after receiving a lot of well–earned criticism.)

Vaughan married off his son, Joshua, via a betrothal.  Here’s Joshua + Laura’s Story, which is one of the best–known fundie betrothal stories.  Another well–known, and highly disturbing, betrothal story is that of Matthew + Maranatha Chapman.  (See Also.  See Also.)  Also, here’s a chart comparing betrothal to secular dating and courtship, which I thought was pretty interesting.     

So, What About Jed + Katey?

Why, exactly, do people think Jed + Katey were betrothed?  A few things drive the rumor—

The ‘Biblical Betrothal’ Post   There’s a mysterious, password–protected post on the Nakatsu Family Blog, entitled ‘Biblical Betrothal.’  Kory made the post in June 2018.  Its contents is unknown, since it’s password–protected.

The Vows at The Proposal   On the video documenting Jed’s proposal, which was posted on the Nakatsu Family Blog, Jed and Katey apparently exchanged vows when they got engaged.  These vows somewhat resemble the vows that might be exchanged at a betrothal ceremony.

Kory’s Speech At The Wedding   At the Wedding, Kory made a speech when he ‘gave’ Katey to Jed, in which he sort of implies that he personally selected Jed for her, and Katey had agreed to this.

The Wedding Vows   Overally, Jed + Katey’s Wedding just seemed very, very fundie, if that makes sense.  Their vows hammered on the wife’s submission, yada yada yada.  Gives the impression that this was a very strict relationship, and they’re deeply committed to the disgusting notion of biblical patriarchy—which is the exact sort of idea that betrothal advocates are into.

That said, there’s also...

Evidence Against A Betrothal—

During the wedding, the pastor referred to their ‘courtship, and made no mention of betrothal whatsoever.  (And it’s not like he held back, at all, in talking about those fringe fundie beliefs...  Just read their vows!)

According to Reed Roberts, and also Jed, Jed + Katey were together for about a year, prior to marriage.  So, if those vows at the proposal were a betrothal, it clearly wasn’t a ‘traditional’ betrothal...  Since they’d already been together for awhile, at that point.

Reed Roberts denies that Jed + Katey were “arranged.”  (Though, I think it’s also worth mentioning...  He didn’t actually say how they met.  Which I think is kinda weird.  It seems natural to tell the ‘how they met’ story, in attempting to dispel rumors of an arranged marriage.  But he doesn’t.)

Final Thoughts

Duggar Data doesn’t think that Jed + Katey had a ‘true’ betrothal, thought I do suspect the courtship was probably stricter than most, and that Kory probably played a larger role than is ‘typical.’  I think it’s possible that Kory read about—or perhaps, even attended a seminar—about ‘biblical betrothal,’ which led him to making that post on his blog.  As for his comments at the wedding...  I take them to mean that Kory urged Katey to allow him to guide her in choosing her partner, and she agreed.  Maybe he even set her and Jed up.  But...  I’m not at all convinced that he chose Jed without her input, or that she and Jed actually agreed to a ‘betrothal,’ in the sense of vowing to marry as strangers.

Also, one last thing...  Regardless of what Jed + Katey called their relationship, I’m of the opinion that, honestly, it’s basically the same nonsense the Duggars have always practiced.  Betrothal or courtship...  It’s really not that different, in my view.  It’s all based on the same bullshit—namely. twisted gender roles and so–called ‘biblical patriarchy.’  Whether they were ‘arranged,’ or ‘betrothed,’ or whatever, we know the fathers always play a major role.  We know the women always defer to their ‘headship.’  Perhaps Katey + Jed (and Kory) were slightly more overt about it, but that’s it...  Call it Kool–Aid or call it Tang, it’s the same sugary nonsense.

[sour-n-salty-citrus]

Do you have any hopes for the season finale? I saw in another ask, you described the dynamic between rick and morty this season as "very weak, distant, and downright frankly boring" and I completely agree with you! I hope that, because this is most we'll see rick and morty interacting this season, it'll have at least a few moments of what makes their dynamic so interesting to watch.

