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[mcmactictac]

is reddie canon

Welcome back to should your favourite ships be canon if a coward was not writing them today we will be discussing the hot topic of Reddie. Let’s start by breaking it down.

I’m starting with Richie because he is objectively easier. That is a gay man right there and the script virtually comes out and says it. That arcade scene where he gets called the f slur, the “I know your secret” song directly after, the R+E, the fact he was one of the only losers (besides Ben) who was not in a long term relationship. I would be more interested to see how someone argues him as straight since he is so clearly gay. Now with that in mind, would he ever be out about it enough to be in a relationship with Eddie? That depends more on Eddie.

Boy oh boy is there a lot to unpack with Eddie. We can clearly establish he does not romantically love his wife, he literally married his mother because that’s the female support he’s used to. Im aware most of Eddie’s health stuff is related to his mother but we are looking for potential subtext here so. Now this might be a reach but I want you to bear with me here because I think it’s interesting anyways.

So IT takes place between 1984 and 1985. The first case of AIDS was reported in the US in 1981. As a disease known for the devastating impact it had on gay men, it was something that rightfully scared many people. This is also a time where homophobia is rampant and being gay is dangerous. Now If we want to look at Eddie’s health concerns from a subtextual level, we could draw a conclusion between his fear of getting sick and the disease that is killing so many people being something Eddie is terrified. of. And if we break it down more, being scared of getting AIDS could also easily be compared to being scared of being gay. So he’s constantly taking medication to try and protect himself, make sure he doesn’t get sick. He’s terrified of what would happen if he did and has lots of anxiety surrounding it. This is projected on to him by his mother and makes him extremely cautious of every area of his life. If we draw this comparison Eddie has some DEEPLY internalized homophobia. And when we see him stand up to his mother and realize the drugs are not going to protect him or change who he is, we can see him start to accept himself. Now if I was writing Eddie’s character and I was not a coward, I would establish that there is a clear parallel here because the timeline fits perfectly and works well for his story. If you were not a coward after Eddie stands up to his mother I would also make sure he grew closer with Richie and was more explicitly queer coded after that. He’s realizing that although his fears are understandable and valid they shouldn’t consume him and stop him from enjoying his life. There’s always that threat of getting sick, or facing violence because of your sexuality but you can’t constantly live in fear because of it. As Eddie let’s go of that health anxiety a bit, he should grow closer with Richie as he’s growing less aftraid of the idea he might be gay.

Now if we wanted to be really fun, we throw that all out the window once he leaves Derry. We see him again 27 years later and his anxiety is worse, im full swing and is only being increased by the people around him. Like his mother, his wife makes things worse and draws more attention to the idea and scares him more. And as he comes back to Derry and he starts to remember and he spends more time with Richie we watch him let go of some of that anxiety again. Similar to how Bills stutter leaves and then comes back, it’s the opposite with Eddie. He’s finally back around someone who makes him feel safe enough to drop some of that anxiety. As Eddie accepts himself more, his anxiety drops lower.

Going back to the first movie for a second here, think of the blood pact at the end. Normally something Eddie would absolutley refuse to do right? (I actually had to whip out research for this one folks) so AIDS can be transferred through infected blood. It’s why they tell you to be cautious sharing needles because they don’t know if it has an infected persons blood on it. Now at this point in the story it’s clear to the viewer Richie knows and somewhat accepts hes gay. We see him carve the R+E on the bridge, an admission of his feelings for Eddie. And I’m sure Eddie knows this too.

Now let’s talk about this specific shot because it’s everything to me

Richie and Eddie are holding hands, during a blood pact where your blood will mix together with someone else’s. It’s important to notice the emphasis on the cast here. It’s in the center of the shot and the V stands out in red, taking a negative thing and choosing to make it positive. Eddie knows Damn well what the risks are. But he chooses to hold Richies hand anyways, to risk that “infected blood” becoming part of him. He’s choosing to let go of that anxiety and choose his love for Richie instead. You could also argue the red used to make the V could be symbolic of this scene, using that love between two people to take all the negative shit people say and turn it into something beautiful. The emphasis on lover here as he holds Richies hand is so important. This is Eddie accepting himself, accepting the risks because he values the reward higher than the risk. He’s no longer going to let that fear control him.

Now do I know if any of this was done on purpose? No, of course not it’s Stephen King. But if I was not a coward, it absolutely would have been.

You thought we were done? Not yet folks we still have to examine if this would work. So because we really don’t see Eddie accept himself until the end of the first movie, we really have to guess at what happens next. We don’t see Eddie again until decades later when he’s lost most of his memories so we can’t take that Eddie into account. So we have to further break down their younger selves and keep in mind the time frame they would have had before leaving Derry.