(Ok i started airing my grievances with this season, which ended up being... long, so skip this paragraph (starting at / / /) to get to my thoughts on the finale)

Oh gosh I remember that ask (I think-). And yeah, maybe I'm being a bit overly critical. I'll probably look back on this season with retrospect, and a kinder, fonder view. Ik androgynousblackbox (think thats right) made a great point about it being the season FOR rickorty shippers. And sure, I agree on some bits, like Rick acting all pissy and partying the way you would if your ex got with someone new in the planetina ep. Overall though, i think my problem lies in that I was enjoying more individual moments than episodes themselves, especially the middle three. For example- Amortycan Grickfitti. Like, I really liked the idea of the Ship getting on a crazy adventure with Summer and Morty (and Chutback). I like the idea of a Beth-Jerry-Rick adventure. But put together, it's just kinda... meh? You know? I liked the first half of the Thanksgiving special... but it kinda dragged on after that. I get that they want to give other characters (particularly female ones) more attention, which is completely understandable and i encourage it(!) but I can't help but find it underwhelming. Like, Summer in the voltron ep was like- girl how are you STILL vying for Rick's attention! He's the worst! Haven't we done this already? (I will say though I ADORE how far Beth has come, props to her for continuing to seeing through her dad's BS. I was worried the character would relapse into a more typical s1/s2 Beth, and I'm glad she didn't). Some of these plots, funnily enough, seem more fitting of the comics (they actually had a voltron parody already). Fun and entertaining for two or three-something issues, not so much a 22 minute episode. i think most of my complaints come from the dynamic between our titular characters- ok, I know I'm very biased (I mean you can see it), but I came to the show primarily for their relationship. It doesn't even feel drama-fueled, just that they kinda... can't be arsed. I'm torn because on the one hand, they're unhealthily codependent and this separation is probably a good thing, but on the other... it doesn't feel natural? I'm not sure if that's the right word- it's like, season 4 had them practically joint at the hip, but all that's suddenly flung out the window. It just kinda feels like this "i got better things to do" vibe from both of them and its strange. The only time they both got a solo adventure (I'm classifying "solo" as an adventure where they spent a significantly large portion of time together, without the other family members) was in the sperm ep and Thanksgiving ep. And, well, in the Thanksgiving ep Morty felt like a side character in his own show, and the sperm ep... um. Yeah. I don't think it's AS bad as people were saying, but I was cringing the whole time (the second hand embarrassment for Morty was so strong I had to turn off the episode multiple times and return to it. It's just like- godammit MORTY). And I think there's good reason those two seemed to be the most disliked episodes overall. They're the ones RaM spend the most time together and it's... meh. Meh? Meh. I don't mean to say the season overall is bad (it has loads of good points, and its amazing for Smith family as a whole) just that if we're talking specifically about the dynamic between these two? Yeah, I wouldn't recommend a single episode from this season so far to use as an example of their relationship.

/ / /

There's one thing this season has been pretty good at, though. And it's showing us what happens when Rick is alone.

And that brings me to the finale.

"Who is Rick without Morty?"

Well... we already know the answer to that. Pathetic. Sad. Lonely.

This season has been phenomenal in humbling Rick. (And trust me I'm happy for it- every time someone beats the crap outta this shitty old man I'm like YES!!! IT'S WHAT HE DESERVES!). Ep 1 had his "nemesis" clearly besting him, ep 2 had Beth making constant digs (love her) and overall pointing out his extreme callousness and cruelty towards even himself(ves). Ep 3- when Morty shows interest in a girl and ditches him (like seriously it's not like he's moving out, chill) he immediately goes on a bender and develops a deep attachment to the first person he can (wearing yellow, funnily enough). Ep 4, he devotes himself to becoming an "honest man" for his new child, only for it to instantly be taken away from him. Ep 5 highlights how RICK is the asshole for making fun of and taking advantage of someone well-meaning and honest, if "simple", and how literally not cool that is. Ep 6 has his crazy rivalry with the president, and they both get smacked down a couple pegs for that. Ep 7 shows what happens when he allows himself to get carried away, and that he can end up driving everyone else away in the process (lucky they still wanted to save his ass when he needed them). And episode 8? Hooooo boy. Episode. 8. We see a direct parallel in Birdperson with Morty, and the whole "Rick and [insert] 100 years!" Rick has few people he cares about, arguably only one or two that he truly devotes himself to, but when he does, boy does he go HARD. We see younger Rick, optimistic, energetic, friendly and hopeful. And we see all of that crushed in minutes. Rick is desperate for a companion, someone to see the stars with. He needs someone there, someone he can trust and rely on to stay. Someone like Morty. So without Morty, who is Rick?

No one.

And the thing is, Morty doesn't need Rick anymore. Not like Rick needs him. In season 1, Morty was this bright-eyed kid who was new to the cosmos and the multiverse, who needed his grandpa there with him as they explored all these places together. But that's not him anymore. That's not them.

The promo has Morty using the portal gun to go somewhere w/o Rick's permission (i like to think it's boob world lol). It doesn't matter to me as much where he's going, as much as he's doing it alone. He doesn't just not need Rick there, he doesn't want him.

(Also correct me if im wrong but I've missed that sweet portal gun so much. I think the last ep was like- the first time this season we saw it).

Morty's response to Rick? "Replace me!". And wow. Wow. WOW. Morty doesn't give a FUCK! I think Rick thinks that because he's so smart, that he can offer so much, that Morty will come crawling back, and I don't think he will.

Hopes for the finale! Hmm. I mean, I definitely hope "evil" Morty makes a reappearance, haha. I think we all do tbh ;). I want to see some Morty development too, this season has been very Rick-centric (not that there's anything wrong with that!) so I wanna see what's in store for Our Boy. I really hope we get to see the Citadel again, and see the state it's in, but I doubt it. We know something super big is in store, it's just a question of what? Other hopes I have is some Summer + Beth action (please let them team up Im BEGGING) and Jerry too ahaha. I'd love if some other side characters made an appearance as well. Oh- I'm definitely expecting a dramatic cliffhanger at the end of the first half leading to the second half, with the kind of angsty music that leads into the credits (pls that shit is so good (OH WAIT imagine if it was like, for the damaged coda, but like- the chopin version or smth so it could be more subtle maybe bruhhhh)). Ok haha, maybe that's asking too much, the writers made it clear in the story train ep that they weren't gonna do that big dramatic showdown (... unless 👀). Oh, I'd also love some Premium Angst too, like someone getting kidnapped/nearly dying (like ACTUALLY nearly dying). These stakes better be so damn high I could spear a man on them! OH, also I remember androgynousblackbox (is that right? I hope it is) mentioned something along the lines that they could be driving Rick and Morty apart this season in order to have them come back together stronger than ever in an explosive finale, which, I'm strongly hoping for myself.

Thanks if you made it this far! If you have any thoughts on or hopes of your own for the finale please feel free to share! :D

[girlactionfigure]

· The world, as we know it, has officially lost it.

Hillel Fuld 

 Black is white, white is black. Right is wrong, wrong is right. Day is night, night is day. 

It is truly unreal to see all the hate for Israel on the internet. It’s not unreal that so many people hate Jews. We’re used to that. It’s also not unreal that so many people side with the Arabs who don’t have to stick to the truth, and therefore have much better PR than us, since our side doesn’t lie. 

What is unreal is the amount of misinformation and straight up lies that are circulating on the internet. I’m not only talking about this latest “Round” of fighting. I’m talking in general. 

The first and most obvious lie being spread by people who are critical of Israel is that it’s not a fair fight. I’m talking about major celebrities and talk show hosts who are spreading this poison to their audience of millions. 