So the kids are 11-12 within that first section. That’s really not even a point where anyone has a successful relationship ever. So you have about 6-7 years before they leave Derry. Now Eddie has just come to terms with his sexuality, it would probably still take him a while to be comfortable dating/being out to his friends. Richie will admit his feelings but he doesn’t necessarily accept them. I give them at least 3-4 more years of growth and self development before I would consider a relationship. But by that point? Yeah I’d say fair game. I think it’s very likely they dated on the down low within high school as soon as they were comfy with themselves and aware of the others sexuality. I think what you would be waiting on is for one of them to come out, before the other one admits their feelings. But given their growth and feelings already shown at 11-12 I think it’s incredibly likely that happened before they left. Obviously then they leave Derry and lose their memories and then Eddie dies so they really don’t have a chance to re explore that as adults.

If we want to make it extra angsty, Richie remembers all of it after Eddie dies. He remembers how they were in high school and he is finally aware of all he lost too late to have it back. He never got to say the things he wouldn’t as a child now that he remembers. Ouch.

In summary!

-Richie is a gay man and it’s clearly intentional and obvious

-I think Eddie’s fear of getting sick is a parallel to fear of getting aids which would represent a fear of being gay. As his health anxiety drops, he accepts himself more

-they likely need a few more years to grow more comfortable with themselves but given their chemistry and history it’s incredibly likely they dated before leaving Derry.

-By the time they regain their memories and confidence, Eddie is dead so they can never explore this as adults

Conclusion? Yes Reddie is canon. They’re both gay men who’s stories can very easily be seen as queercoded. Although they never got the chance to re explore as adults, something totally went on between them after that summer and between leaving Derry.

If you like this it’s in a series under #deathoftheauthorbirthofthemcmac and if you send in asks I’ll happily analyze any ship I’ve watched/read! I’ve got a list I’m working through but I’ll always take more :)

[mcmactictac]

is wolfstar canon

Hello and welcome back to another episode of I analyze your favourite ships and let you know if they’d be canon if a coward wasn’t writing them.

I have read all the Harry Potter books and watched all the movies, I have not read All the Young Dudes but I have consumed lots of mauraders content so I’m really hoping all of these points I’m making are canon.

Let’s start with Remus Lupin. That’s a queercoded bitch if I’ve ever seen one. Now I’m always a sucker for queer coding within magical worlds, as there’s a lot of really subtle things to do with it. Now with Remus being a werewolf, there’s a lot to examine there. When examining queer coding we will ignore the shitty implication that it’s a disease that can be given to you by others because that’s dumb and Rowling sucks. We do not stand for homophobia in this household so I want to make extra clear I don’t want to imply any of that.

That being said, being a werewolf is a thing Remus is ashamed of and feels the need to hide. He hides it from everyone around him because he doesn’t want them to look at him differently. You also have to keep in mind the time period this would be set, being gay can be incredibly unsafe and life altering in a negative way. So he hides it to protect himself, despite the fact he is a child struggling with all this internal self loathing. The constant narrative of being a monster that just pushes you further and further into hiding because you have no idea what would happen if they found out. And eventually he finds close friends who figure it out and they support him, they want to help so he feels less alone. And yes he has this outlet now but it’s still a tightly guarded secret. Something he’s only open with to the people he trusts. His lycanthropy is a clear parallel to being gay and although I hate the implication that it’s a “disease” like. Metaphorically most of the things you look for in queer coding are right there.

You also have to keep in mind that Remus was literally never in a relationship and showed no interest in anyone until like the end with Tonks. And it’s pretty clear to me that Rowling threw that in so people would stop saying he was gay. I like Remus and Tonks and the dynamic they have but like. They seem more like friends, the age gap is weird, there’s no build up, it doesn’t make sense for Remus’s character and it’s just like. Not great? Tonks and Remus are great friends but I don’t really see them together romantically.

I’m going with the fact that Remus is just straight up gay. Tonks seems like a cover, and if I was a person who wasn’t a coward writing this, Remus and Tonks are both aware neither of them are straight and are covering for each other. It’s giving me very “let’s get married so you don’t get drafted to the front lines even though we arent in love” like people did during like the Vietnam war. They get along really well but Remus has no romantic chemistry with any woman ever. That is not a straight man.