“There are many more casualties on the ‘Palestinian’ side. Israel is much stronger so it has to show restraint”

So let me get this straight. If there were more dead Jews, then you’d be ok with Israel defending herself but since we developed incredible technology to detonate rockets in mid air, since only a few Jews have been killed, we aren’t allowed to defend ourselves? Do you even hear what you’re saying?! You need more dead Jews first before you grant us the right to self defense?!

Furthermore, show me one other war/conflict in which the number of casualties determines the validity of the war. Was WWII justified? Did Germany not lose many many more lives than those who attacked them in order to uproot the evil of the Nazi regime? I’ll go one step further. Do you have any idea how many innocent Germans were killed in WWII? Does that make the war unjustified? 

“No, they weren’t innocent. They elected Hitler to lead them. They deserved to suffer the consequences.”

So if a nation elects a psychopathic regime to lead them, attacking them to uproot the evil is justified? See where I’m going with this?

The Arabs in Gaza democratically elected Hamas, a terror organization to lead them. Need I say more?

Ok, next lie. “The Palestinians deserve the right to self determination. They deserve a state. Until they have one, they won’t stop.”

Ok, let’s dissect. Can you guess how many times the Arabs had a chance to have a state? One? No. Two? Nope. Three? Negative. Four?! Keep going. Five? That is correct. They had five chances and they rejected them all. Why, you ask?

How about because they don’t want a state?! Have you ever reviewed the charter of the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization)? 

 “Article 2 of the Charter states that ″Palestine, with the boundaries it had during the British mandate, is an indivisible territorial unit″, meaning that there is no place for a Jewish state.”

They don’t want a state. They say it loud and clear. They want no Israel. It’s time we took their word. 

The irony here is actually humorous. The very same people who support the Arab’s cause are the very same people who treat the Arabs like little children who can’t think for themselves. “They say from the river to the sea? Na, they don’t mean it!” They are embracing terror as their primary vehicle to advance their cause? Well, they’re suffering so what choice do they have? How can you blame them?”

Um, how about act like an adult and stop stoning your feet and crying like a little toddler? I mean there are many under privileged people out there. There are many poor people, sick people, sad people. Do any of them blow themselves up or shoot rockets at women and children? Somehow with these Arabs it’s ok, because they’re “Suffering”. 

Of course the fact that their suffering has anything to do with their terror is another lie. Ari’s 17 year old murderer came from an affluent and finally stable family. 

The next lie being spread is that Israel is indiscriminately killing women and children. See, when you are blinded by hatred, facts don’t matter. 

Israel is doing significantly more than ANY other army in the world to minimize innocent Arab deaths. The issue is that our enemies are literally setting up their terror headquarters in hospitals! They are literally making women and children stand next to them as they fire rockets into Israel. So yes, there are many innocent casualties on their side. Whose fault is that? Exhibit A: Hamas. 

Let’s just address one more lie, even though there are about 20 more lies being told right now on the internet. If you have another historical fabrication that you want addressed, feel free to comment below and I’ll try to address it. 

So one more lie. “Israel stole land from the Palestinians. They have to give back those stolen homes.”

Words matter and calling them Palestinians when that term was literally made up by the terrorist, Yasser Arafat, is inaccurate and not helpful. They are Arabs. 

So about that lie. We occupied the Palestinian state, stole their homes, and killed their children. 

When? Serious question. When? In my history book, the UN gave us and them a state in 1948. They didn’t accept and attacked us. We whipped their tuchuses. 

So when did we occupy the so-called Arab Palestinian state? 

Don’t bother Googling because it’s a huge global lie. There never was an Arab Palestinian state. Ever. Those Arabs who call themselves Palestinians? Please go ahead and ask them when their Palestinian state was established. Please ask them to tell you ANYTHING about this so-called state we occupied. 

News flash: You can’t occupy your own land. 

I feel like I just scratched the surface here and there are so many more lies being circulated right now on the internet. 

I guess I’ll just say one more thing. Jews value life. We believe all humans were created in the image of GD. We sanctify life and do everything we can to defend and preserve it. Do you have any idea how much every iron dome missile costs us? 