Sirius Black. This is another fun one. Since the start of his time at Hogwarts he is marked as “different” from the rest of his family because he isn’t a slytherin. We need to keep in mind the Black family is very wealthy, has a high value on their reputation, and are basically just racist, homophobic and classist people. Difference is not accepted, and Sirius already starts out by breaking that mould. Now l honestly don’t remember how much of his interactions with Marlene are canon so I don’t know if I can argue that but like. Yes I am thinking about it, much like JJ, Sirius overcompensates with being a huge flirt with everyone despite having no real feelings attached to any of them. Throughout growing up he continues to break away from his family, and break away from their problematic views. Being raised in an environment like that instills a sense of fear around you. So even if Sirius knew when he was younger, it’s likely he denied it or never said anything because of fear. By the time he leaves he’s pretty much kicked out of the family. Through his school we can also see how supportive of Remus he is, trying to help him and make him feel as comfortable as possible. Giving him support and love he was never given.

If a coward was not writing this Sirius black should not be straight. I’m not certain if he would be bi or gay, but he for sure likes men. It would fit well and be interesting for his character and story.

So how do they work together? Objectively, really well. I’m going to look at this through a canonical lense, so trying to keep what I can of the story but adding these sexuality headcanons in mind.

Remus and Sirius were ABSOLUTELY together in school. I don’t think they were public about it in the slightest. But this is another gay person you’re close with, you care for who fiercely cares for you despite your family or your “disease”. Remus was totally out first, but just to the Mauraders. Sirius never really comes out. He probably tells James first, mentions it quietly one night after thinking about his family. He knows James will be ok with it because he was always ok with Remus. And James is supportive and never says anything, never treats Sirius any different. That’s still the man who is basically his brother. But he sees how Sirius looks at Remus the same way he looks at Lily. He knows, even if they never tell him. But if anyone were to know, it would be him.

They have the chemistry, the stories line up, they’re good friends and it would make sense. Because of the time period it’s quiet and guarded, a relationship kept from prying eyes. They might love each other but they don’t want anyone to know about their relationship because neither of them are really comfortable or ready being out.

Now after school there’s probably a bit of a splitting apart, knowing they can’t maintain what they had forever. The future isn’t made for them and they know that. And then James is dead, and Peter is killed and Sirius is in prison and Remus is forced to pull himself together and do the best he can to move on without them. Now if we were in a timeline where Sirius didn’t go after Peter, and him and Remus could potentially take Harry? I don’t know. They sure as hell wouldn’t let the Dursley’s take him, but dumbledore also isn’t going to just let them live in peace. They would have to go totally off grid, making sure Dumbledore never took him. The priority here would be keeping Harry safe, not on their own relationship.

Now after POA is where things get messy. Because you essentially have two years here before Sirius dies. Even though Remus knows he’s innocent he went 13 years thinking he wasn’t. That trust isn’t going to magically return overnight, he’s going to have to unlearn all of the wrong things he figured out over the past decade. And this Sirius is different. This Sirius doesn’t need a relationship, he needs support, love and someone to help him. And Remus is there for that. They both still care for each other but they aren’t at a point where they work anymore. They just appreciate the comfort that the other provides. Remus takes care of Sirius the way Sirius took care of him so many years ago. It isn’t about a relationship, it’s about love. That love for each other is still strong, and it’s still there. Nothing is going to change that, they’ll always be a part of each other.

So no I don’t think they got “back together” before Sirius died. Or even if Sirius survived, before Remus died. If by some miracle they both survived the war down the road? Maybe. They’d still have that tight bond with each other and over time and as they heal it might develop again. But no I think they only really “dated” in high school. But that love for each other never really went away. It’s still a huge part of each of them, and even if they aren’t in a relationship that doesn’t mean they aren’t in love.

So in summary:

-Remus is gay. His story is queercoded but in a homophobic way.

-Sirius likes men. It further distances him from his family and is something he has a lot of internal problems with

-they’re secretly together in high school. James probably knows but he never pushes

-post POA they don’t get “back together” but they are still fiercely attached and care about the other deeply. The lack of a relationship is not an indication of no love. They don’t really care about labelling it as much they’re just Remus and Sirius and they just. Need each other

-if allowed to survive till the end they may get back together

So I would say yes, Wolfstar is canon. We have nothing to prove none of this didn’t happen. They could have been together in high school and Harry would never know. And even if the relationship fizzles out, that love is always still there and that never goes away.

If you’re still here this is part of a series I’m doing, and I’m going to be doing this with a bunch of other stuff! It’s all going to be under #deathoftheauthorbirthofthemcmac so if you like this one I’ve got a jjpope one up and more to come!

[mcmactictac]

is jjpope canon

Alright Katie you want jjpope analysis thats what you get

Disclaimer, I have NOT watched season two of outer banks yet. I did watch season one fairly recently but all of this will only be based on season one. This is also not a show I am as passionate about so my thoughts and feelings on the characters are all down for discussion. So let’s gather some thoughts here.

I would start by saying that JJ and Pope are not a queerbait. They may have good chemistry but they clearly were not made to be shipped. The target audience for outer banks was more towards straight people, and they really didn’t need a queerbait in there to gain a larger audience.

That being said it doesn’t mean they don’t have some good chemistry. This is one of those ships where I could argue “close male friends�� and “potential boyfriends” are both valid opinions. Keep in mind I’m basing this purely on season one.

Did I LIKE Pope and Kie? No. Not at all. It felt way too forced and honestly that relationship pushes me further into believing Pope is not straight. They had no real chemistry, he had no reasoning behind liking her and it just felt like it was there for convenience. It also takes away from Kie’s character. And the thing is they can write good relationships? I really didn’t mind John B and Sarah Cameron, they were engaging and interesting enough that I was invested in them at least on some level. Pope and Kie just. Makes both of their characters look bad.

That’s my biggest argument when it comes to ships like these. Although JJ and Pope don’t have the tension lots of other characters typically do, Pope and JJ have more tension, and more reason to like each other than Pope and Kie do. In my opinion, none of them should be in a relationship because they’re dealing with their own stuff or just not a good match. JJ is really not in the place to be romantically invested in anyone right now. And Popes romance plot does nothing for either character besides create more negative tension. His attraction to Kie feels like it was written in as a plot point, and not clear through the script. Pope has the energy of a guy who has never had close friends before and doesnt know how to distinguish those feelings. I know I personally struggled with that when I was younger, unsure if I was platonically or romantically attracted to someone because I struggled to tell the difference. It’s a really hard thing for some people, and the pressure to have a crush on someone can often make you confuse those feelings. Especially if it’s someone of the opposite gender, because society expects you to like someone. And so those feelings can get tangled up and confused. I don’t want to sit here and invalidate Popes feelings for Kie but I’m just throwing it out there as a possibility as he really doesn’t seem romantically attracted to her so much as he just. Likes her as a person.

On a similar note, it can go the exact same way when you’re questioning your sexuality. If you’re friends with someone who Is the same gender as you, you can often brush your strong feelings off as friendship. And often once you come to terms with your sexuality you can go back and see “oh. That’s what that was.” You are much more likely to dismiss those romantic feelings if it’s someone of the same gender. I know that was something I personally struggled with, was eventually realizing what I felt had evolved past friendship, and I hadn’t noticed it because I never even considered the possibility.

JJ really doesn’t have a love interest season one. He’s fiercely loyal and protective, and does a very good job of not addressing the gravity of his problems (he brushes things off with his dad very lightly). He seems to overcompensate by flirting with everyone, but rarely opening up to anyone. He shows no interest in Sarah or Kie whatsoever and makes no genuine attempt to get with either of them, which further solidifies the flirting as a persona.

If I was writing JJ, he would not be straight. I wouldn’t even say hes bi. He has closeted gay guy with homophobic dad energy. His dad is kinda a dick for no real reason now, adding in that he’s homophobic and thinks JJ is gay would give them a reason to have tension. Given the area they live in it really doesn’t seem like a safe area to be gay in. So he would already have that internalized homophobia so if he ever did think he wasn’t straight it would just add on to his pile of self loathing. We have no idea what all is there but it’s very clear JJ has a lot of self hatred and doubt. It’s not unreasonable to assume some of this could be related to sexuality.

So In a short summary

-Pope and Kie don’t make sense. It’s a forced relationship that leads me to believe Pope is struggling to distinguish his feelings from each other.

-I think JJ is gay. He shows no interest in women whatsoever, and seems very closeted. Even if he knows I don’t think he’s ready to be out.

-I would argue Pope as bi, because he does seem to show interest in women, but he also shows interest in JJ in a different way. I think he has a lot of untangling of his own emotions to do before he should be in a relationship.

So in summary. No, I wouldn’t say jjpope is canon. That being said, I think both JJ and pope are not straight, I just think they aren’t far enough along in their own development yet to understand and be comfortable with that. With good buildup and a proper writer, JJ and pope could pretty easily be made to work in later seasons. So I would say not now (again I haven’t watched season two yet) but if you wanted it could be written in easily without seeming forced. The groundwork is there for both of them.

But if we’re talking about outer banks characters we think are not straight? Above all else I stand by the fact that I think Sarah Cameron is a lesbian who has massive amounts of comphet. It just makes sense.

Yes this is going to be a series I have been sent many ships to talk about like this and I will be working my way through them all. Due to a suggestion all of these are gonna be tagged under #deathoftheauthorbirthofthemcmac so it’ll be easy to scroll through!