Each battery of the Iron Dome costs about $100 million. And each individual missile? $50,000. But for us, Human life > All the money in the world! 

Our enemies? They glorify death. While we build highly advanced technology to deflect rockets in real time, they use the billions they got from the US, the EU, and yes, even from Israel (Because we are idiots and compassionate to those who deserve no compassion!) to build highly advanced attack tunnels that start in Gaza and end in Jewish towns. They don’t plan on using these tunnels to deliver candy to Israeli kids. And of course, much of that foreign aid money goes to building those tens of thousands of rockets raining down on our heads. 

Golda Meir famously said “Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us.”

Truer words have never been spoken. 

What other lies are there?

[jaskierrrrrr]

As someone who hasn't read the books nor played the games, I personally thought the second season was quite good (especially in comparison to the first one). So now I looked up the reactions on tumblr and some peoply are massively unhappy with it, if not bitter to the core. I get that some points aren't held consistent (e. g. Kaer Morhen being hard to access) and some aspects deserved more focus (e. g. Jaskier's emotional state) but isn't it normal that tv adaptions are never going to cover everyone's expectations? Everyone familiar with the universe beforehand is going to have explicit ideas of what they want to see, and it's never going to be that way. I think Henry Cavill summarised it quite well in a short interview bit discussing a similar issue.

Basically, I don't really know what to do now. Stay away from the negative reactions to simply keep enjoying something that makes me happy bc its just a tv show after all? Read more into the criticism and possibly get into an even worse mood because of those (but simultaneously feel less like a fake fan?). Read the books to gather my own impressions? Maybe you or others have a good idea how to handle this inner conflict.

(also i love ur blog, thanks and bye)

Hey this is a really great ask and a very important question. Obviously spoilers for the Witcher series 2 below.

I think several factors are involved in the particularly strong reactions to S2.

1. Many fans (like myself) had not read the books before S1, and even those that had would probably agree that S1 did a pretty good job of matching the books.

2. We had a LONG wait before S2, where many people had the chance to read the books if they hadn't already done so. But because we'd been given these (new) versions of the characters, we spent two years producing and consuming mainly fan produced media (incredible fan fiction, amazing art, spectacular GIFs etc)

3.Blood of Elves seems (in my opinion) like one of the harder books to adapt for the screen. The Last Wish lent itself to the 8 episode system quite nicely, where each episode felt distinct, whereas S2 needed to tell a more cohesive narrative rather than one off adventures.

So I think people's expectations were definitely higher for S2 than S1. And as you rightly say, any adaptation will never please 100% of the audience. And I can completely understand why some fans are disappointed! And people are allowed to be! But some people not liking S2 does not make S2 objectively "bad," in the same way liking something does not make it "good."

Having different opinions is what makes us human. And just as I wouldn't make you feel bad about liking coconut because I hate it, the fans who are expressing dislike for S2 are not doing so in order to say "anyone who likes it is WRONG," they're doing it because they're expressing their thoughts and opinions. And you have as much right to not engage with those opinions as others do to express them in the first place.

At the end of the day, a TV show is fundamentally designed to entertain. And if you do so, you do not have to feel guilty about enjoying it! Personally I'm interested in hearing all the different opinions (although I do think there is some excessive negativity, and anyone sending hate to the actors/ creators can kindly piss off), but you are under no obligation to do so, particularly if reading it is making you feel sad or upset.

Maybe think what would happen if you did engage with the criticism? If you did engage with it, would anything about the show change? Obviously not, so if the only outcome is that you won’t be happy, then there is absolutely no need to!

And I do think the strong reactions will die down after a while. It's inevitable that people's initial reactions are going to be WTF (be it positive or negative). But I made this blog about a month after S1 dropped, and the amount of incredible fan creations I still go back to is astounding. Regardless of opinion, this fandom is one of the most creative and passionate I've ever had the pleasure of being in, but I do tailor my experience so I can get the most enjoyment out of it for myself. (For example, I don't really enjoy NSFW content, so I just block the tag! ) And at the end of the day, enjoyment is the most important part!